As SJ continued past Gladys and Hubert's cottage, she noticed how well-maintained the garden area looked. Charlotte had been working there, looking at how pristine everything looked in comparison. She noticed some tools leaning against the side of the cottage, which she could not remember seeing before. As she approached Farleck cottage, it looked as beautiful as before from a distance, and on approaching, she noticed the new elements that hadn't existed previously. There was a picnic-style table, and benches sat out in front of the cottage. There was also a frame of wooden stakes built to one side, and draped from them was a large white sheet that created a type of gazebo.

The garden was immaculate, and the surrounding area had been cleared of weeds and the odd shrub that had been present on her previous visit. It looked like a heavenly setting, and she would have stayed there if she didn't have things to do.

"Hi, Terrance," she called, pulling Humberto up.

"Hi, SJ," the skeletal orc replied in his deep voice.

"It looks like you have been busy?"

"There is more to do yet. I am in the process of building a lean-to on the side for log storage."

SJ climbed down and went over to join him at the side of the building. He had already built the framework and was in the process of starting to plank the roof.

"Where did you get the tools from?" SJ asked, looking at several items lying around on the grass.

"We went back to the compound and emptied the shed out. Also, Brian didn't want to leave the Lizorse in the stables, so he freed them to roam."

Understanding Brian's alignment, it made sense that he would prefer not to harm unless necessary and protect others he deemed weaker. Imaging two random Lizorse walking about in the woods didn't fill her with confidence.

"Isn't it dangerous freeing them?"

"No. They would normally stay away from beings and remain out of sight."

"Ah, that's okay. I brought tools and some items with me to start equipping the cottage. How has your stay been so far?"

"Great. I assume you saw Charlotte and Brian, and they told you about our recent visitors?"

"Yes. They have spoken to me about the orcs."

"I doubt they will return, but we will deal with them if they do."

"I feel a little guilty. I gave Brian and Charlotte a gift, but I have nothing to give to a fighter."

"I am fine. I have hammers here. They are just as good as a mace for causing damage."

"Next time I come back, I will bring you something."

"That would be very kind of you."

"I am going to put the stuff inside," SJ said, returning to the cart and unloading it.

Walking to the door and entering, she was amazed at what she saw. The inside was spotless, and there was not a cobweb or spot of dust in sight. All the surfaces looked highly polished, and the old sofa even looked cleaner than it had been. A new bookcase was standing near the bed, and what appeared to be a set of drawers had been built. She began to fill the cottage with the items she had brought, emptying any unnecessary items from her inventory and rearranging everything. Moving things around until she was happy with how the room now felt and looked. Apart from no mattress, there was everything needed now to set up a new home. Walking back outside, she carried over the tools and nails she had brought from town.

"Where do you want these?"

Terrence turned, his eyes lighting up at the sight of nails. "Those will speed things up he said, smiling. Just place the nails here, please," Terrence indicated to a small table. "I have built a small storage box around the back for anything else."

SJ walked past and around the rear of the cottage. Against the wall was indeed a storage box, and she lifted the lid to find it compartmented and various items he must have recovered from the compound lying inside.

"How have you made all this stuff so quickly?" she called to Terrence.

"I did tell you I was a carpenter, didn't I?" Terrence replied.

"You did. But these must take time to build."

"Not very long at all. They are basic items that any novice carpenter can make. Oh, I repaired the well gears, so it works now. I need to build a new frame to replace the existing one; I noticed it was starting to rot slightly."

SJ was gobsmacked at the work done while she was away. It had only been a week, but they seemed to have completed at least a month's work between the three of them.

"I have no idea how you have all done so much," SJ said as she walked back to where Terence was still working.

"One of the bonuses of not needing sleep is that I can work all day, every day if I need to, and when I have wood to work with, I am doing the one thing I love more than anything else," he replied with the typical skeletal smile.

"What will you do when you finish making the items?"

"There is plenty to do here. The beams can be realigned, and the thatch supports strengthened. Then, there is a porched front to build, and I thought you could even extend out the back and create a separate bedroom area. It would be wooden, obviously due to the lack of stone, but it would be warm and dry."

"You have already done more than I could have ever expected."

"I have nothing else to do but enjoy the work, and it's in a beautiful location. If I were still alive, I would have brought my Juki here."

The strangeness of speaking to already dead skeletons did not surpass SJ, and she could not imagine the life they must be leading without respite. This experience gave new consideration to the term eternal life.

"Is there anything you need when I come back next time?"

"The only thing I am missing is a sharp chisel. The ones I have are blunt, making it take me longer than it should to sort things out."

