Morning came slower than Chris would have liked.
He'd spent a part of the night linked to the Rootmind, watching the small party get little rest as they tried to salvage their camp. The scream flowers had pulsed warnings the moment the first wave hit and the Rootmind had kept him informed of what was happening, there panic, the chaos and even the way the knight kept trying to bark orders that did nothing to settle the group.
The plants had helped a little in their defense, thorn bushes had slowed the advance of the beasts, well some of the bamboo took care of the ones that got too close, he laughed slightly when the Ancient Ent told him about their shock at it moving and attacking along with how it used its roots to help bring down the remaining beasts and Minotaur.
He didn't want to clean up more bodies than necessary and it was better he didn't get blamed for their deaths which was why he had his plants help when needed, spending the rest of his sleepless night tending to his plants, practicing his brewing and trying to make a few more bottles of wine and other alcohol's well the Rootmind kept him informed of their actions and the little world tree trailed along with its little root.
Sera found him at the gate as the sun started creeping over the walls the next morning. She looked like she hadn't slept either, her hand playing with a frayed strip of leather on the hilt of her sword, a nervous tick he noticed she had when she was on edge.
"You were watching them all night," she said. It wasn't a question.
Chris shrugged. "Wanted to see how they'd handle it and it wasn't all night, I tended to my plants a bit, the new cups and bowls and even managed to make a few bottles after guiding them a bit, I even managed to get the newest batch of alcohols for us to sample ready, but there scout stole one when he ran last night, it made me realize I really need to light this place up at night, maybe some kind of bio-luminescent flowers?"
"And your thoughts on the scouting party?" She pressed, curious about his thoughts on them.
"Well, the mage and ranger did alright, the healer kept his head under the pressure and even though Lyra though had a few close calls she had good reactions and even worked well to anticipate the plants responses when they acted to save her." He paused, rubbing the knot mark on his wrist, his own nervous habit he had developed. "The knight's an idiot through and through though, he kept trying to use his shield and calling for them to make a shield wall against the Minotaur, like he was back in whatever army trained him. I might not know this world beyond what you and Korr's been teaching me but even I know a ranger and mage have no place being a part of a shield wall"
Sera seemed visibly angry at that, as if it was offensive that a knight would be that stupid. She breathed out her nose before deciding to ask something else. "What about the beasts?"
"Another normal wave with nothing special, I really don't like any of it though, it's been a few months now and the dungeons been sending nothing but fodder, yet I can feel it's still watching us, I can feel its anger..." Chris let out a tired sigh and shook his head. "They got lucky."
Sera studied him for a moment, something flickering across her face. "You didn't just save them to avoid trouble; there's more to it." Her words were pointed and caused him to just smile at her; she didn't push though. Instead, she turned to look at the salvaged camp through the gap in the gate. "They're coming over."
Chris followed her gaze. Lyra was already walking toward them, the knight trailing behind her with his jaw set in a clearly angry and sour frown. The mage and ranger followed a few steps behind them and lastly the scout bringing up the rear with the healer, clearly nervous and scared.
No weapons drawn this time. The knight's sword was still sheathed, and Chris noticed how he kept his hands visible, a small bit of progress, he could just imagine the tongue lashing he had gotten.
He waited until they stopped at the same spot as yesterday before speaking, having walked out when Sera pointed them out to meet them. "You made it through the night." He said with notes of amusement.
Lyra's jaw tightened, her hands balled into tight fists as she answered. "Barely."
"Hey, there's no point getting mad at me about it, the knight wanted you guys to camp outside even though I offered to stay in my village, everything that happened is on him not me." Chris let the words hang for a moment before continuing. "That offer I gave you yesterday? It's still on the table; you can come in as long as you follow the rules and you will get to see what you came to see without needing to without sneaking in or causing problems. Or you can keep camping out here and see if the next wave is as generous as the last one."
The knight opened his mouth, no doubt with some kind of snide remark but Lyra's hand shot out and gripped his arm.
"We'd like to accept your hospitality this time," she said, her voice tight but steady. "Since you said the offer still stands."
Chris simply nodded as he gave them a look over, noting their rough state before his eyes met with the rangers, noting the hidden curiosity in them before turning to the mage and watching the way she was staring at the bamboo gate like she was trying to figure out how it worked. The scout was pale and kept glancing at the vines coiled along the walls. 'Good.' He thought to himself, it was a proper lesson.
"The rules haven't changed," he finally said, looking at the knight as he addressed Lyra. "No weapons drawn. No wandering off. The plants will be watching and I will warn you now that most aren't as patient as I am."
He gestured for them to follow, the bamboo softened and parting slightly like water to let them in.
Sera stepped to the side, her hand still on her sword with her eyes fixed on the knight as he passed, clear annoyance and anger in her gaze that he easily noticed and seemed to take as a challenge, his hand twitching toward his own blade before he caught himself and forced it back down, making Sera let out a disappointed huff.
The ranger was the first one through, weaving through the bamboo with a look of open wonder, wanting to be the first in regardless of what danger might have been. "This is incredible," she muttered, her eyes scanning the village and the green beauty. "The way it's all laid out, the patterns, this isn't just random growth or decoration." She continued in wonder.
The mage followed close behind, her staff held loose in her grip as she looked around. "There's magic here that feels really old, I can feel it in the soil and it's like what that which brought us here but different, softer. As if the land is blessed rather than the people here."
