Dawn felt a pounding in her head. She rolled over, covering her ears.

"Mom, jush lets me shleep."

She melted away, sinking back into blissful—

*Knock—Knock—Knock*

"MOM!"

She sprang up, trying to throw a pillow she didn't have. She blinked down at her empty hands and then looked around.

"Oh."

She saw the blood stain on the floor next to a blood splattered book.

She was still in the library.

Still in a weird rundown shop that some Wizard owned.

"Still in another world."

She scrubbed at the crusted blood on her face.

"Kind of hard to ignore when magic bashes you over the head."

She frowned, looking at the book that shone in her vision.

"But what did it even do to me? I can see it now but—"

*Knock—Knock*

"Hello! Are you there?"

Dawn blanched.

"Oh god, is someone here?"

She pushed herself up and felt the world spin. She stumbled catching herself on the door frame. She peeked out and realized the entire place was dark save for the study.

"Fire's gone out."

She heard another knock and reached down, retrieving her hammer from a belt loop. She crept forward, able to see the faint glow of the walls.

Unfortunately, that didn't pertain to non-magical objects.

Just as she was reaching the door her foot caught something and sent her tumbling forwards. She smacked into the door and rebounded backwards.

"FUCK!"

"Oh you're here! All you alright?"

The door opened letting mist into the room. A massive figure stood there silhouetted by the light.

He stepped into the room and looked around speaking with a deep voice like gravel.

"Why is it so dark in here? Is your Light enchantment brok—"

The light spell flickered on and there she saw—she screamed, throwing her hammer at him. His eyes widened and he dodged the hammer just in the knick of time.

"Woah, woah, sorry for entering like that but I was just checking—"

He was huge, at least 6 and a half feet tall, but it wasn't just his height. He was built, so much so that he looked stocky even at his size.

If it was just that she would be fine, she could deal with big! But...

She looked at his reddish-purple skin, crimson eyes, and tusks which sprouted from his mouth.

She whimpered.

"An Orc!?"

He grunted as he brushed himself off.

"Yes, what did you expect? You're in Gaz'il after all."

He looked towards her and saw her face, his jaw dropped, exposing a maw of sharp teeth.

"Five Hells—What's happened to you?"

He stepped forward, reaching out—

"No, get away!"

She scrambled away, hiding behind the shop counter. The Orc sighed.

"Miss, I'm sorry I intruded but I heard a crash and—"

She threw a chisel and it bounced off his head.

"No, get out! Oh God, please don't eat me!"

He froze like a statue as improvised munitions rained down around him. It took another wack—from a flying caliper this time—to knock him out of it. He groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh Gods, she's from the isles isn't she?"

He strode over to the counter, Dawn's tool hail doing nothing to slow him.

"Miss, please stop!"

"No, go away!"

She found another hammer and swung at the orc as he approached. He casually caught her arm, stopping it dead.

His skin was... fuzzy?

He grabbed ahold of her as she tried to squirm away, firm but gentle.

"Calm yourself."

Somehow—despite the situation—she relaxed and went limp, feeling a cool wave wash over her. She gazed up at him, the magic fading from her eyes.

The Orc was well dressed, having a tailored coat which shone like silk. His bespectacled face was lined, showing signs of age and his long grey hair was pulled up into a neat bun.

"So, um, you're not going to eat me?"

He shook his head and snorted.

"No Miss, I know what you must've heard... but we're not monsters."

He let her go and she took a step back.

"Besides, human's wouldn't taste good anyway—"

He smirked.

"—unless you meant the other kind of..."

Dawn went beat red and swung at him with the hammer.

"No, no, get out!"

He roared with laughter as he stepped back avoiding her strikes.

"Sorry! Just a little joke! Humans aren't my type anyways."

Dawn swung and she overbalanced, stumbling. She felt lightheaded as she tried to swing again.

The Orcs grin fell, his eyes growing sharp. He reached out and steadied her, kneeling down to look at her face.

"Sorry, that was unprofessional of me. What's happened, your face is a mess."

She looked at him and shrugged.

"Oh this? I found this spellbook thing and opened it. These letters flew out of the page and—"

The Orc had his face in his palm.

"Uh, is that a problem?"

"No. Not unless you want to be permanently maimed—or die."

