The pain from a sudden heart attack wasn’t the worst thing about dying. Shawn reflected on that as he observed his new state of being. He floated in darkness, looking with sightless eyes upon himself. It was a strange thing to observe one’s own soul, but he was doing it. The worst part about dying was that sense of floating after his soul was removed, sent into an endless soup of nothingness. The wolf lady had vanished, if she was ever there in the first place. But his memories were still there, although thought came as quickly as wading through knee-deep mud.

Words were also slow to form, seeming to emerge from his formless soul like bubbles. They rose upward, never finding an ear to land on. Time passed in that soup, bubbling along the way that soup did. Shawn felt as though someone was boiling him, and in that process of cooking he lost those things that had tethered him to his desk for so many years. Money brought safety before, but now it was a trap. A pleasant place to live now paled compared to rolling forests. The parts of him that had dedicated themselves to that grind melted, floating to the surface like those bubbles.

He knew his time was up when the darkness gave way to light. In a blink, he was no longer floating. He was standing, soft grass pressing into his bare feet. Compared to that endless darkness, the blurry sight he saw was a blessing. Voices spoke softly around him, a gentle murmur of recognition flooding through a group. Ten distinct opinions commented about his form, although none seemed to matter. Shawn heard the wolf lady’s voice loudest amongst them, although he couldn’t understand what she said.

Time moved again as the voices poked at him, physically or otherwise. His sight grew sharper and he saw the things judging him.

“He must plant the seed on his own,” a bear argued. So he could understand what they were saying now.

“And quickly,” a stag said.

“Plant the seed,” a big old pile of mud bubbled.

“Plant the seed! Plant the seed! Plant the seed!”

Ten voices rang out through the forest, urging Shawn forward. The chant continued as he looked around. The faces of the creatures around him were all warm, or as warm as animals and amalgams of forest material could be. He looked down, finding an unassuming acorn in his… freckled hands. Panic should have set in, but he looked upon his new slim sun freckled hands and marveled. It was hard to remember the last time he had a tan, but his normally pale skin had been turned a darker shade than normal.

Through whatever haze infected his mind, Shawn ran his hands over his flat stomach, over his slim arms, and up to his shoulder-length hair. There was far more hair than he remembered back on earth. So the wolf wasn’t lying. She had changed him into something else. While the thought should have gripped him with fear, he instead only felt the need to please the things assembled before him.

Perfect! Shawn thought, hoisting the acorn into the air. This was perfect. The ten creatures around him cheered, some thumping hooves or paws on the ground. The mud-thing just bubbled.

Shawn paraded the seed around for a few minutes, dancing in time with the chants, but found a spot of soft ground that seemed perfect. Without knowing how he knew, he dug to the perfect depth and placed the seed within. The wolf approached, using her paws to bury and pack the seed in the earth. A large salamander came over with a watering can in its mouth. It tilted its head, sprinkling glowing blue water over the seed.

Shawn knew exactly what to do. He clapped a beat with his hands and the creatures began singing another chant. “The seed is watered! The seed is watered!”

More of his surroundings came into focus. Even as each creature departed, Shawn gained more awareness of his own body. He was much lighter on his feet, having a much smaller frame meant he didn’t lumber around. How to move on his new legs. As he thought about it, he joined in the chants. By the time each of the procession had left, all but the wolf, the seed had sprouted into a small sapling. Tender green leaves poked out from the ground, stretching sunward and eager for more water.

“What a wonderful transition! Your soul attached to that body expertly,” the wolf said, padding over. And she was a wolf now. Her white fur seemed to flow with the wind, sections of her coat longer than any wolf he had seen before. It glimmered between white and blue, holding an ethereal quality.

“Thank you,” Shawn croaked. His throat felt raw from all the chanting, but the voice that croaked out wasn’t his own. “What now?”

“You need to adjust to your new form. But I can finally introduce myself. I am Mint, the guardian of this forest. You are Rud, its custodian.”

“I am Shawn,” he corrected.

Mint let out a low chuckle that seemed more like a growl. “You are Rud now. Do you remember the wildfolk I told you about? The Talen Por are quite slim. You’ll become quite muscular once you get to work. Do you like your new body?”

Rud looked down at himself. Something about the name resonated with him, as did the body. While he couldn’t explain it, his soul had an affinity for this body. His original body wasn’t much to look at. It didn’t vibrate the way this one did in response to the surrounding forest. The longer he stood near that seed he had planted, the more it seemed to hum.

“I am Rud,” he confirmed. “I like it.”

“Your mind will be slow for several days,” Mint nodded her spectral head in one direction. “There is a spring in that direction. And food in the forest. Each nut is edible, but avoid the blue mushrooms. Your class hasn’t attached itself to your soul, and your subclass will take longer than that.”

Rud understood almost none of that. “I understand.”

“Call my name and I will come. For now, enjoy the peace of the forest.”

