"Merriweather said you were coming."
Jax stared at the tiny queen.
Of all the answers he had expected—
That wasn't one of them.
"Merriweather?"
The Fairy Queen nodded enthusiastically.
"My distant cousin."
Zee immediately smiled.
"Of course."
Jax looked at her.
"Of course?"
Zee laughed softly.
"You know Merriweather."
That was true.
Jax looked back toward the tiny queen.
"How exactly did she tell you we were coming?"
"We speak regularly."
The queen gestured toward one of the larger flower structures near the center of the village.
"She sent us a Tele-Stone."
Jax blinked.
"A Tele-Stone?"
"Yes!"
The queen's excitement returned immediately.
"It is enormous!"
Jax glanced toward Zee.
Zee shrugged.
For a three-inch fairy—
He supposed it was.
The queen continued.
"When Merriweather calls, everyone gathers around."
"Everyone?"
"Well..."
She hesitated.
"Not everyone."
Jax nodded.
That made considerably more sense.
"Usually only a few dozen."
Jax stared at her.
Zee covered her mouth.
The queen smiled proudly.
"Sometimes more."
Jax pictured dozens of three-inch fairies gathered around a Tele-Stone, listening while Merriweather dramatically recounted his latest adventures.
Then another thought occurred to him.
A considerably more concerning one.
"What exactly has Merriweather told you about us?"
The queen's eyes lit up.
"Everything!"
That was not the reassuring answer Jax had hoped for.
Nyxian grinned.
"Oh, this should be good."
The queen fluttered excitedly in front of them.
"She told us how you saved her life!"
Jax opened his mouth.
"And how you defeated the dragon!"
"Well—"
"And defeated the Slave Guild!"
"Technically—"
"And helped transform Solmere!"
"That was a lot of people."
"And helped her find true love!"
Jax stopped.
He thought about Brannic.
"Okay."
He nodded.
"I'll take some credit for that one."
The queen laughed.
Then she turned toward Zee.
"And you!"
Zee pointed toward herself.
"Me?"
"Of course!"
The queen flew closer.
"Merriweather talks about you often."
Zee's expression softened.
"She does?"
"She said you were there through some of the most important moments of her life."
Zee smiled.
"Mostly because I was with Jax."
The queen shook her head firmly.
"That is not how Merriweather tells it."
Zee's smile grew.
Jax noticed it immediately.
Merriweather meant a great deal to both of them.
She had been one of their earliest friends in Solmere.
Someone they trusted.
Someone whose life had become intertwined with theirs long before anyone knew what the United Kingdoms would eventually become.
The queen looked between them.
"She speaks very fondly of both of you."
Then she glanced toward Llandra, Bunny and Nyxian.
"And she has told us many stories about all of the Vixens."
Nyxian leaned forward.
"Good stories?"
The queen nodded.
"Wonderful stories!"
Nyxian smiled smugly.
"I always liked Merriweather."
Llandra raised an eyebrow.
"You barely know what she said."
"She said wonderful."
"According to Merriweather," Jax added.
Nyxian's smile disappeared slightly.
"That's fair."
Zee looked back toward the queen.
"Did she act any of these stories out?"
The queen's face brightened.
"Yes!"
Zee burst out laughing.
Jax closed his eyes.
"Of course she did."
"She does different voices!"
"I figured."
"And sometimes she flies around in reenactments!"
Jax just chuckles to himself picturing it all.
"One time she knocked over the Tele-Stone she was speaking into, demonstrating how you defeated something."
Zee laughed harder.
"That sounds like her."
Jax shook his head.
Suddenly the reception they'd received made considerably more sense.
These fairies hadn't merely heard about them.
They had apparently been listening to the Merriweather Theater Company perform dramatized versions of their lives for months.
He wasn't sure whether to be flattered or concerned.
Probably both.
The queen suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Oh!"
She bowed quickly.
"My apologies."
Jax raised an eyebrow.
"For what?"
"We haven't been properly introduced."
She straightened proudly.
"I am Pixelle."
Her wings fluttered behind her.
"Queen of this fairy clan."
Jax smiled.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Queen Pixelle."
Pixelle turned bright red again.
Her wings fluttered considerably faster.
"Please."
She gestured toward the center of the village.