"A dwarf is coming down in a few days to look at the chimney, and as long as I have returned to town before he sets off, I will make sure he brings you some down."

"That would be appreciated."

"I can't thank you enough for what you have done here."

"It is my pleasure. Without you, we would all still be in servitude."

SJ's display triggered.

Followership: Followers are those who have dedicated their services to you. They will do anything to support you.

"Holy freaking freaky things from freakytown," Dave spluttered.

SJ couldn't respond now.

"Thanks for the work, Terence; I appreciate it. I will see Charlotte and Brian again before heading to the caves."

"Caves?"

"Yes. I need to collect some mushrooms for one of the town members."

"Which type of mushrooms?"

"Sancasia. Do you know where there are any?"

"They are the blue ones, aren't they?"

"Yes."

"There are caves about a third of the way down the valley on the right side. I know some are there, but several cave networks are nearby. It may take a bit of searching to find the right one. Also, be aware that not all of them are uninhabited."

"What lives in them?"

"When we were near there, we saw several Greyling's."

"What are Greyling's?" SJ asked, never having heard of them before.

"They are dark dwellers. Humanoid with long, gangly arms and legs. Cave Greyling's are very good at hiding in the mountain areas. They mainly feed on the mountain rams or Hoglings but are not afraid to attack anything else if they think it may taste good."

"I don't fancy bumping into many of those."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"You should be fine if you don't disturb their nest. You can always tell if a cave contains Greylings as they mark their territory with the skulls of their prey."

SJ shuddered at the thought of finding skulls lining the cave entrances.

"Thanks for the information, and I hope I can avoid them."

"Just remember they don't do daylight; it burns their skin."

Terrence smiled again, returning to his work. SJ turned Humberto around from where he had begun to eat flower heads and led him back up the path towards the lake.

"What's up, Dave?" SJ asked as soon as she was out of range.

"You have a freaking follower."

"What does it mean exactly?"

"It means you are more than an anomaly."

"Why?" SJ frowned.

"Followers are uncommon, nearly as rare as those Miniature Wyvern Eggs you have."

"How has it happened, though? There were no reputation gains."

"That's my point. You went from being a nobody to Terrence to him being a Follower in one jump. You have someone now. If you ordered him to run into a lava pit, he would do it without asking a question."

"It can't be that bad?"

"Oh. It is. Most followers are fanatics. In other words, they support evil and will do anything their masters tell them."

"I don't want to be someone's Master, and I don't plan on being evil either. I just want to be me and grow."

"I would say out of all the followers you could get. Considering how old you will likely reach, an undead skeleton is a perfect match."

"I don't understand how or why so suddenly?"

"I have heard rumours but never witnessed it myself. I believe it is part of the necromancer's servitude, and it leaves a resonating need to serve someone. I can't guarantee exactly how it happens, but I would bet my last byte that you could leave him at the cottage forever, and he would simply keep building it and improving it."

The thought of having someone who would do anything for her was unnerving. SJ had always been sociable when she needed to be, but internally, she still felt more of an introvert. She enjoyed her own space and time, as she had proven, allowing herself to be absorbed into looking through the ledgers or knitting, and she could not imagine anyone following her to that degree. It appeared to be another part of the new world that she would need to come to terms with.

"I will never order Terence to do anything."

"That is your choice. I have only ever worked with one other Legionnaire who received followers, and he was a half-crazed Paladin. The guy was so messed up he thought he was a God. He spent his time preaching and searching for some chalice that was rumoured to give eternal life. It didn't end well for him or his fans."

"What happened?"

"He attacked a Chimera lair, where it was rumoured that the chalice could be found. Most Chimera in Amathera are your typical mix of a few normal breeds, big cats, birds, and other non-descript animals, but lairs can contain some rather different ones. This one contained a few very strange versions. Dragon, Snake, and Ogre mix. They could either spit acid or fire. The followers were all killed quickly during the raid, and the Paladin decided to continue alone. He did ok, but when you get your face half melted by acid and then barbequed afterwards, you don't tend to do very well."

Having seen Bordon and Bob, SJ couldn't imagine a mixture of the two creatures, never mind adding a snake.

"I am guessing there are none around here?"

"No. Chimera are mainly on one of the other continents. A flying variant that has crossed the ocean occasionally can be found here."

As SJ approached the derelict cottage again, Charlotte was busy moving some of the fallen stones into a neat pile, and Brian was removing the broken door from its frame.

"I am going to head off again. I will return in a few days. I am not sure if I mentioned there will be a stonemason coming to visit in a couple of days. He will look at the chimney and this place and see what can be done."

