Rhen walked through the soaking wreckage of his village. The inn’s foundation was all that remained, just charred and cracked stone barely holding together. He crouched at the place where his tent once was and grabbed a handful of mushy ashes.

“What happened?” Jakira clutched the towel around her shoulders as if it would protect her from the hurt that came with losing everything. Rhen did the same thing, long ago, like wrapping himself in his mentor’s cloak would’ve hidden him from the world.

“It could have been an ember from the fire pit,” Aki offered. “The inn roof was highly flammable.”

“Not a chance. I doused it cold with water before we left,” Joseph said.

Rhen threw the ashes down and stood, his heart pumping fire through his veins. “It was Welsh.”

“That’s a hefty accusation to throw ‘round,” Wyland said. “Though I would believe it, yer gonna have a hard time comin’ up with the evidence to do much about it in terms of the D.O.G.”

Obviously, proving it would be impossible. Unless…

“Aki, if you could get in a room with Welsh and ask a few questions, you could get the truth out of him, out of his thoughts, right?”

Aki fluttered, turning blue. “Alas, the word of a Prelusk who is in your employ may not mean much to the Guild.”

Rhen growled. Aki was right, of course. If there was any physical evidence in the wreckage, it would take days to find. And so what if he did? Welsh’s dungeon was dry, so any reparations he’d be owed from a D.O.G. settlement would come too little and too late. Rhen needed to fix their living situation now. Just another thing cutting in front of the nexus node, another thing needing his immediate attention.

Olliat pulled a metal frame from her tent and ashes crumbled away from inside.

“It’s just stuff,” Jakira said when Olliat started to cry.

She sniffled. “It was the last picture I had of my mom.”

“I’m so sorry.” Jakira put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Rhen gritted his teeth. This was why he hadn’t wanted to take anyone on in the dungeon. Now he was responsible for all this pain, all the things they’d lost. Rhen was their dungeon owner, he was supposed to take care of them…

Aki tried to comfort him, laying a tentacle on his shoulder like he’d seen Jakira do for Olliat. “You have been doing your best.”

Angry heat filled Rhen’s cheeks. “Not good enough.”

“You are one man—”

“And I’d wanted to keep it that way!” He pushed away from Aki, a flurry of dark emotion culminating in his chest. “I didn’t want a village. I wanted to delve my dungeon, alone. And now I have to go handle this…”

Rhen closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then another. The angry pressure that made his body feel like it would explode lessened, and he was able to think straight. The sun was directly overhead, and his stomach growled. Getting to Yu and back would put them returning right at dusk, still, it was doable.

“Four people need to stay here, guard the dungeon entrance so they can’t get to our coffers. The rest of us are going into town to buy new supplies. Who’s staying?”

No one raised their hands.

“Someone needs to stay,” Rhen said with more urgency.

Everyone looked at each other, shocked. No one wanted to stay in a burned-out broken village. But someone had to. Someone had to protect the dungeon.

Rhen sighed. “Fine. Jakira, Eli, Joseph, and Barrek, you stay. The rest of us will be back soon.”

“Why am I staying?” Jakira whined.

“Because I said so!”

Jakira jumped, holding tighter to the cloth around her shoulders. Only the sound of crackling embers filled the space between them. Rhen saw fear in her eyes, and for the first time, he felt shame in the way he’d spoken.

He closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. You, Joseph, and Barrek are strong, and Eli is fast. If anyone or anything attacks, there’s a good chance the four of you will win.”

Jakira nodded, her eyes glossy. “Okay.”

Rhen wanted to say more, but what? How could he make it better?

“We oughta get movin’,” Wyland said.

He picked up his pack and headed to the trail back to town. Slowly, the others followed. Joseph, Eli, and Barrek sauntered back toward the dungeon, leaving Rhen and Jakira alone in the ashes. The anger turned to ice in his veins as he realized how much he’d hurt her.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“What… what do you want me to do?”

“Get new tents for everyone. Bring back something to eat.”

“No, I mean. How can I erase what just happened?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You mean the part where you yelled at me, or when you told everyone you didn’t want them here? Sorry Rhen, you can’t just make those disappear.”

Was that really what he’d said?

“I didn’t mean it.”

“You sounded like you did.”

“That’s just stupid. Without you, and everyone else, there’s no way I’d ever stand a chance at getting to that nexus node myself.”

She scoffed. “That’s what’s most important. Great.”

“No, but…” Rhen sighed. He might as well set himself on fire and join the ashes underfoot, that was about how highly she thought of him. There was nothing left to say that would do any good.

