It was a building tension, the kind of pressure one feels when diving deep into an ocean, until there is no light and no way to know which way is up. Where there is nothing but the understanding of being trapped as your air runs out.

Union City was skittish.

Everyone that Theo passed was jumpy, hyperaware and tracking every moving thing in sight.

The news of the spy had spread beyond just guards and the Guild and those in the know. Even now, in the Outskirts, there was a blanket of distrust that had fallen over the entire area, making it quieter and emptier than Theo could remember it every being.

Of course, the Outskirts were never a place of trust in the first place, more uneasy awareness, but after a lifetime living in the area the difference between the two grew hard to fathom.

Theo’s classmates were also on edge. Which only served to mask how much Rowena had been stressing about the ball. It had gotten to the point where even Finn had stopped messing with her and was genuinely concerned.

Which is why Theo was very glad he’d made it through the week, and was on his way to The Woods once again.

A full day of hanging out in a hidden paradise and being away from everyone’s paranoia sounds like just the thing to help him unwind.

Or at least, that was the plan.

---

“Thank you for all your help, but as you can see, the herbs have grown into a self-sustaining system. Your debt is paid, and you are free to go.” Eva bowed towards the two of them.

It was true. The currents of mana in the air were stronger than ever, as flowering plants up to Theo’s waist swayed. It seemed alive, more than just how plants were alive. It was like watching a school of fish, and the way the water parted around it. The herbs mingled, and moved, an ocean of what were now petals of every colour. It was a rainbow coral reef, bubbles of mana drifting into the air before being absorbed by the surroundings. It was an ecosystem.

Francis and Theo looked at each other. Well, Theo looked at Francis in panic, while Francis was completely taken by the clearing. Even though they both responded in completely different ways, Theo knew that both of them were desperate to stay here as long as possible.

Eva held the bow, waiting for their response. After a minute of stunned silence, she lifted her head, and rolled her eyes. “Or, you both wish to stay here. Is that correct?”

Francis slowly nodded, and Theo’s head bobbed up and down rapidly (like a chicken pecking at grain).

Eva sighed. “I can’t blame you. Beyond the fact that this has truly helped strengthen our capabilities…it is rather pretty.” She walked right into the centre of the clearing (which, was now anything but clear), and breathed in deeply. Theo swore that mana was sucked in along with air.

“Okay. There are still areas where we could do with more defences. This includes growing certain plants in specific spots, and changing the composition of the land to be more amenable to plants, as well as more hostile and difficult to traverse. If you are able to assist in those endeavours, then I will be happy to allow you to access this area for an equal amount of time.”

It was obvious what Francis could do in that equation, so all eyes were on Theo. He started to sing, and the soil crawled up Eva and Francis’ legs. He stopped singing, and the soil stayed as it was.

Theo mentally compared the speed and strength of his magic to that day long ago where he changed the mud in that alley. It came easier, and from the way Francis was struggling to get it off, stronger.

He quirked an eyebrow, and smiled.

---

Francis was sitting in meditation, funnelling the mana Theo had poured into the earth into patches of brambles and thorns. In the meantime, Theo was shifting earth around, and creating generally unstable and unsteady ground so that any horses or carts trying to come through would have a very difficult time.

The results of his work were already starting to be apparent, with patches of sand, mud, and gravel next to each other like a three-tone checkerboard. And Francis was currently growing things to make it harder to distinguish between.

It was difficult work, but definitely good practice. And with Theo as a glorified mana well (along with terraforming duty), Francis could grow everything in almost an instant.

Turns out that non-magical plants require a lot less mana to grow than mana-rich herbs.

Even after a few hours of this work, they had only covered a small fraction of the outer edge of The Woods. They were starting with the area closest to Etol, and working their way outwards.

“This area has been completed. Ready to move onto the next.” Francis interrupted his musings, looking over the frankly hostile environment they’ve helped create. It wasn’t a very deep defence, being maybe a bodies-width of waist-high sharp plants right up against the trees that delineated the edge of The Woods. It wasn’t going to do much against people with magic willing to set things on fire.

It would be a very good deterrent against those trying to sneak through, however. And given that they weren’t at the stage of outright war, this was the most effective use of their time that Eva, Francis, and Theo had agreed upon.

“How’re you feeling? Tired at all?” Theo asked to Francis over his shoulder, as he stood up and stretched. Francis had a sheen of sweat on his person, and he flapped the front of his robe to get air circulating through it. Theo whistled, and a breeze surround him.

Francis nodded in thanks. “I’m slightly fatigued, but overall still very functional. How are your mana levels?”

Theo pooled mana at his fingertips, and left a glittering trail behind. Almost everyone else would consider it a waste of mana, but it was negligent to him, and the practice was worth it. “Almost full. Everything seems easy after those herbs, huh?”

Francis cracked a rare smile. “They need much less mana to thrive, yes.”

Theo started drawing pictures with mana, tracing out the outlines of constellations as he smiled back. “Not just that. We’ve gotten a lot stronger, I think.”

Francis paused, closing his eyes as he trailed his hand along the top of the nearest bramble. It burst into flowers. “Yes, I would agree.”

As Theo strolled, arms behind his head, he spotted something out the corner of his eye.

Motion.

Not just any kind of motion. Motion that came with sound like footsteps (even though it was very quiet and muffled).

Creeping in from the distance was a small party, on foot, hidden in cloaks and heading directly towards The Woods. Pretty much where they were.

Theo motioned for Francis to get ready, cracking his knuckles. Francis grabbed his staff, shifting his grip into one that made clear he was intending to use it to hit something. “Time for us to see how much stronger we actually are.”