“Dad!” Wendy called, her face almost pressed against the side window of the bridge, “Look at that! What are they?”

Bert leaned around her, finally seeing what she was looking at. On a rise to their left were what could be trees. Could be, except the thin black trunks split and grew in long curves and arches while they sprouted long, thin, white tendrils of wispy-looking something. It almost reminded him of spider silk, but there was not a web in sight.

A breeze moved through whatever they were, and the wisps undulated like waves. Where they crossed each other, a faint pinkish glow turned whole sections pale pink. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

“Want!” Scruff said, “Want. Want. Want.” She was jabbing her fingers against the window on the far side as she scouted plants.

“How does it stay up there?” Bell asked, eyes locked on the distant zeppelin with the ship hanging majestically beneath it. “That’s not an airship.”

“At a guess, lighter than air gas in the balloon,” Bert said. “At least that was how it worked back on Earth.”

“You had them!” Bell said, “You never mentioned them!”

“We HAD them,” Bert explained. “They are famously flammable, so people stopped using them.”

“Burns?” Tim asked, his head snapping to face Bert without bothering to turn around the rest of him. “Big burns?”

“No setting Zepplins on fire!” Bert said immediately.

Tim tried to blow a raspberry and found it impossible without cheeks, lips, or a tongue. He immediately forgot the Zepplin in favor of trying to figure out the mystery of the raspberry.

“No guards,” Bud noted, watching the last of the carriages pass through the portal. “Not even a watcher.”

“No one has used that place in a long, long time,” Bert said, watching the portal ripple and vanish like a burst soap bubble.

“Then who has maintained the area?” Bud asked pointedly.

Bert considered what he said. Now that he was thinking about something other than the incredible feeling of exploring a new continent, Bud was right.

The grass was short, and the wide, flat area they were passing over was too flat to be natural. The abundant plants, the strange tree things on the rise… it was all something like a landscaped garden in a stately home.

Looking ahead, he saw the flattened area continuing into the distance, where it vanished between two large rises in the landscape. The large rises themselves were covered in a dizzying array of flowers, colored rocks, and even a few of those strange trees.

Very artfully covered. It looked like a natural formation at first glance, but once you noticed the layers, it was clear someone had taken a great deal of time to make sure it was just so.

“I think this is someone’s backyard,” Bert said. “Or something.”

“My experience of people’s reactions to finding unexpected visitors on their land is limited,” Bud admitted, “But I suspect it is seldom friendly.”

“Fuck,” Bert swore. “And here I was hoping for a few quiet days.”

“As if,” Bell giggled. “That’s never going to happen.”

“Everyone get ready for a fight,” Bert sighed. He had really been looking forward to exploring.

“We already are,” Wendy laughed. “I have my suit ready to go.”

“Vines are coiled and ready on top of the first carriage,” Scruff shrugged.

“The Bud Patrol is fully armed, and they should be on top of the same carriage by now,” Bud said.

“Ringer’s under my chair,” Bell waved vaguely.

“Did anyone not come prepared for a fight?” Bert asked, seeing Lily trying to hide her weapons under the console.

“Aye, beastie’s havin’ a nap,” Gavin said happily. “She figured we could handle it.”

“Other than me, did anyone NOT assume this was going to end in an immediate battle?” Bert asked with his hand over his eyes.

Silence.

Bert was still feeling grumpy as the Waystation’s engine car approached the gap between the two rises. The worst part was he couldn’t blame them. In their time on the road, there had been a near-constant danger. No matter where they went, they found nothing but combat. Especially the mist. He was brooding on it when Bell broke his concentration.

“Well, that’s different.” She said, sounding shocked.

Bert looked up quickly, wondering what horror awaited them this time, and gaped.

The area beyond the rises opened into wide, open plains. Whole areas of which had been converted into the most amazing gardens Bert had ever seen. Some were riots of color, with huge loops and curves that rose stories into the air, with vines, flowers, and more hanging from them like a rainbow had been transformed directly into a physical object.

