Heather the Necromancer

They stepped into the shimmering surface of the portal together as Heather closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. She wasn't sure what to expect from the experience. Would it be like Breanne pulling her through a wall, or would they arrive in some dark space that had to be traversed? When nothing felt different, she dared to peek and saw the cave under the city tower.

“We’re here already?” she exclaimed and looked about. “I didn’t feel anything.”

“We walked right through it like it was a door between rooms,” Frank replied as he stared back into the shimmering light. “I bet if Quinny was on the other side, we could reach through and hand her something.”

“I like this much better than the dark tunnel in the workshop,” Heather said with a relieved smile. “I was prepared for droning noises and flashing lights.”

“You thought it worked like the tunnels in the workshop. I did too,” he said as they both stepped down, coming to stand in the cave as Frank peered down one of the tunnels.

“Where do you think these go?”

Heather paused to look down the tunnel with him but had nothing to offer. They were large enough for ten people to walk abreast and perhaps three times as high as she was. The floor was level, but the walls were studded with rock formations, glowing fungus, and mushrooms.

“Gwen didn't say, but I assume to other parts of the city, maybe even into the castle,” she replied and pulled at his arm. “Common, let's go see the bookstore and wander the city.”contemporary romance

“Do you think players have started to return yet?” Frank asked, wondering what they might encounter in the city.

“I suppose it is possible,” Heather remarked, sensing his concern. “But we have to remember, I am a princess, and you are a lord. The guards will come to our rescue if we need them, and I am sure Gwen will as well.”

“I know,” Frank replied as they climbed the stairs. “I just don’t want to cause any trouble.”

She nodded and took a breath feeling guilty that he was concerned. “We can go back to the swamp if you want. I won’t make you do this.”

“I want to do it,” he replied and looked down at her. “I want to be here with you. I am just nervous and don’t want to ruin your experience.”

Heather smiled as they climbed the stairs, arriving on the ground floor of her city tower. She relished the abundance of flowers hanging from every surface and smiled when a garden fairy dashed by, spreading a thin blue stream of sparkles behind.

“Oh, how beautiful. I can’t believe Gwen made this for me,” Heather remarked and looked at Frank. “Honestly, you deserve this more than me.”

“You were the one who battled the wizard and got the heart,” Frank pointed out. “The rest of us were stumbling around separated for most of it.”

“Frank, I wouldn't be here or have done this without you,” Heather said and took his hand. “You're my anchor to keep me sane.”

“Then I am a bad anchor because you are obviously crazy,” he replied as she started to laugh.

“Listen, I mean what I said.” Heather began as she tugged at his arm. “You deserve to be a prince and have a plaza or something in the city. I may do good from time to time, but usually, that's because you were there to save me from my mistakes. We should have left with Legeis, not gone on another pointless adventure with Eribold and Margus.”

“Heather, you did what you thought was right. None of us objected strongly or argued to make you see reason. We went along with it because you offered us a chance to do something fun.”

She nodded but blushed to think of how silly it was to have delayed. They could all have been reset and left in a spawn with nothing. She couldn't imagine how guilty that would have made her feel, knowing it was her fault. They walked across the gardens to the walls, where an ornate gate allowed them into the city's streets. The cobbled roads were wide and clean, flanked on both sides by large manor houses and iron fences. Some of the buildings went up almost as high as her tower with soaring windows, stained glass, and decorated with statuary.

“My gargoyles would blend into the roofline here,” Heather remarked, looking up to see all the faces leering down.

“These are player houses,” Frank said as they passed down the empty street. “A player can buy one and then spend points to make it look the way they want. Right now, they are set to Gwen's default style.”

“So we can buy a house, settle down, and raise a family,” Heather said as she walked along until she realized Frank had come to a stop in the street. “Are you alright?”

“We can't raise a family,” Frank said in alarm, nearly tripping on his feet.

“I was kidding,” Heather said with a roll of her eyes. “You are really stressed about us, aren’t you?”

He looked away, walking back to her side as she took his hand.

