The first stars showed up in the night sky, flickering like someone forgot to pay the electric bill. Lyra bounced up and down, while BloomBounce chirped some upbeat nonsense from her shoulder.
“Bingo bango!” Lyra yelled, arms wide. “Did you see those fields today? BloomBounce magic! We’re gonna have more food than we can even eat soon!”
Darius walked up next, looking like he was attending a funeral. TimberTail, his loyal… co-worker, trotted beside him, its tail swishing with grace.
“The forest gave us plenty,” Darius said. “TimberTail’s work was acceptable.” Yeah, that was Darius’s idea of a compliment. Exciting as dry toast.
Zane showed up, dragging his feet like gravity had it out for him. “Yeah, yeah, magic crops and super squirrels.” He flopped down onto a nearby stump like a sack of potatoes. “Meanwhile, I was stuck in a dirt hole all day with a mole about ready to go on strike.”
Lyra grinned. “Come on, Zane! We’re talking new tools! Imagine bronze plows cutting through dirt like butter. Every farmer in the kingdom would be jealous!”
Zane rolled his eyes. “And who’s making these plows, huh? Last time I checked, ‘miracle worker’ wasn’t in my job description.”
“Bronze tools will help us work faster,” Darius said. “The wood I gathered can be used for handles. We have enough stone to upgrade the forge.”
Zane groaned. “Oh, great. So now I’m a miner, blacksmith, and tonight’s entertainment, huh?”
Lyra clapped her hands. “Ooh, Zane! You could make yourself a bronze pickaxe! Imagine how much faster you could... supervise MiningMole!”
Zane squinted at her. “Why would I want to supervise faster when I could nap faster?”
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“A bronze pickaxe would mean deeper digs,” Darius said calmly. “We need to think about long-term resources.”
Zane let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine, bronze pickaxe it is. But if we’re making fancy tools, I get to pick what we make next.”
Lyra’s eyes lit up. “Perfect! And Darius could use a bronze axe for TimberTail! Double the wood, double the... uh... efficiency!”
Darius nodded like “efficiency” was some kind of magic word. “That would work. Resources matter if we want to fix the village.”
Zane rubbed his chin like he was plotting something big. “Okay, bronze tools for everyone. But hear me out. Don’t we deserve something for ourselves?”
Lyra raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Like a reward?”
Zane leaned in, glancing around like he was about to share the biggest secret ever. “Why don’t we use some of this stuff to build a real house? Forget these sad little tents! I’m talking real walls. A roof that doesn’t leak. Maybe even a door that closes. You know, civilized people stuff.”
Lyra burst into laughter. “Zane, you’re unbelievable! People are living in shacks held together by pure hope, and you want a mansion?”
Darius nodded, obviously agreeing. “The village comes first. Our comfort is less important.”
Zane threw his hands up. “Fine. Village first. Fancy house later. But when it’s our turn, I want a guest room and a pantry full of snacks—”
“And a moat,” Lyra added with a mischievous grin.
“Exactly! A moat!” Zane pointed at her like she was a genius. “To keep out the riffraff. You know how it is.”
Lyra patted his arm, still laughing. “First, the village, Zane. We need more wood, more bronze, more of everything.”
Darius stepped forward like a general giving orders. “Lyra, keep working with the fields and farmers. Zane and I will handle the upgrades.”
“Got it!” Lyra gave a mock salute. “BloomBounce and I will have those crops dancing in no time!”
Zane sighed, but a smile tugged at his lips. “Alright, alright. Let’s get this show on the road. But I’m holding you to that house, Lyra. With a moat.”
“Deal!” Lyra’s eyes sparkled with determination. “We’ll build the best house this village has ever seen. Right after we rebuild the village, of course.”
As the last bit of light faded, moonlight covered their tents. The three of them looked up, ready to take on the world. Or at least fix up a broken village. Who knew? Maybe after the village was fixed, they would have something more to build. A future. Or at the very least, a house with a moat.