Others were vast stone and gravel patterns with swirls and obelisks arranged in a way that almost hurt the eye. In the center of all of this, and where the road led, was a vast mansion of glass. It was easily seven stories tall in places with balconies, chimneys, and more.

All glass.

Bert was stunned by all of that.

What really took his breath away, however, was the people lining up outside the building, right where the path led past the building before winding between the gardens.

They were dressed in everything from dungarees to overalls to scholarly robes. He saw features that reminded him of orcs, humans, dwarves, and even goblin, but they were all around the same height.

Seven feet tall.

Even that wasn’t the biggest shock.

The biggest shock was that the people were cheering, waving, and clapping.

“Well, that’s just creepy,” Wendy said. “Should we just attack now?”

“No!” Bert said sternly, ignoring Bell nodding vigorously.

“If we do,” Scruff said, “Which I’m not saying we should… can I have their plants?”

“That’s it!” Bert huffed. “You are all getting lessons on not attacking people on sight!”

“Honey?” Bell giggled.

“What?” Bert asked.

“Your hand changed into your crossbow as soon as they started waving,” Bell said. “Just saying.”

Bert looked down at his arm, shaking his head and forcing it to change back into a hand.

“We have trust issues,” Bert grumped as they pulled level with the cheering groups.

“So, we can leave our weapons here?” Bell teased.

“No,” Bert said. “I mean, we can bring them, just in case…” He trailed off as they all started to laugh. “Ah, fuck it!” He laughed as well. “Let’s go meet the weirdos.”

“How do you know they’re weird?” Wendy asked as the group headed for the main exit at the Bear’s Fall.

“They are clapping and cheering,” Bert said plainly, “That makes them weird in our experience.”

“Fair,” Wendy grinned as her suit caught up with her, and she leaped into it.

“No,” Bert stopped them. “No death suit.”

“But Dad!” Wendy protested.

“No,” Bert put his foot down on this one.

“Fine,” She rolled her eyes. “But I get to bring three Pretties.”

“One,” He countered.

“Two,” Wendy wheedled.

“Done,” Bert nodded, and they went to meet their first people on this continent.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

=============

“Welcome!” A scholarly-looking man with white hair sticking out from under his cap called as the ramp dropped into place. “Welcome! We are delighted to meet you at last!”

Bert and Bell exchanged a look.

“You were expecting us?” Bert asked.

“Of course,” The man beamed. “As soon as the wild hunt rode across the sky, I said we would be getting visitors from the lost gateway.” He cackled. “So many people are going to owe me money!” A strident cough interrupted him.

“Head Gardener Berhardt meant to say we are delighted to welcome you all,” A woman said from her position at the old man’s side. She was the same height as everyone else, but her build was muscular, with dark green skin and long black hair. Two delicate tusks pushed out of each side of her mouth. One had a small golden hoop in the tip.

“I did!” Bernhardt said, looking chastised. “I did.”

“Is your friend feeling quite well?” The woman asked, gesturing to Scruff.

Bert saw Scruff was shaking, sweating, and looking pale. She whispered to Wendy, who turned to the woman.

“Did you say Head Gardener?” Wendy asked brightly.

“Indeed,” The woman nodded, “It is an evolved version of the Farmer class. It is extremely rare, but still a great class.” She paused. “I hope being greeted by a Gardener is not an insult to you.”

“Not at all,” Wendy insisted. “We just need to freshen up, and we will be right with you.”

“Of course,” Bernhardt smiled nervously, “Take your time.”

Bert joined the others in shuffling back into the Bear’s Fall, wondering what was going on but following his daughter’s lead.

“What’s wrong?” Bell asked as soon as the doors had closed.

“It’s a bit of a thing for her,” Wendy admitted, helping Scruff to a chair.

“We’ll give you a few minutes if you like?” Lily said, picking up Tim and waving over Gavin.

“Thanks,” Scruff said through clenched teeth. “I just… this is embarrassing, and I think you all might hate me.”

“Is this about what we talked about before?” Bert asked gently.

