"You can either come out of your shadow, or I will drag you out." Lana hates her stern voice. She waits momentarily, sensing the distortion in mana, the extra presence in life. No one is close enough to notice her pressing out her mana. The Shadow Shaman truly wants seclusion. Lana considers giving her more time. They just don't have it. She knows it, and she knows Gene knows it. "We need to finish our talk."

The world blurs for a second. Lana suppresses her instinct to resist, drawing herself into shadow. She will be significantly disadvantaged here. Hopefully, that will put the Matron more at ease.

"Genevieve, I am afraid we are at odds."

"That is putting it gently even for your political tongue."

"You have no reason to fear me."

"I have no reason to trust you. You, above all, hold the most secrets. You have so much to gain from my people and my friend."

"For so many accusations, I assume you talked to the thought thief."

"I do not need any spider to gather my own information." So Nette has kept her promise. Interesting. "Annette is conspiring with you, which makes me hate this situation much more."

"And yet you lead the ceremonies and passing of leadership."

"We need stability just as much as we need security. I would love to tie Drifter to a throne and force him to rule, but I can not do that to my friend. His steward will suffice. And I can not find an issue with putting a family woman in charge of the guild. Her own interests align with mine much more than Bones ever could.

"What can I do to put you at ease?"

"You can leave."

"I can not, and you have to know I am far more valuable to you here than elsewhere."

"Not as long as you veil your powers."

"Even then, I'm leagues above the best sages here. I am the ace up your sleeve. This town, your people will prosper because of me."

"How did that go for Anvil? Last I checked, you were all refugees. Where was your prosperity?

"Look around you and tell me the people of Anvil who followed me are not prospering."

"We do not need you here."

"Why are you so terse around me? I bring no ill will."

"And yet it follows you. It is inside you. I can feel it. I can sense it. And I know you can, too. You carry a plague with you, Princess, and I cannot let you fester here."

"If I go, he's coming with me."

"You threaten to take him away. You think he will ever follow you after that."

"Do you think he will stay when he learns of your actions? Even now, there is discord between you two. I would not even have to tell him. He will figure it out, and he will leave."

"You will bring destruction to our doorstep."

"Now you are the one who needs to open their eyes. You have already fought several battles just for your right to exist. You are living in rubble because destruction has knocked down your door. I carry the very power to burn out any plague that attempts to land here. Even the plague that ices your heart.

"Besides, are we so different, you and I? Death and despair haunt you just as much as they haunt me. My wounds may still be fresh compared to yours, but you are bleeding as much as I am."

"We are nothing alike."

"I know what it is like to have my home razed. I watched my family and friends get slaughtered. I know how it feels to be driven out of your only home and forced to find another. I know how it feels to spend a lifetime hiding, making compromises with people you would rather see in the ground. I feel the pain of loss every day. Like you, I am haunted by memories of what was and thoughts of what could have been and should have been.

"Despite all my losses and heartbreaks, I have held onto the tiniest thread of hope like you." Lana takes a breath to quell her emotions. She tilts her head up slightly to stop tears from dropping. "Now that hope is in my grasp, you want me to sever it? Could you do the same?

"I am not your enemy, Genevieve. I am asking to be your friend. And if that is too much, at least let me with the weight and hurt you carry. Perhaps that will help me with mine.

"You are dangerous, Princess, but not in the way I expected. I am willing to start over if you will let me."

"Absolutely. As you know, I am Sunny…"

The talk with Gene afterward was brilliant. And while she might not say they are completely friends, at least from the lycan's perspective, they are headed in the right direction. They were practically destined to be soul sisters.

Lana steps out of Gene's shadow, feeling lively. Nothing quite excites Lana like intriguing conversations. The more emotion, the better. Right now, she is on top of the world, which is why her next target, the King of Wolvsden, is about to get leveled.

