text: We gathered around one of the two newly awakened Woadfathers, the Gaelguard forming a circle around us.
  
  "Are you sure about this?" I asked Breena. "You didn't seem that confident about cleansing the poison from these trees earlier."
  
  "I wasn't then." The little fairy shook her head. "But now that it's been awakened, this tree is starting to resist the poison on its own. I can give it the nudge it needs to throw off the venom. Then, like you did with the Gaelguard, I can restore some of its vitality."
  
  "Yeah, but it hurts when I do that," I pointed out. "Like, a lot. Are you going to be okay yourself?"
  
  "We should be able to keep me healed. Your Blood Magic will actually work better on me, since I'm your bonded familiar."
  
  That would have to be good enough, I decided. I couldn't just transfer my blood and nutrients directly to the tree because it wasn't made of flesh and blood. So Breena had to use her Wood magic instead.
  
  That didn't let me off the hook, though. It just meant that I got to use my blood magic on her, instead.
  
  "We will help you," Alum said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "As we did before." He hesitated, remembering my earlier reaction to their help. "That is, unless you do not advise it."
  
  "No, you're good," I replied. "I should be fine the second time around."
  
  <I hope.>
  
  Karim scribed magic letters into the air. Eadric cracked and chipped some stone off of the tree. Weylin began singing a song my mindscreen couldn't translate. Breena grew to about three feet so that I could put my hand on her shoulder, and we both began casting our respective spells.
  
  I heard Breena hiss next to me, and I could feel her strain both through the mindlink and our familiar's bond. I poured my own life into her, and a moment later, the power of Woadfolk poured into me, flowing into her as well.
  
  I felt the familiar green energy flow through me, and this time instead of building up in me it formed some kind of current, passing from me to Breena and to the tree she was healing and then right back. It felt far more familiar, far easier to channel, now that another one of my bloodlines had awakened.
  
  Breena hissed again, and this time I could feel the power changing her. She grew several more inches, now the size of a very small child. She glowed even brighter, with tiny flecks of green sizzling through her normal pink. Even her hair was affected, with a few of the pink spikes growing long enough to poke my hand.
  
  As the current of green washed in and out of us, the tree in front of us let out a long groan. Creaking sounded up and down it, and cracks appeared all along the stone covering. More green light flared violently among the cracks, making more flecks of stone fall. With another groan, and another flare of light from the tree's main glyph, the entire trunk of the tree twisted, making even the branches far above our heads rustle and moan. Great chunks of stone fell off of the trunk and all around us, as bark suddenly hidden for hundreds of thousands of years was laid bare once again. Breena sighed, sagged and began to fall, forcing me to catch her in both hands.
  
  For a few moments she lay in my arms, panting and heaving. I didn't know what to do so I freed a hand to start casting Water Magic to heal her and, when that didn't work, cast Vein to Vein again to give her more of my blood and life energy. She still panted and heaved, clutching her chest with one hand. Finally though, she closed her eyes, sucked in air one more time, and *pushed*.
  
  I felt the power of her Rise shudder through both of us, connected through our bonds and the new channel of my Blood Magic. I could feel her own magics deepen, her body grow stronger and healthier, and then some of that power passed over to me.
  
  <The Challenger has deepened the bond between him and his familiar, allowing him to share benefits of her recent Rise. The Challenger receives +1 to Dexterity, Charisma, and Intelligence as a one-time benefit. The Challenger also gains an additional skill point.>
  
  I blinked as I realized I had received yet another set of benefits from pulling off a risky ritual. I would have felt guilty about it if there was actually a better option to the 'that which does not kill you, makes you stronger' route we were repeatedly forced to walk down.
  
  "You okay, Breena?" I asked, and needlessly, because I could sense her state through the mindlink.
  
  "Yes," she said, blinking. "Better, in fact." She flew out of my arms and spun around, looking at herself. "I underwent a Rise on my own. Again. And this time, I think I got more of your benefits."
  
  "Isn't that normal?" I asked. The little fairy shook her head.
  
