Gladesbale Grove Book 2 - Chapters 31,32,33

Chapter 31

New Shapeshifting Form

As if dealing with the cursed objects and the labyrinth wasn’t enough for Rud, now he had to worry about the frozen island. It was a place he had seen many times from his observation tower, but had paid little attention to. But if it was encroaching across the lake, it was indeed a threat to the entire region.

Mira clung to the fur on Dean’s back, shrieking as they dashed across the landscape. Rud had assumed his flying squirrel form and sat upon the beast’s head, hooting with excitement. The wolf could really get up to speed if he tried, especially when taking the main roads. They took another corner, and the beasts skidded to a stop. Even at a distance, the druid could tell the strange, localized weather of the island was spreading.

Rud shifted into his true form, padding across an open field and using his staff as support. He shook his head as he looked down at the waters of the lake. Near the shore, the water had turned to a churning slush. Some water in the center of the expansive lake had frozen solid and the island itself was obscured by a constant sheet of white.

“I’m gonna say that’s not good,” Rud said, nodding. “And I have absolutely no idea what I can do about it.”

“There are a few sorcerers in town, but none have come up with a solution,” Mira said. “We were hoping you would have something.”

Rud couldn’t even tell the difference between regular forms of magic. This was far outside of his wheelhouse, and he had absolutely no idea how to approach it. Not even his nature-based magic could keep an encroaching tide of magical cold away. And if the ice had gone as far as the other bank of the lake, the town would soon be in trouble.

“What are you thinking?” Dean asked, growling as he looked across the lake.

“I don’t know,” Rud said with a shrug. “Obviously, we need to get Elm out here, but I don’t know if we can drag her away from the labyrinth.”

There was more than one problem to consider when approaching this, though. The lake was frozen, which would make crossing annoying, if not impossible. Rud wasn’t sure they could get across with the boat anymore, and although ice had formed halfway through, it was likely not thick enough to cross on foot. It made for a dangerous proposition when considering what to do next.

“We can’t rush into this,” Rud said after a very long pause. “I’ve got a few ideas, but before we do anything, I’d like Elm to come over and see what she can sense with her magic.”

“That might be the most prudent plan,” Dean said.

Rud shared his thoughts with Mira, and she agreed she didn’t want to rush into this situation and risk someone getting hurt.

“Okay, we’ll give you a ride back to the logging site,” Rud said, patting Dean on the side. “Come on, hop up.”

“Actually, I’d rather walk,” Mira said with a nervous chuckle. “Thanks, though.”

“How come we didn’t notice this?” Rud asked, shifting into a squirrel form and jumping on Dean’s back. “Can you get us to the grove’s edge as quickly as possible, please?”

“Right away,” Dean said, taking off at an impressive sprint. They dashed over the open landscape until they reached the forest’s edge. The moment they did, they passed through the thicket. Shortly after arriving at the edge of the labyrinth, the druid clicked his tongue in disappointment. As they approached the gated entrance, nobody was there. As they checked back at the clearing, they realized the elf was currently delving into the depths of the labyrinth.

“I’m going to count this as bad,” Rud said, gritting his teeth. His list of solutions was thin, but there was still one thing he could do to investigate the island. Before he could enact his plan to create a tree-based bridge between the mainland and the island on the lake, a system message appeared.

[Spell Evolved!]

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

“Huh?” Rud asked, scratching his head. “Why would I need that, Harg?”

The spirits couldn’t talk directly to him, so Rud instead inspected the description of the spell.

[Shapeshift: Otter]

Rank 0 Druid Spell

Shapeshifting Magic

Component:

Imbued Leaf

Mana Cost:

80

Duration:

One Hour

Description:

Assume the shape of an otter. Perfect for swimming in chilly conditions.

Effect:

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

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

“Oh, I get it,” Rud said with a laugh. “Harg wants me to swim over to the island.”

“Sounds dangerous. Won’t you freeze?” Dean asked.

“I got a shifting form that turns me into an otter. They’re really quick in the water and have an insulated coat against the cold,” Rud said. “Perfect for swimming, actually.”

“The guardians are looking out for you… Perfect timing,” Dean said.

“Yeah, although I feel like I earned a different form a while ago,” Rud said, crossing his arms. “Not that I’m complaining, Harg. I know you’re a pretty cool guy.”

