I took another look around the tavern in shock. Chairs tilted awkwardly against tables. A few forgotten mugs sat on a table in the corner with dried foam stuck to their insides. There was an open bottle of alcohol on the bar, or maybe it was empty. A few plates were stacked next to the kitchen. I dreaded going in there.

  "Kieran," I said. "What happened here?"

  Kieran raised his hands defensively. "I didn't do anything. Like I already said, Jessara, Milo, and the orc kid were scrambling around like rabbits trying to run this place. It did not go well. They tried; I can't say they didn't. But without you and Lady Churl, this place struggled."

  "So Lady Churl truly never showed?" I asked.

  "Haven't seen her in two days," he replied.

  "So the cooks were Milo and Grondak," I said.

  Kieran nodded. "And Jessara worked the bar. She pours a decent ale, I'll give her that."

  "What about the customers?"

  "Some grumbled," he admitted. "Meals came out slow. Tasted decent, most of the time. But people don't like waiting too long. Had three groups walk out without food. I played for them. My dulcet tones set the mood. I played a few classics, but even that couldn't keep them from leaving."

  I rubbed my forehead. "This is not good. I've worked hard to build a reputation at the Shadow's Respite…" I trailed off, then looked around again. "And why in the world would Lady Churl just vanish without telling anyone?"

  "Don't ask me," Kieran said. "I'm just a bard."

  "And I'm just the dragon," Frostfire added with a smile.

  "You're also the only one here who knows what happened," I countered, my frustration rising.

  "I wish I could be of more help," Kieran replied. "I awoke yesterday afternoon, and everything about me was in a state of wild dismay. Like you, we've all been wondering what's going on."

  "What about Alic or Caden?" I asked. "Did any of them stop by?"

  Kieran thought for a moment. "A young guard showed up to ask after Mira once or twice. Can't quite recall his name."

  “Was it–”

  The front door crashed open mid-sentence. Alic stepped inside first, followed by Caden. Doan walked in right behind them.

  "...Alic?" I finished, nodding toward the young captain of the guard.

  Frostfire clapped her hands, clearly delighted. "It is a party!"

  "This is very much not a party," I grumbled.

  Alic jumped straight into questions. "We heard Frostfire was circling, so we came straight away. Have you seen Mira? We can't find her."

  Caden added. "And I've never seen your orc guards leave this place unless kicked out. Where are they? The orcs at their new fortress have been looking for Urzan."

  I held up a hand to slow them down. "One thing at a time. Actually, yes, two very big questions."

  Alic shook his head. "I don't know. Mira's been gone almost two full days."

  "Where did you last see her?" I asked.

  "Near the fort," Alic said. "Her shift had ended, and she talked about heading over here to use your bath. She said she'd check in later and vanished."

  Of course, she came for my heated tub. I almost chuckled.

  Then Grondak walked into the tavern, as calm as ever. "Hello! Grondak hear about dragon!" He wore a surprisingly well-fitted brown vest and a pair of matching leather pants that could have doubled for a road march or working in the back.

  Frostfire waved at him.

  "Yes! There is dragon! Where is father?"

  A rush of relief swept over me. Finally, someone who was where they were supposed to be. "Grondak! I'm glad you're here. We're trying to figure out what happened to Urzan and Moktar. I don't suppose you've seen Jessara and Milo?"

  "They arrive soon! We come early to clean up!" He waved his hand around the tavern at the piled-up dirty dishes.

  "We need to organize a search party," Alic cut in. "Caden, I could use a helping hand."

  "You have it." Caden showed his good hand. "I'm glad you only need one."

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  Alic's tension visibly shrank a little at Caden's jest.

  "I can help. Who wishes to ride me?"

  The bard loudly cleared his throat.

  "I will," Alic said. "Can you stay pretty low and start moving out in larger circles? We'll have to pay particular attention to the nearby forest. It gets dense the farther out from Everspring we go."

  "Wait." I snapped my fingers. "Has anyone looked at the portal today, or yesterday?"

  Alic frowned. "The weird thing near your back wall? Is that what that is?"

  Without answering, I hurried to the back door and pushed it open. The thin metal frame Triolux had constructed now contained an almost mirror-like surface that flickered and pulsed. It struggled to stabilize. For a brief moment, the surface cleared to reveal large rocks with the Ferrokin city visible in the background, then vanished back to its unstable state.

  "He assured me that only he or another Ferrokin could operate the device," I said, my voice hollow with disbelief.

  Footsteps pounded behind me as Alic and Caden rushed out to join me.

  "Stop!" Caden called out. "Let me examine the dirt."

