Gladesbale Grove Book 3 - Chapters 37,38,39 (Patreon)

Chapter 37

Gozokan Balt

It wasn’t every day such a powerful item was created within the Grove. And it wasn’t every day that item was crafted but a dwarf. Dwarves had a way of celebrating things, especially those that were so monumental. It took Taz about five seconds from the point where Rud inspected the new hammerpick to march from the smithy with his new tool held high. He sang in the dwarven tongue, punctuating every beat of the song with a thrust high into the air.

The air within the Grove was electric. Those bound to her grace didn’t need a message to get the memo. Before Rud knew it, he was second on a promenade. Taz hoisted the hammer high, and each member of the Grove chanted, “Hammer… Pick!”

“Hammer… Pick!” Ban’s voice flooded through everything. The very plants themselves seemed to sing the praises of the new hammer.

“Gozokan! Balt!” Taz shouted, naming the hammerpick as the members did a circle around the tree.

“Gozokan! Balt!” everyone cheered.

Hours passed as the spirits celebrated the new item crafted by their dwarf. Rud’s senses mostly came back to him, and he turned to find Elm right at the back of the march. A look of pure joy was on her face, even if she wasn’t an official spirit of the Grove. One thing he was happy to see was Jasper in his elf form. He wasn’t the Fabio-looking elf from before, but the scrawny bookworm. The fox spirit had been taken down a peg or two. Good.

Rud knew that Elm wasn’t part of the grove. He hadn’t even offered her the position of champion, but to see her mesh so well, he wondered why she was reluctant to accept a position. Of course, he had to remember she had a life outside of here. She had a mage’s tower in the town and connections to magical organizations on the mainland. When the dancing had died down and the members of the grove regained their senses, he found her, and they laughed together about being drawn into the dance.

“I couldn’t even control myself,” Elm said, still laughing as she wiped tears from her eyes. “But that item he crafted is powerful.”

“Each piece is imbued with a part of the Grove, and the handle is a living piece of Ban herself. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t amazing,” Rud said.

“The second effect on the item is the most interesting. It increases all the effects of his prospector class,” Elm said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen an item that has such an impressive effect.”

“Imagine just having a straight boost to all your skills,” Rud said with a laugh. “I mean, my staff is pretty powerful, so I guess I can’t talk.”

“The power held here never ceases to amaze me…”

Rud bit the inside of his cheek. “Listen… I have a proposition,” he said, looking up from the ground to see a blush spreading across Elm’s cheeks. Perhaps she was simply flushed from so much dancing. “I have this new upgrade for my Custodianship skill. Champion of the Grove.”

“Oh,” Elm said, blinking a few times as her mind realigned to reality. “What does it do?”

“It basically makes you a member of the grove without making you a spirit,” Rud explained. “Anybody who joins the fold within the grove becomes what the mortals call a spirit. They have a soul contract with the tree and are mostly confined to the grove itself, but becoming a champion would allow you to leave if you wanted. I understand if you say no, but...”

“Of course!” Elm shouted, shaking Rud by the shoulders. “Come on! I spend all of my time here. I should already have a house—with a bath and a kitchen—and maybe even a wizard’s tower.”

“I can make her a wizard’s tower,” Ban spoke into Rud’s mind.

“Okay,” Rud said, nodding. “Put your hands on your head and repeat after me.”

Elm nodded, looking serious all of the sudden. She placed both of her hands on her head, her eyes narrowing in focus.

“I promise to be a very good elf,” Rud said, and Elm repeated. “I love animals and trees. I wish my hair was as pretty as Rud’s.”

Elm didn’t repeat the last part, shaking her head as she removed her hands from her head. “Come on, druid. Just use the upgrade.”

Rud only offered a smile. It took only the faintest of wills to use the upgrade. He felt power soaking in from the grove, pooling just beneath Elm’s feet as it absorbed into her. She glowed with a faint green shimmer, and her eyes blazed with power. Her eyes had been a light shade of brown to match her hair. When the glittering power subsided, they were revealed to be a bright shade of green. Behind them was the same peerless sense he experienced when gazing upon her, but a new level of confidence radiated outward, and the grove responded with a shimmer of energy.

“Welcome to Gladesbale Grove, champion,” Ban said.

Elm jumped as Ban spoke to both her and Rud. She looked around, an expression of confusion and bewilderment on her face. “Is that what she sounds like?” she asked. “I didn’t know a tree could sound so pretty.”

