I woke to a thunderous banging on my bedroom door, threw my arm over my eyes, and wished the noise would disappear.

Every muscle in my body ached and I wondered if I would ever get used to this lifestyle. It had been a grueling week since The Shadow's Respite's grand reopening. Each night, I'd stumbled to bed late, exhausted beyond measure, and typically with a few drinks in me to help me sleep, which ironically made my sleep worse. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the night with a racing heart and night sweats, then struggling to go back to sleep for an hour.

What was a full night's sleep like again? I tried to remember, but my memory was foggy, probably because I wasn't getting sleep. It was a vicious damn cycle.

Then there were the dreams. I'd thought they were gone over a month ago, but they had returned with a vengeance. Dark Lord Morthisal and his evil powers. They were always on the outskirts of my dreams. I was like an observer watching as he enslaved lands, decimated people and creatures, and spread his grip across every good thing he could find.

Those eyes. Red. Burning and glowing with hate.

They had been mine, had being the operative word here, folks. I was a perfectly well adjusted man living in the body of a former dark overlord.

I wished there was a way to get rid of his hideous body. As long as I wore The Heart of Shadows, I would remain in a body that looked a lot like mine back on earth and a face that might have been a little more handsome, but underneath it was grotesque and huge and gray. The Varix version of me much nicer hair, for sure. And only a few little scars across my face.

Groaning, I threw an arm over my eyes, shoved the dream memories aside, and yelled, "What?"

"Hey, boss! Sun's high. Thought it best to check yer still kickin'." Lady Churl's voice carried through the door.

I squinted at the sunlight streaming through the window. How long had I slept? "I'm alive," I assured her, then lowered my voice and muttered, "Mostly." Voice rough with sleep, I called, "I'll be up soon." A thought occurred to me. "Is Milo in yet?"

"Nah, that one's been rollin' in later and later. Reckon he’s got a girl,” she replied, and lowered her voice to mutter, "It's spreading."

I sighed. "What about Grondak?"

"Not a peep from 'im, either. Just me down 'ere."

“Are you lonely?”

“Eh. It’s eerie not having at least one other runnin’ around down here. Always feel like them ghosts is watching’ me.”

They are, I didn’t say.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. Here I was, dealing with Milo, who was mostly an adult, and Grondak, a moody and cranky teenage orc. It felt like I was running a tavern and a daycare simultaneously.

"Lady Churl, would you be so kind as to put on some hot water? I need coffee."

"Already ahead of ya, boss. Stove's fired. Reckon water's bubblin' away by now."

"You're a lifesaver," I called out. "I'll be down soon."

"Right, then," she replied. Her footsteps echoed as she retreated down the stairs.

I closed my eyes, intending to rest for just a moment more.

The next thing I knew, I was jolted awake by another round of knocking.

"Eh, boss?"

I shot up, realizing I'd fallen asleep again. “Yes, yes, I'm coming!" I called out, scrambling out of bed.

I kept a basin full of fresh water in the room. Grabbing a cloth from the dresser, I splashed water around and gave myself a quick wash. I splashed water on my face, shivered at the cold touch, and tried to wipe away the accumulated sleep from the night before. It wasn’t a bath, but at least I felt a little cleaner. I dug out some clean clothes and quickly dressed.

The main room of the tavern was empty save for Lady Churl, who was wiping down tables with a rag. She looked up as I entered, a grin playing on her lips. "Mornin', sunshine."

In the daylight, the room looked a little smaller. But all of the upgrades and repairs shone brightly. With the reward money for capturing the dark sorceress Thalindra, I'd been able to replace nine tables, put in nice chairs, have a few corner booths installed, and have the bar top thoroughly sanded down and finished with thick coats of varnish. New barstools lined the bar except for two much older stools that sat off to the side where my erstwhile ghostly companions preferred to sit and hold court. It amounted to them gabbering whenever I wore a ring I had stolen from Morthisal's treasure room. Thankfully, I could banish them from sight by removing the ring.