“Yes, we love you, Harg,” Dean said. “Yet this brings a concerning point for me. An otter’s fur might be insulated, but mine isn’t. If you swim to the island, you will be alone.”

Indeed that was concerning. Rud had no combat skills. Like, at all. If there was anything nasty on the island, he’d be on his own. Maybe Nulsa could fly close enough to the island, but… No, he doubted it. There was a constant storm swirling around the area and he couldn’t imagine the owl surviving. All these observations led him to one truth. There was no way around it, if the expanding ice problem was gonna be solved, the druid would do it.

“Dang it. Tough decision,” Rud said. “I’m going to the Observatory to see if I can see anything there.”

Rud hadn’t been to the radio to check in with the other groves that day. He found the nearest bush and entered the Observatory, accepting his aspect and manning the radio.

“Hagsrise, are you there?” Rud asked, allowing his Farseeing skill to wash over him. He sent his sight far, pushing over the bank of the lake from his top-down view. Even the western shore was a churn of icy water.

“Hagsrise here. Missed your morning checkup, huh?” Maria asked.

“Yeah, we’ve got some exciting things going on,” Rud said, feeling slightly dizzy as he juggled pressing the button and looking at a place miles away. “My local frozen island is acting up.”

“Don’t you hate when that happens? When did they stop making good quality frozen islands?”

“Right? Even if you get a domestic frozen island, they break after three years…” Rud cleared his throat. Doing his best not to laugh at the joke. “Anyway, I got a new shapeshifting form. Pretty excited about doing some swimming.”

“Oh! That’s awesome. What form?”

Rud told her about the otter form. While he hadn’t shifted into the form yet, he was very excited to try it. Yet this was an excellent way to get some information. He asked Maria if she had experience with random weather patterns, but she didn’t. The underground grove she lived in was pretty boring in terms of magic. And most other things, unless dwarves were considered interesting things.

“I would be very careful, Rud,” Maria said. “If magic is driving that storm, who knows what else could be there. Monsters, if you’re unlucky.”

“I’ll be careful, Mom,” Rud said. “But no, seriously. Thanks for your concerns.”

“Before you sign off, I have another suggestion. Test your new form before you go off to the island. I got this skill once and tried to use it in an emergency situation. But I wasn’t used to it, so I bungled the whole thing.”

“That’s… Actually really good advice, Maria,” Rud said, shaking his head. He should’ve thought about that. “Thanks for the tip.”

“No problem. And hey, do NOT forget your nightly check-in. I’m already forcing Jim to check in with me now that I can’t… Well, I can’t stand to think the other custodians are in trouble. Got it?”

“Understood, captain,” Rud said, saluting exactly no one. “I’ll go swim in a river before tackling the lake. Agent Rud over and out.”

“Roger. Over and out.”

Rud giggled as he finished his long-range scouting mission of the lake. He couldn’t tell anything interesting about the lake with his Farseeing skill. The energy seemed just about the same from where he sat, even if he knew something was going on. When he was done, he descended the steps only to find Dean waiting for him.

“I overheard your conversation. Are you ready to practice swimming as an otter?” the wolf asked.

“Keeping an eye on me?” Rud asked with a wink. “Yes, I’m ready. We’ll practice in a river first. That way, I don’t die in a frozen lake.”

“An excellent idea.”

Dean joined Rud as he passed through the thicket, arriving at a river in the grove. It wasn’t too deep or wide and should provide the perfect place to practice swimming. The druid intended to take Maria’s advice and do some serious practice.

“Transform!” Rud shouted, invoking his newest shapeshifting ability.

As with the Shapeshifting: Flying Squirrel spell, he shifted in an instant. One moment he was a man in a green cloak with a staff in his hand standing by the bank of the river, and the next he was a small otter. His body was long and sleek, his paws low to the ground. He had a brown-black coat with a tuft of white on his chest. Rud swiped his fat tail from side to side, chittering as he took in the world from such a low vantage point.

“Cool,” Rud said, padding to the river’s edge and sliding in as though it was second nature.

The river washed over his head as he went underwater. His otter eyeballs were perfectly adapted to the water and he didn’t even feel the cold river on his skin. As expected, his coat was the perfect insulator. With swipes of his tail and a few pointed paddles with his paws, he moved around the shallow water with ease. After a few minutes of goofing around, he emerged on the bank, waddling up to look at Dean.

