"HELLO RIAN".

Cooper winced as Leander's magic voice thundered through the tiny office. Clattering and swears alerted him to the fact that not everyone in the building was yet acclimated to cultivator mischief.

"Hi guys! Maurice mentioned you were going to be stopping over here but I didn't expect you so soon."

"We made good time," Cooper said. "No last minute storms this year."

"Not that they would stop us," Gabrielle said with a flick of her hair.

Cooper was sure she practiced in a mirror, but he hadn't been able to prove it yet.

"I don't doubt it. It's great to see you all, how have things been back at the sect house."

One thing about traveling with Gabrielle, Cooper never worried about having to carry a conversation."

"It's been crazy. But no more than usual. You left right after the solstice right?"

"Yup. Six months and then back for the tournament."

"Then you missed some good stuff. Laurel made friends with a giant bird. And there was an attack on the sect. Held off by yours truly."

"I read the guild report, but I can't imagine what that was like." Rian was exactly the kind of audience Gabrielle needed. He was leaning forward at his desk, rapt with attention as Gabrielle relayed a heavily-embellished version of recent events.

"What about you Rian, how have things been here in lovely Calorais?" Cooper cut the discussion off before any of his own exploits could be added into the story. He had no wish to think about that fight any more than he had to.

"Oh, nothing so exciting as what you've been up to. Core cultivation is more delicate than I realized. We only have a good sized Town here, but even that has been a struggle."

"You've been doing some of the actual work yourself?" He wasn't sure why he was so surprised. That was the whole point of having Rian and some other guild members working in the smaller populations. The more help they had the better. But in his mind he had envisioned more of an assistantship where Rian fetched and carried, rather than anything more hands on.

"Oh yeah. Maurice is great but he can only do so much at once you know? It's harder than Laurel made it look."

Remembering himself, their fellow initiate stood to brew a pot of tea while he continued. "He's still doing all of the really important stuff. We finally got a natural treasure from the palace allotment about a month ago, and he did it himself. Almost lost it twice in the process too.

"I do more of the maintenance. I guess according to all the books, anyone at adept level or above should be able to manage anything Town or smaller. For me it would still be a stretch to do it all."

"That's still fascinating —"

"WHAT ABOUT YOUR CULTIVATION?" Leander cut him off when he would have gone deeper on the topic.

"Hmm? Oh it's worked wonders. Maybe I'll beat all of you to adept." Rian winked and smiled.

Which didn't stop Leander from bristling next to him. Cooper had no doubt the lad would be spending the night trying to be 'one with air' or something else.

It was unnecessary. Leander was the most advanced of all of them. From what he had picked up, Leander could be ready to advance in a few months if he stopped trying to twist his mana in ways it didn't want to bend. Advancing while he was in conflict wasn't impossible, but it was inadvisable.

When Cooper first joined the sect, being so obviously shown up by someone almost a decade younger might have smarted. It was nice to know he'd grown up a bit in the intervening years. Besides, Leander was freakishly talented and no one should compare themselves to that.

"So since you all showed up early, any chance I can convince you to help me out a bit?"

"What's the catch?" Gabrielle asked, rather bluntly in his opinion.

"Nothing crazy, the branch got a report last week of something weird going on out at a local farm."

"What kind of weird?" Rebecca asked.

"No idea. It literally just said 'something's going on'. It was marked not urgent, so no one here has had the time to check it out."

Leander gave a firm nod. And that was all that needed to be said. Checking out weird stuff was kind of their job, and even more so to help out a fellow sect member.

"Great. It's a few kilometers out of town." Rian ducked his head out of the open window and looked around. "You should have plenty of daylight left."

Cooper finished his tea and set it down. Once more he was left wondering if the sect leaders had some sort of sense about when random quests would appear, and used that in their suggestions for the trip, or if he just attracted them himself.

*********

"I love spring!" Rebecca skipped into a sort of twirl where she was running in front of the group.

Cooper had noticed her energy ramping up as they set off from the City, cumulating in this almost manic expression of pure joy. He knew she still struggled with the urban landscape. They all did. But since her trip this winter things had seemed more settled. Maybe he was wrong.

From her shoulder Flint chittered his agreement. That was one change no one would mistake. The lemur was smart. Not quite at the level of a person yet, but not too far away. Laurel was adamant he would learn to talk eventually, and the entire sect was waiting in fervid anticipation for when their favorite member/mascot hybrid could fully communicate.

"I'm definitely glad for the warmer weather, " Gabrielle said from where she jogged at a more reasonable clip. "Maybe my fire aspect is deepening, I feel like winter didn't used to be that cold."

"Actually this winter was about average according to the almanacs."

"I said MY FIRE ASPECT IS DEEPENING, thank you Cooper."

"Yes of course, forgive me."

Cooper was saved from further groveling by the appearance of their turnoff. He had looked askance at directions that included "toad shaped tree and the red mailbox" but both were there, just as Rian promised.

