Arannet clutched her hands at her chest. Rhen could just see the thoughts of “Oh no, where am I going to sleep?” running behind her eyes. Finally, she looked at him.

“What happened?”

Rhen tried to pout but he just couldn’t hold it anymore and snorted a laugh instead.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, aghast.

“Sorry, it’s been like this a few weeks. I was having fun at your expense. Come on, the inn’s down in the dungeon.”

Arannet froze. “What happened here?”

“Bit of dungeon rivalry. We survived it all right.” He waved her forward.

Her brow furrowed. “You mean to say another dungeon owner did this?”

“Speculation. I can only assume it was sabotage, and I have no real evidence. Haven’t found the Faust family to ask them about it, either—haven’t really been looking… been busy.” Rhen trailed off. Maybe he should go hunt them down.

“Well, we should most certainly discuss that before I leave. We can’t just let this kind of thing happen.”

Rhen shrugged. “I’m sure it happens all the time in farther out clusters where the guild doesn’t have a tower.”

“Well, it shouldn’t!” She stomped her boot defiantly and suddenly Rhen liked her a little more.

Maybe he’d been too harsh to judge her based on her status and profession. Sure, she lived in the city with electricity and running water, but she seemed a good sort, with a heart full of wonder. Maybe it wouldn’t be all that much of a drag to have her around.

He smiled kindly. “Come on. I think there might still be some lukewarm stew at the inn.”

He continued to lead the way for the dainty Arannet, reminding her to watch her step, and lighting up the caverns with his breath. He offered his arm when the way got a bit slippery, and she took with a grateful, “Thanks.”

Rhen and the other delvers were so used to the darkness, it was strange for the dungeon to be so well lit. It was black most of the way down to the control chamber since they’d mined the ever-loving heck out of the upper passages, but once they reached that room, Arannet stopped to gawk.

“What are those?” she pointed to the jellybirds, holding up well up in their little corner of the room that had been shielded with one of Wyland’s machines.

“Monsters we plan on farming. They have an interesting venom in their stringy legs.”

“Monsters?” She asked incredulously. “But they’re so pretty.”

Rhen laughed. “Not all monsters are horrific, just most.”

He moved to the control node and opened it to check on the respawn timers. Just another few hours and the first to die in the gigafish battle would be coming back. Rhen would want to be there for them with the fresh clothes Leslie had prepared in the weeks before. He took a moment to add one more room onto the inn for Arannet.

When he closed the interface and returned to his body, the ground trembled.

“What’s that?” she squeaked in terror, curling in on herself. She was like a little mouse. Hopefully a few weeks with them would toughen her up some so Betty couldn’t push her around anymore.

“I added a room for you. Let’s go.” He nudged her along toward the tunnel to the rainforest chamber.

She gasped in awe at the sight of the inn. Three stories of sparkling rock inset with purple celinom gems, with windows overlooking the rainforest chamber. The light cascaded out over the hall leading down into the chamber, illuminating the crafter’s shop on the right and the kitchen on the left.

Wyland appeared in the doorway. “Gerald?”

“It’s Rhen, Wyland.”

He smacked his forehead playfully. “Oh, yes of course. Welcome back, Rhen. How was the old paperwork farm?”

“Good. I brought back a representative from the D.O.G. This is Arannet. Arannet, Wyland, our very skilled, very expensive crafter of mechanical wonders.” He added the last bit playfully and Wyland laughed.

He stepped up and held his hand out to take Arannet’s. She obliged, and he shook much more gently than Rhen had. “Nice to meet you, dear. Here to help us get this show on the road, or keep the train at the station?”

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“Uhm, I hope to get it on the road. I’m just as interested to see the new realm explored as you are.”

Rhen hummed doubtfully, brow raised. “Anyway, let’s get some food, get you settled. I think there’s some spare bedding materials. No beds yet, unfortunately, but lots of blankets and terrocken pillows.”

“Terrocken?”

“One of the rainforest chamber monsters. Feathers are nice and plush when inactive but activated with a chaos mana syntial and they can deflect even the sharpest blade. Wonderful creatures.”

He picked up a pair of pillows and blankets from Leslie’s shop and headed into the kitchen. The stairs wound tightly up to the rooms on the second floor, where Rhen had added hers. It was barren stone, with a raised platform on the left for her bedding and a single window at the back overlooking the forest.

She was drawn to the window and gazed out with amazement. It was like she’d never seen a dungeon before in her life.

“This is the inn?” she asked.

“Yeah, not much yet. We plan on installing some baths once we can get some gems out of the aquatic chamber, which is where the nexus is. Honestly, I’m not sure how you’re going to inspect it without getting amphibian lung or something. Can you breathe underwater?”

