Upon a tentative agreement having been reached, Alwen invited Dominic to join them in hashing out the details. Interested in finding out more about why so many beasts of such different races were attacking the city, Dominic agreed, though insisted on bringing his party along with them – he didn’t like the idea of being outnumbered too much, especially since he didn’t know what kind of force the elves could bring to bear.

  They all decided that leaving the rest of the Pride out here in the lengthening shadows of the trees was for the better – until the general populace was fully aware that there were beasts fighting on their side, seeing them in the streets could provoke a panic. Besides, Dominic was careful enough to not want his back-up potentially neutralised by the elves just when he needed them. Better for them to stay out here where they would be comfortable.

  Before they actually left, Dominic decided to raise a possibility, his eyes fixed on those the healers were still working on.

  ‘Elder Alwen?’

  ‘Yes, Honoured Brother?’

  ‘Some of us have the ability to heal. Do you think your healers would appreciate some help?’

  He sensed the full attention of the elf settle upon him again – she had become a little distracted when conversing with the other elders and planning their route through the city with the guards.

  ‘You are capable of healing?’ she asked, as if not sure she’d heard it right.

  ‘Yes,’ Dominic answered, then decided to be fully honest. ‘At least, we can heal each other. I cannot be certain that we can heal you – I could not add Berion to the Pride earlier, not even temporarily.’ He figured that there was no harm in revealing that – the elf would probably tell them anyway, if he hadn’t already done so.

  The elder looked at him, her eyes slightly narrowed. The two elders from earlier who had been so interested in his tail armour focussed on him again too.

  ‘Alwen, it would be interesting to see if it’s possible,’ the female elf with the almost-glowing white hair urged, her voice a whisper that she probably imagined Dominic couldn’t hear. Dominic couldn’t remember her name, though.

  ‘And the healers wouldn’t mind some help and seeing a new form of healing,’ agreed the male elf. Sylas or something?

  ‘Will they not be alarmed at us allowing a powerful predator close to our injured?’ asked Alwen, though to Dominic’s ears, she was calm, not accusing. Perhaps she was playing Devil’s Advocate.

  ‘We’re going to trust them in our city, among all of our people. I think that this isn’t a bad first step to see whether we dare do so.’

  ‘It’s a good point, Sylmar,’ Alwen admitted. They drew back from the circle they’d automatically gone into.

  ‘Honoured Brother, if your healers would help ours, we would appreciate it.’

  Dominic hesitated for a moment over who he should send to test it, but then decided that it was probably better if he did so himself – they were concerned about letting him into a city; he’d show them that they had nothing to be worried about.

  All five elders accompanied him to the injured, the elves before them fleeing away like the waters of the red sea before Moses. The healers looked pale, but didn’t flee from Dominic as he crouched next to a wide-eyed elf lying on the ground. Dominic didn’t pay any attention to the words the elders exchanged with the healer and patient, concentrating on bringing Healing Cloud to the surface and then touching the injured elf with a paw.

  ‘Is it helping?’ he asked after a few moments had gone by and his store of golden dust had reduced a little.

  ‘Uh…I don’t think so, Honoured Brother,’ the injured elf said hesitantly. Dominic kept it going a little longer, but when the elf again appeared to think that nothing had changed, he stopped the Ability.

  ‘It appears it doesn’t work on elves,’ Dominic said with disappointment. He wasn’t the only one, though he did notice an odd relief on a few of the healers’ faces.

  ‘A pity,’ Alwen commented, her own expression neutral. ‘Shall we continue with our original plans, then?’

  While they finished preparing the parties and then started walking into the town itself, Dominic couldn’t help wondering why Healing Cloud hadn’t worked on the elf. Because he was an elf? Because he wasn’t a beast? At least he knew it wasn’t because the elf wasn’t part of the Pride – the creatures they’d brought in when Dominic was trying to share Healing Cloud with Group Enhancement had taken the healing well enough.

  Soon, though, he was distracted by his surroundings and drawn out of his thoughts.

  The trees – not baobabs, apparently, though they still looked pretty similar – were utterly immense. The smallest was at least ten feet in diameter at its base, and the biggest Dominic estimated to be more than fifty feet. They often bulged out further up the trunk making them even wider up in the air. Some had doors at the base, others had staircases winding up the sides or ropes hanging from balconies that jutted out.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Elves could be seen all over these, peering at the odd procession from above. Dominic’s keen hearing could hear a murmur that buzzed through the air like a swarm of bees. If Sekhmet’s flattened ears were anything to go by, she wasn’t keen on that sound. She was tense, too, constantly looking around for potential threats.

  Jenkins, in contrast, was as interested as Dominic was. Her head twisted and turned as she sought to see everything. Riding on Howler’s back, Long-ear was the same. Dominic was surprised – as was everyone around – when he abruptly leapt off the winged-coyote’s shoulders to grab at a rope hanging down above their heads.

