Who: Niall What: Niall speaks to an old friend about the whole nemeton business When: After he discovered what happened Where: A forest far from Everett
Stepping out of the rift, Niall immediately abandoned the pretense he usually maintained in the human world. The facade of the old man simply fell away revealing the sparkling, thin-skinned ancient being of light he was beneath the mask of the old man. He had no need for disguises here. The glade was thick and heavy and he would wager that no human soul had set foot there in centuries.
"My Prince. What brings you to my corner of the world?" An amused voice floated at him from all directions seeming to come from the trees themselves. "Surely you haven't come to persuade me to return to Faery. I did not enjoy life among our kind two thousand years ago I hardly doubt I will find it any more enjoyable now."
Niall was pleased to find the woods spirit so coherent. After a certain number of years hamadryads tended to lose all touch with anything beyond their connection to their trees. They lived in the human world but were never truly part of it. They lived so long connected to one place, one patch of woods or a particular tree that anyone harming the tree injured the spirit within. Hamadryads were few and far between in the modern world and Niall usually made a point of not disturbing them but recent events in Everett had left him with little choice.
"The light of Faery is less for lack of your gracious presence, dear Aigeiros. But I come on another matter. A nemeton has been awakened and I would see it silenced once more." In Niall's opinion Everett was already too much of a beacon to things that had no business being there. The presence of a nemeton would only make things that much more unstable.
The dryad was silent for a long time. So long that Niall thought she might have drifted back to sleep but after a while her high, thin voice brushed through the branches of the trees once more. "Druids? Now? Who has druids after all this time? They used to make the most delightful sacrifices."
Niall refrained from rolling his eyes. Always with the sacrifices. Sometimes he found the bloodthirsty nature of some of his kin repulsive. Yet another reason he did not spend too much time in the human world. "No. I'm afraid not. Teenagers from what I understand." He clarified, "Young humans. Inexperienced and ignorant of the consequences of their actions. Unprepared to face what will come. Tell me how to put this magic to sleep."
"I feel it now. It's pull is strong and you are right to fear it. But no, I will not give you what you seek. The nemeton is awakened and so it will remain. That is their nature and I would not see it interrupted." The voice sounded amused again. "Not even for you, Little Prince."
Niall bristled but he recognized a lost cause when he saw one. There would be no reasoning with the spirit and even though he was technically her king they both knew that she was far older and more powerful than he and if he were to kill her it would be far more trouble than it would be worth. "Very well. I thank you for your time and wisdom. I will take your words to heart." Niall gave a deferential bow before stepping back into the rift he came from and vanishing to the sound of gentle laughter.