A new day dawned on a field strewn with corpses. Having recovered overnight, Elijah stood on the earthen bulwark where Ironshore’s defenders had made their last stand. It was little more than a slight rise next to a trench, but from a symbolic – as well as a literal – perspective, it had been incredibly important. To Elijah, it looked like an island amidst a sea of grey bodies.

“How many, do ya think?” came Kurik’s familiar and gruff voice.

Elijah turned his head to see the broad-shouldered dwarf standing only a few feet behind him. He’d also been injured in the battle, though not nearly as grievously as Elijah, who’d only been a hair’s breadth from death. The only reason he’d survived was due to Kurik’s quick thinking with Elijah’s grove berries, which had given him a surge of vitality as well as ethera. In turn, that had given him the fuel he needed to enable his own recovery.

Still, Elijah knew how close he’d come, and he was also well aware that Kurik had saved his life. That wasn’t something he would soon forget. Nor would he quickly move on from the sacrifices endured by the people of Ironshore. They’d been challenged by the orcish horde, and they’d risen to the occasion, emerging victorious. That meant something to Elijah, and he respected them all the more because they’d refused to give up.

He could empathize with that kind of attitude.

“At least ten thousand,” Elijah said, looking at the carpet of corpses. It was difficult to gauge just how many orcs had assailed the small city. Yet, one thing was certain – it had been more than they’d expected. “Do you think there are more out there?”

“Probably. It’s a big world.”

Elijah shook his head. “Did you ask around about that shield?” he asked. In the immediate aftermath of the battle, Elijah had been in no position to remember things properly. However, since his recovery, he’d recalled that someone had used a spell to shield him from the orcish warlord’s onslaught. Likely, that had saved his life. So, he’d asked Kurik to find out who he should thank for that intervention.

“Oh. That,” said the dwarf.

“What?”

“I found out, though it’s not the happy endin’ you might want for,” Kurik answered. “You remember Calix?”

“I do,” Elijah answered. Indeed, he’d seen the little goblin who was the lone survivor of the ill-fated expedition to his island on more than one occasion. However, he hadn’t really spoken to her, largely because of the fear he had seen in her eyes.

“It was her,” Kurik explained. “Took a spear to the gut for her trouble, too. Didn’t make it.”

“Shit,” Elijah muttered, hanging his head. It wasn’t as if he’d really known the goblin. And his choice to let her live had been the result of a whim rather than an attempt at mercy. Yet, he didn’t know how to react to the knowledge that she had not only saved his live, but she’d died in the process.

“Wasn’t for you,” Kurik stated. “She knew you were the only one who could save us, so the girl made the only reasonable choice she could.”

“I suppose.”

That statement, while probably true, still didn’t help with Elijah’s roiling emotions.

“Got any more of them berries?” Kurik asked.

“Oh,” Elijah said. “Sure.”

Then, he unshouldered his pack, reached inside, and handed Kurik a handful. The dwarf ate them appreciatively, then said, “They ain’t the best taste, and they’re a mite too much for me. But damn if they ain’t reinvigorating.”

“They are that,” Elijah stated. Then, he asked, “What are they going to do with all the corpses?”

“Burn ‘em, I suppose. Why?”

Elijah shrugged. “They’re not useful?”

“Not anymore. ‘cept the brains you asked for. We got to those in time. Most of the rest went bad too quick to harvest,” Kurik answered. “Not that anybody was lookin’ forward to using it, course. They look too close to people, see. Puts everyone off, even if we all know they’re just monsters like any other.”

“I can see that,” Elijah said. There was a clay full of the brains in question inside his bag, but he’d yet to really look at them. “Doesn’t really feel like we won.”

“But we did,” Kurik said. “And most of us got the levels to prove it. This little battle probably single-handedly ensured that Ironshore’ll survive for years to come. Most of these people are used to levelin’ from craftin’ and such. That’s slow, but it’s steady. Killin’ that many orcs was enough to push most of ‘em to the next ability or technique threshold. That’s big.”

