Less than fifteen minutes later, the population of Runner’s Plaza was cut by almost a third, maybe even a half of the population. As Myles and the rest of the Rising Star team made their way back to the city, he was impressed by Sindra’s relative calm, and insulted by what people said when they left earshot after taking what they could of her hospitality.

He may not have loved Sindra and maybe it was because he was currently one of those Runners Dane would have left behind, but Myles could see the logic in what she was trying to do.

From the way she spoke to the Runners as she demolished and refunded their homes, Sindra held no ill will toward them, but that didn’t mean she let them go without a fight. As she returned their vouchers, the Runner leader explained her stance again and told them they could come back as long as they agreed to her rules when they did. Sindra also stressed they could still return to use the temple without issue, but anyone living in Lakewood, as Dane had renamed the region, would be taxed double for use of any other service Runner’s Plaza offered. With the way Dane talked about the craftsmen and non-combatants, he doubted they’d have much of either.

Was it petty? Not as much as Myles felt it should have been. If they badmouthed the craftsmen and healers, the other runners should be lucky to have access to them at all.

The place seemed much less organized now that there were so many gaps in the city. Where buildings had once stood, vacant lots created yards for some of the remaining houses and large spaces between others. From the placement, Myles was sure almost everyone that left was a warrior of some kind mostly because the merchant street was completely intact, and Myles doubted they’d leave behind that much voucher material.

Still, as far as he was concerned, it didn’t affect him that much. His team was still trailing with him, his team was immune from Dane’s shenanigans, and with his plan, he had high hopes for testing the boundaries of the second floor and beyond.

He’d never been as eager to get to bed except maybe after the fight with Gregor and Shardking. Everyone was prepared for the night but one. The only stop they had to make on the way back was at Lyna’s to retrieve something she called ‘vitally’ important.

A toothbrush and bottle of wine later, the group arrived at his doorstep and were ushered in by the metallic voice of Squishy who all too eagerly declared to each person, “Come in! No break! No take!”

Myles chuckled at that, which only seemed to make her do it louder. Once everyone was inside and Myles was set into a chair by Ashra, he began to go through the list with the group one last time.

“So, everyone has their pillows?”

“Pillows?” Lyna asked. “I thought you said bellows.” From her inventory, she produced a large pair of air bellows that were used for industrial heating. The large items were almost as large as the halfling herself, but the grin was even larger.

Myles groaned.

Kendra smacked the back of her head and took the lead.

“Oh, pillow. Right.”

“For the fifth time, yes,” Kendra pointed out as Lyna switched out the items. “Our inventory doesn’t change between steps, Bright Eyes.”

“Right, so…”

“So you want us to all sleep in the same place to see if the dungeon will place us closer together,” she repeated.

“Right.”

“And you think it’s our best chance of beating the second floor since we can work together.”

“Right.”

“And you aren’t doing it just to sleep with me.”

“Right,” Myles said almost on reflex as Will snorted unexpectedly. His face flushed as his mind caught up. “Wait, what?”

Kendra ignored it. “So, where are we all going to sleep.”

The arrangements were made as the discussion continued much to Ashra’s amusement and Squishy’s confusion. Ashra, Squishy, and Myles would share his bed since Myles had already proven his monsters could travel between the two worlds with him. The others would be spread throughout the bedroom and the living room wherever they would fit. Will took the closest spot, then Kendra, then Lyna, then Tail, then Mitchel. Warnings were given about the newest slimes and the general state of the bathroom, and then it was time for dinner.

Myles was determined to cook and Medic had taken Squishy place as Myles’s symbiote. The results weren’t quite what Myles had hoped for. Medic’s symbiosis didn’t have the same ability to act as a prosthetic for his legs, so he was sidelined. As his proxy, Ashra did much of the cooking.

It took almost an hour longer than necessary, but the salad was excellent and the bread came out as hot and crusted as ever. The meat was a bit charred, but monsterkin like Ashra were not the best at using tools made for humans. The meal was filling if a bit bland, and they barely even noticed the fur when all was said and done.

