“What happened to being careful?” Bell yelled at Bert as soon as they came into sight of the Waystation. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking furious as the lights behind her lit her hair with a soft glow.

“Gods, you’re beautiful,” Bert said with a tired smile. He meant it, too. “And we were cautious.”

“Careful doesn’t require using the Fury of the Fae!” Bell snapped, but Bert saw her slightly turning to let the light catch her at a slightly better angle.

He smiled.

“He passed out again!” Wendy said cheerfully.

“What!” Bell’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Get everyone together,” Bert called to her. “We have a thing.”

Bell fumed but did as he asked. A series of highly grumpy Multi-Bells summoned the collected forces of the Waystation to the private area of the Bear’s Fall.

Bert and the others sat in tired silence while the others filed in.

“Where’s Dee?” He frowned. “Has anyone seen her recently?”

“Aye,” Gavin laughed. “If ye want to get her oot the distillery, ye’ll have to set fire to it.” The dwarf looked around and frowned. “Where’s Lily?”

“I’m here!” Her voice called from the corner.

“Why is Lily hiding?” Bell asked sweetly. “Did something happen to her?”

“No!” Everyone yelled at once. They all knew what happened when Bell took that tone.

“Well, yes,” Bert admitted. “Something good.”

“I didn’t want to interrupt,” Lily said quietly. “I’ll show after the discussion.”

“No!” Bert said. “It’s good news. Go ahead, but we have to throw a proper celebration soon.”

“Really?” Lily sounded excited.

“Of course!” Wendy encouraged the little fae.

“If you’re sure,” Lily said bashfully. “I just thought I should wait until I got clothes.”

“Shit,” Bert felt terrible for forgetting. “Good point.”

“Why is Lily naked?” Bell asked with her sweetest tone.

“Wait!” Wendy said. “Way Way can make you something,”

“Everyone close your eyes for a bit, please?” Lily called.

“If anyone looks, they lose their eyes,” Bell added, looking at the orc brothers, who suddenly clamped both hands over their faces.

…

“Ready!” Lily called.

Bert opened his eyes along with the others.

“Pixie!” Bell made a high-pitched squee of joy, and everybody winced.

The next few minutes were all spent congratulating the preening Lily. When everyone had finally finished, they had a small celebration with food and drink. It was nice.

When everyone was just starting to settle again, Bert cleared his throat.

“Okay,” He started. “This is kind of a big one, so everyone pay attention.” His eyes scanned the others, making sure everyone was focused. “That ruin was made by a race of people called the Solpara, and they are to be killed on sight.”

“What?” Bell started, but he held up a hand to ask for quiet.

“Let me explain why,” Bert said. “What do you know of the origin of the Waystations?”

“Nothing,” Bell admitted, “No one does. They just are.” Everyone nodded.

“Everybody is wrong,” Bert stated. “Way Way, I’m sorry, this might be difficult for you to hear… The Waystations were never meant to be as they are.”

Bell actually slapped him.

Hard.

Chaos reigned, and Bert had to shout to be heard.

“Enough!”

A sea of angry and shocked faces stared at him.

“A very long time ago, a creator from outside of everything made an extraordinary seed,” Bert did his best to translate what he had seen and learned. “It was a living building of incredible power, knowledge, and skill. It grew and learned and could provide everything anyone could ever want. In time, a civilization grew up around it. The building gave them everything, and they flourished under its protection.”

“Right,” Bell said. “A Waystation.”

“No,” Bert said. “It was more than even a Waystation.” He felt his shoulders tense as he remembered the scenes. “The people were greedy and wanted more. Their empire needed to expand, and they ended up in a war with the Fae. A war they lost. The First Building saved them, taking them to a new world. They… tore it apart, each taking a piece and scattering it across the continent.”

Everyone was silent now.

“They missed one piece,” Bert went on, “And the creator took it back, duplicated it, and spread the new seeds across the worlds. Those seeds were the first Waystations. The same instincts, the same care, but with a lot of what it was taken away.” His voice cracked, but he went one. “The people used the parts they took to create a great empire. The Solpara Empire. The stolen power was twisted into pieces of technology that they used to make their installations,” He swallowed. “What happened next? I don’t know. Something wiped them out, and they left the ruins behind.”

He placed the small metal orb on the table.

“One of twelve,” Bert said quietly. “That is what it says.”

Bell gasped.

“Twelve pieces were stolen from the Waystation’s original form. I want to get them back.” He swallowed. “The thing, whatever it was that created the original, showed me what happened… and I think it was because they knew I would do anything I could for Way Way.”

“You’re serious,” Scruff said after a moment of silence.

