Rud wouldn’t admit he was jealous that Mint had found actual beds for their guests. Waking up in the morning, his pot of whatever was still brewing. He stirred it, removed the bones, then topped it off with water before starting in on his soup. Mushrooms, potonions, and wolf meat all simmered on the stove in his house. Before going to check on the adventurers, he sorted out his tea plants, hanging more bound leaves in the mushroom house.

  A gentle knock came from the side of his mushroom house, carrying with it a hollow sound. Rud stuck his head out of his home, spotting Elmera with her arms folded and a smirk on her face.

  “Care to talk business?”

  “Certainly,” Rud said, exiting and closing his new door on his way out. He didn’t have windows yet, but the door Mint made was a nice addition.

  “How many enchanted ingots did you produce while we were gone?”

  She asked the question before they had even entered the tree house. He waited to respond until he was inside, sitting on a stoop in front of the warm wood stove.

  “Twenty copper ingots,” Rud said, withdrawing a single iron ingot from his bag. “And five iron.”

  Elmera reached out to snatch the bar but stopped herself. She cleared her throat, nodding. “You’re a conduit for the Sacred Tree. The ingots are… impressive.”

  They didn’t seem that special to Rud, but the shy elf’s reaction spoke highly of them. “But I can’t do any kind of volume. My responsibilities here are many and my time limited.”

  “Understandable. I can source high-quality crystal fragments for you at a rate of two per ingot. Then there’s your payment from our dungeon run…”

  Elmera pulled a sack out of nowhere, setting it on the table. Rud reached out to open it, but she tutted. “Don’t spoil the surprise. Twenty crystal fragments from the run. And five Dungeon Core Fragments. As a fire-based dungeon, the core’s reaction was explosive.”

  “Quite the haul.”

  Elmera shrugged. “We skipped some of it after we learned how powerful the dungeon was.”

  “Elmera! Are you bothering the keeper?” Oak shouted from upstairs. She poked her head down, half-way on the stairs.

  “I’m giving him his payment, sister. Don’t ruin a good thing.”

  Oak grumbled, retreating back upstairs. That gave Rud a moment to appreciate how large the interior he created was. It was expansive while still being cozy. The perfect combination of comfort and luxury. Minus amenities, of course. Indoor plumbing might be a bit too far for such a structure.

  “A part of me wants to lie about this next part,” Elmera said, clicking her tongue. She was avoiding eye-contact. “It seems cruel, but the dungeon dropped an item. An item for you.”

  “Oh, goodie. I get to pick a magical item you guys retrieved, right?”

  “You do. And I know you’ll pick this one. But I’m afraid you don’t understand the power and danger that comes from an item like this. For an item to pick a person before the dungeon was cleared is strange.”

  Elmera withdrew an item from her magical storage space. It looked like an ordinary branch, completed with a few leaves sprouting from the top. “Yay. You got me a tree branch. Haven’t seen many of them around here.”

  “You’re not fool enough to believe that. Inspect the item.”

  Rud obeyed, finding that Elmera had no patience for silly banter.

  [Twig of Ban’tanthein]

  Rank 0 Growth Staff

  Bound to: Rud

  Description:

  A piece of the Sacred Tree Ban’tanthein.

  Effect:

  Restores one mana every second, even while in combat.

  While Rud had been looking for a sturdy walking stick, he didn’t know anything about growth staves. Most items had a rarity tag but this one didn’t. Just a rank.

  “You’ll need to explain what this does,” Rud said, staring at the branch in her hand.

  “I’ve seen growth weapons before. Growth armor, jewelry, and so on. I have never seen one at Rank 0, and I have never seen one bind itself to a person.” Elmera held the weapon out for Rud to take, which he did. He felt a rush flood through him as his mana restored faster than normal. Although he was at full mana, he still felt it. “Growth items grow with their user. They match their user’s personality and desires, becoming part of them. Mana must be a problem for you.”

  “It is,” Rud said, nodding with agreement. “I’m always waiting for it.”

  The staff felt right in his hands. Rud grasped it, finding it to be the perfect size for his slight stature. When he stood, it would come up to his head, but no further. He could lean on it with ease. It also made him look like a real druid with his green cloak.

  “So, what was the warning?” Rud asked, finding himself dazzled by the staff.

  “Watch yourself. Keep the staff in check so it doesn’t overtake you.”

  That statement left a strange silence in the building. Rud nodded, agreeing with her even though he didn’t know what she was talking about. His dedication to the grove had become absolute and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Unless the tree turned into some people-eating monster that lived atop a monastery in the mountains—a completely unlikely scenario—he would be fine. Elmera accepted that as the truth and moved on.

  “While I have the fragments from the dungeon, I don’t have any on me I can trade for your ingots. I ask that you allow me to bring samples back to Barlgore. One of each.”

