Jill took a sip of the rich, spiced tea. A smoky, almost savory flavor exploded across her tastebuds. Its earthy undertones and slightly sweet aftertaste summoned memories of her family as they roasted hazelnuts and forged mushrooms over the open flames of a campfire. It felt like drinking a warm Lux night, and the slight chill of the still-awakening garden and the bitter cold of the surrounding mountains fled from her bones instantly.

Her eyes widened, and Baron Ashdale gave a soft smile.

“Good, isn’t it? This particular blend doesn’t have a name yet, but I find it works wonders for days like this.” The wolfman gestured around them.

Jill silently nodded, scanning their surroundings. Their table sat in the middle of a sprawling garden filled with a multitude of raised seed beds and tall shrubs. Jill was sure the garden would have been a spectacular sight… if they weren’t nearing the end of the Abditus season. As it was, the raised beds were freshly cleared, awaiting their next crop, while the various shrubs, bushes, and hedges were mostly bald, only the barest hints of fresh growth poking through the light snowy blanket that coated them.

The only proper source of green in the garden was the massive evergreen tree that dominated its center. The enormous tree was larger than even Morgana’s had been, and it towered over the rest of the complex, stretching well over a hundred meters into the air. Its trunk was so wide that she doubted even five grown men could surround it if they linked hand to hand.

Yet, despite its size, this was no Spirit Plant. It was nothing more than a mundane, if ancient, tree.

Baron Ashdale’s grin grew wider as he watched Jill admire the tree. “Beautiful, isn’t she?” he asked.

Jill jumped, almost spilling her tea, and turned back to the Baron, a slight blush on her cheeks. Before she could respond, though, Jack spoke beside her.

“Absolutely! She’s gorgeous, is what she is! Though I’m curious, I always thought Ashdale was famous for, well, its ash. And hickory, of course. I wasn’t aware Dragon spruce even grew this far south.”

“Dragon spruce?” Jill asked with a tilt of her head. Mr. Gopher — who sat on her other side at his own smaller table atop the larger one — mimicked the gesture.

Jill knew her brother had always been a bit of a… plant nerd, for lack of a better term. Yet, in all his excited ramblings, this was the first time she’d ever heard mention of this particular tree.

Jack folded his arms and nodded. “Ya. They’re pretty rare. Well, rare outside of the Serpent’s Tail Peninsula.” Jack said, referencing the easternmost of the two peninsulas that extended out of the top of the Crimson mountain range. Long ago, a cataclysmic Fallen Star crashed into the northern part of the Skybreaker Continent, sinking it and forming the Starfall Sea. The Serpent’s Head and Serpent’s Tail Peninsulas stretched from west to east along the northern borders of the Crimson mountain range, forming a new coast.

Jack leaned back in his chair, staring up at the very top of the tree far above them. “I never thought I’d get to see one. There’s rumored to be an entire forest of them somewhere in the Serpent’s Tail, but that place is dangerous for a [Firmament Breaker] Cultivator, let alone lowly [Mortal Foundation] Cultivators like us.”

Jill shivered. If it truly was too dangerous for someone of the third and final Greater Realm before Ascension, there was no way she was ever going anywhere near that place.

Baron Ashdale threw his head back and laughed. It was a full belly laugh, a deep, rich thing that reminded Jill of her uncle when he watched the young kits play in the fields.

“Oh, no, you’re correct, my boy,” Baron Ashdale said. “You likely won’t find any other specimens this far south. Or even for hundreds of kilometers north, either. This tree is very special.”

He placed his own cup down and leaned over the table, still grinning, his wolflike muzzle flashing rows of sharp, white teeth. “You see, the Ashdale Progenitor had quite the wanderlust, as old wolves are wont to have.”

“Oh? Really?” Jack leaned forward as well, a child-like sparkle in his eye. They may have been more than old enough to be called adults, but Jack could never turn down the allure of a good story, and Baron Ashdale seemed eager enough to share his ancestor’s exploits.

“Oh, quiet! Our records tell how the first Ashdale traveled all over the world, even exploring the Mage’s continent! Once he was powerful enough, my ancestor made the trek to the far north in search of opportunities, as many do. Among the many treasures he brought back with him was a small sapling. That very sapling was planted here, in the valley where he was born, and eventually grew into the towering beauty you see today.” What followed was a short, if interesting, tale of the first Ashdale’s journey to the frozen north. The Baron was a skilled orator; even Mr. Gopher was hanging on the man’s every word by the end.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

When he finished, Baron Ashdale straightened in his chair, folded his arms, and stared up at the tree. “That’s been… close to a thousand years now, I think. My ancestor Ascended not too long after, and this tree’s been watching over this valley and my people ever since. You can see her from every corner of the valley, and the people use her as a guidepost home.”

Oh wow, Jill thought. Who knew it would have such a story?