“I am,” Bert confirmed. Bell smiled and took his hand.

“One of twelve,” He said, placing a hand on the orb. “That means there are eleven more of these out there, waiting to be found. I mean to get them and restore the Waystation to what they were meant to be.”

“So what’s the plan?” Scruff asked with a yawn.

“Everybody get some rest,” Bert smiled. “Tomorrow, we start to show this world what the Waystation can really do.”

The others filed out of the room with various shades of wonder and anxiety on their faces. This would not be a small task. Eventually, it was just him and Bell left in the room.

“It’s only a matter of time before people figure out what those orbs are if they haven’t already,” Bell said. “They might not feel like sharing.”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“They don’t have a choice,” Bert said. “Those things belong to Way Way, and we are going to take them… one way or another.”

“Ooooh, I think I like you all dark and broody,” Bell winked.

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

Bert dropped into the enormous Mana Tides of the Waystation, cradling the recovered orb in his hands.

“I can sense it already,” Way Way said with a hint of anxiety.

“That’s good,” Bert said with no small amount of relief. “Because I have absolutely no idea how we integrate this thing back into you.”

“Do you… do you think I’m broken?” Way Way asked with a trembling voice.

“No!” Bert said. “You were born as a Waystation; this is just an upgrade for you.”

“Like leveling?” Way Way said, sounding happier, “Like you do?”

“Pretty much,” Bert smiled. “Any idea how we…” He cut off as the orb left him, floating in a swirl of mana.

“Hmm… It looks like it’s all locked up with these strange runes.” Way Way said as tendrils of mana ran over the surface. “Do we need them?”

“I doubt it,” Bert had spent a lot of time last night thinking about it. “I think they needed it to make it work, but it is part of you, so you shouldn’t need that.”

“Good!” Way Way said. “It’s ugly and feels… wrong.”

The metal peeled away, shredded by angry tendrils of mana. A small pulsing of power burst out of the pierced shell.

Bert let out a yell as the entire world seemed to slam into his eyes in a single second.

“Whoops,” Way Way said, “Hey, this is weird…”

Bert felt like a bubble of mana surrounded him, and the pain ebbed away. He gasped, calming himself.

“Way Way, are you okay?”

“Okay? OKAY?” Way Way squealed in excitement as the mana tides surged and danced. “I’m better than okay! I CAN SEE!” A laugh trilled through the mana surrounding him. “Oh my, I’m gorgeous! I love the metal and wood look! It really suits me. Oooh, are those the trees? I wondered what they looked like when they were still all stood up. Ahh… why is there nothing above me? Is that normal? Why does the… never mind.” Way Way babbled.

“What do you mean by see?” Bert asked. “What can you see?”

“Everything! I can see everything! All light spectrums, all mana types, all the colors, everything.” Way Way stopped. “It’s weird. It’s kind of like how I knew how everything was shaped, and that, but now I can see it… like really see it! Like you see things.” Way Way laughed. “I love it.”

“So where do you see from?” Bert asked. “Do you have eyes now?”

“No, why?” Way Way seemed confused. “I can just see out of everything in my control. Wait, is that not how it always works?”

“No,” Bert laughed, “We see out of our eyes.”

“ONLY?” Way Way sounded horrified. “Oh, you poor things!” There was a pause. “Bert?”

“Yes, Way Way?”

“The other eleven parts… do they do similar things?” Way Way asked.

“I assume so,” Bert shrugged. “They all must add something.”

“I want them!” Way Way trilled. “I want them all!”

“That’s the plan,” Bert smiled.

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

Bert sat and marveled as the bridge of the Waystation came alive around him. The simple panels of black were all shifting as more grew out from the ceiling. Each one flickered and rippled as Way Way did… something.

He was not sure what, as they had asked to make it a surprise. Bert felt his mouth drop open as, one after another, the panels cleared, showing crystal-clear images of areas around the train. The side panels flickered and changed, showing views of the forest and land around the outside, and the left and right front panels shifted and rose, creating a three-dimensional map of the terrain ahead and behind them, respectively.

“BERT!” Bell came screaming down the corridor, pixie wings a blur, “What in all the hells is going on?” She came into the bridge and stopped, staring around in wonder.

“I can see!”

The words scrolled across all the screens in the room simultaneously. Bell hiccuped a couple of times, and then her eyes rolled back. Bert caught her as she fell out of the air.

He laughed. It was the first time he wasn’t the one to faint.

“Don’t let anyone that isn’t one of us see those screens,” Bert said to Way Way, “We don’t want to let them know what the orbs can do.”

“Got it!”

