ã€ŠThe &#x27;Smart&#x27;phone Saga: A Distracted Journey of Spells and Signalsã€‹


 Prologue

    It all began with hydraulics. They went out on an 18-wheeler right as it was going up the overpass. Incidentally, Jasson (Moderni Teenagerius) was passing beneath the overpass at the time.

    Jasson¡¯s phone dinged and he whipped it out, stepping from beneath the bridge. Above him, a squeal and a crunch signaled doom breaking through a failed barrier. Distracted, Jasson was busy waiting for TikTik to open. The big rig careened over the edge and teetered briefly, shattered pieces raining around Jasson.

    Come on! Jasson urged his phone, watching Tik Tik as a guardrail missed him by inches. I have signal! Load Tik Tik-

    KA-BOOM!

    The next step Jasson took was into heaven and he didn¡¯t even notice.

    ****

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Kami sat behind a normal-looking desk in the middle of white oblivion, ¡°Jasson Boar. Your death made me laugh. You will be reincarnated.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, looking at his dead phone. They¡¯d been through so much together. Jasson had arrived in the land of souls and found that his phone didn¡¯t have one.

    ¡°I am sorry to break the bond between you and your smartphone,¡± Kami said, ¡°I understand there is quite a dependency between the young and their phones.¡±

    ¡°Whatever Mr. Sama,¡± Jasson said, feeling at the empty part of his soul that his phone once filled. Jasson knew that he was going to replace it one day, but it would never be truly gone. It would reincarnate into a new phone and go on with him. They¡¯d never be apart. But now it was more dead than he was, every screenshot and memory nothing but silicon on the wind.

    ¡°If I¡¯m honest,¡± Kami Sama said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel right reincarnating you without your beloved phone. I will do my best to remake it at your side in your next life.¡±

    ¡°No cap?!¡± Jasson said, heaven finally brightening in his eyes, ¡°Thanks! Do your best to upgrade it as well, will you? Make it rizzy?¡±

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    Kami Sama bowed, which Jasson found a bit weird. But who was he to judge? Maybe this guy was Japanese, like the old men in the TikTik anime videos. Kami certainly had some strange powers.

    ¡°But now that I think about it,¡± Kami said, ¡°I don¡¯t feel right reincarnating you into an infant form with your phone. It seems¡­too much. I have learned to respect the attachment of the Opad generation, but I refuse to participate in suckling you at the silicon teat. I saw that it was bad for developing minds on the Phasebook. So I will remake you in the next world entirely as you are now. I¡¯m sure that I can find some spare ribs somewhere for a complete reconstitution.¡±

    Jasson glazed out after five seconds of Kami talking and tried to scroll on his phone. The black screen of horror greeted him and snapped Jasson back to unreality.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jasson gestured, trying to remember what Kami Sama had said. Something about ribs? Was he going to have a barbecue?

    ¡°I¡¯m saying,¡± Kami said, face twitching in annoyance, ¡°that I will remake you. You will reincarnate as you are now, only enhanced so that you may live a vigorous and hopefully long life. Along with your phone to keep you company, I am sure you will live to the fullest. Your fullest anyways.¡±

    ¡°Improvements?¡± Jasson looked at his black screen, ¡°Yeah. Improve away. Whatever. So how do I charge my phone?¡±

    ¡°Not here,¡± Kami said, ¡°You''ll charge it with magic on your new Earth. I¡¯ll do my best to adapt what-¡±

    ¡°Magic?¡± Jasson focused on Kami for the first time, ¡°I get magic? A magical world?!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kami seemed taken aback, ¡°The works. Have you ever seen an ''Other World'' story? Isekai is common, or LitRPG. Perhaps a novel?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, coming to the end of his consecutive focus abilities, ¡°I see clips of them on Tik Tik all the time. Black hair, sword, all that rizz. I never see the point of watching them all the way through though.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Kami said, sighing, ¡°It would take too long for you. I understand that, excluding comedic cat videos, the attention span of the young rarely exceeds that of a Mayfly.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jasson snapped back from glazing out, ¡°What? Fly? Can I fly?¡±

    Kami sighed, face twitching in irritation, ¡°Eventually I¡¯m sure. However, both you and your phone will have limits. For instance, you will only be able to consume from your old world. No messages back. One way only.¡±

    ¡°One way only,¡± Jasson repeated, struggling to pay attention without his phone, ¡°I can keep using TikTik?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kami said, ¡°but no posting those¡­what are they called? Vines?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a vine?¡± Jasson said, swiping on his blank phone, ¡°Is it like a VCR?¡±

    ¡°Why on earth would you-¡± Kami took a calming breath, ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s begin. Shall we? No, that was not a question.¡±

 Chapter 1: Reconstituted --- A New Home Arc

    On a field of finished war, from the wreckage of a dozen men, matter whispered together like a moist dream of Victor Von Frankenstein¡¯s. A boy, soon to be a man, joined like a castle of sand, filled with blood and bile.

    Clothes wove themselves from the fallen soldier''s uniforms and the oozing bits of monsters, all to make a t-shirt and blue jeans. In the boy¡¯s pocket a phone formed, resurrected from the materials around him. Gold and silicon, steel and lithium, crystals of magic to add spice. Then, with one last divine touch, Kami pushed a software update.

    ****

    Jasson dreamed of dreams. Not his dreams, but the aspirations of all those people who, on his little 6.2-inch screen, managed to post confidence in minute-long videos. Jasson dreamed that, in his own shaky attempts, he had been able to capture a dream. His dream. But when Jasson went to watch the videos there wasn¡¯t anything there.

    Jasson Boar awoke to attempted theft, possibly assault if he could record it.

    Someone rolled him over roughly and started pulling at his shoes. Jasson swatted idly at them, grumbling. Were his brothers pranking him again?

    ¡°Oi!¡± A stranger¡¯s voice called, ¡°This one¡¯s alive!¡±

    Alive?! Jasson thought.

    ¡°Bandage him up and put him on the sick wagon then,¡± another voice said from further away, ¡°and don¡¯t take his boots.¡±

    ¡°He ain¡¯t got boots!¡± The first voice said.

    ¡°Notty I know he¡¯s got boots,¡± the second voice said, ¡°else how would he get out here? Now put them back on and get him in the sick wagon.¡±

    What?! Jasson thought.

    ¡°I din¡¯t say he has not¡¯in¡¯,¡± the first voice said, hurt, ¡°Just that he ain¡¯t got boots. Some kinda cloth with laces.¡±

    ¡°The poor bugger,¡± the second voice said, ¡°marching to war with cloth wrapped feet. Well, at least he came out alive.¡±

    It was at this point that Jasson decided that he was, in fact, not dreaming. He sat up and looked around, blinking. Well that couldn¡¯t be right.

    I was reincarnated wasn¡¯t I? Jasson thought as he craned his neck. This isn¡¯t Hell?

    Around him was a flat field of grasses which probably held scenic wildlife at one point. Now all it held was scenic wild death, in a far more graphic form than Jasson had been prepared for. The twisted corpses of men and monsters littered the ground. A few feet away, providing afternoon shade for Jasson, the enormous corpse of a dragon lay in beheaded glory.

    ¡°Oi,¡± An ugly spotty little man leered over him, ¡°Yo¡¯r moovin¡¯!¡±

    What a meme-able face. Jasson thought. And not helping with my Hell theory.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, standing and looking around, ¡°where am I?¡±

    The carnage began to feel less real, as if the details were from some campy horror movie. If anything, the monster corpses helped Jasson distance himself from reality. Yet Jasson knew that his stomach would rebel soon, and he had to do something before the shock wore off.

    ¡°The battlefield, boy.¡± the ugly man said, kicking a dismembered goblin, ¡°and- what are you doing?¡±

    When a modern teenager sees anything interesting (or powerfully horrifying) there¡¯s only one option he can choose. Jasson pulled out his phone and opened the camera, switched it over to the good lense. He started recording.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jasson said to the camera as he rotated, ¡°Day one of my new life and I¡¯m on a battlefield. This is the first person I¡¯ve met so far, doesn¡¯t he have a wonderful personality? What did you say your name was again?¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± the ugly man said, ¡°Notty. Notty Thing.¡±

    ¡°Naughty?¡± Jasson smiled desperately as his stomach started to buck, ¡°Or knotty, as in knots. How do you spell that?¡±

    ¡°Er,¡± Notty said, ¡°I know this one. It¡¯s like tying knots. Let¡¯s see, N-O-T-T-Y. Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Well Notty,¡± Jasson smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s hope your day goes as well as mine has been. I¡¯ll be checking in again later. Bye ya¡¯ll.¡±

    Jasson sighed and stopped recording. Suddenly Jasson felt his stomach roil like that time he¡¯d eaten the fish fingers. Impatience is a bad habit when cooking fish.

    Jasson turned to Notty saying ¡°Thanks for the help Notty. I¡¯m going to throw up now.¡±

    Jasson promptly staggered away to a spot free of corpses and blood. Then it all came out, which was nothing but bile (quite unlike the fish fingers). Apparently, there was no in-flight meal for reincarnation.

    Why was he on a battlefield? Why did people come apart like in the Leego games? But fleshy instead of plasticy. Taking that video was a terrible idea but, since Jasson was busy at the moment, he decided to delete the video at another time.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Notty¡¯s voice said as he patted Jasson on the back, ¡°that¡¯s more like it son. Is this your first scrap? Has the stench got to yer?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Jasson said, reflexively turning his attention to the smell. Bile burned Jasson¡¯s throat as once again he chucked and checked the contents of his stomach.

    ¡°Either way ya seem to have gotten through alrigh¡¯,¡± Notty said, ¡°Probs fainted at the sight of the first monster. I know I did, that¡¯s why they got me on sweep-up.¡±

    Jason considered this to be an easier story than ¡®reincarnated from another world¡¯ and decided to run with it.

    ¡°It was when my commander died,¡± Jasson said, trying to be dramatic but making the mistake of looking up into a corpse¡¯s face, ¡°Squished like a-¡±

    Jasson heaved again, seeing an example to his right, then gave up and said ¡°I don¡¯t really remember anything. Yup. Not a thing.¡±

    ¡°About the battle?¡± Notty said.

    ¡°About everything,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Blank slate. Where am I? What war was I fighting? What are these monsters?¡±

    ¡°Oi,¡± Notty said, looking cornered, ¡°come now. I don¡¯t know nuffink about them things. I¡¯m just the sweep-up. Best I can tell yer is that them there are demon-monster things what try ta eat us. It¡¯s ¡®The War¡¯, innit? An we¡¯re in some field somewhere, wiv¡¯ camp a bit away. Don'' know more than that.¡±

    Jasson nodded, this made sense to him. This spotty scrawny man didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person to hold onto answers. Notty was visibly relieved that the advanced questioning was over.

    ¡°You said something about a sick wagon?¡± Jasson said, ¡°You¡¯re collecting the injured?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Notty said, ¡°An¡¯ later more of us will be out to pick up the dead. Gotta bury ¡®em right proper. An¡¯ I don¡¯t reckon you need the sick wagon. Yer doin¡¯ alright as I can see. You¡¯ll be needing to hike back to camp then. Grab some water from the wagon and be out of here.¡±

    Jason couldn¡¯t help but agree. Aside from the rapid nausea Jasson felt from seeing so many colors of human, he felt perfectly fine. Stronger in fact.

    Three hours later, Jasson found that his reincarnated fitness didn¡¯t last long.

    The beaming radiant misery of the sun drained Jasson¡¯s new-found strength, which flagged and failed pathetically. His shirt became a swamp, complete with determined flies following him from the war zone. Why did they have to make camp so far away?

    Notty and his commander Sergeant Semi had invited him to stay. At least until they filled up the sick wagon. But Jasson decided that he¡¯d be better off by himself than retching at dead wretches.  So Jasson walked alone on a road made by thousands of marching feet.

    ¡°Gods,¡± Jasson said, trying to scroll through his phone as he shielded the screen from the sun, ¡°There¡¯s no signal anywhere...¡±

    The data was terrible, with a ¡®No Service¡¯ in place of the signal bars of life. So Jasson swiped through his apps, looking for something that worked offline. He noticed a Strange new app store called DISS. DISS wouldn¡¯t open without the internet though, so Jasson kept scrolling.

    Jasson landed on doing his daily Do-A-Lingo. ALthough Jasson was far from fluent Spanish, it provided him a happy thrill as the days ticked up. He opened the app and a cheery green Bat welcomed him. Jasson waited patiently for the app to finish loading, then he froze in disbelief. It couldn¡¯t be.

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    ¡°No!¡± Jasson said, falling to his knees and screaming to the sky, ¡°NOO!!¡±

    Somehow in the resurrection process, with all that went on, Jasson had lost his 243 day streak.

    ****

    Hopeless in his horizon toil, Jasson crested another indistinguishable hill. Sensing a change, Jasson looked up from his tear-crusted phone and spotted fires in the valley below. He had found the army. A surprisingly ordered camp spread in lines and by ranks, and some of the tents had vibrant colors and designs. The fancy tents were clustered at a reasonable distance from those of the unwashed lowers, notably proving that even at war some people liked to have a sense of smell.

    An hour later Jasson sat squished between hygiene hulks of the bad variety. Jasson had never had gruel before, and he did his best to appreciate it as he picked the rocks out. Apparently, a lifetime without food makes one a bit peckish. Jasson''s stomach roared so that ignoring pebbles of the non-fruity variety was an easy chore. (This belayed all expectations of modern teenagers and was a shock to the multiverse.)

    This miraculous gratitude was, in part, due to the cook. Jasson felt obliging after the cook described, in detail, that Jasson would be gutted from cheek to cheek if he wasted a drop of it. It hit home when the cook threw a knife to comically impale a man about to dump food out onto the fire. Waste was a sin in the army, after all there were starving children in...well not Africa. The next town over probably had some.

    Once Jasson had finished eating he wandered around camp looking for the best service. He actually had signal here, although it bounced around like a FourthKnight gamer. Unfortunately, Jasson lost signal as soon as he left camp, save for small flickers. He finally found a solid signal around a campfire packed with relaxing soldiers.

    Jasson sighed, finding a seat with a bit of elbow room. He sat, shifting and trying to hear the TikTiks as he ignored the smell. Pine and Pit of the Arm, a match made in scout camp. Eventually, Jasson gave up and downloaded some longer cat videos and funny compilations from WeTube. It would have to do, and his favorite creators hadn''t po-

    ¡°Hey kid,¡±  a heavy pungent arm dropped over Jasson¡¯s shoulders as a soldier slid into Jasson''s elbow room. Jasson looked up and, upon seeing the grizzled face, decided upon agreeability.

    The man grinned and said, ¡°I heard you passed out in battle. You gonna join us again? Or are you gonna head back to the farm.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jasson said, panic-scrolling on his phone, ¡°The ''farm'' isn¡¯t close and I was hoping to make money before I went home. ¡±

    Jasson took a miasma laced breath. Was adventuring really an occupation? It was the only one he knew of from the clips he¡¯d seen. Jasson didn¡¯t have any money and the free soldier¡¯s gruel left much to be desired. What did people do to survive in medieval times anyway?

    "I was hoping to take some quests," Jasson said, "Maybe start adventuring. I don''t know."

    The silence stretched as the soldier took a swig of something foul. Jasson found himself holding his breath for a number of reasons.

    ¡°Adventuring takes a lot of grit,¡± the soldier said, ¡°you get plenty of gore as your friends die. Of course, you could stick to the low-level quests. Gods know how many healing herbs we will need to get through the next month. I say go for it, and don''t tell your parents that you decided to become an entrepreneur.¡±

    Jasson nodded after the surprising display of vocabulary. So there were adventurers and even fetch quests in this world. That sounded like a good, familiar starting point.

    Herb gathering. He could get his hands dirty, right? Yeah, Jasson had never played outside but he¡¯d gathered plenty of Herbs in games. It couldn''t be that hard. Jasson wondered if he¡¯d be able to craft any blue shield potions like in FourthKnight.

    ¡°Seems ya like that idea,¡± the soldier spat then said, ¡°Go ask to be Discharged. We can¡¯t have people fainting in battle so they should agree if you can pin down a testimony. They¡¯ll remove your records and give you a less-honorable Discharge. You won¡¯t get paid and will have to turn in your gear but the Discharge papers will let you get past the guards.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But what if, hypothetically, I never actually entered myself into the records.¡±

    The man didn¡¯t look surprised.

    ¡°Then you¡¯d be a fool,¡± the man sighed, ¡°Although not an uncommon one. If you¡¯re not in the records then you can desert without getting followed up on later. You just need to make it past the guards on your way out of here.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Jasson said, standing, ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Good luck kid,¡± the man waved, ¡°If you had it in you I¡¯d say enter your records first, but then you¡¯d need to fight in another battle. Best take your chances. Just hike through the woods to the north and you should get past the guards.¡±

    Jasson went out into the night with a reasonably full stomach and regrettably full mind. How would he sneak past guards? Jasson couldn¡¯t physically crouch for long, nevermind enough for a stealth mission. Why couldn¡¯t he have appeared in a townside forest or something? It had been miles just to arrive in camp, never mind Stalt. Jasson could have sworn that people didn¡¯t live that far away from each other.

    Jasson tried to open Guugle Maps up, but it wouldn¡¯t load anything. Sighing he swiped off, then opened the BlUbber App. If the map there worked then he could at least-

    One BlUbber is available in your area.

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson tapped, watching BlUbber reveal a heart racingly steep rate for the ride, ¡°Paid in Drachma or VenGo? What¡¯s Drachma?¡±

    Jasson typed in his destination of Stalt, which came to an astronomical 1,052 bucks. This provided a brief cardiac arrest before he tapped on the ¡®closest village¡¯ option and it came up to 83 bucks.

    Bringing up his VenGo Jasson checked the amount. He¡¯d gotten some good tips and his birthday was pretty recent so¡­

    ¡°Yes!¡± Jasson said, ¡°With five dollars to spare.¡±

    Then, without thinking, he purchased the ride.

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What kind of BlUbber services a fantasy world?¡±

    The estimated time of arrival appeared. It read ¡®Now¡¯. The driver name showed as a skull and a boat.

    What?

    The heaviest metal music screamed through the air and shook Jasson to his shoes. Then he got a text.

    im here

    Jasson looked around and texted back ¡®where?¡¯.

    on the street einstein

    Jasson looked around. Where was the street? The road? Jasson jogged around the camp, watching as some of the soldiers stood up and looked around. It looked like some of them could hear the noise while others didn¡¯t notice it at all. Then Jasson saw his ride.

    It was a beat-up Conda Hivic with the windows rolled down. Someone had spray-painted crude flames, contrasting the real flames bursting from the tailpipe. The figure in the driving seat wore a flowing black robe with one arm hanging out the window and the other holding the steering wheel. A heavy hood obscured their face as they waved their hand at Jasson, motioning with a fleshy thumb that Jasson was to sit in the back.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson shouted over the music, jogging up, ¡°Sorry about that. You¡¯re my BlUbber, right?¡±

    ¡°Do you see any other cars?¡± The driver said, turning the music down, ¡°Hop in. I don¡¯t usually get requests from this world so it¡¯s costing you extra to be standing like a wuss at death¡¯s door.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson said, tentatively looking at the door handle, ¡°It didn¡¯t say your name on the app.¡±

    The figure sighed and said ¡°What? Are you gonna ¡®share your location¡¯ with your nonexistent friends? Hop in! I have other places to be that will tip more than you.¡±

    ¡°Oi,¡± Jasson said, hauling on the handle, ¡°Why don¡¯t you think I¡¯ll tip well? The door¡¯s locked by the way.¡±

    ¡°The door doesn¡¯t open from the outside,¡± the driver said, ¡°reach through the freaking open window. And I know you won¡¯t tip because you¡¯re going to the closest town Einstein. Unless you have business in-"

    The driver glanced down and said "River town? Another one? Anyway, you¡¯re almost out of money if you''re headed there. Although I¡¯m surprised you managed to summon me at all. And don¡¯t forget to buckle up, I have a dash cam and the footage goes to the insurance company.¡±

    Jasson did so, settling into the cigarette-burned seat as he said ¡°Why are you surprised?¡±

    ¡°Usually I have people throwing golden drachmas out for service,¡± the driver said, ¡°And I don¡¯t smell any gold on you. Only ''modern'' copper and nickel crap. And the paper. By the gods I will swerve to hit you if you ever try to throw paper ¡®money¡¯ to summon me.¡±

    Jasson gulped and held up his phone, ¡°I was just using this.¡±

    The driver looked at it with the mirror and Jasson caught a glimpse of a shockingly green eye. Then the driver held up his own phone, surprising Jasson as they sent a text. Another smartphone in this world? Jasson¡¯s phone dinged and he checked the message.

    k

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be condemned,¡± the driver said, ¡°A freshly reincarnated with a phone. Looks like it¡¯s smooth sailing for you. Who did the reincarnation?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jasson said, ¡°Kami. Kami Sama.¡±

    The driver snorted, then put their phone down as they started to drive and said ¡°That whelp Kami-sama? Eastern wimp. Good luck with that phone then. He doesn¡¯t have the best grasp of technology, although he tends to enjoy overpowering people.¡±

    Jasson nodded. The driver pulled his other hand in¡­which was wearing a rather convincing glove with a bone design. Jasson stared, he could see straight through the hand. Too convincing.

    Who drives BlUbber in a fantasy world?

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Jasson said as the car jolted forward, ¡°Kami looked ancient but you called him a whelp? That means young right? You''re older?¡±

    The driver sighed and said ¡°Kami looks older doesn¡¯t he? He just forgets to moisturize. Since we¡¯re moving, and you can¡¯t jump out of the car, I might as well introduce myself.¡±

    The driver lowered his hood, exposing a handsome human head and an eternal grin. Except portions of the head were bone white skull. No rotting, merely healthy pink flesh on one part and thousand-year-old bleached bone on the other.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Charon,¡± the driver said, ¡°I¡¯m the Ferryman of the Dead, the one who bridges life and death, the one to whom you pay the Toll."

    Fire blazed in the empty eye socket as Charon''s eyes met Jasson''s.

    Then Charon said, "I will be your ride for tonight and all the days you have upon this world.¡±

    Chills ran down Jasson''s spine and inspired gluteal terror. In a situation that merited silence (or perhaps bitter wails), Jasson felt that he had to say something. It is an unfortunate fact of man that dramatic silence never lasts.

    Since there was little else Jasson could say he asked ¡°Why?¡±

    Charon grinned wider, an expression he was well suited for, and said ¡°Why what? Why am I you¡¯re only ride? It¡¯s not because you¡¯re dying soon, I¡¯m the only one that services this world. Or is it why am I doing this at all?¡±

    ¡°At all,¡± Jasson said, sweating, ¡°And why in a Hivic?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Charon said, ¡°two pennies on the eyes of the dead doesn¡¯t pay like the old pharaohs used to. I¡¯m saving up for a better car though. Of course, in this market, I have a lot longer to go. I''m going for a Baguti Vayron. Or maybe a rare Farerri.¡±

    The Ferryman of the Dead laughed, a sound that made Jasson deeply uncomfortable.

    Then Charon said "Un-Life goals, right? Those cars are over a million dollars each. But I charge what I want so it''s only a matter of time. Oddly enough, I¡¯ve never had someone try to skip on the bill."

 Chapter 2: Liquidated

    Charon didn''t speak for most of the ride, for which Jasson was grateful. Partly because Jasson felt a weird tugging in his soul whenever the Ferryman spoke. But most of it was due to the realization that Charon didn''t need a tongue to speak. Not a whole one anyway.

    Jasson was supposed to have five dollars left in his VenGo after the BlUbber fee. But when one takes a ride with the omnipresent Ferryman of the Dead, one feels inclined to tip. So it was that Jasson embarked into his first village with not a penny in his VenGo.

    Not that anyone could accept contactless payment. ''Tap-to-pay'' wasn¡¯t a sticker on their weighing scales.

    Night filled the land, easing into day like the gods were mixing a dark Kool-aid. River Village consisted of a dozen establishments along a wide main street, encircled by a well-maintained wooden wall. The buildings reflected white as the moon peeked above the horizon, their medieval architecture leaning in the night.

    A man exited a brightly lit bar near the gate, laughing and waving farewell to his friends. This man was debatably sober and would have been the perfect person for Jasson to talk to. The man even gave Jasson a nod, making brief eye contact.

    Jasson needed things. He needed to know where the Adventuring Guild Booth could be. He needed to know where he could stay for the night. But what Jasson needed most of all was the courage to walk up to a complete stranger and ask a question.

    Since he didn¡¯t have that, Jasson crossed to the opposite side of the road and anxiously swiped on his phone.

    I¡¯m such a coward, Jasson thought, but it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find something here. There¡¯s just one road. Man, I wish Guugle Maps worked.

    Jasson found the Adventures Booth after a couple of minutes of searching, which was a relief. The Adventurer''s Booth was a small wooden shed with a board covered in flyers outside. Dressed in red and gold paint, the shack stood as an embodiment of honor and practicality.  A large-looking flap lay closed and latched over the front opening, and a door to the side stood firmly shut. There was a sliver of steady light leaking out of an opening in the flap, so Jasson walked up and knocked.

    "We are clos-ed," a feminine voice said, "Come again nex'' week, if you please."

    ¡°All right,¡± Jasson said, social terror spiking, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Jasson turned and got a few steps away before he stopped. He needed to do more than that. She didn¡¯t say that she wouldn¡¯t talk to him, just that they were closed. It couldn¡¯t hurt, right?

    ¡°Um,¡± Jasson said, holding his phone tight, ¡°What days are you open? And- erm, what day of the week is it?¡±

    The voice took a moment to respond ¡°Whaht? Did you lose trahck?¡±

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Jasson turned his phone on, ¡°Yes?¡±

    The woman''s voice said, "We are open on Wednesdays and on Thursdays, and yes, eet eez Thursday night. Were you hoping for some quests?"

    Is that accent French? Jasson thought. Or does she have a lot of phlegm in her throat?

    ¡°Kinda,¡± Jasson said, scrolling on his phone as his heart sped up, ¡°I¡¯m mostly hoping for some advice. I¡¯m trying to become an adventurer but I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    ¡°There eez a fee to join,¡± The woman said, ¡°But zere¡¯s a fourteen work day free trial. Steell, zat¡¯s better done at an active branch, not a leettle stall like zis. We are here to supply ze more remote Adventurers with quests and gold, usually for ze herb gathering.¡±

    Jasson had to keep himself from getting too distracted on his phone. She was definitely using a French accent, which only made it harder to pay attention to what she was saying.

    ¡°Gotta need a lot of those for the war eh?¡± Jasson said, smiling a bit, ¡°I guess...well I¡¯m out of money and need to survive another week until you get back. Any advice?¡±

    Wow, Jasson thought, do I always sound so rizzless? I¡¯m doing it though.

    ¡°Zere are plenty ways to survive,¡± the woman said, voice softening, ¡°Especially in ze summer. You probably steell ¡®ave a shirt on your back. Pawn zat if you want. Zey¡¯re a bunch of thieves in zis town, but what pawn shop eesn¡¯t? Oh, and ze pawn shop will be open tomorrow around Second Bell so you best ¡®ead to ze church for ze night.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson said, relieved to get the info he needed, ¡°Which one¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Look for ze building with a star,¡± the woman laughed behind the closed door, ¡°Eet¡¯s ze only church ¡®ere. Go to ze right. I got a long trip tomorrow so gudnight.¡±

    As Jasson walked away the woman said ¡°Hey, zanks for chatting. Eet¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve spoken fluent Mench. Where did you learn?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Thanks. Umm¡­I¡¯m really good at languages. Apparently. Thanks for the advice. Bye.¡±

    Down the street, at the end of the line of buildings, was an old wooden chapel. Simple in design with a single bell in the steeple, the church stood on a large lot containing a dense garden and a goat. The goat eyed Jasson, adding to Jasson¡¯s sense of unease. Weren¡¯t goats a sign of-

    Then, above the door, Jasson saw the star carved in wood. The star pointed up, resting inside a circle that had tiny writing all around it. Distinctly unexpected. Surely, this was just a normal church, right? Goats were just animals, and the star didn¡¯t look like it had people nailed to it in secret/public blood sacrifices. It would be fine.

    But, Jasson thought, a pentagram?

    When Jasson crept through the door he found a well-maintained atmosphere lit by magical floating lights. The magical lighting was good because if they had lit the place with candles Jasson would have left at speed. Inside were simple wooden walls and columns, with alcoves containing statues ringing the room. About a dozen people filled the pews, and a Clergyman was ministering among them. The entire chapel felt cozy, a place of refuge and worship for humble believers.

    Jasson stood awkwardly by the door and tried to busy himself with a statue, hoping someone in charge would notice him. Jasson eyed the Clergyman, but it looked like the Clergyman hadn¡¯t noticed Jasson yet. If Jasson waited it could take forever, maybe even five minutes. This place should have an app to arrange meetings. Jasson opened his phone and started to type into Guugle Maps. Maybe Maps would show-

    I¡¯m an idiot, Jasson thought as he turned back to the statue by the door, there¡¯s not going to be a website.

    The statue showed a man hanging in the air, but not in the gentle angel version. I looked like the man was falling from a great height and was about to hit the bronze ground, a blissful look on his face. Normally there would be some cleverly hidden support for the falling statue but in this case, the bronze man was floating perfectly.

    So cool! Jasson thought. So this is magic?!

    After poking the statue for a while Jasson glanced down, finding a plaque with text on it. Jasson stared at it, trying to make out what it was saying. Was it like ¡®cursive¡¯? He¡¯d seen cursive in memes but this didn¡¯t look right.

    Ah. Jasson thought. It¡¯s another language. Why doesn''t it auto-translate?

    Jasson unlocked his phone, waiting patiently for it to recognize his face. Then he scrolled through and found his text translation app called TrainSlate. The app opened with a camera interface and Jasson took a picture of the text on the plaque and then tapped ¡®TrainSlate¡¯.

    The app loaded for a few seconds before giving the results. It said that the language was ¡®Patin¡¯ and had a readout of the text helpfully displayed.

    Unfortunately, a robotic male voice also started to read the translation out loud. Loudly.

    ¡°Shh!¡± Jasson tapped frantically as the Clergyman turned, ¡°This is a church!¡±

    Jasson flipped the Ophone mute switch, which didn¡¯t do anything.

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson hissed, ¡°No. Why!?¡±

    ¡°Cousin.¡± The Clergyman loomed above Jasson and said, ¡°We ask that you be quiet in Evening Acceleration.¡±

    Evening what? Jasson thought.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson said, frantically pushing the volume rocker down, ¡°My phone w- my magic device won¡¯t shut up.¡±

    Jasson hunched under the glares as the armpit-smothered voice finished reading the plaque a few seconds later. The Clergyman sighed, breaking the unbearable silence.

    ¡°At least it was reading scripture,¡± The Clergyman said, ¡°Although in a terrible voice. Were you curious about this statue my cousin?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°well, I just wanted to know. Actually, I was hoping for a pla-¡±

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°This is the image of Exhortation.¡± The Clergyman said, ¡°Where our god, one of the ten great gods, came to this world and was Raptured as an example.¡±

    ¡°Raptured?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­later?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the Clergyman said, fervent fire in his eyes, ¡°It started at the beginning. In fact, it¡¯s still practiced to this day. Symbolically of course."

    The Clergyman made energetic and disturbingly violent movements as he said "It is a ceremony where you throw people high into the air. There they leave their sins behind in the hands of our god of Winds. The higher the better of course, but since we usually do this to babies we don¡¯t throw them to our fullest ability. Adults get maximum effort though, which is truly magnificent to see. If we were to Rapurize you, then you would be able to see the warzone from the peak of your flight. I assure you, it¡¯s perfectly safe. Our Rapturetizers are quite good catchers. Usually.¡±

    What is this? Jasson thought, Some kind of dark catholic church knockoff?

    (In actuality it is common for a Catholic-Knockoff (?)  church to exist in any Isekai world. For legal reasons: all events and characters are fictional and any similarities to real life are coincidental. The beliefs, actions, and names presented are not intended to represent any present and/or historical papals.)

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, squeezing his phone, ¡°Makes sense.¡±

    ¡°For is it not said.¡± The Clergyman continued, ¡°Referring to fathers and gods: ¡®You throw me up, so I¡¯m higher than the mountains!'' There¡¯s a lovely song about it.¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Absolutely. I¡¯ll pass though. Actually, I need a free place to stay for the night. Would I be able to do that here? In a back room? With a low ceiling?¡±

    ¡°Oh absolutely,¡± the Clergyman said, clapping his hands, ¡°Will you also be needing a meal?¡±

    Jasson hesitated, but his stomach felt empty despite the soldier¡¯s gruel sitting like a rock.

    ¡°A small amount would be wonderful,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I am not very hungry and I am sure you have many others to see to. If I have some money to spare I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll donate a small amount after I pawn my possessions tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to.¡± The Clergyman seemed genuinely shocked, ¡°A night of charity is the absolute least we could do for a cousin in Saint Claws. That¡¯s the saint of giving by the way. Just follow me and we¡¯ll ensure you sleep well tonight. This chapel¡¯s sanctuary status is intact, and we have extensive rooms in the back.¡±

    ****

    After Cousin Jasson was settled for sleep, the Bishop called the Clergyman in for an urgent meeting.

    ¡°Nephew.¡± The Bishop said, standing in his humble office, ¡°I trust that our new guest has been accommodated.¡±

    ¡°Of course Uncle.¡± The Clergyman said, ¡°I am surprised that you have taken such an interest in a humble cousin who is hard upon his luck.¡±

    ¡°Yes well,¡± the Bishop said, ¡°did you notice anything strange about him?¡±

    ¡°No Uncle.¡± The Clergyman said, ¡°Aside from his generally uncomfortable air, he seemed like a neat if oddly dressed young man. Possibly a prodigal son of a minor merchant.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± the Bishop said, ¡°You hit the problem right on the nose. His clothes were tightly woven and simply sewn, yet he claims that he lacks funds. It is a¡­contradiction. I wonder if he is a test.¡±

    The Clergyman seemed to doubt that and said ¡°If you say it is Uncle, then I will feed him most richly on the morrow.¡±

    ¡°Are you a fool nephew?¡± Bishop said, ¡°That will let him know we¡¯re onto him. No, treat him as you would any other man. But do try to emphasize that, if the leaders were to know of our struggling state, they would surely send some much-appreciated aid. Perhaps enough for a new coat of paint on the steeple.¡±

    ¡°Understood Uncle.¡±

    ****

    The next morning Jasson left the humble chapel with a skip in his step, the sun-warmed morning dew ascending to the skies around him. They hadn¡¯t tried to sacrifice him on an altar in some hidden cellar, despite the number of pentagrams. It''s a wonderful thing to have people surpass your expectations. Of course, the Clergyman had been weird during breakfast. It wasn¡¯t anything outrageous, but the Clergyman kept asking his thoughts on the state of everything.

    How was the bed? How was the food? How was the paint peeling on the steeple within appropriate wear and tear for church support? Jasson had nodded as he scrolled, devouring the breakfast of breads and meat paste. Was he supposed to leave a review or something? ¡®Five stars, clean bed and no blood sacrifices¡¯?

    As Jasson walked through town he dug at the stringy meat between his teeth from last night¡¯s dinner. It was hard to tell the buildings lining the street apart, but the Clergyman said he couldn¡¯t miss it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Jasson said around his probing finger, ¡°the pawn shop was¡­ah. Of course. I¡¯m getting good at navigating without Maps.¡±

    The pawn shop had a large display table outside, marking it easily on the street. This table was laid with a wealth of monster parts and weapons twinkling magically in the morning sun. It was obvious what this area dealt in, and Jasson saw a bright-looking kid sitting by the display.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jasson said confidently, ¡°I¡¯m looking to sell. Who¡¯s in charge of appraisals here?¡±

    ¡°Old man Fitch.¡± The kid eyed Jasson, ¡°Ya don¡¯t look like the fightin¡¯ type, but if ya got any monster bits I tellin'' ya right now we have enough. It¡¯s not worth the gold for anything lower than a lesser dragon heart. An'' we have three of those already, but there¡¯s a buyer which-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Thanks kid.¡±

    Jasson walked into a pawn shop for the first time in both lives. It had a beyond strange smell and there was dust on almost everything. The store overflowed with weapons in barrels and various crystals on every shelf. An old man in the back was idly rolling a glowing crystal the size of Jasson¡¯s fist.

    ¡°Welcome to Cabul¡¯s Pawn,¡± the old man said, ¡°I¡¯m Cabul. Come to sell another monster crystal? Or maybe pawn a sword for a bit more gambling money? I can tell you right now that we don¡¯t have any buyers for lesser crystals. Even the Capital is full up. I bought so many before I heard that¡­ A sword won¡¯t get you much either. I only sell swords when they bring fresh troops these days, and most of those got their own from¡­¡±

    Jasson started scrolling through his phone. Cabul kept teetering on and on about his concerns, and Jasson managed to watch a new TikTik from a man building his own jet. Suddenly the old man slammed a hand on the desk, making Jasson jump.

    ¡°Listen to me would ya!¡± Cabul said, ¡°Or at least tell me to stop!¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Stop talking please.¡±

    ¡°Not like that!¡± Cabul slumped, ¡°Oh what¡¯s the point. You came in to sell right? Hurry up.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jasson said, ¡°but not crystals or weapons. I have some items. From a long way away. Rare, never seen before.¡±

    The old man perked up and said ¡°Unique items? Not related to war? I doubt it, but let me see them.¡±

    Jason took a breath, preparing himself. He''d spent all morning working on his pitch. After all, there was no reason to sell his shirt when he had money.

    ¡°Look here,¡± Jasson pulled out a one-dollar bill, ¡°An ancient and intricate work of art. Yet the ink will never smudge or wash away.¡±

    The old man looked suspiciously at the dollar. Then, with surprising agility, he took it from Jasson''s hand and held it up. Cabul squinted, adjusting it to the light.

    ¡°It''s awfully crumpled,¡± Cabul said, ¡°did you have this in your pocket?¡±

    ¡°Where else was I supposed to carry it?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Your Locker,¡± Cabul said, ¡°it wouldn''t get crumpled in there.¡±

    Feeling like he was back in high school Jasson said ¡°No one told me about a locker. I don''t have a locker. Was I supposed to get a locker? What would I put in the locker?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Cabul said, ¡°Oh, sorry. I figured that your family would have gotten one for you. Let me go ahead and look at this art with a lens.¡±

    Then Jasson saw magic.

    Cabul reached into the air and a portal appeared, expanding into the world as a magic circle forming around a sparkling void. Cabul reached through and pulled out a jeweler''s lens, blowing the dust off of the glass. Jasson stood, mesmerized. An extra-dimensional storage ability? Like in the TikTiks?

    So cool! Jasson thought. How do I get one of those? Could I fit in it?!

    After a few seconds, Cabul put the lens down and rubbed his eyes.

    ¡°Is it good?¡± Jasson said.

    Cabul snorted and said ¡°You should know that I¡¯m never going to tell you it¡¯s good. It¡¯s a bad negotiation tactic. But since there¡¯s no other pawn shops in this town I¡¯ll tell you outright. Without my lens, it looked rather simple. But the closer I looked¡­well look here.¡±

    The old man pointed to Washington¡¯s face. ¡°They used hatching instead of blending for the shading, yet the hatching is immeasurably precise. Even the dark backdrop to the face has a near-perfect grid, and then the details¡­ Baroque to say the least.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson grinned, ¡°What do you think of the back? You haven¡¯t looked at it with the lens yet.¡±

    ¡°The back? Why would-¡± Cabul flipped the bill over, ¡°By the ten gods!¡±

    The lens reappeared on Cabul¡¯s eye and Jasson scrolled giddily, looking up from his phone occasionally as the old man oohed and aahed. It was definitely worth something.

    ¡°What intricacies!¡± Cabul proclaimed, ¡°A one-of-a-kind piece of art! I will buy it.¡±

    Yes! Jasson thought. I got Rizz!

    ¡°Actually,¡± Jasson pulled out another one-dollar bill, ¡°I have two.¡±

    The second disappeared from Jasson¡¯s hand as the old man fervently compared them. Jasson leaned on a barrel filled with swords as he waited, taking some pictures of the stuff for sale. These would be cool to post on-

    Nope. Jason thought. One way only. Gotta remember that.

    ¡°They¡¯re a set!¡± Cabul said, ¡°A couple of changes, but the rest is identical! Were these- no! Woodblock printing? But it¡¯s impossible to get that fine with wood. Metal? That¡¯s conceivable, but surely the ink¡­¡±

    Cabul looked up, years dropping from his face with the sparkle in his eye. Then he saw Jasson¡¯s grin and he groaned.

    ¡°All right youngin'',¡± Cabul said, ¡°You got me. I¡¯ll give you twenty gold for each.¡±

    ¡°Thirty,¡± Jasson said, having no idea what twenty gold was worth.

    ¡°Fifty for both,¡± Cabul said, ¡°And that¡¯s the best I can do. Honestly, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m giving you that much. I don¡¯t have anyone to sell it to, and the closest possible one is two days away.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Pleasure doing business.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± the old man bustled into the back and came out after a couple of minutes.

    ¡°This is fifty gold,¡± the old man said, plopping a fat bag on the counter, ¡°Go ahead and count it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the sentiment.¡± Cabul said, plopping a set of old-fashioned scales onto the counter. ¡°But count it out. Make sure you have what we agreed on.¡±

    Jasson may have had to get out his calculator but he got there in the end. Strangely satisfied, Jasson scooped the pile of coins back into the bag and tied it shut.

    ¡°You¡¯re not very good at this, and could use more practice.¡± Cabul said as Jasson stood with one foot out the door, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m out of practice myself. I advise that, if you have more to sell, you auction it directly in Stalt. Or better yet the capital. While you¡¯re in Stalt it would also be best if you purchased a Locker. My son has a shop in Stalt. Look him up. He might have some available. Here.¡±

    The old man handed Jasson a simple business card and said ¡°Thanks for brightening my week. Good luck.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson tucked the card into his pocket without thinking about it, ¡°Have a good day.¡±

    All right, Jasson thought as he dodged a scampering gaggle of kids on the street, how much do I actually have? Hmmm¡­ There¡¯s got to be an app for that.

 Chapter 3: Peregrinated

    An old oak tree stood a few minutes outside of town, carved with the repetitive initials of lovers past. Beneath its swaying boughs, Jasson explored his love, touching it gently to reveal its tender secrets. The new app store ¡®DISS¡¯ blossomed before Jasson, and he caressed for a lifetime.

    In actuality, it was fifteen minutes. Jasson had one bar of service after all, so he might as well make the most of it.

    Jasson found the app he needed in the free section. The app was EXchange, and when he opened it a drop menu of currencies spread before him. Jasson selected ¡®Gold Coin¡¯ from the drop menu and a coin slot appeared on his screen.

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I just want to know how much it is. Maybe¡­no.¡±

    Feeling rather dumb, Jasson tried to slide a gold coin in. Right where the coin made contact a tiny magic circle appeared, like the locker Cabul had used at the pawn shop. The coin slid easily into the slot, and a little ding chimed once the coin passed all the way through.

    The value above the slot, which had read 0.00$, now reads 21.38$. Below the slot was a tacky-looking button that said ¡®Deposit¡¯. Jasson couldn¡¯t do the math off the top of his head but it looked like he was loaded.

    Jasson put a second gold coin in and the amount total read 40.02$.

    ¡°So each coin isn¡¯t the same,¡± Jasson said, holding up another coin to his eye, ¡°Okay. Still, I didn¡¯t know gold was this cheap.¡±

    In the multiverse there are constants, and one of these is inflation. In a system of golden coins, they are clipped, sweated, and shaved until the coin faces look rather perturbed. Only the veneer of gold remained on these coins, but that was enough.

    ¡°One thousand eighty-four,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Not that bad, although that doesn¡¯t buy much these days. Over a hundred-thousand W-Bucks so about fifty skins. I wonder how far it goes here if I- OH @#%$^!¡±

    Jasson frantically searched the app but there was no ¡®Refund¡¯ button and no way to get the money back out of the app. He was stuck with no usable finances. Again.

    Jasson sighed, giving up. The Deposit button connected to Jasson¡¯s VenGo so at least he could summon Charon or buy more apps. Jasson transferred the money and kept scrolling in his newly discovered app library. There were so many options, yet they almost all cost money. The free section only held 3 apps. The EXchange app, one called FITbyte, and another called SD. So, like any teenager, he started with the free stuff.

    ¡°Well, this is fishy." Jasson said, scrolling through the SD description, ¡°I guess the lack of reviews makes sense. Just one from- Kami eh? All right. Another typo-filled boomer review. This app is ¡®amazing¡¯ and ¡®gives you more storage¡¯? That¡¯s such an obvious scam.¡±

    Even if it was free it might lag his phone or even give him a virus. Jasson decided to ignore SD and went to FITbyte. It looked like some kind of fitness app, with stats and stuff that Jasson didn¡¯t have the patience to read. He clicked install and a message popped up.

    Reboot Necessary. Continue Y/N?

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jasson said, pressing yes, ¡°Why n-¡±

    Then the world went black.

    ****

    ¡°UNCLE!¡± the Clergyman shouted through the chapel, ¡°Uncle!¡±

    The Clergyman burst through the bishop¡¯s office door with triumph in his eyes and exhaustion in his gasping mouth.

    ¡°Yes, Nephew?¡± The Bishop said, struggling to attention, ¡°Don¡¯t knock down my door. What is it?¡±

    ¡°You were right,¡± the Clergyman gasped, ¡°About Cousin Jasson. We¡¯re being tested!¡±

    The bishop stood and took off his glasses, grinning.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± the Bishop said, ¡°After so many years. How do you know it?¡±

    ¡°Well I had one of the boys following him,¡± the Clergyman said, ¡°And Cousin Jasson went into the pawn shop. Then he came out with a heavy bag! It contained quite a bit of gold, but I¡¯ll get to that later.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± the Bishop said, ¡°But didn¡¯t he say that he was going to the pawn shop today?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the Clergyman said, ¡°But two gold alone is worth more than his shirt, and he still had it anyway. After he pawned, Cousin Jasson walked out of the town and found an oak tree in Jakeson¡¯s field. The one with the Arborglyphs?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the bishop said, ¡°What¡¯s an Arborglyph?¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± the Clergyman blushed, ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°Have you been reading the dictionary again?¡± the bishop said, ¡°Don¡¯t let that get to your head. I think I remember this word though. An Arborglyph is something carved in a tree. I know the tree you¡¯re talking about then. Went there quite a bit when I was younger.¡±

    After an embarrassed silence, the Clergyman said ¡°As I was saying. Cousin Jasson sat there for several minutes and my boy was about to fall asleep. But then he started putting the gold one at a time into some kind of handheld Locker. That woke my boy up quick, and he says that he lost count at twenty gold on account of him running out of toes.¡±

    The Clergyman walked up and slammed his hand on the desk, ¡°But a couple of minutes after he finished storing his gold he passed out! Dead to the world! The boy tried to wake him up after several minutes and now thinks Cousin Jasson has perished. So the boy came to me and is crying downstairs.¡±

    ¡°Is he dead?¡± the Bishop said, ¡°that¡¯s rather important.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± the Clergyman said, ¡°It¡¯s obviously a test. Do we rob an unconscious man? Shall the unguarded traveler be helpless beneath our very noses?! So I sent the rest of the boys out to watch over him with strict instructions not to steal from him. Then I came to see you. What should we do?¡±

    The bishop grinned and said ¡°Well done. The children are mischievous but I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ll help. I know I would have if I was a child-¡±

    The bishop stopped, a look of horror covering his face as he said ¡°Surely¡­but of course. It¡¯s their nature.¡±

    The Clergyman shifted nervously and said ¡°Uncle?¡±

    ¡°These boys,¡± the Bishop said, ¡°Did they have any charcoal? Or other decorating tools?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the Clergyman said, confused, ¡°Maybe. Why?¡±

    ¡°By the gods,¡± the Bishop said, ¡°let¡¯s hope he isn¡¯t petty.¡±

    ****

    ¡°YOU BRATS!¡± Jasson roared in vengeance, chasing after several boys, ¡°GIVE ME THAT!¡±

    Jasson swerved, cutting off and tackling a squealing boy. After wrestling the boy to the ground Jasson caught a flailing arm and grabbed the charcoal from the boy¡¯s hands. Laughing, Jasson held the squirming boy down and proceeded to enact vengeance. They were brats, but he couldn¡¯t help smiling as he crushed and smeared the charcoal across the boy¡¯s face.

    Panting, Jasson let the carbonized boy go squealing off. That was vengeance on three of them, but the rest had run off by the looks of it. Jasson fell back exhausted, satisfied, and covered in ash.

    ¡°What a way to wake up,¡± Jasson picked the rest of the charcoal out of his nose, ¡°fair¡¯s fair I guess. What happened?¡±

    Jasson unlocked his phone and flipped through his apps. There it was. FITbyte.

    ¡°Note to self,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Don¡¯t restart the phone in an unsafe area.¡±

    FITbyte was still loading when the Bishop and the Clergyman approached. Jasson eyed them. What did they want? He didn¡¯t recognize one of them, but the other was the Clergyman who had helped him last night. So they were from the weird Catholic-Knock-Off(?). The Clergyman was flushed red, contrasting the sweaty pale face of the other man.

    ¡°Are you okay Cousin Jasson,¡± the Clergyman said, huffing and sweaty, ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry for the boys. They will be disciplined thoroughly. How can we make this up to you?¡±

    It took a couple of seconds for Jasson to fully switch his focus to them.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. I got them back already.¡±

    ¡°I am the Bishop of this church,¡± the other man said, ¡°And let me profusely apologize for the behavior of the children. We had entrusted them to watch over you as you slept, and they abused the opportunity to disgrace your countenance. It is a shameful error on our part.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Erm¡­It¡¯s okay. Really. I have younger siblings, so I get it.¡±

    I¡¯m filthy, Jasson thought, What I¡¯d love is a shower. I haven¡¯t bathed since¡­ever.

    Jasson paused, then took the leap and said ¡°Mind if I wash up in the church? I¡¯m filthy. And if you really want to compensate me, I could use a lunch. There¡¯s no Floordash in this realm, so I don¡¯t have another option.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± the Clergyman said, bowing, ¡°But our food is humble. Did you lose your gold?¡±

    Ah, it¡¯s about the gold. Jasson thought, Makes sense. The prank wasn¡¯t something to worry about.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Not quite. I put it all away and can¡¯t get it out again. And I don¡¯t think the restaurants take tap-to-pay.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we understand.¡± The Clergyman said, obviously confused, ¡°Will you be staying in town then?¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Jasson said, watching the loading bar for FITbyte, ¡°I¡¯m gonna order a ride to Stalt. I¡¯ll be out of your hair in an hour or two, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± the Bishop said, ¡°A ride. Of course. We were presumptuous. We will make preparations. Your food will be ready in an hour if you wish to receive it.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Or we could bring it to you,¡± the Clergyman said, ¡° If that would work better for you then it would be our pleasure to bring it anywhere you¡¯d like to take your meal.¡±

    ¡°No thanks,¡± Jasson said, waiting for FITbyte to load, ¡°just head back to the chapel. I¡¯ll be along shortly.¡±

    And just before they were out of earshot Jasson could hear them arguing. Something about failing an inspection. Whatever.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Jasson said as FITbyte loaded, ¡°Gosh, take your time why don¡¯t ya.¡±

    Jasson skipped the tutorial without a second thought and opened the app.

    ¡°OH!¡± Jasson said, ¡°It¡¯s yellow?!?¡±

    Indeed, the breed of yellow on the screen was one more painful than that of a nuclear warning sign. Neon was the closest comparison, although that too fell short. It shone as an agony of colors assaulting the back of his eyes with a highlighter. An app made of eighties fashion and 2000s website design. Simply looking at his phone caused Jasson to squint as if against the sun.

    Assembled in a bright yellow interface was Jasson¡¯s Status. With difficulty Jasson was able to make out his own abilities in familiar categories of strength, dexterity, luck, etc... Jasson had seen Status Screens from animes on TikTik, and this looked correct if far too yellow.

    __________________________

    Level 1 - No Class - Adventurer

    | Age          | 17

    | Strength     | 100

    | Agility      | 120

    | Intelligence  | 140

    | Wisdom       | 75

    | Charisma     | 80

    | Magic        | 50

    | Stamina      | 90

    | Luck         | 150

    ¡°No class but I have a...job? Sounds familiar.¡± Jasson said, then looked below, ¡°At least I''m an adventurer this time. These numbers look like I have¡­ no idea if they¡¯re better than average. At least I¡¯m smart and ¡®Lucky¡¯. But¡­I¡¯m reincarnated so all these have to be good scores. Right?¡±

    Jasson didn¡¯t feel any smarter, and that boded ill for the rest of his abilities. He¡¯d never gotten good scores on the tests, but he didn¡¯t remember taking any tests for this. How did this system measure Intelligence? And how the heck was he lucky?

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m starting low,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I wonder if there is a way to raise my stats. Man, they should really have a tutorial for these things.¡±

    After a few minutes, Jasson fell back before rubbing his eyes and saying ¡°I guess I¡¯m still level one. Can¡¯t do anything yet. Gods, this #%^$ interface is giving me a headache.¡±

    ****

    A few hours later Jasson arrived at the wide open gates of Stalt. He wasn¡¯t completely broke this time and was even able to give Charon a fifteen-dollar tip. Still, Jasson had no ability to spend the $100 he had left in any stores. Modern life had ingrained in Jasson that digital was the only way to pay, so this newfound dependency on cash felt alien to him.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Jasson said, waving as Charon drove away. A burst of fire singed Jasson¡¯s eyebrows and he stepped back and coughed. As the car faded from reality Jasson started to absently scrolled on his phone as he wandered into Stalt.

    Or he tried to wander. A pike got lowered in front of him like a toll booth barrier arm.

    ¡°Halt!¡± One of the guards stood in front of Jasson, face sweaty beneath a well-maintained helmet, ¡°State your name and purpose here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Jasson looked up, panicking slightly, ¡°Ah. Well¡­I don¡¯t know. Register with the Adventure¡¯s guild mostly. You know, earn some money?¡±

    ¡°Anything to declare?¡± the guard looked bored.

    ¡°Nothing that I can think of,¡± Jasson said, gripping his phone tight, ¡°What would need to be declared?¡±

    ¡°Cheese,¡± the guard waved his hand, ¡°Never mind. No smuggler would be as oblivious as you. Welcome to Stalt. Don¡¯t break anything.¡±

    Okay. Don¡¯t tell me then. Jasson thought. Jerk.

    Jasson entered through the gate, seeing the paradox of Stalt in full. Stalt, the city closest to a war of men and monsters, was peaceful and thriving. There were no burned buildings, no dragon claw marks dug into the streets, it even had a fresh coat of paint.

    Above the bustling city, a castle constructed of monumental towers rose in the distance. The smell of fresh bread and recent rain wafted from the low-lying white buildings, making Jasson¡¯s stomach grumble. Even what graffiti existed was only seen beneath fresh patches of whitewash. This was a fantasy city, not some dingy hole of grit and treachery.

    Yet, because of Stalt¡¯s proximity to the war, there were countless furloughed soldiers. One constant of the universe is that soldiers, when within walls guarded by other men, tend to let loose. Signs of thriving alcohol sales were strewn around the city, attended to by industrious city workers with canvas sacks. Truly, the nightlife must be amazing here.

    But the afternoon had come upon the city, bringing with it a slow recovery of regret. The streets were steadily filling with men who had barely woken up. They emerged like zombies from the grave, lurching from their shadowed refuge towards the closest pint as the civilians casually stepped around them.

    After some tremulous questioning of a motherly woman, Jasson found the location of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Unfortunately, it was all the way across the city. Guugle Maps was still not working, which sent panic down Jasson at every turn. What if he got lost and ended up mugged in an alley? But Jasson¡¯s ancestors had gotten around before Guugle Maps, so why not him? And it wasn¡¯t like he was on any sort of deadline. Still, it was all the way across the city!

    It is a fact that a Protagonist walking across a fantasy city will pass a lot of alleys. For any protagonist, all alleys have a 2.3% chance of a ¡®{vulnerable_attractive_female(s)} being accosted by the {minor_plotpoint} gang¡¯ encounter. The women¡¯s screams pass by the deaf ears of everyone on the road and pierce solely into the courageous heart of the protagonist. Then, with brave proclamations of truth and justice, the protagonist will step in to assist the {vulnerable_attractive_females}, winning adoration and affection from the imposed upon.

    Unfortunately for these {vulnerable_attractive_females}, the protagonist Jasson Boar was on his phone at the time.

    ¡°How dare you! We had a deal!¡± female 1 cried as Jasson watched cat videos, ¡°you¡¯re going back on us?! This is practically less than the guild would pay, and you expect us to still hand it over? You¡¯ll regret this! I¡¯ll fu-¡±

    A predictably despicable laugh interrupted the woman and a man¡¯s voice sneered ¡°What are you gonna do? Fight us? You¡¯re just {vulnerable_attractive_females}*. Of course, I could sweeten our deal for you. I know a hotel with room to spare.¡±

    *(The Placeholder texts {} were apparently not replaced.)

    ¡°Come on sis,¡± Female 2 said, ¡°Let¡¯s just leave. We¡¯ll get into trouble if we mess with the {minor_plotpoint} gang. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    It was at this point that Jasson crossed into the opening of the alleyway. He didn¡¯t look up, didn¡¯t see the leering men and the two rather attractive blonde girls with unique silhouettes. All he saw was 6.2 inches of a cat falling in a fish tank.

    ¡°Hah,¡± Jasson said too loudly, ¡°Stupid cat.¡±

    The {minor_plotpoint} leader twitched his furry cat ears, slit pupils in his eyes dilating. A silence entered the alleyway, broken only by Jasson¡¯s next snorting laugh. Three {minor_plotpoint} criminals turned slowly to the oblivious boy, their leader¡¯s scarred stump of a tail twitching with rage. Behind the cat-man, the two blonde girls nodded to each other and started to creep away.

    ¡°Oi!¡± the leader sauntered up the alley, flanked by his two goons, ¡°you talking to me bud? On my turf?¡±

    Jasson looked up from his phone at the man. Most people would consider this an undesirable and dangerous situation at this point. Protagonists rarely do, but Jasson didn¡¯t for a different reason.

    Oh, Jasson thought, it¡¯s a cat-person. Cool. Are they trying to do a TikTik Challenge? There was that one from last year where idiots tried to act like they were thugs with random people.

    ¡°¡®Sup?¡± Jasson said, ¡°What¡¯s this? A square-off challenge? That¡¯s so last year. You guys better stop before you get hurt. There¡¯s some pretty bad criminals out there so you shouldn¡¯t try to square up with random dudes for clicks. Darwin awards bro. At least you¡¯re not clowns.¡±

    Jasson stepped around them and kept going. How much further was the adventurer¡¯s guild? Ah well, he had plenty of time left on thi-

    The leader¡¯s large hand fell on Jasson¡¯s shoulder, rather abruptly stopping Jasson''s movement.

    ¡°Hey punk,¡± the leader said, cat ears flattened back, ¡°What was that about a stupid cat?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Jasson said, rewinding the video ten seconds, ¡°You want to see? Here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± the leader said, squinting at Jasson¡¯s phone, ¡°A kind of magic crystal?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, pointing with his thumb, ¡°Check it out. This cat is trying to get the fish in the fish tank. See?¡±

    ¡°I think so,¡± the leader said, still squinting, ¡°hah. Wait, where¡¯d he go?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of videos put together in this,¡± Jasson said as the new cat ran around the house, ¡°see? It¡¯s a thirty-minute compilation I downloaded since I can¡¯t seem to get any good signal.¡±

    ¡°Hah,¡± the leader said as it switched to a new video, ¡°this is good stuff. Hmm¡­this one is trying to- no! Haha. Dumb cat.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± Jasson said, grinning, ¡°Good stuff. Want me to Skydrop it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the leader said, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Jasson paused, then said ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if it works if you don¡¯t have an Ophone. Peach doesn¡¯t play well with others. Do you have one of those magic crystals you mentioned? It¡¯s worth a shot.¡±

    The leader nodded and pulled out a small asymmetrical crystal shard, saying ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jasson tried to Skydrop the video. It didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it works that way.¡±

    The cat-man¡¯s ears flattened in disappointment before he brightened up again.

    The leader said, ¡°Let me see the back of your crystal.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jasson flipped the phone around so the bitten peach logo faced up, ¡°Why though?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a peach, right? Give me a second,¡± the leader said, ¡°don¡¯t go anywhere.¡±

    The man ran off with surprising speed. A scream came from down the street, along with a series of other noises including something metal and a panicked chicken. Shortly after that, the cat-man returned with a slightly crushed peach.

    ¡°All right,¡± Jasson said, realization dawning, ¡°This probably won¡¯t help. Go ahead and stick it on your pho- on your crystal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± the leader said, and Jasson tried tapping the phone, then the peach, ¡°Did it work?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Maybe if he painted the logo on, Jasson thought, this is magic after all. It could work.

    Jasson saw the man¡¯s expression fall and said ¡°Actually, let me see that peach.¡±

    Jasson took it and carefully bit a chunk out of it, then put it back on the crystal.

    ¡°Le¡¯s t¡¯y ¡®is,¡± Jasson said around the peach as he tapped the crystal and then the peach.

    Ding.

    ¡°Well,¡± the man seemed concerned, ¡°Is it good?¡±

    Jasson swallowed and wiped his mouth, then said ¡°Yeah actually. It¡¯s transferring the video. Pretty slow though. Will probably take a solid minute or two.¡±

    The silence was tense as the loading bar pressed toward full. The two goons gathered around, watching as well. Jasson wished he could scroll through TikTik as he waited. He had three bars right now for some reason, while the whole day had been flickering at one or two bars of signal.

    Doo-doo-doo-doo

    Jasson pulled his phone back in relief, arm tired and eager to leave the situation. They had been looking so intently, and the cat-man had a weird smell.

    ¡°There,¡± Jasson said, walking away, ¡°All done. Enjoy the video guys! I¡¯m off to the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± the leader said, ¡°And look out for the daylight robbery at the guild.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Jason said, swiping through TikTik, ¡°Bye.¡±

    Blast, Jasson thought, the signal dropped again.

    With quick steps, Jasson managed to be nearly out of earshot before the {minor_plotpoint} gang resumed the conversation. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t about him.

    ¡°Now,¡± the leader said, turning back to his men, ¡°What were we doing?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know boss,¡± one of them said, ¡°Can we watch the funny video with you?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­¡±

 Chapter 4: Greeted

    After one and a half confused hours and a new set of directions, Jasson found the Adventurer¡¯s Guild - Stalt Branch. It stood a full floor above the other buildings, like an older brother in a family photo. Fresh red and gold paint decorated the Guild, a building in denial of age like a movie star with a now-wealthy plastic surgeon. Above the door a sign swung in the zephyr breeze, proudly displaying a circle containing a sword with wings.

    This shouldn¡¯t be too hard, Jasson thought, it¡¯s like going to the store.

    A bell tinkled as Jasson pushed the door open. Or tried to. The door stopped about halfway and wouldn¡¯t go any further. After a couple of seconds, Jasson gave up and slipped through the gap. Inside he found a half-dozen tables, a two-story ceiling with swing-ready chandeliers, and a Mountain jamming the door.

    To be more accurate, the door was blocked by the raised foot of a recliner armchair (size Oversized-Wide). The Mountain was the man relaxed on the recliner, making it look proportionally reasonable. Memorization glinted in the Mountain¡¯s eyes like diamonds sparkling from black stone. The Mountian smiled briefly, as if seeing something he liked in Jasson, and the dark skin around his eyes crinkled merrily. Then the Mountain refocused on the book in his hands, stroking his black beard idly as he motioned Jasson forward.

    Okay, Jasson thought, don¡¯t get bounced. Gotcha.

    Past the half-dozen tables was a long counter made of rich wood. This counter held five receptionist bays, but only one was currently occupied. The sole attendant, a lady of considerable attraction, stood and waved Jasson over.

    Jasson found it difficult to avoid staring at the woman as he approached. Above a docile smile were eyes sharp as paper, the type that cuts across your knuckles when your guard is down. More than that, she was attractive in many ways that an almost eighteen-year-old was quite vulnerable to. She was the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever seen (at least in person) and Jasson felt his mind immediately begin to fuzz.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± the attendant said perkily, ¡°my name is Jane. How can I help you today?¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jasson said reflexively, ¡°Umm¡­I would like to fill out an application. Do you have an online form?¡±

    ¡°Online?¡± Jane said, sitting down behind the desk, ¡°No. We have paper forms, but none which need ''hanged on a line''. Are you trying to become an adventurer?¡±

    Paper eh? Jasson thought, I can do that. I''m staring too much though.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Jasson said, unlocking his phone, ¡°I heard there¡¯s a fourteen-day free trial and I¡¯m broke so¡­¡±

    Good, Jasson thought as he navigated his phone, I have a signal in here. Gotta keep my eyes busy.

    ¡°I can enroll you presently,¡± Jane said, grabbing a form from a drawer, ¡°Can you write your name? Or will you need help signing the documents?¡±

    ¡°I can sign my own name.¡± Jasson said, taken aback by the question, ¡°Although my signature is sus. Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to write?¡±

    ¡°Many can¡¯t,¡± Jane said, ¡°You must have been decently well off as a child to consider education normal. If only you could do sums.¡±

    Jane laughed, then said, ¡°Ah well, just do your best with this. Let me know if you need help reading the longer words. And don¡¯t worry about filling everything out. If you don¡¯t know what to put under ¡®Abilities¡¯ it¡¯s okay. You can complete the rest of the paperwork once you figure yourself out. Just put down what you know, take your time, and I¡¯ll fill the rest out for you.¡±

    Jasson managed to relax as he scrolled, clearing his mind with some wholesome baby videos. Yes, the woman was attractive (even if she was degrading). But he was better than some simp that drooled over everything with amazing- um.... Yeah, he had discipline. Hopefully.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, ¡°How much is the subscript- I mean the fees? Once I get past the free trial that is.¡±

    ¡°The fees consist of two parts.¡± Jane said, ¡°One coin equal to your rank per work day, and a flat ten percent tax on your earnings until you reach Copper Rank. It goes up to twenty-five percent at that point, but you also get access to Guild lodgings and other services as compensation.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What rank do I start in?¡±

    Gold is about twenty bucks, Jasson thought, but what about the others? What coin will be my subscription? Probably lead, right? I can¡¯t think of anything lower than that

    ¡°You will be starting at the lowest Wood Rank." Jane said, ¡°So the smallest denomination of coin in the history of the guild. It¡¯s a pittance to pay, but no one manufactures the coins anymore so you¡¯ll have to pay up front. A single lead coin can get you twenty work days of fees.¡±

    ¡°Wait, lead¡¯s not the lowest?¡± Jasson said, ¡°What am I starting off as?¡±

    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s a Wood Rank,¡± Jane said, holding the form out to him, ¡°There¡¯s ten of them, all worth less than lead. You will be starting in the Wood Ranks as a Driftwood Adventurer. Next rank up is Pine.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, taking the paper, ¡°I see.¡±

    Wow, Jasson thought, that¡¯s worth squat. Twenty days from a lead coin? The gold¡¯s only worth twenty dollars. How weak does this currency get?*

    *(Coins like these exist in many countries which have over a 100-1 ratio with the U.S. dollar. Japan for example.)

    ¡°Just use one of the tables.¡± Jane said, handing him an ink pot and quill, ¡°And be careful of the spilled beer, I dislike sticky papers.¡±

    After finding a table Jasson laid out the application form, the quill and ink pot, and his phone. Jasson still couldn¡¯t read the text and had to use TrainSlate to fill the form out. Thankfully, despite never using a quill before, Jasson found himself scribbling away naturally. Why would he have this skill built-in and not the ability to read? It took him a couple of minutes per question, but there were only a few places he could fill out anyway.

    Shaking his hand out ten minutes later, Jasson stood and stretched before bottling his ink and pocketing his phone. Then Jasson made his way back to the counter and proudly slid the paper towards Jane. Jane looked at the paper, squinting and pulling out reading glasses as she tried to make out what it said.

    After a few minutes, Jane set the spectacles down and sighed, saying ¡°I hate it when I¡¯m right.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jasson said, prickling, ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to fill out most of it. You said that it was okay if-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Jane rubbed her head then plastered a smile on, ¡°Are you sure that you can write your own name?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Jasson said, feeling his neck start to burn, ¡°And my handwriting isn¡¯t that bad! Look, this is J-a-s-s-o-n.¡±

    Squinting, Jane held the paper up to the light. Then she sighed again and shook her head.

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Jane said, ¡°But¡­you do know that other people need to read this form, right? Just¡­.tell me how to spell it. I¡¯ll write your form out for you, okay?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, ¡°No! I just spent all that time filling this out.¡±

    ¡°Well I can¡¯t read a word you wrote!¡± Jane said, twitching the form out of reach and dumping it in the trash, ¡°That¡¯s fine if it¡¯s a signature, but not for the rest. And I¡¯m quite good at this. I would normally be able to read it, even if it was in Mench, but this is some kind of made-up gibberish!¡±

    Recognition dawned in Jasson¡¯s mind like a particularly old light bulb. He¡¯d filled the application out in English, not whatever language they spoke here. Of course she couldn¡¯t read it.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Jasson said, groaning as he swallowed his pride, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You fill it out. Please. My name is Jasson Boar. J-a-s-s-o-n B-o-a-r. Do you need my middle name?¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jane said, scratching away at the paper, ¡°Feeling royal, aren¡¯t we? Your parents even gave you a middle name.¡±

    Two minutes later Jane finished storing the papers in the back and returned to the counter. She seemed less annoyed with Jasson and even smiled as she sat down. Then she opened a drawer in a cabinet under the desk and fished around in it.

    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Jane said, pulling out a round token on a string, ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer now. Advancement is determined mainly in two ways: Time spent on quests and money donated to the cause. ¡±

    Jane tapped a wooden box with a word carved into it below a coin-sized hole. Jasson pulled up TrainSlate and took a picture. Then the robotic male voice said a single word.

    ¡°Tips.¡±

    ****

    Outside the city of Stalt were farms and bloodless killing fields, but go a little further and you''ll find a forest. Jasson did not quite understand what a real forest was. He thought that it was a bunch of underbrush and trees, filled with harmless animals.

    In this case, he was correct.

    ¡°Tipping culture has gotten out of hand!¡± Jasson said as he dug through the underbrush, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that wanted a tip for that. I mean, all she did was write down a few words!¡±

    Jasson sighed, rubbing his back as he looked around the forest floor, then said ¡°At least she wasn¡¯t rude when I couldn¡¯t give her a tip.¡±

    Spotting one of the herbs, Jasson knelt and pulled at it from the root. He wiggled it back and forth but didn¡¯t have a shovel to dig the whole thing up with, instead digging into the loamy soil with his fingernails. There wasn¡¯t any desperation beyond the fact that his muscles were already sore and the day was nearly over.

    But if he brought back fifty of these flowers he¡¯d get five copper coins, which had to be worth enough for dinner. Jasson would sleep on the street since it was summertime, and then tomorrow he¡¯d find a better quest. He¡¯d be okay.

    The flower gave way with a snap and Jasson took a breath of rich earthy air, slight moisture speaking of a rain earlier this week. Jasson added the flower to his pile, almost having the first ten to bring back. He dusted his hands off and looked around for more. Thankfully this area seemed full of these flowers, and it would only take an hour or two to collect the rest.

    Unfortunately, after only ten minutes Jasson found himself on his phone again. Bored, tired, and wishing for a sink to wash his hands in.

    ¡°Blast it,¡± Jasson said, holding his phone high, ¡°No signal. And only that cat video and some games left.¡±

    Reclining beside a rather pitiful amount of herbs, Jasson tried to find a game to take a break with. He could try Do-A-Lingo, and his finger even hovered above the button for a while. But since he had lost his streak Jasson just couldn¡¯t see the point of getting started again.

    ¡°Plants vs Skeletons,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Sandwich Surfer, Crepe Crush, hmmm¡­oh! Punching John.¡±

    It was an old game, he¡¯d basically only downloaded it because his mom didn¡¯t like it. It had a 3D cartoon cat on the screen and you tapped it in various places to ¡®punch¡¯ it. The little cat had various funny reactions, and Jasson felt like venting his frustration.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°What the heck?¡± Jasson said once the app loaded, ¡°Why is this the camera?¡±

    Jasson moved the view around, tapping on the screen. Nothing was happening.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s cap,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What the heck? Is it AR now?¡±

    Then Jasson spotted something on the screen. A pale blue squishy-looking thing. It had a couple dots for eyes and moved like no creature he¡¯d ever seen, hopping around like a gelatinous beach ball.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Is Punching John a slime in this world?¡±

    Jasson tapped it and sure enough the slime reacted, although it didn¡¯t say anything. Still, that was better than nothing. Jasson kept tapping it in various places trying to find the weak point when-

    Splat!

    The slime died on the screen, oozing down into the forest floor.

    ¡°Boo,¡± Jasson said, lowering his phone, ¡°Punching John never¡­dies¡­¡±

    Jasson looked in front of him where oozing into the ground, the slime lay dead. Real and really dead.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Jasson said, looking at his phone, ¡°COOL!¡±

    Flower¡¯s forgotten, Jasson wandered through the forest looking for monsters to kill. Slimes were pretty common, but he occasionally found a rather large and angry bug. He even gathered the corpses together, preparing to resell them. Now this was fun.

    ****

    The doors to the guild were going to close soon. Jasson knew this because the Mountain behind the door had told him. However, that knowledge mattered little to Jasson as he burned with injustice, staring at the unimpressed Jane.

    ¡°What do you mean that I don¡¯t get any money?¡± Jasson said, the whine evident in his voice, ¡°I killed all these monsters! Don¡¯t you have any quests for slime extermination?¡±

    Jasson kicked the bag of bugs and slime. The slime was oozing through the holes as the bag became less impressive by the second.

    ¡°We have quests from farmers.¡± Jane said, visibly irritated, "Perhaps if there was an active infestation, which there isn¡¯t, you might have gotten a reward for this. If we rewarded every idiot who killed a slime, then we¡¯d be beggars in a week. But that''s not what annoys me. You accepted a quest for at least ten Herbal Flowers, and then-¡±

    Jane slammed the table, ¡°THEN you didn¡¯t bring back a single one! When you were practically picking grass! If you¡¯re looking to sell the worthless monster bits then I advise contacting a #*&^  composter you-¡±

    Jasson started angry swiping on his phone, doing his best to ignore Jane as she continued her rant. Jane took a calming breath before she continued.

    Jane said ¡°Although there is no punishment for a Driftwood adventurer failing the quest, you will quickly find that a hungry belly is punishment enough. The churches only feed you once per- ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!¡±

    ¡°Wha?¡± Jasson looked up from his phone, ¡°Sure, sure. Don¡¯t get creative with my work. Gotcha.¡±

    ¡°You-¡± Jane¡¯s demeanor flickered dangerously and some of the pens started to rattle, ¡°I¡¯ll put it simply, so it might slide into that entitled void you call a brain. You ONLY get paid for the quests you TAKE. Now go away. We¡¯re closing soon and the real adventurers need to report on their quests. Security? Grog, will you see this ma- this boy out?¡±

    The Mountain in the recliner snapped his book shut, and Jasson let out a little squeak. This had escalated faster than he¡¯d thought, and now eight feet of massive was glaring at him.

    ¡°Wha- security?¡± Jasson backed up, ¡°Come on Karen, you¡¯re going too far. I¡¯ll go alright. Thanks for nothing.¡±

    Jasson stormed from the building, neck burning as he heard sniggering from the adventurers. He¡¯d had a good signal in there too, sometimes four bars! What had he done wrong?!

    Eventually, Jasson found an alley to slump in with a view of the castle. It was too late now and all the pawn shops would be closed again. Where was a church around here?

    Jasson got the feeling that they would be less inviting than the first one. Small-town churches didn¡¯t have to deal with an endless stream of beggars like the city ones did. But what other options did he have? Even if he could get the coins out of VenGo a hundred dollars wouldn¡¯t go that far.

    Sunset came and went as Jasson fought the burning shame. Suddenly, a glow appeared in the corner of his eye. Squinting in the twilight, Jasson made out the towers of the castle. They were glowing at the tips, like radio towers, and the glow was slowly getting bigger.

    ¡°What the heck?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Is that magic?¡±

    A galaxy of floating lights drifted from the castle towers, making their way down to the streets. It was majestic, like a lantern festival in reverse, and Jasson lost track of the time as he stared. There was something mesmerizing about how it spread over the city like a blanket of light.

    ¡°I guess I messed up,¡± Jasson said to himself, ¡°I¡¯ve worked a job before. This is basically a contracting job. I¡¯ve seen videos about those. Why did I think that they would be pleased with me wasting time? Gathering bits of monster to sell? This isn¡¯t a game.¡±

    Jasson sighed. He knew why. He¡¯d gotten bored, so he wanted to make money horsing around. Nothing would come of an attitude like that.

    After dumping the sack of monster parts into a gutter drain, Jasson pulled up his phone. One of the floating lights had stopped above him like a streetlight, so he had to turn the brightness of his screen up. He¡¯d go looking for a church soon, but before he did there was a TikTik he¡¯d-

    Bzzt.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Jasson said. ¡°Ten percent. I¡¯m surprised it lasted this long.¡±

    Groaning, Jasson turned off his phone to conserve power. If he remembered right, Kami said that he¡¯d be able to charge it with magic. Maybe it would suck power from these floating lights?

    ¡°I really am pathetic,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I can¡¯t even go to sleep without this phone and a snack. This will be my first night going hungry too.¡±

    Jasson looked out to where the castle towers glowed with light. The towers were so high that he could see them from most places in the city, providing a perfect landmark. They were beautiful, and Jasson could hardly believe that he¡¯d spent all day ignoring them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do better,¡± Jasson said to himself, ¡°I¡¯m not the middle child anymore. This is a new life, a new story. I¡¯m seventeen and on my own. No one to look out for me, no overpowered abilities. Just me and a world that doesn¡¯t know what to think about me yet.¡±

    Jasson laughed, chagrined. A little bit of the world did know what to think of him. Two days in and he¡¯d made the prettiest girl he¡¯d met hate him. He¡¯d have to apologize to her tomorrow.

    I swear, Jasson thought, I will make this life mine.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it¡ªthe one from before?¡± a feminine voice came from the shadows, ¡°I¡¯ve been searching for you. I assumed you¡¯d be near the Guild, yet it seems you¡¯ve ventured further than anticipated.¡±

    Her words held no menace for Jasson, and he looked into the darkness beyond the street light. The woman¡¯s outline grew distinct in his eyes as he made out the shimmering white of her dress and complexion. Then she walked toward him, shoes clacking as she joined Jasson beneath the magical light. Jasson sucked in a breath, eyes widening to take in as much of her as possible.

    She exuded warm femininity, and her happy smile lit Jasson up like a light from heaven. She was beautiful in a way that reminded Jasson of walks in the park or a song on the wind. Even the salacious lights and shadows of the Evening did little to change her air of summer days.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson said, shrinking back, ¡°you must have mistaken me for someone.¡±

    ¡°How humble,¡± the woman said, curtsying, ¡°My name¡¯s Clara. You distracted some thugs who were harassing us earlier. I wanted to thank you for that.¡±

    Make a good impression, Jasson thought, roll with it.*

    *(A nigh impossible feat for a teenage boy)

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Sorry, I didn¡¯t recognize you. I have a terrible memory for faces. Erm¡­what did I do?¡±

    Jasson shifted awkwardly on the ground as Clara walked over, pressing himself back into the alley wall.  Clara got close enough that he couldn¡¯t look in her eyes anymore and Jasson prepared to stand. But instead, Clara gathered her skirts and plopped down beside him. Jasson felt himself blush as his thoughts chugged like an overheated old phone.

    ¡°You showed them something on your crystal,¡± Clara said, ¡°something about cats.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, memory striking through the haze, ¡°That¡¯s right. Clever of me.¡±

    They were criminals?! Jasson thought. I thought they were doing a TikTik challenge!

    Jasson Gen Alpha coughed and said, ¡°Why were they harassing you? The normal reasons?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Clara said, puffing her cheeks, ¡°they were black market buyers for an item my sister and I had. They were supposed to pay better than the guild, and we could avoid the taxes by selling to them. But they decided on bringing the difference to only a couple of silver more than the guild would pay.¡±

    Jasson looked down at his phone and swiped, forgetting that it was off. He tried to refocus on Clara, a thankfully easy task, and completely missed the red flag.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Clara said, ¡°We¡¯d have fought them if you hadn¡¯t stepped in, which isn¡¯t favorable. The {minor_plotpoint} gang would have held a grudge if we did. After that we were able to find a better buyer, so we¡¯d like to repay the favor. Well, I say we but my sister isn¡¯t too hot on the idea. But I insisted. You haven¡¯t had dinner yet, right?¡±

    Jasson¡¯s stomach growled at the mention of food and Clara smiled knowingly.

    ¡°Come on now,¡± Clara said, getting up and dusting off, ¡°No point denying it for pride.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to,¡± Jasson followed her, ¡°lead the way.¡±

    Following Clara beneath floating lights Jasson watched the city of Stalt come to raucous life. Taverns roared into full gear and the ladies of the night waved beckoning fingers. Soldiers wandered armorless, snatched up by Lites and Laughter as if by some eldritch predator.

    Sounds like she¡¯s gonna feed me, Jasson thought, I wonder if they¡¯d pay for a hotel?

