“Wait, still not ready.” Malcolm hung his head.

  Valgrin, Malcolm, and Skwilly lingered on the other side of the street from Izzah Place. The sky loomed black, swollen with rain. Three times they stepped forward, and three times they shrank back.

  Valgrin let out a slow breath, his eyes heavy on Malcolm. “Could be we’re making this harder on ourselves with each attempt. But I dread doing this.”

  “Me too.” Malcolm’s shoulders tightened. “I’m going to close my eyes and just head across. Yell at me if I go off target or something is going to hit me.” He squeezed his eyes shut theatrically, then bolted across the cobblestone.

  “Wai…” Valgrin sighed and followed close behind, muttering directions and a few extra words at Malcolm.

  They stopped, all taking a deep breath in front of the door.

  “Okay, we made it before she opened. Now, let’s go tell them.” Malcolm swung the door open and stepped inside. “Greetings to all.” He shouted out.

  The sound of clanging escaped out of the kitchen. Izzy and Deeah came running from around the corner.

  "Woooh, been wondering if you'd be back tod—" Izzy froze mid-sentence. Her gaze darted from face to face, counting absences. "The others," she asked, her tempo accelerating with each word. "Something's happened."

  Deeah's fingers twisted into Izzy's sleeve. "What is it?" The pitch of her question rose sharply as her features hardened into a mask. She shadowed Izzy's steps toward Malcolm.

  Izzy's jaw tightened as she drew close enough for Malcolm to see the tremor in her lips. Her whisper emerged brittle, barely controlled. "Steeyann. Where is he? Is he safe?"

  When Malcolm finished his story, his words hung in the air like smoke. Before Izzy could crumple, he caught her against his chest, her body quaking beneath his grip. He watched Valgrin step toward Deeah, arms out, and hug her. Both women trembled, their faces streaked with tears. Izzy sobbed into Malcolm’s shoulder, her breath hitching. Deeah’s cries joined in, sharp and raw. They remained locked together, a knot of shared anguish, until the storm of initial shock passed. Without speaking, they drifted to the nearest table and sank into chairs, their shoulders forming a broken circle, each breath still unsteady as the weight of the news settled over them.

  Skwilly walked over to Izzy and sat next to her chair. “Would you like me to go outside and let customers know you’ll be closed for lunch or the day?”

  “Huh?” Izzy looked down at the priggy, “Closing? I should. I need something to write with and paper.” She jumped up and ran toward her office. “Be right back. Need to make a sign. Be right back. Closed? For the day.” Her voice trailed off into mutters.

  Malcolm’s chair scrapped the floor as he pushed back. Valgrin lay his hand on Malcolm’s forearm. “Might be a good thing to let her have a moment alone before you go in. Maybe only go halfway and wait a bit? Skwilly, do you need me to open the door?”

  “Nope, I can get it with my nose. I’ll go now.” Skwilly trotted out the door.

  Malcolm nodded and walked closer to the office, then stopped. Do I say anything? Or just be silent? Do both somehow?

  He heard Deeah asking Valgrin some questions, both whispering to each other. A few minutes later, Izzy stepped out of the office. She noticed Malcolm and gave him a quick smile.

  “Here’s a sign and some tacks. Would you handle this for me?” She asked.

  Malcolm took it from her hands. “I’ll do it right after I walk you back to your chair.” He offered her an arm. She took it, leaning into him, for the ten steps left.

  “Hung up the sign,” Malcolm announced as he as Skwilly returned through the door. He took his chair next to Izzy and joined in the silence.

  Wood creaked when someone shifted their weight, a shoe scuffed the floor from time to time. These were the only sounds around the table for nearly half an hour. Izzy’s cough seemed deafening.

  She lifted her head and wiped her eyes with her fingertips. “Tahlur, you said?” Her voiced cracked as she asked.

  Malcolm nodded.

  The sharp crack of a slap on the tabletop caused everyone to jump, then look over at Izzy. She stood up and her fist crashed into the table. “Tahlur! I gave him hospitality! I shared my food!” She slammed her fist down again, her body trembled. “He dishonors me, Steeyann, and all he called friend.”

  Malcolm stood, his body vibrated, heat rushed to his face. His teeth ground together as he growled in harmony to Izzy’s pain filled rant.

  “I have the dagger he used. It has some of Steeyann’s health stored in it. I will use that on Tahlur. Steeyann will take part in delivering justice.” Malcolm’s volume never grew to more than a loud, harsh whisper.

  “We will all watch Tahlur get what he deserves.” Izzy snarled as she dropped into her chair. “I want that. I’d give away levels to have that happen. But at the same time, a voice is shouting at me to not do this, don’t go too far.”

  “I’ll go too far for you,” Malcolm promised, still whispering through clinched teeth. He caught Valgrin’s worried look. No need to worry. I know exactly what I need to do. You don’t even need to help.

