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Tree branch: check. Assorted lightweight seed-bearing fruits and nuts: check. Other seeds: check. Water bottle, for when she has to veer away from the river: check.
Better not linger in her starting place too much longer. Yellow's faster than her and may have already come home to a wreck. Thorn might have a habit of checking up on the place, even, just in case. She's invisible, inaudible, unsmellable - that won't help if he sends someone thorough. Or comes in person.
She sets out.
She's been flying for about thirty minutes after her shopping trip when she falls through a tear and squeaks inaudibly and lands in the middle of -
imeanforever
wormcan
"It might become useful to send some humans across for one purpose or another, and the fewer such areas there are the more likely it is to be too dangerous."
imeanforever
"It's really not a good idea for any mortals to spend long in Fairyland. Like, you could find someplace no one was living, but someone might wander by. And there's the risk of food cross-contamination. By the way, if you drop a berry, find it before somebody has a chance to think they should eat it."
wormcan
"Not all purposes need involve much time. If there were, say, natural resources that are in short supply here, no one would have to live or eat there."
The craft approaches Ellisburg again.
The craft approaches Ellisburg again.
wormcan
"Oil deposits, perpetual wind storms, enormous planes of solid gold, humans are good at finding value in all sorts of things." The real relevant resource doesn't need to be stated right now.
imeanforever
"Well, I suppose you might find any of those things but I don't know where any would be."
wormcan
"Regardless, it's a question for another time.
I suppose you're going to need me to help deliver Nilbog's gift?"
I suppose you're going to need me to help deliver Nilbog's gift?"
imeanforever
"Unless you have another way to do it. Will he recognize you? He's expecting an apology in addition to the gift."
wormcan
She shakes her head. "He won't. Not individually at least, he may at most guess that I am part of the Protectorate."
imeanforever
"And you'll play along with the apology bit? Unless literally everything in the town eats a berry my control will be messy and I'd rather avoid having to make them fight each other so they don't attack."
wormcan
"Don't worry, I can play the role as necessary.
If they do attack I can defend you. I'd worry more about whatever went wrong in the first place."
If they do attack I can defend you. I'd worry more about whatever went wrong in the first place."
imeanforever
"What are your powers, anyway, besides picking up large objects and flying? Or are you just good enough at those things that you can fight off monsters?"
wormcan
"Here, the flying brick set of superpowers is known as the Alexandria package. I'm Alexandria.
My other power, not exactly secret but less talked about, is mental. I think faster, never forget anything and am in full generality smarter than I was before. But it's mostly the first set that would come into play against monsters, yes."
My other power, not exactly secret but less talked about, is mental. I think faster, never forget anything and am in full generality smarter than I was before. But it's mostly the first set that would come into play against monsters, yes."
imeanforever
Promise purses her lips a little at 'never forget anything'.
"Anyway, he was very excited that I'm a fairy. You are not a fairy and may be less exciting and/or assumed to be my vassal. My read on him is that he won't take very well to being contradicted if he's assumed something. Also his creatures wanted to search me for weapons; I didn't let them touch me but I did have to list my inventory a couple of times before they showed me where he was. If you all by yourself constitute a weapon they might object to you."
"Anyway, he was very excited that I'm a fairy. You are not a fairy and may be less exciting and/or assumed to be my vassal. My read on him is that he won't take very well to being contradicted if he's assumed something. Also his creatures wanted to search me for weapons; I didn't let them touch me but I did have to list my inventory a couple of times before they showed me where he was. If you all by yourself constitute a weapon they might object to you."
wormcan
"That fact that I'm dangerous is not immediately obvious. And I can permit him to assume whatever he likes."
The craft touches down. Alexandria leaves behind her few items not part of her costume.
The craft touches down. Alexandria leaves behind her few items not part of her costume.
imeanforever
Whenever Alexandria is ready to follow bearing gifts, Promise flies in to the same place she landed last time.
wormcan
The creatures react more visibly this time. The monstrosities are openly walking around the city (or hopping, or rolling, or oozing as the case may be), but they still rarely make any audible sound. Promise seems to have been expected; they open a path between the throne room and Promise and her vassal.
imeanforever
And when they reach Nilbog, Promise bows deeply. "Your majesty, I have brought a gift of fairy berries for you and your court to share."
wormcan
"Fairy food! Welcome, Promise, herald of the distant lands!" He doesn't acknowledge Promise's minion, except to verify that she didn't forget to bow.
"We shall all partake of the gift, in honor of my onetime enemies paying tribute!"
He pauses, and frowns, looking as close to thoughtful as he has so far. "Except those who subsist on the flesh of others."
"We shall all partake of the gift, in honor of my onetime enemies paying tribute!"
He pauses, and frowns, looking as close to thoughtful as he has so far. "Except those who subsist on the flesh of others."
imeanforever
"Of course you would know better than I if they'd enjoy the berries, although they will not taste of anything to be found in this world no matter what they look like."
wormcan
Nilbog tastes a berry, and his eyes light up. "Exquisite! More incomparable than anything I have tasted in years!" He feeds one to Polka, who doesn't seem to have an opinion one way or the other on its relative incomparability.
"Let today be a celebration of our victory. On such a day all should see their king in his glory. You four, take the fairy's ingredients to the chef, have her prepare it as a banquet. And you, call all to my presence." A reptilian, a giant invertebrate, and two mostly mammals carry the basket elsewhere. They don't return. The same creature that gave the inaudible trumpet blast before repeats the performance, and creatures of all colors, shapes, sizes, and degrees of threateningness materialize.
"Let today be a celebration of our victory. On such a day all should see their king in his glory. You four, take the fairy's ingredients to the chef, have her prepare it as a banquet. And you, call all to my presence." A reptilian, a giant invertebrate, and two mostly mammals carry the basket elsewhere. They don't return. The same creature that gave the inaudible trumpet blast before repeats the performance, and creatures of all colors, shapes, sizes, and degrees of threateningness materialize.
imeanforever
Hooray. Promise is already in the king's presence, and accordingly does not go anywhere.