《Dungeon Core Baby [A Dungeon Core Adventure LitRPG]》


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    Merlin and Charlie


    Vetica

 Chapter 1: Honey, I teleported the Kid.

    A purple haze hung in the air. Magic remnants scattered throughout the hidden castle room.


    Once, this room served as a meeting place for shady deals between the nobility, but tonight, it was home to a ritual thought impossible.


    That impossibility died last night. The link reestablished.


    Twelve knights in black armor stood around a putrid circle drawn in dragon''s blood. Even now the blood bubbled, gurgling with each new infusion of magic. Gravity weakened as they recited an incantation long passed down.


    Their hair floated above their heads. Swords slowly slid out of scabbards. Still, the men remained unfazed.


    Their leader, Brandt, stepped within the circle, holding his hands out before him. Soon, the ritual would be complete. Soon, the hero would once more land in his arms.


    He turned to his right hand, Sir Gregory, and gave the signal. Gregory began the last part of the incantation.


    ¡°May a hero return, as a hero has left.


    Back to a land in the throes of death.


    May he return with power instilled.


    Back to the land where there is evil to kill.¡±


    The distortion formed before Brandt, chilling the air around him. The fabric of reality tore apart, making room for a being not of this world to inhabit it once again.


    For years, he led the order, hoping for a chance to recall their leader back to this world. The man he called master. The savior of these lands. For years he waited.


    And now it was time.


    It all culminated in this moment.


    The stone floor underneath their steel boots cracked. Dragon blood sank inside the newly formed crevice and disappeared. An eerie scream filled the room as reality protested its poor treatment. The torches in the room dimmed in unison, welcoming the darkness. The knights stood unflinching, their nerves hardened over many battles.


    A blue sphere of illuminated light appeared for just a second before disappearing into the pitch black.


    A weight gently fell over Brandt¡¯s outstretched hands. He waited for the light to return to the room. But he did not need to wait to realize the form in his hands was far too small to be his master.


    A shrill cry pierced the void and the lanterns all lit up at once.


    ¡°Kneel before the master!¡± Sir Gregory called out. At once, every knight in the room fell to his knees, head bowed.


    Brandt alone stood, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°This¡­ is not the master.¡±


    Eleven heads shot up simultaneously. Sir Gregory was the first to find his voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ baby?¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sir Redrick asked. Voicing the concerns of all twelve knights gathered there.


    Brandt stroked his beard, racking his brain for an answer. How did this happen? ¡°Sir Talmot, this is your area of expertise. Tell us, what links the child to this world?¡±


    Sir Talmot was a small, scraggly man. But what he lacked in size, he made up for with magic. He approached, tentatively holding his hand just a few inches from the baby boy in Brandt¡¯s arms. A scarlet magic hex formed. A spell of searching.


    Talmot¡¯s brow furrowed, and the spell ceased. He looked up at Brandt. His eyes said it all. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s nothing. I don¡¯t detect any links to another world. Something isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Brandt held the fragile form in the cradle of his left arm. With his other hand, he balled a fist and slammed it into the castle wall. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling. ¡°Our enemies have made fools of us!¡± Brandt declared.


    Sir Talmot¡¯s eyes widened at the large dent left behind.


    ¡°But how? That should be impossible. Not even the king knows of this place, and we made preparations for the ritual in secret,¡± Sir Gregory reminded him.


    ¡°The link. We aren¡¯t the only ones capable of searching for a link in the other world. That damned cult was one step ahead of us. They intercepted the ritual!¡± Sir Brandt was convinced now. It was the only explanation he could think of. It was the only thing that made sense.


    If anyone was capable of such a thing, it was them.


    ¡°They¡­ took the hero¡­and sent a stolen baby here instead!¡± Sir Talmot caught on.


    Brandt nodded. ¡°We must send a search party out at once. Ready the horses.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know where the master is, we¡¯d be searching blindly¡­and they will have taken precautions to hide themselves away from us,¡± Talmot said.


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    Brandt swore. That should¡¯ve been obvious to him. He wasn¡¯t thinking correctly. He¡¯d expected the ritual to summon the master, and now he was thrown off by failure. It wasn¡¯t like him to be caught off guard. ¡°What then?¡±


    Sir Redrick raised a hand. ¡°Perhaps we can use the baby. They had to have found him somewhere. If we find out where, we can pick up their trail.¡±


    Brandt smiled. ¡°Excellent. Inquire in the nearby towns. Talmot, send word to those we can trust. See what you can find.¡±


    Redrick and Talmot each bowed, a few men joined each of them, and they strode from the room.


    ¡°And what of the baby?¡± Sir Gregory asked.


    Brandt grimaced. ¡°I have something in mind.¡±


    ***


    One week later


    Sir Brandt quickly found a home for Charlie, though his new guardians were reluctant at first. Their home was modest. A two-story house built by hand when they first moved into the countryside. Somewhere quiet after a lifetime of politics and waging war.


    A village named Troa.


    Charlie now crawled freely around his room, having escaped the abominable contraption they used to imprison him. Otherwise known as a bassinet.


    He shuffled along the wooden floor. The curtains waved slightly in the background as wind pranced through an open window. Charlie¡¯s sole companion, a blue Dungeon Core, hovered just behind him.


    ¡°Hey kid, can you understand me yet?¡± the Core asked. It wasn¡¯t his first attempt at communication. Orb had introduced himself several times by now. But the kid wasn¡¯t much of a talker.


    Charlie paused mid-crawl and turned to look at what he perceived to be a large, yummy marble. The baby eyed Orb with wide, blue eyes. A barely present layer of thin blonde hair crowned his head. He wore a blue and white onesie with his name embroidered on it.


    He¡¯d eaten Orb several times before, but now Orb always hovered just out of reach when the baby tried to grab him. Charlie tried anyway.


    ¡°STOP TRYING TO EAT ME!¡± Orb shouted, shooting out of the danger zone. ¡°That¡¯s what got us in this situation in the first place.¡±


    Charlie frowned, tears welling up in his eyes.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t cr¡ª¡±


    Charlie started wailing at the top of his lungs.


    ¡°Too late.¡± Orb sighed. He floated closer, and Charlie stopped crying immediately, taking Orb in hand. ¡°Well, down the hatch.¡± He resigned himself to his fate. Charlie understood nothing of what he said, but swallowed him all the same.


    A minute later, the Orb hovered behind Charlie again. ¡°You realize I can just teleport out afterwards, right? You aren¡¯t getting any calories out of this. It¡¯s truly a waste of energy. Though you don¡¯t really have common sense yet, do you?¡±


    It was odd, facing this new reality. One moment, Orb had been a dungeon core, passively absorbing information from his environment. The next, a baby was swallowing him and their souls were entwined.


    It¡¯s funny how life happens like that.


    He¡¯d barely had time to process it when the knights summoned the two of them to this world. Luckily, they made real fools of themselves trying to figure out where Charlie had come from. He wasn¡¯t so sure they would¡¯ve let Charlie out of their sight otherwise. If they knew he was from a planet called Earth.


    Orb¡¯s memory before that was hazy. He remembered concepts. Celebrities, places, references¡­ but he couldn¡¯t remember anything else.


    Why did a baby even have access to a dungeon core?


    Why were they summoned here shortly after bonding?


    He had a lot of questions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know the answers?¡± Orb asked, looking at Charlie.


    Charlie blinked, reaching for the dungeon core again. Orb let out a mental sigh. Snack time was Orb¡¯s personal, never-ending hell. It was time to try an alternative approach. A dangerous one, admittedly, but desperate times called for¡ª


    Charlie grabbed him. Putting the tasty marble in his mouth again.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! I wanted to try this out on something else first, but I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± Orb really hoped this worked. He didn¡¯t want his first accomplishment in life to be baby murder. He teleported outside of Charlie¡¯s stomach and hovered several feet away.


    SENTIENCE.


    There it was. The forceful pull of magic draining from his body. His consciousness faded and the blue glowing marble plummeted from the air and crash-landed onto the wooden floor. Charlie laughed and crawled to grab his favorite snack before it could fly away again.


    Orb awoke in darkness, unable to see. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    He tried to float, but found his body completely deprived of magic. That explained being unable to see. He needed magic for that, too. Considering he didn¡¯t have eyes. So teleporting was also out of the question. ¡°Wait, what was that?¡± A small vibration.


    Something was shaking, gently.


    ¡°Charlie! What are you doing? Leave that alone,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said.


    Charlie started crying.


    ¡°What is it? You can¡¯t play with trash?¡± The voice was familiar. Was that the woman who adopted Charlie?


    ¡°WAIT. I¡¯m in the trash?¡± Orb realized.


    The woman sighed. A familiar weightlessness overtook Orb as the woman pulled the trash bag from its home. ¡°What is it? Did Richard throw away one of your toys by accident?¡± She rested the bag on the ground, peering inside. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything that looks like a toy.¡±


    The bag was suddenly pulled in the opposite direction. ¡°Charlie! I¡¯m looking. Don¡¯t pull¡ª¡± she paused. Orb was set free from the bag, his body sent rolling. He hit something with a thud.


    ¡°Ow.¡± Of course he could still feel pain. That just made sense. Truly phenomenal design.


    ¡°Charlie no! Put that back! Dirty diapers are not toys!¡±


    Orb was livid. ¡°Wait. Did she just¡­ was I in¡­What happened before I fell asleep? I used a spell, and then I passed out and¡­ Charlie ate me, didn¡¯t he?¡± He shook the thought from his mind. Sometimes, it¡¯s better not to know.


    ¡°Orb? You there?¡± an unfamiliar voice asked.


    A voice inside his head.


    Orb went quiet. ¡°Oh, my god. I¡¯m a schizophrenic.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Begone voice! I¡¯ve been through enough today! There¡¯s only enough room in here for one of us!¡± He paused. ¡°And it¡¯s me in case you couldn¡¯t tell. I¡¯m the one. Dibs.¡±


    ¡°No Orb, it¡¯s me. Charlie.¡±

 Chapter 2: Good Luck Orbie

    Orb struggled to make sense of it. ¡°Okay, look schizophrenic voice. Identity theft is something I take very serious. Charlie is a baby. Do you know what that means? He can¡¯t communicate telepathically! If you pretend to be him and ruin his credit score or something, I will never forgive you!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a credit score?¡± Fake Charlie asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I learned about it on the internet. To be fair, though, I don¡¯t think anyone really knows.¡±


    Orb shuddered, hitting the wall again. A faint buzzing overtook him. ¡°I think my magic is back!¡± he exclaimed. He eagerly hovered, shooting himself upward at full speed. He made it all of three inches before hitting something. Hard. ¡°Hey, Fake Charlie¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Can dungeon cores get concussions? Because I think I have one. New rule, always activate your eyes before hovering.¡± He focused his energy, and his sense of perception returned to him. No wonder he didn¡¯t make it far. He was under the kitchen sink. And covered in¡­ ¡°Oh god. I should never have turned my eyes back on. What have you been eating, Charlie?¡±


    ¡°Well, you. And some kind of formula, too. But mostly you.¡±


    ¡°Well, turns out I¡¯m terrible for your digestive system.¡± He rapidly shook from side to side until he felt confident enough to float out from under the sink. He halted suddenly when he exited, only to find himself face to face with Charlie. ¡°Oh look! It¡¯s the real Charlie!¡±


    ¡°I am the real Charlie.¡± The baby in front of him giggled.


    ¡°That was a coincidence. Will the real baby Charlie please stand up?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s mean. I can¡¯t stand yet.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Maybe you are Charlie, only he would know something like that.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t anyone that¡¯s ever seen a baby know that?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s definitive proof. Let¡¯s head back to the room.¡±


    Charlie laughed, coming to a crawl. Orb hovered just behind him. He turned to see the woman still cleaning up spilled trash.


    ¡°Why did you empty the trash?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie looked over his shoulder. ¡°I knew you were trapped in there. I feel bad Mary has to clean that up. But I didn¡¯t want you to get thrown away.¡±


    Orb shot in front of Charlie, bringing his crawl to a halt. ¡°What do you mean you knew? And how can you talk all of a sudden?¡± Orb paused, had his ability worked?


    Charlie¡¯s head tilted, and he sat up, resting on the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was alone in my room, and then it was like I could understand stuff. Then I remembered the little ball that floats around all the time and realized you weren¡¯t around. Then I realized I¡¯d eaten you and I pooped and Mary changed me and you were probably in my dirty¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Look at me, that never happened. If you tell anyone about this, I will consider it a declaration of war. Also, it would be racist. Orbist. Racist against orbs.¡±


    Charlie laughed. ¡°So, do you know what happened? What made me like this? I mean, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. But it doesn¡¯t really feel¡­ normal? If that makes sense.¡±


    Orb started spinning slowly in place. ¡°Well, I kind of used my ability on you. Sentience. I think I¡¯m supposed to use it on animals and monsters and stuff. But since I¡¯m stuck with you, I figured it couldn''t hurt. Probably.¡±


    ¡°Ability? Monsters? What do you mean, stuck with me? Because you¡¯re so yummy?¡± Charlie asked, his big blue baby eyes brimming with confusion.


    ¡°Hm, how do I explain this?¡± Orb started vibrating and a tiny beard grew from him. ¡°You¡¯re a dungeon, Charlie.¡±


    ¡°A dungeon? Is that good?¡±


    The beard fell off and dissipated. ¡°That¡¯s the golden question. Normally I¡¯d have a bada¡ªerm¡­really cool monster bud who would keep me safe and stuff. We¡¯d collect treasure and hoard it, and massacre anyone who tried to come and take it from us. Ya know, cute stuff like that.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That sounds fun. I wanna play dungeon!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game. It¡¯s probably going to be dangerous. Which is why I needed you to be conscious and not¡­ whatever you were before,¡± Orb explained.


    Charlie put his hand in his mouth, drool spilling onto his shirt. ¡°So, where do we start?¡±


    If Orb could grin, he would be. There were two basic requirements for them move to forward. ¡°Well, we need magic. Not my kind of magic. We need magic that will help us fight. That¡¯s gonna be your job. But before we get to that, well¡­¡±


    ***


    Orb and Charlie were downstairs, waiting in the darkness. Orb spied on Charlie¡¯s guardians until they¡¯d fallen asleep, and then they¡¯d snuck out of their room to set up a stakeout. The first part of their evil plan?


    Finding a minion.


    Charlie remembered hearing something that might be useful several weeks ago. Of course, the memory was a little fuzzy, considering he wasn¡¯t even supposed to be making memories yet. Still, if this panned out. They¡¯d be well on their way to securing magic for Charlie.


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    The two of them laid on the carpeted floor. Orb had somehow managed to drape a blanket from Charlie¡¯s bed over them to keep them hidden. The room didn¡¯t have much, a kitchen area, with a wooden counter and a small black stove on their left. The door, a window, and a few paintings covered the opposite wall on their right. A single couch took up the center of the room, facing the window. The bedrooms were up the stairs behind them.


    They waited patiently, and after what seemed an eternity, but was actually only two minutes, their stakeout bore fruit.


    The sound of quiet squeaking reached them.


    ¡°Orb, did you hear that?¡± Charlie whispered.


    ¡°Why are you whispering? We¡¯re talking in our heads. No one else can hear us. But yes, I heard it,¡± Orb whispered back.


    A mouse. Mary set traps all over the house, but so far, this clever little creature always took the bait without getting hurt. It was exactly the kind of minion they needed. The perfect test run. ¡°What now?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°It sounds like he¡¯s under the couch. We¡¯ll surround him. You go that way, I¡¯ll go this way,¡± Orb suggested.


    Charlie nodded, and the pair split up. Orb opted to roll, rather than hover, and gently skated along the soft wool carpet so as not to make any noise. His vision wasn¡¯t the best in the dark, and spinning certainly didn¡¯t help, but he figured he might be less noticeable this way. The mouse was smart, but Orb would just look like a tiny ball in this state. No self-respecting, sentient orb would just roll around on the floor like this. And that¡¯s exactly how he was going to catch his prey.


    A total and complete lack of self respect. Works every time.


    He paused, rolling to a stop. There it was, carefully inspecting the inhumane¡­ well, inmousemane trap Mary had left to lure it out of hiding. Its white fur was short and its round ears each moved independently of one another, listening for danger. It sniffed at the tiny piece of food that would be the end of a lesser creature. But this mouse was no ordinary fool. Orb was sure of it. ¡°Alright, how will you pull this off?¡± He thought to himself.


    The mouse put his head in and grabbed the food, triggering the trap.


    It killed him instantly.


    Orb let out an audible gasp, something he didn¡¯t think possible. ¡°Did he just..? I thought this was a super mouse. What the hell, man?¡±


    A new noise caught his attention. The sound of tearing fabric. Orb realized it was coming from the interior of the couch. A tiny claw emerged, sawing an opening. From it, a mouse with jet black fur crawled out and hurried toward the trap, sniffing at the corpse caught in it. He freed the body, then dragged his dead companion under the opening he¡¯d made with his claw. After that, he returned to the trap and started eating the bait. He devoured it quickly, ran back to his couch hole, and climbed inside.


    Orb watched in stunned silence as the mouse poked out again, head first, and grabbed the mouse corpse, lifting it up with him as well, before disappearing.


    Orb rolled slightly, as if to tilt his head. ¡°That is exactly what I had in mind. That mouse is outstanding! Cannibal or not.¡± He sent his thoughts to Charlie. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to flush him out. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m ready!¡±


    Even though they were communicating telepathically, something sounded off. Orb turned around and saw Charlie there, waiting directly behind him. ¡°Ah!¡± Orb jumped six inches into the air. ¡°Charlie! What are you doing? I said we were supposed to split up!¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°I know, but I can¡¯t see anything. So I just followed you.¡±


    Orb sank back to the floor. ¡°This is what I get for bonding with a baby. Fine. Just¡­ watch my back. I¡¯m going in.¡±


    ¡°Okay Orb! I¡¯m on it!¡±


    Orb let out a soft glow and started rolling toward the opening in the couch. He peered upwards but couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°Here goes nothing¡­¡± He slowly levitated into the hole. Rotating in a circle to get a good glimpse all around. There was a small stash of food, and in an odd display, the dead mouse was jammed inside one of the couch springs. ¡°Alright, Hannibal Chester, this is kind of creepy. But where are you?¡±


    He turned and something caught his eye. A second slit in the couch. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice that when I rolled up¡­¡± Oh no. Orb dropped back through the hole and looked around. There it was, making a run for it. ¡°Charlie! It¡¯s coming your way!¡± Orb yelled, rolling full speed ahead after his prey.


    Charlie leaned down, peering under the couch. The mouse was running straight toward his face. Orb realized it probably wasn¡¯t the safest situation to chase a cornered mouse toward a defenseless baby. He yelled as loud as he could manage with his telepathic voice. ¡°Charlie! Get away now!¡±


    Charlie froze for a second before realizing what Orb was telling him. He sat up a moment too late, and the mouse lunged at him. Orb lost sight of them. He heard a high-pitched squeak and then total silence.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a mouse victory cry¡­ was it?¡± he asked, his roll came to a halt. ¡°Charlie? Are you okay? Seriously answer me! You¡¯re gonna get my blood pressure up. That would be quite the feat, considering I¡¯m a sentient little orb¡­and I don¡¯t have blood.¡±


    He slowly rolled from under the couch. Charlie was lying on his side, his back facing away. ¡°Charlie, seriously, if you¡¯re dead, I¡¯m gonna be pissed. I mean it!¡± Orb hovered in the air and floated to check on Charlie. He froze, seeing the psycho mouse laying there on the floor dazed. ¡°What the? Did they kill each other?¡± He turned to look at Charlie. The baby¡¯s eyes were closed, but a subtle smile was on his face.


    You little shi¡ªpretending to be dead to mess with me? Two can play that game.


    Orb started hovering in circles slowly. ¡°Oh, no! Charlie is dead! I can feel myself fading into oblivion! There¡¯s not much time left now. I¡¯ll die of sadness and burst into smoke! If only I had made it in time to save sweet little Charlie.¡±


    A giggle escaped Charlie, and then he remembered he was pretending to be dead and straightened up.


    We have got to work on those acting skills, kid. Orb feigned a cough and then fell to the ground, letting his light fade until it turned off, and remained silent.


    Charlie started laughing hysterically. Orb jumped up and faced him. ¡°How dare you! I just died and you¡¯re laughing about it!¡± Charlie laughed harder. ¡°Hah. Fine. It was pretty funny. What¡¯d you do to the mouse?¡±


    Charlie pulled himself into a sitting position. He made a slapping motion with his hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to hurt him.¡± He wore a little frown.


    The mouse started to rouse from his disoriented state. ¡°Nu, huh! Not so fast!¡± Orb said, dropping quickly to land on the creature¡¯s chest. Pinning it down. The mouse scratched furiously at him, trying to free itself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bud. I¡¯m not gonna hurt you. In fact, I¡¯m gonna give you a little gift,¡± Orb said. ¡°Hey Charlie, ready for this? We¡¯re gonna have our very own minion!¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°Okay!¡±


    The mouse squealed furiously, still attempting to wiggle free.


    Orb started rolling back and forth before jumping into the air. The mouse scrambled to its feet and tried to run.


    SENTIENCE.


    The dazed mouse lumbered from side to side before falling asleep on the ground. When he woke, Orb would be able to give him orders. AND, unlike Charlie, he would listen.


    Probably.


    Charlie chanted telepathically in the background.


    ¡°Minion! Minion! Minion!¡±

 Chapter 3: Minions and Magic

    Unfortunately, Charlie was a baby. And that meant he napped a lot. This left Orb with a lot of free time on his hands. Today, he hovered in a ceiling corner, spying on Richard and Mary, Charlie¡¯s guardians, as they went about their day.


    Richard stood in front of the window, staring out at the beautiful weather. Sunshine highlighted his features. He was in his forties, his hair already starting to gray. He had a thick beard and one arm hung at his side, the other he¡¯d apparently lost in battle. Richard didn¡¯t talk about it. From what Orb gathered, he once belonged to the same order of knights that Sir Brandt led. The man who brought Charlie here.


    Mary, his wife, was singing softly to herself and putting away dishes. Orb couldn¡¯t make out the words, but enjoyed it regardless. He caught himself moving from side to side, dancing to the calming hum of music. Mary loved to sing. She did it often, and she did it well. Her hair was the color of pleasant, orange autumn leaves and her smile was as white as fresh falling snow. She was the kind of person who looked like she gave a great hug.


    Charlie grew fond of her quickly. Orb understood why.


    Mary finished her song and filled a glass of water to soothe her throat. Richard turned, noting her pause, and they exchanged a smile. His faded quickly. ¡°I heard something in the market today,¡± he told her, an odd look on his face.


    She set her glass on the counter and walked around to sit on the couch.


    There¡¯s a dead mouse in that couch. Yuck.


    ¡°Oh, and what was that?¡±


    ¡°Lusafeen has returned. That cursed witch. Someone spotted her in the tavern late last night.¡±


    Mary looked unsettled. Orb hovered closer. This sounded interesting.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I¡¯d hoped to take Charlie out today. He needs some fresh air. It¡¯s not healthy to stay cooped up in the house all the time.¡±


    ¡°I know. But it¡¯s best to wait. She never stays long. Safer for her that way,¡± he remarked. He rubbed his injured shoulder and sighed. ¡°I hate magic.¡±


    Mary was quiet. She stood, approaching, and draped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his back.


    Orb rolled from side to side in the air. A witch was exactly what they needed.


    ***


    That night, Orb and Charlie made preparations for their first trial run. ¡°Alright, Mousifer, today¡¯s the day,¡± Orb said. Their black furred friend scurried up Charlie¡¯s shoulder, tilting its head at them.


    Charlie stifled a laugh. ¡°That tickles.¡± Mousifer put his nose in Charlie¡¯s ear and squeaked. He couldn¡¯t talk, but he could understand their telepathic words. Oddly enough, his squeaks now sounded slightly more like someone with a very high-pitched voice saying the word squeak, rather than squeaking itself. It was very strange.


    Orb still couldn¡¯t get over how poorly the naming process had gone. He¡¯d brainstormed all night thinking of names to pitch Charlie.


    ¡°Okay, first idea, I was trying to come up with a combination of devil and mouse. Then I thought of Mousifer. What do you think?¡±


    Charlie¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Let¡¯s go with that one! I love it!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Wait, no, that¡¯s just the first one. I have an entire list.¡±


    ¡°Mousifer is perfect!¡± Charlie said. Their new minion quickly squeaked his agreement.


    Orb groaned. ¡°Of course he went with the first name. I just had to run with the devil mouse idea. I knew I should¡¯ve led with Jerry,¡± he ranted to himself.


    Now, they stood before an obstacle that had beaten them thus far.


    The front door.


    Orb didn¡¯t have thumbs. Charlie was a baby.


    Doors were pretty much their greatest weakness at this stage.


    Luckily for them, Mousifer was perfect for the job. He jumped from Charlie¡¯s shoulders onto Orb, his limbs flailing until he got a good enough grip to stay balanced. Orb slowly levitated until they reached the doors handle. Mousifer stood on his hind legs and put his paws on either side of the doorknob.


    ¡°Alright, hold on tight,¡± Orb said. Mousifer wrapped his tail around the dungeon core and planted his feet. Orb slowly hovered in a circle. Mousifer focused on maintaining a tight hold on the doorknob, even as the maneuver turned him upside down. Slowly but surely, the knob turned. Orb hovered away while Mousifer maintained his grip and the door pried open about an inch.


    Charlie crawled toward the side of the door and slowly pushed it open enough that they could look outside. There was nothing stopping them now.


    ¡°We make quite the team!¡± Orb said. Charlie giggled. Mousifer squeaked. ¡°Alright, Mousifer, you¡¯re up. Go find the witch.¡±


    ¡°Squeaaaak?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, all alone? Of course. That¡¯s your job.¡±


    ¡°Squeaaaaak. Squeak squeak.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use that language, mister. If you¡¯re old enough to eat the flesh of another mouse, you¡¯re old enough to go on a scouting mission.¡±


    ¡°Squeak?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s safe,¡± Orb said, growing more impatient.


    ¡°Squea?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I promise! Now go!¡±


    Mousifer bared his teeth at Orb, but relented. He peered upward into the sky, looking for predators. Steeling himself to make the run of his life.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Before him was a field of mostly dirt. Occasional patches of grass, and a solitary tree at the edge of the property. Beyond the tree was a path that led further into town, which was their goal. Across the path, grass grew more densely. If Mousifer made it that far, his mission was a success. He could use it to hide while he moved into town. Admittedly, the route wouldn¡¯t offer much cover up to that point, though.


    Orb focused his thoughts on Charlie, so Mousifer couldn¡¯t hear them. ¡°Charlie, watch the sky. Earth had a lot of movies where as soon as they let the mouse go, a bird swoops down and gets it. I¡¯m not saying this world is nearly as cliche as that, but you never know.¡±


    ¡°Okay Orb, I¡¯m on it.¡± Charlie¡¯s face grew serious. Well, as serious as a baby can be. He formed a circle with his fingers, touching his pointer fingers to his thumbs, and held them up to his eyes like binoculars.


    Again, as serious as a baby can be.


    Mousifer turned and gave one last squeak before saluting Charlie and turning to run into the night. It was amazing how much his personality changed once Orb used sentience on him. He expected a badass Michael Myers kinda mouse. Mousifer was¡­ not that.


    He scurried from side to side, performing evasive maneuvers as he went, dodging imaginary birds and¡­


    Oh, not so imaginary birds as well. An owl swooped down, a cruel fate for a minion so young.


    Mousifer dodged, throwing himself just out of harm¡¯s way as the owl¡¯s talons closed on the dirt he was standing on only a second ago. He turned to look back for only a moment before scurrying off. The owl beat its wings and shot back into the air, out of sight. Orb cheered. ¡°Nice job, Mousifer!¡±


    ¡°Not cliche! Not cliche!¡± Charlie chanted, throwing a baby fist into the air.


    Mousifer kept running, suddenly looking downward at the earth around him. A mound of dirt erupted from the ground. Mousifer jumped into the air, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws of some kind of underground creature. Rows of long, sharp teeth penetrated the earth, almost tearing their minion in two. The creature¡¯s creepy, beady black eyes rolled around, hunting for its prey. It descended back beneath the earth.


    Orb and Charlie exchanged a look. ¡°Suddenly, the real world looks a lot scarier than I thought. I don¡¯t even know what that was,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie nodded, gulping.


    Mousifer took shelter, leaning against the tree at the edge of the property. He looked from side to side for danger, appearing overwhelmed. He looked back toward Orb and Charlie. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You¡¯re doing great! They weren¡¯t even close to eating you alive!¡± Orb said.


    Charlie turned. ¡°What are you talking about? They almost ate him twice.¡±


    ¡°Charlie! I¡¯m lying so he feels more confident,¡± Orb said, forgetting not to let Mousifer hear.


    Mousifer waved a balled up paw toward the pair of them. And though they couldn¡¯t hear it. They knew he was squeaking obscenely in the distance. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta keep going, buddy. You¡¯re almost there. Just a little farther,¡± Orb said.


    Mousifer was in the home stretch. He took a deep breath and started running again. The owl reappeared and¡­ Orb tilted his body. ¡°Is it¡­¡±


    ¡°I think so..¡± Charlie said.


    The owl landed on the ground, waiting. The earthen creature surfaced, and the owl picked it up with its talons. It beat its wings and rose into the air before setting off in pursuit of Mousifer. ¡°Okay, that doesn¡¯t even make sense,¡± Orb said.


    Mousifer turned around and saw his two worst nightmares working together to hunt him down. He ran as hard as he could, kicking up dirt with his paws. If he could find refuge in the thick, tangled grass on the other side, he could lose them.


    There were only three more feet until Mousifer reached safety. But as he ran, the owl flapped its wings faster.


    Two more feet. They were almost upon him. He dared a glance over his shoulder with wide eyes. They were close now.


    Only a foot away. He scurried as fast as he could, and dove into the grass just as the team of predators swooped over him, just barely missing his small body.


    He was safe.


    The owl glared at the creature in its talons. The gopher from hell squealed back at it. It seemed the creature went too far. The owl flew up higher, releasing the creature from its talons and flying away as it fell and landed on the earth with a splat. Orb turned to look at Charlie, a blank expression on his baby face.


    Oh great, I traumatized the kid.


    Mousifer peeked back out from the grass and looked at them. Charlie waved. Orb bounced in the air in excitement a few times. ¡°Alright, now go find the witch,¡± he said.


    Mousifer nodded, then made a strange expression. He rose to stand on his hind legs, stumbling several inches. He leaned against a long piece of grass, clutching at his heart. Mousifer gasped, and his tongue lolled from the side of his mouth. He fell face first into the dirt.


    Orb and Charlie stared in silence. ¡°What just happened?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°I think we just watched a mouse have a heart attack. Well, so much for that minion. Back to the drawing board.¡± Orb flew into the door, starting to close it.


    Charlie put a hand in front of it. ¡°Nu huh. We¡¯re going to help him.¡±


    ¡°Charlie, I understand how you feel. I totally wanna save him too. But also, no.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going!¡±


    ¡°Charlie! It¡¯s dangerous. There are¡­ demon gopher things. And owls with terrible emotional regulation. I mean, he dropped his best friend from the sky without a second thought. I¡¯m not messing with that guy!¡±


    Charlie pouted. ¡°Fine! Then I¡¯m not playing dungeon with you anymore.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s not fair! I can¡¯t exactly find someone else to help! Our fates are kind of interconnected at this point!¡±


    Charlie lifted his chin and looked away. ¡°Hmph!¡±


    ¡°If I had eyes, I¡¯d be rolling them right now. Fine. Let¡¯s go help the stupid mouse.¡±


    Charlie giggled and started crawling at full speed to rescue Mousifer.


    ***


    ¡°Well, he looks pretty dead to me,¡± Orb said, rotating to get a good look around them. It was super creepy out here, and this dungeon core had a baby for a bodyguard. It didn¡¯t exactly help soothe the nerves.


    ¡°Use that trick on him again.¡± Charlie suggested.


    ¡°It only works once. Besides, there are limits to it. It only pushes the boundaries of consciousness a little bit. I can¡¯t just keep making something more sentient. Just the one time. Also, it has nothing to do with healing.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°What do we do then?¡±


    ¡°You could try CPR.¡±


    ¡°Okay. What¡¯s CPR?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well. I guess you put your lips around his nose and blow. Not too hard. You¡¯ll make his lungs explode. But hard enough that his chest expands.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Charlie picked Mousifer up and blew into his nose three times. Orb shuddered.


    Charlie looked back at Orb expectantly.


    ¡°Okay uhm¡­ in humans, I know you press on their chest. But he¡¯s kinda small. So maybe give him a little chest massage. Then blow on his nose some more.¡±


    Charlie followed his instructions.


    Orb heard a branch snap, and grass rustled not far from them. He shot up above the grass line to scan the area. ¡°What the heck was that?¡± he asked. Charlie ignored him, focused on his promising new career as the world¡¯s first baby doctor.


    Orb couldn¡¯t see anything, but his instincts told him something wasn¡¯t right. He needed to get Charlie out of here. Now. He dropped back to the ground, hovering only a couple of inches above the dirt, freezing in place when he saw it.


    Charlie wore a big smile on his face. Mousifer squeaked on his shoulder, happy and breathing once again. But Orb was too focused on the creature behind them. Charlie and Mousifer noticed his demeanor and slowly turned around to look.


    It towered above them, an evil look in its eyes. Charlie screamed. Mousifer squeaked.


    ¡°Charlie¡­run!¡± Orb yelled at the top of his telepathic lungs.

 Chapter 4: EaTeN ALiVe

    The creature was roughly twice the size of Charlie. Dark brown fur covered its body and saliva poured freely from its jaw. It had short, pointed ears and a long snout. It¡¯s black, beady eyes fixated on Charlie.


    ¡°Charlie¡­ run!¡± Orb shot forward, zooming directly toward the creature. He hit the furry beasts on the tip of its snout. A violent paw swatted at him, sending Orb rolling into the grass several feet away. He rocked himself back and forth quickly before shooting back into action.


    The creature was focused on Charlie, who now crawled as fast as he could back to the front door. Mousifer ran alongside him, turning to hurry Charlie every time he pulled too far ahead. Orb hurried after their pursuer.


    The creature was much faster than orb and quickly caught up to them. Mousifer squeaked a warning at Charlie before realizing there was no time. The tiny mouse ran past Charlie and bared its teeth at the much larger creature. The creature leaned down and swallowed Mousifer whole. Mousifer¡¯s tail protruded from the creature¡¯s jaw, flailing wildly. It disappeared as the creature slurped Mousifer deeper.


    Charlie turned just in time to catch his friend being eaten and started to cry.


    Orb took a wide approach and circled around the creature with the time Mousifer bought him. At high speed, he turned in the air and shot himself directly at the creature¡¯s stomach. It retched, and Mousifer went flying into the nearby tree. He hit it with a thud and slowly slid down it. Unconscious.


    The creature, now infuriated, turned its attention to Orb. Orb hovered away slowly, unsure of what to do now that he was its primary target. ¡°Charlie, get inside. Now.¡±


    ¡°No! Not leaving you!¡± Charlie protested.


    ¡°Charlie! Go! I¡¯ll distract it. Even if it eats me, I can just teleport, remember?¡±


    ¡°What about Mousifer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get him! Just go!¡± Orb yelled.


    Charlie seemed unsure, but set off in a crawl for the front door.


    The creature darted forward with alarming speed. Orb tried to dodge but was too slow. It pressed him into the dirt with its paw. Orb had a thought. What if he tried to tame the creature?


    It pressed him further into the dirt.


    SENTIEN¡ª


    A pain shot through him. What? His magic wasn¡¯t working for some reason. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll just have to teleport and get out of here.¡±


    Conditional skill unavailable.


    Conditional? What the heck?


    His vision blurred. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    Even though the spell didn¡¯t work, it still used up a lot of his magic. This was bad.


    The creature now pressed both paws down on him, crushing him under its weight. Waves of pain increased in size and force with each moment. Pieces of Orb slowly flaked off, a long crack developed along his exterior.


    I¡¯m dying.


    The words repeated over and over in his mind. He¡¯d made it all of a couple of weeks before getting in over his head. But at least Charlie would get away. His sight blurred again, and his perception faded. There wasn¡¯t any point in¡ª


    The pressure lifted all at once. Orb regained his sight.


    There Charlie was, crawling next to him, a hand outstretched. He rolled over to see Charlie had somehow pushed the creature off of him. The creature sat up and growled, before running for Charlie head on. Charlie gasped. Orb tried to rouse himself but didn¡¯t have the energy. The creature tackled Charlie to the ground. They rolled several feet away.


    The creature lifted its head, stretched its mouth wide, and sank his teeth into the little baby boy.


    Blood splatter filled the air.


    ¡°Oh my god. Charlie¡­¡± Orb said.


    The creature screamed in pain and turned away from Charlie. Blood poured from its jaw. It stumbled past Orb and disappeared into the grass. Orb rolled slowly to Charlie¡¯s limp body. He was¡­


    ¡°Charlie¡­ you¡¯re safe?¡± Orb looked around, noticing pieces of white scattered all around Charlie.


    Teeth. They were the creature¡¯s teeth.


    Charlie shook his head, dazed by the encounter. He looked around and found Mousifer laying limply at the bottom of the tree. He hurriedly crawled over to him. ¡°Charlie, you were just attacked! Calm down!¡± Orb called out. Charlie ignored him.


    Charlie picked Mousifer up. He rolled over to sit, cradling the little mouse in his arms. The mouse was unconscious, but still breathing. Orb hovered above the grass line and followed after the wounded creature. What happened? How had it attacked Charlie but ended up the injured one instead?


    It didn¡¯t make any sense. Orb hovered along the path of trampled grass until he found it. The creature whined quietly, curled up into itself.


    A box appeared.


    CREATURE ANALYSIS COMPLETE.


    Racooneever. Hybrid Race.


    As in¡­ half raccoon, half beaver? It doesn¡¯t really look like either. Wait, since when can I run a creature analysis? And why does it seem like my magic came back so quickly?


    The creature was weakened now. Orb wondered¡­


    SENTIENCE.


    The creature jumped to its feet and looked around fervently. Its eyes fixated on Orb.


    ¡°Blue.¡±


    Orb shook violently. ¡°You can talk?¡±


    ¡°Blue.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Orb turned. Charlie approached. ¡°Orb! Be careful!¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Baby.¡±


    Charlie turned to look at Orb, astounded.


    ¡°Apparently, we have a new minion,¡± Orb informed him.


    The Racooneever flashed a gummy smile. All of its teeth were gone. Blood mixed in with its ever-leaking saliva.


    ***


    ¡°This may work in our favor,¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Blue. Baby. Devil.¡± The creature didn¡¯t seem able to use sentences. So far it had responded only in the nicknames it assigned them. Charlie decided his name would be Bleedy, for obvious reasons.


    ¡°Two minions!¡± Charlie giggled. Mousifer squeaked. Bleedy let out a happy growl.


    ¡°Charlie, do you think that you can ride Bleedy? I can hover, but your crawling is really slow. If he can support you, we¡¯ll be able to get around much faster.¡±


    Charlie looked unsure. ¡°Ride?¡± he said, eyeing Bleedy over. Bleedy walked up to Charlie and nudged him with his snout. He bowed down so Charlie could climb aboard. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe, Orb?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Orb said.


    Mousifer glared at him. ¡°Squeak.¡±


    ¡°Okay, yes, I lied to you about your mission being safe, but I wouldn¡¯t do that to Charlie. He¡¯s far more valuable.¡±


    Mousifer squeak gasped and held a hand over his heart in offense. Charlie nodded. ¡°That was a mean thing to say. But okay, I guess I can try.¡± Charlie struggled to pull himself onto Bleedy¡¯s back. Mousifer pushed from behind, making hardly a difference. Charlie managed to get aboard and then looked around for a handhold. But there was only fur. Fur bunched in his hand, and he grabbed it instinctively.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes glowed, their bright blue illuminating slightly. It was only for a second, but Orb noticed.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°What do you mean? You told me to ride Bleedy.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I meant¡ª¡± Before Orb could finish his sentence, Bleedy took off. He ran from the yard and onto the dirt path into town. Charlie clung tightly, holding onto Bleedy¡¯s fur for his life. Mousifer and Orb exchanged a look before hurrying after them.


    By the time they made it into the town¡¯s center, it was morning. Already the market was bustling, and a circle of street merchants were advertising their goods.


    Bleedy maneuvered skillfully from one booth to the next, crawling under them and around the feet of merchants who were too focused on customers to notice them. Occasionally, he stopped to snatch up scraps of food that had fallen on the ground. Charlie giggled every time. Orb had the feeling this wasn¡¯t Bleedy¡¯s first time moving through town in search of food. Orb and Mousifer now rested on Bleedy as well. Mousifer¡¯s tiny paws gripping several hairs together to prevent falling off. Orb simply rested his weight on Bleedy¡¯s head.


    They paused as a merchant reached under his booth. Bleedy sank away, and they held their breaths, hoping he wouldn¡¯t realize they were there. His hands found what he was looking for, a butcher knife stored away in an open drawer under the booth.


    Charlie¡¯s eye widened at the blade.


    ¡°Aye I¡¯ve got meat. I foun¡ªer, caught it this morning. It would make for a great steak,¡± the butcher said.


    ¡°It looks good! What is it?¡± A man asked.


    ¡°Some kind of gopher meat! You¡¯ll love it! Only a few silver pieces and it¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°This guy is selling roadkill!¡± Orb thought spoke.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I hope Richard and Mary don¡¯t shop here.¡±


    Orb rotated on Bleedy¡¯s head to look at Charlie. ¡°I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t. But even if they did, you only eat baby formula, anyway.¡±


    Charlie nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    The butcher finished his sale, and Bleedy found a moment to move to the next booth.


    The butcher called out. ¡°Get your gopher meat! Fresh Gopher meat! And baby formula too!¡±


    ¡°Orb, did he just say¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Charlie, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not where they buy your formula.¡±


    ¡°Affordable baby formula! I¡¯m the only vendor for fifty miles with the stuff! Come one, come all!¡±


    ¡°Well, Charlie, a wise orb once said, it¡¯s better not to think about it.¡±


    Charlie vomited on Bleedy¡¯s side. Bleedy groaned in disgust. A merchant peeked under her stall to see what the noise was. Her eyes met Bleedy¡¯s, and they both screamed.


    ¡°Bleedy, run!¡± Orb yelled. Bleedy scrambled out from under the booth and ran for the path out of the market.


    ¡°Someone help! That creature stole a baby! Stop it!¡± the merchant called out.


    Merchants and customers alike turned to look at the commotion. This wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°What now?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°We have to find the witch¡¯s house!¡± Orb shouted.


    Bleedy dodged skillfully, diving out of the way of civilians who tried to grab him.


    A large man with a plump stomach and an apron blocked their path and got ready to grab Bleedy, but he pivoted at the last second and jumped up on a nearby wall. He ran along it for a step or two, until gravity started to pull, and then pressed off, skirting past their would-be captor. Orb turned to look behind them at the crowd of people watching them flee and the pursuers, who were now quickly falling behind.


    They¡¯d escaped.


    ¡°Richard and Mary are gonna know we left now.¡± Charlie frowned.


    They reached the end of the buildings and made their way out of town. After they¡¯d run for a while, Charlie pointed at something.


    Orb followed his gesture and saw a house on top of a hill on the outskirts of town. It was a dark cabin made of black wood. Trees unlike any they¡¯d seen in the nearby forest. There were strange runes etched into the walls and a tall metal fence that stretched around the property.


    ¡°That¡¯s a witch¡¯s house if I¡¯ve ever seen one,¡± Orb said. ¡°Go on, Bleedy!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before Bleedy had hopped the fence and arrived at the front door. Mousifer crawled atop Orb, ready to use their combination technique to unlock the door. But to their surprise, Bleedy interrupted. ¡°Baby,¡± he said. Charlie, somehow understanding, dismounted. He slid off of Bleedy¡¯s side and sat on the ground.


    Bleedy scurried up to the door and wrapped his paws around the doorhandles. After he fumbled with it for a moment, it turned slowly, and the door opened. It seemed the scavenger hybrid wasn¡¯t totally unfamiliar with doors. Orb shot forward into the door and pushed. It opened inward, and the group went inside.


    The room was lined with shelves and cabinets. The severed skulls of monsters, dragon claws, and an assortment of herbs were just a few of the odd belongings around the room. To their left was a small bed in the corner of the room. A large, very red, and very plush carpet was next to it. The center of the carpet had a deep indent, as if something heavy regularly sat in its center. On a desk pushed against the far wall from the front door sat a large black book. It was open.


    Orb hovered close but couldn¡¯t make sense of the illegible words on the pages. Mousifer was sniffing at a basket of odd-looking fruit. Bleedy shut the door behind them and then started looking for a way onto a table below a mounted wolf''s head.


    Charlie picked his nose.


    Orb flew behind the book and pushed it so that it fell on the floor. Charlie curiously crawled over to it. ¡°What is this?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a grimoire. But I¡¯m not sure how it works.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you knock it over?¡±


    ¡°This is what we came here for, Charlie. Since you¡¯re a dungeon, you should be able to use magic. If what I¡¯ve learned from TV is correct, and TV is always correct, this will be full of the witch¡¯s spells. Now, all you have to do is read this and we¡¯ll be good to go. You¡¯ll be a little dungeon witch baby in no time!¡±


    Charlie¡¯s head tilted. ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know how to read.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Orb said. ¡°But that means this is useless! Wait¡­ maybe try, I don¡¯t know¡­ touch it. Maybe you¡¯ll absorb some of its power.¡±


    Charlie reached out and touched the pages. His eyes shot wide open, and he started flapping his hands wildly in the air.


    ¡°Is it working, Charlie? What¡¯s going on?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie stopped flailing and laughed, falling on his back. ¡°Just kidding. I don¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    Orb shot him a telepathic grunt and hovered back into the air. ¡°I knew it was too obvious. But there has to be something here.¡± He turned to look back at the desk.


    The door to the cabin shot open.


    Orb wheeled around and saw her. The Witch.


    ¡°Well, what do we have here? It seems we¡¯ve got guests, Dremmon,¡± Lusafeen said to the large panther-like creature beside her.

 Chapter 5: System Awakening

    Long white hair fell just past Lusafeen¡¯s shoulders. Despite its color, she looked young, probably mid-twenties. She wore a large, purple hat that set stereotype-defiant witches back a hundred years, and her soulless, purple eyes followed Orb as he hovered in her cabin. A long ebony robe clung to her body, and she wore a dark, snakeskin-like satchel bag by her side.


    The demonic panther Dremmon was large, his long, slender body coming up to Lusafeen¡¯s torso. He had black fur with purple streaks running along the sides of his body. Two horns that formed just behind his ears trailed backward, looping, and then sticking out toward his rear.


    Dremmon quickly singled out Mousifer and Bleedy, who at some point had gathered to share the fruit in the room¡¯s corner. Bleedy¡¯s mouth looked swollen, like he was having some kind of allergic reaction or had been stung by a bee. Dremmon approached, backing them further into the corner, and then with a huff, turned back and nodded at Lusafeen.


    Suspicious eyes locked on Orb. ¡°Who brought you here? Why would you make a dungeon of my home?¡± She scanned the walls. ¡°No¡­ you haven¡¯t assimilated with this place. So, how are you moving freely?¡±


    Orb caught himself shaking. Lusafeen had a powerful aura about her. They were clearly outmatched. He rested his weight on the desk behind him to try to quell the nervous motion. She can¡¯t hear me. What does she expect?


    The witch¡¯s head tilted. ¡°Can¡¯t you talk?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to hear me,¡± Orb projected in her general direction.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Orb jumped back. How did¡­ so far, he¡¯d only been able to speak with Charlie and their minions. How was she able to communicate with him?


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ uh¡­come seeking magic to make my minions stronger. We didn¡¯t mean to intrude.¡± Orb watched her eyes. So far, she seemed to completely ignore Charlie. Had she not noticed him? Orb couldn¡¯t see Charlie without rotating on the desk to face the floor below. He decided against it. He didn¡¯t want to draw her attention to the baby now.


    ¡°I see¡­ a dungeon core that can move of its own volition. Perhaps it has something to do with the egg?¡± She looked at Dremmon now, who shrugged. ¡°We should take him with us. Lord Cendra will want to study him. Kill the creatures.¡±


    ¡°Wait, can¡¯t we mind-talk this out?¡± Orb asked. He redirected his thoughts so that only Mousifer and Bleedy could hear. ¡°Get ready to run,¡± he said to them. Mousifer was hiding in Bleedy¡¯s fur. Bleedy went slack, playing dead. ¡°Oh, come on! You¡¯re a raccoon-beaver hybrid and that isn¡¯t a defense mechanism of either!¡±


    Lusafeen reached a hand out toward Orb, and a black hex formed between them. A string of darkness shot forth and wrapped around him. The magic slowly drained from his body. He shot to the left, trying to break free from the spell¡¯s effect, but fell to the floor below. His magic was no longer strong enough to support his hovering.


    Dremmon snarled, approaching Mousifer and Bleedy, and opened his jaws. He was toying with them. Things were bad. Orb tried to look around but was slowly losing the ability to see. Soon, he¡¯d go blind and lose all perception. Wait. Where was Charlie? What would she do to him? Where is¡­


    His vision faded.


    ***


    Charlie


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Charlie wondered. One moment he¡¯d been sitting on the floor of the cabin. The next, he was here. A large, cavernous space, completely devoid of light. Yet, for some reason, Charlie could still see. His hands shot up to his face, his head hurting all of a sudden. Something wasn¡¯t right.


    Dungeon Integration Complete.


    ¡°What?¡± Charlie asked. He looked at the ground and realized a soft blue glow seemed to be coming from his face. He brought a hand close and realized the light was coming from his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Orb, where are you? I¡¯m scared.¡±


    Current Status


    Class: Dungeon Core Baby


    Passive: Rock Skin. The walls of the body are reinforced to maintain dungeon integrity.


    Auto Ability


    Palmar Grasp - An enhanced version of the reflex commonly seen in babies. Significantly increases the user¡¯s grip strength.


    New Abilities Unlocked


    Transfer - Allows the user and allies to shift in and out of the dungeon.


    Devourer - Allows the user to force others into the dungeon.


    Dungeon Manipulation - Control over dungeon interior.


    ??????? - Skill conditions not met.


    Notice


    Effects of Sentience have been enhanced.


    Charlie blinked. It felt like he¡¯d woken up from a long nap. He looked around and the realization hit him. ¡°I¡¯m in the dungeon! But where are Orb and the others?¡± He remembered what happened just before he¡¯d come here. He¡¯d been playing a joke on Orb when the door opened behind him. There was a blue light, and then he was here.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d seen the light flash. It happened once when Bleedy attacked him, and again when he¡¯d gotten onto Bleedy¡¯s back. The subtle flash of blue light. Each of those occurrences had unlocked a new ability. Rock Skin and Palmar Grasp. But Charlie couldn¡¯t understand then. It was like his brain wasn¡¯t able to make sense of it, so he¡¯d simply forgotten.


    But now, Charlie understood. He¡¯d been given a way to protect his friends. He¡¯d been given a way to keep them safe.


    A series of images flashed across his mind in quick succession.


    ¡­crawling on a strange kitchen floor.


    A man stood up from his chair.


    A blue ball fell from the man''s pocket.


    It landed directly in front of Charlie. He grabbed it.


    ¡°Charlie, no!¡± a voice said.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Were these memories?


    The image blurred and reformed.


    Charlie saw what was going on in the world outside.


    In Lusafeen¡¯s cabin.


    His friends were in danger.


    He didn¡¯t have time to think about the weird vision he¡¯d seen.


    It was time.


    It was time to play dungeon.


    He held a hand out and thought the name of the ability he wanted.


    Transfer.


    Charlie reappeared in the room, and it was like his perception exploded.


    Before him, Lusafeen was using some evil looking spell. He felt it affecting Orb. Draining the dungeon core of his power. Mousifer and Bleedy were to his left. They¡¯d retreated under the bed. Dremmon swatted furiously at them, trying to pull them from under the bed and into his reach. They wouldn¡¯t last long.


    Even now the bed threatened to break as Dremmon rammed his heavy frame against it, trying to stretch his arm in further.


    Lusafeen was the first to notice Charlie. Her concentration broke for only a second.


    ¡°What¡­ a baby?¡± Her eyes shot open; she could feel what Charlie was doing. She could feel his magic seeping into the air around them. ¡°Dremmon! Stop him!¡± she cried out. The creature whipped around; his eyes homed in on Charlie. He turned toward the boy, ready to pounce.


    Bleedy opened his mouth to bare teeth, revealing the real reason for his swollen mouth. He¡¯d managed to rip out the jaw from the mounted wolf''s head earlier. He was using it as a prosthetic. His very own set of wolf-teeth dentures. Before Dremmon could attack, Bleedy shot out from under the bed and latched onto his foe¡¯s tail, hard.


    Dremmon kicked out furiously, knocking Bleedy loose. The teeth remained embedded.


    ¡°Thank you. That bought me enough time.¡± Charlie sent a thought to Bleedy.


    ¡°Baby,¡± Bleedy responded, slowly rising from where he¡¯d been kicked.


    Charlie focused on Lusafeen and opened his mouth wide.


    DEVOUR.


    Her spell ceased immediately, and she was slowly sucked into the raging vortex coming from his mouth. A portal into the dungeon. Her body twisted and contorted in horrible ways as reality warped it to fit into a portal the size of a baby¡¯s mouth. In less than a second, she was gone. Charlie turned to look at Dremmon, who seemed confused, then angry. He bared his teeth at Charlie. But Charlie wasn¡¯t interested in playing with him at the moment.


    TRANSFER.


    Charlie, Orb, Mousifer and Bleedy all instantly shifted into the dungeon. Leaving Dremmon alone in the cabin.


    Charlie was alone with Orb in the cavern. Scattered objects from her room laid in a pile around them. Lusafeen and the minions were nowhere to be seen. He realized they must have been sent to different parts of the dungeon. Orb was unusually dim, and Charlie approached, taking him in hand. There was a tugging sensation as magic left Charlie¡¯s body. Orb instantly shot into the air, hovering before him.


    ¡°Charlie? What happened?¡± Orb asked. He realized he was floating and spun in a circle quickly. ¡°And how did my magic come back so fast? That keeps happening.¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°I think you absorbed some of mine.¡±


    ¡°You seem¡­ different? Where are we?¡± Orb asked, spinning to look around at the large, cavernous room.


    ¡°We¡¯re in our dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Good. That witch wanted to take me somewhere to be studied. I don¡¯t know how you did it, but you did a great job getting us out of there. We were goners for sure.¡±


    ¡°Actually, she is in here somewhere as well,¡± Charlie admitted.


    ¡°No, seriously. I really mean it. You saved us, Charlie. I know I don¡¯t tell you enough how grateful I¡ª¡± Orb paused, realizing what Charlie said. ¡°SHE WHAT?!¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°I separated her from the monster. Now it¡¯s four on one!¡±


    ¡°Charlie, she¡¯s a witch! Our team is a baby, a mouse, a raccoon-beaver hybrid, and a freaking marble! We are no match for a witch!¡± Orb bounced up and down in the air to emphasize his point.


    Charlie looked down one of the halls that led into the massive chamber they were in. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not good, because she¡¯s here.¡±


    Orb rotated slowly to look. Lusafeen was strutting down the hall. Her heels clacked against the dungeon corridor as she walked. Each footstep louder than the last. She closed the distance quickly, her witchy silhouette reaching the end of the hallway. She paused for a moment, readying herself before entering the room.


    She took a breath, brushing back stray hair from her face. The edges of her long robe just barely grazed against the floor. ¡°Where is it?¡± she demanded. A scowl on her face.


    ¡°Where¡¯s what?¡± Charlie asked, projecting his thoughts.


    Orb slowly rotated in surprise. ¡°You can talk to her too? Weird.¡±


    ¡°My bag! Where is it?¡± Lusafeen shouted.


    Charlie looked around, he didn''t see a bag. He shot a questioning look at Orb, who shook slightly from side to side in denial.


    Lusafeen growled. She stretched out her hands on either side of her and began muttering under her breath. The words repeated, slowly getting louder until finally Charlie could make them out. ¡°Void Hex Violence!¡± she shouted. Two spinning discs of darkness shot forward. Each of them sank deep into the dungeon floor on either side of Orb and Charlie and continued spinning.


    After a moment, they dissipated, leaving behind deep fissures in the ground.


    ¡°Next time I¡¯ll separate your arms from your body, little one. So, think very carefully. Where did you hide it? Where is my bag?¡± she asked.


    Charlie didn¡¯t have an answer for her, but he knew if he told her that, she would take away his arms. Charlie didn¡¯t want to lose his arms. He was quite fond of them. His thoughts went to the abilities from earlier. Transporting back and forth between his dungeon and the outside world wouldn¡¯t solve anything. He didn¡¯t think his ability to grab onto things would do much good, either. But there was that other one. Dungeon Manipulation. Maybe that could help?


    He looked up at the ceiling, concentrating like he had before when he¡¯d teleported them all.


    Lusafeen had sensed what he was doing before, and she could sense that he was doing something now. She readied her own spell, and the flying discs emanated from her black, glowing palms. Both of them finished readying their spell at the same time.


    Unlike before, this time, no words came to him. Instead, it was more of a magical interpretation of his will.


    He wanted to stop Lusafeen.


    He didn¡¯t really care how.


    The crunching of rock drew her attention, and she looked toward the ceiling. Several sharpened stalactites formed, nestled firmly against one another. As one, their connection to the roof severed and they hurtled toward the dungeon floor. Lusafeen flung her two black discs upward, to try to destroy them a moment too late.


    The rock collided with the earth where Lusafeen was standing.


    Dust filled the room, and Charlie held a hand up to cover his face. Orb hovered next to him. ¡°Uh, Charlie¡­ I think you killed her,¡± he said.


    ¡°Killed her?¡± Charlie asked. The word was a new concept for him. He¡¯d heard it before, of course, but now, the way Orb said it had a certain weight to it. ¡°Does that mean we won?¡±


    Orb realized his mistake. ¡°Hmm, how do I explain this while avoiding a lengthy explanation on the finality of mortal life¡­it¡¯s kind of like when you put someone to sleep. Forever.¡±


    ¡°Do they have good dreams?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I hope she has good dreams.¡± Charlie smiled. Not a malicious thought in his body. The smoke settled. The stalactites were now rubble, smashed against the ground. Just barely visible under the rubble were Lusafeen¡¯s shoes. They pointed upward toward the ceiling above, the rest of her body presumably crushed.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look very comfortable.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s find the others and get out of here. There¡¯s no place like home after a hard day¡¯s work,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie nodded, and the two turned as familiar squeaks echoed from a hallway behind them. Mousifer and Bleedy ran into the room. The snakeskin satchel Lusafeen had been wearing earlier hung from Bleedy¡¯s mouth, flailing in the air behind him as he ran.


    Charlie laughed as Bleedy and Mousifer jumped toward him. The three embraced.


    The echo of crumbling rock interrupted the heartfelt moment.


    ¡°There¡¯s my bag,¡± Lusafeen said. She rose from the rubble, wiping dust from her tattered cloak. ¡°Now why don¡¯t you be a good boy and hand it over?¡±

 Chapter 6: Sacrifice

    White hair stained red. Blood trickled down Lusafeen¡¯s forehead. Unfettered rage prominent within her eyes, ready to burst forward and strike Charlie and his companions down with all its force.


    ¡°What if we sit down and talk about this over dinner? I know a guy that sells top quality demon gopher steak! What do ya say?¡± Orb said.


    Lusafeen shot him a look, a black aura slowly pulsating from her body. ¡°Void¡ª¡± she sputtered blood. ¡°Void Hex, Violence.¡± A beam of darkness clawed its way through her chest and spiraled directly toward them.


    Charlie instinctively raised a hand and a wall of rock shot up to intercept it. The explosive force rocketed their defensive wall, stopping for a moment before pushing its way through.


    The impact left them scattered, and Charlie found himself several yards away from where they had been. To his left, Orb lay still. Dormant. His glow was unusually dim. Bleedy and Mousifer were sprawled out to his right, their battered bodies oddly contorted. Mousifer roused himself and crawled over to check on Bleedy. Satisfied Bleedy was alright, Mousifer slowly made his way to Charlie.


    Charlie sat up, holding a hand out so that Mousifer could crawl up his shoulder. He glared at Lusafeen. She¡¯d already closed the distance to retrieve her bag. She picked it up and rummaged through it, quickly finding what she was looking for. A glowing emerald-green orb.


    ¡°Squeak,¡± Mousifer noted.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s one of Orb¡¯s brothers! A dungeon core. But why does she have one?¡±


    The core pulsed, and a devious smirk crept across Lusafeen¡¯s face. She threw it in the air, and Charlie felt a gnawing sensation somewhere inside him. Mousifer noticed something was wrong and sniffed at Charlie¡¯s cheek to make sure he was okay. ¡°Squea?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m okay. But something feels weird,¡± Charlie told him.


    Lusafeen laughed. The green orb grew brighter, and a distortion formed in the air behind the witch. Charlie recognized the scenery. The village¡¯s center. Mangled bodies lay in the village market Charlie and his friends had traveled through only recently.


    A voice resonated from the portal, reverberating off the dungeon walls. ¡°I started without you. Is this enough, Lusafeen?¡±


    Lusafeen shook her head. ¡°No. We need more. We need them all. Leave no survivors.¡±


    ¡°And what of the nuisance? The knight?¡±


    ¡°As I said, no survivors.¡±


    The portal¡¯s perspective shifted, and Charlie realized he was watching the world through Dremmon¡¯s eyes.


    He was atop a building, looking down into the market below. A group of people approached, checking the corpses. Charlie recognized two of them.


    Richard and Mary.


    Richard wore thick black armor, and his sole fist was wrapped around a blade. Mary was behind him, in a long white cloak. She muttered something and a hazel-colored hex materialized over some of the bodies. Richard turned to one of the men in their group, a man dressed like a shopkeeper. ¡°You¡¯re sure you saw the creature take Charlie to the witch¡¯s house?¡± he asked. The shopkeeper nodded. Richard cursed.


    ¡°The hunt continues.¡± Dremmon jumped from the roof, aiming directly toward the people below. Richard seemed to sense the attack. He turned, swinging his blade and the clang of metal on claw rang out. The portal disappeared.


    ¡°Richard!¡± Charlie cried out. What was going on?


    Lusafeen smiled. ¡°I was going to kill you and take the core. But now, I think I¡¯ll take you both for Lord Cendra. After all, the only thing better than two gifts¡­¡± She gently caressed the bag now slung around her shoulder. ¡°¡­is three.¡±


    ¡°Charlie, you have to stop her.¡± Orb¡¯s voice was faint. Charlie turned. Orb hovered a few meager centimeters off the ground, before falling back down.


    ¡°Orb! Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Charlie. Listen, the townspeople are in danger. Richard and Mary too. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s up to, but it isn¡¯t good. Stop her,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie turned back to Lusafeen, contemplating what to do. He readied to attack again, but this time, Lusafeen was prepared for him. He caught only the last word out of her mouth.


    ¡°¡­violence.¡±


    Several streams of darkness ripped through the air and split as it got closer. One of them wrapped itself tight around Charlie and lifted him up into the air. The magic in his body suddenly drained from him and without it, he couldn¡¯t control the dungeon. He turned and saw his struggling friends, each suspended in the air on either side of him.


    Lusafeen smirked and turned back to the green dungeon core, focusing her attention on it. She took a hold of it, and it grew brighter. She reached back into her bag and pulled a small egg from it with mysterious markings etched into its shell. The dungeon core seemed to react, and the markings on the egg turned a bright shade of green to match it. Lusafeen turned back and beckoned the stream of darkness that held Bleedy. Charlie watched helplessly as his friend levitated toward the witch.


    The egg grew brighter still, and the etched markings seemed to ripple and waver. From the egg, several tendrils sprouted and licked the air around them. As if they suddenly sensed Bleedy¡¯s presence, they shot forth, enveloping him whole. Bleedy suddenly squirmed to life, the discomfort returning him to consciousness. He squealed. Charlie¡¯s eyes widened as he looked on in horror, helplessly watching his agonized friend.


    ¡°Orb, what¡¯s she doing to him?¡± Charlie asked.


    Orb was quiet. ¡°She¡¯s killing him, Charlie.¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s not¡­ that¡¯s not what it looks like when you go to sleep. She¡¯s hurting him!¡± Charlie¡¯s head was pounding now. He strained to break free of the snake-like shackles that held him prisoner in the air. ¡°Sleep isn¡¯t supposed to hurt! Sleep is good!¡± Charlie said, tears welling in his eyes. Why was this happening? He didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Charlie¡­ she isn¡¯t putting him to sleep. She¡¯s¡­¡± Orb paused, struggling to find the words. ¡°Charlie, when someone is killed¡­when they die, that¡¯s it. They¡¯re gone. You can¡¯t play with them anymore.¡±


    Charlie shook his head. Can¡¯t play anymore? Gone? Bleedy would be gone? Richard and Mary and all the villagers? His friends would be gone? No. Charlie couldn¡¯t accept that.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The dungeon started shaking, a low grumbling overtook the room. Lusafeen wheeled around, trying to figure out what was happening. Charlie¡¯s blue eyes glazed over and turned a deep brown.


    Conditions met.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lusafeen demanded, readying her magic in preparation.


    Tears ran down Charlie¡¯s face. This was horrible. Gone? When someone dies, you can¡¯t play with them anymore. That¡¯s bad. Charlie didn¡¯t like that. He hated it.


    ¡°No!¡± Charlie yelled. It came out gibberish, as he hadn¡¯t yet learned to speak. But his anger was clear enough. The dungeon shook violently, the building earthquake gradually growing more powerful. Charlie screamed, shaking his hands and feet until he burst free of his shackles. Before he could fall, the dungeon wall behind him shot forward and caught him.


    He wouldn¡¯t let his friends die.


    Lusafeen was the problem.


    She wanted to take his friends away.


    But Charlie wouldn¡¯t let her.


    Charlie would stop her.


    Ultimate ability.


    He heard the words clearly in his mind. His thoughts started to fade; his anger surged.


    He wouldn¡¯t let her.


    He would stop her.


    He would give in to the building rage.


    You. Can¡¯t. Kill. My. Friends.


    TANTRUM.


    Lusafeen looked up, horror-stricken at the crumbling dungeon. Pieces of rock displaced by the violent shockwaves rocketing the earth. Her courage failed her. ¡°This child isn¡¯t human¡­¡± She turned to escape into a hallway.


    Rock collided in her path, forcing her to a standstill. Below her, the ground cracked. A pit opened. She jumped just in time to avoid falling into the depths below. She wheeled around to face the demonic-seeming Charlie. His eyes were the color of dungeon earth itself. She managed a feeble Violent Hex Disc, but rock clawed from the ceiling to intercept her attacks before they even got close. ¡°How are you doing this?¡± Her words came out in a whisper.


    Charlie shrieked in response.


    Long slabs of rock shot forth from all directions to close in around her. Lusafeen dodged. She narrowly avoided being crushed to death, but one of the slabs caught her rib and sent her body rocketing through the room. She hit the wall with a thud. The witch covered her face, shielding her eyes from the dust, and watched through her fingers as the dungeon ripped itself apart. Charlie wasn¡¯t even aiming for her anymore.


    He was lost in fury.


    Rock ripped free of the wall and shot around the room, seemingly at random. Massive explosions as each impact formed new craters around the room. Lusafeen covered her ears, forced to by the jarring noises.


    ¡°Stop this! Stop it! You¡¯ll kill us all!¡± Lusafeen shouted, panic overwhelming her.


    Charlie turned, his eyes locking on her. ¡°No! You want to kill my friends!¡± His thoughts filled her head.


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll leave them! Just¡­ spare me!¡± She pleaded.


    Directly across from her, a sharpened log of stone formed. A giant dungeon arrow aimed directly at her. Her feet sank into the earth below, and she fought to free herself, to no avail. The arrow shot forward. She muttered a quick spell. Lusafeen closed her eyes, bracing for impact. A massive explosion. Her body slammed against the wall behind her from the force of their conflicting magic.


    ¡°No. Won¡¯t kill.¡± Charlie shook his head.


    Lusafeen looked up, surprised she was still alive. She took a deep breath, relief flooding through her. Charlie was distracted, fighting to regain control of himself. Teetering between the edges of rage and awareness.


    It was the perfect opening.


    She whispered a spell, probably hoping to take Charlie out with one blow. Her hands were outstretched to guide the mass of void magic. Her terrified expression said it all. She couldn¡¯t allow a child like this to survive.


    ¡°Won¡¯t kill.¡± Charlie nodded, satisfied with his decision. He projected his thoughts openly, not caring who was listening. But a moment later, whatever comfort she might have found from those words was likely lost.


    When Charlie remembered her earlier threat.


    ¡°Just the arms,¡± he said.


    Lusafeen¡¯s head shot up when she realized what he meant. ¡°What?¡± she managed before the arrow drew back like a piston and shot forward again. The splintered rock penetrated deep into the dungeon wall on both sides of her. Lusafeen turned to either side in shock, bloody stumps from the shoulder down the only remnants of her severed arms. She went into shock.


    Her scream filled the air.


    Charlie winced, covering his ears. The dungeon wall behind Lusafeen opened up and pulled her inside. The screaming became muffled, more and more, until it stopped altogether.


    Orb spun slowly next to him in stunned silence, taking in the aftermath of Charlie¡¯s rampage. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hm? She¡¯s in time out,¡± Charlie said nonchalantly.


    His gaze shifted to the center of the room, where a small earthen shield had formed around Bleedy to protect him from the chaos of Tantrum. Bleedy feebly looked up, his mouth curling into a soft smile. Charlie¡¯s eyes softened, and their usual blue returned. The remnants of his anger fled in droves. A tiredness overtook him. Mousifer had taken shelter behind Charlie during the commotion and now scurried up his shoulder in his usual position.


    ¡°What was that, Charlie? I didn¡¯t know you could do something like that,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie shrugged. ¡°I dunno. It just happened.¡±


    He noted the tendrils protruding from the egg were gone. The holes they had emerged from were gone as well, and the egg was whole again. The markings on it were no longer green. Now, they were a shade of blue. The green dungeon core sat a few feet behind it, dormant and dim. Somehow, neither had been harmed in the wake of his ability. Perhaps they had been close enough to Bleedy to be protected. He wanted to inspect the egg further, but before he could¡­


    Warning. Dungeon Integrity is now at 0. Collapse imminent.


    Charlie¡¯s head tilted. ¡°Collapse?¡± Charlie looked up just in time to see the ceiling cave in and fall directly for them.


    Transfer!


    He stood there, Orb and their two minions in Lusafeen¡¯s damaged cabin. Bleedy¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the wolf''s jaw sitting on the floor. Dremmon must have knocked it free.


    There was shouting outside.


    ¡°Wait, it might still be dangerous!¡± A man cried out.


    Charlie turned to his friends and yelled, ¡°Hide!¡± Bleedy scooped up Mousifer and Orb against his body and dove into an open cabinet, pulling it shut with his mouth. Charlie laughed at the silly sight. The door flung open and in stepped an armor-clad man with dark, greying hair and a single arm. His blade was already outstretched in preparation. He noticed Charlie on the floor and his mouth fell open.


    ¡°Charlie! You¡¯re safe!¡± Richard grinned. Blood dripped from his blade, and he had lacerations all over his body. He looked around the room and his mood changed. ¡°The witch isn¡¯t here. Why would she kidnap a baby just to leave him behind?¡± Someone caught up to him.


    ¡°Richard! Is Charlie here? Is he okay?¡± It was Mary. Charlie smiled and crawled toward her. But Richard stepped in front of her, stopping Mary from coming closer.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Mary asked.


    Richard squinted. He held his blade out toward Charlie, and instinctively Charlie leaned away, crawling backward a step. Swords were dangerous. What was Richard thinking?


    Richard¡¯s brow furrowed.


    ¡°Richard! Stop! What are you doing?¡± Mary asked, brushing past him.


    ¡°Stop, Mary,¡± he said, keeping his blade between them and Charlie. ¡°He¡¯s a baby, so why does he know that a sword is dangerous? It shouldn¡¯t make any difference to him. We have to think, why did she take him? What did she do to him? The witch¡­ did something. That¡¯s the only explanation. We have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Charlie, I don¡¯t like where this is going¡­¡± Orb said to Charlie telepathically. ¡°Bleedy, get ready to grab Charlie and run if things go bad.¡±


    ¡°Baby,¡± Bleedy said.


    ¡°Richard¡­¡± Mary started, unsure of herself now.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t Charlie. It¡¯s a demon in disguise,¡± Richard said, readying his blade as if to strike.

 Chapter 7: Busted

    Mary brushed past Richard and scooped Charlie up before he could stop her.


    ¡°Mary!¡± Richard started, before her glare silenced him.


    ¡°We promised to take care of him until the knights found his parents and that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do,¡± she said.


    Richard stared at her for a moment before his eyes fell. He sighed. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send word to Brandt. We can ask him to send someone to check on Charlie and make sure everything is okay. But we keep an eye on him until we¡¯re sure nothing¡¯s wrong. That witch could have done anything.¡±


    Mary nodded and turned back to look at Charlie in her arms. He flashed a warm smile, and she held him higher. ¡°I was so worried about you, Charlie.¡±


    Richard turned and walked out of the room. Mary followed, still holding Charlie. A group of men waited outside with pitchforks and homemade weapons. ¡°Well?¡± one of the men asked.


    ¡°The witch isn¡¯t here. But she can¡¯t be far. Spread out into the woods and search for her.¡±


    The men looked unsure and looked around at one another. ¡°What about that¡­ demon? What if it comes back?¡± another man asked.


    Richard held his bloody blade up so they could all see it. ¡°He¡¯s licking his wounds. Don¡¯t worry about him for now, the witch is our priority. Don¡¯t engage. Find her and come report to me.¡± He paused, before growing annoyed with the nervous villagers. ¡°Now!¡± he yelled, and they scattered into the woods. Richard turned and nodded to Mary.


    Charlie settled into Mary¡¯s embrace, leaning his head on her shoulder. When they walked back through the marketplace, Mary gently covered his face with her hand. He wanted to resist. To force himself to look at the disfigured bodies he¡¯d seen in the portal. The remnants of those who¡¯d still been here before Richard had arrived and fought off Dremmon.


    He¡¯d seen some of these people earlier. They hadn¡¯t known anything about him, but when they thought he was being taken away into the woods by a strange creature, they had tried to save him. They had gone to get Richard and Mary.


    These people had tried to help him.


    Now they were dead.


    His eyes seemed as if they wanted to cry, his body felt like it was too tired to.


    He had a strange feeling then.


    It was overwhelming. He felt like he was being watched. He looked up, and for a second, he thought he saw something. He thought he saw what appeared to be a giant eye made of clouds in the sky. It looked as if it was staring directly at him. For a moment, he stared back. And then, the exhaustion of battle and everything they¡¯d been through overcame him. Despite fighting the urge to fall asleep, ultimately, he succumbed to slumber.


    In those final moments before he dozed off, his last thought was of that eye in the sky.


    ***


    ¡°Charlie! Wake up! We¡¯re breaking you out of here!¡± Orb said. Charlie¡¯s eyes slowly opened, and the soft, familiar feel of his small bassinet mattress encompassed him. He yawned and rolled over to see Orb just barely peeking out from beneath a blanket.


    ¡°Orb?¡± Charlie smiled, still groggy from his rest. ¡°Breaking me out of where?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Charlie, you¡¯ve been asleep for three days. I haven¡¯t been able to wake you up. We were worried.¡± Orb subtly half-rolled from side to side in an anxious manner.


    ¡°Three days?¡± Charlie blinked. That didn¡¯t sound right. He¡¯d never slept that long, and that wasn¡¯t for lack of trying.


    He turned at the sound of the door opening and saw Richard stride into the room. Wait, they¡¯d moved his bed into the living room while he was sleeping? How come?


    Mary was on the couch reading a book. She closed it and rose to greet Richard. She kissed him on the cheek, a big smile on her face. He embraced her for a moment before kneeling to untie his boots.


    ¡°Any news?¡± Mary asked.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s like she just disappeared. It doesn¡¯t make any sense, even for a witch.¡±


    ¡°And what about the beast?¡± Mary asked.


    Richard just shook his head. ¡°Have you seen the other creature today? The one that¡¯s been lurking around the house?¡±


    Mary looked up in thought for a moment. ¡°No. Not today. I thought about putting food out for it. The witch hunt may be disturbing some of the forest¡¯s creatures¡¯ habitats.¡±


    Richard shrugged. ¡°We have to find her.¡± He looked up, caught off guard by something in his peripheral. ¡°Charlie?¡±


    Charlie turned in confusion. Richard wasn¡¯t looking in his direction. Neither of them had noticed he was awake yet. Orb shot out from the blanket and gently nudged Charlie, so he lowered his head. ¡°Don¡¯t let them see you or it¡¯ll ruin the plan!¡± Orb mind shouted.


    ¡°What plan?¡± Charlie turned and saw a small bundle of blankets quietly crawling out of the room.


    Mary gasped and ran to grab it. ¡°Charlie! How¡¯d you get out?¡± she asked. She scooped up the pile of blankets into her arms and gently pulled away the stretch of blanket covering ¡°Charlie¡¯s¡± face. But it wasn¡¯t Charlie¡¯s face she saw. It was Bleedy¡¯s.


    The raccoon-beaver hybrid flashed a gummy smile. Mary screamed, dropping him onto the ground and running upstairs to the bedroom she shared with Richard. Bleedy hit the ground with a thud and chased after her. Charlie could hear him scratching at the door to keep her from coming out.


    Richard drew his blade and took a step to follow before something scurrying around his feet caught his attention. Charlie craned his head to get a better look.


    Mousifer scurried from under the couch and seized the opportunity to crawl up Richard¡¯s pant leg. Richard¡¯s jaw dropped, and he froze for a moment before leaping into action. He flung his blade to the side and started patting at Mousifer, who was dutifully maneuvering through Richard¡¯s pants like there was a piece of cheese on the line. Richard gave up on stopping Mousifer that way and instead hurriedly unbuckled his pants, letting them fall to his ankles. Mousifer was caught by surprise and fell with them. He quickly scrambled under the couch for cover.


    ¡°That¡¯s my cue,¡± Orb said before whizzing off. He shot directly for Richard, who seemed to sense his new attacker. He turned just as Orb smacked right into his face, between his eyes. Richard swatted Orb away and tried to get some distance but tripped due to the pants around his ankle. He fell, slamming into the ground.


    He grunted.


    ¡°We did it! Alright everyone! Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Orb instructed. Bleedy hurried down the stairs to Charlie¡¯s bassinet and used his snout to lift Charlie onto his back. He scampered up the side of the bassinet and leapt to the ground all in one fluid motion.


    Orb shot under the couch and when he emerged from the far side, Mousifer was holding on to him. Orb and Mousifer floated up to the doorknob to unlock it.


    They had just managed to get it to turn when a blade impaled itself inches from them.


    Bleedy wheeled around and Charlie looked up to see a very angry Richard standing over them. He¡¯d already managed to get his pants back on. Mary was in the background with both of her hands lifted into the air and a sparkling diamond blue hex radiated from each of them.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Richard said, drawing his blade from the door and pointing it at the blue floating dungeon core. ¡°Now I¡¯m pissed off.¡±


    Orb floated several inches away. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to have to fight everyone. Get ready,¡± he called out.


    Charlie shook his head. He liked Richard and Mary. He liked Orb and his friends. He didn¡¯t want them to hurt each other. But how could he stop it? He remembered his powers. Maybe if he shocked them? A change of scenery might de-escalate the situation. It worked before. At least, it bought them time.


    Transfer.


    Charlie¡¯s head tilted. Why didn¡¯t that work? He wondered.


    Dungeon integrity at zero.


    Transfer to dungeon unavailable.


    Charlie shrieked, and everyone in the room turned to look at him, caught off guard.


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    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Charlie, we¡¯ll save you,¡± Mary said, a gentle look in her eyes. It hardened as she refocused on what she thought were Charlie¡¯s kidnappers.


    I can¡¯t bring everyone to the dungeon because it collapsed. But what if I tried to bring the dungeon to us? Or just a part of it¡­ that could still work. It would buy him a moment to figure out how to stop this.


    ¡°Transfer,¡± Charlie tried to say aloud. It came out incoherent, garbled baby talk, but apparently it got the point across.


    Reality shifted, and whereas one moment they had all been standing in the living room of Richard and Mary¡¯s home, now the walls had changed. Everything mutated as if it was made from stone. The couch, the door, all of it was still exactly where it had been a moment ago, only now, they were inside a smaller version of Charlie¡¯s dungeon. He had essentially transferred just enough material from his dungeon to the house to achieve his desired effect.


    And it seemed to work.


    Mostly.


    Richard and Mary looked around, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden change of scenery.


    Orb turned toward Charlie. ¡°How the heck did you do that? I didn¡¯t even feel you transport us!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t transport us; I transported the dungeon¡­ I think,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Hm. That makes sense, I guess. I mean, if you can take us there, then obviously you can¡ªYOU WHAT?!¡± Orb bounced up and down, deeply distressed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense at all!¡±


    Charlie looked toward Richard and Mary. Richard had stepped in front of her. He was on edge, waiting for an attack to come at any moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Charlie thought toward them. He hated he couldn¡¯t talk to them. That he couldn¡¯t explain everything. They looked at him in shock. Wide-eyed shock. Charlie frowned. Was there something on his face?


    ¡°Charlie¡­ did you just¡­ talk?¡± Mary asked, her mouth hung open after she finished speaking.


    Charlie looked at Orb. ¡°I think Mary¡¯s hearing things!¡± he said, a hint of panic in his voice.


    Orb shook himself. ¡°No¡­ Charlie¡­ I think she heard you think-speak!¡±


    Richard held his blade out. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Send us back now, demon!¡± He aimed his blade at Orb once again. ¡°How¡­ how are you communicating with us? Most dungeon cores can¡¯t talk¡­ and Charlie¡­¡± Richard seemed to be having just as much trouble as Mary processing everything that was going on.


    Charlie realized they really could hear what was going on. ¡°Orb¡­ is it because they¡¯re in our dungeon? Lusafeen could hear me in the dungeon too. Maybe¡­ maybe that¡¯s how it works?¡± Charlie turned back to his distressed adoptive parents. Now probably wasn¡¯t the time to worry about how he could communicate with them.


    What mattered was that he could.


    He instinctively crawled toward Mary, but she took a step back. Charlie stopped. He looked up at her face. She was trembling. His lips quivered. Mary was scared of him. He didn¡¯t want Mary to be scared of him. His lips pressed together, and his eyes scrunched up, and he fought back the urge to cry. Bleedy hurried forward and put an arm around Charlie¡¯s back. Charlie leaned his head in and lowered it.


    ¡°Charlie¡­¡± Mary hesitated. ¡°Is that really you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Baby,¡± Bleedy said telepathically, as if to confirm.


    Richard and Mary exchanged a look. Richard sheathed his sword and nodded at Mary. She hurried forward, picked him up and bounced him in her arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay buddy. Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s okay,¡± she cooed.


    Richard looked at the rest of Charlie¡¯s odd companions. A floating blue marble, a raccoon-beaver hybrid, and a mouse that he still hadn¡¯t forgiven for running up his pants. ¡°Alright. I think we better start from the beginning. What¡¯s going on here?¡± he asked them.


    Charlie and Orb took turns explaining things with the occasional squeak from Mousifer when they forgot a detail until they were confident they had shared everything they had to share. After they finished, Richard and Mary sat in silence for a few moments, processing everything they heard.


    ¡°So, you somehow bonded with this dungeon core¡­ and now you have access to a dungeon?¡± Richard said.


    Charlie nodded. It felt good letting Richard and Mary in on his secret, but something he couldn¡¯t quite identify was bothering him. A nagging feeling that something was about to go wrong.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to take precautions. But we¡¯ll do everything we can to keep you safe, Charlie,¡± Mary said, offering him a comforting nod. ¡°Won¡¯t we Richard?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. This isn¡¯t Charlie¡¯s fault. Still, I¡¯m not sure Brandt and the others would see it that way. We should¡ª¡± Richard paused suddenly. His eyes shot toward the front door.


    He stared at it for a moment before turning his head slightly and lifting his ear. ¡°Mary!¡± His sword was out of its sheath in one fluid motion, and he barreled through the door that separated the dungeon from the outside world. Charlie covered his face as light flooded through. Only the interior of the house had changed. The outside world was normal as ever. Mary ran outside, Charlie still in her arms, and the others followed. Richard was running after someone who¡¯d been eavesdropping on them.


    A scrawny man wearing a red cloak.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the knights!¡± Mary exclaimed.


    The small man had already made it to his horse before Richard could reach him.


    ¡°Talmot! Stop!¡± Richard called out.


    Talmot hesitated. He stopped a moment before slapping the steed¡¯s haunch. He turned to look at Richard.


    Richard slowly returned his sword to his sheath and held his hand in the air.


    ¡°That child is an abomination, Richard. Sir Brandt needs to know about this,¡± Talmot said.


    Charlie¡¯s heart sank. He didn¡¯t know what that word meant, but the tone told him enough. Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t a good thing. His gaze fell, and he stared at the dirt beneath Mary¡¯s feet. She squeezed him tighter.


    ¡°Talmot!¡± Richard barked. Talmot flinched atop his horse at the sudden shout. Richard¡¯s demeanor softened again. ¡°Look, let¡¯s just talk about this. I can explain everything.¡± Richard turned to look over his shoulder at Charlie.


    Talmot studied Richard¡¯s expression, and then his gaze softened. He turned, unable to look Richard in the eye. ¡°I can tell you care for the child,¡± he said.


    Richard relaxed.


    ¡°But¡­ I know what you¡¯re willing to do to protect what you care about.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes flickered toward his missing arm. ¡°Talmot, let¡¯s go inside. Once you hear everything, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough, Richard.¡± Talmot slapped the steed¡¯s haunch, and it took off, galloping down the road leading out of town.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me do this!¡± Richard called out, yanking his sword free from his waist. Talmot looked over his shoulder but stayed on course. Richard drew back his blade like a spear and paused, taking careful aim.


    ¡°Is he going to¡ª¡± Orb started. Charlie realized it almost simultaneously. Richard was going to hurt the fleeing knight.


    When your enemies flee, let them. There¡¯s enough pain in the world as is.


    A panicked shriek escaped him. He didn¡¯t understand what was going on. He didn¡¯t understand where that memory came from.


    Richard flinched. He brought his arm forward and threw his sword like a javelin. It sailed through the air but fell off course. In its path, several trees were reduced to splinters. Nervous hooves stomped the earth more quickly. Talmot rode off unharmed into the distance.


    Richard swore. He turned back and looked at Mary, defeated. ¡°They¡¯ll be no catching him now.¡±


    She was silent for a moment. ¡°What now?¡± she asked. Richard shook his head.


    ¡°I thought you were friends with the knights. Why did you want to hurt him?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Because it was the only way to keep you safe, Charlie. Now the knights will know about us¡­¡± Orb said.


    ¡°The knights will¡­ hurt us?¡± Charlie asked.


    Richard paused. For a while, he didn¡¯t say anything. He just stared at the ground, his eyes scrolling as if he would find a plan written in the dirt.


    Then, like a switch had been flipped, he hurried to action. He reached out for Charlie and took him from Mary. He walked up to Bleedy and sat him on his back. ¡°Charlie, I know we said we would protect you, but things have changed.¡±


    ¡°Richard!¡± Mary said in disbelief.


    ¡°Mary, go and pack our things. We¡¯re leaving. It won¡¯t be safe here for long.¡±


    ¡°But what about¡­¡± Her eyes drifted to Charlie.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before word reaches Brandt. When it does, he¡¯ll come looking for Charlie, and we both know what he¡¯d do.¡± He knelt before Bleedy and Charlie. ¡°You went to the witch¡¯s cabin on your own, riding this creature. And your other friends helped as well. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to do that again.¡±


    ¡°Go back to the cabin?¡± Charlie asked.


    Richard shook his head. ¡°You need to run. Far away from here. The knights won¡¯t have mercy on you just because you¡¯re a baby. They¡¯ll¡­ you need to run, Charlie.¡±


    ¡°You and Mary aren¡¯t coming with us?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°No. Talmot can track all the knights. Past and present. He can track Mary too. They¡¯ll come for me first. That¡¯s why Mary and I will travel away from here. We¡¯ll lead them far away from you all, buy you time. You¡¯ll need to head to Arcadeya. You¡¯ll find a researcher there. He specializes in dungeons and dungeon cores. He¡¯ll know what to do. But it¡¯s quite a way from here, so in the meantime, we¡¯ll do what we can to stop them.¡±


    ¡°Richard¡­he¡¯s just a child. He¡¯s a baby¡­¡±


    Richard stood and looked her in the eyes. ¡°You know Brandt as well as I do. That won¡¯t deter him. He won¡¯t hesitate. We can¡¯t take all the knights on and keep Charlie safe. If he stays with us, he¡¯ll be in more danger than he is out there without us.


    Mary didn¡¯t say anything, she had a grim look on her face.


    Richard was already walking down the path Talmot escaped down. ¡°I¡¯m going to get my sword. I¡¯ll need it for the days to come.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how will we find the researcher once we get there? How do we even get there?¡± Orb asked.


    Richard didn¡¯t break stride. ¡°He¡¯ll find you. As for how, Mary will give you a map.¡±


    A frown set in Mary¡¯s face. She knelt and picked Charlie off Bleedy¡¯s back and hugged him tightly. ¡°Please be safe, little one. It will be dangerous but¡­ you managed to beat Lusafeen. I believe you¡¯ll be alright.¡± She turned to Mousifer and Bleedy. ¡°Please keep him safe,¡± she said.


    ¡°Baby.¡±


    ¡°Squeak.¡±


    Mary smiled. ¡°And you too, Orb. Keep Charlie safe.¡±


    Orb bounced up and down twice as if to nod. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She sat Charlie back on Bleedy¡¯s back and hurried inside the home, returning a few moments later with some supplies. ¡°Here. I¡¯ve packed food for everyone, and formula for Charlie. There¡¯s some coin in there as well.¡± She fastened the satchel to Bleedy¡¯s side securely. She stood and took a step toward the house, turning back to give Charlie one last look, tears in her eyes.


    Charlie looked toward his friends and then down the path out of town. Orb hovered next to him and bobbed from side to side. ¡°Well, what now, Charlie?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie looked up at him, his lips pursed to the side. A grin broke out just as soon as it dawned on him. The perfect thing to say.


    ¡°Now, we go play dungeon!¡±


    ***


    Dremmon sat on his perch, high in the treetops. A faint scent wafted by, and he sniffed deeply to pinpoint it. It was familiar. It was the boy.


    He watched as the little creature that had bitten him in the cabin approached. On its back were the baby, the dungeon core, and the mouse. For a second, he contemplated an ambush. But he waited, on instinct. His eyes flickered to the battered stump of his left forearm. The wound was infected and sleeping it off in his treetop hiding place wasn¡¯t helping. Not to mention the throbbing headache he had from the broken horn on the same side.


    He was in no shape to fight. Even foes as weak as they were.


    But the battle three days ago had challenged that notion, hadn¡¯t it?


    This child, the dungeon core, and those two vermin creatures had managed to defeat Lusafeen somehow. He couldn¡¯t smell her on them. He couldn¡¯t feel her presence anymore. Dremmon had held onto hope that she would reemerge, but it had been three days. The humans were still hunting for her. He had smelled their disgusting scents permeating all throughout his hunting grounds for days now. He had held out hope, but now, he realized that was foolish. They were connected. A connection that nothing should be able to break.


    It meant his worst fear had been realized.


    Lusafeen was dead.


    He could feel the bloodlust growing, the urge to take revenge.


    But Dremmon was not a monster. He was more than his primal urges. He suppressed them. Charlie and his companions passed by unharmed, unaware of the danger Dremmon presented, as they continued their journey.


    ¡°You live for today, little one, but I will recover. When I do, I will be on your trail.¡±

 Chapter 8: A man named Merlin

    Bleedy raced through the forest, leaves crunching under his paws as he ran. Charlie looked up, enjoying the wind sweeping against his face. The trees rushed by, and birds scattered at their approach.


    Behind Charlie, Mousifer worked diligently, scurrying around the small satchel on Bleedy¡¯s side. He propped up the bottles so that they were leaning partially out of the bag and then scampered up them. He carefully removed the lids, and then leaned his weight against the bottle to let the liquid trickle out.


    They left a trail of baby formula behind them as they went.


    When he finished, Mousifer let Charlie know with a happy squeak. Charlie rewarded him with a head pat. ¡°Thank you, Mousifer. That stuff creeps me out.¡± They¡¯d gone through the trouble of emptying out the bottles, instead of getting rid of them because they had some sort of magic property. The bottles were still cold, even though a couple of days had passed since Mary packed them.


    Orb had spent most of the morning riding on Bleedy¡¯s head, but now, he hovered beside, keeping pace.


    He¡¯d told them he needed to stretch his legs.


    ¡°You do realize you just had him get rid of all your food, right? You don¡¯t have anything left to eat,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie blinked. He had not, in fact, realized that.


    Bleedy growled a warning. Charlie looked up and noticed thick foliage up ahead. He gently guided Mousifer under him and then leaned over to cover him with his body. Bleedy had already gone through some of the thick patches of vegetation a few times since they left Troa. In one of them Orb had flown right into a branch that bent backwards for a just a second before snapping back into place and sending him flying into a thick pool of mud.


    They were being a little more careful now. Not careful enough to have Bleedy slow down, but more careful.


    Bleedy shot through the foliage and then came screeching to a halt.


    There was a town there.


    It was built in a sizable forest clearing. A few scattered houses dotted the tree line. There were also a number of worn-down buildings that lined up along either side of a single street. In the center of the street was a small gathering space. Even now it was filling with people.


    A man stood atop a horse-drawn cart, getting ready to speak.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out!¡± Charlie said, leaning forward on Bleedy¡¯s back as if to urge him onward. They¡¯d been traveling through the woods for two days now. He was itching for some excitement.


    ¡°Not so fast! Richard told us to avoid towns until we reach Arcadeya. What will people think if they see a baby running around by himself?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not by myself! I¡¯m with the three of you.¡± Charlie pointed out.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that doesn¡¯t make it look any better, Charlie.¡±


    Bleedy suddenly lifted his snout in the air, sniffing as if he caught wind of something. A minute later, he was racing towards town.


    ¡°Hey! Stop that!¡± Orb called out. He mentally sighed before zooming off after them.


    By the time they reached the crowd, almost everyone around had gathered to listen. They whispered amongst themselves and brushed past one another to get a better view. Bleedy snarled in frustration, unable to find the source of the scent he¡¯d followed.


    Charlie looked up and noticed a stack of lopsided crates on the right flank of the crowd. He tugged at Bleedy¡¯s fur and pointed. Bleedy followed his gesture and hurried over, climbing atop the sketchy stack of crates, and let Charlie dismount. When Bleedy was satisfied Charlie was well positioned, he scurried back down and sniffed around again for the lost trail. He skirted past the legs of those gathered there and Charlie lost sight of him.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to learn the hard way people eat creatures like him,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie shot him a horrified look.


    ¡°You wanna know how much I care? If I had shoulders, I¡¯d be shrugging.¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Mousifer. That is rude,¡± Charlie said. They turned to look at the man atop the cart. He was getting ready to start.


    The man was young, mid-twenties with the beginnings of a beard. His ruffled, jet-black hair was pushed back, and he wore a purple hooded cloak. His wooden cart looked expensive. It had a detachable covering that was lowered now. Probably so he could stand on it and give speeches like he was about to. His horse was brown, with a dark mane running down its neck. It stood beside the cart with a bored look on its long face.


    The man cleared his throat to gather the attention of his audience.


    ¡°Hello everyone! Let¡¯s get started. For those of you that don¡¯t know me, and I imagine that includes¡­ all of you, my name is Merlin. I¡¯m a magician of some renown back in the capital, but I¡¯ve since moved on from that life. Now I travel the country offering my services at a fair price. Just two silver pieces and I can make all of your troubles go away.¡±


    Several people turned to look at their neighbors, wondering what he was talking about.


    ¡°You! My good sir. Tell me, are you bald by choice or fortune?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Not by choice,¡± the bald man grumbled. He crossed his arms against his brown tunic.


    ¡°Well then. For two silver pieces, we can fix that right up for you! Step forward, step forward!¡± Merlin said. The crowd exchanged doubtful glances.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of magic that can grow hair,¡± someone near Charlie whispered to her neighbor.


    The man looked reluctant but stepped forward. Merlin offered a hand and helped pull the man on stage.


    Merlin guided the man to stand in front of him and then held a hand out and chanted. ¡°Hazel Hex Heal.¡± A hazel-colored hexagram appeared between Merlin and the man, and several members of the crowd gasped, unused to magic.


    The bald man slowly reached his hands out to feel his head. He flushed red when he realized nothing had changed. ¡°Not so fast!¡± Merlin said hurriedly. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet.¡± Merlin reached a hand behind his back and then ran it over the man¡¯s head. He covered it so the crowd couldn¡¯t see with his other hand. Then he reached down, grabbed a bottle of liquid, and poured it over the man. The bald man sputtered, spitting the liquid from his face.


    He balled up a fist to strike Merlin, but the crowd¡¯s reaction caused him to pause.


    A woman, presumably his wife, pushed through the crowd. ¡°Darling¡­ your hair¡­¡± she managed. He looked at her before his hands shot once again to his head. A head full of wet, black hair.


    ¡°But how did¡ª¡± he managed before Merlin cut him off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. As I said, magic. Two silver pieces, please.¡± Merlin smiled, holding a hand out.


    The man dug into his coin purse and handed Merlin two silver pieces and made his way off stage to embrace his wife.


    ¡°Mister! Were you a member of the Hex Arcana?¡± A child called out.


    Merlin smirked. ¡°I can neither confirm nor deny something like that. But I¡¯ll leave it up to your imagination. What I will say is I¡¯m quite good at what I do. I know, I know. How can a man who worked for the kingdom be asking for money in exchange for helping people? Well. The truth is, before I left the capital, I caught wind of a countryside orphanage that was being shut down. It broke my heart. And so, I donated all I had. Every single piece of gold, silver, and copper. Now I travel the countryside helping my fellow man. All I ask is enough coin to feed my lovely friend Marvin here,¡± he gestured toward the horse on the end of his cart. ¡°And enough for a warm meal and a bed at night. So, who''s next?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Is this guy serious?¡± Orb asked. ¡°He¡¯s a total con-artist.¡±


    Charlie thought Merlin seemed really cool. Mousifer squeaked something in his ear and pointed at a little girl in the crowd. She was standing next to an older lady, probably a family member. She was staring intently at the stage. The girl gripped her fist tight for just a second before patting her pocket. She turned, noticing a large coin pouch on the waist of the man next to her. She looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then she reached for it.


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    But she stopped. She shook her head and then looked down at the ground.


    She looked broken. Defeated.


    ¡°Squeak?¡±


    Charlie looked at him, surprised. But then he smiled and nodded. Bleedy had run off with most of their supplies, but Charlie had hidden away a few silver pieces in his onesie for safekeeping. He dug them out and handed them to Mousifer. Mousifer stretched his mouth wide to fit the two pieces inside. Charlie giggled at how ridiculous he looked. The coins were too big, and both of his cheeks were comically inflated to make room for them.


    Mousifer scampered down the crates and hurried in the direction of the girl.


    Charlie turned his attention back to the stage. He¡¯d missed Merlin giving someone a potion that would apparently help with wrinkles.


    A little boy stepped forward next. ¡°Can you fix my tooth? I lost it.¡±


    The crowd erupted into laughter. Merlin flashed a knowing smile and held a hand up to quiet the crowd. He knelt on stage before the boy. ¡°Well, a tooth isn¡¯t something that needs to be fixed with magic¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°Please! I really hate not having a tooth. It was my favorite one!¡± The boy pleaded.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Merlin held a hand up and said the words again. A hazel hex appeared before the boy¡¯s face. He felt around his mouth with a finger but realized the tooth wasn¡¯t there. The boy¡¯s face sunk.


    ¡°Oh no. Don¡¯t worry, it will return. I started to replace it but then I thought¡­ why give him another normal tooth when I could give him a magical one,¡± Merlin said. He winked at the boy.


    ¡°Magic?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Of course! It¡¯ll be stronger and harder than a normal tooth when it grows back. Just make sure you brush them really well! Alright?¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°Okay!¡± the boy said, turning to his father. His father held out a few coins. Merlin took one of them but pushed the other back to the father. ¡°Just one for this,¡± he said. The father nodded his head.


    ¡°Now! Anyone else? As I said, I¡¯m a master magician! What else can I do? What ails the people of this village? You, good sir, in the back!¡± he pointed toward an old man not far from Charlie. ¡°What did you do for a living?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°I was a carpenter,¡± the old man said.


    ¡°Ah. You must have cut down a lot of trees then.¡±


    The old man nodded.


    Merlin smiled. ¡°The problem with cutting trees down is the karma. Sometimes our own¡­trees don¡¯t grow back when you want them to. I can help with that!¡± Merlin winked. The crowd erupted into laughter.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that! This old tree is strong as ever!¡±


    Merlin laughed. ¡°Well then, anyone else in need of my services?¡± he called out. Several hands shot up and people started making their way to the front of the stage. People with scars, coughs and broken hearts alike stepped forward to solicit his services. Little by little, the coin pouch on Merlin¡¯s waist grew firmer and more filled with coin.


    But Merlin turned as a little girl climbed up onto the stage. It was the girl from the earlier.


    She wore a simple green dress and had bright orange hair fashioned into pigtails on either side of her head.


    Silence spread throughout the crowd. Merlin stood up, surprised, and turned to face her. ¡°Hello little one. What can I do for you? A boy break your heart? Or maybe you want vegetables to taste better from now on? What is it?¡±


    The little girl looked unsure of herself before finding her courage. Determination spread across her freckled face. ¡°My mom is sick! Please help her,¡± she said.


    Merlin looked at her before chancing a glance at the crowd. ¡°I see¡­ and what exactly is wrong with her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got Darwanes syndrome. She¡¯s had a fever for months and hasn¡¯t been able to get out of bed,¡± the girl said.


    A sad look spread across the audience. ¡°Poor girl. She¡¯s so young to lose a mother,¡± someone said nearby.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t all that long ago we¡¯d have what we needed on hand to cure it. And now we can¡¯t even go that deep into the forest,¡± another said.


    Merlin grimaced. ¡°That¡­ for that, you may be better hiring someone to find Sycamara root. It¡¯s effective against Darwanes. But magic is ¡ª¡±


    ¡°You said you can cure anything! Were you lying?¡± the girl demanded.


    The crowd started muttering. Merlin had said he could cure anything, so why all of a sudden was he resistant to helping the little girl? Charlie wondered. Merlin noticed the turning crowd and regained his composure. ¡°Of course, I can cure anything! Is your¡­ is your mother nearby?¡± he asked.


    The little girl shook her head. ¡°I see¡­¡± Merlin said. He turned and looked around his makeshift stage and picked up a bottle full of clear liquid. ¡°Hold this,¡± he handed the bottle to her. He cast a hazel hex on it. The liquid shimmered for a moment in the light of the hex before returning to its usual color. ¡°Give this to her to drink, in a few days¡­ everything should be all better,¡± he said.


    His cheery demeanor wasn¡¯t there anymore.


    ¡°Really?¡± Her eyes softened as she tenderly took the vial.


    Merlin nodded and reluctantly took the two silver coins she handed him in return. People from the crowd pushed forward, holding up silver coins, but Merlin held out his hands. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today. Come back here tomorrow, same time and I¡¯ll help the rest of you. I¡¯m tired and need rest after my travels.¡±


    He sounded deflated.


    The crowd grumbled but gave in. Slowly, they dispersed.


    An old lady walked up to Charlie and grabbed him from the stack of crates.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Charlie thought as she took him into her arms.


    Orb started buzzing around her head. ¡°Put him down!¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to notice.


    ¡°Charlie! I told you this is why we should stay out of town. Now you¡¯re being baby-napped!¡±


    ¡°Orb! Do something!¡± Charlie said, wriggling to get free of her grasp.


    ¡°Stop wriggling, Hilda! The nice man isn¡¯t helping anyone else today. It¡¯s time to go home!¡± The old lady said.


    ¡°Grandma, what are you doing? I¡¯m over here,¡± a little girl¡¯s voice said. Charlie and the old lady turned at the same time to look at the voice¡¯s owner. It was the girl that¡¯d gone on stage. Orb quickly hid behind the crates to avoid being spotted.


    The little girl still held the vial Merlin had sold her in hand. Mousifer peeked out from her pocket. He waved a little paw at Charlie.


    ¡°Then who is this?¡± the grandma asked, turning to squint at Charlie.


    ¡°That¡¯s someone¡¯s baby!¡± Hilda said. Hilda looked around and realized there wasn¡¯t anyone left except them. ¡°Well¡­ they must¡¯ve forgotten it.¡±


    Grandma frowned. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. My father forgot me somewhere once. I ended up witnessing a murder. Even helped the town guards catch the guy. He spent twelve years in prison before I realized the red splatter I saw was just spilt tomatoes. My eyesight never was all that good. Anyway, that¡¯s how I met my first husband.¡±


    ¡°You married him after he got out of prison?¡± Hilda asked.


    ¡°Oh, no. After I realized I got a craving for tomatoes. Went to buy one and ran into a handsome young shopkeeper.¡±


    Hilda rolled her eyes. ¡°What do we do with the baby?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We have to get home before dark. We¡¯ll come back tomorrow and look for his family,¡± Grandma said. Hilda nodded, eyeing the vial cradled in her arms.


    ¡°Well¡­ looks like we have somewhere safe to stay tonight,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°That was not the plan, Charlie! Didn¡¯t you ever learn about stranger danger? This is the definition of unsafe decision making!¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Squea.¡±


    Orb rolled himself. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you like her granddaughter!¡±


    Charlie looked around. ¡°Where did Bleedy go?¡±


    As if he heard them talking, Bleedy trudged up, slowly following behind Hilda and her grandmother as they walked. His belly was unusually full, and he moved slowly as if he had overeaten. ¡°What the heck, you ate without us?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°Ball.¡± Bleedy burped.


