After Ves and Nell decided to join up with the others, the first order of business was for the group to decide where to settle down. To the delight of Elder Setsu, Ves had an idea. Soon, the trio went off to find Xeeta. Upon hearing them approach, Xeeta turned to greet them, not at all surprised to see who it was. Unfortunately, Ves’s had already drawn everyone’s attention.

  “Setsu, Ves or Nell? And Nell?” Xeeta scratched her head awkwardly.

  Ves just blinked for a moment. “We never thought about that ourselves…”

  “Hmm, either Ves or Nell works fine,” Ves answered.

  With a chuckle, Xeeta replied, “Works for me, so what brings you here? Did you decide to join this merry band?”

  Ves looked down at the ground awkwardly, she could feel the eyes of everyone all around her. As well as hear the murmurs in the crowd awaiting her response.

  “We did,” Ves replied, wary of the response from all those listening in. She could hear from the crowd that the reception to that news was mixed. Apparently, Setsu caught that reaction as well as Ves could see the woman shooting a few chastising glares.

  To Ves’s surprise, the short Voss woman jumped up and slapped Ves on the shoulder, “Glad to hear it.” There was more force than expected, enough to cause Ves to stumble a bit.

  Setsu then spoke up, “Ves was just telling me about the place where she already started setting up shelter. We wanted your opinion on whether it would work for a proper settlement.”

  With that, Ves explained the area and how she had already cleared a fair number of trees that they could use as building supplies.

  Taking a moment to think about it, Xeeta replied, “Interesting, I think that would work, and also be defensible. Easy access to running water is also nice. How far away is it?”

  “umm…. I’m not actually sure… to be honest, not even sure where we are now.” Ves said quietly.

  “That’s unfortunate. It may be hard to find it again.” Xeeta said in mild dismay.

  “I wouldn’t say that just yet. I know someone who should be able to help,” spoke Setsu with a gleam in her eye.

  ***

  Ryuko was antsy. She wanted to do something. Anything but sit around in the makeshift camp. Despite all that Ves and Nell had done for her people, they were still wary of her. With stories being told and retold to the point that they no longer resembled the truth. She tried to tune it out, but with her enhanced hearing from cultivation, it was hard not to hear all the conversations around her.

  The memory of helping Ves dress earlier in the day didn’t help either, as Ryuko could feel a warmth fill her cheeks. Only making her antsy for entirely different reasons. So she did the only thing she could to keep herself from going stir-crazy. She went to bug her brother and drive him crazy instead.

  “It was incredible, she cut down those bastards one after another with ease. I don’t even think she is a cultivator!” Ryuko said, full of energy and slightly raising her voice before adding, “She really is our clan’s hero!”

  Exasperated, Yujiro responded, “I get it, you don’t like hearing people badmouth the girl you like.”

  Ryuko glared at her brother. “What! I don’t!”

  “I think I know my little sister’s type, don’t worry, your big brother is here to support you.”

  Ryuko glanced around, flustered, seeing more than a few of her clansmen chuckling at her plight. “Noo! It’s not like that! I just think she is amazing, I mean, did you see her claw? And she is so strong despite how she looks.” She wanted to change how people viewed Ves and Nell sure, but not like this!

  “Think she will let me touch her claw! I was too embarrassed to ask this morning…”

  “Ahh… sure?” Ryuko stopped dead when she heard the voice, slowly turning her head around. Only to see Ves, Setsu, and Xeeta behind her. In a panic, she flailed her arms, trying to find a good way to apologize if she had said anything rude. Behind her, her brother was laughing hysterically. The bastard must have seen them walking up behind her, yet he said nothing! It was then Ves’s words registered, “Wait, you don’t mind…?”

  “It’s an odd request, but sure, why not. You were kind enough to help me this morn. Just be careful, they are sharp.” With that warning given, Ves held out her arm.

  With a look of wonder, Ryuko stood up and gently brushed her fingers against it. The black skin felt hard, like an insect’s shell, despite it being obviously malleable, for how effortlessly Ves could move it. Ves flinched a moment, and Ryuko looked up in worry, worried she had done something wrong, before she saw Ves looking embarrassed.

  “Sorry, it tickled.”

  This caused Yujiro to break out in a new fit of laughter, for which both women glared at him.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  A light cough called the two to attention as Setsu spoke up, “Ahem, Ryuko, Yujiro, we have something we wish to discuss with you.”

  Flustered, Ryuko let go of Ves’s arm and shot her brother another dirty look.

  Ignoring the awkward moment, Setsu carried on and explained the spot along the river Ves had described. Asking whether Ryoko or Yujiro could find it. Ryoko stood contemplative for a moment before asking Yujiro an assortment of questions from the prior scouting he did about the lay of the land, even asking Ves a few as well. Odd questions like the types of grass or the shape of the stones in the river.

  Ryuko finally responded with, “Ok, I think I have a rough idea; I should be able to guide us with minimal issues.”

  “Despite how she acts, my little sis is an experienced scout. A malachite body cultivator and the skills to match.” Yujiro bragged.

  Ryuko glared at him, “Rude! but, yes, shouldn’t be an issue. I think I could get us there within half a day.”

