World Walker Park [Magical Amusement Park Base-Building]

"Before you go, Luka," Tram said, standing and walking him to the door of her office. "How do you want to handle the family-less reincarnations?"

Luka frowned. "I thought we reincarnated everyone already. What do you mean?"

"There are some we haven't. The ones without family we didn't rush to bring back before the Festival of the Faithful."

"Well—we reincarnate them, right? How many more potions do Sol and I need to make?"

Tram shook her head and adopted a frustrated frown. "That's not the issue. We still have enough from the last batch. The issue isn't whether we're going to reincarnate them or not. The issue is what are we going to do with them after?"

"They're people, right? They choose." Luka wasn't sure what this conversation was. The answer was obvious to him. Then again, he was an outsider and wasn't around back then. Maybe there was some strange social issue?

The village elder looked at him confused. "That's not…" Realization dawned. "You haven't met any elementals, right?"

"I've seen a few around the park."

"But you've never spoken to one? Let me be the first to say it's weird. Nice people, often enough. But very different from other races and species." She sighed. "I suppose what I'm asking is how do you want to integrate her into the village and subsequently the park?"

"However she wants?" Luka asked, still not getting it. He had his hands on his hips and stared at Tram—Tram! The elderly orc with motivational words tattooed on her knuckles! Racism!? He just couldn't believe it.

She shook her head. "Elementals form a nest of sorts—a large area that fits their element. The elemental that lived in the village was closer to Mrs. Leafsong in that they both live outside the village but interact with it enough to warrant citizenship."

"What element?"

"A hybrid, ice, stone, and void."

"Void?"

Tram's eyes glazed slightly, a long repressed memory forming. "I remember when she came to the village. Beautiful, but alien. I was young back then, mind you, foolish. I didn't know what the consequences of inviting an elemental into the village would be."

"And that was?" Luka asked.

"Friendship. One of my best friends, actually. Don't get me wrong, Ben is a great husband and friend. But there was no one who ever understood me quite like Nullixm." Tram's elderly facial features darkened. "You see, I was always an old-fashioned orc. Mystics would call me ancestral-boned, an old soul. It was why Ben and I married late, it was why I was best friends with a pseudo immortal elemental."

Luka reached out and gently took her shoulder. "I understand. What happened to Nullixm's old nest?"

"Null, call her Null." Tram's haunted eyes brightened. "And her nest is gone. Elemental nests wane if their creator isn't around to feed it elemental energies."

"Then we build her a new one. No problem."

"Ehhh you say that. Did you know elementals require a larger nest depending on how many elements they assimilate with?"

"And Null has three. How large are we talking?"

"You know the new fancy Beastial Grove you just built? About that big."

Luka lurched. "Really?"

"Yup. That was why Null lived out here—there was enough space."

"Okay. Well." He scratched his head. "Can people enter elemental nests?"

"Oh sure, Null loved visitors."

Luka's mind instantly went to Ressen and how the young World Tree was like a nest to hundreds of guests. An idea formed and he suggested it. "Do you think Null might be interested in creating a nest that is a themed land for the park? Ice, stone, and void, right? How about a snowy-ice covered mountain with void-y things?"

"'Void-y things?'" Tram asked, eyebrows raised. "You have no idea what the void is, do you?"

"Not a clue! But I'm willing to learn for you and Null's friendship."

A guttural scoff-blush cough escaped Tram's throat. "She's going to like you."

"Who wouldn't?" Luka asked. "I'm very personable."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"I'm sure."

"I am!"

"Uh huh."

***

The days came and went and eventually the Festival of the Faithful ended. Some left right away, off to the day-to-day of their lives, others remained around the park, visiting Sneerhome and the surrounding tourist attractions. Soon enough, World Walker Park was back to standard operations and the seven copies of reality all stacked upon each other were dissolved.

Memories flooded into each prime copy, and soon seven extra weeks of conversations, activities, and whatever else people got up to was front and center.

"One of my copies used all the toilet paper and didn't replace the roll!" Franky announced moments after the copies disappeared. "So then when I went into the bathroom later and realized there was no toilet paper too late, I had to—"

"That's enough!" Eve snapped. "Not today, brother, not today."

