Rud emerged from the bushes, pushing his way through the underbrush as he rushed toward the Sacred Tree. Mint was crouched, pressing her hand against the forehead of a prone figure. As he drew closer, he saw the bearded form of the dwarf. With a fat nose, bald head, and beard that went down to his belly, the sleeping dwarf was shorter than Rud but twice as wide. The druid didn’t feel so bad about his height anymore. But once thoughts of vanity faded away, concern replaced them.

  “Is he okay?” Rud asked.

  “Absolutely not,” Mint scoffed. “Idiot didn’t wait at the forest’s edge like we expected.”

  “He tried—” Ban started, stopping when the dwarf winced in pain. “He tried to find his way here on his own.”

  “What was that,” Rud said, gesturing between Ban and the dwarf.

  “Mortals cannot hear her true voice. It causes them extreme pain,” Mint answered.

  “Good to know,” Rud said, pressing his hand to the dwarf’s forehead. It seemed slightly hot, but he didn’t know how hot the dwarves ran. The man was lightly clothed, compared to what most people wore in this inhospitable environment. “Get him in a house, Mint. The adventurers said they didn’t feel sick in the houses.”

  Mint nodded, scooping the dwarf up as though he weighed nothing and rushing over to the first house. She shot up to the second floor, placing him on the bed there and dragging a seat over to watch him.

  “Do you know of any herbal plants?” Mint asked.

  “Just the tea. Want me to get him some tea?”

  “It might help,” Mint said, brushing dirt from the side of the dwarf’s face. “He cannot accept the pact with Ban’tanthein if he isn’t conscious.”

  Rud rushed off to his mushroom house, plucking dried herbs from above his door. He ground them with a stick, breathed life into his fire, and placed a teapot on the stove. When it boiled, he rushed the pot back to the tree house with a cup in hand, pouring one out for the dwarf when he reached the second floor. Mint cooled it down, tilting the dwarf’s head and forcing him to take a drink. By the time the first cup was gone, the dwarf seemed less likely to perish.

  “Some color has returned to his face,” Mint said, placing her hands on his cheek. The dwarf winced back. Mint had icy hands. “Now he must recover.”

  Rud left the room with Mint, trying to wrap his mind around the situation. “So, he was called here by the gods? How does that work?”

  “The spirit animals of the world have always worked with the gods. We exert power on the mortal plane, and they do their thing from their plane. Sometimes we have to work together.”

  “And where does the dwarf come in?”

  “I don’t know the details. Bent handled that transaction, but an apostate needed a new home. His old god liked him enough to send him on a path, and here he is.”

  All Rud could say was, “fair enough.”

  The day was already getting late. Mint and Rud took turns checking on the dwarf and forcing him to sip tea. How the little dude didn’t need to pee was beyond the druid, but he rolled with it. There was enough of the stew leftover from the adventurers for everyone to have a bowl or two. The druid retired to his house, falling into his uncomfortable chair and staring into the wood stove. He fell asleep in that chair, forgetting his duties as caretaker of the dwarf.

  ###

  “Come, Rud! The dwarf wiggles!” Mint shouted into Rud’s mind.

  The druid had just fallen out of his chair, desperate to get his sore muscles moving. When Mint’s voice entered his mind, he skittered along the ground until he was tripping and running through the forest clearing. He rushed up the stairs of the tree house, finding that the dwarf was staring at the ceiling with a wide-eyed expression.

  “I gotta pee,” the dwarf said, falling out of the bed and tumbling down the stairs. “I’m okay!”

  Mint and Rud shared a look, the druid realizing something strange about the grove. “We don’t have to pee here, do we?”

  “Nope.”

  “When was someone gonna tell me I haven’t peed in a week?”

  “More than a week.”

  Mint and Rud followed the dwarf, watching as he hoisted his pants back up and coming around the tree house.

  “You should get back into the house,” Rud said, forcing a weak smile. “Or you’ll get sick again.”

  With both hands on his pants and unable to affix the clasps to his suspenders, the dwarf waddled back into the building. He fell into the nearest chair and shifted his gaze between Mint and Rud, trying desperately to process the situation.