    Away from the main roads, and after a questionable number of turns, Clara led Jasson to a quietly humming tavern. A sign bearing a flying pig hung above the door, weathered and happy as it watched the guests below. Lit by several magic lights the patrons filled every seat, even the tables outside. The smell of roasting meat drifted through open windows, pulling Jasson towards the entrance.

    To the right of the door leaned a woman who was unquestionably Clara¡¯s identical twin. Except with short-cropped hair, masculine clothes, bandages on her arms, and gloves which glinted oddly in the night. She waved to Clara as they approached, scowled at Jasson, then pushed off the wall and met them halfway.

    ¡°So he came,¡± the woman said, ¡°You better be right about him Clara.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a good guy,¡± Clara said, then turned to Jasson, ¡°This is my sister Petra. Petra this is¡­¡±

    Jasson met Petra¡¯s eyes and stopped dead. The tavern was well lit but Jasson didn¡¯t need light to see her drilling into his soul. He was half surprised that her eyes didn¡¯t glow. If Jane¡¯s eyes had been sharp like paper cuts, then Jasson would need a trauma unit if he got on the wrong side of Petra.

    It¡¯s fine, Jasson thought, I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. I¡¯m not a bad guy.

    Petra groaned and sighed, breaking eye contact as she turned to her sister and said ¡°Clara, did you forget to ask for his name again?¡±

    Clara blushed and Jasson rather courageously said ¡°To be fair, I never offered it. My name is Jasson.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Petra said, holding out her gloved hand, ¡°I can¡¯t say if it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you yet, but my sister did get something right. I owe you a fraction of thanks for what you did today. I personally think that you were being an idiot, but Clara has high hopes for you. Don¡¯t let her down.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Jasson took Petra¡¯s hand, ¡°I wil-aahaha!¡±

    Petra practically crushed Jasson¡¯s fingers, nearly making his knees buckle. What looked like a gem glinted on the back of her glove as she turned her hand indomitably to the top.

    ¡°Petra!¡± Clara said.

    ¡°Whoops,¡± Petra grinned evilly as she released his hand, ¡°my bad. Forget my own strength sometimes.¡±

    Be a man, Jasson thought, not a- Oh wow that hurts!

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jasson squeaked as he held his throbbing hand, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m okay.¡±

    And, oddly enough, the throbbing vanished once he shook his hand out. No harm done then, although Jasson didn¡¯t know what to think of it. Did he have healing powers?

    ¡°Be nice,¡± Clara said, ¡°Did you grab us a table?¡±

    Petra winced and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d find him. So no.¡±

    ¡°Petra!¡± Clara said, ¡°What were we going to do for dinner then?¡±

    ¡°We have plenty of food at home,¡± Petra said, ¡°we would have eaten that.¡±

    Ah, Jasson thought, one of those people. There goes my hotel room.

    ¡°Gods,¡± Clara covered her eyes, ¡°You''re embarressing me! You don¡¯t have to be such a cheapskate, you know? We have a bunch of extra money from the sale. We can afford this once in a while. It¡¯s not even that expensive!¡±

    At least Clara¡¯s nice, Jasson thought, I wonder if they know a good place to stay?

    Jasson tried to scroll again and saw the dark screen. He needed to figure out how to charge it ASAP. Did he have to insert something or would it charge wirelessly?

    ¡°I¡¯ll go see if I can find a table,¡± Petra said, ¡°Force someone out if needed.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Clara said, ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work. Not for long at least.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I really don¡¯t care how nice the food is. What I need is directions to a church. I have nowhere to stay for the night after all.¡±

    They looked at him, and then Petra turned to Clara and said ¡°No. We don¡¯t have any sp- Clara! Absolutely not! We know nothing about him!¡±

    Confused, Jasson tried to Clara for an explanation. Clara looked victoriously at her sister as if to say that this was Petra¡¯s fault and she couldn¡¯t complain.

    Petra held Clara¡¯s gaze for a few seconds before throwing her hands up and saying ¡°Fine! What do I care?¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Clara said, taking Jasson¡¯s hand and sending butterflies into his stomach, ¡°Apparently we have food at home.¡±

 Chapter 5: Acquainted

    Outside the City of Stalt was a mountain. This mountain was once mighty, with a single snow-crowned peak and verdant forests below. Within the peak was a- well it hardly matters anymore. It¡¯s gone now. Now the mountain has two peaks and a near-perfect crescent shape between them, as if someone had taken a bite out of the middle. The Twin Peaks Mountains serve as a reminder of an epoch of lost history, in which earth-shattering displays of power shaped the world itself. And even the mountain was fading like the era that formed it. One peak was crumbling slightly, spilling rubble down the east side. At the base of that crescent curve was a lake, and on the south side of that lake was a house.

    To call it a house would be ambitious. It was a dream, and like dreams the house was confused and unfinished yet unmistakably grand. That dream had been a Manor, a fortress of wealth in the shape of a fat upside-down ''U''. Abandoned before it could reach infancy, forsaken before it could stand at all. Years had turned the bare construction site furry with weeds, the low walls peaking above chest-high grasses. Occasional cellar openings lay filled with water and mosquitos like forgotten buckets. Around the middle several walls stood above the rest in stony stubbornness, the only eye-level remnant of aspirations once cherished.

    Following a floating light, Clara and Petra led Jasson through the foundations and into the high-walled section. After a few turns they arrived at a large opening with a curtain over it and tarps pulled tight above for a roof. It was more stone than home, but Jasson could see that a lot of effort had been put in.

    I thought that they had been in Stalt for a while, Jasson thought, but this feels¡­new? More like unfinished.

    ¡°Welcome to our home,¡± Clara said, ¡°It¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°this is where you¡¯re staying? It¡¯s¡­nice.¡±

    Petra snorted behind Jasson.

    ¡°It has a great view,¡± Clara said, holding aside the curtain that served as their door, ¡°and it¡¯s never stuffy in the summer.¡±

    Clara said that like it was a cheerful line she¡¯d practiced, one of those little lies you tell yourself and others. Like how it was fine that your car was dented and dirty because that means it won¡¯t get stolen. Or how you enjoy seeing your toes poke through your shoes because it meant you got your money¡¯s worth out of them. Silver linings painted on the rusted and worn, making them glint like new. At least from a distance.

    ¡°Thanks¡± Jasson looked up at ¡®the view¡¯ before ducking inside, ¡°That was a few more miles than I anticipated and I have to say, I¡¯m not sure this was worth the walk.¡±

    ¡°Yes it was,¡± Petra said, ¡°For you at least.¡±

    Unsure of what to make of that, Jasson looked around the room. It was a large kitchen, with several wood stoves along one wall and a couple of suspiciously modern-looking sinks. There was a table on the stove side of the room and two other doors leading out, one of which was boarded up. The other half of the room had a pile of supplies on the floor and a couple of mattresses against the wall, as well as another door that had been boarded up.

    ¡°I know that it¡¯s not much,¡± Clara said, ¡°But we keep the beds made and the table filled with food. We¡¯re making progress.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pittance,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯d be ashamed to show you but I doubt that you care. Then again we will be eating standing up since we don''t have any chairs. I¡¯ll understand if you complain after fainting from that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Why would I faint??¡±

    ¡°Well the walk was so far,¡± Petra said, mocking tone grating on Jasson, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to push your delicate constitution. Maybe you¡¯ll have to take the meal in bed.¡±

    ¡°That had to have been over a dozen miles from the city to here.¡± Jasson said, ¡°How was that a short walk for you two?¡±

    ¡°You get used to it,¡± Clara interjected, ¡°Now come on Petra. He¡¯s probably grown up in the city.¡±

    Petra rolled her eyes and said ¡°That doesn¡¯t stop him from being a whiney g-¡±

    ¡°Petra!¡± Clara said, ¡°He is our guest. You¡¯re better than this.¡±

    Petra stopped, then shut her eyes and sighed, saying ¡°You¡¯re right. I guess I- well I¡¯m not sorry. But I am hungry, and that probably isn¡¯t helping things.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Hungry that is. Umm¡­are you- is there anything I need to do?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, ¡°As Clara said, you are our guest for the night. Eat, sleep, eat. Then you¡¯re out of here.¡±

    Clara said, ¡°Unless there¡¯s further invite.¡±

    ¡°Why would there be further invite?¡± Jasson said, looking around, ¡°You guys don¡¯t even have a proper ceiling, never mind a guest bedroom.¡±

    Petra glared daggers at Jasson and said, ¡°It¡¯s not an option and there¡¯s no point talking about it. I''ll start cooking. Clara?¡±

    Maybe I shouldn''t have said that, Jasson thought, But how am I supposed to tell? She seems to hate me on principle.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Clara said, smile making Jasson feel warm, ¡°You just relax. This is our treat. Then I¡¯ll go grab the extra mattress for you after we¡¯re done with dinner.¡±

    Petra snorted and looked Jasson dead in the eyes as she said ¡°You better not get handsy tonight mister ''Hero''. I''d feel bad if I spilled your guts out after feeding you. It would be a waste of good food to plaster you across the ceiling before you finish digesting.¡±

    Despite Petra''s protests, Clara had talked on their way there about how Jasson could stay the night. They had a spare bed, although there was no spare bedroom, so he could stay in theirs. Clara was optimistic as she said this, looking at Jasson with faith that he was trustworthy. Jasson would have felt uncomfortable with Clara''s trust if it wasn¡¯t for Petra. Every few minutes Petra would threaten Jasson by making it clear that every piece of his body was removable. This was the tenth time Petra had blatantly threatened Jasson, and he was getting a little ticked off about that.

    And so, due to the sense of immortality that stems from youth, Jasson said ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try. Your ceiling is a freaking tarp, you couldn''t ''plaster'' me against that. At least say the wall if you want to be overly threatening. Gods, if you were a guy I¡¯d ask if you were compensating!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Petra said, voice dangerously low, ¡°Is that a challenge? Are you gonna be the big man here? Or maybe you¡¯re just feeling lucky.¡±

    Each threat had felt over the top and unrealistic, but now it dawned on Jasson that Petra was serious. Rocks started to float in the air as Jasson saw Clara vigorously shaking her head.

    Ah, Jasson thought as his throat dried, right. #$%^&!

    ¡°Look,¡± Jasson said, mind flailing, ¡°I wasn¡¯t challenging you. I was just making an observation that-¡±

    ¡°That what?¡± Petra said, ¡°That I''m too weak to put a roof over our heads? That it may ¡®never be stuffy in summer¡¯ but we¡¯ll die with the first frost?! That, with all of my power, I still can¡¯t protect my sister from the simple cold?! Go on! What were you going to say? You obviously thought that it was worth hearing. Pick wisely.¡±

    Various things ran through Jasson¡¯s head, a disturbing amount of which was him vividly picturing exactly how a plastered human looked. He''d gotten plenty of examples from the battlefield. Jasson wrestled with his panic and desperately tried to figure a way out.

    I have to understand Petra. Jasson thought. So that I don''t screw this up like normal. This is serious.

    Petra was probably itching to vent her anger and obviously thought very little of him. To the point where she''d kill Jasson if he said the wrong thing, or at least try with Clara there. But no person was randomly filled with rage. Something caused her to feel like this, and all Jasson had to do was appeal to that reason.

    Why? Jasson thought, Look at her sister. Clara¡¯s walking sunshine. And they¡¯re identical twins! Why would Petra be like this? Why would she feel like this? Maybe...Petra is the older sister? Responsibility?

    With a sharp breath, Jasson took a chance.

    Jasson gestured to the room and said, ¡°I think that this...this is enough. I¡¯m sorry for implying otherwise. You have beds and blankets and walls to shelter between when the wind whips coldly. This roof may be scant but I¡¯m guessing that even it was not present a week ago. The first few nights must have been a torture of exposure and rock pillows. Every part of this place portrays progress and dreams, and it warms my heart to see.¡±

    Jasson looked Petra in the eyes and said ¡°I don¡¯t think that I could have done what you did, and I can see how much all this matters to you. It is not yet a house, but with your sisterly warmth, it is most assuredly a Home. I will respect it and be grateful for what small part of this I may enjoy.¡±

    Jasson looked between the two of them, shifting as he tried to read their expression. Clara was grinning widely, but Petra had a cool expression. Emotionless.

    That¡¯s better than the anger, Jasson thought, I¡¯ll take it.

    Breaking the silence Clara clapped her hands together and said ¡°Well done. But dinner''s not getting any closer. I¡¯ll get the wood for the fire. Jasson, want to come help me?¡±

    Jasson nodded and stepped towards the door. Petra didn¡¯t react beyond a brief nod.

    Good, Jasson thought, She''s not angry with me anymore. At least not murderously.

    ¡°Actually,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I need the restroom. Where is it?¡±

    ¡°Down the hall to the left,¡± Petra said, ¡°First door on the right. Actual door, not a gaping hole between the walls. I don¡¯t want you to $^*&# in one of the chambers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But thanks.¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    There was a distinct change in Petra¡¯s tone from before, and Jasson held back a smile as he left. What he had said, wherever that had come from, had been the right choice. Beyond that Jasson even felt a little closer to Petra, as if she¡¯d warmed up to him. She felt like a reasonable person with edges and walls, not a labyrinth filled with traps.

    ****

    Ten minutes later Clara pulled Jasson bodily from the kitchen. This was because, despite Jasson''s recent burst of wisdom, he had missed the signs. Petra wanted to be alone. Apparently, people weren¡¯t supposed to chop meat into tiny pieces with savage enjoyment, especially while glancing at Jasson.

    So Clara, being familiar with the symptoms, led Jasson outside. Then the tour began, Clara dancing in the night as she flitted from ruin to ruin telling Jasson what was supposed to be there. A bedroom, a library, stairs to the second floor. One after another she described what the Manor should have been in her ideal world.

    ¡°Over here was supposed to be the family room.¡± Clara said, walking Jasson around a knee-height wall. ¡°It would have had a beautiful view of the courtyard on one side and the gardens on the other. There was supposed to be a massive fireplace along that wall over there, despite the in-floor heating making it more decoration. The kids were supposed to play on a soft rug made from eastern cotton, confined between a set of enormous sofas.¡±

    Clara walked over to the north side of the building and sat on the wall there, then said ¡°I like to come here and imagine just what the gardens would have looked like if they had been finished. Maybe I¡¯m naive, but I feel like the drawings never did any justice to the dream."

    ¡°How do you know all this stuff?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Did your family own this place?¡±

    ¡°Sort of,¡± Clara said, ¡°You see-um¡­well the thing is-¡±

    Clara stopped and thought for a second, then said ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s close enough. I used to look at the blueprints and the artist renditions all the time when I was a kid. It¡­it was a big dream for our family.¡±

    And for you, Jasson thought, I doubt Petra thinks about it at all

    Jasson looked around at the foundations sticking out of the ground and said ¡°And now all that''s left are ruins.¡±

    ¡°Not ruins,¡± Clara said, ¡°this place never had anything to ruin in the first place. It is barely even unfinished. In most areas only the foundations are in place, and the grass and dirt mostly cover those. What is there to ruin?¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Jasson said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I get it. What¡¯s the difference?¡±

    ¡°This is an unfinished dream,¡± Clara said, looking out to the lake, ¡°But there¡¯s not enough to actually crumble. No ceilings caving in, floorboards filled with rot and bugs, or walls that would tip over with a breeze. After all, we¡¯re sleeping between five-foot-thick walls. So no. This place is untapped potential, a castle with a head start, not ruins.¡±

    ¡°Not-ruins,¡± Jasson said, ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ll call it from now on then. Not-ruins. How are you two planning on building this place? Adventuring?¡±

    Clara shifted then said ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. It¡¯s only been a couple weeks and we¡¯ve been doing dungeon delving and exploration just to make ends meet. But this manor¡­five thousand gold at least. That¡¯s all at once though. We¡¯ll be buying the materials for now and building it ourselves, room by room. At least until we can afford otherwise."

    Clara stared into the distance, fiddling with her dress as she said, "Petra figures that she¡¯s good enough at math to make the joinery and masonry work. I can do the heavy lifting. I just hope we can get enough together in the next few months. They tell me that winter isn''t that harsh here, but it still freezes. We''ll have to work hard to survive before we can finish this house.¡±

    Clara sat, simple dress rippling in a breeze coming off the lake as the moon caught in her flowing golden hair. Jasson was not a poet so he merely committed the moment.

    ¡°I know we will do it,¡± Clara said softly, as if forgetting that Jasson was there, ¡°That¡¯s the kind of world I want to live in.¡±

    Jasson let the moment stretch, eventually pulling his eyes away from Clara. She was beautiful in a way that made Jasson deeply uncomfortable, like his eyes were too dirty to see her. The spell was broken as she leapt off the edge.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Clara said as she disappeared, ¡°I want to show you the fountains!¡±

    ****

    ¡°Sorry sis,¡± Clara hung her head, ¡°I¡­yeah. Sorry.¡±

    Petra looked like she was sucking a Warhead candy as she thumped the stirring spoon against her arm.

    ¡°You,¡± Petra said, turning to Jasson, ¡°How long does it take to cook a meal from scratch!?¡±

    ¡°No idea,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Hours probably.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Petra said, rolling her eyes, ¡°Not in this reality you idiot. Forty-five minutes tops.¡±

    Jasson raised his eyebrows. He wasn¡¯t the most culinarily cunning, but even he knew that cooking should take longer than that. Especially on a wood fire.

    ¡°So,¡± Petra said, ¡°Why is it that I¡¯ve been waiting an additional thirty minutes for the lazy butts who didn¡¯t even help me cook?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want us-¡± Jasson said before Clara put him in an emergency headlock.

    ¡°So sorry sis,¡± Clara said, silencing Jasson, ¡°Shall we start? I see that you¡¯ve already set the table.¡±

    Petra sighed, then said, ¡°Yes, if that would be at all convenient for you.¡±

    Clara let go and Jasson collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

    ¡°Hurry and wash up,¡± Clara said, walking toward the kitchen sink, ¡°Come on!¡±

    They gathered around the table, three of four sides occupied by person and plate. The food was an assortment of delicious if culinarily confusing dishes, including one that Jasson was ecstatic to find.

    ¡°It¡¯s anime meat!¡± Jasson said, grabbing a bone sticking out of roughly ten pounds of meat, ¡°Awes-OW!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still hot idiot,¡± Petra said around a mouthful of meat, holding her own food casually, ¡°the bone is cooked as much as the rest. Don¡¯t you see the steam?¡±

    Jasson looked at the others and said ¡°How come you¡¯re able to hold yours then?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re not a wuss,¡± Petra said, mouth steaming, ¡°Just cut the meat off with your knife. It¡¯ll cool faster that way.¡±

    ¡°Never!¡± Jasson said, grabbing the bone again as he tried to power through, ¡°I will eat this like a man sh-OW!¡±

    Clara swallowed and said, ¡°You better heal him when he gets hurt.¡±

    Petra sighed then said ¡°Fine. Look, me and Clara are fire resistant. It takes more than this to damage us. Just take care of yourself, okay? I got plans for my mana tonight and I don¡¯t want to waste it on an idiot.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jasson said, dipping his burnt fingers in his water and ignoring her insult, ¡°You¡¯re a magic user?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Mage,¡± Petra smirked, ¡°What? Are you surprised?¡±

    ¡°Kinda,¡± Jasson said, ¡°You got all those bandages on your arms, and I can see some scars poking out. I thought you were a melee fighter.¡±

    Petra laughed and unwound her bandages, showing off a network of unique but small scarring. There were fresher injuries as well, with some being scabbed over and a couple having stitches.

    ¡°Simply a byproduct of my craft,¡± Petra said, ¡°Each one from a magical attempt or experiment gone wrong. Magic! There are a thousand ways it won¡¯t work, and I¡¯ve found quite a few of them. That¡¯s why not just anyone can use it. Yes, you need mana, but the ability to develop your mind is critical to actually controlling it. As you can see, Healing magic is difficult to use on it so a mage must master magic or die.¡±

    Before Jasson could say anything Clara put her foot on the table and pulled back a scandalous amount of dress, revealing sport shorts and a gnarly scar running down her thigh.

    ¡°Check mine out,¡± Clara said, ¡°Guy with a giant ax got me here. Wasn¡¯t able to heal it in time to prevent the scaring. Don¡¯t have the money to get it buffed out, and I don¡¯t really want to. It¡¯s cool, right?¡±

    Jasson stared at Clara and Petra put her face in her hands, then she turned to Jasson and said ¡°Stop looking! You can see her knees!¡±

    ¡°A little late for that,¡± Jasson said, fascinated, ¡°besides, that is a really impressive scar. How did it happen?¡±

    ¡°The guy cut through my sword!¡± Clara put her leg down and took a fighting stance, ¡°Just like this.¡±

    Clara proceeded to make descriptive motions and special effect sounds as Jasson watched.

    ¡°So,¡± Jasson said, ¡°If Petra¡¯s a Mage then¡­Clara are you a fighter? You said that you were using a sword.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± Clara blushed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not ladylike of me but¡­yeah. And not some fencing blades, the real deal. I swing swords around that are almost as big and heavy as I am. Not that I''m heavy, I''m the right weight for my age. Um...are you surprised?¡±

    Jasson could tell that she didn''t want to get into it and decided to move on, saying ¡°Yeah, I''m surprised. I thought you had to be smaller for that.¡±

    Petra and Clara looked shocked at Jasson and he said ¡°The smaller the girl the more likely she is to hit like a truck, right? I mean, classically they¡¯d be big beer-chugging and sometimes oddly hairless men, but these days? It¡¯s gotta be shocking to see, and nothing screams creativity like a tiny girl doing a big man¡¯s job.¡±

    Jasson was finally able to pick up his meat and dug into it, talking as he chewed ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, you¡¯re no giant. But you¡¯d barely be petite, and that¡¯s what I expect. Four and a half feet tall, sword twice her size, that sort of thing. Ya know?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you know a thing,¡± Clara said, crossing her arms, ¡°I mean¡­What? Do you know how unusual I am?¡±

    Dang it, Jasson thought, I annoyed Clara. What did I say?

    ¡°I agree sis,¡± Petra said, ¡°I think that he¡¯s an ignorant little twerp.¡±

    Fire exploded in Jasson¡¯s soul at this final insult, and the opportunity to learn was put aside. He needed to prove Petra wrong.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I know stuff about magic and fighting. I¡¯m not stupid.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Petra said, ¡°I bet you can''t name three elements of magic.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I can!¡± Jasson said, ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    It was at this point Jasson realized that, with due consideration, this wasn¡¯t his best idea.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Petra said, mocking, ¡°Do you need a hint? Maybe a refresher course? I''m sure I could teach you. If you begged for it.¡±

    This was enough for Jasson to plunge blindly into the challenge.

    ¡°I know a lot of them!" Jasson said, memory clicking, ¡°There¡¯s healing magic.¡±

    Petra snorted and said, ¡°I should hope so. And?¡±

    This wasn''t the reaction Jasson had hoped for. Pride teetering on collapse, Jasson scrambled to think of another magic. From his past life came the first thing that came to mind when he thought of elements and magic.

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson took a guess, ¡°Air?¡±

    Petra stopped and looked a little surprised, then said ¡°Okay. Not the one I expected.¡±

    What did she expect? Jasson thought wildly, looking around the room. What else have I seen-

    ¡°Light!¡± Jasson said, pointing out the floating lights illuminating the room, ¡°See, I knew three.¡±

    ¡°Fairs fair Petra,¡± Clara said, ¡°He got you there.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Petra said, ¡°I underestimated you. Name five now.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Clara turned to Jasson, offense forgotten, ¡°Come on. I believe in you.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson thought through his answers, ¡°I think¡­Air was one right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Petra said, then seemed to realize her mistake, ¡°Wait. Guess seven now.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Clara turned to Petra, ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair. Jasson, just name five-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Long ago- never mind. That¡¯s six I¡¯ve named.¡±

    ¡°I said guess seven,¡± Petra glared at Jasson, as if personally offended that he would get that many right, ¡°the first six are easy.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But since you changed the rules mid-question, isn¡¯t it fair that you reward me for getting the seventh?¡±

    Petra glared, then sighed and said ¡°I¡¯ll teach you for five minutes. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll give you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± Jasson said, then made his final guess, ¡°Where there is light there is darkness as well. Darkness magic?¡±

    It technically wasn¡¯t even something that existed, just the absence of light, but Jasson had never seen an anime that didn¡¯t have it. After a few furious seconds, Petra¡¯s shoulders sagged in defeat.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Petra said, ¡°But only after dinner, okay? The food¡¯s getting cold..¡±

    I can barely eat it at this temperature, Jasson thought, I gotta get some of that fire resistance. Imagine it, never burning my mouth again!

 Chapter 6: Educated

    Over 80% of people under thirty find that the greatest inconvenience of eating at a table without chairs is the inability to play footsie with the cutie across from them. In this case, the subject was Jasson and the cutie was Petra, so footsie was out of the question. Instead, Jasson felt the urge of 99% percent of all humanity, old and young. That, upon being fed excessively with a meal of great delight, mankind desires to put their feet up and promise that they won¡¯t fall asleep.

    Regrettably, Petra chose this sluggish time to proceed with her lesson.

    ¡°Listen well because I won¡¯t be repeating myself.¡± Petra said as Clara cleaned the table, ¡°Magic depends on three things, all of which are exhaustible. The first is Mana. This is like fuel for the fire and is the determining factor of how powerful a mage can be. Mana can be increased slowly over a lifetime, although it is known to skyrocket after rare life-changing events. You can replenish Mana through rest or special Mana Crystals, although these days most people just use potions.¡±

    Jasson tried to open his phone, whether to take notes or scroll he wasn¡¯t sure. But the black screen forced him to turn back to Petra and look her in the eyes. Then, deciding that the eyes were too intense, looked her in the nose instead.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, handing Clara his plate, ¡°But can we sit down for this? We¡¯re not eating at the table anymore.¡±

    ¡°Wuss,¡± Petra said, walking over to the beds, ¡°Always needing to rest. You¡¯re wasting your Q&A time. You can sit on that one by the way, I doubt Clara will care.¡±

    The apprehension of every boy sitting on a girl''s bed flitted through Jasson, but Petra¡¯s suspicious glare burned it away like fog at noon.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to waste my Q&A,¡± Jasson said, plopping down on the mattress, ¡°Please go on.¡±

    ¡°Only because I have to,¡± Petra said, smiling fractionally, ¡°Glad I have your attention though. Let''s see...the second part of Magic is the Mind. Your Mind. Magic is controlled by envisioning its shape mentally and willing it to do so. If you were to take a Water Crystal and try to fill a glass using magic, then the crystal would pour water from every side and get your hands wet. Nothing terrible, but when you use fire¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Petra said, poking Jasson¡¯s forehead, ¡°You need to envision it perfectly, otherwise it will go wild. My scars are proof enough of that. The more dangerous and volatile the element, the less control the mages have. Beware a Water Wizard, they are often the most skilled at control, no matter the experience level. To be honest, run if you see a Water mage. They have a nasty habit of drowning you.¡±

    Jasson felt chills at the thought of drowning. He¡¯d always felt that, if not number one, drowning was up there as a top five worst way to die. Surely above falling from a great height, although definitely less than being buried alive.

    ¡°And finally,¡± Petra said, reaching into a pocket, ¡°There are Magic Crystals. Manifestation Crystals to be precise.¡±

    Petra took a bag from her pocket and shook it out on the bedsheet, spilling a rainbow of sparkling crystals. Ten of them glinted in disarray, most about the size of Jasson¡¯s thumb. Petra tried to line the crystals up on the bedsheets, but they rolled too easily like cylindrical Skittles.

    ¡°Boulderdash,¡± Petra said, ¡°This is why I wanted to teach you on the table.¡±

    Jasson raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°We can move back if this is too hard for you.¡±

    Petra glared at Jasson, then smirked and said, ¡°As if. I¡¯ll just group them by category so I don¡¯t have to worry about the rest. Where to start¡­hmmm.¡±

    Petra lined up a Blue, Green, Orange, and Clear Crystal, holding them steady as the rest tumbled between her crossed legs.

    Petra touched each in succession and said, ¡°The Base Elements: Water, Earth, Fire, Air. The main reason I lost my bet. There¡¯s no way you would have gotten seven without these.¡±

    ¡°I absolutely agree,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Without those four there¡¯s only six others to guess.¡±

    Petra rolled her eyes and let the crystals tumble as she gathered three more.

    ¡°Oh shut up,¡± Petra said, lining up the next three, ¡°The other Elemental type Crystals: Light, Darkness, and Cold more commonly known as Ice. These are the last ones which are classically called elements.¡±

    They glittered from the bed, facets turning as Petra shifted. Yellow for Light and Black for Darkness. Not quite the balance Jasson had imagined, more of a bumblebee than the diametric opposition fundamental to the universe. Jasson had been expecting white and black, like Yin and Yang. Instead White was for Ice rather than Light. As big as Jasson¡¯s pointer finger and fully opaque, the Cold crystal lacked any patterns that looked like ice. The crystals tried to roll again as Petra prepared the rest, but she caught them this time.

    ¡°Stay,¡± Petra said, then pushed forward the final group, ¡°These are the weird ones. Healing, Gravity*,  and Raw Magic. Healing is quite normal, and gravity seems to move things around, but Raw Magic? There are no limits, and very few people are good at it. I only have a Raw Magic Crystal to complete the set, which is why it¡¯s so small.¡±

    *(Due to its presence in magical theory, Gravity was discovered long before apples were. Not that they understood anything about the nature of Gravity. Most scholars thought there was a giant purple crystal in the core of the world. Since crystals were found in the ground, modern scholars found it much more sensible than some insane liquid rock and Iron core theory.)

    Red for Healing, Purple for Gravity, and what looked like solidified Glitter for the last one. The Raw Magic crystal sparkled brilliantly but was absolutely tiny. The size of Jasson¡¯s pinky nail when the other Crystals were at least thumb-sized. The Raw Magic Crystal didn¡¯t even roll since it was flat, making it even smaller.

    In short, Jasson thought, the crystals are all the basic combinations of red, yellow, and blue. That¡¯s not hard to keep track of, even with black and white thrown in. The only major color missing is brown and¡­Pink? Or is pink considered a lighter shade of red?

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Jasson said, ¡°So I take it that you can only use one at a time?¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Petra said, ¡°but I¡¯m not done explaining yet.¡±

    Jasson rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Go on. I¡¯d hate to waste my time for questions with questions.¡±

    ¡°You little- fine!¡± Petra crossed her arms, ¡°Lecture over. You have two more minutes, ask away.¡±

    Crap, Jasson thought, I don¡¯t have any good questions ready.

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson grabbed his phone from his pocket and tried to scroll.

    Right, Jasson thought, no power. What if-

    ¡°All right,¡± Jasson held up his phone, ¡°how would I charge this? What crystal produces electricity?¡±

    ¡°Electricity?¡± Petra frowned, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson thought then said, ¡°I guess you¡¯d probably call it lightning.¡±

    Recognition dawned in Petra¡¯s eyes and she said ¡°Oh, Lightning. Oh gee. I wonder which crystal Light-ning comes from. It¡¯s a puzzle.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jasson said, ¡°You didn¡¯t even know what electricity was.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a regional word for lightning,¡± Petra said, ¡°I can¡¯t be expected to know every backwater term.¡±

    ¡°Backwater?¡± Jasson said, ¡°It¡¯s the scientific name for¡­well for electricity! Lightning is a type of electricity. Whatever, can I see that Light Crystal? I want to charge my phone.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Petra said, holding the crystal out, ¡°it didn¡¯t cost that much so you should be able to afford it when you break it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to break it,¡± Jasson said, taking the yellow crystal, ¡°besides, I don¡¯t have any money right now.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll just have to work off your debt to me,¡± Petra said, grinning, ¡°I promise to not be too demanding.¡±

    Jasson ignored Petra and held the Manifestation Crystal to his phone. It wouldn¡¯t go in being the size of his thumb, so Jasson held it against the Thunder charger port. Nothing happened.

    ¡°How would I go about putting a small amount of lightning into my phone,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Is there a spell for it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a Viewing Crystal right?¡± Petra said, leaning over as she scooped the other crystals into the bag, ¡°It¡¯s a simple spell. Just imagine that feeling of a static shock and try to visualize it more powerfully. Envision it going into your Viewing Crystal and lighting it up. It will hurt when you do it wrong, but I doubt that you¡¯ll need healing if so. I¡¯m not gonna charge it for you if you can¡¯t manage, so you might get rather sore from this.¡±

    Jasson tried, but couldn¡¯t seem to get the hang of it. Send the electricity into the port and light it up. What was he supposed to envision with that?

    Jasson felt Petra watching him, and then Petra said, ¡°Look, usually Mages use words that encapsulate the meaning of the spell. It helps separate spells subconsciously, which prevents crossover. What do you want to do? Why do you want to do it? What does it look like? What word will fit? That sort of thing. If you pick a good word it can even become iconic enough for others to copy it.¡±

    Most protagonists would have come up with some cool name, power move, or something clever. Lightning Blood Infusion, Electric Awakening, Ionic Ressurection. Jasson, although decently clever, was not feeling like being creative at the moment. He was feeling tired and dirty, and wanted to scroll through his favorite creators instead of listening to Petra degrading him.

    Besides, there¡¯s only one word to use for refilling his phone¡¯s battery and it¡¯s not ¡®Wattage Whirlwind¡¯.

    ¡°Charge.¡± Jasson said, and with the will of mountains and the hope of half a dozen religions, he pushed electricity into his phone.

    Please, Jasson thought, I need this!

    Doot

    The little battery icon popped up saying 9% and charging. Hope surged like a victorious army, triumphantly roaring as they looked forward to a banquet of minute-long dopamine hits.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Petra said, ¡°Nice.¡±

    Jasson said, ¡°I thought you¡¯d say ''getting it to charge on the first try is the bare minimum'' or something.¡±

    Instead of backing off in irritation, Petra thumped Jasson on the shoulder and said, ¡°Well it¡¯s not. In fact, it¡¯s rather impressive. And not because this is your first time casting a spell, but because you didn¡¯t get shocked while doing it. You envisioned it perfectly, not letting an invisible fraction escape elsewhere. On top of that, you¡¯re maintaining the charge subconsciously! As if it¡¯s the most natural thing in the world. I¡¯ll give you praise when you deserve it, not for basic things. This is something worth being proud of, but only for a couple of minutes. Don¡¯t let it get to your head.¡±

    Jasson felt a rush of pride as he watched his phone charge. Petra had given him a real compliment, one he''d earned through actual achievement. Yes, the achievement had come naturally. But Jasson had spent most of his life charging his phone, so why wouldn¡¯t it be natural? This was right.

    Jasson watched, hypnotized as he waited for the charge to increase. Petra stood a minute later, leaving Jasson to discover that his phone charged at an excruciating pace. He didn¡¯t know exactly how fast it had charged in his past life, but now? It seemed like an eternity passed for each percent, and he had to hold the crystal against the phone the whole time. The charge had barely crept over 15% when Clara approached him.

    ¡°All right you,¡± Clara dried her hands off on a towel, smiling, ¡°It¡¯s time for us to get ready for bed. I take it you don¡¯t have any pajamas?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Just my phone and wallet.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Clara shrugged, ¡°well, it¡¯s not like we have our father¡¯s old clothes in the attic. You¡¯ll just have to make do. Come on, Petra insists that you and I stand guard outside while she gets ready for bed.¡±

    Ah, Jasson thought, They need to change clothes. So they¡¯ll take turns guarding me to make sure I don¡¯t try to peak. That¡¯s¡­relieving. Not as much pressure on me, and more security for them.

    Jasson said, ¡°Wise. I wasn¡¯t going to peep, but I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re removing the option.¡±

    Jasson stood from the bed, marveling that his legs weren¡¯t asleep. Clara¡¯s smile disappeared with the realization and she gasped.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Clara said, covering her mouth with her hand, ¡°You¡¯re right! I¡¯m so sorry. I thought she was only talking about guarding in general. I¡¯m going to go tell her that you¡¯re perfectly safe and-¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I could be a sus guy for you. Legit, thanks for the help.¡±

    Then Jasson left the room with Clara trailing, stunned. Now, even in the back of their minds, they would have peace.

    The moon was high and bright by the time Jasson made his way out of the not-ruins, finding the cobbled road which the Twins had first led him down. Clara stood awkwardly by the house behind him as Jasson found a place to sit. The grasses here were cut low to the ground, and Jasson smiled imagining Clara swinging her sword around like a giant lawnmower. A gentle breeze rustled the trees as crickets started their orchestra, and for once Clara seemed¡­subdued.

    Fair enough, Jasson thought as he charged his phone, I¡¯m not the best of people. It¡¯s good that she gets a little dose of realism. Still¡­

    Jasson pushed the thought from his mind and powered on his phone. Hopefully, he could charge it faster than it drained. Jasson noted the time once the phone finally booted.

    We''ll see how fast it charges, Jasson thought.

    It was like a breath of fresh air as Jasson opened TikTik, despite only being off it for a few hours. He had only one bar of service again, and yet TikTik was faster than before. Jasson ran a quick speed test and whistled.  At 25 Mbps, the phone''s data was the fastest since he''d had full bars at the army camp. How was that possible with only one bar?

    Having decent speeds reminded Jasson of a bunch of other things he missed. His six-foot charging cable, soft couches, frozen dinners, and the ability to comment on videos. Jasson missed driving his parent¡¯s car and taking a hot shower with modern soaps, and he especially missed having a change of clothes. In a few months he was supposed to go into his senior year! Jasson had been too paralyzed to ask a girl to Prom all the other years, but he¡¯d been hoping to ask someone this time around.

    Was this really his life now? His ¡®New Life¡¯? He didn¡¯t feel like he had died. Just there one moment, here the next. People knew that he¡¯d died, right? Jasson doubted that they¡¯d been able to recognize his body beneath that semi-truck. Would he even get a funeral? Jasson blew the metaphorical dust off of his Phasebook account and looked up his family.

    There it was. Announced yesterday. Jasson Boar, beloved son, died in a freak accident. Funeral to be held on Saturday, June 29th, and the burial would be on Sunday, June 30th.

    He will be missed.

    Jasson had never been to a graveyard. Oh, he¡¯d passed through once or twice, but he¡¯d never been there. The only graves he knew were the deactivated profiles and final posts from friends and family. Here Jasson sat, hands trembling, staring at his very own tombstone.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡­I¡¯m dead.¡±

    It was like witnessing a car crash you were part of. Jasson was a ghost on the platforms, checking his friends and family¡¯s accounts. Condolences, memories Jasson thought had been forgotten, and so many pictures from his childhood. It was as if his parents had poured out their entire Guugle Photos onto the internet. Everything Jasson ever did was wondrous and missed, cherished moments from an irreplaceable part of their worlds.

    Conversely, Jasson felt his blood pressure begin to rise as his neck burned. Why did it take him being dead for people to finally notice that he existed? There weren¡¯t even any photos of him from the past two years, just the group photos at Christmas and other events. Jasson could barely read the posts and-

    Doot-doot

    Jasson pressed the Light Crystal back against the port and resumed charging. Sixteen percent full.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, grateful for the distraction, ¡°One percent in around eight minutes.¡±

    Jasson would be okay; he could think about his death later. The fact was that he was here. Jasson had a second chance at life so he would make the most of it.

    Without support networks the risks would be high, heck he was experiencing homelessness right now. But everything Jasson accomplished would be his. This world operated by different laws, but he was sure of one rule going forward. Quite unlike his last life, this one would be neither easy nor boring.

    Jasson opened up the DISS app store and looked through the apps. He had a place to sleep tonight and a full belly due to his ''heroic'' actions. Surely that was worth a treat? He¡¯d even learned about magic and started charging his phone. In his last life, he would have ordered Floordash, but in this world there were only the apps in the store.

    Jasson opened up the categories of apps and found the one which had caught his eye earlier. Combat. Inside the category, Jasson clicked on the first app he found.

    MADaptation: The go-to app for casting Elemental Magic with your phone utilizing Elemental Crystal Magics.

    ¡°Cool,¡± Jasson said, ¡°How much- sixty bucks!!? For a phone app??!!¡±

    He was about to search for another app, but the ability to use magic was too tempting. If it cost sixty bucks then it must be amazing. Besides, he¡¯d still have forty bucks left in his VenGo. Jasson bought MADaptation and watched it start installing.

    Jasson felt a hand on his shoulder as Petra''s voice said, ¡°Well, aren''t you boring. You didn''t e-¡±

    ¡°AYEE!¡± Jasson lurched away, ¡°The heck! Are you trying to kill me?!¡±

    Petra was squatting behind Jasson wearing a loose once-white nightgown and an oddly cute nightcap as her pajamas.

    Petra grinned predatorily and said ¡°No, not gonna kill you anytime soon. Unless you go running carelessly out there. I have over twenty traps out there, ready for an unwary idiot to stumble into.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Jasson said, scooting away, ¡°Traps? Where are they?¡±

    ¡°Mostly along the road,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t notice, but we had to swerve a dozen times on the way up here. If you hadn¡¯t followed so closely then you¡¯d be spread over a dozen yards.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jasson said, sweating at the idea, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that seem like overkill? Wouldn¡¯t you want to interrogate them?¡±

    Petra raised her eyebrows and said ¡°Oh? Think you know better?¡±

    Petra didn''t seem to be angry with Jasson so he said ¡°Do I have to know better to have a point? I¡¯m just saying that if someone is sneaking in, you¡¯d want to know why.¡±

    ¡°But if it¡¯s a lot of people,¡± Petra countered, ¡°Like a troop of mercenaries come to kill us, then the trap will only alert them and only take out one person. It would be worse than no trap because we¡¯d be unable to ambush effectively after that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re capable of fighting a troop of mercenaries?!¡± Jasson said, ¡°How many are we talking about? And how strong?¡±

    ¡°Without a doubt,¡± Petra said, glinting with pride, ¡°Probably about fifty, individual difficulty from a scale of one to twenty¡­about a twelve. Although, as we are now we would be pushing ourselves. But get Clara some good armor and it would be easy.¡±

    Jasson blinked, then said ¡°Woah. That seems unlikely to happen but¡­wow. You two are a lot stronger than I thought. Are you secretly some ancient beings that look young and beautiful?¡±

    Petra snorted and said ¡°Of course not. There are people far beyond our strength. Beyond even our scale of strength. Take where we¡¯re living.¡±

    Petra motioned to the twin peaks and said ¡°This all used to be part of a huge mountain with a single peak, but something vaporized the middle in a perfect circle. That¡¯s so far beyond what we have today that it makes the streetlights in Stalt look like a geriatric firefly. It would have been amazing to see¡­¡±

    Clara had already told him about the history of the mountain, so Jasson let the silence stretch as he watched his download finish. MADaptation was done installing. Jasson opened the app and reflexively clicked past the tutorial.

    Dang it, Jasson thought, I wanted to go through that one.

    ¡°Looks like sis is done,¡± Petra stood, stretching out from her squat, ¡°You can come back now as long as you don¡¯t try to sneak into our-¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Jasson groaned, rolling his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t even want to. Clara deserves better than that.¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t?¡± Petra said, voice sharp.

    Every time Petra had accused Jasson, another response had been shoved behind the dam of polite conversation. Being Gen Alpha, it wasn¡¯t a sturdy dam.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you,¡± Jasson said, ¡°You¡­well you¡¯re not attractive to me. I can¡¯t think of you in that way with your constant threats and bad-mouthing. Again, I don¡¯t want to have the option to mess up, but I think that I should be good when it comes to you. No offense.¡±

    Petra¡¯s expression grew cold, and she stalked off without another word. Jasson sighed. He was being honest, but honesty was a good way to be a jerk.

    Maybe I¡¯m just tired of getting insulted, Jasson thought, not that she¡¯s entirely wrong to think that way. Still, it¡¯s good to see her get a bit of what she dishes out so easily.

    Groaning, Jasson stood and tried to work the blood back into his legs. The stone had not been as forgiving as the bed and Jasson¡¯s legs tingled painfully. Jasson distracted himself by looking at his new app. On the screen there was a circle, and inside the circle were words.

    Place Crystal Here

    Jasson checked his charge. Seventeen percent, same as his age. Would that be enough?

    Jasson stopped charging the phone and placed the Light Crystal onto the phone screen, trying to keep the phone level. Suddenly arcs of electricity flashed and exploded across the surface and light glowed from the phone. Jasson watched as the crystal slowly changed shape into something familiar.

    ¡°A headphone jack?¡± Jasson said, picking the plug up, ¡°I haven¡¯t used one of these in ages!¡±

    The crystal was now shaped exactly like a headphone jack, but made of the same yellow crystal and sticking out of the end an inch or so. Like a thumb drive with a headphone jack instead of a USB on the end. The text on the phone read ¡°Insert¡±.

    ¡°Ah, bum!¡± Jasson said, looking at his phone, ¡°You needed to make a lightning port plug for this. Ophone hasn¡¯t had a headphone jack in years. I wonder if I could- I have a headphone jack!?! Yes!¡±

    There, beside the charging port, was the little round port of promise. When had this appeared? Had it been there this whole time? Did it get made just now?

    Either way, Jasson eagerly plugged the crystal into it. It slid in with a familiar click, and the display on the phone changed.

    There were Seven icons on the screen, and when Jasson pressed an icon it would zoom to fill most of the screen. Unfortunately, all they were was icons. No names, descriptions, or help of any kind.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, looking through them, ¡°Gosh. No hints for the symbols eh? I wish I hadn¡¯t skipped the tutorial.¡±

    Jasson picked one symbol that had a tube with a flared end with three lines coming out of it. Like a Flashlight symbol but upside down. Questioning if this was the best idea, Jasson pointed the phone out towards the road and pressed the button. Too late, Jasson realized that he should have pointed the headphone jack with the Light Crystal away from himself. For an instant, the crystal glowed a brilliant white before-

    BOOM!

 Chapter 7: Cooked --- End of A New Home Arc

    Jasson flew backward, crashing against a low wall as pain burst across him like fireworks. Agony seared across his back. Cold flew up his spine. Numb contemplation bled into his mind. The world slowed, a cup filling with dying thoughts.

    ¡°Warning,¡± a robotic voice said, ¡°Death in 17¡­16¡­15¡­¡±

    No! Jasson thought as the voice counted down. Oh gods. Why? It¡¯s my second day! I can¡¯t die here! I know there¡¯s a next life but I don¡¯t want to go yet! I haven''t done anything!

    If Jasson had been able to breathe he would have been hyperventilating like a trapped mouse. Instead, he lay blind and deaf as his body degraded. He could imagine how they¡¯d find him; a hapless corpse of broken bones and flayed skin. The last impression he¡¯d leave in life, just like in his previous one. Helpless. Useless. Dead.

    I¡¯m dying, Jasson thought as the counter reached twelve, Again. I wasted my second chance. Is it my fate to achieve nothing in life? Not a single dream fulfilled?

    Suddenly the world spun and sparkled scarlet as Jasson¡¯s vision came back into existence.  Red light poured over him as he heard a voice scream through his ringing ears.

    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DIE ON ME!¡± the voice said, ¡°CLARA! Watch my back!¡±

    Why? Jasson thought. I¡¯ll just end up wasting everything.

    ¡°I ¡­see¡­anyth¡­,¡± another voice said. Clara¡¯s. Her voice flickered, too dim for Jasson to make out more than an occasional word.

    The cold in Jasson¡¯s chest finally registered and he realized that his heart wasn¡¯t beating. The counter ticked down to ten seconds of life left. 10 seconds remaining. A final countdown.

    ¡°9¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡± Petra said as some feeling ebbed back into Jasson, ¡°Fight! It doesn¡¯t work if you don¡¯t fight! You have a lot to live for, you just haven¡¯t found it yet. Don¡¯t give up before you do!¡±

    I want to believe that, Jasson thought. It is nice for someone else to believe¡­maybe I could but¡­it¡¯s too cold¡­thanks though¡­

    ¡°7¡±

    Jasson feebly made out Petra¡¯s face above him. She really was pretty, with a tiny scar curving across her lip. He reached out, dreamlike as she swayed in and out of focus like a bad camera. Jasson touched her face, then let his arm fall back. Petra caught his hand and glared at Jasson, rage in her eyes.

    ¡°6¡±

    ¡°The gods preserve us,¡± Petra uttered like an oath, ¡°You better not make me regret this.¡±

    Petra moved down, placing both hands on his chest. She paused and took a breath.

    ¡°5¡±

    ¡°LIVE!¡± Petra screamed, and light exploded. It roiled across and into him, filling Jasson with the hot fire of a beating heart.

    I WILL!

    Jasson grasped her healing hand with a heart of zeal, pulling himself like a drowning man claws onto the shore.

    Jasson lurched, gasping desperately as the world fell into place. Details flew together from the reality he¡¯d almost left behind. The rubble dug into his back as dry grass itched at his skin, not-so-friendly reminders that he was alive. Clara perched on a nearby wall, holding a giant sword at the ready, graceful in a nightgown with a large stitch along one side.  Petra was staring at Jasson, moonlight glinting off scarlet dust sifting through her fingers. There were tears in her eyes and, as Jasson met her gaze, an understanding passed between them.

    ¡°About time,¡± Petra said as she stood, keeping below the walls as she tucked the dust in a pocket, ¡°I¡¯m sorry we got you involved in this. They¡¯ll be hunting you now. We should have warned you. Can you run?¡±

    What? Jasson thought, does she think that we¡¯re under attack? Fair. How do I say that it was my fault?

    ¡°Any sign of them Clara?¡± Petra peaked up to look around, ¡°That was light magic, some kind of missile by the sound of the explosion. Decently advanced so we might have to leave the base until we can get the right crystals.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jasson said, the words coming easier than he¡¯d thought they would, ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡±

    ¡°What are you apologizing for,¡± Petra said, guard flashing up in her eyes, ¡°Did you betray us?¡±

    Jasson shook his head and said ¡°No, although that would be less embarrassing. I was trying out some magic and hit myself. Hard.¡±

    Petra visibly deflated and she actually smiled, straightening out and laughing as she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine Clara. This idiot hit himself with a spell. That¡¯s what you¡¯re saying, right?¡±

    Jasson smiled wearily and said, ¡°Yup. Oops. I owe you a healing crystal now.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Clara said, hopping down from the wall, ¡°Jasson, be careful with magic! Didn¡¯t you see the scars on Petra¡¯s arms? I was so worried about you.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± Petra said quickly, ¡°I was glad that you¡¯d be taking the hit for us. Better you dead than me.¡±

    Jasson raised his eyebrows at Petra, who turned away. He couldn¡¯t see much detail by the light of the moon, but she might just have flushed red at that.

    Probably out of anger, Jasson thought. She¡¯s upset that she actually cares about my life.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jasson said, looking at the crystal dust sticking to his shirt like glitter, ¡°Thanks for healing me. It¡¯s¡­wow. Amazing. I feel fine now.¡±

    Jasson stood and examined himself, finding that his clothes were remarkably intact. The wall Jasson had hit was cracked from the impact, yet his shirt had only two holes and a tear in the sleeve. A welcome bit of unrealism since he didn¡¯t have a change of clothes to fall back on.

    ¡°You¡¯re not welcome,¡± Petra said, ¡°You owe us now. Big time. That healing crystal was over two hundred gold!¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I would be dead without you.  I¡¯ll have to find a way to pay you back-¡±

    Jasson felt the reality of what happened set in. If Jasson was to believe the voice then he¡¯d been five seconds away from a full and final death. He¡¯d literally blown himself up on the second night. That was blown up twice in three days, which was bad for his health and terrible for his self-esteem.

    How do I pay her back for saving my life? Jasson thought. It¡¯s not like taking her out to eat would be enough. And I don¡¯t think that she¡¯d appreciate being paid in W-bucks. But¡­it would be wrong to do nothing.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jasson said after a few seconds, ¡°I screwed around and found out. You saved my life. I¡­I¡¯ve never had my life saved before. What can I do?¡±

    ¡°Start with two hundred gold,¡± Petra said, huffing and crossing her arms, ¡°It¡¯s blasted hard to do quests without a healing crystal.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s talking about a life debt,¡± Clara said, nudging Petra, ¡°Come on. Tell him the traditional solution.¡±

    Petra looked at Clara for a long second and then sighed, saying ¡°Fine. You get your way. Paying back a life debt is simple. You either serve them for life, pay off a sum to be determined by them, or save their life in return. So you-¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll have to stay with us,¡± Clara said, grinning, ¡°We need a lot of help going forward and you¡¯ll need to pull your weight and then some. Eventually-¡±

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Clara!¡± Petra said, ¡°He owes his life to me. I decide how he can pay it back. I¡¯m debating monthly payments.¡±

    ¡°Come on Petra,¡± Clara said, ¡°We gotta start somewhere! He¡¯s as good a place as any, and he¡¯s already in the guild.¡±

    Jasson was still determining what they were implying, but this was obviously an extension of an earlier conversation.

    Petra groaned and said ¡°Look, I¡¯ll decide in the morning. Let¡¯s just go to bed for now. It¡¯s late, plus I tapped out all the mana I wanted to use for traps anyway.¡±

    Clara protested but Jasson agreed. The day had already been exhausting. No point in making it longer.

    ****

    For Jasson, Life Debts was something confined within the cheery UI of TikTik or between the pages of a book. Someone saved your life so you swear that life to them. Poetic if cliche.

    But as Jasson tossed and turned for sleep he found those deadly moments flashing in his mind on repeat. His mistake, the pain ripping through him, the helplessness encompassing his whole being. Then the blessed light, a merciful heat piercing through the chill of death. Petra¡¯s panic and concern, her ferocity turned not into insults but into passionate care. She might not have been an angel of mercy, but there was angelic mercy within her.

    Yeah, it had been nothing but death threats for the past hour, but those words lost the sting that once made Jasson resentful. Petra had a lot of pain in her, and it screamed from her lips the moment she thought that he was dying. That deserved his devotion.

    Even if they decide I can stay, Jasson thought, should I? It¡¯s clear that they¡¯ve been expecting attacks. Who are they running from? I will probably get caught in the crossfire if I stay. But¡­it¡¯s not like this world is a safe place. The battlefield made that clear yesterday.

    These girls needed help. They may be a hundred times stronger than him, but they still needed help. It was an odd dichotomy. Jasson was someone who, beyond basic chores, had never been asked to help and never been needed. These were women out of his league in every way. How could they want his fraction of aid?

    What would he be able to do? Could the effort he made actually be worthy of these women? What would he do if he dragged them down, getting in their way or even getting one of them killed?

    On the other hand, Jasson thought, I will get better as well. Stronger. I don¡¯t know what else my phone can do, but I know that that spell was powerful. Then there¡¯s the other apps as well, like Punching John.

    Jasson laughed to himself as sleep finally claimed him. At the very least he could squish slimes and bugs for them. Mister pest control at your service.

    ****

    Breakfast was an education in eggs and early birds. Jasson found, to his great surprise, that he rose early. Even after staying up another hour charging his phone, Jasson had risen with the sun. The summer sunrise woke him as it peaked through the holes in their walls, painting pink beams of morning for Jasson¡¯s bleary eyes.

    Clank!

    Sizzle¡­

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Petra said, ¡°You #$%$&^ dirtwad excuse for cooking oil.¡±

    Apparently, Petra¡¯s fire resistance didn¡¯t extend to frying oils. Petra bustled in the kitchen and the smell of frying eggs tried to wipe the sleep from Jasson¡¯s eyes via the nasal canal. Grumbling, but not loud enough that he might lose breakfast, Jasson got up. He rubbed his eyes and cast his bleary gaze around.

    Could be a nice breakfast. Jasson thought in half-asleep judgementalism. A couple of eggs and some toast maybe?

    As Jasson stumbled out of bed, he was greeted with the sight of a table spread with approximately two dozen eggs cooked four different ways. For three people it was a mountain of protein that had been boiled, fried, scrambled, and omeleted.

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson said, approaching the table, ¡°I like eggs as much as the next guy, but don¡¯t you think this is excessive? It¡¯s just breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,¡± Petra shot back, ¡°And I don¡¯t intend to feed you lunch. Besides, I haven''t even gotten the bread out yet. What you¡¯re looking at is a light breakfast.¡±

    Now, Jasson was not impartial to having four eggs for breakfast when he was really hungry. But it seemed that last night¡¯s dinner had filled his appetite to multi-pound levels. Would she be offended if he didn¡¯t finish his plate?

    Jasson helped as he could, which meant going to the bathroom and leaving Petra alone. When he came back his plate was pre-piled with eight eggs and half a loaf of bread. Despite himself, Jasson felt his mouth watering as his stomach growled.

    I¡¯m gonna gain weight at these portions, Jasson thought, maybe that¡¯s to keep me from running away.

    Petra was kicking Clara¡¯s bed, saying ¡°Come on sis. Get up. Time for breakfast.¡±

    Clara sat up muzzy and fuzzy, hair an absolute mess as she looked around. Clara tried to lay back down but Petra caught her and hauled Clara bodily to the table.

    ¡°Get started,¡± Petra told Jasson, ¡°We have a lot to do today.¡±

    ¡°We?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Am I included in that we?¡±

    Petra was quiet for a few seconds before saying ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Clara perked up, sleep banished as her eyes alighted upon the world, ¡°Oh thank you sis! I love you! Thank you!¡±

    Clara flung herself at Petra, hugging roughly in the way only a sibling could.

    ¡°I know so get off,¡± Petra said, prying Clara off of herself, ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast. Jasson, by your tone I assume that you accept?¡±

    I spent all night thinking about this. Jasson thought. Time for me to Cook!

    ¡°Not a lot matters to me in my life except that I go on living.¡± Jasson said, ¡°You ensured that I could, and so I cannot help but feel strongly about my debt of honor.  It would be my pleasure to help as I can.¡±

    Petra smirked and said ¡°Really? You accept before you hear the terms?¡±

    Jasson hesitated and scanned what he had said, then said ¡°Umm¡­for safety¡¯s sake I must mention that I never directly said that I accepted. What are these conditions?¡±

    ¡°Simple,¡± Petra said, ¡°And since we seem to be procrastinating breakfast, let me get into this.¡±

    Petra pulled out a document and said ¡°I spent all morning writing this up, but I¡¯ll read it out loud since you probably can¡¯t read at all.¡±

    Jasson decided not to mention that he could read, if only with the assistance of his phone.

    Petra coughed and said, ¡°Jasson Boar. Until the day you save our lives more than we save yours, you will be in our debt. For this debt, you will pay it off through service to our cause. This cause is building this House, the very structure of our future. Brick by brick and coin by coin until this house stands proud. Then your life debt(s) will be fulfilled. Your goals shall align with ours, and our dreams shall be yours. Do you agree?¡±

    ¡°Oh sure,¡± Jasson said, ¡°That sounds reasonable, where do I sign- Are you kidding me? Build this whole place?! That will take decades! And I doubt that I¡¯ll ever save your lives more than you do mine.¡±

    Petra grinned predatorily, enjoying Jasson¡¯s reaction as she said ¡°Good. You¡¯re finally thinking. However, decades is perfectly reasonable. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called a life debt. It can be for life. Of course, you could die saving us. Then we¡¯d pay for your tombstone and call it even.¡±

    Jasson twitched and tried to stare Petra down, but gave up and said ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. Clara, I would like a second opinion. Do you think this is fair?¡±

    Clara twisted her nightgown for a few seconds before saying ¡°Jasson, I understand that you¡¯re new. But this is an extremely forgiving life debt. Most ask for the full lifetime, some even require generations, but Petra is only asking for you to stay until the house is done. And don¡¯t underestimate yourself either. I expect you to get strong enough to save our lives soon enough, just not in the ways you expect. And if you really don¡¯t want to stay, then you don¡¯t have to sign. We¡¯re not forcing you.¡±

    Taken aback, Jasson nodded. This lined up right, and Jasson supposed that he had been shocked by the implication of a lifetime¡¯s work. He wanted to retire at forty after all. But¡­well it wasn¡¯t like he was doing anything else. Jasson didn¡¯t have anywhere else he¡¯d rather be and he did love this dream of theirs. It was a beautiful thing, a rise to glory from tragic adversity, and it was a goal leagues above the TikTikers he watched. Most of them anyways.

    ¡®If you don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going, any road will take you there.¡¯ Jasson thought, remembering the quote from social media somewhere. (Alice¡¯s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll 1865)

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Until you don¡¯t want me around I will swear to this contract. Is that enough?¡±

    Petra nodded and jotted a couple of things down on the contract, then handed it over with a quill. On the deeply scarred table, beside a happy plate full of eggs and bread, Jasson scratched his literal life away to a girl he¡¯d only met yesterday.

    This would be considered naive, right? Jasson thought, chagrinned. I guess I am an idiot. Ah well, at least the girls are cute.

    End of A New Home Arc

    <h2>****Jasson¡¯s Status****</h2>

    | Strength       | 100

    | Agility        | 120

    | Intelligence  | 147

    | Wisdom         | 85

    | Charisma       | 90

    | Magic          | 52

    | Stamina        | 91

    | Luck          | 152

 Chapter 8 - Part 1: Get Up --- Goes Around Arc

    The Guild was filled by both morning people and the people that had gotten to morning by the other way around. Half a dozen drunks slumped on tables in the back while a crowd occupied the rest in keen attention. Fifteen or so grizzly men and women had formed a line in front of two overworked receptionists, one of which being Jane from yesterday.

    Oh good. Jasson thought as he got in the line for Jane. I can apologize. Wow. This is gonna be awkward.

    There¡¯s nothing worse than making up after messing up, especially when the argument was with someone beautiful. But it does get easier (if more creepy) when said beautiful person isn¡¯t able to run away. Jane couldn¡¯t turn him away or abandon her desk while Jasson approached, only look murderously at him in the way of a coffee-less cashier. Her brown eyes glinted, ordering Jasson to ¡®not push her¡¯ with an unspoken professional politeness. It was too early in the day for a whining brat of a man, and there was a long line to get through.

    On top of that, the Mountain behind the door had smiled at Jasson with tombstone teeth. A disconcerting experience for anyone smaller than a grizzly bear. The Mountain had searched Jasson¡¯s soul with a grinning gaze, and Jasson felt that little muscle in his lower half quake in terror. Someone had told Jasson that the Mountain¡¯s name was Grog, which fit the size but not the intelligence. How could he think of the Mountain as Grog while his soul was getting a full virus scan?

    Finally, it was Jassons turn so he stepped up to Jane¡¯s desk and said ¡°Hey, I-¡±

    ¡°Do you have a quest to report completion on?¡± Jane said, ¡°Or are you here to waste my time again.¡±

    Jasson took a breath and said ¡°I wanted to ap-¡±

    ¡°If you have no official business with the Guild I advise you leave until you do,¡± Jane said, looking past Jasson, ¡°Next!¡±

    No cap, was I really that rude yesterday? Jasson thought. Why is she so mad at me?

    Wandering disheartened, Jasson found a mostly occupied table in the back. Sitting between a couple of passed-out drunks as he scrolled on his phone, Jasson felt overwhelmed. What was he supposed to do now? Just ignore what had happened and keep looking for quests?

    The Guild was still busy, even after the thirty TikTiks Jasson had watched in line. If anything, Jasson had gotten ahead of the crowd. A rush hour full of adventurers who did not wish to be near cleanliness, never mind godliness. This meant that, despite the beautiful morning weather, the air inside had grown thick with airless heat and rank humidity. As if Jasson was in an overpacked Gym class. The windows were flung wide as humidity condensed on the cold mugs of ale nestled in the hands of rowdy men. Air crystals in the Chandeliers did their slovenly best to move the sticky mass as lightly washed men and women fanned their faces.

    The Quest Board, an extra-long corkboard filled with a dozen flyers, was mildly bustling with adventurers at the moment. These adventurers perused the quests like a dad puttering in the garage, looking for something to do more than something to make money with.

    No real urgency, Jasson thought, yet there¡¯s so many people here. Why? I wish Petra were here.

    Petra had explained only a couple of things. She and Clara couldn¡¯t officially register with the guild or spend a lot of time there. It was too risky so they¡¯d stick to using a mediary, which was common enough practice for criminals from other lands. Hopefully, the Guild wouldn¡¯t be too suspicious and the twins could avoid discovery. So Jasson needed to go to the guild every day and grab high-value quests, hopefully getting ones that would be enough to start construction. Winter was coming after all.

    Jasson decided that he¡¯d go grab a quest after scrolling for a bit. The signal in here was fantastic, the highest he¡¯d ever seen since the army camp. Full bars. Yet TikTik still loaded slower than Jasson thought. Jasson ran a speed test.

    25 Mbps. How? Jasson had full bars of signal but the speed was no better than when he was being guarded by Clara last night. That had only been one bar!

    Jasson gave up understanding his phone and dug the light gem out of his pocket. It no longer looked like a headphone jack, having transformed back once Jasson removed it. Jasson pressed it to the charging port and waited.

    Doot

    Jasson had been charging his phone for hours but all he had to show for it was a measly twenty-five percent battery life. This wouldn¡¯t be a problem if the battery lasted like it did for the past two days. Unfortunately, for some reason, the phone could barely make it two hours now before getting dangerously low on power. Jasson had already drained it to fifteen percent while in the bathroom earlier and was determined to build the charge up to a nice forty percent before the day was out.

    Suddenly there was a commotion as people surged to the Quest Board, standing and swamping together like a mega sale on Black Friday. Jasson looked up in shock as he saw people struggle deeper into the fray. A few people waved papers, quests Jasson realized, over their heads as they wrestled their way out. Someone tried to grab a claimed quest from another person¡¯s hand, and the room was about to devolve into chaos when suddenly Grog was on the move.

    For the first time, Jasson saw Grog stand. The mountain snapped his book shut like thunder from the heavens and Grog lay the book on a side table. Then, with the creak of springs, Grog folded down the foot of his recliner until it clicked into place like a loaded gun. Finally, with a groan so deep Jasson felt his shoes shake, Grog stood.

    Then Grog kept going up. In his past life, Jasson had seen an animatronic version of the world¡¯s tallest man (Robert Wadlow). Grog was like that man, but less ¡®skinny as a rail¡¯ and more ¡®there¡¯s a bit of fat on more muscle than an Olympic weight lifting competition¡¯. Jasson expected Grog¡¯s first step to splinter the wood of the Guild¡¯s floor, but instead it landed softer than a chinchilla. For a giant in heavy boots that would make Mother Goose a mansion, the gentle footfall was a shock. Disturbing even. Suddenly, with two more silent steps, Grog arrived at the conflict.

    By this point, only a few particularly hot-headed men were still squabbling. The rest had fallen silent and turned to watch. Some didn¡¯t move out of the way for fear of losing their place, others lost the game of chicken and scampered aside. Which was hardly necessary.

    Grog reached over the heads of the crowd, not even bothering to shoulder his way in. Grog then plucked, daintily even, one of the squabbling men and lifted him level with Grog¡¯s eyes. The man¡¯s shoes dangled a foot above the heads of the crowd.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± the mountain rumbled in a strange accent, ¡°I can see that you are in a particularly energetic mood today Jeffery. Your enthusiasm sometimes does you credit. But not this time. This guild operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Any violation will see your privilege revoked. Oh! I see that you have a violation in your hands. Care to give it back?¡±

    Grog moved Jeffery like a doll, positioning him in range to hand the quest back to the original owner. Jeffery did so with considerable alacrity.

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    Grog lifted Jeffery up again and said ¡°Good. Additionally, as I keep telling everyone; any fracas or disorderly conduct that exceeds the statute of limitations will incur a penalty. This penalty will have you removed from the premises at the end of my boot. In that event, I will personally throw you from the premises and you may be allowed to petition the Guild once you sail back across the channel.¡±

    Wow, Jasson thought, it¡¯s not like I expected single-word grunts but¡­dang. I thought he¡¯d be less talkative.

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jeffery said, ¡°Channel? Do you mean the moat around the city? Like ¡®I¡¯ll throw you out so far that you¡¯ll clear the moat¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Did I say moat?¡± Grog looked around, ¡°I do not believe that I said moat. I said channel. A channel is a length of water wider than a strait</a>, joining two larger areas of water, especially two seas</a>. It¡¯s basic nautical knowledge. I was threatening to throw you all the way to Mance across the Greenish channel. That¡¯s hundreds of miles, not the scant quarter of which it would take me to throw you past the moat. Honestly, the education system these days is shameful.¡±

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Jeffery said, ¡°We don¡¯t have an edyoukaychion system.¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right,¡± Grog sighed, ¡°I keep forgetting. Well, I trust you to get along nicely now. Go on.¡±

    Grog lowered Jeffery to the ground, then turned his back to the rest. Order had been restored and Grog walked back to his recliner. This time his footsteps sounded against the planks like great mallets of leather. With another groan, Grog sat and put his feet up again before grabbing his book.

    ¡°You there,¡± Grog motioned to Jasson, ¡°Bring me a fresh one from the bar. This morning is proving to be a headache.¡±

    Jasson had never noticed a bar in the guild, only the people nursing drinks. This was an undesirable state as Jasson¡¯s monkey brain was telling him to do what the Gigantopithecus said as quickly as possible. Jasson looked around, panicking slightly as he saw no signs of either bar or fresh one.

    ¡°It¡¯s down the hall to the left,¡± Grog said, ¡°That connects us to the Guild Tavern next door. They don¡¯t advertise it with a paint job, but we have our own bar. Red and gold are work colors, not resting ones. Go on, tell them Grog sent you. They¡¯ll charge me later.¡±

    Giant men have a distinct advantage when it comes to giving orders to random people. Namely that the deep voice bounces between the halves of the brain, knotting the organs into an origami of compromise.

    Fair enough, haha,  Jasson thought, He¡¯s got a book to read and I¡¯ve got nothing to do. And it¡¯s hot, so of course he needs a drink. Haha. Who am I to judge a twelve-foot-tall man who wants to drink beer in the morning?

    Jasson found the hallway easily enough, and as he passed through he recognized a couple of doors.

    ¡°Ooh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°this is where the bathrooms are.¡±

    Jasson kept going through the short hallway, emerging into a low-ceilinged room thick with sticky-sweet humidity. Like the quest side of the Guild, tables filled the Guild Tavern in almost every corner. Except instead of a refined and ordered counter there were a dozen barstools along a polished bar of dark wood. Behind the counter was a thickly mustached bartender who nodded to Jasson.

    Jasson approached the bar and the barman said ¡°You look a little young for drinks and too nervous for food. I take it Grog sent ya?¡±

    Feeling like a little kid, Jasson nodded. Then, as if to reclaim his pride, Jasson said ¡°I¡¯m almost eighteen. I turn eighteen in September.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± The barman said, ¡°Our legal age for drinking is half a beard and twenty-one years. No idea why it¡¯s so old when people are considered adults at sixteen here, but that¡¯s just the way it is from the powers that be.¡±

    Jasson nodded and the barman reached below the counter, pulling out a five-gallon tankard. Then the barman bustled, whistling while mixing bottles and other ingredients into the massive flagon. Jasson realized that he would have to carry it with both hands and he started flexing his fingers as it kept filling. Shouldn¡¯t the barman leave it less full? It¡¯d slop over at this rate.

    ¡°Here,¡± the barman said as he latched a lid onto the top, ¡°Just don¡¯t take a sip of it. Grog has resistance to poisoning, so the alcohol content has to be off the charts. I¡¯m surprised he asked for this though. Usually, he wants tea in the morning.¡±

    ¡°There was a¡­uh¡­fight?¡± Jasson said, trying to maneuver the tankard. It weighed fifty pounds at least.

    ¡°That would explain it,¡± the barman said, ¡°Now I¡¯m sad that I put such quality ingredients into this one.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Jasson said, lifting the tankard onto his hip.

    ¡°Because,¡± the barman leaned over, ¡°He¡¯s just trying to intimidate the adventurers, not actually get soused. His drunken rage is infamous, see? So they¡¯ll tread lightly and he¡¯ll heal off when they¡¯re not looking. I keep arranging code words for him, but he never remembers to use them. Always has his head in a book. Ah well, there¡¯s more where this came from for tonight. Off with ya.¡±

    Jasson staggered back towards Grog, the handles biting into his fingers as he got into the hallway. Jasson set the tankard down and huffed, shaking the blood back into his hands. They needed some kind of dolly for this, or maybe a cart. Once Jasson felt ready he found a better grip and put his back into it, waddling back into the quest side of the guild. When he got in the room Grog pointed at him.

    ¡°Come on boy,¡± Grog said, ¡°It¡¯s been an age. Don¡¯t dally.¡±

    Irritation tends to disappear in the face of a water-bottle-sized finger, and Jasson somehow managed to carry it all the way to the foot of Grog¡¯s table. Before Jasson could throw his back out and lift it on top of the table, Grog snatched it casually and popped the lid off with his thumb. Grog took a deep pull, then groaned and sagged back into his chair.

    ¡°That¡¯s the stuff,¡± Grog eyed Jasson, ¡°These trouble makers have a man going to the pint before the sun has made its welcome known. You¡¯re not gonna join them are you?¡±

    ¡°No sir,¡± Jasson said, butt clenching as the giant leaned too close towards him, ¡°I learned my lesson. Just want to apologize to Jane and keep my head down.¡±

    Oh dang, Jasson thought, his breath smells like pure liquor.

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve grown fractionally wiser,¡± Grog said, grinning with tombstone teeth, ¡°you were close to getting in trouble yesterday. You want to apologize to Jane, right? She might be rushed right now, but she gets off at the hour. They called her in because the other attendants called out sick.¡±

    Grog took a pull then said ¡°Of course, everyone knows that they¡¯re just attending a baby shower. You might lose your eyebrows if you go talk to her when she gets off, or at worse find your ears falling off. Of course, if it comes to that then we¡¯ll heal you up. So it¡¯s probably worth the risk since she won¡¯t kill you instantly.¡±

    Jasson felt that this was perhaps not the best idea.

    ¡°Is there any other way?¡± Jasson said.

    Grog shrugged and said ¡°She¡¯ll probably split shift and come back in the evening. If you can finish a quest by then, you might be able to apologize when she¡¯s not able to hurt you. You might even make up for your fracas yesterday, putting you one step closer to Pine Class.¡±

    Jasson walked to the board, stepping on scattered fragments of paper as he perused his choices. Unfortunately, Jasson couldn¡¯t read. He tried to use TrainSlate, but text came out of order unless he scanned and waited for every single one. Giving up, Jasson grabbed one at random. He just needed to complete a quest. Besides, he could just put it back if he didn¡¯t want to take it, right?

    Jasson had his phone read it. Basically, it was a pest extermination task for a family¡¯s attic, with a copper coin per head and one silver on completion.

    Jasson shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Now¡­how the heck do I find ¡®The Harrisons by the baker on Cogswick Street¡¯?¡±

 Chapter 8 - Part 2: Buck Up

    Navigating the city of Stalt was an affair of instinct, both in the way to go and to whom one should ask for directions. Optimally one walks in a direction that feels right and stumbles upon a well-versed local who specializes in where everything is and can tell a unique yet poignant story for even the most overlooked of places. In the worst-case scenario, the wandering wayman might call to a confident warrior with green hair and three swords, thinking that anyone so manly would surely know which way to go.

    Jasson found extreme anxiety in asking random people for directions, so he tried to find the most approachable people to do so. These were largely sweet old ladies, who would indulge in a tale while giving nostalgia-filled directions to the baker on Cogswick who they swore was a freshly born baby only yesterday.

    So it was that Jasson arrived at the front door of the baker on Cogswick, whose loaves were cooling beautifully in the morning sun. As Jasson watched, a man in a flour-dusted apron emerged from the back with a steaming pie and slid it onto his display shelf. Jasson¡¯s stomach rumbled, but not in hunger. Petra¡¯s cooking sat in his stomach like a greasy Atlas Stone, and the sight of even more food nauseated him.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Jasson said as he held out the quest flyer towards the baker, ¡°I¡¯m looking for the Harrisons?¡±

    ¡°Eh,¡± The baker coughed to the side and a plume of flour spewed forth, ¡°Oh. Right next door but around the other side.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, watching the man wave away the cloud, ¡°Umm¡­What?¡±

    The baker slapped his hands together, spraying flour onto Jasson as he said ¡°In the back. They¡¯re my backdoor neighbors. So go all the way around the block.¡±

    Jasson nodded and backed away before the flour-fog could engulf him. He rounded the block and tried to count the houses in an attempt to find the Harrisons. Every house looked the same, built wall to wall like some kind of medieval condominium complex. Jasson was about to ask for directions again when a kid ran up to him.

    ¡°Hey mister,¡± the boy said, ¡°Are you here for our quest? Mama said to look out for an adventurer. Said that they¡¯d look weird.¡±

    The boy couldn¡¯t be more than ten, and Jasson briefly wondered why the boy wasn¡¯t in school. Then Jasson remembered what the troublemaker this morning had said. That there wasn¡¯t an education system in Stalt, and so no school for the beaming boy.

    ¡°I got this quest,¡± Jasson held out the paper and said, ¡°Recognize it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± the boy said, pointing at the paper, ¡°That¡¯s our name! Harrisons.¡±

    Jasson nodded and said ¡°Your mom told you to keep watch then? What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Ethan,¡± The boy said, straining to stand taller, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, mister. Mama said to come on in. Also that she¡¯s making lunch after you finish and said you¡¯re welcome to eat with us.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Jasson said, ¡°That¡¯s great th-¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± The boy said, bouncing down the road, ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer right? Have you killed anyone?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Jasson said, following the boy, ¡°this is my second quest actually.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± the boy stopped bouncing, ¡°Aww¡­I was hoping for someone cool.¡±

    Jasson smiled as he followed the boy and thought. Yeah. I should be able to finish this. No problem.

    ****

    An hour later and Jasson was back in the guild, burning with shame and cold fear as he tried to return the ¡®easy¡¯ quest. He fumbled with the tack, balancing it against the paper as he tried to pin the quest back up. Pushing, Jasson tried to force the pin through the quest but it was like the paper was made of steel. There was some kind of magic keeping him from putting it back up. Jasson could feel the eyes of Grog on him as an attendant left her desk and hurried up to Jasson.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± the attendant said, ¡°only selected staff can post to the quest board.¡±

    ¡°Then you do it,¡± Jasson said, breathing heavily, ¡°I¡¯m not doing this quest. What¡¯s your return policy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that that isn¡¯t an option,¡± the woman said, flinching, ¡°in order to-¡±

    ¡°Listen,¡± Jasson barely kept his voice level as he turned to the attendant, ¡°I thought that ¡®extermination¡¯ would be at worst giant rats. Yeah, I thought rats in the attic was a little weird but I never would have taken it if I thought-¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± the woman said, ¡°You can¡¯t just return it like some unopened toy. We have to-¡±

    ¡°It was a GIANT SPIDER!¡± Jasson said, voice cracking, ¡°Now I may admit that I have a bit of a phobia, but it is not a terrible one okay. But this spider? It¡¯s huge! I saw it! It¡¯s the size of a dog and not one of the annoying small ones. A corgi at least. Do you call that a pest here? I need a warhead to kill this thing, not a newspaper! I don¡¯t even have a sword because I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d need one for bugs.¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t have a sword then how did you expect to kill giant rats?¡± The attendant said.

    Jasson hesitated. He¡¯d been expecting to use the Punching John app, which probably could have worked. But once the Harrisons had said ¡®spiders¡¯ and given him an admittedly enormous rolled-up newspaper, Jason¡¯s thoughts had had a hard time congealing. He¡¯d followed numbly, propelled by the hopes of women and children. It didn¡¯t occur to him to get his phone out, let alone question why people would hire an adventurer for a mere dinnerplate-sized monstrosity of speed.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Instead, Jasson had pushed the trapdoor open only to see what he hoped was a prank video. One of those videos where they dressed a corgi in a spider costume and let them run around corners and such. Technically it could have been a dinnerplate-sized spider, if the dinnerplate belonged to a jolly Mexican half-giant named Jagrid from Parry Hotter.

    Then it had charged. Slamming the trap door down, Jasson squealed from head to shoes as he fled. Someone else needed to complete this quest, preferably with a full set of armor.

    ¡°Look,¡± the attendant said, ¡°We can reprocess the request, but you¡¯ll have to pay out the quest reward yourself. It¡¯s policy to prevent quest scalping.¡±

    ¡°Scalping?!¡± Jasson said, ¡°It was one quest! And how are people supposed to take a closer look at it? Did I accept the quest the moment I took it from the board?¡±

    There were footsteps and Jane¡¯s sharp voice came to the aid of the attendant, making Jasson flinch.

    ¡°The enchantment diminishes the moment it leaves the building,¡± Jane said, approaching from behind Jasson, ¡°So either pay for the quest or go out and do it. I¡¯m on my lunch break and I don¡¯t want to listen to you whine.¡±

    Oh great. Jasson thought. I didn¡¯t even think to look for Jane. But this is different! I am not qualified or capable of completing this job.

    ¡°Please,¡± Jasson said, turning to Jane, ¡°I can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m terrified of spiders. The thought alone makes me want to puke.¡±

    Jane stood, hands on her hips as she glared at Jasson. Her eyes softened when Jasson said that he was scared, and she frowned.

    Jane said ¡°I understand. But those are the rules. You could go talk to the family and get them to repost the quest. It might get done today, but if it doesn¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t imagine that they¡¯re sleeping peacefully with that above them. From your description, it sounds like a hunting spider. They chase down prey and bite forcefully, but rarely have deadly venom. Don¡¯t worry too much about dying from them, they do about as much damage as a dog that size with hypodermic fangs.¡±

    Jasson shivered and said, ¡°Not helping.¡±

    Jane sighed then said ¡°If it makes you feel better, this type of spider tends to be alone. And because they¡¯re so big you¡¯re able to put a chair between you and they won¡¯t get around. Just keep hitting them until they run away and hide, then corner the spider and keep going. They¡¯ll die before you realize it, and the Guild offers a clean-up service complimentary to all quests. You¡¯ll never even have to touch it.¡±

    Jasson nodded and stepped away from the board, then folded the quest back up and stuck it in his pocket.

