“Yes. There are actual residences here, but as you see, access is limited. The people in power live here, anyone but the Reevers, actually. They have this obscured place on top of The Cradle. You can’t see it without a Binding, actually,” said Marcus. The man with his droopy eyelids and nose was turning out to be rather pleasant.

Gabriel had been drawn in by Marcus’ offering of aperitif. The officer was a gluttonous advocate of the joy of appetizers with a couple of drinks. ‘What matters if it was during job hours, nobody cares anyway.’ Seemed to be his motto.

They talked about the treecity, whose real name was The Lookout. The material that looked like glass was instead Mithril, made transparent through a rather costly technique, and acted as a mighty defense and a perfect way to spot incoming enemies.

The place housed scrying towers, flying militia, and weapons of all kinds, a true fortress for the tree’s protection. Yet other than that, it was where all of the most renowned households had their main housing. Marcus used names he already knew, such as Starryskies, Yamamoto, Jansen, Wagner, but many more indeed. They were la creme de la creme of the Druidic world, and each of them had at least a couple of Tier 6 monsters pulling the strings.

The smug officer that had been Gabriel’s first denier to his title of Herald, turned out to be quite a likable person in the young man’s books. He was not tied to any powers like another fellow he liked was, like Cain. But he managed to be open and friendly enough to seem honest in his character. It was all that Gabriel was looking for. Stable persons that were not trying to use him or gain something from him.

“Seriously though, you’re level is low, Gabe. It’s impressive you got there in a month, and by yourself. But you should not go out there. There are level seventy eagles that can snatch you up and eat you for… what time is it?” he looked at the bar’s watch, “Lunch.”

Gabriel chuckled. “I guess it’s worth a try. I can be rather nasty as well. I just need to stay clear of Tier 4 beasts. But I really need to get some fresh air.”

Marcus shrugged, “Fair enough, come with me then.” He saluted the bartender and hailed Gabriel to follow.

It took less than five minutes to reach an exit.

“Here,” Marcus shrugged, “It’s the closest one, there is only one guard for each exit. It’s mithril after all, just identify yourself when you want to get in. Oh, on the right,” he pointed, “you’ll be able to see Falcon Dungeon, it’s small and secluded inside of the branches, so it’s not easily visible from here I’m guessing you chose Enhanced Senses, so you might.”

“How did you know?” Gabriel asked, surprised.

“I’m not just an officer, Gabe. I’m an inquirer,” he said, smiling. Then he fished something from his satchel, probably a Dimensional-Bag. “Here, this is a Gemini card; write on it, and I’ll know you’ll be looking for me. Oh, and if you do, do it with a pencil so that you might blot it away and use it again in the future. These things are not exactly cheap, you know? Have fun, Gabriel!” Sayings so, the officer left.

“What a guy,” Gabriel thought, amused. “So, Liz. Are you ready for some exploration?”

Liz heavily nodded. “Of course, you are. Let’s go.”

The first thing they noticed was, of course, the wind. It was strong as hell. So they had to work on their footwork. Liz had it easier, walking on her four legs; a thing that she didn’t prefer to do, she could anchor herself with her agile fingers, and her Tough Legs evolution helped her even more in doing so.

Gabriel, instead, had to be really careful, he had no movement ability or any way to grapple himself as Liz did, and even if she could, his Power wouldn’t quite cut it in anchoring to the bark as she did.

But it was fun, he knew right away that he would love it. He had already become some sort of battle junkie, from there to adrenaline junkie, that step was very small.

Gabriel could indeed see the spherical Shield of the Dungeon, even from there. It was huge, and it encompassed the tree’s branches without damaging them, they did not indeed shake even an inch given their massive size, but it wasn’t only that; Yggdrasil’s inherent might was probably part of the reason.

He could not understand how this tree even came to be, but what was even more impressive was that it housed Dungeon in itself. Even those on its outskirts, in the end, belonged to it. In fact, Yggdrasil’s reach extended far beyond what the eyes could see. His roots probably reached through the mantle of the planet and beyond.

