"Let's Live In A Tree"

The cave. Earth. "It's obviously not safe in here anymore."

Vulcan started, his back to the cold wall of the cave. There was this current send down his spines by the coziness. But on the contrary, it seemed like he was suspended in the air. Probably by some forces he had no literal definition for.

"We can still stay. No place is safe on earth. You make it safe. I could set fire around this place. Gnawing flames that would burn every now and then and scare away both spirits and human threats. I could also make this cave disappear. Twill only be visible to us alone. Or I could --"

"Thank you, Ayla. Let's give nature a say. Let's be practical."

Vulcan had shot at Ayla to quit the proposals, not because Prium was eating her up with a glare but because even he didn't want to have to always watch his back.

"You're a Nymph, it's quite easy for you to take as many risks as possible. You'd always find your way around it. But we ain't like you, so don't dress us in flowing gowns. We'll cut our coat according to our clothes."

Prium had been given a chance to make a stance and she hadn't done it without enflaming her guts, feeding her ego.

"Prium is right. We don't have the supernatural qualities you have. We can't do what you can do. We're mere mortals and must do things which are reasonable if we want to stay alive. Something believable with less risk."

Vulcan buttressed. Prium felt light at heart by that. But the expression of Ayla still gave her concerns. Ayla had her way, looking away from Prium to Vulcan,

"She's the only mortal here. You ain't a mortal, Vulcan. You're a demigod who's about to discover his hidden qualities. That you're yet to find them doesn't mean that you don't have them."

Vulcan stared for few seconds at Ayla. Though he knew that there was a sense in what the Nymph had said, but then he remembered his daughter. He supplanted his curious eyes on Prium. As expected, she was giving him the mean look. The what's-he-going-to-say-in-my-defense kinda look.

He sighed and returned his gaze to Ayla,

"Whatever I do must be in consideration of my daughter. If she's the only mortal, then we all should think ourselves as."

"Even though we are not?"

Ayla shot immediately, trying to help Vulcan realize what he was saying.

Vulcan thought for a millisecond and stake his claim,

"Yes, Ayla. And you shall do as instructed. Isn't that why you've been sent here?"

Ayla dropped her face. Her eyes keen on the floor of the cave. She seemed rather disappointed.

"Sorry, I don't mean it that way."

Vulcan pleaded as soon as he noticed her expression. But he was shocked when Ayla raised her head and chuckled. He was forced to look at Prium.

"It's your call, master. To do whatever you want with me. Even you can choose to use me as a sex slave. I don't mind."

Ayla said but Prium snapped at her,

"He doesn't need a sex slave, he has me."

Vulcan was shocked. He looked towards Prium,

"I have you?"

He questioned. He noticed that Prium was willing to take back what she had said if that was possible.

Prium didn't know what to say. But Vulcan was keen on knowing what was wrong. What he had been missing out on all along.

Ayla couldn't put up with the awkward silent moment, he offered to bail the two.

"What do you propose, master. Sooner or later we'll still have more of Miargos coming around."

Vulcan shot her a mean gaze. Like that was his substitute for the answer he didn't get.

"And you, don't call me master. Makes me restless. You know my name."

"Call me mistress."

Prium found her voice finally. Vulcan took a glance at her and looked back at Ayla.

"I don't get to serve you, Prium. I'm sent to serve your father!"

Ayla was emphatic about it, but she tried not raise her voice. Even a Nymph could be that mature.

"If she wants that, call her that. And in short, for her sake, call me master. If you must serve me, you must listen to her."

Vulcan explained, eating Ayla up with a stern stare. He wasn't sure what he was doing. He just only felt like he was indebted to his daughter. She had been good to him and that was the least he could do. Of course except she had been acting wierd lately. She could be clingy for all he cared but please, not in the sense he was afraid he was thinking.

"Alright, Master. Alright, mistress."

Ayla acknowledged slyly. Twas more of a scorn to Prium than respect compared to how she revered Vulcan.

Prium didn't know how to show her irritation without steering her father's attention. She let it be instead.

"I propose then that we live in a tree since the cave isn't a good option."

Ayla continued the discourse finally.

"A tree?"

Prium couldn't help but exclaim.

"A tree!"

Ayla affirmed. Ayla watched Prium look from her to her father.

"Aren't you gonna say a thing? She said we'll live in a tree. Never heard of that."

Vulcan smiled at that. He was sure that Prium was nothing pleased about his reaction. He didn't keep her waiting,

"Never being in a tree too, but giving it a try shouldn't be a millstone."

But Prium shot back immediately, trying to be logical,

"What if some guy came around to cut the tree down?"

Her eyes bruising Ayla's face.

"We would had had a better plan before then. Plus, I haven't seen trees cut down here."

Ayla explained. Vulcan didn't have a thing to say, obviously. He kept his gaze on Prium awaiting her decision. Prium didn't need to be told that her father was already in for the deal.

"Ok, fine. Making me feel like the bad egg."

Vulcan smiled as well as Ayla. Then Ayla said,

"Shall we?"

Her arms outstretched towards them. Vulcan picked the left and Prium the right. Though she hesitated.

Then they disappeared. They found themselves before a tree. Before the tree in which they would live?

"What now?"

Prium was in akimbo. You could tell from her expression that she was as jumpy as scared.

Ayla took two steps forward and placed her left palm on the bark of the tree. Then she began to chant. Started as a sequence of words then dwindled into mutter.

Suddenly, a door opened in the tree and she stepped in. She turned and called at them,

"Come along."

Prium threw her father a freaked-out gaze. He held unto her and she buried her boobs in his side as they both stepped into the tree.

The door of the tree closed behind them, but before them was thick darkness.

"Follow."

Ayla called and allowed herself to be gobbled by the gloom. Prium couldn't hesitate, Vulcan had pulled her along.

But well, she could scream.