    ¡°Do you need to rent a sword?¡± Jane said, ¡°It¡¯s two copper pieces for the day.¡±

    It looks like she¡¯s not angry with me anymore, Jasson thought, I should still apologize later though.

    ¡°No thank you,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯ve got a different way.¡±

    Jasson left the guild, his panic falling to a reasonable rumble in his chest. He had to do this, and he couldn¡¯t even go to the twins for help. Petra and Clara would be able to handle a spider easily, but they said to only contact them with a quest that required their skills. It was hard to imagine needing Clara¡¯s massive sword in that attic. Jasson just needed the courage to fight.

    The Harrison¡¯s was a house in need, a home whose family was threatened by a horrifying spider above the heads of their children. Two girls that hid shyly behind a door. A boy named Ethan who was genuinely excited to see Jasson of all people.

    Even Jasson¡¯s little siblings weren¡¯t like that. At least, not Allyxander who barely talked to him. Although, the youngest Madysyn felt pretty close to Jasson. Or at least she watched all the videos Jasson sent her.

    Where it had once taken a couple of hours, it now took a bare thirty minutes to reach the Harrisons. Jasson stopped in front of their door, impressed that he¡¯d only gotten turned around a couple of times. As Jasson looked at the building, he felt his stomach drop.

    Oh crap. Jasson said. Am I really gonna do this by myself? What¡¯s my plan?

    Jasson felt most comfortable with using the Light crystal, especially since MADaptation would easily destroy the spider. It had destroyed Jasson after all. But, after a few minutes of excuses, Jasson was forced to admit that shooting a missile into an attic would be a good way to make Jane angry. Worst case scenario it set the place on fire and burned down the entire block.

    No, Jasson would have to make do with Punching John. It wasn¡¯t the highest damage output, but he would be able to use it from a distance without missing. Maybe he¡¯d do what Jane said and stick a chair in the way, hitting it as it tried to attack him. Heck, maybe he could just keep the attic trap door mostly closed. The body was the size of a corgi after all, so it wouldn¡¯t fit through a one-inch gap.

    Hopefully. You never know with spiders.

    Jasson shivered at the thought of that spider trying to fit into the gap, long legs sliding through as it tried to pull itself further in. Closer to him.

    ¡°Ayeehurg!¡± Jasson flinched, ticking as he tried to get the thought out of his head.

    It is a sad thing when one can¡¯t use explosives against spiders.

    ****

    ¡°Thank you for coming back,¡± The mother, Elizabeth, said, ¡°My husband Harry is still at work so we won¡¯t be able to repost the quest until tomorrow if you can¡¯t do this. I know the reward isn¡¯t much, but the children have been having trouble sleeping with all the rustling.¡±

    ¡°I would as well,¡± Jasson said, sweating, ¡°I¡­Well, I¡¯ll be pretty noisy about it. A lot of screaming. If you hear a loud thud, please come save me I¡¯m either feinted or dead.¡±

    The kid that had welcomed him earlier, Ethan, tugged on Jasson¡¯s arm and said ¡°Are you scared mister?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But it¡¯s okay to be scared for money.¡±

    Ethan nodded and followed Jasson up to the attic, sticking his tongue out at his sisters peeking from another room. Someone had cast a magical light in the attic, and it shone around the cracks of the trapdoor just like before. Jasson took a breath, then turned to the mother.

    Jasson said, ¡°Do you have a chair I can freehand?¡±

    A couple of minutes later Jasson had a children''s chair in one hand and his phone in the other. Jasson had tucked his shirt in and tucked his jeans into his socks, knowing that it was useless against a spider this big but still feeling better for it.

    Now, as reasonably spider-resistant as he was going to get, Jasson pushed open the trap door and poked the chair in. Punching John was open and ready, and so it was that Jasson saw the spider first on the screen as he poked the camera around the chair.

    There it was, the size of Jagrid¡¯s dinner plate, looking into Jasson¡¯s soul with evil eyes above hand-sized fangs that¡­ didn¡¯t drip with venom. Something this evil should have dripping fangs, but these were just curved back knives of carapace. The eyes stared, waiting for Jasson to run like all the others.

    Things were different this time. Jasson could move, and if he kept moving then he¡¯d win.

    Jasson prayed. He didn¡¯t know to what god, apparently there was a buffet of them here, but he prayed the prayer of the common man. Usually a husband.

    Please heavens above, Jasson thought, don¡¯t let this be a jumper.

 Chapter 9 - Part 1: Gang Up

    The spider loomed, deceptively still, and Jasson scarcely breathed. Some part of his mind started counting the eyes of the nightmare, a morbid interest in facts ticking away the time eye by eye.

    Seven, Jasson could breathe. At twelve Jasson could move again. At sixteen eyes Jasson could fight, fingers twitching onto the screen in a drumroll of fear.

    In the fervent manner of someone who was raised on click-to-win games, Jasson went to war on his screen. And, to the great horror of all arachnophobes hoping that the spider was a Halloween decoration, it reacted.

    Jasson screamed and threw the chair at it, getting in a few final taps before buckling and pulling the door closed above him. The scuttle of too many legs drummed above Jasson¡¯s head and disappeared behind him.

    ¡°Did you get it?¡± The mother said as Jasson desperately held his bladder, ¡°Is it dead?¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t sound dead,¡± Jasson squeaked, ¡°Umm¡­I don¡¯t think the chair worked.¡±

    ¡°That was awesome!¡± Ethan said, ¡°It sounds so big! Are you gonna finish it off?¡±

    The kid looked nothing like Jasson¡¯s siblings, not that Jasson had ever defended his siblings. Maybe this swell of protectiveness was his subconscious making up for that. A real threat, a real child. And, perhaps, a real hero.

    ¡°It sounds like terror incarnate,¡± Jasson looked into Ethan¡¯s hopeful eyes, ¡°But¡­Yeah. I¡¯m gonna finish it off.¡±

    I must be crazy today, Jasson thought.

    Taking a breath, Jasson looked at his phone. The Punching John game had a number on the corner.

    Since when did this game have hit combos? Jasson thought. Still¡­ forty-two is pretty good. Especially while using two fingers.

    Before he could stop himself, Jasson pushed open the attic door. This spider was horrifying but thankfully it was not a jumper. Jasson scanned the room through the bare inch of a gap, flicking from place to place before he shivered from to the top of his head to- well. You know where.

    There was a strange little tube right beside the opening, and Jasson leaned closer to see what it-

    Suddenly the tube curled and Jasson screamed, ducking down again. Jasson saw the family watching him and smiled desperately. As long as he didn¡¯t count the screaming and tiny leak, he was still in the running to be a hero to this kid.

    I want to use the bathroom, Jasson thought, But if I go I¡¯ll never come back. It has to be now or never.

    ¡°Just a leg,¡± Jasson said, tears of terror streaming down his face, ¡°I knocked one off. Erm¡­can I get something to push it away with? I think the spider has gone into hiding.¡±

    Elizabeth sent Ethan to fetch the fire poker, which Jasson felt they should have led with the first time instead of handing him a newspaper. The kid returned and Jasson gave it a few experimental swings. The poker wielded better than the chair but Jasson could feel the handle rattle as he swung it. This was a terrible weapon.

    ¡°It''s mostly decorative,¡± Elizabeth explained, ¡°We use heating crystals, so our fireplace isn¡¯t used that often. Usually for the Winter Feast when the kids want to open presents by the fire.¡±

    How picturesque, Jasson thought, although not any better for me. I shouldn¡¯t rely on this thing unless the big guy corners me.

    ¡°This will do fine,¡± Jasson held up his phone, ¡°I¡¯m just using it to poke around.¡±

    Jasson eased the door open and shoved the leg of terror away from the opening with the poker. He watched it tumble into the distance, then Jasson broke his gaze away to scan the surroundings. He was peaking through a few inches of the open trap door, hoping to see the spider but unable to see directly behind or *shudder* above him.

    If the spider was in front of the door like before, then surely he¡¯d be able to land a few more hits. Do that enough times and it would be dead. He wouldn¡¯t need to climb up into the attic after all. But all Jasson saw were boxes and crates, some chests and chairs, and an old rocking horse.

    There¡¯s always a rocking horse, Jasson thought, and- yup! Creepy dolls sitting on a chest, cobwebs strung between them. Fantastic. Why don¡¯t people ever put dolls inside the wooden chest for safekeeping? Preferably with a strong lock. Ah well, at least I¡¯m not here for ghosts.

    Jasson prayed that the spider wasn¡¯t waiting in ambush from the ceiling, and pushed the trap door all the way open. After a tense moment void of the scuttle of doom, Jasson forced himself to look up. Nothing. With knees that had all the structural integrity of a third-world government, Jasson climbed the steps into the attic. Keeping his head on a swivel, Jasson checked every blind spot the moment his imagination filled it with craven carapace. Once Jasson climbed halfway up, he twisted to see behind the now vertical trap door, bladder threatening to make him the talk of the town.

    Safe.

    I don¡¯t have enough eyes for this, Jasson thought, not by far!

    Once he¡¯d finished climbing up, Jasson looked to where he¡¯d hit the spider. Four legs lay curled in a trail leading straight to the trap door. Jasson shivered, revulsion coming across him* and he dearly hoped that this was as big as spiders got in this world.

    *(Detached limbs carry a portion of the terror inflicted by the original owner. This is expressed with the following equation: If Received Terror=T, the number of legs=L and the raw fear of the original owner on a scale of 1 to 10=f. Then: T=f/2+L, plus or minus the number of screams within a five-second period.)

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Then again,¡± Jasson said, contemplating the size of the spider¡¯s leg, ¡°it could be a baby.¡±

    As if he didn¡¯t have enough to be paranoid about. Jasson shivered and shut the trap door, cutting off his escape but protecting the family below. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d be safe if he dove through the opening.

    Shaking, Jasson used the poker with his left hand as he started the search. He tapped experimentally on his phone, noting how the Punching John app didn¡¯t move any boxes or dolls. Apparently, Punching John only worked on living things or threats of some kind. Jasson kept looking, pulling boxes aside with the poker¡¯s hook and tapping everything in the room with his phone. Quite a few normal spiders squished, but he wasn¡¯t able to find the wounded fiend.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Jasson said, hair standing as he twitched, ¡°What¡¯s worse than a huge spider you can see? One you can¡¯t. #%^&. It¡¯s a pissed-off amputee.¡±

    It could be anywhere.

    Jasson tucked the fire poker under his arm and held his phone in his left hand. Now free to use all the fingers on his right hand, Jasson started drumming on his screen. He scanned the room like this, hoping the the app would find and kill the spider before- well he didn¡¯t want to think about it.

    Wait a second, Jasson thought, wouldn¡¯t this type of spider have some kind of nest or home? It didn¡¯t look like the type that makes big webs. Thankfully.

    As Jasson peered into the edges of the attic, where the roof sloped down and light had trouble reaching, Jasson saw something large pushed against the rafters. It was covered with a canvas, one corner pulled away to reveal a wardrobe. The handles were tied together with a cord and it was probably filled with clothes, reminding Jasson that he was still wearing his t-shirt and blue jeans. After three days of hot sun, kids with coal, digging around for herbs, and hiking up a mountain, Jasson found himself longing for something else to wear. He¡¯d had a bath yesterday after the charcoal incident, but it would be nice if-

    Then Jasson saw it, a corner of webbing sticking to the ceiling behind the wardrobe. Jasson cautiously rounded the area, staying on the other side of a stack of boxes marked ¡®Baby Clothes, severely worn¡¯.

    Jasson stepped up onto a wooden rocking chair and found that he could see the entire nest. The webs made a messy triangle, filling the hole between the tall wardrobe and the angled ceiling. It wasn¡¯t quite a funnel of webs, but structural engineering has rarely been the defining factor of a terrifying spider web. Jasson studied his foe, using the back of the rocking chair as a shield between him and the nest.

    Past the gauze of web and safety, the spider glared at Jasson with¡­well not fury. It had cold eyes that didn¡¯t reflect human emotion, only the evil it was created for.*

    *(Yes, we are all aware that spiders kill pests and are generally helpful to mankind. However, anything that doesn¡¯t fit under your shoe is the embodiment of Satan, goats be darned.)

    ¡°You¡¯re dead,¡± Jasson said, locking on with Punching John. Jasson drummed on the screen, and for a heart-stopping moment, it lurched forward. Then it curled up and died.

    Oh thank the gods, Jasson thought.

    Unfortunately, there is another prayer. One too fearful to be uttered in the hearts of men (usually fathers) for fear of it manifesting by mere mental utterance. The prayer goes thusly:

    ¡°By $%*&%^  so &^%*^ please %(*&% don¡¯t let this be a mama spider.¡±

    Jasson screamed internally as hundreds of baby spiders swarmed out, each one the size of a dessert plate. As one, the swarm looked around, as if they hadn¡¯t seen Jasson yet. Trembling, Jasson made sure that Punching John was still working. He had twenty-three minutes left-

    Suddenly the trapdoor opened and Elizabeth poked her head in. The spiders immediately turned, then swarmed as one towards the opening.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Elizabeth said, blinded by the trap door.

    The kids! Jasson thought. They¡¯ll be scarred for life!

    Jasson tapped furiously, years of mobile games giving him the reflexes of a cookie-clicker god. This was no longer Punching John, where you beat up a single opponent. This wasn¡¯t even an advanced Fruit Samurai. Jasson didn¡¯t know what game this was anymore, but he was going to win. (Doom soundtrack kicks in)

    Something crawled up Jasson¡¯s pants but but he simply shook it off his leg, focusing on defending the mother. The tide of spiders rushed forward, but Jasson matched it in fervent glory, slowing their progress to a crawl. Elizabeth screamed when she saw the spiders come around the trap door, an ugly thing of panic and vulnerability.

    ¡°RUN!¡± Jasson shouted, killing one right as it reared to bite Elizabeth.

    Elizabeth dropped and slammed the trap door shut. Jasson sighed, triumphant until the rest of the ravenous horde turned to him instead. Jasson froze as he realized that some had already made it onto his chair, raising their fangs aggressively. There was no sound that came from Jasson¡¯s lips, merely the essence of terror escaping from his pants. Jasson leapt damply, kicking off the rocking chair and landing in a dead sprint.

    crunchcrunchcrunch

    Winching and slipping slightly with every crunch, Jasson scrambled until he found an area clear of spiders.

    Jasson whipped around and tapped wildly on his screen, watching the hellspawn die in waves. Row after row fell before him, their brothers and sisters climbing over the corpses of those that came before only to splat and curl and die. Jasson was able to push the swarm back, only to have one flank him and start crawling on his pants. Jasson swatted it off with his phone but was still overwhelmed in that moment.

    Jumping from his shrinking safety, Jasson realized that there was nowhere left to go. The entire attic was carpeted with enemies, including where he was about to land. Unable to stand still and unable to run, Jasson clogged across the floor.

    crunchcrunchcrunchcrunch

    The rhythm of terror beat against his soul, keeping Jasson going in his deadly dance. At the same time he wielded his phone, becoming a whirlwind of skipping death. Yet even as he reached his 400th combo, Jasson watched as more spiders spilled from the nest. How many were there?

    Thankfully, it seemed that they were unable to handle his dancing, which was the opinion of TikTik whenever Jasson posted a dancing trend video. Except this time he couldn¡¯t stop to take a break after only a minute. Or ten.

    The spiders wouldn¡¯t stop, an endless swarm forcing Jasson¡¯s fingers and feet to dance in desperation. Eventually, the pain blurred into the panic, becoming perfectly in tune with the sound of crunching arachnids. On and on, gasping, poker fallen and forgotten long ago. What he wouldn¡¯t give for a flamethrower. There was nothing left to do but go on and pray his phone didn¡¯t run out of power.

    And then, slowly, Jasson realized that it was over.

    Jasson collapsed to his knees, gasping because his life depended on it, and realized that he hadn¡¯t stepped on a living spider in¡­a while. Just recrunching the dead into a perverse paste. Like a ripple stilling an entire pond, Jasson saw that there wasn¡¯t a single thing moving in the attic. The only sound was his heart trying to burst out of his ears and the roaring of his lungs cashing in their debt.

    The world spun and Jasson put an arm to the side to catch himself, then looked at his hand when he heard a crunch. He¡¯d just put his hand in the remains of a dozen spider, legs and fangs twisting between his fingers as the spines pricked his palm. Jasson didn¡¯t even have the energy to react, merely stared in wonder.

    I won, Jasson thought, I fought and won! I did it! Victory! YES! Get pwned!

 Chapter 9 - Part 2: Eat Up

    Startling awake, Jasson realized that he¡¯d fallen asleep leaning on some boxes. On a carpet of spider guts no less. Amazing.

    Doot.

    Low power again, eh? Jasson thought. Same here. Man. I can¡¯t believe I passed out. You really can sleep anywhere if you¡¯re tired enough. How long has it been? Feels like maybe a minute, but I hope I didn¡¯t sleeping beauty this.

    Jasson powered off his phone, the charge at a dangerous seven percent. Hands shaking, Jasson missed his pocket a few times before finally sliding his phone in. Slumping back, Jasson let out a dry groan.

    Knock-knock

    ¡°Hello?¡± A small voice said from beneath the trap door, ¡°Mister hero? Are you alive?¡±

    That kid, Ethan. Jasson thought, I guess that they got worried when the stomping stopped.

    ¡°Y-e-¡± Jasson coughed, throat dry, ¡°Y-es¡±

    ¡°Was that a yes?¡± Ethan¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°Y-es,¡± Jasson forced out, ¡°Wat-er.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Ethan¡¯s voice faded as he ran, ¡°Ma! He wants a water¡­¡±

    A couple of minutes later the trapdoor creaked open and Ethan poked his head up.

    ¡°Woow!¡± Ethan said, ¡°There¡¯s so many! They¡¯re not as big as I thought they¡¯d be though.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not scared kid?¡± Jasson said, having wet his throat with spit, ¡°Bring me the water then. It¡¯s hard to move.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Ethan climbed up, ¡°I¡¯m not scared of spiders ¡®cause I think they¡¯re cool, especially how they fight each other when I put them on a stick.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re out of this world kid,¡± Jasson took the water and drank. Now that he was getting feeling back in his burning legs it was clear that they had become soaked with entrails. Pieces of carapace stuck to his clothes like burrs and his shoes squelched with the blood of his enemies.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Would I be able to bathe here? I¡¯m rather filthy. And I¡¯d like to wash my clothes if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes!¡± Ethan took the empty glass, ¡°And mom is preparing a place for you for lunch.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But first, could you help me up?¡±

    ****

    Jasson stared at lunch as his hair clung damply to his head. This entire house was contradictions.

    First Jasson attempted to hand-wash his clothes in a large brass tub and then placed them in a chest that dried them in minutes. Jasson then showered with hot water, yet he scrubbed with a rough lye soap until his skin forgot even the concept of a spider. Then he¡¯d dried off with a rough homemade towel and checked his reflection in a perfect mirror. Now he looked at a set of beautiful wooden furniture and elegant metal plates topped with a banquet of familiar foods. Dinner for lunch.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the humble meal.¡± The mother Elizabeth said, smiling demurely ¡°Turkey is the cheapest meat in this season, although potato salad is a bit of a treat. We hope you enjoy the tomato chili on the cornbread, it¡¯s a family recipe. It¡¯s better than rice and beans for sure. I hope you enjoy the meal.¡±

    It¡¯s not even August yet, Jasson thought, and we¡¯re halfway to Thanksgiving. Just missing the stuffing and a pumpkin pie. This is an enormous amount of food for lunch!

    Jasson had never been the best at school, and some of these items might have passed unnoticed. But this was medieval Europe. Nearly all of these ingredients didn¡¯t belong hundreds of years before Columbus. Had America been discovered early? Or did the foods grow naturally over here? Maybe Jasson had mistaken the time period he was in.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson said, collapsing into his seat and grabbing a piece of turkey, ¡°I¡¯m starved.¡±

    ¡°I imagine so,¡± Elizabeth said, ¡°Come on kids, it¡¯s time to eat.¡±

    Elizabeth smiled tightly while Jasson tore into his food ravenously. Shaky hands made this a messy affair, but Jasson was too famished to care. Even though the food wasn¡¯t as good as Petra¡¯s, Jasson couldn¡¯t seem to get enough of it. Turkey was followed with potato, huge bites of dry cornbread pushed down with chili and a desperate gulp of water. A feast for a famished fighter.

    ¡°Wow mister,¡± Ethan said, ¡°You sure are hungry. My momma never lets me be that messy at the table.¡±

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    Oops, Jasson thought, I guess that this is rude. I should try to have better manners.

    ¡°Ethan!¡± Elizabeth scolded, ¡°He¡¯s a very tired man. Look at his hands shake, the poor man can hardly hold a fork. And I don¡¯t wonder why. I saw tons of spiders up there, and if it weren¡¯t for his magics I would have been bitten a dozen times.¡±

    Jasson shivered and thought, Don¡¯t talk to me about spiders. I¡¯m trying to eat.

    ¡°Mister,¡± The eldest, a girl named Olivia said, ¡°you were stomping up there for well over an hour. That¡¯s very impressive. How did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Sheer terror,¡± Jasson said around a mouthful of under-salted potato salad, ¡°video games, and childhood clogging lessons.¡±

    ¡°It was like music!¡± The youngest girl Sophia gushed, ¡°I wanna do that when I grow up!¡±

    They laughed and Jasson watched what, for all intents and purposes, was a traditional 1950s family. Like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. It made Jasson feel on edge, looking around for some kind of grotesque truth behind it all. The last time he¡¯d seen a family like this¡­well he hadn¡¯t.

    Jasson didn¡¯t know anyone with a family like this, and nothing in the media portrayed a wholesome nuclear family without making them secretly serial killers or something. Even in real life. With the Eight-person-family WeTube channel, it had turned out the mother was freaking crazy. This happy, peaceful atmosphere with the children eating politely made Jasson nervous. To the point that if Jasson died from poison in the food his last thought would have been ¡®I knew it!¡¯

    You just don¡¯t see anything like this these days, Jasson thought, but for the life of me I can¡¯t see anything wrong with it.

    ¡°How many do you think you killed?¡± Ethan said, leaning on the table, ¡°What did their blood feel like between your toes?!¡±

    ¡°Ethan!¡± Elizabeth and Olivia scolded at the same time.

    ¡°What?¡± Ethan turned, confused, ¡°I¡¯m just curious. I might want to be an adventurer one day.¡±

    ¡°I thought you wanted to be a construction worker like Dad,¡± Olivia said, ¡°Or is that no longer the ¡®job for a real man¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It is!¡± Ethan said, ¡°But ¡®man-glitter¡¯ can be bloody as well!¡±

    Jasson choked on his chili and felt a bean go up his nose.

    AW@#$$@$LE! Jasson thought.

    ¡°ETHAN!¡± Elizabeth snapped, ¡°One more comment like that at the dinner table and you will go to your room!¡±

    How do I get this out? Jasson thought, grabbing a napkin and cleaning his hands. He covered his face and covertly massaged his nose.

    ¡°But mom!¡± Ethan said, ¡°Can- May I at least get my answer?!¡±

    Should I try to sneeze? Jasson thought. Maybe I can blow it out the front.

    Elizabeth sighed and turned to Jasson, saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my son. You don¡¯t have to answer him.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Jasson said nasally, then turned to Ethan, ¡°Excuse me for a second.¡±

    Jasson grabbed his napkin and turned to the side, then pretend-sneezed into the napkin as he tried to blow the bean out. Unfortunately, this is not something that works. Since a sneeze largely comes out of the mouth and is incredibly difficult to reproduce, all Jasson achieved amounted to a loud and wet shout. However, Jasson¡¯s following sniff sucked the bean back into his throat, where it lodged in exactly the wrong tube.

    Jasson exploded and the bean shot straight through the napkin and splattered onto the floor. Coughing, desperate for air, Jasson motioned with his hands for the family not to worry.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± the eldest daughter Olivia said, pushing her chair back as she stood.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Jasson wheezed, grabbing his empty cup, ¡°Can I have more water? Please? And another napkin.¡±

    Forcing the water down, Jasson was able to regain his composure. He grabbed the fresh napkin and wiped his face, then turned back to the concerned and staring family.

    Welp, Jasson thought as his face burned, Nothing left to do for that. Guess I¡¯ll move on.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Where were we?¡±

    The mother Elizabeth started to say ¡°It¡¯s fi-¡±

    ¡°You were gonna say what the blood felt like between your toes!¡± Ethan said, obviously ecstatic that he got to say the words. The smallest sister Sophia froze as Jasson mustered a response.

    Jasson said ¡°This is honestly my first time having a foot bath in the blood of my enemies. It was sticky and sharp, but most of all it was a panic-inducing experience. I do not recommend. I¡¯m just glad that I never fell down so that I won¡¯t be picking bits of spider out of my hair. One out of five stars; at least I¡¯m not dead.¡±

    Ethan was overjoyed but Sophia started screaming, ¡°You ruined it for me Ethan! Again! I hate you!¡±

    Sophia dashed from the table and, with a groan, Oliva stood and said ¡°I¡¯ll get her.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Elizabeth was bright red, ¡°they¡¯re usually better behaved than this. It is harder when Harry isn¡¯t home to help, but not this bad. Your efforts probably excited them.¡±

    Jasson waved a hand, smiling as he said ¡°It¡¯s fine. I grew up in a family worse than this one. More importantly, you should probably lock up the attic. The guild cleaners will get here in the next few days, but I think your son wants to make a collection before they come. He already grabbed some spiders earlier.¡±

    Ethan immediately protested as his mother rounded on him. A high-pitched scream came from across the house and a door slammed, causing a bit of ceiling plaster to rain down.

    ¡°You should also take a look at the ceiling stuff,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I probably loosened it up today.¡±

    The mother sighed as the children screamed and Ethan begged for her to let him keep at least one of the big legs. Food grew cold on the plates and Jasson took a bite of dry turkey as another drizzle of plaster dust rained down.

    This is more like it, Jasson thought, a real family.

 Chapter 10 - Part 1: Make Up

    Despite Jasson¡¯s plan to return to the guild after lunch, he wasn¡¯t able to leave for hours. This was due to two reasons.

    First, Elizabeth¡¯s husband was yet to come home with this week¡¯s pay. There had been a payment left at the guild of one silver and two coppers, but Elizabeth insisted that Jasson receive full compensation for his heroic actions. So they had to wait for the kids¡¯ father, Harry Harrison, to return.

    Second, Jasson had a burning rage screaming from his muscles, like a crowd of pampered college kids being put through boot camp. Thankfully, the family was kind enough to let Jasson use their tub and soak in the hot water until Mr. Harrison returned. It was most unpleasant when Ethan came pounding on the bathroom door with news that Mr. Harrison was home.

    So it was that after dinner, upon being briefed, Mr. Harrison immediately sat with Jasson to discuss a reasonable price. Mr. Harrison said things along the lines of ¡®Yes, the quest literally offered a copper piece per head. But it would take forever to get someone up there to start counting everything. And spiders of that size go for a lot less, so this whole situation could get sticky. How about two gold pieces and we call it a day?¡¯

    Jasson responded by telling him to go up the ladder and see for himself. The man returned shaken, being scolded by his wife for tracking more footprints across the floor she¡¯d just cleaned.

    ¡°Twelve gold pieces?¡± Mr. Harrison had said, ¡°I really can¡¯t afford more than that.¡±

    Jasson had paused, then said ¡°Ten and you give me a ride there. I can¡¯t walk more than a dozen feet right now.¡±

    Jasson was regretting the deal as Cogswik Street disappeared behind them. Mr. Harrison was a muscular construction worker, and neither sweat nor sawdust had been washed away. Jasson was perched on Mr. Harrison¡¯s back, straddling his hips in a manly piggyback ride. Amazing how many baths you can want in a day.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say how thankful I am that you took care of that spider nest.¡± Mr. Harrison said, ¡°Since I work in construction, my family depends on me staying in good shape and not getting hurt. A healer costs too much these days, especially without a patron. Still¡­are you sure that you¡¯re okay with only getting ten gold for this? I saw how many you killed, and I did offer twelve.¡±

    Stop tempting me, Jasson thought, Your family isn¡¯t rich.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Ten gold is already more than I thought I¡¯d get from this. Just don¡¯t tell anyone you offered twelve. I don¡¯t want my miserly landlady to get wind of me turning down money.¡±

    Mr. Harrison chuckled and said ¡°I get that. Thanks.¡±

    Jasson let the point of appreciation lapse and decided to use the time to ask Mr. Harrison questions about Stalt. Although Jasson was too tired to remember most of the answers, he still smiled. Maybe he could visit the Harrisons sometime and keep fostering this connection.

    The evening breeze was sweeping the streets clear of the heat of the day as the sun faded into crimson remission. Jasson¡¯s hands were tacky from Mr. Harrison¡¯s shoulder sweat, which combined with the other sweaty contact to make Jasson eagerly search for his destination. This area looked familiar, but he was coming from a direction that-

    ¡°There!¡± Jasson said, pointing to the Adventurer¡¯s guild as they emerged from an alley, ¡°Oh thank goodness.¡±

    Mr. Harrison grunted in agreement and sped up until they arrived at the door, probably eager to return home.

    ¡°All right,¡± Mr. Harrison said, pushing the door open with his foot, ¡°Let¡¯s- one second. It¡¯s jammed.¡±

    The door bounced back, meaning that Grog was on the other side. Jasson didn¡¯t feel like getting carried in like an invalid when all he had was sore muscles. Not even a single bite, for which he was grateful.

    ¡°Just put me down,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I can walk this far.¡±

    The second Jasson¡¯s legs touched the ground they buckled and Jasson just managed to catch himself on the doorframe. Mr. Harrison stood, ready to catch Jasson but Jasson waved Harry down as he got back feeling in his legs. It wasn¡¯t that he was weak, it was that being carried piggyback for over a mile has a way of making one¡¯s legs numb.

    Walking on stilts, Jasson made his way into the guild. A line of other tired adventurers had formed in front of three receptionists, but the rush was not as bad as in the morning. Jasson squinted, trying to make out if one of the receptionists was Jane. It wasn¡¯t and Jasson sighed, picking a line at random and getting in line with Mr. Harrison.

    Probably for the best, Jasson thought, I¡¯m not exactly looking my freshest. Or smelling.

    Thankfully, Jasson was able to get the hang of walking and didn¡¯t fall on his face in front of everyone. He got to the front of the line and slapped the quest down triumphantly.

    ¡°Quest completed,¡± Jasson said, then motioned to Mr. Harrison, ¡°And Harry Harrison is present for additional payment as well.¡±

    The woman nodded and looked at the paper, then back up and said ¡°It says that you¡¯re to be paid ten gold coins for an extermination quest? One that was originally one copper per head and one silver upon completion.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we agreed upon,¡± Jasson turned to Harry, ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Harrison frowned, ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do for him.¡±

    The receptionist was silent as she looked between them, creasing her eyebrows. Jasson saw her gaze flick past him, and he turned to see that she¡¯d been looking at Grog. An encouraging sign if Jasson wanted to visit Mance.

    ¡°Sir,¡± the attendant said, ¡°Are you under duress? Did he threaten you?¡±

    Jasson was about to answer that he was not causing anyone duress when Harry spoke.

    ¡°What?¡± Mr. Harrison said, ¡°No. I swear, I didn¡¯t threaten him or anything. We agreed that ten gold was how much he¡¯d accept. I can¡¯t afford more than that, so kindly stop pressing the issue.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The attendant said, ¡°How many spiders were killed in the attic then? By this math, there must have been one hundred and ninety-five of them.¡±

    Mr. Harrison paled and said ¡°Look, I feel bad about that but he insisted that ten was enough. It¡¯s not like I could pay for all the ones he killed. Besides, none of them were as big as the first. I swear that I¡¯m not taking advantage of him and that this was his idea.¡±

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    The attendant looked confused and turned to Jasson and said ¡°What did you do to this man?¡±

    Of course, Jasson thought, I¡¯m the bad guy.

    ¡°Look,¡± Jasson said, feeling his blood pressure rise, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Ali,¡± the attendant said, bristling at Jasson¡¯s annoyance, ¡°Do I need to call Grog over?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson stopped then said, ¡°Actually yes. Call him over. I have nothing to hide, Ali. I fulfilled this job fair and square, whether you believe me or not.¡±

    Jasson took a breath and forced himself to calm down, then said ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t seem possible, but it¡¯s the truth. What happened was that, instead of one or two large spiders, it was one large mama feeding a clutch of several hundred baby spiders. I managed to crush all of the ones I could find, but I don¡¯t know if I got all of them or how many. So instead of paying for completion, and to avoid a painstaking amount of time counting them, Harry agreed to pay me ten gold for all the ones I got. And, to be honest, I¡¯m far too tired to argue further with you. Do you want to send an evaluator? Bankrupt an honest man because of a poorly written quest?¡±

    Mr. Harrison was visibly alarmed and turned to Jasson, saying, ¡°I cannot afford that! If the evaluator says that I have to pay- Please Miss Ali, just accept that it¡¯s done. We both feel that this is fair, and nothing fishy is going on.¡±

    Ali hesitated and said ¡°I¡¯ll ask Grog to-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Jane said, coming out of the back door like a manager, ¡°I¡¯ll clear them. This kid doesn¡¯t have the capability to duress anyone, let alone Mr. Harrison. The spider was probably a Hunter. Individually a Hunter would be hard-pressed to kill you, but if you kill the mother at the right time then you can easily get overwhelmed with numbers if you¡¯re alone. They don¡¯t carry the babies on their back, so they can have a larger brood than most. I¡¯m impressed that you made it back- erm¡­what was your name again?¡±

    ¡°Jasson Boar,¡± Jasson said, ¡°And I¡¯m just as surprised as you are.¡±

    ¡°All right Jane,¡± Ali said, ¡°I¡¯ll process the points and payment, just make sure you¡¯ve signed off on it. Additional payment please, Mr. Harrison.¡±

    Mr. Harrison handed over the ten gold to Ali, and Jasson watched as Mr. Harrison got a silver and two coppers back.

    ¡°There¡¯s the old reward you left with us,¡± Ali turned to Jasson and said, ¡°And here is your fee.¡±

    Ali handed Jasson back nine gold pieces, and Jasson couldn¡¯t help but stare at the tenth lying on the counter.

    ¡°Quest tax,¡± Jane said, seeing his face, ¡°Part of life.¡±

    Taxes, Jasson thought, can¡¯t live with them, can¡¯t live without them by penalty of imprisonment or death.

    ¡°Can I get this broken up?¡± Jasson said, holding out one of his gold coins, ¡°I¡¯d like to pay for some of my daily fees.¡±

    ¡°You still have twelve days remaining,¡± Ali said, taking the coin, ¡°How much do you want to put in?¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson said, ¡°two lead coins worth?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ali said, pulling open a drawer full of coins, ¡°At your current level that may be a month and a half, but once you get higher the charge goes up. You accrue fines if you don¡¯t pay.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll put more in at that time,¡± Jasson said, ¡°For now I just need change.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Ali said, shrugging ¡°Give me a moment and¡­here¡¯s your change.¡±

    She handed Jasson a pile of coins, and Jasson picked out a copper coin and dropped it into the Tips box.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I can afford for now,¡± Jasson said, smiling at the surprised Ali, ¡°And we¡¯ll see about tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°But I accused you of being a scammer,¡± Ali said, ¡°Why did you still tip me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jasson shrugged, ¡°I felt like it. As a sorry for earlier. You were the attendant that told me I couldn¡¯t repost the quest, right? Sorry about that.¡±

    Ali nodded and Jasson stepped away. Now for the big apology. Jasson looked around and saw Jane a step away from the door leading into the back.

    ¡°Jane!¡± Jasson said, rushing forward on burning legs, ¡°Look. I wanted to say that I¡¯m sorry for yesterday. I¡¯m¡­well I¡¯m not a great guy. I¡¯ve never been good at doing my best. But I was wrong yesterday, and I hope that you¡¯ll be okay working with me from now on.¡±

    Jane paused but didn¡¯t turn around and said ¡°Look, kid, it¡¯s late. I stepped up for you because Ali was giving me a headache, nothing else. I¡¯m not that mad at you for yesterday, but I¡¯d like to keep you as forgettable as possible. Do that, and I¡¯ll be professionally fair with you. Nothing more, nothing worse. Got it?¡±

    Jasson nodded, then realized she wasn¡¯t looking at him and said ¡°Yes Miss Jane.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jane said and pushed her way into the back.

    Well that went great, Jasson thought, I kinda preferred the anger. Ah well, not sure what I was hoping for.

    Jasson hobbled away rather unheroically and found a seat in the front corner behind Grog. Jasson wanted a moment to himself and started charging his phone again. Jane¡¯s rejection shouldn¡¯t have meant that much, but it still stung. He¡¯d put so much into getting that apology out, and she¡¯d brushed it aside with cold uncaring. This was probably for the best, but it still hurt. Now that he was done with the apology, there was nothing left but to meet up with Petra and Clara. Maybe they¡¯d be proud of how much money he¡¯d made, Clara specifically.

    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Jasson muttered, ¡°How the heck am I supposed to get home when I can barely walk?¡±

    Jasson might make it to the meeting place, a small restaurant with outdoor seating by the northern gate, but then what? He couldn¡¯t make the hike home like this, and Jasson doubted that Clara would-

    Actually, Clara would be fine with carrying him. But the thought of that much contact made Jasson blush, and he tried to think of another option. Maybe there was a healer around who could heal him? Petra wouldn¡¯t be able to until she got a new crystal, and Jasson dearly hoped that he wouldn¡¯t have to heal the natural way.

    ¡°Hey,¡± a low rumble said, ¡°You look hurt.¡±

    Jasson looked up and saw that the mountain Grog was sitting up and had rotated his recliner to face Jasson.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I just overexerted myself and now I¡¯m really sore.¡±

    The mountain nodded and said ¡°That would be about two copper coins worth of healing. We have healers here who can help for a price. You get special rates for recently completing a quest. You¡¯d have to pay a gold coin for the same treatment without guild rates. ¡±

    Jasson considered this and said ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s tempting but I can¡¯t afford even two copper coins. I have friends who are counting on me to bring back as much money as possible. I almost failed at that today.¡±

    ¡°Yet you tipped Ali a copper,¡± the mountain said, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°I know that I¡¯m not the best person to work with. I recognized her as the one I talked to when I wanted to put the quest back. So I felt like she deserved it. Besides, I was planning to tip a copper anyways so it wasn¡¯t part of my budget.¡±

    The mountain nodded then said, ¡°Come here.¡±

    Jasson obeyed, although not normally a person quick to his feet (especially when said feet felt like Chinese takeout warmed up in the microwave). It was less of a conscious choice and more of a gut instinct, or at least the part of the gut that clenches with fear.

    Jasson walked up to Grog who said ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡±

    Then Grog put his hand on Jasson¡¯s head, the mammoth palm resting lightly on Jasson¡¯s scalp like a warm hat. A familiar red light pulsed and suddenly Jasson felt much better.

    ¡°There¡¯s a freebie,¡± Grog said, ¡°Don¡¯t expect any more.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the healer?¡± Jasson said, shocked, ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the healer,¡± Grog said, ¡°But a wizard that can¡¯t heal is either a fool or incapable of doing so, of which I am neither. You should try to yourself when you get enough to afford a healing crystal.¡±

    ¡°How much are they?¡± Jasson said, hesitantly.

    Grog chuckled deeply and said ¡°Too much. There may be a shortage due to the war, but it was never tall to begin with. It¡¯s getting dark so you best be on your way now that your legs can carry you.¡±

 Chapter 10 - Part 2: Rest Up --- End of Goes Around Arc

    Jasson stood outside of the Guild, leaning on a wall and watching the lights drift down into the city as he charged his phone. Holding the crystal to his charging port had been painful after all the tapping, but now that he was healed Jasson charged idly while watching the stars gliding down to earth. Jasson¡¯s first day paying his life debt.

    Had it been a good day? He had almost two hundred dollars of gold from it, which would have been an amazing day in his last life. Surely that was good enough. But¡­it wasn¡¯t just him anymore. This would be split between the three of them, right? Would he get any part of it at all?

    Sighing, Jasson pushed off of the Guild and started the long walk home. He needed to see if Petra and Clara were still at the meet-up, then it was several miles up the mountain to home. It still baffled him how the distance seemed to shrink as he walked, what should be miles taking him only thirty minutes. Maybe his sense of distance wasn¡¯t accurate anymore.

    Jasson was already on the north side of the city and only had a handful of blocks before he got to the meeting point. But a protagonist traveling any distance through a city will pass at least one alley. For any protagonist, all alleys have a 2.3% chance of a ¡®{vulnerable_attractive_female(s)} being accosted by the {minor_plotpoint} gang¡¯ encounter. The women¡¯s screams pass by the deaf ears of everyone on the road and pierce solely into the courageous heart of the protagonist. Then, with brave proclamations of truth and justice, the protagonist will step in to assist the {vulnerable_attractive_females}, winning adoration and affection from the imposed upon.

    Fortunately for this protagonist, these {vulnerable_attractive_females} had decided that this time fighting back was worth it.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Clara called, ¡°Jasson! Over here!¡±

    Jasson turned to see the comically collapsed bodies of the {minor_plotpoint} gang lying strewn across the alley. Petra was holding the leader up by one of his cat ears and turned at Clara¡¯s call. Once she saw Jasson, Petra dropped the leader into a heap on the ground and dusted off her hands.

    ¡°Glad to see that you¡¯re alright!¡± Clara bounced towards Jasson and said, ¡°You were late for the meetup so we were worried. Then these hooligans tried to interrogate us on your location. We thought you were in some kind of trouble!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jasson said, looking at the groaning men, ¡°They were looking for me?¡±

    ¡°No idea why,¡± Petra said, kicking the leader one last time, ¡°But they won¡¯t be looking for you anytime soon. Healers don¡¯t prevent pain, and I¡¯ve offered the leader an education on methods to emphasize that fact. Did you get any good quests today?¡±

    I probably shouldn¡¯t flash my gold in front of so many criminals, Jasson thought.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I did find out that all the good ones get taken right off the bat, so I should be more ready tomorrow. But I did get a quest for one silver and a copper. It was to exter-¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Petra had stepped closer to Jasson and was now backing off as she said, ¡°You stink like crazy. What were you fighting?! You¡¯re worse than this morning!¡±

    ¡°I was killing spiders,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Which were #@%$ terrifying. But I got paid, so that¡¯s a silver lining. Heh.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Petra gave Jasson a wide berth, ¡°Tell us the rest after you bathe back home. I¡¯m staying upwind of you in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯ve already washed off twice today. One shower, one really long soak in a tub.¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s not working,¡± Petra groaned, ¡°The smell is probably from your clothes. Figures. Good thing- well just stay away from me.¡±

    Jasson followed Petra out of the alley and Clara walked up beside him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you,¡± Clara smiled, ¡°Tell me all about your deeds today.¡±

    ****

    Jasson spent the trip chatting with Clara about his day and listening to what she¡¯d been up to.

    ¡°Man¡­I still can¡¯t believe how brave you were,¡± Clara gushed for the tenth time, ¡°You¡¯re terrified of spiders, yet you bucked up and fulfilled your duty. And there were so many! It¡¯s too bad that the reward was only a silver and two coppers. That¡¯s too low for over an hour of intense labor!¡±

    ¡°On top of that, I was out of commission for hours,¡± Jasson said, grinning, ¡°But keep telling me about the monster you fought in the dungeon. What did it look like?¡±

    Clara and Petra had gone to a local dungeon and delved some deeper floors, gathering a few gold coins worth of materials. Jasson suppressed a smile and started thinking about the best way to rub how much he¡¯d earned into Petra¡¯s face. He had made over eight gold today when she¡¯d fallen short of five.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Clara beamed, ¡°A giant skeleton! The skull was this big!¡±

    Clara motioned about waist height and said, ¡°I had to crack the skull open like a coconut to get the crystal out. Should fetch an entire gold coin for it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What type of crystal was it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it was just a mana crystal,¡± Clara waved her hand, ¡°undead never have anything good. But it¡¯s big enough to still be worth it.¡±

    ¡°Mana crystal,¡± Jasson searched his memory, ¡°That¡¯s the ones you can draw on for magic, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Clara shrugged, ¡°some kinda fuel. I don¡¯t know much more about that, but it should still fetch some gold. We did-¡±

    Clara looked around and checked to see if there was anyone close. A fruitless gesture since they were in the middle of a forest on the overgrown road leading up the mountain to home.

    ¡°We found a healing crystal!¡± Clara said, ¡°Just a teeny one. There was a regenerating slime! Still haven¡¯t cracked it open though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± Jasson said, ¡°We¡¯ve been needing that!¡±

    Clara grinned and said ¡°It¡¯s honestly only good in an emergency, but now we have something! Even one that small is worth forty gold these days.¡±

    ¡°Forty?¡± Jasson said, ¡°But¡­I thought you said that you only gathered a few gold¡¯s worth of materials.¡±

    Clara shrugged and said ¡°I mean, we¡¯re not selling it. So there is not really a point.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson felt his pride drop, then said ¡°So what¡¯s this about cracking open the crystals? I don¡¯t think Petra ever explained this to me. Only that crystals could come from monsters.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Clara paused, then said ¡°So, there¡¯s two parts to a crystal. There¡¯s the crystal core that powers a monster, and then that¡¯s surrounded by- erm. What was the word for it? Flack? Flax?¡±

    ¡°Flux!¡± Petra called from further down the trail.

    ¡°Right,¡± Clara said, ¡°Thanks sis! Anyway, flux covers the actual crystal and covers it up into a sphere. The crystal itself can be really small inside the flux. Take your spiders. There was probably a little crystal ball in each one like grains of sand. The mamma probably had a marble-sized one, and the actual Magic Crystal inside that would have been tiny.¡±

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Jasson recalled the pawn shop he had visited on his second day. Those must have been whole crystals with how round they were.

    Clara paused, then continued saying ¡°Of course, this is mostly a rule of thumb. Sometimes there are tiny things that have massive crystals like-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Petra called, ¡°Jasson, I¡¯m gonna heat up some water for you. Don¡¯t you dare come inside.¡±

    The road ended as woods were replaced with not-ruins spread out across the massive clearing. Jasson saw Petra disappear into the taller walls and sighed.

    Jasson said ¡°Am I crazy, or am I still extremely tired? The healing magic took away my pain and exhaustion, but I still feel like sleeping for a dozen years.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?!¡± Clara said, ¡°Petra says it¡¯s something about our souls, but all I know is no matter how much healing I get I still need a nap after a long day. Maybe even eight hours if I¡¯m looking for beauty sleep.¡±

    Jasson said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that just going to bed, not a nap?¡±

    ¡°Beauty sleep,¡± Clara said, ¡°Demands no other definitions.¡±

    Jasson followed Clara, still a bit unfamiliar with the layout, and sighed. It had been a long day, and he could hardly blame Petra for staying away. He stunk like crazy, patches of his clothes were stiff with blood, and Mr. Harrison¡¯s sweat had left its own odor. The dirt and charcoal from previous days were getting to Jasson, and he was considering how to wash his clothes when he pulled aside the curtain that served as their door.

    ¡°Oi!¡± Petra shouted, ¡°Stay outside. I¡¯ll have Clara carry the tub out in a bit. Then you must have a wash in one of the adjacent rooms.¡±

    Jasson fumed just outside the door. To be more accurate, Jasson released fumes to the right of a curtain leading into the house. After a minute, Clara came out with a tub sloshing with water balanced on her head.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Clara said, ¡°You¡¯ll need to take your bath in the next room over. Toss your clothes over the wall and I¡¯ll do my best to wash them.¡±

    Jasson groaned then said ¡°You know, I already tried to wash them. Used soapy water and everything.¡±

    ¡°Did you boil them?¡± Clara said.

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Like in cartoons? No.¡±

    Clara said ¡°That¡¯s how we usually get the smell out of clothes. Petra already has the pot boiling, so let¡¯s go.¡±

    A few minutes later Jasson was scrubbing his pinkened skin, embarrassed. He was bathing in a wide room with a flagstone floor surrounded by stone and mortar walls. A wind blew through and chilled every part of his exposed body. Yes, there were walls but the ceiling was a curtain of night with the mountain peaks peeking in on him. Open, exposed, flashing the moon and stars.

    ¡°Are you done yet?¡± Clara¡¯s voice called, ¡°I have your towel if you want me to throw it over.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I was that dirty, Jasson thought, it¡¯s my clothes.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, standing in the tube, ¡°Just give me a-¡±

    Woof!

    Something soft enveloped Jasson¡¯s face and he pulled it off and held it out. It was a towel, sewn in luxury with soft fibers and embroidered letters. Jasson squinted but of course, they were written in the language of this world.

    Shrugging, Jasson dried off and said ¡°Nice shot. You weren¡¯t looking, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d hardly be a swordswoman if I could only hit what I could see,¡± Clara said, ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re dried off.¡±

    Jasson stepped out of the tub onto a flagstone, then said ¡°I mean, it doesn¡¯t take long. I¡¯m done already. Are my clothes-¡±

    Boof!

    ¡°Ow!¡± Jasson said as the next projectile fell to the ground, ¡°The heck. You put this one in a bag?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Clara said, ¡°Did that hurt?¡±

    Jasson sighed, picking up the bag and saying ¡°Not really. Could you wait until I say that I¡¯m ready to catch it next time? Why did you even stick them in-¡±

    Jasson pulled the shirt out of the bag and it rolled out. White, with laces across the chest and baggy sleeves.

    Very medieval, Jasson thought, and very new.

    ¡°You got me new clothes!¡± Jasson said, ¡°Awesome! Thanks!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Petra¡¯s voice called, ¡°You smelled last night, and you¡¯re smelling even worse today. It was for our own survival.¡±

    Petra? When did she get here? Jasson thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s a welcoming gift,¡± Clara said, ¡°It¡¯s not much, but we hope that you appreciate them.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Jasson shrugged the shirt on. It wasn¡¯t as soft as cotton, but compared to his old tacky shirt this was heaven.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± Clara said, ¡°I wish I could have seen your reaction.¡±

    ¡°Fair,¡± Jasson said, digging in the bag, ¡°Let me finish getting dressed.¡±

    Jasson held his pants out and said ¡°Umm¡­Wow. Okay. Do you guys have a belt?¡±

    ¡°I told you,¡± Petra said, ¡°We didn¡¯t need to buy the bigger one.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Clara said, ¡°It¡¯s only a few lead. Better too big than too small. Jasson, catch!¡±

    Something long flew over the wall and Jasson caught it. It was a length of rope.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, ¡°this will work.¡±

    A few minutes later Jasson stepped out of the doorway and posed, saying ¡°Well ladies, what do you think?¡±

    Clara smiled brightly while Petra said ¡°You look like a peasant. It looks perfect on you.¡±

    Of course, they wouldn¡¯t get it, Jasson thought, This is a cool roleplay outfit. I could go to Comic Connection with this.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s an upgrade from before.¡± Jasson said, ¡°Besides, with how we live we¡¯re technically homeless. We¡¯re squatting, even if it¡¯s on your own property.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how squatting works,¡± Petra said, ¡°And you have no reason to be so giddy today. A silver and a copper? Really? You couldn¡¯t even take the time to find a better one?¡±

    ¡°The quests all come out at the same time,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯ll try again tomorrow, but there¡¯s a ton of competition.¡±

    Clara said, ¡°Come on, at least he earned something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Petra said, ¡°But we managed four gold and half a dozen coppers. He should have at least gotten an electrum c-¡±

    ¡°Now see,¡± Jasson said, reaching among the things that he¡¯d put down for the shower, ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re assuming all this. Yes, the reward was supposed to be One silver and one or two copper. But-¡±

    ¡°One or two copper?¡± Petra said, ¡°So they were rewarding a copper per head.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t even finish my explanation. Yes, it was one copper per head. But there were thousands of heads in that attic. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t all be worth the same as the big one but¡­¡±

    Jasson tossed the bag of coins to Petra, who caught it. Petra untied the drawtrings and pulled the bag open with Clara leaning over her shoulder. Petra curled her lips into a smile and Clara beamed at Jasson.

    ¡°Wow!¡± Clara said bouncing to Jasson and giving him a big hug, ¡°Great job! Your second day and you already made a bunch of gold and change! I¡¯m so glad you were rewarded properly for all that you went through!¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson said, hugging her back, ¡°It was a lot of work.¡±

    Petra counted out a few coins and tossed the bag back to Jasson, then said ¡°Well done. By sheer luck and grit, you managed to turn an abysmal job into a fruitful day.¡±

    Jasson ended the hug with Clara and said, ¡°Thank you. Do you think that it was good or bad luck? That was a lot harder after all, and I could have died.¡±

    ¡°Who knows,¡± Petra said ¡°but I¡¯m glad that you didn¡¯t show us the gold while we were in Stalt. Stalt might have a full court system, but remember: Don¡¯t count money in public. You won¡¯t just be an idiot, you¡¯ll be an idiot with something to lose.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Jasson grinned as Clara hugged him again, ¡°Can I come inside now?¡±

    ¡°Come on in,¡± Petra held the curtain aside, ¡°and welcome back to Reflection Manor.¡±

    End of Arc 2: Goes Around

    <h2>*****Jasson¡¯s Status****</h2>

    | Strength      | 102

    | Agility       | 130

    | Intelligence  | 150

    | Wisdom        | 90

    | Charisma      | 93

    | Magic        | 55

    | Stamina       | 115

    | Luck          | 155

 Chapter 11: Things that Fly --- Shorties Arc

    Dripping with sweat that had nowhere to go, Jasson crawled through hell. Pressed on all sides by heat and rough cloth, Jasson swam through human flesh. The sweat around him had formed a kind of lubricant, and he occasionally dipped down to breathe in the air below. But he couldn¡¯t stop. This was his last chance.

    Jasson¡¯s fingers touched the spongy surface of the Quest Board, and Jasson frantically scrambled around. Heart sinking, Jasson realized that he couldn¡¯t feel any papers. Of course, they had already-

    The edge of a paper was squished behind a muscular body to his left, and Jasson seized on the edge. Screaming, Jasson pulled and he could hear the paper tear off the pin. Praying that it wasn¡¯t another useless quest, Jasson rolled it into his fist and cried victoriously.

    ¡°MINE!¡± Jasson shouted with what little breath he had left. Now all he had to do was wait for the press of people to release and he¡¯d-

    Someone gripped Jasson¡¯s hand and started prying his fingers apart. Jasson tried to scream, but a hand snaked around and covered his mouth. It was salty but Jasson held himself back from biting down.

    ¡°Just give it to me,¡± the man hissed, ¡°I missed it earlier, but a little @$#%# like you can¡¯t just sneak in here and take it! It should be mine!¡±

    Then something grabbed the back of Jasson¡¯s shirt, and he was hauled out like a toy that had been stuck between the couch cushions.

    Grog¡¯s massive face grinned at Jasson and Grog said ¡°Well done kid! Now that¡¯s commitment! Haha! Go read your prize for a bit.¡±

    Grog set Jasson down on the floor, and Jasson stood and said ¡°Thank you Grog.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Grog said, ¡°Now then-¡±

    Like lightning, Grog caught the back of the shirt of the man who had been fleeing. Pinching Jasson¡¯s assualter between two fingers, Grog held the man up.

    ¡°Jeffery, Jeffery, Jeffery,¡± Grog tsked, ¡°I cannot believe that you would try again the very next day. It¡¯s Thursday for crying out loud. I¡¯m afraid that something this blatant deserves¡­ punishment.¡±

    Jeffery paled and said ¡°N-no! I got in front! I was there first! The kid came in and stole it before I could grab it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works Jeffery,¡± Grog grinned, ¡°And I believe that I made you a promise yesterday. Everyone who wants to, follow me.¡±

    Jasson and about half the crowd followed Grog outside. The giant towered, as tall as some of the buildings around them.

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Grog said, ¡°As of today, I am offering three options. First, we expunge you from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. That¡¯s it. Second, I literally kick you so hard that you fly out of the city and land among the trees. You¡¯re allowed to come back in after that, but you won¡¯t sit down for around a month. Third, I get to test out my invention.¡±

    Grog reached to the side and opened a hole in space, then pulled a basket from his Locker. It was like an Easter Basket with a long handle over twice the height of the actual basket, except colored brown rather than a rainbow of pastels. It looked proportionately normal with Grog holding it, but when it was set beside Jeffery the true scale was revealed.

    ¡°Now,¡± Grog said, ¡°I just finished this last night. It¡¯s a magical single-use basket made to handle the extreme heat of atmospheric compression. I wanted to test it out today, but they said that I couldn¡¯t use criminals until my permit processes. Do you remember my threat yesterday? That I would throw you to Mance?¡±

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Jeffery¡¯s eyes were fixed on the basket like it was waiting below a guillotine, ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Grog stood, ¡°In summary, Option One is to leave here and never come back. Option two is to suffer great bodily injury and be kicked into the nearby forest. Option three, and I really hope you take this one, is to become a test subject. This basket should ensure your safe landing, although it has not been tested. I¡¯ll even give you the coin and paperwork to make it back here. What do you say?¡±

    Jeffery gulped and said ¡°I-ah-umm-¡±

    ¡°Tell you what,¡± Grog said, ¡°Since you¡¯d be the first to use it, I¡¯ll reward you for returning alive. Let me see that quest Jasson.¡±

    Jasson reflexively handed the quest over and Grog glanced at it, then grinned.

    ¡°Pricey,¡± Grog said, handing the quest back, ¡°Ah well. It¡¯s for progress. As the first conTESTant, You will earn one hundred gold coins when you return here.¡±

    ¡°One hun- yeah! Of course!¡± Jeffery said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Grog reached into a pouch and pulled out a bag, ¡°Fill this out when you land. In you go!¡±

    Jeffery took the bag and stepped in the basket, and Grog said, ¡°Alright. Everyone back up.¡±

    The crowd cleared back and Grog cracked his knuckles. Then Grog muttered something and his body began to glow. The basket started to glow as well, and a hum filled the air. Suddenly Grog seized the top of the basket and whipped it over his head like a sling. Round and round Jeffery¡¯s screams whizzed as Grog took a few aiming steps down the street. Then with a heave-

    VOOBOOM!

    Everyone ducked as the glass in the area rattled or shattered, and then the screaming Jeffery was gone.

    ¡°Swamp it,¡± Grog sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I put enough into that. I didn¡¯t want to throw him too far inland, but he might land in the channel. I hope he can swim.¡±

    Grog went inside and most of the crowd followed him, but Jasson stayed and looked at his quest. Then looked at the door leading back into the Guild.

    Jane¡¯s words echoed from yesterday, saying ¡°The enchantment diminishes the moment it leaves the building¡±

    ¡°Ah shoot,¡± Jasson sighed and turned around, ¡°Not again. I hope this is worth it.¡±

    Jasson tried to flatten the paper out as best he could, then scanned it with TrainSlate. The app rattled off details as Jasson walked north, going to the meetup. The walk eventually turned into a skip as Jasson realized what he¡¯d grabbed.

    It was a quest to exterminate a nest of goblins, with one Electrum piece per head. Since each gold coin was worth two electrum, Jasson guessed that Electrum was worth about ten bucks. Jasson was calculating how many goblins he¡¯d have to kill when he was inturupted by the completion pay being translated, and he skidded to a halt in front of an alley.

    ¡°A hundred gold?!¡± Jasson barely kept himself from screaming, ¡°Wow. Okay. So that¡¯s what Grog was talking about.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± a gruff voice said in an alley to Jasson¡¯s right, ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? The one with the strange crystal.¡±

    Jasson turned, clutching his quest close as he opened Punching John on his phone. Facing Jasson was a tall, scarred man with a cruel twist in his lip and his hands conspicuously placed in his pockets.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Is there something I can do for you.¡±

    The man looked around and then nodded his head toward the alley. Jasson looked past him, expecting more goons waiting to beat him up. Instead, there was no one, and Jasson turned back to the man. He must have understood what Jasson was thinking.

    ¡°Nothin¡¯ bad,¡± The man said, evil eye glinting with honesty, ¡°Just gonna make you a deal that I don¡¯t want on the main street.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But just so you know I have friends waiting.¡±

    ¡°As do I,¡± The man laughed, then said ¡°But not down this alley. I ain¡¯t no opps*, just a man looking for your services.¡±

    Should I follow? Jasson thought. I¡¯d be starting a fight if I tried to run now. Best see where this is going.

    Jasson shrugged and followed him in. They had hardly made it five feet into the alley when the man turned, pulling what he had out of his pockets. Jasson felt his heart leap in shock until he saw that the man was holding a¡­peach? And a crystal.

    ¡°You must understand,¡± the man said, ¡°I can only offer you a pittance right now. I spent so much to find out what was necessary and even more to find you. Please, will you do it?¡±

    What the heck? Jasson thought. He wants me to Skydrop something?

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Jasson said, ¡°Yes. What would you like?¡±

    ¡°Anything,¡± the man¡¯s eyes became oddly keen, almost desperate, ¡°I¡¯m dyin¡¯ but Mace ain¡¯t givin¡¯ to rivals more than once. Especially since some gang beat him blue the other day.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Jasson said, ¡°so¡­what kind did you want?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more than one?¡± The man looked overwhelmed, then shook his head and said ¡°Just the cats. I don¡¯t want to get in over my head, but I¡¯ll let the boss know you have more. He didn¡¯t believe that I could do it. You will transfer it, right?¡±

    Cats? Jasson thought. He wants¡­no¡­really?

    ¡°Skydrop, but yeah. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Jasson said, ¡°You- erm, You have proved yourself after all. Let me begin.¡±

    Jasson carefully took a bite out of the peach to match it with the logo for his phone, then placed it on the man¡¯s eager outstretched crystal. Jasson selected a video, one of the recent ones he¡¯d downloaded when he had five bars in the guild, and Skydropped it.

    ¡°There,¡± Jasson said, ¡°It should only take a minute. This one is shorter but funnier in my opinion. Don¡¯t- er- don¡¯t take it all at once.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank you,¡± the man said, watching the bar fill, ¡°My girl doesn¡¯t believe me neither. Says its a trick from the opps*. I say that no rizz* can cap* that #$$%, ya know?¡±

    *(Examples of localized multiversal translation.)

    Jasson nodded, on edge. The man was chomping at the bit so Jasson hoped that this was what the guy wanted. But¡­really? Cat videos? Plus he said that he¡¯d pay¡­

    Maybe Jasson could rent a sword. That would be nice since MADaptation spells took a bunch of charge, and Jasson had just gotten his phone¡¯s battery past forty-five percent.

    Doo-doo-doo-doo

    ¡°There,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Done transferring- I mean Skydropping.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± the man said, then shoved a bag into Jasson¡¯s hands, ¡°I gotta go show my guys. I hope that that¡¯s enough. Bye!¡±

    And just like that he was gone, six feet of menace and muscle practically skipping down the road. Jasson was about to open the coin pouch and investigate when Petra¡¯s lecture ricocheted through his mind.

    Don¡¯t count money in public. You won¡¯t just be an idiot, you¡¯ll be an idiot with something to lose.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Jasson winced and tucked it away in his other pocket. He could really use a Locker, but Petra said that they¡¯re pricey. Maybe once he made it to Lead Rank in the Guild.

    Jasson made his way across the city, charging his phone as he walked. He never got good signal when he was walking alone, so Jasson had powered off his phone to charge it faster. By the time he arrived at the restaurant where he was to meet Clara and Petra, he¡¯d managed to get it to fifty percent. Nice.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Clara¡¯s voice called almost as soon as Jasson sat down, ¡°Jasson. Did you find one?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jasson said, standing, ¡°Second day and I managed to get a good quest.¡±

    ¡°The third time they brought it out though,¡± Clara grinned, walking up, ¡°Come on. Petra¡¯s gonna meet us back at our house.¡±

    Groaning, Jasson said ¡°Of course. I was looking forward to waiting for her here.¡±

    They started walking, and once they left the city the now familiar blurring of distance brought them close to the twin peaks. Jasson pushed through the weedy road, several burs catching on the most annoying parts of his clothing. All this to arrive home just as Petra was descending from the sky.

    Woah, Jasson thought, so people can fly. That¡¯s so cool.

    ¡°I¡¯m headed in!¡± Clara passed Jasson, ¡°Jasson has something to show you Petra.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so not fair,¡± Jasson said as Clara went into the house, ¡°I want to fly.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t even try without a better Crystal,¡± Petra said, touching down gently, ¡°And you¡¯ll only be jumping with anything short of a thousand gold.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cap,¡± Jasson said, rolling his eyes, ¡°But I have good news.¡±

    Jasson held out the crumpled flier and Petra smoothed it out, saying ¡°Is there no way for you to actually take care of one of these?¡±

    ¡°Just read it,¡± Jasson rolled his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s good, right?¡±

    Petra sighed then glanced over it, saying ¡°One hundred gold ¡­goblin nest clearing, pending on an investigation tomorrow afternoon. That¡¯s not the best, but they¡¯ll probably only stiff us ten gold on that. They¡¯re offering Electrum coins per head though, rather than just the extermination¡­ Someone rich wants it done quickly and thoroughly, in less than twenty four hours and it doesn¡¯t even give us a location.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t?¡± Jasson said, scrolling on his phone, ¡°Where are we supposed to go?¡±

    ¡°It says that the goblins are near a certain road,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯d bet there¡¯s some kind of royal hunt going on. They got reports from the preppers, probably of a lot more than this goblin nest if their extermination teams can¡¯t do it. It¡¯s possible that we¡¯re gonna come across other monsters and¡­well this could get complicated.¡±

    After a minute Petra reached into her Locker and pulled out something that she tossed at Jasson as she said ¡°Catch.¡±

    ¡°Ow,¡± Jasson flinched away as it slammed into his side, falling to the ground, ¡°A little more warning! That actually hurt. ¡±

    ¡°Not sorry,¡± Petra said, ¡°I bought that for you today, so you better take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson said, unsheathing two feet of simple steel, ¡°You got me a sword!¡±

    Clothes yesterday and a sword today. Jasson thought. My, she does spoil me.

    ¡°What?¡± Petra said, ¡°That¡¯s a knife.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson looked at the blade, ¡°No. This is a sword. Short, but definitely a sword. It¡¯s even sharp on both sides.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a sword¡± Clara called and Jasson turned to see Clara reaching into her Locker. ¡°This is a sword!¡±

    From the tear in space Clara pulled a blade that glittered in the golden hour sun. With a fanciful whip above her head, Clara planted the sword at her feet. Clara¡¯s entire body disappeared behind the width of the blade, save for her billowing skirts and shoulders. Jasson looked from his blade to Clara¡¯s and nodded.

    ¡°Yup,¡± Jasson said, ¡°A knife. Just the right size for me too.¡±

    Clara nodded and grabbed the handle of her blade, yanking it out then stowing it away in her personal pocket of space.

    ¡°We ready to go?¡± Clara said, ¡°Do you need to grab anything Jasson?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Go where?¡±

    Petra rolled her eyes and sighed, then said ¡°You¡¯re such an idiot. We¡¯re going to go hunt goblins. That¡¯s the quest you grabbed, remember?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Now? I thought we¡¯d leave tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s due tomorrow,¡± Petra said, ¡°but it will take us about four hours to walk there. Then several more to find the nest in such a large area. The actual clearing shouldn¡¯t take that long, but it¡¯s already late in the day. We¡¯re running out of time.¡±

    ¡°But¡­dinner?¡± Jasson said, stomach growling, ¡°We should eat something before we go.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have the jerky and crackers stored in our Lockers,¡± Petra said, ¡°Lets get going.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we heat something up?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Something quick?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Petra said, ¡°there¡¯s nothing but raw meats in the icebox. Which reminds me, I better freeze them solid before we go. How¡¯s your night vision by the way? Can you see in low light?¡±

    ¡°Maybe?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m normal when it comes to low light. But¡­ sleep? Will we take turns on watch or-¡±

    ¡°Only if we find the nest early,¡± Petra said, grinning at Jasson¡¯s discomfort, ¡°But I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to be an all-nighter. Ready?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Clara stepped up cheerfully, ¡°I just had to grab my pillow. How about you Jasson?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Petra said, ¡°That makes this more fun. For me anyways. Try not to die.¡±

    ****

    Sleep depravation makes people jumpy as shadows and trees mix beneath a bright moon. The forest was dense, with a penchant for leafless branches that scratched at the corners of sanity. As Jasson collapsed backwards, he discovered that being jumpy was a good thing. Even though Jasson had stabbed quite a few trees in the past hour, his knife-sword was still sharp enough to kill the goblin sneaking up on him.

    The goblin was short, maybe three feet high, and Jasson could only make out a mottled green skin and wide pointed ears. A bone knife dropped from the monster¡¯s fingers as it glared hatefully into Jasson¡¯s eyes. It chittered, what reflection of humanity it possessed shining only hate from it¡¯s dying eyes. The goblin slid off the end of Jasson¡¯s sword and fell to the ground, dead.

    After a few moments of stunned silence, Jasson looked up into the eyes of half a dozen other goblins.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jasson said, trying to scream around the lump in his throat, ¡°I found some!¡±

    Although broadly inaccurate this statement proved effective. Jasson barely managed to scramble to his feet, wildly swinging his sword to keep the monsters away, when the others arrived.

    A hail of earthen bullets exploded to Jasson¡¯s left, and an enormous sword skewered two goblins to his right, pinning them against a tree. The two sisters reached Jasson¡¯s side and stepped in front of him protectively.

    ¡°You alright Jasson?¡± Clara said, grabbing her sword and twisting it free, ¡°Get hit?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I actually got one. See?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Petra said, ¡°It could have been one of my bullets.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Besides, I have the blood on my sword.¡±

    ¡°Great job,¡± Clara said, thumping Jasson on the back, ¡°Your first Demi-human kill. Sometimes you feel nauseous later, so feel free to throw up.¡±

    Jasson¡¯s stomach clenched protectively around the small ¡®dinner¡¯ they¡¯d had. This might have been his first actual kill, and it might have made a disturbing gurgling sound as it died, but Jasson couldn¡¯t ignore his swelling pride. The dream of all boys with sticks lay before him, a foe vanquished by his own bloody blade.

    ¡°Does this make me a man?¡± Jasson said out loud, which he immediately kicked himself for.

    ¡°I should hope not,¡± Petra said, ¡°Otherwise I¡¯m a thousand times more of a man than you are. Now come on, the last two are retreating. We should be able to find their base this way.¡±

    Petra jogged away as Jasson hauled himself after them. Petra obviously didn¡¯t get it. Jasson had held his own in a fight, albeit against a three-foot-tall monster with a bone knife. That had to mean something.

    The Twins set a murderous pace, although not as exhuasting as stomping all of those spiders had been. Jasson followed to the best of his ability, keeping his complaints to himself as he followed them. Suddenly they crouched behind a bush, and Petra motioned for Jasson to join them. Panting loudly, Jasson collapsed to his knees between the girls as Petra glarred at Jasson and shushed him.

    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Jasson whispered, ¡°I just¡­ won¡¯t¡­breathe.¡±

    Petra rolled her eyes as Clara rubbed Jasson¡¯s back, a useless but appreciated gesture as Jasson wrangled his breathing. After a minute Jasson was finally able to breathe quietly and he crept up to peak through the bush.

    ¡°What am I looking at?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Is the den hidden?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Petra said, ¡°We¡¯re not even close, I just wanted you to shut up first. We found their main path. You can see how there¡¯s a bunch of tiny bones?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson said, ¡°it¡¯s dark.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Petra said, ¡°Squint. You said you could see in dim lighting.¡±

    ¡°I said I was normal,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Meaning I can make out rough shapes and movement, not tiny bones.¡±

    ¡°Ah well,¡± Petra shrugged, ¡°there¡¯s a bunch of them. They¡¯re what makes the trail whiter than the surrounding ground. Can you see that?¡±

    Jasson said ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s a bunch of bones, eh?¡±

    ¡°Bleached by the sun,¡± Petra thumped Jasson¡¯s shoulder, ¡°About what I expected from you. It¡¯s not so dark that you absolutely need a Lighteyes spell then.¡±

    That took a few seconds to process before Jasson said ¡°A what?¡±

    ¡°A Lighteyes spell,¡± Petra said, ¡°It lets me easily see in the dark an-¡±

    ¡°You can cast a SPELL to SEE in the DARK,¡± Jasson said, feeling his neck burn, ¡°and you DIDN¡¯T cast it on ME!?! I have been mostly blind for HOURS! Does Clara have it on?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, and Jasson relaxed. Maybe it was something that Petra could only cast on herself.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Clara beamed, ¡°I can see in the dark naturally. It¡¯s part of my warrior training. She hasn¡¯t needed to cast it on me in years.¡±

    Jasson rounded on Petra and said ¡°I¡¯ve been bumbling in the dark. You knew that I could barely see this whole time, yet you-¡±

    ¡°Now wait,¡± Petra said, ¡°I forgot, okay? No point doing it now, so let¡¯s move on-¡±

    No, Jasson thought, I need this spell. I¡¯ve been jumping at shadows this whole time!

    ¡°Cast it on me right now,¡± Jasson said, ¡°or I swear that I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°You need the money,¡± Petra said, ¡°you wouldn¡¯t bail before-¡±

    ¡°I have the gold from yesterday,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Not to mention whatever I got from that guy earlier. Get my money from your Locker and I¡¯ll be gone since I don¡¯t strictly need to be here.¡±

    ¡°The spell takes too long,¡± Petra said, ¡°we need to move quickly. The sun is almost up and-¡±

    ¡°No it doesn¡¯t,¡± Clara said, ¡°It takes only a minute. Although, Jasson you can¡¯t force her to cast it on you.¡±

    Jasson took a stabilizing breath and said ¡°I¡¯m not trying to force her to cast it on me. But, come on Petra. You invited me to help you with your dreams, am I not worth a brief spell? I could die out here.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t die,¡± Petra said, ¡°I can get a couple of charges out of the healing crystal. But by all means, go ahead. Leave if you¡¯re so scared of getting hurt.¡±

    Stop being so stubborn, Jasson thought, I know you don¡¯t believe that. Why is this a problem?

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m trying to contribute. To be part of this. But Petra, you don¡¯t seem to think that I¡¯m worth it. You won¡¯t even let me see in the dark like you do. It¡¯s not about the spell, it¡¯s about you seeing me as a kind of dog. A dog that can manage on its own, and that you don¡¯t mind staying at your feet. Is that what I am to you?¡±

    Jasson finished and turned away, unable to look Petra in the eyes. He expected her to blow up, like how she had every time he confronted her. Petra was a real #-

    ¡°All right,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°You will?¡± Jasson turned to her, surprised, ¡°Thanks.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t quite see her by the light of the moon shining through the canopy, but she certainly wasn¡¯t smiling. Clara was smiling widely, and Jasson sighed in relief. So Petra wasn¡¯t as bad as he thought.

    ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Petra said, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare mention how I cast this spell to anyone.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to poke my eyes out are you?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Is this a common spell?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Petra said, ¡°but only for people that are exceptionally weak with light magic, like me. It¡¯s like a blessing. Just a blessing. Now stop talking. And hold still. This may surprise you.¡±

    Jasson closed his eyes and said ¡°All right,¡±

    A few seconds passed and Jasson heard shuffling. Then something moist and soft pressed against his left eye, and Jasson had to repress the urge to wipe his eyes. Was that a-

    The same gentle dampness pressed against his right eye, and this time Jasson could make out a faint kissing sound. A ¡®blessing¡¯. Right.

    ¡°All right,¡± Petra said, ¡°go ahead and open your eyes.¡±

    Jasson did, the world lighting up before him as he fixed his eyes on Petra. Jasson was burning up, but despite his embarrassment, he couldn¡¯t stop his heart from soaring.

    I just got kissed by a girl, Jasson thought, and I¡¯m never going to mention this again. For her sake. She looks pretty flushed and¡­was she crying?

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson said, ¡°it¡¯s perfect. About as bright as sunset, but without the orange.¡±

    Petra snorted and said, ¡°An adequate light mage would make you see like it was noon.¡±

    ¡°That would be awesome,¡± Jasson said, ¡°but you¡¯re an Earth mage, right? This is enough.¡±

    Petra turned away and Clara said ¡°All right. Everyone ready? Good. Let¡¯s go massacre some evil little buggers.¡±

 Chapter 12: Things That Light Up

    When a group is walking quietly along a trail, there are two states that must occur. Either the group will walk in silence until a {comic-relief_character} steps on a twig, prompting an ambush of improbable proportions. Or, despite the need for silence, the local knowledgeable character decides to info dump. Somehow, the second state is the most successful for sneaking.

    ¡°You can always tell a goblin¡¯s trail from any other animal or monster trail,¡± Petra said, ¡°Because of a combination of factors. Like a lot of humanoid monsters, they seem fond of wearing bone jewelry. But unlike most of the others, they¡¯re unskilled in making it.¡±

    Petra motioned to the small bones littering the trail, ¡°Their necklaces snap, the bones fall apart, or they simply don¡¯t secure things properly. The paths goblins use begin to accumulate these little pieces of bones, making a trail of bone-crumbs back to their den. Some scholars think that the faultiness is on purpose so that the goblins can find their way home, but I doubt if said scholars have ever met a goblin.¡±

    Jasson nodded and they continued in silence, occasionally dodging into the bushes as a group of goblins wandered past. Eventually, they found a clearing and a cave on the side of a mountain. Petra led them into the bushes and had them lay in wait as the goblins went in and out.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Petra whispered, ¡°how many would you say there are sis?¡±

    ¡°Thirty,¡± Clara said, ¡°Plus the king and queen. We should be careful not to get surrounded. We will need to clear out the individual rooms as well.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Petra said, ¡°Tortoise?¡±

    ¡°Not on the approach,¡± Clara said, ¡°If anything, we need to let some goblins through so that they don¡¯t run for any other exits they might have.¡±

    ¡°Heron then,¡± Petra sighed, ¡°Low risk as long as he doesn¡¯t fall.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson said, ¡°We¡¯re planning on attacking them, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Petra said, ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Jasson said, ¡°If I¡¯m going to participate then I¡¯d like to know what the plan is first.¡±

    Petra sighed and explained the terms. Tortoise was a defensive form that allowed them to move in an earthen dome. They could adapt it here by getting close enough to seal up the holes and work through the place one room at a time. Heron was a method of baiting the goblins out into a disadvantageous trap, then surrounding and exterminating the monsters.

    ¡°So we¡¯re doing Heron?¡± Jasson said, ¡°How do we surround them? There¡¯s three of us.¡±

    ¡°Simple,¡± Petra grinned, ¡°I¡¯m a powerful earth mage. We build walls, then eliminate them as they try to climb over.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, ¡°but there¡¯s only three of us. How would we guard the walls?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard,¡± Clara said, ¡°If we build it right Petra could control the whole area with me standing guard.¡±

    Jasson remembered the earth bullets Petra had used earlier and nodded, then said, ¡°Then how do we get them out? You mentioned bait? I have some dried jerky we could use.¡±

    Jasson looked from one girl to the other, seeing their evil grins.

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Will that not work?¡±

    Petra said, ¡°Only if you jiggle it in front of their noses.¡±

    ¡°Make sure to hold onto it,¡± Clara said, ¡°You¡¯ll be running quickly after doing so.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m the bait.¡±

    ****

    ¡°AAEEEEEEE!¡± Jasson screamed fifteen feet inside the cavern, channeling the gut-clenching terror at seeing twenty evil green things turning to watch him. A few heads poked out of other rooms in the cave, and a cackling war cry sprouted from the surprised horde.

    Fleeing down the cavern Jasson was grateful that he had tightened the laces on his tennis shoes. Fortunately, Jasson easily outpaced the horde of goblins. Apparently being three feet tall made them a good bit slower than even him, which made this bait situation a surprisingly reasonable risk.

    The fortifications were three ten-foot-tall walls in a U around the entrance. As Jasson scrambled up the wall in the back, he heard the goblins die in droves behind him. Cresting the wall Jasson rolled and heaved, breath coming in ragged gasps. Then he laughed, the thrill of being alive filling his heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m up!¡± Jasson called, ¡°Destroy the ladder!¡±

    The earth beside Jasson exploded as Petra destroyed the ladder, and Jasson struggled to his feet and pulled his phone out. This was the perfect chance to test his spells on MADaptation, and he¡¯d charged it to almost 70% during their journey here.

    The goblins swarmed out in twos and threes, shrieking and charging the walls. Jasson opened MADaptation, then balanced the Light Crystal on the screen as tendrils of lightning reworked the shape. Jasson plugged the reshaped crystal in and then, carefully, turned it around so the dangerous end was pointing out. The interface was upside down and wouldn¡¯t rotate, but there weren¡¯t any words to worry about. Jasson had been itching to experiment with the spells but hadn¡¯t found any time for it. But now¡­Jasson selected the one that had almost killed him.

    ¡°Here we go!¡± Jasson said, pointing the crystal as best he could, ¡°Fire!¡±

    Gling!

    A shining rocket of light emerged from the crystal and shot forward. About the size and speed of a thrown Football, it sped towards the enemy. Passing by a couple of goblins, it crashed into the ground and exploded. The closest goblin was torn to shreds and the force of the explosion flattened half a dozen other goblins.

    ¡°YES!¡± Jasson whooped.

    Jasson fired another, exploding it against a group to the right. The flash of light wasn¡¯t as bright as he thought it would be, but it still left spots in his eyes.

    ¡°Oi!¡± Petra¡¯s voice said, ¡°Keep away from the walls! I didn¡¯t build them for that.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson said, grinning.