“You get anything good?” asked Elijah.

“I did.”

“Want to share?”

“Nope.”

Elijah sighed. “Fair enough,” he said.

After that, the two remained silent for a few minutes until Elijah said, “Thanks again for saving my life. I’ll pay you back. I promise.”

“You saved my home,” Kurik said. “That’s payback enough.”

“Still…”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” the dwarf insisted. “Friends don’t keep score, right?”

Elijah nodded. Until that moment, he hadn’t really considered the idea that he and Kurik were friends, but in retrospect, it was obvious. After spending so much time together in the wilderness, he felt more comfortable around the dwarf than he had with anyone since the world had ended. Perhaps even more than anyone from his old life, except Alyssa. Because there was something about going to war with someone that forged a much more meaningful bond. Next to that, his previous friendships felt shallow.

“You should come to my island,” Elijah said. “I think you’d like it.”

“Last folks who went to your island ended up pretty dead.”

“That’s not true. Ramik and Carisa have visited twice.”

“They didn’t go no further than the beach,” Kurik stated. “That don’t count.”

“This is different. You’re invited,” Elijah countered. “But no worries if you’re not comfortable with it.”

“Oh, I’ll come. I just wanted to ruffle your feathers a bit s’all,” the dwarf said with a chuckle. “But for now, I got work to do. Me and some of the other scouts are goin’ to make sure there ain’t no more orcs out there. You want to come?”

Elijah shook his head. “Not unless you need me,” he answered. He’d had enough orc slaughter for two lifetimes, and he wasn’t eager to revisit that situation. He would if necessary, but so long as there was a choice, he knew which side of the fence he’d land on. “Besides, I need to talk to Ramik about something.”

“Alright then,” Kurik said. He extended a hand, which Elijah grasped. “See you soon, then.”

“See you soon.”

With that, Kurik started to pick his way across the battlefield. Only then did it occur to Elijah that the dwarf had likely volunteered to search for any orcish stragglers in an effort to avoid the cleanup.

Smiling wryly, Elijah turned and descended the berm and started back to the city. As he did, he checked his gains from the battle. First, he noted that he’d gained level fifty-five, as denoted by his updated status:

Name

Elijah Hart

Level

55

Archetype

Druid

Class

Animist

Specialization

N/A

Alignment

N/A

Stolen story; please report.

Strength

67

Dexterity

59

Constitution

57

Ethera

65

Regeneration

59

Attunement

Nature

Cultivation Stage: Cultivator

Body

Core

Mind

Soul

Wood

Hatchling

Quartz

Neophyte

His attributes, even without the benefit of his many enhancements – or buffs, as the people in Argos and Norcastle called them – had become truly impressive. And he knew that with every level, they would become more so. He’d already proven that, from a physical standpoint, he could stand against some incredibly powerful monsters, and he couldn’t help but wonder what the future would hold in that department.

However, he was far more interested in the next notification he’d received:

Congratulations! You have achieved the requirements for the evolution of the spell Ancestral Circle. Please choose a path:

Roots of the World Tree

Protection of the World Tree

Blessing of the World Tree

By creating additional circles, you may spread your roots to new locations.

By expanding your circle, you may enhance the protection afforded by your grove.

Through a nurturing touch, you may increase the power of your grove.

It was the first time he’d been afforded the opportunity to evolve one of his spells or abilities, and it was far more involved than he’d expected. So far, he’d simply been awarded spells at specific intervals, but now, it seemed like his progression would require more input in the future.

For now, though, he had a decision to make. Based on the descriptions, which seemed a little inadequate, the choices came down to whether or not he wanted to spread his influence or empower his grove, either via enhancing the protection it afforded or what sounded like increasing the ethera density.