"That sounds good," Charlotte replied.

"And thank you both for what you have done at the cottages. The gardens look amazing."

"Brian helped me as much as he could. He has a bit of a penchant for gardening," Charlotte smiled.

Heading towards the main trail, SJ was pleased with what had been completed at the cottages and couldn't wait to get a mattress sorted and maybe even spend a few nights there with the skeletons.

"What do you know about Greyling's?" SJ asked.

"They are pathetic creatures," Dave replied. "They are rumoured to originate from mountain Dwarves and Kobolds, but no one knows for sure."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Only in large groups. I have never seen one above level four before. Then again, a group of ten level ones could be challenging due to numbers and the potential to be swarmed."

"Are there likely any other creatures I need to be aware of?"

"So many different ones could potentially be problematic, but this is still a starter territory. Even if acting differently, I wouldn't expect many things that are too dangerous. If you are cautious, take your time and keep your eyes open. The usual suspects are wolves, bears, perhaps if they have young to protect, badgers, possibly wolverines and maybe the odd puma. Oh, and of course, Hoglings always seem to have nasty tempers."

"Why is it that there are so many that may attack?"

"Nature of survival. Everything is continually fighting for its place."

The trail was well-worn and smooth, and the cart moved freely. The sun was high in the sky, and SJ was happy listening to the birds that frequented the skies above and lived in the forest that covered much of the valley floor. The trail wound through the trees, staying on a flat gradient. She felt relaxed and free travelling along and had begun to whistle one of the Bard's songs from the Inn that she had enjoyed.

"I spoke to my friend in assignments," Dave said, disturbing SJ's peace. She had been daydreaming about what she could do with the cottage and her training and levelling. She had been considering her next Subterfuge skill again and thought she had made her mind up. She wanted them all for the obvious perks they brought, but considering the needs of where she was now, only one stood out as an immediate benefit to her.

"What did he say?"

"He was a little cryptic in his response. This area is a test bed. It has received several Legionnaires before, and no preference was given over who was placed where. He said the System was revisiting territory boundaries but didn't expand on the details or perhaps couldn't. Due to the protocols they may have implemented, you never know with the System."

"So, it is a real sandbox then, similar to what I know from Earth?"

"I would have to agree. It would explain the level variances and the Hobs. It has made it more of an interesting start to a new life. Most starter towns are boring and mundane places with the same quest chains—just rinse and repeat. The ones you have received here have added a new spice to the situation."

"I don't understand how they can assign you as Administrators without briefing you on what is expected."

"It wouldn't normally make a difference if they did. As I explained, I wouldn't normally be able to talk to you about 95% of the things we discuss. I couldn't have guided you to the Dark Elf. It is unheard of, and it's invigorating. It makes it much more exciting for me to be part of your journey than the usual rescue a cat from a tree quests. Well, unless you are knitting or reading boring ledgers, of course."

Smiling at Dave's comment, SJ thought about how she was enjoying her new life and time with Dave.

"I forgot to thank you for your help earlier guiding me."

"Expected of rude Legionnaires taking everything for granted," he replied, dripping with sarcasm.

SJ chuckled. "I am very grateful for everything you have done to help me so far."

"And I am happy to be of assistance."

They shared a moment of silence before Dave spoke again.

"I think it's the right fork up ahead over the bridge."

SJ hadn't been paying attention to the trail ahead; she was too busy musing over her thoughts. Looking up, a small stone bridge crossed a meandering river across the valley. The forest had ended, and looking ahead, there were just open fields with small tree clusters dotted around. She could see the path split and noticed the first signpost she had seen at the fork since being on the road. Crossing the bridge, she pulled Humberto up at the fork and read the sign. It pointed straight down the trail with two names carved into the wooden sign's surface.

Asterfal

Cuopi

"Why do I recognise the name Cuopi?" SJ asked.

"It was where the Elf was from that you saved at the compound."

"Oh yeah. I knew I had heard it before. I wonder how far down the trail it is."

"No idea. This fog of war is a pain at times due to my own limited sight, and I can't find any maps for this area overall in the System, making me virtually as blind as you are."

"When we eventually leave this territory, does that mean you will be able to confirm destinations more easily?"

"Yes and no. I still have a fog of war to contend with, but if I have been in an area before, I will have a good idea of what is around."

"That's going to be helpful."

"Possibly; it depends on what has been changed since I was last in an area."

Spurring Humberto, she turned the cart right following the trail, leading towards where she hoped the cave systems would be.