Chapter 44 - It Starts Here

The next morning came with the scent of fresh dew and cooked grains.

But unlike the day before, there was no rest.

No quiet.

Ren stood once again near the well, this time not to speak to the crowd, but to direct them.

He had a list in hand. Three sheets, folded once down the middle, worn from hours of revisions the night before.

Tobren approached, bleary-eyed but alert.

"I've sorted them," Ren said, handing him the sheets. "These are your work crews. By skill, not status. You'll coordinate them."

Tobren took the list, scanning the names.

"This includes the new arrivals?" he asked.

"All of them," Ren nodded. "they said they came here to live. So now they live like we do, by doing the work."

He tapped the list.

"Page one is builders. Anyone with experience in carpentry, timber framing, scaffolding. Assign them to help with shelters. Start on the west end, that slope is stable. We'll finish the homes there before moving inward."

"Page two," he continued, "is the farm crew. These are people with backgrounds in planting, harvesting, irrigation. Tell them to work with the existing field team to expand the plots. We need to triple the food yield. No exceptions."

"And page three is support crew. Cooks, menders, haulers, firewood, clean water duty. Everyone else not assigned will rotate through as needed."

Tobren gave a slow whistle. "You even got them grouped by family units. That's smart."

"I don't want to separate kids from their parents unless I have to. And the ones too old or too young to help. They'll be cared for, like I said. But the rest…" He let the words hang in the air.

Tobren nodded. "They'll work."

Ren folded his arms, staring out toward the open stretch of unclaimed land.

"And while they work, we start fencing the perimeter."

"The whole village?"

"The new edge. We've grown past our original border. We'll mark it with stakes first, then get proper lumber once the builders are caught up. Doesn't need to be strong enough for war. Just enough to say this land is ours."

Tobren nodded. "I'll get it started by noon."

"And one more thing," Ren added. "Security."

He turned toward the adventurer teams standing nearby.

"We run two shifts. One in the morning, one at dusk. Mix your teams, keep the gear visible, but don't harass anyone. Your job is to exist. Be present. Seen. It'll be enough."

The Ashborn members nodded. Even the new ones respected the tone in Ren's voice.

This wasn't just a man giving orders.

This was a man building a system.

By late morning, the village was in motion again. But now with rhythm.

Crews split off toward marked areas. Wood was stacked and sorted. Lines were drawn in the dirt where homes would rise. Field space was claimed and measured. Families worked together, and newcomers began to mingle with the older settlers.

There were still grumbles. Resistance. Hesitation.

But no one starved.

And no one was turned away.

And for now, that was enough.

***

The sun stood high overhead, but a few scattered clouds gave welcome shade, softening the heat.

Ren sat on the shaded stone step outside the tower, reviewing updated field charts with Tobren.

Then he heard it.

The rumble of wagon wheels, approaching from the northeast.

A Trade Union wagon they borrowed.

They had returned.

The mechanics team. Back earlier than expected. A full day ahead of schedule.

Ren stood and stepped down the spiral stairs. By the time he reached the ground, someone had already jumped from the wagon and was half-jogging toward him.

An older man, wiry and energetic, eyes sharp behind thick spectacles.

"Are you Mister Ren?" he asked, breathless but smiling.

"That's me."

"I'm Elias Varnell. The watchmaker."

"Oh, right… yeah. I've heard of you." Ren gestured to the bench near the door. "Sit here. I'll greet the mechanics first."

Elias dropped onto the bench like he'd been waiting his whole life to be invited. Even from a glance, his face was lit with curiosity. Restless, hungry.

Ren turned to the others as they unloaded.

"Why are you back so soon?" he asked.

Tarn shrugged. "That man is crazy."

Mikkel nodded beside him. "I agree."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Tarn grinned. "We took three days to get there, with two nights of rest. But when we showed him the drill and the stones…"

"He just grabbed his golden satchel," Mikkel said, "pulled out his tools, and said 'Let's go.' No hesitation."

Ren blinked. "You didn't even ask him to come?"

"Nope," Tarn said. "He insisted."