Chris didn't correct her, rather choosing to let them think what they wanted.
Lyra was the last one in, having stopped before walking through, her gaze admiring the Ancient Ent one more time before entering, now truly taking in the village with the same calculating look she'd had yesterday, noticing how the bamboo didn't part like it had before and needed them to walk through it with little effort, Her eyes traveling from the various vines and flowers to the thick patches of grass that had spread across the ground, noting the heals look of shock as he seemed to stare at the grass and a specific vine.
"You built all this," she stated, her gaze falling onto Chris.
"In about a year," Chris confirmed. "Give or take but it took a bit for me to get my ass in gear."
Sera moved to stand beside him, her posture relaxed but ready. "Your knight caused quite a bit of trouble last night, are you sure you can keep a hold of him and keep him from trying again now that he's inside?"
Lyra's jaw tightened, it was a jab towards her she couldn't refute. "He won't do anything, he knows better than to try."
"Are you sure about that?"
Before Lyra could answer, the knight stepped forward. His face was red, his hands clenched at his sides and shaking with anger. "I was wrong to send the boy over the wall," he ground out. "I misjudged the situation."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "That's a pretty fancy way of saying you screwed up."
The knight's face went redder, but he didn't argue. Lyra shot Chris a look that might have been gratitude or might have been warning. He couldn't tell.
"You said we could look around and see what's here and be permitted to reporting back?"
Chris nodded slowly. "You wanted to know what I'm building out here and asked what I want, I know its just to see whether I'm a threat or something else." He looked at her, then at the mage and ranger, then back. "So instead of trusting my words I'll show you all instead, but you're going to answer some of my questions first."
Lyra's eyes narrowed. "Like what?"
"Like why the Empire really sent you. Not the official reason. The real one."
She was quiet for a moment. The knight shifted beside her, clearly wanting to speak, but she shot him a look that shut him up.
"My father wants to know if you killed my brother and I am rather curious about it myself," she said finally. "Walter. He came out here about a year ago to try his luck on the dungeon and didn't come back."
"Walter," he repeated, the name tasting sour. "He had fancy and shiny armor? Arrogant and feeling like everything was owed to him and that people should be grateful to be in his presence? He came here injured and I patched him up, he wrecked my store room at the time and even winded me before leaving."
Lyra's face went pale. "He left? But the reports said—"
"Your reports no doubt said a lot of things." Chris's voice was flat as he cut her off. "He showed up, threw his family name around and then, as I said already, he kicked me when I was down and stole from my storeroom, to add salt to the wound he even ripped up some of my flowers on his way out." He paused. "He did come back though a while later with a group of bandits who tried take my village."
"What happened to him? Then? Did you really…" The words came out tight, controlled.
Chris met her eyes. "He died. Along with the bandits who were with him but it wasn't by my hand, all the blood on my hands is second hand at best, brought about by the actions of my plants, I've yet to kill someone myself."
The silence that followed was heavy. The knight's hand twitched toward his sword again, no doubt at the way he so casually mentioned being the cause of a noble heir's death but he didn't draw it. The mage and ranger exchanged glances, noticing his words and clear revulsion of wanting to kill people, how he seemed actually upset about it.
Lyra's face was unreadable, but her hands were shaking. "So it wasn't you who killed him but your plants? That's why you say there's blood on your hands but not by your own means?"
"Yes, exactly that." Chris let the word hang. "The plants do the deed but I'm there grower so the blood is still on my hands. But to be fair he did try to steal from the shadow berry vine and the other plants didn't like that, they don't like people stealing from them."
It wasn't the whole truth, but it was enough. And he rather enjoyed how the scout paled and fidgeted.
Lyra stood there for a long moment, her jaw working, her eyes fixed on something in the distance. When she finally spoke, her voice was steady. "My brother was an idiot. He thought the world owed him everything because of our name and his 'connections'. He treated people like tools and threw them away when they weren't useful anymore which I blame my mother for, she spoilt him far too much and he was bound to meet his end by the hands of another due to that arrogance of his." She paused. "But even so, he was still my brother."
Chris stared at her for a few moments before letting out a sigh. "I only knew the man who kicked me when I was down and laughed about it. The man who left his party to die in a dungeon so he could steal its core. The man who came back with bandits to burn my home down. I can't say he left a good impression on me so don't expect any tears or sympathy from me about his passing."
Lyra flinched at his words, It was small and barely noticeable, but Chris was watching her closely which let him see it.
"I buried him though," he said. "The bandit group leader he came with as well. They got a better grave than most people out here get but I think it's better I not point it out, it's just a hole now, a few bits of scattered sand."
Something shifted in her expression. Not forgiveness, Chris all but knew she'd ever forgive him for what happened and he didn't expect her to. But maybe there was some understanding in her gaze? Acceptance at the very least.
"Even so I'd like to see it," she said quietly. "Where he was buried."
Chris studied her for a moment, then nodded. "I'll take you there later, it would be a personal matter and I would rather you all finish your business with me first."
He turned and started walking toward the center of the village, trusting that they'd follow. Behind him, he heard the whispered words between the mage and ranger as they saw the cacti and fig tree, he faintly heard them mention summoned and old world well feeling their gaze on him.
Sera fell into step beside him. "You handled that well," she muttered, low enough that only he could hear. A compliment that brought a smile to his face but didn't answer, rather he was trying to think on what would come next.