The mood of the entire grove improved significantly after Ban woke. All members of the grove, including the newest member Nulsa, gathered in the longhouse to celebrate. Mint had even found a drum and was beating a steady beat. Taz taught Rud how to do a dwarven dance, which involved a lot of kicks and punches. They even knocked heads together at one point.

  Ban might have claimed that creating the new building was easy, but as she observed the party Rud could tell it took something out of her. She wouldn’t need to go into hibernation, but her focus was split between the two tasks. The Sacred Tree was constructing a smithy right next to the Smelting Workshop. Rud and Taz would finally have something to do with the stacks of ingots they had produced over the last month. It might take time for the building to become more than a tangle of roots, but they didn’t care.

  The party went on for the entire day, with a group of confused mortals passing through from the west. They joined the celebrations, unsure of what was going on. By the next day things returned to normal. The drum had been stowed away, and the tea stopped flowing. That brought Rud to his tea farm and he tended to those plants with double-enchanted water and a rusty knife to clip the leaves. His Plant Care skill finally rolled over to Level 7, and Shapeshifting Magic was on the edge of hitting Level 5. He could feel it in his bones.

  “What does that tea smell like?” Ban asked.

  “This one smells like citrus,” Rud said, placing his hand on the first plant. “That one smells like black tea back on Earth, and this one smells sweet. Almost like fresh-baked cookies? Hard to explain.”

  “That sounds lovely. Do the mortals like it?”

  “They love it. That’s how I’ve amassed a stockpile of crystals for you.”

  Ban continued asking questions about how the tea production was going. She was excited he had found a way to produce the pots quickly and laughed when she saw the most recent example of his pottery. Even though he had practiced the hobby, he was still horrible with the pottery wheel. Once the tea was sorted, he continued his conversation with the tree as he loaded his backpack with enchanted water. Not only did the eastern forest need the water, but there were pockets along the grove that needed growth.

  This new task took half of the day, leaving Rud heading to the Observatory later than he had planned. He clicked on the radio and hailed Hagsrise. “Are you there Maria?”

  The long moments of static were always slightly stressful. But her voice came over the radio in time.

  “I’m here, Rud. You’re a bit late with your daily call, aren’t you?”

  “My tree woke up. Things got wild when she ranked up, so I’ve been playing catchup.”

  “Oh, fancy guy with the sapient tree. Yeah. I normally eat lunch in my tower.”

  “Dang. Is it that late?” Rud asked, smiling to himself when he peered out the window. Of course it was late. He allowed his vision to go fuzzy, the Farseeing skill taking over so he could scan the grove.

  “Yes. It is ‘that’ late. How is the monster problem going?”

  “The mortals sorted it out. Mostly.”

  “We’re struggling, but I’ve seen harder times. A group of contracted dwarves went off to find allies. None are fighters or adventurers, so they’re useless with the dungeons.”

  Rud chatted with the other custodian as he cataloged the area. He was expecting another dungeon to appear in the north, just like the fire and lightning one, but there was nothing yet. Two points on a graph didn’t represent a pattern, but he was certain about this one. And there was something else to glean about the dungeons that had spawned within the grove. They were both more powerful than the ones that spawned to the south and themed around elements. Even the monsters that were found within those dungeons had a unique theme of metalwork and elements.

  The dungeons to the south created monsters that went with a forest theme, only spawning animals that were native to the area. Rud couldn’t figure out what the connection between those things were, but he had to keep looking. After the woodworkers got lost in the grove, he realized how important this tower and his Farseeing skill were. Early detection of threats was more important than anything else.

  Once Rud was done talking with Maria—she had recently gained an obsession with fossils—he headed away from the tower. The druid shifted into his squirrel form and headed through a bush, appearing in the old stump field. Green shoots rose from the ground, dotting the area as the new growth he had inspired with the enchanted water came to life. He could have done this earlier, but hadn’t been inspired to get the job done. Now that the grove was expanding, it was a requirement. Although he didn’t know why he held this compulsion, he would do it all the same.

  “Rud!” a familiar voice shouted from down the road.

  The druid turned, his eyes unfocused from staring at the ground for so long. He spotted Elmera jogging down the stone path, waving excitedly.

  “Oh! Elmera!” Rud shouted back, waving like an idiot. “What brings you this far out?”

