Chương 344: 18. Vibrant opportunities

As he had felt the crackling, thunderous aura on its way, Kite was already up and running from where he had been having tea in the gardens with Auntie Crow. Dove was still in the far west, having also been drawn into the apparently extremely exciting research of Butterfly's mentor over their years living there, and Crow had just been filling Kite in on the escapades of his youngest daughter when he had sensed the incoming potential threat.

Given that there hadn't been any reprisals since the one and only attack against his home during the last monster surge that had ended a mere three months back, Kite started readying himself to face yet more half-mechanical monstrosities when he saw it in the distance; a crackling bird of gold and yellow trailing lightning and thunderclouds. It moved fast.

Almost too fast for his gold-ranked senses to follow, and before he had reached the gates of his compound it had passed, now a mere fading streak in the distant sky. But that was not before it had dropped off something much, much smaller that was currently falling to the ground outside. Kite managed to open the gates just in time to be showered by dirt, loose leaves and gravel that clattered off his armor, a consequence of the small crater which had just formed outside the walls of his compound.

A crater from which a small tortoise was currently making its way out of. It had a vibrant green shell covered with all kinds of miniscule plant life, Kite's eyes able to make out the microscopic flowers sending even smaller seeds flowing around the little miniature garden. And then he met the turtle's eyes, deep yellow with slitted pupils and carrying a depth and patience that seemed almost transcendent. The hint of a carefully controlled aura came next, and Kite immediately stopped to bow deeply to the tortoise.

Deeper than he had bowed to anyone in well over twenty years.

"H-honored Gaia. Welcome. This is a most pleasant surprise."" Thank you, young sapling," an impossibly vast voice replied from the rather diminutive tortoise as it stepped forward to regard him." It is nice to meet you, and so soon after our first communion too. Oh, don't look so surprised. I am aware that… What? Thirty or so years have probably felt rather long to you. You will get used to it as you continue to grow stronger."

"If the heavens are willing," Kite agreed, still trying to process that a diamond-ranked being had just literally dropped in for a visit.

"Please, come in. My compound might be humble compared to The Grove, but you are welcome to partake of our hospitality."" Thank you. I shall be in your care then," the tortoise said. Then, as if Kite had blinked - even though it had been decades since he last needed to - Gaia suddenly stood at the threshold just behind him.

"I can already sense some very quaint little sources of vibrant growth here. It will be nice to get acquainted with them as we go to meet young Verdant Evergreen. I did tell her that I would one day come visit." What followed was a rather odd little procession of introducing Gaia the Eighth to first Auntie Crow and then to most of the plants in Auntie Dove's garden. Kite knew that Gaia was a verdant dragon, but was still a bit surprised as he had expected something a little more… Dragony.

But given how Glint began her life, who was he to judge. However, given how fast Gaia was able to move when she wished to, it didn't take long for them to find themselves before the aperture." Ah, such a vibrant domain," the tortoise said as she stood before the opening, closing her eyes as if enjoying the warmth of the sun.

"Even though the thunderbird who was kind enough to convey me to this place already knew the way after dropping off young Evergreen here all those years back I would still have felt it. Such a boon to these old bones after the otherwise rather sparse mana of these lands."

"I do spend most of my time inside when I am at home, even though it seems like that is less and less these days now that all the children are grown and my wife is out with her latest batch of students. But they will all lament not having been able to meet you. Especially my Auntie Dove and youngest daughter Butterfly. It was their garden that just made your acquaintance." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more."

With a long life comes an infinite number of potential meetings and encounters, young sapling. I am sure that I might get to meet them too in time," Gaia agreed sagely." But as for now, let us enter. I can already sense young Evergreen growing rather nervous at having to wait after I introduced myself just now."

"Wait, how–" Kite began, but then he actually noticed the roots growing out of the aperture and throughout the tunnel walls. They had been there for so long that he didn't even register them anymore, but Gaia sure did. And he already knew that they were as much part of the dryad as the rest of her inside. Noticing that he had understood, Gaia gave Kite a knowing smile and then vanished through the opening in a blur.

Kite followed, and was greeted by the sight of the normally so unflappable Verdant Evergreen kneeling before the little tortoise in her more humanoid form which they so rarely saw these days, hair-like branches with azure leaves spilling over her back and spreading out in a wide arch across the ground behind her. The two seemed to be in some kind of silent communion, and Kite stayed back to let them have some modicum of privacy.

However, it didn't take long before Gaia nodded sagely and spoke up, probably for Kite's benefit alone." It's always so nice catching up with my little seedlings, even if it was not that long since we last met. Thank you, Kite, for allowing her to bond to this place. It is a marvelous tree that is probably unique to this world. Many among the Grove are most eager for the next batch of fruits, hoping that you will sell as many as possible to us this time."

"You shall have most of them, honored Gaia. Your generous pay works wonders for me and mine, and I like that they come to good use. I shall merely keep two this time, since they might at times bring me much favor among others in the Adventure Society. And given these troubled times since the monster surge… I need to look after my family, friends and the foundation we've built here. I can only thank Fortune and the heavens that we are all still alive, given the intensity and complications of the last surge.""

Complications that only seem to continue. I assume you have heard of…"

"I have," Kite agreed, sighing.

"Interesting times await us, it seems."" All times are interesting in one way or another," Gaia replied sagely, before turning back towards Verdant Evergreen." Now though, I believe that I want to inspect young Evergreen here a bit closer. If you would please stand back a bit? The other side of the astral space should do." Kite quickly caught on to her meaning, using all his gold-ranked speed to run up into the air and across the astral space.

However, his expanded vision still revealed the vibrant green light that erupted from the tortoise a moment later. Then Gaia started expanding, a growing hill covered in a copse of trees. Then a small wood. Then a forest.

Then what felt like an infinitely deep wildwood, much deeper and more complex than should be able to fit atop the now gargantuan shell. Scales were now visible across the whole of Gaia's body, her head slightly elongated but still with the tortoise's beak-like snout. But where she had previously been around the size of a cooking pot, Gaia the Eighth now towered over the astral space as she made even the tree and its azure leaves look small.

The sheer size and presence of her entirely drove away any doubts Kite might have harbored; he stood in the presence of a dragon. But despite her size, Gaia the Eighth barely rustled the plant life below as she walked, the verdant growths seeming to shift unharmed out of the way as if she was walking through shallow water. Despite seeming to move slowly, the verdant dragon was at the azure tree that was now the dryad's main body in an eyeblink, green motes starting to dance and appear in the air around her.

They danced like fireflies before linking up to one another and forming long bridges of twinkling lights that started to connect to the tree. Kite could almost feel the aura of Verdant Evergreen shuddering with awe at the connection, Gaia's aura seeming to gently mingle and suffuse into everything. Then the great dragon leaned in carefully and ever so gently lay the side of her head against the purple-clad trunk of the tree, a smile in her voice as she spoke." Well done, little sapling.

You have sprouted into something marvellous. May you remain here for as long as you wish, and help the mana of nature and life ever have a foothold in these lands. Know that I recognize you as a true member of The Grove, and may we continue to bring about bountiful life and new pathways for the primal forces of this planet." Then the dragon cracked an eye to look at Kite, who in turn was already working hard to keep himself steady beneath the immense spiritual pressure that Gaia the Eight now exuded.

It was not harmful or hostile, merely a natural consequence of her releasing part of the hold on her form as well as her spirit. Then she spoke again." And as for you, young Kite. Fortune was kind that our paths crossed. Let me once more affirm our agreement, and declare you an ally and friend to The Grove. May our further dealings create vibrant opportunities for all of us."