  "No, use your bond to feel what's changed this time. I feel healthier now. I think I gained part of your Constitution." She looked up. "Aannd we sorta brought a legendary tree back to life."
  
  "That you did," Alum said next to us, as he looked up in awe.
  
  More thin shards of stone fell all around us as the Woadfather glowed brighter. I saw green lines travel downward, into the cracked stone ground beneath us. Even under the stone, I could see a faint hint of green run all the way to the other awakened Woadfather. Moments later, cracks began to form along the second tree's shell.
  
  It clicked as I watched the second tree begin to throw off its own poisonous taint.
  
  "That was why all the trees were poisoned," I said, watching the results. "It wasn't because they could actually use them all. It was because if the Keepers left one tree untouched it would work to restore the other nearby trees."
  
  More shells began to fall from the floor, and the tattoos on the Gaelguard flared brightly. Some of them let out sighs as they stretched out, gaining an inch of height and more muscle definition right before my eyes. Their weapons and shields shimmered for a moment as well.
  
  After a few minutes, another nearby tree started to crack its stony shell as well. Its progress was much, much slower, but still undeniable.
  
  "So," Val said next to me. "These guys get stronger every time one of these trees get better?"
  
  "That's what they just told me," I nodded.
  
  "And now the trees can help each other get better?" she continued asking.
  
  "That's what Alum said during the planning meeting," I replied. "It will take a while, though."
  
  "Still, that's amazing," she said. "This is a great way to change up the odds. Why didn't we think of this sooner?"
  
  "Because we didn't know what we were dealing with when we first walked in," I answered. "And because we probably needed the Gaelguard's help in curing them. And because sometimes your older brother is an idiot, and doesn't see the best idea until it smacks him in the face," I finally confessed. She grinned at me.
  
  "Wes?" she said. "It's good to see you again."
  
  "You too, Val," I said with a smile. "You too." Then I had to stop feeling warm and mushy inside, because there were going to be other consequences to my super genius plan. "Alright, we've talked about how we've gotten super lucky because this underground forest is very large and our enemies don't trust each for reasons regarding cannibalism and being giant freaky spiders. And you told me it would be too hopeful to think that they wouldn't respond to trees noisily resurrecting themselves. Especially not after all of the loud and flashy magic we've been throwing around. So—" I looked around—"are we ready for what comes next?"
  
  Nods came from all around. So far our mana and stamina pools were still holding up. Providing we didn't attempt any crazy freaky rituals in the next thirty minutes.
  
  "And it would take them how long to respond to us?" I asked Alum. For the third time. The Gaelguard sighed.
  
  "Nothing close by is going to dare to check it out," the Gaelguard answered patiently. For the third time. "The Queen herself will be sending a small scouting force with at least one of her champions. Then if the scouts do not return, she will risk marshaling all of her children and surround, web, and overrun this location."
  
  "Got it," I replied.
  
  With that, we rested, refreshed our magic, and waited for the enemy to show themselves.
  
  After listening to the third tree slowly crack its way free of its stone shell, we had our answer.
  
  "Hostile forces detected thirty feet away, to the northeast," one of the newly healed trees said, providing me information the way the mists on the rest of Avalon did. "Numbers consist of over twenty humanoids and some two hundred eight-legged life forms."
  
  "Thank you," I answered, giving my gear one final check. The monsters were coming in the direction we had been expecting, so everyone was already in position.
  
  Val activated her shadow senses and told me their composition.
  
  <Whole freaking bunch of knee-high spiders. About twenty Arachmen with weapons, like the ones we last killed. And one more, with thicker chitin on him than the others. They've just noticed us, but they don't realize they have been spotted yet.>
  
  <Thanks sis,> I sent back. I turned to Alum and he nodded at me. Everyone still knew their assignments. I walked out from the tree I was standing behind and pointed at the Arachman I saw leading the rest.
  
  "You," I said arrogantly. "Give me an explanation for this."
  
