"So, no killing? Like, at all?"

"Right. No killing. How is that hard to understand?" replied Amelia, starting to lose her patience.

"Well, it's just, that's how we've always done it. Are you sure?"

"Yes. Very sure. No killing! No wounding, maiming, injuring. None. Okay?"

The crowd muttered as they looked at each other. Clearly this wasn't a popular sentiment.

"So, do we just tickle 'em? Maybe bring 'em a sandwich? Should we just, I dunno, throw ourselves on their weapons for them?"

Amelia sighed. This wasn't going quite as well as she had pictured it would. She looked at the gathered Elaran's in front of her, all of them unhappy. This was just the first group that had opposed the revolt. They were the ones that mainly occupied the area known as The Halls of Blight. It had taken Nic and Kori several minutes to convince them not to attack Amelia, even after they explained she was the new dungeon master. Getting them to talk had been an even bigger challenge. They weren't used to orders other than 'kill everything', so anything contrary to that was a huge stretch.

"Look, they won't have real weapons, either. Okay? Nobody gets hurt. Well, maybe bruises and such, but not really hurt. No killing on either side!"

"But we're already dead. We don't care what they do. Not like it's gonna get any worse!" This from what she thought of as the zombie contingent. She had been trying to avoid looking at them since the rotting flesh hanging off their bodies was gut-wrenchingly gross. The one who spoke just now was particularly bad since his tongue and cheeks flapped obscenely when he talked.

"Okay. But the rules are the same for you guys, too. You got that? No killing, no injuring."

"What if it's an accident? Workplace accidents happen all the time!" This from one of the minotaurs, his voice deep and booming, echoing through the large hall even though he tried to speak softly. Several of his buddies lowed in agreement, their horned heads bobbing slowly.

"Uh, okay, yeah, accidents happen. But each and every one will be investigated, so we can make sure they never happen again. And anybody found causing accidents will be in big trouble! Do I make myself clear? Big trouble!"

He nodded, looking guilty, as if he had been caught out already.

"What if they, I dunno, wander into the traps? Totally on their own, no pushing or shoving from one of us. Not our fault if that happens." He asked, not meeting her glare.

"We're gonna refit all the traps, make them non-lethal as well. All the spikes are coming out of the pits, and we'll put cushions or beanbags in the bottoms, that sort of thing. So traps won't be a problem. Does that make sense?"

They all nodded, but she could tell most of them weren't convinced. It was a brand-new way of thinking, after all, and it would probably take time for the benefits to really sink in.

"What about us? Can't exactly turn off our aura, you know." asked a spirit, having to yell. There was an assortment of ghosts and shades in the group, but they'd been relegated to the far corner. The dread chill they imparted from their proximity was just about bearable for the living contingent, who tried to keep as far from them as possible.

"Yeah, we talked about that already, remember? No touching! None! And remember the five-foot rule we discussed?"

The spectre nodded bashfully. "Oh, right. But what if they come close? I'm just standing there, you know, moaning and such, and somebody blunders into me, not my fault. What then?"

"No. It's your job to move. Simple as that. If that does happen, we'll assume it's an accident. And what did we just discuss about accidents?"

"Mumble mumble investigate mumble mumble."

"And?" she called. She couldn't quite make out all the words but was getting better at understanding them.

"Mumble big trouble mumble mumble."

"Right. Big trouble! Like, no puddings or alcohol or any treats at all for a long time. Got it?"

The excited murmur got loud as the gathering started talking amongst themselves all at once. Finally, it died down as the minotaur was nudged forward by one of the giants, with several of the undead pointing and gesturing for him to speak.

"Uh, that is, does that mean puddings and alcohol if we aren't in trouble?" He asked hesitatingly, fidgeting with his hands and not quite meeting Amelia's eyes. This was an extremely unnatural stance for the seven-foot-tall, musclebound creature.

"Of course! The brewery is a little behind until Tuuka gets back, but Pint's churning out beer. We could probably bring in some of Bert's booze if you want, it just doesn't last for very long. And honestly, Tuuka's is way better."

"Tuuka's a dweorgar. We're talkin' dwarf beer, here. And brandy!" added Nic, taking a swig from his flask, then holding it up to make his point. The potent boozy fumes that emanated from the skeletal ratman almost overpowered the stench from the more meaty undead.

The minotaur licked its lips unconsciously as it stared at the flask in Nic's hands. He wasn't the only one staring, either.

"And Tyni, the head chef--also dweorgar." He cocked his skull as if emphasizing a broad wink. Since he had no eyelids, an actual wink wasn't something he could do.

Amelia noticed several of the crowd start to drool, in addition to the stares in the direction of the flask Nic had wisely just pocketed.

