The Wandering Inn

Interlude Adventurers (Pt. 2)

Interlude Adventurers (Pt. 2)

Adventurers in Albez, digging. Adventurers in Liscor, tossing skeletons into the chasm.

Adventurers everywhere. However, it wasnt all about them.

While they were up and spending every waking moment in search of treasure, the party that Lyonette had started was still going on in multiple cities. More than three days had passedthis was the seventh, actually. By now, Liscors Council was really hinting that everyone should get back to work.

Gently, though, because there certainly was profit being made here. Every time it seemed like the party was winding down, someone else came by.

In this caseRiverfarm and a host of Humans flooded through Erin Solstices door. So, rather than a party, it was more like a week-long festival where you could take a break from work and see something new. Instead of a [Princess] plan, it was spontaneous.

Today, as every day, you could wake up in The Wandering Inn, and the first thing you might hear would be the scampering of paws. Breakfast would already be hot and fresh, and adventurers and guests would slowly emerge from their rooms, trained to follow the smell and head downstairs.

Goblin and Antinium workers were already up and still looked bemused as they went downstairs, wearing uniforms with the paw print and inn logos on them. A Hobgoblin with one foot was hopping as she tried to attach a peg-leg to herleg.

New employees. Erin Solstice knew all their names by now, but the rest of the guests were still somewhatunfamiliar with them. Not that the Goblins and Antinium had to do more than take food out.

The power of Ishkr meant that the inn was still handling the increased waves of guests, but it was also fair to say that the Antinium and Goblins had begun to pull some serious weight.

For instance, the Hob, one of the two the inn had been sent by Rags, was used to ordering silly Goblins around. She poked one, and that Goblin got to clean the outhouses. Another Goblin got to check the basement for pests like mice or insects. A third Goblin got to draw water from the well.

Her name, or nickname, was, somewhat pointedly, Peggy. Because of the leg. She had apparently lost it in a battle; another former Redfang who Rags had decided could be of better use in the inn.

The other Hobgoblin was male, and he got a fourth elbow to the guts because he was Mountain City tribeand he was reading a damn book. At work! He closed it with a grunt and scowledbut he would often be reading in a corner. Unlike Peggy, this Goblin, Inkpaper, was a known slacker in the Flooded Waters tribe. Ragssomewhat approved of him, but had still given him to be Erins headache anyways.

There were more Workers and Goblins, of course, and even some Soldiers. They headed to workor breakfast and relaxation until their shift started.

Breaaaaakfast! I hate bisque! Bezale, do you have that [Lions Strength] spell I asked for? Cast it on me! I will never bisque again!

The Minotauress sighed, but Erin Solstice started her day with a big smile for all her guests, and they were legion. Gothica emerged from the basement where shed installed a bed, Relc stomped downstairs with one boot on, and Pisces yawned his way over to a table where Colth and the Horns were sitting.

Im late for work! Im late, and Captain Z and Klb are going to kill me! Wheres my boot? Can I get breakfast

Gothica, please stop sleeping in the basement.

Up yours, Ishkr.

Well, heres our [Necromancer]. Day three of skeleton exploring, eh? Lets see if we can get past those damn monsters. I swear, theyre targeting us. Pisces, want to send down the first skeleton group and see how far they get?

The grumpy [Necromancer] flicked his hand, and the bones of multiple skeletons rose outside the pit and began to rope down as a scrying orb glowed to life on the table as the adventurers ate. Today was biscuit and gravy day, and everyone got a big pot to share and dip fresh bread into.

Yum. Big yum, Calescent. Numbtongue, there you are. Is Octavia dead?

The Hobgoblin looked over and hastily yanked Octavias face out of her bowl of pottage.

Octavia.

Huh? Im working, Master Saliss!

She jerked, grabbed a full salt-shaker, and dumped it into her bowl. Then Octavia blinked around, looked at Numbtongue, and put her face on her plate and went back to sleep.

Erin sighed and grimaced as she wiped her hands on her pants.

Hows Riverfarm doing? Ishkr?

The Gnoll appeared with breakfast for their table.

I think Liska sent over todays negotiators and let in a bunch of guests to Liscor already.

Wow, theyre up early. I may go back again. Hows things? Nanette? Wheres

This was The Wandering Innthe new inns morning. If you wanted, you could stick around and listen to Erin or wait for something funny to happen.

But why wait when there was so much outside? The adventurers were already groaning at their table. The instant a skeleton opened one of the doors, a hand had reached through and ripped off a skull.

Facestealer! Back them up! Back them

A wave of monsters was pouring out the shutters. Yvlon pounded a hand on the table and almost got up.

Thats it. Im going down there

That things holding a real grudge. Hold on. Lets grab some arrows and clear the monsters out if theyre at the bottom of the chasm. Skeleton wave two? Maybe via the trapped entrances?

Colth was scratching at his chin and checking on how far Albezs excavations were going. They, at least, could make consistent forwards progress, no matter how much dirt they had to move.

And the rest of the guests were heading outside. Some lined up for the door, but most didnt bother waiting. Liska was opening and shutting the door, grumpy and yawning.

Door has 84 people left until it resets. One hour and forty-eight minutes until reset! Priority to diplomats or important people.

Am I important people? Ive gotta get to work!

Relc tried to shove past a group heading to Invrisil. Liska sighed and changed the door to Liscor.

Liscors practically no mana charge. Go on through. But hurry up anyone goingIve got thirteen people waiting in Invrisil! Hey! [Form a Line].

The grumpy Gnoll snapped, and the crowd actually did just that. She was Liska, and she was mad mostly because she was getting good at her job.

In factthe [Door Gnoll] really resented her class. Door Gnoll? Doorman?

Her powers included making people wait in line, checking on how much mana Erin had, and efficiently sending people to their destination.

Worst class ever.

Anyways, she let through a few more guests into Liscor, and the crowd muttered as they saw the Goblins and Antiniumbut only the ones in the crowd not from Liscor. And in the city?

They were the least notable of all, because the sights continued. The first thing that hit the visitors was the fair.

People were still buying the Antinium dolls, and a booth to paint them was letting peoplechildren and adultscolor them.

Of course, by now, it wasnt just Antinium. Someone had just come out with a miniature image of Forount, and people were queuing up to buy paint for the fleshy skin tones and metal armor.

Quality ranged from lurid to highly realistic. Some people just used about four colors for the entire figurine, and a few had figured out how to begin adding shading and even weathering to the armor with knives and had created amazingly vivid versions of the [Brigadier].

Behind them, the impromptu bazaar in Shivertail Plaza was turning into a larger version of Market Street. The temporary stalls had been reinforced, and a lot of familiesor the [Cooks] and people responsible for meals in said familieswere inspecting a lot of cheap, good-looking produce from Riverfarm.

Cleverly, the [Emperor] had decided to offer samples of products based on said food, so you could also eat if you lined up. Not to be outdone, local farmers and the [Pirate], Wailant, had also put their goods on offer.

Drakle-Lischelle Products: Fresh, Highest-Quality Mutton, Pork, on sale.

That was one of the stalls doing good business that the guests of The Wandering Inn passed by. A bored-looking Rivel and old Bamer were manning the stall, and a Gnoll and Drake were shoving each other in line.

Krshia! Youre supposed to be at the Council meeting.

So are you, Lism. I thought you were attending to emergency business before we met.

Wellyou didnt say you were coming here! I need to run my stall.

So do I. Shoo.

Lism trying to out-shove Krshia was fun enough for some people to watch the Drake versus the Gnoll womanshe was taller and heavier than he was by a good margin. But then it started.

Oooooooh~

A group of voices began to rise in the distance. Heads turned, and Lism groaned.

Oh, Ancestors. Its them again.

Everyone looked around, and there they were, occupying a little stage that was used for speeches or performances. Even Lism didnt try to stop them, just stared with resignationbecause the Council had approved them and everything.

Worse, they were growing in number. One of The Wandering Inns Workers not on duty practically ran over and joined a throng of people standing together. Drakes with odd helmets, local Liscorians being branded as menaces by their neighbors, and visitors from abroad.

The Yoldenites began to sing. And the choir began, once again, to sing another mass-chorus of the Yoldenites national anthem. Then all the best songs, north and south, that a group of voices could get up to.

It was free music. And you had to admitit was a good outlet for a lot of [Singers]. The fact that a Worker had joined in?

Well, that was something new. But back to the point.

Magical amulets on sale! Straight from the Meeting of Tribes and the Gaarh Marsh tribenever suffer a bug bite again. Or what about a bracelet? [Lesser Strength]!

[Lesser Strength]?

A lot of people looked over at that. Regardless of professionthe Golden Gnoll, Qwera, was unveiling another hot item. She had actually not put these bracelets out until today. She had told her customers, candidly, to check back every day or they might miss her new item.

Right now, the [Merchant] was showing everyone an astonishing price tag.

Five hundred gold pieces per. And before you turn away, this is a bracelet on par with a Skill most [Warriors] train for! I have twenty bracelets, and the price goes up the less I have. Do I have any takers?

She made her first sale within a minute. Whereupon the price did go up, and the rush that followed

Well, that was just one good on display, and it was pricey, the lot of it. Qwera did stock goods for people who didnt have lots of gold to throw around, but one of the most tempting optionsa snazzy hat with [Far Sight] on it, a blue tricornewas still twenty-two gold coins.

A lot of money, but not impossible for a good [Hunter] or someone with a lucrative job to pay for, let alone a successful [Trader] or someone like a Guildmaster. One of Qweras [Stall Keepers] eyed the guests from The Wandering Inn, but since Qwera was staying there, the Drake replied curtly.

No touchingweve got a stock of six. Different colors. If you cant afford it, then come back tomorrow. Were unlikely to sell all six by then.

If you can afford it. The tone of the Drake suggested this was unlikely, and the disappointed guests stared at the hat.

Twenty-two gold coins? A lot, a lot. But what were you to do? Not everyone was as rich as Mrsha. A lot of the fun items on display would be sold to even Goblins and Antinium for the right price. But if you didnt have that price

In the inn, the adventurers were after the big stuff. A monsters corpse. In Albez, adventurers were honing in on some stairs buried deep, shifting dirt and stonea slow process to dig a hundred feet down. Even at their fastest, with magic, theyd barely gone more than twenty feet in a day.

Which was, to be fair, a lot of down, especially through rock. Gold-rank adventurers. Named-ranks. But as two guests of The Wandering Inn looked at each other, they exited Liscor, past the [Guards] who eyed them with only mild interest. They wandered out onto the Floodplains, and one patted the other on the head and pointed past two waving antennae.

Adventure time?

Adventure. Yah.

The other figure marched off, carrying the first on his shoulders. The one doing the carrying was an Antinium, and he had a tall spear and clothing, not bare carapace. Even chainmail, and the one on top cackled and waved at the surprised Humans coming from Esthelm.

He was a small, grey-skinned Goblin, and he had a necklace of huge fangs and his own set of baggy clothing, but no hat. A hat would really improve his look, both felt, especially one to complement one of the crossbows from the inn he carried.

The two had no ranks. They werent Bronze-rank, they werent Silver or Gold and certainly not Named-rank, though they had names.

Infinitypear and Rasktooth had no guild registrationbut they were certainly

[Adventurers]. The two ran out past Liscors walls. Orone did.

Rasktooths legs didnt work anymore. They hadnt since the battle at the Meeting of Tribes, but he sat on Infinitypears shoulders, pointing out spots for the Worker to march to. Infinitypears spear was high-quality, and the [Shopkeeper] and the [Guards] had eyed that.

One of the Watchs [Guards] muttered to the other at the gates.

That wasnt an enchanted spear that Worker was carrying, was it? It looked, uhshiny.

Maybe a low-grade enchantment?

The Gnoll frowned at her colleague. They both stared at Infinitypears spear and didnt recognize the sigil burned into the wood or the conical tip made of Adamantium.

Spearmaster Lulv had lost his spear. Right now, Infinitypear was using it as a walking staff. But it also doubled as a pretty good weapon in the Antiniums opinion.

Adventure. What would today bring? The two had no idea what it would be, but they were sure they could find it. Rasktooth looked around. He spotted a Rock Crab scurrying across the grass, a stand of dangerous boom-trees far in the distance, and inhaled the fresh air as the High Passes began to light up with the sun.

Want to beat up spiders, Infinitypear?

Nah. Lets find treasure. Gold pieces. Seven more.

They had fifteen gold pieces, a huge amount from previous adventures. They had bested the racoon and found a treasure buried in a pouch on their first adventure. They had picked up the fallen [Merchant]s pouch on the run with the Titan and gotten a reward for it.

They had fought in the Meeting of Tribes and survived a war between five plus armies and had stolen Spearmaster Lulvs spear.

Then, theyd uncovered five silver coins and an old dagger buried under the blue fruit trees where Erin got her fruits. And beaten up eight Shield Spiders.

Theyd had some great adventures, hadnt they? This time, Infinitypear took them towards the caves as Rasktooth fed him an apple hed snatched from the breakfast table. He cut it up, handed a piece down, and crunched on one himself.

Enchanted hat is just for me, Infinitypear? What about you?

I dont know. Dont care. Hat is good.

You sure?

Yah, yah.

Rasktooth patted him on the head. They liked that word, yah. A combination between yes and yeah. The Goblin grinned.

Yah, you good. But what about other Antinium? You dont want to go to your Hive? Sing?

He was hinting. Infinitypear took him everywhere, but he knew the [Crusaders] were back in the Hives. They were everywhere, and the Free Hive was important, and Infinitypear was hanging out with the Goblin.

Its okay. All Painted Antinium and Individuals have to report in the Hive. Later, later. Doesnt matter.

Infinitypear airily wandered away from the Hive, and Rasktooth looked down at him.

You not bored with me, Infinitypear? You can say.

No. We brothers. I said I would carry you places. Liscorother places. Far, far away.

The Antinium [Adventurer] looked up. Rasktooth patted him on the head.

They had met during the Fellowship of the Inn, on their quest to save Mrsha. It had been chance that they grew to be friends, but Rasktooth and Infinitypearunderstood each other.

Neither one had known the outside world until it came to them. For Infinitypear, as one of the Antinium who was lucky enough to be painted by Pawns new ways. For Rasktooth?

The five Redfangs had killed the Raskghar who ruled them and set the Cave Goblins free. When he had first looked up at the sky, the Cave Goblin had sworn never to go back to the dungeon. And Infinitypear had gazed into the wild world beyond Liscor with the Titan leading them and realized how much more there was.

Am I heavy, Infinitypear? Youre an [Adventurer].

So are you.

The Cave Goblin nodded.

Yes. Butother lands is far. Very far. You dont have to carry me. The inn is nice. Has lots of food.

I will carry you. We are brothers. Yeah?

Yah.

Sometimes, Rasktooth said silly things like that. He had paid a high price for going to save Mrsha. As high as Apista, and she was flying again. The Antinium ignored the suggestions.

They had a connection deeper than either one had figured out how to say. But they liked the words.

Brothers. A thing that Numbtongue had taught them. Rasktooth looked up and swung his crossbow up as they headed to their first cave. He sniffed the air.

[Hounds Nose].

His Skills were different than Infinitypears. The Cave Goblin sniffed and muttered.

Smells like foxes.

We kill foxes? Sell pelts?

The two thought about that. Rasktooth thought he heard scrabbling and wondered if there were a family of them in there. Liscors fox population was small, and they had bright orange fur.

Nah.

Naaaah. Want to try feeding foxes?

Good idea. You got food instead of this apple?

Dried meat in my pouch. Do foxes eat apples?

They spent the next fifteen minutes trying to lure a fox out by tossing treats into the cave and making fox-like noises. No fox came out, but the two were heading away when Rasktooth saw a little shape dart out and grab the food. A cute little one!

This was a pretty darn good adventure already. Then Infinitypear was marching to the next cave. And his pace seemed to pick up, despite the pack he wore and the spear and armor and Rasktooth.

[Spirit of the Wild]. The further he got from Liscor, the more energized he got. Plus

[Find Roads Less Travelled]. Rasktooth cackled as he spotted a promising hill in the distance and a crack in one of the cliff faces bordering the Floodplains. He pointed ahead and aimed the crossbow at a Shield Spider pit he spotted. Liscor was fun enough for now. But Infinitypear wanted to see the sea and everything beyond it.

Rasktooth wondered if theyd be together when Infinitypear did. He hoped so. But today, they quested for enough gold to get that hat. It was a pretty good day.

Rasktooth and Infinitypear were the happiest adventurers in the entire region. The Horns of Hammeradwere not.

Pisces glumly stared at a bag of shattered bones and powder that Ksmvr and Yvlon came up with. They ascended the ropes cautiously as Ceria covered their exit with Colth.

Okay, the dungeon really doesnt like us. It definitely knows the skeletons are foreign. How many did we send?

Eight. Eight, and I think I found the iron armor we put on our leader.

Colth waved a mangled piece of metal with a hole in it. A suit of enchanted armor had punched straight through it.

Pisces tossed the scrap metal aside and shook his head.

Im running out of bones. At leastbones I can use for lesser skeletons. Why is this so difficult?

In fairness, the Horns had done some good work. Theyd found four Raskghar camps or spots that Ceria had thought theyd used as outposts. They had expanded the map that the other adventurers had used incredibly far, if narrowly, hoping to find the inner city

But their progress had stalled because it felt like every monster in the dungeon and Facestealer itself were after the skeletons. Almost as ifit or something else had taken notice of the intrusions and decided to do something about it.

We could go down there?

Ceria suggested mildly. Colth made a face.

I dont really want to take down that Facestealer thing when its waiting for us, do you?

Ah, point. At least its too heavy to climb the ropes.

They suspected it had tried, multiple times, but the adventurers didnt just leave the ropes attachedand the one time something had jerked the rope when Yvlon lowered it down, it had snapped it clear of the anchors.

The possibility of that horror just waiting for them to descend was a good incentive not to head down, but Pisces was getting sick of rebuilding skeletons.

This isI agree this is the safest, most expedient option, Colth, and you can control one or two skeletons while youre helping me.

The [Supporter] had been practicing and looked up as Pisces rubbed his forehead.

However, this is extremely taxing to send undead so far into the dungeon. I have a headache, and weve only done two waves.

Maybe take a break on it, then, Pisces. The last thing we want is for you to snap or get tired. How about I do a skeleton run from the traps? Facestealer doesnt seem to want to go through that area. It just takes longer.

Pisces nodded, and Ceria looked at Ksmvr and Yvlon, who had less to do.

Sounds good. I know its slowso how about we take a little break? Ill help Colth navigate. Yvlon?

Ksmvr and I will head to the markets, then. I want to find some good saddles. Even if we use undead horsesand I really dont know if we want to chariot-ride across Izrilwe have to have good saddles.

And food. I will keep inquiring as to the best food supplies to take. If we go on a long adventure into lands hither-to unexplored.

Yvlon sighed.

Yes, if.

If. Hypothetically. Theoretically. In reference to Comrade Pisces

Yeah, yeah. We get it.

Ceria rolled her eyes, but fondly, and Pisces bit his tongue. Neither Yvlon nor Ksmvr had said they were going outright yet, but Colth glanced at Ceria and then at Pisces.

They hadnt answered his statements about going to the new landsbut they were acting as if they would. Pisces grouched back to the inn, rubbing at his head.

It was odd, you had to admit, for The Wandering Inn to have a routine. Even a temporary one. Yet it seemed like some of the excitement had left, and Erin Solstice realized four whole days had passed without her causing some kind of incident.

Not to say something wasnt happening. Oh, no. Liscor and Riverfarm were negotiating, and there was important stuff in the works for the Horns and elsewhere.

No luck, Pisces?

Monsters and whatnot, Erin. Monsters and whatnot.

Almost makes you want a Toren, huh?

He gave her a wan smile.

Not quitebut Im starting to see the appeal of a stronger undead. Maybe I should work on it. But, argh, I just dont have the right bones.

Dont you have all those fancy bones from the Gargoyles and?

Erin waggled her fingers, and he shrugged.

Oh, Gargoyle bones. Yes. But I was hoping for some real, high-quality ones. You see, theres bone andI can see Im losing you.

Erin was edging towards the stairs.

What? N-no, Im just, uhId love to hear you talk about bones for thirty minutes, but Ive got this thing Im going to do andhas anyone seen Nanette?

Pisces rolled his eyes and waved Erin off as he sat down. Erin looked about, and the truth was, these quieter days were just fine.

Larras inn was still moving south to Liscor. The adventurers were about to get their due excitement. It was only a matter of time. The new lands waited.

Wasnt this fine? Yes, it was. In fact, Erin only had onetwo concerns, really. She wiped her hand on her apron as she walked around the inn. That one problem was

Nanette.

