While a certain divine asshole set about the business of playing a fun game, a short time passed for the intrepid heroes. Scott, or Blackthorne to those who knew of him, was not heard from for over a week in the dream world. This lead to his entire time off from work coming to an end, and then yet another day of missed employment.

Ashton sat at her desk deep in the darkest pits of Archers, and tried to avoid giving in to the desire to weep openly. The lack of Scott in her life was not the reason for the threatened tears, however. No, it was due to a different concern that was of a similar nature. Employees were not showing up for their shifts in record numbers.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose then sighed loudly. "Twelve call outs today. Three no call, no show... Worse than yesterday."

The store needed at least eighteen employees to run a skeleton crew, yet only three had even shown up. Forced into action she managed to get a few others who were already at work to stay an extra shift, but the employee call outs were ridiculous in number.

There was a light at the end of her long dark tunnel, however. This light came in the form of an e-mail from the corporate office. As it turned out, it was not just her store. Employees all across the Archers brand were calling out of work. Even more curious, it was not just Archers. Many other businesses were suffering a lack of manpower for some reason.

"I'd rather be home in bed," mumbled Ashton to herself. She stretched like a cat, her arms wide and her eyes closed.

"Guess that's the problem, though. Everyone would rather be at home right now." Things were becoming weird all over the world at the moment. Every few days the mysterious fog had rolled across the planet. In its wake came monsters, a few more each time than the time before.

People were frightened, but there was also a certain expectation. In the beginning of the dream, everyone had been told that the world would slowly update. With a year or so major changes would occur on Earth, changes which would continue for a few years.

The appearance of monsters on Earth, as the supposed experts decided, meant that the system in the dream world would soon become part of life as well. How they could be experts in regards to a phenomenon that only began a little over a month prior was anyone's guess. People needed answers, however, and governments were glad to give them any answer that they could come up with in order to maintain order.

"Who would come to work now? Monsters roam the country side, and a few levels in the dream world might be enough to keep you alive in the real one if the system does come to Earth," said Ashton thoughtfully. In truth, she would also rather be in the dream world.

The sea voyage that she had undertaken in order to meet up with Scott and the others on the other continent would take quite some time. There was no reason for her to be there for it and the trip would go much faster if she remained in the waking world for most of it.

"I wonder how he's doing?" Ashton tapped her desk with a perfectly manicured nail then frowned. "It's not like him to just not show up for work. Though, it has happened a few times recently."

She glanced at the e-mail on her monitor once more. Corporate decided that the manpower shortage was a serious concern. Firing everyone was not possible, as they would take months to recover. In the interim, she was to continue to try and coax workers to come in or stay for an additional shift. They were so desperate that they were even going to authorize overtime at double pay until the crises passed.

"Will the extra money even be enough? It's not like the workers are paid much in the first place," said Ashton. She did not set employee wages personally. It was all up to the whims of the corporate higher-ups.

The only blessing in the current situation was that sales traffic was also down. Normally that would be a terrible thing, and might possibly cause her to lose her position if it lasted for too long. However, there was an obvious reason for the loss in traffic and profits. The same situation that kept her employees home also kept the guests at home. Everyone wanted to grind a little more experience in the hopes of surviving the world to come. Sure, there were still plenty of people out and about in the world. Even so, the streets felt a little empty.

Her long work day eventually came to an end. After a fitful night's rest, and a little over a day in the dream spent doing nothing but sitting around on a boat, she found herself doing something she had promised herself that she would not do.

Ashton stood outside of Scott's door, hand frozen in the air as though she intended to knock. What was she doing? Scott was just her employee. They shared certain secrets with each other, but what did that matter?

Hesitant, she continued to stand at the door for a moment. What if he was not home? What if he was? What if Sonja was there and she wanted to try to continue to forge a bond of sisterhood? The latter was the more disconcerting issue truly. Drunken college experimentation and teasing aside, she was not exactly that kind of girl! She wasn't!

Unable to make the decision to knock or turn back, she would have stayed there for several minutes more had a commanding voice not cried out from the heavens! "Hold villain! I, the retainer of House Blackthorne shall be your opponent!"

The heavens, of course, proved to be the roof of Scott's house. Ashton's head snapped upward and she took in the sight of Shara dressed like a cosplay ninja. She wore a winged mask on her face otherwise and struck an imposing image with her arms crossed her chest. "Shara?" she asked incredulously.

The ninja girl leapt from the roof, performed a flawless mid-air somersault then landed perfectly on her feet. Hand to her sword she gazed imperiously at Ashton. "The master is indisposed... Please come back during appropriate business hours, or after the sun has set if you intend to be the evening entertainment."

"Seriously? What are you even doing?" asked Ashton, her eyes wide.

Shara frowned slightly then pouted a little. Couldn't she play along? Was that so hard, really? "My job? I thought it would be obvious?"

"Why would it be obvious? You're a cashier and guest services employee?" asked Ashton in an incredulous tone.

Shara tapped her lip lightly with one finger and rocked back lightly on her heels. "I see. You believe me to be merely an Archer's store employee. You do not know the truth of my existence..."