"Oh, right! Nic's gonna take over the sweet shop. So more of those truffles like we brought, plus cookies, pies, and stuff." They all perked up at that. Most of them still had remnants of the 'peace offering' they'd brought on their mouth, beard, or, in several cases, ectoplasm. "Several of his crew wanted to help with that, so there should be lots of pudding options soon. And on your time off, full access to the stuff in the hollow, until we get amenities set up here that are more convenient. Bathhouse, gym, workshops, pub, that sort of thing."

That elicited more chatter and considerable confusion. Amelia was able to make out the general gist of the conversations, though.

"Time off? You know, when you aren't working? When you go relax, have some fun, that sort of thing? Didn't you get that before?"

None of them answered, too stunned at the mere concept. She looked over at Nic, who just shrugged and shook his head to indicate that they didn't.

"Well, time off is mandatory. We'll set up shifts for manning the dungeon, just so we know we have everything covered, but it's all voluntary. You're the guys that didn't want to give up being down here, but you don't have to live here. We'll make sure there are rooms for everybody, here or there, wherever you want."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"See, didn't I tell you guys? Didn't believe me, didja?" scolded Nic, pointing at the ones who'd been speaking for the group so far.

"Hrrrm. Well, I suppose we can try things your way. For time-off and puddings. And booze!"

"Great! Finally! We still need to work out all the details, so consider yourselves on holiday. Don't everybody crowd the pub at once, or you'll have to deal with Ashlee." Amelia felt some of the stress leave her shoulders. This was a far cry from what she expected to do as a caretaker. At least weeds didn't talk back when you scythed them. Usually. So far.

Now that the 'locals' seemed to be on side they could start work on this area of the dungeon. It was similar to the corridors she'd visited the first time they'd come to Elara, but the stone here looked rotted and pitted like it was older or somehow diseased. She wasn't worried about that--it added to the ambiance, as Pancake would say. What bothered her is all the traps scattered throughout the area. Those would each need to be examined and rendered 'safe', for some values of safe. You could still hurt yourself falling into a big pit of pillows, but hopefully the most they'd see would be bruises and strains. Not that the place needed to be kid-friendly, entirely, although having a junior adventurers section was indeed on her list.

Bill had volunteered to help with the rework, along with Timon and a few of Nic's crew. She trusted the man to have a good judgment on what was reasonable, which was more than she could say for the others. Health and safety certainly seemed like a foreign concept in these parts. With Bill's input, though, she was confident they'd have an exciting, but survivable section of the dungeon they could start working with in no time.

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"That is a lot of gold! All that for one wagon load of ore?"

"Yes, miss. I told you grokzite was valuable. Even just the raw ore. Not many places you can get it, these days." Bellows answered. He was still gazing at the mound of coins he'd dumped out on the table. It was a very large mound.

"Huh. So, what are you guys gonna buy with all that? Goin' on a shopping spree?"

The goblin tore his gaze away from the money and looked at her. "You want us to keep it, then?"

"Absolutely! You guys did all the work. Just be fair on how you divide it up, okay? I don't want any hurt feelings or anything."

"Don't worry, miss, we kept a log of who did what, and when. We'll work out a share system and divvy it up fairly."

Amelia nodded. She had no use for the coins anyways. Trying to spend them in the mortal realm would land her in jail. Besides, anything that Bert couldn't create for her, one of her friends could, so she didn't have the need.

"We'll put aside some for specialist tools and materials the core can't provide. Stuff for Olavi's precision work, things like that." The goblin continued.

Cores had limits to what they produced, and like most things regarding them, the rules were overly complex. It was weird that Bert could produce a fully stocked brewery and liquids lab with no problem, but they'd had to craft their own truffle trays and piping bags for confections. Amelia just put it down to magic and tried not to think about it too much.

"Heading to the Night Market?" She asked. They'd finally discovered that one of Elara's 'fixed' entry points connected to Whimsy since the realms overlapped in a small region. It just so happened that the doorway was pretty close to the market. It was still closed since they weren't ready for visitors to the dungeon yet, but Amelia had set up a temporary one from Alder's clearing to a new portal not far from it. That directly connected Bert to Whimsy, without having to wait for the eventual direct overlap of the two. The planar contortions to make Bert, Elara, and Whimsy all overlap in the same place were mind-bending, but it had worked! That was how they'd delivered the first batch of ore so quickly.

"Yes, miss. We only took part of the payment in coin. We have plenty of gems and other things we can trade there. We thought we'd make it a group outing, take anyone who wanted to go. Did you want to come?"

"Yay! Night Market! Yay!" she squealed, bouncing up and down.

"I'll take that as a yes, miss." The goblin grinned at her excitement, before starting to scoop the pile of coins back into the sack he'd received them in. "I'll go split this into shares and hand them out. Head out tomorrow, after breakfast?"

"Yippee!"