Franky's annoyance transformed into mischievousness. "Why? Don't want me to embarrass you in front of your date?"

Eve's green skin shaded red.

From the other room, their mother shouted, "That's enough Frankimilianmaximilian!"

Eve smirked at him. "When the full name comes out, you know it's Mother yelling."

Franky's mischievousness died. "She can yell my full name whenever she wants. I'm just glad she's back."

"I am too."

Just then, their father entered the room wearing a stained apron and holding a pan with some sizzling meat. "I made dinner."

"Can't! I've got a date!" Eve practically sang.

He eyed her suspiciously. "Right, right. And when are we going to meet this mystery man?"

"You have. It's Luka," Franky said.

"Oh." Their father hummed. "Alright then. That's fine."

Eve gave an affronted grunt. "What does that mean?"

"Just that I agree, you can date Luka."

She blinked. "And if I wasn't going on a date with Luka, who would you 'allow' me to date?"

"Anyone not like your brother," he said dryly.

"Hey!"

Eve snorted. "Thanks Dad." She rushed into him, hugging him tightly. "I'm glad you're back."

His eyes threatened rain. "Me too, me too."

The moment passed and the mill worms in Eve's stomach resurfaced and her dad got back to cooking dinner. Mentally, she cursed Eve Three for doing this to her! Then, mentally, she sang Eve Three's praises. She felt like she was going to throw up. She felt like she could save a litter of kittens from a burning building. She felt like, if tonight went wrong, then she may as well die of embarrassment.

Everyone in the village knew about the date.

Everyone.

If she messed it up, then well—it was self-social outcasting. She would build a hut on the outskirts of the village, and live like Sol…

Speaking of Sol, the elderly—but strikingly fair skinned orc—loomed in the room's doorway. "I have something for you," she said. "A gift."

Eve blinked. "A gift…"

"One your parents can't see."

Franky leaned forward. "Now I'm interested. Tell us more."

Sol stared at the young man, then snapped her fingers. The room exploded with raven's feathers, dancing like a tornado. They spun, drifting toward Franky before covering him. When the magic faded, Franky was gone.

Eve sighed. "Where'd you teleport him?"

"Away," Sol said slyly, the raven on her head cawing. "Now, about this gift. I will explain it to you, you will accept it, no questions asked, then we will not speak of it again. Is that understood?"

"You're scaring me a little."

"Good!" she held out her hand. On it was a small box.

Eve gently took it and opened it. An ivory ring sat inside, one brimming with the tell-tale glow of an enchantment. "It's pretty."

It wasn't.

Sol snorted. "It's a ring of tailbone from a pig. It's not meant to be looked at."

"Then why—"

"You're going on a date. You need proper protection."

If a pin was dropped, the echo in the silence would destroy the park.

Eve turned red. She was green-skinned. But at this moment, she was red. "I don't—"

"You keep it. You hide it. You do whatever you need to do with it. Just use it when the time comes."

"I don't know—"

"Listen, girly. I know we've had our differences. Especially around the 'motherly' aspect of our relationship after the accident. So, let me do this one thing, so that your mother—who we just got back—doesn't have to give up her little girl yet." Sol let the silence permeate before adding, "You're her little girl, you know that, right? A little while ago, you were a little girl to her. Don't ruin that for her. Not yet."

Eve stiffened her back and set her jaw. She took the ring and safely placed it in her pocket. "It won't be needed tonight."

"For when it is."

She nodded subtly. "Thank you."

Sol smiled a little, clapped her hands above her head, and turned into a raven, flying out the nearby open window.

Eve watched her go. "Thank you, Aunty," she whispered again.

***

Elsewhere, a flock of metaphysical magical birds swooped in low, rushing through the dirt and foliage like a tornado. When they faded, an unamused Franky sat, peeved.

"I can't believe she did that to me again!" He got to his feet, dusted himself off, and spun around. He was in the forest.

But where in the forest.

"Uuugh!"

He started walking. He hated studying magic, the boredom, the failure of a broken spell, the meticulous glyph work.

But here, walking back to the house without even knowing what Sol's surprise gift was, he resolved to learn a counter spell-spell.

"No more teleporting me into the forest, Sol!" he shouted. "Or else!"

Distant raven caws came the reply.