Mrsha the Exceptionally Welcoming abandoned the table where she had been taking lessons on palace dynamics from Lyonette and Ser Sest. The [Princess] sighed loudly, but she let Mrsha go because the girl had a good reason.

Nanette. Like Calescent, but even more sothe witch was the inns newest member of the family. She was Erins responsibility, and the [Innkeeper] had realized she needed to be mindful of Nanette in a way she hadnt with Mrsha.

Not just because Nanette needed support. Not just because Erin had promised. The truth wasNanette was a pretty resourceful girl and older than Mrsha.

But that wasnt perfect. Nanette deserved more. The problem was, ironically, that if Erin didnt bear Nanette in mind, the young witch would take care of herself.

Nanette was in The Wandering Inn, but it took Erin a while to find the young witch. Mostly because Nanette stood at the highest part of the inn. Or ratherjust below it. She called up the stairs into the tower as a Worker peered down at her.

Hello, Mister Bird?

Hello, girl witch Nanette. Is something wrong? Are we under attack by monsters or armies?

No, Mister Bird. May I come up into your tower?

The Worker considered this. He had begun locking his tower, and he had a big sign that said Only Birds Allowed on the door. But Nanette was peering up at him, and he stared at her round cheeks and earnest face.

You ask permission. This is good and wise. Let me see. Do you have tribute?

The Worker sat on his tower perch, listening to the hustle and bustle of the inn below. Above it all, a bucket of arrows sitting by him as he fiddled with his bow. Nanette fished in her pockets.

I have a speckled green egg shell I found in Riverfarm. A baby bird hatched out of it, and it was blue.

Oh. Oho. This is a worthy tribute. You may ascend.

Bird grandly waved, and she came up the stairs. She presented him with the egg, in a few pieces, but glued back together, and Bird admired his gift.

Very good. Very good. I, Bird, accept your tribute. As I am an emperor of my tower.

Are you an emperor, Mister Bird?

He thought about it.

I have too many classes as it is. So no, not an [Emperor], just a ruler of my tower. Which I must zealously guard. Did you want to survey my domain?

He pointed around the tower, and Nanette admired the view. In all four directions, she could see the sky and the landscape of the Floodplains. Only the walls of Liscor had a better view. And the [Guards] didnt get to sit down much.

May I sit for a bit, Mister Bird?

Oh, of course. Have my seat.

Bird stood up, and Nanette refusedbut eventually sat as Bird stared out at the people coming through the gates. He said nothing at all, and Nanette watched him.

So this was Birds life. He sat, the wind blowing on his face, and watched it all, sometimes without speaking for an entire day. And he seemed happy.

He didnt shoot as many birds these days. Just the ones that mattered. Bird was surprised that Nanette didnt say muchMrsha chattered, despite being mute. But Nanette seemed to understand how Bird liked things.

Or perhaps she was doing what a witch did and learning before judging. Yet Nanette had brought something, and she timidly offered it to Bird as she placed a kettle on the ledge of his tower.

Would you like some tea, Mister Bird?

Oh? Oh. That would be nice. I have decided I am a tea person. Coffee is too fast. Also, it tastes bitter.

When did you decide that, Mister Bird?

Nanette poured them two cups, and Bird took one. He sipped it gingerlyAntinium had to use straws because they had no lips, but he seemed very pleased nonetheless by the steaming cup.

Just now. Aha. This tea tastes like what I imagine flowers taste like but they do not. They are also too bitter.

Nanette laughed. She blew on her cup and sipped it, for it was growing cold, and she and Bird felt very, very pleased. So much so that Bird pointed something out to Nanette.

There were a number of mundane and magical birds that only a true watcher of the skies could observe. He pointed out a dove-tailed swallow, bright red, flashing through the air. He had hunted them before, but this one was performing several aerial feats.

Loop-de-loops in the air at high speed. Each one graceful, spiraling into the next. Bird pointed it out to Nanette.

That bird is called a Redfin Swallow. It comes from northern Izril around the Vail Forest. It is a graceful bird that has a lot of friends where it nests. Unlike the Garbichug Revolter, which is the most disgraceful not-a-bird because it neither flies nor tastes good and eats waste. Which is over there.

He indicated the nasty-looking bird, four feet tall, drooling, with teeth in its beak and a ragged plume of filthy feathers. The garbage-eating pest was a hazard that Liscor paid Bird to shootbut not even he would eat one.

Nanette wrinkled her nose at the famous pest, but then she admired the Redfin. Bird watched it glide in a loop over the Garbichugs head. It insulted the monstrous bird, who would eat sewer waste or other birds or their eggs if it could climb their trees.

Tswah! Tsweethat was the kind of sound the Redfin made if Bird had to do anything as inelegant as translate bird-speak to words. The Garbichug made a sound like an explosive meal going through a digestive system in reply and snapped its mouth open.

Bird drew an arrow and loosed it. The Garbichug was over eight hundred feet away, but Bird had the Skills and aim to hit it. The arrow sped at the bird-monsterand the Garbichug ducked.

I hate you.

Bird shook his fist at the Garbichug, and it turned and flipped up its tail at Nanette and Bird. That gesture was bad enoughthen it began to defecate.

Ignore it. Nanette, do you know why the Redfin flies like that?

Bird stared up at the Redfin, still swirling through the air. It was not ideal for getting anywhere, and he wasnt shooting arrows at it. Nanette frowned. There was no visible mate, so

Because it wants to? For fun? Because the Redfin is happy?

Bird looked at Nanette. He put out a hand and patted her gingerly on the shoulder.

I see you are wiser than Erin. No wonder you are teaching her witchcraft.

She laughed and ducked her head, and Bird and she went back to watching the landscape, ignoring the Garbichug. It was eating its own waste. It would spit it out at attackers later.

Bird had a new hobby, and he confessed it to Nanette as some visitors came up towards the inn. A Human was wearing a huge, rose-shaped hat, which really did look like a rose from above. It had multiple folds of cloth, had to weigh eight pounds, and was two feet high.

Presumably, it was some latest style, but the woman looked about to take it off when Bird rose from his tower, cupped two hands to his mandibles, and screamed down at her.

YOU THERE!

She jumped, saw an Antinium staring at her, and froze. The guests looked up as Bird screamed down at the woman.

ILIKEYOURHAT!

The Human stared up at him, checked her hat, and waved back and said something neither Bird nor Nanette quite heard. Bird sat back down as she continued on her way, bemused. He stared at the sky, then at Nanette.

I am in a quandary of thought, Nanette. Every day, I dive deeper into my new class. I am a [Liar].

She blinked at him, and Bird went on. He stared blankly at the hatted woman.

I lie important lies. About her hat. Which is trash. It does not even belong in a garden. Why do I lie? I have been thinkingI lie because I wish to level. I lie about the truth because the lie in itself makes someones day better. It must be a good lie, or what is the point?

She listened to Birds philosophy, which sometimes he spoke to the Workers who came to hear him. Bird, the [Hunter]. The [Liar].

By the time Erin found them, Nanette and Bird had been sitting for nearly fifty minutes. Bird was smiling, and he looked at Nanettethen at the Garbichug edging towards the road in hopes of scaring some of the travellers for food. It was watching himhed fired eight shots at it so far, and it kept dodging. Bird looked at Nanette, then turned around so the Garbichug was in the opposite direction. Then he looked straight at it.

Im looking in the other direction. Im looking that way.

Nanette politely looked the way he was pointing. Birds head never movedbut the Garbichug eyed him, then began a waddle-charge to the road as one of the [Guards] shouted and they began to stride out to chase it off.

Birds bow flashed up, and he loosed an arrow. The Garbichug looked up just in time for Bird to shoot it through the head. It flopped backwards as he fired three more arrows into its head.

That was a lie, you idiot. I lied!

Bird shouted down at the dead Garbichug. Nanette was vaguely impressed. She had no idea a [Liar] could do that.

Erin was less impressed.

Bird, youre not gonna eat that thing, are you? There you are, Nanette! Im going to Riverfarm to meet the [Witches]. You want to come?

The young witch looked over and thought as Bird gave Erin a look of horror and indignation.

Riverfarm, Miss Erin? I might pass.

Ohokay. But do you want to do anything? I could go into Liscor or

Im fine, Miss Erin. Im sitting with Bird. Hes very kind.

Ah. Wellthats great. Yeah. If you want anything, just ask, okay?

Nanette nodded politely. Erin gave Bird a look, and he saluted her.

I cannot read your eyes, Erin.

Be nice, Bird.

Erin didnt quite know what else to say. She tromped downstairs as Nanette and Bird sat there, peaceful. After a while, Bird murmured to Nanette.

Do you have any good lies, Miss Nanette?

Hm. My mother said the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves. Then the best ones must be something else.

Oh, interesting. Interesting. Then tell me a good lieand about birds. You see, I am a columnist for the newspaper, and I must know lots about birds. The Garbichug was a native bird of Rhir that no one wanted. It is actually over thirty thousand years old and predates the Blighted Kingdom. No one bred it nor did they spread them to other continents because anyone thought they were a good idea. The stupid birds swim. They are clever enough to dodge arrows, and they survive too well, so every continent has them. In the Rihal Imperium, Garbichugs were cultivated as a war animal and unleashed on their foes, which earned them international censure

Not going to take Nanette to Riverfarm, Erin?

Nah. Shes listening to Bird talk about bird-history. Which is like the one thing he doesnt lie about and hes somehow qualified to talk about. I guess Im going alone. Unless anyone else wants to come? Its not a two-day trip. Anyone?

Erin looked around, but Octavia had work, Numbtongue was looking over from where Badarrow and Snapjaw were preparing for a Wyvern ride with Icecube so they could all go mining, and Lyonette was trying to run the inn.

Do you need to go to Riverfarm, Erin? I am sure His Majesty is negotiatingdelicately.

Which means dont mess it up. But Erin just flapped a hand at Lyonette.

Its not that. Im going to speak to the [Witches].

Oh. Oh? WellMrsha might be interested. Ser Dalimont could take you both if youre good. Mrsha?

The girl was thinking. Either she stayed here and Lyonette gave her lessons and the inn had to do its thing or she went into the city and had funbut Visma was busy painting her dolls. Nanette was sitting with Bird, and Gire was being an adult-Chieftain.

And what were the odds Erin did something crazy? Mrsha decided to bet on Erin. She marched on over as Ser Dalimont nodded. Erin sighed.

It might not be that much fun, Mrsha.

The girl shrugged. Worst came to worst, she could play with Riverfarms kids or see what Traffle was doing.

Traffle, the nickname for the first Elemental of Law with its glowing eye, who often glared at misbehaving people. Like Mrsha and Erin.

In fact, Traffle was one of the reasons Riverfarm was so popular. A strange creature like it wasall metal and magicwas enough for people to point at it. Some wanted to prove theyd been here, and Laken had begun asking Mister Helm to make, with a [Painter]s help, little keyrings with Traffles likeness on it.

And hed asked Nesor to figure out a way to make magic pictures accessible for all. If you could do a scrying spell and record thatwhy not an image?

Well, progress marched forwards, and Traffle scuttled on its legs, followed by a crowd of fascinated tourists. Erin saw the light it was based on flashing colorsand it was one of three already.

Miss Solstice. Good morning to you. Are you here to meet His Majesty? He is wrapped up in talks, but if you have anydesignswe would, as always, appreciate knowing in advance.

Lady Rie spotted Erin within minutes of her coming through the door. Well, the guards who were watching the door had probably found her.

Im not causing trouble! Im just, uh, looking for a [Witch] or two, Lady Rie.

Ah, well then. Witch Eloise and Hedag are advising His Majesty, but may I help you find another Witch?

I guess. Agratha or Oliyaya?

Rie smiled and found one of her people to escort Erin and Mrsha down the brick street. Erin huffed a bit at the implication she was going to cause troublebut even here, people noticed Erin.

The crazy innkeeper. The one who nearly flooded Riverfarm. Mrsha patted Erin on the leg solemnly. She knew what it was like to be stigmatized as a monster who caused trouble.

In Erins case, Mrsha felt it might be justified.

Witch Erin! My, and little Mrsha too? To what do I owe the pleasure? Come in, sit, sit.

That bright and cheery greeting belonged to Witch Agratha, the [Witch] of normalcy and friendly cooperation.

Which was why it was so disconcerting to hear it from Witch Oliyaya of all people. The hook-nosed stereotype of a [Witch] cackled gently as she admitted Erin, Mrsha, and Dalimont into her abode.

As Erin had noted, if Agratha was friendly, Oliyaya was her inverse and liked being the bad [Witch] in stories. Howevershe seemed to like both Erin and Mrsha well enough.

Especially Mrsha, in fact. The [Witch] pulled Mrshas cheek gently as the Gnoll somewhat respectfully climbed into a seat.

A troublemaker after my black heart. Burned down any homes yet?

Dont give her any ideas, Witch Oliyaya. Lyonetted kill me.

Yeah, she was a good girl! Mrsha held up a card, but Oliyaya just laughed at her.

A girl or young woman must be free to cause trouble. Run rampant! Anyone who tells you to sit and plait skirts and mind your manners is a fool. You, my girl, if you havent burnt at least one house down by the time youre a woman, youve wasted your life.

She gave Mrsha a serious look, and Dalimont bit his tongue. Mrsha had to really think about this one.

Surely it would behoove Miss Mrsha to have some manners, Witch Oliyaya? With greatest respect.

And what would you know, [Knight]? Did you, as a lad, ever break a window or a cup by throwing rocks? Wrestling in the mud? Pulling the tail on donkeys? Always a good way to break a jaw early.

Oliyaya tapped Dalimont hard on the chest, and the [Knight] regretted his comment.

As a boy, I was indiscreet, Witch Oliyaya

Then a girl should be just as much so. Especially this one. Now, let my apprentices fetch you some tea. Witch Erinyour hat is upon your head, and I greet thee.

Then Oliyaya tipped her hat with its staring eyes, and Erin reached up and lifted a hat made of flame. Erin looked at Oliyaya and began to get a sense of what made the other [Witch] tick.

Thanks, Oliyaya. Hows business?

The old woman shrugged.

I am a [Witch] of cities, now. Larger, with more emotions to use in forming hexes. Grudges that run deepbut so many people! The old magic may suffer, but I admitgold has its uses. Just the other day, I sold a charm to attract lice to a very nice young woman.

Dalimont winced. Oliyaya slapped his knee with a long ladleshe had a cauldron on.

A comment from you, [Knight], and I will ask if lacing a rivals birthday cake with shards of glass is more or less foul than my charms. And then I will eject you from my domain. Nastiness must have an outlet, and sometimes the punishment is deserved. Do you know that young womans reason to curse another? I thought not.

The [Knight] decided hed be quiet for the duration of this visit. Erin gave him a side-eye.

Do they really do that in Terandria?

Theres foulest sorts of all kinds anywhere. Noble classes and squabbles means they go to extremes more often than not. Ask Eloiseor do you think shes not used daggers while drinking tea? What can I help you with, Witch Erin?

Then Mrsha realized she hadnt actually known why Erin wanted to meet [Witches] again. Her last encounters, while fruitful, had beenfraught. Why again so soon?

The girl noticed Erin Solstice doing something for the third time this morning. The [Innkeeper]who, despite her rest Skills, didnt look as fully rested as she could bewiped the fingers of her right hand on her shirt.

The gesture did not escape Mrsha this time, or Oliyaya. Erin lifted her hands and spoke hesitantly.

Oliyaya, Ive been having this, uhproblem. And Im not positive, butis there a way to tell if someones messing with your dreams? Or if youve been cursed?

The other [Witch] raised her brows.

Youve come to the right [Witch], Erin. Only Mavika or perhaps Alevica could help you as welltell me what you dream of. Coise, my bag of tricks.

Her apprentice, one of three, brought Oliyaya her bag of holding as Erin hesitated.

Itssomeone in my dreams whos bothering me. Im pretty sure theyre there. I dont wanna say specifics, but its very vivid. And its been bothering me when I wake, too. It wasnt so bad, but theyre harassing me more and more. Probably because I kicked them.

Mrsha and Dalimont sat up and looked at Erin in astonishment, but Oliyaya was already at work.

Ah, a bully who knows the old ways of hexing and dream-speak. Interesting.

She took a little bag that looked like it was made of silver cloth and poured in a number of substances.

Your inn and level should protect you as much as that hat on your head, Witch Erin. But I suppose even Belavierr could be hexedand you dont weave protections, eh?

Nope. I thought about sleeping in my garden, but I felt like that wasnt a long-term solution. And it feels like running away.

Well said! You should take whats under your hat and build some great magics.

You think so? Ive been pondering what to do first.

Protections before anything else. If you need help, come to usbut first, lets see how badly this interloper is meddling. Here is a little bagbut before you touch it, can you tell me what Ive done?

Oliyaya put the silver-cloth bag on the table, and Erin hesitated as she reached for it. Like another [Witch]s style, Mrsha realized this was a test or teaching. And Agratha explainedOliyaya tested.

Hm. Well, uh, Im not an expert, but Nanette has had a few talks with me, and I know the basics. My guess is that you put a bit of craft into an object that lets you focus your magic.

Like all witchcraft. What did I do?

Erin floundered, then she eyed the bag and peered inside.

Silver. Silvers like a natural de-curse and purifying thingy. You put silver in here and powdered Sages Grass? Aloe veraI dont know the others.

Erin had seen the familiar plant, but Oliyaya nodded.

Spider plant and aloe veraplants that purify, yes. But the trick is to have meaning as well as natural plants with such qualities. I also placed in that pouch the shoe-dirt of an honest man. Riverfarm has a number of them, helpfully. Men and women. And lastly, a piece of quartz which glows.

She showed Erin the final lynchpin of the curse-bag, and the stone glowed serenely.

Now put it around your heador fingersand we will see if it reacts to ill-intent.

Erin Solstice did just that. She draped the silver bag around her neck, and Mrsha wondered if it would do anything fantastic or just change color after a while. Witch magic was hard to

Oliyaya seemed to be expecting a slow reaction, so she was reaching over for the kettle of tea. So did Erin, and the two were thus very surprised by the odd smell that replaced the various herbs in Oliyayas cottage in mere minutes as Oliyaya was pouring tea. The [Witch] glanced up, and Erin lifted the bag and her nose wrinkled.

Hm. I would have told you to wait until we finished a cup. Or keep it on you a day. Dump it on the table?

Slowly, Erin did, then turned the bag inside-out. Even Oliyayas apprentices mutteredand the [Witch] eyed the contents of the bag.

All the herbs had shriveled up. The Sages Grass powder turned black, and the crystal was dead and cracked. Indeed, even the inside of the silver bag had tarnished black.

Ah. Well. That is a curse indeed. Althoughhm.

Oliyaya sifted through the contents and, to Mrshas mild horror, picked up the dirt from the honest mans shoe and tasted it. She spat and took a sip of teathen spat that out too.

Not the most ill of intent. Even so, someone put a lot of power behind that hex that haunts you, Miss Solstice. Too much, I daresay. Its both crude and well-done, as if a master-mason used expensive materials for a primitive design.

What now? I could send to my Order for a counteragent, Miss Solstice, but the Thronebearers would need access to the keep

Dalimont offered, but Oliyaya snorted.

Thronebearers? Yonder sits a [Witch] amongst a coven of Izrils [Witches], Ser Knight. Begone from my cottage! Althoughthat holds true of all of us. We do not let our own suffer hexes. Come, Erin. Well find Mavika and get to work on our own.

Erin looked relieved as she stood, and Mrsha leapt from her chair and nodded to one of the apprentices with excitement.

She knew it. She knew Erin wouldnt let her down.

The ritual of the [Witches] to find out what was going on with Erin was the most boring thing Mrsha had ever seen.

Oliyaya shook a cup full of dice painted with letters and numbers and rolled them out onto a table. She organized them together into an anagram as Witch Mavika placed a crawling bug on a map of Izril and let a raven, blindfolded, peck at it until it was eaten. Then she marked the spot.

Witch Alevica was there too as a final expert in cursesif not lifting themand she, frowning, tied a piece of string to Erins finger and then let it dangle with a little coin tied to the other end. The coin began to twitch in various directions as Alevica placed a compass over it.

Yall suck.

Mrsha held up the card, and Oliyaya laughed at her.

Did you think we were all excitement, little Mrsha? Go elsewhere, for this is fascinating if you have half a head! Look, MavikaIve rolled nineteen times, and nary a one makes sense. Nineteen names, or so I glean. I recognize a few as cities and towns

And so goes my chart. Izrilbut it makes no sense. Either the spell is trickier than we have thoughtor another trick, twicely wrought.