What a world… Gabriel decided then to jump, he charged with his maximum power, he even thought of utilizing Built to Fly, but then he remembered that wind would alter his course, and so would something that came into his path. So he decided to only count on his more physical abilities.

Then without waiting further, Gabriel started jumping from branch to branch.

It was dangerous, it was stupid, it was weird, but it was fun. Gabe felt like a monkey, though the branches he used as platforms instead of climbing sticks, for their impossible size, the smallest of them were as wide as roadways, he thought.

Some monsters started giving him glances but mostly ignored him. While he toyed around, he met even more monsters, some warier of him, or looking definitely more dangerous; like snakes, big-ass monkeys, and as he reached a certain height. He saw a couple of Ygg-dog sleeping, one on top of the other. They were resting on a high branch, illuminated by the rays of light. In fact, around him had become much shinier, as if the sky had been opening up. Then he knew. He had reached the Crown.

Oh, did I fuck up?

Looking at two massive dogs, Gabriel could distinguish different features from those of the Ygg-dogs in LargeLeaf Dungeon. These ones were golden other than only being covered in shades of green. They wore massive armors of what looked like the metal his spear was made from, a dark, almost black metal that made it shine in many shades of grey and even white when hit by the light.

He was in doubt if analyzing them or not; they looked rather strong, the people had said they were Tier 4, but they had not stated what Rank they were. Yet Gabriel somehow felt they were Elites. They could literally annihilate him if they saw him. The only thing he could do now was slowly let himself fall; he could stop his descent with Built to Fly. Fortunately, Liz was not there already; she was slower than him, but she would be there shortly, and Gabriel hoped she did not yap as she used to do when surprised.

Gabriel was about to turn back when someone said something.

“You don’t have to be scared.”

It was a crystal clear voice, so easy on the ears that he couldn’t help but let go of his fright. Gabriel turned around to see where it came from. But he couldn’t manage to locate the speaker.

Then he heard it giggle.

My god… this is the laughter of an angel, he thought.

“I’m here! Can’t you see me?” She, it was definitely a she, added.

“Where are you? I can’t find you?” Gabriel found himself asking, barely noticing that he was being aroused in every sense of the word.

“Up here!” She said, giggling in her angelic voice.

Gabriel raised his chin, “Where? Let me see you!”

“Nope!” She stated softly, “You wouldn’t like me, anyway.”

“Why are you saying that?” Gabriel asked, turning around once more.

“Humans don’t really like us; they are just forced to share Yggdrasil with us,” she retorted. It was clear that she was getting said.

“You are a Yggdrasilian?”

“Yes. Didn’t you know?” The ethereal voice said from somewhere on his left; she had gotten closer, but this time too, she escaped him.

“Matter of fact, I don’t. The only Yggdrasilian I have ever seen are those in LargeLeaf Dungeon,” he answered.

She giggled, “Silly! Those are not Yggdrasilians. If my father heard those words, he would be very upset. Those are just,” her voice changed a little, as it does when someone repeats an overused catchphrase, “our rejected cousins. Yggdrasil couldn’t stand them, so he kicked them out and banished them in that Dungeon.”

“Is that true? However, they are not ugly, you know. I bet I would enjoy seeing you. So show yourself, please,” Gabriel pleaded.

“Alright, but promise not to run away. If you do, I’ll be sad,” she answered.

“I won’t! I promise on the soul of my father.”

That seemed to impress her.

“So where are you?” Gabriel asked after a few moments went by without hearing anything from her.

“I’m up here; turn around and raise your head.”

When Gabriel did, he finally saw her. The person sitting on a branch with her legs dangling was indeed a Yggdrasilian. Similar to those of the Dungeon, however, she was… something entirely else too. There was a haze about her, something which felt like a torpor of the senses. As she was not made to be looked at, as if he shouldn’t look at her. He started sensing something, trying to push him into a state of terror. It pushed and pushed against his psyche, but he wanted to look at her so badly. There was no way some damn curse would impede him to look at-

A curse.

