After several focused hours, Traebus stepped back with a satisfied sigh, wiping sweat from his brow. The small mana converters hummed quietly, safely nestled behind thin panels of stone, their wires neatly hidden within the walls and ceilings. Vaelya watched curiously, and soon enough Dusk, Sparky, and the smaller elemental lizards had gathered as well, each sensing something new and unusual was afoot.

  "All right," Traebus announced dramatically, addressing his small audience with a flourish. "Behold—modern lighting!"

  He reached out and flipped a small switch embedded discreetly into the wall. Immediately, soft white lights flooded the interior of the house, filling every corner with a comforting, steady glow. Dusk lifted his head sharply, eyes widening slightly in surprise, while Sparky hopped around excitedly, chirping and trilling in wonder. Even the normally aloof elemental lizards squeaked softly, tilting their heads curiously toward the sudden illumination.

  Vaelya stepped closer, staring at the small lever with wide-eyed fascination. "You control the lights with that tiny device?"

  Traebus grinned, clearly proud. "It’s called a switch. Flip it up, lights on. Flip it down—" He demonstrated, plunging the house briefly into darkness, then quickly flipped it back up, restoring the gentle glow. "Lights off."

  Vaelya shook her head slowly in stunned appreciation. "Extraordinary. Truly extraordinary."

  "See, this is how civilized people live," Traebus joked lightly, grinning at his companions’ amazement. "No more stumbling around by firelight."

  With equal enthusiasm, he quickly led them into the storage building, proudly demonstrating another newly-installed switch. Dusk cautiously tested it with a careful claw, flipping it on and off repeatedly, clearly fascinated yet suspicious of such effortless power.

  "Careful, Dusk," Traebus teased gently. "Too much excitement might overload your stoicism."

  The drake snorted softly, giving him a dry look, though his amusement was evident.

  Satisfied, Traebus ushered everyone back outside, rubbing his hands thoughtfully as he considered the house once more. "All right, now that we have proper lighting, it's time we expand this house. It's far too cramped, and living on top of each other gets old fast."

  Vaelya raised an eyebrow curiously. "Are you planning to build upward?"

  Traebus frowned, shaking his head after a moment's thought. "I considered it. But honestly, it just makes more sense to go downward. Easier to defend, easier to control temperature, and plenty of space beneath our feet."

  She nodded slowly, understanding his reasoning. "Underground rooms?"

  "Exactly," Traebus said with enthusiasm, already bending down and pressing a palm firmly to the ground. "The upper floor can hold our kitchen, living area, food storage, utility rooms—but for private rooms, underground will be best. Cooler, safer, quieter."

  He closed his eyes briefly, extending his mana gently downward, testing and shaping the stone beneath the foundation. Slowly, gently, he pushed away layers of earth and stone, forming new walls, rooms, and corridors beneath their existing structure. Vaelya watched, astonished, as a small staircase descended carefully from the main level, emerging seamlessly from the stone floor.

  "I think…six bedrooms?" Traebus muttered thoughtfully, shaping each space carefully. "That should give us more than enough room."

  One by one, he formed the rooms, each comfortably sized, sturdy stone walls supporting overhead arches. Corridors interconnected them, the structure below quickly taking shape as Traebus methodically sculpted his vision.

  When he finally rose, dusting stone powder from his sleeves, he sighed with contentment. "There. That should hold us comfortably."

  Vaelya shook her head slowly, marveling at the staircase now spiraling gracefully downward. "You truly mean to reshape this entire island, don’t you?"

  Traebus smiled warmly, glancing at the now spacious and inviting entrance. "Absolutely. No reason not to build something worth living in, is there?"

  She met his gaze, eyes shining softly with newfound admiration. "No. I suppose not."

  With that, Traebus motioned grandly toward the staircase. "After you. Let’s see how civilization feels."

  Vaelya smiled faintly, descending into the newly-crafted underground rooms, followed by a cautious Dusk, an excitable Sparky, and the smaller lizards tumbling after them, chirping in amazement at their ever-expanding home.

  Traebus carefully extended the thin copper wiring into the newly formed lower floor, embedding the delicate metal strands gently along the edges of walls and ceilings. With precise control, he shaped small crystalline fixtures into each room, the network of wiring converging neatly around each one. As he worked, he eventually slowed, frowning down at his rapidly dwindling supply of copper.

