Mother of Treelings

I stirred from my unconsciousness and felt something soft yet firm beneath head. Regaining my thoughts of what happened before I passed out makes me even more confused about what I'm laying on. There were only trees and the soft lush soil of the jungle floor, that I couldn't place what this feeling was from.

Opening my eyes I come face to… face? With a feminine looking figure, she has long yellow hair marked with red streaks as well as equally yellow pupils surrounded by bright blue irises. Her skin is of a light brown with hints of green in the undertones, with lines going up and down her body seeming to mark where the tree branches of the Yellow Elder twined together.

Her face was soft and curious, boring into my eyes as if trying to figure out what I was. She seemed to be about the age of 20, but it was hard to tell, not to mention the fact she was part tree. Movement around me caught my attention and what I saw surprised me again. Smaller, more tree like, creatures moved around but kept their distance from us as they stared in wonder.

I look back up at the girl and finally raise my head to find she had been allowing me to rest my head upon her lap.

"What are you?" I questioned her as I spun to face her, her head tilted in slight confusion but didn't respond. Rather she didn't respond physically but I could feel or see her response in my head. She was that Yellow Elder tree, and this was her transformation after I had passed out. She showed me her memories, albeit brief, of her becoming sentient and catching me before I fell.

She conveyed to me the feeling she had gotten from me and that it compelled her to create what she called Treelings. They were adolescent in size compared to her and resembled trees more than her almost human appearance. They reminded me of treants or ents from Lord of the Rings.

"So you're the Mother of the Treelings?" She paused for a moment in thought before conveying agreement to inference. I looked closer at each of the Treelings and I could see various things that caught my eye. Some had red and yellow stripes, some had yellow pupils and blue irises. Each of the Treelings seemed to have some characteristic of me and the Mother of Treelings.

"Well this is more than I could have expected. Just based on the pure mana I can feel from you, you must be at least S rank and you were only just 'born'." At the mention of mana she funneled some to her hand and grew a Yellow Elder flower from her palm and she handed it to me. I took the flower and returned it to her hair, tucked on her ear.

"Well I must give you a name because it doesn't seem right to just call you Mother of Treelings." Once again she seemed confused and this time it was because of the word 'name'. I smiled at her and her eyes widened and the gesture and immediately tried to copy it. Though it came out weird and caused me to laugh, which lead me to realize she can sense my emotions as I can hers. She pouted and looked away from me as I tried to convey I was sorry.

"Sorry sorry, it wasn't a bad smile. It's just that it looked forced, you just have to wait until you smile genuinely." I encourage her with positive emotions coming across the link. She seemed to be at least a little satisfied with my explanation and turned back towards me. Now for a name. I had been thinking of a name for this island as it was to be my island, so maybe I could give her a name relating to that name.

Caellurum, that's what I was going to name the island as it was the name of an island from another book series I like, the same as the one I got 'Rez' from. Hmmm…

"What do you think of Cael?" I ask her as I watch her movements and funnily enough a genuine smile crossed her face I can feel the happiness flooding through our connection. Even the Treelings feel her joy and start jumping around and giving little cheers that came out as strange little creaks and squeaks.

"It's decided then. You're Cael, and I'm Jaron" I said while pointing at her before placing my own hand on my chest. She placed a hand on her chest and began trying to speak.

"C-ca-Cael… Jaaarrrron." She copied as I had done and her voice came out similar to the Treelings creaks, but it was softer and more melodious.

"Yes! Cael, Jaron." I pointed to her before to myself again as I congratulated her. She smiled brightly again as the Treelings cheered around us as they danced. I look up to sky to see the sun is in the middle of the sky, which is strange because when I passed out it was beginning to fall to nighttime. Noticing my confusion she sends thoughts of concern to me.

"How long was I asleep, Cael?" She tilted her head in confusion so I pointed to the sun.

"How many times has that, the sun, gotten to that point while I was asleep?" She still seemed a little confused but mostly grasped what I was after. She showed me her memories of me asleep in a sped up form, where I could see the setting and then rising of the sun until I awoke. Based off her memories I had been asleep for 3 days and this would be the 4th meaning it's been a week since I left home and I need to return soon.