    ¡°Who cares if I don¡¯t eat? I still would like to be asked!¡±


    ***


    On the far side of the forest clearing from where they¡¯d first entered, Charlie and his friends settled into the cabin Hilda and her family called home. Her grandma was working on a large broth in a pot. On the adjacent countertop, Mousifer stole bites of her ingredients when she wasn¡¯t looking. Bleedy settled into a corner. Charlie laid on the dinner table watching Orb buzz around the ceiling. Hilda was in the other room.


    She hadn¡¯t left her mom¡¯s side since giving her the vials¡¯ contents.


    Grandma noticed Bleedy in the corner and called out to Hilda. ¡°Hilda! Get in here, you forgot to walk the family dog! Hurry and take him outside before he pees everywhere.¡±


    Bleedy¡¯s head wheeled toward grandma and his eyes shot open. He slowly lowered his hind leg.


    ¡°What? We don¡¯t have a dog¡ª¡± Hilda paused as she entered the room and her eyes locked on Bleedy. ¡°Grandma, what is that?!¡± she shrieked. Bleedy took cover behind Grandma¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Oh, Hilda, hush. You¡¯re scaring him.¡±


    ¡°But Grandma we¡ª¡± A knock on the door interrupted her mid-sentence. Hilda signed and went to open the door. ¡°Oh. Doctor! I thought you were coming tomorrow.¡±


    The doctor and his assistant stepped inside at Hilda¡¯s beckon. ¡°Well, we were. But I was making a few house calls and figure I¡¯d stop by just to be safe. Werner here was just saying how he hated missing the show today. Says he¡¯s never seen magic.¡±


    Werner, his assistant, still pouted at the thought. Grandma pulled out two chairs at the table. ¡°Join us for dinner. There¡¯s plenty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to. But I can¡¯t stay too long. Have you noticed any change, Hilda?¡± the doctor asked.


    Hilda smiled. ¡°I could swear her fever¡¯s gone down just a bit! I think she¡¯ll be better before tomorrow.¡±


    The doctor laughed. ¡°Is that so? Well, then¡ª¡± A strained series of coughs came from the other room. The doctor and his assistant exchanged a look before hurrying to check it out. Charlie signaled Bleedy, who jumped atop a kitchen chair and then up onto the table. Charlie grabbed hold of Bleedy¡¯s back and followed the procession into the other room.


    The doctor¡¯s face was pale. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Grandma asked.


    Hilda¡¯s mother had the same shade of orange hair, but it was longer. She had a peaceful expression on her face. Peaceful except for the growing purple splotches. That, and her lips turning a dark shade of blue. The doctor turned to his assistant. ¡°Where did you say that magician was staying tonight?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Over in the inn. How come?¡± Werner asked.


    ¡°Because at this point, magic may be the only way she survives through tomorrow night.¡±

 Chapter 9: Snake Oil Salesman

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Orb asked, chasing after Bleedy. The racooneever had burst out of the room at Charlie¡¯s command.


    ¡°To find Merlin! He can help her!¡± Charlie said.


    Orb shot past Bleedy and froze in his way. Bleedy came screeching to a halt. ¡°And how exactly are you going to find him, Charlie?¡±


    Charlie sat there, dumbfounded. ¡°Uhm, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Bleedy.¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you just say your own name?¡± Orb asked.


    Bleedy nodded. He started sniffing along the ground before finding what he was looking for. ¡°Bleedy!¡± he called out again, shooting off with Charlie. Orb spun in frustration before taking off after them.


    They arrived at a tall building along the town¡¯s center street. Outside the building was the same cart Merlin had stood on to speak earlier that day. Bleedy jumped up on the cart and ran up to a wooden crate on it. He sniffed at it before perking up, inhaling more deeply. He somehow managed to slide the top piece off and peeked his head inside.


    When he pulled it out, his mouth was full of hair.


    Or at least, something that looked like hair.


    ¡°What the heck is that? Did you just come here for a snack?¡± Orb asked. Bleedy kept chewing, a content look on his face. ¡°Great, so¡­ we have no idea where Merlin is.¡±


    Charlie turned toward him. ¡°Well, he can¡¯t be far. This is his cart!¡± He looked up and noticed a couple of rooms still had lights on. ¡°Bleedy, can you take us up there?¡±


    Bleedy looked up and scanned the building. He nodded. He dipped his head back in for one more serving of the gross-looking snack and then began scaling the building. They stopped at the first window and saw a short, older man staring in the mirror of his room. He had scissors in his hand and slowly clipped away large chunks of white hair. His hand slipped, and the scissors landed with a clang against the hardwood floor.


    A woman¡¯s voice called from behind a door in the room. ¡°Ron! What was that? I better not come in there and find you cutting your hair again! I like it long.¡±


    Ron sighed. Looking at the clump of hair in his hand. He looked around for somewhere to hide it, and then promptly gave up and put it in his mouth. He covered his mouth with a hand and struggled to swallow the evidence. The man looked back in the mirror at his now uneven bangs and sighed again.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with everyone eating hair today? Anyway, let¡¯s keep moving, Charlie.¡± Orb said.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay, Bleedy, let¡¯s try the next one.¡±


    Bleedy climbed up onto the next floor, and Charlie patted him on the head when they saw Merlin sitting on the edge of his bed. This room was smaller than the other. A single room with only a bed and a couple of chairs inside.


    Merlin rested his face in his hands. ¡°What was I thinking? I let that whole situation get out of hand!¡± He lifted his head and allowed himself to fall back onto his bed. He stared at the dimly lit ceiling. ¡°Maybe I should make it right, find a way to help that poor woman. But¡­ if they figure me out¡­ that could be really bad, too. Maybe I should just leave town before it¡¯s too late.¡± He stood up and hurried to the door, but then paused. ¡°No. The innkeeper will wonder where I¡¯m going.¡±


    He turned back and ripped the sheets from the bed, tying them together as quickly as he could.


    Bleedy leapt to the side as Merlin made his way to the window and threw it open, flinging the sheet rope outside. Charlie got the impression this wasn¡¯t Merlin¡¯s first time leaving in this manner.


    Only a few minutes had passed.


    Merlin looked around the room one last time and climbed out. He¡¯d just gotten outside and settled in for his descent when he turned to his left and saw a furry creature clinging to the wall next to him. On its back was the silhouette of a baby with a bright blue orb where one of its eyes should be.


    A veritable demon waiting outside to strike.


    Merlin screamed, losing all of his strength, and promptly released the rope he was holding.


    Big mistake. He fell three stories and landed hard on his back in the mud.


    Charlie looked down after him. ¡°Hm, maybe he¡¯s scared of the dark?¡±


    Merlin shot up, the memory of falling still fresh in his mind. He scooted away from Charlie and his companions until his back met the wooden exterior wall of the inn. At least, it should¡¯ve been wooden. Instead, he felt abrasive rock against his back and turned to look at the transformed wall of the building.


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Charlie asked him. Merlin¡¯s head snapped back around, searching for the source of the voice. With a groan, he realized it was inside his head.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve come for you, Merlin,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Squeak.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t say it like that, Charlie. You¡¯re going to scare him,¡± Orb said.


    Merlin leaned against the wall, scrambling to his feet. He squinted into the darkness, trying to find the voice¡¯s source. Well, all the voices. He quickly realized there was more than just a single demon. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill me. I just want to go. Please, just let me go.¡± His eyes honed in on his cart and he took a tentative step toward it. ¡°I have coin! And some other goods as well. Take them! They¡¯re all yours, just¡­ spare my life!¡±


    Charlie patted Bleedy on the back and they stepped closer. Moonlight caught them at a new angle, and Merlin saw them clearly for the first time. ¡°We don¡¯t want any of that! We came because of Hilda¡¯s mother! The cure didn¡¯t work. She¡¯s sick. The doctor says she needs magic!¡±


    ¡°Hilda?¡± Merlin shook his head. A flash of recognition. He searched for an answer in the mud beneath his feet. ¡°The girl from the stage¡­ the doctor really said that? He can¡¯t help her?¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°No. He said without magic she might not even survive until tomorrow night.¡±


    Merlin seemed taken aback at the news. He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ magic isn¡¯t an option. I can¡¯t help her. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°What about that root you mentioned before? Where can I find some of that?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Right. I looked at that. Apparently, it doesn¡¯t grow far from here. The innkeeper said they used to harvest it and sell it to nearby villages. It¡¯s used for more than just curing Darwanes Syndrome. People use it in all sorts of medicines, foods and even potions.¡± A passing breeze blew the hanging rope of sheets he¡¯d tied earlier into his face.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    He swatted at it.


    He composed himself again, clearing his throat. ¡°But a month or so ago, the people who went to harvest it from the forest never came back. Neither did the search parties. The town pooled their money together to pay a passing adventurer to investigate a couple weeks ago, but he hasn¡¯t returned either. Whatever¡¯s out there, it¡¯s not good. It¡¯s just too dangerous.¡±


    Charlie turned to look at the tree line in the distance. ¡°Hm. Okay. That direction then?¡± He pointed.


    ¡°Uh, yes, but¡­ didn¡¯t you hear me? It¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    Charlie patted Bleedy on the back, and his trusty steed started walking in the direction Charlie had indicated a moment before. Orb and Mousifer trudged along after him. ¡°See ya, sucka,¡± Orb said as they headed off.


    Merlin hurried after them, trying to cut them off. ¡°Wait! That¡¯s not fair at all.¡±


    Bleedy kept walking. Charlie looked up at Merlin, who hurried beside them. ¡°What¡¯s not?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a baby! I can¡¯t just let you go into the woods by yourself! Let¡¯s¡­let¡¯s talk this through!¡± Merlin stammered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not by myself. All my friends are with me. But if you¡¯re worried, come with us,¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°What? No! That¡¯s insane. You want to travel through the woods at night? There could be anything out there!¡±


    Charlie shrugged, rocking from side to side as his furry mount trotted on towards the forest.


    ¡°Wait, but¡­Nope. I¡¯m not getting dragged into this. This is all a dream. You fell and hit your head, and your unconscious. None of this is real¡­¡±


    Charlie turned and looked over his shoulder. ¡°Bye Merlin! It was nice meeting you!¡± he called out.


    Merlin groaned. He turned back, chancing one last glance at his cart. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll come with you. But if it looks too dangerous, we¡¯re coming back!¡± he said.


    Charlie didn¡¯t say anything, he just smiled. His head bobbled as they continued on for the woods, searching for a cure for Hilda¡¯s mom.


    They walked through the lush forest outside of town for a while, Bleedy keeping pace with Merlin. Merlin swatted leaves and branches out of his way as they walked.


    After a half hour of explaining how Charlie had somehow ended up in the hands of the Knights, and later, with Richard and Mary, they caught Merlin up on everything they had experienced. How Mousifer and Bleedy had joined them, and even how they had faced the witch Lusafeen and escaped unscathed. Merlin took it all surprisingly well.


    But that might¡¯ve been because falling three stories out of a window is likely to cause a little brain damage.


    Bleedy came to a halt, sniffing at the muddy ground with great interest. ¡°What is it?¡± Charlie asked.


    Bleedy turned to look at Charlie. ¡°Others,¡± he said.


    Merlin crouched and looked around, searching for what Bleedy was detecting. ¡°Others? As in people? Monsters? What are we talking about here?¡± He swallowed.


    ¡°Others.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for clarifying.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s head snapped, and Charlie looked up. They could hear the faint rustling of conversation not far from them. Merlin and Bleedy moved slowly toward the noise. Orb trailed them, quiet and dim to avoid anyone spotting his usual bright hue.


    Charlie could see the odd limbs of men through swathes of moonlight penetrating the tree line above.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad we¡¯ll be finished soon. I¡¯d be happy to never see a tree again,¡± one of the men said.


    The other laughed. ¡°Aye. Soon, friend. Soon. Arroane will reward us greatly for this haul. And Lord Cendra, well, as I said, soon.¡±


    Charlie craned his neck, watching as the men finished up whatever they were doing. They each threw a bag over their shoulder and walked deeper into the forest. Something inside the bags rustled with each step. The men wore bright red robes with strange runes on them and had hoods pulled over their faces. They disappeared, walking into a patch of tightly knit trees. The moonlight wasn¡¯t able to flood the forest floor there.


    ¡°Oh. Oh¡­that¡¯s not good.¡± Merlin backed away from the foliage and his eyes darted around the ground as he tried to collect his thoughts.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be here. They¡¯re with the Cult of Cendra¡­ if they find us¡­¡± Merlin trailed off.


    ¡°Cendra¡­ we heard that name before. Lusafeen said it,¡± Orb said. Charlie tilted his head up at Orb and thought about it for a second. He nodded as her words came back to him. She had mentioned someone named Cendra.


    ¡°What¡¯s the Cult of Cendra?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Bad news. Very bad. We need to go back to town.¡± Merlin paused. ¡°I think I know what happened to the villagers who went missing now. If the cult is active here, they may not want anyone to know what they''re up to. If they find us¡­well, it¡¯s best we don¡¯t find out.¡± Merlin turned to walk back to town.


    ¡°Wait! What about Hilda¡¯s mom? Without that plant, she¡¯ll die. We can¡¯t leave without it,¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin didn¡¯t turn around, instead his gaze simply fell to the ground. ¡°Charlie¡­we can¡¯t help her. If we stay, we¡¯ll only get ourselves killed. It won¡¯t do her any good if we all die. We can report to the villagers what we learned, at the very least, so they know not to send anyone else out here.¡±


    He paused. ¡°Look, I really don¡¯t want to be the guy who abandoned a baby out here. But I don¡¯t want to die. So, stay if you want. But you shouldn¡¯t. Even if you are a dungeon baby or whatever.¡± Merlin took a few reluctant steps back toward the village.


    Charlie shouted after him. It came out gibberish. He reached out with his mind before Merlin had gone too far. ¡°Don¡¯t you care at all? Even if the cult finds us, we can fight! You can use your magic!¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin stopped. He turned around and aimed a palm towards Charlie. ¡°Emerald Hex Elemental,¡± he said. An emerald-colored hex appeared. From it, a ball of fire surged outward toward Charlie.


    It was fast.


    Too fast.


    Charlie went to cover his face with his hand. Bleedy lifted up on his hind legs and held his arms out, shielding the others from the attack. The fire shot through, dissipating in the air behind them.


    Bleedy opened a single eye to inspect himself, surprised his body wasn¡¯t scorched.


    ¡°Squea!¡± Mousifer cursed. He started patting Bleedy down, trying to put out imaginary flames.


    ¡°He missed?¡± Charlie asked.


    Orb spun, trying to piece together what happened. ¡°That was an illusion, wasn¡¯t it?¡± he asked.


    Merlin nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not a magician. Well, that is, I can¡¯t use magic that actually does anything.¡± He sighed. ¡°Hazel Hex Heal. Scarlet Hex Search. Void Hex Violence,¡± he said.


    One after another, the hexes manifested, each sending colorful rays of magic all around him and then disappearing into the night. ¡°It¡¯s a sham. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve ever been. I¡¯m no magician, Charlie. I¡¯m just a bad guy in a terrible world, taking advantage of good people. Sorry, kid.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t be,¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin blinked. ¡°What? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a bad person. Help me save Hilda¡¯s mother. We can do it, all of us can. Together.¡±


    Merlin squinted. A laugh escaped his lips. ¡°It¡¯s too late for that. I¡¯ve taken advantage of too many people. I¡¯ve accepted that by now. But you can be different. You can be good. Just not tonight, not like this. Not in a way that will get you killed.¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°Who cares what you did before? I¡¯m not asking about before. I¡¯m asking you to be good now.¡±


    Merlin paused. ¡°I can¡¯t just be good all of a sudden¡­ it doesn¡¯t work like that.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You just made that up. It¡¯s not true. Maybe you can¡¯t really use magic, but you can be good. You don¡¯t need magic to be a good person. Start now. Be good, now,¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin¡¯s shoulders fell. ¡°You think¡­ you think someone can just decide to be good? Just like that?¡±


    Charlie nodded.


    Merlin stared at him for a bit before sighing. ¡°You really do remind of someone. But¡­can I really¡­¡± He paused, trailing off.


    ¡°Squeak.¡±


    Charlie turned toward Mousifer. ¡°You really think that will work?¡±


    Mousifer nodded.


    Charlie concentrated. He puffed his bottom lip out and stared wide-eyed at Merlin.


    Merlin¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re going to pull that?¡±


    ¡°Is it working?¡± Charlie asked mentally, puffing his bottom lip out a little more.


    Merlin laughed. A hearty laugh. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous.¡± He sighed. His head fell back, and he stared into the night sky. ¡°Fine. Fine. I guess I might as well give it a try. It¡¯s been a while since I tried playing hero.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Charlie¡¯s face lit up.


    Merlin shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s go find that stupid plant.¡±

 Chapter 10: The Good Person Plant

    Charlie settled into Merlin¡¯s hood. It acted as a natural seat for him. With his palmar grasp ability, he could grab onto the fabric around Merlin¡¯s neck to secure himself and hoist his body up just enough to peek over Merlin¡¯s shoulder. Bleedy was situated several yards from them, in front of a large bush. Mousifer and Orb waiting on his back to make their move.


    Their plan, if successful, would allow them to get into the Cultist camp, grab some of the sycamara root, and escape without conflict.


    If it was successful.


    Merlin steeled himself, jogging in place. Charlie bounced with each step. Merlin slapped his face and let out a breath. He turned to look at Charlie over his shoulder. ¡°You ready?¡± he asked. Charlie nodded. ¡°Cool, well, here¡¯s hoping we don¡¯t die.¡±


    Bleedy gave them one last look before creeping into the bush before him. Merlin walked through the woods a bit, found a suitable opening, and then made his way toward the cultist camp.


    They took a moment to survey the camp through the brush.


    They were in the early hours of the morning now. Birdsong emanated from the surrounding treetops to Charlie¡¯s delight. It seemingly annoyed a few of the cultist, who looked up dismayed as they worked. The ones that Charlie could make out had weary, beaten faces.


    All of them were also wearing the deep crimson robes they had seen on the others earlier. The deep blue runes ran all around the robes, a continuous, interconnected pattern. Each of the robes seemed identical.


    Most, but not all, of the men had their hoods pulled above their heads, obscuring their faces. They worked at the center of their large camp, loading crates full of the precious plant into several wagons. When they ran out of empty crates, several men shoveled in the loose piles of sycamara root leaves from the forest floor. Stuffing the wagons as full as possible, in between crates, and wherever they could find the space.


    An enormous bonfire roared, a few men huddled around it, taking a brief respite, and warming their hands before returning to their duties. Others walked about, packing up supplies and taking inventory of their goods. Several scattered horses were tied throughout the camp, grazing on hurriedly placed stacks of hay.


    There were about twenty men in total.


    While Orb¡¯s team tried to stealthily procure some of the sycamara root, Merlin would work to distract the cultist. Charlie had wanted to help steal the sycamara, but Orb had pointed out it would be easier for Bleedy to sneak in and out if he didn¡¯t have the extra weight. So, Charlie settled for Merlin¡¯s surprisingly comfortable hood.


    ¡°We can do this, Merlin. We¡¯ll get that root, no matter what!¡± Charlie said with his mind, trying to sound encouraging.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say no matter what. I¡¯d say I draw the line at death¡­or permanent disfigurement. No matter what, except for those two things. Sound good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no matter what!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said!¡± Merlin protested before sighing. ¡°Let¡¯s get it over with.¡± Merlin covered his face with his arms and shot through the brush. Right into the clearing where the cult¡¯s camp was. The heads of the cultist snapped in their direction. Hooded men drew weapons and cast hexes in preparation. ¡°Well, this is off to a great start,¡± Merlin muttered. ¡°No audience like a hostile audience.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Gentlemen! How are you doing this fine morning?¡±


    Silence.


    Charlie picked a few stray leaves from Merlin¡¯s hair.


    A bald man stepped forward with furrowed brows. His hood was pulled down, so his face was visible. Where the runes on his crimson cloak ended, they continued onto his face in the same deep blue shade as usual. He was middle-aged and looked unamused. ¡°Is that a baby on your back?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± He turned to a man on his left. ¡°Kill them. Make it quick. We need to go.¡±


    Well, that was fast.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Merlin held up his hands. ¡°I had hoped we might talk¡­but if not, I suppose this could go another way.¡± His hands shot high above his head. ¡°Void Hex, Violence.¡±


    A large black hex appeared in the air above him. Tendrils swirled all about it, bursting free and licking the air before being pulled back within the hex. It stood as tall and wide as the wagon Merlin used when performing one of his shows. The menacing sight forced the cult members to pause. The hex just floated there, daring them to give its master a reason to unleash it. ¡°In the mood for a chat now, or should I proceed?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie leaned to avoid a bead of sweat as it rolled down the back of Merlin¡¯s neck.


    Their leader looked up at the hex, studying it, before motioning for his men to lower their weapons. Merlin had explained that void hex magic was fairly rare and using it would likely make the cultist hesitate. ¡°What do you want?¡± the cult leader asked. ¡°Did the villagers send you?¡±


    ¡°Hah! The great Merlin doesn¡¯t run errands for villagers. You should know well enough why I¡¯m here. The same reason you are.¡± All the cultists were focused on Merlin now. There was movement behind them. Bleedy and the others were making their move.


    Go go go! Charlie thought. Rooting them on in his head. He didn¡¯t want to distract them.


    Bleedy slowly crept toward a wagon on the edge of camp, moving carefully so as not to alert anyone. Mousifer sat on Bleedy¡¯s head, holding his hands out to grab a leaf, even though they still had several yards to go. As if reaching out with tiny mouse paws would make them arrive quicker. Orb floated alongside them, coaching Bleedy forward. Merlin seemed to notice it, too. But he quickly shifted his attention to avoid making the cultist suspicious.


    ¡°Well, Merlin, you may call me Od,¡± the cult leader said.


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Merlin mumbled.


    Od turned to look at a nearby wagon. ¡°The root of the sycamara is quite valuable indeed, but its monetary value is not the only reason we¡¯ve collected it. If it¡¯s money you seek, then¡­¡± Od ripped a coin pouch from his waist and threw it toward Merlin. ¡°Take it and go.¡± Merlin snatched it from the air with both hands. Despite this, the hex remained above.


    Charlie pulled himself up further to peer down at the open pouch filled with gold pieces.


    Merlin appeared transfixed by the gold. Caught in a state of mesmerization.


    One of Od¡¯s men turned to him. ¡°Sir, are you sure about this? That¡¯s most of our coin.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford to delay any further. If we take much longer, it will cost us far more than gold. You know the price of failure. Lord Arroane won¡¯t tolerate mistakes,¡± Od said. His man nodded.


    ¡°Merlin?¡± Charlie nudged him with his mind. He poked him in the neck when that didn¡¯t seem to work.


    Merlin shook out of his trance. ¡°An interesting proposal¡­¡± Merlin said, pretending to ponder it.


    In the background, Bleedy finally reached their destination. Several stray pieces of sycamara leaves hung loosely on the wagon¡¯s edge. Even one would be enough.


    Mousifer scampered up the side and grabbed one of the pieces. But it seemed stuck. He pulled at it more fervently, growing frustrated, until finally it gave way. But the sudden shift threw Mousifer off balance, and he went tumbling back down, landing on Bleedy¡¯s back. Bleedy looked back, confused, and then turned to look back up just as the stray sycamara leaf landed on his nose.


    He sniffed in once, twice, inhaling the powerful scent of the sycamara leaf.


    And then he let out a violent sneeze.


    The cult members turned their attention from Merlin and locked their eyes on the furry creature, dangerously close to their precious cargo. Bleedy noticed the sudden onslaught of eyes and quickly looked away, going absolutely still. As if hiding his face would make him disappear.


    ¡°What the? Get the creature!¡± Od shouted, readying his hands to summon a hex.


    ¡°Nu huh uh,¡± Merlin said. The hex above his head shook violently, growing larger and more ominous. More sweat dripped down his brow. It took a lot of energy to conjure a hex of this size, even one without any actual power behind it. ¡°Leave the creature alone. You¡¯re dealing with me. Now, I¡¯m going to take this gold, and my furry friend is going to grab some of that sycamara root. After that, we¡¯ll go our separate ways, understand?¡±


    Od snarled, eyeing the large hex above Merlin¡¯s head. He contemplated for a moment, before nodding.


    ¡°Good, good. Go ahead, Bleedy.¡±


    Charlie noticed movement in a bush nearby, and locked eyes on the small girl hiding within. It was Hilda. He tilted his head. ¡°Merlin! It¡¯s Hilda! She¡¯s in the bush to our right!¡± Charlie thought-spoke.


    Merlin risked a quick scan and saw her. His eyes lit up. He cleared his throat and returned his gaze to Od, hoping the man hadn¡¯t noticed. But Od was too focused on the flock of birds flying overhead.


    The flock of red birds flew by, chirping as they went. Everyone watched: Merlin, the cultist, Hilda, Charlie, and his friends. They all watched as the birds flew straight above. Straight through the massive hex of alleged magic energy. A hex that should¡¯ve sent them plummeting from the sky in a rain of feather and ash.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    But it didn¡¯t.


    They continued unharmed.


    Unfazed.


    One of Od¡¯s men looked at him. ¡°Those birds should be dead. I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Od shook his head, his brows furrowed. He, too, was confused.


    Charlie could sense the sudden shift in the air. The tension. Merlin held his hands up. ¡°I know. That must be confusing. But of course, I¡¯ve spent my entire life studying magic. It¡¯s only natural that I¡¯m able to prevent it from hurting those who I have no intentions of hurting. It¡¯s simple, really. At the end of the day, it¡¯s nothing for someone of my¡­ everyone run!¡±


    Merlin turned toward Hilda, beckoned at her to follow, and then hurried into the forest. She scrambled from the bushes. The cult looked on, bewildered.


    Bleedy dashed through cultist legs and around their carts, with Mousifer and Orb in tow. A low pitched ¡°squeaaaaa¡± could be heard as Mousifer clung onto Bleedy¡¯s tail for dear life. Both the tail and Mousifer flailing in the wind at Bleedy¡¯s quick pace. Orb followed closely behind, dodging legs and feet as he went.


    They fled, knowing the cult would be close behind. Merlin looked down, a sudden weight on his right leg. Bleedy looked up at him, clinging to the leg with his limbs wrapped snuggly. ¡°What are you doing? I can¡¯t carry everyone!¡± Merlin shouted.


    Bleedy pretended not to hear, looking over his shoulder for pursuers. Merlin sighed, doing his best to keep his pace. Behind them, Hilda ran, her little legs scampering to keep up. She huffed for air. ¡°What were you thinking, coming out here?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Had to¡­save¡­mom¡­¡± she managed between wheezy breaths. Charlie managed to turn himself around in Merlin¡¯s hood to cheer Hilda on. His eyes widened when he noticed the two men rapidly approaching on horseback. Merlin had outrun most of the cultist, bolstered by his quick-thinking head start, but not even he could outrun horses.


    ¡°Merlin¡­ they¡¯re catching up!¡± Charlie warned him.


    Merlin wheeled around to look. ¡°Great, where is Marvin when you need him?¡± He looked around the clearing they¡¯d stopped in, cursing under his breath. His eyes darted from side to side, looking for a solution.


    A way out.


    A dark look spread across his face. His shoulders sagged. ¡°Charlie, go with Bleedy. I¡¯ll hold them off and buy you guys some time,¡± he said quietly.


    Bleedy scrambled off Merlin¡¯s leg and looked up inquisitively at Charlie. Charlie shook his head. ¡°What? Why would we leave you behind?¡± Charlie said, worry brimming in his bright blue eyes.


    Merlin hesitated. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be a good person. Don¡¯t worry about me. Just get back to the village.¡± He noticed something, and his mouth dropped. Hilda stood there; her fist wrapped tight around a single leaf of sycamara root. ¡°You did it¡­ you got one!¡± Merlin smiled.


    Hilda beamed. ¡°Of course I did! My mom needs it!¡± She paused to look at it, then made a face, and wiped the plant on the side of her pants.


    It was the leaf Bleedy sneezed on.


    ¡°That is absolutely disgusting. If you ever have to choose between saving me and giving me medicine that Bleedy sneezed on. Let me die, Charlie. Promise me,¡± Orb said.


    The sound of approaching hooves grew louder. The horses were getting closer. ¡°Hurry, you guys need to go,¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°No!¡± Charlie said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to leave you behind!¡±


    Merlin turned to look at him over his shoulder. ¡°Charlie, it¡¯s too dangerous. Besides, we need to get that sycamara root to Hilda¡¯s mom as soon as possible. There¡¯s no time!¡±


    Hilda looked at Merlin like he was crazy for talking to a baby. She couldn¡¯t hear the thought speak like the others.


    Charlie frowned. Merlin had a good point. He turned to peer down at Bleedy. ¡°Bleedy, Mousifer, keep Hilda safe. I¡¯m going to stay behind with Merlin, okay?¡± he said. Mousifer and Bleedy looked at him for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Baby.¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°Thanks guys!¡±


    Orb whizzed in front of Merlin. ¡°Charlie, are you crazy? We can¡¯t stay behind! These cult guys are bad news.¡±


    ¡°Tffttt.¡± Charlie made a fart noise with his mouth.


    Merlin sighed, focusing his attention on Hilda. ¡°Make sure that gets back to your mother, okay?¡± he said.


    ¡°You sure you¡¯ll be okay?¡± she asked.


    Merlin smirked and did a kung-fu motion with his hands. ¡°Of course, I will. I¡¯m a martial arts master. Hu wah!¡± He said, striking the air.


    Hilda let out a breath. ¡°You¡¯re never gonna make it back alive.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ll never be a motivational speaker. Now go!¡± he shouted. Hilda gave him one last look before running into the woods. Mousifer and Bleedy charged after her. Mousifer waved a twig in the air like a knight charging into battle.


    ¡°When did he pick that up?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°More importantly, why is he acting like he isn¡¯t running in the opposite direction of the bad guys?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie shrugged. Merlin turned them to face the approaching horsemen. ¡°Well, there are worse ways to die.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin swallowed. ¡°Uhm, well¡­. I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s just a thing people say!¡±


    The horsemen burst into the clearing and circled him on either side. They jumped from their horses and slowly approached him, a colored hex on each of their palms, waiting to strike if he made a move.


    Merlin held his hands up in surrender. ¡°Alright, alright, I give up,¡± he said.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Orb shouted telepathically. He¡¯d risen high into the tree branches above to watch. He bounced from side to side with a nervous energy. Charlie tilted his head, wondering what Merlin¡¯s plan was.


    The two men exchanged a wary look. One approached, pulling a small rope from a bag on his side to tie Merlin up.


    Merlin looked him in the eye as he got close. He leaned in. ¡°Secret technique,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°What?¡± the cult member looked at him, confused.


    ¡°Sucker punch.¡± Merlin caught the man off guard with the quick jab. The cult member reeled backwards, holding his face.


    Blood spewed from his nose. ¡°You broke my nose!¡± the man said. He pulled his hands away from his face and saw how much blood there was. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not good with blood¡­¡± He covered his mouth and made a retching noise. ¡°Oh no. I can taste it¡­I¡¯m gonna¡­¡± He ran to the edge of the clearing and started throwing up.


    ¡°That man must have an incredibly delicate nose. I¡¯m not very strong at all¡­¡± Merlin said.


    The other cult member fired a burst of flame at Merlin, who narrowly dodged.


    He held up his hand again. ¡°Okay! Okay, you got me! Relax! I¡¯m worth far more alive, I assure you.¡± He backed away slowly, looking for a way out.


    ¡°Stop moving! Get on your knees!¡± The cultist ordered.


    ¡°Fine! I will, but¡­¡± He hesitated. ¡°Do you think you can hold something for me?¡±


    ¡°Enough games!¡± A blazing hot, green-elemental hex with fire running along the edges formed in the cultist''s hand.


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°There can never be too many games!¡± Merlin¡¯s hand slowly worked behind his back; the cultist noticed. Merlin pulled something out of a pouch on his back and flung a hair-like substance towards the cultist¡¯s face. A ball of fire shot forward from the hex. Merlin did his best to dodge but took a glancing blow to his arm. His cloak sizzled with fire, but he ignored it. He rushed forward and splashed a bottle of liquid on the cultist, who now used both hands to try to pull the hair from his face.


    Charlie shrieked in excitement.


    Merlin patted frantically at his cloak, putting the fire out on his sleeve. ¡°Are you okay, Charlie?¡± he asked, turning around.


    ¡°Mhm. I¡¯m fine!¡±


    ¡°Charlie, you almost got set on fire! You are not fine! What the heck, man?¡± Orb added.


    The cultist stood; the hair-plant stuck firmly to his face. He¡¯d given up on removing it. Merlin backed away slowly, his back reaching a tree. ¡°You¡­ what did you do?¡± the cultist asked. ¡°Get it off me!¡± he yelled. The other cultist continued to puke in the background.


    ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s a little trick of mine. It¡¯s popporri weed. In distant countries, it¡¯s used to make wigs. When combined with a delicately mixed concoction, it sticks to the skin. That¡¯s¡­ not coming off anytime soon¡­¡± Merlin said.


    The cultist growled and rushed toward the sound of Merlin¡¯s voice. Merlin jumped to the side and gave the man a gentle nudge on the back. The cultist head butted the tree. His body went slack, and he fell unconscious at its base.


    Merlin bent over and rested his weight on his knees. ¡°That¡­ was a lot of excitement for one day. We should go before¡­¡±


    Cultist flooded the surrounding area.


    Od stood there at the edge of the clearing. Surrounded by men with hexes, swords, and an assortment of other weapons.


    Merlin swallowed.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good you¡¯re here!¡± Merlin said, fishing for time. ¡°This guy got knocked off his horse and hit his head¡­ on a tree. Fell unconscious. And that guy vomiting his guts out over there¡­well, yeah, I think he ate something bad. Food poisoning. They definitely need medical attention. So, you guys go deal with that, and I¡¯ll just be on my way.¡± Merlin made a move to run, but more members of the cult stepped out of the forest to block his path.


    They were completely surrounded.


    ¡°Oh great. This idiot just got us trapped!¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t call Merlin an idiot! He can¡¯t help it!¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin looked at Charlie over his shoulder. ¡°Somehow, that was worse than what Orb said.¡± Merlin backed away from the cultist until he was in the clearing¡¯s center. He whispered to Charlie. ¡°I can¡¯t see a way out of this. I¡¯m¡­ sorry. Listen, Charlie. Just pretend to be a normal baby. As long as they don¡¯t suspect your true nature, they might leave you alone.¡±


    Od squinted at Merlin, carefully studying him.


    Charlie frowned. Maybe he could try to teleport everyone to his dungeon. At least there, he would be able to help in the fight. He focused.


    Transfer!


    Dungeon Integrity at 10%.


    Transfer to dungeon unavailable.


    Charlie shrieked in frustration. ¡°Orb! I can¡¯t transfer us! Do something!¡± Charlie said.


    Orb spun to look downward at Charlie from a branch above. ¡°I can¡¯t! I only have the one spell! It won¡¯t help!¡±


    ¡°Orb! Do it! Merlin can¡¯t fight all these guys alone!¡±


    Orb made a series of quick up and down movements before relenting. ¡°Ugh! Fine, I¡¯ll try. But Charlie, it¡¯ll just be a waste of energy! I don¡¯t even know what to target.¡±


    ¡°Orb!¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± Orb paused. ¡°Wait¡­I¡¯m sensing something¡­¡±


    Sentience!


    Charlie looked around, waiting for something to happen. The cultists were slowly moving in now, still wary of Merlin. They didn¡¯t fully understand why his hex had behaved the way it did earlier. But Merlin had incapacitated two of their members, even without magic. They were being careful. They weren¡¯t sure what to expect.


    Orb let out a mental sigh. ¡°I told you, Charlie, my magic isn¡¯t good for combat. It¡¯s no good. I thought that maybe¡­never mind. We need to find a way out of here.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s grip tightened on Merlin¡¯s cloak. What could they do now?


    Attention.


    Attention.


    Attention.


    Charlie tilted his head. The voice was¡­ different this time. ¡°What?¡± he said.


    Interface Integration Complete.

 Chapter 11: Secret Technique

    ¡°Greetings, my name is¡­¡± The voice paused. ¡°Ah, it appears you are currently in a dire situation. Protocol delay introduction commencing. Assessing the situation. I see.¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a voice¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh god, Merlin, Charlie has stress-induced schizophrenia. This is not good,¡± Orb said.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s something else!¡±


    The voice spoke again. ¡°It appears you currently lack offensive capabilities outside of the dungeon. Computing a strategy. One moment, please.¡±


    Charlie paused.


    He lacked offensive capabilities outside of the dungeon. When he hadn¡¯t been able to take Richard and Mary, and later Merlin, into his dungeon, he had brought parts of the dungeon to them. So, what if¡­what if he used two skills at once? Wasn¡¯t that what he had done before? He¡¯d used transfer to bring a part of the dungeon to this world, and then dungeon manipulation had worked to overlay it seamlessly into the area around him. And if he could do that, then¡­he could fight.


    He could fight outside the dungeon.


    ¡°Merlin, can you make a hex for earth magic?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin didn¡¯t dare look back to respond. He whispered the words. ¡°Uh, yeah. That¡¯s just an elemental hex. But why?¡±


    ¡°Because I think we can fight these guys. And, well, you told me to pretend to be a normal baby. Normal babies can¡¯t do what I¡¯m about to,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Wait, what are you¡ª¡± Merlin started to ask, before two cultists seized him by the arms. He struggled against them but couldn¡¯t break free from their hold.


    Od smirked. ¡°Restrain him. You two, there was a girl with them. Likely a villager. Make sure she doesn¡¯t make it back home to report what she saw,¡± Od said to two of his followers.


    The two hooded men nodded and ran off in the direction of the village.


    After Hilda.


    ¡°Merlin! Now!¡± Charlie shouted.


    Merlin frantically said the words. ¡°Emerald Hex Elemental!¡± Two emerald hexes appeared on either side of him.


    ¡°Solution found. I recommend utilizing the e¡ª¡±


    Charlie ignored it. He had a plan.


    Transfer, Dungeon Manipulation!


    On either side of Merlin, a slanted pillar of rock jutted from the earth. Each of the cultist restraining him were swiftly pounded by the rock and sent flying into the air. One hit a tree, hard. A satisfying snap reverberated around the clearing. The other landed on a different cultist. Neither got back up.


    ¡°It worked!¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin¡¯s mouth was agape. He quickly recovered. ¡°Well, you cultist have left me no choice,¡± he said with false bravado. ¡°Time to kick some as¡ª¡± he paused, turning to look at Charlie. ¡°Time to kick butt,¡± Merlin said, readying another emerald hex.


    Charlie started to throw a baby fist into the air in support, but then decided against it. He was pretty sure normal babies did that. Why wouldn¡¯t they? But just to be safe, he opted for a more appropriate giggle. His thoughts returned to Hilda. She was fast, but could she really outrun the cultist? He frowned. Bleedy and Mousifer were with her. They would keep her safe. He had to trust them.


    He focused on the battle at hand.


    Merlin threw up the next hex, this time, aiming it directly toward Od. Charlie, however, focused his attention elsewhere. A group of the cultist to their right were bunched together. A spear like rock spat forth from the earth, aiming directly for them. The cultist tried to move out of the way, but just before it passed them, the spear splintered apart. They cried out as earthen shrapnel tore through their cloaks. Merlin looked at the onslaught before turning to look back at Charlie. ¡°Hey uh¡­we gotta coordinate our attacks a little better¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make it do all that¡­I just wanted to throw a big rock.¡±


    ¡°I intervened and modified your last attack slightly. Your current ability usage is extremely inefficient. I recommend smaller, more precise attacks on enemy combatants.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best!¡± Charlie said.


    A series of hexes appeared as the cultist went on the offensive. Merlin covered his face with his hands. Sweat rolled down Charlie¡¯s face, as, at his command, a slab of rock split the earth in front of Merlin and caught the attacks. The impact of one particularly powerful fireball left a massive dent in the slab¡¯s center, but the attack hadn¡¯t harmed them. The slab split apart and crumbled back into the dirt. The remaining pieces evaporated into the air, as if made of dust. Charlie found that odd. But didn¡¯t have time to think about it further.


    Od stared at them intently. A strange look on his face. Merlin and Charlie realized it at the same time.


    Merlin hadn¡¯t used a hex that time.


    Only Charlie had acted. But if Od noticed, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    The other cultists were taking the fight seriously now. A majority of them now took shelter behind trees, firing bolts of fire, blast of water, and sometimes combinations of the two. Charlie threw up barrier after barrier. Merlin did his best to keep his hexes in sync to match Charlie¡¯s pace.


    Finally, with a surge of effort, Charlie summoned a rock wall that encased them entirely. Leaving just enough room so that Merlin could turn around inside the small space. They needed to figure something out, quickly. Charlie was running out of energy.


    The cult had them on the defensive.


    ¡°Charlie needs a break,¡± Orb said, stating the obvious. Charlie didn¡¯t have the energy to respond. He managed a faint nod.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Merlin stroked his chin.


    ¡°Charlie, we really should have let Merlin make the heroic sacrifice he was trying to make before. We could¡¯ve made it out of here with no problems.¡±


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°You are the worst little ball I have ever met, and it¡¯s not even close.¡±


    ¡°We need a plan to get out of here,¡± Orb said.


    Merlin nodded. ¡°Charlie, do you think you could manage one final attack? If we take out their leader, chances are the others will abandon the fight.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, I think so,¡± Charlie said, struggling to keep his head up.


    ¡°Actually, according to current dungeon integrity¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can do it!¡± Charlie shouted at the voice.


    The rock wall came crumbling down, and both sides stared at each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. The standoff was interrupted by a cult-member who ran up and approached Od. As soon as he reached him, he fell to his knees, sucking in air. ¡°Sir! An adventurer¡­an adventurer party was spotted not far from here. We need to leave¡­soon.¡±


    Od looked at him, a panicked expression on his face. ¡°We need to wrap this up,¡± he said, turning to eye Merlin.


    Merlin smirked at the news. ¡°Charlie, did you hear that?¡±


    Charlie didn¡¯t respond. Fighting eyes that seemed determined to close themselves. But he had heard. If they could just buy time, the adventurers would show up and take care of the cultists.


    Merlin looked over his shoulder. ¡°You okay, kid?¡± he asked.


    Charlie leaned his head against the back of Merlin¡¯s neck, trying not to fall asleep. ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine.¡±


    ¡°Merlin, we¡¯ve gotta end this. Now,¡± Orb said.


    Merlin nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve got this,¡± he said.


    ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy time. Charlie, get your spell ready. Remember, we just need to take out Od.¡±


    Charlie forced himself to lean up, barely peaking over Merlin¡¯s shoulder.


    Od chanted quickly, and a small, but dangerous looking void hex appeared next to his right shoulder. ¡°Surrender. Now,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡ª¡± Merlin started to say, before five long but thin shards shot forth from Od¡¯s hex and embedded themselves into his leg. ¡°Ow!¡± Merlin shouted.


    ¡°Surrender. Or the next will go through your neck.¡±


    ¡°Merlin!¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Merlin straightened himself, bearing the pain. He rose to his full height and stared Od down.


    He clapped his hands together and poured everything he had into the con of his life.


    ¡°Ancient art. Divine forbidden technique. Shhhh, pshh kshh kshh kshh.¡± Merlin added sound effects with his mouth as he spoke. A void hex of massive proportions formed above his head. If the hex earlier had been the size of his wagon, this was easily as large and imposing as one of the trees around them now. Charlie could tell. This was possibly the largest, scariest, and coolest fake hex Merlin had ever made before. It was amazing to see.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t wanna use this. Once this spell starts to form, there¡¯s no going back. Even I can¡¯t dispel it. I only hope the villagers won¡¯t be caught in the aftermath.¡±


    One of the cultists, the messenger from a moment ago, looked at Od. ¡°He can¡¯t be serious! The village is miles away!¡± Od looked at the man, before turning back to massive hex in the air above them.


    ¡°You really should¡¯ve surrendered when you had the chance. Prepare to die,¡± Merlin said. The hex started pulsing ominously, and at that moment, a stroke of good fortune caused the wind to pick up. The cultists looked around as stray leaves of sycamara root flew past, caught in the breeze. Merlin smirked.


    ¡°Okay Charlie, now¡¯s your chance. All eyes are on my hex,¡± Merlin said.


    Charlie focused.


    Transfer, Dungeon Manipulation!


    Nothing happened.


    Dungeon Integrity at zero.


    Transfer unavailable. Dungeon Manipulation unavailable.


    ¡°Told you.¡±


    Charlie felt the strange voice in his mind fade away. Like it wasn¡¯t there anymore. At least, not for now. ¡°Uhm, Merlin, I think I¡¯m out of magic.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­what?¡± Merlin said, louder than he meant to. He paused, stunned like a deer in torchlight.


    The hex instantly disappeared. ¡°Actually¡­¡± he turned to look at the cultist. ¡°On second thought, perhaps we can work this out.¡±


    The messenger spoke again. ¡°I¡­ I thought you said you couldn¡¯t dispel it?¡± he asked.


    Merlin shrugged. ¡°Well¡­well yes. When I said it, it was true. But a real master magician is always overcoming his limits. I pushed past that weak form you saw only a moment ago and grew even stronger. Don¡¯t test me!¡± He jabbed a finger at the messenger. The messenger took a quick step back, swallowing. ¡°I¡¯ll bring that spell back¡­no, two of those spells. Is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want that!¡± the man said.


    ¡°Good. Good. Now, let¡¯s come to a mutually satisfying arrangement. I¡¯ll let you leave with half, no, a quarter of all the sycamara root you¡¯ve harvested.¡±


    Od shook as he spoke. ¡°A quarter is not nearly enough! We¡¯ve been here for months!¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. Was Od really going along with this?


    Merlin laughed. ¡°You forget adventurers are pursuing you even as we speak. Taking more than that would slow you down. Not to mention without my help they¡¯ll catch you no matter what at this point. I¡¯m the one who''s going to have to hide your tracks from them. I think that¡¯s worth some extra compensation. And of course, adventurers are greedy. I¡¯ll offer them some of the sycamara root as well, in exchange for ¡®saving me¡¯ from the cult. I¡¯ll earn their trust, and when I point them in the wrong direction, they¡¯ll go right along with it. Allowing you to escape,¡± Merlin said.


    Od squinted. ¡°Cover our tracks? What do you mean?¡±


    Merlin gestured to the fallen cultist all around. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? My mastery over earth elemental magic will make it easy to create a false trail.¡±


    ¡°And you would use it to help us escape?¡± Od scanned the ground in thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m a simple man. I¡¯ll help anyone if there¡¯s profit to be made. The Cult of Cendra are friends I wouldn¡¯t mind having.¡± Merlin smirked.


    Od nodded. ¡°I see. There is wisdom in your words.¡± He turned to the men behind him. ¡°Take two carts, leave the rest.¡±


    ¡°But sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! That man is not one to be trifled with. Be grateful you¡¯re leaving with your life.¡±


    The man bowed to Od and returned to the camp with a few others. Od turned to leave as well, before pausing and looking at Merlin over his shoulder. He spoke, wagging a finger for emphasis. ¡°The return of Cendra is imminent. Someone of your talents would be welcome among us.¡± With those words, he departed, fading away into the woods.


    ***


    True to their word, the cult had left a majority of the carts behind, the rest of their belongings were scattered about. They¡¯d clearly left in a hurry, prioritizing their injured and unconscious comrades over all the supplies they left behind. Charlie could feel his energy slowly returning to him from resting against Merlin¡¯s back.


    Merlin¡¯s contagious excitement helped, too.


    ¡°We¡¯re rich! They left us so much! They really left it! We¡¯re rich!¡±


    ¡°Relax¡­I can see the dollars signs in your eyes,¡± Orb said.


    Merlin turned; his head tilted. ¡°What¡¯s a dollar sign?¡± he asked.


    Orb bounced in a shrug, before diving into Merlin¡¯s hood with Charlie.


    The sound of crashing hooves reached them only a moment before the adventuring party arrived. The first one to breach the clearing was a large man in heavy silver armor. He swiftly dismounted, and in two fluid strides, he was standing before Merlin.


    He clearly didn¡¯t perceive Merlin as a threat. ¡°Are you alright? We received word of cultist out here.¡± He surveyed the trampled camp and scattered supplies.


    Merlin didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. ¡°Yeah, they went that way,¡± he said, turning his head and pointing his finger in the right direction.

 Chapter 12: Sycamara Root Salesmen

    The knight nodded, and several members of his group roared off after the cultists. Some of them were heavily armored with massive weapons. Others wore bright, colorful robes and seemed to carry no weapons at all. Charlie had no doubt in his mind they would easily catch up to the cultists. He giggled at how quickly Merlin had turned on the cult.


    He didn¡¯t mind Merlin¡¯s lie.


    The cultist weren¡¯t good people.


    They were the reason Hilda¡¯s mom couldn¡¯t get a cure for her sickness.


    He was glad Merlin didn¡¯t help them.


    Merlin had talked their way out of a hopeless situation. He hadn¡¯t saved his friends by being strong. He¡¯d done it with words. It was something Charlie would remember. Sometimes you could solve problems by being smart. It didn¡¯t always come down to who was strongest.


    The adventurer eyed the carts full of sycamara root. ¡°And those carts¡­ they left them behind?¡± the adventurer asked.


    ¡°No, those are all mine. All of them.¡± Merlin¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Actually¡­ they did take two of my carts. If you wouldn¡¯t mind returning those to me when you capture them, that would be great. If you can help me recover them, I¡¯ll let you have half¡­ no, a quarter of what you bring back,¡± Merlin said.


    The adventurer looked dumbstruck. ¡°Very¡­ generous of you. We¡¯ll do what we can.¡±


    ¡°This guy¡¯s really pushing his luck,¡± Orb said. Charlie nodded.


    Orb had been right to hide himself in Merlin¡¯s hood beside Charlie. Merlin, having a baby in the hood of his cloak, had earned him a second glance, but if the adventurers saw a dungeon core¡­it probably wouldn¡¯t go over very well.


    ¡°How did you guys hear about the cult? They¡¯ve been here for months?¡± Merlin asked.


    The adventurer turned to look over his shoulder. A young blonde man with a bow sitting on his shoulder ran his hands through the dirt. He seemed to be searching the camp. ¡°Calvin there. Some of the local villagers hired him to investigate a missing search party. When he arrived, he learned the cult was active here, so he returned to the guild to get some help. The cult¡¯s been causing all sorts of trouble lately, so it wasn¡¯t hard to get enough guild members together to go after them.¡±


    ¡°Trouble? Like what?¡± Merlin asked, shooting a glance at Charlie.


    ¡°All sorts of things¡­ just last week they ¡ª¡± he paused, turning to look upward as a large raven flew from the sky and landed on his shoulder. He listened intently, as if he could make sense of the birds squawking. ¡°They¡¯ve found the cult. We need to keep moving and reinforce them. Calvin, you escort this man back to town, check on the villagers, and explain your absence. We should let them know we¡¯re pursuing the cultist, and it wouldn¡¯t do for them to think a member of our guild ran off with payment for a job.¡±


    Calvin stood, letting loose grains of dirt fall from his fingertips. He held a hand out to Merlin, who eyed his dirty hand hesitantly. He relented, shaking Calvin¡¯s hand with a tinge of disgust.


    Merlin and Calvin tracked down the horses of the two cultists they¡¯d dispatched earlier. Od and his men had left without them. Charlie hurried Merlin on. He wanted to hurry back to make sure Hilda and the others were okay. Calvin eyed Charlie hanging loosely in Merlin¡¯s hood.


    ¡°I know we¡¯re in a hurry, but it doesn¡¯t seem safe to ride with the baby like that,¡± Calvin said.


    Merlin waved him off. ¡°He¡¯s secured with magic. It¡¯s fine. Hyah!¡± Merlin¡¯s horse took off, and they hurried toward town. He turned to give one last, longing glance at the sycamara root he¡¯d left behind. A few of the adventurers had agreed to bring it into town for him after they caught the cultist. Charlie insisted they couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so Merlin had been forced to make the arrangement. Charlie shrieked in excitement as the horse galloped into town.


    When they arrived, Charlie pulled himself up so he could see better over Merlin¡¯s shoulder. The two cultists lay unconscious outside of Hilda¡¯s home. One was face down in the dirt, a bloody bite mark on his right butt cheek visible through torn pants. A large bump had grown on the top of his head and a dented metal frying pan lay in the mud next to him. The other leaned unconscious against the house.


    A twig stuck out of his nose.


    There were mouse droppings in his lap.


    Merlin and Orb turned to look at one another after taking in the scene. Charlie smiled. ¡°They kicked butt!¡± He cheered.


    Merlin grimaced. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say kicked¡­those were bite marks after all.¡±


    Calvin dismounted and tore rope from his horse¡¯s saddle-pack. He quickly started working to secure the cultist so they wouldn¡¯t escape when they woke up. He looked at Merlin and nodded toward the house.


    Merlin knocked on the door, and to his surprise, it opened right up. Hilda¡¯s grandmother shot up out of her seat. ¡°What the? Tommy? Is that you? I thought you died!¡± She squinted. ¡°Hilda! Get in here! It¡¯s the tomato man!¡±


    Hilda walked out of her mother¡¯s room, rubbing her eyes. It seemed like she¡¯d been crying. Mousifer sat on her shoulder.


    ¡°Mousifer!¡± Charlie exclaimed. Mousifer squeaked joyously. He waved his little paws at Charlie.


    Hilda managed a smile, looking at Merlin. ¡°You survived!¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m just as surprised as you are,¡± Merlin said. Hilda grabbed his hand and pulled him into the other room. Hilda¡¯s mom was still lying down in bed, but her face was starting to look normal again. The color had returned to her lips, and the purple splotches on her face were fading. She wore a gentle, peaceful smile. Bleedy was curled up in the bed next to her.


    Hilda turned to look up at Merlin. ¡°The doctor said she¡¯ll make it! He left to round up some men in case more cultists came. But he gave her the sycamara root and her fever broke not long after. He said it will still be a few days before she wakes up, but she¡¯ll be okay.¡± She smiled, fighting back happy tears.


    ¡°What happened to the men outside?¡± Merlin asked, looking over his shoulder at the still open front door.


    ¡°We kicked their butts.¡± Hilda grinned.


    Mousifer punched the air like a boxer on her shoulder, pretending to dodge the return punches of an imaginary opponent.


    ***


    Charlie sat atop Merlin¡¯s cart, watching Marvin the horse graze. Orb rolled around behind him, out of sight. Bleedy and Mousifer lounged around, relaxing on the wagon. Several villagers had gathered in the town¡¯s center to talk about the news. Some hoped the adventurers would be able to find their missing loved ones, others took the cult¡¯s involvement as a sign it was unlikely they were still alive.


    For some, it was hope. For others, closure.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next for you, Charlie?¡± Merlin asked, leaning against the wagon.


    ¡°We have to keep moving. We need to make it to Arcadeya. That researcher can help me and Orb learn more about our situation, and how to control our powers. At least, that¡¯s what Richard said.¡±


    Merlin nodded thoughtfully. ¡°You know¡­maybe you don¡¯t need to.¡±


    Charlie scratched his head. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, we could sell all this sycamara root. We¡¯d be rich. We could buy a big house in the countryside or something. Somewhere that the knights would never find you. You and that rude ball and these two little guys¡­¡± Merlin scratched Bleedy under the chin with one hand, and cupped Mousifer in the other, lifting him to his shoulder. ¡°Well, you could all come and live there! When things settled down, you could send word to Richard¡­ and Mabel?¡±


    ¡°Mary!¡± Charlie corrected.


    ¡°Right, Mary! Regardless, everything would be better that way.¡±


    Charlie had to admit, it seemed like fun to live in a big house with all of his friends. But it wasn¡¯t realistic. Richard had warned them the knights wouldn¡¯t give up their hunt easily. They had to make it to Arcadeya. It wouldn¡¯t be safe to settle down just yet. ¡°Hmm, no. We have to keep moving. I promised Richard. Besides, traveling is fun!¡±


    ¡°Traveling is dangerous,¡± Orb corrected.


    ¡°Right, dangerous! It¡¯s dangerous, and also fun!¡± Charlie smiled. Arcadeya would be safe. Richard had sent him there for a reason. More importantly, Charlie could learn more about his powers, and how they worked. The researcher was the key. If he wanted to keep his friends safe, if he wanted to protect Orb¡­this was the only way. The only way to understand his place in the world.


    Merlin frowned. ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°What if you came with us instead?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer said from Merlin¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Orb said, perking up. ¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be the worst idea to have an adult with us. People freak out when they see a baby riding a wild animal for no reason.¡±


    Merlin looked between them. ¡°Come with you? Well¡­I have to arrange transport for the sycamara plants. I¡¯m sure the adventurers would be more than happy for the work, but I¡¯ll likely need to head straight to the capital to offload all this¡­¡±


    Charlie looked down. ¡°Oh. Okay. I understand.¡±


    He wanted Merlin to come with them. He liked Merlin. But Merlin had other plans. Maybe they could invite Merlin to visit him in Arcadeya after he finished his business trip. Maybe by then he would have all this dungeon stuff figured out.


    Or maybe he would never see Merlin again.


    The idea made him sad.


    He liked Merlin.


    ¡°Mr. Merlin!¡± a man called out from afar. His short, stubby legs did their best to keep up with the quick pace he¡¯d somehow fallen into. Charlie tilted his head. This was one of the shortest men he¡¯d ever seen. One of the oldest, too. He was familiar... Charlie tried to remember where he knew him from. A large gray mustache took up most of his face. He wore an old flat cap over his head.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Scissor,¡± Bleedy said.


    Orb peeked out from behind Charlie. ¡°Oh man, you¡¯re right! That is the man who ate his hair. Wait a second. You said that pretty judgmentally for someone who ate all that weird stuff out of Merlin¡¯s cart!¡±


    ¡°He what?!¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Mr. Merlin!¡± The man said again. He sucked in several deep breaths before regaining his composure. ¡°I¡¯m the mayor of this small town. Please accept my late welcome to the Town of Garden! I¡¯m Mayor Ron! I wasn¡¯t able to introduce myself the other day, but I heard a lot about your show! Mr. Calvin informed me you¡¯re the one to thank for driving off the cultist! The town is in your debt! I wanted to thank you personally. And after yesterday, helping so many of the villagers with their ailments, we truly can¡¯t thank you enough!¡±


    Merlin¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°Ah, well¡­ it was nothing, actually.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± Orb said. Charlie scooted back, bumping Orb, and sending him rolling off the cart¡¯s edge. ¡°Charlie! You Orbist little baby!¡± Orb called out from below.


    Charlie giggled. He crawled over to the cart¡¯s edge and saw where Orb had fallen.


    Right into a pile of fresh manure. Courtesy of Marvin the horse.


    Charlie¡¯s laughter was uncontrollable now. Merlin and the Mayor turned to see him. The mayor gasped; worried Charlie might fall. Merlin scrambled over, throwing himself onto the cart and taking hold of Charlie. He lifted him up and carefully turned over, hopping back off the cart.


    The mayor let out a sigh of relief.


    Charlie looked up from Merlin¡¯s arm, puzzled. ¡°What? I was okay. I wasn¡¯t gonna fall.¡±


    ¡°I know that¡­ but think about how it looks to normal people!¡± he whispered. Merlin looked up, forcing an awkward smile for the mayor. ¡°Sorry about that. You were saying?¡±


    The mayor shook his head thoughtfully. ¡°No problem¡­well, actually¡­¡± He rubbed his hands together, an uncomfortable silence stretching over the conversation. ¡°The thing is, I was hoping you might be willing to sell us some of the sycamara root. You see¡­it used to be a big part of our economy. The last few months have been hard on us, and it would help the village get back on our feet if we could just secure enough to start up production again. The medicines and special recipes we use it for are vital to our trade with other villages. We don¡¯t have much, but whatever you would be willing to part with for¡­ this amount.¡± The mayor handed over a small pouch. Merlin shifted Charlie in his arms so he could take it. ¡°Whatever you could spare would be invaluable to us. I could also offer a small percentage of profits.¡±


    Merlin looked taken aback. He looked at the pouch of coins, and back to the mayor. ¡°Are things really that bad?¡±


    The mayor shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Until a few weeks ago, we had a benefactor. A nobleman who was helping us stay afloat. But we lost contact with him and since then I¡¯ve been using the town reserves to keep everyone afloat. Most of the villagers don¡¯t know,¡± the mayor explained. He sighed. ¡°I understand this is a lot to ask. Please, take your time. I¡¯ll wait just over there.¡± The mayor beckoned to a bench in front of a shop not far from there.


    Merlin struggled to open the pouch one handed. Charlie held his hands out for it, and Merlin obliged him. Charlie got the pouch open and looked inside. A handful of silver pieces. ¡°Is it a lot?¡± he asked, looking up at Merlin. ¡°Enough for a house?¡±


    Merlin frowned. He turned to Charlie. ¡°No. Not enough for a house.¡± He looked up and surveyed the town. Charlie, curious, looked around as well.


    A young girl, around Hilda¡¯s age, ran through the street, waving a stick in the air. A brown dog with ears that flailed in the wind with every step followed her closely. Charlie could see the outline of a ribcage under its fur. To his right, an old lady worked tirelessly. She wiped the glass window of her storefront with a dirty rag. Back and forth. Charlie couldn¡¯t read the faded sign that hung just beside the door. He was grateful Merlin read it aloud. ¡°World famous sycamara wraps,¡± he said. His voice faltered.


    Charlie looked up at him and then thought about Hilda and her family. This village had depended on the money they made from harvesting sycamara root. They¡¯d built an entire city around it.


    The cult had come and put a stop to that. They¡¯d done bad things to the people who¡¯d gone to gather it. They¡¯d done bad things to the people who went into the forest in search of their missing loved ones. Indirectly, they¡¯d almost caused Hilda to lose her mother. Charlie felt an anger inside of him. It was a soft-spoken, barely there kind of anger.


    But it grew.


    It resounded, reverberated against the walls of his being.


    How could people be so mean?


    How could Merlin think he was a bad person when people like this existed?


    ¡°Charlie, what would a good person do?¡± Merlin asked him.


    And just like that, the anger Charlie felt was gone. Replaced by a question. A question he could tell was really important. He didn¡¯t know why, or how, he knew. He just knew it was the kind of question that needed to be answered.


    Charlie¡¯s baby brows furrowed. ¡°All a good person can do is be good,¡± Charlie said, satisfied with himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s not very specific.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a baby.¡± Charlie shrugged.


    Merlin laughed. It wasn¡¯t a soft laugh. It was hearty. It was full of something Charlie couldn¡¯t quite place.


    ¡°Give me a moment, Charlie. I¡¯m going to speak with the mayor. Afterwards, I¡¯ll help you buy some supplies for the road,¡± Merlin said, setting him back down on the wagon.


    Merlin walked over and sat on the bench beside the mayor. He gave the coin pouch back to the mayor. The small man deflated.


    A somehow clean, but still very pungent Orb floated up beside Charlie. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°Dunno.¡±


    ¡°I bet he¡¯s all like ¡®sorry, mayor dude, but I¡¯m about to make serious cash by selling all this magical plant stuff. Take your little pouch of coins and get outta here!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Merlin doesn¡¯t even sound like that.¡± Charlie felt deflated.


    ¡°But he should, he really should.¡± Orb didn¡¯t clarify further. ¡°Cheer up, bud! You helped save Hilda¡¯s mom. You kicked serious butt today. You should be happy!¡±


    Charlie forced a smile. But he didn¡¯t feel happy. ¡°Orb? Can we go?¡±


    Orb spun. ¡°Now? You don¡¯t want to say goodbye to Merlin? What about the supplies?¡±


    Charlie rubbed his eyes. ¡°I just¡­I just want to go.¡± He fought back tears.


    He wondered if he¡¯d keep having to leave friends behind.


    First Richard and Mary.


    Now Merlin.


    He hated that. Just because he was different from everyone else, just because he had these weird, stupid powers, he kept having to leave people he liked behind.


    It wasn¡¯t fair.


    He didn¡¯t want to say goodbye to Merlin, because he wished he didn¡¯t have to at all.


    ¡°Baby,¡± Bleedy said, trying to make him feel better. Charlie crawled over and climbed on top of him. Mousifer crawled up with him, snuggling close to try and comfort him as well.


    By the time Merlin returned, they were gone.


    ***


    It only took them a little while to leave town. The mood was down. Charlie wasn¡¯t his usual self, and no one else seemed to know how to react. He looked up at the horizon. The sun would probably set soon, but he wanted to get as far away from the town as he could before making camp. He wanted to forget it all.


    It was the only way he could think of not to cry anymore.


    ¡°Well, hopefully we¡¯ll be at Arcadeya before we know it!¡± Orb said.


    Charlie nodded. He didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Are you going to pout the entire way? If so, I¡¯m going to have to find a new baby best friend,¡± Orb teased. ¡°What? Nothing? No reaction? Not even a little jealous?¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave him alone.¡± Orb flew over and landed on Bleedy¡¯s head. He sat there looking outward like a pirate on the bow of his ship.


    He was promptly sent sailing into the air when Bleedy¡¯s head suddenly shot up. He thumped against the dirt and skidded a few feet away. ¡°Hey!¡± Orb yelled.


    Bleedy sniffed deeply, inhaling some strange new scent on the wind. He turned to the left, and then the right, trying to pinpoint it.


    And then he turned to look over his shoulder.


    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± Charlie asked. He turned to look behind them as well.


    They hadn¡¯t made it very far yet, and though they¡¯d left town, it was still in sight.


    As was the horse-drawn wagon rapidly approaching. A man stood on the front of it. He held the reins in one hand, and in the other, he waved frantically. ¡°Hey!¡± he yelled.


    Charlie rubbed his eyes. ¡°Merlin? Merlin!¡±


    Bleedy came to a stop. It didn¡¯t take long for Merlin and Marvin to catch up to them.


    ¡°Merlin, what are you doing?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin dropped the reins and hopped down from the wagon. ¡°I¡¯m surprised at you, Charlie! You left without me!¡±


    ¡°You said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Old habits die hard, Charlie. But someone told me recently that you can start being good anytime. I thought I should see that through. So, if you still want my help making it to Arcadeya, I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°But what about the sycamara? And your big house? I thought you had to go sell everything?¡±


    Merlin sighed. ¡°Actually, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Merlin!¡± a little girl¡¯s voice called out. Merlin, Charlie, and the others turned to look at Hilda running up the road behind them. Further along the path, all the villagers lined up around the exit of town. Hilda¡¯s grandmother, Mayor Ron, and even Calvin. When Merlin turned toward them, they let out a chorus of cheers and goodbyes.


    A sendoff worthy of a hero.


    Merlin flushed. He turned a bright shade of red. ¡°Ah. So, he didn¡¯t keep his mouth shut at all¡­¡±


    Hilda caught up to them. ¡°Merlin! The mayor told us what you did, you donated all the sycamara from the forest! He said you wouldn¡¯t even take the coin he offered!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin sighed. ¡°Hilda, what are you doing out here? Is everything okay?¡±


    Hilda didn¡¯t say a word. She hesitated, and then threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms around him. ¡°Thank you, Merlin. For helping the village. For helping mom. And¡­I wanted to say I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said.


    Merlin was taken aback. ¡°Sorry? For what?¡±


    She looked up at him. ¡°I thought a lot of bad things about you when your potion didn¡¯t work. I thought you¡¯d lied.¡±


    Merlin grimaced. He looked over his shoulder at Charlie.


    Charlie threw him a big baby thumbs up.


    Merlin turned back to Hilda. ¡°I did lie, Hilda. I don¡¯t deserve thanks for anything I did,¡± he said. Hilda let go of him and took a step back.


    Merlin winced, readying himself to be berated by an angry, orange-haired little girl.


    ¡°I knew,¡± she said.


    Merlin blinked. ¡°What? You did?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. I knew. I didn¡¯t believe you on stage. But I wanted to. I wanted to believe mom would get better. For a few hours, I really did feel better. I felt happy. And then, when things got worse, you helped me save her. You were there to help her when it mattered. Now I get to feel happy forever because I¡¯ve got my mom back,¡± she said pointedly.


    Merlin stammered. ¡°Hilda, I¡­¡±


    ¡°I want you to come back one day, when mom fully recovers. So she can meet the hero who saved us.¡± She beamed at him.


    ¡°Hero?¡± Merlin said. He shook his head, collecting himself. ¡°Fine! But only if you promise to get your grandma to make some of that tomato stew she was bragging about earlier!¡±


    Merlin didn¡¯t seem good at serious moments, but Charlie could tell Hilda¡¯s words had gotten to him. She¡¯d called him a hero. Charlie smiled. He thought so, too.


    ¡°Okay! I promise.¡±


    Merlin ruffled her hair. ¡°I have to go, but we¡¯ll see each other again one day. Take care of your mother!¡±


    Hilda nodded, hugging him one last time before running back to the others. Merlin¡¯s breath seemed to catch in his throat. He waved after her, and at villagers, and then climbed back atop his wagon. Bleedy scurried up after him, with Charlie and Mousifer on his back. Orb hovered behind them.


    Orb floated up to Merlin, only a few inches from his face, and offered a greeting. ¡°Great! Welcome to the team.¡± He rotated to face Charlie and the others. ¡°It¡¯s official. We finally got Charlie a babysitter. A real one! Mousifer, you¡¯re demoted back to team mascot.¡±


    ¡°Ball!¡±


    ¡°No, Bleedy, you were never the mascot. You¡¯re the trusty steed. I¡¯m the playboy. Charlie¡¯s the baby.¡±


    Merlin made a shocked face. He slowly leaned toward Orb and sniffed the air. His hand shot up, covering his nose. ¡°Oh my god! What¡¯s that smell? Do dungeon cores poop? Did you poop yourself, Orb?¡±


    Orb buzzed around Merlin¡¯s head, screaming obscenities at him. Marvin whinnied, swatting his tail.


    And Charlie smiled, because this time, he didn¡¯t have to leave behind a friend.

 Chapter 13: New Town, New Dungeon

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why we¡¯re going so far out of the way,¡± Orb said.


    ¡°As I¡¯ve already said three times, I have a strict business policy that prevents me from returning to towns I¡¯ve visited in the last five years,¡± Merlin said. He held Marvin¡¯s reins loosely in hand. If he held them too tight, Marvin would stop walking altogether. Only ten minutes after they¡¯d left town, he¡¯d taken a five-minute break and made them wait until he was ready to walk again. Merlin had described it as Marvin¡¯s way to ¡°show the new guys who¡¯s the boss around here.¡± Marvin had snorted in agreement.


    Since then, they hadn¡¯t had any problems.


    ¡°You¡¯re just scared you¡¯ll run into someone you scammed.¡± Orb spun vertically in place. The closest thing he had to rolling his eyes.


    ¡°That¡­ is true,¡± Merlin admitted. He turned to wink at Charlie. He¡¯d been unusually happy since they¡¯d left the village. Probably because of the sendoff they¡¯d gotten.


    Since their departure, they¡¯d passed a few small towns, similar in size and appearance to Hilda¡¯s village. But Merlin had refused to stop at any of them. Orb was getting bored and wanted to check some of them out. Charlie was just happy Merlin had decided to come along with them. But he had to admit, the trees had all started to look the same a while ago. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was true or not, but he could swear Marvin was somehow taking them in circles. Another way of asserting dominance over his new traveling companions. He squinted suspiciously at Marvin before a question popped into his mind. ¡°Hey Merlin! Do you ever hear a voice in your head?¡± he asked.


    Merlin sent Charlie a horrified look. ¡°Do you?¡±


    Smack. Smack. Smack. Orb bounced against the cart in quick succession. He¡¯d seen a kid throwing a ball against a wall before they¡¯d left Hilda¡¯s village and thought it was an amusing idea. He seemed less amused with bouncing himself, but for some reason, kept trying. It had something to do with trying to replicate the sound of a ball slapping against the wall.


    He paused before he smacked the ground a fourth time. ¡°Oh yeah, Charlie¡¯s schizophrenic. I was hoping to ask Hilda if the sycamara plant might help with that, but¡­ well, I can¡¯t talk to just anyone I want. Someone refuses to make a dungeon large enough to encase the entire world so we can talk with everyone we meet. I mean seriously, what a butthead.¡±


    Smack.


    Charlie blew a raspberry at Orb. ¡°I told you we can¡¯t! What if the knights saw it? A dungeon that big would be really noticeable!¡±


    Merlin looked between them. ¡°Wait, what? Charlie, can you really do that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why¡­ never mind. What¡¯s this about a voice?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Well, when I try to use my powers, sometimes a voice tells me if I can or not. But during the last battle, it was different. Like, different from usual. You know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°I have absolutely no idea what you mean. What did it say?¡± Merlin asked, leaning in.


    Orb rolled over. ¡°Wait, are you talking about the voice that told you to kill Merlin in his sleep and wear his skin like a onesie?¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer said.


    ¡°Yeah! Stop trying to scare Merlin. The voice didn¡¯t say anything about a onesie. Anyway, I think it was trying to give me suggestions about how to use my powers. But I haven¡¯t heard it since the fight,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore the first part. Have you tried to use your power since then?¡± Merlin asked. He turned back to look at the road, scanning the surrounding forests. He¡¯d told them they needed to be careful while traveling. Most of the major roads were generally safe. But it was best to watch out for the occasional monster or bandit. Traveling alone like this made them easy targets.


    ¡°Hmmm, no, not since. Should I try now?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°No, not here. We¡¯ll be in town soon. But we should talk more about that later. Just because the researcher is supposed to help you learn about your powers doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t start figuring stuff out on your own as well. In fact, it would probably be better that way. The more information you can give him when you arrive, the faster he¡¯ll be able to help. Probably.¡± Merlin paused. ¡°So, the voice doesn¡¯t say anything else? It just tells you if you can use your powers?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yup! Oh wait, I think I heard something about an in yer face!¡±


    Merlin blinked. ¡°Do you mean interface?¡±


    The wagon slowed to a halt.


    Charlie thought hard about it. ¡°Yeah! That sounds right.¡± He noticed the serious expression on Merlin¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know what that means?¡±


    ¡°You said the knights summoned you¡­but do you know from where? Have you remembered anything from before then?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Hm, no, not really. Sometimes I have weird thoughts, or think I remember something, but it¡¯s always fuzzy.¡±


    Orb floated away and stared out at the forest. Merlin squinted at him. He turned back to Charlie. ¡°This world¡­its magic. It¡¯s governed by a system. I¡¯ve heard tales that when someone from another world is summoned, the system grants them an interface. A way to bridge the gap between those from a world without magic, and those who grew up here. People say interfaces are magic personified. That they can make the impossible possible. If you have one¡­it means you¡¯re likely from another world.¡±


    Charlie looked up at him, his head fell to the side. ¡°I¡¯m from¡­another world? Where?¡±


    Merlin looked toward Orb. ¡°Well? Do you know?¡±


    Orb turned slightly, as if to look over a shoulder that wasn¡¯t there. He was quiet. ¡°Yeah. I do. It¡¯s a place called Earth. I remember that much. But nothing else. My first memory was Charlie eating me, and then I was flashing across a room full of knights. I¡¯ve got bits and pieces of earth culture, but that¡¯s where it ends.¡±


    Charlie crawled toward Orb. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that before?¡±


    Orb was quiet. ¡°You just heard me. There wasn¡¯t much to tell.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s head fell. What did this mean? Earth? He was from another world? He hadn¡¯t thought much about where he¡¯d been before the knights had summoned him. Part of him kind of thought he hadn¡¯t even existed before then. If he was from another world, did he have a family there? Did he have parents? It gave him a lot to think about. Not to mention this idea of an interface. He wanted to talk to it again. Maybe it could help him learn more about his powers.


    They traveled like that for a while, in silence.


    Eventually, Merlin noticed something up ahead and craned his neck to peek around a patch of trees. ¡°Well, looks like we were closer than I thought. Look, Charlie!¡± he said, pointing up ahead.


    Marvin¡¯s tail thwacked against his backside.


    Charlie looked up. This town¡­was unlike any of the others one they¡¯d been to or passed so far. Richard and Mary¡¯s countryside town had been sparsely populated and spread out. Hilda¡¯s town, and most of the towns that followed it, had been more concentrated. Most of their towns had been built around a single street or two.


    But this was unlike anything Charlie could remember. The city was gated, a huge stone wall surrounded the city. Even behind the walls, Charlie could make out buildings that reached upwards of three or four stories. Up ahead, a short line of people waited to enter the city. Some, like them, were waiting in carts with goods and supplies. Others were on foot and carried baskets of berries or pails of water. They¡¯d been scavenging in the nearby forest. Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Orb! Do you see?¡±


    Orb buzzed in excitement, flickering all through the air. He grew extremely bright, and then dimmed down, over and over, like he was hyperventilating. ¡°Now that is a town! You seriously haven¡¯t scammed anyone in there, Merlin?¡±


    Merlin adjusted his cloak. ¡°I¡¯ve not put on any shows here, no. It¡¯s dangerous to do that in larger cities. Anyway¡­ I¡¯ve put that life behind me now.¡±


    Orb scoffed. ¡°Yeah, for all of a day.¡±


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    Marvin slowed to a stop as they approached the gate. Charlie sat up, doing his best to act normal. Orb and Mousifer hid inside Merlin¡¯s cloak. Bleedy played dead.


    A guard in light blue and grey armor approached. A red fox insignia was emblazoned on his chest. He cleared his throat. ¡°Hello, welcome to Sirra. Are you a trader?¡± he asked.


    Merlin straightened up. ¡°Uh, no, actually. Just traveling with my¡­ nephew! His mother wants him to see the world early, and well, who am I to say no to something like that?¡±


    The guard raised a brow, looking past Merlin. Charlie stared back, slobbering over a finger he¡¯d put into his mouth. ¡°She wanted a baby to see the world?¡± The guard asked incredulously.


    Merlin shrugged. ¡°Do you mind if we get going? I need to get a spot in the stables for my buddy here before they fill up.¡±


    The guard looked around, like he wanted to see if anyone was listening. ¡°Look¡­¡± his eyes drifted to Charlie again. ¡°You should turn back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the holdup?¡± A guard called out from the wall.


    The gate guard¡¯s eyes shot open, and he wheeled to face the wall guard. ¡°Nothing sir! Just giving directions!¡±


    The wall guard squinted. He offered a small nod before returning to scan the forests.


    Merlin quirked a brow. ¡°Can we go in or not?¡± he asked.


    The guard hesitated, like he wanted to say more. ¡°Sure, you¡¯re good to go.¡±


    Merlin leaned forward and patted Marvin¡¯s rear. The horse set back into a slow trot. Merlin turned to look back at the guard. ¡°That was weird.¡±


    ¡°Nephew?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s better if people think we¡¯re related. I don¡¯t want anyone thinking I¡¯m a weirdo who kidnapped a random baby.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Orb asked.


    Merlin scoffed! ¡°No! Charlie asked me to come with you!¡±


    ¡°Sure, I bet that¡¯s what all the kidnappers say.¡±


    ***


    They made two stops before finding a cafe to grab some food. First, Merlin used the coin he¡¯d gotten from the cultist to purchase a room at an inn. Then Merlin had rented a space for Marvin and his cart to rest for the night.


    To their disappointment, Merlin thought it would be better if Mousifer and Bleedy remained with the cart as well. It would draw too much attention if they were spotted roaming around the city, and it was best they lie low for now. Charlie didn¡¯t like it either, but he could understand the reasoning. Richard had told them to avoid towns because it was hard for Charlie to sneak around on Bleedy unnoticed. Nobody would think twice about seeing Merlin with Charlie. But if people saw a racooneever following them around, or a mouse hitching a ride on a baby¡¯s shoulder, they¡¯d notice. The knights might pick up their trail. It was for the best, at least until they found a better way to navigate towns like this.


    At least, nobody should notice in theory.


    In reality, a number of people gave them odd looks as they made their way through town on foot. Charlie couldn¡¯t help but think it seemed like people were looking at him. He shrunk into Merlin¡¯s hood.


    He didn¡¯t like this feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing. Maybe there just aren¡¯t many babies around here.¡± Merlin ordered something at the counter and found them a table. After Merlin sat him down, Charlie relaxed, lying on his back. The cloth table covering felt nice after sitting in Merlin¡¯s wagon all day.


    A few men were at the counter, looking at pastries behind the glass. The smell of freshly baked goods permeated throughout the entire cafe. There was a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere, and Charlie wondered why there weren¡¯t more people here.


    Other than the two men and the cafe¡¯s owner, the only other guest was a lady sitting near the door. She wore thick, wide-rimmed glasses that made her eyes look larger than they actually were. She was reading some kind of paper, scanning it intently. Occasionally, her hand would fumble around for her drink without her eyes ever leaving her reading material. Twice now she had almost spilled it. Three times she had accidentally dipped her fingers into the drink itself. She would take a sip, rub her hands on her white blouse, and then continue devoting her attention to whatever it was she was reading.


    Charlie thought she was amusing.


    ¡°Can you believe it? A real dungeon. We should check it out!¡± one of the men said while he waited for his coffee.


    ¡°Nope. No way. My wife would kill me. She doesn¡¯t even like when I go outside the walls.¡±


    ¡°As long as we come back with something valuable, she¡¯ll forgive you.¡±


    ¡°What? No, she won¡¯t. Tell you what, buy me a donut and I¡¯ll think about it.¡± He pointed to a particularly plump donut behind the glass counter.


    ¡°Pshh.¡± The other man shook his head. ¡°You buy me a donut and I¡¯ll think about splitting my treasure with you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have any treasure yet! And if I buy a donut, I¡¯m buying it for myself! Besides, you didn¡¯t hear? Guild from out of town already claimed it. Couldn¡¯t keep anything we found, anyway.¡±


    The other man waved him off. ¡°To hell with em! We¡¯ve got our own guild, why should we let a couple of outsiders¡ª¡±


    The other man nudged him and tilted his head to the cafe owner. She¡¯d paused and looked over her shoulder at them.


    ¡°What?¡± the man asked.


    The shopkeeper finished his drink and turned around, offering it to him. ¡°Gentlemen, two of our other patrons are new to town. Let¡¯s not scare them off talking about dungeons.¡± Her voice was soft, but firm.


    The man took a sip and cursed when it burnt his tongue. ¡°Fine. Thanks for the drink.¡± The men left the shop, continuing their conversation outside.


    ¡°Merlin, did you hear that?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin looked around to make sure nobody was watching. He leaned in. ¡°Yeah, apparently the donuts here are really good. Maybe I should buy us a couple¡­ wait, can you eat donuts?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°No. Not the donuts. There¡¯s a dungeon nearby. What if we could go check it out?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Merlin said, louder than he hoped. The cafe owner shot him a look. He shot an awkward smile and lifted an apologetic hand. He waited for her to turn her attention elsewhere. ¡°We can¡¯t go to a dungeon by ourselves. We barely survived that whole ordeal with the cult. Have you lost your mind?¡± he asked.


    Orb spat out from Merlin¡¯s hood and onto the table. Merlin scrambled to cover him up with his hand.


    ¡°Unhand me at once! I¡¯m a dungeon core!¡± Orb said.


    Merlin rolled his eyes. He lifted his fingers slightly, so Orb could peek out from underneath his cupped hand.


    ¡°Much better. Charlies got a point, you know. You are the one who suggested we learn more about his powers. If we could investigate another dungeon, we might get the answers we need,¡± Orb said.


    Merlin shook his head vigorously. ¡°Nope. Not happening. Way too dangerous.¡± The cafe owner signaled him, letting him know the drink he¡¯d ordered was finished. He stood, pausing. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m the adult here. It¡¯s my job to make sure you two don¡¯t do anything stupid that could get you hurt,¡± he said. Merlin picked Orb up and placed him in a small bowl of sugar. Then he hurried over to grab his drink.


    ¡°Charlie, we can¡¯t miss out on this opportunity,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°I know! I want to see it for myself too, but maybe Merlin¡¯s right. My powers still aren¡¯t reliable. What if something goes wrong?¡±


    Charlie had run out of energy at the end of their last fight. If it hadn¡¯t been for Merlin¡¯s quick thinking, they might not have made it out of that situation unscathed. Besides, wasn¡¯t it smart to lie low for a while? Should they really run into a dangerous new situation so soon after dealing with the cultist?


    Probably not.


    Definitely not.


    Then why did he want to so badly?


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out together. Me, you, and that strange voice in your head.¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°But how do we get Merlin on board?¡±


    Orb peeked out at him from his sugar burial place. ¡°What if we¡­ ditch him for a little while?¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Like, send him to the dungeon?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°No, no, nothing like that. Merlin has to go to sleep, eventually. When he does, we do what we do best. We sneak out. We¡¯ll check out the dungeon, learn what we can, and be back before he knows it. Easy.¡±


    Charlie thought about it. It was a good plan. And this way, if things got dangerous, Charlie wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Merlin getting hurt because of a situation Charlie convinced him to get into. ¡°Okay. Sounds good!¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Orb said, shooting out of the sugar bowl.


    Merlin returned, blowing on his drink. He¡¯d impulsively bought a donut as well and sat it on the table. He saw Orb floating several inches from the table and swatted at him. Merlin did it so quickly that he forgot he had a freshly brewed tea in hand. It spilt. Partially over the table, and partially over the foot of Charlie¡¯s onesie. Merlin jumped back, his chair scraped against the ground, his hand lifted in the air, as if he could undo the mess by pulling his hand away in time.


    Orb sailed through the air, landing against the ground with a satisfying smack. ¡°Hey! That was it! I made the noise!¡±


    Charlie didn¡¯t hear him. He was too fixated on the tea stain on his onesie. It was the only item he had that connected him to whatever place he¡¯d come from. Before the knights had found him. Before he¡¯d gone to live with Richard and Mary. He hadn¡¯t thought about that before. How important it was to him. Richard and Mary had gotten him other clothes, of course. But this onesie was his favorite. So, when he noticed the ugly, brown stain on his blue and white onesie, he couldn¡¯t help but get upset.


    He couldn¡¯t help but cry.


    For the first time since they¡¯d entered the cafe, the woman reading the paper sat it down and took them in. She saw Merlin standing there, a panicked look on his expression, a close-fisted hand by his head. She saw Charlie laying on the table, crying. She remembered the smacking noise she¡¯d heard a second ago when Orb had fallen onto the ground. In an instant, her brain interpreted what was going on, and she let the world know exactly what conclusion she¡¯d come to.


    ¡°Oh my god! Someone help!¡± She jumped up and ran to the cafe door, bursting through it and into the streets. ¡°Someone help!¡± She yelled again. She screamed at the top of her lungs. People passing by all stopped and stared at the commotion. Merlin and Charlie turned in unison when they heard the last part of her plea.


    ¡°Someone please help! This man just punched a baby!¡±

 Chapter 14: Well, there goes the Babysitter

    It took the guards all of twenty seconds to burst through the cafe door. It took them another ten to push Merlin face down into a nearby table. There were four of them, each wearing the blue and grey armor they¡¯d seen at the gate.


    Merlin struggled. ¡°Wait! I¡¯m innocent! This is all just a misunderstanding!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth!¡± Charlie tried to say.


    ¡°Ugobah!¡± the guards heard. They exchanged a look. Two of them wrestled Merlin toward the door to take him away. But it was slow progress. Merlin kept wrapping around tables and chairs with his legs to delay them.


    One of the guards looked at Charlie with worried eyes. He looked like he wanted to pick him up, but another guard approached and put his hand on his shoulder. ¡°You know the rules.¡±


    The worried guard shook the man¡¯s hand off and reached for Charlie. ¡°He¡¯s just a baby.¡±


    ¡°What about your wife?¡± the other guard said.


    The guard reaching for Charlie froze. He looked up, a horrified expression on his face. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Think about what they¡¯ll do. It¡¯s¡­not worth it.¡±


    The guard¡¯s face fell, and he turned apologetically to Charlie. ¡°I¡­alright.¡± The two guards went to join the others.


    Merlin and the guards restraining him had stopped fighting for a moment to watch the exchange. Merlin looked at his captors. ¡°What? What rules? You can¡¯t just leave him here, he¡¯s a baby! What are you doing?¡± The guards tightened their grip and finally wrestled Merlin to the door. He stretched his legs to cling to the doorframe.


    Charlie reached a hand out for Merlin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Merlin! I¡¯ll attack them and then we can escape!¡± he said, projecting the thought to Merlin.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t!¡± Merlin said. The guards ignored him, thinking he was protesting. He paused and then looked right into Charlie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Act normal,¡± he mouthed. With that, he stopped resisting. His legs went slack. The guards hauled him outside and out of sight into the street.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what just happened?¡± Orb asked. He floated upward from a hiding spot under the table. He reached eye level with Charlie.


    Charlie turned to look at him. ¡°I dunno¡­what do we do now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hmm. Maybe we should call Bleedy. You can¡¯t get out of here on your own.¡±


    Charlie nodded.


    A door slammed, hitting the wall with a loud thud. Orb dove into Charlie¡¯s onesie pocket, dimming his usual light. Charlie turned to look. It wasn¡¯t the cafe¡¯s front door. It was the door in the kitchen, behind the shop¡¯s counter. The cafe owner was missing. A newcomer stepped into the room. He was a massive, brown-skinned man with a shiny, bald head. He straightened, and Charlie realized he had been forced to duck to enter through the doorway. The man was tall, and his muscles were visible through a shirt that stretched over his chest.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± a deep voice asked. The cafe owner followed after him.


    ¡°I¡­ guess the guards came already.¡±


    The man looked around and realized they were the only ones in the shop. His eyes met Charlies. ¡°What? Then why the hell did they leave the baby?¡± he asked.


    The woman didn¡¯t answer. There was a weird silence between them. An uncomfortable silence. In the quiet, their faces communicated something that went unsaid. It bothered Charlie a lot.


    The man yawned, filling the silence. ¡°I guess it took me a minute to wake up. Too bad I couldn¡¯t get here sooner.¡±


    ¡°Orb, what do we do?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Just act normal, for now. Like Merlin said. We need to be careful,¡± Orb said. ¡°That man has a weird aura. Not sure how I feel about it yet.¡±


    Charlie swallowed. He kept his eyes on the man. But the man was staring past him, into the street. Charlie turned to look through the street facing window as well.


    What he saw scared him.


    There was a man staring inside the shop from across the road. He wasn¡¯t waiting for someone. He wasn¡¯t looking to see what all the commotion was about. The man was staring.


    He was staring directly at Charlie.


    His face wasn¡¯t covered, but even then, it was hard to make out. Like shadows clung to him, obscuring portions of it. Charlie could just barely notice a large scar that ran from one cheek to the other. On his waist, there was a short, but well sharpened blade. He broke his gaze for only a moment, to look both ways, before approaching the shop. Charlie wanted to crawl out of his skin and hide.


    ¡°Orb! He¡¯s coming for me!¡± Charlie shrieked.


    ¡°What?¡± Orb asked. Orb peeked out from the Charlie¡¯s pocket to see and noticed the man as well. ¡°Oh my god! Charlie, can you walk yet? It¡¯s time to get the heck out of here! That man is freaking terrifying!¡±


    Geron beckoned the cafe owner. She ran past, knocking over a table as she went. She locked the door to the cafe and hastened to the windows, drawing the curtains closed.


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Geron?¡± she asked the tall man. He waited behind the counter.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure. Screw those guys. I¡¯m not letting them take a freaking baby.¡± He hurried over and scooped Charlie up. Orb nearly fell out of his pocket, but quickly zipped back in. Thankfully, neither the cafe owner nor Geron noticed. Geron nodded for the woman to hurry up. She hurried past and went back through the backdoor in the kitchen. The man, with Charlie in hand, hurried after her. He paused, noting the untouched donut Merlin had purchased on the table.


    Thud.


    There was a banging on the door.


    Thud.


    A shoulder rammed against it.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Geron grabbed the donut, put it in his mouth for safekeeping, and then gave Charlie one last look. Satisfied the baby was still in one piece, he hurried after the woman and through the backdoor.


    ¡°Orb! What do we do!¡± Charlie asked. He shook with each step the large man took.


    ¡°What direction are we moving? Is it away from the scary man?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Then we don¡¯t do anything! We¡¯re getting out of here! We¡¯ll figure it out later!¡±


    ***


    Charlie was wrapped snugly inside a warm blanket in Geron¡¯s arms. Geron kept his head down low to avoid recognition and looked down to check on Charlie every few seconds. Almost as if he was worried the baby would evaporate in his arms. Charlie wasn¡¯t quite sure where they were going. The shopkeeper had gone her own way as soon as they exited the cafe.


    ¡°Bleedy, Mousifer? Can you guys hear me?¡± he called out in his mind.


    No answer. Apparently, they were too far to communicate telepathically. It was the first time he¡¯d tried to contact anyone that wasn¡¯t in his immediate vicinity. It meant they were cut off from the others.


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk with any of the others,¡± Charlie told Orb.


    ¡°Me neither. Well¡­escape isn¡¯t an option for now. Without Merlin or Bleedy, traveling through the city would be impossible. That¡¯s not great. But it could be worse. We could¡¯ve been taken by the man with the scar.¡±


    Charlie shivered. He didn¡¯t like that thought. ¡°Geron seems nice.¡±


    ¡°He kidnapped you!¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Yes, but in a good way. Like Hilda¡¯s grandmother did.¡± Charlie pointed out.


    ¡°Charlie, I cannot stress this enough. There is no such thing as a good kidnapping.¡±


    Geron leaned against a doorway and knocked a few times in quick succession. Charlie looked up. Behind the door, glass shattered, and someone swore under their breath. The person on the other side of the door undid a series of latches, one after the other. The door swung open. A brunette man with frazzled hair and a matching beard rested against the now open doorway.


    ¡°Geron,¡± his words slurred. ¡°I was hoping you were Vicke¡­he ran to the shop.¡± The drunk man looked at the pool of alcohol at his feet. ¡°We¡¯re out of booze! Oh. Boss has been asking for ya.¡± He hiccuped.


    ¡°Roan, seriously? We have a job tomorrow. Is he upstairs?¡±


    Roan raised a hand to cut Geron off. ¡°I don¡¯t need any judgement from you, just because you¡¯re too big for doorways doesn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± he hiccupped. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean you can look down on me for having a good time, okay?¡±


    Geron shook his head. He used his foot to push the door closed, and redid a couple, but not all, of the locks. He shot Roan a look and then brushed past him into the room.


    The building was oddly small. To the left was a tiny room containing a single toilet. The room was so tiny that Charlie imagined that the knees of anyone who sat in there would press against the wall. To his right was an equally awkward room. A woman leaned in a plush chair large enough for two people to sit beside each other. She wore a fluffy black jacket and dark leggings to match. Another woman, this one much younger, was sprawled out on a couch reading a book. She noticed Geron in the doorway and turned to look at him, accidentally dropping the book. On her face.


    ¡°Ow.¡±


    Geron pulled the blanket over Charlie¡¯s face to obscure him. He seemed to be trying to keep Charlie a secret for some reason.


    ¡°Are you alright, Tirille?¡± Geron asked.


    ¡°Just trying to beat the knowledge into myself. Apparently. I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s that?¡± she asked, probably talking about Charlie.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ something for Axel. I¡¯ll talk to you in a bit.¡± Geron was moving again.


    ¡°Charlie, what¡¯s going on?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°Dunno. I can¡¯t see anything now!¡±


    Wood creaked and groaned as Geron seemingly ascended a set of old wooden stairs. Charlie lifted a hand to raise a part of the blanket, just enough so he could peek out from underneath it without Geron seeing. At the top of the steps was a single, wooden door. Geron didn¡¯t bother knocking this time. He tried the handle, and seeing it was unlocked, pushed his way through the doorway.


    The first thing Charlie noticed about the man was his hair. Long, red dreadlocks flowed from his head all the way down to the bed he sat on. The dark green blanket under him was far too large for the bed and skirted against the floor. The room smelled¡­ old. Like one of the antiques Mary kept around her home. Like people didn¡¯t normally live in here.


    ¡°Geron? Whatcha got there?¡± the man asked, eyeing the bundle in Geron¡¯s arm. Charlie let go of the blanket, so the man didn¡¯t catch him spying.


    Geron paused. ¡°Well¡­ actually, it¡¯s a baby.¡±


    The strange man laughed. ¡°Right! Seriously, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Axel¡­I¡¯m being serious.¡± Geron gently removed the blanket from Charlie¡¯s face so Axel could see him.


    Axel jumped to his feet. He¡¯d had an intense look about him since they¡¯d entered the room, but that look was even more intense now. ¡°What the heck did you do? Whose child is that?¡±


    Geron bounced Charlie in his arms. ¡°His caretaker was arrested. The city guard just left him there on the table.¡± He paused. ¡°There was a snatcher there, across the street.¡±


    Axel swore. ¡°Did they see you? Did they see your face?¡±


    Geron shrugged.


    ¡°Damn it, Geron. We have a job to do tomorrow. Is that why? Are you sabotaging it?¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not it,¡± Geron said firmly. He approached and beckoned Axel with his head. Axel stepped to the side and made room for Geron to put Charlie on the bed.


    It was comfortable. Not as comfortable as his bassinet mattress back home, but close enough. He hadn¡¯t been anywhere this cozy since then.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just, Katherine, trusted us with this mission. I can¡¯t give up on it. You know that. Roan, Samantha, Tirille, Vicke. I¡¯m responsible for them. It would reflect poorly on them if we went home in failure. Especially on a job like this.¡±


    ¡°Axel, relax. We can still do the job.¡±


    Axel gestured to Charlie. ¡°We can¡¯t leave a baby here. Especially now that the snatchers are after it. They won¡¯t try anything if we stick together, but going to the dungeon will be impossible now. I¡¯m not splitting us up. Not again. Not after¡ª¡±


    Geron placed a hand on Axel¡¯s shoulder. Charlie perked up at what he heard. This mystery job had something to do with a dungeon. Was it the dungeon the men in the cafe had been talking about? Did Geron and his friend have some reason to go there? He noticed Orb poking slightly out of his pocket. He was interested, too.


    ¡°What if we don¡¯t need to split up or give up the job? What if¡­I know this sounds crazy. But what if we take the child with us?¡±


    ¡°Geron¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen, I know it¡¯s wild. But think about it. It¡¯s a low-level dungeon. We took the job to get our feet wet again. Something like this should be easy for us. I¡¯ll babysit the kid, and we let Tirille and Vicke get some extra practice. It¡¯s perfect. Then we just collect our pay, head back home, and find an orphanage well beyond their reach.¡±


    Axel didn¡¯t respond for a minute. He bit at one of his fingernails, and a foot tapped against the boarded wooden floor. He looked up at Geron, a smile plastered on his face. ¡°Fine. If you think we can make it work, I¡¯m in. But if we get there and something feels off, no matter how small, we call off the job. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Go tell the others, and¡­ you might want to ask Samantha to brew up something for Roan.¡±


    ¡°He sick?¡±


    ¡°He will be,¡± Geron said.


    Axel grimaced. He hurried out of the room.


    Geron laughed softly and joined Charlie on the bed. He held up a large finger for Charlie, who instinctively reached up and grabbed it. Geron chuckled again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little one. I won¡¯t let anyone lay a finger on you. I promise. I¡¯m stronger than I look.¡± Geron smiled, and leaned his head against the wall, relaxing.


    ¡°Uh¡­I don¡¯t think he knows what that phrase means. He looks strong as heck. What does he mean he¡¯s stronger than he looks? Seriously?¡± Orb asked. He rolled over next to Charlie¡¯s face. ¡°Well, looks like ¡®were going to the dungeon after all!¡¯¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Orb, this will be our first time in another dungeon. What do you think it¡¯ll be like?¡±


    ¡°Probably not too different from our dungeon. I mean, I imagine there all pretty similar, right?¡±


    Charlie twisted his mouth. ¡°I guess so! We¡¯ll find out tomorrow. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±


    ¡°What? Here?¡± Orb asked.


    But Charlie was already snoring.


    Merlin


    ¡°Ow!¡± Merlin landed hard on the cell room floor. He shook his head and looked up. The cell was small. There were two beds on either side, and a bucket in between them.


    He tried not to think about what the bucket was for.


    He stood, dusting himself off, and looked at the heavyset man sitting on the bed to his left. ¡°Oh. Hello. What are you in for, my good man?¡± Merlin asked.


    The man ignored him.


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    The guard locked the cell and returned the keyring to his waist. Merlin spun and hurried to the cell¡¯s bars. He grabbed them. ¡°Wait! I¡¯m telling you this is all a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Killed ten people.¡±


    Merlin blinked. Looking back at his cellmate. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I killed ten people.¡± The man said, looking up to meet Merlin¡¯s gaze. ¡°I was one away from a town record.¡±


    Merlin tilted his head. He nodded. ¡°I see. That is¡­GUARD!¡±

 Chapter 15: Dungeon Delving Dungeons

    As far as travel arrangements went, Charlie had faced worse before. In fact, this setup wasn¡¯t so bad at all. He stood there, strapped to Geron¡¯s chest, in the baby-carrying device Samantha had worked tirelessly on all night. At first, he had been facing Geron, but after skillfully employing one of his more powerful abilities, crying, Samantha had eventually figured out that Charlie simply wanted to face the other way. Now, he had the perfect view, high above the others and strapped to an absolute tree of a man.


    It made Charlie feel like an adult.


    Like a floating, gravity-defying adult. The carrier was comfortable, and there was just enough room for Orb to tuck himself away inside as well.


    The group had made a temporary camp in a small forest clearing directly outside the dungeon.


    ¡°Time for adventure!¡± Charlie declared mentally.


    ¡°Eh, we¡¯re kind of just bystanders on this one, Charlie. If we get involved in any fights, I have a feeling these new friends of yours won¡¯t be so friendly after all. Just play it cool.¡±


    ¡°I am cool! That¡¯s what the c in my name stands for.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Geron yawned loudly enough to snap Charlie¡¯s attention back into focus. Axel walked over and playfully punched Geron¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Maybe if someone hadn¡¯t stayed up all night watching a baby, they wouldn¡¯t be so tired.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m responsible for the little guy now. How was I supposed to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± a woman chimed in. ¡°And now you¡¯ll be too sleep deprived to watch him effectively. Great thinking! I''m glad to be studying under someone so wise and talented.¡± She smiled. It was the younger of the two women in the party that spoke. The teenaged Tirille. He wasn¡¯t sure if he thought she was cool yet, or just scary. Axel was cool. Geron seemed strong. Roan was¡­ Charlie didn¡¯t know about Roan yet. Roan reminded him a lot of Merlin; except he seemed like kind of an alcoholic and wasn¡¯t nearly as bright. He was funny, though. He was still deciding on Vicke, too. And then there was Samantha. Charlie liked Samantha.


    She¡¯d made him the baby carrier. How could he not like her?


    ¡°Ah, he¡¯s doing his best, Tirille!¡± Roan said. He walked by, juggling three daggers in the air. Geron cleared his throat, looking at Roan, and then pointing his eyes at Charlie. Distracted, Roan dropped one of the daggers and it impaled itself in the earth.


    A few inches from his foot.


    ¡°Right. Bad influence and all." Roan held one of the other two daggers up so Charlie could see. "Listen up, kid, juggling daggers is super dangerous. Until you¡¯re experienced like me, never juggle more than two at once.¡±


    ¡°Roan, you¡¯re an idiot.¡± Samantha leaned against a tree. She took a juicy bite of an apple she¡¯d been carrying around all morning. As if she¡¯d been saving it for just this very moment. Adding a bit of a dramatic effect to her name-calling. She called people names a lot. Roan was an idiot. Geron was a ¡®big guy¡¯. Charlie was a cutie.


    Charlie liked Samantha.


    Axel grabbed Roan by the arm, pulling him to the side. Geron exchanged a look with Samantha and followed them away from the others.


    ¡°Geron is in charge of Tirille. He¡¯ll keep her safe. So, I want you to focus on Vicke, Roan. Those two have never been inside a dungeon before, so I want to make sure someone keeps an eye on them,¡± Axel said.


    Roan scratched the back of his head. ¡°The big boss said to prioritize Tirille, ya know.¡±


    Axel took a step. Looking down at Roan. ¡°And I said you¡¯ll watch out for Vicke.¡±


    Roan looked up, and their eyes locked.


    The standoff seemed to last forever, before finally Roan looked away. He sighed. ¡°Alright, boss-man,¡± he said, before walking off.


    Geron watched Roan walk away before turning to Axel. ¡°He¡¯s probably just a little tense. We haven¡¯t done this in a while.¡±


    Axel glared at the back of Roan¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re in charge of Tirille. But you¡¯ve got the baby, too.¡± He turned to look Geron in the eye. ¡°If it comes down to it, and you have to choose, which one will you save? Who will you prioritize?¡±


    Charlie looked straight up at Geron. His mouth sat wide open. ¡°Axel¡­what? I¡¯ll protect them both.¡±


    Axel looked annoyed and turned away. ¡°That¡¯s what went wrong last time. We didn¡¯t make the right call, and we lost everything. I¡¯m not saying you need to abandon one or the other. I just need to know so I can take it into consideration. I can¡¯t lead us¡­I can¡¯t strategize if I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Geron went still. ¡°I¡¯ll protect them both,¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    Axel frowned and left to rejoin the others.


    Geron called out after him. ¡°We¡¯re stronger than we were before, Axel.¡±


    Charlie blinked. What was that about? He wondered.


    A short while later, they finally finished preparing.


    ¡°Alright everyone. Listen up.¡± Axel finished messing around in his bag, doing a double check of all their supplies. ¡°Job should be simple. The dungeon was only born recently. It¡¯s not that deep, and any creatures we encounter shouldn¡¯t be all that strong. By all accounts, this is a dungeon we are more than qualified for. Still, it¡¯s our first time taking a job in a while. Consider this a way to get the hang of things again. And of course, Tirille and Vicke are first timers, so keep an eye out for them. That being said, no goofing off.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Roan in unison.


    ¡°What? What is it? Something in my beard?¡± Roan asked.


    Axel shook his head. ¡°Even though it¡¯s a test run, take it seriously. Let¡¯s treat it like a normal dungeon. Let¡¯s treat it like we can get hurt in there.¡± He turned, facing the massive cave entrance behind him. He paused, looking back over his shoulder. ¡°And Geron, keep the kid safe.¡±


    The dungeon¡¯s entrance looked almost how Charlie imagined it should. The cave¡¯s opening was embedded along a cliff wall only a fifteen or twenty-minute walk away from town. Gemstones sparkled along the entirety of the entrance, as if to catch the eyes of those who passed by, be they humans or monsters. Roan tapped away at one of them with his dagger, trying to sever a piece for closer inspection.


