Unimpressed by Ben's dilemma, the dryad continues. "I have watched you and judged you since your day in the clearing. I have seen you build your camp. Fresh needle branches you used. I have seen you marking signs in trees with your sword. I've seen you create fire." Ben is getting more and more queasy.
He just can't find the courage to speak up for himself and to defend himself. Rooted in place, he just stands there and listens. "But on the other hand, there is something that attracts me to help you. A feeling of closeness and familiarity but I cannot say what it is. The stench of perversion is too strong. I have seen you gather the red witchweed and not harvest it all. I also saw you help Melwin's daughter. These deeds speak for you and your character.
Tell me your story, the whole story. Don't leave anything out, because that could mean your death, because that's the only way I can solve the most important question. What are you Ben?"
A few minutes pass as Ben slowly calms down. Too often he thought he was going to die today, so the dryad's threat was not a big deal but her emotions affected him. He felt weak and vulnerable.
Ben takes a deep breath. He decides to tell his story, and the full story. Despite the dryad's attempts to intimidate him, he feels he can trust her. Something deep inside him gives him confidence. He cannot say what it is but he never had this feeling before and so he begins to tell.
How he grew up. About his village Werchester in Synthri. About Day of Awakening and his ability as a Limit Breaker. He even talks about the hero system. It just bubbles out of him as if he were a spring that has waited too long to come to the surface.
All the time the dryad listens to him. Her face a stony mask, no emotion reflected. Even when he talks about Maxwell and the illusion. When he reaches the end of his story, Ben's voice becomes softer and quieter until it stops completely. After what feels like an eternity of silence, the dryad begins to speak
"My verdict is favours you Ben." Ben gathers all his courage and looks at the dryad " You shall live." The accumulated courage fizzles out and relief arrives. His legs become wobbly and he has to sit down but the dryad is not finished. "But we still don't know what you are. I'll tell you now what I found out. This feeling of familiarity and the desire to help you comes from the hero system. I'll keep this short.
The beings who have such a system are deeply connected to Gaia, also called the All Mother, and this connection creates these feelings of belonging. Only beings who are trusted by the All-Mother receive this system. This is also the reason why you are allowed to live Ben. As a servant of Gaia, I have complete faith in her.
But I also have bad news. I have a hunch, but I don't want to comment on it yet. I would like to examine your soul. This is a very intimate matter but this should bring me clarity about you. Are you okay with that? There is no danger doing a soul-search." Ben nods not knowing what soul searching has to do with anything. Anabella indicates for him to lie down.
There on the floor, the dryad kneels beside him and places a hand on his chest. His eyes grow tired as he falls asleep. Meanwhile, Anabella also closes her eyes and concentrates. She now studies Ben's soul and body.
Ben wakes up in a meadow. When he looks around he sees nothing but grass no matter which way he looks. He rises and chooses a direction and just moves forward. Nothing changes, he just keeps on walking. On the distant horizon he sees a dark spot. With his new goal in sight, Ben starts running. Growing taller and taller, Ben sees Anabella in front of him. But this time she is not wearing a dress.
In her pure flawlessness she stands with her back to Ben. She turns around, her hair falling over her ample breasts. She holds out a hand invitingly to Ben. Ben takes it and hand in hand they walk across the meadow. Anabella takes her hand back and places it on Ben's cheek. Their lips touch gently. She tastes like spring, if spring had a taste. It doesn't stop at a kiss and the couple continue to increase their lust.
Exhausted and breathing heavily, the two lie next to each other. Suddenly Ben feels a call to leave this place, but he doesn't want to. This place is so beautiful and Anabella is here. But the call is getting stronger. Eyes wide open, Ben looks around and is back in front of the huge tree that is Anabella's home.
`Was it all just a dream? What happened?` Ben thinks to himself and wants to get up, when he notices that his trousers are wet and his little buddy is hard. Slightly confused, Ben looks down at himself. He hears a clearing of his throat and a slightly embarrassed Dyrade looks at him "I'm flattered, but you're a bit young for my taste." She replies
"Wait you were in my dream?" "No Ben, we were both there. I think I should fill you in first." The more the Dyrade tells Ben about the bees and the flowers, the redder his face becomes. "So you were really, there and that really happened?" The Dyrade nods and she points to his mate and the Dyrade explains that it's his body's natural reaction.
Now it's completely over. This was too much for poor Ben. Anabella takes pity on him and uses a cleansing spell to remove Ben's outpouring. Awkward silence reigns neither of them says anything. One because he doesn't understand and the other because she has never done "that" with anyone before. An unexpected voice breaks the silence " I don't understand your problem. Ben mated with you because he thought you were a good match. That's only natural. I myself have the desire whenever I see my mate."
But that doesn't make the situation any better. Anabella sighs, "Anyway, we don't need to talk about that, we have more important things to discuss. "Ben I know what you are now and you should be prepared. The news could be devastating for you." Ben swallows and looks at the dryad seriously and with a nod he lets the dryad know he is ready for the news.
"You are a monstrosity. Before you ask questions wait a moment. I'm still trying to understand it myself, but you're not a real person. You were created, or rather engineered. Your body consists of different beings put together to form a new one. Your soul was implanted in this body. This soul is also composed. I ..." but the dryad does not continue.
Ben himself takes it better than expected. He looks at the dryad and she continues, "Your body is like a puzzle. Put together from many individual pieces and the parts that didn't fit were made to fit. I have never seen anything like that. That would also explain why my dislike for you exists. Your entire being is against nature. You're unnatural. I also have some ideas as to why you were trapped in an illusion.
When I examined your soul, I noticed that many parts were encoded. I suspected that your creator had more trouble reconciling the fragments of your soul. By locking away some important fragments and the illusion, he tried to merge them by creating common memories and it partially worked. It would also explain why you were kept secret. There are beings who would sense that you have been created.
Unless you learn to protect yourself from these gazes, you are in danger. Some would study you like a research subject others would kill you for what you are." With a sigh she finishes the sentence.
"I think that's enough for today. We should talk more tomorrow Ben. I can feel your storm of emotions raging inside you and it starts to effect me" With a wave of the dryad's hand, a small shelter is created for Ben.
Ben looks over and wordlessly walks into the hut and lays out on the bed. His mind is racing. So he doesn't notice how the flowers start to bloom next to his bed. A sweet smell spreads and Ben drifts off as if by magic into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
Meanwhile, a dryad looks sadly over at the hut. A peaceful sleep, that's all the dryad can help Ben with at the moment.' She looks briefly at Melwin, who has taken a position in front of the hut. His way of saying thank you for saving his daughter. Exhausted and slightly shaken, the dryad also decides to rest.