  “That’s fine,” Rud said, shrugging. “So, are you getting enough rest? Did you eat enough? Need anything to be more comfortable.”

  When Elmera smiled, it must have been the first time Rud saw her do so. He smiled back before she could even answer. “We’re doing better than we deserve, spirit.” She performed the sign of respect, touching her forehead and bowing. “And we are glad to have such gracious hosts.”

  “No problem. Just ask the tree if you need anything else. I can understand her, so she’ll relay the message to me.”

  “Thank you for being so understanding, Rud.”

  The staff was cool. Rud used it to guide his path to the Sacred Tree, leaving Elmera to whatever schemes she had cooked up. He stood before Ban, holding the staff above his head in both hands. “Check it out!”

  “Why are you holding a piece of me?”

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  Ban used the telepathic form of communication, likely avoiding unwelcome ears from hearing her side of the conversation. “It was in the dungeon. Apparently. Already bound to me.”

  “Curious. I have to wonder why the system seeded it… That should have been a gift from me.”

  “Yeah, seems kinda weird, right?”

  Ban had some theories, none of which made sense to Rud. He fed her enough fragments to bring her Reserve Energy to one-hundred percent, and her Upgrade Energy to the same level. She hit Level 6, but had no plans to rush to Level 10. The expansions she had created took a toll on her body, and she didn’t seem eager to take the nodule expansion just yet. Despite her claims it would be helpful, caution on her part revealed how much of a strain it would have been.

  Sitting near the Sacred Tree, Rud watched as curious squirrels gathered near the forest’s edge in the distance. He approached them, kneeling to produce shelled nuts from his pack and setting them in a line on the ground. The druid gestured to the squirrels, wagging a warning finger. “One each, alright?”

  Five squirrels gave five nods, lining themselves up and approaching the nuts. They took them in their little paws, nibbling without retreating. When the creatures finished stuffing their faces, they looked up to Rud, expecting more nuts from their newest food source. A message appeared.

  [Skill Gain!]

  Your Animal Communication skill has increased to level 5!

  [Skill Milestone!]

  Your Animal Communication skill has reached a milestone! Please select from the following upgrades…

  It was about time. Rud had neglected this skill, although it was his first. On the surface, talking with animals hadn’t seemed useful. But when the squirrels had clued him in on the dungeon seed, he had seen the value. The list of upgrades for this skill was short. One increased the distance he could hear and speak to animals, while another enabled talking underwater. He inspected the only upgrade that seemed useful for now.

  [Clear Communication]

  Animal Communication Upgrade

  Description:

  What good is communication if you can’t make out what an animal is saying?

  Effect:

  Allows the user to toggle an audible rough translation of what an animal is saying regardless of skill level. The lower the Animal Communication skill, the rougher the translation will be.

  Animals had been expressing their words through gestures until this point. Rud assumed there was a level with the Animal Communication skill where he would understand what the squirrels were saying with clarity. The druid activated his new upgrade, regretting it instantly. A chorus of annoying voices rolled over him, almost deafening in their high-pitched tone.

  “Nuts! Hawk! I like nuts. I like this guy. Tree! Tree! HAWK!?”

  Rud toggled the skill off as quickly as he could, pressing his fingers into his temples. He learned there was a good reason that people never attempted to talk to squirrels. They were annoying. He turned away from the creatures, eyes wide as he slunk back to his mushroom house. If they realized he could hear them—no matter how fractured it was—they wouldn’t leave him alone.

  The stew within his house smelled decent. Rud took a tentative sip after cooling a spoonful. Atop his stool, he smacked his lips. Almost none of the potonion or mushrooms came through, but the broth was decent. A person could eat it without getting sick, he hoped.

  “Mint,” Rud said, looking out of his front door. He watched as the guardian sprung from the bushes in the distance, sprinting across the vast clearing to approach.

  “Yes?”

  “Can you help me carry something heavy? My weak little arms are just gonna drop the soup.”

  “Of course,” Mint said, shifting into her human floor and stooping low.

  Rud almost dropped the soup when he hoisted it off the stove. He held firm, using his butt for balance as he stepped from his stool. Mint easily grasped the pot, picking it up and taking it out the door, waiting for the druid right outside.

  “What are we doing with this?”

  “Take it to either tree house,” Rud said, flicking his finger between the two houses.

  Mint twisted, marching toward the closest tree house. Rud followed behind, proud of his good work. The guardian kicked open the unlocked door, marching into Barrow’s home and placing the pot on the stove. Rud grabbed the lid and a spoon, smacking it repeatedly. The adventurer rushed down the stairs, eyes wide. Elmera and Oak arrived shortly after to inspect the noise.

  “Foods up,” Rud said. “Grab a bowl or five. Let me know how bad it sucks.”