  The murmuring around them took on a fearful tone but when the elders didn’t react and neither did their guards, the people around calmed down again. When time passed by and all the kesh did was clamber around without causing harm to anyone, the atmosphere relaxed to the point it had been before.

  His eyes on the elders, Dominic saw by the odd anxious glance they sent up at the kesh that they weren’t as relaxed as they pretended to be. He didn’t blame them.

  ‘Loud-Hoot, come down from there, would you?’ he sent to the kesh.

  ‘But I’m enjoying myself,’ the primate-like beast complained. ‘This is far more to my taste than those dry, barren lands we’ve been travelling through ever since we left the forest.’

  ‘You’re making our hosts uncomfortable,’ Dominic told him, ignoring the contemptuous snort with which Leo greeted that sentiment. ‘Play nice for now. If we make a proper alliance with them, I’m sure you’ll get the opportunity to have some fun later.’

  The kesh didn’t come down immediately, and Dominic started to fear that he wouldn’t pay heed and wondered what he should do in that case. Fortunately, the monkey-like being thumped down onto Howler’s shoulders just a moment later, making the coyote growl in annoyance.

  ‘Sit nicely, or get off and walk,’ the canine shot at Loud-Hoot.

  ‘Sorry, friend,’ the kesh apologised, returning to his usual sensible self. Dominic decided to put his uncharacteristic behaviour down to excitement and left it at that.

  Not all of the elves lived in the trees. Around the bases of many of the massive trees were a number of earthen constructions. Looking almost like red earth beehives with only a single face made out of wood, smaller wooden buildings mushroomed up from the trees’ roots in clumps, some also lining the earthen boulevard that ran between the trees. He wondered what they might be for. They didn’t seem to be houses to live in, at least not from what he could see of them.

  Finally, they reached what was obviously their destination.

  ‘Is that really a tree?’ Jenkins asked, awe-struck. Dominic couldn’t blame her. It looked less like a tree and more like a small mountain. But judging by its shape that stretched high into the sky, sure enough, it was a tree.

  At least a hundred feet wide, possibly even a hundred and fifty, and tall to the point that he was unable to estimate its height, the tree dwarfed even the other immense trees around it.

  ‘Our Great Mother,’ Alwen told them with pride unmistakable in her voice. ‘Planted centuries ago when this city was founded; there are three plant mages dedicated to her around the clock to ensure that she continues to thrive and grow no matter the conditions.’

  Dominic sneaked a look at the rest of the elders, seeing that they all regarded the tree with great respect and fondness. The guards, however, remained focussed on their duties.

  ‘It’s certainly…big,’ Dominic answered, a feeling of awkwardness returning as he searched for something to say. The elders shot him a look, most of them amused, though Lystar appeared slightly more aggrieved. Perhaps he hadn’t shown enough appreciation – she was in charge of the mages if he’d remembered correctly.

  ‘It is that,’ Alwen responded, no hint of the amusement she’d displayed just a moment ago. ‘Please, join us inside.’

  With that, the elves led the way forwards. As they approached, lines filled with a faintly glowing light cut through the rough bark of the tree trunk. Quickly, they formed the shape of a massive door which soon cracked open, though Dominic didn’t see anyone pushing from inside. Magic, he decided.

  The pride followed the elves through. The door was big enough that Dominic and Nyx could walk side-by-side as they entered and still have a bit of room to spare. It was even taller than it was wide, the space arching high above their heads.

  Inside the tree, there was a strong scent. Enough to make Dominic sneeze a couple of times while his acute senses got used to it. It wasn’t something he’d ever smelled before but had an undeniable hint of growth to it. Whether it was the magic that went into the care of the tree which gave it that quality, or the tree itself, Dominic didn’t know. Either way, he doubted he’d be able to mistake it for anything else in the future.

  As for the actual appearance of the inside of the tree, frankly Dominic would have merely thought it was a particularly cleverly wood-paneled hallway, one where the joins between each plank were so closely set as to be invisible. The walls were also covered with carvings. Some of them were discernible pictures; others appeared to be merely decorative patterns.

  ‘Who carved these?’ Dominic couldn’t help but ask as he ventured closer to one. It was beautifully done – no hint of a chisel or knife.

  ‘Some were created by our plant or wood mages. Others were the tree herself,’ Lystar answered proudly.

  ‘The tree itself?’ Dominic asked, startled. He’d got his answer to how they had been done so skillfully – magic, of course. That would probably be the explanation to a number of things he’d encounter in the near future. However, the answer had raised another question.

  ‘Plants have their own consciousness,’ the green-haired elf answered quietly – Melia, Dominic believed she’d been introduced as. ‘The older and more magical the plant, the deeper the consciousness takes root. The Great Mother tells us many things through the pictures she creates in her internal chambers.’

  ‘Interesting,’ Dominic remarked in response and then stepped away from the carvings to rejoin the others. While it was indeed interesting and in different circumstances he’d ask more questions, right now they had more important things to be getting on with.

  here!