Chaos. I come into the site and it is total freaking chaos. Ty and the graboid are currently fighting Buddy, who is apparently awake and hostile now.

Dave jambs the breaks and puts the car in park. Bolting out of the seat to get a better look at the unfolding fight before I can stop him.

"Dave wait a second" I shout after him futilely

I whisper quietly while I struggle to get the seatbelt off. Of course technology chooses now to act up "Nola, what the hell? You knew we were pulling in"

This wasn't happening literally 30 seconds ago. Don't blame me for this.

She sounded just as stressed as I was.

"What the hell is that?" Dave shouted pointing at either Buddy or the bug. It could be either, or both. Probably both. His eyes were bugging out of his skull.

Got the seatbelt off. I pushed open the door and got out as quickly as I could. But not before Tyler pointed a gun at our new lawyer. Wonderful. Wonderful start to a totally professional relationship.

"Get your hands up and get on your knees" Tyler shouted, with Dave quickly complying.

When Tyler looked from Dave to me, he put together that he messed up.

"Tyler, drop it. Nola, Door. Dave put your hands down and come with me. I think there are some things we need to talk about."

The doors slammed closed behind us eliciting a frightened jump and shrike from Dave. "What is going on? What are you going to do to me?" He asked, hands still raised from his kneeling position.

"Nothing, you're fine. We are all fine. We are gonna deal with Buddy real quick and then I promise I will explain everything."

I jogged over the short distance to my outdoor desk where Buddy and Tyler were waiting. They both looked rough.

"Ty, what happened. Why'd he attack you?" I asked him trying to keep the anger out of my voice.

"You'll need to ask him that boss. I did my best to feed him and water him while you were out but he has been angry since he woke up." Tyler said with a shrug. "It's not like I can ask him, babbling in his gibberish alien language."

Buddy took that momentary break in conversation to speak up "You. Scrod face creature that just came in. How do you speak my language?" He seemed out of breath.

"Yeah, like that gobldeygook he just did. I can't make heads or tails of it. And I know a fair few con langs" Tyler said in response to Buddy. So I guess Nola is only translating for the dungeon master.

"Ty, I can understand him. Nola, can you grow some restraints so we can talk more calmly." The vines started growing around Buddy's arms and waist immediately. Tyler shifted position to let the vines pass him by but didn't get off till he was fully tied down. "You can understand me down there?" I asked Buddy from my position out of reach. Tyler got up and started rubbing his shoulder. He looked like he was a little beat up. "You should go check your head, it looks like you are bleeding" I said to him.

"Not my blood." Tyler said in response.

"Check anyway. For me. I want to talk to Buddy"

"If ya want some time alone just ask. Come on Burt." Tyler reached down and picked up the bug, draping him over his shoulders like the worlds ugliest feather boa. I guess that solves the mystery on who Burt is.

I turned back to our prisoner. He was starring me down. He opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. "Why did you attack Tyler?" I asked

"I will assume that is my jailer? I was attempting to escape him and find something that was stolen from me." He said to me. Does he not recognize me?

"I'll assume the thing you are looking for is a crystal about the size of my thumb?" I asked back

Buddy eyed me up and down, frowning the whole time "What do you know of it?" He started wiggling one of his hands to try and escape his bonds. Not happening. Nola?

Already on it.

Two more vines grew out at Buddy's elbows, synching down and sealing him even further to the ground.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"You don't recognize me at all do you? We met a week ago, you gave me the crystal to protect and passed out. Ringing any bells?" I asked

"I don't ring bells, I am a knight. And no I don't recognize you. All you scrods look the same to me." Rude. But that explains a few things

"Dude we are different colors, even if faces are hard that should be obvious" He didn't look me in the eyes on that one. Fine, moving on.

"We'll circle back to that one. We are trying to help. I kept you safe and worked on healing you basically as soon as you got here. You weren't a prisoner until you started acting like a violent sociopath. You absolutely are now."

"You may want to talk with your jailor about that. I was certainly a prisoner before you arrived"

"I'll talk with him. Later. Now we need to talk about the crystal. I'm not giving it back. She's very happy here." I hope.

Could be better, but I'll take this over Buddy's home.

"She?" Identifying emotion is hard on alien faces, but I would bet anything that was confusion. It certainly sounded like confusion when he asked the question.