Standing up I hold out my hand to Cael, and she grabs it as I pull her up.

"Cael I'm sorry to say this, but I must be returning home. My parents will be worried about me if I stay gone for too long." I showed her images of my parents and well as my sister and the Leywins, putting importance on the images as people close to me. Her eyes grew serious, and I could tell she was commuting these names and faces to memory due to their importance to me. I smiled at her and patted her head lightly and she leaned into it.

"Thank you Cael, but before I go I actually have a job, or a mission rather." She tilted her head at, but ultimately nodded.

"Good. I want you to make this island habitable for humans, lots of humans. Not just my family, we made need many many more than just what they would need. I can sense your earth and water mana and you've already shown me your plant magic, so this shouldn't be too difficult especially with the Treelings helping you. Get ready I'm about to show you most of what we need and if you get the chance extra things that would help in the future." She nodded her head in determination and closed her eyes, I closed mine as well and began relaying what we would need.

I showed her images of houses and other forms of shelters, I showed fields and gardens, as well as grazing pastures for farm animals. How different materials meant a stronger structure and how the various shapes of the structures changed depending on terrain. I emphasized the need of a fresh water source for drinking as well as fruits and vegetables to consume. The whole time she continued to nod and engrave the instructions into her memory.

Lastly I began to show her images of walls as seen around castles and villages, but I envisioned it encircling the entirety of the island. It had the option of opening up the inlet to allow ships into the bay, but the rest was completely encircled around the main mass of the island. Then I showed a castle like structure sitting atop the mountain and the vision showed a village and fields spreading out below it.

The castle was a rather standard fare, as I was mostly going for practicality rather than extravagance. I showed a great many castles that I remembered from my last life as I honestly didn't know which would work best for what I was wanting. Stopping the images I opened my eyes to see the soft smile of Cael as she looked back at me.

"Thank you Cael, and remember if you ever need me just reach out with the mental link. If it's dangerous then please do your best to stay safe until I can arrive, don't fight any enemies without me." She nods her head and smiles brightly, she really had gotten the hang of smiling already.

"Good, I'll come back when I can." I pat her head again and turn around, fueling mana through my body as I take off in flight back towards Dicathen. I had an academy to attend after all. As I flew I looked back over my shoulder to see the Treelings and Cael waving their hands in goodbye and I did the same. I hated to leave Cael so soon, but I have things I must do. Besides I'll be able to visit again.

About 5 hours passed before I saw the forests of the Beast Glades come into view and a smile crossed my face. It had only been a week, but I had already experienced more than I would have expected to. I met a legendary beast called a Leviathan that seems to be on par with Asuras and was apart of the first 3 races to descend to this world. Then I created a new species, I can't tell if they are mana beasts or if they are an actual new race, but I guess it doesn't really matter.

I just can't wait to see what they are able to accomplish before I return to Caellurum. The Beast Glades are now beneath me and I can see the faint outline of Xyrus as I continue my flight. I head straight for my house and land in the front yard just a few dozen steps from the door. Before I can even open the door 2 blurs shoot out and tackle me in a hug while also punching me softly.

"Haha, what's wrong with you 2?" I ask the assailants who turned out to be Lilia and Eleanor.

"You said you'd be gone for only 1 week, but you were gone for 3!" Lily cried out with tears in her eyes and I looked back at her in confusion.

"3 weeks? No you're mistaken, I was only gone for 8 days." Now it was her turn to look back at me confused, but she didn't get to ask anything else as Tuk flew down from a tree and landed in front of me.

"Hatchling, we need to talk. Though I suppose it will have to be with your family present." He said as he looked toward the doorway where the crying forms of my mother and father were standing. I felt a slight ache and pain in my heart at, even unknowingly, making them all worry. When our eyes met, they could no longer hold back and rushed forward and engulfed me in a hug as well.

Me, my parents and Lilia were crouched on the front path in a group hug. I could sense the presence of the Leywins in the doorway, but I ignored them, for my family needed me at the moment. Some minutes passed before mother pulled back with a furious yet puffy from crying face as she started to try to scold me, only to get choked up by tears.

