The Waters Secret

The New King - Pt.1

Hank wandered through the market slowly watching as the streets cleared. He glanced over his shoulder at the moving trees following their king casually. Druids had been waiting for the resurgence of power. A connection so to speak.

Druids were all connected to each other like roots to a single tree. Feeding off one another to help each other heal or grow. The king or queen was to be the source of the connections. Hank always saw it as a pyramid of power. The king sat at the top, feeding his power downward.

Now however, he realized he was simply the gate for something above him. The king allowed the doors of that gate to open feeding the others waiting in line behind him. Without a king or queen, the gates would close leaving the druids to slowly lose their connections and fade.

Over time druids slowly became the plant life they were bonded to. It was their way of returning what they had borrowed. When the forest spoke to him, it was the many restless druids that had taken on the forms of their plants. Their eternal slumber. Or it was supposed to be.

Thanks to his acceptance to the throne, the druids were shaken awake. Which is why they lumbered about in their plantlike forms. Trees walked as the flowers rose up, pulling their roots from the earth.

Hank walked faster eager to explain things to his wife. He grunted when there was no straight path to Clovers house at the edge of the kingdoms heart. Why were the pathways forced to crisscross back and forth? No matter. As king he would address this mess and make it better. The first perk of being king. And probably the only one.

"I need to speak with my wife first. The rest of you can meet me at the castle." Hank demanded as he pulled the branches creating his own bridge. He was here to stay. The true king of Trayson. Whoopie, he thought miserably. There was a reason he forfeited the throne, why didn't Ivy take it?

Darn his little sister. He was going to have to have a heart to heart with her and explain things. Maybe take out her worthless husband while he was at it.

Murmuring from below made him look down as people stopped to stare at him as he passed over head. The trees were following beneath him as a single druid followed behind him. Hank turned to frown at him.

The stranger had regained most of his human appearance, purple blooms formed his hair as moss covered his nudity. He smelled faintly of lilacs as his green eyes focused on his work. He was pruning the twigs on his fingers glancing up when Hank paused.

"I said to meet me at the castle. Why are you following me?" Hank asked annoyed. This was the same druid who seemed a little too eager to kill the broken assassin. Korbin's blood still tainting his bark like skin.

"As you have probably realized by now, you are more than just a king to us. Without you we will cease to exist. So, I am just making sure you continue living since you seem to be a target for unwanted attention." He huffed as Hank sighed.

"Did you just use yourself as an example? What do I call this newest unwanted attention?" Hank grumbled waving at him. The druid frowned as his thin bark lips reminded Hank of Clair. He simply waved him off, turning back around. Clair was more important than some deaf pretty boy.

"My name is . I was born during the immigration over to the mother's forest." Deirmus grunted as Hank rolled his eyes.

"Great. Then you knew my father." Hank huffed moving forward leaving him to trail behind.

"Yes." Deirmus growled bitterly. Hank paused turning to face him, recognizing his tone of voice. Deirmus turned away from him, his pale bark creaking as it twisted. "I am not a fan of your father. But I won't let that prevent me from being a worthy bodyguard to the king." Deirmus assured him as Hank shrugged. Or rolled his shoulders, Deirmus wasn't sure which.