“Frank, you are overthinking this. If you want to be a good boyfriend, don't change. You were a good boyfriend from the moment I arrived. The only thing that's changed between us is I notice it now.”

“I was just being a friend,” he said as they resumed walking. “I wasn’t trying to win you over.”

“Which is what I like about you,” Heather remarked. “You did those things expecting nothing in return. You did them because you're a nice guy who wanted to help. Honestly, if this world had more people like you in it, it would be an amazing place.”

“There are plenty of nice people in the world. I think you got off to a terrible start because of how isolated we were. You would have been better off spawning in the north where all the player kingdoms are. Then you would have had a chance to see that most players are nice. Trust me, most of them are like Margus and Eribold.”

“I hope so,” Heather replied as they came to a corner. She looked up and down the cross street, trying to spot something that screamed bookstore before shaking her head. “I dragged you out here to see my bookstore, and I have no idea where it is. If I had taken even a moment to think about this, I would have suggested we ask Gwen where it was. Am I always this impulsive?”

“Not always,” Frank replied with a scratch at his bald head. “Sometimes you think things through to scary degrees, and other times it seems like you jump without looking.”

“That’s because I was jumping without looking. All I wanted was to get out, and I refused to be happy here. I had no idea what to do or how to go about doing it, so I just did things with no thought. I only think things through when there is a puzzle to be solved or some mystery to uncover. I should honestly be grateful for this Hathlisora business because it gave me something to focus on. What I need is time to sit still and honestly think about what I am doing.”

“Then I am grateful we moved because you finally have a place to be still. We are hidden, and nobody knows where to find us. We have time to build, think, and make good decisions. We're finally clear of the danger of bounty hunters showing up to claim our heads.”

Heather shook her head and turned on him, pointing a finger in his face. “See, that right there is my fault! How many times did you tell me we should leave, a dozen or more? How often did I brag I would stand and face them? What did I think I was going to do? I knew I couldn't win a fight against a small army of higher players, but I was so determined not to play by the rules. I wasn't going to run because I shouldn't have to, because I shouldn’t be persecuted for being a necromancer. None of my stubbornness was going to change the outcome. All I did was put my friends in danger.”

“Those were bad choices on your behalf, but look where we are now,” he pointed out while holding his arms up. “If we had run when I first told you, it would have been to a distant spawn point to hide from Moon. We would never have met Breanne, Legeis, or Finneous. We would never have come here and met Gwen, and we wouldn't be walking down a city street together with no worry about what might happen. Yes, you made a couple of bad choices, but in the end, it worked out.”

Heather smiled and stepped closer to run her hand along his arm. “This is what makes you special. You always see the good points and try to make me see them too. How on earth didn’t I notice it before?”

“You were still coming to terms with being abducted and thrown into a world full of things that want to eat you. You can also dig in your heels and refuse to cooperate worse than any person I have ever known.”

“Alright, that’s enough honesty for one day,” Heather remarked as she looked away.

“Quinny also said I friend-zoned myself by being too nice,” he replied with a shrug.

“Ah yes, Quinny the grand philosopher of love. She tried to tell me you were being more than nice to me. I didn't see it even when somebody pointed right to it and told me to look at it. I am blind sometimes.”

“Heather,” Frank said in a firm tone. He came to a dead stop and turned to face her, putting a hand to her arm as she looked up into his face. “I am a ghoul. Not only that, I went out of my way to make myself look as unappealing and repulsive as possible. You didn’t see me because it was so hard to look at me.”

“I should have noticed sooner,” she protested, but he shook his head in return.

“Why should you have? As if you being in shock and my appearance wasn't bad enough, you were attacked by players at every turn. Moon distracted you, then the goblin business came along and put you on that trail. Players kept coming to the graveyard hunting for the necromancer, and every day you had to face some threat. Half the time I hid underground, afraid to let you look at me.”

“Why?” Heather asked, feeling terrible for him. She had no idea he was hiding from her sight. Did she react that badly to his appearance that he felt self-conscious about it? Come to think of it, she did look away a lot and even made faces as if disgusted.