“Works great!” he said. “What do you think?”

“You move with unrivaled grace,” Dean said. “When you shapeshift, do you gain knowledge for your new form?”

“It must work that way,” Rud said, doing circles near the bank of the river. “It can feel kinda awkward, but I think the magic of the spell makes up for any disconnect with my new shape.”

“Very interesting,” Dean said, observing as though studying the druid.

“Back in the drink,” Rud said, turning and leaping back into the water. He entered the river with barely a splash, darting back and forth from either bank. The key was to push off from the bottom or the sides with his paws, then let his tail do the rest of the work. Thanks to the shape of his body, he cut through the water like nothing else. By the time he was done practicing, the duration of the spell expired.

Standing on the bank, Rud felt a gentle shock of something run through his mind.

“Rud, are you there?” Ban asked, speaking into his mind.

“Yo, what’s up?” Rud asked, looking around.

“I’ve made some progress with the labyrinth. I have my roots attached to the exterior structure. But interfacing with it will take all my concentration. I may be out for a day or two,” Ban said. Rud could feel the confidence in her voice, as though this was something she was excited about.

“Just don’t hurt yourself,” Rud said. “We can handle the lab if you can’t.”

But there was no response. Whatever Ban planned she was already doing it, and she didn’t need his input.

“That is concerning,” Dean said, flashing Rud a concerned look. “She is normally less impulsive.”

“See, that means she’s hiding something from us.” Rud narrowed his eyes, thinking of how positive Ban was all the time. It was as though she wanted to smoothe over the rough parts of the world for him. But he was a big boy custodian. He knew he couldn’t solve her problems. Yet it was his responsibility to organize the fixing of these problems, not her. “The labyrinth is more of a problem than she first let on.”

“Agreed. She is putting too much effort for what she’s conveying to us as an insignificant problem,” Dean said. “Should we be proactive?”

Rud wasn’t sure. If he had to guess, Ban was looking for a way to siphon energy from the labyrinth to herself, which would help her grow in power. If he was wrong about that, it could be that the structure itself was more dangerous than they thought and she was attempting to contain it… The worst-case scenario would be if it was both of those options. The druid didn’t wanna see the mess they’d have to clean up if that was the case.

“No, we should wait and see for now. I ain’t getting between a tree and her goal. How about we sort our own problems first… Wait, where is everyone?” Rud asked.

“Mint and Elm went into the labyrinth. The others are indisposed.”

“Makes sense. Okay, screw it. Come watch me swim across the icy lake. It’ll be fun,” Rud said, rolling his sleeves up.

“So long as you don’t die,” Dean said. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 32

Operation Otter

It was one thing to think about swimming across the frozen lake, and another entirely to do it. Rud stood with Dean at the lake’s edge, looking over the icy waters with apprehension. Perhaps it wasn’t the plunge itself he worried about so much as what was on the other side. The island had been a constant thing, looming just on the horizon since he had arrived in the grove. Perhaps he hadn’t seen it from the start, but it was there, always waiting for his arrival.

“Just be calm,” Dean said, his voice a strange source of reassurance. “This is your duty to the grove.”

Such things were simple to say when you were as powerful as Dean. Rud studied himself, rolling his shoulders as he shifted into his otter form. He nodded at the wolf before sliding into the lake. As expected, he didn’t feel any of the surrounding cold. When he plunged, the sounds faded, replaced instead by the rapid beating of his own heart and the rush of water. Beneath the surface was a world he could have never imagined.

Despite the chilly temperature of the water, fish still flitted here and there as Rud swam towards the island. He propelled himself forward at a speed he could never hope to achieve in his true form. The ice above grew thicker but was still broken here and there, providing plenty of places for him to surface. His otter lungs could endure the depths for an absurd amount of time. He felt no desire to surface as he skidded along the lake bed. Before long, he found the ground rising once again to meet the surface. He spotted a hole in the ice and popped through it, landing and skidding along the slick shelf.

The island’s shore was unremarkable, dotted with dead or dying plants and a heavy dusting of snow. The shore was rocky, interspersed with patches of bare earth. Rud had no desire to shift outside of his otter form and padded along the ground until his feet graced the dirt of the island. The intense cold stung his pads, but he endured, pressing further into the island and sniffing around with his new senses. These new senses painted the world in different colors, but none of the information seemed useful right now.

