After the dinner with Saira and Marsh, Nico made his way back up to his room higher up after the rain had stopped. Saira's room was very close to the base and entrance of the tree, the sole reason why Nico woke up in Saira's place and not in his- being so high up in the tree. Like his room, Saira's was a carved-up hole in the bark, like a premium hotel room with exclusive rights to a deck view.
He then went inside the trunk of the tree through a wooden door embedded in the bark. He opened the door and went through, finding himself staring blankly at a maze.
"Oh damn." Nico made the mistake of forgetting the map and chime bell back at his place, now left alone not knowing which way to go.
As he was about to turn back and ask for Saira's help, an idea popped over his head, with eyes landing on the double doors on the far side of the hall.
. . .
Hena was going through the marketplace in the trees after the rain had settled; just below the canopy was the merchant's area where different races were licensed to trade goods with the fairies, and vice versa.
She was looking for elven goods that would supplement her caramel hair, with the elves leading the beauty industry by a mile.
As she was looking over a stand, her gaze happened to fall on a scrawny human amongst the crowd, wearing a plain tank top and shorts with tattoos covering almost half of his entire skin. He stood out heavily from the rest- partly because of his appearance but also because of his mannerisms, wandering his head all around the city like a curious child entering a big city for the first time.
. .
It was Nico's first time in the fairy city.
He panned his eyes from one thing to another, admiring the wooden craftsmanship of the buildings. Golden lights from magic orbs accentuated the beauty of the city, with no shortage of pretty fairies in the busy crowd passing him by as he walked over the sky bridge.
His gaze then fell to a beautiful fairy staring back at him across the other side of the bridge, with her short wavy hair framing her face and accentuating even the dull brown clothes she had on. She stood out from most of the fairy crowd, making the rough and dirty clothes work instead of the usual gold and noble aesthetic all the others had.
The fairy gave him a quick wave, then made her way towards him.
"You must be Nico."
"And you must... not be real." Nico said as he stared up and down at the fairy for a long, long time. "You're even more beautiful than the queen-"
She clasped her hands on Nico's mouth, glancing around warily. "Don't say that, we both could get into big trouble."
Nico nodded, signalling her hand back.
"Thank you though."
They both kept each other company as they started moving along with the crowd of fairies with nothing better to do with their time.
"Kallie told me about you." She said, looking over a set of goods on a nearby stand. "Not much, but enough for me to recognize you back there."
"Who's that?"
"You don't know your assigned fairy?"
"Right, her." Nico remembered the fairy that guided him towards his place. "I did ask for her name- didn't give me the time. Talk about rude, you know?"
"I can imagine." Hena said as she shook her head. "Anyways, what made you go out into the city in the middle of the night?"
"Truthfully? I couldn't find the way back to my place." He said with a flat look. "I forgot the map and the bell, so I took the chance to wander around and see what I could do in this place."
"And how's that working out?"
"Pretty amazing." Nico said as he glanced around the place once again.
They made idle chatter as they walked through the city. Magic orbs were wandering above and around the pathways and bridges, illuminating the city with a soft golden glow.
Hena took the lead in introducing Nico to the many wonders of the city, going in and out from most of the buildings they found remotely exciting. Eventually, the night was now long past its zenith, with most of the shops and buildings closing down, with the pair arriving to an elven bar for the last stop. They both sat on a stool next to each other and ordered drinks as Nico continued to glance around, staring at the pointy ears of the beautiful elves with his curiosity still at an all-time high.
"Nico?"
Nico recognized a familiar voice. He turned around, finding Kai and Jason sitting on the stools to the left of him. Kai was hammered, laying face down onto the counter muttering gibberish, while Jason was trying to hold off his alcohol.
"Kai's pretty hammered right now." He said, although his face didn't seem any better.
"Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah we're fine." Jason said, downing another drink. "Just trying to cope with this bizarre situation we're in. How about you? You were pretty beat this morning."
"No worries, I'm fine." He said, grabbing the drink that just came. He took a shot and was surprised to find it sweet, then gestured Hena to his right. "Anyways, have you met this stunning fairy?"
"Yeah, Hena right?" Jason nodded to Hena, with her doing the same. "She and your fairy were the ones that brought the food over to Saira's place while you were asleep."
"Oh yeah," Jason turned to Hena. "Why isn't Kalista with you?"
"She's busy." Her face now sullen, taking a drink to her lips. "Got called in by the fairy prince just this evening, again."
"I'm sorry for that." Jason said- downing another drink before pausing, standing up, then glanced over to Kai sprawled all over the counter table with a drool.
"I think we've had enough drinks." He said with a hiccup, then carried away Kai on his back. "Get a grip man."
Jason waved goodbye before leaving the building, leaving Nico and Hena alone again.
"Hold on," Nico said with a surprised tone. "Where'd they get the money for drinking?"
He was relying on Hena's goodwill the entire night out, but the same couldn't be said for Jason and Kai as there were no other people around with them.
"You never got the money from Kallie?" Hena said, taking another drink. "No wonder you're such a leech."
. . .
Nico was now on his way back to the central tree, with Hena in tow on his back, unconscious.
"Kai was right." He said as he struggled with his entire body, heading down the wooden bridges and staircases of the city all the while carrying a person on his back- with him almost tripping and falling to the ground hundreds of feet below a couple of times. "I do need to fatten up."
He took a break at each level down before reaching the forest floor, then another set before the base of the tree- taking almost as long as an hour getting there. It was now well past midnight, with the moonlight peeking through the canopy as if invigorating the forest air with a cool blue.
Kalista was waiting at the base of the tree, half-asleep and leaning on the tree until Nico called out to her.
"I'll take her." She said as she took Hena off Nico's back, which prompted his legs in turn to give in and take a long rest lying on the grass floor.
Kalista started to make her way inside the tree, then paused for a moment.
"Did she have fun?" She said over her shoulder.
"I think so, yeah."
Kalista then continued into the hollow base, passing through the double doors and ending the night with a loud thud of two wooden doors closing shut.
"Not even a thank you?" Nico said over bated breath, his gaze fixed on the canopy above.
"Oh right, the money."