I used rubble to block the access to the third floor as we descended. It wasn’t that I didn’t want anyone else to get a chance to enjoy the view, but rather that I wanted to make sure that no monsters were able to enter when unattended. I followed Kine all the way to the first floor, mildly impressed with the cleaning they accomplished. The leader’s alcove had been cleared out, and the stolen goods were stacked neatly in place. The shoddy door had been remounted, and new stone brackets supported the brace that would lock it in place. Ugly, but it would do for now. The cloth curtain that separated the alcove before lay folded in a square next to the clay piss-pot, right outside the prison cell. The rubble was gathered in one place, and now encircled the fire creating a two-foot-high firepit. The bedrolls that were previously strewn around now lay in a line with bandits sitting or sleeping on them.

Lilly seemed to be going through the supplies we brought on the mule looking for something and Walker was standing on the other side of the blanket and pisspot talking with one of the large [Bandits]. The man he was talking with had both hands clutching between his legs and was doing a dance that most anyone would recognize.

Kine whispered to me as I stepped off the last step, “The man Walker’s talking to is simple. He answers to Meathead. Even if all of them didn’t tell us, I just spoke with him a few minutes and I could tell. I think they all used to be soldiers and he suffered a head injury. He looks mean, but…” Kine’s voice trailed off as we got closer.

“Master, the pot wouldn’t fit through the space here, and we didn’t want to touch your spellcraft without asking,” Walker offered.

I let a mild disappointment show on my face, as I used my foot to slide the pot closer to the cell. I wasn’t going to touch it with my hands. As it slid, the sides shifted stretching from circular to a long oval-shaped, thin enough to fit through the cells.

“Even if clay is hardened, it still can be shaped with [Earth Manipulation],” I explained.

I ignored the excited and happy noises that were quickly followed by the sound of streaming water and looked at my companions. Even if clay couldn’t be shaped that way, those two knew how to shape stone. This was likely their way of checking on me, as it looked like, from the bags I could see under their eyes, I’d taken too long upstairs.

“Grab your bedrolls, we’re sleeping upstairs,” I offered, grabbing mine as well.

It didn’t take long before we were asleep.

In the morning, I awoke to the smell of Astrid Flower tea and twice-stolen oats drifting up the stairwell. While fresh oatmeal tasted better than the travel rations we have on hand, they were only a marginal upgrade. I stood and stretched, the stone beneath my bedroll left odd crooks in my back. Surprisingly, it was Lilly who was downstairs cooking, an odd difference from the past few days where Kine was the first to awaken.

Thinking of Kine must have done something, because soon he was at my side, whispering conspiratorially, “Sir, why didn’t you just kill them? They’re bandits.”

I may have underestimated his social skills, because I was extremely impressed he thought to ask when Lilly wasn’t around, “I will discuss this shortly. With all of you as we eat.”

He took my answer with a single nod and went to pack away the bedrolls. It didn’t take long for Lilly to come upstairs, carrying a wooden bowl of oats and a teacup for me. After dropping them off, she went back and forth several times until we were all sitting on our stowed bedrolls facing each other. Our group looked refreshed, though tiredness was still evident. I felt a tiny twinge of guilt, as they were in my care, but I dismissed it quickly.

“Master, what did you need to think about last night? And what was that sound? I think it gave me nightmares,” Lilly asked with a shiver.

I waved a spoon dismissively, “That was just some trash that needed to be taken out. This floor was in much worse shape than the one below.”

“Really?” She asked in disbelief as she glanced around.

While I hadn’t done anything fanciful, the stones were smooth and spotless. No cracks or creases were visible, and it didn’t have any of the mud tracked in from the floor below, “It will be much more impressive before I’m done. Now, regarding what I was thinking about last night, it seems my original plans need to be adjusted. I originally thought to have one of you,” I gestured back and forth between Walker and Kine, “Return to Lark and secure my belongings. It appears that I can no longer do that.”

The two [Mages] shared a glance before returning their attention to me.

