“Are you awake?” The shadow guard asked as Auna gave a weak groan.


    “I am. Are the kids gone?” Auna pulled herself up, she was once again sat half way into the magic lake in their dungeon.


    “I didn’t leave here. I know you allowed me in, Jensen gave me a dirty look though so.” He trailed off as Auna was now the one giving him a dirty look.


    “Some guard, a dirty look from a child has you back down. Not once but twice?” Auna was now smiling as she reached out for a hand up, it was hard as she currently was avoiding using her wrists.


    “Very funny.” The guard easily pulled her to a sitting position, then into his arms.


    “Okay, let us take a tour I suppose. I prefer to stay here a bit longer. The dense magic really helps. How long?” Auna asked as she adjusted her self to sit sideways across his chest.


    “All night, it is about mid day now. The communicator works well. So, this dungeon has to be with in the kingdom.” The guard walked a few steps. “Do I go to the podium?”


    “No, leave the cave.” Auna pointed weakly to the cave mouth.


    “What is with the mushrooms, and the creepy girl drooling over them?” Shadow, the new name I came up with for him, looked to one of the alchemists under the care of Allison. The alchemist was currently muttering to a mushroom patch that was glowing.


    “Honestly, I tend to let them be.” Auna half shrugged.


    “Fair enough.” Shadow carried Auna out, and up the small hill. “Wow, it is gorgeous.”


    “It is, isn’t it?” Both were watching the people mill about. There were kids in the school yards, people running around the administration buildings, and far off in the fields people and treants were working.


    “Lady Moon! Come Play!” Multiple children came to the edge of the yard, most from Wardite. They had settled in well, over the few months they had been in Ember Moon. They still were restricted to the farm floor, sleeping in the school. None cared though as it was much better than the streets. They had taken to calling her moon like Jensen, and many of the residents of Ember Moon still did.


    “I can’t right now, be good students for your teachers alright?” I answered with a warm smile, trying not move due to the pain in my body.


    “Awe! Okay Lady Moon.” The children easily left as Jensen poked his head out from the main administration building.


    “You, um.” Jensen thought for a moment as Auna smiled.


    “Shadow.” Auna called loudly. “Take me to Jensen.”


    Both the guard and Jensen shook their heads, but did not complain about the new name.


    “I really wanted to see everything though.” Shadow pouted as he sat Auna down in a comfortable chair at the head of a long table. As he stood off to the side. Many people were already sat down.


    “Well, I could kick you out of here, you’ll get a great sightseeing tour of the great monster forest. Just say the word, Shadow.” The smile on Jensens’ face was not very friendly.


    “Why don’t you like the kings’ shadow?” Auna was seriously curious, she had nothing against the poor guy. Even giving him a warm smile as she asked.


    “It’s not that I don’t like him. I just don’t like him.” Jensen gave a derisive smile.


    “Stop teasing the poor man, should we get down to business?” Auna sighed as she shifted slightly to ease the ache in her joints.


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    “Fine idea Lady Moon.” Grandmother elf started to continue before Shadow interrupted her.


    “Sorry, the King will have to divide the dragon materials among the team. He can do half for each team. If there are materials you would rather have though, he might be able to convince the other teams’ representative to let you.” Shadow apologised for his interruption but waved his communicator.


    “I see. Well, that is an important topic. Does anyone here have any request?” Grandmother elf looked around the table. There were representatives for the major professions and races gathered.


    “I would the blood and any organs that are usually discarded.” Allison, Al, the Alchemist spoke up first.


    “We would like the intestines please.” An unassuming woman said, she was the representatives of the people with music professions.


    “I get the creepy alchemist there, but the intestines?” Shadow shifted on his feet. “Why?”


    “They make sturdy, long lasting musical strings.” The woman answered with a straight face. “Though processing them will be very smelly. We will manage.”


    “Okay, anyone else?” Shadow continued.


    “Can we have some, claws, spikes, bones, and scales?” Larn smiled as ne gnawed at some jewel. Obviously trying to increase the benefits of his odd skill. Shadow was a bit shocked but said nothing to the dwarf. He only nodded slightly while seeming to take mental notes.


    “Hide would be nice.” A man who Auna knew to be a great tanner spoke up.


    “We can store, and dry the meat for food. Dragon meat is supposed to be very tasty.” A hunter laughed at everyones’ faces. “Come on it wasn’t a pet or anything!” The man shook his head.


    “Alright, anything else?” Shadow asked.


    “I want the skull horns and all.” Auna spoke last.


    “I will see what I can do.” Shadow sighed. “Though the other team will also want it.”


    “The other team just ran around in circles.” Auna deadpanned.


    “True.” Shadow nodded.


    “Moving on then.” Grandmother elf said. “We need to take a more serious approach to your safety. We can’t let attempts on your life to keep happening.”


    “More security is being put in place at the school. The king is putting Auna on lockdown, no more off campus trips. Aside from here, I guess.” Shadow added quickly.


    “That is all good, however, I have little confidence in that. However, we must accept it. I mean we need to fix the issue at the root. We need to find out who is trying to kill you and take them out of the picture one way or another.” Grandmother elf finished as a few others nodded.


    “Are you suggesting violence?” Auna smirked lightly at her.


    “Only if we need to, I suggest we use our information gathering resources to find the person or persons doing this. Then we hand it over to the king to deal with.” Grandmother elf confirmed.


    “I agree we should.” Auna spoke firmly. “However, I won’t tolerate anything happening to my people. I did not bring you all here to die, or be injured.”


    “I understand we will work closely with Sargent, to learn how to be safer while gathering information.” Grandfather elf spoke up. He was currently representing the city in the forest, even though there were no people living in it full time. Once the next winter was gone there would be full time settlers. During the Autumn and winter, they were hoping to complete the last of the walls, and buildings. Auna was worried the couple would suffer some relationship issues, they assured her they would be fine. Even separated in duty and possibly home bases they would be fine.


    “You know the Sargent.” Shadow had to sit down. “How did you pull that off? That hard head rarely makes friends.”


    “Impressed?” Jensen smirked. “Anyway, yes work with Sargent. That solves that issue for now. We know Jade, and Wardite are the main suspects so please start there.” Jensen looked to Auna. “I updated everyone that Wardite and Jade heads both tried to get the other team to not do the special round. They are for sure suspicious.”


    “I agree.” Auna nodded as Shadow nodded as well humming in approval.


    “Good. Now the issue of Auna not being able to keep up with her studies is an issue.” Grandmother elf sighed. “She needs proper rest, straining so much is not working.”


    “I have a solution.” Nero spoke up. The head scribe. “I could carry you around, and take all your notes.” Nero shifted slightly. “I miss school, and learning facilities. It would be a nice change, if I go as your assistant no one will really be looking at me. So, no one should find out my identity. Even if they do, I am confident I can just disappear again, you know?” Nero wouldn’t look at her.


    “Can that be arranged?” Auna asked Shadow.


    “It can be. He would have to check in to a teachers’ room, or arrive every morning. I will have the king set it up. If the king sets it up then he would be even more invisible. Everyone would just think he was a child of a trusted servant under the king. The king would only select someone trusted by him in some way to give you a hand.” Shadow rambled.


    “Nero is a great scribe, so he is perfect. It should be safe enough either way.” Auna nodded her head. “Alright Nero prepare to leave.”


    The rest of the meeting was dungeon business, and finalizing the game plan for safety.