“Mortals are overrated.”

  The rain had finally let up. Rud listened to his radio crackle as he scanned the forest. For the first time in a few days he wasn’t drenched while writing his reports for Feather. Just that morning, he had retrieved a letter from his mailbox. The lord had given him a bonus of a few Dungeon Core Fragments for predicting the monster attack. That came with the same payment of crystal fragments, a fact the druid appreciated. If this was another path to more things he needed, then he would man the station as often as he needed to.

  “Gladesbale?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.” Rud thumbed the microphone, jotting more notes. “I’m reliant on the mortals for now. Our mine isn’t producing as many crystal fragments as I would have liked.”

  “All I’ve got down here are mines…”

  “If only you could help another grove out.” Rud chuckled. He understood the amount of reserve energy it took to send a custodian anywhere, let alone to an underground grove. “We’re fine. My tea sales are going to be absurd.”

  “Fancy pants over here with a Grove Custodian subclass. I’ve talked with the other custodians. Never heard of it.”

  “Guess we’re just special.”

  Rud had an idea of how special his grove was. He didn’t know the extent of Bent’s experiments or how the groves were supposed to operate. But he knew that he, Ban, and Mint were a unique combination. Every grove produced powers that were reflections of their occupants. The druid’s theory was that this trio meshed perfectly. What way they fit together was beyond him, but the combination resulted in each member having complementary sets of powers. Rud simply gave himself up to the grove, not willing to riddle it's mysteries out.

  “And I can turn into a squirrel!”

  “Druids are common enough, though. Jim might be the only one who wasn’t offered the class at some point. But most of us have evolved our classes. Got anything else worth note?”

  Rud looked back to the Twig of Ban’tanthein. “I have a Rank 0 growth staff.”

  “Now we’re talking. I have growth equipment, but it took me forever to find it.”

  The idle chatter went on for sometime. Rud knew that the custodian in Hagsrise just wanted someone to talk to. So long as she didn’t mind him going silent for a while as he worked, he didn’t mind. His schedule for the day was light, involving pottery and tea. The most exciting thing he had to look forward to was blending two new types of tea. Perhaps a visit to Barlgore was in order, if only to check on the citizens there. With the weather clearing it made sense.

  “I need to go,” Hagsrise said. “Something about trogs attacking our borders. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  She signed off without waiting for a response. Rud clicked his radio off and finished up his notes. With the rain gone, everything had to be watered with double-enchanted water. His tea garden took the least amount of time, leaving the arduous stump forest. Since the weather had turned, the woodcutters weren’t taking trees from the area. A few tall pines stood, red ribbons still tied around their trunks. The druid added two more to their ranks with his Growth Magic. It was always satisfying to watch them shoot toward the sky, but with the Spiritual Infusion upgrade, they grew even taller.

  “I’d like to see you guys chop that down,” Rud said, gazing up at the massive tree.

  Instead of taking a bush back to his drying building, Rud cast Shapeshift: Squirrel and ran along the road. There were signs that needed to be updated. Through the tower’s magic and his Farseeing skill, he had spotted some downed branches along the way, as well as some damage to his bridge. The wind hadn’t been strong enough to impact the structures, but the weight of the slush brought many branches to the ground. It normally wouldn’t matter, but several had landed in places that weren’t ideal.

  Shapeshifting Magic ticked up to Level 2 by the time Rud had changed two signs and reached the first bridge rest stop. A massive branch had fallen, cracking through one span of the bridge. The druid used his Shape Plant spell to mend the area and was forced to cancel his shapeshifting form to shove the branch off. The rest of the road was fine enough, although it was quite dirty from the traveler’s muddy boots. While the south-facing road was important, there wasn’t enough time today.

  The squirrel form was far quicker than going by foot. Rud could make the run over the road from the stump forest to the Sacred Tree in about an hour. He was passing by the longhouse when he spotted Taz leaving. The dwarf was likely heading to the mine. Chittering a laugh to himself, the druid approached.

  “Off with you, Squirrel,” Taz grumbled, waving Rud away.

  Rud squeaked, forcing himself to stick to squirrel-tongue. Good thing Taz couldn’t tell he was laughing half the time.

  “I can’t help you. Go find the custodian.”

  Rud’s squeaks intensified.

  Taz’s hands were rough. When the dwarf patted him on the head, it was like sandpaper grinding through his fur. “I know. Life can be hard.” The dwarf withdrew some nuts from a pouch on his belt, placing them on the ground. Before Rud could object, he felt a bristle-like beard press against his fur, and the undeniable smack of lips. “It’ll get better.”

  Rud shifted back into his Talen Por form, brows knit tightly. “Do you make a habit of kissing squirrels!?”

  Taz’s face was ashen. He stumbled back, falling on his butt. Words issued from his mouth, tangled in a stream of stammering sounds that didn’t connect.