Before he made a decision, he needed to talk to Nerthus to see if the tree spirit could offer any insight. He’d already checked the available guides at the Branch of the World Tree, and he’d found nothing that seemed like it would explain anything. There was precious little concerning Druids at all, and what little existed was incredibly expensive. Of course, it didn’t help that none of it was organized in any way that Elijah could understand, so searching for applicable information was a pain.

Apparently, there were classes that specialized in such things, but Ironshore wasn’t large or important enough to warrant such people.

In any case, Nerthus offered the best chance of solid information, so he embraced the teleportation portion of Ancestral Circle, and a moment later, he disappeared only to rematerialize in his grove. Once there, he called out for Nerthus. When he appeared, Elijah let him know what had happened in the battle with the orcs, then broached the subject of his evolutionary path.

“Interesting,” said Nerthus as he paced back and forth. As he scratched his chin, Elijah couldn’t help but notice that the tree spirit’s mannerisms – and speech patterns – had become quite a bit more human of late. He wondered if that was his influence or if it was a normal development for tree spirits. “The first will almost assuredly let you create a teleportation network. The second will allow you to establish a defensive perimeter that will protect the island from would be invaders. And the third will increase the ethereal density of the grove.”

“Are you sure?” Elijah asked.

“Reasonably so,” Nerthus said. Then, he admitted, “However, I should point out that these are guesses. The reality could very well be quite different from what I’ve inferred from those descriptions. That is unlikely, given the straightforward language used.”

“The choice is obvious, then.”

“Is it? All three seem very useful,” Nerthus stated. “Though there are some caveats to that sentiment.”

“Oh? It seems to me that we should increase the ethereal density,” Elijah said. His reasoning was simple – according to everything he’d read, advancing his cultivation required incredibly dense ethera. If his grove could naturally provide that, then he would be halfway to reaching the next stages of his development.

“That is a mistake,” Nerthus stated.

“Really? I was thinking that my cultivation –”

“It would be useful, but the timing is troubling,” Nerthus said. “Unless I am wrong in my assessment, the increase in density will be multiplicative based on current levels. That means that it would be far more useful to wait until Earth’s ethereal density settles. That will be years from now.”

That made sense. If he were to do it now, then he’d be giving up long-term benefits for a short-term boost in power. From Nethus’s perspective, that probably seemed like an incredibly poor choice. However, Elijah also knew that that presupposed that he would survive long enough to take advantage of those long-term benefits, which was not guaranteed. Getting the boost that increasing his cultivation stage would provide would no doubt go a long way to ensuring his survival.

“What about the defense one?” Elijah asked, still mulling over the other option.

“Very helpful,” Nerthus admitted. “It would have helped with the orcish invasion, certainly. The city on the shore would not benefit, but it might have been enough to let the grove endure.”

That seemed straightforward enough, though Elijah wasn’t sure what form that defense might take. So, he asked, “And the other one?”

“Mobility will be very important. Teleportation is extremely expensive,” Nerthus stated. “Prohibitively so. If you can move around the world without having to pay that, you will be able to afford many things you otherwise would not.”

“So, I could theoretically have a teleportation point that would let me cross the world in an instant?” Elijah asked.

“Assuredly.”

“Interesting.”

“It should also be noted that you will not evolve the spell immediately. These things require the completion of a quest,” Nerthus said. “The more powerful the spell, the more time-consuming the quest. You will also likely be afforded the opportunity to choose the other two options at some point in the future.”

“So, it makes sense to take the most immediately impactful.”

“Likely, with the aforementioned caveats.”

That made Elijah’s decision, so he made his choice.

Congratulations! You have chosen to evolve Ancestral Circle into Roots of the World Tree. Complete the following quest to finalize the evolution:

Accomplish Two Feats of Strength (COMPLETE)

Conquer One Tower (COMPLETE)

Build a Dolmen (INCOMPLETE)

“Oh. Nice,” Elijah said. “Two steps already finished. Only one to go. Apparently, I need to build a dolmen.”

