Walking through the gate, I enter into the epicenter of the garden. I stand in an inner courtyard. It is open to the sky and it is past mid-day. “Stay close to me.” Ava says as she picks up a wooden gardening box that is open at the top with an assortment of gardening hand tools.

Tianna has taken flight and has started to flutter off to the side, following near the inside edge of the inside of the garden arbor that we were walking in.

Libelle has rejoined her friends. While not near, they can be seen darting around.

We give a healthy respectful distance to the plant life as we weave between them. Coming to a stop before a patch of brightly colored sunflowers near a small pool of water, somewhere near what looks to be the center of this inner garden. There are other flowers and plants, in and around the pool, but we are closest to the sunflowers.

Ava sets the gardening box down and pulls a rope with a clip on its end, out from it. “Turn around please.” she asks, as she clips the rope around my waist. “See the sunflowers? We will start by harvesting a few that are ready.”

Handing me a good size pruning shear that looks more like I should be trimming a small tree with it, she continues. “Do not disturb the other flowers. The larger flowers that are starting to droop, with the tips starting to brown, they are starting to cast their seeds and are ready for harvest. Support the flower with one hand, then cut the stem anywhere more than halfway down. Be gentle to lose as few seeds as possible. Bring them back to me one at a time.”

“What’s with the rope?” I ask.

“In case I have to pull you back.” She answers.

“What’s with the rope?” I ask.

“The flowers are not dangerous if you’re not alone. They can defend themselves. Best not to smell them too closely.” She explains.

We all know she isn’t telling me something. Looking back to the flowers, Tianna has alighted on one. Considering that Tianna stands about as big as Ava’s head. This sunflower is half again her size. She looks to be standing on the inside edge, picking out seeds to eat. Being a little cautious, I take my time walking towards the flowers. About ten feet away, Tianna flutters off, and up out of the way. I take another step or two, then stop, sizing up these flowers. They all stand at about eye level and taller. Looks like some good size sunflowers. There doesn’t seem to be any thorns, vines, or long leaves. Glancing back at Ava, she is holding the rope with lots of slack, waiting for me to continue.

Looking back at the sunflowers, I note that all the flowers have turned to face me. Not sure what they do, but I think that I would be better behind them. As I start to move around the edge, they are tracking me. This goes on for a few more minutes, trying to slowly get around them. I can see that the ones I want to harvest have very little movement. So, I pick one near the edge, get behind it, hold the flower facing away from me and clip it off.

Just after I pruned off the flower, one of the other sunflowers facing me goes off “Pffttt” in my face. A combination of a gag reflex that sets me coughing and a head rush that has my head spinning, I stumble backward and land on my rear, miraculously still holding the sunflower up in my hand, shears in the other. The rope is taut at my waist.

As I sit there recovering from my coughing fit, something smacks my hand with the flower, sending bits and pieces scattering, biting into my hand. “AHhhh… BITCH…” That hurts, as I look down at a thorny vine that has wrapped itself around my hand. The barbs digging into my flesh.

“Pffttt”, “Pffttt”, “Pffttt”, “Pffttt”, “Pffttt”, “Pffttt”, “Pffttt”, “Pffttt”. The flowers start going off in my direction. “BULLSHIT!” “PIECE OF SHIT!” I’m throwing a little fit as my head is pounding and I’m gaging like someone is spraying hairspray down my throat. I’m not so much hurt, as I am pissed off.

Gripping the vine with the same hand, that the vine had wrapped itself around, I flex and pull it tight. The other end originating in the water. I use the shears and cut it off. Unwrapping it off my hand, I pull a thorn out of my palm. “GOD Bless it!” I suck out some blood and spit it out.

Getting up using the hand holding the shears, I leave the flower bits where ever they landed, don’t even care at this point. I pull some slack in the rope as I walk back into the sunflowers. There were a couple more to be harvested. “Pffttt”, “Pffttt”, “Pffttt”, as I find one. “Pffttt”, “Pffttt”, finding the other, now holding one in each hand as I walk back.

Again, with the smile. “WHAT?” I half yell at her.

“Nothing…” She thinks it’s funny. “You might want to consider Herbalism as a profession. You were doing well until…you… failed.” Yes, she traded that fake smile for a genuine smirk. “Nature and wildlife not considering you a threat has some definite advantages. If you were willing to find the extent to which they do not react. If you could go or sneak into locations, gather or harvest, then leave without combat, it would be a definite advantage. Many are willing to pay for the crafting materials that they need.”

“At least I now have some answers.” She continues. “You have to be at least Tin rank, even if you have no class. There is no way for an unranked to take so many hits from the Sun Flowers without falling unconscious. Now that I know that, I just need to decide on where to take you for Iron.”

“Well, how big does it need to be?” I ask. “Does it have to be bigger than one of those M-Trolls?”

“Certainly not.” She answers, gathering her rope and storing her items. “While size, strength, natural weaponry, and defenses, are primary for what is common in all wildlife, the power of evolved life transcends natural abilities and you should always take care in what you are facing.”