"W-wha-.." She just embraced me again, but dad did stop and collected himself enough to speak.

"What your mother and frankly I want to know, is where the hell do you think you've been?!" I was shocked by my fathers use of language as he had never cursed in front of me or Lilia in all the time that I've lived here.

"I honestly don't know…" Mother stood up to stand beside father and they both stared at me strangely.

"What do you mean?" My dad asked, nods coming from Lily and mother.

"Well, Lily said that I've been gone for 3 weeks. But I was only gone for only 8 days that I know of. I explored the ocean for only a day and a half, then I found this island where I stayed the next 6 and a half days. So I don't know where you guys are getting 3 weeks from." I tilted my head in confusion at them and they looked at me equally confused, Tuk took this opportunity to waddle forward.

"I might know the reason why." We all looked down at Tuk, but rather than focusing on what he said Reynolds focused on something else.

"That Sonic Hawk can talk?!" Alice slapped him and pulled him by the ear inside and I could faintly hear complaints coming from Rey the whole way.

"Lets go inside and talk about this, no need to stand outside." I motion for everyone to go inside and we all take up seats in the living room, me sandwiched in between Lilia and mother while father sat in a chair across from us. Tuk was perched on the table placed in between all the chairs and the Leywins were now taking up seats on another couch. I could see Reynolds' ear pulsing bright red from time to time where Alice had grabbed it.

"Well Tuk, what happened?" I asked the bird and let out a short chirping sigh.

"Through our link I could feel your use of mana while you were away." I just looked at him confused at that.

"So? You've always been able to do that." He snorted at me and ruffled his feathers slightly.

"Let me finish hatchling. The first 3 or 4 days went by normally, but then all the sudden you were flaring and burning through your mana like you were in an intense battle. Yet you didn't stop for another 2 and a half weeks when your mana was almost completely depleted and since then I haven't been able to communicate with you mentally. Ever since then I haven't been able to feel you either, it was link our bond had been broken… I honestly thought you had died." He finished solemnly and before I could speak mother did instead.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" She cried out at Tuk, and he just shook it off, knowing she was just worried.

"Honestly… I just didn't want to believe it. Both, him breaking our bond, and him dying was too painful to imagine. However it seems at least one of them was true." Tuk looked down sadly and I felt my heart ache for him, but I didn't break my bond with him, at least not consciously.

"But I didn't break our bond. I don't even know how to, but you're right I can't feel or hear your thoughts in my head anymore." I felt the need to defend myself as I could see the increasingly sad aura surrounding Tuk.

"However if what he said is correct then I have an idea as to why." I paused for a moment and mother looked at me much like everyone else was.

"Well then what is it?" She asked the question everyone was wondering.

"Well it has something to do with a thing I haven't told you guys about yet." I paused once again, as I tried to decide how much to tell before speaking again.

"I'm a beast tamer, meaning I posses a Beast Will. I got it just before I returned from my first journey." The room went silent as everyone stared at me in shock, Reynolds most of all as he was slightly jealous of my luck. I could only chuckle inwardly as he doesn't even know about Arthur's beast will yet.

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Author's Note

How many thought I was about to tell them about his half Asuran heritage lol? Nope just that he's a beast tamer, and next chapter will begin with a web of lies to try and explain what happened. I probably will tell them about Cael as I feel he at least owes Tuk an explanation as to what happened, but maybe I'll do that privately. Haven't decided.

Also, hope everyone is cool with the name Cael. As well as her 'Species' name. Mother of Treelings. I looked a lot on google for ideas, but none were really giving me what I wanted. Originally i was going to make her name have something to do with druids, but I couldn't find a description that matches what I thought I knew about druids.

Which is when I started trying to think of something else. The other choices were: Child of Yggdrasil, Tree Mother, Elderwood Druidic Guardian, Elderwood Druid, Yellowwood Elder and a few others I can't quite remember. But I decided to not only have her be made, but also a lesser version of her. They are mostly helpers, but she can create more that can have more combat capabilities as well.

Either way, Xyrus next chapter. He will be starting a couple weeks late now, but it will all work out.

Thanks for reading.

-SocioPhobia