How much could change in a few months?

  Not much… at least that was what Rowan thought. The Mother Tree had grown to barely surpass Rowan's height within the last five years. Perhaps using the Mother Tree wasn't the best example to illustrate the passage of time, but it was the only indicator Rowan could use. He had no other indications of time besides the changing of seasons, and he barely interacted with or had any knowledge of the surrounding wildlife, as he was locked behind the barrier of thorns.

  That was until Rowan was taken away by Vulcanus and granted access to a dragon’s library that most mages would kill to have. In those few months, Rowan learned a wealth of knowledge, including information about the Forest of Death. Many plants and monsters in the forest reached their optimal state very quickly. Otherwise, their immaturity would cost them their lives. The dangers of the forest caused one to grow up quickly, whether they wished to or not.

  The growth was further accelerated by the mana given off by the Mother Tree, at least when the Mother Tree was fully grown. Thanks to the black dragon's destruction, the Mother Tree was slowly recovering, along with the entire forest. Part of the reason for this recovery was due to Rowan’s blessing, which accelerated plant growth. The Mother Tree would have taken twenty years on its own to recover, assuming no monster consumed it first. That was why the Mother Tree always had guardians, such as the elves, around it. The guardians protected the tree while it grew, and in return, the tree made the guardians grow faster and stronger. As the Mother Tree grew, so did the guardians and life around it.

  Rowan didn't know how he felt when he discovered this particular fact. The growth of the Mother Tree meant the recovery of the Forest of Death, thereby making his escape even harder. Rowan agreed he needed the time to hone himself to increase his chances, but he hadn't thought that the forest would become deadlier in the process. It felt like he had made a sharp sword and stabbed himself with it in the end. Rowan could only sigh as Ember carried him closer to the elven camp. There wasn't much he could do about it now. Had he known this fact earlier, he would most likely have made the same decision, as he had promised to stay until the Mother Tree matured.

  A knight always keeps his promises.

  Since Rowan had left, he wasn't expecting an exorbitant growth from the Mother Tree. Even with his blessing, the tree had taken five years to grow. Without his help, the growth rate of the Mother Tree would be even slower. When Rowan and Ember neared the camp, a howl greeted their presence – one of animosity and warning. While the howl couldn't match that of a dragon’s roar, it was enough to scare off most of the monsters in the forest. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to scare off Rowan and Ember.

  Who could it be? Rowan's heart raced at the thought of facing a new monster. There had been no monster around the vicinity of the World Tree when he left. Did a new one make the tree part of its home in his absence? Whatever monster it was, he was ready this time.

  Plus, he had Ember on his side. Few beings were a match for the young dragon.

  Almost as if she heard Rowan's thoughts, Ember let out a barely audible growl. The Forest of Death instantly turned quiet. Ember snorted, as if to say, "Who dares challenge me?" The growl, barely heard, carried more intent than volume – the intent to pulverize everything that dared to stand in their way. Even if most monsters did not know what a dragon was, the intent released in the growl was more than enough to show who the top predator of the food chain was.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Apparently, not everyone got the message, as Rowan spied a brown blur closing in on the flying pair as they neared the ground.

  It was a wolf.

  "That's not Wolfie, is it?" Rowan couldn't help but ask out loud.

  The pup could still fit in his hands when he left. The wolf in front of him was the size of a horse. A wolf pup would take about a year to fully grow, at least according to the books Rowan read. He had given the books a cursory glance, as he figured they may come in handy when raising Wolfie. Even with the Mother Tree's help, the wolf pup couldn't have grown that fast... right?

  Then he just recalled what he was thinking a few moments ago – the Mother Tree helped accelerate the growth of organisms. Just like how the god tree helped quicken his growth, it did the same for Wolfie, except the wolf pup's growth was more exaggerated.

  Wolfie had grown so much that he reached Rowan's shoulders. His fur had grown out, along with his fangs and claws. Streaks of brown ran across the once completely white fur. While Wolfie had not reached the size of the alpha wolf, he was getting quite close. It was no longer appropriate to call him a pup. For some odd reason, Rowan felt cheated, as if he had missed out on something important.

  Seeing the two new figures in the camp, the now adult size wolf had done its job as a guardian.

  Wolfie had not been completely cowed by Ember’s presence. Paws trembling, Wolfie remained steadfast and stood guarded against the two intruders. Rowan felt a hint of pride and sadness at the same time – pride that the wolf had grown and decided to stand guard for the Mother Tree, and sadness for the fact that the wolf no longer recognized him.

  “Wolfie, it’s me! Don't you recognize me?” Rowan said when his feet touched the ground. Something in him felt rejuvenated when he landed, as if the forest soil was welcoming him. The Wolf tilted his head in confusion. The canine recognized the voice, but not the figure. Raising his snout to take a sniff, the wolf took a cautious step and smelled the two intruders. One was completely foreign, while the other had a familiar and nostalgic scent.

  BWOK!

  Rowan flinched as one of Ember’s wings bonked him on his head. It didn't hurt, but it was uncalled for. Rowan glared in response at the young dragon who merely raised an eyebrow. Her tail rose behind her and tapped her head. What was she… oh, that actually made sense! Rowan had forgotten that he was currently wearing his new armor. No wonder Wolfie didn't recognize him. He immediately took off his helmet and said, “Wolfie, it's me, Rowan.”

  This time, Rowan's voice got through to the wolf. The large canine ran towards him, but then stopped again, staring at the dragon beside him. “It's okay! She's a… friend.” Friend was too loose a term to explain what Ember was, but it was the first word that came to Rowan's mind.

  Wolfie hesitated for a bit, but then resumed running at Rowan, pouncing on him and bowling him over. Height was not the only thing that grew for Wolfie, so did his weight. The wolf's tongue lashed over him again and again with affection. Rowan was barely able to separate himself from the excited wolf.

  After all, there was still one more being to greet.

  Rowan looked at the Mother Tree and said, “I'm back.”

  A wave of warm mana enveloped him, welcoming the human back home. Rowan had to admit it felt good to be back.