Ban giggled into their minds. “I appreciate the compliment. Where is it you would like your Wizard’s Tower, Champion of Gladesville Grove?”

“I have a choice?” Elm asked nervously.

“Come on,” Rud said, grabbing her by the hand and leading her to the nearest bush. “I’ll show you some places you can pick from.”

Elm let out a yelp as they dove headfirst into the bush. Rud dragged her along through the thicket, and a moment later, they appeared in the northeastern section of the grove, just on the edge of an expansive lake. To the north were the dwarven mountains, and not much else. It was peaceful.

“That was Thicket Travel, an upgrade you can use freely,” Rud said. “Just jump into the nearest bush and think about a location. You’ll arrive instantly.”

“I can feel the power of the Grove racing through me,” Elm said, looking down at her hands. She almost didn’t seem to care about the vista before her.

“Powerful stuff, huh?”

“No kidding. But the energy isn’t druidic,” Elm said, still studying her hands. “This is raw power. The thing that exists before our bodies process mana.”

“That’s right,” Ban said. “The Grove is thick with it. If you learn, you can tap into it.”

“Wait, I want some of that power,” Rud said, folding his arms.

“You already use it,” Ban said. “Your body is so soaked with this power that leaving the Grove weakens you. Unless you haven’t noticed…”

“Oh, yeah. I totally noticed,” Rud said, not willing to admit he thought he just got sleepy when he was too far away. He understood enough about the way the Grove worked to know he needed to stay within. “What do you think about this spot? Nice big lake fed from a river. The river comes from the dwarven mountains, so the water is fresh. I think we have a few fish in the lake.”

“This is perfect,” Elm said.

No sooner than Elm said it, that a tree sprang from the nearby rocky shore of the lake. It grew into a rough shape, with roots forming what would eventually become a tower. Rud could sense the amount of power Ban was putting into this one. She wanted it to be magnificent. It would be quite tall.

“Now that we got all the good news out of the way, I’ve got some bad news,” Rud said. “Your sister is likely gonna show up.”

Elm shrugged. “She’ll find I’m much different from when we were adventuring. We never really got along, but some distance has shown me the problem.”

“What’s the problem?”

“I can take her in small doses. Just not every single day.”

“Fair enough.”

Elm had some information to share about the dungeons. They had made great progress on getting the barriers broken on a few dungeons, but that would take a while. Instead, she had shifted her focus back to the underground city. Since that’s where the source of all these problems took place, it only made the most sense. Seeing as Rud needed one of those fancy crystals, he was behind Elm and Jasper dispelling the various wards and traps placed within the city.

As Elm marveled at the growing tower before her, it gave Rud time to think about all his projects. He had to take care of the crystal situation first, but then he also needed to create the path to the north so he could establish his outpost. For once, it wasn’t a terribly long list of things he had to do, and he appreciated the lighter workload. Once the elf had seen enough of her new tower, which would take quite some time to grow, he showed her how to use Thicket Travel to move down into the underground city.

In an instant, Rud appeared in a bush he had planted underground. He waited only a breath before Elm came following behind him.

“Yeah, this is a lot better than the stairs.”

“Always make sure you have a bush nearby,” Rud warned.

“Does a potted plant count? Can I carry a topiary in my storage?” Elm asked.

Rud scratched his chin. “Maybe.”

“Testing is required,” Elm said, pointing a finger in the air. She cleared her throat. “Anyway, why are we here?”

“I need some fancy magical crystals so the other groves can make an observatory,” Rud said. “So, I guess I’m here to ask you if you need any help down here.”

“I’m fairly certain the crystal you’re looking for can be sourced from the giant one stuck in the ceiling,” Elm said, pointing upward. “So once we have a safe way to excavate that, you’re golden.”

“What’s keeping us from chipping off a piece?”

“That thing is tied in with the ambient magic,” Elm said. “Which means it also draws from the various lingering magics in the air. Once we remove that magic, it’ll be mostly safe to chip off a bit. Hold on… can I summon Jasper?”

“Yeah, just think about talking to him and you can speak into his mind.”

Elm pinched her eyes closed, concentrating. A moment later, her eyes snapped open and darted to the bush. Jasper came through in his fox form, his tail flicking around.

“I suppose I don’t need to use magic for you to understand me now,” Jasper said with a laugh. “That should make things easier.”

“I can also understand the other spirits, right?” Elm asked.

“For better or worse,” Rud grumbled. “Anyway, can I help?”

