This next bit is going to be scary. This whole time we’ve been anchored to Oak, and that has been going pretty well for us so far. But now we need to take a perilous step. A leap of faith, even. We’re going to attempt to see from another point of view! I KNOW, I know! I’m sorry, please stop screaming! Oh dear… that poor man is crying. I didn’t mean to spring this onto you I promise! But I think you are strong and brave enough to handle a slightly different latitude. We’re not traveling too far, in fact. Fig and Toni are becoming familiar to us, and they are about to experience something I promise you’ll want to see!

  ***

  “Come on, come on!” Toni Toney hopped up and down excitedly. “Now’s our chance to see the city!”

  “You’re practically vibrating.” Fig said.

  “There’s so much to learn! I haven’t ever been to a place like this, and I can’t waste this opportunity.” She rushed to the door and waved Fig on. “Let’s pry a couple secrets from this place!”

  Fig smiled. “That doesn’t sound too bad. Let’s head deeper this time.”

  “Yes! Figgy I love that idea! The boys can tell us what the top is like, and we’ll collect all the crunchy details down here.”

  Before we follow these two outside and down the path to the left, I think It’s prudent that we establish where they are starting.

  Mrs. Handlut’s inn was just within an alleyway of a nearby ramp. That one snaked up the surface of the city to lead to the top of the haphazard hemisphere. It was fairly good real estate since it was situated near the edge of the city. It could act as a waystop between Weskalderna, and the outside world.

  But today, we’re not interested in the outside world. We’re delving deeper instead.

  “Excuse me, could you tell me about the city for a moment?” Toni asked a man working at a wall with a crowbar. “The architecture is so strange, why do you build it like that?”

  “What!? Oh.” The man jumped. “A tourist?”

  “Yes, we’re new in town—oop!” A passing person bumped into her. “And I just have to know everything about it!”

  The man shrugged, and leaned hard on his crowbar. “What’s there to know? It’s a city.”

  “Right, but most cities don’t build off other buildings like yours does, and certainly not to these staggering heights.”

  “Oh, is that good?”

  “It’s fascinating!!”

  “Uh.”

  “There isn’t a higher compliment from Toni.” Fig confirmed “Need help with that?”

  “Really? That would be nice of you. Pull on this part, would you?” the man said, and Fig circled around him to assist. “I don’t know what to tell you. I’ve lived here all my life and—well it’s my home. I guess I don’t see what the fuss is. I’ve heard those oddballs from Dunnit Haol are obsessed with circles. Maybe you should go there instead?”

  “Circles? That’s interesting. I’ll look into it later, for sure! ” Toni chirped. “But I just want to know why you all build like this.” Toni gestured to the home they were working on. “It can’t just be tradition, can it?”

  The man shrugged. “It works. I mean, the gangs and the associations like to build bigger, weirder places. Ah that’s good, hold it right there please.” The man pulled out the crowbar, and placed it on the opposite end. “But they have the coin. Makes sense they’d capture as many dungeons as they can.”

  “Wait, what?” Toni said. “Capture dungeons?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What dungeons?”

  The man looked over his shoulder, with his brows drawn. “The usual ones…” He hesitated seeing the lack of recognition in her eyes. “They pop in every now and then. Everybody knows that. Why else would you build a house?”

  Toni exchanged a look with Fig—or, she tried. Fig’s face was a little red from holding the boards apart with her fingers.

  “Then it’s true?” He said, looking between the women. “It’s true isn’t it? I always thought they were lying when they said they had only a few dungeons around a city. That’s so.. How do you live?”

  “Uh… Well the city I grew up in didn’t have any dungeons at all.”

  “That's… that doesn’t make sense.”

  “So you're saying you have… what, hundreds of dungeons in Weskalderna?”

  The man snorted, and pushed on the crowbar some more. “Don’t be stupid.” The wall popped off the building, without even a lick of damage. “There are tens of thousands.”

  The man then bent down and hefted what must have been hundreds of pounds of wood into a carrying position leaning on his shoulder. He dipped his head towards Fig.

  “Thank you girls for the help. I’ll be on my way.”

  And then walked into the crowd.

  Toni’s mind spun with the implications of a place with so many dungeons in such close proximity. Most of the threads stopped dead, simply because she didn’t know enough about the strange pocket worlds to form hypotheses.

