Expect 3 more updates to this story this month, and 2 to Mother Of All, very soon.

Supported by the usual peeps.

To say I was panicked would be an absolute understatement.

My roots writhed within the ground, my trunk groaned and my entire form twitched with nervous energy. This was not a fight I was truly ready for and nothing I had faced so far would measure up against it. My struggle with the deer couldn't even be called a battle, nor could my attack on the crocodile thing.

The only conflict that truly equaled what I was about to face was the attack of the wooden wolves. Even then, this was going to be far, far more even-sided. Where before the wolves couldn't scratch me, the dragon could no doubt melt me with its acidic breath.

It knew of me, it had tested my defenses, and still, it came, thus it had at least a good inkling that it could best me. That knowledge alone was enough to make my entire body ache with a strange desire to flee. I knew that it was impossible, given my physiology, but fear was rarely a rational response to pressure.

I pushed down that urge, burying it beneath a cold, and calculating exterior that bellied my still burning panic. Immediately I began to go over what I knew of the creature, attempting to find some weak points I could exploit. The dragon was blind in its right eye, so keeping to that side could aid my crocodile thing when it eventually attacked.

Other than that it had a few spots on its hide which were thinner, and could likely be damaged more easily. Those were points where my many rodents and other tiny creatures could deliver their toxic payload. I also had a large swarm of insects, a modest defensive ring, the crocodile, and finally the deer skull that was still preparing its spell.

I wasn't totally certain if I would even live long enough to unleash its magic, but I was hopeful. That sense of hope grew as time passed, and I calculated just how much toxic or poisonous stuff I had stockpiled. It was enough to wipe out a small city if dropped into the water supply or at least take out one rather mean dragon.

The only thing I couldn't be certain of is if I would still be alive by the time it dropped dead.

A ping brought me from my musings, and I realized that my time was swiftly running out. The dragon had neared the edge of my zone of control and was making a beeline for my position. It moved at a surprisingly quick pace, swiftly maneuvering through the underbrush despite its massive size.

And it was massive, dwarfing my crocodile, though thankfully not by much. However, where my animalistic servants had weight and toughness, this thing had dexterity and intelligence. It knew landscape well, avoiding cliffs, and leaping across the narrowest points in creeks in order to move quicker.

I would have maybe five minutes before it arrived, meaning I had very little time to do much of anything. I could get a considerable amount of panicking done between now and then but decided against it. Instead of wasting my time, and frying whatever equivalent to human nerves, I had, I chose to slather the exterior of my trunk in mud.

The layer of quickly drying dirt would prove little barrier to the acid, but it was better than nothing. By the time I had managed to get a solid application of earth across me, the dragon made its presence known. The distant thumping of its footsteps was punctuated by the crack of a tree being toppled over.

Sure enough, the angry creature was barrelling directly at me while still avoiding the pitfalls I had placed. Judging from the way it was running directly at me, it didn't think I’d make any more traps in the time since our last fight. That was made obvious by the speed at which it was running at me, though I wanted to maximize my chance.

So just as it was nearing my grove, I dove one of the birds into a dive bomb, slamming it into the right side of the dragon’s head. The sharpened beak may have easily gone through normal flesh, but draconic scales were made of sterner stuff. Thankfully it hit with such speed that it splattered its partially rotten guts across the creature’s head in a mass of gore.

Its poisonous and toxic payload delivered, the bird died a second death, having forced the dragon to stop. More confused than anything, it tapped the side of its face only to blink in shock when it noticed what had impacted it. My attacker didn't remain still for long and soon resumed its sprint, only this time being more cautious.

The second he directed his attention back into running forward, I launched another bird, this time aiming for his blind eye. My intent was to inject some of the poisonous sap directly into his brain and end the fight in an instant. Unfortunately, that's not what happened as he raised a hand at the last second and swatted it away.