“Yes, I think so,” Jasper said, sauntering toward the spire. “We’re ready to break the main seal on the tower. Since we’ve already gone through about twenty layers, you’d think the last few would be easy. But you’d be wrong. The last one is the worst.”

“If we use Ban’s siphoning power, we can drain a lot of the excess energy away,” Elm said. “Then we can take a chunk of the crystal.”

“Hey, just tell me where you need me.”

The group ascended the tower, finding their way to the top floor with ease. Thanks to the roots Rud had already pulled down here, the task he was given was easy enough. He pulled those roots down, creating walkways that hung from the roof of the cave. It gave them access to the crystal. He wrapped both the crystal and the tower itself in roots before returning to the top floor.

“Yes, the siphoning is going well,” Jasper said, now in his fox form. “Can you see how the magical field is weakening.”

“Indeed,” Elm said. “Are we ready to shatter it?”

“Let’s just give it a crack first, okay?” Jasper said. “Wouldn’t want to… you know. Cascade and all that.”

“Have you been reading?” Elm asked, a broad smile spreading across her face.

“You hurt my pride, elf,” Jasper said, his tail poofing out.

Elm laughed. “Well, let’s crack this thing so Rud finally has the fancy crystal he wants.”

“Right. On my mark…”

Rud watched as the pair of them did some magical stuff. There were words, sigils, channeling, and other things. The arcane magic they used to put a crack in the array was so far beyond him that they could’ve been dancing in circles and he would believe it was the right method. But when the ground shifted under his feet, the entire underground city rumbling, he knew they had done something.

“Ah. That’s what they call a ‘bad outcome’ in the academies, right?” Jasper asked.

“Rud!” Elm shouted.

Whatever else she wanted to say to him was cut off by the sound of the cavern collapsing.

Chapter 38

Burn the Water

Since Rud had arrived in this world, one thing had rung true for him constantly. He had gained the Druid class and immersed himself in all the aspects that represented two different types of Druids. These powers meant different things. Some focused on shape-shifting, while others focused on healing. But Rud's specialty was with plants. As long as there was a plant nearby, he was happy. His connection with them was absolute, especially within the Grove. When those plants were directly connected to Ban, his powers were improved even further.

The moment the cavern began collapsing, the only thing he could think about was plants. The ones nearby, those empowered by the sacred tree's energy, formed around him in an instant. They were connected to a latticework on the roof above and were easy to pull down. He was only in free fall for about a second before he and his companions were wrapped in those protective roots, forming a shell that held them suspended as the rocks from the cavern fell below.

Both Elm and Jasper shrieked while Rud wove his magic. The sound of the collapse outside their bubble faded and a single glowing flower bloomed within their cage.

“Everyone good?” Rud asked.

“Against all odds, we’re alive,” Elm said with a nervous laugh. “I don't think we did it correctly.”

“No, I do believe that’s what you call a screw-up,” Jasper said, sitting and wrapping his tail around himself. “Nice save, Rud.”

"I'm here to help," Rud said, giving them the thumbs up. He couldn't tell much about what was happening outside of their root prison, but it didn't feel good. There was an intense pressure pushing in on them, and the only thing holding the barrier together was him actively casting the Shape Plant spell.

The druid pushed those roots upward, forming them into a staircase that they ascended without question. He pushed through the rock and felt the pressure lessen the higher they got. He drew on every bit of his experience with plant magic and performed an impressive display that betrayed his rank-one status. Both his attributes and his upgrades worked in concert to create a clear path. Only when they were high enough to avoid the strange gravitational pressure did he encourage a nearby root to sprout branches and leaves, which the group then passed through, appearing on the surface unscathed.

“Everyone got all their limbs?” Rud asked.

“One, two, three, four… Yep, I’m good,” Elm said.

“My tail is slightly dirty,” Jasper said. “But I’m otherwise unharmed.”

Joking was easy for some people, but Rud felt shaken. He cleared his mind as best he could and rushed over to the stairway he had originally built for Elm. Something within him told him that teleporting down into the underground city was a bad idea, and the party joined him as he descended those steps. After passing a certain threshold, he felt that same gravitational energy and backed off, with the group coming to a stuttering halt behind him. He reshaped the routes around him, creating a balcony with a safety rail.

Rud stepped onto the platform, letting out a low whistle. “That ain’t right.”

“It most certainly isn’t,” Jasper said.

