Mom put one arm around Vonn's shoulder. "My guess then is, whatever horrible things are out there, are confined to that patch of land. Not here. We're safe here." She grabbed Tazo too and said, "You both need to sit down and rest for a minute."

Selen judged that she wasn't wanted right now, and let the fox family go. They gathered at a cooper's shop near the north side of the bridge, where a few rejected barrels were outside as public stools.

Tazo pointed out, "We haven't told the southern villages yet."

They looked south across the river. Both sides of the town of Shieldpoint had heard the bell but the other nearby villages, mostly a bit inland, were probably sleeping. There was a chance of skeletons or worse things shambling into this area.

Mom's ears flicked backward. "If they're not allowed to train properly, I wouldn't rush over to disturb them. Not our lord's subjects anyway."

Vonn had thought of the Baron over there as an oppressive jerk, for limiting his people's education and skills, but there was now clearly a worse lord. He held one hand over his heart and tried to slow it down and breathe.

Tazo also said, "What about the airplane? The special gems are probably scattered all around."

He winced, then searched his pockets. "Wasn't exactly a high priority, but I grabbed at least some." He pulled out two cloth packets that gleamed with specks of gold and that were unnaturally light in his hands. Then a handful of thumb-sized magicite shards, three gold and others in the more normal aqua shade. "Not all of either type. Great."

Mom said, "You're more important than some shiny golden bits. We can worry about those later. I take it you're already thinking of ways to make another airplane, safer than before?"

Vonn said, "For once, Mom, I'm more focused on what we need right now."

"Which is a couple hours' sleep," said Tazo, yawning. Her muzzle of sharp teeth showed yellow-white in the moonlight.

He caught the yawn. "That too."

#

There was no sleeping just yet. After their quick respite the militia came back to the Reeve's house.

"Are we gonna fight something tonight or what?" asked one man.

"Somebody hook us another river chomper to kill."

The Baron's party returned, heralded by lanterns in the western distance. The Reeve had made sure the villagers were present and mostly awake. Bogstep nodded, looking pleased, and called for Vonn and Kura to gather in the Reeve's house with himself and his son. It was a tight fit but the main room was at least easy to move around in.

The Baron said, "We saw common undead but other horrible critters too. Good news is, they seem not to be chasing us, so your folk can go to sleep if you keep a few sentries. Bad news is, the dungeon sorta erupted and now it's turned the surface into a mass of weird walls and trenches bigger than it's got any right to be." He looked toward his son, Brightstep.

The young Centaur held out the tainted gem he carried. "Baron Kolm wasn't in sight. Good decision on his part; he's probably fled. We didn't find the Necromancer either but our men did rescue the Elf they were about to murder. He says he was a miner who got too curious, and Kolm's death-man has been seen often near the dungeon. With rumors about people being taken there on one-way trips."

Selen asked, "Did you find anyone else?"

"Sorry, no."

Vonn and Selen drooped. The other prisoner they'd hoped to find was a fellow Earthling. There was a large chance they'd just failed to save one of their only links to home.

Tazo took Vonn's hand and said, "He might've survived."

Brightstep said, "We don't know. This is a new phenomenon. I'm not sure why Kolm would do such a thing. Feeding the dungeon to speed its growth for more treasure, more magicite?"

Vonn told him, "If the dungeon's just massively changed, it might well be in a unique condition worth studying. I've seen something similar at Tukka's Hollow, and knew I had forty-eight hours to reach the core and see. If I could look at this one quickly --"

Everybody was staring at him, aghast. Baron Bogstep said, "Did the smarts push all the common sense out of your head? If there's anything worth studying, it's gonna be with a heavily armed squad that doesn't include you or your sis or Selen."

Vonn blushed but said, "It could be a clue to what's going on. I know it's dangerous. So, uh, your decision, my lord."

"How about it, son? You want to go?"

Brightstep snorted like a horse. "I'd rather not, Father."

"Would've slapped you if you said yes. So! I'll deal with the Baron tomorrow. Vonn, you and your friends won't do anything dumb tonight, will you?"

"No, sir." Vonn fumed, but the man had a point.