  “The first stage of my research is done!” she exclaimed, doubling over to catch her breath. “Those ingots are something else, Rud.”

  “Thanks,” Rud said, standing proudly. “Wait, really? Are they that special?”

  “You’ve enchanted metal ingots with the power of your grove. Yes. They’re amazing.”

  “Did I show you the ingot with the bonus aspect?”

  “No, you failed to sell me that one. I had to buy it myself from a local trader. He gouged me on the price, you little forest imp.”

  “Heh. Sorry about that. Did you figure anything else out?”

  Elmera leaned against her staff. Rud couldn’t tell if it was something meant for walking, or a magic staff like his own. The elven woman held a smile on her face, which was a stark contrast from the way she behaved when they first met. “Infusing metal with a grove’s power is… novel. Folks back in Sparwyn understand the way wood changes when infused, but they’ve never seen it done with metal.”

  “We’re just blazing all the trails out here, aren’t we?”

  “Indeed you are. I’ve come with payment and the intention of buying a larger sample. It took a while, but I made contact with a smith who specializes in magical metals.”

  “I like getting paid.” Rud rubbed his hands together, pausing only when Elmera held a hand up to stop him from dashing off.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to pay my respects to the tree.”

  That was interesting enough by itself. The elves—elves of all people—didn’t have the same respect for the Sacred Tree or the groves as the mortals in Sparwyn. While Elmera had expressed her respect for the tree the last time she was in the grove, she didn’t hold it in her mind with the same reverence as the others. But who was Rud to judge?

  “That’s fine. Can you make the trip on your own?”

  “I should be fine,” Elmera said, looking over her shoulder at the new woodcutter’s house. “I heard what happened to them. But I am sensitive to magic far beyond mundane folk.”

  “Which means you wouldn’t get lost in the grove.”

  “Almost. I might not get lost in the grove.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll see you there. Once I’m done watering here.”

  Elmera said her farewells and walked over the long road to the Sacred Tree. She would be walking slightly longer than the ones before her, first taking the two-hundred-some feet of the stone road before setting foot on the living road. Green sprouts sprang up where Rud tossed his enchanted water. He wouldn’t urge any individual sprout to be the dominant tree in an area, letting them fight it out instead. It was always faster to let nature sort things out instead of meddling with every single nut.

  Rud shifted into his squirrel form before heading away from the area. He checked all the things he needed to do off a mental list, finding only one thing remaining. The druid passed through a bush and arrived outside the mine. Before he even entered, he could hear the sound of Taz’s pickaxe bouncing against the stone within. The bear was still slumbering in the cave, and required another application of Nature’s Cleanse.

  Once that was done, Rud shifted back into squirrel mode and headed for the door. A few steps before he reached the cave’s entrance, he got a notification. Shapeshifting Magic had finally hit Level 5. He plopped down on his squirrel-butt, flicking his bushy tail as he read through the upgrade options. As expected, there were quite a few interesting options. But as with most magic-style skills, there was only one upgrade that stuck out.

  [Mint’s Shifting Form]

  Shapeshifting Magic Upgrade

  Description:

  Shapeshifting Magic spells gain additional power from the Guardian Mint.

  Effect:

  Increases the cost of your Shapeshifting Magic spells by 20%.

  All Shapeshifting Magic spells gain the Aspect of Mint.

  The Aspect of Mint increases the speed and power of your shapeshifting forms (aligned with the Strength and Agility attributes.

  This wasn’t the first time Rud found an upgrade associated with Mint. He had Mint’s Blessing for his Crafting Magic skill. But Mint’s Shifting Form was very interesting. The druid had to wonder if this would increase his Strength and Agility while in a shapeshifting form. The increase to mana cost wasn’t even a big deal. Rud often shifted and regenerated his mana shortly after. Since his squirrel form had become his primary means of travel, increased speed was exactly what he needed. He selected the upgrade, preparing to test it out.

  Just to be sure, Rud shifted out of his squirrel form and back into it. He looked down at his fur, finding that it was different. The original form mimicked the look of the local red squirrels, but this new form had Mint’s flare. Instead of red fur, he had a coat of shifting colors and wispy fur that seemed to drag through the air as though submerged in water.

  “Oh, yeah,” Rud said, flexing his little paws. He even felt faster. “Time to test.”

