Heather collected the bones leftover from Frank and Quinny's raid on her yard and tower. It was a good exercise in her defenses and highlighted some weak areas that needed to be worked on. They dared to attack the second floor and thankfully found the NPC guards to be a decent fight. Quinny was nearly killed in the battle, and Frank heavily wounded, proving they were an excellent addition. Now she raced the clock to assemble a golem before the skeletons began to respawn, and the bones faded.

In the workshop, Legeis and Breanne toiled to lash bones together with wire, while Frank and Quinny arranged them in a roughly humanoid shape. She used some surviving skeletons to pack them up to the workshop as fast as they could.

As time ran out, she took her place, setting the kingdom heart in the slot and beginning her incantation. The new golem was invested with a highly programmed NPC spirit, and they waited to see the results. Its eyes began to glow with green light as it slowly stood, turning to Heather for instruction.

“It worked?” Quinny laughed. “We had a small army of bones the whole time, and we never thought of using it.”

“Don't remind me,” Heather sighed as she inspected the new creation. This one had four normal arms that she intended to give swords. To make it more fearsome, they added extra ribs as spikes on its shoulders. The legs were doubled up, with bones lashed together to make them harder to break. It had a single head with no jaw, the skull drooling a green mist.

“I think we have this figured out,” Legeis said as Heather ordered the golem to stand to one side. It obeyed without question, moving to the side of the platform, allowing Heather to pass.

“We know how to make them, but there must be more to it,” Heather remarked. “With a better understanding of the process, I bet we can animate all sorts of things or alter their power.”

“You are starting to sound like the necromancers,” Breanne said with an approving smile.

“Maybe it has something to do with this class,” Heather replied. “I can't help but feel there is an intrinsic link between undeath and the mechanics of the world. If I can tamper with life beyond death, then I can change outcomes.”

The others looked on with nothing to say until Frank suggested they needed to return the stone soon. Heather wanted one more golem and promised they would make it that night. Then the goblins could carry them by water spider to Gwen's city to return the stone.

“Finneous will be happy,” Quinny said.

“When isn’t he happy?” Breanne asked. “The man is always smiling.”

“He seemed a little annoyed the land wasn't ready,” Quinny offered. “He's been wandering my forest and had the goblins take him to the keep on the ridge to the lower swamp.”

“I need to make a couple more trips there myself,” Legeis said. “I moved my workshop here, but a lot of gear was made by hand. I need to carry more of it over and get it set up.”

“I will assign twenty skeletons to go with you and do what you say,” Heather offered. “If you take the cart you built, you should be able to move most of your stuff.”

“Maybe,” legeis said and scratched at an ear. “Once I get set up fully, you should let me put those traps in your graveyard.”

“I am not putting landmines in my yard,” Heather replied with a shake of her head. “The skeletons will be setting them off night and day.”

“It was just a suggestion,” he replied with a shrug.

“I appreciate the offer, but let's stick to the explosive skeletons that I can control,” she replied.

“You should give them bows,” Breanne said. “The necromancer made very effective use of skeletons archers.”

“I got a lot of crossbows back at the keep,” Legeis offered.

“Don’t we know it,” Quinny laughed.

“Hey, that’s not my fault. I thought you guys were coming to drive me out,” he said in apology.

Heather smirked and ordered the golem to follow her as she led it into the outer halls. She positioned it inside the secret door from the tower. If anybody found the door and opened it, the golem would be there to greet them. She then equipped it with four swords from Frank's vast collection of weapons. The golem would be the first line of defense for this hallway, but she had more planned. When Legeis had his workshop up and running fully, there would be two bomber skeletons a little further in. If anyone got past the golem, they would attack and detonate, sealing the tunnel and alerting the whole complex.

So, one more?” Breanne asked.

“I want one to watch every tunnel in,” Heather said as she handed the golem the weapons.

“Do you plan to tell Gwen you borrowed three of her NPCs to make them?” Breanne asked with a slight smile.

