On the walk back to the two stone gatehouses Corvayne gave Hari space. He focused on keeping an eye out for danger as the elf woman obviously was still upset. Back at camp he could see the group settling in: Wick was taking readings and writing them down in a notebook. Grunt was hauling wood into one of the gate houses. Mister I had Mosh helping him with cleaning a painted dog for supper.

“Ah Corvayne! Good news! We've discovered another chest and an interesting feature. Also, I'd like you to help me talk to Mosh. I'm curious if I can perform the same mending ritual as him.”

“Boss! Good news, the other side has a chest and a weird pillar. We left it because, well, the elf does it better. Also, my bracer has started cracking context. I'll be speaking whatever it is they speak in no-time! Oh, maybe you can parrot someone for a couple of minutes while just talk? It might push it to morning.”

He looked between the two. He was curious about the bracer comment. The goblin had nothing visible on his arms. “You both asked for basically the same thing. I'm going to lay out my bedroll and let Hari sleep. I will take first watch then either sleep on stones or take a bed from someone going third.” He wrapped his cloak around his form, a rare breeze from the gate carrying a hint of the night's cold. He caught himself looking over at Wick: he had two conversations then where he was going to act as a go-between. She still looked annoyed while she tinkered. He had a sense that she could have finished sooner, and in the same way Grunt had collected enough wood for the entire night but was still going back to snap trees. He gestured for Hari to follow him into the watchtower.

The interior of the tower was a simple circle with a stone stairway leading upwards. A depression and stone steps down into it was built into the stone floor on one side and had an ash marked fire pit and a chimney. He picked a spot far from the door and laid down his bedroll and blanket. She took the airfoil rapier out of her belt and handed it to Corvayne, then went over to Grunt's pile of stuff and withdrew the staff he had offered to carry for her.

“Are you sure? It's fine if you sleep with the blade nearby.”

Hari looked embarrassed and once more avoided looking Corvayne in the face as she stammered. Oh. She thought he was ugly. “No... I don't want Wick to be angry at me.”

Corvayne shook his head. “She is upset at Grunt... and me, probably.” The elf sat back up but he held a hand out. “Rest. I'm probably going to cover your watch.”

She glanced over at him then looked away again. “Sir Corvayne I am sorry. I feel guilty that you're working so hard to cover for me...”

He laughed. “We got that potion, the artifact, and they added a chest to open and probably more things to sort through. You're keeping us safe from possible harmful or cursed items.”

“It's... pretty rare that something is cursed...” Hari was about to get started again. Corvayne held a hand up.

“Sleep. Or just lay on the roll. We'll get a fire started soon.”

After she laid down Corvayne took a moment to peek at the upstairs. The building had a second floor supported by molded stones. From the second floor, a wide window and balcony gave him a good view of the ruined town as the sky turned maroon. He stood there for a good minute, just taking in the view. Treasure, fighting, confidence issues, and his role as both leader and translator. He saw there was a stairway up to the roof and climbed to the top of the tower then looked back at the bridge. It was a black line in the fading dusk, drawn into the wine red sky. It would look sinister except stars were starting to emerge. He took a few breaths, looking both up at the array of stars and also down, the top and bottom of what felt like a dome reaching night sooner then a ring of faint orange-amber. This was what he had been begging for, every day, for years: a party, the stress of working with them, the promise of treasure balanced by the background of danger. The view too: he had read about so many worlds he had wanted to see. It was hard work. He could probably stay up another two days jogging but he was secretly looking forward to being on watch and not having to talk. Oh, but had to talk with Wick and come up with a watch order.

His minute to himself had, he walked down the steps and returned to the room they were using as a camp. Grunt was grabbing another tree and Mosh and Mister I were cooking. He was surprised to see Wick taking her bedroll up the stairs. He walked back up to let her pass.

“Wick... are you sure you want to sleep away from the fire? It's going to be freezing.”

She shrugged the shoulder of her free arm. “I'll be fine. I make a lot of noise if I have a nightmare.”

Corvayne wished he could help her. “Ok... I'm going to talk to... with you and Grunt after dinner.”

“What do you think of the goblin and the elf?” She said as she laid out her bed roll, then sat on it.

