Gladesbale Grove Book 3 - Chapters 7, 8, 9 (Patreon)

Chapter 7

Disease Slime Dungeon Soul

Rud pulled up the wooden path behind him as he and Taz made their way to the dungeon. His goal was to be more economical about these paths, which should reduce confusion with the adventurers. It was hard to focus on the task, since he was too excited to chomp the dungeon, but he did it anyway. Upon arriving at the dungeon, Taz seemed to shiver at the sight. He rolled his shoulders and shook off the sensation before the druid prepared for the difficult task ahead.

“How strong does it make you when you eat a dungeon?” Taz asked.

"Well, why don't I tell you the attributes the dungeon gives me, and you can make your own decision?"

Taz agreed and lingered around as Rud held his staff high. The dungeon's soul seemed more resistant than the others he had encountered. It pushed back against him when he began the process, and it took everything in his power to maintain focus. But the power of his artifact was great. The energy from the dungeon flowed into his staff until the last remnants of the dungeon's soul were destroyed. The druid tipped to one side and fell over just as the system message appeared. Of course, the dwarf was there to steady him.

[Disease Slime Dungeon Soul Absorbed]

Your [Custodian’s Twig] has absorbed a dungeon within Gladesbale Grove’s borders. This artifact has gained +1 Vigor, +2 Mind. 

The [Disease Slime Dungeon] has been destroyed.

Once Rud's head stopped spinning, he read the numbers out for Taz to hear. The dwarf released a low whistle, shaking his head. "That's a lot of attributes for one dungeon. How many are around here?"

"We've discovered at least 10, but it's really hard to say," Rud said. "There could be 20, and we're not sure if they'll regenerate. The thing is, I can only use the staff to eat a dungeon if that dungeon is inside the Grove.”

“I mean… You just got 3 levels basically,” Taz said with a weak shrug. “I wouldn’t complain.”

“No complaints here! Even if each dungeon only averages 2 attributes, I’ll gain at least 20 levels of attribute points. They might be random, but who cares?”

“Exactly. You’re gonna be so strong.”

“Wanna wrastle?” Rud asked, pushing himself to his feet and crouching.

“I’d rather not. You’ll just grow a tree around me or something.”

“Heh. You’re right,” Rud said. “Anyway, I’ll meet you back at the mine. I need to do some scouting along the way, otherwise Nulsa might peck me to death.”

Rud shifted into his raven form without warning.

Taz shrieked. “Since when can you be a bird!?”

“Since earlier today,” Rud said casually. “Anyway, see ya there.”

Rud took off, ascending through the boughs of the trees above and taking to the skies. From their point in the southwestern section of the Grove, it would take a while to get to the mine. Especially since Rud wanted to scan the forest below him to look for dungeon activity. But there was little to report along the way, with only minor blips he investigated to find nothing. Within the hour, the druid arrived at the mine and preened before the entrance.

“Oh look, a little bird has come calling to my mine,” Taz said, stepping through the entrance.

“Caw!” Rud said. “I’m just a totally normal bird.”

“Well, would that totally normal bird like to come in and help this poor dwarf?” Taz asked. “I’ve done some work reinforcing my mine, but the job is going to take far too long. I could use some of your druidic magic.”

“Give me the tour,” Rud said, shifting back to his true form.

Taz led the way down into the mine, and it was immediately obvious what the problem was. The first junction had a path leading forward, and one to the left. The one going forward led to the cavern system where Rud had first met Major. To the left was Taz’s living area and the mine where the dwarf extracted his ore and crystals. As the druid descended into the mine area, he let out a long whistle.

“You’re really going crazy down here, aren’t you?” Rud asked, running his hand along the smooth stone wall as he descended switchback staircases.

“This is my only stress relief,” Taz said with a shrug.

Yet the floors kept coming. Each level of the mine had a branch path carved out from the stairs, spanning far enough in the distance that it vanished into the darkness. By the time Taz got off the stairs, they had gone down about twenty levels. Rud lost count along the way, and tried not to worry about it too much.

“And here you can see my problem,” Taz said, gesturing forward.

Holding a light high, Taz illuminated the wall. Large cracks had appeared in the smoothed stone. Large chunks were resting on the ground, scattered pieces ranging from pea-sized gravel to sections as large as the druid.