And he knew that type of seal, it was a type of magic… no, there were two, two entwined ideals woven into the seal, he could feel them. One was of bending, it was spiritual-bending, the other was a sealing that gave everyone the desire to keep run away from them, and was tied to the first to give it a reason to run away from her. It was indeed a curse.

But it wasn’t enough for Gabriel. At that moment, he felt that he could not remove the curse; even if he wanted, it was much too vast and powerful for him. He couldn’t force through something like that even if he used all the Mana at his disposal a hundred times over.

What he could do, though, was bypass it. He could work around mind-bending and spiritual-bending; he had learned it the hard way, the harder possible way, from its very master. Glory of Kings. So Gabriel did, it took him little time, but much happened in that little amount of time.

Gabriel fixed his idea of seeing not through the curse, it was impossible, but around it. His Spirit Sight interwoven with Mana tainted with the idea of bending did precisely that. It bent the hideous haze out of his senses, letting him look only at what was right in front of him. And what he saw was magnificent.

Her naked body shone in auburn, green, silver, and gold. She was made of interweaving branches so tight that they formed a semblance of skin. Differently from the Bastards, whose skin was directly relatable to tree bark, hers was fair. Almost supple. She had the shapes which characterize femininity in every culture, unlike their cousins, which could hardly be distinguished. Her foliage was long and vaporous like cotton but indeed made of leaves and their color varied just as her skin did. Finally, her visage was gentle. Her heart-shaped face, adorned by a delicate nose, was shining even more thanks to her golden and auburn irises, and her eyes were twice as big as those of humans. She truly was a vision of bliss.

“I- I don’t understand why but…” He was about to say, when she shot up, ready to leave.

“No, wait!”

“I told you, you wouldn’t like what you saw!”

“I like it very much!” He shot back. The phrase seemed to stop her in her tracks.

“Really? Why? Can’t you see that I’m ruined?”

“What are you talking about? I look at you, and all I see is the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen,” Gabriel said, sincere.

The girl, cause it seemed clear that she was still a young girl, brought her hands to her mouth in disbelief, then she disappeared. Following her, the two ygg-dogs got up and ran away, probably in her direction. She had disappeared too fast for Gabriel’s eyes to follow.

“What the hell did just happen?”

Only at that moment, Liz appeared. “Girl. You won’t believe what I’m about to tell you,” he said to her, before starting into a confused recalling of the recent occurrence.

Gabriel sat and waited for an entire hour for the angel to return, but she didn’t.

Sighing, he decided that it was time to go back; by the time he returned to the Veins, it would be time for his lesson.

He was about to jump when he heard a whisper.

“What is your name?” Said the angel, somewhere; she had hidden again.

“Gabriel. My name is Gabriel Walker.”

“Gabriel Walker. It’s a beautiful name. Would you come back next week, please? Come at the same hour on the same day. I’ll be waiting. Just don’t bring anyone.”

“Can I bring my lizard?” He asked, ecstatic but confused.

“Yes, you can bring your jailed spirit with you. She looks happy and carefree. I like her.” The angel giggled once more.

“What is your name?” Gabriel asked, “How do I call you?”

After a long pause, she answered, “You’ll find out next time. So I’ll be sure you will come again.”

Gabriel dropped down from the branches with a smile on his face. For the first time in a while, he felt happy.

The Veins were already dark when Gabe reached them, and the Destiny shop had a single light on.

Gorgi was there, waiting for him behind the half-closed door; he could see the gnome working on something sitting on top of his tall stool.

“Hey Gorgi, I’m here.”

“Gabriel! Finally, I was starting to worry, you wouldn’t come.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, it’s six-fifty-seven. You came at six-fifty-five last time. It’s obvious you were delayed.”

Gabriel stared at him, amused, “You really are something else.”

“Well, of course, I’m a gnome. You are a human. Duh. Now come.”

“What you want to do here,” Gorgi said as he shifted around a couple of runes to create a simple obscuring Magic, “is simply to taint your Mana with the idea of negation. Or at least, you would do that if your Magic Skill was belonging to the sphere of corruption. Otherwise, you would have to use more complex runes.”

