Calen pressed the radio's transmit button and released it, Mazoga's voice fading into static. He clipped the device back to his belt and stretched, feeling the stiffness in his shoulders from yesterday's work.

  The small chamber was quiet. Bran's pallet sat empty near the door—already gone, probably helping with breakfast or checking on the wounded.

  Calen pulled on his coat and checked his gear to be sure he got everything. Pickaxe. Rope. Water skin. All there.

  He stepped into the corridor.

  The settlement moved with purpose this morning. Goblins hauled stones for wall repairs. Kobolds reinforced support beams. Even the wounded who could walk had found tasks—sorting supplies, mending tools, keeping watch.

  Threeburrow rebuilt itself one stone at a time.

  Sivvy appeared around the corner, waving enthusiastically. "Calen!"

  The young goblin scrambled over, nearly tripping on his own scarf. "Ready for the mines?"

  Calen nodded. "Same section as yesterday?"

  "Yep. Kraggir said we're doing good." Sivvy fell into step beside him, adjusting his pack. "Told me the vein's looking real promising. Could pull some quality stones today if the seam holds."

  They walked toward the central hearth, where the smell of fresh bread and something richer—stew, maybe—filled the air. Calen's stomach responded immediately.

  "Let's grab food first," Calen said.

  Sivvy grinned. "Brikka's there. She's been helping Bran all morning."

  They entered the hearth chamber. The large iron pot hung over the fire, steam rising from its surface. Bran stood beside it, ladling stew into wooden bowls. Brikka worked next to him, cutting bread into thick slices with care.

  The two moved in sync—Bran filling bowls, Brikka adding bread, both working without needing to speak.

  Calen stopped at the edge of the space, watching.

  Brikka had been wary yesterday. Nervous around all of them. Now she handed bread to a gnoll with steady hands and something close to confidence in her posture.

  Bran noticed them and gestured toward the pot. "Eat. Still hot."

  Sivvy bounded over, accepting a bowl eagerly. Brikka handed him bread, then met Calen's eyes and offered him a bowl.

  Calen took it along with the bread, nodding his thanks. The stew smelled rich amazing and the warmth that radiated from it was cutting through the morning chill.

  He ate standing, watching the chamber fill with people. Kobolds arriving from patrol. Goblins taking a break from repairs. Even Ygrana stopped by, accepting a bowl with a quiet word of thanks to Bran.

  The settlement felt different this morning. Less tense. More settled.

  Sivvy finished his stew in record time and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "Ready?"

  Calen drained the last of his bowl and handed it back to Brikka. "Thanks."

  She nodded, already turning to serve the next person.

  Calen and Sivvy left the central hearth and headed toward the mine entrance. The tunnels sloped downward gradually, torchlight flickering along the walls. Cool air replaced the warmth from above, carrying the scent of damp stone and mineral deposits.

  Sivvy walked ahead, his small frame navigating the uneven floor with practiced ease. He waved at a pair of kobolds hauling ore carts.

  "Morning, Vesh! Morning, Krell!"

  The kobolds grunted acknowledgment, too focused on their work to stop.

  They reached the lower tunnels where Kraggir's crew worked. The sound of pickaxes echoed through the stone—steady, rhythmic, deliberate. Torches lined the walls, casting warm light on the mineral veins running through exposed rock.

  Kraggir stood near the deepest section, examining a vein with his claws. He looked up as they approached.

  "Calen. Sivvy." The kobold's tail flicked once. "Good timing."

  Kraggir gestured toward a stack of wooden crates near the tunnel wall. "Need those taken to Grimhald and Tikkit. Refinement work."

  Calen blinked. "Refinement?"

  "For the froststones." Kraggir's claws traced a vein in the rock wall. "Raw stones work fine, but refined ones hold more mana. Better trade value."

  Sivvy was already moving toward the crates, pulling one forward with both hands. "Come on, Calen. I'll show you."

  Calen grabbed the other side of the crate, lifting it with ease. The froststones inside clinked softly against each other, glowing faintly even through the wooden slats.

  "Who are Grimhald and Tikkit?" Calen asked.

  Sivvy adjusted his grip, nodding toward the corridor. "Follow me."

  They started walking, the crate between them. Sivvy's short legs moved quickly, forcing Calen to match his pace.