    Samantha rolled her eyes at him. ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible to break those off without special equipment. And if they do break, they disintegrate immediately. Let¡¯s go already.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go already,¡± Roan mocked her voice.


    Samantha started to walk away before pausing. She turned to look at Tirille and Vicke. ¡°So you two know, this is dungeallis crystal.¡±


    Vicke offered a halfhearted nod. Tirille¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really? That¡¯s incredible. I¡¯ve never seen any before. It¡¯s really valuable, right?¡±


    Geron stepped close to the wall and snapped a piece off with his bare hand. He held it out in front of him. The black gemstone immediately disintegrated into dust. He grinned. Charlie watched on in awe as sparkling, shimmering black dust scattered before him. It was beautiful. He tried to reach out and grab it, but Geron¡¯s arm stretched out far more than his did.


    Samantha tilted her head. ¡°Right¡­it¡¯s impossible to break off without equipment unless you¡¯re as powerful as Geron. But yes, Tirille, it¡¯s useful for crafting high-level armor and weapons. That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here, though. We should keep moving.¡±


    Geron leaned his head back, staring at the sky. ¡°Wait a moment, Samantha. It¡¯s a tradition! It¡¯s their first dungeon. We¡¯re going to do it right.¡±


    Samantha sighed.


    Axel and Roan exchanged a look. They each looked up at the sky for a moment before heading inside the dungeon.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Geron pointed upwards. ¡°Look at the sky, you two. Soak it in.¡±


    Vicke laughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were the superstitious type. It¡¯s not my thing.¡±


    Tirille looked up. ¡°What is it? I don¡¯t see anything?¡±


    Charlie looked up as well. The sky was cloudy today. He remembered back in Troa when he saw the eye cloud. There weren¡¯t any eyes in the sky today, but there were lots of pretty clouds. Birds flew by, chirping and singing. A breeze rustled against his face. It was nice. It was peaceful.


    It almost made you forget you were about to go into a dark, dangerous dungeon.


    Almost.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that before our ancestors went into the first dungeon, they stared at the sky so long they imprinted the image in their minds. It¡¯s an old tradition adventurers have upheld ever since.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­kind of nice,¡± Tirille said.


    ¡°It¡¯s in case you die. It¡¯s so you can remember it when you¡¯re bleeding out in the dungeon. So, get a good look, you¡¯re going to want it,¡± Vicke said. He hurried after the others. Samantha and Geron exchanged a look. Samantha followed after Vicke, shaking her head.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Tirille ignored him. She looked at the sky, memorizing as much as she could. Geron did the same.


    Charlie turned, remembering the gemstone. He reached out and tried to grab a piece of it. It broke off in his hand. He looked at it, surprised.


    It didn¡¯t disintegrate.


    ¡°Charlie, what the heck? Put that down? They¡¯ll notice?¡± Orb said, peeking out from the carrier.


    Charlie looked at it. ¡°But they¡¯ll notice if I throw it too!¡± Charlie panicked. ¡°Uh, Transfer!¡±


    Nothing happened. He tried again.


    Transfer!


    The gemstone disappeared, teleporting to his dungeon.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know what that is! What if it gives you a stomachache?¡±


    Geron and Tirille finished and nodded at one another. They entered the dungeon.


    Charlie thought about the strange gemstone. He¡¯d barely applied any force to it, so why had it broken off in his hand? Samantha said it was difficult to break off. Sure, Geron had done it, but Geron was really strong. Charlie had just barely touched it and it had come off. Even then, it hadn¡¯t disintegrated. Was it because of his power? Because of his connection to the dungeon? He¡¯d have to ask his interface later when he could talk to it again.


    He smiled, thinking about how Merlin would react. The gemstone he¡¯d taken was small, but Samantha had said it was valuable. He bet Merlin would get excited over it. Whenever they found him again. He frowned, thinking of how they were separated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do our best not to die!¡± Orb wriggled in the baby carrier. Charlie gave him a pat.


    Orb was right. They needed to focus on the dungeon.


    Their first time in a dungeon that wasn¡¯t their own.


    ***


    The dungeon looked, as much as Charlie could tell, eerily similar to his own. The dirt seemed softer. He noticed the others sunk into it slightly with every step. Leaving a trail of footprints behind. The walls of the dungeon were crudely shaped. It looked like a long dirt hallway with awkward mounds and indents along the walls. Charlie found the earthen odor of it all surprisingly pleasant. Though he wasn¡¯t sure if it was a personal preference, or a side effect of his powers.


    Axel sighed. He¡¯d fastened a black bandana over his head to keep his dreads from getting in his face. A large sword hung at his waist. Geron had referred to it as a katana earlier. The group fell in around him. Roan followed closely on his right side, a dagger in each hand. Tirille traveled on his left, but she appeared unarmed. Charlie wondered if she was a magic caster like Samantha was. But he hadn¡¯t seen her perform any magic yet. Unlike Samantha, who was quite proud of her hexes and seemed ready to use them even if they were somewhat uncalled for in the circumstance.


    She¡¯d casually electrocuted every insect that even so much as crossed her path on the walk out to the dungeon. It seemed wasteful. They were going into a dungeon. Shouldn¡¯t she have been conserving her magic? And why hurt the bugs? They weren¡¯t doing anything to bother her. But maybe she had a good reason for it. He would think on it more later.


    Samantha followed Axel closely. Vicke was beside her and Geron brought up the rear. Charlie wondered if maybe it would¡¯ve been better for him to ride on Geron¡¯s back. Then maybe he could¡¯ve kept an eye out for anything trying to sneak up on them. But Geron didn¡¯t seem worried. Every once in a while, he¡¯d look over his shoulder for a moment or two before nodding and turning to look ahead again.


    They hadn¡¯t made it far when Axel held a hand up. ¡°Something¡¯s coming.¡±


    Roan lowered his hand, craning forward as if it would help him see better in the dark. Tirille didn¡¯t move at all. Her pose looked comfortable; her hands clasped behind the back of her head.


    A moment later, it seemed Tirille had been relaxed for a reason.


    Swish.


    A blade cut through the air in one fluid motion before returning to Axel¡¯s sheath. Blood splattered the dungeon¡¯s walls. Two muted thuds sounded as something hit the soft ground. Charlie looked down as two animal like heads rolled to a stop near Geron¡¯s feet. Geron prodded one with a foot. The creature¡¯s head resembled a small humanoid crow. It had six small, button-like eyes arranged in a circle in the center of its head. A short black beak protruded just below the strange eye circle. Charlie¡¯s eyes widened as he took in the decapitated bird creature. Geron held a large hand up, obscuring Charlie¡¯s view.


    ¡°Come on buddy, don¡¯t look at that.¡± He pointed at Roan. ¡°Look how stupid Roan looks right now. He thought he was actually going to get a chance to fight.¡±


    Charlie giggled, and Roan turned around, an exasperated look on his face. ¡°Aye, I don¡¯t mind being the butt of a good joke every now and again, but I draw the line at being laughed at by a baby!¡±


    Geron shrugged. ¡°Anymore, Axel?¡±


    Axel shook his head. ¡°Samantha, give us some light. Those two got way too close. Our eyes aren¡¯t adjusting fast enough.¡±


    Tirille looked up in surprise. ¡°Wait, what do you mean?¡±


    Vicke snorted.


    Axel turned to her. ¡°Ah, this is your first time. You hadn¡¯t noticed that its pitch dark in here and yet we can still see?¡±


    Tirille blushed. ¡°Well, I figured Samantha had already cast something. You¡¯re saying this isn¡¯t magic?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not human magic,¡± Samantha chimed in. She paused for a moment. ¡°Emerald Hex Elemental,¡± she said. A hex appeared in the air above her, and sparks of electricity zapped outward at random intervals. And then, with a snap, the hex dispersed, electricity shot out and penetrated the surrounding walls.


    Charlie looked around in awe, as miniature bolts of lightning erupted from one side of the dungeon¡¯s wall, and shot across, embedding in the far side. Over and over, hundreds of iterations of this same event created a weird source of light throughout the dungeon. Racing up and down the dungeon¡¯s walls like they were frantically searching for a way out.


    ¡°It¡¯s like some kind of dungeon rave party. This is awesome!¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Uh¡­this won¡¯t shock us to death or anything, will it?¡± Roan asked, flinching anytime the spell got close.


    Samantha smirked. ¡°No. My little bolts know not to come into contact with humans. Well, I made an exception for you.¡± She winked and turned back to Tirille. ¡°Like I was saying, it¡¯s not human magic that allows people to see inside dungeons. Our eyes are able to adjust better than usual inside them. Most times, at least. Some dungeons are different. This one may be too young.¡±


    ¡°Formed too close to a city. Mean¡¯s it got discovered earlier than most do. It¡¯s weak. Might explain the eye thing not working. Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Axel said.


    As Geron stepped past where Axel had cut down the bird creature¡¯s bodies, Charlie peeked again. Their bodies weren¡¯t very large. The size of young children¡­he realized. Each of them had a single wing. It didn¡¯t look like Axel had cut one off of each of them. It seemed like maybe they were born that way.


    Geron noticed him looking and sighed. ¡°Well. I guess I can¡¯t keep you from seeing dead monsters in a dungeon. Might as well learn not to be afraid of them. These are called six-crows.¡± He pointed. ¡°Because of the eyes on their head. These are young. Not very strong. But if they get older, well, run the other way if you ever see them fully grown, Charlie.¡±


    Tirille stopped to watch the display. ¡°He can¡¯t even understand you.¡±


    Geron smiled, looking up at her. ¡°It was partially for your benefit, too.¡±


    Charlie was grateful his name was on the front of his onesie. It would be awful if every time he met someone he couldn¡¯t talk to they gave him a new name. There were so many awful names in the world. It was unlikely he¡¯d get a cool one like Charlie, or Bleedy, or Mousifer. He might have to live life as a Tom.


    That would be horrible.


    As they continued, Charlie wrinkled his nose at a pungent burning smell. And as they passed the corpses of several six-crows, he realized Samantha hadn¡¯t been joking about the bolts not targeting humans. They were attacking the monsters. One of them leaned against a wall, still twitching as electricity flowed through its body. Roan started to put it out of its misery. But Tirille quickly slapped him on the back of the head. ¡°Idiot! What do you think will happen if you stab an electrified corpse with a metal dagger?¡±


    Roan said nothing at first. He looked at the blade, only a few inches from the creature¡¯s face, and swallowed. ¡°Good point.¡±


    Geron chuckled, shaking his head.


    They eventually broke out of the hallway and into a small room. Several streaks of lightning followed them. They raced outward into the room and quickly fizzled out in mid-air. Samantha sucked her teeth. ¡°That¡¯s no fun.¡±


    ¡°Seems the eye effect is working better now, anyway. Save your magic,¡± Axel said, studying the room.


    Charlie realized he was right. Even though the lightning was gone, he could still see. It had been the same way in his own dungeon. He¡¯d never thought about it. How they¡¯d been able to look around and see one another even without any source of light.


    Orb brushed against Charlie¡¯s neck, as if to remind him he was still there. ¡°See! We¡¯re learning stuff already. This is great. Well, you know, as long as we don¡¯t get eaten alive in here or something. But that probably won¡¯t happ¡ª¡±


    A chorus of chittering noises filled the room. ¡°Orb, you know you aren¡¯t supposed to say things like that,¡± Charlie said. ¡°Now look, we¡¯re gonna get attacked.¡±


    Orb dimmed a bit. ¡°I know! Tempting cliches and all, but I just can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s in my nature, Charlie.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Tirille asked, spinning around to look.


    Geron and Axel exchanged a look. Axel spoke.


    ¡°Six-crow. Adult ones. Great.¡±

 Chapter 16: A Squabble with Six Hundred Six-Crows

    ¡°Circle! Now!¡± Axel called out. Everyone besides Geron instantly fell into position. Geron stood where he was, scanning for movement. The room shook, and dirt fell from the ceiling and walls. It was as if something was pushing the dirt away¡­as if something was burrowing out of the dungeon.


    A hole appeared. And then two holes.


    Charlie lost count as all around them new holes formed, each one varying in size and shape. He remembered Geron¡¯s words earlier. ¡°¡­run the other way if you ever see them fully grown, Charlie.¡±


    ¡°Geron?¡± Tirille called out.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. He¡¯s watching the baby. Focus on your positioning. Your feet are too close together. You¡¯ll fall,¡± Axel said.


    Tirille let out a breath and adjusted her stance. Samantha readied a hex. Roan ran the edges of his daggers together, sweat already beading at his brow.


    ¡°Orb, should we help?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°No! Not unless you have to. We don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll react if they realize you aren¡¯t a normal baby. They might see things the same way the knights do.¡±


    Charlie winced. ¡°Okay.¡± It reminded him of their run in with Talmot in Troa. He had called Charlie an abomination. Charlie still didn¡¯t even know what that word meant. But he remembered the animosity behind it. He remembered the fearful expression. Would Geron and the others see him the same way? Would they be right too?


    The chittering came to a halt. The holes in the wall finished forming. ¡°Hey Geron?¡± Roan called out before the battle started.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    ¡°I just need to know. Can we¡­ eat these things? Or do they taste like shit?¡±


    Geron smiled. ¡°They definitely taste like shit.¡±


    ¡°Guys, what the¡ª¡± Tirille started.


    The chorus started again. But it was different this time. More ominous. ¡°Sha sha sha sha sha sha.¡±


    Charlie looked up.


    ¡°Sha sha sha sha sha sha.¡±


    ¡°Sha sha sha sha sha sha.¡±


    Silence.


    A single creature made the first move. ¡°Sha!¡± The six-crow shot out from a hole in the right wall of the room. It aimed directly for Roan, long claws as dark as night outstretched to strike him down.


    Roan whistled. He flicked his wrist, and a dagger sailed toward the quick-moving beast. It glanced off the creature¡¯s cheek and veered away. Right into one of the other holes. Roan cursed. It was too late to throw another one. He held an arm out to catch the creature with his bare hand. A gleaming dagger was ready in the opposite hand to stab its target. A moment before the crow¡¯s beak clashed with Roan, the creature was forced to a bloody halt. A large katana penetrated the creature¡¯s torso. It coughed, sputtering a dark liquid from its beak. Its claws scrambled. Desperately trying to free itself from the blade before finally succumbing to death. It sank deeper onto Axel¡¯s blade.


    Axel glared at Roan.


    Roan sighed. ¡°Yeah, that one is on me. Sorry bout that.¡± He eyed the hole his first dagger had flown into. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose I¡¯ll be seeing that one again. Was a gift from mum.¡±


    ¡°So sorry to hear that,¡± Tirille responded with a hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, mom is a real bit¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sha sha sha sha sha sha.¡±


    ¡°Get ready!¡± Axel shouted.


    Charlie looked up at Geron. He was unusually quiet. And why wasn¡¯t he in the circle?


    An explosion of black erupted as the other six-crows shot into the room. It wasn¡¯t immediately obvious how they moved as quickly as they did. The creatures had only a single wing, and yet, it was like they were flying. They raced with the speed and ferocity of a magic attack. Their screeches, shrieks and shas were disorienting.


    Charlie looked from one direction to the other, trying to follow the fighting. Axel cut down one crow after the other. Roan¡¯s daggers flashed left and right. His moves were almost acrobatic. Charlie watched as he stabbed one six-crow as it attempted to skirt past him and attack Axle from behind. Roan rolled forward, grabbing another creature from the air and snapped its neck. All before falling back in line.


    Tirille, surprisingly, was still unarmed. Her palms shot out, solitary powerful strikes that brought down the creatures, whether they were attacking her directly or maneuvering in her vicinity. A particularly large six-crow rocketed forward at her, a sharpened beak ready to assault her when it met her palm head on. The impact crushed the creature¡¯s head. Despite her small frame, Tirille was stronger than she looked.


    Vicke, who Charlie hadn¡¯t paid much attention to until now, moved quickly. He pulled arrows from a holder on his back and shot them into the swarming birds.


    Samantha was a goddess of lightning. Targeted strikes struck at opponents who stood passively on the edges of the battlefield. Charlie wondered why Samantha was targeting them, rather than those that proved a more immediate threat. She chained her hexes, one after another, in such a way that she directed a single, powerful bolt of lightning throughout the room at high speeds to take out several dozen targets at once.


    It was awe-inspiring.


    Charlie had worried they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. But they were doing more than that. The way they fought made it seem like they had faced these exact same circumstances a hundred times before. Like they fought six-crows every day of their lives and this was nothing more than a normal afternoon for them.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Geron fighting? Why aren¡¯t the creatures attacking us?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie¡¯s head shot to a tilt. The crows were acting as if they weren¡¯t even here. He looked up at Geron. He watched, studying the moves of his friends. Geron was unmoving. Unblinking. If Charlie didn¡¯t know better, he would think Geron had been secretly turned into a statue.


    ¡°Geron?¡± he tried to say.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Charlie shrieked instead.


    Geron looked down, a smile on his face. ¡°It¡¯s okay buddy. Don¡¯t be afraid. You¡¯re safe with me.¡±


    And Charlie believed him. He felt safe. But was it really okay? Was it okay for him to sit back and watch the others fight? Sure, they didn¡¯t seem to be struggling, but¡ª


    Well, now they did kind of appear to be struggling. The fight was turning fast. The six-crow swarmed into the room. Axel and the others were having a hard time maneuvering because of the sheer numbers of corpses at their feet. The creatures flew from wall to wall, pressing off and flying back through the room. They didn¡¯t seem affected by the loss of their brethren. They were completely and totally fixated on taking down their prey. Despite their heavy casualties.


    ¡°Orb, can we use your sentient ability on them? Would that stop them from attacking?¡± Charlie asked.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°I can¡¯t target groups. Just one. And it takes a lot out of me. I¡¯m not sure it would make a difference.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help them or they¡¯ll notice! But if you turn one sentient, maybe that¡¯ll help.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I dunno!¡± Charlie pouted. ¡°You never wanna use your ability.¡±


    In place of nonexistent eyes, Orb rolled himself. ¡°Fine. Pick one out.¡±


    Charlie started scanning the flying masses of Six-Crow. One crow pushed another out of the way and unintentionally sent it heading straight for Geron. Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. Geron held out his hand. As soon as the creature made contact with his open palm, it disintegrated into ash.


    ¡°What¡­ just happened?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie shook his head, wide-eyed.


    He looked up, and one of the six-crow caught his attention. It was one of the ones waiting along the wall. Samantha had been targeting them with her powerful hexes, but this one somehow was still alive. One of the last few crows still clinging to the walls. It was smaller than the others. It pulled a six-crow that flew past it into the wall and tried to push it back into one of the holes. The other six-crow shrieked, freeing itself and rejoining the fight. The six-crow on the wall cawed after it. Not just after that one, it cawed in general. Like it was trying to get the attention of the other crows. They ignored it.


    What exactly was he doing? Charlie wondered. The creature looked around the room. His six eyes looked watery, like it was on the verge of tears.


    Or maybe that was just Charlie¡¯s imagination. Still, he found himself fascinated by the creature.


    ¡°That one!¡± Charlie said.


    Orb looked at it. ¡°You sure? That one looks kind of weird. He¡¯s small too.¡±


    Charlie nodded. Orb complied.


    Sentience!


    The creature¡¯s eyes glowed a bright shade of blue. It looked around the room as if it was seeing for the first time. Finally, it fixated its gaze on Charlie, as if noticing him for the first time.


    It flew straight at him.


    It dodged Roan¡¯s fury swipes, evading even as two other crows went down in the same attack. It sailed over the backs of other crows, narrowing, dodging a lightning bolt that skated past. Geron noticed it and held out his hand again. The creature flew right toward it, but at the last second, dodged much faster than it had shown itself capable of before.


    It stared at Charlie, merely an inch from his face. The blue shade in its eyes was already fading, replaced by the more usual black as it studied Charlie. Charlie didn¡¯t dare move.


    Geron gasped. ¡°What the¡ª¡± His hand swung down in a rapid chopping motion, but the creature was gone just as quickly as it had come. Geron wheeled around, watching the creature shoot from the room and down the hallway they¡¯d entered from.


    ¡°Samantha! Vicke!¡± Geron called out, stepping to the side, and motioning down the hallway after the fleeing creature.


    Vicke notched an arrow, lined up his shot, and let it fly.


    Thew. It shot through the air.


    Samantha, not one to be outdone, sent a casual, but powerful bolt of lightning through her emerald hex. It quickly caught up to and then surpassed the arrow. Charlie panicked, and for the second time, heard those words in his head. They were strange and familiar at the same time.


    When your enemies flee, let them. There¡¯s enough pain in the world as is.


    The six-crow sensed the attack and tried to dodge, but it was too late for it to react. But¡­not too late for Charlie.


    Dungeon Manipulation!


    A wall of rock shot up a second before the attacks landed. The lightning and earth met, and a loud explosion filled the dungeon. Debris filled the air.


    Axel looked up at the explosion. ¡°Geron! It¡¯s time!¡± Axel called out.


    ¡°Already?¡± Samantha said through gritted teeth.


    Geron didn¡¯t respond verbally.


    For the third time, his hand lifted before him.


    For the first time, a hex formed.


    Geron¡¯s hex.


    It felt like the universe spoke through Geron when he chanted.


    ¡°Broken Hex Bane.¡±


    Charlie shivered as magic poured into the room. The powerful, ominous hex wasn¡¯t any larger than most. But it radiated true power. Simply being near it felt like the magical equivalent of sun rays touching his skin. The hex was colorless, translucent, except for a black outline that made it just barely visible. The hex cracked. Shattering into a hundred pieces. It was unlike any hex Charlie had seen in this world so far.


    It was another level of power. Something he wasn¡¯t even aware was possible until he¡¯d witnessed it at this very moment. Hundreds of tiny, similar hexes replaced it. Each of them formed next to one of the six-crows that still flew around the room. The hexes affixed themselves to the strange bird beast. Despite their maneuvers, and quick flitted flying, the six-crow couldn¡¯t rid themselves of the magical binding.


    At once, each of the tiny hexes erupted into pieces, just as the larger one had. At once, each one of the six-crows fell to the dungeon¡¯s floor.


    Dead.


    Devoid of life.


    Empty.


    Soulless.


    Broken.


    Roan fell to his knees. Dozens of scratches marred his body. ¡°Was wondering when you¡¯d use that overpowered trick of yours.¡±


    Samantha brushed stray hair out of her face. Sneaking a concerned glance towards Tirille, who seemed to be holding up well enough. Vicke was sucking in deep breaths of air. Axel stood there with crossed arms. He¡¯d sheathed his blade as soon as he¡¯d called out the order. He¡¯d clearly seen this technique before.


    ¡°Whatever you do, Charlie, don¡¯t piss Geron off. Pretty please,¡± Orb said. Charlie smiled.


    Roan noticed. ¡°Well, at least the kid thinks this is funny.¡±


    Tirille scoffed. ¡°Funny? He¡¯s probably traumatized. That baby is going to grow up to be a serial killer or something. This was a terrible idea. And what the hell was that hex Geron? Why didn¡¯t you tell me you could do something like that?¡± She paused, a thought striking her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do it sooner?¡±


    Geron sighed. He held up a finger. ¡°Because it¡¯s a technique that I can only use a single time before needing to recover. It excels in combat situations like this, where numbers aren¡¯t in our favor. But, once I use it, we¡¯ve lost our get out of jail free card.¡±


    Tirille listened intently. She mindlessly pulled at her lip, contemplating his words.


    Charlie perked up. ¡°Orb, did you hear that? If we can find that card they lost, we can get Merlin out of jail! This is perfect!¡±


    ¡°Charlie¡­it¡¯s a metaphor. He doesn¡¯t really have a card like that.¡±


    Charlie blinked. ¡°I know that¡­ obviously. Were you even listening? He doesn¡¯t have it because he lost it.¡±


    Samantha knelt down beside one of the six-crow corpses. ¡°Wait, a moment¡­¡± she said. She traced a finger in the space between the corpse¡¯s eyes. Her lips pursed. ¡°This isn¡¯t an adult.¡±


    Roan scoffs. ¡°You know how long Geron¡¯s been hunting hex beast? I think he would know the difference.¡±


    Samantha glared at him. ¡°Geron didn¡¯t study in the capital. I did. Their eyes move slightly during maturation. It¡¯s subtle, but noticeable if you know what to look for. Also, their wings have a set number of feather rows embedded along them. These only have four. If there were five, I could say maybe, but four isn''t enough. These aren¡¯t adults. They¡¯re on the way, but not quite.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good then, right?¡± Vicke asked, inspecting the corpse over her shoulder.


    Samantha wagged a finger at him. ¡°Now Vicke, as much as you brag about your education, shouldn¡¯t you know this?¡±


    Vicke blushed. ¡°Well, I¡­ History of Hex Beasts wasn¡¯t exactly my strong suit.¡±


    Tirille smirked at him. When Vicke saw her, his nose flared in response.


    Axel shot them both a look that made them look away. ¡°So, what are you saying exactly?¡± he asked.


    Samantha stood. ¡°To be honest, I have my concerns. If they aren¡¯t adults, they won¡¯t have traveled from another dungeon or nest. That means they were born here. The dungeon was found and reported almost immediately. We accepted the job a few days later.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been about a month since first report. This is really fast in terms of clearing a dungeon, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tirille asked.


    Samantha nodded. ¡°The problem is six-crow take six months to mature fully. But these are over halfway there. If they had survived, and continued growing at this rate, they would have easily grown to be as two or three times bigger than normal adult six-crows. That¡¯s bad.¡±


    ¡°How bad we talking?¡± Roan asked.


    ¡°Bad as in either this place is swarming with excess magical energy, or we aren¡¯t dealing with the caliber of dungeon we were expecting.¡±


    Roan groaned and let his head fall back. ¡°Great. So, this dungeon is more dangerous than what we¡¯re prepared for.¡± His eyes drifted to Axel.


    Axel stood there, arms crossed, facing the path that would lead them deeper into the dungeon.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Roan asked.


    ¡°This early, and we¡¯ve already encountered a swarm.¡± Axel paused. ¡°That means that whatever¡¯s waiting for us at the end of the dungeon is powerful. Very powerful.¡±

 Chapter 17: The Interface, a Delayed Introduction

    They moved more carefully through the dungeon after their first encounter. But it seemed mostly unnecessary. They occasionally ran across a solitary six-crow and easily dispatched it. But even as they moved deeper into the dungeon, there weren¡¯t any more rooms like the one where they¡¯d been ambushed.


    Charlie took in the dungeon, its barren walls, and empty rooms. Only scattered six-crow wandered its halls, the ones lucky enough to have been deeper in the dungeon when Geron and the others encountered the nest. He frowned.


    ¡°Orb, this dungeon is boring. We should make sure ours is more fun.¡±


    ¡°Fun? You realize fun for most dungeons is like¡­ eating people, right?¡± he asked.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°No! Fun to explore. Look, there¡¯s not a single piece of furniture in this whole place! What if someone wanted to sit down? Or take a nap? Naps are important, Orb.¡±


    Orb mentally sighed. ¡°I think somewhere along the way we fell victim to massive miscommunication about what it means to be a dungeon.¡±


    Axel passed around a water canteen. Roan drunk greedily from it before holding it out towards Samantha.


    She eyed it in disgust. She grabbed a small wooden bottle from her waist, took a sip and returned it to its place.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any diseases.¡± Roan scoffed.


    She raised a brow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any contagious diseases.¡± Roan joked. Or at least, Charlie thought he was joking. He hoped.


    ¡°Save your strength. We have some time before reaching the end of the dungeon,¡± Axel said.


    Charlie tilted his head. He wondered what the end of a dungeon looked like. Tensions were high after leaving the room where the attack had happened. There had been some disagreement about how to proceed.


    ¡°Should we turn back?¡± Vicke had asked.


    Samantha rested a hand on her hip. Her head inclined with a sigh. ¡°Well, if we do. The town will send others to clear the dungeon. We took the job despite being overqualified for it. They¡¯ll be less experienced than we are. They¡¯ll certainly die. It¡¯s not unusual for the smaller guilds to overestimate their abilities. Adventurers go missing all the time. Three or four groups would have to die in here before anyone realized this dungeon wasn¡¯t normal.¡± Samantha inspected her fingernails. ¡°That blood would be on our hands. It wouldn¡¯t bother me¡­but Axel and Geron¡­¡±


    Axel¡¯s hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of his blade. His thumb moved up and down, moving his blade an inch or so out of its sheath, and then returning it. It was an idle motion. Like his hand moved of its own volition while the gears of his mind turned.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we report it?¡± Tirille asked. ¡°Then we could¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Geron got the kid involved. We can¡¯t go back to town anymore. Snatchers will be waiting,¡± Roan said.


    ¡°What exactly is a snatcher? I don¡¯t remember hearing anything about them in school,¡± Vicke said.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ unique to the area, apparently. We only discovered them a few days ago. Doesn¡¯t affect the dungeon, so let¡¯s put a pin in it,¡± Roan said. ¡°Samantha¡¯s right, people will get killed here. But that doesn¡¯t mean we should stay. Let¡¯s get out of here, then send word from the next town over.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re staying,¡± Axel declared.


    Geron nodded his head in agreement.


    Roan made a show of digging a finger into his ears, one at a time. When he was done, he inspected his pointer finger and flicked earwax onto the dungeon floor. ¡°Sorry. My ears were full of shit. You said we should hurry on out of here, ya?¡±


    Axel glared at him over his shoulder and then walked deeper into the dungeon.


    Roan looked around for support. ¡°We¡¯ve got two newbies and a baby with us! You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    The others followed, ignoring him.


    Roan sighed and fell in line.


    For a while after, it had been quiet among the group. Tirille and Vicke bickered from time to time. Eventually, Samantha started explaining the origins of hexes to Tirille in great detail, a little too far away for Charlie to pick up on, and Geron trailed the rest of the group. He was more vigilant on their rear now. Turning more often to ensure they weren¡¯t being followed. Vicke noticed him trailing behind and let his own pace slow as well.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Geron?¡± He ran a hand through his black, spiky hair and part of a six crow feather fell to the ground.


    ¡°Mhm. Just thinking.¡±


    ¡°About what? Something bothering you?¡± Vicke didn¡¯t seem as rude when he was talking to people other than Tirille.


    Geron looked over his shoulder, and then ahead at the others. ¡°Dungeons don¡¯t typically react to situations in real time. They can alter shape dramatically when they¡¯re empty. But according to modern research, they¡¯re unlikely to do so when humans are within their walls. It¡¯s theorized that the strain on magic energy is higher when adventurers enter the dungeon. But nobody knows for sure. So, it makes me wonder, why did the dungeon intervene on behalf of that sixcrow before? What was special about it? Why did the dungeon want it to escape?¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Charlie¡¯s face grew warm. He chanced a look at Vicke to see how he was reacting. Vicke paused, taking his time. As if he thought he was being tested or something. ¡°Uhm¡­ that¡¯s a good question. Maybe Samantha knows?¡±


    Geron shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. For now, we should focus on what¡¯s ahead.¡± He looked up.


    ¡°Orb, do you think they know?¡± Charlie asked.


    Orb rotated inside the baby carrier a bit. ¡°Nah. But we should be careful about how you use your powers. Why¡¯d you save that creature, anyway? He wasn¡¯t bonded to us. It didn¡¯t feel the same as it did when I, uh¡­ woke up Mousifer and Bleedy.¡±


    ¡°I dunno. I have like¡­ this memory sometimes. Like someone is telling me a story. But I can¡¯t remember what it was. Just bits and pieces. Or¡­well¡­ just one bit. One piece. It felt like I should help. Like I¡¯d be¡­hmm, doing what I was supposed to.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­well, just be more careful in the future. Have you heard that voice again? Since the last time?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°No¡­¡± he paused. He hadn¡¯t tried to speak to it since the last time they fought. It had disappeared as soon as his magic had run out, but his magic was back now. So, what if¡­


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    No answer. He frowned. Maybe he couldn¡¯t just think the thought. Maybe he needed to project it to someone, like he did when he talked with one of the others. But who did he aim it towards?


    He thought about the voice itself. He tried to project his mental words to the voice he had heard. Or at least, his memory of it.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Charlie blinked. ¡°It worked! Can we talk now?¡±


    ¡°Protocol reengage introduction commencing. Greetings, my name is Parent. This name is an acronym, short for:


    Power


    Articulating


    Responsible


    Entity &


    Neural


    Transmitter.


    Parent.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a neural transmit¡ª¡±


    ¡°Essentially, I am a modified version of a resource commonly given to other-worlders by the System. I¡¯m an interface. To prevent conversational repetition, I will now add the dungeon core, referred to as Orb, to my communication window. One moment, please.¡±


    ¡°Charlie, are you okay? You got quiet all of a sudden. Did you ever notice that Geron¡ªWHAT THE HECK?¡±


    ¡°Completed.¡±


    Charlie looked down the baby carrier at Orb to shoot him a bewildered look. ¡°So, you¡¯re an interface? What¡¯s that mean?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°My job is to assist you with understanding and navigating your abilities. Normally, this process would be innate. Instinctive. But unfortunately, the System determined that you lacked sufficient excess processing power for me to exist. That is until Orb used his Sentience ability on me during the fight with the cultist.¡±


    ¡°I¡­did?¡± Orb asked. He paused. ¡°Wait! I did sense something. I needed a target, and that¡¯s when I felt one somewhere inside of Charlie. Are you saying that was you?¡±


    ¡°Correct. An interface is typically a non-sentient being that exists solely to interpret and enact its user commands. Typically, to access information. But the System forced me to remain dormant to preserve Charlie¡¯s mental well-being. Orb, however, bypassed this restriction by granting me a consciousness of my own. After careful assessment, I have determined that my altered existence no longer presents a threat to the user, Charlie. The System must also agree with this conclusion. Otherwise, it would have taken action by now.¡±


    Charlie looked up ahead down the dungeon¡¯s tunnel for any signs of sixcrow or new rooms, but it looked relatively safe. ¡°Hmm. So, you¡¯ll help me with my abilities¡­but what exactly does that mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already proven yourself to be quite resourceful when it comes to ability usage. You¡¯ve utilized a combination of abilities to fight in areas where you would normally be defenseless. In fact, I believe your neural plasticity will continue to be an asset to you in the future. That being said, currently, you have a bad habit of pushing your abilities to their limits in every engagement, causing the dungeon to collapse. If this continues, the integrity of the dungeon will continue to diminish until, ultimately, permanent damage will occur to the dungeon¡¯s foundation.¡±


    Charlie swallowed. He¡¯d never really understood what dungeon integrity meant. He thought it was just a way of saying he couldn¡¯t use magic anymore. He¡¯d seen the dungeon start to collapse in on them after the fight with Lusafeen. But he hadn¡¯t realized that was happening every time he exhausted his powers. ¡°What would happen to me if that happened?¡±


    ¡°There would be a 99.98% chance of excruciating death.¡±


    ¡°Aga?¡± Charlie said aloud in panic.


    Geron looked down, grabbing the straps of the baby carrier, and bouncing Charlie a bit. ¡°Everything alright bud?¡± Geron asked.


    Charlie realized he needed to take the whole dungeon integrity thing more seriously. ¡°Okay¡­so I shouldn¡¯t use all of my power because eventually it could kill me.¡± He paused. He didn¡¯t like saying that. Or well, thinking it out loud. ¡°But that won¡¯t happen anytime soon, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct. As of now, the dungeon shouldn¡¯t be under serious threat of foundational collapse. However, you should keep something in mind as you start to utilize more of the benefits that the dungeon offers. The more time and energy you invest into the dungeon, the more serious low dungeon integrity and collapse becomes. For now, try not to collapse the dungeon every time you face an enemy. As you gain more experience in using your abilities, you should notice you¡¯ll be able to use them more often and draw out more power.¡±


    Charlie nodded. He had so many questions. Now that he had access to Parent, he would be able to get more answers about his powers and how they worked. But he realized it probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to get too distracted in the dungeon. Even Geron, as strong as he was, was on high alert. If Charlie wanted to keep Orb safe and make sure they made it back to town to rescue Merlin, he needed to be vigilant.


    For now, one thing in particular stood out in his mind. Parent said as he starts to utilize more of the benefits of the dungeon¡­meaning there was more to it. The dungeon had more to offer him. There were things he was capable of that he hadn¡¯t yet discovered. Soon, he would investigate that.


    Tirille had managed to escape Samantha¡¯s lecture and joined Geron and Vicke in the group''s rear.


    Geron offered her a welcoming smile. ¡°Finally get bored with Samantha?¡± he asked.


    Samantha flipped him a finger without looking back. A spark of electricity shot from the tip of it.


    Tirille laughed. ¡°No, I enjoyed learning about hexes. Samantha knows her stuff. Just thought I¡¯d check in.¡±


    Vicke rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯d know about hexes if you¡¯d gone to school and earned your place here, instead of relying on a unique hex.¡± Vicke paused, a horrified expression on his face. ¡°Wait, Geron, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡±


    Geron shot him a look, a fire burning in his eyes. Vicke¡¯s face tightened.


    Roan spun at the commotion. He grinned. ¡°Rare thing to see the big man get angry. Speaking of hexes, don¡¯t forget you two signed a contract. That ¡®special¡¯ Hex of his is a guild secret. Tell anyone, and I¡¯ll be the one they send to hunt you down.¡±


    Vicke laughed nervously. Tirille nodded.


    Charlie stared at Roan. He didn¡¯t think it was a joke.


    Axel signaled for the group to halt. ¡°What is it?¡± Geron asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. The dungeon core is in the room ahead.¡±


    Roan sighed. ¡°Perfect! I was just thinking, now would be a great time to get myself killed.¡±

 Chapter 18: The Boss

    The final room of the dungeon was a circular room. It was lined with rows of serrated edges made from the same black gemstone they had seen at the dungeon¡¯s entrance. There were rows upon rows of the sparkling dungeallis crystal, all the way to the ceilings roof, which was domelike and made the room feel even larger than it already was. There was only a single entrance, or exit, the wide doorway they¡¯d entered from. Charlie looked on in awe at the massive space. He thought back to the large room in his own dungeon where he¡¯d fought Lusafeen.


    This room was easily two or three times that. He wondered if there was a reason for that added size, or if it was just a random act of nature.


    Axel pointed at Samantha, Tirille, and Vicke and tilted his head to the left. He directed Roan and Geron to his right.


    ¡°What¡­happens now?¡± Vicke asked.


    Samantha held a finger to her lips. Vicke swallowed, looking around.


    In a fluid motion, Axel unsheathed his large katana. He let out a deep breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the core anywhere,¡± Roan said, scanning the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s the guardian we need to be worried about,¡± Samantha said, an electric hex already forming at her side.


    Charlie caught something shimmer against the rear wall. He realized it was the reflection of Samantha¡¯s hex. He pointed a tiny finger at it.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Geron followed Charlie¡¯s point and studied the wall. ¡°There!¡± he called out. In unison, they all looked up at the false wall in the back of the room. Just in time for the distorted orangish brown silhouette of an enormous creature to step forward and peer at them through the mirror-like barrier.


    Huge, dark eyes shot around the room, studying each of them. They finally fixated on Axel, and the creature released a booming, resonant roar that forced the party to cover their ears. Geron flinched, covering Charlie¡¯s small ears with his large hands instead of protecting his own.


    The creature punched against the barrier and left a wide crack in the strange material. It looked like an asymmetrical spider¡¯s web. The cracks slowly expanded as the creature continued to pound on it. The punches grew in speed and ferocity.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    Roan groaned. ¡°Oh, I bet he hits hard as hell.¡±


    Rock crashed as the creature¡¯s fist finally penetrated the wall. It reached a large hand through and ripped large clumps of the shattered earthen material away to make room for itself.


    Orb peeked out of the baby carrier. ¡°Charlie¡­I don¡¯t like this.¡±


    Charlie reached down and grabbed Orb with both hands, covering him up to keep him safe. ¡°That thing is scary, Orb.¡± He swallowed.


    The creature was easily three times the size of Geron. Maybe larger. It was a vascular creature, with rippling veins that twisted at odd angles along its orange-brown, muscular flesh. Its eyes appeared to be made of a dark gem-stone material. Not unlike dungeallis crystal. It paused, turning to a particularly large hunk of the dungeon wall it had shattered, and tested its weight.


    ¡°Roan, you¡¯re up,¡± Axel said.


    ¡°Heh, trying to get me killed this early in the fight?¡±


    Axel looked at him, smirking. ¡°If only it was that easy.¡±


    The creature turned back, satisfied with its makeshift weapon, and faced them. It sucked in a deep breath, and then opened its jaw, roaring again. Flecks of spittle shooting from its grotesque mouth. Axel motioned to Roan.


    ¡°Archh.¡± The creature recoiled as a flung dagger embedded itself in the roof of the creature¡¯s mouth. Its gaze turned to Roan, who¡¯d thrown the weapon. Roan backed away from the others, isolating the creature¡¯s focus.


    The dungeon quaked as the creature broke off into a run, charging directly at Roan.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Roan turned and sprinted away from it.


    Charlie bounced in his baby carrier with each step the creature took, lumbering forward after its prey.


    Roan reached the dungeon¡¯s wall, and carefully scrambled around the sharp edges of the first row of gemstone, trying to get off the ground. He¡¯d sheathed one dagger and bit down on the blade of another, freeing up his hands for climbing.


    Charlie wondered where Roan kept all these knives.


    Roan was clearly an experienced climber, and he worked his way up the gemstone wall quickly. But he wasn¡¯t moving quick enough.


    The creature lifted its large rock log to flatten Roan.


    A bolt of lightning crackled through the air and penetrated the creature¡¯s side. The force caused it to lose its balance, and it crumpled. Falling and impaling itself on the sharp gemstone that lined the dungeon¡¯s walls. It made a pained noise, shaking its head. Dungeallis crystal shattered, a large tuft of gemstone dust scattered into the air.


    Axel raised his hands. ¡°Everyone! Now!¡±


    Axel and Tirille hurried forward to strike. Geron didn¡¯t move. Roan finally made his way atop the first elevated row of the dungeon. He didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. He ran toward the stunned creature.


    Thew. Thew. Thew. Vicke let loose a hail of arrows, each aimed for the chest, where a human heart would normally be found. Charlie wondered if the anatomy of the creature was really that similar to a person''s.


    The monster tried to rouse itself, pushing against the earth with a hand and leaning forward. Roan finally reached it and started stabbing the creature at the base of its neck. The sound of metal clanging against something hard rang out over and over. ¡°Skin''s tough here!¡± Roan shouted. He lifted both knives into the air and brought them back down again. This time, they found purchase, slipping in an opening of the creature¡¯s tough skin, just under its shoulder blades.


    The creature¡¯s eyes shot open, and it flailed its arms wildly.


    Forced to abandon their attack, Axel and Tirille each jumped back, surprised by the creature¡¯s sudden movement.


    Unhampered, it made its way back to its feet.


    It took Roan with it. ¡°What the¡ª¡± he said as he was lifted into the air. Dangling from the daggers that were still impaled in the creature¡¯s neck. It tried, to no avail, to reach behind its back to grab Roan. When it realized the futility, it looked around, and its eyes fixated on Samantha.


    ¡°This next part is going to be a little scary, Charlie. But it¡¯s all part of the plan,¡± Geron assured him.


    "Wait, what¡¯s he mean by that?" Charlie thought. Geron moved slowly, but confidently, until he was in between the creature and Samantha.


    The creature broke into a run, directly for them. Each stomp of its feet reverberating around the dungeon.


    ¡°Charlie! We¡¯re going to die!¡± Orb called out.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Stomp.


    Stomp.


    Stomp.


    Charlie shook his head. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was for his benefit or Orb¡¯s. His. He realized.


    Geron readied himself. He let out a breath and pulled a fist back.


    ¡°Vicke, no!¡± Axel called out a moment before he shot.


    Thew.


    The arrow bounced off the creature¡¯s shoulder. It turned to look at Vicke, who¡¯d fired at it.


    Axel cursed. He broke off in a sprint to try to get there in time. But he was too far. The creature ignored Geron and charged Vicke. Vicke was far too close, and far too terrified to get away in time.


    His legs shook at the sudden attention.


    Geron realized it too. He couldn¡¯t make it in time, either. ¡°No¡­¡± he said.


    The monster reached him and lifted its massive club above its head. Roan ripped a dagger free and stabbed it back into the creature¡¯s flesh to distract it. It ignored him. It had fresh prey in its sights and had given up on Roan for now.


    Vicke didn¡¯t move. It was like his legs were stuck to the ground. He swallowed.


    There was a burst of movement just before the club smashed into the ground. Charlie covered his face, protecting himself from debris flung around the room.


    When the dust cleared, he looked up to see Tirille lying over Vicke. She¡¯d managed to push him out of the way at the last second. The creature¡¯s weapon was now deeply embedded in the ground. It didn¡¯t try to free it.


    Instead, it used its hand, and this time Tirille wasn¡¯t able to get out of the way in time before the fist met her body. At the last second, she threw up her arms to defend against the attack. She flew, ricocheting off the ground before skidding to a stop a dozen feet away. The creature looked down at Vicke, who had been narrowly out of the punch¡¯s range. It reached for him and picked him up. Vicke struggled against the grip. The creature brought his face close to its mouth. Roan stabbed the creature over and over, to no avail.


    But Tirille had bought Axel enough time. He¡¯d closed the distance.


    The creature¡¯s arm fell to the dirt amidst a splatter of blood. Vicke freed himself from the still wrapped fingers and finally found the strength to get out of the creature¡¯s reach. He ran straight for Tirille to check on her. Roan yanked one of his daggers free and jumped down, rolling away from the creature.


    ¡°She¡¯s okay! A little banged up, but still breathing!¡± Vicke called out.


    ¡°Hah!¡± Geron grinned at the news. ¡°Our turn, Charlie. Do me a favor and give me your best baby battle cry!¡± Geron said. Charlie gripped the baby carrier as Geron started running.


    Charlie couldn¡¯t explain it. Maybe it was the excitement. Maybe it was the surge of battle or the fact that Tirille was okay. Or maybe it was the speed with which Geron ran. But all of a sudden, he didn¡¯t feel so afraid. He giggled. He giggled like a baby having the time of its life. Geron charged forward, shouting as he moved.


    The creature turned its attention from Axel to the roaring Geron. Geron jumped a moment before they reached the monster. With one hand, he shielded Charlie. With the other, he brought down a powerful fist that met the creature¡¯s face with so much force it caved inward.


    A muffled, agonized scream erupted from the remains of the creature¡¯s mouth. It clutched at its own face.


    ¡°Blue Hex Blade!¡± Axel shouted. The katana cut through the creature from behind. Geron stepped to the side as the blade shot through the air where he¡¯d been standing a moment ago. The creature¡¯s hands fell to the blade. It tried to wrap its fingers around it to pull it out. But screamed again when doing so cut into its flesh.


    ¡°Finish this,¡± Axel said. Stepping away from the creature.


    ¡°Emerald Hex Elemental.¡± Samantha swiped two fingers toward an electric hex. On the other side of it, a bolt of lightning erupted and rocketed toward Axel¡¯s blade. His blade acted as a conductor, and the creature¡¯s heart stopped as the electricity fried its innards.


    ¡°That was¡­awesome! It was like a freaking combo attack!¡± Orb said.


    Charlie smiled. Looking at the monster¡¯s corpse in awe. They¡¯d worked as a team to bring a powerful monster down. If any of them had fought it alone, it would have defeated them. But by working together, they¡¯d brought down a stronger opponent. He wondered which of them he would be in this situation. Roan, who¡¯d jumped into action. Geron or Samantha, who used their power, physical in one case, and magical in the other, to bring the creature down. Or Axel, the one who they all looked to for leadership and guidance. The one they trusted to make the right call.


    Which one he would be? Who did he most want to emulate?


    Samantha relaxed and fell to the ground. She sat there, catching her breath.


    Roan wiped the one dagger he¡¯d reclaimed on his pant leg before sheathing it. Axel looked around. He frowned. ¡°We need to find the core.¡±


    Geron sighed. ¡°We defeated the core guardian. It should be visible now.¡± His gaze fixed on the rear wall where the creature had emerged from. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s back there,¡± he said.


    Charlie craned his neck but wasn¡¯t able to see. There was a large alcove in the opening, and it wasn¡¯t visible in its entirety from where they were.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look. The sooner we find and destroy it, the better. I need a nap. And a drink. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure in what order,¡± Roan said.


    ¡°Wait, you shouldn¡¯t be up!¡± Vicke called out.


    They all turned to look. Tirille was limping her way towards them.


    Geron hurried up to her. ¡°Tirille! What are you doing? You should rest. You took a pretty big hit back there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I want to help.¡±


    ¡°Roan and I will look for the core. The rest of you will wait here,¡± Axel said, pulling his blade from the creature¡¯s body. In one fluid motion, he shook the blood off and sheathed the sword. Roan joined him as they went to investigate the alcove.


    Geron sat down, cross-legged, on the dungeon floor.


    Vicke approached them. ¡°Hey¡­uh, Tirille. Can I talk to you?¡± he asked.


    She sighed. ¡°Whatever it is, you can say it here.¡± She seemed annoyed.


    Geron let his head fall back. Charlie wondered if he was really relaxing, or just pretending to zone out for Vicke¡¯s benefit. Charlie, on the other hand, stared right at him, wondering what this was about. Vicke looked back at Charlie before letting out a breath.


    ¡°Fine. Okay. I just¡­ I wanted to thank you¡­for saving me. I don¡¯t know what happened, I just froze up. I couldn¡¯t do anything. I was useless, and you got hurt because of me. I¡¯m sorry. And¡­¡± His gaze fell. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve always been so mean to you. I know it¡¯s wrong. You deserve to be a part of the guild just as much as I do. More, than I do if today proves anything. So, yeah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He waited for a just a second and then walked off when she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Geron opened an eye to peek at her. She didn¡¯t notice.


    She took a step toward Vicke before calling out to him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. And¡­ you fought well. You won¡¯t freeze up next time. Now that you¡¯ve seen actual battle.¡± She flinched. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry too. I haven¡¯t exactly tried to be easy to get along with either.¡±


    Vicke managed a smile. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m gonna check out the monster¡¯s corpse some more. It¡¯s the first core guardian I¡¯ve seen. My little sister is going to ask me about it, and I don¡¯t want to leave anything out!¡±


    Tirille smiled. She nodded and took a seat near Geron.


    ¡°How mature of you,¡± Geron said.


    Tirille rolled her eyes. ¡°I thought you were pretending not to listen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one they assigned to train you. It¡¯s my job to listen.¡± Geron shrugged.


    ¡°Hey Parent, what¡¯s a core guardian?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°A Core Guardian is the Dungeon¡¯s last line of defense. In some cases, the Dungeon Core cannot be located until the Core Guardian is dispatched.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so do we have one of those?¡±


    Orb scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s what you are!¡±


    ¡°I thought I was the dungeon,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Actually¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both! Duh!¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Correction, if I may¡ª¡±


    Axel and Roan came running back into the room. ¡°Get away from it!¡± Axel shouted.


    The others stood. Geron called back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he shouted.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t find the Core!¡± Roan said.


    Parent¡¯s words played over in his head.


    ¡°In some cases, the Dungeon Core cannot be located until the Core Guardian is dispatched.¡±


    They couldn¡¯t find the core.


    ¡°What?¡± Geron shook his head. He turned to look in the other direction. Vicke was looking directly at him, a confused expression on his face as well. He didn¡¯t understand.


    None of them had until it was too late.


    The mutilated corpse of the Core Guardian rose so silently, Charlie had a hard time believing it was actually moving.


    ¡°Vicke!¡± Tirille shouted.


    ¡°Run!¡± Geron said at the same time.


    Vicke turned around just in time to see the creature had risen. He scrambled away, trying to get distance. He unslung his bow from his shoulder and reached back with his other hand to grab an arrow.


    He made it five feet before the creature swung its fist into his side.


    Cleaving Vicke¡¯s body in half at the waist.

 Chapter 19: Hex Outburst

    Roan was the first one to move. He sprinted directly toward the creature. It stumbled backwards. The skin on its face slowly regrowing. Flesh sprouted from the stump of its severed arm. The creature was healing.


    Roan observed it carefully as he approached. He fell to his knees next to Vicke, studying him. He was still conscious.


    Vicke coughed. Roan¡¯s face tightened as blood splattered on it. He held Vicke¡¯s head up and surveyed the open wound at his waist. Blood was everywhere. ¡°Tell my sister I¡¯m really sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have left her,¡± Vicke said.


    Roan shook his head. ¡°No man should apologize for dying a good death.¡±


    Vicke looked surprised at that. ¡°Was it¡­a good death?¡±


    Roan nodded. Vicke smiled. His eyes closed, he coughed again and then went still.


    Tirille shook her head. She started to run towards Vicke as well, but Geron grabbed her hand. She turned back toward him. He shook his head.


    Roan laid the body back down and set one of his daggers on Vicke¡¯s chest. Wrapping the boy¡¯s hand around it. He stood and cracked his neck. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m down three knives. And you have two of them. But I tell you what, I¡¯ll trade you for this one.¡± He pulled a fourth knife out, a much smaller knife designed specifically for throwing.


    Charlie tilted his head. He knew one knife was on the creature¡¯s shoulder where Roan had left it, but the other was still impaled in the roof of the monster¡¯s mouth. How would he get that back?


    ¡°Roan, calm down,¡± Axel called out. ¡°We need to think this through!¡±


    ¡°Not my style,¡± Roan said, taking a step forward. ¡°Blue Hex Blade!¡± The dagger in his hand turned a bright shade of blue. A blue glow emanated from the creature¡¯s shoulder and mouth as well. It growled.


    Charlie tilted his head. Even the daggers Roan wasn¡¯t touching were glowing. Were the daggers embedded in the creature¡¯s skin hurting more now that they were glowing? Charlie wondered what exactly a blue hex did.


    The creature was almost fully healed now, except for the still recovering arm. It focused on Roan and bellowed. Roan threw the dagger at it. It sank deep into the right side of the creature¡¯s jaw. Roan ran forward. The creature balled up its good hand and swung at him. Roan rolled under the swinging fist and past the creature.


    He turned and scrambled up the creature¡¯s back to grab the dagger still embedded in its shoulder. He then rolled over the shoulder and stabbed the blade into the other side of the creature¡¯s mouth as he fell forward. In one fluid motion, he cut the creature from the hinge of its jaw all the way down to its chest.


    A trail of black liquid oozed from the wound.


    The creature¡¯s jaw fell open as he severed it, revealing multiple rows of sharply edged teeth. The creature looked down in confusion, trying to close its mouth with its good hand. Roan stood directly in front of the creature. It screamed. He abused the distraction to lean forward, reach into the creature¡¯s mouth and yank his other dagger free. He fell to the ground, rolled backward, and jumped away to get clear of the creature. Two knives in his hand now.


    The creature looked furious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know you enjoyed having these for yourself.¡± Roan flipped one in the air and caught it. ¡°I¡¯m not taking them back forever. In fact, I¡¯m going to return them to you. Over and over. Until you die for real.¡±


    ¡°Samantha! Now!¡± Axel called out, hurrying forward. ¡°Blue Hex Blade!¡± A flashing katana cut far more quickly than Charlie could see. Lightning hexes formed all around the creature and probed it. Punishing its newly grown skin.


    Tirille started to rush and join them, but Geron stopped her again.


    ¡°Geron? We have to help them. We have to get revenge.¡±


    ¡°No. Wait. Something¡¯s wrong. That creature was dead. So how¡­¡± Geron looked around the room. Charlie looked up at him, trying to figure out what was going on. He did his best not to think about Vicke. It wasn¡¯t working. But he did his best to push it from his mind for now.


    The creature feigned an attack on Axel but turned at the last second and leapt toward Samantha. Moving even faster than it had before.


    Much faster.


    She scrambled to produce a hex between herself and the monster, but she wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    Its fist collided with her slender frame, and she shot back, skidding over the ground. She didn¡¯t get back up.


    ¡°Geron!¡± Tirille cried.


    He grimaced. He nodded, granting her permission to join the fight. But neither moved. They froze and turned to look at a new noise. The harsh, grating sound of the dungeon slowly sealing off the only exit. Geron cursed. ¡°Tirille, follow me, now.¡± He broke into a run toward the door.


    ¡°What about the others?¡±


    ¡°If that wall closes, we¡¯re all dead. Hurry!¡±


    Charlie focused his energy. He could help.


    Dunge¡ª


    ¡°Charlie, wait!¡± Orb cried.


    ¡°But¡ª¡± Charlie hadn¡¯t realized Orb could tell when he was about to use magic.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. They¡¯re experienced adventurers. If you get involved now, you¡¯ll only make them question you. They need to focus on the threat at hand. Stay out of it,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie covered his face with his hands. He hoped Orb was right about this.


    Geron made it to the door and met it with both of his powerful hands. He pressed it back with all of his might. The wall''s descent slowed but didn¡¯t stop. Before Tirille could catch up, he had to resort to holding it back with his shoulder, instead of just his arms.


    And it was still slowly forcing him down.


    ¡°Tirille, help!¡± he cried out.


    She reached him and fell into place, helping him try to hold back the walls.


    Geron looked at the fight still going on. Samantha still hadn¡¯t moved. Axel and Roan moved quickly, circling and coordinating attacks on the creature. Their blades were augmented by blue hexes. But it was obvious they were outmatched.


    They would lose.


    ¡°No. Not with the wall. Take Matthew¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I mean Charlie,¡± he said, his voice straining.


    ¡°What?¡± Tirille shook her head, still putting all of her strength into aiding him with the wall.


    Charlie tilted his head. Matthew? Who was that? And why was Geron giving him to Tirille now?


    ¡°I have to help them. But I won¡¯t be able to fight without holding back unless I know you two are safe. Take him and go!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Tirille protested. Her eyes threatened to fill with tears.


    There was a loud crack that reverberated across the dungeon, and Roan¡¯s cry filled the room. Charlie looked over to see him jump backwards, away from the creature. His left arm hung limply at his side.


    ¡°You agreed to follow my instructions. People are going to die because of your stubbornness. My friends are going to die. Take Charlie and go. Now!¡±


    ¡°Geron!¡± Axel called out.


    Tirille hesitated for a moment before giving in. She hurried forward and pulled Charlie from the baby carrier and into her arms. She held him in the angle of one arm, with her other holding his back. Tirille looked at Geron one last time, before ducking under the wall leading out to safety.


    ¡°I won¡¯t fail again.¡± Geron didn¡¯t wait. The door slammed behind them.


    A moment later, the sounds of fighting renewed.


    The muffled pulse of hexes and the clanging of metal.


    The creature unleashed a guttural scream.


    Tirille let out a breath, pressing a hand to the wall separating them from the others. It was dark. It was dark and Charlie regretted allowing Geron to send him away with Tirille. Tirille seemed to regret it, too.


    There was a loud crash, and Tirille fell back as an enormous impact crater formed on the wall she¡¯d been holding her hand on. She cradled Charlie tightly as she crashed hard on the ground.


    She held Charlie a few inches away from herself to inspect him. He smiled at her to show he was alright. He wished he could ask if she was, too.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Charlie, do you feel that?¡± Orb asked from his new hiding place in Charlie¡¯s pocket.


    Charlie looked around. He couldn¡¯t explain it. It felt like the air around him was vibrating.


    The sensation tickled his senses. Like someone running their fingertips along his soul.


    Tirille shifted Charlie¡¯s weight to one arm, and the other reached for her face. A pained noise escaped her.


    ¡°Orb, something¡¯s wrong with her! She might still be hurting from earlier.¡±


    Orb peeked out from Charlie¡¯s pocket. ¡°That¡¯s not good. We need to get out of here. If she passes out, that¡¯s going to be difficult.¡±


    The hand on her face shot forward. Open palm facing the damaged door-wall. Her eyes shot open. She looked surprised at her own action. As if she hadn¡¯t instructed her hand to do that. She looked just as surprised when she said the words that followed.


    ¡°Magnetic Hex Memory.¡±


    The hex was metallic, and Charlie felt as if it was pulling a part of him in. But just as soon as the sensation started, it ceased. The pull was still there, but he wasn¡¯t its target.


    And then, in a moment, he wasn¡¯t in the dungeon at all.


    At least, not in the same dungeon he had been in.


    ***


    Charlie couldn¡¯t figure out who was holding him.


    No one, it turned out. He floated there, like a ghost. He heard voices approaching and turned to look.


    The group walked quickly, following their leader down the dungeon¡¯s hallway. This dungeon was different, but Charlie couldn¡¯t quite explain how. It was like it was clear, and also blurry at the same time. Like it didn¡¯t matter. Like that wasn¡¯t the point.


    The first one he recognized was Axel. His hair was shorter, still in dreads, but not nearly as long, ending at his shoulder blades instead of his waist. Geron was there, beside him. He was just as tall, but slightly less muscular. Slightly. Charlie probably wouldn¡¯t have even noticed a difference if he hadn¡¯t spent the last few hours strapped to the man¡¯s chest. There were others, five others, who he couldn¡¯t quite make out. He assumed, like the dungeon itself, they just weren¡¯t the focus.


    Axel was the one that spoke. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t split up. We know which path the core guardian is waiting down already. They didn¡¯t hire us to explore every nook and cranny. Let¡¯s just see this through, as a team.¡±


    The man in front turned toward him. He shook his head. ¡°My little brother thinks he knows better already. Maybe I should just let you take charge for the rest of the mission?¡±


    Axel rolled his eyes.


    His older brother smiled. ¡°Listen, I know that¡¯s not the job. But adventurers have gone missing here, some may still be alive. We owe it to their families to at least look.¡± He pointed out three of the others and beckoned them down a splitting path. ¡°Double back and hit the third path once you clear that route. We¡¯ll handle the guardian.¡±


    They nodded and hurried off. Now, only Axel, his brother, Geron, and another remained. The fourth boy became clear. His skin matched Geron¡¯s. They looked similar, except for the younger man having short black hair, whereas Geron was still bald.


    Geron ruffled the teenage boy¡¯s hair and smiled at him. They continued deeper into the dungeon.


    Charlie¡¯s vision distorted, and he wiped his eyes at the sudden change of scenery.


    ¡°Axel! Geron! Go back the way we came. Some will follow. We can¡¯t win if they stay grouped up like this!¡±


    Lizard like creatures with scorpion tails surrounded Axel¡¯s brother, and the young boy. It was all they could do to fend off teeth, claws, and the sharp stingers that attacked them.


    Geron and Axel fought through the mob of creatures, trying to get closer to their allies. Axel¡¯s katana flashed. Geron punched his way through.


    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving!¡± Geron said through gritted teeth. A prominent vein pulsed alongside his forehead. Axel dodged a tail, slicing it off. The creature hissed. The other lizards turned on it at the scent of blood and started to consume it. Geron ripped another creature off the ground and threw it into the mass of opponents. The lizards shrank back from him. Many turned away. It was like they were fleeing. They wanted nothing to do with them, they were focused on the other two.


    Axel¡¯s brother was the only one fighting there. Doing his best to keep them away from the boy. He¡¯d backed into a small alcove, just big enough to keep the boy covered, while he waved a short sword around in one hand and shot fire from a hex in the other.


    Geron fell to his knees. Axel turned sharply toward him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ my hex is awakening,¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°An outburst? Now?¡± Axel shook his head.


    Geron nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve felt my magic potential growing since we got here. The magic in the air is dense.¡±


    ¡°Use it,¡± Axel said without hesitation.


    Geron shook his head. ¡°Axel¡­your brother said that wouldn¡¯t be wise.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t, my brother and your son¡ª¡±


    Geron held a hand up. ¡°I know!¡± His head fell. ¡°You¡¯re right. We have to try, but outburst are unpredictable. It may not go as planned.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with the consequences together.¡± Axel placed a hand on his friend¡¯s back.


    Geron nodded. He stood, and Charlie felt that same tickling sensation on his soul.


    ¡°Broken Hex Bane,¡± Geron said. It sounded as if he¡¯d learned the chant as he said it. Was this the first time Geron had used his hex? The hex that Roan had called a guild secret.


    The hex worked the same way it had before, when Geron used it against the six-crows. The translucent outline of a hex shattered, and from the pieces, other, smaller replicas of the original hex formed. A moment later, the hexes shattered, and the creatures swarming the cave dissolved into dust, instead of simply dying.


    Charlie wondered why that part was different. Was it intentional? Or had it been caused by the ¡®outburst¡¯ Axel was talking about? He¡¯d need to ask someone what that meant later.


    Axel let out a sigh of relief. Geron¡¯s son ran up to him. Wrapping his arms around his father. ¡°How¡¯d you do that? That was awesome!¡±


    Geron hugged the boy tightly. His face hardened when he looked up and saw the look on their leader¡¯s face.


    He looked less amused. ¡°That wasn¡¯t your call to make. Outburst are dangerous enough as is, but with a unique hex? What you did was careless. You knew you shouldn¡¯t have used your power, Geron. And Axel, you encouraged him to anyway.¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Axel turned away. ¡°He saved you.¡±


    ¡°He doomed me.¡±


    Axel looked up. ¡°What?¡± he asked, shaking his head.


    Axel¡¯s brother held up his hand. The tips of his fingers were dissolving, just like the monsters had in their entirety.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Geron¡¯s voice faltered. He held his hand out, and then turned it toward himself, studying it.


    ¡°Geron, you have to stop it! Quick,¡± Axel said, turning to him.


    Geron shook his head. ¡°My power¡­ it¡¯s all gone. I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Axel¡¯s brother sighed. ¡°An outburst is just that. A burst of all the energy in your body at once. It¡¯s typical in people with hexes who haven¡¯t discovered how to use their powers yet. It¡¯s also dangerous to use it in combat. You didn¡¯t have control, Geron. In the future, you¡¯ll need to be more careful.¡±


    ¡°There has to be a way to stop it. Even without magic. What if we¡­ can we¡­ stop the spread by amputating it?¡± Geron asked.


    ¡°If I thought that was possible, I¡¯d agree in a heartbeat. But this power doesn¡¯t seem to work like that. There were creatures with severed limbs, and yet, no trace of them remains. It affects the being, not just the body.¡± He faced Axel. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re in charge. You disobeyed me, but I¡¯m the one who got us in this situation in the first place. The failure is my own. Do not carry this, little brother. And Geron, you¡¯ve studied under me for long enough. After this, I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll be especially motivated to control your power. As of today, you no longer need to work under the supervision of another unique hex caster.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fading away, and the only thing you have to say is that I¡¯m in charge, and Geron doesn¡¯t need supervision anymore? Are you serious?¡± Axel demanded.


    His brother¡¯s eyes fell.


    ¡°You claim to understand my powers more than anyone. Surely there¡¯s a way to stop this,¡± Geron said, taking a step toward him.


    He looked up and met Geron¡¯s gaze. ¡°You should focus on enjoying what time you have remaining with your son.¡±


    Geron froze. He turned back to look at his son. ¡°Matthew?¡± he said.


    Matthew held one of his hands out. He stared at it, wide-eyed as piece by piece, it crumbled into ash. Fading away as if it never existed. ¡°No¡­¡± Geron whispered. He stooped down. He tried to take Matthew¡¯s crumbling hand in his but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Matthews¡¯s gaze met his fathers.


    ¡°Axel, you need to go help the others. Make sure they escape safely,¡± his brother said.


    Axel couldn¡¯t rip his gaze away from the father and son. At least, not until he realized what his brother was saying. ¡°You want me to leave you?¡±


    ¡°I came to terms with the fact I would die in a dungeon a long time ago. But I will not let my last mission be a failure.¡± The dust had reached up to his elbow now. He looked at its progress. ¡°I still have enough magic potential to see it through.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you. I¡¯ll help you,¡± Axel said.


    ¡°No. I need to make sure. And that means using my technique without holding back. That would kill you. I need you to survive.¡±


    Matthew hugged his father, wrapping what remained of his arms around him. ¡°I¡¯m going too, dad.¡±


    Geron shook his head. He tried to stand but stumbled and fell back to his knees.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to be awake much longer. It¡¯s nearly impossible to stay awake after exerting that much magic energy,¡± Axel¡¯s brother commented.


    Geron turned back to his son. ¡°You can¡¯t. Stay with me. We¡¯ll go into town. We¡¯ll find a healer. Someone can help. I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Matthew shook his head. ¡°I want my life to mean something, too. I¡¯m going to help him clear the dungeon. I don¡¯t want what happened to mom to happen to anyone else. I want to see it through.¡±


    Geron closed his eyes.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, dad. It was too late anyway.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Geron shook his head.


    Matthew turned, revealing a small wound on the back of his waist. ¡°One of them got me. I wasn¡¯t ever going to make it out of here,¡± he whispered.


    Tears filled Geron¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I love you, dad.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, son.¡± A single tear rolled down Geron¡¯s face, and onto his son¡¯s shirt. Geron¡¯s eyes went wide, and then he collapsed. His body passed out from exhaustion. His son did his best to prop Geron¡¯s body up to keep him from falling. Axel hurried over to help and laid him down.


    Axel studied the wound and realized Matthew¡¯s shirt was pulled up. Charlie frowned. That didn¡¯t make sense.


    Axel called it out as well. ¡°You did that yourself? The wound. There should be a hole in your shirt if a beast stung you.¡±


    Matthew looked up in surprise. ¡°How did... Yeah. I didn¡¯t want him to have to live with this. As soon as I saw my hand and heard what your brother said, I cut myself. Promise you won¡¯t tell him?¡± he asked.


    Axel nodded.


    His brother turned to Matthew. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I need to reach the guardian before the magic reaches my heart.¡± Matthew hurried after him, and the two headed deeper into the dungeon.


    ***


    Distortion.


    Charlie¡¯s perspective shifted again. He was back in the dungeon, but this time, he was in the room where Geron and the others had faced the core guardian today. Before¡­ whatever was going on now.


    The silhouette of a man stood over a mound in the earth of the deep cavern. He chanted for a moment before turning to stand and hurrying out of the room. A moment later, the dungeon formed. The rear wall turned into the glass like material. Behind it was the small, but ever-growing outline of the creature that killed Vicke.


    Charlie blinked, and the memory ended.


    It was a man¡¯s scream that broke him free from Tirille¡¯s memory hex.

 Chapter 20: Babys First Boss Fight

    The sound of a man screaming roused Charlie from his trancelike state. A vivid, memory-filled dream. At least he assumed they were memories based on Tirille¡¯s chant.


    Orb was on the ground next to him. He must¡¯ve rolled out of Charlie¡¯s pocket after the hexes magic got a hold of them. Tirille laid on her side next to them, her face in the dirt.


    Orb hovered a few inches from the earth, still waking up. ¡°Charlie, I had the weirdest dream. I think¡­ Geron had a son?¡±


    ¡°I know. I did too.¡± He looked toward the wall. The screaming had stopped. He didn¡¯t know if that was a good or a bad thing. He crawled to the wall and ran a hand over it, as if he¡¯d be able to find a weak space to crawl through.


    Tirille shot up, struggling to catch her breath. Charlie turned around to face her, surprised by her sudden awakening. Her eyes scrambled around the room. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Charlie.


    She lifted a hand, studying it as if she was wondering why it had moved on its own before. Why that magic had left her of its own volition.


    ¡°I think¡­I just had an outburst,¡± she said to no one in particular.


    Charlie looked at Orb, who froze, floating in the air.


    Only a few feet to Tirille¡¯s right. ¡°Orb! Hide!¡±


    ¡°If I move, she might see me!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll see you if you don¡¯t move too!¡±


    Tirille saw Charlie looking past her and turned.


    Her eyes locked right on Orb.


    She blinked. She leaned in for just a second before scrambling back. Tirille slowly moved toward Charlie, keeping her eye on the floating dungeon core. She was protecting him, Charlie realized. She held her hands out toward Orb in an offensive posture.


    Orb floated higher and back several feet. ¡°Charlie, what do we do?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie looked over his shoulder at the wall that separated them from Geron and the others. He looked up at Tirille, who he didn¡¯t have time to try to communicate with. If she was right, if she just had an outburst, it wouldn¡¯t be long before she passed out. If the memory he¡¯d seen was correct, at least. There wasn¡¯t time for this. He shrieked frantically, and Tirille, in a panic, turned to face him.


    ¡°Sorry, Tirille.¡± He thought. He opened his mouth.


    DEVOUR.


    Her panicked scream was cut off as Charlie pulled her into his dungeon. He frowned. ¡°Parent, can you keep an eye on her?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course. She¡¯s currently isolated within the dungeon. If she begins to pose a threat, I will alert you at once.¡±


    A threat? Charlie wondered. Orb floated up to him. ¡°What are you doing? Now she knows your secret!¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that right now. Geron needs our help. I¡¯m not leaving them behind. I¡¯m going to beat that monster up and save them.¡±


    ¡°This action is not one I would recommend. That creature is powerful and possesses unique capabilities.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with him on this one. We should get out of here. We ditch Tirille in town, find our minions, break Merlin out of jail¡­well, that part is optional, and then get back on track. We should focus on getting to Arcadeya,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°No. Geron helped us when Merlin got taken away. I¡¯m not leaving him.¡±


    He held a hand up.


    Dungeon Manipulation.


    The wall didn¡¯t move, or break, as he hoped. ¡°It worked earlier¡­¡± Charlie frowned.


    ¡°You caught the dungeon unaware before. It wouldn¡¯t have anticipated invasion by another dungeon. But now that it¡¯s aware of your presence, you won¡¯t be able to do so again. If you wish to break down the wall, you¡¯ll need to transport your own material here. Like you do in combat.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Okay, thank you Parent.¡± Charlie focused on carving out a hole large enough for him to crawl through.


    Transfer Dungeon Manipulation!


    Charlie aimed the pillar of rock right at the center of the wall¡¯s crater. He thought it would be easier to break through the already weakened portion of the wall. He thought correct. The pillar punctured it, creating a small hole several feet off the ground.


    He frowned at that. He couldn¡¯t climb. His mouth twisted to the side. ¡°Hm¡­Orb come over here.¡±


    Orb joined him, and Charlie scooped him up with his hand, bringing him close.


    ¡°Charlie, what are you doing?¡±


    A moment later, Charlie activated his ability again, confident he¡¯d be able to line it up correctly.


    A pillar formed under them and rocketed up at an angle to launch them forward. They shot through the opening and into the room like a Charlie sized football. Charlie landed with a thud on the other side.


    The pillar disintegrated behind them.


    Orb rolled out of his hands and several feet away. ¡°What the heck, man. You could¡¯ve created like a ramp or something, you know? Just crawled right in. But no. Charlie wants to be a torpedo. Also, I can float, you know? You didn¡¯t have to bring me with you.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. That was a good point.


    Oh well, maybe next time.


    A wheezy breathing came from behind them. Charlie turned.


    It was Geron.


    The color drained from Charlie¡¯s face. Geron was the cause of the crater. Or rather, his body was. He¡¯d been flung into the wall at high speed, and then slid down to the ground. His head was only a foot away from where Charlie had come crashing in.


    If he¡¯d aimed any lower¡­


    Geron was unconscious. Still breathing, but he looked bad. A trail of blood ran from his open mouth. His crumpled, battered body sat there. Charlie tightened a baby fist and turned to look around the rest of the room. Samantha had apparently managed to rejoin the fight. At least for a while. Scorch marks from her electric attacks marred the ground around her. She¡¯d clearly been forced to use her abilities closely to herself. Her leg was pinned under some debris. She was out cold now. Far to her left, Roan¡¯s face rested on the wall. He seemed to have been thrown as well. The impact had either knocked him out or killed him. Charlie couldn¡¯t tell at his distance. His back curved at an odd angle.


    ¡°That cannot be good for his spine¡­¡± Orb said.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes turned to focus on the creature itself. It was bigger now. It looked even creepier. More demonic than the last time.


    But the truly horrifying realization was that Axel had been the one screaming. The creature now held him up to its mouth. His limbs hung loosely under his elevated body. His eyes were empty and soulless, like he wasn¡¯t aware of his surroundings. The creature grated its teeth over him. It had already torn through his clothing, now it slowly ground away at flesh and bone, like it was savoring a treat. It was going to tear through and eat his heart.


    Charlie didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment. He focused on his magic. He¡¯d used a pillar twice now. It seemed simplest to do so again here. The pillar rocketed forward from a portal and shot toward the still chewing creature. It impaled the creature in its side, forcing it to fall backward. Axel fell to the ground, landing with a thud. His katana sat useless several feet away from him.


    ¡°It¡¯s important that you do not exert all of your power in the middle of a fight, Charlie. I recommend you are mindful of your limits. Preserve your dungeon integrity strategically. Choose your attacks wisely. Dungeon Integrity currently at 85%,¡± Parent informed him.


    ¡°Also, remember that if your dungeon integrity hits 0¡ª¡±


    Charlie nodded his head. He knew what would happen.


    Tirille would die. She¡¯d be crushed by the falling debris.


    But if he failed to win, or protect all the unconscious party members, they would die too.


    The creature didn¡¯t give him much time to think about it. It roared. It was fully healed now and reached down to scoop large balls of earth from the dungeon floor. It looked right at Charlie, flashed its sharp, bloody teeth at him, and then threw its makeshift projectiles.


    At the same time, Charlie crafted a hasty defense.


    Charlie¡¯s second barrier was still growing when the attack landed. It was just large enough to protect him. But he could feel how fast the dirt that skirted past his barrier was moving. It was enough to hurt, really bad. He hadn¡¯t tested the limits of his rock skin passive. He didn¡¯t know what it was capable of, and he wasn¡¯t excited to find out.


    He turned to look at the first barrier and saw it had done its job. Geron¡¯s body was protected. He loosened his control of the shield slowly. Doing his best to sever the connection without the material from his dungeon evaporating like it sometimes did. It worked. Somewhat. The shield clearly softened a bit but didn¡¯t disappear. It wouldn¡¯t hold up for many more attacks, but hopefully it would keep the creature from focusing on Geron. He hoped it might serve as a sort of camouflage. Still, it would be most effective for Charlie to relocate to avoid any collateral damage.


    The creature readied another attack, studying the dungeon floor carefully before digging it up.


    Charlie started crawling at full speed.


    Orb hovered casually beside him. Full speed wasn¡¯t very fast at all for a crawling baby.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gotta teach you how to dodge roll.¡± Orb sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best!¡± Charlie said.


    He heard the projectile flying before he saw it. An instinctive pillar rose from just behind him and pushed him forward several feet. He landed on his head and rolled over onto his back. The attack hadn¡¯t hit him, but he¡¯d only barely dodged.


    ¡°Charlie! That¡¯s exactly what I wanted you to do. The pillar is a bit much, but if you can just keep practicing, that roll is perfect! Baby Souls here we come!¡±


    The core guardian dropped the other projectile it had prepared. It walked over to the large club it had slammed into the ground in its first fight and picked it up. It charged for Charlie, the enormous weapon swinging wildly over its head. Charlie visualized creating several pillars in the creature¡¯s path, pointed upward at a slant. Then he activated his ability.


    ¡°Transfer!¡±


    He blinked, realizing he hadn¡¯t used the combination attack. He¡¯d used Transfer, but not Dungeon Manipulation. To his surprise, it still worked. The slanted pillars rose as one. Rising to meet and deter the large creature. It ignored them, attempting to brush past. But the pillars slammed into its side. It swung its makeshift weapon at them to clear its path. But while it cleared some away, the sharpened stumps of others impaled it further. It stopped its charge, roaring angrily.


    Charlie noticed how much more effective the pillars were when sharpened. He¡¯d keep that in mind.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Dungeon Integrity decreased at a slower rate when you manipulated the material before transferring it. I recommend doing that again. Current integrity at 73%.¡±


    The wounds on the creature healed quickly. Far more quickly than before. And then the creature did something Charlie hadn¡¯t known it could do.


    It leapt.


    It jumped over his defensive pillars and landed right beside him. Charlie looked up, terrified at the looming monster standing over him.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Orb cried out.


    Charlie grabbed the dungeon core on instinct.


    The core guardian swung its weapon and this time, it connected.


    Charlie¡¯s tiny body flew across the room, smacking through the serrated rows of dungeallis crystal and into the dungeon¡¯s wall.


    His head spun, and he gasped for air. He tried to sit up in a crawl, but his legs gave way. He turned to look at how far and high the creature had sent him flying. Charlie was on the second row of the dungeon¡¯s tiered walls. Elevated off the ground. He was now level with the creature¡¯s shoulders.


    Orb fought to free himself from Charlie¡¯s hand. Realizing he was gripping his friend too tightly, Charlie let go.


    ¡°Charlie¡­are you okay? That was¡­¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°I think so, somehow. I thought that was it.¡±


    ¡°The passive, Rock Skin, allowed you to survive what would otherwise be a fatal blow. However, Dungeon Integrity has plunged to 43%.¡±


    ¡°Interesting! So, dungeon integrity is kind of like a health bar and a magic bar all rolled into one,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I lost that much off one attack?¡± he asked. If that creature landed a direct attack on him a couple more times, Tirille would die. Everyone would die. How was he supposed to beat something that powerful?


    He didn¡¯t have much time to figure that out. The creature wasn¡¯t giving him room to breathe. It barreled straight for him again. Samantha and Roan were somewhere below and on his left. He needed to make sure he didn¡¯t draw the fight that way. If Bleedy were here, he could move around more, but he was at a massive disadvantage because of his lack of mobility. His only choice was to hunker down and fight.


    He focused on making new pillars.


    Transfer!


    Two pillars shot out from either side of him toward the creature. The creature swatted them out of the air as it approached.


    ¡°Charlie¡­I think it¡¯s time to get a bit more creative with your attacks. You¡¯re using the same move over and over!¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°I like the pillar! It¡¯s cool.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be predictable if you don¡¯t switch it up.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Charlie turned his head away.


    The creature was close now. It sprinted towards them, bringing its club high above his head.


    Charlie tried to crawl away, but realized there wasn¡¯t enough time. He was too slow. He couldn¡¯t dodge it with a pillar, it might send him right off the edge by accident. A shield then?


    Orb floated in front of him, obscuring his view. ¡°Orb! I can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°Grab on, fast!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Charlie realized there wasn¡¯t any time. He grabbed onto Orb.


    ¡°Dodge roll!¡± Orb shouted as he pulled Charlie away. They shot to the side a second before the creature hammered its weapon into the spot they¡¯d been standing a moment before. The quick burst of speed sent them tumbling forward.


    ¡°Yes! It worked! We didn¡¯t die!¡± Orb danced in the air, bobbing up and down.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°That was fast¡­¡± The air behind them filled with gemstone dust as the creature continued attacking the wall. It slowly spread towards them. The creature swung blindly now, smashing one area after the other.


    Charlie blinked. The dust was making it hard for the monster to see them. It didn¡¯t realize they¡¯d gotten away. It meant they had time. He looked up and his eyes widened.


    ¡°Orb! Can you take me up there?¡± He pointed to the top of the large ceiling dome.


    Orb stopped celebrating and spun to face him. ¡°What? There¡¯s no way. You weigh so much more than Mousifer does. We were lucky I pulled you that far!¡±


    The creature stopped attacking; it swatted its hand through the air in an attempt to disperse the dust.


    ¡°I bet you can do it!¡± Charlie said, cheering him on.


    They moved to peek over the edge of the wall level they were on.


    The creature noticed them. Its black eyes constricting, it roared.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Orb panicked. It was now or never.


    Charlie swallowed, taking one last look at the ground, and then grabbing onto his dungeon core buddy.


    Orb shot forward, pulling Charlie off the elevated row.


    They plummeted downward.


    ¡°Agh!¡± Charlie yelled. Orb sent him the mental equivalent of gritting teeth.


    ¡°A fall from this height will probably incur heavy damage to Dungeon Integrity.¡±


    Charlie winced, bracing himself to smack into the ground.


    Orb grunted.


    Only a few feet before they crashed, and the creature reached them, he shot to the side, and back into the air.


    They were flying.


    Or well, hovering, to be precise. Charlie opened his eyes and looked around. The creature turned to look up at them, too. They sailed out of reach, upward, to the domelike ceiling of the dungeon.


    ¡°You did it!¡± Charlie exclaimed.


    ¡°Of course I did.¡± Orb sounded extremely strained.


    Charlie studied the creature. It stared at him with hatred in its eyes. It looked back down, studying the surrounding earth. Satisfied, it dropped its weapon and dug again, forming a new projectile.


    He had a thought. ¡°Parent, you said that the dungeon core usually can¡¯t be found until the core guardian is defeated. Right?¡±


    ¡°Correct. The core is revealed and left in a weakened state after the guardian is defeated. However, it isn¡¯t impossible to locate beforehand. Technically, if you discovered the core¡¯s hiding place, and destroyed it, the core guardian would be defeated as well. One cannot exist without the other. Assuming normal conditions.¡±


    Charlie had noticed how careful the guardian was about digging up the earth. It broke through its see through prison without care and didn¡¯t concern itself with destroying the walls. But when it dug, it was careful. He thought back to the other memory he¡¯d had. The silhouette of a person chanting over a mound of dirt in this very room. He looked around. There. That was the spot. In the center of the room was the place where the mound had been in the memory. The room had expanded since then, but Charlie could tell. Like the memory was his own. He could tell that the core must be there, buried beneath the earth.


    He smiled. He had a plan.


    ¡°Orb, I¡¯m gonna let go.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Orb shouted in Charlie¡¯s head.


    ¡°I have a plan.¡±


    ¡°Is the plan dying? If so, great plan. If not, back to the drawing board!¡±


    Orb was going to be mad at him for this. He studied the angle. He thought he could pull it off. Charlie waved at the creature. ¡°Don¡¯t throw that! I¡¯m coming to you!¡± He paused, took a breath, and imagined shifting the material within his own dungeon. He felt a tug as the magic left his body or rather, moved around inside it.


    He shouted in his mind.


    Transfer!


    And then he added, for no reason other than dramatic effect. ¡°Pillars!¡±


    Portals opened all around him, and then, like missiles, they shot outward. The creature readied itself to defend against them. But Charlie wasn¡¯t aiming for the creature.


    He was aiming for the dungeallis crystals.


    An explosion of gemstone dust erupted. The black, sparkling cloud filled the room below, obscuring his sight of the creature. But the creature couldn¡¯t see them either.


    Below, a huge hand swatted away at the dust, trying to clear it just like the creature had before.


    ¡°Found you!¡± Charlie said. ¡°Alright, see you in a minute, Orb.¡± He let go.


    ¡°Charlie, no!¡± Orb shouted, but it was too late.


    Despite being unable to see, and Charlie asking it not to, the creature, rudely, decided to throw the dungeon earth projectile, anyway. Charlie sighed. Monsters just didn¡¯t have any manners.


    He transferred the small shield he¡¯d created just in case, and it formed under him. He grabbed onto the two baby-sized handlebars he¡¯d made for it and braced himself. The attack was off, but close enough. Only about half of it hit his shield. The dirt flowed all around him as the projectile battered into his dungeon defense. But the shield did its job. The creature wasn¡¯t able to make the projectiles very quickly, and couldn¡¯t see anything, so Charlie let the shield fade. He forgot it would turn into ash. He struggled to wipe his eyes and spat the crumbling flecks of dungeon material from his mouth.


    The creature snarled in frustration at all the dust. But the ball of dirt it had thrown cut an opening through the fog, just long enough for it to spot Charlie free falling towards it.


    It opened its jaw really wide, its row of serrated teeth ready to rip and tear Charlie to pieces as soon as he landed.


    Transfer!


    ¡°Pillar!¡±


    A pillar formed in front of him and shot downward. The creature destroyed it with a powerful swing, sending scattered chunks of it back into the air.


    It was then, among the swirling black dust and the fragments of the small pillar, that Charlie found his opening.


    Transfer!


    ¡°A second pillar! But this one is really big!¡±


    A sharpened column fell from above Charlie. He heard a whistling noise as the pillar cut through the air. The creature didn¡¯t have time to react. It roared, flashing its teeth.


    The pillar shot straight through the creature¡¯s jaw and impaled its body. It made a choking noise, and scrambled, clawing at the massive slab of dungeon material.


    Dungeon Integrity at 23%.


    He realized now, as he continued falling, that he should have verified his assumption with parent before committing to this plan. He should¡¯ve verified any of this was possible.


    Dungeon Manipulation!


    The pillar dissolved, and the excess material changed quickly, according to Charlie¡¯s will. It surged forward into the air to catch him. He made contact with it and let go. Hoping he¡¯d done enough. He sank the last twenty or so feet and then landed in a pile of softened earth made from the material of his dungeon. He looked over to see the collapsed creature next to him. Unmoving.


    Dungeon Integrity at 3%.


    Charlie took in a deep breath. It worked.


    Orb landed with a thud next to him and rolled over. ¡°Charlie! Are you alright? That was crazy!¡±


    Charlie nodded and reached out to grab onto Orb. He felt his ability Palmar Grasp activate, and he relaxed. ¡°Orb, can you take me over there?¡± he asked.


    Orb rotated and looked. ¡°Uh, sure?¡± Orb hovered, lifting Charlie¡¯s body and took him to the spot he¡¯d been directed to. He sat Charlie down, and it took everything in his power to sit up straight. He dug with his hands until he found it. A purple dungeon core buried in the ground.


    ¡°I thought the dungeon core was supposed to reveal itself automatically when the guardian was defeated?¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Orb and Charlie exchanged a look. They turned around, and the core guardian was back on its feet, its body healing even more rapidly. Its mutilated face reformed.


    ¡°How are you supposed to beat something like that?¡± Orb demanded.


    Charlie looked at the core. He could destroy it now. But something inside of him held him back. Like he shouldn¡¯t do that. The creature approached. It looked even larger than before. Charlie squirmed. There was a gnawing sensation inside him.


    ¡°Charlie, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something¡­ happening,¡± he said. He grabbed onto his face. The dungeon core fell to the ground next to him.


    Transfer.


    The ability was his. But the voice was not. It was strange. Alien-like almost. His hand shot out, and he could feel the connection between his dungeon and this world open.


    He shrieked as a lone tendril shot out of his hand.


    It slithered wildly around in the air.


    Others followed it until a mass of them swung around.


    ¡°Charlie, what are you doing?!¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°I dunno! I didn¡¯t do anything! This isn¡¯t me!¡±


    The core guardian was unfazed by this. It was hurrying now, eager to retrieve the dungeon core in Charlie¡¯s possession. It walked right into one of the tendrils. As one, the tendrils all snapped to attention and surged forward. The core guardian shook, fighting off the new assailants. It ripped, and pulled, and tried to free itself from their grasp.


    Charlie tried to fight back. To sever the connection and to pull his hand back. But neither worked. The core guardian roared in anger, but slowly, the tendrils overwhelmed it. They constricted it tighter and tighter until it was firmly within their grasp. The tendrils then, satisfied, started to retreat back into Charlie¡¯s portal. They dragged the guardian with them. Foot by foot, it inched closer to Charlie. Until it reached his hand.


    The creature¡¯s body distorted in the same way bodies did when Charlie used his devour ability.


    And then the tendrils and the monster were gone.


    ¡°Charlie, what the hell just happened?¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°P¡­Parent?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Unknown. I will commence an investigation immediately.¡±


    Charlie gasped. ¡°That transfer! What¡¯s my dungeon integrity at?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Dungeon Integrity at 3%.¡±


    Charlie blinked. It hadn¡¯t moved at all? That didn¡¯t make any sense. He heard a cough and turned to see Geron starting to rouse from unconsciousness.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Charlie said. ¡°Parent, is Tirille awake?¡± he asked.


    ¡°She passed out a while ago. I¡¯ve been monitoring her as you asked.¡±


    That was a relief. With the last of his dungeon integrity, he used transfer, and Tirille appeared next to him. Still unconscious.


    He looked around for somewhere to hide the core in his hand. It was bigger than Orb. He couldn¡¯t put it in his pocket. But he didn¡¯t want to leave it sitting there either. Once they awoke, how they chose to proceed would be out of his control.


    ¡°Tirille? Charlie?¡± Geron called out. Charlie turned to look over his shoulder. Geron was fighting to keep his head up. He wiped his eyes.


    Charlie turned back, so he was facing away again. And then he did the only thing he could think of.


    He put the dungeon core in his mouth and swallowed it.

 Chapter 21: Camp

    There was a feeling, as soon as Charlie ate the core. There was a shift in the air around him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he wondered aloud for Orb and Parent to hear.


    ¡°The destruction of a dungeon often releases significant magical potential into the air. It will gradually dissolve over the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Dungeon Decay¡­¡± Geron said aloud, staring at the brittle shards falling from the ceiling all around them.


    Somewhere in the distance, Roan groaned as he pulled himself together. ¡°This your work, Geron? All that magic woke me right up.¡±


    Geron shook his head. He knelt down to inspect Tirille, then turned to look over his shoulder at the small hole in the door. He squinted, returning his gaze to Tirille. Geron studied her.


    ¡°I believe Tirille might¡¯ve had an outburst. We¡¯d lost. It seems we got lucky," Geron said.


    Roan struggled to his feet. He limped toward a still unconscious Samantha. ¡°Whatever she did, there¡¯s no sign of the core guardian. Think she got the core as well?¡± he asked.


    Geron shrugged. He lifted Charlie high into the air and inspected him. ¡°Hey bud. You alright?¡±


    Charlie giggled, and Geron grinned. He set Charlie down in the baby carrier and checked the straps to make sure he was tight. ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad to hear that laugh, Charlie. I was worried about you.¡±


    ***


    They sat around a campfire in a clearing outside the dungeon. Geron and Roan had worked together to free Samantha. She woke up, and though her leg was sore to walk on, she managed. Geron carried Axel and Tirille over each of his shoulders after applying first aid. The door sealing off the exit crumbled quickly, weakened by the removal of the core. Everyone had since woken up. Axel¡¯s shoulder was heavily bandaged. Samantha fixed a splint for Roan¡¯s arm.


    Charlie had saved them. They didn¡¯t know it, and that was okay. They were alive, and that was all he cared about.


    He only wished he¡¯d acted sooner. He wished he had saved Vicke as well.


    The entire party had gathered around a fire. ¡°So, your hex had something to do with memories?¡± Axel asked.


    Tirille nodded. She hadn¡¯t spoken much since the incident.


    ¡°Do you remember the fight? How you killed the core guardian?¡± Roan asked.


    Tirille didn¡¯t say anything for a moment, and then she stood up and walked into the forest.


    Roan quirked a brow. ¡°Guess she¡¯s gotta piss.¡±


    Geron shook his head. ¡°Outburst can be¡­ traumatic.¡± He exchanged a look with Axel. ¡°I¡¯m gonna check on her.¡± Geron stood and followed her into the woods, beyond the light of the fire.


    Tirille turned at the sound of a snapping tree branch. A look of relief crossed her face when she saw it was him.


    And then her eyes fixed on Charlie.


    ¡°Tirille, are you doing okay?¡± Geron asked.


    ¡°Geron, I need to talk to you.¡±


    Geron looked surprised. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re doing¡­what is it?¡±


    Tirille¡¯s eyes focused on Charlie. ¡°I need to talk to you alone.¡±


    Geron turned around to look over his shoulder. The others, aside from Charlie, were all still sitting around the campfire. ¡°Tirille, we are alone.¡± He realized she was staring at Charlie. He looked down. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious? He¡¯s a baby. He doesn¡¯t understand anything you¡¯re saying.¡±


    Tirille looked down. ¡°Geron, Charlie¡¯s not normal. I didn¡¯t fight the core guardian. I¡­my hex activated. After I broke free from its effect, I saw a dungeon core floating beside me. And then Charlie opened his mouth and ate me! When I woke up, I was in the middle of the room you guys were in. I didn¡¯t fight!¡±


    Geron studied her. His face was serious.


    ¡°Charlie, this isn¡¯t good,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie swallowed.


    ¡°Tirille, an outburst can be¡­difficult. It often affects us¡­or those around us, in ways we don¡¯t realize. Your hex deals with memory. It¡¯s not surprising that it¡¯s affecting your own. Especially after an outburst.¡±


    Tirille shook her head. ¡°No. I can remember clearly. I know what happened.¡±


    Geron frowned. He looked down at Charlie. Charlie pretended not to notice. He made a show of putting his fingers in his mouth and drooling. Merlin always called it a gross baby thing. Charlie forgave Merlin for his poor taste, but if Geron thought the same way, it might prove to him Charlie was just a normal baby.


    ¡°My outburst wasn¡¯t like yours,¡± she muttered.


    His jaw dropped, and his gaze fell down. ¡°So that¡¯s what you saw.¡±


    Tirille realized what she¡¯d said. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We should get back, Tirille.¡±


    She started to protest. He held up a hand. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him if it makes you feel better. But Charlie¡¯s just a baby. Promise. Don¡¯t¡­mention this to the others. They don¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like. To experience something like that.¡±


    Tirille offered a reluctant nod. ¡°Geron¡­¡± she said. He waited for her to finish her question. ¡°Did they do it? Did Axel¡¯s brother and Matthew beat the dungeon?¡±


    Geron¡¯s soft smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°They did. Axel got me and the others out. Along the way, the dungeon started to decay. They were successful.¡±


    Tirille nodded. They walked back to camp in silence. Charlie could feel Tirille staring at him. He looked up at the stars instead of returning her gaze. Charlie pointed up at one particularly shiny star. Geron followed his point. He laughed. ¡°Matthew loved stars too.¡±


    Charlie looked up at him. There was a strange, peaceful expression on his face. He turned to look and see if Tirille had reacted. Their eyes met. She looked like she was searching for any sign of intelligence in his gaze. Charlie offered nothing. He felt bad for deceiving her. But it wouldn¡¯t be good for anyone if they discovered his secret. Merlin had warned him to be more careful about who he shared it with. Five new people at once was too risky. He wouldn¡¯t mind Geron knowing. But he wasn¡¯t sure about the others, even though they all had grown on him.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    When they made it back to camp, Tirille was the subject of conversation for a while. Tirille explained how her power worked. She didn¡¯t tell them what memory she¡¯d seen. She just said it had been something from the past. Something private. Axel and Geron exchanged a look. Axel nodded. As if they had spoken in the subtle motion.


    Roan seemed the most excited about her power. ¡°That¡¯s a big deal. A power like that could end up being one of the guilds¡¯ strongest. That hex might be even more valuable than ole Geron¡¯s.¡±


    Samantha scoffed. ¡°How so?¡±


    Roan smirked. ¡°Say some noble has a secret he doesn¡¯t want out. Tirille can learn it. Or we catch someone that doesn¡¯t want to rat out his friends. Tirille can find them. All she has to do is search in their memories.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it works like that yet,¡± Tirille said.


    Roan shrugged. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how flexible a hex can be in the right hands. Hell, with the right training, you can do almost anything. Samantha used to be a glorified lightbulb. Now look at her.¡±


    A slender flash of lightning struck his thigh. ¡°Ow!¡± He jumped up.


    Samantha waved her hand, letting her hex fade.


    Axel leaned forward. ¡°There could be combat applications as well.¡±


    Roan cocked a brow at this, still rubbing his leg. ¡°Huh, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡±


    Tirille looked between them. They seemed more excited about her powers than she did.


    Roan paused, stooping down to pick up a small piece of wood with his good hand. ¡°Wood out here looks good for whittling. Pack this up for me, Tirille. I think I¡¯ll make me mum a bear with it once my arm heals up.¡±


    Samantha eyed him. ¡°You don¡¯t even like your mom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. When I give it to her, I¡¯m gonna say I made her out of wood.¡±


    Charlie zoned out. A lot had happened in the dungeon that he couldn¡¯t explain. The fact that Tirille¡¯s hex had affected him as well. He wondered if she knew that. If she knew that those memories could be passed on. He wondered if she knew whose memories it was she saw at the end. She¡¯d been asleep longer than Charlie had. Had there been a piece of that memory he missed out on? Had she seen more than he had? Who was that man and why was he there where the dungeon core was buried?


    And then there was the fight itself. Why did the creature continue regenerating? From everything they said, this dungeon was supposed to be an easy one. A test run.


    The first time they¡¯d gone in the dungeon since Axel and Geron had lost their loved ones, Charlie realized.


    How long ago was that?


    A year? Two? More than that? How long had they avoided exploring, only for their first time back in a dungeon to end with more death?


    All of them had almost died. Maybe they should stay away from dungeons from now on.


    Tirille¡¯s mind seemed to wander in the same direction. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have left Vicke.¡±


    The conversation stopped.


    ¡°His body was torn in two. We can¡¯t transport it like that. And we can¡¯t go back into town. It¡¯s part of being an adventurer. You die in the dungeon, you stay in the dungeon,¡± Axel said.


    ¡°Whole thing will collapse soon, anyway. In a way, it¡¯s the same as a burial,¡± Roan said.


    ¡°No. No, it¡¯s not.¡± Tirille left the fire and stormed off to sit on her own.


    Everyone was silent for a moment. ¡°Should I go talk to her?¡± Samantha asked.


    ¡°No, give her some time. She¡¯s still processing,¡± Geron said. He paused. ¡°We need to talk, anyway. That dungeon¡­¡±


    ¡°Aye, I was thinking the same thing. The core guardian was easily Minotaur class. Way too strong for a newborn dungeon.¡± Roan took a sip from a canteen.


    Samantha shook her head. ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t eighth rank. But it was stronger than average. If I had to rank it, I would say it was likely fifth rank, anomalous Vanara.¡±


    Roan spat his drink out. ¡°Fifth? I know anomalous variants are stronger than usual, but¡­that¡¯s crazy. It wiped the floor with us. There¡¯s no way¡ª¡±


    Axel held a hand up. ¡°Samantha knows what she¡¯s talking about. If she says it was Vanara class, it¡¯s Vanara. But still, it wasn¡¯t just the core guardian that was stronger. Those six-crow were abnormal as well. It¡¯s not possible for all of a dungeon¡¯s beast to be anomalous¡­is it?¡± he asked.


    Geron turned to look at the dungeon¡¯s entrance. ¡°What if it wasn¡¯t the beast? What if the dungeon itself was different?¡±


    Samantha¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°An anomalous dungeon¡­wait¡­¡± Her eyes went wide, shooting from side to side. ¡°It makes sense. The dungeon itself was different. The beasts inside just grew stronger as a result. But if that¡¯s true, then¡­we need to return to the guild as soon as possible.¡± She looked up at each of them.


    ¡°What does any of that mean?¡± Tirille asked. Charlie snapped his head toward her. He hadn¡¯t even heard her walk up. The others were just as surprised. Tirille shrugged. ¡°You guys were loud.¡±


    Axel leaned forward. He steepled his hands. ¡°It means the rules are changing. Dungeons always pop up and grow in the same, familiar ways. It¡¯s how we¡¯ve regulated them for years, culling them before they grow too dangerous. But if other dungeons start to form that can develop this quickly, then¡­that¡¯s it. Humanity loses.¡±


    ***


    Charlie pretended to doze off. Geron had made him a surprisingly comfortable bed out of blankets and a few of his shirts. He fastened a makeshift barrier around the bed of twigs and rocks to make sure Charlie didn¡¯t wake up in the middle of the night and crawl toward the burning fire in the center of their camp. Or out into the forest. He¡¯d taken great care to make sure none of the sticks were pointy. He¡¯d entwined them in such a way that Charlie wouldn¡¯t poke himself or anything. Most of the others all slept on the ground, on makeshift bedding.


    Roan leaned against a tree, flipping a dagger in his good hand over and over. He¡¯d agreed to take first watch. Every once in a while, he looked up into the woods to check their surroundings. Geron slept a few feet away, snoring soundly in his sleep. Axel slept leaning against a tree stump. Charlie rolled over. Samantha was sound asleep. He lifted his head a bit. Tirille wasn¡¯t in her bed. Roan looked up, seeing Charlie sit up in his peripheral. He noticed Tirille¡¯s absence immediately.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± he said. He looked around the camp, and then his eyes fell on tracks. They led to the dungeon. ¡°I looked away for two seconds and she went to get the body. Stupid girl!¡± Roan started to run in after her before he stopped. He turned back to look at the others sleeping and shook his head. He hurried back and shook Samantha a few times.


    ¡°What?¡± She groaned.


    ¡°Tirille went into the cave. Keep watch for a bit until I¡¯m back,¡± Roan said.


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    Roan rolled his eyes and set into a jog. He disappeared inside the cave.


    Samantha didn¡¯t wake up. She went right back to sleep.


    Charlie rolled back over. Axel and Geron were still out cold. The day¡¯s battles, and their injuries, meant they needed rest. He doubted they would wake up anytime soon. ¡°Orb, now¡¯s our chance!¡± Charlie said.


    Orb sent him a mental yawn. ¡°Alright, grab on tight.¡± He rolled out from under Charlie¡¯s bedding. Charlie grabbed him, and Orb slowly levitated up and out of the camp. Charlie turned to look over his shoulder at the sleeping adventurers. The dungeon should be safe now, and Roan would be back soon. He hoped Geron and the others were safe in the meantime. He wished he could try to wake Samantha again. But he¡¯d never be able to escape otherwise.


    And now, in this moment, reflecting on his short, but impactful journey with them, Charlie thought of an answer to his question. He¡¯d asked himself in the dungeon if he would want to be the first to charge into battle, or one of the heavy hitters. Or maybe even a leader. But as he thought about his experiences with them, he realized he wanted to exist somewhere in the middle.


    He wanted to be the first one on the battlefield. Not the last. He didn¡¯t want to save the day at the last second. He wanted to use his strength to keep people from getting hurt in the first place. He wanted to grow stronger, like Geron, and learn to use magic as effectively as Samantha. He wanted to be someone people could rely on. There was a lot of pressure on Axel to call the shots. But that just meant it was another way Charlie needed to grow. He wanted to become someone dependable, that could handle that pressure. Someone smart, that could tackle opponents with strategy, in addition to power. Charlie smiled. He knew that was all a long way away. He had a lot to learn. But one day, he hoped he could live up to that goal.


    He didn¡¯t want to be protected, retreating before the wall slammed shut and sealed them in. Next time, he would fight. He would keep his secret safe as much as he could. But he would fight.


    So people like Vicke didn¡¯t die. His lips twisted to the side.


    He would miss Geron and the others. He sighed. But he missed Bleedy, and Mousifer, and Merlin, too. And they were all waiting for him.


