In the dungeon, Layne waded with all of his might through a river of mud. If he stopped for even a moment, he knew he would be buried and smothered to death. The overbearing heat of the cavern pressed down on him. He had to keep going. If he failed here, he would become one of the terrible core’s puppets. The petrified remains of another fallen human, used to attack the next adventurers trying to defend against the dark one’s wrath.

Then a horde of cockroaches spewed up out of the ground, rising in a tidal wave over the mud, threatening to overwhelm him. Desperately, he held his breath, trying to prevent them from suffocating him by crawling into his mouth and up his nose, as he kept wading through the mud.

How? he thought to himself. How is this happening? The dungeon was changing and adapting even as he faced its challenges. This was not supposed to be. It was against the rules. How was this terrible core manipulating the rules? It would kill him, if he let it. He had to keep fighting. He had to keep fighting to get to the good core. He didn’t know how he knew that there was a good core, or why he had to get to her, but the knowledge was a firm foundation against the horrors this dungeon was wreaking on him.

And then a chasm opened up before him, radiating more stifling heat. It happened so fast that he almost waded right into it. He turned around and started fighting the pull of the mud as it reversed direction, draining down into the abyss. But he wasn’t fast enough. His feet slipped as the temperature of the mud kept rising. The ground kept giving way as the chasm opened wider and though he clawed and grappled he could find no purchase. He was sliding into the burning depths of the abyss. And as he felt himself being pulled over the edge, and as the mud poured over him as he fell into the burning depths, the knowledge that he had failed burned in his heart.

<>

Layne sat up gasping for breath. His room was stifling hot, the heavy curtains trapping the heat of the midday sun. His heart bounced in his chest as he frantically sucked down the stuffy air of his bedroom. Gradually, the reality of his true surroundings reasserted itself in opposition to the nightmarish environment of his dream. Little by little his breathing calmed as he took in the safety of his quarters. What a dream!

Finally, he swung his legs out of bed and walked over to open another window, hoping for any breeze that might be out there to dispel the heaviness in the room. Looking out through the glass, he considered the nightmare.

It wasn’t that surprising. He did spend almost all of the night reading about the horrors of anomalous cores, and what was stated in those texts he could well imagine for himself. Considering this, he juxtaposed what he saw and felt in the stolen core’s dungeon with the horrors he read about. It didn’t sit well with him, but he also knew that one’s own feelings didn’t always match reality.

It did, however, make him realise the importance of retrieving that core. What the thieves that tore it from its ceiling hidey-hole wanted with it was unclear, but he couldn’t allow the risk to the island to go unchallenged. From the long force of old habit he thought about fetching Tamrin, and then stopped himself. Yes, she used to be his dependable teammate. He supposed she still was. But right now their relationship was a bit fraught. He didn’t understand why. Their path was set out so clearly, and yet what was supposed to be a smooth engagement hitched and snagged on the uncomfortable edges of his emotions.

These days, almost any interaction with her inevitably turned into a source of some contention. He sighed. Then gasped.

The brunch! it struck him. By the Gods, the brunch!

<>

With a deep inner satisfaction drawn from the utter beauty of her selection, Tamrin gathered all the pieces together. She had two new corset bustiers in rich colours, set off perfectly against one stylishly flaring skirt with functional high-rising slits and another set of feminine-cut adventuring pants. This she had accessorised with a set of soft, comfortable adventuring gloves, flowing into dual-purposed vambraces, with intriguing detailing flowing up the arms. But, of course, not everything had to be suitable for adventuring. So she also added a heave ornate necklace, which dipped down her decolletage in a very suggestive way, paired with matching jewel embossed earrings, and a hair ornament. Which also doubled as a dagger.

Tamrin liked it. Suggestive, pretty, and functional. Yes, she was very happy with what she had gathered here in the shop. Being a female adventurer had its wardrobe challenges. It wasn’t always possible to keep your feminine style and still be ready for action at a moment’s notice. But, luckily, most of the high-end wardrobe shops on the island understood their clientele in a place where almost all high society personages would have developed some class in addition to their family obligations and pursuits.