"Let us move somewhere more comfortable to speak."
Several fairies immediately rushed forward to guide them.
The group was led toward a large open clearing near the center of the village.
Compared to the tiny fairy homes surrounding it, the clearing was enormous.
Clearly it had been designed for larger visitors.
Soft moss covered the ground like a natural carpet.
Small glowing flowers lined the perimeter.
Vines curled around trees and formed shaded arches overhead.
At the center stood a small platform woven from living branches and flowering vines.
Pixelle floated above it.
She lifted her golden tulip wand.
Violet magic shimmered around her.
Then—
She grew.
Jax watched with interest as the three-inch fairy rapidly increased in size.
Six inches.
A foot.
Three feet.
Finally—
She stopped at roughly five-foot-six.
Her wings remained behind her, now large enough to span several feet.
Her golden crown adjusted magically with her size.
The tiny wand had become an elegant golden scepter topped by the same glowing violet tulip.
Jax had already inspected it earlier.
Royal Bloom Scepter
• Increases magic output by 20%
• Grants sleep magic abilities
• Allows temporary size increase up to 22x the user's natural size
Jax did the mental math.
Close enough.
At her full size, Pixelle appeared to be somewhere in her late teens or early twenties.
Young.
Beautiful.
Vibrant.
And, despite the crown on her head, not particularly regal.
There was an energy about her that seemed almost too big for her tiny natural form. Excitable. Impulsive. Expressive.
She carried the title of Queen, but not with Llandra's effortless grace or the practiced dignity Jax had seen from other royalty.
Pixelle seemed more like someone who had been handed a crown before she'd completely figured out what to do with it.
Fortunately, judging by the fairies surrounding her, she had plenty of people willing to help her figure it out.
Jax liked her immediately.
And yet—
The moment Jax looked directly at her—
Her cheeks turned red again.
Pixelle looked down at herself.
"Our natural size can make conversations with larger races somewhat difficult."
Nyxian grinned.
"I don't know. I was enjoying it."
Llandra looked toward her.
"Of course you were."
Pixelle laughed.
"Please sit."
The Vixens settled comfortably onto the moss.
Jax sat beside them.
Around the clearing, thousands of fairies gathered.
Some landed along branches.
Others sat on mushrooms.
Hundreds simply hovered in the air.
Apparently the conversation was going to have an audience.
Jax looked around.
"No pressure."
Pixelle smiled.
"Our people are curious."
"I noticed."
Jax leaned forward slightly.
"So Merriweather told you why we're here."
Pixelle nodded.
"She said you were traveling south to challenge the World Tree."
Jax glanced toward the colossal tree visible beyond the village.
Even from a mile away, its trunk rose like a mountain of living wood.
Massive branches stretched high into the clouds.
The entire structure radiated ancient magic.
"That's the plan."
Pixelle's expression became more serious.
"Then it is fortunate you stopped here first."
Jax looked toward her.
"Why?"
Pixelle turned toward the distant tree.
"Because you should understand what a World Tree truly is before you enter one."
The fairies surrounding them grew quiet.
Even Nyxian leaned forward.
Pixelle rested both hands against her scepter.
"Long before the kingdoms of men existed..."
Her voice softened.
"Before empires rose and fell..."
"The World Trees were already part of this world."
She looked toward the enormous canopy.
"They are ancient conduits of magic."
"Living bridges between our world and the deeper currents of mana flowing beneath reality."
Jax raised an eyebrow.
"So they're not just really big trees."
Pixelle laughed.
"No."
"Not at all."
She gestured toward the distant trunk.
"World Trees appear where enormous amounts of magical energy have accumulated."
"When that energy reaches a certain point, the world creates something capable of stabilizing it."
"A World Tree."
Zee nodded slowly.
"That's why its magic spreads so far."
Pixelle looked toward her.
"Yes."
"Our people can feel it from enormous distances."
Zee looked toward the Tree.
"The closer we got, the stronger it became."
"For fairies, it is even stronger."
Pixelle smiled.
"The presence of a World Tree feels like..."
She considered the word.
"Home."
Zee's eyes returned to her.
Something about that word seemed to catch her attention.
But only briefly.
Pixelle continued.
"Our people are nomadic by nature."
"When a World Tree appears, word spreads among the clans."
