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Opening the gates to the garden, the Tempestnight guards gave short nods to Calliope. Once the group had gathered inside, Cire was surprised to see the gates remain open and the crowd of onlookers flood in behind them. He was really hoping to lose the lookie-loos, but sadly that would not be the case.

A wizened old satyr gardener with gray fur and beard leaned heavily on a shepherds crook. A brown leather apron filled with tools and odd baubles jangled as he turned and started walking towards an inner waist high fence. Without introduction he gestured out into the orchard, “They came in from the forest about a week ago. Guild said they would send someone out, said it was high priority.” He spit on the ground and bleated.

The smallest wrinkle in Calliopes nose gave away her irritation, “High Gardener, it was made a priority. As you can see, we have a group here on assignment instead of posting it as an open quest. The reward offered no doubt would have attracted an adventuring party in, say, a few weeks to a month. Instead we will have this problem wrapped up today. Allow me to introduce Ciresil Eventide, their party leader for this quest.”

Cire stepped up and gave a slight bow, “Glad to be of assistance sir. We are informed that the pests are dire gophers, but we have no additional information on them or the environment. We would be pleased to accept any suggestions or instructions for operating in these esteemed grounds.”

The high gardener snorted and then waved his crook back towards the well manicured rows of wondrous citrus trees. Now that they were closer Cire could see that each of the fruits was delicately wrapped in an iridescent, yet clear, cellophane-like material. Each tree was about fifteen feet tall and the leaves dipped down to the tops of the taller individuals heads. A constant erratic wind buffeted them chaotically, but was absent under the leaves.

“These golden storm citrons are sensitive to changes. A large nest of gophers tunneled in from under the main wall and into the roots. I need you to get rid of ‘em. Do not damage the trees, each one is worth more than you are. Don’t bump into them. The fruit will fall, and you cannot afford the five gold per treasure.”

It was worse than he had expected, but Cire knew that it wasn’t going to be as simple as killing a bunch of low level beasts. These gophers had evolved from base animals and were enhanced by mana, but their individual threat level was still very low. Watching Calliope step back and almost even with the crowd that had spread out along the inner fence, Cire waved to his party for them to gather around.

“Any last questions for our host before we go make our plans?”

“Is there a large open area or at least a place where the trees are less likely to be struck?” Fizz asked.

With her siblings present Selene’s lips were all but sewn shut and her face was a frozen mask. Zoe was hiding behind the moon elf, ineffectively. Her horns and small tuft of her tail poked out from Selene’s silhouette. The satyr was angling away from the head gardener though, not from the rest of the crowd. Honey was flying in her typical lazy figure eight pattern and shook her head. Small sprinkles of golden fairy dust fell and sublimated mid-air.

“There’s a fountain in the middle of the orchard, but the flowers, herbs, and structure are worth more than the trees. Well notice if any go missing. The place you’re asking about would be the tool and material shed near the compost heap. Cut directly across the orchard and you’ll find it against the town’s main wall.” The scruffy satyr gardener grouchily replied.

“Thank you sir, we will do our best to rid you of these troublesome rodents. Now, everyone let’s head to the fountain and out of earshot so we can come up with our plan. Zoe, you’re not being tested, but no one said anything about you not being able to help. I think this is the best chance we will have to start integrating everyone, so come along with us please.”

The satyr gardener’s ears twitched when Cire said Zoe’s name, but he didn’t do anything else besides look positively put out by their presence. The party made their way down a worn dirt path between the trees. Carried on the blender of breezes above them the heady scents of blooming flowers permeated the orchard. Fizz sneezed and wiped his prodigious proboscis, obviously allergic to something in the air.

Right before they arrived at the fountain Honeydrop misjudged how high she was flying and got sucked up into the jumbled winds in the tree crowns. By the time she fought her way through the tumble cycle and back down to them her hair was a hideous tangle. Musical tones from the observing fairies signaled raucous laughter and Honey looked stricken.

It wasn’t the most auspicious start and Cire had never seen the jubilant fairy look so acerbic, it was off putting. He needed to get them focused on the task, the crowd was obviously throwing them off. If he could place a bet down that Calliope, or someone else from the guild, had purposefully leaked the location of their trial he would have bet every last coin he could get his hands on.

“Okay folks, this really wasn’t what we were expecting. Also, Honey I am overjoyed to have you as part of the team, but we don’t have any strategies worked out. With five of us there is a larger chance that we get in each others way than when it was only four. With that being said, anyone have any ideas on how to tackle our quest?”

Zoe raised her hand in front of her. When everyone turned and looked her way she held out a piece of paper with a note on it to Cire. Smiling, he took the note and read it out loud.

“Hello everyone! I can cast supportive spells, but they are limited to Minor Stone Skin and Minor Regeneration. Also, I have a Reflective Fog spell that shrouds an area and makes targeting difficult. My only real offensive magic spell is Stone Shards. It is best if I do not have to move while casting.”