****

Wearing thick tree-like armor, Roxi stands equal to Fury's size. She grapples with the dragon's neck with massive arms, her roots keeping her in place. Despite Roxi's advantageous position, the two fighters are at a standstill. The tree can't get past the dragon's armor and defenses, and the dragon can't escape the tree's hold. The new king watches the fight from the side as he usually does when not on guard duty.

The new king is awkward in every way, from his impractical mana practices to his baggy clothing, lengthy limbs, patchy beard, and low, scratchy voice. Where Lana expects to feel heat and hunger from his fire mana, Colby gives off a secluded and stubborn energy.

"Do not tell me you have also come to mock my new position." Colby, though a bit reserved, is anything but awkward. Though he lacks some social graces like those with higher charisma, his directness is more enduring than off-putting. "Go ahead."

"Your Majesty," Lana says with a bow. "I did not come here to mock. Only to congratulate you."

"I am not sure what is worse. Jokes or sincerity."

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

"And who has been the jester?"

"Well… no one that I know of. I can read their thoughts, though."

"You are a mind reader now, too?"

"No, not that. I could have been. But I thought that was too dangerous. I mean, I can tell what everyone is thinking. Their thoughts are no different from my own. It does not matter. I will be relieved of duty when Jim returns, and this farce can end."

"You think he is going to absolve you?"

"Surely, he will not leave me as king." Lana raises her brow. The promotion may be an elaborate joke, sure. But she does not see it ending anytime soon. "I am no king."

"Colby, how old are you?"

"thirty-nine this year." Lana suspected he was young, but not that young. The king is practically still a young adult. Even before the dungeon, he had at least two hundred years of healthy living ahead of him if he never raised higher in his cultivation. Considering Colby's talent and drive, he could have easily lived a thousand years.

"How many years have you spent outside of Anvil?"

"Besides adventuring… none."

"Who has lived in Anvil longer?"

"Gavin has made it his home for twenty years now. The Grants moved in when I turned twelve. McGrady not long after them, and then Tracy and Nico after him. Bern has always called Anvil home, but he was in and out so much that I hardly knew him growing up. When Stella moved to town ten years ago, Bern settled down. I suppose the Julliens are also an older family with roots dating back thirty years if we include their extended family. The old guard are going on ten years. Trixie is seven, and Becky is five. The rest average five to fifteen years.

"Thirty-nine years, Colby. You lived in Anvil for thirty-nine years. Who knows your people better than you?"

"Other than you…" Colby pauses in thought. "No one." His awareness is impressive.

"Your Majesty, not only do you know the people from Anvil the best, but the people of Anvil know and trust you. They know you are careful and considerate. They know you take pride in your home and your friends, and they know you more than they have the capacity to adapt to this new home."

"That is an unjustified claim."

"What is that spider's name over there prepping the grounds outside the Guild Hall?"

"Lacy. She is still trying to decide her class and mana."

"And who is the demon assisting with runes work on the walls."

"That is Glimmer."

"What squad is Jud in?"

"Itko's… I believe." Colby feints doubt. They both know he is correct. The king is a people person, not because he thrives on social interaction. Colby just loves people.

"You do not have to be a mighty dragon or a golden tree to be a king. You do not have to be like the king in hiding, the emperor of Lackia. Serve the people and depend on others for help... just be yourself, and you will rule graciously."

"So this is not an elaborate joke?"

"I would not count on it."

"Very well then. Thank you, Lana. I am glad you are with us."

"Of course, your Majesty. You can rely on me for anything." She bows her head respectively and departs.

****

Lana didn't have to go far to find her next social interaction. She barely has to leave the training grounds, in fact. Stumbling around the parameters of the glass dome is a lost-looking woman who is out of her depths. Seeing Emma so shaken is not out of the ordinary. Between raising her three kids and running the armory business, the young warrior and her husband were the busiest family in Anvil. The Julliens were maybe a close second.

The main difference between the Grants and the Juiliens — well, one of the main differences — is their work demands. Jenna and James come from wealth, and the Julien family still holds a seat on the Empire's council. Where the Juliens could spare taking days or weeks off of work, the Grants worked in their shop daily, even bringing in their kids to help.

