Bert sank into the tides of the Waystation with a happy sigh. Collecting supplies and building materials seldom resulted in discovering a new mystery. His morning excursion had yielded more than just the seeds; it had opened up something that his people could solve. Let the rest of them scrub the ruins dry; they had their own mystery!

“Welcome back!” Way Way sounded excited as well.

“Thanks,” Bert said, “We have a bit of building to do, but first… how are those materials we collected?”

“Great, some bizarre things are mixed in with the stone and wood.” Way Way trilled.

“Those massive fan clusters should open up some new building options for us,” Bert agreed. “What about those weird trees, the ones with the silk-like stuff on them?”

“They are what I am most excited about!” Way Way said while feelings of smugness radiated from the mana tides all around Bert, “With enough of them, I think I can make cloth!”

“That would be awesome,” Bert agreed, “Is it strong enough?”

“The actual fronds are almost as strong as steel; that is just hidden by how thin they are.” The voice hesitated, “I will need to find a way to combine the fronds into thread before they can be used.”

“I think I might be able to help there,” Bert said, going on to explain the childhood skill of platting threads together. A favorite of bored kids everywhere, and now, of the Waystation.

By the time he finished explaining how there were ways to add more threads at once and wrapping or spinning thread… Way Way was almost vibrating with excitement.

There was something so comforting about a consciousness the size of a small town becoming enamored with platting threads together that he almost forgot why he was there in the first place.

Still, he could give the Waystation a few minutes to enjoy itself, right?

Almost an hour later, Bert finally brought up the build mode. Way Way was still distracted by their new hobby, but they were literally born to multitask.

Enough time had passed this morning for the teams to have collected their tents and moved in fully to the Waystation. The entire central area was clear of obstructions as Bert set to work. Some bits were easy; They had a set of buildings already planned out, so it was pretty close to the old drag-and-drop of RTS or city-building games at this point.

Starting with a classic, the first building was a small Barn. It had nostalgia value as well as being the best storage option mankind had come up with. Everything after that was simply iterating on the basic design. For this one, Bert added some light crystals and an interior floor and converted the Hayloft into a complete second level.

After a moment’s thought, he added an awning to the front, assuming someone might want to guard the place. Guards always appreciated something to keep the rain off.

His final touch was a central stone platform for people to place their own heating methods on. He wanted the place to be usable after they left, after all.

Bert duplicated the design and then shrank it slightly before adding a steel enclosure with a heavy door. It was not much of a vault, really, but it would do for now. Somewhere to store stuff no one wanted others to touch. He added guard posts, a desk in front of the vault, and the enlarged Hayloft gave a height advantage to guards placed up there.

With both of those placed, about a third of the interior space was taken up already, so he decided to improvise.

Bert built four cabins instead of bunkhouses, which was what was on McRae’s list. Using a steel frame, Bert was able to make the cabins three stories high, and sinking the foundations deep kept the things stable in even the worst storm. The interiors were basic and lacked blankets or cushions; otherwise, they were perfectly functional. A central chimney carried heat through the buildings to ensure everyone would be warm and comfortable.

As a final touch, Bert added a silo-like building, half dug into the ground with a spiral staircase that went around the inside wall and several floors. The below-ground areas were lined with stone and would be cold enough to act as ice and food stores, while the above-ground areas would offer extra storage and space for crafting, you name it.

None of this was instant, of course; it took hours to complete, and Bert was starting to feel the strain.

He was happy with the results, however. The buildings ringed the inside of the Waystation in a circle. The central area was clear and allowed easy movement. In case of rain, he added cobbled paths that all led to a central cobbled circle that would keep the mud at bay if storms hit.

There was more to be done, of course. They hadn’t made any defenses as yet, as the Waystation was the outer wall at this point. It would do for now, however.

Bert was just about to leave the tides when he remembered his promise to the strange plant creatures.

He added a large sign over the gate, warning anyone in the area not to harm the strange trees on pain of expulsion from the Waystation.

With a final goodbye to Way Way, who was still distracted with platting, he rose out of the tides and went to get himself some much-needed dinner.

=============

“I think you broke McRae!” Bell laughed as he entered the Waystationer’s private dining area. Bert had avoided the public areas as, frankly, he was too tired to deal with people right now.

“Sorry I was so long,” Bert smiled back, getting a much-needed hug before he collapsed at the table.

“No problem,” Bell shrugged, “I was entertained watching McRae have several mental breakdowns all in one day.” She clicked her fingers, summoning a plate of steak and vegetables, and plopped it down before him. “Want some tea?”

“Please,” Bert said, with feeling. He watched Bell making the tea by hand, humming happily to herself as she added the herbs and spices to the steaming water. He couldn’t quite believe how well they worked together. They still fought, of course, but something about them just clicked.

It was something he had always wanted, had even thought he had found it a couple of times before… but now he felt it for real. They just worked. Everything felt natural.

He looked away just as she turned, returning his attention to the steak on his plate with relish.

He knew Bell had caught him staring because she was smirking.