  The adventurers shared a look. Oak and Barrow made their way to the pot, smelling the contents and nodding with approval. Elmera remained behind, arms folded.

  “Do you have any bread?” she asked.

  “I have soup,” Rud said, gesturing to the pot with both hands. “That’s it.”

  When Oak and Barrow had gotten their bowls of soup, Rud and Mint got their own. They all found seats without the house, commenting on how the soup wasn’t poisonous. The druid took it as a compliment. Elmera got her bowl reluctantly, sitting on the stairs rather than joining with the group.

  “I like this,” Rud said, going back for his third bowl of soup.

  “The soup? It is almost acceptable,” Mint said, grabbing her fifth bowl.

  “No. This,” Rud said, gesturing around the room with his spoon.

  Barrow and Oak were laughing together. Even Elmera had a smile on her face as she looked down from the stairs. The light had returned to their eyes. Only because they had a hot meal and a warm and safe place to stay after a difficult adventure. The grove could become a place where the mortals stopped over, warming themselves by the fire to accept some small amount of comfort living their hard lives.

  “I enjoy admiring the joy in their eyes,” Mint said, leaning down to clap Rud on the shoulder. He almost toppled over. “You’re doing a great job.”

  “Everyone has been doing well. Even the new girl.”

  “How about me?” Ban asked, clearly eavesdropping on the conversation.

  “You’re doing the most out of all of us, Ban,” Mint said, sticking her head out of the window to look at the tree. “Better than any of us, you fabulous tree!”

  Rud spent the first half of the day catering to the adventurers. The effect on their mood was immediate, but compounded over those hours. Noon rolled around and they seemed more eager to depart the grove. Any future adventurers passing through should spend a night before heading off to their destination, whether it was a dungeon or otherwise. The strain the mortals suffered was too much to handle in one go.

  “Would you mind leading us out?” Barrow asked, kneeling before Rud. Not as a sign of respect, of course. But because he was so short.

  “Absolutely,” Rud said. “Gather your things and we’ll be off.”

  While Rud waited for the adventurers to gather, Mint worked on cleaning the houses. Barrow, Oak, and Elmera gathered before him after a while, all seeming refreshed from their brief rest. He didn’t need to follow the flags planted by Mira, but walked alongside them anyway to check that they hadn’t been dislodged. The druid guided his path with the branch, pressing it into rocks to check they were secure and supporting his weight over rises and falls.

  “This entire trip has been illuminating,” Oak said, clasping her hands over her chest. “And to think we could finally gain passage to the west.”

  “What’s so hard about the west?” Rud asked.

  “There are no safe roads,” Barrow answered. “The dwarves set up camp to the north—ran for the mountains when they hit the shore as they always do—and everything south of the grove is savage.”

  “The Gladesbale Grove represents a port, even with the dizzying effects of the tree’s magic.” Oak noticed the look on Rud’s face. “Mortals will often get lost when they enter a grove. I’m sure you’ve already seen that. But exposure to a Sacred Tree’s energy over time is damaging. We’ll get sick and eventually die if we spend too much time here.”

  “That’s disconcerting,” Rud said, scratching his chin.

  “And yet,” Elmera put in. “The pain faded when we stayed in the houses.”

  “Something worth studying, I think,” Oak said.

  Rud didn’t participate in the conversation much as they walked. The road Mira was working on was important. He understood why the mortals were reluctant to enter the forest now, and that road would be the most important guide they would have. Several hours of hiking later and the group approached a section of the road, perhaps one-hundred feet into the forest. Work wasn’t being done on it now, but the builders had expertly constructed the road, even accounting for the many rocks and trees within the grove.

  “Oh, that feels good,” Barrow said, sighing as he stepped on the road. “No offense, keeper.”

  The adventurers said their farewells at the forest’s edge. Elmera promised to keep in contact, so Rud told her about his mailbox. It seemed even more important now that he knew mortals would be reluctant to enter the grove. When they departed, he read the single letter written by Mira, and shoved a handful of fragments into his bag. She said that work on the road was going well, but her people had been drawn away from the project temporarily. They wouldn’t be working on the road or logging for a few days, and she apologized.

  Rud shrugged, gathering the materials to cast his Shape Plant spell. He found a decent-enough tree and shaped it to be his new mailbox. With the writing implements Mira had left behind, he wrote a note instructing her to use the new mailbox. This one provided better cover from the elements, and had a box-shaped section she could deposit his payment into. After that, he grew one tree to an absurd size.

  There was a part of the druid that wanted to follow the road to see what the mortals had done. But it only formed as a thought, never solidifying into desire. Without a canopy overhead, he didn’t feel comfortable heading out into the wide world. He instead turned back with the intent of returning to his comfy house.

  “Dwarf is here!” Mint shouted into his mind.

  Rud stepped through the bush. His promised prospector was finally here.