  The Arachmen had kept to the cavern floor, while the spiders had started to spread themselves around the trees. The one in the lead had thick, black chitin covering his chest and legs, like partial plate armor. In his fingered hands were two thin, curved blades that seemed to be made of the same material. Most of his head was also reinforced, a kind of home-grown helmet that left room for his six grotesque eyes.
  
  The armored Keeper hissed at me in surprise, and then began clicking rapidly, his fangs going up, down, left, and right. I added the sight to my list of creepy experiences and filed it away for when I had more time to be disturbed.
  
  <Translating,> my mindscreen said, and then a moment later the monster's oral nightmare fuel became actual words.
  
  "… do not comprehend your words, but your presence in our woods is a violation."
  
  "Can you understand me now?" I asked, testing the mindscreen's translation function. The monster's human pair of eyes widened.
  
  "Good," I answered. "Now explain your presence in my forest."
  
  They were spreading out further, to encircle me. I did my best to look unimpressed.
  
  "We have been here for ages," the Arachknight, for lack of a better name, hiss-chittered. "You have no claim to these woods or these trees."
  
  "The woods and trees disagree with you," I answered. "Literally, I mean. They just spoke up like an hour ago on this subject."
  
  "That's impossible," the monster hissed. "And it means nothing. Who are you, and how did you get down here?"
  
  "I got down here by opening the door," I answered levelly. "And the name's Wes Malcolm. You won't recognize that and I don't really mind. But I'm the new lord of Avalon. That, you have to recognize. Bad things are gonna happen if you don't."
  
  "There has been no lord of Avalon since before we came to this world," the Arachknight said with a click. "And I see no proof of your Right to Rule."
  
  "The Woadfathers of this grove acknowledge the Earthborn Wes Malcolm as the new Lord of Avalon," the two healed trees rustled behind me. The Arachknight looked up in shock, then snapped his six eyes back at me.
  
  "How did you do this? You are not of the Woad!"
  
  "That's actually an uncomfortable question for me, but the short answer is that those genetic ancestry websites were a waste of money for me."
  
  <Seriously>, I thought. <Scottish-Irish my occasionally scaly ass.>
  
  "Earthborn," the monster said suddenly. "The Woad-things called you Earthborn." His red-shot eyes narrowed at me. "Why did your people come back here? This should be forbidden."
  
  "Not to my knowledge," I answered with a shrug. "Border security let me right in. They even gave me the keys to the place. Sort of."
  
  "Impossible!" the monster snapped. His body started to arch, as if he were surprised and angered. "The Council never would have permitted this!"
  
  <I'm hungry,> the New Guy spoke up. <Do we have to keep talking to him?>
  
  <Yes,> I answered. <Now hush.>
  
  "Well, the Council did," I answered. "In fact they even encouraged me to take the reins down here."
  
  "You didn't have the votes!" the monster snapped. "You didn't have anywhere near enough votes!"
  
  "Explain," I answered. "Because I had people from many races begging me to come here."
  
  That was technically true. But I was hoping to outrage him enough for me to actually learn something.
  
  "Who?" the Arachknight demanded. "The Avalonians? They aren't even on the council, and they're all dead or enslaved anyway! The Vrexi? They promised to vote against you! So did the other Ancients! The only Council race that would have dared to support you were the Starsown, and they've already been doomed for their part in the Stellar War!"
  
  "Oh really?" I asked, and with my best poker face. "You really think the Ancients would have been okay with this invasion? And that people still care about the Stellar War?"
  
  "Everyone cares about the Stellar War!" the Keeper shouted, spitting a big, steaming glob of saliva out of his disgusting mouth. "It was the stupidest compromise the Council ever made! And there's no way the Ancients would have bothered to spend so many resources aiding our invasion just to turn around and risk discovery by allowing your race to come marching back here!"
  
  Well, that was news. I'd have to see if any of my new people knew about that.
  
  "Wait," the monster suddenly asked. "Why would the Earthborn send you here? Where are the real warriors? The ones seven or eight feet tall, in their ensorcelled mail?" The Arachknight peered at me more intently. "You clearly are underarmed, undergrown, undertrained. I don't think you came here under any real authority at all."
  
