When Rhen finally collapsed in bed beside Jakira, he was already half asleep. She rolled him over onto his stomach and started massaging his back. Her rhythmic kneading put him to sleep in an instant, and he woke again what felt much too early. It was already nine in the morning, and he’d missed fresh breakfast with everyone.

He pulled Arannet’s to-do list off the bed-side table and glanced it over.

[Rhen’s List – Second of Winter Meeting]

NOW:

Create “To Go Snack” space in the Tavern (Done!) Message and Jobs board in the Tavern (Nailed it!) Indoor plumbing solution for unmentionables (Yep, that was gross!) Solution for unmentionables handling (Corraphine separation and fermentation for fertilizer and repellants, thanks for the idea, Celest)

TOMORROW:

Interviews: Ingrid (10AM), Cedric (12PM), and Vashnu (2PM) Town Hall: Yu City (6PM)

THIS WEEK:

Set up “Continued Learning Fund” for delvers Designate or hire forest clearing teams for next season’s agricultural plots and personal fireplace fuel Terrocken farm management: Valine needs a few things!

-----

Rhen folded the page up and went to his closet to get his “nice” clothes. He headed down to the baths and cleaned up, then made his way up to the dungeon entrance to meet the first candidate, Ingrid Hamal.

Her short stature and deep red hair marked her as a Dwarf of Fjagrasill, and her presence was… boisterous. Rhen escorted her through the dungeon, showing off the main features, then talked through their current systems. She had different ideas and “solutions” for everything, telling Rhen several times that he could trust her, that she knew what she was doing.

At the end of the hour and a half, Rhen escorted her back to the exit, thanked her for her time, and crossed her name off the list. He ran back down to the inn and scrounged up something to eat, then made himself presentable once again for the next candidate.

Cedric was a tall, willowy Entarck from Gaia. His movements were all very slow, but his energy was chaotic. Rhen assumed he was nervous—why, he wouldn’t know. Cedric’s resume was stuffed to the brim with experience. Rhen asked how long he’d tutored with Tansi and what he thought of her, and Cedric stammered all over himself.

Needless to say, Rhen cut the interview short at just an hour, thanked Cedric for his time, and crossed him off the list.

Next was the candidate he was most looking forward to. Not for his prospects as a Dungeon Manager of course, but because Rhen was dying to know why Vashnu had participated in the destruction of so many delving operations.

But alas, Vashnu was a no show. Thirty minutes passed with Rhen standing at the dungeon exit like an idiot in his tucked-in button-down shirt and nice slacks. Finally, he crossed the candidate off his list and proceeded back to the tavern where he found Arannet perched in her corner, pouring over papers.

Rhen sat down beside her and sighed.

“What is it now?” she asked, not looking up.

“All bad. Why would Tansi send them my way?”

“Maybe her standards are reasonable,” she said teasingly.

“My standards are reasonable. Take you, for example,”

“Me?” Arannet looked up, stunned.

“Yes, you. Look at this nice list you made me. It has everything on it. And the way you helped coordinate the meeting last night. You’re always on top of everything.” Rhen scowled as the thought smacked hard. “Why don’t you just become the manager?”

Her eyes widened. “I’m not qualified.”

“You’re already doing it, so I’d say you’re qualified.”

“But I don’t have any formal training, no mentorship, no other experience,” she flustered for a reason she couldn’t do it.

“Do you have any interest? Do you like… making lists and drawing on the chalkboard for us?”

She shrugged. “Well, yes. I do like that stuff, but there are things I don’t know, and things I don’t know I don’t know, and I don’t want you or anyone else to have to suffer when we find out firsthand how bad I could fail!” Her eyes were glossy with tears and Rhen could tell she was panicking.

He put his hand on her shoulder. “If you have an interest, we can use some of that Continued Learning Fund to get you a nice mentor to walk you through things. But I don’t want to push you into something you don’t want, or that you’re not ready for.”

She sniffled and blinked back her unshed tears. “A mentor would be great, but who would do all the things that I do while I’m off training?”

Rhen looked to the message board inset in the wall next to the tavern exit. “Let’s make the first post and find out.”

They walked to the board together and Arannet scribbled out her message. “Arannet to be away for training, looking for someone to step into role for a few weeks. Find Rhen or Arannet for more details.”

Arannet smiled. “I’ll start writing up the things that I do, and how, to make it easy for anyone to come help. And the legal paperwork is still several months out, so no need to worry about that yet. Thanks, Rhen!”

She bounded up to her room to get started.

Rhen exhaled a long sigh, this one of relief. It might be tough in the coming weeks as Arannet trained, but having her back and ready to take on the dungeon manager position would be a serious level up for their operation. And whoever stepped up to be the Arannet stand-in while she was gone would make a good assistant manager, if they liked the work.

The clock over the doorway to the kitchen reminded him that he had about an hour before he had to be on his way to Yu for the town hall. Oh how he wanted to delve something, anything… but there wasn’t time.

Rhen spent a few minutes making sure the snacks were well stocked, said hello to a few of the newer delvers he didn’t recognize and learned a bit about them, then went up to his room to make sure he still looked presentable. Jakira was passed out in bed, having been up early for the breakfast rush and an alpine dive. Rhen kissed her forehead but she didn’t rouse. He smiled as he traced his finger over the missing sliver in her horn, clutching that piece in the necklace under his shirt.

He walked away for the door when he heard a groggy mumble from the bed, “Cuddle me?”

