After pushing their way through the dome ward that encompassed the lycan's territory, the party rapidly located the village from the air. They had reduced their travel to essentially a single day allowing them to arrive around mid morning. They would have arrived sooner if not for Branch, who had stayed up the majority of the night fishing.

When the men had awoken that morning they discovered Branch had managed to gather a mound of freshly caught fish. Transporting the fish wasn't an issue once they had decided to place the fish in Grok's dimensional bag, the hindering element was the lengthy discussion as to how to transport the fish as Riakon was highly objectionable to placing the fish in his dimensional bag do to as Riakon had put it, cross-contamination citing the situation with the fruit and mushroom spores from way back.

Grok was nonplussed when asked to load the fish in his bag. Although, it quickly became necessary for everyone to pitch in as Grok was eating nearly as many as made it into the bag when left to his own devices.

Upon arriving, Grok's bag was handed off to a villager to dispense with their fishy gift to Grok's displeasure. Since receiving the bag from Riakon, he had demonstrated a fierce attachment to it and did not like having to relinquish it.

The men made their way to Mu'tumbo's home where they found the black complected elf sitting outside the front entrance smoking a pipe.

Mu'tumbo saw the odd collection of adventurers and a wide smile spread across his face showing all of his bright teeth, "How you dey, boys?"

Roden automatically took point for the conversation, "We're fantastic! How have you been? How are things around here?"

Mu'tumbo's smile didn't waver, but he shook his head, "Oh tins are no bi so gud, boys."

A look of concern spread across the men, Riakon asked, "What's wrong?"

Mu'tumbo flipped his pipe over and tapped it out on the ground.

"You boys cari come me for inside and we go yan."

While Mu'tumbo's speech was difficult to follow, the invitation to follow him inside was easy enough even Grok understood. Once everyone was situated, Mu'tumbo set to work grinding out various herbs.

Riakon, ever the inpatient one of the group, asked again, "Mu'tumbo, what's been going on?"

Mu'tumbo sighed , "Oh it na di loss for awa haus for di ancestors"

Roden braced himself for the guilt trip he knew was coming. Mu'tumbo spent the following ten minutes regaling the men with all of the missed opportunities the village had suffered without access to their ancestors' wisdom. Riakon and Errrkkkk weathered Mu'tumbo's pathos about as well as can be expected.

When the joint made its way into rotation, Roden decided to cut Mu'tumbo off and get to his point.

"Ya know mate, we feel really bad about breaking parts of the house, but I'm assuming you're not just talking about the building. Yall definitely could have fixed that by now."

Mu'tumbo nodded, "you de right, it na di skull dat needs be replaced."

Riakon winced at the mention of the skull he had smashed to pieces. "I don't suppose you could put the original one back together?"

"No, we need new one." Mu'tumbo said taking the joint from Errrkkkk. Branch was monetarily mesmerized by the tiny ember as it passed in front of him.

In an attempt to get things moving Roden in, "and how do we get a new one?"

Mu'tumbo took a long drag and exhaled a thick cloud about the ground between them all. He waved his hand over the smoke with an ephemeral glow shrouding his hand making the gesture. A four legged creature began to form on one side while multiple faceless humanoid figures appeared opposite the smoky beast.

"Di skull comes from a Urcwolf, dem be nasty creatures. Urcwolves com from di Shade di domain for shadows. Dem guard di places wia di vail between worlds fit be easily broken. Di skull lets we use di Shade as per medium for awa ancestors."

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As the black elf spoke the figures produced spears and circled the miniature Urcwolf. The creature lashed out snapping its jaws around one while the other two stabbed at its sides. The Urcwolf bore down on the smoke man in its mouth causing it to disperse before it too fell to the ground defeated.

Riakon, who had been watching the theatrical performance, had a puzzled look on his face.

"If you know where they are, how come you haven't just gone and gotten a new one?"

Mu'tumbo burst out, "Ha! you must be joking. Urcwolves are vicious creatures and di shade na incredibly dangerous place. We only don one man i would dey comfortable sending on top such a task, but i would lai lai send am alone."

The men shared a look that signified the others had arrived at the conclusion Roden already knew. Errrkkkk spoke for the group when he agreed to help retrieve the Urcwolf skull.

"Dat na great bin dey boys! i go call marsh back go di vila and don am prepare for ya journey into di Shade."

Mu'tumbo's excitement dissipated slightly and he raised his palm to his forehead.

"Goodness me, i fashi to ask, wetin brings you boys by awa vila?"

Riakon nodded to the group, blew out his inhaled smoke and started the long story that explained the general aftermath of the gathering and his divine mandate. He softened and glossed over the parts that made him look particularly awful. Throughout Mu'tumbo sat stoic, he'd nod his head in understanding or purse his lips at the particularly unsavory parts, but once Riakon had finished he praised the Dragonkin for finding his way out of the darkness.

"Gud on top you for finding ya way back go di lait. No bi everyone don wetin it takes to do it. But you tok you de chasing afta a dragon who live for di swamp go di west?"