Corvayne took a deep breath. No breaks from talking. “They seem genuine. Mosh seems grateful to have someone to talk to. I never felt him sizing my back up when I took him out scouting. He claims he wants to just get out of here as quick as possible but I think he's enjoying the exploring and finding treasure part. He's getting better about staying in formation. Maybe loan him the boar spear so he can keep things away from himself until we can get him out. Oh, Hari wanted you to have some time with the Rapier.” He felt odd standing and took a seat next to her.

“You had a long talk with her.” Wick gave him a grin. “Already hitting it off?”

“I have a lot of reasons not to. First: She's dealing with guilt and feeling isolated. I don't want to be courting someone when they are vulnerable.”

“It's cute you want to court girls.” Wick didn't seem to be mocking him. She was instead looking out the door at the sky and stars starting to come out.

“Even if you set aside morals, giving Hari more emotions to think about seems like a poor decision for the group's success. Second: I'm dealing with the stress of stumbling over new problems, personal and practical. I'm still figuring out both what I want in this world and how to get it. I know I can seem a little, lost, but I was just thinking about how I'm happy to have a different kind of stress. It's worth the view.” He gestured forward, and Wick nodded in agreement. She leaned over and put her head on his arm. He stilled the desire to put his arm around her.

“Third: I get the sense she's young. I assume she's an adult as she seems to have a career planned, but she was new to her group and said some other things that put my estimate as 'barely an adult'. I know I'm barely an adult too.”

“You got a job. You moved out of your parents place. You have killed hundreds of monsters.”

“Thanks Wick. But yeah, I'd also rule her out if she's the elf equivalent of a teenager. Fourth point is sort of similar: Time frame. Our goal is to get her home. That might happen when we exit. Or next weekend. Her access to this place is in a very dangerous ruin. I don't know if it's fair to start a relationship that's just going to end.”

Wick rubbed her hair against his sleeve and forarm. “You have good points with regards to Hari. Don't feel guilty though about one night stands.”

“I'm going to be supportive, friendly, and maybe keep her a little busy so that she doesn't get stuck in her thoughts.” It worked sometimes for him: When he was busy he didn't have time to chew himself out in his own head. Mostly.

Wick turned her head to look up at him. “Corvayne, how about you? Are you doing ok?”

“Two strangers popping into the mix that both require me to translate took what I had conceptualized as a camping trip with occasional combat into a sort of trial-by-fire.” He paused and inhaled. The cold air had a trace of cooked meat slipping into the smell of pine that most of the floor smelled of. “You are also on my mind. You spent a lot of today scowling.”

“I'm a little annoyed you talked to Grunt. I sort of expected it. But he got into his head that he knows what I want better then I do. Fuck that. I'm a grown-ass woman. No height jokes. You should be mad too: he was acting like you were passed out or something.”

“I am sorry. I failed you: Grunt figured it out when I asked him if he thought Mister I would be a good neutral party to talk to. He got upset that I wasn't talking to him, then was upset that I thought it would be hard to have a conversation about my internal problems, and then he guessed what happened more or less. I had hoped he understood I was just venting.”

“He is a perceptive bastard at times. So you were upset with me? Why do you think you can't talk to me?”

Ok, he was a little frustrated now. “What did you ask me not to bother you with?”

“Mushy shit. You agreed to it.”

“That's exactly what I did. You... I mean... It did not make the last week easy. Talking to Grunt helped me deal with my feelings. I have feelings by the way. For you. I tried my best to just keep it in and deal with it, but I'm weak and needed help. I didn't mean to get you two at each other's throats.” Better to be straightforward.

Wick was still a moment. “Wait...”

She sat up. “Are you a dipshit? Fuck... I'm sorry. Let me start again: Did you think I meant you couldn't talk to me? I should say, I thought I had pissed you off. Look me in the eyes.”

She looked at him with the stare from before but it softened. “It's okay to have feelings for me. It doesn't make me mad that you like me. It makes me happy. I like you too. I just don't want... attachment. When I think about someone constantly touching me, or trying to buy me with gifts... it feels fake. No, it grosses me out and scares me. I don't feel comfortable with someone doting on me. I don't want to feel like I'm being hunted... I actually like that you are really reserved. I got issues, weird thoughts that scare me and all the stuff couples do really freaks me out for some reason. See, it's confusing. I don't understand why I'm the way I am, how the hell could you?”

Corvayne nodded. “Can you tell me what doesn't bother you?”