  “Did he…” Fig said. “I think that guy just stole that wall.”

  Toni snapped back into place, and looked to Fig in surprise. “You think he…”

  The house now open to the world revealed half a dozen cats lying on a bed, staring at the flow of people passing by their formerly secure home.

  “Mrow?”

  ***

  NOBODY PANIC! The cats were fine I promise. These particular fur babies were enormous homebodies, and just snuggled back up until everything got patched together.

  Now, were Toni and Fig fine? For now, let’s say yes. But let’s not forget that we need to check out the intricate insides of the city, and that place isn’t so PG friendly. Seriously, why do you keep getting so distracted? We’re on a schedule here.

  Fig and Toni stared at the gaping maw before them. The city was swallowing so many people up, and the bright green light wasn’t a comfort at all. The thing is that our two heroines weren’t made of the most standard stuff. Weirdness was interesting, and being a little scared was galvanizing. But that didn’t mean they didn’t need a little push.

  “It’s time again.”

  “It is.”

  “It’s been a while.”

  “Too long.”

  Fig and Toni took a deep breath, and faced each other.

  “Are we betting anything this time?” Fig asked.

  Toni shook her head. “Only a favor this go around.”

  “Heh!” Fig laughed. “I thought you’d sworn off those since the last time I won.”

  “I don’t plan on losing this one.”

  “Whatever. Rules?”

  “Whoever collects the most useful facts wins… No violence except in self defense.”

  Fig nodded, then cracked her neck. “Oak, and Roy can judge them. You ready?”

  “Always. And Fig?”

  “What?”

  “I’m putting you in a dress if I win.”

  Fig groaned. “Not again... If that’s how you’re going to be fine! If I win, you have to start every sentence with ‘erm, stupid question.’”

  “WHAT!? There are absolutely never stupid questions. I refuse.”

  “So you’re giving up?”

  “Never.”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Then you better prepare to eat your words, sunshine.”

  Toni growled to herself, likely in a cypher. Without another word, she skipped into the crowd, and descended into the lime green light.

  It shown down from pinpoints tacked onto the ceiling. It wasn’t a steady stream like you would find in a lightbulb. Instead each source glacially faded between those green hues. Toni could see the line of lights follow the cubist ceiling all the way down the path as it descended and twisted about.

  sporadically, orbs of that same light would drift from a wall, or floor, or ceiling. Floating an aimless path before fading into nothingness.

  That was what most people first noticed down here. The lights, the shape of the path, and of course the crowd. Hundreds of persons went about their business here, and not a small number were carrying huge cumbersome things. Such as full, branchless trees.

  “Dibs.” Fig said.

  “No way. I don’t believe in that.” Toni started pushing through the crowd towards the teams.

  “Double dibs.”

  “I’m not giving them to you. ”

  Fig grinned. “You wound me, you know sunshine? Guess I’ll get there first instead.”

  Fig plowed through the crowd without a care in the world. Nor a second glance to the glares shot her way. Toni rolled her eyes, and ran after her.

  “Nice log.” Fig said to a man with a trunk on his shoulder. Interestingly his hands were covered in checkered diamonds. Weird gloves?

  “What do you want?” The burly man said with a glare. “If you go for my purse you’ll be picking splinters out your teeth. If you wake up that is.”

  Fig nodded. “I like that. A good threat should have multiple layers. Gives an idiot a bit more to think about.”

  The man switched the trunk over to his other shoulder, and blocked Fig from view.

  “Sorry about her. I bet she’s super annoying.” Toni said with a gleaming smile. “It’s pretty uncommon to see a man carrying something so heavy. How do you do it?”

  “Grmmm…” the man growled. “Same as anybody. I [Lift], I [Heft]. You just have to stop being a child and put in the work. The levels will come.”

  “Fascinating, fascinating.” Toni said. “So then you’re using those [Skills] right now or is there a [Hold] [Skill] for more sustained efforts? Unless there’s a combination of [Skills] that act in concert as if you had such a [Skill]? Just how many stars do you have in these [Skills] anyways?”

  “Enough. Hrn.” The man grunted and moved the trunk back to his other shoulder, blocking Toni from sight.

  “You taking this anywhere specific, or do you just like to show off?” Fig said.

  The man ground his teeth.

  “What kind of idiot would want to parade around like that?”

