Records of Rebirth

The Nymph's appearance was completely unexpected and very different from before. 

Not that black hair didn't suit her or anything, rather the contrast against her pale skin and red dress was rather fetching – It was just surprising to see how much she had changed.

Why did she suddenly turn into a brunette? 

I didn't even think it was possible for a Nymph to change their appearance.

My nestlings were just as surprised as me, and since all the Veladrys were bowing, they looked at me to see what to do. Yet, aside from staring at the creatures before us, I was speechless.

The Nymph wasn't alone, there were four figures approaching us, which made me very unnerved for some reason. 

They were similar to Veladrys in that their bodies were linked to the roots on the ground, but they didn't have that distinctive pink hair the other Veladrys had.

Aside from one, the rest  varied from very light shades, much like the Nymph's former look, to a pale shade much closer to blonde..

These four creatures had powerful aura's similar to the Nymph's, if not on the same level and although the Nymph smiled on reaching me, I had a feeling I was in danger.

[I apologise for my tardy appearance.] The Nymph said, her ruby eyes sparkling in delight. [Since you brought some of your children, I wanted you to meet some of mine.]

No way.

I looked at the 'children' behind her and I could feel my heart thudding fiercely.

The four were all tall and slender, and they looked like the Nymph in some form or another, but some of them had very staggering differences.

For one, there was a Veladrys with a very tall build, with coarse skin and broad shoulders, alongside muscular limbs that seemed about to burst out of her supple rope dress. Her body was huge compared to the tiny Nymph beside her, who didn't even reach her shoulders.

Like the Nymph, her face was very beautiful, with delicate features and long silver hair held together in a braid hanging over her crossed arms.

Yet, contrary to the Nymph's smiling face, this Veladrys wore a tense frown and stared down at me like I was some offensive creature.

Was it the right time to mention I was not their enemy?

|[It's nice to meet you all.]| I nervously replied, and the Nymph's smile broadened.

Yet this didn't ease the tension at all.

Instead, all four or her children glared at me, especially when they saw how much the Nymph was smiling. While the brawny one was easily the most intimidating, the others were no less mean.

One Veladrys with curly white hair and mean amber eyes, was giving me a rather haughty look. 

Another with pale gold hair and inky-black eyes was staring at me like I was scum.

What was their problem? Was my greeting not satisfactory? 

It didn't seem right that her children already disliked me, when we'd never even met?

Which made me wonder what the Nymph had said about me.

The last one was perhaps the least mean. She had pale pink hair that was almost white, and very large green eyes and red full lips that smiled at me with interest.

As a welcome, it was very unwelcoming.

I didn't even bother correcting the Nymph's statement to tell her that the nestlings were not my children, I just wanted to get as far away from her and her children as possible. 

However, the Nymph looked rather eager as she stared at me and the nestlings, as if waiting for me to introduce them.

Her 'children' along with several pink haired Veladrys were no different and I felt under immense pressure under their stares to conform, or flee.

I was mapping out the best escape routes, when a tiny figure wriggled its way out from under the Nymph's hair, to stand on her shoulder.

It was the dark fae.

Seeing me, she darted over to my face, not even caring about the fierce standoff behind her.

[You bad serpent!] She yelled, her tiny figure much larger in my eyes due to her proximity, and I could only wince at her loud voice. [You said you would come back soon. How is this soon? You're late!]

Hah.

Did she think I was at her beck and call?

Still, I'd never been so glad to see the irritating brat in my life.

Because of her interruption, the frigid atmosphere was broken, and I saw the Nymph's children were now settling down beside my nestlings.

[Look at me.] The dark fae excitedly exclaimed, her tiny figure buzzing around me like an annoying fly. [Notice anything different about me?]

|[Something different?]| I tilted my head.

The dark fae looked the same, aside from maybe a change in clothes, she now wore a dress made out of black and red petals, similar to that of the Nymph's dress.

However, when I looked closely, I noticed she was slightly larger than before, five inches, compared to her previous four. 

And I scoffed. |[I see no difference.]|

An inch more was hardly a change, her appraisal results however, were improved.