“I'm fine with you liking me. No PDA. If you really need something like a date... I feel safer if you take me out in a group. A double date. I really like that you wait for me to do things, but talk to me if you need something. I'm fine with kissing you in private, and if we are fucking. I'm okay with you calling me to talk. I'm down to hear whatever weird shit you're into.. except biting me. I hate the terms girlfriend, lover, and so on. I like partner better because it's even. I want our arrangement to be open. I have a few guys on my phone who are pretty much just for sex. Mostly scumbags.” She shrugged. “I'm okay with being each-others primary. You know, our go-to. You look like you have a question.”

He thought about what was important to him. “Can I get you to wear a dress... in private?”

“I basically don't own any. Are we bargaining?”

“Women in the village only ever wore dresses and makeup for specific formal events. I was never invited, so it was like looking from afar at entirely different people. Attractive strangers rather then well toned tormenters who hated my guts.”

“I'll try it but it might freak me out. I might lock myself in the bathroom for a few days.”

“I hope Grunt keeps his bathroom clean then. So... I'll use some of the money I made walking in circles protecting fork lifts to buy something. You look great when you take those glasses off.”

“You didn't complain before.” She looked down, sheepish.

“I did. Silently. In my head.” He watched Wick pull her glasses up and lick her lips. Then put them back down and stick her tongue out. Corvayne sweetened the deal. “If you wear a dress, I'll come to you covered in monster blood with meat.”

“Damn you got my number. Let go eat something. We can take watch together if you need to talk more.”

“If I could stop talking today that'd be great. But I got two more possibly long conversations.” Enough bitching. He stood up and offered a hand to help her up. She took the hand and pulled herself to her feet.

“Are they time critical?” She asked.

“I can put Mosh and Mister I off I think to tomorrow.”

“Blow them off. Take watch with me and stare at the endless dark beyond our fire light together, that work?”

“I'll check with my partner. Might be too romantic.”

She laughed at that.

He walked downstairs and was pleased to see that Hari was asleep. A little less she was drooling onto his pillow. Grunt was eating alone, back to everyone. Well, that might be his next problem. Corvayne ate quickly, which prompted Mister I to scold him in a friendly tone to savor the meat. He slowed down when he saw Wick taking her sweet time.

He went over and sat next to Grunt. “How you doing?”

The big man tilted his hand back and forth: So-So.

“Ok. I talked to Wick a little. I'm glad you are looking out for me here. Can we go upstairs and just establish what we are all thinking? That and hash out watch order.”

Grunt grunted with a slight nod.

“Thanks.”

When he was done he caught Wick's eye as she was sitting by the fire finishing her meal and pointed up. The three of them went up the stairs then sat in a circle on the stone floor. Wick turned on a flashlight and pointed it up so there was enough light to see what Grunt was saying. Corvayne reflected that it was surprising that Grunt would pick a fight about him with Wick. He wondered if maybe he knew what the scoop was with Wick. He took a breath in and out. Patience.

“Ok. So let me state what I think happened, and we'll give you turns to agree or disagree and add to it. Then try to reach an understanding.”

Both of them nodded, so he continued.

“The background is that me and Wick spent a night together. Grunt stop trying to get me to laugh.” The big man was just miming finger sex. Some never-indulged part of Corvayne that was 13 thought it was hilarious. “Anyway, I understood that to mean she didn't want me to get attached at all. I spoke with Grunt to help sort things out. I think perhaps I don't always understand the nuance of what he's emoting, because it didn't seem like he was angry at any point during the talk. He correctly identified that I have complex feelings, positive ones, but complex ones with regards to Wick and how our relationship as friends, partners, and friends with benefits as well as the idea of persuing other people.”

Wick held a hand up. Corvayne gestured for her to speak.

“I want to say sorry to Corvayne. I asked him to basically never talk about anything that he felt because I assumed he understood what I wanted and I probably used the wrong words.”

“Apology accepted. So today, you and Grunt had an argument. I don't know if anything Grunt expressed was malicious or just teasing. Either way, both of you were upset because, as far as I understand, Wick doesn't want her friends to publicly announce who she's sleeping with and Grunt felt that there was a problem with how she was keeping me at a distance.”