Cire nodded. Honestly, her spell repertoire was much larger than he had expected if she had additional non-combat magic. Honeydrop’s spells and abilities were more specific to circumstance when being supportive or detrimental to opponents. For example, her faerie fire ability highlighted enemies and made them incredibly easy to strike or track. Adding Zoe’s versatility, along with her ability to heal, was potentially amazing. Adapting to her idiosyncrasies and needs was a small price to pay for what she brought to the table.

“If we find a place we can position you and Selene securely it would make sense to have you both managing the engagement from a central point. I’ll say out of most I will be grateful for the Stone Skin spell, I can’t wear armor for some of my skills to truly shine. Since we never wrangled up a principal bruiser to soak the attention of our opponents I think that role will fall to me.”

Fizz chuckled, “Of course it was going to. Can’t have Mr. Nippy ducking responsibility on our first time out, can we?”

Cire raised an eyebrow, “Mr. Nippy? Really? You can do better. I think you’re running out of nicknames, or creativity, maybe both. No time for that anyways, I want to make sure we get twenty of these gophers. Fizz, until we know how aggressive these monsters are I want you to make sure none of them get in close with Zoe or Selene. Selene could handle anything in close if she needed to, but let’s show Calliope we know how to execute a plan.”

“I’ll mark a primary for the ranged attackers, then I’ll lead them around with the lure. I can keep them off balance for sure!” Honey suggested with enthusiasm.

“Not a bad idea, but I would prefer to keep you safe. You have a ceiling on your flight here and I do not want you to get caught. At least for the first lure let me lead them around. If I get into trouble I will need you to distract them. Let’s have you mark the targets though. Plan for something to surprise us. Now, lets go drop our packs, properly ready ourselves, and give these spectators a show.”

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It was around the third lap past the gathered audience that Cire heard the first scattered laughs, hoots, and hollers. He gave an exaggerated wink as when he turned on his heel changing directions at a right angle before them. The astringent penetrating smell of whatever the lure was concocted from hung in the odd shimmering orange smoke billowing from the incense stick Cire held out to his side.

Given the smell Cire assumed that his strategy was not common, but you worked with the party you had, not the one you wanted. Without a true damage soaking companion like Durg around the best he could do was play the bait. If he kept moving the ravening scourge of dire gophers couldn’t actually hurt him. Getting pinned, encircled, or tripped up would spell disaster, but for the first few revolutions things were working out.

“I have him!” Honeydrop called out.

Near the shed, Honeydrop buzzed past Cire’s shoulder and a blueish-green glow shimmered into being along the surface of the lead gopher on his tail. The size of a medium dog, but sporting a pair of buck teeth around a foot long, the dire gopher’s were not too much of a threat as far as beasts went. However, a chunk out of his calve and slice into Fizz’s thigh already let them know the fight wasn’t without danger.

The first time they had done this their timing was off. About halfway through the second Selene had started to pepper the six trailing monsters with arrows and Zoe nailed the one marked with faerie fire right in the chest. That turned out to actually be a problem. The near fatally wounded gopher gave up the chase for the lure and tried to escape back into the grove.

Improvising, Fizz had run down the limping and bleeding gopher before it got to any of the trees. It had been a close call. Up until this point Cire had managed to keep all of the gophers to the main path circling the whole orchard. On one side of him was the hedge wall and the party used that as their backstop to fire into. They all knew that if they accidentally fired into one of the gawkers that failing marks would be the least of their problems.

Using the area in front of the workers shed proved to have another unexpected benefit. The view from the entrance was largely obscured and kept the majority of their actual fighting private. Cire’s antics leading the herd of pursuing gophers past them every few moments kept them entertained, but the cheers and jeers were only directed at him. The rest of his party could focus on their primary task while he did the social heavy lifting.

It took another four laps of constant, surprisingly quick, running around the orchard until the first lure burned out and stopped sending out it’s plumes of likely toxic smoke. Cire had kept an eye on the incense stick and managed to time it right. There were only two gophers remaining when he reached the shed and Fizz set upon them with pent up frustration.

By the time Cire had snagged his glaive from leaning against the shed there was only one remaining foe. He got a swing in, but honestly the poor beast was done for without Cire’s assistance. Still, the sun elf was glad he had left the glaive and acted as bait without the weapon. He wasn’t exactly winded, but he could use a rest before they sparked up the next stick of incense.

“Six gophers down. Not a bad start folks,” Cire huffed out in between sucking in breaths. Rifling around in his sturdy new backpack, he pulled out a waterskin and took a few quick pulls.

“I am glad we are not doing this front and center. I am sure my siblings, Penelope and Alexander, would have said something terrible and incendiary, but on the right side of politeness so they could not be questioned.”

“Most of the class is here to be supportive! When they found out that Fizz, Cire, and I were all going to be forming a party together they insisted on being here. Obelius would have had to punish everyone for skipping the practice session if he had not given them the day free.”