“I didn’t want you to leave,” he admitted. “I finally had a friend, and I was afraid I would drive you away.”

“Hardly,” Heather laughed. “I needed somebody who could carry heavy things.”

“Would you be serious for a moment,” Frank sighed.

“Oh, I didn't mean to mock your pain. I make jokes to lighten the mood. I don't mean to be insensitive. Honestly, Frank, I am not a very nice person. I am self-absorbed and bratty. I take things out on others, lose my temper, and as you already said, I can be stubborn. Maybe you would have been better off if you had driven me away.”

“Then I would be alone, wishing I had a friend,” he replied.

Heather smiled and took his hand or more a finer since his hands were three times the size of hers. She gave him a firm squeeze before picking a street at random to walk down, eager to get past this awkward conversation. They wandered through the buildings smiling whenever an NPC addressed them as lord and lady. Patrols of guards occasionally walked by, nodding their heads in acknowledgment but otherwise ignoring them.

Eventually, they arrived at a market square to find it very different than when they first visited. The whole of the plaza was longer, with a green lawn of grass in the middle. Tall trees grew in neat rows down the sides, and stone paths wound their way through gardens of sunny flowers. A statue in the center made Heather groan as she looked at yet another image of herself. This one was a little more daring than Franks, with a naked body whose sensitive parts were covered by carefully placed vines or flowers. She looked as if she was flying into the air, holding one hand aloft and looking up into the palm. The other hand held a disk with the unicorn symbol at her waist.

“Well,” Frank began as he scratched at his head. “It certainly captures my image of you.”

Heather laughed and shoved him before taking a step closer. “If you had put this in my garden, I would have chased you out and then eaten all the cookies.”

“I suppose it’s a little daring,” he offered, taking a step around to see the backside.

“Hey!” Heather snapped as he looked a the marble posterior. “That’s bad boyfriend behavior!”

“There is no flower of vine back here,” he offered as Heather stormed around to see he was right. Her marbled posterior sparkled in the light, the smooth surface exposed for all to see.

“Oh no, no, no, no, no no!” she stammered as Frank leaned over to look closer. “Hey, go stand in front!”

“I was admiring it for its artistic value,” he suggested as she shoved him again with no effect.

“This has got to go,” Heather sighed as they walked around it. “I am not having my backside displayed in marble for the whole city to see.”

“Does that mean you don't like it?” Gwen asked, startling them both.

Heather jumped and turned about to see Gwen standing just ten paces away, smiling with a ring of blue stones on her dark hair. She wore a dark blue gown with golden trims that had impossibly broad sleeves that draped nearly to her knees.

“Why is this here?” Heather demanded a sound of shock in her voice.

“I wanted to honor the new princess of the city. You did do something nobody else even cared to do, and I wanted others to know.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but this isn't exactly honoring,” Heather countered. “I am practically naked.”

“So what is wrong with that?” Gwen asked, a look of amusement on her face.

“Aren’t you suppose to be my mother?” Heather asked with a firm tone. “Do you want the whole city to see your daughter naked?”

Gwen smiled and covered a laugh with a delicate hand before approaching to look up at the statue.

“I thought your beauty should be allowed to shine,” Gwen said. “Other cities have statues of local women with far more exposed.”

Heather looked aghast at such a revelation and looked back to her marble rear, glistening in the light. She tried for just a moment to see it Gwen's way but couldn't get past it. “No, it has to go. At least put a dress on or something.”

“If it will make you feel better,” Gwen said and held out her hand, a blue light forming in her palm as the kingdom heart appeared out of thin air. Gwen stared into the light while gesturing with her other hand. The statue changed in the blink of an eye to Heather in a fancy dress, with hair braided down the back full of flowers. “Better?”

“Thank goodness nobody saw that,” Heather sighed.

“Oh, people saw it. I got a compliment about it earlier.”

Heather looked up in shock as Gwen smiled and closed her hand, the blue glow fading away.