There was more than just the screens that had changed, however. Bert could feel his connection to the Waystation was even stronger than before. It was almost as strong as when he had first connected to them. He could feel everything… everything.

Bert sat down as he became a bit woozy. He took calm, deep, slow breaths and let his mind adjust.

The next few days passed in a blur. Without the constant attacks at night, the camp began to come alive. The Explorers continued to send out search parties and teams to document everything while the Delvers tentatively returned to the ruins. The first team was careful to keep to the first floor, clearing the vines away before making their way through every inch of the complex. The mana waves had done significant damage, and there were new enemies to fight.

There was also loot, so the Delvers were happy.

Each team always brought back a few items, the least valuable of which they turned over to the Waystation in payment for their rooms, food, and so on. It pissed Bert off to no small end, but he kept his mouth shut. At least in front of them.

Bell said they should just start taking what they wanted, but Bert was hesitant. They needed the Guilds to help with finding the other orbs, so he would play nice, at least for now.

They were still taking the piss, though. He wasn’t the only one to notice. Amanda refused to meet his eyes as he walked around, and it would all have come to a head if not for one person.

April of the Messenger’s Guild had not been seen in days. In fact, she had not been seen since he gave her that room with the treadmill.

Another week passed, and just as Bert reached boiling point with the Delver’s Guild, he also ran out of patience and knocked on the door to the treadmill room.

“Come in!” April sounded out of breath but happy.

Bert opened the door and stared, lost for words.

April was running on the treadmill, but it was almost vertical. Only the tips of her feet hit the leather as she sprinted almost straight upward.

“Just a few more seconds!” She called, her eyes feverish with joy. “I’m so close!”

Bert leaned against the wall and waited. A few moments later, a ripple of energy passed over her, and the treadmill slowly dropped down, slowing until a panting April stood on a perfectly flat floor.

“That was the best run of my life!” She laughed, her eyes half-lidded. “Five levels in one run! You just can’t run for that long without stopping anywhere else!”

“When was the last time you ate?” Bert asked, unable to avoid getting swept up in her enthusiasm.

“Uhhh,” She looked lost. “What day is it?”

“Come on,” Bert chuckled. “Let’s get you some food before you drop dead.”

“Sure,” She shrugged and followed him to the restaurant.

“Wait, that’s all they are paying?” April asked as they passed a pair of Delvers offering a few broken weapons, rusted cogs, and a pair of dull iron bars.

“That’s it,” Bert confirmed with a frown. The two men sneered and dumped the rubbish on the counter before heading upstairs.

“Pricks!” April yelled up the stairs after them, and Bert chuckled. “Why are you letting them get away with that?” She asked.

“Honestly,” Bert said. “I’m not sure. I guess it just shows me who I can expect to trust and who will screw me over.”

“Huh,” April said, sitting down with a plate of steak and eggs. “So, who do you trust?”

“Explorers are keeping to their agreement, just,” Bert admitted, “The Delvers are screwing us over right and left, and McRae is still drunk.”

April snorted as she devoured her plate of food in seconds. Bert got her another one before she could ask.

“Sounds right,” She admitted. “The Messenger’s Guild hates running for the Delvers because they always try and squirm out of the deal.” She sighed, “The Explorers are reliable, but they never give more than they agreed to, even if the runner dies on the way,” She shrugged. “The Builders are slow, but they do pay eventually.” April yawned.

“You better head back to your room,” Bert said gently. “Before you fall asleep at the table.”

“Good point,” April admitted. “Thanks for the meal and everything.” She tottered away, yawning hugely.

Bert smiled after her before heading back to the storage carriage, waving to the old gardener pattering back and forth amongst the rows of one of Scruff’s fields.

“Way Way,” Bert called as he finished clearing one of the side rooms of goods. “I’m gonna need a door and my crafting table, please.”

His old crafting table rose from the floor as a steel door swung closed behind him.

“And a light!” Bert asked as he stumbled around in the dark, glad no one had seen that. Soft light suffused the room.

He unclipped his shoulder pads, setting them on the table and summoning the toolkit they contained. The soft blue glow always made him smile. It was the same color as his mana. Summoning a chair, he sat and got to work.

The next few hours were spent cleaning, polishing, and smoothing the various cogs, gears, and assorted mechanisms the Delvers had been dropping as payment, always with a sneer and a joke.

Well, that was fine.

Bert felt his eyes start to glow as the pieces began to move. Under his direction, the cogs moved, gears spun, and mechanisms clicked and shifted. He smiled to himself and got out the pieces of the automatons from the ruins. It was tough, prying the bits apart, but it would be worth it.

They wanted to bring him rubbish? That was fine.

He’d show them what a Garbage Man could do.