The faeries paid no attention to Osric as he walked beside the trees that supported their homes, shops, and common buildings. The trees resembled the oaks native to Llanfyllin but stretched twice as tall, and the tops were woven into thick canopies that protected the buildings below from the weather. The structures looked like organic extensions of the trunks and branches, their architecture blending seamlessly with their natural surroundings.
Osric could find no means of approaching any of these buildings. The trunks were smooth, the bark seamless, and no branches within reach of a giant, even if one could be found nearby. Osric had never seen a giant and had assumed they were part of the Magicians Guild’s assortment of legends. Seeing this faerie city with his own eyes, however, made him consider which of the legends he knew of were grounded in truth.
He began to question the reality of this experience, so he touched the bark of the closest tree. A burning sensation like the stinging of wasps shot from his hand and up his arm to the shoulder. He pulled back and shook his arm, which was still burning and tingling. He rubbed his skin with his other hand until the pain subsided. If this was a dream, it was the most realistic one in his experience. He considered trying to contact one of the faeries, but considering how he had gotten here, he chose to remain unnoticed. He walked deeper, toward the heart of the city.
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