“Who saw it?” she demanded.

“Just some adventurers from the north,” Gwen said. “A dozen arrived to investigate the city.”

“And they saw that statue?”

Gwen nodded. “Theorin said he found it to be very moving.”

Heather’s face went bright red as she considered the possibility that a dozen men had been standing on this very lawn gawking at her rear.

“We have to move again,” she said as Gwen came to her side.

“Oh, don't overreact,” Gwen insisted. “I am sorry about the statue. I didn't realize you would be offended. If you travel some of the northern kingdoms, you will see full nude statues of prominent women. You can even buy copies for your personal collection.”

“I want to buy one of the first statue,” Frank said as Heather turned to glare at him with murder in her eyes.

“Do you want other men looking at me like that?” she demanded as he suddenly changed his expression to one of doubt. “I thought not.”

“He was only teasing you,” Gwen said, then began to look Frank up and down. “Did you change your appearance? You look taller.”

Frank explained the few changes he made nervously, glancing at Heather. Gwen noted the glances and smiled, holding her head high and sharing a glance or two at Heather herself.

“I see,” Gwen said in a gentle voice. “Well, I am sure she has her reasons for making you change.”

“He never said I made him change,” Heather countered, but Gwen paid her no mind, stepping across the lawn with a flowing grace. “Come, I am sure you are looking for your bookstore.”

“Yes, we are,” Frank answered as they fell in behind her.

“So tell me, why did you pick the ghoul?” Gwen asked as they walked across the plaza.

Frank scratched at his head nervously as he explained the whole story. He liked the idea of being a ghoul and build a grand graveyard adventure full of tombs and hidden tunnels. He came into the world full of dreams, but it never worked out the way he planned. Players kept ruining the things he built, taking pleasure in undoing his plans.

“Yes, some players can be a nuisance,” Gwen agreed. “I will do what I can to pass laws over your regions, but I can’t prevent players from attacking you.”

“I don’t mind if they attack me. I just don’t want them to reset me.”

Gwen nodded and folded her arms, so the long cuffs of her sleeves met. “Well, fortunately, you have a little extra insurance on that now.”

“Insurance, how?” he asked in confusion.

“You are a lord in my kingdom,” Gwen said. “The whole of the kingdom counts as your lair now. No matter where you die inside the boundaries, you will be protected.”

“The graveyard isn’t inside your kingdom,” Heather reminded.

“Not so,” Gwen said and turned her head to regard Heather. “You do realize you are a part of this kingdom.”

“Yes,” Heather said with a raised brow. “So what?”

“So, where your home is, my influence follows. Since you are a princess and settled in unclaimed lands, you create a radius of ownership that belongs to me. My control now extends all the way to your homes and beyond.”

“It does?” Heather said in disbelief.

Gwen nodded and guided them around a corner and down a side street.

“Any noble title grants a radius of control since you are also family that radius is larger. Your friend Finneous throws a huge radius because he is king and is sitting right on the edge of my sphere of control. He gives me access to all of the upper swamps. You give me access to a section of the northern mountains.” She paused and glanced at them both with a funny smile. “I also seem to have inherited some options from you.”

“From me?” Heather remarked with a wary glance to Frank.

“It would appear I can add undead to my graveyards and pick goblin as a race for my NPC's.”

“You can?” Frank asked, not believing what he was hearing.

“I most certainly can. I can even place the NPC’s in either of the two goblin villages that flank your homes.”

“Two villages?” Heather exclaimed. “Oh my gosh, Umtha must be here!”

“She must have been building in the swamp someplace,” Frank said.

“She is on the mountain,” Gwen said. “Just south of your lairs along the outer ring. She has used a narrow trail to get up and is now carving a whole goblin settlement out of the rock. She is an industrious one. I am amazed at how quickly they build.”

Heather was relieved to know Umtha was safe but nervous to know she would be calling about the egg soon.

“Is something the matter?” Gwen asked as she turned another corner.

