I gazed around the center of the area with slight awe. Knee-high saplings stood everywhere, most of which I had no idea what they were.

Ahead of me, Antoni sauntered to a surprisingly red sapling with three palm-sized yellow leaves.

"This one," he said as he kneeled and stoked the thin stem. Then he looked up, his face suddenly serious. "But be careful and don't destroy it. It's the only one of its kind here."

Where's here? This city, this country, this planet? I thought, wondering how rare it could even be.

I gently put Bastian down before moving towards the tree and inspecting it. Closer up, I saw thin orange lines just below the bark, almost like veins.

"An odd little tree," I muttered as I looked up. "What does it do?"

"It's a Kaot tree," Antoni said with a weary sigh. "We've been trying to grow it for a while now and haven't been at all successful. Or I'd not even consider using this," he said before gazing at it with a slight, crooked smile. "Its normal habitat isn't at all like this."

"Kaot, as in Chaos?" I asked.

"It feeds on chaos poison," Antoni said before scrutinizing me. "Why? Is there a problem?"

Not if my resistance will level due to it, I thought. I debated for a moment, then shook my head.

"It'll be fine," I said.

Steeling myself, I cast Sprout Life with my two left hands, keeping the others free to wield my ax if needed. As soon as my fingers started, a surprised cry came from behind me, and I readied myself. Nothing happened, though, and I slowly focused back on the tree, wondering what would happen. I had little to no experience with chaos poisoning and wondered what it would feel like.

Let's find out, I thought, hoping I wasn't going to regret this. I stretched out one hand, green light glowing from its palm and oddly positioned fingers.

The bark was dry and warmer than I had imagined, and my hand instantly started itching. Worried, I released the spell. A ping came from my status, making me recall the previous one, but I ignored it, putting my complete focus on the tree.

The green energy from my hand seeped into the small trunk, and I sensed my energy reserves dwindle at an alarming pace. Worse, the tree didn't grow even an inch, and worry started to creep in. I was about to stop when an odd ping came. The draining sensation stopped, and a second later, light burst out from below my hand as if a miniature sun had gone off.

I clenched my eyes shut and averted my gaze, but far too late. I was blinded, and white spots swirled around my vision. A startled cry came from behind me, but I had no time to think about it as the trunk below my hand shuddered and started to push my hand back. I stumbled a step back, then slowly felt the wood press closer. After a few seconds, an odd cracking sound came from the tree, and I jerked my hand away. The light vanished, but I was still blinded. After a moment, I realized there was some kind of sticky liquid on my palm.

What is- I thought as my hand suddenly began burning and itching infernally.

I backed up another step with a startled curse, wiping my hand against my pants. The itch and burn lessened but didn't fully disappear.

It took a few moments for the white spots to disappear from my view. When they finally did, I gasped as I realized I was standing in the shadow of an almost twenty-foot, black, purple-veined tree. A purple syrupy liquid bubbled from the small cracks in its bark, and a dense canopy of sharp, yellow-tinted leaves blotted out the sun above me.

A gasp came from behind me, and I turned to Antoni, who was looking up at the tree; two palm-sized daggers sat, seemingly forgotten, in his hands. Where he'd gotten those from was a mystery as I'd not seen them on him before.

Still, I couldn't resist.

"This big enough for ya?" I said with a grin.

--

Ten minutes later, I was wiping my hand against the ground, noticing that the purple stain was slowly rubbing away. With it, the infernal itching lessened. Bastian lay beside me, snoring softly.

About time to see what all the pings were about, I thought as I looked to make sure that Antoni was still busy. He and the guard were creeping around the tree with a wood drill, creating holes and installing small containers below them. The three boxes of seeds stood a few paces away, and I thought about looking into them for a moment. Then I shook my head and pulled up my status window, keeping an eye on the blurry shapes behind it. Although he seemed scared of me, and the guard was no threat, it was best to stay wary.

> Chaos poisoned

> Mental attack blocked by your mindscape

> Chaos poisoned

> Mental attack blocked by your mindscape

…

The lines continued for a good while, and as I scrolled down along the massive list, all the way to the bottom, I realized a new one kept adding every few seconds.

So what is that chaos poisoning doing then? I thought as I searched for any additional information. It would probably be too much to hope for that my mindscape was blocking the only negative effect.

It took me some time to filter through and find the different messages in between, sadly nothing more about the chaos poisoned state.

> Sprout Life secondary effect triggered

> Karma -1

> Karma -1

> Karma -1

…

I quickly counted the lines. When I finished, I realized I was being stupid. I could have just looked at what I had remaining. Surprising my annoyance, I pondered on the cost. Twenty karma to grow one big tree. Although I still had 159 left, it felt like a waste. If I'd known the price was that high, I would have stopped faster. As I recalled how quickly it had gone, I decided that next time I should stop as soon as I heard the beep and felt the tree grow. It would require some proper experimentation.