  "If you want to debate with a pair of talking trees, that's your prerogative," I answered. "But I'm pretty sure you guys don't even have the proper papers. So you can't be down here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave. And pay damages."
  
  "Damages?" The monster cocked his helmed head at that. "You think you can make us pay for damages? You know what, Earthborn?" the mandibles in his jaw chittered. "I'm sure you didn't come here under any authority. I think you snuck away from your parents on Earth and wanted to come here and prove yourself, that you're as good as the giant adult males your world somehow produces. Then, when you got here, the planet accepted you out of desperation. But you're not a real man, little Earthborn. You're not the star-saving hero your people always pretend they can be. And you're a long way from home. Your breeders aren't here to save you."
  
  "It's starting to sound like negotiations are breaking down," I answered calmly. "Are you sure you want our negotiation to break down?"
  
  <Still hungry here,> Teeth spoke. <Just saying.>
  
  The Arachknight's teeth and mandibles all clicked together at once, and a hissing sound bubbled from the back of his throat. It took me a second to piece together that he was laughing.
  
  "I had forgotten just how defiant your people were. Negotiations. How amusing."
  
  "Not yet it's not," I replied. "But keep going. We'll all have fun. I promise."
  
  "You know what? I'll make you an offer," the Keeper said abruptly. "Prove that you're actually someone worthy of negotiating with." The scythe arms over his shoulder clicked out as they extended, and his talon arms both flexed their claws. "If you can beat me, my queen will feel my death, and seek an audience with you."
  
  "You're using your own death as the qualifier for whether or not your leader should talk to me?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Despite my skepticism, though, this was going down exactly as Virtus and Alum had said it would. I just didn't think the spider-people would be this blunt about it.
  
  "I am," the Keeper answered confidently. "Because if I win, I get to eat an Earthborn."
  
  "One-on-one fight then?" I clarified. The Arachknight nodded in a way I didn't really trust. "Any other rules?"
  
  "Don't cry when you start to die," the monster hissed, and then he leaped forward, all six of his arms spread out to attack.
  
  Alum had returned my shield earlier, after reclaiming more gear from the last pack of Keepers. It sprung into existence alongside the spatha, the long stabbing sword I had taken from Virtus' old commander. After Rising some more, I had found a way to connect better with the weapon, and now it created a tiny flicker of flame along the blade. I bounded backward, hissing in surprise when the monster landed right where I had been standing a moment ago, then jumped forward, leading my shield to bash into the monstrous man-thing.
  
  To his credit, Sir Arachnocreep reacted quickly. He pulled up right, widened his stance immediately, and caught the rim of my shield with his talon-claws, arresting my momentum after skidding several feet. Then he bared teeth and mandibles at me, yanking my shield downward while his other four limbs slashed their weapons or sharp edges around my arrested barrier.
  
  Would've worked if he was actually stronger than me.
  
  With a growl I stepped back and pulled my shield upward, tearing free of his hold and bringing it into a position to turn all of his strikes into glancing blows. For the second time in a row my script shield, Earth magic, and god-armor turned the attacks. I countered with a stab of my own just above the carapace armor on his left knee.
  
  "You are all so out of practice," I growled as I pulled my weapon clear of the Arachknight's wound and slammed my shield into his shrieking face. He staggered back and quickly swung his weapons in front of himself to keep me at bay. "How did you guys beat Alum's people again?"
  
  "We—" he started to hiss, but I had cut the conversation short to lunge forward, catch his blades on my shield, and stab his right sword arm. I twisted my weapon and pulled it right back out, the fire on the blade scorching the wound alongside my Outer Current Lightning spell. Two scythe arms slashed dangerously close to my nose as I darted back once again.
  
  I rushed him again, slamming my shield into his wounded side. This time I bore him to the ground, stabbing one of the scythe limbs that arched over to try and slash at my head. More lightning and fire arced into the monster, and he shrieked in either pain or embarrassment.
  
