Colin's posts

"All right then." Andrew said, as Lily joined him.

"We'll see you when we get back." he told Anna and Luke.

With that, the two of them left the room, just as Luke found what he was looking for.

The textbook on flowers they were just talking about.

"...." he was then silent, as he opened the book, and started to read.

"I'm ok." Luke responded.

"I just want to see what they offer." Andrew insisted.

"Nothing more." he added with a little huff.

"Luke, Lily, feel like joining me?" he then asked.

"No. I'm ok." Luke said.

Luke was silent, and just curled up a little into a somewhat-fetal position.

"....yes, ma'am." he replied.

"But that's for when we get home." Andrew said.

"We're on vacation, here." he told him.

"So what are we going to do first?" he asked, as Luke grabbed his suitcase and made his way to a chair.

"I'm thinking I may check out the buffet here." he said, as Luke sat down and started looking for something in his luggage.

Luke just gulped audibly.

"One chapter a night?" he asked.

"Consider yourself lucky." Andrew said.

"I was considering TWO chapters a night." he told him.

Luke just stiffened up when he heard that.

"And yes, a quiz on each chapter would be grand." he said further, before thinking a little.

"Your mother and I will personally make up these tests, so we'll know for sure how well you're retaining this knowledge." he then added.

"Y-y-yes." Luke stammered.

"And should you fail a test... hmmm..." Andrew then muttered.

"Start over from chapter one? But with different test questions?" he suggested to Anna.

Luke just looked away guiltily.

Andrew just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"For starters, you are in BIG trouble, mister." he said to Luke.

"But that's for when we get back home." he told him.

".....okay...." Luke responded meekly.

"Secondly... you just... casually grew Telips?" Andrew then asked.

"That is... an immense level of skill and mana." he complimented him.

"So he used telepathy." Andrew said.

"That shouldn't have surprised you." he commented.

"I had my thoughts shielded." Lily responded.

"...then how...?" Andrew asked, looking at Luke.

Luke was silent, and just shifted about a little.

"I... I was just playing with the dirt and wanted to grow pretty flowers." he said.

"I... ended up.... growing... Telips..." he said quietly.

Andrew was silent, before sighing.

"We have an... interesting... home life." he said to Aldar.

"Indeed." the dryad chuckled.

The doors then slid open, and they made their way down the hall, stopping at the door to their suite, where each of them were handed a key.

"Enjoy your stay." Aldar told them, before leaving.

When they opened the door, they saw what could only be described as paradise. It was a forest utopia, with everything they could have ever wanted... but they noticed modern amenities integrated within.

For example, there was a temperature control knob by their natural spring hot tub. A mini-bar built into a rock by said hot tub. And various other luxuries.

"....ohhhh wow." Andrew said quietly.

"Ash really DOES have us staying in style."

Ash just waved to them and left the place, while Aldar nodded and started to lead them to the elevator.

Once they were inside, and the doors shut, Luke spoke.

"....so.... how do you know Mister Fyrane?" he asked Aldar.

"Ash is a close friend of mine." Aldar responded. "My home forest was being razed and burned by a group of mages using Draconus Cats illegally." he explained.

"Candentus Lux was sent out to apprehend the mages and dispose of the cats." he went on. "While Ash and his team did do the first item, Ash actually managed to get the felines to turn against their former masters. After that, he poured his own resources into making sure the forest grew back to the way it was, and saw to it that it was a protected sanctuary... with the Draconus Cats as guardians, believe it or not." he continued.

"Without him, my family would have been homeless or dead. We owe so much to him." he added with a soft smile.

"I almost abandoned my plans to integrate into the human world, because I did not wish to deny the gift he had given me... but he and my family essentially told me that if I did not do what I wished with my life, THAT would be an insult to him." he then told them.

"That's... remarkable understanding, considering dryads aren't really known for their flexibility." Andrew commented.

"Again, Ash's actions helped them think a different way." Aldar responded.

The dryad merely crossed his arms over his chest, and returned the smirk.

"Humans have had SOME good ideas." he responded.

"At any rate, let me personally see you to your suite." he offered.

"This is where we part ways, then." Ash chimed in.

"Have a good mini-vacation, you four." he said to the draydins.

"And thanks for this, Aldar." he then said to the dyrad.

"Not at all, my friend." was the response given.

The dryad raised his hand.

"Not to worry." he said to Anna.

"I take no offence to that." he assured her.

"Though I could say the same for you and your family, little miss." he then said to Lily.

"But you're lucky that this is a mage-friendly environment right now." he went on, still talking to Lily. "If the wrong person were to hear that, we'd all be in danger." he warned.

"Regardless, yes, I am a dryad." he confirmed. "Rather than stay in the woods and have that sort of life, I prefer to integrate myself into human society, and show them the wonders and beauty of nature." he explained.

"And make a few bucks." Ash chuckled.

"Fella's gotta eat." the dryad laughed.

Ash watched the cab drive off, before walking behind the house. Once there, he disappeared in a burst of black flames, and appeared in an alley close to the hotel. He then walked out of it, and made his way to the front of the hotel to wait for Anna and co.

Once they arrived a few minutes later, he greeted them and they all went inside, where it looked to be a secluded paradise of nature, true to its name.

"You can really feel the nature here." Andrew commented.

"It's what they pride themselves on." Ash responded.

It was at that point, a dryad disguised as a human showed up.

"Ah, you must be the Cole family." he greeted Anna and her family.

Ash nodded.

"Yep." he replied.

"Oh, and I called you guys a-" he went on, as a taxi drove up to him.

"....cab." he finished.

"You guys get in." he told them, paying the driver in advance.

"I'll see you guys at the hotel to make sure the check-in's smooth."

"....I assume there's more to that story." Andrew commented.

"A lot more." Luke said.

"More bad things because of me." he said further.

Andrew just sighed deeply.

"Lily, we'll tend to those bruises when we get to the hotel." he told her.

"And you'll both tell us what happened."

Luke was silent as he heard that, but smiled a little.

"Heh..." he laughed quietly.

"Maybe." he said.

"It's still bad what I did." he added, as they heard Ash on the phone.

"Right. So we're good. The Cole family, reservation for 4, Gaia suite, until Monday, all-inclusive, and any expenses are billed to me." he said.

"Excellent. I knew I could count on you." he went on, before noticing the draydins.

"We'll be there shortly. See you in a bit." he finished, before hanging up and making his way back to them."[/b]