After the arrival of the Watchers in Blood Sands Castle, and the building of the Tower of Sand, as they called their local training tower, things changed in the desert outpost.

No longer were they isolated and rarely visited, the castle was a bustling hub of activity in the desert, with the main gates open every day and a packed market inside the walls, something that was an unthinkable risk when the Castle was built, operated at maximum capacity every day, easily selling out all the available stalls.

Since the location didn't exist before the dungeons, they didn't have to worry about the crazed former occupants traveling here via an unguarded transport circle, so the Blood Sands Castle had become open to the public, under heavy guard by the two Lieutenants who are constantly stationed there.

A secondary transport circle had been placed aboveground, for public use, keeping unwanted visitors out of the keep itself, and the Guild decided that it would be free to use for everyone associated with the Guild as well as all merchants doing business in the Castle. The savings might be small to some, but they were very large to those selling common goods, and the policy had brought a lot of trade in foods and common textiles.

Kone's first duty of the day was to check on the aquifer under the castle, ensuring that the water elementals had kept it topped off and circulating so it wouldn't go stagnant.

The sand made an excellent filter, so what little was reclaimed came back relatively pure, and didn't jeopardize the safety of their drinking water.

Just as she got dressed and ready to head to the underground levels, the door opened and a slender young man rushed in pushing a trolley with two covered plates on it.

"Miss Kone, I am so sorry I'm late. I brought all your favorites from the kitchen." Larkin greeted her, hurrying to place them on the small table that was currently covered in design plans for the botanical gardens that the Druids were trying to grow in the desert surrounding the Castle.

Kone gave him a short kiss before sitting down at the table and packing up the documents. She had told Larkin many times that this wasn't necessary, but he still insisted on bringing her breakfast every day. She knew the hopeless man simply couldn't resist any hint of affection, so she was always sure to treat him well. It wouldn't do for him to develop a wandering eye and go looking for affection elsewhere.

Larkin was blushing at her from across the table and playing with the amulet around his neck, which made Kone almost giddy with happiness. She had given him that trinket for his birthday a week ago and he hadn't taken it off since.

That was the day that she had made their relationship official, following Char's advice not to string him along too long. According to Char, he was too cute and naive to be left unattended, so if Kone took too long to act, the Shaman was sure that another woman would catch his eye and steal him away.

Kone might not have been able to cure his simping nature, but she had leveraged it to encourage him to keep building his strength every day.

She was still leveling much faster than him and was almost to level 300 already, mostly thanks to the tower and an ingenious idea she had been invited to test the first day it was built. With the Watcher standing at the door, she could party with him and gain the benefit of his aura abilities, including the experience bonus.

The Watcher was treating the arrangement as an experiment, curious to see how long it took someone to notice that her rate of growth was unnatural and say something.The party function was suspended inside the tower, but you weren't removed from your group. This exploit only seemed to work for the one that created the tower though, since bonuses from the other creatures the Watcher summoned disappeared when she entered.

Larkin followed her through the morning rounds, always a polite two steps behind her, like he was her bodyguard. It was a bit of a running joke in the castle that ever since Neffie moved away and he lost his partner in crime he had lost his enthusiasm for pranks and needed someone to think for him.magic

Kone knew it wasn't true, he was just an idiot madly in love with a girl who loves to bully him, and she had made sure nobody said mean things to him about his affectionate nature.

"Come along Larkin, we are heading out to the botanical gardens," Kone instructed, hiding her smile by turning her back on him.

The Druids had arranged a picnic for them today, to celebrate one week as an official couple. Lunch in the shade of the newly planted trees, next to the fountains, was her idea of the perfect afternoon, so she hoped Larkin liked it.

"Before you two head for lunch, there are reports of a large group of high-level scorpions in the desert. The patrol hasn't managed to track them down yet, and they're asking if you can help out." Maggie, the mint-skinned orc who was Cain's Lieutenant in charge of the castle defenses, called the moment she saw them.

"No problem. We still have time before lunch, just let the Druids know that I will be running behind." Kone called back.