I sometimes wondered if I should have tried to take more things from the former dark lord who had trapped me here. His hidden room had contained untold treasures, including gems, magical jewelry, powerful staves, and clothes, which I assumed were also enhanced. It had been a relic hunter's dream find.

From what I understood, the room and the rest of Morthisal's fortress had been burned and buried when the armies of Mythralon had won. They had assumed that Morthisal was dead. Little did they know he'd transmigrated to another world. My world, and stolen my body. What a dick.

Now that I had been here for a few months, I never wanted to return to earth. I loved it here. I might be exhausted, but seeing the smiles on my patrons’ faces as they’d found a warm and cozy place like The Shadow's Respite was like nothing I'd experienced on earth.

I made a beeline for the kitchen, grabbed the bag of coffee, put a generous amount in a piece of cheesecloth, hung it over a large mug, and slowly poured hot water over the grounds. I asked, "How long was I out?"

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"Sun's been up for hours," she replied. "Thought you might've gone and died on us."

I took a long sip of coffee, savoring the bitter warmth. "Not dead yet, though I feel like I've been trampled by a herd of orcs riding…what do orcs ride?"

"Each other, if they can. Can't say I've ever seen an orc on horseback."

"I'm surprised they don't have some kind of demonic mount or, I don't know… elephants."

"Elephants’d just trample 'em. As for demons, that's a good way to get burned to the bone. No one wants ta mess with demons."

"So…important safety tip regarding demons. Noted. My feet hurt. And my legs. And my back. And my arms. Has it only been a week since the grand opening?"

"Yeah. You know what I'm gonna say."

"Yeah. We need more help."

The grand reopening had been a roaring success, with patrons from all walks of life flooding in to see the renovated tavern and taste our new menu. The gumbo had been a hit, as had the spicy wings. Even Baron Swiftwood had made an appearance, though he'd looked like he'd swallowed something sour the entire time. He'd made a grand entrance, shaken hands, greeted people, and nodded at me, but his gaze had been like he was staring at a pile of refuse in a back alley. I’d been glad when the jerk had left. He'd probably come here to steal more recipes.

"Any word from our tardy employees?" I asked as I took my coffee over to the cooler, cracked open the door, and chipped off some ice chunks to put in my steaming hot coffee.

Lady Churl shook her head. "Not a peep, boss. That Milo's been draggin' his feet somethin' fierce lately. And don't get me started on the orc boy."

I sighed. Grondak had been a handful since I'd hired him. He was eager to learn but prone to mood swings. "I'll have a talk with both of them when they get in."

"Might wanna start by talkin' ta Urzan about the young one. He can probably smack some sense in ta the young orc," Lady Churl grumbled.

"I'm sure he can, but maybe a more diplomatic approach is needed instead of head-smacking."

Lady Churl said. "Suit yerself, but that one's gonna be trouble."

Just then, the tavern door swung open and Milo stumbled in, looking disheveled and out of breath. "I'm here! I'm here. I'm sorry I'm late!"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Greetings, Milo. Did you have a good night and morning/afternoon?"

Milo grinned. "I did. I had a great night." He trailed off and looked skyward. I knew that look because I frequently had it when I thought about about Seraphina.

"What's her name?"

Milo looked at me. "Huh?"

"Her name. The girl you're seeing?"

"Oh, uh. I don't want to talk about it."

I shrugged lightly. "Okay, Milo. It's okay."

"I should get to the kitchen."

"Thanks, Milo."

I rubbed my temples; the headache was still there. "If Grondak's not here in the next thirty minutes, I'll have to go fetch him myself."

"Don't look like you're in shape to walk out to the orc camp. Maybe I could do it. Reckon I'll stretch my legs."

"Are you sure you don't mind going out into town in the daylight?"

