Gladesbale Grove Book 1 - Chapters 36,37,38,39,40 (Patreon)

Chapter 36

Monsters

Rud woke to the sound of rain pattering outside of his mushroom house. He pulled his cloak tightly around himself and rushed to the longhouse for breakfast. Before he entered the building, he could smell something cooking. Upon entering, he saw Mint, Dean, and Sarya curled around the fire. Taz was stirring something in a massive pot, which had been hung above the permanent fire.

“Is that soup?” Rud asked, letting out a contented sigh.

“I worked all night on it,” Taz proclaimed, dipping a bowl into the mixture and holding it out for Rud to take.

The druid took the bowl, finding a seat near the fire to warm up. He looked above, finding that the roof he had constructed for the chimney was working perfectly. No rain found its way through, allowing the fire to burn as hot as ever. Once he downed his first bowl of soup, Rud drew his cloak tightly around himself and headed out, promising to return. He teleported to his village, finding a light on in one house.

Rud knocked on the door, listening to the clatter of surprise within. A mortal opened the door a crack, going ashen white when they spotted the spirit. The signs he had placed needed to be amended, including the location of the longhouse.

“Hello. If you head down this road, you’ll find a big old treehouse. We’re serving soup if you want some,” Rud said.

The human woman stared back at him, blinking as her mouth hung open. A few moments later, she slammed the door in his face. Rud took no offense and headed off to fix his signs. He checked his mail at his mailbox, finding that his report had been picked up. And there was a scatter of fragments left behind. He put those in his bag before amending his sign near the start of the road. The druid updated each sign between the entrance and the first village, along with those going west to east.

When Rud finally returned to the longhouse, he was soaked beyond what he expected. The mortals were sitting awkwardly around the fire, listening to stories of mountain homes told by Taz. He grabbed another bowl, sitting in and listening to those old tales. The things the dwarf said seemed too outlandish to be real, but the mortals were enraptured.

“Yay fire,” Sarya said, yawning and stretching.

“No kidding,” Rud said, slurping on his third bowl of soup. “And we have company.”

“I don’t care for the company of mortals,” Dean growled.

Rud watched as Taz stoked the fire, adding more branches and Fairy Peat. It was surprising to see the dwarf’s master of the peat. It must have been obvious enough that he knew what to do with it. Shredding it into small pieces and placing it on a fire made sense. Even a piece no larger than a grain of rice would burn for some time. And with more intensity than should have been possible. The druid was just happy he put up the peat he was drying before the rain got here.

With such foul weather, the mortals seemed reluctant to leave. But their leaders spurred them into motion. After a few more bowls of soup, of course. Even the meat harvested in or near the grove had properties that would fortify a mortal’s body. Rud forgot about that often, as he took advantage of the delicious food daily. Before the group left, he gave them each a pot of his fancy tea. The weather didn’t seem so bad in the eyes of the mortals, giving them the strength to press on through the storm.

“How long is this rain going to keep going?” Taz asked. “I guess I’m just lucky to have cut out drains in my new section of the mine.”

“Oh. I didn’t even think about that,” Rud said. “But the rain is only here for a day or two.”

“It can stay for a week,” Sarya said, yawning and rolling on her back. “Someone scratch my belly. Woof.”

Taz took up the task, giving the wolf a good scratching. Since his hands were like sandpaper, she enjoyed it greatly.

The conversation shifted to Ban’s attempt at ranking up. Rank 1 meant more than just a new realm of power. She also could pick a new upgrade once she woke up. Thicket Travel was already awesome, and Rud couldn’t wait to see what she would get next. Anything that made life in the grove easier was fine by him. While the others needed the fire to feel comfortable, the druid was happy to exploit the powers of his cloak. He shuffled off from the longhouse, feeling those brave thoughts fall away as he passed through one set of double-doors.

The weather was foul, and the wind was more biting than he ever remembered. Rud headed to his tower to make his daily notes, shivering part-way through. Once he was out of the wind it was fine, but the top of the tower wasn’t much better. He wrapped himself in his cloak and observed the surrounding area.

“That’s not good,” Rud said, chewing on a nail idly.

Within the range of his tower, he had spotted three active dungeons. There was a fourth that had done little since he started watching. Perhaps the rain was enough to stir it to life. It wasn’t uncommon to see five or six monsters lingering outside of a dungeon. The druid wrote his notes down, observing at least twenty monsters moving from each dungeon. He was unsurprised to see the ones heading to the east, but the group from the fourth dungeon was heading north. Toward the grove.

That confirmed a theory he had about the monsters and the dungeons understanding that the grove was protected. With Ban out for her rank-up, they must have sensed there was an opening. The force heading to Barlgore had about eighty monsters. It looked like a procession of forest creatures marching through the underbrush. Rud made notes of their locations and speed. The worst of it was that they were outside of the grove. Which meant Mint couldn’t use her position as the guardian to sense their movements.

Rud descended the stairs of his tower, not bothering to check the weather report. He passed through a bush then into the longhouse. “Monsters,” he squeaked, slamming a crudely drawn map on a table.

Mint yawned, standing to assume her human form and approaching the map. “Really? She asked, scratching her head. “So soon?”

Rud explained what he had seen in his tower. Mint seemed less disturbed by the information than the druid expected. She departed from the longhouse, trying to take Dean with her. But he held the wolf back, intending to deliver a warning to Barlgore himself.

“That’s fine,” Mint said. “Sarya is getting better by the day.”

And they were off. Dean snorted and growled, seeming to view the weather outside with the same disdain as everyone else. “The southern trail will be filled with monsters,” the wolf explained.

Taz looked up from his soup. When he locked eyes with Rud and Dean he looked away as though the act of making eye-contact would volunteer him for the task. He busied himself with the fire, concerned without reason that it would go out.

“Are the mortals worth it?” Dean asked. He growled, sighed, and nodded. “Of course. I’ll prepare to depart.”

Since they were heading to Barlgore, Rud loaded his bag up with tea and ingots. He layered the metal bars at the bottom, placing them two-deep before adding the tea. There were also saddlebags on Dean’s new saddle, giving him a bit more space. With the map and information he had recorded tucked safely in his backpack, the druid saddled his wolf and departed.

“We’re taking it easy,” Dean said, his voice barely carrying over the rush of wind and clash of rain. “I don’t like the look of the lake.”

Rud couldn’t see anything around them, let alone the lake. It took every bit of his concentration to hold onto the horn and keep his cloak wrapped around him. Water still trickled through, dripping down his neck and soaking his tunic, doubling the effects of the icy wind. Despite Dean’s claims of taking it slow, he darted over the landscape with ease. He jumped from cliffs, zipping around trees as though they weren’t there. It only appeared as a flash, but the druid caught sight of that abandoned village. It stood like a dead sentinel in the rain's haze.

The trip was agonizing, but it passed without incident. Rud was shocked to see the gates of the town still open. The guards were bundled under oiled cloth cloaks, pinching them tight in the front as they looked out over the approach. Dean dashed through town, finding it easier to move without folks out on the street. The wolf recalled where Lord Feather was last time and ran there without diverting. Rud dismounted, watching as his companion found a dry place to rest and wait. A few knocks later and the door swung open.

The lord of Barlgore was dressed in an oiled cloth poncho. What parts of his clothes were visible underneath were soaked with rain. The edge of his wide-brimmed hat dripped with water. “What an unexpected surprise. Come in.”

Rud bowed his head, pushing in to find the cramped sitting area filled with people. He paused and waited for someone to say something.

Feather cleared his throat. “This storm has us battered. We’re expecting flooding from the lake, so I’ve assembled a council. It must have been urgent for you to come all this way in this weather, spirit.”

Rud froze for a moment, all eyes in the room staring at him. “Monsterscomingfromtheeastthoughtyououttaknow.” He blurted the statement out as one long word, eliminating any pauses between sounds.

“Excuse me?” Feather asked. But Rud could tell he got the message. He just didn’t want to believe it.

“Monster coming from the east. I thought you should know.”

A murmur spread through the assembled council, concerns rising to the top. Feather got the group in line, but it took a bit.

“Slowly, Rud. I need to know what we’re facing.”

Rud handed his notes over and explained what he had seen. He didn’t leave out details, including the part where monsters were heading to the grove as well. The mortals had no early warning system. They didn’t send scouts to view the area and had no farseers amongst them. By the day, the mortals seemed unprepared to tame such a savage land. Perhaps this is why the ruins near the lake existed. At least the dwarves had the good sense to leave the area, heading north for the mountains.

Feather turned to his council. They shot ideas around the group, not seeming to reach a consensus. The leader of the town turned to Rud with a smile, nodding before vanishing into a back room. He returned with five crystal fragments, handing them over as payment for the information.