Heather shrugged. There was no way to know if the NPCs she used were part of Gwen's total or not. The notes seemed to indicate that the kingdom heart was only a focus, and the souls used pulled from the buffer. For all she knew, they could make a thousand golems, and Gwen wouldn't see a single loss. The thought of a vast army of Golems guarding the inner halls made her smile, but there wasn't time. If they all worked diligently hard, they could make two golems a day. An army of thousands would take a long, long time.

With that chore done, she settled in the back garden to work on her research. The events of the last few weeks kept her too busy to read. She had picked through the book of necromancy at best, skimming most of the pages for keywords or phrases like Hathlisora. There was more to learn and benefit from and time needed to be spent doing so. She picked out a new skeleton and painted a mustache on his face to be her new Jeremy. He was sent to the kitchen to fetch a glass of milk and a few cookies while she sat on the bench with the book beside her.

Webster crawled into her lap just before the cookies arrived, and she gently pet his furry backside as the words went by. The current page described the states of existence and how life and undeath were basically the same state.

“You would think a book on necromancy would be full of their spells,” Heather sighed as she turned the page. “This is more like a textbook on philosophy.”

Webster let out a long, drawn-out purr that made her smile as she read on. The time flew by, and so did the cookies until she finally grew bored of reading. She reached into her side pouch until she found the strange blue ring and held it out to catch the sunlight. Something about this ring was important to Hathlisora, and the bone champion wanted Heather to have it. So much so he abandoned his protection of her to wander into the darkness and retrieve it. The strange parasite he came back with was easy enough to destroy, but it begged the question, what lived in that darkness?

“If only I could figure out what you were,” Heather remarked as she turned the ring over. She didn’t dare put it on, fearful of the visions it provoked the first time. There had to be a way to learn what the ring's true nature was, and she suddenly had an idea.

“I need my hand back,” Heather said as she ceased stroking Webster to a complaining grumble. She rubbed her tattoo and brought up the panel, and went directly to the character classes. “Which classes can identify magical items?”

[BEEP!] Arcanist, Diviner, Enchanter, Inscriber, Inventor, Mage, Rune Smith, Scientist, Spell Binder, Wizard.

“So a lot of them,” she said as she looked over the list. “All I need to do is find one of them to tell me what this ring is.” She sighed and wondered how long it would be before somebody who could identify took up residence in Gwen's city. “Probably not until she has the stone back,” she sighed and looked down to Webster. “I suppose I need to make my final golem and get this back, don't I?”

He bounced up and stretched was a long squeak before turning round in circled in her lap and settling back down.

“Well?” she asked as he ignored her.

His chirps were heard in her thoughts, and she put hands to hips as her eyes narrowed on him.

“So you think I should keep petting you and stop worrying about these minor problems?”

He shuffled in her lap as she shook her head and resumed petting.

“Well, I suppose a little time to relax isn’t so bad. Besides, the respawn should be soon, and Frank and Quinny can attack again.” She looked up as she stroked Webster, a curious smile coming to her face. “You know, Supposedly I can cast spells from other classes. I remember looking it up in the panel and talking to Breanne about it. You had access to schools based on your primary school, if I am correct.” She paused to listen to Webster purr, then went back to considering the spells. “If I could learn the spell to identify magic items, I wouldn't need to find somebody.”

Webster chirped, and she scratched at the top of his head. “You just want somebody to sleep on. Right now, I have to answer one important question. How do I learn spells from other schools?”

[DING!] Spell scribing: A player can learn general spells from accessible schools by finding or purchasing a spell scroll, spellbook, of being taught directly by a teacher.

Spells unique to a specific class can only be used by those classes.

Heather tossed her head to the side and let out a deep sigh. “Ask the fantasy wiki, of course.”

Webster let out a series of chirps like a laugh as she frowned. “Keep that up, and I won't let you sleep in my room.” He sputtered in reply, but she ignored him and considered the possibility of buying spellbooks with the store she planned to open in the city. She was just about to comment on it when she heard a snapping sound from outside.

“Did Frank and Quinny begin attacking?” she asked before looking down at Webster, who chirped happily. “You're being awfully snarky today. I forgot they were still on my friend's list.” She looked to the hedge wall to hear the sounds of skeletons cackling, which could only mean they were attacking.