“Yep. Classic case of ‘dwarf gone mad.’ I’ve seen this a few times,” Rud said, rubbing his chin. “New concrete will run you 15k. High-quality timber is gonna run you 5k… You could hire a handyman to get it down for cheaper, but you’re gonna pay in the long run.”

“I ain’t got no money,” Taz said.

Rud cleared his throat. “How about the very fair price of free?” he asked. “Yeah, we can snake some roots through the rock. Shouldn’t be hard.”

“That’s what I like to hear, druid!” Taz said, slapping him on the back.

“Okay, let me get to work,” Rud said, looking up to the ceiling above. He couldn’t feel any nearby roots and had worries about getting any down here. Although he showed confidence to Taz, the job might’ve been too tough for his magic. There was only one way to know if it would work, though.

Rud started on the surface, finding the largest tree nearby. As it was close enough to Ban, it was soaked in her energy. That allowed him to apply another cast of Plant Growth, which made the already massive tree even bigger. The roots surged, expanding to twice their size at the base and digging deeper into the ground. He then drew a steady breath, slamming his staff into the ground and closing his eyes.

Using Shape Plant, Rud drove a root from the tree into the ground. He felt no resistance in the dirt layer. The root simply split through the earth, knocking aside whatever small stones were embedded there. When he hit the first layer of stone, that’s where he ran into problems. It wasn’t too bad at first, only requiring a bit more force than normal to drive the root down. But then he hit the solid layer of rock. The challenge went beyond testing what his skills and spells could do. It was a dead stop, and nothing he could do would break through.

“Well, that sucks,” Rud grumbled.

Naturally, the druid should’ve expected this to happen. A rock was harder than a root. If he couldn’t find the gaps between the stones, this approach was useless. Instead, he went for the plan he had employed before. Instead of going through the rock, he would take the parts of the tree through the paths already cut by Taz. The key was to take a section of the tree that was neither the roots nor the branches. He drew instead from the body of the same tree he had enhanced, snaking it through the entrance and to the left.

“You’re gonna drag more tree material in here!?” Taz shouted with a huff.

“Just make a notch in the wall,” Rud said, guiding the tree through the halls. “I can plaster it flush against there.”

Although Taz grumbled, he eventually nodded his approval. The main section of the complex had already been reinforced. But as Rud guided the new tree down into the ground—as absurd as that sight was—he smiled to himself. This wasn’t like last time. He could move more dense material with little effort, and was soon crowding the stairs with a torso-thick section of wood. It grew under his command, the green light of the spell illuminating the dark space. Once he reached the bottom floor, the tree spread out, creating supporting sections through the long hallways.

Taz directed him to support certain sections of the mine and Rud was happy to put them in place. Once all the floors were decently supported, the druid transformed his weird Frankenstein’s Tree further by extending roots on the bottom. The idea was to help the tree support its new mass by sucking up the water accumulating within the mine. Just like his root-based water transport system, he could encourage the tree to suck up all that water and either use it for itself or deposit it elsewhere.

The dwarf wasn’t excited about the tree inside his mine, but he wouldn’t complain. As long as it served its purpose, Rud knew he would be happy.

“Maybe you’ve goofed off enough for the day,” Taz said, slapping Rud on the shoulder. “You should get back to it.”

Rud bid farewell to the dwarf. The druid did a quick check at his tower, getting a report from Jim that all was calm for now. After a quick scan of the area, he was happy to return to the sky. One quick check on the adventurers later, and he felt a feeling of dread settle over him. Soaring high above the grove, Rud felt Nulsa approaching more than he heard or saw him. The sun was blocked for a moment as the owl settled in above him.

“Have you screwed around enough for the day?” Nulsa’s voice came in colder than the ice island, sending a shiver up Rud’s spine.

“I’ve got responsibilities, you know?”

“As a mouse has a responsibility in the forest… at night,” Nulsa said, his icy threats cutting Rud deeply.

“So, uh… find anything yet?” Rud asked nervously.

“Yes. Follow me,” Nulsa said, banking and leading the way.