With full bellies and compliments to the chef, furniture was moved, a couch fort was made and occupied, and new pillows were removed from inventories and set with blankets for each member of the party.

In the arms of his monster, Myles looked around and chuckled. He hadn’t had a sleepover since he was ten.

“See you on the other side.”

Mitchel gave him a salute before settling in. “If we’re lucky, any advice?”

Myles thought on that for a moment.

“The faster you realize it's a dream, the faster you’ll have your abilities back.”

He nodded and pulled the blankets higher.

“You know,” Kendra said as she did the same, “If you’re right, we should all just sleep in one big pile and show up in the same spot.”

Myles considered that and shook his head as a smirk grew. “I’m pretty sure it won’t work like that. If it did, I have a feeling Sindra would have already said something about it.”

“You give her too much credit.”

He shrugged. “Maybe, but if you really want to share a bed with Lyna…”

“Share?” Lyna peaked out from behind her couch fort. “I’ll share over my dead body. This is my bed! Cuddle pile be damned!”

“Cuddle pile?” Kendra asked.

“Cuddle pile, spoon drawer, whatever. I’m not giving up my space.”

Myles couldn’t help the laugh that escaped before wishing them well for the night and trying to get comfortable.

As he was set in bed by Ashra, Squishy quickly followed to steal the center of the bed. She lay against him, softly speaking to herself as she practiced the few words she’d mastered between the dance battle and now. Her link continued to evolve the more aware she became of herself, and it just told Myles how much he still had to learn. Ashra went to the far side opposite him and Squishy. Despite her love of the large bed, Myles could feel that she was clearly uncomfortable. Myles wasn’t sure why, but he felt like Lyna was to blame for one reason or another.

Before he could question her across the link, Will spoke up from the floor he’d settled on.

“Myles, you lead an interesting life, even for a Runner.” There wasn’t malice to his words, simply a fact of his current life. “I couldn’t imagine dealing with… what is it… six monsters now?”

“Seven,” Myles corrected, counting Nod. He smiled giving a soft laugh. “I almost forget what it’s like to be alone in my head anymore,” he joked.

The silence returned as Myles felt Ashra suppress her comments and Squishy babbled on in her sleep.

“It must be hard.”

Myles considered that. He had his team, his monsters, and himself all coordinated inside his thoughts. It hadn’t been too hard once he got past the other’s thoughts, but when he thought more about it, it should have been almost crippling to have other emotions and thoughts inside his mind, but…

“You’d think that, but it isn’t that bad. Honestly, I think it might have to do with how my Skills and Traits deal with the links between us, but knowing and feeling everyone else feels normal now. It…” Myles stopped for a moment and tried to think of the best way to put it into words for Will. He hadn’t really thought about it until now and had a few false starts until it all came together. “It feels like when people are talking in a group. If it’s not directed at me, I don’t notice until I start trying to listen in.”

As he looked, Will had propped himself up a bit and looked at Myles. He wasn’t frowning exactly, but he wasn’t smiling. He seemed every part the elder as he looked Myles up and down. “If it gets to be too much, I know I’m not your father, but I’m here for you to talk to, too. Kendra doesn’t have a monopoly on open ears.”

Myles could feel the concern and warmth radiating from the man, and he smiled. “I’ll remember that.”

“Good,” Will said, rubbing the back of his head. “Good. I just wanted to say that.”

“Because you’re worried about Kendra?”

“She’s a big girl,” Will laughed as Myles felt new attention on them through the link. “I’m more worried about how she might influence your bad habits. Gods and goddesses love her, but she isn’t exactly the pinnacle of patience or understanding.”

Myles waited a moment, half expecting Kendra to curse the older man, but nothing came. He could still feel her attention through the closed door, but it was as if she were waiting, almost holding her breath as the others began to inch closer to the doors of Somniums.

“Maybe not,” Myles admitted, thinking back to their first dungeon run. Nearly dying in a slime-filled dungeon wasn’t fun, but if it hadn’t been for Kendra… well… his life would have been easier. He looked at the mark on the back of his hand for a moment. No one had commented on it even days later. Maybe they couldn’t see it…

Bah, he was getting off track again.