    Finally, Jasson thought, I¡¯m OP!

    Jasson checked his phone and blinked. 54% battery from the 70% it had been moments before.

    ¡°Woah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°That¡¯s only two shots! Dang. Let¡¯s see what else I have.¡±

    Jasson toyed with his phone, trying out the other options. He found the flashlight, which was a circle for some reason. Then there was a laser ruler, a laser pointer, and a taser feature. There was even rippling lightning that exploded in an AOE electrical discharge that sucked an enormous twelve percent of his battery. Finally, Jasson found his favorite function.

    ¡°Heh, heh, heh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Let me show you its features!¡±

    Jasson pressed the button and a bolt of light shot out and seared a goblin to death.

    I HAVE A LASER GUN!!! Jasson squealed internally as he did a little skip.

    This was getting fun! Jasson rattled off shots, usually missing the first two before sending a smoking corpse to the floor. Occasionally the goblins would try to scale his part of the wall and Jasson would shoot them point blank, smelling the burned hair and flesh. The horrid stink of victory.

    ¡°Jasson!¡± Petra called, ¡°They¡¯re not coming out anymore. We¡¯re going to go in and kill the king. Make sure none sneak past us.¡±

    ¡°But-¡± Jasson saw Petra give him the look and said ¡°All right. Good luck.¡±

    They¡¯re trusting me to guard the exit. Jasson thought. This is progress.

    The twins jumped down and ran into the cave, Clara taking point while Petra held earth bullets ready to fire. After a few minutes, Jasson felt the ground shake and he started to get worried. Everything was going okay, right?

    After long minutes of inactivity, Jasson opened up TikTik. His signal was weak and would drop occasionally, but was decently fast when it connected. Every few TikTiks Jasson saw a goblin try to sneak out, and he would snipe the monster before it could clear the wall. Then it was back to scrolling.

    The sky grew lighter before the twins emerged, waving towards him. Sighing with relief, Jasson unplugged the crystal and pocketed it with his phone. Jasson was low on power, both for the phone and himself, and couldn¡¯t muster the energy to start charging again.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°We got all of them!¡± Clara called, ¡°There was a troll!¡±

    Jasson raised his eyebrows and stepped to the edge of the wall.

    ¡°Really?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Was it¡­uh¡­what are trolls like? Green? Rocky? Pink with long crazy hair?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Petra said, ¡°Come on. You should see the body. It¡¯s something you should know.¡±

    ¡°I would,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But I can¡¯t jump down ten feet like it¡¯s nothing. At least not yet. Mind making me another ladder?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do you one better,¡± Petra said, walking up to the wall to Jasson¡¯s right, ¡°Step away from the edge.¡±

    Without waiting to see if Jasson obeyed, Petra mumbled something and the Earth Crystal she used glowed along its four-inch length. The wall rumbled and the part near Petra sunk back into the ground at varying heights, making a set of stairs.

    ¡°That easy enough for you?¡± Petra said, ¡°Now come on. We¡¯re on a time limit since the guild Evaluator will be waiting for us on the road in a couple of hours.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Jasson said, dusting off his butt, ¡°I¡¯m coming, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Jasson followed Petra into the cave as Clara piled the goblin bodies outside. Details leaped out at Jasson, things that he had missed while running for his life.

    ¡°Why are those holes in the ceiling?¡± Jasson pointed up at openings in the roof of the hallway leading into the entry room.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Petra said, ¡°They¡¯re called murder holes, where the goblins poured boiling water on us.¡±

    Jasson looked at the puddles on the ground and said ¡°I thought you said that goblins weren¡¯t smart.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t,¡± Petra said, ¡°But they are capable of taking orders.¡±

    ¡°Orders?¡± Jasson said, ¡°From the King?¡±

    Petra shook her head and said ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re really lucky that you¡¯re alive. You don¡¯t have fire resistance, so that attack would have killed you. But it looks like they didn¡¯t notice you in time to hit you with this.¡±

    Jasson gulped, nodding as he followed Petra further into the cavern. The first room, the one Jasson had run into in order to bait the horde out, was about twenty feet tall. There was a set of stairs carved into the wall, leading up to a platform above the entrance. Jasson could see a smoldering fire and an overturned cauldron, as well as the steaming remains of three goblins.

    The entry room ended in a hallway that went another twenty feet into the mountain. There were two small rooms to either side before the hallway opened up into another large chamber. Not as big as the first, this one was filled with a dozen goblin corpses. Against the wall in the back was the corpses of two six-foot-tall hideous goblins, and off to the right was a large pile of rubble.

    ¡°See it?¡± Petra said, pointing at the rubble, ¡°This one looks like stone, but they can blend in with their environments over time.¡±

    Jasson managed to pick out a tall form, stone-like skin, and disturbingly long limbs sticking from the rubble as its head lay facedown five feet away. Long braids of coarse hair hung from the head, and the puddle of blood reflected greenish-black.

    ¡°Usually the easiest part to see is their hair,¡± Petra said, ¡°it can get quite wild.¡±

    Jasson snorted, ¡°I think that I¡¯ll look out for an eight-foot-tall spindly rock topped with a mop.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate Trolls,¡± Petra said, ¡°Trolls are enormously strong and have somewhat sharp fingers. Most of all they¡¯re an ambush monster.¡±

    ¡°Ambush?¡± Jasson said, ¡°What, does it hide behind a tree?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, ¡°It folds up. Into about¡­the size of one of those goblins. For this one anyway. They like to hide in crates or under tables and drag you in when you get too close. There are records of ones so big that they can only hide under bridges. But the younger ones are more common can even fit in your bag, which is amazing since those are about as tall as you are. One day, you sling your bag over your shoulder and when your guard is down it attacks. Long arms emerge and seize your throat, strangling you or cutting your throat.¡±

    Petra¡¯s voice echoed on the last word and chills flew down Jasson¡¯s spine. He could see it in his mind, the arms reaching around and closing around him with brutal claws.

    ¡°How did you find this one?¡± Jasson said, ¡°It was hiding, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Petra said, ¡°It tried to jump Clara. The idiot.¡±

    Petra pointed at one of the hands and said ¡°It had a hard time fighting after she shattered its fingers.¡±

    Jasson saw the hand, crumpled like a cartoon and missing the ends of some of the fingers.

    ¡°What about the claws?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Didn¡¯t they cut her?¡±

    ¡°A bit,¡± Petra said, ¡°But she¡¯s tough. Trolls sharpen their claws by sucking on their fingers, using their teeth to shave away until they have a cutting edge. Deadly enough I guess, but nowhere close to sawing through Clara¡¯s skin.¡±

    Jasson whistled and said, ¡°Is that how skin works?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Petra said, ¡°The tougher you are, the harder it is to damage your skin. Why? How else would it work?¡±

    I¡¯m in another world, Jasson thought, with magic and monsters. Why would this be strange? Pedicurists must have a hard job here.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just soft,¡± Jasson said, then motioned to the goblin corpses, ¡°Should we haul these out or leave them here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we should get started.¡± Petra sighed, ¡°And we probably won¡¯t get paid for the troll. That¡¯s on top of the ten gold we probably won¡¯t get because of ¡®completion¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Jasson said, grabbing the body of one of the small goblins¡¯ arms and relized that it wasn¡¯t attatched, ¡°Ew. Oh, this is gross.¡±

    ¡°Wuss,¡± Petra said, reminding Jasson of why he tried not to talk to her, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not gonna kill you.¡±

    As they hauled the squelching bodies out, Petra told Jasson about how they¡¯d get scammed out of their pay. The Adventuring Guild Evaluator was responsible for adjudicating whether the job was finished or not, and it was common for the employer to give the Evaluator some gold under the table to take a bit off of their total bill. They commonly did this on completion percentage and total heads to be paid for. The evaluator will round down the number of goblins killed and ¡®find¡¯ a goblin that the adventurers ¡®missed¡¯. And because they ¡®missed¡¯ a goblin, their completion pay would be reduced.

    ¡°At least, that¡¯s what I hear.¡± Petra said, ¡°Although I¡¯ve never had it happen to myself. But I¡¯ve talked to dozens of adventurers in another city, and they all agreed on these points.¡±

    ¡°That sucks,¡± Jasson said, ¡°You should have left the troll for them and said it¡¯s not a goblin, so it doesn¡¯t count. That way the Evaluator will learn a lesson, or at least be useful for once.¡±

    Jasson picked up the top half of a goblin corpse and winced at the trailing organs, then slung the body into a canvas bag Petra had produced from her Locker. The blood was seeping through the bottom of the sack, leaving a green-black smear across the stone floor whenever Jasson hauled it outside.

    ¡°Nah,¡± Petra said, ¡°Then we¡¯d be antagonizing a great-paying group. I just wish that there was a way for us to prove that this place is cleared before they come. But we¡¯d need a truly expensive crystal for that, and even then the video wouldn¡¯t be clear.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I can take a video of this. The Ophone camera is really good, so I doubt that they will be able to contest it.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Clara said from across the room, a pile of corpses on her shoulders, ¡°Your Crystal is that nice?¡±

    ¡°It shoots spells,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. It¡¯s not like any other Viewing Crystal I¡¯ve ever heard of. Once we¡¯re done getting these goblins outside, go ahead and take some videos of the rooms in here while we organize stuff.¡±

    Nodding, Jasson hurried as he was eager to be done with clean up. The pile of corpses outside was a nightmare of jumbled bits, and Jasson dumped his sack out onto the revolting scree. Turning, Jasson saw Petra and Clara emerging from the entrance.

    ¡°Just start recording,¡± Petra said, ¡°I forgot about the other rooms we already cleared. By the time you finish those, we should be done with the rest.¡±

    Jasson gave a grateful sigh and dropped the crusted sack, then wiped his hands off on his clothes before pulling his phone out and heading in. Jasson took several pictures and videos, documenting each room from various angles as he also charged his phone with the crystal. It was harder than he thought, as sleep deprivation made Jasson sway woozily and blur some of the photos. By the time Jasson finished documenting the last room, the twins had finished clearing the bodies out over a half hour beforehand.

    Jasson squinted in the morning light as he left the goblins'' den and found that the earth walls had been leveled, with no indication of where they had been. There were over two dozen reassembled goblins laid out in a line on one side of the entrance, several with more guesswork than solid bits. On the other side were the goblin king and queen, the troll, and a smaller line of goblins.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jasson called to the two girls, who were relaxing and unpacking an early breakfast, ¡°what happened to the walls?¡±

    ¡°I put them down,¡± Petra motioned, ¡°go wash your hands before you eat. Goblin blood tastes horrible.¡±

    ¡°I figured that much out,¡± Jasson said, ¡°but why did you pull the walls down?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better that they don¡¯t know how easy this was for us,¡± Petra said, ¡°They might try to recruit us to their side, or possibly see us as a threat. It¡¯s not worth the risk.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But¡­look. Most of these goblins are just piles of bits left over from us.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll manage,¡± Petra said, ¡°The spells I used are pretty common and goblins are weak. As long as we don¡¯t flaunt it, we should land as talented but not overly so.¡±

    Jasson thought for a moment then said ¡°I take it that you¡¯ve thought this through.¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Petra said, ¡°Just claim your kills. They¡¯re distinct enough from my earth magic, so it shouldn¡¯t be too hard. That explosive shot will be tricky, but you should get plenty of pay anyway.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Jasson said, ¡°How strong was my Missile? I don¡¯t know much about magic.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s your power or your phone¡¯s,¡± Petra said, ¡°But on a scale of one to twenty I¡¯d say it¡¯s a thirteen in raw power.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Clara said, ¡°I¡¯m a one. I can make dim lights, light a fire, stuff like that.¡±

    Petra said, ¡°I¡¯d say that I¡¯m a sixteen in my specialties. The main problem is getting a high-quality Earth Crystal. I¡¯m always worried about this one since it¡¯s a Monster Crystal rather than a Natural one. Sometimes I wish I had Clara¡¯s power.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Clara blushed, ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. I just swing really hard.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Jasson said, ¡°how does that work? Were you born with the strength?¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Clara smiled, ¡°I always was a bit stronger than the others.¡±

    Petra snorted and said ¡°She broke the bars of her crib. But she did train a bunch if that¡¯s what you want to know. I can only approach her childhood strength with my enhanced gloves, never mind what she can do now.¡±

    Petra held up her fingerless gloves and Jasson nodded. He¡¯d been wondering about her gloves, but always forgotten to ask. So they were a magical object, eh?

    ¡°So you¡¯re mirroring each other?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Petra is a one out of twenty for strength, while Clara is a sixteen out of twenty?¡±

    ¡°No idea!¡± Clara frowned, ¡°I never got the chance to tournament. It was supposed to be this summer, but¡­well.¡±

    ¡°Tournament?¡± Jasson said, ¡°There are tournaments in Stalt?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra glared at him, ¡°there are not.¡±

    Jasson met her glare for the spite of it, but relinquished after a couple of seconds. This was the most they¡¯d ever told him about themselves. He¡¯d have to accept it for now.

 Chapter 13: Things are What they are

    After so much meticulous camera work, Jasson was caught between relief and disappointment when the Evaluator promised that Jasson and the twins would receive full completion pay. And after only one video! Jasson decided to feel relief since he had noticed how much he coughed while filming the video and was finding it an embarrassing waste of storage.

    Once the Evaluator had completed a full loop of the goblin¡¯s den and surrounding area, he had them all sign off on a piece of paper that Petra scrutinized carefully. Petra even had Jasson take a picture of the document so the Evaluator couldn¡¯t change the wording later. Once he was handed back the paper, the Evaluator informed them that they would be paid upon returning to the guild and that they were to wait at the road for ¡®assistance¡¯. Then the Evaluator flew away.

    ¡°Dang, that¡¯s useful.¡± Jasson said, following Petra back to the road, ¡°He has places to be, so flying is a great ability for an Evaluator.¡±

    ¡°I have to agree,¡± Petra said, ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t do it with a monster¡¯s Air Crystal if I were him, even if it is exceptionally large. Could you imagine if that broke mid-flight?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Jasson said, pushing aside a branch, ¡°Skydiving without a parachute.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a parachute?¡± Petra said.

    Jasson thought for a few seconds then said, ¡°It¡¯s something that slows you down when you fall.¡±

    Petra waved a hand and said ¡°Oh, he probably has that. Nobody flies without a backup.¡±

    Following the marks Clara had made on the trees, Jasson and the twins made their way back to the road. They were considering leaving the way they had come, hiking on foot for another four hours but with more sleep deprivation, when a fancy carriage pulled up. It stopped beside them, the horses whinnying as the driver hauled on the reigns.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Do we get to meet the boss?¡±

    The door to the coach opened and a massive man stepped out, covered head to toe in elaborate armor and grinning like he¡¯d heard something funny.

    ¡°Quite the opposite,¡± the warrior said, ¡°This carriage is for your return.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Clara beamed, ¡°Perks of the job!¡±

    Petra eyed the man then held out her hand and said ¡°Thanks for coming. I take it there are other adventurers in the carriage Sir¡­¡±

    ¡°Master Baldric Caelum,¡± the soldier took Petra¡¯s hand and kissed it, ¡°You are a most observant woman Miss¡­¡±

    ¡°Petra,¡± Petra pulled her hand back, iron composure flickering, ¡°It was a simple deduction. This was an urgent quest to deal with a monster infestation. It paid top dollar for goblin heads with less than twenty four hours to complete the job. Usually those with top dollar have men like you on hand to deal with it. But for some reason, their personal guard was unable to handle some goblins? There must have been dozens of nests, and a strict timeframe. So, while you were exterminating the bigger threats, you sent adventurers against the goblins and such. You probably posted a bunch of quest flyers, which explains how Jasson was able to get a hold of one. So this carriage must be to pick up all the bloody and dirty adventurers. But why one so resplendant? Of course-¡±

    ¡°A very talkative observant woman,¡± Baldric said, ¡°You should know that I can¡¯t give out any more details, although I¡¯m sure you will discover them anyways. It is as you surmise. The nobles in question are already on this road, so we must pull you out without alerting them to the danger they were in.¡±

    ¡°Or so they don¡¯t have our smelly bodies sully their day in the woods.¡± Petra said, and Baldric shrugged, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go guys. The curtains will be nailed shut and they probably took the cushions out.¡±

    ¡°Oh come now,¡± Baldric opened the door, ¡°We¡¯re not that bad. Besides, we brought luncheon. Unfortunately, you won¡¯t be able to have it until we get appropriately away from the nobles and their guests.¡±

    The inside of the carriage was not like most, with two small seats facing each other. Rather, it was a ring of seats around a good sized table that you might find at a diner. And it was most assuredly bigger on the inside.

    ¡°Woah!¡± Jasson rushed up, ¡°Awesome! What kind of magic is this?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t the faintest idea,¡± Baldric said, ¡°But please do not be destructive. Also, you¡¯re the first ones we¡¯ve picked up today. Enjoy the space, for now.¡±

    ****

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m happy or upset about this.¡± Petra said as the last adventurer entered the carriage and she watched the man bleeding out on the table, ¡°What about you Clara?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s terrible!¡± Clara looked to her sister and said ¡°So many have died!¡±

    They had finished picking up the adventurers, but only three out of the five groups had survived. Each time they pulled up to a failed quest, they saw the Evaluator waiting on the road. He¡¯d shake his head sullenly and wait with Jasson and the rest as Master Baldric Caleum dove into the forrest. Hours would pass each time, and now the sun leaned drunkenly to evening as the coach kicked forward with its final occupants.

    ¡°Well yes,¡± Petra said, ¡°But I¡¯m also not squished like a rat in a barrel. ¡®We¡¯re not that bad,¡¯ my foot! This carriage of theirs would have us sitting on the table if everyone had made it through their quests. Although, there is someone on the table already. No offense.¡±

    The man bleeding on the table had a friend using Healing magic on him, the light pulsing weakly. The mage glared at Petra with bloodshot eyes, then sniffed and refocused on the magic she was forcing into the man. Their other companion was a male fighter who was staring blankly out of the closed window. On the other side, siting hunched in the corner of the round table, the lone survivor of another Adventuring party scowled at every opportunity. He was a gruff man, with dark eyes reflecting a light devoid of victory, yet there were smile lines at the corners of his eyes.

    Petra sighed and held out her hand to the mage, saying ¡°I can tell your mana is running low. I¡¯m not that good at healing, but I should be able to do better than you.¡±

    The mage hesitated but the man helpfully coughed up blood, prompting her to cave and hand the crystal over to Petra. There were a few stab wounds, but the worst injury was a blistered burn across his left side.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a healer?¡± Clara said, ¡°He¡¯s not doing well.¡±

    ¡°He was the healer,¡± the mage said, ¡°I was using his Crystal.¡±

    ¡°No kidding,¡± Petra said, and Jasson saw the wounds begin to seal back up, ¡°You¡¯re no good at this at all.¡±

    So that¡¯s what it looks like. Jasson thought. Kinda nauseating.

    ¡°Oi,¡± The mage said, ¡°Don¡¯t push it too hard! We just got it!¡±

    ¡°Would you rather he die?¡± Petra said, but the light did dim.

    ¡°No,¡± The mage said, ¡°But he was looking forward to using it. Then he got hit by that water and the screams¡­¡±

    The mage sniffed and the fighter looked dully out of the window. The only survivor of the other group scoffed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± the survivor said, ¡°He¡¯s weak if he dies from this.¡±

    ¡°We were ambushed!¡± The mage turned, exhaustion dripping from her, ¡°Somehow they had built murder holes in the goblin¡¯s cave entrance. We barely survived. We got trapped at the entrance and had to kill every single %*&^( before we could make our way to the king.

    ¡°Oh,¡± the survivor rolled his eyes, ¡°You barely survived? By all means, keep feeling bad for yourself. I was wondering where my friends went, but I guess they were sipping coconuts!¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Before the mage could spit back Clara interjected and said ¡°Look, I don¡¯t even know what your names are. If we¡¯re feeling this talkative, we might as well introduce ourselves. My name¡¯s Clara, this is my sister Petra and our friend Jasson.¡±

    The others gave their names reluctantly, eyeing Clara¡¯s blood splattered face. The mage was a woman called Calista, the zoned out fighter was a man named Brenor, and the bleeding healer was a man named Evan. The Survivor was a man named Areth.

    ¡°So what¡¯s up with Brenor?¡± Clara said, ¡°Is he bummed out about Evan? Or did something else happen?¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Calista said, ¡°He¡¯s just like that when he¡¯s not fighting. Like your guy Jasson.¡±

    Clara turned to Jasson and nudged him, almost cracking a rib, and said ¡°Hey Jasson, you¡¯re being rude.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, not looking up, ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re traveling with people,¡± Clara said, ¡°It¡¯s rude to be on your crystal.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how it is on the bus,¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°Look, I¡¯m just trying to charge my phone. I¡¯m pretty slow at it.¡±

    ¡°Charge?¡± Calista leaned over, ¡°Oh, I see. So your crystal needs to be energized with lightning. Can it only take shocks that small?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jasson said, ¡°This is all I can produce.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Calista held out her hand, ¡°Let me see. I have a decent talent in light magic.¡±

    Feral protectiveness flared through Jasson and he pulled his phone away from Calista, practically hissing.

    ¡°Jasson! You know that¡¯s rude.¡± Clara said, ¡°She¡¯s allowing Petra to use an expensive healing crystal. Let her see your video crystal.¡±

    Jasson took a breath and got ahold of himself, then handed his phone over with the light crystal.

    ¡°Oof,¡± Calista said, ¡°your Light Crystal is almost dead. You¡¯ll need to replace it soon. I¡¯ll use mine, and I¡¯ll be gentle don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Calista took out a finger-sized crystal and electricity started to arc to Jasson¡¯s phone. Jasson watched intently, barely holding back his hair-trigger to demand his phone back. He felt naked.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Calista said, ¡°It beeped but I can¡¯t read it. Here, I don¡¯t want to break it.¡±

    Jasson snatched it a bit too quickly and held it up. It was amazing, she¡¯d been able to charge it to-

    80% power. Subscribe for $5 a month (Promo.) to unlock the remaining battery.

    What?! Jasson thought.

    ****

    ¡°Again, I¡¯m terribly sorry for his behavior,¡± Clara said, bowing to the crying Calista, ¡°I assure you that he was not upset with you personally. And that he doesn¡¯t swear like that normally. And no, I don¡¯t know the gods he was cursing. I don¡¯t know Elong Scent or Geoff Bozos or why he was cursing them.¡±

    The promised lunch hadn¡¯t materialized yet, and Jasson hunched hangrily over the table. His phone had never had an artificial charge limit. Yeah, he¡¯d seen limits put in various other things for ¡®ecological¡¯ reasons, but his phone had been fine! It might only be a few bucks, but something about the act of buying the rest of his battery was humiliating.

    Calista had spluttered into tears before Clara forcefully silenced Jasson¡¯s rant. Jasson felt bad for that, but how was he supposed to know that she¡¯d think he was cursing her out.

    ¡°All right,¡± Petra said, holding the Healing Crystal out to Calista ¡°Evan¡¯s as healed as I can get him, at least without destroying the crystal. You can slap him awake if you want. He¡¯s probably just enjoying some rest after a long couple of days.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank you,¡± Calista wiped tears from her eyes, ¡°I- I-¡±

    Clara reached across the table and took Calista¡¯s hand, saying ¡°It¡¯s okay. You got him here. You did as much as you could. That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for exploding randomly. Thank you so much for charging my phone. It¡¯s more than I could do in a day. You must be pretty powerful if you can charge my phone just like that.¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Calista said, dabbing her tears, ¡°It¡¯s¡­my family heirloom crystal. It¡¯s a natural crystal, and goes to whoever is good enough at light magic in the family. At least a four hundred gold for one these days. I¡¯m only average in power, but this crystal doubles my output.¡±

    It takes me four minutes for a single percent, Jasson thought, You filled forty percent in four minutes. That¡¯s¡­wow.

    Jasson brought up his phone and checked his stats on FITbyte to see.

    ****Jasson¡¯s Status****

    | Strength  | 105

    | Agility   | 132

    | Intelligence  | 153

    | Wisdom    | 92

    | Charisma  | 95

    | Magic    | 68

    | Stamina   | 117

    | Luck      | 158

    ¡°Yup,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I have bad magic. Gods, how do I get better at that?¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s easy,¡± Calista said, ¡°You gotta use magic for hours every day, training with your preferred crystals. It takes a lot out of your mana pool, but the pool grows over time so you should be fine. And you recover magic at a certain speed, which can improve moderately. With those sparks you¡¯re making, either Light is not your element or you¡¯ve never practiced in your life.¡±

    Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know that I¡¯ve been charging this phone several hours a day for a week. And yes, I have improved.¡±

    Calista smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Keep going. You¡¯ll need to do that every day for a year, so best get the habits in now!¡±

    A year? Jasson thought. To basically become a fast charger?

    ¡°Really?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Did it take you that long?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Calista said, ¡°You¡¯re just naturally bad at Light magic. You still have it though, and if you can grow then you can succeed!¡±

    Jasson turned back to his phone. In only a week his magic stat had increased by eighteen points. Surely it wouldn¡¯t take that long to get to Calista¡¯s level, right? But then again, there was no way for Jasson to know what the right numbers were. They could be in the thousands and¡­well that would make Jasson very pathetic.

    Man, Jasson thought, I wish there was an app for that.

    ****

    Jasson spent the next few hours chewing on the last of their dried meat and scrolling through his phone. Eventually they came to a stop and the door opened, revealing a prim manservant and a mountain clearing beyond him.

    ¡°It is time for luncheon.¡± the manservant said from the door, ¡°We are significantly far away. Enough that even an errant turn shouldn¡¯t let the noble¡¯s carriages within sight of you.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t tell them they ¡®aren¡¯t allowed this way¡¯, eh?¡± Petra said, ¡°Is there a particularly adventurous noble?¡±

    ¡°I cannot say,¡± the manservant said, ¡°I am simply the help.¡±

    Jasson squinted outside and said ¡°The sun is nearly set! This can¡¯t be the right time for a Luncheon.¡±

    ¡°We never promised a time,¡± the manservant said, ¡°But, it can be said that two groups of failed Adventurers were not anticipated. Master Baldric had to go and personally deal with the infestation in each case, resulting in significant delay.¡±

    The manservant said this like he blamed them for the delay, and that the said delay was only an inconvenience for the weak of will. Not acknowledging at all the roaring in their stomachs.

    ¡°So,¡± Clara stood and grabbed the doorframe, ¡°What¡¯s to eat?

    ¡°Thank Master Baldric for this generosity,¡± the manservant sniffed, then stepped aside, ¡°If it had been up to me I would have seen fit to provide you with some cucumber sandwiches. But he insisted. Right this way, the fire is roaring nicely.¡±

    In front of the carriage, the horses had been taken off and a good sized tree had been used to make a roaring fire. Above the fire, slowly turning, was an entire pig. In one corner of the fire, a pot bubbled with mysterious soup. Steaming on a plate were sixteen baked potatoes, enough for everyone to get two. Except if Master Baldric had one then-

    ¡°Hold up,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Where¡¯s Baldric?¡±

    ¡°Master Baldric disembarked earlier,¡± the manservant said, ¡°our lord required his presence rather sooner than expected. Something vital I¡¯m sure. Now come, there are plates here and these things which we call ¡®forks¡¯. Try not to steal any, I did count and I¡¯m sure that everyone else would not like being frisked because of your light fingers.¡±

    The food was delicious, the pig somehow being cooked all the way through despite the short cook time, and Jasson was especially pleased with the buttery baked potato. But, when Jasson went up to get seconds, there were only seven potatoes remaining. Jasson had been paying attention to the food when he¡¯d lined up, hunger making a man count the servings of everyone else. No one had taken more than one potato, and Jasson was the first to get seconds.

    Huh, Jasson thought, I must have missed somebody.

 Chapter 14: Tired Things

    Night, the second one since this quest had started, brought the dazzling lights of Stalt down to the Adventuring guild as the carriage pulled to a stop. Jasson didn¡¯t notice due to already being asleep, but Clara managed to wake him up as she slung Jasson over her shoulder.

    Once Clara stepped onto the street Jasson groggily said, ¡°You can carry me for as long¡­as you want. I¡¯m gonna go back to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Clara said, ¡°Although¡­I¡¯m kinda¡­you know.,.¡±

    Jasson snapped awake as Clara swayed and dropped him.

    ¡°Ow,¡± Jasson rolled over, ¡°That hu- oof!¡±

    Clara fell on top of Jasson, and not in the fun way.

    ¡°cl..c..br¡± Jasson gaped, struggling for air. He couldn¡¯t breathe!

    Jasson tapped frantically on Clara¡¯s back and tried to push her off, but she was lying directly across his stomach. Searching wildly, Jasson saw Petra talking with Master Baldric and tried to flag them down, mouthing the words he could not shout.

    Calm down, Jasson thought, You just had the air knocked out of you. Breathe.

    Air rushed back into Jasson¡¯s lungs and he bucked, pushing Clara off his diaphragm to breathe freely.

    ¡°Oh thank goodness,¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°That was freaky.¡±

    Jasson wriggled out from beneath Clara and stood, stretching. The world swam in a sea of sleep deprivation and Jasson felt like he would float away if he leaned at the right angle. Master Baldric had left at some point, and Jasson stumbled towards Petra. Then Jasson stopped and checked Clara. Just sleeping.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jasson said, teetering up to Petra¡¯s side. ¡°Are we getting paid?¡±

    ¡°I already did,¡± Petra said, turning to Jasson, ¡°They had the three leaders step out to receive payment. We¡¯ll divvy it up when we get home and- what?¡±

    ¡°Your eyes,¡± Jasson said, ¡°are you a vampire?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Petra said, stepping back, ¡°No. You¡¯re super sleep-deprived if you¡¯re this far off.¡±

    ¡°But your eyes are super red,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Like a vampire¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Idiot,¡± Petra said, ¡°It¡¯s called having bloodshot eyes. A lot of people get bloodshot eyes when they¡¯re really tired and talking to an idiot.¡±

    Jasson considered this, then said ¡°Right. I forgot about that. But that doesn¡¯t make me an idiot though, just half asleep.¡±

    ¡°Well you must be whole asleep the half time,¡± Petra said, ¡°Now on. We gotta home.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, trying to process what Petra had said with the equivalent of a Windows Vista computer.

    Petra didn¡¯t respond and walked over to Clara who was snoring loudly. Off to one side Calista and a healthy Evan waved goodbye. Petra squatted down to shake Clara¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Petra said, pinching her sister¡¯s cheek, ¡°We gotta home lil¡¯ sis.¡±

    ¡°Nooo,¡± Clara said, ¡°Let¡¯s get a hotel and order dinner. We don¡¯t even have much food at home.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too expensive¡­¡± Petra said. ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping tomorrow. We got enough home.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Jasson said, ¡°How much could it be?¡±

    ¡°Depends,¡± Petra said, ¡°You wanna be safe or broke?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said and then fell quiet for a few seconds as the next thought loaded.

    ¡°I¡¯m going back,¡± Petra said, ¡°Coming Clara? Or staying on the street with Jasson?¡±

    ¡°I never said-¡±

    Clara sighed and stood up while saying, ¡°I¡¯m coming. And Jasson¡¯s coming too. Petra¡¯s right. We can¡¯t afford a room.¡±

    ¡°I never said that I was gonna stay,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Now let¡¯s get home before we sleep on out street- on our feet I mean.¡±

    The journey back to their half-tent not-ruins home was not so far as to require a travel montage, but it was outside of the city. And any protagonist traveling through the wilderness has a 0.3 percent chance of an [accosted by bandits] encounter. This goes up to an 80% chance when the protagonist is exceptionally tired.

    ¡°Look,¡± Jasson mumbled as he stumbled into Clara for the tenth time, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so¡­angry. They wou-wou-¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re robbers,¡± Petra said, pulling Jasson off of Clara, ¡°They threatened us. I¡¯m too tired to think clever.¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± Jasson stumbled into Petra for the seventh time, ¡°they didn¡¯t know they were up against a couple of sixers- sixty eight- no. Eighty-sixers like you two. I do- I don¡¯t think some of them will ever walk again. Or have kids. Or breathe.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ki-¡± Petra started to say but Clara stumbled into the both of them and nearly knocked them all off their feet. Yet, as drunks frequently do, they managed to find two balancing legs between the three of them and press on.

    ¡°A fitting punishment for those who defile the world such.¡± Clara said with more of a giddy weariness, ¡°They chose their path, and it was to assault three women staggering drunkenly into the night.¡±

    ¡°Oi,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m not a- not a- whadjasay? Right. I¡¯m not a woman. I¡¯m a man of woe.¡±

    ¡°The only woah you know,¡± Petra said, ¡°Is the girls telling you to stop. You horse.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jasson said, ¡°that¡¯s not nice. I think. Is horse an insult?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Clara said, ¡°But I think this is our turn.¡±

    They trampled a path through the burs and climbed halfway up the mountain before Petra said, ¡°I hope this is the right mountain.¡±

    ****

    It disturbed Jasson that, although he had not drunk any alcohol the previous night, he still woke up with a hangover. So it was that (with eyes that could only be considered clear by the measure of a drunken grandmother) Jasson sat up and made his way outside. Nature called, and the summer night did not forbid him to leave. The sun itself was only putting in partial effort this morning, and after a long release on an unlucky tree, Jasson went back to bed.

    This was as much a choice for Jasson as it was a law, pulling him like gravity to his rest. Jasson walked in and squinted in the dark, trying to make out the location of his mattress. It sat on the other side of the room from the girls, separated by a distinctly magical line of sand on the flagstone floor. Jasson didn¡¯t want to know what would happen if he crossed that line.

    Jasson looked at the sleeping girls and thought, That¡¯s strange. Why would two girls need three beds?

    Jasson shrugged and found his way back between his blankets. He drifted and even fell asleep at points, but something kept him from relaxing fully. The room didn¡¯t feel right. Jasson¡¯s gut said that the world was off, so he sat up and looked over blearily.

    The stove isn¡¯t on. No spiders that I can see. Everyone is here. Petra, Clara, me. Jasson thought, then looked at the three mattresses on the girls'' side. One, two, three. One, two, three. Yup. Three mattresses, blankets, and people. That checks out.

    Jasson stopped resisting the pull and laid back down, closed his eyes, and counted again from memory. With him there were three people. He had looked over and seen three people. What could be wrong?

    One, two, three. Petra, Clara¡­

    Finally, the rusted gearbox that was his mind got a good dose of WD-40 and a thump to the side. Both the gears and his mouth squealed as Jasson shot up in alarm. Four. There were four!

    ¡°Who are you!?¡± Jasson shouted in a morning gravel voice, ¡°How did you get here?¡±

    Both Petra and Clara sprung up, battle reflexes practically levitating their tired bones out of bed as they scanned the room for threats. Petra locked eyes with Jasson.

    ¡°You better not have had a nightmare,¡± Petra said, ¡°is there actually an intruder? My spells should have gone off if there was.¡±

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Jasson pointed towards the extra mattress, sheet, and huddled form.

    Petra looked for a few seconds, counting with her eyes, then said ¡°All right. Fair. I¡¯m¡­yeah.¡±

    With a twitch of Petra¡¯s hand the blanket was blown away, revealing the sleeping form of a girl. She was maybe five feet tall on a good day, with chubby cheeks and short red hair. She was clutching an insanely tiny purse to her chest, about the size of one hand. She shivered and reached sleepily for the blanket. Not finding it, she looked up with bleary eyes and saw the three of them standing over her with weapons drawn.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± the girl smiled like a half-asleep puppy,, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s bad manners if I don¡¯t introduce myself.¡±

    She yawned and said, ¡°What a bother.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson said, ¡°That¡¯s the bare minimum.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± the girl looked around like a drowsy kitten smelling an elusive treat, ¡°Where¡¯d my blanket go? Are you sure that I need to introduce myself right now? I just woke up.¡±

    ¡°So did we,¡± Petra said, growling, ¡°Now who are you.¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Just a woman who needed somewhere to stay,¡± the woman said, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna hurt anyone. Just five more minutes.¡±

    The woman felt around, sleep-glazed eyes failing to catch that her blanket was plastered against an opposing wall. Instead, she reached over and took Clara¡¯s blanket, rolling over and sighing. A puppy in a blanket.

    ¡°All right,¡± Clara said, ¡°Sleep well. Let¡¯s get breakfast ready then, shall we?¡±

    Jasson and Petra looked at each other, then Jasson shrugged and said ¡°I think she¡¯s harmless. She could have killed us if she wanted. Or me at least.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m too tired for this.¡± Petra groaned, then walked over and kicked the woman¡¯s bed, ¡°If you¡¯re not awake by the time we¡¯re done making breakfast then I¡¯m gonna feed you your food in reverse. Gotcha?¡±

    The woman mumbled something and Jasson thought he heard her say something like ¡°Perfect. Threaten me more. Disregard m¡­¡±

    Well okay then, Jasson thought, this should prove¡­interesting.

    Jasson set the table as Clara helped Petra prepare a breakfast of toast and bacon. Occasionally glancing over, Jasson saw a wild juggle of ingredients and a frying pan which occasionally caught on fire. At one point Jasson saw Petra take a knife and cut the cured bacon slab into a dozen pieces with one slice. So it was that, as jasson placed the last silverware on the table, Petra flipped the food cleanly onto the four plates.

    Dang Jasson thought, I really don¡¯t think that cooking is supposed to be this fast.

    ¡°We don¡¯t quite have enough for four,¡± Clara said happily, ¡°But we¡¯ll make do for our guest. Jasson, could you wake her?¡±

    Jasson looked at the mountain of food on each plate and had to agree. This was substantially less than what they had been feeding him for the past few days. Only four eggs each. What a hardship.

    Jasson was tempted to kick their guest¡¯s bed like Petra did, but ended up crouching beside her and gently shaking her shoulder.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Time to eat. I know Petra wasn¡¯t serious about that threat, but she really will do something to you if you don¡¯t get up now.¡±

    The girl grumbled and pulled her blanket down, sticking one leg out and rolling over. Jasson sighed, knowing full well that she was trying to show progress without actually getting out of bed. He did it all the time.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Petra called from the sink, hands full of frying pans, ¡°Are you a child or an adult? You can¡¯t be under fifteen with that figure, but you can¡¯t be over ten with that attitude. You¡¯re an uninvited guest in our home and we¡¯re sharing our limited supply of food with you. Get your lazy #^$% up before I tan your hide like the child you are.¡±

    The girl shot up and slapped Jasson, saying ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡±

    The slap lacked any kind of real force, a kitten showing her claws, but Jasson fell back in shock. The girl- or rather the woman was wide awake now, bristling at Jasson.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t call you one,¡± Jasson said, pointing to Petra, who was smirking, ¡°sh-¡±

    ¡°Yes you did!¡± the woman said, ¡°I heard you! You heard him too, right Petra?¡±

    Petra raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Yeah. Sure did. That was very rude and weirdly eloquent of you Jasson.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson looked between the two, ¡°How is this my fault?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for getting up,¡± Clara said, ¡°Although I must say. Slapping Jasson for calling you childish is a childish thing to do. You should really apologize to him for that before having breakfast with us.¡±

    The woman said ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°Miss,¡± Clara said, ¡°I don¡¯t even know your name. But Jasson has been living here for almost a week, and just a couple nights ago we fought together and cemented our friendship. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s insulted your mother, you assaulted my friend. Please apologize or leave here immediately.¡±

    The woman¡¯s face fell like a scolded dog before an enormous smile filled her face as she said ¡°AWESOME!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Clara said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the woman turned to Jasson and gave a curtsy, saying ¡°I¡¯m sorry for slapping you Jasson. Although your words were hurtful and uncalled for, I overreacted in a moment of passion.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jasson said reflexively, ¡°Although I didn¡¯t say- What¡¯s with THAT expression?!¡±

    Rather than relief, the woman¡¯s face expressed deep disappointment in Jasson¡¯s response. She huffed and sighed, then turned to Clara.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any chairs,¡± the woman said, ¡°will we be standing to eat then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Clara said, ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to get any yet. Sorry.¡±

    The twinkle reentered the woman¡¯s eyes and she said ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Petra said, ¡°well you should enjoy the food miss sleeping-in. I might not have a bunch of spices right now, but I¡¯m a good enough cook that that shouldn¡¯t- what¡¯s with that expression?!¡±

    The woman¡¯s eyes had turned listless as she traced the grains of the table as she said ¡°It looks really tasty. You did an amazing job with what you have. I really love bacon for breakfast. Wooow. There is truly not a single thing wrong with it.¡±

    ****

    Oddly enough, Harriett seemed to be telling the truth about how much she loved breakfast. After the first bite, the woman perked up considerably, then finished off her food rapidly.

    ¡°Amazing!¡± the woman said, mewling over her food, ¡°It tastes as good as I thought it would, yet it¡¯s more satisfying because I haven¡¯t eaten since luncheon yesterday. So this is what going almost a whole day without food is like!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the contradictory statement,¡± Petra said, ¡°You come from a wealthy family then? Did something happen to them?¡±

    ¡°If you think that only a twenty-four-hour fast meal is good,¡± Clara said, ¡°You should try over three days. The very smell of the food is more delicious than any other meal in your life. Except for the times you go longer.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± the woman¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Tell me more! How did you end up like that?!¡±

    ¡°I think that it¡¯s time for introductions,¡± Petra interrupted, ¡°You obviously know our names, which leaves us at a disadvantage. What is your name?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± The woman chewed and swallowed her food, then reached for a non-existent napkin. She hesitated, then grinned and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve.

    ¡°My name is Harriett,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I followed you home last night, which was fairly rude on my part. But you three looked so tired, I didn¡¯t want to force you through introductions and convincing you to let me sleep over. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure that that¡¯s good way to die,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Why did you need to sleep over?¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± Harriett said, ¡°Fantastic. I will add this to my list, although I believe that there are more details needed to die in this way. As to why I needed to sleep over, you looked friendly enough and weren¡¯t sleeping in the city. I¡¯m not fond of cities. Too convenient.¡±

    ¡°How did you get up the mountain though?¡± Petra said, ¡°I have earth magic traps all over the place.¡±

    Harriett hesitated and said ¡°I tailed you guys pretty closely, so I guess I never noticed them. What would have happened if I had stepped in one?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not lethal these days,¡± Petra said, ¡°but you would have probably lost a leg in the worst ones. I guess we were tired en- why are you smiling at that?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Umm¡­how good are you at magic? Specifically for these traps?¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Petra said, ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Traps aren¡¯t my forte, but they¡¯re pretty easy. About a twelve out of twenty max? You must have been tailing us pretty precisely to slip through the deactivation times from our presence.¡±

    ¡°Sweet,¡± Harriett bounced on her feet, ¡°That¡¯s really cool. So it¡¯s considered hard then?¡±

    Petra shrugged and said ¡°Not the worst, but I¡¯ve been laying them for three weeks now. There¡¯s quite a few out there, so if you get past one then you¡¯ll probably hit a different one. I usually set a few up with my evening stroll. That¡¯s why it¡¯s a five rather than a three.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Harriet said, ¡°That makes me really happy.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, trying to tease her, ¡°That you almost got maimed?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Harriett said with a dreamy look in her eyes, ¡°Mmm¡­blood loss.¡±

    The others at the table, in that instant, all decided to have an extremely short bout of amnesia.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jasson said, ¡°You¡¯re¡­short? Sorry, petite.¡±

    Harriett rounded on him and Petra rolled her eyes, but then Clara said ¡°YES! Isn¡¯t she just the cutest?! So short and round, thanks for breaking that ice Jasson.¡±

    Clara bounded around the table, wiping her hands off on her clothes before clasping her hands around Harriett¡¯s face. Turning her head this way and that, Clara giggled over Harriet.

    Peta hesitated then stepped toward Clara and said ¡°Sis, we don-¡±

    ¡°These are just the most perfect chubby cheeks,¡± Clara turned to Jasson, ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, backing away, ¡°Sure. Very¡­round.¡±

    ¡°Right?!¡± Clara said, ignoring Harriett¡¯s protesting flails, ¡°And her skin¡¯s so smooth! Her endowment is perfectly cute with her short height, like a little teapot! Or maybe a stubby hourglass. What are you, five feet tall?¡±

    ¡°Five foot and one-half inch,¡± Harriett said, stretching taller, ¡°Now unhand me before I skewer your eyes above an open flame.¡±

    ¡°Aww!¡± Clara lifted Harriett bodily and swung her around, ¡°Perfectly feisty to go with her red hair! I just love her. I always wanted a little sister.¡±

    Jasson stepped further back as Clara twirled around the room with Harriett dangling like kitten from its mother¡¯s mouth. Every so often Petra would try to interrupt, but Clara would spin away giggling about having such an adorable sister.

    Why is she hesitating so much? Jasson thought. This isn¡¯t like Petra. She should be raging mad or something.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡± Harriett protested, ¡°I¡¯m the eldest of- I¡¯m seventeen!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Clara set Harriett down and put her hands on Harriett¡¯s shoulders. ¡°What month?¡±

    ¡°April,¡± Harriett said, dusting herself off like an indignant kitten, ¡°The seventh.¡±

    ¡°We were born in March,¡± Clara bounced, ¡°You are the little sister!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Harriett pulled away,  ¡°No, it¡¯s only a month.¡±

    ¡°Less than a month,¡± Petra smirked, ¡°But you see, Clara is my little sister. And we¡¯re separated by five minutes. So your little three weeks still makes you our younger sister.¡±

    Wait, sister? Jasson thought. Clara I get, but how did Petra make it to this point? Is there some sort of enchantment? If so, then I should have been the first to be bewitched.

    Harriett rounded on Jasson and said ¡°How about you. What month were you born?¡±

    ¡°Woah woah woah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°How did we get to this point? Petra, are you really okay with her being here?¡±

    Petra sighed and said ¡°Oh I don¡¯t trust her yet, but Clara has made it clear that she likes Harriett. And Clara consists of half the vote. Besides, how am I supposed to find out Harriet¡¯s secrets if I kick her out?¡±

    ¡°Ooh!¡± Harriett grinned, ¡°That makes sense. Now, Jasson. What month were you born?

    ¡°Hold on!¡± Jasson said, ¡°Clara is half of the vote? Really? I don¡¯t get any say about this?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, ¡°Not until you have something worth saying. This isn¡¯t a democracy. Clara made her decision. Although, I will be relying on you to help keep an eye on Harriett for today. And don¡¯t mistake me, this is a temporary arrangement.¡±

    Jasson glared and felt his (metaphorical) hackles rise, but Petra¡¯s returning iron gaze wilted his opposition. And, when all was said and done, Jasson kinda liked Harriett. She was enthusiastic and cute, like a tiny angry Clara, and anyone not Petra would be a relief in day to day life.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Jasson said, turning to Harriett and deciding to smile, ¡°Welcome for now I guess.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Harriett said, ¡°what month were you born? I bet I¡¯m older than you.¡±

    ¡°You said that you just had your seventeenth birthday earlier this year?¡± Jasson said, holding back a grin, ¡°I have my birthday coming up in a couple months. September first.¡±

    ¡°See!¡± Harriett grinned like a cat, ¡°He¡¯s the younger sibling, not me.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Clara turned to Jasson, evil in her eye, ¡°Are you now? September? That¡¯s soo young.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Petra smiled, joining in, ¡°a whole half a year. You¡¯re a w¡¯ittle ba-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m turning eighteen this fall,¡± Jasson said, breaking into a wide grin, ¡°so shut it. I¡¯m older than all of you.¡±

    ¡°EEH?!¡± The three girls echoed.

    ¡°Next month?¡± Harriett said.

    ¡°You¡¯re a year older than us?!¡± Clara said.

    ¡°You little prick,¡± Petra said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?!¡±

    Jasson smirked, saying ¡°I thought I¡¯d let you w¡¯ittle babies keep dreaming.¡±

 Chapter 15: Place in Things

    ¡°Sister or not, it¡¯s time you gave us a few good reasons.¡± Petra said once Clara calmed down. The four of them were standing in a circle, three facing Harriett. The short redhead shifted, not looking guilty at all. Like a cat trying to come up with a reason the family should let it stay (but let¡¯s be honest, it never needed a reason before).

    ¡°I know,¡± Harriett sighed, ¡°Why should you continue to tolerate me? Should you kick me to the street, where I¡¯ll have to live by the skin of my teeth and thieving fingers? Cut my hair, battle for my place in the underground while holding to what shreds of humanity I can. Stand on the bloody corpses of those who sought to de-¡±

    ¡°Woah there,¡± Jasson said, ¡°No reason to get so- um¡­passionate about it.¡±

    Harriett was flushed, the glint in her eye dimming as she stopped talking. Jasson stared at Harriett, thinking. What was up with this girl? Following them home was one thing, but something in her attitude seemed¡­masochistic? Was that it? Was Harriett a pain freak? That didn¡¯t seem right.

    ¡°You can try to convince us,¡± Clara said, concern on her face, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not that hard here.¡±

    What kind of a freak are you Harriett? Jasson thought. I¡¯ve seen tons of different freaks on TikTik. Heck, being a freak is the norm these days. But I can¡¯t quite put a finger on it¡­

    Harriett¡¯s face fell and she said, ¡°Well, if it¡¯s not that hard then-¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Jasson said by instinct, ¡°This place is a grueling challenge of emotional, mental, and physical fortitude. I have to deal with Petra¡¯s bullying every day! We sleep under a tarp! I had to go on a dangerous quest despite me being far to weak for it. I almost died during that! And you say it¡¯s ¡®not hard¡¯. Well it¡¯s a sure of a lot harder for me than you.  Does Pe-¡±

    ¡°You have to let me stay!¡± Harriett sat up, ¡°I- um¡­I have nowhere else to go. I¡¯ll do anything! Please send me woefully unprepared on dangerous quests! It will be cruel to demand so much just for a spot beneath a tarp of poverty, but I will endure! And- and I don¡¯t expect you to be nice to me! I can take the sadistic abuse, mental and physical! Just let me stay!¡±

    As I suspected, Jasson thought. Not a pain freak, or a fear freak. It¡¯s a lot more clear if I genderswap her mentally.

    ¡°I mean,¡± Petra inched away, ¡°That¡¯s not¡­I wasn¡¯t going to ask for that much. Just monthly rent-¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Harriet stood, ¡°I must make my own way in the world, and your kindness has been too great. I shall slave away at five- no! Ten great tasks before I will feel that my honor is met! I insist that you let me pay you back as any woman of valor should. With blood, sweat, and tears of agony!¡±

    Ah, Jasson thought, there you are Harriett. An adventure freak. Drooling at the thought of a challenge, a fight to win, and being able to say ¡®I did this!¡¯ like an adrenaline junkie climbing Mount Everest. (Sorry. Mount Co-Quo¡­Qomolan`gma. Not as catchy, but the TikTiker said that the native name was best.)

    ¡°I¡­sure. You can join us.¡± Petra said, shifting, ¡°Just¡­erm¡­we have rules.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Harriet said, ¡°I will accept and follow them, even if they are gravely unjust! Ready the hazing!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, taking a step back, ¡°They¡¯re not- look just leave the toilet seat down and-¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Harriett prostrated herself on the floor in a deep bow, ¡°Don¡¯t take it easy on me! I can take it! I can do anything!¡±

    Petra looked to Jasson, speechless and out of her depth. Jasson looked between the twins and realized that they were both looking at him. When did they figure out that Jasson understood Harriett? Jasson motioned to himself and Petra nodded with a bit of desperation in her eyes.

    Guess it¡¯s my turn. Jasson thought. Now, what do you say to an adventure freak? Probably something dramatic. A call to action?

    ¡°Arise,¡± Jasson said, recalling a viral anime, ¡°I am the first of those indebted to The Twins, and have seniority on any debt paying going on here. Know that, as the newbie, you will be in charge of much of the dirty back-breaking hard labor I was fulfilling. Now- er¡­ arise and behold your place in things.¡±

    Harriett sat up and looked around, eyes wide and accepting of Jasson¡¯s words. Jasson decided not to think about the implication of that, and pushed forward with a speech that came to him. Not quite naturally, but a heck of a lot better than he thought he¡¯d do.

    ¡°These are the remains of the Twin¡¯s ancestral dream.¡± Jasson said, ¡° Never built, the foundations alone remain among the weeds. Yet these two begin the task of raising their House to honor!¡±

    Jasson looked to Clara and Petra, who shrugged and motioned for him to keep going.

    Guess it¡¯s still my turn, Jasson thought. What¡¯s next? Deadline.

    Jasson cleared his throat and said ¡°This is a difficult challenge, and we cannot afford a moment of weakness. You see, Winter is coming and our huddled shelter is hardly fit for our stay. So it is a great- er- quest? To prepare this location in time for the first frost. Perhaps we will freeze without walls, perhaps we will starve beneath a barely functioning roof-¡±

    Jasson glanced over at Petra, but merely got the nod to continue. Jasson relaxed. Last time Jasson had brought this up Petra had almost used his skeleton as a warning sign.

    Jasson put a hand on Harriett¡¯s shoulder and said ¡°But surely, with your help, we will be able to gather enough funds to emerge from winter like a butterfly in spring. This shall be the Chrysalis of greatness!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Harriett said, eyes gleaming with the promise of a dream, ¡°Yes it will!¡±

    ¡°Then first,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you must do the dishes. I¡¯ll aid you so-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Harriett stood tall and said ¡°Let me solo it!¡±

    ****

    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Petra said to Jasson, watching Clara and Harriett chatting away. Harriett had already broken two plates, but since they were ceramic Petra was able to mend them easily. This was Harriet¡¯s task, and she bristled like a cat when Clara tried to help.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I guess¡­well I came from a place that had freaks like that for a lot of things.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, ¡°It¡¯s more than that. I knew she was a freak. How did you know what to say?¡±

    Jasson was quiet for a bit before he said ¡°I guess¡­well I guess that I saw her dream. I understood it. Heck, I relate with it. I¡¯ve barely achieved anything in my life. At least she had the determination to tackle that head on. Honestly¡­I envy that.¡±

    ¡°I bet you do,¡± Petra said, then grunted, ¡°You three are just living in your own worlds aren¡¯t you? I prefer to stay grounded.¡±

    ¡°Is that so bad?¡± Jasson said, ¡°At least we can be happy there. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t pay any attention to the world while you don¡¯t seem to be happy despite being ¡®grounded¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Happiness comes from making a life worth being happy about,¡± Petra said, ¡°Otherwise it¡¯s just happy moments in a life of failure.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Jasson turned to face Petra, ¡°Surely you¡¯re happy, right?¡±

    Petra motioned to the not-ruins around them and said ¡°What do you think? Do I have a life worth being happy about? Do you?¡±

    Jasson was speechless. Surely she could be happy with her sister here. But then again¡­well Jasson didn¡¯t feel like he was happy. Just¡­alive with moments of happiness. He wasn¡¯t a failure only because he hadn¡¯t tried anything yet. But the way Petra said it¡­

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think so,¡± Petra said, ¡°And I will have one. This House will be built, our family restored to glory. I¡¯ll be happy when I¡¯m done.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you laugh though,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you happy?¡±

    Petra sighed and said ¡°That¡¯s not¡­look. For me, being a happy person is a temporary condition. So being happy permanently¡­I don¡¯t know how else to explain it.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°It sounds like the difference between moments of happiness and a life of joy. I heard it on a Podcast.¡±

    Petra didn¡¯t respond and Harriet finished the dishes, pumping her fist like she¡¯d passed a great hurdle. Jasson was scrolling on his phone, trying to get Petra¡¯s bumming words out of his head. Clara was starting to talk about her plan for their day when Petra spoke again.

    ¡°Jasson,¡± Petra said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take Harriett on a tour of the place?¡±

    ¡°OOH!¡± Clara said, ¡°I¡¯ll go! I¡¯ve been wanting another opinion on what kind of-¡±

    ¡°I need you here Clara,¡± Petra said, ¡°And Jasson. Give Harriett a long tour.¡±

    Wait, Jasson thought, I think they¡¯re talking to me. Dang it. I¡¯ve been getting better too.

    ¡°Sorry, what?¡± Jasson said as he closed TikTik, ¡°You needed me?¡±

    ¡°Not listening, of course.¡± Petra rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I told you to take Harriett on a tour.¡±

    ¡°Er,¡± Jasson stood from his mattress and said, ¡°what do you need me to do? Show her around a bit?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, ¡°Give her a tour of the property. Like what Clara did with you the other night. But take a bit- no sorry. Take much longer than Clara did. Is that simple enough for you?¡±

    Fair enough, Jasson thought, but still rude.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Um¡­come on Harriett. I¡¯ll show you around.¡±

    ****

    Petra sighed once the two left, and Clara stepped up to her sister and put a hand on her shoulder.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong sis?¡± Clara said, ¡°You never need me around for things like this.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Petra said, ¡°Just¡­keep watch. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Sure sis.¡±

    Petra reached to the side and a rippling hole in space cascaded out into her locker. Petra pulled out one sack filled with large gold coins, then she pulled out the rest with a mixture of hope and dread. Clinking bag after bag of smaller money onto the table, Petra looked at the hoard she¡¯d been avoiding. Petra pulled the bags open and started counting money out in stacks of five.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bunch of five points,¡± Clara said, peeking at Petra¡¯s pile, ¡°So we got paid in crowns then? That¡¯s not the best-¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Petra said, ¡°But it¡¯s what they had ready. I was tired, and we were dropped off right in front of the guild. It may have been after closing hours but I couldn¡¯t risk them looking for change in the guild. Someone might have seen us.¡±

    ¡°And by someone you mean-¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s them,¡± Petra said, ¡°I just thought that I saw them a few weeks ago. Still, we can¡¯t risk it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the crowns will be okay,¡± Clara picked one oversized golden coin up and examined it, ¡°After all, the other adventurers got paid in them as well. It shouldn¡¯t raise too many eyebrows to pay with these.¡±

    Petra thumped the table, and after a second Clara started massaging Petra¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Clara said, ¡°Stalt is a prosperous city. Paying with a Five Point Crown coin shouldn¡¯t draw that much attention to us. At least not more than we get looking for buyers for that random treasure we find in the mines.¡±

    ¡°Not when we need to do it twenty times,¡± Petra said, ¡°But you¡¯re right. We could wear disguises and get them exchanged. That¡¯s not really why I¡¯m upset.¡±

    After a moment of silence Clara said ¡°You finally did the math then?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®finally¡¯ me,¡± Petra said, ¡°You sure as heck weren¡¯t gonna do it. Is it my fault that our dream is impossible?¡±

    ¡°Not impossible,¡± Clara said, ¡°After all, it was done once before. How much have we made?¡±

    ¡°Over the past three weeks?¡± Petra said, ¡°two hundred gold and two silvers exactly. Not counting what is already set aside for shopping today or whatever Jasson has in his pockets.¡±

    Clara paused, then let out a soft ¡°Oh.¡±

    Petra sighed and said ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I was thinking. Just been throwing the gold in and hoping it multiplied. The kind of gold we need isn¡¯t something we can get by trading in our labor. We need some kind of business, a trade in something besides our time and safety.¡±

    ¡°But we can¡¯t do that,¡± Clara said, ¡°Not until we build enough to defend our assets. They will definitely pick up on us if-¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Petra snapped, then sighed and said ¡°We need to use proxies, but we don¡¯t have any! Do you really trust Jasson that much? Don¡¯t play innocent with me. You know full well how dark the world gets, and I struggle to believe that you would put that kind of trust in a man you just met.¡±

    ¡°No matter how much I loathe it,¡± Clara balled her fists, ¡°Yes. I know how much money tempts once honest people. I would not try Jasson with being the owner of our business. It¡¯s like I would be tempting him to evil. Trust like that is something earned in small steps, not as an act of desperate faith. No matter how much I wish it could be.¡±

    Petra nodded and said ¡°I¡¯ll admit, he¡¯s done better than I thought. And now there¡¯s this Harriett girl. Are you sure you want to take her in?¡±

    Clara shrugged and said ¡°I don¡¯t think that we could stop her. She¡¯s like the dust in the air to my battle senses, so I¡¯d rather have her where I can see her. Besides, I do think she¡¯s adorable. A little sister to go with our new big bro-¡±

    Clara snorted and laughed, making Petra smile. Petra said ¡°He¡¯s not our ¡®big brother¡¯. Just older than us. A big brother means respect. Competence. Wisdom, even in small doses. Not a stumbling half attentive dope who goes around the world in a bubble of naive distraction. Although his magic was interesting, but that was because of his phone. Not him. I haven¡¯t found a single thing about him that makes him interesting to me.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Clara said, ¡°You¡¯ve put some thought into him.¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Petra said, ¡°It¡¯s only natural when someone¡¯s living with you for the foreseeable future. Now hush, I need to do calculations for restoring our House.¡±

    ****

    ¡°OOH!¡± Harriett said, waving to Jasson, ¡°What was this supposed to be?¡±

    Jasson panted as he held his side, the heavy breakfast trying to literally stick to his ribs. He¡¯d been following Harriett around for an hour already, and was finding it exceedingly difficult to keep up with her.

    ¡°Give me a sec,¡± Jasson hobbled then said, ¡°Uhhh¡­¡±

    Jasson had run out of things he recognised a while ago, and was pulling ideas from wherever they came. This was another hole in the ground, murky water going halfway up the stairs. There had been several of these in the manor area, connecting to what Jasson presumed was a basement. But Jasson and Harriett were in the planned gardens, a few hundred feet from the Manor footprint.

    ¡°This was part of the secret tunnel complex beneath the manor¡¯s lands,¡± Jasson said, coming up with the most awesome thing he could think of, ¡°It connects between all the other underground areas.¡±

    ¡°Cool!¡± Harriett said, ¡°What does it connect?¡±

    ¡°Oh a few things,¡± Jasson said, thinking to some TikTiks he¡¯d seen, ¡°An underground bunker, a workshop, the main house, and a secret garage with a lift for their Delorean.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a Delorean?¡± Harriet said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a carriage.¡± Jasson said, ¡°A collector¡¯s model or something.¡±

    Jasson stepped away from the murky precipice and glanced back toward the house. Could he be done yet?

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Harriett said, ¡°So that means that- let¡¯s see¡­this wouldn¡¯t be the garage since we¡¯re far from the road. Is this access to the bunker then?¡±

    Too deep, Jasson thought, Why did I make this up?

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Jasson said, ¡°It¡¯s just what I think I remember. I could be wrong though.¡±

    Harriett grabbed Jasson¡¯s hand, ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s check it out!¡±

    Jasson froze, acutely aware the portions of finger and palm in contact with Harriett. He¡¯d been living in close proximity to two identically hot girls, but only had a crush on Clara so far. Clara was lovely, sweet, and everything Jasson found attractive. Meanwhile, Jasson had just met Harriett, and although he enjoyed hanging out with her Jasson didn¡¯t anticipate the electric feeling at her touch. Was he really this easy? A girl is friendly with him and Jasson becomes a simp?

    No, Jasson thought, I¡¯m not like that. She¡¯s just a cute girl, and I would like to get to know her better. Perhaps become friends. But that¡¯s it. I¡¯m not crossing that line with anyone I¡¯m not ready to commit to.

    ¡°Not today,¡± Jasson pulled his hand out of her grip, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the not-ruins.¡±

    Jasson followed as Harriet rushed ahead. Jasson looked down at his phone and checked the time. Was this long enough for Petra? He hoped so.

    When Jasson looked back up, he couldn¡¯t see Harriett. Jasson climbed on a low not-ruin wall and looked around for her. Where did she-

    ¡°Boo!¡± Harriett said from behind Jasson.

    ¡°Ayee!¡± Jasson stumbled and nearly fell from the wall, but Harriet caught his flailing hand and straightened him.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson said, pulling his hand free, ¡°But don¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not that agile.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Restrictions! Yes. Okay. Don¡¯t scare Jasson into falling into the family room. Question, may I try again once the family room is completed and you would be falling face first into the fifth century Paisley couch instead of a rock floor?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I meant that you shouldn¡¯t scare me while I¡¯m precariously balance on a wall. And why are you already furnishing it?¡±

    ¡°It will need furniture,¡± Harriett said, ¡°The dream is to have a grand manor, right? It¡¯s hardly grand if you have to sit on the floor. And fifth century Paisley is a decadent and expensive type of couch. Plus, my mother hates the design so we won¡¯t have to worry about her staying too long.¡±

    Last I remember, Jasson thought, Paisley was the pattern on my grandma¡¯s couch. How times change.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to Petra and-¡±

    I can do better than this, Jasson thought. Just a bit longer.

    ¡°Actually,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Since the tour is just about done, why don¡¯t you tell me what else you can see for this manor¡¯s future.¡±

    Harriett led Jasson around excitedly, pointing out the obstacle course and training ground she could see were clearly intended. She described the manor soaring five or six stories into the air, with a twisting and impractical labyrinth of passages for both the masters and the servants. A library, a secret library, a forbidden magically sealed nook filled with the magical secrets of the family and a black ledger of sins. It was a breath of fresh air when Harriett described how, after serving ten great tasks for the house, she would be rewarded a third floor room with a view of the gardens to enjoy her just deserts. Jasson was confused about the deserts part, but figured that it referenced a kind of decadent lifestyle. Like that ¡®let them eat cake¡¯ girl from the Met Gala.

    ¡°Pretty cool eh?¡± Harriett said, ¡°So come on. What are your dreams for this place? You said that you¡¯d sworn to see this place built. What does that mean to you? What part of this dream gets you excited?¡±

    Jasson stopped and looked around at the not-ruins and considered his answer.

    What am I excited about? Jasson thought. I guess I was excited because Clara was. Nothing really comes to mind otherwise. It¡¯s something I want because it¡¯s something Clara and Petra want. I never thought I had a say, like commenting on all those TikTiks. It was good to see someone pushing forward for their dream, and that was enough for me. But¡­is it still? I¡¯m here, not on the other side of a screen. I¡¯m helping with an enormous project that could take years. Does my life debt matter that much to me? Or is it something that I swore to because I didn¡¯t have anything better to do.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jasson said, ¡°where would I start?¡±

    Harriett looked around and said ¡°All right. How about your room. I doubt that you¡¯re gonna leave once this place is done, so where do you want to sleep? Where do you want your room to be?¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What would I put in my room?¡±

    ¡°Put in it?¡± Harriett said, ¡°Your wardrobe? A desk and bed? A room is about where it is, not what¡¯s in it. What view would you like? Do you want to be on ground level? How close to the kitchens for a midnight snack? How many windows do you want?¡±

    Jasson was quiet for a second before saying ¡°I never thought of it like that. My old room was in a basement, and the window was under the porch. I couldn¡¯t open it because the screen was bad and there were a ton of spiders on the other side. So I just kept it closed and put a curtain over it. But now that you mention it, a view sounds nice. Maybe of the driveway so I could see guests coming and be ready for them.¡±

    ¡°The drive?¡± Harriett said, ¡°I can see that. Do you want to be on the tallest floor?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I do like to be alone and on my pho- my viewing crystal. Otherwise¡­I can¡¯t really think of anything.¡±

    I guess what I¡¯d like most is a home wifi and charging station. Jasson thought. But I¡¯m not gonna get that here. Or my gaming consoles. Or a minifridge. Or energy drinks. I don¡¯t even have a power outlet to run a tv that I don¡¯t have. What exactly can I have in my room? A recliner to relax while I scroll?

    ¡°Well, start thinking about it,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I personally want a large collection of locks so I can practice being captured and escaping. Would you be up to helping me with that?¡±

    After a few seconds of consideration involving humorous but life threatening misunderstandings, Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Petra would scalp me if I tried, so respectfully no. Never. Look, Clara is waving to us.¡±

    Jasson sighed in relief and walked over to Clara. Clara was smiling, but something was off in her eyes. Maybe Jasson wasn¡¯t the best judge, be he thought that Clara looked upset.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Good to comeback?¡±

    ¡°Aww,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I was enjoying being excluded from your confidence.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Clara said, ¡°It¡¯s just that I thought it would bea good idea if you head to town. It¡¯s Saturday, and we need another high quality quest. Take Harriett with you, maybe she¡¯ll be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Again?!¡± Jasson said, ¡°But we just got back! Don¡¯t I get a rest day or two before flinging myself into that meat swamp?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Clara shrugged, ¡°Maybe it won¡¯t be too bad. On Saturday. The busiest day of the week. Erm¡­here.¡±

    Clara handed Jasson a few copper coins and said ¡°In case you need healing. I really wouldn¡¯t be asking this of you but¡­¡±

    It¡¯s not enough. Jasson thought. We need more money. A lot more.

    Jasson looked at the coins, then straightened and smiled as he looked Clara in the eyes and said ¡°You can count on me.¡±

    ¡°And me!¡± Harriett said, ¡°I will bring back a magnificent quest!¡±

    Jasson didn¡¯t rightly give this statement the consideration he should have. In the following weeks Jasson would come to regret this and corresponding oversights. You regret funny things when lost in a labyrinth of forgotten stone.

 Chapter 16: Starting Things

    It could be said that among the busiest times of the year, largely containing those days which sane people stay at home during, places get packed. Filled to bursting like an Asian train, primed with people excited for the special day. Yet in places that are not designed to handle the number of customers they routinely get¡­well it gets bad on the weekends. A ten percent increase from 100% capacity is startingly similar to an 80% off electronics and jewelry for the next hour sale.

    So it was that, on a rather normal Saturday morning, off-work men found their way to the guild for something to do. They came for cash or a simple hobby, like the men who go fishing on weekends. These weekend warriors crammed themselves into two thousand square feet of Guild and approximately twenty more feet out the door. And Jasson was late.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Jasson couldn¡¯t bring himself to approach the entrance, especially since said entrance lay behind twenty feet of puttering flesh.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise that you¡¯d find a quest?¡± Harriet said, ¡°I can give you a boost. You can try to run on their shoulders.¡±

    As if. Jasson thought. Is she mocking me?

    Jasson eyed the grumpy, hungover, and bleary-eyed men. He doubted that he¡¯d be able to keep his balance on top of the crowd, and knew for a fact that a friendly kick or two would be aimed his way if he tried. It¡¯s one thing to squeeze through, it¡¯s another to walk on people.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just gonna have to wait in line,¡± Jasson said, ¡°There¡¯s bound to be an insane amount of quests for the day.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll just get stuck with the leftovers,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Picking flowers, killing rats. That sort of thing. I thought that you¡¯d be above that, serving such powerful people as the Twins.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I could take up another extermination quest. It¡¯s not like Punching John stopped working, but¡­¡±

    It''s not enough, Jasson thought.

    ¡°Better work your way in there,¡± Harriett said, ¡°How do you usually do it?¡±

    ¡°I learned to launch myself right above the beer gut,¡± Jasson said, motioning like he was diving into a pool, ¡°This gives me a lot of structure and an area to squeeze between. But last time it was maybe seven feet deep, not¡­this.¡±

    ¡°Oooh,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I want to try that! Sounds a lot harder than my idea.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Jasson said, ¡°You are under direct orders not to squeeze yourself in there by trying to swim between the chests of sweaty men.¡±

    ¡°Aww,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Why? You did it.¡±

    ¡°For one, it¡¯s not right.¡± Jasson eyed Harriet¡¯s hitbox and then said, ¡°And for two, I don¡¯t think that you¡¯d fit. Too big of a horizontal cross-section.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Harriett produced a notebook and scribbled, ¡°Don¡¯t call me fat!¡±

    Jasson gaped then said ¡°I didn¡¯t- well technically it is fat but the problem is mostly the bone- what are you writing down? What is that book?¡±

    ¡°A ledger of insults,¡± Harriet said, snapping the book shut, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll get them confused and think that I haven¡¯t heard one before. Besides, it¡¯s like a scorebook. I want to gather the breadth of insults. ¡®Cross-section¡¯ was a unique variation on ¡®girth¡¯ or ¡®width¡¯ and highly educated at that. And since this is the first time I have received a fat insult besides my siblings, I am excited to have a fresh version as the first entry of this type. Thank you.¡±

    After a few seconds of his mouth failing to operate, Jasson said ¡°Any time. I can tell you more if you want to-¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Harriett said, slapping Jasson harmlessly, ¡°There¡¯s no point if they¡¯re not directed at me. Rehearsed is the worst. Insults should not be said on a command from the recipient! Only give the insults to me when I really deserve them.¡±

    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t trying to insult you,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I was just stating why my method wouldn¡¯t work for you.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m too fat, I know.¡± Harriett said, ¡°Stop trying to gaslight me into not having my feelings hurt. I¡¯m treasuring how I have to force myself not to cry.¡±

    ¡°Cry?!¡± Jasson said, ¡°What-¡±

    Ding-a-ling!

    That¡¯s the bell for the employee. Jasson thought as he turned to face the guild. The attendants must be coming out with the quests.

    At the bell, there was a collective shift and mumble from the crowd and Jasson watched as the crowd backed out the door by a few feet. Jasson saw people press out against the windows in an ugly fashion, trying to make room without losing their place. The windows bowed and Jasson saw a few window panes crack and break. But as he was looking Jasson saw the windows repair themselves, healing from bottom to top. It reminded Jasson of how Petra fixed the plates Harriett had broken during the morning dishes. A crack that joined with no seam, some of the broken-off chunks even flying back into place.

    ¡°So this is what it looks like,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I thought they were exaggerating.¡±

    Jasson turned and couldn¡¯t see Harriett, even after he spun a full 360, and said ¡°Hey, where did you go?¡±

    ¡°Up here,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t get a good view from down there, silly.¡±

    Jasson looked up and was shocked to see Harriett standing on top of him. He didn¡¯t feel a thing!

    ¡°Okay, wow.¡± Jasson said. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Now get off. It¡¯s rude to step on people.¡±

    ¡°But not to call a woman fat?¡± Harriett hopped off and said, ¡°See, you didn¡¯t even feel me.¡±

    ¡°I just hope you didn¡¯t step in any dog poop.¡± Jasson dusted off his shoulder, ¡°This shirt is new. Ish. I just got it the other day.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t step in dog poop,¡± Harriett pulled out her notebook, ¡°Now would you say that insult falls under incompetence assertion or vision impairment.¡±

    ¡°It falls under genuine concern,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be mean to you-¡±

    Jasson saw Harriett¡¯s eyes fall and backpedaled, saying ¡°Yet. I¡¯m not trying to be mean to you yet. Trust me. If I want to be mean to you¡­then I¡¯ll give you so many burns your mother won¡¯t recognize you.¡±

    ¡°OOH!¡± Harriett said, drawing a knife, ¡°I¡¯ll have to kill you first in that case, but thanks for the offer. Torture by fire is a rare and top-of-the-line method of cruelty that-¡±

    ¡°Not like that,¡± Jasson waved his hands, the threat wiggling down his spine like an ice cube as his stare fixed on the knife, ¡°Where I¡¯m from you ¡®burn¡¯ someone when you deal them a severe and clever insult. I was capping, exaggerating. Not a physical threat at all.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Harriett said, the knife disappearing like it was never there, ¡°That¡¯s good. Shall we resume then? I believe that you were about to dive fruitlessly into the crowd to try and retrieve a quest.¡±

    Jasson eyed the swamp of men, then shook his head and pulled his phone out, saying ¡°I¡¯m gonna wait before I try. Maybe some will give up and go home. How big of a stack did you see them carry out?¡±

    Jasson opened his phone and saw that he had a Phasebook event set for today. Was it someone¡¯s birthday back home? He¡¯d send congratulations and then try- but he couldn¡¯t do that. No messages back to home.

    ¡°Tall,¡± Harriet held her hand as far over her head as she could, ¡°Definitely enough for you to get one after everyone is gone. Are you really gonna wait for the leftovers instead of trying for the prize?¡±

    She¡¯s right. Jasson thought. My word is worth at least one solid attempt.

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    ¡°$%^&,¡± Jasson felt his gut shift as he closed his phone, ¡°I can try.¡±

    ¡°Remember,¡± Harriett said, putting a hand up on Jasson¡¯s shoulder, ¡°They¡¯re counting on us. You have until the attendants go back through the doors. That should give you five minutes or so.¡±

    It took five minutes to get five feet last time. Jasson thought. I¡¯m not gonna make it.

    Jasson nodded and pocketed his phone, then said ¡°Don¡¯t do what I¡¯m about to try. It¡¯s-erm¡­ It¡¯s not a method worthy of you.¡±

    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Now go get ¡®em!¡±

    Jasson nodded and approached the looser sprawled mass outside the door, then said ¡°There¡¯s not any kind of line here, right?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± An older guy said, ¡°I¡¯m just here to help around the community after these younger guys grab all the ambitious ones. There¡¯s always a row of charity quests at the bottom where the kids can grab them. It¡¯s at a nice height for-¡±

    Jasson stopped listening and said ¡°Thanks. Excuse me, I¡¯d like to get deeper.¡±

    Jasson pushed himself deeper into the mass, the temperature rocketing and sending sweat dripping down his armpits. At a certain point the people ahead of him were too tightly wedged, and Jasson took a breath.

    Is my word worth it? Jasson thought. Do I really have to give this my best try when it¡¯s clearly impossible for me? Did I join these guys because I had nothing to do or because my honor actually matters to me? Do I want this life?

    ¡°I have to try,¡± Jasson said, ¡°At least once.¡±

    Then he dove into the crowd.

    The sticky warm engulfed Jasson, every movement a stiff elbowing of someone who was too stuck to hit Jasson back. Jasson pulled and pushed and used the accumulated sweat to help him slide deeper. His feet stopped dangling after the last person and Jasson felt the difference in the air as he entered the guild itself. He was doing it!

    I knew I could do this much, Jasson thought, but I¡¯ve got a long way to go.

    Jasson started to feel trapped, unable to move more than the millimeters he needed to go forward. If something went wrong here on the edge there wouldn¡¯t be that much issue getting out. But in there?

    I still need to do my best job though. Jasson thought. One try. My best try.

    With a heave, Jasson tried to pull himself forward and-

    The space above him opened up and cool air swept his skin, then Jasson¡¯s shirt pulled tight as something tried to lift him from the crowd. With a wet pop, Jasson slid out and up to eye level with Grog.

    ¡°Nice attempt boy,¡± Grog said, ¡°But not today. I¡¯m too busy to have you on my plate as well. They already finished putting the quests up. You¡¯ll be crushed the moment the bell rings. Just go home. There¡¯s nothing for you here today. Nothing you can d-¡±

    Grog whipped his head around and said, ¡°Who was that?¡±

    Jasson looked around, not having felt anything, and saw a chandelier swing. Jasson himself swung in Grog¡¯s grasp as the mountain turned to follow something past Jasson¡¯s senses.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Grog said, ¡°Chandeliers use is for certified member use only.¡±

    Jasson followed Grog¡¯s gaze and saw Harriett with a mask over her face, red hair blowing dramatically in the wind. Grog snatched at her with startling speed, but in a blur of red, she dashed across Grog¡¯s arm. Harriet leaped to Grog¡¯s other hand and stood casually on Jasson¡¯s head.

    ¡°Good place to stand,¡± Harriett said in a pretend deep voice, like a wife imitating her husband.

    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Grog said, moving cautiously, ¡°I¡¯ve enchanted my arms against that kind of stunt.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m standing here,¡± Harriett motioned to Jasson, ¡°You haven¡¯t done him. And I¡¯m not revealing my secrets just be-¡±

    Ding-a-ling.

    The crowd below surged, the sound of broken glass tinkled, and Harriett disappeared in another red blur. A smear of motion, lacking details or cohesion, like a cartoon blushing because they didn¡¯t have enough money to animate Harriett properly.

    Grog tossed Jasson out the door as Grog roared for order and started pulling people out of the crowd, setting them on high shelves or the still swinging chandeliers. Jasson rolled as he landed, eyes closed and protecting his head. When he came to a stop Jasson sighed and lay flat.

    At least I gave this my best. Jasson thought, looking at the clear blue sky.

    ¡°Did you need help?¡± The older gentleman from before offered Jasson his hand.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson said, taking the older man¡¯s hand and standing. Jasson dusted himself off and was surprised at how little hurt he was. Not even a scrape.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so well off.¡± The old man said. ¡°Grog must like you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson looked himself over, ¡°Nothing hurts.¡±

    ¡°Why would it?¡± The older man said, ¡°No, I was saying that you¡¯re lucky. One more foot and you¡¯d be in a pile of horse crap.¡±

    Jasson stepped away from the now obvious and crusty pile of poop. There were some sticks in it as if the local kids had been decorating the crap.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I am lucky.¡±

    Not lucky enough to get a quest. Jasson thought. I hope Harriett didn¡¯t do anything stupid. Did she manage to grab a quest?

    Jasson walked away from the guild, finding some shade in the alley made between the guild tavern and ¡®Maverick: Your one-stop shop for adventure¡¯.

    A single hair pricked at the back of Jasson¡¯s neck and he said ¡°I know you¡¯re here. Please don¡¯t jump-scare me. I¡¯m not up for that right now.¡±

    Harriett stepped from the shadows grinning, holding up a flyer of pristine paper and a smug expression. Jasson felt a flicker of heat and his mind went blurry.