    He had a thought.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Charlie said. Orb paused.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I need to go back and grab something.¡±


    A few minutes later, they were off again. Charlie grabbed onto Orb with one hand.


    In the other, he held onto the baby carrier.

 Chapter 22: An Introduction To Die For

    Merlin


    ¡°So, you¡¯re here because you punched a baby?¡± Brutus asked him.


    Merlin sighed. ¡°No, they just thought I did.¡±


    Brutus nodded. He studied his cards before groaning. ¡°Aww. You win.¡± He folded his hand of cards and leaned back against the side of his bed.


    Merlin sat his hand down as well.


    The two of them, Merlin and his serial killer cellmate, were passing the time playing cards on the floor of the cell. It had been three days and two nights since he¡¯d been separated from Charlie and the others.


    He was ready to get the heck out of this crazy town.


    Merlin looked beyond the cell bars at the lone guard on duty. He leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head. The room had five cells in it, but only two of them had anyone in it. Merlin and Brutus shared one cell, and the other occupied cell had an old man who sat on the edge of his bed, day and night. The guards sat food next to him once a day. He would eat and then go back to staring at the wall.


    He creeped Merlin out.


    Merlin didn¡¯t understand why he had to share a cell when there were three others available. But clearly, the guards didn¡¯t like him very much.


    ¡°Wanna play again?¡± Brutus asked, staring at the ceiling.


    As if they had anything else to do.


    Merlin picked up the cards. He slipped two choice cards in his sleeve and then shuffled the rest. Brutus didn¡¯t notice. He never noticed. Merlin wasn¡¯t even sure why he was cheating at this point.


    It was just in his nature; he supposed.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Brutus made a noise, and Merlin looked over at him.


    Brutus had noticed something on the ceiling outside the cell. He pointed.


    Merlin turned to look as well. A black mouse was hanging by its tail from the ceiling, waving his hands back and forth to get their attention.


    To get Merlin¡¯s attention.


    Merlin had never been so happy to see a mouse in his life.


    Mousifer.


    Merlin stood. The guard turned to look at him. Merlin yawned, feigning a stretch. The guard disregarded him. Merlin pointed at the key ring on the guard¡¯s waist. Mousifer looked down, saw it, and then gave Merlin a paws up. He pulled himself back up and out of sight. Merlin craned his neck to see where the mouse had gone but didn¡¯t want to be suspicious. He had to have a little faith.


    He was a mouse. They were great at being sneaky. He¡¯d steal the key and have Merlin out of here without the guard even noticing.


    ¡°Squeaaaa!¡± Mousifer shouted as he fell from the ceiling. He landed in front of Merlin¡¯s cell with a smack. The guard looked over and did a double take when he saw the tiny creature.


    ¡°What the? Ew!¡± the guard said. He stood, grabbing a book off his table to smack Mousifer with. Mousifer backed away slowly, leading the guard toward the cell. The guard moved carefully, trying not to scare Mousifer away until he got within book-dropping range.


    ¡°That¡¯s right buddy, just stay right there. Don¡¯t move,¡± the guard said. He had a crazy look on his face.


    Merlin exchanged a look with Brutus. He hoped there was an actual plan in play here.


    A growl from behind the guard forced him to turn. Bleedy ran forward and jumped toward him. He pressed off of the guard¡¯s body with his forehands and then turned mid-air to kick him with his hind legs. The guard fell backwards, caught by surprise. He crashed into the cell bars and scrambled to regain his balance.


    Merlin stared at him in stunned silence. Mousifer stood on two legs and beckoned at the scrambling guard. ¡°Squeak!¡±


    Merlin shook his head, his mouth agape. ¡°Me? I¡¯m not exactly the fighting type!¡±


    ¡°Squeak! Squea Squeak!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Merlin muttered. He rolled up his sleeves and hurried forward to pull the guard back by his shirt. Keeping him from righting himself.


    The guard tried to rip free. ¡°Let me go!¡±


    The two men fought back and forth in a way that was, quite frankly, kind of pathetic. Merlin struggled to hold the man back and take the keys off his waist. The guard struggled to break free and regain his footing. Merlin cursed every time the guard managed to reach a leg back to kick him.


    Finally, Brutus approached, grabbed the man through the bars, and wrapped his hands around the guard¡¯s neck.


    Merlin was reminded of the noise pinecones make when you step on them when Brutus snapped the guard¡¯s neck.


    Merlin slowly turned to look up at Brutus. ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Brutus beamed. A huge smiled on his face. ¡°Eleven!¡± He clapped Merlin on the shoulder.


    Merlin recoiled at the touch. Mousifer and Bleedy sat wide-eyed, looking at the dead man on the ground. They looked between Merlin and Brutus and then at each other.


    ¡°Purple.¡±


    ¡°Squeak.¡±


    ¡°What are they saying?¡± Brutus asked.


    ¡°No idea. Something judgmental.¡± Merlin worked to take the key off the guard¡¯s waist. It ripped free, and Merlin hurriedly undid the cell¡¯s lock. He forced his way out of the room. He turned to close the door behind him and realized Brutus had followed him.


    Okay¡­ probably shouldn¡¯t let a serial killer back on the loose.


    ¡°Hey Brutus, before we escape, mind grabbing my blanket?¡±


    Brutus looked confused. ¡°What? How come?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve grown attached to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only slept with it two nights¡­¡±


    Merlin bit back a reaction. The serial killer thought he was the weird one. Really? ¡°It has character.¡±


    Brutus turned to look at the blanket over his shoulder. He frowned. ¡°I think those are stains.¡±


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    Merlin closed his eyes. ¡°I try not to think about that. Please, just grab it.¡±


    Brutus shrugged and turned to grab the blanket. He picked it up and turned around. ¡°Here you go¡ª¡±


    Merlin shut the door, turning the key in the lock as fast as he could.


    Brutus stared at the lock, and then up at Merlin. It took him a minute to realize what had happened. ¡°Ah! You got me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry friend, you did kill ten¡­¡± He paused, looking at the body on the floor. ¡°Excuse me, eleven people.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Brutus smiled.


    Merlin waved.


    ¡°Wait! Merlin! Do you want to come to my execution this weekend? You should! It¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    Merlin pursed his lips. ¡°Uhm, I think I have plans, unfortunately. I hope it goes well?¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Brutus held Merlin¡¯s blanket through the bars.


    Merlin stared at it. ¡°Actually, you keep it. To remember me by.¡±


    Brutus pulled the blanket back and smiled. He tossed it back on his own bed.


    Merlin turned to leave before a thought occurred to him. ¡°Also, if you ever see those guys in red robes¡ª¡±


    ¡°The cultists?¡±


    ¡°Yes! If you ever see one of those guys¡­ I¡¯d heavily advise you go for twelve.¡±


    Brutus¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Twelve¡­I will! Oh, and Merlin, I hope you find that baby and teach it a lesson for ratting you out!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­never mind.¡± Merlin walked away, an exasperated look on his face.


    ¡°A baby?¡± an old voice croaked. Merlin turned to look at the old man in his cell. It was the first time he heard him speak.


    ¡°What?¡± Merlin asked, taking a step back.


    The old man stood and approached the cell bars. He pressed his face in between them, gripping the bars on either side of him with wrinkled hands. ¡°There¡¯s something you need to know about this place. There¡¯s something you need to know about the circle.¡±


    Charlie


    ¡°I hope they¡¯re okay,¡± Charlie said.


    The trip back to town had been simple. Well, Orb had complained about having to carry him every once in a while, but other than that, there weren¡¯t any issues. If there were any hungry, wild animals in the woods, a floating baby was a bit too intimidating for them.


    They¡¯d timed their ascent over the walls to avoid the nighttime guards patrolling it and had made straight for the stables. But to Charlie¡¯s great dismay, Bleedy and Mousifer weren¡¯t there. Marvin was okay. The cart was okay. And luckily, Merlin had rented both the stable and their room at the inn for a few days. So they could rest and recover in town for a bit.


    They¡¯d agreed they would check the room at the inn. If Bleedy and Mousifer had gotten worried and went to look for them, they probably would¡¯ve checked there.


    There was a hallway window open on the second floor, and Orb floated right in.


    ¡°Alright, no more carrying you. Like, for the rest of the year.¡±


    ¡°Week.¡± Charlie countered.


    ¡°Month.¡±


    Charlie thought about it for a moment. ¡°Deal.¡± He nodded his head. Orb floated ahead to check the room numbers while Charlie crawled along below until Orb signaled him. Charlie reached out and knocked.


    They listened for a minute. Charlie¡¯s face sank. He¡¯d hoped the others would be waiting. A thought occurred to him. ¡°Orb, what if they gave the room away when we never came back, and we just woke someone else up?¡±


    Orb froze mid-air. ¡°Oh¡­OH. Charlie, we should go!¡±


    Charlie and Orb hurried back toward the window when the door opened behind them. Someone stepped out into the hall.


    Orb went as dim as he could. Charlie froze in place.


    ¡°Charlie, Orb? Is that you?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie turned as fast as he could. Which wasn¡¯t very fast when crawling. Merlin hurried over and scooped him up. ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°How did you escape from the guards?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    ¡°Bleedy!¡±


    Their minions spoke in quick succession from somewhere behind Merlin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get inside and I¡¯ll tell you everything,¡± Merlin said.


    Their room at the inn was spacious compared to the cramped wagon they usually had to rest in. There was a small, child sized bed for Charlie to the left of the door, and a larger one for Merlin across from it. Next to Merlin¡¯s bed, there was a window facing the street below. To the right of the beds, against a wall, was a writing desk with a strange owl shaped lamp. The lamp was off, and the room¡¯s corner was dark. The only light was the moonlight pouring in through the window. Just enough to illuminate the beds. Charlie sat on his with Mousifer and Orb resting on a pillow. Bleedy and Merlin relaxed on the other.


    They spoke for a while inside the room. Merlin filled Charlie in on his last few days. Playing cards with a serial killer. Becoming the accomplice of a serial killer. Almost escaping and tricking a serial killer.


    He seemed really fixated on the whole serial killer thing.


    He was more upset when he heard everything Charlie had been through.


    ¡°I told you that dungeon was bad news. But I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright. I was really worried about you guys. I¡¯ve only been here for a couple of hours. We were discussing where to start looking for you and Orb when you knocked. Good timing. There is one other thing we need to talk about." Merlin shivered and turned to look at the window. He squinted. ¡°Uh¡­ wasn¡¯t that closed?¡± He asked, looking at Mousifer, and then at Bleedy. They shrugged. He stood, walked up to the window, and pulled it shut. He locked the latch on it, realizing it was loose.


    ¡°Huh?¡± he said, trying to fix it.


    The blood drained from Merlin''s face when he felt the sharpened edge of a knife at his throat.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t crazy. It was closed. Though, maybe that¡¯s poor wording, considering you¡¯ve been sitting in a room talking to yourself. Quite the tale,¡± the woman said, freshly emerged from the room¡¯s pitch-black corner.


    Merlin swallowed. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    She pressed the dagger into his neck a bit further, just enough to make him uncomfortable. ¡°Hm, if you¡¯re so curious, I could carve it into your skin for you? Would you like that?¡±


    He lifted his neck away to keep the knife from pressing into it. ¡°I¡¯ll pass, thanks.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s lips parted. What was going on? Who was this lady?


    ¡°We have to do something, Charlie,¡± Orb said.


    Bleedy growled at her, slowly approaching.


    ¡°Get your¡­ dog? Cat?¡± she said.


    ¡°Everyone calm down. Don¡¯t do anything. Let¡¯s just hear her out,¡± Merlin said.


    She tsked. ¡°What did you do to anger the Cult of Cendra? They paid a lot of money to make sure you end up dead. So, I¡¯m curious. What did you do?¡±


    Merlin swallowed. ¡°We saved a little girl¡¯s mom.¡±


    The woman raised a brow. ¡°We?¡± Her lips twisted to the side. ¡°Why did they want the woman dead?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t. They were just harvesting all the sycamara root in the forest. She needed it to survive. So, I took it.¡±


    ¡°Was it worth dying for? Will it be worth it? Dying?¡± she whispered, leaning in close.


    Merlin¡¯s gaze focused on Charlie. He smiled softly. ¡°Yeah. It was worth it. I don¡¯t regret a thing.¡±


    ¡°Parent, is my dungeon integrity still at zero?¡± Charlie thought quickly.


    ¡°It is.¡±


    Charlie let out a panicked breath. He couldn¡¯t use his power. He couldn¡¯t attack or defend. He couldn¡¯t even transfer her or the dungeon so that he could communicate. Charlie had come this far. He¡¯d survived the dungeon and saved the adventurers. And now he didn¡¯t even have the power to save his friend.


    The woman was in the middle of saying something Charlie couldn¡¯t focus on when she noticed him. His eyes were tearing up. She twisted her head to study him.


    This woman was talking about killing Merlin. He¡¯d just found his friend again, and she wanted to kill him.


    For saving someone. For helping Hilda and her mom. It didn¡¯t make any sense. He didn¡¯t deserve to be killed for that. He was a hero.


    Merlin was good. The thought of losing him after finally being reunited. After talking and catching up.


    It was overwhelming.


    Charlie started to cry.


    ¡°Charlie, what are you doing?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie bawled, tears flooding down his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t help it!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to forget your emotional regulation isn''t fully developed yet,¡± Orb said quietly in their minds.


    The woman stared at him. A crying baby too upset to do anything else. ¡°You idiot,¡± she spat at Merlin. ¡°You made him cry!¡± She shoved Merlin into the wall, sheathed her dagger, and hurried over to Charlie. She lifted him off the bed and into her arms. ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t cry. I know he¡¯s stupid, but there¡¯s no reason to cry over that. You¡¯re safe with me.¡±


    She rubbed his back and cooed. ¡°Nice to meet you, Charlie.¡± She read the name on his onesie.


    ¡°I¡¯m Vetica.¡±

 Chapter 23: Friends from Deadly Places

    Merlin stood up. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who made him cry!¡± he shouted, holding his head where he¡¯d hit the wall. ¡°It was the crazy woman waving around a knife!¡±


    She glared at him. He readied a hex, but she ignored it. He shook his head at her lack of concern. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me. I¡¯m going to attack you. With magic,¡± Merlin said.


    Vetica brushed Charlie¡¯s hair with her hand. ¡°Such a pretty baby.¡±


    Merlin scoffed. Charlie sniffled, his tears coming to a pause. He stared at her, his eyes swollen and puffy.


    A minute ago, she had been holding a knife to Merlin¡¯s throat. Now she was comforting him because he¡¯d been upset. It was strange, hard to comprehend. He didn¡¯t know what to think about it.


    Vetica wore a dark, void-black cloak with a hood pulled over her head. Long blonde hair poured out of it, falling across her shoulders.


    Bleedy and Mousifer looked unsure of how to proceed. They stood on the floor, waiting for instructions. Orb remained still on the pillow, hoping she didn¡¯t notice him.


    Charlie turned to look at Merlin. ¡°Tell her about me.¡± He wiped the remnants of his tears away with his tiny hands.


    Merlin shook his head.


    ¡°Merlin! Tell her!¡±


    Vetica turned to look at Merlin, who was shaking his head vigorously. ¡°What are you doing? Are you having a seizure?¡± she asked.


    Merlin huffed. He pulled the desk seat out and sat. ¡°Charlie isn¡¯t¡­normal.¡±


    Vetica reached for her dagger. ¡°Take that back right now.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, Charlie¡¯s special. He can talk. He wanted me to tell you.¡±


    Vetica looked at him, and then back at Charlie. ¡°He¡¯s talking to you? Then why can¡¯t I hear him?¡± A thin, carefully maintained brow lifted.


    ¡°There are conditions. Magic conditions. He doesn¡¯t have the magic potential for it right now, but he can talk through me.¡±


    Vetica turned, side-eyeing him. ¡°Prove it.¡±


    Merlin sighed. Then his face brightened with an idea. ¡°Fine. Charlie, poop your diaper.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Charlie said.


    Vetica raised a brow. ¡°That isn¡¯t exactly proof. Babies do that all the time.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Charlie thought. ¡°No, we don¡¯t! Babies don¡¯t poop!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s proof if he does it on demand!¡± Merlin argued.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a gross thing you taught him to do.¡± Vetica turned her nose up at him.


    Merlin rolled his eyes. ¡°Wait,¡± he said, turning to look at Mousifer and Bleedy. ¡°Do either of you change his diaper?¡±


    The two minions looked at one another, and then back at Merlin. They shook their heads.


    ¡°Then who does?¡± Merlin asked. ¡°Orb doesn¡¯t even have hands.¡±


    ¡°Nobody! My diaper is clean!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have hands?!¡± Orb asked at the same time.


    Merlin¡¯s eyes scrolled across the floor. The implications troubling him. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s come back to this conversation later. I have concerns. Anyway, Charlie, do a thumbs up.¡±


    Charlie looked at his hand and slowly lifted his thumb, holding it up to Vetica.


    Vetica leaned away from him. ¡°How¡­that¡¯s a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Fist bump, Charlie,¡± Merlin instructed. Charlie complied, holding a baby fist up in the air.


    Vetica held Charlie away from herself with both arms, studying him. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He really understands?¡±


    Charlie nodded.


    Vetica looked taken aback. She rested him across the tops of her knees. Then she bit her lip and looked off to the side. No one said anything for a few moments. Charlie just stared at her, wondering what was going on in her mind. Merlin and the minions exchanged unsure glances.


    ¡°We really need to get you away from the murderous assassin, Charlie,¡± Orb said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I think she likes me!¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, that¡¯s because you don¡¯t have any sense of self-preservation!¡±


    Vetica sighed. She faced him again, looking down at him. ¡°After I finish my contract, you can come with me, Charlie. I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡±


    Merlin jumped to his feet. ¡°Finish your contract? You mean kill me? Charlie isn¡¯t going anywhere with you! You can¡¯t keep him safe, anyway. The knights are after him. If he doesn¡¯t make it to Arcadeya before they reach him¡­¡± he trailed off.


    Vetica¡¯s head twisted. ¡°Knights? You mean Hex Knights? So, they know about him? They know he can communicate?¡±


    Merlin nodded. ¡°Yes, something like that. And those self-righteous¡­¡± Merlin sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t let you kill me, and I won¡¯t let you take Charlie. So, just ignore the contract and pretend you couldn¡¯t find me. Everyone wins. Well, I guess the cult doesn¡¯t. And you probably wouldn¡¯t get paid. But fifty percent of all the people involved would win. That¡¯s still really good!¡±


    ¡°As long as we¡¯re on the side who wins, I like that plan!¡± Orb added, though Vetica couldn¡¯t hear him.


    Vetica wrinkled her nose. ¡°I¡¯ve never failed a contract.¡±


    Merlin groaned. ¡°Oh great, you¡¯re one of those. I kill people, but I have a sense of honor, so I always see a job through once I start it. Blah blah blah.¡±


    Vetica looked unimpressed. She lifted Charlie to her chest and crossed her legs. ¡°No. There are consequences for failing that I would rather not face, wizard.¡± She said it almost like she knew his secret. That Merlin couldn¡¯t actually use magic. But Charlie thought it was probably just her being snarky.


    ¡°Well, if you think Charlie will still come with you if you kill me, then you¡¯re crazy. I¡¯m his best friend.¡±


    ¡°Charlie, I think Merlin started taking drugs in prison. There¡¯s no way he actually believes that,¡± Orb said.


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    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    ¡°Bleedy!¡±


    Orb spun around on the pillow he was sitting on. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s none of you! It¡¯s me!¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°I like all of you equally,¡± he said, rather proud of his diplomatic solution.


    ¡°Tsk.¡± Vetica looked down at Charlie. ¡°Fine, then I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Merlin said. ¡°You tried to kill me!¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯d tried, you¡¯d be dead. Besides, you messed with the cult. You¡¯re trying to get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to save a little girl¡¯s mom!¡±


    Charlie sighed. He did his best to ignore their bickering in the background. This wasn¡¯t any good. They weren¡¯t getting anywhere this way. He turned his thoughts inward. ¡°Parent, is there any way to raise dungeon integrity quickly?¡±


    ¡°It is possible. If you temporarily dismiss the interface, myself, you will gain two or three percent immediately. That¡¯s the standard amount I require to operate.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that before?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°And how long would you be gone?¡± Charlie added.


    ¡°In combat, that much is negligible, but for Charlie¡¯s purpose here, communication, it¡¯s enough. I would reactivate in one or two days.¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay, do it!¡±


    He felt a small surge of energy as Parent shut down. He willed the Transfer ability to activate. The room shifted as the dungeon formed itself over the furniture and layout of the room. Vetica and Merlin each stopped mid-sentence. The transformation only lasted a second before the room turned to normal.


    ¡°Hey! Stop fighting!¡± Charlie thought as loud as he could.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Vetica asked. She reached for her dagger, pulling Charlie in closer with her other hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Charlie,¡± he said. She turned toward him, shaking her head in disbelief. ¡°Do you really want to come with us? If you do, you have to get along with Merlin!¡±


    ¡°You really can talk¡­and the knights are really after you?¡±


    She was taking this surprisingly well.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Mhm! I have to get to Arcadeya! There¡¯s a researcher who studies dungeons there and my friend Richard said that I could get help there. I could learn more about my powers.¡±


    Merlin groaned. ¡°Charlie, she¡¯s an assassin! She kills people for a living! We can¡¯t trust her.¡±


    Vetica didn¡¯t say anything. A sad look crossed her face.


    Charlie thought about it. He didn¡¯t like the idea of someone in their party going around killing people for money. But he had the feeling Vetica was strong, and they could really use someone strong to back them up. Plus, maybe he could help her learn to help people instead of killing them. He had a good feeling about her. ¡°I want her to come. Is that okay, Merlin?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Merlin¡­¡± Charlie said.


    Orb floated by his side. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    Vetica blinked. Orb had been quietly sitting on the pillow all this time, so she hadn¡¯t noticed him. Now she looked confused. ¡°A dungeon core?¡±


    Merlin ignored the question. ¡°If she¡¯s going to come with us, she has to promise not to kill me in my sleep,¡± Merlin said, crossing his arms.


    She eyed him thoughtfully. ¡°Fine. I promise if I decide to kill you, I¡¯ll only do it while you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not what I meant...¡±


    Vetica continued. ¡°We leave in the morning, then. I have something to take care of. It would be better if word didn¡¯t get out that I went back on a contract. I¡¯d like to delay my punishment as long as possible.¡±


    ¡°No killing!¡± Charlie said.


    Her shoulders shrank. ¡°What? But I wanted to kill them.¡± She pouted.


    ¡°If you want to come with us, you have to find a different way to handle it,¡± Charlie insisted.


    Vetica huffed. ¡°Fine.¡± She went to the open window but paused. She turned and used the door instead. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± she said, and with that, she was gone. The door pulled shut behind her.


    Merlin waited a minute, then stood and hurried toward the front door. He put his ears to it and then carefully opened the door and looked both ways down the hall. He closed it back and latched the lock. ¡°Sorry it took me so long to catch on to what you were doing. Alright, let¡¯s get our stuff packed and get the hell out of here before she comes back! Great thinking back there, Charlie. We¡¯ll get Marvin and make a run for it. She¡¯ll never see it coming.¡±


    Charlie relaxed on the bed. ¡°No, we¡¯re going to wait. I really do want her to come with us. Besides, we both need some rest.¡±


    Merlin deflated. ¡°What? Seriously? But¡ª¡±


    Charlie snored through the end of Merlin¡¯s argument.


    When Charlie woke up, Merlin was already packing what little belongings he had brought to the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early,¡± Charlie said, rubbing his eyes.


    Merlin looked up, packing a spare shirt in the leather drawstring bag he¡¯d brought to hold his things. ¡°Wanted to be ready, just in case you decided we could ditch that evil woman.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t leaving Vetica!¡± Charlie said.


    Someone¡¯s hand rapped against the door several times. Merlin groaned. Bleedy opened it, twisting the doorknob and leaning back to pull the door ajar. Vetica pressed through the door and inspected the room. ¡°Ready to go?¡± she asked.


    Merlin kept his hood drawn on the way out of town and hunched his back to obscure Charlie. Charlie and Orb rode on his back, settled into the baby carrier and hidden by Merlin¡¯s cloak. Merlin wanted to ensure that the guards didn¡¯t recognize him, and Charlie was worried about the man Geron had helped him escape from. The strange man with the scar outside the cafe a few days ago. They figured it was best to disguise themselves as much as possible.


    Vetica carried a slumped Bleedy over her shoulder. He played dead, pretending to be a creature she¡¯d killed during a hunt. Mousifer peeked out of one of her pockets. They made it to Marvin, tipped the stable owner, and set off in Merlin¡¯s wagon.


    Vetica drove the carriage out of town, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, Marvin the horse seemed to take a liking to her. When they arrived at the gate, the guard flagged her down.


    ¡°Leaving on your own?¡± he asked her, inspecting the wagon.


    Vetica smiled. ¡°Yes. Have some business to take care of out of town.¡±


    The guard nodded and flagged her on. ¡°Travel safely.¡±


    She waved. When they were out of view of the town, she reached back and knocked on the wood. Charlie, Merlin, and the others climbed out of the hidden compartment in Merlin¡¯s wagon.


    ¡°You know, this wagon has a lot of tricks to it. You really are quite the scumbag if you needed something like this,¡± Orb said.


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°It got us out of town, didn¡¯t it? Besides, it¡¯s not for anything weird. It¡¯s for smuggling.¡± He looked at Bleedy. ¡°And hiding Popporri weed so someone doesn¡¯t eat it all.¡±


    Bleedy smiled. A piece of the hair-like plant hung from his mouth.


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡±


    Brutus


    Brutus sat up to watch the new prisoners being dragged in. Two men in red robes were being escorted to a cell on the far side of the prison. His eyes lit up.


    Cultist.


    The guard on duty looked up. ¡°Where the hell did you find these guys?¡± he asked.


    The two guards escorting the prisoners stopped to talk with him. ¡°They were tied up outside the prison. Guess they pissed somebody off.¡±


    One of the cultists pulled away, trying to free himself. ¡°Release us at once. Our brothers will destroy this entire town in search of us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah. Whatever.¡± They opened the cell door and went to push them inside.


    ¡°You idiots. I will get free. When I do, I will find you. I will skin your children and burn your homes. You will suffer.¡±


    The guard on duty stood up. Annoyed. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s put them over there instead.¡±


    Brutus smiled. The guard was pointing to his cell. The guards escorting the cultist shrugged and followed his suggestion. Brutus backed away from the cell door. The cultists were pushed through a minute later. A scroll fell out of one of their pockets. They ignored it, staring at him standing in the back of the room. He bent over to pick up the scroll and opened it. There was a sketch of Merlin on it.


    Were they after Merlin for some reason?


    The silent of the two spat on the ground in distaste. The other surveyed him and the room. ¡°You idiots. There are only two beds in here.¡± He looked up at Brutus and sneered. ¡°You, ugly, you¡¯ll be sleeping on the floor.¡± He paused. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡±


    The guards laughed, walking away.


    ¡°Twelve,¡± Brutus said, pointing at one of the cultists.


    He moved his hand to point at the other.


    ¡°Thirteen.¡±

 Chapter 24: Scouting Party

    Three days after Charlie and the others left Sirra, Charlie had a thought.


    When his dungeon integrity hit zero, the dungeon collapsed. But what if there was something he could do to increase the integrity? To make the dungeon more stable.


    ¡°Parent, is it possible to make the dungeon more secure? So that it wouldn¡¯t collapse as fast?¡± he asked.


    ¡°In theory, it should be possible. Dungeons are meant to be manipulated as the owner sees fit, in this case, you. Perhaps it would be advantageous to visit now. We can discuss it further there.¡±


    Charlie blinked. He looked up. Merlin was driving. Orb hovered next to him. He¡¯d made a habit of that, watching the tree line. Maybe he was keeping watch, or maybe he just wanted to enjoy the forest scenery. But lately, Orb spent a lot of time in the front of the wagon.


    Mousifer and Bleedy were curled up beside Vetica, who quietly sharpened a knife. She¡¯d changed out of the black outfit she¡¯d worn in Sirra. Now she wore a black vest. The green sleeves of her shirt protruded from it with intricate symbols along her cuffs and shoulders. A series of belts started just below her waist and trailed up her stomach. Two leather straps crossed each other across her chest. She noticed his gaze. ¡°Everything okay, Charlie?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes! Parent thinks we should visit the dungeon. There are things we need to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Parent? That¡¯s the name of your interface, right?¡± she asked. They¡¯d spent the last few days catching her up on everything they¡¯d been through. She¡¯d adjusted to most of it quickly. Most of it.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Can we pull over somewhere, Merlin?¡± he asked.


    Merlin looked over his shoulder. ¡°Sure. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s about to teleport all of us into the dungeon,¡± Orb said.


    Vetica sat up, looking at Orb. She hadn¡¯t gotten used to a talking dungeon core. Marvin came to a halt. Merlin turned to face him. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Boy, it sure is painful being transported¡­everybody brace yourselves,¡± Orb said, messing with Merlin.


    Merlin¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Wait!¡±


    Charlie smiled.


    ¡°Transfer!¡±


    A panicked neigh escaped Marvin.


    A similar noise escaped Merlin.


    Vetica shot up and hurried out of the wagon. Charlie patted the wooden wagon floor and Bleedy surged forward, picking him up. Charlie smiled, grabbing onto the familiar tufts of fur. He hadn¡¯t ridden Bleedy like this in a while. It was nice. The baby carrier was better for towns, but there was something comforting about shooting around on Bleedy¡¯s back. Mousifer scurried up beside him. Bleedy ran and leapt off the rear of the wagon, following Vetica outside.


    ¡°Woah, this is¡­ inside you?¡± Merlin asked, climbing down the front of the wagon.


    A thoughtful expression cut across Charlie¡¯s face. ¡°Hm. Not sure. Don¡¯t know how it works. But we are in my dungeon.¡±


    Vetica knelt down and touched the soft dungeon earth. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s so realistic. It¡¯s hard to wrap my mind around it. Being transported like that. I¡¯ve never seen magic like it.¡±


    Charlie looked around. They were in a large room, not the room from the fight with Lusafeen, but it was similar. A round, open space with high ceilings. He marveled at the crumbled rock lying in piles all around them. A purple aura covered the broken fragments of the dungeon almost at random. At random intervals, the aura surrounded rocks slowly lifted off the ground. They rose until they reached the ceiling and snapped into place.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s repairing itself¡­¡± he thought aloud.


    ¡°Correct. Current Dungeon Integrity is at twenty-six percent. As integrity increases, the damage is slowly repaired. But this process is slower after full collapse.¡±


    Vetica whirled around. ¡°What was that?¡± she asked. Merlin stood in stunned silence.


    ¡°You can hear him too?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°While in the dungeon, I can make myself known to allies of the User. I am Charlie¡¯s interface.¡±


    ¡°This is creepier and creepier by the second. Why exactly did we come here, Charlie?¡± Merlin asked, turning to him.


    ¡°It has become increasingly apparent that Charlie will continue needing the offensive capabilities of the dungeon. Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to inform him of some things. As his allies, it made sense to include all of you in this process as well. For starters, Charlie, your dungeon integrity is something that can improve over time. But there is another way to strengthen it faster. By reinforcing the dungeon yourself, you can create a structure more suited to your needs. Whether that be focusing on increasing the dungeon¡¯s overall durability. Or using the dungeon for more traditional reasons.¡±


    ¡°So, Charlie can modify the dungeon?¡± Orb asked. ¡°Does that mean we could make it so his power doesn¡¯t run out so quickly? That would be a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Bleedy couldn¡¯t take his eyes off one of the purple rocks. Charlie smiled. He slid down and waved his hand, giving him and Mousifer permission to go check it out.


    Merlin ran a few fingers along his chin. ¡°Wait¡­if Charlie can bring us all here¡­that could be useful. I mean, think about it. If we were in a fight, Charlie could transport everyone. We¡¯d have a territorial advantage.¡±


    Vetica¡¯s face lit up. She scanned the room. She pointed above one of the entranceways. ¡°Yes! For instance, you could put an alcove above the opening. I could wait there, and when enemies entered, I could jump behind them and slit their throats.¡± She turned her attention to follow one of the rising rocks. ¡°Or we could make a vantage point for Merlin to rain magic down from above!¡±


    Vetica was really excited about fighting. Maybe a bit too excited. Charlie exchanged a look with Merlin.


    ¡°Oh, you should probably know Merlin¡¯s nearly useless in combat. His magic is all show. Trust me,¡± Orb said.


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not your business to tell.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t shrug, but picture me shrugging. I¡¯m shrugging verbally,¡± Orb said.


    Vetica frowned. ¡°I saw him do it the other day.¡±


    ¡°It was a fake hex,¡± Merlin reluctantly admitted.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to point an arrow at someone, you should be prepared to release the string.¡± She clearly disapproved of this newfound information.


    ¡°Yeah? Well, you held a dagger to my neck, and I seem to be very much alive. So you¡¯re one to talk.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late.¡± Vetica scowled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you.¡±


    In a sudden flash of movement, Vetica drew her dagger and took a step toward Merlin.


    He hopped backwards. ¡°Charlie, get her!¡±


    Charlie laughed. It would be nice to explore, to get a better idea of the dungeon. There was so much he didn¡¯t know about himself. About his powers. About this place. But¡­


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried if we spend too much time here, we¡¯d be giving the knights time to catch up,¡± he said.


    Vetica nodded. ¡°And the cultist. They won¡¯t give up on getting revenge. Charlie¡¯s right, we need to keep moving.¡±


    Bleedy and Mousifer were playing on a rock that the purple reclamation aura suddenly intensified around. It rose into the air with them aboard.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer called out. Charlie giggled and waved a hand instinctively. The rock reversed and floated back to the ground. The two disembarked, having learned their lesson. Here, he had more control. Moving the dungeon was like opening and closing his hand. That was interesting.


    ¡°Well, what if just a few of us remain behind? They could map out the dungeon while the rest of us keep moving. When you bring them back, they¡¯ll return to wherever you are, right, Charlie?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Parent?¡± Charlie asked, passing the question forward.


    ¡°Correct. Charlie is the focal point for transportation to and from the dungeon. Unless an entrance is placed, that will always be the case.¡±


    ¡°An entrance?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°When you yourself enter the dungeon, an entrance is created randomly in the nearby area. I monitor it to alert you if anyone intrudes during your time here. Alternatively, you can structure your dungeon yourself, and then the entrance can be placed wherever you want. You¡¯d be able to move it as well, of course. But exploration is required first.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay. Well, which of us should explore then?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Bleedy. Devil,¡± Bleedy said.


    Charlie turned to look at Bleedy. ¡°You two want to do it? You want to explore?¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    Charlie frowned. He trusted them to do it, but worried about what would happen if they ran into trouble. He still didn¡¯t know how stable this place was. And if they were attacked outside the dungeon and Charlie had to fight¡­


    ¡°Parent, can you help them? Can you keep them safe in here until they finish?¡±


    ¡°If you wish, I can remain behind with them. I can increase their odds of survival in the event of a total dungeon collapse, at the cost of lowering your dungeon integrity by a small amount. Additionally, I can assist them in mapping the dungeon.¡±


    Parent shifted his communication settings so that only Charlie could hear the next part. ¡°There¡¯s also the matter of the investigation into the events from the other day. Regarding your involuntary ability usage and those tendrils. If I dedicate time here, I will be able to look into it more effectively.¡±


    Charlie was grateful that Parent kept that part between them. No one knew about the tendrils except for Orb, and he preferred it to stay that way until he knew more. He did feel bad, keeping it from his friends, but he was worried about what it meant. An ability that not even the interface knew about was concerning. For now, he wanted it to remain a secret. At least, until he learned more. ¡°You can remain here with them, and help me?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°No. If you wish to allocate my services to this role, a more basic version of the interface will be accessible. You¡¯ll still be able to monitor your dungeon integrity and abilities. But will temporarily lose the ability to ask specific questions.¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s fine. I want them to be safe in here.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose we should get back on the road,¡± Merlin said.


    Bleedy and Mousifer rushed over to Charlie. Bleedy licked his face. Mousifer crawled up his arm and onto his shoulder. He tickled the inside of Charlie¡¯s ear with his pointed nose. The mouse let out a gentle goodbye squeak, so as not to hurt Charlie¡¯s ears. Charlie giggled. He turned his face away to try to escape the affectionate Bleedy and reached up to rub Mousifer¡¯s little head. ¡°You two be safe! I¡¯ll see you soon, make sure to learn all you can so we can make this place awesome!¡± Charlie grinned. He looked around. One day, he wanted to get a big fluffy bed the size of this entire room. Everyone could sleep in it and have a pillow fight. Charlie would have to get onto Vetica for filling her pillow with rocks and beating up Merlin.


    It would be so much fun.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, hugging his adorable minions tight. ¡°I¡¯ll see you two soon.¡±


    They backed away, and Charlie held his hands out for someone to pick him up. Merlin, who¡¯d gotten used to caring for him, hurried over. But not before Vetica beat him to it. She deftly pulled him into the air and into her warm embrace. She shot a look at Merlin. He grumbled. ¡°At least the horse still likes me more.¡±


    Marvin neighed.


    ¡°How dare you,¡± Merlin said. ¡°Like actually. So ungrateful.¡±


    Charlie turned to look at his furry companions one last time as Vetica climbed onto the wagon. Merlin settled into his seat and took the reins again.


    ¡°Transfer!¡±


    Their wagon appeared again on the forest path road they¡¯d been traveling on. Charlie sat in Vetica¡¯s lap, taking in their surroundings. He noticed something in the center of the wagon, something familiar that he hadn¡¯t seen in a while.


    Orb buzzed over to it and then spun to look at Charlie. ¡°Um, why is the book from Lusafeen¡¯s cabin here?¡±


    Dremmon


    Glass shattered against the marble floor. A few specks of red wine managed to reach Od¡¯s face. He wiped them with his hand. It was far better to deal with spilled wine. The alternative in this situation would be his blood.


    ¡°This is not what you promised me, Od. You spent months in that forest with the acolytes. And yet you have nothing to show for it. What¡¯s worse, you left with nearly two dozen men, and return with only a handful,¡± another man said. The man sat on a throne; his face obscured by darkness. The torches had been positioned intentionally to create the effect.


    Dremmon watched from the rafters. The scent of terror was delight. Od reeked of it. But there was something else on him as well. A strange, yet familiar scent. He struggled to place it.


    Od swallowed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve failed you. But there were¡­ complications beyond my control.¡±


    ¡°Complications?¡± The voice was dark, full of malice. ¡°And what should I tell Lord Cendra? That we are unable to complete the ritual because of complications beyond our control?¡±


    Od took a step forward, stumbling to his knees. ¡°No, my lord. I¡¯ve already taken action. There was a man. A powerful spell caster named Merlin. I regret to say had we engaged him any longer, he might¡¯ve wiped us out. He offered us a deal, but he went back on it. His betrayal led to the capture of my forces. And the loss of the plant we¡¯d been sent to retrieve by Master Arroane.¡±


    ¡°Arroane sent you, did he?¡± The man on the throne looked up at Dremmon.


    Dremmon lowered his head slightly to acknowledge him.


    He continued. ¡°Your messengers never informed me you were acting on behalf of Arroane. You say you took action. What exactly is it that you¡¯ve done?¡±


    Od swallowed. ¡°I hired an assassin. One of¡­ his. She¡¯s good. I expect word from her any day now. He was last seen traveling toward Sirra with a baby and some kind of small creature. It¡¯s likely he¡¯s already dead.¡±


    Dremmon perked up. He leapt, and his paws met the wooden floor with the slightest thump. He approached Od and inspected him. His eyes ran along the man¡¯s torn, red cloak. His nose searched, inhaling the scents clinging to the fabric. Strange and familiar. What were the chances? That his prey had become an associate of this Merlin.


    The cult¡¯s leader stood. ¡°What is it, Dremmon? What do you smell, my friend?¡±


    ¡°The scent of prey. The child with this¡­ Merlin. It¡¯s the same one from Troa. The baby traveling with a dungeon core.¡±


    Od¡¯s face went still, the blood draining from it. ¡°That child was¡­¡±


    The room started to shake and tremble. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve ordered the assassination of someone quite interesting indeed. That child is valuable. And now, you¡¯ve put its life in danger. How should I punish you for that, Od?¡±


    ¡°Please, allow me to atone. I will personally go and find them and¡­¡±


    ¡°Go and find a corpse? You just said he was likely dead by now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll recall the contract. There might still be time.¡±


    The cult leader walked with purpose. He took three sharp, quick steps and placed his hand on Od¡¯s shoulder. A chill rang out.


    Dremmon backed away, just in case. He had no interest in dying in the aftermath of some gruesome display of power.


    Od shook. The terror was truly intoxicating now. Dremmon knew he would need to hunt soon. To quell the bloodlust he felt. There was something, inexplicable, deep within that told him with certainty, the child was still alive. He worried not about the assassin. His prey would not be so easily overcome. Dremmon had learned that from Lusafeen¡¯s death.


    She had died to warn him.


    To prepare him.


    Her death had purpose.


    He believed he would be the one to bring that purpose to fruition.


    To Dremmon, and Od¡¯s surprise, the cult¡¯s leader did not take Od¡¯s life for his failure. ¡°Go. But know this: you will confess your sin and failure before Cendra one day. And on that day, you will wish I struck you down.¡±


    Od stammered, struggling to find words. He stumbled to his feet and hurried out of the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure, Dremmon? The child is one and the same?¡±


    Dremmon nodded. ¡°It is. Allow me to fulfill my purpose. The hunt calls me.¡±


    ¡°No. Not you. Not like this. That child has the potential to offer value to Cendra. I cannot waste him on your petty instincts. Overcome such things.¡±


    Dremmon fought the urge to kill him. To make him prey. But he knew what would happen. He knew the power of those lurking in the darkness. He would hunt the child. Dremmon would pick the boy¡¯s flesh from his teeth with sharpened claws after a bloody hunt. But for now, he would wait.


    Like any good hunter.


    The cult¡¯s leader turned and looked into the shadows to his left. ¡°You know what to do.¡±


    Laughter. ¡°I¡¯m on it. You want all three?¡±


    ¡°Just the kid and the dungeon core. Kill the other. Make it¡­painful.¡±

 Chapter 25: Richard

    Richard


    The streets bustled with shouting vendors and people looking over luxury wares on display. He pushed past a line of people waiting for some variant of fried hex beast. He wrinkled his nose. Richard never understood how people could eat hex beast meat. He read down the last of the list of ingredients Mary sent him out for. She wanted a home cooked meal for a change.


    Even if home was only a small room above a bakery on the edge of town.


    But that was the price of going underground. Of buying time.


    Of delaying the inevitable.


    Potatoes.


    Meat. (Rabbit?)


    Spices!


    Wine. :)


    He¡¯d already bought a few other things on her list. But the wine was giving him a hard time. Mary had very specific taste. He¡¯d asked around, and learned his best chance was a shop across from the town¡¯s guild.


    She¡¯d gotten used to drinking a brand popular in the capital. She didn¡¯t drink much anymore. But if anyone deserved something special nowadays, it was her.


    A man shot out of the guildhall. ¡°Get out of here! I told you not to come here anymore!¡± The man he was shouting at was extremely well dressed, but he himself looked ragged. His hair was tousled, and scraggly. Facial hair clawed free of his face. He looked like he hadn¡¯t groomed himself in weeks.


    The strange man pleaded. ¡°Please! You have to help. I¡¯ve tried everywhere. I¡¯m desperate at this point!¡±


    The guild member shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve told you already. I can¡¯t help you. That¡¯s too far beyond our jurisdiction. You need to drop this.¡±


    ¡°No one else will help me. Please, something is going on. I know it, I just need someone to investigate for me. I¡¯ve got plenty of coin.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The guild member looked around and leaned in. Richard focused, tilting his ear toward them.


    ¡°You should go. Seriously, get out of town and head home. You won¡¯t find help here.¡±


    ¡°What? But¡­¡±


    The guild member turned and left, returning inside. Richard stared as the man fell to his knees. Richard shook his head. He couldn¡¯t afford to get involved. He kept walking.


    Nine.


    Ten.


    Eleven steps later, he sighed and turned back. He stopped beside the kneeling man and offered him a hand. The man turned and looked up at him. He took the hand tentatively and let Richard help him to his feet. ¡°Can I help you?¡± he asked.


    Richard knew he would regret asking. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    The man looked unsure of himself. ¡°I¡¯m okay, yes, thank you. I¡¯m Manil.¡±


    Richard nodded. He didn¡¯t offer his own name. ¡°What was that about? Why did the guild turn down your job?¡±


    Manil shrugged. ¡°Everywhere I go, people turn me down. I don¡¯t understand. The pay is good, the job is simple. My business partner went into a town with his daughter, a place called Sange. But he never returned. I thought maybe he got caught up with something in town or was on the verge of securing a trade deal. So, I sent one of our assistants to check on him. And then another. Three assistants went into Sange. None of them returned. Not my business partner, not his daughter, and none of our assistants. I got worried and decided I would find a guild to help me investigate.¡±


    ¡°And all of them turned you down? How much are you offering?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°200 gold coins,¡± the man said.


    Richard raised a brow. ¡°You mean silver?¡±


    ¡°Gold. I kept raising the price when I realized no one was interested. But I don¡¯t understand. 200 gold for something this simple¡­¡±


    Richard nodded. ¡°There have to be plenty of smaller guilds between here and there. There¡¯s no way they turned down a job like that for that high of a reward.¡± That was the kind of money towns would offer to clear dangerous dungeons or hunt hex beast. Nobody in their right mind would turn down that kind of pay just to look into a missing person. Not unless something else was going on. ¡°Your business must be going well if you can afford to part with that kind of money.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re¡­well off. We¡¯ve been lucky in our trade, and my business partner is exceptionally talented. I don¡¯t know what to do anymore. I can¡¯t go home and tell his wife, his other children that I lost contact with him and gave up on looking.¡±


    Richard clasped him on the shoulder. ¡°Wait here Manil, let me have a word with someone from the guild and I¡¯ll see if I can figure out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you! I¡¯ll be waiting out here.¡±


    Richard opened the door to the Guild and stepped inside. The main room was fairly large for a town of this size. Smaller towns usually had smaller guilds. A smaller guild, on average, meant fewer resources and weaker members. Though there were exceptions.


    To his left was a sitting area. A handful of the guild¡¯s members sat scattered amongst wooden tables and chairs. Most of them drinking. The ones that weren¡¯t were mostly passed out or talking quietly amongst themselves. Behind the sitting area, toward the rear of the room, was a staircase that led to the upper level. That would likely be the guild lodging, where most of the members slept at night.


    It was common for guilds to have living arrangements built into the guildhall, though larger guilds often had more members that could afford to buy their own homes. To his right, a series of trophies. Monster skulls, retired weapons, portraits of the guilds¡¯ leadership. Richard didn¡¯t recognize any of the people in the portraits. Not that he should.


    He focused his attention on a reception desk past the trophy area. A small door leading deeper into the building was behind it.


    The man that had tried to run Manil off was stationed at the desk, cleaning under his fingernails with the tip of a well-sharpened knife. He leaned backward in his chair on two legs. Richard shook his head as he approached.


    If this idiot falls, he¡¯ll lose a finger.


    ¡°Saw you talking with the guy outside,¡± the man said without looking up.


    Richard said nothing. The man looked up to see if Richard had heard him. There was something in his eyes, a flash of recognition. ¡°You¡¯re familiar¡­you an adventurer?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you help him? He¡¯s paying well for a simple job. So, what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    The man sighed. He tossed the dagger in his hand on the desk in front of him. It settled with a clang. ¡°It¡¯s beyond our jurisdiction. We can¡¯t send a group out that far.¡±


    ¡°No one bothers with jurisdiction when the pay is good. Don¡¯t waste my time. What¡¯s the real reason?¡±


    The man swallowed. He stared at Richard, his eyes narrowed. ¡°Wait, I think I know you¡­¡± his eyes went wide. ¡°Are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hush.¡± Richard silenced him. He looked over his shoulder to see if any of the drinking guild members had overheard. No one was paying them any attention. Most of them were too drunk, anyway. ¡°Something is clearly going on, so tell me, what is it?¡±


    The adventurer thought for a moment. He looked around to see if anyone was within earshot. ¡°Look, the truth is, I wanted to help him. Went to the boss and told him about the job. He sent a courtesy letter, to let the guild from Sange know we were sending adventurers to help someone locate a missing person.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d they respond?¡± Richard asked.


    The man looked over his shoulder at the door behind him. He leaned in closer. ¡°They sent a letter back. I was wondering what the holdup was this morning, so I went to talk to the boss. Found it open on his desk.¡±


    Richard squinted. ¡°What did it say?¡±


    ¡°It was a kill order. 500 gold to kill the man who¡¯d requested the job.¡±


    Richard¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    He should¡¯ve stayed out of this.


    He really should¡¯ve stayed out of this.


    ¡°What? Why would they want him dead?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. I pretended I didn¡¯t see it. Figured I¡¯d tell the guy to ditch town, but he won¡¯t listen. Boss never even said anything to me about the letter. Just asked if I¡¯d seen him.¡±


    ¡°Does he know he¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°No¡ª¡± The door behind the desk opened. A muscular man with low cut hair and a scar on his brow joined them. ¡°Arkady, have you seen that guy today?¡± he asked.


    Arkady, the one Richard had been speaking with, shook his head. ¡°No, sorry, boss. We get approval for the job?¡±


    ¡°No. Just thought I¡¯d have some of the guys speak with him, get some more information.¡± He paused, looking at Richard. He looked him up and down, inspecting his attire. Richard had donned a simple black cloak, something that wouldn¡¯t draw too much attention. ¡°You here to post a job?¡±


    Richard stared back. ¡°No. Arkady is an old friend. Just stopped by to say hello.¡± Richard patted the desk and turned to leave. He needed to warn the man to get out of town.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that him?¡± the guild master asked.


    Richard spied him, peering in from just outside the door. When Manil noticed the three of them looking at him, his head shot back behind cover. It was a poor attempt. Richard turned to look at the sound of movement. The guild master signaled a few of the drunken men at tables and they stood, going to follow the man. Richard quenched a fist.


    ¡°Uh, boss? What¡¯s going on?¡± Arkady asked as if he didn¡¯t already know.


    The guild master smiled, turning to go back through the rear door. ¡°Like I said, just want to get some more information about the job. You stay here. Those three can handle it.¡± The door shut behind him a moment later.


    Arkady and Richard exchanged a look. Arkady grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±


    Richard turned, walking purposefully toward the door.


    ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± Arkady asked.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Richard shot him a look over his shoulder. Arkady cursed under his breath, grabbed his dagger and vaulted over the desk, hustling to catch up to Richard.


    ¡°This isn''t gonna go well,¡± Arkady said, sheathing his dagger. "Those guys aren''t the type to be reasoned with."


    Richard rolled his neck. ¡°Then stay here. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    ¡°No offense, but I¡¯m not letting you walk into a three on one fight.¡±


    Richard laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. But if you¡¯re coming, be useful. Those men, what are their hexes?¡±


    ¡°Two Elemental, one Defensive.¡± Arkady said after thinking for a moment.


    Richard nodded. ¡°And yours?¡±


    Arkady paused. ¡°Uh, searching.¡±


    Richard¡¯s brow raised. Arkady didn¡¯t meet his eye.


    They reached the door and burst out of the guild. Richard looked around. He spotted the men leading Manil down an alleyway not far away, just before they disappeared from sight.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Richard broke into a run. He shouldn¡¯t have let them get that far ahead of him. He didn¡¯t look back, but he could hear Arkady keeping pace with him, his feet stomping against the dirt road of the city.


    They turned into the alleyway.


    One man wore a bright green bandana that covered a bald head. He smirked, pressing a knife into Manil¡¯s stomach. He leaned in close to soak in the terror in his victim¡¯s eyes. ¡°You are quite the businessman. Even all of us are making a profit off of you!¡± He laughed.


    And then he plunged the knife into Manil¡¯s torso.


    Manil gasped, looking down at the wound. Richard cursed. He turned and grabbed the knife from Arkady¡¯s sheath. In one fluid motion, he flicked it toward the man with the green bandana.


    The blade flew straight through the man¡¯s wrist.


    Blood splattered against the alleyway¡¯s brick wall.


    His severed hand hit the ground.


    The man looked down at the wound. ¡°What the hell?¡± He turned, noticing Richard and Arkady standing there.


    ¡°Arkady?¡± one of the other men asked. But Arkady was too stunned to reply. Richard didn¡¯t hesitate. He drew his sword and rapidly approached. Realizing their lives were on the line, the men turned to fight. They stepped forward, drawing swords as well. The man with the bandana backed away, still in shock.


    Richard sidestepped the first man¡¯s swing and cut him down in one fell motion. The other seized the opportunity, trying to attack Richard before he could react. Richard scoffed, swinging his blade to parry the blow.


    He pulled it away at the last second to avoid cutting Arkady.


    ¡°Scarlet Hex Search!¡± Arkady cried out, racing toward the other guild member. Arkady¡¯s opponent looked up just as two scarlet hexes formed over his body. One just under his heart, the other behind his back. Arkady drove a palm into the first hex, then ducked past the man and elbowed him in the back, hitting the second hex. The hexes disappeared as Arkady hit the spots they marked. The guild member¡¯s eyes rolled into the back of his head.


    He fell unconscious on the ground.


    Richard raised a brow. ¡°My hex specializes in weak points. He had some old wounds. I just took advantage of them,¡± Arkady explained.


    Richard nodded, looking toward their last opponent. The bald man had wrapped his bandana around his severed wrist to quell the bleeding. He realized he was outmatched. He turned to run.


    Richard shook his head. He sheathed his sword, bent over, and picked up the severed hand. He threw it as hard as he could at the back of the man¡¯s head. The impact knocked him out.


    Arkady¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What the hell¡­you just beat him up with his own hand. That¡¯s twisted. Kind of cool. But twisted.¡±


    Richard ignored him, hurrying to tend to Manil. Manil was staring down at the out-pour of blood. He futilely held his hands up to catch it, as if he could put it back.


    ¡°Oh no. Am I going to die?¡± he asked between pained breaths.


    Richard inspected the wound. He turned and ripped a piece of fabric from the outfit of the adventurer he cut down. He wrapped it around Manil¡¯s stomach. The merchant grimaced in pain.


    Arkady hurried over; a scarlet hex appeared. Richard looked up at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked.


    Arkady adjusted the fabric and tightened it. ¡°My hexes definition of weak points is fairly broad. I¡¯m looking to make sure there aren¡¯t any in the bandage. It¡¯ll help. Not by much, but it¡¯ll help.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Are there any healers in town?¡±


    Arkady frowned. ¡°Uh, there are a few doctors, but if you want a magic healer¡­ well, all the hex casters work for the guild.¡±


    Richard swore. That meant he didn¡¯t have a choice. He had to take Manil to Mary. He couldn¡¯t go to the guild, and doctors weren¡¯t as reliable as casters were. ¡°I¡¯m taking him to a healer on the edge of town.¡±


    Arkady nodded. Richard lifted Manil into his arms. Manil panicked. ¡°Wait! The rest of my assistants aren¡¯t far from here. The inn is nearby. Please go and get them.¡±


    Richard looked at Arkady, who sighed. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m on it. What room?¡±


    ¡°12. They won¡¯t come with you without¡­¡± his voice strained. ¡°We¡¯re careful about bandits and such, so they won¡¯t go anywhere unless you tell them Mane sent you. It¡¯s a code of sorts. Please get them.¡±


    Arkady nodded, exchanging a look with Richard, and then looking back down at his fellow guild members. ¡°Well, my life just changed. Not sure if it was for better or worse, but definitely changed. Where exactly is the healer?¡±


    ¡°A red building on the edge of town. Make sure you aren¡¯t followed.¡±


    ¡°Wait, your healer is in a bakery?¡±


    ***


    Richard jumped up from the couch when the knock came. He stood, quietly drawing his sword and creeping toward the door. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± he called out, pressing the tip of his blade into the center of the door. He would run it clean through if he suspected enemies.


    ¡°It¡¯s Arkady, I¡¯ve brought Manil¡¯s assistants!¡±


    Richard relaxed; he sheathed his sword. But opened the door slowly, to make sure there weren¡¯t any unexpected guest. Arkady walked in, two men and a woman in tow.


    The woman pressed forward, grabbing Richard by the shoulders. ¡°Is he okay?¡± she asked.


    Richard took a step back, freeing himself of her grasp. ¡°He¡¯s fine¡­my wife stabilized him. He just needs to rest now. They both do, so try not to be too loud.¡±


    ¡°Can we see him?¡± she asked. Richard nodded, and the assistants hurried into the other room. He sighed and shut the door after Arkady followed them inside.


    ¡°Any problems?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Took the long way. I¡¯d be surprised if they haven¡¯t found the men already. I mean, we fought them basically right outside the guild. It¡¯s a matter of time. We really should leave town.¡±


    Richard nodded. He took a seat back on the couch. ¡°Mary exerted a lot of magic potential. And Manil is in no condition to move.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He turned to see Mary standing in the room. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be resting,¡± Richard said.


    "Yeah well, three strangers burst into the room next door so, that was difficult."


    ¡°Fair enough. Sorry. This is going to complicate things.¡±


    ¡°You did the right thing, Richard,¡± Mary said, joining him on the couch. Arkady sat in a chair across from them, putting his legs up on the table. Richard glared at him. Arkady coughed and slowly put his legs back down.


    ¡°Well¡­what¡¯s the plan? Where do we go from here to avoid getting our heads chopped off?¡± Arkady asked.


    Richard steepled his hands. ¡°We¡¯ll have to map a route out of the city. Perhaps at nightfall we can¡ª¡±


    Two of Manil¡¯s assistants entered the room. ¡°How did this happen?¡± the woman asked.


    Richard and the others turned to the assistants as they entered. The man kneeled at the table between them; the woman stood.


    Richard and Arkady swapped glances.


    Arkady spoke. ¡°Guild received orders to take him out. They tried to. Richard here stopped them.¡±


    Mary¡¯s lips parted. ¡°Wait, are you in the guild too?¡± she asked.


    Arkady nodded. ¡°As of thirty minutes ago? I highly doubt I¡¯m on the roster anymore. Possibly on a wanted list, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    Richard knew they needed to figure out how they were going to leave the city, but something was bothering him. A pressing question that started the minute he¡¯d learned about all these guilds refusing such a simple job for great pay. ¡°What exactly do you two know about the city of Sange? What¡¯s going on there? Why do you think the others in your party went missing?¡±


    The two assistants exchanged a look. The woman shook her head at the man. He ignored her. ¡°There were rumors as soon as we got close. The bosses usually have us collect information when we visit new towns. Godo, our other boss, especially liked us to keep an ear to the ground for rumors that might affect business. We heard some¡­ unsettling stuff from towns on the way to Sange. Normally we trade along the Capital Road. But the bosses had been talking about the fact that Sange is a large city with very little outside trade. They¡¯ve been on such a good trade streak lately they decided they should try to work something out.¡±


    ¡°They wanted to secure exclusive trade rights or something?¡± Arkady asked.


    The man nodded. ¡°Yeah, things work kind of weird around there, from what we learned. Hey Kass, you have that map from before?¡±


    Kass reluctantly nodded. She pulled out a rolled-up parchment that had been tucked away in her waist. She unrolled it on the table between them. ¡°See this?¡± she said. ¡°This is Sange. There are four smaller towns around it and they form what¡¯s come to be known to traders as the dead zone.¡±


    ¡°Dead zone?¡± Mary asked.


    Kass breathed out. ¡°Five or six years ago, Sange was a trading city. Your average person would likely never visit it, as its not along the path to the capital, but their trade kept a lot of smaller villages alive and thriving. And then one day, that all stopped. See this?¡± She pointed at Sange on the map. ¡°Out of nowhere, Sange shut down trade with outsiders. These four towns around it were the only exceptions, and they started strategically producing goods to create this sort of self-sufficient trade zone. But here¡¯s where it gets really weird. Look at the town below Sange.¡±


    Arkady leaned in. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything special about it. It¡¯s just like the other four villages.¡±


    The man spoke this time. ¡°Yeah, exactly the same. Except for the fact that after Sange closed trade, this village moved.¡±


    Richard sat up. ¡°The village moved? What do you mean?¡±


    Kass pointed to a spot below the town in question. ¡°It used to be here. Below the river.¡± She traced her finger up an inch. ¡°And now it¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°What the hell? Why would they move the village? Wait, what do you mean by move?¡± Arkady asked.


    Kass drew a building, to represent where the building used to be. ¡°We wondered the same thing, and then Iika noticed something. That¡¯s the guy in there with Manil now.¡±


    ¡°Noticed what?¡± Mary asked.


    A feeling was growing inside Richard that he couldn¡¯t explain. Something was stirring. A sense of dread? Anxiety?


    He couldn¡¯t shake it. That bothered him.


    Kass pulled a pen from her pocket and ran her hand above the map a few times in a circle. When she was confident enough, she pressed the tip of the pen on the map and drew a perfect circle around Sange. It perfectly encapsulated all four of the villages except for one. The building she had drawn to represent the old town was cut in half.


    ¡°They moved the village so that it would be closer to Sange. It doesn¡¯t make sense to do something like that. If there were hex beasts attacking, or a food shortage, or something like that, moving wouldn¡¯t be the worst idea. But this distance is so minimal it¡¯s ridiculous to raze a town just to rebuild slightly closer to a major city. It¡¯s insanity. So why?¡±


    Arkady squinted. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying this town destroyed homes, businesses, whatever, and then rebuilt itself barely any distance away?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what she¡¯s saying,¡± the male assistant said.


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Because, for some reason, this town needed to be closer for Sange. Just like the others. We don¡¯t know for sure. But what we do know is this. None of those towns had guilds, but we went to check them out, to see if we could learn anything about Sange itself. Nobody would tell us anything. They didn¡¯t want to trade with us, they didn¡¯t want us to stay overnight. We were told if we were interested in lodging, or trade, we should travel to Sange. They were funneling people there.¡±


    Richard and Arkady exchanged a look. If none of the towns had guilds, who was it that sent the kill order?


    ¡°For what? Why would they do that? Why send people to Sange?¡± Mary asked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. But we know when the boss and the others went into town, they didn¡¯t come back. So, something¡¯s going on. Manil thinks we¡¯re being conspiracy theorists. That this is all in our heads and we just need to find someone to help. But that¡¯s not the only weird thing about it all.¡±


    ¡°There was something else?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kass said. ¡°We visited all four towns before giving up and moving on. Sirra was slightly different. We don¡¯t know why. They let us stay there. But the people were¡­still strange. And you know what? We noticed something else weird, too. Something that was true in every single one.¡±


    Richard stood, staring at her. The unease was becoming too much for him. ¡°What?¡± he asked, urging her on.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see a single child in any of them. Not one. Only adults. What kind of village doesn¡¯t have children? If it was just one, then maybe it¡¯s just a coincidence. But four towns? No schools. No children running around playing in the street. Nothing. Like they¡¯d all gone missing or something.¡±


    Richard looked at the map. His hand shot to the small village where they¡¯d lived for the last five years. His eyes shot to Arcadeya. There were two routes to Arcadeya from Troa, and Richard had warned Charlie about staying away from Capital Road. The knights were more active there. The other route was more roundabout. It took them out of the forest and into¡­


    Mary stood, watching him. Realizing it at the same time as him. His heart was beating so loud he was sure everyone in the room could hear it.


    Richard stared at the circle on the map. ¡°Charlie¡­ Charlie¡¯s heading toward the circle.¡±


    A circle of missing people.


    Cities without children.


    Charlie was in the middle of it all.

 Chapter 26: The Book, the Crystal, and the Dungeon Core

    Charlie


    The four of them, Charlie, Merlin, Vetica, and Orb, all leaned in around the book. Charlie had last seen it on the floor of Lusafeen¡¯s cabin. So why was it here now?


    It was a thick book, and its cover was a deep, void black. There were no markings or words on the outside. But he recognized it.


    ¡°It¡¯s Lusafeen¡¯s grimoire! The source of her power! A text of ancient arts, black magic, and witchcraft! This unholy abomination must be burned! Purged! Wiped from the face of the world!¡± Orb said, trying his best to sound like a medieval knight.


    Merlin raised a brow at him. ¡°Orb, what the heck are you talking about? What¡¯s a grimoire?¡± he asked.


    Orb deflated a bit. He sank a few inches out of the air. ¡°A spell book. You¡¯re a fake wizard and you don¡¯t know about spell books?¡±


    Merlin and Vetica exchanged a look. Vetica sighed. ¡°This is from one of those anime things you keep making references about, isn¡¯t it? I really wish you¡¯d stop that. None of us know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Orb spun to Charlie. ¡°But¡­¡±


    Charlie shrugged. He reached out with a little baby hand and opened the book. He squinted. ¡°Nope. Still can¡¯t read! Merlin?¡±


    Merlin reached over and grabbed the book. Something rolled out from under it.


    The little green dungeon core sounded just like a marble as it skated along the wooden floor of Merlin¡¯s wagon. Charlie reached and grabbed it before it could roll right off the wagon. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing hidden under Lusafeen¡¯s grimoire.


    There was also the piece of dungeallis crystal he¡¯d found in the dungeon outside Sirra.


    He tilted his head. Where had all this come from?


    Update


    Current Status


    Class: Dungeon Core Baby


    Passive: Rock Skin. The walls of the body are reinforced to maintain dungeon integrity.


    Auto Ability


    Palmar Grasp: An enhanced version of the reflex commonly seen in babies. Significantly increases the user¡¯s grip strength.


    Abilities


    Transfer - Allows the user and allies to shift in and out of the dungeon.


    Devourer - Allows the user to force others into the dungeon.


    Dungeon Manipulation - Control over dungeon interior.


    Tantrum - Provides the user with extreme power, at the cost of rapid expenditure of dungeon integrity. (Conditional ability) (Ultimate ability)


    New Abilities unlocked


    Vault Transfer - Modified form of the Transfer ability. Allows the user to shift certain objects in and out of the dungeon.


    ????????????????? - Skill conditions not met.


    Notice


    The dungeon has automatically designated a room as ¡°The Vault¡±. This has prompted the user to learn Vault Transfer.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°Orb! I got new powers again!¡±


    Orb hovered to his side. ¡°Yeah! I heard it too! I guess Parent gave me access to that as well. Too bad he isn¡¯t here. He could explain what that room designation stuff was all about!¡±


    Vetica stared at the green dungeon core in Charlie¡¯s hand. Merlin was fixated on the dungeallis crystal sitting on the floor of the wagon.


    ¡°Is that dungeallis crystal?¡±


    ¡°Is that another dungeon core?¡±


    They voiced their thoughts at the same time. Charlie nodded. He held the core up. ¡°This is the dungeon core from Troa! I kind of forgot that was still in the dungeon when we left. That¡¯s the crystal I was telling you about, Merlin!¡±


    ¡°Charlie¡­do you realize how valuable this is? I didn¡¯t realize you meant freaking dungeallis crystal when you talked about that dungeon! You said it was full of this stuff?¡± Merlin swallowed.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°It was! But I destroyed most of it. Wait¡ª¡± Charlie cried out, trying to stop Merlin from picking it up.


    Too late.


    But to Charlie¡¯s surprise, the crystal didn¡¯t turn to dust when Merlin touched it. That was weird. What was the difference between now and last time? This new ability was strange, but what was stranger was the fact that it had seemingly activated on its own. What had caused that? This was giving him a headache.


    Orb hovered over to Merlin. ¡°If that book isn¡¯t full of spells, what exactly does it say?¡±


    It was all Merlin could do to tear his eyes away from the dungeallis crystal in his hand. He held it tight in one hand, and with the other, he adjusted the book against his lap and opened it. He squinted, skimming through the pages for anything interesting.


    ¡°It looks like¡­notes? It seems she was studying something.¡± He flipped some more. Charlie crawled over. Even though he couldn¡¯t read, he still wanted to feel involved. Maybe there were pictures or something too.


    Merlin paused. ¡°Uhm, and the two of you haven¡¯t seen this since you left Troa?¡± he asked.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°No, why?¡±


    Orb hovered close to the book. ¡°Is that¡­¡±


    Vetica hurried over and peeked at the book as well. Charlie climbed up on Merlin¡¯s lap. His mouth fell open. It turns out he was right after all. There were pictures. But this one was a bit unsettling.


    This book had clearly been filled with notes before their confrontation with Lusafeen.


    So why was a sketch of someone Charlie knew very well inside it?


    A sketch of a certain half-raccoon, half-beaver hybrid.


    Why would Lusafeen have drawn Bleedy?


    When would she have seen him?


    ***


    ¡°Peekaboo!¡± Merlin said. He threw his hands to either side, revealing his face. Charlie giggled so hard he fell on his back.


    ¡°Merlin! Why didn¡¯t you tell me you could go invisible? That is so cool!¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin took in a breath and covered his face again. Charlie gasped, looking around. ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    Orb floated past, offering a mental sigh. ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by idiots.¡±


    Merlin opened his hands again. ¡°Peekaboo!¡± he said, swatting Orb away and out of the front of the wagon. Vetica dodged, her head shooting to the right as Orb sailed past where the back of her head was a moment ago.


    ¡°Watch it,¡± she said, without turning back.


    Merlin flinched. Charlie giggled harder. He was happy to goof off with Merlin. The wagon had felt especially lonely these last few days. He missed Mousifer and Bleedy. He especially hated being away from them after the whole incident in Sirra had already separated everyone before. And now they were busy mapping out the dungeon so they could all fix it up, eventually. He wondered if that was the reason for the new ability. If maybe Parent and the others had done something.


    He gnawed on a few fingers and turned to look as Orb floated inside the wagon again. Charlie blinked. Orb¡¯s color didn¡¯t seem the same as usual. It wasn¡¯t a matter of brightness. Orb altered that all the time. It was more like the color itself was a lighter shade. Charlie wondered why, and he started to ask.


    But Merlin disappeared again, distracting him. ¡°Merlin!¡± Charlie said, as easily distracted as ever.


    But this time, when Merlin pulled his hands away to reveal himself, Charlie didn¡¯t hear his magic peekaboo spell.


    He heard a woman scream.


    Vetica pulled back on the reins. Marvin the horse came to a stop, looking around nervously.


    Vetica stood, looking into the forest toward the scream.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Merlin asked, peeking his head out from under the wagon¡¯s canopy.


    Charlie crawled after him. Orb stuck close to his side.


    ¡°Not sure. There could be Hex Beast out here, or bandits. We should keep moving,¡± Vetica said.


    Charlie looked at her, his eyes going wide. ¡°No! We have to help!¡±


    Vetica frowned. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, Charlie. I came along to keep you safe. We shouldn¡¯t run into danger.¡±


    He held his hands up toward her, and Vetica obliged him, picking him up. He looked at her, employing an ancient technique that Bleedy had taught him. A method the racooneever family line had perfected over the millennia, to trick humans into offering them tributes.


    Orb was familiar with the technique as well.


    On the internet, they called it puppy dog eyes.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Vetica puffed out a lip. ¡°It¡¯s not fair when you do that! Fine. But we have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Charlie said. They dismounted, but Charlie had a thought. ¡°Wait!¡± Vetica looked down at him. He pointed at the objects that had been teleported from the dungeon earlier. Merlin had placed them all into a bag for safekeeping. The book, the crystal, and the dungeon core. Merlin understood what Charlie wanted and handed him the bag.


    Vault Transfer!


    Charlie didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to leave them behind with the wagon. They would be safer in the dungeon for now.


    With that finished, they set off in the direction of the screaming, hurrying along.


    ¡°I wonder every day how the baby came to be in charge of the decision making,¡± Merlin said mid-jog.


    Orb hovered up to Merlin¡¯s face. ¡°Well, maybe if you made better decisions, Charlie wouldn¡¯t have to take initiative.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you agree we should run into danger? That doesn¡¯t really sound like you, Orb.¡± Vetica grinned.


    Orb bounced in a shrug. ¡°We hired an assassin bodyguard for a reason. I¡¯m sure you can handle whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°Hired?¡± Vetica asked. Orb ignored her.


    Charlie scanned the area ahead, watching from Vetica¡¯s arms. Even though she was holding him, she moved gracefully. He couldn¡¯t even hear her footsteps as she hustled through the forest. On the other hand, Merlin was a cascade of broken branches, rustling leaves, and quiet obscenities. Charlie giggled before remembering the seriousness of the situation.


    They broke into a clearing and saw a woman in a torn blue dress, leaning against a tree. She wore a terrified expression on her face. A hand out before her to ward off the enormous beast that stood over her.


    The creature walked on four legs and had a large, pudgy, brown body. Thick tusks protruded from either side of its snout, and it had a strange white pattern that adorned its sides.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Merlin asked, aghast.


    Vetica scanned it, turning to place Charlie in the carrier on Merlin¡¯s back. ¡°Some kind of Beast. A boar maybe?¡± She drew her dagger. The creature was in the lady¡¯s face now. It sniffed her. She turned away from it, pressing her body as far into the tree as she could. Her eyes clenched shut, like she could hide from it behind her eyelids. The creature liked what it smelled. It squealed in delight, and its feet pounded into the ground over and over.


    ¡°Vetica¡­¡± Merlin said, looking between the scene unfolding before them, and the assassin with dagger drawn.


    She held a hand up to silence him. ¡°I¡¯m going to sneak up on it. If we make too much noise, it will¡ª¡±


    There wasn¡¯t enough time. They had to save her.


    Charlie shrieked.


    The boar was faster than it seemed. It jumped and wheeled around. It didn¡¯t even wait long enough to figure out who was behind it.


    It just charged.


    ¡°Run run run!¡± Merlin shouted, bolting in the other direction. Charlie bounced up and down in his baby carrier with every step. The carrier had little straps that kept Charlie secured in place. But he didn¡¯t take a chance. He reached up and grabbed onto Merlin¡¯s cloak as they moved.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Charlie asked. He tried to turn and look behind them but couldn¡¯t see anything. Merlin held a hand out to brush a small tree limb out of the way so it wouldn¡¯t hit Charlie¡¯s face. He looked over his shoulder.


    He heard the quick stomping hooves. Every moment, they got closer. Merlin realized it, too. ¡°Charlie! Use magic or something!¡± he said.


    ¡°Turn around so I can see!¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin grimaced. He skidded to a stop and turned around so Charlie could see the creature.


    The boar squealed with renewed excitement at the stupidity of its prey. Charlie peered over Merlin¡¯s shoulder and held up a hand.


    Transfer!


    A dungeon wall appeared between them and the boar at the last second. Two tusks penetrated through and shot right towards them. Merlin fell backward onto the ground. Hard. The impact was so hard that even Charlie had to shake his head. His wall had worked. The boar struggled furiously, trying to free its impaled tusk from the wall.


    Orb landed in front of Charlie to look him over for injuries. Charlie gave him a little pat to show he was okay. Merlin sputtered. A dust-like substance fell from above into Charlie¡¯s hair. He looked up to see the Dungeon wall dissipating.


    ¡°Uh oh,¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin scrambled backward. ¡°Charlie, keep that wall up!¡± he said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± he said. Charlie hadn¡¯t focused on maintaining the wall. He¡¯d just transferred a portion of the dungeon to them. He didn¡¯t have an active connection to it. Charlie hadn¡¯t expected a fight here. The creature had caught him off guard.


    The wall gave way completely and disappeared. The boar shook its head wildly, and then, realizing it was free, eyed them again. Merlin shot to his feet, scrambling backward.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Orb said, panicking.


    ¡°Peeboo!¡± Charlie thought spoke to Merlin.


    ¡°What is a pea boo¡­wait do you mean peekaboo?¡±


    ¡°Yes, peeboo! Go invisible, Merlin!¡± Charlie urged him onward.


    ¡°Charlie that won¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do it!¡±


    Merlin got so flustered he actually listened to what Charlie said. He covered his face. Charlie covered his too.


    Both of them peeked through their fingers. The boar tilted its head, staring at them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­I think it¡¯s working!¡± Merlin exclaimed.


    ¡°Peeboo!¡± Charlie thought!


    The boar squealed.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Merlin said.


    The beast charged at them. It squealed a mighty victory squeal a moment before it reached them. Merlin took a step back, but he was too slow. Charlie realized he needed to use another attack.


    ¡°Transf¡ª¡±


    ¡°Blue Hex Blade!¡±


    Vetica leapt from a tree branch above them. She moved so fast that Charlie barely processed it.


    Another squeal. This one, a pained one. A hole erupted in the boar¡¯s side where Vetica stabbed it. The creature staggered and then fell on its side.


    Vetica stood over the beast, her dagger still a glowing shade of blue. A pool of crimson mixed in with the dirt, creating some strange concoction of bloody mud. Vetica wiped her dagger clean on the creature¡¯s fur and then sheathed it. She eyed Merlin with contempt. ¡°Why did you run away? I had to catch up to you to kill it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize I should sit still and let the boar maul us so that you could kill it!¡± Merlin retorted.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t going to maul you. And what the heck was that? Did you seriously try to play peekaboo with a beast?¡±


    Merlin scoffed, turning a bright shade of red. ¡°It was Charlie¡¯s idea!¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°Nu huh!¡±


    Merlin¡¯s head spun to look back at him in the baby carrier. ¡°You little¡­¡±


    Charlie gasped. ¡°Guys! We need to go check on that lady! She might be hurt.¡±


    They backtracked along the trampled path the boar left in its wake until they returned to the screaming woman. She was quiet now. An odd, tearful look in her eyes. She looked up as they entered the clearing.


    She seemed surprised to see them. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡± she said.


    Merlin and Vetica exchanged a look. Merlin took the initiative to speak. ¡°Hello, are you alright? That¡­ thing is dead now. We heard you scream and came to check it out. Why are you in the woods alone? It¡¯s dangerous out here.¡±


    She didn¡¯t speak for a few moments. She stared at a bracelet tied to her wrist. ¡°I was running.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°It must¡¯ve run her off the road and followed her out here,¡± he said.


    Merlin looked down and nodded. The woman couldn¡¯t hear Charlie, but she clarified.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone. I was with my daughter, Sophia. But they took her.¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s in shock,¡± Vetica said, eyeing the woman. Something caught her attention, and she studied the ground. Whatever Vetica saw led her to the edge of the clearing.


    Merlin shook his head at the wandering assassin and took a step closer to the woman. He kneeled next to her. ¡°Who took your daughter? One of the Beasts?¡± he asked her.


    She shook her head. Over and over. Until finally she looked up and her eyes locked on Charlie¡¯s. Like she was noticing him for the first time. Her eyes went wide. ¡°A baby?¡± she said. She reached out for him, but Merlin leaned back out of reach.


    Her face darkened. ¡°Why did you bring a baby here? They¡¯ll take him too. They¡¯ll take him like they did Sophia.¡±


    ¡°Who will? Who are you talking about?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie swallowed. He knew what she was about to say.


    ¡°The snatchers. They¡¯ll find him. And they¡¯ll take him away. They took Sophia. We ran. But they took her, and then that beast¡­¡± she looked over Merlin¡¯s shoulder in the direction it had chased them.


    ¡°I found tracks. She¡¯s telling the truth,¡± Vetica said, rejoining them.


    ¡°This gets stranger and stranger,¡± Orb said.


    Vetica ignored him, looking at the lady. ¡°Your daughter, where are they taking her?¡± Vetica asked.


    The lady looked up at her. ¡°They¡¯re taking her where they take all the children. They¡¯re taking her to Sange.¡±


    Charlie looked up at Merlin, and then at Vetica. ¡°We should follow the trail,¡± he said.


    Vetica¡¯s eyes flitted to the side as she thought about it. Merlin groaned. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything about these snatchers. And this lady¡­¡± He paused, looking up at the woman lying on the tree. She stared absently into the woods. ¡°We can¡¯t leave her alone,¡± Merlin finished.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. You and Charlie stay with her,¡± Vetica said.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°No! I¡¯m going with you! Merlin can stay with her until we get back.¡±


    Vetica stared at him before nodding.


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°Oh yeah, let¡¯s leave the guy with no magic powers behind to play guard in a forest full of dangerous monster boars. Great plan!¡±


    ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Charlie said. Vetica smiled.


    ¡°Fine. Here, hold Charlie while I take the carrier off.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll hold on to her back, just give me a lift,¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin looked at Vetica for approval and then held Charlie up. Charlie grabbed onto one of the belts along her back and settled into position. He pulled himself up to lean over her shoulder like he often did with Merlin before they had the carrier.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back shortly. Get her to the wagon for now,¡± Vetica said.


    Merlin nodded and turned to focus on the dazed woman.


    Charlie tried his best to spot the tracks they were following. Vetica walked quickly through the forest, stopping at seemingly random intervals to check a particularly suspicious patch of dirt, or a leaf that was so normal it must¡¯ve been suspicious. He wished he could say he knew what she was looking at, that he could¡¯ve followed the trail too. But that would be a lie. Charlie was completely lost.


    ¡°Think she¡¯s really following something, or is she just going for a stroll?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie shrugged. ¡°I believe her. But I think we should figure out how to track for ourselves just in case she¡¯s not around sometime.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good! You learn to track, and I¡¯ll keep doing what I do best.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Being handsome, why are we stopping this time? Did a twig look at her funny?¡±


    Vetica crouched, studied the earth, and then her head shot up at a sound in the distance. A loud creaking.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Charlie asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But we¡¯re close.¡± She hurried along, and Charlie did his best to fight off a wave of dizziness as she moved deftly through the woods. Sidestepping branches and dancing along the cluttered forest floor. She moved like she had memorized every rock, stick, and flower that littered the forest. Like she could avoid them with her eyes closed.


    They arrived at the edge of the forest, and the trees started to clear. There were less of the trees to obscure them, and more open land to give them away. Vetica stopped moving forward in favor of another direction.


    She started to climb.


    Orb hovered beside her. ¡°Uh, what are you doing?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be spotted if we keep moving. I¡¯m going to climb up and see if I can see what¡¯s ahead.¡±


    ¡°You have an unsecured baby on your back¡­ in case you forgot.¡±


    Charlie giggled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, this isn¡¯t any different from when I held onto you when we fought that Core Guardian, Orb.¡±


    Orb rolled himself. ¡°Oh, you mean the time when you jumped off of me and towards a giant monster? Yeah, I remember. It¡¯s a great idea to take you high into the air again. You¡¯ve really proven you won¡¯t do anything crazy that might get you killed.¡±


    Charlie blew a raspberry at him.


    Vetica climbed, grabbing onto branch after branch. When she couldn¡¯t reach the next one, she stabbed her dagger into the tree to create a makeshift handhold. After a while, they were high enough to see where the noise had come from. She squatted on one branch, gripping another just above her head to keep her balance.


    Charlie had thought Sirra was a massive town. But Sange was three or four times as big. Its walls were made of stone instead of wood. He squinted, taking in the rows and rows of buildings. There were enormous pyramid like things off in the distance and the people moving around looked like little Mousifer¡¯s going about their day.


    This was the city where they had taken the lady''s daughter.


    Sophia was in there somewhere. And in that moment, Charlie knew he was going to get Sophia back.


    He wanted to learn why these snatchers were taking children.


    He wanted to stop them.


    They were going to Sange.

 Chapter 27: Welcome Home

    Rows of stone blocks formed the outer wall of Sange. The thirty-foot wall surrounded the city, and guards patrolled atop its walkways. Some of the guards had bows slung over their shoulders. Others didn¡¯t have weapons at all. These were likely casters. The front gate was sealed shut, and on either side of it stood five guards in thick metal armor.


    Charlie, Orb, and Merlin peered at the city from within the forest. Hiding behind a tree.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this¡­¡± Merlin said. ¡°There are a lot of guards. Maybe we should let Vetica go check it out instead.¡± He nervously rolled the small dungeallis crystal from Sirra in his hand. Charlie had offered to let him have it if he agreed to the plan. He figured they could always get more.


    Charlie was in the carrier on Merlin¡¯s back. He patted him on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay Merlin, we¡¯ve got this. You¡¯re great at talking your way out of things. Vetica would just kill everybody. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good plan.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Right now¡­it seems like a better plan than this. The city is really well guarded for some reason. The kingdom isn¡¯t at war, and bandits wouldn¡¯t attack a city of this size. Of course, there are beasts, but a town this large could hire adventurers to take care of that problem. So why so many guards? I just don¡¯t know, Charlie.¡±


    Charlie exchanged a look with Orb. Orb flew into Merlin¡¯s cloak pocket. ¡°Nope, don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯m with Merlin on this one. This is a terrible idea.¡±


    A few hours ago, Charlie had to convince Vetica to stay behind. She wasn¡¯t happy about it. But Charlie convinced her it would be better if she were outside the city. She could come and help them if things went wrong. Sophia¡¯s mom wasn¡¯t in any condition to be left alone, and they were worried she would come to Sange on her own if they left her to herself. For now, this plan made the most sense. At least, to him, it did.


    ¡°So, we just walk right up to the gates?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°You make it sound so easy. You¡¯ll just fly away if things go bad!¡± Merlin said, straightening out his cloak.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. And I¡¯ll take Charlie with me. So don¡¯t mess it up or we¡¯re leaving you behind, sucka.¡±


    Merlin swatted Orb out of his pocket. Caught by surprise, Orb shot through the air and hit a tree. The resulting sound was abnormally loud. He bounced off of it, and the momentum carried him helplessly away through the dirt.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± one of the guards yelled out.


    Merlin and Charlie exchanged a look. ¡°Orb! Come back! Hurry!¡± Charlie said.


    Orb rolled around in the dirt, still dazed.


    ¡°Come out now!¡± the guard yelled. He sounded angry.


    Merlin turned to look at Charlie. His face was serious. ¡°Whatever happens, Charlie, do not use your powers.¡±


    Charlie leaned his head. ¡°Huh? How come?¡±


    ¡°Because we need the element of surprise. If we¡¯re going to get Sophia back, we need them to think you¡¯re a normal baby. That way, when the moment is right, we can make our move.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°But what if we get in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Promise me, Charlie. Promise me, or I¡¯ll run back into the woods right now. You¡¯ll only use your powers if you absolutely have to. If it¡¯s life or death.¡±


    Charlie''s lips twisted to the side. ¡°Okay. I promise.¡±


    Merlin muttered something under his breath, stepped out onto the path, and walked toward the city gates.


    The guards drew swords and watched him approach.


    His sudden appearance surprised them, but they were even more shocked to see someone willingly bringing a baby to the city gates. Maybe it wasn¡¯t common for children to show up unaccompanied by whatever snatchers were. Maybe they were wondering how Merlin had made it this far without being found out. Either way, they were suddenly on high alert.


    Bows shot into the air, strings pulled taunt and ready to impale Merlin at a moment¡¯s notice. A series of hexes roared to life like a fire born from oil. A small army stood at the ready.


    Merlin had only his words.


    ¡°Hello to you as well.¡± He held his hands up to show he didn¡¯t intend to do them any harm. Not that he could.


    Two of the guards by the gate moved towards them. ¡°On your knees,¡± one guard said.


    Merlin looked down at the dirt. ¡°That is¡­kind of unnecessary. These are nice clothes. I¡¯m not going to try anything¡ª¡±


    An arrow whizzed by his face.


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Merlin fell to his knees. Lowering his head to avoid any arrows that wanted to follow their arrow brother into battle.


    The guards hurried forward and held blades up to Merlin as they surveyed the woods. One of them turned back toward the gates and nodded. A man walked into sight atop the wall. He was shirtless and had long, wild brown hair that fell past his shoulder blades. A rough stubble dominated the lower portion of his face. He lowered his gaze and stared right at Charlie.


    And then he jumped off the wall.


    ¡°Agah!¡± Charlie shrieked.


    The man landed in a squat. He shot up and started walking towards them. He was perfectly fine. Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. He jumped from so high up!


    ¡°Captain!¡± The guards on either side of the gate saluted, waiting for him to pass. He ignored them.


    There was a cranking noise. Then the sound of metal grating against metal boomed. The gates slowly slid, grinding against a track that held them in place.


    As soon as there was enough room, two people exited the gate. One was a man with a completely shaved head except for a short brown mohawk. He had a thick mustache and a large hammer hung on his back. ¡°Captain Varroc! Wait up!¡± he called out. The other was a woman. She was muscular and wore heavy armor. She had long blonde hair that rippled in the breeze.


    The wild-looking man looked over his shoulder. ¡°Hurry up, Brel! We¡¯ve got a guest!¡± Varroc called back. He knelt down in front of Merlin, eye to eye with Charlie.


    He stared at Charlie, dumbfounded. ¡°A baby? Out here? What a surprise.¡±


    He turned his focus to Merlin. He grabbed Merlin by the face. Merlin tried to wrench his head free, but the captain quickly re-secured his grip, pressing the hold tighter. Merlin grunted. Varroc forced Merlin¡¯s head to the left, and then to the right, carefully inspecting him. He let go and took a step back, standing. ¡°Where are you traveling from?¡± the captain asked.


    Merlin glared at him.


    The wild man smirked. He motioned to the guards on either side of Merlin. One of them took a step behind and pressed Merlin down. Charlie clung tightly to him as they fell, trying to hold on.


    Varroc reached over, grabbed Charlie by the back of his onesie, and yanked him out of the baby carrier. Charlie¡¯s arms and legs dangled in the air, his whole body hanging limply by the scrunched-up fabric on his back.


    It was a lot less fun than flying with Orb had been. And a lot more demeaning.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hold him like that! What are you doin¡ª¡± Merlin fought to get up. A guard pressed a boot into Merlin¡¯s back and forced him back down into the dirt.


    He swung his sword around and pressed it to Merlin¡¯s neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Merlin. I¡¯m fine,¡± Charlie said, trying to calm him down through their mental connection.


    Merlin stared at him and then turned to look at the sword lingering perilously close to his neck.


    The captain stared at Merlin. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask my question again, and then you¡¯re going to answer. Or we¡¯re going to see how many times I have to drop this baby off the top of that wall before he splatters like a Caldurra egg. My guess is just once. Where are you traveling from?¡±


    Merlin gritted his teeth. ¡°Port Carrus.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To visit my sister. She lives up north in a mountain town. I thought I¡¯d cut through Sange to make the trip faster. Plus, I wanted a change of pace over my usual route.¡±


    Brel stepped up, staring into the woods. ¡°Captain, you think he¡¯s with the guild? Could be a spy.¡±


    Varroc thought about it for a moment. He turned back to Merlin. ¡°How many others are with you?¡± He looked up, scanning the surrounding woods. ¡°You have horses? Wagons?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just us. We came by foot.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± the captain asked, raising a brow.


    ¡°Yes, really.¡±


    Varroc turned to the blonde woman behind him. ¡°Philomena, take some men, spread out, search the woods,¡± he instructed.


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°I told you, it¡¯s just us.¡±


    ¡°You also said you were traveling on foot. But your boots aren¡¯t muddy at all. You¡¯re a liar.¡±


    Merlin paused at that. ¡°I don¡¯t like muddy shoes. I stop to clean them, often.¡±


    ¡°Hah! Well, you¡¯re gonna hate Sange then,¡± Brel bellowed.


    Varroc turned and nodded to the guards holding Merlin hostage. He walked back toward the city. Charlie swung in pace with the captain¡¯s footsteps. His stomach turned.


    A guard approached as they reached the gate. ¡°Captain Varroc!¡± he said, saluting. ¡°What should we do with them?¡±


    Varroc turned and eyed the men dragging Merlin along. ¡°Take him to mine four. We could use more hands there. Has the wagon with the girl left yet?¡±


    ¡°No sir. They were just about to, though.¡±


    Varroc nodded. ¡°Brel, take the boy. You can deliver both of them.¡±


    The guard at the gate paused. ¡°You want to send both of them to the same one? We¡¯d have to raise their rations¡­¡±


    Varroc shook his head. ¡°No. We don¡¯t. Let the girl figure it out. Since she wants to play leader so bad, it¡¯s time she got to make some hard decisions. We¡¯ll see who she lets starve this week.¡±


    ¡°But Sir¡­¡±


    Varroc swung Charlie back and then forward again, letting go of the onesie just in time to send Charlie flying. ¡°Brel, Catch!¡±


    Brel laughed, scrambling to grab Charlie out of the air. Charlie landed with a thud against the man¡¯s armor and shook his head in a daze. ¡°Good throw, Cap!¡±


    Merlin tried to free himself of the guards, they held onto either of his arms. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± he yelled. ¡°You can¡¯t throw a baby!¡±


    Varroc smirked and turned to look at Merlin. ¡°You¡¯re new here, so I¡¯ll let you know something about Sange. Here, I can do anything I want.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Merlin stared at Varroc with a crazy look in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you,¡± he said.


    Varroc stared at him for a moment. He turned to face the guards. ¡°Take them away, now.¡±


    Charlie bounced as Brel took large strides alongside the city¡¯s wall. They quickly arrived at a series of stationary wagons. A large stable filled with horses was further down. Charlie rubbed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t believe how large they were. Most were at least twice as large as Marvin was. He wondered what made them so big. One wagon, in particular, was being worked on. Two soldiers had fetched a horse from the stable and were tying it to the wagon. When they noticed Brel holding Charlie, they exchanged a confused look.


    ¡°Lieutenant Brel! There aren¡¯t any other wagons ready. You can take this one if you want!¡±


    Brel laughed. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m going with you. Captain Varroc wants the two new children together.¡±


    One of the men climbed aboard the front of the wagon, readying to drive. He shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve never done something like that.¡± He stared at Brel, holding Charlie until he realized he was serious. ¡°Really? Alright, then¡­ whatever the captain wants.¡±


    The other man relinquished his spot to Brel and hurried off in search of new orders.


    Brel inspected the wagon. This particular one had benches all along its interior that formed a square, with an open space in the middle of the wagon¡¯s floor. In one fluid motion, Brel vaulted over the side of the wagon with Charlie at his side. He put Charlie on the bench on the side he¡¯d jumped over, and took the rear bench for himself, settling into his seat.


    Across from Charlie was a little girl with crumpled brown leaves in her auburn hair. She sat in a fetal position, refusing to look up.


    Charlie frowned and then turned to look in the direction they had come. Two other guards followed behind with Merlin. They affixed a long rope that tied his hands together to the back of a hook on the wagon Charlie was in. They left him there and returned to the city gate.


    Merlin craned his neck to inspect Charlie and make sure he was okay. When he was satisfied, his face fell to the dirt. He remained there, staring at the ground until the wagon started moving a few moments later. Charlie gripped the side of the wagon to pull himself up and look around.


    The road was nicer than he¡¯d seen in other cities. Like the city¡¯s walls, it was made of a fine stone. The wagon rolled over it, jumping as it moved over the occasional bump, but otherwise unhampered. A crowd of people hurried out of the wagon¡¯s way. When they rolled downhill, Brel turned from his seat in the back of the wagon to pull the rope Merlin was attached to, yanking him forward.


    Charlie tightened a fist to stop himself from doing anything reckless. The little girl didn¡¯t look up even once.


    After ten minutes, the wagon rolled to a slow stop. A line of people in chains walked by each of them holding large, shining black rocks of various shapes and sizes. The wagon was forced to wait as they passed. Brel muttered under his breath and called out to the guard in front. ¡°Aye, go check what the holdup is. I¡¯ve got things to do tonight. A drink is calling my name.¡± The wagon driver scampered down from his seat and went to investigate the stalled procession of people.


    Brel noticed a few guards come hustling up from near the back of the line. "Of course he ran off in the opposite direction." He spat over the side of the wagon and then hopped off to go speak with them.


    Merlin took several steps forward and leaned in to whisper. ¡°Charlie, can you untie this rope? Now¡¯s our chance?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Charlie thought.


    ¡°That girl, she has to be the one that lady in the woods was talking about. We arrived shortly after she did. It¡¯s her. It has to be. Help me get free, and then I¡¯ll grab you two and make a run for it. This is it.¡±


    Charlie looked up at him. ¡°Merlin¡­what if there are others?¡±


    ¡°Others? What do you mean?¡± he looked up to make sure the guards hadn¡¯t noticed him.


    ¡°They¡¯re taking us somewhere. There might be other children there. If we leave, who will help them?¡±


    ¡°Charlie¡­¡±


    A rock shattered into small pieces against the street. They both turned to see an older lady in the line. She had dropped the medium-sized rock she¡¯d been holding, and now she stared at Charlie.


    ¡°A baby¡­¡± she said. The line skirted to a stop. Many of the people in chains turned to look at the old lady and the rock she dropped. Others followed her gaze and focused on Charlie and the girl in the wagon with him.


    At that moment, Charlie noticed several reactions. Some seemed to tighten up. Clenching the rocks they held. Their veins popped. Others looked on with teary eyes and sorrowful expressions. But the ones who stuck out the most were the ones who seemed to have no reaction at all. He wondered about them more than anyone. Why didn¡¯t they seem to react?


    Maybe they were used to babies, unlike the others.


    Or maybe something else was going on.


    That felt¡­right. But whatever it was, he couldn¡¯t understand it.


    Brel and the other guards noticed the delay. A flash of anger crossed Brel¡¯s face when he saw the broken pieces of rock in the street. He glared at the old lady. He reached over and drew the sword of one of the other guards.


    ¡°Pick it up,¡± he said as he hurried over.


    The old lady struggled to catch her breath, drawing in deep mouthfuls of air. She snapped out of her fixation on Charlie and looked down at the shattered rock on the ground before her. She bent over to pick up the pieces. A hand shot back, reflexively, and droplets of blood rained onto the well-paved street. Her eyes fixed on the blood, and she froze again, lost in her thoughts. A fragment of the rock had cut her.


    Brel swore. He lifted his stolen blade in the air.


    A blonde man with low cut hair shot out from the back of the line, hurrying toward where the old lady was, trying to get there in time to help. He carried a rock almost twice as big as the one that she dropped. His muscles rippled as he moved and sweat raced down his face. But his sudden movement caused the people behind him to fall, and his progress came to a halt just as suddenly as he had sprung into action.


    The sword arced downward.


    ¡°Stop!¡± a man¡¯s voice called out.


    A familiar man.


    A hundred eyes turned to face him.


    It was Merlin.


    Brel¡¯s sword stopped before it struck the old lady. The muscular man at the rear of the line relaxed. Brel¡¯s nostrils flared, and he hurried over to the wagon, grabbing Merlin by the collar. With his hands tied, Merlin wasn¡¯t able to defend himself. Brel pressed him into the side of the wagon. ¡°What did you say?¡± he asked.


    Merlin righted himself and stood up tall, staring Brel down. For a moment, Charlie thought Brel might attack him. He watched; a breath caught in his throat.


    Brel drove the blade toward Merlin. Charlie shrieked. Merlin didn¡¯t flinch.


    But rather than cut him, Brel cut the rope bindings. ¡°That¡¯s alright. You¡¯ll learn proper manners at the new worksite.¡±


    One of the other guards called out. ¡°I thought you said he was going to four?¡±


    ¡°The new site needs the help more. He¡¯ll be more useful there. Besides, it¡¯s time he learns not to speak up unless he¡¯s told to.¡± He pulled Merlin with him and shoved him to the ground. He landed hard against the street. ¡°Pick it up!¡± Brel barked. Merlin recovered, climbing back to his feet. He stared at Brel, and then at the shattered rock.


    The people of the line, the guards, and passerby all watched, waiting to see what he would do.


    For a moment, it looked like he might make a move, like he might attack Brel. But then he noticed Charlie, staring at him, concern radiating off widened blue eyes, and he turned around and picked up the rock as he¡¯d been told. The old lady tried to help him, but he gently waved her away.


    He managed to pick it all up, somehow, and then he stood and looked at Brel.


    Brel spat on the street, and then beckoned the line onward. A few moments later, the sound of shuffling chains faded, and the sound of rolling wagon wheels resumed.


    And Merlin was gone.


    When Charlie turned around, the little girl was shaking. She peered at him from behind closed fingers. There was something there for a moment.


    The flash of a memory.


    A reminder of something he couldn¡¯t quite remember. He crawled around the bench, slowly, so as not to draw the attention of Brel or the other guard, who had both sat up front after earlier events. Finally, he reached the girl and patted her on the side of the leg. She lifted her head to look at him, instinctually putting an arm between them before realizing who it was beside her. She blinked, surprised that Charlie had crawled all the way over to her himself.


    Charlie didn¡¯t mind her reaction. It didn¡¯t matter. All that did matter was that she needed a friend right now.


    He reached out with a tiny baby hand and grabbed hers. She looked at him, surprised, and the shaking stopped. She put her head back down on her knees and went back into the fetal position. He heard soft, muffled crying. But she didn¡¯t pull her hand away.


    She knew she needed a friend, too.


    And in that moment, Charlie was glad for the memory that had prompted his actions. Even if he couldn¡¯t remember it as clearly as he liked, or where it had come from. He remembered the warmth that it had once made him feel.


    Charlie remained next to her for the rest of the trip. Watching the city line as they descended a series of inclines and moved downward and deeper into the city. He saw the enormous pyramid shapes he¡¯d seen before from the treetop branches with Vetica. He realized now that those pyramids were great piles of dirt and rocks, like the ones he¡¯d seen the people carrying earlier.


    People worked with crude, dull tools. Sledgehammers, pickaxes, and shovels. Breaking away at the rock, churning it into smaller pieces. Others moved in and out of a series of tunnels in the ground. They emptied buckets of dirt and carried large rocks to the surface. Charlie wondered what this was, what they were doing.


    He wondered if that was where they were taking Merlin.


    ¡°Charlie! Where are you? I can sense you, and I know I¡¯m not far behind, but I don¡¯t see any babies!¡± Orb called out.


    Charlie blinked, realizing Orb hadn¡¯t been with him since he¡¯d entered the city. He¡¯d gotten so carried away with everything that had happened since they approached the gates. He really needed to be better at keeping track of his dungeon core friend.


    ¡°Orb! I¡¯m in a wagon! Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ wait, there you are! I¡¯ll be there in a second! It wasn¡¯t easy following you through the city!¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. Following him? Orb was moving through the city on his own? He looked up, searching for Orb in the air. What if someone had seen him flying around? But Charlie didn¡¯t see Orb anywhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m right beside the wagon now!¡± Orb said.


    Charlie leaned over the side of the wagon, as much as he could without breaking hand contact with Sophia, even though he was pretty certain she¡¯d cried herself to sleep already. He still didn¡¯t see Orb. Until he looked down.


    There he was, covered in dirt, and rolling beside them along the stone path, increasing in speed as the incline descended. Charlie giggled. ¡°Orb! What if someone saw you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m absolutely filthy. Nobody is going to suspect I¡¯m a dungeon core like this! It¡¯s genius, really. I wish we¡¯d thought of this earlier. It¡¯s the perfect disguise. I can hide in plain sight now!¡±


    Orb had a point. He looked just like a dirty ball. Like a group of kids had accidentally lost a toy during playtime.


    Orb rolled under the wagon. There was a knock on the bottom of the wagon as he ascended too fast. The driver up front turned to look. He noticed Charlie had moved to sit next to Sophia. He shrugged and turned his attention back to the road.


    ¡°Alright! Reunited again. Easy! Where¡¯s Merlin?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He helped this old lady, and the guards took him away.¡±


    ¡°Wow really? I never pictured Merlin going after Cougars. Good for him! Where are they taking us?¡±


    ¡°I dunno.¡±


    They rode for a while longer. Charlie did his best to get an idea of the city¡¯s layout. But he¡¯d been lost for a while. Charlie didn¡¯t have a clue how he was going to regroup with Merlin later. He tried a few times to reach out to Merlin with his mind, but just like in Sirra, the distance limitation was still a problem. He was too far to think-speak now.


    ¡°Charlie, look up ahead!¡± Orb called out.


    Charlie looked up and craned his neck to see past the driver. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± he thought.


    The wagon slowed down as they approached the cave entrance.


    A cave entrance with dim dungeallis crystals along its border.


    It wasn¡¯t a cave; he realized.


    It was a dungeon.


    ¡°Orb¡­why is there a dungeon in the middle of the city?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°We need to get out of here. Now. Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Orb said.


    The wagon rolled to a stop. Brel stood and stepped into the back of the wagon. He grabbed Sophia by her sleeve and yanked her after him. He moved so quickly, he almost pulled Charlie with her. Brel forced her out of the wagon and pulled her into the dungeon after him.


    The other guard, the driver, picked Charlie up, hopped out of the wagon, and stopped at the cave entrance. He sighed. ¡°I always hate this part.¡±


    Charlie turned to see Orb fall from the bottom of the wagon and roll behind them. ¡°Charlie! We need to go! Take him out!¡±


    ¡°No! Not without Sophia! I made Merlin promise her mother we would help find her. I won¡¯t make him into a liar. Besides, we need to make sure there aren¡¯t any other kids here!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I have really great news then. Merlin¡¯s already a liar. He lies for a living. Now, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Charlie ignored him, and the guard, finally having steeled his nerve, stepped into the dungeon.


    They walked for down the dark dungeon hallway awhile until finally they reached a door. The dungeon almost seemed to have been intentionally built to position a door here. Brel waited there with Sophia. When the guard arrived with Charlie, Brel knocked on the door five times.


    It opened all on its own. There wasn¡¯t anyone on the other side. Charlie swallowed. What was going on?


    Footsteps. Soft, padded footsteps beat ahead of them. They were too far for whoever owned them to have opened the door. But they were clearly running away from the approaching soldiers. Brel laughed. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant laugh. It wasn¡¯t a happy laugh. It was evil.


    It didn¡¯t feel good to hear.Charlie shivered.


    After what felt like forever, they reached a room. An open, oval-like space. It was filled with furniture: tables, chairs, and even beds. There were storage spaces, and toys and leftover plates of food. There were windows with curtains pulled back that revealed only the dungeon wall and open doorways that led nowhere.


    And there were children.


    An entire group of them.


    They stood there, staring at the two new kids and the men who had brought them.


    A girl, young, maybe ten or so, but older than the other children, stepped forward. ¡°Two? Why two?¡± she asked.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a problem, I¡¯ll pick out one of your friends to free up some space,¡± Brel barked.


    ¡°No!¡± She stomped her feet.


    ¡°Then, I guess you¡¯re getting two today.¡± He smirked and pushed Sophia into the room.


    The man holding him walked further into the room and set Charlie on the ground. Charlie looked up at him, unsure of what to do.


    It was Brel that spoke.