Heather picked Webster up and ran to the hedge wall, using her plant powers to open a gap and slip into the graveyard. She navigated the maze, rapidly moving toward the sounds of battle. As she passed through a hedge, she found a woman in blue plate armor with red bands tied to her arms and legs. She held a small sword that glowed with a purple light in each hand as she happily cut her way through a group of skeletons.

“Who in the world is that?” Heather asked as she looked down at Webster. He grumbled back about wanting to hunt rats, so she set him down and shooed him away. The woman ran at another pack of skeletons with surprising speed, leaving a trail of blue light in her wake. Her fighting looked more like dancing with twirling and leaps as she cut into skeletons. Her dance stopped when a blue light streamed across the yard and slammed into her mid-leap. She raised her swords before running in a song on her voice. The skeleton dug in with glowing hands, hurling balls of blue flame. Just before they met, vines reached out and wrapped around her legs, toppling her as a hidden plant attacked.

For a moment, Heather was sure it was over, but the women weathered several spells and cut herself free of the plant. She leaped up with a shout, and a ripple in the air raced out all around her, shoving the skeletal mage back.

“That was a dirty trick,” the woman laughed as her swords went up. “But you're no match for me.” They met in full this time with the skeleton punching with burning hands as she cut with this purple swords. Heather was impressed by how long the skeleton held up and how many times it landed a punch. In the end, the player won out, but she looked winded.

With a new song, a ring of blue light danced around her, and she stood still for a moment, taking deep breaths. Heather looked up to a gargoyle watching the yard, wondering if this was a good moment to send it in.

“No, that would be mean,” she grumbled and walked toward the woman. Once closer, she could see the armor had lovely silverwork of delicate swirls and lettering. Her black hair stuck out the back of a full helm in gentle curls splashing about her shoulders. As Heather drew within a dozen paces, she called out to announce her presence.

“Excuse me, what are you doing here?”

The woman looked up with bright blue eyes and smiled, her eyes and lips being the only thing visible of her face.

“So you're still alive,” the woman said and stepped forward, the blue light around her following. “Gwen was sure you died.”

“Gwen?” Heather repeated. “Did she send you out here?”

“To recover her stone,” the woman replied. “After your group failed, of course.”

“My group didn’t fail,” Heather snapped back in irritation. “We were just planning to return.”

“Sure, you were, hun,” the woman replied.

Heather was struck by the strange attitude this woman was displaying and did she just call her hun?

“Where is the rest of your party?” she asked.

Heather snapped back to reality and folded her arms, focusing on the intruder. “They are in the caves, collecting the treasure.” She needed a good excuse for why the others weren't here, and looting seemed the best choice.

The blue armored woman laughed and looked about. “And you took so long that everything respawned?”

“Yes, it did,” Heather argued.

“And they let a little girl wander around the graveyard with no armor or weapons?”

“I happen to be a flower singer,” Heather stated. “I can summon my armor and turn the plants into my weapons. What exactly are you?”

The woman reached up and pulled her helm away to reveal the pointed ears of an elf. “My name is Montez, hunny, and I am a bard battle singer.”

“Wait, so both your classes are bard and battle singer?”

Montez laughed and shook her head. “No, sweetheart, I am a bard, and I spent my points as I leveled to become a battle singer. A lot of classes can tailor how they play by the careful expenditure of points. What did you spend yours on, dressmaking?”

Heather threw her head back and looked down at her sunny yellow dress. Was this woman insulting her outfit? “I happen to like nice dresses,” Heather argued. “And I don’t need heavy armor.”

“Everybody says that until something big comes along and tears right through the paper, you clothies like to wear. Take my advice, hun. Spend some points in armor mastery and get yourself something better to wear. This outfit screams southern bell.”

“What?” Heather remarked in shock. “This is a summer dress with simple but elegant tastes.”

“And you wore it to a gloomy, mold encrusted graveyard?” Montez laughed.

“I told you I don’t need armor,” Heather snapped back. “Why are so many players rude?”