The central spire had been completely destroyed. All the rocks above it and many of the buildings below had been drawn into a point, creating a tangled sphere of rocks and debris. It was as though the gravity at a singular point had been turned up to an absurd degree, drawing everything in around it. The sound of the rocks shifting still echoed through the open cavern, creating an eerie song that made Rud's spine crawl.

“Ew, I hate it,” the druid said.

“What exactly happened?” Elm asked, blinking as she tried to make sense of the scene. It was hard enough to see, even if some glowing fungus provided minimal light. A moment later, the elf cast a spell that had an orb of light sailing toward the wreckage. The light provided no more answers. “Did we hit a trap?”

“That’s possible,” Jasper said. “Woefully, you’re the expert. I am but a neophyte before you.”

“Everyone look on the bright side. We’re not dead,” Rud said.

“Yes, but it was close,” Jasper said. “I thought it was enough to have you  wrap everything in roots to absorb the energy, but you used it to make a barrier. If not for your affinity for Plant Magic…”

“This is my fault,” Elm said. Her face had drained of color. “I’m not qualified to do something like this. I should’ve never pretended I could.”

“Nonsense. You did a great job,” Rud said, his eyes lingering on the giant crystal. “We can either dig the crystal I need from the rubble, or we can just chip some now… Right?”

Jasper and Elm shared a look.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Would it?” Jasper asked.

“Why not? We activated a Gravity Magic ward that collapsed the rest of the magical seals protecting the city,” Elm said. “Functionally, we’re in the clear.”

“Except the gravity spell is still doing… something,” Jasper said.

Rud was already making a walkway to bring him to the crystal. He attached roots to the ceiling of the cave, watching with care as some chunks of rock fell to the ground below. Nothing more roots couldn’t fix. Elm and Jasper watched as he flooded the interior of the cave with roots. His staff glowed bright green as he created pillars to support the unstable rock. He ignored when his Construction Magic reached Level 3 and his Druid class level hit Level 2.

Sweat had formed on Rud’s forehead long ago. His stomach grumbled as he fell into his work. Both Elm and Jasper watched as he worked, not saying a word as he created enough pillars and supports within the cave to prevent any future cave-in. He couldn’t stop thinking about the way his friends had been in danger, and wouldn’t see it happen again. It was within his power to command the rock not to fall, and he intended to see his will through to the end.

When he was finally done, Rud fell to the ground. Well, he fell onto one of the many criss-crossing platforms that now dominated the interior of the cave.

“There,” he said, breathlessly. “Now we’re safe. Forever. Amen.”

Jasper nodded with approval. “Well, that’s one way to do it. I would’ve done it with a bit more tact.”

Elm nudged the fox with her foot. “You’ve got to be kidding me. That was amazing. Did you see how he drew on the Grove’s energy to cycle his mana? He basically had infinite mana.”

“Yes, yes. Don’t inflate his head too much,” Jasper said with a growl. “He might just float away.”

“Nah, keep going,” Rud said, panting for breath.

Jasper shifted into his nerdy elf form, helping Rud to his feet. “Come on. Let’s get you over to the longhouse for some food.”

Elm took Rud’s other side and helped him get to the nearest bush. They arrived outside the longhouse to witness quite the sight. Taz had his hammerpick hoisted high above his head, pumping it up and down. Dean and Sarya followed behind, howling at the fading light of the day. It seemed as though the procession hadn’t ended.

“Would ya look at that,” Rud said. “Guess they’re still going.”

“How long do you think they’ll dance for?” Elm asked.

Rud scratched his chin. “Good question. If Taz dances through the night, Sarya will stick with him. But Dean will drop off in a few hours no matter what.”

“Major got tired pretty quickly, didn’t he?” Jasper asked. “What a cowardly bear.”

Rud only grunted. Major wasn’t cowardly. He was just sleepy. The bear was so good at finding nuts and mushrooms in the forest that the druid couldn’t judge.

“Looks like Taz might be too busy to make dinner,” Rud said. “Do either of you know how to cook?”

“Nope,” Jasper said. “Unless you consider raw meat to be a food.”

“I do not,” Rud said.

“We have cheese, milk, and… Well, I might have some dried pasta in my bag,” Elm said. Rud gave her a concerned look. “What? I like having something familiar to eat on the road.”

“Fair enough. Let’s go.”

