About a mile from the towering World Tree, the group spotted a settlement.
Jax slowed the wagon.
"Looks like a village," he said, leaning forward slightly.
The Vixens peered through the windows.
None of them had seen anything quite like it.
"Should we stop?" Bunny asked.
Jax nodded.
"We might as well. If anyone nearby knows what's happening around the World Tree raid, it'll be the people living closest to it."
The wagon rolled forward slowly.
The closer they got, the stranger the village appeared.
Tiny houses dotted the area.
But they weren't normal buildings.
Some homes were grown from massive mushrooms, their caps acting as colorful roofs.
Others were crafted from flower blossoms, vines woven into walls and windows.
A few looked like hollowed acorns or carved tree knots.
The entire place looked less like a village and more like something pulled straight out of a child's imagination.
Jax blinked.
Well…
I guess we're dealing with the tiny fairies from the old legends…
Not the larger ones like Merriweather.
The wagon rolled slowly into the settlement.
And suddenly—
The village exploded with motion.
Thousands upon thousands of tiny figures burst out from homes, tree hollows, flower houses, and mushroom huts.
They filled the air like a swirling cloud of glowing insects.
But these were no insects.
They were fairies.
Most of them were only a few inches tall, their delicate wings humming as they darted around the wagon.
Voices began shouting everywhere at once.
"More big people!"
"Adventurers!"
"Oh look at the beasts!"
"They're shadows!"
"Could it be them?!"
The Vixens sat inside the wagon's coach compartment, watching through the windows.
Within seconds, tens of thousands of tiny winged figures surrounded them.
Jax gently guided Grim and Steed forward, keeping the wagon centered on the road.
The fairies had clearly prepared for travelers.
A wide lane ran directly through the village so larger wagons could pass without crushing anything.
Several ruts suggested other caravans had already passed through recently.
"There are… so many of them," Llandra said quietly.
Zee nodded.
"Fairies can be unpredictable creatures."
Her calm voice carried a note of caution.
"In numbers this large, they can become very dangerous if agitated."
She watched the swirling clouds carefully.
"They possess natural magic, and when they act together their power multiplies."
She looked toward Jax.
"It would be wise to treat them with great respect."
Jax smiled.
"Perfect."
The girls looked at him.
He shrugged.
"Then we just treat them the way we treat every village."
His tone was simple.
Confident.
The Vixens exchanged glances.
That was exactly the kind of answer they expected from him.
The wagon came to a stop.
Jax stepped down first.
The moment his boots touched the ground—
The fairies swarmed closer.
They circled him curiously, flying in tight loops.
The Vixens stepped down behind him.
Immediately the fairies began inspecting everything.
They flew around the wagon.
Poked at the wheels.
Examined Grim and Steed with wide glowing eyes.
Nyxian walked over and gently patted the shadow bulls.
"Alright boys," she said affectionately.
"Break time."
With a flick of her fingers, she dispelled them.
The massive shadow creatures dissolved instantly.
Judging from their relieved expressions before disappearing, they were probably grateful to escape the dozens of tiny fairies buzzing around their faces.
Nyxian's small shadow ferret Echo still sat comfortably on her shoulder.
Several fairies gasped in awe at the dark magic radiating from it.
"Shadow creature!"
"Look look!"
"Magic!"
Jax stepped forward politely.
He raised a hand in greeting.
"Excuse me," he said kindly.
His voice carried easily over the buzzing noise.
"Is there someone here in leadership we might speak with?"
The fairies suddenly stopped moving.
Thousands of tiny figures hovered in midair.
Jax continued politely.
"We were also hoping to meet any merchants who might be interested in trade."
For a moment…
Complete silence.
Then—
The entire village erupted.
Cheers.
Laughter.
Applause.
It sounded like the crowd reaction at a massive concert.
The Vixens stared in shock.
Nyxian blinked.
"Well," she said dryly, "I guess they're enthusiastic about trade."
Jax looked just as confused.
Then the voices started shouting.
"It's him!"
"It's the Vixens!"
"That's Jax!"
"Oh my goodness they're real!"
"He's even more handsome in person!"
"Do my wings look alright?!"
Within seconds the fairies rushed forward.
Hundreds of them.
The braver ones darted directly toward Jax and the Vixens.
They landed on shoulders.
On hands.
On hair.
Jax suddenly had dozens of tiny fairies grabbing his fingers and cheeks.
Several of them began kissing his face excitedly.
"Easy everyone," Jax said calmly.
He raised a finger gently to his lips to block the more enthusiastic ones from aiming anywhere else.
"I don't think they're attacking," he reassured the others.
Meanwhile the Vixens were dealing with their own swarm.
Fairies tugged at Llandra's long hair in fascination.
Several kissed Bunny's cheeks repeatedly while giggling. Many looking down at her massive chest making comments in awe.
Zee was politely trying to maintain composure while tiny admirers hovered around her shoulders.
Nyxian…
Nyxian was having the time of her life.
"Oh don't be shy," she teased, leaning toward several fairy girls.
If they tried to kiss her cheek, she turned her head slightly.
More than a few ended up kissing her lips instead.
She laughed mischievously as more volunteers rushed forward.
Jax noticed.
He very quickly looked away.
Please don't start an international incident…
After several chaotic minutes, a small group of fairies approached from above.
The crowd parted respectfully.
At their center floated a fairy no taller than three inches.
"Jax and the Vixens, we are honored by your presence."
She wore a delicate golden crown.
In her hand was a small golden wand, the head shaped like a tulip.
The flower head glowed a deep violet.
Jax's Inspect skill activated instantly.
Royal Bloom Scepter
• Increases magic output by 20%
• Grants sleep magic abilities
• Allows temporary size increase up to 20x the user's natural size
Interesting…
Jax carefully stepped forward, doing his best not to accidentally crush anyone underfoot.
He bowed politely.
"We are the ones honored, Your Grace."
The fairy queen's wings fluttered nervously.
Jax continued respectfully.
"Thank you for allowing us to visit your village."
"We are hoping to make new friends."
"And perhaps find trade partners."
He gestured toward the distant World Tree.
"And eventually attempt the raid there."
"And in that exact order."
The queen blushed.
Completely.
Her entire tiny body turned bright red.
Being addressed as "Your Grace" by someone like Jax clearly wasn't helping her composure.
Jax continued the introductions.
"And these are my wives, fiancées, and adventure partners."
He gestured toward each of them.
"Llandra."
"Aurabelle."
"Nyxian."
"And Zephrial."
Behind him, the Vixens were still being mobbed by tiny admirers. They were doing their best to not offend, but protect themselves from the intrusions.
Except Nyxian.
She was actively encouraging it.
Jax quickly turned back toward the queen.
Best not to draw attention to that.
The queen cleared her throat.
Still visibly flustered.
"Jax Darquebane… and the Vixens…"
Her wings fluttered excitedly.
"We are deeply honored that you would visit our humble village."
She smiled shyly.
"We have heard wonderful stories about you."
Jax tilted his head slightly.
"Oh?"
The queen nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes!"
"From our distant cousin."
She paused proudly.
"Merriweather said you might be coming."