Time
He guided his steps slowly over the white gravel path. Even if he was here of his own free will, he did not long for the meeting that was to come. The dryad, who led him through the chaos of the garden, turned to him for a brief moment to see if he was keeping up with her. A confident smile on his side made her immediately avert her gaze. He could still see her cheek turning slightly yellow. Dryads were lovely creatures, but it wouldn't help if he would charm her.
They turned right at an intersection and soon the plants around them began to change. Where lush green trees and flowers had just stood in full splendor, the colors changed to radiant red and orange. Trees and bushes lined the way, whereby leaves fell from the trees again and again without these ever becoming bare. Only a few meters further the forest opened up and gave a view of a shimmering turquoise lake in the middle of the red sea. White gravel lined the banks and white stones rose from the water. In the midst of it all, stood Alyria. Her hair as flawlessly white as that of the stones and her skin covered with a white-bluish sheen. Her head was adorned with a crown of ice crystals that did not follow any order. Even her ice blue dress seemed to be made of ice crystals that glittered in the bright light of the sun.
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