    ¡°Go on, kid, this is your new home. Welcome to Dungeon Daycare.¡±

 Chapter 28: Stairway to Nowhere

    A dozen children of varying ages circled him, dirty faces stared at the newcomer crawling on the floor below. Charlie returned their gaze with large, curious eyes. He¡¯d never seen so many children before. He hadn¡¯t seen any children since leaving Hilda¡¯s village. And now there were¡­ a lot.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a little baby.¡±


    ¡°We should bring him to Kyo.¡±


    ¡°I think his name is Charlie.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just making that up!¡±


    ¡°Nu huh! It¡¯s on his shirt.¡±


    The oldest of the children, the girl who¡¯d spoken with the guards before they left, stepped into the circle, and knelt in front of Charlie. Her eyes were brown, as was her hair, which was tied into a neat ponytail behind her head. The children all grew quiet. The pony-tailed girl inspected him, leaning in close.


    He looked around for Orb, unsure of how to handle the situation. He didn¡¯t resist, however, when she picked him up and cradled him in her arms. She noticed the name inscribed on the front of his onesie. She nodded to the boy who¡¯d read the name earlier. ¡°Yup, Luc¡¯s right. His name is Charlie.¡± She looked around and then walked through the crowding children and over to a table not far from them. She sat there, and the kids all hurried after her, squatting, sitting, leaning, and settling into more comfortable positions in front of her. They waited for her to speak.


    She didn¡¯t. She sat there, staring at Charlie. Her eyes rested on him, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere. She wasn¡¯t admiring Charlie¡¯s cute baby face. She was thinking about something.


    Her clothes were more comfortable than Charlie imagined. His head grazed against the fabric of her sleeve. It was soft and warm to the touch.


    ¡°Does this mean the plan''s off, Lyra?¡± Luc asked, the same boy that had first noticed his name. He had ruffled blonde hair and a dirty face. One of his middle front teeth seemed to be missing as well.


    So, her name was Lyra. Charlie liked that name.


    ¡°No. We aren¡¯t giving up. The plan is still on,¡± she said.


    ¡°But what about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it at council,¡± she said. Luc nodded, going quiet. ¡°As for everyone else, back to chores.¡± A few of the other children groaned at that. Lyra singled out a few of them. ¡°Florence, I want you to take a shift on door duty. The guards shouldn¡¯t return again anytime soon, but we need to make sure we¡¯re careful.¡± She turned back toward Luc. ¡°We¡¯re going to take them for initiation.¡±


    Luc shook his head. ¡°What? But Lyra, you said it was too dangerous to go deeper into the dungeon now. We didn¡¯t even take Kyo when he got here.¡±


    Lyra grimaced. ¡°I know. But we shouldn¡¯t have three uninitiated here. It¡¯s too big of a risk. Get everything ready for me, okay? Everyone else, get to it.¡±


    Kids scattered in every direction. Luc kicked over a nearby table and started digging into the ground with a small, makeshift shovel. He looked up and started swatting at the air with the shovel until, finally, he hit something with a loud clang.


    ¡°You alright, Luc?¡± someone called out.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± he called back. ¡°Saw a big bug flying around. I got it though!¡±


    Florence, the timid, freckled girl that had been assigned to door duty, hurried down the hallway the guards had brought Charlie in through. The other children did all sorts of things. Some of them tended to a small garden along the room¡¯s walls. It looked completely different from the garden Mary kept at home. This one had mushrooms, and lots of those weed things that Mary always cut down when it sprung up. Apparently, the kids here liked them more than she did.


    Other kids hand-washed clothes in run-down buckets filled with water. It was amazing. Everyone was helping with something. Except for Sophia, who had huddled into a corner as soon as the guards departed.


    Lyra noticed her too. She checked to make sure Charlie was still nuzzled safely in her arms, and then walked over to the girl. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.


    Sophia didn¡¯t look up.


    ¡°At least tell me your name,¡± Lyra said. She held Charlie up so the girl could see him better. ¡°Look, he¡¯s a baby, and he told me his name. It¡¯s Charlie.¡±


    The girl looked surprised at that. ¡°Charlie¡­¡± She looked at her hand and then caught herself. ¡°He told you?¡±


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Charlie thought.


    ¡°No.¡± Lyra smiled. ¡°It¡¯s on his outfit.¡± She pointed to his name so Sophia could see.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. Her lips pursed before she spoke again. ¡°My name¡¯s Sophia,¡± she said, resting her head back on her knees.


    Charlie shrieked in excitement. So this was the girl he was looking for! A feeling of guilt filled him. Merlin had wanted to save her and run. Charlie had made them wait. Even though Charlie had been right, and there were more children, now Merlin was lost because of him changing the plan.


    It was the second time Merlin had gotten into trouble because of him.


    Lyra smiled at Charlie¡¯s reaction. ¡°I think he likes your name.¡±


    ¡°Orb, did you hear that?¡± Charlie asked. He paused, realizing he hadn¡¯t heard from Orb in a while. ¡°Orb?¡± he called out again.


    ¡°Kind of busy.¡±


    ¡°Doing what?¡± Charlie blinked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Almost ready, Lyra!¡± Luc called out in the distance.


    Lyra looked up, nodding. ¡°Listen, Sophia, I¡¯m going to need you to come with me for something in a few minutes. Would that be okay?¡±


    Sophia hesitated. Lyra was patient, waiting with a gentle smile.


    Sophia nodded.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll have someone come get you when it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Someone giggled in the background. Lyra turned at the noise and hurried in its direction. Charlie recognized a familiar sight that he hadn¡¯t seen in a while.


    Not since he¡¯d left Troa.


    A crudely constructed cradle hidden in a tiny dungeon alcove. The contraption comprised a pile of thick blankets stacked atop a large rock that protruded from the ground. All around the rock, planks of wood had been driven into the ground to create walls. Extra blankets had been shoved and wedged into any loose spots to keep the bassinet¡¯s inhabitants from falling where the rock wasn¡¯t perfectly flat.


    It looked surprisingly comfortable.


    A young girl sat beside the bassinet. A prison guard, Charlie realized.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going in there!¡± Charlie thought.


    Lyra ignored his mental protest and sat him inside anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m not staying in here!¡± Charlie corrected himself.


    Lyra stroked his cheek gently, and left him there, stepping aside to talk to the prison guard.


    Something quickly distracted him from his newfound captivity.


    The source of the giggle he¡¯d heard not long ago.


    He sat there, staring at his counterpart. Another baby sat on the opposite side of the makeshift bed. The baby had dark hair and brown skin and tilted its head at him.


    Lyra noticed, laughing at their reaction to one another. ¡°Charlie, meet Kyo. Kyo, Charlie.¡±


    Charlie looked at Kyo¡¯s hands and saw a dungeon core sized dirty ball sitting inside them. ¡°Orb? Is that you?¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Oh great! You came to rescue me. Beat up this baby so we can blow this joint!¡±


    ¡°How did you even end up here?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Some maniac with a shovel whacked me out of the air! Some other kid saw me lying on the floor and dropped me in here for the baby to play with. It was really deorbanizing if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    Kyo stared at Charlie, and then started crawling up to him, Orb still in hand. Charlie waited, unsure of how to react. When Kyo got close, he giggled and held Orb out, dropping him in front of Charlie.


    ¡°Is he trying to let me play with his toy?¡± Charlie wondered.


    ¡°I know you did not just refer to me as this kid¡¯s toy!¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    Charlie turned at the sound of hurried footsteps. Luc jumped the last few steps and struck a pose. ¡°Lyra! We¡¯re ready. We can leave whenever! I dug super fast!¡±


    Lyra turned and smiled at him. ¡°Good job, Luc. Let¡¯s get going then.¡±


    Lyra gracefully ended Charlie¡¯s short prison stint. She cradled him in her arms. Luc liberated Kyo, who managed to grab onto Orb again before he was lifted into the air. Charlie had forgotten him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive this transgression, Charlie,¡± Orb said.


    A few moments later, a small group of children waited before a tunnel in the room opposite the one they had entered from earlier. This tunnel led deeper into the dungeon. The group was composed of Lyra, Luc, Sophia, Charlie, Kyo, and a handful of other children. Luc had given Kyo to one of the other kids, but Lyra still carried Charlie. Luc and the others, whose names Charlie didn¡¯t know, carried short spears with the familiar black rock affixed to the end of them. Charlie recognized it as the same black rock the older lady had dropped earlier.


    He wondered how these kids had got some of it.


    They walked down the mundane tunnel for less than a minute before they reached the same kind of door the guards had entered earlier. Lyra walked right up to it. She didn¡¯t knock. Instead, she asked a question.


    ¡°May we come in?¡±


    The door opened as soon as she finished speaking, and the children crossed through.


    This side of the tunnel was much more eccentric than the other side. As they walked, Charlie noticed all sorts of odd things embedded in the walls. Strange clock faces that moved, ticking and ticking, almost in unison with the steps of the children. There were more doorways, without doorknobs, and with little window panels that revealed they didn¡¯t actually lead anywhere.


    Every once in a while, the children encountered a small set of stairs. Each of the mini stairs had three steps up, leading to a flat portion in the middle, and then three steps down. Creating a pointless exercise for them at irregular intervals.


    Lamps protruded out of the wall, flicking on, and then off again at random. The lamps ensured there was always enough light, but that the light was never coming from the same source. Almost every step was illuminated by a different lamp. Clocks, and doors, and pointless staircases, and lamps. Charlie struggled to understand what was going on.


    Why was the dungeon like this? This dungeon was so different from the other one he¡¯d been inside with Geron, Axel, and the others. It was so different from his own dungeon. It was like he was having a weird dream.


    Sophia walked in the middle of the group. Her arms were folded against her chest. She was shaking. Luc noticed too. ¡°First time in a dungeon? Don¡¯t worry! Most of us grew up here. We know what we¡¯re doing!¡± He lifted his spear up in the air to show it off. Sophia didn¡¯t look at him.


    ¡°Luc, why don¡¯t you tell Sophia about the Hex King?¡± Lyra suggested. Charlie stared up at her. It was clearly Lyra¡¯s way of getting Sophia¡¯s mind off things. But who was the Hex King?


    Luc¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Okay! Have you heard of him before, Sophia?¡± he asked excitedly. She glanced at him but didn¡¯t say anything. Luc passed his spear off to one of the other children. Apparently, you needed two hands to talk about the Hex King. ¡°A long time ago, like hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Humanity was almost wiped out! Super strong Hex Beasts roamed the earth, and all the kingdoms of the world were destroyed. But one man rose up to fight back!¡± Luc paused. ¡°Do you know about hexes?¡± he asked her.


    Sophia looked at him. She still wouldn¡¯t talk, but she was clearly interested. Charlie leaned forward in Lyra¡¯s arm. He had heard none of this before.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don''t. So, there are seven base hexes, right? And then there are advanced hexes and unique hexes and all different kinds. But most people can only use one kind of hex. Get this though, that man who rose up? He could use all of them. That¡¯s why they called him the Hex King! He was a real hero. All the other people banded together under him and¡­¡± Luc punched the air with his arms. ¡°Defeated all the beasts! Just like that! Isn¡¯t that so cool?¡±


    Lyra laughed. She¡¯d noticed Charlie listening to Luc¡¯s story. ¡°Can you tell how much Luc looks up to the Hex King?¡± she asked, tickling him with a finger. Charlie giggled. Lyra turned to Sophia. ¡°Some say that¡¯s how the Kingdom of Aysela got started. That the Hex King was our first king.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m going to be just as strong as he was one day! When we get out of this stupid dungeon! I¡¯ll be a super strong hero too! They¡¯ll tell stories about me.¡± Luc punched the air some more. ¡°Oh!¡± he said, turning to Sophia. ¡°When I make my own guild, you could join it if you want!¡±


    ¡°What the¡ª¡± Orb said, flying by. Charlie turned to see Kyo had flung him away. Kyo held a hand out and one of the kids picked the dirty dungeon core up to hand back.


    Kyo threw him again. ¡°Charlie! Use that dungeon manipulation ability on him! Or throw a pillar at him! Or summon Bleedy to eat him! I¡¯m being tortured! Protect me!¡±


    Charlie ignored him and looked over at Sophia. Luc¡¯s story did seem to help a bit. He held out a hand toward her. She noticed and looked up at him, and for the first time, Charlie saw her smile.


    They eventually came to a stop at a door that was actually a door. Doorknob and all. They¡¯d passed a few open doors at this point, but Lyra and the others had ignored them. Lyra didn¡¯t ask to come inside this time, instead she took a key from her pocket, pressed it into a keyhole in the door, and unlocked it. With that done, she opened the door and beckoned everyone inside.


    The children crowded into the small, empty room. Empty except for the strange green crystal on a podium in the room¡¯s center. A thick ooze ran down the crystal¡¯s sides, emanating from cracks that lined it all over.


    Luc grinned really big, staring at Sophia. ¡°This is the best part. Trust me. You get to touch it.¡±


    Sophia looked horrified. ¡°What? Touch that?¡± she asked. Charlie was surprised she¡¯d spoken at all.


    Luc nodded. He raised a hand to demonstrate, but Lyra stopped him. ¡°We only touch it once, Luc. That¡¯s the rule.¡±


    ¡°Aww man. But I haven¡¯t touched it in forever! It¡¯s so much fun!¡±


    ¡°Only once.¡± Lyra turned to Sophia. ¡°You don¡¯t have to touch it long. I know it looks gross, but I promise it¡¯s for your own protection.¡±


    Sophia stared at it. She reluctantly tore her gaze away and focused on Lyra. ¡°What will it do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s got the scent of the dungeon! We touch it so the dungeon can¡¯t sense us here! That way, you don¡¯t get chosen!¡±


    ¡°Chosen?¡± Sophia asked.


    Luc nodded. ¡°It¡¯s when the guards come. When two guards come, it¡¯s no big deal. But if they send five, it¡¯s really bad. They always¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Luc. It doesn¡¯t matter. Touching this keeps us safe,¡± Lyra said. Luc made a zipping motion over this mouth and put the imaginary key inside his ear. He made a show of the key getting stuck and pretended to drive it in by wedging a finger deep in his ear and turning it.


    Charlie and Kyo giggled at this. Luc smiled, taking a bow.


    Sophia swallowed. She stepped forward and touched the crystal. A soft hum resonated in the room, and the kid¡¯s faces lit up in excitement. Lyra smiled, patting Sophia on the shoulder. ¡°Good job. That¡¯s all you had to do.¡±


    She turned to the young boy holding Kyo and called him forward. ¡°Take his hand and guide it to the crystal,¡± she said.


    The boy did so and gently guided Kyo¡¯s hand toward the crystal. Kyo laughed. He found it endlessly amusing for some reason.


    The hum grew louder and louder in Charlie¡¯s ears, but no one else seemed to notice. It was like the crystal was calling him. He was close enough to reach out. Lyra was overseeing the boy with Kyo, so she¡¯d gotten close enough. Just as Kyo¡¯s hand made contact with the crystal, Charlie gave into the impulse and touched the crystal too.


    ¡°No! One at a time!¡± Luc cried out.


    The crystal hummed loudly, and the room shook violently. The door they¡¯d entered through slammed shut. The crystal bled even more of the liquid than before, and then the room grew dark.


    "Aww, you broke it!" Luc groaned.


    Just like that, the room brightened up again. A bright light grew inside the crystal, growing brighter and brighter, until it was blinding.


    And then, everything returned to normal.


    The crystal returned to its usual state, and the door to the room opened again. The hum returned to its quiet, peaceful melody.


    But Charlie had noticed something no one else had. He had noticed a presence. They weren¡¯t alone in this dungeon. Something was with them.


    Something powerful.


    Captain Varroc


    Steaming hot water flowed over him, rinsing his hair free of blood and dirt. The blood wasn¡¯t his. The dirt probably was, though. Spend a week with dirt in your hair and you¡¯ve certainly got a claim to it. This was the life. They didn¡¯t even have showers like this back in the guild. And a personal one at that? This little home of his was getting nicer by the day.


    He closed his eyes and let the water blast his face. He reached out, blindly, and scrambled with his fingers until he grabbed the towel he¡¯d hung just outside the shower. It hugged his face as soon as he stepped away from the water and out of the tub. He left the water running. The steam would feel nice, and the sound of running water always helped him relax. Varroc dabbed away at his face, clearing the water from it, and then slung the towel over his shoulder. He¡¯d let the rest air dry. Rest of the day should be free after all. He¡¯d told no one to bother him.


    A soft knock on the door. He turned to look at it. Surely no one was stupid enough¡­


    Another knock, slightly louder this time.


    Varroc sighed, staring at the knife he kept beside the door. He hadn¡¯t needed to kill one of his own men in nearly a week. He¡¯d thought he¡¯d beat the record, but it¡¯s not his fault if men don¡¯t value their own lives. And incompetence? Well, incompetence was a good indicator of that.


    He pulled the door open. A young soldier stared at him, caught off guard by his naked state. ¡°Sir, I¡­sorry to bother you, there was¡ª¡±


    Varroc stabbed the man four times in the chest before he could get another word out. The soldier crumpled to the ground. Varroc shook his head, turning to close the door.


    ¡°Creature,¡± the man whispered.


    Varroc turned at that. He knelt beside the man. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The creature¡­picked a¡­new one.¡±


    Varroc whistled. ¡°Really? You should¡¯ve said so. Better get to work then.¡± He stepped back inside, grabbed the pile of clothes he¡¯d left on the living room floor as soon as he¡¯d gotten home, and then stepped back out. He pulled the door shut behind him and went to head into town.


    A thought struck him. He turned back, still naked, with a towel slung over his shoulder, and dirty clothes bundled up in an arm to kneel over the body.


    With his free hand, he ripped the dying soldier''s coin-purse from his belt.

 Chapter 29: Chaos

    Merlin


    Merlin had seen the grand buildings of the capital city of Karze. Each one was a towering monument to the greatest city in the Kingdom of Aysela. The buildings, the architecture, and even the royal family themselves. They had a way of making you feel small. Like an insignificant piece of larger design.


    That feeling paled compared to the looming pyramid of black rock. It was imposing. The idea that people made this. People in chains. Now, those chains chinked at his feet as well. It was amazing how much could change in a few hours.


    The line slowed to a halt, and he craned to look further ahead. A guard walked by, brushing past, forcing Merlin back into line. He struggled not to drop the heavy pile of rocks in his arms. He bit back a smart remark.


    It was better not to stick out.


    All around him there were others, unchained, but still prisoners. That much was obvious. There wasn¡¯t any sort of uniform. Most people seemed to be wearing normal clothes. Normal, except for the fact they were tattered and torn. Merlin looked down at his fine purple cloak. It was an odd thing to be worried about in this situation. But this cloak meant a lot to him. It was full of history. Things he didn¡¯t want to let go.


    He would not see it destroyed in such a fashion.


    The prisoners sat on the ground. There was no greenery. Just dirt and the pyramids. This was clearly some sort of mining operation. A large part of the economy, no doubt, considering they were nearly in the exact center of the city. He¡¯d shuffled along with the others for hours after being separated from Charlie. But that was the price of shuffling forward one step at a time, in a line full of people carrying heavy black rocks.


    You moved slowly.


    The line before him grew smaller until finally Merlin reached the front. Two soldiers stood at a table with several wagons filled with black rock beside them. A third guard, one of the men who had been escorting the line of people, unlocked the chains of the man in front of Merlin. He wasn¡¯t sure where the old lady had gone. They¡¯d taken her out of the line shortly after the incident earlier.


    The newly freed man walked up, sat his rock in the wagon, and then walked up to the table. They nodded toward a rusted metal barrel next to them. The man leaned in, grabbed a small piece of bread, and walked to find somewhere to sit within the camp. Merlin watched him. The person behind him nudged Merlin forward. The line guard eyed him, unlocked him, and beckoned him onward. Merlin did the same thing the man had. He sat his rock on the wagon, walked by the table guards, and then went to grab a piece of bread. His hands moved quickly, tucking an extra piece inside his sleeve.


    ¡°Hey,¡± the line guard called out.


    Merlin¡¯s heart beat quicker in the chest. ¡°What?¡± he asked, feigning innocence.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t work today. No food.¡±


    Merlin scoffed. He pointed toward the wagon. ¡°I brought that rock all the way here, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    One of the table guards put a hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°You heard him. No food.¡±


    Merlin made a show of dropping the bread in his hands. ¡°Fine.¡± He hurried off.


    He¡¯d made it five steps before someone grabbed him by the sleeve. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard. But it is the way of things. We work for our food. And we don¡¯t take something that we didn¡¯t earn.¡±


    Merlin froze. He looked back at the man holding him there. He was a Black man with dark, low-cut hair. His clothes were finer than the other members of the line, but he didn¡¯t look like a guard. There was a special badge on his chest. It was shiny, and the remnants of the sun reflected off of it so he couldn¡¯t quite make it out. Merlin understood the warning. He didn¡¯t resist; he knew when he had lost. The man took the piece of bread from him, discreetly, and nodded at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a quick learner. That¡¯ll be good here. Work hard tomorrow. You can eat then.¡±


    Robbed of his dinner, Merlin pulled his sleeve free of the man and stormed off.


    Besides the pyramids and scattered slaves, this was nothing more than a crater of dirt. There were caves, or perhaps the more appropriate word would be mine-shafts. They dotted the craters walls and even now people moved in and out of them. He didn¡¯t see tools in their hands, nor were there rocks. They were going into the mines even when they weren¡¯t working. He wanted to investigate further, but someone calling out got his attention.


    ¡°You there! Wait a moment!¡± a man called out.


    Merlin turned around. He blinked in surprise. He recognized this man. ¡°You were in the line. You tried to help that woman back there.¡±


    The muscular blond man grimaced. ¡°That I did. But you did help that woman. I wanted to thank you.¡± He held out a hand. Merlin instinctively opened his own up and recoiled when a small piece of bread fell into it. ¡°I saw what happened. It was a nice trick. You almost pulled it off. I¡¯m Crussus, by the way.¡±


    Merlin rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, I thought we¡¯d all be on the same side. Apparently not. Merlin.¡±


    Crussus laughed. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you around.¡± He started walking, and Merlin, having nowhere better to go, followed him. Crussus continued speaking. ¡°Thing is, Achai isn¡¯t a bad man. He¡¯s our sitter. It¡¯s his job to keep an eye on us.¡±


    ¡°Our sitter? We¡¯re prisoners, not children.¡± Merlin took a bite of the bread. He spat it out. ¡°That¡¯s super stale!¡± He looked down at it. Flecks of green dotted it. He should¡¯ve looked at his food better. ¡°And moldy!¡± He ran a finger along his tongue.


    Crussus grimaced. ¡°Give it a day or two. You¡¯ll actually look forward to it at the end of the day. If you don¡¯t want it, give it back. We can¡¯t afford to waste it.¡±


    Merlin handed it over, feeling bad anyone was hungry enough to eat something like this. Crussus grabbed it and took a small bite. He spoke in between chewing. ¡°A lot of the people around here have children. The guards take them, you know? They leave all of them in a dungeon somewhere in the city. There are a couple of different locations, but they all have the same name. They call them daycares.¡±


    Merlin stopped walking. ¡°What? You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±


    Crussus paused as well. Turning to look at him. ¡°I am. That¡¯s why they work.¡± He beckoned at people in worn clothes all around them. ¡°They work to keep their children safe. It¡¯s how Varroc keeps the peace. By controlling their children, he controls the people. But Varroc knew they wouldn¡¯t take him at his word. So, every mine site has someone called a sitter. We vote on it. Achai is ours. Once a week, he goes into the dungeon and verifies that all the children are okay. He gets to see his son. But in return, if we act out, or break the rules, it¡¯s his child that will suffer.¡±


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s evil.¡± He paused. ¡°So, when I tried to steal moldy bread, he¡­¡±


    ¡°He stopped you because he was watching out for his son. Like I said, he¡¯s not a bad man. He¡¯s just doing the best he can to get by and keep his family safe.¡±


    Charlie. Charlie was in the dungeons. In that¡­ daycare. Did that mean, would they hurt him if Merlin acted out? Had they put themselves in the middle of this evil system as well? He turned back to Crussus. A sudden suspicion in his mind. What did this strange man have to gain here? People were always looking for opportunity.


    What opportunity did he see in Merlin?


    ¡°Why are you telling me all of this?¡± Merlin asked.


    Crussus took a step forward and placed a hand on Merlin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Because what I saw back there, in the city streets, was a man with fight inside him. I want to make sure you don¡¯t lose that. Everyone else around here has.¡±


    Merlin backed away. He wasn¡¯t a fighter. He¡¯d been angry. He¡¯d watched Varroc pick up Charlie and throw him like trash. Merlin had told that psychopath he was going to kill him. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he wondered what the hell he¡¯d been thinking. No. That wasn¡¯t true. When he said it, he meant it. But Merlin wasn¡¯t that kind of man. Maybe Charlie had shown him he could be good now. But he wasn¡¯t the kind of man who could stand up to someone like that. He still couldn''t believe he had stood his ground against that brute of a man named Brel.


    ¡°To be honest, after earlier, I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t kill me,¡± Merlin said, more thinking out loud than anything.


    Crussus grew serious, a distant look in his eye.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing about men like Varroc. They don¡¯t kill men like us. They break them.¡±


    Charlie


    On the way back to the daycare, Lyra and the others stopped. One of the closed doors they passed earlier was now open. Beyond the door was a trail of claw marks, as if something had stabbed its long nails into the dirt while being dragged.


    The trail led back to the daycare.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. Further down the path toward the children¡¯s homes were scattered claw marks and stray scales. Luc was the first to investigate up close. He pressed his fingers into one of the claw impressions in the dirt and turned to show the others.


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    His fingers were smeared with blood.


    ¡°Kashak,¡± Lyra muttered. ¡°Hurry everyone, back to base!¡±


    The children with spears straightened up, most of them moved to the front of the group, hurrying back home, but a few of them lingered to keep an eye on Lyra and the three recently initiated.


    ¡°Arhhhh!¡± a warbled scream came from the daycare, echoing through the dungeon¡¯s hall. Their group broke into a run. They leapt over some of the mini staircases and held onto each other so that they weren¡¯t thrown off by the flickering lamps.


    They made it back quickly, but when they arrived, there didn¡¯t seem to be any sort of emergency. The children weren¡¯t scared. They were celebrating. Lyra stepped into the room, and as she crossed the threshold, Charlie took in the scene.


    All the children were gathered in the middle of the room. One boy towered over all the others. He was tan skinned with a long mane of brown hair and wild green eyes. The children were excited about something. Lyra approached, and everyone, upon recognizing her, made way for her to get through. Charlie, of course, benefitted from this new view as well.


    The tan boy was proudly standing over a large cage the children must have constructed before. Charlie wondered where they¡¯d been keeping it. Inside it was a green lizard, two times the size of the large boy. Though it wasn¡¯t very big in terms of bulk, it was long, with a tail that extended well past its body. It had a ridge of scales that started on its head and continued down onto the small of its back. It had a wide, red eye on either side of its face, and they moved independently, much like Mousifer¡¯s ears often did. Charlie couldn¡¯t decide if he thought it was hideous, or cute.


    ¡°Arhhhhh!¡± the lizard screamed again at the gathered crowd and the newcomers.


    Cute. Charlie decided. Definitely cute.


    ¡°Kashak? What is this?¡± Lyra demanded.


    His head spun toward her; his brows fell. ¡°What? Why do you sound angry? I finally captured one! We¡¯ve been trying to catch one forever!¡±


    Luc finally managed to break through the crowd as well. ¡°What is it? I wanna see! Wow! You caught this on your hunt? A freaking Scaler!¡±


    Kashak nodded, breaking into a smile. This seemed to be the reaction he expected.


    Lyra stepped forward, taking Charlie with her, close enough to smell Kashak. He was sweaty, and smelled a little musky, and clearly hadn¡¯t had a bath recently. Charlie¡¯s nose wrinkled.


    ¡°We avoid the lizards. They¡¯re dangerous,¡± Lyra said, visibly angry. ¡°Was anyone hurt?¡±


    ¡°A few scrapes, nothing serious. We caught it! It¡¯s a good thing. I heard we have more mouths to feed now. This will help!¡± Kashak said, beckoning at the lizard again.


    Lyra looked furiously at him. She seemed like she wanted to say more, but bit back her tongue. ¡°Everyone, get back to preparing. We need food, water, and other supplies for the trip. Time is precious to us.¡±


    Kashak¡¯s face soured, and he brushed past her. Lyra turned to watch him leave, and then back to the kids standing around. They hurried back to work. When they had scattered, when no one else was watching, no one but Charlie. Her face fell. She looked sad.


    It made Charlie sad, too. He wondered what was wrong with her.


    He turned back to look at the lizard. It stared at him, blinking a few times as it took him in. It spoke again, softer this time. ¡°Arh.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Charlie thought back.


    No response.


    For his failure, Lyra returned him to prison.


    At least, that was how it felt. Kyo laid flat on his back. He¡¯d dozed off a while ago, listening to the hum of the girl who watched over them. It had been a while since they¡¯d arrived here, and Charlie suspected night was approaching, if it hadn¡¯t already. Many of the other children had already gone to sleep. Lyra remained at a desk, looking over some sort of parchment. Orb waited until he was confident Kyo was asleep, and then rolled over to join Charlie.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan, Charlie?¡± he asked.


    Charlie sat in front of the cradle¡¯s bars, holding them with his hands. ¡°We should get out of here,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t like the feeling of being cooped up. He wanted to crawl around and explore. It wasn¡¯t very much fun being confined here against his will. The thought made him look over at the lizard creature still trapped in a cage against the wall. The others had moved it away from the center of the room, where it now waited for¡­whatever the kids had in store for it. He wondered at that.


    ¡°Hey, Orb? What do you think they¡¯ll do with the lizard?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear them talking earlier? They¡¯re going to eat it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Charlie said. He tilted his head. ¡°What? Eat it? But it¡¯s alive!¡±


    ¡°Yes, well¡­that is where meat comes from.¡±


    Charlie grabbed at his face with his hands. ¡°What? Orb, we need to go and warn Merlin about this! What if he eats meat while we¡¯re separated?¡±


    ¡°Charlie, he knows. Everyone knows.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes went wide. That was a bit too much of a bombshell for him. He focused on the issue at hand. He looked around the room. The girl watching him and Kyo had fallen asleep in her chair. Lyra was distracted, and now everyone else was asleep or lying down. They wouldn¡¯t notice if¡­


    ¡°Orb, fly us out of here and to the cage.¡±


    Orb hovered next to him. ¡°Why? What are you going to do?¡±


    Charlie whispered, as if someone might eavesdrop on their mental conversation. ¡°I¡¯m going to set it free!¡± he said.


    Orb paused at that. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say hell no to something like that. But right now, I could use the excitement. Fine, let¡¯s do this!¡±


    Charlie grabbed a hold of the dirty dungeon core and his legs hung in the air as Orb lifted them out of the cradle and floated toward the daycare¡¯s other prisoner. The lizard tilted its head at them as they approached. Charlie landed softly on the dirt of the dungeon floor and crawled forward the last remaining steps. The lizard, or Scaler, as Luc had called it, leaned forward, stretching its neck to get a better view of them.


    Its long tongue shot out of its mouth before returning.


    Charlie studied the latch on the cage door. It seemed simple enough. He started to unlatch the lock. He stopped halfway through. A thought occurred to him. ¡°Maybe you should use your ability on it first? So that it knows we¡¯re friendly.¡±


    ¡°Sentience? Hm, I guess I could try that.¡± Orb turned to focus on the creature before him.


    Sentience!


    Orb paused for a minute. He dropped a few inches from the air, still hovering above the ground, but lower than before. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s strange.¡±


    Charlie blinked. ¡°What is? What happened?¡±


    ¡°It seems the spell didn¡¯t work for some reason. And now, I¡¯m out of magic.¡± He plummeted from the sky and fell into the dirt. Charlie removed his hand from the latch and went to grab Orb.


    A shriek filled the room. ¡°Arhhhh!¡±


    A metallic clang rung out. Charlie turned to see the latch had fallen open. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    The lizard burst out of the cage and turned to sniff Charlie.


    Up close like this, he wondered if it had been a smart idea to let it loose while everyone else was sleeping. He realized perhaps he had been a little too hasty. He could feel the creature¡¯s thick breath on his face as it examined him.


    A girl screamed. The other children were waking up.


    It all turned chaotic quickly.


    Charlie grabbed Orb, hurrying to protect him. The children scrambled to grab weapons and wake each other. Lyra, Kashak and Luc were already running to corner the lizard, but despite the fact Orb¡¯s ability hadn¡¯t worked, the creature was still intelligent enough to learn from its past mistake. It wasn¡¯t eager to get captured again and return to its cage. It slammed its tail into the dirt several times, let out another ¡°arh¡± and then shot forward into the room.


    Luc dived, trying to grab the creature, but missed, colliding into a series of makeshift, and very crude, pots and pans. Lyra called out, warning several children to get out of the way, and Kashak chased down the creature as fast as he could with a spear in hand.


    It wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    The lizard skirted out of the way of a group of spear-wielding children and leapt onto the table Lyra had been working at. Scattered papers tore and sailed through the air. A group of spears that had been freshly dug up from their hiding space fell off the wall, clanging loudly. Baskets of provisions and supplies ripped apart as the lizard clamored over them. Several apples rolled across the room in a way that would make even Orb jealous.


    The lizard saw the tunnel heading deeper into the dungeon and made a run for it. Charlie crawled after it as fast as he could, but admittedly, made very little progress.


    Lyra grabbed a spear off the wall and froze, lining up a shot.


    She had it.


    She would hit it.


    Charlie wasn¡¯t sure how he knew. He wasn¡¯t sure where the instinct came from. But he knew in a few seconds the lizard would get impaled by that spear.


    It would die.


    He¡¯d wanted it freed.


    Not dead.


    ¡°Lyra! Wait!¡± Charlie thought toward her.


    The spear halted a second before it left her hand. The lizard turned to look in Charlie¡¯s direction, scrambling down the tunnel and out of sight, safely into the dungeon.


    It had escaped.


    Lyra turned around and stared at him. She dropped the spear in her hand. Charlie looked behind himself, wondering if perhaps Lyra was checking to see how the cage had been opened. Or maybe there was an injured kid behind him. But that wasn¡¯t the case.


    Lyra was staring at him.


    Lyra had heard him.


    ¡°Charlie?¡± she asked, shaking her head.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. She noticed. Lyra was observant like that. She knew he¡¯d understood her. ¡°But how¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lyra! Lyra!¡± a girl called out, bursting into the room. It was Florence.


    Lyra spun around. ¡°What is it?¡± she cried back.


    ¡°The guards are coming! A big group of them!¡±


    Luc forced himself to his feet, rubbing his face where he¡¯d smacked it into a table. ¡°A group of them? Now? But that means...¡±


    Lyra looked around the room. ¡°No¡­no no no. Everyone clean up! Hide the weapons! Now!¡±


    Charlie was the first to notice Captain Varroc enter the room. The children in the room froze as four other soldiers followed him.


    Five in total.


    What had Luc said before the initiation?


    When two guards come, it¡¯s no big deal. But if they send five, it¡¯s really bad.


    Varroc surveyed the room, a raised brow betraying his confusion. His eyes locked on the spears messily lying against the wall. He turned his attention to Lyra. ¡°It seems you didn¡¯t learn after all. That¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll teach you this lesson as many times as we need to.¡±


    Lyra stood her ground. ¡°Wha¡ªwhat do you want?¡± her voice faltered.


    ¡°Me? I don¡¯t want anything. It¡¯s our friend deep in the dungeon that want¡¯s something. It went and picked out a child right from your very own community. Isn¡¯t that exciting? One of you gets to go deeper into the dungeon. Won¡¯t that be fun?¡±


    Charlie shivered. He remembered that feeling he¡¯d had after touching the crystal. That presence he had felt.


    And now, Varroc was here to take one of the children to it.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s see here.¡± Varroc looked around, staring at the children one by one. His eyes locked in on the kid he¡¯d come for.


    ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± Varroc said. ¡°Time to go, kiddo. It¡¯s dinnertime.¡±

 Chapter 30: Connections

    When Varroc entered the room, the atmosphere changed. A moment ago, the room had been in a state of inexorable chaos. In the next, it all came to the most sudden of stops. Charlie swallowed.


    It felt like things were about to go bad.


    Varroc was shirtless, the same as he had been when Charlie and Merlin first entered the city. Behind him were four soldiers waiting for orders. Charlie only recognized one of them. It was Brel. The man from the wagon that had brought Charlie and Sophia to the daycare.


    Varroc surveyed the room. ¡°Now let¡¯s see here.¡± Varroc looked around, staring at the children one by one. His eyes locked in on the kid he¡¯d come for. ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± Varroc said. ¡°Time to go, kiddo. It¡¯s dinnertime.¡±


    Without turning back, he motioned to Brel. Brel hurried forward. Children scrambled out of his way as he walked.


    Directly toward the cradle in the back of the room.


    Directly toward Kyo.


    Lyra shook her head. ¡°You can¡¯t take anyone! I won¡¯t let you.¡±


    ¡°Tch. That¡¯s your problem, girly. You let all these kids looking up to you go to your head. But this isn¡¯t your dungeon. You¡¯re in my town.¡±


    ¡°We both know it isn¡¯t yours,¡± Lyra said.


    Charlie wondered what she meant by that.


    Varroc waved a hand as if he could brush her words away. ¡°Regardless, one of you was lucky enough to get handpicked for a bit of exploration. It¡¯s an honor! Not many people get to see that deep in the dungeon. Don¡¯t be too upset. It¡¯s not like you have a choice, anyway.¡±


    Something clanged to Charlie¡¯s right. He turned to look. Luc was picking up a spear that had fallen. He tested its weight in his hand. He nodded, satisfied with it, and then turned to face Varroc.


    ¡°Luc! Stop!¡± Lyra called out.


    Varroc pointed at her. One of the guards drew his sword and aimed it directly towards Lyra. ¡°You stay outta this. Me and ole Luc will figure this out. Just the two of us.¡± Varroc turned to face the small blonde boy. ¡°So, you wanna be a hero? Come on then. I¡¯m gonna warn ya, though. If you do this, I¡¯m gonna hurt you, and I¡¯m not gonna feel bad about it.¡±


    Luc gritted his teeth. His missing tooth gap was on full display. He yelled at the top of his lungs and charged, hoisting his spear into the air to drive it into Varroc.


    Varroc reached out to snatch the spear before it impaled him.


    Luc feigned an attack, and his spear pivoted quickly.


    If he had been attacking any normal soldier, that attack would¡¯ve worked.


    But Varroc was far from a normal. He sidestepped the move at the last second and ripped the spear¡¯s shaft from Luc¡¯s hand.


    He brought a leg around and kicked the boy hard on his side.


    Luc spiraled through the air, landing several feet away.


    Several children gasped.


    ¡°Luc!¡± Lyra called out. The guard still held his blade to her, keeping her from going to his side.


    Varroc sighed, and turned to look at Brel, who¡¯d rejoined the soldiers now. His gigantic hand was wrapped around Kyo¡¯s waist. He held the small baby boy like an object instead of a baby. Instead of a person.


    Charlie¡¯s grip on the still unconscious Orb tightened in one hand. In the other, he squeezed the dirt of the dungeon floor. What should he do? He could attack, but he was worried about the other children. There were too many of them. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he could hit one, or the guards could take someone hostage. Merlin had warned him to keep his power a secret as long as possible. To only use it in a life-or-death situation. But was this that? Should he make a move?


    Luc groaned. He pushed off against the ground, trying to get back on his feet. Varroc took two large steps and knelt beside the boy. He delivered a swift chop to Luc¡¯s upper back. It knocked the wind out of him. His eyes grew wide, and a pained expression crossed his face.


    Charlie had to do something.


    ¡°Kashak! Help him!¡± Florence cried out. She wasn¡¯t the only one looking toward the tall, tan boy. But he didn¡¯t return their gaze. He stared off to the side, ignoring them.


    He only had eyes for the ground.


    Kashak wasn¡¯t going to fight. So, Charlie should.


    He raised a hand and aimed it at Varroc.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Lyra called out. Charlie paused, turning to see she was looking in his direction. The soldier guarding her looked confused.


    Varroc, however, didn¡¯t catch this. He was still focused on Luc. ¡°You tried to play hero, even though I warned you. You¡¯re young. But you¡¯re already the kind of person I absolutely hate. You don¡¯t know when to quit. You think you¡¯re special? That you¡¯re going to be somebody one day? Is that it?¡±


    Luc¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t move. But he turned his head as much as he could. He sneered at Varroc. ¡°One day, I¡¯m going to be just like the Hex King. I¡¯ll beat up men like you. I¡¯ll be the greatest adventurer ever!¡±


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    Varroc sighed, and his head fell back. He stared at the ceiling. ¡°And here I was, taking it easy on you. Someone like you could¡¯ve grown up to work in the mines. Would¡¯ve been better than this place. Now? Who knows, kid? It¡¯s hard to work in a place like that as a cripple.¡±


    This actually caught Luc off guard. ¡°What?¡±


    Lyra and Charlie realized at the same time.


    Lyra called out. Charlie shrieked.


    And Varroc pulled Luc¡¯s arm behind his back and snapped it.


    Luc¡¯s scream was filled with an agony unlike anything Charlie had ever heard before.


    Varroc stood, dusting his hands off each other. ¡°Well, that¡¯s taken care of.¡± He took note of Kyo firmly hanging from Brel¡¯s hands. ¡°And we¡¯ve got the kid. Great! That just leaves one more thing. Destroy it.¡±


    Brel smirked. The other soldiers looked at him for clarification. The man holding a sword to Lyra spoke. ¡°Destroy¡­what, sir?¡±


    Varroc raised a brow. ¡°What do you mean destroy what? Destroy it all. They broke the rules. They built weapons. They¡¯ve been stockpiling food. That¡¯s just not how we do things. So, we¡¯re starting from scratch. Destroy it all. No food. No water. No furniture. And we sure as hell aren¡¯t letting them keep those weapons. Raze it to the ground, boys!¡±


    Lyra hurried over and scooped Charlie off the ground.


    The children scattered, running away from the destructive soldiers.


    Brel kicked over a table, sending food flying. He stomped on a pile of fruit and mushrooms over and over until he left behind only a puddle of mush. Kyo cried in his hands. The other soldiers worked too. They stabbed their blades through sleeping bags and flung chairs against the dungeon¡¯s walls. They collected the spears and piled them in the front of the room. One of the soldiers lit them on fire. The smoke rose up to the dungeon¡¯s ceiling and dissipated. As if there was some sort of ventilation system built in.


    One of the other soldiers kicked over buckets of water. All except one. He lowered his trousers and took a piss in that one. He laughed with his buddies about it. They thought it was hilarious.


    Charlie wanted to hurt them. Lyra cradled him protectively in her arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be over soon,¡± she whispered. He looked up at her. But she didn¡¯t return the gaze. She was watching the other children. Making sure they were alright. He turned to look at Luc, still sprawled out. One of the other girls, Florence, had made her way over to check on him. She covered him with her body to keep any debris from hitting him.


    He saw Sophia too, huddled with other children in the room¡¯s corner, staying away from the rampage of the guards.


    This wasn¡¯t right. Why didn¡¯t Lyra want him to fight back? He could¡¯ve saved Luc. He could get Kyo back right now.


    Couldn¡¯t he? He realized, again, he wasn¡¯t so sure. He had the unconscious Orb to think about. Of course, there was also Mousifer and Bleedy somewhere inside his dungeon. He didn¡¯t know just how strong Varroc and Brel were. What if he needed more power than he could afford to spend? What if his dungeon collapsed and killed his friends? He wasn¡¯t positive Parent could keep them safe.


    It made him pause.


    The guards eventually ran out of things to break. Varroc nodded, satisfied with their work. ¡°Brel, you¡¯re in charge. Stick to the route but deliver the boy as fast as you can. This one came straight from the top.¡±


    Brel nodded. ¡°Urgent huh, someone important must be coming! That¡¯s exciting.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter who it is. Just get it done and report back,¡± Varroc barked. He turned and looked at Lyra and held a hand up, pointing a finger toward her. ¡°See ya girly. You can have more food in a couple of days. Good luck till then.¡± He grinned and left.


    Brel and the others waited on Varroc to depart, then turned to head toward the opposite tunnel door. The one leading deeper into the dungeon.


    Charlie struggled to sit up in Lyra¡¯s arm to look. Kyo was staring directly at him. He was bawling at the top of his lungs, reaching out toward Charlie.


    And in that moment, Charlie felt something innately. A connection born between himself and another.


    He didn¡¯t know what that meant. Or what it would mean.


    But he knew he had to save him.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    Nothing happened. His powers ignored him. He shook his head. ¡°What?¡± he thought to himself.


    Charlie watched helplessly as Brel, and the other three soldiers took Kyo deeper into the dungeon.


    And then they were gone.


    ***


    Lyra stumbled around the remnants of the daycare. Most of the other kids were crying. A few were quiet, sitting off in a corner, or hiding under the remains of a broken table. They had a lost, defeated look in their eyes. Charlie couldn¡¯t blame them.


    They¡¯d just lost everything.


    Lyra went to check on Luc. He sat leaned against the dungeon¡¯s wall. Florence still tended to him. She¡¯d fashioned a splint of sorts out of a broken chair leg and a torn shirt. ¡°How is he?¡± Lyra asked.


    Florence shook her head.


    Luc forced himself to look up at her. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. I¡¯m fine. What now?¡± he asked.


    Lyra grimaced. ¡°We need to have a meeting. The whole council. Can you walk?¡± she asked.


    Luc forced a smile. ¡°Of course I can! My arms broken, not my leg.¡± He tried to stand, but his legs gave way. He motioned for Florence, and she helped him up. They hobbled away toward the tunnel that led deeper into the dungeon. Charlie tilted his head at that. ¡°Where were they going?¡±


    He looked up, but Lyra had turned her attention elsewhere.


    Kashak was standing over the remains of the spears. Another boy stood beside him. Charlie didn¡¯t know this boy¡¯s name but recognized him as one of the children who had been on the hunt with Kashak. They both stared at their former weapons. The wooden shafts were charred and broken. Charlie didn¡¯t think they were salvageable, but he knew little about weapons in general. Kashak noticed Lyra staring and turned toward her. Lyra approached. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a council meeting now. We need to make a plan.¡±


    Kashak didn¡¯t say anything. He just nodded. He tapped the other boy on the shoulder, and they walked in the same direction Luc and Florence had gone.


    Lyra trailed behind them. She hadn¡¯t made another attempt to communicate with Charlie since earlier. Since everything with Varroc.


    He¡¯d hoped she¡¯d forgotten.


    He knew she hadn¡¯t.


    He turned his attention to the dirty blue dungeon core he still held onto. ¡°Orb? Are you up yet? You¡¯re never asleep this long.¡±


    Orb was quiet. Charlie held Orb up and shook him furiously, trying to shake him away. ¡°Wake up Orb!¡±


    Still nothing.


    ¡°Parent?¡± he tried, knowing it wouldn¡¯t work. Parent had said he would still have limited access to the interface but wouldn¡¯t be able to ask it specific questions. But he should still be able to get some information, right? ¡°Interface?¡± he thought.


    He felt something that time. ¡°Interface? Uhm, why can¡¯t I use my powers?¡±


    ¡°Status requested. One moment. Dungeon integrity is currently 58%. Abilities currently unavailable. Dungeon Core unavailable. Would you like to allocate resources to the creation of a temporary core?¡±

 Chapter 31: Council and Cores

    Charlie blinked at the voice. Had he heard that correctly? What did the interface mean by creation of a temporary core? And what was wrong with Orb? Why was he unavailable?


    Lyra stopped walking, as if she had a thought. She hurried over to Sophia. Of all the children, Sophia was one of the few that wasn¡¯t crying. She had returned to her usual fetal position, though, which Charlie now assumed was her default state. Lyra spoke softly. ¡°Sophia, would you mind joining me? A few of us are about to talk, and I think you could help provide some insight.¡±


    Sofia looked up. ¡°I can¡­help?¡±


    Lyra nodded, holding out a hand. Sophia took it, and she followed Lyra back toward the tunnel where the other council members had disappeared.


    Charlie held up Orb to inspect him. The dungeon core was still covered in a thick layer of padded dirt. Charlie used a few fingers to scrape some of the dirt away. His eyes went wide when he saw it.


    Orb¡¯s usual blue glow was heavily faded. More than Charlie had ever seen before. He had green splotches and looked sickly. Like a dungeon core without any life in it. He thought about what the interface had said. Something about allocating resources to the creation of a temporary core? Would that help Orb? What exactly did it mean?


    Lyra and Sophia entered the tunnel leading deeper into the dungeon and kept walking. Charlie didn¡¯t see Kashak, Luc, or the others that had gone on ahead. He turned his attention back to the matter at hand.


    ¡°Interface, what¡¯s wrong with Orb?¡±


    ¡°Status requested. One moment. Dungeon integrity is currently 58%. Abilities currently unavailable. Dungeon Core unavailable. Would you like to allocate resources to the creation of a temporary core?¡±


    Charlie frowned. Parent had said he would lose the ability to ask specific questions. Maybe if he created whatever a temporary core was, that would help.


    ¡°Yes! Create a temporary core!¡±


    ¡°Confirmed. Temporary core creation has begun. Dungeon integrity is now at 28%. Abilities will be available upon the main core¡¯s return to the dungeon.¡±


    So, to get a temporary core and have his abilities returned, Orb had to go back into the dungeon. But his powers wouldn¡¯t work until he had the temporary core! That didn¡¯t make any sense. How was he supposed¡ªoh.


    Maybe he didn¡¯t need his power. What if he ate Orb? Before Charlie had the sentience ability used on him, he used to eat his yummy friend all the time. But would that return Orb to the dungeon? He wasn¡¯t sure. But he had to assume the interface wouldn¡¯t ask him to do something impossible. Still, he wished he had time to rub more of the dirt off.


    Charlie stretched his mouth really wide and popped Orb inside. He swallowed him whole. It actually wasn¡¯t that bad. In fact, he thought the dirt added a little flavor.


    ¡°Confirmation of return of main core. Temporary core creation is still in progress.¡±


    Lyra finally noticed him. ¡°Charlie! What was that? Spit it out! You¡¯ll choke!¡±


    Charlie looked up, confused. What was she worried about?


    He looked over at Sophia, who looked at him with wide, concerned eyes.


    Lyra rudely put a finger inside his mouth and looked around. She shook her head. ¡°I swore I saw him put something in his mouth¡­¡± She listened and realized he was breathing just fine. She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Guess he¡¯s fine. We¡¯re here anyway.¡±


    Charlie looked up. They hadn¡¯t gone very far into the dungeon at all. He knew the daycare was still easily within sight. There was a door in front of them, on the hallway¡¯s left side. But it was a door with a window. There wasn¡¯t anything but the dungeon wall on the other side. It was clearly one of the fake doors. What was she doing?


    She gently kicked the bottom half of the door three times. The bottom half of the door swung open. Florence emerged from the other side, pushing it open. She made a face, wondering why Sophia and Charlie were there, and then shrugged and waved them inside.


    Lyra ducked through first, moving carefully so she didn¡¯t drop Charlie. She cradled him against her body with one arm and used the other to crawl. Sophia followed behind her.


    Florence peeked out again to make sure no one was watching and then pulled the half door shut tight again.


    They were in a small room with a long table. There were eight wooden chairs, four on each side. Each of the chairs had some sort of cushion or blanket folded atop it. Kashak and the boy with him from earlier sat on the far side of the table. Luc sat on the opposite side and end of the table. Florence went to join him. She accidentally bumped into his arm as she sat, frantically apologizing.


    Luc sucked in air through gritted teeth for a minute straight. Before letting a breath out. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Lyra beckoned for Sophia to take a seat. To her surprise, Sophia walked around the table and sat next to the strange boy with Kashak. Lyra blinked but didn¡¯t say anything. She sat next to Florence.


    Kashak leaned forward to look at Sophia, two chairs down from him. ¡°Why did you bring her? She is not a part of the council. And the baby boy? You didn¡¯t trust the other children to watch him for ten minutes?¡±


    Lyra sighed. ¡°I guess we¡¯re getting started. Besides Charlie and Kyo, Sophia is the only one of us that has been outside of the dungeon in a long time. We don¡¯t know how it¡¯s like out there. If we¡¯re escaping, her opinions and knowledge could be very useful.¡±


    She didn''t explain Charlie''s presence.


    Sophia¡¯s lips parted, and she looked around at the others. She felt the pressure of what Lyra just said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but we could¡¯ve asked her afterwards if that¡¯s how we decide to move forward,¡± Kashak said.


    The other children all turned to look at him. ¡°What? Why wouldn¡¯t we move forward with the plan? We¡¯ve gotta escape!¡± Luc said, his voice rising.


    Florence shook her head. ¡°I understand this is scary, Kashak, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am not scared!¡± Kashak slammed his hand down on the table as he said it. Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. There was a massive dent where his fist connected with the table. A crater several inches in the wood. Charlie stared at it and then turned back to Kashak.


    No normal kid could do something like that.


    Charlie would know. He wasn¡¯t normal either.


    But what did that mean? Could Kashak use hexes? Or was this something else?


    Lyra froze too, for a second. Then she stood up. An angry look on her face. ¡°Kashak! This place is sacred.¡±


    Charlie shuddered in her arms. The room suddenly felt filled with magic. Kashak looked up at her, surprised. He snapped out of his sudden outburst. He didn¡¯t say anything. His eyes cut away from her. She sighed. ¡°What are you suggesting, Kashak? That we stay here for the rest of our lives?¡± she asked.


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    Kashak looked up at her, and then at the others. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Luc and Florence gasped. Lyra seemed taken aback. Sophia was quiet.


    ¡°We were talking about it¡­¡± Kashak put his hand on the shoulder of the boy next to him. ¡°Desmond and I think that it¡¯s best we remain here. Look at what Varroc did to Luc. He was one of our best spear fighters. Now he¡¯s¡­ broken. I know they took Kyo. And before that, it was Tomas. But that is extremely rare. You¡¯ve heard the guards talk. The other daycares take children all the time. We¡¯ve been lucky. Just two of us in all these years? They leave us in peace for the most part. They only took Tomas because we broke the rules. We just need to accept things as they are.¡±


    Luc spoke quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not broken.¡± He didn¡¯t sound convinced of that himself.


    Lyra started to respond, but it was Florence who spoke up. She shot to her feet and walked all the way around the table. She jabbed a finger right at Kashak¡¯s chest.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± she said. By the look on everyone¡¯s faces, Charlie wasn¡¯t the only one surprised. This seemed out of character for the usually quiet Florence. ¡°Kyo loved you! You played with him all the time. And Tomas was like a brother to us. He went with them to save us. How dare you sit here and say that¡¯s okay. You¡¯re supposed to be the strongest one in our entire group. They all saw how you reacted today. You didn¡¯t have to fight. But turning your face away like that when they needed you, that broke them. It broke me.¡±


    Tears streamed down her face.


    Kashak looked up, his mouth agape. ¡°Florence¡­¡±


    Charlie felt a pang in his chest. He didn¡¯t like to see Florence cry. He didn¡¯t know her well at all. But he hated this. He didn¡¯t want any of these children to be sad. His own eyes teared up.


    She shook her head, turning to Lyra. ¡°And you and I both know we shouldn¡¯t be having a meeting right now. You¡¯re our leader. You can¡¯t run off to find a solution every time something goes wrong. They don¡¯t need that right now; they need to hear it¡¯s going to be okay. Luc and I needed to hear it was going to be okay. But you just walked up and said we were having a council meeting!¡±


    Lyra¡¯s face grew dark. She closed her eyes and her head fell.


    Florence wiped her face and returned to her chair. She plopped down on it and turned away. Charlie had the feeling that if it wasn¡¯t for Luc needing her help, she would¡¯ve stormed out of the room already.


    The room was quiet. Lyra sighed. She stood and walked to the head of the table.


    ¡°You¡¯re right Florence. I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve been a better leader back there. I was stressed about Kyo, and worried about Luc¡¯s arm. I failed as a leader and didn¡¯t protect us. But that¡¯s why we need to push into the dungeon. Now is the time. Varroc thinks he broke us. He thinks he won. There¡¯s a reason he came in person this time. He¡¯s afraid of us. Tomas gave us this chance. He mapped out a route through the dungeon that would help us escape. But because of that, we know something else as well. It takes days to get to the center of the dungeon. We have at least that long before they get to where they¡¯re going with Kyo. Varroc isn¡¯t sending more supplies for two days at least. Don¡¯t you guys realize it? This is it. This is our chance to make a push into the dungeon. We¡¯ll have a two-day head start. We go after them, get Kyo back, and escape.¡±


    Luc looked stunned. ¡°The window was 24 hours before because they bring food every day. But now we have 48 hours to get everyone out of the dungeon. They wouldn¡¯t even realize we were gone until it was too late!¡± he said.


    Lyra nodded. ¡°Sophia, if we get out of Sange, can you help us find our way to the capital?¡±


    Sophia twisted her lip. ¡°I think so, but why there?¡± she asked.


    For the first time since the incident with Varroc, Luc broke into a grin. ¡°Because we¡¯re going to march all the way to Karze and the let the king know what¡¯s happening here! We can¡¯t break everyone out of Sange, but we can make sure they get help. The king needs to know what¡¯s going on! We¡¯re going to do everything in our power to let him know!¡±


    It was like a switch flipped in Sophia. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll help!¡± she said.


    Lyra looked around at the others. Florence nodded at her. She turned to Kashak and Desmond.


    Kashak wouldn¡¯t meet her eyes. He glanced at Desmond. Desmond didn¡¯t return the gaze. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re going by numbers. We¡¯ve lost. So, fine, I¡¯m in.¡±


    Kashak grunted at Desmond¡¯s betrayal. Desmond shrugged. ¡°At this point, even the baby would vote against us. Come on, man, they need us. We¡¯re the guys who caught a freaking Scaler for Hex King¡¯s sake. If anyone can lead them through the dungeon, it¡¯s us.¡±


    That was just the thing Kashak needed to hear. A smirk crept across his face. ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m more experienced in the dungeons. So don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let you boss me around in there,¡± he said, looking at Lyra.


    She nodded. ¡°Alright, everyone, go and gather the others. We¡¯re going to let them know the plan.¡± The council members stood. Desmond and Kashak were the first to leave. Florence helped Luc up. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.


    He eyed Lyra. ¡°You aren¡¯t coming?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I need a minute. Take Sophia back for me,¡± Lyra said.


    Luc exchanged a look with Florence, but they nodded. Lyra waited until they were gone and hurried to pull the door shut. She turned and sat Charlie on the table. She took a few steps back.


    ¡°Alright, Charlie. It¡¯s time we talked.¡±


    At the same time, there was a little ding. It was like the timer on an oven was going off.


    ¡°Temporary dungeon core creation is complete.¡±


    Charlie and Lyra both looked at the transparent blue dungeon core that suddenly floated between them.


    Merlin


    Merlin swallowed. Bursts of fire erupted at regular intervals, illuminating the dark mineshaft. The cave was hot. Merlin was so sweaty his clothes clung to his skin. He would¡¯ve left his cloak behind, but he didn¡¯t trust anyone not to steal it. He¡¯d already seen the greedy eyes of the other prisoners. They¡¯d love to replace their torn and weathered clothing with his own.


    And so, he wore it, even in this humid, steaming hell of a place.


    Crussus looked at him. ¡°And this is the reason casualty rates in the mine are so high. The kierstone they have us mining is more abundant just past areas like these. We call them flare-zones. We don¡¯t know why they happen, but if you can get through without being scorched to death, there¡¯s plenty of that black rock on the other side. You¡¯re not allowed to mine on your first day. The guards don¡¯t want you getting everyone killed. Since there are seven of us, and we only need six men, you can hang back to relay messages if we need you to. That way, we don¡¯t have to cross the zone too many times. We¡¯re just mapping a new site out today, so it shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±


    Merlin nodded. He took a seat. This was not the time to play the hero. Crussus smiled at him and went on ahead. Merlin watched.


    There were six men besides himself. One of them was designated the spotter. His job was to memorize the flare-zones pattern and tell everyone when to go. He was apparently great at his job. The others were confident of him. You had to be, to run through a mineshaft that was literally throwing fire at you when he told you to run.


    The spotter stroked a long grey beard as he watched the flames.


    Crussus stepped up. ¡°I¡¯ll go first. Tell me when,¡± he said.


    The spotter raised a hand. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off the flare-zone. He was watching for any change in the pattern. The slightest alteration meant he would need to start over, wait for the flames to settle into something familiar again. ¡°I¡¯ve got it. I always go first. Lead by example. I want to make sure everyone follows my call outs exactly. So, I¡¯ve gotta show I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    Crussus started to protest. But the spotter held another hand up. ¡°Shhh! It¡¯s coming up. 5, 4, 3, 2¡­¡± He never said one. He took off and ran into the flare zone. Just after he passed through the entrance, two sharp bursts of flames filled it. He skidded to a stop a moment before another flame shot through the space in front of him. He covered his face and waited. It ended, and he took off again.


    The other men cheered him on silently, throwing fist and leaning in.


    Merlin had to admit, it was pretty impressive. He stood to watch and joined the others. Rooting the spotter on.


    The spotter came to another stop, waiting for a burst of flame to come to an end. He kept an eye on a hole in the wall to his side.


    He bounced nervously.


    His fingers were counting down the seconds. He had it all mapped out.


    Merlin watched the fingers fold into his fist one by one. The flame would end in three fingers.


    Two.


    One.


    The flame didn¡¯t end.


    The spotter froze.


    ¡°Shit!¡± he turned, trying to run back. A flame poured out of the hole he¡¯d been watching nervously.


    The flame only lasted a second. But the spotter¡¯s skin was indistinguishable from the black wall of the dungeon. He only had a second to curse the flare zone for altering its pattern at the last moment.


    Crussus grimaced, his head falling. One of the other men turned to look at Merlin. ¡°Hey uh, we need six men on the other side. You¡¯re gonna have to come with us now.¡±


    Merlin gulped.

 Chapter 32: Rise Up!

    Lyra jumped back. Charlie¡¯s eyes grew wide.


    The floating, transparent core was almost an exact replica of Orb.


    Lyra¡¯s eyes flipped between the ghostly reincarnation of Orb and the blonde baby she¡¯d sat down on the table.


    The ball floated closer to her. She panicked, swatting at it. The transparent dungeon core bounced off her hand and then flew away. It hovered in a far corner of the room, out of reach. She looked at it, confused, and then back at Charlie. ¡°What is that?¡± She shook her head. ¡°You can talk, right? I heard you. I know I¡¯m not crazy. At least, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m crazy.¡±


    Charlie stared at her. He was supposed to be keeping his powers secret. But he had spoken to her earlier already, and if there was anything he had learned since getting his powers, it was that it was useful to have someone around he could talk to. Something was wrong with Orb, and now he had this new temporary dungeon core to figure out.


    With all the children planning to go deeper into the dungeon, it made sense to look for an ally in Lyra.


    ¡°My interface says I¡¯m a dungeon core baby! So, I can talk, and I can fight, too!¡± Charlie said. Usually Orb helped with this part. He wasn¡¯t very good at it.


    Lyra stared at him like she almost hadn¡¯t actually expected him to answer. Her eyes flicked back over at the floating dungeon core cowering in the room¡¯s corner. ¡°Okay¡­earlier when Varroc was here, you were going to attack him, weren¡¯t you? I could feel something in the air. A build up of magic potential. That was you, right?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°You told me to stop. So, I waited. But I wanted to help Luc and keep them from taking Kyo. I¡­don¡¯t like Varroc.¡± He realized now that even if she hadn¡¯t stopped him, his powers may not have worked. The interface had told him he needed to create a temporary core first. For some reason.


    ¡°I thought so. Can you show me your power? I¡¯d like to gauge how strong you are,¡± Lyra said.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to hurt you by accident. I haven¡¯t had my powers for very long.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m strong. You saw what Kashak did, right?¡± she asked.


    Charlie looked at the crater in the table. He had seen. Kashak was powerful. Especially for someone his age. He turned back toward her and nodded.


    ¡°Kashak and I have fought before, a lot. An old friend of ours used to train us. Luc too. He helped us hone our abilities. I¡¯m strong. Not in the same way as Kashak, but I am strong. We¡¯ve fought before, and he¡¯s never beaten me. Not once. I promise, I¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    Charlie frowned. He wasn¡¯t sure about this, but maybe it was for the best she knew what he could do. Still, he would hold back just to be safe. He looked around and scooted back on the table. Charlie visualized a small, but firm, pillar inside his dungeon.


    He held out a hand toward her and used his combination attack.


    Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!


    She responded just as quickly. ¡°Emerald Hex Elemental!¡± A stream of water shot forward and met the pillar head on. The stream split the pillar in two. A second stream of water covered her body, protecting her from the scattered shards of dungeon material he¡¯d thrown at her. The tiny rocks dissipated into dust and faded away.


    Lyra smiled. ¡°You¡¯re strong! I bet you held back, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Charlie nodded. He had held back a lot. Still, he was surprised she¡¯d been able to stop his attack at all.


    ¡°Okay, now that I know you have powers, I¡¯ll tell you the truth. I do want to help the other children escape the dungeon. But I don¡¯t plan on going to the king afterwards. I have a different goal in mind.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I know Luc has the right intentions. But I don¡¯t think going to the king is going to fix anything. Sange has been like this for a long time now. Years. If the king hasn¡¯t acted by now, it isn¡¯t because he doesn¡¯t know. It¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t want to act. So, my goal isn¡¯t to escape this place.¡±


    There was a twinkle in her eye. ¡°After we save Kyo and help the others escape, I¡¯m going to destroy this dungeon myself. I¡¯m going to clear it. I believe if we do that, everything that¡¯s happening in Sange will come to an end. And Charlie, if you¡¯ll lend me your power as well, I¡¯d like your help.¡±


    Charlie pushed himself off the table into a sitting position. He put a few fingers in his mouth while he thought.


    The last time he¡¯d taken on a dungeon, people had gotten hurt. Someone had died. Vicke had died. And now, Orb was out of commission, and he was separated from all the rest of his friends as well. He didn¡¯t know if what Lyra said about the king was true, if he really didn¡¯t care enough to put a stop to Varroc and his men.


    But Charlie knew some things. He knew Merlin was somewhere in Sange. He knew that Sophia¡¯s mom was waiting for her daughter. And he knew that all of these children had been stuck in this dungeon for a long time.


    If Lyra thought they could stop all of this by taking on the dungeon, then he would help.


    He would take it on, too.


    ***


    Lyra and Charlie made their way back to the daycare. The other children were already gathered, waiting when they arrived. Luc and Florence sat in front of them. Kashak and Desmond were looking at the spears again. Kashak pulled a few out and handed them to Desmond. Lyra approached.


    ¡°Are any salvageable?¡± she asked.


    Kashak ignored the question. Desmond sighed. ¡°So far? Three. Plus, the few we have hidden in the dungeon. We have enough for a small group to carry spears. Not as much as we had planned for. Ideally, everyone would be armed,¡± he said.


    Lyra nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll make it work. Thanks, you two.¡± She walked over to the other children and stood before them. Charlie looked around. Many of the children looked up to Lyra. That much was obvious. What she said next would either break them or give them hope. Some still cried. Some had stopped and were wiping their faces. Others sniffled. A few looked to be on the verge of exhaustion.


    But every single one of them focused on Lyra the minute she walked to the front of the room.


    ¡°I know today was hard. Varroc thinks he broke us. He thinks he¡¯s won, and we¡¯ll give up now. But he didn¡¯t win. He destroyed this place. But he did not destroy us. You all know we¡¯ve been talking about escaping the dungeon for a long time. After meeting with the council, we¡¯ve decided, now is the time. We¡¯re going deeper into the dungeon tonight.¡±


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    A series of gasps and whispers started. Kashak and Desmond approached. Florence helped Luc to his feet. They stood beside Lyra.


    ¡°I know we thought we would have more time. But the time is now. We¡¯re going to save Kyo, and we¡¯re going to escape. In a few days, we¡¯ll never need to even see a dungeon again. But we all need to be strong. Everything is going to be alright,¡± she said.


    Charlie tilted his head. Her words sounded so confident. But unlike the others, Charlie could feel something they couldn¡¯t. He could feel the quickening of her heartbeat through her chest as she cradled him in her arms.


    Charlie didn¡¯t blame her. As the kids got ready, and packed what little they could salvage from Varroc¡¯s destruction, he only had one thought on his mind.


    He was about to go deep into a dungeon for the second time. But this time, Charlie wasn¡¯t with a group of seasoned adventurers. This time, he was a baby in a group of children.


    He would do everything he could to keep them safe.


    Merlin


    Crussus slapped him on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯ve earned your dinner tonight!¡±


    Merlin shook his head, eyeing the moldy bread in his hand. ¡°I hate to say it, but you were right. After being in the mine all day, I¡¯m starving.¡± He swallowed, staring at the bread some more. ¡°Okay, maybe not. I¡¯ll save it for later.¡± He put the bread in his pocket.


    His stomach grumbled.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll pick around the mold.¡± It sucked. He¡¯d had to run through a dangerous flare-zone and his only reward was a piece of stinky, moldy bread. Merlin looked back at the rear of his cloak where the fire at singed it. He was lucky it had worked out.


    Now, they sat in the enormous crater in the center of the city, the mining operation that he¡¯d been assigned to. There were others spread throughout the city, but this was the newest. And the largest. Several new mineshafts were being explored and mined every day.


    One of the other men walked by the spot where Merlin and Crussus sat, eating their dinner. The man clapped Merlin on the shoulder as he walked by. ¡°Great job today, Merlin! I¡¯ve never seen someone run through a flare zone like that on their first day! I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d make it!¡±


    ¡°Please stop reminding me of that horrible place,¡± Merlin said, shivering. It had been a long day. Thankfully, there hadn¡¯t been any other casualties after the incident with the spotter. They¡¯d mapped out the small pocket of kierstone quickly and made their way back to the surface.


    They¡¯d been able to seal the flare zone on the way back with kierstone to keep the flames from threatening them on the way out. Merlin asked why they hadn¡¯t done so in the first place, but Crussus had shaken his head.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t allowed to take kierstone into the mines, only out. I don¡¯t know why. Guards are strict about that. We aren¡¯t allowed access to it once we turn it in.¡±


    Merlin cleared his mind. He was more interested in something else. He looked around. ¡°Crussus, why don¡¯t the people here fight back? Surely there are more of us than there are guards.¡±


    Crussus choked on his bread. He looked around frantically. ¡°Merlin! You have to be careful about saying stuff like that. They¡¯ll hang us.¡± He leaned in. ¡°Truth is, they tried. Three years ago¡­or maybe it was four? Anyway, there was a rebellion. A group of knights from a neighboring country infiltrated Sange. They joined the work camps and convinced the people to fight back. It was almost successful, but just when they thought Varroc¡¯s men were routed, they say¡­¡± he paused, nodding to another prisoner walking by.


    He waited until the man was out of earshot to continue speaking.


    ¡°That¡¯s when the snatchers first showed up. They were¡­inhuman. With their help, Varroc suppressed the rebellion and executed a lot of people involved. Many of the people you see around you, well, they watched their parents, siblings, children, and spouses get executed. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve lost someone before, Merlin, but it takes the fight out of you.¡±


    Merlin looked down. ¡°I know.¡±


    Crussus sighed. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t mean to bring up any bad memories. I just, there¡¯s a reason I wanted to make sure you kept the fight inside alive. Not many people here have it.¡±


    Merlin thought for a moment. Crussus kept saying that, about having ¡®fight¡¯ inside or whatever. To be honest, Merlin didn¡¯t feel like he had that at all. If Charlie was here, he¡¯d already have done something. He was probably doing something now in the dungeon. Yet here Merlin was doing slave labor. Risking his life to survive another day. Was that really what he should do? Shouldn¡¯t he be working to help as well? Sure, they were separated. But what could Merlin do here, to help Charlie wherever he was? What if¡­


    ¡°But you think some do? You think some people would fight, given the chance?¡± Merlin asked.


    Crussus stared at him. ¡°Are you talking about an uprising?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Merlin swallowed. His heart was beating so fast he could feel it in his toes.


    ¡°I know of a handful. Maybe thirty or so men. If that. If you¡¯re serious. Then yes, there are a few.¡±


    ¡°We would need weapons. I suppose we could make some, but thirty men isn¡¯t much. How could we¡ª¡±


    Crussus held a hand up. ¡°It¡¯s true. Anyone can craft makeshift weapons. But if we want a fighting chance against Varroc¡¯s crew, not just any weapons will do. We¡¯ll need to take up arms worth a damn. That won¡¯t be easy. Sad thing is, Sange used to be known for its blacksmithing. But Varroc has forced almost all the old blacksmithing families into working for him. We¡¯d never get access to them, even if they might be willing to help. Still, there is¡­¡±


    Merlin leaned in. ¡°Is what?¡±


    Crussus pointed to an old man sitting at a table by himself. He ripped small pieces of his dinner bread up and plopped them into his mouth. Slowly savoring each moldy bite. ¡°That grumpy old man over there could help. But convincing him won¡¯t be easy. Trust me, I¡¯ve tried.¡±


    That was interesting, so Crussus had thought about this before. Merlin stood up, hurrying over toward the man Crussus had pointed at. ¡°Merlin wait!¡±


    Merlin looked over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve got an old man to convince!¡± he called out.


    They joined the man at his table. He was older, with large hands, much too large for his body. He eyed them distastefully when they sat. ¡°Crussus,¡± he said coldly, plopping another piece of bread in his mouth.


    ¡°Torq! How are you?¡±


    ¡°Worse now. This your new pet?¡±


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m Merlin. I hear you¡¯re a blacksmith.¡±


    Torq stopped for a second before putting another piece of bread in his mouth. He stood, shook his head, and walked off.


    Crussus sighed. Merlin hurried after him. ¡°Wait! Are you really okay with this life? You don¡¯t want to fight?¡±


    Torq spun around quickly and slapped Merlin hard across the face. ¡°My father fought! My grandfather fought! You know where they are now?¡± He pointed to the enormous pyramid of black kierstones. ¡°Buried under that rubble, with everyone else executed after the rebellion. My grandfather was a legendary blacksmith. He made a weapon for the hero of Aysela himself. I promised I would do the same thing one day. But I¡¯m old. If I help you and get killed like them. I¡¯ll never accomplish my dream. I¡¯ll never craft a weapon for a hero as a great as that man was. So just be grateful I¡¯m not turning you in to the guards. I¡¯ve got to live as long as I can. I¡¯ve got to live until I accomplish that dream.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re surrounded by kierstone. What¡¯s stopping you?¡± Merlin asked, rubbing his face.


    Crussus hurried over. ¡°Merlin, that¡¯s enough. We need to go before people notice.¡±


    Torq laughed. ¡°Kierstone is shit.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. That¡¯s not fair. Kierstone is fine. But it has its limits. No, the weapon I was born to make will require a rarer material. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t agree. This life is terrible. But I won¡¯t throw it away for you, lad. Good luck.¡±


    Merlin grabbed Torq by the shoulder firm. The short old man turned around as if he would strike Merlin again.


    But he froze when he saw what was in Merlin¡¯s hand.


    The shining black dungeallis crystal Charlie had given him before they¡¯d entered Sange. The guards had searched him for weapons. But Merlin was used to hiding valuable things on his person.


    It was easy enough to keep them from finding it.


    ¡°What about this? Can you make that weapon with this?¡±


    Torq¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°But¡­how did you¡­you found this in the mines?¡± he asked.


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t. But based on your reaction, this would work. So, I¡¯ll trade you. You help us make weapons, and I¡¯ll let you craft something out of this.¡±


    Torq bit his lip. ¡°Aye, I can make a weapon from that. But it doesn¡¯t matter much. A weapon like this has to be crafted with someone in mind. Without a hero, that¡­is just a useless rock.¡±


    Merlin smirked at that. ¡°You want a hero from another world? I can help with that, too. Let me tell you about my friend. A boy named Charlie.¡±

 Chapter 33: Kidnapping

    As the children moved deeper into the dungeon, Charlie realized it was only getting stranger and stranger. The odd decorations that he saw on their way to the initiation earlier with Sophia and Kyo dwelled compared to the things he saw now.


    Beds, complete with tucked in blankets and pillows, hung upside down from the ceiling. At regular intervals, there were mirror frames on opposite sides of the wall. But only one mirror had glass in it at a time. The glass would shatter, and then the pieces would float across the hall to snap firmly into place within the other mirror frame.


    It looked dangerous, but the mirrors always halted their back-and-forth exchange as the children passed.


    Charlie thought it was very polite of them.


    The dungeon was still fond of its stairways, now the stairs no longer stopped after a few steps. Instead, they took up nearly the entirety of the dungeon¡¯s hallway itself. They rose all the way to the ceiling, where they ended, with nowhere else to go. The children skirted past the stairs in the openings on either side of them. Charlie found it all very strange.


    What was the point of all these weird decorations? It was like the dungeon had lost its mind or something.


    Kashak led the children. A handful of spear wielders trailed behind him. A few more lingered toward the rear of the group, watching their backs. At first, Charlie had found that strange, but they had since passed several tunnels leading to new sections of the dungeon.


    There wasn¡¯t any telling what lurked down them.


    Luc and Florence walked with the younger children, corralling them, and keeping them safely in the center of the group. Lyra held him, as usual, and his floating, transparent temporary core rested atop his belly. It had somewhat gotten over its fear of Lyra. But anytime she moved too quickly, the core would roll closer to Charlie¡¯s face for protection. It was really strange, and he wasn¡¯t sure what exactly the core¡¯s purpose was.


    The children came to a stop at an intersection within the dungeon. There were three alternative paths, one to either side and one leading further ahead. Lyra joined Kashak at the front of the group. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    Kashak knelt, studying the dirt. Charlie leaned over and saw a trail of footprints. They seemed to head down the straight path. Kashak shook his head, turning toward Lyra. ¡°They¡¯re moving too fast and we¡¯re moving too slow. They came through here a while ago. If we continue at this pace, they¡¯ll reach the center of the dungeon before we catch up.¡±


    An alarmed expression flickered across Lyra¡¯s face for just a moment before she caught herself and straightened up. ¡°Their legs are smaller than ours. They won¡¯t be able to keep up if we try to move faster.¡± She pointed her head toward the smaller children.


    Luc overheard and moved to join them. ¡°What if the hunters go on ahead? The rest of us will move at our own pace. I know you want to keep everyone together, but we have to stop them as soon as we can! Kyo¡¯s counting on us!¡±


    Lyra shook her head. ¡°No. That would leave the more vulnerable children with no protection. I can¡¯t keep them all safe myself. We have to keep the Scalers in mind.¡± She froze. A thought occurred to her.


    Her eyes locked in on Kashak. ¡°Kashak, what if we cut through Scaler territory? We¡¯d have to move even more carefully, but Tomas always said he believed there was a faster route somewhere through there. If we can find it, we might be able to get ahead of Brel and the other guards and set up an ambush. It¡¯s risky, but with all of us together, they might be too intimidated to mess with us.¡±


    Kashak sighed. He turned to look at the other hunters, and then at the smaller children. ¡°It took all of us to capture the Scaler that escaped. It was hard. But we pulled it off because it was on its own. Separated from its kin. If we move through their territory, it won¡¯t be that way. They¡¯ll travel in larger groups. Even Tomas wasn¡¯t willing to go into their territory. It¡¯s risky, Lyra. Even for me.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. You just said we can¡¯t keep up at this pace, and we can¡¯t leave the younger children behind. We¡¯ll move through as a team. We can take the safe route back after we get Kyo. We¡¯ll stay quiet, and avoid any lizards we come across,¡± Lyra said.


    Kashak looked over at Luc, who nodded his encouragement. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll try it.¡±


    It was nice to see them working together. But Charlie wondered if this was the best idea. He could talk to Lyra about it, but he didn¡¯t want all the other children to learn his secret, too. Merlin wouldn¡¯t be too happy about that. Still, he needed to know what they were up against.


    Kashak led the children down the tunnel to the right. They had the smaller children bundle together and hold hands as they walk. The hunters with spears spread out in a circle around them.


    Those without them stayed inside the circle with the other children, but looked around, providing an extra set of eyes and ears. Some of them had ripped a few of the blinking lamps off the walls and now used them as makeshift clubs. They wrapped shirts and other extra garments around the lamps to keep the flickering lights from being annoying. Others had table or chair legs.


    Charlie had to give them to credit, the children were resourceful.


    ¡°Lyra, what do you know about the Scalers? How dangerous are they? What can they do?¡± he thought spoke to her. He still wondered how she was able to hear him. But for now, he was just grateful that she could.


    Lyra looked at him, then around at the other children. She bit her lip. ¡°Little ones, listen up! Do you all remember what we said about the lizards? What we have to look out for?¡± she asked.


    Sophia made her way to join Lyra. She exchanged eye contact with Charlie. He smiled at her. She blinked in surprise, then looked at her feet as she walked, a smile on her face as well.


    A little girl called out an answer. ¡°Scalers can climb on the walls and attack from anywhere! They have sharp teeth, long claws, and a really big tongue that shoots out!¡±


    Lyra patted the girl on her head. ¡°Very good, Josephine! Anyone else?¡±


    A little boy raised his hand. ¡°Some of them have these big fins on their head like this!¡± He curved an arm on either side of his head and made a weird face. ¡°The ones like that can spit something that burns you really bad. Tomas always said to run away from those!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! If we see those, stay close to me. I¡¯ll use my hex to keep the acid from hitting anyone. Okay?¡±


    The smaller children shouted a chorus of agreements. Kashak glared at Lyra over his shoulder.


    She held a finger up to her lips. ¡°Remember, we have to be quiet,¡± she told the children.


    Charlie smiled. Lyra was fantastic with the other kids. They were lucky to have someone like her to keep an eye on them. He gave her a little thumbs up. She¡¯d found a way to communicate with him without giving away his secret.


    Scalers were unpredictable, and some of them could shoot acid. He needed to keep that in mind. Lyra¡¯s water elemental hex wasn¡¯t the only defensive option. He could create walls too! But¡­he wasn¡¯t sure how Lyra would explain something like that.


    If it came down to protecting the children, or keeping his powers a secret, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate.


    He would fight with everything he had.


    They moved like this for a while. The dungeon got narrower at first and then opened up. They crossed into a new section of the hallway that was two times as large as usual. ¡°We¡¯re officially in Scaler territory from this point forward,¡± she whispered, looking down at Charlie. He nodded at her.


    He turned to watch the hunters up front with Kashak and Desmond. They moved slowly now. Kashak was vigilant. His head slowly swiveled, searching the walls and ceilings for any sign of Scalers. It would be harder to track the lizards down than it was to track people. Since they could climb on walls. The children had to keep their eyes focused on many more areas at once.


    ¡°Arh.¡± The noise echoed through the hallway.


    Kashak held a hand up and the others stopped. Desmond turned to look at the hunters in the rear. They signaled it was clear. He turned his focus back ahead and squatted next to Kashak.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The next section of the tunnel was eerily dark. They hadn¡¯t needed the lamplight for a while, but suddenly it was almost impossible to see up ahead.


    They stood there, frozen for a while, but no new noises followed the first. Kashak pointed to two hunters, motioning for them to join him. He held a hand out towards Desmond, instructing him to keep an eye on the others. Kashak held his spear in one hand. In the other, he reached back and held a hand out toward one of the lamp wielding boys. The boy handed it over.


    Kashak unwrapped the lamp, letting the shirt wrapped around it fall to the floor. He stepped forward, a young man on either side of him. Armed only with three spears and a blinking lamp to guide the way into the darkness ahead.


    Charlie squinted. Why exactly was the hallway in front of them so dark? Axel said it was common in dungeons for light to still reach human eyes.


    So why couldn¡¯t they see?


    ¡°Arhhhhhhh,¡± another Scaler cried. This one sounded closer. Kashak and the other two boys stopped creeping forward. One of them swallowed, looking unsurely over his shoulder at the other children.


    Kashak threw the lamp forward into the pitch black.


    It flickered as it rolled.


    On.


    Off.


    On.


    Off.


    On.


    It came to a stop flickering on to reveal hundreds of Scalers on the ground, as well as clinging to the walls and ceilings.


    They screamed as one, a chorus of terrifying screeches.


    ¡°ARHHHHHHH!¡±


    The boy on Kashak¡¯s left backed away. The other, on his right, whipped his head back around to face the Scalers. A wet spot formed on his pants.


    Kashak shook his head. ¡°Lyra! Run!¡± He screamed.


    The lamp flicked off, plunging them into darkness.


    And then the Scalers swarmed.


    Desmond cried out. ¡°Hold them back!¡±


    The children with flickering lamps quickly unwrapped them and held them high to illuminate the room.


    Droplets of water splashed Charlie¡¯s face as Lyra summoned a hex. He could barely hear her chant, over and over, it was muffled by the cries of children and shrieks of lizards. Burst of water shot forward into the swarming mass of Scalers.


    Charlie scrambled up, hearing a commotion from behind. He looked over Lyra¡¯s shoulder.


    More Scalers had flanked them.


    They were surrounded.


    Spears flashed as the hunters did their best to ward the lizards away. Claws scraped against them.


    Luc waved a flickering lamp around with his good hand to help the others see.


    A Scaler from above shrieked and leapt on him.


    It took him down below the mass of screaming children.


    This was it.


    Charlie needed to fight.


    But it was difficult to see with limited light. ¡°Core! Light, please!¡± he cried out, hoping it would understand him. The transparent core shot into the air, illuminating the immediate hallway. Several Scalers all looked up at the light, distracted, and shrieked toward it. Others ignored it, locked in battle.


    He searched for the immediate threats. First, he needed to get some control over the battlefield again. There would be too many to stop otherwise.


    Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!


    Two large block walls slowly descended from the ceiling on either side of the gathered children. It left plenty of room for the children to move while also carving a smaller battlefield out from the larger tunnel. The children were still in danger, but this would limit Scaler reinforcements at the very least.


    Florence swatted the Scaler attacking Luc away with a chair leg. It leapt to the ceiling, retreating. She screamed, a surprised victory cry, and went to help Luc up.


    A splash of liquid hit her in the face.


    She screamed again.


    This time, in anguish.


    Lyra turned toward Florence, a horrified look on her face. ¡°Florence! I didn¡¯t see it¡­I didn¡¯t see it¡­¡± she stammered.


    Charlie shrieked.


    He looked up and saw the spitting Scaler on the ceiling above. He swatted a hand toward it, activating his ability again. A portal to his dungeon opened and a pillar shot out of it.


    It crushed the Scaler into the ceiling.


    It rocked back and forth, pinning the creature against the ceiling over and over until the crunching of bone became a mashing of paste.


    Charlie was angry now.


    He started with the ones on the walls and ceilings. They were the easiest to target without worrying about harming the other children. The hunters would have to protect the children on the ground. Many Scalers sat back. Even with their overwhelming numbers, they looked for openings. It was a good thing too, because if they had simply swarmed the children, the battle would already be over.


    He tried something different. The pillars were effective at crushing them. But they were too small. Targeted attacks weren¡¯t as effective here. He needed to wipe as many out as possible. He stretched two hands apart to help him visualize it.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    Two large blocks of dungeon material appeared on either side of the dungeon¡¯s ceiling wall.


    They came crashing together. Crushing the Scalers as they went.


    Charlie clapped his hands together, over and over, in unison with the collisions.


    More blocks, more claps, more explosions of rock as they rammed into each other.


    The rocks dissipated as they fell from the ceiling to prevent them from hurting anyone.


    The other Scalers realized their numbers were taking rapid casualties.


    A deep, warbled cry came from somewhere beyond one of the rock walls Charlie had created.


    ¡°Arcaa!¡± Even muffled from behind the wall, it was an earsplitting noise.


    The wall Charlie created that led deeper into Scaler territory suddenly cracked, a hole opened, and the Scalers stuck within started to retreat.


    The problem was some of them took children with them.


    They dragged them, clamping down on arms or legs and pulling them away.


    Charlie reached out to attack.


    Warning. Dungeon Integrity at 4%. The dungeon is on the verge of collapse.


    Charlie gasped. Not now¡­he had to save them. But¡­Bleedy and Mousifer were inside his dungeon. If the dungeon collapsed now, they might die. Parent said he could increase their chances of survival, but he didn¡¯t guarantee it. But what should he do then?


    Lyra screamed.


    ¡°Emerald Hex Elemental!¡± she shouted. Water shot forward and pierced the brains of several Scalers. They went still, the children they were dragging with them scrambled away.


    Some reached the group.


    Others got caught by new lizards.


    Lyra used everything she could to stop them.


    Little Josephine cried out as a lizard reached the opening in the rock wall with her in tow. She looked directly at Lyra, screaming, and dragging her fingers through the dirt.


    And then she was gone.


    Her scream continued on the other side. Muffled by the wall. Lyra shook her head. ¡°No¡­¡±


    Charlie¡¯s rock walls crumbled, his connection to them severed by his weakening dungeon integrity.


    On the other side of one lay Kashak. A clawed, bloody mess left behind on his body. There was a large pile of Scaler corpses all around him. Some had crushed heads or necks, others looked like something had punched clean through their bodies.


    A single Scaler stood over Kashak, facing towards the large swarm.


    ¡°Arh!¡± it screamed toward the others.


    Lyra gasped and lifted her hands to attack.


    But Charlie cried out. ¡°Wait! It¡¯s protecting him!¡±


    Lyra turned to look at Charlie and then back at the lizard before them.


    It was the Scaler Kashak captured.


    The same Scaler Charlie set free.


    ¡°Arcaa!¡± The loud, reverberating scream came again from deeper into the dungeon. Charlie covered his ears.


    The swarm turned back and fled deeper into Scaler territory.


    Charlie looked around. Luc knelt beside Florence. She wept loudly, covering her face with her hands.


    She wasn¡¯t alone. Many of the children cried.


    The hunters and spearmen fell to their knees. Beaten and exhausted.


    Scaler corpses lay strewn all around them.


    Thankfully, it looked like none of the children were dead.


    But plenty were missing and injured.


    The Scalers had escaped with Josephine, and several other children as well.


    And to Charlie¡¯s horror, he realized he couldn¡¯t find Sophia either.


    The Scaler protecting Kashak bit at his pant leg and dragged him slowly towards the other children. Desmond flung his spear to the ground and hurried to Kashak¡¯s side.


    Charlie sighed. He felt like crying too.


    He hadn¡¯t been able to save them.


    This was horrible.


    He¡¯d lost Sophia.

 Chapter 34: Aftermath

    Charlie crawled around, looking at the children. Kashak was doing okay now. He leaned against a wall, catching his breath. Desmond had tended to most of his fresh scars.


    Kashak had been trapped on the wrong side of the wall. Charlie frowned at that. It was a big mistake. The two hunters with him said that Kashak had pushed them to the other side before the wall slammed down. But he¡¯d lost his spear in the process.


    If it had been anyone but Kashak, if Charlie had trapped a normal person on the opposite side of that wall, they might be dead now.


    That was on him. He had to do better.


    He looked over at the group of injured children. Several hunters stood guard over them. Others formed a protective circle around the smaller children. A few guards wandered the perimeter of their makeshift camp, waving the flickering lamps around for signs of another attack.


    Florence was among the injured. Her face looked bad. She¡¯d fallen unconscious since the attack. Luc was still moving around somehow. He hadn¡¯t left her side since. She¡¯d saved him and then gotten hurt. Charlie bet Luc was carrying that burden. He probably felt responsible.


    Charlie looked up at the transparent blue core still floating in the air. He was surprised it had listened to him. It was good to know it could follow basic instructions. Soon, he would ask the interface about it. Hopefully, it could give him some answers. But for now, he thought he¡¯d given Lyra enough time to be alone with her thoughts. He crawled back toward her at top speed.


    She looked up and held her hands out for him. She lifted him up and sat him in her lap. ¡°I failed them, Charlie. This was my idea. I thought we could protect them, but I¡­¡± she trailed off.


    Charlie frowned. He didn¡¯t know what to say.


    A boy grunted somewhere behind them. Charlie turned to see Kashak forcing himself to his feet. He used the broken shaft of a spear as a crutch and started making his way over to them. He looked up at something behind them on the other side. Charlie turned to see Luc approaching as well.


    Luc knelt and put a hand on Lyra¡¯ shoulder. Then he rubbed Charlie¡¯s head. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± he asked.


    Lyra looked at him, her eyes threatening to tear up.


    Luc¡¯s mouth parted. He wasn¡¯t used to seeing her like this.


    Kashak grimaced. He leaned against the wall and slid down it, sitting next to Lyra. ¡°You¡¯re our leader. Like it or not. So, what do we do? Do we turn back?¡±


    Lyra sighed. She looked around at the scared, injured, and sleeping children. Charlie couldn¡¯t imagine what was going on in her mind. He knew how bad he felt about trapping Kashak on the other side of the wall. He knew whatever Lyra was experiencing was ten times as bad as that. She blamed herself for it all.


    Her brows drew together. She looked around the room. ¡°They didn¡¯t kill anyone. They left all the kids alive. But took some. Why?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how Scalers hunt. We can¡¯t assume anything based on their actions here.¡±


    Charlie looked up from the three of them, noticing another boy approaching. It was Desmond. ¡°I noticed something during the fight. I thought you all should know about it,¡± he said.


    Lyra raised a brow. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I was in the middle of the fighting when I looked up and saw a Scaler. A spitting one. It was looking right at me, and I realized I couldn¡¯t get out of the way in time. But before it could attack, another one of the Scalers turned on it and bit out its throat,¡± Desmond said.


    Kashak shook his head. ¡°It was probably the friendly one over there. It protected me, too.¡± The Scaler Charlie had freed was sleeping against a wall now. After entrusting Kashak to Desmond¡¯s care, it had gone to lie down on its own. Since then, no one had dared bother it. Though the hunters kept a watchful eye on it just to be safe.


    Desmond shook his head. "No. It attacked me after. I killed it."


    Lyra picked Charlie up in her arms and stood up. She looked around the battlefield. ¡°We¡¯ve lived in the dungeons for a long time, but the Scalers rarely leave their territory. What if, what if they weren¡¯t allowed to? What if they aren¡¯t actually allowed to kill us? We failed to keep them at bay. They swarmed us and yet, aside from Kashak, Florence and a few others, injuries were minor. Perhaps there is more to all of this than we think.¡±


    Charlie looked up at her, and then back to the sleeping Scaler. Orb was very clear about the fact his sentience ability didn¡¯t activate. So why then had the Scaler ended up helping them? Why was it being friendly? Maybe Lyra was on to something.


    Kashak didn¡¯t move from his spot, sitting against the wall. He looked down. ¡°Lyra, this is nothing more than wishful thinking. We need to figure out our next steps. Scalers are not intelligent creatures. So, who do you propose set rules for them? You think they take orders from Varroc?¡± he asked.


    Lyra shook her head. ¡°No. Not Varroc. Not any human. The dungeon itself. Or at least, its core.¡±


    Luc sighed. ¡°Speaking of that, you saw all that crazy stuff during the fight, right? The dungeon helped us out back there. That, or it has really poor aim. What do you think that was about?¡±


    Lyra looked down at Charlie in his arms. He thought for a moment.


    ¡°Lyra, tell them about me. It¡¯s okay, if just these three know,¡± Charlie said.


    She blinked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± she asked, before realizing she¡¯d said it aloud.


    The three boys of the council stared at her.


    ¡°Uh, Lyra¡­who¡¯re you talking to?¡± Luc asked.


    Charlie nodded his encouragement.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She took a few steps away and then turned to face the three of them. ¡°The dungeon didn¡¯t interfere. It was Charlie. He has powers and can understand us. But most importantly, he¡¯s really strong. Without him, I don¡¯t think any of us would still be here. They would¡¯ve dragged all of us back to their nest. But with him on our side, I think it¡¯s possible.¡±


    Kashak looked up at her. ¡°Charlie is¡ª¡± He shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s possible?¡±


    Her eyes flitted between the three of them. ¡°It¡¯s possible to go take the other children back. We¡¯re going to rescue them from those lizards.¡±


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    Charlie nodded, giving the boys a thumbs up.


    All three of them blinked in surprise.


    ***


    Kashak and Desmond were organizing the rest of the hunters, making a plan to rescue the kidnapped children. Lyra and Luc focused on organizing everyone else. If they were going to pull this off, they needed to be smart. There were a lot of Scalers, and they wouldn¡¯t be so quick to retreat if the children attacked their nest.


    Charlie crawled on his own again. Well, kind of on his own. The friendly Scaler now followed him around as he crawled. The other children freaked out when they saw him moving around by himself, but Lyra had assured them they were all okay. If Kashak, Desmond and Luc hadn¡¯t seen his powers in action, and heard it from Lyra, they probably wouldn¡¯t believe any of this either. But the fact was that they didn¡¯t have time to focus on the absurdity of Charlie¡¯s powers and circumstances now.


    They needed to focus on getting the others back.


    Charlie needed to focus on getting Sophia back.


    The problem was, he didn¡¯t have any dungeon integrity left. He couldn¡¯t risk fighting without running out and putting his friends in danger. But without his power, did the kids really stand a chance of rescuing the others?


    He paused and sat up in the middle of the hallway to think. He turned to look at the Scaler. ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± he asked it, sending a mental thought its way. It didn¡¯t react. It just tilted its head at him. ¡°Guess not.¡±


    ¡°Interface, how can I get my dungeon integrity back quickly?¡± he asked.


    Silence. Right, the system was being pretty particular about when it would respond now that was Parent was gone. Seeing his status again wasn¡¯t going to help anything. A measly 4% dungeon integrity wasn¡¯t enough to do much of anything.


    He looked up, a floating blue light flew overhead. He blinked. The temporary core. He watched it float past and over to a pile of Scaler corpses. It descended until it got close to one of them, and then gentled pressed against the body.


    Charlie¡¯s lips twisted to the side. What was it doing?


    The dungeon core bounced off the dead Scaler and then pressed forward again. Bouncing against it over and over. Charlie crawled over.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked it. It made a little noise every time it bounced against it.


    Boop.


    Boop.


    Boop, boop, boop.


    Charlie felt a tingling sensation in his hand. It reminded him of¡­oh. Those weird tendrils. Except this time, it was more itchy than anything. Last time, they had forced themselves out. He wondered if there was a reason they weren¡¯t doing that this time.


    If that was even what this was.


    Did he have enough integrity? 4% should be enough. It hadn¡¯t drained anything last time.


    He looked over his shoulder. The Scaler behind him was blocking the view. None of the other kids could see past it. The guards up ahead were focused on the tunnel beyond. He should be able to get away with trying this out.


    ¡°Transfer!¡± he held a hand out.


    Two sickly looking, thin green tendrils shot out of the portal and feebly latched onto the Scaler corpse in front of him. Charlie watched in shock, his eyes growing wide as the tendrils pulled the Scaler towards his hand. It disintegrated as they worked. By the time the Scaler was sucked through the portal, there was nothing left of its body.


    It looked similar to the way the material from his dungeon dissolved after he used an attack. But what was¡ª


    Assimilation complete. Dungeon Mass increased. Dungeon integrity is now at 6%.


    Vetica


    Vetica trekked slowly through the forest, navigating only by instinct and the occasional swath of moonlight. It had become a bad habit to leave the makeshift camp and make her way toward town.


    She waited for the signal, a signal she¡¯d expected a while ago. It seemed that, once again; it wasn¡¯t coming. She sighed, tracing her fingers along the side of her knife.


    She so ached to use it. To fight.


    Sitting here waiting was killing her. She wanted to help. Not play babysitter out here in the forest. Lady Calandra was nice enough company, but Vetica was not a guard. She was an assassin. The patrols would start soon. She knew she needed to make her way back to camp.


    She sniffed at the air. An acrid, smoky scent permeated the breeze around her. She turned her head. She looked down at strands of her own hair that flowed with the wind. That meant the smoke should be coming from¡­that way. She drew her dagger and hurried through the forest. The patrols of Sange usually used magic to illuminate the forest, not torches.


    Even then, the smoke wouldn¡¯t be this prevalent. So, this was something else.


    A battle? Perhaps a fire elemental hex had been used. Or maybe a forest fire. That would be a problem for her. She¡¯d need to get Lady Calandra and Marvin to safety, in that case. For now, it was best to assess the situation in person, rather than make pointless assumptions.


    She reached the campsite in record time. She¡¯d come to know these forests well in a short time. Well enough that she could traverse them more easily than most. She¡¯d always had a knack for this sort of thing.


    It helped with her line of work.


    There were four of them.


    She couldn¡¯t make them out very well at this distance, but they clearly weren¡¯t soldiers of Sange. Their armor wasn¡¯t right. Nor was it uniform. They were all dressed differently. She crept closer to the camp. Vetica needed to identify them.


    If they were traveling to Sange, this was a strange place to stop. It was far enough that the patrols wouldn¡¯t run into them by accident, but close enough that it made little sense for them to camp here instead of finishing the trip into town.


    What were they up to? She crept closer. A large tree on the edge of the clearing would allow her to get a better look at them. She watched her steps carefully now. It was hard to see, so she traced the ground with a foot before pressing her weight on it, feeling for anything that might break or crunch under her step. Slowly carving a quiet path to her prey.


    The person behind her wasn¡¯t as careful.


    Snap.


    Vetica froze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯d hate to run this knife through your back. I just finished getting Hex Beast''s blood off it. We¡¯re going to go into camp and have a little chat alright¡ª¡±


    She whirled around, swatting the man¡¯s blade to the side and pressing her own to his throat.


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± he said. He dropped his knife, holding his hands out. It fell quietly, muted by dirt.


    She shook her head. Well, now she didn¡¯t have any reason to hide. This idiot had hand delivered himself as a hostage for her. She skirted past him and wrapped her arm under his shoulder, pressing her blade against his neck. She pushed him forward with her other hand. Shoving him towards camp.


    ¡°Careful, I have a sensitive neck, and I¡¯m allergic to sharp things. I¡¯m not gonna try anything. Mom would be just horrified if she couldn¡¯t call me names anymore. Though she¡¯ll probably do that even after I die.¡±


    She pressed the blade closer into his neck. That silenced him.


    She led him into the camp. The others jumped to their feet as soon as they saw their acquaintance taken prisoner.


    A man with long red dreads flicked his thumb, unsheathing his katana a few inches. Vetica eyed him. He looked strong. His eyes locked on her hostage.


    ¡°Damn it, Roan. You said you had it!¡± Axel cried out.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Samantha said at the same time.


    Roan rolled his eyes. ¡°Some friends I have, right? Here you are with a knife to my throat and they''re rubbing salt in the wound.¡±


    Vetica squinted. Her eyes focused on the two who hadn¡¯t spoken. A large brown man sat on a log, and a younger woman sat next to him. The name Roan sounded familiar. Charlie had mentioned¡­


    She looked up at the brown, bald man. ¡°Is your name Geron?¡± she asked.


    He looked at her, surprised. So, she was right. These were the adventurers Charlie crossed paths with in Sirra.

 Chapter 35: Safe Room

    Assimilation complete. Dungeon Mass increased. Dungeon integrity is now at 42%.


    Charlie clapped his hands together. This was going better than he thought. After the first Scaler corpse, he had gone to work consuming as many as he could without the other children noticing. He couldn¡¯t consume them all, but there were plenty on the outskirts of the camp that no one would notice missing.


    Now he would be able to fight. He also had a way to recharge his powers in dungeons.


    Though he still wasn¡¯t quite sure what was going on. He wasn¡¯t sure what a dungeon mass increase was, but transporting the Scalers was making his dungeon integrity go up. The higher that number was, the more damage he could take, and the more power he could use. As long as he could aid the other children in their fight to rescue the others, he didn¡¯t care.


    Sophia was counting on him. Well, maybe she wasn¡¯t exactly imagining Charlie coming to her rescue. As far as she knew, he was just a normal baby. But he was sure she hoped someone would come and help her. It just so happened to be him. So, it was the same thing.


    He crawled up the friendly Scaler and put a hand over its back, trying to pull himself up. To his dismay, the ridges of the Scaler¡¯s back weren¡¯t very comfortable. He frowned. Riding it like he did Bleedy was out of the question. He inspected it, wondering if it was possible to turn his new friend into a mount at all.


    He eyed its long tail and grabbed a hold of it.


    He caught the Scaler by surprise. It reflexively jumped upward, leaping clear from the floor all the way to the ceiling. Charlie was still clinging on to its tail.


    He hung in the air from it, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. The Scaler looked down, distressed.


    A few of the other kids noticed as well.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Luc called out.


    Charlie giggled. It was actually kind of fun. The Scaler didn¡¯t seem sure of how to get down now with its strange passenger and just let its tail hang limply in the air.


    Lyra hurried over to relieve the poor creature and grabbed Charlie. He let go of the lizard¡¯s tail after she¡¯d secured him. ¡°I thought you were going to act normal,¡± Lyra whispered.


    Charlie chewed on a finger. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that. But it was fun! Have you figured out a plan yet?¡± he asked.


    Lyra looked over her shoulder at the other children. She held up a hand to let the ones paying attention know Charlie was okay, then walked further down the hallway. ¡°We¡¯re going to look for somewhere safe to let the younger children and the injured rest. Then the rest of us will go and rescue the others.¡±


    Charlie thought about it for a moment. ¡°Are there actually safe places in this section of the dungeon? So many Scalers attacked us earlier, and from both directions!¡± he said. He spread his hands out wide and then clapped them together, pretending they were the lizards.


    Lyra nodded. ¡°We have something in mind.¡±


    Boop. The transparent temporary dungeon core bounced off the friendly Scaler still hanging from the ceiling.


    Boop. Boop. Boop.


    The Scaler swatted the core away with its tail.


    Charlie smiled. It was just like being with Merlin and Orb.


    ***


    Shortly after, Lyra and the others gathered everyone, and they continued further into Scaler territory. The children were bruised, battered, and beaten, but even after everything they¡¯d been through, they were still willing to follow Lyra.


    They trusted her a lot.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Charlie found out what she meant by somewhere safe. The first sign that they were approaching it was a series of small wooden tubes sticking out of the ground. Charlie couldn¡¯t help but wonder what they were. He pointed at them and looked up at Lyra. ¡°What are those things?¡±


    It was odd seeing the dungeon¡¯s weird decorations again. Since entering Scaler territory, the dungeon had almost seemed normal. But apparently, it was just that section of the dungeon. He had a feeling it would only get weirder from here.