Picking up her gardening box. “Follow me please.” She turns and starts to head back the way we came. Taking a few steps, she stops and asks. “What did you mean ‘Does it have to be bigger than one of those M-Trolls?’” Looking at me, there is no smile.

“When the children were taken, there was some fighting.” Replaying the things that Ava and I have talked about today, I am trying to remember what I have, and have not told her.

“Define fighting for me. Why did you ask if it had to be bigger than one of those M-Trolls?” There is a directness and no softness in her voice. “You being here at Awaking Farms implies that you are not Ranked. What is it that I am not seeing here Doug?”

I pause for a moment to gather my thoughts. I’m still not sure what I want to tell her, or not. “When the children were being taken, there was a Goblin, like Naxus, putting the children to sleep. They put the sleeping children on the M-trolls, to carry them away. I saved the children. Some of M-Trolls came back. I used that sword and protected the children.”

She has her composure back under control, but not yet enough for the smile. “And what part did you play? What did you do that would compel both the Bishop and the Paladin to reward you by bringing you here? I know about saving his granddaughter, but I also know that Paladin. Remember that I am bound to you in this matter. Is it to keep your silence? What do they want? How many were fighting the M-Trolls? Did they have bows, pikes, or swords?”

I sigh to myself and let out a breath. “Ava.” I begin. “There was a goblin, like Naxus, putting all of the children to sleep. I killed him. He had commanded a couple of smaller goblins to attack me, I killed them. There was a different group of smaller goblins who wanted to bet and fight. It’s where I got the sword. I killed them. A group of M-Trolls came looking for the children, led by a goblin on a white. I think I killed at least two green. When I came back, I killed a white, couple of greens I think, another large goblin like Naxus. The Bishop and Paladin don’t know the extent of it. I don’t know anything about classes or ranks, except what I hear in stories and fantasy. What do you want to know? Where I am from there is no magic, no rank, no evolved, nothing but men.”

There is silence as she looks at me, contemplating my words.

After a few moments pass. “Truth.” I hear Tianna say. Looking around, I see her on one of the plants in the garden. Standing in a flower.

Tianna's word seems to snap Ava out of her thoughts. “Come.” she says, as she walks back to the pool.

Putting her gardening box down, she rummages through it until she brings up a couple of cups, maybe they’re pots for plants. “This is a Mana pool. Through some creative landscaping, I have brought it up, to supply and feed all that is here.” Walking to the edge, she fills a couple of cups and comes over to me.

Holding the cups to herself, she says “Purify” and everything in her hands glows for a moment. Walking to the different plants surrounding us, she pulls a few leaves, berries, here and there, putting them into the cups. Ending up back at her gardening box, she prays over the mixtures, puts one cup down, then prays again over the second cup. Puts it down. “Come.” she says holding out her hands to me.

“Give me your hand.” I hold out my hand while she is looking it over. “This is a little counter-intuitive, but I will see your potential by what your body can withstand and how fast you heal. Your other hand, the one you pulled the thorn out of.” I showed her my right hand, but it was my left hand that she was just looking at, that I pulled the thorn out of. “Where is the wound?” She asks. “You do not regenerate, I tested you. Why are you healed?”

“Libelle.” Ava calls out and in moments she is there hovering between us. “Libelle, please take a glimmer of your guard and find Bishop Ramos for us. It’s going to be getting late and I would like to complete his request before nightfall. Make sure he knows to bring what he needs for some Divinations. Prepare before you leave.”

Ava picks up her gardening box, she pours out her cups on the ground. As we are walking back, Libelle keeps flying by, each time she passes, there are more with her until the sound filling my ears is a swarm of buzzing that I don’t think I could shout over. As one, this mass shoots up like a dark cloud and launches over the building towards the town. Ava opens the gate, then the door, heading back to the main lobby where we started.

Once back in the lobby, we sit at one of the common tables, about 20 minutes I would guess. Ava had some light natural snacks and non-acholic fruit juices brought out as we have some light conversation. I find out Marxist is the name of the Gnome. He is an apprentice at the Trade Guild and has been working with some of the local businesses to better understand the diversities of the businesses in Greens Brook.

Greens Brook, as I understand it, is like a resort town with a large and diverse population. There are lakes, caverns, hills, and dark places in the area, that attract the more adventurous types. The adventurous have money to spend, which brings businesses and the Guilds. Over the years, the population has grown large enough for trade schools and other higher education establishments. The crafting and enchanting materials harvested in the area also is a draw for the tradesmen and researchers in the universities. While the mana saturation in the area is quite good, it is not high enough to warrant political strife or war, again making it an ideal location to live or vacation.

Hearing the buzz outside of the pixies returning, it is not as loud or as concentrated as it was when they left. It does bring with them, what I find out to be, the local law enforcement of Greens Brook. Another fantasy creature I have never seen before, Dwarves.