Mavika hunched over her map of Izril, and it had fourteen different dotsall scattered, seemingly at random. Alevica shrugged.

Witch Oliyaya, Witch Mavika, youre better at location divining than I am. All I get are tugs in every which-waybut none of them consistent.

So you cant locate where the hex is coming from? I, uhI think it might be hard, regardless. Isnt stopping it more important?

Erin took the string off her finger. But Mavika, Oliyaya, and even Alevica shook their heads. They stood in the place where the Summer Solstice had taken place, a place of power, and while the rituals were low-key, they still had a thrum of magic in the air.

Three to help Erin, place, and none were poor [Witches]. There was magic enough here, if not showy.

Yet

It is not that, Witch Erin. You may not sense it as the loci, but we would halt this magic against you if we could not divine the source. The issue iswhomever has hexed you is not hiding. But we find the source everywhere. And lookthis is no coincidence.

Erin glanced at Mavikas paper and Oliyayas word-anagrams. She had begun to spell out names, and each one was differentbut they were proper nouns.

The names of cities. And Mavikas crow had hit more-or-less exactly on where cities were overlaid on the map of Izril.

Huh?

Either this hex is spread across dozens of cities or there is a trick involved. The focus of it is materialbut it is not moving, yet somehow diversified.

Weird. Weird. Sheno. Its tricky, isnt it? I knew it would be. Beating annoying people always is.

Erin glumly stared at the map, but Mavika scratched at her chin.

Finding the source of this curse may be easier than we think. After all, if it does not hide or flee, the answer may be equally easy. We simply need to find the closest source.

Ah, then a direct locating spell, not one that lets us roam? Alevica, you would do well for a focus. You Runners go in straight linesgive us your socks or a sprig from your broom.

Master

Alevica backed up, and Erin lifted a hand with Mrsha.

Can we have the broom? Not the socks.

The next eleven minutes were infinitely more fascinating than the previous thirty-eight had been. Watching Oliyaya and Mavika steal a not-inconsiderable amount of bristles from Alevicas flying broom was funny.

Watching them call in Eloise and Agratha for their compatible skillsets was fascinating. Because what the five [Witches] didwith Erins help evenwas to weave a little wicker-bird out of Alevicas broom-thistles. In the center of it, they placed the ruined bag of charms and then tied it to Erins fingers that bothered her.

Now, it will lock onto the closest one of these many odd phenomena, my dear. What you find will depend on what we do next. I would advise you to bring a cudgel and perhaps some thick cloth robes. And a few friends.

Agratha gave Erin some kindly advice as Erin peered at the bird. It kept turning so its beak faced one direction even if you tried to spin it the other way.

A dowsing charm. Oh my gosh, its so cool!

That impressed her? The [Witches] traded a glance, but Erin loved the way the little bird would always turn to face its target. Because it was not magnetic or a trickit was pure magic.

Simple magic, but to Erin

If that impresses you, we could make another one so the little rascal never escapes your notice.

Oliyaya grinned at Mrsha, who looked alarmed and backed up. Erin shook her head, smiling, and looked around.

Well, I have a curse to find! Id, uhwell, thank you. And thanks so much for doing this!

She began to nod or bowthen she reached up and tipped her hat, and the [Witches] smiled because that was an infinitely better gesture. They tipped their hats at her in reply.

Witch Erin, for a fellow [Witch], we make time. And for you, we also offer you a discount.

Thank yhuh?

Oliyaya was conferring with Alevica and Mavika and Eloise, and Agratha looked interested too as she wrote down a sum.

Gold will do, or a favor. But the gold is nice.

The [Witch] handed Erin an estimation, and the [Innkeeper]sighed.

Erin Solstices journey to Riverfarm did not take too long, but it was her mission after that which would get interesting. Nor did she take Agrathas warning lightly.

At the same time as Erin was getting to work, though, Pisces was glowering a hole into a wall. Mostly because he felt like the dungeon was winning.

Facestealer haunted the halls. And it had a grudge out for his skeletons. Pisces, now with the understanding that Toren had lived for a while in the dungeon in all probabilitysuspected the grudge was against both adventurers and skeletons.

But what irked him was that he was a Level 38 [Necromancer], practically on the cusp of truly hitting a benchmark in power, and he could barely get a few skeletons down the corridors.

The problem wasPisces hated to admit it, but he was rusty.

Not since Chandrar or even the Village of the Dead raid. Pisces realized that he was actually a bitbehind in necromancy.

Oh, he could raise an undead warbear or a Bone Behemoth faster than Ama could dream of. He had helped create a Frostmarrow Behemoth and could animate large numbers of the undead.

YetSillias had proven that necromancy was not just mass-animating undead. If anything, that was Azkerashs method, and Pisces had once criticized even the Necromancer for his lack of ingenuity.

Dead gods, where had Gewilenas spark gone? His own intelligence and wit? Pisces was scribbling on a piece of paper, shaking his head.

Skeletons. What am I, Colth?

The [Supporter] was getting on Pisces nerves a bit with his upbeat attitudeand the way Pisces thought that Colth was distinctly copying him and learning his tricks. As if he thought he knew real necromancy.

Well, Pisces had already come up with a few ideas now hed taken a break and stopped following Colths lead. They had gotten far in four days doing the same tricktime to escalate their tactics.

Bone Crawlers. The same undead that the Horns had run into with other adventurers could crawl up the walls. Would Facestealer even grab them? Pisces doubted it could jump or climb. Then again, there might be aerial traps

It didnt matter. You could create undead for any situation. Speedwhat about mice-undead? Yes, a lot of them! And then Pisces could make something even faster.

What if

What if you took a wheel and attached a skeleton to it? A spinning wheel-skeleton?

No. No, that was stupid. Plus, itd be unable to turn. Pisces drew over that concept with a frown.

Another cup of this coffee, Ishkr? I clearly need it.

He was furiously sketching a better undeadwhat if he just animated a damn horse and had it race through the dungeon? Pisces was even sorting through his bones and beginning to engineer a new skeleton off the design

Pisces, no undead in the inn! Youre disturbing the customers.

Miss Lyonette

The [Princess] scowled at him and pointed at the other customers, who were eying the piles of bone.

No. Your rooms or somewhere else, Pisces. Away from the inn.

But this is

No. Erin may put up with it, but I will not.

Scowling, the [Necromancer] rose. All these impositions on his time! It would take ages to perfect a new undead, anyways.

We are not made of time before the Albez teams come back, Miss Lyonette. I hear theyre nearly at the door to Albez, and if we lose our prize, Ceria, no, Yvlon will be

Less upset than me?

The [Princess] faced him down, and Pisces opened his mouth. He eyed Lyonette and thought about the odds of talking her down. Pisces huffed out of the common room.

His rooms, then. Damn. But he wouldnt be able to come up with a Bone Crawler by night, would he? It would have to be mice and undead-men.

Alas. If only Colth could do more than control a few skeletons. Granted, it was impressive he could do it at that range, but Pisces had seen how well his skeletons were controlled. Dodging traps was hard enough to manipulate a skeleton into doing.

It was likewell, using the scrying orbs, as cheap and convenient as it was, was unlike how Pisces controlled his undead. It was rather like Numbtongues video games. The Hobgoblin had expressed an interest in taking control of Pisces skeletons when he saw how it was going, but Pisces couldnt give him control.

He wished he could, but only a [Necromancer] could directly control the undead, and Facestealer was fast. Traps, other monsters

If only he had a faster skeleton. Pisces feet slowed as he turned away from the stairs.

Orhelp

No.

It was a bad idea. Theyd nevershed never agree. Right? After allwell, she had one of her skeletons. Scottie? If he just borrowed that alone

Pisces tapped his fingers together and stared at a wall as Saliss and, surprisingly, Grimalkin trooped past him for the common room. Saliss waved a claw a few times in front of Pisces face, but then shrugged, walked on, and stuck a piece of paper on Pisces back.

I, ah, need a quick trip to Invrisil, Miss Liska. Priority. Adventuring business. And I may have one or two people on the return.

Liska sighedbut she nodded and adjusted the dial as Pisces walked over to the door. Erin opened the door and then decided to engage Pisces in conversation. The line of people waiting groaned as Erin delayed them further. This was the problem with privately-owned teleportation services.

Pisces! Whatre you doing? Hows the dungeoning? Lose more not-Torens?

Sadly, yes. But I may have anunorthodox solution.

The best kind? Im going to check out a curse. I guess Ill take you off the guard-list. Eh, Im sure I can get someone else to help out. Maybe Tessa. But she stabs people dead.

Ah, good la what?

But she was already wandering off. Pisces stared after her and shrugged. He waited for Invrisilthen turned as someone booted him as hard as she could.

Mrsha!

He glowered, and the Gnoll girl innocently pointed at Pisces back. He turnedand found the piece of parchment that Saliss had stuck to his robes.

It said, kick me. 

Pisces saw Mrsha innocently smirk. She turnedand he stuck it to her back-fur. Pisces watched as Mrsha looked around in horror at the crowd, and Ekirra stuck his head out of line. She fled.

Snatcher was not getting tired of this. It knew there was nothing in the worthless heads it took from the undead. Not like the one with purple flames for eyes.

It didnt care. Like petty malevolence, it was destroying all the annoying undead one by one. Even as they came in groups and dividedit hunted them down.

Perhaps it was instinct. Perhaps Snatcher somehow knew they would make it angrier. But it lurked in the dungeon with the active suits of enchanted armor and didnt even destroy them. The pitiful defender of this place, in service to Motherthe force that controlled the army of armored warriorsalso knew the undead were intruding.

But where one was diligent, Snatcher was petty. And it was aware that there wereadventurers above.

But it was a long way up, and it was not unaware of the risks. It had been damaged by the blue thing. For that head, it would risk muchbut not for no reason.

Right now, it was simplyif not enjoying, then welcoming attempts to frustrate the adventurers.

Like a kind of game to show them how worthless their undead were, it had even let them re-close the steel shutters. Once they passed throughthe undead would die.

Two attempts this day. Snatcher did know time, if vaguely. Once, it had known so much more. Rulesall the foolish rules, its duty

That was in the past. Now, it waited and sensed four shutters open simultaneously. So the undead were splitting up, were they? It sensed little rodent undead, and

Twenty larger ones?

Skeletons? How was that happening? It didnt matterSnatcher sensed the armored figures spreading out, heading to catch the undead. They would never make it to their destination, the city within. The dungeon was wide, and the skeletons were clumsy, slow.

These were facts.

So Snatcher crept forwards, not even bothering with the heads. Not for this fake thing. And it sensed one skeleton emerging from the shutters to face it.

The unluckiest skeleton, then. Snatcher strode forwards contemptuouslyuntil he sensed something.

Something odd and unusual. This skeleton was no living being. It had no

Soul.

And Snatcher knew souls. This was, like the others, a creation guided by another intelligence. A [Necromancer]. Snatcher knew that too. Yet this skeleton was better-made than the others. And a foreign presence controlled it, not the clumsy one and the more adept one from before.

If anythingthis was in the middle of the twos abilities. Still weak. But Snatcher halted not because of the power behind this forcebut how the skeleton moved.

It stood there, arms outstretched, as if welcoming Snatcher into a huge hug. Legs spread so confidently, jaw agape, that the last guardian of this place feltoffended.

A mocking pose. The skeleton waited as Snatcher regarded itthen it clearly decided that Snatcher was too slow. The boss monster held perfectly still.

A rectangular, uncanny silhouette in the darkness. A brown leather body with two vertical sockets with no true eyes, just wounds in the face. Long, crushing arms that made claws. No mouth. No face.

Snatcher. And this skeletonthis arrogant throwback that had no true craft or power behind it? Not like this place had once been

Snatcher charged. So fast the skeleton jerked back. A hand shot outand the skeleton ducked.

Snatcher missed. The skeleton rolled sideways and sprang to its feet. Snatcher turned. It hadnt seen the other skeletons do that

Another fist swung towards the wall, and enchanted stone cracked. But the skeleton wasnt there.

Scottie the Scout Skeleton ducked down. And as Facestealer looked down and raised a fist, it saw the skeleton put one leg forwards and lean on it, the other leg back, two hands splayed, skeletal fingers supporting it.

Like

A City Runner about to

Sprint. The fist hit the dungeons floor, and Scottie ran. He took off, arms and legs flying, as Snatcher looked up and began to lumber after him.

Fastbut Scottie was faster. And the traps? Snatcher expected it to run into the trapsuntil it saw something that surprised it.

The skeleton didnt bother to hop the complicated pattern to escape this trap, nor did it walk through the traps that would make anything but Snatcher explode from the inside outit kept running and then veered left.

Onto the wall. The skeletons feet glued to the stones, and it ran for ten pacesalong the wallthen dropped onto the floor. It was still running as Facestealer slowed, realizing it would never catch the skeleton by speed alone.

Above the dungeon, a [Necromancer] was whooping and laughing at Pisces face. Ceria, Yvlon, and Ksmvr were watching an excited group of admirers and Ama and Pisces. Yvlon was counting with a sickly smile on her face, and Colth was blinking.

But Ama, masked face and hood and all, was smiling. And the undead were racing through the dungeon as Pisces ruefully watched, but with a heart pounding full of excitement and yes, even fun.

Snatcher?

Snatcher began to get angrier.

What did adventuring mean to you? Was it a job or a calling? Was it for a purpose like finding power?

Should it be fun? Surely, it should. Or why call it that? All the danger, all the grit, the taste of fear-vomit in your mouth, and the burning of your lungs as you held in your blood through a seeping wound in your side

If you werent alive then, if that didnt mean something, why would anyone do it?

A pack of skeletons raced through Liscors dungeon, adventuring in a style no one in the world practiced today but that [Necromancers] of old had once used in their adventures.

A Goblin and Antinium duo happened upon a great big cave and mound of dirt along part of the High Passes, and it was so strange because it looked like a stone plug had been inserted into the top. Itthrummed as they got closer.

And the teams in Albez dug.

In fact, Albezs dungeon was the most boring, safest, and most tedious adventure Ylawes Byres had ever had. Four days of waking up, watching Remendias hired diggers at work, occasionally shifting dirt himself, and, well, socializing with other adventurers.

Socializing in itself was not Ylawes complaint. It was the pecking order, the showing off, the competition and squabbling between teams that made him feel like he was at a social convention as House Byres among the northern nobility.

If he were at Liscor, he could train with a sword, ask even Pisces, even Numbtongue perhaps, to practice with. Here?

Byres, come on! It was a mistake, a mistake!

The Captain of the Waterborn Raiders called out as Ylawes walked away from the dueling space theyd set up. He shook out his gauntlet, and someone caught him.

Lad, you need a healing potion?

My gauntlet caught most of it. I dont think the metals torn.

Bastard.

Nailrens comment was followed by a glare, but the Waterborn Raiders were mocking Ylawes. The [Knight]s skin felt torn under his armor, but hed dodged most of the Skill.

Couldnt take losing in a fair fight? Skills in a duel?

Someone jeered at them, and the Waterborn Raiders Captain turned red.

Dasha, shut up.

Insill whispered as the Gold-rank Captain glared at the Silver-rank team of Vuliel Drae. But Dasha was right, and a lot of adventurers began jeering the Waterborn Raiders Captain themselves.

Anith, please tell Dasha to stop. I brought it upon myself, dueling other adventurers for practice.

Ylawes yanked off his gauntlet and saw his skin was only a bit torn.

What was that move? It felt like he wrenched my arm around.

[Riptide Cut]. Looked painful.

Dawil offered a potion, but Ylawes held up a hand.

Save it. Its not like theyre that cheap.

He grimaced, flexing his hand, and instantly regretted the commentit was hurting more by the second. Someone tapped him on the shoulder and offered him a jar.

Pekona showed Ylawes a verynatural jar of ointment.

Soothes pain and helps heal. Not very magical. Want it?

Thank you.

The cream did have some kind of pain-numbing quality, and Ylawes smiled as he felt the pain recede.

What is this for?

Not healing injuries you get in practice. Pekona swears by itapparently, healing potions are bad for training.

Well, shes right there. Thank you.

Vuliel Drae and Nailrens team clustered around Ylawes as the conversations died down and the Waterborn Raiders skulked off. Everyone was just boredwell, the Raiders had an axe to grindbut the truth was this was a terrible adventure.

I almost wish I were in Liscors dungeon.

Insill murmured; Nailren glared, and Larr, the Gnoll teammate, kicked Insill.

Kidding!

The Drake [Rogue] looked guilty, as he did every time the Face-Eater Moth disaster was brought up. Ylawes was one of the few adventurersand only Gold-rank teamthat tolerated Vuliel Draes presence.

He felt they were properly remorseful. He couldnt say if theyd paid for their mistakes, but theyd gone into the Village of the Dead, and he liked the quirky team.

Anith, the Jackal Beastkin, was like a Falene with more fur, very analytical. Falene had not appreciated the comparison and frozen his bedroll solid.

Dasha was not a female Dawil, because she tried too hard to play into her half-Dwarven ancestry, but she was outspoken and braveand a fairly competent craftswoman before shed become an adventurer. She, apparently, was a Level 21 [Baker].

Insill was the most timid [Rogue] that Ylawes had ever met, but he seemed to be the glue that held together his teamhe was the one who helped other people, and he was actually adept enough to set traps.

Seborn and a lot of [Rogues] that Ylawes had met didnt go in for setting traps that much. But Larr, their [Ranger], was also an adept multi-tasker. Notably, Larr was also a member of the Hawkarrow tribesame as Nailren. But he was also related to the Soliest Yerr tribes most prized craftsman, Honored Shedrkh, and Larr often asked to send pelts of monsters back to him.

They had depth. That was the point. Get to know someone and they had depth. Like Nailrens team, actually. They came from the Fletchsing tribe, a subclan of the famous Hawkarrow Tribe, and had fought in the Meeting of Tribes with Mrshas alliance. Ylawes didnt know all the details, but Nailren had escorted the Antinium Soldier back and had plans to head to the new lands.

His teammates were all actually new, apparently. Which surprised and embarrassed Ylawes because he thought he would recognize different Gnollsbut no one really did. No wonder they werent the most socialafter returning from Liscor, the six Gnolls had all traded places with different Gnolls that Nailren picked up. All above Level 20which meant that Nailren was running an adventuring team scam.

Well, the Guild would call it that. The truth was that for a Silver-rank team, a bunch of Level 20+ [Hunters] was good enough. Apparently, Nailrens team was part of his tribes way of training promising recruits. Their Chieftain, Eitha, sent him the ones she wanted trained up.

That made Nailren far more interesting to Ylawes. He was apparently a good enough leader to direct the ever-changing Gnoll team into keeping a rather good reputation as a Silver-rank team. And theyd gone into Liscors dungeon more than once.

Nailren was also fascinating in that he and Larr came from the same tribe, but Larr had never heard of the Fletchsing clan and kept giving Nailren questions about home.

So, how is Chieftain Eitha doing?

Recovering from her wounds in the Meeting of Tribes.

Nailren nodded as they sat down, and the Gnolls from the Hawkarrrow tribe all nodded. Larr squatted down, frowning.

And your Chieftain? Of the Fletchsing tribe?

Hrr. Doing just fine.

Youve all checked on them?

Larr glanced too-casually at the other Gnolls, and one of Nailrens adventurers glanced up.

Me? Ive never met the Fletchsing Chieftain. I didnt know we had a subclan until Chieftain Eitha told us.

Hrm. Hrrr. Interesting. Interesting.

Larr edged forwards, glaring at Nailren until the Gnolls nose was practically embedded in Nailrens cheek. The Silver-rank Captain pushed him back.

You are young, Larr, yes? Stop nosing around and go back to the Hawkarrow tribe and ask to know. Just because you are Shedrkhs nephew does not mean you need to know everything.

Ylawes watched the interaction with some amusement as Anith grabbed his teammate and muttered to Larr. Insill, as always, tried to soothe tensions, even if Nailren looked amused more than anything.

Sorry about Larr. Hes just been away from homebut hey, if we get something out of this dungeon, maybe well visit! Help out. I meanweve all promised to visit his tribe.

Nailren looked amused at the black-scaled Drake.

You might not be the most welcome at the moment, Insillbut then, your team seems good, yes? Not a bad idea. If we ever get that staircase.

He nodded to the huge hole and the teams of [Diggers]. It looked like their bucket-system for hauling up dirt had slowed again.

Ylawes hadnt realized how deep the dungeon was until he remembered Emperor Laken said a hundred feet. A hundred damn feet down wasinsane.