Grunt pointed at Wick, then Corvayne and stood then mimed pushing away, then started to turn and keep pushing in a full circle. Then he looked around sadly, and curled up into a ball. He unfurled back to sitting and made a big X with both arms: Wick, you pushed Corvayne away. You push everyone who gets close away. I refuse to let you just be alone.

Wick took a deep breath and took a few moment to respond. “Thank you for worrying. I need different things then most people and don't like what they do. But I care about my friends. I'm lucky that you and Dawn helped me out when I was new to town. I know it's hard to see me years later and not to see a lost and sad girl.”

Grunt sighed. He then bowed his head: I'm sorry too. He mimed a beard and a paunch (ok he didn't need to mime it, he had a gut) then an X, then removed one set of fingers to make a slash and tapped his head, then his heart. He pointed two fingers at his eyes, then at Wick, then put his head high: I'm not your dad. But that won't stop me from caring about you. I see you and am proud.

Corvayne wasn't sure it was correct but Wick sighed. “I care about you too Grunt. Can we cut out the sappy shit and have a good clean day of dungeon fun tomorrow? Everyone done? Good. Watch order... Corvayne said he'd double up to let Hari sleep. First watch him and Mosh. Second me and him. Third you and Mister I, let me and him sleep in a little.”

Grunt nodded, then made a very delicate hands held up and slowly moving back to him. Wick sighed and nodded. “Go ahead ask it.”

He took his two pointer fingers, held them together, then laid them down with a questioning look. He held up a hand, then pulled a blanket out, and mimed sleeping on, waking up, then offering it to Corvayne with a questioning look: I don't know what your plan is, but I'm fine letting Corvayne use my blanket.

“We'll hash it out on watch.”

[98.1%]

Corvayne woke up, and had to let his half asleep brain catch up to where he was. He saw an open door, stone, Wick's hair down. Oh. He and Wick had crawled into bed still dressed and passed out after Grunt relieved them. The morning air was cold. The bedroll was warm. Maybe she'd wake up and they would...

“It's a thousand degrees in this thing.” Wick muttered as she unzipped it. Corvayne accepted defeat and got up, picking his spear up as he started doing his forms.

She stopped whatever she was doing to watch. “Do you use any of those in combat?”

“It's a lot of fancy stuff that you might need if your weapon gets knocked into the wrong spot and you need to bring it back to between you and them in a moment. The most important thing for me is that it's familiar. I could just do some regular stretches... but I think it helps to make it less of an implement and more an extension of my body.”

“Would I distract you?”

He thought: I would like that, thank you. “I can do it in my sleep.” He started going through the motions.

She let out a little half bark and half laugh. “Can you talk while doing it?”

“I'll be absent minded.” He spun and practiced stepping back while swinging. He was considering the monster fights.

“We should set some of the stuff we find aside to sell.” He nodded while switching hands, stances, grips. Flowing from offense to warding, to overhead, down to a knee for stopping a charge.

“I think if we find toys or nick-knack magic especially. See, I know someone I could sell the boots too already and they'd pay a fortune but it's tricky: We need a lot of stuff. Even these climbing gloves were the difference between us living and possibly being ripped apart by trees last time.”

“Two chests yesterday though.” He swing and switched stances.

“We haven't opened the other one yet. It's insane that you don't just go right for treasure chests Corvayne. Everyone wants to know what's in it!”

“I've spent a lot of time living in a stone room in the desert.” He huffed as he swung his spear then rolled it across. “I don't put as much value on stuff... well the dragon head because one: it's just cool.”

Wick laughed. “It's only the size of a large dog.”

“Two and more importantly: it reminds me of us fighting our way through this tower together.”

She went red. “You're putting your toe on the line of mushy shit! Back off... and take your shirt off!”

“Sure thing, miss wasn't-really-asleep.” He took his sweet time, pretending that the process of removing a shirt had to be done very carefully, wiping his brow as if he was covered in sweat. Payback for her workout clothes.

“Well keep going!” She was watching from the bedroll. He tossed the shirt next to her.

“So today, we open the chest, check out the bridge. Maybe look at more of this floor for other chests or strange features.

Wick nodded while taking his shirt and feeling the fabric. “I think we drink that potion as soon as we know what it is.”

“I won't if it's mutation.” It was still too chilly without a shirt. He pushed the dance a little faster to try to warm up.

