Jenna opened the door. Her fingers had worked quickly. The fabric hanging on her laid curving over her body, clutching to her sweat, a soft exhale dancing past her lips.

"Finally!" Her voice spiked with a mix of relief and thrill. “I wondered when you lot would show up.”

Jabor's eyes widened just as Jenna's fist connected with his shoulder, a solid thump punctuating the reunion.

"Did you miss me that much?" Jabor rubbed the spot, grinning despite the sting.

"Ahhh Jabo, of course I did," Jenna quipped back, her smile fierce. Her gaze shifted to Jaxon, who watched the exchange with a wry tilt to his lips. “And you too Jaxi, mwah.”

The air charged with their familiar banter, the kind that hid undercurrents of a childhood bully, er, big sister.

"Ouch," Jabor teased, as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Consider it a warm-up," she shot back, the gleam in her eye promising mischief.

Jaxon stumbled back, a hoof clacking against the stone floor. His balance wavered before he righted himself, eyes alight with a mix of surprise and admiration. Jenna had punched him too.

“Really, Jaxi, you got to put some more work into it. Can’t skip leg day, bro. Never skip leg day.”

Jabor huffed out, massaging his temples and chuckling through the throb in his shoulder.

A silence fell, brief yet heavy. Jenna scanned the room, her nostrils flaring slightly as she sifted through the scents that hung in the air—metal, sweat, the lingering trace of ozone from some past spellwork. Her brow furrowed, catching the absence of others.

"Where are they?" she asked, the question sharp and demanding an answer. "The others—where? And how are we here? We were just in a forest… Where’s Jerry?"

Her gaze locked onto Jaxon, seeking the truth. The shadows played across his features, sculpting his expression into one that carried concern. He shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny, the tension in his jaw betraying concern.

"Jenna," he began, voice low, "let's talk."

Jabor's eyes darted away, his posture slackening with the burden of guilt. Beside him, Jaxon's fingers curled into fists, the knuckles bone-white.

"Jenna," Jaxon's voice was a murmur, laced with regret. "We need to—"

"Over here," Jabor interjected, gesturing toward the entrance of the cavern.

"Spit it out," Jenna's words cut through the quiet as she followed, her eyes narrowing. Her heart thrummed in her chest, a drumbeat of growing concern.

Before Jaxon could elaborate, Jenna's attention snapped to the figure hunched over a tome, peaking from behind the door. "Oh." She pointed. "Come on out, you cheeky book mole!"

A dwarf looked up, his fingers still fixing the buttons on his shirt, papers tucked into his pockets, riddled with intricate patterns on. Cal peaked behind and saw more scattered parchment laying around the room.

"Greg? Fucking Greg." Jabor's surprise was evident, his brow furrowing.

"Didn't expect to see him, I bet," Jenna said, her lips curving in a knowing smile. “Me either!”

Jaxon glanced between Jenna and Greg, a flicker of curiosity passing through his eyes. "Since when does he—"

"Focus," Jenna interrupted, her tone firm yet laced with an undercurrent of protection. "You were saying, about the others?"

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Jaxon's gaze met hers, and for a moment, the bravado that clung to him like a second skin seemed to peel away. "It's about the brothers... there was an incident."

"An incident?" The words hung between them, fraught with implications.

"Jenna, about Greg—" Jabor began, a hint of warning in his voice.

"Touch him, and you'll regret it," Jenna cut in sharply, her stance rigid as she eyed the two cervidians. Her protective aura was palpable, wrapping around Greg like an invisible shield.

"Jenna, he's—" Jabor started to protest, the vein in his neck throbbing with the effort of holding back words that threatened to spill forth.

"Shut up, Jabo," she snapped, her glare daring him to continue. "He's my boyfriend. Understand? Not another word."

Jabor's mouth clamped shut, the muscles in his jaw working silently. His eyes, usually so full of challenge, now flickered with conflict.

The ghost of remorse haunting his features. He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat visible.