It took Rud a bit to figure out which direction they were heading. The more time he spent in the sky, the easier this would become. For now, he settled for thinking it was north. Nulsa brought them low to the treeline—close enough for the druid to smell the forest below. When they finally dove below the canopy, Rud’s head snapped around, locking onto features of the landscape until he spotted the road far below. They were near the western edges of the Grove by now.

After activating his mana sight, Rud’s mind was awash in confusion. He sensed something up ahead, but had seen nothing like it before. A collection of energy, appearing as little more than a tiny vortex of magical power, lingered at the bottom of a ravine. Nulsa and Rud skirted the forest floor, coming out over the drop as they both looked below.

“What is that?” Rud asked.

“I have no idea,” Nulsa said, cocking his head to one side as he sat on a branch.

If Rud disabled his mana sight, the energy collecting before them vanished. It looked like a cloud of magic with a defined center, the power on the outside radiating outward with no particular direction. The druid jumped from his branch, gliding down before landing nearby. He felt no different, so he took a few hops forward.

“Smells like a wet dog,” Rud said, sniffing the air.

“Try sniffing it in your true form,” Nulsa shouted, suspiciously not descending to have a whiff.

With a shrug, Rud shifted into his true form. He took a sniff. “Now it smells like cleaning solution.”

“What manner of cleaning solution?”

“I dunno!” Rud shouted back. “The pine one.”

“Interesting. Perhaps you’re just smelling the trees.”

Rud looked around, shrugging. “Just a bunch of oaks around here, buddy.”

“Try licking it,” Nulsa offered.

Rud turned to narrow his eyes at the owl… But not before he had already leaned forward and extended his tongue. “Nulsa, are you messing with me?”

“I would never,” Nulsa said. “Now lick the cloud of magic.”

Chapter 8

Box Lunches

Only when Nulsa started laughing did Rud realize the extent of the owl's prank. He turned, narrowing his gaze at the creature and thumbing his nose.

"When did you gain a sense of humor?" Rud asked, crossing his arms and exuding maximum grumpiness.

“Recently,” Nulsa answered, hooting softly. “But I'm uncertain what this is. It doesn't seem familiar to either of us, and I'm not eager to discover a novel form of magic appearing in the grove so suddenly.”

Nothing Rud or Nulsa could do would unravel the mysteries of the magic. There was only one person he could think of that could help, and she was gone. Until Elm returned to town, he was uncertain which direction they should take. A worried thought spread through the druid's mind, and he hoped it wasn't true. He didn't even want to say it aloud, as the concept seemed so extraordinarily bad. But what if the collection of energy was another system-generated structure, like the tower? Perhaps there were more than just towers and labyrinths in this world.

"So we just need to keep an eye on this thing for now," Rud said, eventually breaking out of that dangerous loop of thoughts and coming back to the present. "Unfortunately, I think we're out of time for now. I need to make my evening report, and then it's dinner time."

"I will continue my search," Nulsa said. "For now, I think your adventurers are busy enough, so we don't need to make haste in finding the hidden dungeons."

Yet even as the owl said that, Rud couldn't help but feel there was some link between the strange cloud of magical energy and the hidden dungeons. Before heading to check in at the observatory, he inspected the area to ensure there were no hidden cursed objects. Only when he was certain it was clear did he take off in his raven form, this time entering the observatory from the balcony on the top floor.

After shifting into his true form, Rud took a seat at the radio and clicked it on.

Jim’s voice came over in mid-sentence. “...good luck getting them to build the tower. Aegael’s grove is tight on resources.”

“No kidding,” Maria said. “Gug can’t even get her attention. The salamander and worm are besties! I don’t know what’s going on.”

“We’re relying on Gladesbale, then?” Jim asked. “Not that I’m complaining. Hold on… Okay, just had to make sure Basil was out of ear-shot. Basil can make portals. But he’s keeping all our energy in reserve to take the dungeons out.”

“LAME!” Maria shouted, the radio crackling as her voice floated through. “Seriously. Seems like Bent found a gem with Gladesbale’s tree spirit. Can you imagine how good the other groves would be if we could talk to our spirits?”

“Yet my guardian is the one controlling the portals,” Jim said with a sigh.

Rud really felt uncomfortable listening in. He knew the other groves had problems with their mute hearts, but this was a side of their venting he never expected to hear. Although he was tempted to turn the radio off, he left it on. He listened to Maria and Jim shy away from the topic, instead talking about how their day went. Only when that conversation lingered on for another 10 minutes did he make himself known.