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"Okay, everybody! Remember, we meet at the rainbow fountain when it starts to get dark. If you get lost, just ask someone for directions. Everybody got their shopping buddy?" Amelia looked at the group gathered for the trip to the market. Timon was working his way through the crowd, writing down everyone's name on a clipboard. The goal was not to lose anyone this time, even for a short while. Most of them didn't need a partner, of course, but it made it easier to sell the idea to Amelia. It was the general opinion she was the most at risk of anyone.

"Right! Once you and your partner's names are on the list, go on through! Oh! Don't forget to grab a trading baggy. They don't take gold, remember!" Amelia called as they milled about, clustering around the crocodile man.

There was a table set up right near the portal, piled high with small bags of gems and gewgaws to use for barter. The big bags and crates were the more refined goods, like toys and weapons. Bellows, Olavi, and Scorper were in charge of those since they had the best idea of the value of the goods. There had been a big meeting the previous evening to make a combined shopping list, which the three would try to complete. The rest was really for walking around money, so to speak.

She watched Fern and Whisper blast through the portal the moment it was opened. No need to guess where they were headed. They'd probably be stuffed silly and complaining within the hour. Following the sprite and wisp were various pairs of people, each dutifully sticking with their partner. Just about everyone in the hollow had been interested in going, including many of the Fur Folk and Elarans. Bill and Sandy had even decided to go, the man partnered with Quiet, Sandy escorted by Miss Ashlee. Pancake and Briar wandered through next, already giggling about something or other.

"Be good for Sandy, Shocky!" Amelia called as the pup bounced along after the shopkeeper. There was a brief silence as the dog whuffed in response.

"Ready, V? Beige? Blue?" She asked. The dwarf teen did a quick pat check of her utilikilt pockets, then nodded. Blue was on Vieno's shoulder, and he nodded yes. Beige was on Amelia's, and the bird took a moment from preening her wing to bob her head in agreement as well. There had been a lengthy argument about who would be watching out for Amelia, but it ended immediately when the birds ambled over and stood next to her, glaring at the others. After what happened the first time she didn't feel like complaining about having the escort. Amelia had explicitly invited them this time, but hadn't expected them to stick so close. She did ask Vieno to join them though, since the two birds weren't exactly stellar conversational partners.

"Right! C'mon, let's shop!!" Amelia said, smoothing back her cloak, then checking the broach and bracelet, as had become her habit. She'd never misplaced them, and didn't intend to, either.

They walked through the doorway that Amelia had set up, and were instantly in the woods in Whimsy, a few minutes walk from the entrance to the Night Market. It was pretty close to where they had camped when they had visited previously.

"So you looking for anything in particular, V? Or just on the prowl for cuties?" Amelia teased as they followed behind the others.

The teen blushed prettily but didn't rise to the bait. "Oh, you know, just planning to browse. I've never been there before, so I thought I'd just see what they have. You?"

"Same. But if you see any eye candy, point 'em out, will you?" Amelia said, doing her best imitation of Briar's eyebrow wiggle. The girl slugged her arm and kept walking.

The portal had been opened just a little ways into the dense woods that bordered the market. They pushed their way through brambles and undergrowth for a few yards, before emerging onto the dirt road they'd take to their destination. Amelia looked back as they followed along the road, noting there was no obvious indicator that the portal was tucked away in the woods there. Mr. Ainsley and Miss Annie, the last pair through, had promised to obliterate any trace of tracks the groups had left behind, as well. Not that it was critical, since Elara and Bert would only let people from the hollow back through. But it didn't hurt to be careful.

They walked along for a few minutes, enjoying the crisp morning air and the slight dampness as the sun was just starting to burn off the morning fog. Amelia started to whistle, joined by both Beige and Blue. It was a beautiful morning to be out for a stroll with friends.

It didn't take long before they passed through the darkly shadowed entry arch, formed by the entwined branches of a pair of moss-covered old trees. Vieno drew in a sudden breath as they stepped through, the transition from peaceful, bucolic woodland to the bustling marketplace surprising her.

"Isn't it great! Look at it all!" Amelia gawked, stopped just inside the entrance. She received a gentle nudge from Mr. G as he came through the archway behind them, using his lone arm to move them and make room for his mother to enter. "Sorry! It's just a bit much, you know! So much to see!"

Amelia and Vieno moved away from the entry, letting the crowd push them along as they gaped at all the stalls and booths. The place was packed, with a panoply of sights, sounds, and smells to entice the senses. Surprisingly, it didn't feel quite so foreign to Amelia this time, having become used to all the odd people and goings-on in the hollow. Especially with the addition of the Elara contingent, she felt she was getting a better handle on dealing with fantastical beings. They were people just like any other, for the most part.

"Hey! Let's go look at that one!" said Vieno, the dwarf pointing at a clothing stall. There were multiple racks of garments, all crowded under the sign 'Everything has Pockets!'. "I'd like a new kilt, and maybe a hoodie with more cargo room!"

"Lead on, girl! I see a cute dress from here, and if it has pockets, it's mine!" Replied Amelia enthusiastically.