  “Is this it?” The dwarf asked. “Gladesbale? I would have wagered every whisker in my beard that I’d never end up here. In a forest of all places.”

  “You’re welcome to leave,” Mint said, flashing a wolf-like smile.

  “Nope. I’m eager to keep my life if it's all the same to you.”

  “What’s your name?” Rud asked.

  The dwarf drew himself up, snapping his suspenders. “Taznoz Coalbranch. You can call me Taz. Would it be too much to ask for your names?”

  “Rud and Mint,” Rud said, gesturing between himself and Mint. “We call the tree Ban, but her full name is Ban’tanthein. You’ll see Sarya around here somewhere.”

  “Pleasant introductions aren’t necessary,” Mint said, rolling her shoulders. She snatched Taz by the shirt and lifted him into the air. “Do you swear to do no harm to the grove!?”

  Taz whimpered.

  “Do you!?”

  “Of course!”

  “Do you swear to uphold the tenets placed by the Sacred Tree Ban’tanthein!? On pain of death!?”

  “Yes!”

  “Do you accept the contract presented before you?” Mint asked, pulling a ream of familiar parchment out of her armor. It was the same contract Rud had signed.

  “Absolutely!”

  Mint dropped Taz to the ground, slapping the contract on the floor and handing him a length of charcoal to sign with. The dwarf did so without hesitation.

  “Welcome to the family!” Mint said, her voice far too cute for someone so scary.

  “Guess I had to pee some more,” Taz said, whimpering gently.

  “Rud. Wash the cub and show him around,” Mint said, turning on the spot. “There are matters that need my attention.”

  And she was gone without fanfare. Rud and Taz shared a nervous look.

  “Come on,” the druid said. “I have a washtub near the enchanted pool.”

  “Is she always that way?” Taz asked, probing the area around his neck to search for injuries. “I think I’m in love.”

  “Everyone falls in love with Mint. You’ll get over it.”

  Rud and Taz stepped out of the house and stood before the Sacred Tree. “This is Ban. Above everything else, protect her. Without her, there is no grove.”

  “You flatter me, Rud,” Ban said, the voice coming from everywhere. This time, Taz didn’t wince at the sound.

  “That’s the tree talking?” Taz asked. “That’ll take some time to get used to.”

  “You’ll get over that too,” Rud said, waving a dismissive hand.

  “Just never pictured myself in a forest. With trees. Let alone a talking tree.”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “I have a feeling Taz will feel more at home in the mine, Rud,” Ban said.

  “You have a mine?” Taz said, his face lighting up. “Really?”

  “Complete with a cave and bats.”

  “Let’s go. Which direction—I’ll lead the way.”

  Rud laughed, slapping the dwarf on the back. “We don’t walk around here, buddy. Just walk through a bush and think about the mine.”

  “Walk through a… And think about the…” Taz said, confusion washing over his face.

  “Trust me,” Rud said, leading by example. He walked through the nearest bush, his next step right outside of the mine.

  A moment later, the dwarf tumbled out of the bush, falling flat on his face. “Oof!’

  “You’ll get used to it. Let me show you the mine,” Rud said, approaching his shack and accepting the Aspect of Gug.

  “What was that?” Taz asked.

  There were going to be a lot of questions. Rud didn’t think he would be annoyed with another member in the grove, but the dwarf had a lot of questions. He calmed himself, realizing that this was like the problem with the adventurers. Taz had been walking for a long time, and had been lost in the forest for a few days. He was given a new lease on life, even if he didn’t know what that meant.

  Rud explained the aspect system which allowed him to assume any role within the grove. Once that was explained, Taz tutted and looked at the mine’s entrance.

  “You call those supports? Those beams are rotted through. How hasn’t this collapsed yet?” he asked, scoffing every few words. “If we were in the mountain homes, you would go to jail. Straight to jail! No trial.”

  “I didn’t make the mine. I found it,” Rud said, glaring. “Come on, you’re ruining my tour. Do you need a torch or something?”

  “Dwarves can see in low light conditions, my forest friend,” Taz said, striking a proud pose.