"Many travel toward it."
"Some remain for months."
"Others remain for years."
"And when the Tree eventually disappears or its magic begins to fade..."
"We move again."
Jax looked around the beautiful village.
"You built all of this after the Tree appeared?"
Pixelle smiled proudly.
"We don't require much."
Nyxian looked toward one of the enormous mushroom homes.
"That's convenient."
"It is."
Pixelle turned back toward the Tree.
"But the magic of a World Tree does more than nourish the land."
Her expression became serious again.
"It creates a trial."
Jax leaned forward.
"The raid."
Pixelle nodded.
"When a World Tree fully emerges, a magical dungeon forms within its trunk."
"Layers of trials."
"Creatures formed from mana."
"Guardians."
"Traps."
"Challenges."
"Every World Tree is different."
"Every raid is different."
Bunny's ears rose.
"That sounds fun."
Zee glanced toward her.
"Your definition of fun concerns me sometimes."
Bunny smiled.
"Big hammer."
"That's usually your definition."
"Exactly."
Pixelle laughed.
"The rewards can be extraordinary."
Nyxian immediately became more interested.
"Now we're getting somewhere."
Pixelle smiled knowingly.
"Living wood."
"Mana nectar."
"Magical fruit."
"Rare flowers."
"Materials that cannot be found anywhere else."
"Even fragments of bark from certain World Trees can be used to create legendary weapons."
Jax whistled softly.
"No wonder half the continent seems to be heading here."
"Many have already arrived."
Pixelle nodded toward the Tree.
"There are adventuring parties camped near the entrance."
"More arrive every day."
Llandra folded her hands.
"How does entry work?"
Pixelle raised one finger.
"There are rules."
Nyxian sighed.
"There's always rules."
"First..."
Pixelle smiled.
"Only one adventuring party may enter at a time."
Bunny blinked.
"One?"
"One."
"How long do they get?"
"As long as they survive."
Bunny's smile grew.
Pixelle continued.
"Once a party enters, the Tree will not allow another group to enter for six hours."
Jax did the calculation immediately.
"Four groups a day."
"At most."
Nyxian groaned.
"How long is the line?"
Pixelle hesitated.
"Long."
Nyxian fell backward onto the moss.
"Wonderful."
Jax chuckled.
"We'll figure it out."
Pixelle raised a second finger.
"The second rule is stranger."
"Time and space behave differently inside the World Tree."
Llandra frowned.
"How?"
"If two groups enter six hours apart..."
Pixelle paused.
"They will never encounter one another."
Jax leaned forward.
"Separate instances."
Pixelle tilted her head.
"Instances?"
Jax thought about it.
"Separate versions of the same place."
Pixelle's expression brightened.
"Yes."
"That is a very good description."
"Every group experiences its own version of the World Tree."
"The creatures reset."
"The guardians reset."
"The traps reset."
"The trials reset."
Zee nodded.
"So information from previous groups could still be useful."
"Very."
Pixelle looked toward her.
"Experienced adventurers sometimes make multiple attempts."
"They learn."
"They map the floors."
"They study the guardians."
"They develop strategies."
"Then they return better prepared."
Llandra smiled slightly.
"Smart."
"Very."
Pixelle raised a third finger.
"There are extraction points."
Bunny tilted her head.
"Safe zones?"
"Essentially."
Pixelle nodded.
"If a party reaches a point where they believe continuing would be too dangerous, they can leave."
"Safely?" Zee asked.
"Yes."
Jax nodded.
"And return later."
Pixelle's expression changed slightly.
"Yes."
Then she added—
"But they begin again."
Jax looked toward her.
"From the first floor?"
"The first trial."
Bunny frowned.
"So if you make it really far and leave..."
"You start over."
"Everything?"
"Everything."
Nyxian sat upright again.
"That's cruel."
Pixelle laughed softly.
"Some say the Tree considers leaving an admission that you were not prepared to conquer it."
Llandra nodded.
"But you keep what you've learned."
"Exactly."
Pixelle smiled toward her.
"A disciplined party can attempt the Tree repeatedly."
"Learn each floor."
"Study each enemy."
"Develop strategies."
"Then eventually attempt a complete run."
Jax smiled.
"I like that."
