Before dinner was officially over that night, Elm had joined the forest spirits at the longhouse. She seemed exhausted from the road, and Rud didn't blame her. Even taking the road he had constructed, he understood the journey was long and tiring. She looked ready for a nap but had arrived for some food, which she happily ate. After the druid got her settled for the night, he himself went to bed.

When the next morning came, it seemed like any other.

Rud had many responsibilities in the Grove now. No matter how much he tried to avoid it, he was bound to care for his various plants and animals. He was not even included in his job as a custodian. After watering his tea, he went to the observatory to make his morning report. It seemed as though most of the cold weather was gone, and he didn't know if that was the effect of the frozen island being fixed or something he didn't quite understand.

"Anybody on the air?" Rud asked, depressing the button on his microphone and setting it down as he waited. He had to write notes for the town to ensure they were aware of some foul weather forming on the coast. It was his job to watch the weather, so watch the weather he did.

"Maria here," a pleasant voice came crackling through the radio. "Feels like I finally got a handle on my monster situation. How are you faring over there, Rud?"

He paused for a few long moments before responding. The druid's impression was that everyone else needed him and that they were hopeless without his expert opinion. However, as he thought about it, it seemed ridiculous. Of course, Maria could take care of herself. She had been in this world for quite some time. Maybe she didn't have the perfect Grove, but she wasn't stupid. You had to assume that the dwarves residing in that underground cavern were the same way. They weren't dummies. They would make it on their own if needed.

"That's good news," Rud said. "Surprising news, but good."

"Well, when you have an army of dwarves showing up on your doorstep to reinforce you, things tend to go your way. But you didn't answer my question. How is Gladesbale doing?"

"Better than most, I imagine. We are contending with the monsters just fine. The biggest problem is, of course, the dungeons themselves. I've got a small team of adventurers clearing their way through them, but it's slow going. I wish they could do it faster."

"I find myself thinking about the other groves constantly," Maria said. "If they don't have a functional observatory, what are the chances they've got the means to defend themselves? Again, I don't want to besmirch the name of the other groves, but they really aren't using their time in this world well. We'll have to pull them out of the fire. You understand that, right?"

"Unfortunately, I am well aware of that," Rud said, trying not to let it affect his mood too much. "And I'm almost there. I've got my wizard, and I've got my magical power source to fire the portals. I'll be sending delicious tea halfway across the world by the end of the week."

"That's a big promise," Maria said. Her laugh echoed over the radio, crackling with static.

Truth was, Rud had little else to update her on. Instead, he used his far-seeing skill to scan the forest, looking for any blips that could inform him about the hidden dungeons. Even with his new form, he doubted he and Nulsa could search the entire grove in a reasonable amount of time.

The pair skirted away from conversations related to the endless waves of monsters and instead discussed more pleasant topics. As always, Maria had a few hypothetical situations she wanted to run by him, and the druid was more than happy to listen. They joked as he scanned the forest, taking notes to remember the positions of the various dungeons when something strange entered his magical sight.

"Hold on, I've got something weird here," Rud said, squinting his eyes and shifting his gaze to spot a mass of mortals flooding into the Grove. Following closely behind them was something he really didn't want to see. "I gotta go."

Rud didn't wait for a response before clicking his radio off. He shifted into his raven form and hopped out the window, taking to the air and finding the nearest cluster of bushes. He burst forth from a tree on the western reaches of the Grove. This was the same area the adventurers had departed to assess the orcish situation. When the druid had a good view of everything below, he opened his mana sight and let out a low caw.

Following closely behind the adventurers was a tide of orc monsters. They flowed over the landscape like water jumping over rocks, tossing improvised spears at the fleeing people. Ban had apparently not missed the sudden invasion of befouling energy into her territory. The instant the orcs crossed into the Grove, roots sprang from the ground, destroying scores of the monsters. The druid could hear the adventurers cheering from below, and he circled down to them, spotting a friendly face and shifting back into his true form.

"You sure know how to make an entrance," Rud said, crossing his arms as he glared at Tuft. The tiger-person was bloodied from the fight, the wounds over his body visible under layers of matted fur. "Organize your injured and I'll get to work."

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Tuft could only breathe, "thank you," before collapsing to the ground.

Whatever battle happened right on the border of the Grove was unknown to the druid. All the forest spirits joined in, and even Taz stood on the front line with a pickaxe and a large shield on his back. Rud concerned himself only with healing the injured, expending all his mana and waiting as it ticked up two points at a time. He couldn't even guess the total number of orcs currently outside the Grove, but it didn't take long for them to route, fleeing back to the west from where they came from. Once he had stabilized every adventurer, he once again found Tuft and sat next to the wounded man.