“You’ll just trust his word?” one grumpy human man asked.

“Naturally,” Feather said, turning for only a moment to glare at the man. “Time to prepare is worth any cost.”

“Oh,” Rud said, withdrawing a few pots of tea from his magical bag. “Take a few of these.”

The council perked up upon seeing the clay pots of tea. Feather gave them a sly grin and bid farewell to Rud. The druid headed out. Despite the rain, businesses that had dedicated buildings were still open. He found the nearest blacksmith and tried to sell his enchanted bars. They didn’t know what they were looking at, so they refused to pay anything close to a reasonable price. The tea was easy to offload, though. Rud went to three different shops that sold stuff adjacent to tea—such as reagents, tonics, and so on—before finding a woman interested in the lot. He made enough mortal money to exchange for twenty fragments, although they were of questionable quality.

Rud had to search for a place that would buy his enchanted ingots. He poked around with Dean following close behind. One shop that sold magical items pointed him in the direction of a tower in the town’s center. It dominated the area, built on a raised mound of earth and poking into the foggy sky. The tower bore a powerful base, wider than it should have been. It got thinner near the middle and even through the haze the windows were flooded with light. The roof was slanted and made of wood shingles, like most everywhere else in town.

“Looks like a place where a wizard would live. Right, Dean?”

“I don’t care for wizards.”

Rud had trouble working the front gate of the area, as it was bordered by a stone wall with a thick iron gate. He crawled under it and Dean jumped over it. A few knocks on the door later and a scared-looking beastfolk answered the door. They were smaller than Rud, having the appearance of a rabbit person. One shriek later, the woman slammed the door in his face.

“People are doing that often enough for me to be concerned,” Rud said, turning to Dean. “Should I be concerned?”

“I think she was screaming at me.”

Rud waited a while, leaning against the wall to stay out of the rain as much as possible. Dean stood as a stoic guardian, unblinking in the rain. The door creaked open again. The druid expected to get zapped by something but softened when he saw a familiar face. The brown-haired elf with sleepy eyes stared out at him, a faint smile lingering on her face.

“Oh! Elmera,” Rud said, waving up at the woman. “I was looking for a wizard. Didn’t expect to find the wizard.”

“Come in. You must be cold,” Elmera said, her voice flat.

Rud followed her inside, but Dean remained where he was. The druid was hit by a wave of heat, then a sensation as though he was being blasted with a twenty-foot hair dryer. His hair poofed out feeling uncomfortably static-y. Only after searching the area did he realize that Elmera had cast some spell. He poked his head out the door, stifling a laugh as he looked upon Dean’s poofy fur. The wolf did not look amused.

“What can I help you with?” Elmera asked.

Rud withdrew the last pot of tea from his bag. He wanted to butter up whatever wizard he found, but pretended as though it was a gift for her. “I have some new ingots to show you.”

The scared rabbit-folk stood in the corner, fidgeting with her robes. Elmera took the tea and raised an eyebrow. “A new one?”

“Yep. It looks the same, but if you inspect the description…” Rud placed the bar on the table. “It has a bonus aspect.”

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Elmera inspected the bar. She probed it with magical test. Dancing lights shot into the bar, fluttering in the air only to die on the ground. A look of approval spread across the wizard’s face. The more tests she ran, the happier she seemed.

“I can’t afford these,” she said.

“Well, just buy what you can. I need to stockpile fragments.”

“Why?”

“Secret grove stuff. Wizards should be good at keeping secrets, right? Like the reason why you own a giant tower. Or that bunny-girl over there.” Rud leaned over, pointing at the beastfolk girl. She scattered, heading upstairs.

Elmera seemed unconcerned. She entered the negotiation phase that most mortals did. This was Rud’s least favorite part when dealing with them. They wanted a good deal, but he just wanted to get his fragments and get out of there. The clock was ticking on the monsters, and Rud and Dean needed to be back in the grove as soon as possible. They had likely already overstayed their welcome. While they settled on a price, the elf couldn’t afford every bar.

“Take the rest,” Rud said, appreciating how light his pack felt. Although it was stuffed to the brim with nearly thirty-five fragments, it weighed far less than when it had the bars.

“Rud,” Elmera said as he was leaving. “Come back soon. I’ll have something to show for my research.”

Rud gave her the thumbs-up before leaving.

“She seems nice,” Dean said, allowing Rud to enter the saddle. “Can we please get out of this rain.”

“Yeah, let’s get back to the longhouse. I’m going to jump in that pot of stew to warm up.”

“Hmmmm. Rud soup. Sounds delicious.”

“Let’s not repeat what happened when we met,” Rud said, pulling nervously at his tail.

“Come on, Dean. Show us the meaning of… going real fast!” Rud shouted.

Chapter 37

Channel Twenty-Eight

It took Rud a while to warm up in the longhouse. Dean had to leave, intent on joining with Mint and Sarya to fight against the monsters. That left Rud and Taz alone to defend the tree. Which they did by keeping the door cracked in the longhouse, poking their heads out every quarter-hour. The dwarf had a shovel and the druid had his staff. Not that either of them had combat abilities. The best they could do was wave their weapons menacingly and shout obscenities.

“Come look at this,” Taz said from the door.

Rud shuffled over, feeling the warmth of the fire fade as he drew closer to the doors. After just having shaken off the biting cold, the last thing he wanted to do was endure it yet again. But the sight outside was confusing at first. The rain had slowed its descent to the ground. It had turned from driving ran with fat raindrops to a wintery mix, depositing slush into the grove.

“My tower didn’t predict snow.”

“The seasons are shifting. I think,” Taz said. “I was born underground. Don’t have experience with such unfavorable weather.”

Rud counted the days on his fingers, piecing together how much time he had spent in this new world. He couldn’t remember every single day that had passed, but recalled most of them. A month had passed since he arrived. Thirty-something days. If this world followed the same scheme as Earth, they were entering autumn. As if the constant cold wasn’t bad enough, did the grove have icy weather to look forward to? Rud couldn’t help but think about how that would change the plants and animals.

“I hope my tea survives,” the druid said. But he found himself driven away from the entrance instead of drawn toward it. His body moved him to the fire, where he sat to rest. “I don’t even want to go back to the mushroom house.”

“The cold is bracing!” Taz shouted. “Reminds me of the deep mines.”

Rud’s ride in the rain had brought his body temperature down. But as he warmed up by the fire, his concerns drifted away from himself. There were several adventuring groups within the grove. If they got caught out before finding somewhere to stay, they might be in trouble. It wasn’t the custodian’s job to keep them safe, but he felt as though it was his personal responsibility.

“I’ll be back,” Rud said, dragging himself away from the fire.

Despite what Taz had said about the cold, he wasn’t volunteering to head out. The druid left alone, feeling the slush squash underfoot. He shivered as the cold wet ground soaked into his feet. He found the nearest ice-covered bush and passed through it, arriving at the tower and darting in before more frigid rain could find its way into his cloak. He accepted the Aspect of Bent and started his search.

Mint, Sarya, and Dean were battling away to the south. He watched them for a moment, studying the way their energy interacted with that of the monsters. Flashes of red and blue filled his sight. The wolves almost seemed to toy with the monsters, enjoying what little time they had to engage such a large group. Rud shifted his attention away, scanning for any lost mortals. They were highlighted in his vision with pale silver in most places, but others were variations that were stained with other hues. There were five teams in the grove, all headed westward.

“I don’t remember there being that many…”

One group had pressed on past the Sacred Tree. They trudged over the road, arms wrapped tightly around themselves. While he didn’t remember seeing them enter the area, they would get themselves killed if they didn’t stop to rest. At the least, those people would be uncomfortable for the duration of the storm. And the Farseeing skill was confident the storm would persist for a while. Down the stairs and through a bush, Rud appeared as close to the group as he could get.

“Hey! You guys need to get somewhere safe!”

The group turned, weapons already drawn. “Which road is this?” one shouted.

Rud looked up and down the road. The Sacred Tree’s clearing was still within sight. If the tree was behind them, they were headed west. The druid considered the idea that this storm was more magical than he expected, screwing with the mortal’s senses. He trudged over the slippery road, steadying himself with his staff.

“This way,” Rud said, beckoning the group forward. Two of the four hesitated, but fell into line before long. They passed the Sacred Tree and the druid noticed someone leaving a sack near the base. He wouldn’t deny more offerings.

“Just stay in here,” Rud said, shoving his full weight against the double doors. They groaned open, revealing the interior of the longhouse. Heat flooded out and Taz complained about the cold.