Rud wasn’t surprised to see the longhouse mostly empty. Major was napping in the corner, but he only yawned and waved a lazy paw. But Elm had already burst into action. She had a pot filled with enchanted water, a copper pan the druid had never seen before, and an assortment of cutting instruments out and at the ready. Without prompting she was cutting stuff, oiling a pan, and doing other cooking stuff. Unless it came in a package or frozen, Rud wasn’t much for cooking. Instead, he fell into the same role he served within the Grove. A helper.

“Don’t burn the water,” Elm warned after giving Rud the honorable job of watching for the water to boil. “Jasper, could you sweat the onions?”

“Sure thing, boss,” Jasper said, assuming his nerd form and minding the pan.

“Throw the meat in once they’re clear. Then we’ll add the cream and cheese,” Elm said.

“Seriously. I didn’t know you could cook,” Rud said.

“I can’t. This is just something I make on the road. Well, I have a lot more fresh stuff to work with here. Normally, I just have the onion, meat, and pasta.”

“Mmmm. Sounds like a horrific dish,” Rud said.

The team worked together, getting the pasta boiled and the base of a cream sauce ready. Once the onions were translucent, Jasper added the meat, cooking it until brown. That left a nice crust at the bottom of the pan, which Elm removed by adding some broth. Where she had obtained the broth was anyone’s guess, but the pan sizzled as it released the delicious crusty goodness from the bottom. Then came the milk, which she mixed with the broth. After that was the cheese, which she melted in large chunks so it would mix throughout.

Rud couldn’t remember when she added the mushrooms, but there were quite a few within the creamy mix.

Elm strained as she tried to lift the large pan from the fire.

“Step aside,” Rud said, rolling up his sleeves. “I got this.”

Rud pretended to struggle with the pan, winking as he lifted it with ease and set it to the side. “Now what?” he asked.

Elm dumped the pasta into the mix without waiting, combining the two parts before lumping a helping on a small plate. After blowing it cool, she gave it a taste and grumbled. “More salt,” she said, further seasoning the dish. “And some leaves.”

“Just some leaves?” Rud asked.

“Herbs,” Elm clarified.

“What kind of herbs?”

“Dunno,” Elm admitted, testing the dish again. “Oh, yes. Much better. Give it a try.”

Rud shrugged, sampling her creation. One thing the druid didn’t like about some milk-based dishes was how much they tasted like nothing. He used to go to this Italian place that served chicken alfredo which tasted like milk and almost nothing else. But this? It was something else entirely.

The creamy sauce had a rich flavor that blended the venison together perfectly with the mushrooms, milk, and cheese. It was salty, but not too salty. And the pasta? It was slightly firm and the thick noodles held a ton of sauce when Rud wound some around a fork.

“Hold up,” Rud said, shoveling another forkful into his mouth. “Why aren’t we eating this every night?”

Elm took another bite. “Because we’d be bigger than Major.”

The bear looked up, narrowing his eyes. “I would hurl curses you’ve never heard before if not for the fact that you can now understand me.”

“Hurl away,” Elm said. “Come on, Rud. Get some plates.”

The spirit animals weren’t so interested in eating the dish. Jasper was brave enough to try it, but the pasta wasn’t to his taste. But the scent had drawn in Taz from his parade, forcing him to the table with a plateful of food. Once the group had their fill, Rud was happy to take a portion of it over to the adventurers in the unnamed southwest section of the Grove.

They were beyond appreciative, devouring the food with speed.

Thanks to the close brush with death, Rud had pushed the crystal and his duty to the other Groves out of his mind. They could wait another day. These things took time.

Chapter 39

Happy as an Underground Dwarf

Wooden crates were stacked high in the portal room, topped with several wheels of cheese and pots of tea. An empty wooden box—formed from mature wood from one very lucky oak tree—was empty. It was the future home of the crystal shard. The one thing River’s Grove really needed to get their Observatory running. Even if Rud had never met Kiara, he wanted her in the fold more than anything.

He wanted the Groves to be whole.

“Are you forgetting anything?” Elm asked.

“The kitchen sink, maybe,” Rud said. “We have enough energy to send a bunch of crap. So I’m sending a bunch of crap.”

“Yet, you’re missing the most important thing.”

Although that was true, the most difficult work had already been done. They might not have handled the underground city problem correctly, but it was managed. He now had access to a large supply of those crystal shards, which could be used to power each and every grove. Alongside that, they also had a functioning Gate, which would provide them free access to the other groves, as long as they had the energy to power it.