“Rude?” Montez said as if she was aghast. “Hunny, I am trying to help you. You new players come in here all the time without the slightest idea of what you're doing. Take my advice, get armor, and always carry a weapon, even if it's just a staff of striking or something.”

“Will you please stop calling me hunny,” Heather said with a roll of her eyes. “And I have a weapon. I just don't have it to hand right now.”

“You really are new,” Montez remarked. “You wandered into a respawned graveyard but didn’t think to bring your weapon?”

Heather held up a hand with a glare and uttered a single word as black smoke rapidly formed in her palm, stretching out to become her scythe in moments.

“Satisfied?”

“A scythe with flowers on top?” Montez asked while pointing with a sword.

“I am a flower singer,” Heather reminded. “The scythe is a weapon used to cut plants. I added the flower decal because it fits my sunny nature.”

Montez smiled and nodded to a distant skeleton. “Show me you know how to use it.”

Heather let out a pfft, and raised a hand as green light filled her palm. Vines erupted around the skeleton, encasing it, and with a snap of her finger, they squeezed, shattering the creature inside.

“I told you, I didn’t need it,” Heather replied, her gaze never leaving Montez.

The woman only shrugged and turned to look back at the tower. “I bet the wizard lives in there. We should team up to get the stone and the reward.”

“I told you, my friends and I were about to return.”

“Right, and but why go back empty-handed?”

Heather felt her frustration growing as this woman belittled her in a sneaky sort of way. She reached into her pouch and pulled out the stone, holding it out for Montez to see.

“I am not empty-handed!” she shouted.

“You are now,” Montez said with a smile. Before Heather could react, the woman snatched the stone and leaped into the air. A song on her lips produced a ripple of light that threw Heather back, tumbling her in the grass. “Later, sweetheart!” Montez called and ran off at fantastic speed, trailing blue light.

Heather sat up, stunned, and watched as Montez ran past the monsters in the yard as if they were slow. Even the gargoyles, now alerted since Heather was attacked, couldn't catch up with the intruder.

“Frank!” Heather cried in shock as she stumbled around, looking for her yellow hat. When he didn't appear, she stood up and looked about, desperate for a solution. “Think, Heather. You can't go running to Frank with all your stupid mistakes. A woman who can run faster than a horse stole the stone and is on her way back to Gwen. Oh! How am I going to catch somebody that fast? I don't have any movement spells!” She began to pace with a hand to her face as she realized she just failed all her friends when an idea struck her. “She is on the outer ring! That takes a lot longer than going straight across the swamp!” With an idea firmly in mind, she ran for the forest and the goblin village.

The goblins put her on their fastest spider, the driver going directly across the swamp to the ruined keep. Montez would have to use the ramp down the cliff, and Heather would be waiting for her. She set about using her flower singer abilities to grow deadly plants along the trail and assumed her plant armor. She waited at the edge of the ramp and had a devious idea. A quick couple of flower singer songs and her trap was set, now to wait for the prey.

It wasn't long before Heather saw a blue light flashing in the distance. She hid to the side of the trail as Montez came racing along, a smile on her face. She lost that smile when a vine suddenly stretched across the trail, tripping her and tumbling her into the dirt.

“Give me back that stone!” Heather yelled, leaping from ambush with her scythe raised.

Montez quickly recovered her feet and caught the attack with crossed blades.

“Oh, Hunny, do I have to teach you a lesson?” Montez asked.

“Stop calling me hunny!” Heather shouted and jumped back to swing again. Montez called out a quick note, and Heather felt like somebody punched her in the stomach. Montez ran at her, swords leading the way in rapid attacks. Heather was cut several times before she managed to push her back. Thankfully, Legeis had suggested using her pulsing heal right before going into combat, and it was already ticking. She used the points spent on her fighting style to good use, breaking into an attack sequence of her own, with rapid slices and twirls of the scythe. The sudden turn of event's caught Montez off guard, and Heather scored a hit or two of her own.

“So you spent some points in your weapon at least,” Montez laughed and dashed back only to find Heather dashing right after her.

“I spent a lot of points in combat!” Heather growled as she tried to cut the annoying woman in two.

