I had high hopes we would get this place whipped into shape in no time. We had the tools, and we had the talent! That line from Ghostbusters rang in my head, probably thanks to the presence of my ghostly companions.

It might have been an exaggeration, but we most certainly had both tools and talent. My largest were a couple of orcs. They were a lot of help, and they insisted on guarding the place, but a week of repairs, buying furniture, and generally getting the place ready to open had seriously depleted my savings.

I wished I would have taken more gems from Morthisal's stash when I'd had the chance. Maybe Seraphina would have cut me another deal.

Over the next few days, I thought about her a lot. Seraphina's face was breathtaking; her touch made my heart race, and her voice was melodic. She was simply one of the most amazing women I had ever met.

And yet…

I couldn’t risk being with her. It was suicide. I might be able to make it work initially, but I would slip. The Heart of Shadows would come off eventually, and I would be completely exposed. She would curse me, spit at me, and call the guards. I hated to think of Alic coming for me. The look of betrayal. The quick trip to a headless body.

I had no idea what would happen then. Where in the hell would I go?

I’d been put in this body by Morthisal, and I seriously doubted I would return to my old form on Earth. I wasn't even sure if I was still alive on my home world. Morthisal had told me I had not been dying, but it sure as hell had felt like it.

If he was indeed occupying Vince Logan, I wondered how his days were going. Not well, I imagined. The thing was, you couldn't make me go back to my old life for a million dollars. I didn't miss Earth much. There were a few things like microwaves, cell phones, and Ubers, but this new life beat all of those old simple pleasures.

I wanted to stop by Seraphina's shop. See her face and hear her laughter.

I didn’t dare.

Instead, I avoided her and threw myself into the tavern preparations. Under my guidance, the orcs cleared all the old, broken furniture. Caden had created a few chairs, leaving a mess of unusable wood. I saved some of it, but the rest wasn’t worth it and became fuel for the stove.

Churl surprised me with her cleaning skills. She had told me she wasn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty, and she was true to her word. Lady Churl went at sweeping and cleaning with gusto. Soon, we had the entire first floor cleaned up.

Caden stopped by one day with a wonderful gift—a pair of draw knives. He showed me how to use them on the wood floor. The draw knife was a simple device with two handles, and a long blade angled between them. As the name suggests, it was held in both hands and shaved down the wood. He explained that it would typically shave down single pieces of wood, but using it carefully could smooth out the worst of the floor's damage.

He'd also brought a pile of sandstone bricks, which we used to smooth out the rest of the floor. That was how I ended up with a pair of orcs on their hands and knees, sanding down the floor.

Securing new furniture was a challenge. I’d had to make deals, haggle prices, and then figure out how to transport it into the building. Thank God for orc muscle—those guys could lift a heavy oak table like it was nothing. Caden knew a few dealers in Everspring, and helped me secure the pieces at reasonable prices.

I ended up with four mismatched barstools: two with backs, the others with rich red leather over cushioned seats, and three gorgeous new ones. I moved them to the short part of the bar, where customers entering the tavern would see them first.

Doan and Ragna stopped by when they could to lend a hand. Shellen enlisted Caden to help bring over fresh ice blocks for the cooler. She used her contact to get me a deal. I was able to get new blocks delivered every couple of days.

I spent hours in the kitchen scrubbing and preparing for opening day. As I surveyed my handiwork one evening, Caden stopped by.

"Looking good, Varix," he said, nodding approvingly. "Almost ready for the big day, huh?"

"Almost," I agreed. "But I'm missing one crucial thing—alcohol. Can't run a tavern without drinks."

Caden chuckled. "That's for sure. You might need to make a deal with a trader from Stormcrest Bay. The next time one's in the village, seek them out. The supply lines have much improved and trade with Everspring is desirable again, with the bandit's gone."

"That's great news. Are the orcs continuing to offer protection outside of Everspring?"

"They are. I don't know the deal's details, but Baron Swiftwood and Alic worked it out."

"More good news." I clapped Caden across the back.

"Speaking of the Baron. I was thinking of visiting his new tavern. You know, to scope out the competition and maybe get an idea of what to charge for drinks."

Caden raised an eyebrow. "Gutsy move."

"I doubt he hangs out at The Wandering Boar. He's too inflated and self-important to be among the average folks. Still, I must give him points for working with the orcs."

