They got into Yu in record time, poor Arannet flustered and a little wet. Rhen promised that taking the boat back up would be a lot easier than walking, though Arannet wasn’t opposed to with her new boots.

The train had arrived, and Rhen knew it would only stick around for ten minutes to offload and load before getting on its way. Rhen walked toward the station when Arannet’s pesky, perky voice broke through his thoughts. “Don’t we need to pass out the wanted posters first?

He looked to Jakira desperately.

“Oh, we can design something nicer at Desedra, then drop them off when we come back.”

Arannet scowled. “But you’ll miss out on several days of newcomers who are looking for work—what with the giant signs posted at the station.”

“The what?” Rhen barked.

Arannet pointed to the bright yellow banner he’d completely missed before. “New Realm Discovered—Zephitz Dungeon!” it read in bold, black text. In smaller font below it read, “Bustling Brood welcome to newcomers.”

Damn that enterprising Perry! He was smart, but too smart for Rhen’s good right now.

Rhen nodded. “Let’s hurry, then, we don’t want to miss this train. We’re looking for those with digging abilities, and metalworking skills.”

They went to the multi-purpose mail outlet, plus stationery story, plus tiny library. The signs on the building were all sideways and mismatched, obviously pulled off the three buildings they’d once been on, and joined together here. Rhen opened the door and a little chime sounded above their heads.

It was two stories tall, and wide open through the middle, shelves upon shelves of books. The air had a strange musk to it that wasn’t at all unpleasant. Must’ve been the parchment. In the center of the room was a big clock and a logo reading, “Desedra Delivery—Always On Time!”. Right in front of them on the first floor was a little welcome desk with a sign that read, “In the back, just holler.”

“Hello? We’re here’s to make up some wanted post-its!” Rhen called through the library.

Off to the right was a bookshelf with several little cubbies, all of them with family names below them. Rhen even had one, right next to, “Faust.” It was stuffed to the brim with mail that looked like it hadn’t been picked up in weeks. They must’ve really split from Yu after the inn incident. If only they’d know how much easier it had made their lives, living down in the dungeon. They lived and breathed it now.

“Helloooo?” Arannet called when there was no reply.

“Be right there!” an elderly woman’s voice called from the back.

A cat leapt up on the front desk, its orange fur glowing in the late day sun.

Rhen tapped his teeth and exhaled slowly. “The train will only be here another five minutes,” he insisted. “Maybe we should just do it when we get back?”

“The deadline isn’t for another two days, and another train will come in two hours, Mr. Zephitz.”

Annoying… logical… damn her. She didn’t understand the urgency.

He may have had four months to get the dungeon operation completed, but it wouldn’t be four days before news of the Zephitz dungeon’s discovery making all the way to Shin’Bara. Right to her.

Tansi Zephitz.

Rhen pulled out the marital non-interference thing and read it again. “Hey Arannet, you know everything, right?”

She giggled. “No.”

“Don’t be modest, you know a lot,” Rhen said, trying to lay on some charm, hoping his next question wouldn’t rouse suspicions. “So, what is a spouse entitled to in terms of dungeons?”

Arannet cast a knowing look toward Jakira, who smiled nervously. “Well, depending on which kingdom you wed in, it’ll have slightly different meanings and allowances to stay with the tradition of those cultures. But most share just about everything, which is why the non-interference bit exists in the proceedings.”

“Oh, interesting.” Rhen nodded, fears confirmed.

Tansi had a share of his dungeon.

Everything he’d promised to the delvers, everything he’d already spent or given away, in part belonged to her. If she wanted any of it, she could come take however much the paperwork said she was owed, and leave their dungeon stranded without enough resources to complete Wyland’s build.

Perhaps he should just leave it be. It’d already been over a month that he’d had the dungeon and she hadn’t come knocking.

No, because he’d been off the radar that whole time. Now, the radar was lit up with Rhen’s name, “New Realm Discovered—Zephitz Dungeon!”

An older woman, gray hair like a huge bush and garb like an old delver mage approached the front desk. She had thick spectacles and a kind smile. “Welcome to the post stationery library, whadd’ya need?”

“Wanted post-its,” Rhen said, stepping forward with his imperial marks.

“Rhen Zephitz! I wondered when you were going to pay me a visit. I’m Matilda Grandmeir.” She held out her hand for a shake. Rhen took it, and the little orange tabby rubbed his head against their knuckles.

Matilda patted the cat’s head and gave it a little chin scratch. “Wanted post-its for?”

“Diggers and welders, people good with strong metals, maybe a few delvers.” He turned to look at Jak and Aki. “We should probably get a third delve group going for the alpine chamber, right?”