“Hey guys,” Rud said, thumbing his radio. “Just got here. To give my report. Like a completely normal person.”

“Oh, yeah,” Jim said. “You totally haven’t been eavesdropping or anything.”

“You pressed the button a few times,” Maria explained. “We could hear you breathing.”

Rud felt his cheeks go red. “Welp. I’m an idiot.”

“Yeah, but we love you,” Jim said. “Anyway, what we said is true. We’re relying on you but that doesn’t mean you’re alone.”

“And once we get more people, you’ll be even less alone!” Maria said. “Seriously, though. Once you get that item portal working, we can send supplies to the other groves to build their towers. After that, we’ll be cooking with gas!”

Rud felt relief flood through his body. At first, he thought they were talking smack behind his back, but the more he considered it, the more he realized it was just his friends venting their frustration. It must have been very difficult to exist in a grove that didn't have a heart they could speak to. Instead, they had to rely on the interpretation from their guardian, which might not be entirely accurate. Basil was a good example of that, but the druid wouldn't really blame him. He had an interest in keeping his grove functional, and if he had to use his energy to consume the dungeons, that made sense. Not everyone had an artifact weapon they could use to destroy those dungeons.

The conversation eventually slowed down, allowing Rud to excuse himself. His stomach grumbled, as the day's work had taken a toll on him. After he signed off from the radio, he stepped out onto the balcony and looked out at the dusky forest before him. He took it in for a few moments before shifting into his raven form and taking to the skies. It would be much faster if he used thicket travel to move to the grove's center, but there was something about flying that appealed to him. Not only did he gain experience for his shapeshifting skill, but he also got to see the beautiful forest below him. It raced by in a blur of green stained with the orange of sunset. A flock of birds flew up to his left, cawing at each other with angry voices. The druid banked, descending onto the branches of the sacred tree and hopping around.

“So, what do you think about this new bird form? Pretty spiffy, huh?” Rud asked. Ban might’ve already commented on the form gifted by Harg, but the druid wanted to hear a bit more praise.

“Oh, yes. You’re a sleek and powerful raven,” Ban said, her laughter filling the clearing. “How does the power of flight feel?”

“Wow. Now there’s a question,” Rud said with a laugh. He pecked at her branches, allowing his thoughts to gather. “Back on Earth, I thought about flying a lot when I was a kid. I had an image built up in my mind.”

“Are you saying you’re not enjoying flight?”

“What? No, it's even better than I had imagined,” Rud said, fluffing his feathers out and hopping around. “I just take off in the air and the world falls away below me.”

More laughter from the sacred tree.

“You’re a joy to be around, Rud,” Ban said. “And I’m sorry to say, but I overheard what the other custodians were talking about in the tower.”

“Ya heard that?” Rud asked, shaking his head. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. They’re not wrong,” Ban said. “Bent is… difficult to understand at the best of times. I have a connection with him, so I can understand when he speaks. The Groves are such a complex form of druidic magic that only he could understand it. From what he told me, the chances that our Grove was the one to work out are incalculable. We are a beautiful fluke.”

That filled Rud with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

“Yer gonna make me blush,” Rud said, grinding his little raven foot on the tree branch.

“This all means we have a responsibility to the other groves. One that might be greater than we can handle,” Ban said. “Yet I know you’re up for the challenge.”

“You bet I am,” Rud said, spreading his wings wide. He gave them a few flaps for dramatic effect. “But seriously. How much of this portal junk do I need to understand to build a portal?”

“Not much,” Ban said. “I don’t think you’ll need to know much more than the proper shape and the runes to make the portal.”

Rud tapped his foot a few times. “Think I can ask Basil about it?”

Rud could feel the wave of concern coming from Ban. “Maybe. It would be worth a shot, anyway.”

Which meant Basil was guarded about his portal magic. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, though. Rud figured he would ask the other guardian by way of Jim, rather than directly. But for now, the only thing he could think about was the intoxicating smell coming from the longhouse.

“If you’ll excuse me, there’s some deer meat calling my name,” Rud said, sniffing at the air. “And something else I can’t detect.”