Mint turned before dashing off into the forest. The place where Rud stood was a massive clearing in a dense forest. He had planted the seed in the middle of that clearing, giving it the best chance to absorb sunlight. The reality of the situation didn’t set in. He took a deep breath, feeling the air tickle his nose. Only now did he realize he was clothed. A simple tunic and pants covered his slim body, preserving some of his modesty. The backs of his hands were freckled, the trail tracking a path up his arm and covering his shoulders.

Rud had a quiet moment to think about how strange his situation was. It felt like only moments ago he was drafting that email. While ‘drafting’ was a strong word, he had the intent of writing it. The night would have been filled with apologies, yelling at the sales team, a pot of coffee, and fitful sleep in the small hours of the morning. Now the sounds of the forest surrounded him. Critters moved through the underbrush, skirting the circle of trees to investigate. Birds called in the boughs above, unaware or uncaring of those events.

The forest itself was a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees. Broad leaves mingled with discarded nettles on the ground, creating a tapestry of green and brown. Rud sniffed the air again, taking in the pungent scent of pines and considered his environment. It was rather cold in this area. What little clothes he wore did little to help with that, but this new body must have run hot. It wasn’t unbearable. Only the tips of his fingers felt any of that sting. Rud practiced his walking some more, finding that it came naturally with time. Once he had his feet under him, he found a branch roughly his height and tested his weight against it.

“How short am I?” Rud asked himself. He measured himself against a random stick, figuring he was anywhere from four-foot-something to five-foot-something-else. He pressed forward into the forest, looking back at the sprout before vanishing into the brush.

Rud felt what Mint was talking about with the thing attaching to his soul. A gentle pressure exerted somewhere near his heart, almost as though something was wiggling in there. But it wasn’t an uncomfortable sensation. It was the smallest movement of something trying to exist, and that was fine.

The tangle of bushes and vines in the undergrowth was easy to navigate with such a slight body. Rud ducked through tight openings for a while before finding himself in another clearing. His hair caught on greedy branches, and he felt the tug as he pressed through. A small pond of glittering blue water sat in a rock basin. A red squirrel looked up from the pond, blinking a few times before scampering off. Rud only had a few seconds to look at the cute little tufts of hair on the critter’s ears before it bolted. He chuckled and approached the pond.

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Rud ran his hands through the strange water. His fingers tingled as he played in the water. When he splashed, droplets of the water floated in the air for a moment. Only to crash back down. The pond was large, likely large enough for him to lay lengthwise five times on either side. Stone held it where it was, and despite the clarity of the water, it was too deep to see the bottom. Resting on the far side of the pond was a pristine wooden bucket with a ladle.

The water that the salamander had put onto the sprout was this same water. Rud knew that fact although he was unclear on how he knew it. He padded to the far side of the pond, dipping the bucket into the water and pulling it out with great effort. He heaved against the weight of the thing, dragging it onto the shore and wheezing. The bucket dug a track through the forest. It spilled to either side, leaving behind wet spots that soon blossomed with greenery.

“Want some more water?” Rud asked, grabbing the ladle and dipping it into the bucket. More than half of the water had sloshed from the bucket along the way and the tree was thirsty. He poured small amounts onto the tree, watching as it grew. After an amount of water, the tree needed to rest.

“Don’t eat the blue mushrooms,” Rud told himself, rubbing his belly as he searched for food.

Mint was right. The forest was lousy with nuts. Rud found a hard-shelled brown nut first, peeling back the first layer to find another fibrous layer. Under that one was another layer of hard shell. But the pale pink nut within tasted the way roses smelled, and filled his stomach more than expected. Next on the menu was a small red mushroom with green dots. It wasn’t blue, so Rud took a tentative bite and nodded with approval. It was earthy with a vague meaty flavor that cooking would bring to the fore.

His tummy was filled with mushrooms and nuts by the time the tree was ready for more water. Rud returned to the clearing to find that the sprout was a proper sapling now, stretching skyward to find more light by the moment. He took a seat nearby and poured more water over the base, soaking the ground. The tree drank the water from the earth quickly enough to change the dark shade made by the water in moments. He felt the faint sense of something emitting from the tree, but couldn’t quite place it.

The tickle in Rud’s chest was getting more intense by the moment, so he did the only thing he could think to pass the time. Falling asleep on the forest floor was easy. It didn’t seem to matter how long he snoozed. When he woke, the tree was bigger and he felt well-rested. And the sun was still up.

“You’re finally awake,” a voice said, seeming to come from nowhere.

Rud looked around, sniffing the air. Nothing seemed to change. Mint had a distinct scent when she was around, but he didn’t smell it now. “Hello?”

“Hello,” the voice responded, sounding pleasant but formless. “Are you my custodian?”

Rud turned his gaze to the growing tree. It glittered with prismatic colors, shifting as the wind blew through the forest. He blinked a few times before shrugging. Of course the tree could talk. That just made perfect sense!