The island itself was rather large. Since it had almost always been obscured in a layer of fog, he had never seen it well from the tower. Even viewing it from the lake shore provided almost no information. The area close to the shore contained nothing of interest, but the further he pushed in, the more he saw signs of a once-thriving settlement. The ruins of buildings made from stone and timber lingered on the outermost sections of a town. The cold had helped preserve them over the years, resulting in a ghostly image of life from years ago.

Rud finally spotted something more interesting than those scattered buildings. The remains of a palisade fence loomed just behind a crowd of bushes. Their pointed tops were visible first, and then he spotted larger buildings behind them. He skittered around, finding a gap in the defenses, and plunged into the center of town. He was buffeted by winds that had increased ever since he approached the outskirts.

A stormy vortex swirled in the center of town, the wind visibly kicking things up and sending them high into the air. From the center came fat snowflakes and chunks of ice that seemed driven by the whirlwind itself. Rud could barely stand on his four feet as he watched, studying and observing as much as he could while he could. Through his magical senses, he took in everything he could, but it was difficult, if not impossible, to glean any useful information.

The druid shielded his eyes with his forepaws, squinting and moving sporadically. He had to close his eyes to approach closer than 50 feet, and anything after that seemed impossible. Even the protection of his coat wasn’t enough to keep the layers of frostbite from forming on his skin. But he stole a glance when he was close enough, seeing something at the center of that maelstrom. Some kind of object shone in the dim light of the town.

Rud skittered away from the town’s center, feeling his body warm up as he retreated from the storm. He wasn’t certain of what he had seen, but he had more information than before. Once he tended to his wounds, he could let Elm know about it. The druid dove into the water, fleeing to the far shore and popping out before flopping onto his side.

Without a word, Dean scooped him up and rushed back toward the grove. Rud saw the world pass by in a flash of colors and shapes. Then came an intense warmth that woke him from his sleep. It was the warmth driven by Ban. Even if the tree was busy, he still felt her comforting energy washing over him.

Rud shifted back into his true form, wincing as he rolled into a seated position. The icy water had rolled off the oily coat of his otter form. Dean had deposited him in the longhouse before the roaring fire. He rolled his sleeve up, spotting the place where the frostbite had settled in.

“Well, that’s going to leave a mark,” Rud said, probing the area. It wasn’t nearly as bad as he had initially thought.

“What did you see, custodian?” Dean said, narrowing his eyes at Rud.

The druid explained what he had seen as he cast his Nature’s Restoration spell. He felt the healing power flood through his body, stitching his flesh back together and making it new again. While the spell was not powerful, it was good enough to cure very minor frostbite.

“I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but that might be a cursed object in the middle of the island,” Rud said, “but it’s nothing like the ones we’ve seen so far. The magical effect it’s creating is intensely powerful.”

“That is very concerning,” Dean said, growling. “We’ll most certainly need the wizard to help with that. Maybe even somebody more powerful.”

“The important part is that we need to make sure to monitor the issue on the island,” Rud said. “If it gets any worse, we’ll have to act faster.”

“Um, excuse me?” a strange voice came from the door of the longhouse.

Rud looked up to see an elven man standing there awkwardly. He had a sheepish smile on his face and was adorned with adventuring gear.

“Right,” Rud said, clapping his hands together. “How can I help you?”

It was important not to forget the newest skill in his custodian subclass. The Custodianship skill would only level if he interacted with the mortals visiting the grove. It was effectively his hospitality skill, and it was incredibly easy to level up. The adventurer was passing through the grove with a group, and they wanted to take advantage of the baths. So, Rud had to fill the bath for them. After he did that, they asked about purchasing tea, which had sold out in the shop.

“I just can’t keep it on the shelves,” Rud said, smiling down at the adventurers who lowered themselves into the pool. “Is there any blend you’re interested in?”

“I’ve heard good things about the Deep Spice Galactic Tea,” the elf said, rubbing his hands together. “Although, if you provide us with any, we will make a donation.”

“Check in the shop tomorrow morning,” Rud said, bowing his head slightly. “My stock of tea will be replenished.”

Once Rud was clear of the bathhouse, he finally released a steadying breath. The mortals sure loved their tea, and Rud was here to provide it to them. He headed to his storehouse and got to work mixing the tea. The best part about creating both the containers and the tea itself was that it would give him levels for his crafting magic skill. Deep Spice Galactic Tea was a challenging blend that the druid didn’t know why people drank. It was a 50/50 blend of earthy and spicy tea, which provided a difficult drinking experience for him.