“Sort of,” Scruff admitted. “I’ve reached the class evolution for Farmer, and the options are….”

“She thinks they make her evil,” Wendy blurted out. “Which is silly.”

“Can we know what they are?” Bert asked.

Scruff hesitated and then asked Way Way to show everyone.

“They can do that?” Bert whispered to Bell.

“I guess,” Bell just shrugged.

When the writing appeared on the wall, Bell squealed in joy.

Gardener of Nightmare

Rank: Mystical

Type: Mage

No matter the horrors of beast, fang, and claw. You know that true power grows in leaf and vine. Combine the best of both to creature creatures that nightmares are made of.

Example: Hybrid - merge plant and animal into a new form.

Mad Gardener

Rank: Rare

Type: Mage

Everyone says you can’t do that. You choose to do it anyway.

Growth without the limits of common sense or even sanity

Example: Me and Mine - Extend your body into the very plants you grow, controlling them as you would an extra limb.

Gardener of the Waystation

Rank: Unique

Type: Unknown

You grow things that should not grow in ground that moves; you have left all behind you…perhaps even your sanity. Do you dare to move beyond your limits forever?

Example: Unknown

“That one!” Bell stabbed the Gardener of the Waystation description.

“You aren’t worried about what the other classes were?” Scruff looked shocked. “They were pretty bad.”

“Eh,” Bell shrugged. “They seem okay, but I bet the Waystation one is more powerful.”

“They are all evil?” Scruff asked lamely.

“No, they are all scary,” Bell grinned.

“You’re not worried that they mean there is something wrong with me?” Scruff was crying.

Bert felt frozen, and even Bell looked shocked. He forced himself to say the only thing that came to mind.

“I trust you with my daughter,” He said kindly, “I can’t think of anything else to say.”

“Really?” Scruff asked.

“Really,” Bell nodded.

Scruff stood a bit straighter and wiped her eyes.

“You don’t mind if I take the Waystation one?” She asked, “It seems a little nuts,” She grinned. “And I like that.”

“Go for it!” Wendy cheered.

Bert smiled and then watched Scruff’s eyes widen.

“It’s so… beautiful!” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stiffened, rising into the air and hanging there.

“What the fuck?” Bert muttered.

“Look through Way Way,” Bell whispered, her eyes closed.

So he did.

==========

As he dropped into the tides of the Waystation, Bert saw it immediately.

In his mind, he saw her. Scruff was here… in the Waystation. A torrent of mana was flowing in a whirlpool around her.

“What is this place?” She asked him.

“This is the mana tides of the Waystation,” He smiled. “And it seems they are-”

He cut off as the whirlpool rose, the mana breaking into a stream of a thousand colors that slammed into Scruff in an unending torrent.

Scruff screamed as her body was obliterated in seconds.

In its place came the mana of the Waystation. It rebuilt her from scratch, her entire body woven out of the very mana of the Waystation.

He looked closer, seeing more than just mana. It was… part of the physical Waystation. The actual metal, earth, wood, and more were being broken down and reformed into her new body.

More than anything else, it was her plants that made up her new form. They were broken down and rebuilt by the incredible power of the Waystation.

Once it was complete, the mana moved on, scouring knotwork mana channels into her soul by pure force of will.

A second passed, then another, and it was over.

Scruff turned her face to him, her tan skin replaced with a pale green as she smiled.

“I love this place,” She laughed and rose out of the mana tides.

“Will she be okay?” Bert asked Way Way.

“Better than okay!” Way Way promised.

Bert nodded and rose out of the tides, eager to see the reborn Scruff.

When he opened his eyes, Bert couldn’t help but smile. Everybody was staring open-mouthed at the former farmer. The pale green tint to her skin was much more subtle now, but it was a big change to her previous tan appearance. Other than that and the addition of extra muscle mass, she looked almost the same, as long as you didn’t look at her face or hair. Speaker of her hair, he noticed it was now a deep apple green color, darkening to almost black at the roots. Even her eyebrows and eyelashes were green.