  He sighed softly, stepping back and inspecting the results. "I have enough copper left for switches in three rooms, but we'll have to wait on the other three. At least the lighting itself is ready, even if we have to control it centrally for now."

  Vaelya tilted her head thoughtfully, stepping forward to examine the thin copper wires embedded neatly into the stone walls. "You said earlier that gold was a better conductor than copper. Why not use the gold you gathered? You have a great deal of it, no?"

  Traebus smiled faintly, shaking his head gently. "You're right—gold is far superior as a conductor. But that's exactly why I don't want to use it for something this simple."

  Vaelya frowned, confused. "Wouldn't the better conductor always be preferable?"

  "In theory, sure," Traebus explained patiently, picking up a small coil of remaining copper wire. "But gold is so effective at conducting mana and electricity that it would be wasted in such small-scale applications. Using gold wiring for lighting and basic switches would be like using a legendary sword to chop vegetables."

  She laughed softly, understanding dawning in her eyes. "I see. So you're saving it for something more important?"

  "Exactly," Traebus said, nodding eagerly. "Gold will be invaluable when I build larger, more advanced mana converters. It’s perfect for high-intensity projects where precise, efficient energy flow is crucial. Not to mention specialty projects."

  Vaelya raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What sort of specialty projects?"

  Traebus grinned broadly, eyes lighting up. "Weapons, armor, advanced tools. Things that really benefit from perfect mana flow and conductivity. Imagine swords infused with spells that never fade, armor that can absorb and redirect magical attacks, or tools that amplify my magic effortlessly. That's where the gold will truly shine."

  She smiled faintly, watching his excitement with gentle amusement. "You're already thinking that far ahead?"

  "Absolutely," Traebus replied without hesitation. "I want this place to be more than just survival—it's going to be a hub for innovation. And for that, we’ll need the best materials, used in the best possible ways."

  Vaelya nodded slowly, looking around the carefully crafted rooms, the soft glow of crystal lighting reflecting warmly in her eyes. "I think I understand. You’re building for the long term, not just the immediate moment."

  Traebus gave her a warm, earnest smile. "Exactly. We're not just surviving anymore—we're creating something extraordinary."

  She returned his smile, impressed and clearly moved by his vision. "Then I'll trust your judgment on the gold. But if another explosion occurs…"

  He laughed lightly, already moving to finish the final wiring connections. "I promise, no gold-powered explosions. Copper's risky enough."

  With the wiring finally in place and switches installed, Traebus stepped back to survey his work. He'd even thoughtfully placed two of the switches low on the wall, easily accessible for the smaller elemental lizards. He imagined Sparky and the others eagerly flipping the lights on and off repeatedly, and grinned softly to himself.

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  "Alright," he declared, stretching his arms and flexing stiff fingers. "Lighting’s done. Now we just need furniture to make this place actually livable."

  He turned to Dusk, who lounged casually near the stairway, watching with typical quiet patience. "Dusk, could you take Tank down to the jungle and bring back a few decent-sized trees? We're going to need proper wood for furniture."

  Dusk gave Traebus a flat stare, the kind of look reserved for especially bothersome requests, before letting out a resigned snort and standing slowly. With an exaggerated flick of his tail, Dusk sauntered out, clearly annoyed at being relegated to lumberjack duty.

  Traebus chuckled softly, shaking his head as he watched Dusk leave. "Thanks, buddy. Your endless enthusiasm is noted."

  Vaelya watched the exchange with quiet amusement as they ascended back to the first floor. Traebus headed toward the pantry area, pressing his hands to the stone walls and beginning to carefully shape shelves into place, gently sculpting smooth, even surfaces with precise pulses of mana.

  As he worked, Vaelya stepped closer, her curiosity returning. "Traebus, earlier you mentioned you were forced to leave your world. Did they truly banish you?"

  He hesitated slightly, fingertips pausing against the partially formed stone shelf. After a moment, he sighed quietly. "Banished isn’t really the right word. Not exactly. I was hiding for a long time, trying to avoid drawing attention. But eventually, they found me."

  Vaelya tilted her head thoughtfully, concern edging into her voice. "They?"

  "The council," Traebus explained quietly, shaping another shelf. "I’d broken too many of their taboos. My discoveries threatened their carefully balanced control. Each Archmage wanted my work—my innovations—for themselves. I knew if they captured me, I’d either be imprisoned and forced to serve their interests or...silenced."