“I’ll get to that,” Rud said. “Ban is doing some checks on her condensed power reserves, then we’re good to make a link.”

“No luck talking to River through Bent?” Elm asked.

Rud shot her a concerned look. It was an expression he couldn’t wipe away so easily. Dealing with Bent was a last resort in his book. Understanding what the stag was thinking was an impossible task. The last way Bent had looked at him still sent shivers up his spine when he brought the image into thought.

“Absolutely not,” Rud said. “You’ll learn more about him when the time is right.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so serious,” Elm said. “But I’ll drop it. Want to go grab a few fragments?”

“A few?”

“You were only going to send one?” Elm said with a laugh. “We should send five. At least.”

“Fair enough,” Rud said, doing a count of the crates and double-checking their contents. Everything was there. Kiara would have some seriously good food by the end of the day. And she’d have an observatory. “Let’s go.”

Jasper was busy with something today, although he wouldn’t say what it was. Instead, Rud and Elm were joined by Dean, which the elf was delighted for.

“I can finally hear you!” Elm said, patting the wolf on the head. “What a joy.”

“Indeed. It is my belief that all should hear my voice. Even when they don’t want to,” Dean said.

Rud didn’t want to teleport down into the city. Just in case his efforts to bolster the area had failed. Instead, they used the spiral staircase he had created, descending the steps at a decent pace. It allowed for light conversation, something Dean seemed all too eager to engage in.

“So you have joined our Grove,” Dean said, hopping down the steps. It was awkward for a quadruped to take the stairs.

“Not exactly,” Elm said, producing an awkward laugh. “I’m the champion, which means I’m kind of a member, but I’m not bound by the same contract.” 

“Wait, that was an option?” Dean asked.

“For one person,” Rud said. “You don’t count since you’re a wolf.”

“Ah, understandable.”

To Rud’s delight, the supports he had created for the underground city had held up overnight. Although he could feel the wood straining, he knew they would hold for quite a while. If he infused them with even more of his power, they would last even longer. This was a great success, and they now had free access to the giant crystal embedded in the ceiling. The group moved to the scaffolding, standing close enough to the crystal to feel the energy radiating from it.

Rud cracked his neck, readying his staff. “Looks like a job for me,” he said, pulling the artifact back and swinging it through the air. The wooden staff impacted the crystal, sending a disorienting vibration through his body.

Rud only realized it was a bad idea after he fell back onto the ground, unable to stop his forearms from hurting fiercely. Both Dean and Elm did their best not to laugh, but they couldn’t hold it and were soon rolling on the ground.

“Perhaps smacking the gigantic magical crystal with a stick wasn’t the best of ideas,” Dean said.

“I’m all ears,” Rud responded, finally pulling himself to his feet and dusting himself off.

“Well, I know of a certain dwarf who just got a fancy new pickaxe hammer thing. It might be perfect for extracting a few samples of the crystal,” Elm said.

It was far better than the current plan of staring at the giant glowing crystal and doing nothing else. Rud excused himself through a bush he generated and appeared just outside the blacksmith. He was happy to see that the dwarf was only stoking the fires of the forges and hadn’t quite started working yet. It was the perfect time to interrupt him and force him to go underground. Dwarves loved going underground, didn’t they?

“Of course I’ll take any chance to go underground,” Taz said with a booming laugh. “Just lead the way. If you need somebody to smack something, I’ve got the perfect tool,” he said, hoisting his hammerpick high into the air and laughing.

Rud led the dwarf through the nearest bush, and they soon arrived at the scaffolding right near the crystal. Taz sized it up, rubbing his beard and shaking his head as though he could discern something from it just by looking at it. Rud, Elm, and Dean stood back, waiting for the only person in the grove with an appropriate class to solve the problem.

If there was some kind of danger of magical interaction, Elm didn’t express it. Instead, the group simply watched as a Taz wound up, swinging the hammer’s pick side first into the side of the crystal. It created the same resounding echo as when the druid hit it with his staff. But this time, the tiniest shard fell off—barely a piece of dust that danced to the platform below.

“That was just a practice swing!” Taz shouted.

The dwarf rested his hammer on the ground for a moment, spitting into his palms and rubbing his hands together before hoisting the tool once again. This time, he wound back with far more conviction and put his entire weight into the swing. It slammed against the side of the crystalline protuberance, sending a slight shockwave through the entire city. The shockwave seemed to travel along the rocks, creating small tremors that changed the pressure in the air. The dwarf was vibrating on the spot as a much larger piece of the crystal fell down, perhaps the size of the druid’s pinky.