“Of those we captured below, I assume you have noticed that one is remarkably different than the others.”

“The dumb one?” asked Lilly.

“The woman,” Walker guessed between bites.

“Dead seagods. Their leader. He’s nobleborn, isn’t he?” Kine gasped in realization.

I pointed in Kine’s direction, “That presents a particular problem. One doesn’t just kill a noble, bandit or not. So, I need to return to Lark personally and seek audience with the Baroness there.”

“The useless baroness that innkeeper Miles was complaining about?” Lilly so innocently asked.

I looked at her and slowly shook an admonishing finger at her, “While you may speak your opinion freely here among us, you shouldn’t ever say such a thing where word may get back to the noble you speak of. Nobles can be more petty and vindictive than you would ever imagine.”

I returned my attention to all three of them before I continued, “There are other tasks that require completing as well. The path here wasn’t suitable for my wagons. That needs to change. We need more supplies, food enough for all of us. I have a spare bed, but now I need two more. Someone must stay behind to feed my captives. The trees and bushes around the tower might provide cover for monsters and will need to be cleared. A traveling merchant will need to be informed of our presence so that we won’t need to return to Lark every other week,” I counted the tasks off on my fingers as I went.

“I will stay,” Kine volunteered, “Walker and Lilly should be able to stick together, and I can manage your captives. I could always use the Dead Man’s Curse to keep them in line, though it might be more impressive coming from you.”

I smirked at that. It’s been a while since I heard that one. It could certainly work. And if Kine remained, I doubted he’d have much trouble even if it didn’t. Walker and Lilly looked confused at the suggestion, but I waved it off, “Fair enough. If you remain behind, then I’ll have you working on clearing the land around the tower. The back is mostly water, so you can leave that be for now.”

“If Kine stays, then Lilly and I will come with you. I can widen the path as we go. If you need to stay for longer, I can return with the wagons and make sure they can make it,” Walker offered. Lilly nodded as if agreeing.

I clapped my hands, “Good. That only leaves finding the name of the noble downstairs, and we can depart,” I said and looked at Lilly meaningfully.

“How—how do I do that?” she asked with a quiver in her voice. I didn’t realize the [Bandits] scared her that much, but they were of a rougher sort than most of the kids at the orphanage meet.

I finished my tea and then gave her a smile to show her how confident I was in her, “Just tell him I plan to kill him otherwise.”

I stood and once again stretched my back. I wanted to see what the vista looked like from the top of my tower in the sunlight. I was simmering inside with that desire. On unspoken agreement, the others began to clean up the dishes. I cast a quick cleaning spell on the lot of them, and slowly opened the way to the third floor. Even if there were no more monsters last night, caution wouldn’t hurt.

There weren’t any monsters. Or no living monsters. I could still see the two corpses on the ground at the base of the tower. The rest of the view was impressive. I absolutely loved it. But it was also disappointing in a way. I could breathe in deep, and relax and take in the landscape, but that feeling of peace I felt last night just wasn’t there this morning. I settled into myself, using my magic to pull the rubble I could see into and up the tower, slowly growing columns and a roof, adding in hip-high walls around the edge.

While I worked, I let my mind wander, knowing that it would reach that corner I packed my feelings away into. Logically, I knew that Ram was an adventurer and made his own decisions. He agreed to come. That didn’t stop the guilt I felt. The ‘if only’ thoughts. If only I killed the monster outright, instead of letting the party take it on as a whole. If only I cast a shielding spell on him, even if it would have angered him not to have access to his [Berserker] class skills. If only we stopped before fighting the guardian, instead of pushing to complete the dungeon. If only we had chosen different party members, instead of relying on a [Paladin] who wasn’t where she was supposed to be. If only we’d gone a different day, we would have a different outcome. We’d cleared the dungeon before. If only I hadn’t brought it up at all, his child would have a father. I spent hours at the task both trying to align my emotions to facts, and trying to draw all the nearby rubble laying under swamp water into the tower with my magic.

