Plan Unfolds

Lester and T'salam return with plenty of produce and materials, enough food and wood to last a few days. Lester comments to his sister as he starts creating wooden furniture, "I'm getting a little sick of sleeping on the floor. A bed would be nice." T'salam nods as she digs and mines out more of the cave to house these new bedframes and increase the space. All the while, the siblings are giving affection to each other where they could; A kiss here, a hug there. They didn't seem to mind that they weren't alone, their homemates smiling and chuckling.

Jeff was still weak from his ordeal but was healing with Kim's aid. Lazlo had left hours earlier and was now returning with armfulls of monster loot. Bones, string, rotten flesh, and his personal favorite, gunpowder. "This, combined with a good amount of sand and flint, makes one effective bang. Maximum return rates per blast is the point. I pride myself in not wasting the normal "30% loss" that most miners ignore. Good thing you had sand and gravel just lying around nearby. Makes for easier production."

Jeff and Kim look at him with concern, to which he grins, "Oh, don't be so pouty. I've been making explosives even before I was infected with creeper blood. I know what I'm doing more than any of those self-proclaimed "expert miners" you hear about." As he was talking and facing them, his hands were still making his special TNT at the workbench with unheard of precision. Lazlo's grin widens, "It always puts a smile on my face when people get surprised at me making explosives without looking."

He puts his exotic creation in his inventory for later use, "Now, are you gonna get up Jeff the lazy dragon or are you gonna just lay there all day and night?"

Something hits Jeff thoughts. Something he hadn't considered. "Wait...your halflings....so how do you have..." Lazlo's grin finally drops, "I was wondering when you would catch on. I guess I better tell you the truth."

He sits on the new wooden bed that his son had just crafted and placed against the wall, "They aren't really my kids, not genetically. Before I left town, a good friend of mine lost his life along with his wife. Mining cave-in. Ain't pretty seeing people you know so well turn into bloody floor stains. Anyway, they had two kids that were now orphans, so Martha and I took them in."

Martha had finished cooking bread now and walks towards the conversation, expression grave. She takes a seat next to Lazlo, "We cared for them like our own. We tried to find a nice place to settle but it was all risky places. That town lord was hunting not only me but the kids as well. We figured a desert would be best. No one looks for things in a desert..." She laughs aloud, "Not like we have to worry anymore. Now that we're all halflings, my usefulness to the town lord is over, along with my kids usefulness. Less problems now."

Jeff is confused as Kim moves him from the floor bedroll onto another nearby bedframe. She picked him up as if he weighed nothing, "So why did Herobrine task me with restoring rebirth then? I don't understand the point of doing that now."