“Umtha is the goblin queen and my friend. She wants me to do something for her, but I keep putting it off. She will be mad when she finds out I still haven't done it.”

“What is this something?” Gwen pressed as Heather twisted nervously.

“She wants me to take a magical item back to where it belongs,” Heather replied.

“Are you referring to the staff or the egg?” Gwen asked.

“You know about the egg?” Heather asked as Frank spoke over her asking. “What staff?”

Gwen nodded, aware they were confused and decided to explain. Since the mountain was now inside her domain, she could use special options to explore and search the area. One such option could see large power sources and discovered two. There was a mysterious egg hidden in a frozen cave behind the tower. There was also a staff of some kind wrapped in red cloth in a dark room.

“It’s laying in the pile of gold,” she added as if they both understood exactly where that was.

“What pile of gold?” Heather pressed. “We have no idea where this is.”

Gwen held up a hand, the kingdom heart blazing to life. She held it out as it formed an opaque window that suddenly looked like a television showing them a tunnel in the mountain.

“This is the kitchen, I believe,” Gwen said as the view soared through the room, revealing Quinny eating more cookies.

“Hey! Why is she always eating all the cookies?” Heather remarked with a clenched fist, but the vision moved on. It went out the door and down a hall, turning twice before coming to where her bone champion stood guard at her door. It swept right past, going to a section of empty wall, then passed through it. Beyond was a dark room, but Gwen caused it to brighten slightly as Frank and Heather marveled.

Gold was everywhere, as were chests, urns, books, papers, swords, shields, crates, and barrels. The vision zoomed in and settled on a long object wrapped in red cloth. The object came into focus, and the screen they looked through suddenly began to display information.

[Player crafted ‘Staff of focus'- Level rating 50. Manufacturer: Hathlisora Attunement: Attuned to player Heather. Spell effects: Unknown, Item Quality: Masterwork. Item Type: Crafting component]

“It’s attuned to you,” Frank said with shock in his voice.

“What does that mean?” Heather asked, unable to appreciate what she was seeing.

“It means only you can use it,” Gwen replied. “You didn’t know this was here?”

“The place is full of secret tunnels and rooms,” Heather sighed. “We haven’t found and explored them all yet.”

“Why would Hathlisora create a staff for you and then hide it where you were sure to find it?” Gwen asked.

Heather glanced to Frank, who looked decidedly unsure of how to answer. She looked back to Gwen and remembered that she already knew Heather was a necromancer and didn't care. What harm would there be in telling her about Hathlisora and Heather’s connection? As the story began, Gwen listened in earnest, her face losing the gentle smile and taking on a stern appearance.

“I am more than familiar with this name,” Gwen said when the story was done. “Hathlisora was famous for going places other players feared to tread. Some say she even went to Abbadon and returned. She and her band of friends tackled some of the most dangerous monsters recorded and won. For a while, she was a good friend of King Keven, who was a member of their group. Then something changed, and she was hated by the paladins and especially the dragon knights.

The rumor was she managed to steal some player's power and use it to her own devices. She was also fond of stealing dragons away from the knights to set them free.”

“The dragons are NPC’s summoned by the knights,” Frank said as Gwen turned her gaze on him.

“Some of them are, and some of them aren’t. Awhile back, a dragon knight captured a young dragon, and they learned they could force their bind on it, using a wild dragon as their mount. It became a symbol of their power to capture a wild dragon and make it a mount over a summoned one.”

“That still makes them NPC’s,” Heather said. “Wild or summoned, they are generated by the world and thus NPCs.”

“Are they now?” Gwen said. “Kevin believed his dragon was a player. He swears on it to this very day, not allowing anyone even to suggest otherwise.”

“I knew players who insisted some giants were players,” Frank added.

“I never saw dragon as a choice, and I looked,” Heather said with a shake of her head. “Is there something even higher than a chosen that might have more options?”

“Not that I am aware of,” Gwen said with a nod. “But then I still know very little about this world. I sometimes wonder what can be found beyond what players have explored. I suppose Hathlisora knows.”