I inspected the status messages again but didn't find any more information. Not sure what to think, I closed my Status window. Antoni was still moving around hastily and wiped my still itching hand as I watched him plug more draining devices into the tree.

"Are you about ready?" I said. "I don't have all day!"

Antoni looked up, his eyes gleaming and a smile on his lips. "Yes, yes! One minute please!"

I grunted and waited. In the end, it was closer to three minutes before he finally backed away from the tree with a joyful smile. Luckily, by that time, the itch was gone, and most of the stain with it.

"Now," I said. "My time is short. Show me your seeds and nuts."

That came out wrong, I thought.

Antoni gazed at me with glittering eyes and a creepy smile on his thin lips. I hoped it was because of the tree and not my choice of words.

"How much do you want to grow all of my trees?" he asked hungrily, which was a slight relief.

"Not happening," I said with a shake of my head. "Unless you have something far more valuable than seeds, I'll be taking those and be off. Besides, you still owe me for trying to knock me unconscious and stealing my things!"

"It doesn't have to be today," Antoni said, ignoring my remark and moving closer. "How about one per day? Or perhaps every other day?"

I shook my head, but he had me thinking. How many trees could I grow? It was only limited by my karma right now, but perhaps... For a moment, I contemplated telling him to spread my title around. He must have contacts everywhere. Then I suppressed it. Antoni didn't seem trustworthy, and besides, I had no interest in becoming some glorified holy gardener.

"No," I said again. "It's not something I can just keep doing, and I've already spent more on these seeds than they are worth."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Antoni said as he grinned. He at me intently for a moment, then started pacing around, sometimes looking at the tree, sometimes at me. From the way, his eyes were moving and his fingers tapping, I knew he wasn't going to give up easily, and I was actually getting curious about what he would offer.

"Well, how about a deal where you do three trees per month?" he said. "I can pay you in seeds, gold, or any type of bodily pleasure you can think of."

That's it? I thought with a sniff as I got up and paced towards the three crates. The guard was standing nearby, staggering back as I got closer. He had another blade on his hip but kept his hand far from it.

"Unless you have books with magical gestures or other magical artifacts..." I said as I looked at Antoni.

His smile turned into an ugly scowl, and I grinned.

"Didn't think so. Now let's see what you've got here!"

I used the tip of my boot to open the lid of the first small chest and looked down at a maroon-colored silk sheet with a few hands fulls of seeds on them.

Oh my, I thought as my eyes widened. Are those Torpel seeds?

--

Ten minutes later, I walked away from Antoni's shop, a broad grin on my face, as I listened to Antoni's muted curses from behind.

Bastian, still asleep, lay heavily across my shoulders, and a massive pouch of seeds and nuts hung from my belt. Some familiar, but most ones I'd never heard or seen about. It was about time I got myself a gardening book of some sort!

My grin widened as I remembered how Antoni's slimy smile had fallen when I kept taking seeds. He would have to begin his collection a new, that was for sure.

Bastian groaned softly, swinging an arm as if dreaming and almost making me lose balance. You better wake up quickly, I thought, trying to balance him across my shoulders.

The trip through the city was annoying, as I had little idea where to go. I knew how to get to the central keep but had decided that was a bad idea. Instead, after a lot of asking curiously looking strangers, I found my way to the bar we had been at before. Part of that was because I had no interest in speaking with Gaudalin or that city holder; the other was that I wanted to ask Bastian some questions beforehand. Questions better asked away from prying eyes. I'd not forgotten his warning glance back in his room.

It took only a little convincing to get a room for the day, but the barman seemed to know Bastian. He didn't seem worried that I was carrying him around unconscious, which was had me confused. I didn't ask, though. Not interested in creating problems. After he led us to our room, and I finally put Bastian's slumbering shape on one of the beds, which creaked dangerously, I sighed in relief.

"You better wake up soon," I muttered.

There was no response, which I hadn't expected. I briefly looked around the sparse room, then sat down on a small stool and emptied the pouch with seeds on the one-foot square stone table.

Now let's take a better look at what Antoni had, I thought.

I was halfway through sorting the seeds and nuts into piles when a weary groan came from the bed, followed by some unintelligible mutterings.

"Where… what? Est!?"

"Finally awake, sleeping beauty?" I said as I turned around and cast the massive Stonite a mocking grin.

Bastian blinked, a confused look on his face. "I don't think anybody has said that to me for as long as I've lived. Not even my mother."

