The liberated kobolds create a device from scraps that null the castle runes' silencing effect. They empower it by using an item in the room that drains mana from a being. Two kobolds volunteer for the process that seems to drain more than just mana from them. Their limp forms fall to the floor with a hard thud. We were all a little slow to catch them.

The kobold priestess completes the design and activates it. A small pulse vibrates from the cube-like gem, and I can feel my mana no longer blocked. I quickly heal Gene and bring her up to speed. The kobolds and the goblins round up the napping bugbears downstairs while we work our way up.

We rush upstairs, meeting the boss and his thugs on the third floor. Gene uses the natural shadows of the room to lock down the death knight. I deflect arrows with my sword, slash the harpy slowed down by her wings, then attack the bull, still reloading his bow.

The boss fight is super disappointing. The bear goes down like a clown in the second round. I thought it would be a better fight. The demons are more like hype units than actual fighters. For one, bulls don't make good archers. Two, wings don't work well in sword fights. Three, nearly dead Gene is a scary thing.

When Gene locks down the boss, she fires two arrows into his helmet slits. The knight falls dead, and his summons vanishes with him. We waste no time taking over the rest of the castle. The guards up top put up no fight, and I bind them all with magical cords. Once bound, I lead them down to the waiting kobolds and goblins and add them to their growing prisoner population.

"Take the prisoners and go," Gene commands in her best kobold accent.

"Doesn't it make more sense to stay in the castle and send a squad for reinforcements?" The priestess questions back.

"Do not question me. I have been given my orders, and you have been given yours." Gene's tone is sharp and commanding. I can fill the weight of her authority and just about jump in line with the goblins.

"Pardon me for my misunderstanding. We will see to it that these prisoners make it to our fortress. Thank you for coming for us."

Still empowered by her false authority, Gene gives a slight nod of acceptance. The priestess gives a few more orders to her kobolds and the goblins. Sil gives us odd looks but eventually follows as the fifty soldiers lead two hundred bugbears back to their base. There's no way they aren't getting overrun before they make it back.

With the castle clear of all hostile forces, we claim our prizes. Armor and weapons from the stripped bugbears are absorbed or pocketed, including the death knight's sword and the pair of matching armor left behind from Day and Night. We feast on the food and store the rest. It is a massive haul. The food here is more abundant than we've scored so far. The armory is razed completely. It holds many things of value that once resided in the lycans' Shadow Lair. Gene is practically in tears when we recover her people's treasures.

Among the precious items in the armory and vaults, one that stands out is a deep blue gem full of power and mana.

"Gene, is this another one of those gems that can open portals?"

"It is! She answers with weary excitement. "The bugbears must have used the prisoners to fill the gem with mana. It would not have been long before it has enough power to open a portal."

"We kind of dodged disaster taking out this castle as soon as we did," I say as I examine the sparkling jewel. "And I thought we were rich with one portal." I toss it up and down, flaunting my excessive wealth.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Gene eyes it with deep thought. "Indeed, this is going to open the door for more opportunities. When they come for a dungeon, we will give them a dungeon." The words cause her eyes to lighten. Feeling more weight to the gem, I stop tossing it around and store it in Gloom.

"Anything else we need from here?" I ask.

"Pretty sure we have cleared everything we want out of here." Because of Gloom, it doesn't look like we looted much. My nearly endless pockets tell a different story. We can feed Gene's people from the bugbear food haul for a few months. Combined with our other scores, we might make it six months. If nothing else, our food is secure for the near future. On top of that, we can equip everyone with all the gear they want and have excess to sell in future markets.

"Is your ritual ready?"

"It should begin in a matter of seconds. We will probably want to be outside for this."

"How intense is the destruction going to be?" Gene's been mysterious about this ritual, and I'm full of curiosity.

"Patience. You'll see."

Together we exit the castle and descend the hill. When we are at the bottom, grinding stone sounds from the hilltop begin echoing off the nearby mountains. The grinding gets louder. Smoke begins to fill the air and spread all around. Shadow-like flames burn from the castle's windows, growing in size until they overtake the castle completely.

Though it is just shadow flames, I can feel the heat emanating from the blaze. The castle grinds and shrinks as it burns from the inside out. The hungry flame continues to burn, claiming stone, earth, and wood within the wall.

The scenery is perfect. The sun is slowly creeping over the mountains giving nice color to the dark flames. The warmth of the blaze removes any chill that might have been present. For a while, we stand and watch the castle burn. A little music is all we're missing at the close of our night, full of aggressive fist-pumping.

"That was a good time," Gene says, breaking the silence.

I smile and agree. "And you doubted the plan, Castle Swingers."

"I didn't doubt. I knew it was a terrible plan."

"The plan was flawless."

"Your plan was to get captured and punch our way out of the mess."

"Beautiful and simple. I think you are upset because of poor execution."

"What do you mean poor execution? I killed the main boss."

"He was a knight. Not even an actual boss."

"He had minions."

"You almost died…"

"Merely a flesh wound. I miscalculated, that is all."

"Thanks for covering for me, by the way. Next time go ahead and shoot the other guy first." I wasn't at risk against the night terrors. I was more than able to club myself out of the mess. I think Gene knew that as well.

"It was the heat of the moment, and I panicked. I know your death isn't a big deal to you. It is still hard for me to watch and experience." Though Gene's smile lingers, her eyes are distant, and she has a bit of jitteriness in her hands that hold her healed stomach wound. And if I'm being more analytical, even her laughter these last couple of nights was mixed with pain.

"Want to talk about it?" I don't know what else to say. All I can do now is offer my support.

"Maybe later. Let me have a moment to process some more." We stand beneath the hill in silence. The sun begins adding its warmth to the crisp mountain air. I don't move or make a sound giving Gene all the time she needs.

"Thank you for letting me fight." She says, finally breaking the silence. Her breathing is less labored. Without another word, she heads north to our rendezvous point with the spiders.

Not quite a win but not exactly a loss either. Bearing the weight of her people, who nearly all died, and being isolated for a hundred years is not something a person easily overcomes. I'm nowhere close to qualified to help Gene with her struggles. I can't even help myself with my own struggles. All I can do is offer to struggle with her through it all.

Gene is already a hundred yards away. I give the hill that once housed the castle one last look and then hurry to catch up to my friend's side. Within the day plan, Pillage, Plunder, 'n Save should come to an end. With that out, we can move on to the next project. Build a Home to House a Dungeon. Or something like that. The plan name is still pending.