"That is right." Riakon replied.

Mu'tumbo sucked his teeth at the confirmation.

"Dat na no bi gud boys,the dragon you de find na Shu'zet di Unsleeping–"

"Why do they call him the Unsleeping, cacaw?" Errrkkkk interrupted.

Mu'tumbo shook his head, "Bicos im lai lai sleeps unlike most dragons. Im na incredibly paranoid especially afta im heard for ha broda's death for di north. Which now i sabi na you boys."

Roden's eyes widened at the news Shu'zet knew of Ven'zet's death, that had not been the case in his game.

"I'm assuming that its not good for dragons to not sleep?" Roden asked the elf.

"No bi gud for all, by now Shu'zet go de di strongest im get ever been. Dragons get weaker wen dem sleep, but dem live longer. Shu'zet suppose don get into a torpor long tey. Im na changed sake of it. Am jazz leaks komot for ha and into am domain. Im and am domain are e remain small one."

Both Errrkkkk and Riakon looked to Roden, their lack of understanding plain in their blank stares.

"He's saying this fight is going to be very different from the one with the dragon on the mountain. I am assuming he means that dragon wasn't at full strength, right?" Roden directed his question toward Mu'tumbo.

"If wetin you tok na true then no. You say you woke dem up. If mai guess na right then dem de maybe for half strength."

Mu'tumbo's words hit the men like a truck. Even Roden hadn't known just how much weaker Ven'zet had been at the time of their attack. From there the men peppered Mu'tumbo with a flurry of questions about the dragon he seemed to know so much about. Roden knew Mu'tumbo's knowledge came from his family's long history of living in those woods and the agreement they had reached to keep the peace between the lycans and their self proclaimed landlord.

Their discussion came to its natural conclusion when none of the men could form coherent thoughts due to the sheer amount of fireweed Mu'tumbo had passed around the tent. Before it got too late Roden had conjured up his treehouse and the men were able to enjoy the company of the villagers once again.

Errrkkkk took it upon himself to procure some honey for Branch as payment for all of his fish. The little Treant cradled the jar as if it were a precious child. At one point Roden was pretty sure he caught Branch nestling the jar within a hollow space within his chest, presumably for safe keeping.

After some of his general haziness wore off, Roden approached Mu'tumbo asking about some seeds.

"Hey Mu'tumbo, do you have a minute?"

Mu'tumbo politely waved off the villager and excused himself.

"wetin fit i do for you?"

"I learned a cleric spell a while back that was absorbed into my elven magic. The new spell requires a seed from a divinely blessed tree. I thought your family's tree might work, could you spare some seeds?"

Mu'tumbo thought for a moment, "For you, i fit do dat. You de gud boi, strong wit di blood to don it overwhelm ya divine magic. You might be getting close go di next threshold. Shit you fit don already crossed it. Or maybe make you juss need a little push" he said eyeing Roden with the scrutiny one might give a dubious piece of jewelry.

As they neared Mu'tumbo's family tree, Roden could see it had a lively green glow emanating from within its trunk. Mu'tumbo visibly grew excited at the sight.

"Aye mai boi you de ready!"

Roden sighed, "Do I even dare to ask for what?"

Mu'tumbo dismissed his concerns with a flippant hand motion and directed him to touch the tree as he had done before. When his hand touched the truck of the great tree, the glow brightened as soon as his fingers brushed against the bark. Roden closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to his grove.

His return was different than the last time he communed with the tree and its stored memories. Roden opened his eyes to a dense grove of trees and vegetation. It wasn't until he heard the rush and whoosh of the tide that Roden was able to confidently say he was on his island within his spark.

The first tree that called to him was a tall winding thing that appeared to be more beanstalk than tree. Nonetheless he found himself pulled into a memory of a Grove Guardian of old. Roden had almost forgotten what it was like to be a bystander behind the eyes of the old elven warriors.

It took him a few minutes to grasp the situation he had found himself thrust into. It appeared his host and his team of guardians were being pursued by some kind of large creature. Roden could hear it crashing through the trees behind them as they leapt from branch to branch.

Roden could feel his host's palms sweating as the crashing grew louder and closer until they were knocked off their perch when the tree beneath them shattered somewhere far below. Roden hated falling, but his host thought quickly and reached out to the nearby plants with the hum of an elven tone. Before they smashed into the ground Roden felt his body caught and cradled by various vines before being gently set on his feet by his arboreal assistants.

The second tree looked more like Mu'tumbo's. It was tall and its branches spread out wide, its canopy created the feeling of being under a dome of leaves. The memory that it held left Roden dazed and confused. His mind was drawn to a scene of Grove Guardians clad in their wooden armor hustling into the trunk of a thick tree. One after another they each entered and disappeared. When it came time for Roden and his host, they plunged in and were met with a sensation of falling forward as if thrown at high speed. Before Roden could find his bearings he found himself once again standing in front of the tree with Mu'tumbo, a cloud of smoke hanging in the air about him.

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