This secret part of Albez was clearly a secret even when the city had been intact and unburied. Digging that far down, even with magic? The deeper you went, the narrower the hole got and harder it was to excavate dirt. Rocks, soil, and roots had slowed down the teams immensely. Even with magic, the fact that they were nearing the staircase after four days showed how hard Deniusth had pushed the excavation work.

Howeverthe Named-rank Violinist and the other Named-ranks were as happy as could be. They kept congratulating Griffon Hunt and had promised Halrac a share of any artifacts, apparently.

The same hadnt been said for Ylawes team or Vuliel Drae and The Pride of Kelia, despite them helping. It was also probably why the Waterborn Raiders looked so sour.

No one wanted to leave, but they all had a feeling that if there were artifacts or relics, the other teams might get gold instead.

Dont mind the Raiders. I heard theyre just upset that the Named-ranks will pull a Ceria. Their words, not mine.

I thought Ceria was quite fair with the Village of the Dead raiders. Didnt you all get a big payout?

Nailren shrugged and looked at Anith. The Silver-rank Captain frowned and indicated his team. They had a few magical artifacts, and they hadnt exactly seemed pressed for gold.

We were paid very generously. I dont know what he is talking about. Dasha has an enchanted axe straight from Hedault, and Pekona paid for a new sword from Drath

I cant hold the old one.

The one-armed [Sword Dancer] was the last member of Vuliel Drae, but Ylawes didnt know much about her other than her originsand silence. She had lost a hand during the Village of the Dead raid and paid a higher price than most survivors. Howevershe didnt complain, and she was apparently still adventuring. He thought she kept sneaking away from her team in the middle of the night, but he didnt know if that was his imagination.

So whats the Raiders problem?

Larr looked up, and Nailren grinned. He tapped one ear, and the Gnoll murmured.

This is just a rumor, but some of the teams complaining haveties. To the gangs or other interesting groups.

Ylawes knew the Waterborn Raiders were former[Raiders], but his scowl grew. Dawil just rubbed his beard, and Dasha copied him, much to his annoyance.

Oh? So what do they know?

Word is, some of them asked Savere in Chandrar where Cerias relic is. They claim they dont have it, and the Sirens got a grudge the size of the High Passes against Ceria. So the Raiders think

Ah, of course. And now theyre getting nothing for sitting around on their asses?

Some people are never happy, eh?

Nailren chuckled. The truth was that was what most teams were doing, and if they got a hundred gold coins for doing thatit would be a fortune for Silver-ranks and more than anyone deserved.

This adventure sucks.

Ylawes was gratified to hear one of Nailrens teammates say it. The Gnoll tossed a bit of dirt at a female [Huntress].

Patience, Kelthe. Getting paid to sit around is also adventuring. But its truly boring, I agree.

He glanced at Ylawes, and the Silver Swords Captain grimaced.

Want to spar? I wont use Skills.

Pekona offered, but Ylawes was done for the day. Insill glanced at the dig-site.

I hear they think well reach the door by today. Deniusth and Eldertuin were going around telling all the [Rogues] and [Mages] who know enchantments to get ready to de-trap the place. No one wants to burn up the loot like the Horns did. But there might be monsters or guardians. Should weprepare for a fight?

Ylawes glanced at the [Rogue]. He pointed to Falene, who was reading a spellbook with Moore and working on a new spellthe constant activity of [Mages].

Falene could cast a few buffs if we know were about to fight, but Dawil and I are ready. What does Vuliel Drae do? The Pride?

His team was, admittedly, famous for their ability to charge into a fight any second. Theyd survived Gargoyle ambushes where other teams would need preparation time. Nailren hmmed.

I could dig us into the rocks above the dig site. But I dont know whats coming out. Plus, I doubt positioning will help us with our arrows. Not compared to Halracs enchanted ones or a Named-rank. Your team, Anith?

That would be mostly Insill.

Everyone turned to the [Rogue], and he raised a claw.

I could dig a hole. And put a pit trap in it.

Ylawes stared at him. The [Rogue] colored under his black scales.

Really fast! I just, uhI need a hole first. Because of my Skill. [Deploy Pit Trap]. But its only the cover. Its a convincing cover, though. See?

Nothing would do for him then to show Ylawes on a tiny divot in the road. Insill had to set it up, which looked like him pulling a tarp out of midair and arranging it for about a minute or two. When he was done, a bit of fake earth only slightly noticeable if you stared at the edges would hide a treacherous

Ylawes stepped on it, and it sank alarminglyabout a foot.

Interesting trap. Does it work a lot?

WellI got it after the Village of the Dead raid, and its not much use in dungeons since I cant dig holes. Or against most monsters. But itll be really useful if we run into

Anith looked up mildly, and his lips twitched.

Crelers? They climb holes.

Dasha nodded.

Ogres will just get stuck. You cant dig a hole big enough to trap their foot, Insill.

Most species can climb holes.

Larr added. Pekona raised a hand.

Pit traps dont kill most things.

Stop bullying me!

This was clearly a running gag. Vuliel Draes humor was one of the things that kept Ylawes here. He smiledand then heard a shout.

Its time! Everyone up! Everyone up! We see the door!

Every adventurer looked aroundand then they were suddenly all on their feet. Deniusth was standing by the entrance to the hole and bellowing.

Hold it, hold itdont crowd around! You idiots, youre too fast! Back away from that door! Anyone touches it and Ill kill them after whatever comes out does!

He was shouting down into the hole as dozens of adventurers clustered dangerously around the edgein fact, they were in jeopardy of collapsing the edges on the [Diggers].

Eldertuin solved the problem by striking his shield with his sword.

Silence!

The gong of sound made everyone wince and look at him. The Fortress gave crisp orders as Viecel grinnedand the Selphids new body waggled four fingers. Hed been betting every day that this would be the day they got to the treasure.

Everyone, stand back. [Geomancers], [Mages], forwards. We are not going down this hole. Well adjust it into a ramp. We need it wide, and we need to prepare. Team Captains, to us. Everyone else, itll be an hour yet, or two!

He glanced at the sky.

Plenty of time before evening.

Excitement filled the air as Ylawes looked at Dawil.

Looks like this is it. Get Falene and set up with Griffon Hunt and the Halfseekers?

What about our Silver-rankers?

That too. Anith, Nailren, coming?

The Silver-rank Captains hesitated and looked gratified Ylawes was including them. The Gold-rank Captain pushed forwards, and the other Captains made way for the three. But for Ylawes, Anith and Nailren would have had to hang back, so many teams were gathered around Eldertuin.

He was including Halrac, Deniusth, and, surprisingly, Jelaqua in a small circle giving orders. Behind them, Moore and other experts were reshaping the hole, burning up mana to widen it.

Well have a ramp down to the entrance, but we are not going in. Whatevers down there, if theres monsters or anything, it comes up to us. The worst thing we can do is bunch up and make our numbers-advantage useless.

Eldertuin was giving solid, reasonable strategic analysis to the others. Deniusth was practically dancing from foot-to-foot, but he was nodding.

What can we expect?

If its like Cerias trap? Magical doors that put you into kill-rooms and an Elemental guardian.

Nasty. But we can beat a single elemental. Howeverwe have to get this treasure without triggering a trap. So our best [Rogues] head down there and analyze the door. Then [Mages]. Whos the best at enchantment breaking?

Uhweve got an expert in the Distinguished Staves. YlaweswheresYlawes, isnt Falene Wistram-trained?

Everyone looked at him, and Ylawes shook his head.

She isbut shes a [Battlemage]. Wed defer to any experts.

That would be me.

To Ylawes surprise, Typhenous raised a hand. The old man stroked his beard with a huge smile.

I have seen a lot of trap spells in my time. I may not be technical enough to remove thembut I can tell theyre there. More importantly, I can usually tell if a specialist will succeed or fail at removing the trap.

Thats good. Thats essential. If we cant remove the magic or trap at any point, I am willing to send to Invrisil for experts. Hedault himself.

Deniusth was telling the crowd, and everyone agreed. However, the excitement was palpable, and Eldertuin spoke.

Then we send down the first team. Who has [Lesser Teleport] scrolls? Deni, I know your team has them. Lend the squad that investigates the door a scrollthough its faster to just run up the ramp, maybe.

Well put archers with sight lines on the door, but only Level 20+ experts and above. No friendly fire! Whos got [Stoneskin] spells?

It was a flurry of orders and contingencies in the thirty-three minutes it took to reconfigure the ramp. Moore backed up, sweating, and Ylawes heard him audibly tell Jelaqua he was spent on mana unless he wanted to risk mana burn.

Wow, they pushed some of our [Mages] hard.

The hole in the ground had shifted into a long, sloping ramp. But by the looks of it, it had taken out thirteen [Mages], some Gold-ranks. Even a member of Orchestra was lying down.

Should we let them rest before we try the door?

That was the smart thing to do. Falene had used half her magicbut Dawil just glanced at the eager teams, including the Raiders.

Everyones raring to go, Falene. BesidesI think we might be overkill. Or if were not, then a dozen [Mages] wont make a difference.

That was fairly true. Ylawes knew the Village of the Dead raid had pulled in more teams to take it on than most events in modern adventuring historybut there were more teams here. Including Named-ranks.

Just stick together. Vuliel Drae, I know we havent practiced, but if Nailren covers our group, just have your team stick to our flanks. The Silver Swords are good at fighting in the center.

Even Mage Falene?

Anith was surprised, but Falene was already casting barrier spells. She smiled archly.

I am a [Battlemage], Captain Anith. If I realize Im in trouble, Ill teleport to safety.

Yes, as you can see, shes the bravest member of the Silver Swords.

Dawil rolled his eyes. Seborn, Typhenous, and three other experts were walking down towards the door as the civilians ran far, far back to the waiting wagons and horses. Falene reddened.

I would like you to try fighting monsters with nothing more than enchanted robes, Dawil, then question my bravery.

Falene, Dawil

They were looking bad in front of the Silver-ranks. Dawil shot back with a huge grin.

Done. Ill do it in your robeswithout underwear either.

You wretched, cave-dwelling homunculus

Doors opening!

What?

Everyone looked up. It had been seconds since the adventurers went down, but the first thing Ylawes saw was Seborn, followed by Typhenous, running like a natural athlete, arms and legs pumping, coming up the ramp.

It sensed us! It sensedits a trap!

Then Ylawes felt his skin prickle and [Dangersense] Skills began activating. The air hummedand a voice filled with wrath echoed up from below. A recording.

YOU ARE NOT THRESK. ALL WHO SCHEME TO PILFER THE LABORATORY OF UDATRON WILL DIE.

Oh shit.

Insill raised his shield, and Ylawes head rose. Thresk? Wasnt that the one who Cerias team found?

But there was no time to ask more. He saw a flash from the ramps entrance, then Halrac loosed an arrow that thumped with an explosion. The Gold-rank Captain shouted.

Elementals! Dozens of

What did he just say?

Dawil looked up in time for the first howling gale of air to billow up, a Wind Elemental in full furyfollowed by a raging being of flames and more of both kinds. Ylawes saw bodies of stone charging up the ramps as [Mages] began to fire, and he counted

Water, Fire, Earth, WindElementals?

Falene looked horrified. Which told Ylawes that binding so many powerful Elementals, even if they werent on the level of the Gnolls Khoteizetrough, was far beyond her capabilities. Ylawes wavered between charging from their second line and holding. Some teams that had begun to race forwards were pulling back, but it was Deniusth who shouted.

Eldertuin, hold down the ground! Orchestraconcert time!

Twenty-seven Elementals appeared from the trapped laboratory. Twenty-seven, where Cerias team had nearly fallen to one. But they had been Silver-ranks at the time.

This timethey had Named-rank teams. Ylawes didnt see Eldertuin and Viecel among the fighting as it broke out with the huge Water and Earth Elementals, each seven to nine feet tall, emerging and swinging at the nearest adventurerbut he saw them surround Variable Fortress, drawn in by Eldertuins Skills.

Yet Deniusths team, OrchestraYlawes had never seen them fight so far. He expected Deni to show off his golden bell, but he didnt. Instead, the Named-rank team stood in place. Some were even sitting down.

Gores, the Trumpet of the Battlefield, and Deni, the Violinist, stood in front of their band of fourteen. Fourteen, and some were Gold-ranks or even, Ylawes had heard, Silver-ranks.

What mattered to Orchestra was how good you were with an instrument. He saw a cello-player sitting next to a drummer who held only enchanted sticksthe world was his drums.

Deniusth began playing on his violin as the first notes echoed from Gores horn. They played in perfect synchronization, and Ylawes recognized the tune.

The Five Families BalladReturn to New Home. The tune they had played since they had come to Izril.

The first few bars of the song let the rest of the team join in. The drummer beat the first few notes on the stones as the Elementals rose. An Air Elemental conjured a deadly-looking orb of compressed air and drew an arm back to throw it.

Was it shaped like a Drake or a Human? Or aGnoll? Ylawes didnt know, because then Denis bow began to scream upon the violins strings. He played louderand the crescendo of sound rose so fast that Ylawes ears popped. He saw the trumpet swing upand Orchestras instruments glowed.

The next thing Ylawes saw was a hole in the clouds. He lowered his hands as the ripple continued through the air. Sound and force

Half the Elementals in the air vanished. Orchestras Combined Skill was angled up, and whatever sound theyd played wasnt directed at Ylawes, thankfully. Nevertheless, he saw the cone of projected sound clip part of the ridge over Albez.

It hit the stone, and the stones cracked, shattered to pieces, and went flying like shrapnel. Of the Elementalsthe Flame Elementals just winked out. Ylawes swore he saw a crystal heart of an Air Elemental explode.

Dead gods!

[Combined Skill Onslaught Performance: Louder Than the Seas Roar]. Orchestra, get them!

Deniusth lowered his bow with a flourish, saluted the other adventurersthen his team broke up. The Violinist leapt up, impossibly high with magic, and played on his violin.

Sharp sounds. So sharp that they cut through the flames of one of the Flame Elementalsexposing that glowing core. Deniusth caught himself on a foothold in midair, and his violin bow lanced out like a rapier, striking the core through the center. It shattered, and he whirled back.

The trumpeter, Gores, just aimed his trumpet like some kind of weapon and blew another note. It had so much sonic force that it sent another Air Elemental reeling backwardsand Halrac shot it through the heart.

Thats Named-ranks?

Insills jaw was openuntil Ylawes grabbed him.

Heads up. Theyre coming!

An Earth Elemental charged their way, and Ylawes raised his shield, gritting his teeth.

[Shield of Valor]!

A hammers blow from a fist bounced off his glowing shield, and the three teams surrounded the Earth Elemental. Falene shot a dozen Tier 2 spells into it at close-range, but it did little more than chip at the enchanted stone. Dawil swung his hammer into a leg, cursed, reached for his broken axe

Its harder than regular stone!

Arrows not working[Piercing Arrow].

Nailren hit it in the forehead. The Earth Elementals forehead cracked slightly, and the rest of his team pelted it with arrows and stared in dismay. Ylawes backed up, deflecting another blow without his Skill

It was strong! Stronger than a Gargoyle or a Troll. The [Knight] cursed, and Anith spoke.

[Arrows of Light]. Dasha, support Ylawes and Dawil! Pekona

[Lightning Iai].

A flash and shock along his arm. Pekona drew her curved blade and slashed into the Earth Elementals arm as it swung againbut like his, her cut was shallow. Insill appeared at the Elementals backstabbed once, then hopped away.

It was too tough! Dawil yanked Dasha out of the way as the Earth Elemental kicked, and Ylawes hoped Falene had a better spell.

The Silver Swords didnt need to come up with one. Nailren took one look at the Earth Elemental as his teams arrows uselessly rained over it, and he called out.

Switch to ropes. Loop the arm! [Rope Arrow]get me an anchor.

His team dropped their bows, and Nailren shot one arrow under the Earth Elementals arm.

[Loop Shot]web it down.

He seized the loop of rope hed secured as the arrow wrapped around the arm. The Gnoll seized itand was nearly dragged off his feet. But his team grabbed the rope, and another threw a loop on the Earth Elementals other arm. Ylawes, blocking the swings, saw the Earth Elemental turnbut eight Gnolls including Larr suddenly were hauling on one arm. It stumbled, and Dawil pointed.

Right leg!

While Larr had the left arm, he, Dasha, and Ylawes began to hammer on the right leg, breaking it at the joints. The Earth Elemental roared like grinding stones and began to heave the Gnolls off their feetuntil it nearly fell over.

[Muddy Ground].

It was sinking. Its other leg was sinking as Anith turned the ground to mud, and Falene conjured more bindings of light. The enraged Earth Elemental had only one arm to swing, and it flailed at the adventurersuntil Insill threw a ball of mud at its face.

Hah! Blinded! [Mud Throw]

He ducked a swinging arm and backed up, wide-eyed.

It doesnt need eyes!

Idiot. Move[Herons Wing Slash].

Pekona leapt forwards, and Ylawes leaned back as her cut sprayed his armor and helmet with shards. He got one in his eye and cursedbut he heard a groan. When Ylawes could see, he saw the Earth Elementals leg collapsing. It was falling over!

With only one leg to support it, the Earth Elemental fell backwards and landed on its back with a tremble. Nailrens team lost control of the rope, but he shouted for them to drag it down and anchor it to stones. And that left the warriors with an opening to hit it as hard as they wanted.

Good!

The [Knight] lifted his sword and charged in.

[Shield Breaker]!

He swung his shields edge into the Elementals chest, where he thought the heart should be, and the stone cracked. Dawil joined him as Ylawes raised his sword for his best Skill

Silver Swords, back it up! Back up!

The [Knight] aborted his final charge. He looked overand Dasha ducked out of the way.

[All or Nothing Charge]! Eld

Viecel the Gambler pointed, and Eldertuin the Fortress raced past Ylawes. The Gold-rank Adventurer saw the older man raise not his sword, but his tower shield in both handslike an improvised maul, the edge pointed down

[Hammer of the Ogre].

This time, the [Knight] lifted his shield and saved his face from the spray of stones. Dasha shouted in pain, but when Ylawes looked uphe saw the Earth Elemental was split in two. The pieces were stirringuntil Eldertuin bent down and yanked something glowing out of the chest.

Elemental down.

He turned, nodded to the [Knight], and Ylawes Byres felt a flicker of envy, admirationhe saluted Eldertuin the Fortress, and the man smiled, even as his head was turning for another threat. Ylawes whirledand there were no more Elementals.

The fight was already over.

It turned out that in the lineup of elementals, the Earth Elementals were the only ones whod lasted more than a few seconds in the face of so much adventurer firepower. Air, Flame, and Water Elementals were dangerous foes that could drown you, suck the air out of your lungs, or burn even steel as Yvlon had once found.

They werent much good against five Tier 4 spells hitting them at once. With Orchestras Skill, the adventurers had literally overwhelmed most of the others.

Mind you, that was not to say it had been a bloodless battle. Several adventurers had broken bones in the first swings of the Elementals, and one Silver-rank was so badly burned she was being rushed to a [Healer].

Twenty-seven Elementals. And Cerias team only ran into one?

Might have been a higher-grade one in the confines of the other [Mage]s secret armory. It apparently burned artifacts upthese werent that hot. Tough, though. Imagine being a single Gold-rank team and running into this many? What happened, you lot? I thought you were going to check the door.

The adventurers, in the aftermath of the fight, were harvesting the pieces of the Elementals cores, the only really valuable part of them. Maybe the Water Elementals waterbut it was just mud in the ground now.

We never got the chance. Turns out there was a huge detection spell that was scanning us for something. Probably an amulet to prove we were allowed in.

Seborn shook his head as Typhenous peered down at the open doorway. The Plague Mage nodded.

Regrettablebut unfortunately, we didnt have the right angle. If we were doing this again, I would suggest tunneling from the side to avoid the spell and cloaking ourselves before approaching.

Well, we got the Elementals. Pretty sizable, dangerous lot. Which means this is probably a lot better than one armory.

Deniusth was excited. Hed taken down six Elementals after his Skill, but Typhenous lifted a hand.

As a matter of factno. Captain Deniusth, I think we were lucky.

How so?

Typhenous pointed down where the first [Rogues] were very cautiously shining lights and spells into the laboratory ofUdatron. A name that some of the more historical adventurers were looking up as they spoke.

I believe there were more elementals. Twenty-seven? An odd number. Look at this.

He showed the others something odda sparking, but mostly dead, Elemental core. Ylawes felt the static in the air.

Lightning Elemental?

It must not have been able to endure however long it was here. Perhaps there were other Elementalsthere are a number of cores on the ground.

Thats worth a lot of money to Wistram. Damnthen how long has this place been hidden? How long does a Lightning Elemental last?

