After two days they had yet to uncover the mysteries behind the storymancers of Neverburrow. Who Lunyxia was and how she became the acting storymancer remained elusive to them, just as they were unable to determine what happened to Vlahd. Dauven ruled that they didn’t need to uncover that mystery to make a decision on the quest. The storymancer situation will be resolved through an investigation that they aren't authorized to follow.

  Lark wanted to conduct his personnel audits before they left Neverburrow, as he will be remaining for the storymancer investigation. He started with Dauven, causing Gwen to obsessively chew on a chew bone to ease her anxieties. Next went Riv, who shrugged and left the room shortly after it started. Gwen squeaked and dropped her chew bone when her name was called.

  Keylynn absently watched as Gwen shuffled towards the door.

  “Your mushrooms took root well.” Barnibus broke the silence, pulling her attention from the meeting door. Gwen will be fine.

  She smiled, glad that she had Rizae help him rather than attempt to help her tackle files. “I was unsure if they would take hold in the water.”

  “BEEG help,” the flesh golem announced proudly.

  Keylynn nodded. "You have my thanks." She then turned to BEEG, who looked bored as he drooped and spread his gelatinous flesh over the table. "BEEG, would you like a snack?" She asked. BEEG nodded his head excitedly. She smiled and plucked one of the swelling puff shrooms from her head and handed it to him. He eagerly grabbed it and started to chomp on it.

  “Does Dauven know of your cultivation efforts?” Barnibus asked casually as BEEG groaned in pure bliss. Perhaps the spores do add a difference in the taste and mouthfeel. She will need time with BEEG at the home office to confirm.

  “I did not feel the need to add further worry and stress to his workload,” she replied, biting her lip. She had meant to tell him, but it never came up. She did forget when they found the true cause for the closure of the VhampCuresed Vhampyre quest. Her infraction seemed like such a small drop in the pond. She doubted Lark noticed anyways.

  Barnibus grunted in response. She didn’t know who could be trusted with what she and Dauven discovered yet. “How was your day with Lark?” He asked instead of inquiring further.

  “He was quiet, mostly dead inside. He did seem curious about my inquiry into the adventuring party, noted my missing matrix tablet, and asked about my lack of motivation to leave floor five,” she added more as the words came to her. The more they collectively could piece together, the better for her team.

  Barnibus nodded. “Quiet and sullen he seemed, but every once in a while he would say something like how he was shocked that BEEG doesn’t have a paycheck or benefits. He was shocked at how long we have remained on floor five. I think he’s up to something.”

  “All that remains to be seen is what,” she added, earning his nod in agreement.

  He pulled out a pipe, signalling the end of the conversation. He lit one end of his pipe with a small device that makes a small controlled flame—magic without magic.

  Keylynn watched Gwen leave the office with her ears and tail drooping. She looked towards Barnibus and then back at the door. She should let him go last, allowing her to comfort Gwen sooner. But Barnibus and Dauven need to have a closed-door conversation.

  Barnibus stared at her questioningly, wondering who goes next. The conversation between Dauven and Barnibus is much more important than Gwen's feelings, as awful as that sounds. Keylynn hated herself for her choice. “You go. I don’t mind waiting and going last.”

  Barnibus nodded, stood up, and walked with BEEG towards the office. Keylynn let out a deep breath. She made the right choice. Dauven and Riv will comfort Gwen.

  She began to fidget with her fingernails as hyphae slid down her arms attempting to comfort her. She is likely the reason her team has been unable to leave floor five, which, according to Banibus, is something Lark has noticed. Has he advised her team to leave her behind as they progress? That would explain Gwen’s droopy ears and tail.

  It will be the best move for her team to leave her behind. Dauven will be free to be the team leader he always wanted to be with less corporate overreach. Gwen always dreamed of helping others. If she works on a high enough floor, she might be able to finally transfer into the healers department, and then she can be on-site healing nondiscriminately, as should be done. Barnibus can finally have the research lab of his dreams and the funding to match. Riv will be able to break the world with math, or at least teach others how to be math wizards, something he also enjoys.

  If leaving her behind is the best course of action for them, why didn't she want them to go? She can’t ask for them to stay. She will not be the reason her friends continue to languish on floor five. She can gleefully languish behind the dozens of HR reports filed internally and conduct the occasional adventurer guildhall assessment, but they are capable of so much more.

  Barnibus and BEEG stepped out of Lark’s office and left to join the others. They both wore blank expressions, giving away nothing from their meeting.

  The office was just large enough to house a desk and two chairs. One chair, an older office chair, housed Lark still dressed in his standard black clothes. Across from Lark sat an empty folding chair. The desk looked old and almost forgotten. Perhaps Lark took over an old office that is no longer in use. Or a storage room. She reached out with her magic cautiously and felt the room was filled with thriving dust mites.

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  The chair audibly complained with a loud creak and groan when she gingerly sat down. She felt hyphae twisting together, forming mycelium to strengthen the chair. Her chitinous slime mould oozed down the fungal-made twine, hardening as it went, reinforcing the chair.

  “Ah, Keylynn, please make yourself comfortable.” Lark sounded as if he had walked through a lively forest after a light drizzle of rain. His bright green eyes were alive and almost sparkling with joy. “Your file was definitely the largest to read through and the hardest to get my hands on.” He started pulling out several thick stacks of papers, all encased in a file folder, begging for help.