Dawn looked at his stony face and let out a nervous chuckle.

"Is that uh, another bad joke?"

She smiled. He did not. He looked at her face, searching.

"You realize that any mage, no matter the discipline, has to prepare their mind for years before they can begin studying the fundamentals of magical theory?"

"No?"

The Orc hissed.

"I swear I'll kill that old fool next I see him. For now."

He rummaged around in a satchel at his side, producing a tiny vile of liquid.

"Take this. It should help, with the blood loss at least."

She took the proffered vile and eyed the glowing cyan liquid with clear apprehension.

"What is it?"

He scoffed.

"What did Prontey pull you out from under a rock? It's a healing potion girl!"

"But aren't healing potions supposed to be red?"

He looked at her as if she was a three headed octopus.

"No. It depends on the recipe. Drink the potion."

She did. She didn't notice anything at first but after a moment—

"Woah, that's pretty good!"

The fogginess in her mind cleared up and she felt energy flood back into her. The Orc grunted and once again reached into his satchel.

"Ha! Hardly. That swill can't even heal a paper cut half the time."

His satchel was about the same size as his fist and yet as he withdrew it Dawns jaw dropped as he produced a full size clipboard, complete with parchment, pen, and all.

"Still, I'm glad it helped. You might still have some... side effects, but a potion won't be able to fix that. Now, with that taken care of, I'm sure you want to know why I'm here."

She pried her eyes away from his satchel as he presented a—business card?

"Uk'Ilvin Gazfar, Miss?"

"Um, D—Dawn, Dawn Sherwood."

He scribbled something down as she inspected the card. It was on yellowed parchment, not the bleached white paper she was used to.

"Senior Administrator and Spell-Scribe for the City of Gaz'il."

He nodded, looking at her over his spectacles.

"Yes, as to why I'm here—"

He held out the clipboard to her. She hesitated before taking it, going cross-eyed at a wall of paperwork.

"—Magus Prontey notified us of his intent to transfer this place to you, Miss Dawn. We just need a few signatures to make it official."

He produced a quill, covered in some strange green ink.

"Of course, be sure to read through—you do know how to read, yes?"

"Yes! Do you think I'm stupid?!"

The Orc shrugged.

"Hm, it's not exactly common in some places."

Dawn paused. Oh, right. She glanced up at the Orc. He was so... normal. She could almost forget that she was in—she shook her head and went back to reading the parchment.

It was strange, she could swear that it was English but—she squinted at the edges of the text as they warbled.

"Regardless, make sure you understand what's required. Ask me any questions you need and don't worry, it mainly just outlines your obligations to the city as a business owner."

"Business owner?"

Dawn stared around the rundown storefront and gave Uk'Ilvin an incredulous look. He adjusted his spectacles.

"Despite how it may look, The Forlorn Vow is a registered business."

"Forlorn—what was this place exactly?"

"Well it was an enchanting atelier—"

Dawn recalled the book and shuddered.

"—but the city doesn't really care about what it was or will be. What matters is that this was a business and it needs to stay that way."

"Why?"

"Zoning. The Steamwarrens aren't a residential district, and for good reason."

Dawn froze. Zoning? But this was a fantasy world! She skimmed over the lines upon lines tax code and sales regulation, her mind numb.

So she decided to cut to the chase.

"So uh, hypothetically speaking, what would happen if I don't agree to this?"

"Hrm, well I supposed the watch would have to evict you from the—"

"Yup that sounds about right. Alright, thanks!"

She snatched the quill out of his hand and began to sign, darting between each place a signature was required. The orc reached out horrified.

"Wait! Miss! That is a magically binding contract! You have to be sure you can—"

"Didn't ask, don't care."

She signed the last line and tossed the clipboard at him. He fumbled for it and then stared aghast, his eyes bulging out of his head.

"Are you sure? Once this is filed it can't be undone."

"You don't get it?"

He shook his head and Dawn shrugged.

"I mean, I have nowhere else to go. What else am I supposed to do? Might as well get it over with right?"

He blinked as he inspected the document, askance. After a moment he nodded and sighed as he took the quill back, signing with a flourish before placing everything away.

"Fair enough. Though most folks still want to know what's what. I take it you have experience in selling your soul Miss Dawn?"