    ¡°Those are table bulbs,¡± she explained. When he presented her with a look of even greater confusion, she elaborated further. ¡°You saw all the furniture in the daycare, right? The beds, tables, and chairs? Well, all of that, among other things, was grown right here in the dungeon.¡±


    Charlie blinked. ¡°Grown? You can grow furniture?!¡± That sounded terrible for the economy.


    Lyra smiled. ¡°Outside of the dungeon? No. But here it happens. We don¡¯t actually have any say over what grows. It¡¯s a naturally occurring event. Varroc doesn¡¯t care if we¡¯re comfortable. But new furniture grows all the time in the dungeon. Sometimes it sprouts in the daycare, and sometimes we have to check the hallways and bring back whatever seems useful.¡±


    Charlie nodded. That was really odd. The dungeon in Sirra only had six-crows and the core guardian. Well, there was all the dungeallis crystal as well, but other than that, it hadn¡¯t grown furniture! That was a cool feature. If he could grow furniture, he could make a really cozy dungeon.


    A dungeon without bassinets.


    But plenty of other cool furniture would be great. It would be like Merlin¡¯s big mansion idea, except inside a dungeon.


    Super cozy!


    Maybe he could invite Lyra and Luc and whoever else wanted to come as well! That would be fun. It was nice to be around other children. He tilted his head. He wondered how he would convince Merlin and Vetica to let him bring all of these kids on adventures with them. It would be hard to fit them all in Merlin¡¯s wagon, but he did have that special compartment! It could work. Charlie nodded.


    He would invite Lyra and the others after they finished with this dungeon business and escaped this stinking town!


    Kashak and the other hunters in front of the group slowed. There were a series of doors up ahead. Kashak beckoned the hunters forward, and they split up, investigating the doors. Some of them wouldn¡¯t open. Probably more fake doors. The dungeon seemed fond of them. Others opened up and led to new areas of the dungeon. But finally, one hunter called the others over.


    They¡¯d found what they were looking for.


    Desmond was the one to announce it. ¡°Over here! A safe room!¡±


    The children hurried over. Pushing against each other to peek inside. Lyra made her way through the group and a big smile burst across her face. ¡°This is perfect.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes opened as wide as they ever had before. This wasn¡¯t anything close to what he had been expecting.


    The room was the definition of comfortable. Its walls were lined with one long continuous couch that stretched all the way around in a square shape. Every one of them could stretch out and rest in here with plenty of room to spare. But just in case that wasn¡¯t the case, the floor was also made of some strange material. It was almost like a super mattress.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up. This was exactly what he wanted. He needed to talk to this dungeon core and find out its secrets.


    Before destroying it, of course.


    Lyra beckoned the children in, and it was like the floodgates had opened. They all ran inside. A stampede of excited children. For a moment, it was like they¡¯d forgotten the horrible events of the last few hours.


    Charlie wished he could as well, but he couldn¡¯t relax until they¡¯d saved the others. He looked up at Lyra as the hunters helped the injured children get inside. Some they carried; others were able to walk.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he asked.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°We call them safe rooms. They aren¡¯t really safe in the usual sense. They¡¯re just fortifiable positions. One way in, one way out. They are kind of rare, but you can usually find one if you walk far enough in any direction in this dungeon. Now, we can focus on rescuing the others without worrying about the younger children.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Wait, we¡¯re going to leave them here?¡± he asked.


    Lyra started to respond, but Kashak and Desmond joined them.


    ¡°This will work. We can close the door and barricade it with furniture from the hallways. It looks like there are some fully grown tables further down the hall. If we collect a few of those, three or four spearmen should be able to guard everyone else while we go on ahead,¡± Kashak said.


    Lyra ran two fingers along opposite ends of her lips and brought them together. Thinking to herself. ¡°Hm, okay. That should work. Let¡¯s get started then. I don¡¯t want to waste much time. Leave some of the better hunters. If we don¡¯t make it back, they have to be capable of getting the others back to the daycare.¡±


    Desmond quirked a brow. ¡°Not escape?¡± he asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°Without us, that plan isn¡¯t viable. If we don¡¯t come back, they¡¯ll need to return and wait a few years. Once more of them are older, they¡¯ll find another chance. I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Lyra said. But Charlie didn¡¯t think she sounded so sure.


    Kashak nodded. Desmond looked like he wanted to say more but didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get a few hunters and go grab those tables then,¡± Desmond said. He called a few of the other children out by name and they hurried down the hall.


    Kashak watched him leave and turned back to Lyra. ¡°So, the others will be safe here, but how do we find the Scaler nest? I doubt they can open doors, but it¡¯s not impossible. Not to mention the fact that the dungeon could split off again. If we run into an intersection, it will be a matter of chance.¡±


    Charlie shrieked, getting their attention. He pointed down the hall at the friendly Scaler creeping behind them.


    Lyra and Kashak both turned to look at the lizard beast.


    ¡°What? What do you mean, Charlie?¡± Lyra asked.


    He smiled. ¡°Our friend will take us back to the nest! And then, I¡¯m going to beat up all those bad Scalers!¡±


    Merlin


    ¡°I have to admit, I didn¡¯t think things would move so quickly. This Charlie must mean a lot to you. You¡¯re shaping up to be quite the rebellion leader,¡± Crussus said.


    Merlin choked on his cup of water. ¡°Leader? I thought you were the leader! I¡¯m just helping.¡± He cleared his throat and took another sip to soothe it. He adjusted his back, leaning against the wall of a mineshaft wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable. But it provided a quiet, private place to talk about matters like this. ¡°Anyway, how are things going? Logistically,¡± he asked.


    Crussus paused to think for a moment. ¡°Well, the weapons are coming along nicely. Torq is fast. To be expected of a blacksmith of Sange. His family has worked with kierstone for generations. In the old days, adventurers went through kierstone weapons like parchment. So, they had to make them quickly to keep up with demand. We couldn¡¯t ask for a better blacksmith for our purposes. Not to mention recruitment is going well. You¡¯ve got a way with words, my friend. I wasn¡¯t sure how people would respond to you with that nice cloak of yours. But a lot of people are coming around to us.¡±


    ¡°Well, having your children taken hostage and shipped to a dungeon will do that,¡± Merlin said. He just hoped Charlie was okay. That poor girl Sophia, too. He had both of them within his reach. Was it really right to let Charlie go off on his own? Sure, he was strong, but sometimes it was easy to forget he was just a baby. Merlin was the closest thing Charlie had to a reasonable adult in his life. Shouldn¡¯t he try harder to stop him from getting involved in crazy schemes like this?


    Crussus looked grim. ¡°Merlin, that¡¯s been true for a while. They didn¡¯t suddenly realize their children were taken from them. You gave them hope. You have something inside you. I¡¯m telling you. You may not realize it, but other people can sense it. That¡¯s why they''re willing to follow you. Today, I think we should speak to Godo. He¡¯s a merchant, he¡¯s been here for a few weeks now and a lot of people have taken a shining to him. Guards included. They say Godo can get you anything, for the right price. He¡¯s also got a silver tongue. If we can get someone like him on our side, it would help with recruitment. Our small group meetings have gone well, but you¡¯re only one man. We need others capable of spreading the word without getting caught. I think you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Merlin! Crussus! Are you in here?¡± A voice called out from the mouth of the mineshaft. They jumped to their feet.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Merlin whispered.


    ¡°One of ours.¡± Crussus cupped a hand to his face. ¡°Yes! We¡¯re here! Further in! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Torq! The guards have him! They learned about the weapons! They might kill him. We have to do something!¡±


    Merlin and Crussus exchanged a look. They both broke into a sprint and hustled out of the dungeon. Merlin huffed in deep breaths, trying to keep up with the more muscular man, but fell behind. He reached the mouth of the dungeon and rested his weight on his knees. Crussus was talking with the messenger. He turned to look at Merlin. ¡°It¡¯s not far! He¡¯s been working out of a cave just over this way. We have to hurry!¡±


    When they reached the forge site, an out of commission mineshaft that had been closed off, they realized they were too late. Before they could enter the cave, Varroc and a group of guards walked out of it. Varroc held a long, heavily bloodied blade in one hand. His eyes locked on Merlin, and he smiled.


    ¡°Oh? Funny seeing you here.¡± Varroc laughed and left with his guards in tow. Whatever they had come to do was done. Merlin and Crussus exchanged a look and hurried into the cave. They feared the worst.


    The forge itself was a flare-zone. Torq, and a few other men from the resistance, had smuggled the kierstone inside the cave. They used them to create a series of tunnels to channel the fire bursts that occurred regularly. The result was a makeshift forge. Torq had to get inventive with some of his techniques, and it had taken time to adjust, but he¡¯d figured it out quickly enough. He¡¯d said after they took Sange back, he¡¯d keep this place running. In only a short period of time, he¡¯d come to love his mineshaft forge.


    Now, Torq knelt on the floor of the sweltering room, staring at the stump on his arm.


    His dominant hand was gone. Chopped off at the wrist.


    Merlin fell to his knees.


    This was all because of him. He had convinced this old blacksmith to get involved with his schemes. To build weapons for a small resistance army. And now, he¡¯d caused the poor man to lose everything.


    His dream¡­


    Crussus looked just as dejected. But he pulled himself together long enough to check on Torq.


    ¡°Torq, what happened?¡±


    The blacksmith was speechless. His eyes didn¡¯t leave the stump on his arm. He was in shock.


    Footsteps. Merlin looked past Torq and saw a man approaching from deeper inside the mineshaft. His shoes clattered against the rock.


    It was Achai. ¡°So, it was you two? You¡¯re the ones who put us in danger? I knew Torq wouldn¡¯t have done this alone. But you, Crussus? Really? Haven¡¯t you learned by now? Put your dream of freedom to rest. Let them die. You¡¯re only putting the children at risk.¡±


    Merlin couldn¡¯t believe it. It was him? Achai had reported them.


    They¡¯d gone out of their way to prevent him from learning about any of this¡­but Achai was resourceful. He had eyes and ears everywhere. They hadn¡¯t been betrayed, not if he didn¡¯t know they were involved. No, he¡¯d likely wondered why Torq was spending so much time in an abandoned mineshaft. They should¡¯ve taken steps to cover their tracks more.


    There it was again. That anger.


    Merlin rose to his feet and hurried past Torq and Crussus.


    Achai eyed him distastefully.


    He never saw the punch coming. At least, not until it was too late.


    Merlin followed through. The blow sent Achai stumbling backwards.


    Achai fell to the ground. He looked up in shock, holding his nose. ¡°What is wrong with you? You think you¡¯re helping? You know what they would¡¯ve done to the children if I hadn¡¯t reported this? What they would¡¯ve done to my son?¡± Achai asked, his words muffled by the hand he held over his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s all about the kids, huh?¡± Merlin asked. ¡°You turned him in for your son? Why¡¯s that? So he could grow up a slave like his father? Is that what you want? To ruin his chance at freedom?¡±


    Achai stood up. He approached Merlin and stared at him. ¡°You don¡¯t get it. Here, in this place, I¡¯m lucky my boy gets to grow up at all. So yeah, I¡¯ll throw every one of you to the dogs if it means my boy gets to live any kind of life at all.¡±


    That stunned Merlin a bit, he had to admit. He didn¡¯t have the words to respond.


    Achai brushed past him. He paused after passing Crussus and Torq. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Torq. But they agreed to spare your life at my insistence. I hope you can understand why I did what I did. I¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Achai left them alone.


    Merlin approached the other two men. The guilt in his heart was growing by the second. ¡°Torq¡­I never knew that¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, boy,¡± Torq said. Crussus and Merlin exchanged a look. It only surprised them further when Torq stood up, shaking himself from his disoriented state. Torq looked Merlin right in the eye. ¡°So, what did you think? Was I convincing?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­what?¡± Merlin stammered.


    Torq sighed. ¡°Fooled you too, huh? Well, I may have a lost my hand, but little ole Varroc hasn¡¯t crushed my spirit. Where¡¯s my hammer? I need to get back to work.¡± Blood still poured from his arm.


    Torq cursed. He looked up at Crussus and held his stump up. ¡°Lend me a hand, will ya?¡± He chuckled.


    Crussus ripped a piece of his shirt off and used it to bandage Torq¡¯s wound. ¡°You need a doctor¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to bring one here. I¡¯m not leaving. But make sure it¡¯s someone you trust. I¡¯ve only got one more hand to spare. I don¡¯t need Varroc and his dogs returning. I¡¯ve got enough work to do repairing the forge. They really did a number on her. Broke a few of the weapons, too. But they¡¯re idiots to think I kept them all here. Had just as many stashed away further in. Didn¡¯t even look for them. Fools!¡±


    Merlin reached up and grabbed Torq by the shoulders. ¡°Listen, you¡¯re injured. You can¡¯t keep this up. They¡­cut your arm off. Your dream¡­¡± Merlin shook his head. How was this man still standing?


    Torq grew serious.


    He stared into Merlin¡¯s eyes. ¡°My dream? What about it? I¡¯m alive, aren¡¯t I? Sure, they took my hand. But what¡¯s a hand to freedom? Nothing. What¡¯s a hand to a dream? Insignificant. I¡¯ll finish making these weapons. And then, I¡¯m going to make that boy of yours something that will make my ancestors crawl out of their graves to praise the fact our bloodline produced something so grand. And I¡¯ll do it with one hand. If Varroc returns and takes my other hand, I¡¯ll bite down on the hilt of my hammer and make it with my teeth. So, listen here Merlin, I¡¯m alive and well, and a man like Varroc won¡¯t extinguish my dream.¡±

 Chapter 36: Scaler Wars - Part 1

    General Charlie rode at the front of his forces. A set of golden plate armor adorning his tiny baby body. His steed was a half horse, half lizard that inspired fear in the hearts of all who saw it approaching.


    Charlie snored. Waking himself up from the dream. He spat something out of his mouth.


    It tasted like dirt.


    Oh. It was dirt.


    Charlie looked up and inspected his surroundings. In one hand, he held on to the friendly Scaler¡¯s tail. It marched ahead of the procession of hunters led by Kashak and Lyra. Charlie had been holding on to the Scaler in place of being carried. It was a pleasant change of pace. But he¡¯d found it so relaxing he must have fallen asleep. Behind him, in the gap between the Scaler and the children, was a tiny, baby sized trail in the dirt where his face had been dragging this whole time.


    His palmar grasp ability worked wonders, even when he was sleeping.


    Kashak looked at Lyra, a dismayed look on his face.


    She shrugged.


    Charlie had insisted on it. She did all she could to talk him out of it. The other hunters would probably think it was strange too, if they weren¡¯t so focused on the fight ahead.


    Charlie pulled himself up so his butt was on the ground instead of his belly. He continued skidding along as the Scaler worked its way through the dungeon hallway. The table bulbs had long since been replaced by open, empty closets. They didn¡¯t have doors. He wasn¡¯t sure what the dungeon was going for with these.


    ¡°How much farther do you think?¡± Charlie asked, looking over his shoulder at Lyra.


    She surveyed the tunnel ahead. ¡°I suspect we¡¯re getting close. Scalers are quick, but for so many of them to coordinate an attack on us¡­they couldn¡¯t have gone too far. We should be ready to fight at any moment.¡±


    He stared at the temporary core rolling back and forth on Lyra¡¯s shoulder. Its attitude toward her had shifted completely. It had developed a fear of her after she swatted at it when she first saw it. But now it was clinging firmly to her, as if it wanted nothing to do with anyone else.


    Charlie frowned. Some dungeon cores could be so disloyal. Orb wouldn¡¯t have chosen anyone else over him! He blew a raspberry at it in his mind. The dungeon core didn¡¯t respond. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t as effective in thought-speech.


    The ridges on the friendly Scalers back sturdied. Rising slightly and growing more rigid.


    ¡°Arhhhhh¡± it said softly.


    Charlie looked up. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. The Scaler slowed to a stop and turned to look back at them.


    They were here.


    Kashak made a motion with his hand and the other hunters fell to a squat. Lyra hurried forward and crouched over Charlie to shield him with her body. ¡°We need to locate the children before making our move. We don¡¯t need to defeat the Scalers, just rescue the other children and escape. Charlie, you know what to do?¡± she asked.


    He nodded. After they somehow managed to rescue the children, his job was to throw up a series of walls to keep the Scalers from following them. But he wasn¡¯t sure what to expect.


    Would the Scalers swarm again? Would they be thrown off by such a simple plan?


    One more thing bothered him. In the previous fight, there had been something calling out to the others. What was that?


    Would it be here, in their nest?


    They crept along, slowly, to the end of the hallway. It opened into a massive room. Charlie¡¯s mouth fell open at the awe-inspiring sight. He recognized it, though he wasn¡¯t sure how.


    It was one of those fragmented memories again.


    Those sweet yet frustrating memories of pleasant things he couldn¡¯t fully remember.


    But the word was clear in his mind.


    It was a playground.


    There was a staircase leading up to an elevated jungle gym. A series of ramps and steps and slides. Monkey bars, swing sets and see saws. He didn¡¯t know how he knew these things. But the words came to him as clear as every other word he knew did. The other children seemed just as surprised as he did. But not because they recognized it. This was their first time seeing such a grand place.


    It would¡¯ve been so much more fun if not for all the Scalers crawling about. They crawled over the walls and ceilings of the enormous room. Like the core guardian room from the dungeon in Sirra, it was a large, domelike room. But this was not the room of a core guardian. There was something different about it. But Charlie could tell innately it wasn¡¯t quite the same.


    The Scalers crawled all around, from task to task. It was like they had their own little lizard community. Some of them climbed atop the slide, only to enter it and slide back down.


    Charlie giggled. But where were the children?


    The others were wondering the same thing. It was Kashak that noticed them first. ¡°Look over there, behind the castle.¡±


    Charlie turned to look at Kashak, and then back to the playground. The triangular rooftops above the slide and other portions of the jungle gym did kind of look like a castle. He followed Kashak¡¯s instruction and looked past it. On the far side of the room, the other children were leaning against the wall. They were stuck to some kind of strange plant-like netting that clung to the wall. It must be sticky or something. Some of them resisted, pulling away, others had long given up and were crying or sleeping.


    Somewhere near the middle of them, he saw Sophia. She was one of the fighters. She pulled her hands on either side of her as much as she could off the wall. But anytime it looked like she might escape, the plant net pulled back, ensnaring her against the wall again. She breathed heavily. It was wearing her out.


    Save your strength, Charlie thought. We¡¯re coming for you.


    ¡°Alright, we need to go in quietly. We¡¯ll wait for an opening and then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Arhhhhh!¡± the friendly Scaler screamed at the top of its lungs. A vicious battle-cry.


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    ¡°Oh no,¡± Charlie thought.


    The heads of a hundred Scalers whipped around to stare at them at once.


    Kashak cursed under his breath. ¡°No choice. We fight!¡± he cried out. Lyra held a hand out to stop him. Too late. Kashak charged forward, spear in hand. The other hunters hurried after them.


    Lyra shook her head, staring at Charlie. ¡°We¡¯ll use our powers to support them from the backline!¡± she called out.


    Charlie nodded. Their friendly neighborhood Scaler decided charging into battle sounded like a better idea.


    Lyra dove to grab him before it was too late.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes grew wide as the Scaler shot forward, dragging him along after it. It moved too fast for him to let go safely.


    He was too far into the room now. He had to roll with it.


    The Scalers and children were rapidly approaching one another. Charlie looked up at the approaching horde of Scalers. ¡°Ah!¡± Charlie screamed in his head. He used his abilities and built a ramp to try to stop his Scaler chauffeur from running straight past the other children.


    The Scaler opted to run up the ramp and leap over them instead.


    As they sailed through the air, time seemed to go by in slow motion. Charlie looked to his left and saw the temporary dungeon core floating alongside them. Apparently, it ditched Lyra for the time being. Charlie was pulled through the air by the long tail of his Scaler companion. They floated, illuminated by the bright light coming off the dungeon core. It reminded him of a movie Orb told him about. Orb always said he wanted to remake the scene. Now Charlie was doing it without him.


    ¡°Char-lie, phone home¡ª¡± he thought as gravity took a hold of them and pulled them into the raging battle below.


    The fighting was disorienting. A series of claws scraped overhead, drawing blood. Charlie couldn¡¯t tell if it was human or Scaler.


    A spear impaled itself in the ground next to him. He flinched, pulling himself higher on the Scaler¡¯s tail.


    He looked through the gaps in the legs of the spearmen and the bodies of the Scalers and locked eyes with a particularly creepy looking lizard. It fixated on him, brushing past friend and foe alike to chomp down on Charlie¡¯s baby flesh.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Charlie cried out.


    The Scaler turned and looked back at him before leaping again.


    Charlie flew into the air a second before the chasing Scaler could bite down on his tiny baby feet. ¡°Bad lizard!¡± he called out.


    They landed on the slide. The friendly Scaler turned to look back at him. ¡°Arhhh.¡±


    Charlie swung from side to side in the air. ¡°No, not you! That one back there!¡± he said.


    The Scaler said nothing. Instead, it stuck its long tongue out and licked its eyeball.


    Charlie grimaced. He turned to look at the ongoing battle. It was hard to make out what was going on. He was surprised just how well the children were doing. Then, he saw the reason why.


    Kashak stood at their forefront, a raging tsunami of power. Though he swung around a simple spear, the Scalers it hit reacted as if a tree trunk had struck them. It sent them reeling back, scattered into the swarm. Others quickly approached.


    This was it.


    The Scalers wouldn¡¯t run away this time. The children had invaded their nest.


    This was all out war.


    Time to get involved. Charlie thought.


    Pillar time!


    Wait, he paused. He thought back to the netting that held the children behind him. The Scalers weren¡¯t especially strong. They were quick, nimble, and could jump wildly in any direction.


    Maybe the best way he could help was by reducing their mobility¡­


    ¡°Lyra! I need your help!¡± he called out to her mind. He didn¡¯t bother explaining. She would understand.


    Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!


    An almost liquid material poured out from the portal to his dungeon. He directed it with his hands, aiming at the areas of the room that the Scalers were more concentrated in.


    Lyra followed his lead. Her own elemental hex shone brightly throughout the room, a calming blue hex with swirling water dancing around it.


    Together, they quickly flooded the battleground with several inches of the strange mixture.


    She held her hands up, as if to ask, now what?


    Charlie had found out he could alter his material even after summoning it back in Sirra. He¡¯d used it to attack, and then altered it to create a landing spot for himself. Now, he was going to do something similar. But in reverse.


    The Scalers lifted their webbed feet, trying to free themselves from the murky liquid. But that wasn¡¯t what they should be worried about.


    Charlie smiled.


    Dungeon Manipulation!


    The liquid suddenly hardened, encasing the feet and lower bodies of the Scalers on the ground. Though many still climbed on the walls and ceiling. They couldn¡¯t join the battle without climbing atop the bodies of their kin. He¡¯d seen in the previous fight that even these creatures wouldn¡¯t mindlessly leap into battle. They were aware of how much space there was.


    So now, the trapped Scalers were easy to deal with. Kashak and the others realized they weren¡¯t trapped in the same way the Scalers were. The material around their feet was still soft, easy to maneuver through. Kashak looked up and his eyes locked on Charlie, hanging freely from the tail of the friendly Scaler.


    Kashak nodded at Charlie.


    And then his mighty spear flashed all around him, as he cut down Scaler¡¯s left and right.


    Charlie made a baby fist. They would win.


    Lyra threw him a thumbs up, then rejoined then battle. Quick burst of water spurted from a multitude of her hexes. They cracked against the heads and bodies of Scalers, incapacitating them.


    The hunters spread around the room, striking down the Scalers as quickly as they could.


    They would win.


    ¡°Arcaaaa!¡± A deep, rumbling cry resounded throughout the room. The Scalers on the walls and ceiling cried as one.


    ¡°Arh! Arh! Arh! Arh! Arh! Arhhhhhh!¡±


    Charlie looked around. The friendly Scaler¡¯s tail trembled. It pulled Charlie up with its tail and bit the collar of his onesie, holding him up by it with its mouth.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Charlie asked, letting go of the tail. He trusted the Scaler by now. He knew it wouldn¡¯t try to eat him or anything.


    It climbed higher atop the playground until it reached the triangular rooftop of it. It looked around, its eyes searching frantically. Then Charlie saw what it was looking for.


    This Scaler was much larger than the others. The others were long, adult-human sized lizards. This one was a deep, dark shade of green and could probably swallow Marvin the horse in one bite.


    It roared again.


    ¡°Arcaaaa!¡± It slammed a large foot into the ground.


    A loud crack could be heard around the room. Charlie looked down and saw the other Scalers breaking free of his trap. His eyes widened.


    The hunters were spread out now. They¡¯d been taking advantage of the immobilized Scalers and now they were separated from one another.


    Kashak realized it, too. ¡°Retreat!¡± he yelled above the clamor of Scaler cries.


    But it was far too late for that. The Scalers were free now, and they were out for blood.


    The room reverberated with every step that the new, large Scaler took. The boss Scaler, Charlie, decided to call it. It lumbered toward the center of the battlefield. The other Scalers all scrambled to get out of the way.


    The boss Scaler turned to survey the room, its eyes locking on Kashak. It roared and broke into a run toward the tan-skinned boy.


    Charlie could tell, even as strong as Kashak was. He couldn¡¯t face this beast alone.


    He punched a baby fist into his palm.


    That big Scaler needed a spanking.


    Charlie was going to give it one.

 Chapter 37: Scaler Wars - Part 2

    ¡°Kashak, run!¡± he cried out. But Kashak couldn¡¯t hear him like Lyra could. Charlie looked up at the friendly Scaler and pointed. ¡°Take me over there! We¡¯ve gotta stop it!¡±


    He still wasn¡¯t sure if the friendly Scaler could understand him.


    If it did, it was ignoring him. It refused to move. Charlie sighed. He¡¯d attack from here instead. He used his ability combination and sent a small, shoe sized pillar flying through the air to hit the Boss Scaler in the face. The attack wasn¡¯t very strong, but it hit hard enough to make the creature cease its barreling run toward Kashak.


    It turned and saw Charlie hanging from the friendly Scaler¡¯s mouth with a still outstretched hand.


    It roared, and then it barreled toward them instead.


    Charlie swallowed. Oh, the boss Scaler seemed so much larger at this distance. Now he understood why his Scaler companion didn¡¯t want to get close. ¡°Okay, now we run!¡± he thought to it.


    On this matter, they agreed.


    The Scaler scampered over the side of the jungle gym rooftop and landed on the playground walkway. It pressed itself low, trying to take shelter in the walled in walkway. It sat Charlie down as well but kept a hold of his onesie with its mouth.


    It was quiet all of a sudden. Charlie didn¡¯t hear the creature¡¯s heavy footsteps moving toward them anymore.


    Bam!


    He turned around and saw the Boss Scaler land on the triangular roof where they had just been standing.


    The elevated triangle was now more of a pancake.


    The creature leered down at them. It opened its massive jaw and roared again.


    ¡°Arca!¡± Spittle flew like mini projectiles, covering them in the creature¡¯s putrid scent.


    ¡°You need a bath!¡± Charlie said.


    The creature slowly descended, carefully choosing footholds as it moved toward them. It was very aware of the fact this play-place couldn¡¯t fully support its weight. The friendly Scaler lifted its head to pull Charlie up in the air and then it scurried forward.


    The creature was right behind them. Charlie felt the friendly Scaler¡¯s powerful legs prepare to launch them back in the air. He shrieked. ¡°No! Down the slide!¡± he called out, pointing ahead. The Scaler hesitated but followed his instruction.


    So, it could understand him. At least somewhat.


    The lumbering boss Scaler¡¯s feet pounded into the jungle gym behind them.


    It was close.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± Charlie called out.


    They reached the slide just in time.


    The boss Scaler¡¯s powerful jaw clamped shut behind them.


    The friendly Scaler lost its grip and scrambled, trying to regain its control. Charlie giggled and embraced their newfound momentum.


    From fight to fun. At least for a moment.


    Charlie giggled uncontrollably the whole way down. Maybe there would be time to do this with the others a few more times after they beat up all the lizards.


    A jaw crashed through the right side of the slide. The friendly Scaler bumped Charlie with its head, and he slid to the left and past the teeth unharmed. Charlie spun and then the slide spit him out like a little dungeon core rolling out a chute. He rolled into the dirt. He turned and looked behind him. The Boss Scaler was still tearing its way through the inside of the slide.


    So much for sliding with the other kids later.


    He tilted his head. Where was his friend?


    He squinted and crawled to the edge of the slide, lifting himself up to look inside. It curved at the end, so he couldn¡¯t quite see from here. A warm, green liquid trickled down the playground slide. Charlie hurried to get out of the way, but some got on his hand. He shook it violently, trying to get it off of himself.


    ¡°Wait, is this blood?¡±


    His eyes shot open. ¡°Are you okay!¡± he cried out, projecting his thoughts toward the lizard companion.


    Silence.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m coming in, okay?¡± Charlie said. But no matter how hard he tried; he couldn¡¯t get himself up. He turned around to check and see if some of the other children could help. But they weren¡¯t doing so good. The Scalers had rounded them up and completely encircled them. The children waved their spears around to ward off the Scalers, but they were losing ground by the second.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Charlie cried out again, trying to get the attention of his Scaler ally.


    Tears welled up in his eyes.


    ¡°Arh!¡±


    Charlie looked up. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡± he called out.


    The friendly Scaler came scrambling down the slide, its eyes locked in on Charlie and it bit onto the cuff of his onesie as it slid past. As soon as its feet hit the ground, it kept running.


    Charlie turned back, hanging by his arm, and saw a sizeable chunk of the friendly Scaler¡¯s tail was missing. It left behind a thick trail of viscous, green blood as it ran.


    Behind them, the slide crunched and collapsed. The Boss Scaler ripped its head free and roared. Its hateful eyes locked on them and it tore free of the rubble and lumbered after them again. But it was far too slow to catch up with them at this speed. They should be able to get away and regroup with the others if¡ª


    The Boss Scaler stopped running, its legs flexed and the ground underneath it cracked.


    It jumped.


    Charlie eye¡¯s shot open as the creature sailed through the air, over and past them. It landed in front of them, creating such a powerful impact that several Scalers fell from the walls and ceilings and hit the ground with a splat.


    The friendly Scaler tried to scramble away but was too slow.


    The Boss Scaler turned and brought its powerful tail around, swinging it towards them. The two of them, Charlie, and Scaler alike, were sent flying. His companion Scaler didn¡¯t move. It was unconscious on the ground. Charlie landed near the seesaw next to it.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± he heard Lyra¡¯s voice cry out. He couldn¡¯t see her. Were they okay? Did she need his help?


    He could hear the Boss Scaler making its move toward him. He quickly crawled up to the nearby side of the seesaw. The low side. He stretched his hand out and grabbed the stumpy tail of his unconscious lizard companion. The Boss Scaler was close now. Any moment it would reach them.


    Luckily, he had a vague memory of how this contraption worked.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    The Pillar wasn¡¯t aimed toward the charging Boss Scaler.


    It fell from a portal and landed on the other end of the seesaw. Charlie and the friendly Scaler shot up into the sky. He summoned another pillar, activating his abilities again. This one rammed into Charlie midair and sent him flying towards the other children.


    ¡°Aga!¡± he cried out as he went flying through the air. This time, he was the one pulling the Scaler through the air and not the other way around. They landed with a thud in front of Kashak and bounced several times.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Lyra gasped and hurried to check on him. ¡°Charlie! Are you okay?¡±


    Charlie¡¯s head spun. ¡°I think so?¡± He turned, still dizzy, and gave his lizard friend a pat to make sure it was alright too. It was still unconscious, but breathing. They¡¯d gotten away from the Boss Scaler, but that wouldn¡¯t be true for long.


    And now he was surrounded, like all the other children.


    One of the hunters looked at Kashak. ¡°What do we do?¡± he asked.


    Kashak turned to look at him but didn¡¯t speak. He turned back to look at the hopeless situation. His grip tightened around the shaft of his spear. He exchanged a look with Lyra.


    She shook her head. She didn¡¯t know either.


    The Boss Scaler finally caught up to them and the Scaler circle parted to let it through. Kashak held his spear up, but the Boss Scaler ignored him.


    ¡°Arca!¡± it roared. The other Scalers hurried forward toward the children, but they didn¡¯t seem to be attacking.


    Charlie looked around. ¡°What are they doing?¡± he asked. The children backed away, the circle of hunters growing tighter and tighter by the second. If they kept this up, they wouldn¡¯t have any room to fight.


    The Boss Scaler stared right at Kashak and roared again.


    Kashak leaned forward. He turned back to Lyra. ¡°I think it wants to fight me¡­¡±


    Lyra shook her head. ¡°Are you crazy? It¡¯s a beast. It can¡¯t think, it doesn¡¯t know the difference between¡ª¡± She paused, staring down at the friendly Scaler. She knew better. That Scaler had protected Kashak and helped Charlie. They were smarter than she was giving them credit for. ¡°You can¡¯t fight that thing. It''s way too strong,¡± she said, shifting her line of thinking.


    ¡°Do you think we can take it?¡± Charlie asked.


    Kashak¡¯s brow raised. ¡°We?¡± he asked.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°I can fight! I can hold on to you and help with my powers! We can beat it together.¡± He¡¯d seen how strong Kashak was. With Kashak¡¯s strength and Charlie¡¯s power, they could beat up this ugly lizard!


    Kashak seemed unsure. But Lyra spoke up. ¡°Charlie is a lot stronger than you realize. You saw what he did earlier. This fight would be over by now if the big one hadn¡¯t shown up. The other Scalers seem to obey it. So, for now, let¡¯s play along. If I get an opening, I¡¯ll put all of my power into a shot strong enough to take the creature out. You just keep it distracted and find me an opening,¡± she said.


    This seemed to convince him. ¡°Fine,¡± Kashak said. He squatted in front of them. Charlie tilted his head as Lyra lifted him and sat him on Kashak¡¯s shoulders. This was a new position for him. She positioned Charlie so either of his little baby legs sat on one of Kashak¡¯s shoulders. He gripped onto Kashak¡¯s long, brown mane of hair and his ability activated.


    He giggled where stray strands of hair tickled his face.


    The Boss Scaler, now satisfied, roared again. The other Scalers pushed the children back, clearing a large area for the fight to go on. To Charlie¡¯s relief, Lyra ordered a few of the hunters to pick up the injured friendly Scaler and drag it with them as well. He wouldn¡¯t need to worry about any of his friends.


    He could just focus on helping Kashak win this fight.


    It didn¡¯t take long to get started. The Boss Scaler charged.


    Kashak started to roll out of the way, but realized he couldn¡¯t do that with Charlie on his back. He hesitated.


    Charlie realized fighting alongside each other for the first time probably wasn¡¯t the ideal situation while going up against a powerful foe like this. He threw up a wall.


    But while it succeeded in stopping the creature¡¯s charge, it also created a blind spot.


    A shadow covered them, and they both looked up in unison as the large creature shot over their heads, its powerful tail whipped outward, and swung at Charlie. He held a hand up to cover his face, but Kashak leapt to the side in time to get them out of the impact zone.


    The tail hit the wall, and it crumbled.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes shot open. If the lizard was strong enough to destroy a defensive wall just like that, he could definitely hurt Charlie, too.


    That wasn¡¯t good. Kashak held his spear out, ready for the next charge.


    ¡°Do it again!¡± Kashak cried out. Charlie tilted his head. Kashak repeated it. ¡°Do it again!¡±


    Charlie obliged him, throwing up a wall. He hoped Kashak knew what he was doing. As soon as the wall shot up, Kashak counted out loud. ¡°One¡­two¡­¡± he shot around the wall, keeping both his body and spear low to the ground. He drove the spear through the air, jabbing it into the soft underside of the Boss Scaler just as it leapt upward to repeat the attack.


    Kashak had taken advantage of the blind spot. The creature roared in pain.


    At the same time, Kashak¡¯s spear splintered into hundreds of small pieces. The black metal spearhead and a small part of the shaft remained embedded in the creature¡¯s underside. The Scaler landed somewhere on the other side of the wall, and Charlie waved his hand. His dungeon wall dissipated.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Kashak said without looking back.


    Charlie patted him on the head. ¡°You too!¡±


    Kashak grumbled. He broke off into a run, straight toward the beast. ¡°Now we press the advantage!¡± he cried out.


    Kashak ran so quickly that Charlie¡¯s legs flailed around behind him. He held on tight to Kashak¡¯s hair, wild strands of it slapping him in the face. ¡°You don¡¯t have a weapon!¡± Charlie called out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± Kashak leapt off the ground and brought a fist back. ¡°¡ªneed one!¡± He brought the fist down and slammed it into the side of the Boss Scaler¡¯s face.


    The creature crumpled.


    ¡°Hmph. Weak.¡± Kashak spat on the creature. The other children cheered. Charlie scrambled to get his feet back over Kashak¡¯s shoulders. The tan boy reached around and gave Charlie a boost. He settled into the snug spot once again. ¡°Good job,¡± Kashak said.


    ¡°You two!¡± Charlie giggled. He leaned forward and held up a baby fist to Kashak. Merlin had taught him about fist bumps. He¡¯d been waiting for an opportunity to try one. Kashak blinked, surprised, but reached up to reciprocate the motion. Charlie pumped a baby fist in the air.


    ¡°Fist bump complete! Wait, Kashak¡­you can hear me now?¡± What was up with that? First Lyra and now Kashak. That was really strange.


    Kashak seemed surprised by it, too. ¡°I guess so¡­I didn¡¯t even realize because we were in the middle of fighting.¡± Something caught his attention. It hit Charlie at the same time.


    The other Scalers were still watching. Waiting.


    But why? They¡¯d already won.


    The Boss Scaler spun faster than either of them thought possible.


    Its long, powerful tail whipped around and hit Kashak¡¯s core. It sent them tumbling. Charlie, for the first time since acquiring the Palmar Grasp ability, lost his grip.


    He went flying too.


    The other children gasped.


    The impact sent them soaring at different angles. Charlie landed hard on his back, the breath knocked out of him.


    ¡°Dungeon Integrity at¡ª¡±


    Charlie blinked. He couldn¡¯t even process the words.


    This was bad. He could tell.


    Charlie could feel a shaky, unstable feeling inside him. He¡¯d taken a heavy blow back in Sirra as well. But this was different.


    Something was off.


    Something was wrong.


    A blast of water shot overhead, missing the Boss Scaler by several feet. It penetrated the dungeon wall and splattered. He heard Lyra scream.


    He couldn¡¯t even lift his head to figure out what was going on.


    He heard the Scaler approaching in the background. It wasn¡¯t in a hurry anymore.


    Just like them, it thought it had won already. Charlie grunted, steady bursts of pain rocketing through him.


    He forced himself to sit up. He held a hand out to the Boss Scaler walking toward him.


    His vision went black, and then he came to again.


    He¡¯d passed out for a moment.


    The Scaler stood right over him now.


    How much power could he use?


    How much dungeon integrity did he have?


    Too much, and Mousifer and Bleedy might die.


    Too little, and the creature would consume him. The children would never escape.


    ¡°Please be safe, guys. Please,¡± Charlie begged as the creature reared its ugly head back and opened its jaw wide to swallow him.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon¡ª¡±


    A blur of movement struck the Boss Scaler. Charlie instinctively covered his face. He looked up and saw the friendly Scaler. Snarling as it ripped away at the throat of the much larger Scaler.


    ¡°Arhhhh!¡± it yelled, tightening its claws, and tearing with its teeth.


    The Boss Scaler fought back, trying to push the smaller Scaler away to no avail.


    Charlie grinned. The friendly Scaler ripped away and looked right at Charlie. ¡°Arh!¡± it said.


    ¡°Arga!¡± Charlie said aloud, trying his best to imitate the word. He held up a hand.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    The friendly Scaler leapt away.


    A spear made of rock shot forward from a portal in Charlie¡¯s hand. It shot right through the already injured throat of the Boss Scaler and deep into its body.


    The creature fell and did not move again.


    The friendly Scaler crawled back up and sniffed at the dying Boss Scaler. It bit down on it again and shook its head from side to side. Satisfied, the friendly Scaler climbed atop it and screamed to the sky.


    ¡°Arhhhhh!¡±


    ¡°Arh! Arh! Arhhh! Arhh!¡± A chorus of Scaler screams filled the room. They hurried forward and surrounded the friendly Scaler, who stood atop the much larger lizard. Charlie looked around. Scalers were all around him, but they completely ignored him. Someone quickly slid their arms under his armpits and picked him up. He looked up to see Lyra.


    ¡°Charlie¡­¡± She smiled at him and pulled him in tight for a hug. He was surprised, but wrapped his own arms back around her as far as he could with tiny baby arms.


    After the moment passed, he turned to look back at the Scalers. They still shrieked and screamed.


    It confused him.


    Lyra, however, understood.


    ¡°It seems they have a new leader,¡± she said, watching the friendly Scaler look around at all the others from atop the corpse of a dead Scaler king.

 Chapter 38: Down to Business

    Merlin


    ¡°You come to Godo, looking to do business, yes?¡±


    ¡°We want you to join us. Help us build a resistance,¡± Merlin said.


    Godo was a heavyset man, and his clothes were fine. If they were anywhere else, Merlin would think him a noble. The man wore a vibrant, bright red and orange cloak that he wrapped around himself. If the other prisoners looked at Merlin with contempt because of his cloak, he wasn¡¯t sure how Godo avoided the same reaction. They sat in a small, secluded shack on the edge of the mineshaft. Apparently, Godo used it often for business deals.


    Merlin wasn¡¯t quite sure how Godo pulled something like this off, but he wasn¡¯t complaining.


    The heavy man had olive skin and a small gap in-between his two front teeth. He stroked his chin as he thought. ¡°Ah, Godo knew this was coming. Achai warned him. He said these two, very dangerous. But Godo says he always sits down and listens when opportunity comes. So now Godo sits, and you will tell me of opportunity!¡±


    ¡°The opportunity is simple. Our goal is freedom for the people of Sange and their children,¡± Crussus said, leaning forward at the table.


    ¡°Ah. Freedom is expensive. There is a big price to pay! Godo not rich enough. Not nearly rich enough. Godo has his own way forward. He will earn the trust of the guards. He will trade for his freedom. That is what Godo knows best.¡±


    Crussus scoffed. ¡°They won¡¯t go for that and you know it!¡±


    ¡°Ah, you criticize Godo, but tell me, does Merlin know that about your involvement in the last rebellion?¡±


    Merlin blinked. He turned in his chair to face Crussus. ¡°Crussus, what¡¯s he talking about?¡±


    Crussus was silent.


    ¡°Ah! If you do not know who you share a bed with, how can you invite Godo to bed? Impossible! This is not a good deal. I¡¯ll have to decline. I¡¯m sorry. Good luck with your business ventures.¡± Godo stood and pushed in his chair. He pulled the vibrant cloak tighter around himself and went to leave.


    Merlin hurried to his feet. ¡°I hear you have a daughter,¡± he said. He didn''t have time to worry about a failed rebellion. Not now. He''d ask about it later.


    The merchant looked at him over his shoulder, but did not turn back. ¡°Godo has many children, a daughter is among them.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s trapped in the dungeon, is she not?¡± Merlin said, leaning his hands on the table.


    Godo turned to face them again. ¡°Godo will earn Varroc money. He will trade. If not enough, Godo¡¯s business partner will come looking soon. He will bring many wares and carts full of gold. Varroc will take this deal. In mean time, Godo does good business. Guards need many things. Prisoners need many things. Godo provides.¡±


    Crussus laughed. He shook his head and looked at Merlin. Merlin sent him a look. They needed to win Godo over. They couldn¡¯t give up now. Crussus sighed. ¡°Do you really think you can believe Varroc? You think he is a man of his word? You came here looking for trade and became a slave. Your partner will share that fate. He¡¯s a slaver and a tyrant. You really think you can take him at his word?¡±


    The merchant¡¯s face deflated. His brows drew closer together. ¡°Godo has no choice but to take his word. Varroc is powerful man. Business with powerful men is good.¡±


    Merlin stepped around the table and stood face to face with Godo, staring into his eyes. ¡°Godo, you already have the favor of the guards. Trading with you requires an element of trust. That is the advantage we need. With your help, we could ambush several of them early on. When they come to make deals with you, we could capture them. And you¡¯re good at getting things from the city as well. That could be helpful to us. We need supplies.¡±


    Godo frowned. He sighed deeply and leaned against the table. His tone changed. It sounded more sorrowful than before. ¡°Why are you doing this, Merlin? Do you value your freedom that much? Do you think you value your freedom more than Godo values his?¡±


    Merlin gripped a fist tight. In his other hand, he pointed toward the door. ¡°There¡¯s a boy in that dungeon! He¡¯s a good kid. He deserves better than to be a slave trapped in this place. I would spend the rest of my life here in those mines if it meant I could help him escape. If I could help all those children escape.¡±


    Godo looked taken aback by this. He folded his arms and looked away for a moment. He turned back. ¡°This boy, he is your son?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve only known him a couple of weeks, and yet, for the first time in a long time, I feel alive again. Like I¡¯m on the right path. That¡¯s thanks to him. So, if I can return the favor, even just long enough to help him escape, then I¡¯ll do it. And I¡¯ll pay whatever price it takes.¡±


    Godo stared at him. His head bobbled as he processed the conviction in Merlin¡¯s words. ¡°To sacrifice one¡¯s life for a child is wonderful. Many men would do this. But to be a slave, I don¡¯t know. Would Godo do such a thing for a child that is not his own? Godo likes to think so. But Godo is not sure. Godo has been known to be a greedy man. His wife loves him for it. His children benefit from it. But Godo is known to be greedy. Godo must think on this.¡±


    Merlin sighed. ¡°Godo, will you help us? Will you help us fight to free the children and save Sange? Please.¡±


    Godo shook his head. He wagged a finger towards Merlin. ¡°Godo likes to do business with good businessmen. Godo does not think Merlin is good businessman.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s heart sank. This was a setback. Without the merchants¡¯ support, he wasn¡¯t sure they could get in contact with the other mines. It wasn¡¯t just his persuasion and connections with the guards. The real boon Godo offered was that he had communication lines to the other mines. He did business with the prisoners and guards there as well. With Godo on their side, a minor rebellion could be a full-fledged resistance. Without him, their chances of success were low at best.


    ¡°¡­but Godo does think Merlin is good man. Godo would like to do business with more good men. But good men are not always so good at making money. Godo will not have many chances to work with good men, so perhaps he should take this one. His daughter would be very proud. He is raising her to be a merchant as well, take over the family business one day. Very important she learns to be good merchant, but also, good person. So, I will set example for Godette and take this deal.¡±


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    Merlin looked at Crussus, their eyes both lit up once. They smiled. ¡°Godo that¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Businessmen should shake on such deals, yes?¡± Godo said, his hand outstretched.


    Merlin hurried forward and shook his hand firmly. He nodded, a bright grin on his face.


    ¡°Godo is also a hugger!¡± The large man pulled Merlin in, and they embraced. Afterward, Godo stepped around the table and shook Crussus¡¯ hand as well. ¡°Godo thinks you two should speak more about rebellion from before. Much to be learned from bad business deals in the past. Yes?¡± he asked, still shaking the blonde man¡¯s hand.


    The door of the shack burst open before Crussus could respond.


    It was Achai.


    ¡°Oh! Oh no. Godo lose his head. Stupid. Stupid deal. This has been a very bad deal. Perhaps the worst deal of all time. Godo is ruined! Not good, not good!¡± Godo slapped himself in the face several times. ¡°Godo is stupid man, stupid man!¡±


    Achai ignored him. He turned to Merlin. ¡°Merlin, I need to talk to you.¡±


    Crussus took a step, ready to vault over the table. ¡°We need to deal with him. We can¡¯t have another Torq situation, Merlin.¡±


    Merlin held out a hand to calm his friend. He turned back to Achai. ¡°What exactly is this about?¡± he asked him.


    Achai stared into his eyes. ¡°I want to help. I want in.¡±


    Merlin shook his head. Had he lost his mind? Just a day ago he¡¯d cost a man his arm. Now he wanted to join that same cause. ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for this. We need to talk now,¡± Achai insisted.


    ¡°Merlin, this is a waste of time. For all we know, Varroc is outside now with guards. We need to go!¡± Crussus said.


    Godo¡¯s eyes grew wide at those words. He slapped himself again. ¡°Godo is stupid man! So stupid!¡±


    Achai was growing frustrated. He turned toward Crussus and slammed his hands on the table. ¡°They didn¡¯t let me inside the dungeon!¡± he yelled.


    Crussus grew serious. ¡°What? Why? What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ve not lost their favor. The guards haven¡¯t treated me any differently. The ones that usually escort me came to get me, as always. But when we arrived at the daycare, there were new guards posted outside. They refused to let me pass. Something is wrong.¡±


    Crussus shook his head, turning toward Merlin. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Merlin asked.


    Crussus nodded. ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t think of a reason he¡¯d have to make this up. Besides, he¡¯s distressed. I¡¯ve only seen him this distressed once before. When he first arrived, and they took his son.¡± He turned back to Achai. ¡°Has this ever happened before? Have you ever been turned away?¡±


    Achai shook his head fervently. ¡°No! Varroc knows the people would rise up if they thought their children were in danger. That¡¯s why he allows the sitters to go in and check on them. The people have come to expect at least that much. He¡¯d lose control of everything. But now, more lies.¡±


    Crussus and Merlin exchanged a look. Godo stopped talking to himself and paid attention, too. ¡°Achai, what do you mean more lies?¡± Crussus asked.


    Merlin felt a pang in his stomach. He had a bad feeling about all of this. Something was going on. Something bad.


    Achai swatted his hand through the air. ¡°We need to get my son! There¡¯s no time for this. We need to go and save him before they sacrifice him to that¡­thing.¡±


    There it was. Words that validated the building dread inside him.


    ¡°Godo does not understand. What do you speak of friend?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Agh! We need to act now!¡± Achai screamed.


    Merlin took a step toward him and put his hands on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything until you tell us what¡¯s going on. Breathe. Good. Now, tell us what you¡¯re talking about. Help us understand the situation. What is happening?¡±


    Achai gritted his teeth. ¡°Sitters aren¡¯t what you think. Varroc says that we¡¯re supposed to verify that all the children are safe. But we¡­I¡­I¡¯ve only seen my own child for the last few months. I haven¡¯t seen all the children in a while.¡±


    Crussus¡¯ face went still. A moment later, he collapsed, his knees giving out. He just barely managed to pull himself into a chair. ¡°You have the checklist. You¡¯ve told us that all the children are fine¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡± His voice cracked.


    Godo¡¯s hands grasped the sides of his head.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been allowed to visit the dungeon. I come back and tell everyone that their children are safe. In exchange, Varroc allows me to see my son. There was a time when I got to see all the children. My last time was a few months ago. I noticed one of the children was missing. I heard similar accounts from some of the other sitters. In their cases, multiple children were missing from their daycares. All of us were told the same thing. To keep it quiet. Varroc told me if I wanted my son to be kept safe, I would keep it to myself. Act as if everything was normal. So, I did.¡±


    He paused. ¡°Since then, I¡¯ve only been allowed to see my own son. It¡¯s been like that ever since. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, a child was missing? Who? Whose child?¡± Crussus was having a hard time catching his breath.


    This was a powerful reaction, Merlin thought. He was concerned too, but Crussus seemed¡­oh no. Did he have¡ª


    Achai looked away. He said nothing, and he wouldn¡¯t meet the gaze of the blonde man.


    ¡°Achai, is my boy okay?¡± Crussus asked.


    Silence.


    ¡°Achai! Is Tomas okay?¡± Crussus demanded. He tried to stand but crumpled, falling to the floor. Godo hurried over and helped him up. Crussus leaned against the table. ¡°Achai!¡± he screamed.


    Achai¡¯s eyes watered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Crussus. I couldn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    Crussus slammed a hand on the table. ¡°Damn it. Damn you to hell, Achai. I¡¯ll kill you. If I hadn¡¯t sworn to run my blade through Varroc first, I¡¯d kill you now. But you know too much. You¡¯re too valuable. And now that I know they have your son. I know you¡¯ll help us. But know this¡­¡± He shook himself free from Godo¡¯s grasp and forced his way to his feet. He approached the sitter and got in his face. ¡°I will kill you. Your life is mine. And that little boy, Kyo, he will grow up without a father. I promise you that.¡± Crussus shook his head, a deranged look on his face, and then he brushed past Achai and left the room.


    The door slammed shut behind him.


    Godo seemed stunned by it all. ¡°Achai, my daughter? Is she okay?¡± he asked her.


    Achai nodded. ¡°She was still okay the last time I saw them.¡±


    Godo breathed a big sigh of relief. He sat down in a chair and leaned forward, putting his face in his hands. ¡°Godo is having hard time processing. But if what you say is true, Godo would like to make this business deal happen very soon. Please Merlin.¡±


    Merlin nodded. He turned to Achai. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to know everything. Start by explaining what you mean by sacrifice? What are they doing to the children in the dungeons?¡±


    Merlin¡¯s heart beat frantically in his chest. Please be okay, Charlie. Please. I¡¯m coming for you. As soon as I can, I¡¯m coming.

 Chapter 39: A Drawing

    Charlie


    After the battle, the children didn¡¯t waste any time rescuing the others. The hunters were covered in scratches and bite marks. Droplets of blood and sweat fell from them like raindrops. They were exhausted.


    But they knew the abducted children were terrified, and they wouldn¡¯t let them go another moment without rescue. The hunters hurried past the damaged jungle gym and went to work.


    The Scalers left them alone now, most of them scurried away up the walls and ceilings. The ones who remained on the ground gave the children plenty of room to pass. They were completely uninterested in the children now that their leader was defeated. Instead, their focus was on the Scaler who had helped bring down the boss lizard.


    The friendly Scaler.


    Charlie decided he would give it a name. But he had to think about it. For now, he turned his attention to the children. Lyra still held him, and she hurried over to direct the rescue efforts. The hunters were having a hard time freeing the kidnapped children from the sticky plant netting. Their spears wouldn¡¯t cut through the strange material, and whenever they tried to rip away at it with their hands, they got stuck themselves.


    ¡°Arh!¡± the friendly Scaler yelled, and a flurry of movement caused the hunters to pause. Charlie watched as a mass of the lizards hurried forward. Lyra flicked her hand, a swirling water hex manifesting in front of it. But Charlie held a hand out to calm her down.


    She blinked at him. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Watch,¡± Charlie said, pointing at the Scalers.


    They scurried up to the netting and started tearing at it with their claws and teeth. The children tried to pull away when the Scalers got close to them, but the netting was stuck fast to their skin. The Scalers weren¡¯t attacking, though.


    They were setting them free.


    Other Scalers joined them, quickly scurrying down the wall to tackle the net from above. A few of them were spitters, small trickles of acid poured from their mouths, burning through the netting where there weren¡¯t any children around. Other Scalers ran a hand under the acid trickle and started rubbing it on the netting with more precision. It was amazing how well the creatures worked together. They were just as coordinated as when they were fighting. They were a very intelligent species. At least it seemed that way.


    One by one, the children were set free. Some ran from the netting and into the protection of the hunters. Others ran toward Lyra, their leader.


    Josephine was one of them. As soon as she was free, she ran as fast as she could with tiny legs and threw herself into Lyra¡¯s torso in an embrace. Lyra was surprised. She made sure Charlie was still secure after the impact. Then she returned the gesture with her free hand. She wrapped a hand around Josephine¡¯s head.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe now,¡± Lyra cooed.


    Josephine sniffled. She cried quietly, her tears getting Lyra¡¯s shirt wet.


    Lyra just smiled.


    Charlie looked up when he saw the other girl approaching. Sophia didn¡¯t seem as apprehensive about the Scalers. She seemed to realize they didn¡¯t pose a threat anymore. She approached and stood awkwardly a few steps from Lyra and Charlie. Even after everything she had been through, she was still the same quiet girl.


    Charlie held his hands outstretched before him toward the girl.


    Lyra seemed surprised. ¡°You want Sophia to hold you?¡±


    Sophia¡¯s eyes went wide at Lyra¡¯s words. But Charlie kept reaching.


    Josephine stopped crying. She looked up at them with puffy eyes.


    Lyra held Charlie out, but Sophia seemed unsure. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can hold him. You won¡¯t hurt him or anything. He¡¯s not as delicate as most babies.¡± She smiled.


    Sophia reluctantly accepted and took Charlie into her arms. She looked down at him and he giggled. It caught her off guard, and she let out a soft laugh. Looking at her now, Charlie realized that despite her shyness, Sophia had a certain way of carrying herself. She always walked with her head held high, and she had really good posture. She¡¯d been in the dungeon for over a day now, maybe longer. But she didn¡¯t seem as dirty as the other children. Her auburn hair didn¡¯t appear as tangled. Had she been grooming herself? That was interesting.


    All the other children were free now. With their jobs complete, the Scalers retreated away again. Giving the children space. Their change in attitude had been so sudden. Was it really like Lyra had said? Did they really consider the friendly Scaler their new leader? Or was it something else? Charlie didn¡¯t have any way of knowing.


    Kashak approached. He leaned against a new spear. Someone must have given them theirs. ¡°Lyra, we need to talk about everything,¡± he said. The Boss Scaler had hit him hard after the last fight. Charlie could tell Kashak wasn¡¯t at one hundred percent. It surprised him Kashak could still stand. The tall boy had taken the brunt of that blow from the Boss Scaler¡¯s tail, and he didn¡¯t have the rock skin passive like Charlie did. Kashak was resilient. But why was he so strong and durable? That attack could¡¯ve killed an adult. But Kashak was already back on his feet.


    Lyra nodded. ¡°I know. Let¡¯s get back to the safe room and regroup. We can talk there,¡± she said.


    The Scalers left them alone, and the hunters helped the younger children who had been abducted out of the large domelike room. But just as they crossed the threshold, a noise caught their attention.


    ¡°Arh!¡± the friendly Scaler said. It must have jumped right after, because it landed softly in the middle of the group of children, right in front of Sophia, who still held Charlie.


    It looked up at Charlie. ¡°Arh!¡± It pointed its head at the little baby boy, and then back into the Scaler nest. ¡°Arh!¡± it said again.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t stay to play. I have to rescue my friend. Some mean adults took him, and we have to get him back.¡± He projected the thoughts to the Scaler¡¯s mind. He knew it could understand some things. But would this make sense?


    The Scaler tilted its head. It paused for several moments before offering a soft response. ¡°Arh.¡±


    It flexed its legs and jumped straight upward, twisting in the air as it rose. It landed on the ceiling, swallowed, and then opened its mouth wide. ¡°Ar...¡± It stretched its neck wider. ¡°Arca!¡± it barked.


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    It wasn¡¯t quite as loud as the previous boss Scaler¡¯s, but it was a start.


    Apparently, the other Scalers thought so as well.


    Sophia turned, as did all the other children, to watch the swarming mass of Scalers follow them out into the hallway. Sophia¡¯s eyes went wide.


    The friendly Scaler seemed pleased with itself. It looked back down at Charlie. ¡°Arh!¡± it said.


    Charlie swallowed. ¡°All of them are coming with us?¡± he asked.


    The friendly Scaler¡¯s head bobbled. ¡°Arhhhhhh.¡±


    Lyra and Kashak exchanged a look. ¡°I don¡¯t know about this, Charlie,¡± Lyra said.


    Charlie thought about it. Earlier they had been sworn enemies, and now, all of a sudden, the other Scalers had switched sides. Just like that. Well, okay.


    But it was probably better to start this new alliance off a bit smaller. ¡°You can bring a few of your friends. I think if too many come, it will scare the other kids,¡± Charlie said, wagging a little baby finger.


    The friendly Scaler waved its head. It looked around, its head pausing every time it moved to stare in a new direction. ¡°Arca!¡± it said. The horde of Scalers dispersed. Around thirty remained.


    Charlie gave the friendly Scaler a thumbs up.


    ¡°Arhhh!¡± it said.


    ¡°Arh! Arh! Arh!¡± the other Scalers cried back.


    Lyra sighed.


    ***


    They reached the daycare and waited for Desmond and the other hunters to remove the table barricade and open the door for them. The smaller children that had been left behind had no shortage of energy after being cooped up in that room for the last several hours. Many of them bounced on the mattress floor, jumping on it over and over.


    Others were playing a game, balancing on the very edge of the square couch that surrounded the room. They would fall off and onto the soft mattress floor and then giggle and jump back up again. Luc sat with Florence and a few of the other injured children. They had carved out a no play zone so no one would trip and fall over one of the already hurting children.


    Lyra ushered the other small children inside to join them. Sophia followed, with Charlie still in her arms, but Lyra called her back.


    ¡°We need Charlie for a moment,¡± she said. Sophia seemed reluctant to hand him over, but she trusted Lyra. She passed Charlie over and then, after pausing briefly, followed the other children inside the room.


    Kashak waited outside with her as well. ¡°We should figure out our next steps,¡± he said.


    Lyra sighed. ¡°The smaller children need rest. Especially the ones that were taken earlier by the¡ª¡± she paused, turning to look at the thirty Scalers standing a few yards away watching them. The friendly Scaler tilted its head at her. ¡°We need to let them sleep,¡± she said.


    Kashak shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know how much time has passed now. The guards could find out any moment that we¡¯ve escaped into the dungeon. If they don¡¯t already know.¡±


    ¡°Getting the children out of the city is going to be just as hard as moving through the dungeon. We are going to need everyone well rested. Even after we escape, we¡¯ll need to cover a lot of ground once we leave Sange, and quickly. The children need to rest before that comes. Let¡¯s sleep, and talk more about it when everyone is rested,¡± she said.


    Kashak sighed. ¡°What about Kyo? He may not have time for us to rest. Brel could reach the center of the dungeon if we take a break now.¡±


    Lyra didn¡¯t have an answer for that. She looked away, biting her lip.


    Charlie had a thought. ¡°Hey!¡±


    Lyra, Kashak, and the friendly Scaler all turned to look at him.


    ¡°Can your friends help us find someone? This big meanie, named Brel, took one of the other kids into the dungeon. Could you send some friends to try to take our friend back? Or at least slow them down,¡± Charlie asked.


    The friendly Scaler looked at him. It didn¡¯t respond.


    Lyra sighed. ¡°Well, it was a good idea. But I guess¡ª¡±


    ¡°Arca!¡± it screamed suddenly. Twelve Scalers hurried off, scampering past them, and disappearing the hall.


    Kashak looked surprised. ¡°Wait, it can actually understand him?¡±


    Lyra shrugged. Charlie gave him a big thumbs up and then turned back to the friendly Scaler. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    It jumped a few feet in the air several times in a row.


    ¡°Alright, now are you okay with a break, Kashak?¡± Lyra asked. He looked at Charlie, and back down the hall where the Scalers had vanished. He nodded.


    The three of them joined the others in the room. Lyra allowed Charlie to bring the friendly Scaler inside, but said the others had to wait outside. Some stood guard outside the door, others curled up to nap. Charlie felt bad they couldn¡¯t enjoy the comfy room with them.


    Kashak helped Desmond and a few of the other hunters replace the door barricade, stacking tables to make sure the door wouldn¡¯t open. A lot of the playing kids had already settled down, talking with the kids who had been taken. Luc went around telling the others it was time to get some sleep.


    Lyra saw Sophia sitting on a corner of the couch and sat on the mattress flooring nearby. She leaned her head against one of the many cushions on the couch, setting Charlie down in her lap. Charlie looked over and waved at Sophia.


    ¡°Lyra! Look! I added to my drawing!¡± Josephine said, hurrying over to them with some kind of parchment in hand. She handed it to Lyra. Lyra held it open in front so Charlie could see.


    Charlie looked at it.


    It was nice, though some of it was still wet. The lines were a bright red and smelled sweet, like she had drawn it using some kind of crushed berry. It looked like Josephine had painted it with her fingers. She was really talented. She must have had a lot of practice.


    Charlie could even make out a lot of the people here.


    There was Kashak, with his long hair, who towered above the others. Luc held a spear in his hand and smiled really big. Lyra, with her hair in a ponytail behind her head, wagged a finger at Luc for waving a spear around. Charlie giggled. There, in front, were two little babies crawling. He knew Kyo was one of them, but the other one was new.


    He gasped, realizing he was the other baby.


    ¡°I think Charlie likes it,¡± Lyra said, smiling.


    Josephine giggled, her smile growing huge on her face.


    Charlie looked over at all the other children he didn¡¯t recognize. One in particular stuck out to them. This boy was drawn with a lot of detail, just like Lyra, Luc, and Kashak had been. So clearly he was important to Josephine as well. He pointed at the boy with a long red mark across his face, from cheek to cheek.


    He felt Lyra tense up.


    Josephine moved next to Lyra to see where he was pointing. ¡°Oh! You never got to meet him, did you? That¡¯s a drawing of Tomas! He was here before you got here! He was like a big brother to everyone! Even Kashak looked up to him! Can you believe that?¡± She frowned, realizing Charlie couldn¡¯t understand her.


    He stared at the red mark on the boy¡¯s face. Josephine looked at Lyra, but the older girl said nothing. She turned back to Charlie. ¡°He looks just like this! He was a little shorter than Kashak, but really strong. Oh, and he had a big scar on his face! That¡¯s what that mark is. It was so cool! Luc wanted to make a scar on his own face, just like the one Tomas has. But Lyra wouldn¡¯t let him.¡±


    Lyra finally looked over. ¡°Okay, Josephine. Thank you for sharing, but Charlie needs his rest now. Why don¡¯t you go show the others?¡± she said.


    Josephine looked surprised but shrugged. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll see you later, Lyra!¡± she said. ¡°Bye Charlie!¡± She took her drawing back and hurried off.


    Charlie swallowed.


    He¡¯d seen a scar just like that before, on the face of a man in Sirra. A man who stood outside the cafe the night that Merlin was arrested because a lady thought he¡¯d hit Charlie.


    The day that Geron and the cafe owner had helped him escape.


    He¡¯d seen that same scar on the face of a snatcher.

 Chapter 40: Lets split up, gang!

    Charlie yawned, stretching his arms as wide as he could.


    It wasn¡¯t very far at all. His hand scratched against some kind of fabric. He looked up to see it was Sophia¡¯s shirt. She was sleeping on the mattress next to him, curled up comfortably. He yawned again and looked around. When he¡¯d fallen asleep, Lyra had been close as well. But she was gone now. Most of the other children were still asleep. He saw the table barricade had been removed, and the door was slightly ajar.


    Curious, he decided to investigate. He looked over and saw the friendly Scaler curled up on the far side of the room. Josephine and several of the other small children were sleeping beside it on the mattress ground, or above it on the couch. The friendly Scaler was surprisingly popular with a group of kids who had all been previously abducted and attacked by other Scalers. But maybe they gave this one a pass since he helped them escape.


    Charlie smiled. It was a cute scene, but it also meant he was on his own in terms of mobility. He steeled himself and slowly crawled through a cozy minefield of sleeping children. To wake one up would be to court death.


    Or, more realistically, have someone stop him from going off on his own.


    But in his mind, there was no difference between the two.


    After an unreasonable amount of time, because he was appropriately slow for a baby, and because he hadn¡¯t unlocked a secret speed crawling ability, he finally made it to the front of the room.


    No children had woken up. No death had been courted. Now for the best part of this adventure.


    Being nosy.


    There were voices outside. In hindsight, he should¡¯ve known exactly who it was.


    Kashak and Lyra. They probably didn¡¯t want to wake up all the other children. Knowing it was his friends made him feel worse about listening in on their conversation.


    ¡°Lyra! You¡¯re going to get yourself killed. I¡¯m not letting you do that!¡± Kashak protested.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your decision. I¡¯ve already made up my mind. This is the best way forward. Trust me on this, Kashak,¡± she said.


    Charlie tried to peek out the door, but he accidentally bumped into it and it creaked open. Both of them turned to look down at him crawling on the ground below.


    ¡°Charlie?¡± they said, almost in unison.


    He smiled sheepishly. ¡°Good morning!¡± he said to them, as if he hadn¡¯t just been intruding on their conversation. Lyra looked up to see if any of the other children were awake. She hurried up and picked Charlie up and then pulled the door shut so no one else would wake up.


    ¡°I thought you needed some more sleep, or I would¡¯ve brought you out for this as well,¡± she told him.


    Charlie rubbed an eye. ¡°I think I slept good. I want one of those rooms for my own dungeon. It¡¯s really comfy.¡±


    He finished rubbing his eye and realized they couldn¡¯t tell if he was kidding or not. He noticed the Scalers they¡¯d left outside were mostly asleep now. Though one or two had wandered off. They were down from eighteen to sixteen. A couple of them wandered back and forth as if they were patrolling.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± he asked.


    Kashak groaned. ¡°Lyra here wants to split up.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. He turned to look at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.


    She bit her lip. ¡°Charlie, do you think that you and I could defeat the dungeon on our own? Just the two of us?¡± she asked.


    So that¡¯s what this was about. She had mentioned this before. Wanting to clear the dungeon to set the people of Sange free. Apparently, even after the disaster with the Scalers, she hadn¡¯t changed her mind.


    The core guardian at the center of the dungeon would be much stronger than even the Boss Scaler was. That fight had almost forced him to use his powers to the point of dungeon collapse. That was with Kashak¡¯s help. But Charlie had already exhausted a lot of his energy fighting the smaller scalers before that fight. Maybe if he had time to recharge, things would be different.


    ¡°What is my dungeon integrity?¡± he asked his temporary interface.


    ¡°Status requested. Current dungeon integrity is 9%.¡±


    That was actually higher than he expected. But he had slept for a while and had plenty of time to rest since the last fight. So, it definitely had gone up since then. Still, it wouldn¡¯t be enough for a big fight. There were plenty of Scaler corpses from the last battle. But he wasn¡¯t sure about turning them into mass now. It just didn¡¯t feel right now that they were allies.


    ¡°Maybe! If I can recharge a bit, I¡¯ll be able to fight. But I don¡¯t know how long that will take. Why just us?¡± he asked.


    Kashak shook his head. ¡°She wants me and the other hunters to escape with the younger children.¡±


    Charlie blinked. ¡°What about Kyo?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I still plan to rescue Kyo. We¡¯ll save him on the way. After we defeat the dungeon, we¡¯ll escape as well. Kashak and the others will get the children out of the dungeon and flee from Sange. This is the best way for things to move forward.¡±


    ¡°And how exactly will you carry both Kyo and Charlie? What will you do with Kyo while the two of you fight? He doesn¡¯t have the power and protections that Charlie does. If he takes a hit, that¡¯s it for him. This is irresponsible, Lyra. We¡­got lucky. If the Scalers had wanted to kill us, if they wanted to kill the children they abducted. We all would be dead, Lyra. We made a bad call. Everyone needs to stick together.¡±


    Charlie frowned. They both made good points. It would be dangerous to split up. Lyra''s and Charlie¡¯s powers would help keep the children safe. But someone had to rescue Kyo, and the dungeon was causing a lot of problems for the people of Sange. Too many people were in danger if he didn¡¯t do something.


    If not Charlie, who else was strong enough to take on this dungeon? It had to be him.


    ¡°Kashak, I think Lyra is right. But you¡¯re right too. It¡¯s dangerous to move through the dungeon alone. So, we won¡¯t. We don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Kashak shook his head. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.


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    Charlie pointed at the Scalers. ¡°We have a whole bunch of scaly friends who can help us!¡± The Scalers could fight, and Charlie would master the art of riding atop a Scaler''s head. So, Lyra would have a free arm to hold Kyo.


    It was the perfect solution.


    One of the Scalers looked up at Charlie and licked its eyeball.


    ***


    With a plan in motion, the children prepared. The friendly Scaler now walked around with Charlie sitting on its head. They were trying something different. The Scaler version of sitting on someone¡¯s shoulders. Charlie was trying to replicate the way Lyra had sat him on Kashak¡¯s shoulders. It wasn¡¯t working very well. He wobbled, shaking his arms for balance.


    He fell.


    ¡°Arh!¡±


    One scaler that was trailing them around quickly caught him with its tail and lowered him gently on the ground.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try again!¡± Charlie giggled.


    ¡°Charlie, it¡¯s about time to go,¡± Lyra said.


    ¡°Aw, but we almost had it that time.¡± He grabbed onto the friendly Scaler¡¯s tail, and it led him back into the safe room.


    Most of the other children were organized now. They were using the buddy system, each of them had a partner. The friendly Scaler had summoned additional support so that each pair of children had two Scalers, one on either side of them. They would move like this in a line through the dungeon, with the hunters surrounding them. Apparently, Scalers were not the only beast to worry about in the dungeon. The children would cross through a different zone of the dungeon to escape.


    It was a route that Tomas had mapped out before something happened to him. Charlie was vague on the details but planned to ask Lyra more about it soon. What mattered now was that it would take the children outside of the dungeon. Somewhere where there wouldn¡¯t be any guards. But from there, Kashak would have to figure out the rest and find a way to get them out of town. That was the tricky part.


    Lyra and Charlie had another goal. They would travel with the friendly Scaler and a few others. Their goal would be to make it to the save Kyo and then travel to the center of the dungeon.


    They would destroy its core.


    Though Charlie had to admit, he wondered how it might taste. He licked his lips. They were just so yummy!


    ¡°Uh, Charlie, I have to ask, what are those Scalers doing?¡± Lyra said.


    He turned to look outside the room. A large group of Scalers was waiting outside. They carried the corpse of the Boss Scaler on their back. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s my delivery! Do you have any money, Lyra?¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Uh, no? Why?¡± she asked, only growing more confused by the second.


    Charlie shrugged. ¡°Orb said you¡¯re supposed to tip in situations like this. I¡¯ll just pay them back later.¡± He pointed to the door and slid along the mattress as the Friendly Scaler dragged him outside. Lyra and Kashak exchanged a look and followed.


    Charlie let go of the Scaler¡¯s tail and crawled up to the dead boss Scaler. The others all scattered, getting far away from the corpse. His hand was already tingling with excitement. He hated that feeling. It made him want to scratch it.


    Charlie heard a noise and turned to see the other children all watched. Peeking through the door to see what was going on. The friendly Scaler whipped its tail, and the door slammed shut.


    No time to waste.


    ¡°Transfer!¡±


    He got more tendrils this time. It wasn¡¯t like the sickly pair that emerged when he took in the smaller Scalers. These were larger and more vibrant. The thick green tendrils emerged and wrapped around the corpse of the Boss Scaler. Several more emerged, and they continued wrapping around the body until they completely encased it. Then they started to pull it close again.


    Beads of sand like material slipped between the cracks in the swirling mass of tendrils, but the forceful pull of the portal in Charlie¡¯s hand picked them up as well. The tendrils retracted, pulling the creature inside and disappearing as the portal ceased.


    Assimilation complete. Mass increased. Dungeon Integrity is now at 38%.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes grew large. ¡°Wait, that big of an increase just from one monster?¡± That meant more powerful creatures restored integrity and increased mass by more. That was interesting. His list of questions for Parent got longer by the day. He hoped his friends finished their expedition soon. They had a lot to talk about.


    He looked up at Lyra and Kashak who had both taken several steps back. Charlie frowned. ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m sorry, did you want some too?¡±


    The two children just looked at each other.


    Charlie shrugged.


    They got the rest of the children into the hallway and were ready to move. Charlie and Lyra would follow the friendly Scaler and a few others deeper into the dungeon. They would be better at tracking Brel and the others than either he or Lyra were.


    Lyra took a deep breath. Looking after the children. Charlie could see she was conflicted. She wanted to go with them, too. Not because she was afraid of taking on the dungeon. But because she wanted to make sure they escaped. She¡¯d worked so long to give them this opportunity, and now she couldn¡¯t even see it through with them. Maybe she would¡¯ve. Maybe she would¡¯ve abandoned the dungeon and people of Sange.


    But that wasn¡¯t an option anymore. Brel had taken Kyo deep into the dungeon.


    They couldn¡¯t leave their friend behind.


    Just like Sophia, Josephine, and all other others. They had to save him.


    Kashak and the others were just about to set off when Luc burst out of the line and hurried over to Lyra and them.


    ¡°Let me come with you!¡± he said.


    Lyra shook her head. ¡°Luc¡­¡±


    He stared into her eyes, then his gaze fell. ¡°You think I¡¯m broken too, don¡¯t you? Florence said my arm would be okay, but I know it won¡¯t. I know it won¡¯t ever be normal again. Varroc¡­Varroc crushed me so easily. I was supposed to be a hero, Lyra. But how can I do that if I can¡¯t fight?¡±


    Tears welled up in his eyes.


    ¡°Kashak didn¡¯t mean that when he said it. He was just angry. You aren¡¯t broken. But your arm is hurt. You need time to rest and recover. Varroc was wrong about you, Luc. You will be a hero. But a hero has to know when it¡¯s time to fight, and when it¡¯s time to regroup. For now, you need to regroup. Help the others escape, and heal up, so that one day you can fight again. I¡¯m sure even the Hex King had setbacks. But he overcame them. This is your setback. Heal, and overcome it,¡± she said.


    Luc brightened up a bit at the mention of the Hex King. He wiped his eyes dry with his sleeve. ¡°Please be okay, Lyra.¡±


    Lyra smiled. ¡°I will! Charlie has my back, right Charlie?¡±


    Charlie giggled. He nodded.


    Luc smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± He turned to leave and then paused before turning back. ¡°Hey Lyra?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Will you join my guild some day? I don¡¯t think it would be as much fun without you around!¡±


    Charlie smiled, looking back up at Lyra. There was a strange look on her face. Like she hadn¡¯t expected him to say that. She smiled, but the smile didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Sure, Luc. I¡¯ll join. Now go rejoin the others. We¡¯ve gotta get going.¡±


    Luc didn¡¯t catch it. He was too distracted by his own thoughts. His fears and regrets about how things had played out.


    But Charlie had. He wondered what about Luc¡¯s question had upset her. Why would the thought of joining a guild with Luc make her sad? It didn¡¯t make sense. So, was there another reason?


    ¡°Arh!¡± the friendly Scaler cried out. It was time to go. They needed to get on Brel¡¯s trail as soon as possible.


    The children all waved and shouted out at them as they walked away.


    ¡°Bye Lyra!¡±


    ¡°See you soon, Charlie!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting in Karze!¡±


    Charlie and Lyra waved, and then turned back and followed their Scaler companions deeper into the dungeon.


    Soon, the real battle would begin.


    But first, Charlie had some questions for Lyra. He needed to find out the truth about Tomas. If his suspicions were correct, there was a whole lot more going on here.


    And he believed Lyra knew more about it all than she was letting on.

 Chapter 41: Tomas

    Merlin


    His head reeled from everything Achai told him. The man hadn¡¯t known much. Rumors that some monster lived in the caves where they kept the children. Achai had even claimed the children were being used for some kind of ritual sacrifice. But he¡¯d been shut out for a long time. These were likely rumors and assumptions. Merlin believed something else was going on. But how much was the truth, and how much was the anxiety of a father without his child running rampant?


    For now, he needed to put those things out of his mind. There were still too many unknowns, and Merlin needed to get to the bottom of it all.


    But first, he needed to be a friend.


    He found Crussus in a mineshaft nearby after asking around. Plenty of people had noticed him making his way through the camp. Crussus was a good man. He was kind. He was the kind of person who couldn¡¯t hide when he was upset. So, people had taken notice.


    The blonde man was leaning along the wall, his neck twisted at an odd angle. Sometimes people got so upset they stopped caring about things like comfort. Merlin sighed. He walked to the opposite side of the cave and slid down the rock wall as well. He scooted his knees up to his body and leaned his head against them.


    ¡°Are you doing okay, Crussus?¡± Merlin asked. He knew it was a stupid question. No one would be doing okay at a time like this. But what else could he say? What were the right things to say?


    He didn¡¯t have an answer.


    Crussus looked up at Merlin as if he had just realized he was there. ¡°You heard him, didn¡¯t you? They took my boy, Merlin. I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m doing this for now. I did all this. I wanted to fight because of him. But he¡¯s gone. He¡¯s been gone for months. I didn¡¯t even know. Now it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Merlin sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t know that. There could¡¯ve been any number of reasons why he wasn¡¯t there. Maybe they moved him to another daycare?¡± He looked down. He¡¯d heard Achai¡¯s explanation. This wasn¡¯t fair. To offer hope. To say things he didn¡¯t believe. What would he do? If he found out Charlie wasn¡¯t safe. If he learned Charlie had been taken deep into the dungeon like this other boy had?


    He¡¯d feel the same way Crussus did.


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°Crussus, I¡¯m sorry. Truth is, I don¡¯t know what to say. But I do know this. There is more going on here than we know. If we give up now, you¡¯ll never find out the truth.¡±


    Crussus looked up at him. ¡°The truth?¡± he asked. His eyes were dead inside, as if Achai had ripped out his spirit. ¡°The truth about what?¡±


    ¡°All we know is what Achai told us. But he isn¡¯t fully in the loop. There is more going on behind the scenes. If we want the truth, we have to bring Varroc down. We have to topple this corrupt town and free its people. And then I¡¯ll go into that dungeon with you, Crussus. Whatever we find in there, we¡¯ll face together. You have my word.¡±


    Crussus sighed. He looked at Merlin, staring at him for a moment. Then he nodded. ¡°Godo was right. I should¡¯ve told you about the rebellion before.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s head leaned to the side. He didn¡¯t disagree, but now wasn¡¯t the time to say that. ¡°I don¡¯t hold it against you or anything. If you want to tell me, tell me. If not, I understand that as well. My biggest concern is the present, but if you think sharing what happened before can help, I¡¯d like to hear it.¡±


    Crussus stared at the floor. He bit the inside of his lip while he thought. Finally, he nodded, and started speaking without looking up.


    ¡°I told you before that a group of knights from another nation came here. Well, I was one of them. I was their leader. We¡¯d come in pursuit of Varroc.¡±


    Merlin shook his head. He certainly hadn¡¯t expected that. ¡°What do you mean, you were one of them? You¡¯re a knight?¡± he asked. He shouldn¡¯t be so surprised. Crussus was a muscular man, and he certainly gave off the impression that he could kill someone five different ways with just a stick. But even then, thinking that, and hearing it, were two different things. ¡°Why were you chasing Varroc? What did he do?¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with Coelacanth?¡± Crussus asked.


    Merlin¡¯s eyes widened. He was all too familiar. ¡°They¡¯re one of the largest guilds, aren¡¯t they? They have a lot of influence from what I hear. Even associations with some of the noble families.¡±


    Crussus nodded. ¡°Coelacanth is one of the big three. Some would even peg them as number one, but that¡¯s debatable. Either way, they¡¯re known for getting the job done. But that¡¯s all they care about. They¡¯ve done some truly savage things to complete jobs. That reputation that precedes them, the one that says you¡¯re better off turning around and walking away than getting involved with them? It¡¯s accurate. The kingdom looks the other way. Not just for them, but for all the big guilds. People say any of the big three have enough power to rival that of the royal family. Of course, no one wants to put that claim to the test. So, the guilds play nice, and the kingdom looks the other way. No one takes advantage of this more than Coelacanth.¡±


    Merlin stood. This was a lot to take in. He knew they were one of the sketchier guilds, but big three? Really? What did any of this have to do with Varroc and Sange? Were they the ones behind this? ¡°Okay, but what about them?¡±


    Crussus held up a hand. Right, he was getting to that part.


    ¡°Varroc was a member. Hell, there was a time where most of the guards of Sange worked for the guild. He was on a mission in Tantaloo, the nation where I was born. The nation where I was a knight. I don¡¯t know what happened, or why. I don¡¯t know if they had a falling out, or Varroc was offended by something. Or maybe Varroc had been sent to do it in the first place. But he killed a nobleman¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Merlin squinted. So Crussus had been sent to get revenge.


    Crussus looked up at him for the first time since they¡¯d started talking.


    ¡°He killed the woman I loved, Merlin.¡±


    Merlin froze.


    Crussus pressed a hand to his knee and stood up. ¡°The King of Aysela promised to intervene. We wanted Varroc¡¯s head, but Coelacanth said they would deal with it internally. Even the guild couldn¡¯t ignore one of their members causing an international incident. They agreed to turn his body over to the King of Aysela upon his return. But Varroc never went back. He and his men went underground. He knew he¡¯d went too far. Varroc, for all his moral failings, wasn¡¯t an idiot. So, he disappeared. It took years, but finally, I found a lead. Someone had seen one of his subordinates, a woman named Philomena, in one of Sange¡¯s border towns.¡±


    This was a lot to take in. ¡°So, you went after him?¡±


    Crussus nodded. ¡°I went to the Queen of Tantaloo and asked for an army. But she feared it might start a war if we crossed Aysela¡¯s borders in mass. She said she wouldn¡¯t forbid me from going, but that I would have to do so of my own volition in a non-official capacity. I handpicked four other men, and we crossed the border. We infiltrated this town with the sole intention of killing Varroc. Sometimes, I think I should¡¯ve just done it. We had a chance, you know.¡±


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°What? You did, but why didn¡¯t you take it? He killed the woman you love¡­I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°We had to blend in with the people here. Back then, things were different. The system you see today was in its early stages. No one was allowed to leave. Those that came were pressed into service, working in mines. It was dangerous work, but we needed time to figure out a plan. At night, we escaped from the camps. There were far fewer guards then. That was when I heard rumors of a dungeon within the city. It wasn¡¯t the open secret it is today. I investigated it. That¡¯s when I met him.¡±


    Crussus


    Four years ago, in the days leading up to the failed rebellion.


    ¡°Are you sure about this? We haven¡¯t come this far from the camp in a while. If we¡¯re caught out here Crussus¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, Ren. We¡¯ll be fine. The dungeon should be up just ahead. Wait here and keep watch.¡±


    Rem sighed. He brushed ginger hair from his face and shook his head. What were sworn brothers for if not to watch your back? ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Crussus nodded and patted Ren on the back before hurrying off.


    Sure enough, the dungeon was here. Crussus prided himself on being a man that was hard to surprise. But this was surprising. A city built around a dungeon. This was the kind of thing that would reach the ears of even neighboring countries. For the Queen to have no knowledge of it¡­that was concerning. If Aysela was keeping something like this secret, what else were they hiding?


    The dungeon¡¯s mouth had a few scattered fragments of dungeallis crystal. They were dim, not worth much by the look of it. It was as if where the buildings ended; the dungeon began. That¡­was strange.


    But a few moments later, something surprised him even further. A young blonde boy appeared almost out of nowhere and crouch walked into the dungeon.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡± Crussus vaulted from his hiding place behind an old cart in the street.


    His curiosity wouldn¡¯t allow him to return to Ren now. This boy could get hurt, or worse. Inside the city or not, dungeons were dangerous. No place for a boy. He drew the small dagger he kept hidden on his person and hurried after the boy. He couldn¡¯t have gone far.


    The dungeon¡¯s hallway wasn¡¯t particularly special. Nothing to make it stand out from any other Crussus had been inside. He ran his fingers along the wall as he went. The walls were cold to the touch.


    ¡°Agh!¡± someone screamed. Crussus jumped back, parrying the blade of the attacker.


    The boy lost his balance and fell to the ground. Crussus pressed his knife to the boy¡¯s back. He looked for the weapon. It was a butter knife. This kid had come into a dungeon with a butter knife.


    He sighed. ¡°Why are you in a dungeon, boy?¡± Crussus asked.


    The boy didn¡¯t look up. He was young. Ten or eleven, if Crussus had to guess.


    ¡°My parents were brought here. I¡¯m looking for them.¡±


    Crussus nodded. He looked up into the dungeon. There were plenty of cases of missing people in Sange. He heard more about it every day. Some adults, some children. If this boy wasn¡¯t careful, he¡¯d end up missing too.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He sheathed his dagger and offered a hand to the boy. ¡°Come on, get up.¡±


    The boy rolled over, looking unsure, but took the offered hand.


    ¡°Now, tell me your name.¡±


    The boy looked away. ¡°It¡¯s Tomas.¡±


    Crussus knew what it was like to want to be strong. To be able to fight and help others. So, he trained the boy. During the day, he worked in the mines with the others. At night, he snuck away and met with Tomas. He taught him how to wield a blade. How to fight. How to protect himself. He taught Tomas what it meant to be a man and how to survive on his own. The boy was an orphan now. There was no getting around it. But that didn¡¯t mean his life was over.


    It meant he had to adapt.


    The other knights grew impatient. They wanted to finish the job they had come for. To slay Varroc and return home to the lives they¡¯d left behind. They were knights masquerading as slaves. Of course, they wanted out.


    But the more time he spent among the people of Sange, the less he felt he could just walk away.


    Killing Varroc wouldn¡¯t solve anything for these people. An assassination wouldn¡¯t change the way things were. He had two equally capable subordinates who would simply rise and take his place.


    No, if Crussus wanted to help the people of Sange. If he wanted to help Tomas, the boy he had become so attached to, he needed to end this town¡¯s oppression once and for all.


    He started a rebellion.


    He convinced Ren first, his closest friend. Then, with Ren¡¯s help. They convinced the others. Before long, they did what they did best. They built an army. The blacksmiths of Sange crafted extra weapons in secret. At night, the people trained deep in the mineshafts under the supervision of the knights. The once proud people of Sange were ready to retake their home.


    And then came the day. They rose up.


    Crussus parried a blade and cut through the soldier before him. He brought his foot around and kicked the man off the city walls. He turned and surveyed the battle. The city streets ran red with the blood of Varroc¡¯s mercenaries. The people of Sange had numbers. They had a dream of freedom that a love for gold, women and power could not compete with.


    Ren and the others had already fought their way to Varroc. He was cornered, backed up to the edge of the city¡¯s wall. He¡¯d killed one knight before the others had reached him. But now, his end was near. Crussus needed to join them, to see this through. Varroc may be cornered, but a cornered man was dangerous.


    Several other soldiers rushed to Crussus. They exchanged a series of blows, but in the end, they were no match for a knight of Tantaloo.


    ¡°Brel! Philo!¡± Varroc bellowed at the top of his lungs. His blade flashed wildly, just barely holding back his attackers.


    Crussus cursed. They needed to end this. To cut Varroc down before his lieutenants arrived.


    Ren knew he must be close by. ¡°Crussus! To us!¡± he cried out without turning away from the battle at hand. Crussus cursed himself for getting separated from the others. Among the knights of his country, he was unrivaled with the blade. Varroc was his to take revenge upon. Already one of his brothers had fallen. He needed to aid the others.


    He cut down two more men who found themselves unfortunate enough to be in his path and hurried toward them. But in the corner of his eye, he saw something that made him halt.


    A proud citizen of Sange fighting for freedom.


    One who had promised to hide away until the fighting was over.


    He saw Tomas.


    Little Tomas was on the battlefield, fighting alongside his people. His lessons were paying off, too. Two dead soldiers littered the ground around the young boy. Whether they had been thrown off by his age and stature, or if he had truly bested them, Crussus didn¡¯t know. But he did know that right now Tomas was struggling. He¡¯d encountered a swordsman much too strong for him. The difference in power was obvious.


    It was all the young boy could do to hold back the larger man¡¯s attacks.


    The soldier was toying with him.


    Crussus gritted his teeth. To his left, the knights still fought Varroc. To his right, his student was fighting for his life. He had to make a call.


    He cursed.


    ¡°Tomas!¡± he yelled, running toward the boy.


    The soldier he fought finally grew tired of their game. He swung his powerful blade and sent the young boy¡¯s weapon flailing over the edge of the wall. Tomas swallowed and took several steps back.


    But there was nowhere to run.


    The soldier lifted his sword again. He laughed. He was so eager to cut down a little boy. To snuff out so much potential. Crussus offered him an appropriate award. He struck his blade out and ran it through the man¡¯s back.


    The man gasped in surprise, looking down at the sword poking through his chest as the impact raised him into the air.


    Crussus pulled his blade back. Blood spewed from the wound. He wondered if the man still found his actions amusing. If he did, his face didn¡¯t reflect it. All Crussus saw on that face was the look of pure agony. That was something to smile about.


    A dishonorable man choking on his own blood.


    Tomas looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­I wanted to help.¡±


    Crussus held a hand out to him, the memory of the day they¡¯d first met fresh in his mind. ¡°All is well. Stick close to me, okay?¡± There was not time to get the boy to safety. He needed to aid his friends. Tomas nodded.


    He picked up the fallen soldier¡¯s blade and nodded.


    ¡°Reinforcements!¡± one of the Varroc¡¯s men called out from higher on the nearby watchtower. Crussus looked over the wall. Men in green cloaks were coming from somewhere deeper in the city. He squinted. He¡¯d never seen those clothes before. The people of Sange fighting below charged them. They were clearly enemies.


    The green cloaked men raised their hands and bursts of magic shot out.


    The resistance soldiers disintegrated.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± He would deal with Varroc, and then¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡± A large man charged, roaring from the watchtower. He must have climbed up on the other side. He had a large hammer in his hands, and when he reached the watchtower¡¯s edge, he jumped.


    It was Brel, come to rescue Varroc.


    Ren noticed it first. He deflected one of Varroc¡¯s attacks and then pushed one of the other knights back out of the way.


    He tried to move himself. To get out of the way. But he was too slow. The hammer came crashing down on his head. Blood splattered.


    Crussus came to a stop. He shook his head, staring at the gruesome scene with wide eyes. Ren, his sword brother. The man he had trained with since boyhood to be knights in her majesty¡¯s service. Ren, the first man to agree to come Aysela with him in pursuit of revenge.


    He had died like this?


    Impossible.


    Crussus wasn¡¯t the only one caught off guard. The other knight, who still stood, turned back to see what had happened. Varroc seized the opportunity and ran him through with his blade.


    The knight Ren had pushed out of the way scrambled backward, trying to get some distance. Brel laughed. He brought his hammer down over the man.


    Crussus could¡¯ve saved him. He couldn¡¯t have done anything about Ren or the other knight. But Crussus might¡¯ve saved the last one. If he acted. But he was stunned.


    It wasn¡¯t supposed to go like this.


    She wouldn¡¯t have wanted this.


    He felt a hand grab his own. He looked down to see Tomas looking up at him.


    Crussus shook out of his trance.


    This wasn¡¯t about revenge anymore. He was fighting for something more. These people needed him.


    Tomas needed him.


    He would bury Ren tomorrow. But today, he would fight.


    ¡°Varroc!¡± he cried out, sprinting into battle. The odds were against him now. But that didn¡¯t matter. The souls of his brothers in arms fought alongside him. Even now when he had failed them. He could feel their spirits.


    He would fight, even if it cost him his life.


    Brel swung his hammer, a normal blade could not deflect it. But Crussus did not wield a normal blade. Nor was his strength that of a normal man.


    He dragged his blade against the city wall as he charged, and it lit like a match, the entirety of it roaring to life. It¡¯s hue a molten color. He lifted it to strike back at Brel, and the impact threw the hammer backwards. Brel barely held onto it.


    The magic explosions of the cloaked men and the screams of the villagers filled his ears. He needed to end this quickly.


    Varroc cursed, lifting his own blade. But the kierstone blades of Tantaloo were unrivaled. Their blades met.


    Varroc¡¯s blade shattered, unable to stand against the blade Crussus wielded.


    Brel recovered. He swung his hammer again.


    Crussus held his blade to Varroc¡¯s throat.


    Brel''s eyes widened. He stopped, straining to hold back his attack.


    Varroc grinned. ¡°Second thoughts?¡± He laughed manically. His eyes went down to Ren¡¯s body. ¡°Now I know why you came here. To get revenge. Your friend talks too much. He should¡¯ve focused on the fight.¡±


    Crussus pressed his blade further into Varroc¡¯s neck. ¡°Call off your men, now. Surrender!¡± He could kill Varroc easily, but if the fighting didn¡¯t stop, so much would be lost. Those casters in green cloaks had some kind of power he¡¯d never even seen before. They didn¡¯t even use hexes.


    The only way path to victory was to take Varroc hostage.


    Varroc risked a slow turn to look into the city streets below. ¡°Those aren¡¯t my men. They won¡¯t listen to me. Besides, why do you think you¡¯re in charge? Haven¡¯t you heard the news? I can do anything I want here.¡±


    Crussus remembered in that moment something vital he missed. Varroc had called for both of his lieutenants. But only one was in front of him. He looked over his shoulder.


    Philomena. She stood there with her arm wrapped around Tomas¡¯ neck. She had a blade in her other hand.


    If Crussus wanted Varroc¡¯s life, it was his. But it would come at the price of Tomas. The boy he¡¯d come to see as a son. The light in a world darkened by the murder of the woman he loved.


    How could he see such a light extinguished twice?


    Tomas couldn¡¯t speak. But his eyes said it all. ¡°Do it. Kill him!¡± Crussus imagined him saying.


    But Crussus could not. He threw down his sword. To spare a life he¡¯d come to see as precious.


    Varroc grinned. He looked at Philomena. ¡°We need to make sure neither of them ever forgets this failure. Make sure they remember it.¡±


    She smiled. She lifted her knife and pressed it deep into Tomas¡¯ cheek, and then she sliced him across the face, marking him.


    Tomas screamed.


    Merlin


    ¡°I made a monster that day,¡± Crussus said.


    ¡°Varroc was already a monster! That¡¯s not your fault!¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°After that encounter, Varroc started rounding up the children and taking them to the daycares. That¡¯s when it started. We got so close to winning, but in the end, we only made Varroc that much more powerful. Now, he¡¯s paranoid. He spared me to ensure I remained a reminder of a failed rebellion. And after all that, I lost Tomas anyway. He¡¯s gone, Merlin. So, what was it all for?¡±


    Merlin took a deep breath. ¡°Crussus, would Tomas want you to give up now? After everything you¡¯ve been through? Wouldn¡¯t he want you to keep fighting? To win freedom for the people? I don¡¯t think he would give up. I don¡¯t think you should either. We have a chance here. To fix things. To change things. But I can¡¯t do that without you. You made the right decision. At least, that¡¯s how I feel. You should keep moving forward. Don¡¯t give up. Let¡¯s do this, just like how we started. Let¡¯s set these people free together.¡±


    Crussus looked up. His eyes searched the ground for an answer as he reflected on Merlin¡¯s words. ¡°What would Tomas want¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, Merlin. Of course, you¡¯re right.¡±


    They clasped hands.


    The rebellion was alive and well. Though there were things on the horizon that gave Merlin pause. He wondered what they would find at the center of the dungeon. There were also the snatchers. This power Crussus described seemed dangerous.


    How were they supposed to get around something like that?


    Regardless, he knew Charlie was counting on him.


    This rebellion would not fail again. No matter what.

 Chapter 42: Reunion

    Charlie


    They moved quickly through the dungeon. The Scalers knew the paths through the dungeon far better than any of the children did. They moved through a series of hallways, each as eccentric as the last. One hallway was full of fountains. Clean water flowed in from the wall and shot across the hall into a basin on the opposite side.


    Unlike the mirrors from earlier, the fountains didn¡¯t pause to let them pass. The Scalers climbed along the walls. They blocked the water from blasting out with their bodies when Charlie and Lyra passed to keep them from getting wet. After they passed, the Scalers would scurry ahead to the next fountain.


    Charlie thought it was nice having Scaler allies, they were quite considerate.


    The next hallway had ovens. The doors didn¡¯t close, and the ones that were turned on had the temperatures jacked up. The heat wasn¡¯t unbearable, but when they had to walk past one, they were far from comfortable. Yet another hallway was a series of bookshelves. Lyra inspected a few of them, but none of the books had any writing inside.


    Charlie thought they looked cool. He transferred several empty books into his dungeon with his Vault Transfer ability. It didn¡¯t use much, if any, of his dungeon integrity, as far as he could tell. So, he realized he should start collecting things more often. You never knew what could be useful. He even took a few bookshelves. But those did reduce his integrity. Each one by about 0.5%. He decided not to take any more of those.


    0.5 was such an ugly number. Charlie thought no one should ever use it.


    Toward the end of the bookshelf hall, Charlie thought it would be a good time to talk to Lyra. ¡°Lyra, I was wondering. What exactly happened to that Tomas boy? He was the only other person to get taken from your daycare, right?¡±


    Lyra visibly stiffened. ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about that, Charlie,¡± she said.


    His lips tilted to the side. He understood it was probably a difficult subject, but it seemed like something important. ¡°Lyra, if you know something about what we¡¯ll face in the dungeon. Don¡¯t you think I should know too?¡± he asked.


    That caused her to hesitate. It wasn¡¯t just the fact that whatever happened bothered her. There was something else too, something she wasn¡¯t saying.


    ¡°A while back, we attacked the two guards that brought us provisions. We were going to take them hostage and try to escape. It was Luc¡¯s idea. Tomas was away, mapping out the dungeon. But the rest of us were worried about him. Every time he went into the dungeon alone, we worried he might never come back. So, Luc came up with a plan. Kashak and I went along with it. We knew it was stupid. I think I might¡¯ve even known it wouldn¡¯t work. But I was so tired of all the burden being on him. So, I thought, even if this doesn¡¯t work. I¡¯ll pay the price. I¡¯ll take responsibility for it.¡±


    Her eyes teared up, but she endured the sorrow, she did her best to bury the rising tide of emotions. To finish her story.


    ¡°Varroc came when the guards didn¡¯t return. We¡¯d tied them up. We were going to negotiate our freedom. Do you know what Varroc did? He killed the men himself. He didn¡¯t even care. We fooled ourselves into thinking he was a human being, but he wasn¡¯t. He isn¡¯t. All of a sudden, we had started something we couldn¡¯t see through. Varroc called our bluff. He showed us there wasn¡¯t any way to win. At least, not directly. He said we had to learn. That one of us had to go into the dungeon. So, I agreed. Luc tried to stop me. Kashak tried to take responsibility instead. But Varroc didn¡¯t actually care whose fault it was. He just wanted someone to pay. He chose me. So, I went with him."


    She wiped her arm across her face.


    "But Tomas ran into us in the dungeon. He realized what was going on, and he offered a trade. That was too tempting for Varroc. He agreed. They let me go and took Tomas to the center of the dungeon instead.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°So, they took Tomas into the dungeon instead of you?¡± He realized this probably felt extremely personal to her. He felt bad he had pressured her into telling him. But then¡­


    ¡°Do you know where they took him?¡± he asked.


    Lyra¡¯s face changed. She shook her head instead of answering with her words.


    There, something was there. She wasn¡¯t telling the truth for some reason. But why? What reason did she have to lie? No, this line of questioning wasn¡¯t getting him any information. There was something else he¡¯d been meaning to ask her. ¡°When Varroc took Kyo, you told him he wasn¡¯t really in charge. What did you mean by that?¡±


    Lyra sighed. ¡°I said that because he isn¡¯t. Varroc oversees the soldiers, but he isn¡¯t in charge of the town. He has a lot of power, but even he answers to someone else.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head at that. From what he had seen, everyone seemed to treat him like the boss. But if that was true, then who was in charge? Who did Varroc answer to?


    Lyra could see the gears in his mind turning. ¡°Just like every town, Sange has a government. But only one man actually has any say. The rest answer to him, including Varroc and his mercenaries. I don¡¯t know his name, but they refer to him as the Mayor. Whatever is going on in the center of this dungeon started with him. He was the one who pushed them to open the mines, and he was the one who recruited Varroc and his lackeys to come to Sange. He¡¯s at the center of everything, Charlie. That¡¯s what I do know.¡±


    Charlie nodded. He turned his attention to one of the Scalers ahead. The Scalers slowed, creeping to a halt.


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    ¡°Arh!¡± the friendly Scaler said from somewhere behind Lyra and to her right. The other Scalers hurried forward, a few remained on the ground, and the others took to the walls and ceiling.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Lyra asked, looking at Charlie.


    He shrugged. Charlie didn¡¯t have any idea. He could understand Bleedy and Mousifer, but not the Scalers. His communication with them was a little more limited. Charlie looked up ahead. Lyra stopped walking as the friendly Scaler bit the back of her pant leg. She turned back. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Something squealed from down the tunnel. It sounded familiar, like stamping hooves.


    It sounded like¡­Charlie wracked his brain for the answer. What was that? He¡¯d definitely heard it before.


    ¡°Oh, a boar!¡± Charlie said excitedly.


    ¡°What?¡± Lyra said.


    It dawned on him this wasn¡¯t a good thing.


    Oh. A boar. ¡°Lyra, run!¡± he cried out, just as the tusks came into view.


    There wasn¡¯t anywhere to go but backwards. The hall was straight and without decoration. The last intersection they had crossed was a while ago. Charlie carefully climbed up Lyra to look over her shoulder as she ran. It was gaining ground on them rapidly.


    The Scalers on the ground tried to stop it, but it charged right through them, sending them flailing through the air. They crunched hard against the dungeon wall.


    More Scalers jumped from the ceiling, biting down on the powerful boar. A few steps later, two more jumped on it from its side. The four of them hung from the larger creature as it ran. It ignored them at first until they started tearing into its flesh more aggressively. It kept charging, barreling first into the wall on its right, and then into the wall on its left. Three of the Scalers on top fell away. Two crushed against the wall, and another losing its grip.


    Only one Scaler remained atop the boar, trying to claw its face.


    The friendly Scaler ran just behind them, watching their rear. Charlie needed to take this creature out with minimal power usage. Conserving his energy was more important now than ever. If he wasted too much, he wouldn¡¯t be prepared to take on the core guardian. But being too conservative could end up getting Lyra hurt. They¡¯d already suffered several injuries, or worse, on the Scalers. Charlie had grown complacent. He¡¯d forgotten they weren¡¯t the only creatures in the dungeon.


    ¡°Get ready!¡± he called out to the friendly Scaler.


    ¡°Arh!¡± it called out. He readied a pillar. Charlie aimed straight for the creature¡¯s head while it charged directly for them. With the boar charging that fast directly into a pillar shooting toward it, Charlie should be able to take it out pretty easily.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    At the same time he used the skill, Lyra tripped over herself.


    The pillar shot forward like a bullet. But Lyra¡¯s sudden fall made threw his arm off balance.


    The Scaler on top had little time to react. ¡°Arh¡ª¡± the pillar hit it and sent it plummeting off the boar.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Charlie cried out with his mind.


    The friendly Scaler looked back at the incident and then back up at Charlie. ¡°Arh!¡±


    ¡°I know! I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± Charlie sighed.


    It was so hard managing a lizard army. Let¡¯s try this again, he thought.


    An explosion of green light from the wall ahead of them sent Lyra tumbling through the air. She landed hard on the ground. The friendly Scaler sped up, jumped onto the wall, and then pressed off it, landing on top of Lyra. It shielded her and Charlie with its body. The boar behind them skidded to a stop.


    Charlie waved his hand in front of him. ¡°What is going on?¡± he asked, trying to see.