  Izzy’s smile never reached her eyes. She scooted her chair closer to the table. “First, I know you left a lot out of what you told us. Thank you. I’m not sure I could have handled the details now, but someday I will want a more detailed accounting of what Tahlur did.”

  Valgrin cocked his head. “Yes, we edited the story and held back details. I will sit down and fill in the details if you find it necessary.”

  “I will, eventually. I have to put the story together and knowing there are things I could know, but don’t, would eat at me. The truth, hopefully, will be easier to take than what my imagination can serve.”

  “Tell Deeah and Izzy what you told me earlier.” Malcolm said as he reached for Izzy’s hand. She clutched at it.

  “Good idea.” Valgrin leaned forward, planting both elbows on the table, his fingers steepled in front of his chin. “The day we showed up here, those three thugs that picked a fight—were probably staged by, or for, Tahlur. The fact he was there when we arrived and the timing of those guys coming in, people knew far enough in advance we’d show up there. Could be Drathnor, but I don’t think so. This all makes me highly suspect there is at least one more party involved, and they’d need to be higher up the food chain.”

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  “It would seem we walked in at the right time.”

  Everyone spun around, chairs bounced on the floor. A seven foot tall yellow-gold humanish creature stood alongside Fred.

  “It’s a Mavvonian.” Izzy’s whisper carried a deep sense of awe.

  The creature spoke, a mouth that had no visible lips began moving. A second passed before any sound was heard. “Yes, I am Mavvon. My name is Ggyllum.” Fred stumbled as Ggyllum pulled him forward. “And I’ve been told you know this one.”

  “Fred?” Valgrin asked.

  “He’s been silenced, for now.” Ggyllum pointed a graceful, long finger to the opposite end of the table. “Go sit there.”

  Fred nodded slowly and stared at the floor as he walked to his seat.

  Malcolm stepped toward the yellow being, his eyes narrowed. “What is going on here? You don’t just—“

  Izzy pulled Malcolm away, a finger on his lips to quiet him. “The Mavvon will explain. We must be patient.”

  He saw the pleading in Izzy’s eyes. Malcolm felt a slight tug, knowing something replaced the sadness and hurt for her at the moment. He held his hands up, “Sorry, everything has just got me—“

  “No need to apologize,” Ggyllum interrupted, as he sat at the head of the table and motioned for everyone to sit. “I barged into a volatile situation and expected some bumpiness—but I also need to get right to the details with little fanfare. So, shock you into paying attention. That’s the plan.”

  He pointed at Valgrin and Malcolm. “The two of you may have some problems keeping up—I’ll try to clear things up for you, but you may need to let the ladies fill you in later. I have a lot to cover, so I’m going to keep it simple, for now at least. Okay with that?”

  Malcolm groaned internally when Valgrin held up a finger. Don’t get off target or caught up in the how—let’s work on getting the story first.

  “Context here would be helpful. We’ve kept up with most everything that came our way since getting here. You walking in here with Fred and wanting to get into details, with nothing else to go on, will not work. For all I know, you could be the one behind all this.”

  The gasp from Izzy, Fred, and Deeah came out, just as if they had been all waiting for the right cue.

  “You don’t question a Mavvon’s loyalty.” Izzy whispered across the table.

  Malcolm defended Valgrin. “My friend makes a point. We have no context, only heard the word Mavvon for the first time—so how would we know what you do or don’t do with one? Some explaining would speed all of this up.”

  “Your points are well taken. Perhaps we rely on convention too often and forget there are those who don’t have the knowledge to understand things.” Ggyllum stood up.

  Malcolm watched the yellow Mavvon unfurl. Slender, stick thin in some places, it stood behind the chair.

  “As I’ve said, my name is Ggyllum, I am from Structure Null, or as many call it, The Nothing Structure.”

  Noting both Izzy and Deeah sit up straighter and their eyes widening bothered Malcolm. “So, you’re from nothing?”

  Valgrin clicked his teeth. Malcolm looked over at him and got the expected glare. I’ll reign in the snark. He offered a small nod.

  Ggyllum laughed. “Some say. The actual, current, identifier is Structure zero point zero point zero point zero. It’s just easier to say Structure Null. “

  “That would be the Master Structure?” Valgrin asked.

  “That would be the one. We prefer not to call it that, but it’s what most everyone knows.”

  “And that’s important why?” Malcolm tried not to snarl.

  “I am from the Master Structure. Your query to Sandy during orientation sat off all types of alarms. We’ve been digging into things, investigating loopholes and trying to figure out where we can go from here.”

  “For starters, your friend down there.” Ggyllum pointed at Fred. “Pulled you into the EverNever outside of all valid allowances. In short, neither one of you should be here. To the best of our knowledge, an exception was requested to permit the recruitment of creators. An assumption to follow standard recruitment procedures was made when granting the request. They were forged in your case. At least it seems there was no heart-attack, or accidents, for either of you—intercepting a moment of death is a valid allowance. Since you know him, I’ll allow him to speak now.”