Dean poked his head into the storeroom as Rud got to work on the tea blends. He had plenty of them drying on the racks, but he just hadn’t had the time to mix them.

“Are you okay?” Dean asked, his voice sounding timid.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Rud said, crushing the tea leaves with his hands and adding them to the mushroom-based container. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“It sounds as though your trip to the island was harrowing,” Dean said. “I know you’re not eager to participate in combat, so I thought that would have shaken you more.”

“Oh, I was barely hurt,” Rud said, pulling a sleeve back to show that his wound had healed completely. “Now I’m more concerned about the implications.”

The druid used his Shape Plant spell to engrave the name of the tea into the lid. He did his best to provide a crude drawing, but work so fine was still difficult to produce. After casting his Imbue Crafted Item spell onto the tea, he sealed the container and set it to the side. His plan was to make at least one of each variety, if not more.

“I’m inspired by your bravery,” Dean said, snorting as he forced his head into the door. His shoulders were a bit too wide to fit inside. “I’m proud of you, Druid.”

“Thanks, Dean,” Rud said, patting him on the head a few times. “Which one of the teas is your favorite?”

“The sweet one has become my preference,” Dean said with a nod. “Although the sour one has piqued my interest recently.”

Rud smiled as he worked on the teas. Casting the spell to imbue them with power gave him a trickle of experience for his Crafting Magic skill. He ended up making far more tea than he had first planned. That caused his skill to roll over to Level 7, which was a pleasant surprise. The druid stuffed his bag with the containers of tea, marching over to the shop and stocking the shelves.

“That should do it,” Rud said, heading outside to pat Dean on the side. “As long as they don’t tear through my supply of tea in a day, I guess that’s the problem with having a donation system.”

“I have never seen a mortal take tea without paying,” Dean said, “and if they did, I would snarl at them.”

“I think that might go against the rules of the grove, buddy,” Rud said.

“I care not. You work hard on that tea. We deserve to be paid for it, don’t we?”

“Dang, guess you’re right,” Rud said, smiling to himself. He checked on the facilities built for the adventurers and was satisfied. They were keeping them in good order. Before the mortals left, they often cleaned up after themselves and fixed any damage they caused. Not that it would matter with living buildings. The druid could fix those easily enough.

But there was plenty of daylight left, and although neither Elm nor Mint had come back to the grove’s center, he wanted to do some more work on the road. It wouldn’t do to linger on the problems that plagued the Grove. Instead, he got to work, and Dean joined him.

“Getting pretty close to hitting the next rank,” Rud said as he wove the branches of a nearby tree together. “I think my Construction Magic skill is going to hit Rank 1 soon. I’ll have to pick a fun upgrade for that.”

“Indeed. This has been one of your most useful skills,” Dean said. “Look at all you have created.”

“Right?” Rud asked, shaking his head. “I hope I can unlock some more useful ones soon enough.”

With the way Rud was angling the road to the southwest, he was certain he would pass by the observatory. What he didn’t know was how close they would come to the observatory. It could be miles away by the time they intersected, for all he knew. Although Ban had a strong sense for where things were in the grove, he wasn’t so lucky. Instead, he had a general idea, thanks to the Thicket Travel upgrade.

As Rud worked on a section of the road that passed over a cliff side, he heard the chittering of nearby squirrels. It took him a moment to isolate the sound of their voice and activate his Clear Communication upgrade.

“Missing! Where did he go?”

“I dunno. Hawk! I mean, he’s gone. Oh well.”

“Excuse me, squirrels!” Rud shouted up into the canopy above. “Who went missing?”

“Jeff!” one squirrel shouted back. “Nuts?”

“Tell me more about Jeff the Squirrel, and I’ll give you some nuts,” Rud shouted back. The squirrels were happy to descend from the branches of the tree and approach him, thanks to the promise of nuts.

After bribing them with a few small pieces of the food they enjoyed most of all, Rud got to understand the story. One squirrel who was involved in searching for the cursed objects had gone missing. It was one of the creatures tasked with scouting the northernmost section of the grove, and it brought no small amount of concern to Rud’s mind. He stopped shaping the trees and turned to Dean. The wolf simply nodded.