  Taz judged absolutely everything about the mine. He still didn’t have his class. That had been stripped away by the god after he did something he wouldn’t talk about. But his knowledge of mining and the construction of mines was vast. He identified each vein by sight, and pointed out likely locations to find more fragments. Without being prompted, the dwarf established a plan to create offshoots from the main path.

  “The bats are a problem though,” Taz said, whispering as they stood near the cave’s entrance.

  “Let me try something,” Rud said. He activated his Clear Communication upgrade. A flood of bat words came rushing in.

  “Sleeping is cool. I like bugs. Is it dark? Bugs. BUGS.”

  “Hey guys,” Rud whispered, waving up to the bats. Endless rows of beady eyes turned to him.

  “Interloper? We should scatter. RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”

  “No, I’m cool,” Rud said, trying to keep his voice calm. “I just wanted to say that we’re not mean. We’re just here to check out your cave.”

  “Not bad? Good? Fine. Sleeping.” The voices came as a confusing chorus. Rud had trouble picking out individual words, but felt the bats understood his meaning well enough. He toggled the upgrade off and turned to Taz with a hearty thumbs-up.

  “What was all that squeaking for?”

  “I can talk to animals. Kind of.”

  “That’s a useful skill to have in a forest,” Taz said, nodding with approval.

  “I told them to chill out. So hopefully they chill out.”

  The bats were fine with the pair entering their cave now. They didn’t scatter as they inspected the ore within the area, and even allowed them to talk at a decent volume.

  “Yeah, someone cut this section out,” Taz said, inspecting the tool marks on the wall. “They likely built this mine to get at the mithril. But we’re not pulling that ore out. Not without someone with a high-level mining skill and some serious tools.”

  “At least I know what it is, now.”

  “Yep. Come on, I wanna show you something,” Taz said, turning and leaving the cavern section of the mine. He led Rud back to the first tunnel near the entrance. “I say we dig this way. Pretty sure we have a few seams in this direction, but I wanted a favor.”

  “Already asking for favors?” Rud asked, nudging Taz in the ribs.

  The dwarf nodded, licking his lips. “I’ve lived my whole life underground. When I was… When I lost my class, it ruined me. When I was offered that branch of hope, I snatched at it. But I can’t live in a tree. I need to live here. In the mine.”

  “That’s fine. I don’t care where you sleep,” Rud said.

  “I want to mine this section out. To show that I can work hard, and make a house for myself. Do you think the tree would allow that?”

  “Of course I would. I want all members of this family to be comfortable,” Ban said, speaking into their minds.

  “Oh, yeah. She can see and hear you no matter where you go.”

  "That's information that should have been given to me initially,” Taz said without a hint of malice in his voice. Instead, he sounded embarrassed. “I thank you for your generosity, Ban. Truly.”

  There was a silent moment after that, and a wave of recognition from the Sacred Tree. Once the moment was over, Rud showed Taz where he kept the tools. There were enough pickaxes and shovels in the Mining Workshop by now. Mint had been collecting junk she found in the abandoned areas near the grove, depositing them in their respective buildings. The duo stood before a wall between two wooden support beams, the dwarf running his fingers over the stone.

  “What is your class, anyway?” Taz asked, pressing his cheek against the cold stone.

  “Druid. With the Grove Custodian subclass.”

  “A mining druid, huh?” Taz asked, tutting. “Can’t say I know what a custodian is, though.”

  This was the first mortal that Rud met that didn’t know how the groves worked. Some parts of the groves were shrouded in mystery, and people used different words for the positions within, but every other person he met knew the core ideas. Taz was a complete outsider, holding no reverence for the Sacred Tree, the guardian, or the custodian. The druid explained how the positions worked as the dwarf sized up the wall.

  “Can’t say I’ve had many dealings with Sparwyn,” Taz said, grunting as he took his first swing at the wall. Rud was impressed by how much stone fell away in the single strike. “I’ve heard they love trees, but never imagined something like this.”

  Rud took a swing at the wall, thinking he was helping. Taz tutted again.

  “You’ve clearly never mined before,” Taz said, guiding Rud’s pick into a more favorable position. “Strike up more than down. Start behind you, swivel your hips, and put your weight into the hit. That’s better. Further back, though. Now you’re swinging like a dwarf!”