She thought back on all the student loans she had and cringed.

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Hrm, then my condolences."

He retrieved a few things from his satchel. A glowing stone and a—needle?

"Before I finish up, I need to do one last thing."

He stepped forward.

"I just need you to take a small test miss. A formality really. I just need a little bit of your blood."

"Um, why?"

She stepped back, eying the glinting tip.

"You don't—? Ah, of course, you're not from the swamplands. We just need to make sure you're not a slime or other form of shapeshifter."

"Uh, then, okay I guess?"

She stepped forwards and let herself get pricked in the finger. Uk'Ilvin took a droplet of blood with care and deposited it on the stone. It flashed blue and he nodded.

"Alright, everything checks out. I was supposed to do that before you signed, but you didn't leave me much choice."

"What's the deal with that anyways, are slimes or whatever such a big deal?"

"Oh yes."

He put the needle in a canister and produced a cloth to wipe the stone.

"I imagine you've never had to deal with them miss—but they're dangerous. Slimes are typically criminals. They can commit crime without fear of identification for starters but it can be much worse. They can... impersonate others—once the subject is 'out of the way' of course."

Dawn shivered.

"That sounds... bad."

"That's the understatement of the century miss. It's why we do these little tests, can't have a slime running around undocumented. Anyways, I just need to give you this and I'll be on my way."

He pulled out a—ring?

"Here, this is your keyring. Don't lose it."

He deposited it in her hand and she felt the ring buzz in her palm.

"What does it do? I mean—"

She giggled at the silly name.

"—I can guess but—"

"You've never seen one? Granted most places use keys—much less expensive—but—"

He gestured around.

"—this was an enchanting atelier. A keyring is pretty simple though—like you probably guessed—it's just a magical key. Here come with me."

She followed him out into the vapor filled alleyway and he shut the door.

"Now, place your hand—the one with the ring—just there—yes."

She placed her hand just above the handle and felt something go click. She tried the door and it didn't budge. Her eyes shone as she marveled at the ring.

"Cool! It's just like a RFID tag—but—magical!"

"A RFI—what?"

"Um... nothing."

"Ahuh, well, anyways—"

He gestured at the ring.

"—this acts as a master key to the shop so if you've had any doors you couldn't open, that's your ticket."

He glanced around and dusted off his jacket.

"And with that our business is done. If you have further questions, you can ask for me or another official at the great hall. It was a pleasure to meet you Dawn Sherwood."

He did a sweeping bow a strode of, disappearing into the mists with one last remark.

"Oh and a word of advice. Try not to die."

Dawn looked after him.

...

"What did he just say?"

. . .

"Try not to die, my ass!"

A girl burst into the room and the patrons turned. She was short, barely reaching five feet, yet even some of the largest patrons leaned out of the way as she prowled, weaving her way through the tables.

The girl pulled up a stool to the counter and jumped up after placing her unstrung bow to the side. She deflated, her head sinking into the cool wood as she pounded her fist.

"That stupid smug Orc! As if he could go wandering around stillwaters and not bite the arrow."

"On another mandatory request Xeri?"

The girl's head snapped up, her face snarling.

"Oh, what the ever living hells tipped you off Zasil? Of 'fucking course I am!"

The man named Zasil stepped forwards, his hands raised in placation. He was similarly short, dressed in a plain workshirt and vest.

"Hey, hey, easy~ just doing my thing y'know?"

He pulled out a glass and placed it on the bartop. He poured a glowing amber liquid, garnishing with an orange slice before sliding it over to her.

"Here, on the house, you look like you need something to... stiffen you up."

He gestured to her sagging form as she took the drink and snorted.

"Please, there's not a fight going on right now. Even then, as if anyone that comes here cares about—"

Girl don't test me.

Xeri paused mid sip, looking at the man's cheery smile. She sighed.

Fine.

She took a large gulp of the enhanced rum feeling more than just alcohol hitting her system. The man looked her up and down.

"Want to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about? You know the score."

"So? You'll bitch, whine, and moan to the moons anyways."

She threw up her forefinger and index pressed together.

"Up yours Zasil."

The man chuckled. He produced a towel and began wiping the counter, running a hand through his neon red hair.