Rud shifted into his squirrel form and jumped on Dean’s back, who leaped from the edge of the bridge. He fell 50 feet, passing through a bush and appearing in the northernmost reaches of the grove in an instant. This was an area mostly notable for the rocky terrain and the view of the Dwarven Mountains to the north. It was hard to see them from here, but one of the tallest peaks was visible.

“This is a spell I haven’t used for a while,” Rud said, chuckling to himself. He cast the Detect Life spell and scanned the area. It was mostly barren up here, with insects as the primary inhabitants, but as Dean ran around the area, he spotted what he was looking for. “Over there in that tree. The one that looks like it’s haunted.”

“The haunted tree, got it,” Dean said, pivoting and taking off towards a gnarled old oak that looked as though it was about to fall over. Indeed, it had fallen over slightly, and a search squirrel had been pinned under one branch.

“Jeff!” Rud shouted, jumping and shifting into his true form before lifting the branch. The little squirrel had some surface-level injuries, but there might have been something deeper. The druid cradled him, wincing as the creature squeaked. “You okay, buddy?”

The squirrel looked up with watery eyes, rubbing its front teeth together.

“Got some nuts?”

Chapter 33

No Pressure

Rud cradled the squirrel in his arms as he headed back to the longhouse. He doubted it was as injured as it had said, but he still wanted the loyal scout to recover. The healing magic did its work, knitting whatever bones had shattered back together. As the forest creature snacked on some nuts, he was better before long, and the sun dipped low in the western sky.

“This isn’t a hospital.” A grumpy, dwarven voice came from the door. Although he sounded annoyed, Taz had a wide smile on his face. “That daffodil is something else.”

“Are you taking care of Elm’s steed?” Rud asked with a broad smile. “When I talk to her, she seems haughty, more than anything.”

“More nuts. I’m dying,” Jeff the Squirrel said.

“If I give you any more nuts, you’re going to explode,” Rud said, looking down at the squirrel as he furrowed his brow. “And your wounds are completely healed, you don’t need to keep faking it.”

The squirrel became grumpy after that, jumping up and finding its way to the rafters above. Before long, it had darted out onto the roof and was gone before the druid could say anything else. Squirrels were difficult to deal with at the best of times, and he didn’t want to push his luck. The important thing was, Jeff the squirrel had recovered.

Taz embodied his title of Master of the Grill. Without prompting, he got to work on cooking something for dinner. Rud could tell he was in good spirits, since he wasn’t only making his perpetual stew again. He threw a couple strips of meat onto the grill top and got to work. Taking this as his cue to help out, the druid got to work on some tea, brewing it for everybody who wanted to have a cup.

The dwarf had finished cooking most of the meat by the time anyone else arrived. To Rud’s surprise it was Mint who sauntered into the longhouse first. She was in her human form and looked extremely dirty. He could have sworn there was blood caked in her hair. What she said next revealed that to be true.

“The labyrinth is awesome!” Mint declared, throwing her arms wide before pumping her fist in the air. “I have gained significant power from that place.”

“That’s nice, dear,” Rud said, gesturing to a seat at the table. “Now come and eat dinner.”

“I don’t want to eat dinner. I want to run the labyrinth again,” Mint said, folding her arms. She reluctantly found a seat and sat down.

“Anyway, have you seen Elm?” Rud asked.

“She has retreated to her home,” Mint said. “Although she joined me, she could hardly keep up. Hah! Mortals are so soft.”

“Oh, we have a concerning development,” Rud said, thinking of the best way to phrase it. He couldn’t think of anything to cushion the blow, so he simply told her about the problem on the island. When he was done telling the story, she simply laughed at him, standing from her chair with such force that she sent the entire bench tumbling back. Taz cursed from his position on the ground and stood, glaring at the wolf.

“Fear not. I shall collect the artifact,” Mint said, shifting into her wolf form and dashing out of the longhouse.

“What’s gotten into her?” Taz asked, grumbling as he dusted himself off. He fixed the bench and got back to work on the meat.

“I think she’s full of herself after running the labyrinth,” Rud said, shaking his head. “Hopefully, she’ll return to normal soon enough.”

“I would never speak ill of the Guardian, but I don’t think she can penetrate that storm,” Dean said. “It is simply too powerful, even for her.”

