Unbound

The little gem birds flew around Atlantes with an energy that it found pleasing.

Spirit Trees didn't feel in the same way as mortals did. Their emotions ran deeper. Slower, but stronger. The birds alighted on Atlantes's branch and nibbled at its leaves. The Drake and the Warrior had asked for them to play among its branches quite nicely.

The sun through branches. Dappled leaf shadow. Atlantes liked people with manners.

The little ones were curious creatures. Not truly birds, but sharing so many of their traits. And quite different from the Drake that followed them about, calling out orders that they ignored. Magic stirred in them, a spark that hadn't yet truly caught in their cores. A promise of power.

Seeds in the ground. Potent soil waiting in the dark. Atlantes considered, not for the first time, if it should let the Hatchlings have its special fruits.

The Tree had been developing new ones in its boughs, hidden from the harvesters that came for the rest. They were not yet perfect. They required more time, more experimentation. But they were still very good. How would its new roots affect their growth? Perhaps it would be a boon, but currently, Atlantes only felt tired. It had expended so much effort to help its Shaper.

Leaves upturned. Rain on the horizon.

The Shaper was strong, if a little unwise at times. The binding had hurt, and pain was a sensation Atlantes could only recall from its seed thoughts. Those were distant, as unformed as the dreams the mortals around it sometimes ejected into the Void. Fire. Drought. The sharpened edge of Paragon's blade. The binding had hurt like all of those things, but it had faded swiftly.

In its place was a new awareness, like a mortal dream laid out against its roots. Atlantes could feel other places, distant air that swirled with the Green Wilds.