“Wait until you see,” Ban said. “I won’t spoil the surprise.”

Rud tried to rub his hands together, but found only wings. Instead, he jumped from the side of the branch and glided toward the longhouse. The closer he got, the more that scent intensified. He shifted back to his true form at the entrance, opening the door and peering inside. The scent of roasting venison doubled, joined with a rich oily smell. Then he saw what had been arrayed on the plates, and the guests that had made themselves at home.

Rud rushed over, jumping into a seat next to Taz, nearly knocking him over in the process. “What’s that!!” Rud shouted.

“Figured this would be a good way to get you at the table,” Taz said with a hearty laugh. “What we got here is nothing new. Not for me, anyway. Toasted bread, drizzled with oil and topped with sautéed mushrooms. Then we take a hunk of your cheese, heat it up over the fire and melt that over the pile. Best of all? Strips of seared venison atop that.”

“Holy coronary bypass, Batman,” Rud said, already drooling. He watched in amazement as the dwarf assembled the dish. First came the toasted bread, which he drizzled with oil and slathered in a thick layer of mushrooms. Next came the cheese. Taz warmed it over the fire then scraped off a thick layer onto the pile. Next came lines or perfectly cooked, seared venison. 

“Behold,” Taz proclaimed. “My creation.”

Rud cracked his knuckles, picking up the extreme toast and taking a sniff. The smell was enough to send him to the hospital, drips of cheese falling from the sides. He watched, allowing it to drip over his plate before watching as Dean scarfed his serving down. Unlike the wolf, the druid had trouble getting his mouth around the toast. But when he finally got a bite, he did his best to hold on as the mixture of greasy cheese mingled with the lean venison. The mushrooms added an earthy undertone that was only outdone by the crunch of the bread.

“This should be illegal,” Rud said through a mouthful of food. “These mushrooms aren’t poisonous, are they?”

“They make my mouth tingle!” Sarya yelled, rolling around on the ground. She kicked her leg in the air, and for only a moment Rud thought perhaps she had been poisoned.

Further inspection revealed the mushroom to be a type Rud had avoided. It wasn’t incredibly poisonous, but he remembered it having an unfavorable flavor. “What did you do to get this stuff tasting good?” the druid asked, taking another big bite.

“The secret ingredient is butter,” Taz said. “Lots of butter. Maybe too much butter.”

“Nonsense!” a human adventurer spoke up. Rud had completely forgotten they were there. “If anything, this requires more butter!”

“More butter!” the other adventurers shouted in unison.

“We helped make it,” the first adventurer said with a wink.

“Churning butter, making cheese… What’s next?” Rud asked.

Taz shrugged. “Cream?”

“Perhaps boxed lunches,” an adventurer offered.

“Sandwiches?” another asked.

“Those are all good ideas,” Rud said, nodding in agreement. “Perhaps one day, the world will speak about the amazing boxed lunches provided by Gladesbale Grove!”

“To boxed lunches!” the adventurers cheered. Several of their number held up their toast.

“We’re half-way to sandwiches already,” Rud said. “Wait, where did you get the bread?”

“I have a supplier,” Taz said with a wink. “Now, shut up and eat your food! It's best while hot.”

Chapter 9

Overjoyed

Rud’s aspirations to create a wheat farm of his own weren’t exactly dashed, but since Taz had a steady supplier of bread the idea didn’t seem as appealing. Although the food was delicious, it put the druid into a coma. He slept better that night than most of the nights before. When he awoke the next morning, it took no less than two cups of strong tea to wake him up. Only after the greasy meal had been scoured from his belly did he dare exit the mushroom house.

Once he was awake enough to think, he thought about the plan to expand their food offerings within the Grove. Rud had his doubts it would work, but those doubts were only because of bread. Bread didn’t last long on the shelf, especially if it wasn’t like the stuff back on Earth that could live on a shelf for weeks.

“Unless there’s a magical solution,” Rud said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He shook the thought out of his head a moment later. “Focus, Rud! Focus!”

Before giving his time to another project, Rud wanted to get the ones he had going under control. Pacing in front of his mushroom house, he spoke aloud to allow his thoughts to gather.

“We’re doing pretty good on the custodian-based projects,” Rud muttered. “Can’t do a thing about the tower or labyrinth myself, but the adventurers are doing a great job with the dungeons… I wonder when we can explore that underground place.”

