You have acquired 6 x greater portal scrolls.


    You have lost 3,000 gold coins.


    Before leaving the emporium, I restocked my supply of portal scrolls, almost draining my remaining funds to the dregs. Money was tight again, unfortunately, but the added mobility the scrolls gave me made their hefty price tags worth it.


    “Bad news?” Shael asked as I rushed out of the compound.


    “What?” Looking up, I saw him scrutinizing my face. “Oh. Yes, sort of.”


    “We’re still leaving, though, right?”


    Nodding, I turned my steps in the direction of the teleportation platform. “We are.”


    “Good,” he pronounced, then fell silent as we made our way to our destination. Reaching the stone platform, I wasted no time in cracking open a portal scroll and releasing its enchantment.


    Item consumed.


    A moment later, a luminous white doorway appeared, and I ducked through without hesitation.


    Transfer through portal commencing…


    …


    …


    Leaving Nexus.


    ? ? ?


    You have entered the safe zone of sector 12,560.


    I stepped out of the crowded portal platform and into the deserted common room of the Wyvern’s Roost. Shael, following close on my heels, staggered out a moment later.


    “The tavern?” the bard asked, his face crinkling in confusion. “Why are we back here?”


    Swiveling about, I made my way to the still-open entrance. “You’ll see,” I replied, pulling on the door.


    It refused to budge.


    Putting my back into it, I tugged harder. Still nothing. “What’s wrong with this thing?” I growled.


    “Saya had it reinforced,” Shael said from behind. “The door may look like wood, but that’s just paneling. It’s solid steel on the inside. It took two men to close it every night.”


    “Huh,” I grunted. “Come and help me then.”


    Doing as I bade, the bard lent his efforts to mine, and with much groaning and shoving we finally got the damn thing closed. “Where’s the keys?” I asked, studying the imposing lock on the door.


    “Beneath the bar counter.”


    “Go get it. It’s time we locked this place up.”


    Shael moved to comply. “Not that I mind, but are you going to tell me why you’re bothering to do that?”


    “In a minute,” I replied, moving to the closest window. As I sealed its shutters, I noticed in passing that they too had been reinforced. “I got the windows on this floor. Shut the rear door then do the ones on the next level.”


    “Why?” a puzzled Shael asked.


    “I want the tavern shut from top to bottom,” I said, ignoring the question. “And let’s hurry. We have six floors to work through.”


    Sighing, the bard got to work.


    ? ? ?


    An hour later, we were done.


    After double-checking Shael’s work, I sat down in the common room, finally satisfied that there was no opening into the tavern that could be exploited to gain unauthorized access.


    “So, now are you going to tell me what all that was about?” Shael asked, sitting down opposite me.


    “I don’t want any strangers entering the Wyvern’s Roost,” I replied.


    Shael rolled his eyes. “I figured out that much, but it’s a tavern, remember? Serving strangers is the Roost’s entire purpose!”


    “Not anymore, it isn’t,” I replied tightly.


    He frowned. “What does that mean?”


    Removing the tavern’s bill of ownership, I laid it down on the table. “It means the Roost is no longer open for business. From today, it will serve as the private barracks of my army.”


    “So, we’re an army now?” Shael quipped. “Just the two of us? That’s a bit rich, don’t you think?”


    My expression did not alter, and after a pregnant pause, the bard’s humor faded. “You’re serious,” he breathed. “You have an actual army? Really?”


    “Only a small one,” I said, deadpan.


    “What! Where? And more importantly, how?”


    Ducking my head before he could see me smile, I studied the parchment I’d unrolled on the table.


    One of the key benefits to owning property in a safe zone was that it be used as a form of secure storage. The same Game laws that prevented a thief from pickpocketing a player in a safe zone also stopped said thief from robbing a house in one. It was why merchants were so enamored of safe zones.


    Of course, property in a safe zone was only as secure as the safe zone itself. If a rival faction claimed sector 12,560, I would lose everything I left in the Wyvern’s Roost, including the building itself.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    But it was not for the purpose of storing stuff that I intended on using Wyvern’s Roost.


    Another upside of having property in a safe zone was that it gave me the ability to control my surroundings—in this case, that meant deciding who was allowed to enter or stay in the Roost. Sadly, the Game did not prevent magical eavesdropping or detection spells, but for that there were wards.


    Still, even as it was, the Roost was the safest place for my allies to come and go from the nether-infested sector. This held doubly true for the forsworn. Even though the Game wouldn’t protect them personally, it would stop any intruders from getting into my building and harming any forsworn sheltering inside.


    And while a waypoint to the nether-infested sector wasn’t strictly necessary, the Roost would make traveling to sector 18,240 easier for those who couldn’t create their own portals—like Anriq for instance. The werewolf could hitch a ride from any mage to the wolves’ valley, and thereafter have a forerunner mage—one stationed in the Roost, ideally—open a portal back ‘home.’


    Of course, all the pieces weren’t in place for what I planned yet, but it was always better to lay the groundwork early. Returning my attention to the scroll unrolled on the table, I inspected it carefully.


    The target is a bill of ownership for ‘The Wyvern’s Roost’ in the safe zone of sector 12,560.


    All safe zone building bills of ownership are Game-created items that grant you full control over the building and cannot be stolen or lost, even upon death. Note, if the building is unoccupied or unused for an extended period of time, ownership will revert to the Game.


    This item must be freely gifted or traded to pass on to another. On final death, it will drop and be freely lootable.


