Chapter Three - Part I:

Chores and Payday

Jane leaned forward, both hands on the frame.

“Let’s go, Hanna.
What are you even looking for?”

Moving her head, trying to follow Hanna
who was tearing the room apart.

Opening drawers.
Practically diving under the bed.
Tossing clothes across the mattress.

Hanna kept pacing in quick, sharp bursts.
Dust traced her pacing, back and forth.

From behind the curtain, Hanna’s voice came muffled.

“I can’t find the…

fire glov—”

“Hanna!” Jane’s tone cut through, low and sharp.

Hanna froze mid-step behind the curtain.

Jane leaned back, checked both sides of the hallway,
then leaned forward again.
“We’re not camping anymore,

remember?”

Hanna whispered, behind the curtain.

“You’re right.
I should be more careful…

we’re in the Vault now.
Thanks.”

She leaned out slightly,
shoulders angled,

one hand holding up a faded red glove.
“Found it,” smiling ear to ear.

Jane narrowed her eyes.

 “You’re just too cute to stay mad at,

don’t you think?”

Hanna stepped fully out, approaching Jane.
“Yeah.

I’m fully aware of that,” she smirked.

She tucked the red glove into her right pocket,
and stepped into the hallway.

Jane followed.

The door clicked shut behind them.

Their steps were already fading down the stairs.

Jane paused halfway across the hall.

“Where do we even get the mission?”

Hanna’s eyes scanned left—

then right.
“That’s the registration desk from yesterday...
So...

probably that guy.” Pointing across the floor.

A man hunched over a stack of forms behind a low stone counter.
Jacket collar crooked.

Ink staining his knuckles.

One mug,

untouched, near the edge.

Jane moved forward, stopping just in front of the table.
A stitched name badge sat crooked above his pocket.

Rusk, already half-faded.

“We’re here to get assigned to a Site Mission.”

His eyes flicked up halfway.
“You’re the two from yesterday?”

The girls glanced at each other.

He pulled a copper-trimmed slip from the side tray,

without really looking at it.

He started to recite:

“No field board access until loadout’s cleared.
Level One backpack minimum:

Sleeping bag,

healing parchment,

five-day ration.”

Hanna stepped in, one hand shifting at her side.
“Where do we get that?”

With a long,

slow movement,

the man pointed down the hall.

“Infirmary.

End of the corridor.
Lockers on the left will have your names.
If they’re empty,

metal cabinet

close to the check-in table.”

His eyes dropped back to the forms.

Jane stepped back from the desk.

;
Hanna bowed quickly.

“Thanks.” Both moved toward the corridor’s end.

The infirmary entrance was wide enough for almost a carriage to pass.

Without a door,

only a thick white metal frame.

Hanna moved first, getting inside.
Jane was some steps behind her.

The infirmary hall echoed faintly with their steps.
Just a low hum of a cooling charm along the wall seam,

and lamplight soft against pale tiles.

Hanna headed toward the line of lockers on the left.
Each one was thick iron,

square-latched,

tightly etched in black script.

She ran her hand along the metal—
“Here.

That one’s yours.”

Jane’s locker clicked open,

nothing inside.

Hanna’s was also empty.
She slightly shifted her weight to one side.

Jane nodded toward the far wall.

A tall metal cabinet

stood at the end of the corridor,

glass-fronted.

On the right wall, two lines of beds that were clean enough

to reflect on the light coming from the windows, behind them.

 
Jane leaned on a white metal table,

which seemed to be the infirmary check-in,

that Rusk mentioned.

Jane looked down at the table.
A pair of old glasses and

a pile of medical files.

Behind the table was
a small wooden door,

closed.

Through a small iron-framed window in the door,

were some dark wooden boxes, labeled.

Medical/Heal Supplies.

She turned and followed Hanna,

who was already close to the cabinet.

Hanna looked at Jane coming close.
She pressed a fingertip to the glass door from the metal cabinet.
“Look,

I think it’s this one.”

Big,

stuffed

backpacks.

They were stacked in metal frames.

Faded paint marked the shelves:

LEVEL 1 – BASIC LOADOUT      | 50RUNS
LEVEL 2 – ENHANCED PREP   | 100RUNS
LEVEL 3 – FIELD SPECIALIST | 250RUNS

A faint blink pulsed at each Tekke port.

Jane leaned in slightly.
Her hand hovered near the Level 1 tag.
“Okay...

Five for each,
or maybe

just one Blue.” She murmured low.