“The idea of negation?” Gabriel asked, “I thought corruption was corruption, and that was it.”

“Why? You are lucky enough to have obtained an unheard of Skill that allows you to control every concept tied to Darkness. Really I couldn’t believe it until I Scanned you. There exist rare and powerful schools of magic that offer control over two main colors of Darkness, but I have never even heard of a Skill encompassing all the colors of it. So, tell me, what else is corruption if not what we make of it? Negation is a corruption of truthness; as long as you think in those colors, it will come instinctively to you. You could taint your body with the color of corruption and taint it with the idea of negation to become imperceptible to the senses of your opponents.”

“I could disappear entirely from their senses?”

“Well, that depends. There are a lot of factors in play: your presence, your spirit, your battle intent, your energy, your Mana. You can shade your body, but to truly obscure to the senses, you would need to cover all those grounds first. There is a lot of work behind that. The very best assassins, for example, are capable of such feats. You must have met Darte Reevers. He is one gifted child. You could learn something from him.”

“That’s not gonna happen, Gorgi. But thanks for the interest,” Gabriel smirked.

“Your schooling is yours to choose. Now, form the runes for numbers…”

Time passed fast. It was almost midnight when Gabriel reached the Traveling Hearth. Yes, it was still relatively early for playing cards, but not for eating something. He was starving, and he would do anything literally as long as he could eat one of Garena’s specialties.

“Lad!” Said the Dwarf, “There’s a beautiful blondie waiting for ye! She’s at that table over there. The girl covered from head to toe in a hoodie.”

“Alright, Com. Thank you for the heads up. Did she order something?”

“Nope, wanna eat?”

“I’m famished, really. Could you make me a Garena special, one for me and one for my friend over there. And Com. I’m gonna need beer. The stout I tried yesterday was perfect.”

“Right awe’!”

Gabriel already knew she would come, he did not know where to find her, but he had no doubt she would find him, given her family’s… connections.”

As he and Liz sat, he already started answering what he thought she had come to ask, “I cannot make that exchange Blondie; but even if I wanted to. Do you think they would allow it?”

Greta, for it was she, did not remove her hood, but it was clear from her voice that even though broken from the pain, said, “What- what if my family has a plan? What if we can pull you ou-?”

“Blondie. You might not understand this, but try following me. I’m the Herald, and nobody in this place gives a shit about me. Are you following me?”

The only part of her body Gabriel could see was the mouth, and he saw her shut it tight. It seemed she had understood.

“You want to talk, I think we can arrange it in another way. I’m sure you’ve been to a normal school back on Earth, like me. I’m sure because you knew what Comicon was, there was something we did to not let our teachers hear us whisper. And I’ve discovered an excellent device to replicate that, hell; it would make it one hundred times better. And I’m pretty sure you know what I’m talking about. It happens that I don’t have that device on me, but I’m sure you have it. I bet there are people capable of listening even in such types of circumstances. So make it impossible. I bet your family has the means.”

Greta did not answer, and shortly after, an Orc brought them their plates. Gabriel and Greta ate in silence; Gabriel divided his plate with Lizzy. They ate as one, after all. After Gabe and Greta had finished their beers, she left, still, in silence.

Gabriel took the plates back to the kitchen himself, and after saying hello, and giving a peck on Garena’s cheek. Gabriel got back to his room. Where he was sure, he had seen a pencil.

Because in his hand was a crumpled up piece of paper that Greta had left under her plate. Gemini paper. He had developed the idea after the meeting with Marcus, and he hoped it would be enough to dispatch the people undoubtedly spying on him. He already knew there could be some, but after what Gorgi had just thought him. It would be weird not to think about them maybe being right in his face and the fact that he might not even feel their breath.

To read and write the message, Gabriel got out from the window of his room and climbed on the very top of the inn. Then he waited, one almost two hours later, the message appeared, and he tried to pin himself against the floor so that nobody could read it, or at least he hoped so.

The message read: ‘Meet me at my house. Tomorrow morning. Scrying impossible. We can do it.’

Tomorrow it is.