Logan’s wear and fatigue from the delve was washed away when he saw their camp. At this point it was almost ready to be called a village. A great wall of thick wooden stakes established a circular perimeter of a hundred and twenty yards. Proper wooden houses were set up in two neat rows in the right side at the entrance. In the middle was the fire, which was lit every evening, and it still called new people to the camp. Especially so, because it seems people arrived in this world at different times.

To the left was another gate in the wooden wall, which led to the pond, where Logan knew they had a pier set with a couple of [Fishermen] working to feed the community. Near the gate, inside were of course the kitchen and the tanners and [Craftsmen] with clay, wood, fiber and bone. The work tables were set up with crude stools next to simple little warehouse buildings.

In the back, to the northern side of their little village was something new. It made Logan’s heart soar and he waved a hand to Kat and Balmer. They would go straight to eat, drink and sleep as was their wont. Logan pushed the want to do so away and went to the farms, his beloved [Spirit Wife] had set up.

Well, calling the setup a farm was an overstatement, but they had two fields [Blessed] and made to [Bloom] by Freya and a young boy of red shock of hair called Joshua. He had a massive crush on Freya and had taken the [Farmer] class purely because of that.

Under their combined care the stalks grew fast. The first field was starting to ready for the first harvest. According to the Faelves they could cycle the crops every two weeks or so.

Freya noticed Logan approach and her content smile spread into an excited grin. Logan came in, grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her in for a kiss, which she eagerly accepted.

After untangling and casting a nod at the sullen Joshua, Logan looked at Freya’s hands. She offered him the abac.

Abac was a plant the Faelves had cultivated since coming to this world. It was a green and smooth heavy vegetable, growing off a yellowish stalk. Weighing two pounds, and resembling a pumpkin in appearance, it was an amazing food source. The inside of it was a starchy, rather dry texture. It had barely any seeds and was soft to cut into, making it ideal to process. They had plans to make flour of it, which in turn could later be baked into breads and other things.

“Thanks?” Logan said, accepting the abac.

“Our first baby,” Freya said and gave him a wink.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Logan said. “How you’ve been?”

“Tired, but safe.”

“That’s as much as we can hope right now.”

“What about you,” Freya asked. “You’ve got a look on your face.”

“No I don’t!” Logan protested.

Freya raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know yet,” Logan said, relenting. “I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Being a leader doesn’t mean you need to shoulder everything alone,” Freya said.

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“Who made you the queen of leadership?”

“I’ve become an expert with my farmhand here,” Freya said haughtily. “So what’s up?”

“We found some new creatures,” Logan said, lowering his voice.

“Levespawn?” Freya asked.

Logan shook his head, looking down. “Not sure. We think they used to be humans.”

Freya’s eyes flashed wide and she waited for more.

“I don’t know enough yet,” Logan said. “They had a bunch of crystals inside of them. Needed to beat them up a bunch before they slowed down.”

“It’s a weird world…”

“Sure is, Frey,” Logan said. “Anyone gone missing?”

“No,” Freya said. “The hunters are still out there, but they left yesterday.”

“I’m not worried about those guys,” Logan said. “They’re tough. It’s the gatherers I'm worried about.”

“What are you going to do next?” Freya asked.

Logan lifted the abac. “Eat, spend time with you, sleep.”

“We can do that,” Freya said and smiled. “And after?”

“I need to make sure everything is working here as it should. Come up with solutions to problems, craft us tools and whatnot.”

“And then you’re going out there again, aren’t you?”

“I have to,” Logan said.

“You should let Kat and Balmer rest.”

Logan sighed. “Fine. I’ll go alone.”

“The hell you will,” Freya snapped and took a step forward. “Just sit down and stay for two seconds. The darkmetal or whatever isn’t going anywhere.”

“The Dorves could—”

“They’ve already taken what they can find. Just. Logan, please stay and rest.”

“I should—”

“You should get to know the people you’re so keen to take care of,” Freya cut in. “There’s like five people who haven’t even met their mysterious leader clad in magical armor.”

“Eh, I guess I’ll go say hi.”

*

After Logan had made nice with a bunch of people while he ate (abac stew with dried fish), he did his best to push sleep aside. It was only afternoon, but after the few days he’d had with Kat and Balmer, it was no wonder they were snoring in one of the houses.

Stifling a yawn, he walked over to Daniel, who was their highest level [Fisherman] and thus the leader of anything related to fishing.

“Freya said you needed me?”

“That I did, if you don’t mind,” Daniel said. He was a heavy set, balding man with a snout for a nose, but very friendly, very humble, in a small country town kind of way.

“What’s on your mind?” Logan asked.

“While it ain’t yet critical, we need to slow down fishing in the pond,”

“You think? We kind of need that fish.”

“Aye, I agree, but trust me on this, chief,” Daniel said. “It's a thing with my class. I can sense how dense the fish population is. It’s been getting thinner these last two weeks.”

“Damn it,” Logan said. “You want to go up the river, don’t you?”

“That I do,” Daniel said. “Is that a problem?”

I don’t know. It might not be, or you might get captured and turn into a blue-veined zombie.

“I think there’s a new threat out there,” Logan finally said. “I don’t know how bad.”

“Well one option is just leaving nets and catics upriver,” Daniel said. “But for that we need boats.”

Daniel wasn’t doing anything to hide his hopeful smile. Logan grinned.

“Is the fish truly even dwindling down in the pond?”

“It is!” Daniel said, a bit outraged. “I wouldn’t lie about this. It’s people’s stomachs we’re talking here, and they’re skinny enough as it is, the lot of them.”

“They are…” Logan agreed. “I think I can sort you guys out with a boat. Nets will save time, right?”

“That they will,” Daniel agreed. “And they can help us keep the excess fish alive and repopulate the pond. I am still wanting that fish farm.”

“You and me both, Daniel,” Logan said. “But one step at a time. Go tell the crafters you need nets and whatever else.”

“You got it, chief.”

Logan did rounds. The claymakers needed a re-enchantment on the heating stone they used to harden the clay in an oven Logan had fashioned. Some of the hunters and fighters had a small pile of broken spears and arrows. Nothing a quick [Repair] spell wouldn’t take care of. Tumor assured that he still had plenty of Numa in the Armor to craft the boats too, but dusk was setting in, and Logan had pushed sleep for long enough.

He went into one of the houses, a little apart from the others, which was just his. Logan had protested the construction of it, but the people had insisted. Well, Logan could only protest so long. He fell on the floor cushioned with [Enchanted] leaves from the jungle. They were extra soft and wouldn’t decay.

Logan fell asleep almost immediately. He only woke up a few hours later to Freya shuffling snugly against his side. It was a peaceful night.