  Fred cleared his throat. “It is true I knew bringing you back was most likely invalid. I kept getting told there was an exception and a loophole in play, but I didn’t ask to see them. This was a chance to become relevant again. To be a respected GameMaster again, not resting on what had been.”

  He looked at Valgrin, then turned to Malcolm, his haunted eyes imploring both for understanding. “I did not know that anyone meant harm to you, or others around you. They told me that by bringing you directly in, we could get an infusion of new magic flowing. I bought in and because it gave me something I wanted, I didn’t ask questions. By the time I found out there might be problems, you were both here. And even then, it seemed to be political, not vengeance.”

  “Who?” Izzy demanded.

  “Brings us here.” Ggyllum spread his hands apart. “We know someone or ones of the Board, not sure who yet. Plus, as Valgrin pointed out earlier, to a degree. There seems to be enough evidence to possibly point elsewhere as well.”

  “You don’t know?” Izzy plopped into her chair again, her brows furrowed. “Your Mavvon.”

  “Which has been over-glamorized, it seems. We may be almost all-knowing. But you can still stampede a herd of lewvais through the holes in our knowledge. We knew we had a big problem on our hands when Sandy brought you to our attention.”

  “But you can set it all right and then send me home?” Valgrin fired off the question, then added. “After we take care of a few things.”

  “Can’t send you home, at least not without finding out what’s going on. Looks like you’re anchored to this story, and maybe more. You’re tied here until it’s resolved.” Ggyllum sat back down.

  “You can’t do anything?” Valgrin’s question was tainted with a whine.

  “We have rules we must abide by otherwise the actions we make the could bring about drastic change or failure to the Structure. The Bleeding Tree is waiting to jump on any mistakes we make.”

  “Bleeding Tree?” Malcolm took a turn at asking a question.

  “Yes, they are the foundational reason the Structure is in place. The Sahomma and the Bleeding Tree bound themselves to the Structure pact. It governs how our universes exist.”

  “Did you understand any of that?” Malcolm turned to Valgrin. “I didn’t. I know less now than I did before the Ggyllum here walked in.”

  Ggyllum bowed, then motioned for Fred to join him. “As I said all of this is to be expected. I will be in contact with you again. Just know that someone higher than Drathnor is playing some game. That’s the big news you need to take from today.” Ggyllum pushed Fred towards the door. “Should be back here in a couple of days or weeks.” And he walked out the door.

  Chaos took two seconds to explode once Ggyllum left. Everyone asking questions on top of each other.

  “Quiet!” Deeah slammed her mug down, the crack of ceramic on wood slicing through the din. “Enough already.” The table stilled; eyes flicked up. She motioned for the rest to sit. “I have nothing to add, except that we need order, and we need a plan. Things just got weird. Izzy, you take the lead.”

  Malcolm raised a tentative hand. “Valgrin and I are still trying to make sense of all of this. Izzy, is this something you want to lead? I don’t know a lot about you, so forgive me if I’m stepping in it, but if you’re not sure, you can lead this. If not, I’ll take over for you.”

  Izzy arched an eyebrow, eyes narrowing. “You seemed to dance around the idea of not wanting to follow a woman, or maybe you just doubt a woman can do the job?”

  “Um, no and no.” Malcolm managed a quick, lopsided smile. “Maybe I danced to avoid sounding like I had a problem with it—but my concern is the shock, and how close you are to your brother. It may be clouding your judgement. I’d have asked the same thing of Valgrin over there.”

  Izzy stared him down for a long second, then shook her head. “Sorry. Knee-jerk reaction after a lifetime of fighting to be taken seriously.”

  “No offense taken. But back to my question,” Malcolm pressed.

  “Izzy led a famous adventuring crew,” Deeah cut in. “Most called them Iz-a-crew. We called it family. I was on the crew, once. When Izzy retired, she offered me this job. Most of the crew retired, too.” Deeah paused, then jabbed a finger at Malcolm. “For her credentials; she’s listed in the guild hall as the crew leader with the most jobs completed, and the highest completion rating.”

  “We get someone who knows how to adventure, and knows this world. Sounds like a win to me.” Valgrin clapped the Eurythelon on the back.

  Malcolm shot Valgrin a look. “Yes, excellent and extremely qualified. Something I didn’t have in front of me a few seconds ago.”

  “I get it, I do.” Izzy waved her hands, palms up. “This isn’t the best way to learn about things. Trying to give you years of history in a few minutes. You have a right to be upset, but it’s time to use a little trust.”

  “Noted. Care to fill us in on any of the other stuff?”

  “I think right now, getting ready to go back down there is the highest priority. We plan, make sure we have supplies—and then we go avenge my brother.”