Both families were equally happy with their life pursuits and have grown close. In the last couple of years, the Juliens seemed to spend more time in Grant's shop than in their own library. To be fair, not many people came to Anvil in pursuit of knowledge, if they were coming to Anvil at all. The fact that Emma is alone right now without Jenna by her side is actually an oddity.

"Ah, Lana, just who I wanted to see," says Emma. The broad-shouldered woman always wears her bone and steel-plated armor, though the style, variation, and color change daily. In distant coastal towns like Anvil, it was common for most to wear their protective gear daily, especially with the number of wildings and horde invasions it defended against. Their former home was almost as precarious as the Horn.

The Grants could have been well off as Anvil's leading armor supplier, especially considering how much they sold to the town. If people wear armor daily, they will want variations. Emma and Jaken surpassed many on that front. The pairing of death summoning, rune work, and metals is a craft of its own. However, they kept their prices low and continued to supply the town with custom armor. The community, in return, often helped with the kids while the parents were busy at work.

"Good morning, Emma. How are you all handling the changes?" Today, Emma wears a darker shade of red in her armor, most likely forged by her mood. Lana prepared for the worst.

"To be honest, we just miss our kids. The rational thought is to keep them safe and out of the way while we build the town. But they are our kids. They should never be stored away." Lana wholeheartedly agrees with Emma; no one wants to keep the kids away. After yesterday's attack, they were left with no structure. Their food is gone, all but one building is destroyed, and the adults are tied up in repairs.

"I thought a handful of adults returned to the core to be with them, Including your Jaken and James. Is it that bad there?"

"No. Bones has even invested points to make the holding grounds somewhat of a resort. It just feels wrong.

"I agree."

"I do not like Jaken being away either. I have been raised up and stripped of all my support. I am barely treading water as it is. How am I supposed to manage a guild? I do not have the capacity or ability." Emma takes a breath and rests her back on the guildhall behind her. "We thought our armory would thrive here with the expected traveler volume."

"Emma, I will be honest with you." Lana has to adjust her head to match the downcast eyes before her. "You can not manage the guild. As you said, you do not have the capacity, and I agree." She pauses to let the words sink in and then emphasizes the next part: "No one can manage a guild — alone. I suspect you are chosen because you and your family have already come to rely on so many for help."

"That doesn't sound very nice."

"There is nothing wrong with getting help."

"Nothing noble about being a leech on society."

"Do you really feel so parasitic about your relationship with these people? Do you think the Juliens feel this way? What about Trixie and her son, who always have stylish armor to keep them safe?" Lana bit her tongue and held back a sigh. Usually, conversations go exactly as she plans. That is unless she is talking to Emma. Most likely, her years of being married to a gifted socializer have something to do with it.

"The guild is not meant to be run by one person." Lana concedes the casual conversation, cutting to the heart of the matter. "The only way this will be successful is if the master depends on others. Becky and Kaelin are both good starts. I suggest all three of you pick two advisors as well. The more lifting we do together, the less you will do alone. The less likely you and your family are to break. If you manage your affairs right, you can still raise your family, run your armory, and lead the guild.

"One more thing. Everyone admires your family values. Keep those close to heart as you and your council direct the guild."

"I will talk with the King and Matron about bulking up my council." Emma pushes off the guildhall, straightening up. "Selena bless you."

"Selena's blessing, Guild Master." Lana tilts her head in respect before she leaves. "Oh, when you see Jenna again, tell her I still expect to brunch with you both on Thursday. We have so much to talk about!"

"Absolutely!"

Lana continues making her rounds, helping where she can, upgrading buildings, giving out blessings, and making people more comfortable—the typical life of an average cleric. She soaks it all in.

Humans, elves, orcs, lycans, spiders, demons, a dragon, and a goblin now all call Wollvsden home. She can think of nowhere else that has such a diverse mix. There were towns open to wildlings and horde outcasts. That seems to be less and less these days. Here, though, they are welcomed. The city is only in its infancy, and she already loves it.