The next morning had me in Scott’s office bright and early.

“Holy shit.” Scott said as he walked in and saw me sitting at his desk. “What the hell, Gavrin? You just can’t barge in here like that.”

“Yeah, you are probably right.” I said. “But I’m here now and I wanted to go over some things before I started doing stuff in town.”

“Like what?” Scott asked.

“Like, what sort of rules do we have for building?” I asked. “I was looking over Schoolville last night and I saw that expansions going on haven’t been that orderly. There is no sewage or water system. There doesn’t seem to be any planning going on where stuff is located.”

Scott sighed. “Yeah, that has been a problem. We’ve been papering over the problems with magic. But I imagine it will only get worse the longer it goes on.”

I nodded, leaning back in Scott’s chair, trying to visualize the chaotic growth of Schoolville in my mind. “Exactly. Magic is great and all, but if we’re relying on it solve every problem, we’re going to hit a wall eventually. We need a more sustainable approach, something that integrates both the magical and the mundane.”

Scott rubbed his temples, clearly feeling the weight of the situation. “I’ve been thinking the same thing, but with everything else goin on; monsters, bandits, just trying to keep everyone safe, there hasn’t been much time to focus on urban planning.”

I leaned forward, my hands clasped together on the desk. “That’s where I come in. I’ve been looking into ways to harmonize our infrastructure with the environment, using the natural resources we have. We’ve got trees with roots that can channel water, plants that can purify air, and even insects that can help manage waste. But it’s going to take a coordinated effort to make it all work.”

Scott raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. “You’re talking about using the dimensional shard, aren’t you? To help with the planning?”

“Probably not in the way that you think.” I answered. “I will use it for planning, but it will mostly be used as a transportation hub and a last redoubt. Mainly, I plan to actually use magic, mostly I want everything to be organized so people aren’t killing my bugs and I want this area to be defensible. When I originally put the walls up, I was thinking roman legion camp. It’s why there are gates in the four cardinal directions.”

Scott sat down across from me, looking thoughtful. “That sounds ambitious. But it could work. We’ve been so focused on immediate survival that we haven’t really thought about the long term. If we’re going to turn Schoolville into a thriving community, we need to start thinking ahead.”

I smiled, feeling a surge of excitement. “Exactly. And with the increase in mana levels, we have to be more careful. The town’s going to keep growing, and we need to be ready for that. But we also need to make sure we’re not disrupting the natural balance. That’s where the shard comes in, I can monitor everything from there and make adjustments as needed.”

Scott leaned back in his chair, nodding slowly. “Alright, Gavrin. You’ve convinced me. But this is going to be a big project. We’re going to need more than just you and me to pull it off.”

I grinned. “I’ve already got some ideas for who we can bring in. You remember those ants that attacked us?” I waited for Scott’s response. “Well, they were being controlled by a thing. Once they were freed, the ants became friendly. There is Queen Seraphina and Regina Apis. I think people will be pleasantly surprised. We aren’t the only thinking beings on this rock anymore. Learning to work together will be good for people.”

Scott stood up, walking over to the window and looking out at the town. “Alright, let’s do it. We’ll call a meeting with the council, lay out the plan and start getting everyone on the same page. If we’re going to build a future here, we need to start now.”

I stood up, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. “Agreed, let’s get to work.”

As we started drafting the initial plans, a sense of excitement filled the room. This wasn’t just about surviving anymore, it was about building something lasting, something that could stand the test of time. And with the resources at my disposal, I knew we could create a town that not only sustainable but also operate as a beacon of hope in this new, chaotic world.

After spending the morning with Scott, I decided to wander around the town and see what was up. It was pretty cool looking at the village from the mapping device, but it was also nice to view the village from the ground level as it were.

First thing I did was take a walk to the walls. The village was getting crowded and there were people I didn’t recognize. With a quick hop, I flew up to the top of the wall. I looked back down and saw that in the before time, I would never have been able to make that leap.

I saw Derek leaning against the wall, looking out over the forest.

“Ho, D-man.” I called out. “What’s up?”

Derek turned his head slightly, acknowledging me with a brief nod. His usual stoic demeanor was unchanged, though there was a hint of tension in his eyes as he looked out over the dense forest beyond the village walls.

“Gavrin,” he replied, his voice low and gravelly. “Not much. Just keeping watch. You know how it is.”

I strolled over to him, standing next to where he leaned against the wall. The view from up here was serene; endless trees, a quiet breeze, and the occasional sound of birds chirping. But the peace felt deceptive, like the calm before a storm.

