The flow of mana within my core swirls like storm clouds. Some of the mana within me was pulled directly from the deaths of people within my domain. So it stands to reason, why can't I simply use that mana to revive a person?

  In that same line of thinking is another slew of questions. Do people have souls? Does everything living have a soul? Can I possibly collect or manipulate souls, if they do in fact exist?

  I won't know until I try, and it's not like I can make it worse by doing this, so here goes nothing!

  Mana flows toward a specific spot in my laboratory as I concentrate. Power leaves my core, like water flowing from a reservoir. Light starts to shine from the empty point in space. Mana continues to flow at an increasing speed from my core, gushing out like blood from a wound. I feel a bit dizzy, watching a glowing puff of yellow form from the mana.

  Oh god, that was... draining. That cost me as much mana as making Green Valley!

  The yellow thing--which I am tentatively calling a spirit--floats in place, hovering softly . It's strange to look at. I swear I can see shapes in the spirit's cloudy body. Leaving it floating freely like this feels wrong, so I create a glass jar to contain it.

  I'm not sure if my little experiment can be called a success, but I don't have the mana to do much else with the thing. Perhaps this is a good time to visit Gu?

  Entering my body, I go for a little walk to Gu's area. I can hear the sounds of sniffling before I get there, and worry creases my brows. I run, my feet scraping along the smooth stone floor. I'm panting when I finally get to Gu's room, not finding him in the play area. I can hear him whimpering, the pain and sadness in his little voice all too clear. I rush to the bedroom, finding him lying on his bed with a stuffed animal.

  "Gu? Are you alright?"

  "Gu..."

  His voice sounds so uncharacteristically sad. It's heartbreaking!

  I rush over to him and wrap him in a tender hug, holding him close to my robed self. He doesn't hug me back, but he does make a soft noise acknowledging me. Is he upset with me?

  "Are you mad at me, Gu?"

  "Gu gu!" Gu shakes his head adamantly.

  "Then, what's wrong?"

  Gu goes quiet again, his dark eyes staring down at the stuffed animal he's holding onto. He looks like a wilting flower, his expression easy to read. He's depressed for some reason. He has everything he needs, so why? I give him plenty to eat, water to drink, and a bathroom to do his business. He gets his baths when he needs them. His playroom is full of fun toys and stuff like that. His bed is really comfy, so what's the issue?

  "Gu gur gu."

  "What? You want friends?"

  "Gu."

  I purse my lips, looking from Gu to his stuffed animal.

  "Mom is your friend."

  "Gu!"

  Wincing at his frustrated response, I realize what he needs. I didn't want things to come to this. He could get hurt in a world where I can't protect him from everything. I guess I do understand, as I once had parents I needed to spend time away from--not that I can recall any details about them--I understand what Gu is feeling.

  It's just hard to give him the freedom to be his own person.

  Sighing, I softly squeeze Gu. He will want to know what's happening, and what I intend to do to help him not feel so alone.

  "Gu, I'm going to make you some friends."

  "...Gu?"

  "Yes, a lot of them. I'll also make you a fun place to live, with trees, water, and the sky. All of it."

  "Gu gu!"

  Gu leaps up in excitement, his ears twitching slightly as he grins from ear to ear. His sharp teeth gleam in the light as he makes what I can only describe as a happy purr. Yes, he will have his own place to live with others of his own kind. Of course, I don't intend to let any humans visit his area. That would be inviting disaster.

  "Just wait here for now, Gu, I need to get it ready for you. Okay?"

  "Gu gu."

  Understanding my intentions, Gu scampers past me into the play room. When I walk out I find him with his crayons and some paper. He's drawing pictures of trees, birds, water, all sorts of things he hopes to find. One picture he scribbles catches my attention. It's a drawing of him and several other gremlins, all holding hands. I'm also present, holding hands with the gremlins.

  I didn't think a gremlin's drawing could make me cry, but it does.

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  Sniffing, I make my way back to the core room. The walk is much slower than it was going the other way. I'm in no hurry to send my son off to his own little world. I know I shouldn't make him wait, but I don't want him to go!

  Upon reaching my core I touch it. My body is left behind, and I use the meager amount of mana in my core to start working on a model of Gu's new home. I can't actually make it until I get more mana to work with, but I can plan things out.

  Ideally the gremlins will have a variety of places to choose from when building their home. The gremlin area will have places beneath the ground, rivers populated by fish, and grassy forests with plenty of natural resources. Hopefully Gu likes what I have in store for him.

  ~

  The moonlight paints the trampled remains of the camp in an eerie blueish white hue. I step over torn canvas and splintered wood, careful not to make too much noise. Three others follow behind me. They're just as quiet as I am. A quick glance over the shoulder reveals solemn looks on each of their faces.

  We arrive at the door. It's guarded by two men, each with a spear. They see someone approaching and raise their weapons, but quickly relax upon seeing who we are. I give them a stern look as I approach. They straighten their postures reflexively.

  "Captain Dirk! We hadn't expected to see you here."

