Miguel sat in the center of the grove, his eyes closed as he basked in the dense ethera surrounding the ancestral tree. Now that he’d used Pledge of the Green Warden, everything felt so different. It was like comparing a two-dimensional drawing of a forest to walking among the trees, and for the first few hours, it had been overwhelming. That was why he’d sunk into meditation, cycling through the mental exercises Nerthus had given him what felt like a lifetime ago.

“How do you feel?” came the spryggent’s familiar voice.

Miguel opened his eyes to see Nerthus squatting in front of him, his rough-featured face only inches from Miguel’s. “Have you ever heard of personal space?” Miguel asked, leaning backward.

“Of course. In the forest, there are –”

“I’m saying you’re too close. It’s uncomfortable,” Miguel said, massaging the back of his neck. His attributes had increased significantly, but he still couldn’t sit in the same position for hours without getting a little stiff. “And I feel fine, I guess. Better than fine. I gained a ton of attributes, but the biggest difference is that I feel…I don’t know…a sense of connection that I never felt before.”

“That is normal for those who are tasked with defending a grove,” Nerthus said. “You are the lone member of the martial branch of this grove, so your blessing is even more potent than what one would normally expect. Tell me – how many attributes did you gain?”

“A lot. Like double.”

“In which attribute?”

“All of them? Well, not ethera. And Regeneration was more than double.”

“That…that is too much,” Nerthus said. “This grove is powerful, but I did not expect…if it keeps going…no. It must be the Shard of the World Tree. It was more powerful than even I suspected. The real test will be how it affects you outside the grove.”

“What do you mean?” Miguel asked. “Are these buffs only going to be with me while I’m on this island?”

“To a degree. I suspect that the augmentation will lose some of its efficacy once you leave the grove, but it will still provide a powerful boon to your attributes,” Nerthus said. “The other benefits will remain, though. I am certain of it.”

Other benefits. Like the sense of connection to nature he felt and the vague awareness of the grove. In addition, he suspected he would be a little like Elijah in that he would be able to travel through the wilderness largely unmolested. That wasn’t really new, though. He’d always been fascinated by animals, and they’d gravitated towards him as well.

“Any advice?” he asked.

“Advance your Mind cultivation as quickly as possible. It will be invaluable going forward,” Nerthus answered. “Beyond that, I am afraid that I have nothing to offer. You must chart your own path.”

Miguel nodded, then thanked Nerthus. A moment later, the tree spirit stepped into the ancestral tree, leaving him alone.

Or mostly, considering that Trevor, the juvenile stag had come to the grove. Fortunately, he knew better than to eat Nerthus’ plants, which meant that he remained on the outskirts. Miguel rose from his position, then crossed the grove. However, when he saw the deer, he was surprised to see a pair of crystalline spikes jutting from Trevor’s head.

“You’re growing up, huh?” Miguel said, reaching out to scratch the deer’s neck. Trevor had experienced quite a growth spurt, reaching a height of nearly five feet at the shoulder. “Me too, I guess.”

As he scratched Trevor’s neck, a sensation unlike anything he’d ever felt washed over him. Suddenly, he could sense Trevor’s mood – anxious and excited – as easily he could interpret his own feelings. More, he felt the deer’s mind reaching out in an effort to make a connection.

Whether it was simple stupidity or instinct, Miguel accepted it. And the moment their minds touched, he let out a gasp as he nearly lost consciousness. The sheer weight of Trevor’s thoughts almost overwhelmed him, but through the force of his own will, Miguel managed to resist.

But then he realized the problem.

He wasn’t meant to fight it. Rather, he was meant to surrender. To accept it. To let the bond between them solidify. From a rational perspective, it felt like an intuitive and unsupported leap of logic. However, his every instinct screamed at him to let it happen. He chose to listen.

Ethera swirled all around him, moving so quickly that it rustled nearby leaves. It enveloped both figures, suffusing every facet of their being. Their souls intermingled, tangling together until, at last, the energy died down.

When it did, Miguel could feel a presence in his Mind that he knew was Trevor. It wasn’t like he could hear the stag’s individual thoughts. Rather, it was more like he could interpret Trevor’s feelings. Upon realizing that, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he nearly stumbled to the ground.

If it wasn’t for Trevor stepping close and offering support, he would have fallen.

“What was that?” he muttered to himself.

Trevor just looked at him like he was stupid.

Miguel thought about calling for Nerthus, but then something else occurred to him. Trevor wanted to give him a ride. So, without giving it too much thought, he leaped upon the stag’s back, and the moment he was securely in place, Trevor took off, bounding through the island’s forest.