  “That’s not you then?”

  The man narrowed his eyes at Fig. “I do my job. I don’t need children to throw rose petals at my feet. I work hard and I’m proud of it. Not that a standard ferry to the Jillhammers is difficult.”

  Fig cocked her head. “Jillhammers? Are they the big shots around here?”

  The man moved the trunk to his other shoulder.

  “Where did this come from?” Toni patted the log. “I’ve seen a couple others carrying one around. Is there a forest dungeon nearby? Any idea how that started? Like, apparently this city has heaps of dungeons but—what makes them all different inside? Do you know?”

  “No, I don’t!”

  “It’s so curious. Do you think I could ask your employers if I could get a close look at one of their dungeons? They probably have some advanced ones right? They should have answers!” Toni suddenly hopped from foot to foot. “Or I could just ask! They must have studied their own portals, it only makes sense! Tell me that they’d be open to some scholarship? You could introduce me!”

  “They wouldn’t take kindly to my recommendation.”

  “Nonsense! You seem like the kind of person that shows up on time, all the time! I bet they love you!”

  The man scoffed… And put the log onto his other shoulder. Silently he praised the Developers as he turned to the massive entrance of the Jillhammer headquarters. Now these two pests would leave him alone. Only a complete fool would enter that precious territory without a proper introduction.

  “Woah. This place is nice. Finally a place with vaulted ceilings!” Fig said.

  The man began to sweat.

  Fig continued. “There’s so much extra space here. I feel like I can actually breathe! Hey Log Guy, why are all these dungeon portals just sitting in the open like that?”

  “Leave me alone. You should go.”

  “Is this like a hub? Yeah that makes sense. That way you can transfer people and things from dungeon to dungeon without knocking on fifty doors. Your place isn’t too bad Log Guy!”

  The man checked behind his shoulder… Yup, the Jillhammers’ people were here in force, like always. Maybe he could signal to them that he wasn’t with these outsiders somehow? But he didn’t want these dumb girls to get hurt for no reason!

  He shifted the log to his other shoulder to think.

  “Hey, it looks like someone’s coming over. Do you know them? Come on, let's go say hi!” Toni said.

  The man’s face grew pale. How could his luck be this bad? He knew he shouldn’t have stolen that muffin when he was six. He knew it was wrong and the ghost of those consequences had haunted him ever since. But now here they were in the flesh.

  “Mr. Escher” He nodded all the respect he could muster for the man. The right-hand-man of Cleanhands herself. As one of the most powerful persons in the city, he cut a striking figure. He was tall even with his stoop, with a salt-and-pepper beard, and a pair of spectacles with lenses thick enough to study constellations, if ever he had felt the inclination. His gaze was clinical, and focused, like you were a beetle under his microscope.

  “Hey-o!” Toni said cheerily. “I was wondering if you could tell me everything you know about dungeons—or if I could check on it myself. I haven’t really had the chance to look one over in depth and I’d really appreciate the chance—”

  “Shut up.” The man hissed.

  “What?” Toni asked.

  “Don’t say another word.” He said. Then glanced at Escher nervously.

  The man’s eyes didn’t move when he looked around. Instead, he craned his neck to look Toni up and down. He didn’t hide the scrutiny in any way, slowly capturing each detail from toe to her head. He pursed his lips.

  “You may return to your duties, Mr. Caringham. These two will complete the transport.” He did not look away from Toni.

  “Y—Yes Mr. Escher.” The man hurriedly set the trunk on the stone floor, and retreated.

  “You’re kinda goofy looking.” Fig said. “I mean that in a good way.”

  The man turned his head placidly.

  “I accept the compliment. Pick up the tree, and I will lead you. We do not have much time.”

  “Ominous dude. Is your lunch break coming up then?” Fig said. She gestured to the tree, and Toni frowned skeptically.

  “No.” Escher said simply.

  Toni squatted down, and squeezed her fingers under the trunk. Wincing, she looked to Fig. Who nodded.

  “So Mr. Escher, I see that there’s tons and tons of dungeon portals around here. Hrrrrmph” Toni lifted the heavy log of wood, and ever so slowly, and shakily brought up to about her hip.

  KrrCHUNK-chunk-chunk-chunck-chunk-chunk

  [Lift] - Level 3 (6)

  “There—hah—must be a lot of logistics that come—hah—transporting materials between them. It’s like a beehive in here… How do you prioritize?”