“Thank you, spirit,” an adventurer said. But the other three had already dashed over to the fire.

Rud pulled the doors closed for now, warming himself by the fire. The adventurers shared tales of getting turned around. The druid had them promise to spread the word about storms while within the grove. If rain threatened, they needed to find shelter or they would get lost. As the group had been turned around on a road that only went two ways, they agreed to share the information.

When Rud peered through the crack of the double doors, he saw that the rain had intensified. The sky was darker, casting the forest below in a renewed darkness. No snow stuck to the ground, only a constant slush that congealed into frigid puddles. It didn’t melt and the top portions of deep puddles were slick with thin ice. The puddles crunched underfoot as the druid braved the cold again. One last check of the tower before he settled down in the longhouse for about twenty years.

Rud scanned the road first, allowing the Aspect of Bent to zoom his sight in. There were places he couldn’t get line-of-sight on, forcing him to swap to the top-down view. At least he could move it around, tracing a path over the long road. After that, he searched the areas near the road for signs of lost mortals. When he was satisfied that all the teams were accounted for, he returned to the comfortable fire. Before heading to the longhouse, he snatched the sack of offerings to search through.

“Woah,” Rud said, settling in by the fire. “Which one of you is Mister Moneybags?”

A shy-looking human woman raised her hand, blush spreading across her cheeks. The color was intensified by the glow of the fire, and perhaps the heat within the building. The other mortals had spread the word, just as Rud had wished. Five Dungeon Core Fragments clattered at the bottom of the sack. Those fragments would allow him to upgrade another building. While that was great, they seemed almost impossible to get more of. The druid expected more fragments from the dungeon Oak was running, but there was an inevitable course set by Ban. She would create more buildings, which would require more dungeon core fragments.

Ban had mentioned a way to do the same job with monster cores, but hadn’t elaborated on how that worked. Rud would take the things the mortals left for now. But he needed to decide on which building to use the fragments. Since he had been busting his butt to keep everything running, he wanted to use them on something that would make his life easier. The Energy Node expansion was the sensible option. But the Observatory was the cool option. And the usefulness of the Observatory was undeniable. The shivering adventurers warming themselves by the fire was evidence enough of that.

Mint had enough foresight to place a pile of old bedrolls inside the longhouse. Those bedrolls came with a pile of junk that no one would find useful, but that’s how she worked. Taz made sure everyone got enough soup before retrieving a roll and positioning it by the fire. Rud did the same, allowing his bedroll to warm before he got inside. Sleep came easier than ever with the sound of rain pattering outside and a fire warming his back.

###

The storm had only gotten worse the next morning. Taz had already left to do something in the mine by the time Rud woke. The intensifying cold made it harder to wake up, and there seemed no better place to be than within that bedroll. Only the sounds of the adventurers getting food for themselves brought him out of his slumber. After a bowl of scalding soup, he felt ready enough to face the cold.

Rud teleported to the tower, grumbling as the rain fell against his cloak. Slush squashed under his feet, the cold biting into his toes. He kept forgetting to look into a pair of shoes. He ascended the tower, settling in at the top to scan the grove. At least the other adventuring teams had enough sense to stay where they were.

The Dungeon Core Fragments spilled out onto the floor as Rud considered his options. This was the direction he wanted to go in. With an impressive stockpile of crystals he could afford to burn through, this was where he wanted to put his efforts.

“This place is just too useful,” Rud said, holding one fragment and pressing it into the building. Allowing the items to touch the building wasn’t good enough. He needed to put them inside with intent. The building was happy enough to suck the items up after that, pulsing with power each time it absorbed a fragment.

Five Dungeon Core Fragments later, and the building was ready for an upgrade. Rud sorted through the ones that sucked, narrowing his selections over the course of a quarter-hour. Like his skills, some upgrades were questionable or completely cosmetic. He didn’t need the building to glow in the dark, and was unsure why anyone would ever pick such an upgrade. From the pile, he narrowed his selection to two.

[Scanning Pulse]

Observatory Upgrade

Description:

Just a quick scan of the area…

Effect:

Once per day (resetting at midnight), you may send a scanning pulse out from the observatory. This pulse will reveal resources, energies, etc. The range of this effect depends on the level and rank of this building.

This upgrade was interesting. He assumed the tower collected information and his Farseeing skill processed it. Having access to more information was always better. This might have been the upgrade he went with in the future, but the other one was tempting. He inspected the second choice he had selected.

[Communication System]

Observatory Upgrade

Description

Information is key to many things. A watcher must sometimes intervene with that information.

Effect:

Twice per day (both charges resetting at midnight) you may broadcast a spoken message to a local area within your viewable range.

Creates a two-way communication system with other allied Observatories.

Communication System would cover a problem he experienced just the day before. But the thing that interested him most was the second effect on the upgrade. His mind went back to Basil’s grove and the information that spirit had provided. Rud was figuring out things well enough on his own, but to have another guardian to talk to would be amazing. As he considered the implications, he realized he would be talking to another custodian. Not a guardian. After some internal debate, he went with Communication System for now. If it wasn’t as good as he expected, he would find a way to upgrade the building again and take the Scanning Pulse upgrade.

Rud pitched to one side as the tower rumbled underneath him. A table and chair appeared out of nowhere and a sheen of glass-like material covered the open-air window section of the tower’s top. A small metal box with dials, numbers, and a handheld microphone appeared on the table.

“Is that… A radio?”

Both the table and chair were sized perfectly for him. Rud scooted the chair over and sat down. The metal box was a radio. Attached to the front with a silver connector was the microphone. A curly cord stretched between the port and the handheld microphone. The druid blinked, mouth opening and closing like a beached fish. He had seen older guys with CB radios back in the day. The hobby had fallen out of favor in modern times, but he recognized all the buttons. He turned the volume knob until it clicked. The small screen lit up, displaying that he was on channel 1. Faint static played back through the speaker.

“This is the weirdest thing I’ve seen yet. And I talk to wolves,” Rud muttered.

The clash of technology against the fantasy backdrop was overwhelming. Once his senses were back, he picked up the microphone and held it close to his mouth.

He depressed the button, silencing the static. “This is Gladesbale tower… uh… Hello?”

He released the button, gaining static in return. Rud blew out a breath and shook his head. “What am I doing?” Although he asked himself the question, he cycled to the next channel and tried again.

Rud fell into a groove cycling through the channels. The intensity of the static increased near channel 20, and intensified until he got to channel 28. The druid depressed the button again, sighing and expecting nothing to happen.

“This is Gladesbale tower. Is anyone there?”

Rud waited for a few breaths, his finger hovering over the button to increase the channel. The radio crackled to life as a squeaky voice came in.

“I’m reading you, Gladesbale tower. This is Hagsrise tower.”

Rud made a surprised face, looking around for anyone to explain what was going on. Static played over the radio for long moments until the woman’s voice came back.

“This isn’t a real radio. Just some magic meant to seem like a radio… You still there, Gladesbale?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m here,” Rud said, clutching the microphone. “Just confused.”

“Aren’t we all? Good to hear another voice on this thing, though.”

“What do you mean?” Rud asked. He found himself leaning in over the table, staring at the number on his receiver.

“The other groves don’t have an Observatory. You’re the first, Gladesbale.”

“You’re a custodian, right?” Rud asked. A question lingered in his mind that he couldn’t help but asking. He needed to know if Jim was right about the other custodians. “Are you from Earth?”

“Yup. Hollywood. Got hit by a bus and some worm dragged me through reality.”

“Gug?”

“The very same. God this is nice. I haven’t talked to another custodian in… Well, a long time.”

Rud let the sound of static wash over him. Talking to another custodian was euphoric. Ban and Mint were nice, but they never understood him. They expected him to not only do his job, but figure out what his job was. And this lady seemed eager to chat. The druid licked his lips, formulating an approach to the conversation.

“Still there, Gladesbale?”

“Yeah, I’m here. Just trying to get my head straight.”

“Let’s start small. Where are you from?”

“I was living in Miami when I died. Heart attack.”

“Hollywood. Killed by a bus, as I said.”

“California, huh?” Rud asked, leaning in further. He felt himself being drawn into the radio.

Hagsrise laughed over the radio. “Florida, actually. So, you’re the newest custodian, huh? Been twenty years since Bent managed to make a successful grove. How are you guys doing?”

Rud paused for only a moment before pouring everything out in one unbroken statement. When he was done spewing everything that had happened since he arrived, he realized his thumb was sore from keeping the button depressed for so long. Static came back over the radio for an equal amount of time. Long enough to think that Hagsrise had dropped off the channel because he was being so annoying.

“You there?”