  Then he seemed to shrink inward, twisting his limbs and torso to take up less space, squeezing out to the left side of my shield and skittering away from me. He dodged my next swing and pulled on some invisible thread, climbing it like a rope and leaping onto one of the trees behind him.
  
  I snarled in frustration. Mostly because I really wanted to hit him with a lightning bolt, but Breena had gone all 'save the rainforest, Wes," and now I actually had both a method and motive to get all the trees back.
  
  "What deception is this?" he screeched, now that he was potentially out of range. "You're just an Earthborn whelp! Where do you get your strength and magic?"
  
  "Are you accusing me of cheating because I'm kicking your ass?" I asked as I looked up at him. "Because that's pretty basic beta male behavior. Do you really want to be labeled as a beta male?"
  
  "You're a fool, Earthborn," the monster snarled. "An arrogant, wretched, ugly fool, who doesn't understand just what he's unleashed upon himself. Do you think the Council will ignore this? Do you think that they will spare you, with your stolen power and magic, just because you are one of the Earthborn?"
  
  "I already told you I had permission to be down here," I growled impatiently. "Now come back down here and take your beating like a man. Or just surrender. Because after everything else I've handled, beating your ass doesn't even count as exercise."
  
  <You're right,> Teeth spoke up. <We're getting like no gains here. Can we eat him now?>
  
  <He's a humanoid spider thing,> I answered. <So no. That's like rolling cannibalism and arachnophobia into one experience.>
  
  <Just let me cook him in his carapace,> the New Guy insisted. <It'll taste like lobster. I promise.>
  
  "She'll thank me for killing you," the monster hissed. "She won't even care how you died." The Arachknight waved one of his swords at me. "Take him!"
  
  The mass of spider-pets and Arachmen surged forward.
  
  "Really?" I asked, exasperated. "You're going to be that obvious about violating the only rule in our duel?"
  
  "Yes," the monster answered simply. He leaped back down the tree to pace forward, leading from the rear of his army.
  
  I sighed and shifted my footwork.
  
  Then I noticed my right foot wasn't moving and looked down.
  
  "Webbing," I sighed as I saw the thin black threads stretching under my foot. "I really should have paid more attention to the fact that you're a spider." As the arachnid horde skittered forward, I counted to three, turned my head and shouted, "Signal!"
  
  Karim stepped out from behind one of the Woadfathers and placed his hand on the long, glowing script he had written onto it, just out of sight from our enemies.
  
  Blue fire swept along the ground and up the trees, even passing under my own feet. It felt cool to the touch.
  
  That was one of the benefits of script magic. As long as he was detailed enough when writing the spell, Karim could work just about any kind of exception a person could think of into it.
  
  Such as fire that only burned spiders or their webs.
  
  My foot came free. The spiders in the trees began shrieking. They shrieked even louder when green woadfire ran up the giant limbs to mix with the blue fire cooking them. And as the lesser Arachmen staggered through the flames on the ground, my people and the Gaelguard rushed to meet them. I saw Val roll beneath one, slash through one of the monster's legs, then leap onto his back as he fell forward, stabbing at his neck all the way down.
  
  Good girl. I was proud of her.
  
  I advanced through the harmless blue and green fire, stepping around Alum's people as they took the damaged Arachmen apart. Their leader had stopped advancing forward, staring in shock at the devastation we unleashed.
  
  "How…" He trailed off, blinking his human-like eyes as his army burned.
  
  "Magic," I answered. "It's a hell of a force multiplier. Your people should probably look into it."
  
  "She took our magic, so we wouldn't betray her," the Arachknight replied, still in a daze. "And then the others took most of her magic, so she couldn't betray them."
  
  "Wait, what?" I asked, since his answer could have been relevant. "Who took her magic and how could she betray them?"
  
  "We are Keepers," the man-spider whispered. "We never let go. Always want more. They knew we'd try to take this whole place if they couldn't control us."
  
  "Who were they?" I asked, still stepping forward. "The Ancients? The Council?"
  
  "No," the monster whispered. "They were tricked as well. We were all tricked by them. Their leader got all the food instead, but we did not see him. Only she saw what truly led us. And she still will not speak of it."
  