"There's a first time for everything," I said. "What do you remember?"

Bastian swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed his head. "Not a lot. We entered that woodshop, and then everything went blank."

"We went inside, you walked into that courtyard, and dropped to the ground like your strings were pulled," I said. "There was some sort of chaos miasma poisoning the air."

"Cinderage's flaming balls," Bastian snapped as he stood up straight and looked at me. "What happened? Did they let us go?"

"No," I said with a wide grin. "I created a tree, then robbed him blind."

Bastian barked a laugh, then groaned, resting his head on his hands.

"Do I even want to know why you weren't affected?" he muttered. "Dammit, my head is killing me."

"Yeah, that should pass in a few days," I said, recalling what Antoni had told me.

"Days?" he exclaimed before dropping on his back but groaned in pain when his head hit the too-hard mattress. "Perhaps I'll just sleep until then."

"Sure, but you need to bring me to a secure place where I can grow a tree first," I said as I focused on the seeds and nuts. After thinking for a second, I put most back in my pouch then added a handful in my smaller, more durable bag with the Deific wood items. Deciding this was as good a time as any, I grabbed two of the rings and turned to Bastian.

"How about you tell me what this stuff is supposed to be?" I said as I held them up. He groaned at having to look up, but one look at the rings and his eyes widened, and he shot upright.

"You have two?" he hissed. "Why didn't you… wait. You don't know what they are?"

"No," I said, tossing him the ring which he caught with shaky fingers and held reverently. "Now, let me know what's so special about them?"

"Where should I even begin?" Bastian muttered as he inspected the ring.

"At the start is usually a good place," I said, leaning back against the table edge.

"Right. The legend goes that long ago, there was a war between the deities, and many died," he said.

I was about to tell him I didn't mean that far back when he continued, and I heard something that confused me.

"Most left nothing behind, but the nature deities were said to bleed. Trees that grew around the areas where their powerful blood poured into the earth were changed," Bastian said as he tried the ring on, eventually failing. It wouldn't even fit around his huge pinky.

Wait? Bleed? I thought, then recalled the wounds Rathica had and realized it wasn't that surprising. Perhaps one of those had been Ulderion or one of his friends?

"Powers?" I asked, curious now.

"Aye, strong ones too! Not all items are the same or give the same powers. There aren't enough to research it, and it's been ages since someone created items from it. Perhaps it's the way they are carved or the specific tree, but most provide some form of regenerative power," Bastian said. "Wearing a weak one, a normal person won't ever get sick, while the stronger ones are rumored to have been able to restore lost limbs. I've heard rumors of other things, but nothing concrete."

I whistled as I automatically put my hand in my bag and rummaged through it. I had half a dozen rings, a few amulets, and even a couple of beads for bracelets.

Probably too much to ask for these to be the limb regenerating kind, I thought. Then I groaned as I remembered using the wood to create bolt casters that had disintegrated. Such a bloody waste!

Bastian was still inspecting the ring when he suddenly looked up at me. "Why does this look like it is new?"

"Because it is," I said. "I found a piece of wood and made some items."

Bastian's eyes glittered, and he leaned closer. "How many did you make?"

I hesitated for only a moment, then began taking out the different rings and items I'd made. I left the larger splinters. I'd almost tossed them, but now I was glad I hadn't. Perhaps I could make pins or needles out of them.

"By the Stone," Bastian hissed as he crashed down on another stool, causing it to creak precariously.

He put the other ring with the rest and inspected those I'd put down. Instantly his hand gravitated to the largest ring, too big for even my thumbs. As he picked it up and studied it with interest, his face suddenly fell. His hand froze as his massive fingers wrapped around the ring, veins appearing as if he was going to crush it. Before I could stop him, tears began welling up in his eyes, and a moment later, he put his massive head on his arm, hiding his face from view. He made no sound, but his body shook.

Staring in stunned silence at him, it took me a moment to realize what was going on.

Valaria, I thought, as an image of his tall, sharp-witted daughter came to my mind.

Seeing him silently grieve, I remained quiet, not sure what to do. I'd never been good with these situations and had no idea what to say or do. So I just sat there, and as the big man cried, my own mind drifted off.

I thought back to Nana; her soul reset, and all memories wiped away. I felt my own emotion roil and quickly pushed the memories down. Unbidden, the image of Eliandra, stuck in some pod so shortly after our reunion came. Then, as Bastian's breathing turned slightly haggard, and before I could put a lid on it, a rush of other images and memories bubbled up. The moment where I'd told Rathica to close the portal and millions of human souls were lost to the void. Images and memories of Earth. Burned to the ground and now a graveyard for all those left behind. I leaned back, staring at the ceiling as my eyes burned.