“Yeah. That’s a lot to take in, Gladesbale. I don’t think the other custodians started with such an interesting class combination.”

“That’s what Jim said…”

“You already did your first exchange? Fancy man over here. I guess that’s what happens when you have a sapient tree.”

The next pause that came was more awkward than the last. Hagsrise came back on the radio first, spilling her own story. Perhaps she felt strange after listening to him pour his feelings and felt the need to do the same. Like him, she had arrived confused and in a new body. While her body was different from her original body, she seemed happy enough with it. Gug wasn’t a talker, and she didn’t have a tree to share her thoughts with. Worst of all, their grove was underground. She didn’t see another soul for a year, and the Sacred Beasts that were attracted to the grove weren’t talkers. Twenty-five years of isolation. But she gained companions over time. Mostly dwarves.

“Good to know we’re both dwarf enjoyers.”

“So you’ve been down there for twenty-five years. Wait, what year did you get transported over here?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Wait… 2028? Or…”

“Yup. How about you?”

Rud drummed his fingers on the table. Time didn’t mean a thing to the spirits or the gods. “2010.”

“Oh, wild. Wait, I’m from the future! I can’t believe you missed out on flying cars and robot servants.”

“Really?”

“No. Things weren’t going so well when I left.”

Hours rolled by as Rud chatted with another Earthling. This was a lifeline he didn’t know he needed, but it bolstered his spirits beyond anything he could have imagined. 

“Ah, dang. I need to sign off, Gladesbale. I came to do my report when your voice came crackling through. Come visit me at the same time tomorrow, alright? There’s a group of fungus-people that are fighting with a group of plant-people. God, it never ends.”

Rud signed off for the day, falling back in his chair. He blew out a heavy breath, shaking away the disorientation. “That was awesome.”

Chapter 38

A Present from the Mortals

“I don’t know and don’t care what a radio is,” Taz grunted, his pick slamming against the hard stone wall.

Rud had tried to tell Taz the importance of having the number of another grove, but the dwarf was apathetic. No matter how many times the druid swung his pick, he wouldn’t relent. The only thing he was interested in was an underground grove populated by dwarves. Rud had to admit it was interesting, but found himself drawn more to the operator of the Hagsrise radio. 

“Well, I think it’s cool,” Rud said, putting his back into the next strike.

Rud had whittled away at the day, taking care of minor things. There wasn’t much to do as long as the rain was still falling. The mortals were where they had to be, Oak’s team hadn’t returned, and Mint’s squad was finishing up with the monsters. The only thing he could do in the horrible weather was to work the mine. Taz’s foresight to the mine’s flooding problems was impressive, though.

The entrance to the mine was positioned in a way that allowed water to wash inside. Clever as he was, the dwarf had sloped all approaches, funneling the water to specific spots. It trickled through the area where Taz slept, cascading down the stairs to the exploratory tunnels. The dwarf had cut tunnels out to drain the water, pushing those passages into the dirt where it soaked in. While there was minor flooding, it was nothing that would cause a problem.

“You learned how to construct mines back home?” Rud asked, finally willing to shift the conversation away from himself.

Taz inspected a new seam he had discovered. The dwarf was obsessed with finding more gems. “That’s right. Worked a mine most of my life. Never had the honor of directing one, but I picked up a few things. When is this rain letting up, anyway?”

“The tower says it won’t stop for at least another day.”

Taz grumbled. “I might have sloped these tunnels right, but given enough rain… I might get flooded out anyway.”

Rud didn’t see that happening soon, but would trust the assessment of a dwarf. The idea of ice heaves brought the dangers of the mine into focus. Metal reinforcements couldn’t come soon enough, but the druid didn’t know if that would help. Perhaps there was another way to accomplish this. The druid found that Taz wasn’t so receptive today, so he finished up with what he could do in the mine. The dwarf didn’t want to push too far with his planned tunnels and wanted to explore the vein he had struck.

The wolf gang had finished with their various battles by the time Rud returned to the longhouse. He watched as the mortals sat far from the fire, keeping as much distance between themselves and the guardians of the grove. Mint was sprawled out in her wolf form, drying her fur by the fire. Sarya was doing much the same. But Dean sat upright, glowering towards the door.

“What’s up, Dean?” Rud asked, warming himself by the fire. The heat spread through his fingers, scouring away some of the cold. Combined with the rain, the cold seeped deep into his bones.

“We took care of the monsters,” Dean responded. “But we’re uncertain if we got them all.”

“I didn’t see them with my tower. I’ll sniff around tomorrow.”

“Your nose is too weak to smell for the monsters. Use your tower instead.”

Rud pat Dean on the head. “Good idea.”

With the grove in a standstill thanks to the weather, Rud found a comfy spot by the fire. He maintained the fire until the sun faded outside. It was already dark enough with the rain, but the night that set in outside the longhouse was beyond gloomy. The druid cranked the magical lanterns in the building while everyone came in for dinner, including Taz. The dwarf took over the fire, ensuring everyone was comfortable.

The skittish adventurers drew in on themselves as everyone else fell asleep. Rud snuggled into his bedroll near the fire, drifting off with ease.

###

The rain had let up more than Rud could have hoped the next morning. He wasn’t happy about it, but the adventurers departed before he could protest. The wolves had already left to scout for more monsters. They seemed unconcerned about the mortals and their struggle against the oncoming monsters. But taking the world into his protection would have been impossible. He warned them so that was good enough.

Ban was still asleep. Rud checked on her, topping her energy levels off as she achieved her new rank. Unlike the times when she went to sleep to create an expansion, her ranking rest was strange. Less energy was taken from her reserves than he expected and a constant stream of power flowed out of her. The druid’s magical abilities weren’t good enough to figure out what kind of energy that was, but it didn’t feel bad.

The tea plants were doing fine. They didn’t care about the constant rain or the ice that came with it. He plucked more leaves from them, taking the armful back to his drying house. Once the fire inside that building was going strong, he organized what tea had dried. While he felt his Plant Care skill twitch in response to the care he gave his plants, it didn’t level up. Packaging that tea was still the hardest part but pottery could wait for later. He was content with the amount of tea he had on hand, both for personal use and to sell.

There might have been value in applying enchanted water to plants while it was raining, but Rud viewed it as a waste. He found the nearest bush and headed off to his tower to make his reports. Before calling Hagsrise, he observed all the changes in the area. There was no sign of the monsters that the wolves fought. The monsters that had been moving toward the mortals were out of sight as well, leaving the druid blind as to their location. But the brightness of the dungeons in his vision had dimmed, and he made a note of that. As with all reports he planned to give to the mortals, he couched the statement in vague terms.

Rud scanned the grove for a while but was startled when his radio crackled to life.

“You there, Gladesbale?”

Rud leaned over to the radio, taking the microphone while searching through the grove. He could multitask well enough. “I hear you, Hagsrise,” Rud said, thumbing the radio. “Just dealing with a minor crisis in the grove.”

“When aren’t we dealing with multiple things going wrong?” Hagsrise said with a chuckle.

Rud directed his sight in a grid pattern, searching the farthest he could see to the northwest, cycling between top-down and his normal vision. It was easier to see the tower-generated colors with his own eyes, but harder to get details. There was something within the grove, moving through from south to north, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. He set the microphone down.

“Mint, I might have your monster. There’s this old stump—looks like it was hit by lightning. South of my tower by a few miles,” Rud said.

“I’m on it,” Mint said, speaking into his mind.

“Gladesbale? You there?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rud said, finding the microphone again. “I’m here. I’ve got a monster running around my grove.”

The druid once again split his attention between the radio and his farseeing. He felt the skill working through him as he pushed it back to that burned-out stump. Mint entered the area, sniffing the air and taking off in a random direction. He tracked her.

“Woah, really? I guess I remember those early days. Working a new grove is hard.”

“No kidding. We have about ten-billion dungeons around us. Between them and the mortals, everyone has their plates full.”

“Sounds like you have it rough. The dwarves thought we were gods. Well, they still do. They worship me and the giant mushroom.”

It was awesome to have someone to talk to while Rud searched the grove. After he confirmed Mint had killed the rogue monster, he checked on all his mortals. Oak and her party were emerging from the lightning construct dungeon, so he directed Dean to go escort them to the longhouse. He chatted with the Hagsrise keeper and was surprised when his Farseeing skill leveled up. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but it flooded his vision as he was observing the mortals move to the road.

[Skill Gain!]

Your Farseeing skill has increased to level 4!

“Hey. Another level in Farseeing,” Rud said.

“Oh, to be Rank 0 again. I can’t imagine being that weak.”

