Thank Nyllia.

"Thank you so much, Lady Tesgella," you say. "Really saved me again."

"You know Lady Nyllia Tesgella?" Snow whispers to you.

Nyllia shakes her head. "It was my own carelessness that allowed such a creature to escape us. If I had taken it out sooner, it would have never ran this far to potentially harm another citizen. Please accept my apology."

"M'lady, you're too hard on yourself," Bill says. "We were fighting three of those beasts. Any normal woman would have died. Only one getting away is a miracle."

"I do not see it that way." She then takes a step towards you and offers a hand. "Thank you for aiding me in slaying this beast before it made its way to the city, Mr. Warren."

You hesitate, but then grip her hand for a shake. "We did our best."

I need to ask Alice a few questions after... We'd be dead meat right now if it wasn't for whatever she did.

"Can I ask you a question, Lady Tesgella?" You make sure not to slip up and call her by her first name, at least in front of others. It's strange to think about just how different she can be when nobody else is around, especially after witnessing her stoic and heroic demeanour yet again.

"Anything," she replies.

"What level are you? Is that rude to ask?"

Before the two brothers can respond to that question for her, and probably not in a positive manner, she holds up her hand as if expecting that.

She smiles. "As of very recently, I am level eleven."

"I've heard she was strong, but I wasn't sure if she was an elite level or not," Snow says.

"A what?" you ask.

"You know. When people reach level ten, they become an elite class. I hope you've been thinking about which one you wanna be, Kyle."

"Correct." Tesgella slides her sword over her back. "I am a templar as of last level. Much has happened since last we spoke. I have been hard at work training on quests north of the capital, but work has taken me back here. Perhaps it is fate that we meet once again, Mr. Warren."

Your eyes can't help but look up to the giant woman nearby.

She waves. "My name is Zazra. Good to meet ya."

"She is an oni, if you have never seen one before," the elf explains. "We met on my travels, and she has been a kind and valuable ally. But what is it that brings you out here, if I may ask?"

You point down to the leafy woman still holding onto your leg. "This girl was inside the tree attacking people who came here. Turns out she's trapped here, since dryads can't go far from a tree, and there are no others nearby. We decided not to kill her, but now we don't know how to get her to safety."

Nyllia stares you straight in the eyes, still with a kind smile on her face, though there's something more behind her gaze. You start becoming flustered by her confident stance and her close proximity. It's like she has an aura of intimidation around her. It isn't often you're face-to-face with someone you know is much stronger than you, though it's more than that. There's a hidden sexiness in those eyes. "You are far too kind," she whispers.

Finally, she turns away and looks to her oni companion. "I have an idea. What if Zazra carries the tree somewhere else?"

"I can do that!" the oni declares.

"Would you like to return to the nearest forest then, Ms. Dryad?"

Slowly, the dryad finally stands back up and looks around at everyone nervously. Though she is completely naked, and you need to **** yourself not to look, it doesn't seem to bother her at all. It's just natural.

"I don't know..." she mutters.

Tesgella thinks for a moment and glances between the two of you. She then smirks. "Ah. I see."

"What's up?" you ask.

"Oh nothing. I just had a suggestion. You have quite a manor, do you not? And I believe it has quite a few trees around it, especially in the front courtyard." As she speaks, she watches the dryad's expression closely. It seems to be lighting up with excitement. "Perhaps we could plant the tree there, and she could reside outside your home for the time being."

"Why would she want to live in a city--"

"I accept!" the dryad says. "B-Because I've always wanted to see how others live... and I could tend to your garden, Lord Warren."

"Lord?"

"You own land, do you not?"

"Is that how that works?"

Lady Tesgella chuckles warmly. "It seems that she has made up her mind. Do you accept?"

Having more guards at home can't hurt, and I assume she doesn't eat like we do, so I guess it can't hurt. It isn't like I'm filling up the manor more either. She can just live outside. And I guess having a nicer courtyard could be nice.

"If you really wanna. What's your name then?" you ask.

She looks away bashfully. "I don't have one yet, m'lord."

Delphi snickers. "You should give her one, Kyle. Think up a good one. Make it sound all naturey."

"Uh. All right." You think for a moment. "I don't know why I remember this, but that's a pink peony on your head, right? How about Peony? I don't know if that's silly or not, but--"

The dryad's eyes widen with glee as she wraps her arms tightly around you. "It's so beautiful~!"

You look to see Delphi cackling to herself from the top of Alice's head.

"What's so funny, huh?" you ask.

"You're the best, Kyle. I love that you just don't know anything at all."

"You know why..."

"I do, but that doesn't make it any less funny. So dryads don't have names, and it's really rare for them to accept one, but do you know what it means to give a name to a dryad? If one accepts your name, they're swearing their life to you. It's like getting a guardian spirit, or... it's like marriage."

"What?!"

"Peony, Peony, Peony," the dryad repeats under her breath. She places her hands on her cheeks. "I promise I won't be a bother. I'll stay in your garden and always be there for you, m'lord."

"Let us start heading back," suggests Tesgella.

Peony climbs back into the tree, waving to you as she goes. The oni then wraps her arms around the trunk. The veins and muscles in her arms bulge as she puts all her strength into tearing the roots straight out of the soil. She heaves the tree up and hoists it over her shoulder, and like it's nothing, begins to carry the entire thing with her.

"I believe you have a quest reward to claim," Tesgella says. "You did remove the threat after all."

"Thanks. Though I didn't do that much." You chuckle.

"Nonsense. She was already made docile before I arrived, was she not? Come then. Let us return to the city together. I will make certain the tree is safely planted, and I will be in the city for a time. Perhaps we will meet up again soon."