  “Squirrel kisser!”

  The dwarf rose to his feet, eyes wide as he scanned the area. “No witnesses.”

  The next thing Rud knew, he was face-down in the mud. Taz had expertly hogtied him before dashing off into the forest. “What was the next part of the plan!?” the druid shouted. But the dwarf was gone. One quick shapeshifting spell later, and he was free from his bonds. That was handy. So long as he had an imbued leaf on his person, he couldn’t be captured.

  Rud ran for the mine, peering around a corner. He stood there long enough for Taz to get the creeps. The dwarf turned, and they locked eyes.

  “I’ll cave your head in, Rud!” Taz shouted, charging at the squirrel. “You just looked so sad!”

  Rud squeaked, fleeing the scene. The dwarf couldn’t catch up, especially when the druid climbed a tree. Taz gave up, grumbling and leaving him alone. As he departed, Rud noticed the smile lingering on the angry dwarf’s face. A bit of poking was fun from time-to-time, especially with dwarves.

  Tea leaves dried exceptionally fast in Rud’s drying building. He didn’t understand why they dried so fast, but he didn’t care. The new plant he had cultivated produced leaves with an earthy aroma. There was a hint of something else in there that reminded him of that black tea that came in little pouches back on Earth. He had never been a tea person before. Likely because he never had access to magical tea. There were now three types of tea. Rud categorized them as earthy, sweet, and citrus. The most powerful blend was Mint’s Reserve, which produced the most powerful effect.

  This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

  A mixture of sweet and earthy went into one pot while another pot got citrus and earthy. There might have been a way to combine all three, but Rud wanted to try them as two-tea blends first. He cast Imbue Crafted Item on both and inspected the results.

  [Squirrel Grey]

  Rare

  Description:

  A thoughtful blend of sweet and earthy, this tea will put a pep in your step. Whether or not you want it.

  Effect:

  Greatly increases energy levels and sharpens your mind.

  Aspect Effect (Mint and Ban’Tanthein):

  For the next day, you will regenerate mana 20% faster.

  Rud couldn’t tell what it meant by ‘sharpens your mind,’ but this was a nice blend. Something that a spellcaster might drink based on that statement. The increased mana regeneration was awesome. When the druid inhaled the scent of the tea, those notes of Earth-based tea came in strong. It smelled like southern sweet tea tasted. He moved on to the next tea. The smell was strange at first. The mixture of a deep earthy scent mingled with the smell of citrus, and he couldn’t decide if it was good.

  [Suckerpunch]

  Rare

  Description:

  An aggressive blend of citrus and earthy, this tea gets you moving.

  Effect:

  Increases your strength and energy levels.

  Aspect Effect (Mint and Ban’Tanthein):

  For the next day, you will regenerate health 20% faster.

  The name was appropriate. The citrus tea on its own just smelled like oranges. But when combined with another tea, it took on a sour scent. If Squirrel Grey was a tea for casters, Suckerpunch was for fighters. Mint was going to go wild for this tea. He was certain.

  Rud planned to hold back this first batch of tea for himself and the others within the grove. He fired up his pot of wax, preparing and dipping several pots. Those enchanted pots could rest within the drying building until the seven-day effect took hold. The tea would increase in potency by twenty percent after that.

  “Something smells delicious,” Mint said, poking her human-form head into the building.

  “The wax?”

  “The tea,” Mint said, jerking her head to the pots of tea. “I want some.”

  Rud had expected the impulsive wolf to gravitate toward Suckerpunch. He had set aside one clay pot for her and handed it over. “You’ll get a kick out of that one.”

  “Who is going to kick me?” she growled.

  “What’s up?” Rud asked. The idiom didn’t land, and she didn’t have the attention span to understand it.

  “Interlopers,” Mint said, her piercing eyes narrowing on the druid. “Southwestern border.”

  “Really? I checked the grove this morning. I saw nothing strange. No monster energy aside from what few are trickling out of the dungeons.”

  “Not monsters. Mortals have entered the grove uninvited.”

  Rud smacked his lips. “Why did you call them interlopers? And why didn’t they take the road?”

  “Because they are mortals with ill intent. I need you to watch them for me. I have… other matters.”

  “Alright. Just twist my arm, why don’t ya?” Rud handed Mint another pot of tea. It was Squirrel Grey. “Just make me a pot of that and bring it to the tower, would ya? Thanks. Love you.”

  Mint growled, shifting into her wolf form. “Love you too, weird creature. Still not in that way, though.”

  “I never meant it any… and she’s gone.”

  Rud found the nearest bush and approached his tower. He cast Shapeshift: Squirrel and ascended the tower on the side. It was easy to find handholds as a squirrel and he zipped to the top without issue. After entering the tower through the doorway—since the openings were covered with thick glass—he shifted back into his Talen Por form.