Rhen checked his watch. He still had ten minutes, twenty if he took the jog into Yu at a quicker pace. He climbed into the bed behind her and nestled his face into her neck, then wrapped his arm over her stomach and pulled her close. She sighed contently and was asleep again in seconds.

He didn’t like that they rarely spent any waking hours together anymore. They’d designed the schedule so that couples would have plenty of time together still, every couple except Rhen and Jakira. He didn’t like it, but everything would be better in a couple of weeks.

Though he desperately wanted to, Rhen didn’t allow himself to doze off beside her. When the fifteen minutes had elapsed, he removed himself carefully, as not to wake Jakira, and headed off for Yu—but not before swinging by Xander’s tech palace to pick up an orbeye for the evening’s events.

Tsu’me joined him too since she’d been requested to play at the post-town-hall soiree-meet-and-greet. There were a lot of new people in Yu, and this was the opportunity for Rhen to establish himself as a competent, worthwhile business partner.

Tsu’me practiced her scales and some lyric adjustments to new songs along the way, asking Rhen for critiques now and then on verbiage or tone. When they cleared the forest trail, Rhen was surprised to see just how much had changed in the few days he’d been holed up in the dungeon.

The Bustling Brood was under construction, with a tall frame being added behind the squat tavern. Rhen guessed it would be at least seven stories tall when it was completed. The construction was mainly Lafite from his dungeon, Rhen could tell from the shade of the metal and the dull sheen of it.

Other nearby buildings were getting upgrades as well, some of them just brick and mortar additions, but a few getting more elaborate extensions like the Bustling Brood. The road was being paved starting from the train station, and the smell of it was bitter, and a bit off-putting. Still, a paved road was a big improvement for little Yu.

They made their way to Matilda’s all in one post-library-printer where the town hall was to be held. It was by far the largest building not currently under construction, with a good amount of space to gather, and a second floor from which the mayor could address the townspeople. With Welsh gone, there was a new mayor in town that had been elected by the people; Joseph Nilson.

Rhen supported his decision to step up and help lead the community, despite losing him as a full-time bruiser. With Joseph still on the dungeon committee, too, he would be able to provide important updates about the town that could be critical for dungeon activity. And he promised he’d find time to lead a team two or three times per week, not because he felt obligated, but because he did still enjoy it.

Rhen could see the people all around him stepping into roles they weren’t yet comfortable with, learning and growing along the way, just as he was. It was exhausting for all of them, but he was so proud of what they were doing. Balance was essential for their survival, though. He would have to make sure no one was overworked… and that included himself.

The doors to the post-library-printer were thrown open and a red carpet had been rolled out into the freshly paved street. A thick bruiser stood at the door like a bouncer, watching the flow of people as if she were looking for something specific. What that was, Rhen didn’t know.

Inside was not completely transformed, but definitely upgraded. Everything was clean and tidy. The bookshelves had been dusted and polished. Electric lighting had been added all around the room, making it bright and welcoming. Benches had been set up at the center of the room past the Post station where bookshelves and comfortable couches used to be—those were pushed up against the walls and covered in black cloth.

Rhen filtered through the growing crowd, shaking hands, and saying hello, getting bombarded with far too many names to remember. After a few minutes, Joseph took the stage and called everyone to sit down.

“Welcome to the first Town Hall for Yu City!” he boomed with a bright smile.

Everyone cheered, clapping and whooping.

Rhen grinned and shouted back his enthusiasm.

The group quieted and Joseph went on. “For those of ya who don’t know me, I’m Joseph Nilson.”

“Yeah you are!” came a random shout from the crowd.

Joseph laughed. “Whoa, seems like someone was already at Perry’s brew…”

“You know it!”

The group chuckled.

“Alright, we have a lot of new faces, and that’s not gonna slow down anytime soon. Business construction requests are coming in by the boatload every day, which brings me to the first item on the list. We need someone to step into the zoning and land control role that’s just been created. Funds are limited, but we will be able to pay a modest monthly salary.”

Rhen raised his hand.

Joseph scowled. “You want the position?”

Rhen stood. “No, I wanted to add that with the salary you will have free room and board at the Zephitz inns, either one, if you wish. I’m offering this to anyone who takes a position within the local government to help Yu grow.”

The crowd applauded and Rhen took his seat.

Tsu’me leaned over and whispered, “Nice one.”

“Very generous, Deo. Thank you.”

Joseph looked down at his notes. “We haven’t had much need for enforcers around town, but we’re going to start needing it soon and desperately. The Merchant’s Guild will be providing us with a police department chief that they will maintain on their payroll while our market grows, but we will need at least five enforcers right away to help monitor the city and keep things orderly.”

“Where can we find these listings?” a woman asked.

Matilda stood up from the front row and turned to address the crowd. “I’ll have all the jobs posted here by week’s end.”

As the town hall meeting went on, Rhen felt his attention drifting. There was something not quite right about the ambiance in the room. Rhen breathed deep and blocked out what Joseph was saying, and the ache of his butt against the wood bench, and focused on the energy around him.

He could feel the anima auras of the people beside him, in front, and behind him. And just as he’d felt the presence of the powerful dungeon defiler before he’d gotten close, he could feel a monster in the room, something much more powerful.

Rhen’s blood quickened and he scanned the audience. He saw faces he didn’t recognize aplenty, but no monster, nothing amiss. Except there, those two women three benches behind him. They wore elegant black and red robes that screamed upper echelon, with their dark hair done up in half buns, pinned by ornate combs. Rhen burned them into his mind while their attention was still on Joseph. Before they could catch him staring, Rhen turned forward in his seat, dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.

It was Zeichen Desedra.