“Hey, I’m trying my best here. I wasn’t exactly given solid information on what I should be doing.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Hagsrise said, giggling into the radio. “I’ve got some urgent matters of my own to attend to, Gladesbale. But I’m really enjoying our chats, so don’t vanish on me. Alright?”

“And abandon the chance to talk with another person from Earth? Never.”

They both signed off, allowing Rud to focus on Farseeing for a while. The level he gained allowed him to see slightly further into the lake, although it wasn’t close enough to see the island. The rain wasn’t helping with that, though. He could see far enough to the southeast to find signs of battle. Acting on his information, the mortals had engaged the monsters. Signs of a scuffle, abandoned weapons, and monster parts were left behind. He was relieved to find no bodies.

Rud transferred the quick notes he had made to be more understandable. He stowed them in his backpack so they wouldn’t get wet and returned to the longhouse. The druid had tracked Dean’s progress for a while, making sure the adventurers arrived in one piece. As he entered the longhouse, he found them all snuggled around the campfire. Some members of the party displayed burned sections of skin and they were all nursing bowls of soup and cups of tea with a distant look in their eyes.

“Hey, Oak.” Rud approached the group, startling one of them.

“Rud!” Oak said, brightening up. “That was an adventure. And we have a present for you!”

The elf produced a burlap sack. The contents jangled as she placed it down on the table. Rud didn’t need to inspect the contents to know it had some Dungeon Core Fragments inside. From the state of the party, he was certain they wouldn’t have made it out without a healer like Oak. She offered him a pick of the items they pulled out, which he accepted at first. That was part of their agreement, but he found nothing that suited him. There was some unimpressive fighter gear, and nothing like that amazing staff he got last time. Not taking anything, he made it appear it was a bonus for their hard work.

But of course the group brought back a decent amount of decent-quality crystal fragments. Rud accepted those without hesitation, and extended the hospitality of the grove for as long as the group needed it. Their plan was to recover before heading back on the road. They must have had some dimensional storage just like his backpack, and didn’t need to run to Barlgore before heading out again. It was the rain they were waiting for.

Rud had made a silent promise to Ban before he upgraded his Observatory. The tower was something she wanted for him, but the Energy Nodules expansion was for her survival. He wanted to upgrade that expansion after taking care of his farseeing platform. The druid stood near the double doors to the clearing and hesitated for a while. He hobbled out into the rain, pinching his cloak tight over his chest. His intuition on where to upgrade the nodules was correct. He placed the first one against Ban herself, and it melted a moment later. He gained the notification signaling that the expansion had leveled up.

Five more Dungeon Core Fragments and veins of light shot through the ground like lightning. It spread far into the distance. After far too long, Rud realized he was watching the extent of Ban’s root system. He didn’t have long to admire the way her roots glowed, as the upgrade message soon crowded his sight. He was given a list of options to pick from. Unlike some upgrades, each one would be useful. And unlike the other expansions, this one had less options to pick from.

Rud considered the purpose of the Energy Nodules expansion before making his selection. They were a way for Ban to store power, but they also collected power. More power storage was interesting, but he decided that generation was far more important. There were two upgrades that fell in line with that idea and he considered both.

[Nutrition Magnet]

Energy Nodules Upgrade

Description:

Why grow your roots toward nutrient-dense soil when you can bring it to your roots?

Effect:

Increases the efficiency of energy collection with the Energy Nodules expansion by 50%.

Nutrients are drawn toward your roots.

Increasing the amount of efficiency the nodules could produce was great, and drawing nutrients in was a welcome upgrade. Reading this upgrade showed Rud the problem with the energy nodule expansion, though. The ground wouldn’t produce infinite nutrients for Ban to absorb. Given time, it would run out. That rubbed the druid the wrong way. While he was excited to take the upgrade at first, it had sent him searching for other options. Among the ten other upgrades, another stood out. He couldn’t decide if it was outright better than Nutrition Magnet, but found himself gravitating that way.

[Energy Flowers]

Energy Nodules Upgrade

Description:

Root-based nodules are fine, but what about pretty flowers?

Effect:

Reduces the efficiency of the nodules on your roots by 15%.

Energy Flowers appear on your branches. These flowers absorb mana from the air, adding that energy to your Reserve Energy.

Energy Flowers seemed like a dud at first. Reducing the efficiency of the root nodules was bad. But when Rud considered how little energy Ban got from her root nodules, he realized the way forward. The air was beyond rich with mana. He didn’t know if it was the grove or the surrounding area, but the mana was strong enough to generate a constant flow of dungeons. On days when it was high, he could almost feel it stinging his skin. Anyone with attunement to magic could likely feel that sting too.

Ban might not appreciate him making this decision without her, but he selected the Energy Flowers upgrade. Rain fell through the dense leaves above, resulting in a fine spray that penetrated through the druid’s cloak. He watched as small flowers formed on the tree’s branches. Blue buds formed all over her, some opening and other remaining closed. They twinkled in the darkness, flecks of mana visibly being drawn into the center of the flowers.

“That’s a sight,” Rud said, staring up at a shimmering field of blue. Before long it formed into a cloud that rivaled the haze left by the constant rain. The druid hardly noticed how numb his toes had gone as he watched the spectacle.

“What did you do to the tree?”

Rud turned, finding Dean staring up at the Sacred Tree. He didn’t have a response for the wolf. While he could answer that he had purchased a new upgrade, the mundanity of that response made the sight above seem cheap. Instead, he said nothing. Before long, Mint and Sarya were there to watch. The cloud that hovered just under the branches was sucked up by the flowers. Dancing orbs of light traced an intricate pattern through the leaves, only to find themselves on the petal of a flower.

It was a shame that Ban couldn’t watch the display. Although the more Rud thought about it, the more he realized she didn’t have eyes. Perhaps she couldn’t see at all. For all the spectacle of the upgrade, the druid tested to ensure the tree was sucking in a decent amount of energy. While the upgrade wasn’t drawing enough energy to rival that produced by the crystals, it still brought in more than he expected. After an hour of observation, the flowers had gathered about two percent of her reserve energy.

Rud was satisfied with his selection. After sealing another letter for the people of Barlgore with wax, he teleported to the stump grove. The rain wouldn’t last forever. Would it?

Chapter 39

Mint’s Reserve

By the next morning, the rain hadn’t let up. Rud sorted through his tea leaves on his drying racks, checking how crunchy each one was. He had been moving so few pots of tea that his stock of the ever-growing leaves was becoming overwhelming. The druid swept those leaves into a container and worked on a few clay pots. While he was getting better at making them by the day, he didn’t enjoy the process as much as he had hoped. It had started as a cute thing to add to his offerings, but devolved into a lot of work.

But the clay pots were important. The thing Rud feared the most was rot setting in over his dried tea leaves. Sealing the clay pots with wax had been effective, so he had no choice. At least working on the clay containers kept him out of the rain. Until he had to go out and fire up the kiln. He watched as the icy rain fell against the brick surface. It sizzled away. While the kiln was running, he checked in with the Hagsrise tower and took stock of the nearby area.

Each dungeon seemed fine. There were no monsters outside, and the energy he could view with his Farseeing skill was weaker. He chatted with Hagsrise about recent events, but there wasn’t much to share. The druid went over his tea empire instead.

“You have tea?”

“Yeah, the mortals love it,” Rud said, jotting some notes down as his thumb depressed the button. “It has restorative properties for them. Not sure what they are.”

“The dwarves only like booze. They’re always eating this one mushroom… anyway, that sounds nice.”

“You should come visit Gladesbale one day.”

“Yeah, if I could get Gug to open the portal. The worm can be protective of our energy reserves, though.”

“So can I…”

The conversation rolled on for some time, but the kiln would be done at any time. Rud signed off, leaving his tower to place a sealed note in his mailbox. He lingered in the stump field for some time after shoving some crystal fragments in his bag. Hagsrise was very interested in the tea. She thought it had the potential to be something his grove would become known for. That got him thinking. One turn through a bush later, and he was sauntering into the longhouse. There were a few mortals there, so he did a couple of poses. They clapped politely.

Taz was tending to the fire. It wasn’t his job to make the mortals more comfortable, but he took the maintenance of the fire seriously. Rud warmed himself by the fire, watching as the dwarf sprinkled more Fairy Peat on the coals. Flames rushed up, gaining shocked gasps from the adventurers.

“What can you tell me about crafted items?” Rud asked, cutting to the point of his visit.

“Anything specific?” Taz asked, looking up with curiosity.

“What does the system consider a crafted item?”

“Ah, that’s a good question. The system can be weird about that. But, so long as you can inspect an item you made, it counts as crafted. Like those ingots.”