“So, what happened to McRae?” Bert asked, changing the subject before she could ask what he was thinking.

“Oh, he is a builder class,” Bell poured the tea. “He was busy telling everyone how long it would take even a Master Builder like him to make a single bunkhouse without help when the Barn popped up out of the ground!”

Bell sat down, chatting away in between sips of tea.

McRae had apparently barely recovered from the first Barn when the second one started to rise. Then, he had completely lost it as the four cabins rose from the ground in stages.

Bell laughed as she recounted McRae storming off, wandering through the Waystation in a daze, only to end up on the farming car, staring in horror as Bernhardt planted himself for a nap.

Apparently, the silo had been the last straw, causing him to throw his hands in the air and retire to his room with a bottle of wine.

Bell giggled as she tried to pour them both some more tea.

He was staring again, he knew.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“What?” Bell asked suspiciously.

“I love you,” Bert said simply. The words just felt natural at that moment, in the warmth of the Waystation, with a full belly and a cup of warm tea in his hands.

He had realized that he could spend eternity in this moment and never want to leave.

“I…” She swallowed hard. “I love you too.”

Bert smiled and went back to his tea, catching tears in Bell’s eyes as she smiled at him.

=============

“What happened?” Bert frowned at the bleeding Sonny, slumped in the corner of the entranceway.

“No idea,” Abby shook her head vaguely. “We were on our way back and found him lying outside the entrance they dug.”

Bert summoned one of his few remaining carcasses and activated Reclaim Flesh.

“Any injuries among your team?” Bert asked as he was already healing someone.

“No, thank you,” Abby said happily. “The Bud Patrol took care of all attacks with remarkable skill. Just as you said they would.”

“Good,” Bert finished healing Sonny, but he still hadn’t woken up.

“Anything I can do?” Lily offered.

“Yeah, can you head into the air and scout for any others? Stay hidden, and if you see anyone come and get us, don’t try and rescue them yourself.” Bert nodded to Lily, and she dashed out the door, leaping into the air and fading from sight.

Bert carried Sonny up to his room, laying him in his bed as Bell brought some water and towels for him.

“What do you think happened?” Abby asked.

“No idea,” Bert said. “We will find out when he wakes up.”

“Should we go search?” Abby asked, somewhat reluctantly.

“No,” Bert shook his head. “It is almost dark, and we have no idea if we will be attacked tonight. Any search will have to wait till morning.” He sighed and pulled the door to Sonny’s room closed. “Are any of his people still in camp?”

“Maybe?” Abby hedged. “I think that Mandy is one of his guildies, but I’m not sure.”

“I’ll check,” Bert nodded, “Any idea where she is?”

“That I can tell you,” Abby said, “She was just going into the Barn when I came in.” She paused before walking away. “How did those buildings get here, by the way?”

“The Waystation made them,” Bert said, not caring to explain,

Abby seemed to sense his attitude and simply walked off, turning onto the stairs to the dining area.

Bert was just exiting the Bear’s Fall, heading for the storage Barn, when he saw Bud and Slothy enter the gate, a line of small creatures following along behind the smiling Sloth Bear.

He blinked, then decided he didn’t have time to figure that out just now. He waved to Bud and Slothy and hurried into the Barn.

“Is there a Mandy in here?” Bert called.

“That’s me!” A cheery voice called from upstairs on the second level. Bert hurried up the ladder, finding a tall woman in simple leather armor. She was bald, which he suspected might be the style in some areas, with green eyes and the kind of small but defined muscles you saw on dancers. Something about her screamed Rogue to Bert.

“Are you with Sonny’s people?” Bert asked.

“I am,” She smiled. “Whatever he’s done, the Guild will pay for it.”

“He’s injured,” Bert said quickly. “I’ve healed him, and he’s sleeping at the moment, but he hasn’t woken since he was found. Do you know how many people he had with him?”

“Seven,” Mandy replied promptly. “A healer, two tanks, a ranger, an archer, and two mages.” Her face was set in a professional calm, but a slight tremble around the eyes showed she cared for Sonny. “Where was he found?”

“Abby Hoffstetter found him outside the entrance to the ruins,” Bert said. “No sign of others, but I have one of my people searching the area, just in case.”

“I should go and check on the others,” She sighed. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“Can it wait till morning?” Bert asked. “These attacks, they come at night, and I would prefer no one was outside the walls till morning.”

“What about the team?” Mandy asked hotly. “Should I just leave them?”

“If they are in the ruins, chances are you won’t get to them in time.” Bert cautioned. “They must be pretty deep in by now. If they aren’t… my people will spot them and bring them home.”

“I don’t like it,” Mandy huffed, her green eyes burning with the frustration she wasn’t allowing herself to show. “But if you promise to bring in anyone they find, I’ll do it.”

“I don’t like it much either,” Bert admitted. “I just don’t see a better way.” He headed back to the ladder. “If you follow me, I’ll take you to Sonny.”

“Thank you,” She nodded stiffly.

