I wiped the sweat from my brow as I surveyed the bustling kitchen of The Shadow's Respite. The grand opening was just an hour away. Milo had been running around town for days, spreading the word about our debut. I hoped his efforts–and Everspring's notorious gossip mill–would bring in a crowd tonight.

Our menu was small, but carefully selected and handcrafted based on using the citizens as guinea pigs over the last few weeks. I knew what they liked at the food wagon. I'd prepared a mountain of chicken wings but knew they might be a tough sell. The concept of an appetizer would be new here, so I planned to throw one or two wings on each plate to tempt people to try them.

About two dozen portions of chicken soaked in buttermilk were ready to be fried. Once I'd shown Lady Churl how to grate truffles, she'd taken some time crafting some of the sauces. She had a real knack for it, and she'd created a mild hot sauce that was tangy and sweet with a kiss of garlic and truffle. She had taken the wings to the next level.

A large pot of beef stew simmered on the stove, filled with aromatic spices. I knew my reputation for excellent stew preceded me, and I was sure patrons would ask for it. Certain tavern food items were expected, and I was more than happy to feed patrons good, hot, and cheap food if that was what they were in the mood for.

Piles of sliced onions waited nearby for the hopeful rush of onion burger orders. Lady Churl had refused to chop them with her prized murder-chef-knife, so Milo and I had taken on the task ourselves.

I double-checked our supplies one last time. Clean dishes, silverware, mugs, and cups were stacked neatly and ready for use.

The bar was fully stocked with alcohol, ale, and beer, enough to get most of Everspring seeing double, though I didn't expect anyone to drink themselves into a stupor.

The butterflies in my belly hadn't stopped since a night of fitful sleep. So much had gone right prepping for the grand opening. I worried about all the things that might go wrong. What if there wasn't enough food? What if there wasn’t enough silverware? What if we couldn't keep up with the dirty dishes? What if? What if? What if!

Someone banged on the back door.

"We're not open yet!" I yelled.

"Urzan!" Urzan yelled, because, of course, that's how he announced himself.

I opened the door and found Urzan standing there with a smaller orc with broad shoulders and a jutting lower jaw in tow. His tusks were small, barely peeking over his upper lip. His skin was a lighter shade of green, almost olive, and his eyes held a spark of curiosity that I rarely saw in older orcs.

"Hello, Urzan. How are you, and who is this?"

Urzan put his hand on the smaller orc's shoulder and shoved him forward.

"Son! Name Grondak! Grondak need job! Bored! Urzan weary of Grondak attitude."

"Uh. I'm not sure how to help you here, Urzan. I don't know of any job openings around here?"

"Urzan tired of fight! Want son live less exciting life! Work for living!"

I put my hands on my hips and stared at Grondak. He looked me up and down as well.

I glanced inside toward the kitchen. If business was good, I did have a use for someone, but…

"I do have a position that will open in the future." I scratched my head. "But I don't know if I can afford another employee right now." I looked at the younger orc and said, " Sorry, Grondak, but it's a dishwasher position. It's not as exciting as chasing down bandits."

"Grondak no like rip off head! Maybe he broken orc!"

"Father!" Grondak exclaimed.

"Urzan. You're putting me in a difficult position…"

"What is word! No pay! Learn work! Human have free labor!"

"Apprentice?"

"Okay! Grondak now apprentice to Varix! Learn dish wash!"

Could I afford to feed this kid? He'd probably eat half the kitchen. Still, I had planned to do dishes during our open hours, with Milo rotating in and out as we tried to cover multiple positions. Another set of hands would help us keep up.

I sighed, looking from Urzan to Grondak and back again. The younger orc seemed eager, if a bit nervous, and I could understand Urzan's desire for his son to have a less dangerous life. Against my better judgment, I found myself nodding.

"Alright, Urzan. I'll take Grondak on as an apprentice. But understand, this is a trial run. If he works hard and fits in well, we can discuss making it a permanent position."

Urzan's face split into a wide, tusked grin. He clapped me on the shoulder with enough force to make me stumble. "Good! Varix good man! Urzan thank Varix!"

He turned to Grondak and his expression became stern. He uttered a string of orcish that flew over my head. Grondak replied loudly. I guess they bickered for a minute, then Grondak crossed his arms over his chest and brushed past me into the tavern.

"He will listen! If no listen I will throw him off cliff!"

"Woah, Urzan. No reason for that, sheesh."

Urzan's tusks appeared.

"Oh, humor. Got it," I said, and gave him a final nod of approval. Urzan turned and lumbered away, leaving me with my new apprentice.

"Come on, let's introduce you to the others."

As we entered the kitchen, Lady Churl and Milo looked up from their tasks, their eyes widening at the sight of the young orc trailing behind me.

"Lady Churl, Milo, this is Grondak. He will join us as an apprentice dishwasher," I explained.

Lady Churl raised an eyebrow, as she assessed Grondak from head to toe. "Never thought I'd see the day an orc joined our little crew. I reckon he'll do alright. Welcome aboard, Grondak."