"C'mon, what's the story this time?"

"What else? You know it's always that—"

"—pomous, puffed up oaf of a receptionist. Yes, yes, what did he do this time? Something about the stillwaters?"

She slammed down her drink.

"Yes! Listen, I don't know how but someone managed to lose something there."

Zasil raised a brow.

"Huh, that's a strange place to misplace something. So? Too good to play fetch?"

"No! If it was just that O'Skal wouldn't bother using me. There's more to it."

She downed her drink and fished something from her pouch, tossing it at him.

"What's this?"

He picked up a piece of paper. On it was a list of—

"Names?"

Xeri nodded.

"Teams or solo adventurers. Doesn't matter. That's a list of all the poor bastards that accepted that request and..."

"I see."

Zasil refilled her glass and filled one for himself.

"So then why's O'Skal sending you? You have something they don't?"

"Thinks he can off me more like it. Some of those guys were Journeymen."

Zasil coughed, spraying his freshly polished counter with projectile rum.

"Journeymen? The stillwaters? Really!?"

She nodded.

"Then why's he sending you? This doesn't sound like something the guild has a stake in. What do they get out of this?"

"What other than killing me?"

She glanced around at the other patrons before leaning in and lowering her voice.

"O'Skal wants it because... of a bounty. Hells if I manage to just survive and bring back some info—he'll get a cut. Listen, word is that it's a bogus request set up by—"

Xeri whispered and Zasils eyes went wide.

"Five Hells, if that's true... you can't do this Xeri!"

"What choice do I have?"

"Any choice but this! You do this and you're throwing your life away!"

She shrugged.

"If I don't, I'm throwing her away, and that's just as bad."

"No it isn't! Look, you don't have to, just let her—"

Xeri slammed her fist on the counter.

"No!"

"Xeri—!"

"Ahem."

They both whirled.

"What!?"

"This is none of your—"

They both froze and went pale.

"Mr. Zasil, pleasure as always."

A cloud of smoke blew into their faces as the figure before them swished his tail. He took his cigar out of his mouth, dabbing it in an ashtray as he turned to the girl.

"Xeri, come in twenty minutes, we've got business."

"G—Got it. I'll be there."

The figure noded and slipped away. The two looked at eachother.

"I hate it when he does that."

Xeri downed the drink and hopped down from her stool, stumbling away.

"Xeri, this isn't over, your not doing—"

"It's my life Zasil, stop babying me."

She stumbled out of the bar more than a little tipsy. Zasil stared after her and sighed.

"Foolish girl."

. . .

Dawn stared down the hallway looking at each of the doors. She now had a key, the power to go wherever she wanted!

But—

She eyed the first door, twisting the ring as she hesitated, shuffling her feet. Searching around when she thought she was in danger was one thing but this?

"Come on, it'll be fine. It's not like a gho—wait, they would have ghosts n' stuff in a fantasy world wouldn't they?"

She looked at the door and paled as she stepped back.

"Yeah maybe I should just—"

She started to shuffle away before her stomach growled and she paused, frowning as she clutched at her stomach.

"How long has it been since I ate? A day? More?"

She reached for her phone—before she remembered it was gone—then looked around the enclosed space, searching. She couldn't tell. She looked back at the door again and sighed.

"Well, I have to find food sometime, this place should have a kitchen right?"

She stepped forwards and placed her hand on the door.

"Okay, here goes nothing."

She heard a click and hefted up her hammer—retrieved from its role of improvised munition—and steeled herself. She took a deep breath and—

"Charge!"

—she burst through the door with a cry, stumbling as she charged into the pitch black room. She spun trying to see as her eyes adjusted. She could see things moving in the darkness!

"Oh god, no, I—"

She felt something crawl onto her leg and she screamed.

"Ah! No! Light! C'mere you—"

Light flooded the room and she saw—

"Mice?"

The dozens of mice froze as the light hit them and then scurried away in a panic. Dawn shuddered.

"Okay, not as bad as a—I'll take it but, still."

Dawn looked around the room. It was bare, filled with various objects that had no obvious purpose. Another storage-room. Unlike the previous one she found, this one actually processed items... though what they were Dawn couldn't tell. Everything had been so chewed and ravaged by the mice that they were unrecognizable.

