Villagers stopped to stare as Marvin pulled a wagon of new arrivals into town. Men and women alike stopped working, gossiping, and whatever else they were doing to see why the heavy stone gate had grated open. Children stopped running through the streets and watched the knights running ahead of Charlie and his companions.

  Charlie could make out whispers of wonder. Wondering where these newcomers had come from, wondering what the commotion beyond the walls was, and wondering why one of the gate guards was hurrying toward the building where the fort’s doctors worked during the day. As he looked around the fort, Charlie had to admit he was starting to wonder something too. This fort hadn’t even been on the maps they used to travel, so where exactly did it come from?

  He relayed the question to Vetica, who asked for him.

  Sir Thespin grinned. “Two months ago, this place did not even exist. Everything you see around you was forest.”

  Charlie blinked.

  While the dirt path Marvin pulled them along was simple, the buildings and fort itself were anything but. The town behind the stone walls was made of finely carved wooden buildings. It looked as if an army of master carpenters had swept through the fort like a tsunami. Where they passed, they left intricate, ornate buildings in their wake. Colorful painted roofs, decorative pillars with complex patterns and creatures carved into them, doors with stained-glass windows. This wasn’t the look of what was essentially an evacuation camp or shelter. Fort Stonehaven was nicer than many of the long-established villages and towns Charlie had passed through in his adventures. There just wasn’t any way this had all been built in just over a month.

  Vetica seemed similarly unconvinced.

  “I know, I would scarcely believe it myself if I hadn’t watched this place grow. But there were a number of things that worked in its favor. For starters, there was the hex storm to consider.”

  “Ex borm?” Merlin grumbled.

  Sir Thespin arched a brow and turned to look at Merlin, still draped over the wagon’s bench. “You’re awake?”

  Merlin snored in response.

  Thespin’s handlebar mustache lifted as the man smiled. “I’ll answer anyway. When a dungeon is destroyed, a lot of magic potential is released, not to mention any creatures that were inside it but not slain. These beasts are attracted to the unique environments created by dungeons. It’s exceedingly rare, and we aren’t sure what causes it, but occasionally when a dungeon is cleared, the surge of magical potential released into the world creates a powerful storm.”

  Obie leaned forward and held his hands real wide. “A storm of magic!” he exclaimed.

  Vetica watched the outburst before turning back to Thespin. “And this storm…is more dangerous than usual?”

  Thespin nodded. “Rain, lightning, and hail like you might see from an emerald elemental hex. A storm that seeks out humans, as if driven by a scarlet searching hex. But the worst part—the worst part is the beasts.”

  Obie’s eyes lit up. “Listen to this…it’s really cool.”

  “Or dangerous…depending on perspective,” Thespin said. “Those beasts that survived the clearing of the dungeon follow the storm. The concentration of magic potential is similar to a dungeon core, so they think by following it they’ll find new homes. But it’s not those beasts you usually have to worry about. Have you ever seen birds flee ahead of a storm? It’s like they can sense it well before it arrives. Beast are similar. A hex storm attracts beasts from much further away than a dungeon might. It means that very soon, when the storm arrives, this town will be beset by all manner of creatures,” Sir Thespin said. His voice hardened at that.

  Was this storm really going to be that dangerous?

  Vetica shook her head. “So you…what exactly? Wait for it to pass? Weather it out?”

  Thespin shook his head. “As I said before, there were a number of reasons that the fort was built. This stretch of land, the fort, and the clearing beyond it will be the eye of the storm. Right now, the storm is nothing more than rain and thunder. But as it moves, it will gain power until it reaches this place. The center of the forest. That’s we’re our scarlet hex storm expert predicted it would stop moving. During that time, the storm will rage and the elemental effects will destroy anything in its path. The eye of the storm will be safe from those elements. It will remain here until the storm dissipates or accomplishes its purpose. The villagers gathered here could not remain in their towns because the storm’s weather effects would ravage them.

  Vetica lowered her head in thought. Charlie looked around at two children passing a ball between each other. One threw the ball, and it shot a little too far overhead. It hit the side of a house and thudded loudly.

  “If this place is so safe, why build an entire fort in the first place? Were the walls necessary?” Vetica asked.

  “The eye of the storm is safe from the elements, so we don’t have to worry about the weather!” Obie said, watching the kids play. He looked as if he wanted to join them. “The fort is to protect everyone from the monsters,” he said casually, as if it was obvious.

  Vetica squinted.