"Fine," he muttered eventually, the word more an exhale than a spoken agreement. His gaze dropped to the floor, his pride wrestling with the pain that lurked beneath.

Jaxon nodded, the weight of his next words already shadowing his features. He reached out, guiding Jenna further away, away from prying ears and the curious dwarf.

They moved, a silent trio, the air around them thick with unspoken dread.

Jaxon motioned with a jerk of his head, and Jenna fell into step beside him. The dim corridor swallowed them, the only light a pulsing glow from small bioluminescent fungi clinging to the walls. Jabor trailed, a silent shadow echoing their movements. They paused in a secluded nook, the air heavy between them.

Cal and Elena slipped into the chamber Jenna had vacated, their steps loud on the stone floor.

"Curiouser and curiouser," Elena murmured, her violet eyes scanning the room, taking in the scattered clothing and disheveled sheets, but also the intricate patterns on the walls, floor and ceiling. “But it seems like we’re shit out of luck.”

Cal's nose wrinkled subtly, the scent invading his senses, potent and unmistakable. "Seems like we were… uh… interrupting," he remarked dryly, a note of mischief underlining his words.

"heh," Elena replied, her lips curling into a half-smile that didn't reach her eyes. She moved through the room, agile and silent, her hand lingering on an overturned goblet, the residue of some sweet, intoxicating liquor still clinging to the silver.

"Keep your wits about you," Cal cautioned, his blue eyes narrowing as he surveyed the room. "This place is more than a love nest."

"Hmph, the magical space door didn’t make that obvious?" she shot back, her tone playful yet edged with steel.

They exchanged a look, an unspoken agreement passing between them. It was time to find answers.

Cal stepped out first, his gaze sharp as it fell on the dwarf who sat cross-legged amidst a labyrinth of books and scrolls.

“I’m Cal”

"Greg Blackmountain," he said, his voice a low rumble that indicated his lack of confidence.

The dwarf looked up, adjusting his spectacles with an ink-stained finger. "Cal," Greg acknowledged, his tone even, betraying neither surprise nor fear.

"This is a mess," Elena remarked, emerging beside Cal, her eyes flicking from Greg to the room. “We’re supposed to be out of here. And what’s a Blackmountain doing here?”

"It’s not that surprising? Look around you - ancient patterns, forgotten lore... seems quite fitting to me," Greg countered, tilting his head slightly as if challenging Elena’s perception.

Greg continued, “How did you move the artifact?” He was eager. “This is a monumental discovery. If we can analyze and decrypt the corresponding Aetherflow, it would be a big step forward in understanding the protocrypt language. We would be heroes!”

“Easy there, bud. Why don’t you explain to us what you were doing inside the room.”

He blushed again, “I’m an archeologist, by class and profession. This here.” He pointed around, “is exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

"The air's thick with recent... activities," Cal said, his words slicing through the pretense.

"Scholars have needs like any other," Greg replied coolly, though his cheeks tinted with a subtle flush.

Elena smirked, but then followed up, “did you learn anything about the room? How it works, how it’s powered?... If we can use it to leave?”

“Why would we want to leave, silly? I would live in this room. Discover all its secrets! By the mountain, you couldn’t take me away!”

“For better or worse, I believe Elena understands that this is how we arrived.”

“I think so too.”

“The true power source is drained. It looks like a stage-six crystal. The power needed for this thing is enormous. I’ve never seen anything like it. I don’t know how this room changed location, but it is truly a magnificent artifact. The optionality modules on the wall speak of countless additional processes that we can learn from. This is truly monumental.”

“Perhaps you can ask his opinion on the crystal we found?”

“Not yet.”

“So, it seems like you know Jenna? How do you know Jabor and Jaxon?” Elena questioned.

“Oh, those brutes. Yes, I know them. Their brothers too. They are nothing like Jenna.” The dwarf started cleaning the room up. He anticipated that there was more to the conversation and circumstances. Cal could tell the dwarf was smart.

“Greg, what can you tell us about the protocrypt language?”

Greg’s eyes sparkled like a child in a candy store.