  "Grimhald's a kobold," Sivvy said, a little breathless. "Real good with fire. He's got these big blue scales—kinda dark from all the forge work. Works the heat for the stones. Can tell when they're just right by, like, feeling it." Sivvy waved one hand vaguely. "It's his class skill."

  Calen shifted the crate slightly as they turned a corner. "And Tikkit?"

  "She's goblin. Older than me. Way steadier hands." Sivvy grinned. "She does the tiny stuff—cuts out the bad parts inside the stones, makes 'em work better. Kraggir says she can see cracks nobody else can."

  They descended into a side tunnel, the air growing warmer with each step. The scent of heated stone and something faintly metallic drifted toward them.

  "They work together?" Calen asked.

  Sivvy nodded enthusiastically. "All the time. Grimhald heats the stones slow, and Tikkit fixes the inside bits. Then Grimhald heats 'em again to seal it all up. Takes forever, but the stones last way longer and don't break when you use 'em."

  Calen considered that. The process sounded precise. Similar to what Carl did with core batteries, but using heat cycles instead of lattice arrays.

  "Do they only work on froststones?" Calen asked.

  "Mostly. Sometimes other stuff if traders bring it in." Sivvy adjusted his grip again, his voice turning proud. "Kraggir says we're one of the only places up here that does it right. Most settlements just sell raw stones."

  They turned another corner, and the air thickened with heat. Torchlight gave way to the glow of a working forge—orange and steady, radiating from an open chamber ahead.

  The tunnel widened into a workspace. A forge sat at the center, vents cut into the stone ceiling to draw smoke upward. Tools hung along the walls—files, scrapers, measuring rods. A workbench sat near the far wall, covered in partially processed stones.

  Sivvy set his end of the crate down just inside the doorway. Calen followed, lowering his side carefully.

  "Grimhald! Tikkit!" Sivvy called out. "Got more stones for you!"

  Two figures looked up from their work.

  Grimhald emerged from behind the forge—a stocky kobold with slate-blue scales darkened almost to black around his clawed forearms. His hands moved with deliberate care as he set down a pair of heavy tongs. Burn marks traced up both arms, old scars layered beneath fresh soot.

  Tikkit appeared from the workbench, wiping her hands on a stained cloth. She was small even for a goblin, her pale green skin smudged with stone dust. Her fingers were steady as she folded the cloth and tucked it into her belt.

  Both walked toward the crate.

  "Morning, Sivvy," Tikkit said, her voice calm. She glanced at Calen. "Who's this?"

  "Calen," Sivvy said quickly. "He's with the traders. He can see energy in stuff. Like, the way it flows through things."

  Grimhald's tail flicked once, attention shifting to Calen. His amber eyes studied him for a moment before he nodded. "Useful."

  Calen straightened slightly under the scrutiny. "Kraggir asked us to bring these."

  "Good." Grimhald crouched beside the crate, examining the stones through the slats. "Clean batch. Should process well."

  Tikkit knelt next to him, pulling one of the froststones free. She turned it over in her hands, holding it up to the forge light. Her eyes narrowed as she examined the crystal structure.

  "Mixed grade," she murmured, rotating the stone to catch different angles of light. "Some high-density, some fractured. We'll need separate heat cycles for optimal enhancement."

  Sivvy bounced on his heels, eyes bright with curiosity. "Can we watch?"

  Tikkit glanced at him, then at Calen. A faint smile crossed her face. "No problem. But this is hot work. Don't want anyone getting hurt."

  Grimhald rose, brushing stone dust from his knees. He walked to a wooden rack near the forge and pulled down several items—thick leather aprons, worn and patched in places. The material looked familiar to Calen. Beast hide, probably. Similar to what Dulric used for armor scraps.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Grimhald handed one to Sivvy, then another to Calen. "For your safety. Wear these."

  Calen took the apron, feeling the weight of it. The leather was stiff in places, soft in others where heat and use had broken it down. Scorch marks dotted the front, and one strap had been replaced with rougher cord.

  He pulled it over his head and tied the straps behind his back. The fit was loose—meant for someone broader—but it covered his torso and hung low enough to protect his legs.