  “Very good, as we still have plenty of daylight left, should we go and have a look? If the location works, we can have the rest of the group relocate tomorrow.” Setsu remarked.

  True to her word, it only took Ryuko until midafternoon to find the spot.

  ***

  Xeeta ran her hand along the stony cliff. It was solid enough, with few major holes or features she would need to work around. There were signs that someone else had started building here in the past, but it had to have been decades ago, if not more. She began to hum a tune as she could feel her magic work its way into the stone, as she planned out her first steps.

  She had been enslaved for well over a year. Over a year without a chance to let her magic free. Over a year, unable to indulge her passions. She was worried that if her captors ever learned her true abilities, it would only make her life harder.

  As she began to prod the stone with her soul, she could feel it stir, slowly reshaping itself to her will. She used the existing alcoves as a starting point, gradually expanding them. Falling into old habits, she had to stop herself. Dragonewts were tall, taller than humans and almost twice her own height. So she worked, making a smooth tunnel that was both much taller and wider than the original alcove. It would be a main tunnel she could build off of as needed. Large enough that it could almost be considered a small road.

  With the details in place, she began to push the spell deeper, carving away large chunks of stone, the material shifting around to fill cracks and reinforce hidden crevasses in the cliff.

  It had really been a strange several days. Never in her wildest dreams did she hope she would escape her servitude. She still had four years on the contract and wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way to force her into extending it.

  Most of the time, she had just been treated like a common servant, helping with day-to-day things like cleaning. She was worried that if they found out she could do things like this, they would force her into an even more restrictive contract, which would likely have happened anyway. Her original contract was on the less shady side to pay off a debt. But after her old holder was pressured to sell her contract to Xander, she grew worried. He didn’t treat her like a servant, but rather a prize.

  It made her fear the worst. Usually, humans were not attracted to her kind with her short stature, gangly limbs, and nonexistent breasts. It made her look more like an oddly proportioned child.

  She had gathered that Xander was just a middleman, but no one on the surface should have had any idea of her skill or cultivation level. She had heard rumors of shady people collecting seldom-seen races, and her people were certainly rare on the surface.

  Then, when things looked their worst, they were saved. Xeeta was still unsure of the strange woman or the dragonewts. The woman, honestly, looked like a monster. Well, a figurative, not literal monster, as Xeeta saw no signs of a core, but if she was able to kill Xander, she may as well be a real one.

  But over the past few days, she saw another side. She saw a young woman who was out of her depth, doing all she could to survive. She could respect that, and though part of her still feared the woman, she also knew she had a debt to repay, and repay it she would.

  She was a Stone Smith, an artist, and the earth was her canvas. So, with all her skill and years of education, she began. She would turn this cliff into a fortress.

  ***

  The others had started by exploring the area and making plans for the settlement—how to redirect the water, where to set up crops, and so on. Soon, though, all of them just stopped and stared in silence, mouths agape, as the wall of stone before them bent to the Voss woman’s will. It was slow, and the process would take hours, but it was clear the woman was in a league of her own.

  A gentle ramp rose from the ground and sloped into the stone. The whole of the cliff face became smooth and polished before their eyes. Openings and battlements would emerge from the sides as a main tunnel extended deep into the cliff, into the darkness beyond where the light could reach. For hours, this went on. Eventually covered in dust and sweat, Xeeta emerged with an exhausted but content look on her face.

  “Sorry, I am a bit rusty; it will likely take me a week to finish up what I have planned, and I will need to get a look from above the cliff to get proper ventilation in place. For now, though, it will work, albeit a bit cramped. But at least we can get a roof over everyone’s heads.”

  She finally noticed everyone was awestruck and staring.

  “Ah…? Is something the matter?” Xeeta asked.

  Setsu was the first to shake it off, “I think we are all just a bit surprised. What you have done already far exceeds any of our expectations.”

  “Surprised is an understatement. I have seen Stone Smith’s hired by nobles ply their trade, and it’s nothing compared to what I just saw you do,” Ves chimed in.

  “Bah, like a surface-born Stone Smith could ever compare to a Voss. My people have lived underground, carving out stone for thousands of years. No one knows stone better than us.”

  “Still, that was incredible. Dare I ask what rank your cultivation is?” Ves asked.

  “Unrefined Ruby,” Xeeta replied with a hint of pride.

  That got Xeeta even more stares. It was unheard of to meet someone with a soul rank that high.

  “Ruby! How in the world did a Ruby end up in a contract?” Ves continued in shock.

  “It’s called I didn’t read the fine print, got entangled with the wrong crowd, then one thing led to another. Also, you all are the first surface dwellers I have told my rank to. Didn’t want to paint a target on my back.” Xeeta said before continuing with a yawn, “Anyway, I’m exhausted. Ves, I’m going to borrow your wolf hide bed. Goodnight, everyone.” She stopped for a moment, turning back to the others with a smile on her face. “Oh yeah, welcome home.”

  The following week went by like a blur as the rest of the camp moved into the area. Despite the stone fort being nearly complete, it still needed furnishing and wasn’t exactly homely. Ves herself spent most of her time helping fell trees for furniture and other needs. She found it rather humorous how she had basically become a lumberjack. Still, slowly but surely, the framework for the village began to take shape. One the residents hoped would be fairly hidden from the outside world, at least for now.