Honey balanced Selene’s dower observation with an upbeat one of her own. It was obvious she was trying to avoid thinking about the jumble of sparkling fairies awaiting her return. Cire was more curious about the smattering of adventurers he had seen in the guild on their few visits. Their strange cohort had garnered the attention of more than family and friends.

“Besides our classmates, the fairy frolic, and Selene’s family does anyone recognize the others who are here watching us?”

Bunched into the back of the crowd, there were nobles at the orchard watching, multiple members of the Adventurer’s Guild observed the greenhorns. The party undergoing their trial was using an unorthodox solution for culling the gophers. Though you couldn’t argue with its effectiveness. Well, you couldn’t argue with its effectiveness and not sound jealous.

“You think that the blonde elf will make a mistake and get caught up by some of these gophers?” Simon hoped.

The dower wood elf had been deep in his cups at the guild, and largely given up on finding a group to quest with. When he had seen these fresh faced novices arrive with all of their pluck and courage Simon was about to approach them. Then they had gone and taken that bitch of satyr onto their team without even looking over the others waiting.

As far as Simon was concerned, he had dodged an arrow there. The mixed group of elves and fae was a disgrace. Snorting up a huge loogie, he hacked it onto the ground right on time to shout a jeer a the tan skinned elf as he rounded their side of the orchard again. The insult got mixed in with the hoots and hollers. Many of those watching wanted him to do a flip or show off as he paraded the charging gophers in front of them. Simon wanted him to try, if only so the pretty elf would fall on his arse and make a fool of himself.

Nilus spit on the ground in solidarity with Simon, the two of them often on the same side of an opinion. It was a shame that the other wood elf and him were too similar in approach, otherwise they would be in a party together. It irked Nilus that the youth today were willing to pair with untrustworthy fae more readily than those like himself. It didn’t occur to him that he need approach others, the right party would find him.

“We can only hope. I’m willing to bet that he draws too many and one or two get loose in the chase. Say, one silver on three or more fruits going squish.”

Raising her eyebrow, Melissa, a moon elf caster who had recognized Selene listened to the two obviously jealous hangers on. Sure, Nilus was quick with a blade, but he was as quick with taking first go at any loot too. Simon was an archer, and while talented, unlikely to have found a spot on this party no matter how you looked at it. The ‘Tops had range and damage dealers aplenty, what was lacking for every party in the area were heavy armor users.

This is what had caught Melissa’s attention. The party described to her lacked a typical defender or guardian, so she had followed along with the others from the guild in her curiosity. So far, she had not been disappointed.

If this overly tanned elf with golden hair and mismatched eyes could serve as a big enough distraction, he might be able to keep of his team free to do the dirty work. It wasn’t exactly revolutionary, Melissa had seen parties like this before. That didn’t stop it from being fun, and a little silly, to watch. She had lost count by the third or so circuit on the second lure, there had been no reason to keep track.

Cire began to come up on the fenced off area near the entrance in his lap around the orchard. On one hand, it was incredibly nostalgic. He felt like he was a boy in P.E. class again running around on the track. If you discounted the ravening dire gophers literally nipping at his heels it was a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.

Regular deep breathing kept a steady stream of the sweet wondrous scent from the magical citron trees passing through him. A tingly feeling on his extremities was either the onset of exhaustion, which seemed unreasonable given his combined Dexterity and Constitution stats, or something to do with the trees. Cire would wager that the grumpy old satyr gardener had left something out when giving his lackluster description of the garden.

I should have asked what kind of magical properties the fruit and the trees have. Even if the guy was getting grumpier by the moment, I really should have pressed him for additional information. There will always be a good balance between appropriate customer service and interrogation. Lost in his thoughts, the lead gopher managed to lung and bite down hard on Cire’s left calve.

“Shit! That hurts,” Cire cursed.

Laughter erupted from the audience and Cire’s cheeks burned. Thumping the gopher on the head with his fist, he yanked his leg free. Running muscles that were regenerating and knitting together hurt, it really hurt, but he didn’t have any other options. Fizz and Selene couldn’t take on the number of gophers still chasing him.

Sparing his dominant hand, Cire passed the lure from his left to his right and began digging through his belt pouch. He hadn’t thought he would need any potions considering his abilities, and Zoe being here, it sucked to be wrong. A tincture of minor healing was quickly guzzled, the dried mushroom leather pouch that had contained it discarded as he ran. Only one naga made potion remained.

Catching himself before reminiscing about home, Cire concentrated on running with the injury. A grin flashed as the rest of his party came into sight Cire whooped and taunted the gophers. Honey drop flew over his shoulder and began casting her spell on the lead monster.

“Come and get me ya varmints!”

Only half done, with tens of laps under his belt, Cire knew this was going to be one long day. Even while fighting through the injuries, pain, and embarrassment he was having a blast. A dopey, contagious smile plastered itself across his face for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.