“So your a half-rate warrior with paper armor,” Montez teased and caught a twirl before cutting Heather's leg with the other sword.

Heather stumbled back, panting and leaning on her scythe for support. “I am a flower singer, and you are standing in my perfect battleground.”

Montez took a step back herself as Heather's plants attacked from both sides. Vines reached for her as thorn whips hurled their sharp needles. Montez found herself turning in every direction to fend off a new series of attacks, and that was before the bees.

“You know how to make an annoyance of yourself!” Montez shouted before leaping into the air to throw everything back with one of her concussion waves. She landed gracefully and darted at Heather, swords leading the way.

Heather groaned with every cut; the purple light of those swords seemed to burn when they hit. She held her feet and circled Montez, who took a hit or two in return. More plants tried to help, allowing Heather to score a few good hits, but it didn't seem to be slowing Montez, who once again pulsed with a ring of blue light. Heather realized that was because she was healing, recovering from the wounds almost as fast as she was taking them.

“I have to say, hun. I am impressed with your gusto. Not many flower singers can go toe to toe with a combat focused class like mine, but I have to run. I have a delivery to make after all.”

“That reward is ours!” Heather shouted. “We earned it!”

“Sorry, sweetheart. But in this world, you have to be quick thinking, and nobody is as quick as me.”

Heather went to cut her in two, but the woman blew her a kiss, and suddenly Heather was blind. She cried out, swinging her scythe wide as Montez laughed.

“It will fade in a minute, but I will be long gone by then. Later, hunny.”

“No!” Heather shouted and snapped a finger filling the air with pollen. If she was going to be blind, so was Montez.

“Nice,” Montez called from someplace ahead of her. “But I only need to see the path under my feet. I can run out of this cloud in a few seconds, but it was a nice try.”

Heather shouted in rage and then smiled as she heard rapid footsteps followed a second later by a surprised yell. There was a shrill scream that faded away, and Heather snapped her fingers to let the pollen spell fade.

She stood impatiently tapping a foot until her sight returned, then stomped down the trail to where it ended. It was a funny thing this swamp. The upper swamp came right up to a narrow rim of stone that separated it from a deep cliff face and a long drop. She realized that Montez might simply run past her, so she used her flower singer powers to grow swamp plants over the real trail hiding the ramp down. Then used the same power to remove plants to create a new trail that went right to the cliff face. Blind as she was, Montez ran down the trail, never realizing it was about to end. Heather looked over the lip to see a glint of blue lying in the rocks far below.

“Serves you right,”

Heather grumbled as she cast another pulsing heal. She began the long trek down the winding ramp, then had to pick her way along the rocks. She recovered stone, and a pouch of coins, with a few gems. She collected the two swords and the blue helm to mount as a trophy before making her way back up the ramp.

The goblin ride back was relaxing as she clutched the kingdom heart in her hand. One last golem and they were returning this before anything else went wrong. When she walked into the graveyard wearing her torn and bloodied dress Breanne was the first to spot her. She had to explain the whole long story first to Breanne, then Frank and Legeis, and finally Quinny, who arrived with a mouth full of cookies.

Determined to be rid of the stone, she insisted they raid her yard and then work on a golem immediately. An hour later, it was assembled in the workshop and animated. Ten minutes after that, the new creation was placed in the hall that guarded their bedrooms deep in the mountain.

Heather returned to her chambers in the tower where a wardrobe purchased with points stood in what would have been her bedroom. She didn't sleep here, of course, but the wardrobe was part of the tower and had to stay. She changed into a blue dress and hung the tattered yellow one inside. Since it was bought with points, it would repair and refresh by morning. Then they would head out to return the stone and earn Gwen's support and get Finneous his town.

She took the stone out of her pouch to stare into the crystal surfaces again. If she had more time to study this, what might she learn about buffer and how the game engine works? What wonders could she uncover? What…

“NO!” she shouted. “You are returning the stone, and that’s that!” With a firm tug, she tied the stone in her pouch and headed for the kitchen. It was time to drown her frustration in cookies and cakes.