Over the next few days, my experiments with chicken wings started coming along. I had tried a number of spice blends and came up with a simple mixture of garlic, salt, pepper, and a hint of dried red pepper flakes. My attempts at oven baking were a mixed bag. The wings sat and cooked on a flat pan, leaving them in a bath of their drippings. They took on less of a crispy texture and more of a soggy texture.

I needed a wire rack to hold the wings above the pan. The biggest downside to this method was the time it took to bake the chicken wings. Baking took about twenty-five minutes, and no one would wait that long.

The next method was pan-frying in a quarter-inch of oil. More trial and error brought me close to my goal of having them ready in ten minutes, and they were pretty tasty.

Lady Churl wasn't impressed and complained that there wasn't enough meat on the bones, and she was right. This was all about the future sauces and the heat.

More experimentation with sauces turned up a few that were quite good. The first was made by purchasing tomato paste from a vendor who created it from scratch once daily. I was thrilled to find her and immediately bought a few bottles to put to the test.

With vinegar, sugar, salt, dried onion, garlic pieces that I ground into a powder, plus some water, I was getting close to a decent ketchup. More experimentation with peppers resulted in a bright red hot sauce.

I spent days testing different sauces to find the perfect balance of heat and flavor. Lady Churl and Urzan became my unwitting taste testers, their reactions guiding my adjustments.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Too mild," Urzan would grunt, while Lady Churl's eyes would water at the spicier concoctions.

I meticulously recorded every combination in a small notebook, determined to create the perfect hot sauce. After numerous attempts, I finally settled on two versions: a milder sauce with a garlicky kick and a fiery blend that made even Urzan pause.

Proud of my creations, I bottled them up, carefully labeling them "mild" and "hot." The glass containers clinked as I arranged them on a shelf. I couldn't help but proudly stare at them. My sauces weren't as smooth as those mass-produced on Earth. Mine were a little chunkier, thanks to the fresh herbs and spices, and frankly, I preferred them that way.

One afternoon, Doan and Ragna stopped by to check on their investment. I grinned, seeing an opportunity to test my new recipes on a fresh pair of victims.

I ushered them in and was happy to see their expressions as they glanced around the tavern.

The floors were clean, and I'd applied oil to the surface. There were now three tables with chairs at each. It was a far cry from the, frankly, dump I'd walked into over a week ago.

I had found a lovely tapestry in a storage chest that hadn't been attacked by moths and hung it on the wall with the worst wear as a cover. The huge display featured an armed knight making his or her way to a giant castle set atop a mountainside. It looked a lot like an epic fantasy book cover from back home.

I'd picked up a small barrel of spring ale from the man who had brought some to the festival, and we were in talks for more. It would be one of the first drinks I tested. Not the flavor, but its ability to make money. I poured them both a mug and gestured toward the stools. "Have a seat at the bar. I've got something new I'd like you to try."

"Can't say no to that," Doan said.

Urzan and Moktar had headed out to meet with their warband. I think they had grown bored "guarding" the tavern and wanted to get out and stretch their legs, and maybe do a little recreational bandit hunting. Possibly scare up some game and have a feast. Whatever the case, it left me with more food on hand than usual. Also, I spent less time babysitting the orcs, which allowed me to do more cooking.

As Doan and Ragna settled in, I dumped the seasoned wings in egg wash, grabbed a bowl of flour I'd seasoned earlier with my unique spice mix, and tossed a dozen chicken wings in the mixture, coating them evenly.

The kitchen filled with the sizzle of hot oil as I carefully lowered the first batch of wings into the pan. The aroma of frying chicken and spices wafted through the air.

"What is that?" Doan asked enthusiastically.

"You'll see soon enough. Or should I say, you'll taste it soon enough."

"Can't wait," Ragna put in.

"The tavern is coming along nicely," Doan said, leaning on the bar.

Across from him, my three ghostly companions lounged and studied the pair.

"It's nice to have company," Ophelia remarked.

"These are two fine people. I still believe Doan could have easily been a paladin. I sense the goodness in him," Garin said appraisingly.

I flipped the wings, revealing their golden-brown crust. "It's getting there. There's still a lot to do, but we're making progress. I'm going to try something new in the coming days to make a little extra capital: selling burgers and stew outside. I need to find a wagon to set up on."

"Wagons aren't cheap," Doan said.

"I guess there's no rent-a-wagon service," I said with a laugh.

"Sorry? You want to rent a wagon?" Doan called to me.

I poked my head back out. "It was a joke."

"We can find you a wagon if you pay a little silver. Not all can afford them; many aren't being used now that the war's over. I bet we can find you a good deal," Doan said.