For a moment longer, I tried to resist them, then the images welled up, overflowing as if done with being suppressed.

Like a catalyst, the deep grieve of Bastian released the emotions that had piled up deep in the recesses of my mind. Memories of my tiny apartment, stuffed and cluttered with things of the past, the parks, the vacations to the beach, beautiful mountain resorts, and even the towering stack-flats, welled up in my mind. Realizations came with them. I would never again be able to simply go out to eat at Tony's Pizzaria, see my friends, or go to an AR cinema. Everything was gone. No more vacations, flying to distant lands to taste other things. Nothing.

How long my bout of melancholy lasted, I had no idea, but at some point, I realized I was pushed back from the table. My head rested on two hands, the other two forgotten in my lap, as I stared down at the ground. Mechanically I wiped the tears and snot from my face and took a deep, shuddering breath before looking up.

Bastian sat at the other side of the table, his eyes red as he looked at me.

"I guess we all have our grievances," he said, his voice hoarse and cracked.

I nodded, about to make a witty comment to diffuse the tension. Then I blinked, thought for a moment, and pushed myself up. "I'll be right back," I said as I walked out of the room.

I returned a minute later and found him still sitting at the same spot. I put two big bottles of something called Ghulic on the table, sat down, and looked at Bastian.

"Tell me about Valaria," I said, grabbing one of the bottles.

I removed what looked like a metal-plated wooden cork with a quick twist and took a drink. I'd not bothered to bring any glasses. I didn't expect we'd need them.

Bastian stared at me, then slowly nodded and grabbed a bottle.

As the sounds of a bustling city in panic continued around us, slowly becoming quieter with the coming night, I listened to Bastian talk. Slowly, calmly and with evident love, he recounted stories of the little girl he had raised. Sometimes he laughed, sometimes he cried, and a few times he clenched his fists as if to strangle someone.

We finished the bottles and two more, but I felt no more than a light buzz. When Bastian finally stopped talking, it was dark outside, and only the occasional shouting and singing of drunkards came from the inn room below. The valuable Deific wood trinkets lay forgotten between us, relegated to objects to hold and fiddle with as we spoke of more important things.

"Thank you for listening," Bastian finally said as he sat back. "I am sorry for bothering you with my troubles."

I shook my head as I looked at him. It seemed like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. No, not lifted, I corrected myself. More like it had been moved around until it sat at a slightly more comfortable position. A bit more bearable to carry, perhaps?

"Don't be ridiculous. It is fine. Perhaps another time, I'll tell you about the one who raised me," I said. "But not now."

I gazed at the Deific objects on the table, picked up the large ring, and tossed it to him. "Keep that."

Bastian gazed at the ring, then at me, opened his mouth. Then he closed it and put the simple ring around his left pinky.

"I owe you," he said.

"No," I snapped with more intensity than I had meant. "No," I said again, softer this time, and pushed myself up. "Let's go and find a place for me to grow a tree. I need to get Casiron back here."

"I might know a place," Bastian said as he moved towards the door.

"No creepy shopkeepers this time?" I asked.

"No," he replied before throwing me a sly smile. "But you might wish it had."

Fantastic, I thought as I followed him out. The melancholy was still weighing on me, and I just followed him, barely noticing the route we took.

Ten minutes later, we were marching through the empty streets, only coming across the occasional patrol. Those just looked at us, nodded to Bastian, and left us alone.

"Do they all know you are a Prime?" I asked as we crossed a broad and empty boulevard.

"I'm probably the most known Prime here," Bastian said with a disgusted look. "Lamuire had me parade over the walls to bolster the people's morals after those Nailhounds showed up."

"Nice fellow," I said.

"Yeah," Bastian agreed with so much sarcasm I could almost taste it in the air.

"So, where are we going?" I asked as I looked ahead.

We were moving through what seemed like the richer area. The buildings were big and luxurious, the areas around them more expansive, and I even saw a few surrounded by ten-foot perimeter walls.

"You'll see," Bastian said. "Don't worry. You'll like it."

I was about to complain that it would be safer if he warned me beforehand when I heard a soft rustle. It came from the building we moved past, and I was about to look up when Bastian put his hand on my shoulder, grinning widely.

"Thanks again for the ring," he said before adding in a barely audible whisper. "Don't look. It's been following us for a while now."

My mind instantly cleared up, the fog from what happened before wooshing away.

"I told you, it's no problem," I said before shrugging. "Just buy me another drink sometimes."

"Sure," Bastian said, turning and walking further.

Dammit, now what? I thought as I picked up my pace and followed him.