Ren smiled. "Perfect. That's the kind of crazy I like. Come inside. Let's talk."

Inside the tower, the group gathered around the meeting table.

Maps, the drill, power stones, and the old blueprint . They were line up the surface.

Ren turned to Elias. "This drill, can you make a copy?"

Elias shook his head immediately. "No. Not yet."

"Then why did you come all the way here?" Ren asked.

"I can't replicate it alone," Elias replied, already reaching for the drill with a craftsman's reverence. "And I haven't disassembled it. I need to see what's inside. If I can study the inner mechanics… then maybe I can recreate it."

Ren nodded. "Good. That's all I needed to hear."

He then roll out the blueprint, sliding it across the table toward Elias.

"What about this? Can you make it?"

Elias didn't answer.

His hands trembled as he stared at the paper. His fingers hovered above it but didn't dare touch. His lips moved slightly, his beard twitching. He looked like a man in church, worshipping something sacred.

Ren saw it instantly. He smiled and pulled the blueprint back into his hand.

"I get it," he said softly. "You're curious. Obsessed, maybe."

Elias didn't deny it.

Ren continued, "I'll build a workshop for your team. In return, I want you to list every tool, part, and material you need, plus a rough estimate of the cost. I'll get it for you. But for now, our main goal is finding more of these stones. That's priority."

He extended a hand to seal the deal.

Elias didn't hesitate.

He grabbed Ren's hand with both of his, eyes wide with excitement.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, I'll do it. Just, pen and paper, please!"

***

The meeting with the mechanics had ended. Elias was already sketching in the corner of the tower, surrounded by his new obsession.

The others began measuring tools, sorting materials, and organizing for the workshop Ren promised.

But Ren?

He slipped away.

He wanted to see it with his own eyes.

He made his rounds across the village, stopping at each work site. Quietly, without fanfare.

He checked the builders first. They were finishing walls at twice the speed from before, hammering and sawing with practiced coordination. He asked if they needed help, but they waved him off.

Then the fields. Neatly organized rows of tilled earth. The new workers blended in seamlessly with the older teams. Ren offered his hands again. Again, they smiled and told him everything was under control.

Next came the fence crew. Stakes were already being placed around the perimeter, the shape of a real village beginning to form.

And still, no one needed him.

Not because he wasn't useful.

But because, for the first time, the plan was working.

The lists he had spent the night crafting. The assignments, the groupings, the priority paths. it was all paying off. 

The work flowed smoothly, with each person doing what they knew. What they were good at.

Ren walked quietly, hands in his pockets, the map folded inside his satchel.

He felt… calm.

Almost.

The final group to check was the water team.

He headed their way, boots crunching along the dirt path that cut between tents and tool carts.

Then… he stopped.

The map in his satchel pulsed.

Just once.

Then again.

A faint, rhythmic glow. So soft it might've been missed if he hadn't known to look.

Ren laughed.

Loud, genuine, from the chest.

Kaela, passing nearby on patrol, turned sharply. "Why are you laughing like that?"

Ren pulled the map from his satchel, still glowing faintly in his hands.

"This map," he said between chuckles, "I searched everywhere yesterday. North, west, south. Nothing. Not even a flicker."

"And?"

"It turns out…" Ren grinned. "The signal was right here. The whole time."

Kaela raised an eyebrow. "We already know there's water here."

"No. This is different." Ren pointed at the map. "This vein, it's thicker. And I think… it's still growing."

She stared at him, not fully understanding.

Ren looked up at the clear sky.

"It means," he said softly, "there's more than enough water for all of us now."

He folded the map slowly, his expression shifting. Not just joy, but purpose.

Kaela opened her mouth as if she want to say something. Then paused. eyes narrowing toward the treeline.

A shadow moved.

Far at the edge of the forest.

Too fast to be wind.

Too slow to be an animal.

Kaela tensed, hand drifting toward her sword.

Ren hadn't noticed.

Not yet.

But the smile was fading from his face.

Because the map pulsed again.

Not in blue.

But navy blue. Dark blue.