  Rud flicked his radio on, holding the button on his microphone. “Hagsrise, this is Gladesbale. You there?”

  Static answered back as Rud assumed the Aspect of Bent. While he waited for a response, he scanned the horizon to the southwest. The area Mint mentioned was within his viewable range, but there were no signs of mortals. Some mortals put off a signature that he could see as a drifting cloud of silver, but others didn’t. He didn’t understand the mechanics of the skill or the tower, but it could be related to rank.

  Rud resorted to scanning the area with his top-down view. The first thing that tipped him off was a burned out campfire, and a scattering of discarded items. He followed a logical trail and found three figures moving through the forest. They were sneaking as though that would matter.

  “Alright, Mint. I have eyes on your interlopers.”

  “Good. Track them. I didn’t plan on eating humans today. But I’m not opposed to an early lunch.”

  “Where’s my tea?” Rud protested.

  “Calm your twitching ears, custodian. Fine tea takes time. And you have created some extremely fine tea.”

  “Fair enough…”

  Rud watched the mortals for a half-hour. They picked the most logical path through the forest, following the many game trails that snaked through the area. He watched as the leader of the group turned to the left, heading west. The figure turned left again to avoid a tree… and another left. Their frustration was obvious when they circled all the way back to their original camp.

  “Your tea, master,” Mint said, performing a mock-bow.

  Rud took it, allowing his vision to return to normal. “They’re lost,” he laughed, taking a sip of the tea. “Oh, this is good.”

  It tasted just as it smelled. Overly-sweet black tea. After draining the steaming-hot cup, Rud felt his mind sharpen. His focus increased as the tea’s effects flooded through his body and mind.

  “What should we do?” Mint asked.

  “You’re asking me? The grove’s defense is your job.”

  “But it is yours to interact with the mortals.”

  “Alright. What are the chances they’re here for nefarious purposes?”

  “They don’t look friendly,” Mint growled.

  “Let’s confront them. If you gotta chomp some bad guys, that’s just that.”

  “Excellent.”

  Rud cast Shapeshift: Squirrel and jumped to the nearest tree. He used Thicket Travel to appear above the group, high in a tree. He sensed Mint somewhere nearby, but couldn’t pinpoint her location. The druid observed the group for a while, eavesdropping on their conversation. They were too distant for him to catch every word, but they were looking for the Sacred Tree. He winced when they said something about chopping her branches off. That answered that.

  “They’re gonna take branches from Ban,” Rud said, keeping his voice low enough. The mortals below didn’t take notice of a squirrel chittering among so many squirrels in the forest.

  “Dean is on his way. Wait for him before you confront the jerks.”

  Rud did just that, sitting in his tree while Dean sprinted through the grove. When the bushes rustled below, the druid climbed down from his tree. He shifted back into his true form and mounted the wolf, finding it much harder to do without the saddle.

  “Please don’t eat them unless you need to,” Rud said, sighing. This was another case where setting expectations was necessary. The mortals weren’t likely from Barlgore or Sparwyn. That had some implications as to the population in the area, but it didn’t matter. They needed to leave. “Let’s go.”

  Dean lurked from the bushes, coming into full view of the lost mortals. They drew weapons in an instant, leveling them at the wolf. Each had lost all the color in their faces, their breathing ragged. One looked as though it was going to be sick. Rud was certain that one would faint when Mint revealed herself behind them.

  “You weren’t invited here,” Rud said plainly. “And you should leave before something happens.”

  “We’re lost,” the leader blurted.

  “You were trying to find the Sacred Tree. Go back the way you came.”

  Sarya appeared on the flank, her hackles raised. If the mortals weren’t already crapping their pants, now would be a good time.

  “That way?” the leader asked, pointing in the wrong direction.

  “Perhaps we should let you wander the forest until you perish,” Rud said, trying to be more imposing than a scrawny freckled teenager looking goof could manage. He was still working—and failing—to build his muscle mass. “Or we could eat you.”

  “We’re going,” another said. “This way?”

  “That way,” Rud said, pointing in the correct direction.

  The group backed away from the sight, disappearing into the underbrush. Rud dismounted from Dean, standing with the wolves. This wasn’t something he had expected to see. There were only supposed to be folks from Sparwyn in the area, and it was disheartening to see others who didn't share a love for the groves.

  “Dean and Sarya. Follow them,” Mint growled. “I want to know where they came from.”

  The duo dashed into the forest without hesitation. But Rud was happy to see that no blood had been shed. He realized how tightly he had been gripping his staff and relaxed. At least it ended well.

  “That’s concerning,” Rud said. “Do we need more allies?”

  “Maybe. They slipped in during the night. Sarya was patrolling, but she missed them. We need someone that can keep watch while we sleep.”

  Rud thought he knew the perfect creature for the job. Getting it to accept the task might be difficult, though.