“That one looks good to me,” Elm said, nodding with approval.

“We need a few more, if it isn’t too much trouble,” Rud shouted, getting a bit more distance away from the crystal.

Taz turned back, giving the thumbs-up before preparing to hit again. “I’m going all out on this one!”

True to his claim, the dwarf seemed to take on a more serious tone and posture. He coiled back, putting all his weight on his back foot before springing forward. This time, when he struck the crystal, the shockwave came from the impact between the object and the hammer itself. Rud could feel the wind on his face, and this time four perfectly shaped, pinky-sized crystals fell to the platform below, clattering before coming to rest. Each one held the same lustrous glow as the larger piece and a magical potential that the druid could only hope to sense.

“My hero,” Dean said, doing his best to drive all sarcasm from his voice. The other members of the Grove knew the dwarf had some amount of pride in his abilities. When it came to things that needed to be mined or otherwise smacked with a very fancy hammerpick, the dwarf took himself very seriously.

“Excellent work,” Rud said, coming close to the shards, but not daring to touch them. He looked at Elm for advice, but she only shrugged.

“They should be safe,” she said. “Although I’m not sure about my track record with magical things lately.”

Rud trusted her judgment and scooped up each small shard, holding them in his hands for a few moments. He felt nothing from them and decided they were completely inert. At least they wouldn’t kill him just through contact. There was no system description of the items, but he had to trust that this was what he needed to send to Bendy Brook Grove, so he shoved them into his bag.

“Great work, everyone,” Rud said. “Please proceed to the nearest bush and exit in an orderly fashion. If you’d like to see the operation of the Grove’s Gate, make your way to the portal room as soon as possible. Thanks for flying Gladesbale Air.”

Whether the denizens of this world had any idea about the airplane reference he had just made, Rud couldn’t say. However, they all proceeded through the nearest bush and appeared outside the gate building. The druid could feel the energy crackling in the condenser, ready to be used at any moment, and he was eager to put it to work.

After checking the supplies again, Rud placed several shards into his specialized box, sealing it for transport.

“Is everything ready?” he asked, looking more to the tree for comfort than anything else.

“We’re ready,” Ban said, speaking with her true voice.

It didn’t pass Rud’s notice that Elm shivered when the sacred tree spoke. It would take her time to fully get used to the Sacred Tree’s voice, but he was confident she would get there. The druid looked back at the people who had assembled to help him throw the boxes through the portal and nodded. They were all prepared to get to work right away.

Powerful energies gathered in the center of the Gate as it tapped into the Wild Way. That green energy coalesced in the center, creating a fine pointed leaf that spread out to create a magical sheen like the surface of a scummy pond. A moment later, Rud felt the energies click together, and he understood the portal had appeared on the other side. Without delay, he grabbed the nearest wheel of cheese and tossed it through, swiveling back to find Elm, handing him another crate. The members of the Grove worked in tandem, creating a chain that sent the supplies through the shimmering portal quickly. Only a moment after the last box went through, the portal snapped shut, and the gate went quiet. 

“So, uh… How do we know if it worked?” Elm asked after an extended silence.

“It worked,” Ban said. “Bent still has mixed feelings about us using the Wild Way. But after I explained our planned application, he mysteriously dropped the subject.”

Rud noticed how Ban didn’t say that he was happy after she explained. He just dropped the subject. The one thing the druid had to remember about Bent was that he wasn’t a normal spirit. He was something so great that words were hard to describe. One day, the druid was sure he would understand the scale of that guy’s power, but for now he was just content to know he wasn’t in his way.

“I’ll have Kiara on the radio once her observatory is built,” Rud said. “Well, whenever that happens. Hard to see how things work in River’s Grove…”

“Well, if you don’t mind, I’m going to mind the forge,” Taz said, stretching. “So long as I didn’t burn it down while I was away.”

As Taz walked away, Rud couldn’t help himself but think about how strong that dwarf was. Maybe he didn’t realize it, but crafting an item like that was incredibly impressive. One day Taznoz Coalbranch’s true power would come out. Whatever he had done to become an apostate would be forgotten. He’d be remembered as a dwarf who joined a Druid Grove.

“Care for some tea?” Elm asked.

“Oh, you don’t even have to ask,” Rud said, turning away from the portal. He didn’t look back as they made their way to the longhouse for some delicious tea.