  “The beasts that follow the storm will come here. The storm will continue concentrating its power until finally, if all the conditions are favorable, a new dungeon core and dungeon will form. Those creatures will come here looking for a new home, and in the meantime…they’ll hunt whatever humans they can find here,” Sir Thespin explained.

  Vetica tightened her grip on Charlie and stood up on the wagon, turning to face Thespin. She looked angry and ready to attack him. “You’re using them as bait? You’re really risking all these people’s lives?” she spat the question out.

  Thespin’s eyes widened. “No…no, not at all! Of course not! Before we couldn’t protect the people and stop the dungeon from forming. We built this fort exactly so we could accomplish both goals. Gregory wasn’t sent here to deal with the storm. The hex knights have a different objective. But when he discovered the hex storm, he took it upon himself to create a refuge. He devised a plan that would allow us to accomplish our mission here, while also protecting the villagers, dealing with the storm, and preventing a new dungeon from forming. I promise you, we will do everything in our power to keep everyone here safe. To keep you and your family safe,” Thespin assured her.

  Obie nodded and crossed his arms. “Mhm, mhm! What the boss said!”

  Orb rolled nervously in the blanket. “Charlie…I don’t know, man, you don’t think that’s how I was formed, right? I don’t mean to be any kind of way, but like…that feels like the dungeon core equivalent of a test-tube baby, doesn’t it?”

  Vetica let out a breath. She took a moment to think before finally settling down. “Alright.”

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Thespin’s shoulders relaxed. It seemed he cared about Vetica’s opinion quite a lot. “We were lucky; there were many talented people in these small forest towns. Workmanship like what you’ll find here is worthy of Karze, the capital city itself! I believe one of the carpenters used to work there actually; he oversees most of the construction,” he seemed desperate to fill the silence after nearly upsetting Vetica. As he continued rambling, Charlie looked around.

  Aside from the buildings of wood, there were also several stone attachments along the fort’s walls themselves. Somewhere in his long-winded ramble, Sir Thespin informed them that the attachments were rooms, storage areas, and other miscellaneous places. Some of them were barracks for the knights, and others were glorified broom closets. At least, that was his story. The walls and the accompanying buildings were mostly off limits to civilians according to him.

  Of course, there was also the magnificent tower in the center of the fort. It was even more impressive up close. It stretched well above the tall trees of the forest beyond the fort’s walls. Honestly, it might have been the tallest building Charlie had ever seen.

  “It looks like a tower you might see attached to a castle in a movie. Like a watchtower or something…but…it’s just that. Just a tower. Super weird. Also cool,” Orb said.

  Thespin noticed Charlie staring up at it. He smiled and pointed a finger at Charlie. “Are you a fan, my little friend? That…is our base of operations. When we’re not guarding the walls, or sleeping, the knights spend most of our time within the tower.”

  Charlie giggled, pretending he had no idea what the knight was saying.

  Vetica glared at it. “And…prisoners? Do you keep them there as well?” she asked.

  Thespin’s smile faded, and his eyes narrowed. “Uh…prisoners? No…not in the tower, no. Why uh—”

  “What the hell was that? Is she trying to blow our cover?” Orb asked.

  Vetica laughed softly. “I’m the wife of a merchant. People get sticky fingers when they see the goods my husband hauls around. It’s nice to know there’s something to deter them, is all.” She shrugged playfully.

  “Ahhhh.” Thespin laughed. “A joke, forgive me, I had not taken you for someone who makes jokes. It’s a surprise.” His eyes widened. “A pleasant surprise,” he added.

  “Dude…you’re blowing it. Play it cool,” Obie said.

  “Obie! Silence!” Thespin hissed. “Regardless, joke or not, you don’t need to worry about thieves here. Everyone I’ve met is good people. Three towns, and many stragglers all came together to help build this place alongside the knights. I’ve seen strangers become good friends and neighbors. Everyone here is welcoming, and if you ever have any trouble, you just come to me.” He turned back to watch the road and smiled. “Ah, here we are! Ladies and gentlebabies, welcome to your new home! At least for the next few days!”

  The home they’d been assigned was the last house in a long, curved row of houses adjacent to the fort’s wall. If they turned around, they could follow the row of houses back to the front gate; if they continued ahead, they’d pass a series of unfinished homes that no one seemed in any rush to complete. Sir Thespin explained they’d only built as many houses as they needed. With the forest cleared out, they’d started using the resources elsewhere. This was one of the few remaining vacant houses, and if someone needed more, more houses could be thrown together fairly quickly.