She looked back to the stacked backpacks.
“How?
if we need missions to get Runs,

but we can’t do missions without supplies,

how can w—"

“The shiny mushrooms!” Hanna’s hands clapped together.

Jane jumped, startled.

“What are you talking abou—
No.

No.
No, no, no, no, no.

We’re not

going back there.”

Hanna narrowed her eyes.
“But I don’t eve—”
“Nope.” Jane shook her head.
“Are you sure?” Hanna’s eyes locked on her friend.
Jane nodded.

Hanna turned slowly walking toward the infirmary exit.
Her pacing steady and silent.
“Okay”

Jane blinked.
“Where are you going?”

Hanna stopped.

“To the Adventures Vault.
We need that money

if we’re going to buy those packs.”
She glanced over her shoulder.
“You can go back to the warm and safe room if you want.”

Jane looked at Hanna who started to walk again.

Then stepped after.
“Fine.

But just this time,

so we can start the real missions here.”

Hanna lit up.
“I knew you’d understand.”

Jane rolled her shoulder.
“If I let you go alone,

you’d probably step on your robe

and

fall again.”

Hanna froze mid-step.
One sharp look.

“That happened a single time.”

Jane walked past her.
“Yeah.
But it was hilarious,
it was raining,

and when you stood up,

you looked like a fish.
Toasted on one side.

Raw on the other.”

Hanna snorted, trying not to laugh.

She picked up the pace to catch up Jane.
“At least

I wasn’t the one who ate a mushroom

and tried to fly
thinking that was a fairy.
And
I’m pretty sure
that

was

 not
only once.
Keke.”

Jane raised her hand.
“Okay,
I surrender.
But I still think that third one

wasn’t poisoned.”

Hanna slid beside her.
“Mmhm.

Let’s go get our

missions.” She drew the air quotes,

wide,

theatrical.

They linked arms.
Light steps.

As they neared the door.

Hanna touched her chin.

“I’m pretty sure

it was at least

five mushrooms.”

Jane raised an eyebrow.
“No way,

 that other time

 wasn’t—”

Jane leaned back on the wall

outside the Adventures guild

next to the doors.
“I won’t go in there again,

can you just choose two missions…
please…

Then,

we can get at least one full blue

and

some greens.”

Hanna frowning.

“Are you sure

that

you don’t want to choose

at least one?

Maybe I can bring the papers out here

and you can choose too.”

Jane smiled, reached forward and

bopped her nose.

Soft and quick.

“No need,

All missions at this place

should be easier than

walking forward.
But, thank you for

worrying.”

Hanna nodded slowly.

"Okky,

wait here.”

Jane gave a small tug on Hanna’s robe.

“One thing,

Hanna…

don’t touch anything in there,

okay?”
Hanna made a little pouty face.

“Not even

the sparkly ones?”

Jane frowned.

“Especially

them.”

Hanna smirked.
Then smiled, hopping towards the doors.

“Okay…

okay,

I won’t

be

long.”

After a few minutes,

Hanna exited the Vault

holding two folded mission slips.

She walked quickly,

her steps light,

paper flapping gently with each move.

Jane saw her approaching.

Before she could speak,

Hanna raised her hand slightly and grinned.

“No, no—

I didn’t touch

the sparkly,

beautiful,

and

extremely interesting mushroom

I saw inside.

I kept my promise.”

Jane smiled.

“I know you did.

Now,

show me the mii-ssions.”

Hanna handed her the papers.

Jane unfolded the first one,

scanning it for a moment.

She nodded.

Then her eyes shifted to the second.

Her expression changed slightly.

Hanna tilted her head.

“Any problem?

Did I pick something too difficult?

I thought this place didn’t have any hard missions…”

She rubbed her fingertips together, recalculating.

Jane glanced up, voice calm.

“No, no.

Not that.

There’s no way this place would ever list a real ‘mission.’

And I never seen you miss a number

not even,

once.”

She tapped the second paper.

“One full Blue to unclog the river pipes? Either they’re too shiny to get wet or

we’re about to meet the cleanest rodents in the city.”

She folded both papers and handed them back.

“Let’s go.

Farm to save.

Pipes to unclog.”

Hanna’s lips curved slightly at the compliment.

Then she jumped up onto Jane’s back,

one hand hooking over her friend’s shoulder,

the other arm stretched out, pointing ahead.

“Let’s go!

First step to getting our house!”

Jane grabbed under Hanna’s legs and started walking with her on her back.

“Don’t forget the tea set.”

Hanna raised her fist in the air.

“And a tea set!”

They headed toward the city gates.