Once, Miguel had gone on a school field trip out to a farm in the country. Once there, he’d ridden a horse – if being led around at a walk by one of the farmhands counted as riding – but what he experienced on Trevor’s back was nothing like that. There was no saddle. No reins. No tack of any kind. And yet, Miguel had no issues staying mounted, even as Trevor leaped and sprinted through the forest.

And then, without slowing, he arrived at the beach and leaped into the water. But he didn’t sink into the waves.

“You can run on water?!” he screamed, a grin stretching across his face. “That’s so cool!”

“What the ever-lovin’ hell!” came a shout from across the water. Miguel looked up just in time to see Trevor leap over a rowboat containing a very shocked Colt, who was struggling to keep the small vessel from capsizing.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

“Oh…crap. Sorry!” Miguel yelled as Trevor raced across the waves. He raised his hand, shouting, “My bad!”

But Trevor had no intentions of stopping. They kept going, and once the shock of what was happening wore off, Miguel realized that the deer wasn’t running across the water. Rather, he ran along a path of moonlight suspended only a few inches above the surface. More, he could tell that, even though every step required some expenditure of the deer’s ethera, it would be hours before he was spent.

“How fast can you go?!” Miguel shouted.

Trevor let out a snort, lowered his head, and then turned it on. Before, Miguel had thought Trevor was sprinting. Compared to their current speed, he hadn’t been. They raced across the surface of the water, covering the distance between the island and Ironshore in only fifteen seconds. Then, they hit the rocky shore and kept going into the woods.

As they ran, Miguel couldn’t keep the grin off his face. The combination of speed and the bond he’d forged with Trevor filled him with such joy that he could scarcely imagine stopping.

But after an embarrassingly long span of minutes, he remembered Colt’s expression, and he knew he owed his mentor an explanation. So, he asked Trevor to turn around. The deer was reluctant to comply until Miguel reminded him that his own parents likely would not be happy with his jaunt into the wilderness. That convinced the deer to return to the island, and after a few more minutes, they had crossed the strait and passed onto the shore. Not long after, Trevor pulled to a stop just outside the grove.

“Thanks,” Miguel said, slipping from the deer’s back. He rested his hand on Trevor’s side, then said, “Wait just a second.”

He dashed into the grove, and before Nerthus could stop him – the spryggent had a habit of popping up at all the wrong times – he picked a fruit from one of the new bushes. He tossed it to Trevor a second later. The deer caught it with his mouth, then swallowed the thing whole.

“Nerthus is gonna kill you if you keep pickin’ them fruits. This ain’t like those berries that used to be here,” came Colt’s voice. “There’s a delicate balance he’s tryin’ to maintain.”

“Uh…”

“But more importantly, what the goddamn hell was that all about? Were you runnin’ on water?” Colt demanded, removing his soggy hat.

“Maybe?”

“Maybe?”

“I mean, yeah. Or technically, Trevor was. And if we’re getting super specific, he was running on moonlight,” Miguel explained.

“Well, that explains everything,” Colt said with a shake of his head. “You care to explain a little more? Or am I s’posed to just assume you’re an idiot?”

“I’m not an idiot!” Miguel insisted.

“Yeah? At the very least, you’re irresponsible. Jumpin’ over me like that. Ruined my goddamn hat.”

“I’ll…I’ll get you another one, okay? And I just got caught up in the moment, I guess. Trevor and me, we bonded. Sort of. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I have this kind of awareness about him now. And I can feel his emotions. Almost like I can read his mind. I think…I think we’re stuck together now, and we both got a little carried away is all,” Miguel explained.

“Hmm.”

“I really don’t mind buying you a new hat. Maybe one that’s not white.”

“I like white,” Colt mumbled. “’sides, that’s enough about all that. I came here to talk to you. I think I’ve got a job for you.”

“Really? What?”

“Someone needs to go to Norcastle, then Argos. You’ve been to both, so it might help you get the message to the right set of ears,” Colt stated. “And I’ve seen how you are with the wilderness. You’re like your uncle. Things ain’t as hostile toward you as they are with most. And with that deer, you can probably move faster than most. That wasn’t part of the original plan, but it’ll help all the same.”

“You want me to go all the way to Argos by myself?” Miguel asked. “Isn’t there someone older? Or…I don’t know…”

“Might be somebody older, but right now, you’re the best person for the job. I already cleared it with your mom, too. So, if you want it, job’s yours.”