Rud didn’t want to concern himself with those things for now. Instead, he helped Taz with the cooking. Not only did the dwarf want to make some grilled meat today, but he had also collected some foraged vegetables to cook on the grill. It was an incredible delight when the elven man and his adventuring companions came for food. Apparently, the signage the druid had placed outside was clear enough for everybody to know there would be food in the longhouse at night.

“Have a seat. Eat as much as you can,” Rud said, gesturing to the spread they were creating. “Where are you guys going, anyway?”

“First, I’d just like to say that we appreciate your hospitality,” the elf said, looking between himself and his three companions. “We’re heading to the north, passing through the grove to visit the home of the dwarves.”

“The road is treacherous,” Taz said, flipping a long length of meat and sighing with satisfaction as it sizzled against the grill. “There are monsters and bandits, and the weather will be turning foul this time of year.”

“Thank you for your concerns, spirit dwarf,” the elf said, bowing his head. “We are well prepared for the journey and have done so several times in the past. Unlike the last time though, we get to enjoy the wonderful hospitality of the grove this time around. It has made the first leg of the journey incredibly easy.”

“Maybe one day the grove will expand enough to encompass the dwarves in their homes,” Rud said, keeping his eyes on Taz as he was trying to get a rise out of him.

“The day there’s a tree in the mountain homes is the day my ancestors roll over in their graves,” Taz said, shaking his head. “Although, the more time I spend here, the more I realize it wouldn’t be an unwelcome sight. The air here is so fresh, it’s invigorating.”

“I never thought I’d see the day Taznoz Coalbranch sang the praises of the grove,” Rud said, still trying to get a rise out of the dwarf.

But it didn’t work. Taz smiled to himself as he worked the grill, a warmth washing over his face that was undeniable.

The door on the far side of the long house swung open, slamming against the wall and rattling on its hinges. Rud looked over, his mouth dropping open as he spotted Mint. Most of her left side was covered in darkened flesh. Frostbite spotted her skin here and there, and she drew heavy, labored breaths.

“I may have made a grave error,” Mint said, slouching to one side before falling over.

“Great googly moogly!” Rud shouted, rushing over and wasting no time in casting his healing spell. She was too high of a rank for it to do much, but some of the more minor burns on her skin subsided.

“Out of the way,” a firm but kind voice issued from behind the druid. Rud spun to find a muscular-looking human man with a shaved head. He wore armor and had a war hammer hanging from his hip. He knelt, pressing his hands against the exposed flesh. The room filled with light, and the Guardian’s breath became more even.

The elf stood over the ailing guardian, a smile plastered on his face. “The guardian is lucky. You won’t find a better healer unless you head to the mainland.”

“She is powerful,” the healer complained, working more magic over Mint’s flesh. “This may take a while.”

“Wow, remind me to send you guys home with an extra box of tea,” Rud said with a nervous laugh. He didn’t know what he would have done if this adventuring party wasn’t in town.

“Please don’t go out of the way for us,” the elf said, waving a dismissive hand. “We’re happy to give back to the grove in whatever way we can.”

When the initial excitement of Mint bursting into the longhouse had faded, everyone went back to the table. Taz was ready to serve the food, and those that weren’t prone on the ground were eager to eat. As expected, the venison the dwarf had prepared was expertly seasoned with only salt and sprigs of herbs. Rud got his portion and cut into the steak, sighing in contentment as the meat seemed to melt in his mouth. Even the grilled vegetables were excellent, each popping and crunching as he took a bite.

“Why is she acting so impulsively?” Taz complained, through a mouthful of meat.

“Mint is pretty impulsive,” Rud said with a shrug. “It’s just that normally she can survive whatever she gets herself into. This time, I guess the storm was too much.”

The entire time Mint had been on the ground, Dean hadn’t left her side. He whimpered, licking at her occasionally and looking up at the healer as though he expected him to do more. But Rud knew that the human was doing everything he could. He could feel the tinge of magic stinging the air, meaning the man was burning through quite a lot of mana to make it happen.

About an hour later, the man finally wiped his brow and stood. “She should regain consciousness in a minute,” he declared, slumping over to his seat and sighing.

Almost exactly a minute later, Mint drew in a sharp breath and sat bolt upright. “I live,” she groaned, her voice hoarse, “if only just.”

The group watched as Mint shuffled to the table. She took a seat and fell into it, her head banging against the table as she sagged. When she finally raised it, dark circles were under her eyes, and her lips looked dry.