No one knew, but Deniusth was eying the [Rogues], and they were very, very apprehensive about what they were doing. Yet

Well, again, Ylawes had a sense of let-down. Not because the laboratory was not well-guarded or that it seemed to be emptysome people were staring inside and practically salivating at what they could glimpse.

No, there were just too many adventurers. Not that he wanted an honorable fight against Elementals, but theyd steamrolled the opposition.

By the same token, thoughhe felt badly that the Horns werent here. Yet they would have never found this place but for Griffon Hunt.

What had they found, though? Who was Udatron? It turned out there were some answers.

The Captain of the Distinguished Staves was a local [Historian] of sorts. He excitedly confirmed the name from a history of Albez.

Udatron. I knew that name was familiar! Udatron and Thresk, two of the greatest [Mages] of Albez while it was a magical community. Warmage Thresk and Chronomancer Udatron were a duo who fought in the magical conflicts Albez took part in. Udatron vanished during a battle, it says, and he was presumed dead, but no one ever found the corpse.

Not unusual in high-powered magical duels.

Falene murmured, and Ylawes nodded. But the Captain went on

Thresk, it was said, never believed his friend was dead, which led to his increasing paranoia and reclusiveness until he passed. If Cerias team really did find his armory close to this spotit only makes sense this might be Udatrons laboratory.

A time-mages laboratory? This is wonderful.

Deniusths eyes lit up. Dawil groaned.

Oh no. Time magic? What kind of traps does he have?

That sobered everyone in earshot. Ylawes Byres adjusted his sword and shield nervously, but it was in the hands of the adventurers, now.

What do they see in that laboratory?

Wella lot of magical paraphernalia. A small library

Deniusths smile grew wider with each report from one of the [Scouts] down there. The Gold-rank [Scout] was practically dancing as he pointed. Ylawes and the top-level teams stood around, listening to descriptions of the insides.

Anith and Nailren hung back, and one of the other team Captains drew them aside, perhaps to salvage more pieces from the Earth Elementals. Ylawes felt guilty, seeing the Silver-ranks wryer expressions. And again, it was hurry up and wait because all of this had better not be an illusionor trapped. But the Named-ranks were not about to lose this, and the [Rogues] were taking it at a snails pace.

No signs of any big traps, but were going in slowly. Maybemaybe this laboratory only had the door guards?

Elementals were Thresks magic. Perhaps this Udatron never set up defenses or reactivated them if he died in battle?

Maybebut we can see something in the back. I thinktheres an armory back there. A laboratory, a mages library, and an armory.

Everyone looked at each other, and Ylawes, despite himself, found the final reason why you adventured as Deniusth grabbed one of his teammates in delight.

The loot.

They think theres how much there? Aa lab? And how many books? Yeah, from the age of Albez. And there were only twenty-sevenand they just found it thanks to Halracs team? Denis backflipping. Great. There wouldnt happen to be some horrible time-magic trap that killed a few adventurers? No? Im not wishing it on you, Revi. Im justwell, well take a share. Thanks.

Ceria Springwalker didnt quite scowl, but the Horns of Hammerad definitely grew quiet when they heard about Albezs second treasure haul. The [Necromancers] looked up, agog, and Colth sighed.

Wellthat monster hide had better be good, or I wont hear the end of it from Deni for a decade. No going back.

Their map was expanding, but it seemed like they were tracing a kind of actual layout of the dungeons maze. And if Colth was plotting things out right, then they could tell where the four huge pillar-rooms full of monster nests were. Which then implied that the city and Stalkers corpse was in the center of the four sections. Which meant

Which meant the adventurers were really mad about all the amazing treasure that Albezs group had dug up. Because even if they were going to get the hide of some amazingly powerful boss monster, some people wanted it all.

Fair. The Wandering Inn was abuzz with the news, and the treasure might really change things, especially the books if they were spellbooks. What kind of artifacts would Udatron, a great [Chronomancer], have? What magical equipment? Alchemical items?

No one knew, and it was all great. Udatron, a name without context in this modern age. For everyone save, perhaps, someone like an ancient Dragonif Thresk and Udatron had ever been important enough to be on his radar. Which they had not.

Or

Erin Solstice propped her chin up on her hand and stared silently out a window. She remembered that name. She remembereda man, among many, summoned to safeguard time itself.

She didnt know his story or anything else about what his laboratory might hold. So she said nothing, but at least one person noticed Erins wistful look.

Grimalkin of Pallass didnt reach for a notepad. Some things he could simply remember. And besideshed begun wondering if the Eyes of Pallass had access to his home. He had a very in-depth security system, but there was always someone better.

He sat in the inn, thinking. A figure in repose, like some statue made to represent the physical body in all of its prime condition. Grimalkin the Sinew Magus. Grimalkin the Fist.

A famous [Mage]. A renowned one. He had fought in wars, bested [Mages] and enemy officers in combathe had even dueled Archmage Feor. True, he had been mocked for his physical magic theory by a number of communities, but he had a lot of authority in Drake military systems.

Yet, as Grimalkin quietly sat, eating some couscous, he felt embarrassed. Here, at least. Because Grimalkin

Felt rather as though hed made a fool of himself. At least where The Wandering Inn and Erin were concerned.

Consider it from his perspective. He was used to people asking for favors from someone of his level. He had found The Wandering Inn very useful, if only because Erin had knowledge about health and musculature that he lacked from her world, and she was indeed engaging in her own right.

But Grimalkin had begun to keep a reserve after he felt that he was becoming one of Erins friends, a resource that she could call upon. Hewas aware of how she could change and influence events, but he had determined that he did not want to be a piece in her game, especially because she was not, well, not important enough to keep sequestering his aid.

He had made a point to tell her that, to draw a line. He was a representative of Pallass, and she could not simply run rampant and call on him at will. That had been before she died, of course.

That had been before her body just happened to be the vessel for General Sserys of Liscor, oh, and Fetohep of Khelt made landfall on Izril and challenged the Walled Cities, in part, for her. And she learned how to post <Quests>. And lets not forget being the best chess player in the world, the Titans chess partner, and she knew Foliana, Valeterisa, Larracel, the Wind Runner

It seemed to Grimalkin that he had made a mistake. Or perhaps just fallen into a trap of his own design. From him being the person she was prevailing upon, he now feltthe opposite might be true.

And he was embarrassed. Embarrassed, because the proverbial shoe was upon the other foot, and now he had all the questions and she had answers and he saw the irony. He saw the fault in himself, and he was embarrassed.

Introspection was a virtue, but a painful one. Doubly painful because Erin was stillgenerating mysteries. Hed thought ever since he solved the Earth part of her background he would stop adding more questions to his list of Erin-quandaries.

But why did she know Udatrons name? Why did he think she knew more about what the adventurers had found than she was letting on?

And did he deserve to know? Grimalkin sat there, chewing the pebbles of gluten and appreciating the dish. Imani had clearly made it.

Well, Im glad the Albez teams are finding treasure. I think. Hopefully no one throws open a time paradox again.

Erin spoke lightly and turned from the adventurers hard at work. Grimalkins claw twitched as if he were reaching for a quill. The problem was that she was actually a very, very hard-to-read person. Chance wordscould just be that.

Again?

Yet where Grimalkin before would have pressed her for answers, now the Sinew Magus had to wonder something.

Am I the unworthy one? Is she playing a game where Im blundering around like the fool?

By rights, he should ask for her time, but he felt rooted in place. Not everyone was.

Erin, are you done with your task in Riverfarm? I could use you making more magical foods.

Later, Lyonette. Im actually going on another errand. Can I take Mrsha?

Ihow dangerous is it?

Umnot very?

Really, then let me ask Ser Dalimont. Why do you have a bird tied to your finger?

Its a charm. Geeze, Lyonette. You act like youve never seen a curse-sensing charm before. Say, wheres Nanette? Is she still sitting with Bird?

The [Princess] looked about, and Grimalkin remembered someone mentioning the inns new guest. Again, he wasnt regular enough to realize that this Nanette was a new part of the family.

Im missing out. What else had he missed? Grimalkin looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Mrsha seemed unchanged; although, he could no longer confirm this via [Appraisal]. Saliss was lying front-first on the floorboards, possibly unconscious, the [Bard] wasnt here, a little lamb was staring at him from the basement d

Grimalkin stared at Nerry. The lamb ducked down. Then poked its head up innocently, as if it were playing hide-and-seek. Unlike Nanette, the inns second new addition was deliberately keeping out of sight. Besides, Ishkr fed her whenever Nerry needed food.

Lyonette didnt notice the lamb snooping on them. She turned about.

Ino. She wasnt up there when I took Bird lunch.

Well, maybe Ill find her first. Saliss? Are you dead?

He raised one claw up behind him, and Erin shrugged.

Cool. Grimalkin! Hi! Do you need something?

And there it was. The Drake knew she had seen him, and he sighed. Embarrassed, he straightened his spine and nodded at her.

Not much of your time, Miss Solstice. If you can spare it.

She gave him an odd look, and he wondered if her new class allowed her to sense his emotionsand she had already been good at that.

Well, Im sorta busy, but Ive got time. Want to find Nanette with me? Mrsha, get yourself some lunch. You too, Dalimont. Can you make me a sandwich? I think I want to chase down this curse.

Mrsha scampered off with the [Knight] as Grimalkin rose. Erin smiled at him, and he tried one on for size.

I notice you are up on your feet, Erin. With a [Lions Strength] spell.

Gonna lecture me about using magic?

No.

He was tempted to, but the Sinew Magus let it slide. Erin cast around the inn.

Locate Nanette. Locateaha. Shes in the garden. Duh. Come on. Hows it been, Grimalkin? Hows things in Pallass now that the Meeting of Tribes has ended?

He followed her to the open door and felt a nostalgic sense as he spoke.

Pallass has not suffered unduly from the war, culturally or militarily. I understand there are Gnollish riots in some of the other cities. Not that Fissival had many, but there were protests in Zeres. Manus had them. Briefly.

City of War, huh?

I dont believe they were dispersed with unnecessary force.

Just dispersed.

He wasnt going to defend that. Grimalkin walked with Erin around the garden and noticed more trees growing, but Erin was looking around, and her head rose.

Ah. Shes up. And howre you?

Adequate. I have been communicating with Ferkr, mostly. She may return to Pallassbut her future seems to be among the tribes. I have been sending her spellbooks, a curriculum, weight sets

Isnt she your apprentice? I thought she wasnt ready to be a [Mage] yet.

She is possibly the finest apprentice I have ever trained. And I had little to do with that.

Erin slowed as he ascended the hill. She looked at Grimalkin, and those words were true and close to his heart.

She did the right thing. Didnt she? Youre proud of her?

The Sinew Magus straightened his back once more. He exhaled and felt his chest tighten.

Immensely. That was entirely her character.

Yeah, but you taught her. You get a bit of credit for that, dont you think?

He felt gratified by that. Grimalkin ducked his head as Erin led him up the hill. She could be kind indeed.

She could be thoughtless. Well, Erin had too much to do, it wasnt fair to say this was entirely her fault. But

Nanette had free rein of The Wandering Inn. She was allowed to go anywhere, and the inn was safe. The family knew about the dangers of Erins other gardens, but Nanette had been told about that. She was intelligent and wise enough to occupy herself.

But someonesomeone really should have warned her about the hill. It had slipped their minds.

That was how Erin and Grimalkin found her. She had been here for a while. Head raised, two brown braids hanging down the back of her neck. Her blue robes pooled around her legs in the grass.

Nanette was sitting, looking up at someone as if her legs had collapsed. As if they had no more strength to give. Her face was not blankbut it wasnt torn by tears or grief.

It was juststunned. Too stunned to properly register

Erin put her hands over her mouth, and Grimalkin lowered his head. For there, standing with one hand on her hat, peering into the distance, was a tall woman. A [Witch], looking ahead as she so often did. Stern, but not unkind.

She stood alone, next to a tree, in this quiet place where mist clung to the ground. Nanette said nothing until she noticed Erin standing there.

Nanette. Ioh no. Didnt I tell youdidnt someone

Erin looked around, but this was all her fault. Yet Nanette just looked up.

I realized what this place was when I found it. Bird told me.

Bird?

Dont be mad at him. He said it was a good place. I justI didnt realize my mother was here.

Nanette looked up. Erin gazed around, and a scampering little girl ran up the hill with a sandwich. Mrsha dropped it when she saw Nanette and the statue and looked horrified.

Nanette, Im so sorry. I should have told youwarned you

The [Innkeeper] walked forwards, and Nanette shook her head. She looked up, and her round face stared at her mothers. Longingly. Lostbut also with a kind of relief.

She looks like I remember her. No, Miss Erin. Dont apologize. Im glad shes here. It meansit means you remember her. She should be remembered.

Yes. She should.

The little witch looked at Erin, and she understood what this Skill meantmore than most. She took a slow breath as a little Gnoll girl guiltily walked over.

Im fine. Really. Its just

She looked up, and her brown eyes shimmered a bit. Nanette wiped at them.

Im allowed to cry, arent I?

Tears trickled down her cheeks, and Erin looked so guilty nothing could be done. Nothingbut for Mrsha to hug Nanette. Erin bent down, and the little witch cried for a while.

Then she stood and nearly fell on her butt when she saw the giant Drake. He nodded at her.

Miss Nanette. We have not met. I am Magus Grimalkin of Pallass. An acquaintance of the inn.

Oh. How do you do? Im sorry, sir.

Not at all. I apologize for disturbing you.

Nanette looked back at the statue, but she had been there long enough. Erin led her down the hill as Grimalkin picked up the sandwich.

Im soNanette, come on, lets get lunch. Lyonette, uhuhshe was at the hill. And I didnt tell her

They returned to the common room, and everyone saw Nanettes red eyes. Numbtongue looked up, and Lyonette gasped. Guiltily, the inns family gathered around except for Bird, who had done nothing wrong.

Im fine, really. Ive been enjoying poking around.

Wellwe need to be with you more, and you need to tell us what you want to do, Nanette! I mean it. Hows your room?

Very nice.

Howsthe food?

Calescent looked worried until Nanette smiled at him.

Its all fine. I cant ask for more, Miss Erin. Truly. I know youre busy.

Is there anything you could possibly want?

Well

Shyly, the girl looked around. She kicked her legs as Mrsha handed the sandwich to Erin.

I was wondering if there were any books in the inn. Numbtongue has a few, but I like books. Mother would always take me to a library if there were one in the places we visited.

Books! Thats it! Lets get books! Ive been meaning to get them anyways!

Erin threw up her hands instantly, and Lyonette nodded.

Ill give you a budget.

Guiltily, the inns family rushed about as Nanette protested they didnt need to getGrimalkin cleared his throat.

If youre looking for books, Miss Solstice, I recommend Invrisil or Pallass to buy them. I could list a few titles.

Thanks, Grimalkin. Why dont we go now, Nanette? You and me, huh? I was meaning to go on a trip toowe can take Mrsha and get books, Lyonette. To Invrisil, I think.

The [Princess] blinked, but one look at Nanette and she agreed. Erin decided theyd have a quick lunch, but she looked at Grimalkin

You wanna come? We can talk if its something you need to talk about.

He hesitated, then nodded.

Why not?

That was how he, Nanette, Ser Dalimont, Erin, and Mrsha ended up going for a walk into Invrisil. After a pastrami on rye sandwich.

Like my new door?

Its certainly a choice.

Erin rolled her eyes as Liska operated the [Portal Door]. It worked like the last one, but instead of a cheap system with stones, it had a window that showed you what lay on the other side, and the dial was beautiful, made of metal, and swung from icon to icon burned into the wood. Invrisils looked like the City of Adventurers crest, the same for Pallass and Liscor. Celums wasnt one of the cityit was a little pirates flag and a bit of growing wheat.

Wailants Farm, see? The sigils just appeared. I think, uhthey look like what Im feeling.

Ah. So Riverfarm is a crown over a stylized piece of feces?

I should probably change that.

Erin rubbed at the doors sigil as if she could erase it. Grimalkin eyed the door and frowned.

I dont see more than eight symbols. I thought the old door had more connections than that.

Me too! But herelets go to Invrisil, and you can see whats weird.

Erin opened the door, hopped through, and they appeared in a street in Invrisil. A crowd was waiting, but as a few guests piled through past Grimalkin, Nanette looking around in delight, the door vanished.

Grimalkin turned, and to his bemusement, he saw something in its place. Anengraved stone, much like a druidic marker or some ancient waystone, was embedded in the paving stones.

Fascinating. A gateway marker.

Yup! I think it only works places I know. So, uheverywhere I havent been? I cant open it. In fact, Im pretty sure I now need to go somewhere to set up a marker.

Indeed. Not an upgrade.

Erin put her hands on her hips and glowered.

Well, guess what? You cant steal this! Go on! Try! You cant! People have been trying to move it all day. But only if I say you can, you can. See?

That was useful for security, and Grimalkin gave her that. The stone was still heavy when she let him pick it up, and Mrsha and Nanette could barely lift it before he had to take it from them.

Very usefulbut again, the original door had a number of uses on its own. Yet you can transport how many people here?

Two hundred. Every two hours.

Incredible.

Nanette whispered. Grimalkin nodded. If Erin visited more spots, she could doubtless install her gateway there too. He wondered how likely that was.

At any rate, they moved on as Erin asked where to go first. At least Ser Dalimont knew the city, and there were a number of good bookstores Grimalkin had requested books from. He was just about to direct her to the first one when he noticed something.

Erin. Did you say that was a charm to sense a curse?

Erin blinked down at the little wicker bird hanging from her fingers. She raised itand Nanette peered at it.

Oh, Oliyayas work. Its moving that way. Very strongly, too.

Erin Solstices eyes widened, and she saw the wicker bird pulling, pulling her down a street to her right. She looked at it, and Ser Dalimont hesitated.

Miss Solstice, Witch Agratha did indicate this might be dangerous. Now is not the time?

The [Innkeeper] nodded, but her eyes swung to Grimalkin.

We do have Grimalkin. What if we justchecked? This is a big city, and I doubt, uhI doubt itll be dangerous in the most dangerous of senses. Ive just got this curse on me, Grimalkin.

As one does?

Erin winced, but Nanette smiled.

I wouldnt mind seeing where the bird leads. It sounds exciting. And if it goes somewhere dangerous, we can turn back. You can always turn back.

Hey, thats right! Ive never done that. Well, its time for books and curses! Follow the bird!

Off they went. Grimalkin realized they were going on an adventure. Funnily enoughhe didnt mind. After all, he had once resented it because it felt like Erin was making use of his power to her ends.

These dayshe saw her glance at him and wondered who was going to help who.

The cave was

Buzzing.

Infinitypear and Rasktooth hesitated as they saw how it had been blocked off. They had been wandering around it for a while, and save for the odd stone plug on top, clearly designed to be removed, it was sealed.

What is this, Infinitypear? Magic buzzing cave?

No. Bees.

Oh.

Rasktooth didnt really know bees, having lived in a cave all his life. Thus, he wasnt really afraid as the only bee he knew was Apista, and she was nice. Infinitypear had also never been stung by a beesmall bees would never pierce his carapace.

They were less wary than they should be. But the two [Adventurers] were debating unplugging the gap.

Is this stupid, Infinitypear?

Yah. But maybe lots of Apistas stuck in there? We should free them.

Since the plug was on top of the caves roof and Infinitypear had a clumsier Workers body, Rasktooth was climbing up there with his arms and prodding at the stone plug. The buzzingseemed to thrum through the stone, and Rasktooth wondered if this was a bad idea.

Maybe just a peek? He wondered how secure the lid of the plug was. Slowly, Rasktooth lifted the plug and

It popped right out. It was so light and so unattached that the Cave Goblin shifted it away from the hole instantly. He overbalanced, and Infinitypear ran around the cave to catch himbut Rasktooth caught himself.

Hey! This plug isnt on at all!

Oh? Whats

Then the buzzing grew louder, and Rasktooth froze. He tried to put the plug back, but too late.

Ashfire Bees blew out of the tunnel in a swarm. Nearly a hundred of them flew up in a mass, and Infinitypear looked up

And then thought of how big Apistas stinger was. How dangerous she might be if she were mad. Rasktooth was flailing, covering his face as they descended

Stop!

The Ashfire Bees halted, covering the Cave Goblin, and their stingers did not jab into his flesh. They were filthy, covered insomething strangeand

And a second swarm of bees flurried around, bright yellow and black. More Ashfire Bees as the first one retreated back into the cave.

What was going on? Infinitypear and Rasktooth froze as the second swarm landed around the roof of the cave, and the dirty bees from within crawled around the entrance. They were rubbing antennaekissing? But who had spoken? Where had the other bees come from?