If that was the only thing he needed, then Rud was almost certain his tea leaves were crafted. His clay pots would count as well, as he had accidentally inspected a few after firing them. The impression he got at first was that crafted items were things he made with skills. Since he didn’t have a skill for pottery, that wasn’t the case.

“Thanks for the info,” Rud said, rushing out of the longhouse. The dwarf called after him, but he didn’t hear it. Moments later, he was yanking clay pots out of the kiln. Once they had dried, he filled one with his tea leaves. “Moment of truth.”

Rud held his hand over the tea leaves, the Imbue Crafted Item spell flashing in his palm. The tea leaves were infused with both the spell and Mint’s Blessing at once. They pulsed with magic for a few moments, shifting slightly in the fired clay pot. The druid couldn’t wait. He leaned in, inspecting the item. As expected, a message appeared describing it.

[Mint’s Reserve]

Rare

Description:

A potent blend of sweet and citrus, this tea is guaranteed to put hair in places you never wanted.

Effect:

Reduces fatigue and increases energy levels.

Aspect Effect (Mint and Ban’Tanthein):

For the next day, you will regenerate mana and health 10% faster.

The base effect of the tea was something like strong coffee. But his Imbue Crafted Item spell had enhanced that effect. Next came his Mint’s Blessing upgrade, which added the regenerative effect. The mortals were going to go absolutely nuts for this tea. But Rud didn’t stop there. He turned his attention to the clay pot itself, inspecting it to find a mundane teapot at common rarity. But it still produced a message.

“I can imbue this, too,” Rud breathed, holding his hand over an empty pot. The spell fulminated, causing the clay to shimmer with energy. A moment later, he inspected the result.

[Fired Clay Pot]

Uncommon

Description:

A clay pot with an engraving on the front. Perfect for storing things.

Effect:

Contents within this pot decay half as quickly.

Aspect Effect (Mint and Ban’Tanthein):

If contents within this pot are sealed and left for at least seven days, the potency of the effects of those items is increased by 20%.

“Awww yeah,” Rud said, breaking out into dance.

This wasn’t a path he thought he could take. These effects were potent enough to draw the eyes of more than just the mortals. Even the people within the grove would want to drink this tea daily. Though once he got the mortals hooked, they would want to buy every leaf of his tea without fail. That would guarantee not only a steady stream of crystal fragments, but materials to upgrade the grove. Once Ban ascended to Rank 1, the Rank 0 Dungeon Core Fragments he was using to upgrade his buildings wouldn’t be as effective.

“More ranks, more problems.”

Imbuing the tea had sent Rud’s mind spiraling down tea avenues. He started by seeing the value in Mint’s private blend of tea, but was interested in expanding. The two types of tea leaves he was working with were sweet and citrus. He didn’t know what they were called, and the system wouldn’t provide a description unless he had imbued the tea. Why not isolate the two leaves? The druid filled one pot with the sweet tea and one with citrus. After enchanting one pot of each, he inspected the resulting tea.

[Grove Breakfast]

Rare

Description:

Tea so sweet, you’ll think you’re drinking liquified cake.

Effect:

Greatly increases energy levels while increasing your fatigue.

Aspect Effect (Mint and Ban’Tanthein):

For the next day, you will regenerate mana 20% faster.

Well, that wasn’t quite as good as he expected. Rud moved on to the next tea to check his theory about the two balancing each other out.

[Sunshine Tea]

Rare

Description:

Pucker up for this sunshine citrus tea.

Effect:

Greatly reduces fatigue.

Aspect Effect (Mint and Ban’Tanthein):

For the next day, you will regenerate health 20% faster.

Well, that made sense. At least the Sunshine Tea didn’t have a downside on the first effect. Both sets of tea leaves balanced each other out, taking the best from both to make something awesome. Perhaps Mint knew what she was doing when she blended the teas. But this opened a world of possibilities for the grove and their impact on the mortal world.

“If only the rain would stop,” Rud said, peering out of the drying room and into the gloom outside. Compared to other tasks, finding new tea plants seemed worth getting horribly wet. “Off we go.”

Rud felt as though he had enough knowledge of the tea plants to identify them in the wild. Tea was just tea before this moment. But now that he knew they could hold unique properties, tea seemed like so much more. Pinching his cloak tightly prevented most of the rain from getting through. Hunching over and casting his head toward the ground also helped. But rain still got through as he headed out. The area near the creek was a decent bet, so the druid started there.

Although the weather had turned cold enough that some slush froze, the stream was spared. The water flowed cool and clear, rushing down to meet with the lake to the southeast. Rud had learned to identify the sweet and citrus tea plants by their leaves more than anything. The citrus-flavored one had a darker color to the leaves, with a splash of red near the base. When pulled from the ground, the sweet tea plant had roots that ran along the ground, while the citrus one plunged as deep as it could go.

Rud found several samples of the plants he already had near the stream and noted that none were upset with the cold weather. While those plants were spared from the change in the weather, a few trees and bushes had displayed fading color on a few leaves. With the season changing, it was more important than ever to monitor the grove. He thought of these things as he searched near the stream, finding absolutely nothing new for his tea business. The druid passed through a bush, arriving on the far side of the grove to the west, near the area where Barrow and his people had departed. While he was in the region, he checked on his houses there and found them in good repair.

Gladesbale Grove’s central area was fairly low compared to the western region. Ice wasn’t the only thing to have clung to the ground around here. A light powder of snow was visible outside of the western entrance. But what little snow fell within the grove itself had melted, joining with the rest of the slush to melt downhill to the east.

As he searched, he expected his squirrel friends to burst from the trees to lend their sensitive noses. But it didn’t happen. He trudged through the area alone, wishing he was more like those squirrels so he could move around faster, climb trees, and do other squirrels stuff like flick his tail and make weird chattering noises. It had been a while since Rud thought about something he needed only to get it moments later. A spirit must have been watching him, because a message popped up.

[Spell Obtained!]

The Bear Spirit Harg has taken notice of you. He has gifted you with the Shapeshift: Squirrel spell.

“You couldn’t have given me Shapeshift: Owl, or something?” Rud asked, looking at the sky. Whatever spirit had been spying didn’t respond. He shrugged, inspecting the new spell.

[Shapeshift: Squirrel]

Rank 0 Druid Spell

Shapeshifting Magic

Component:

Imbued Leaf

Mana Cost:

30

Duration:

One Hour

Description:

Assume the shape of a squirrel. Yay.

Effect:

You turn into a squirrel. All your clothes, equipment, etc are maintained in your true form and will reappear when you cancel this effect.

You retain all your attributes, but your abilities and skill usage may be limited.

It didn’t really matter what form he was given first. Rud was excited about his first shapeshifting ability. While he didn’t plan to specialize as a shapeshifter, there was a lot of potential for different forms. Something interesting about the Shapeshift: Squirrel spell was that he maintained his equipment and clothes. So he didn’t need to worry about removing all his stuff before he became a cute little red squirrel. According to the description, the mana cost was only 30 mana. But the imbued leaf made it more like 50 mana.

Rud found a nearby leaf to enchant, dumping his mana into it. He placed the leaf on his head, performed several unnecessary motions and shouted, “squirrel mode, activated!”

A cloud of smoke went up around Rud, obscuring his vision. But he felt himself becoming smaller. When it cleared, his eye-line was very close to the ground. He was standing on all four of his paws and had a sudden urge to find and bury nuts until he passed out. He pushed those squirrel instincts aside and tested this form. The druid dashed forward, moving with far more speed than his Talen Por form was capable of. He skittered up a tree with ease, climbing to the highest bough with no problem. Even his sense of smell was enhanced, rendering the world in a new light he didn’t expect.

“Squirrel mode!” Rud said, finding the words coming out as a series of squirrel sounds.

Rud jumped from tree-to-tree, finding the action to be super fun. His little squirrel heart thumped in his chest as he ran around the forest, enjoying himself far too much. His frantic dashing only stopped when a massive figure moved from a bush. He almost ran on instinct, but recognized it as Mint’s hulking form.

“Enjoying yourself?” Mint asked, growling down at Rud.

“Maybe.”

“It took the Wild Lord too long to grant you that spell,” Mint growled. “He promised to do so much earlier. The bear doubts your abilities.”

“Might be why he gave me a squirrel… and not something useful.”

“Shapeshifting isn’t an easy skill to master. But I see you don’t have the issues that others do.”

“What kind of issues?”

“Some druids have trouble changing into different forms. They become disoriented, often lashing out at those around them. Even in squirrel form. Thanks to the Talen Por’s connection with nature, you shouldn’t have this problem.”

“Hooray for being a hippie, huh?” Rud clapped.