    ¡°You could have said that earlier,¡± Jasson said, ¡°That you were just gonna stroll in and grab it. Communicate. $^%&, you don¡¯t even have a drop of %&*^% sweat on you. Did you enjoy me struggling? I bet you did. Then you just swooped in and grabbed it once I was tossed to the road. Rubbing in how useless I am? Is that part of your complex, to prove that you¡¯re better than me?!¡±

    Jasson huffed, out of breath. He tried to look Harriett in the eyes as she reacted but couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. Jasson stormed out of the alley.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To the morning meet-up,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I usually just report that I got nothing, but now that you¡¯re here we can get an early start. Another quest before the day¡¯s out. We might be home in time to go to sleep tonight!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Harriett said, following Jasson, ¡°Like, now? We¡¯re gonna leave now?¡±

    ¡°Is there any reason to stay?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I bet you that¡¯s what Petra¡¯s gonna say.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Harriet skipped beside Jasson and did a twirl, saying ¡°That¡¯s awesome! I can¡¯t believe that I didn¡¯t have to wait for my first trial! It''s a bit easy but more deadly than anything else-¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson pulled Harriett to a stop, ¡°Show me that quest!¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Harriett grinned and handed the flyer over, ¡°It¡¯s awesome.¡±

    Jasson took the flyer and took a picture, then input the photo into TrainSlate. It loaded for a few seconds and spat out a text and robotic voice proclamation of doom.

    ¡°In the A`hk`aka Mountains, the town of Smill requests aid in fending off a Wyvern attack and exterminating the source. At least fifty have been sighted. Two gold per Wyvern killed, present cores as evidence. Food, supplies, and lodging will be provided for the extent of your stay.¡±

    Jasson looked to the quest, then looked to the entrance to the adventurer¡¯s guild which lay behind twenty feet of men. Then back to the quest.

    ¡°Oh %*&^ great pick,¡± Jasson said, ¡°We can¡¯t put this back now that you left with it. You grabbed this on purpose!¡±

    ¡°Of course I grabbed it on purpose,¡± Harriett said, ¡°It¡¯s the best of the ones marked with red stamps. The red stamps mean highly dangerous and unmanaged by the guild. There were only a dozen of these, so it didn¡¯t take me long to find the best one. It¡¯s either this or go fight a tribe of orcs laying siege to a small fishing village.¡±

    ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t grab that one as well,¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°I know the rules,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Besides, this should be more than enough.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I don¡¯t even know what wyverns are though. Let me look it up.¡±

    ****

    ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE¡¯RE GONNA DO IT?!¡± Jasson screamed, ¡°THESE ARE &%^*%$ *&$&^% WYVRENS!¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Petra said, ¡°They¡¯re fine once you know how to deal with them and they don¡¯t even breathe fire. Good job grabbing this Harriett. You even managed to not turn the flyer into a crumpled ball, unlike someone I know.¡±

    ¡°Thank you miss!¡± Harriett bubbled while doing a full military salute, ¡°Glad I could be helpful.¡±

    Jasson looked between the three girls, stunned and scared. According to the internet, Wyverns were one step down from a full dragon. And this quest said there were fifty of them? They must be different than the ones in pop fiction.

    Clara stood and flagged down the waiter, then said ¡°Let¡¯s have a nice celebration dish then. They serve an excellent scoop here.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Petra turned, ¡°That¡¯s expensive-¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s not,¡± Clara said, ¡°It¡¯s one silver a person. That¡¯s a single gold coin for all of us. Surely that¡¯s worth spending to celebrate a quest well completed. And we¡¯ll buy Harriett one because she landed us another fantastic quest.¡±

    ¡°The gold¡¯s not really enough,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯m mostly taking the quest for the free food, supplies, and lodging. The A`hk`aka Mountains are known to hold several Natural Crystal mines, and I wanted to find some good ones before we leave. So no, I¡¯m not-¡±

    ¡°Oh shove off,¡± Clara said, ¡°I¡¯m paying from my portion. I got fifty goblins, that¡¯s more than enough to cover a quick treat.¡±

    ¡°I really am okay being the person without,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything to deserve this!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be spending it anyway,¡± Clara said, ¡°You too Petra. Pick what you want.¡±

    Harriett¡¯s eyes dimmed and she became listless again.

    Jasson thought for a second then said ¡°You better guard your bowl carefully. I¡¯m in a sour mood so I might steal it unjustly from you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Harriett perked up, then turned to the waiter and said ¡°I want a triple scoop Monster with extra guts and glory on the side.¡±

    The waiter nodded and turned to Jasson who said ¡°Wait, what are we ordering?¡±

    ¡°Ice cream!¡± Clara said, ¡°Wow, you know your stuff Harriett! That¡¯s a bit pricy though, so take off the glory side. As for me¡­hmm¡­ triple scoop chocolate please! With whipped topping!¡±

    ¡°A dark chocolate mint for me,¡± Petra said, ¡°One scoop.¡±

    ¡°Oh boo,¡± Clara turned to Jasson, ¡°What do you want Jasson?¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Do you have vanilla?¡±

    Everyone laughed and Jasson smiled, but he didn¡¯t know why. What was the joke?

    ¡°That¡¯s funny,¡± Petra said, ¡°How do you even know about vanilla? It¡¯s dang rare.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Where I¡¯m from we make it artificially. So it¡¯s cheap.¡±

    Petra froze and said ¡°That¡¯s absurd. We¡¯ve been trying to mimic vanilla for decades. Where are you from?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson said, thinking quickly, ¡°I¡¯ll just have three scoops of something fruity. Will that be okay?¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±

    The waiter bustled off and Jasson shifted beneath Petra¡¯s glare, then said ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know how to get back home. Okay? But I can look up how it¡¯s done on my crystal, although I doubt that you¡¯d be able to reproduce the process. It doesn¡¯t use any magic at all.¡±

    ¡°I will take you up on that,¡± Petra said, ¡°And here is our order.¡±

    The waiter put the orders down, and Harriett pointedly looked away from Jasson with a look of excitement on her face. Jasson looked to Petra who rolled her eyes and nodded.

    ¡°Give me that!¡± Jasson said, grabbing Harriett¡¯s bowl, ¡°I went through twice the danger as all of you, so I should get twice the reward. You¡¯ll get your own when you actually do something besides walk on people¡¯s heads to grab a piece of paper.¡±

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Harriett turned, ¡°How dare you! I am going to the bathroom to cry!¡±

    Harriett dashed off after her unconvincing performance.

    Jasson shook his head and said ¡°You guys want some? I¡¯m planning on leaving her a bit, that way she can ¡®cry¡¯ over only half a scoop left for her. But I don''t want the whole thing. Have you seen how much caramel is in here?¡±

    ¡°It looks tasty,¡± Clara said, ¡°Give me one of the scoops. Do you want any Pet- of course not. You went for bitter chocolate.¡±

    Petra hesitated, then said, ¡°Give half with a bunch of caramel.¡±

    The ice cream was delicious, Jasson getting some kind of green apple sherbert and Harriett¡¯s ¡®monster¡¯ turning into a chocolate ice cream with peanut brittle. It was wonderfully whole cream, and Jasson savored the flavor.

    Then his phone dinged.

    Jasson checked it and saw a second notification from Phasebook. Jasson double-tapped and saw a message that sent his heart plummeting.

    Event Reminder: June 29th, 2024, 11:00am. Funeral for Jasson Boar. Video call link Below.

 Chapter 17: Little Things --- End of Shorties Arc

    Event Reminder: June 29th, 2024, 11:00 am. Funeral for Jasson Boar. Video call link Below.

    Jasson stared at the notification, nearly identical to so many reminders he swiped away. Potlucks, parties, the type of things that intruded like a social flu of guilt. But now his own funeral stared him in the eyes.

    It¡¯s 10:01, Jasson thought. I don¡¯t have to be part of it. But¡­

    ¡°He will be missed.¡±

    Jasson flushed with heat thinking about those sappy words at his death. They barely noticed him for years and suddenly they miss him? Yeah, they¡¯re his family. They¡¯re supposed to. But Jasson couldn¡¯t imagine his family saying a single thing beyond the rote platitudes. Except for Madysyn.

    Jasson felt a pain of guilt at the thought of his youngest sibling. Surely he could attend his funeral for her alone. And for mom. Dad would make some jokes that he had to hear. Maybe Lillye would cry a bit.

    He had to know.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Jasson stood, ¡°I need to take this.¡±

    ¡°Take what?¡± Petra said, but Jasson didn¡¯t respond. Only looked at his phone as he walked away from the twins.

    ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Clara stood and followed Jasson, but Jasson didn¡¯t hear her.

    ¡°I have two bars right now,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Maybe it will b-¡±

    The signal dropped to one bar. That quickly? Jasson stopped and looked around, wishing he could see these mysterious connection points that he kept walking away from. Why was it that-

    Jasson¡¯s eyes fell on Petra, sitting in her chair a good thirty feet away. Clara caught up to Jasson but Jasson kept ignoring her. Jasson took a step towards Petra, and the second bar flickered. Two more steps and it stood solid beside the first, a pillar of signal.

    It¡¯s not based off of Petra. Jasson thought. I¡¯ve had a good signal without her. Especially in the guild, where I have max bars. But it¡¯s never as fast as when I¡¯m with these two¡­

    ¡°Clara, could you stand there for a bit?¡± Jasson said, walking away from her, ¡°I want to test something.¡±

    Jasson walked another thirty feet from Clara and watched as the final bar dropped away only to flicker back with a passing shopper bumping into Jasson.

    ¡°It¡¯s my connection.¡± Jasson breathed, ¡°My connection to them. To people. The better our connection is the further I can go. What was Kami thinking?!¡±

    Jasson walked back towards Clara and pocketed his phone as soon as the bar of signal came back. What to do? He needed to be with someone, but he couldn¡¯t just explain that he needed to attend his funeral. Jasson felt a profound desire not to share this moment with these practical strangers in another world, but he needed someone.

    ¡°Clara,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡­need to go somewhere private. With you. Wi-would you be open to coming?¡±

    ¡°With you?¡± Clara said, ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say,¡± Jasson said, ¡°And I can¡¯t explain. Just¡­will you trust me on this? Take me to wherever I can be alone, and stay with me until I¡¯m ready to leave. No questions. No worries. Don¡¯t tell Petra. Please.¡±

    Clara hesitated, then looked back toward Petra. Jasson¡¯s heart sagged like a bridge of hope. She would go running to her sister and Jasson would never get to know what his family said.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Clara said, turning back to Jasson, ¡°I¡¯ll come with you. Lead the way.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°Thank you. Umm¡­I don¡¯t actually have anywhere in mind. Do you have any ideas?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Clara tapped her chin for a few seconds then said, ¡°Yeah. I have an idea. You want to be alone right?¡±

    ****

    ¡°Here it is!¡± Clara said, showing Jassone the cliff she¡¯d brought him to, ¡°Come check it out.¡±

    Jasson checked the time. It had taken forty minutes to get here from the city, but he still had a few left. Jasson walked up beside Clara and looked out.

    ¡°See down there?¡± Clara pointed to a cave entrance, ¡°That¡¯s the Risen Stars dungeon. It¡¯s where me and Petra usually go to hunt monsters and stuff.¡±

    Jasson watched as a group of adventurers entered the dungeon. Another couple of groups were sitting around a communal fire. There were a couple food carts selling lunches and a river that flowed along the road. The vibe was cozy, despite the presence of monsters within.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Stand guard, please. I¡¯m gonna sit back here.¡±

    Jasson found a large tree and nestled amongst the roots and soil, as safely as he could manage. Jasson wished he had a blanket to complete the safe space, but forced himself to move on. To stop procrastinating. Jasson joined the group call.

    Saturday the 29th of June, 2024. 10:55 am. Loading.

    Doot.

    It was only natural that, being dead, Jasson¡¯s video call didn¡¯t allow for video. He was muted as well, leaving him as a ghost on the screen. Unseen, unheard, barely even there.

    Jasson was expecting the camera to focus on the podium, transmitting crystal clear video and audio. His Uncle Tomas was the family techie and had a passion for cameras and sound equipment. But that was shrunk and muted as Jasson watched and Aunt Elanor¡¯s shaky five-generation-old feed took center stage.

    ¡°Thanks for tuning in everyone,¡± Aunt Elanor said, ¡°I wanted to give a tour of the photos before we start. David is going to be late as well, so we¡¯ll be starting a few minutes later than usual.¡±

    ¡°Probably crying in the car,¡± Someone said from the family feed in Idaho. Jasson could hear his Aunt Charlotte scold her kid before another one of his cousins muted the feed.

    The table of pictures was filled with a depressing clutter of home-printed soggy paper and professional but outdated photos. The handouts featured Jasson¡¯s Junior year photo in the middle of flowery design, along with the sappy words that announced his lifespan.

    Jasson Boar

    Beloved Son, he will be missed.

    September 1st, 2006 ~ June 24th, 2024

    The families on video call expressed their condolences and how loved Jasson had been, just like all those empty posts right after he¡¯d died. Sticky Sweet (?) words that tightened the knot of bitterness in Jasson¡¯s chest. He¡¯d never been close with these cousins, and every time he¡¯d come over they¡¯d be holed up in their rooms. Granted, that¡¯s what Jasson did when they came over but he wasn¡¯t the one commiserating with everyone¡¯s Instaglam tears.

    SMH, it was his funeral but Jasson was having a hard time believing that at the moment.

    His paternal Grandparents gushed about how handsome Jasson had been and how there was a girl without her soulmate out there now. This was said in the stuttering monologue of their call going in and out as they didn¡¯t realize it and kept going. Grandma and Grandpa didn¡¯t have the best connection at their place but hadn¡¯t learned to recognize when they weren¡¯t being heard, so Jasson pieced their words together in a verbal puzzle.

    ¡°Can we see the body?¡± Jasson¡¯s cousin in Idaho said, ¡°I saw the news article but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a closed casket funeral,¡± Aunt Elanor said, making her way over, ¡°but here he is.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t elaborate, not that Jasson could tell through the Zoomer call. It was wood and covered in flowers, with what gilt edging there was being hidden behind the pixilated feed. With only his Junior photo on top of the casket and no opening, it was painfully obvious that the morticians considered Jasson beyond help. Considering how he¡¯d died, Jasson found himself wishing that he¡¯d been cremated. It would have been cheaper and implied a lot less than a forced-shut casket. Still, his mother was a stickler for tradition.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not feeling well,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m having a Coffin fit.¡±

    Jasson could hear his mother crying from the front row, and the little knot of bitterness started to tease out of him. His mother loved him. She was a tired mom who was working all day just to help them through this economy. At least she¡¯d have one less mouth to feed, insurance to pay, and a future to worry about.

    Jasson felt his eyes dampen and was glad when someone called off-screen.

    Uncle Thomas, Jasson thought. Must be time to start. I guess my dad got here- er- got there.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Aunt Elanor said, ¡°I just wanted them to get a tour. Goodbye, all!¡±

    The view flicked over to the main camera feed and Jasson saw the world from a higher angle in the middle of the chapel. He could see the pulpit, the coffin, and the sad little group huddled in the front row.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    A man stood, an empty flagpole without the rippling humor that buoyed him through life. He made his way up to the pulpit and patiently pressed a button. The pulpit raised until it couldn¡¯t go any further, and the man looked at it like it was a personal gallows just for him. He took a breath and leaned forward, pulling the mic down to his slouched lips.

    ¡°Hello,¡± The man said, ¡°Welcome to my son¡¯s funeral. I¡¯m glad everyone could make it- at least in spirit.¡±

    Jasson¡¯s mom burst into tears and his dad flinched, but Jasson couldn¡¯t help but smile in shock. He really did it. David Boar made a joke at his son¡¯s funeral.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson¡¯s dad said, ¡°I- er¡­I¡¯ll be speaking first. Followed by my wife, and then our eldest Mykael. Then Lillye and Jass- I mean¡­¡±

    Jasson¡¯s dad stopped and glanced out to the gathering, then stared back at the microphone like he was in some kind of confessional. Jasson felt his heart beat harder as he waited for his dad to keep going. He¡¯d never seen his father like this, empty exhaustion far beyond that of an overworked man.

    ¡°No father should have to hold their child¡¯s funeral,¡± Dad said, ¡°Especially when they- when I haven¡¯t even hosted his wedding. I wish I could say that he died fulfilled and happy, but I really don¡¯t know. He- I didn¡¯t reach out to him as much as I could. Now I regret every moment I collapsed on the couch rather than spending time with him.¡±

    Jasson whispered to his phone and said ¡°It¡¯s okay. You needed your rest, Dad. I hate when you push yourself too hard for me.¡±

    Dad shifted, seeming to get ahold of himself as he pulled a tear-pasted piece of paper out of his coat pocket. Jasson watched his father unfold the paper, pulled reading glasses out, and coughed as he read over his last words to his son.

    ¡°I always wanted a family as big as mine.¡± Jasson¡¯s dad said, ¡°I was the middle child, and I loved the feeling of so many loving siblings around me. Yeah, I didn¡¯t get much attention. But it was the Eighties. We played outside with our friends and each other and didn¡¯t come back until the streetlights came on. I figured that he¡¯d be okay since I was, and to a degree he was. But I can¡¯t help feeling that I could have stopped this. I could have given him a ride to his job, a ride home from school. Anything to make him not there in that moment. Of everyone that died he was the only one Fate chose to throw under the truck for no reason.¡±

    Jasson sniggered but no one else laughed, and he was glad that he wasn¡¯t there to interrupt. (Literally speaking he was there in mind and body, just not in the same place.)

    Jasson¡¯s dad put the paper down and looked out to the audience, saying ¡°The rest of this is an old man¡¯s rambling memories. The first time I took him fishing. That week I played catch with him every day to prepare for Little League. The first time I let go of his bike and he didn¡¯t- didn¡¯t fall. I-um¡­ He- Jasson- was eight when I realized he didn¡¯t know how to ride a bike yet. I learned to ride when I was five, I even took his training wheels off the year before. He used to love biking before I did that. I spent a couple of hours teaching him that night, and he managed to get the hang of it just before we had to go in. I never saw him biking after that, even when he had to walk to work. If only I had taught him earlier, maybe he would have biked right past that accident.¡±

    Jasson¡¯s dad stared into the camera, into Jasson¡¯s eyes, and then up to heaven as he said ¡°I¡¯m not making any sense but¡­ I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t pay attention more son. I know you would have hated this, but I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t push you harder. Farther. Maybe you would still be biking on your own if I had given you enough momentum to fly.¡±

    Jasson wiped tears from his eyes as he watched his father slump back to the pew beside Mom. There was some talking as Jasson tried to work the lump out of his throat in preparation for his mother, but to his surprise, it was Mykael who made his way up. Mykael, the eldest child, waved to his fiance before stepping up to the pulpit. Jasson felt the bitterness swell and tighten, remembering all the mean little comments that Mykael thought would be wiped away with sweetly worded posts. Mykael gave a cocky smile that cracked as soon as he bent the mic up to his mouth.

    ¡°Jasson was the first birth I remember,¡± Mykael said, meeting the eyes of the audience, ¡°And I always knew that I had to pro- protect-¡±

    Mykael froze and stared down at the pulpit, then looked up and said ¡°Sorry bro.¡±

    Jasson raised an eyebrow. Mykael was apologizing? Someone must have died- right. Jasson kept forgetting about that part.

    After a few more moments Mykael bent once more to the mic and said ¡°I prepared a glowing speech about how perfect everything was. I miss him. A lot. More than I thought I could miss anyone. But I imagine that he was screaming at my posts about his death. Hamming it up like we were close when recently¡­ all I used our time for was picking at him for not doing enough with his life. I guess I felt jealous about how much freedom he had.¡±

    Jasson frowned. This wasn¡¯t at all how he¡¯d thought Mykael would talk.

    Mykael breathed for another second before saying ¡°I really did- do love my brother. He was my first brother, and I remember when we used to wrestle and fight. Mom said to go easy on him because he¡¯d get stronger than me one day. He never outgrew me, and I¡¯m kinda sad now. I¡¯m still the strong one. I¡¯ve always wondered what would happen if he got stronger. He used to be so passionate about things. I remember the day he came home asking me to go kill a couple punks who beat him in a fight. I still don¡¯t remember what he was fighting over, but I don¡¯t think that he ever trusted me again when I said no. I wish I could have been there to protect him earlier this week. To truly protect him for once in my life. Wherever you are bro, I hope you get stronger. That way we can have one more arm wrestle once I go. Thank you.¡±

    Jasson wiped at his tears and said, ¡°Shut up. I thought you didn¡¯t remember that. And it¡¯s just like you to tell me to get stronger!¡±

    Jasson sniffed and wiped his eyes as Mykael made his way back to the pew. Another huddled whispering and Jasson could see his mother shake her head, then the recognizable figure of Lillye stood and walked to the pulpit. She tapped her foot impatiently as she lowered the pulpit, and finally gave up and took the mic and bent it down to her mouth. Then she went back to the controls and lowered the pulpit enough for her to see the crowd. Jasson rolled his eyes and braced himself. Lillye was the one he wanted to hear from least. She¡¯d whip up some kind of sickening tale spun to make herself look better.

    ¡°Mykael was too soft on Jasson,¡± Lillye said, ¡°I¡¯m suppOsed to name good things about him. HOw much of a blessing he was in my life. He was a little (*&^ that didn¡¯t do anything. Except the dishes. He was good at those, good enough to get a job doing it. Mom doesn¡¯t have the best eyes, so I can say that he dramatically improved the cleanliness of the dishes in our house. No more gunk between the forks or patina on the plates. He was saving up for a new phone before senior year, like a good little drone of capitalism. Of course, I¡¯m going to college in a couple months so it wouldn¡¯t matter to me what he did. He wouldn¡¯t matter to me once I was gone-¡±

    Lillye stopped then, to Jasson¡¯s shock, she wiped her eyes and said ¡°Of course I *^&%* miss him. He¡¯s my little brother. I might be a little self-obsessed, making this all about me. But I swore to make his wedding all about him, not his *&^% funeral-¡±

    Lillye looked up and Jasson could make out tears streaming down the sides of her face. A bolt of numb denial shot through Jasson¡¯s chest and ricocheted in his ribs. Where was the bottle of tears? Did she cut some onions? Was that snot dripping from her nose? Why didn¡¯t she stop crying already?

    ¡°They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder,¡± Lillye said, ¡°But all I¡¯ve been doing this week is looking where he should have been. Doing the dishes. In his spot on the recliner. Keeping me up with his endless TikTik dances. I never got to tell him but¡­he got kinda good at those. Really good, actually. He was *&^% at camera work and lighting, but¡­well, I always wanted to dance. It was a dream I had, I even took classes in high school, but I quit after stagnating. I was angry at him for being better than me. I- I wish I could be angry at him again. Now all I am is angry he died with such a bad sister as me. All because I was jealous of him being better at my dream. I¡¯m sorry bro. Wherever you are, I hope you¡¯re chasing something.¡±

    ¡°No &^%,¡± Jasson sat, processing what his big sister had said, ¡°No *&^% ^%&*. Lillye you- no¡­¡±

    Jasson felt his tears pour from his eyes as Lillye rushed down and someone nudged the next speaker. Jasson forced himself to look as Allyxander stood, looking around himself as if shocked that everyone didn¡¯t take longer. He stepped forward, then turned back to Mom and said a few things. But the family pushed him out and he made the slow walk to the pulpit.

    ¡°Serves you right,¡± Jasson said, ¡°You never liked talking to people that weren¡¯t your friends.¡±

    ¡°I feel like everything has been said already,¡± Allyx said, ¡°I guess¡­he was my big brother but I didn¡¯t feel like it. Mykael was the big brother, and Jasson was just part of the house. Like a light in the corner or the creaking of timbers at night. I¡­I thought that I was like Lillye. Didn¡¯t really think of Jasson, just let him have his space and ask him to stop dancing in the middle of the night. I guess¡­ I was wrong. Now I feel like- Jasson was never cool, ya know? Not to me. Madysyn loved being with him, but he wasn¡¯t the one with all the older friends.¡±

    Jasson grunted. He could relate to what his brother said, but Allyxander wasn¡¯t going to burst into tears like Lillye. At least Lillye felt something about Jasson, even if it was normally hatred.

    Allyx shifted and said ¡°I¡­I told my friends I wouldn¡¯t cry here. That I¡¯d be mature and let him go but¡­he was real. He mattered to everyone. He really did. I thought I didn¡¯t care but¡­the house is emptier now. I keep expecting to run into him while getting a midnight snack or pass him walking home from school. He¡¯s supposed to be here, you know? He was supposed to speak before me as the third child. I guess¡­I¡¯m the third child now. The second son. There¡¯s four kids in our family, and the fifth is nev- never coming home.¡±

    Allyx choked off and grabbed a tissue from the box on the pulpit, but he hesitated and only dabbed at his eyes.

    Jasson raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t know I meant so much to you little bro.¡±

    Allyx planted his hands on the pulpit and said ¡°I guess there¡¯s more in a home than just the people you want to spend every moment with. Our world turns and wobbles without his weight, and I don¡¯t know how we¡¯ll recover. But Jasson, if you¡¯re seeing this, I hope you find another home that loves you like I should have. Somewhere where you can belong at the center of things. A home that holds you closer than a group hug and doesn¡¯t push you away. I-I¡¯m sorry for that.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson said, feeling his exhausted heart stretch a bit further, ¡°Wow. I guess¡­I guess I did matter to you.¡±

    Allyx walked down but wasn¡¯t halfway back when the final sibling shot to her feet and marched to the pulpit. Jasson prepared himself for seeing the tear-stained face of his favorite sister. She¡¯d be a weeping mess that mumbled into the mic before-

    ¡°Jasson was an awesome brother!¡± Madysyn shouted into the mic, then hauled a step stool out so she could stand over and glare at the crowd. A tiny girl burning with passion. A precious ball of love and acceptance for Jasson.

    Jasson let out a guttural sob, his walls breaking as he turned the volume all the way up. He needed to hear them above his crying. He caught Clara move in the corner of his eyes, but when he checked Clara was staring out like she found eternity in the opposite direction.

    Jasson looked back at the feed as Madysyn took a bracing breath, ¡°Everyone keeps saying how they failed him, how they regret what they didn¡¯t do. That¡¯s not what we¡¯re here for. We¡¯re here to celebrate the life of Jasson. The life we knew, not the one we wished for. He was a patient, generous, and mindful human being.¡±

    ¡°Ouu,¡± Jasson groaned, tears blurring the screen

    Jasson¡¯s little sister seemed to have relaxed a bit when she said, ¡°Jasson was always there for me. I didn¡¯t need a big brother to fight the world for me, I needed someone to share the world with me. But when I was upset, I always went to Jasson and he¡¯d somehow know what to say. He took the time to share his world with me. The creators he followed, the trends he did. We even recorded some dance videos. I spent so many hours in his room, we watched Skippydatoilette together and theorized on the meanings. We cried together when Techyknife died. Affmeow¡¯s WeTube series was the most focused I¡¯d ever seen him. I- I never got to finish those episodes with him.¡±

    Jasson chuckled, remembering those little moments as he fought back a new wave of tears. Those were some good times.

    Madysyn wiped brave tears from her eyes and said ¡°People call it brain rot, but I was always excited to come home and hang out with him to watch it. Maybe not every day, and sometimes I needed my own space, but I love those times. Those memories. I¡­I haven¡¯t believed in any religion for a while. But there must be a next life, right? So if you''re watching this bro, I hope you¡¯re making memories wherever you are. You¡¯re a special guy, and I¡¯m sure that whoever you¡¯re with appreciates your time. Share your world with them, and let them share their world back. Then tell me all about it when I see you again.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Jasson said, nose filled and voice stuffed with a sad whine.

    Madysyn hopped off the stool and made her way back to the seats, blowing her nose as she sat by Mom. There was muttering and Uncle Tomas stood, but was cut off as Jasson¡¯s mother pushed herself up. Jasson watched as a misery-hunched woman, the definition of beauty and kindness in his childhood, hobbled toward the pulpit. She pulled the mic up to her lips and took several shuddering breaths before she spoke.

    ¡°Jasson was my third angel,¡± Sarah Boar said, ¡°my third precious baby. Having been raised as an only child, I always wanted a big family. It¡¯s what attracted me to David in the first place. And I wanted my kids to have unique names, but I guess I didn¡¯t do very well at that-¡±

    ¡°Mom, no! You did great!¡± Jasson gripped his screen, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m okay!¡±

    Jasson¡¯s Mom choked back a sob and continued, saying ¡°I wish I could have been a stay-at-home mom. Maybe I would have been able to prevent all this regret I¡¯m hearing about today. But what¡¯s done is done and¡­and we will have to move on-¡±

    Cries tore through the speakers, tiny tweeters attempting to capture the sound of his mother¡¯s splitting soul. Jasson looked up at Clara, wishing for headphones, but Clara didn¡¯t turn around. Didn¡¯t even react.

    It only took a couple pregnant minutes for Jasson¡¯s mom to get ahold of herself, even with Jasson¡¯s Dad having run up to help. The ripping screams fading to guttural sobs like the echoes of thunder. The tissue box ran out, its remnants clutched between Mom¡¯s white knuckles as she once again faced the mic.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that I could speak today,¡± Mom said, ¡°But after Madysyn I couldn¡¯t cower away from this. But I have to agree with David. A mother should not need to speak at her son¡¯s funeral. He should have outlived me with a life full of friends and a future he made for himself. I¡­I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like on the other side. We talk in church about how it¡¯s heaven, but what else? Can my boy grow over there? Can he make things? Can he get married and know the joy of commitment? I hope so.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Jasson chuckled, dabbing at his eyes with his soaked shirt.

    Mom chuckled and looked at the camera, then said ¡°I know that if he was alive right now, he¡¯d be on the video call. Holed up at home after I tried to get him out here. Camera and mic are off, scrolling through dance videos or something. I miss that now, despite how angry it made me when my parents died. He is the type to miss his own funeral. But wherever you are up in heaven Jasson, keep going. There¡¯s an eternity of future out there for you, go out and seize it. Who you¡¯ve been is not who you¡¯ll always be. You can walk to infinity in baby steps. And when I see you again, I want you to show me what you¡¯ve made like when you were a kid. I¡¯m proud of you son, I love you and-¡±

    Mom looked a bit strange then smiled and said ¡°Stay safe, stay true, and be good to your new friends.¡±

    Jasson watched, stunned as his mother walked back from the podium. The pastor stood and made his way up, but Jasson closed out before he could get there. Why had Mom said that? And why did everyone have to be so much better than he¡¯d ever hoped?

    ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡± Jasson said, feeling the tears roll down his face as he looked up. The blue sky and golden sun shone through emerald leaves, a dappled display of a weeping god raining warmth.

    Good enough. Jasson thought as he smiled. Everything is good enough.

    Then the sunlight hit his eyes directly and Jasson sneezed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jasson groaned as he stood, rubbing his nose, ¡°It¡¯s- owowow. Dang leg¡¯s asleep.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Clara was immediately by his side, her dry face contrasted by red eyes. Jasson spotted a handkerchief poking from her dress pocket and smiled. Good friends indeed.

    ¡°Better than ever,¡± Jasson said, standing, ¡°Let¡¯s get moving. We have a village to save.¡±

    ****Jasson¡¯s Status****

    | Strength  | 104

    | Agility  | 132

    | Intelligence  | 154

    | Wisdom  | 100

    | Charisma  | 97

    | Magic  | 70

    | Stamina  | 117

    | Luck | 160

    End of Shorties Arc

 Chapter 18: A Long Way Down --- Vertical Horizons Arc

    There are many ways to travel in the multiverse. From a spaceship that is ¡®everywhere all at once¡¯ to flying au naturale, save for a bit of spandex. But currently, on the fantastical earth Jasson was occupying, one especially odd method was being used. Soaring above jagged mountain peaks, an unusual party flew on what was most assuredly not a magic carpet.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that it could get this big,¡± Jasson shouted over the whipping winds.

    ¡°It¡¯s the extra leaves,¡± Clara said beside him, ¡°We don¡¯t use them most of the time, but they really add up, don¡¯t they? Able to accommodate a shocking number of people.¡±

    ¡°I have to say,¡± Harriett said, ¡°This is an amazing way to get around! Much better than the cushy flying coaches. I love how hard it is to hold on, and how one mistake can send me spiraling to my doom with no hope of rescue. ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ve got a rope tying you to the leg,¡± Clara said, ¡°I fell off once and Petra banged me up against a few mountains before she noticed. Might have been on purpose.¡±

    ¡°It was not!¡± Petra said, and their platform lurched nauseatingly.

    ¡°Stop talking,¡± Petra licked her lips, ¡°You¡¯re making it hard to drive.¡±

    Everyone froze, holding their breath as Petra got the rocking table under control. Jasson braced himself against what little he could but felt like he was on a roller coaster without the safety bars. He held the leg tightly, digging his fingers into the wood as he spread his feet for balance.

    After Jasson stopped shaking he said, ¡°I did wonder why you had a table and no chairs. Nice hardwood too.¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Clara said, ¡°We flew into Stalt on it. Very nice.¡±

    They flew in on it, Jasson thought. So this was their transportation more than for eating on. It''s massive and intricately made, with even the legs having elegant designs of plants and stuff carved into it. But¡­the table¡¯s not new. It¡¯s gouged and scorched and there¡¯s a hole in one of the leaves. What¡­

    ¡°So this table is from your home?¡± Jasson said, ¡°The home that you left to come here?¡±

    Clara stopped and looked to Petra, then said ¡°Yes, but you need to ask questions later. You wouldn¡¯t want Petra to crash the table, would you?¡±

    Jasson nodded and resumed holding desperately to a table leg, saying ¡°Absolutely not.¡±

    Unaided, Petra was only able to fly herself and maybe one other person over long distances, but the larger surface area of the table more than made up for the weight. It made sense to Jasson, although Petra couldn¡¯t quite believe that he could understand something this complex. The physics were familiar from school, and they¡¯d even had a fun experiment making little hovercrafts using a balloon.

    Although¡­now that Jasson thought about it though, it didn¡¯t make quite as much sense. That was for hovering, not flying through the sky. Wasn¡¯t that a¡­what was it called? The shape that lets wings on planes work? A foil? Airfoil. They needed wings, right?

    The table shifted, lurching in the air as Jasson squeaked, hoping that his skepticism wouldn¡¯t cause everything to stop working. There was a reason this worked, right? How did Petra fly without wings? Was the air pushing up, like in those sky-diving wind tunnels?

    ¡°Petra,¡± Clara said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s us talking that¡¯s making you swerve. You¡¯re getting tired, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Petra said, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±

    Jasson swiveled, eyes bulging at the thought of a drowsy flyer. Yeah, if Petra swerved they wouldn¡¯t hit anyone. But a slight twist¡­well Jasson didn¡¯t trust the ropes to hold them in. At least they didn¡¯t have any baggage thanks to Petra and Clara¡¯s Lockers.

    ¡°Yeah Petra,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Pull ove- eh- pull down if you¡¯re tired. No sense in pushing ourselves too hard. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re competing with anyone.¡±

    ¡°I told you,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±

    ¡°Petra,¡± Clara said, ¡°Please. If you need to-¡±

    ¡°I have to use the bathroom!¡± Jasson declared, ¡°Soon. Please find a place to land that has space and preferably a tree.¡±

    Petra shot Jasson a dirty look before saying ¡°All right, time to take a break.¡±

    Then the table dropped twenty feet.

    Jasson felt the disconcerting feeling of his legs no longer resting on the wood of the table. A scream disappeared into the rushing air, but Jasson was too busy death gripping the table leg to realize that the scream was his. He swung, only his straining white knuckles holding him to the table as his legs twisted and flung in the air. Harriett passed by him, laughing as she floated up and her tether pulled taught. Then Jasson made the very unfortunate decision to look over the edge of the table.

    Oh gods, Jasson thought, nonononONONONONONONO!

    The world spread below in rapidly approaching detail, a granite ridge being the closest at hand. Jasson¡¯s hands trembled, his legs kicking as he hauled himself down to the table as if he were climbing an invisible ladder. Then his pinky fingers gave out, and the rest of his digits started to slip one by one until-

    WHOOMPH!

    The world jolted and Jasson felt himself plaster into the table and table leg. Panic pumped his lungs in dry gasps like a wiener dog after a marathon. Head spinning, Jasson waited for either his senses or Charon, whichever came first.

    I wish I had the money for Charon, Jasson wheezed. I mean¡­ ten thousand dollars? Is he out of his mind?! I guess he only has half a brain.

    The table jerked lightly and Petra said ¡°Here we are. One bathroom break, as requested.¡±

    ¡°Too late,¡± Jasson groaned, ¡°Just kidding. But please don¡¯t do that again.¡±

    Jasson peeled himself off the leg and looked blearily around. He was on solid ground, about twenty feet deep of it. They were on some kind of a ledge, craggy granite pitted and filled with loose stones from harsh winters. The ledge stretched half a football field long and was populated by a single tree.

    ¡°Dang,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Nice place. I wonder if they have a brochure.¡±

    ¡°Shut it.¡± Petra said, ¡°And get off so I can flip the table over. If you¡¯re gonna waste my time I might as well get a bit of this rest you two keep pestering me about.¡±

    Jasson rolled numbly from the table and climbed to his feet. He stepped away and watched as the others pulled Harriett from where she was plastered against the table. Finally, Clara just picked up the table and flipped it over, shaking until Harriett flopped off.

    ¡°Is she¡­alive?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine,¡± Clara set the table down and pulled Harriett out, ¡°There you go Petra. I have to go to the bathroom too, so it¡¯ll be a while.¡±

    Petra mumbled something as she climbed under the table, and Jasson looked at Clara and shrugged.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Well, go on,¡± Clara said, ¡°I have some wipes for when you¡¯re done.¡±

    Jasson went to finish his business. When he returned Harriett was bouncing around the landing site, bubbling about the fall and how the force had been stronger than she thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to practice jumping off more roofs,¡± Harriett said, jumping from a boulder and landing easily, ¡°I don¡¯t think my legs are strong enough to handle that right now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that right now,¡± Jasson said, stretching his arms and looking out over the mountain range. The view was breathtaking in a different way from before, the type of sight that makes you want to just sit in wonder.

    ¡°Where-¡± Jasson started to say when Clara giggled and caught the bounding Harriett, pointing at Jasson¡¯s face.

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson demanded.

    ¡°You¡¯ve¡­eh¡­you¡¯ve got something on your face,¡± Clara said.

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson wiped his face, ¡°It¡¯s not a bug is it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Harriett snickered and said, ¡°You could say that it leaves quite the impression.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good one,¡± Clara reached into the spiraling void of her Locker and pulled out a mirror, ¡°Here Jasson, take a look.¡±

    Jasson snatched the mirror and looked at his face, flushing red from embarrassment as he saw the impression of grapes and wine from the carvings on the table leg. But with the distortion of his face and the snickering laughs of the girls-

    ¡°Oh shut up!¡± Jasson rubbed at the red and white design, ¡°Very mature.¡±

    ¡°The wine¡¯s matured,¡± Harriett said, ¡°But I must agree. This is hardly behavior fit for-¡±

    Harriett stopped, then looked around her and grinned saying ¡°Actually, I¡¯m gonna wake Petra up to show her.¡±

    ¡°Better not,¡± Clara caught Harriett¡¯s arm, ¡°She¡¯s trying to sle- I mean she¡¯s watching the back of her eyelids. Besides, it¡¯s my turn for the bathroom. Here¡¯s the wipe, Jasson.¡±

    Jasson took a damp hankey and wiped off his hands, pointedly turning his back away from the tree and facing Harriett.

    ¡°Hey Harriett,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Where is this town we¡¯re going to? Smill? Just how far is it?¡±

    ¡°Let me see¡­¡± Harriett said, poking her cheek as she thought, ¡°Smill isn¡¯t in Stalt¡¯s territory, I know that. But it should be within the Guild¡¯s territory since we got the quest. I believe the Adventurer¡¯s Guild surveys extend to the entire A`hk`aka Mountain Range, which is because of the threat. There are so many monsters in those mountains that the other cities can¡¯t handle quests from there very often. Stalt¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild is the strongest for a hundred leagues, so they took the A`hk`aka Mountains into their territory. I don¡¯t know the exact location of Smill, but it probably took a week for the quest to get to Stalt. Pretty far all things considered, but nowhere close to the Capital.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson said, looking up from his phone, ¡°Didn¡¯t answer my question, but you know a lot about this. You must have had a pretty good education growing up.¡±

    A suspiciously good one. Jasson thought. Probably a noble or merchant of some kind. Wasn¡¯t there some kind of group of nobles going on a hunt by those goblins? I hope we don¡¯t get into trouble because of her.

    Harriet grinned proudly and said ¡°I studied the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in great detail before leaving home. Even interviewed a ton of adventurers, although I hadn¡¯t been in the guild before today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that reminds me.¡± Jasson said, ¡°So, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask someone this. Petra doesn¡¯t know but¡­ how do people actually rise in rank? I¡¯ve completed two quests already, and yet I¡¯m still a Driftwood adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Oo,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Okay. So, the thing is that rising in rank is something that takes time. You said that you¡¯ve only been doing this for less than a week. It generally takes an entire week of going in every day before you raise your rank.¡±

    Jasson nodded and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing we grabbed this quest so we¡¯re not relying on me raising my rank.¡±

    ¡°Well no,¡± Harriett said, ¡°you want to get up there. Lead rank at least. That¡¯s where the real quests are.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I thought that that¡¯s what the quest board was for. Are you telling me that there¡¯s a secret board in the back?¡±

    ¡°Kinda,¡± Harriett said, ¡°the ones they stick out there are the unmanaged quests. Ones that they can afford to have unprepared people go for. The other quests are separated by ranks, save for quests that can be completed by large parties. They probably thought a good ten or fifteen people would show up for this quest, which probably means that there are over a hundred Wyverns in the mountains around them. I honestly don¡¯t know why it was on that board. Usually, it¡¯s lead or below difficulty monsters, at least according to the books. I had to grab it.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Go back. What¡¯s the point of getting to lead ranks?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Harriett said, ¡°haven¡¯t you wondered why there¡¯s no powerful people struggling for the urgent quests? No titan steamrolling you on their way to the board? It¡¯s because all the Metal rankers are given their own lists. For Copper Adventurers and below, the attendants inform them of the available quests for their level and under. Like, a Tin adventurer can get a quest ranked at Tin or Lead difficulty. The Adventurers ranked above Copper get contacted directly by the Guilds and offered the quests. Then there¡¯s the Crown Adventurers.¡±

    Harriet smiled, giddy as she said ¡°I want to get to their level. It¡¯s the highest in all Adventurer¡¯s Guilds. At least five times higher than a simple Gold ranker. Only in the Guilds does a Crown coin still get the respect it once did.¡±

    ¡°Crown coins?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Like gold coins but more?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Harriett sighed, ¡°The Five Point Crown coin, worth five gold coins. Unfortunately, inflation has made them worth one-hundredth of their original price. Only in the guild, which uses the same ranking system as coins, does the Crown still get respect. One of the only things which still remains quality from the old days.¡±

    Five times twenty, Jasson thought, so about a hundred bucks? One hundredth the worth, so¡­10k? Wow.

    Jasson said, ¡°So how much would I- would we make per quest at Copper rank?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Harriett said, waving a dismissive hand, ¡°A few hundred gold coins for everyone. Copper is only sixth up in metals so it¡¯s not crazy yet.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Are you aware of how much we need to survive winter?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Architectural supply was never my strong suit. How much is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But I get the feeling that it¡¯s a lot. Like, we need to properly work with foundations and stuff. I heard something like one thousand gold for just making it through the winter, never mind finishing.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I- I guess I¡¯ll be fine with that.¡±

    Jasson huffed and said,  ¡°Why do you say it like that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know.¡± Harriett huffed and looked off to the side, ¡°It¡¯s just a bit easy. That¡¯s all.¡±

    Jasson thought for a quick second before saying ¡°You know, I personally think that Petra is being optimistic. What does- er¡­ two hundred crowns even buy these days? Plus, that¡¯s counting on us to do all the labor. But we can¡¯t go on quests like this if we¡¯re too busy building the house.¡±

    Harriet perked up and Jasson kept going, saying ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t get me wrong, building the house by ourselves would be very hard. Especially as the snow starts to numb our fingers in early winter. But compared to conquering vast nests of powerful monsters? Exploring dungeons and claiming treasures from an era before our imagining- well it¡¯s a lot more dangerous than hitting your thumb with a hammer. I understand Petra¡¯s desire to be safe, and I¡¯d rather save money building the manor in relative safety, but I don¡¯t think that will be enough money. We¡¯ll just have to keep going on more quests with more dangerous monsters¡­maybe we won¡¯t even live to see winter.¡±

    I never thought being negative would be helpful, Jasson thought as Harriet¡¯s eyes started to sparkle.

    Jasson sighed and powered on his phone. He¡¯d been charging it but turned it off so he could use both hands to hold on. Seventy-six percent. Not bad. And if his theory was right then-

    ¡°Yup,¡± Jasson said, grinning widely ¡°three bars.¡±

    Jasson ran a speed test, something that he¡¯d started doing more often, and raised his eyebrows. Wow. It had been 70 Mbps with just Clara and Petra, but with Harriett here it was now up to 85 Mbps. So the relationship depth really did have something to do with signal. Maybe¡­ 35 Mbps for each twin and 15 for Harriett? That felt about right for their relationship.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What should I do now?¡±

    Ding

    Jasson looked at his notifications and saw Do-A-Lingo pop up with the cheerful green anthropomorphic bat waving at him.

    Hi, Lingo here.

    It¡¯s Saturday, a great time to take five minutes and start learning Spanish!

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me!?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯ve beyond started it! I had over two hundred days and you $^%*& forgot it!¡±

    Jasson opened the app, intending to turn off notifications, but paused. As far as he knew, there was no language on Earth called ¡°Greenish¡±, but here was a cheerful little button to learn ¡°Greenish¡±.

    ¡°Hey Harriett,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What language do we speak in Stalt?¡±

    ¡°Greenish,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Are you okay? Do you need to lie down?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Jasson said, staring at the option. His embarrassment from being unable to write his own name came back to him. His blind grabbing of any quest and reliance on TrainSlate, stumbling along like an illiterate fool.

    Jasson flattened his lips to a curl and he sneered at the app. He would not be an illiterate imbecile forever.

    Two Do-A-Lingo lessons and ten Tiktiks later, Clara came back from an exceptionally long bathroom trip. Petra scrambled from below the table, rubbing the ¡°not-sleep¡± from her eyes as she berated Clara for slowing them down so much.

    ¡°I have an idea to make up the time,¡± Petra said, grabbing the table legs, ¡°Clara, give me a hand.¡±

    Together they pushed the table, wood grinding against stone as they made their way to the cliff. Petra stopped with nearly half the table teetering off the edge, then turned and grinned evilly at Jasson.

    ¡°Come on, hop in.¡± Petra said, ¡°It won¡¯t fall yet.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Harriett said, hopping in and tying her rope, ¡°I love how risky this is.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Why are we doing this?¡±

    ¡°Because it takes a lot of energy to take off,¡± Petra said, ¡°so I figured that sliding off the cliff would be easier. Besides, there¡¯s something else I want to try. Or would you rather walk?¡±

    Jasson barely caught himself from looking over the edge and forced himself onto the table. This was his only option for getting off the mountain alive but safely was a different question. He tied more knots than ever before as the table teetered ever so gently in the breeze.

    ¡°All right everyone,¡± Petra said, their table nearly tipping off the edge of the cliff, ¡°Hold on. I think that I can get us there today if I push myself.¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± Jasson said, ¡°You know that taking breaks is a healthy part of- AAEEEEE!¡±

    Jasson felt a sharp wind push against his back, forcing him forward with the entire table as they tipped off the cliff. Being in the back of the exceptionally long table, Jasson had a nice view of steep and tumbly doom as the table ground against the stone before slipping off into thin air.

    And kept falling.

    Jasson tried to scream again but found his stomach tangled in his throat, clutching the table leg and crossing his legs reflexively. But, unlike the freefall earlier, Jasson¡¯s butt didn¡¯t leave the table. Tentatively untangling his terror, Jasson felt exhilarated as the wind whipped through his hair in the longest slide of his life.

    Unfortunately, they got faster.

    ¡°We¡¯ll climb slowly,¡± Petra shouted over the wind, ¡°And we¡¯ll lose a bit of the speed we gained. It¡¯s harder than normal, but this will be faster so we should make it by nightfall.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­Petra.¡± Clara said, ¡°We don¡¯t have your defense against the wind. I¡¯m fine but Jasson¡¯s fingers are white and Harriet¡¯s¡­smiling. Which isn¡¯t good at these speeds.¡±

    Jasson turned and saw Harriett grinning wide as she held on, the wind inflating her cheeks so they rippled. He saw a bug plaster on her white teeth and she laughed.

    ¡°Ahhahah-hurg!¡±

    Harriet coughed as another bug flew into her throat, then said ¡°This is the best!¡±

    ¡°We should really slow down,¡± Clara said, ¡°and Jasson agrees with me.¡±

    ¡°Harriet likes this, so it¡¯s two to two,¡± Petra said, ¡°and my vote counts twice since I¡¯m driving. We¡¯ll be there by nightfall.¡±

    Dang, Jasson thought. I need another person on my side. Preferably a dude.

 Chapter 19: Down to Earth

    Jasson had never flown during sunset before, and the air chilled as they sped on to night. The Sun melted into the horizon, curved lower by the edge of the world. It warmed Jasson¡¯s back and cast a golden glow along the frosted tips of the mountain range until day was gone, leaving them soaring in twilight skies with deeper darkness ahead.

    ¡°How are we going to find the village at night?¡± Jasson said, ¡°We can¡¯t see them in this lighting. Or can you with your night vision?¡±

    ¡°Well someone forgot to go when we stopped,¡± Petra glared at Harriett, ¡°We¡¯d be there already if it wasn¡¯t for her. And no, I can¡¯t see the road. My night vision spell only goes so far.¡±

    ¡°Bummer. But you make it sound like we¡¯re close?¡± Jasson said, ¡°How do you know?¡±

    Petra sighed and said ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been following the road. The map has it situated on a small lake with a large chapel, but¡­¡±

    They flew in silence for a few minutes before Petra sighed and said ¡°Let¡¯s head down. We¡¯ve made good time and should arrive in the morning. Probably for the best since they¡¯d be tired and-¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± Clara said, pointing out towards something further north.

    Jasson squinted. It looked like a dozen stars were soaring up into the sky, gently twinkling white.

    Petra sucked in a breath and swerved the table to the left, sending Harriett flying over the edge. Jasson¡¯s gut lurched and he nearly leaped to catch Harriett, but Harriett caught the leg of the table and spun back in like a sideways gymnast.

    ¡°CLOSE YOUR EYES!¡± Petra shouted.

    Jasson reflexively shut his eyes before-

    There isn¡¯t a sound for light, no matter how bright. Light is better than that. Oh, there are sounds from the heat and expansion of the air, but light lets others do the announcing. It is simply here to dazzle. But this one was really pushing it, and those who can hear light would describe it as such:

    wiiiioooooAAARRRRR!!!!

    Jasson saw a vivid pink and he reflexively squinted against the bright, making a decent impression of an Asian with a migraine. After a few moments, Jasson blinked painfully as he saw that the dozen faint stars had exploded into twelve miniature suns. That was about all Jasson could see at the moment, and he looked away to try and let his eyes adjust.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°HAHAHAH!¡± Harriett laughed, laying beside him, ¡°I¡¯ve gone blind! YES!¡±

    ¡°No you haven¡¯t,¡± Petra said, ¡°These aren¡¯t nearly that level. I hope. Clara, get me my sunglasses.¡±

    ¡°Sure sis,¡± Clara reached into her locker and pulled out some stylish tinted shades, ¡°need me to put them on you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, ¡°I like to keep my eyes intact. How well can you see?¡±

    ¡°Not too bad,¡± Clara said, ¡°but a flash like that screws hard with my night vision.¡±

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What is that? And why are we flying toward it?¡±

    Petra looked over her shoulder at Jasson and grinned, then said ¡°It¡¯s where we¡¯re going. Take a closer look above the lights.¡±

    Jasson covered the lights with his hand and squinted as he looked above. There was nothing there, just the darkness of a night sky. What was Petra on about-

    Then Jasson saw it, or rather them. Hundreds of tiny fluttering shapes congregated above the lights in an enormous swarm, like the bugs by a lake. As if to emphasize her point, a bell started to ring and echo across the mountains. The town of Smill was besieged.

    Clara squinted into the night and said, ¡°They¡¯ve lit up an air-kill zone, but it looks like they only have a couple of guys capable of reaching those heights. Looks like¡­oof. This is gonna take a while. Petra, should we land and approach on foot? Petra?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Petra said, shaking herself, ¡°What type of attacks are they making?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re swarming above the town,¡± Clara said, ¡°Over two hundred of them. They¡¯re divebombing, but I think the light messes them up. A few are carrying away livestock. Hopefully.¡±

    Petra said, ¡°Night Wyverns then. Well, that gives us plenty of excuses to search the local caverns. Still, we need to engage them as soon as possible to minimize casualties. The road is- ah¡­ bugger. &^$%. I hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to this.¡±

    ¡°Come to what?¡± Jasson said as Harriett started to giggle.

    ¡°I can¡¯t find the road, so if we land we¡¯ll probably just get lost.¡± Petra said, ¡°Although¡­I think I see it. Oh good. I¡¯m sure that if we land I would be able to take them all-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Clara said, ¡°You¡¯re tapped out. Even on your better days, you¡¯d have trouble reaching that high. And even your explosive shots wouldn¡¯t be enough to take this swarm down. You promised me that you wouldn¡¯t push yourself again, not like you did that time.¡±

    Jasson watched as Petra slumped, then said ¡°You¡¯re right sis. Harriett, any good at these sorts of fights?¡±

    Harriet drew a long, graceful rapier that Jason hadn¡¯t seen before, ¡°Just gotta find the right spot. Stab the eyes, rip the wings, puncture pectoral muscles. I¡¯ve always wanted to fight a flying type while it was actually in the air.¡±

    Then Harriet cut her rope.

    ¡°WOAH!¡± Jasson said, ¡°Don¡¯t cut your rope! This is aerial combat!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better this way,¡± Harriet said, ¡°this way, I can jump between them in the air. It¡¯s dangerous but more effective and awesome.¡±

    ¡°No you won¡¯t,¡± Petra said, ¡°All right. I hate to do this, and I wish it didn¡¯t come to this. Jasson!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°We need you,¡± Petra said like she was chewing fish bones, ¡°You¡¯re the best equipped to fight here. Fire that light missile you can do and blow them up a few times.¡±

    I¡¯m part of this team too! Jasson thought. You don¡¯t have to sound like you hate the idea of me helping so much. But¡­

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Jasson said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to stabilize so I can aim. I¡¯ll give it a quick shot first since I don¡¯t know how far these go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Petra said, ¡°But if you blow us up I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Jasson said, ¡°what¡¯s the plan if we need to get close?¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Petra said, ¡°If we have to dive into the middle of the swarm then we¡¯re dead. Clara and Harriett will defend the table while we drive shots into the mass. How many can you do?¡±

    Jasson did some quick math and said ¡°Last time was eight percent per shot and I¡¯m in the seventies so¡­ nine? Max.¡±

    ¡°That had better be enough,¡± Petra said, ¡°If it¡¯s not then we¡¯ll head into town on foot and call it our best. Clara can carry you guys on the table, so don¡¯t worry about getting too tired to make a run for it.¡±

    Jasson nodded and took his phone out, powering it on. He could feel the others grow nervous as they got closer to the swarm, and Jasson was finally able to see them as his phone loaded. From this distance, they were like a swarm of birds, some of them carrying what looked like cotton balls. But as they got closer Jasson realized that those cotton balls were sheep clutched between the talons of dragon-like monsters.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson said, opening MADaptation, ¡°It¡¯s like in the opening scene of that old movie Dragon Training for Dummies.¡±

    Jasson put the light crystal on the screen and watched it change shape, then slid it into the audio jack.

    Click

    Breathe

    ¡°We¡¯re still a long way out from the village,¡± Petra said, ¡°I hope they have some kind of defense from multi-ton falling monster corpses. Try to blow them into the smallest bits possible, okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh gee,¡± Jasson made his way to the front of the table, ¡°No pressure.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll do great!¡± Clara said, ¡°Just hit one. The explosion should stun more of them. They might fly away at that point and we can land. Remember, we don¡¯t want to kill all of them since we¡¯ll be hunting them later.¡±

    Jasson did his best to smile reassuringly and aimed the phone at the distant monsters. He¡¯d never tried to hit anything that far away, but it shouldn¡¯t be that hard. Just aim for the middle.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    How did CurryRanch say to hold a gun again? Jasson thought. Two hands, straight right arm, eyes down the sights. Not that I have sights, yoho.

    It helped that there was no explosion from it leaving the barrel.

    Gling!

    Jasson had barely pushed the button when a brilliant missile erupted in a spray of sparks that blew into Jasson and had him patting frantically at his shirt. He expected it to get smaller the further away it got, but instead it stayed the same shape. He was able to make designs out on the side that he hadn¡¯t before. It was beautiful, less of a modern missile and more of a work of art.

    Then the light from the missile illuminated the swarm of Wyverns in an intense optical illusion.

    Wow, Jasson thought, How are they so small beside my tiny missile?

    Light flashed without a sound, like distant lightning, and all four of them took in a gathered breath.

    ¡°Woow,¡± They said as one.

    Then the shockwave hit.

    VBOOOOM!

    The sound was like thunder¡¯s bigger brother, the one who wanted to be a drummer and shot guns without ear protection. And the sound didn¡¯t end with the initial hit, it bounced off the mountains and came back to hit them from behind. This was a mercy since it balanced out the percussive force just enough to level them out again as they fell.

    They held each other, screaming in terror and Harriet in delight as they plummeted for the second time that day. The table whined and tried to flip like an old dog trying to do a trick.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Petra shrieked, pushing from the group hug, ¡°Everyone to your corners!¡±

    Petra focused on the crystal in her hands and said something that was lost to the wind and hearing damage. Nothing happened before-

    ¡°OOF!¡±

    Jasson was crushed into the table, feeling every grain of wood tattooed into his skull. The table ground along the ground and flipped over, spilling the dazed crew onto the ground. Jasson felt a painful tug as the rope along his waist scrambled at the dirt, envisioning the massive table dragging him off a cliff.

    The tug was brief though, and left a painful welt across Jasson¡¯s waist. Jasson sat up in a daze and saw Clara lowering a limp Petra back on top of the upside-down table. Harriet had ended up in a tree and was sprightly swinging her way down.

    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I take it Petra¡¯s asleep?¡±

    ¡°Dead to the world,¡± Clara said, straightening, ¡°Not literally though. She¡¯ll be fine tomorrow morning. Cranky and out of Aura, but fine.¡±

    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Harriet said, doing a double backflip before she landed, ¡°I¡¯ve never feared for my life so much! A city-crushing display of power from my esteemed companion. Truly a wild power to have wielded by such an unsuspecting peasant.¡±

    ¡°Oi,¡± Jasson said, groaning as he stood, ¡°My mother says that we have the blood of kings. Charlemagne at least.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know about being related to an alcoholic beverage,¡± Harriett said, ¡°It¡¯s not something I would brag about.¡±

    ¡°Come on guys,¡± Clara motioned to the table, ¡°I¡¯m gonna keep carrying us so hop on.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not broken?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Didn¡¯t we crash?¡±

    ¡°Not quite,¡± Clara¡¯s voice said, slapping one of the legs, ¡°Petra cushioned us at the last second, but it was rough. You¡¯re all surprisingly okay though.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Harriet said, ¡°I wanted to pass out from that impact! Faded to black and carried to safety is a lot cooler than dizzy but okay. I should at least walk beside you.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± Clara said, ¡°Just take it easy and let me-¡±

    ¡°What Clara¡¯s saying is,¡± Jasson interrupted, ¡°She understands that it¡¯s difficult to watch her shoulder the weight of everyone, but she asks that you don¡¯t take the easy way out and take the shame of relying on the twins for a little longer. It will be hard, but worth it to let them finish bringing their friends to safety.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Harriet said, smiling, ¡°I¡¯ll endure this then. After all, there¡¯s more than one pain someone can experience.¡±

    Jasson edged away from Harriett and looked around, the forest lit by the giant lights, then said ¡°I don¡¯t see a road. How will you know where we¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Clara said as they climbed on the table, ¡°But I figure that heading towards those lights is a solid bet.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Jasson said, settling back down in his corner, ¡°Gosh. Now I feel dumb.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Clara said, ¡°everyone gets their moment to shine...¡±

    Clara hauled the table up and two jerky movements that sent Jasson bouncing and sliding down the table. Then with a couple of tosses Clara found the balance point and started towards the lights.

    The silence stretched for a few seconds before Clara said ¡°Umm..was it just me or was that missile stronger than normal?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Harriet said, ¡°That¡¯s not how powerful it usually is?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson said, ¡°we¡¯d all have died twice over if that had been the case. It seems a suicidal amount of power for something that can be used close to us.¡±

    ¡°I think it grew bigger,¡± Clara said, ¡°But it was hard to tell because it never changed in size to my eyes.¡±

    ¡°So that wasn¡¯t just me.¡± Jasson thought for a few seconds, ¡°Maybe it grew bigger at the same rate that it would have shrunk to our eyes. How big do you think it was when it hit?¡±

    ¡°About twenty feet,¡± Clara said, ¡°but that¡¯s only a guess. I¡¯ve never heard of magic doing something on its own that turns out in your favor. Petra says you have to envision it perfectly for it to happen, but you¡¯re using a magical device so¡­¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that it was in my favor,¡± Jasson said, ¡°That was overkill. I mean, is the town even okay? That was a massive blast!.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine,¡± Clara said, ¡°more importantly, are you okay? That much magic should have drained your pool entirely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not my pool it¡¯s my phone¡¯s charge-¡±

    Doo-doot!

    Jasson looked at his phone, alarmed. Five percent remaining.

    ¡°What the heck!¡± Jasson closed the apps, pulled the crystal out, and powered down his phone as he desperately charged it.

    Doot.

    Four percent and charging.

    ¡°What the heck?¡± Jasson repeated, willing his phone to charge faster, ¡°Why- well I mean this makes sense but it would have been fricking nice to know before shooting.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Harriet said, ¡°It¡¯s your viewing crystal, right?¡±

    ¡°Kinda,¡± Jasson said, ¡°It¡¯s a magical device from my home. It also serves as my wand. Basically, I charge it with a light crystal and then cast spells using it, and that was my most powerful one but¡­ I had no idea.¡±

    Why? Jasson thought. What logic does this follow? I feel like I¡¯ve seen it before in video games¡­

    Jasson thought for a few seconds, then said ¡°I think¡­it gets more powerful the farther I shoot it, but takes more power to do so.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Harriet said, grabbing Jasson¡¯s hands, ¡°That¡¯s so awesome! Can anyone use-¡±

    ¡°Oi!¡± Clara said, ¡°Stay on your side of the table, you¡¯re throwing me off balance.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma''am!¡± Harriett said, scooting back, ¡°But really, can anyone use your device?¡±

    Back off, Jasson thought, I¡¯d rather not get my phone stolen by your fast fingers.

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson said, ¡°It takes my fingerprint, see?¡±

    Jasson demonstrated the fingerprint reader on his phone and Harriett nearly unbalanced the table again.

    Then Harriett said something truly disturbing in a fantasy world. Something that has a different, stare at your ceiling at night kick once your imagination isn¡¯t limited by physics.

    Harriett said, ¡°So if someone could perfectly replicate your physical appearance, they could use your phone? It¡¯s not linked to your soul or anything?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± Jasson eyed Harriett, ¡°Have you ever heard of it happening?¡±

    ¡°Just doppelgangers,¡± Harriett shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s mostly the stuff of stories. So do you plan on using this phone to take over the world then? Destroy a few cities, strike fear into the hearts of those who oppose you?¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡± Jasson said, ¡°No! Why would I?¡±

    Harriett shrugged and said ¡°Aren¡¯t men always talking about getting more power, ruling the city, that sort of stuff? Don¡¯t you?¡±

    Jasson said ¡°I mean, I want to get stronger but I don¡¯t want to be in charge! That sounds like my worst nightmare!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Harriett said.

    ¡°The decisions!¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯d be responsible for people¡¯s lives! That¡¯s a terrible idea, I¡¯d just mess it all up! I mean, I¡¯m #*&% seventeen! I don¡¯t even know how to manage a store, never mind the world!¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I think I understand what you¡¯re getting at. Still, it¡¯s just part of life isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What, ruling people?¡± Jasson said, ¡°No. What world do you live in?¡±

    ¡°One with families,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Yeah, I might be a little over-ambitious, but you want to have a family right?¡±

    ¡°Eventually,¡± Jasson said, shifting.

    ¡°Well then,¡± Harriett said, ¡°You¡¯d be ruling over your family.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Jasson said, ¡°No. Whoever I marry will be an independent well-realized woman capable of making it on her own and- and I¡¯m not going to rule over her.¡±

    Harriett raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Well, duh. But I¡¯m talking about your family, not your marriage. You must rule over your children unless you think your kids will be able to take care of themselves. Power over others is something that comes with life, and so is the relinquishing of power when the time comes. To shirk such duties is profane irresponsibility where you wish sickness and death upon those you abandon.¡±

    Jasson gaped for a few seconds before saying, ¡°What the heck? How did our conversation even get here?¡±

    Harriett shrugged and said, ¡°I believe that I was asking how you plan to use your viewing crystal.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Jasson sighed in relief, ¡°I mostly just scroll and watch cat videos when my favorite creators don¡¯t post.¡±

    ¡°Cat videos?¡± Harriet said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of that recently. Is it just videos of cats?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Wanna see?¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Harriet said, ¡°I¡¯m not too fond of cats. Nothing against them, I just don¡¯t like how lazy and overconfident they are.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°That¡¯s a first. You sound like you challenge them to a fight.¡±

    ¡°I mean, yeah.¡± Harriet said, ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±

    Jasson blinked then said ¡°Umm¡­no. Don¡¯t let PETA know you do that.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Peta?¡± Harriet said, ¡°Is he the king of cats? Do they have a real warrior out there somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Not a warrior,¡± Jasson said, ¡°A lawyer. Or at least someone who hires lawyers.¡±

    Harriet shivered and said ¡°Warning taken. Ooh! I think I see the town of- what was the name again?¡±

    ¡°Smill.¡± Jasson and Clara said at the same moment. Jasson and Harriet turned to Petra, who was passed out on the table snoring daintily.

    ¡°We¡¯ll manage,¡± Clara said, ¡°Let¡¯s find the town Lord and report to him.¡±

 Chapter 20: Down Low

    Bouncing on a table carried by an exuberant Clara, the party emerged from the woods into a carrion field. It smelled like a butcher''s market had started selling weed, and Clara nearly slipped on a Wyvern¡¯s crystal core. Jasson eyed the crystal as it vanished behind them, then started to spot a dozen in the field around him. Apparently, the blast didn¡¯t shatter monster cores.

    Man, Jasson said, they look so valuable. Too bad it¡¯s mostly worthless flux.

    Jasson powered on his phone and took a picture, the sky of a dozen lights illuminating the crystals twinkling in a red field as the occasional wagon cast twelfth shadows of gore.

    ¡°Hot (*&!¡± Jasson said, ¡°I did this?! Can I cook or what?!!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t cook monsters,¡± Clara said from below the bobbing table, ¡°They¡¯re not good for you.¡±

    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t call this cooking,¡± Harriett said, ¡°At most this would be considered food preparation.¡±

    Jasson rolled his eyes and said ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it literally. Gross.¡±

    While they were in the woods, Jasson saw some remains falling to the forest floor. But most of the monsters were caught in the canopy, casting strange shadows beneath the raid lights. Meanwhile, the unprotected field was plastered by monster paste, which hopefully would turn into a good fertilizer. Preferably without a plague of Ecoli accompanying it.

    As they got closer, they passed a farm with cattle and sheep huddled beneath a barn roof. A few had broken from their enclosures in a panic, most likely the ones being carried away by Wyverns, and were now milling around in damp and sticky shock. The farmers were also milling around outside and were probably wishing for more bloodproof boots at the moment.

    Jasson looked away when the farmers turned to look at them, but Harriett stood on the wobbling table and waved.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Harriett shouted. Jasson looked back to see the farmers wave dumbly and noticed that some children were waving from the farmhouse.

    ¡°Those sheep were red,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Does blood stain wool?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Clara said from below the table, ¡°Terribly. I could never get it out of my favorite sweater.¡±

    The town square glistened beneath the raid lights, blood dripping from roofs as hellish sludge. It was brighter than human blood but stank with a chemical edge reminiscent of skunks. Jasson started praying that clean-up wasn¡¯t part of the deal. But he was currently distracted by the defenses which lay shattered from his attack.

    Large umbrella lattices stood, splintered from the force but still strong. They were like a woven basket of six-inch timbers that defended the buildings and forced the wyverns onto the street. Jasson craned his neck at the massive modern art defenses and watched as someone on top repaired the structure. A drop of red slurry and splinters dripped from a fractured end and landed on Jasson¡¯s hand. Ew.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this!¡± Harriet lay flat on the table, enjoying the view, ¡°It¡¯s reminiscent of Eastern construction, but nothing like the buildings in the viewing crystals. I wonder how red it will stain?¡±

    ¡°Hold onto your jaw,¡± Clara said, ¡°It looks like they have a welcoming party.¡±

    Jasson looked and saw that, in front of the stately city hall, was a rather ruffled-looking man standing beside a cleaner, younger version of himself. Around these well-dressed men were a couple of Water Mages power-washing a reception area, forming a reverse red carpet.

    ¡°Hello oh great travelers,¡± The local lord said, ¡°I am Lord William R. Ippoph. I take it that you are the great souls who slew the swarm?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Clara said, ¡°All right guys, get off.¡±

    Jasson and Harriett hopped from the table and Clara lowered it, scooping up the unconscious Petra. Jasson made sure to step on the cleaned cobbles, not wanting to stain his shoes. Again.

    It took me ages to get that *(&% spider blood out. Jasson thought. I¡¯m not about to do that again.

    ¡°Jasson, Harriett,¡± Clara said, ¡°I leave the introductions to you. I gotta go lay Petra down. Where are our rooms?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Lord William said, ¡°This is my son Chip. He can show you to your rooms.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡± Clara held Petra with one arm and reached into her Locker, ¡°And here is the quest we have accepted. This is the town of Smill, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are Smill,¡± Lord William took the paper and looked it over, then visibly relaxed and said, ¡°Oh, you are the adventurers we hired! Fantastic. We- er- don¡¯t have lodging built for you yet but-¡±

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    Lord William turned to where Clara had been, but Chip had already led Clara inside and was shutting the door behind them.

    ¡°If your companion is injured we have medics,¡± Lord William turned to Jasson, ¡°And- erm, now that I know you are adventurers I can offer you the Guild rate on healers. One copper a second. Nay, half a copper per second for your gracious selves.

    Then the lord waved them into the building. It was half city hall, half medieval keep, and laid low and tough like a skeptical tortoise.

    Lord William led them to a small side door, shuffling as he combed his hair a bit flatter and said, ¡°You must forgive me, that blast was quite disturbing to my appearance.¡±

    As they entered the fortress Lord William continued, ¡°And can I say, that was a magnificent display of power! I do say that we owe quite a bit to you, even with the- er- damages from the blast.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Jasson said, ¡°We¡¯re happy to be staying here. Um¡­ we¡¯re not responsible for cleaning up, are we?¡±

    Lord William waved his hand and said ¡°Absolutely not. Although I¡¯m sorry to say that your quarters aren¡¯t prepared yet. Not that you¡¯ll need them anymore. Poor Scotty was looking forward to building an extra large log cabin on town funding. We really must hold a banquet for the extinction of those fiends, in your honor of course. Some two hundred Wyverns dead is not a small thing.¡±

    Two hundred eh? Jasson thought. Well, I¡¯m not gonna argue with that since the swarm felt endless to me.

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Although we¡¯re not in a rush. Umm¡­¡±

    What did Petra say they needed to do? Stretch out their reason for being there so they have the opportunity to explore the local caves. But the monsters were dead now. Was Clara going to come back?

    ¡°We wish that a plague of Wyverns would be that easy to crush,¡± Harriett said, ¡°But Wyverns are communal nesters. The next generation is out there, along with untold numbers of guarding mothers. Indeed, this quest is only fractionally over. We have only assured a safe night¡¯s sleep and treasure hunting in the woods for years to come.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± the Lord¡¯s face fell, ¡°I see. Well, I wouldn¡¯t want to quit the job half done. Even one hundred dead Wyverns isn¡¯t enough, eh?¡±

    Wait, Jasson thought, didn¡¯t he say two hundred before?

    ¡°Not enough by far,¡± Harriet said, ¡°There are eggs and younglings, and probably half again adults. They won¡¯t be in one place either, this was a mega swarm attacking the town. Probably¡­oh three times the number tonight? And that¡¯s only if the clutches had two eggs per Wyvern. This will be an enormous task for just four people. Perhaps you have some locals who could help? They might even kill a few themselves.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± the lord¡¯s face had grown tight, ¡°Well I say you definitely earned the reward from that hundred you killed just now. I certainly never knew that they could swarm that big. Fifty whole Wyverns¡­wow.¡±

    ¡°Oh of course,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Fifty Wyverns are so easy to mistake for two hund-¡±

    Harriett elbowed Jasson in the ribs and cut him off, saying, ¡°Surely you¡¯ve had swarms like this before. After all, they¡¯re well-documented phenomena. Yes, this is several times bigger, but what were the swarms like before? It couldn¡¯t be less than five times fewer.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± The lord was sweating now, calculating the math in his head like a pudgy scrooge, ¡°they do like to exaggerate the numbers. I¡¯d say we had swarms of¡­ten? No, five. Definitely swarms of seven or less.¡±

    ¡°Seven?¡± Harriet said, ¡°I¡¯d hardly consider that a swarm.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot. These aren¡¯t small monsters.¡± the lord said, ¡°We spent most of our effort putting the lights and defenses up. It really is amazing how this swarm was five times bigger than normal. Twenty-five whole wyverns, when one is a bane upon the land. Amazing!¡±.

    Lord William¡¯s son emerged from a hallway ahead and stood by his father, saying something quietly into his father¡¯s ear. Meanwhile, Jasson was eyeing the increasingly distasteful lord of this land.

    This can¡¯t be right. Jasson thought. The Guild Evaluator gave us a fair reward for the goblins. Surely- ohhh.

    After a few seconds, Jasson said, ¡°The Stalt Adventurers Guild¡¯s inspectors don¡¯t come all the way out here, do they?¡±

    ¡°We use ones from a closer branch, much more affordable for everyone.¡± Lord Will R. Ippoph said, ¡°Did you know, the ones from Stalt charge per mile! And I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re insinuating with that question, young man.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not within the legal borders of Stalt, right?¡± Harriet said, cat-like grin creeping in, ¡°So it¡¯s our word against yours out here.¡±

    ¡°I say, you pick up quickly.¡± Lord William said, ¡°But I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll return with a reasonable hundred- no- one hundred and fifty heads worth of gold when you¡¯re done. I¡¯m even willing to put that in writing.¡±

    What the heck? Jasson thought. Isn¡¯t he afraid that we¡¯ll kill him if he extorts us like that? He seemed pretty intimidated when we first arrived. Are we really not that threatening? I just nuked a swarm of hundreds!

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are,¡± Harriet said perkily, ¡°Well, we can¡¯t argue with that. We¡¯ll total things up when we¡¯re done, but go ahead and have your scribes draft that up and send it over for us to sign.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± the lord sagged in relief, then motioned to Chip, ¡°Now my son will escort you to your rooms.¡±

    As they followed the boy out Jasson hissed to Harriet and said ¡°That wasn¡¯t you wanting to make this harder was it? We really need the cash!¡±

    ¡°Trust me,¡± Harriet grinned, ¡°I¡¯m proving myself. And yes, that involves getting as much money out of this as possible.¡±

    Jasson hesitated, then grinned. Harriet had an evil smile and fire in her eyes.

    Yeah, Jasson thought, this will work out.

    Chip T. Ippoph was nothing but courteous as he escorted them to their rooms. He even apologized for having only two bedrooms available. Harriett was excited to get crammed into the biggest room with the other two girls, saying something about a slumber party. Jasson watched as Harriett flung the door open, and he caught a glimpse of Clara sitting dutifully by Petra¡¯s side, massive sword in hand.

    Once the door shut, Chip turned to Jasson and said ¡°Miss Clara informed me that you have a magical device that needs to be charged with lightning. I am not the best at this, but if you are willing then I may offer some aid.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson made sure his phone was locked and handed it over, ¡°Sure, as long as it¡¯s free. Just use the oval hole on the bottom.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Chip took Jasson¡¯s phone and analyzed it, then pressed a larger crystal against the port. The crystal glowed and electricity arced to the port, and Jasson¡¯s phone lit up. But after a few seconds, Chip shook his hands out and handed the phone back.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s all I can really do,¡± Chip said, ¡°It is difficult to balance charging the device and hitting it with lightning. Plus it makes my hands go numb.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Forty percent is more than enough for tonight. Thank you.¡±

    Chip nodded and said, ¡°This door here is your room. The key should be on your pillow. I will ask the cook to bring along a late dinner for you four.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Although you probably only need food for three. I¡¯m sure that Petra won¡¯t be waking up for a while.¡±

    ¡°I should think not,¡± Chip said, ¡°But I¡¯m hardly going to withhold our meager meals from the wielder of such brilliant light magics. Have a good night.¡±

    He thinks that Petra did it. Jasson thought. That- that¡¯s probably for the best. Whoever is threatening the twins shouldn¡¯t recognize Petra from a missile of light.

    Jasson watched the man leave and smiled. Maybe the next ruler wouldn¡¯t be as bad.

    Jasson skipped, pushing into his room and locking the door behind him. He flung himself onto the bed, landing in a whump of softness. After rolling around for a bit, Jasson sat up and sighed.

    His own room. A soft bed. Clean sheets.

    ¡°Eoamph!¡± Jasson groaned as he stretched, ¡°Coming here was a great idea.¡±

 Chapter 21: Download

    Jasson was skipping the next morning, at least until he found the ground holding onto his feet like concrete shoes. It seized and would have sent him toppling forward if he hadn¡¯t caught onto the kitchen table. Jasson¡¯s heart pounded and he looked around wildly.

    ¡°What,¡± Petra said, ¡°Are you so giddy about this early in the morning?¡±

    ¡°Woah,¡± Jasson said, looking at Petra, ¡°You are not doing well.¡±

    Petra was slumped, sitting and idly stirring a steaming soup and scowling up at Jasson like a homeless man who had been handed a quarter. She glared from bloodshot baggy eyes with emo-levels of shadow painted in exhuasiton.  Her hair, usually a straight combed bob, hadn¡¯t gotten out of bed and so remained relaxed as if on the mattress (which is to say ironically erect).

    ¡°I overexerted myself,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯m basically really, really hung over.¡±

    ¡°You still have Mana though,¡± Jasson motioned to his frozen feet, ¡°This can¡¯t be nothing to you.¡±

    ¡°That?¡± Petra scoffed, ¡°My compatibility with earth is immense, so I barely waste any in the process. Plus I¡¯ve been doing that trick to Clara since we were little. She¡¯s prone to-¡±

    As if on cue, Clara skipped into the room with a cheerful medley whistling from her lips. Petra rounded like a tiger with a migraine and Clara froze in place, catching herself like Michael Jackson before saying ¡°Sorry Petra.¡±

    ¡°Whistling? Really?! At this hour.¡± Petra growled, then sagged and released them, ¡°This is a pain though. Just¡­lower voices.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of rushing when you¡¯re out of commission the next day?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Petra said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you I¡¯d be fine. But noo, you had to go and show off. I¡¯m not even sure if there¡¯re any more wyverns left!¡±

    ¡°Harriet seems to think so,¡± Jasson said, ¡°She said there¡¯d be nests and stuff.¡±

    ¡°Harriet seems to think so,¡± Petra mocked, ¡°Shut up. What does she know? Has she ever hunted Wyverns before?¡±

    ¡°Have you?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Petra said, ¡°and I found the contract Lord R. Ippoff sent over. A hundred and fifty total? That was half the number in that swarm at least.¡±

    ¡°Well, to be fair it¡¯s hard to count when they¡¯re in so many pieces,¡± Clara said.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯m not about to sign this thing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should,¡± Jasson said, ¡°At least not until Harriet wakes up. She seemed to have a plan.¡±

    ¡°She was still sleeping when I saw her,¡± Clara said, ¡°And will probably go until ten.¡±

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Petra said, ¡°We can¡¯t wait for her. Clara, take Jasson and go out scouting the area. I¡¯ll gather local reports and resources here, but I want you to get a lay of the land as quickly as possible. Find a vantage point, etcetera.¡±

    Clara flinched and said, ¡°Petra, you know I¡¯m not too good at that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the best we have,¡± Petra said, ¡°Unless you want to trust Harriett to instruct us on the local dangers.¡±

    Both Jasson and Clara shook their heads.

    ¡°I thought so,¡± Petra took a sip of her soup.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we use the table to scout from the air?¡± Jasson said, ¡°That would be faster and safer, right?¡±

    ¡°Jasson,¡± Petra said, ¡°Why are we here.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jasson said, ¡°We¡¯re here to look for resources in the depths of the mountains for as long as possible. So the table would be too efficient.¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± Petra said, ¡°And we do need to know the lay of the land, as well as the area around this town. We can¡¯t always fly and I¡¯d prefer not to get lost in an area as dangerous as this one.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be careful,¡± Clara said, ¡°come on Jasson, let¡¯s go for a long walk in the mountains together.¡±

    ¡°By the way,¡± Petra groaned, ¡°you should stop by the chapel first. They have the tallest tower in town, so you should be able to get an idea from there.¡±

    Jasson was almost out the door when his feet froze in place again, tipping him forward and crashing him against the doorjam.

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, turning back to Petra.

    ¡°I- I want to talk to you for a bit. Alone.¡± Petra said.