  Vaelya’s eyes widened slightly, alarmed. "So you tried to escape?"

  "Not exactly," he said, glancing at her with a wry, humorless smile. "I spent months in hiding, perfecting something I thought could change everything—a stable dimensional portal. The day I finally succeeded, a group of the council’s enforcers found my hidden lab. They tried to apprehend me, and things quickly turned...chaotic."

  He paused, clearly reliving the memory. "During the struggle, my portal destabilized and exploded. It pulled me in, flinging me between dimensions until I landed here—completely by accident."

  Vaelya watched him carefully, her expression both sympathetic and fascinated. "So you didn’t flee intentionally—you arrived here by accident."

  Traebus nodded quietly, his voice softening. "Exactly. I wasn’t brave or clever—I just got lucky. I’m here because my own invention threw me out of my world when everything went wrong."

  She stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "And do you fear they will follow you here?"

  Traebus gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I doubt it. The portal was destroyed—there was nothing left for them to follow. To them, I’m probably just another casualty of my own hubris."

  Vaelya squeezed his arm softly, a gesture of quiet understanding. "Then perhaps this world is your chance to begin again."

  He looked up at her thoughtfully, warmth returning to his eyes. "I like to think so. Maybe here, we can build something better—something free from politics and power struggles. Just living and innovating."

  Emerging from the newly expanded home, Traebus and Vaelya stepped out into the warm sunlight, just in time to see Tank lumbering slowly up from the jungle path. The great three-horn was dragging a truly massive tree behind him, branches trailing through the dirt and leaves rustling heavily. The huge trunk scraped and rolled, carving shallow furrows in the soft earth.

  Dusk sauntered casually alongside Tank, looking utterly pleased with himself. As he passed Traebus, he flicked his head upward with unmistakable smugness, clearly conveying something along the lines of, "See? Perfectly executed, no thanks necessary."

  Traebus rolled his eyes with an affectionate groan. "Your modesty is overwhelming, Dusk. Truly an inspiration."

  Dusk ignored him completely, climbing smoothly up onto the roof of the house. He coiled himself comfortably in the warm sun, half-closing his eyes in a perfect picture of relaxed disdain.

  "Such helpfulness," Traebus muttered dryly, shaking his head.

  Turning to Tank, Traebus smiled warmly and stepped forward, placing a grateful hand on the three-horn’s massive flank. "Thanks, Tank. Couldn't do this without you."

  Tank rumbled curiously, his thoughts flowing gently through their shared bond. Traebus felt the three-horn's curiosity clearly—wondering just what, exactly, Traebus intended to do with the massive fallen tree he’d so dutifully dragged up here.

  "Furniture, my friend," Traebus replied aloud, patting Tank's rough hide fondly. "We’ve been sleeping on rocks for far too long."

  Stepping back, Traebus focused his mana carefully, reaching out to the huge tree lying before him. This was not going to be as simple as shaping stone or metal—wood, with its intricate network of carbon-rich fibers and organic structure, required careful, patient coaxing.

  Traebus pressed both hands firmly onto the tree’s rough bark, breathing deeply as he drew mana gently through his fingertips. Carefully, he visualized the form he needed, gradually shifting the tree’s complex inner structure, reshaping dense fibers of dark jungle wood into recognizable forms. The tree creaked and groaned under his influence, the air filling with the rich scent of freshly worked wood.

  Vaelya watched closely, amazed by the careful craftsmanship unfolding before her eyes. Traebus’s brows furrowed deeply with concentration, sweat slowly beading on his forehead from the strain. Carbon-based structures were far harder to reshape than stone or metal—each change required an immense amount of care to prevent splintering or collapsing.

  Slowly, gradually, pieces took shape. He carefully coaxed and formed sturdy chairs, their dark, polished surfaces elegantly curved and smooth. Next came a pair of solid tables, each broad surface refined to a flawless finish, supported by strong, gently tapered legs.

  "Almost…" Traebus murmured to himself, breathing heavily as he moved to the larger portions of wood, his mana straining harder with each step. He shaped two bedframes, forming smooth, broad platforms that would be sturdy enough for proper mattresses—once he figured out how to make those. Finally, he focused on a larger, central piece, shaping a broad, inviting couch. The form was graceful, elegant, with carefully sloped arms and a comfortable, slightly reclined back. Cushions would be necessary for true comfort, but even bare, the piece was impressive.