    Now for the next step, I thought. Closing my eyes and holding the Game artifact in one hand, I willed my intent to the Adjudicator.


    By rights of your bill of ownership, you have repurposed the Wyvern’s Roost from tavern to private hostel.


    Notice added: ‘The Wyvern’s Roost has been indefinitely closed to the public. Only authorized guests may enter.’ Note, this notice will be issued as a Game alert to all unauthorized players who approach the building.


    Do you wish to alter the list of allowed occupants? The list is private and only visible to the building owner.


    Replying in the affirmative to the Adjudicator’s query, I relayed a string of names to the Game.


    The Wyvern Roost’s list of allowed occupants has been successfully updated.


    Allowed occupants: 9. Michael, Saya, Safyre, Anriq, Nyra, Ceruvax, Terence, Teresa, and Shael.


    Assigned managers: Saya, Safyre.


    Smiling, I opened my eyes. It was done.


    The Roost was as physically secure as I could make it. The magical defenses I could do nothing about. Safyre would have to sort that out once she got here. Thinking of the aetherist reminded me of the emporium robes stuffed in my backpack. Removing them, I placed them behind the bar counter.


    “You’re leaving that here?” Shael asked, watching me.


    I nodded.


    “Why?”


    “There’s a tracking device inside the robes. The Triumvirate can find it wherever it goes. And where we’re going, no one can know about.”


    Shael’s eyes widened. “The Triumvirate!” he whispered. “You’re swimming in deep waters, Michael.”


    I shrugged. “Not by choice.”


    The bard’s face grew puzzled. “But… won’t the Nexus trio find it strange to discover the robes here?”


    I smiled. “Have you forgotten already? Kesh posted one of her agents in this very tavern not so long ago.”


    “Of course!” Shael exclaimed, smacking his forehead. “That’s clever of you. Diabolical even. I understand now why we came here.” He paused. “Not that I can claim to know what you want with the robes in the first place.”


    “You’ll find out soon enough,” I said brightly. “We’ll leave for our final destination at first light tomorrow.”


    “Tomorrow?” Shael asked, looking crestfallen. “I thought…”


    “You’ll thank me for it come morning,” I promised. “Where we’re going is colder than colder. Tonight, at least you’ll get to sleep in a warm bed.”


    ? ? ?


    My rest was broken the next morning by a set of surprising Game messages.


    You and Ghost have reached level 239!


    You have slept 7 hours. Your blood memories have been recharged.


    For a moment, I stared stupidly at the alerts, wondering who I’d managed to kill in my sleep. Then reason penetrated.


    It was Ghost’s doing, of course.


    Stifling a yawn, I sat up. Two whole levels? What has she killed to earn us that?


    I rolled off the bed, excited and worried in equal measure. Ghost was fine, I knew that much. The Game would have reported had she died. Still, the niggling concern remained that a new threat has arisen to plague us.


    Slipping out of the room I’d claimed as mine on the sixth floor, I strode into the hallway. The door opposite mine—Shael’s—was still shut.


    “Time to go!” I yelled, thumping hard on its wooden surface. “I’ll meet you downstairs. And hurry!”


    Heading into the common room, I sat down and schooled myself to patience. Whatever was going on in the tundra was already over. Another ten or twenty minutes will make no difference.


    Accepting the truth of that statement, I eased back into my chair and considered the emptiness about me while I waited for Shael.


    Without Saya’s bright presence, the tavern—former tavern, I corrected—was a forlorn looking place. The tables were dusty, empty bottles littered the floor, and thanks to the newly shuttered doors and windows, the place was beginning to smell. Even the flowers the gnome had planted everywhere had wilted.


    I will have to get the twins to clean the place before she gets back.


    And Saya would be back. I was certain of it. No other outcome was acceptable. Closing my eyes, I considered what I might have to do to rescue the gnome.


    Slay the envoy for one, I thought morosely.


    It was not the idea of killing the treacherous player that bothered me, though. It was how Loken would react. Thus far, I’d managed to walk a fine line with the trickster—avoiding his enmity while at the same time not doing his bidding.


    That was all about to change, I suspected.


    I couldn’t imagine that even a Power as fickle as Loken would let the killing of his envoy go unavenged. And even if I somehow managed to keep my role in upcoming events secret, Loken would guess the truth.


    The trickster would hunt me, I was sure. And not just him, all the Powers in that Shadow Coalition of his would do likewise.


    So be it.


    Exhaling softly, I made my peace with the consequences. Soon, I would be in direct conflict with Shadow. I could see no other way around that fact. The only viable option had been to approach Loken directly, and that avenue was closed now.


    My only consolation was that Loken and his allies would not know the true nature of their foe.


    Perhaps that will make their hunt less relentless.


    I snorted. As if.


    Banishing my worries of the future, I turned my mind to the present and more specifically to my player profile. Thanks to whatever Ghost had done, I had a small cache of attributes to spend, and I didn’t have to think hard about how to invest them.


    Your Dexterity has increased to rank 122. Other modifiers: +24 from items. Available ability slots: 16.


    I smiled. I now had enough ability slots to upgrade whirlwind when I finally did manage to raise my two weapon fighting skill above level two hundred. “Well done, Ghost,” I murmured.


    “Who’s Ghost?” Shael asked, hurrying down the stairs.


    I glanced over my shoulder at him. “You’ll meet her soon enough. Ready to go?”


    He nodded firmly.


    I rose to my feet. “Then let’s be about it.”