  “Thanks,” Rud said, grunting as he swung his lightweight pickaxe against the wall. “Like that?”

  “Perfect. I know a man with the Lightweight Picks upgrade when I see it. So that subclass gives you access to skills from other classes? That’s fancy stuff right there.” Taz grunted, removing a large chunk of rock from the wall. “Each one is tied to a spirit aspect? Would’ve never guessed.”

  Things in the world seemed to fall away when Taz was striking at the stone. The way he relaxed after getting a few good hits seemed like an addict finally getting what they needed. They took a water break after a while.

  “You can leave me here,” Taz said, drawing deep breaths. “This is my penance. I need some time to think.”

  Rud nodded, pausing at the mine’s entrance. “Don’t be a stranger, alright?

  “I won’t.”

  Getting Taz settled into the mine was the right move. Ban was right, once again, about what was best. He traveled to the enchanted pond, filing his two buckets and shoving them in his backpack before heading off to the stump field. It was still empty. Not a single tent was in sight, and the road was where it was yesterday. The druid went through the field, spreading water everywhere without regard to sprouts. The rainwater hadn’t grown the trees as tall as his enchanted water, but there were two candidates for his Plant Growth spell.

  Rud pressed his hands against the first tree, infusing the spell with his mana and watching it grow. He stepped away, swaying slightly as he sized up another tree. After growing the second tree, and draining his mana nearly to empty, he got a message.

  [Skill Gain!]

  Your Growth Magic skill has increased to level 5!

  [Skill Milestone!]

  Your Growth Magic skill has reached a milestone! Please select from the following upgrades…

  [Ding!]

  You have gained a level in your Druid class!

  Level 4!

  You have gained one free attribute point.

  An extensive list appeared before him. Not only did he get to pick from something to increase the effects of his Growth Magic, but the cost of the Plant Growth spell reduced to 40 from 43. Alongside that fun selection, he also hit Level 4 with his druid class. This was his last point into Mind for now, bringing it to 10 and his mana to 100. Rud found a comfortable stump to sit on as he thumbed through the available upgrades for his skill. The upgrades for Animal Communication kinda sucked, but these were awesome. He narrowed it down to three for now and inspected them individually.

  [Twisting Phases]

  Growth Magic Upgrade

  Description:

  Flowing with nature increases the power of your growth magic.

  Effect:

  Depending on the natural phases of the world, your growth spells can increase in power depending on which phase local spirits are in.

  Rud selected this one because it was weird and interesting. He assumed that the power of his Growth Magic spells determined how strong those spells would be. If the Plant Growth spell was stronger, it would grow plants bigger. But since the upgrade didn’t define how it changed the spell, he was reluctant to take it.

  [Alacrity]

  Growth Magic Upgrade

  Description:

  More growth magic is better, right?

  Effect:

  Grants a 50% increase to mana regeneration after casting a Growth Magic spell. This effect lasts 10 seconds.

  This one was hard to judge. Mana regeneration wasn’t something he could view in his attributes screen, so he couldn’t determine if it was worth it. But since the Plant Growth spell had such a high cost, it made sense to get something that mitigated that cost.

  [Spiritual Infusion]

  Growth Magic Upgrade

  Description:

  Draw on the power of a Sacred Tree to infuse your growth magic with additional effects.

  Effect:

  If you are bound to a Sacred Tree, and within range, all growth magic spells will impart some of that tree’s power into plants you use growth magic on.

  Rud leaned toward this upgrade from the start. The effects weren’t entirely clear, but it was restricted to people who had a pact with a Sacred Tree. Since Ban could provide amazing effects, it only made sense to accept this one. The druid felt the upgrade slot into his Growth magic skill, and inspected the skill before leaving the stump forest.

  [Growth Magic]

  Rank 0 Level 5 Skill

  Description:

  Determines your ability to cast growth magic.

  Effect:

  Higher ranks of this skill decrease the mana cost of Growth Magic spells and increase the effectiveness of those spells, scaling with your affinity.

  Upgrades:

  [Spiritual Infusion]

  “More skills are better, right?” Rud asked, pushing himself off of the stump and heading for the nearest bush.