“Should that be a priority?” Ban asked. The flowers on her branches twinkled. “Shouldn’t you move the portal to the top of the list?”

The way Ban’s energy shimmered reminded Rud he should put in some effort to helping her upgrade along with her buildings. But he knew she was conserving her energy in case anything happened with the tower. She seemed less willing to go into her slumbers, and the rules for that effect had changed. With an increase in power came a decrease in her need to sleep. Perhaps she was waiting for the portal to go up before she spent a bunch of energy.

“Good point,” Rud said, grumbling. “Maybe I should get my other chores out of the way before I worry too much.”

“Now that is a good plan.”

The chores Rud currently had to do were extensive. First, he had to care for his tea plants, which now rested in a raised bed. Next, he processed the tea leaves he collected there. Then, he tended to the cows and stored the milk. After that, he went to the observatory to make his report, writing a letter to the town and delivering his findings to Maria and Jim. They had nothing new to add, which made the job rather easy. However, afterward, the druid went and sorted out the adventurers’ paths to the south. They hadn’t cleared a dungeon yet today.

As Rud was preparing to head to the town, Dean appeared from the nearest bush, apparently sensing the druid’s need for transport.

“Oh, this is a bit awkward,” Rud said, shuffling his feet as he looked at the dire wolf. He pulled an imbued leaf from underneath his cloak and held it with a grimace. “I kind of got my own fast travel form, buddy.”

“Yes, you can turn into a bird now,” Dean said, seeming entirely disinterested in the fact. “Does that mean I can no longer accompany you?”

“Well, I guess not,” Rud said, cocking an eyebrow as he tilted his head to the side. He had dreaded the moment. He would tell Dean that they would no longer be going to the town together, but the wolf was right. They could still go together; Rud just wouldn’t ride on his back anymore. “Let’s go.”

Without fanfare, Rud shifted into his raven form. He plunged into a nearby bush with Dean, and they emerged on the southeastern border of the grove. That’s when the druid took to the air, soaring high as the wolf raced over the landscape. If the ground was completely flat, the druid wouldn’t have won the race. But thanks to the favorable air currents, he pulled slightly ahead.

From above, the landscape below looked like nothing he had ever recognized. He had always seen the world from ground level. Even when using his observatory and Farseeing skill, the view he got was limited. But now, he could see everything spread before him. He spotted the shore of the lake, the icy waters long since subsided. More fishing boats were bobbing along the waves than ever before.

But despite all those distractions, the pair soon reached the town itself. Dean took a path through the streets, darting and startling several people along the way as he headed for Elm’s Tower. Even from the sky, Rub could see the smoke billowing from the chimney, and he held a hope in his heart that she was there. He alighted on the ground outside the gate, peering up at the large tower.

“Should we knock?” Rud asked, watching as Dean threw his weight against the gate. It popped open. “Guess not…”

“I can smell Elm’s scent,” Dean said, stalking forward, “I can also smell Daffodil.”

Rud slapped his face, leaning forward as he remembered the strange relationship between Dean and Daffodil. He wasn’t sure if they were an item, but it was entirely possible. Perhaps this world allowed for a cross-species relationship. Why not? If magic was real, that was the least of his concerns. He gave a few sharp knocks on the door and waited only a moment before it swung open. The wolf had already headed around to the back of the tower, no doubt to see the horse deer. Standing in the threshold was a bedraggled elf with messy brown hair.

“Rud! I was preparing to head over to the Grove but then you showed up here—although you didn’t trip any of magical sensors which is weird—and you know the road was rough—and—”

“Woah. Calm it down there,” Rud said, holding his hands up defensively. He watched as Elm sagged on the spot.

The woman took a labored breath, sighing and shaking her head. She nodded a few times before continuing, “The road has been rough. I had to ride out a fair distance from the town to send a message to the mainland. Even then, I can’t be sure it went through.”

“What’s so important about sending word to the mainland? Are you calling for reinforcements?” Rud asked with a smile. “And why can’t you send messages normally?”