"Yes, she. She goes by Nola"

"I've seen plenty of fools name their weapons. I guess it would make sense for you to name one as powerful as this. I can understand your urge to use such a tool for your local squabbles. But this is bigger than those. The weapon must be kept out of the hands of the dark ones." Holy shit, did he just say the dark ones? Like Tyler was talking about? If he and his conspiracy talk turns out to be right I will never recover mentally.

"I am trying to keep out of local squabbles as much as I can. I have mostly been growing Nola so we can face whatever hurt you."

Buddy nodded in appreciation at that. "The things that hurt me are called magni. They aren't the threat so much as an easy tool for the dark ones." He paused, a bit of concern darkening his face. "How have you been growing the c.. Nola...? Ritual? Combat? ....sacrifices?" I bet he's hoping I don't say sacrifices. Its weird how matter absorption didn't come up in the top three.

"I've been feeding her. Food, material, the buildings that used to be on this plot. We've also had a good amount of delvers killing bugs." Buddy turned and looked towards Tyler and 'Burt'.

"How many?" he asked

"Bugs? Thousands. Probably more." I don't think I should tell him the size of our organization just yet.

"Not that. How many of your kin have died to feed the core?" Oh. He's going in a different direction than I was expecting with that

"None as far as I am aware. We try not to put anything too dangerous out there for people." Buddy sighed at that, relaxing in his restraints. "Do you think I'm some sort of monster or something? I helped you after all." I hope I don't give off that vibe.

"Many people... would not be so .. restrained with this kind of power. Worlds can be unmade by would-be dictators. There are legends of people doing evil as soon as they finish learning from and bonding with the crystal. I... There is always a risk I created a monster by handing over the crystal. You refusing to give it back seems like a bad sign when I don't know you"

"Well it's a good thing I skipped the tutorial then" I said jokingly "And lets introduce ourselves then. I'm called Roy. I've been calling you Buddy after... doesn't matter... what's your real name?"

"You skipped the tutorial? How?" Buddy sputtered. "Why? How have you been able to do anything?"

"I didn't skip the whole thing. I got far enough to learn how to make a health potion. That's how you are still alive by the way. I stopped the tutorial so I could heal you."

"Health potion? What are you talking about? You stopped the instruction to help me? I...ugh." He took a deep breath. I bet he's as frustrated by my decision making as my lawyer is. Oh shit. I should check on Dave. "My name is Verdandi Lakedamon, Knight of the Lugaid-Polyxene Custodial order. From the incorporated world of Vahin. I thank you for saving my life. I pledge to you on my honor not to attack you or your jailer Teelahr again."

Nola, how fast can you re restrain him if he's lying?

Very quickly. 3 seconds or less. I will send a message to Burt too. I'll have him stay right below. I'll have to expand the dungeon under you, but I have the extra energy.

Do it

The vines started retracting shortly after. "You are on probation Verdany..Verdandi. Behave yourself of I am tying you back up" Buddy..Verdandi.. Got to his feet slower than he could have, likely to keep a non threatening appearance. He's a bit taller standing up. Probably 6'6" if I were to bet. I was looking up at him. 3 seconds started to feel like a long time to wait for new restraints.

"It's a very impressive growth spell you have there. There's no vines around for you to draw from and you have so much control over them." V seemed impressed by the vines, too bad those were all Nola.

"The vines are all Nola. I just told her to let ya go." I said with a dismissive wave.

Verdandi froze at that. His eyes darted around us looking for something. "We are...within the crystals domain...now?"

"Yes. She's not going to attack unless you do" I said in response. The other dungeon masters must be something else. "Have you ever met other crystal users? What are they doing that has you so scared of me?"

"Many things." He looked around at the walls, back to the flower at the center of the yard. "Your domain stops at the walls yes? The flower holding the core and the strongest challenges for those who can reach it?" He bobs his head appreciatively. "And I have been asleep for only 7 days? An impressive feat. Especially considering your moral stand. I think working together we could possibly stand against the dark ones here. A bit more growth would be ideal, but this is a good start. This is already a larger domain than half the cores on worlds I have visited, albeit much simpler." He said confidently, and with a bit of pride at having picked a capable dungeon master

"You may want to sit down for this next part buddy." I said