Lady Churl preferred to walk through the town at night when there were fewer people out. We'd made progress regarding the acceptance of the green skins in town, but it was still a peculiar and divisive sight for many of Everspring's citizens to see a goblin walking among them. Until a few months ago, they had been mortal enemies.

"Send Milo," Lady Churl suggested.

"I don't have the energy right now." Milo groaned.

Damn. What had that boy been getting up to at night?

The door swung open again, and I looked up, hoping to see Grondak. Instead, I was greeted by the sight of Seraphina. She wore a loose-fitting, cream-colored tunic with delicate embroidery along the collar and sleeves, paired with deep green trousers. Her hair was tied back in a simple ponytail.

She smiled as she caught my eye, and suddenly all the aches and pains of the past week seemed to melt away.

"Good morning, Varix." She greeted me with a warm smile, then turned to my green friend. "Hey, Lady Churl. How are you both this morning?"

"Been kinda lonely with 'im sleepin' the mornin' away," Lady Churl said.

"Rough night?" Seraphina asked me.

I nodded. "It's been... challenging," I admitted, running a hand through my messy hair. "Running this tavern is much more work than I would have thought. I'm tired and sore, and I haven't been sleeping well. To top it off, I'm fresh out of restoratives."

I gestured to my mug of coffee. "I even chipped ice into my coffee to drink it faster this morning."

Seraphina wrinkled her nose at that.

"What? I've always liked iced coffee."

Seraphina suddenly grinned. "When you put it like that, do you have some cream and sugar, or honey? An iced coffee sounds good. The weather's still heating up out there."

"I should open the windows. Get the air flowing through here. Air it out a little."

"On it, boss," Lady Churl offered.

I led Seraphina into the kitchen to make her an iced coffee. Milo was already hard at work getting the pans ready and making sure all our utensils were clean and prepared for the day ahead. Grondak was working out well enough, but he sometimes cut corners in his rush to finish his day.

We had a large bag of sugar, so I added some while the coffee was still hot, mixed it, poured some fresh cream, and chipped ice off until most of the cup was full.

"Thank you for making me a drink," Seraphina said.

"I'm happy to. This is a little strong, so the ice can help it mellow," I said and poured the coffee in.

The hot liquid hit, crackling and popping ice. I handed her the mug, and she peered inside and sniffed. "Wonderful. It reminds me of the coffee back home," she said and met my eye.

She knew I'd been buying different coffee beans from merchants and experimenting with brews. I was trying to get that strong kick from our old world, without the overly burned flavor of some beans. I'd devise a brew combining three different coffee beans into a rich medium coffee.

She studied me momentarily as she drank her coffee, concern evident in her eyes. "Why don't we step out for a short walk to the herbalist? We can pick up a few restoratives for you."

The idea of fresh air and a chance to stretch my legs was tempting. I glanced over at Lady Churl. "Would you be okay for a few minutes if we stepped out?"

Lady Churl waved a dismissive hand. "Eh, you ain't been here all morning. What's another hour?"

Seraphina put her hand over her mouth to cover her laughter.

Lady Churl paused, then asked, "We doin' gumbo tonight?"

I nodded. "Yeah, we've got a lot of shrimp to unload. About twenty five pounds in the cooler. That's a lot, considering we're only using them in gumbo."

"Might have to start puttin' 'em on skewers over a flame to sell more," Lady Churl suggested.

"Not a bad idea," I mused. "The folks of Everspring are slowly adapting to the idea of appetizers thanks to our chicken wings. Shrimp skewers might be a hit. Or seared in butter and garlic. Throw a pile on a plate with some bread and veggies. We got ourselves a new dinner item."

"Sounds good ta me, boss," Lady Churl said.

A warm hand slipped into mine, and Seraphina tugged me towards the door. "Come on," she said. Let's go get you some restoratives. If you keep planning, we'll never get out of here, and I only allowed myself a short lunch break."

"Busy day, huh?"

"It is, but I always have time for you."

I slammed back the rest of my coffee, put the cup on the counter, and left with Seraphina.