"Look... Shara. Sweety... As interesting as all of this must be, do you know what's up with Scott?" Ashton asked her question in the tone of a patient mother who wanted to coax information out of an odd little child.

"The master is resting," said Shara. "None shall disrupt his slumber."

"Right. So, he's asleep then?" Ashton looked her in the eyes. "Couldn't you have just said that?"

"Yes, for a few days now." Shara nodded to her then tilted her head to the side. Her ponytail swung charismatically behind her to emphasize her movement in a dramatic fashion.

"A few days? You didn't think to wake him up? He could be dead, or in a coma!" Ashton spun toward the door then reached toward the door handle.

A deceptively delicate seeming hand with a vice-like grip suddenly clamped around her wrist. Ashton blinked then looked back to Shara. "What?"

All traces of the sweet and innocent girl were gone from her partially obscured face. In a tone so cold that it would freeze water she said, "You will not disturb the master. No one enters at this time."

"Shara. Look. This is important! Stop playing around," said Ashton. She gasped in pain as Shara's grip tightened.

"Listen carefully. I like you. You're fun to play with, and I enjoy having you around. I think you are a fine addition to the master's harem, and I fully endorse your inclusion into it if you so choose to be included," she said.

Her cold eyes glittered like diamonds for a moment as she continued. "However, I am tasked with his protection by his own decision."

Ashton watched those glittering eyes as they took on dangerous gleam akin to a serpent ready to strike. "I will not repeat myself further. Attempt to enter his house again before he has ended his current business and you will not make a third attempt."

"S-Shara?" asked Ashton incredulously. Did this weird girl just threaten her life?

"Did I stutter?" asked Shara coldly. "He will not be disturbed at the moment. Period."

"What? I..." Fearful of the nutjob who held her arm in such a painful grip, she was at a loss for a brief few seconds. Something in the ninja girl's tone unsettled the beast within Ashton, however. Her ears flattened against the top of her ears, giving the appearance that her hair had moved, and she growled in a menacing manner. How this this nut treat her in such a way!

Shara snorted at her derisively then dismissed her growing anger entirely. "Do not mistake me for Sonja. I am not here to test your resolve, and your illusions are completely useless against me."

The growing anger in Ashton's growl slowly died. Shara was insistent that she not enter to bother Scott, but other than her cold demeanor and powerful grip she had not tried to hurt her.

"Why?" asked Ashton in a less confrontational tone. "What is he doing that he can't be disturbed? He's missed work."

"That... Is a secret. I know only that if he is asleep for so long it is by choice. You do recall that he has the ability to sleep or awaken at will now, correct?" asked Shara.

"Ah. Yes. I suppose I did not think about that, but what could he be doing that would require him to take so long in the dream world?" pressed Ashton.

"I cannot say," said Shara. "He contracted with me to protect him. I will do so."

"He contracted with you? I mean... what does that mean? What even are you?" asked Ashton.

Shara's demeanor shifted instantly. The dangerous tension left her body entirely and the glittering eyes of a serpent were replaced by wide-eyed innocence. "Why, I'm your friendly neighborhood ninja girl, Shara!"

She released Ashton's arm then struck out one hip and flashed a peace sign. "Cosplay Ninja, and defender of the innocent. She whose unparalleled beauty and might have converged with elite epic ninja skills to hunt the darkness and protect her love interests with furious passion."

Ashton's left eyelid twitched spastically for a moment. "Bi—?"

"Well. I guess I do like making friends with other girls when possible," answered Shara cutely before Ashton could finish her statement.

"Polar..." finished Ashton.

"Not really. It's kind of warm out here, actually," said Shara. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Hey! Wanna sit on the roof with me and protect the house from evil doers?"

"I... uh..." Ashton was at a loss for words. Of all the ways that her morning might have gone, this was not one of them. "Guess so?"

"Wahoo!" exclaimed Shara. Faster than Ashton could React, Shara snaked an arm around her waist then leapt upward with her in tow. The business fox cried out in surprise as they were launched skyward then came down atop Scott's roof not long after.

"How did this roof not cave in?" asked Ashton incredulously.

Shara flashed her a cheeky grin. "That... Is a secret."

"You have an odd way of saying that you don't know something," said Ashton in an effort to lighten the mood even further. In her mind, the dark demeanor of the quirky girl had already begun to fade from memory. She was no doubt just taking her cosplay too far. Though, she was obviously hiding a secret of her own. Perhaps she too had an alternate race from the dream?

"Do I?" asked Shara lightly.

They were quite for a short time, but then Ashton began to ask a few questions. Shara explained what she could about the situation. She had gone to visit Scott a few days prior and discovered him to be asleep. She returned now and then, but he remained asleep. Suspecting that he had something big going on, she opted to abide by her contract and protect the house until he was finished.

"So, you've been feeding him and giving him water?" asked Ashton.

"Yeah. He's not much of a pet, but mama takes care of her little fur baby," said Shara in an amused tone of voice.

"Isn't he a scale baby?" asked Ashton with a smile.

Shara blinked then placed one finger to her lower lip. She acquired a thoughtful expression for a time that added to the dramatic effect of her coming words. "Yes. Perhaps that is so."

They shared a laugh together, the oddness of their earlier encounter largely forgotten.