  Sivvy struggled with his, the apron nearly dragging on the ground. Tikkit helped him adjust the straps, tying them tighter so the leather stayed in place.

  "Better," she said, checking the fit. "Now you won't trip."

  Grimhald nodded once they were both ready. "Stay near the wall. Don't touch anything unless we say. Enhancement work gets hot fast."

  Calen moved to the side, positioning himself where he could see the forge and workstation clearly. Sivvy followed, standing close enough that their shoulders nearly touched.

  The workshop was larger than Calen had first realized. The forge dominated the center, but metal racks lined the walls, holding tools and equipment he was still trying to identify. Stacks of processed stones sat in organized piles near wooden storage crates.

  Grimhald returned to the forge, adjusting the airflow with a practiced hand. The flames brightened, shifting from orange to a deeper red-gold. He selected metal screens from the rack—flat, perforated platforms designed to hold multiple stones above the heat.

  The screens looked like repurposed mining equipment, their surfaces blackened from repeated use. Each one could hold eight to ten stones depending on size, and there were at least four screens available.

  Tikkit gathered her tools from the workbench, but not the delicate files Calen had expected. Instead, she collected temperature rods, timing glasses, and slate boards marked with timing notations. She arranged them in precise order, checking each one before setting it down.

  "First batch," Tikkit announced, sorting stones from the crate with quick, efficient movements. "High-grade froststones. Standard cycle."

  She selected eight stones of similar size and density, examining each one briefly before arranging them on the first metal screen. The stones clinked softly against the metal, their faint blue glow reflecting off the perforated surface.

  Grimhald lifted the screen with heavy tongs, positioning it above the flames at a precise distance. His movements were smooth, controlled, showing years of practice.

  Calen watched them work, feeling his Resonance Veins stir faintly. The energy in the stones pulsed slow and cold, but as heat began to reach them, the flow inside started to shift. The crystalline structures were responding to the temperature change, internal patterns beginning to realign.

  "Four minutes at base heat," Tikkit said, consulting her slate. "Then we step up to secondary."

  Grimhald grunted acknowledgment, his eyes never leaving the stones. His class skill let him feel the heat distribution across the entire screen, monitoring all eight stones simultaneously. Calen could see the concentration in his posture—tail still, shoulders steady.

  Tikkit flipped her timing glass and began taking notes, tracking the temperature progression with practiced efficiency. She moved between the workbench and the forge, checking angles and making small notations on her slate.

  The work was industrial: controlled, systematic, designed to handle the output of Kraggir's entire mining operation efficiently. "Tell me about the process," Calen said, keeping his voice low.

  Tikkit glanced up from her timing glass. "Heat cycles realign the crystal matrix. Raw stones have internal stress—places where the energy catches, bleeds away. Controlled temperature changes fix that."

  "How?" Calen asked.

  "Crystal structure responds to heat," Grimhald said, not taking his eyes off the stones. "Careful heating lets the matrix settle into better patterns. More stable. More efficient."

  The heat built gradually. Calen's Resonance Veins tracked the energy changes in real time. The cold pulse inside each stone warmed and accelerated. Internal stress patterns began to shift and realign, tiny fractures sealing themselves as the crystalline structure found more stable configurations.

  "Fascinating," Calen murmured. The process reminded him of annealing metal, but with magical energy instead of molecular bonds.

  "Step up," Tikkit called, checking her timing glass.

  Grimhald adjusted the airflow with practiced movements, bringing the flames closer to the screen. The stones glowed faintly now, their crystalline structure responding to the controlled heat cycle. The blue light intensified, and Calen could feel the energy patterns inside becoming more organized.

  Sivvy shifted beside Calen, eyes wide as he watched the coordinated process. "It's like they're waking up," he whispered.

  Calen understood what Sivvy meant. The stones were becoming more alive somehow, their energy signatures growing stronger and more focused.

  "Second step," Tikkit announced, checking her timing glass again. "Peak heat for stabilization."

  Grimhald brought the flames to their brightest, the heat washing over Calen's face even from several feet away. The stones' energy patterns shifted dramatically—internal fractures sealing completely, crystalline matrices realigning into more efficient configurations.

  Calen's pulse quickened as he watched the transformation. The stones weren't just being heated. Their fundamental structure was being optimized, turned into better energy conductors through precise temperature control.