"You've met him before?" I asked Lady Churl.

"Yeah. Reckon I met 'im a couple of times. Seems like a good enough sort."

"If it doesn't work out, Urzan will take him back," I said.

Milo, on the other hand, seemed a bit more apprehensive. He offered a tentative smile, his eyes darting nervously between Grondak and me.

"Hey-uh-hello, Grondak. Nice to meet you," he stammered.

I didn't blame Milo for his concern. He'd been working with Lady Churl for a few weeks, and they had a friendly relationship. Grondak, being a young orc, was still bigger than me and Milo by about half a foot.

"Milo, why don't you show Grondak the ropes? Teach him how we handle the dishes here at The Shadow's Respite?" I suggested, giving Milo an encouraging nod.

Milo swallowed but nodded. "Sure thing, Mr. V. Come on, Grondak. Let's get you started."

As Milo led Grondak over to the sink, I kept an eye on them. Grondak listened intently as Milo explained the process, his brow furrowed in concentration. When Milo handed him a dish to wash, Grondak took it gingerly, as if afraid he might break it. He'd get over that in no time.

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Lady Churl leaned in and asked, "You sure about this boss?

I shrugged. A small smile tugged at my lips. "If Grondak is willing to work hard and learn, I'll give him a try."

I returned to the main room and walked among the tables, touching the tops and chairs and running my hand over the bar. This was it. The day I'd been waiting for.

It was just another hour until we opened to the public. I decided to calm my ass down with a drink. My ring was in my pocket so I wouldn't be interrupted by Lady Ophelia, and Garin. I would apologize to them later. Right now, I needed to concentrate on having a successful opening.

It was time to open up for business. I cracked the front door and looked outside, hoping to see a line of patrons waiting to enter.

No one was there.

Frowning, I went to the back and looked out, noting the food wagon had been buttoned up for a few days. I had to concentrate on the tavern right now. There were no customers there, either.

I went back inside and sipped my Orange Blush, the tangy sweetness helping to calm my nerves.

Minutes passed, and no one entered.

"Where is everyone?" I muttered to myself.

I'd been spreading the word for days. I'd told dozens of merchants about the grand opening and the delicious food we'd be serving. I paced back and forth. Had I made a mistake? Was Everspring going to ignore The Shadow's Respite?

Suddenly, the door opened, and old man Guslan walked in.

Guslan looked around the tavern, and put his hands on his hips. "Kinda quiet, Varix."

I smiled. "Good evening, Guslan. I'm glad you could make it. The doors just opened, so there aren't many patrons yet."

"They'll come. Now, whatcha got to eat?"

“We've got a tasty stew trencher, spicy chicken breast sandwich, onion burgers, and chicken wings."

Guslan's eyebrows shot up. "Chicken wings, you say? Ain't those the things you toss in the trash?"

"I think you'll like them."

Guslan nodded. "If you say so. I'll need a table then. My family will be here soon."

"Your family?" I smiled. At least I'd have one full table tonight.

As he sat down, an older woman walked in with a couple of small kids. The children were bouncing with energy, their voices echoing through the tavern. The woman doted on them, smoothing their hair and straightening their clothes. But as they started to get a bit too rowdy, she ordered them to sit down and stop yelling.

They obeyed, sitting with Guslan and chattering excitedly about the new tavern.

The door opened again. A group of merchants I'd spoken to earlier in the week entered, their eyes looking over the interior.

"Welcome to The Shadow's Respite," I called out, a grin spreading.

The merchants waved. They approached a table, stopping to admire the beautiful bar top before finding seats.

Before I knew it, more people began to trickle in, some alone, others in small groups. I recognized many of them from around Everspring and from their visits to the food wagon.

The tavern slowly filled with the hum of conversation and the clinking of dishes. Milo and Lady Churl stayed busy in the kitchen, switching off duties as they cooked and prepped food. I found Grondak busy cleaning dishes and pots, even though he occasionally grumbled in orcish. I raced in at one point, and pointed out that any time he cleaned cast iron, it needed to be dried immediately. I'd oil them up later, unless Milo beat me to it.

One hour turned into two. Tables filled, even though some looked a bit confused at the setup. At the old tavern, people would have entered, paid, and received a plate to eat somewhere in the tavern.

Now they were seated, and had a small selection of items to choose from.

I mixed drinks, poured beer and ale, brought out the food, and did my best to be a friendly host. I seated people, explained the menu, and took orders. I had to bring Milo out into the main room on more than one occasion to help.

We ran out of chicken wings first. I'd had Milo and Lady Churl placing one on each plate, and me explaining what they were. Some were so impressed they ordered entire plates. They were a hit, and I knew people would be back for them.

The onion burgers ran out next, but that was an inventory problem. Once the buns were gone, I said the item was off the menu.

We'd made a massive pot of stew, which was down to the dregs before the night was out.