"Scraps of leather, string and wood. Things that used to be stands?"

It was a toss up. The only things she could identify for sure were a few dead mice.

Five to be exact.

She exited the room and rubbed her face.

"I feel like such an idiot. Getting all worked up over—"

She reached the next door and unlocked it.

"—if this place was actually dangerous I would have—"

She opened the door and saw a ghostly figure standing in the room, his arms outstretched, his face contorted in the very picture of agony—

She slammed the door shut, locked it... She looked at the door, uncertain, before running into the main room. She came back accompanied by a screech as she struggled to drag a display into the hallway. She managed to get it in front of the door and then whirled, speeding away.

"Alright next door!"

She panted as she marched down the hall, trying to force what she saw out of her mind. She came upon her old nemesis and grinned, sticking her tongue out as she unlocked the seemingly indestructible patchwork door.

"Serves you right, you piece of—of—"

She sighed and pushed the door open with a sullen kick.

"—you know, this doesn't feel as satisfying as I thought it would."

The door swung open and she saw a set of stairs. She peered up them, unable to see the top.

"This place has a second story? Light!"

She stood there waiting and after a moment deflated. She took one last look over her shoulder—at that door—and shivered before slipping into the stairwell. She trudged up the stairs, taking care not to trip.

"That guy really couldn't bother to install a light in here? What does he want me to break my—"

She reached the top of the stairs and heard a splash as her foot slid out from under her, sending her tumbling forwards.

"Shit!"

Dawn managed to catch herself landing on her hands and knees in—

"Water?"

She thought of all the leaks and water damage she saw. Dawn groaned.

"Is the second story flooded?"

She pushed herself up, feeling her way forwards. She managed to navigate towards the door and then felt around for the knob. She found it and pulled. Dawn expected to find anything from a torrent of water to... well—mostly that.

What she was not expecting was the flashbang of light and spray of water she got in the face.

"Wha—"

She threw up her arms, shielding her eyes as she blinked spots away. She felt freezing—

"Rain?"

Her vision swam back into focus and she squinted ahead. Through the door she saw what looked like a seating area? It had something that—if you were generous—looked like it had been a multi-sectional couch, but it was so broken down that it was essentially a tube of mush. She looked past it and saw rain blowing through large windows and the remains of a door.

She stepped into the room and gagged as the smell hit her. She covered her nose and crept over to the windows, tiptoeing around a veritable minefield of glass shards.

"This place leads outside? Stupid door. If I could've gone through here I wouldn't have had to—oh maybe not."

She poked her head out a window and saw a shaft teeming with plant life. Trees along with various kinds of undergrowth spread out along a massive grate a story below. Everything was lit by beams of light, which filtered through massive growths of vines hanging from a maze of crisscrossing walkways.

Her eyes dazzled as she saw how the falling water glinted in the light, yet it was just not the rain. She saw water gushing from channels cut into the sides of the artificial grotto. She thought it was just runoff but—

"I really hope that isn't sewage."

She shuddered and backed away. She eyed the dark interior further in as she turned and splished forwards.

"Ugh, I hate this, maybe it'll clear up further in?"

She rounded the corner and the first thing she saw was the sheen of water as it filled the space before her. In fact it even got deeper thanks to the room beyond being recessed.

"Figures. Light!"

The magical light flickered a bit before finally activating, illuminating a cozy living space—or—at least it had been.

A four sided central hearth dominated the space, which was a mix of living and dining areas; Or perhaps it was pertinent to describe it as a common room? Dawn counted at least enough seating for ten people.

It had clearly been a comfortable place to relax and socialize, but the water had taken no prisoners, ravaging every single piece of furniture. Even the walls had not been spared, with massive colonies of mold blooming across the woodwork. She wrinkled and plugged her nose, not that it made a difference. She could smell it through her mouth.

"Ugh, what a mess."

She stepped down and winced as the water rose to her ankles. She spotted and trod over to one of the doors lining the space.

"These rooms can't be any worse right?"

She opened the door and gagged.

"Oh god, they can!"

She didn't know that mold could even grow to that size! Or was it fungus? She glanced around the room trying not to look at any particular flavor of horror too long. She thought it was a bedroom but... she could only guess, everything was covered in about a foot deep of fluffy spores. She saw a few doors inside but didn't dare investigate, even the water was a murky mess of algae.

