They blame me, so help as much as I can.

For a while, nobody spoke a word to me. Whether it was just dealing with shock, being busy with making sure there weren't any embers lying around, or just because they didn't want to talk to me-I got left alone for a decent little bit.

This, I appreciated. Gave me some time to go through my rewards from the battle. Looks like I'm back to even class levels all around-my monstrous ones had levelled together. Level of Rootborn Defense as expected, and a new ability

Touch of ****(Spell)(Level 1)-Infused a limb with dark energy-causing it to unleash it on the person or object touched, doing heavy damage.

And then, some old man came.

"You damned fool. They would have have taken most of it. And now-we've lost almost all of. Simpleton!" He raised the stick he'd been leaning on for support, and rapped it across me. Even the squishiest parts of me wouldn't have even noted it as damage. "Now what'll we do!?"

I took a moment to think, try and figure out how to explain my plan. He, on the other hand, doesn't seem to understand that-or else, he's grown impatient in his old age. Another rap against my bark. "Well!?"

"Simple. Rebuild, and replace. " Fuck it. If I don't have an audience who'll wait for me to cobble something eloquent, they can deal with my normal rather curt way of talking.

"There is not nearly enough time to restock all of what we've lost. Winter is maybe a month away."

"Maybe not with more wheat. But perhaps, with meat, your could survive until the next round grows in." He backs away as I take on my more mobile shape, ambling on to drag over the dead horses.

He'd clearly already considered the option, because he's quick to point out the fatal flaw there. "A good start-but not anywhere near enough for all of us."

At this, I open the maw where I don't have plates of wood held by root covering my form. A vine reaches inwards, entwining around one of my tentacles-before I steel myself, gathering my mental fortitude. And then I yank, once, twice, until with a third time, there is a horrible tearing noise before I am down one tentacle, dropping the mass of flesh at the guy's feet. He's more than a bit taken aback, moving back several steps as he turned to face away. "They grow back. Just...give me a bit to recover. In the meantime, while I can't chop, I can at least get some wood for you to help rebuild. Or maybe improve."

I saunter in the forest while he just stands there, apparently unsure of how exactly to respond. While I may be tough, the missing spot in my mass is still sore. Not enough to slow me down much as I grab a tree by its roots-a few tugs against the similar weighty thing, and the more animate plant comes out victorious. Channeling my new spell through my vines, the damage makes ripping off the various protrusion easy as I drop off the better part of a few tree near the burnt ruins. Hopefully, gives them a good head start on rebuilding when they don't have to waste a bunch of time chopping it down and moving it.

And thus goes much of the rest of my afternoon, alternating between waiting for something to grow back, and adding to the pile of meat to be preserved. Considering the time, as surprised I hadn't seen Lalrach. She must be very busy with her new brood. Even if I had kinda cocked it up, they at least uneasily accepted me, so I at least felt comfortable enough to set up in town as the sun began to set, and most had turned in for the night. Soon enough, just as I had requested of her, a familiar face had returned-the marked zealot, her middle incredibly distended from her womb's contents."...It's time." She says, her body seeming to randomly flex with her oncoming contractions.