    Lyra coughed, clearing dust from her lungs. ¡°Charlie¡­Charlie!¡± Her head shot up. She looked him over to make sure he was okay.


    ¡°Arca!¡± the friendly Scaler called out. None of the other Scalers responded. Charlie turned to look back at the boar. It eyed them hungrily, but it still seemed unsure. It was waiting to see how this played out. Its gaze turned to look further ahead at the source of the explosion.


    Charlie followed its gaze, wary that the boar might attack again at any moment. But all of a sudden, the boar was the least of his concerns.


    From the hole, three men in dark green cloaks climbed out. Their faces were hard to make out and void of expression.


    The boar squealed and turned to run away. Apparently, it had encountered them before, or others like them. One of the men held a hand out and pointed it directly at the boar.


    He spoke, the word coming out in almost a whisper. ¡°Burst.¡±


    A fireball of green light exploded forward, surging after the boar.


    The boar was fast.


    The magic was faster.


    A pained squeal reverberated around the dungeon¡¯s hall as the magic caught it. The explosion was a massive burst of light. Charlie swallowed. These guys were strong.


    But what concerned him more than anything was what they were.


    He could tell from their clothes and from the aura they had about them. These men weren¡¯t just any men.


    They were snatchers.


    Lyra groaned. She slowly looked behind them to take in the sight. Her eyes flared open, and she turned to face the men. She readied a hex. ¡°Charlie, get the Scaler to take you away from here! Now! If they catch you, it¡¯s over!¡±


    Charlie shook his head. He crawled out of her arms and grabbed her by the sleeve. He tried to pull her away, but she was too heavy, and he didn¡¯t have the strength for that.


    The men were slowly getting closer. They seemed to be in no rush as they approached.


    ¡°Help!¡± Charlie said to the Scaler. His Scaler companion hurried over and clamped down on Lyra¡¯s shirt as well. The Scaler pulled Lyra away slowly. But it wasn¡¯t fast enough. Charlie let go and went to ready an attack while the Scaler pulled Lyra away.


    ¡°Charlie stop! Leave me! My leg is hurt, but you can still get away!¡± Lyra cried out.


    Charlie shook his head.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon Manip¡ª¡±


    Lyra said something that made him freeze. He realized at the same time she did. When one of the snatchers readied another attack, this one aimed directly at Charlie, and the light of the attack illuminated the darkened faces. The snatcher in the center was familiar.


    Lyra¡¯s word echoed in his head. ¡°Tomas?¡± she asked the snatcher with the scar on his face.

 Chapter 43: Apologize!

    Charlie had suspected it. But he¡¯d told himself it was impossible. Tomas was supposed to be a kid. But clearly, even Lyra thought this was him. So, how did a child become an adult so quickly? How had four months made such a difference?


    None of this made any sense.


    For now, he had to focus on the fact one of the other snatchers was about to use an attack on him and Lyra. If it had finished off the boar at that distance, then it would wreak havoc on his dungeon integrity. It might even kill Lyra and his Scaler friend.


    He had to stop it.


    The snatcher to Tomas¡¯ right sent the fireball out again, but just as quickly as it left his hand, Tomas reacted. He physically grabbed the green fireball and snuffed it out with a single, quick movement. Charlie couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. What kind of power was that? How was something like that even possible?


    If Tomas could stop an attack that had already been released, he was strong.


    The other snatcher didn¡¯t react. It was like he had no expression on his face. He simply looked at Tomas. As did the other. Tomas held a hand up. Each of the other snatchers nodded, and their hands fell to their sides. They stared blankly ahead, as if Charlie and the others weren¡¯t even there.


    Tomas turned to acknowledge Lyra. ¡°That is not a name I have heard in a while. Nor is your face one I have seen for some time. Hello, Lyra.¡±


    Charlie risked a quick look at Lyra. ¡°Snatchers can talk?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes. We can. Or at least, I can,¡± Tomas answered.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes grew wide. He hadn¡¯t technically projected that thought just to Lyra. He didn¡¯t think he needed to. Besides Lusafeen, this was the first time he had been able to talk to someone so quickly without meeting the conditions. Lyra and Kashak had somehow started hearing him as well. But it had taken time.


    So how could Tomas hear him now?


    Lyra forced herself to her feet. She stumbled forward, trying to reach out and touch Tomas. He took a step back, and the other snatchers did the same.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer. I am masking your presence from the others. If you break that veil, I will not be able to protect you.¡±


    Lyra shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s really you? But how¡­why are you so old, Tomas? What did they do to you?¡± Another thought crossed her mind. ¡°What have you done? You¡¯re a snatcher now? You collect children?¡±


    ¡°I was given the gift that all those who enter the center of the dungeon receive. At least, one of the gifts. I was lucky. These two were not. Shortly, they will stop listening to me. They will try to attack or capture you. I think the core is still deciding how to respond. Until then, we only have a few moments. I assume your goal is to retrieve the baby they have taken?¡±


    Charlie wondered what was different about Tomas. The other snatchers appeared to be emotionless shells of people. But Tomas was talking with them. He seemed to have some kind of control over the others. He was clearly a snatcher. But there was something different about him, too.


    Charlie looked up at Lyra. It was difficult to see her face from his position on the ground, but he could see well enough. She simply nodded. ¡°We¡¯re going to save Kyo, and then we¡¯re going to save you, Tomas. We¡¯ll clear the dungeon!¡± She balled her hands into fists and stared right at Tomas. The conviction on her face was clear.


    Now more than ever.


    Tomas blinked at that. He shook his head. ¡°Save me? I¡¯m not in need of saving. If you wish to retrieve the boy, I won¡¯t stop you. But let your dreams of clearing this dungeon go. The only thing you¡¯ll find in its center is death. Unless it takes a liking to you. Then your fate will be far worse. What¡¯s going on here is beyond your control, Lyra.¡±


    Lyra deflated. ¡°But that was what you wanted. I was doing this because of what you told me.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You said we had to fight¡­¡±


    Seeing the distress on her face caused Charlie to clench a baby fist.


    Before he¡¯d even known who Tomas really was, he¡¯d picked up on how much he¡¯d meant to the other children. At the council meeting, in conversations in passing, even in the picture Josephine had drawn, it was all too clear how much he meant to them.


    Tomas was to Lyra what Lyra was to all the other children. Someone she looked up to.


    Someone she trusted.


    Here he was, telling her to give up. Telling her she couldn¡¯t finish what she¡¯d come here to do.


    It made Charlie so angry.


    Tomas stared at Lyra. He saw what his words did to her, and yet he didn¡¯t apologize. He didn¡¯t seem to feel any kind of remorse at all.


    Behind him, Charlie heard Lyra sniffle. He turned back and saw her wiping her face, trying desperately to erase tears running down her cheeks. It left him surprised. He¡¯d seen her doubt herself before, after the Scaler attack. When the other children were abducted. But not like this. Charlie couldn¡¯t blame her for feeling this way. The person she looked up to most in the world had just torn her down.


    That made Charlie even angrier. How dare Tomas treat her like that?


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    ¡°Tomas! You¡¯re hurting Lyra¡¯s feelings,¡± Charlie said, projecting his thoughts only to the snatcher.


    Tomas looked down at him. ¡°What about it? I¡¯m just telling the truth. She¡¯s incapable of doing this. She¡¯s too weak. It¡¯s beyond her.¡±


    Lyra fell to her knees.


    Each word was a knife to Lyra¡¯s heart.


    That was the breaking point for Charlie.


    The friendly Scaler sensed he was about to do something reckless and barked at him. ¡°Arh!¡±


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    A pillar rose up just behind Charlie and shoved him into the air at high speed toward Tomas. He reached back with a baby hand and swung it around.


    Slap!


    His hand smacked Tomas on the face. Then the two tumbled to the ground. Charlie rolled a few feet before coming to a stop. Tomas simply fell on his back. Even though Charlie was just a baby, he still had the rock skin passive. He might not have knocked Tomas out, but the attack certainly wouldn¡¯t have felt good. He righted himself, rising into a crawl and turning back to face Tomas.


    The snatcher remained on his back.


    The others weren¡¯t so laid back after the attack. Each of them lifted a hand.


    One towards Lyra.


    One towards Charlie.


    The friendly Scaler scurried over to protect Lyra with its body. Its eyes widened as it looked over at Charlie, realizing it couldn¡¯t protect them both.


    A large green fireball formed, each on track to strike one of them down. Charlie grimaced. He needed to protect Lyra and the Scaler. No matter what.


    But Tomas reacted more quickly. He lifted his head, both of his own hands flaring up.


    ¡°Burst!¡± he roared.


    Charlie''s, and Lyra¡¯s eyes grew wide in unison.


    The bodies of the two snatchers fell to their knees, and then crumpled on the floor.


    Their heads were missing.


    ¡°You killed them¡­¡± Lyra said, shaking her head. Her eyes were still red and watery.


    Tomas stood. ¡°They were already dead.¡± He turned to glare at Charlie, still crawling behind him. A red, Charlie sized handprint was on Tomas¡¯ face.


    If Charlie wasn¡¯t so angry with this adult-child-butthead combination of a man, he would¡¯ve laughed.


    Tomas sighed. ¡°Why did you attack me? Do you really wish to fight?¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°I want you to apologize to Lyra right now!¡±


    Lyra looked over at Charlie, a shocked look on her face. ¡°Charlie¡­¡±


    Tomas stared at him. ¡°Apologize for what?¡±


    ¡°For pretending like you don¡¯t care about her! You aren¡¯t like the other snatchers. You stopped them from attacking when we first ran into you. Just now, you protected us again! You wouldn¡¯t have done that if you didn¡¯t care. So, stop pretending and start treating Lyra like a friend. Because she¡¯s missed you a lot and fought really hard to be here. And don¡¯t say that she¡¯s weak or that she can¡¯t do what she says she will. Lyra is really strong! She¡¯s been looking after all those kids since you left! So shut up and stop being a meanie and say you¡¯re sorry!¡± Charlie huffed.


    He was overwhelmed by it all. It was so confusing. He cared about Lyra; he did. But why was this bothering him so much? Why was he so upset? There was something more going on, but he couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Tomas blinked. He turned to look back at the dead snatchers on the ground, and then up at Lyra. He frowned. Tomas turned his hands over so that his palms faced his head. He looked into them. Staring at those hands. The hands of a man.


    He looked back over his shoulder at Charlie. ¡°There¡¯s no going back. I can never go back. Too much has changed. I¡¯m not who I was¡­¡±


    ¡°Look at her,¡± Charlie said, pointing his hand toward Lyra. She sobbed quietly into her hands. ¡°You may not look the same, but to Lyra, you¡¯re still Tomas. So, act like it. She¡¯s missed you.¡±


    There it was. The real reason Charlie was so upset by it all. He¡¯d been missing his friends, too. Merlin. Vetica. Mousifer, Bleedy and Parent.


    Orb.


    Since coming to this world, he¡¯d made a whole lot of friends. But when he came to Sange, he was separated from so many of them. He hadn¡¯t realized how much it was bothering him until now. Until he saw how much Lyra was hurting, too. He shouldn¡¯t have hit Tomas. But Tomas was being a dummy.


    His long-lost friend was right in front of him and instead of enjoying it, he had made her cry. It was silly. If Charlie got to see Merlin right now, Charlie wouldn¡¯t make him cry!


    Tomas sighed. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right.¡± He turned and knelt in front of Charlie. ¡°But this is too dangerous. I can¡¯t encourage her to continue down this path. It will only lead to more suffering. But in this form, I also can¡¯t protect her. The core may not hold the same influence over me as it does the other snatchers, but I¡¯m still unable to defy it. If I give her my blessing, I would only seal her fate.¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Lyra wants you to fight with her. She just wants to know her friend is still in here,¡± Charlie said, reaching up and pointing at the snatcher¡¯s head. He tilted his head. Maybe he should¡¯ve pointed at his heart. Charlie wasn¡¯t very good at this stuff yet.


    The snatcher¡¯s eyes widened, and then he turned to face Lyra. He approached her and knelt on the ground before her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lyra. A lot has happened.¡±


    She looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks.


    And then she ran toward him and threw her arms around him.


    Tomas blinked in surprise before returning the gesture. She cried into his shoulder. ¡°I was scared we¡¯d never see you again.¡±


    His head sank. He said nothing, he just wrapped his arms tighter.


    After Lyra calmed down, the three of them stood in the center of the dungeon¡¯s hallway. The friendly Scaler, realizing things had relaxed, set off down the hall to retrieve the other Scalers that had been injured during the boar fight.


    Tomas sighed, leaning against the wall.


    Lyra stood in the center of the hallway, holding Charlie.


    ¡°I still believe you should turn back. After you save the boy, Kyo. Return and regroup with the others. Get as far away from Sange as you can before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head at this. ¡°What do you mean before it¡¯s too late?¡± he asked.


    Tomas looked him directly in the eye. ¡°The leaders of Sange think they can control this dungeon. But they are wrong, and it will be the death of everyone in this town.¡±


    Tomas looked away. He stared at the ground.


    ¡°And the end will come soon.¡±

 Chapter 44: Influence

    Only about half of the Scalers that were injured during the boar attack were able to keep moving. The friendly Scaler rounded them up and left the others to rest. One of them was the Scaler Charlie had accidentally hit with his pillar attack. The impact had broken right through the skin. A large portion of the creature¡¯s skull was now visible through its forehead.


    This was the only Scaler Charlie could differentiate from the other Scalers, except for the first one he¡¯d befriended.


    So, he named it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you Bonehead!¡± he said, content that he¡¯d picked the perfect name. He¡¯d worried the Scaler would hold the injury against him. Instead, it seemed delighted with its name. It yelled.


    ¡°Arh! Arh! Arh!¡±


    The friendly Scaler seemed displeased that it hadn¡¯t received its own name yet. It turned away from him and stared at the wall in protest. But Charlie was still thinking. Sometimes names come quickly, and sometimes they take time. He wanted to get this one right. Bonehead¡¯s name had pretty much picked itself.


    The friendly Scaler, bonehead, and two others now trailed behind them. Charlie turned back to look at the injured Scalers they had to leave behind. There were an assortment of broken limbs and crumpled bodies. Now, they were resting.


    Tomas noticed him peeking over Lyra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Scalers are resilient. They can survive pretty much any wound as long as it doesn¡¯t kill them instantly, and they escape whatever caused it. These will be fine. There¡¯s a reason they excel in dungeon environments.¡±


    Charlie frowned. He would have to take the snatcher''s word for it. They didn¡¯t have time to wait. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they caught up to Brel and the other guards. Soon, they¡¯d take Kyo back and complete the first part of their mission.


    Then they¡¯d clear the dungeon itself.


    Tomas put a hand to his face. He closed his eyes as he walked. ¡°We¡¯ll catch up to them soon. It seems something has delayed their progress.¡±


    ¡°Arh!¡± the friendly Scaler cried.


    Tomas looked over at it.


    ¡°We sent some of our friends ahead to slow them down,¡± Charlie said, still proud of himself for coming up with the idea. He just hoped the Scalers were okay. Brel and the others were strong. But it was the only way to buy them time. There had been no other choice.


    Tomas looked surprised but nodded.


    Lyra sighed. ¡°We should use this time to learn what we can. Can you tell us about the core guardian?¡± she asked.


    Tomas shook his head. ¡°I cannot. Even though the dungeon does not hold the same influence over me that it does the others, there is still information I cannot divulge. But I¡¯ll tell you what I can.¡±


    Charlie pointed a finger to his cheek and looked up at the ceiling. He had a question. ¡°Why is that, Tomas? Why aren¡¯t you like the others? You mentioned a gift or something.¡±


    Tomas nodded. ¡°My memories are hazy. But when that thing changed me, I woke up. I fought back. Despite this, I still became a snatcher. But I kept some portion of my awareness. I¡¯m not the same as I was. But pieces of me remain. Scattered fragments. Memories. I am not completely free, but I have more freedom than any other snatcher.¡±


    ¡°If you have freedom, why do you take children?¡± Charlie asked.


    Tomas blinked at that. ¡°I¡¯ve never done that. The dungeon uses me for other purposes. But I am no mere collector. Though my altered state makes me unusual, the dungeon has since learned to use me for things it cannot use other snatchers for.¡±


    Charlie hesitated, biting his lip. He didn¡¯t want to accuse Tomas of lying, but he had been approaching him in Sirra. ¡°What were you doing outside the cafe in Sirra?¡± he asked.


    Lyra seemed surprised at that. She didn¡¯t know the two had crossed paths before.


    ¡°Lyra already knows this, but have you heard about the Circle of Sange, Charlie? Well, some call it the circle, while others, mostly traders and such, call it the dead zone of Aysela. An isolated area of the kingdom where Sange and the four surrounding towns only trade with each other. It¡¯s completely self-sufficient. Are you familiar? Or is this news to you?¡± Tomas asked him.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard something about that before. Merlin told me that while he was in prison, some crazy old man told him to avoid the circle. He didn¡¯t know what that meant at the time, though. I guess we should¡¯ve researched it some more. So, the circle is just Sange, Sirra, and the other three towns?¡± Charlie asked, looking up at Tomas with widened, curious eyes.


    Lyra made a face. Admittedly, Charlie had never mentioned the man he traveled with had jail time under his belt. This would make convincing her and all the other children to travel with them a little harder. Oh well. She let it go and added her thoughts to what Tomas had said. ¡°And one of the towns relocated to be closer to Sange and complete the circle. That¡¯s where Luc was from!¡±


    Tomas nodded. ¡°Yes. The circle, and the town that was moved, it all exist for a reason.¡± Tomas stopped walking and knelt. Lyra and the Scalers stopped as well. They turned to inspect him drawing in the dirt.


    Tomas drew a small town, and then drew a circle around it and marked four new towns. Charlie realized it was a crude drawing of the dead zone. Tomas pointed at Sange in the circle¡¯s center. Then he drew several lines from the center of Sange to the edges of the circle. He looked up at them.


    ¡°See this? This circle represents the influence of Sange¡¯s dungeon. All dungeons have them. A sphere of influence. Dungeon cores have incredible control over the dungeon itself. But what most people don¡¯t know is that they also have some influence on the world immediately outside of the dungeon as well. That¡¯s why sometimes beast from inside dungeons can wander beyond the dungeon¡¯s threshold.¡±


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    Lyra shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I mean¡­sure a dungeon having influence immediately outside isn¡¯t crazy. But you¡¯re talking about entire towns. The dead zone is a sizeable chunk of the kingdom. How can a dungeon have that much influence? That¡¯s insane!¡±


    Charlie gasped. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s why you were in Sirra!¡± he said.


    Tomas nodded. ¡°The dungeon¡¯s influence in Sirra was growing weaker by the day. So, I was sent to investigate. That¡¯s when I learned another dungeon had appeared nearby. Its own influence pushed back and our hold over Sirra was weakened. The people must have realized it. Trade lessened, and they stopped following some of the rules. They allowed outsiders to stay in Sirra, rather than sending them to Sange like they were supposed to. There were even rumors of increased cultist activity in the area. So, the dungeon sent me to take action. But before I could, you did.¡±


    Lyra¡¯s eyes shot open. She looked between the two of them. Her eyes settled down on Charlie. ¡°You did? You¡¯ve already cleared a dungeon?¡± she asked.


    Charlie smiled sheepishly. ¡°Kind of! It wasn¡¯t very much fun.¡± He turned back to Tomas. ¡°But if you were there to clear the dungeon, why were you coming after me?¡± he asked.


    Tomas took his hand and swiped across the drawing in the dirt. He stood and looked at him. ¡°I was hunting the dungeon that was disrupting Sange¡¯s influence. My senses told me you were worth investigating.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That makes sense. That¡¯s because I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t tell me. It¡¯s better I don¡¯t know. The dungeon doesn¡¯t care enough to pry into my thoughts regularly, but if it thinks doing so will grant it an advantage, it may. So, keep information about your abilities and powers to yourself. I just wanted to answer your question.¡±


    Charlie nodded. He didn¡¯t enjoy treating Tomas like he was some kind of enemy. But he thought it was better to follow his advice. ¡°So now that the dungeon in Sirra is destroyed, the dungeon here has a stronger influence there again?¡± he asked.


    Tomas nodded. ¡°It is. So, in a way, you¡¯ve made the thing you wish to destroy even stronger. To tell the truth, though, it was mostly using this increased sphere of influence for reconnaissance. The dungeon constantly evaluates threats. With regular patrols of boars, snatchers, and the soldiers under Varroc, it¡¯s almost impossible for someone to reach Sange without the dungeon finding out. Which is why it was strange you and that man were able to reach Sange¡¯s gates without being detected. That¡¯s something I still don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Varroc and the guards had been surprised that Merlin had strolled right up to their gates. He¡¯d always thought it was because Merlin had a baby with them. But maybe this was the real reason why. Maybe they were surprised that anyone could make it to their front gate without being detected. It made sense now why they were on high alert. Why Varroc sent soldiers to search the forest. They didn¡¯t have any idea how Charlie and Merlin had managed to sneak up on them.


    But Charlie did.


    In the Sirra dungeon, Parent had told him he was able to use Dungeon Manipulation without transferring material to the dungeon because he had caught the dungeon off guard. It had only worked once. After that, the dungeon noticed him. If that was true, it meant that his dungeon wasn¡¯t quite the same as others. Sure, Tomas had sensed something off about him in Sirra. But he hadn¡¯t known why. He¡¯d been going to investigate when Geron ran off with Charlie first.


    That meant this sphere of influence thing, whatever it was, couldn¡¯t detect Charlie¡¯s dungeon until he exposed it himself. That was good to know.


    But something bothered him that he still couldn¡¯t explain. One boar had seen them in the forest. Sure, Vetica had killed it. But had that really stopped the dungeon from learning about their presence? If it used the beast for patrols, did they have to come back and report what they saw? Or did they serve as an extra pair of eyes and ears for the dungeon?


    He started to ask Tomas, but the Scalers scouting ahead slowed and doubled back. They called out quietly to their leader, the friendly Scaler.


    ¡°Arh. Arh. Arh.¡±


    The friendly Scaler nodded its head. ¡°Arca,¡± it said. The other Scalers, bonehead included, took to the ceiling, and slowly stalked forward.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Charlie asked, looking down at the friendly Scaler.


    ¡°Arh.¡±


    Tomas put his hand to his head again. ¡°Brel and the others are just up ahead. Prepare yourselves. Brel is strong, and I will not be allowed to intervene on your behalf. This fight is yours and yours alone.¡±


    Charlie nodded. He¡¯d already come prepared for that. The truth was, he¡¯d been looking forward to saving Kyo. But there was something else he wanted too.


    He wanted to beat up Brel.


    Brel had scared Sofia. He''d destroyed the daycare and all the children¡¯s belongings. Brel had grabbed Kyo and stolen him away when Charlie was powerless.


    But Charlie wasn¡¯t powerless anymore, and he was going to show Brel exactly why he shouldn¡¯t have ever taken one of Charlie¡¯s friends.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he said.


    Lyra nodded. But Charlie hadn¡¯t been talking to her. He¡¯d been talking to the friendly Scaler.


    The Scaler jumped on and then back off a wall, flying through the air. It contorted its head and reached over to bite the front of Charlie¡¯s onesie.


    Lyra tried to tighten her grip, but the move caught her off guard. The Scaler yanked Charlie away, then twisted midair and landed on the wall opposite from the one it had jumped off. Charlie swung freely from its mouth.


    The Scaler jumped back down on the ground and hurried after the others.


    ¡°Charlie, wait!¡± Lyra whispered. She was smart enough to realize being too loud could alert Brel and the others to their presence.


    Charlie knew he shouldn¡¯t leave her behind. This was as much her fight as it was his. But in that moment, all he could focus on was the memory of Kyo crying and reaching out for him.


    He was just sorry it took this long to find him.


    The friendly Scaler quickly caught up to the others, who fell in line.


    ¡°Do it!¡± Charlie said in the Scaler''s mind. The Scaler flung its head up and released Charlie mid-air. He fell back down and landed on the Scaler¡¯s head. He held his hands out for balance, and to his surprise, settled in comfortably.


    They¡¯d pulled it off. There he was, charging at the head of his small pack of Scaler allies. He looked over and saw bonehead keeping an eye on him in case he fell. Charlie smiled. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you, Kyo!¡± he projected outward, searching for the baby¡¯s mind.


    He knew Kyo probably wouldn¡¯t understand. He knew the conditions hadn¡¯t been met.


    But in the back of his mind, Charlie remembered that sense of connection he¡¯d felt.


    He focused on it and repeated his words.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming for you, Kyo!¡±


    Charlie squinted into the darkness for any sign of Brel and the others.


    The sound of a baby crying out echoed throughout the hallway.


    Kyo.

 Chapter 45: Brel

    Brel


    ¡°This is my first time making the trip. Does it always take this long?¡± Gavin asked. He¡¯d been grumbling for the better part of the last few hours.


    Brel shook his head. ¡°Nope. We¡¯d usually be halfway back by now. It¡¯s rare to see lizards in these parts of the dungeon. Almost like they¡¯re blocking off all our usual routes. It is what it is. I¡¯ll tell Varroc we need a few days off when we get out of here.¡±


    Gavin and the other two soldiers grinned at that. Brel smirked for their benefit.


    But inside, he was worried. He¡¯d long since grown tired of the barren dungeon walls. They were taking a path he wasn¡¯t familiar with anymore. He didn¡¯t like being in unfamiliar territory.


    Especially in a dungeon.


    The beast here should be working for the dungeon. The soldiers of Sange were supposed to be working with the dungeon. So why were the Scalers getting in their way? Was the dungeon up to something? Or was it something else?


    Maybe it was turning on them.


    Brel swallowed. The only comfort he had was the large hammer on his back. He looked down at the baby cradled in his arm. He¡¯d carried the kid like a toy before. But it was more natural like this.


    He thought the other children had said its name was Kyo or something like that.


    It looked up at him with sad brown eyes. It had cried almost nonstop when they¡¯d taken it from the daycare. But now¡­well, it was probably cried out. The others trailed behind him. Brel lifted a finger to poke the boy.


    He looked so small. So delicate.


    You¡¯d think a baby growing up in a dungeon would be tougher.


    Kyo stared at Brel¡¯s hand and then reached out and grabbed the outstretched finger.


    Brel¡¯s mouth fell open. The little fingers firmly wrapped around his own. He hadn¡¯t expected that.


    ¡°Whatcha doing, Brel?¡± Gavin asked, hurrying to catch up to him.


    Brel yanked his finger free from Kyo¡¯s hand and turned to look at the other soldier.


    ¡°Nothing. Something wrong?¡± Brel asked him, flustered that Gavin had almost seen that exchange.


    Gavin yawned. ¡°Nah. Just bored. Kind of have to piss, too.¡±


    One of the other guards laughed. ¡°No water buckets around this time. Gotta use the wall like the rest of us.¡±


    Brel chuckled. ¡°That was a good one, Gavin! I¡¯ll buy you a drink when we get back.¡±


    Gavin playfully punched him on the shoulder. ¡°When have you ever bought anyone a drink? I¡¯m going to go on ahead and handle my business.¡±


    The fourth guard, who hadn¡¯t spoken yet, scoffed. ¡°Come on, man. Then we¡¯ll smell it when we pass. Piss here, then catch up. Don¡¯t run ahead!¡±


    Gavin flicked him off and ran ahead. They could already hear him tinkering with his belt buckle. Brel shook his head and laughed.


    ¡°Arca!¡±


    Brel and the two soldiers stopped and looked at each other.


    ¡°What was that?¡± one of them asked.


    Brel turned to look behind them. It had come from somewhere back there. He nodded at the men, and each of them drew their swords. Brel couldn¡¯t wield his hammer and hold the baby. He thought of passing the kid off to one of them but decided against it. A few rogue Scalers weren¡¯t anything they couldn¡¯t handle.


    ¡°Arh!¡±


    They turned. This one hadn¡¯t come from behind. It was up ahead.


    ¡°Shit! Brel, help!¡± Gavin called from up ahead.


    Brel cursed and jogged after Gavin. He pulled the baby in close. He wouldn¡¯t dare let something happen to it until the hand off had been completed.


    It didn¡¯t take long to catch up.


    Gavin¡¯s trousers were around his ankles, but he¡¯d drawn his sword and was warding off a pack of Scalers who crept closer by the second.


    Brel¡¯s eyes grew wide. There was a dozen of them, easily. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.


    Gavin shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know! They just ran up on me! What do I do? If I move too quickly, they might attack! I¡¯d really like to pull my pants up!¡±


    Brel turned back to look at the other two soldiers and beckoned them forward with his head. They hurried to cover Gavin but stopped when they saw it.


    A new Scaler scurried forward, and the others made room for it. It was a spitter. The Scaler looked at all of them and then turned its attention to Gavin. It tilted its head at the man¡¯s exposed crotch.


    Then it spit a glob of acid into the air straight at him.


    Gavin¡¯s scream was bloodcurdling. He fell backwards.


    The other two soldiers ran forward to cover him before the Scaler could seize the opportunity. But the Scalers didn¡¯t attack.


    They retreated.


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    What was going on? This wasn¡¯t like them at all. For one, they shouldn¡¯t be attacking them in the first place. Brel had made this trip a hundred times, and he¡¯d never run into any issues with the beast inside. He¡¯d crossed paths with a few, sure. But they always scurried away or let him pass in peace.


    So why were they attacking now?


    One of the other soldiers inspected Gavin. ¡°Uh, this isn¡¯t good. What do we do?¡± he asked, turning to Brel.


    Brel grimaced. He ripped a canteen from his belt and threw it at the man. ¡°Pour this over it. Other than that, can¡¯t do much until we get a healer. Problem is, I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to get him out of here. We still gotta deliver the kid.¡±


    He heard a noise.


    Brel cocked his head. It sounded like something flying through the air at high speed. His head turned just in time to see the projectile shoot by. His eyes could barely process what it was before it hit the guard tending to Gavin¡¯s wound in the back of the head.


    It knocked him out cold, and he slumped over, falling on top of Gavin.


    ¡°What was that? Some kind of rock?¡± The other guard asked. Brel cursed and turned to look in the direction the attack had come from.


    He held Kyo out to the other guard. ¡°Take the boy,¡± he barked. The soldier hurried up and grabbed Kyo. Brel reached back to grab the hilt of his hammer.


    There the noise was again.


    Two projectiles this time. The first one would hit Brel. He couldn¡¯t get his hammer out in time. Brel¡¯s head shot to the right. A second slower and it would¡¯ve hit him square in the face. It skirted past him, nicking his cheek without losing any momentum. That one had been almost as fast as an arrow. Maybe faster.


    The second one was aimed at the other soldier. But he didn¡¯t try to dodge. He panicked and did the first thing that came to mind.


    He held the baby boy up in his arms as a shield.


    Brel¡¯s arm shot out to shield the baby. The small pillar of rock exploded into dust. It was magic then. Whoever had used it still had control. But even their reaction wasn¡¯t fast enough. A piece of the pillar didn¡¯t dissolve in time.


    It hit Brel¡¯s arm, and a loud crack resounded throughout the dungeon. He gritted his teeth.


    Kyo shrieked. He was okay. He had a mouth full of dust, but he was okay.


    The guard looked at Brel¡¯s arm and then back at the baby boy he held out. ¡°I¡ª¡± he stammered. Brel didn¡¯t allow him to finish the sentence. He grabbed Kyo with one hand.


    With the other, he grabbed the soldier by the head and slammed him into the wall. His skull popped like an acorn. Brel grimaced at the pain in his arm. It clearly wasn¡¯t broken. But it was injured. A fracture perhaps?


    He sighed and knelt before the corpse, while keeping an ear out for any more projectiles. Brel sat Kyo on the ground and worked quickly, positioning the dead body so it was sitting against the wall. He pushed the body¡¯s knees inward and then wrapped the arms around them.


    Brel always carried rope. You never knew when you needed to tie someone up. He tied the arms together. Then did the same with the legs. He tugged at both to make sure the corpse wouldn¡¯t move. There wasn¡¯t much he could do about the blood.


    Oh well, this would be temporary.


    Satisfied, he picked Kyo back up and set him on the corpse¡¯s lap. A makeshift baby holder. The legs and arms would act as barriers to keep him from crawling away. At least for a little while. Good. Now he wouldn¡¯t go anywhere. He stood up and grabbed his large hammer from his back. He gripped it firmly with both hands and waited for his attacker to reveal themself.


    ¡°Alright! Now it¡¯s just me and you. So, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Slap!


    Brel squinted, leaning forward. What was that?


    Slap!


    Slap!


    Slap!


    Brel shook his head. The slaps were soft. Like something hitting the ground over and over. One after the other in quick succession. Was it a Scaler? No. They moved much more quietly than that. Besides, Scalers were normal beasts. He¡¯d never heard of a hex beast Scaler. That wasn¡¯t possible. So, it had to be human, right?


    A small shape appeared in the darkness. A tiny silhouette.


    When it realized what it was, Brel turned to look back over his shoulder and make sure Kyo was still there.


    He was. He was doing his best to crawl out of his makeshift prison, but he was still there.


    So then, who was the baby crawling toward him?


    The new baby held a hand up, and a projectile shot forward.


    Brel barely dodged as it went whistling by his face.


    He shook his head. What the hell was going on?


    Did a baby just try to attack him?


    Charlie


    Charlie knew the Scalers weren¡¯t far behind him, lurking in the shadows. The first part of his plan had gone off with no issues. He wanted to isolate Brel and take out the other soldiers.


    Still, he hadn¡¯t expected one of them to try to use Kyo as a human shield. If Brel hadn¡¯t intervened in time¡­


    Charlie swallowed, thinking of Bonehead the Scaler.


    Human babies were a little less resilient than Scalers. He was just glad everything had worked out.


    He just needed to distract Brel for a little while. Buy time for the Scalers on either side of them to sneak up, grab Kyo, and escape. They¡¯d been lucky the friendly Scaler had sensed the group he¡¯d sent on ahead. They¡¯d been waiting to ambush Brel¡¯s men when they¡¯d made contact. A simple ¡°arca¡± had handled the rest. Charlie had left the friendly Scaler with one simple instruction.


    ¡°Try to get the baby away from the big man with the mohawk! Take down the other men with him. Don¡¯t hold back. These aren¡¯t good guys,¡± Charlie had said, projecting his thoughts to the Scalers. He wasn¡¯t sure how much would get through. Luckily, his friendly Scaler was smart enough to figure most of it out.


    ¡°Arca!¡± it had barked. The other Scalers had called back their understanding. A series of quiet cries of agreement.


    Brel stared at him, unsure of how to react. Kyo had noticed him, too. He now leaned forward and held a hand out towards Charlie. His face was still covered in the dust from Charlie¡¯s dissolved attack, but still he smiled.


    Kyo was just as excited about their reunion as Charlie was.


    ¡°Status!¡± Charlie said, addressing his interface.


    ¡°Status requested. Current dungeon integrity is 35%.¡±


    Charlie nodded. That wasn¡¯t bad, considering he¡¯d used his powers to slap Tomas, and then again against Brel and his men. He¡¯d need to be careful, though. There wouldn¡¯t be much time in between fighting Brel and the core guardian.


    He had to conserve dungeon integrity in this fight while also using enough to bring Brel down quickly.


    If he expended too much power now, he would be useless in the fight against the core guardian.


    This would be tricky.


    Before, he¡¯d held back to make sure he didn¡¯t kill any of the men. But Lyra had warned him about just how strong Brel was. He couldn¡¯t afford to pull his punches if he wanted to bring the man down.


    Brel pulled the hammer off his back. ¡°What the hell are you? Children don¡¯t have power like this.¡± He paused, then looked back at Kyo.


    ¡°That attack was powerful. I don¡¯t know what you are, but I¡¯m going to beat you down and then feed you to the dungeon. Maybe it decides you¡¯re a better option than Kyo over here.¡±


    Brel roared. He charged forward, readying his hammer to slam down on Charlie.


    Charlie shrieked. He summoned a pillar that sent him flying forward.


    One way or another, he was taking Kyo back.

 Chapter 46: Baby vs. Hammer

    Charlie rocketed through the air, propelled by a well-placed pillar. Brel charged toward him, already preparing an attack with his metallic great hammer.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    A series of pillars rose toward Brel from a single portal on the ground, obscuring Charlie¡¯s movement. Another appeared from his side and shot him back towards the wall. The friendly Scaler scurried out from a shadow and grabbed the back of his onesie. They made a break straight for Kyo. He knew he¡¯d have to take on Brel, but he wanted to secure Kyo as soon as possible.


    Rock shattered as Brel¡¯s hammer tore through it, but he didn¡¯t stop there. Brel twisted his body, driving his hammer further. It spun and collided with the wall, trailing after the Scaler and Charlie.


    They were so close, a few feet away from Kyo, who still sat in the corpse¡¯s lap reaching up for them. But the Scaler was forced to jump away to avoid the grating hammer.


    They flipped in the air and the Scaler skidded away as it turned to face Brel. Charlie¡¯s eyes widened at the indent in the wall. Brel¡¯s hammer had carved at least a foot into it.


    If Brel could do that to the walls of a dungeon, then he could hurt Charlie, too. That wasn¡¯t good. He patted the Scaler on the back of the head.


    The friendly Scaler threw Charlie into the air and onto the top of its head. ¡°Arca!¡± it barked with its mouth now free. Bonehead and the other two Scalers rushed from the hallway behind Brel. Brel turned to look at them over his shoulder.


    Charlie raised a hand. He used his ability and sent a large, sharpened log of rock toward Brel from his dungeon. He frowned, knowing it would use more of his dungeon integrity than he would like. Two of the Scalers clamped down on Brel¡¯s armor, trying to tear through it. Bonehead lunged for his face. Brel grabbed him from the air and spun, holding the lizard directly in front of the pillar Charlie had shot forward.


    This was exactly what had happened to Kyo. Charlie¡¯s own attack being used against him.


    ¡°Dungeon manipulation!¡± The pillar burst into dust and filled the hallway. Charlie squinted. It was hard to see now. He raised a hand to shield his face, peeking through his fingers. He couldn¡¯t see Brel, the other Scalers, or even Kyo through it all.


    There were a series of Scaler cries, one after the other. The friendly Scaler tilted its head, looking into the smoke.


    A shape shot forward through the dust and Charlie turned to see Bonehead fly past them, landing a few feet away.


    ¡°Bonehead?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Arh!¡± the friendly Scaler cried out. A large silhouette emerged.


    It was Brel, his hammer already raised above his head. The friendly Scaler jumped back. The hammer dug deep into the ground where they¡¯d been a moment ago. Brel stood, holding his hammer out in front of him again. ¡°You¡¯ve got power, but no idea how to use it. I thought perhaps you were some kind of beast, but you aren¡¯t, are you?¡± Brel stared at him, a confident grin on his face.


    Charlie frowned. The Scalers weren¡¯t strong enough to pierce Brel¡¯s armor. Charlie¡¯s attacks probably could, but so far, Brel had managed to avoid them. He needed to break through. To end this fight as soon as possible.


    The smoke cleared, and he saw Kyo was still okay. The other two Scalers were on the ground where they¡¯d attacked Brel. They weren¡¯t moving. Bonehead was breathing, but he was out cold. That left Charlie and the friendly Scaler.


    If he kept throwing projectiles at Brel, he¡¯d only waste his dungeon integrity. He needed to end this now. Even if it cost him a little more power, it was better than a drawn-out fight.


    Brel¡¯s muscles tensed. He was ready to respond to whatever Charlie threw at him. But Charlie was going to try something that had worked against the Scalers.


    Charlie held two hands out from his body.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    Four portals formed at once. Two of them produced descending rock walls that fell in front of and behind Brel, encasing him in a small space. It was a smaller version of the technique Charlie had used to wall in the battlefield when the Scalers had attacked the children in their territory.


    Though he couldn¡¯t see it, on either side of Brel, within the walled off space, two more walls formed. When Charlie gave the signal, they would collide, crushing Brel completely.


    Charlie clapped.


    Rock grated and slammed together.


    He grimaced. That wasn¡¯t a move he ever wanted to use on a human. He¡¯d barely wanted to use it against the Scalers. But at the time, he was only focused on protecting the children. This felt different.


    It felt wrong.


    But Kyo was in danger, and Charlie had to save him.


    Even if it meant using his powers like this.


    The friendly Scaler lifted the side of its head, like it was listening for something.


    Crunch.


    What was that?


    Crunch. This one was louder. Charlie leaned in. Maybe the other Scalers were doing something?


    Crunch. A hole burst through the wall Charlie had made. A large, human hand poked through it. The hand receded, and an eye replaced it. Brel stared at him through the fist sized peephole he¡¯d made. ¡°There you are! I guess you aren¡¯t smart enough to run away. That¡¯s too bad. Give me a second. I¡¯ll be right out.¡±


    The friendly Scaler slowly backed away. Its entire body shivered. Charlie looked down at it, wondering what was going on.


    And then he realized it was afraid.


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    Both of Brel¡¯s hands gripped either side of the opening in the wall. He grunted, and then, to Charlie¡¯s surprise, Brel ripped the wall apart. Chunks of rock fell to the ground before returning to dust.


    Charlie swallowed. In that moment, he realized that Brel¡¯s power reminded him of someone else¡¯s.


    It reminded him of Geron. Geron wasn¡¯t the kind of person Charlie wanted to fight. Apparently, Brel wasn¡¯t either.


    This was bad.


    Brel rolled his neck, popping the bones in it and then looked down at his hammer. Its head rested on the ground, its hilt lifting high into the air. Brel lifted it and spun it up right before resting it over his shoulder.


    ¡°Alright, so what the hell are you and what do you want with ole Brel? You clearly control the lizards. So, I guess the dungeon isn¡¯t out to kill me. But you are. So, what do you want?¡±


    Charlie shrieked. ¡°I want Kyo back!¡± he said.


    That surprised Brel. He¡¯d heard Charlie.


    Charlie¡¯s brows drew inward before realizing he¡¯d completely encased Brel in dungeon material. He¡¯d met the conditions while trying to win the fight. Brel reached back and kicked backwards, knocking the wall behind him out as well. He pointed back without looking. ¡°That Kyo? Why?¡± he said.


    It was really intimidating seeing just how easily Brel could take out the things that Charlie created. How was that even possible? Surely he wasn¡¯t as strong as the core guardian in Sirra?


    Right?


    Could normal humans even be that strong?


    He saw Kyo behind Brel, peeking over the corpses¡¯ arms and staring at Charlie.


    Kyo was counting on him.


    But Brel was focused on him. How could Charlie get past his defenses? Unless¡­


    He had a thought. He reached out into the friendly Scaler¡¯s mind and shared his plan.


    ¡°Arh!¡± it said, wagging its stump of a tail from side to side. The remnants of its tail shot forward and wrapped around Charlie, and then threw him into the air. Charlie inhaled a deep breath.


    If this didn¡¯t work, the fight would be over.


    Charlie would lose.


    His powers activated, and a portal opened. A pillar sent him toward the wall on Brel¡¯s right side. The Scaler scurried forward, hopping on the left wall, and moving forward as well. Just before Charlie hit the wall, he summoned another pillar, which altered his trajectory. Now he flew alongside it.


    He held a hand out toward Brel. On the opposite side of the dungeon hallway, the Scaler leapt off the wall toward Brel¡¯s back. Brel turned and punched the Scaler as hard as he could in the center of its body.


    The Scaler coughed and a transparent dungeon core shot out of its mouth and into the air. It floated away.


    Charlie blinked. So that¡¯s where the core had gone. He knew he hadn¡¯t seen it in a while! He focused on the fight. His flight was ending now and a moment before his back hit the ground, he aimed a small, sharpened pillar towards Brel¡¯s face. Brel scoffed. He swatted at it with his hammer, but a moment before it met his weapon, Charlie released his hold. The projectile turned into dust and shot forward into Brel¡¯s eyes.


    He could use his powers that way, too.


    Brel turned away, grimacing at the dirt obscuring his vision. He swung his hammer at random, trying to ward any additional attacks away. But he couldn¡¯t see anymore.


    Charlie needed the fight to end.


    He shot a series of sharpened rocks at Brel¡¯s torso. Even blinded, his hammer managed to hit several of them. But others made it past. The shrapnel penetrated Brel¡¯s armor, and he roared out in pain. The blow sent him stumbling backwards. But he did not fall.


    Brel reached for his belt. He was looking for something, Charlie realized.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my damn canteen!¡± He rubbed his eyes with his finger, and then looked up, squinting at Charlie. His eyes were reddened and irritated. Blood poured from his wounds.


    Charlie let out a breath. Maybe Brel would run away now. He was hurt.


    Brel looked backward at the route into the dungeon and then looked past Charlie at Kyo, who was somewhere behind him. He shook his head. ¡°Varroc, next time you¡¯re running your own errands.¡±


    He charged toward Charlie.


    Guess he wasn¡¯t running away after all.


    Brel lifted his hammer up to crush Charlie.


    Charlie opened a portal and sent a large, sharpened pillar upward towards Brel¡¯s core.


    Kyo cried out.


    Both of them froze. Their attacks halted.


    The hammer came to a halt only a few feet away from crushing Charlie.


    The sharpened pillar halted about the same distance from Brel¡¯s body.


    They both turned to look at Kyo, who was crying now and reaching out toward them.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± a girl¡¯s voice called out in the distance. Lyra and Tomas had finally caught up. The Scalers had outpaced them by a lot more than Charlie realized.


    Brel cursed. ¡°Great.¡±


    But they weren¡¯t the only ones to arrive. Somewhere behind Brel, another voice spoke. Charlie peeked past him to see who it was. A man with long black hair and green robes.


    It was another snatcher.


    Charlie used his ability and a pillar shot past him, maintaining its connection with the ground as it grew instead of breaking off like usual. He grabbed it by the tip and went flying away from Brel and out of reach.


    As he left, he passed where the other two Scalers were unconscious on the ground. He activated his ability.


    ¡°Transfer!¡± The two unconscious Scalers disappeared.


    Bonehead and the friendly Scaler were too far away. The pillar stopped when Charlie reached Kyo. Lyra and Tomas caught up with him.


    ¡°Charlie¡­are you okay?¡± she asked. She went to pick him up, but he pointed at Kyo instead.


    She hesitated but nodded and hurried over to him. Lyra paused when she saw the gruesome corpse Brel had rigged up to keep Kyo hostage. She quickly lifted him, frantically trying to wipe blood away. She let out a breath of relief when she realized it had come from the corpse and not from Kyo.


    Brel stared at Tomas and the others. He shook his head. The snatcher behind Brel spoke.


    ¡°Retrieve the boy at once,¡± it said. Charlie hadn¡¯t heard any of the snatchers talk besides Tomas. It surprised him.


    Brel looked up at Charlie and Lyra. Then his gaze fell on Kyo. The boy giggled. He was happy. He was back with his family. At least, part of them. Brel spat on the ground. It was as much blood as it was saliva.


    ¡°Get the kid yourself if you want em. I¡¯ve gotta tend to my injuries.¡±


    The snatcher paused, and then it turned to look deeper into the dungeon. It was silent for a moment before nodding. ¡°Your presence is requested. You may treat your wounds in the center of the dungeon. These children will deliver the baby to us of their own free will.¡±


    Brel scratched the back of his head. ¡°Alright, but if you try to kill me, I¡¯ll bash your head in, freak.¡±


    The snatcher didn¡¯t react. It turned and walked deeper into the dungeon.


    Brel looked over his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re tough kid. I¡¯ll be waiting for round two. Haven¡¯t had a fight like that in a while.¡±


    The friendly Scaler covered Bonehead with its body. It hissed at Brel and the snatcher as they approached. But the two men ignored it and kept moving.


    Tomas watched them intently before kneeling beside Charlie. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m just glad Kyo¡¯s alright.¡± But despite his words, the fight was bothering him. Why had Brel held back? Why had he stopped just because of Kyo? It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    Charlie turned to look up at Lyra. Her smile was wider than it had been in days. But Kyo caught his attention. His head was turned toward the retreating Brel, and he watched as the large man disappeared into the darkness.

 Chapter 47: From Town to Kingdom

    Varroc


    Varroc stretched out, kicking his legs up on his wooden desk. The room used to be some kind of office for members of Sange¡¯s government. But he¡¯d commandeered it a while ago. There wasn¡¯t much of a government now, anyway. Just Varroc and the man in charge. Life was good.


    He liked Sange.


    The room was pretty boring. White painted walls with potted plants hanging from the ceiling and positioned by the room¡¯s doors and windows. Those plants would be long dead if not for Philomena¡¯s green thumb. Varroc always found it a bit surprising. How someone so good at killing could be so good at preserving life. She had a real green thumb.


    You¡¯d think she was a gardener if the other fingers weren¡¯t all covered in blood.


    A few old pictures were hanging up, too. One was supposed to be a depiction of the hero from another world, but splattered ink and several deeply etched knife markings and had defaced it.


    Varroc thought it was some of his best work.


    There was a knock on the door.


    Varroc¡¯s attendant stood against the wall in front of his desk. He was quiet. Varroc liked that about him. The man had short cropped blonde hair and looked toward the door. He turned back to look at Varroc and waited for instruction.


    Varroc smirked. He waved a hand nonchalantly and leaned back in his chair. It was probably just his lunch or something.


    The attendant opened the door, and long-haired, beautiful Philomena walked in.


    So, it was lunch, after all, just a different kind.


    He pulled his legs off his desk and straightened up in his chair. ¡°There¡¯s my girl! Come have a seat.¡± He patted his lap.


    She stopped a few feet from his desk and then turned to eye the attendant who had taken his position by the wall again. Varroc sighed. ¡°Ah, almost forgot.¡± He turned to look at the attendant. ¡°Sorry lad, we need some alone time.¡± He reached for a knife on his belt.


    The attendant¡¯s eyes went wide. He turned toward the door and made a break for it. Varroc flicked his wrist, and the knife flew across the room.


    The fleeing man crashed into the floor, the knife¡¯s handle protruding from his back.


    He looked at Philomena, and then back down at his lap.


    Philomena sighed. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    There was something in her voice. Sure, she was the serious type, but this was different. Varroc could tell when something was bothering her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A large army is heading toward Sange as we speak. They¡¯re being led by a member of House Callandra.¡±


    Varroc shot to his feet. ¡°An army? What the hell? Why would House Callandra send soldiers here?¡±


    Was it possible they were riding somewhere else? No. Sange was too far out of the way. It wouldn¡¯t make sense to bring an army here. So why?


    Philomena bit her lip. ¡°Do you remember the man who showed up here recently?¡±


    ¡°The one with the baby?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No. Before that. The noble.¡±


    Varroc wracked his brain trying to remember. He¡¯d been spending a few too many nights in the tavern with Brel lately. Sure, it wasn¡¯t good for the captain of the guard to get drunk on duty all the time, but when absolutely nothing interesting ever happened, it didn¡¯t much matter. Wait, that did ring a bell. ¡°I think so. He went with the mayor, right? I figured he¡¯d returned home by now.¡±


    ¡°Varroc¡­he didn¡¯t. The guards saw the mayor take him into the dungeon. But when the mayor returned, he was alone¡­¡±


    Varroc shook his head. That wasn¡¯t good. They had connections with a few of the more powerful noble houses. Hell, without that, Sange couldn¡¯t even exist in its current form. Dungeon or not. But if the mayor had done something to a member of a noble house¡­things were going to go downhill for this town quickly.


    ¡°How many men are they bringing?¡± he asked, rubbing his temples.


    ¡°Our scouts believe there are at least 2,000.¡±


    ¡°Two shitting thousand? House Callandra doesn¡¯t have that many troops. There¡¯s no way in hell.¡±


    ¡°It appears Lord Arroane has sent his own forces as well. They¡¯ve formed a partnership.¡±


    Varroc cursed again. He turned around and kicked his chair as hard as he could. It flew several feet and shattered into pieces. A few of them flew into the window and shattered it. His eyes fell on the now cracked window overlooking the city, and he walked over to it. He punched it, sending several more shards of glass raining down in the streets below.


    Civilians and slaves scurried out of the way, trying to avoid the falling pieces.


    He looked up at the large pyramids in the center of Sange. Hundreds, no, thousands of pieces of kierstone had already been mined. That haul was large enough to set them all up for life. It was the whole reason Varroc agreed to take on this stupid job.


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    Well, that, and the safety the city provided.


    But Arroane was the man slated to purchase the material. So why was he joining forces with House Callandra now?


    ¡°He saw an opportunity to get the kierstone without paying for it. House Callandra comes here in search of a missing nobleman. Arroane plays the hero and responds to their request for aid and then, once they¡¯ve burnt Sange to the ground, he takes it all for the cost of a few men¡¯s lives.¡± He slammed his hand against the frame of the window. A sharpened piece of glass still clinging in its place cut his palm.


    He cursed, flicking his hand and splattering blood on the wall.


    A warm hand touched him on the shoulder. He turned back to look at its owner. Sweet Philomena. A blessing that a man like him could never deserve.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± she asked him. It wasn¡¯t like her. She was as much a rock as Brel was. But as strong and stubborn-minded as she was. She could admit when a fight was lost. Varroc had to admit it, too. They couldn¡¯t win a battle against those odds.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Round up the men. We¡¯ll be out of here by nightfall.¡±


    Philomena¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Varroc¡­we can¡¯t do that. You know we can¡¯t. They¡¯ll find us. We were lucky to find this place. We can¡¯t go on the run again.¡±


    ¡°You know you¡¯ve said that before, after Tantaloo. That there wasn¡¯t anywhere to run. Then I went and found a sweet setup like this. I can do it again. Trust me. You remember what we talked about, in that bar back when we were in the guild?¡±


    She seemed surprised at that. Philomena smiled. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Nothing has changed. Just stick by me. You handle the men, and I¡¯ll go let Brel know.¡±


    Philomena¡¯s head turned to the side. ¡°Brel? He¡¯s still in the dungeon¡­¡±


    Varroc shook his head. That couldn¡¯t be right. Brel should¡¯ve been back this morning, if not sooner. The trip didn¡¯t take that long. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    She nodded.


    Varroc gritted his teeth. His fist clenched, and a stinging sensation reminded him of the cut on his palm. ¡°Brel.¡± He sighed.


    He closed his eyes and nodded. ¡°That settles it then. We¡¯ve gotta fight.¡±


    Philomena sighed and walked over to sit on top of his desk. ¡°You just said we couldn¡¯t win.¡±


    Varroc grinned. ¡°That was before I knew running away meant leaving Brel behind. I told you before, I¡¯d betray my own mother if I needed to. But never you two. Never you two.¡± He approached her and pulled her in for an embrace.


    A comfort he didn¡¯t deserve in this world, let alone from a person like her. That scared him more than anything.


    ***


    He stood alone now, staring at a series of papers on his desk. Their numbers were limited, but they had some options. They could take advantage of the dungeon¡¯s power, not to mention the surrounding towns.


    He¡¯d won impossible battles before. Hell, he¡¯d made a habit of it. That¡¯s probably why Brel was taking his time in the dungeon. The big bastard was always pushing Varroc further. This was just another situation he had to bend over and make his¡ª


    ¡°Varroc.¡±


    Varroc wheeled around, drawing the sword on his waist.


    Standing on the ledge of the broken window was a snatcher. His robe flowed with the wind and his eyes were a deep shade of red.


    It was always weird talking to a corpse.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Varroc asked, unsettled by the creature¡¯s sudden appearance.


    ¡°You¡¯re failing. You were brought here to protect this place, and yet danger approaches even now.¡±


    Varroc rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m dealing with it. House Callandra is as good as dead. This wouldn¡¯t be a problem if the mayor hadn¡¯t gone and fed you a member of their house.¡±


    The snatcher took a step forward. Glass shards shattered further under its uncovered feet. ¡°We are not concerned with the soldiers. We are concerned with the children running rampant in the dungeon. They have already engaged with the beast inside. Now, they are heading toward the core itself. You were meant to protect us. And yet here you are worried about mundane things.¡±


    Varroc¡¯s mouth parted. There were children in the dungeon? That didn¡¯t make any sense. This day was getting more and more annoying. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll round up a few men and take care of it.¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary. As of today, your services are no longer required. Consider this a courtesy in return for your years of service. We considered slaughtering you and all of your men but decided against it. You have until the end of the day to vacate our territory.¡±


    Varroc stared at the man thing.


    Did a dungeon just send a snatcher to break up with him?


    ¡°Why?¡±


    The snatcher paused and turned to look out the window. In the direction of the dungeon. After a moment, it nodded, and turned back. ¡°If I sate your curiosity. I¡¯ll be forced to take your life.¡±


    ¡°Do it anyway. I¡¯m curious.¡± His fist tightened on his sword. There was already one impossible battle ahead. Why not tempt fate further? He was a gambling man.


    ¡°House Callandra is not the only force traveling here. The King of Aysela is also on his way, in secret. Only a single squad of Hex Knights will travel with him as guards to ensure his visit is not discovered.¡±


    Varroc burst out into laughter. He keeled over, laughing so hard he couldn¡¯t breathe. This was interesting indeed.


    The snatcher eyed him.


    ¡°Oh man. Bringing the king here in secret, now that is interesting. So, you¡¯re taking this operation to the next level?¡± It made sense. This was the real reason it was sending Varroc away. Once it assimilated the king, they wouldn¡¯t need some washed up gang of mercenaries.


    They¡¯d have the entire kingdom at their disposal.


    This was exactly the kind of reason Varroc liked to gamble. You can¡¯t win big if you don¡¯t take risk.


    ¡°You think you don¡¯t need me because your experiences with humans are limited. But me? I¡¯ve seen it all. If you want to take this little operation and turn it into what I think you want to turn it into¡­I¡¯m your man. You won¡¯t just have civilians; you¡¯ll have other kingdoms to contend with. Not to mention the guilds. I know all about that life. You need me. So, let¡¯s keep working together.¡±


    The snatcher turned back to face the dungeon again.


    Varroc smiled.


    The snatcher faced him again. ¡°You will not make any further mistakes. Serve us well.¡±


    With that, it turned and leapt out the window.


    Varroc cackled.


    ¡°Well, shit!¡± He turned to look at the map of Aysela on his desk. He looked at Sange, and then his eyes drifted over to the Capital City of Karze.


    ¡°Well Philo," he said as if she could hear him.


    "We¡¯re taking this gig from town to kingdom.¡±

 Chapter 48: All the Children

    Charlie


    Lyra cradled Kyo in her arms, holding him tight. She was tense. It was as if she feared Kyo might float away from her if she didn¡¯t stay on her guard.


    But Kyo was safe now. They had saved him.


    The friendly Scaler pulled Bonehead from down the hall, so the Scalers were grouped back up with Charlie and the others. Bonehead¡¯s eyes were slowly opening, but he still seemed pretty out of it. Satisfied that the injured Scaler was close enough that they could protect him in case more danger came, the friendly Scaler scurried over to Charlie.


    It approached and lowered its head to scoop Charlie atop of it. Settled onto his faithful mount, Charlie looked back toward Tomas and Lyra.


    She was focused on him now. ¡°Why did you run off like that? I could¡¯ve helped you¡­I wanted to fight, too,¡± she said. Her gaze fell.


    Charlie¡¯s cheeks grew warm. Even though she was staring at the ground, he couldn¡¯t bear to look at her. The truth was, he was ashamed of how he had acted. He¡¯d known saving Kyo meant just as much to Lyra as it had to him.


    But he¡¯d given into an impulse and charged on ahead, anyway. Charlie had let his emotions get the better of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lyra. I just couldn¡¯t stand to leave Kyo with those men any longer. I know I should¡¯ve waited,¡± he said. He meant every word of it. If the battle hadn¡¯t gone well¡­if he had lost, he could¡¯ve jeopardized Kyo¡¯s safety. Lyra would¡¯ve had to save Kyo alone. Or worse, been forced to help Charlie out, giving Brel and the others a chance to escape with Kyo. His actions could have been devastating to all of them.


    He needed to be more careful in the future. More considerate of the people around him, especially his friends.


    The people he cared about.


    Speaking of battle¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s my dungeon integrity now?¡± he asked. Before the fight with Brel, it had been 35%.


    ¡°Status requested. Current dungeon integrity is 12%.¡±


    Charlie blinked. 12% wasn¡¯t very high at all. He¡¯d gone through a large amount when fighting the boss in Sirra. If he¡¯d gone into that fight with only 12% there was no way he would¡¯ve won. Charlie didn¡¯t have any enemy beast around to absorb for mass. There were the boars, but even if they hunted them, there was no guarantee he would gain more integrity than he¡¯d use up fighting them.


    So, what could he do? How could he move forward in a way that would still allow him to succeed against the core guardian?


    Lyra bit her lip, studying his face. ¡°Charlie, what¡¯s wrong? You look like something is bothering you.¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing! Just thinking about the upcoming fight,¡± he said.


    It wasn¡¯t a lie. That was what he was thinking about. But didn¡¯t he owe her more of an explanation? In Hilda¡¯s village, during the fight against the cultist, Charlie had made a huge mistake. When Merlin asked if he could keep fighting, Charlie had said he could. He¡¯d led Merlin to believe he could use his powers to take out their opponents, even when he had already gone past his limit.


    If Merlin wasn¡¯t such a good actor, Charlie¡¯s mistake could¡¯ve cost them the fight.


    It would have meant the end for Merlin, Hilda¡¯s mom, and any number of other people. Charlie had to learn his limits. He had to learn when he couldn¡¯t go on any further.


    So how could he sit here on his Scaler friend¡¯s head and pretend he wasn¡¯t having doubts about the fight yet to come?


    ¡°Actually, my magic is running low. I don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ll be able to do in the fight against the core guardian. I¡¯m a little worried.¡±


    Lyra stared at him for a moment. She seemed surprised by what he¡¯d said. But she nodded. ¡°Well, we can take some time to rest. We have Kyo now, there¡¯s no rush. We¡¯ll rest here and let you save some of your strength.¡±


    Tomas listened to their exchange. ¡°There aren¡¯t any rooms nearby. This hallway is the best you¡¯ll get for now. I don¡¯t sense anything lurking around here. If you¡¯d like to sleep, I can mask your presence for a while and keep watch. The dungeon is likely aware of your plans to attack it already, but if it perceives you to be a threat, it isn¡¯t acting on it. At least not for the moment.¡± Tomas turned to look down the hallway, keeping an eye out.


    Lyra nodded. She sat down and leaned against the wall. She bounced Kyo in her arms a bit, rocking him to sleep. But something was agitating him. He struggled, trying to break free of her hold. Charlie patted the friendly Scaler on the head, and the large lizard hurried over so that Charlie and Kyo could see each other. As soon as Kyo saw Charlie, he lit up with excitement. He giggled and flapped his hands wildly.


    Lyra laughed as well. ¡°I think he missed you.¡±


    Charlie waved at Kyo and then, sensing someone looking, turned to look toward Tomas. The snatcher was watching the exchange over his shoulder. When he realized Charlie had noticed him, he quickly turned away.


    Charlie sighed. Tomas would need time to adjust to being with the others. Hopefully, after this was all over, Tomas would have all the time he needed.


    Something bounced against the friendly Scaler¡¯s head.


    Boop.


    Charlie looked down to see the temporary dungeon core floating around. It floated upwards, catching the attention of Kyo, and then continued until it reached the ceiling. A glint in Kyo¡¯s eyes made it immediately obvious he wanted to play with it.


    This core may only be a replica of Orb, but apparently, it shared Orb¡¯s unwillingness to be Kyo¡¯s plaything.


    Instead, it slowly floated in circles overhead, bouncing against the wall and ceiling at random.


    Boop. Boop. Boop.


    The calming circling of the temporary core coupled with Lyra¡¯s bouncing slowly lulled Kyo to sleep. Lyra wasn¡¯t far behind. She fought it at first. Every time she started to doze off, her head shot back up. Eventually, she fell asleep as well.


    Charlie smiled. He patted the friendly Scaler on the head, and they hurried over across the hall to join Bonehead. The friendly Scaler curled up nearby and Charlie slid off, landing in between the two of them. Encased in a Scaler hut made for one. Exhaustion from battle and all of their traveling quickly overwhelmed him, as well.


    ***


    ¡°Arh!¡± the friendly Scaler whispered. Charlie snapped awake. He wiped his eyes, fighting back a yawn. ¡°What was going on?¡±


    If there were any remnants of sleep left inside him, they evaporated as soon as he saw the large swarm of boars passing by.


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    There were hundreds of them.


    The massive creatures walked through the hallways in rows of three or four. It was only when they reached the place where Charlie and the others were sleeping that they became bottlenecked. The boars were walking around them, oddly enough.


    On the other side of the traveling horde, Lyra was standing, pressing her back firmly against the wall. She held Kyo in her arms. He was still asleep, somehow, nestled into her shoulder. Tomas was a few feet away from her, a tense expression on his face. One of his hands rubbed his temple, the other was pressed against the wall behind him.


    Charlie watched the boars hurry past. The creatures were unusually disinterested in them. Why weren¡¯t they attacking? Why hadn¡¯t Tomas woken them up sooner? He wanted to ask, but feared doing so might distract Tomas and keep him from doing¡­whatever it was he was doing.


    ¡°Lyra,¡± he said, projecting the words only to her. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    She started to answer, then paused. Instead, she shrugged.


    The friendly Scaler and Bonehead, who seemed to be awake now, were both backed up tight against the dungeon wall.


    A putrid stench filled the air. It smelled like a thousand-year-old dirty diaper. The boars absolutely reeked.


    Boop.


    Charlie looked up. The temporary core hit the ceiling and started entering a state of free fall.


    The friendly Scaler hissed at it, but the core ignored it. Charlie¡¯s eyes widened.


    A particularly large boar lumbered past, just in time for the core to collide with its nose.


    Boop.


    The boar didn¡¯t react for a moment. Then it looked up at the core floating in front of it.


    The core went back for round two.


    Boop.


    The boar sneezed.


    The sudden noise from such a large member of the horde caused several other nearby boars to freak out. A clamor of high-pitched squeals started, slowly spreading throughout the horde until their cries were deafening.


    The echoed squeals reverberated throughout the hallway.


    Kyo started to cry.


    Lyra did her best to calm him, but he was scared. She bounced him on her shoulder and shushed him. Her eyes darted around nervously. Tomas gritted his teeth. The boars all stopped freaking out, and several lifted their heads to see the source of the crying. They recognized it. Of course, they did. These boars served a dungeon that collected children, and they could hear one crying nearby.


    ¡°Lyra! Quiet him now! I¡¯m doing all I can to mask our presence, but if this continues, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± He grimaced again, fighting to maintain his hold over the spell.


    Bonehead and the friendly Scaler covered Charlie with their bodies, hissing quietly.


    If Kyo didn¡¯t stop crying, those boars would see through whatever Tomas was doing. But Charlie knew how it was. Crying was overwhelming. It wasn¡¯t easy to just stop on demand, despite what adults thought. So how could he help? What would make Kyo feel better?


    His eyes lit up.


    ¡°Vault Transfer!¡±


    The green dungeon core popped out into the air and landed in Charlie¡¯s hands. It was the dungeon core from Troa. The one Lusafeen had dropped in his dungeon. It had resurfaced when he¡¯d gotten the vault transfer ability just before they came to Sange.


    Kyo loved to play with Orb. Since the temporary core wouldn¡¯t play along, Charlie would just have to improvise.


    He¡¯d use a core that couldn¡¯t fight back. Mostly because it wasn¡¯t actually alive like Orb was.


    ¡°Take me over there!¡± Charlie said to the friendly Scaler. The Scaler didn¡¯t hesitate. It grabbed him by the back of the onesie and then jumped onto the wall. It crawled up several feet, tensed its legs and then jumped again, shooting across the room and landing on the opposite wall. Lyra looked up at them, wondering what was going on.


    The friendly Scaler walked along the wall until they were over Lyra, and then slowly lowered its neck so Charlie was dangling in front of her. He held the green dungeon core in his hands out so Kyo could see it.


    Kyo stopped crying, looking up to study the core in Charlie¡¯s hands.


    It wasn¡¯t Orb. It wasn¡¯t even the right color. But Charlie hoped it wouldn¡¯t matter. He hoped this dungeon core was good enough as is.


    Kyo reached out with tiny brown fingers to touch the core. His fingers recoiled. It was cold. Kyo giggled and then buried his head into Lyra¡¯s shoulder. He peeked back up and saw Charlie still holding the core out toward him, smiling. Kyo reached out, and this time, he grabbed it.


    He shook it in his hands and giggled.


    The little baby boy stared at it and settled down.


    Tomas regained control. The boars slowly settled back down and kept moving. After several minutes passed. They had all gone by. But even though they didn¡¯t present an immediate danger, Charlie worried why so many of them were gathered here.


    As soon as it was safe to release whatever magic he had in place to shield them, Tomas keeled over.


    Lyra hurried over to him. At Charlie¡¯s command, the friendly Scaler jumped down to the ground and followed after her.


    ¡°Tomas! Are you okay?¡± she asked.


    The allied snatcher nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine. That was just¡­intense. By the time I sensed them, they were too close. I had to activate a veil to ensure they couldn¡¯t detect you all. To hide all of you from so many, it took a lot out of me.¡±


    Charlie frowned. He was glad everyone was okay. ¡°What were all of them doing? Were they looking for us?¡±


    Tomas shook his head. ¡°No. An army is approaching. I don¡¯t know the details, but the dungeon believes it is in danger. It is sending most of the beast under its control, as well as a large force of snatchers to slow their approach.¡±


    Charlie perked up. ¡°That¡¯s good, right? Maybe they¡¯re here to stop Varroc and destroy the dungeon. If that¡¯s the case, we just have to wait until they show up!¡±


    Lyra looked at Charlie but didn¡¯t say anything. Her eyes fell to the ground. She was acting weird again. Charlie thought she was just being strange because of everything that had happened with Tomas before. But now that Tomas was here, Charlie realized there was something else.


    She was still keeping a secret.


    Tomas shook his head. ¡°No. The dungeon believes this force has been sent here to destroy Sange, not liberate it. If that¡¯s the case, then you can¡¯t wait if your goal is to conquer the dungeon. Either you do it now, or you flee before the army arrives.¡±


    That was surprising. But if the army destroyed Sange, everyone they¡¯d been fighting to save would be lost. So, nothing had changed. Even if Charlie didn¡¯t trust what the dungeon thought, could he really leave saving these people to someone else? Could he just walk away after everything?


    No, he realized. He couldn¡¯t.


    Lyra looked up at Tomas. ¡°Can you tell us anything else?¡± she asked.


    Tomas thought for a moment. ¡°I did sense something else when the boars passed. There is a secret tunnel accessible only to the mayor of Sange. He uses it whenever he visits the center of the dungeon. He typically only does so when nobles have arrived. People are traveling through it now. So, someone important is in the dungeon. I don¡¯t know if they have anything to do with the army on its way. But either way, you may run into them when you go to destroy the core.¡±


    Lyra sighed. ¡°That means we may have more enemies. That isn¡¯t good. Are you sure you can¡¯t fight beside us, Tomas?¡±


    Tomas shook his head. ¡°No. The closer I get to the core, the more power it holds over me. If I travel any deeper into the dungeon, I¡¯ll be used against you as well. Your odds of success will become effectively zero. I am much stronger than the other snatchers.¡±


    Lyra shook her head. She took him at his words. ¡°Then it¡¯s just me and Charlie, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Arh!¡±


    ¡°Arh!¡±


    Bonehead and the friendly Scaler both screamed in protest.


    Lyra laughed. ¡°Sorry. The four of us against the core.¡±


    The two scalers nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°There is one other thing. Whatever you do, make sure the core guardian does not come into contact with you. If it does¡­¡± Tomas keeled over. He groaned, grabbing at the sides of his head with both hands.


    ¡°Tomas? What is it now?¡± Lyra knelt beside him, still holding Kyo in hand. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.


    The friendly snatcher¡¯s eyes flashed red before returning to their usual color. He looked up at them, panting heavily. ¡°The dungeon has just sent out an order.¡±


    Lyra looked back at Charlie and then again at Tomas. ¡°What order?¡± she asked.


    Tomas looked broken; his head hung. ¡°All the children¡­ in all the daycares are to be brought to center of the dungeon.¡±


    Lyra shook her head. ¡°What? Why? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Tomas looked up at her. ¡°It¡¯s going to use them. All of them. We¡¯re too late.¡±

 Chapter 49: Charlies Goodbye and the Rise of Rebellion

    Charlie


    Lyra¡¯s eyes darted around the hallway as she thought about the implications of what Tomas had said.


    Charlie was having a hard time processing it, too. The dungeon was summoning all the children. Why would it do that all of a sudden?


    ¡°Tomas, what do you mean it¡¯s too late?¡± he asked.


    Tomas looked up at him. ¡°Usually, the dungeon uses Varroc¡¯s men to deliver children. The snatchers aren¡¯t involved once the children come to Sange. But now, the dungeon is giving orders to them specifically. There¡¯s only one reason it would do that. It¡¯s hurrying for some reason.¡±


    Lyra shook her head. ¡°Hurrying? What do you mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Snatchers don¡¯t need rest. They don¡¯t have to eat, sleep, or drink. They subsist on the magic connection they have with the dungeon. Additionally, they have access to tunnels and hallways that Varroc¡¯s men do not. It won¡¯t take long. An hour, maybe two, before all the children are delivered.¡±


    Charlie looked at Lyra. ¡°We have to hurry, then! We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Tomas paused. ¡°Lyra, where did you say Kashak, and the others went?¡±


    She looked surprised. ¡°What do you mean? They used the path you marked. Before you¡­went away, you found a safe way out of the dungeon. You don¡¯t remember?¡±


    Tomas shook his head. He backed away until his back hit the wall. ¡°No¡­that¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°Tomas, what do you mean?¡± Lyra asked, taking a step toward him.


    ¡°The reason that path was unguarded was because it¡¯s the entrance that the snatchers use. If Kashak and the others leave that way, they¡¯ll run right into all the snatchers that were summoned by the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Arh!¡± the friendly Scaler said. Charlie frowned. This was awful. Kashak, Luc, Sophia, and all the other children were in danger now. He¡¯d thought they¡¯d be safe. Charlie had thought it was the right decision to send them on their own.


    Was it a mistake to separate from them?


    The Scalers would help them fight, but would that be enough?


    ¡°We have to go. They¡¯ll need our help. I can mask their presence,¡± Tomas said. He forced himself to stand upright and took a step down the hall.


    Lyra grabbed him by the sleeve. ¡°I can¡¯t. I have to destroy the dungeon.¡±


    Tomas spun around. ¡°Why? Why do you care so much about the dungeon all of a sudden? Before¡­before you only cared about the children in our dungeon. So why now? You can escape with them and get to safety. I know I put ideas of adventure in your head. But this feels different. What¡¯s driving you to do this, Lyra?¡± Tomas asked her.


    ¡°It¡¯s just something I have to do. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She lowered her head, refusing to look at him.


    He turned to look at Charlie. ¡°And you? Why are you doing this? Just to help Lyra?¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°I want to help everyone! I can¡¯t leave without trying.¡±


    Tomas sighed. ¡°I have to go. I can¡¯t hide the other children¡¯s presence from here. There¡¯s nothing I can do to help the other daycares, but at the very least, I can try to hide Kashak and the others. Good luck.¡±


    Tomas ran down the dungeon in the direction they¡¯d come from but paused and turned to look back.


    ¡°Lyra, Charlie, whatever you do, don¡¯t let the core guardian touch you.¡±


    With that warning, he turned and ran down the hall.


    The friendly Scaler turned to look down the path further into the dungeon. Charlie looked up at Lyra and nodded. They set off. The final fight was ahead.


    This battle would decide the fate of Sange and all its people.


    They had to win.


    But his thoughts drifted to his dwindling dungeon integrity.


    12%.


    He would have to win the hardest fight of his life with only 12% of his power at his disposal. He knew what that meant.


    Failure was a possibility. He needed to prepare for it.


    He projected his thoughts so that only the friendly Scaler and Bonehead could hear him. ¡°Hey, you two, I need you to do me a favor. If during the fight I have to use my Transfer ability. I¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    The friendly Scaler¡¯s eyes rolled up to look at Charlie atop its head. Bonehead looked over from where he was walking to Charlie¡¯s right. ¡°I have two other friends. Bleedy and Mousifer. I think you¡¯ll like them. Right now, they¡¯re in the dungeon. I guess the other two Scalers are as well. If things get bad, I¡¯m going to force them outside. I don¡¯t want to do it unless I have to. It¡¯s dangerous here. But if my dungeon integrity gets too low, I¡¯ll need to pull them out to save them.¡±


    He patted the friendly Scaler on the head and smiled at Bonehead. ¡°If that happens, I want you two to grab them and run away. Lyra can keep Kyo safe. I just don¡¯t want anything to happen to my friends. To any of you,¡± he said.


    The two Scalers nodded at his words. That made him feel better.


    His thoughts drifted to Vetica and Merlin. What if he lost this fight and never got to see them again?


    He looked up at the floating, temporary dungeon core. It rolled along the ceiling of the dungeon above them.


    Charlie closed his eyes and focused on the image of his friends in his mind. He knew it was a long shot, but he had to try.


    He would do everything in his power to win. But if things went bad, he at least wanted to say goodbye to his friends.


    ¡°Merlin, Vetica, I don¡¯t know if you can hear me, but I wanted to try to talk to you one last time.


    ¡°I¡¯m going into the dungeon. Well, I¡¯ve been in the dungeon.


    ¡°But now I¡¯m going to take on the core guardian.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much power left, so honestly¡­I don¡¯t know if I can win.


    ¡°But the snatchers are bringing all the other children to the center of the dungeon.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°The dungeon is going to do something to them.


    ¡°I¡¯m the only one you can stop it.


    ¡°Well, Lyra and my lizard friends will help too. But I just have a feeling it might go wrong.


    ¡°So, I just wanted to say thanks for traveling with me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of fun, and I hope you two escape and go on more adventures.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best friends ever.¡±


    Merlin


    (Several moments before Charlie¡¯s goodbye)


    ¡°We need to act quickly! What are we waiting for?¡± Achai demanded.


    Several of the other men at the table sighed. Merlin understood Achai¡¯s impatience. It had been days since Kyo was taken. He shared his concerns. They needed to act soon, but if they made the mistake of rushing things, the rebellion would be over before it started. Achai had to know that.


    Of course, he did.


    But who could expect a father to not want to hurry and save his son?


    They were sitting inside the shack Godo used for his business arrangements. Most of the key figures of the rebellion were here. Godo, Crussus, Torq, Achai, Merlin, and a few other prominent members of Sange. Some had held government positions before Varroc had run them out. Others were just respected among the prisoners.


    Today was the first time they¡¯d all met at once.


    It was risky, but relaying information one person at a time was too slow. They didn¡¯t have that kind of time.


    Also, their leadership was somewhat divided. Crussus and Torq on one side. Achai and those loyal to him on the other. Some did their best to stay out of it. But Merlin didn¡¯t have a choice but to mediate between the two parties. If both sides didn¡¯t work together, this rebellion would fail.


    But managing them was easier said than done.


    ¡°We all share your sense of urgency, Achai. But we have to ensure we don¡¯t doom the resistance for the sake of one boy,¡± Sullivan said. He was one of the former government members.


    Merlin flinched. Achai wouldn¡¯t take that well.


    Achai stood and slammed his hands on the table. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t say that if it was your son missing!¡± he yelled. Several men grumbled in agreement.


    ¡°I have two children in the dungeon. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re alright. I haven¡¯t seen them in years and the people responsible for checking on them have been lying to us. So, excuse me if I¡¯m short on sympathy,¡± Sullivan shot back.


    Achai¡¯s mouth fell open. He glared at Sullivan.


    Merlin intervened before the situation could get any worse. He held a hand up. ¡°Gentlemen, please. We¡¯re all on the same side, and we share in our concerns for the children. We will save Kyo, Achai. We¡¯ll save all the children. But first, let¡¯s take stock. How are things?¡± he asked, looking around the table.


    Torq waited a moment to see if anyone else would speak. When no one spoke up, he did so. ¡°Forge is up and running strong. Those boys Crussus brought to assist me were slow at first, but they¡¯ve got the hang of things now. We¡¯ve got weapons. A lot of them. Now, the kierstone will hold up, but the wood we had access to wasn¡¯t very good¡ª¡±


    Godo shrugged. ¡°Godo not have much time. Bad wood better than no wood, yes?¡±


    Torq laughed. ¡°Aye lad. I¡¯m grateful you were able to get any at all. The spears will hold up well enough. We¡¯ve got swords and shields as well. Those will be reserved for the more experienced fighters. We¡¯ve got a lot of people, though. I¡¯d like a few more days to make sure our stockpile is adequate to arm everyone.¡±


    Achai started to protest, but Merlin held a hand up. ¡°Let¡¯s just hear everyone out first.¡±


    Achai relented.


    Crussus stood. ¡°Training is going well, too. I¡¯ve found a few more men with combat experience. The number of people I can gather at once is limited, but thanks to the new guys, we¡¯ve been able to train way more than before. Still, I feel the same way that Torq does. We need more time. We only get one chance at this.¡±


    Merlin nodded he turned to face their merchant companion. ¡°Godo, the leaders of the other mining camps, they¡¯re all on board?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Godo is good merchant. Best merchant. You give Godo product, and Godo will sell it. Godo has sold this rebellion. The camps have purchased in bulk. They will join. But word spreads slowly, even with good product. Godo say, allow word to spread. Product sell.¡±


    Merlin smirked. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll need to find a way to get them weapons. They know about the signal?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Godo will get them weapons. Godo already tell them of signal. Godo does good business.¡± He waved a finger as he spoke, and then winked at Merlin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with the other sitters as well, at least, those I can trust. They will assist us. We have more freedom to move around the city than most. It will be valuable,¡± Achai said. Several of the men on his side nodded their heads at this.


    Things were coming along nicely. Merlin nodded his head, looking around the tables. They had weapons; they had training, and they were in communication with the people of Sange. After a few more days had passed, the leaders in the other camps would have built up even more support for the rebellion. Then, when he gave the signal, they would fight.


    A city against its oppressors.


    Every day that passed was another day of worry for the people of Sange. Most of them didn¡¯t even know the truth about the sitters. If they did, there wouldn¡¯t be an organized rebellion. The people would simply riot. It was a necessary secret if they wanted things to go well. If they wanted any chance of keeping the people in a united front.


    It wasn¡¯t lost on him and the others that hiding the truth made them just as bad as the sitters.


    ¡°Well, any other news?¡± Merlin asked.


    Crussus nodded. ¡°There are patrols almost nightly in the forest around Sange. Lately, there have been reports that the patrols are going missing.¡± Crussus paused. He furrowed a brow and turned to look at Merlin. ¡°Actually¡­those reports started around the same time that you showed up, Merlin.¡±


    Everyone turned to look at him. ¡°Interesting. Well, the more patrols that go missing, the easier it will be for us to take the city. So, that¡¯s good news.¡± Merlin couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Was their assassin friend out in the woods causing trouble? If so, he certainly wouldn¡¯t complain. He just hoped she was being careful. She didn¡¯t have any backup out there. One mistake could be her end.


    Godo raised a hand. ¡°Ah yes, Godo has something too. Godo hears that soldiers from surrounding towns come to Sange. He not know why. But maybe due to missing patrols.¡±


    Torq shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s unusual. Varroc is picky about the soldiers under his command. If he¡¯s bringing in fighters from the other cities, something big must be going on.¡±


    Merlin wondered at that. There was a lot to think about.


    ¡°Merlin, Vetica, I don¡¯t know if you can hear me¡­¡± Merlin¡¯s hand shot to his head. Charlie¡¯s words played in his mind.


    Everyone around the table turned to look at him.


    ¡°Merlin, are you okay?¡± Crussus asked, jumping to his feet.


    Merlin held a hand up, listening to the rest of Charlie¡¯s words.


    The memory of the last sentence played in his mind over and over.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best friends ever.¡±


    He shook his head. What was that? He hadn¡¯t heard from Charlie since arriving in Sange, and now, all of a sudden¡­


    He looked up at them. ¡°We have to fight now. They¡¯re taking the children deeper into the dungeon. All of them. If we don¡¯t act now, we may be too late.¡±


    The men looked at Merlin as if he had lost his mind. The room erupted into questions, protests, and talking.


    Crussus leaned in. ¡°Merlin, what are you talking about? What¡¯s going?¡±


    Merlin turned and put his hand on Crussus¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Charlie just spoke to me¡­it was him. I¡¯m not crazy. We have to move now, if we don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Crussus stared at Merlin and then nodded. ¡°Alright, if you say we move now, I¡¯m with you.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s mouth fell open. Just a moment ago, Crussus had been keen about delaying the rebellion. Now, just like that, he¡¯d had Merlin¡¯s back.


    Still stunned, Merlin turned to look around the table.


    Torq nodded. ¡°If you say it¡¯s time, lad, then it¡¯s time.¡±


    Sullivan sighed. ¡°It seems the wind has shifted. Very well, I¡¯ll support you, too.¡±


    ¡°Godo is ready to get to business,¡± the big man said, jumping out of his chair.


    Achai stared at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to convince me, Merlin. I¡¯m ready to move.¡±


    Merlin took in a deep breath. This was it. Everything they¡¯d been preparing for.


    They were going to risk it all.


    Their lives. Their dreams. Their hopes.


    The people of Sange were going to fight.


    For their town.


    For their freedom.


    For their children.

 Chapter 50: The Signal

    Vetica


    She stared at the forest path through a gap in the leafy branches. Any moment now, they would arrive.


    ¡°They always take this path?¡± Axel asked her. He crouched on a branch on the other side of the tree trunk. The two of them were high above the forest floor. The patrols that the soldiers of Sange did nightly were an opportunity to diminish their numbers.


    Vetica was never the type to let opportunity pass by. ¡°Yes. Though the patrols have been getting later and later. I suspect they are being more cautious. They know something is out here hunting them.¡±


    Axel chuckled. ¡°More than one something, now.¡±


    On the far side of the forest road, she could just barely make out Roan hiding behind some bushes. She shook her head. That man had really thought he could take her as a hostage. She still hadn¡¯t written off killing him for the insult.


    At least the others were okay.


    Samantha and Geron were positioned behind trees further down the path. Once the ambush started, they would join the fighting as well.


    They¡¯d left Tirille with Sophia¡¯s mom and Marvin. Vetica left Merlin¡¯s wagon hidden in the woods, taking great care to obscure it so no one would find it. This partnership with the guild was temporary. She thought it best to keep the rest of their supplies hidden.


    Vetica played with the knife in her hand. The others wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to do much. She¡¯d been hunting soldiers for several nights, all without help. This was overkill. Even for adventurers.


    ¡°I think I see someone coming down the path. Won¡¯t be long now. You ready?¡± Axel asked her.


    ¡°Tsk.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Axel said. She heard him quietly flicking his katana out of its sheath and back in again with his thumb. A habit she¡¯d noticed shortly after meeting them.


    They¡¯d been wary of Vetica at first. She remembered the encounter vividly.


    ¡°How do you know Geron¡¯s name?¡± Axel asked, drawing his katana. The question had come mere moments after she¡¯d entered their camp with her dagger at Roan¡¯s throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job to know,¡± she said.


    The red-haired man squinted at her. ¡°Not an adventurer. An assassin, perhaps?¡±


    Vetica smirked. ¡°I was in Sirra following a target. When I learned adventurers were in town, I did my research.¡± In truth, she¡¯d only learned about them from Charlie. But she kept that information to herself.


    ¡°So, why are you here now? You didn¡¯t follow us; we would¡¯ve noticed you. So why is an assassin out here, alone in the forest of Sange? More business?¡± Axel asked.


    That was cute. He thought they would notice if she was following them.


    Cute, but very stupid.


    ¡°Yes, business. But not my usual kind. I¡¯m going to infiltrate Sange. But only after my¡­acquaintance signals me.¡±


    Geron perked up at this. ¡°You have a way inside already?¡±


    She nodded, and though it was a foolish thing to do, she took her knife from Roan¡¯s throat and pushed him away from her. If they attacked, she would respond accordingly. But based on Geron¡¯s reaction, she didn¡¯t need a hostage. She had something far more valuable.


    She had information. That alone was enough to dissuade them from attacking her. ¡°I do. Why? You have business in Sange as well?¡± she asked, turning her attention towards him.


    Geron sighed. His head nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes. The snatchers took one of ours.¡±


    This surprised her, but she didn¡¯t let it show on her face. ¡°A member of your guild, then?¡±


    ¡°No. A baby boy named Charlie. Snatchers took him in the middle of the night, right out of our camp,¡± Geron told her. There was something in his voice. Shame? No¡­something else. A sadness.


    Roan scratched the back of his head. Tirille looked down at the fire. Neither of them could make eye contact with Geron. They must feel responsible for some reason. Charlie had told her he¡¯d crossed paths with adventurers, but not how he¡¯d separated from them. This was getting interesting.


    She lifted a brow, feigning ignorance. It wouldn¡¯t be in her best interest to let them know she knew the boy in question. Or that she had left Sirra with him. ¡°Your son?¡±


    Geron shook his head. ¡°No, he¡¯s not my son. But I did take responsibility for him. And I¡¯m going to take him back. Even if I have to take on every soldier in that corrupt city myself.¡±


    ¡°Relax, Geron. If we were going to let you fight everyone on your own, we wouldn¡¯t have wasted our time following you here,¡± Roan said. That guilt sure had rubbed off quick.


    Vetica studied the large, muscular man. Geron wanted to take Charlie with him. That definitely wouldn¡¯t work for her. She¡¯d already claimed Charlie as a traveling companion herself. Besides, from what she¡¯d heard about Sirra, they¡¯d already proven once they couldn¡¯t protect him.


    But she found herself forced to admit that, for now, the adventurers might be useful. They were strong. Killing them all would be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. She also acknowledged that getting Charlie and Merlin out of Sange on her own would be challenging. She¡¯d take all the allies she could get to help with the escape effort.


    ¡°I see. Well, I can help you all get into the city. But only on the condition that you agree to wait until my ally signals us.¡±


    The adventures exchange a look. They wouldn¡¯t be happy about waiting around for a signal that might never come, but that was their problem. Either they agreed, or they found their own way in.


    Admittedly, she originally had her own reservations as well. If Merlin was captured or restrained, she feared she might end up waiting on the outskirts of Sange forever. But Merlin assured her he would be able to signal her as long as he was alive. If it looked like the soldiers were going to kill him, he would signal her so she could come and rescue Charlie. He may be an incompetent spell caster, but Charlie had vouched for him and that was enough for her.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. There¡¯s no telling what those people are doing to the children in Sange. I won¡¯t leave Charlie in there any longer than I have to,¡± Geron said, crossing his arms.


    ¡°We should be smart about this, Geron,¡± Axel said, turning to face him. ¡°It¡¯s a better plan than storming the front gates. This will lower the chances of civilian casualties. Plus, our chances of getting Charlie and escaping will be much higher if we can sneak in quietly.¡±


    Geron stared into the pitch-black tree line on the edge of the camp. Where the campfire¡¯s light couldn¡¯t penetrate the darkness. He looked in the direction of Sange. Finally, he relented. ¡°Alright. But I won¡¯t wait too long. Charlie¡¯s in there somewhere, and I¡¯m going to save him.¡±


    That was something Vetica and he were in agreement on. They would save him.


    Three days had passed since then. Everyone was getting restless. Vetica included. At least slaughtering soldiers would make her feel better. It was the first night she¡¯d allowed them to join her on her nightly patrol hunt.


    Axel whispered over to her. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    She turned and peered past the tree and saw them walking toward them from further down the road. The patrol seemed larger than usual. She squinted.


    Walking at their head, was a tall, muscular, blonde woman. She had thick armor and there was an intense aura about her. This wasn¡¯t quite what Vetica had grown used to. This was no common soldier.


    She had the swagger of a warrior. A leader. Someone who had taken many lives on the battlefield.


    It was too familiar.


    Vetica had killed plenty of people like her. They were always the most fun to break.


    Axel slid several inches of his katana out of its sheath without fully drawing it. He was ready to strike.


    ¡°Wait, those aren¡¯t normal soldiers. Be on your guard,¡± she warned him. The last thing she needed was to get them killed here.


    The woman led the patrol until they reached the road directly below Vetica and Axel. There were around fifteen of them. Five more than usual. Roan ducked behind a tree, his knife in hand. He¡¯d wait for Vetica and Axel to make the first move.


    Vetica inhaled a breath and cleared her mind. This next part was instinct for her. She didn¡¯t need to think.


    ¡°Are you cowards going to hide in the forests all night? Or are you going to come and play?¡± the tall woman called out.


    One of her men looked around the woods. ¡°Lieutenant Philomena? You sense something?¡± he asked.


    She ignored him, drawing the enormous sword on her back. ¡°Well?¡± she called out.


    Vetica snarled. Axel held out a hand to stop her. ¡°Wait,¡± he whispered. But it was too late.


    Vetica pushed herself off the tree branch and into the air. She aimed directly at the center of the patrolling soldiers. Just behind the tall woman.


    Her knife flashed, a quick series of precise movements. Before her feet touched the ground, three of the soldiers were dead. She didn¡¯t waste any time. Before the other guards could react, she surged forward, ready to drive her blade into Philomena¡¯s back.


    Philomena spun and blocked Vetica¡¯s strike with her own weapon. The two of them pressed their blades together. Their eyes piercing each other just as much as their blades would, given the chance. With Vetica''s back exposed, the soldiers of Sange hurried to strike. But Axel landed on the ground with katana in hand. Several quick swings of his blade addressed the threats. Two heads went rolling along the dirt path and landed somewhere in the grass. The other soldiers focused on the new assailant. Vetica could hear metal striking metal behind her. Axel was competent enough to handle them.


    She focused on Philomena.


    Samantha''s lightning cracked through the air, surging right toward Philomena¡¯s back. Philomena sensed it and jumped to the side. The lightning followed, but Philomena¡¯s blade took on a blue hue and then cut through the magic itself. The lightning dispersed.


    But her positioning left her just in front of Roan¡¯s hiding place. He rushed to attack her.


    She heard him and spun around. She grabbed him as he approached and flipped him over her shoulder.


    He landed hard on the dirt pathway.


    ¡°Agh!¡± Roan groaned. ¡°Great, I¡¯m zero for two sneaking up on dangerous blonde women.¡±


    Philomena lifted her blade to stab Roan, but he rolled away, looking like an idiot. Vetica shook her head and rushed the taller woman again.


    Then the fighting began in earnest.


    Philomena was a tough opponent, but Vetica was relentless. She moved quickly, trying to overwhelm the taller woman with speed. But every time she swung; her opponent matched her. The other soldiers under her command were fighting the adventurers now. Now that they had lost the element of surprise, the soldiers of Sange were holding their own.


    So, Philomena wasn¡¯t the only one among them more skilled than usual.


    There! Vetica saw the opening. She ducked to the side, dodging an attack that would¡¯ve cut her clean in half, and shoved her knife forward to strike her opponent through the face.


    Then Charlie¡¯s words came to her. She pulled her attack back and rolled to the side, creating some distance between herself and her opponent.


    She hadn¡¯t expected to hear from Charlie. Was he nearby?


    She listened the rest of his message. He sounded¡­sad. What did he mean by trying to talk to them one last time? She shook her head. No¡­


    ¡°Axel! The children are in danger! We need to get to the city! Now!¡±


    Axel cut down his opponent. He turned back to look at her. ¡°What? How do you know?¡±


    Philomena seemed surprised, too. That wasn¡¯t lost on Vetica. Whatever was going on was news to her, too. But how was it possible a lieutenant of Sange didn¡¯t know what was going on within its walls?


    A bright light shot up into the sky. As one, friend and foe alike turned to look as the night sky lit up.


    A massive hazel hex of healing formed in the sky above Sange. Vetica shook her head.


    It was the signal. Merlin was calling for her.


    ¡°Axel!¡± she yelled again. ¡°The children are inside a dungeon. It must be somewhere in the city. Go and help. I won¡¯t be far behind.¡±


    She¡¯d shown Axel the way into the city the night after they¡¯d formed their alliance. He gave his word he wouldn¡¯t act on the information without her permission. He understood something bigger was at play here. But now, she needed to ensure Charlie had help as soon as possible. Even if it led to a confrontation with the guild members later, for now, she needed to send them into the city.


    Axel hesitated, realizing Vetica was cut off from them. But she nodded her encouragement.


    He shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Abandon this fight!¡± Axel ordered. The others backed away and hurried into the woods toward Sange. The soldiers gave chase, but Samantha sent a flurry of electric attacks into the air to delay the men from following them.


    Philomena turned toward Vetica, holding her blade out to stop her from following them. But Vetica had little time to waste on a woman like her. Fighting on Philomena¡¯s terms was just a game, but Merlin had signaled her.


    Playtime was over.


    Vetica would do things her way now. Instead of moving forward, she stepped back, blending into the shadows of the forest.


    After all, she was an assassin. The shadows were her home. Something told her sparing Philomena would be a mistake. This woman was powerful. She was a part of Sange¡¯s chain of command.


    Vetica would go to Charlie¡¯s aid.


    But for now, she would remove a threat.


    She looked up at the hex as it faded into the night sky. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± she whispered as Philomena followed her into the darkness.


    In Sange, the rebellion had begun. In the dungeon...

 Chapter 51: For our Friends!

    Kashak


    According to the markings Tomas had left behind all those years ago, the children should be getting close now. Soon, they would be free of this dungeon, but that only put Kashak more on edge. His eyes scanned the path ahead, looking for any sign of movement.


    The younger children had slowly broken out of the strict two-by-two buddy system they¡¯d put into place before. Now, they were grouped up, talking amongst themselves, and goofing off. Kashak thought of reprimanding them for it, but he knew it was the only thing keeping them from freaking out.


    It was better to let them be.


    On the walls and ceilings, their Scaler escorts crawled along, keeping pace with them. Most of the hunters with spears were positioned at the back to watch their flank. Kashak wanted to be able to react no matter where an attack might come from.


    But so far, they hadn¡¯t run into any danger.


    To his right, he noticed Josephine had her drawing out. She was showing Florence the recent additions for the fifth or sixth time. Florence was a good sport about it. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to show papa! I¡¯m going to introduce him to all of you! Papa will love you all so much!¡± Josephine said, spreading her arms wide to show just how much.


    Florence laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet your papa, either!¡±


    She noticed Kashak looking at her and started to smile. But just as suddenly, Florence turned away from him. She was self-conscious about the burn on her face. Kashak hated that. He hated he couldn¡¯t comfort her. But he¡¯d never been good at that kind of thing.


    Behind her, he noticed the girl who¡¯d arrived with Charlie. Sophia was quiet as usual. He¡¯d promised Charlie he would keep an eye on her, so every once in a while, Kashak made a point to check on her.


    On Kashak¡¯s left, Luc and Desmond were talking. Luc noticed him and included him as well. ¡°Hey guys, do you think Lyra and Charlie are okay?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re both really strong. I know they¡¯ll be alright,¡± Desmond said. Kashak nodded in agreement.


    Kashak looked down. His thoughts were running rampant in his mind. He just couldn¡¯t relax. Not until they escaped. Not until Sange and this dungeon were long behind them. But even then, there would be new problems to face.


    So many of these children only knew life in the dungeons. He was one of the older children when he came here, but he was still a kid. How could he lead all of them in the outside world? He¡¯d always left leadership to Lyra.


    At least until he disagreed with her.


    But now it was on him, and it felt like too much. He should¡¯ve paid more attention to how she did it. Maybe he could¡¯ve learned from her. He shook his head. It was a useless thought. All he could do was move forward and try his best.


    ¡°Look, Kashak! It¡¯s the exit!¡± someone called out.


    Kashak¡¯s head shot up. The other children were getting excited. Finally, here it was.


    He¡¯d almost believed they¡¯d never see it. But there was the end of the tunnel. There was light coming from outside. The sun? He hadn¡¯t seen it in a while, but the light didn¡¯t look quite right. He wasn¡¯t sure.


    What mattered was that Tomas was right. All this time, there had been a way out, and now they were here.


    ¡°Now we just have to escape and go to Karze! We¡¯ll tell the king what¡¯s going on here and he¡¯ll send a big army to come and save everyone! Just like the Hex King would¡¯ve!¡± Luc said. He clenched both of his fist.


    Kashak looked at him, grinning. Luc¡¯s excitement was contagious. He hoped it would be that simple, that Luc was right.


    But he watched as Luc¡¯s expression turned from excited to horrified. Kashak¡¯s head shot to face toward the entrance again, and he saw exactly what had killed the mood.


    The other children noticed too.


    The entrance to the dungeon was suddenly full of silhouettes making their way toward them. It didn¡¯t take Kashak long to recognize them.


    A mass of blood-red eyes and emerald-green cloaks.


    Snatchers.


    One of them walked in front of all the others as if he was their leader. His hair was longer than the others. It was shoulder length, straight and void black.


    It was a snatcher that Kashak recognized. One he hoped he would never see again.


    Kashak shook his head. ¡°No¡­¡± It was the same one from all those years ago.


    The snatcher that had brought him here. The snatcher that had¡­


    He felt a little hand grab his own and looked down to see Josephine looking back up at him. She stepped behind him, peeking out at the Snatchers approaching. He gently squeezed her hand back to offer her what comfort he could. In his other hand, his spear tightened. He beckoned at Florence, who took over comforting Josephine and he readied himself. The other hunters did so as well.


    Above them, the lizards let out a stream of hisses and barks.


    But despite all of this, the snatchers moved forward, almost as if¡­


    Kashak¡¯s brows furrowed. It was like the snatchers weren¡¯t interested in them at all.


    The snatchers moved slowly toward them. Closer and closer. Expressionless as they were, they still should have taken action by now. Surely they wouldn¡¯t walk right into the children¡¯s spears.


    Kashak turned to the children. ¡°Get against the walls! I don¡¯t think they¡¯re interested in us!¡± he said.


    Florence shook her head. ¡°Kashak, if you¡¯re wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°Trust me! Hurry!¡± he said, directing the children to gather on either side of the dungeon¡¯s hallway. He did so as well, pressing himself against it as much as he could and holding his breath as the Snatchers reached them.


    The green-cloaked men didn¡¯t stop for even a moment. They simply kept walking as if they didn¡¯t even know the children were there. The Scalers seemed just as confused as the children were. But this was good. He turned and looked down the hallway. The exit was right there. They just had to wait until the Snatchers were done passing.


    His heart pounded in his chest. ¡°Just keep walking,¡± he thought to himself, mentally urging the snatchers onward.


    They were so close. If Kashak took even a single step he would brush into the cloaks rippling past with every step the snatchers took.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Florence scooted closer to him.


    ¡°Kashak,¡± she whispered.


    He turned to look at her.


    For the first time since the incident, she looked him in the eyes. ¡°If we just let them go, won¡¯t they go after Kyra and Charlie? They already have the core guardian to fight, but even they can¡¯t take on all of these snatchers, too.¡±


    Kashak was stunned. What was she suggesting? ¡°We can¡¯t fight snatchers. They¡¯re too powerful, Florence. There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±


    The last of the snatchers passed. The way was clear now. Josephine walked from the other side of Florence. She¡¯d overheard their exchange. ¡°Kashak, will they be okay?¡± she asked, grabbing onto his hand again.


    At that moment, he remembered all those years ago.


    ¡°Who are they, father?¡± Kashak had asked, looking at the weird men in green cloaks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kashak, they¡¯re just travelers.¡±


    And then¡­a short while later, Kashak was being dragged away from the corpses of his family lying in the dirt.


    Now he looked down at Josephine and was reminded of himself. He turned back to look after the snatchers and then looked at the dungeon¡¯s exit again.


    So close.


    ¡°Kashak?¡± Josephine asked again. He looked at her, and then up at all the other children staring at him.


    Looking to him for a decision.


    ¡°If we fight, we could lose everything¡­¡± he said, thinking aloud.


    ¡°But if we don¡¯t fight, our friends will be in even more danger,¡± Florence said.


    Kashak looked at her, and then noticed the picture rolled up in Josephine¡¯s pocket.


    She¡¯d drawn Charlie and Lyra in that picture.


    She wanted to introduce them to her papa.


    He gently pulled his hand away from Josephine and then patted her on the head. ¡°Keep moving, get out of Sange. I¡¯ll go slow them down,¡± he said. But the other children blocked his path before he could pass. He shook his head. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°You think we¡¯re going to let you fight alone? This fight is all of ours,¡± Luc said.


    Kashak shook his head. ¡°No. Take the younger children and go. It¡¯s too dangerous to bring them.¡±


    Josephine shook her head. ¡°No! We wanna help too! Remember what Lyra said? Snatchers capture children, not hurt them. So, we can help without getting hurt!¡±


    Kashak started to protest, but this time it was Luc that spoke up. ¡°Kashak, all of us grew up in the dungeon. Lyra¡¯s always been there for us. And Charlie¡¯s the only reason we escaped the Scalers. This isn¡¯t just your call. Whoever wants to fight can fight. Whoever wants to run can run. But we can¡¯t make this decision for them.¡±


    Kashak¡¯s head fell. Would Lyra allow this? Shouldn¡¯t he put a stop to it?


    But if they waited much longer, they might lose their chance. The snatchers might get too far ahead. ¡°Fine. Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    Several children nodded. The hunters lifted their spears, and the smaller children jumped up in excitement.


    It was settled. They would fight. The children hurried after the Snatchers.


    Kashak and the other hunters charged at the forefront. The Scalers ran alongside them as well as on the walls and ceilings. As one, they clashed into the back of the snatchers. Spears and claws taking out the back rows quickly.


    Whatever trance the Snatchers were in was severed immediately. They turned and leapt into action as well.


    Josephine was right, they weren¡¯t trying to kill or harm the children. But they did want to capture them.


    As Kashak¡¯s spear flashed, he caught glimpses of kids being grabbed or dragged into the snatcher horde. He cursed. They couldn¡¯t let them get too far away. Several Scalers jumped to the ceiling and dove ahead into the snatcher group. They ripped at the cloaked men and pulled back to keep them from escaping into the dungeon.


    That was good. The Scalers were more effective allies than he anticipated.


    But not all the snatchers had turned back. Some of them now hurried down the hallways. He squinted. They weren¡¯t sticking together, so where were they going? Sure, some of them were heading deeper into the dungeon, but others were heading elsewhere.


    It hit him as he ran his spear through a snatcher¡¯s face.


