We returned home to find Matriarch Akshashka sitting in the lounge with Ferrisdae and Danella. The two Elves, one a dungeon owner and one who came from a family who often raided that dungeon, didn’t seem to know what to do with each other as the priestess attempted awkward conversation. It seemed like it hadn’t been going well, because she immediately stood up when we entered.

  “You’re back!” Danella exclaimed happily. “You were all gone longer than I expected.”

  “It was only a few hours,” I replied.

  “So much longer than I expected,” she repeated, sending a glance to the two elves without looking at them.

  Akshashka smiled as she stood up. She smoothed her white hair and looked down on us with ruby eyes. Her light blue gown was just as revealing as the one she had worn when we first met, and there was almost enough evidence to suggest that the sorceress simply enjoyed showing herself off.

  More power to her, I supposed, but it didn’t matter much to me either way. She was no Tabitha.

  “Inspector, thank you so much for inviting me and mine to your home. Tabitha, it is very nice to meet you. I have heard much of you from Dalsarel’s letters. And my daughter, I have missed you dearly,” she greeted with a bow before gesturing to Danella. “According to this delightful woman, it seems I had missed you by mere minutes, but she has been a gracious host in your absence.”

  “Danella’s pretty great,” Tabitha said, shrugging off her coat and hanging it up before approaching the matriarch. She offered her hand, and the Dark Elf took it. “A pleasure to meet you. Dals has told us a lot about you and her time growing up in your dungeon.”

  “Oh, has she, now?” Akshashka asked, amused. She looked at her daughter, her smile becoming a little more genuine. I received a nod in passing, and returned it, before she embraced Dalsarel. “Everyone has missed you.”

  My apprentice hugged her mother in return, a warm smile on her face. “Where are the ones who said they’d come?” she asked.

  “Drinking and enjoying the sights of the city,” the matriarch answered before pulling away. “I warned them to keep it in moderation, but they deserve some time to themselves considering we’re leaving in the morning.”

  “You brought what you needed so we can get there in time?” I asked.

  Akshashka laughed. “Of course, dear Inspector. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. Who do you think I am?” she asked. If she took offense to the question, she didn’t show it. “I have both a Scrying scroll as well as one for the Portal spell. One of my most trusted soldiers is already in Port St. Grandus, so there won’t be any trouble with our arrival.”

  “That’s good news. Thank you, Akshashka,” I said with a nod.

  “We do appreciate it. You gave us more time with our daughters, which is priceless,” Tabitha added with a smile.

  “As a mother myself, I know how important that is. Plus, you have taken such good care of my darling… Dals, here,” the Dark Elf said, smiling at the shortened name. “I can’t say I wholly approve of all your company, but I will not bring that into your home. Our war stays in Athir, and I have been busy making sure my dungeon will remain undisturbed in my absence.”

  Ferrisdae rolled her eyes at that, but remained quiet. Danella laughed a little nervously. “Yes, no war in this house. I’ll have none of it,” she stated firmly. “What I will have are some of the burgers that Gro has been cooking up. He got tired of waiting for you two and Willow wanted to help out in the kitchen, so there might be a mess.”

  “Willow is usually pretty good about not making things worse in the kitchen,” Tabs replied with a smile. “Usually. Burgers sound delicious, though. As great as it has been having this guy home cooking for us…” She elbowed me in the side. “I missed Gro’s grilling, too.”

  “Then we should get on up there, then,” I said, gesturing everyone up the stairs. “Dalsarel, make sure your mother is comfortable. Introduce her to my daughters if she hasn't been already.”

  “Of course,” she replied, leading her mother up the stairs.

  Tabitha and Danella went with them, leaving me with Ferrisdae. She stood up. “I don’t see any blood on your hands, so I assume the meeting with the Dungeon Master went well?” she asked. I immediately scowled. She arched an eyebrow. “Considering that’s one of your three most used expressions, your face isn’t telling me much.”

  “It went well enough,” I admitted before nodding towards the stairs. “Tabs and Dalsarel both got what they went there for, and we’ll be doing some extra training to get them used to their new abilities on the ship. Though, we will have to be careful when it comes to my wife.”

  Ferrisdae looked at me with confused concern. “Did he do something to her?”

  “More like he exacerbated something wonderful into something that could become a problem,” I said, jerking my thumb towards Britear.

  Also known as the Greenstone Axe of Rhodes due to her coloration and abilities, Tabitha’s main weapon housed an intelligent spirit that had become quite attached to my wife over the years. Britear allowed me to wield her once or twice under extenuating circumstances, but anyone she didn’t approve of usually knew of her displeasure quickly. First she started heating up and, if they didn’t get the hint, she lit on fire.

  Not only did she boost up Tabitha, but my wife could also conjure sickly green flames around the head of the weapon. It was an admittedly dazzling display that was backed up with substantial power. She had been known for it long before I had met her, and it was that axe that made Cojisto certain that she was the leader of Reliable Rhodes.

  “Okay, but that’s not telling me anything,” Ferrisdae said, crossing her arms.