This slowed him for even less time, but it didn't matter, as I had subtly changed the course of his attack. Now sprinting directly for the toxin-covered spikes, the dragon was only a few bounding steps away from hitting them. I ensured he did so by swarming his face with gnats, using the tiny creatures to try and bite at his eyes, blind or otherwise.

He inhaled a lungful of acidic smog and released it a moment later, killing my servants while also creating a smokescreen. Which once he emerged out onto the other side, put him directly over top of the spike-filled trench I had dug just for him. The dragon was quick and saw the trap laid for him, yet it didn't matter as he had too much weight behind him.

His wings flared, and his back legs tried to skid to a stop, but the effort proved to be wasted as he landed directly into it. One lucky spike went right through his hand, the dragon’s own weight working against him. The rest mostly brushed against his hard scales, but a second wooden spear pierced an injured scale and dug deep into his chest.

The creature released a roar of agony, and pulled his hand from the trap, cradling the injured limb. As he struggled to free himself from the other spike, I readied the majority of my swarm only a few feet away. Sure enough, he removed the spike and attempted to crawl over my pit without getting impaled for a third time.

It was at this point that my tide of vermin slammed into him, their numerous forms crawling across his body. For a moment the dragon seemed just confused, but that vanished the second the first rat bit into the soft, exposed flesh of his underbelly. That was all though, as hundreds of insects swarmed over his open wounds, crawling into the damaged muscle structure.

Rats chewed on his wings, squirrels wriggled their toxin-covered bodies against his injuries and the swarm pressed in. Their potent payloads of poisonous death were delivered perfectly, with one of my winged minions pecking away at his damaged eye. Now covered in stinging sores, burning blisters, and horrible rashes, his time was already numbered.

The heart seeker mushrooms were already doing their work, and nothing could stop the end from coming. The dragon, however, was either oblivious to this, or was too blinded by rage to care, and released a cloud of acid from his maw. This thick fog melted every servant that I had not managed to pull away at the last second, reducing my force to single digits.

It didn't matter though. He was in pain and was going to die if he didn't manage to heal himself. The waiting game had begun, whether he knew it or not.

With another bellow of rage, the dragon charged, his dark scales glinting in the low light of evening. He was intimidating even still, but I had cards left to play, and attacks yet to launch.

The dragon made several loping, awkward steps towards me before being intercepted from an unlikely direction. Coming once more from his blindside, was my crocodile servant, who clamped its jaws down around the dragon’s midsection. It then twisted, pulling my foe from its feet and dragging it down into the widened pond with a powerful tug of its undead muscles.

The dragon was so caught by surprise that by the time he righted himself he was half submerged. The pool wasn't overly large though, and a good chunk of the muddy water was displaced by the two enormous creatures. That didn't matter though, as I was focused entirely on attempting to drown the creature, or at least stop it from breathing more acid.

I was at least successful with the latter, as it could no longer inhale, and prepare for another bout of acidic fog. Now blinded by the dark water, and unable to breathe, the dragon panicked for a moment, scrambling to escape. My crocodile readjusted its grip and chomped down on the dragon’s neck before thrashing as hard as it could.

The feeling of the undead animal’s teeth beginning to pierce its scaley hide shocked the dragon profusely. Its struggles became more focused, its attempts to escape more well thought out, though it still took time. I had hoped that it would be enough to drown the creature, or at least give it a lung full of water, but I was mistaken.

The dragon was strong, strong enough to pry the crocodile’s jaws off and throw it away. Giving my foe enough time to clamber up out of the pond, its chest heaving with exertion. Lungs now full of air, I resorted to plan B, and bit down on the dragon’s jaws with the crocodile’s, keeping its mouth from opening.

I then attempted to wrestle the creature, using the undead animal’s enormous bulk to hold it down. A plan which went relatively well, as the dragon couldn't get the leverage necessary to free itself. I didn't rest on my laurels, however, as I unleashed every last insect, and rodent I had left, sending them on one final suicide run.