  I stepped back and waited. Caden dropped to one knee and his gaze swept over the ground. He rose slowly and advanced, his attention fixed on something else.

  I followed his line of sight and noticed what caught his attention. A series of footprints led right up to the wall where the portal sat.

  "Why didn't I think of this?" Alic muttered as he squatted next to Caden and studied the ground. They exchanged a meaningful glance.

  "Footprints lead right to it," Caden said. "And look at these." He pointed to a distinct set of tracks.

  I moved closer and examined them. The prints appeared small but unusually wide.

  "Lady Churl," I muttered. "What should we do?"

  "I know what I'm doing," Alic declared with confidence. He reached toward the portal's shimmering surface.

  His hand stretched out, fingers extended toward the unstable mirror-like surface.

  "Stop!" I grabbed his wrist. "We don't know what's happening in there. Triolux said it should remain stable once activated, but this—" I gestured at the flickering surface, "—I don't think this is normal."

  I silently cursed that I'd been in such a hurry to get back to Everspring that I hadn't thought to ask the ferrokin if he wanted to go back as well.

  Caden stood up and brushed dirt from his knee. "These tracks tell a story. See how they approach from different directions?" He pointed to several sets of prints. "Lady Churl came from there, probably from the kitchen door. But these—" he indicated another set.

  "Those look like Mira's boots," Alic said, his face tight with concern. "Standard guard issue, but smaller. And we can all guess what the larger footprints are."

  "All too familiar," Caden said. "Orcs."

  "Look at these other prints. Gnolls. I'm sure of it."

  Grondak appeared at the doorway behind us. "What you find? Grondak help!"

  "Your father's footprints," I said. "They lead right to this portal, along with Lady Churl's and Mira's."

  Frostfire stepped outside. "A malfunctioning portal? Fascinating." She approached with caution, her head tilted in curiosity. "In my experience, portals don't typically behave this way unless..."

  "Unless what?" I prompted.

  "Unless someone forced it open from the other side," she finished. "Or something is interfering with its operation."

  The portal's surface suddenly stabilized for several seconds to reveal a clear view of the underground Ferrokin city. It flickered again, and the image went dark.

  "If you go through that, I'll go with you," Alic said.

  "Your company is most welcome, but can I remind you that some have gone in and not returned?" She placed her hand gently against Alic's chest. "It is wise to wait here. I know the way out and can fly your friends home if I locate them."

  I nodded at Frostfire's words. She was right. If the others were stuck, Alic could also get lost down there. The town needed its captain of the guard.

  Doan stepped forward. "You should stay. I understand why you want to go after Mira, but the dragon is right."

  Frostfire touched the portal surface. It twisted and realigned itself for her as she stared in concentration. "Got it." She grinned at the others. "I'll be back soon."

  She stepped through.

  Before Caden or I could stop him, Alic shouted, "Wait for me!" and followed her straight through the portal. They both disappeared without another sound.

  Caden grunted. "Idiot."

  "I want to stay back here with you two, but I need to get this place ready for the day," I told them, even though I was worried about our friends. I paced in front of the portal as I considered everything that could go wrong.

  Jessara and Milo suddenly appeared around a corner and rushed toward us.

  "Varix! You're back!" Jessara called out.

  "Thank goodness!" Milo added.

  "I'm glad you're both here," I told them as I stepped away from the portal.

  Their faces were both pinched with concern. They exchanged nervous glances. They both started talking at once.

  "We tried to keep the place running—" Jessara began.

  "But there was too much to do—" Milo cut in.

  "The customers got angry—"

  "And Lady Churl wasn't here to cook—"

  I raised my hands to stop their frantic explanations. "Thank you both for doing your best," I said. "You're amazing employees."

  They breathed a sigh of relief.

  "How do you feel about us preparing the place for the day?"

  Jessara said, "Back to normal. Yes, please. The last few days have been hectic. We've both been worried about Lady Churl."

  "Me, too," I admitted. "We now have a search party looking for her."

  Milo pointed toward the back wall. "What's going on at the little portal thing?"

  "Better to talk about it later," I said. "Right now, we have to prep for the day." I turned to Doan and Caden. "Thank you both for being here."

  Caden shrugged. "It's nothing. We were worried about our friends, and the tavern."

  "I'm worried, too," I admitted. "We'll have to work hard and fast to prepare for the day. I have a reputation to salvage."

  Doan and Caden exchanged a look.

  "We'll help you clean up," Doan said. "You do what you do in the kitchen."

  "Really?" I grinned at them. "Thanks for being such good friends."

  "Friends and investors." Caden reminded me with a wink.