She slid the door shut, gasping for air. Maybe it was her imagination but she thought she could feel fibers lining her throat and lungs. She trudged away making for the next set of doors.

"At least these look more promising."

There were two more doors left in the space, both on a raised section of floor. She turned to the one on the right. It was already ajar. She nudged it open trying not to breathe.

"Okay how bad is—oh!"

She stepped in the first intact room on the second floor. It still wasn't great. The floor was still soaked but for some reason the mold was absent. She looked around the room furrowing her brows. Bunk beds or a proto-version of them were strewn around the space with various other pieces of furniture for either lounging or storage mixed between them. Even the furniture was mold free.

"Heck I would sleep on one of these beds if the room wasn't—"

She kicked the water and made her way to a door in the back.

"But a bunk room? Why would an Enchanters need something like that?"

Her eyes glazed over as she entered through the next door and activated the light enchantment. She looked around in a daze before gasping.

"Oh, finally!"

She practically cried as she stumbled over to the glorious porcelain shape. It looked strange... nothing like the ones she was used to, but it was unmistakable.

It was, of course, a toilet.

She had been too busy to prioritize that, but seeing one reminded her of nature's calling.

But when she was done—

"Phew, that's a relief, I don't know what I would do if they didn't have them! Let's see, I just need to—oh fuck."

She had a problem.

In fairness she was desperate so she didn't think to check... but it was still amongst the greatest of all existential crises.

No toilet paper.

She groaned and cast around desperately, searching for her savior.

"Please there has to be something, anything! They have to use something to—to—"

She was not looking at the other piece of porcelain next to the toilet, exhausting every possible option. She held out for a few more minutes before she finally gave in. Her eyes swiveled and she resigned herself to her fate.

"Did they have to use these?"

She eyed the bidet, but with no other option—

. . .

"You know it wasn't so bad."

She was still in the bathroom inspecting another door inside.

"It still isn't my first choice, but—where does this lead? A shower?"

She opened the door and peered inside. It was some kind of weird room that was recessed and made out of stone. She hopped down and triggered the light spell, the room coming into full relief. She stared around as she saw—

"Benches?"

Several tiers of wooden benches lined what she recognized as a stone tub, complete with faucet, drain, and all. There was a strange set of piping set against one wall and she went over to inspect it. She saw a small dial on it's side and turned it until—she jumped as a valve opened releasing—

"Steam!"

She scrambled to shut it off and looked around the space with realization.

"Woah, they build actual saunas! Is that why that maze thing is there?"

She took one last look around before she pulled herself out of the tub and shut the door.

"Well that's cool, I was never really into saunas but you never kno—"

She paused as she turned, spotting a shadow standing in the doorway. It was only about 3 feet tall but it was wide, wider than the door itself. Sharp, slender legs contorted their way up to its bulbous body ending with the very visage of fear itself.

A—

"What the fuck is that spider?!"

It meandered into the room and Dawn screamed, her hands shaking as she reached for the handle to the sauna. It was too late, it was coming, she couldn't open it in time! She saw movement in the edges of her vision and she spun ready to—

"Orange?"

She halted as she saw the creature in the light. It had a red-orange body which did not carry an abdomen, just its oblong egg shaped torso. It did not, in fact, have a visage made of death—with pincers that could tear her flesh. Its front legs weren't even legs but dull claws. It was not a spider but a—

"Crab?"

The spider crab meandered its way over to her and she backed up into a corner. She held her breath and whimpered as the crab reached out and prodded her with a claw. He—she—it, prodded her a few times before losing interest and scuttling towards a patch of mold or fungus. She hurried out as the crab started chowing down with a zeal and she booked it for the door.

She burst out of the bunkroom and slammed the door shut before doubling over panting, face white.

"Why is there a crab! How can it even walk!"

As far as she could tell, it was no different from spider crabs on earth, spindly legs and everything. It shouldn't be able to move on land at all!

"Well, at least the doors shut."

She looked back at the door and shuddered.

"One more door to go."

She glanced over to the last door thinking of everything that happened. She took halting steps over, breathing in and out.