  “I was not aware it was something that would be so troublesome,” she replied politely. She can’t recall the last time anyone had read her complete file.

  “Oh, it’s not your fault. A large selection has been redacted or hidden behind authorization walls. It's a good thing I have a friend in the records department who owed me a favour. I had them send me the portions that were of interest,” he explained, flipping out his notebook.

  She stared at the massive files stacked on his desk. She has never seen her file in person. Not that she's ever needed to. “I’m not sure if that is good or bad.”

  “It’s not surprising given how long you’ve been with us,” he replied casually. “I wanted to assure you that I'm thorough, as per all personnel audits.” He explained. He slid the large pile to the side. “Do you have any questions for me?”

  A dozen questions flashed across her mind about the constantly changing protocols and mandates made by the Directors of RADAWC. She thought about how Vlahd refused to make his quest easier as he was directed to. “Currently no.”

  Lark nodded as he read through his notes. His desk was an overwhelming expanse of files, papers, and notebooks. “As far as this assessment is concerned, you have conducted yourself exceptionally well. I’ve read through your assessment. It's exceptionally thorough and well written. You have all the appropriate forms, and you omitted nothing. That’s the good news. As for the quest itself, it has already been shut down, and an investigative team has been called to sort out the storymancer mess. Your team’s work meticulously sorting all relevant paperwork will be a huge benefit, and you all have my thanks,” he spoke using a common professional business tone that many around the office use.

  Keylynn sat there almost in shock. It was all good news, and that was surprisingly short compared to the rest of the team. Barnibus is right; Lark is up to something.

  “As you are likely aware by now, corporate restructuring has also included redistributing authorizations and locking things behind authorization walls. This accompanies the distribution of labour based entirely on floor level, a model we have seen is ineffective,” he stated.His disapproval danced across his face as quickly as the communication between two hyphae occurs. If he disapproves, then he may not be part of the cover-up or support it.

  “That is your only complaint?” She asked curiously.

  He raised his eyebrow. “No, but now I’m curious to hear yours.”

  “The discrimination against any creature seen as other, different, or monstrous. Many of the current policies are exclusionary—I’m not allowed sick days, but Eugene gets as many as he desires because he drinks fermented fruit juices and cannot handle them.” She paused, feeling her cheeks redden with anger. She felt helpless to stop now that she's started to verbalize everything. “Or all of the policies that think about the majority but have nothing about the minority—I am not the only one who cannot be sick or struggles to touch screens. Riv struggles with height, and yet they do not make accommodations for that. And do you know when this quest had its last yearly assessment? It didn’t.” It felt good to embrace and feel her anger for once instead of the elven way of ignoring it. She felt free. “Not to mention the entire steaming pile of what Barnibus would call bullshit that happened with Vlahd.” She finished covering her mouth. “Forget that last part.” She felt several puff shrooms start to grow.

  “The bullshit about Vlahd?” He asked calmly.

  “What bullshit regarding Vlahd? My apologies for the use of bullshit. It is a human term I learned from Barnibus. “I’m not sure that I used it correctly,” she fumbled out. She doomed her team by embracing her anger. She plucked a puff shroom before it grew too large.

  “That really works for you, huh?” He asked, curiously. He leaned back in his chair with an amused expression on his face.

  “What works for me?” She was not going to admit that her flustering often distracts people. The only thing she can't understand is how it's not working on him. She plucked several more puff shrooms; whatever was causing them to grow so quickly can stop now.

  “Nothing,” he chuckled. She wasn't sure he could do that. “Listen, you and your team, I think, are perfect to help me conduct a massive internal investigation. I think there’s something insidious going on with corporate,” he explained, adopting his professional persona once more. “By that look on your face, the bullshit about Vlahd is relevant.”

  “Has Dauven informed you of our findings?” She asked. Her puff shrooms felt as if they were about to release their spores at any moment. Nervously she plucked them all before they could attempt to poison or harm Lark.

  “He asked for access to the records room to confirm before he came to any conclusions but promised to provide me with a report,” he said, watching as she placed the puff shrooms on his desk.

  She plucked several more. Why are they continually growing? This is why she shouldn't embrace her anger; nothing good ever comes from it. “In the HR office, read Vlahd’s file.” She informed him. “I cannot say more than that, but if this investigation is true, then you are needing to know everything.”

  He made a quick note in his notebook with a nod. “Thank you. Will you be helping with the investigation?”

  “Yes.” She plucked several more puff shrooms. She had a pile of them on the floor now.

  “Excellent, I will be transferring you and your team to floor seven. I’ve heard conflicting things regarding their quality of work as well as their quantity. I’ve already recommended you for the leadership training program. I can’t do all the corporate ladder climbing for your team, so you will need to get over your case of complacency,” he explained, handing her the yellow copy of a series of forms.

  She read through them. It was all here: her recommendation and approval for the team leadership training program and her move to the seventh floor. She saw Dauven's signature on the recommendation. That must be why Dauven's meeting took so long.

  A smile grew on her face that quickly vanished. Before she could pluck them, her puff shrooms released their spores. She summoned a small gust of wind to keep them away from Lark. “I look forward to working with you to find the stinky fish.”