  "Sorry to hear you didn't get to eat as many people as you wanted," I said with a deadpan expression. "But you can have an honorable death in combat as a consolation prize, if you want."
  
  Another hiss-laugh bubbled from the Arachknight's mouth.
  
  "She will kill me, if you do not. She has been far too hungry, for far too long."
  
  With that, the Keeper raised his chitin blades and leaped at me.
  
  I was ready for his lunge this time, letting my spatha fall from my hands to summon my newly enhanced spear. I thrust with the full reach of the shaft and stabbed at his chest as he descended. The spearhead slid down until it found a weak spot in his chitin, then it pierced clean through, the monster's momentum carrying him down the shaft until the weapon's head pierced out of his back.
  
  He grinned at me, because that still wasn't enough to kill him. But then I triggered my Outer Current spell to fully discharge into my spear and blasted him right off my weapon using my stored lightning bolt. As he hurtled through the air that same lightning bolt arced back into him, knocking him even farther away until his body slammed head first into a petrified Woadfather. He landed with a loud *crack* and slid down the tree in a green trail for a few feet, finally tumbling the rest of the way down.
  
  <Dumbass,> Teeth sent me in my mind. <He's ruined now. You overcooked him.>
  
  I didn't bother answering him. I walked forward, checking to make sure the Arachknight was dead while checking his body for gear. Other than his weapons, his equipment seemed to have melded with him, so that was probably a bust.
  
  "Hey Virtus?" I asked as I held up one of the curved chitin-swords. "How good of a weapon would you rate this?"
  
  "For an Arachman? Good. Suits their bodies perfectly. For a human?" The hoplite shook his head. "Too long. But their chitin can be good material if you Rise enough while using it. I'd stick with your current weapons though."
  
  "Can," Val began hesitantly. "Can I take a look at one?"
  
  "Sure," I shrugged. "But we need to get ready for the next step."
  
  I turned away from the nearby Woadfather and faced the direction the Keeper-knight had come from. I began casting another Air Magic spell Breena had taught me upon reaching the level of Journeyman, Current Carried Tongue. The spell would allow me to project my voice miles away.
  
  "The Lord of Avalon addresses the Queen of the Keepers, and demands an audience!"
  
  I heard my voice echo for over a dozen miles throughout the immense cavern, reminding me that this place was at least the size of a small town. Put into perspective, it explained why a thousand or so monsters had trouble patrolling it. But then a rich, feminine voice echoed back through the underground forest.
  
  "The Mistress of the Keepers welcomes the presence of the Lord of Avalon, and begs for the honor of his presence. She hereby grants safe passage directly to her quarters."
  
  "Thank God and everyone else," I sighed in relief. "She answered me."
  
  "I really wish I could think up a better plan than this," Breena muttered. "Because I'm not at all encouraged by her promise."
  
  "I totally am," I replied flippantly. "I mean we've talked about this. She's a spider-woman. She wants me in her web, instead of being caught by something else that might eat me instead."
  
  "And then she's going to try and eat you herself," Breena added. "You still remember that part, right? About how she probably wouldn't keep her word? Once you're there."
  
  "Oh definitely not," I replied. "Again, she's a spider-woman. In fact, the jerk I just killed warned me about that. That's totally going down."
  
  I started to walk forward, and everyone moved with me. Then I cursed myself for being an idiot, and stopped walking forward.
  
  "The Lord of Avalon requires your word of safe passage for himself and his entire retinue. Harm done to the retinue will be treated as harm to the lord himself."
  
  Again, my words echoed down. Again, the rich feminine voice whispered back.
  
  "The Mistress of the Keepers offers her assurance of safe passage for the entirety of the mighty lord's retinue. She begs that the Lord of Avalon stay his wrath, so that parley may be discussed."
  
  That was probably the best we could get.
  
  "Let's move, everyone," I said out loud. "And uh, take up some kind of honor guard position."
  
  "Right," Alum snorted. "Wouldn't want to give the wrong impression for the upcoming 'parley.'"