  "I'd rather not be here, but you know how orders are."

  "Right, yes, but whose orders are you here on, Captain Dirk?"

  The two guards are suspicious of us. It's understandable, considering Prince Theobald gave the order for the dungeon to be closely guarded. He plans to bring royal soldiers into the dungeon instead of Daywark's guards.

  "The prince wants me to check something for him within the dungeon. The mission is to remain secret to the general public, and that includes most of the men."

  "Figures he'd say something like that... confounded royals."

  He spits on the ground as if offended by the mere mention of Prince Theobald. The prince has gotten quite the reputation since his little speech, specifically among the populace here in Daywark. He's not from here, yet he runs the place like he owns it. It's infuriating.

  "I don't like him as much as you, but I have to follow orders."

  "Of course, Captain Dirk! Sorry to keep you."

  "Happy to see you're staying sharp. Keep a look out for any intruders."

  With that, the man nods to me. The four of us move inside, leaving the two guards behind. Once we're a good way up the spiral stairs beneath the gazebo we slow our pace. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see Billy. He's changed a lot, needing to wear an eye patch. That youthful bravado he usually had before is considerably dampened.

  "Captain Dirk, are you sure this is right?"

  "I didn't bring you here to ask questions, Billy. I brought you here to do a job."

  "You lied to them. Those are your men, and you lied right to their faces."

  Sighing, I shake my head dismissively at the boy. He doesn't understand that sometimes you need to break a few rules to do what's right. He's too naive.

  "Listen, Billy, we are already breaking several laws by going behind Prince Theobald's back, so what is one white lie to pass through the door?"

  "That isn't-"

  "Let's go. We need to be quick, before someone realizes we're gone."

  That shuts Billy up. He doesn't like how I deceived the guards out front, but he's an accomplice. He can't back out anymore than I can. With the conversation settled we move up until we're at the gazebo itself. We're surprised to see Green Valley is not lit by a sun, but instead by a moon.

  We stand there at the top of the stairs, taking in the sight of Green Valley during the night. Somehow none of us have ever been here during the night, and we had come to assume this place didn't experience a night like the rest of the world.

  "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tanner mutters, this being his first time in Green Valley.

  "No. It's dangerous. We should get moving, before someone comes this way."

  Tanner looks a bit embarrassed as I remind him where we are. The poor boy was hurt for so long he missed Green Valley's appearance entirely, and has been stuck in recovery for over a week. Luckily, he was healthy enough for me to recruit him for this operation.

  Henry moves to guide us from the front. While I'm the leader of our group, he's the navigator. He still has the detailed maps he made from our last scouting mission. He moves across the moonlit plateau confidently despite the poor visibility.

  We reach the edge of the plateau, and get a good view of the darkened forest below. The moonlight shimmers off several spiderwebs amongst the trees.

  "Alright, let's get the stake driven into the ground. Tanner?"

  "Right here, Captain Dirk."

  Tanner pulls a large wooden stake from his bag alongside a hammer. I take it and crouch down to start driving the stake into the stable soil of the plateau. Tanner pulls out a long length of rope from his bag as well.

  The thump of the hammer against the head of the stake shakes my arms each time I swing. Billy procures a flask of oil from his own bag. He's careful as he douses the rope in the stuff, ensuring it's soaked thoroughly.

  I've finished driving the wooden stake into the ground. Billy uses the last of the oil to wet the stake, before stowing the empty flask. Tanner moves in now that I'm finished with the stake and hammer. He ties the oil soaked rope to the stake, ensuring it's secure before giving me a nod.

  "I'll go first."

  I take the rope and toss it over the edge of the plateau. Thanks to Henry's detailed notes, we were able to get a rope long enough to get us down. I start to climb down the rope. It's a harrowing descent, my feet and hands hardly able to keep enough of a grip to stop me from simply falling down to the earth below. Damn oil.

  My feet hit the ground with a soft thump. I wipe my oily hands on my pants, stepping back before calling up to the others.

  "Your turn!"

  Barely a second passes before I hear Billy's reply.

  "I'm coming down!"

  The boy is not kidding about coming down. He slides down the rope like a stone sinking to the bottom of a lake. His descent looks rougher than mine, and he hits the ground so hard he grunts from the sudden stop.

  "You good, Billy?" Tanner calls down.

  "I'm fine!"

  Tanner goes next. His climb is much slower than both Billy and I's. He's careful and cautious, probably still remembering when that bullhead gecko broke his ankle. He reaches the ground with a light hop, unscathed.

  Finally, it is Henry's turn. He makes quick work of climbing down the rope--competent as ever--and then pulls the flint out of his bag. He strikes the flint with his knife, showering the oil soaked rope in sparks. It takes several tries and a bit of dry leaves from the forest floor for him to get it to light on fire. When it does, it goes up in flames like dry timber.

  The four of us watch it burn, the starry sky framing the scene.

  We've successfully snuck into the dungeon. Hopefully this will be enough to slow down anyone who tries to pursue us, or at the very least discourage them.