NOVEL NEXT 2.33 - 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.
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"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 limped to the edge of the table. Her massive form collapsed with a thump, the floor vibrating under her weight. When she raised her head, someone offered her a bowl of tea and she lapped it up, tongue lolling out afterward. Her coat was wet, dripping to the ground to form a shallow puddle.
"What exactly happened, Mint?" Rud asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow.
"It is a harrowing tale, I assure you," Mint said, yawning and stretching with a low growl. "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.