All in all, it was a fantastic and exhausting night.

The last patron left, still chattering about how much they had enjoyed the food, and mentioning they'd be back with their friends. I thanked them, closed the door, locked it, and leaned back against the hardwood.

My feet, legs, hands, arms, and back all hurt.

But we'd done it. We'd served almost every scrap of food. I'd collected a nice pile of silver and gold coins. The bookkeeping could wait. Right now, I needed to sit down and take a load off.

A soft knock sounded at the back door.

I perked up, walked over, and opened the door. Seraphina stood there dressed in light gray trousers and a deep blue blouse with lots of ruffles along her neckline and sleeves. She looked stunning. Her violet eyes caught the tavern's light, entrancing me again.

"Hey," I said with a smile.

"Hey, yourself."

Taking Seraphina's hand, I drew her into the tavern and locked the door behind her. She looked beautiful in the cool tavern light. I looked down at my clothes and found I was covered in splattered food and drinks, and I'd sweated through my jerkin. I probably didn't smell great, but Seraphina entered my embrace anyway. We kissed, and then kissed some more.

"I missed you."

"Sorry, I couldn't get here earlier. I had to help a client with a particularly nasty rat infestation. They'd made a home under their house and had burrowed halfway toward another home. I had to walk the path multiple times to find the main lair."

"It's okay. I understand. Your work comes first."

Lady Churl poked her head out, looked around the tavern and scowled.

"Hi, Lady Churl," Seraphina called.

"Great ta see you," she said and waved, then ducked back into the kitchen.

A moment later, Grondak appeared with a crate, Lady Churl behind him. She showed him how to gather up all the leftover dirty plates, mugs, and glasses; then they hustled them into the back.

"What did I just witness?" Seraphina asked me.

I laughed. "That is Urzan's moody teenage son. He's working here now."

"You have got to be kidding me." Seraphina laughed.

"True story. Want a drink?"

"I'd love some kind of wine."

"Plum?"

"Delightful."

We lounged in the back, at one of the newly built booths. Grondak had cleared the tables, and Lady Churl was still in the process of showing him how to clean up. He lumbered around after her like a lost puppy.

"Thank you, Lady Churl," I called to her.

She waved me off. "Reckon he's gotta learn the ropes. Not just the easy stuff in the back."

"An orc busboy." Seraphina shook her head, grinned, and sipped her wine. "You've brought a lot of change to this little town."

"I hope it's for the best."

"It is. This place is already more accepting of the green-skins. It doesn't hurt that they've helped save the town. Now it looks like they might create a more permanent place to stay nearby."

I nodded, still surprised at how quickly that had come together, once I'd put it in Roland's ear that we should get the orcs set up with a small base of operations near Everspring to protect the town and the crossroads.

I looked around the tavern and said, "What have I gotten myself into?"

"You got exactly what you wanted. I'm so happy for you, Varix."

"I'm just happy to be here with you. I've never felt as happy and satisfied with my life as I do now," I told her.

She reached out, grabbed my hand, and held it tightly. "I am so glad you came into my life."

I held her hand and said nothing for a minute or two.

"You need a change of clothes. And a bath."

"Speaking of, I hope Mira enjoyed hers yesterday."

Seraphina leaned back and laughed. "Sorry about that. She was covered in dust, and she'd been on the road for weeks on guard duty. She said she hadn't seen hot water since she left Everspring."

"It's okay. But if I'm going to open up my tub, I feel like I should make a little extra money. Maybe I should hurry and open a couple of the rooms up for travelers."

"You'll need a housekeeper if you keep expanding."

"That's true." I nodded.

Seraphina stood and pulled me to my feet. She smiled and said, "Let's go upstairs. You need to get out of those clothes."

"Couldn't agree more," I said.

As Seraphina and I ascended the stairs, our hands intertwined, I was lost in contemplation. The journey that had brought me here seemed almost unreal—from my mundane life as Vincent losing his crappy job to the dark and terrifying existence as Morthisal and finally to this new identity as Varix. Vel'Naris, the friendly tavern owner. Each step had been filled with danger, uncertainty, and excitement, yet somehow, I'd managed to carve out a life for myself in this world.

"Are you sure it's alright to leave the others to clean up?" Seraphina asked, her voice tinged with amusement.

I shrugged, a grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Sure, why not? I'm the boss, after all."

Her laughter echoed through the stairwell, a sound that never failed to melt my heart. As we reached the top of the stairs, I paused and turned to look back at the tavern below. The sight of it—my tavern—filled me with an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment.

As I stood there, taking it all in, Seraphina pulled me close. Her arms wrapped around me tightly. Our lips met tenderly, and for a moment, the world around us faded away. When we finally broke apart, I was breathless.

Seraphina took my hand once more and led me towards the bathroom. "Let's get you in the tub," she said, her voice playful. "Just, you know, leave the pendant on."

"As you wish, my lady," I replied, and couldn't help but laugh.

I shut and locked the door behind us.