"You sure we have to do this today?" Tom's voice was gruff and laced with pain.

Tess rubbed her eyes and rose from her bedroll. The makeshift blanket-tent hung low over her head, heavy with snow even after being brushed off several times.

The adults' voices carried over the popping campfire.

"We're wasting time," Bo said. "We need to get that Quarry and Copper Mine established on Chloe's lands. There are several key buildings that need stone foundations."

Tess pulled on her boots and stretched. She blinked in the bright morning sunlight as it reflected across the white hill.

Chloe was standing next to Tess's father, her bottom lip between her teeth. Tess joined them, and caught the tail end of her Dad's plan.

"Maybe you can figure out a salary and work schedule. We might need to set up some housing out by the Mine too, for the workers. Chloe, you'll need to decide where they go and who gets priority on the plots, and—"

"What? Me?" Chloe's eyes went wide. "But I don't know anything about assigning housing or-or managing people! What if I mess it up? What if they hate me? Can't you just do it?"

Chloe was hyperventilating. Tess watched her morale bar steadily drop.

Tom laid a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Easy, honey. We'll figure it out, all right? No need to get yourself worked up." He gave her a reassuring squeeze. "We can figure this out together, but I think you need to start preparing yourself for a lot more responsibility."

Chloe took a shaky breath and nodded. She leaned into her Dad's side.

Tess cleared her throat.

"Hey, Dad. Before we head out, I think we should distribute all of the loot we're not using to folks around town. Get some use out of it, you know?"

Bo rubbed his chin. "You're right. Let's see, who's really been stepping up lately . . . "

"Mike, for sure," Tom chimed in. "He's been a solid tank, helping us take the brunt of the attacks whenever the hill gets raided."

"All of group two, really," Tess said.

Bo nodded. "Good call."

A tall teenage girl with a blond ponytail appeared beside them. She explained that Bridget had assigned her as Bo's runner, to help him coordinate the Settlement. Others would rotate the messenger role with her.

Bo asked her to go find Mike, Helen, Bridget, and key group two members.

Well done, Bridget.

Mike was the first to arrive.

"Mike, we're headed out on an excursion today, which leaves you as the main tank if anything big heads this way." Bo pointed at the pile of loot beside their tent. "We've got some Bronze plate Shin guards, a Short Sword, an extra Shield, and Bracers. If you want them."

"Sounds great, thanks guys! Wait, I mean, thank you, milords!" Mike barked a laugh as he bowed low.

Tom laughed, and helped him look through the gear.

"Oh, Jill could use some Bard gear, if you have any? Oh, and that Richard guy? He's a whiner and a complainer for sure, but damn if he doesn't roast the Headless when it counts. If you have any gear for a Wizard, he's solid."

Bo rummaged in through the pile and produced a dull Copper Ring and a polished Wooden Staff.

They parceled out a few more pieces for the other group two members.

Bridget showed up just in time.

"Bridget, can you handle the rest of this equipment?" Bo asked her. "Use your judgment to hand it out. We need this town buttoned up tight while we're gone."

Bridget nodded. She picked up a Ring and looked it over. "I'm sure I can find a home for every piece. Most people have nothing."

Gear alone isn't enough to keep everyone safe.

Tess sighed. If only she could get the adults to commit to proper training.

How the hell am I going to persuade Dad?

"Come up the hill with me, please. I want to say a few things to the town."

They followed Bo as he strode through the snow to the part of the hill where the [Crappy Shacks] were springing up. Logs and boards flew around as the construction crew worked feverishly in the time-dilated zone.

Bo cupped his hands around his mouth. "Yo! Take a break for a minute, everyone! Town meeting, please!"

Townsfolk set down hammers and saws, and wiped sweat from their faces as they congregated around. The stomach-turning scent of perspiration and unwashed bodies concentrated as they assembled.

Yeah . . . something needs to be done about that, too.

"Some of us, including [Miners] and [Quarriers], are going on a short expedition to secure more materials for construction. We need another full row houses on each side." Bo gestured at an area running parallel to the current rows of Shacks. "Bridget has access to funds, and she will coordinate things in my absence. I expect to see at least ten more solid structures when we return. I know this is hard work, but it's cold, and we still have a lot of people outside. I hope everyone continues the hard work throughout the day. Thanks everyone, and I appreciate it."

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"How about priority for housing based on contribution or work!" someone shouted. "We've been sleeping in the frozen mud and snow for days!"

"Great idea!" said Bo. "We'll figure that out as well, when I get back. But we need to build the houses first. That's the only way forward."

As the mob dispersed into a hive of activity, Charlie climbed onto a stump and waved his arms. "Wait, wait! I've had an idea."

Curious, the crowd re-formed around the older Black man. "I propose a small ceremony, here in our new town of Foundation. A pledge of loyalty to the Kingdom of Raintree, and to the new Lords and Ladies!"

The crowd murmured, and some people exchanged glances.

Charlie stood tall. "For the sake of reputation, and to form strong bonds within our community."

Tess frowned, and glanced at her father.

Bo shrugged.

Charlie barreled ahead. "Think about it. We're no longer just random survivors thrown together by chance. We're establishing a Kingdom, and literally fighting together for our lives. Let's make it official!"

He hopped down and strode to where the Robinsons and Damascus's stood. With a grand flourish, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

"I, Charles Moore, do hereby swear fealty to the Kingdom of Raintree, and its honored rulers. I pledge my mind, heart, and hands to the glory and prosperity of our new home and community."

As he finished, a golden light suffused his body, which shimmered and sent sparks dancing across his skin. The crowd gasped.

"It worked! I'm a citizen!" Charlie leaped up, giddy. "Fealty buffs! Boosts to productivity, morale, everything! Who's next?"