  "This is incredible," Calen said. "You're actually restructuring the crystal matrix."

  "Experience," Grimhald replied. "Know the signs. Feel when it's right."

  "Hold," Tikkit said, monitoring her slate carefully. "Thirty seconds more for complete stabilization."

  The timing was critical. Calen could sense it through his Resonance Veins—too much heat would damage the crystals, causing them to crack or lose their energy entirely. Too little wouldn't complete the structural realignment.

  Grimhald's tail remained perfectly still, every ounce of focus locked on maintaining exact temperature across all eight stones. His Heat Sense skill kept him perfectly attuned to the process.

  The stones pulsed with enhanced energy now, their blue glow steady and bright.

  "Step down," Tikkit called.

  Grimhald pulled the flames back, beginning the cooling cycle. The stones glowed brighter for a moment as their internal energy stabilized, then gradually dimmed to a steady, enhanced luminescence.

  "Next batch ready," Tikkit said, already sorting through the remaining stones. "These need fractured-grade processing."

  She selected six stones with visible stress patterns—hairline cracks, uneven coloration, places where the energy flow looked unstable to Calen's enhanced senses. These would require more careful treatment.

  The process would be different—longer heat cycles, more gradual temperature changes to avoid shattering weakened crystals.

  "Fractured stones are tricky," Tikkit explained to Calen and Sivvy as she arranged the damaged stones on a second screen. "Have to heat them slow, let the cracks seal gradually. Rush it, and they shatter."

  Grimhald positioned the second screen at a greater distance from the flames, beginning a gentler heating process.

  Calen realized his hands had tightened on the apron's edge. He relaxed them, exhaling slowly. The efficiency of their operation had caught him off guard, but so had the technical complexity.

  "How long does each batch take?" Calen asked.

  "Standard stones, maybe ten minutes total," Tikkit replied. "Fractured ones, could be twenty or thirty minutes depending on damage."

  "And you process how many stones per day?"

  "Good day? Maybe forty, fifty stones," Grimhald said. "Bad batch with lots of fractures, maybe twenty."

  Sivvy whistled softly. "That's a lot of enhancement."

  They processed the entire crate in systematic batches. High-grade stones received standard cycles—precise timing, controlled heat increases, careful cooling. Fractured stones got extended treatment with gentle temperature ramps.

  A few exceptional stones required individual attention—not delicate filing, but precise heat management to optimize particularly complex crystalline structures.

  Calen found himself absorbed in the rhythm. Sort stones by quality. Load onto screens. Heat cycle management. Monitor timing. Cool and evaluate. Repeat.

  His Resonance Veins grew sharper with each batch, learning to distinguish between different grades of enhancement and tracking how the heat cycles affected energy flow patterns.

  "There," Calen said, pointing to one stone on the current batch. "That one's responding differently."

  Tikkit leaned closer, examining the stone he'd indicated. "Good eye. Internal structure's more complex. Needs longer at peak heat."

  They adjusted the timing for that stone specifically, extending the peak heat phase by another minute. When they removed it, the energy signature was perfectly stabilized.

  "Useful skill," Grimhald commented approvingly.

  They ended up working as a team: Tikkit tracking irregularities, Calen catching energy instabilities through his Resonance Veins, and Grimhald managing heat across multiple batches with absolute precision. Sivvy proved surprisingly helpful at organizing the finished stones and keeping track of which batches were cooling.

  "This is amazing," Sivvy said during a brief break between batches. "The enhanced stones feel so much stronger."

  "Hold more energy, release it cleaner," Tikkit agreed. "Makes them worth three times what raw stones bring in trade."

  "That's why Threeburrow can compete," Grimhald added. "Other settlements sell raw stones. We sell enhanced ones."

  Calen understood now why Kraggir had invested in this operation. Enhanced stones gave them a significant trade advantage, turning their mining output into premium goods.

  The work continued through the morning. Batch after batch of stones moved through the enhancement process. Calen watched the transformation each time—raw crystalline energy becoming organized, efficient, stable.

  By the time Tikkit removed the last batch from the cooling screens, the forge's glow had dimmed to steady embers. Calen's arms ached from holding the apron in place, and his face felt flushed from hours of radiant heat.