The answer appeared as four buckets were slowly placed down and a bit of sugary water sloshed between the buckets. Both bee nests descended, and a figure raised one of their hands as all four buckets fed the two Hives.

This is dangerous. You are not Miss Mrsha. Did she hire you to take my job?

Rasktooth blinked, and Infinitypear brightened.

Grass Shell!

The [Shaman] backed away as the two bee colonies devoured the sugar buckets. He looked like a plant. More grass had grown on his shell, even a flower or two. A bee landed on his shell and began to suck nectar out of it.

The bees in this cave are angry-angry. They will sting you. The new bees dont go in. Except if they are needed. Something bad is there. The new bees feed this one. See?

He pointed to the kissing bees, and Rasktooth and Infinitypear saw they were actually doing what bees didtrading nectar and food.

You have a job feeding bees?

Yes. A Drake did it last time, but he overcharged, so I took his job. Is it my turn to lose my job?

Grass Shell looked resigned to the whims of economic fate, but Rasktooth and Infinitypear assured him they were just adventuring. The [Shaman] brightened up.

Oh. Then I am happy. I am feeding the bees. I am allowed to buy sugar and water and things bees eat and put them here every week.

Whats in the cave?

I dont know.

Where did new hive come from?

Rasktooth decided he was afraid of beesespecially the Ashfire Bees who were flying around and eating from the Floodplains flowers. Grass Shell shrugged.

I dont know. They flew here? I feed them too.

Why?

Both [Adventurers] had many questions, but Grass Shell just puffed out his chest proudly as he put his hands on his hips.

Because I am a [Shaman]. A [Beekeeper Shaman].

The Goblin and Antinium looked at each other. Rasktooth held up a hand.

Is that a good class?

Grass Shell pondered the question.

I get free honey.

Ooh. Good class.

Yes.

This adventure had nearly ended in calamity, but it turned out to end in free honey. Grass Shell didnt collect any from the angry Hive of dirty bees, and they actually pulled the plug back into place. Rather, he knew that the other Ashfire Bees were starting hives, and so he gave Rasktooth and Infinitypear a taste of a small jar he was allowed to harvest. It was so sweet it gave the two adventurers energy to race offafter thanking Grass Shell for his treat.

So many caves! Dangerous caves. Lets not go to bee-cave again.

Yah, yah.

Rasktooth agreed as they wandered on. Infinitypear pointed to a new crack in the rock, so thin he could barely squeeze into it. Rasktooth, with his skin-body, would have had less trouble, but Infinitypear wondered if he could widen the gap.

It looked like it went into the mountain and down. Down deep, if Infinitypear were righthe tapped on the crack and heard an echo deep, deep down.

Ooh. Big crack. Think we should go in?

No.

The Antinium didnt notice how Rasktooth had frozen on his shoulders. He peered down and wondered why his [Dangersense] was humming.

Maybe a big drop? Maybe just a look

Dont go in there.

Infinitypear haltedand Rasktooth stared into the crack in the mountain. The Worker slowly backed up. He tilted his head up to look at Rasktooth.

Why?

The Cave Goblin just stared at the crack in the rocks.

The dungeon is down there. Bad death. Deaththis is where Numbtongue went. Redfangs. Shield Spiders nest is here. And worse things. Below.

Infinitypear backed up fast. Shield Spiders? As in the entire nest of them? He looked at Rasktooth, alarmed.

I thought adventurers sealed it.

They sealed some parts. This goes to Shield Spider nests.

How do you know?

The Cave Goblin glared down at Infinitypear.

I know. I live in dungeon all my life. I know everywhere in it. Even death-death-death city. Even metal armor place. Dont go in. Stay away. Bad things are down there. Badthings.

He was so adamant that Infinitypear marched away. Somewhat upset, the two [Adventurers] slowed.

Bad things had happened there. Rasktooth didnt look like he was in the mood for adventure any more.

We go home now?

Infinitypear pointed timidly at the inn, and Rasktooth nodded silently. They trooped back to the city.

Some adventures were too much for them. Too darkand they wanted good adventures. Both of them knew they might not have a choice. Erin had promised them free food for a month, and what would happen after that?

What would they do? Infinitypear had worriedbut as he neared the inn, that worry coalesced. He didnt want to abandon Rasktoothbut he was still a Worker.

Infinitypear. Before you go to the inn, you have to come with me.

Grass Shell was on his way back, but he wasnt headed to the inn. Infinitypear slowed as Rasktooth, who had been silent, looked up.

Why?

Because we have been ordered. Remember? We go to the Free Hive. Revalantor Klbkch wants us.

Then Infinitypear felt his heart sink. Rasktooth looked at Infinitypear as the Worker pointed to the inn.

Let me put Rasktooth in a seat.

No. I go with?

The Cave Goblin patted Infinitypear on the head. Because he felt the Worker tremble when Grass Shell said that name. He knew what Klbkch did to Workers he didnt like. To Aberrations.

That is not permitted.

Grass Shell hesitated. Infinitypears antennae waved.

There is no rule against Goblins in the Hive.

Im pretty sure there is.

Grass Shell muttered, but then the three were heading into the Hive of the Free Antinium via Erins basement. Perchance for destiny. But it was not one they wanted.

Everyone knew how a Workers story ended. The same for Cave Goblins like Rasktooth. The two [Adventurers]

They wanted something more. Something better.

But the Slayer awaited.

A skeleton ran past a gateway deep in the dungeon. A barred doorand barred from the outside. As if it were there to keep something in.

Armored figures and Crypt Worms halted at the edge of the tunnels. They hesitated, and a few passed the barrier.

A writhing worm lashed out with arm-whips, screaming as it tried to tag the skeleton. But the figureflew. It was running like a track champion from another world, and as it sensed the whips coming up, someone shouted.

Jump!

The skeleton leapt, both arms rising, a long-distance leap that carried it to safety. Then it touched down and began to cartwheel forwards. It sounded like it was laughingbut that was just the voices.

We did it! Get the maps!

The skeleton was dancing in place, raising its arms as the confused monsters looked on. The fact that it did celebratewas because it deserved to. That was the difference between this undead and the mindless ones who walked the dungeon.

This skeleton began doing back-flips. And the voices continued.

Make it flip them off. Look, that Crypt Worm actually looks sad. Can your skeletons spit, Ama?

I have heard throwing feces is a valid tactic. But I have not been allowed to keep a storage unit.

Ksmvrwho tells you this kind of stuff?

Bird.

There the skeleton stood as the monsters, even the suits of armor with no flesh to break or loselooked up. The Crypt Worms writhed forwards uncertainly, then turned to head back to the gates. The other monsters retreated, and the skeletons head slowly swiveled.

The celebration stopped.

Dead gods. Thatsa lot of them. Ama, can you outrtheyre fast. Ceria, were they always that fast?

Iyes? We had a hundred Raskghar, sometimes. Ama, can your skeleton find Stalker? Hes in a plaza.

All the skeleton had to do was climb one of the buildings, but shapes were emerging from the houses. Thousands of them, bounding across the streets, screaming

Fleshy beings with no clothing, vaguely humanoid. Filled with missing holes and red, glistening flesh.

Actelios Salash looks more inviting.

Another voice cut in, and Colths tones were strained. The skeleton itself didnt waste time arguing. Nor did its controller speak as she guided it to one of the buildings. It leapt up, caught a roof ledge, hauled itself up, and then leapt onto a balcony. From there, it ran at a wall of another house, kicked off it, and yanked itself up a window. Boosting itself up higher

This is amazing. I had no idea skeletons could movetheyre coming up. Pisces, you taking notes?

I am.

This building afforded the skeleton a view of the entire area, and what it showed wasa city so vast it really did match Pallass. Then, the voices were silent. Only one spoke, cool, but trembling.

I think wed better save this image for someone more important to review. Chaldion, perhaps. There. Theres Stalkers corpse.

The swiveling skeleton stopped. The inhabitants of this place were climbing, but the skeleton pointed, and its finger saw a plaza not too far from here and a familiar monument.

This must have been the exact same door we came through. I can even sort of see Stalkers corpse around the monument.

Yvlon grunted.

I cant. Nowait, is that a bloodstain? That plazacompare it to Shivertail Plaza. That monument. Ceria, how big is this corpse?

Big enough that no bag of holding is going to cover it.

Colth remarked, and there was excitement in his toneand wariness. But the last voice broke in gently.

Ama. Weve found it. But I dont think your skeletonScottie, is going to make it.

The skeleton stood there on the towers roof, looking down at the screaming maws of teeth and thrashing tails and limbs from the things below. Then, and only then, a quiet voice emerged from its mouth, and its jaw moved in sync with a younger womans voice.

No. No, he did a good job. You hear that, Scottie? You did the best job. No one could do it. Only you. Rest now.

Scottie the Scout Skeleton stood there, his blue-flame eyes glowing in this place, a blank undead with no personality. No soul.

But these things were still given to him. He still had a name. So, even if she made him do it, the skeleton saluted. He grinnedand then the spell in the scrying stone cut out. The first figure pulled itself up, and the skeleton swung a fist.

It was done. Colth let out a breath it seemed hed been holding the last hour as a single skeleton defied all expectations. Pisces lowered his hand, and his sweating brow was mopped by Ksmvr, who had decided offering drinks and handkerchiefs was his role.

Twenty-four times. Pisces hadnt even known you could remotely repair someone elses undeador that link-magic worked between [Necromancers] like that. Twenty-four times hed mended Scotties broken or seared bones and amplified the skeletons mana.

Ceria was reading from one of the spellbooks she had, the burned one.

[Speed]. [Speed]imagine what we could do if I actually studied enough?

He had [Lesser Speed].

That was the only thing the young woman said. Ama, the [Necromancer], sat in the middle of her coven. Oh, her apprentices tried to pretend they were just ordinary bystanders, but the Horns knew better. So did Colth, but he seemed fine on ignoring them if they helped him find the treasure.

Each one of the junior [Necromancers] had thrown skeletons into the dungeon with about Pisces and Colths adeptness at best. But Amas skeleton

Scottie. Ama had a hood on and a mask. Shed moved the mask so she could sip drinks, but not to be outdone, shed still had a layer of face-paint underneath to make her features as white as chalk. Nowshe sat there, very still.

The Horns skepticism of her was by now long gone. Even Pisces hadnt expected the first skeleton to make it that far. Colths whoop of joy, though, never quite came.

Amas pale makeup ran and dripped from her chin, past her mask. Splatters of paint-tears landed on her robes. Yvlon looked askance. She glanced at Piscesbut he had never wept for his undead.

Ama, thoughYvlon looked at the crying young woman, reached out to pat her shoulder, then coughed and put her hands behind her back. She spoke, straightening her spine, as if she were some [General] delivering bad news to a grieving widow or lover.

Scottie did a great job. The best of jobs, Ama. Ive never seen a better skeleton.

Pisces opened his mouth, and Yvlon, Ceria, and Ksmvr glared at him. He shut it. Yvlon went on.

He did the impossible and kept going, even through traps and monstersFacestealer itself gave up on him. Thanks to him, weve found the corpse of Stalker. And Iwell definitely reward you for your help. I hope Scottie can be remade?

Not with the same bones. I helped make him.

One of the covens [Necromancers] muttered. They looked misty-eyed too, and one of them sniffed.

It was a skeleton. But somehow, Pisces watched Ama and realized that her skeletons mattered more than his warbear and even the Frostmarrow Behemoth. Because hers had names.

In facther skeleton was like

Ivery. Ivery and Bearbones. Despite Pisces objections at the time to the naming of the Skeleton Lord and his warbear mount, because it made no differenceit clearly did.

The only cost was the emotional damage when you lost one of the skeletons. Again, why Pisces eschewed the practice.

And yethere sat Ama. Ksmvr went over to Numbtongue to request a dirge, and Yvlon decided to pat her on the shoulder after all. Which the Hobgoblin began to play.

Thank you for helping us, Ama.

Ceria offered Ama her good handthen decided to give her the skeletal hand instead. Ama took it, admiring Cerias bones, and looked up. Her watery gaze tried to turn into a haughty mask, but she just sniffed instead.

Scottie would have wanted to go out that way. He was meant to do great things. Ill rebuild him better. Withwith spells on his bones so he can go invisible.

Or jump higher.

Or explode.

Ksmvr added, and Yvlon nudged him, but Ama smiled waterily. There it was.

Somehow, Pisces [Necromancer] friend had already won over his team. Pisces hovered there, caught between relief, excitement, and a kind of indignation.

He wondered if Yvlon would have accepted his magic earlier if hed named his undead. Called his horseHoofbone or something.

It occurred to Pisces that he might not be good at naming things. It occurred to him that Ama was practicing a different type of necromancy than he was. She looked up, and Pisces said the first thing that came into his mind.

Gewilena would be proud.

Ama looked upand smiled.

Yeah. She would be happy. And mad at me for getting Scottie killed. Its okay. I know hes a skeleton. He just did such a good job

Her voice broke on job. Nothing would do but for everyone to get her a drinkand a piece of pizza. Only then did Colth feel he could interrupt.

Maybe we can grab his bones. Once we get Stalker. We have a route, people. The ways treacherous, but weve mapped out the location of traps, and whether its skeletons or living bodies, were getting that hide. Bones and hide, it occurs to me, if that thing has them.

Pisces, Ama, and the Horns looked up. The other adventurers listening in stirred. Colth the Supporter smiled, and his eyes shone with real excitement for the first time. However, even Yvlon looked askance.

Weve found the corpse, Colth, but even getting herehow many skeletons did we lose? A hundred and twenty-five?

A hundred and twenty-six

Ksmvr had been counting. Yvlon traced the long route through the dungeon.

Even assuming we found shorter ways than what Scottie took, we have to navigate around traps, watch out for ambushes the entire way. And FacestealerI estimate a two hour round trek. We cant run like Scottie, and I dont fancy losing another limb. Anyone else?

Weve already taken one for the team.

Ceria and Ksmvr waved their respective arms that had been lost. True, Ksmvrs had grown back. They gave Pisces a significant look, and he sniffed.

Pass.

The Horns of Hammerads humor made Colth grin. But the [Supporter] had a plan. He calmly laid it out for the Horns.

Im no fool, Yvlon. But knowing where the treasure is and how to get there makes our life easier. It may be time to call in other teams for supportbut we can do it. With your [Ice Wall] spells, we can literally block our way out. Facestealer and those monster hordes are the real threat, and transporting Stalkers corpse. Lets take them on one at a timewell, for Stalker, the solution is a Chest of Holding. Top-grade. Ill ask Larra for one, which means were carrying it. Or using undead to drag it.

Hordes?

[Invisibility]. If not, a cloud spell. If both those dont work, I suggest undead and summoned creatures.

The only [Summoner] I know is Revi. Unless you?

Larra can get us in touch with a Drathian supplier who sells single-use summoning stones. Im willing to pay for two Manticores.

Ama was calming down from losing Scottie. She listened with one ear to the adventurers talk. Fairly enviously. Pisces was frowning as he debated how useful the Frostmarrow Behemoth would be.

This wasa lot better than sitting in the windmill carving bones, she had to admit. This inn didnt bat an eye at her skeletons. The food was interesting, and she

She expected to be forgotten, but Ceria glanced over and gave Ama a friendly smile.

Dont forget Ama. If were hiring help, Colth, a skeleton escort would be useful.

Me? Im not an adventurer. I dont fight monsters like that.

Have you not registered? Are we sequestering civilian help? That comes with a markup if she belongs to a guild. Tsk, tsk.

Ksmvr propped open the Adventurers Guild rulebook and began to scribble an adjustment to their records, but Colth smiled.

Use every tool is my motto. You dont have to do anything. If you can send even eight skeletons with us remotelythat would be a nice group to delay a monster ambush. Do you have any more undead tricks to use?

Yvlon nodded.

Stuff Pisces doesnt know?

Hey.

Ama had to think. She scooted over, and her coven looked at her excitedly. From meeting with Pisces as equals to helping a Named-rank adventurer

Some days just felt this good, huh?

One of the [Necromancers] in Amas Coven was named Rodden. He was one of the ones who had first gotten Pisces autograph, and until this very moment, hed been debating begging Pisces to teach him magicor leaving Amas coven.

The Deathlady was a lot better than him at necromancy, but she was controlling, snappish, hoarded all the best bones and items they scrounged, and he had expected to gain gold from scaring [Merchants] or finding lost treasure in graves.

Shedidnt do that. She was almost respectable. Just living in the overgrown farmstead, making undead with admittedly superior qualities.

Rodden had met other [Necromancers], and they werent like her. Except for Pisceshe would have taken what he could and found someone else.

Now, he felt like he was lucking out. Imagine what hed get for helping a Named-rank adventurer. Pisces was a [Necromancer] in the open. This was his chance.

Maybe the Horns needed a new teammate?

Rodden was outside the inn now, heading to the chasm from which the skeletons had entered the dungeon. He was there to disassemble the skeletons waiting to go inand to scrounge up everything he could.

To keep the monsters from coming up the pit, Ceria, Ksmvr, and Colth had fired spells and arrows down, and the skeletons had killed a few monsters down there.

Even the corpse of a lesser Silver-rank monster was worth a lot. Not that he was going down there, oh no. The skeletons were standing there, but Rodden directed them to head down on the ropes. Hed have them carry up whatever they could and then disassemble them.

That was bones for him and whatever hed get for the bodies. Ama wouldnt notice, he was sure. Then maybe hed beg Pisces for a word. After allAma might want to reacquaint herself with her old friend, but Pisces didnt know all of what shed been doing while he became an adventurer.

Rodden waited as the skeletons slid down the ropes, and something odd happened. They werent his undeadAma had raised the lot and divided control among her coven. But he could feeltheir magical spells vanishing one by one. Followed by a sound.

Crack. Crack.

Huh? Five skeletons slid down, and they vanished in five cracks of sharp, brittle bones. Oh noRodden groaned.

Did they slide off the ropes?

Undead were stupid like that. Tell them to jump off a cliff and they would. He hurried to the edge of the chasm and looked down. He got vertigo, but he fully expected to see a pile of bones at the bottom of the hundred plus foot descent.

Insteadhe saw something else. It looked like a brownrectangle. Oddly geometric, really. It had two long limbs, and its legs dangled as two huge claws dug into the earth.

It was huge. Ten feet tall? Twice, three times, four times as wide as Rodden, and so thick he couldnt imagine how heavy it was.

How hard was it to climb hundreds of feet with only those arms? Howmadwould you have to be to do that?

Rodden stared down as two grotesque slits in the face of the monster angled up to him. He saw no eyes beyondjust wounds in Facestealers front.

Mm

The [Necromancer] froze up. He had seen monsters, but Ama had killed them, and always, hed been behind a layer of undead. In that moment, he realized he was no natural adventurer.

He wished hed realized it this morning. For the man fell back on his buttand even in terror, he longed to get up and run. Run and scream and tell them a monster was coming. Because the Horns were in the innbut his legs wouldnt move.

He lay on his back, trying to move, but he was paralyzed. Helpless. The mans eyes rolled in terror as he heard the sound continuing.

Crack. Crackthe sound of claws digging into stone. Slowly, Facestealer hauled itself up. And the [Necromancer]s eyes leaked tears as the first bit of Facestealers body lifted itself over the chasm.

It turned outit was this sort of day after all.

In Albez, Ylawes Byres sat with Dawil and Falene, glancing at the entrance to the laboratory of Udatron. He tried not to, tried to talk with his teammates.

should head to House Byres first. Its only a few days before, uhYsara might not visit.

Not after years in the south? Is she doing well, that sister of yours?

Dawil murmured, just as distractedly. Falene raised her brows.

I thought I heard you two arguing.

Things are tense. Im sure shell visit. We should head back. Maybe Yvlon would go andand then we can discuss the south. Things.

Falene nodded a few times.

Things. Yes.

The Silver Swords usual flow and diction was being cut off. Falene and Ylawes blinked, looked away from the laboratory, but they couldnt help it.

The [Rogues] and [Mages] were inside. They were de-trapping the place, and a group of Named-ranks and the Gold-ranks were clustered around the entrance. Waiting.

Deniusth was a mix of patience and impatience. He was telling everyone they would not rush in and lose this haulwhile looking like he had the fullest bladder in the world. He paced back and forth, he talked rapidlyand he laughed.

Orchestra, Variable Fortress, and the other northern teams were in the greatest mood imaginable. A giddy excitement that might be higher than the actual dividing of loot.

Look what was inside. Ylawes didnt know who Udatron wasand by now, everyone was scouring the history books for his namebut it was clear that the [Chronomancer] had owned a private lair not despoiled by any treasure seekers.