Smiling at the collection in her hands, Tamrin walked to the shop clerk’s counter to complete her transaction, waiting patiently as the clerk carefully tabulated her pieces.

“The total comes to 7 895 gold pieces, Lady Highreach,” the girl behind the counter said.

“That’s in order,” Tamrin replied, waiting for the girl to begin boxing her items. Only the girl just stood there, looking at her. Tamrin looked back, raising an eyebrow as she waited. The girl cleared her throat, then said, “Uhm, would that be everything, Lady Highreach?”

“Yes, that is all,” Tamrin said. Nothing happened. “You may box up my purchases now,” Tamrin hinted as the girl still didn’t move.

“Uhh, of course, Lady Highreach,” the girl stammered as she started packing the items. Then she added, “We do accept coin?” her voice rising at the end of the sentence, almost like a suggestion.

Ah, Tamrin realised. That was the problem. This girl was new to shopkeeping.

“Yes, I’m aware,” she addressed the remark. “You may add these items to my family’s account.” and she took the bagged boxes from the clerk and walked out of the store. She guessed good help really was hard to find.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

<>

“What?!” Tamrin raised her voice and then lowered it again as her high-level perception detected several other patrons discreetly tuning in to her conversation with the waitress of the fine-dining establishment. “What do you mean the Highreach account has been suspended?”

The waitress looked at the hostess over by the door for help, who immediately bustled over.

“I do apologise, Lady Highreach,” the hostess intimated, taking the place of the waitress at the table. “We are, unfortunately, unable to accommodate Highreach credit at the moment. Why don’t you follow me to the anteroom, and I’ll explain?”

“No. No explanations necessary,” Tamrin huffed, getting up from her chair and collecting her things. “You’ll be hearing from my father,” she threatened as she stalked out. The state of customer service in High Plantation was absolutely disgraceful.

<>

Lily coughed in the dust on the side of the road, as a carriage thundered past Mistress Cornelia’s wagon where it stood on the side of the road. Was that the Highreach carriage?

Skill increase: Observation +1

It figured. Lady Tamrin was already halfway home while she still struggled to keep one woman focused. The rich really had it all.

“Mistress Cornelia,” Lily called again, gazing at the mistress’s backside where she was crawling along the ground, holding a round glass in front of the magnifying glasses she already had on her face. The result of which was quite terrifying if you looked through both from the other side, as Lily had discovered. “Maybe we should get back on the road? I’m sure there are many herbs to look at around our village too? Agnetha can show you, she knows a lot about herbs…”

“Oh no, dear Lily,” Mistress Cornelia sang out. “Whatever made you think I was looking at herbs? No, here, on these bushes, you can see the peculiar chalkwood trail of the indigenous hillchiladra insect. They are quite numerous in these hills – you can find them on almost all mantleberry shrubs!”

“So, if they’re so numerous, why have we stopped to observe them?” Lily asked in a carefully controlled tone of voice. She had recently learned that if you spoke too sharply at Mistress Cornelia, the mistress tended to get flustered which inevitably led to more delay. Also, the mistress’s eyes would start watering.

“Ah, but how often does one get to appreciate the colours of their dusty trails in nature? Did you know, their trail dust only appears yellow to our human eyes? If you look at it through a magnospectrometre scope, it refracts into filaments of heavenly white and gold.”

“I see, and would that be a magnospectrometre scope?” Lily replied, eyeing the glass in the mistress’s hand.

“What this? No, this is but an ordinary magnifier. Quite utilitarian, I must say,” Mistress Cornelia laughed.

New skill unlocked: Restraint 1/20

“Oh, a new skill!” Mistress Cornelia cried. “How wonderful, congratulations Lily!”

“Why, thank you,” Lily carefully said. Mistress Cornelia can see skills being earned? Was it those glasses she had on her face? She shook her head. One of them had to keep their eye on the prize.