    Jasson felt his gut plunge. Had Clara broken trust and told her sister? Was there some kind of sibling telepathy? It would be hard to explain him watching his own funeral.

    Jasson turned to Clara but saw her disappear around the corner, and then Jasson¡¯s feet were pulled back toward the table.

    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Petra said, pulling aside a chair for Jasson and wincing as it squeaked along the floor.

    ¡°Is it an electric chair?¡± Jasson said, grinning as he looked hopefully into Petra¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Nope, just wood,¡± Petra said, then sighed and said ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not good at communicating when I¡¯m like this.¡±

    Jasson decided that silence would be prudent and he waited for Petra to continue.

    ¡°I guess I should start with last night,¡± Petra said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that any of us expected your device to be so powerful, but last night would have been a much more dangerous and exhausting affair without you. I am glad that I was right to ask for your aid.¡±

    Jasson raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Uh¡­thank you?¡±

    Jasson thought, I saved us from three hundred wyverns last night but I¡¯m the one thanking her?

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Petra sighed then sipped from her steaming bowl of soup, ¡°That¡¯s- look. The area around Stalt was dangerous, okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Jasson raised his eyebrows, ¡°The only thing that¡¯s tried to kill me in Stalt is you.¡±

    ¡°Funny. Do people tell you you¡¯re funny?¡± Petra growled, ¡°I¡¯ll grant you that this past week has been fairly safe. But it¡¯s not a safe place.¡±

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    Petra waved her spoon and said ¡°Even without the war, there are a couple of nearby dungeons that let monsters escape almost every day. Gangs in the street, like the {minor_plotpoint} gang, constantly fill the street with Cheese and other contraband. Outside the city, there¡¯s even the occasional bandit.¡±

    Petra stabbed her soup, ¡°The bandits around Stalt are tough enough to survive close to Butcher Baron of Stalt, but they¡¯re nothing before the untamed wilds. The A`hk`aka mountains are truly dangerous, with monsters like wyverns serving as middle predators to an extensive ecosystem. Preyed upon by things that make a traditional wall useless. This town might seem like it doesn¡¯t have a protective wall, but it¡¯s there. Every citizen sleeps with a crystal by the bedside in case of something in the night. And you¡¯re supposed to help? You¡¯re not ready for this area. You¡¯re too weak.¡±

    Jasson flinched and frowned, then opened his mouth and said ¡°Then why-¡±

    Jasson reconsidered and looked Petra up and down. She was angry, but defensively. She wasn¡¯t upset that Jasson was here. Heck, she¡¯d practically thanked him for coming. So why¡­

    ¡°I understand,¡± Jasson hefted his phone, ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll find someone to charge my phone more so I can keep it in battle mode. Just in case.¡±

    Petra nodded and said ¡°Good. Remember, you report to me, understand? You owe your life to me.¡±

    Again with the random stuff? Jasson thought. What are you trying to say?

    Jasson tapped his chin with his phone, then nodded and said ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, and I won¡¯t go along with any dumb things Clara or anyone else might want without your permission. We¡¯ll fight together as much as we can. No one is dying out here.¡±

    Petra sighed, slumping over her bowl and covering her eyes before she said ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Dang. Jasson thought. She must be pretty worried.

    ****

    The city of Smill had a chapel of stone that stretched up more than wide. They asked for directions inside the meeting hall, and Jasson admired the murals and statues decorating the interior. Was this the same religion as in that first town?

    ¡°Come on,¡± Clara said, finishing talking with a clergy, ¡°the way up is around back.¡±

    Jasson climbed four flights of stairs, then a set of ladders on the outside of the building to reach the highest tower in the town. The mountains loomed majestically in the distance surrounding the city, covered in crawling fog.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson hung off the ladder as Clara climbed inside, ¡°it''s like something from Lord of the Rings.¡±

    ¡°Oh hello,¡± a voice sounded from inside, ¡°who are you?¡±

    Clara introduced herself as Jasson climbed the last few rungs. He swung his leg over the wall and lowered himself into the tower before relaxing. Jasson didn''t have a problem with ladders, but that wasn''t the same as confidence.

    ¡°And this is my friend Jasson,¡± Clara said, ¡°Jasson, this is Ellie. She is a¡­caretaker?¡±

    The tower was circular with ten windows set in the sides. A strange device of bronze and glass did its best to hold Jason''s gaze, but Ellie drew it regardless.

    ¡°I''m the operator,¡± Ellie held out her hand to Jasson, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Jasson. My name''s Ellie Everright, but you can call me Ellie. So are you adventurers then?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­yeah¡­¡± Jasson looked away and blushed as he shook her hand. He should have washed his hands.

    Ellie was dressed like a plain southern belle (bulky hoop included) but smiled with a vibe that made you remember all the wrong you¡¯ve done. She was pretty, in a homespun golden-haired way, but that was not what made Jasson blush. She felt¡­good. Warm like your mom¡¯s home cooking after going out to college for a year. Strong like she was packing a twelve gauge beneath her skirt. Kind of like a neighbor bringing you food when sick.

    ¡°How did you get up here?¡± Jasson said, dumbly looking at Ellie¡¯s massive skirt.

    ¡°Oh, this?¡± Ellie motioned to her hoop skirt, ¡°It''s cool. Want to see?¡±

    Then Ellie reached down and unbuttoned her dress.

    Horizontally.

    One by one she loosed buttons in a knee-height circle around her, like those cargo pants that turn into shorts. Ellie detached the bulky hoop and let the fabric pile on the ground before stepping out. Ellie gathered her lower-skirt and opened a Locker, pushing the bottom of her dress into the pocket of space.

    ¡°It was getting hot,¡± Ellie said, ¡°so I figured that I¡¯d change it into a sundress.¡±

    Ellie twirled gracefully, knee-height dress light and playful in the warming day. Jasson stood, hypnotized.

    Oh, Jasson thought, apparently I have a thing for Cottage Core.

    ¡°So what is this?¡± Clara said, approaching the apparatus in the center of the tower, ¡°It''s not like the raid light systems I¡¯ve seen.¡±

    Jasson tore his eyes away and looked at the device. It was about chest high with twelve twisting arms of bronze holding intricately carved yellow light crystals, leading into a large central crystal that glowed dimly in its cage. Blown glass curved like a river of distortion through the aperture, refracting the glittering bronze and yellow in a dazzling array. With any other operator, Jasson would have been drawn first to this creation of magic.

    ¡°We''re not quite sure what it does,¡± Ellie said, ¡°it''s made to be used with light crystals, but the only purposes we''ve found we¡¯ve found were for raid lights and street lamps.¡±

    ¡°This doesn''t look like an ancient device though,¡± Clara said, ¡°those are more¡­rusty?¡±

    Ellie laughed and said, ¡°It''s not even older than I am. Ten or so years ago, there was an eccentric inventor who stayed here as his team searched for natural crystals. They only seemed to find light crystals, but that wasn''t what they wanted. So, instead of selling these crystals, the inventor created this. An impulsive creation that he assembled in this tower. His manager wanted to sell the device, but they¡¯d have to destroy it to remove it the way it was built. In the end, Lord Ippoph paid for it and hired me to operate it. I was eight at the time.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson said, scrolling on his phone, ¡°that''s awesome.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you''re a light mage?¡± Clara said.

    ¡°The best in the town,¡± Ellie giggled, ¡°I¡¯ve never left this town though, so I guess I¡¯m the best I know.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Clara turned to Jasson, ¡°Don''t you need your crystal charged more?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Oh, no. I couldn''t ask Ellie to-¡±

    ¡°Oh it''s okay,¡± Ellie said, ¡°I was doing an examination but this shouldn''t take more than a second.¡±

    Jasson held out his phone and explained where it charged, and Ellie pressed his phone onto a light crystal that was part of the device. Jasson counted to ten before-

    Doot.

    ¡°There you go,¡± Ellie said, ¡°I have to say, that''s the most charge I''ve ever seen a device need.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯ll head down now-¡±

    Ding.

    A notification? Jasson thought. For what?

    Jasson opened his phone and read the notification.

    Peach Maps has been updated. Local map downloading.

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson whispered as he watched the bar progress, ¡°Why now? It¡¯s been so long! All I did was get my phone charged. It can¡¯t be that, unless it¡¯s the third time or something. But that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°What are you mumbling about?¡± Clara said, ¡°Something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ellie said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ruin it, did I?¡±

    ¡°No, quite the opposite.¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out why it¡¯s finally working better.¡±

    ¡°Well, you can figure it out later,¡± Clara slapped him on the shoulder, ¡°Come on. I know where to start, so let¡¯s get down from this tower.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Jasson turned to Clara, ¡°What did you call this? A tower?! And we climbed it to know what the area was like, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± Clara said, ¡°yeah. That¡¯s about right. Why?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Jasson slapped his forehead, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of it? I have to climb a tower before I get a map of the area. Basic gaming logic!¡±

    Ding.

    It had finished downloading, and Jasson clicked it excitedly. The app loaded, showing the local area and street names. Jasson clicked an area and opened up Poke Around. It worked! It all worked! Sure, it was Peach Maps. But Peach Maps wasn¡¯t that bad these days.

    ¡°Hahaha,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Hahaha. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡±

    Then he screamed out over the town, ¡°I will never get lost again!¡±*

    *(A typical thing for a man to say.)

 Chapter 22: Slow Down

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my friend,¡± Clara said, ¡°He¡¯s a bit eccentric.¡±

    Jasson and Clara sat on a bench built into the tower, surrounding Ellie who had grown faint.

    ¡°No, I figured that out,¡± Ellie fanned herself, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve never heard a laugh like that before.¡±

    ¡°It took a lot of work,¡± Jasson puffed out his chest, ¡°I earned an honorable mention on an ¡®evil laugh¡¯ competition on TikTik last year.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ellie blinked, ¡°And¡­why would you like to laugh evilly?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s cool.¡± Jasson said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never tried.¡±

    Ellie and Clara shook their heads and Jasson frowned. It wasn¡¯t that niche, was it? Or¡­well, evil laughs were a result of Saturday morning cartoons, right? They wouldn¡¯t have that in a world without TV, would they?

    ¡°It¡¯s part of my culture,¡± Jasson caught their expressions and said, ¡°But I promise, it¡¯s just for fun.¡±

    ¡°There are many definitions of fun,¡± Clara said, darkly.

    Ellie said, ¡°Are your people descendants of the dark lord?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Are they¡­¡± Ellie looked around and shuddered, then said, ¡°Slavers?¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Jasson said, ¡°Slavery was abolished like, a hundred and fifty years ago? And everyone thinks it¡¯s evil. Anyone with half an ounce of decency or self-preservation at least.¡±

    Clara shifted beside Jasson and Ellie raised her eyebrows.

    ¡°Oh, that''s wonderful.¡± Ellie paused then said, ¡°Are your people-¡±

    ¡°No, just no.¡± Jasson said, ¡°They¡¯re normal people. We just grew up with¡­plays of great heroes and villains. Those villains had villainous laughs that were cool, so we sometimes compete with who could do the most evil laugh.¡±

    Ellie relaxed and said, ¡°Oh good. I-I¡¯ve never met evil before, so I was a bit nervous.¡±

    Jasson said, ¡°Have you met Lord Ippoph?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not evil,¡± Ellie waved her hand, giggling, ¡°He¡¯s just a miserly cheapskate that gets greedy sometimes.¡±

    Jasson opened his mouth, then shut it. This didn¡¯t feel like the time to teach Ellie about grey morality.

    Clara seemed to be thinking along the same lines and said, ¡°So, Ellie. You¡¯re a local here. What¡¯s a good place to get a view of the valley? I¡¯m looking to climb one of the mountains around here and get the lay of the land.¡±

    ¡°Ooh,¡± Ellie said, ¡°I love hiking. I¡¯d go with you except I have to go report to Lord Ippoph on the condition of the device. Let¡¯s see¡­how challenging do you want it to be?¡±

    ¡°Not very, please.¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m not that sturdy.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Ellie clapped her hand, ¡°Ooh, the Lover- uh¡­the lovely hike you want is to that mountain. Over there.¡±

    Ellie pointed to a mountain out the window that looked relatively assailable, ¡°There¡¯s a trail on the south side of that mountain that leads to a small spring at the top. You can rest and refresh yourselves there. There is a smaller trail that leads to a scenic vantage where you should be able to get a feel for the area.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Clara said, ¡°By the way, have you always lived in- what was this town¡¯s name again?¡±

    ¡°Smill,¡± Ellie said, ¡°And yes. We have a-¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Jasson tugged on Clara¡¯s arm, ¡°we need to get there today.¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± Clara said, ¡°I just want to say a couple things before we go.¡±

    Jasson nodded and stood by the ladder. It wasn¡¯t even ten yet. They had time.

    ¡°Before you go,¡± Ellie said, ¡°You do need to know something. The sun sets really early around here at around 5. And don¡¯t go out of town without something to defend yourself, especially after dark. There aren¡¯t as many monsters around since the wyverns started swarming, but a lot of creatures use the creek from the spring to drink. Be careful.¡±

    Dang. Jasson thought. So that¡¯s what Petra was talking about. That¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll be back before 1 pm. Or 2 pm with a short dip in the water.

    ¡°We will,¡± Clara said, ¡°Now I know you¡¯ve always lived here but have you ever heard of¡­¡±

    Jasson stood as the girls chatted away, and it dawned on him that this might not be the best idea.

    Ah well. Jasson thought as he opened TikTik. I¡¯ve got a charger.

    ****

    Mankind''s ability to get bored of anything is truly stunning. Even Jasson, doom scrolling through TikTik as he waits for Clara, gets tired of his phone. Of nothing better to do.

    ¡°Four hours!¡± Jasson repeated for the tenth time, ¡°We could have been done by now!¡±

    The two of them finally arrived at the trailhead, marked by a sign and a cheery stream.

    ¡°Relax!¡± Clara said, ¡°It¡¯s only, what? 1? 2? We¡¯ll be home by 7.¡±

    ¡°Night falls at 5,¡± Jasson said, ¡°And you need light to see far, right?¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Clara sighed, ¡°Plus, Petra will start to worry if we come back after dark. All right, follow me.¡±

    ¡°Lead away,¡± Jasson waved his phone, ¡°I haven¡¯t walked up a mountain since yesterday.¡±

    ¡°That barely counts,¡± Clara took a bite, ¡°Our place may be a couple hundred feet up, but it¡¯s all a low-gradient road. No switchbacks or hard climbing. Are you gonna be okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said. Then paused and opened up FITbyte, squinting at the putrid yellow graphics.

    ****Jasson¡¯s Status****

    | Strength      | 106

    | Agility      | 133

    | Intelligence  | 156

    | Wisdom       | 98

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    | Charisma     | 97

    | Magic        | 75

    | Stamina      | 118

    | Luck          | 165

    ¡°Yeah¡­I¡¯m good.¡± Jasson eyed his stamina score, ¡°I doubt that I¡¯m better than you, or much of anyone, but I can¡¯t be that bad. It¡¯s one of the things I¡¯m best at.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Clara said, ¡°We¡¯ll take it easy and go your pace. After all, we¡¯re not in a rush.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson said, ¡°We are.¡±

    Clara just smiled and sprung ahead, waving for Jasson to follow.

    ****

    Jasson didn''t like hiking. With where the Twins lived, he''d been walking up a mountain almost every day. It didn''t get more fun the fifth time, just easier. But this hike had a stream and, most importantly, a really cute girl. Even cuter than Jasson had thought.

    Maybe it was the bounce as Clara led the way or maybe it was how she kept encouraging Jasson during their breaks. Maybe it was how Jasson felt free to lower his guard without Petra¡¯s judging eyes around. Either way, Jasson found himself edging closer to the blonde in light blue, quickening his step to talk by her side.

    And then his legs started to give out.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Jasson groaned, ¡°I need a breather.¡±

    Jasson nearly limped to the side of the trail and sat on a log as he tried to calm his heart. Jasson massaged his legs as Clara skipped beside him, humming brightly.

    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Jasson said, patting the log beside him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break? I''m gonna need a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°No thanks.¡± Clara said, ¡°Whenever I do, it¡¯s harder to get started again. So I prefer to just keep going.¡±

    ¡°Harder to get started?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I mean, if it¡¯s mental then I get it. But what¡¯s harder about letting your muscles rejuvenate as you rest.¡±

    Clara shrugged and said ¡°My muscles don¡¯t get sore until I stop. They haven¡¯t for years now. It¡¯s probably a result of my training.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be jealous of that or not. If you don¡¯t feel yourself getting sore until after the fact, then how do you pace yourself?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really,¡± Clara said, ¡°As long as it¡¯s not a lethal wound, then there¡¯s no harm to pushing through. After all, Petra can just heal me. And if she can¡¯t it¡¯s not much to hire a doctor to heal me up. Soreness isn¡¯t a real wound and takes very little energy to heal. At least, I did before we lost our crystal. It would probably take a couple of silvers to heal what I¡¯m used to.¡±

    ¡°Dang,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I guess healing crystals change what people¡¯s limits are. Do you at least feel the pain from injury?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Clara said, ¡°But I usually just push through it. No suffer, no buffer.¡±

    Jasson shook his head. Somehow this dainty girl in a summer dress could wield a huge sword and supposedly took hits as the tank. Clara might not be as tiny as he originally thought, but Jasson doubted that he¡¯d ever get over that.

    Jasson leaned back and enjoyed the sound of the stream burbling nearby. It ran along the trail and added to the melody of birds and rustling trees. Jasson shifted into a denser shade and flicked an ant off his jeans.

    I¡¯ve been getting a lot of nature in this world. Jasson thought. It can¡¯t be healthy to touch this much grass. Feels good though. I barely have any trouble waking up anymore.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m okay with hiking,¡± Jasson groaned as he forced himself to his feet, ¡°This one at least. Ellie said that there¡¯s a spring, right?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Clara said, hiking ahead, ¡°Ellie told me that it¡¯s ¡®The perfect place for you two to go.¡¯¡±

    Jasson felt a tingle at the way Clara said ¡®you two¡¯, a tinge of eager embarrassment behind his ears. It was just the two of them now. It might not be hanging out and watching TV, but surely this could be considered a ¡®date¡¯, right?

    Calm down, Jasson thought, don¡¯t be weird.

    Jasson shrugged and said ¡°All right. Fair enough.¡±

    The sun leaned heavily on their backs in radiant discouragement by the time they saw the sign. A checkpoint. It was nailed against a tree by a grotto, a recliner-sized split in the mountain which had a merry creek spilling forth.

    Jasson tried to recognize the words on the sign, then sighed and said ¡°What does it say?¡±

    ¡°It says ¡®Twain Spring¡¯,¡± Clara thumped Jasson on the back, ¡°Congratulations! You made it. To the spring at least, not the peak.¡±

    Jasson pursed his lips and said ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt that I would. I just needed to take a couple of breaks along the way.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Clara said, ¡°Come on. We can at least dip our feet in before we continue.¡±

    Jasson followed Clara but paused and dipped his finger in the creek.

    ¡°Hey Clara,¡± Jasson said, ¡°The water¡¯s warm. Did Ellie say anything about this being a hot spring?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Clara said, ¡°I was trying to make it a surprise though. Come on!¡±

    Jasson hesitated. He was hot and sticky and didn¡¯t feel like popping into what was essentially a hot tub. Even if it was just his feet, Jasson had wanted to cool off.

    Jasson groaned and followed Clara into the grotto. Maybe it would feel good on his cramping foot muscles, but then he¡¯d have to take off his socks and they¡¯d be all crusty when he put them back on...

    I¡¯ll just splash my face. Jasson thought. Then leave before it gets too tempting.

    The entrance was humid, like a greenhouse, and the crisp mountain air turned sticky with moisture. The walls were covered in thick moss which felt soft to the touch, and everything dripped with condensation.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson got out his phone and snapped a few pictures, ¡°Okay, this is beautiful. Kinda feels like a cave, even though the top is open. I can see why people come here.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± Clara bounced giddily, ¡°Come on! It gets even cooler inside!¡±

    Jasson followed and they emerged into a large opening, noonday sun streaming and glinting off of-

    ¡°Is that water orange?¡± Jasson said, squinting, ¡°Like, slightly orange or maybe on orange rocks?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Clara said, ¡°Apparently this water washes through a cave containing fire crystals. Little bits of the crystals get turned to dust and wash out, turning this place orange. It also makes this half a hot spring!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± Jasson took some pictures, then said ¡°Half? How is it half hot?¡±

    ¡°Mhm!¡± Clara said, ¡°Come on! You need to check out the other half.¡±

    Jasson followed and saw the other half of the pool, a spring bubbling up clear as crystal (Or rather clear as no crystals).

    ¡°This side of the pool has clean water coming out,¡± Clara said, ¡°Which is-¡±

    Clara reached down and scooped out some water, then flung it at Jasson who flinched.

    ¡°OH!¡± Jasson said, ¡°That¡¯s cold!¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± Clara said, ¡°Natural mountain spring water. Nearly as cold as glacier melt, fresher than a morning breeze. These combine to make the Twain spring. If you¡¯re coming to swim, you rinse off and then hop in the middle, then find where you¡¯re most comfortable. I¡¯m glad I brought my swimsuit.¡±

    Clara then reached into the air beside her and pulled apart reality, utilizing her locker.

    ¡°Woah,¡± Jasson said, looking around, ¡°I thought you said that we¡¯d just dip our toes in. Besides, I don¡¯t see anywhere to change. I don¡¯t have a swimsuit either.¡±

    Clara pointed to a particularly moss-covered area and said ¡°That¡¯s a changing hut. It¡¯s hard to spot with all the moss. And no one¡¯s here so it¡¯s the best time for us to swim. What do you say.¡±

    Jasson looked at the water and felt pulled. It was only 2 pm, the perfect time for a swim but¡­they should work first. The sun would be setting in a few hours.

    ¡°Clara,¡± Jasson said, ¡°We need to get a feeling for the area before the shadows get too strong.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Clara said, ¡°But we¡¯ll stop on our way back down. I have my heart set on taking a dip. You¡¯ll have to stay or leave at that point, but I¡¯m not getting off this mountain without a refreshing soak for at least an hour.¡±

    Jasson nodded and said, ¡°Sounds like a compromise. Let¡¯s keep going. After I splash my face.¡±

    Jasson went to the cool side of the pool and dipped a finger in, then shivered and moved closer to the warm side. Scooping up water, Jasson washed his face and soaked his hair.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson said as his hair dropped onto his back, ¡°that''s still cold!¡±

    Jasson wiped his eyes clear and looked around, spotting Clara in knee-deep water. She''d kicked off her shoes and gathered her dress up, exposing her sports shorts beneath.

    Is that made out of spandex or something? Jasson thought. Do they have that material in this world?

    Clara glanced his way and Jasson tore his eyes away, blushing. She''d caught him staring.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Clara said, ¡°why don''t we just start swimming? I''m sure we have time.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson said, pointedly walking to the exit, ¡°We should prioritize-¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡± Clara said, ¡°You were the one taking all the breaks on the way up here! Let''s just swim for a bit.¡±

    It looked nice, and Jasson considered jumping in with his jeans on. It was so hot! And Clara looked so hot with-

    ¡°Clara, please.¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m trying to be more responsible here. It''s not something that comes naturally to me. Please stop trying to distract me.¡±

    Clara stared at Jasson for a second, then pressed her lips together and slumped her shoulders.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Clara said, ¡°I¡­yeah. Sorry. Give me a minute to dry off and we''ll go.¡±

    ****

    The day waned late as Jasson stood on top of the mountain, taking in the view around them.

    ¡°You know,¡± Jasson said, ¡°As a kid, I always thought that a mountain would be sharp on top. I know that they aren¡¯t, but it didn¡¯t hit me until now. There is a bunch of space on top of a mountain.¡±

    ¡°If it helps,¡± Clara called from above, ¡°The top of this tree is pretty pointy. You could try and stand here.¡±

    ¡°Hah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I think that I¡¯ll stick with this view.¡±

    Clara laughed above and said ¡°Nice one.¡±

    Jasson grinned, pleased even though it wasn¡¯t very good. Clara seemed to enjoy it though, so Jasson enjoyed her laughs. Jasson looked out at the view as the sun neared the mountains across from them and took out his phone.

    ¡°You know,¡± Jasson took a picture, ¡°I don¡¯t know how much we need to do this. I have Peach Maps now.¡±

    ¡°Does Peach Maps tell you where you are?¡± Clara said.

    ¡°Yes, actually.¡± Jasson said, ¡°And where you need to go.¡±

    ¡°Really? Wow.¡± Clara said.

    Jasson took another picture, trying to capture the view to show Petra. The town was situated in a lovely valley tucked between sharp mountain peaks on the east and west. Jasson could see several streams of water join into the mountain lake the town was built on. A road followed the river from the lake deeper into the mountains, and a road cut north through stratified stone. Jasson blinked. The road leading north looked cut from the stone as if by modern dynamite methods, straight sheer walls forming a steep pass. What could have carved through the mountain like that? Could Earth magic level the mountains?

    THUD!

    Clara landed directly beside Jasson and stood, dusting off her hands as she said ¡°There. I have a good feeling for this area. Not enough to get around, so I¡¯ll probably need your maps, but it should be enough. Now, let¡¯s head to the hot springs.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jasson said, following Clara, ¡°This took longer than we thought, and the days are short here. Petra might be expecting us back earlier than expected so we-¡±

    ¡°Jasson,¡± Clara said, ¡°I understand that you¡¯re under the impression that you have to obey all of Petra¡¯s wishes. You¡¯re taking your life debt seriously, which is good. But the thing is that Petra doesn¡¯t want to manage everything, and you need to manage yourself. You need to remember-¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Jasson said, ¡°Let me finish. I was going to say that we should swim for only an hour or so.¡±

    They made their way back down, by which time twilight was ebbing from the world. They stepped into the grotto, welcomed by steam, Clara froze. Then she unfroze and frowned.

    ¡°Aw, there¡¯s someone else here.¡± Clara looked at Jasson and hesitated, then smiled widely, ¡°That¡¯s great. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re a friend. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 23: Cool down

    The echoing grotto grew thick with steam as the day chilled closer to night, reminiscent of the bathroom after Lillye took one of her ¡®me time¡¯ showers. Jasson stumbled in the dimming light and caught himself against the soft wall, spongy moss hugging his hand damply. The echoing sounds of laughter resolved into a voice Jasson recognized.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson grinned, ¡°Right!¡±

    Jasson emerged and saw Harriett wading shoulder-deep in the pool. Harriett wore a black and red swimsuit, complementing the white and red of her complexion. There were other details Jasson lingered on as Clara called out, but forced himself to stop as Harriett whirled toward them. Harriett bounced and waved before sloshing to shore (it was a short walk) with the energy of someone who got up late.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I forgot about you,¡± Jasson said. ¡°Clara said it was a friend and I was like ¡®Who the heck could that be? Petra isn¡¯t going to walk all the way up here.¡¯¡±

    ¡°You did?!¡± Harriet whooped, ¡°Fantastic! I have been abandoned on a day of exploration, left behind as my dear companions enjoyed their day without me.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing up here?¡± Clara motioned to the hot spring, ¡°Aside from the obvious.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Harriet kicked the water, ¡°I met this awesome local that-¡±

    ¡°Oh, Riri!¡± A voice sang from the changing room, ¡°I have finished changing!¡±

    ¡°Perfect!¡± Harriet shouted, ¡°Meet my allies.¡±

    A man (the result of a character creation menu that had a slider that went all the way to ¡®god¡¯) burst from the changing room so that Allstars sang into reality. Tall, rippling with lean muscle, standing in mundane shorts and wearing a smile like the sun. The man walked over and took Clara¡¯s hand, deftly kissing it before speaking with the tongue of angels.

    ¡°I am Scott,¡± the man grinned widely, ¡°Scott Sterling, like Sterling Silver. Pleasure to meet you, madam. Tell me, might I perchance upon your name?¡±

    Clara unfroze and said ¡°Why, yes. I am Clara of- ah¡­nowhere. The pleasure is mine, I¡¯m sure. Quite sure.¡±

    Then he turned to Jasson and gave Jasson a hearty slap on the back.

    ¡°You must be Jasson,¡± Scott said, angelic voice now holding a hint of southern drawl, ¡°Harriet mentioned her party members, so the one man stands out. Good to meet you¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I see you¡¯ve led our friend- I mean our ally up here for a swim. Was it an- uh- arduous journey?¡±

    ¡°Not enough so for dear Riri,¡± Scott chuckled melodically, ¡°and frankly not at all for me. I live and breathe these mountains and woods, so this little foray was of little consequence.¡±

    ¡°So how did you two meet?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Did you-¡±

    ¡°Never mind that,¡± Clara threw something at Jasson that flopped on his face, ¡°Let¡¯s get swimming! We¡¯re burning Petra-light.¡±

    Jasson pulled off what she¡¯d thrown at him and looked at it, then turned to Clara and said ¡°You brought a swimsuit for me? And it¡¯s pink?¡±

    Clara blushed and said ¡°Well, it was on sale and it¡¯s not technically for you specifically. Just for any guy with a thirty-three-inch waistline.¡±

    ¡°I have a thirty-three-inch waistline,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Did you-¡±

    ¡°Wow, what a coincidence,¡± Clara walked to the changing room with swimsuit in hand, ¡°Now don¡¯t peek. Petra will tear your eyes out and¡­um¡­¡±

    ¡°Pin them to my ears?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Yeah, okay. I¡¯m sure Harriet will do that for her if she catches me.¡±

    Harriet took a breath and Jasson said ¡°Just agree Harriet. I don¡¯t want to be a ¡®trial¡¯ in this way.¡±

    Harriet looked shocked and said ¡°All right. If you insist.¡±

    Jasson rolled his eyes and kicked off his shoes, peeling off his socks with two fingers. There wasn¡¯t a shower to wash off in, so Jasson hoped he wouldn¡¯t pollute the pool.

    ¡°Woah,¡± Scott waved his hand, ¡°that¡¯s foul. Wash off in the stream first.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Jasson wrinkled his nose, ¡°good idea.¡±

    Jasson wasn¡¯t normally self-conscious with his shirt off. Yeah, he had a bit of weight, but it packed around his back mostly and didn¡¯t hang off his gut. But there are very few men that, when faced with a body which would be at home beside chisled marble, don¡¯t get a bit nervous about the whole thing.

    This compounded with the disturbing fact that, once dressed in modest two-piece swimwear, Clara displayed a beauty that was uncomfortable to stand beside. Worse than that, Jasson couldn¡¯t help but stare at the long scar on her leg. It was so hard not to look at, and the way it deformed her skin¡­

    ¡°Jasson,¡± Clara said, stepping into the pool, ¡°You¡¯re staring again.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson turned away, ¡°it¡¯s just-¡±

    ¡°My scar right?¡± Clara said, ¡°Gnarly, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Clara motioned the the livid white scar curving around her lower thigh, something Jasson hadn¡¯t seen since his first day. Jasson felt his stomach twist. Death and/or dismemberment was a real threat in this world.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Jasson said, ¡°And sad. Like scars should be.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Clara went below the surface of the water, and Jasson watched her swim away.

    ¡°Well put Jasson,¡± Scott said, slapping Jasson on his now painfully bare back, ¡°Riri, what do you think of Jasson¡¯s travailing situation.¡±

    I don¡¯t think that that¡¯s how you use that word, Jasson thought.

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s fine,¡± Harriet said, ¡°He solved it well. A true champion.¡±

    Jasson stepped into the pool, sloshing deeper until his chin touched the water. It was a little warm, so Jasson swam to the cool side of the pond. Harriet bobbed by, significantly less dense than the water.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Where did you meet Scott?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Harriet straightened herself in the water, ¡°I was going to see what humble abode we¡¯d be forced to endure long term. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be as bad as back home, but a girl can dream. There I found Scott building the place with his bare hands, shirt off and glinting in the sun like a hero in a colosseum.¡±

    Harriet smiled then continued, saying ¡°Well, technically not his bare hands. He was using an Earth crystal to grow trees into the shape of a house. It¡¯s an interesting technique and a more fascinating design. So I figured that I¡¯d give myself a trial and ask who he studied under.¡±

    Harriet went back to floating on her back, then said ¡°Well, you can imagine my surprise when he told me that he studied in the far East. His style was really different. You need to see it.¡±

    ¡°Awesome,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What about the nickname? Riri? How did Scott start calling you that? It¡¯s¡­unusual.¡±

    Harriet opened her mouth to answer when the water burst open and Scott emerged in glistening glory.

    ¡°I can tell you that,¡± Scott said, ¡°It would be my honor.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson said as Harriet smiled, ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°You see,¡± Scott said, ¡°I invited Harriett to this haven of heat, and she seemed hesitant. ¡®Too easy¡¯ she says, even with this travailing climb. So then I say, ¡®what if I call you an annoying nickname? Surely that would make this more travailing. How about the name Riri?¡¯.¡±

    Scott flourished his hands towards Harriett and continued, ¡°In truth, I said that in jest. A simple comment to rile her up a fraction. But Harriett promptly seized on it and insisted that I call her ¡®Riri¡¯. Well, I could hardly deny the request from such a lovely maiden and here we are. Does that answer your inquery?¡±

    ¡°How did you hear my question?¡± Jasson said, ¡°You were underwater.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an advanced hunting technique,¡± Scott said, ¡°called water hearing. It took me well over a year of swimmer¡¯s ear to master, but now I can hear easily underwater as well as above. This is extremely helpful in hunting fish.¡±

    Jasson gaped. He was pretty sure that physics didn¡¯t work like that. But Scott didn¡¯t seem like he was lying.

    ¡°In any case,¡± Scott reclined into the water and started swimming circles around Jasson and Harriett, ¡°I must say that I am intrigued by your party. You come here to rid the world of this Wyvern threat, yet insist that you stay despite having already done so.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Jasson said, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The swarm you killed last night,¡± Scott said, ¡°I was in the middle of repairing our defenses when I experienced the explosion. Knocked my socks clean off and sent me to the ground! What did you use? Some kind of special weapon, right?¡±

    I can¡¯t just tell him that all it takes is a full battery. Jasson thought, recalling Harriett saying that he could try to conquer the world.

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson looked to Harriett who was smiling, ¡°I¡­yeah. It- erm- it takes a week to recharge though. And it usually isn¡¯t like that.¡±

    Scott shrugged and said ¡°Whatever it was, it was huge! A glowing tube equal to the Wyvern¡¯s size. Amazing. But they¡¯re all dead, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Jasson said, ¡°They¡¯re bound to be mating right now, reproducing in tremendous numbers. We¡¯ll need to find their nests and kill those as well.¡±

    ¡°Kill a baby wyvern?¡± Scott said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t! They¡¯re so cute!¡±

    ¡°Are they?¡± Jasson said.

    Scott sighed, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen one.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you say it like that?¡± Harriett said.

    ¡°Because all babies should be cute!¡± Scott said, ¡°It¡¯s how the world should be! Tiny babies with large adorable eyes that scream innocence and helpless adoration! Perhaps in a room painted with pastels.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a nest of monsters,¡± Harriett said, ¡°It¡¯s not going to be cute. It will be a slime-ridden layer with the bones of men strewn in horrifying display. Countless victims, picked apart alive by a horde of ravenous baby monsters. We will battle our way through there, slaughtering egg and young alike in our desperate bid for survival. Then when the evicerate settles we will walk among the crunching, squishing remains of our foes as we claim our prize.¡±

    Jasson shivered and said, ¡°Been there, done that. The blood of your enemies is really hard to get out of your shoes.¡±

    ¡°Wait, really?¡± Harriett rounded on Jasson, ¡°You never told me this!¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Jasson backed away from the aggressively bobbing girl, ¡°I just met you yesterday, and most of that time was spent flying. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve had time to talk.¡±

    ¡°Excuses,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the fastest of friends are made in mere minutes of battle? A dialogue of fists is shared and beautiful understanding is reached as the rain finally stops, a clear ray of sun glistening upon their bond.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Was there a battle we fought in that I was unaware of?¡±

    Harriett gaped and Scott said ¡°And, although you are most correct Riri, battlefield comrades don¡¯t learn each other¡¯s histories or preferences. Just the nature of each other and a mutual trust born from the deep bond of saving each other¡¯s lives. So there was no way for Jasson to tell you his story.¡±

    Harriett stiffened, glared at Scott, and said ¡°No! That¡¯s not true! How do they become friends without learning about each other¡¯s most painful moments? What do their fists talk about then?¡±

    Jasson looked to Scott and they both shrugged and said ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ****

    Harriett was pouting in the pool, bobbing along in the distance as Jasson relaxed on the warmer side of things. Jasson watched as Scott came up to Jasson, rippling abs parting the waves.

    ¡°Is it okay if I sit here?¡± Scott said, motioning beside Jasson. Jasson nodded and the masterpiece of a man sat beside Jasson like one of those absurd before and after photos.

    ¡°You¡¯re really the guy who did that then?¡± Scott said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Didn¡¯t know I could.¡±

    Scott nodded then said ¡°I know you¡¯re probably getting this a lot from them-¡±

    Scott motioned to the girls, then continued saying ¡°But I think that that was really cool. Far beyond anything I can do.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t even me,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Just my ph- my magical device.¡±

    ¡°Kinda feels like cheating then?¡± Scott said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°Like using Guugle in a math exam. Even when they call it open book.¡±

    Jasson waited for a follow-up question, some kind of confusion about what he was talking about. But instead, Scott just nodded and sat beside Jasson in silence.

    After a minute Scott said, ¡°Umm¡­There is a saying we have. You might have it as well. ¡®If you put a frog in a pot of cool water and then raise the temperature, how does it know when it¡¯s boiled?¡¯ You¡¯ve heard this, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Are you trying to talk about something? Is my magic getting ¡®dangerously hot¡¯ or something?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Scott stood, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that we have a frog.¡±

    Scott pointed to where the orange-tinted water boiled from the hot side of the pool. Jasson squinted to see Clara floating in the water with her eyes closed.

    ¡°It¡¯s scalding hot over there,¡± Scott said, ¡°Nearly boiling.¡±

    ¡°You should probably put a sign up about that,¡± Jasson said, grabbing a rock, ¡°Be careful of slow-cooking yourself to death.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not worried?¡± Scott said.

    ¡°She¡¯s a fighter,¡± Jasson said, throwing the rock at Clara, ¡°She¡¯s tough.¡±

    The rock sailed and bounced off of Clara like a skipping stone.

    ¡°What?¡± Clara straightened out, ¡°Someone needs something?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Just checking if you¡¯re alive. Didn¡¯t mean to hit you.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Clara waved happily, ¡°Thanks, but it would have been nicer to swim out here and shake me by the shoulder.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson motioned to himself, ¡°I don¡¯t have fire resistance.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Clara said, ¡°Anything else?¡±

    Jasson sighed and said ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s time to go. Petra will be getting worried.¡±

    ¡°Aww,¡± Clara said, ¡°But we¡¯ve only been in a few minutes.¡±

    ¡°You should never have stayed here in the first place.¡±

    Jasson whipped around and gasped. Petra was standing at the entrance of the cavern wearing a large floppy hat. Sunglasses were tucked in her shirt, leaving Jasson unshielded from her glare.

    ¡°Oh perfect!¡± Clara waved from the boiling end of the pool, ¡°Hop in Petra! The water is perfect over here.¡±

    ¡°I hiked all the way up this mountain,¡± Petra said, ¡°With a migraine and dizziness mind you. Do you think I did that to frolic with you in the growing night?¡±

    No one moved, even Scott who didn¡¯t know Petra.

    ¡°You guys are idiots, your brains must be half broken.¡± Petra reached into her locker, ¡°But a broken clock is right twice a day. Where¡¯s the dressing room?¡±

 Chapter 24: Hair Down

    Petra stood shoulder-deep in warm water that did little to conceal her. Jasson had been expecting Petra to swim in shorts and a shirt, like her more masculine apparel. But instead, she came out in a perky one-piece with a geometric pattern.

    Huh, Jasson thought, I could have sworn they didn¡¯t have the material science for that.

    ¡°I told you,¡± Petra said, ¡°This is for recovery purposes only. Mana-infused water is amazing for recovery.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Then why is your swimsuit so cute on you?¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Petra turned away from Jasson, ¡°It is not.¡±

    Jasson grinned then said, ¡°Are you gonna join Clara in the heat resistant zone?¡±

    ¡°Idiot,¡± Petra said, ¡°Clara¡¯s tougher than I am. I can only handle those temperatures for a brief time.¡±

    Maybe it was the long day or some effect from the night before, or maybe it was seeing how identical twins looked in different swimsuits, but Jasson was feeling like saying some dumb things.

    ¡°Good to know,¡± Jasson said, ¡°So¡­you have a swimsuit? I never would have taken you for the type to swim.¡±

    ¡°I excel at swimming,¡± Petra said, ¡°And it was a two-for-one offer.¡±

    ¡°Well it looks cute on Clara,¡± Jasson grinned, ¡°Which I guess means it must look cute on you. I think I see it now if I squint to look past the scowl.¡±

    ¡°Idiot!¡± Petra splashed Jasson with water and started swimming away.

    ¡°Running away?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Or are you going for a crystal so you can kill me? Come on!¡±

    Petra whirled and slammed a handful of water at Jasson, peppering him with irate spray. Jasson laughed and splashed back.

    Clara shouted ¡°OOH! Splash fight!¡±

    Then a giant wave crashed into Jasson and bounced him against the bottom of the spring. Jasson came up with a gasp, coughing and grinning as he searched out Clara.

    ¡°Have some back!¡± Jasson cupped his hand for a precision shot and splashed toward Clara. Then Petra splashed the back of Jasson¡¯s head and Jasson backed up, trying not to be surrounded.

    ¡°I shall fight the fruitless endeavor against the superior foe of Clara!¡± Harriet shouted, followed by several jets of water streaming toward Clara.

    Clara cut her arm downwards and an explosive wall caught Harriet¡¯s shots and nearly enveloped Harriet herself. Jasson didn¡¯t catch what Harriet did but a moment later he saw her standing on Scott¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re a tricky one,¡± Clara said, stretching her shoulders, ¡°I¡¯ll have to be fast.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey,¡± Scott Sterling waved his arms, ¡°I don¡¯t remember being part of this- AEEEOOF!¡±

    What hit Scott could only loosely be defined as a splash. It was more like a waterfall turned sideways, fifty gallons of dihydrogen monoxide force meeting Scott¡¯s face. Jasson watched as Scott was thrown out of the pool and crashed against the moss-covered wall. Then he held out a thumb.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°I¡¯m ok!¡±

    Jasson felt another splash drill into the back of his head and turned to see Petra holding a blue crystal.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Jasson backed up, ¡°Magic isn¡¯t fair!¡±

    ¡°How else am I supposed to compete with Clara?¡± Petra said.

    Jasson said, ¡°But you¡¯re not splashing Clar- erh!¡±

    Petra nailed Jasson in the nose and Jasson coughed, wiping the water from his face.

    ¡°You can use magic too,¡± Petra said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Jasson said, ¡°my phone doesn¡¯t do well in water. It gets all wonky. Besides, you have our only water crystal.¡±

    ¡°Well then,¡± Petra stalked toward Jasson, an evil smile on her face, ¡°You¡¯ll just have to lose, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ****

    Once night swung into the sky above them, the echoing grotto spring felt like a soft cave of comfort. Jasson reclined against the wall, keeping an eye on Scott as the girls took turns in the changing room. By the time Harriett had ¡®suffered to be last¡¯, Jasson was satisfied with Scott. Nothing more than a lingering eye from the man as the blessed redhead sashayed from the changing room.

    And I¡¯m not jealous. Jasson thought. Not at all. After all, the body of a god isn¡¯t a dad bod.

    ¡°Hah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°As if.¡±

    Scott looked over and motioned to the changing room, ¡°You want to go?¡±

    ¡°In a minute,¡± Jasson swiped, ¡°I want to watch this TikTik.¡±

    Jasson watched as a man got eco-friendly veneer from his aunt and sighed. What he built looked so satisfying and helpful in small spaces. But the problem with Reflection Manor wasn''t a lack of space, it was cutting exposure. Why were they here again? To look for crystals? Would they really find anything? And how would that help? Couldn''t Petra make a shelter with her earth powers? Did it control metals like galvanized square steel?

    Jasson looked up at the grotto''s open top, Petra¡¯s lights disappearing into the pitch. Jasson blinked.

    ¡°Guys,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Are those¡­eyes?!¡±

    Jasson laughed as the others looked at him, then said ¡°That can¡¯t be right. They¡¯re too big.¡±

    But they were eyes. Twin pupils reflected red in the magical lights, hovering in the black above the grotto the size of beach balls. Jasson felt a now familiar terror tingle (porportional to the observed change in threat level) as the great red eyes blinked.

    Holy (*&#$! Jasson thought. It¡¯s some kind of giant!

    Jasson heard a commotion from Petra and Clara, and even Harriett didn¡¯t add an overly loud comment. They all froze and watched as the eyes flicked around intelligently.

    A large something slowly entered the cavern, a mess of tangled orange hair and calloused skin. Jasson stepped involuntarily backward and watched as the thing scooped water up to its mouth. Tombstone teeth and rotting breath greeted Jasson before the creature drank.

    Oh. Jasson thought. That¡¯s its hand!

    ¡°Hey,¡± Petra hissed, ¡°Get ready idiot!¡±

    Jasson started and fished the little light crystal from his pocket, opening MADaptation and praying that the beast didn¡¯t sense him arming himself. Never removing his eyes from the monster, Jasson slotted the crystal in with a click.

    The eyes fixed on him and his phone and the lips pulled back in a smile that exposed more teeth than Jasson had thought conceivable for a mouth. Something about the creature seemed genuinely interested in Jasson, and the light of disturbing intelligence was not something Jasson liked to see.

    ¡°OOK!¡± it said, then the hand disappeared above. Then the eyes shrunk into the distance.

    Then it was gone.

    ¡°LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!¡± Scott burst from the changing room, ¡°I- eek!¡±

    Petra (hair-trigger pulled) buried her earthen bullet into the moss beside Scott''s head.

    ¡°You #($-_ #)$+ of a @/$)_+-$!¡± Petra marched towards Scott, ¡°Have some &-#() tact you mannerless bore!¡±

    ¡°Woah,¡± Scott backed into the changing room, holding the door protectively, ¡°What happened.¡±

    ¡°It was amazing!¡± Harriet said, ¡°It looked like a subset of Gigantopithecus! It would have broken me like a twig! And that intelligence! Horrifying and existential! Wonderful! I don''t think that I will get any sleep tonight!¡±

    Scott blinked and ducked away from Petra''s chastising fist, then said, ¡°Umm¡­anyone want to give me a straight answer.¡±

    Jasson looked to Clara who motioned back to him.

    Raising his eyebrows, Jasson said, ¡°Okay. Umm¡­it was some kind of giant ape. Or a Bigfoot with orange hair. Its hand was bigger than I was tall and its teeth-¡±

    Jasson shuddered. It felt like that one anime he¡¯d seen clips of, the one with weird giants and walls. But¡­far too real.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Scott said, ¡°That''s the Great Fire Ape! He''s good luck!¡±

    ****

    A couple of minutes later, the party descended the mountain with great temerity, weapons at the ready. The creek burbled more disturbingly at night, and the timid light from Jasson¡¯s phone did little to ease their jumpiness.

    ¡°I told you,¡± Scott said through a fat lip and triple bumps on his head, ¡°He¡¯s fine. A good omen, actually. If he¡¯s here, the weaker monsters don¡¯t dare show up. There¡¯s no need to be worried.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried,¡± Petra said, ¡°I was tense. You are lucky that I just managed to swerve my bullet away from your head.¡±

    Jasson couldn¡¯t pay attention to the conversation, if it could be called that, and considered what he¡¯d seen.

    It was bigger than those wyverns. Jasson thought. But¡­something about it felt different. Powerful. And far too intelligent. I- well I¡¯m glad it¡¯s known for being peaceful.

    Still, it had almost seemed to recognize him.

 Chapter 25: First Down

    Jasson strolled through a canyon of gods, the mountain carved away as if it were being split in a no-fault divorce. The cliff walls were smooth with divots carved by the wind over the years. Jasson had seen a lot of natural parks online, and this felt unnatural. Too straight, too clean, even the river flowed in a straight canal.

    The river roared innocently by the road as if it were saying ¡®I¡¯d love it if I could do that to a mountain, but no. It''s outside my pay grade.¡¯

    Jasson shivered. The sun had risen long ago, but the mountain¡¯s shadows kept it away like a¡­uh¡­like a dog hogging the fireplace? Jasson had never warmed himself by a fireplace before, but he got the feeling that he¡¯d become quite familiar in the next few months.

    Jasson¡¯s little party of four had left early in the morning, having gotten a lead from Scott. Most of the Wyverns flew in from the west, and there was a large cavern that was popular among youths in that direction. There was a path along the North Road that would take them close, but it was a long trip.

    They emerged from the carved canyon and entered a field of grass and sun. Jasson squinted against the light reflecting off dewed grasses.

    ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Clara said, slowing down to Jasson¡¯s speed, ¡°A mountain sunrise on morning damp grass, glinting like a fortune of earth crystals.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d go with emeralds,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But you¡¯re right. I just wish it wasn¡¯t so bright.¡±

    ¡°Keep your head up, Clara.¡± Petra said, ¡°We never know when a monster will come.¡±

    ¡°Come on!¡± Clara said, ¡°With a wyvern swarm and Great Fire Ape, what monster is gonna stick in this area.¡±

    ¡°Don''t say that!¡± Harriet said, ¡°I was hoping to stumble across an unexpected and powerful monster right when we think we''re safe. Then we¡¯d fight and nearly lose our lives to a foe we¡¯d never seek out intentionally.¡±

    ¡°I hope not,¡± Petra said, ¡°This is an initial scouting mission. We''re following our first lead and getting to know the cavern systems around here. Playing it safe.¡±

    Harriet¡¯s face fell and Jasson stepped in to say ¡°It''s okay Harriet. The Wyvern weren''t that strong, and there were so many of them! Their presence probably attracted an apex predator for food. Heck, maybe a dozen of them.¡±

    Petra froze in place and swore, then said ¡°Apex predator¡­ #$%^(*! You''re right! Oh #&$+!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson turned, ¡°I thought that''s what everyone thought. It''s just a simple food chain.¡±

    ¡°A food what?¡± Petra said, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m worried because you just obliterated the Apex predator¡¯s food supply. They''ll descend on the town!¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Should we warn them?¡±

    Petra looked back and frowned, then turned to Harriet and said ¡°Your friend Scott is in charge of the defenses, right? Go tell him to stop working on our place and build defenses. Then run and catch up with us. Feel up to it?¡±

    ¡°It will be hard,¡± Harriet said, ¡°I¡¯m sure this challenge will make me stronger. See ya!¡±

    Jasson watched as Harriet disappeared around the corner and back into the canyon. He didn''t like how foreboding this was. Jasson closed Tiktik and opened MADaptation, preparing himself as he¡¯d promised.

    ¡°Petra,¡± Jasson said, ¡°What kind of monsters prey on Wyverns?¡±

    ¡°It depends on the breed,¡± Petra started walking again, ¡°For night Wyverns, which are one of the weaker types, it''s an open market. Greater Wyverns, Giants, Dragons¡­I just don''t know. That fire ape might have come to eat them as well.¡±

    Jasson nodded and Clara said ¡°Don''t worry. As long as me and Petra are together, there''s nothing we can''t beat.¡±

    Petra rolled her eyes but smiled and nodded, saying ¡°At the very least, we¡¯ll put up one @+$+ of a fight.¡±

    ****

    The entrance to the cavern was covered in graffiti and hearts, like a man with impulse control and a punch card for ¡®buy ten tattoos, get the next one free¡¯. Trash and blankets littered the ground, with no sign of a Wyvern.

    ¡°So it''s this kind of a cave!¡± Jasson took a picture, ¡°Let''s not go in. I don''t want to stumble across anything. Teenagers, you know?¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Petra said, ¡°but I do need to go in as deep as I can. We will simply make enough noise to warn anyone.¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Clara took this as her cue to hum, and Jasson found himself trying to hum along. Their songs blended and echoed in a cavernous chorus. The song was a chirpy ditty that felt medieval in nature, almost fey-like. What would Clara sound like when she sang?

    The path was obvious until the light from the entrance disappeared. Jasson turned on his flashlight (the button with a circle, not the other one) and shone it around.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I thought that they¡¯d slow down with the graffiti once they ran out of light.¡±

    ¡°They probably brought a light crystal,¡± Clara said, ¡°watch out for that glass over there.¡±

    Jasson stepped around the broken bottle and they continued their journey deeper. Occasionally the cave would split and Petra would pull out an earth crystal and focus for a few moments, then lead them down a path deeper in the earth. The graffiti thinned before they came to a yawning opening in the earth, and when Jasson threw a rock he heard a splash below.

    ¡°Water at the bottom,¡± Petra said, ¡°But no sound of running water. Some kind of stagnant pool. Probably has some slimes in it to feed off the bats.¡±

    ¡°Bats?¡± Jasson said, waving his flashlight around, ¡°What-¡±

    Jasson caught a glimpse of hundreds of bats clinging to the roof before Petra slapped her hand over his light.

    ¡°Turn that off!¡± Petra hissed, ¡°We don¡¯t want to piss them off. Especially when we don¡¯t know what kind of bats they are!¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson blinked in the darkness, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Jasson turned his light off but kept his phone ready, imagining a thousand vampire bats draining him dry.

    ¡°All right,¡± Clara said, ¡°Are you gonna fly down there Petra?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Petra said, ¡°You guys keep an eye out and be ready to back me up.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Jasson said, waving blindly to his eyes, ¡°Could you¡­do the thing for me? Please? I¡¯d rather not accidentally step into the abyss.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the Abyss,¡± Petra scoffed, ¡°And why didn¡¯t you ask for me to enchant your eyes earlier.¡±

    Jasson blushed and looked away, knowing they could see him as he said ¡°It¡¯s¡­I wanted to save you the trouble.¡±

    After some silence, Petra said, ¡°Turn off your crystal and I¡¯ll do it. The light is distracting me.¡±

    Darkness fell completely and Jasson closed his eyes and waited, trusting.

    That¡¯s odd, Jasson thought. I¡¯m standing beside death and I perfectly trust these girls to keep me safe. When did that happen?

    After another moment and a burst of whispers, Jasson felt Petra kiss his right eye. Her warm breath tingled on his nose and, now that he knew what to expect, Jasson felt himself start to burn up.

    Oh, Jasson thought, oh wow. A girl is kissing me. My face. Eyes. Wow!

    Petra kissed the other eye and almost seemed to linger before backing away. Jasson opened his eyes and saw Petra holding her air crystal a few feet away, her back to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m going down,¡± Petra said, ¡°Have your crystal ready, idiot. That precise burst of light would be good. You know, the one that you mutter ¡®pew-pew¡¯ when using.¡±

    Then she jumped into the pit. Jasson opened his phone and prepared the attack, then eased himself to the edge to look over. Petra floated gently to the bottom, gracefully gliding over the still water.

    ¡°If something big happens, I¡¯ll be jumping in.¡± Clara said, ¡°You never know, and still water always freaks me out.¡±

    Jasson thought of the documentaries he¡¯d seen and said ¡°Ambush predators like still water. It gives a false sense of security.¡±

    Jasson watched Petra get closer to the water and held his breath, finger hovering above the button. He¡¯d have to be careful not to shoot Petra but-

    The water rippled.

    Jasson sighted and shot before he knew what he was doing, the bolt of light burying into the water below. The water steamed and a bulbous fluid rose above. The bigger version of the slimes Jasson had hunted on his first day. It reached hungrily towards Petra, goopy tendrils rising in a sluggish stretch. Jasson fired a few more shots, but only one shot managed to connect with a disappointing sizzle.

    It wasn¡¯t enough! Petra was in trouble! Jasson switched to the Missle, ready to-

    Petra simply flew away.

    Fair enough. Jasson thought, relaxing away from the edge. Most things are probably faster than that sludge. Not sure what I was thinking.

    ¡°Just slimes,¡± Petra called as she rose up towards them, ¡°Clara, did you see anything else?¡±

    ¡°Nothing like that one time,¡± Clara said, ¡°Is this place good enough for you?¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Petra landed, pulled out her earth crystal, and closed her eyes.

    Jasson felt a soft rumble in the earth and looked over the edge to see a large platform had risen above the water.

    ¡°That¡¯ll give me a place to think.¡± Petra said, pocketing her earth crystal again, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two up here then. Be back in a few minutes.

    Petra drifted down, landing deftly as the slimes began to inch their way onto the round platform. Then the slimes exploded as Jasson watched Petra make a ring of stone spikes in the platform surrounding her. Petra made a chair, then sat in the middle of her defensive ring and waved to them.

    ¡°GOOD LUCK!,¡± Clara waved back, then sat down and said, ¡°Slimes are vulnerable to spikes, so they won¡¯t be willing to approach her like that. We still need to keep an eye on her while she¡¯s meditating, but she should be fine.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s she doing?¡± Jasson sat on a bigger rock further away from the edge.

    ¡°She¡¯s done it a few times,¡± Clara said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how it works, but it''s not something you can learn. She¡¯s basically feeling out the stones around her, finding any nearby caverns and such. It¡¯s actually one of the most valuable talents in the world, so don¡¯t go telling anyone about it. Officially, we¡¯re looking for wyverns in this cave. But Petra is going to spend this whole time expanding her view to find the good stuff.¡±

    Jasson nodded and said ¡°Am I good to relax then? Nothing¡¯s going to happen?¡±

    ¡°Nothing that will need you rather than me,¡± Clara said, ¡°Slimes rarely act as food for predators. Too much water.¡±

    ¡°Cool,¡± Jasson said, opening Tiktik.

    After a few minutes, Clara sat beside Jasson and said ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, this?¡± Jasson said, ¡°It¡¯s an old video about a zombie toilet-with-a-head plague.¡±

    Clara blinked then said, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Erm¡­how about some cat videos?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing about those!¡± Clara said, ¡°Did you get ahold of some? I heard it¡¯s hard to find.¡±

    ¡°No?¡± Jasson said, scrolling until he found one, ¡°Here. Watch this.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is that-¡± Clara said, ¡°Oh! Was it okay?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡± Jasson said, ¡°It¡¯s a cat. Lands on its feet, ya know? Look, this one is trying to catch something.¡±

    Clara watched and said ¡°Oh¡­oh! Yes! It got it! Aww, look it¡¯s so proud!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson searched for a video and scrolled until he found it, ¡°Here. Watch this one.¡±

    It was one of Jasson¡¯s favorite videos, something he¡¯d laughed at several times. Jasson remembered showing this to Madysyn years ago. Good times.

    Please laugh. Jasson thought as he watched Clara¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s funny, right?

    ¡°Ha,¡± Clara said, scooting closer so that they were touching, ¡°It¡¯s- oh! Hahaha! Ok. Aww¡­such a cute kitty- Hah! My word! Hahaha¡­¡±

    Jasson grinned and leaned into Clara, swiping to a new video. She liked it!

 Chapter 26: Downer

    Cavernous depths have a way of making you feel claustrophobic. Dark ceilings loom, a stone arch being all that keeps ten million tons from covering your sins in eternal slumber. It is an inescapable fact that holes in the earth become a shelter in primarily the worst of times. Even in the best of times, ever since mankind left the cave, the unnerving dark became something that serves only as houses for the grave dead.

    Of course, warm company makes all the difference.

    Clara was pressed against his side, sharing his little seven-inch world of entertainment. Her laughter echoed endlessly and her warmth spread across every hungry inch of him. Jasson found himself craving more of this time, shared in joy and spite-less solidarity. It was a profoundly human time.

    A mortal time.

    And as with all mortal things, it came to an end. Jasson should have noticed Petra landing on the lip of the pit. Should have noticed her stalking toward them with exhaustion in her steps. He did notice when Petra loomed above Clara and him, and looked up innocently with Tiktik on his mind.

    ¡°And what,¡± Petra smiled sweetly, ¡°Have you been showing my sister for the past two hours?¡±

    She¡¯s smiling. Jasson thought. Angry. Why? Phone. Distraction. Keeping watch! Apologize.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson pocketed his phone, barely keeping himself from calling Petra ¡®mom¡¯.

    ¡°It was so fun!¡± Clara bounced up, ¡°You need to see it when we get home.¡±

    Petra sneered and said, ¡°I doubt that he has anything worth my time on that thing. Definitely not something I would abandon my post for.¡±

    Clara froze, then said, ¡°Sorry Petra.¡±

    Petra nodded and stomped off, leaving them to trail after her. Jasson raised his eyebrows at Clara and she shrugged.

    ¡°To be fair,¡± Clara said, climbing after Petra, ¡°you were fine. Just slimes down there. You can¡¯t expect us to do nothing the whole time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you were just soo concerned about me,¡± Petra reached the path and started up the cavern, ¡°I could tell by the sound of your raucous laughter. I knew you weren¡¯t the brightest, but I didn¡¯t know spending time with an idiot could be so much fun! Maybe I¡¯ll hit my head on some rocks and try it myself!¡±

    ¡°Oi,¡± Jasson said, ¡°That¡¯s too far. I¡¯m not that dumb! I¡¯ve worked hard for my B¡¯s in school.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Petra said, ¡°What were those videos about then? Or did my ears deceive me for the past two hours!¡±

    Jasson, in heated pride, spent the next few minutes trying to explain the intellectual significance of funny animal videos. He ran out of excuses before he ran out of breath, and eventually fell silent as their ascent stole his verbal fervor.

    Once Jasson was quiet for a few seconds Petra said, ¡°What an inane tirade. Surely you can admit, after thoroughly disproving yourself for a quarter-hour, that the mind required to enjoy your drivel must have a minimum line of infants. Peekaboo for adults! A funny movement and you are filled with giggles.¡±

    ¡°You could use to watch these videos,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Maybe you¡¯d have a little more fun in life if you ever tried it. You might even become a better person.¡±

    ¡°Better person?!¡± Petra¡¯s voice cracked (as well as the stalagmite she was leaning on, thoroughly destroying Alex¡¯s love for Vicky), ¡°And what, exactly, convinces you that I¡¯m not?!¡±

    The air crackled with tension, Petra¡¯s ire going from dismissive to offended. Jasson knew he should back down, that this wasn¡¯t worth it. He didn¡¯t even have an argument! But¡­she had no right to insult something he loved without him saying something! She couldn¡¯t get away with everything.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°He¡¯s sorry Petra,¡± Clara said, stepping between them, ¡°I wonder where Harriett went¡±-

    ¡°No, she asked.¡± Jasson said, nudging Clara aside to fully face Petra, ¡°I like it, okay?! Is there something wrong with liking things? With enjoying something. I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s not a ten-page thesis on how useless everyone else is, but I tend to be happy without putting everyone else down!¡±

    ¡°Jasson that¡¯s enough,¡± Clara said, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything you don¡¯t mean.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I mean it!¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯ve had to mean everything I say for the past week! Petra doesn¡¯t let a single thing slide. She bites and cuts with every inch of mistake I make around her. I can¡¯t say a $%^&  thing around her without her correcting me in some minute manner, drilling in her superiority.¡±

    Jasson wasn¡¯t dead yet, so he continued, ¡°Honestly Petra. I know I¡¯m in your debt, but I¡¯m not your slave begging for compliments. Begging for the slightest respect in the work you deign to hand me. I¡¯m better than that. Everyone is better than that. Do you want to be a leader? You will never, ever, make people follow you by bullying them into submission. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s the truth. Live with it.¡±

    Jasson took a breath, recovering some of his composure. That felt good, even as he waited for Petra¡¯s retribution. He¡¯d been holding that in for a while.

    Petra just stood there, stiff with fury but not killing Jasson, so he continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯m in the wrong this time, and probably most of the others. That doesn¡¯t make me less. That doesn¡¯t make me a verbal punching bag for you to let off steam. That makes you a jerk, not clever. A verbal slaver with her whip. Well, I¡¯m sorry for not having a stick )(*^(& *&^% like you, but I¡¯m still doing a good job. If you¡¯re that dissatisfied with me, then fire me. I¡¯ll pay you back for the crystal and find another job. One that pays better and treats me well. Not working under a bully of a useless leader like you! A failure t-¡±

    SLAP!

    Jasson was expecting to die when he saw the slap coming. Petra¡¯s strengthening glove glittered in a deadly arc toward him and he flinched away. It was certainly a shock, and Jasson had to wrestle with a surge of violent rage, but nothing more. It was the slap of a girl, furious and small.

    ¡°YOU BA-¡±

    ¡°PETRA!¡± Clara shouted, ¡°Stop that! You never hit someone just because they¡¯re right.¡±

    Petra looked at Clara and blinked, then flushed and said ¡°You¡¯re right, Clara. I¡­ I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡±

    I live! Jasson thought.

    Petra pointed at Jasson and said ¡°I¡¯m sorry for slapping you. Not anything else. And don¡¯t you ever talk to me like that again.¡±

    Jasson raised his eyebrows and massaged his cheek.

    ¡°And¡­¡± Clara said.

    ¡°And I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here,¡± Petra said, a bitter smile teasing across her lips, ¡°We¡¯ve needed you once already. You¡¯re a vital member of my team so I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll do better.¡±

    Jasson nodded, feeling the knot in his chest ease a bit. How had this even started?

    Ah well. Jasson thought. I¡¯m alive. Petra won¡¯t kill me for speaking my mind, and she¡¯s even admitted that she¡¯s wrong. I just need to get better on my end of the bargain and we might just get along swimmingly, no cap.

    ****

    Harriett was waiting with skinned knees and bloody knuckles, bearing a monster core in either hand. She stood at the entrance of the cavern, reading the love notes and poorly educated drawings. As soon as Harriett noticed them she spun and flourished her glittering prizes.

    I¡¯m glad she¡¯s safe, Jasson thought. She should have caught up earlier though, and those knees look painful¡­

    ¡°I travailed to great success!¡± Harriett cried as they drew near, ¡°Your message to Scott of the possible presence of apex predator has been delivered. Now, witness the glory I have won with my faithful blade GreatBiter!¡±

    ¡°Well then,¡± Petra said, ¡°That¡¯s an efficient use of a few hours. What did you kill?¡±

    ¡°On my journey here a wyvern descended upon me in the shadow of the mountain,¡± Harriet said, ¡°And I was put upon to cast my pack aside and draw faithful GreatBiter in my defense. It swooped upon me, toothy maw agape as I leapt upon its spiny back. Thence I struck and the GreatBiter went Snicker-snack and off¡±-

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Snickers snack? Was the sword not feeling like itself when it¡¯s hungry?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the sound a- I mean it¡¯s the sound my sword makes.¡± Harriett said, ¡°Now hush, I¡¯m not done.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Jasson raised his hands, ¡°Go on!¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Harriett said, ¡°As I was saying, I had scarcely, and valiantly, chopped off the wyvern¡¯s head when another descended upon me that I was forced to dive out of the way, skinning my knees upon unforgiving stone. And it was my favorite pair of pants! Well, top ten at least. So I sought to revenge myself upon the beast for the cause of my pants and slew it as well! Now I bring you the spoils and, in my bag, the heads.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Petra reached for the spheres, ¡°Let¡¯s move the evidence into my locker and head back.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Harriett pulled them back, ¡°uh..¡±

    Jasson watched as Harriett dodged Perta¡¯s demanding hands.

    Oho! Jasson thought. So you are credit-motivated!

    ¡°What?¡± Petra said, ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    Jasson said, ¡°I think Harriett wants to personally present her ¡®spoils¡¯ to Lord Ippoph as evidence of the job progressing.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Petra said, ¡°Of course. I knew that. I just couldn¡¯t believe that she¡¯d be that vain and stupid.¡±

    Harriett flinched and then smiled and said ¡°I¡­it¡¯s my fir-I want to okay. And-¡°

    ¡°You like the challenge of comrades insulting you,¡± Petra said, rolling her eyes, ¡°yeah, yeah. Look, if you lose the evidence, don¡¯t blame me. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Harriett said, ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Harriett then took her absurdly tiny fashion bag, flipped open the nano flap, and squeezed the two fist-sized spheres into the bag.

    ¡°Woah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Is that where you¡¯re storing things? How did it fit?¡±

    ¡°I thought you had a Locker!¡± Clara said, ¡°What is this little sis? Some kind of Locker in a bag?¡±

    ¡°Kinda,¡± Harriett said, ¡°It¡¯s a bag for holding things. I call it a Storage Sack. Cute, isn¡¯t it? It even has a bathroom. Come on, let''s go!¡±

    Jasson blinked. That four-inch bag had a what-now?

 Chapter 27: Down to a Haire

    All things considered, it had not been a good day to go caving.

    Ahead of them, an ocean of white surged like a plague of rats, crashing into the defenses of Smill with a sound like a woodchipper. Great wooden walls and towers, like those overcomplicated wooden slat chairs, broke the waves as brave citizens shot fire and rocks into the mass. Every so often a massive blast of water would carve through, turning the foaming white still and red.

    Thousands of white monstrosities surged around the town of Smill, disappearing around the other side of the buildings. Jasson watched as one of the towers fell, the inhabitants as tiny specks jumping for safety within the wall. In a flurry of movement, the fallen timbers of the tower flew apart, coming back together into a repaired tower before the horde could smash through.

    ¡°Are those¡­ rabbits?¡± Harriett said.

    The party stood on top of a gentle hill covered in green grasses, what had been prime grazing territory before Jasson¡¯s not-so-fine misting of Wyvern the other day. Apparently, these weren¡¯t herbirvoric rabbits. Or maybe they really needed the protein(and calcium).

    ¡°Aww!¡± Clara said, ¡°They¡¯re cute!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a problem,¡± Petra rubbed her forehead, then reached into her Locker, ¡°We¡¯re not getting paid for this but Clara says we should help. At least they¡¯re not totally useless over there. They could hold out without us for another oh¡­four hours? Are you sure we need to help now?¡±

    ¡°Yes Petra,¡± Clara said, ¡°Every second we delay a father could be dying in defense of his home.¡±

    ¡°Well, &*^%.¡± Petra winced, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say it like that. I was going to help anyway. Is everyone good for this fight?¡±

    Petra looked at Jasson and Harriet and grinned, ¡°Why am I asking? She always is and he doesn¡¯t have a choice. All right. We need to prioritize thinning the ranks and be prepared for a rapid retreat. This should be just manageable. By the gods¡­where did they even come from?¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡± Jasson said, feeling a little sour at her comment.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Petra said, pulling out a water flask and mana crystal, ¡°Some kind of rapidly replicating ravenous rabbits. Clara?¡±

    ¡°White, red eyes, dog-sized.¡± Clara was swinging her sword, ¡°Makes them easier to hit, and explains why they haven¡¯t just slipped through the wal-¡±

    ¡°OOH!¡± Jasson said, ¡°We were so worried about what fed on Wyverns, but I bet these are what normally support the Wyverns. Overpopulation!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Petra said, splashing her face after taking a swig from her flask, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have one of those missiles that won¡¯t kill everyone in the city?¡±

    Jasson felt the hot knot begin to tie in his chest. Why did she have to brush him off like that?

    ¡°Nope,¡± Jasson looked at MADaptation, ¡°I do have a non-destructive AOE electric bubble. Not enough to deal with these and I have¡­not enough battery for all of them. Sorry.¡±

    Petra grunted then said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to. I suppose it¡¯s my turn. I wish I didn¡¯t spend most of my brain on searching underground.¡±

    Petra capped her flask and put it away, then took the faintly glowing Mana crystal and held it between her hands. Petra closed her eyes and then crushed the Mana crystal as it turned to dust. A man-sized boulder exploded from the ground and shrunk, compacting into a head-sized sphere with sounds reminiscent of a hydraulic press channel.

    Nope. Jasson thought, backing away a few steps. That can¡¯t be how physics works, it¡¯s not healthy.

    Then Petra shot the boulder into the center of the rabbits. It sailed in a slow arc and landed in a thick of white-

    Boom!

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Grenade launcher. Pretty go-¡±

    ¡°Shut it,¡± Petra said, ¡°That was just a warm-up. Remember, if I end up dropping one of those we¡¯re all experiencing the joys of being holier. So be ser-¡±

    ¡°Oh my!¡± Clara said, ¡°They¡¯re- oh. Oh, they¡¯re not cute anymore. Oh gross.¡±

    Jasson squinted at the swarm. What was Clara seeing? All Jasson could see was the horde of white rabbits filling in the space Petra had cleared and- oh.

    ¡°They¡¯re cannibalizing,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Look, that one tore off the dead one¡¯s head. And that one is still twitching but-¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Clara sounded genuinely angry, ¡°Just shut up. Okay? I get it. They¡¯re not the wholesome little rabbits I was hoping for. I¡¯m even glad that they¡¯re not Castle Hares. But don¡¯t tell me to be happy that fluffy little bunnies have a hard time chewing organs.¡±

    Jasson felt his stomach flip and he looked away and said, ¡°You¡¯d rather that you had to kill happy little bunnies?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Clara said, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I know what these things are. I just¡­wish it was something else.¡±

    Jasson looked at Clara. What was her deal? This wasn¡¯t like her. But¡­well she did like the animal videos a lot. Perhaps she- She was definitely soft-hearted but Jasson hadn¡¯t realized how much.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jasson said, ¡°It can¡¯t be easy. They look so cute from this distance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Clara took a breath, ¡°And shouldn¡¯t you be firing your missle? The distance is getting smaller.¡±

    ¡°$%&, really?!¡± Jasson swiveled and saw that Clara was right.

    The rabbits- no the monsters had consumed their fallen comrades in seconds and locked onto the exposed party on a hill. Like a swarm of murder hornets that had their nest¡­disturbed. The swarm of white surged away from the defenses and toward their exposed group.

    ¡°*&%#,¡± Jasson said, switching to his missile, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d attract all of them!¡±

    ¡°Not all of them,¡± Harriett said, sounding ecstatic, ¡° just the ones in line behind the others.¡±

    She sounds excited, Jasson thought. And reckless. Not good.

    ¡°That¡¯s much better, thank you.¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°Just¡­live through this. Okay? I¡¯m not going to ¡®sing of your heroism¡¯ if you die to a bunch of rabid rabbits.¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Really?¡± Harriet said, ¡°But it¡¯s an unstoppable horde!¡±

    Jasson aimed briefly and fired, noticing how his missile didn¡¯t get any smaller as he approached the pack approaching them. Or¡­herd? What did you call this many rabbits? A gluttony?

    ¡°It¡¯s not worth it,¡± Jasson said, ¡°But this is your chance to bathe in the blood of your enemies. Just¡­don¡¯t slip, okay?¡±

    ¡°OOOHH!!¡± Harriett said, and started swinging her sword, ¡°Perfect! I shall bathe in glory beside my glorious blade Dead Header!¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Jasson sent another missile out, ¡°Just keep your distance from me. I don¡¯t want you to get caught in my AOE.¡±

    ¡°But owies aren¡¯t that bad,¡± Harriett swished her sword, ¡°And Clara¡¯s playing defense. Tell you what, why don¡¯t we compete for the highest kills?¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Jasson let off another missile as Petra pulled an enormous boulder from the ground, raining dirt on them, ¡°Good luck with that. You haven¡¯t even started.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t?¡± Harriett walked calmly out of Jasson¡¯s view.

    Jasson looked around and saw her twenty feet away, walking away from the monsters while casually swinging her sword.

    ¡°There.¡± Harriett said, ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±

    The entire front line, something about a football field away with at least fifty in number, split in half.

    ¡°Holy (*$&%^!¡± Jasson said, ¡°I thought that was only in animes!¡±

    Harriett grinned and said, ¡°And unlike you, I don¡¯t run out of mana.¡±

    ¡°Well ^%^& this competition,¡± Jasson said, ¡°You get the entire front line! I¡¯m better at shooting explosive shots. Clara! Think you can help her?¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± Clara said, swinging her massive sword, ¡°You keep your explosive shots going. Every monster we kill makes two stop to- to-¡±

    ¡°To eat. Thanks,¡± Jasson switched back to the explosive shots, then checked his power.

    Oh %&#%, Jasson thought, I¡¯m down to fifty percent. That¡¯s¡­five shots at 8 percent a shot? Maybe more. This is not going to work! We should retreat and-

    ¡°Petra!¡± Clara said, ¡°I¡¯m going for a spin. Give me a few seconds.¡±

    ¡°Be my guest,¡± Petra said, ¡°You have five seconds. My time.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Clara glanced at Jasson and sighed, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t read too much into this, okay?¡±

    Before Jasson could react, Clara faced away and started to shout the foulest things known to man. Yes, there were curses, but only to describe the other things. Words that, like curse words, get censored with * replacing the middle letters because they represent sins that made the news every night. Clara shouted the names of pure evil with a building rage that tore like screamo music but twice as mad.

    Then sweet Clara charged, pouring bloodlust that would have gotten her either signed or committed.

    WHAM!

    The first strike was a blur with the flat of her blade, smashing into the front line and sending twenty flying back with broken bodies. The second attack became the third and fourth as Clara whipped her blade around, faster and faster until Clara spun into a weedwhacker of death. A technically human Beyblade (not sponsored) cutting a U into the enemy ranks.

    ¡°All right,¡± Petra said once Clara was back, ¡°FIRE!¡±

    Petra sent a chair-sized explosive shot whizzing over Jasson¡¯s head, landing in the dead center of the horde and-

    BOOM!!

    ¡°Frick,¡± Jasson caught himself, ¡°That was like a Howitzer! You got ^%$&^ artillery?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± Petra said, smirking, ¡°But I¡¯ll take it as a compliment.¡±

    Jasson looked out at hundreds of corpses and consumers and grinned. It was amazing how an endless swarm could get cut nearly in half. Unfortunately, the enemy was upon them, the front line surging past those who paused to feast.

    Jasson backed off and aimed, firing a missile into the back of the group as the front line broke on Harriett and Clara. Jasson did his best to place strategic shots, but his phone beeped at him after only two more. His stomach dropped.

    Fourteen percent left.

    ¡°One more shot,¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Just let it fly,¡± Petra said, ¡°And get behind me. This next shot is going to be huge.¡±

    Jasson let his last shot fly and scampered behind Petra.

    Sighing, Jasson closed MADaptation, pulling his crystal out and powering his phone off. He needed to charge it as quickly as possible. Harriett cut another row of monsters with blurring speed, and Clara carved deep with fathomless rage.

    Isn¡¯t¡­aren¡¯t I supposed to be up there? Jasson thought. I¡¯m the one who was reincarnated. Heck, I even have an overpowered ability. But I¡¯m best back here, not the front lines. Once I run out of power I¡¯m useless and I have to hide for the rest of the fight. I didn¡¯t even think to ask for a sword.

    BOOM!

    Petra¡¯s next shot knocked Jasson onto his butt and halved the horde again.

    ¡°Here,¡± Petra said, reaching into her locker, ¡°I grabbed something for you.¡±

    Petra pulled out another mana crystal and a long stick. No, not a stick. A spear.

    ¡°Use this,¡± Petra tossed the spear to Jasson, ¡°I expect you to watch my back while you charge.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the short sword?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Good for caves, not for wide open hills,¡± Petra said, ¡°Distance is your best friend. Besides, spears are easier to use. So look the other way and make sure we don¡¯t get sneaked up on.¡±

    Jasson said ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Jasson stood and balanced the spear on his shoulder, continuing to charge his phone, and looked around. Harriett and Clara had been pushed back a good fifty feet, but it didn¡¯t look like anything was going around.

    Still, Jasson thought, it¡¯s something to do.

    Jasson stood with his back to Petra and kept watch on the peaceful hill as behind him the sound of rending flesh and cutting bone filled the air. There were no bushes on this hill, but there was a patch of grass just tall enough to hide one of those monstrous rabbits. Jasson eyes the grass, daring it to shake.

    It didn¡¯t shake. It flattened.

    Four dog-sized rabbits attacking from behind aren¡¯t keen on being stealthy. The tingle of fear tickled familiar organs, but Jasson found himself anticipating them.

    ¡°They¡¯re coming around,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Shall I take them?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I handed you a spear,¡± Petra said, ¡°Just don¡¯t die, idiot.¡±

    Jasson looked back, but Petra was facing away. The way she said that sounded¡­nice.

    Sweet. Jasson thought as he pocketed his phone. And I have to say, it¡¯s nice to not be fighting spiders or in the dark. Not as scary.

    Swinging the spear, Jasson tested how it felt as he watched the four rabbits advance. It felt heavy in a satisfying way, and as long as he used both hands it moved fairly quickly. He just needed to kill two and have the others get distracted by eating. But they were running together so¡­

    Jasson surged forward and plunged the spear at the first creature as hard as he could. Bone and blood parted as Jasson pierced the chest, the spear driving deep in a lethal blow.

    Then the spear stuck.

    ¡°#&%&!¡± Jasson heaved backward, trying to dislodge the spear. The rabbit had fallen on the end, trapping the spear on a bone. With a desperate surge, Jasson pulled as two of the rabbits started to eat their ally.

    Shonk!

    The spear came free and sent Jasson tumbling back, landing hard. The fourth rabbit launched toward Jasson¡¯s throat. Jasson just managed to bring his spear up to block it. He caught the rabbit¡¯s rabid white mouth with the spear and collapsed to the ground, the weight of the rabbit driving to his throat.

    Huh. Jasson thought as the rabbit knawed at the wood. It doesn¡¯t have any front teeth. And¡­It¡¯s not that much heavier than a dog.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jasson grunted, pushing back, ¡°You didn¡¯t get your teeth for Christmas?¡±

    Jasson threw the rabbit to the side and flew to his feet, standing ready for another assault. But the rabbit, once it finished rolling down the hill, burst for Petra¡¯s exposed back.