“I’ll be back before nightfall.”

Rhen turned and walked away. Jakira didn’t follow or call after him. That was fine. He was angry, she was angry, it was probably best they didn’t speak for a while.

They made good time back to Yu with their boat cart, and Rhen stopped at the inn first. He ordered everyone food, then got the barkeep to fill up one of his pots with enough to feed who was left behind.

There weren’t enough tents at the outfitters, but Leslie said she could sew something together if he got the raw materials. They picked up heavy canvas cloth and a few other supplies, then made their way to Fennica’s bakery. Someone was already inside taking up all the counter space.

The sight of that familiar orange hair and beefslab arms were enough to make Rhen’s heart race. The dungeon owner turned slowly at the sound of the door jingling.

“You look like you’ve been dragged through seven hells, boy. What ever did happen?” Welsh asked, a snarky smile on his face.

“My business is none of yours.” He gritted his teeth and stepped into line behind Welsh.

“You like keeping to yourself, don’t you? Not the best way to make friends…”

“I don’t need friends like you.”

Welsh laughed. “Seems like you do.”

“What would you know about it?” Rhen could barely contain his rage. He wanted to pummel Welsh into the counter.

“Covered in ash, cart full of supplies; looks like you had a little fire incident. It’s okay, happens to inexperienced dungeon owners all the time.”

“Happens when a slimy welp is jealous of what he doesn’t have.”

Welsh feigned innocence. “You think I did this? Why ever would I risk my own position just to burn down a few tents and a pathetic little inn?”

He knew what they’d lost, then. Someone must’ve been reporting what was there. Rhen couldn’t believe it was any of the families that had joined him—though the Faust family was decidedly absent…

“You didn’t have the balls to come do it yourself, because you’re a pathetic weasel.”

Welsh frowned in distaste. “Name calling really is so childish. Despite your horrible manner, I’m willing to extend a helping hand to you and your poor delvers.”

“Never on my life would I accept your help.”

“And what about their lives,” Welsh said, all joy leeched from his expression. “What happens when the fall freeze comes and your delvers are still living in tents? How long will they stay?”

“Stop saying my delvers. I don’t think I own them, unlike you. And I wouldn’t worry about the fall freeze, we’ll have another solution before then.”

“Oh yes, the nexus node,” Welsh said with a smirk. “You think you have enough delvers for whatever threat is down there? Sleeping in tents in the cold. No kitchen to cook from. Nowhere to bathe. What kind of shape will they be in for that fight?”

“Here’s your order sir,” Fennica returned from the back, a tray stacked high with bags of father’s fennel bread. She looked between Welsh and Rhen with sympathy.

Welsh took three of the bags off the top and thrust them at Rhen.

Rhen pushed the offering away. “I won’t be owing you any favors.”

Welsh tutted. “Charity for a charity case. Let me know when you’ve got enough balls to admit you need that help, before time runs out.”

“What did you say?” Rhen grabbed Welsh’s shirt collar, unable to contain his rage any longer.

Welsh only smiled and pulled Rhen’s hand away. “Tick-tock, or so I hear. Don’t let your arrogant pride make this opportunity slip through all our fingers.”

Welsh left, dropping the three charity bags on the counter.

Rhen’s heart felt like it would explode if he didn’t go beat the piss out of Welsh.

Don’t let emotion control you. He repeated his mentor’s words in his head, in his voice. It was comforting to hear him… but it was still so hard. That bastard burned down their village because he knew the nexus node was down there. He wanted to manipulate Rhen into cutting him in for providing safety for the delvers.

If he let Welsh take advantage of them just to unlock the nexus node, was he worthy of it? Would any of the delvers trust him if he partnered with the very man who’d burned down their homes? Rhen wouldn’t.

“You okay, love?” Fennica asked.

“Fine.”

But he wasn’t fine. He wanted to rage. He wanted to pull down the system that had put Welsh in power and made him the way he was. He wanted revenge for Olliat’s picture, and Barrek’s tables, and Leslie’s drapes. And he didn’t want to share that nexus node with anyone but the people who had earned it.

It wasn’t about pride. It was about doing what was right.

Opening the nexus was important to him but keeping Welsh’s grubby hands off a new world was more important. He wouldn’t let a Desedra have partial control of a whole realm, and Welsh was just like them. If the nexus slipped through any fingers but his own, it would be for the best.

But he wasn’t going to let it slip.

Rhen took a deep breath and let his anger fuel his determination. “I’ll take ten rejuvenating loaves please.”