Jakira nodded.

“It could expedite the discovery process, or create additional chaos.” Aki commented.

“I agree that scaling up in a scramble isn’t ideal, but Joseph and Valine are experienced delve leaders, I think we’re ready.”

Rhen turned back to Matilda. “Yes, twenty post-its for diggers, delvers, and metalworkers. Preferably crews instead of individuals.”

“That’ll be two marks please,” she said, weathered hand outstretched. Rhen paid her a little extra and she grinned. “Want to see the magic?”

Arannet gasped, “Oh do I!” and followed after here.

It was all Rhen could do to contain his groan.

The train tooted its departure. Too late…

He followed the others to the back since there was now nothing else to do for another two hours. He was tired of worrying, and so Rhen allowed himself to be caught up in the press machine’s majesty.

It was a hulking metallic thing with an eight-inch-wide roll of paper fed onto a plate. A large stamper hovered above it on a mechanical arm that could rotate between the paper plate and the ink pat.

Matilda activated a small gem on a mirror display and used a few quick gestures to input the information. She turned it on, and anima was pulled down her arm and into the machine. It whirred to life, and the once flat metal plate of the stamper started to shift. The backwards text of what Rhen had said to her appeared in the lines of the metal.

The arm mashed the stamper down onto the ink, then lifted up, rotated, and mashed down onto the parchment. The paper was pulled forward by a little arm onto another plate with a thin gap. Down came a razor-sharp knife, severing the leaflet from its sheet. The hand pulled it along to the next station where it fell down a short way into a basket.

It was honestly pretty neat.

After twenty stamp and slices, the post-its were done. Matilda too the stack and gave it a flourish in front of Rhen’s face. “Smell that?” she asked.

Rhen nodded. It smelled like coziness.

“Fresh, warm parchment. Best of luck out there!”

“Thank you, Matilda.” Jakira took the pages.

Matilda walked them out past the post boxes. The Faust’s stuffed one nagged at him oddly, and he had to ask.

“Faust’s have just been letting it pile up,” Rhen said casually.

“Oh, you haven’t heard?”

“No, what?”

“The Faust’s are missing. I legally can’t remove the mail from the box until a declaration is made, so, what are you gonna do…” She shrugged.

Rhen scowled. “Isn’t that a little concerning?”

She waved a hand dismissively. “People up and move outta Yu without a glance back all the time. Just have to let the two months pass until I can hand this off to the Imperial Couriers.”

Something didn’t feel right about it, but Rhen didn’t know what. The Faust family, though not very talkative, had seemed like the kind of people who’d had roots here, the long-haulers like Olliat’s family, the Nilsons.

“I see. It was nice meeting you Matilda, if you’ll excuse us.” Rhen remembered his manners—something he’d need to get accustomed to—and bowed gently.

“Yep, see you soon,” she said, grinning and petting her tabby cat.

Something twisted in Rhen’s stomach.

Aki pulled up beside Rhen as they walked. “I too have suspicions.”

“I wouldn’t put it past Welsh to destroy all the evidence of his work.”

“You think he hired them to burn the inn, and then killed them?”

Rhen didn’t want to think it, he just nodded. What a grim possibility.

But only a possibility, and he had dungeon matters to attend to. The Faust family had made their bed… he needed to get his in order.

They distributed the post-its at a leisurely pace since they had a while until the next train. When they were finished, the took a table at the Bustling Brood. Rhen fought to keep himself looking comfortable and relaxed, knowing that people were watching…

Welsh’s people.

There was always a goon or two hanging out here.

Rhen accepted a brew and put it back swiftly, praying for the blessed relaxation he knew it would bring. He didn’t like the feeling, losing control of himself. Not just his arms and legs, but his mind and mouth. Rhen talked too much and too loudly when he drank.

Finally, the blessed train arrived, and they boarded. Jakira and Arannet engaged in lively conversation while Aki and Rhen sat in not-so-silent-silence.

“You are doing the right thing by contacting her,” Aki comforted him.

“I should’ve done it sooner but…” Tansi screamed in his mind’s eye and slammed the door on him.

“She was in deep grief.”

“And I was just a child with nowhere to go.”

Aki hummed, projecting rays of lilac light from his hands. “It will all work out. We are together.”

Arannet and Jakira quieted at the song and locked eyes with Aki’s light display. Rhen breathed into the melody and his pulse slowed. He relaxed his balled-up hands and sat back. He tugged on the bit of Jakira’s horn hung around his neck under his shirt.

They were together. Everything would work out.