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LV27 Verum Ellydian

Specie: Ailith Fae

HP: 253/253  Defence: 95

MP: 310/310  Intellect: 184

SP: 180/180  Magic: 300

Attack: 230  Agility: 405

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[I'm much bigger, you bad serpent!] The dark fae puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms. [How can you not notice?]

I signed at her insistence. |[What am I supposed to notice? An extra inch doesn't make you more mature. Come and ask me when you stop acting like you're eight years old, you fairy grandmother!]|

[Bad serpent!!] The dark fae huffed at me and stomped her feet. [I didn't miss you at all! Go back!]

She even spun around my head in the air, making me roll my eyes at her.

I strained to see past the dark fae's figure to find the Nymph, but I felt something nudge me, only to find the Nymph was now beside me. To my surprise, Artemis and Delphine who had been beside me were now much further away.

The banquet and Veladrys were still there, but the grass-like growths everybody settled on seemed to have retreated away from mine without any effort. The system of roots supporting them, pulling away to form a separate island. 

The Nymph's four children were now dotted among my nestlings, and I realised to my horror that I was completely alone with her. 

|[Hey, what are you trying to do, put it back.]| I exclaimed in panic.

[Why?] The Nymph asked as her body pressed against my curls.

I slowly inched away, but the Nymph followed after my retreating figure to regain her spot beside me.

It was like we were stuck together, and I had become her cushion.

|[No reason.]| I replied nervously, after failing to detach myself, I could only try to pry her body loose. |[I just can't separate from my nestlings. I need to watch them at all times.]|

But as I was trying to wriggle away, the Nymph turned towards the banquet, and for a second I saw her ruby eyes fill with ravenous hunger.

Then her beautiful face turned back to me with a smile, before firmly holding on to my tail - and it was like I completely imagined it.

[I'm sure they can part from you for a little while. Don't worry, my children won't bite.]

I was more afraid of being bitten by her!

The Nymph was leaning against me like a cushion, but she grasped the end of my tail on her lap, she'd even began to stroke the deadly prongs – not at all scared that they could cut her fingers.

Her grip wasn't tight at all, yet I found myself stuck and when I tried to slip away again, my body refusing to budge.

At first, I tried to move subtly, so she wouldn't notice, but when her grip did not loosen, I had to apply more strength.

Contrary to the Nymph's tiny figure, she was rather strong! It was like my tail was held in a vice grip.

But then, after trying repeatedly, the Nymph turned to look at me.

Oh heck! She knew!

[Stop moving like that. It's ticklish.] The Nymph said, her face was flushed pink, and her ruby eyes were rather excited.

Why did she sound so out of breath?

But then, a piece of honeycomb sailed over my head to smash against a tree, and I panicked a little when I saw the muscular Veladrys was glaring at me, eyes filled with malice.

Another of her children scowled at me, and a Veladrys who had been playing a lyre, seemed to have broken one of the strings.

It seemed they didn't like us sitting so close together and I tried to separate from the Nymph, yet this only made her grip on me tighter. Her smile oblivious like she knew nothing of my struggle or the angry gazes piercing through me.

As for her children, I was highly concerned one of them would attack my nestlings, so I appraised the brawny one closest to Cygnus.

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LV42 Lyenysa 

Specie: Ailith Fae

HP: 645/645  Defence : 830

MP: 570/570  Intellect: 320

SP: 777/777  Magic: 550

Attack: 430  Agility: 435

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Her appraisal results were…quite surprising.

Not that I expected her to be weak, but because…it made her nearly equal in power to the Nymph, who was supposed to be her mother and much stronger than her.

I glanced at the cascading dark hair of the Nymph who was leaning against me, blissfully unaware I decided to appraise her too.

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LV44 Veliae 

Specie: Ailith Nymph

HP: 965/965  Defence: 678

MP: 867/867  Intellect: 470

SP: 650/650  Magic: 720

Attack: 720  Agility: 590

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Yet, what was going on?

They were almost the same in level, if not equal in strength, and I glanced at the Nymph as well as her other children, completely confused.

Were they all the same too?