"Really? Wow. That would be a huge help."

Ragna asked, "And what about Seraphina? Have you seen her lately?"

I hesitated, focusing on the wings. "Oh, you know, I've been busy here. Haven't had much time for socializing."

Ragna's brow furrowed.

Using a pair of hand-hammered tongs, I fished out the crispy wings. I divided them between two bowls, but left four on a separate plate. I tossed half in the mild sauce and the rest in the hot sauce.

I carried the plates of wings to the bar and set them down in front of Doan and Ragna. The aroma of spices and crispy chicken filled the air.

"Alright, let's start with these," I said, gesturing to the plain wings. I picked one up to demonstrate how to eat it, but immediately tossed it between my hands, cursing under my breath. "Damn, that's hot!"

Doan chuckled. "I think we can figure it out, Varix."

I grinned sheepishly. "Right, of course."

They each grabbed a wing and carefully bit into it. Doan's eyes widened as he chewed. "Mmm, the skin is so crispy! And the flavor... it's different. Good different."

Ragna nodded in agreement. "It's delicious, Varix."

Doan finished his wing and looked at the tiny bones. "The only thing is, it's a lot of work for just a few bites of chicken."

I nodded. "That's a good point, but this will be more about the experience. Let's try the easy ones next."

I placed the bowl of mild wings in front of them. They each took a wing and bit in. Doan and Ragna chewed. Then, they stopped, almost in unison, and looked the little piece of chicken over.

"By the gods!" Ragna exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.

"This is…" Doan didn't finish, grabbed another wing, and ripped the meat off with gusto.

I couldn't help but grin at their reactions. "I take it you like them?"

"I've never tried such a thing," Ragna said with a pleased smile.

"Wait until you taste these," I said, then placed the extra hot wings in front of them. Doan and Ragna dug in, their faces flushing as the heat hit them. Doan pounded his chest, coughing a bit, but he kept eating.

"They will taste better once I start making the dipping sauce. It will help cool the heat. So, give it to me straight," I said, leaning on the bar. "What do you think? Honestly."

"I honestly think this is one of the best things I have ever eaten."

I continued to ask them questions about the level of heat, garlic, and other spices, but they had very little input to add. Doan wondered if the recipe could be extended to larger pieces of chicken.

"Of course. Slap a chicken breast with some pickles, prepare it in a roll, and you, sir, have a good time."

Doan laughed. "I should like to try that, my friend!"

After Doan and Ragna had left, both sporting a little sweat on their foreheads, which I considered a good sign, I looked outside and found it was late afternoon.

Lady Churl and I cleaned up the kitchen, and I went upstairs to change my clothes into something a little more respectable. I had a little pep in my step. Seeing Doan and Ragna's delight upon sampling the chicken wings had put me in an excellent mood.

Reaching my room, I found the water basin and washcloth waiting for me. The cool water was a blessing as I scrubbed the sweat and oil residue from my face and neck.

As I dried off, my eyes fell on the good clothes I'd laid out earlier. I couldn't help but catch my reflection in the mirror. The Heart of Shadows hung around my neck. I longed to take it off, even for a moment, to rid myself of the strange, withering feeling it gave me every time I saw it.

Sighing, I changed into my nicer attire, smoothing the wrinkles and adjusting the collar. It felt good to look presentable, for once.

Heading back downstairs, I found Lady Churl tidying up the bar area. "I'm heading out for reconnaissance at The Wandering Boar," I told her. "Need to check out their menu and pricing."

She nodded, her bright eyes gleaming in the dim light. "Careful out there, boss. Don’t go getting into no trouble."

I chuckled. "Me? Trouble? Never."

With a final wave to Lady Churl, I made my way to the door. I froze as I pulled it open.

There, hand raised as if about to knock, stood Seraphina. Her violet eyes widened in surprise, mirroring my own. Not gonna lie, my heart leaped in my chest at the sight of her. A mix of joy and anxiety washed over me.

"Se… uh… Seraphina," I stammered.

"Good evening, Varix. I haven't heard from you in a few days. I wanted to check in on you and see how the tavern is progressing," she said with a bright smile.

I couldn't help it. I'd tried to put her out of my mind, but here she was, and I was again smitten. That may be the only time I will ever use that word, but it was appropriate for this situation.

"I…uh. I was…Um." I shook my head gently. "Hello. Sorry, I was just about to sample the menu at The Wandering Boar."

She grinned, moved to my side, snaked her arm under mine, and exclaimed, "It's a date!"