  I sighed. “Yeah. Tabs had always considered herself a barbarian before, though one who learned to control her anger and know when to release it. She still has some of that in her, but not so much anymore. Himia leaned into her bond with Britear, giving her a new class by the name of Emerald Flame Empress.”

  “Really?” my apprentice asked, arching an eyebrow. “Kind of flowery, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, and of course she absolutely adores it,” I said, keeping my face neutral despite my own feelings on the matter. “Supposedly, it will give her more control over Britear’s flames and even allow her to summon them on her own, giving her some degree of pyrokinesis.”

  “It sounds like it’ll come in handy, at least,” Ferrisdae offered.

  “It sounds awesome,” my wife said, coming down the stairs two at a time. She grinned at us. “Britear said you were discussing me, so here I am.”

  “I figured you wouldn’t mind,” I replied, having already known that her coming back down was the most likely outcome.

  “Not at all. This is our dear Ferry we’re talking to, so I don’t mind that you’re sharing,” she said brightly before giving the Forest Elf a knowing look. “Trying to stay away from Akshashka?”

  “I just don’t feel like dealing with someone who clearly hates me and my kind, is all,” she admitted. “It’s easy enough to avoid her, though I wasn’t going to leave Danella with her all by herself.”

  “You could have, though,” I told her. “You don’t have to stay anywhere that makes you uncomfortable.”

  “I know,” Ferrisdae replied, and seemed to want to leave it at that. She immediately changed the subject. “Do you feel any different, Tabitha?”

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  “A little less old, but so far I’m just me,” she answered with a shrug. “I’m looking forward to doing some real exercise swinging Britear around, though. See what makes these new toys tick.”

  “Seeing as she wasn’t blindsided by it like we were, my wife seems to think it’s just as cool as Moose and Cojisto did,” I sighed.

  “And it is! You’re just an old grump, but you’ve always been that way,” she said, reaching over to tap me on my cheek. “I love that about you, though. Don’t take shit from anyone.”

  “No one except you.”

  “Oh? Do I give you shit, fire of my heart?” she challenged dangerously, arching an eyebrow.

  “Not as often as you used to,” I told her honestly, not backing down. “But, I guess I love that about you, too.”

  “Damn right you do,” Tabs replied, a grin on her face as she leaned in and kissed me on my cheek.

  I looked up at Ferrisdae, who had a goofy little smile on her face. “What? We’re not putting on some drama for your amusement.”

  “Nope, it was purely unscripted. That makes it even more special,” she giggled.

  “Cheroske, please save me from this impertinent junior of mine,” I said aloud, closing my eyes.

  A gentle warmth spread through my chest as the goddess heard me and turned her attention to the Bottom’s Up, but that was the only reaction I received. The feeling was far more than I had ever gotten from Tegril back when I was in the service of the god of justice. I wasn’t nearly as powerful then, either. I was something more now, thanks to the events that led up to me becoming a paladin again.

  Still, I appreciated that Cheroske gave me privacy. Sometimes I let her see these little moments of familial unity and some events like trivia night. She liked those the most, given that she was the goddess of community, and it was my duty to indulge her on occasion. Thankfully, I didn’t really have to go out of my way to do so, given that my wife and I owned a tavern that had a shrine to her in it.

  “Wow, praying for salvation from little old me?” Ferrisdae gasped as if I had struck her through her heart, and she even rested her hand over her chest. Then, she giggled again. “It’s too late, Badger. I already know that you no longer tolerate me, but you actually like me at this point.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t go shouting it from the rooftops or anything,” I said sullenly. That put a grin on her face, and it was my turn to change the subject. “Before we get back up there, are you okay, Ferry?”

  “And now you—” It was clear that she was about to continue teasing me, but I cut her off with a glare, and she settled with a smile. “A part of me is mad at myself that I didn’t go with you, but a much larger part is relieved that I didn’t.”

  “If you’re relieved, then that’s all that matters,” Tabs offered.

  I nodded. It didn’t matter in the long run. Patting her on the arm, I passed by her to the stairs. “Come on, we need to spend more time with the girls.”

  The two women followed after me as we climbed the stairs to the third floor. We were immediately greeted by the smell of burgers wafting from the kitchen, and my mouth started watering. I began heading that way before I saw Willow with a very uncomfortable looking matriarch. Swallowing down a sigh, I changed directions.

  “Willow,” I said, my voice a warning.

  My youngest daughter turned to look at me, eyes wide with innocence. She knew this tone, but didn’t quite grasp what she was doing wrong. “I haven’t done anything!”

  “Your familiar is making Akshashka uncomfortable,” I told her, looking at the frog resting on the Dark Elf’s bare shoulder. The woman had a forced smile on her face. “Not everyone is going to like Princess Baby Rumblejump, and the two of you know this already.”

  The familiar jumped off of the matriarch and onto Willow’s shoulder, nearly falling off before she got a grip on her. My daughter looked at Akshashka’s face carefully. She had just as much empathy as her mother, but sometimes she needed to slow down to notice things.