I wasn’t finished when I stopped working, not even close. But I was tired of the monotonous work and drained emotionally. I packed all my thoughts back into that corner. I needed to, or I would be overwhelmed by them soon enough. I returned the stone cover over the stairs as I went down to the second floor. Finding no one, I continued down to the first to find Lilly chatting happily with the bandit leader. I couldn't make out what she said, but he burst out with a loud, raucous laugh. In the corner by the alcove, Walker and Kine were hunched over in a whispered conversation. A pot bubbled over the fire, a thin soup made from the few fresh ingredients the bandits had on hand.

Seeing me, Lilly skipped over, “His name is Mirm Fenn, master.”

She gave me an infectious smile that told me she was proud and happy she finished her task. I first thought to pat her on the head as a way of telling her good job, but I second-guessed myself. Even if she was acting like a younger girl, she was sixteen years old. I nodded my head once and spoke, “Good. We should be almost done here for the day. We’ll head out after an early lunch. Hopefully, we can make it to Woodhoot before nightfall. Will you ready the mule?”

“Okay,” she answered as she headed upstairs for our bedrolls.

During lunch, Kine served us first and then gave each bandit a small bowl with some hardtack. The lunch was quiet, but as I finished Kine whispered, “Master, there’s something we need to show you.”

Nodding my head, I followed him outside. After shutting the door, he reached in a pocket of his robe and withdrew a leather sack the size of two fists. After he offered it to me, I looked inside to see an assortment of gold and silver pieces. Not many, by weight it couldn’t be more than a hundred gold. Maybe two.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“The [Bandits]' hidden treasure. I noticed a loose stone in the alcove under the stairs—where their leader sleeps—and found this when I pried it loose.”

“Any gems?” I asked. Coinage was nice, but I needed gems for enchantments.

He shook his head.

“Hold onto it, maybe hide it upstairs. I plan to pull the Dead Man’s Curse before I head out. If that doesn’t work, and they somehow get out, then it could be the only thing that keeps you alive. Are you ready?”

Kine gave me a big grin and then tried to put on a serious face. It took him a few minutes to hide his smile. I assumed an angry expression and stomped back into the room, surprising not just the bandits, but Lilly and Walker as well. My eyes caught the nobleborn’s and my walk adjusted right to him.

“I heard your name is Fenn,” I said it as a statement and not a question. Like that’s what Kine had been outside telling me.

He stared at me for a few seconds before answering, “What of it?”

“It angers me. Greatly. I find the tower I’m looking for, and what happens? Bandits. Worse, I can’t even outright kill you scum because you’re led by some noble’s brat,” I sneered at him. He sneered back. Didn’t say anything in words, but his sneer was clear enough.

I spit at his feet and then pointed at him, “Just because I can’t kill you outright, doesn’t mean I can’t kill you in other ways.” I raised my hands, letting illusion magic fill the air around them in violet swirls. I chanted in arcane-sounding nonsense, and gestures that would accomplish more had there been flies to swat, and then I pushed the air towards the bandits. The swirls of violet streamed out in rivers of color before settling around the necks of each like a collar.

“The Dead Man’s Curse. I might have to ransom you, but that’s only if you behave. Try and escape,” I gave him as evil a grin as I could, “and… pop.” I flicked all fingers out from both hands, mimicking an explosion.

Walker hesitantly spoke, “Master, that was—”

“Illegal? Only if they can prove it. If you are attentive, I will instruct you on it this autumn. Come now, we need to travel,” I interrupted and ushered Walker and Lilly out the door. Kine followed us out, shutting the door behind him. We made it maybe half a mile down the road before we could no longer hold our laughter.

“Master, I‘ve never seen it done that well,” he said between laughs.

Walker, who had pieced it together on the walk, just chuckled and shook his head.

“Well, it’s been a while. Remind me to tell you about the soothsayer in Wellsbride when I return,” I answered him back. I took note that he called me master now, but I didn’t feel the need to broach the subject.

He waved us goodbye, and we departed in good cheer, Lilly joining in after her brother explained the ruse.