That was nothing compared to her eyes, however. Vibrant emerald green broken with motes of brilliant gold made up her cornea, which was enough to make a difference, but more than that… the colors moved constantly, flowing into the pupil before flowing back the other way in a hypnotic rhythm.

He Analyzed her reflexively and joined the others in gaping.

Gardener of the Waystation Lvl 27

Race: Waystation Fae - Metamorphic Plant Fae

“What the shit?” Scruff gasped. “I’m not a human anymore?”

“What?” Bell checked and then cheered. “Yay! Another new Fae!”

“I thought new types of Fae were rare?” Bert said, “We seem to get them every few months.”

“Well, that’s because we're amazing!” Bell preened. “One more type, and we will be tied with the number of species created by the other Courts combined!”

Scruff held up her hand and looked at it. She flexed her fingers, reveling in the feeling of the mana flowing through her.

She blinked, and her hand shifted and elongated into a thick vine. She blinked again, and the vine grew longer and more sprouted from her shoulders and back.

“Oooh!” Wendy purred. “My girl got tentacles!”

Scruff’s eyes bulged as Wendy slapped a hand over her mouth.

Bell’s filthy laughter only made the poor girl blush even deeper red.

“Oh, look,” Bell giggled mercilessly, “She’s part beetroot!”

“Och, see, I tol’ ya we were missin’ the bes’ bit!” Gavin pushed open the door and continued to grumble as Lily and Tim tried to drag him back.

“You can come in now,” Scruff said, looking grateful for the distraction.

“Are those your class options?” Lily asked, hurrying over to the writing that they had forgotten was still on the wall. “Wow, I hope I get things this good when I level up.” She turned around, seeing Scruff staring at her. “Sorry, did I say something wrong?”

“You know what,” Scruff beamed, “No. You said exactly the right thing. Thank you, Lily.”

“OH MY GOD YOU’RE FAE!” Lily screamed and threw herself at Scruff in a hug. “Congratulations!”

“And she’s got tentacles!” Wendy added with a wide grin.

“Lucky!” Lily nodded while Scruff looked mortified again.

“I think we better go meet the neighbors,” Bert laughed. “Before they get too worried.”

When they opened the door again, the nervous faces of the Head Gardener and his Assistant greeted them. The rest of the people had retreated inside, but Bert saw faces pressed to the glass on almost every level.

A glass table had been placed in front of the Waystation with a selection of food and drink on it. It reminded Bert of the spread you got in an English Garden party of the Jeeves and Wooster style.

“Is all quite well?” The Assistant asked hesitantly. “We apologize for any offense we may have given.”

“Shhh!” Bernhardt waved her away. “Let them speak.”

“Uh, Hi!” Bert said. “Sorry about that; we just had some family stuff to sort out.” He smiled, “You know what long trips with the family can be like!”

“Not really,” Bernhardt said mildly, “I never had time for much other than plants.”

“You have seven children!” His assistant said tensely.

“Do I?” Bernhardt frowned. “Still?”

“Yes, still.” The assistant fumed.

“Am I married?” He asked, looking worried.

“No, Sir,” His assistant said, “She left you.”

“I wonder why?” Bernhardt said easily. “Still, we need to make our… really, seven?”

“YES!” His assistant snapped.

“I’m sure I would have noticed,” He shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be difficult; it just seems like I would remember that.”

“So you always say,” The assistant said in a bored tone. “You missed the births and six marriages to date, not to mention the divorce proceedings when your wife left you.”

“What was I doing?” Barnhardt looked guilty.

“Trying to perfect the Golden Lily of the Sun,” The assistant sighed.

“Oh, well then!” Bernhardt looked relieved, “At least it was for a good reason.”

“It was not!” The assistant looked aghast.

“Do tell me if any of them come by,” Bernhardt said happily, “I’d love to meet them.”

“Yes, DAD, I will!” She looked ready to slap the old man.

“Should we do something?” Bert whispered to Bell.

“Don’t you dare!” Bell grinned back.

“We need to invent Popcorn!” Wendy chuckled.