I considered my options, which weren't many. I had nothing on me beyond the cloths on my back which, for some reason, had appeared with me in the Astral. I couldn't think of anything to do with a tee-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes, so I would have to get creative.

  I wanted to draw my playful assailant out, but I had no bait other than myself. That meant my best option might be to present an irresistible target. That could be dangerous however, if I was wrong about the nature of my playmate.

  I thought about pretending to be asleep, —that usually appealed to pranksters— but I had no way to guarantee that I would be able to catch whatever it was in the act. They could obviously fool my senses. Besides, it felt too obvious.

  I also considered doing some stretches. Bending over to touch your toes was a nearly irresistible target for a sneak attack, but it presented the same problems. Both ideas had a large chance of backfiring. I had one more idea however, that seemed reasonably safe. So I began talking, as if to myself.

  "These woods are really getting to me. I feel like I'm losing my mind. It's almost like that story from back home, about those two poor kids. Even thinking about it gives me the chills. If I remember right, their names were Mia and Noah...

  Seven-year-old Mia and nine-year-old Noah were camping with their grandfather in the woods. He hushed them as they sat by the crackling campfire. “No loud noises, you two. Absolutely no singing.”

  Noah frowned. “Grandpa, why not?” Their grandfather looked into the flames, his face etched with a seriousness the children rarely saw. “There’s something… ancient in these woods. It doesn't speak. At least, not in a way we understand. But it takes things—sounds, songs, even names. It tries to mimic them, but it always gets it wrong.”

  The children exchanged uneasy glances. They have questions, but neither of them is willing to speak. They sat quietly the rest of the evening.

  That night in their tent, a profound stillness settled over the forest. Not a leaf stirred. A silence so heavy it felt like the trees themselves were holding their breath. Mia, almost asleep, hummed a quiet lullaby her mother used to sing. Just a fragment. Her brother elbowed her to stop, silently reminding her of the story. They waited. Nothing."

  My voice grew softer as I spoke, trying to lure my listener closer.

  "Then, hours later, the same melody drifted back—but twisted and distorted. The notes were wrong, the rhythm broken. It wasn't a hum; it was something trying to hum. Noah sat bolt upright, his eyes wide. The sound came again, closer this time, not from the trees, but from around the tent. The soft crunch of undergrowth, something large and heavy moving. Then, a breath, close to the canvas.

  “Noooaaaah…” The voice mangled his name, stretching it like taffy. “Miiiaaaa…” The sound of her own name sent a shiver down Mia's spine. It was mere inches away. The voice wasn't angry, not a growl or a scream. It was… trying. Trying to be friendly, trying to sound human, and desperately failing. Noah trembled beside her, his face pale. The whisper repeated their names, a broken, forgotten song.

  Then, silence. They didn't sleep. They didn't speak. Their grandfather was already awake when dawn broke, his face drawn and tight. "Pack everything," he ordered. They obeyed without question. As they took down the tent, they saw the tracks—vast, deep impressions, not like any animal they knew. More like something had pressed down awkwardly, unsure of how to walk properly.

  Back in their town, their grandfather finally spoke. “It waits. It listens. For years, even decades. All it craves is a voice of its own. And once it takes yours… it never lets go.”

  Three nights later, Mia lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The house was silent. Then, a whisper on the wind— “Miiiaaa…” Soft. Choked. As if it had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for another chance.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, her heart pounding. Just the wind, she told herself. Just a dream.

  Then—tap. Tap. Tap. On her window. Right beside her head.

  "...Mia slowly turned to see what it was, and RAAHHH!"

  I turned suddenly with the last word, raising my hands with a shout.

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  "Eeep!" There was a high pitched squeak as something small and blue bolted away through the air at high speed. It crashed into a tree with an audible thump, before sliding to the ground dazed.

  I burst into laughter at the sight as the tension in me found an almost manic release. My laughter continued for several seconds, slowly turning into a chuckle. I couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder when I took in the sight of the small, blue creature that had been stalking me.

  It was a small winged lizard, about the size of a house cat. My first instinct was to call it a baby dragon. Her —I assumed it was a she from the sound of its laughter— iridescent blue scales shimmered in the dappled light of the forest. Her under belly, wings, and accents were varying shades of violet. She had swept back horns, ridged, and delicate, as well as a ridge that ran from her head to the tip of her tail. Her violet eyes were cautious as she regained her feet.