"It's okay just one last door."

She poked her head in activating the light spell ready to jump back in a moment's notice. She didn't need to. The room beyond had been sealed and water rushed into the room as she opened the door. She took in the cabinets, utensils, and a stone cook-top. Her stomach rumbled, her body once again remembering one of her other carnal needs. She burst into the room leaping with joy.

"Oh my god! Finally, a kitchen! It's a kit—"

. . .

The wall shook as Dawn slammed the door and stomped down the stairs, cursing as she slipped amongst the miniature-wave she unleashed. Her stomach was protesting, crying out for the food it had been promised. Only, the promise had been a mirage.

"I mean what was I expecting? Food in a dump like this?"

The kitchen had been empty, which was reasonable—expected really—but reason did little to quench her hanger. She reached the bottom and yanked the door open stepping into the atelier once more.

"At least I know what's here now, everything except—"

She turned, eying the strange stone door.

"Is this even a door though? It doesn't even have a handle."

She stepped up and placed her keyring against the door, waiting. When nothing happened she stepped back, narrowing her eyes at the door.

"Wait a sec, haven't I seen something like..."

She furrowed her brows concentrating and her eyes began to glow. She could see it! The etchings were morphing, they arranged themselves into symbols, foreign yet familiar. They were the same kind of symbols she saw in the spell book! But these weren't formulae so much as a—

She traced her finger along the etchings, following the path they laid for her. She jumped as a sigil snapped open like a bolt when her finger passed, moving away from the center. As she traced through the maze of etchings more magical 'bolts' sprung open, proceeding clockwise around a central point. When the last latch sprung she shouted in delight.

"Oh!"

The etchings in the door moved, rotating so that in the very center of the door there was a—

She eyed the indentation and then glanced at her keyring, taking it off. She held it up, comparing the ring to the slot that appeared. A perfect match. She trembled as she slid the ring into the slot and the door began to glow. She threw up her hands and spun around in glee.

For all of ten seconds.

Then she stopped as the door grew dark, unchanged. Dawn frowned.

"Do I have to push it open?"

She pressed as hard as she could but the door didn't budge. She huffed.

"What else do I have to do! Wait—huh?"

She pulled. Her hand didn't move. She put all her weight into it but it was—

"No this isn't happening!"

She placed her foot on the door jam and pulled with all her might but it was no use. Dawn stared in horror as the wall started absorbing her hand. It was pulling her in! Her knee brushed against the stone and got caught. All she could do was squirm as her body got consumed, staring at the stone facade that inched ever closer.

She passed the threshold and Dawn's vision went dark. She couldn't breathe. She was falling, she couldn't feel any—

Dawn was launched out of the door and went tumbling across the ground. She gasped, gripping her chest as air flooded back into her lungs.

"What—the hell—was that?"

With shaking arms Dawn pushed herself up, blinking spots out of her eyes.

"Did I almost die?"

She curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth, looking around wide eyed.

She was in a ruin of some kind, the starry night shining through the caved in roof. Despite her harrowing experience, this place was... soothing. She could hear a gentle breeze rustling foliage outside and crickets chirping in the distance. It felt like a warm summer night.

She eventually stopped shaking and got up, looking around as she went further into the ruin. It was some kind of abandoned church. She could see rotting pews, some crushed by fallen rafters. In places where the wall stood, stained glass cast multicolored beams of moonlight over the wreckage below.

She continued, ever forwards. There was no altar in this place but a set of stairs leading up. She ascended, coming to an octagonal sanctuary. Through the crumbling walls she could see that the church was on a hilltop surrounded by deep forest on all sides.

Her eyes were drawn to an altar that rested in the center of this place. It was simple in construction, just a smooth block of grey slate resting on a dais, shimmering like a kaleidoscope as the surrounding stained glass cast it in relief.

She stepped onto the dais, in a daze, marveling at the polished surface of the stone. So distracted was she that she nearly knocked over a lectern resting on one side. She stumbled and fell out of her trance, looking around with bewilderment.

"Where am I and this—"

The lectern hosted an old tome. Dawn reached out before she hesitated, her eyes flashing before she continued.

"Huh, not magical, but this—"

Dawn looked sidelong at the altar that was an inferno in her vision. She took a step back and opened the book. In it was a... list? She scrolled down the page of odd symbols with descriptions to match.

