The Hollows climbed to home base and immediately got to work. Lydi placed Feni into bed and gave her a few potions. She said Feni should be waking up by the end of the day. Aang postponed any discussions and meetings until everyone had a clear head. He looked like he had a lot to say about the boss fight, and it clearly wasn’t all positive. The fight had been messy.

  Alisa and Rohan entered later. Rohan had his head down, a gloomy look on his eyes. He claimed that nothing had happened, and that he was alright. He headed to sleep. Watching him go, Alisa and the others looked concerned, but they didn’t say anything.

  Ven and Henry wrote down the boss’s drops. The Elder Gnoll’s ether aura had been enhanced to double its original strength. Despite that, the boss only dropped thirty percent more ether compared to its usual state. The potions didn’t enhance collectible ether as much as Ven and Henry would have liked. The boss’s aura had been enhanced by mostly uncollectible void elements.

  Vivi’s new skill was also examined with an etherprint scanner. Apparently, the skill was called “thorn sword,” and it was a common skill as Lucius had said, though the skill was on the more valuable side of common skills. Weapon enhancement skills were sought after by just about anyone that didn’t already have rarer skills at their disposal. Vivi could have sold the skill for a good sum.

  “Etherprint scanners can now detect you,” Ven said. “If the Stewards catch you with a skill, you’re dead. They’ll probably torture you to figure out where you got the skill from. From now on, you’ll have to follow the rules more strictly. Skills stay home. You will never bring one to the hub.”

  “I’ll have to keep it in a container?” Vivi asked.

  “Yes,” Ven said. He headed to the back of the base, where ether containers were being kept. Skill containers were still orbs, but they were larger and hollow inside, filled with some weird liquid. The Hollows had fifteen skill containers, half of which currently stored wisps. “We’re meeting Grenall soon. That means visiting the public side of Zand. Leave the skill here.”

  Vivi could feel Lucius frowning within her. As always, he was stingy about his belongings. Vivi, however, didn’t see a problem. She left the skill in the container for now.

  Ven also stored his ether reserves in containers and switched out his sword. He put on his Union official’s jacket and stretched. “Grenall is going to be on his lunch break soon. That’s when we’ll meet him. Are you ready to go?”

  “I’m ready,” Vivi said. “What do you need me for?”

  “I don’t strictly need you,” Ven said. “You’ll be useful to have along. I won’t take too much of your time.”

  Vivi raised her eyebrows, but followed Ven. She didn’t have practice today, and she didn’t have any ongoing projects in the smithy. All of her immediate jobs were completed for the day. She could spend a few hours with Ven. Vivi put on her disguise, and they exited the lair.

  Ven didn’t start a conversation like he usually did. He walked calmly toward their destination, which Vivi guessed was the apartment district trapdoor exit.

  “Is everything okay with Rohan?” Vivi asked.

  Ven continued walking. He took a while to respond. “He usually recovers. You might have to train the sword with me for a few days to give him time.”

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  “Why?” Vivi asked. “He didn’t get hurt that badly, did he?”

  “He’s a bit of a complicated person,” Ven said. “Rohan lived with the nobles, once. He was a true knight.”

  “With the nobles?” Vivi asked. “But he’s in Zand?”

  Vivi imagined a frown beneath Ven’s mask. “Rohan is a good person, but he has lived through a lot. He sometimes needs time to himself. As your teacher, I don’t think he would want his secrets out.”

  “What is it?” she asked. “I’d like to know.”

  Ven didn’t respond, continuing the walk. Vivi followed, but her head quickly pointed down. Rohan needed time for himself? To do what? After the fight, Rohan hadn’t celebrated. His expression was that of someone who lost their friend.

  Ven sighed. “Just know that most of the scars on his face aren’t battle wounds. They’re associated with bad memories. Sometimes, close fights bring those memories to life.” He paused, then said, “He failed to protect his mistress. Her name was Zelle. He still blames himself. And he can get quite overprotective of his team when threats arrive. That’s all I can say for now.”

  Vivi bit her lip, a sour taste in her mouth. “Can I help him somehow?”

  “No,” Ven said. “The best you can do is leave him alone. Don’t mention any of this to him. He’s already embarrassed enough to have lost his cool during the fight. He’ll take some days to recover, and he’ll continue teaching you.”

  Vivi stayed silent. Rohan was a good teacher. She still had a lot to learn from him, and Vivi knew he had a good heart. She wanted to help somehow.

  Ven slashed a few surgehounds with a regular ensium longsword and hid their host bones. He walked past stone-leafs, as always. “Let’s focus on what’s ahead,” Ven said. “I’ve been considering your idea to frame the Stewards. I think it’s good enough to propose to Grenall. We’re hoping to turn ideas into plans today.”

  “It’s just an idea,” Vivi said. “I won’t be of much help beyond that.”

  “We’ll see,” Ven said. The slab blocking the exit came to sight. Ven pulled it off, and the two entered Aang’s apartment. They took off their disguises.

  “Meeting with Grenall is always easy, as he’s the lone guard in charge of this apartment complex,” Ven said. “We should be safe talking to him even here. But just in case, we always move to the scolding room.”

  “Aang told me about it,” Vivi said.

  Aang had rented every apartment on the first and second floors to use as Guest beds for Union members. It wasn’t unusual for gangs to rent large sections of the apartment district. Zand’s staff allowed it, but guards such as Grenall were set in place to make sure the Gangs didn’t cause trouble in the apartment district.

  To keep the appearance that the apartments were actually being used, Ven and Aang sometimes sent Union members to sleep in the apartments. For the most part, however, the apartments were kept empty. This way, the trapdoor between levels could be commonly used without worrying about being caught, and meetings with Grenall wouldn’t be interrupted by nimrods visiting.

  There was still a chance that Stewards or other guards could walk in during a meeting. For a Steward to see Grenall discussing in Aang’s room could have led to the end of the Hollows. This was why discussions were held in the staff room, where Grenall could use the excuse that he was simply taking payment from tenants, or that he was scolding rulebreakers in private.

  Vivi found the arrangements impressive. Aang and Ven put serious effort to keep the Hollows secret. Every day, Ven took an extra step to make sure nothing was going wrong.

  The staff room’s door was at the very end of the apartment. Ven knocked on the door four times.

  After fifteen seconds, the door opened. A guard stood behind it, looking unimpressed. The same guard that Vivi had met outside the apartment when exiting the hidden dungeon for the first time.

  “Sorry, the lamp switch broke,” Ven said. “We’re here to request a replacement, if that’s possible.”

  “Lamp switch, I see,” Grenall said. “Nobody’s here. Step in.”

  The staff room was small and cramped, fitting a square table with four chairs and some locked cabinets. There was an ice-box to store foods, and a tiny kitchen stove with minimal equipment.

  Grenall signaled Ven and Vivi to sit. He filled up a mug of some dark tea and leaned on the wall next to the door. “So, you and Aang had some plans?”

  “Yeah, we’re finally looking at promoting you out of guard duty,” Ven said.

  Grenall frowned. “And what do you want me to risk my life for this time?”

  “We’re going to toss you into the call room,” Ven said. “And we’re going to need you to send a few messages to Ingfried’s goons.”

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