Insects crawled under his eyelids, and into his open wounds while rodents of various sizes used another avenue. They used their teeth and claws to push their way under the dragon’s scales, or into scratches opened up by the cragadile. The feeling of numerous insects and small mammals clambering around inside his body must have been unbearable.

His cry of rage became a stream of panic, and pain, any words he tried to utter being lost in the process. This terror soon fell away and was replaced by an incredible wave of anger that erupted as an explosion of acid. Almost immediately the jaws of my crocodile were melted away, allowing the dragon to kick aside the rest of the animal.

Without any teeth to bite, and now missing the majority of its head, the crocodile sat off to the side. The rest of my vermin and insects were then destroyed by a puff of acid which the creature all but bathed in. The corrosive attack didn't bother it one bit, though it did a great job clearing away the majority of my servants.

It then released a guttural cry of anger, and stomped up to me, its mouth opening wide. Its deep inhalation was stopped midway by a bird that nosedived straight down the dragon’s throat. The bluejay disintegrated almost instantly, releasing the toxic payload it had stuffed its gullet with.

I didn't give the dragon a chance to recover however and used the croc to headbutt my foe in the midsection. Acid sputtered across the ground, launched prematurely, and landed far away from my main body. This was little more than a delaying tactic at this point, but that was completely fine by me.

Sure enough, the enraged dragon turned to the crocodile and unleashed another burst of acid. The undead beast died a second time, leaving behind only four limbs and the majority of its tale, with its main bulk now a liquid. This would have been a great shame, but it was ultimately necessary for my plan to function properly.

The dragon didn't relish its victory for long though, as it quickly turned back to me and charged once more. Its lungs filled with acid, and I prepared myself for the worst, knowing there was little I could do to stop it. The deer skull needed more time, and throwing the foal in the way would have been a waste of resources.

So I chose to find out just how tough my new form was and took the blast of concentrated acid on the metaphorical chin. The mud did little, as expected, but my bark didn't need much help repelling the wave of acid, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. In fact, the pain was unlike anything you could ever imagine, as it both burned and stung.

The closest metaphor I could come up with would be getting stung by a million enormous flaming bees. The actual damage it dealt was fairly minimal, however, with my tough wooden exterior taking the brunt without being destroyed. Smaller branches dissolved, along with any moss or other imperfections which dotted my exterior but that was it.

The dragon was surprised by this and readied another burst of acid, intent on finishing the job. And it may have done just that, had my deer skull not completed its ritual, and unleashed its magic. A sudden crack, followed almost immediately by a boom, was all the warning the dragon got before it was struck by lightning.

The bolt came from nowhere and hit my foe on the forehead, flash-frying its one healthy orb in its socket. Flesh, bubbled and popped while a horrified, warbling scream spilled forth from the dragon’s twitching maw. Its body spasmed, its arms and legs twitching as the energy coursed through its form and burnt it from the inside out.

The sight of the creature lying there, unable to do anything but scream in pain brought me little joy. I knew it was me or him, but bringing such agony to a living thing was not something I could celebrate. My brief respite was banished unexpectedly soon as the dragon lurched upward and stumbled over to me.

Still twitching, and now completely blind, the dragon inhaled a long shaky breath. The sight of the horrifically injured creature walking up to me was a shock, to say the least. I had nothing left, no tricks to play, no final servants to unleash, all I could do was sit there, and wait.

Wait, as I felt its claws grapple my bark, a second before acid splashed against my sides. The agony was incredible, and I could feel roots disconnect as they were severed near the base. Hunks of bark dribbled off, and branches fell, the acid slowly but surely cutting through my defenses.

In desperation, I began to try consuming the still leaving creature, using my remaining power to liquify its muscles. An attack that seemed to be working, but not very quickly, putting us both in nearly the same position. The third wave of acid crashed against me and then a fourth soon after, causing incredible damage.