Unlike Thresk, this was no private room, but a full workshop. And unlike Threskthere was no major death-spell that anyone had found.

Maybe he really didnt arm his laboratory. If that Thresk set up the elementals

Falene looked at Dawil askance.

Who doesnt arm a host of traps?

The Dwarf tugged at his beard.

Someone who doesnt feel like accidentally killing himself? A [Mage] of better times, Falene? Not everyone has to play with daggers like Wistram. Im just saying. Either theres one last Tier 7 spell the [Rogues] are missing or there arent any.

They were advancing by inches, casting spells everywhere and trying to make sure they werent triggering a network of spells, but it really seemed like the laboratory wasnt highly warded. Which made sense. Did you put a flame-jet spell where you were working on your magic?

Not just magic, either. The reason everyone was so happy was that it was clear there was both an armory and library. But what got Ylawes thinking was the revelation that Udatron was one of those classic [Mages].

Alchemy and enchanting gear. Hedault will be doing backflips. That might be worth more than any single artifact. Imagine techniques from that age!

A few teams were standing around, saying much the same thing as the Silver Swords. One of themthis was another local team that Ylawes didnt knowwas grumbling.

Yeah, but were not going to get even that. Orchestra and all the top northern teams get everything.

Sour grapes for some. Ylawes shifted.

Did Captain Deniusth ever say how the loots going to be shared?

He made a few promises that Gold-ranks would get a pick once they sorted everything. But thats not exactly promising. Might take weeks to argue over, but I bet you Larracel will be where they argue. And the Haven is fair. I think.

Dawil commented. Falene nodded.

We should get a spellbook. If we get a single pick.

Ylawes and Dawil looked at her. Both [Warriors] opened their mouths instantly. Ylawes coughed into a fist.

Hold on, Falene.

Yeah, pointy. Hold on. I could use a new hammer. I lost my axe at Wistram, remember?

You can reforge it. Whats more important, a bevy of new spells or a sword?

Ylawes could use a new sword. Hes been dying for upgrades for ages.

I could use a new sword, Falene.

A spellbook is a hundred swords! Hear me out, you two

No, go ask Archmage Eldavin for a bunch of spells. Isnt he teaching them to all the factions?

Only Terras, not Centrists!

Well, join them and throw over your lot. Ylawes, my boy, you and I need gear. That Earth Elemental proves it. This isuha necessity for the team.

Falene was turning red, but Ylawes had to cover a smile.

Im with Dawil on this one, Falene. Besides, wouldnt the spellbooks be grabbed before we got a pick?

Not if theres a library. Dawil, Ill enchant your hammer.

You couldnt enchant a knife to cut butter. We followed your Wistram hunch, pointy. This time, one of us two gets the artifacts unless theres nothingand unfortunately for you, they saw a bunch of swords and weapons inside.

The Silver Swords bickered as Falene protested. Ylawes knew it might be in bad formbut it was just humor. He did feel for the Silver-rank teams, though. They werent even pushing to get a look insidejust sitting together and probably grousing.

Captain Anith?

The Jackal Beastkin blinked and jumped as Ylawes waved at him. The [Knight] looked sympathetic as Nailren turned.

Ylawes. Any word on whether were done?

No. How are your teams feeling?

Ahwell, were debating. The treasure, that is. It looks like theres a lot, but the Silver-rankers arent too pleased. Even some local Gold-rank teams.

The Waterborn Raiders again? However, Anith nodded to a group of lower-ranked and local teams, and Nailren sniffed.

A divide between north and south. Ive seen it with adventurers from Walled Cities. Itll be interestingwell. Weve been thinking.

About?

Anith and Nailren traded glances. The Jackal glanced at Ylawes and sighed. Nailren scratched at his chin.

Nothing much. Im going for a walk. Anith?

The Jackal hesitated, then groaned.

Let me find my team.

They hurried off, and Ylawes raised his brows.

What was that about?

No clue.

Nailrens team and Aniths Vuliel Drae were drifting towards Ylawes team. The Silver Swords didnt know what was up, but Deniusths loud voice made everyone raise their heads.

Almost done? Whats taking you all so long? Youve been an hour and a half and you cant tellfine! Well wait!

They really were just checking to see if there was some final death-trap spell. Ylawes sighed and decided he needed to pee too. He was wondering if they had a latrine or if hed have to march for a while to get out of rangeand smellof the other teams when he heard a commotion.

Instantly, half the adventurers turned, expecting the trap. This was it. There was always a damn catch

Deniusth lifted his violin bow with a curse, and Eldertuin put his shield up. But what they heard wasnt an alarm. Ratherone of the adventurers landed, panting.

Wasnt that the Gold-rank Owl Beastkin strategist from the Village of the Dead raid? She pointed.

Captain Deniusththeres an army coming our way! All the civilians are running for it.

What? What armythe Antinium?

Deniusth looked blankly at her. But the [Strategist] just shook her head.

Notheyre flying Remendias colors! The entire citys standing forces are headed our way with Ocres colors too!

What the

Ylawes was already on his feet as Orchestra and all the other teams abandoned the laboratory and rushed to the edge of the pit. The Halfseekers, Griffon Hunt, and other teams arrayed warily at the edge of the ruins.

Sure enoughYlawes saw thousands of Humans coming their way. Deniusth swore.

Thats the citys entire army. It looks like the Watch and

Whats the move, Deniusth? Are they trying to steal the treasure?

Viecel was alarmed. He bared his teeth, and the Captain of Orchestra looked around.

They had better not try. HeySolar Strikes, deploy your team here. Jelaqua, put Moore up on the road. Everyonefan out and stop them from encircling this place. Well go out and meet them, but no one sneaks down to the dig site!

The other teams he knew nodded and fanned out fast. Ylawes caught Deniusths arm.

Captain Deniusth, this cant be a fight.

It wont bebut we cant let a city steal this treasure. Damn vultures.

The Named-rank had a point, but Ylawes refused to let Named-ranks fight low-level [Soldiers]. He had seen Orchestras Combined Skill. It would be a massacreand a disaster.

However, Eldertuin seemed just as determined to prevent this. He turned to Halrac.

Got anything white? Raise a flag, Deni. Were being peaceful.

Sure we areEld, you come with me. Ivirith, Captain HalracCaptain Ylawes, you too, even. Might help to have some local teams. Were being peaceful, and itd damn well better stay that way.

In short order, a group of adventurers, including Ylawes, were marching down the slope towards the Remendian army. It was a small army, and Ylawes bet they were under ten thousand strong even with Ocres help.

But they outnumbered the adventurers by far. Deni was looking around.

Damn. No one brought anything to impress them with? Maybe we should have ridden out. Wheres our horses?

Other side.

Welljust look impressive. Tell Moore to come with us.

Ylawes didnt worry about that. He was just watching the Remendian army slow down. He sawa lot of nerves.

A very nervous Watch Captain and a local military commander who looked to be in his mid-forties halted, and there was a flurry as low-level [Soldiers], possibly even [Militia], came to a scattered halt.

Not a good sign. For them. Ylawes knew soldiers from House Byreshis family did have a standing force. This was an untrained lot. Stillthe [Commander] shouted.

I am Commander Leir of Remendia! Captain Deniusth of the Named-rank team Orchestra! On behalf of Remendia, Ocre, and the town of Eesfalt, we would like to parley in peace! [A Pact of Trust]! Do we have your word?

What is Remendia doing here, Commander?

Deniusth hollered back. The Commander paused.

I would like to discuss your finds at Albez! Cordially, Captain Deniusth! Do I have your word?

Damn. They know. Who leaked the information? One of the [Diggers]?

Deniusth cursed, but he called back after a while.

Yes, of course! Peaceful! We will approach!

A small group of adventurers walked forwards as the other teams watched. Ylawes looked back for Anith and Nailren, hoping they werent doing anything provocative. If the Waterborn Raiders caused troubleto his relief, he didnt see anyone taking up archery positions.

That might have been enough for some of the soldiers to run. They knew they might be up against Gold and Named-ranks, and they stared with awe and horror at Deniusth as he stomped across the ground.

The [Commander], Watch Captain, two low-level [Negotiators]and the head of the local Adventuring Guildwere all mounted. They dismounted, and Ylawes realized Remendias ruling Council wasnt here.

Possibly Deniusths scowl had chased them behind the soldiers or this was a matter they thought better represented by combat classes.

Captain Deniusth, we realize this is anunfortunate moment. However, we felt we had to insist on this meeting.

With an army at your back, Commander? I warn you nowwe are adventurers of the Adventurers Guilds of Izril. Strong-arming the treasure in Albez will not go well for you here or politically.

Strong-arming? You

The Watch Captain fell silent as one of the [Negotiators] took over.

Captain Deniusth, we are acting prudently. Legally, we have given you the right to excavate Albezs treasures. Howeverwe are aware this excavation is being done in part by the [Emperor] of Riverfarm.

Was that what this was about? Ylawes stirred, and Halrac gritted his teeth. Deniusths face, though, was blank.

And if it is?

The Remendians shared a quick look. The [Negotiator] hurried on.

We are entirely aware of multiple forces in Albez, and it is true no one lays claim to the ruins, but we are still the gatekeepers. If there is a negotiation, we are willing to take it on in good faith. But Captain, we must insist on a share of Albezs treasures.

At least they werent trying to hide it. Deniusths teeth shone pearly-white as he gritted them.

Ah. And you think this army will force us into giving overa fair share? I regret to say, this [Emperor] merely facilitated finding Albez. Whatever shares he is entitled to are proportional. Frankly, I would have said Remendia is owed a similar due in goldbut I will not be forced into giving over a large share of Albezs treasures, Commander.

A quick look between the Remendian delegation seemedconfused.

Just so long as you intend to pay us something, were willing to negotiate. Well halt here and begin the discussions if you will, Captain Deniusth.

At the tip of a sword? I dont think so. Your army needs to stop now, Commander. I dont trust them around Albez.

The Watch Captain was purpling with anger as Deniusth glared. He burst out, despite the others trying to keep him silent.

Well, we dont trust you with the treasures unwatched, Captain! Named-rank or not, we wont let you run off with everything! No matter how many adventurers you have

Orchestras leader bristled as Eldertuin frowned. The Guildmaster of Remendias Adventurer Guild interrupted.

What Watch Captain Illthe is trying to say isthe Adventurers Guild will look coldly upon any hoarding of due shares, Captain Deniusth. I am here to negotiate in fairness between all parties.

Fairness? How much did Remendia pay you? When First Landings Guild hears of this

Remendias side was getting agitated, and Deniusth was red in the face. Neither one was about to draw a blade, but the Captain of Orchestra looked ready to throw hands. But before he could, Eldertuin touched his shoulder.

Hold, Deni. I think were working at cross angles on the same tree. Commander, can we clarify something?

Ylawes had picked up on the oddities too. The Commander of Remendia looked relieved as Eldertuin, calmer by far, stepped forwards. Viecel frowned as Eldertuin gestured at the army.

What, exactly, are you accusing Deni and the adventurers here of doing, Commander? Our assumption is that Remendia is trying topersuade us to give them a larger share than theyre due.

What? Nowere trying to make sure we get a share at all! Rather than you running off with everything!

The Watch Captain exploded, and Ylawes felt a prickle on the back of his neck. He swung around, and Eldertuins brows rose as Jelaqua made a confused, huh sound.

WaitWatch Captain, I assure you in the name of House Byres, we are not going to simply disappear with the treasures. Captain Deniusth was prepared to recompense every side for the artifacts recovered in goldif not loot.

Ylawes stepped forwards, and he was recognized. Commander Leir actually bowed slightly to him, looking relieved.

Captain Ylawes of the Silver Swords! I almost didnt recognize youthats a relief to hear you say that. You see, Captain Illthe? If an honorable [Knight] vouches for thismaybe this is all a misunderstanding.

I dont understand. Someone spell it out for me.

Deni growled. The Remendians looked at each other, and the [Negotiator] spoke up.

We, ahwe were assured that your teamsnot Orchestra specificallybut the adventurers present were intending to loot this new find in Albez and share none of it with Remendia. Or any other groups, including the Adventurers Guild.

Huh? What? Who said that?

Jelaqua Iviriths eyes widened. But Typhenous was whispering to Halrac, and the Gold-rank [Bowman] was staring back at Albez. Without a word, Halrac whirled.

Deniusth gave the Remendians such a disbelieving look that even Watch Captain Illthe hesitated.

Me? Defraud a city and the guild ofI was one of the adventurers who conquered Chalence. I paid out my dues then, and I have the coin to recompense everyone personally, even if I took every artifact in this laboratory we found! Whos saying that? Are the [Diggers] unhappy I paid them standard rates? This is outrageous. This is

Ylawes Byres had begun to feel a sinking sensation the moment he saw Typhenous look of pure alarm. He looked at Halrac, and the [Bowman] was striding back, calling to Revi and Briganda on the ridge. Deniusths mind caught up with his mouth, and his head slowly turned, and Eldertuin groaned.

No.

Viecel the Gambler just looked back without a word. Acopper coin seemed to drop in Commander Leirs mind, and he muttered as Viecel began running without a word. Ylawes saw him turn to the Guildmaster.

Who exactly called in that tip to your Guild? Guildmaster Penec?

The Guildmaster looked at Deniusths slowly widening eyes, the teams on the ridge slowly turningthe Gold-rank teams mostly, and northern teams at that. He replied with a sudden wobble in his tone.

W-we wouldnt have taken that suggestion so seriously of Captain Deniusth from a civilian. Believe me. I had it from a Gold-rank Team. Three, actually. But the Captain of the Waterborn Raiders himself

Ylawes didnt hear anything else. He was already running back the way he came. All the adventurers were. Deniusth flashed past him, and Ylawes was pounding up the slope as adventurers raised weapons.

Half of them were staring at Remendias forces, expecting them to charge, but Dawil roared down.

Hold your fire or Ill break your toes! Ylawes, whats going on?

Its a trick! Dawil, the lab! The lab

The [Knight] shouted, but he didnt make any sense. Dawil gave him a blank lookand then Typhenous howled.

Its a double-cross! Theyre stealing the treasure!

Every adventurer looked upthen whirled to the dig site. Deniusth screamed.

Orchestra!

They charged up the slope, and now, Remendias army was following them. Ylawes wasnt first by farJelaqua was faster with Viecel, rampaging, and Seborn, Deniusth, and the faster adventurers leapt over the slope shielding the ruins and the dig site from view. By the time the [Knight] got up there

He saw what was going on.

The Laboratory of Udatron. Possibly one of the greatest hauls in Albezs history, let alone modern times. It had never been pillaged, even when Albez was buried. Guarded only by the late Warmage Thresk, it had lain abandoned.

And it definitely had a trap, right? More than the elementals? There had to be a catch.

What ifthe trap wasnt there, though? What if you just actually, genuinely got lucky? Assuming that was truethere was loot for all. Of course, only the Named-ranks would get it and the top, new teams from the north who got to luck out just by coming this far south.

How many local Silver-rank teams and Gold-ranks might be upset by that? Especially teams whod gotten a hefty payoutbut no relics from the Village of the Dead raid?

Lets assume you had motive. And enough teams were on board. The next question washow would you get to that treasure before the Named-ranks? They would never give way to that kind of mass-pressure, and they were dozens of levels above the other teams.

A distraction would have to be on the size of an army. And it wouldnt last long. But if every team in on it stayed behind, pretended to be digging in while everyone rushed to confront Remendiathat was their opening.

It didnt take long for Deniusth to meet with Remendias leadership, but he had to be wary. The conversation was short, but between the posturing and miscommunicationshe gave them about twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes was a short amount of time. Some people couldnt finish breakfast in twenty minutes.

But timeas Udatron would have told you, was relative. Twenty minutes might be a sliver of time to read a book or write one.

But to run into a laboratory? Especially one that the [Rogues] had already checked and were just pretending to check now? If you were inside, feigning casting [Detect Magic] on a rack of weapons, how much time did it take to grab one and stuff it in a bag of holding?

How many books or artifacts could you stuff in a bag of holding in five minutes? The next question washow did you get away in the fifteen you had left?

Again, the trick wasYlawes saw the last teams scrambling for the horses and wagons. Half were already riding out, and he saw pack animals running as figures cut their reins and made them stampede.

Stop! Stop!

Deniusth was howling. He raced down the slopes, faster than anyone else. The Named-rank adventurer was sprinting at a group of Silver-ranks.

Vuliel Drae? No, a local team. And one of the Waterborn Raiders was slowed down, lugging what looked like entire urns into a wagon.

Hes coming! Run!

Half the teams were in flight already, but at the sight of the furious Named-ranks, the rest abandoned everything and ran.

Dont let them escape! Get the horses! Get the

All the mounts were either taken or gone. Deniusth stormed towards the wagon trying to head off as one of the Raiders tried to make the two mules race, but they reared in alarm, frightened by the noise. The cursing Gold-rank adventurer looked up as Captain Deniusth ran at him.

Ilook, Captain

The grinning Gold-rank adventurer looked for his team as they turned, riding horses in the distance. He raised his hands, turning pale as the Violinist leapt at him.

The Waterborn Raider flinchedthen blinked. He looked down, and Ylawes Byres halted in horror on the slopes.

The other adventurers looked back as Deniusth shoved the raider back on the wagon. The man stumbled backthen the Violinist drew the violins bow he used in place of a rapier.

A string of blood clung to the bow as the Violinist yanked it out of the mans chest. He turned, and in the deathly silence that followed, drew a dagger. Deniusth lifted it and threw.

Deni

The dagger flew through the air at another Raider. The adventurer duckedand the dagger swerved down into her neck. She grabbed at it, screamingand then one of the Gold-ranks raised a bow.

[Homing Shot]!

She aimed a bow at a fleeing Silver-rank team on a cart. The arrow flashed outand Halrac loosed an arrow. The two arrows collided in midair as he intercepted her.

Hold your fire!

The [Bowman of Loss] howled at her, but the first arrow was followed by a volley of magical arrows from one of Denis teammates.

Stop them!

Then the Gold-ranks were attacking other adventurers. Eldertuin yanked one of his teammates arms down, but the other teams were charging at the fleeing looters. Ylawes looked around in horrorand the other teams were now running for their lives.

Gores! Stop them!

Deniusth shouted at his teammate, and the other Named-rank halted. He raised his horn, aimed it at the closest groups fleeing, horses and teams, and spoke.

[Cone of Sound: Brown Note].

The ripple of sound went through the adventurers, and Ylawes saw the horses wobble in place. He saw adventurers lurchthen clutch at their stomachs and then

That was horrific, but merciful. Adventurers slowed as web spells caught their mounts or the wheels of their carts. Some leapt off and ranothers just dropped their weapons, seeing the two dead Raiders.

The rest were running. The smartest adventurers had already been ten minutes in flight, and Deniusth was climbing onto a horse.

Ill kill them all. Tell Remendia to find them! Every single damn teamI want every Adventurers Guild on the continent to get them!

There are dozens of teams. Dozens and dozensDeni, stop!

Eldertuin grabbed his arm. The bloody Violinist was frothing with rage, almost literally. Spit flew from his mouth as he shouted at his friend.

Ill have them, Eldertuin! Let go of me!

He raised his bloody bow, and the other Named-rank let go. Ylawes heard Viecel shouting at a [Mage].

Tell them to find the other teams! All of them!

Who?

What do you mean, who

Then the [Gambler] looked up, and Deniusth began racing his horse after the other adventurers. Ylawes, panting, looked back at the mess of the ruins, the adventurers halting with hands upand he didnt recognize a lot of the Silver-rank teams, or even Gold-rank ones.

And he knew this region. How many had come from Remendia? How many had he not even paid attention to?

Now he understood why theyd risked it. Deniusth had no idea who had the loot. Some of the Gold-rank teamsthey had to have taken a gamble.

Relics and artifacts versus the wrath of Orchestra and the northern teams. They were headed straight south. To Celum? To Liscor? Or just into hiding? Deniusth spun and shouted one last thing as he rode at the fleeing adventurers.

Call The Wandering Inn! Tell them to catch them! Dont let any of them through!

Then he was gone. But he had no riding Skills andYlawes saw the fleeing adventurers casting spells back the way theyd come at the few pursuers. Remendias army was joining the chase belatedly, and Ylawes Byres looked around.

Lad. Youd better see this.

Dawil appeared. Ylawes saw his hands were bloodybut it was from the adventurers. The two Waterborn Raiders were dead, and at least a dozen adventurers were down, crying out from their wounds.

This wasone of the bloodiest adventuring encounters ever. In minutes. The last few moments of the Albez windfall were

Ylawes saw Dawil heading towards the laboratory. Falene was there, peering inside. Ylawes looked and saw

Empty shelves. Strewn sets of holders for alchemical items, empty cupboards, all the neat, glorious, glowing treasures of Udatron sacked.