  Even on her draconic visage I could detect a pout as I continued to laugh. But then, reluctantly at first, then louder, her laughter joined my own. I felt a rush of relief that my plan had worked, and I couldn't suppress a smile as I took in her playful nature.

  "Well, hello there," I said, my voice gentle and curious. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. My name is Cai Masaru Ryuzaki, and it seems I owe you a thank you for providing some entertainment during my time here." I extended my hands out, palms up, hoping to convey a sense of peace and friendship.

  The small dragon eyed me warily for a moment, perhaps unsure if my friendly tone matched my intentions. At least I hoped that was what she was thinking. She could obviously understand my words, as she had been drawn into my story. However, that didn't mean she could understand my motives.

  "Come now," I coaxed, hoping she wouldn't hold a grudge, "We've shared in laughter now, surely that means we can be friends?"

  She eyed me a few moments more before nodding, seeming to come to a decision. To my astonishment, she was enveloped by a soft blue light as she slowly transformed.

  Her small dragon form shifted into that of a beautiful young woman, though she only stood about 18 cm tall, and retained her wings and horns. She had long ears like an elf, and there was something distinctly fey about her sharp features. She wore a subtly shifting blue dress, reminiscent of her scales. The dragon girl stood there, a delicate figure with deep blue hair and the same violet eyes, regarding me with a mix of curiosity and caution.

  "Right then," her voice was musical when she spoke, "we did have a good time, didn't we? My name's Aisling Manalán, a fairy dragon of the Feywilds. And quite a sight, wouldn't you agree?" She said with a smirk at my awed expression. She gave a curtsy, though her eyes still held caution. She spoke with a gentle Irish lilt that somehow fit her perfectly.

  I felt a spark of interest as I took in her humanoid form. Not a child than. If she were human, I'd put her in her late teens or early twenties. I offered her a charming smile, hoping to put her at ease. "It's a pleasure to meet you Aisling. I must say, as captivating as your other form was, you are even more lovely like this. Although, it's hard to say which is more distracting."

  She laughed and hopped into the air with a pirouette, floating before me at eye level, wings flapping gently. "Oh my, Cai, don't be gettin' yourself all distracted now! We wouldn't want you to take a tumble and ruin that rather handsome face, would we? Who'd have thought elves could be so terribly clumsy?"

  I affected an insulted expression, hand clutching imaginary pearls. "How could you?! I must say, I have no idea what you might be implying. I don't remember anything like that! At least I don't bump into innocent trees anyway. Besides, I'm not an elf, I'm a human."

  Whatever she was planning to say was lost when I spoke those last words, as she rushed forward to examine me more closely. All caution seemed forgotten as she landed on my shoulder and tugged at my ears and hair. She muttered to herself about strange times as she drifted in front of my face, placed a hand on each cheek, and tilted my head up to look more closely into me eyes. "So interestin'." she mumbled as I went cross eyed trying to follow her.

  I finally interrupted her when she flew down to examine my nostrils. Pulling away, I cleared my throat. "I take it you haven't seen many humans?" I asked, curious what she might know.

  "Nope, never! I've heard tales, you know, about the likes o' you, and the fun you can be to mess with. But truly, you're my first. And I have to say, the stories weren't lyin'. You are fun to mess with. It's a shame you're so rare, though. I've never heard o' one of you in the Feywilds before, and I've been around these parts a long time."

  There were a lot of things I wanted to ask about, but the most pressing was how to gat back. I might be able to exit the Astral from here, but I wasn't sure if there would be any repercussions. For example, what if I left an astral body here and it got damaged? There were simply too many unknowns for now.

  Thinking this, I decided to put my new friendship to its first test. "Hey Ash, I have a lot to ask about, and I imagine you do too. But I was hoping you could show me how to get back to where I came from. We can talk on the way?" My voice raised at the end to make it a request.

  Aisling, or Ash as I decided to call her, nodded her head. "Of course! I can do that. It only seems fair, considerin' it was my own fun that got you lost in the first place. The portal you came through is this way." So saying, she began to lead me through the woods. "That actually brings me to my first question," she continued "where did you come from? How did you get here? Will you be comin' back?"

  I laughed at her barrage of questions, holding up my hand to slow her down. "Let's take it one question at a time. And yes, I will come back. So we will have plenty of opportunities to satisfy both our curiosity." As we walked, I began to answer her questions.