She turned around, frowning. “No. To be frank Mr. Zephitz, this is only my second dungeon assignment. I really can’t believe she gave it to me…” Her excitement elevated, and when she realized, she cleared her throat and started again. “I’m honored to be able to help you through this process, and I’ll do my very best.”

“I’m sure you will.” He set her bedding down on the raised stone. “Okay, want to drop the paperwork in my room?”

Her eyes budged. “We’ll be working in your room?”

Rhen hadn’t thought about it. He considered Jakira and the confusing romantic feelings he had for her. If she had any of those for him, being in his room behind a closed door with another woman, business or not, might feel uncomfortable for her. It might feel uncomfortable for Arannet, too.

“The dining room, then. We’ll carve out a corner.”

She smiled, visibly relaxing.

“Get comfortable, do, uh, whatever it is you do, and meet me down there. I need to be out in the rainforest in thirty minutes though.”

She moved to the corner next to her bed and twisted one of her many enon rings. Out popped her shoes, a briefcase, and a backpack. “Done. What’s in the rainforest in thirty minutes?”

Man, that was a handy ring.

“The others will be respawning at the resurrection node.”

Her brow furrowed. “And you’re going to meet them personally?”

Rhen’s brow furrowed to match hers. “Yes.”

She pursed her lips, apparently nothing else to say on the matter. Rhen turned away from her awkwardly and headed down the stairs. She followed, the clop of her oversized boots a far cry from the little black shoes in her room upstairs.

Patti emerged from the kitchen, a bowl of hot stew in her hands. The round-faced woman grinned brightly. “Deo, you’re back. And with company…” she added with an incredulous glare.

“This is Arannet, the representative from the D.O.G. who’ll survey the find to help validate it. Arannet, Patti is one of our very skilled woodworkers, and apparently accomplished chef now.”

Patti handed him the bowl. “Oh, I just reboiled what Jakira made the other day.”

She gave Arannet’s outstretched hand a finger-tipped shake, as if touching any more of her would be a crime. “Nice to meet you. Let me get another couple’a servings.”

“Likewise.” Arannet looked to Rhen as Patti hurried away into the kitchen and whispered, “Is it safe to eat old food?”

Rhen laughed and rapt his knuckles on his stomach. “Maybe not for you. I’ve got iron in here.”

“You have an iron stomach?”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s an expression. I’ve been eating week-old monster stew all my life. But you’ll probably be fine. Jakira used lots of salt and that should stave off some of the effects that would make you sick. We have just bread and some dried meat if you’d like.”

She shook her head. “Stew is good. I’ll be fine.”

He guided her over to the far corner of the dining room, away from the hearth. He didn’t want any of the paperwork accidentally blowing into it and going up like his town above… which he’d need to start rebuilding, sooner rather than later. The work never stopped.

Patti returned with two more bowls of stew and they ate together. Patti chatted Rhen to death about everything she’d been working on—new chairs for the rooms, laundry baskets, and end tables. Rhen praised her hard work and let her know how much he appreciated it. They finished up and Rhen stood, eager to get to the resurrection node.

“Gil should be back any minute now. Do you want to come help me with them?”

Patti beamed, her eyes watering. “Very much.”

“I’ll stay here and prepare the paperwork,” Arannet said with a nervous smile, apparently writing herself off the retrieval crew.

Rhen dipped his head. “You’ll need to come in at some point to save a profile.”

She nodded. “Yes, soon, but I need to get everything set up now so we can get underway.”

“Call if you need anything and we’ll try to hurry back, but don’t go into the chamber alone, it’s dangerous.”

She bobbed her head again and confirmed.

They collected some of Leslie’s basic garments in the real and actual wheelbarrow Patti had constructed—knowing Rhen was in want of one—and headed into the rainforest chamber. Patti wheeled the gear while Wyland and Rhen played guard. Wyland had yet to do any fighting himself, but Rhen had suspected since he jogged all the way to the dungeon those weeks ago, he was more powerful in his physical skills than he let on.

They had to open a door in the node shield to bring the wheelbarrow through, and then got to work setting out all the garments and blankets for catching the slimy naked bodies from the void. Not a moment after setting everything out, the first rip in the realm opened to the space between.

Pale pink toes emerged and Rhen held the blanket up to catch Olliat, then looked away. She slopped out of the breach and into his arms. He quickly wrapped her and set her on the ground. She coughed up a huge loogie of prenatal slime and spit to clear her mouth.

The next portal opened and black toe with a golden sparkle appeared. Rhen’s heart raced and he left Patti to manage Olliat. He positioned himself under her portal, blanket ready. With a sickening spluuurp she plopped into his arms. Rhen wrapped her gently and knelt on the ground, patting her back and rubbing in circles while she coughed up the fluid.

When she’d cleared her lungs, she looked up at him. “Did we do it?”

Rhen grinned. “We did.”