“I FUCKING KNEW IT!” Odelia yelled. Similar sentiments were echoed by Haagut and Cleatus. Shaynen turned to glare back at them but standing between him and the shore was the demon, trapped in the crystal water. Whatever he was going to say was lost as the water turned cloudy. The demon began fighting against the water but couldn’t break through the surface.

The water turned cloudy and the demon was dissolved to nothing. The water washed over Shaynen, returtning whatever hadn’t been dissolved to him. He was released from the bottom of the river. He stood up shakily, his whole body shaking.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Cleatus asked, stepping forward aggressively.

“Why didn’t you do anything?” Shaynen shot back as he climbed out of the water. Cleatus huffed and stepped back behind the Elven guards. Crossing his arms and puffing up to twice his size.

“Right, now the other two.” The Shaman woman said. Shaynen stepped to the side as Odelia entered the water. Haagut paused.

“Should I put my stuff down… Or?” Haagut asked. Holding his hat protectively.

“Just get in.” The Shaman woman snapped. Haagut dropped his things and ran to the water. He got in slowly next to Odelia. Both knelt down. The water stopped just above Odelia’s stomach and nearly over Haagut’s shoulders. He held his breath as the water drained past them, curling up into a wave that washed over them both. Odelia felt her stomach churn as the water sucked black oil out of them both. Haagut heard the sound of a tired but relieved sigh that seemed to come from his own head.

"Rise," The Shaman said. "You've been cleansed." Odelia stood up, nearly vaulting into the air from how light she felt. She held out a hand for Haagut and helped him to his feet. The guards and the woman leading them left, dispersing away through the city.

“Now, we should speak about payment for services rendered.” The shaman woman said.

“You mention this now?” Odelia barked, jumping up out of the water. Turning and lifting Haagut out of the water easily.

“If there is potential then Grandfather tree will have use for you.” The Shaman woman turned toward the home that was built into the trunk of the tree. “Come speak with him.” Shaynen started forward but stopped when Cleatus moved faster and gave him a sharp look. Odelia shouldered past him as well. Shaynen frowned and shoved between them.

Inside the home was two rooms. One large one with a kitchen and small sleeping area and the other empty. Save for a single chair. The shaman woman led the party into the room. They stood at the back as she moved the chair aside.

“Told you the letter meant something.” Shaynen whispered and crossed his arms.

“It was two words,” Haagut whispered back.

“Three,” Shaynen corrected.

“Great and grandfather are hyphenated. One word!” Haagut whispered harshly.

“Now you’re being petty.” Shaynen rolled his eyes.

The wooden wall on the far side of the room began to twist and morph until out of it the face of an elderly man appeared. His wooden carved eyes looked over the party.

“Come forward. Heart of the Oak.” The Grandfather tree said. Cleatus walked into the center of the room and knelt before the tree. From within him, a bright golden orange light radiated out of him and grew up into a giant oak tree. The light faded away but still left a warmth and sweet smell in the room.

“I see the spirit of the oak within you. It lives on and brings new opportunities for growth. New branches are growing as new roots are settling. Seek out this growth, Heart of the Oak.” The Grandfather tree said.

“I will. Thank you,” Cleatus stood again.

“Yes, Heart of the Oak. The corruption comes stronger and stronger every day and with every day I grow weaker. Soon I will die.” The Grandfather tree said. The shaman woman gasped audibly and even the party straightened a little in alarm. “The fo-.. Uh. Are there four of you?” The tree’s face squinted at the rest of the part still at the back of the room. Odelia moved up beside Cleatus, prompting Haagut and Shaynen to follow.

“Ah yes. Blessed by knowledge, blessed by the heart of the forest, two-faces blessed by both sides of the coin and you, split apart and recently put back together.” The Grandfather tree said.

“Did he just call me two-faced?” Odelia whispered.

“No, I think I’m the coin one.” Haagut whispered back.

“I’m the forest one.” Cleatus said proudly.

“I’m not the knowledge one,” Odelia insisted.

“Why am I the only one not blessed with something?” Shaynen asked.

“The four of you will be entrusted with a gift that must be delivered to the mountains. If there is any hope.” The Grandfather tree said, ignoring the party entirely.

“Will there be a reward of some kind?” Haagut asked.

“Couple hundred people won’t die and the forest won’t be destroyed.” Shaynen muttered.

“The reward of this task will be great. Legends will spread of your feats and you, halfling, will again be regarded as a sage.” The Grandfather tree said.

“Halfling?” Haagut asked. He looked around as both Cleatus and Odelia rubbed at their eyes tiredly. Shaynen snickered and pulled one of the shiny dragon scales from his pack and tilted it toward Haagut and cleared his throat. Haagut turned to look at the reflection in the scale.

“Oh! Yes!” Haagut realized he still appeared as a halfling due to his hat. “Halfling! Me!”

“Sage?” Odelia asked.

“Don’t worry about it.” Haagut said sheepishly.

“You will bring the gift to the mountains, find the sacred river and sing the lullaby of the forest to it while it drinks of the pure water.” The Grandfather tree said, his face beginning to fade back into the wood. “Now go.” The wall stilled and the room was silent.

“Well.. that was more words than he has ever said to me…” The shaman woman said, she shook her head and waved her arms at the party. “Come, out of the room. Go on.” The party was shooed out of the room and back into the kitchen/sleeping area. She past by them and into the kitchen where she pulled out an intricately carved wooden box with a great tree that had it’s branches and roots tangled in a circle around it on the lid.

“This is the gift, it is the only seed of the Great Grandfather Tree.” The Shaman said. She held it out for Cleatus, he took it and lifted the lid gingerly. Only able to see dirt within the box.

“Take it to the mountain and plant it. Complete the ritual.” She said.

“Do we have a map or is Cleatus just supposed to figure it out?” Shaynen asked.

“It’s the Star mountains,” She replied.

“Of course it is.” Cleatus grumbled. He pulled out his map and began mumbling over it to himself.

“Anyway to keep from being attacked at night by the ick beasts?” Odelia asked.

“The mushrooms keep the ick away,” the woman answered patiently.

“Okay, I know about the Karazan-Kor pass, is there a faster way?” Cleatus laid out his map on a table and pointed along the map.

“Well I don’t know about faster, but you could always try the mines of Durak-Zol.” The woman marked where the mines entered and exited.

“Can we pick the mushrooms or is that bad?” Odelia asked.

“You already have,” the shaman woman said as she finished making the marks on the map. Shaynen looked to Haagut.

“You picked the mushrooms?” He asked. Haagut frowned and dug into his pack.

“I don’t think I did,” Haagut pulled a bag of mushrooms he’d picked in an earlier cave out and tossed them aside. Digging and tossing other items from his pack.

“Uh, Haagut” Shaynen said. “If you don’t remember picking them then you probably didn’t.”

“Though if you are looking for a trade, I would be very interested in those mushrooms.” The shaman woman eyed the canvas bag of cave mushrooms. Haagut looked to the bag of mushrooms then the elven shaman with a small grin.

The dirt floor gave a small tremble and out of it a large mushroom grew. It radiated a pure energy that drew Haagut to it.

“I see Grandfather tree has given another gift,” The woman said, impressed. Haagut pulled a knife free and carefully began pulling the mushroom up. “I’m not sure if that will keep everything away but it will certainly help.” Haagut took the mushroom and stowed it away in his bag.