When they approached the property itself, the first thing Cooper noticed was the farmhouse. It shone with a kind of rural charm, picture perfect, with its neat white shutters thrown open against the inviting red backdrop. The next thing he noticed was that his first impression wasn't just a metaphor. The whole house glowed. Faintly, but there was golden light drifting off the building in a tell-tale indicator of some magic shenanigans.

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His new area of expertise. They were close enough now to feel the house with their spiritual senses. Cooper took full advantage.

Verilia was an ocean barely leashed into canals. The countryside was usually a still lake, the depth might vary but any movement changes were too slow or too vast for Cooper to notice. This farm was something different. He flailed for something in his mind and the closest he could get was a slow-moving whirlpool. Or a stable eddy in a stream.

Mana swirled around, not quickly or violently, but like it was being held in place on the farm.

********

"Hello the house!" Gabrielle called out.

Rebecca trailed along behind, only barely paying attention. The plants here were weird. Not in a bad way, but she couldn't remember seeing anything like this. They weren't magical plants.

She stopped and stared at a rose bush, already with a few buds along its branches. With slow hands, she traced along one of the thorns. Nope. Definitely not a spiritual plant. But it wasn't normal either. It might be what a plant looked like before it became fully magic. Like a person who hadn't learned how to actively cultivate.

If so, the farm was full of them.

"Who's there?" Came a shout from the open door.

"Magician's Guild!" Gabrielle called back.

Out bustled a middle-aged woman in work coveralls, a stained scarf holding back chestnut hair. "Come on in then!"

When she had them settled with mugs of a rich black tea, lightened with cream until it was almost a dessert, they were able to get back to business.

"Been noticing some changes for years now. Honestly, it's been mostly good so we haven't looked into it too much. Plants are a bit sturdier than the other locals. Better yield. Stars above, you remember that early frost we got last winter? Sank half of our neighbors crops without a by-your-leave, but you wouldn't notice from the way the fields looked.

"Things have gotten a bit more complicated which is why I sent Leon into town earlier this week. I'm surprised the Guild had anyone to spare on us."

"Helping the common folk navigate magic is one of the reasons the Guild exists in the first place. We're happy to help." Cooper was good at that, keeping people calm and sounding smart while he did it. Not that he called attention to it often.

Rebecca didn't have the same level of tact. "Can you show us what changed?" Tea was great but she wanted to see what was going on with the plants.

They all tramped onto the back porch, to see fields already tilled and waiting for planting. A faded scent of manure lingered in the air where some had been used for fertilizer, but by and large all she saw was a patch of dirt.

That was, until a puff of mana spurted from the ground, the golden vapor rising off and dissipating into the atmosphere. While they watched it happened again. Then again.

"Huh," she said. On her shoulder Flint chittered his agreement. That was pretty hard to ignore.

"We'll figure it out," Gabrielle announced.

That was way too much to promise but Rebecca didn't bother to correct the fire cultivator. It never worked.

Without much else to go on, Rebecca wandered out into the fields. Behind the patch of dirt, was an area where shoots were already poking up out of the ground. Each was vibrant and full of life, but nothing that would mess with a whole farm.

The next area was empty, lying fallow for the year. After that was more of the same. She reached a fence and turned around, only to see Cooper standing on the roof of the house.

**********

Anything big out in the fields would be easy for the others to find. Cooper thought something else might be in order.

Cultivation was a miracle even for the less athletically-inclined, and he made it onto the roof in a matter of moments, climbing up the wall using a chimney and the siding as handholds.

Way up here, he could survey the entirety of the farm. It looked like every other farm he'd ever seen when he was visiting tenants with his father, or riding through the countryside. Nothing was flashing with light saying "over here".

He spun in a circle and it was the same throughout. The area outside of the farm was dull in comparison. Like every plant on the property was the best possible version of itself, putting the nearby land to shame. But still nothing.

On a whim, he relaxed his eyes, letting go of his focus.

It jumped straight out.

Cooper's eyes widened in surprise and he lost it again. It took a few more tries to get back, excited as he was, but it was still there.

He spied Rebecca watching and waved her back to the farmhouse. The others were out of sight but he could tell them when they got back.

"You found it?" Rebecca must have sprinted since she arrived back at the porch the same time Cooper did.

"Yes. Sort of. I don't think it's really an 'it'. Miss Claudette?"

Their host rejoined them on the porch, this time with a plate carrying what smelled like homemade spice cookies. Cooper groaned as they melted apart on his tongue, sweet molasses mixing with cinnamon and clove. Which reminded him, Esther liked getting recipes as gifts. Maybe when they finished Miss Claudette would be up for a trade.

"I think I figured it out. Has your family always farmed here, Ma'am?"

"We have. As long as there's been people here to farm, we've been the ones doing the farming," she replied.

Rebecca was sitting rapt, nibbling on her own cookies and passing bits up to Flint while she watched Cooper's big reveal.

"And do you always keep your fields in the same way?"

"Not quite. Wait here a moment."

She hurried back inside. Rebecca didn't wait before kicking him in the shin. "What is it? Tell me tell me tell me."