From what Elijah remembered, a dolmen was something like Stonehenge. Which meant that he had his work cut out for him. He explained everything to Nerthus, who told him that those dolmens would likely constitute the teleportation points. So, he wouldn’t be able to just build the dolmen anywhere he wanted. Instead, he needed to find a proper location first. And he had some ideas about where he wanted to put it.

So, with that taken care of, Elijah collected his things, making sure to stock up on berries, and headed to his rowboat collection – which was dwindling with each time he teleported back to his island – and paddled across the strait and into Ironshore. Once he reached the dock, he set off for the city’s governmental building, where he hoped to find Ramik.

Along the way, Elijah noticed two things. First, the residents of the city were incredibly busy in the aftermath of the battle. Some had been tasked with cleaning up the battlefield, while others were repairing damage wrought by a few orcs who’d broken through the line and descended upon the city. Still others were organizing supplies for the survivors. It was a nice reminder that, when disaster struck, people tended to band together. That those people were gnomes, dwarves, and goblins – as well as a few elves – was immaterial, and it warmed Elijah’s heart to see everyone working toward the greater good. Hopefully, that would last.

The second thing he saw was more of an absence than anything else. Gone were the dirty looks and angry glances he’d endured before. There was still fear there, but they didn’t seem to hate him. That was progress, at least as far as Elijah was concerned.

Eventually, Elijah reached the governmental headquarters and found Ramik, who looked as busy as anyone else Elijah had seen during his trek through the city. Still, the goblin was quick to greet him, asking, “What can I do for you?”

“I came for my payment,” Elijah said.

“Oh. That. What can we give you? Our ethereum –”

“I don’t want money,” Elijah interrupted. “I want cooperation. A friendship, maybe. At least an alliance.”

“I…I think we can do that,” Ramik stated.

“So, here’s what I’m thinking I want…”

After Elijah explained his plan, and Ramik agreed enthusiastically, he went in search of a perfect location. So it happened that the next day – after Elijah had spent another night in the Imperium – he found himself standing in the center of Ironshore. Ramik had held up his end of the bargain, clearing the large plaza and ripping up the flagstones that had once covered the ground.

Elijah stood in the center, alongside Ramik and Carisa, and looked at the gathered townspeople. Almost everyone was there, though there were some exceptions – most notably, that some familiar faces were missing. Two of the three barbers had perished in the fight, as had Calix and a couple of the guards who’d once escorted Elijah through town. Some, like the tailor Mari, bore visible scars, but most just looked exhausted.

Ramik spoke, his voice loud and clear, “People of Ironshore! We have endured a powerful calamity, and we have survived, not least because of the actions of our friend and ally, Elijah Hart. His benevolence does not end there, though. As a Druid, he has chosen to bless our city by planting a very special tree. Henceforth, this square shall be known as Druid’s Park, and any who deface it shall be severely punished.”

Elijah remained silent, though his gaze was enough to make some of the townspeople flinch. Hopefully, that would be enough to dissuade anyone who might harm the tree he intended to plant. If not, then there were more direct methods available.

With that, Elijah retrieved the seed he’d taken from the ancestral tree, then planted it in the hole he’d already dug. After covering it, he summoned Healing Rain, then sat cross-legged next to where he’d planted the seed. Closing his eyes, he flared Nature’s Bounty.

Like that, days passed, and Elijah healed in ways he didn’t think possible. Because of One with Nature, he was aware of people coming to take advantage of the rejuvenating properties of Healing Rain. That brought a smile to his face. After all, he’d always liked healing people.

On the fifth day, Elijah felt the seed sprout. And on the sixth, it had become a tiny seedling. That was when Elijah finally opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Already, the park had begun to flourish, with grass having sprouted. There were other small plants as well, but most importantly, the tree had taken root. Now, it didn’t need his guidance, though he fully intended to usher it into the sapling stage.

So, after eating a few berries, Elijah closed his eyes and continued the cycle.