From his vantage point high on the bluff, Micky was able to look out over the campsite. He scanned the binoculars from left to right, playing them over the tree. Thin wiry trunks bent towards the stony bluff, shaped into fantastical shapes by uncounted years of harsh weather.

“Anything to report?” Ingunn’s voice shattered Micky’s focus and he spun to face her, nearly dropping the binoculars in his haste.

“Bloody hell Ingunn, a little warning next time? I nearly redecorated the place.” Micky lowered the glasses as he turned to face her. “Nope, It looks like this whole area is deserted. Although from looking at the trees we might be in for a bit of rough weather.”

“Good observation. It seems like we’re alone up here for now” Ingunn replied. “I’ll take over the watch here for now, can you head back to Gwilym? Tell him he needs to set a watch for tonight. I don’t like the complete lack of tracks, there should be something here.”

Micky found Gwilym talking to Tavish just outside the now electrified fence.

“Hey boss,” Micky greeted the pale man, “Ingunn said there’s nothing to report for now, but she’d like you to set a watch for tonight.”

“Good work byt. Tavish, are you okay here for a minute?”

“Aye, a'm guid. Th' leccie fence is set 'n' th' turrets ur set.“

“Lush. Right then Micky, are you ready to see your very first convergence site?” Gwilym asked as he turned away from the fenced-in tent.

“Lead the way mate, I’m dead curious to see what it's all about,” Micky replied as he followed Gwilym towards the edge of the cleared area.

Gwilym led Micky to a fissure in the stone, the rocky grey bluff cleanly rent by a slash that descended deep into the earth.

“So this is it huh?” Mickey asked, leaning over the fissure to peer downwards. “I’ve gotta say I expected more like magic-y stuff.” He made vaguely mystical gestures with his hands to emphasize his point.

“Remember this is just a convergence site. The detritus left over after the convergence has been closed. I’d wager if you were here when it opened you would see more than your fill of,” Gwilym waved his hands in an echo of Micky’s gestures, “stuff”.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. So what’s the plan now? Mickey asked, stepping back from the fissure.

“Zofia should be back in a couple of hours. She’ll have an initial report for us, which should give me an idea of how to proceed. For now, though, let's head back to camp. We can get some hot food in and a cup of coffee.”

“Sounds like a plan mate.”

Seated back in the tent with a steaming mug of coffee, Micky had enough time to look over the new clothing Yan had procured for him.

Item Name: Armor-weave Jacket

Description: This tunic has been woven from a combination of cotton and Black Pajek silk. This dense silk has given the material a great deal of tensile strength, as well as a resistance to wear and tear. Cut in the modern O’rgimchak style to accentuate the shoulders and narrow the waist of the wearer.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Bonuses: Moderate resistance to slashing and penetrating damage. Minor corrosion resistance.

“Yan, Mate,” Micky called across the tent, “the armor-weave kit is brilliant, but did you have to get it cut like a sports coat? I’m gonna look like a home-brand version of a male model is this get up.”

“It was the only thing in your size, Micky unless you wanted an evening gown,” Yan replied, coming to sit next to Micky.

“I think I could pull that off mate, I’ve definitely got the calves for it”.

“And as an added bonus you’d definitely scare off anything coming to mess with you” Yan shot back.

“But seriously, this stuff is awesome Yan, thanks for setting it all up. I owe you one.”

“Not at all Micky, getting the team kitted out is part of my job. If I get to dress one of them as a boy band singer occasionally, then so much the better. I’m gonna convince Zofia into an armored bikini one of these days.”

“Not in your wildest dreams darling,” Zofia swished past them into the tent and flopped down beside Gwilym. Her tight cinched brown leathers were slightly scuffed and there was dried mud at her elbows and knees.

“Ah, Zofia,” Yan muttered as he climbed out of the cushions and walked over to stand before her, “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“No, you didn’t, I’d say that’s another point for me. I’m what, eight in front now. You’d better up your game or I’m going to simply run away with it.”

“Hey now, that doesn’t count. We weren’t playing” Yan grumbled indignantly.

“Oh now you know better than that honey, we’re always playing.”

“Weird flirting on your own time you lot,” Gwilym interjected, ”we’re in the field now and I expect professionalism.”

“Sure, boss,” the two said in unison.

“Zofia, what are we looking at down there? Is the Xenophon report worth the paper it’s printed on? Or have they half-assed it as usual?”

“I went down through the fissure into the first chamber, the main passage is large enough that we should be able to navigate it easily with the heavy gear. There are smaller side passages, but I haven’t fully mapped them yet."

“Good, what about threats?” Gwilym asked, taking notes as she spoke on a blue crystal slate.

“The temperature is fine, very similar to the outside, so we’re okay on that front. The rock formations seem stable, although we need Tavish to check it out before we start any kind of extraction.”

“Excellent. Great work Zofia. Get some rest, don’t worry about taking a watch rotation tonight. We’ll move in as a group tomorrow morning.”

Micky’s watch turned out to be the hours just before dawn. Standing behind the fence in the gloomy chill, he found himself hyper-aware. Each minor shift in the wind carried the rustling of branches to him, drawing his attention like a hawk. Despite this tension, the watch passed smoothly, and he was relieved by Gwilym bearing a cup of coffee as the sun rose.

“Anything to report byt?”

“All clear here mate.”

“Good stuff, go and get warm, then check your gear. I want you kitted out and ready to go in half an hour.”

Vaixell slung across his back and new spear in hand, Micky was ready to go. Zofia led the team into the fissure, quietly pointing out the loose rocks and other minor hazards. The narrow passage of the tunnel soon opened out into a single enormous cavern, lit from all sides by dimly glowing crystal outcroppings.

“Yan mate, why are those glowing? I kind of expected a cave system to be, you know, dark.”

“The outcroppings are Garim crystal, the same stuff the lights in Baer’s Landing are made from. If we’re lucky there will be a view or two of them in here. We’d make a decent chunk of change from the mineral rights to those.”

Zofia led the group with quiet competence, charting a course across the bare rock of the cavern, towards the distant far wall. The others marched in watchful silence, stoping repeated for Tavish to check the room with a hand-held radar scanner.

“A few faint pings. Looks lik' iron 'n' altazairua mostly. Micht be a bawherr garim, bit na veins yit.”

“Keep looking, the altazairua might be worth a look if the deposits are big enough” Gwilym answered the engineer's implied question.

The group continued its progress towards the far while, making steady progress. Ingunn called them to a halt by raising her fist hand.

“Wait.”

She stepped forward with slow measured strides, coming to a halt before a patch of rock that looked no different to the others. Kneeling down she began to prod at the rock with one of the paired nightsticks that hung at her waist.

To Micky’s shock, the soil fell away under her attention, leaving a gaping tunnel nearly a meter across. Leaning forward to examine the tunnel she ran one baton around the inside of the tunnel. When she pulled it away it brought with it a thick layer of viscous mucus.

“Bobbit Worm slime,” Ingunn grunted, turning to face Gwilym. “Looks like were not alone down here.”