Brad sprang forward and recited the oath, followed by Jeannie, then others the families had worked closely with. After some hesitation, others in the crowd stepped forward to kneel and recite the oath. Each time, the glow appeared, and the air hummed with energy.

Tess could feel Chloe squirming beside her.

Tess glimpsed a familiar figure at the edge of the throng. Caretaker History observed them with a big smile on her face. She caught Tess's eye, clapped quietly, then vanished into the ether once more.

[Through Charles Moore's observance of historically accurate feudal society customs, your Kingdom has been awarded a new buff unique to Raintree. Caretaker History.]

Tess scanned her buff list and found the new one.

[Oath of Raintree: Within the domain of the Kingdom of Raintree you gain an XS.05 boost to morale, an XS.05 boost to recovery, and an XS.05 boost to stamina.]

"Way to go, Charlie!" Bo yelled, and clapped Charlie on the back.

Blake was mysteriously absent.

After the last rounds of oath swearing, Tess's Dad stepped forward, his voice ringing with authority. "Thank you, everyone! We have work to do, people! [Miners], [Quarriers], grab your gear! Oh and, uhhh." Bo held up his hand in the air. "Gooo Raintree!?"

He had been joking. However, some of the crowd laughed and answered his cheer. "Raintree!"

Jeannie, Charlie, Steve, and a dozen other men and women joined them. All of them had stone and bone Pickaxes slung over their shoulders; Steve also held a giant wooden club he'd fashioned himself.

Bo walked up to Tess and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Tess checked her [Battle Map]. "The Dungeon is defeated, but there could be other dangers," Tess said to the group.

"God, I hope so," Amber whispered.

"So, pay attention everyone!" said Tess. "Let's head out."

As they began the trek into the woods, Tess fell into step beside her father.

"Once we establish the Mine and Quarry, how is this going to work? With it being in Chloe's land."

Bo frowned. "I've been thinking about that. We need a system; a way to make sure the Kingdom gets its due, without shortchanging the territory owners. I'm leaning toward a setup so each ruler keeps 80 percent of their domain's profits for discretionary spending. Improvements, special projects, that kind of thing. The other 20 percent goes to the Kingdom."

Tess nodded. "Do you think 20 percent will be enough to keep a Kingdom running?"

"I think it's a good place to start, and in the long run it's probably plenty. This is several steps down the road, but I looked through my Kingdom prompts. There are screens for implementing taxes, but I think the Kingdom is going to have to take out a loan against Chloe's profits to make sure everything keeps getting built. We need money immediately."

Chloe slowed to walk next to them. "I mean, you can just have the money. We're all in this together. It doesn't have to be a loan."

"Yes, it does," said Bo. "This is your territory and your Copper Mine. You'll need your money to pay your workers, purchase tools, upgrade buildings, all kinds of stuff."

Bo turned to the other family members. "To that point, I truly think it's crucial we keep reinvesting, and pouring those funds back into the economy. Is everyone good with an 80-20 split?"

A chime sounded, and a glowing prompt unfurled in the air before Tess, outlining an 80-20 split if she accepted. The prompt had small checkmarks that were ticked off as each Lord and Lady mentally approved the contract.

The snowy trail wound on beneath their feet. The slush and mud pulled at their worn boots and tired their legs.

Finally, they crested a familiar rise. Snowy pines lined the banks of a swift-running stream, its waters churning white over a bed of smooth pebbles. Nestled against the hillside were the large limestone rocks they had found on the previous trip.

Bo grinned, and strode toward the potential Quarry site. "Chloe, do you have a prompt?"

"Yes! I'm clicking it now to give you permission to create zones and build in my territory."

"In the name of Raintree, I, Lord Robinson, hereby declare this Quarry open!" Bo's voice rang out and echoed from the boulders. "Shoot, that didn't do anything special." He shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"You heard him!" Steve the [Quarrier] bellowed, waving his Pickaxe. "Let's get cracking!"

The [Quarriers] marched forward into the Quarry's time dilatation zone.

Almost immediately, the air was filled with the ringing clamor of stone on stone.

Tess winced as a burly [Quarrier] brought his pick down with more strength than skill, and sent chips of rock flying out of the Quarry's boundary.

Time-dilation made the conversation hard to follow, but Tess caught a few words as Steve jabbed a finger at the man.

"Blocks, not dust!"

"Angles."

"Finesse."

Steve demonstrated with a deft swing of his own tool. He neatly split a slab of rock along a straight line.

As the Quarry seemed to find its rhythm, Bo rounded everyone else up.

They moved further upstream, until Jeannie called a halt. She pointed to a seam of ruddy stone, shot through with glinting threads of Copper.

"Hot damn." Bo let out a low whistle.

It only took a few moments, and the Mine was established.

Jeannie and her crew got straight to work, squeezing between boulders to reach the narrow cleft where the vein began. They chipped and pried at the unyielding rock. It was grueling labor, but already small clumps of Copper were being piled up.

Tess let a selfish corner of her mind wonder if she could get Chloe to give her some materials for her own plans and projects.

Copper can be made into Bronze for arms and armor, and stone can be used for fortifications...

Her father was looking at the same pile of Copper Tess was, clearly thinking about his projects. He flipped through the blueprints he always had with him.

Tess turned to see Art and Sophie vanishing into the undergrowth.

Roger ambled toward the stream, a new bone fishing pole slung over one meaty shoulder. He grinned, and saluted Tess with his free hand. "Look what your Mom made! Figured I'd see about rustling up some fish. Holler if you need me."

And then he was gone, whistling tunelessly as he picked his way across the rocky shallows.

A harsh cry shattered the industrious calm.

"Goblins!"

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