  Sweat had soaked through his shirt beneath the leather apron, and his eyes stung slightly from the forge smoke.

  Grimhald stepped back from the forge, wiping soot from his claws with a worn cloth. "Good run. Very good run."

  Tikkit examined the finished stones, her expression satisfied. Enhanced froststones now filled three wooden storage crates—their energy signatures cleaner, more stable, ready for whatever applications awaited them.

  The difference was remarkable. Where the raw stones had pulsed with uneven, sometimes stuttering energy, these enhanced versions glowed with steady, organized power.

  She turned to Calen and Sivvy. "Your help was appreciated. Made the work go much faster."

  Grimhald nodded, setting down his tools. "Good eyes for spotting energy problems. If you're ever back this way and want to work processing again, you're welcome."

  Calen felt warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the forge. Being useful here, contributing to their operation, felt good in a way he hadn't expected.

  "Thanks. I'd like that."

  Sivvy grinned, practically vibrating with pride. "Can I come back too?"

  "Of course," Tikkit said with a small smile. "You're good at organization. That matters in this work."

  They removed their aprons and hung them back on the rack. Calen's stomach growled—loud enough that Sivvy laughed.

  "Time for food," Sivvy said, patting his own belly. "All that heat makes you hungry."

  They gathered their gear and left the workshop, climbing back through the tunnels toward the central hearth. The scent of cooking meat and vegetables drifted down from above, making Calen's mouth water.

  His legs felt unsteady after standing for hours, and the cooler air in the tunnels was a relief after the forge heat.

  Kraggir stood near the entrance to the main corridor, examining a clipboard made of thin wood slats. He looked up as they approached, his expression curious.

  "Where'd you two go?" Kraggir asked, his tone curious rather than annoyed. "Thought you'd be back hours ago."

  Grimhald and Tikkit emerged from the tunnel behind them, still brushing stone dust from their scales and skin.

  Tikkit smiled faintly. "Apologies, Kraggir. We stole your helpers."

  Grimhald's tail flicked in what might have been amusement. "They were useful. Finished the entire enhancement run today instead of tomorrow."

  Kraggir's eyebrows rose, his attention sharpening. "The whole batch?"

  "All of it," Tikkit confirmed. "Calen caught energy instabilities during processing. Saved us three damaged stones that would have shattered."

  Kraggir's gaze shifted to Calen, studying him with renewed interest. "Impressive."

  Calen ducked his head slightly, suddenly aware of how tired and filthy he was. Stone dust coated his clothes, and he probably smelled like forge smoke.

  "Just using my skill."

  Kraggir's expression warmed. "Good skills deserve good use. We'll remember that."

  They headed toward the central hearth together, where bowls of stew and fresh bread waited. The central chamber was busy with the afternoon meal, goblins and kobolds gathering around the fire pit.

  Calen accepted his portion gratefully, sinking onto a bench near the fire. The heat felt different now—comfortable rather than overwhelming, after hours next to Grimhald's forge.

  Sivvy sat beside him, already tearing into his bread with enthusiasm.

  Calen ate slowly, his mind drifting back to the workshop. The way Grimhald and Tikkit controlled industrial heat cycles. The systematic approach to crystalline enhancement. The way they optimized energy flow through precise temperature management.

  His thoughts turned to the core batteries he and Carl had been building back at the settlement. They'd solved the bleeding problem, but efficiency was still inconsistent. Some batteries held charge longer than others, even when built identically.

  What if they applied enhancement techniques? Controlled heat cycles to stabilize the core fragments before assembly. Systematic processing to optimize internal energy flow patterns.

  The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. This could be exactly what they needed to improve battery consistency and performance.

  Calen's pulse quickened.

  He needed to talk to Carl. Immediately.

  He finished his stew quickly, set the bowl aside, and pulled the radio from his belt.

  Carl was going to love this.

  Three hours northeast, deep in a cave beneath the ridgeline, Mazoga's torchlight fell across bones scattered like broken pottery—and a ritual circle carved into frozen stone. Graveblossoms grew between the cracks. Shattered monster cores littered the center. Someone had stood here recently, raising the dead with deliberate purpose. The horde hadn't been random. It had been a test.

  Thanks for reading!

  Chapter 75 drops next tuesday!