I could scarcely put to words the pain I felt in that moment, a sentiment I no doubt shared with my foe. I felt bits and pieces drip away from my body, while the dragon was being eaten alive by a carnivorous necromantic tree. There we remained, grappled against one another, both unwilling, and unable to give up the fight until one of us won.

And that person turned out to be me.

The dragon tried to breathe one last time but struggled to do so, only to cough twice and begin spasming. Its heart was likely stopping, either that or the fact that I had dissolved the majority of its muscle mass was getting to it. Either way, the creature was dying, and I was not about to let up, not while victory was so close at hand.

I pulled harder, ripping the meat from the still-living dragon’s bones until with one last shudder, it fell still. A moment later I felt its life leave it, the final vestiges of existence fleeing from its shattered body. I didn't wait for a moment, and immediately began consuming the dragon, hoping that its essence would heal me.

And I was right.

The dragon’s body was incredibly potent, and nothing so far could even hope to compare to it. A million rats could not equal this one meal, nor could a thousand deer or trillions of bugs. I knew in an instant that there was simply too much for me to even consume, but I had to have it all.

So I diverted that energy into healing myself, my trunk rapidly filling back out before hardening. New branches sprouted and reached for the heavens while new roots extended from my base, digging deep into the earth. My senses expanded, my abilities grew, and I soon became the largest tree in the grove by a large margin.

Even with an increased energy tank, I couldn't keep it all, so I did what any good plant would do and I shared. Siphoning my stolen powers into the other plants around me, I willed the place to become more wild and filled with life. My regret overtaking so much this place morphed into an intense desire to see creatures of all sizes darken the undergrowth.

Through the deer’s skull, I saw the bodies of my deceased servants get swallowed up by a ring of green. Their forms were absorbed back into the earth that had birthed them, their nutrients returning to the soil. That wave of verdant green extended in all directions, wiping away my fortifications and replacing them with flowers.

But not just flowers, but new saplings, mushrooms, ferns, hedges, every kind of plant you could name. The ground and sky became crowded as they all tried to muscle for space in the increasingly closed space. That discordant energy soon harmonized, and a pattern emerged amongst the plants of my grove.

Space was given, paths were cleared, and the pond once more became a pristine blue, reflecting the sky. It took mere moments for a consensus to pass between my fellow plant life, and all bent to my designs. Though hospitable to visitors, if they left the path they would come face to face with every danger the forest could muster.

Meanwhile, the closest trees which had so generously served as my batteries grew taller than even me. Their trunks cracked, their branches shivered, and they surged upward, creating a vast canopy that could not be pierced by outsiders. Yet despite the sky being covered, light poured in from above, casting my grove in a sort of perpetual Twilight.

It was beautiful beyond words, and I would have cried had I had tear ducts. Instead, I merely continued to siphon away the last dregs of the dragon’s power, feeding it to the grove. I urged my brethren to grow wild, and free, to keep all of us safe from intruders, and to encourage the animals to return.

Though it would take time, I could already feel the hungry eyes of many creatures upon the new growth. The bulbous purple fruit being grown by a nearby willow was already attracting birds aplenty. While bushes sporting bright red berries had smaller critters sniffing around their roots. Everywhere I looked I could see that they were slowly returning to this place which was the grave of so many of their kin.

It wasn't perfect, but it was close.

As the last of the dragon’s spirit was drained away, I turned the deer skull’s gaze back down upon myself. Where I found that I was no longer the withered, unpleasant-looking husk of a tree that I had been. I was still intimidating as all hell and had a visage that would startle children, but at least I didn't look like I was about to die.

My blackened trunk was twisted, and gnarled, sporting what almost looked like faces screaming in agony. Skulls and other bits of bone could be seen protruding from me at odd angles while my leaves had become blood red. Now numerous, and no longer shriveled, my leaves greedily drank the sun’s light for what felt like the first time.

I was not a pleasant sight, but neither was the space beyond my grove, or at least that's what outsiders would likely think. The pond was full of plant life, and the space around it was clear of other trees, but it was not completely empty. Fruiting mushrooms as bright as their flowery neighbors rose up everywhere, creating a mostly harmless field.

