I was unsure what to expect but the village caught me by surprise. It was inside a ring of trees, next to a small lake. The ring was not a complete wall, you could just walk inside. If you ignored the fact that those trees had magic. I suspected quite a few dryads lived there.

  The centre of the village held a giant tree. It might have been 100 metres tall, and it was most certainly magical. Maybe it held the portal to the fairy realm? Would they bring us this close?

  Taking another look at the village revealed a gate. Not a real gate, just a gap in the trees which would permit wagons to enter. There was even a dirt road. The houses themselves were the familiar white clay but with tiled roofs. I had no idea what the tiles were made of, but they had a dark blue-green color.

  “How many people live here?” I asked, marvelling at the sight.

  “About 100 permanent residents but we frequently have visitors. Our village can offer you great hospitality.” Delwyn said.

  “Looks quite luxurious for a keeper of the forest. I would have expected something smaller.” Lucy observed.

  “The diplomatic nature of the job requires an adequate base of operations. And we fey do enjoy our luxuries.” He said with a smile.

  Lucy looked at me. “Point taken.”

  “It’s also a bit of a fortress.” I observed. “I suspect there are a lot of roots covering the area, ready to impale anyone foolish enough to start trouble.”

  Delwyn nodded. “The blood of our foes nourishes the trees.”

  “Ah, the trees get it! Blood is awesome!” Shani commented.

  “The stuff people carry is much more useful than their blood.” Adhira objected.

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  “Pfft! It’s the inner values that count! Like, the amount of blood inside them!” Shani insisted.

  “There are plenty of nutrients in the body itself. Do not be wasteful by only taking the blood.” A dryad interjected.

  “It’s about the taste, not nutrients. The taste is important.” Lucy added.

  Yeah, it was just a completely normal conversation. One I decided to not get involved in.

  “We do offer certain exotic treats. When we keep the monster population in check we do not waste anything. We currently have some dread vipers in stock. They go well with a variety of carnivorous plants, like the paralytic strangler vine.” Delwyn said.

  Ok, maybe I was back in the conversation. “That sounds delicious. Do you have any special kinds of drink as well?”

  “I cannot offer you any fey spirits, my apologies. But we do have a fine selection of elven wines and beers. In recent years the dwarven influence has led to a lot of small breweries opening up in the region.” Delwyn replied.

  “I am looking forward to sampling some local delicacies.” Lilith commented.

  “I hope you enjoy them. My experience with demons is a bit lacking, so I am unaware of your tastes.” He apologised.

  “Maybe we can change that, in time. I am hoping to improve the relationship between succubi and the fey.” Lilith commented.

  “Lady Izanami might be interested in that. Although it is my understanding that demons have trouble entering other realms.” Delwyn replied.

  “We are working on that. We do have some plans for Iron Rock.” I said.

  “Oh? So this is about more than just Beira?” He inquired.

  “Well, it’s mostly about Beira. But we do have some other plans for the future that Lady Izanami might be interested in.” I replied. While we did not need her directly, I wanted to have a good relationship with an archfey who controlled a portal. Especially since I had plans to recruit more fey.

  “I see. I am sure Lady Izanami will be interested in such plans.” He said.

  We had entered the village by now and were led to a sizable building. It had two stories and was artfully decorated with golden accents.

  “This is our residence for important guests. You are welcome to remain here while I contact Lady Izanami.” Delwyn said. Then he and the other guards left.

  “Let’s enjoy their food!” Lucy announced and entered.

  I followed enthusiastically. And was immediately surprised. The woman behind the counter was a catkin. She smiled at us.

  “Welcome to the Sleepy Willow! We charge five gold per suite, which comes with two bedrooms and quarters for six servants. Breakfast is included. We do offer a premium dining service as well.”

  “Delwyn said something about dread vipers…” Lucy said.

  “Indeed! Would you like to dine right away?” The woman inquired.

  I was slightly surprised that she seemed so at ease in the presence of demons. But the town did have good defences. If we were hostile we would have never been able to march in here, I suppose.

  Well, it was time to enjoy their hospitality. “Let’s eat!” I said with a smile.