Today I rested. I took time to let myself heal all of my cuts and bruises and to let my body return to its full size. I could have done all of that immediately, but that can be draining, and I didn’t feel like it.

It seems like everyone realized I was missing immediately. My trees told everyone that was capable of listening and they told everyone else. After that, there was a massive hunt through the forest until they found that magical barrier that is still standing now. It seems like it only goes one way, which is how I was able to get out and why no one else was able to come to my rescue. No one has managed to figure out a way around or through it yet, so it still stands.

Tiddol and Par are both here as well. It seems like the letter she got was faked. While Par was happy, and a bit confused, to see her, he did not need her help with anything. Once he saw the letter he sorted everything out and figured out what was going on. Someone, probably the people that used to be my captors, sent the letter in order to get her away for a while so it wouldn’t be immediately suspicious when I disappeared.

The letter to Azrezel was also fake. My dad’s old partner was happy to see him but understandably confused about the visit. After sorting everything out they rushed back home, expecting the worst. My dad was trying and failing to hold back tears when he saw me safe and relatively healthy. My dad’s old partner did agree to come visit my forest, something about wanting to meet me. Apparently, the man couldn’t believe that someone managed to make my dad settle down and have a child. Azrezel was very quick to point out the fact that it was the settle down part, not the child part, that he couldn’t believe. That and some stories I’ve heard about my dad from before he met my mother makes me wonder if I have any half-siblings running around the world. I don’t know how to think about that.

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I need to figure out what my next steps are. The scholars living here could have easily gotten through that barrier, they said as much themselves. But they refused to interfere. Considering the fact that they are partially responsible for this whole fiasco, my captors had information they could have only gotten from their order. This is unacceptable. I need to deal with them somehow, but that can wait till tomorrow.

I also have to deal with the masterminds behind my capture. From what I overheard from my captors they are part of the leadership of one of the nearby city-states, but I don’t know which one. No matter, we’ll take all of them if we have to, but the people responsible will pay.

I should also prevent anything like that from happening again. To do that I should refine the part of my connection to my forest that goes through my dungeon core. As far as I can tell nothing short of a more powerful dungeon can block that connection. I’ll never be without access to mana again. And, more importantly, nothing would be able to sever my connection to my forest.

I’m using my sleep aid tonight for the first time in way too long. It’s time for sleep.

Anyway, Good Night Diary.