The duo headed out the gate in the direction where the last attack on a caravan was reported, making their way slowly through the freshly planted gardens that were steadily taking over the valley around the city.

Most of the foliage was a type of grass that grew as one interconnected plant that could draw water from over a kilometer away, allowing it to grow and blanket a large area around an oasis. Steadily overflowing fountains with long stone drainage ditches served as the water source for the unique grass, and stands of hardy trees stood near the road, sheltering the castle's guests at they arrived.

"Su, can we get a ride?" Kone called for her Forest Dragon Companion, who had grown into a magnificent example of her species as Kone advanced through the levels.

The Dragon appeared to be covered in multicolored leaves, but if one looked closely they could see that the levees were actually a loose secondary layer of flexible scales that shifted colors to help Su blend in with her surroundings.

"Of course, you can. Are we bringing Larkin or will he be chasing us on foot?" Su asked, only half joking. She admired his persistence but despised his shameless nature in chasing after her mistress.

[Be nice to him today. I think today is the day to give him that special gift I've been saving.] Kone sent the directions as a thought so Larkin wouldn't catch on, and Su snorted in amusement.[Or your could put a collar on him and keep him as a puppy. You might have to smack him to stop him from humping your leg though.] Su countered.

[That's not a bad idea either. I wonder if Cain has an extra?] Kone joked, then mounted the dragon and helped Larkin up.

The target was only a pack of giant scorpions, so she should be able to deal with them from the air, just by summoning the very tanky Snapping Turtles she preferred as her main fighting force to defeat them.

"There they are. Six scorpions in the distance." Su called out, banking toward them and calling her own Drakes to deal with them before anything else was in range.

In her mind, it was better than getting close and risking a sneak attack. Many desert creatures had ambush-type skills to help them take down prey.

These were exactly that type, and a hailstorm of poison spikes flew from the scorpions' backs toward the drakes. As level 250 Epic monsters they weren't individually much weaker than the drakes, and their carapace made them resistant to the debilitating effects of the drake breath.

Kone called the Turtles to help out and they appeared all around the unfortunate desert dwellers, swinging their huge Warhammers at the thick chitin on the scorpions' backs.

Tails flashed out in return, bouncing off shields, but one got through, knocking a Turtle Kin back with a festering wound on its shoulder.

The Healing Aura coming from Kone and Su quickly cured the poison, but a slowing effect was heft behind that seemed to be a curse, which her aura didn't affect.

Another Turtle Kin was grabbed and ripped apart by giant pincers as the opponents ganged up on it, coordinating their defense much more efficiently than expected.

Hammers crushed first one, then another scorpion's brains and the battle turned lopsided while Kone and Larkin watched from the air. They were so distracted by the fight that they didn't even notice the sandstorm sneaking up on them until it was almost too late.

At their level, the storm wasn't likely to prove fatal, but it was very painful to be out in, so Kone ordered Su to land so they could set up shelter while the summons finished dealing with the Scorpions.

The tent Kone brought was enchanted for this reason, and wouldn't be damaged by the fire magic infused sandstorm, but the air would get rather hot inside, and it was already nearly forty degrees in the morning sun.

[You can dismiss the others, the battle is won. I will bury myself in a sand dune until the storm is over to give you two lovebirds some privacy.] Su reported, making herself a comfortable den, safe from the storm.

Kone decided that this was the perfect chance. They were out of the castle, and the storm would last at least half a day, so she made her move, removing her armor to leave herself in shorts and a tank top.

"It is only going to get hotter in here as the storm hits, you should remove your armor as well." She suggested.

"Good idea. I am already feeling pretty warm." Larkin agreed, trying not to look directly at the glistening skin that she was showing, and Kone could feel Su laugh in her mind at the man's naivety when he changed into long pants and a tunic.

"Is that any sort of outfit for this heat? How about you lose the clothes entirely and let me give you a present?" Kone whispered in his ear as Larkin gave thanks to any and every God or Goddess that might be listening for giving him this opportunity. This was not a day he would forget any time soon.

Not that anyone else would ever know. Larkin was certain that he would die of embarrassment if he ever tried to relay the things that happened in the sweltering tent that day.