Maybe theres something in there. The wagonsDeni stopped a few.

Viecel was standing in the center of the laboratory, looking around, clawing at his face in frustration. Ylawes saw nothingand Dawil gave Ylawes a somber look.

There will be blood for this.

There already has been.

The [Knight] was shocked by Denis murder of the two other adventurers. He only hoped Eldertuin could stop the Violinist. Then he had a horrible thought.

Nailren? Anith?

So that was why theyd beenYlawes turned and ran out of the laboratory. He looked for where the two Silver-ranked teams had been and saw

Nailrens Pride of Kelia and Vuliel Drae were sitting, warily eying the angry Gold-ranks, but sittingalong with several other Silver and Gold-rank teams. Ylawes saw Anith look at him as a furious member of Solar Strikes shouted at them.

Didnt warn us

One of the Gold-rank teams was snarling back.

You want to try and shout while youre outnumbered? We would have been shivved. They were watching us, and I didnt fancy eating a [Fireball].

Ylawes halted, panting, and Nailren and Anith turned to him.

You two

Didnt join in? Anith looked at Nailren, and the Gnoll shrugged.

My people, contrary to popular Drake opinion, arent sneak-thieves. Plus, I dont cross Named-ranks.

And my teams made one mistake already. We figured it was better to avoid another.

Anith nodded at Ylawes. The [Knight] sagged in reliefand then turned. The confusion and disastrous looting of the laboratory, the dead adventurers

Dasha looked around and seemed to sum it up best.

Well, theres the catch. I knew it was coming. I just didnt expect it to be like this, eh?

She looked around as her team and the other adventurers glared at her. Ylawes Byres just sat down.

I dont understand. Anith, Nailrenwhy would the other teams do this? Theyll never adventure again. Even if some of them arent identified, the guilds might just ask you to pass a truth stone test. Maybe you could hide, but Deniusth will follow them to the ends of the earth. Where are they going?

Captain Ylawes. Everyone wants their big break. Sometimesits hard to wait. And when you see it

Anith shook his head. The [Knight] supposedhe was just no thief. He understood that, at least. But not the rest.

Where can they be going?

Thats easy. Theres only one place to go. It wouldnt work as wellbut its Liscor and Celum, and the inns close. Besides, where theyre going, even Deniusth wont be able to track them.

Nailren murmured. The Silver Swords looked at him, then saw the Gnoll staring south. Somewhere, perhaps, where even their reputations didnt matter.

The new lands of Izril. It just depended on whether they got there. Or got caught.

The news of the fleeing adventurers from Albez didnt reach The Wandering Inn for a little while. Even with the power of [Message] spells, the confusion and chase kept Colth and the adventurers there in the dark for a bit.

Of a surety, though, many adventurers were trying to get to the door. And despite his best efforts, Deniusth and the other enraged northern adventurers could only catch up later. Even the Violinist had to halt in the face of so many teams willing to loose arrows and spells at him.

What Erin Solstice didwell, that took place later.

The Horns of Hammerad were making a list of teams that might help them for gold instead of a share of their loot, blissfully unaware of Albezs situation.

Maybe we can just pay them since theyll be flush with new artifacts anyways. Id take Griffon Hunt, but Ill take Named-ranks.

I can call in a favor. Eld, maybe. Denis a good dungeon-crawler, even if hes tired of it. Ill negotiate if they return. Otherwise

Lehra Ruinstrider was using the outhouse again. Eating so much of the inns food did not agree with her digestion system. Her team was idling as Saliss stared at the floor. Ama was listening to the teams talk

And then they heard a sound. Ceria raised her head.

Was that a horn?

They listened. The long note was followed by anotherand then another, in quick succession. None of them were local except Ksmvr, yet Pisces recognized that call.

ThatsLiscors monster alarm call. Whats going on

Then they heard a crackle and thwoom, and Pisces leapt out of his seat.

Thats a wall attack spell! Whats going on?

Half the people ran for the windows. Lyonette whirled.

MrshaNanette?

She realized both were with Erin in Invrisil. One of the Thronebearers placed himself next to Lyonette as Ushar reached a window. It was Tessa who sat up, peered out the glass, and spoke.

Monsters coming. Bad one.

The Horns of Hammerad slowly looked up. Pisces strode to one of the glass windows and saw another bolt of lightning shoot from the walls. He felt the impact. But the horns were still blowing, and the people were fleeing to the gates. And from the showers of arrows from the walls

Something was out there. Slowly, Pisces walked to the door.

Pisces

Yvlon was drawing her sword slowly. But the [Necromancer] just stepped outsideand then he saw it from the edge of the hill. The chasm where the dungeons monsters came out. He didnt see the skeletonsand he realized theyd vanished. What he did see wasa single figure walking out of a crater in the grass. Ignoring the arrows like rain.

Facestealer turnedand it held Roddens head in one claw. It looked around and fixed on the inn. On Pisces, it felt like. The monster began walking towards the inn.

Oh dead gods. It climbed up?

Yvlon muttered. Ceria emerged from the innand Colth. The [Supporter] took one look down at the monster.

I didnt expect that. Do you have a plan, Ceria?

He looked at her, but the Horns were silent a long moment. Ama emerged warily, looking at Pisces. Then she saw her apprentice. Her face went slack with disbelief.

Rodden?

Pisces stared down at Facestealer, and he thoughtit was smiling. It had no lips. It had no facebut he felt a malevolence from Facestealer as it walked at them like few things he had ever sensed in this world.

Like Skinner, it came for this inn. And Pisceshe saw the wall spells and arrows stop as the Watch seemed to realize they werent doing much good. The horns were still blowing, but the team of adventurers looked down.

Horns of Hammeradlets kill this thing.

One of them spoke, and the others turned. Colth raised his eyes, but his calm face broke into a smile like a demons, and he drew a pair of shortswords. His true colors?

Pisces looked around for who had said itthen he realized it was him. Ceria Springwalker turned to her friendand Yvlon Byres clenched a fist. Ksmvr drew his blades without a word.

Horns of Hammerad

charge!

Snatcher was laughing indeed. In its headthe last defender of the Mother of Graves laughed. With wild abandon.

With a fury born of its wounds. A contempt for the city above.

And it had feared this? This? 

The spells barely harmed it. These were not the lashings of a Walled City. This was

Weakness.

But there were things to be gathered here, it knew. And the same presences that had sent the skeletons into its dungeonand the purple-flame one that had caused so much troublewere coming for it.

Beautiful heads. There was a half-Elf. A rare head worth collecting. And that onehad metal arms. Snatcher wanted both head and arms.

There was one of the boring insects it had so many of. It wasnt blue, but the [Necromancer]Snatcher saw them coming.

Ice. A chariot. A roaring beast of ice and bone rose. Snatcher felt spikes of ice shattering on its body and a flaming arrow break on its front. It ignored it all.

Were they firing arrows at it? One kept hitting it in its left eye-socket, but they did not know Snatcher. From the building on the hillfrom the city

Nothing could kill it. Snatcher walked forwards as a howling giant of bone and ice ran at it. The monster felt the impact as the earth churned around it.

SOMETHING IS FAMILIAR.

The thought ran through the monster. Snatcher turned its head as it tore pieces out of the behemoth of ice and bone. The roaring monster tried to drive Snatcher into the earth, to shift it with brute force.

Its limbs cracked and broke before Snatcher did. A hill of ivory hit Snatcherand the hill was the weaker force. Snatcher ripped through one arm and felt it breaking.

A man with brown hair stood on the hill, two swords in his hands. A grinSnatcher looked up and recognized him.

ADVENTURER.

Words of old. He threw alchemy and magic, trying to bite through Snatchers hide. When he saw it didnt workhe leapt down the hill with the woman with metal arms and the insect with two silver blades.

They danced around it, swinging swords, ducking as it reached for them. The insect began to fall over as Snatchers aura paralyzed it. Snatcher reached for the headand the silver arms yanked it back. The woman staggeredand Snatcher waited for her to freezeeasy prey.

She did, the flesh of her stopped movingbut her metal arms moved. One elongated and grabbed the insectand the others dragged them both away. She rolled to her feet with the insect and then screamed at it like Skinner.

Like fury. She raised a fist, and a barb of steel struck Snatcher.

It did nothing. More piercing barbs of steel struck it, but it ignored them.

The adventurer had seenand he leapt forwards and stumbled. Snatcher reached for his headand the blades whirled.

A crazed smile. He ignored Snatchers paralysis. As some did. He ducked one of Snatchers hands, and his blades stung Snatchers hide

Barely cut. The smile never wavered as the half-Elf tried to freeze Snatcher solid.

She could not.

The [Necromancer] lifted a burning rapier and hurled it at Snatcher. He fired a [Deathbolt] at Snatcher as if to take its life.

He could not harm Snatcher.

Fifteen arrows had hit Snatcher in one socket, and it dug out the broken bits of metal and wood with a claw. The insect held back, but the woman with metal arms charged.

FURY.

She, like Skinner, ignored the paralysis. She punched and tried to tearit held still. Her blows tore up the earth, and her arms made the air shake.

She could not harm it.

A sting. The adventurer drove a blade into Snatcher, and it turned. It grabbedand the adventurer rolled. So Snatcher used a trick. It dug a claw into the soft earth, deep, a foot, two feet, six, digging down into the earth and stonethen pulled up.

The ground moved and hit the woman with metal arms and knocked her down the hill. The [Necromancer] dodged, and so did the adventurerbut Snatcher bent down to take his head.

[Evasive Flip]!

Snatcher missed his leg. It turned, slowly, as ice formed around it. Walls of beautiful ice such as it had never seen in an age. Snatcher admired it as the ice coated it deep. Then Snatcher moved its legs, and the ice shattered.

The adventurer was laughing. As his kind did. Fearlessly, he stung Snatchers body with his blades. They were the only things that cut Snatchers hide. Snatcher reached for him once more

Then the world exploded.

Snatcherstumbledand lost track of everything. It turnedand saw the building on the hill.

FAMILIAR.

What was it? Snatcher stared at the inn, and another force rocked it. Snatcher almost movedand saw it.

A Drake upon the hill. He had no clothes. But he was throwing alchemy down. And the alchemyhurt. A second one stood there with blades and shadows surrounding it.

ADVENTURERS.

Snatcher feared none of them. But it didraise one hand to shield itself as the alchemy rained down. They could not hurt it badly enough.

just standing there

Ksmvr, dont get close!

I cannot attack

Voices. Snatcher barely paid attention to them. It was staring past the two Drakes. Up. Up. At that inn.

It had never seen it before. The inn was completely, utterly foreign, as was this little city. Even the land changed. All was different. Yet.

FAMILIAR.

Snatcher stared up at it, and a word rose in its memory, of long ages ago when its home had not been buried. When Mother was young. When Skinner and Stalker lived and there were more. From those days, the thought arose. Something it had seen once.

SANCTUARY.

Ah. Then Snatcher began to walk. Towards the Drakes. Towards the building. Yes. Thatthat was something it wanted too.

It rocked slightly. The alchemy hurt. It wasnt enoughbut its hide began to burn. And the adventurer with the blades was digging them into its back.

Them first. Snatcher feared them not. And nowmore were striking at it.

Stay back! Stay backonly adventurers

A man of cloth with a staff battered Snatchers arm. Snatcher caught the staffand broke it. A thing of eyes, a Gazer, tried to hurt it. A DwarfSnatcher reached for her as the others dragged her back.

So many heads. But they were fast and nimble, and this was no dungeon. It should have snuck up on them one-by-one. The adventurers were always too quick.

These were not the ones who had come after Mother. These were not the armies to fear. Snatcher, even above, just had to wait for them to tire.

They could hurt it not. YetSnatcher needed more tricks.

Where had the woman of string gone? The beautiful head that scared even Snatcher? Her tricks were very good. Another trick?

Snatcher saw the half-Elf with her ice, and a lance of it struck Snatcher in the chest. It broke, of coursebut Snatcher picked up the pieces and hurled them back.

Ceria!

Not in pieces. Just thrown. A barrier breaking. Alive. Snatcher picked up a stone and looked around. Then it heard a voice.

[Bane Blades].

Aaaah. A blade pierced into its back, into Snatchers bone. The adventurer turned, and Snatcher threw the stone. It missedand the stone hit the walls of the city and cracked there.

Faster, then. FasterSnatcher began to grab and tear the air faster and faster. So fast the smiling man was nearly caughtbut that smile never wavered.

A hatred upon his eyes.

[Death Gamble].

[Disable Friendly Fire].

Yes, those were the words. Pain upon his back. Acid? Snatcherlaughed.

The third adventurer was waiting, guarding the hill. Snatcher faced the woman of metal arms, the grinning adventurer, and the naked Drake now. It feared them not.

And now they were so close, kissing it with steel, and they knew it not. So Snatcher focused on the words, for it knew them too.

[Aura of Paralysis]. [Reconfigure Aura]

Snatcher waited for their faces. For their faces to change to the ones it wanted. Then it would take their heads. The grinning man first.

They were changing beautifully, like all of the others, when Snatcher heard a shout. It looked at the building and saw a familiar Goblin with a crystal blade.

You, too. 

Snatcher remembered being trapped and felt the fury. It raised one claw and thensomeone kicked open a door made of wood. A little closet next to the big building.

Snatcher saw a Gnoll. Brown fur kicking off paper. An expression of wariness and fear. It feared her not. She raised something on one armand Snatcher heard her cry.

the City of Stars!

Then Snatcher froze. Then heard it, ringing through its being. A ghosts howland it saw the light.

THE CITY OF STARS?

Snatcher threw up its claws. It saw the Gnoll changeand the lightthe light!

A Gnoll in armor charged at it, and Snatcher screamed within its mind. It backed away as the blade kissed its hide. It did not harm Snatcher, but it began to back away. For it feared what came next. It sheltered its head from the sky, not the blade.

THE CITY OF STARS! MERSHIS WRATH UPON US. THE SKY FALLING!

Suddenly, Snatcher was no longer unafraid. It turnedand began fleeing back home.

its runningdont let it

Lehra, watch out

The warrior of stars pursued it, howling, and Snatcher ran. It ran, sobbing, for it thought they were gone. Gone and dead.

Only when it was close to the chasm did it pause. The blade of Mershi tore its hide and tried to scratch its bone, but it was less painful than Snatcher remembered.

It hurt Snatcher less. The panting Gnoll stared at it and it stared back.

Is that all? Is the blade no longer sharp? Where is the skyfall? Where is the army of stars? 

You

YOU COULD NOT STOP ME WITH THAT. 

Not all the little heads it had gathered. A mountain of them, until the wrath fell upon it and mother and its city. If this was allthey would have laughed. Laughed and laughed in their warm graves.

Snatcher hesitated upon the edge of its home. It backed away from the blade of Mershiand then it felt another lance of pain.

Colth!

Two blades dug into bone. Too many. Snatcher backed up again, and the man who smiled produced something it recognized. A burning brand, which pressed upon its hide and made the [Necromancer] howl in pain.

Then came the naked Drake, and he wore alchemys guise. A champion of Pallass? Too manytoo many.

Snatcher backed away. It stepped back from Mershi and Pallass wrath, from the adventurers brand.

And fell back into its home. Snatcher fell and fell and struck the ground, and it hurt it not. Then it slunk away, back into the caverns. Too dangerousand it felt the brand burning for it was marked.

It knew that name too, if only from afar. A name almost forgotten. It thought it was

ROSHAL.

Facestealer fell back into the dungeon, and only then did Cerias ears stop ringing. Her [Dangersense] stopped making her want to puke.

The walls of Liscor were still sounding with alarms. The Antinium, the WatchCeria looked back at the battleground of the lasteleven minutes?

Eleven minutes of eternity. Of watching the monster take Tier 4 spells and ignore them. Stand there, as if mocking Yvlon, with Ksmvr and the warriors barely able to approach.

Her circlet hadnt done enough. It had destroyed the Frostmarrow Behemoth! She didnt think Facestealer had moved when the undead charged it.

What

That was in the dungeon, and we were just partying above? Cerias blood ran cold, and she wondered who was more dangerous. It or Tolveilouka?

Probably Tolveilouka, because Facestealer hadnt tagged Colth. It had gotten Ceriaher robes and barriers had saved her from it caving in her ribs. ColthColth had cuts and bruises from where it had hammered the ground and hit him with flying dirt and debris.

But he still grinned like a madman. Grinneduntil Pisces seized him.

What was that? What was

Pisces? Peace! Its goneLehra, come back!

The Stargnoll was trembling despite the cheers rising from the inn. She alone had scared Facestealer, scared it back to the hole. But it was hard to say who was more terrified, her or Facestealer.

Saliss was morphing back into a Drake. The Named-rank [Alchemist] spat into the hole and turned.

That confirms it. Watch Captain! Get the old man and post a guard on this hole and the dungeons entrance. You cant stop itbut you can stop it coming up. Im going back to my laboratory. Wheres Octavia?

He stomped off, and Ceria thought he had seldom looked that disturbed. Yet her attention was on her screaming, cracked ribsand Pisces.

Pisces, whats wrongIve marked it. I need to talk to Larra, Vieceleveryone

It was something Colth had done. He had been a flurry of blades, but what

What was that?

Pisces was staring at something in the adventurers off-hand. Colth had stowed one of the curved shortswords, and hed used something against Facestealer. A glowing

It took Ceria a second to figure out what it was. Shed seen the like in stables, but half-Elves didnt bother with them. But it was, unmistakably, a glowing brand.

An odd one. A long strip of metal shaped into the brand at the end, glowing red-hot though Colth had not put it in a fire. It must have been enchantedwhat Ceria noticed were two things.

Onethe logo looked familiar, and her stomach twisted when she realized why she recognized it. Roshal. But the secondPisces was white and shaking.

Youwhy do you have that?

Colths eyes were calm, but he had Pisces own arm in a grip so strong he forced the [Necromancer] to let go. Yvlon, her arms cut and her skin gashed from her wild attacks, looked at Colth as Ksmvrs blades, unused this battle, slowly came out of their sheaths again. Yet Colth just looked Pisces in the eye, and Ceria saw the brand

Or a third of a brand. Because any branding iron was longlike a poker, to be inserted into a fire before the target. This onewas snapped off, so Colth held it like a dagger. He held it as Pisces arm trembled and spoke very quietly to the [Necromancer].

Pisces, calm down. Piscesits just a tool. We use every tool we have.

That item is fromwhy do you have it?

Colth smiled, but not like he had smiled before, like someone courting death or the friendly, bland smile of the Named-rank. His third and last smile was perhaps the most genuine and secretive, and he spoke only for Pisces to hear.

It does not define us. Any more than chains or scars.

His hand tightened on Pisces armthen he pushed the [Necromancer] back. Pisces, white-faced, hesitated, rapier in hand, and Colths lips moved.

The Horns never heard what he saidbecause he didnt say anything, but Ceria saw Pisces stopand then lower his rapier. Then they were lost in Zevara demanding to know what they thought, and Colth speaking. For Colth said two things that made Ceria think long and hard. The first was this:

I am going to kill Facestealer. Ive marked itwe can track it down. Were going to kill it. On Larras Haven, I promise you. Once Deni and Eld get here, were going to take it down.

Roshals brands never faded, and they tracked their quarry to the ends of the earth. That was one thing. The other? The other took Ceria a long time to figure out.

Mostly because unlike Pisces, she read no lips. But the circlet gave her the ability to replay what shed seen Colth saying again and again, and she phonetically copied out what she thought hed said. It was still tough because the first part of his short communication made no senseproper nouns were like that.

But she thought hed said:

Azamdu says hello.

Authors Note: One 10k chunk, one edited chapter. One 1k chunk, one edited chapter. Day three? Write ten thousand more words.

Sigh. At least I am editing two chapters this week, but Im tired. One more chapter until my break!

Listen, I am improving as a writer at least editing-wise. I think. Its mental as much as technicalyou know the feeling of trying to do something youre unfamiliar with and getting exhausted? That was editing to me, and now it takes a lot less mental effort.

Id say instead of five times as hard as writing, more like three? Editing still requires mental energy, but thats a huge improvement. And I also know how to edit, so this is good.

Also, chapter. I am not sure Ill resolve the arc in three parts, but Ill try. And as always, I hope you enjoy. Enjoyall the dramas of adventuring? Well, let me know what you think and talk to you later. Would you be the thieves or the non-thieves?

A Goblin by tobinkusuma! (Numbtongue?)

Mrsha by tatolord!

The Brown Tide by Brack, commissioned by /brack

Twitter: /Brack_Giraffe