“And you’re off chasing dreams again,” Will half-laughed. “You do that more and more lately.”

“I do?”

He nodded. “I know we’re still getting to know each other, but you seem to be more absent-minded than when we first met. Though when it counts, you’re there for us. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He stopped, grinning a bit more. “Well, as okay as us Runners can be. Just make sure you keep your eye on the prize and keep us all alive. Okay?”

“I will, and I know that we can do this,” he assured, feeling Squishy already so deeply asleep that her emotions had faded from his awareness. “When this is all said and done, we’re going to be walking out of the dungeon with our heads held high if I have anything to say about it.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Will huffed good-naturedly. “When we get out, how about you buy me some of your father’s cooking at your bakery?”

“If we get out of here,” Myles laughed, “We’ll be eating our bread at the capitol with the royals.”

“Sounds like a plan, Myles.” Will gave him a smile he could practically feel and then the man turned away. “Now, get some sleep. We’ve got a dream world to deal with.”

“Just be careful there.”

“Save your careful for Kendra,” Will said, rolling over to look at the door, then back to Myles with a knowing smile. “She picks the most dangerous people to fawn over.”

Indignation signaled Kendra’s annoyance at Will. Myles felt a bit himself. “I’m not that dangerous.”

“Tell that to the people you surround yourself with. We all saw you in the dungeon.”

Myles didn’t quite know what to say to that as Will smiled again and, pulling the sheets up to his neck, set himself towards Somniums. “Now, let this old man get his sleep.”

Within minutes, the sounds of the older man snoring filled the room, and Myles regretted sharing the room. It took him minutes to get used to the new white noise as the monsterkin next to him snored like a wind chime.

***

It took longer than he’d have liked, but soon, the noises of the night began to lull him into a gentle…

“Myles, are you asleep yet?”

He sighed. She knew the answer, but at least she was being polite about it.

No, I’m awake. Is something wrong, Ashra?

“No.” There was a long pause, and for a moment, Myles thought she had just been checking on him, but her movements on the other side said otherwise. “I am unsure of what to make of Squishy now.”

You and me both.

Across the link, Myles could feel Ashra consider the words. There was another pause before she spoke again. “Are you going to make her fight?”

I don’t have to make her. You didn’t see her against Nod.

“Nor have I seen Nod.”

True, but I don’t know if you’ll want to.

“We are getting off of the trail we were taking, Myles.”

Myles turned to face Ashra, careful not to disturb the slime between them. Squishy kept her form rather than melting into a puddle like the slimes usually did. It must have been part of being a monsterkin rather than a regular monster. As she slept, her breathing was soft, almost musical. She seemed like any other child if he looked passed the metal skin and rabbit ears poking from the top of her head. It was almost enough to forget how she rained down countless needle-sharp hairs against Nod when the two first met as it tried to devour Myles's astral projection.

If she doesn’t want to fight, she won’t, but I won’t stop her from doing it. Still, I’m not sure what to do with her. I’m not a father. I don’t have the books…

This time, there was no hesitation as Ashra interrupted his self-depreciation.

“You will raise her to be what she wants to be, and you will be who she needs.” Ashra said it so simply, so matter-of-fact that there was no other option. “Myles, you are her tamer, but she sees you as her progenitor, her father. She will listen to you as long as you respect her choices. It is our way.”

Myles considered that. It seemed to make sense, but still…

As long as you help her train to fight properly on her own, I don’t see a problem with it.

Ashra radiated pride at the request.

“I would like nothing more than to help train her.”

Then it’s settled.

The rabbitkin gave him the slightest nod before he rolled back to the end of the bed. Why couldn’t the dungeon give him one for every monster? This was going to get ridiculous sooner rather than later. One by one, the last people in the house began to fall asleep with Myles being the sole survivor of the waking world for only minutes before he too joined the world of Somniums.

***

Myles awoke to the sun streaming down on him almost as soon as the smells of fresh bread and the sweet-savory scent of cooking candied bacon touched his nose. Stretching his arms, Myles scratched the back of his head as he looked around the garden environment that he’d come to call home lately.