  After a final few adjustments, Traebus stepped back, breathing heavily, exhaustion clear in his features. The furniture now stood proudly around him—half a dozen chairs, two sturdy tables, two broad bedframes, and an inviting couch, all beautifully shaped from the rich, dark-brown jungle wood.

  Vaelya approached cautiously, running her fingertips gently across the smooth arm of the newly formed couch. Her eyes held quiet wonder. "I've seen craftsmen spend days to achieve work like this. And you've done it in mere moments."

  "Well," Traebus admitted, wiping his brow with a weary chuckle, "Moments and about half my mana reserves. Wood isn’t exactly eager to reshape itself. The fibers fight back every step."

  She smiled warmly, glancing appreciatively at the carefully crafted pieces. "Yet you succeeded."

  Traebus laughed softly, giving a satisfied nod. "True enough. At least now we’ll sleep on something other than bare stone."

  He turned toward Tank, who’d watched the process patiently, curious feelings still filtering gently through their bond. "There you have it," Traebus told the three-horn, gesturing broadly at the furniture. "No more sleeping like savages."

  Tank rumbled softly, clearly indifferent but mildly approving.

  Dusk, from his sunlit perch atop the roof, cracked one eye open just long enough to observe Traebus’s handiwork, offering only the faintest snort before returning to his nap.

  "Truly inspiring enthusiasm," Traebus muttered, shaking his head with a fond smile. Turning back to Vaelya, he grinned. "Come on, let's get these inside. I'm ready for a real seat."

  She returned his smile, moving forward to help him, both of them finally enjoying the small comforts that made their strange, growing home feel more complete.

  Traebus grasped the newly sculpted couch, motioning for Vaelya to help him move it toward the house. Together, they carefully lifted the heavy wooden piece, navigating carefully toward the door.

  "Watch the corner," Vaelya cautioned gently, shifting her grip as they approached the entrance.

  "I've got it," Traebus assured her confidently—only to collide directly with the narrow stone doorway. He stumbled back, cursing under his breath. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

  Vaelya hid a smile, gently stepping aside as Traebus rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Perhaps the furniture is not the issue."

  "Right," Traebus sighed dramatically, eyeing the doorway critically. "It's never simple, is it?"

  He placed a palm firmly against the stone, carefully channeling his mana and widening the doorway significantly, until it comfortably accommodated the furniture. Once done, he also glanced at the stairwell and shook his head, already sensing another problem.

  "That stairwell won't work either, will it?" he muttered aloud, resigned to his fate.

  Vaelya smirked gently. "Probably not."

  With another frustrated sigh, Traebus widened the stairwell, reshaping stone and earth until the pathway was wide and accommodating enough to maneuver furniture down to the bedrooms comfortably.

  "There," he said finally, stepping back. "Now we can finish."

  Together, they carried the furniture in, placing each piece carefully into their proper rooms. Bedframes went downstairs into the newly carved bedrooms, tables and chairs arranged neatly on the first floor. Finally, the couch was settled comfortably into the new living area. Traebus wiped sweat from his brow, satisfied.

  "All right, that's it," he declared with relief, nodding to Vaelya. "I'll let you handle arranging everything else. Make it feel like home."

  Vaelya smiled softly, nodding. "I'll see what I can do."

  Stepping outside again, Traebus moved toward the storage room. It had been a while since he'd taken proper stock, and he decided it was finally time to check their supplies. He swung open the heavy stone door and immediately froze, eyes widening with sudden anxiety.

  Their once-stocked shelves were almost entirely empty. Only a few meager strips of smoked meat and scraps of dried fruits remained, barely enough for a modest dinner and an even lighter breakfast. Their hide supply was similarly depleted, reduced to a single tattered skin, far from enough to meet their needs.

  "How did it get this bad?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head grimly. He took a deep breath, thinking rapidly. "We’re going to need a hunting party—and soon."

  Concern gnawed at him as he closed the storage door and moved quickly toward the farm. Perhaps there would at least be good news there.

  Traebus stepped onto the carefully cultivated farmland and froze in exaggerated shock, jaw dropping open. Where barren, rocky dirt had previously mocked his gardening attempts, a lush jungle of vibrant, oversized plants now stood—proudly mocking his disbelief instead.