“Monsters nobody wants to imagine,” Heather remarked.

Gwen resumed her smile and motioned them forward as a patrol of guards saluted before passing.

“So you are mixed up in Hathlisora as well,” Gwen said, her voice showing no hint of emotion. “King Kevin would kill to have you in his dungeons. A necromancer with a direct connection to one of his hated rivals. How I wish I had known her, she was fearless before his wrath.”

“She looks like Heather,” Frank said. “Only with horns and wings.”

“Hmm,” Gwen replied with a glance that made Heather nervous. “They say the goblins served her, and so did some of the dragons in thanks for being rescued. The necromancers and her were supposedly working on some terrible project. Did you know they broke the sun?”

“I heard that,” Heather replied, growing more and more nervous. “Listen, Frank is right, I look like her, and the goblins think so too. That's why they help me, but I don’t understand how that translated into you being able to use them.”

“Nor do I, and it is a fascinating mystery, but we can talk about this later; we're here.” Gwen turned and approached a broad building made of chiseled stone and narrow windows. It was two stories tall, looking very unassuming among the other shops and buildings on the street. A sign above the door said Hannah's used books, buy, and sell.

“Shall we go in?” Gwen asked before leading the way.

Inside was a simple shop full of dark wooden shelves and tables on which were a tiny selection of books. Most of the space was empty, but Heather looked about, marveling at the lovely little shop.

“I have an NPC in mind to run it,” Gwen said. “I will set some boundaries for prices and make sure she does a good job.”

Heather walked down a narrow aisle between two shelves as Gwen explained how shopkeepers worked. She ran a hand along the polished wood, feeling right about the shop and wishing bookstores were still common in the real world. She loved the quiet environment of a bookstore and once dreamed of opening one. Now she had one, in her own little fantasy world where she was a princess and her boyfriend a ghoul. It was a funny sort of feeling to think of how strange her life was and how accustomed to it she had become.

“Do I have to bring some money to buy books with?” Heather asked as she picked up one of the few books in the shop.

“Judging by what you have in that room, I am sure you have plenty to spare, but don't worry about it. I will set the bookstore up to use my funds,” Gwen replied. “I have another thought since you have shared your secret with me. I knew a man who was close to Hathlisora. He worked with her band of adventurers for a while and might be able to tell you more about her. If you want, I can send a discreet letter asking him to come to speak with you.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t do anything to draw attention,” Frank suggested. “We are finally free, and making contact with this person might be dangerous.”

“Why would it be dangerous?” Gwen asked.

Frank ran a hand over his head as he looked about nervously. “We don't know how he feels about Hathlisora now or who he talks to. For all we know, he might bring friends or realize who Heather is and seek the bounty.”

“I can word the letter to make it clear he should tell no one of its contents or where he is going,” Gwen countered with a displeased look.

Heather was about to argue but remembered their conversation from earlier. Frank had been right about nearly everything, and he was more than likely right now. They were free and could finally play for fun instead of always wondering who was about to attack. She turned around and took a deep breath, unable to believe what she was about to say.

“I agree with Frank. We have been on edge for weeks; worried somebody was about to kill or capture me. We feel safe here, and all I want to do now is help my friends build. Hathlisora can wait until I am ready to deal with her.”

“I understand,” Gwen said with a glance at Frank. “She trusts your judgment. You must be a good friend.”

“I am just a friend,” Frank said, feeling decidedly uncomfortable.

“Frank is my boyfriend,” Heather spoke up as she walked right to him and took his hand. “He is the nicest guy I have ever known, and I owe him so much.”

Gwen nodded, her smile never wavering. “I had a feeling you and him were close. I am proud of you. Not many can see through the surface to the person inside, though I would have made him change those teeth too.”

“Oh, I know, those had to go,” Heather groaned.

“I liked them,” Frank argued as both women ignored him.

“He looks better walking upright,” Gwen said as she studied him. “Can you change the color of your skin?”