“I mean…I definitely want it. And if mom said it’s okay…”

“She did.”

“Then I’ll do it.”

“Good. Then you should go see her,” Colt said. “She has somethin’ for ya, and I think she wants to spend a little time with you before you leave again.”

Miguel almost rolled his eyes. The last thing he wanted was for his mother to smother him, which she was wont to do, given half a chance. His time working the caravan had highlighted that much. Yet, he couldn’t deny that he’d missed her too. So, without further ado, he called for Trevor, who responded without much delay. Then, Miguel mounted his mighty steed and, soon enough, they were racing across the strait.

Their arrival in Ironshore caused a slight stir, but most of the residents were accustomed to living in a world of magic, so the excitement died down after only a few minutes. That allowed Miguel to reach the future site of the Great Forge, but for once, his mother wasn’t there. So, he headed to her smithy, where he found her toiling over a breastplate.

“You weren’t at the construction site,” he shouted over the sound of her hammer strikes. “What’s up?”

She looked up and smiled, though there was something missing from the expression. “Hey, mijo.”

A second later, she had her muscular – and quite sweaty – arms wrapped around him in a crushing hug. Even with his newly augmented attributes, she was much stronger than him. “Lemme go, mom,” he pleaded.

She gave him one last squeeze before releasing him. Then, her eyes found Trevor, who’d followed Miguel inside. At present the deer looked both eager to explore and terrified of what he might find. “Want to explain?”

“Uh…sure.”

Then, he told her everything about the vow. He’d explained it before, so he only needed to recount the effects. “I think the buffs will fade some if I get too far away from the grove, but they’ll always be with me.”

“So long as the grove stands.”

“Yeah. But Uncle Elijah won’t let it fall,” he said. He tightened his hand into a fist. “Neither will I.”

She shook her head, muttering something about him being infected by Elijah’s nature. Then, she took a deep breath and said, “Did Colt tell you what’s going on?”

“Just that I’m supposed to act as a messenger. I haven’t gotten the specifics yet,” he admitted.

“Okay, sit down. I’ll explain everything.”

And she did, starting with the missing miners and the discovery of the hostile force of dark elves. “We can’t stand up to them alone,” she said. “That’s where you come in. We need alliances. The mayor will explain everything else. But for now, there are two things I want to do. I want to have a nice meal with my son, and I want to give you a gift.”

“Mom, you know I can’t use –”

“Funny thing about Blacksmithing,” she spoke over him as she crossed the smithy. It wasn’t a big building, so she quickly reached her destination. “I’m best with metals, but I still have a solid foundation as a Tradesman. I can still work with wood. Now, I spent most of the time you were gone practicing so that I could make this work. And I’m pretty pleased with the result, even if it’s probably the best I’ll ever do working with that kind of material. Anyway, I hope it works well for you.”

With that, she handed him a package wrapped in tan paper. Miguel ripped it open to reveal a set of brown-and-green lacquered armor. The largest piece was a segmented breastplate with a carved tree emblem in the center, but there were similarly segmented pauldrons, a pair of bracers, gauntlets, greaves and tassets. There was even a helm.

“Mom…”

“I’m not going to let my baby go out into the world without proper protection,” she said. “I made it out of a reward Elijah got from a tower. Called Bark of the Mother Tree, which was low-Complex. So, that set is likely the best you’ll see for a long while. I also had some wood left over, so…here.”

She retrieved another bundle from nearby, this one long and slender. When Miguel opened it, he found a wooden katana and a spear. The wood used to construct both blades was so light in color that it almost looked white. He tested both edges, finding that they were razor sharp.

“How?” he asked.

“Had it treated by one of the Carpenters helping with my project,” she said. “It should be stronger than steel, though I’ll admit that it’s probably not as durable as magical metals like faythium, but it’ll hold up pretty well, especially with your modifiers.”

“Mom…this is incredible. Like…I couldn’t…I never expected…”

He threw his arms around her, and she once again hugged him tightly. As she did, she said, “Just use them to stay alive. I can’t lose you, mijo.”

“I’ll be careful, mom. I’ll be okay.”

She pulled away, then wiped something from her cheeks. Miguel pretended not to notice her tears as she said, “Now, why don’t you introduce me to your friend here. He’s intelligent, isn’t he?” She addressed Trevor. “I’m Carmen, and I expect you to take care of my boy.”

Trevor dipped his head, which seemed a good enough answer for her.

“Good. Now, let’s go get something to eat.”