He spared a glance. Wick was giving him a stare that he met for a little while spinning and sliding the spear around the open floor of the second floor. He cleared out the extra stuff in his head, including that Wick was looking at him like a slab of meat. He was in a better place today. She also seemed to have mellowed out. He spent a few minutes on shuffling and striking, finally reaching a point where the cool air felt good. Looking out the door at the trees and sky made him ready and excited to keep exploring. After all, he had sorted out that Wick was okay with his feelings.

He noticed someone spying on him though: Hari was just watching him do his forms from the stair. He stopped, and Wick turned to follow his look.

Hari noticed she was on the spot and ducked down, looking away. “Sorry! Breakfast was ready, and Grunt suggested I see if you two were awake. Sorry!”

Corvayne looked over at Wick then looked back at Hari. “We'll be down in a few minutes.”

Hari dipped all under the rim of the stairs then scurried away.

“Hmm. Looks like you gave her the full blast. Put your shirt on before breakfest.”

“It's your fault it's off... I guess that means Hari wants to look at chests as well.”

Wick pointed at Corvayne. “As if YOU don't like them either. Everyone agrees! Breakfest then treasure!”

Everyone was up. Grunt had gathered more wood. Perhaps they would camp here again: the towers were defensible and very comfortable with flat stone floors. Mister I served eggs with mimic meat. Corvayne and Wick had to wait, being the last two awake. They heard Grunt dragging something across the ground outside. He just brought the chest across the way to them.

“No traps then?” He asked.

Grunt gestured at the elf, who responded with. “Yes. Clear!”

Mister I clapped. “A fast study of languages!”

Grunt opened it, and took out a pouch then a longsword in a sheath. Opening the pouch they found mostly silver coins. He also pulled out a scroll. It was in a case marked with an painted directional arrow pointed to a pillar standing in a circle. He offered them to the elf woman who was waiting near where he set the chest down.

Hari took them. “The blade is a common enchanted longsword. It's got durability and sharpness on it. The scroll is exceptional quality...” She gently passed the blade to Grunt, who gave it to Corvayne. Couldn't hurt, beat using a machete if he was going to fight with a sword.

Hari had moved onto the scroll. “It has something to do with teleporting to a specific object.”

“They mentioned a pillar in the other room... Let's look.”

Corvayne went to the other tower. Inside was a similar set up but with a twelve foot tall pillar of stone at the center of a stone circle there. The others came with him. The surface was smooth but dull, with carved runes in even rows of 5 all around six segments.

Corvayne leaned over a little while keeping his eyes on the structure. “Hari what's this pillar feel like?”

“It feels like... a safe spot? No. The word I get is a waypoint. It seems like it's... made to be easy to identify. My instincts are telling me it's safe. I'm going to try touching it.”

She strode forward and put her hand on it, and the pillar glowed blue faintly, blue lines for a moment dancing over the stone then fading back to gray.

She stepped away and looked a little sheepish as she spoke. “um... sorry. If it's supposed to do something, I cannot figure it out.”

Corvayne nodded. “As long as it isn't hostile, that's a start.” He touched it himself, and this time the pillar glowed brightly, the entire pillar started humming and sections shifted... then settled with runes glowing blue.

“I feel it. You did something... like attune to the pillar.” She closed her eyes and turned. “It's like I can tell which way it is... Why did it work for you to attune me but not me for myself?”

“Why do I understand you and Mosh? My guess has something to do with a weird wizard living in the village I grew up in. I was told to go do... something vague about fighting other wizards. It was not much of a quest. But perhaps I got some help from him.”

He looked at the pillar. He had charged it with something. It also felt like he could... slide to it?

Corvayne stepped away from the pillar, out the door. Then he turned and focused on it.

Everything blurred and he found himself at the pillar.

Wick pointed. “It's a warp point!” She started setting up equipment around it.

Corvayne took a step and staggered. He had only been up for what, a half an hour? “Careful, the pillar sucked me dry to move about thirty feet.”

Grunt wanted to try it anyway, stepping out then squishing his face with his hands to psych up. He stomped a foot, then blurred forward. A little cloud of blue runes marked where he lept from. He stood, wobbly, at the marker. Corvayne offered a shoulder for Grunt to lean on. Of course that might have been a mistake: Grunt was about 400 pounds of muscle under what Corvayne guessed was a very thin layer of fat.