“Crowded down there, huh?” I remarked, glancing back at the village below. “Lots of new faces.”

“Yeah.” Derek grunted. “Too many for my taste. Some of them are from Havensrest, others just passing through. It’s hard to tell who’s here to help and who’s here for trouble.”

I nodded, understanding his concern. The influx of people into Schoolville had its pros and cons. More hands to build and defend, but also more mouths to feed, more opportunities for conflict. And with the recent rise in mana levels and the appearance of bandits, Derek’s job of keeping watch was more important than ever.

“See anything suspicious lately?” I asked, following his gaze into the forest.

“Couple of figures lurking in the tree line earlier,” Derek replied, his tone tight. “They disappeared before I could get a good look, but I’m betting it’s those bandits again. They’ve been testing the perimeter, seeing where we're weak."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

I paused and focused my thoughts towards Fernando. “Yo, Ferngully, you see these bandits he was talking about it?” I thought towards Fernando.”

“That’s a negative, boss.” Fernando thought back at me. “Sorry, I didn’t notice near where you at.”

I nodded my head. “Aight. Thanks for the heads up, Derek. I’ll go check it out.”

I turned towards the forest and prepared to head out. I said out loud. “Fernando, send me one of your bodies. Thor, get out here and do some sniffing. But stay in stealth. Loki, you take some bees and standby as our fast reaction force. Let’s see if we can flush something out.”

I waited until I heard an affirmative response and them leapt from the wall. I had no intention of being quiet. I was going to make noise and draw stuff towards me and then have my buddies light them up.

But first I had to find them. I landed lightly in the underbrush, my feet barely making a sound as I surveyed the dense forest ahead. The cool air smelled of pine and damp earth, but something else lingered beneath the fresh scent; something off, a faint whiff of sweat and leather.

“Thor,” I muttered, my voice low but carrying easily through our bond. “Start sniffing. See what you can find.”

I felt Thor’s presence as he moved stealthily through the trees, his keen nose already picking up scents. His excitement hummed in the back of my mind as he caught a faint trail, though he remained invisible in the shadowed foliage.

“Loki,” I called mentally, “keep your distance but stay close enough to cover me if needed. Do you have those stupid spiders?”

“Yep.” Loki chimed back.

“Are they any good in a fight?” I asked.

“Not really,” She answered, “They are still just babies, but the experience will be good for them.”

“Alright.” I shuddered. I disliked spiders but I was willing to let Loki have this one. “I’ll leave the spider deployment to you. Just be careful with them.”

I thought towards the bees flying overhead. “You have names? What should I call you?”

I heard a buzzing back. They couldn’t talk yet. I shook my head. “Just stay high and follow Loki, if you see her going in, follow her in. Keep an eye and let us know if you see anything.”

I received an affirmative buzz in response.

I moved deliberately, making sure my steps crunched loudly over fallen leaves and twigs. The idea wasn’t subtlety; it was to draw these bandits out, make them think I was an easy mark, a lone traveler foolish enough to wander the woods. All the while, I had my eyes scanning the forest floor for clues. Broken branches, disturbed mosses, footprints. I couldn’t find any.

I channeled some mana towards my eyes and looked at the world with glowing green eyes. Finally, I began to see traces of mana. I could see twists and twirls in the mana of the mosses they had stepped on and used magic to somehow erase their steps.

“Fernando, cycle mana through your eyes.” I told the little fern squirrel sitting on my shoulder.

There was a pause as Fernando struggled to figure it out. Then, “huh, they’re using magic to cover their tracks. I can see it out here.”

“Yeah,” I agreed with him. “Sometimes you just need grunts on the ground. You can’t spend all your time in the shard Fernando.”

It didn’t take long to find traces. A series of faint footprints led deeper into the woods, and something shiny caught my eye. I knelt down, brushing aside some leaves to reveal a discarded arrowhead. Fresh.

“I’ve got something,” I thought towards Fernando. “Let’s see where this leads.”

“On your six, boss.” Fernando’s Bronx inflected thoughts came back to me. “I’ll hang back and let you work, but I’m ready if things get dicey.”

“Just observe and report, little man.” I told the squirrel.

The tracks wound deeper into the forest, becoming clearer the further I went. It seemed the bandits had gotten careless, assuming the thick cover of trees would hide their trail.

Thor, who had been moving ahead of me, suddenly growled softly in my mind. “Scent’s stronger up ahead. They’ve been here recently.”

I paused, my sense going on high alert. The forest had gone unnaturally quiet, the usual bird chatter replaced by a tense stillness.