“Indeed,” Mint said, pinning Rud to the ground with a paw. “There are other advantages to your shapeshifted form. Would you like to see?”

“Sure!”

Mint swatted at Rud, slamming her massive paw onto his tiny body. He felt the pain for only a second before he poofed back into his true form. The pain was gone in an instant, and he was unharmed.

“Ow.”

“Druids can be a nightmare on the battlefield. If they have enough mana to cast a new form, they can shift repeatedly. Try shifting back.”

Rud found another leaf to enchant, to which Mint tilted her head. He placed the leaf on his head again and shifted back into the squirrel form. The up-and-down bobbing of his vision made him feel slightly sick, but that was all. His squirrel form was working perfectly, and the effect from his staff was restoring his mana at a decent rate.

“Interesting. You’re already pretty good at that.”

“Thanks. But this isn’t like your shapeshifting ability, is it?”

“No, mine is more of a glamor,” Mint said, assuming her human form. “This human form doesn’t come with advantages over my true form.”

“But magical shapeshifting provides bonuses,” Rud said, nodding his little squirrel head. “Got it, boss.”

“Practice your shapeshifting. Show the Wild Lord that you can use his power, and he will grant you more spells.”

Rud just wished that Mint could grant him spells. She was a new Sacred Beast assuming the role of a guardian, though. He didn’t know how powerful she was compared to the others, but it couldn’t have been very strong. He decided to nod, understanding how useful these shapeshifting abilities could be. If he could get a flying form that would be incredibly useful. But for now, it was squirrel mode.

“Thanks, Mint. I’m gonna look for some new tea plants,” Rud said, turning and scampering. He halted when she spoke again.

“You’re in the right place. Good luck, Rud.”

Rud chittered a response before dashing off into the forest. It took far less time to search the area as a squirrel. Not only could he move faster, but he could jump between the trees to get a better look at the area. His little claws grabbed at a tree, allowing him to hoist himself up to the boughs in moments. It felt like running up the side of the tree. Gravity was a suggestion in that regard.

A small plant rested near a cluster of rocks. Rud almost passed it up at first, thinking that the leaves looked similar enough to his citrus-flavored tea leaves. Upon further inspection with his keen squirrel nose, he realized it wasn’t the same plant. With a thought, a cloud of smoke surrounded him. He was back in his Talen Por form, giving the plant a closer look. This plant smelled far more earthy than the others, even before the drying process. He spotted a few more nearby and dug them all up, adding them to his backpack rather than carrying them by hand.

After stepping through a bush, he planted the new strain of tea plants in his growing collection. An application of the Plant Growth spell, and those new plants were as large as the others. He was satisfied with the newest plant in his collection and clipped some leaves from the stem before bringing them into the drying room. The scent from the cut leaves was even stronger, reminding Rud of black tea back on Earth.

After all that running around as a squirrel, he was tired. Some perpetual soup and the warmth of a fire would sort him out, though. The druid headed for the longhouse, finding it empty. But the fire still crackled, filling the wide space with a comforting heat. As he sat down for a bowl of soup, he let out an inadvertent squeak. Perhaps some of the squirrel form had stayed within him. Oh, well. That was the life of a druid.

Chapter 40

Squirrel Kisses

“Mortals are overrated.”

The rain had finally let up. Rud listened to his radio crackle as he scanned the forest. For the first time in a few days he wasn’t drenched while writing his reports for Feather. Just that morning, he had retrieved a letter from his mailbox. The lord had given him a bonus of a few Dungeon Core Fragments for predicting the monster attack. That came with the same payment of crystal fragments, a fact the druid appreciated. If this was another path to more things he needed, then he would man the station as often as he needed to.

“Gladesbale?”

“Yeah, I’m here.” Rud thumbed the microphone, jotting more notes. “I’m reliant on the mortals for now. Our mine isn’t producing as many crystal fragments as I would have liked.”

“All I’ve got down here are mines…”

“If only you could help another grove out.” Rud chuckled. He understood the amount of reserve energy it took to send a custodian anywhere, let alone to an underground grove. “We’re fine. My tea sales are going to be absurd.”

“Fancy pants over here with a Grove Custodian subclass. I’ve talked with the other custodians. Never heard of it.”

“Guess we’re just special.”

Rud had an idea of how special his grove was. He didn’t know the extent of Bent’s experiments or how the groves were supposed to operate. But he knew that he, Ban, and Mint were a unique combination. Every grove produced powers that were reflections of their occupants. The druid’s theory was that this trio meshed perfectly. What way they fit together was beyond him, but the combination resulted in each member having complementary sets of powers. Rud simply gave himself up to the grove, not willing to riddle it's mysteries out.

“And I can turn into a squirrel!”

“Druids are common enough, though. Jim might be the only one who wasn’t offered the class at some point. But most of us have evolved our classes. Got anything else worth note?”

Rud looked back to the Twig of Ban’tanthein. “I have a Rank 0 growth staff.”

“Now we’re talking. I have growth equipment, but it took me forever to find it.”

The idle chatter went on for sometime. Rud knew that the custodian in Hagsrise just wanted someone to talk to. So long as she didn’t mind him going silent for a while as he worked, he didn’t mind. His schedule for the day was light, involving pottery and tea. The most exciting thing he had to look forward to was blending two new types of tea. Perhaps a visit to Barlgore was in order, if only to check on the citizens there. With the weather clearing it made sense.

“I need to go,” Hagsrise said. “Something about trogs attacking our borders. Talk to you tomorrow.”

She signed off without waiting for a response. Rud clicked his radio off and finished up his notes. With the rain gone, everything had to be watered with double-enchanted water. His tea garden took the least amount of time, leaving the arduous stump forest. Since the weather had turned, the woodcutters weren’t taking trees from the area. A few tall pines stood, red ribbons still tied around their trunks. The druid added two more to their ranks with his Growth Magic. It was always satisfying to watch them shoot toward the sky, but with the Spiritual Infusion upgrade, they grew even taller.

“I’d like to see you guys chop that down,” Rud said, gazing up at the massive tree.

Instead of taking a bush back to his drying building, Rud cast Shapeshift: Squirrel and ran along the road. There were signs that needed to be updated. Through the tower’s magic and his Farseeing skill, he had spotted some downed branches along the way, as well as some damage to his bridge. The wind hadn’t been strong enough to impact the structures, but the weight of the slush brought many branches to the ground. It normally wouldn’t matter, but several had landed in places that weren’t ideal.

Shapeshifting Magic ticked up to Level 2 by the time Rud had changed two signs and reached the first bridge rest stop. A massive branch had fallen, cracking through one span of the bridge. The druid used his Shape Plant spell to mend the area and was forced to cancel his shapeshifting form to shove the branch off. The rest of the road was fine enough, although it was quite dirty from the traveler’s muddy boots. While the south-facing road was important, there wasn’t enough time today.

The squirrel form was far quicker than going by foot. Rud could make the run over the road from the stump forest to the Sacred Tree in about an hour. He was passing by the longhouse when he spotted Taz leaving. The dwarf was likely heading to the mine. Chittering a laugh to himself, the druid approached.

“Off with you, Squirrel,” Taz grumbled, waving Rud away.

Rud squeaked, forcing himself to stick to squirrel-tongue. Good thing Taz couldn’t tell he was laughing half the time.

“I can’t help you. Go find the custodian.”

Rud’s squeaks intensified.

Taz’s hands were rough. When the dwarf patted him on the head, it was like sandpaper grinding through his fur. “I know. Life can be hard.” The dwarf withdrew some nuts from a pouch on his belt, placing them on the ground. Before Rud could object, he felt a bristle-like beard press against his fur, and the undeniable smack of lips. “It’ll get better.”

Rud shifted back into his Talen Por form, brows knit tightly. “Do you make a habit of kissing squirrels!?”

Taz’s face was ashen. He stumbled back, falling on his butt. Words issued from his mouth, tangled in a stream of stammering sounds that didn’t connect.

“Squirrel kisser!”

The dwarf rose to his feet, eyes wide as he scanned the area. “No witnesses.”

The next thing Rud knew, he was face-down in the mud. Taz had expertly hogtied him before dashing off into the forest. “What was the next part of the plan!?” the druid shouted. But the dwarf was gone. One quick shapeshifting spell later, and he was free from his bonds. That was handy. So long as he had an imbued leaf on his person, he couldn’t be captured.

Rud ran for the mine, peering around a corner. He stood there long enough for Taz to get the creeps. The dwarf turned, and they locked eyes.

“I’ll cave your head in, Rud!” Taz shouted, charging at the squirrel. “You just looked so sad!”