“Depends on which way the winds of magic are blowing,” she said with a weak shrug. “Some days the signal is easy to carry, and others it seems impenetrable. Anyway, what I hoped to accomplish was to summon some of the world’s most powerful adventurers to climb the tower. They will, of course, be very interested in something like that, so even a scrap of information should have them come calling.”

“Wow. Thanks for that,” Rud said with a laugh.

“Gods, where are my manners?” Elm asked, spinning around and rushing into the tower. “Come in for some tea. I’m sure Daffodil is happy to see Dean, so we can take our time.”

Rud watched as Elm, with exhausted hands, attempted to start the fire and put a pot of tea on. After only a few moments of observing her, he intervened, forcing the woman to sit down while he got the fire going. He pulled some tea from his bag and placed it in the teapot with some water before hanging it over the fire. The heavy bags underneath Elms’s eyes betrayed whatever chipper persona she was trying to maintain. At that moment, she sank into the seat and appeared as though she would fall asleep.

“So, what did I miss?” she asked.

There really wasn’t much to report after the tower appeared. It was business as usual for Rud. He explained how the tower seemed powerful enough to defeat the guardian of the grove, which made Elm gasp in shock. She then looked more worried and more tired than before.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m pretty sure we have it under control,” Rud said, fidgeting with his hands. “As long as the adventurers who went west come back. Anyway, that actually isn’t the reason for my visit today.”

“So, why are you here?” Elm asked. “Perhaps it was a bit selfish of me to think you had just come to check on little old me.”

“Well, you are very cool, and I am concerned about you. I’ll put you in a magical sleep if you don’t go take a nap after I leave. But I’m here to ask you about portals. I need to construct one, and I have absolutely no idea how to do it.”

“Portal magic?” Elm asked, sighing as she sank deeper into her chair. “Of course. Why couldn’t you have asked for something more simple? Like… fireballs or something.”

“I don’t need to cast portal magic. I just need to create a gate that uses the principles. I think my Grove can do the other half of the equation,” Rud said. He sensed the manic wave building in the elf’s body. Like she was going to spring up and give a lecture on portal magic. The druid stood, pressing her down into the chair by the shoulders with both hands. “But I don’t need it today. You gotta get some rest first.”

“I assume the portal will help with the tower situation,” she said.

“Yes. It might be a bit worse than what appears on the surface.”

“Worse than that?” Elm asked, burying her face in her hands. She took another steadying breath. “Okay. No problem. I’m guessing the portal will help you somehow? I also assume your Grove can do something to negate the entanglement effect of the local magic to get the portal working?”

Rud had to think about that for a moment. He didn’t know what this ‘entanglement’ thing was, but he had seen a portal appear in his Grove. Which meant that, yes, someone knew how to overcome the problem. It wasn’t him, but he only needed to make the shape of the gate. “Yep. We got it all sorted out.”

“I’m overjoyed,” Elm said with a sigh of relief. “Okay. I’ll rest. But when I wake up, I’ll go over everything I know about Gates. You’re building a Gate, not a portal.”

“There’s a difference?” Rud asked.

“Is there a difference between a latticework array and a spell sigil?” Elm asked with a laugh. After moving to the more comfortable sofa, she noticed Rud’s deadpan expression. “The answer is yes. Anyway, we’ll get working tomorrow. After I’ve had my tea.”

Rud knelt near the sofa, tapping her on the shoulder like a curious cat until she moved into a lying position. “I’ll finish the tea,” he said, druidic magic climbing to his fingertips. “Just knowing you have answers for me is good enough. I have enough chores in the Grove to keep me busy, anyway.”

“Why are your fingers all glowy?” Elm asked, her eyes going unfocused.

Rud smiled to himself as he cast Nature’s Cleanse. Elm’s eyes fluttered and a moment later she was sawing logs. “The spell will only put you to sleep for a minute… But I’m sure you’ll stay asleep since you’re so exhausted.”

Rud dusted himself off as he stood. Since the fire in the fireplace was still young, he tamped it down until it extinguished. After removing the teapot from the hook in the fireplace and setting it somewhere safe, he left the tower.

“How did it go?” Dean asked, padding over. He was more excitable than before he had reunited with Daffodil.

“She’s real sleepy,” Rud said, shifting into his raven form. “We gotta come back tomorrow once she’s slept it off. Until then, we need to talk to Ban about some guests that might be coming…”