"Gets the position and angle relative to predetermined foci... Gets the current mana charge... hold on."

She flipped through the book.

"Evaluates condition and executes while condition remains satisfied... This sounds just like—"

She stared fish eyed at the tome, glancing around at the 'altar' and forlorn ruins. She had a good idea what this place was—if not exactly—but this... she knew this. She stared at the book, the reference manual. No, the—

"It's fucking documentation!"

She burst out in a fit of giggles and then doubled over laughing. She wheezed as she thought of mages debating the merits of tabbed vs. spaced formatting. Because that's what it was. A reference for enchanting read exactly like the documentation for any programming language from home.

Oh, it wasn't one to one of course. There was some syntax listed that was so esoteric that she couldn't even gleam what it was supposed to accomplish. Not to mention that the terminology was just different in general.

Yet despite that, it was the same... only—

She flipped through the book frowning.

"Huh, you can read the physical properties of objects but you can't modify them? In fact it seems like the concept of a variable just... doesn't exist. Hell you can't even output anything!"

She frowned trying to think.

"Then how would you even make something like, a firesword, if you can't change its properties? Maybe because..."

She racked her brains and flipped through the book but the more she searched the more certain she became that something was missing.

"All of this is designed to execute something but what is it!"

She tore at her hair and bowed her head.

"There has to be somethi—"

She blinked.

"Hold on, don't they have—yes!"

She flipped to a page and did a twirl of delight.

"This isn't really a solution but it is something."

She stared at the illustration of the magical glyph and then at the altar.

"Alright I just need to—"

She stepped over to the altar, inspecting it. She touched it and flinched, but nothing happened.

"So how do I do this anyway?"

She paged through the manual but it offered her no clues.

"Well, enchanting uses items right? So should I—?"

She took off her bracelet and set it on the altar. As she did the light shining upon it shifted. It sprung up from the altar as if it was solid, spinning and forming around both altar and her, forming a variety of geometric shapes that must have contained meaning but were foreign to her.

When it was done she looked down at the bracelet, ignoring the gibberish. There was a three dimensional box projecting upwards from the bracelet to the space in front of her.

She grinned, placing her hand in the box. She concentrated and tried to project the glyph she saw on the page. She gasped as she saw the glyph start to etch itself in the air, but it fizzled out. Even that was enough to cause her to sweat.

"This... may take a while—"

. . .

An hour later, Dawn came popping out of the stonework grinning like a mad woman as she held her prized possession. She was sweating, panting, and generally a mess.

But she had done it.

It had taken time to figure out. The book really was just a reference sheet, turns out the glyph she was trying to inscribe had more than two dimensions.

She retrieved her keyring from the door and stumbled into the library, flopping down on one of the couches.

She was exhausted.

It didn't stop her from activating her eyes one last time to stare up at her creation. The glowing text swimming in front of the bracelet.

Hello world. My name is Dawn Sherwood.

"Mages have comments. Who knew?"

Her eyes flickered out as she drifted off to sleep.

Conditions Met: Mage-sight

Conditions Met: Inscription

Enchantress Class Obtained!

Enchantress Level—> 2!

Passive: Lesser Glyph Manipulation Acquired!

Spell: Glyph Etch Acquired!

. . .

Dawn woke up to the sound of knocking once again. She groaned and twisted off the couch falling onto the floor. She got up rubbing at her head.

"Ugh, I feel weird, didn't I hear something in my—"

The knocking came again and she harrumphed. She stomped out of her 'room' and towards the door.

"I swear, if it's that guy... Ilvin? If it's him again I'll—"

She flung open the door.

"Hey! I'm trying to get some—"

A huge figure towered over her, filling the door frame as he eclipsed her in shadow.

"—sleep..."

Dawn stumbled back and the giant squeezed through the doorway stepping into the shop.

Following it—him were two other figures. One an orc and the other—

She blinked as a puff of smoke hit her in the face.

"Hey there miss. I've heard we got a new neighbor around these parts, 'thought it would be nice to do a little... social call."

The monkey man swished his tail as he gave her one of the most tooth filled, blood chilling grins she had ever seen.

She did not like this one bit.