“What exactly happened, Mint?” Rud asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

“It is a harrowing tale, I assure you,” Mint said, rubbing her temples and rolling her shoulders. “I approached the island by jumping over the lake, and then I spotted the storm. I thought I could brave it thanks to my thick coat, but the closer I drew, the more intense the winds became. When I approached the object in the center, the winds and the cold were so intense they froze me on the spot. If not for my quick reaction time, I would have been stuck there. Instead, I jumped away, falling into the icy waters. That’s when I dragged myself back here.”

If the magical storm was strong enough to stop Mint, Rud wasn’t sure what they could do about it. He decided there must have been a magical solution, since brute force wouldn’t work. If druidic magic failed, he needed to turn to the power of arcane magic.

“That’s concerning,” Rud said. “But… I don’t want to bother Elm. I assume she’s resting from the adventure.”

“Correct,” Mint said, taking a bite out of a steak. “This is excellent. Good job, Taz.”

“You may be more hungry than normal,” the healer said. He looked as though he had run a marathon. He ate ravenously, shoving everything he could find into his mouth. “Healing a guardian spirit is a great honor. I’ll tell my grandchildren about this moment when they’re born.”

Rud had questions about that, but he would hold them. He was under the impression that normal healing magic wouldn’t work on Mint. But maybe that was because she was very powerful. Which meant this healer-guy’s magic was super strong and he wouldn’t question it. He wasn’t certain if the guardian would have expired from the exposure to cold, but her recovery was no doubt shortened by the healer’s efforts.

When Rud had his fill of the stilted conversation at the longhouse, he left. Traveling through the thicket, he found his way to the Observatory and took the aspect before climbing to the top. He cracked his knuckles, flicking on the radio. Static hissed for only a moment before a familiar voice came over the magical airwaves.

“...and I just can’t find a solution. We haven’t had something like this for years,” Jim said. There was concern in his voice Rud hadn’t heard before.

“We take it one step at a time,” Maria said. “Gug isn’t concerned. Bent isn’t concerned. We shouldn’t be concerned. Just because Basil is freaking out, doesn’t mean we need to.”

When silence set in between them, Rud found his chance to talk. “Gladesbale here. Anyone else dealing with magical storms?”

“About time!” Maria said, her voice garbled as though she was too close to the microphone. “You almost missed our conversation.”

“Yeah, we waited for a while, but you know,” Jim said, “Want the long or short version?”

“Gimmie the long one.”

Jim took a deep breath and rambled on for some time. Rud was surprised to see Cliffs of Mog dealing with something similar to his own problem. A tower had appeared right outside of their grove, drawing the attention of the spirits and mortals alike. The druid waited to reveal his own system-generated structure until the man stopped talking. The short version was that Basil was freaking out about the tower.

“Well, you know what’s weird?” Rud asked. “A labyrinth appeared inside my grove.”

“Don’t say that,” Maria said with a groan. “If it happened in more than one grove, that’s not a coincidence.”

“We need to bring this before Bent,” Jim said. “How far along are you on those teleporters, Rud?”

“We’re… working on it. There are a lot of moving parts I need to nail down and my tree is busy with the labyrinth. What about you? Didn’t Basil make a portal?”

“That was a one-off thing. Well, if we have an emergency, we can establish it. But that energy was earmarked to give you a tour of Cliffs of Mog. Getting our tree to change course is challenging.”

“Cool. No pressure, huh?” Rud asked.

“A lot of pressure,” Jim said. “But consider the fact that transferring items will be easier than moving people. That may prove useful later.”

“Not a bad idea, Jim. Rud’s goal is to move people, but moving items? That would be possible with far less energy.”

“Mundane items, maybe,” Rud said with a shrug. “I have a feeling magical stuff wouldn’t be so easy.”

“Still. Better than nothing, right?” Maria asked.

“Yeah, true. I have a wizard in my grove who is studying the labyrinth. Hopefully she comes up with something… Anything.”

The trio went back and forth for a while on the topic but could reach no conclusion. The appearance of two system-generated structures was weird, but what could they do about it? When Rud finally signed off, he stopped by the mushroom house he had created for Elm and found her sleeping on the floor. Apparently, she had been too tired to even make it to her bed. He stoked the fire in the wood burning stove and draped a blanket over her before heading to his own comfy mushroom house for the night.