“I can pick from shades of green, gray, and mustard yellows,” Frank replied, feeling like he was on display.

“The gray is the best choice then,” Gwen agreed as she stepped around him. “He has a very broad frame.”

“He keeps taking toughness upgrades,” Heather said.

“And strength,” Frank added. “I want to be tanky.”

“Hmm, you have the zombie girl and the banshee as well,” Gwen said as she began to pace. “You can summon pets in number, can't you?”

“I can under the right circumstances,” Heather replied. “I also have one strong guardian skeleton. He does most of my fighting.”

“Heather is usually our healer,” Frank said. “She can heal both living and undead.”

“Right, because she is the flower singer as well,” Gwen nodded. “The banshee woman is nearly all ranged, you are a tank, the zombie is raw dps, and you have a healer who packs her own backup tank. You have quite the adventuring group.”

“It works well,” Frank said. “Legeis comes with us now too. He is a pretty good tank.”

“The goblin,” Gwen said. “I figured him for more of a rogue.”

“He is,” Heather replied. “He can find traps and pick locks, but he builds machines and bombs and can dish out a lot of damage.”

“What about your father?” Gwen asked as Heather choked.

“Please don't call him that,” Heather replied with a roll of her eyes. “He already pulled that on me, and it makes my skin crawl.”

“Finneous is just a friend. He doesn't adventure with us,” Frank said. “He wandered in one day and offered to build a town nearby our last lairs. We needed a town, so we said yes, but later learned he was out here because he was trying to hide from something.”

“Yes, he appears to have something to hide,” Gwen said with narrow eyes. “I wonder what it is.”

“He seems like a nice guy,” Frank insisted. “But he doesn’t want anybody to look too closely at him.”

“I wonder if he has a bounty?” Gwen replied. “I should put up a notice board and see if a bounty for him appears.”

“What’s a notice board?” Heather asked out of curiosity.

“It's a sort of message board that you can link to other towns and cities. Anything one town posts to the board appear on all the boards that share the same link. It's a great way to post bounties and requests for rare items to trade.”

“Hmm, could I post ads for the bookstore asking for specific books?”

“By all means,” Gwen said. “I was very well connected to the region. I had planned to put one up in a day or two and then advertise that the city was open again and player housing is abundant. That should draw in a good number of players looking for a home and place to play.”

“We had some friends we sent north to spread the word,” Heather mentioned. “They should have people on the way already.”

“Well, it looks like our city will be bustling in no time then.”

“That reminds me!” Heather cried out as her memory finally jogged. “What is the name of the city?”

“You don’t know?” Gwen asked with a broad smile.

“You told us the kingdom is Ellowshire, but none of us has a clue what the city is called.”

“Gwendalhall,” Gwen said with a smile. “I named it after myself.”

“I figured,” Heather laughed and swung Frank’s hand. “Well, this has been a fun date.”

“Oh, is this a date?” Gwen asked with hands on her hips. “You can't take a girl to a bookstore.”

“It was her idea, and it isn’t a date. We just came to the city to see the book store,” Frank said defensively, glancing to Heather for support.

“Did you ask her to come?” Gwen asked.

“Yes,” Frank said in a slow voice.

“Then, it’s a date,” Gwen huffed and threw her head back as if annoyed with the whole situation. “You two will follow me. I have a tavern set up and running with NPC's where you can have a meal and a bottle of wine.” She paused to give Frank a slight smile before turning that smile on Heather. “You know if you marry him, I can name him a prince.”

“Gwen!” Heather cried as Gwen started to laugh.

“Come on, your table is waiting,” Gwen said and led the way.

Heather and Frank followed behind in silence, both suitably embarrassed as Gwen told them all about the wedding they could have in the cathedral. Heather glanced at Frank to see he was even more uncomfortable than she was. He jumped when she took his hand but relaxed as she tightened her grip. How her life had changed in so short a time, and how grateful she was it had. With a sigh, she gave up being so self-conscious and decided to play along, asking Gwen if her wedding dress could be yellow.

done.co