Still enthralled with the tale, Jack leaned forward and asked, “Is it true that Dragon spruce got that name because wild dragons would use them as nests?!”

Jill tsked and slapped her brother’s shoulder. “Don’t be stupid, Jack. True Dragons wouldn’t build tree houses, let alone nests.”

Baron Ashdale laughed, though. “I can’t vouch for dragons, but my ancestor’s writings mention witnessing entire flocks of massive drakes perched on branches like songbirds, so who’s to say? After all, another name for the Serpent’s Tail is the ‘Forest of Giants.’ Who knows what hides in its unexplored depths?”

Jack opened his mouth to ask another question, but Jill cut him off.

“While we both appreciate the story — and the tea — I have to ask, sir, why are we here?”

Ok, so Jill knew why they were here. Her eyes drifted to the massive figure of Little Red, curled up in the snow under the Dragon spruce. Grim hovered nearby, staring at the various buds on the bushes like a child seeing spring for the first time.

But Jill had expected to be taken to a courthouse and questioned, not brought into the Baron’s private residence, and served tea in his garden like a guest.

Baron Ashdale threw out his arms. “Why? Because, my dear Jill, I doubt your little pup and metal friend could have fit into my office, of course. Besides, I would rather not have to explain to my Captain of the Guard that everything is fine, for a third time,” the man said, his voice filled with mock indignation.

When they’d first tried to hold their meeting in a warmer, indoor location, Little Red’s whining and howling at his inability to fit through any of the doors had kicked the guards into high alert, thinking there was an attack.

Jill frowned and narrowed her eyes.

Baron Ashdale gave another chuckle and folded his arms over the table, this time speaking in a more serious tone. “Relax, young one. You’re not in trouble. Not anymore. I simply wanted to see what kind of people our… guests were. That is all. Besides, if your friend—” Baron Ashdale glanced over at Little Red. “—happened to be a genuine threat or raged, I would much prefer the destruction contained to my lonely little abode than in the middle of my city, where others may get caught in the crossfire.”

Jill paused, blinking. She… hadn’t actually thought of that.

If Little Red really did lose control, likely the only ones in the city capable of stopping him were Baron Ashdale and Mr. Gopher. While they might be able to do so easily, there was always the chance something would go wrong and someone would get hurt. In that regard, removing the powerful spirit beast away from densely populated areas was probably the smart move.

Though that didn’t stop her from feeling slightly miffed that he’d apparently been… testing… them? Or something like that.

Jill furrowed her brow in consideration while Baron Ashdale nodded.

After a moment of silence, Baron Ashdale spoke up. “Though I must say, I’m surprised you lot were able to steal him from Morgana. That old crone has been working on him since before even my father took office. Her Lykos packs have been giving us trouble for centuries. Losing… Little Red… will be a significant blow to her research. With any luck, this might buy us a few decades of relative peace.”

“That’s right! Morgana! We forgot to tell someone!” Jack yelled, standing and slamming his palms into the table, causing it to shake — and earning angry chitters from Mr. Gopher.

Jill’s eyes went wide. That was right. They’d not really ‘forgotten’ about the old Elder Mimic — who could? — but the last few hours had been hectic, and it had slipped her mind to tell anyone.

Jill turned to Baron Ashdale, her heart pounding, but the man raised a hand.

“No need to panic. As you might have guessed, the city of Ashdale is quite familiar with the old crone in the mountains. I’ve already sent scouts to retrace your path and see what they can find. I wouldn’t hold out any hope, though.”

Baron Ashdale sighed and shook his head, continuing. “Elder Mimics are hard to kill, even by normal standards, and they only become more powerful and crafty with time. Morgana has haunted this range since before even the Ashdale Progenitor rose to power. We have tried to end her countless times through the ages, but she’s slipperier than a butcher’s cleaver and twice as sharp.”

Jill frowned. “So she’s alive then…” she said, less than a question and more of a statement.

Baron Ashdale nodded sadly. “Undoubtedly. However, don’t discredit yourself, either. You’ve dealt her a heavy blow, if not physically. If your story is correct, I would hazard to guess one greater than she’s suffered in centuries.”

Baron Ashdale looked around the table at all three of them. “That said, I feel like I must warn you…” he said, his voice far more serious than he’d been up to that point.

Jack gulped and asked. “You… you think she’ll come for revenge?”

Baron Ashdale turned and nodded. “As surely as the sun rises. For as old and as powerful as Morgana is, she’s twice as vindictive. She’ll be weak for a while, which will buy you some time, but not much. I would recommend you to flee these mountains as soon as possible. She won’t leave them or get too close to Halirosa. She might treat Ashdale as a game, but even she wouldn’t test the full might of the Adventurer’s Capital.”

“We can’t do that!” Jill cried out, maybe a bit too fast.