Beyond that though, it became dangerous as other carnivorous plants, and poisonous things grew in abundance. Bright red mushrooms stood next to saplings that sported almost reflective blue bark. Flowers all the colors of the rainbow dotted the ground while multihued moss grew wherever it found purchase.

To an attacker, the forest immediately around my grove would be a twisting labyrinthian hellscape. To the denizens that called it home, it would be a utopia filled with food so abundant that it more than made up for the danger. More impressive still was the control I had over nearly every single plant both big and small that called my grove home.

An unspoken agreement had passed between the various plants around me, granting me sovereignty over them. They all knew what I had done to protect them, and what I had given back when I was able to do so. This had seemingly impressed the other old trees which had once been stewards of this land.

So they gave that right to me, allowing me to piggyback their senses and perceive what they did. Furthermore, I could feel their agreement with my actions and reveled in both their new power, as well as the new growth. They saw what I had urged forth from the dirt, and smiled, at least metaphorically anyway.

But that wasn't all, as I could also subtly shift the forest around me, urging trees to lower their branches. Combined with twisting a few bushes, I could effectively cut off the path leading to me while opening new ones. It felt almost like I was one giant organism rather than a simple tree and its two, now three servants.

For as my new place as protector of this land was established, I felt the last of the dragon’s energy drain away. Without any other distractions, I urged the now clean draconic skeleton to rise, rise and serve a new master. It did so eagerly, but not without struggle, its massive form requiring a different level of control when compared to the others.

I had to focus on it, giving the undead more attention than even a few thousand undead bugs required. That was a small price to pay to see that hulking monstrosity stand once more. Its eyes alighted with not maleficence but a kind, deep muddy green flames that inhabited its empty sockets.

With the igniting of those flickering lights, I felt a flood of knowledge the likes of which I could have never anticipated. I knew the draconic tongue, I knew common as it was referred to, I knew the secret smoke signal art of the thestrals. I knew how to speak old ponish, clicktongue, the language of the ancient bat pony tribes, and several more.

I was also inundated with magical knowledge both necromantic and mundane. I knew how to use dead wood to raise up wolves to be my bidding and how to do the same to a regular corpse. I understood that while the wolves could be programmed, the other undead required constant focus.

Something I had in abundance given my unique nature.

In addition, I recalled a considerable amount of battlefield know-how. Like the construction of siege equipment, how to assault a castle, the fine art of logistics, and far more. Not all my newfound skills were quite so normal however as I also understood the intricacies of torture.

What tools best-inflected pain out of spite, or to actually acquire the information I sought. A few spells and a bit of patience were all I would need to get even the most willful individual to spill their guts. It was morbid, but I didn't receive any memories of this, so I was saved from that at least.

There was more, far far more, but the rest was not quite as splashy as what I have already mentioned. To summarize, the dragon was likely a general of some kind, as well as an accomplished necromancer. He knew the land, he knew how to fight, how to command, and how to manipulate others to do as he willed.

He also knew how to resist mind magic, and had likely used this knowledge quite a bit. I could just tell that he had been forced to put that skill to the test, along with his ability to ignore pain. The combination led me to the conclusion that he had likely been captured by whatever enemy he had been facing. From there he had been tortured and had his mindscape invaded by someone seeking answers.

After that, he had likely escaped and was trying to rebuild a private army of his own away from other factions. How he had located the bat pony slaves or what he truly planned on doing was unknown, but that made me realize something. His wooden wolves would still be operating without their master, at least until their energy ran out that was.

That could be days or weeks, however, and by the time that happened his captives would likely be dead. With that thought in mind, I urged my draconic servant into motion, pointing him at the distant mountain. It was with no small amount of amusement that I sent the tyrant back to liberate the people he had enslaved.

Hopefully there I could uncover more about the strange history of this land and its myriad peoples.