Nyxian looked at him.
"Of course you do."
"It rewards preparation."
"It rewards repeatedly getting beaten until you memorize everything trying to kill you."
"Also preparation."
Zee smiled.
"He's not wrong."
Pixelle continued.
"Some parties spend years studying a single World Tree."
Bunny's ears lowered slightly.
"Years?"
"Sometimes."
"How many floors are there?"
Pixelle smiled.
"No one knows."
Bunny stared.
"Nobody?"
"No party has conquered this one."
A ripple of excitement moved through the Vixens.
Jax leaned back slightly.
Now that—
That was interesting.
"How far has anyone gotten?"
"Far enough to know that the difficulty increases dramatically."
"That doesn't answer the question."
Pixelle smiled.
"No."
Nyxian laughed.
"I like her."
Pixelle's cheeks reddened again.
Jax looked toward the distant Tree.
"So the loot is valuable."
"Extremely."
"The raid resets."
"Yes."
"Groups can study it through repeated attempts."
"Yes."
"And nobody has cleared this one."
"Correct."
Jax nodded slowly.
"Sounds like exactly the kind of challenge we came looking for."
Pixelle studied him.
For just a little too long.
Then whatever restraint she'd been attempting disappeared completely.
Her eyes lit up.
Her wings fluttered excitedly.
"I had a feeling you'd say that!"
Several of the fairies around her smiled.
Apparently none of them were surprised.
Pixelle seemed to remember she was supposed to be conducting an important conversation and quickly cleared her throat.
"Anyway..."
Nyxian smirked.
Jax wasn't entirely sure what he'd missed.
Then Pixelle's expression became serious.
"But there is something else."
Jax looked toward her.
"What?"
"The reason so many adventurers are rushing here."
Nyxian raised an eyebrow.
"I thought that was the legendary loot."
"For many, it is."
Pixelle stood.
The fairies surrounding the clearing grew silent again.
"But there is an old legend surrounding every newly emerged World Tree."
Jax's attention sharpened.
Pixelle looked toward the enormous canopy.
"The first group to completely conquer a World Tree is said to receive something no other adventuring party can obtain."
Bunny's ears rose.
"A special reward?"
Pixelle nodded.
"A Gift of the World Tree."
Silence settled over the clearing.
Llandra looked toward Pixelle.
"What kind of gift?"
"No one knows."
Nyxian frowned.
"Nobody?"
"Every Gift is said to be different."
Pixelle slowly walked toward the edge of the clearing.
Her wings shimmered behind her.
"The stories are ancient."
"Some are probably exaggerated."
"But throughout history, Gifts of the World Tree have been associated with events that changed entire regions."
She looked back toward them.
"Fortunes."
"Power."
"Magic unlike anything that existed before."
"Some legends claim kingdoms rose because of them."
"Others say landscapes themselves were transformed."
Zee's expression sharpened.
"How powerful are these Gifts?"
Pixelle shook her head.
"Powerful enough that nations have gone to war over World Trees."
That changed the mood.
Jax looked toward the distant Tree again.
Pixelle continued.
"Ordinary treasures regenerate."
"Materials return."
"Guardians respawn."
"The Tree allows countless adventurers to challenge its trials."
"But the Gift..."
She paused.
"That appears only once."
Nyxian slowly licked her lips.
Bunny's ears stood completely upright.
Llandra stared toward the World Tree.
Zee's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
Jax remained silent.
Pixelle smiled.
"Every adventuring party waiting outside that Tree knows the legends."
"Some don't believe them."
"Some believe them too much."
"But every one of them understands one thing."
She turned toward the World Tree.
"Treasure waits for anyone strong enough to enter."
The wind moved gently through the clearing.
Thousands of fairies hovered silently around them.
Pixelle looked back toward Jax.
"But legend awaits only the first party strong enough to conquer it."
Jax stood.
The Vixens followed.
He stared toward the colossal World Tree.
That familiar feeling returned.
The unknown.
The impossible.
A challenge nobody had beaten.
Hundreds of adventurers racing toward the same destination.
And somewhere inside—
A prize powerful enough to change history.
Nyxian stepped beside him.
She smiled.
"Fortune awaits?"
Jax's lips curled upward.
He nodded.
"Fortune awaits."