  “We’re sorry, Akshashka,” Willow said, bowing. On her shoulder, the frog did the same.

  “It’s quite alright, dear,” the matriarch replied, the forced smile still on her face. I handed her a cloth napkin from the table, and she wiped off her shoulder. Not because Rumblejump left anything on there, but because it would make her feel better. “Why, I was just reminded of the times Dals would catch cave worms when she was younger. Whole lots of them by the fistful. She, too, didn’t seem to realize when enough was enough.”

  Dalsarel had been watching on with amusement, seeming to find some amount of pleasure in watching her mother squirm, but she frowned at that. “Mother, I did not bring you cave worms when I was young.”

  “You most certainly did,” Akshashka argued. “There was a rock near the underground spring that you were adamant had the biggest, fattest, and juiciest worms underneath it. You were always running around with them. Stuffing them in your pockets and down your dress.”

  “Mother!” my apprentice shouted, her face flushing.

  Ferrisdae, on the other hand, had a hand over her mouth to stop herself from giggling at this information.

  “Oh, don’t be upset, darling,” the matriarch said with a wave of her hand. “You’ve always been a tomboy, and that hasn’t changed much over the years. Let me tell you, Tabitha, the very day my dear daughter turned 89? This rebellious little girl tore up all her dresses and declared that she would only wear trousers from that moment forward. It would have been an adorable tantrum if she hadn’t ripped up so much spider silk in the process.”

  “I know exactly the kind of fit you’re talking about,” Tabitha replied, and I turned to see that she already had a plate with a burger on it. She hadn’t started eating yet, though. “Calico did almost the same thing when she turned 11 a few years back. She didn’t rip it all up, though, but instead took a cart and wheeled her clothes to the local charity. It took me months of prodding before she finally admitted that she just didn’t want to wear dresses anymore.”

  “I still like dresses,” Willow said, spinning so that her pink dress flared out at the bottom.

  “And you look adorable in it,” Akshashka praised, reaching down to tap my daughter on the nose. It was a little overly familiar considering she was a stranger in my home, but it was also a little nostalgic. Still, it was clear that the matriarch was good with children, at least, which made sense considering who she was.

  Gro came out of the kitchen with two plates. One, he placed on my head as he passed by, and I grabbed it before it could fall. I examined it carefully only to find that, despite it being years since he had seen me last, he remembered my order.

  “For the matriarch,” he said, handing her the second plate.

  “Thank you, Gro Khal,” the Dark Elf replied as she took it.

  “Let me know if you need anything else. These folk like to keep their kitchen well stocked,” he said as he walked away. The Orc looked at me and waggled his eyebrows, performing a small tilt of his head towards the matriarch. Clearly, he approved of her.

  “Thanks,” I told him flatly, rolling my eyes at him.

  “You’re welcome, Badger,” he replied with a grin and a pat on my shoulder before he went back to the kitchen.

  “This is quite good,” Akshashka said, seemingly surprised. “If this is the quality of meal that the house chef prepares, then I’m upset I didn’t come here sooner. It’s a shame we’re leaving tomorrow.”

  Willow turned to look at Tabitha and I, eyes wide. “You’re already leaving?” she asked.

  Calico emerged from the kitchen with her own plate in hand. “We’ve been over this already, Willow. Did you forget why Aunt Danella and Uncle Gro came here?”

  “No, I just thought we had more time,” she said sadly.

  I approached my daughter and got down on one knee, putting a hand on her head. “We’ll read all our favorite stories tonight, okay?” I asked her. “But mommy and I need to go and beat up the bad guys.”

  “I know,” Willow replied, nodding. “I’m excited that you’re going to be saving the world, but I can be sad, too. I don’t like it.”

  “Nobody does,” I said, kissing her on the forehead. “But we’re going to spend every waking moment with each other, and we won’t have any regrets come morning.”

  “Then, can I read my favorite book to everyone while we eat?” she requested hopefully.

  “That’s a marvelous idea,” I agreed with a smile. “Go on and get it while everyone is getting their plates ready.”

  “Okay!” Willow yelled excitedly, running off to her room.

  “I hope everyone’s ready for a rousing rendition of If I Ran The Dungeon,” Tabitha chuckled, finally biting into her burger.

  There were a few replies around the room, and I looked at Emilia. My oldest daughter looked pensive, and I approached her and threw an arm around her shoulder. She normally had the same feelings towards public displays of affection as I did when there were strangers around, but she leaned into me this time, taking a small bite of her burger.

  “After this, I’m going to get a desk job,” I told her quietly. “And if they don’t give me that, then I’m going to go and work for the church instead.”

  “I won’t make you promise, because I know how dangerous this is going to be,” she replied, referring back to the conversation about the war Tabitha and I had with her. We considered her mature enough to handle it. “But I’m going to hold you to that. Come back and be bored behind a desk for the rest of your life, so long as you’re safe and sound with us.”

  “How could I possibly be bored if I get to see my family every day?” I asked, kissing the top of her head. She gave me a small smile, and we both bit into our burgers. It was going to be an eventful night.