It was possible that it didn’t bear saying — he imagined that most people would find it rather obvious, after all — but there was something fairly unpleasant about bleeding out on the forest floor.

“Drats,” he wheezed out.

Thick puncture wounds littered his armor, and thin gashes lined every inch of his body. Without ample Constitution and a smattering of Bleed Resistance, he imagined it already would have done him in.

If he wasn’t mistaken, he’d even gotten some blood on his mustache. A pain. He’d actually had a skill for that at one point, back when he’d been a standard Barber, but much of his smaller utility options had disappeared after he’d made the switch to the Battle Barber variant.

Hah. At least no one has to see me like this, yes? Can’t imagine I make for a pretty sight right now. In fact-

“Do you have any big goals, or why are you out here delving in dungeons? Don’t think I ever asked.”

For the briefest of moments, Barb thought the question might be directed his way, but of course it wasn’t. It was too far away, and besides, he doubted it was the first thing someone would say if they saw him in his present state.

I do believe I know that voice, though.

Another, even more familiar voice responded. “I have goals! Let’s see. I want a house. A big house. Big enough to invite tons and tons of friends over without it being full. A palace. And it should be made out of stone. And there should be a nice stone table and mugs for whenever Barb visits with tea. And a little waterfall outside so Kex can make her mud. And… And… What would you want? Something for you, obviously. And I want to get strong enough so that whenever I want to move, I can just pick it up and throw my house somewhere else. And…”

Ahh, Jason. It was actually fairly touching, that. Barb had come first on his list of home improvements. Never mind that he always carried his own mugs. It was the thought that counted.

Jason’s voice neared as he spoke before abruptly cutting off.

“Barb? Barb?” Confused at first, then frantic. Tess rushed over to his side. Jason, he noted, just smiled and waved at him.

“Hah. Hello Tess,” he coughed. That’s strange. It hasn’t been overly long since she left, no? Back already? He hoped nothing had gone wrong. For all of his father’s bluster, he had to admit he’d been worrying for the girl. Sylum could be a truly brutal place for the unprepared at times.

“Barb, what the hell? What happened to you?” Tess crouched down over his body, likely spotting the less-than-perfect state of his mustache. Truly a bad look on him. Admittedly, the healing that she began to cast on him felt rather nice, but as his breath steadied, he attempted to stop her.

“Jason… didn’t tell you? Don’t… Don’t waste your mana. I’m perfectly fine here, I assure you.” On top of that, if he hadn’t been healed yet, then it was probably to teach him a lesson. In his younger days, Barb would have hardly cared about that, but he liked to think age had tempered him a touch. If someone much older and wiser wanted to teach you a lesson, then it was often best to learn it.

“Perfectly fine. Barb, you’re lying in a small puddle of blood! I just got back today and was hoping to catch up, but instead I find you out here looking like you’re about to die! What the hell even did this to you?”

He chuckled at the sheer indignation in her voice. Aren’t we pretending she’s my daughter? I suppose this makes for a very heartwarming father daughter moment, no?

Speaking of heart warming, his heart wasn’t currently doing a great job of warming him. He felt cold. He knew his limits pretty well by this point in his life. It was probably just about time, wasn’t-

Ahhhhhh.

A veritable torrent of life mana rushed into him, mending cuts, patching up wounds, and altogether making him feel fresh again. Though she was growing at a somewhat frightening pace, it was far too much for Tess to have done.

“I did this to him, young one.” The trees rustled as if the proclamation was made by the wind itself.

A nearby tree rippled, and a woman fluidly emerged from the liquid bark. She moved over to where he lay, the roots connected to her legs churning through the ground with each step she took.

Once again, Jason smiled and waved.

On the other hand, Tess, bless the child, looked completely at a loss. She turned from Barb to Elphaea, and then back again.

“You did?”

Barb chuckled at this. It wasn’t overly difficult to see where the confusion came from, after all.

This was especially true considering that Elphaea made no move to clear things up. Instead she leaned over his prone form, raising a single ferned brow.

“Once more, young one?”

Barb pulled himself from the earth, his muscles barely even protesting as he did so. That was the benefit of working with a true life magic practitioner — gone were the many small aches and pains that lower-leveled healing magic usually left behind. At his age (or at least, at his body’s physical age) such a thing was a true blessing.

“Tess! Lovely to see you alive and well. And might I say, I love what you’re doing with your hair there. Some sort of spell? We’ll have to talk about how to style it into your hair.” Yes, he had a combat class now, but that didn’t mean the more mundane elements of his profession weren’t still a passion.

“And Jason! My thanks for leading her here, and as is always true, a delight to see you as well. Tess, I cannot tell you how curious I am to hear of your experiences in the last few weeks; however, I’m afraid you’ve caught me at a bit of a bad time. I find myself indisposed at the moment. Perhaps we might adjourn for some evening tea later tonight?”

It appeared that his offer of tea had stunned the girl, as she just stood there mutely. Well, no matter. No sense in keeping a dryad waiting, hmm? He turned to his new “sparring partner.”

“Once more would be delightful, Lady Elphaea.”

He would do his best this time around to put up a better performance. Of course, that’s what he did each time. One did not take the time of a dryad lightly, after all.

To his credit, he liked to think he’d gotten noticeably better as of late. Certainly better than the first time. Now that was a memory he had little desire to relive.

Still, he thought back to when these matches had first begun. What a strange turn his life had taken, no?