    ¡°NO!¡± Jasson charged, slipping in the grass as he charged after. His legs burned, the hill turning into a massive ascent as the rabbit outpaced Jasson. Jasson dropped the spear for what little speed he could get.

    Can¡¯t catch up. Jasson thought.

    ¡°Look out!¡± Jasson called. Petra didn¡¯t turn around, keeping her focus on the bomb she was preparing.

    It¡¯s up to me. Jasson realized. I can¡¯t let a single one through.

    With another burst of speed, Jasson was almost within reach as the creature leaped. Trembling, Jasson focused on the horrid monster and punched, hoping he could somehow reach it.

    Crack!

    The monster twisted in mid-air and was flung to the side of Petra a second before Petra let off another mortar shell.

    BOOM!

    Petra turned and looked at the monster on the ground, then at Jasson unarmed and panting.

    ¡°Nice punch.¡± Petra reached into her Locker and pulled out a dagger, ¡°You should make sure it¡¯s finished off though. Also, the others are almost done eating so you best hurry up.¡±

    Stunned, Jasson shook out his hand and took the knife. He stabbed the motionless corpse a few times before turning to the other two rabbits.

    Dang. Jasson thought. Adrenaline is nice. It doesn¡¯t even hurt.

    Jasson pocketed the knife in his jeans and hurried to the spear, pulling it out of the ground just as the monsters turned on him. They growled, which was an odd sound coming from a rabbit, and bared glistening white and red teeth.

    ¡°Santa answered your letters I see,¡± Jasson swung the spear, a bit more confident now, ¡°But the easter bunny is sending you a cease and desist. You should have followed LawbySpike for more tips.¡±

    Jasson lunged, closing the gap and plunging the spearhead into the chest of the next rabbit. Jasson immediately heaved as hard as he could, pulling the spear out and turning to the final one.

    The last rabbit turned away from Jasson and started to run towards Petra, but Jasson was waiting for that and lunged in that moment, practically throwing the spear in his outstretched arm. He took the monster in the side and speared out the other. Jasson lost his grip on the spear as the monster fell and the spear stood like a drunken flagpole in the corpse.

    ¡°Ya¡¯ll are copyright infringement,¡± Jasson said, ¡°So you¡¯ve been demonetized. Or shall I say, demonstertized. Get the point?¡±

    Jasson grinned and pumped his fist, ¡°WOO! Let him COOK!¡±

    Jasson put his foot against the still-warm corpse and, feeling like the coolest guy in the world, pulled the bloody spear from his foe.

    His bloody spear.

    ¡°JASSON!¡± Clara called from the other side of the hill, ¡°Watch out! Some are coming around!¡±

    ¡°I guess the battle¡¯s not over yet,¡± Jasson grinned, then shouted, ¡°I GOT THIS!¡±

 Chapter 28: Pencil Down

    Night swept out from the mountains, the sun setting across the field of battle and red blood. Corpses lay scattered like autumn leaves, and in piles as if a strong wind swept them into piles. Jasson held his phone with blistered hands and satisfyingly sore shoulders, a long battle turning into longer remembrance.

    ¡°Stand a little straighter,¡± Jasson called, ¡°Chest out. You¡¯re a proud victor! You won third place in the competition! Champion!¡±

    Jasson took a few photos then nodded and Harriett stopped posing and scampered off her mountain of corpses.

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Jasson said, ¡°All we need is a peach and I¡¯ll be able to Skydrop it for you. Want to see?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Harriett said, looking over Jasson¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Awesome! My first battle! With the party, of course. Commemorated in near-perfect art!¡±

    ¡°Near perfect?¡± Jasson said, ¡°This is as accurate as a mirror.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more beautiful than that of course,¡± Harriett said, ¡°And it doesn¡¯t pick up on my trembling power. Now, let me take yours.¡±

    Jasson re-explained how the camera worked, then climbed on top of his own tiny pile of corpses. He took the spear from the top and posed, prompting Harriett to take a picture. Then another, followed by a funny pic, then-

    ¡°All right, good enough,¡± Harriett said, handing Jasson his phone as he balanced on top of his pile of rabbit foes, ¡°I¡¯m heading down to Petra. It¡¯s getting dark.¡±

    Jasson nodded, squinting at the sun half hidden by a mountain peak.  He waved goodbye to Harriett and looked at a few photos before climbing down from his mound of victory.

    The sun set.

    ¡°One more selfie,¡± Jasson said, holding his spear with a kissy face. The camera had trouble focusing with the new light but-

    W-WHAM!

    Something hit Jasson¡¯s side, throwing him from the pile and sending him sprawling down the hill. It hit with two quick taps along his entire body, the first nearly lifting him followed by a second that did. Jasson gasped, looking around wildly as he wrestled his breath back into his chest. What was that?!

    Jasson struggled to his feet, completely unarmed, and saw a shadow disappearing into the distant woods.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Jasson said, then looked around, ¡°It took my kills! The jerk!¡±

    Still, Jasson couldn¡¯t muster annoyance for a creature that hit his entire body at once and was taller than the trees(Disbelieving terror was quick to muster and even had its uniform on). He hastily found his phone then grabbed the spear from where it fallen and made his way over to the other side of the hill.

    I gotta tell everyone. Jasson thought. And get checked out. Maybe I hurt something.

    When Jasson met up with Petra on the other side of the hill he found that Lord Ippoph¡¯s representative had just left. Petra turned to Jasson with a broad grin on her face, hefting a football-sized sack with two hands.

    ¡°Good news!¡± Petra said, ¡°We got paid for today¡¯s work. Another hundred gold for the manor. Today wasn¡¯t absolutely useless.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­in a good mood?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Petra said, ¡°We got money. You know, the thing that makes our dreams come true. Come on, let¡¯s grab something on the way back.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Jasson gaped, ¡°We got paid a hundred gold the other day¡­¡±

    Petra rolled her eyes and said ¡°It was the last hours of a forty-eight-hour day. I wasn¡¯t going to be giddy if it was ten thousand gold that day. Besides, that was the bare minimum that we needed to get through the month. It was already spent by our future selves before we could get it.¡±

    ¡°And now?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°And now it¡¯s a bonus.¡± Petra smiled, ¡°And about ten gold of it is yours. Speaking of you, what¡¯s up? You look pale.¡±

    ¡°I-uh,¡± Jasson said, ¡°saw something.¡±

    Petra stopped smiling and said ¡°What?¡±

    I can¡¯t ruin her mood. Jasson thought. This¡­I need to see more of this side of her. Was her attitude really only because we were out of money? But¡­

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Jasson rolled his shoulder, ¡°I saw some wolves in the woods. I think they¡¯re interested in all the rabbits.¡±

    Petra smiled again and said ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay then.  This town still has walls, doesn¡¯t it? We¡¯re good to relax tonight.¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Clara jumped into their conversation, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go! The night is young and so are we!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Let¡¯s get inside the walls. Quickly.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Petra said, ¡°Are you afraid of wolves? After all that?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson said, then sighed, ¡°Probably. But it¡¯s just late, and I want to unwind.¡±

    And I¡¯m pretty sure whatever that was could just step over the wall. Jasson thought.

    ****

    The town of Smill, nestled in a valley on the eastern side of the A`hk`aka Mountains, began to glow. The raid lights, which had illuminated the sky so harshly the night before, turned soft and beckoned on every street corner in relaxed vigilance. Yet the nightlife was rather dull, with only two bars crowding into the evening raucous and little else to do.

    Still, Jasson and the rest made the most of the evening and had a nice meal at the only restaurant still open at this hour. Jasson had a hard time eating with the growing blisters, and his shoulders were stiffening up from swinging a spear for what felt like hours. But laughter and good company, Petra included, made for good distractions as the evening grew long.

    The whole time Jasson kept stealing glances at Petra, wonder and disbelief skipping in harmony with his heart as he watched her. Happiness was quite becoming on Petra, and Jasson spent more time beside Petra that evening than total since knowing her. She smiled at the server''s jokes, laughed when Clara recalled a funny story, and played along with Harriett¡¯s quirks. The evening passed in easy conversation, with Clara frequently sidling up to Jasson¡¯s other side and Harriett occasionally standing on Jasson¡¯s head. Jasson made sure to grab a group selfie.

    Before he knew it, Petra was leading them all into their room at Lord Ippoph¡¯s manor and the fun was over. Petra¡¯s smile went back into hibernation and she knelt on the floor as the rest found seats around the room.

    ¡°All right, here¡¯s the thing.¡± Petra said to an overfull party gathered in her room, ¡°I need to get this out before going to bed. Everyone, be quiet. Clara?¡±

    ¡°On it,¡± Clara said, then reached into her Locker, pulled out a knapsack, and dumped a giant mound of sand on the ground. Jasson coughed from the dust and winced to see the sand in Lord Ippoph¡¯s fine rug. Jasson¡¯s mom would have killed him if he did that.

    Petra knelt by the sand with an Earth crystal and focused, followed by a faint humming. As Jasson watched, the sand started to shake and slide together, forming walls as they melded into a yellowed stone. Eventually, a pattern took shape and became a¡­something.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Hush,¡± Clara said, ¡°She¡¯s not done yet.¡±

    ¡°You hush,¡± Harriett said, ¡°You¡¯re making more noise.¡±

    Clara shushed quietly, effectively ending the hushing debate. A minute or so later Petra placed the earth crystal she was holding into the structure, then stretched and stood up, groaning.

    ¡°Thanks for keeping the jabbering to a minimum,¡± Petra said, ¡°I was planning to keep this from you two, but I figured Jasson already knew so what the heck. This is a three-dimensional map of approximately five hundred feet from the bottom of that cave today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, cool!¡± Jasson said, ¡°So we¡¯re going to look in the general area and see if we can find a way down?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Petra said, ¡°we¡¯re-¡±

    Knock-knock-knock

    In a flash, Clara had stored the map away and Petra dusted off her knees saying ¡°This is why I hate being in someone else¡¯s rooms. Can¡¯t set any traps. WHO IS IT?¡±

    ¡°Chip T. Ippoph,¡± The voice said, ¡°Do you mind if I have a word with you in private?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Petra said, ¡°but this better be good.¡±

    Harriett beat Clara to the door and welcomed Chip in. Lord Ippoph¡¯s son was dressed ¡®practically¡¯ and held himself with a calm assurance and just a hint of glitter in his eye. He met their eyes one by one before settling on Petra.

    ¡°How shall we refer to you, Master Ippoph?¡± Petra said.

    ¡°Chip will do,¡± Chip said, ¡°But formally I am ¡®Master T. Ippoph¡¯ if you wish to use that.¡±

    ¡°Well then, Master T. Ippoph,¡± Petra said, ¡°To what do we owe the honor?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m merely coming to express thanks for handling the threat today.¡± Chip said, ¡°and would like to make an offer.¡±

    An offer? Jasson thought. For what?

    ¡°Do go on,¡± Petra said.

    ¡°It has become apparent to me that simple Wyvern Extermination is¡­beneath a party such as yours.¡± Chip said, ¡°Given time and civilian casualties, it would be beyond simple for you to deal with any threat. And so you became a mystery for me this evening.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we are simple adventurers,¡± Petra said, ¡°And not a mystery worthy of a lord¡¯s son.¡±

    Chip¡¯s eyes glittered behind a diplomatic smile as he continued, ¡°At first, I thought that the destruction you wrought that first night was made by a single-use item. Some rare relic of magic squandered on a mere wyvern swarm by earnest adventurers. But after today¡­well, I saw Mister Jasson¡¯s identical yet smaller missiles of light today. I consider the way they ripped through the horde of monsters as the least of your demonstrations.¡±

    ¡°If you would be so kind, Master T. Ippoph,¡± Petra said, pleasantness hardening to steel, ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Chip said, ¡°I believe that you are here to look for rare crystals in these mountains and not actually end the Wyvern threat. Well, I say the threat passed on the first night. I¡¯ve been¡­keeping count of the Wyverns and I estimate that you caught them in the height of feeding season at three hundred or so adults. If you were to leave now, I could safely say that the remaining adults would be unable to feed the vast majority and we would be back to normal numbers.¡±

    ¡°Again, Master T. Ippoph,¡± Petra said, ¡°Get to the point.¡±

    ¡°I would like to pay you directly,¡± Chip said, ¡°You¡¯re never going to get the rest of your payout from my miser of a father. Of course, you were supposed to be here two weeks from now so there would be fewer to kill. Which is why this problem gets so out of hand! He never asks for adventurers until he sees how bad the problem is, and by the time they arrive, the youth have been fed and are hunting elsewhere on their own. Every year it¡¯s-¡±

    Petra cleared her throat.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Chip composed himself, ¡°As I was saying, I would like to pay you one hundred gold on top of your contracted headcount amounts if you clear the nest before the end of the week.¡±

    ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± Petra said, ¡°Do we not get our full pay?¡±

    ¡°Heavens no.¡± Chip said, ¡°I¡¯m not so position-obsessed as to forget that you could level this town on a whim. No, the one hundred gold is extra for doing the job quickly.¡±

    ¡°And why would you want us out of here?¡± Petra said, ¡°Seems like we¡¯re useful for more than Wyverns. If we want to stay longer, surely our presence is an assurance.¡±

    ¡°Two reasons,¡± Chip said, ¡°One, my father is liable to do something stupid. Two, something stupid like connecting the dots if you know what I mean. I don¡¯t want you two¡¯s kind of trouble in this town.¡± Chip T. Ippoph looked Petra and Clara dead in the eyes. ¡°We¡¯d be praying for the Wyverns at that point.¡±

    Petra sucked her teeth and grimaced, then said ¡°All the way out here? How much.¡±

    ¡°Ten thousand,¡± Chip said, ¡°Each. For your ¡®safe return¡¯.¡±

    Petra snorted and said ¡°All right, you¡¯ve made your point. We¡¯ll be out by this time next week unless something goes wrong.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Chip sagged, ¡°And to help you along, I¡¯ll give you a hint.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Petra said, ¡°And what would that be? A cryptic riddle?¡±

    ¡°Hardly,¡± Chip pulled a tube from his pocket, ¡°it¡¯s a map.¡±

 Chapter 29: Drift Digging Down Deep

    Jasson was, by all reasonable definitions, not skilled with singing. It came to him in remixed memories from countless stitches and TikTiks. Jasson had the same familiarity with rhythm as an Olympic diver has with skydiving. Same jump, different landing. But some things have required singing since the olden days and beyond, calling to soul and mind with the rhythmic swing.

    ¡°I am a dwarf and I''m digging a hole,¡± Jasson¡¯s voice echoed through the tunnel, ¡°Diggy, diggy, hole. Diggy, diggy, hole!¡±

    Pop!

    About three cubed feet of stone in front of Jasson crumbled and then popped into a fist-sized cube, floating and gently spinning. Jasson grinned, kicking the cube towards Clara and pressing the pickaxe button on his phone. Jasson ¡®sung¡¯ and MADaptation made the familiar soft tapping noises until-

    Pop!

    ¡°We really do need to get you singing lessons,¡± Clara said, ¡°but if it helps you work then-¡±

    ¡°SHUT UUUP!!!¡± Petra¡¯s shrill scream ripped down the tunnel from the cavern beyond. Tortured tears tearing through her voice and carrying to Jasson and Clara at the end of the tunnel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her,¡± Clara said, ¡°Just keep going.¡±

    ¡°I mean-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Clara said, raising her voice for Petra to hear, ¡°Petra¡¯s unreasonable sometimes. You¡¯re singing isn''t that bad.¡±

    ¡°YES IT IS!¡± Petra shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually better at dancing,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I-¡±

    ¡°Focus, please.¡± Clara said, ¡°We have another hundred feet left to go until we reach the cavern.¡±

    ¡°So another thirty-three  cubes,¡± Jasson said, focusing on the wall again, ¡°I hope we get lucky. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Jasson didn¡¯t know what to expect when he had plugged an Earth Crystal into MADaptation. The light crystal had given Jasson everything from a laser pointer to a tactical nuke, so the earth crystal might do anything. But when the app opened one of the buttons leapt out to Jasson. It was in the familiar shape of a blocky, pixelated pickaxe.

    The ability was something straight out of Minycraft, but like Minycraft it required Jasson to focus his on the same cube of stone for the duration. And, despite having a pickaxe in the logo, the speed was not that of even a wood pickaxe in Minycraft. It took around 8 seconds per block, and Jasson found that singing helped keep him focus. Thankfully, it only took 1-2 percent of his battery per block.

    Pop!

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Clara scooped up the tiny block, ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡±

    Jasson nodded and moved to the next cube in his path, ¡°I am a dwarf and I¡¯m digging a hole! Diggy, diggy, hole. Digging a hole!¡±

    Pop!

    ¡°The sixtieth block,¡± Clara said, ¡°Keep going! This is really awesome.¡±

    ¡°It makes me wish for a wood pickaxe,¡± Jasson grunted, moving to the next box. ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to jitterclick.¡±

    Pop!

    ¡°Why?¡± Clara said, ¡°And why a wood one? Pickaxing is less effective than what you¡¯re doing. Even if I¡¯m the one swinging!¡±

    Pop!

    Jasson grinned and said, ¡°Any kind of pickaxe speeds up mining through stone in Minycraft. I¡¯ll show you the app later. I don¡¯t think a pickaxe could work in this case, unfortunately.¡±

    Stolen novel; please report.

    Pop!

    ¡°It¡¯s cool that these blocks are so little,¡± Clara said, picking up the sixty-third block, ¡°I can carry hundreds of these, even without my Locker! So much easier for clearing rock.¡±

    Pop!

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Petra¡¯s portion of this tunnel took way longer. What has it been, ten minutes?. It¡¯s awesome to be better than-¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­Hey! What?!¡± Clara said, ¡°I can¡¯t pick this one up!¡±

    Clara was trying to grab the small cube but her fingers just slipped off. Jasson frowned and squatted down.

    ¡°Really?¡± Jasson reached out, ¡°I can pick it up just fine, see? Here.¡±

    Jasson put the cube in Clara¡¯s outstretched hand, but it fell to the ground. Straight through her hand.

    ¡°OH, that''s disturbing!¡± Clara backed away, ¡°What do you think happened?¡±

    Jasson slapped his forehead, saying ¡°I¡¯m an idiot. You must only have one inventory slot, and you¡¯ve picked up sixty-four Cobblestone. A full stack. Just take the others back to the entrance and dump them, you can¡¯t carry anymore.¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡± Clara stood, ¡°I¡¯m nowhere near my limit! And it went through my hand!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just how the game works,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m going to keep mining while you¡¯re gone.¡±

    Clara hesitated, then nodded and left. Jasson resumed singing, pulling a different song from his repertoire of masticated remixed songs, and continued digging.

    ¡°Diggy, diggy, hol-¡±

    ¡°NOO!¡± Petra shrieked, ¡°It¡¯s not worth it! Get out of the way Harriett! Move if you know what¡¯s good for yo- of course you don¡¯t. Clara! Let me at him Clara! I¡¯ll finish the tunneling. I¡¯ll work overtime on this! I promise-¡±

    ¡°Have you tried plugging your ears?¡± Clara said, ¡°Maybe hum your own tune.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Petra wailed, weak from suffering, ¡°I even made an isolated sphere! It penetrates everything! It''s a chorus from Hell! I¡¯m beginning to feel it erode my soul!¡±

    Jasson smiled mischievously and sang a bit louder. It really did help him focus.

    ****

    The now familiar stretch of road disappeared into the carved chasm ahead. The party was spread out, Harriet and Clara skipping in the lead, Jasson the middle of the pack for once with a haggard Petra behind him. Jasson looked at the steep cliffs splitting the mountain in two and raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°I take it that a few earth mages carved this,¡± Jasson said, pointing to the pass through the mountain.

    Petra sulked so Clara said ¡°Yeah. It would have taken a few months to carve this much away. Probably some project from the past forty years.¡±

    ¡°It looks ancient though,¡± Jasson said, ¡°The wind has carved it up and everything. Or is that normal for earth mages to put in on purpose?¡±

    ¡°The wind?¡± Clara said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was possible. Huh. How old do you think it is?¡±

    Jasson waved his hand and said ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t want to learn. It¡¯s not like it has a Whykipedia article. I¡¯m too tired after a long day of tunneling to nothing.¡±

    ¡°Nothing! It was so unfortunate!¡± Harriet said, ¡°Hours of digging and torture for nothing more than an empty cavern. And we¡¯ll have to suffer even more tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t much of a chance in the first place,¡± Petra growled, ¡°And tomorrow, you and I are going to check out the Wyvern cave Chip told us about. Clara can keep digging with the idiot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how far I can go at a time,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I burned through most of my battery today, and that was the closest cavern. It took forever towards the end, with how I had to stop and charge every two blocks. I need to find Ellie pronto.¡±

    ¡°You do that,¡± Petra said.

    Jasson kept drip-charging his phone and looked around as the conversation moved away from him. They were in the old gorge and he¡¯d be able to make out the smooth divos the wind carved in the side of the cliff. Maybe he¡¯d find an article about how much wind could carve over time and-

    ¡°Uh, guys.¡± Jasson said, pointing, ¡°I¡¯m not going crazy, right? Those weren¡¯t there this morning, were they?¡±

    The whole group turned to follow Jasson¡¯s finger and landed on a series of marks on the cliffside. Long gouges in sets of four covered nearly the entire cliff face. They were claw marks. Not a simple few marks, spaced in ominous and distinct patches. These were covering nearly the entire cliff face, gouging into grey stone like it was clay.

    ¡°What could have made these?¡± Jasson said, agape.

    They turned to Petra who shook her head and said, ¡°Look, I¡¯m not a monster specialist. We should hurry to town in case it¡¯s around here. Jasson and I are in no shape to fight something like that.¡±

    They turned to Harriet, who said ¡°Beats me. Looks like a really hard fight though. Might get a good scar.¡±

    ¡°Those claw marks go above fifty feet!¡± Clara said, ¡°I agree with Petra. We are not up to fighting something like that!¡±

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s not attacking the city like yesterday,¡± Jasson said, ¡°It would shred through the defenses.¡±

    ¡°You just had to say that!¡± Petra said, ¡°You¡¯ve jinxed us. It¡¯s over! We¡¯ll crest that same hill and find nothing but a smoking city. Idiot.¡±

    Harriet said, ¡°I¡¯ll run ahead and check!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, ¡°We stick together.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s walk quicker,¡± Clara said as they huddled together.

    They crested the hill from the day before, nearly sprinting from the road to the view of the city. By this point yesterday they could hear the sound of battle, but now? Nothing. Jasson¡¯s gut twisted and his hair started to stand. This couldn¡¯t turn out well.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Harriet had gone ahead and fell to her knees, ¡°Oh no!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Clara burst from the group and reached Harriett, sword in hand, ¡°What happened- oh you!¡±

    Clara slapped Harriett over the head as the rest of them crested the hill. Jasson¡¯s heart pounded painfully as he beheld a scene of absolute peace. The animals were grazing, teams of workers cleaned up the rabbit corpses, and a distinct lack of chaos permeated the fields.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± Petra slapped Harriett over the head, ¡°You about gave me a heart attack, you freak.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I let my imagination go too wild.¡±

    Jasson laughed, grinning widely as he said ¡°I guess we¡¯re off duty for the second shift today then. I¡¯ll take it!¡±

    ¡°Go get your crystal charged by Ellie,¡± Petra said, ¡°We don¡¯t know when an attack could be coming.¡±

    ¡°Roger that,¡± Jasson skipped into the valley. His heart fluttered for a different reason. Ellie was quite beautiful, after all.

 Prep Week

    Hey, I want to take extra time to really perfect this chapter for you. Big things are happening and I want to do them justice. I can hardly wait to share with you Chapter 30: Fallin¡¯ Down.

    Thanks,

    Mani Fisher

    and for the character requirement: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

 Chapter 30: Fallen Down

    Breakfast was on the go as Jasson raced to charge his phone, bursting from the fort and nearly tripping on a shard of lumber. Jasson stumbled, barely catching both himself and his breakfast as he skipped to a stop and looked around. The golf tee-like defensive structures lay shredded and scorched across the town square, as if torn apart by a series of lightning bolts that absolutely hated wood.

    Jasson dropped his toast.

    ¡°Petra!¡± Jasson called into the keep, ¡°Clara! You-uh¡­you gotta see this.¡±

    ¡°Woah¡­¡±

    Pinesmoke hung in the air like a Souls-game fog and Jasson could barely make out the other side of the square. A thousand Boy Scout campfires wrung Jasson¡¯s nose as his eyes started to water and he coughed. Yet there was no burning sensation from his lungs, nor was it getting harder to breathe.

    Wait a second. Jasson thought. Do I not have asthma anymore?! Sick!

    ¡°There you are!¡± Lord Ippoph hurried up to them, ¡°Where were you?! We lost all of our defenses last night! We can¡¯t even rebuild since Scotty is incapacitated and our entire true-lumber supply went up in smoke! Literally! Why didn¡¯t you do anything?!¡±

    ¡°The town was attacked?¡± Petra said. ¡°But we didn¡¯t hear a thing.¡±

    ¡°Obviously!¡± Lord Ippoph said, sighing and wringing his hands, ¡°No one heard anything. It was completely by surprise!¡±

    Lord Ippoph motioned to where the defenses had been, saying ¡°Someone quite strong wanted to destroy our defenses, and they did so without raising a single alarm. Clever that they¡¯d destroy our aerial defenses. I shall have Ellie pivot back to the raid lights at night and authorize a guard unit to escort Scotty up to the hot springs. Perhaps he will recover from building the wall in time to rebuild. Of course, first we must resume logging operations to the north and fix the carts before- oh¡­I do hope that we don¡¯t get attacked by anything too destructive. It would take years to rebuild if it was another swarm of wyverns. Or worse, a dragon! We¡¯d have to abandon the city and-¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like whoever the enemy is can control monsters,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Is that¡­likely?¡±

    ¡°It is not unheard of,¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°In fact, I believe that there is a terrorist organization that specializes in monster attacks. I have been blessed by the ten gods not to have had to deal with them, so I don¡¯t know much more. But since this was a systematic destruction of our aerial and ground defenses¡­well we might have to activate the old devices. But it does cost so much money¡­¡±

    ¡°Old devices?¡± Petra said, ¡°Do you have an Aegis here?!¡±

    ¡°An ancient one, yes.¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°So it only takes Natural Mana crystals for power. Abysmal prices for those. Thankfully the Natural Elemental Crystals in the device bear no signs of wearing out, not that we¡¯d know how to replace them if they did.¡±

    ¡°And you haven¡¯t used it yet?!¡± Petra stalked up to Lord Ippoph, ¡°You¡¯ve been risking the lives of your entire population when you''ve had an Ancient Ageis all along?! Why?!¡±

    Lord Ippoph straightened, doing his best to tower over the shorter Petra. This effect was rather spoiled by his nervous fiddling and the strange amount of sweat dripping from him. It had not been a good day for Lord Ippoph.

    ¡°Young woman,¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you read of Agei in your books, but I can assure you it¡¯s more complicated than tha-¡±

    Petra glared, looming over Lord Ippoph¡¯s diminutive personality as she said, ¡°Insert the Mana Crystals at a forty-five-degree angle. One clockwise turn for every hundred feet of radius. A nearly impenetrable shield will form around the city and surrounding area, depending on the strength of the mana crystals and settings within the machine itself. It¡¯s your choice to sacrifice your citizen¡¯s lives instead of making the ¡®complicated¡¯ choice, which certainly has nothing to do with the complexity of the process itself.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Lord Ippoph said, dabbing at his sweat, ¡°It¡¯s easy in theory. What¡¯s not easy is the increase of taxes required to pay for twenty-five thousand gold worth of crystals. Even you must ag-¡±

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have extras on hand?!¡± Petra said, ¡°You¡¯re just¡­hoping that you don¡¯t have to use it? When was the last time you even checked if it worked?!¡±

    Lord Ippoph glanced around, and Jasson saw that no one was listening.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like your tone,¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°I replaced the crystals twenty years ago, and the machine has worked perfectly well for thousands of years. There¡¯s no need to waste money testing it every ten years. Now enough. The matter is finished. I expect you four to-¡±

    ¡°EVERY TEN-¡± Petra spun away from Lord Ippoph and stalked into town, ¡°I¡¯m going. Somewhere. Harriett, come on. We¡¯ll head to that cave afterward.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Clara hurried after Petra, ¡°you need to come with us! We need a change of plans!¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Petra said, stalking further, ¡°The idiot can sing on his own. I¡¯m not doing that again!¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Clara waved to Jasson, ¡°Go on ahead to the cave. You too, Harriett. We¡¯ll catch up.¡±

    Jasson nodded dumbly. Lord Ippoph turned to Jasson and said ¡°I need you to gather lumber from the forest to the north. We must rebuild our defenses with true-lumber as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s true lumber?¡± Jasson said.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Lord Ippoph glanced at Petra¡¯s disappearing back and sighed, turning back to Jasson.

    ¡°True-lumber is just normal wood,¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°The wall you saw surrounding the town is created by mana, and is fleeting in existence. Even if the wall hadn¡¯t been destroyed today, it would have disappeared in three days without Scotty¡¯s intervention. He¡¯s a treasure to this town, despite his¡­excentricities. Oh¡­I do hope he recovers quickly¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I hope you pay him well.¡± Jasson said, sidling past Lord Ippoph, ¡°and..ah¡­I¡¯ll get back to you about those trees.¡±

    ¡°Be sure to gather at least one hundred trees of lumber,¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°It¡¯s the least you could do to make up for not stopping what happened last night. Just don¡¯t take them all from the same area.¡±

    Yeah, right. Jasson thought. We have less than a week here. I don¡¯t have time for side quests.

    ****

    ¡°This isn¡¯t satisfying!¡± Harriett whined, ¡°Come on! Can¡¯t these be any heavier?!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re literally floating blocks,¡± Jasson said, ¡°be glad that they have any weight at all.¡±

    Pop!

    ¡°Okay,¡± Harriet sighed, scooping up the next block, ¡°I¡¯ll bear with this humiliation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Jasson said, ¡°How many have you picked up?¡±

    Pop!

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Harriet said, ¡°not enough.¡±

    ¡°Well, you have a limit,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Besides, it could be dangerous with how it phased through Clara. Best stay safe. You wouldn¡¯t want to lose your fingers to a tiny cube, would you?¡±

    Pop!

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Harriett slung the bag over her shoulder, ¡°Should I take a look outside the cave while I¡¯m gone? Should only take a minute.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Jasson said, ¡°See if you can find Petra and Clara. I¡¯m glad we marked the next tunnel on the wall, but I¡¯d like to know if I¡¯m going the right way.¡±

    ¡°She said it was this way and down.¡± Harriett said, ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±

    ¡°Not much,¡± Jasson admitted, completing the jinx, ¡°Even if I miss, I¡¯ll be close.¡±

    Harriett waved goodbye before blurring away, and Jasson took to singing as he mined. He still had around half his battery. Maybe he should buy the extra battery tomorrow? The extra twenty percent could be handy and would let him go just a bit farther than-

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Jasson said, finishing the next three feet of progress,  ¡°Is that¡­water?¡±

    Jasson tried to pinpoint the sound, a loud burbling that seemed to echo through the tunnel, and stepped forward onto the space of tunnel he¡¯d just finished clearing.

    CRACK!

    The floor disappeared, and Jasson flailed and flung his phone as he scrambled to catch himself on the passing ground. Jasson just managed to dig his fingers into the stone as the sound of rushing water filled the feral parts of Jasson¡¯s mind, nearly drowning his sense of reason.

    ¡°HELP!!!¡± Jasson screamed, ¡°HEEEELP!!!¡±

    Jasson slipped and his heels dipped into freezing water, the rapids hauling at Jasson¡¯s shoes. Jasson dug his chin into the stone and clawed desperately, tearing his fingernails against the stone as he pulled himself one miraculous inch closer to safety.

    I¡¯m not going to die! Jasson thought. Not this way, not this soon!

    ¡°AEAEEAAUU!¡± Jasson tore his throat as he ripped his fingers against the stone, pulling his feet free of the water. The next inch came easier without the river tearing at him, and Jasson panted and dug his chin into the stone again. He could do this! He could-

    Crack!

    The floor beneath Jasson¡¯s chin crumpled away, and Jasson felt a sharp pain as his entire body weight came down on his nose. White flashed across his vision before heartless waters consumed Jasson.

    ¡°Warning.¡± The voice in his head piped up for the first time in a week. ¡°Lethal situation imminent. Emergency measu-¡±

    The river threw Jasson against a rock, and everything went black. (Well, blacker. It wasn¡¯t terribly bright in an underground river.)

    ****

    It could be said that Petra was quick of temper, but what takes heat easily must then release it easily. Clara got Petra to calm down within a few minutes of her stalking off, although she could be described as still scalding in temperature.

    ¡°It¡¯s an Aegis!¡± Petra said for the tenth time, taking a bite of bread Clara had gotten, ¡°A real *&%#*&^  Aegis! And not one of the new ones! And it¡¯s being just¡­neglected! I have half a mind to seize this town for ourselves and rebuild our House here.¡±

    Petra looked around guiltily to see if anyone was there. The two of them were approaching the walls, which lay shredded and scattered across the field. Some chunks remained intact, but not enough to be considered anything beyond a detour. Portions were still on fire, but the smoke was starting to clear as they left town.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea,¡± Clara said, ¡°An Ancient Aegis is a heck of a lot better than what we¡¯ll have at the mansion one day. And the mountains here provide an excellent defensive bulwark against any invading force.¡±

    Petra snorted and said, ¡°You know full well that they wouldn¡¯t send an army after us. Just some quiet shadows. Or monsters, like they already have.¡±

    Clara nodded and said, ¡°Hard for an Aegis to work when they¡¯re already inside the barrier, sending lizard men up from a hive in the sewers.¡±

    Petra said, ¡°Yup. This is too much space for us to defend to that level, even if we have the cooperation of the citizens.¡±

    ¡°We might be able to guarantee peace with Jasson¡¯s ability,¡± Clara said, ¡°An ¡®If you don¡¯t leave us alone we¡¯ll turn your city into dust and shadow¡¯ kinda thing.¡±

    Petra laughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s unusually dark for you Clara. But no, I don¡¯t have the hear-¡±

    Suddenly Clara bolted to the side, pulling a stunned Petra behind her like a disgruntled flag as she dashed back into the city. Petra¡¯s head spun but she knew better than to fight back against her twin. Once they were nestled between crates behind a building, Petra waited for Clara to explain herself. Still, she couldn¡¯t keep the dread from souring her breakfast with bile. There was only one real reason for Clara to do this, and Petra fiddled nervously with the crystals on her gloves.

    ¡°be ready to run on three,¡± Clara whispered, ¡°one¡­two¡­¡±

    The pause stretched as Petra prepared herself to sprint, tiny healing crystal ready as she forced herself not to hold her breath.

    ¡°Th-¡±

    Petra tensed, ready to bolt when Clara pushed them both to the ground. They lay, frozen on the ground for what felt like an eternity before Clara started to crawl away. Petra followed closely, forcing herself not to spit out the dust she¡¯d gotten in her mouth. They crept deeper into the city, and Petra breathed hard. She knew exactly who it was. She¡¯d caught a glimpse of them.

    ¡°All right,¡± Clara whispered, standing up, ¡°I think we can talk now.¡±

    ¡°What the *&^%?!¡± Petra said, dusting herself off and massaging a scrape, ¡°Why are they here?! Them personally?!¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± Clara shook her head, then tested a house¡¯s door handle. It swung open and they walked in, ¡°I thought that it was just a representative I saw at first. Thankfully they were carrying that stupid banner, so I don¡¯t think they saw us.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s so random!¡± Petra said, ¡°I understand if they showed up in Stalt, but Smill?! And in person?!¡±

    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re not here for us.¡± Clara said, ¡°Jasson did gather quite a bit of attention. A great mage in any city would be worth a detour.¡±

    ¡°But what if they ask about us?!¡± Petra said, ¡°It¡¯s not as if there¡¯s a lot of identical twins with an earth mage and berserker!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they noticed my berserker,¡± Clara said, ¡°but¡­you¡¯re right. Makes me wish I could eavesdrop on them.¡±

    ¡°Harriett would be perfect,¡± Petra said, ¡°And we could fit in her bag.¡±

    ¡°Unless she was the one that tipped them off,¡± Clara said darkly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get like that,¡± Petra said, ¡°It¡¯s not good for you. That Ippoph kid is more likely than Harriett. We¡¯ll just have to find a way out of this.¡±

    ¡°Or win,¡± Clara said, ¡°I only saw two of them.¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re here for us then there¡¯s more,¡± Petra said, ¡°With one watching the skies. And a battle here would cause too much collateral damage. I doubt that there¡¯d be much of a town left.¡±

    Clara nodded and sighed, saying ¡°Thanks for grounding me, sis. Still¡­I better keep out of sight of them. You know how I am when I¡¯m in a rage.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Petra said, ¡°For right now, let¡¯s focus on heading out to the cave to regroup. Get Jasson and Harriett, then regroup. We have enough supplies for three days if we stretch things with the four of us, and I doubt that they could find us in these mountains.¡±

    ¡°What if we get lost?¡± Clara said, ¡°We won¡¯t be able to just fly out, they¡¯ll be watching the skies.¡±

    ¡°One step at a time,¡± Petra said, ¡°For now, let¡¯s focus on just-¡±

    Knock-knock-knock

 Chapter 31: Lay It Down

    Mankind may swear at heaven for the turns of fate, yet it is Lady Luck who giggles as your phone drops in the toilet. Misfortune comes in unexpected ways, disappointment comes from the direction of dread. And in the twisting ridiculous rolls of the dice, between coincidence and couldn¡¯t-get-any-worse, Death waits with a shining coin flipping from bony fingers.

    Ting!

    ¡°It¡¯s heads.¡± Death said, turning from the sodden boy as he glided away.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Charon said, ¡°You never said which side would let him live.¡±

    ¡°Heads.¡± Death couldn¡¯t stop smiling, no skull can, ¡°Stay with him. He could ¡®need a ride¡¯ at any moment once he wakes. Kami-chan sure does like to¡­meddle.¡±

    *****

    Petra nodded to Clara, who stepped carefully to the side of the door. A floorboard squeaked and they froze.

    KNOCKKNOCKKNOCK

    ¡°Scott!¡± Someone said from the other side of the door, ¡°I know you¡¯re in there! We have guests and need every mage in attendance.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Scott¡¯s voice shouted from in the house, ¡°I¡¯m in the bathroom!¡±

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll come around!¡±

    A few moments passed before Petra heard ¡°Lord Ippoph needs you at the castle. We have distinguished guests. Clean up and dress in your finest clothing.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Scott sang out, ¡°I will be by in thirty splendid minutes.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t sing on the toilet,¡± the voice said, ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in the shower now!¡± Scott said.

    Clara and Petra huddled together after a couple of minutes.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Clara said, ¡°Ask Scott for help? He is quite powerful.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s exhausted,¡± Petra said, ¡°You saw that defensive wall! He grew almost the entire thing! He can¡¯t have a drop of Mana left.¡±

    The shower turned off and Petra motioned Clara away from the door.

    ¡°We need to make a choice,¡± Petra said, ¡°he could be out any second. Do we involve him?¡±

    ¡°Could you give him one of your Mana Crystals?¡± Clara said, ¡°That should give him an extra wind.¡±

    ¡°Only if his mind isn¡¯t fried,¡± Petra shook her head, ¡°it¡¯s only been a couple of days! I mean, I trust him well enough, but it¡¯s one of their sons! There¡¯s no way Scott is up to that level of risk, otherwise I¡¯d ask him.¡±

    Clara said, ¡°But weren¡¯t those spring waters really good for rejuvenation? He could have rejuvenated faster than we thought.¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± Petra said, ¡°It was better than a Mana bath. Probably runs through some Mana crystals in addition to the fire ones. Honestly, this place should be overrun by mages. A hundred gold per path, you know? I wonder why.¡±

    ¡°We do our best not to spread the word,¡± Scott said, ¡°This town would be ruined like Larill to the north. Could you imagine the tourists?! Disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Larill?¡± Petra said, ¡°You¡¯re saying that these hot springs are similar to the Font of Rejuvenation?!¡±

    ¡°Better,¡± Scott said, ¡°These get automatically cooled by the twin spring. Always ready for a dip. Although that does mean they are less densely effective, but if you need to you can stick to the hotter side for more-¡±

    Petra and Clara turned their heads slowly to Scott, who stood in shirtless splendor.

    ¡°AH!¡± Petra and Clara leaped back from Scott, ¡°How long have you been here?¡±

    ¡°Just a bit.¡± Scott said, drying his hair as water beaded on his six-pack, ¡°I thought you were here to visit me? Wish me good health, that kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Petra said, ¡°You look fine.¡±

    ¡°I assure you,¡± Scott said, draping his towel over his head and bending double, ¡°I am afflicted by a most potent discomfort. My magnum of ability has been humbled to a sliver of my original power. Less than a tenth of my robust health!¡±

    Petra looked Scott up and down and said, ¡°So, pretty powerful still?¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Scott grinned and winked, tightened the cord on his pants, and said ¡°Let me grab a shirt, then we¡¯ll discuss how I can help.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Petra said, ¡°We¡¯re fine without it.¡±

    Scott blushed and turned around, saying ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re making me self-conscious. I¡¯m going to put my shirt on anyway, thank you. Hold on for a sec.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not-¡± Petra said, but Scott had already rushed into his room.

    ¡°Aww,¡± Clara said, ¡°He¡¯s shy. I didn¡¯t know you were into muscles, Petra. He does have some very nice ones.¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Petra said, ¡°I was talking about his help, not his shirt. And we- don¡¯t give me that look! I appreciate mental muscles, not astounding ones glistening from a shower.¡±

    Clara shrugged then said, ¡°Think we can trust him?¡±

    Petra frowned for a second before saying ¡°Yeah, oddly. But it doesn¡¯t matter since we need to get past the lookouts and he can help.¡±

    Clara scowled and said ¡°You better be ri-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m baack!¡± Scott sang, striding out in a loose white button-up shirt. ¡°Now how can I help you lovely ladies.¡±

    Petra looked at Clara and sighed. Clara¡¯s judgment would be thrown off when she was in a mood like this. How much had Clara liked Scott before? They didn¡¯t get to spend much time but¡­ Petra hated to admit how much she relied on Clara¡¯s impressions of people. She always seemed to be right. Almost always anyway.

    ¡°The ¡®dignitaries¡¯ that just arrived,¡± Petra said, implying with tone that dignity stuck to the visitors via a ten foot pole, ¡°They¡¯re¡­well they¡¯re not exactly after us right now. I don¡¯t think they know we¡¯re here. But if the leader finds us¡­ well we¡¯re not going quietly and he¡¯d turn this town into a warzone to get us. They have people on watch for us, so it would be hard to get past them guarding the ways out. But we want to go regroup with the others outside of the city.¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡± Scott said, ¡°Some kind of noble¡¯s guard? Or are they the type that do the dirty work?¡±

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Petra said, ¡°They specialize in poisons. Can you help us?¡±

    Scott seemed to think for a moment then said, ¡°All right, but for a price. Nothing unreasonable, I¡¯d just like to know the truth. Not necessarily all the details, but I want to hear your stories. To understand the four of you.¡±

    Petra hesitated, then said ¡°I¡¯m not going to be upfront about everything, but I will answer when asked. I can¡¯t speak for the others though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± Scott stretched out his arms and walked to the door, ¡°All right, let¡¯s begin.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Petra said, ¡°aren¡¯t you going to ask us stuff?¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡± Scott bowed to them, ¡°A gentleman never demands payment from a woman first. Where would the world be if we went around doing that? Besides, I have an idea. It will be several hours though, so you best get comfortable.¡±

    ****

    When Jasson awoke, he did not ¡®cough¡¯. He did not ¡®vomit¡¯ the water from his lungs. These words are too tame, too Hollywood. When Jasson awoke, he expunged water from his lungs in a series of explosive eruptions that were his impression of a wheezing machine gun.

    Dodoo!

    Years of reflex sent his shaking hand into his pocket, pulling out his phone and checking his notifications. A little green bat waved at him.

    Didn¡¯t I lose this? Jasson thought as he forced bleary eyes to read the text.

    Lingo here! You have ten minutes left before you lose your four-day streak. Log in and spend five minutes to prevent losing your streak!

    ¡°Yeah right,¡± Jasson wheezed and rolled onto his back, ¡°I almost died. It¡¯s a break day today.¡±

    Dodoo!

    You really should do it. It¡¯s just five minutes and a bit of discipline. Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this? No one likes a quiter.

    ¡°What the heck?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Did Do-A-Lingo get even more aggressive?¡±

    Dooo!

    Remember, discipline lasts moments while regret lasts forever. And scars take years to fade.

    Jasson rolled his eyes, unsettled, and looked around at the darkness. He turned on his flashlight (something that took several tries due to the wet screen) and pointed it to the water he heard to his left. It wasn¡¯t flowing fast anymore, but he wasn¡¯t in it anymore. How had he gotten ashore? Jasson paned to his right, greystone ceiling was far enough above for him to walk and-

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re awake!¡±

    ¡°AHHH!¡±

    Jasson would have jumped out of his skin, but even his bones were waterlogged so he squelched further onto the floor. He looked over to see a man in a riding jacket and jeans, half alive and half bleached bone. A gruesome smile curved between life and death as the man spun his keys on his finger.

    ¡°Charon?!¡± Jasson said, surprise replacing what dread he should have.

    ¡°I was wondering how long it would take,¡± Charon chuckled, ¡°I guess you¡¯ve got a diesel engine under your hood. You¡¯re a bit of a self-starter.¡±

    Jasson coughed up more water and Charon said ¡°Plus, you¡¯re resistant to water.¡±

    Something about Charon wasn¡¯t as frightening anymore. Perhaps it was the jokes, a general good natured feeling from the half-man, or perhaps it was Jasson¡¯s new familiarity with death.

    ¡°Very funny,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m just dying over here.¡±

    Jasson struggled to his feet, feeling the world sway as Charon chuckled.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to get a ride out of here, would I?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Or would it be too expensive.¡±

    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s cheap,¡± Charon said, and Jasson got his hopes up before Charon pointed to the river.

    Jasson pointed his phone at the water and saw an ethereal black boat with a coffin on it, baroque carvings bearing its purpose along the length of the barge.

    ¡°It¡¯s just two pennies on the eyes,¡± Charon said, ¡°Then you can leave whenever you want.¡±

    ¡°No thanks,¡± Jasson said, shivering and stepping away from the river, ¡°I¡¯ll figure my own way out.¡±

    ¡°Good choice,¡± Charon said. ¡°I¡¯d get walking though. You only have so much energy left.¡±

    Jasson swiveled and scanned the room. There was no other way to go than to follow the river.

    I doubt I can make it upstream, Jasson thought, although that¡¯s the most likely direction for rescue. But¡­I can¡¯t just sit around.

    Jasson held his phone awkwardly as he started to pick up rocks, arranging them along the ground. Jasson¡¯s torn fingers ached and Jasson realized that he was missing two of his nails. They ached, but the cold had numbed the worst of it.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Charon said.

    ¡°Making an arrow.¡± Jasson said, placing the point, ¡°That way they¡¯ll know to keep looking.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Charon said, ¡°They¡¯re a little busy right now.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson paused, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Ooh,¡± Charon mimed zipping his lip, ¡°Spoilers. Suffice it to say that their little ¡®plan¡¯ won¡¯t be enough. Clever though.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Jasson said, stomping towards the escort of the dead, ¡°They¡¯re in danger?! Is that why they were late? What about Harriett?!¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Charon said, ¡°Maybe they will be victorious.¡±

    Jasson threw up his hands and turned away, saying ¡°Why are you even here? Don¡¯t you have better things to do?¡±

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m doing them,¡± Charon grinned, ¡°I¡¯m one of those ¡®wherever they¡¯re needed¡¯ beings, that¡¯s where my influence is anyway. With anyone that ¡®needs a ride¡¯. And I¡¯m always early, just in case they chose an earlier departure.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you near me?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m obviously not dead.¡±

    ¡°I like to be early, remember?¡± Charon said, ¡°And no, I don¡¯t know when you¡¯re going to die. But¡­do you know the phrase ¡®walking with death¡¯? Well, Death¡¯s not the hiking type. So, instead of a near-Death experience, you¡¯re having a near-Me experience. And so is everyone else I can see, they just don¡¯t know it yet.¡±

    ¡°Everyone else,¡± Jasson turned back and looked Charon dead in the eye/empty socket, ¡°And you only know what¡¯s going on around those that are near death? That¡¯s what ¡®influence¡¯ means, right?¡±

    ¡°Oho!¡± Charon said, ¡°Where¡¯s the quiet little boy I picked up in River town? You¡¯ve got a head on your spine.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m right,¡± Jasson said, ¡°The only reason you¡¯d believe that their plan wouldn¡¯t work is that you¡¯re walking beside them as well.¡±

    Charon just smiled and held a finger up, saying ¡°Bingo, but more complicated than that.¡±

    Jasson stood, stunned, then said ¡°Tell me then. Can you see the future?¡±

    Charon¡¯s face straightened and he said ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Jasson stomped down the river trail, ¡°I¡¯m getting out of here, I¡¯m going back to Smill, and I¡¯m going to save their lives. Then-¡±

    Jasson chuckled and said, ¡°Then we¡¯ll be even.¡±

 Chapter 32: Down to the Bone

    Cavernous depths have a way of making you feel claustrophobic. Dark ceilings loom, a stone arch being all that keeps ten million tons from covering your sins in eternal slumber. It is an inescapable fact that holes in the earth become a shelter in primarily the worst of times. Even in the best of times, ever since mankind left the cave, the unnerving dark became something that serves only as houses for the grave dead.

    Life does not thrive in the shivering dark.

    Cold breaths sang a dirge with the echoes of Jasson¡¯s lonely footsteps, like the beating of some death shaman¡¯s drum. Cold ached at Jasson¡¯s teeth and turned his blood lethargic in its duty. Cold fingers held a phone whose battery mimicked Jasson¡¯s own vitality. Cold waves lapped against the hull of the ferry as Charon walked with the dying. A scene that, with the warmest of lighting, would still seep a festering chill.

    If Charon would ever shut up.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have some kind of ¡®withdrawing ability¡¯ on that phone, do you?¡± Charon said, ¡°It¡¯s just, I can¡¯t take digital when it comes to my classical duties. Gotta be able to rub the coins together, ya know?¡±

    Jasson shivered hard enough to nod and Charon said ¡°Yes what? Yes, you have an app for that?¡±

    ¡°Yes I get it,¡± Jasson mumbled, ¡°No, I don¡¯t have an app. I did put twenty gold in my VenGo recently, but there¡¯s no way to get it out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine.¡± Charon said, ¡°Cool, cool. I just¡­won¡¯t worry about getting you to the next life too quickly. You know?¡±

    Jasson sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to die. As long as I¡¯m feeling cold, I¡¯m not in hypothermia. And I can exercise to get warm.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Charon said, ¡°but just so you know, you¡¯re the closest you¡¯ve ever- actually no. You blew up. You¡¯re the second closest to death- no you blew yourself up that time. This is your third closest time to death- or me. And third time¡¯s the charm.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s fine,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I struck out the first time, so I should be good for one more swing this inning. Now if you¡¯re not going to help, then try not to be annoying.¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Charon said, ¡°Annoying! Nearly no one calls me that. Of course, they usually can¡¯t see me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Why can I see you?¡±

    Charon grinned and said ¡°Because I want you to. Besides, you might need-¡±

    ¡°A ride, I know.¡± Jasson said, ¡°And it is better to have you talking than just¡­there. And why can¡¯t you at least walk on the other side of me so I¡¯m not looking at your¡­dead half.¡±

    Charon shrugged, bony shoulder nearly touching skull, and said ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to. Why didn¡¯t you- ooh! That¡¯s fun!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, pausing and rubbing his arms.

    ¡°They¡¯re adding a twist!¡± Charon said, ¡°Wow! Gruesome! Your friends are hilarious! And dumb. But so is- oh?¡±

    ¡°Could you not react to things in real-time?¡± Jasson sped up, ¡°It¡¯s- er- spoilers!¡±

    ¡°Oh, but it¡¯s fun to watch you react,¡± Charon said, effortlessly striding to catch up to him, ¡°And besides, it might just work. You must like that!¡±

    Jasson growled then said, ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me, eh? What¡¯s wrong with spoilers? You can¡¯t even see into the future.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Charon said, ¡°I just think it would be cheating. Suffice it to say that the ones your friends are going against are¡­well their family is one of my best clients. You could call them Frequent Floaters.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Look, you¡¯re not getting any gold out of me like this. Is there any way I can buy a ride to the end of the tunnel?¡±

    Jasson saw Charon react and swiftly said ¡°Not ¡®the tunnel¡¯ just this one. I don¡¯t have any service here, so I can¡¯t order a BlUber.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Charon said, ¡°My car can bend a lot of laws of physics, but not driving through a solid wall. So it wouldn¡¯t fit on this path.¡±

    Jasson looked around and said, ¡°But this tunnel is more than big enough. Can¡¯t you drive in the river?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Charon said, ¡°I¡¯m not risking it. Don¡¯t want to drown the car.¡±

    Jasson rolled his eyes and said ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything smaller then? Like one of those electric scooters?¡±

    ¡°What? No! That¡¯s absurd.¡± Charon laughed, ¡°Besides, you¡¯d have to pay so much when your stop is just around the corner!¡±

    Jasson looked down the tunnel and said ¡°This is straight. There are no corners. It¡¯s a death reference, right.¡±

    Charon blinked and peered down the tunnel, then said ¡°Sorry about that. Divine sight, you know how it is. I have to say, you mortals have such pitiful vision.¡±

    ¡°So there is an end?¡± Jasson said, ¡°How far?¡±

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Oh, a minute or two,¡± Charan grinned, ¡°By car.¡±

    ****

    Hours later, beneath the hills of once war, a ghastly procession filed past smoking walls. The coffins of heroes passed beneath five gazes bearing capes of black bones. The signature change from city to field strips them of cover and safety and puts them proudly beneath the gaze bearing a cape of black bones. The personal guard of a noble house with a taste for blood and poison watches as the cortege approaches the only road to the north.

    ¡°Halt,¡± a voice shouted, deep and confidant, ¡°What are you bearing out?¡±

    @*&%, Petra thought.

    ¡°What do ya mean?¡± Scott¡¯s voice called, ¡°I¡¯m taking the bodies to be buried. And who are you to be asking us this, eh? You¡¯re not Lord Ippoph¡¯s men.¡±

    ¡°We serve the King!¡± The voice said, ¡°And I demand to see your burden.¡±

    ¡°You serve the king?!¡± Scott said, ¡°But¡­that¡¯s not the symbol of the king¡¯s guard. I seen it.¡±

    ¡°We serve him, but not directly,¡± The voice said, a little less confident, ¡°I¡¯ve just been ordered to check everything coming out of the city as of two hours ago.¡±

    ¡°Well fancy that,¡± Scott said, ¡°We been gathering the remains of our heroes for the past three hours. Funny that. You like seeing mangled dead bodies then? I guess it takes all types. But ya don¡¯t have to make up some frivolous ruling from a group we ain¡¯t heard of so ya can get an excited thrilll and one quarter a face.¡±

    Scott turned away and shouted ¡°ALL RIGHT FOLKS! Start bringing them by this fellow so he can get a gander. The freak.¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± the voice said, bargaining in his tone, ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this. It¡¯s just orders, alright? You don¡¯t gotta tell them that.¡±

    The guards were shuffling behind their leader, standing across the road in a make-shift wall of man and steel. The coffins approached them, and Scott waved the leader closer.

    ¡°Right,¡± Scott said, motioning for the townspeople to pull the lid off, ¡°Well, go ahead and have a look at this one. Gross, right? The flies have set in and- oh no. Don¡¯t throw up there! We gotta bury them in that! Oh, oh it¡¯s mixed with their lungs. Gross. Man, you are quite the freak aren¡¯t ya?¡±

    ¡°Not-oh,¡± The voice said, ¡°My apologies.¡±

    Petra felt her heart leap. Was it this easy? It had taken them hours to get all these decoy coffins together and filled with rabbit gore. Were they going to let them pass after one coffin?

    Then there was the sound of splintering wood, and Scott cried out.

    ¡°Oi!¡± Scott said, ¡°What¡¯s the big idea, eh?! Desecrating our dead like that! You stabbed through- eh¡­Collin, I think. And- oh gross! You stabbed through the bottom of the coffin too?! You¡¯re sick! You should be locked up!¡±

    The voice mumbled something about orders, and Petra found her coffin moving. Another retch, another apology, another stab through the coffin. This wasn¡¯t going to work.

    Wait, Petra thought, don¡¯t they want me alive? Are they trying to bluff? Or could it be¡­the other son? It couldn¡¯t be him, could it? It couldn¡¯t be, but¡­he would want me dead.

    Petra felt a shiver at the thought as the leader made his way through the next few coffins. If they bolted now, they might make it past the canyon before he was made aware of their presence.

    ¡°Come on man,¡± Scott said, almost above Petra¡¯s head, ¡°I¡¯m starting to think that you¡¯re doing this because you like it.¡±

    I have to do something! Petra thought. Clara is in the next coffin. I can¡¯t be the one that gives us away. Not when so many people are risking their necks for us!

    ¡°You shut up,¡± the voice said, ¡°I¡¯m just doing my job.¡±

    The lid came off and Petra stared in horror as the sword raised. Petra gritted her teeth, glaring at the bloody point. Splinters of the previous coffins clung to to the steel, and it hovered like Damocles¡¯ lesson.

    ¡°You do!¡± Scott said, ¡°You like it! Are you gonna stab another one of our fallen warriors? Pervert.¡±

    ¡°I AM NOT!¡±

    Petra tensed as the sword plunged, an eagle in the dive for her liver.

    STAB!*

    Petra panted, the sword quivering a half inch to the right of her gratefully slender waist. It pulled out and the blood in the coffin started to drip out.

    *(We apologize for the lackluster onomonopia.)

    ¡°Next!¡± The voice said as the lid for the coffin was laid over Petra.

    Oh thank the gods. Petra thought. I¡¯ll have to burn some incense later. Now Clara just needs to tough her way through being stabbed and I¡¯ll heal her on the other side.

    ¡°Well then,¡± Scott said, sounding surprised, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re not. Carry on.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± The voice said, ¡°Hey, this one is fairly intact. Just guts. Refreshing after this many. I¡¯ll just- hey!¡±

    Petra tensed, welling her mana in her hand with her favorite earth crystal. Did Clara sit up?!

    ¡°Hey!¡± The voice said, ¡°Why-won¡¯t-this-go-through?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s come back!¡± Scott shrieked, ¡°GET AWAY! Aa¡¯cakrizik! Fire! Get Fire!¡±

    The lid flew off of the coffins as the procession fell into chaos. All the coffin lids piled together on the coffin behind Petra¡¯s, Clara¡¯s coffin, forming an enormous bonfire.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got fire!¡± Someone shouted, and a flaming ball erupted in the middle of the stack of death lids.

    Scott marched up to the soldier leader and said ¡°Did it touch you!? Did it even breathe on you?! I don¡¯t think it does breathe but-¡±

    ¡°N-no,¡± The voice stammered, ¡°What- what was that?!¡±

    ¡°An Aa¡¯cakrizik,¡± Scott said, ¡°The stubborn dead. The fruit of ancient curse. Only fire can kill them, or perhaps a divinity mankind no longer bears. I thought we had checked them all! You¡¯ll need to monitor symptoms. It won¡¯t kill you, but you could spread the plague once you die.¡±

    ¡°Is-¡± The voice gulped, ¡°Is that why there¡¯s so much smoke here? Did you have that many Akarazik?¡±

    ¡°Aa¡¯cakrizik,¡± Scott said, ¡°And only a few. It¡¯s a rare condition, and it¡¯s not like they stand up and walk. We simply press on their cheeks with a stick, and if they compress they¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of this?¡± The voice said, ¡°I¡¯ve been to the battlefield!¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t do anything,¡± Scott said, ¡°They just lie there. It¡¯s a legend of the old people. They spread between bodies that touch, and then they wait unchanged until they are summoned. The Crystal King needs troops.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on,¡± the voice said, trembling, ¡°The Crystal King? You believe in that?¡±

    ¡°I believe in the Aa¡¯cakrizik,¡± Scott said, ¡°I brought this knowledge from the countries of the east. There, everyone is burned once dead. That¡¯s how serious they are.¡±

    Petra raised her eyebrows. This lie was getting complicated. Was there really such a thing? Oh, everyone knew the Crystal King was real a few thousand years back. But the ¡®stubborn dead¡¯?

    ¡°Well then.¡± Scott said, ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next coffin, shall w-¡±

    ¡°WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE!¡± An entitled, pregidous, prick of a voice screamed.

    Oh &^$$, Petra thought,  so it is him. Frick. I-I beat him last time. I might be able to beat him again. With Clara.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re clever.¡± The jerk said, ¡°I¡¯d hire you, whatever your name is, if you weren¡¯t in those fiend¡¯s pocket already.¡±

    Petra wanted to leap from her coffin. To get a head start and let Clara catch up. Clara would have to break out of that fire soon. It¡¯s not like they were immune to fire.

    The jerk declared, ¡°What my foolish man has forgotten is that these two ¡®girls¡¯ we are after have the rare fire resistance. Making this pyre a perfect cover for their escape. Now, if I heard correctly you tried to stab the coffin through but were unable, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± The voice said.

    ¡°And then this man here confused your poor little mind with a fanciful story,¡± the jerk sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh they¡¯re real,¡± Scott said, ¡°Test it someday. Surely you¡¯ve seen some uncannily pristine bodies on the battlefield. Those were-¡±

    ¡°Not the result of some ancient curse,¡± the jerk laughed, ¡°But my, do you sell the bit. Hiding your escaping friend in a burning fire was genius. And since my man was unable to stab them it would be the legendary Clarity of the House of Silver Sabers.¡±

    The jerk lowered his weapon toward the fire and shouted ¡°Come out or burn to death! Or is your sister in the coffins behind you going to intervene first? And trust me, I am willing to wait.¡±

    Then, in a lower tone, the jerk said ¡°The king may want you alive, but I¡¯m begging you to resist. Your blood would look so good in my cleaning jars, and I¡¯ve been itching to get back at your sister. Ever since I lost the tournament, I¡¯ve had a jar for her waiting on my wall.¡±

    Petra shivered and clutched her Mana Crystal tightly, ready to channel the power into her Earth Crystal for an explosive attack. Bullets? Bombardment? If they could get they¡¯re timing right¡­

    It was all Petra could do to keep from getting sick. Yes, she had beaten this man in one-on-one combat before, but it had taken all of her strength to do so.

    And she¡¯d been cheating.

 Chapter 33: Deeper Down

    Light comes in many shades of foreboding. Headlights after you drive onto the off-ramp. Lights that you swore you turned off, but it¡¯s late and no one else is home. A red flashing light when you can¡¯t find the manual.

    Jasson stared at an unfamiliar foreboding light. His path curved with the river, the walls growing tighter as the tunnel turned up ahead. It had been over an hour of walking to this place, and there was no end in sight around the corner. But across the river, right as the river sped up, light glowed through the water. Warm, a bit brown, and impossible.

    ¡°I¡¯m deep underground,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Right? There¡¯s not some kind of¡­waterfall over there. Is there?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Charon said, ¡°That is not an opening to the outside world.¡±

    Jasson paced back and forth, forcing blood through his lethargic muscles. Was this really the best option?

    ¡°Are there magic crystals that glow in this world?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Possibly,¡± Charon said.

    ¡°An answer, please.¡± Jasson waved his phone, ¡°I don¡¯t have the ability to research this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a specialist in this world,¡± Charon said, ¡°and why should I help you?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a customer,¡± Jasson said, ¡°And specialists can be old and sickly. You should be walking beside them as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, clever you.¡± Chara shrugged and said, ¡°Yes, the crystals in this world can glow when a natural reaction is occurring between Mana crystals and elemental crystals. Mana crystals also glow faintly, but it¡¯s barely perceivable by human eyes.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Jasson said, dipping a hand in the river, ¡°It¡¯s not that fast¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know,¡± Charon said, ¡°That¡¯s a lot of people¡¯s last words.¡±

    ¡°I survived it once,¡± Jasson turned off his phone and put it in his pocket, then started swinging his arms.

    ¡°Again, famous last words,¡± Charon said, ¡°You don¡¯t even know if there¡¯s a place you can fit through.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that fat,¡± Jasson said, ¡°And can¡¯t you just¡­check?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Charon said, ¡°But I¡¯m not allowed to give out information that would directly save someone¡¯s life. I¡¯m not even implying anything, it¡¯s just the rules.¡±

    Jasson nodded and said, ¡°Tell me then, how far down this tunnel would it be before you couldn¡¯t say if my fate would get better or worse?¡±

    ¡°It would take you hours,¡± Charon said.

    ¡°And the girls are in trouble?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Pretty sure,¡± Charon said, ¡°The chap is looking really hard for them. Their plan is good, but my earlier guess looks true.¡±

    ¡°All right then,¡± Jasson jogged upstream, ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to risk it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite likely that you will die,¡± Charon said, ¡°doesn¡¯t that matter to you? You will definitely survive the next few hours if you just keep walking. Yeah, you wouldn¡¯t be in time, but this is¡­crazy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about dying.¡± Jasson said, ¡°It¡¯s about being strong enough to chase my dreams, to save my home and the people who live in it. It¡¯s about being better, about caring enough to share the world with people. These are my friends, and I refuse to let them down.¡±

    Jasson leaped, the warmth of his body extinguishing like a candle. Flailing with panic for a moment, Jasson wrestled his way up and pointed his feet downstream. Stroke. Stroke. Jasson managed to catch himself on a rock with a foot and push himself further. But, in between gasping bobs for air, the light was getting closer far too quickly.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    #&^%, Jasson thought, The middle of a river is faster. That¡¯s right. I should have gone further upstream. I¡¯m gonna miss it. Should I tu-no!

    Gasping for breath, Jasson filled his lungs before swimming as hard as he could. He would make it. He had to! He-

    Twang!

    Jasson could practically hear his ankle twist on a rock and felt the pain burn past the numbing cold. But he couldn¡¯t stop now, and every time he intercepted a rock with his feet, a shock of pain pushed a little gasp of bubbles from his lungs. Just a bit farther. Why wasn¡¯t the river slowing down?!

    Jasson checked his progress and almost screamed from frustration. The light was almost upon him! Taking one last breath and throwing himself into swimming, Jasson ignored everything else and-

    CRACK!

    Jasson slammed his knee against a rock and barely kept himself from going into an uncontrolled tumble. The water was getting faster, and Jasson tore his already blooding fingers through the water until-

    GOT IT! Jasson thought, catching hold of the opposite wall. He was nearly out of air, and Jasson opened his eyes beneath the water to see how far he was.

    No¡­

    Jasson was several feet short of the light, and his muscles were already giving way to the water.  He didn¡¯t even have time to breathe. Jasson clawed at the stone, finding every crevice a handhold as he dug his shattered knee into the rock. His lungs burned, but he couldn¡¯t stop!

    One bleeding hand broke into the light, followed by the other as he seized upon the opening. Hauling himself up, Jasson wedged his twisted leg and shattered knee into the opening and flailed, looking for the surface. Jasson felt his fingers break water and stretch into the air, but he couldn¡¯t quite reach it with his mouth. It was either breathe or hold on. He¡¯d have to let go. Give up. Could he crawl out downstream? But he¡¯d have to recover again.

    No! Jasson thought. All or nothing. I am here to live! And if I die doing my best, that will be enough for me.

    Jasson¡¯s lungs burned with hellish fire as he unhooked his legs, pulling himself deeper into the light while kicking his legs. Any moment he could almost feel the walls closing in, trapping him without air or movement. The world started to black out, exactly like he knew it would. Jasson pulled with weak arms, gliding through the water like a-a-a-

    Jasson wasn¡¯t able to reach the walls anymore, and he floated slowly to the surface as he stopped kicking. It was starting to feel warm. The sound of water lapping against Charon¡¯s boat was accompanied by the sound of his pole in the water. Maybe he was almost there. Maybe-

    Crack!

    Jasson inhaled a gasp of water and choked, scrambling to grab whatever he¡¯d hit his head against. His fingers found cold air.

    Air!

    Breaking through the water, Jasson coughed and tried to get the precious air into his lungs than liquid. Heave, cough, breathe, realize that he should have spit out the water, repeat.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°Oh thank the gods.¡±

    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s generally good practice,¡± Charon said, ¡°They¡¯re in business for the thanking. But¡­well I would look around first. Good to take it all in early.¡±

    Jasson nodded dumbly and wiped his eyes, bringing the world into focus. Charon stood on his boat, half in another rock in ethereal parking. Light glinted off Charon¡¯s rings and chains, and Jasson slowly turned his eyes above him.

    ¡°Mana crystals are beyond dim,¡± Charon said, ¡°But they get exponentially brighter the more you have.¡±

    The crystals were huge, brown Mana Crystals turned a warm brilliance of sheer power. Jasson could only glimpse a portion of the cavern from around the stalagmite he was clinging to, but that was more than enough to light the water as day. Hundreds of tiny crystals grew in clusters from the walls and shone like tiny suns in a constellation of power.

    ¡°I need sunglasses,¡± Jasson said, doing his impression of an Asian with a migraine again, ¡°It is bright in here!¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Charon said, ¡°Now, are you going to keep swimming or seize your fortune?¡±

    Jasson crawled on shore, sharp pain stabbing him through his numb shield and making him grit his teeth. Once he was stable, Jasson looked around the stalagmite and gasped.

    His little pool of water flowed over a short rim and poured in a clear cascade, raining into a basin that disappeared into a distance of dark and crystal stars. There were hundreds of crystal clusters, and not just of Mana. Four colors of crystals reflected the Mana crystals, growing out of the ground in a thousand troves of power. Orange, blue, a kind of pink, and¡­was that purple?

    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± Jasson said, limping up to the closest bunch, ¡°Orange was fire, like in the hot springs. That sounds nice right now. Blue was water, and purple¡­don¡¯t remember. I know that there weren¡¯t any pink crystals in Petra¡¯s bag. Charon?¡±

    ¡°Who knows,¡± Charon said, ¡°But they are pretty.¡±

    ¡°Oh shut it,¡± Jasson looked closely at one of the few pink crystals, ¡°I thought these would grow in separate clusters. Not all in one place. Wouldn¡¯t they¡­repel each other?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Charon yawned, ¡°Look, can you decide if you¡¯re near death or not? Or at least keep walking.¡±

    ¡°Let me struggle for my life,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Besides, my legs are in unbearable agony. Or they will be once I get feeling back in them. I¡¯m trying to survive and¡­isn¡¯t pink just a light red?¡±

    Jasson faced Charon who grinned on both sides.

    ¡°AWESOME!!¡± Jasson grabbed a piece and tried to break it off, then frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as fragile as it looks, is it?¡± Charon said.

    Jasson ignored Charon and heaved on a pencil-thin crystal. It wouldn¡¯t break!

    ¡°You¡¯re going to need more than that,¡± Charon said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start looking for a way out.¡±

    ¡°Blast it,¡± Jasson stood on two types of agony, ¡°Owowowow¡­I was really excited for a healing crystal you know.¡±

    Jasson hobbled down the chasm, trying not to step in the pool of water covering most of the floor. Unfortunately, Jasson ran out of his path and stepped off into the shallow pool of water. Jasson looked closely at the water, being careful where he put his feet, and so hit his head directly on the pipe.

    CLANG!

    ¡°Oww.¡± Jasson looked up from where he fell and froze.

    Above him a construct of man lay in rusted glory, twisting illogical structures forming a corpse of industry. Pipes and gears lay in scattered disarray, rails led from the structure into the distance, and the empty windows glowed with immortal light. Jasson felt his eyes inevitably drawn to crystals, sorted by type, glittering in rusted buckets of rail cars.

    ¡°Sick!¡±

 Chapter 34: Down and Out

    Beneath the surface, within the bowels of surprise, Jasson limped along the rusted red remains of civilization. A mine of history, the excavation of ancient power, a quarry of questions which lanced through Jasson like lightning. He¡¯d known that there was some kind of lost power, whatever blew up the mountain above Reflection Manor, but this? This was ancient! Yet¡­modern? Some aspects felt physics-defying while others, like the rail cars, felt nearly last-century.

    Every rail car leading into the building held a wide assortment of elemental crystals, but the mana crystals were kept in separate cars that had rusted covers with little windows to let the light through. The cars that came out of the building were sorted and dark, rusted covers unlit unless they contained Mana crystals. Jasson limped to the closest random mine car and hauled himself up a rung to reach inside. His twisted leg complained and his knee screamed as he knocked it against the side, but Jasson gritted his teeth and dug around inside. Come on¡­

    Sighing with relief, Jasson pulled out a pink crystal the size of his fist and tried to step off the car. His ankle collapsed beneath him, and Jasson sprawled over the ground.

    ¡°CHHHHHSSSHH!¡± Jasson steadied himself, then opened up his phone. He was under 30 percent, but it should be enough to heal himself. Jasson opened the app MADaptation and put the crystal on to-

    Duduu.

    Jasson¡¯s heart sank as he pulled the crystal off. An error message? Why?

    Error. Incompatible crystal. Elemental Crystals required for MADadaption use.

    ¡°&^$*&,¡± Jasson swore, massaging his leg, ¡°There better be an app for this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to investigate the building?¡± Charon said, ¡°Are you not curious?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m curious,¡± Jasson said, opening the magical app store ¡®DISS¡¯ and looking through the apps, ¡°But I need to heal myself first. And I don¡¯t think I have the time to ex-¡°

    Jasson paused. There was a fitness app called ¡®MyHealth¡¯. The description seemed to fit and the pictures were promising, but it cost 100 dollars¡­

    ¡°Hey Charon,¡± Jasson said, ¡°How much for a ride from here to the girls?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± Charon said, ¡°Entrance has been sealed in. At least, sealed smaller than my car.¡±

    Jasson rolled his eyes and said, ¡°How much from the entrance then?¡±

    ¡°Around four hundred and thirteen,¡± Charon said, ¡°Give or take.¡±

    Jasson checked his VenGo account. Just barely enough for Charon¡¯s ride. But not after buying the healing app. He couldn¡¯t afford the time to walk out of these mountains.

    I need to deposit more gold, Jasson thought.

    Jasson looked through the apps again, trying to find something cheaper. Nothing. Not that he could have bought anything good with three bucks. Jasson swiped to the free section and looked at the one remaining app that he could afford.

    Might as well try this sketchy thing, Jasson thought as he tapped ¡®install¡¯ on the app ¡®SD¡¯.

    He read through the scam-heavy description and wished he had an Anti-Virus to scan it with. ¡®Downloadable extra storage¡¯? Yeah right. This wouldn¡¯t heal him at all. Just¡­grasping at straws.

    It finished installing and Jasson sighed, hovering his finger over the app. Should he? It wouldn¡¯t help.

    ¡°Just press it!¡± Charon said, sounding impatient.

    ¡°All right!¡± Jasson sighed and made sure both ends of the phone were pointed away from himself.

    A rippling hole in space tore beside Jasson, a swirling void behind a magic circle. A whoosh of air filled the place for a moment as Jasson stared, agape.

    ¡°Is that a¡­Locker?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Charon said, ¡°Yeah, I think it is.¡±

    Jasson said, ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Why did you tell me to open it then?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Charon said, ¡°I just couldn¡¯t watch you struggling with indecision. Again.¡±

    Jasson rolled his eyes and reached hesitantly towards the space. He touched it, but felt nothing. He reached his hand in, nothing.

    ¡°How do these work?¡± Jasson said, feeling around, ¡°Is there- oh! A floor. And a wall. It¡¯s a square!¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± Charon said, ¡°A lot of things are.¡±

    ¡°Cool,¡± Jasson pushed himself to his feet, ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel that big though.¡±

    Jasson looked at the app on his phone and saw that it had settings. Most notably, a premium button. As well as a button for buying more square footage. And outlandish prices.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have to buy them later, especially once I start selling all of these.¡±

    Jasson stuck the health crystal in the void and looked at it, then sighed and closed it in the app ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t move with me. Makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Not particularly,¡± Charon said, ¡°The motion of the planet should-¡°

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Jasson climbed the car again, ¡°I would be in a great situation if I had this Locker earlier. Could have carried all my gold with me. Unless I lost my phone. I still could have sworn that I threw my phone when I fell.¡±

    Jasson rolled onto the crystals, sitting on his butt as his knee wouldn¡¯t accept a petition to kneel. Jasson opened the locker again, and it formed above the crystals without the sound of wooshing air. Jasson reached inside and felt the crystal he¡¯d put in earlier.

    Good, Jasson thought.

    Jasson shoveled crystals into the locker like a leprechaun in Fort Knox. The wealth of nations piled into his locker, and Jasson stuffed every crystal he could. He didn¡¯t have a ton of space, but Jasson found a way.

    He couldn¡¯t stop smiling. This was real! It was really happening. It was too good to be true.

    Jasson made sure to check over his shoulder for Karma-based plot. Every story he¡¯d consumed would have this treasure slipping from between his fingers, leaving him only a handful to remember it by. But nothing happened.

    ¡°Karma is usually meaner than this,¡± Jasson said, giggling, ¡°I¡¯m probably going to be unable to open my locker later or something.¡±

    ¡°Nothing that complicated,¡± Charon said, ¡°This isn¡¯t as good as you think. There is an economist walking with death- i.e. me- in a country turning to communism. He¡¯s been preaching for weeks about supply and demand.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Jasson said, doing his best to shake the crystals more compact, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Charon tapped the side of the car, held up a finger, and said ¡°Simply this: The money an item is worth directly correlates to how hard it is to get said item. For instance, if you sold the contents of this car, then rather than being unbelievably rich the worth of each individual crystal would go down insanely. Not to mention you¡¯d collapse the monster crystal industry. It¡¯s why turning lead to gold is useless. The rarity itself provides the value. Of course, consumables like food will always be in demand. But for these? I¡¯m not doing the calculations, but the content of this car would bring the prices down to-¡°

    ¡°So?¡± Jasson waved a pink crystal, ¡°These are for healing people. It would be amazing if they go down in price. Imagine it! A healer in every house, healthcare with the wave of a wand! One step closer to Utopia.¡±

    Charon looked darkly at Jasson, the weight of eons behind socket and eye, and said ¡°Careful with that word. Utopia. The world¡¯s had enough ¡®Utopias¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson flinched away, the old terror returning briefly, ¡°I mean, wouldn¡¯t it be good to donate a couple to a hospital or something though?¡±

    Charon grinned, intensity gone as he said ¡°Yeah, I suppose that¡¯s true. Still¡­ You should probably discuss your game plan with your friends. They haven¡¯t consented to the kind of trouble you¡¯d bring by dumping these on the market.¡±

    Jasson nodded and shoved the last few he could into the locker. He closed the locker and grabbed a pocket-sized healing crystal before he climbed down. He hit the ground painfully and groaned, then limped his way over to the Mana crystals.

    ¡°Now, I know that these are super expendable,¡± Jasson said, searching for an opening. The gears that opened it seemed rusted shut, but a corner peeled away with a few hits and exposed the gleaming sun within. They dimmed as Jasson wiggled a few out before realizing something.

    ¡°I can¡¯t store these near the others,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Not that I left any room. Pockets it is.¡±

    Jasson sifted through the ones he pulled out and started stuffing his pockets. It wasn¡¯t that many, and he pulled the healing crystal out of his other pocket to make more room.

    ¡°I wish that I could charge my phone with these,¡± Jasson said, ¡°This whole place and no electric crystals.¡±

    ¡°Who says you can¡¯t?¡± Charon said, ¡°Power is power, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Jasson chuckled and said, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try?¡± Charon said.

    Jasson shrugged and held a mana crystal up to the charging port and said ¡°Charge!¡±

    The crystal crumbled in his fingers and the charge indicator beeped up to sixty percent.

    ¡°Oh cool!¡± Jasson grabbed used another crystal and it crumbled. ¡°Fully charged! Eighty percent anyway.¡±

    Jasson loaded his pockets with Mana Crystals and started limping down the cavern. He followed the tracks the refined cars were loaded on and made the first steps in his long, painful journey.

    Step-wince-step

    ¡°I cannot believe that you¡¯re so slow.¡± Charon said after tapping his feet for a few minutes, ¡°You can use the electric crystal on your phone, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So you can use crystals,¡± Charon said, ¡°Without your phone. So why don¡¯t you heal yourself?¡±

    Jasson paused and said, ¡°You know what, sometimes I feel like an idiot.¡±

    Jasson put the crystal against his leg and envisioned himself not hurting, then said what came naturally to every gaming child.

    ¡°Med kit!¡±

    ****

    An hour later, Jasson clambered up the rocks and into the light streaming in from outside. Finally! Unfortunately, the hole was only a hand wide. The exit had collapsed over the years.

    ¡°All right,¡± Jasson said, looking at the pile of rocks, ¡°How do I get out of here? I don¡¯t have earth¡­Charon?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Charon said, ¡°I already advised you about something.¡±

    Jasson stepped back, then set the health crystal down and opened his locker. He pulled out an assortment of crystals.

    ¡°Orange is fire,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Which sounds like a bad idea.¡±

    ¡°Awww. I would have laughed if you died that way,¡± Charon said.

    ¡°Hush,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Blue is water. I don¡¯t know what purple is.¡±

    ¡°Wanna try it?¡± Charon said.