“Shall we, maybe, get back in the wagon and continue our travel?” Lily suggested. “We do want to get to the village meeting on time, don’t we?”

“Yes, of course,” the mistress enthused, as she got up and turned back to the wagon. Then she gasped as she observed yet something new, rotating and stepping off into another direction.

Lily rushed over, grabbing her by the elbow and guiding her back to the wagon. Gently and respectfully, of course. No reason to upset the mistress. She understood why Widow Hari laughed at her while assigning this mission. Only Lily wasn’t finding it that funny at all.

<>

In the mansion’s stables, Layne had just finished saddling his horse. The late afternoon sun had started to set already – he just hoped he would reach Tamrin’s house before the start of supper.

Normally he would send out a servant beforehand to announce his arrival, but he found himself in a particular hurry. There was sweat running down his back that had nothing to do with the island’s humid heat. He was just about to mount the horse, when a little girl ran into the stable, calling “Layne, Layne!”

He paused, putting his raised foot back on the stable’s floor.

“Uh, yes?” he said.

He did not recognise the kid. She certainly wasn’t part of the village, she was much too well dressed. And too clean. Also, the little butterfly clip in her hair was quite unusual. All the same, there was something familiar about her. Something nagging at the edge of his senses.

“You have to come, quick!” she said. “They’re waiting for you!”

Oh no, he thought as he looked at his saddled horse in despair. What did I forget now?

“Are you coming?” the girl pressed in an all too familiar tone for a villager. His father must’ve sent her. That was the only explanation.

“Yes,” he sighed, as he handed the reigns back to a stable boy, and trudged off behind the girl in his riding boots. He dearly hoped whatever his father needed of him would be fast. He had to get himself over to Tamrin to grovel. He had no illusions about what it would take to appease her.

It was a bit hard to keep up with the girl, though. He had never realised little girls could move with such speed. To his surprise, she led him to a clearing past the estate’s little village. And if he was surprised, it was no match for the apparent surprise of the villagers gathered there.

“Ah, good afternoon, young master Layne,” an old woman with a wizened face said as she hobbled over to him, leaning on a cane, while the rest of the gathering stared. “How may we help you?”

“Good afternoon, valued elder,” Layne replied as respectfully as he could. “A little girl fetched me, saying I was needed here.”

“A little girl fetched you,” the ancient one echoed, looking over at another, slightly younger woman. The woman had stark features with hair pulled back severely from her face and into a bun. A little boy stood beside her in a very dignified way, at odds with his age and clothing. The other woman shrugged and then raised her eyes to the heavens while combining her hands in prayer posture. The old one shook her head, looking quite annoyed, and pursed her lips.

“I am so sorry, young master,” she said. “There must have been a mistake. You’re not needed here tonight.” As she finished her sentence a fully loaded wagon rolled into the clearing, steered by … Mistress Cornelia of all people?

“Young master Canewhold,” the mistress called out in delight. “Fancy seeing you here! Did you also come to hear my lecture on anomalous cores?”

What was happening??! Layne thought in consternation.

<>

Down in her core room, Claire sighed in satisfaction. “There we go,” she said. “Carlie did a beautiful job, now just give me a moment to go sit somewhere good where we can listen and see clearly.”

“Who's Carlie?” Rick asked.

“Oh, that’s the name of my avatar,” Claire responded.

“You do know that Carlie is you and it’s you that’s going to sit in a good spot so we can listen in?” Rick questioned playfully. He had gotten used to Claire’s ways and wanted to tease her a little bit in return. Unfortunately, his master didn’t quite understand her. Yet.

“Watch out Rick, your core’s identity is starting to fracture,” the master whispered ominously and quite audibly.

“No, my identity is fine,” Claire stated. “Both Carlie and Claire. And if you want to talk about me, will you please go do it somewhere where I can’t hear you, like a normal being?”

“I don’t like this personality you’ve constructed,” the master rebutted.

“I did not construct it, it is mi … Oh never mind, let’s just stay focused. The village meeting is about to start.”

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