  Fig snorted. “Lame.”

  Escher walked slowly to their side, prompting Fig and Toni to waddle beside him. Step. Step. Step.

  “You do not get to know. There are far more urgent matters you must understand first. I) None may enter this hall, save for those contracted.” He slid underneath the tiny gap between the tree and the floor. “II) Do not under any circumstances gain Miss. Cleanhands attention. You may not die. And it will be a tragedy.”

  “She sounds nice.” Fig grunted. “My nan had a parakeet like that. It liked to pluck out hair. Shoulder?”

  Toni grimaced, but nodded. “Figgy that’s gross.” The two of them heaved.

  KrrCHUNK-chunk-chunk-chunck-chunk-chunk

  [Heave] - Level 3 (6)

  “But I’m guessing she won’t be placated by extra kibble and scritches on her neck.” Fig said.

  “Correct.” He said. Traffic grew even more congested as they approached the ramp. “Do not denigrate her again.” Escher slid over the top of the tree like a snake. Where he just stood, another tree swung through the air as the carrier swerved to get out of the way of some sort of altercation.

  “How do you function? Or—how does this city function? With so many dungeons, shouldn’t that saturate any possible market?” Toni said. Fig rolled her eyes.

  “You misunderstand. There is never a guarantee that a portal will be profitable. Many dungeons do not have exploitable resources. Stop.” He placed a hand on Toni’s back, and the three of them ground to a halt.

  “Oof.” Toni grunted.

  A group of adventurers dashed past, each person covered in black mud.

  Escher gestured to a suspended jar they had just popped out from. “Many simply do not have the requisite volume.”

  “Wait.” Fig said with a frown. “So some dungeons are smaller than others?”

  “From what can be measured, it varies from the size of a city, to that of a child’s body.”

  “Measured?” Fig said.

  “There’s probably smaller dungeons then! Pocket worlds with no space at all?” Toni grinned and tried to hop—it didn't go well. She stumbled, and Fig had to compensate.

  “Dude.” Fig growled.

  “Our destination is just ahead.” Escher said.

  Twenty feet in front of them sat another portal at the top of a ramp.

  Escher turned to Fig and Toni. “Deliver this and be on your way. If I see you in here again—“ he backstepped through a barrage of garbage thrown through the air, “—without a contract, I will have you captured. I am told being imprisoned in burning temperatures and close confines is slightly uncomfortable.”

  “Wait a sec old man.” Fig said, and twisted her neck. “Know which dungeon around here is best for training?”

  Escher walked away, and spoke with his back turned. “III) Welcome to the Green Way.”

  Fig sighed, and adjusted her grip. “Alright then. Toni, come on!”

  Toni, red faced and sweating, nodded. They carried the trunk up the ramp and right next to the portal. Toni had to set her side down then.

  “Guh. That really sucked. We need to progress our [Skills] ASAP.”

  Fig stood the trunk up, and shook her hands.

  “Couldn’t agree more.”

  Toni, slightly light headed, was having trouble keeping her balance. She stuck out her arm to steady herself on the nearest solid thing. The trunk was not such a thing, and at her touch, it tipped over.

  “Sunshine!” Fig pulled Toni out of the way as the tree crashed into the portal.

  Crunkch!

  “You alright?”

  “Yeah, sorry. I think it might be low blood sugar or something. Actually I need to read up on that phenomenon, now that I think about it.”

  “Yeah, let’s do that while I tell the boys how I won this wager.”

  “You did not!”

  “Yeah-huh! You asked more questions but most didn’t get answered. That counts against your score!”

  Cargo delivered, more or less, the two girls left the hall, and reentered the Green Way to find some food, and a nice drink.

  Escher had tended to the ever-filling fountain of green for just a moment, then that sound had brought him back. He watched the two girls leave with a small frown on his face. He left himself a note to watch out for them. They might be useful, or a liability to watch out for, after all.

  Unbeknownst to him, and to our darling heroines, there was a ball set in motion this day. Oh nothing too cumbersome, in fact, it was so small it could hardly be categorized as a crack! Portals are made of strong stuff anyways, so it probably won’t matter… What is in there, anyways?

  EHHHHHH FORGETABOUTIT!