Glee stood up and walked tentatively over, casting a glance over the empty patch of dirt where the Firaga Rose had been, then back at Adam with narrowed eyes. This was fascinating.
“Glee John Artorius - of True Grade,” he said, offering to shake hands. “You really thought that just any old Druid can grow plants they haven’t studied or felt, smelled… tasted? You’re either lying through your teeth or incredibly oblivious to your own talent. I’m not sure which would be worse.”
He blinked several times. It was his way of laughing at his own jokes. He could laugh normally, but he always delivered his own jokes with a straight, dry tone. A weird quirk.
"Adam Phillips. Uh, of Second Chance" the not-old Druid hastily added, not used to introducing himself that way, though he did respond to the handshake in kind. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Completely missing the joke, the man continued. "And yes, I did think that, though I suppose I've never met someone else with my class." He was skeptical that there was anything special about him, but this stranger probably wasn't there to hear him agonize over his lack of special ability, so he went on.
"I'd also rather not taste a torch flower if I can help it, getting burned isn't something I'm fond of." The man chuckled slightly, a more typical indicator of humor than what the experienced adventurer did.
“Haha! That’s fair enough,” Glee replied. Strong handshake and a sense of humour. The half-orc liked him already.
More seriously now, Adam added "are you a Druid?"
“I am. Come and have a seat.” They went over to the table and Glee took a seat. “So, you are talented but dumb as an ox to the whole Druid schtick. Interesting. How long have you had that crystal, there, in your hand?”
The less experienced Druid joined his senior counterpart at the table. "Dumb as an ox," with his Druid abilities, huh. Yeah, that sounded about right. The guy wasn't malicious though; quite the opposite really, and he was a Druid. Maybe he would be able to help with this magic. "About a day. There's so much I don't know about all this, yeah. I only learned an hour or so ago why the crystal turned purple after our team apparently got a bounty." It was best not to go in depth about this and mention Aurok; Glee might think he was just bragging or lying, not to mention the red-eyed man didn't want to explain how that fight went if he could help it.
About a day! Glee screamed in his head. I’d scream out loud but this is a library. The half-orc blinked a few times as he listened to Adam speak. “I’m pretty sure I should be angry right now." When he said this, the red-eyed man's face indicated he was worried he offended the man, but before he could speak up the half-orc continued.
"Most Druids require months of practice to come that close to correctly growing a Firaga Rose. Lotsa hard work, study and discipline. And here you are, one day in, and you’ve almost got it. And have the cheek to act like it’s nothing.” Glee smiled at him. “Luckily, folks have always told me I’m not right in the head.” At this, the younger Druid looked relieved, grateful he didn't actually offend the older one. Maybe "I'll have to use that 'not right in the head' thing with our 'party idiot' someday," Adam thought, his expression now matching Glee's.
"Do all Druids have the same two spells?"
“Most, yes. Plant invigoration and manipulation. Not all though. There are some unique sub-classes that The Source might bless one with, where plant control comes later in their journey. But all the best Druids in history start with plant control. You’ll find that mastery of those two spells will make you more useful to your party than all those other fancy high-power wizards. The skill ceiling is extremely high. The most expert Druid alive today no-doubt still has much to learn about these two spells alone. Nature is ever-changing. Life is complex. There are several thousand species of plant, tree and flower out there in Mytheria. All have a use. And more than half will be very useful to an adventurer. You just have to know what they are. And know them well. I’ve been at this adventuring business for eleven years now. I’ve been up and down the continent, from the sky cities of Cloud elves to the underworld of the Dark elves. Even with all I’ve learned, I mostly use those two spells. There’s no end to what you can do with them. It’s all about what’s up here,” he finished, tapping his temple. “Books are your friend. Experience is your family.”
Glee was so eager to find out more about Adam, to try and figure out if there was a reason this man was so insanely gifted, but then he was also foaming at the mouth to teach him everything he knew all at once! He’d always been helpful to others, Druid or not - adventurer or not - but he’d never met anyone he wanted to mentor before. Pity he wouldn’t be in Valhiem long as True Grade was leaving for the frontlines tomorrow afternoon.
Adam sagely nodded to Glee, his expression thoughtful. There were many things this man spoke of that were new and revelatory, but the plants were of course the nature magic user's focus. More than half?! Yeah, it seems I was on the right track. "You're absolutely right. I was actually here to-"
"Get those books!" Fiona interjected, having still been there the whole time, and perhaps a little more loudly than she should have. Her face red from her excitement, she hastily added "I'll go find those" before quickly disappearing back into the shelves of the library. The Glee was very interested in this boy. The elf followed all the famous adventurer parties, but True Grade was one of her favorites. She would have helped this kid either way, it was just more urgent now.
"That, yeah," the red-eyed man said, "I'm not from here, so there's so much I don't know. I want to learn everything I can. Our group lost a few good people recently and I don't want that to happen again." His tone was sad, yet determined; that of a man who knew what needed to be done and was certain that he would do his best to accomplish it.
Glee knew that look. He felt his pain. Druids were often sensitive souls, so connected with nature and life that perhaps death took an extra toll on them. Who knew? Whatever the reason, it was like looking into a mirror. The humility, the talent, the determination to look after his allies…
“It can be tough at the beginning. Mistakes abound, party not in sync. And it’s never easy to lose an ally or a friend. All we can do is be the best version of ourselves and hope that it’s enough.” Glee leaned across the table and patted the man on the hand before getting up. “Come. I’ll show you a few things you can work on to practice your finesse in manipulation.”
Glee stayed with Adam for a couple of hours, showing him some of the finer points of the foundational Druid spells. He also recommended particular books and plants to research, and taught him about what patterns to look for in enemy hordes that a Druid might be able to capitalize on. Time flew by so fast, that when Glee had to go, he realized that he’d not probed about Adam’s past at all like he’d wanted to. A travesty, in of itself, but he had to go.
“Adam, it’s been an honor and a pleasure to meet a man as talented as you, with a soul as nice as yours.” Glee shook his hand once more. “I expect great things from you and hope to see you again.”
"Thank you so much for all of your help," the younger Druid replied, grateful for the advice that he felt was useful for more than casting, "I'll be sure to put all that you taught me to good use; I'd like to meet again as well." After graciously accepting the red-eyed man's appreciation, the half-orc took his leave. “Oh, before I go,” he suddenly added, turning back around. “Kragstone Peak is a small mountain, just outside the city, to the north. There’s an old Druid who lives in a shack up there. Go to him, when you get a chance. Elven chap. Very grumpy. But he specializes in Shapeshifting - an extremely difficult technique to master. Usually for high level Druid’s. But your talent is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. I think he’d give you a chance.” Glee nodded, then left Adam.
“Until next time, Fiona,” he told the librarian as he passed her. “Look after him. He’s one of the good ones.”
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