  Now, Merlin lay on a table in the center of the room while a doctor finished his inspection. The doctor let out a breath and turned to face the rest of them. “He’s fine; a few days of bed rest should get him back on his feet. If he has any problems after that, we’ll opt for magical healing, but I’d like to let his body heal naturally if possible.”

  Orb mentally scoffed. “This guy’s just trying to keep himself relevant. I mean, come on, a normal doctor in a world full of magic? Back on Earth, this guy would paint rocks he found in his backyard and call them ‘healing crystals’. We have magic here bro, we don’t need no alternative medicine!” the dungeon core ranted.

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Vetica said. She held a hand out with a few coins in it.

  The doctor shook his head. “No charge. In a situation like this, we’ve got to look out for one another. Save your coin, pay it forward where you can, have a good day and let me know if you need anything,” he said, before seeing himself out.

  “Oh great, he didn’t take the money. Now I look like a real butthead,” Orb said.

  Sir Thespin turned to Vetica. “I suppose Obie and I should get out of your hair as well. I’m sure you’re tired from everything today. We’ll stop by to check on you all tomorrow and see how you’re settling in,” he told them. A bow later, and a wave from Obie, and they were heading out the door.

  “See ya! I’ll bring some of my toys to show Charlos tomorrow!” Obie said with a wave over his shoulder. The large beard that wrapped circularly around his body bounced with every step he took. He tilted his head as he walked out the door, so his conical hat wouldn’t catch on the door frame.

  Charlie giggled at that. As the knights left the front door, the back door swung open. Arkady, Bleedy, and Mousifer entered. Arkady slid the lock pick he’d used back into his sleeve. “Sheesh, I thought those guys would never leave,” he said.

  Bleedy and Mousifer ran up to Vetica’s feet. Charlie signaled he wanted to get down, and Vetica obliged. He held his baby arms out, and his two furry friends nuzzled up to either side of him.

  Merlin rubbed his head and sat up. “I think I have something in my storage compartment to help with headaches. It’s a plant from—”

  “Bleedy…”

  Charlie frowned. “Bleedy said there are no more plants left in the hidden compartment. He was worried our plan wouldn’t work, so he started stress-eating.”

  “Oh, for the love of System!” Merlin said.

  “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but we’re gonna need an opening,” Arkady said.

  Vetica raised a brow at him. “What do you mean?” she asked.

  Arkady sighed. “There are a lot of knights here. Strong ones. Not to mention the heavy hitters like Gregory and that Thespin fellow.”

  “I don’t wanna butt heads with Sir Calda either,” Orb said.

  Arkady nodded. “Exactly. That’s why we’ll need to make our move carefully. We’ll only have one shot at busting Mary out of here. If we mess it up, we’re all done for.”

  Charlie thought about it. They needed something to keep the knights distracted then. “Wait, what about—”

  “This is gonna be tough. Even with the scalers, they only sent a handful of knights to save us,” Merlin said.

  “And we have to keep in mind the villagers will report anything suspicious too. That’s a lot of extra eyes to worry about,” Arkady added.

  Vetica nodded. “I’ll sneak out and map out the guard schedule tonight. If we find an opening, we can—”

  “Guys!” Charlie shouted telepathically.

  Everyone turned to look at him.

  “Well, big guy, you’ve got their attention,” Orb said.

  “Bleedy!”

  “Squeak!”

  His furry friends gave him some encouragement.

  Charlie smiled back at them. “We need a distraction, right? Something big enough that all the knights and villagers won’t be focused on us? Well…we already have one. In three days!” he said.

  Merlin’s face paled. “I don’t know if your idea or where I hit my head earlier, but I’m pretty sure I’m gonna pass out again.”

  Arkady stroked his chin.

  Vetica grinned a devilish grin. “I like it.”

  Orb spun in confusion. “Wait…what are you talking about?”

  Merlin fell backward off the table and onto the floor.

  “The hex storm,” Charlie said excitedly. “We find Mary, and we break her out during the hex storm.”

  “Oh, that is dangerous…I like it!” Orb said. “What exactly is a hex storm?”

  Vetica groaned. “Of course you weren’t paying attention. Someone check and see if Merlin’s dead.”

  Charlie smiled. They had a plan. In three days, they’d make their move during the storm.

  “Just hold on, Mary,” he thought to himself. “We’re coming for you.”