    Jasson laughed and said ¡°Absolutely not. Last time I tried something I knew nothing about, I blew up. No, I¡¯m going to try the water.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Charon said, ¡°Don¡¯t blame me if you drown.¡±

    Jasson loaded the blue crystal in and looked at the options.

    ¡°No idea what this can do.¡± Jasson said after a few seconds, ¡°Still, it¡¯s water. How powerful can it be?¡±

    Conveniently forgetting how much damage light could do, Jasson held the phone out with the crystal facing away. Jasson tapped an icon with an innocent circle on it.

    Nothing.

    Jasson tapped again and shrugged. Must be a dud. Jasson swiped to the next one to test if it was the crystal, and-

    WOOSH!!!!

    Jasson screamed as he was thrown back, grinding painfully along the ground as his phone flew out of his hand. It spun, a firehose out of control, whipping around and blasting everything with water. The screen went wild with water drops, tapping and clicking as it randomly glitched through its abilities. Jasson scrambled away from the rapidly rotating font and tripped, falling to the ground as a more focused stream cut above his head. Jasson raised his head to see a stalagmite crash anime-style to the ground.

    ¡°Oh ^%$##!¡± Jasson stood to scramble further, but he saw a chance. An opening.

    His phone had dug itself into a crevice in the wall. Without thinking, Jasson dashed for the phone as a stream of cutting water drilled across the tunnel. Jasson caught his phone, but it jumped in his hand at the last second and shot the water straight through his palm.

    ¡°AHHH!¡± Jasson gripped tighter, letting the stream keep shooting through the hole in his hand. Jasson pointed the water stream at the collapsed opening and cut away the opening. Slice after slice crumbled to the ground before Jasson¡¯s phone beeped.

    10 percent.

    ¡°I guess I found its high power ability,¡± Jasson pressed the power button and prayed with gritted teeth. He¡¯d never tried to turn it off while MADaptation was still running, but if it wouldn¡¯t turn off¡­Jasson sucked air through his teeth. It didn¡¯t seem to be getting any weaker until-

    ¡°Oh thank goodness,¡± Jasson said, pulling the crystal from the headphone jack, ¡°I am going to be more careful with you!¡±

    Jasson turned to see Charon holding his own phone and grinning widely as he recorded Jasson.

    ¡°This is going on ¡®There was an attempt¡¯,¡± Charon said, ¡°You¡¯re gonna be famous. Uh¡­you going to stop that bleeding?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Jasson pressed the healing crystal into his palm, ¡°Med kit!¡±

    Jasson eyed the exit and sloshed down the drowned corridor. It was a bit bigger than he needed, a now unnatural opening along the top of perfectly cut stone. Jasson crawled carefully from the exit, dislodging some of the cut stones as he emerged into the sunshine.

    ¡°Ahhh,¡± Jasson basked in the late afternoon, ¡°Freedom!¡±

    An bird of prey let out a majestic call above as Jasson stood, reveling in the wind. He was by a dried up river bed between two looming mountains, the sun already set from the sheer vertical horizon.

    ¡°Sick,¡± Charon said, phasing through the wall, ¡°And you¡¯re wanting to hire me? I can get you back around sunset, Smill time.¡±

    Jasson nodded, opening his phone as Charon said, ¡°All right. But you won¡¯t be able to find your way back. It could take you decades to find this place again without the knowledge of how you got out. Are you really okay with that? You¡¯re sacrificing the wealth of a nation for the off chance of saving your friends.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, waiting for the app to load, ¡°Of course I am. It¡¯s nothing before their lives. But also¡­YES!¡±

    Jasson showed Charon his phone. Peach Maps was open and Jasson had pinned his location.

    ¡°Ohhh,¡± Charon brought out his keys, ¡°That¡¯ll do. Man, I thought you were about to go through a noble sacrifice or something.¡±

    ¡°Heck no,¡± Jasson watched as Charon¡¯s car materialized, ¡°Besides, what was the whole ¡®risk my life¡¯ thing for earlier?¡±

    I wonder, Jasson thought as he looked at Charon¡¯s car.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Charon, the emissary of Death, opened his trunk and brought out a towel, ¡°Just be sure to keep your dirty self on this. I just vacuumed the seats.¡±

 Chapter 35: Down to Fight

    Petra huddled in her coffin, watching the smoke of her sister¡¯s pyre rise into the air. She could feel the fire, even glimpse the flames from her position. Petra herself would be dead already at this point, but Clara was made of sterner stuff. She always was.

    ¡°Claaarityyy,¡± the jerk sang out (oddly in tune), ¡°Come on out! Will you melt, daughter of silver?¡±

    Don¡¯t do it, Petra thought, come on Clara. We can take him together. We have to.

    ¡°Are you really going to die for your sister?!¡± the jerk shouted, ¡°Come now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re itching to attack me! I promise to make your death more blissful than burning to death. And if you surrender, I won¡¯t even cut off your hands! Are you-you did! You really did! I can smell you die! HAAHAHA!¡±

    The stench of burning flesh filled the air and Petra choked with rage. NO!

    Petra¡¯s soul screeched and she flung herself up, a thousand stones erupting around her as the Mana crystal crumbled in her hands. She could hardly aim, but she didn¡¯t need to. The jerk stood between her and her sister¡¯s pyre, a mere ten feet away, with his back turned.

    Petra cast her spell with a guttural shriek, panic-praying that her sister heard and would save herself, ¡°DIE!!!!!¡±

    A thousand bullets ripped through the air and shattered into the ground, a sleet of focused death. Petra kept up the barrage as she leaped from the coffin, running around and catching the other soldiers in her barrage. It had to be enough. It had to-

    ¡°As if I would fall for that,¡± the jerk emerged from the dust, black cape whipping with holes from Petra¡¯s attack, ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s nice to meet you, but apparently I need to defend my life from a mad little &%$.¡±

    The jerk stood, clad in black clothes without any armor, a dozen jewelry pieces glinting brown with a wealth of Mana crystals.

    The jerk wiped a stream of blood from his forehead and held it up, sighing, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good to be able to fight at full strength. No rules. No way to cheat. All is fair in hate and war.¡±

    ¡°I beat you once,¡± Petra trembled, ¡°I¡¯ll do it again. You¡¯re not winning this, Clout of house Tast¡¯er. I¡¯ve only grown stronger.¡±

    Clout the Cleaner. Petra shuddered.

    Three mana crystals crumbled as the jerk, Clout, raised twin blue crystals in performative grace, and a hundred tendrils of water erupted from around him. They twisted and whipped, splintering the earth in a thousand blows.

    ¡°As have I,¡± Clout said, ¡°Although I must say, I¡¯m disappointed. I was hoping for a fun fight with a great mage that defeated five-hundred wyverns in a single blow. But this will be another type of fun. Revenge on that girl who humiliated me in last year¡¯s Mage¡¯s Tournament. The little cheater who stored charged shots throughout the arena, hid illegal Mana crystals, and poisoned my water. The foul fiend who dares to claim the name of the Golden Shields. Aurum Aegis¡¯ little dream, the biggest failure in the world of Mages.¡±

    Clout whipped out a tentacle of water, shattering Petra¡¯s next attack and wrapping around Petra¡¯s neck. Petra flailed, but Clout blocked her attacks and raised her by her neck. She couldn¡¯t breathe!

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make your death slow,¡± Clout hissed, ¡°I¡¯ll even let you fight back a bit more. Then, before your dead sister, I¡¯ll take your blood and add you to my collection. Then all that shall remain of you, honorable Patricia, the future of the Golden Shields. All that shall remain of you is futility and a bottle of blood occupying a single space on my shelves. Coagulated, solidified into the trophy you could never be.¡±

    Suddenly, the coffin behind Clara¡¯s burning effigy, exploded. A massive sword swung through the air, propelled by an almost average-height girl screaming bloody murder, and cut Clout across the back. The water tendrils holding Petra collapsed, and Petra gasped as she landed. Petra ran to her sister, hugging Clara fiercely as she gratefully accepted this improbable reality.

    ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡± Petra cried, ¡°I thought you burned to death. How did you get into the other coffin?¡±

    ¡°I was never in that one,¡± Clara thumbed towards the fire, ¡°I thought you were. There must have been a mix-up. Now, let¡¯s murder this guy. You take out the goons-¡±

    ¡°GUAN YIN¡¯S FIVE CAGES!¡± Scott¡¯s voice roared across the battlefield. Five cages erupted from the ground, forming around Clout¡¯s five soldiers, ¡°Everyone, thanks for helping. Now run!¡±

    All the townspeople who had been transporting the coffins ran for the city. The leader of the soldiers exploded in a flurry of blows and chopped an opening in his cage. The others followed their leader¡¯s example and started chopping or using magic, but before the leader could make his way out the cage sealed. It grew up around the damage and gnarled together in a thicker seal, trapping the men in a fruitless cycle.

    ¡°No one escapes Guan Yin¡¯s Mercies that easily,¡± Scott laughed, ¡°It¡¯s made of bamboo, which grows quite quickly. Clarity, Patricia, you can do it! I¡¯ll hold off the others.¡±

    Petra nodded and turned back to Clout, who lay face-first on the ground. He hadn¡¯t moved for a second, but Petra extended her senses and-

    ¡°Jump!¡± Petra leaped to one side with Clara as ten water spikes erupted from the ground before splashing down to the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re a fool for staying,¡± Clout rose to his feet, the cut along his back bleeding into his water armor, ¡°You might have made it halfway to that canyon before I killed you both. Now you¡¯ll die without a step to your name.¡±

    ¡°Shut it,¡± Clara pointed her sword at Clout, ¡°I¡¯m starting to get really angry. It was your house that hired those terrorists, wasn¡¯t it? You destroyed our home!¡±

    ¡°Ooh,¡± Clout waved his hands, ¡°the little fighter is angry. What am I going to do?¡±

    Clout launched an attack but Clara cut it down, then Clout said, ¡°It¡¯s to my shame that I wasn¡¯t included in the planning of your destruction. I¡¯m not ¡®the favored¡¯ child, after all. Just the oldest. The one they keep sending out for everything. But no, I couldn¡¯t be there to kill you that night. I wasn¡¯t worthy enough. Maybe my victory today will change their minds-¡±

    Petra and Clara dodged as another lance of water erupted from the earth.

    ¡°Or maybe,¡± Clout grinned with bloody teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Clara hissed, face turning red, ¡°I¡¯m getting angry.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Petra said, pulling out more Mana crystals from her Locker, ¡°Just be sure to cut with good edge alignment. Any blunt force attack won¡¯t make it through his defenses.¡±

    ¡°What happened to your attack then?¡± Clara said, ¡°Why did only one get through.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ forgot to shape them,¡± Petra said, ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted. He¡¯s a filthy murderer who keeps a shelf of his victims to enjoy in his spare time.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Clara was unnaturally red at this point, and her voice got deeper, ¡°All out it is.¡±

    ¡°All out,¡± Petra absorbed her Mana crystals, ¡°A thousand deaths upon his head.¡±

    ¡°Oh come now,¡± Clout held his arms out, ¡°Are the w¡¯ittle giwls angwy? Do your worst-¡±

    BOOM!

    Clara exploded forward, drawing a second massive sword from her locker a moment before she struck. Clout redirected Clara¡¯s swords as he dodged to one side, lancing a tendril around in a counterattack-

    Petra exploded the tendril with a sharpened bullet, chasing the jerk down as Clara pursued. Clout was laughing until, a few seconds later, the sisters fell into a rhythm. Like tuning forks, Petra and Clara joined a twin psychology. A perfect rhythm from years of perfection.

    Every attack Clout dodged from one twin had the other hammer into his side, and Clout¡¯s water slowly turned red as his body glowed from healing crystals. And Clara only got faster. Petra had trouble weaving bullets in between her sister¡¯s blurring attacks, and they chased Cloud along the field. Was he heading toward the city? Clara was already carving up acres as it was.

    Petra stopped and planted her feet, summoning a wall behind Clout to stop his retreat. Unfortunately, Clout then slipped aside Clara¡¯s attacks and hammered a dozen piercing tendrils into her side. Clara went flying but was able to backhand Clout with a brutal cut across his neck. Blood poured out of the man and Clout glowed red and covered his neck. Petra shot the bullets she¡¯d been holding back in a deadly stream that should pierce his water armor-

    Clout threw out a dozen tentacles that caught and redirected Petra¡¯s bullets while another dozen hammered into the returning Clara. Then he started to laugh.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to win this way,¡± Clout coughed up blood, ¡°But I suppose you were a genuine challenge. Ah well, raw power it is.¡±

    A dozen Mana crystals crumbled on Clout¡¯s person, and he glowed a fierce red and blue. Two hundred tendrils erupted, a hundred to each side, and his form lifted into the air. His main crystals shone bright azure in the growing dark, the sun setting behind the mountains as the battle came to a close.

    Charon stood with his boat waiting undetectable beside Petra and grinned,  ¡°I thought so.¡±

 Chapter 36: Down to Die from Fury

    Jasson tapped his foot, Water Crystal loaded. Battery mostly charged. He¡¯d swapped out the Water Crystal he used earlier for the biggest one he could find. The Water Crystal itself stuck out a good foot from his phone. He had no idea what threat he¡¯d be facing. Anyone that could kill Petra and Clara would be so far beyond him. But he doubted that it could withstand a concentrated beam of water.

    ¡°Stay on the towel,¡± Charon growled, ¡°And stop fiddling. It¡¯s distracting. We¡¯re almost there, just sit still.¡±

    Jasson glanced out the window and recognized the area. They were coming up on that carved chasm that had been clawed up the other day. Jasson tensed, hand on the unlocked door.

    Whoosh!

    The canyon passed and the car barreled along the path before climbing a hill. The same one Jasson had climbed two times already.

    Here I am, Jasson thought as his body tingled, I¡¯m really doing this. No turning back. No hesitation. Even if-

    Jasson clenched his phone, heart racing as reality and adrenaline met.

    Charon pulled to a stop at the top of the hill and said ¡°This is as close as we get. I don¡¯t want to risk them scratching the paint job.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    Go time! Jasson thought, looking around. Now or nev- what the heck?!

    Jasson stood on a hill above ongoing war, a landscape torn to the bone in many places. For some reason, there were a dozen coffins stretched out by a large bonfire and five cages. A procession of ominous black-cloaked warriors attacked the recognizable form of Scott, who stood among a field of bamboo cages doing a dance. And to the right-

    ¡°NO!¡± Jasson stumbled down the hill, lining up his giant crystal with the man killing his friends.

    What did he need to do? Clara was flailing in a giant sphere of water, drowning. Petra was skewered on glinting red tendrils as a man in black laughed beside her. The blood from Petra was dripping into a clear glass jar on the ground, clearly for some kind of sick collection.

    ¡°Look!¡± the man cackled to Petra, ¡°She only has a couple of seconds to live. I¡¯ll be honest, I was surprised that I couldn¡¯t stab her through. But even she needs to breathe, and this is a debatably worse death than being burned alive! By the way, how are you? Feeling dead yet? Did you think to fight me without a single healing crystal? How foo-¡±

    ¡°HEY!¡± Jasson roared, pointing his phone with the foot-long crystal on the end like a short rifle, ¡°Let them go!¡±

    Please reach, Jasson thought.

    SSSSOOOOF!

    A cutting six-inch stream exploded out of Jasson¡¯s phone like the pressure on the bottom of the sea. It kicked relentlessly and Jasson wrestled with death as he barely held onto his phone. Thankfully, it came out of the tip of the crystal, so Jasson was able to grab the foot-length and brace himself.

    ¡°Fool!¡± The man immediately released Clara and Petra and threw both crystals forward, a hundred tendrils absorbing Jasson¡¯s attack, ¡°You would attack me with water?! ME?! These girls are practically dead already, and you save them with water?! Haha. Hahaha. HAHAHAHAHA-¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson gritted his teeth and looked at his phone, then slid the ¡®Power¡¯ slider all the way to the top, ¡°You¡¯re cocky.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Jasson managed to brace his phone against his shoulder before-

    VOOOOM!

    Jasson desperately clung to the crystal with both hands, aiming for where he hoped that man had been. He couldn¡¯t see anything besides water and had no idea how he remained on his feet. The stream, no less powerful and precise than before, was now the size of a man and roared like Niagra Falls.

    Be-beep!

    1% power. Powering Off.

    Jasson collapsed, his phone falling from numb fingers as he looked out. The land in front of Jasson was gone in a cone the length of a football field, and the city beyond was absolutely drenched. Petra stood to one side, still holding an unconscious Clara¡¯s arm, looking at Jasson with wide eyes.

    ¡°Jasson?!¡± Petra said, ¡°What took you so long? You should have come looking for us hours ago!¡±

    Jasson laughed and grabbed his phone, resting the giant crystal against his shoulder as he jogged up and said ¡°Same to you!¡±

    ¡°You little twit!¡± Petra was crying, ¡°I had to use my only healing crystal to get myself in enough shape to drag Clara away from your blast! I don¡¯t have anything else to save her with.¡±

    ¡°Well, I could try CPR on her.¡± Jasson approached them, ¡°or I could do this.¡±

    Jasson dug the healing crystal out of his pocket and pressed it against Clara¡¯s chest, then said ¡°Med Kit!¡±

    Clara coughed up water and rolled over, wheezing. Jasson put the healing crystal in Petra¡¯s stunned hands and said ¡°You should get yourself healed up. I think Scott is getting overwhelmed, and I¡¯m out of po-¡±

    Jasson looked down and saw a tendril punching through his shoulder, and watched it collapse into a pool of water and Jasson¡¯s own blood. Jasson turned in time to see another tentacle yank Jasson¡¯s phone into the distance, the crystal attached.

    ¡°Clout!¡± Petra hissed, healing Clara, ¡°He took your phone! Oh, *&^%!¡±

    Jasson watched as half a man climbed out of a ditch on the other side of the chasm. Jasson¡¯s stomach twisted at the exposed organs, but a bright red light flashed and the man was mostly whole again. Only the hand remained missing from a regrown arm, and his face was malformed and twisted.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jasson said, ¡°His name is ¡®Clout¡¯? You¡¯re serious?! Clout?¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re the great mage who killed the Wyverns!¡± Clout shouted, ¡°An inexperienced boy who uses a legendary weapon with a greater crystal. A pathetic misuse of this kind of POWER!!¡±

    Clout caught the crystal and Jasson¡¯s phone in his good hand, then squinted at it. He poked at it a few times with his nub and turned it over.

    ¡°How do you work this?¡± Clout said, pulling Jasson¡¯s phone from the crystal and pocketing it, ¡°Confounded devices. I¡¯ll have one of my technicians look at it later. For now, thank you for the crystal. There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do with one this size! You must have killed a sea dragon to get one this big. Hah!¡±

    The rest of his mana crystals glowed, and Clout raised up into the air. Higher and higher on a thousand tendrils of water. He raised himself out of the shadow of the mountain and into the sun, where his blood glinted brilliant red in the afternoon sun. Jasson could see what he couldn''t before, a layer of bloodied water around Clout acting as armor. He shined like a too-bright red laser on a white wall, a star of destruction burning above them.

    ¡°NOW THIS IS POWER!¡± Clout laughed, ¡°I had no idea! The gods have looked favorably on me today! I will drive your bones so far into the earth that you won¡¯t be found when the Crystal King comes again!¡±

    A massive sphere of water formed above Clout, mangled arm raised beside his good one as maniacal laughter erupted from the shining red dot.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Jasson looked at Clara. ¡°Do we run? Can you carry us?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Clara stood, ¡°but I don¡¯t think that will work. Petra?¡±

    Petra slumped over on the ground and said ¡°I guess it¡¯s only fitting.¡±

    Petra looked Jasson in the eyes and grinned, saying, ¡°The only person I¡¯ve been able to save, and we¡¯re both about to die right after he paid off his debt. Sit down, Clara. We¡¯ll go out together.¡±

    Petra pulled Clara down into a hug, then grabbed Jasson and wrapped him up in the hug.

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson mumbled from the warmth and dug a large Mana crystal from his pocket, ¡°would this help?¡±

    Petra took the crystal and laughed, saying, ¡°I could put up a defense, but my mind is fried. Sorry.¡±

    She squeezed them, ¡°Thanks for being here.¡±

    ¡°NOW!¡± Clout of house Taste¡¯r shouted above, ¡°YOU SHALL DIE!!!!!¡±

    They looked up together at the shining red dot as he screamed his final move. An enormous shadow moved on the top of the hill. Jasson glanced at it, distractable as ever.

    ¡°Fury of Neptune¡¯s-AAAEEEEE!¡±

    As Jasson watched, the house-sized shadow lit on fire and lept with familiar grace, soaring hundreds of feet into the air and snatching Clout from the air. It landed daintily with hardly a sound, a wave of fire rolling from it. Bearing the steaming screaming Clout in its mouth, the fiery creature trotted proudly away. Tail held straight and high, a path of fiery paw prints leading back to the mountains.

    The summoned water hovered for a few seconds then rained down on the shocked battlefield.

    Everyone was thinking the same thing, but Jasson broke the silence first.

    ¡°That was a cat,¡± Jasson said, ¡°a giant, fiery, orange, cat.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank goodness,¡± Petra sighed and released them, ¡°I thought the afterlife was getting quite strange. So you saw it too?¡±

    ¡°We all did,¡± Clara laughed, picking Petra and Jasson up, ¡°All right guys. Let¡¯s get out of here! Come on Scott! We¡¯re booking it while they¡¯re busy!¡±

    ¡°Righty-ho, milady!¡± Scott clapped his hands and shouted, ¡°Attention, those still coming to fight me! If you don¡¯t free all your allies from these cages in the next three minutes, then they will grow inward and skewer them! Bamboo is deadly you know. Good luck!¡±

    Scott backflipped from his cage and jogged to catch up with Clara, then said ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°To the north, for Harriett.¡± Petra said, ¡°Then we¡¯re getting out of here.¡±

 Chapter 37: Feeling Down

    Over the river and through the woods, the party of four ran along. There was no way to keep foes away, and once in a while a bomb-

    Boom!

    Clara carried Jasson and Petra, one over each shoulder, as she lept to one side of the smoldering crater.

    ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow-¡± Jasson said, who was facing backward.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Clara said, ¡°Petra, can¡¯t you heal him yet?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got me facing the wrong way!¡± Petra said, ¡°I can¡¯t get to his shoulder-¡±

    ¡°Incoming!¡± Scott cried and Clara lurched to the side, narrowly dodging a giant fireball.

    Boom!

    ¡°Dang,¡± Jasson whistled, ¡°That¡¯s an impressive pursuit. Wish your cages had lasted longer Scott.¡±

    No Charon, Jasson thought, not sure if that¡¯s a good sign or if he only ¡®walks with the dead¡¯ not ¡®runs with the dead.¡¯

    ¡°What was I supposed to do?¡± Scott said, ¡°Apparently, Clout¡¯s right-hand man is a brilliant fire mage. Burned them all like candles, way faster than I could grow them. I¡¯m not at full strength today, remember?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jasson said, squinting up at floating figures, ¡°Are those flying scouts? Is that how they¡¯re aiming so well for us?¡±

    Another fireball erupted on the mountainside above them, sending rubble crumbling to the ground. Jasson could hear the sound of pursuit on foot behind them shout in alarm at the mini rockslide.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Petra said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna block the route.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± Scott said, ¡°This path was hard enough for us teenagers.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jasson said, ¡°you¡¯re a teenage- incoming!¡±

    Boom!

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Scott said, ¡°Nineteen this year.¡±

    ¡°I thought you spent years traveling out East?!¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Scott said, ¡°Teenage years. I- To the left!¡±

    They jumped to the left and Scott continued, saying, ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­you see, when I was thirteen I decided to become abreast of the wonders of-¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m very interested in your story but now isn¡¯t the best time for a flashback.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Scott said, jogging in silence for a few seconds before he said, ¡°But you will ask later, right? It¡¯s¡­I¡¯ve worked a lot on how I tell my story¡­I think it¡¯s pretty good¡­¡±

    ¡°In time,¡± Petra said, ¡°Clara?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re getting close!¡± Clara said, ¡°I had to make a bit of a detour, but we should be coming up on the cave from the other way around the mountain.¡±

    ¡°I hope Harriett is still there,¡± Jasson said, ¡°She might have left.¡±

    ¡°Well she certainly didn¡¯t come to help us,¡± Petra said, ¡°And what do you mean ¡®you hope she¡¯s there¡¯? How did you get separated?¡±

    ¡°Accidentally, but yeah.¡± Jasson winced from his shoulder as they slid down the mountain, ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s reveling in ¡®the tragedy of losing a companion¡¯ or found something to fight like the other day.¡±

    ¡°Petra!¡± Clara said, ¡°Up ahead?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    They were approaching a more narrow path between mountains, scattered scree covering most of the way between.

    ¡°On it!¡± Petra said, ¡° Keep up Scott. In three, two, one¡­go!¡±

    Clara exploded forward as Scott struggled, six-foot frame pinwheeling to keep from falling behind. Clara skidded to a stop and set Petra down in one motion. Petra raised her green Earth Crystal and the mana crystal Jasson had given her, glowing slightly. The mountain rumbled, crumbled, and tumbled into the pass behind them, crashing against their pursuers and leaving treacherous footing for the pursuit. Another fireball sailed towards them as the flying scouts were highlighted in the last glimmers of day, pursuit stalled.

    ¡°Nice Mana Crystal,¡± Petra handed Jasson the healing crystal and motioned to his shoulder, ¡°Get yourself fixed up, we¡¯re heading inside to look for Harriett. Stay ready to run.¡±

    Jasson turned. This place didn¡¯t look familiar but¡­wait. Graffiti decorated the rocks, and Jasson looked around in that trippy way when you came somewhere familiar from a different angle. So they were at the cave. So close to where he nearly died. Where this long day began.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jasson pressed the healing crystal against his shoulder, ¡°Med kit! Hey, Scott. Need any healing?¡±

    ¡°Nope¡­just¡­air¡­¡± Scott bent double, wheezing as the girls walked into the cave, ¡°That was¡­that was quite the turn of speed. Kinda hot.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± Jasson pocketed the crystal. If Harriett was here then he needed to-

    ¡°Ah #$%^,¡± Jasson jogged after Petra, ¡°I¡¯m going in. I forgot to ask Petra something. You got it out here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on my home turf,¡± Scott stood, recuperating, ¡°They can¡¯t beat me here. I could definitely do with a dip in the hot spring though.¡±

    ¡°Not the question,¡± Jasson waved, ¡°Be careful.¡±

    Jasson stepped carefully across the ground, wishing his phone was charged. He- wait. He didn¡¯t have his phone anymore, right? That man, Clout, he¡¯d stolen Jasson¡¯s phone before getting taken by the Fire Cat.

    Jasson tapped his pocket but found a familiar lump, safe and secure. His phone! Jasson pulled it out. It had 1% power and was missing that massive Water Crystal, but he had it! Jasson sagged with relief, stowing his phone back in his pocket. So he wasn¡¯t crazy. When he¡¯d fallen into the water he had thrown his phone, but it reappeared back in his pocket just like this time.

    The perfect ability for a phone, Jasson thought, an auto-return feature. Now¡­what was I doing? I have to talk to Petra about- right. Light crystal and gold.

    Jasson squinted in the dim, carefully making his way through the familiar cave. He could just hear the girls ahead of him and-

    ¡°PETRAAA!!!¡± Harriett screamed, ¡°You¡¯re finally heeer-¡±

    Harriett was¡­sobbing? That bouncing ball of buoyant challenge was choking on throat-tearing sobs?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Petra¡¯s voice, gentle and surprised, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m s-sorr-ry!¡± Harriet wailed, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know w-what to d-do! We n-need to h-hurry!! He-h-Jas-he-¡±

    ¡°Slow down,¡± Petra said, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me.¡±

    Jasson crept around the corner, feeling like he was intruding as he looked down at the girls. Harriett was sobbing in Petra¡¯s arms, and Clara was hugging her from behind. Petra stroked Harriett¡¯s hair with a gentleness Jasson never thought she could possess.

    ¡°I-I-¡± Harriett trembled, then seemed to get ahold of herself, ¡°I went out to check if you were here. Left him mining in the tunnel. And on my w-way back-¡±

    A few more seconds of sobbing before Harriett said ¡°He¡¯s gone! D-dead! Drowned in the water! There was some kind of underground river that-*hic* all I found was the earth crystal he was using. Not even his device. And bood-¡±

    Harriett choked again, trembling as she said, ¡°Just¡­gone! And I couldn¡¯t jump after him but I couldn¡¯t tunnel and so I went to the other cave. The one with the Wyverns. But you weren¡¯t there and I didn¡¯t want to miss you so I waited and waited and you n-never came! YOU NEVER CAME!!! How could you be so late?!! He needed you! He needed me! I-I couldn¡¯t do an-anything-¡±

    If I had a nickel for every time I eavesdropped on my funeral, Jasson thought, I¡¯d have two nickels. Which isn¡¯t a lot, but it¡¯s weird that I get to make this joke.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Petra hushed her, ¡°This is Jasson you¡¯re talking about, right? It¡¯s okay, he¡¯s not dead. He¡¯s just outside the cave.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is!¡± Harriett cried, ¡°Stop lying to try and help me! I¡¯m not a child! I AM NOT A CHILD!!! That water was so cold and fast! He died hours ago and I¡¯ve just been sitting here! Letting his body rot away, lonely in the dark.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Petra looked to Clara, ¡°Can you¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure sis,¡± Clara patted Harriett on the head, ¡°this little sister needs some hope again. I¡¯ll get him.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± Jasson stepped out from the corner, ¡°It¡¯s okay Harriett. I survived. I¡¯m fine. Better than ever, actually. Thanks for-¡±

    ¡°AAEEEE!¡± Harriett screamed, ¡°A ghost!! He¡¯s already haunting the place where he died!!¡±

    Jasson froze, then smiled crookedly.

    ¡°Harriett, Harriett, Harriett,¡± Jasson shook his head as he walked up to her, ¡°You¡¯re too uncreative! Anyone can say ¡°Ah! It¡¯s a g-g-ghost!¡± like you¡¯re some kind of pot-smoking hipster. I expect more from you! I could be the shade of guilt weighing on your mind, nothing but an illusion that keeps you up at night- pardon me, Clara.¡±

    ¡°Go on ahead,¡± Clara said as she stepped aside, Jasson squeezing past in the tunnel.

    ¡°I could be a revenant,¡± Jasson put a sweaty hand on Harriett¡¯s shoulder, ¡°A corporeal form raised for vengeance against those who failed me in life. Do you feel my cold touch, vengeance frozen over?¡±

    Jasson squeezed Harriett¡¯s shoulder and said ¡°Or perhaps I was never dead. Rather, some kind of god or demigod sent here to test you in your hour of pride. Maybe I¡¯m the messenger of a great allegory about- I don¡¯t know. Staying together with your friends? Bring a pickaxe? Maybe-oof!¡±

    Harriett snapped out of it and launched herself at Jasson in a massive hug, nearly knocking the wind out of him.

    ¡°WAAAA¡± Harriett wailed, no longer tearing her throat with her cries, ¡°You¡¯re alive!! I don¡¯t know how but you¡¯re alive!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the good news,¡± Petra stood, idly rubbing at the tear stains on her shirt, ¡°Jasson, you¡¯re going to tell me the rest of your story later. I need answers. But Harriett, the bad news is that we have a ton of pursuers. I was hoping we could all fit in your bag and have you sneak us out.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could,¡± Harriett sniffed, ¡°But I used all my strength at the other cave. I couldn¡¯t defend you if the time comes.¡±

    ¡°What other cave?¡± Petra said.

    ¡°The one with the wyverns,¡± Harriett said, ¡°I killed most of them while looking for you in there. I¡­I was afraid you were unconscious in one of the nests or torn apart in their bellies.¡±

    ¡°Well, that wraps up our quest,¡± Petra snorted, ¡°But now we¡¯re out of options.¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Jasson said, pulling out his phone, ¡°I¡¯ve got us a ride. I just need that light crystal and- er¡­a lot of gold. He said he charges per person.¡±

    They looked at Jasson for a few seconds before Petra said ¡°Who is going to give us a ride all the way out here? Surrounded by enemies and steps from death.¡±

    Jasson shrugged, struggling to keep a smile from his face as he said ¡°Charon the ferryman. The escort of the dead.¡±

 Chapter 38: Down Payment

    Charon the Ferryman. The escort of the dead and final companion of the dying, did not have a minivan. Five seats, five and a half people. Six if you counted Charon as a whole, but then five and a half again if you take Harriett¡¯s height into account. Harriett decided to take the ¡®indecency¡¯ and sit on the shotgun passenger¡¯s lap. That was Scott in this case, due to needing the extra legroom.

    Probably not great for their first impression with a car, Jasson thought as he squeezed in the middle and Petra closed her door.

    ¡°All right kiddies,¡± Charon said, speaking for the first time after remaining suspiciously silent, ¡°Buckle up, it¡¯s going to be a buuumpy ride.¡±

    Jasson looked at Petra to say something, but Petra was fixed in a pale unmoving stare at Charon. So was Clara. Even Harriett was glued as close to the window as possible, while Scott was doing his best to bow in half toward Charon.

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Why? It¡¯s not because of rough terrain, you haven¡¯t had problems with that before.¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Charon put the car into gear and rolled out of the cave entrance, revealing a hundred guards arrayed to assault the cave, ¡°And I can phase through people just fine. It¡¯s their souls that are the problem. Thankfully,-¡±

    Charon revved his engine, ¡°Souls don¡¯t dent the hood.¡±

    That day an army, the Elite guard of the eldest son of House Taste¡¯r, suffered losses that could only be described as grave. Not one death, but over fifty casualties of chronic depression, anxiety, self-doubt, and melancholy. Some took years to recover, while others drowned it in alcohol and easy drugs. Most of the army arrayed that day saw nothing, while a select few saw some kind of chariot ghosting through the army. Every single soldier that got hit by the car, and even some that didn¡¯t, refused to ever pursue Clarity and Patricia again. Some fell ill at the thought, while others merely fell unconscious at the girl¡¯s names. This became problematic for one soldier who was from a brewer¡¯s family, where the ¡®clarity¡¯ of their deluxe ¡®Patrician¡¯ wine was vital to business.

    And, unfortunately for Jasson, everyone else got car sick.

    ¡°Out!¡± Charon shouted, pulling to a screeching stop in front of Smill¡¯s keep, ¡°Get out! You are not throwing up on my car.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jasson said as the others tumbled out, ¡°Here. For the trouble.¡±

    Jasson gave Charon another ten gold pieces and Charon snorted, saying, ¡°If they had actually thrown up over my fresh seats, this wouldn¡¯t be close to enough. Next time, bring some vomit bags if you¡¯re going to have such frail friends.¡±

    Charon drove off, turning his music up to full blast as he disappeared into time and space.

    Petra looked around and said ¡°Seventy-five gold for this? Just a few miles? Back where we started this &^$% day?!¡±

    Jasson looked around, seeing that the town had finished cleaning up the burning debris from this morning. Otherwise, the town looked safe and unraided by Clout. Not an outright enemy to all civilization. Noted.

    ¡°Eighty-five after tip,¡± Jasson said, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ah¡­premium.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a rip-off,¡± Petra sighed, ¡°Or he would be if that wasn¡¯t the fastest I¡¯ve ever gone on land. And they genuinely couldn¡¯t see us. That¡¯s worth any-¡±

    ¡°Any reasonable and affordable price,¡± Jasson interrupted Petra, looking around nervously. He couldn¡¯t afford Charon hearing that.

    Petra snorted and said ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s get our reward for this quest and go. Maybe Lord Ippoph will give us a few coins and a ride. That is if he¡¯s not on Clout¡¯s side, waiting with a trap.¡±

    ¡°I never liked the guy,¡± Clara wound one arm, ¡°I hope he does.¡±

    ¡°At the very least his son, Chip, should help us,¡± Jasson said, ¡°he¡¯s not a bad guy. Right, Scott?¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Scott leaned over the side of the road and threw up in a gutter, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s better. I¡¯m good to go with you guys now.¡±

    They headed into the keep, cautious but confident as they found the man that owed them money. Lord Ippoph was alone in the greeting hall with his son. Chip Ippoph seemed surprised to see them, eyes noting the lack of pursuit, whereas Lord Ippoph barely had any reaction.

    So Lord Ippoph isn¡¯t in cahoots with Clout, Jasson thought. Good. I kinda like this place, would hate to destroy it.

    ¡°Well, then.¡± Lord Ippoph said, visibly irritated, ¡°You¡¯re finally back today. Before our presumptuous guests no less. Find nothing again? I¡¯m starting to think that we should hire a guide for you in these mountains. Maybe one of the local youth who go wandering in the mountains so often..¡±

    Jasson raised an eyebrow. So Lord Ippoph was not fond of Clout and crew. Noted.

    ¡°We found them,¡± Petra said, ¡°And destroyed the nest after a long, hard battle. Harriett, how many wyverns were slain today.¡±

    Lord Ippoph turned, a smile carving through his scowl.

    ¡°Well, well,¡± Lord R. Ippoph said, ¡°Go ahead, tell me.¡±

    ¡°Fifty,¡± Harriett said, ¡°Several hundred if you include eggs. I¡­I didn¡¯t grab the heads this time.¡±

    ¡°I do say,¡± Lord Ippoph said, rubbing his hands together, ¡°I am quite impressed. I will, of course, have to send my own men out to verify. Your impressive feat of killing ninety of them the other day will bring you to a sizeable one hundred and forty gold coins. If you are, indeed, telling the truth. Tell me of the location and I shall send the scouts to verify.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Father!¡± Chip said, stealing nervous glances at the door, ¡°It will take at least two more days to count up the ones they killed. These heroes are in a hurry and must be on their way-¡±

    ¡°My son,¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°While these adventurers are fine folk, all fine folk embellish their numbers a bit. It¡¯s only human. I simply need to verify so that we ensure that, before the eyes of the law, we are paying them their fair living wage.¡±

    ¡°But you are the law!¡± Chip said, ¡°And you promised them one hundred and fifty wyverns worth after everything!¡±

    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°I must say that winter is coming. We need supplies for the cold, don¡¯t we? It¡¯s this economy, it hits us all in difficult ways.¡±

    Lord Ippoph shook his head sadly, causing his jowls to wobble as he said ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t afford to give these adventurers a bonus. I look forward to the banquet tomorrow night, however. An end to the wyvern threat! Brought to you by the generous Lord Ippoph. I do hope that you will join us. I am given to understand that our cooks shall be preparing a dish from the south. One of tomato sauce on flat bread with cheese. Even some meats if I¡¯m feeling generous. Won¡¯t that be lovely?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we cannot be prevailed to stay,¡± Petra said, ¡°We must leave within the hour Lord Ippoph, and desire the pay you promised us at the very least.¡±

    Chip nodded and said, ¡°See, Father? They are in a hurry and deserve their reward for this herois-¡±

    ¡°This is business, son.¡± Lord Ippoph said, spreading his arms wide, ¡°Business takes time. If they really need to leave, I can offer them one hundred and ten gold right off the bat. What do you say, young lady? Consider it the price of an express fee. I¡¯ll even throw in a ride to the next town over.¡±

    Jasson felt his blood pound. Who did this guy think he was? Modern sentiment almost had Jasson ¡®seizing the means of production¡¯, but he glanced at the pleading Chip.

    That¡¯s right. Jasson thought. He¡¯d offered an extra one hundred gold for doing it within the week. Of course, that was to avoid the trouble we¡¯ve already caused. And we won¡¯t need any more gold once we sell my stash.

    Petra¡¯s shoulders sagged and she started to say, ¡°How about one hundred and-¡±

    ¡°My lord,¡± Harriett stepped forward, ¡°May I have a word with you? I believe I can offer you a¡­better deal.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Lord Ippoph said, frowning, ¡°Sure, kid. You want some juice?¡±

    Jasson could feel Harriett seethe and frowned. Didn¡¯t she have a plan? She¡¯d mentioned it a while ago when they first arrived. Said that she knew what she was doing.

    ¡°A word in private, my Lord.¡± Harriett took Lord Ippoph¡¯s arm and led him to the side, ¡°I suppose you know much of politics.¡±

    ¡°Of course, child,¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°Do you know the name of your local lords? Need help with your homework?¡±

    ¡°In a way,¡± Harriett leaned in, ¡°you see, I want to help you. I really do. So let me tell you pspspsps¡­¡±

    Harriett whispered something in Lord Ippoph''s ear, stretching up to reach his stooped form.

    ¡°Well of course,¡± Lord Ippoph''s said, ¡°Yes, yes- hahaha! Oh you- oh. OH!¡±

    Lord Ippoph tried to straighten but Harriett held firm to his collar, dragging him lower as Lord Ippoph said, ¡°You''re not joki- yes, of course ma''am¡­. how may I-anything ¡­but- sorry¡­. Yes, I understand. No¡­ No, please. Anything but that¡­ Yes, of course¡­ very reasonable¡­Yes, ma''am¡­Sorry, ma¡¯am. It won¡¯t happen again ma¡¯am.¡±

    It was hard to feel sorry for him. Jasson could just make out a few of Lord Ippoph¡¯s expressions but could clearly see how the man shook with sudden nerves. What was Harriett doing?

    ¡°All right,¡± Harriett bounced back, bubbly, ¡°we¡¯ve reached an understanding. Didn''t we, Lord Ippoph.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma''am.¡± Lord Ippoph''s pale face framed eyes fixed submissively on the ground, ¡°One thousand Wyverns, two thousand gold coins, will be ready for your departure in one hou- in thirty minutes.¡±

    What the heck? Jasson thought.

    ¡°Additionally,¡± Harriet said, ¡°you have offered us a ride back to Stalt, complimentary of course.¡±

    ¡°I have?¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°Oh, yes. Of course. Our fastest carriage will be yours. Feel free to keep it.¡±

    Chip stared, mouth agape at his father as Lord Ippoph flushed red.

    Okay, Jasson thought, now I do feel bad. Kinda.

    ¡°No,¡± Petra said, stepping into the awkward silence, ¡°Thank you, but no. We need to keep a low profile, and a speeding coach will not do at all. I¡¯m afraid that-er¡­Harriett will have to suffer the indignity of an uncomfortable trading wagon.¡±

    Petra looked at Jasson, raising her eyebrows. Was Petra looking for¡­ approval? In handling Harriett? Yeah, Jasson was the expert on that front but¡­wow. Something was different about Petra. She¡¯d been¡­nicer? It wasn¡¯t the time to think about that.

    ¡°That sounds perfect,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Have the wagon and trading goods ready to go in thirty minutes. You¡­ know what will happen if you don¡¯t. We¡¯re going to be bathing and changing clothes before we go. Scott, are you going to be bathing here or-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not coming with you,¡± Scott said, ¡°Although I do appreciate the invitation. Petra told me what I need to know to find you guys again, and someone needs to make sure your departure isn¡¯t noticed. I know these mountains personally and can hold off these guys for weeks. So I¡¯ll be bathing at the hot springs to recharge.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson felt his heart drop. He¡¯d been really hoping that Scott was going with them. It would be great to have another dude around. ¡°Stay safe then.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Scott turned and left, ¡°Keep a bed warm for me at the manor!¡±

    ¡°Only if you build the frame!¡± Jasson called out, then turned back, ¡°I trust that everything will be handled, Lord Ippoph. If I might speak with Master Ippoph for a moment?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lord Ippoph said, ¡°Oh, sure! Take my son why don¡¯t you! Like you¡¯ve apparently taken Scott!¡±

    Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m not- nevermind. Chip, a word please?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­sure.¡± Chip said.

    Jasson led Chip out of the greeting hall and into a small side room that stunk of smoke. Lord Ippoph got what was coming to him, but Jasson felt bad for the people of Smill. And winter was coming. The chill of the underground river had given Jasson an education on cold for the first time in his life. He could easily envision one of the village children freezing to death in a harsh mountain frost.

    ¡°I can go get the extra hundred gold I promised,¡± Chip said once they were alone, ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Two thousand gold not in the budget?¡± Jasson said, ¡°I know that I didn¡¯t kill a thousand wyverns that night. It¡¯s more than we¡¯re owed.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± Chip waved his hand, ¡°You got here two weeks early and exterminated them all in a few days. You earned a premium, plus we¡¯ll make a good amount of the money back from the Air Crystals.¡±

    Jasson nodded and said, ¡°I know that I can¡¯t speak for Petra in this, but I consider the extra hundred as paid by your father. But¡­¡±

    Jasson sighed and made up his mind, then said, ¡°What Crystals are you good with? I imagine you have a specialty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really a mage,¡± Chip said, motioning with his hands, ¡°I use a bow. But I have men who specialize in the more common crystals. Why?¡±

    ¡°I feel a bit bad for your town,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I like this place. I want it to be here if I come back.¡±

    Chip waved a hand and said ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. We¡¯ll find a way.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well,¡± Jasson opened his Locker, ¡°I happen to have an extra crystal or two. I am led to believe that these crystals would be difficult to sell without gathering attention. Would you take a couple, for my sake?¡±

    ¡°Um,¡± Chip eyed the locker, ¡°I take it you got lucky in the mines.¡±

    Jasson snorted and said ¡°I get the feeling that you wish for this town to stay a small town. Not overflowing with the great and grabby. So take my advice, don¡¯t go looking for the Pandora¡¯s box down there.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Chip waved his hands, ¡°and you don¡¯t need to give us anything. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Consider it as¡­buying your silence about us.¡± Jasson pulled out two random crystals and placed them in Chip¡¯s hands, ¡°Take Fire and¡­I forgot what purple does, but take that too. And thank you for your help.¡±

    Jasson walked away before pausing and turning back to the slack-jawed Chip, then said ¡°You didn¡¯t spill the beans when Clout came. Right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Chip said, snatching his fingers around the crystals, ¡°It was my father who mentioned ¡®those blonde twin girls he couldn¡¯t remember the names of.¡¯ The idiot.¡±

    ¡°Keep it that way,¡± Jasson said, ¡°There were no Petra and Clara here. Just Patricia and Clarity. You don¡¯t even remember my name, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever caught your name,¡± Chip said, nodding, ¡°What would you like me to call you?¡±

    Jasson paused then grinned and said ¡°Mykael. You can call me Mykael.¡±

    ¡°All right,¡± Chip said, ¡°Michael it is. Michael the Great Mage.¡±

    Jasson could hear Chip misspell the name, or perhaps spell it correctly, and smiled. Great Mage, eh?

    I guess I got stronger, Jasson thought, Eh, big bro? Just like you told me to.

 Chapter 39: Down the Road

    The covered wagon bucked and shook, a far cry from that carriage that picked them up from killing those goblins last week. Jasson was tossed between crates of ¡°mountain furs¡± and ¡°liquidation items¡± in a capitalist paint shaker. Petra and Clara were sitting on their upside-down table, ready to take off at a moment¡¯s notice. Stoic and unflinching in the face of #$& aching adversity.

    Harriett had the best deal since she hadn''t been seen by the enemy. She got to sit on the soft, suspended bench out front with the driver. And she didn''t even complain about having the ¡®nice¡¯ seat. Not after the first hour.

    Jasson pressed the same old light crystal against his charging port. Not being able to find Ellie to charge his phone sucked. He didn''t want to waste his limited supply of Mana Crystals either, so it was back to slow and steady. Unfortunately, it was difficult to maintain contact when his butt was a variable distance from the floor.

    Still, Jasson couldn''t help but notice that he was charging his phone faster.

    Maybe I¡¯ve gotten better at magic. Jasson thought, staring at the rectangle of light in the dark.

    ¡°That¡¯s it for the night,¡± the wagon driver (what was his name again?) called back, ¡°we¡¯ve been driving for a couple of hours in the dark, but I can''t risk going any further in these conditions.¡±

    Petra had given Jasson night-sight again, so he could make out the details without any issues. They pulled to a stop by a small spring in a frequently used turnoff. Wagon ruts crossed the ground like an overused game of tic-tac-toe, and a large ring of stones sported the corpses of countless campfires.

    Jasson hopped out and stretched, extending his right hand up and back towards the wagon. It felt good to- Someone grabbed his hand. Jasson turned to see Petra holding his hand gracefully, even as her magically enhanced glove glinted in the moonlight. Jasson remembered how much that hurt when he first shook her hand, but now she held it gently as she smiled at him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Petra leaned on his hand as she disembarked from the wagon, ¡°That was surprisingly thoughtful of you.¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Jasson¡¯s hand tingled, ¡°I, ah, didn''t think you''d take it though.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Petra said, ¡°Why ever not?¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± Jasson said, ¡°you don''t need no man. Isn¡¯t helping you down or opening doors¡­rude?¡±

    ¡°Rude?!¡± Petra said, looking genuinely shocked, ¡°How on earth would that be rude? It''s basic gentleman''s behavior. Where did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°My older sister, Lilye,¡± Jasson stammered, feeling a confused warmth burn through him.

    ¡°Well,¡± Petra said, ¡°it sounds like your sister is quite mixed up. Backwards, even. Not to be offensive to her, of course.¡±

    Jasson snorted and said, ¡°No, go ahead. She deserves all the insults she gets. But it wasn¡¯t just her. It¡¯s out of fashion to do those things where I come from.¡±

    Petra looked at Jasson strangely, then said, ¡°I¡¯m¡­wow. You sound so unfamiliar with it. Were you never taught how to be a gentleman?¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Jasson searched his memory, ¡°No. At least, not, like, how to arrange my forks.¡±

    Petra giggled and said, ¡°Silly. So- wait. You''re serious? That''s etiquette, not Gentlemanly manners.¡±

    Jasson flushed and shrugged, turning away as he said, ¡°These aren''t things men are supposed to do anymore, it doesn¡¯t carry any rizz. It''s ¡°rude and presumptive to the strong, competent women.¡± It''s¡­wrong.¡±

    ¡°Maybe in your culture,¡± Petra said, putting a hand on Jasson''s shoulder, ¡°but¡­look. It''s okay to do that stuff now. You''re not going to be punished for helping a lady out of a wagon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Jasson shrugged off Petra¡¯s hand and headed to the spring, ¡°I wasn''t even trying to offer you help. I was just stretching.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that''s funny,¡± Petra said as she walked after Jasson, ¡°I¡¯m still grateful you did. You never answered my question, though. Do you know what gentlemanly things to do or did you never learn?¡±

    Jasson was quiet as he approached the spring, kneeling and scooping some water to his mouth. The crisp chill reminded him of the river he¡¯d almost died in. Heck, it could have come from that very river for all he knew. Either way, it helped wash away the warm confusion fogging his exhausted mind.

    Petra said, ¡°Would you¡­I think that you¡¯d like to learn the basics of being a gentleman. I suppose I could teach-¡±

    ¡°I don''t want to learn another absurd set of rules to live by,¡± Jasson prickled with heat again, then splashed his face, ¡°I¡¯m just going to keep treating you like I do. Not some sort of foot-licking servant, even with my life debt.¡±

    ¡°Life debt?¡± Petra said, ¡°We¡¯re even now. Don¡¯t you remember? You paid back your life debt, and even the debt for that healing crystal. We¡¯re equals now.¡±

    Jasson paused, mulling over her words. It had only been over a week, a nearly unbelievably short amount of time, but he¡¯d grown used to that debt. It felt comfortable. He didn''t have to choose why he stayed, he owed Petra. He just obeyed orders from the person who saved his life and fought for what respect he could get.

    But now he was free. It''s not like Jasson wanted to leave, but¡­well what had he been doing before he met the twins? Wandering as he looked for Data? Getting distracted and messing up that flower quest? Trying to start an adventure without a goal in sight? A distracted journey looking for signals.

    Jasson stood and wiped his hands on his pants, then held his hand out to Petra.

    ¡°Glad to join the cause as an equal,¡± Jasson said as he shook Petra¡¯s hand, ¡°Here¡¯s to The construction of the Manor, a defense against Clout and those that would hurt you, and to the dreams we all hold dear.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Petra said, raising her eyebrows and grinning, ¡°I look forward to working together.¡±

    Jasson lingered, holding onto Petra¡¯s hand for a few more seconds. Was this why she¡¯d been treating him differently? No, she seemed to be in a better mood overall.

    ¡°Getting cozy?¡± Clara approached, ¡°Me and Harriet are going out hunting. Can you two prepare bread and vegetables? I¡¯d like to have a celebration feast, and we have plenty of supplies with what Lord Ippoph sent us. Who knew that he had such a generous side?¡±

    ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t,¡± Petra said, pulling her hand away and stepping back from Jasson, ¡°Did you have anything in mind?¡±

    ¡°Just something yummy,¡± Clara shrugged, ¡°You¡¯re the cook. I figured it was a good time to celebrate. Before the two weeks of travel start to get to us.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Petra turned to Jasson and said, ¡°Jasson, you- could you help me prepare the vegetables?¡±

    Equals. Jasson thought as Clara walked away. Petra smiled at Jasson and Jasson felt his heart lurch a bit, as it did whenever Petra relaxed. Whenever Petra was friendly.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be more worried?¡± Jasson said, ¡°We might be being pursued.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s improbable,¡± Petra said, reaching into her locker and pulling out vegetables, ¡°If Clout had brought any assassins, which would be wise if he was investigating a great mage, then they¡¯d be pursuing us to the north. I imagine they¡¯ve cleared out the cavern and started exploring our tunnels.¡±

    Jasson tingled as he took the carrots and potatoes. Would they travel down the river? Find his treasure trove of crystals? Game over.

    It¡¯s no game, Jasson thought. It¡¯s¡­beyond my understanding.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°So¡­um¡­¡± Jasson glanced at the driver who was tying the horses nearby, ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll ask you later.¡±

    Petra raised an eyebrow and glanced at the driver, then nodded and said ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s wash these in the spring.¡±

    They chatted and washed the vegetables in finger-numbing spring water. Petra had a smile on her face more than normal, although Jasson wouldn¡¯t call her bubbly. Why? Shouldn¡¯t she be on edge?

    ¡°Seriously.¡± Jasson said as they gathered the clean vegetables, ¡°Why are you so cheery right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cheery?¡± Petra flashed Jasson a meaningful smile, ¡°Is there some reason I shouldn¡¯t be happy by your side? You paid off your debt after all. Aren¡¯t people normally happy when their friends are out of debt?¡±

    ¡°Not most bankers,¡± Jasson said, ¡°or, frankly, politicians.¡±

    Petra rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I meant people who care about¡­ never mind. Let''s go cut these up. I think Clara was wanting a hearty stew.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe a stir fry,¡± Jasson said, ¡°the stew of the East.¡±

    Petra shook her head and said, ¡°No, I don''t have the right pan. Haven''t even tried that for years anyway.¡±

    ¡°How come?¡± Jasson said, ¡°Just didn''t feel like making it?¡±

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Petra glanced at the driver and fell silent.

    Jasson helped prepare the vegetables and kept working up the courage to ask Petra questions, or even tell her what happened. Jasson was definitely dying to show Petra the treasures he¡¯d found, but there was that driver and the others and¡­

    ¡°You know,¡± Jasson said as they finished the vegetables, ¡°I feel like we can''t really talk in these circumstances. Want to go for a walk?¡±

    Petra was facing away, adding the vegetables to a large pot, but she paused before saying, ¡°That sounds lovely. A stroll in the evening air, stars bright above. Let''s go.¡±

    They let the driver know and to tell Clara and Harriet that they were going on a walk. Jasson waited patiently for Petra to choose a direction, then followed her into the night. They hiked up into the mountains a bit, and Jasson realized that he wasn''t getting as exhausted as before.

    Huh, Jasson thought, I¡¯m getting in shape.

    They found a small clearing covered in mountain grass and flowers, the stars bright above, and Petra sat down. She patted the ground beside herself, and Jasson sat carefully close to her. Not too far, not too close. Hopefully.

    ¡°The stars are beautiful away from the tower lights,¡± Petra said, looking up, ¡°don''t you think?¡±

    Jasson craned his neck up. They''d been in town most nights out here, save for that first where he¡¯d been a bit distracted. But now that he looked¡­

    A carpet of stars warmed the sky, unfamiliar constellations assembled into a smear of white across it. Like the work of a master painter in a million dots of titanium white. Jasson had heard of the Milky Way but had never seen it in person. Yet here, in a place where he was definitely not looking at the same galaxy, he got to appreciate the stars for the first time. Why didn''t he do this in his past life? This quiet awe nearly made Jasson dizzy as-

    ¡°Ooh, a shooting star!¡± Jasson pointed just as the streak disappeared.

    ¡°Nice,¡± Petra said, ¡°that¡¯s good luck.¡±

    ¡°In my culture, we make wishes on shooting stars.¡± Jasson said, looking at Petra illuminated by stars, ¡°What do you guys do?¡±

    ¡°Like that,¡± Petra said, ¡°But different. We say that when you see a shooting star, one of your wishes has already come true.¡±

    Petra reached out and put a hand on Jasson''s shoulder, saying, ¡°Better keep an eye on the sky. I get the feeling that several of my wishes have come true.¡±

    Electric hormones zipped through Jasson as his mind raced. Certain possibilities were considered and then discarded, such as love and the prospect of a romantic cuddle. What did Petra want?

    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Jasson said, ¡°mind if I take some guesses?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Petra said

    ¡°Let''s see,¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°you¡¯ve been wishing for a powerful ally.¡±

    ¡°Doesn''t everyone?¡± Petra laughed.

    ¡°Low-hanging fruit first,¡± Jasson grinned, ¡°I guess we were both excited for Scott to join us.¡±

    ¡°Him too,¡± Petra looked Jasson in the eyes, ¡°but he''s a bird in the bush. I was talking about you.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Jasson shrugged, smirking a bit, ¡°I guess I count too.¡±

    ¡°You''re teasing me!¡± Petra slugged him gently, ¡°You know how strong you are!¡±

    Jasson blushed, playfully rubbing his shoulder. Her hand seemed to linger for a bit.

    ¡°I don''t really,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I¡¯m capable of one enormous attack or several smaller ones. What good is that? If I¡¯d attacked Clout inside a city, I would have wiped out a couple of city blocks. There¡¯s not much use for that.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see what Clara did to the battlefield?¡± Petra said, ¡°She¡¯s a wild woman. You do plenty. I¡¯d rank you a seventeen out of twenty for your strongest attacks.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson sighed, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were a sixteen out of twenty? So I¡¯m only one point ahead?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Petra said, ¡°But these aren¡¯t linear levels. Every number is exponentially bigger than the last. The tournament I was in, the one that I beat Clout during, was only up to sixteen out of twenty. Seventeen was the beginning of Great-mages. And Archmages start at twenty.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said that this scale was one to twenty?¡± Jasson said, ¡°How come Archmages start at twenty?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t compare ourselves to the Archmages,¡± Petra said, ¡°They¡¯re freaks. They keep track of who is stronger than who among their own numbers. We just do our best to stay out of their way. Our scale ends where theirs begins.¡±

    ¡°Woah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Are there many of these guys?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Petra shrugged, ¡°Enough to keep each other in check. At least to not take over the world.¡±

    ¡°How do you lose count of them?¡± Jasson said, stunned, ¡°They sound like walking nukes.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what a ¡®nuke¡¯ is,¡± Petra said, ¡°But the problem is that many of these Archmages are reclusive and rumored to have found the method for immortality.¡±

    Jasson whistled and said ¡°Yeah. That would do it. Glad they keep to themselves.¡±

    ¡°Oh there¡¯s a kingdom or two ruled by them,¡± Petra said, ¡°But they¡¯ve been unable to conquer the world. We try not to jinx it.¡±

    Jasson felt a chill. Something in him¡­quivered. Then tingles ran along his skin, like when a story feels too real as a child.

    I gotta stop following that horror Tiktiker, Jasson thought, It¡¯s messing with me.

    ¡°Speaking of power,¡± Petra said, ¡°Do I get the story? How did you get separated from Harriett?¡±

    ¡°Should I wait to tell everyone?¡± Jasson said.

    ¡°No,¡± Petra pulled out the Mana crystal Jasson had given her, ¡°There might be some things to¡­keep under wraps.¡±

    Jasson watched as Petra¡¯s easy-going expression soured from a sweet milk to a serious yogurt.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a monster¡¯s Mana Crystal, is it?¡± Petra said, ¡°It¡¯s too¡­pure. It didn¡¯t crumble when I used it earlier. And the healing crystal, it¡¯s pink. That¡¯s what¡¯s found in low-grade healing monsters. But it¡¯s too big, and you can¡¯t process a monster¡¯s geode.¡±

    ¡°What did you think happened?¡± Jasson raised his eyebrows, ¡°I just got lost and slew a couple of enormous monsters in a labyrinth of stone?¡±

    ¡°A bit,¡± Petra said, ¡°it¡¯s logical¡­  reasonable. But then I remember that water crystal. We¡¯re landlocked here. Unless there¡¯s some kind of ancient ocean capable of holding a Greater Sea Dragon, I have no idea where you got one so big.¡±

    Petra smiled again, but it was weighed with worry, and said ¡°What happened?¡±

    Jasson sighed. He¡¯d¡­well he didn¡¯t know what to expect from her. But he couldn¡¯t keep it in. At least, not in his locker anymore. He wanted to use his locker.

    ¡°The floor collapsed beneath me,¡± Jasson said, ¡°And I fell into *^%$ cold water. I don¡¯t know how I survived that, not even any broken bones-¡±

    Wait, Jasson thought, hadn¡¯t there been a voice? What had it said? Never mind.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Jasson waved his hand, ¡°I woke up on the shore of a tunnel. With Charon. You know Charon.¡±

    ¡°Now I do,¡± Petra shivered, ¡°How are you so calm with that thing?¡±

    Jasson shrugged. He¡¯d been terrified the first time he¡¯d met Charon. Heck, Jasson didn¡¯t know how he ended up being so casual.

    ¡°I guess I was grumpy when I woke up,¡± Jasson said, ¡°And we got familiar after that.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re familiar with death,¡± Petra sighed, ¡°Never mind. Continue your story.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Jasson said, ¡°I walked for a couple hours and came across a portion of the river that glowed on the other bank. So I dove in, almost died, and found another part of the cave.¡±

    ¡°Idiot,¡± Petra said, ¡°There are countless monsters that glow to attract prey in the darkness. Why did you do that?¡±

    Jasson shrugged and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know about the other options. I knew it wasn¡¯t sunlight, but¡­well crystals glow a bit. Don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Wait- no!¡± Petra looked at the mana crystal, ¡°Do you know how many of these you¡¯d have to put together in order to get them to glow brightly? Don¡¯t lie to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± Jasson said, pulling another Mana Crystal from his pocket, ¡°I came out on the other side and some of the clusters were shining like a full moon!¡±

    ¡°Clusters- you¡¯re not serious!¡± Petra stared, agape, ¡°You found more than one? Why do you only have two of these then?¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Jasson emptied his pockets, flesh relieved to be free of the pressure, ¡°I have¡­five of these. I couldn¡¯t carry more and I was in a hurry to rescue you girls.¡±

    ¡°Five-¡± Petra laughed, ¡°Well, at least you got extras. It¡¯s not like you could carry much. We can sell a few of these and-¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Jasson opened his phone, ¡°I was hoping that we¡¯d keep a hold of them. Never know when we¡¯d need one.¡±

    ¡°Five natural Mana Crystals,¡± Petra held up the brown crystals, ¡°I mean, yeah. Especially at higher levels. But it¡¯s overkill and we could get a few hundred gold each.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± Jasson opened his locker, which split reality, ¡°I don¡¯t think that having enough to sell will be our biggest problem.¡±

    Petra said, ¡°Oh, when did you get a lock¡­er¡­-eeeEEEEEHHHH!!!!¡±

    Jasson pulled out a random handful of smaller crystals from the front, destabilizing his jammed-full locker and sending a cascade of crystals across the ground. Jasson dumped his handful on Petra¡¯s lap and reveled in her shock.

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping you got space in your locker,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Mine¡¯s not big yet, and I want to hold onto other things as well. But, I figured I¡¯d-¡±

    ¡°These are all natural magic crystals,¡± Petra said, grabbing Jasson by his shirt and pulling them eye to eye, ¡°Aallll of them?¡±

    Wow, we¡¯re close.

    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Jasson sighed and decided to bring up the negatives, ¡°But we¡¯d probably collapse the economy if we sold them all now. It will be a headache to liquidate them but-¡±

    ¡°HAHA!¡± Petra kissed Jasson, ¡°I could kiss you! Oh, I already did. WOOO!!!¡±

    Petra stood and threw a handful of crystals up into the air, skipping around and singing and laughing wildly. She fell beside Jasson after a few laps, gasping and giggling and squealing in delight.

    ¡°You fricking idiot.¡± Petra laughed, ¡°Well, if you were going to visit a treasure trove you at least filled some enormous pockets. Once-in-a-lifetime experience! These should be enough to fund the entire construction!!¡±

    ¡°I mean,¡± Jasson said, ¡°It¡¯s not once in a lifetime. I left a GPS marker at the exit and can find it again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding?!¡± Petra sat up and grabbed his shoulders, ¡°You can really find your way back?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, ¡°No problem. Although, there is still a small army up-¡±

    Petra kissed Jasson again, and this time it sunk through Jasson¡¯s confused brain and into his tingling gut. She was kissing him!!! Petra was kissing him! Again! Petra of all people! Him! And was it¡­lingering? How long had it been? Time traced heart-shaped lines as Jasson¡¯s heartbeat stampeded across his chest.

    ¡°WOOW!¡± Clara¡¯s voice interrupted them, ¡°Petra! I- what?! Why?!¡±

    Petra broke away and hugged Jasson before stepping away and saying, ¡°I had to do something!¡±

    ¡°Doing something is kissing Jasson?!¡± Clara entered the glade and Jasson glanced at her. Clara¡¯s face was contorted into¡­something. To be honest, Jasson wasn¡¯t thinking very clearly.

    ¡°I¡¯m just too happy to care!¡± Petra scooped up some crystals and bounced over to Clara, ¡°See!!!¡±

    Clara looked at Petra¡¯s hands and dropped the deer she was carrying, taking Petra by the shoulders and squealing with her as they bounded in a circle. Jasson blinked and Harriett was there with them, the three holding hands and giggling as they danced around the clearing.

    Wow, Jasson thought, that was fun.

    And that night, one of the slain deer disappeared before they could cook it.

 Chapter 40: Down the Finish Line

    Two weeks. Two whole freaking weeks. Jasson about died. You could travel across the continental United States in two weeks and still have time for sightseeing. Thankfully, he had his phone.

    Scrolling hadn¡¯t been nearly enough. He caught up on shows, found some new influencers to follow, and discovered that he needed more. His brain was feeling rusty. Dull.

    He started by researching ¡®isekai¡¯ and finding the tropes. No hud or hit-points, but his phone could be considered a game mechanic. He was decently overpowered but didn¡¯t have a harem of girls fighting over him. Hopefully. He¡¯d gotten a kiss in only a week and a half, so that definitely disqualified him. Probably.

    Jasson decided not to think about that anymore, and moved on to researching other things. Things that made him feel sharper.

    So he delved into the educational side of NOt-youtube. Game Hypothosis and its companion channels were a great compromise, and he finally watched the founder¡¯s farewell video. Then he moved on to Mark Brober, Truth Serum, Amazon Red, Styrofoam Pyrotechnic, and all the rest. It was¡­fun. Plus, they all had a ton of backlog.

    Two weeks and five bandit encounters later, they were back outside of Stalt. The city walls towered and bustled with marching soldiers as the gates flowed with trade. Soldiers stood to attention as inattentive ¡®not-a-^%$#-soldier-right-&^%$#-now¡¯ slumped in the shadows of anything vertical enough to block out the two o¡¯clock sun.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Jasson hopped from the wagon, stretching, ¡°I- oh dang it. You got me. Let me help you down.¡±

    Petra had made a habit of using Jasson¡¯s stretches as offering ¡®gentlemanly assistance¡¯, snatching his hand whenever it could possibly be offered. The first time, Jasson tried to pull away, but her grip had been as unyielding as ever. Now, it was a game of Jasson¡¯s awareness and Petra¡¯s speed.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Petra stepped off daintily, ¡°Clara, grab the table.¡±

    They bid farewell to the driver (Dave, who had 3 kids and loved to watch cat videos with Jasson), and re-entered the city. The guards didn¡¯t even question them, and the bustle soon spread out into the maze of streets.

    ¡°It¡¯s weird,¡± Jasson said, ¡°So many people after so long.¡±

    ¡°Those small towns were not enough.¡± Petra said, stretching her legs, ¡°Good to be back. Jasson, take that quest back to the guild. Please. We still need to keep a low profile.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with him!¡± Harriett bounced to Jasson¡¯s side, ¡°I want to see the process.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get in contact with people,¡± Clara said, holding the table over her head with one hand, ¡°We need to find buyers.¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Petra said, ¡°We have plenty of cash right now, thanks to Harriett. Let¡¯s get some groceries and head home. Meet you two back at the Manor.¡±

    Jasson bid them farewell and walked with Harriett to the guild. Red and gold in relatively fresh paint, the facade stood unsurprisingly unchanged since they¡¯d left. The afternoon rush was winding out the doors, and Jasson marched in proudly. The smell hit again, something Jasson had not missed, and it took a moment for Jasson¡¯s eyes to adjust.

    To the left, Grog was engrossed in a book while sitting in his recliner. Jasson felt a bit nervous, but the mountain of a man simply looked over at Jasson and smiled before nodding.

    Sick, Jasson thought as he nodded back at Grog. He acknowledged me!

    Jasson looked to the back of the guild where the receptionist had a small line. Jane was on duty today and Jasson stepped into her line, giddy to share his victory.

    ¡°Here we go,¡± Jasson plopped the quest down in front of Jane once he made it to the front of the line, ¡°One completed ¡®urgent¡¯ quest for you. And a friend to swear I did it- Harriett? Where¡¯d you go?¡±

    Jasson turned around, looking for Harriett but she¡¯d disappeared. Why? Ah well, she was within her rights to vanish into thin air. He turned back to Jane who was reading the quest with raised eyebrows.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Well?¡± Jasson said after a minute.

    ¡°I thought you were dead,¡± Jane said, ¡°You didn¡¯t come in for two and a half weeks. Glad to know you were up in the Akhaaka mountains. You found a powerful party, then?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Wait, Jasson thought, I shouldn¡¯t brag about this. It¡¯d make too many connections to Petra and Clara.

    ¡°Yeah, we eked out a win.¡± Jasson said, remembering what Petra had said,  ¡°There were hundreds of the things, flying around at night and stuff. We played it safe and picked them off slowly from a fortified position.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you make it up there so fast?¡± Jane said, squinting, ¡°Did you fly?¡±

    I can¡¯t say we did but¡­ Jasson thought.  Well, I am planning on making a plane now (an ambitious project and the downside of educational videos). Why not? It shouldn¡¯t take that long to finish the first prototype.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson looked around conspiratorially, ¡°But don¡¯t tell anyone, okay? It¡¯s not ready yet.¡±

    Jane froze, then snorted and said ¡°Don¡¯t tell me then. You had me going for a second. Is there someone from Smill with you today?¡±

    Jasson blinked, then said ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Unless there¡¯s a representative with you,¡± Jane said, ¡°We won¡¯t be able to pay you at the present moment. It will take a couple of weeks and-¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve been paid already.¡± Jasson waved his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We just want to raise my rank.¡±

    ¡°Payment serves as partial proof that you completed the quest,¡± Jane said, ¡°Do you have any official representatives to vouch for you? Or perhaps a signed document from the town Lord?¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Jasson blushed, ¡°I¡­we forgot to ask for that. We had a driver, but I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s official. He was at the north gate. Maybe if I run-¡±

    ¡°How long ago did you reach the north gate?¡± Jane said.

    ¡°Umm, fifteen minutes?¡± Jasson said.

    Jane tapped her chin then said ¡°He should be at the watering troughs near there. I¡¯ll send a runner. You have a seat over there. Next!¡±

    Jasson sat and brought took out his phone. Back to full bars and slow speeds. Where did Harriett go? She obviously wasn¡¯t in range for him to get a signal. After two weeks of extremely high-speed internet, Jasson was struggling to wait for his videos to load. A conversation from the next table over caught his attention.

    ¡°Do you got the stuff?¡± Someone said. Jasson stole a glance. A man with an eye patch was sitting with a man who¡¯s face would be generously described as a scarred mess with a mangled mouth.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Eye-patch said, ¡°But not here. You got what you need?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Mangle-mouth seemed desperate as he said, ¡°But can you drop the price? Do you know how hard it is to get peaches now? And with the Butcher looking to-¡±

    ¡°You gonna get your fix or not?¡± Eye-patch said, ¡°Or are you gonna settle for that yellow lucre from the south?¡±

    ¡°No, please,¡± Mangle mouth said, ¡°That Mench crap doesn¡¯t cut it. I need the good stuff. It¡¯s all that makes me happy anymore.¡±

    Eye-patch stood and Jasson looked away as the man said, ¡°Let¡¯s head out back. Grog makes me feel¡­exposed.¡±

    Jasson stole a glance as the men walked out the door. They were both the grungy adventurer type, but seemed¡­jittery.

    I guess drugs are here too. Jasson thought, sighing at a little dirt on a fantasy world. Not counting the corruption, war, and slavery.

    ¡°Jasson!¡± Jane called, ¡°I¡¯ve got word from your driver.¡±

    Jasson stood, hurrying to the front of the line and pushing through the dirty looks.

    ¡°I got confirmation with the driver,¡± Jane said, ¡°I just need you to confirm his name.¡±

    ¡°Dave,¡± Jasson said, ¡°Do you need more?¡±

    ¡°No, that is fine.¡± Jane put a clear crystal up to her ear and said ¡°All right, thank you. You¡¯re good to go.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jasson said, looking at the Air Crystal.

    So they have a form of telecommunications. Jasson thought. Utilizing air rather than electricity. Interesting.

    ¡°All right,¡± Jane said, pulling out a form, ¡°If you could just sign here.¡±

    Jasson tried to read it over and recognized a few words from his Do-a-Lingo practice.

    ¡°This is¡­about¡­going up in rank?¡± Jasson said, feeling himself flush.

    ¡°Oh, you learned to read.¡± Jane smiled, ¡°Good job. Yeah. You¡¯re going up in rank. These quests count for a lot. Congratulations, you are now Oak rank. You went up four levels!¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jasson sighed, signing the paper, ¡°I mean, yeah. That¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s extremely rare,¡± Jane took the paper and filed it away, ¡°All the way from driftwood to oak in less than a month. You should be proud.¡±

    It¡¯s not like we need the money from higher quests anymore, Jasson thought, I should enjoy the journey.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jasson said, grinning widely, ¡°You¡¯re right. This is fantastic, thank you.¡±

    Jasson turned to leave, then stopped and turned back. He¡¯d almost forgot.

    Jasson dug into his pocket and dropped a couple gold coins into the tip jar. They clanged heavily and the other adventurers turned as one to face Jasson.

    Miiight not have been a great idea to draw attention to that. Jasson thought.

    ¡°Thank you for coming in,¡± Jane said brightly, ¡°Have a good day!¡±

    Jasson waved and walked out the door, a pep in his step and followed by wispers. Something was different about this boy. Two gold coins? And he just jumped four levels in one quest. What was his name again?

    About a block away from the guild, Harriett materialized beside Jasson.

    ¡°Where were you?¡± Jasson said, playfully swiping at Harriett, ¡°That was half your quest. You should have gone in and gotten some credit.¡±

    ¡°One day,¡± Harriett said, motioning dramatically, ¡°But for today, it is my fate to suffer honor such as mine besmirched upon a noble other.¡±

    Jasson paused then said, ¡°I think that you didn¡¯t use ¡®besmirched¡¯ quite right. Still, if that¡¯s what you want then go for it.¡±

    Jasson landed a playful slug as they made their way back out of the city. Back to the not-ruins of Reflection Manor, the place he¡¯d sworn both heart and health to.

    Back home.

    End of Vertical Horizons Arc

 Epilogue

    That night, the party settled in. Tasks finished, celebration feast sizzling on platters, beds strewn across the floor in relative luxury compared to two weeks on the road. Jasson played music from his phone and laughter flowed freely. Jasson occasionally considered trying for another kiss to cap off the night, but needed to go to empty his bladder before trying anything.

    Mew!

    Jasson staggered outside, away from the laughter, and found himself in a quieter night. Jasson fumbled towards the bathroom, drunk on giddiness, and relaxed for about thirty consecutive seconds. He looked up, taking in the night sky as night sang peaceful closure to the longest month of Jasson¡¯s life.

    It had been nearly four weeks since Jasson had woken up on that field of war and death. He¡¯d walked that first day and every day since. He needed a belt for the first time in years, and was noticing considerable toning for his muscles. It felt good. Not enough to justify the workout those spiders, goblins, wyverns, rabbits, caverns, soldiers, and various giant flaming Mamals gave him. However, it was enough to know that his lazy butt was no longer built for sitting.

    He was a boy, almost a man, that could do something.

    ¡°Beautiful night,¡± Jasson murmured as he washed his hands. He could see the glow of the city in the distance and the stars beyond. He¡¯d have to learn some of these constellations, especially which star was north-

    Mew!

    ¡°Huh?¡± Jasson turned his head, trying to pinpoint the sound, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Mew!

    ¡°A cat?¡± Jasson dried his hands and stepped from the bathroom, peering around the not-ruins, ¡°Here kitty-kitty. Pspspsps. I¡¯ll get you a scrap of meat if you let me pet you.¡±

    Mew!

    ¡°Sounds small and young-ish.¡± Jasson felt a pang across his heart, ¡°I hope it didn¡¯t just lose its mother. Poor little kitten. I hope it¡¯s big enough to go without milk.¡±

    Mew!

    Jasson made his way around the not-ruins and poked his head under the likely hiding holes, following the sound of a kitten. He supposed that this could be some kind of trap, a monster that lured people in with lost kitten noises. It would make sense. But¡­nah. It would be a fluffy, adorable, tiny-

    Jasson froze, staring.

    ¡°Mew!¡± the kitten said, adorable eyes fixing on Jasson as it toddled up to him, ¡°Mew!¡±

    As kittens go, it had the shape of being out of the nest already. Still a bit clumsy, but with longer limbs and a grace that said it could hunt for its own prey. Barely.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    But. Jasson thought, As cat¡¯s go¡­it¡¯s *&%$ enormous!

    The size of a bear with fur a fierce orange, it nudged a basketball-sized head against Jasson¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Oh *&^%,¡± Jasson said as he was crushed against the wall, the purring kitten rubbing along his entire right side in an enveloping FLOOF, ¡°Ah. Oh. You¡¯re too cute. No¡­but¡­ I guess¡­¡±

    Mew!

    A second kitten launched playfully from around the corner, a gorgeous tuxedo of black and white tackling the orange kitten. Jasson just managed to avoid being flattened as the two kittens rolled around the not-ruins of what would eventually be the family room.

    ¡°&$*&%!¡± Jasson said, ¡°Oh¡­we¡¯re in trouble. Wow¡­ Dang it. Two of them. They really are ¡®two¡¯ cute. Heh.¡±

    I can¡¯t just separate them, Jasson thought. Man¡­I really hope Petra isn¡¯t allergic to cats.

    Thus, in a world of fantasy and wonder, the cat distribution system strikes again.

    ***************************************************************************************************

    ****Jasson¡¯s First Status****

    | Strength  | 100

    | Agility  | 120

    | Intelligence  | 147

    | Wisdom  | 85

    | Charisma  | 90

    | Magic  | 52

    | Stamina  | 91

    | Luck  | 152

    ****Jasson¡¯s Previous Status Update in Chapter 22****

    | Strength  | 106

    | Agility  | 133

    | Intelligence  | 156

    | Wisdom  | 98

    | Charisma  | 97

    | Magic  | 75

    | Stamina  | 118

    | Luck  | 165

    ****Jasson¡¯s Current Status****

    | Strength  | 115

    | Agility  | 150

    | Intelligence  | 200

    | Wisdom  | 150

    | Charisma  | 120

    | Magic  | 110

    | Stamina  | 140

    | Luck  | 203

    End of The Smartphone Saga Book 1: A Distracted Journey of Spells and Signals

    Please be patient for Book 2: A Place to Belong, Blueprints and Blunders. I am already writing it, but it will have to come out in less frequent releases. The first three chapters will be available on Patreon first, then slowly published for free.

    Stay tuned!

    P.S.

    At some point in 2025, I will be entering the serious editing stage for self-publishing ¡°The Smartphone Saga: A Distracted Journey¡± on Amazon. Between that time and the release on Amazon, I will be removing the chapters for book 1 on the free sites, as is standard practice. All of the chapters will be available on Patreon, even after the release. I am unsure of what I will be doing on the free sites after release, but I need to make money in pursuit of being sustainably poor!

    Thank you!

 Thank you and see you in the newly started Book 2!

    "The Smartphone Saga Book 2 - A Place to Belong: Blueprints and Blunders" has been released and approved by RR. The Next chapter is ready for you to continue! Posting will be slowed for the next book, and I promise at least one post a month. More likely a bi-weekly schedule. Enjoy!

    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/101309/the-smartphone-saga-book-2-a-place-to-belong-blueprints

    A new story has entered the Battlefield! "My Life 2-Timing Reality" is a portal isekai where the MC is hoping between the mundane world and the fantasy. In this one I put a lot more snark behind the character, no longer going for a more blank slate phone addict. This one loves being alive, despite all the ways he should be dead. Don''t take it too seriously and we''ll have fun together!This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/101312/my-life-two-timing-reality

    Just a reminder that you can get even more chapters at https://www.patreon.com/ManiFisher</a> or https://www.buymeacoffee.com/CatchKing</a> and don¡¯t forget that Patreon will give you a 7-day free trial. Let¡¯s work together towards the goal of all artists: To be sustainably poor!

    -Mani Fisher