The first watch that night was quiet, which just gave Bert more time to worry. There was something here that he didn’t like, and it wasn’t just having to wait till morning to go looking for the Delvers.

Lily hadn’t found so much as a sign of anyone above ground in the last hours before dark, and Sonny was still out cold.

There was no temperature or fever, but it was still worrying.

What the hell had happened in those ruins?

The news Sonny had finally woken reached him just as he was coming off watch.

The man looked like a washed-out dishrag when Bert got to his room. Mandy held him down, arguing as Sonny tried to force himself out of bed.

“We have to go!” Sonny demanded. “They might still be alive!”

“Stop it!” Mandy slapped him. “We can’t go till morning! You know that!”

They turned, seeing Bert in the doorway.

“You said we have to stay here until dawn?” Sonny demanded. “Why?”

“You were found half dead, unconscious, and bleeding,” Bert said soothingly. “The sun was setting, and we could find no sign of anyone else outside the ruins.”

“Then they must still be in there!” Sonny protested.

“I hope so,” Bert nodded. “But there is nothing we can do till morning.”

“You think they might really still be alive?” Sonny asked, collapsing back against the pillows, a light sweat on his brow.

“I don’t know,” Bert admitted. “What happened in there?”

“That is Guild business,” Mandy said coldly. “We keep that information to ourselves.”

“How many other Delver’s Guild are here?” Bert asked.

“None,” Mandy admitted, her lips pulling into a tight line.

“How long until more arrive?” Bert asked, more gently this time.

“I don’t know,” She slumped. “Too long, probably.” She shook her head bitterly, “And the Explorers won’t help us.”

“Then, if you want my help, I need to know what happened,” Bert said, his voice firm. “You’d say the same if the situation was reversed.”

“Fine,” Mandy said bitterly. “But for the record, I don’t like it.”

Bert ignored her, turning to Sonny.

Sonny took a deep breath and started talking.

“We knew it was a weird one when we entered it,” Sonny said with a weak smile. “The roof we punched through led to a storage room of some kind. It was mostly rubbish, but we were hopeful.” He waved his hand, and a lump of metal dropped onto the bed. “Some rare stuff in there.” He handed Mandy the metal, and she whistled.

“This is gold, right?” She asked.

Sonny nodded.

“There is more in there, lots of it. Like we store iron, they store gold.” He winced. “We might have gotten too eager, heading through these weird half-circle hallways and down to the second level. That’s where everything went to shit.”

“Why didn’t you come back?” Mandy asked. “When it got bad?”

“That’s just it,” Sonny said sadly. “We did. Or we tried to. The stairs were blocked, and these things just kept coming for us!” His face darkened. “Our healer tapped out on mana quickly, and we lost a tank. Everyone was fighting like hell as we tried to clear the stairs.” His arm muscles trembled and twitched as he remembered the fight. “We got a small gap, but that was it.” He shrugged. “My swords were broken, so I was sent through to go get help.”

“But they had sent something round behind you?” Bert asked.

“Bingo!” Sonny coughed when he tried to laugh. “Should have seen that coming, but it messed me up good.”

“It’s easy to remember in the quiet,” Bert said, “Not so easy in the middle of a fight.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sonny waved the attempt at comfort away. “The last thing I remember was leaping for the exit. I felt something tear open my leg and back, and… it all goes black.”

“How was the team when you left?” Bert asked. “They sent you for help, so I assume they felt they could hold, at least for a while?”

“Yeah,” Sonny nodded. “They were starting to push ‘em back when I left.” He shook his head, “And you know the worst part?”

“What?” Mandy asked.

“I don’t even know what we were fighting. Some we cut apart easily, others we just hit metal beneath the skin.” Sonny lay back into the bed.

Bert was about to say something, anything, to cheer the man up when a shout from above caught his attention.

“Looks like we have visitors,” Bert sighed and pushed away from the wall he was leaning against. “I’ll go help out; you get some rest.”

Bert was just closing the door to the room when he saw the ghostly form passing through the outer wall. It solidified into a humanoid figure, the head a blank, formless plane of flesh just as his prosthetic finished changing into a crossbow.

Mandy reacted faster, striking at it with a pair of daggers. It shimmered into a ghost each time she struck.

As Bert aimed, it reared back, long, clawed fingers ready to strike.

As the claws scoured against Mandy’s armor, a line of blots impacted the head and chest, pinning the creature to the wall.

It struggled for a second, parts becoming ghostly before breaking apart. Ethereal smoke floated gently through the walls.

Bert stared at the results of his Analyze skill in shock.

Security Drone, Mark Seven

Construct of the Solpara Empire

An iterative drone of the Imperial Security Control.

Flee our lands or die trying; we accept no surrender.

“Solpara Empire?” Bert asked, not really asking anyone in particular.

“Never heard of it,” Mandy shrugged. “Thanks for the save, by the way.”

Bert nodded and ran for the stairs.

“Way Way! These things are vulnerable when they strike, and only then!” He yelled.

“Understood! I will take appropriate measures and let everyone know!”