"That sure was an impressive retreat," Rud said, laughing as he withdrew some snacks from his bag. He handed over some trail mix and a chunk of cheese, which Tuft was happy to accept.

"Minimal casualties too." He said this with a grim look on his face. "I hope they find their home with the spirits. But you really saved us. You know that?"

"That's what we're here for, I guess," Rud said, holding the line against the orcs. "I really have to wonder how the town would do without us."

"Wow, and you're modest too," Tuft said in a slightly mocking voice. If he hadn't done so with a smile on his face, the druid might have suspected that he was actually upset. However, as he looked over the injured adventures around him, he realized it was a sensitive moment, and a bit of levity was exactly what they needed.

"Extremely modest!" Rud shouted. "Also check this out."

The druid shifted into his bird form, doing a few loops above the adventurers before shifting back again. "Pretty neat, huh?"

Tuft clapped politely. "I am beyond impressed. Wish I could fly…"

"Oh, flying isn't what everyone thinks it's gonna be. Sure, you feel weightless and you see the entire world below you as though it's some miniature thing you could hold in your hand and everyone looks so small and you feel super powerful and free like life is gonna be good forever… But it makes my arms cramp."

"The trials you suffer…"

Rud joked around with Tuft for a bit longer until the adventurers were ready to walk, while the other spirits drove the orcish army away. The druid led those adventurers deep into the Grove. They could have stayed at the way station on the western reaches, but he would feel more comfortable if they were deeper within the borders. Once they were far enough away, he took one of the existing rest stops and expanded it, adding more houses for the people to stay in. Each time he created a new building with his potent plant magic, he received a cheer of excitement from the group, which only motivated him further. He struck as many poses as he could think of, dazzling the mortals with his display of awesome druidness.

"Light the fires," Rud said, nodding toward the new buildings. "I'll be back with some food."

Tuft clapped a hand on Rud's shoulder as he was turning to leave. There was a look of pure sincerity in the man's eyes. "Rud. Thank you. Seriously, you saved our lives."

Rud gave him a thumbs-up. "All in a day's work, ma'am," he said, shifting into his bird form before Tuft could correct him.

Wasting no time while in the air, Rud spoke to Ban directly. "Bad news bears, mama tree."

"I know," Ban said. "The energy of the orcs woke me from my slumber. I didn't know there were so many in the west… And we've got our own problems. There's no way we can send any spirits out to take care of the problem."

"How about we equip the adventurer with our gear?" Rud asked. "Same plan we have for the other groves, just for our local adventurers."

Ban took a long pause before responding, and Rud could practically feel her concerns. Creating weapons and armor for the mortals was a tricky proposition in her mind. The druid had a problem with this concept at first, but had warmed up to it in recent times. At first, he was concerned they would be all evil and stuff. But as the months rolled on, he realized everyone who came to the grove was loyal to the spirits.

"I have concerns," Ban said. "Let me work on something first. I have an idea that might solve that problem."

"Care to share with the class?" Rud asked, banking to loop around the top of the Sacred Tree.

"I think I can create an effect for your Crafting Magic. It'll make it so the items you use it on can only be used by those loyal to Gladesbale," Ban said, taking another long pause. "Just like the whitelist you have for the Grove itself."

That would solve all their problems with the adventurers. If they could only use the items if they were loyal, Rud could live a care-free life. "That's a great plan," Rud said, allowing his excitement to flood through their connection. He felt something come back from her end, and it made him pause. "But you're right. Our concern is the groves first, isn't it?"

"That's right. The orcs aren't a problem for us. They're a problem for the mortals," Ban said. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to put Taz to the task of creating weapons and armor. I'll speak to him."

There was only one thing Rud could do at this point. He dove, spreading his wings wide right before smacking against the ground. Navigating through the dense trees, he found the house Elm was staying at. He hopped onto the open window and jumped through, landing on her head.

Rud squawked, jumping on Elm until she stirred.

"Five more minutes," Elm complained, swatting at him. "Begone, you foul bird."

Rud made more raven noises, jumping and flapping until she finally rose. She blinked—one eye at a time—and regarded him.

"Has anyone told you you're annoying?" she asked. "Some of us require sleep. And some of us cannot turn into birds and go where we please."

"No time to complain!" Rud shouted after shifting into his true form. "We've got portals to craft!"

Elm let out a heavy sigh. "We're crafting Gates… Not portals."

"Whatever! Come on!"

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