Chapter 4 – Hi There Neighbour!

Re-Logic owns Terraria.

I only own my OC's

Jacob slammed the door in her face, and leaned against it with all of his weight. Andrew looked over in concern. "What? Who is it?"

Jacob didn't answer, instead preferring to slide down the door and catch his breath.

There was a banging sound on the other end of the door. "What the hell? Is that how you treat your neighbour? Open the damned door!"

The door in question, having received two conflicting orders, decided to yield to the scary lady outside. It swung off of its hinges and flew across the room along with Jacob.

The dryad stepped inside, green light emanating from her eyes. "Well then, next time maybe you won't slam the door in my face!"

Andrew's eyes bulged even wider than Jacob's. "You! What are you doing here?"

She eyed him with a malicious grin. "Well, I heard you had beaten the Embodiment of Presence. I simply wanted to come and... congratulate you."

Jacob sat up, having regained consciousness, and glared at her. "Awww, did we kill your pet? Next time, get a leash!"

The dryad looked at him, then back at Andrew. "You're kidding me. Please tell me he isn't the one who landed the killing blow."

Walter burst into the room, half-dressed and holding a shuriken in each hand. It would have been cool, except for his bunny-patterned boxers.

"Who? What? Where? What's going on?"

Andrew sighed. "Stand down Walter, I... know her."

Jacob's eyes decided to be part of the bulging contest. "WHAT?!"

The green lady chuckled. "Heh, you should have told me you lived with this bugger over here." She pointed at Andrew. "Maybe then I wouldn't have burned your house down."

Andrew sighed louder, before going to sit on one of the comfortable chairs around the table. "Yeah, we go back a fair while. How are you holding up, Alalia?"

She shrugged. "Meh. Could be worse."

Jacob shot to his feet. "Hang on, back up. I just have one teeny-tiny little itsy-bitsy question... HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW EACH OTHER?!"

Andrew grimaced, and glanced at Alalia. "Should I tell him or do you want to?

Alalia tilted her head. "He trusts you more. Can't imagine why."

"Alright, then..."

Andrew jumped up and down, squealing with joy. His mother watched over him with a content smile on her face. His dad was in the woods with an iron axe, chopping away at a tree.

"Daddy, why are you fighting that tree?"

He turned around and scratched his bushy beard. "Well Andrew, if I don't, the trees will take over our house!"

Andrew gasped. "But daddy, why are the trees taking over our house? Don't they have their own houses?"

His mother spoke. "This land is under the blessing of a dryad. That means crops will grow faster and animals will be attracted to here. Of course, that also means the weeds grow faster, and the trees are so strong they could rip our house out of the ground."

Andrew giggled. "Okay mummy!"

Andrew ran through the woods with tears in his eyes. He didn't know what happened. There was a knock on the door, his mum hustled him out the back and told him to run.

He was about seven, so he wasn't about to disobey his mother. He ran, and he ran, and he ran, into the woods, away from the house.

Brought back to reality by tripping over a tree root, he flopped on his face and started to bawl. He sobbed for about five minutes before he heard light footsteps to his left.

He looked over, and gasped. A woman covered in vines came out of a tree, bathed in green light.

She spoke. "Hello little one, what are you doing in my grove?"

Andrew looked around. Due to his tumble, he hadn't realized he had landed at the edge of a beautiful clearing. The grass was the most vibrant green he had ever seen, and all sorts of animals – deer, bunnies, dogs – flocked in by the dozens.

He looked back at the strange lady. "My... my mummy told me to run and, and..."

He started to cry again. The woman in green picked him up and stroked his head. "Well, how about we see how your parents are doing, okay?"

Andrew could do nothing but nod. "What's your name, little one?"

"A - Andrew.

She nodded. "My name's Alalia. Let's go."

They walked through the forest for about ten minutes, Alalia pointing out all the different foliage. "That's moonglow. It only blooms at night. Look, there's some daybloom. I bet you can guess when it blooms!"

Andrew giggled. "In the day?"

Alalia made an approving sound. "Right!"

When they got to the house, they found it with a couple of holes in the wall. They entered through the back door, and Alalia called out.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

Andrew joined in, calling for his parents.

"Mummy? Daddy? Where are you?"

"Andrew? Is that you?"

"Mummy!"

She emerged from a door just down the hall. "Oh, you're safe! Who's that you brought with you?"

Alalia spoke with a soothing tone. "My name's Alalia. Nice to meet you!"

Andrew's mum rushed towards them and hugged her with an intense grip. "Oh, thank you for keeping my boy safe!"

Alalia nodded. "No problem. He wandered into my grove and basically collapsed into tears."

Mum sighed. "Well, come along. I'd best make you some tea."

Andrew pressed his ear into the door. He heard Alalia and Mum talking on the other side.

"…Not sure if he'll pull through... I don't know what I'd do if he... he..."

A sob came from the room. He heard Alalia's voice.

"What happened?"

"There were pirates... he managed to fend them off, but he got cut badly during the fight..."

"Hmph. Pirates. Useless bands of scum."

His mum spoke again. "It... it's not safe here! You have to take Andrew with you! Please!"

"Take him with me? I don't know, the forest isn't much safer..."

"Please! Anywhere is safer than here! I..."

A pause.

"I don't want anything to happen to my little boy."

Hai again! Sorry for the shorter chappie, couldn't really be half-assed to write more :P

Me: Now, by the power invested in me by Alalia -

Alalia: So you're stealing my power now? *eyes start glowing green*

Me: Haha, no badassery for... you... *notices green eyes*

1 review = 1 prayer for Jally ;-;