That was…

Wait…

I’m asleep again.

He shook the grip of sleep from his mind faster than he had the last time and took in the world around him. Standing up, he grinned. At least here he could walk. Pulling his shirt up, he noticed the wound was gone. The soft, blue scar pulsed gently, ebbing and flowing with the beat of his heart. Otherwise, he was completely normal. He had his clothes on that he went to sleep in too, so that answered another question.

Moving away from the bed, Myles took a deep breath. The smells of the baked island were still as pungent as ever. Walking towards the tree Squishy climbed on their last visit, he examined it more closely. Soft, brownish-tanned bark covered the tree with white and gold veins running underneath it up into the branches. Reaching out, he plucked a low-growing twig. White and gold liquid dripped from the spot and he dipped his finger against it and brought it to his nose. A moment later, he popped it into his mouth and enjoyed the most wonderful-tasting honey and icing he’d ever had.

He tested the branch next, bringing it to his nose and taking a deep whiff. Under the smells of honey and icing, the delicious scent of cookie butter and graham cracker filled his nose. A bite later, he confirmed it tasted just as good. He tried to trigger Taste Test, but nothing happened.

The one time he wanted to know what something was made from…

With a sigh of disappointment, Myles ate the rest of the twig and remembered his purpose. His island was safe enough, but maybe the others weren’t…

Reaching out with his mind, Myles tried to call to Squishy and Ashra.

Almost instantly, Squishy appeared from the underside of the bed he’d arrived on. The slime monsterkin gibbered urgently, and Myles had a hard time making out her words. Her emotions were clear enough though and soon her thoughts became a single idea.

Where was Ashra?

Myles reached for their connection but felt a strange resistance. She was there, somewhere, feeling something, but it was like trying to see a picture through a thick fog or feel for detail through a thick sludge. He tried for the others next. They were more distant, and even more muddled than Ashra’s, but that was better than last time.

Feeling for the gemstone in his pocket, Myles was relieved when he found Nod. The creature’s thoughts were almost sharp as his mind connected back with the dream ripper’s. Since it had probed his thoughts, the creature’s desires were something he could understand more clearly. He was sure the ripper could talk as well, but it had never exercised that ability.

Focusing on the stasis gem he held, Myles willed Nod’s return to the dreamscape and watched as the space in front of him rippled like a pool of disturbed water. As it did, Myles felt his thoughts bend like dough left over the edge of the counter. He felt stretched, pulled, and then everything pushed itself back together and was kneaded back into a perfect loaf as Nod materialized.

Gone was the shimmering, fog-like entity as his thoughts were copied over to the ripper and took root. Three, in particular, influenced him now: the stalwart compassion and love of his father, the strength and resilience of Shardking, and his determination to survive and protect those he loved.

Now, the dream ripper turned [Shardking’s Shield] stood as a humanoid wearing armor torn from the first floor boss itself and reinforced with glimmering black jets. Where flesh would have been exposed under his rocky helmet, things looked… different. His flesh was like a galaxy pulled into human form as a pair of eyes radiated light from behind an equally dark visor without projecting it beyond where his eyes should be.

Nod carried two weapons crafted from his memories, a shield and spear made from the same dark jet that reinforced his armor.

Taking one look around and being satisfied with the state of his duty, Nod turned and addressed Myles by clashing his shield-wielding hand against his chest in respect before speaking in a clear, deep tone that wasn’t entirely unlike an echo.

“I am here to serve and protect, Myles.”

Myles nodded to Nod. At least he’d already understood not to call him master.

As the stone-clad warrior stood at the ready, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief at how well the memories adapted the dream ripper to his needs, and just a little part of him was glad Kendra couldn’t make a joke about him adding to his harem. No, Nod being male probably wouldn’t stop that joke.

With Squishy pulling at the hem of his shirt, Myles came back to what reality he had.

“Let’s go find our friends.”

The shield rapped against his armor again, and the words echoed forth once more. “As you command.”

Squishy nodded in approval as Myles took the lead, heading deeper into the island.