“Thor, hold position. Loki, keep an eye on our flanks.” I ordered through our bond. “We’re getting close.”

I crouched low, blending into the shadows as I carefully made my way forward. The tracks led to a small clearing, and beyond it, nestled in the trees, I spotted a small, carefully hidden camp. Tents were spread in a rough semicircle around a burned out campfire. And a couple of bandits were lounging near the center, their weapons lazily propped up against the nearby logs.

I counted at least six of them, though there could be more hidden deeper in the camp.

“Found them,” I whispered to Thor and Loki through our bond. “Time to make some noise.”

Thor’s excitement was palpable, his tail wagging in the shadows. “Do I get to bite them now?”

“Soon,” I replied. “Let’s see what they do when I let them know we’re here.”

Taking a deep breath, I stood up, walked boldly into the clearing, and called out, “Well, well, well, what do we have here? A little bandit party out in the woods?”

The bandits jumped to their feet, startled by my sudden appearance. Their hands scrambled for weapons, eyes wide with surprise. One of them, a grizzled man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward, sneering."

"Who the hell are you?"

I smirked, casually crossing my arms, “Just a guy going for a stroll in the woods.”

Before they could react, Thor burst from the shadows, his massive form tackling one of the bandits to the ground with a low growl. The others barely had time to raise their weapons before Loki's ice spiders swarmed in from behind, their cold fangs snapping menacingly as they surrounded the camp.

"Loki," I thought with a grin, "let’s see if these guys are as brave as they pretend to be."

Loki’s voice echoed in my mind, dripping with amusement. "Oh, Gav Gav, this is going to be fun."

The camp descended into chaos as the bandits realized they were hopelessly outnumbered and outmatched. Some tried to flee into the forest, but the bees buzzing overhead quickly zeroed in on them, blocking their escape. Others swung wildly at the spiders, but the creatures were too fast, darting in and out of the shadows with deadly precision.

I stepped forward, summoning a tendril of roots from the ground to snare the scar-faced leader’s legs. "You picked the wrong forest to hide in," I said, my voice cold.

The leader struggled against the roots, his face contorted in rage and fear. "This isn’t over!" he spat.

"Oh, I think it is," I replied calmly.

I nodded to Thor, who had been waiting patiently for my signal. With a low growl, Thor lunged forward, pinning the leader to the ground with his powerful jaws clamped around the man’s arm—just enough to show he wasn’t playing, but not enough to seriously injure.

"Now," I said, crouching down beside the bandit, "let’s have a little chat about why you’ve been causing trouble in my woods."

The bandit gritted his teeth, struggling against the roots and Thor's iron grip. His eyes darted around, looking for an escape, but finding none. I leaned in closer, my tone calm but edged with warning.

"Listen," I said, "I don't have time for games. You’re going to tell me why you and your friends are here, or I’ll let my furry friend here decide what to do next." I gave a nod to Thor, whose growl deepened, his teeth ever so slightly tightening around the bandit's arm.

The bandit winced, sweat beading on his forehead. "Alright, alright!" he spat, clearly weighing his options. "We... we were sent here."

"Sent?" I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "By who?"

He hesitated, eyes flicking nervously toward the forest. "Some guy... calls himself The Shade. We don’t know much about him. Just that he pays well for information on the village. Wanted us to scout it out, see where your weaknesses are. We’re supposed to meet him in a few days."

I frowned, processing this new information. The Shade? I hadn’t heard of anyone like that operating nearby. But the mention of someone orchestrating these attacks piqued my interest.

"Where’s this meeting supposed to happen?" I pressed.

The bandit swallowed hard, clearly unhappy about betraying his employer. But the fear in his eyes was stronger. "At a cave, north of here... past the old stone ruins."

I stood up, motioning for Thor to release his grip. The bandit sighed in relief, cradling his injured arm as Thor stepped back, still growling lowly. I looked down at the man, my expression hard.

"Here’s how this is going to work," I said, "You’re going to lead me to this meeting spot. If you try anything stupid, my friends here won’t hesitate to remind you why that’s a bad idea."

The bandit nodded quickly, scrambling to his feet, his tough-guy façade completely shattered.

"Loki," I thought toward her, "keep an eye on him."

Loki’s voice, laced with playful menace, came through our bond. "Oh, don't worry, Gav Gav. If he steps out of line, my spiders will be more than happy to play with him."

I smirked. "Good. Let’s move out."

As we set off deeper into the forest, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this “Shade” character was only the beginning of something bigger. Whoever he was, he clearly had a plan—and I wasn’t about to let it unfold unchecked.