He tried not to sag. “Dang. Grunt, you're coming jogging with us.”

He made a frowny face, then shakily made a heart then a circle he mimed eating: I'm sorry everyone, I love donuts.

Wick was running all around, testing something with a tool that looked like a microphone. “Corvayne! Come out here! Stand here...”

He left the door of the tower and walked to where she was. She then circled all around him with the microphone looking thing. “Trying to get the perfect picture?” He was getting cold and was ready to start exploring the bridge.

“No... there's some sort of tether between you and this thing. But there's also faint other tethers in the air. So maybe there's another pillar somewhere... up? Or someone else touched it and is further up on floor 3.”

“I want to shelve this: We don't know what lines coming off it tell us. I think we explore the bridge, and then come back here before nightfall and camp at the tower again.”

Wick looked around. “All right. But I'm going to keep taking readings.”

“I don't mean to stop you, but I wanna see what's over the bridge too.”

Corvayne played translator as they were walking on the bridge. Namely between Mosh explaining how devotion to Lythandies was expressed, and as best he could the details of how he joined by crafting his own altar/work bench. It was a lead up to mend, which Mister I was interested in.

“It sounds interesting. I'd like to see if building an altar would open a pact like Mosh has with her.”

Corvayne repeated one sentence.

Mosh liked to gesture with his hands while he spoke. “The more important thing is understanding that the more you bring what she is about into the world, the stronger she can act through you. It's okay to fight, but gods help you if you do something stupid like smash someone else's work. She's the builder, after all.”

Corvayne repeated it verbatim, applying as much of Mosh's tone and cadence as he could.

“Hey Boss, you're a really good parrot!”

Corvayne repeated it, but put emphasis on all the wrong words and said it in a sing-song voice.

“Ok fine I appreciate you doing this for me Boss.”

He looked between the two. He couldn't wait for the auto translator to kick in.

On the other hand: There wasn't really anything else to do. The wide bridge now was far enough from the towers that the ledge was a mere outline behind them. One thing that was a little weird was that as he walked, he swore the sky was slowly changing it's yellow hue to a grayish color.

Wick noticed too. “The sky is changing color, but this doesn't match day night...”

Corvayne interrupted the two chatting to comment.

“There was a floor where the colors were normal... It could mean something.”

The sky kept changing, the color turning from yellow to yellowish-grey to a sort of sickly greenish midnight blue hue. More importantly, ahead of them a dark shape was starting to form out of the mist. Corvayne saw what looked like a floating mountain but with hard cuts and sloped shapes suggesting a building. The word that came to mind as the features started to emerge from the mist was imposing. By the time they reached the wide open steel gates, Corvayne could see before him a huge castle. The sky was now a midnight blue, cloaking everything in an oppressive dim light. Above, bleak black clouds swirled around the tower at the top. He saw stone towers, huge windows with broken panes of glass, walls within walls with steel fences and perilous looking bridges. Closer to the ground, the fortress had what looked like a tightly packed city at it's base. There was evidence that someone lived in this place once: Baskets laying in the road, empty. A wagon parked near an open shop door. Tatters of banners or flags that hung from some of the buildings.

Corvayne saw there was an out of place flat metal tablet facing out to the side of the open gate. When he went up to it, a pictogram appeared. This one was a skull drawing. It quickly displayed six stick figures, with little details to suggest the party they had. The image was in an angry red. Then it slowly started adding generic stick figures, turning orange, then was yellow once it had drawn three rows of six.

Mister I mused. “I think it's saying going in with so few people would be dangerous.”

Wick tapped Corvayne on the shoulder. “Ask Hari to take a reading.”

He turned to the elf, who was in the back looking a little intimidated. “Hari, can you give us the danger level here?”

The elf nodded. She then widened her eyes. “It's... a really deep red ahead. If we go inside, we are going to be in for a fight...”

The swirling clouds started to part, letting a pair of moons with skulls imprinted on them shine down on the fortress. As the moonlight bathed the street, phantasms appeared, drifting along the streets in glowing green configurations.

“We step in there, we are getting swarmed.” Corvayne was thinking about it, to be honest. Would there be a reward worth the risk? Or was it just a sealed off dangerous area?

Mosh said it “Well, fuck. There's another dungeon in the dungeon!”