Rud squeaked, fleeing the scene. The dwarf couldn’t catch up, especially when the druid climbed a tree. Taz gave up, grumbling and leaving him alone. As he departed, Rud noticed the smile lingering on the angry dwarf’s face. A bit of poking was fun from time-to-time, especially with dwarves.

Tea leaves dried exceptionally fast in Rud’s drying building. He didn’t understand why they dried so fast, but he didn’t care. The new plant he had cultivated produced leaves with an earthy aroma. There was a hint of something else in there that reminded him of that black tea that came in little pouches back on Earth. He had never been a tea person before. Likely because he never had access to magical tea. There were now three types of tea. Rud categorized them as earthy, sweet, and citrus. The most powerful blend was Mint’s Reserve, which produced the most powerful effect.

A mixture of sweet and earthy went into one pot while another pot got citrus and earthy. There might have been a way to combine all three, but Rud wanted to try them as two-tea blends first. He cast Imbue Crafted Item on both and inspected the results.

[Squirrel Grey]

Rare

Description:

A thoughtful blend of sweet and earthy, this tea will put a pep in your step. Whether or not you want it.

Effect:

Greatly increases energy levels and sharpens your mind.

Aspect Effect (Mint and Ban’Tanthein):

For the next day, you will regenerate mana 20% faster.

Rud couldn’t tell what it meant by ‘sharpens your mind,’ but this was a nice blend. Something that a spellcaster might drink based on that statement. The increased mana regeneration was awesome. When the druid inhaled the scent of the tea, those notes of Earth-based tea came in strong. It smelled like southern sweet tea tasted. He moved on to the next tea. The smell was strange at first. The mixture of a deep earthy scent mingled with the smell of citrus, and he couldn’t decide if it was good.

[Suckerpunch]

Rare

Description:

An aggressive blend of citrus and earthy, this tea gets you moving.

Effect:

Increases your strength and energy levels.

Aspect Effect (Mint and Ban’Tanthein):

For the next day, you will regenerate health 20% faster.

The name was appropriate. The citrus tea on its own just smelled like oranges. But when combined with another tea, it took on a sour scent. If Squirrel Grey was a tea for casters, Suckerpunch was for fighters. Mint was going to go wild for this tea. He was certain.

Rud planned to hold back this first batch of tea for himself and the others within the grove. He fired up his pot of wax, preparing and dipping several pots. Those enchanted pots could rest within the drying building until the seven-day effect took hold. The tea would increase in potency by twenty percent after that. 

“Something smells delicious,” Mint said, poking her human-form head into the building.

“The wax?”

“The tea,” Mint said, jerking her head to the pots of tea. “I want some.”

Rud had expected the impulsive wolf to gravitate toward Suckerpunch. He had set aside one clay pot for her and handed it over. “You’ll get a kick out of that one.”

“Who is going to kick me?” she growled.

“What’s up?” Rud asked. The idiom didn’t land, and she didn’t have the attention span to understand it.

“Interlopers,” Mint said, her piercing eyes narrowing on the druid. “Southwestern border.”

“Really? I checked the grove this morning. I saw nothing strange. No monster energy aside from what few are trickling out of the dungeons.”

“Not monsters. Mortals have entered the grove uninvited.”

Rud smacked his lips. “Why did you call them interlopers? And why didn’t they take the road?”

“Because they are mortals with ill intent. I need you to watch them for me. I have… other matters.”

“Alright. Just twist my arm, why don’t ya?” Rud handed Mint another pot of tea. It was Squirrel Grey. “Just make me a pot of that and bring it to the tower, would ya? Thanks. Love you.”

Mint growled, shifting into her wolf form. “Love you too, weird creature. Still not in that way, though.”

“I never meant it any… and she’s gone.”

Rud found the nearest bush and approached his tower. He cast Shapeshift: Squirrel and ascended the tower on the side. It was easy to find handholds as a squirrel and he zipped to the top without issue. After entering the tower through the doorway—since the openings were covered with thick glass—he shifted back into his Talen Por form.

Rud flicked his radio on, holding the button on his microphone. “Hagsrise, this is Gladesbale. You there?”

Static answered back as Rud assumed the Aspect of Bent. While he waited for a response, he scanned the horizon to the southwest. The area Mint mentioned was within his viewable range, but there were no signs of mortals. Some mortals put off a signature that he could see as a drifting cloud of silver, but others didn’t. He didn’t understand the mechanics of the skill or the tower, but it could be related to rank.

Rud resorted to scanning the area with his top-down view. The first thing that tipped him off was a burned out campfire, and a scattering of discarded items. He followed a logical trail and found three figures moving through the forest. They were sneaking as though that would matter.

“Alright, Mint. I have eyes on your interlopers.”

“Good. Track them. I didn’t plan on eating humans today. But I’m not opposed to an early lunch.”

“Where’s my tea?” Rud protested.

“Calm your twitching ears, custodian. Fine tea takes time. And you have created some extremely fine tea.”

“Fair enough…”

Rud watched the mortals for a half-hour. They picked the most logical path through the forest, following the many game trails that snaked through the area. He watched as the leader of the group turned to the left, heading west. The figure turned left again to avoid a tree… and another left. Their frustration was obvious when they circled all the way back to their original camp.

“Your tea, master,” Mint said, performing a mock-bow. 

Rud took it, allowing his vision to return to normal. “They’re lost,” he laughed, taking a sip of the tea. “Oh, this is good.”

It tasted just as it smelled. Overly-sweet black tea. After draining the steaming-hot cup, Rud felt his mind sharpen. His focus increased as the tea’s effects flooded through his body and mind.

“What should we do?” Mint asked.

“You’re asking me? The grove’s defense is your job.”

“But it is yours to interact with the mortals.”

“Alright. What are the chances they’re here for nefarious purposes?”

“They don’t look friendly,” Mint growled.

“Let’s confront them. If you gotta chomp some bad guys, that’s just that.”

“Excellent.”

Rud cast Shapeshift: Squirrel and jumped to the nearest tree. He used Thicket Travel to appear above the group, high in a tree. He sensed Mint somewhere nearby, but couldn’t pinpoint her location. The druid observed the group for a while, eavesdropping on their conversation. They were too distant for him to catch every word, but they were looking for the Sacred Tree. He winced when they said something about chopping her branches off. That answered that.

“They’re gonna take branches from Ban,” Rud said, keeping his voice low enough. The mortals below didn’t take notice of a squirrel chittering among so many squirrels in the forest.

“Dean is on his way. Wait for him before you confront the jerks.”

Rud did just that, sitting in his tree while Dean sprinted through the grove. When the bushes rustled below, the druid climbed down from his tree. He shifted back into his true form and mounted the wolf, finding it much harder to do without the saddle.

“Please don’t eat them unless you need to,” Rud said, sighing. This was another case where setting expectations was necessary. The mortals weren’t likely from Barlgore or Sparwyn. That had some implications as to the population in the area, but it didn’t matter. They needed to leave. “Let’s go.”

Dean lurked from the bushes, coming into full view of the lost mortals. They drew weapons in an instant, leveling them at the wolf. Each had lost all the color in their faces, their breathing ragged. One looked as though it was going to be sick. Rud was certain that one would faint when Mint revealed herself behind them.

“You weren’t invited here,” Rud said plainly. “And you should leave before something happens.”

“We’re lost,” the leader blurted.

“You were trying to find the Sacred Tree. Go back the way you came.”

Sarya appeared on the flank, her hackles raised. If the mortals weren’t already crapping their pants, now would be a good time.

“That way?” the leader asked, pointing in the wrong direction.

“Perhaps we should let you wander the forest until you perish,” Rud said, trying to be more imposing than a scrawny freckled teenager looking goof could manage. He was still working—and failing—to build his muscle mass. “Or we could eat you.”

“We’re going,” another said. “This way?”

“That way,” Rud said, pointing in the correct direction.

The group backed away from the sight, disappearing into the underbrush. Rud dismounted from Dean, standing with the wolves. This wasn’t something he had expected to see. There were only supposed to be folks from Sparwyn in the area, and it was disheartening to see others who didn't share a love for the groves.

“Dean and Sarya. Follow them,” Mint growled. “I want to know where they came from.”

The duo dashed into the forest without hesitation. But Rud was happy to see that no blood had been shed. He realized how tightly he had been gripping his staff and relaxed. At least it ended well.

“That’s concerning,” Rud said. “Do we need more allies?”

“Maybe. They slipped in during the night. Sarya was patrolling, but she missed them. We need someone that can keep watch while we sleep.”

Rud thought he knew the perfect creature for the job. Getting it to accept the task might be difficult, though.