"Ouch. Why? It's the plants."

Her eyes rolled so hard she was lucky they didn't get stuck that way. "We know it's the plants."

"No, I mean –"

He cut himself off when Claudette returned, carrying a well-loved journal. She flipped it open to a page a third of the way through, and showed it off to both of them.

"This is for this year." She flipped a handful of pages. "Next year." Another few pages. "The year after that. When we get to the end we start over from the beginning."

Cooper watched as each diagram was revealed. Each page held a meticulous drawing, fields carefully labeled as to what crops should be planted or which areas should be left fallow. With each swish of a page, he was more and more firm in his theory.

"Can I ask how you came up with the system?"

"Oh, I didn't come up with it. Don't know who did, but it's been in my family for generations. Plants always seem healthy so why fix what isn't broken, yeah?"

"That makes sense."

Their conversation was interrupted again as Leander and Gabrielle appeared on the porch. Somehow, someway, Leander had gotten covered in dirt. The teen was sporting scratches all up and down his exposed forearms as well. With the wisdom of experience, Cooper refrained from asking and instead prompted Claudette to flip through the pages once more.

"If you know magic, why did you ask the Guild?" Gabrielle said.

It was clear Leander felt the same way. Not that the lad said anything but he was staring at the scratches on his arms very pointedly.

"Now young lady, I don't know where you got that notion, but if you aren't able to assist then perhaps someone more senior in the guild –"

"We can assist." Cooper spoke over the woman before she could set off Gabrielle's temper. "I believe your field maps are forming some sort of formation. A kind of enchantment locked into a physical location. Each year's map resembles a rune. Over time the magic builds up, and eventually you get this." He waved his hand to emphasize the fields.

"My family has worked this land for centuries. We've never seen anything like this before."

"Yes, but there wasn't a lot of magic to go around before. Now that things have sped up, you're seeing the actual effect."

Claudette's eyes turned misty as she clutched the book to her chest. Cooper looked frantically at his companions, begging with his eyes for one of them to step in.

"So that's it? I just have to throw out my family's legacy?"

"Not at all." Gabrielle took pity on him and intervened. A mixed blessing given she was using a voice he recognized as one she only brought out when she saw an advantage to be gained. "In fact, I don't think you should stop. If anything, you should push harder. Make sure the edges of your fields are as precise as possible to match the drawings."

"There are a lot of people in the cities that would pay for magically-enhanced crops. In fact, there are people in our Guild working to research magical farming methods. I bet if you were willing to share some of your methods, the Guild would be happy to help you get the best price for your harvests."

Cooper was blown away as the tears disappeared like they were never there, replaced by a businesswoman about to get the deal of a lifetime.

It was an hour before he could pull Gabrielle away. Somehow in that time frame, she had worked out a preliminary agreement with Claudette about the Guild getting a cut of profits in exchange for handling transport and sale in the Cities, along with a promise that Natalia would be able to visit and take notes on the methods.

Just another day's quest completed. He leaned back and methodically made his way through the rest of the cookies. It was a pretty great start to an adventure if he did say so himself.

***********

The air vibrated with contained energy. Rebecca had been unsure how they would tell when they entered the Forest Monarch's domain. By their nature, forests didn't come with neat little dividing lines between one tree and the next. They shouldn't have worried.

Behind them was a normal forest for Northern Merista. As spring picked up momentum, more of the trees were bursting into bloom, amid the pines which had held sway over the winter. Birds and bugs and everything in between merrily made their way through the woods, in a constant race for survival.

But that was behind them.

From looks alone, the Forest in front of them was similar. The species of trees and animals she could make out were the same. Anyone flying over could be forgiven for missing that there was anything here at all.

Unless they were cultivators. Her senses were almost overwhelmed with vibrant life mana, seeping from every blade of grass or mushroom. Untamed and untouched. It was incredible. Rebecca's soul sang in harmony with the world around her.

********

Cooper closed his eyes and breathed through the onslaught. An attack might be preferable at this point. Instead he was caught up in an unending tidal wave, completely uncaring for the cultivators knocking at the proverbial gate.

When he had mostly acclimated he opened his eyes again. The effect was still there. By looks alone it was a normal forest. In that everything he could see looked like a perfect version of itself. The plants were lush and strong, the animals sleek and healthy. Even areas of decay were exactly right, a fallen log being slowly consumed by mushrooms, each of which he was sure would be impressive specimens to any mycologist brave enough to come find them.

He could only hope they were ready.

*******

Leander set his shoulders and kept watch while the others acclimated to the area. For him it was kind of gross. Like he was breathing through goo. The mana was so thick and so green he was fantasizing about climbing a tree just to get a breath of fresh air. Gabrielle looked mostly fine too, but the others were still figuring it out. He wasn't worried, only because Laurel had warned them. Cooper and Rebecca both had mana aspects that were within the domain of a forest – that was why they were on the trip at all – and it would feel different for them.

That was why they had Leander along. He would protect them from anything that jumped out. Mushrooms included.

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