"Welcome to Arcadia."

John looked at the confused faces of the two girls. "This is my kingdom, I'm its king. Sorry, no crown yet. I'm gathering stuff to make one. "

"When you said that, I imagined a small pocket universe with a flat surface and maybe one room. This level of complexity is incredible." explained Moira. "She can be trusted, can you explain to her how you know her name?"

"I'm a late bloomer with video-game themed powers and I can see people's names above their head like in a MMO. You are Tricia Gorbachev, a healer." he did not tell her about the guild line he saw, Moira reacted badly to it herself and he did not want a repeat of this.

"I go by Danielle Kislev in public, I would ask that you keep my identity secret. Can he be trusted?" she asked Moira.

"You saved Sylvia, I would do nothing to wrong you, Danielle. I barely know you, so it is better if I try to think of you as Danielle all the time, less chance to slip up." he said, cutting Moira before she could answer.

"He is under a pact with the order and has proved useful in the past, even if he has the bad tendency to run headfirst in situations that would most likely kill him. He can keep secrets." she said anyway.

"I found a stone, a blue gem. It is now bonded with me and strangely seems to contain this place, even if it is also inside of it, it is a bit weird. It only contained a seemingly endless grass plane and the room we arrived in. Since then I managed to unlock new elements through quests or the use of some items. Sylvia is a dryad I met in another place and who came here with me, she is the mother of the glade now, she made this whole forest and helped spread plants around. She's the only other sentient creature here and I would have been heartbroken to lose her. " he explained.

" You said you're doing things like in a video game? That would explain the strange readings I got during your diagnosis, it changed your body profoundly. What about these two though? " asked Tricia/Danielle, pointing out at Cali and Ferulia.

"Ferulia, who received the brand, was the one we were trying to rescue, alongside with Sylvia. Cali is her sister and the last surviving member of our rescuing party. They can't go home, even if we managed to get back there. Fire is taboo for their tribe, Ferulia would be killed on sight. " he replied.

"Where did you find all of these animals?" asked Moira as she watched a fox running after a rabbit.

"One of the strangest quest rewards I got. Each time the system adds an element to the kingdom, I get a new creature. I don't even know if they are real animals or something else. The days here last 4 hours and they seem to reproduce and become adults in a few days rather than weeks or months. I haven't got enough time to study everything around here properly. " he explained. Tricia, no Danielle, was having some of her drones hovering around the fountain and its shiny golden orb, dripping water into the pool. She looked very curious about this place and was analyzing everything around her.

"Moira, could I have a few words with your friend in private?" he asked the redhead, who was scanning the area like she expected a monster to attack them at any point.

"Hmm.. Sure. I'll stay here to keep guard." she replied. John wanted to tell her that there was no point doing it, but he realized she would be less tempted to try to listen if she thought that she was useful where she was.

John walked away from the fountain, followed by the healer girl. There was a lot he wanted to know and he had an idea that would probably help him and make Tricia happy.

"What did you want to talk a bit out?" she asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at been in some strange forest with a boy wearing only underwear. John was perfectly aware of the two drones hovering behind him.

"You seem to be a biomancer and a scientist, I have an offer for you. But first, how well will Sylvia recover from what happened?" he told her.

"Now that the effects of the brand have been lifted the fountain and her own healing powers should be enough for her to get back to peak physical condition. You are a biomancer too, right?" she asked him. John looked surprised, but simply nodded.

"Your body has undergone serious transformations, but also numerous smaller alterations. Your work, I suppose, very similar to the ones on the dryad. What is it that you're offering to me?" she asked.

"I don't know how much Moira told you or will tell you about me, but I'm just starting. This kingdom is big and full of creatures. I also have options to build a sort of laboratory, I really could use some help with the study of the various species around here and advice on the best choice of equipment for a lab. " he explained. He could see her eyes light with interest and her relationship bar take a +15rp bump. She immediately **** herself to frown though and looked perplexed.

"This would be a lot of work, what were you thinking of offering me for my help with this task?" she asked. John was reading her bluff, she was literally dying to be able to explore this place.

"I would bet that someone connected to the Abyss like you is a lot richer than I am. But think about it, a new world, new creatures, new plants, the ability to work with a dryad to help you grow rare medicinal plants, access to a top of the line lab... Well once you help me build it of course. I saw the way you talked about the changes in my body, I'm sure you would love to study them further...." at this point John would have probably slipped a charge of Arouse on her, but on someone monitoring biological statuses so closely it would be dangerous.

"Interesting proposal, do I get by it that you can actually bring back things made in this realm in the real world? Ohhh, so many possibilities... I accept it, I will help you study your kingdom. In exchange I get to harvest samples on non sentient creatures and plants, and I will have a place of my own here should I need it. Ohh your wrist will be a bit weaker than before, you should avoid all activities involving it for the next two to three days...." she said, her tone having barely shifted between her accepting to study this place and her medical advice. John shook her hand to seal the deal and exchanged numbers with her, but as he was about to say to her that he had an appointment he couldn't miss, in now 6 irl hours...

"John! Tricia! Get back here!" shouted Moira.

John ran to the fountain and saw that Sylvia had begun to wake up on the stretcher of the mobile medical unit.

"Moira! Tricia! Help me get her to the fountain!" he said. Sylvia was mumbling something while John and the two girls carried her to the water.

Tricia was fully clothed and managed to remain dry, remaining on the side of the fountain. Moira on the other hand was only wearing the thin red robe she used for the ritual, and she followed John in the pool with Sylvia. The piece of fabric was clinging to her slim and toned body, becoming nearly see through in places.

"John, why can't we leave this place? I checked and I couldn't even try to break away." she seemed to only trust him so far.

"For some unknown reason I seem to only be able to enter or exit from the room in which we arrived. She's trying to say something..." John put some water on the lips of Sylvia, letting her drink it slowly. He could see that she was crying...

"You came! I... I knew it, I told them... My king is strong and brave... He would rescue me... Then the flame, the heat... I couldn't hear the emerald song, it was so horrible. John... I need to get back to my tree. In this place it shouldn't be long, but... They cut my vines, I can't grow them back myself..." she said. John couldn't say if her tears were of joy or sorrow...

Once out of the pool, held by Moira and Tricia, Sylvia walked slowly towards the welcoming opening in the huge tree. She stopped in front of it and turned towards Tricia. Suddenly the blonde girl found herself kissed by a wet dryad in tears. Once she unlocked their lips, letting her take in a needed breath, she turned toward Moira.

"What is happening? WHAT IS SHE DOING?" screamed the Warden.

"I saw that it is something humans enjoy and use to express affection... I wanted to thank you for helping my king in saving me." explained Sylvia. Moira suddenly remembered that she was not a green human, but a creature hugely different from them.

"The hug can be used to expressed gratitude, but the kiss is a lot more intimate. It is reserved for lovers." explained Moira, throwing an amused look at the blushing healer and an accusatory one at John.

Sylvia entered the tree, where a bunch of small roots or vines coiled themselves around her and slowly dragged her inside.

"Behind the tree, for the afternoon... " she whispered to John before the tree closed itself, leaving him without his trusted companion.

"Moira, could you drive Tricia back? I need to spend some time here to heal a bit more,and to talk with Cali and Ferulia." he told her. The redhead was naked, having just removed the wet robe to put her clothes back on.

"I'll call you if we can't leave once there."she said as she was putting on her pants and jacket, not bothering with the other clothing layers.

The two girls were on their way, riding the Harley, followed with a flying blue suit case held in the air by small drones.

John realized his mistake, he would have to go back home before his mom woke up. He could only finish his healing then.