Elphaea took survey of her forest. It was something she was learning to do frequently nowadays. Back in the greater forest of the redmosses, she’d only done it every few weeks or decades or so. She wasn’t entirely sure which one it was — the young ones were very particular about the words for their little time intervals, but it was still something she was getting used to.

Lately, however, she’d been doing such a survey daily. Even multiple times a day, on occasion. It was good to build up the habit, or she might find herself tuning everything out and getting lost in her thoughts for a few years. Barely a fleeting moment in the grand scheme of things, but once again, the young ones were very particular about such things.

It helped that her forest was quite tiny, and there was always much going on within it. Something always pulled her attention back before she lost it.

So she did her survey.

The bar, as often, was lively. Many strange stories echoing inside the wooden walls and vibrating deep into the roots of the trees. A good decision, that one. A never-ending source of amusement.

She couldn’t fully hear what went on within without getting closer and devoting a good bit of focus — unlike what many seemed to assume, she was not entirely omniscient within the woods, but she came close. Perhaps she would drop in for a visit and eavesdrop for a time. It proved a good way to learn more about the young ones’ odd habits, and she had to admit it was quaint how much they enjoyed the wine she made.

That was for later, however. She surveyed farther out to the encampment of the shadows. It was beginning to grow, with new members making the trek across the deadlands and trickling in. Still, no cause for alarm or intervention.

As expected then. She looked elsewhere, scanning through the entirety of the woods, through every root, into every branch. A few stray hunters. A lone life mage, examining one of her trees — he was respectful about it, and so she left him. An older gentleman with a giant pair of scissors strapped to his back.

That one was actually fairly curious. She’d seen him before, yes? With the Protagonist. And he looked a touch lost, no? Or perhaps as if he was searching for something.

She traveled through her roots, moving at a speed even the fastest of the burgeoning city’s residents would have envied — so young, all of them. When at last she reached her goal, she pushed herself up through the roots and into the trunk of a nearby tree. Without a sound, she let her head poke out from the tree’s rough bark.

“Hello, young one. Searching for something?”

To his credit, the man hardly startled. A pity, that. She’d never admit to it, but there was a small level of joy that came from watching everyone jump whenever she appeared.

“I- Well, yes, actually. In a manner of speaking, I believe I was looking for you. Ah, and, hello, of course. Pardon my manners.”

So easily flustered, they are. But this was a development. Someone come looking for her? Elphaea wondered if there was something else she needed to bless, or perhaps if the scissors-child would ask permission to take something from her forest. The wood, after all, was a well-used commodity already, though that was only after the builders had cleared it with her.

“Oh? And for what purpose have you sought me out, young one?”

Though none of her words were meant as a joke, the man chuckled. “Forgive me. I believe it’s been some time since anyone has called me ‘young.’ Ah, but if it’s not too much to ask, well, you see, I’m in a touch of a bind, really, and I’ve been stalling on my leveling, and my father, you understand, has given me an ultimatum of sorts, and I’ll likely need to leave the city rather soon if I don’t pick up the pace, so to speak, and-”

Elphaea pushed a thick root up through the soil, letting it climb up the man’s leg and up towards his head. He let out a startled yelp, but seeming to trust her to some degree, made no attempt to hack at it with his scissors. The root continued upwards, wrapping around his head and sealing his mouth off.

“Brevity is a virtue, young one. When I remove the root, let us strive for it, yes?”

Partially bound though he was, the scissors-child nodded. Satisfied, she released him.

“I’m a barber, and I would like to give you a haircut. For my class quests. Um. Honored dryad.”

Hmm. Better. She couldn’t say she was thrilled with the idea. She doubted, after all, that he’d had much experience cutting vines, branches, or even grass. Perhaps if he’d had the assistance of a Florist, or even whatever silly classes the mortals used for their gardens, she’d have had more faith in him.

Let us see, though. What do we have here?

She hit him with an identification skill, noting his stats, his Prestige, his marks, and a host of other minutiae. A sundered class, hmm? Used to be a standard Barber if I’m not mistaken? Which, of course, she wasn’t.

“I refuse,” she said plainly.

The man visibly slumped.

“Well, that’s completely understandable. I appreciate your time, and-”

So quick to accept defeat, hmm? “You are not a standard Barber any longer, yes? You have taken a combat class?”

The wrinkled child hardly seemed to expect this line of questioning, but he reacted quickly. “Y- Yes?”

Elphaea nodded. “Then there you have it. Letting you give me a haircut would only aid you slightly. Better that you chop it off in battle, yes? I know a thing or two about class quests by my age, young one, and I’m quite certain that will allow you to reap greater rewards.”

She watched him bluster and assemble a response, only half listening. He would accept, of course, and then she would test him immediately thereafter.

For the first battle, perhaps make things extra tough, yes? Give him an understanding of what he’s working towards, and test his resolve.

She couldn’t help but let loose a light laugh which traveled through the forest carried by the wind.

Curious. I do not believe I would have helped one such as him before coming here. I wonder what has been altered?

Perhaps it was the other child, she realized. Hadn’t he told her something about the fulfillment of training another?

An odd day when I’m taking advice from one as young as he, but I will admit, the mortals can be rather insightful at times in ways that elude me.

She thought back to her last meeting with the child. A strange one, in fact. And a slightly painful one as well.

Rock sighed, even that small wisp of breath enough to scratch against his throat.

He’d waited long enough. Many might argue, in fact, that he’d waited more than long enough.

Let’s go see the honored dryad then. And… hopefully figure out what’s wrong with me.