“Yes, Mint brought me here,” Rud said with a few too many excited nods.

“I don’t know who that is. But you are my custodian. Thank you for watering me. What is your name?”

“Rud.”

“I have been named Ban’tanthein. Nice to meet you.”

“I shall call you Ban. Because I cannot say your name.”

The tree giggled. “Are you prepared to take care of a new grove?”

“I think so.”

“Then the cycle is complete. We have our pact.”

“The pact!” Rud said, hoisting his hands in the air. Ban giggled again. He didn’t know what the pact was, but he was excited to care for the forest. It might not have been the fire lookout job he wanted, but it was close enough. And the mushrooms were delicious.

“I hope the others have custodians as excited for their job as you, Rud,” Ban said. “We have a long road ahead of us, so I hope you’re up for the challenge.”

“Of course!”

“When a Spirit Tree forms a pact with a mortal, it takes on some of that person’s wants. I can feel the quality of your soul, Rud.” The tree went silent for a moment. A pulse of power radiated from the sapling, spreading across the forest. “This place was once a settlement. They struck at the earth to pull riches from the ground. That should be your first task.”

“I’m supposed to be a nature-loving hippie,” Rud said, crossing his arms. “Not a miner.”

“There are crystal fragments in the ground. Shards of power that will help me grow. Would you object to that idea?”

“Not at all!” Rud said, changing his mind in an instant as he quickly uncrossed his arms. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to try mining.”

“Excellent. The enchanted water will only get me close to the first stage, but a druid must push me over the edge. Has your soul accepted the class?”

Rud shrugged. He didn’t know what that meant or how to check. He tried concentrating really hard but nothing happened. “Nope.”

“I can feel it. Give it time,” Ban said. “Until then, you can water me until I’m close to the first stage.”

“Excellent,” Rud said, dipping the ladle and pouring it near the base of the growing tree. He made a few more trips to the pond before something happened. The tickle in his chest grew to something more. It burst to life, filling him with a mix of strange sensations.

Rud tripped, losing the contents of the bucket on the ground as power flowed through him. It was painful at first, but soon became a dull ache that felt similar to having one’s soul removed from their body.

Ban’s comforting words filled his mind. “You got your class! I can feel it from here.”

“Neato! What does that mean?”

“Think about yourself. No, not like that. Think about the stuff that makes you who you are. It should summon your attributes screen.”

Rud thought about it for a moment, trying different ways to bring the screen up. He shifted his mind, instead thinking only about this attributes screen. It popped up in an instant, filling his vision. A decorated box hovered in his vision, themed with the forest around him. Branches ran along the outside of the box, complete with leaves that poked out. In the center of the box was information about him. He read it.

[Rud]

Main Class:

Rank 0 Level 1 Druid

Subclass:

NONE

Attributes:

Health: 56

Mana: 85

Strength: 2

Agility: 3

Vigor: 5

Mind: 7

Affinity: 7

Titles:

[Keeper of the Gladesbale Grove]

Mint had made good on her promise. He was a druid! The three physical attributes reflected how he felt. Not too strong, not too agile, but pretty sturdy. He didn’t know what Mind and Affinity meant, but decided that he didn’t care to explore that idea right now. There was also a title, which he understood meant that someone had named their grove.

“Did you come up with Gladesbale Grove?” Rud asked, scratching his chin with one finger.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, I love it. I’m the keeper of Gladebale Grove, after all.”

“Oh! You got the title? Check it out.”

Rud pretended like he knew how to do that, then messed with the interface for a minute. He figured out that he could just mentally click on any item in the menu to inspect it, just like a computer. He clicked it, then read the description.

[Keeper of the Gladesbale Grove]

Description:

You are the keeper of the Sacred Gladesbale Grove. It is your duty to keep the Sacred Tree within healthy, along with the surrounding forest. Your power grows with the Sacred Tree.

Effects:

Allows you to communicate with the Sacred Tree of Gladesbale Grove

Your connection with the Sacred Tree allows you to interface with the Sacred Tree, choosing upgrade paths and enhancements.

That’s what Ban just said. Stuff that he wanted was reflected onto the tree. He just wondered if it went the other way. It was nice to see confirmation that he was the keeper of the grove, though. Things had seemed chaotic since he arrived, and he was mostly going with the flow.

“Very nice,” Rud said. “I’m the keeper. Hooray.”

“Did you inspect your class?”

“Of course I did. No, I didn’t,” Rud said, inspecting his class.

[Druid]

Rank 0 Level 1 Class

Description:

Druids commune with nature to command spells and shapeshifting effects. The closer a druid is with nature, the stronger their abilities.

Skills:

[Animal Communication] R0 L1

Abilities:

[Druidic Spellcasting]

“Do you see the Druidic Spellcasting ability?”

“Yep!”

“Very good. Return to me and we can push me into the first stage.”