  Rud ran into a wall about one second after his pronouncement. He moved with caution after that, taking careful steps until he was out of the mine. Once he was clear of the stone prison, he took off. The squirrel dashed through the forest, easily twice as fast as before. He left a trail of color behind him. If one were to observe him, they would have trouble making out anything other than a blur.

  Climbing trees was much easier as well, as his claws sunk deep into the bark. He ascended one tree, then jumped to the other in one fluid motion. The distance he got was impressive enough to make this his new mode of transport. While he wasn’t as fast as Dean, he was far quicker than he was in the base squirrel form or his true form. As if the spirits themselves were looking on his progress with approval, a system message appeared.

  [Spell Evolved!]

  The Wild Spirit Harg has taken notice of you. Your Shapeshift: Squirrel spell has evolved! It is now Shapeshift: Flying Squirrel.

  Rud was forcefully shifted back to his Talen Por form. He clung to the branch he rested on, falling and clinging to the next one. Without time to inspect his new spell, he activated it and shifted into his new form. Just like the base squirrel form, this one was a small rodent-like form. The features of the red squirrel were completely gone. His ears were now small, and he could feel weird flaps of skin on his side. The colors of Mint had remained, though. As did her power. Once he had a handle on the branch, he inspected the new spell.

  [Shapeshift: Flying Squirrel]

  Rank 0 Druid Spell

  Shapeshifting Magic

  Component:

  Imbued Leaf

  Mana Cost:

  50

  Duration:

  One Hour

  Description:

  Assume the shape of a flying squirrel. Woosh.

  Effect:

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

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

  Shapeshifting forms were a strange thing at first. This new form was close enough to his regular squirrel mode that it was fine. The only thing that made it difficult was this incredible speed and power he felt in his little body. Mint’s Shifting Form was a potent upgrade, but combined with Shapeshift: Flying Squirrel, this felt like a fresh experience.

  “Take it slow,” Rud said, warning himself. His impulse was to jump from the tree, trying his luck at gliding. But ground-level tests were needed before he took the plunge.

  Between the speed provided by his upgrade, his lightweight body, and the flying squirrel’s flappy wing-things, it was pretty easy to glide. Rud took a running start, jumping over a small hill and gliding to the ground. If he got going really fast, he could glide even further. The wind whipped over his ears, producing a rush of sound as he learned how to steer himself in flight.

  After enough practice, Rud found a bush and teleported to the Observatory. He scampered to the top, standing on the roof and preparing himself. The roof of the tower stood well above the treetops, giving him a clear view of the place where he would be gliding. The druid took a running jump, spreading his limbs wide to catch as much wind as possible. He sailed on those currents, weaving through the air as he looked down at the forest below in awe. The trees rushed past, barely visible for a moment before they were well behind.

  Rud descended to the grove, catching onto one tree to try another method of gliding. He jumped from a branch, weaving through the forest as he glided to the ground. Once he hit the forest floor, he scampered up another tree and did it again. Before long, he decided this form of travel was superior to anything else. It was one step away from being perfect. True flight would have been ideal, but the druid was content to take whatever he could get.

  “What are you doing?” Dean asked, shouting from below.

  The flying squirrel turned in the air, doing circles until he landed atop the wolf’s head. “Just flying around. Wussup?”

  “Doesn’t flight distress you?”

  “Well, I’m only gliding. But, no. It’s awesome.”

  Dean growled. “This new form is smaller than the other.”

  Rud jumped down, doing circles around the wolf as fast as he could. “Yeah, but quicker. I think I’m stronger, too!”

  The druid rammed into the side of Dean, tumbling backward without doing much of anything.

  “Not by much.” Dean looked down at the prone squirrel and smacked him, sending Rud tumbling along the ground. Mint must have told him that after taking enough damage he would shift back into his true form.

  Dean remained silent for a beat then gave Rud a look. “Wanna race?”

  As Rud suspected, Dean was still far faster than him. While it was unclear what rank the wolf was, it was clearly higher rank than the druid. The pair tore through the forest, dean kicking up plumes of dirt and leaves. There were a few times when Rud got ahead for a couple of seconds, but the speed of the wolf was undeniable. They came to rest over a rise overlooking the lake, long since having left the boundaries of the grove.

  “Faster than I expected,” Dean said, panting.

  “No kidding,” Rud said, collapsing as his shapeshifting spell expired. “Wanna go again?”

  Dean crouched, ready to take off. “Let’s do it.”