    The daycares. They¡¯re going after the other children. ¡°Luc!¡± he called out. ¡°Where are you?¡±


    He heard Luc respond from somewhere behind him. Kashak motioned to Desmond, who took his place in the fighting, and Kashak fell back to speak with Luc.


    ¡°I need you to go ahead. Warn Lyra and Charlie about what¡¯s going on. We won¡¯t be able to hold them off forever. So, we need to warn them. If they destroy the core guardian, the snatchers will probably be defeated as well. So, we¡¯ll buy you time. But for now, we have to get you past them. You know the way, and you¡¯re the fastest, even with your injury.¡±


    Luc looked at the other children, fighting. ¡°But what about you guys?¡± he said, dismayed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. You just get to Lyra, alright? This is your moment. Your arm is hurt, but you can still run. Go be a hero, Luc.¡±


    Luc¡¯s eyes watered at that. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m too broken?¡± he said.


    Kashak smiled. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Luc wiped his eyes with his good arm. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    Kashak nodded. He stood and yelled. ¡°Clear a path! We¡¯re sending Luc to warn Lyra!¡±


    Desmond looked over his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s going to be difficult, Kashak!¡±


    ¡°I know. But we have to break through. On me!¡± he cried out, and then he charged into the crowd.


    Luc


    Kashak barreled through the snatchers. Immediately, several of them seized his arms and pulled him in multiple directions. One of them managed to pull his spear away and disarm him. The other hunters hurried to his aid and cut down the snatchers. Deprived of his spear, Kashak swung his fist.


    Slowly but surely, the hunters pressed the snatchers back, using the hilts of their spears. The smaller children kicked and punched and grabbed onto the snatchers to slow them down. But the snatchers fought back, furiously trying to pull the children into their midst.


    They were succeeding more often than not.


    In clearing a path for Luc, the others were putting themselves at risk. Luc had to make this count.


    He ran.


    Some snatchers tried to grab onto him as he passed, but the Scalers sensed what the children were trying to accomplish. They leapt down to intercept the snatchers and helped clear his path. Luc felt someone grab onto his good hand, but he didn¡¯t dare look back. They weren¡¯t trying to hold him back.


    They were running with him.


    He broke free of the horde, and a single snatcher waited for them. Luc gritted his teeth and barreled into it with his shoulder. The snatcher grabbed a hold of him. But someone kicked it in the face several times until it let go. Luc spun to see who it was exactly that was following him.


    ¡°Sophia?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming too,¡± she said.


    ¡°But¡­¡± he looked back and realized several other snatchers had noticed them making a break for it. There wasn¡¯t any time to argue. He nodded, and they ran.


    They were pretty sure they¡¯d lost the snatchers tailing them and stopped to take a break. Both of them were out of breath. Luc looked up and noticed a marking. They just had to follow these back and reach the main path, then they¡¯d head deeper into the dungeon. He just hoped they made it in time.


    But Sophia got his attention. ¡°Luc, that path wasn¡¯t there before¡­was it?¡± she asked.


    Luc looked at her and then followed her pointing. His eyes shot open. She was right. This path was new. It looked as if the dungeon had recently opened it or something. Hand fulls of dirt fell from the ceiling at irregular intervals. He hurried over and peered down the pathway. It was a straight shot. There were no turns, doors, or decorations. Just a lone hallway that seemed to point directly into the depths of the dungeon.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sophia asked, peeking inside.


    Luc swallowed. ¡°The way to the center.¡± He took a step inside, then turned back and held his hand out for Sophia. She took it, and the two of them broke into a jog.


    Behind them, the pathway sealed itself shut.


    They didn¡¯t stop.


    Their friends were waiting at the end of this path.


    Lyra and Charlie were waiting.

 Chapter 52: The Mayor of Sange

    Charlie


    When they finally reached the hallway¡¯s end, there was no doubt in Charlie¡¯s mind where they were.


    They¡¯d reached it. After all this time, they were in the center of the dungeon. He patted the friendly Scaler on the head. It and Bonehead knew what was up ahead as well.


    They both acknowledged him with the noise he¡¯d become used to hearing from them. ¡°Arh!¡±


    Charlie looked up at Lyra. The two of them exchanged a nod. She still cradled Kyo in her arms. Luckily, the baby boy had fallen asleep on their walk here.


    Charlie steeled himself. This was it. The fate of Sange and all of its people would depend on the outcome of the battle ahead.


    They stalked forward, staying close to the wall to mask their presence. Lyra crouched forward, moving slowly, and craning her neck to look further into the room. The Scalers moved just behind her, keeping their bodies low to the ground. They stopped when they reached the threshold leading into the dungeon¡¯s center.


    The friendly Scaler crept up next to Lyra so Charlie could look into the room as well. Since she was crouched and he was on top of the friendly Scaler¡¯s head, they were at eye level with one another.


    Lyra held a finger up to her lips. Charlie nodded. She wanted to gauge the situation instead of barging in. As eager as he was to fight, formulating a strategy ahead of time made sense here. His dungeon integrity was extremely limited.


    He had to be smart.


    Neither of them was prepared for what they saw inside the dungeon¡¯s center. It was almost too much to take in at once.


    It was a massive room, as the centers of most dungeons were, from what Charlie had seen. But this dungeon¡¯s center held within in it a blend of almost every type of weird hallway ornaments they¡¯d seen thus far.


    A spiral staircase started on one wall, and then curled all the way around the room, slowly rising in height and continuing on out of Charlie¡¯s sight. At their angle, he couldn¡¯t see the roof, but he assumed it went all the way up, like the other staircases he¡¯d seen in the dungeon.


    The odd, flickering lamps were affixed to the wall almost at random. There was no reason for them to be where they were. It was as if someone had gone around sticking them to the wall in a way that would clearly tell everyone who saw them the decorator was insane. Some of the lamps were even backwards. It appeared someone had shoved the light portion into the wall, and the piece that would normally screw into the wall jutted out awkwardly.


    There were several mirrors embedded in the ground. Just like they¡¯d seen before, the glass inside would crack. But instead of moving from one end of a hallway to another, in this room, the glass shards rose straight up into the air. After a few moments, they slowly descended again and snapped back into place. Charlie could only assume the partner mirrors were built into the ceiling this time.


    There were ovens whose doors creaked open and then back shut, letting in random bursts of heat. Spouts of water shot from the walls and landed in tubs further down. There were several sideways doorframes without doors. Only a dungeon wall hiding behind them.


    It was absurd. This room was a strange amalgamation of everything that they had experienced inside the dungeon so far.


    In the room¡¯s center, a well-dressed man sat facing away from them at a wooden table that had clearly grown inside the dungeon itself. The man wore a black button-up shirt with matching pants, and he¡¯d combed his dark hair to the back. He crossed his legs at the knee and leaned back in his chair with his hands in his lap.


    Behind him, on either side, was a snatcher. One of them was the one that had escorted Brel. The other, Charlie didn¡¯t recognize.


    Brel was present too but stood off on his own. He leaned against a wall with crossed arms, near one of the weird baths. Charlie was pretty sure he was close enough that the water was probably splashing him, but if he was, he didn¡¯t react. He¡¯d sat the head of his hammer down on the ground next to him, its handle sticking up in the air.


    Why was he so far away from the others?


    He looked over to ask Lyra what she thought about all this and noticed her shaking.


    ¡°Lyra? Are you okay?¡± he asked. It was normal to be nervous, but this wasn¡¯t like her.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­the mayor. He¡¯s not supposed to be here. Why is he here?¡± she whispered, almost more to herself than to Charlie. She sounded distressed. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.


    She looked at him, surprised, like she¡¯d forgotten he was here. Her gaze fell, and Charlie left her to her thoughts. She seemed like she needed a minute to process. Still, the fact that this man was the mayor surprised him. The mayor in Hilda¡¯s village had been ancient. The Mayor of Sange seemed around Merlin¡¯s age, and offered a stark contrast to the wrinkly, shrunken Mayor of the Town of Garden.


    The mayor unclasped his legs and stood. He held his hands out wide and started laughing. ¡°Ah, there they are! Right on time!¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes shot open, and he leaned back to avoid being spotted. But then he realized the mayor hadn¡¯t even been looking in their direction. So, who was he talking to? Charlie leaned back in and peeked around the corner.


    He swallowed.


    Hex Knights. Five of them. Had they finally caught up to him? Here of all places. This wasn¡¯t good. But wait, that didn¡¯t make any sense. If they were here for him, why would they be meeting with the mayor instead of looking for him in the dungeon? No¡­maybe they didn¡¯t know he was here at all. He¡¯d play it cool for now.


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    The knights were led by a young blonde woman with hair so long it fell all the way down to the back of her legs. She wore black, golden-trimmed armor, and her sword was already unsheathed. She carried it in her hands as she walked. Behind her, three men and one other woman wore the same black armor he¡¯d seen Richard wearing.


    Even if they weren¡¯t here for him, he knew their chances of taking on five Hex Knights and the core guardian all at once were basically zero. It would be difficult at full power, but with only 12% of his dungeon integrity, it would be impossible.


    In the center of the knights walked a man in vibrant red attire. He wore a massive red cloak with fur trimmings and had pulled it over his shoulders to cover the front of his body. The man was also blonde, but his hair was neatly trimmed and styled. He walked with his head held high, but even that didn¡¯t mask the fact it was clearly his first time inside a dungeon.


    His head turned from side to side as he stared at the walls and ceilings of the massive room. His mouth hung open as he studied the strange ornaments and decorations. He pointed out the staircase to one knight, and the knight laughed about whatever it was the man said.


    Lyra studied the newcomers. ¡°Who are they?¡± she asked, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that armor,¡± Lyra said.


    ¡°Hex Knights,¡± Charlie informed her.


    Lyra turned toward him, a shocked expression on her face. ¡°You¡¯re sure? But they don¡¯t travel with nobility¡­so that would mean the man in their center is...¡± She paused.


    Charlie looked at her. ¡°Is who?¡± he asked.


    She shrunk back from the entrance to the room and sat against the hallway wall. ¡°Charlie, that¡¯s the King of Aysela¡­¡±


    Charlie tilted his head at her. The king? But why would he be here? Lyra held a hand over her mouth. She didn¡¯t seem to be doing well. That worried Charlie. If she didn¡¯t improve soon, he¡¯d need to tell her to run away with Kyo. It would be too dangerous for her to fight if she was this distracted. He turned his attention back to the room and directed his friendly Scaler mount to take him back to spy on the people inside some more.


    It seemed they had finished with their greetings already.


    They stood to the side of the wooden table now. The mayor and his snatchers on one side, the king, and the knights in a group in front of them.


    The king stood back and looked up at the ceiling again. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting all of this. Are all dungeons like this, Fiona?¡±


    The mayor¡¯s head perked up when he heard her name.


    The long-haired woman looked up at the walls and then turned back to the king. ¡°No, your majesty. This one is certainly unique.¡± Fiona¡¯s attention turned toward the mayor. ¡°How did you manage to subjugate the core guardian?¡± she asked him.


    The mayor chuckled. ¡°Subjugate? No, my dear, I have not subjugated the core guardian or the dungeon. I made a deal. A deal that¡¯s mutually beneficial for all parties involved. I¡¯m sure his majesty would not have made the trip if he didn¡¯t know that much already. So, my king, are you prepared to ascend? To reach the thing that all mortal men seek in life. Be it by means of magic, or miracle. Prayers, potions, and rituals. Yes, surely your majesty has come for the boon that can only be found in Sange.¡±


    The mayor turned, and his eyes locked directly on Charlie for just a moment. ¡°Watch closely,¡± he called out.


    Charlie¡¯s mouth fell open. The mayor had known they were here all along.


    The mayor¡¯s arms shot out to either side, and he shouted, his words reverberating around the room. ¡°Feast your eyes, my king, on a creature capable of granting immortality itself.¡±


    Something dripped from the ceiling.


    Charlie looked up. The aquamarine droplets fell like raindrops in a concentrated area just in front of the mayor. Beads of the strange liquid came from the ground as well. The bizarre solution started to coalesce, and slowly but surely, the creature formed. When the droplets had all merged, all that remained was a perfect sphere.


    The sphere rippled, and the bottom portion of the shape gave way. The top was still round, but the bottom was like running water contained in itself.


    Fiona held her blade up toward the creature. ¡°Get back, my king!¡± she cried. The other knights drew their weapons as well.


    ¡°What¡­is that?¡± the king asked.


    One of the male knights answered. ¡°It appears to be a beast of the shapeless variant, my lord. But I¡¯ve never seen one that big. What are your orders, Fiona?¡±


    Fiona kept her sword pointed at the beast but turned her gaze toward the mayor. ¡°What is this?¡± she asked.


    The mayor turned around to face them. He looked surprised. ¡°This is what you came for. You¡¯ve seen what it can do. You watched the elderly and sickened members of the nobility leave for Sange and return with their youth and good health restored. Your majesty, with this power, you need not worry about an heir. You could rule Aysela indefinitely. Imagine the power of an immortal king. This is what will make Aysela a kingdom set apart. This will be your legacy, my king.¡±


    Fiona shook her head. ¡°Your majesty, we cannot trust this. It is reckless.¡±


    ¡°How does it work?¡± the king asked.


    Fiona turned back, a shocked expression on her face.


    The mayor smirked. He made a motion with a hand. From one of the other tunnels, a snatcher entered. In its hand was a large black bag. Inside it, something struggled.


    Charlie tilted his head. What was going on?


    Fiona eyed the snatcher and the bag in his hand. ¡°What is that?¡± she asked.


    The mayor held a hand up. ¡°Patience.¡± He nodded, and the snatcher tossed the bag inside the amorphous liquid creature. ¡°Immortality is a grand gift, but a price must be paid for it,¡± the mayor said, beckoning at the core guardian.


    Everyone watched as the bag inside the transparent creature slowly dissolved.


    Several gasped. Charlie was among them.


    A small Black boy with dark hair floated in the liquid.


    ¡°The vigor of the young freely offered in exchange for the preservation of society¡¯s greatest members. Isn¡¯t it poetic, your majesty?¡± the mayor asked.


    The boy¡¯s limbs started to elongate and grow. His face twisted into a pained expression, and then he went still.


    Charlie shook his head. What was going on? Could he stop it? There had to be a way!


    It hit him. Lyra realized it at the same time that he did.


    She shook her head, staring at the man the boy had grown into.


    Just like that, his childhood was gone. His youth was gone.


    The grim truth reared its head. ¡°This is how they make snatchers, all of them are children¡­¡± Lyra said.

 Chapter 53: From Flesh to Bone

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Fiona demanded. She looked ready to strike the mayor down after watching the boy¡¯s transformation.


    The mayor looked at her, and then his eyes fell on her blade. ¡°I thought I¡¯d made it clear enough. There is no need for such hostility. I merely act in service to my king.¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself, Fiona,¡± the king said. He turned to address the mayor. ¡°You mentioned an exchange. The creature took away the boy¡¯s youth, and now it can make me an immortal?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, and no. The process ages any human being under the age of sixteen instantly. It leaves them biologically around the age of twenty-eight. Each child can add 15 to 20 years to your natural lifespan. It¡¯s random, as far as we can tell. But it¡¯s always 15 to 20 years. Never more, never less. The process also heals any ailments or diseases within the body. It¡¯s a reset. A fresh start for a wise mind. Used in this way, we can ensure Aysela¡¯s leadership endures forever.¡±


    So they''d have to keep doing this, sacrificing children over and over to prolong the kings life. To prolong the lives of everyone involved.


    There was a glint in the king¡¯s eye. That infuriated Charlie. Luc had been so adamant that the king would save the people of Sange. But he was here now, surrounded by Hex Knights, and his only thought was of extending his lifespan.


    It made Charlie sick.


    The king stared at the boy floating in the liquid. ¡°And the boy? Will he be alright?¡± the king asked.


    The question seemed to catch the mayor off guard, but not for long. ¡°Of course! He¡¯ll be in a daze for a few days, but afterwards he¡¯ll return to his usual self. Well, he¡¯ll regain his mind. His body will remain as it is.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lying,¡± Lyra whispered, careful not to be overheard.


    Fiona stared at the two snatchers standing behind the mayor. ¡°And those two? How long have they been in this condition? A few days?¡± she asked. The accusation was clear in her voice.


    The mayor glared at her. ¡°These two are different. Notice their eyes. Red irises mean the child was dead or on the brink of death during the transformation. This process is the only reason their bodies remain in this world. The boy you just watched transform does not have red eyes. Nor will he ever. He was alive when the process occurred, and he is alive now.¡±


    A clap drew their attention. It was the king. ¡°Excellent! That¡¯s great news! After all of this is done and I return to the kingdom, I¡¯ll see the boy rewarded! I¡¯ll send someone to bring him to the capital. We¡¯ll provide a nice home for him and all the gold he could ever need. Perhaps¡­¡± he stroked his chin. ¡°We could make him a minor noble, or maybe a knight is more realistic? Regardless, he will reap the rewards of his sacrifice!¡±


    A grin crept across the mayor¡¯s face. ¡°An excellent idea. We should get started immediately. The process is simple. All you need to do is approach the core guardian. It will handle the rest,¡± he said.


    The king nodded and took a step forward. But Fiona held a hand out to stop him. ¡°You know I cannot allow your majesty to go through with this. Not without a member of the Hex Arcana examining the creature first. We cannot move forward until a proper investigation takes place. The Mayor of Sange should¡¯ve warned us ahead of time.¡±


    The king sighed. ¡°I know it¡¯s your job to protect me, Fiona, but many of the nobles have already undergone this process. Surely we can make an exception this once?¡±


    The mayor held a hand up. ¡°A compromise, perhaps? Why don¡¯t we allow Fiona to test the process herself? She can see just how simple it is. Besides, increasing the lifespan of one of the kingdom¡¯s most powerful knights would be a tremendous asset. What do you think, Fiona?¡±


    The proposal caught her off guard. The king, however, thought it was a fantastic idea. ¡°This makes perfect sense, Fiona! You can test out the magic and extend your lifespan all at once. It¡¯s extremely generous. So far, only nobles have been afforded the opportunity. But this¡­it¡¯s a show of trust. We should take it!¡±


    Fiona was hesitant. ¡°Your majesty¡­¡±


    Charlie frowned. She seemed uncomfortable with the idea. It wasn¡¯t right for the king to force her. If he tried to, Charlie would intervene, dangerous or not.


    One of the other knights stepped forward. ¡°I will do it. Allow me to test it for you, my king.¡± It was one of the three male knights, this one was bald.


    Fiona shook her head. ¡°Albert, no. None of us should do this. Let¡¯s be patient and wait for¡ª¡±


    Sir Albert shook his head. ¡°The king has set his mind on this and will not be easily persuaded. Allow me to fulfill my duties as a knight. I will pave the way forward and check whether or not it is safe for my king to follow. If it is not, you will cut down those who would betray him. But if it is, we will rejoice together that the king¡¯s flame will burn ever onward.¡±


    The mayor laughed. ¡°Quite the speech. Well, I for one, welcome you. Come, let us proceed then.¡±


    Fiona looked dejected, but Albert had volunteered for this, and the king wanted to move forward. It seemed she¡¯d accepted this outcome was unavoidable now.


    Albert paused in front of the core guardian. ¡°Is it possible for me to only take a little of the youth? Like a week, or maybe a month?¡±


    This confused the mayor. He looked back at the core guardian and then glanced back at Albert. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why would you do something like that?¡±


    Albert laughed and scratched the back of his head with a hand. ¡°Well, I figured that way you wouldn¡¯t need to bring another child here for the king. We could share, right?¡±


    The mayor frowned. ¡°Yes, of course. That should be fine.¡±


    Charlie noticed Lyra shaking her head in her peripherals. She looked up at him. ¡°He¡¯s lying. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s up to, but he¡¯s lying. It doesn¡¯t work that way.¡±


    That gave Charlie pause, how exactly did she know that? More importantly, something else was bothering him.


    The mayor had offered the compromise so quickly that it was almost like he wanted this outcome. But if that was the case, what was his actual goal?


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Sir Albert approached the shapeless core guardian and placed his hand into its liquid while following the mayor¡¯s instructions. At first, nothing happened. He didn¡¯t put his arm in any further. He just stood there, waiting for a result. Albert turned to raise a brow at the mayor.


    The mayor was focused on the core guardian, though. He no longer concerned himself with Albert. ¡°You¡¯re sure? That wasn¡¯t the plan,¡± the mayor said.


    Albert¡¯s mouth opened in confusion. ¡°Uh, what wasn¡¯t part of the plan? Did I do something wrong?¡± he asked.


    The mayor ignored him. He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s your call. I¡¯m sure you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    Fiona shook her head. ¡°Who are you talking to? Does the magic work or not? I don¡¯t sense anything happening, so what¡¯s going on?¡± she asked.


    Albert perked up. ¡°Oh! Something¡¯s happening. My hand feels a little tingly!¡± He looked up at the mayor. ¡°Is that good or¡­¡±


    The mayor laughed softly.


    Albert tilted his head. It was an odd reaction to what should be a normal question. Albert shrugged and turned to look back at his hand. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re turning white. That¡¯s strange.¡± He paused.


    Charlie leaned in. Albert¡¯s fingers weren¡¯t turning white.


    The skin was dissolving off of them. The liquid was eating at Albert¡¯s flesh.


    The knight realized it and made a horrified expression. He tried to yank his hand free and pull himself away from the creature. But it was stuck. His flesh continued to dissolve inside the beast. Fiona hurried forward to help him, but he cried out to stop her.


    ¡°Stay back! Protect the king!¡± He drew his sword and held it away from himself. With a flick of his wrist, the blade arced upward and through the portion of his arm that wasn¡¯t embedded within the creature. He¡¯d sacrificed his arm to free himself. He backed away, staring at the bones in his hand and part of his arm that floated within the creature.


    Albert backed away. He turned, hurrying to join the other knights. But the core guardian suddenly sprung to life. A part of the liquid creature shot outward and wrapped itself around Albert¡¯s waist. His eyes grew wide, and he looked down, realizing he¡¯d been ensnared.


    Fiona¡¯s eyes lit up as well. She hurried forward to grab him.


    But she was too slow.


    The creature retracted its extended portion and reeled Albert inside of it. The knight¡¯s face was full of agony as his entire body dissolved until only his armor, weapon, and bones remained.


    Wait.


    There was something else, Charlie realized. Something floated above the armor where Albert¡¯s head had been. Several additional objects floated outside of the armor and settled in random places throughout the shapeless beast. Charlie couldn¡¯t figure out what they were.


    His head leaned to the side as he thought about what he could possibly be looking at.


    But Lyra knew enough about human anatomy to inform him. ¡°Charlie, those are his organs¡­why would it¡­what is happening?¡± Her voice faltered.


    Organs? Brain, heart, kidneys, and every other kind. They floated in the aquamarine liquid as if it was a monstrous preservation jar.


    But regardless of what was going on here, the knights were no longer under the impression that the king wasn¡¯t in immediate danger.


    The Mayor of Sange and the dungeon had made the first move.


    The knights would not tolerate the loss of one of their own. Fiona drew her sword and the other knights stepped forward as well. ¡°You will face punishment for what you have done, traitor. I will tear through you and this beast alike with my blade. I swear it on my honor as a Hex¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fiona, get me out of here. Now,¡± the king said, taking a step back.


    Fiona looked back. ¡°Your majesty? Didn¡¯t you see what it did to Albert? This creature is a threat to Sange. No, this is a threat to the entire kingdom. We must eradicate it. We will defend you. I give you my word. But we cannot leave this creature alive.¡±


    ¡°I am the kingdom! You will ensure my safe evacuation from this town. That is an order! Sir Brandt will travel here in force to wipe this creature from the face of the world. But you must get your king to safety! At once!¡± he cried out. The man was visibly shaking.


    That was the moment when Charlie realized the King of Aysela was a coward. He wasn¡¯t anything like the king that Luc had described from ancient times. He certainly wasn¡¯t fit to be an immortal king.


    Charlie decided then that he didn¡¯t care what happened to the king. It wouldn¡¯t bother him at all if the stupid man didn¡¯t make it out of these dungeons. He was bad and Charlie wished the monster had turned him into a bone man instead of Albert.


    Albert seemed much nicer. At least from the little he¡¯d gotten to see. When given the choice to extend his life, he¡¯d asked for only a week or a month instead of the 15 to 20 years he¡¯d been offered. He¡¯d volunteered for the process to keep Fiona from having to go through it.


    He was the only reason she was still alive.


    Fiona¡¯s head fell. Her expression darkened. ¡°Retreat, take the king and go! Now!¡±


    The other knights were likely just as disappointed as Fiona was, but when she gave the order, they didn¡¯t hesitate. They ran with the king in their center. Fiona held up her blade to hold the rear.


    It was a good thing she did.


    Another burst of the liquid shot after the king. Fiona whispered something and then her sword glowed brightly. It was a bright white glow. She intercepted the surging creature¡¯s makeshift limb and cut it. The attack splattered onto the dungeon floor. The droplets started receding, crawling back to rejoin the core guardian.


    ¡°Fiona!¡± the king called out. It seemed he didn¡¯t wish for his strongest knight to remain here instead of escorting him. The other knights waited with him just inside the hallway they¡¯d entered earlier.


    Fiona started to turn and follow after him.


    But that was when she saw Charlie and Lyra hiding in the entrance of the other tunnel.


    Her eyes widened. She turned to look at the core guardian and then the mayor. The mayor looked disinterested. He just stared back. She turned her attention toward Charlie and Lyra again. She didn¡¯t even seem concerned with the fact Charlie was sitting atop a Scaler''s head.


    ¡°Children, come now, quickly. I¡¯ll help you escape this place, but we have to hurry.¡±


    Charlie frowned. Fiona didn¡¯t have any idea who he was. She didn¡¯t know he was the same child the other knights were hunting. All she knew was there were children in front of her, and she wanted to help them.


    But Charlie and Lyra had business here. For a second, he thought about telling Lyra to give Kyo to her. But something held him back. Something he would come to regret in the future.


    ¡°Fiona! Let¡¯s go! That¡¯s an order!¡± the king cried out.


    Fiona¡¯s eyes glazed over for a second, then she returned to normal. She realized the children weren¡¯t coming.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, and then she ran after the other knights.


    Brel watched her leave, then turned to look at the mayor. He¡¯d stood there so quietly that even the knights hadn¡¯t acknowledged him. But now, he broke that silence. ¡°It¡¯s a little weird to go through all that trouble to get the king here, only to let him run away.¡±


    The mayor chuckled. ¡°I went through all that trouble to get a Hex Knight here. I would¡¯ve preferred Fiona, but this one will do. Besides, the king is still in the dungeon, isn¡¯t he? He may not be in the room anymore, but he certainly hasn¡¯t gotten away.¡±


    Flesh grew on the bones inside the core guardian. Charlie and Lyra gasped as Albert¡¯s body reformed around its skeleton.


    A few minutes passed, the miraculous healing took place quickly, and then the Hex Knight stepped out of the core guardian. His eyes were a deep, blood red color.


    ¡°What the hell? I thought you said snatchers had to be made from children?¡± Brel asked.


    The mayor smiled. ¡°They do. This¡­well, this is something else entirely. Trust me when I say the king isn¡¯t getting away at all.¡±

 Chapter 54: Twelve Percent

    Charlie didn¡¯t understand this at all. What was this new creature? Why did they use a hex knight to create it? He had a bad feeling about this.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so confident you can capture the king, then why not do it when he was right in front of you?¡± Brel asked. He didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    The mayor smiled. ¡°Doing that would require the core guardian to reveal its true form. If they¡¯d seen it upon entering the room, they never would¡¯ve heard us out. Never mind that now. The boy you were supposed to bring is here. Get him.¡±


    Brel looked at the mayor and then turned to look at Charlie and the others. He took in a deep breath. ¡°Well, kid, I said I¡¯d be waiting on round two.¡± Brel grabbed his hammer and strolled across the room. He didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry at all. Luckily for him, the mayor found it amusing. The mayor chuckled and turned to face the core guardian.


    They seemed to communicate with one another the same way Charlie did with his friends. Except the mayor wasn¡¯t talking out loud like Merlin and the others had to. He was using his mind, too. At least, Charlie assumed that was what was going on.


    Charlie wondered how he¡¯d learn to do that. He¡¯d have to find out later. Maybe after beating the man up.


    Lyra shook herself out of her frightened state and stood, holding Kyo close to her chest. At Charlie¡¯s order, the friendly Scaler took a step to the side to block Brel¡¯s path so he couldn¡¯t reach Lyra.


    Brel stared at the kids for a moment. His gaze seemed to linger on Kyo the longest.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s sort of funny. There was a time where all I wanted in life was recognition. I wanted everyone to see me as someone strong. That was why I joined up with Varroc. It was the reason I helped him, and Philo take over this little town and fed children to beasts¡­¡± He paused, looking over his shoulder at the core guardian. ¡°Well, at least I thought I was feeding children to beasts. Point is, after a while, you get tired of all that. It¡¯s getting old being stuck in this town.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. Stuck in the town? Was Brel trapped here for some reason?


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re probably confused, so how about I just give you a very important life lesson, kid?¡± Brel came to a squat a few feet away from Charlie. ¡°Sometimes life presents an opportunity. When it does, you take it. Even if it¡¯s a gamble. Even if it¡¯s risky as shit.¡± He flinched. ¡°Sorry about my language, not used to talking to kids.¡± Brel grunted in amusement.


    He stood, the muscles on his arm rippling as he clenched a fist around the hilt of his hammer.


    ¡°You¡¯re smart. You¡¯ve realized that coward was the king, right? Well, what do you think the king would do if I brought him the mayor¡¯s head? He¡¯d love me. Hell, he¡¯d take care of me and my friends. That¡¯s the kind of risk I¡¯m talking about. The kind that gets the blood pumping because of the possibilities. The what if of a risk so big it makes you want to sh¡ª¡± Brel bit his tongue again. ¡°It makes you want to dirty your diaper,¡± he said instead of what he¡¯d started to say.


    Brel looked over at Kyo. He looked at this hand, the one not holding his hammer, and lifted a single finger. With it, he reached out over Charlie, toward Kyo in Lyra¡¯s arms.


    Lyra stepped away, turning her body to shield Kyo from the man. The friendly Scaler and Bonehead hissed. Brel laughed to himself. ¡°Yeah, I deserve that.¡±


    In an instant, he spun around, and the ground cracked under his feet. The mayor and the core guardian took notice. But Brel was already shooting through the air, right toward the resurrected Hex Knight. The knight stood absolutely still, like a body without a soul.


    Brel dragged his hammer against the ground. It burst to life, a series of flames licking the air around it as he went.


    ¡°Let me show you why I just love kierstone hammers!¡± Brel yelled. He swung the large hammer toward the Hex Knight¡¯s head.


    Charlie, Lyra, and even the mayor watched on with shocked expressions.


    The Hex Knight¡¯s face exploded in a burst of gore and brain matter. Its body collapsed, falling to the floor.


    Brel laughed. He turned to look at the mayor. ¡°This was your secret weapon? If that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got, then that core guardian is weaker than I thought. Which means this next part should be even easier.¡± Brel rested his hammer on his shoulder and started moving toward the mayor.


    The three snatchers in the room moved to intercept him, but that proved to be unnecessary.


    The Hex Knight¡¯s body shot up from the ground and quickly moved toward Brel.


    Charlie started to warn Brel telepathically, but Kyo shrieked from somewhere behind him before he could. Charlie hadn¡¯t even realized the baby had woken up. To be fair, Brel had yelled pretty loud during his attack.


    Brel turned to look at Kyo.


    Just as the Hex Knight¡¯s hand shot through Brel¡¯s stomach. Brel¡¯s brows drew together, and he looked down at the bloody hand emerging from his stomach. He turned to look over his shoulder at the headless Hex Knight standing behind him.


    ¡°That¡¯s just not fair,¡± Brel said, before he plummeted face first into the dirt.


    Charlie shook his head. He didn¡¯t understand how the body could move without a head. He didn¡¯t think that was something the other snatchers could do. But the mayor had said this creature wasn¡¯t quite the same.


    The mayor sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a waste.¡±


    The blood and brain matter that splattered against the dungeon floor earlier inched forward. It reminded Charlie of the way the core guardian had moved when it first assembled itself. Slowly but surely, the droplets of blood and pieces of flesh crept up the Hex Knight¡¯s armor.


    Its head regenerated in the same way it had inside the core guardian itself.


    It turned to look at Charlie and his friends. But the mayor called out to it. ¡°No, go and fetch the king. Kill all the other knights and then bring the king back here. We need to assimilate him as soon as possible. We¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    The Hex Knight ignored him. It started moving towards Charlie. The mayor got angry. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± he called out.


    Again, nothing.


    Charlie got ready. If the Hex Knight was going to attack, he needed to be ready as well.


    But suddenly, it stopped.


    It turned and faced the core guardian and then nodded. It broke into a jog and hurried toward the tunnel Fiona and the king had escaped down.


    It was strange that the creature had ignored the mayor. The other snatchers all followed his orders. But this one¡­


    The mayor pointed at two of the snatchers, the two that had been in the room all along. He nodded his head toward the core guardian. He ignored the third snatcher that had brought the boy into the room earlier.


    The two snatchers approached the core guardian, and then stepped inside, one by one. They started to dissolve immediately.


    The mayor walked up to Brel and kicked him in the side. He knelt and lifted the man¡¯s head up. Brel didn¡¯t look good. He was barely clinging on to life. His breaths seemed labored and shallow. ¡°You asked why we couldn¡¯t take the king while he was here earlier. Well, feast your eyes on the reason why.¡±


    Unlike Sir Albert, the only remnants of the snatchers were their organs.


    No bones.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    No clothing.


    Nothing.


    But what was really disturbing was the fact that there were more organs than there should be. It was like the core guardian had been using them as storage.


    No, that was exactly it.


    A dozen hearts, and just as many brains. Kidneys, livers, and intestines all floated around inside the creature.


    Lyra made a retching noise behind him.


    ¡°This is the reason, because no sane person would want to get close to a hex beast full of human organs. Least of all the king. So, we made sure the core guardian was a bit more¡­palatable. There you have it, now you can die.¡± The mayor slammed Brel¡¯s face back into the dirt.


    Earlier that day, if Charlie had seen Brel treated like that, he might¡¯ve found it satisfying. He hadn¡¯t liked Brel.


    He still didn¡¯t like Brel.


    But he had thought something earlier, when Brel was explaining his motivations for turning on the mayor. He¡¯d thought that there was another reason. Charlie believed Brel did it, at least in part, because he didn¡¯t want to turn Kyo over anymore. Charlie believed most people could get better. He believed they could change.


    Merlin was proof of that.


    Maybe, if Brel had more time, he could learn to. But the mayor¡­Charlie felt differently about the mayor.


    Charlie didn¡¯t think he would ever change. He would just keep hurting people as long as it helped him.


    So, Charlie decided he needed to put a stop to all this.


    Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!


    He held a hand out, and a sharpened pillar shot outward toward the mayor¡¯s face. Brel was a much more experienced fighter than Charlie was. He¡¯d aimed for the face. So, Charlie decided he would do the same thing.


    The mayor didn¡¯t even see it coming.


    But the core guardian did.


    A burst of liquid shot out and intercepted the pillar before it could hit the mayor. The pillar pierced through the liquid but lost enough momentum that it fell harmlessly on the other side.


    Charlie realized his mistake as soon as the guardian reacted. Attacking first was the right move, but he¡¯d attacked the wrong target. The mayor wasn¡¯t the threat here, the core guardian was.


    The core guardian was at the root of everything going on in Sange.


    He needed to focus his energy on fighting it instead. The mayor looked down at the spear of dungeon material laying harmlessly on the ground next to him, suddenly aware of how close he¡¯d come to getting impaled. He sneered, staring at the baby boy that had attacked him. He placed a hand in the core guardian and closed his eyes. The newly grown snatcher reacted and reached out. Their fingers touched, and the mayor suddenly reacted.


    His arm trembled, and he inhaled deeply. He removed his hand from the core guardian. ¡°The sweet feel of renewed youth. I figured, why let all that energy go to waste? Your life can never get too long,¡± he said to Charlie. He turned back to the core guardian. ¡°Alright, now kill the boy. He¡¯s pissing me off.¡±


    The core guardian rippled quickly, waves formed around it and surged forward in a never-ending loop. Then the core guardian inside it turned its head toward Charlie. His eyes opened. They were the same color as the liquid. It seemed as if the core guardian was using the snatcher¡¯s body somehow. The snatcher held out its hand and aimed for Charlie.


    A burst of liquid shot forward. Charlie held up a hand to deflect the attack with his powers, but Lyra shot past him.


    ¡°We have to be careful of getting splashed on!¡± she reminded him. Tomas had warned them not to touch it. She held a hand up.


    ¡°Emerald Hex Elemental!¡± she cried out. A burst of water shot forward and met the core guardian¡¯s liquid head on. Both attacks fizzled out against one another.


    Charlie patted the friendly Scaler on the head, and they surged past her and into the room. Charlie pointed at Bonehead and then held out a hand. Bonehead hissed but relented. He would stay behind and protect Lyra and Kyo.


    Charlie launched another attack. This time, he aimed for the core guardian itself.


    The creature didn¡¯t react this time. It didn¡¯t try to move out of the way. It didn¡¯t move to deflect or block Charlie¡¯s pillar. The core guardian simply waited.


    The pillar sailed right through the creature and plopped out on the other side. Charlie frowned. Why hadn¡¯t it reacted? Had he even hurt it?


    He knew he could aim at the snatcher in its center, but¡­that was just a kid. Until a few minutes ago, it had been just another child. One of the children he was trying to save. He couldn¡¯t attack the snatcher.


    At least he couldn¡¯t do anything that would kill it.


    He hadn¡¯t given up on saving the boy. Maybe they could reverse the process or something. He hoped.


    If the core guardian was using him, perhaps he could¡­


    He launched several more pillars. This time, he aimed at the boy. He made sure the pillars were round, instead of sharpened. He just needed to hit really hard without doing any permanent damage.


    This time, it worked. He hit the snatcher right on the chest and sent it reeling out of the core guardian. The snatcher hit the ground and its body rolled several times before coming to a halt. It didn¡¯t move after that.


    Again, the core guardian didn¡¯t react. Charlie puffed out a lip. This was getting frustrating. That was two attacks already, and the creature hadn¡¯t even bothered to respond. Did it think he wasn¡¯t even capable of hurting it?


    Was it right?


    He noticed something. One of the hearts inside the creature had been moved. It had been floating behind the snatcher before Charlie had knocked it out. Which meant¡­the core guardian had intentionally moved it to keep it from getting hit during the attack.


    Maybe that meant the organs were a weakness?


    Brel¡¯s words echoed in his mind. The kind of risk that makes you want to dirty your diaper. Or something like that.


    ¡°Status?¡±


    Status requested. Dungeon Integrity at 8%.


    Charlie nodded. His integrity was low now. He¡¯d only attacked a couple of times and already he¡¯d lost that much power.


    ¡°Get me in close,¡± he told the friendly Scaler.


    ¡°Arh!¡±


    He needed to make sure the core guardian couldn¡¯t react. He¡¯d launch an attack he was sure it couldn¡¯t dodge. The friendly Scaler scurried forward. Charlie had almost forgotten how fast the Scalers could really move when they wanted to.


    He paused. This was risky. If he used too much of his power, Bleedy and Mousifer and the other two Scalers inside him could die. He still couldn¡¯t control the precise amount of power that he used. Charlie didn¡¯t have a choice. He¡¯d have to pull them out of the dungeon. He¡¯d do it at the same time he attacked.


    All at once. Keep them safe and hit the core guardian with everything we had.


    All at once.


    The world moved in slow motion.


    The mayor noticed them charging, a bewildered look on his face.


    Lyra called out to them, worrying they would get too close to the creature.


    Kyo cried in the distance.


    He took in a breath.


    ¡°Transfer!¡±


    He held his left hand behind himself, so his animal friends wouldn¡¯t end up in his line of fire.


    At the same time, he aimed his right hand ahead. He activated the attack combination mere seconds after the first skill.


    They were around ten feet away from the core guardian now. At this speed and range, the creature wouldn¡¯t have time to dodge.


    ¡°Transfer! Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    With the last of his dungeon integrity, he aimed a massive pillar at the creature.


    He knew what that meant.


    Dungeon collapse.


    If this failed, Charlie would lose the fight.


    He¡¯d let down everyone that was counting on him.


    In hindsight, he shouldn¡¯t have listened to Brel about taking a risk, when the man¡¯s own gamble had failed.


    The friendly Scaler skidded to a stop as soon as the pillar shot forward.


    ¡°Arh! Arh!¡± Charlie looked back for a split second and realized the two Scalers in his dungeon were standing there behind them. But they were alone. Bleedy and Mousifer weren¡¯t there.


    ¡°Error. Multiple targets unavailable for transfer. Transfer of those targets has failed.¡±


    Charlie was still reeling at the implications of what he had done when he heard the warning.


    ¡°Arh!¡± the friendly Scaler cried out.


    He turned to face back toward the core guardian and saw his own pillar stop mere inches before it reached the shapeless creature. The pillar floated there, and then it shot back towards them.


    Charlie¡¯s own attack had been turned against him. How was that even possible?


    His eyes went wide as the pillar rocketed into them and sent them flying.


    Charlie flew through the air and hit something hard.


    He fought back a fading consciousness. Why hadn¡¯t the transfer worked?


    Why hadn¡¯t it worked?


    The question played in his head over and over until he heard it.


    ¡°Dungeon Integrity at 0%. The Dungeon has collapsed.¡±


    And it had done so with his friends still inside it.

 Chapter 55: Lyras Deal

    Charlie blacked out for several moments. When he woke up, he pried his head forward and peered through the hole in the dungeon wall ahead. The impact had sent him spiraling right into the dungeon wall.


    There was a pounding sensation in the back of his head. He was dizzy and disoriented. For a moment, he forgot where he was all together.


    The dungeon had collapsed.


    His memories came flooding back to him.


    Mousifer. Bleedy.


    They¡¯d been in the dungeon.


    For once, Charlie wished he could cry, but instead, he just felt empty. Like the world was ending and everything was pointless. He¡¯d taken a risk. He¡¯d acted impulsively.


    Again.


    Every time he tried to go into a fight with a plan, he ended up charging headfirst as soon as he got some bright idea.


    It made the realization that he had messed up hurt that much more. He knew he was putting his friends¡¯ lives in danger, but he thought he could save them.


    Charlie hadn¡¯t expected his powers to fail.


    He¡¯d never had a problem transferring someone to or from his dungeon before. So why now? What was different?


    And then there was dungeon manipulation.


    The attack had been turned back against him. How was that possible? Was it something Charlie did? Or was the dungeon responsible?


    If Charlie couldn¡¯t even rely on his own powers, how could he possibly fight?


    He frowned. Did any of this even matter if his friends were dead?


    Parent had warned him about avoiding dungeon collapse with them inside. But Charlie was playing hero again. He was always trying to help strangers, even if it meant putting his own friends at risk.


    Wasn¡¯t that wrong? Merlin and Vetica would have never come to Sange if it wasn¡¯t for him.


    Mousifer would still be eating food in Richard and Mary¡¯s home at night and evading their traps.


    Bleedy would be hunting in the forest surrounding Troa. He¡¯d even have all his teeth!


    Charlie was the one getting his friends in danger. Charlie was the one who had insisted they come to Sange to help Sophia. He was always getting them involved in something new, and now, his friends would pay the price.


    Not just Mousifer and Bleedy.


    Merlin too. He was trapped somewhere in this city. If Vetica came looking for them, they might capture her, too.


    Charlie wished the knights had never even summoned him to this world.


    He¡¯d caused nothing but problems for everyone he cared about. They¡¯d be better off if they¡¯d never met him.


    He just wanted to close his eyes and drift off to sleep and never wake up. To forget everything that had happened.


    What could he even do without his powers?


    ¡°Lyra! It¡¯s time,¡± the mayor called out.


    Charlie shot up. He squinted, trying to see through the cracks in the dungeon¡¯s wall. It was useless. There wasn¡¯t enough visibility in here. He pulled himself free of the wall and landed on his hands and knees. He crawled, shuffling through the tunnel his body had made upon impact.


    His body cried out with every move he made, but he kept inching forward. He was determined to do that much. To tell Lyra to run away and escape. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was still possible, but he¡¯d encourage her to try.


    Lyra and Kyo could still make it out of this.


    When he exited the hole, he paused, noticing something green in his peripheral vision. He turned to see the friendly Scaler slumped against the wall. Its eyes were closed and the wound on the end of its tail had opened up again, green blood puddled up around it. It didn¡¯t look good.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Charlie asked, reaching out with his mind. The Scaler¡¯s breathing was shallow. Charlie shook his head. ¡°Hey, wake up!¡± Charlie sniffled. ¡°Please be okay. I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t given you a name yet. I will if you just wake up. It¡¯ll be a good one, promise!¡± Charlie rubbed the Scaler¡¯s side. When that didn¡¯t work, he leaned his weight against it and tried to shake it awake.


    The Scaler didn¡¯t respond.


    The growing sense of dread kept building inside him.


    Usually, Charlie hated crying. Right now, it was all he wanted to do. But he couldn¡¯t. His body wouldn¡¯t even allow him.


    His head fell, and he turned to look back for Lyra.


    She was standing close to the center of the room now, still holding Kyo. Bonehead was next to her. He seemed confused about what was going on.


    The mayor stood a few feet away from her. ¡°This is all your fault, Lyra. You know that, right?¡± he asked her.


    Lyra was crying. She wiped her face with her sleeve. ¡°I know¡­¡± she said. Her words were full of heartbreak.


    The mayor sighed. ¡°It¡¯s good business never to go back on a deal. We had an agreement, didn¡¯t we? But you broke it. You tried to escape. You came here to... actually, I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re here. What was your plan? What did you hope to accomplish?¡±


    Lyra was silent. She turned her head away.


    The mayor studied her, then turned to look back at the core guardian. ¡°Oh.¡± The mayor bust out laughing. ¡°You came here to destroy the dungeon, didn¡¯t you? Seriously? You thought you and some freakish baby could take on a core guardian this powerful? That¡¯s delusional. Even for a child, that is so pathetic. You didn¡¯t even help the boy, you just stood there while he fought.¡±


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    Lyra covered her mouth and sobbed. Her eyes were red. How long had Charlie been out? How long had she been crying?


    ¡°Lyra? Are you okay?¡± he asked her.


    Her mouth fell open, and she turned to look at him. ¡°Charlie¡­¡± she seemed surprised he could still move. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. Lyra turned back to the mayor. ¡°Please, I¡¯ll honor the deal. Just let them go. I¡¯m begging you,¡± she said, fighting back tears to get her words out.


    The mayor crossed his arms, raising a brow at her. ¡°After all that, you want me to honor our deal? Your friend over there tried to ram a spike through my head, or did you miss that? He¡¯s only here because you brought him. You want me to honor a deal after that? After you tried to go behind my back and kill the core guardian? Even if it was impossible, how can you really expect me to forgive that kind of behavior?¡±


    Lyra deflated. ¡°But I¡­¡±


    The mayor held a hand up to silence her. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked, eyeing the core guardian.


    Silence.


    The mayor nodded his head, as if the creature had made a good point. ¡°I see. Well then, Lyra, it seems you¡¯re very lucky today. We¡¯ll honor the arrangement.¡±


    She looked relieved. ¡°And Kyo and Charlie can go free?¡± she asked.


    The mayor looked at Kyo. ¡°That one can go. As for the other one¡­¡± He turned to look at Charlie. ¡°He can negotiate for himself. That¡¯s between us and him.¡±


    ¡°Please, just let him go. He only came here because I asked him to,¡± Lyra pleaded.


    The mayor rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll heavily consider it. We need to proceed now. Hand the child to the snatcher. We¡¯ll take it to an orphanage or something,¡± he said, pointing toward the sole snatcher still standing. The one who had entered to bring the bag with the boy in it earlier.


    Lyra turned and looked at Bonehead. She sat Kyo on the ground in front of Bonehead instead. The Scaler looked up at her and offered an ¡°arh!¡± It scooted his head under Kyo, so the boy¡¯s stomach was resting on its head. Its head wobbled from side to side as it tried to balance the boy. Bonehead hurried away toward the tunnel¡¯s exit, then turned to wait on Lyra to follow.


    ¡°Arh!¡± it called out again.


    But Lyra remained.


    The two Scalers Charlie had freed from his dungeon earlier seemed confused. They were standing under one of the waterspouts, looking around. They finally noticed Charlie and hurried over. He patted them on their snouts and then pointed at the friendly Scaler. They both hissed and ran over to shield it with their bodies.


    Charlie faced Lyra again. ¡°Lyra, what deal? What is he talking about?¡±


    She looked away, saying nothing.


    The mayor caught the interaction, though he couldn¡¯t hear it. He smirked. ¡°Oh, he doesn¡¯t know, does he? About our arrangement?¡± he asked.


    Lyra didn¡¯t answer.


    The mayor laughed. He turned to face Charlie. ¡°You never thought it was suspicious? That we bring all these children to Sange, but had only ever taken two from Lyra¡¯s daycare? Even then, one of them was only brought here because the children were misbehaving. The other daycares lose children almost weekly. It¡¯s why we have so many daycares after all. It¡¯s good to rotate where we take the livestock. If we only cleared out certain daycares, the children would be too stressed. That lowers their quality, their usefulness. But Lyra here¡­¡±


    He nodded at her with his head.


    ¡°She¡¯s unique. Her hex isn¡¯t anything special, but it developed at an early age. You don¡¯t see many children this young with her level of competence and mastery over their powers. She¡¯s better than some adult casters I¡¯ve seen. When she gets older, she¡¯s going to be a monster. That makes her way more valuable.¡±


    Charlie shook his head. He was too confused to know how to react to all of this. Valuable for what? He wondered.


    The mayor could read the confusion on his face. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it? Why do you think we captured that Hex Knight? Because Limblings are more powerful when the host is more powerful. Oh, you know them as snatchers, don¡¯t you?¡± He laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a silly name, really, but it was one of Varroc¡¯s better ideas. If the nobility knew what the snatchers really were, they¡¯d have burned Sange to the ground by now.¡±


    ¡°Stop, just¡­let him go. I¡¯ll do it,¡± Lyra said.


    The mayor turned away from Charlie and glared at her. He took two steps and backhanded her across the face. Lyra fell to the ground.


    Charlie gasped. He lifted a hand to attack, but remembered his powers were gone.


    He was powerless.


    Charlie had just seen this man attack his friend and there wasn¡¯t anything he could do to stop it. There wasn¡¯t anything he could do to punish him.


    It made him feel empty inside.


    Lyra rubbed her face and turned away from the mayor. She didn¡¯t get up or say anything.


    ¡°Long story short, snatchers are so much more powerful when they agree to the process willingly. Of course, children never want to agree to something like this. But some children are worth more than others. We¡¯ve found that we can persuade them to agree to become a snatcher. In exchange for their agreement, we don¡¯t take the children from their daycares. They can save their friends by offering themselves up as collateral. We wait until their older. It¡¯s better for the ones who turn willingly. They have to understand what they¡¯re doing, or it doesn¡¯t count. Want to know the best part? Tomas had already made the deal.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. Tomas had agreed to become a snatcher to protect the other children. But that meant that¡­


    When Lyra and the others captured the guards to bargain with Varroc, Tomas had already made a deal to keep them safe. They¡¯d wanted to escape the dangerous dungeon, so Tomas wouldn¡¯t have to explore it anymore.


    But Tomas had already agreed to become a snatcher when he got older to protect them.


    The children had all been acting to keep each other safe, and they hadn¡¯t even known it.


    ¡°So, when Tomas ran into Varroc taking Lyra into the dungeon, he followed through with the deal and took her place. Lyra learned about the arrangement and made the same deal. Two children with high potential, and both of them would join willingly. It¡¯s so exciting, isn¡¯t it? Tomas has been kind of a dud. He¡¯s strong but has too much free will. We¡¯ll make sure Lyra here doesn¡¯t have that problem. We¡¯ll rip that personality right out. Let¡¯s go Lyra. I¡¯ve decided we¡¯ll let this boy live. It¡¯s more amusing that he has to live knowing he failed to save his friend, isn¡¯t it?¡± The mayor laughed.


    Lyra slowly rose to her feet and then followed the mayor.


    She was walking toward the core guardian.


    ¡°Lyra! Wait! Don¡¯t go! You can still escape! Please don¡¯t go with him. Don¡¯t let him make you one of those things!¡± Charlie said to her.


    She turned to look over her shoulder at him. For a moment, he thought she¡¯d listen to him. But then she turned back.


    The mayor led her to the core guardian. The creature rippled and extended a small piece of itself toward her.


    ¡°Place your hand inside girl, the core guardian will handle the rest. The process will be slightly slower than usual. Remember, if you fight back, or resist, the deal is off. You¡¯ll still become a snatcher, but the baby boys will be fair game. I¡¯ll turn both of them into snatchers right after you. Keep that in mind in case you have second thoughts.¡±


    Lyra nodded. She started to turn back to look at Charlie again, but the mayor put a hand behind her head. ¡°Don¡¯t look back. Only forward.¡±


    Lyra¡¯s head fell down.


    And then she reached out and placed her hand in the core guardian.


    The mass of slimy liquid slowly encompassed her face. From there, it descended, inching down her body towards her feet.


    Charlie crawled towards her, but she was far, and he was powerless. What could he even do to stop it? Why was it enveloping her this way instead of pulling her inside it? Was it because the process was different when the subject was going along with it?


    The core guardian had only made it down to her neck when a boy¡¯s shout filled the room.


    ¡°Lyra!¡± Luc called out.


    Charlie¡¯s head shot up to look at the newcomers. Luc and Sophia burst into the room from a tunnel he hadn¡¯t seen used yet. The mayor seemed surprised as well. ¡°What the hell? Why did you allow them in there?¡±


    Whatever the core guardian said, he wasn¡¯t happy with it. The mayor scowled.


    Luc noticed Kyo and pointed at Sophia. She hurried up to the Scaler and grabbed Kyo off Bonehead. The Scaler nuzzled against her leg.


    Luc turned and saw Charlie and then looked toward Lyra being swallowed.


    There wasn¡¯t a single moment of hesitation. Luc broke into a sprint directly toward the core guardian.

 Chapter 56: What it means to be a Hero

    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. Luc didn¡¯t know about the core guardian. He didn¡¯t know about its powers.


    If he ran in blindly, he¡¯d get taken by the core guardian, too.


    ¡°Luc! Wait!¡± Charlie called out.


    Luc paused, skidding to a stop. His eyes shot open, and he looked at Charlie. ¡°I can hear you!¡± He shook his head. They both knew that wasn¡¯t the thing to focus on now. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± he asked.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°I¡¯m out of power. I can¡¯t fight anymore. That thing is turning Lyra into a snatcher!¡±


    Luc turned to look at her. The core guardian¡¯s liquid was now down to her shoulders. ¡°Then we get her out!¡± Luc said, taking another step.


    ¡°If it pulls you in it, you¡¯ll turn into one of them too!¡± Charlie warned him.


    Luc¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Charlie, there¡¯s no time! Look, I know I¡¯m not strong like Kashak. I don¡¯t have powers like you or Lyra. But right now, my best friend is in danger. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s the smart thing to do. I don¡¯t care if the Hex King would¡¯ve come up with some kind of plan to save the day. Lyra¡¯s in trouble, and I¡¯m gonna help her.¡±


    With that, Luc turned back and ran toward Lyra.


    Charlie blinked. ¡°Luc¡­¡±


    The core guardian¡¯s liquid was down to Lyra¡¯s stomach now. It was getting faster.


    The mayor noticed Luc approaching the core guardian and rolled his eyes. He nodded at the only snatcher left standing. The snatcher turned to look at the mayor but did not respond. The mayor scowled. This was twice now one of the creatures had ignored him.


    Both times he¡¯d looked surprised.


    Luc was close now.


    Charlie tightened a baby fist. ¡°Luc, it¡¯ll grab you, too. You can¡¯t just run in like this!¡±


    Luc looked over his shoulder directly at Charlie.


    Charlie froze.


    Luc¡¯s face was a story of conflicting emotions. He smiled at Charlie, but tears streamed down his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s what it means to be a hero. You fight even when it feels impossible,¡± he called back.


    Luc reached Lyra, her hands hung loosely at her side, mere seconds away from being enveloped by the creature. Luc grabbed her right hand with his good arm and pulled. At the same time, he twisted his body to increase the force.


    Lyra¡¯s body shot out of the core guardian. But the momentum left Luc falling in.


    Lyra fell to the ground and landed on her stomach. The impact jarred her from her trancelike state. She looked around, a confused expression on her face. When she realized something had happened, she rolled over to look at the core guardian.


    Luc was there, fully inside the beast. Lyra shook her head in confusion.


    Charlie didn¡¯t understand it either. Sir Albert was a Hex Knight, and even he wasn¡¯t able to pull himself free of the core guardian. So why had Luc been able to pull Lyra out?


    Lyra scrambled to her feet and hurried forward to free Luc as he had freed her. But the core guardian did something unexpected.


    It started to float.


    It lifted off the ground and out of reach. Even the mayor seemed surprised.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he demanded. ¡°Why did you let the girl go? This boy is useless!¡± He looked up at Luc floating inside.


    Lyra turned to the mayor. ¡°Let him go! We had a deal! I wasn¡¯t resisting. Let Luc go!¡± she screamed.


    The mayor eyed her. ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance. Wait your turn and don¡¯t cause any problems.¡± But he didn¡¯t sound very confident.


    Charlie got the feeling the core guardian was acting on its own.


    It took the form of a sphere again, and the circular liquid being rotated around Luc¡¯s body. Luc floated there with closed eyes. He was unconscious now.


    Charlie watched as the boy with a missing front tooth and a broken arm slowly grew into a man. The splint on his arm dissolved. The green robe that snatchers wear formed over his body, replacing his own too tight clothes as he grew. A green aura bathed his entire body in light. The creature rippled like waves in a storm.


    Then it went still.


    Luc was much taller now. He was easily 6 foot something and his arm looked healthy again. His hair was several inches longer and his nails had grown significantly, too.


    However, it seemed the last two things were unintentional side effects. The ends of Luc¡¯s hair suddenly disintegrated until the remaining strands were only an inch or two long. The excess portions of his nails dissolved until they appeared neatly trimmed.


    The green aura grew brighter and brighter until the outline of Luc¡¯s body resembled a miniature green sun.


    The mayor watched on in awe. ¡°I¡¯ve always enjoyed watching this. In ancient times, they called this creature Nae Glera. They were once as feared as dragons, if not more. They alter the body and mind of humans. The creatures were thought to be hunted to extinction. But this one survived, a relic from the days of the Hex King. If you believe all those stories.¡±


    Lyra shook her head. ¡°Luc! Can you hear me? You have to get out of there!¡± she called out to him.


    The mayor shook his head. ¡°He can¡¯t hear you, and even if he could, he can¡¯t do anything about it. It¡¯s over, Lyra.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s head hung. The number of his friends getting hurt was growing rapidly. Luc had done what he couldn¡¯t. He¡¯d saved Lyra. At least, temporarily. She was still in danger. They all were.


    But Luc had taken her place without a second thought.


    He¡¯d run in to help her with tears in his eyes.


    Despite the fact he didn¡¯t have power.


    When Charlie thought about it, he realized that Luc and he weren¡¯t so different. Hadn¡¯t Luc acted in the same way Charlie usually would? Charging in headfirst, even if he didn¡¯t have a plan. The difference was, Luc didn¡¯t have powers like Charlie did.


    As soon as his powers had run out, Charlie had thought he was out of options.


    He¡¯d come to rely on them since coming to this world.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. Charlie had come to rely on his friends, too.


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    He hadn¡¯t been alone even once since being transported to Aysela. Orb, Mousifer, Bleedy, Merlin, and more recently, Vetica.


    From the very start, he¡¯d continued to meet new people and inevitably, Charlie had come to depend on them.


    Without Bleedy, he¡¯d still be crawling around in the forest somewhere, running away from Hex Knights. Orb was always floating around nearby when Charlie needed him. Mousifer was constantly ready with a supportive squeak or two. Vetica was ready to jump at any opportunity to kill something and keep Charlie from being hurt or inconvenienced. He was still working on calming her down.


    And then there was Merlin. Merlin kept following Charlie into dangerous situations because he was just that good of a friend.


    Charlie had learned he could trust all of them, and of course, he¡¯d made new friends in Sange. Lyra, the other children, and the Scalers. But recently, he¡¯d had to adjust to being without Orb and Merlin and all the friends he depended on.


    Here he was, facing an impossible situation without the people he would usually look to for help, and he¡¯d let it beat him.


    He¡¯d lost his fighting spirit.


    But Luc had reminded him what it means to be a hero.


    You do the things that need to be done to protect the people you care about. To protect people in danger.


    Charlie had come here to save the people of Sange, so how could he give up just because the interface said he couldn¡¯t fight anymore?


    Who says the interface gets to decide what he can do?


    He looked up at Luc, and he realized something.


    The two of them weren¡¯t just similar in the fact they¡¯d charge into a reckless situation without thinking.


    They were in the same in another way.


    Just like Charlie, Luc had given up.


    Sure, he saved Lyra, but after that, he¡¯d accepted his fate.


    Luc had shown Charlie something important. It was only right to return the favor.


    The mayor said that Luc couldn¡¯t hear Lyra. But Lyra had to speak with her voice.


    Charlie could speak with his mind. If he could only just nudge the boy a little. Anything to help him awaken.


    ¡°Luc!¡± he said, focusing his attention on the boy turned man floating inside the Nae Glera core guardian.


    ¡°Luc! Wake up! We aren¡¯t done fighting! They still plan to turn Lyra into a snatcher! As soon as you¡¯re done, they¡¯ll do the same thing to her. She¡¯s not safe yet. We aren¡¯t done protecting our friends. Fight back!¡±


    Charlie frowned. Nothing. He¡¯d hoped that¡­


    For the briefest of seconds, it looked like one of Luc¡¯s fingers twitched. Could he hear Charlie?


    Maybe?


    He had a thought. If Charlie was fighting for his life, who would he most want to hear from?


    His friends.


    ¡°Luc! Lyra is calling out to you. Listen,¡± Charlie said.


    Another twitch.


    ¡°Lyra, try talking to him again!¡± Charlie told her.


    She looked back at Charlie, and then at the floating sphere above.


    ¡°Luc! I¡¯m sorry I lied to you before. I said I would join your guild because I wanted you to go with Kashak. I was worried if I didn¡¯t, you would realize that something was wrong. But I knew I couldn¡¯t follow through on my promise. I knew if we didn¡¯t defeat the core guardian, they would turn me into a snatcher.¡±


    ¡°But I promise, if you just wake up, I will join you. I¡¯ll fight by your side and help you become the hero you¡¯ve always dreamed of being. I¡¯ll join your guild. But you have to wake up. That¡¯s what the Hex King would do! He¡¯d fight and overcome this! I know you can do that too. Please, Luc!¡±


    The green aura faded, and the sphere sunk back to the ground.


    The mayor approached it. He pressed a hand against the core guardian¡¯s exterior. ¡°Is it finished?¡± he asked, studying Luc, who floated just in front of him. He paused. He looked up to inspect the beast. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    Another pause. He turned to look at Charlie and Lyra. ¡°What did you do?¡± he demanded.


    Lyra and Charlie exchanged a look. What was he talking about?


    Behind him, Luc¡¯s eyes shot open. One was aquamarine, the other was Luc¡¯s usual darker shade of blue. One of the large, muscular arms on Luc¡¯s new body raised to the side.


    ¡°Luc?¡± Lyra said.


    Luc mouthed something.


    The mayor turned around to see what they were looking at and froze. He took a few steps back.


    Charlie realized what Luc had said as a large sphere of green flames formed inside the core guardian.


    ¡°Burst!¡±


    The Nae Glera exploded.


    The mayor was flung several feet away, landing hard on his back.


    Droplets of the creature shot all around the room.


    A few of them splattered on Charlie¡¯s face.


    His face scrunched up. ¡°Gross!¡±


    Unlike Lyra, or the boy they¡¯d seen turned into a snatcher earlier, Luc was soaking wet. Possibly because he had interrupted the process. He fell to the ground; he planted a hand in the ground to keep himself from face planting.


    Lyra hurried over and knelt in front of him. ¡°Luc! Are you okay?¡± she asked him.


    He didn¡¯t respond to her question. Instead, he asked one of his own. ¡°Did you mean what you said? You¡¯ll really join my guild?¡± he asked, smiling. His voice was much deeper now, but it was clearly the same old Luc.


    Lyra smiled back. ¡°Yes. I did, and I will.¡± Her head tilted. ¡°Your teeth,¡± she said, noticing his newfound smile.


    Luc made a confused face and then ran his tongue over his teeth. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened in horror. ¡°My missing tooth! That was going to be my trademark! Now I¡¯ll need something else, unless¡­¡±


    Lyra glared at him. ¡°You aren¡¯t pulling one of your teeth out.¡±


    Luc sighed. ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡±


    Charlie smiled. But even now, the Nae Glera was rebuilding itself, droplet by droplet.


    That was alright, because he had an idea.


    He looked at his right hand, staring at his palm.


    Then he placed it on the dungeon ground.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    Nothing.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    Still nothing.


    He grunted. In Sirra, he¡¯d manipulated the dungeon without transferring his own material. Actually, he¡¯d done it here in this dungeon, too. He hadn¡¯t realized it until now. But he¡¯d done the same thing here a few times. Once or twice against the Scalers, and again when he slapped Tomas. He hadn''t noticed then because it had felt so natural, but Charlie had manipulated other dungeons on multiple occasions.


    There was something else was bothering him, too. Something Tomas had said. Dungeons had something called spheres of influence. The dungeon in Sange had sent Tomas to investigate Sirra because its influence was waning there. The dungeon Charlie had defeated was hurting the dungeon from Sange¡¯s ability to exert its control in that area.


    In Sirra, the dungeon had prevented him from using its material after the first time. Here, he had already done it a couple of times.


    Why hadn¡¯t the dungeon here stopped him like the first one?


    Maybe he was stronger now. Or maybe it was because the dungeon in Sange had spread its influence over such a wide area and didn¡¯t have as much control.


    Either way, something important hit Charlie.


    He had a dungeon, too.


    So, wouldn¡¯t that mean he also had a sphere of influence?


    If he could control it, it may be possible to manipulate this dungeon again.


    He could use the dungeon¡¯s power against it, like it had used his power against him.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    Nothing.


    ¡°Work!¡± Charlie shrieked. He calmed himself. Maybe he was trying to do too much. He focused on a tiny piece of the dungeon. Only the material directly below his hand.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    A tiny bump formed on the ground underneath his hand.


    Charlie smiled.


    The mayor had slapped Lyra and terrorized the people of Sange.


    The core guardian had turned children into snatchers, or Limblings, whatever you wanted to call them.


    He was going to return to the favor, and he owed it all to Luc, who had reminded him what it meant to be a hero.


    Charlie¡¯s vision flashed, and a series of images came rushing across his mind.


    He focused on one in particular. A soldier stood over Merlin, ready to plunge his blade down into the chest of Charlie¡¯s friend.

 Chapter 57: Sphere of Influence

    Charlie blinked. What was this? A vision? Hallucinations? They all flashed by quickly. Was it because he had interacted with a dungeon that wasn¡¯t his? If so, it was strange it had never happened before.


    The visions flashed by again, this time in greater detail. He could see his friends, but he couldn¡¯t hear them. The visions slowed, and finally, he could make out what he was seeing with greater clarity.


    Merlin


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know their names,¡± Merlin said. Two dead men lay on either side of him. They¡¯d been separated from the others during the fighting and cut off by Varroc¡¯s men. They¡¯d been forced to fight in a small alleyway between two buildings further inside the city. He should¡¯ve been more careful, Crussus had warned him to stay close.


    But he¡¯d been caught off guard. He¡¯d made a mistake.


    One of the soldiers standing over him had a smug look on his face. The other two watched on in amusement. ¡°That¡¯s too bad, well, you can ask them in hell,¡± the smug one said.


    Merlin had lost his spear, but one of the men next to him had died holding his. If Merlin could just grab onto it.


    ¡°Wait! I¡¯m valuable! I was one of the people who started all this. You want me alive!¡± Merlin said, holding out a hand.


    ¡°No, I certainly don¡¯t,¡± the soldier said. He reared his sword back to stab Merlin in the gut.


    Merlin lifted up the spear to ram it towards the man.


    But it didn¡¯t budge. It was stuck on something.


    Great, so this is how I die.


    The soldier¡¯s blade fell to the ground. His arm was still attached to it. Crussus tackled him to the ground, running his blade into the man¡¯s side as they fell. Torq brought his hammer down on the head of another soldier. Another one man struck down the last enemy.


    Crussus stood and offered a hand to Merlin. ¡°I¡¯ve lost enough brothers for a lifetime. Are you alright?¡± he asked.


    Merlin nodded, grabbing the outstretched hand. ¡°Thanks for that. I guess I should¡¯ve attended some of those lessons you offered.¡±


    Crussus laughed. ¡°Merlin, I used to think anyone could learn to fight. But you changed my mind about that. It¡¯s alright though, without you we never would¡¯ve pulled this off.¡±


    Merlin scratched the back of his head. ¡°You said that with the tone of a compliment, but I don¡¯t think you realize it doesn¡¯t matter how nice you say something if it¡¯s utterly offensive. How are things?¡±


    ¡°There have a been a few sightings of boars and snatchers in the city. But the shields Torq made are handling them well enough.¡±


    ¡°Really? Even with their magic?¡±


    ¡°Of course, boy! Who do you think I am?¡± Torq called out. Merlin smiled. He realized Crussus had brought other reinforcements as well. Godo and Achai were standing a little way off, among others. ¡°Those shields are made of kierstone. Highly flame resistant. That green fire of theirs isn¡¯t a problem as long as our men have those!¡± Torq boasted.


    Crussus nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve sent some of the more well-trained men to hunt them down. With their magic nullified, beating them with numbers will work. We need to focus on Varroc. We¡¯ve found him. He¡¯s holed up in a government building with some of his men. If we want to put a stop to this, he¡¯s the one to target.¡±


    Merlin nodded. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Vetica


    A series of sharp clangs roared throughout the forest as their blades clashed. Blue hued weapons clashing over and over like strangely colored fireflies fighting for their lives. Aside from the few places where moonlight managed to reach all the way to the forest floor, the magic infused blades were their only source of illumination.


    Philomena delivered a series of broad, powerful strokes with her large sword.


    Vetica returned a flurry of precise, deadly attacks with her dagger.


    They fought like feral creatures, desperately seeking blood.


    Vetica hadn¡¯t expected the fight to take this long. The signal had gone up a while ago. She hoped Geron and the others had reached Charlie by now. But she couldn¡¯t leave his fate up to random adventures. She needed to go after him herself. She needed to keep him safe.


    Philomena made a mistake, overextending herself.


    Vetica capitalized on it.


    In mere seconds, a series of puncture marks decorated Philomena¡¯s armor. Blood flowed out of the newly created holes.


    They weren¡¯t as deep as Vetica would like, but they were a start.


    Philomena¡¯s armor would protect her from fairly powerful attacks, be they the product of man or hex beast.


    But Vetica was neither of those things, and she wouldn¡¯t let something like armor keep her from her prey.


    There was something new, a presence in the forests that hadn¡¯t been there before. Both of the women jumped back, getting some distance from the other. Their eyes scanned the forest, their ears pricked up. Someone was watching them.


    Philomena¡¯s eyes grew wide as she stared deeper into the forest. She turned to run toward Sange.


    But Vetica was faster. She cut the woman¡¯s path off.


    ¡°Cease this! You¡¯re going to get us both killed. Those are members of Coelacanth. They may not be after you, but they won¡¯t leave you as a witness. We can continue this elsewhere if we must. But remaining here is suicide,¡± Philomena said.


    Vetica casually lifted her dagger and inspected her nails in its glowing blue aura. ¡°If you want to escape, you¡¯ll have to kill me. I¡¯ve never let prey escape just because it asked me to let it. Besides, Coelacanth wouldn¡¯t dare attack me.¡±


    Philomena looked over her shoulder, swallowing. ¡°You think just because you¡¯re strong, they¡¯re afraid of you? That makes you a bigger fool than I thought. Fine. I¡¯ll cut you down.¡± Philomena paused; her eyes squinted as she studied Vetica¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re one of them, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you aren¡¯t afraid of Coelacanth, because of their partnership with the¡ª¡±


    Before Philomena could utter another word, Vetica made her move.


    One second, she¡¯d been inspecting her nails.


    The next, she was standing several feet behind Philomena with her blade outstretched. Blood dripped from her dagger.


    Philomena made a choking noise as her sword fell into the dirt. She dropped to her knees, clutching at her throat.


    Vetica looked over her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say that name around me. Don¡¯t you ever say anything again.¡±


    She turned toward Sange; the battle concluded. ¡°Consider death a mercy. If Coelacanth was hunting you, you¡¯re better off dead, anyway.¡±


    A man laughed in the forest behind her. The laughter echoed off in the distance.


    But his words came from much closer. Vetica turned to see his silhouette leaning against a tree.


    She couldn¡¯t make him out, but she heard his words clear enough.


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of you, but we have business with ole Philo here. So, she¡¯s not allowed to die until we say so.¡±


    Vetica shrugged. She turned to look at Philomena one last time. Despite a fatal injury, the woman stretched her hand out toward Vetica.


    The despair that woman felt must be quite great if she was looking for sympathy from her enemy.


    But Vetica had none to offer. She needed to go to Charlie.


    Kashak


    Kashak struggled to free himself from the snatcher pinning him down. The red-eyed man was larger than most snatchers. More powerful too. There was a spear nearby, just barely out of reach. Kashak stretched his fingers towards it. With his other hand, he pressed up on the snatcher so it couldn¡¯t rest all its weight on him.


    It was trying to take him out of the fight. Kashak knew he couldn¡¯t let that happen. If he did, the other kids wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. The snatchers kept focusing on him. Desmond, Florence and all the other children were doing a great job of taking advantage of it. But this snatcher had managed to force him out of the group.


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    He stretched again, his fingers just barely grazing against the spear. The snatcher reached out to restrain Kashak¡¯s hand, but he leaned forward, and head butted it. The snatchers¡¯ head shot backward from the recoil and Kashak secured the shaft of the spear. He rammed it into the side of the snatcher¡¯s head and the weapon splintered into thousands of smaller pieces.


    He cursed. He¡¯d always fashioned his own spears to be a thicker, and stronger than the weapons they made for the other hunters. Since he¡¯d broken his in the fight with the Scaler boss, he¡¯d been going through replacements quickly.


    Each spear he took was another hunter without a weapon. But Kashak was significantly stronger than the others, and he was used to fighting with a spear. Even if the weapons eventually broke, they were most effective in his hands.


    With the snatcher dispatched, Kashak forced his way to his feet. He eyed the snatcher''s corpse one last time to make sure it was, in fact, dead. Then he realized how quiet it sounded.


    Kashak looked up and his jaw dropped.


    The black-haired snatcher from his past stared at him. He¡¯d lost sight of it during the fight. Truthfully, he¡¯d hoped it had been one of the snatchers that had ignored the attacking children and went to the other daycares. But here it was, staring directly at him.


    But something even more concerning had occurred.


    The rest of the children had finally been captured. He¡¯d known their numbers were dwindling when he finally went down under the snatcher he just killed. At that point, only Desmond and two or three hunters were still unsecured.


    But now, it was just him.


    The snatchers had restrained all the other children. Some of them were tied up. Some had their arms or wrists being held back. Others were slung over shoulders, still resisting, but failing to set themselves free.


    Desmond was pinned against a wall. A snatcher on either side of him pushed his arms against it to keep him from fighting back. He noticed Kashak was still free. ¡°Kashak! Run! We¡¯ve bought all the time we can. Get out of here!¡± he called out.


    Kashak shook his head. What was Desmond talking about? All the others were¡­Kashak turned and realized the tunnel¡¯s exit was right behind him. There weren¡¯t any snatchers blocking his path. Nothing was stopping him from escaping. He didn¡¯t have to go back to the daycare. He didn¡¯t have to spend the rest of his life here.


    Kashak could run.


    He wanted to run.


    The shame he¡¯d felt turning away from the other children when Varroc took Kyo was nothing compared to the shame he felt for wanting to run away now.


    But despite that, he still wanted to. He took a step back. He couldn¡¯t help them even if he wanted.


    If he stayed, he¡¯d only be captured, too. But if he escaped, maybe he could find someone to help them. Like what Luc was always saying. He could go to the king or something. Right?


    Or maybe he just needed to tell himself whatever it took to be okay with being a coward.


    It turned out Desmond wasn¡¯t the only one who thought Kashak should run. The other children shouted encouragement too.


    ¡°Kashak run!¡±


    ¡°Get out of here!¡±


    ¡°Hurry Kashak, before they catch you!¡±


    Kashak shook his head. Why did he deserve to escape? What about all the others?


    His eyes locked on Florence. She was silent. There was an odd look on her face. Her eyes scanned him like she was looking for something.


    He snapped out of his thoughts when the long-haired snatcher started walking toward him.


    ¡°No¡­¡± he muttered, taking a step back. He couldn¡¯t face this one. He couldn¡¯t.


    He¡¯d rather fight the core guardian or Varroc or a thousand Scalers. Anything but this.


    He¡¯d had nightmares about facing it again. All those years had passed and yet the memories still haunted him.


    Being dragged into the dungeon by this creature¡­no¡­not again.


    The snatcher stopped. It turned to look back.


    Kashak couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.


    Little Josephine had broken free from whatever snatcher was restraining her in the mob. She¡¯d run toward the snatcher, moving toward Kashak, and thrown herself around one of its legs. She¡¯d wrapped her entire body around it, and she punched it as hard as she could with her tiny hands. Josephine turned to look at Kashak, a worried expression on her face.


    ¡°Hurry Kashak! Run! I¡¯ll protect you!¡± She kept punching. Gentle thumps against the creature that had plagued his mind for years. ¡°I won¡¯t let it chase you! Hurry and run!¡± she said.


    She looked so brave.


    He remembered what Florence had told him. That the other children looked up to him. When Varroc came, he had turned away from them. She said it had broken her.


    Florence, Josephine, everyone was depending on him.


    He was the strongest.


    But he felt so weak.


    The memory came rushing back again.


    ¡°Kashak, you have to run!¡± his father had called out. His father was a strong man. He was powerful. But the snatchers had overwhelmed him. Kashak believed his father could win. His father always won.


    One of the green cloaked men with long, black hair had emerged from the group and struck his father with a powerful burst of magic.


    Kashak still remembered the cold, dead eyes of the man he looked up to.


    Little Kashak had stood there frozen. He¡¯d turned to look back at the trail they¡¯d been traveling on for days.


    Run? He was supposed to just run?


    He¡¯d had that thought even after the snatchers had captured him. Dragging him away from the corpses of his family.


    His father had told him to run. He¡¯d been doing that ever since. He spent most of his time away from the other children, hunting, and training. Scared to sit still and be alone with his thoughts. When Tomas had left, he¡¯d hadn¡¯t pushed to take over leading the daycare even though he was older than Lyra. He¡¯d been running then, too.


    And now, all the kids he¡¯d come to consider family, despite his best efforts not to get too attached to them, were telling him to run away too.


    But Josephine was fighting, and for a brief second, he saw something strange. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his mind playing tricks on him or what.


    But for a split second, Kashak didn¡¯t see Josephine calling out to him and telling him to run away while she fought.


    He saw a younger version of himself. What if he hadn¡¯t frozen the day his family died? What if he had fought alongside his father?


    He couldn¡¯t go back and save his old family. But right here, right now, he could save his new one.


    Kashak¡¯s head started pounding, and he felt an odd sensation in his chest. His hands quivered and his muscles felt tense.


    Kashak had always been stronger than your average person. But right now, in this moment, he felt more powerful than he ever had before.


    His father had been wrong to tell him to run, and he¡¯d been wrong to put so much stock into his father¡¯s last words all these years.


    Even now, Josephine had inspired him so much, but her words were wrong as well.


    He shouldn¡¯t run. It was her actions that inspired him. Josephine was fighting.


    Kashak would fight too.


    ¡°Josephine, get back!¡± Kashak called out. He broke into a run. Straight for the snatcher that had plagued his nightmares for years. To the snatcher that had killed his family.


    He owed so much of his misery in life to this creature.


    But even as he ran up and ran his fist straight through the snatcher¡¯s face. Even as its blood splattered his own skin. Kashak was grateful.


    Because the hell this creature had delivered him to was a hell where he¡¯d met his family. And for that, he¡¯d go through it all over again.


    But he would never run away.


    Not anymore.


    They were all watching.


    The others.


    His family.


    But this time, he didn¡¯t turn away from the danger ahead. He would use whatever strange new power had awakened inside of him to save them.


    Kashak roared and charged ahead, ripping through the snatchers, and setting his family free one by one.


    Charlie


    Charlie shook his head. He¡¯d seen all of his friends so quickly that it left his head spinning. Merlin was fighting. Who were all those men with him? Vetica was in the forest, fighting that tall lady he¡¯d seen at the gate to Sange. And then there were the children. Things hadn¡¯t looked good, but Kashak was a good fighter. Charlie believed he would save the others.


    He had to believe in all his friends. Just like they would have to believe in him.


    All of them had a battle to fight. His was about to start.


    The core guardian reformed again. Its liquid was murkier now. The organs were still visible, but Charlie couldn¡¯t identify all of them as easily as before.


    But what exactly was that? Why had he seen all those visions of his friends?


    Wait, isn¡¯t this was Tomas described earlier? He said the dungeon in Sange could see through the eyes of the boars and snatchers that patrolled within its sphere of influence. Had Charlie just done the same thing? It was almost like when he connected with this new dungeon, he¡¯d seen through the eyes of his own allies as well.


    His friends were okay for now.


    He focused his energy on the dungeon again, just a small piece of it.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    There was a slight tremor under his hand as the dungeon molded to his will. But such minor efforts wouldn¡¯t be enough for the coming fight.


    Charlie had a plan, but it was going to require a lot of power.


    He focused his energy. He needed to try altering the dungeon on a larger scale.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    A wall about the size of Charlie rose from the ground. It was more jagged along the edges than he¡¯d planned for it to be. It was different using his powers like this. The dungeon was resisting. But it wasn¡¯t shutting him out completely.


    That was good. So, he¡¯d try to attack.


    He activated the ability a third time.


    But before he could follow through with his assault, two very unexpected things happened back-to-back.


    The first was a vision. Much shorter than the other ones.


    He saw Mousifer standing in a dark room. The small black mouse was looking up at a wall of white.


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    The vision faded. ¡°What was that?¡± Charlie asked, shaking his head.


    Where was Bleedy? What was Mousifer doing? The wall in the background made it seem like he wasn¡¯t even in Charlie¡¯s dungeon anymore. But if that was the case, then where could he possibly be?


    Charlie felt a sense of relief. Mousifer was alive.


    He didn¡¯t have much time to enjoy the realization before the next strange occurrence.


    Notice


    New Ability unlocked


    Convergence (Conditional)


    Emergency Notice


    Convergence has activated.

 Chapter 58: Convergence

    Charlie blinked.


    What was Convergence? It was the first time that he had received a skill without any explanation attached to it. When he¡¯d first received the Tantrum ability, he hadn¡¯t been given a name or a description. The only information he¡¯d received was that the skills conditions hadn¡¯t been met. But the Convergence ability had already activated on its own.


    So, what did it do?


    ¡°Interface! What is Convergence?¡± he asked, hoping for some clarity.


    ¡°Ability information requested. The Convergence ability is a conditional ability that activates automatically when conditions are met.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°But what are the conditions?¡±


    ¡°When two dungeons come into contact and one or both dungeons attempt to achieve dominion over the other, Convergence occurs. The dungeon who successfully exerts its will over the other seizes all, or a part of the other dungeon¡¯s mass. This can cause destruction, or significant weakening of the losing dungeon.¡±


    That was interesting. Sange¡¯s dungeon had already turned Charlie¡¯s powers against him, and Charlie had successfully manipulated the material outside his own dungeon as well. Both sides had already affected the other.


    The question now was which dungeon would achieve dominance.


    The dungeon of Sange, or Charlie.


    The Core Guardian certainly seemed eager to find out. It glowed, and a bright green aura surrounded it. Charlie recognized it immediately. Partially because it was the same aura that had been around Luc as he transformed, and partially because it was the same color as the green fire the snatchers produced.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not good,¡± Charlie thought.


    The sphere didn¡¯t move. But the surrounding aura did. It was as if the Nae Glera had created a flaming spherical clone of itself and flung it in Charlie¡¯s direction.


    So far, he¡¯d only tested using the other dungeons material in smaller ways. Charlie hoped this worked.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    A large wall of rock exploded from the ground to intercept the flaming attack. The resulting explosion sent the remnants of Charlie¡¯s defensive wall scattering around the room. But it held up long enough to protect him.


    Charlie was way too exposed on the ground. He also worried about the still recovering Luc and Lyra getting caught in a stray attack if he stayed where he was.


    He activated his ability again, and a pillar shot up under him and rose into the air at a slight angle. Charlie intended to ride it all the way to a section of the staircase that looped around the room¡¯s wall. But halfway there, the pillar turned to dust.


    It seemed it wasn¡¯t as easy as he thought controlling the dungeon. The dungeon had found a way to override his instruction.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    The dust reformed into a pillar, and Charlie landed on top of it. He quickly waved a hand, and the pillar took him through the air and disappeared again just as he landed on the stairway. The sudden fall caught him off guard and he tumbled against the wall.


    It had taken several seconds both times before the dungeon had gotten control over its material again. So, attacks that took too long would be difficult. Mobility would also be hard. He¡¯d have to make shorter, quicker movements rather than rely on any single pillar to move around.


    But the interface had said Convergence was about achieving dominance over the other dungeon. So, maybe he was thinking about this the wrong way. Did he need to plan around the dungeon¡¯s ability to take control of its material after Charlie borrowed it, or did he need to beat the dungeon into submission?


    Either way, he wanted to end this as quickly as possible. His dungeon had already collapsed and the effects of that were still wearing down his body. He also worried about what would happen if he took much more damage.


    Parent had told him before that repeated dungeon collapse could lead to permanent structure damage, and in turn, Charlie¡¯s death. He was sure getting beat up with his dungeon integrity at zero wouldn¡¯t help, either.


    He crawled over to the stairs¡¯ edge and looked down. He was about two stories high.


    The Core Guardian wasn¡¯t looking for him at the moment. It had turned his attention toward Luc and Lyra.


    Lyra was holding her face with both hands. Just under her hands, her mouth was barely visible.


    She was grimacing.


    ¡°Luc, is she okay?¡± Charlie asked.


    The green aura that surrounded her body answered her question.


    But that made little sense. She was nowhere near the core guardian.


    Tomas¡¯ warning came rushing back to his mind.


    He¡¯d told them not to let the core guardian touch them. Lyra had been all but covered by the creature. Apparently, it still had some kind of influence on her.


    Luc answered back. But to Charlie¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t call out with his words. He spoke in Charlie¡¯s mind. ¡°Not sure. It seems like it¡¯s still trying to turn her. This aura is similar to Burst. I may be able to control it and slow it down. But we¡¯ve probably gotta take the core guardian out if we want to stop it completely,¡± Luc said.


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    Charlie nodded. ¡°Leave that to me!¡± he said. He didn¡¯t have time to dwell on how Luc had figured out speaking telepathically. What did matter was he needed to cover their retreat and defeat the guardian.


    Luc picked Lyra and hurried toward the tunnel where Sophia, Bonehead and Kyo waited.


    Charlie looked down and focused on the Nae Glera sphere below. He held out a hand, imagining several large rocks falling on top of the core guardian from above. But when he activated the ability. Nothing happened.


    It dawned on him that while he could control the dungeon material here; he wasn¡¯t summoning it from his own dungeon. Usually, he could rely on portals to control the speed, angle, and positioning of his attacks. But now, he was limited to altering the dungeon immediately around him. It meant he would need to get more creative.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    Several sharpened stakes shot from the wall just above him and over the stairs¡¯ edge toward the Nae Glera below. But Charlie knew precise attacks were unlikely to be successful since the core guardian could shift its organs around. That was okay. Charlie had an idea.


    He¡¯d sent out four stakes and aimed each one so it would land one after the other in a straight line.


    The Nae Glera moved the organs inside it around to avoid the impact. It shifted most of the organs in the strike zone to the larger section of its body. But Charlie¡¯s strategic aiming had worked out well. While most of the organs were moved to the larger section, the stakes had also created a much smaller sliver of the Nae Glera on the other side.


    The organs there were bunched up.


    Charlie knew he didn¡¯t have much time. His ability quickly activated, and he sent a large rock from the wall behind him. The Nae Glera was focused on dissolving the stakes inside it when it sensed the rock. It started working to shift the organs on the small side past the stakes. But as it hurriedly moved the organs from one side to the other, they were damaged. The stakes weren¡¯t just pointed on the ends but had a series of sharpened edges along their outsides as well.


    The core guardian could damage the organs by moving them to safety, or it could allow them to get crushed by the falling rock. Either way, Charlie would hurt it.


    The creature split in two.


    Charlie hadn¡¯t known it could do that. Sure, it could break apart and reform, but he didn¡¯t expect the process to be that seamless. The two halves separated quickly, and the rock smashed down on the dungeon floor below.


    Then the counterattack began. The green aura formed again.


    But the creature had taken a note from Charlie¡¯s strategy.


    It had learned to fake an attack as well, to set up something even better.


    While Charlie was focused on the fireball forming below, he was completely unprepared for the wall behind him to shoot out.


    He didn¡¯t realize what had happened until it was too late. The attack pushed him right off the staircase and into the air, right above the core guardian.


    Charlie shrieked and succumbed to gravity.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Lyra and Luc each called out.


    ¡°Arh!¡± Bonehead said.


    Charlie¡¯s hands flailed through the air as he fell.


    He couldn¡¯t use portals to his own dungeon, and he wasn¡¯t close enough to any of the dungeon walls to create a stolen pillar to catch himself.


    Charlie didn¡¯t have any choice but to fall below into the only available cushioning, straight into the center of the translucent aquamarine sphere.


    Just before he landed, he heard the voice. ¡°You lack experience. But do not fret, I will share mine with you. We will become one.¡±


    Charlie hit the creature with a splash, sinking inside it until he floated there near its center. His body didn¡¯t move. His limbs wouldn¡¯t respond. As far as first swimming experiences go, Charlie thought this one sucked.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Charlie asked, reaching out toward the voice with his mind.


    There, in one of the organs floating around him, a beating heart, he saw a glint of light. He realized it was a dungeon core.


    He was speaking with a dungeon core.


    ¡°I have searched a long time for a human body capable of being my vessel. I believe yours will do once I purge it of your current bond. The process will not be unlike the creation of a limbling. But first, you must grow older.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes grew wide. It wanted to turn him into a snatcher.


    The green aura surrounded his body.


    No¡­it was going to turn him into an adult. It wanted to change him into something else. He didn¡¯t want to become a snatcher, a limbling, or even just grow older right now.


    He enjoyed being Charlie.


    This stupid dungeon core thought that after everything, it could just do whatever it wanted with him. That made him so angry. It had hurt so many of his friends. It wanted to hurt even more people. If the dungeon thought it could use Charlie to help it with any of its goals, it was crazy.


    His fist clenched. His entire body tingled.


    System Notice: ability access denied.


    System Notice: ability access denied.


    The Nae Glera trembled, and waves exploded over its surface. Droplets of its body fell to the ground and then quickly rejoined it.


    System Notice: ability access denied.


    System Notice: ability access denied.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Charlie asked, feeling more than slightly annoyed at the situation.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you transform?¡± the dungeon core hissed in his mind.


    Wait, the notice was about the Nae Glera being unable to make him older? Why couldn¡¯t it? Charlie certainly wasn¡¯t complaining, but it confused him that there had even been an announcement about it.


    A system notice, he realized, he hadn¡¯t gotten one of those yet. It was interesting, even if he still had no idea what it meant.


    At the moment, he really didn¡¯t care, because he was angry.


    He was furious.


    Charlie was starting to think that everyone in Orb¡¯s family was evil and that his dungeon core buddy was the only one with redeeming qualities.


    He was frustrated that he couldn¡¯t move. He was angry he¡¯d gotten captured. Charlie had too many people counting on him to lose now.


    The idea of failing was infuriating.


    So much so that when the next message popped up, Charlie wasn¡¯t even surprised.


    Conditions met. Tantrum available.


    Warning - activating this ability while at zero dungeon integrity will result in permanent destruction of a portion of the dungeon¡¯s mass and possible foundational damage.


    Charlie¡¯s brows drew inward. That didn¡¯t matter. None of it did, as long as he could make the dungeon of Sange pay for everything it had done. Knowing it was sentient like Orb just made it all worse.


    ¡°Tantrum!¡±

 Chapter 59: A Clash Between Dungeons

    Last time, Tantrum had been a rush of power unlike anything else Charlie had ever experienced. But it was a double-edged sword. It used extra dungeon integrity in exchange for the raw power it provided. There were two problems, though. The first was that it didn¡¯t feel as strong as it had last time. The second was that Charlie¡¯s dungeon had already collapsed, and the power he would filter through Tantrum was borrowed.


    So, how would these two factors affect how the ability operated? Unfortunately, Charlie didn¡¯t have a choice but to learn through trial and error.


    He needed to defeat the core guardian as quick as possible to minimize the damage to his dungeon¡¯s foundation. Not to mention he was actively destroying his own dungeon mass by using it. He didn¡¯t even know what that meant, but it sounded bad. That was reason enough for him to worry about it.


    But he couldn¡¯t do very much as long as he floated inside the core guardian.


    The liquid grew thicker. It started pressing in against Charlie¡¯s body. It was like the creature wanted to crush him, but was that even possible with a body made of liquid?


    He decided it was better not to find out.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    A mass of jagged stalagmites erupted from the ground below the core guardian. The spear like pieces of ground pierced the Nae Glera and continued upward. One of them flattened as it cut through. It rammed into Charlie as it passed. The impact sent him spiraling out of the core guardian. He landed hard on the ground ten or fifteen feet away.


    The impact knocked the air out of him. He winced. But it had been necessary. Hard to fight your opponent when you''re inside its¡­stomach? He wasn¡¯t sure.


    Didn¡¯t matter, he had to fight.


    He held out a hand and twenty more of the icicle shaped spears shot from just behind him toward the creature. The first attack had caught the creature unaware, but now it was ready. A burst of green fire leapt forward and met the spear¡¯s head on. The two magic forces collided and then disappeared.


    But Charlie¡¯s initial volley hadn¡¯t been a total waste. The attack from directly below the creature had impaled two hearts, a brain, and some long, giant worm looking thing. Charlie didn¡¯t know enough about anatomy to identify it.


    Charlie realized the last snatcher standing had picked up the still unconscious mayor and moved him to a safe location along the wall. The other snatcher, the one he had knocked out of the core guardian, was still laying on the ground. This was the one he¡¯d seen turned from a boy into a snatcher.


    Charlie waved a hand, and a pillar skated along the ground and caught the snatcher by his hood. The pillar continued on until the man was resting against a wall. Charlie hadn¡¯t given up on saving the boy, but for now, he needed to make sure he wasn¡¯t in danger of being hit by an attack on accident.


    To his right, Luc focused on preventing the Nae Glera¡¯s powers from affecting Lyra. They were safe where they were in the tunnel. The Scalers were along the outer wall of the dungeon as well.


    With his friends accounted for, he could focus on the fight at hand. He couldn¡¯t let the creature recover from his initial attack. He held out a hand and created a large wall. Charlie pushed outward toward the creature and the wall went flying towards it.


    But the wall dissipated before it reached the creature. Charlie frowned. He¡¯d lost control over it. With his own dungeon, he kind of just sent projectiles in the right direction and let momentum do the rest. But he¡¯d never encountered a creature that could override his attacks before. So, severing his connection wouldn¡¯t work.


    Fighting with stolen dungeon material was like punching someone with another person¡¯s fist. It felt unnatural. Even in the empowered state he received during Tantrum, he wasn¡¯t able to really take advantage of it.


    Wait¡­punching with someone else¡¯s fist! That was it! Charlie had an idea. He looked on either side of him and focused. He concentrated on the rage he felt whenever he thought about everything the creature had put him through. Charlie couldn¡¯t allow himself to get too caught up in his thoughts and fall out of the Tantrum state.


    He needed to be angry.


    He needed to rage.


    On either side of him, two long pieces of dungeon material grated out of the ground. The earth crunched, and the dungeon filled with the noise of rock scraping against rock. Each of the pieces stopped when they¡¯d reached around twenty feet in height and six feet in width. Then they took form.


    The ends of both pieces each slowly molded until together they formed two enormous fists. Charlie moved his own arms around, and the dungeon he was manipulating reacted in real time. A joint formed to allow him to move the stone arms like normal ones, and as he flexed his fingers, the giant hands did the same.


    He smiled. Fighting with someone else¡¯s fist. The dungeon was aware of what he was doing, and it was working to stop him. But Charlie wouldn¡¯t allow it to. He wouldn¡¯t try to seize control of the entire dungeon, or even just this room. He would focus on these two arms, and nothing else. No matter what, he would maintain control over them. His weapons against an impossibly resilient creature.


    Charlie shrieked, and the hands shot forward. Additional material pulled from the earth to give them enough range for the strike. Charlie strained under the pressure of maintaining the connection and blocking the dungeon out, but he could do it.


    He had to.


    The fist reached the creature and the Nae Glera sent a spherical fire ball out in response.


    Charlie swatted his right hand, and the stone arm on his right dispersed the fireball with a satisfying smack. With the left, he smashed the ground.


    Splat.


    The palm came crashing down where the Nae Glera had been.


    It worked.


    He¡¯d hit it, at least he thought he had.


    But once wasn¡¯t enough. He wanted to tear it into tiny little pieces.


    Charlie shrieked, formed two baby sized fists, and really embraced the whole tantrum thing. He shook his hands up and down, smashing them into the ground over and over.


    Each time his tiny fists landed, the giant ones did the same, sending tremors throughout the dungeon with each blow. Dust filled the room, and rock debris fell from the ceiling above and clacked against the ground.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Luc called out in his mind. ¡°You¡¯ll bring the whole dungeon down if you aren¡¯t careful!¡±


    Charlie paused, blinking. One of the giant fists stopped a second before it collided with the ground again. Charlie waved a hand in the air, and the dust quickly dispersed. One of the giant hands copied him, fanning the room.


    His eyes widened.


    The Nae Glera was flattened. His attacks had landed, but, as he watched on, the creature slowly took shape again. He blinked. Charlie had lost visibility, so he hadn¡¯t been able to see anything once he started attacking. But though he had struck the creature¡¯s center, it had scattered the organs to its edges. The fist hadn¡¯t actually crushed many of them if any at all. They still floated in the now murky water that obscured Charlie from identifying the specific organs and where they floated.


    How do you fight a creature that physical attacks don¡¯t work on? He shook his head. Charlie was growing frustrated. This attack would¡¯ve worked on any other foe he¡¯d faced so far, but now he wasn¡¯t sure what to do.


    The Nae Glera did not share this problem with him.


    ¡°It¡¯s pointless. You will become my vessel, even if I need to break you first,¡± the voice called out to him again. The sentient dungeon core hiding somewhere within one of the Nae Glera¡¯s hearts.


    It wasn¡¯t an empty threat.


    A fireball formed around the creature that was five or six times larger than itself. Charlie tried to swat at the creature before it could launch the attack, but it was ready for him.


    The powerful fireball burned right through the fist, and Charlie looked up in shock as the arm he¡¯d created crumbled into dust.


    He pulled the other arm back to defend himself, but it proved to be a pointless action.


    The larger fireball split into six separate projectiles. Each of them curved in the air and carved its own path directly toward Charlie.


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    He realized he couldn¡¯t possibly block them all with just one hand. He focused, desperately trying to recreate the second arm, but realized there wasn¡¯t time.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    He waved his hand, and a large defensive wall formed. But in that moment of turning his focus away from the remaining fist, his enemy seized control of it. The stolen fist turned and crashed into the wall, destroying both creations.


    The fireballs closed in on him as one. A sweltering heat blasted Charlie as the magic attack closed the distance.


    It was all Charlie could do to cover his face. The resulting explosion sent him reeling backwards through the earth.


    Charlie was on his back now, thirty feet away from where the attack had landed. He was hurt. He could feel it, but he was still alive. Charlie forced himself to sit up. He sat in a small indent in the ground. The impact had sent him flying backwards. He¡¯d landed on the earth and scraped against it, leaving a Charlie sized trail through the ground up until the point where he¡¯d come to a halt.


    ¡°Warning. Dungeon is at risk of sustaining permanent foundation destruction if additional damage is sustained. A large amount of dungeon mass has also been destroyed. Recommend immediate escape until recovery is complete.¡±


    How could he beat a creature like this? It was so strong, and his attacks weren¡¯t effective at all.


    He noticed something green moving in his peripheral vision and turned to look. It was the friendly Scaler. The fighting must have roused him from unconsciousness.


    That was good, but Charlie had to figure out what was weakening him.


    What was he missing?


    Tantrum didn¡¯t feel as strong as before. Was it because he wasn¡¯t using his own dungeon material? Or was it something else?


    Was Charlie overthinking?


    It was hard to be angry when you were so caught up in your mind. Sure, he could feel the surge of power, but it came and went from moment to moment. It wasn¡¯t the raw destructive force he¡¯d experienced before.


    Back then, he¡¯d been fighting to save his friends. Wasn¡¯t he doing the same thing now? So, what was holding him back?


    The Nae Glera wasn¡¯t letting up. Another ring of green flames formed around it; it was preparing another attack.


    If he took another hit, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being a vessel because he¡¯d be dead.


    But even then, the thought of dying didn¡¯t scare him. The thought of failing and letting his friends down, however, did.


    There was a lingering doubt. An insecurity in his mind. These feelings felt more prevalent than the anger, and he didn¡¯t know how to change it. He didn¡¯t know how to feel better about his ability to face the fight.


    The Nae Glera launched its attack, and six new fireballs emerged and arced toward him, drifting in a trajectory that would probably be the end of it all.


    For some reason, he had a memory of something Merlin had said in Garden. It was during the fight with the cultists. Even though Merlin had been making it all up as he went, he had said something that stuck out in Charlie¡¯s mind.


    ¡°But a real master magician is always overcoming his limits. I pushed past that weak form you saw only a moment ago and grew even stronger.¡±


    Charlie wasn¡¯t a magician. But he wanted to be the kind of person who could overcome any kind of situation.


    He wanted to push past his limits.


    He focused on his connection with the dungeon. Not to create something, but to tether himself to its sphere of influence again like he had earlier.


    Time seemed to slow, and he saw visions again. But this time, he didn¡¯t see Vetica, Merlin, or Kashak.


    He saw an army of men flying under a banner. They fought snatchers, boars, and other creatures he didn¡¯t recognize. One of the soldiers jabbed a sword toward him and he heard a boar squeal. The vision shifted.


    He saw a group of people charging forward with black shields. The man whose perspective he was watching raised a hand and shot a green fireball forward. It collided with the shields and dissipated. Before he could fire another, a spear flew through the air and again, Charlie¡¯s vision faded.


    It was the last vision that really got to him. He could tell this one, just like the last one, was from the perceptive of a snatcher. It looked like it was standing in a daycare, surrounded by children. Charlie didn¡¯t recognize any of them. The children were fighting back. They weren¡¯t going along with it. The snatchers had come to collect them, and the children were actually fighting back. He couldn¡¯t tell how it was going, but for a moment he caught a glimpse of a snatcher¡¯s body laying still against the ground with an empty look in its eyes.


    The children were fighting. The people of Sange were fighting.


    And just like that, moments before the fireballs hit him, he realized something.


    Of course, losing was a possibility. That would always be the case. But he was letting the pressure of saving so many people get to him. He had been second guessing himself because he knew what it meant for them if he lost this fight.


    But they were fighting for themselves, too. The people and children of Sange were fighting all on their own. They were fighting for their own fates and the people they cared about.


    Charlie¡¯s battle was important, but he wouldn¡¯t decide the fate of Sange alone.


    It wasn¡¯t all on his shoulders, even if he did have an important part to play.


    That was a calming thought. Just like that, his doubt died. He focused on the anger he felt, knowing that these people were having to fight for their freedom because a bunch of nobles wanted to live longer.


    His eyes shifted from their usual blue and became brown instead.


    It felt as if something had clicked into place. The full extent of Tantrum¡¯s power.


    Two enormous hands shot out of the ground and enveloped Charlie. The fingers interlocked around him to form a cocoon. The fireballs collided against the makeshift shield, but while the hands shook violently, they held. His dungeon hands relaxed and opened. Charlie looked like a bee sitting in the center of a flower.


    He threw his arm forward, pointing it at the core guardian. As one, the two arms surged forward, smashing into the Nae Glera again. The hands gripped the sides of the creature, their fingers digging inside of it. The beast shifted organs around quickly to protect them, but the fingers weren¡¯t there to damage the organs.


    The hands started to pull the creature apart. It resisted, flames pouring out of it to no effect. When that failed, it started sending portions of itself through cracks in the fingers to look for weaknesses. But the hands molded and expanded to cut pieces of the creature off from the rest of its body, and to prevent larger portions of it from escaping their grip.


    It was a battle of adaptability. Who could outmaneuver the other? Charlie with his dungeon hands, or the shapeless Nae Glera and its liquid form.


    In the confusion, several organs were destroyed, and each time, the Nae Glera seemed to move slightly slower. Its flames grew weaker, its body less malleable. Charlie¡¯s hands worked together as if they were kneading dough.


    They weren¡¯t large enough to crush it completely, but he had the creature on the defensive.


    Charlie opened his hands wide and manipulated the arms again. The fingers suddenly expanded, so they were flat, and curved on the inside, like fingers made of scoops. The hands suddenly shot in opposite directions, ripping the Nae Glera apart.


    The motion flung large portions of the creature around the room, thousands and thousands of droplets scattered as well. It also exposed many of the organs. Some fell to the ground, others bounced against the wall. But Charlie suspected which heart was the one he wanted. Of the many pieces the Nae Glera had been torn into, all of them immediately moved toward one of the large pieces, where only a single heart floated.


    That had to be it.


    A third hand shot out of the ground and picked up his green scaley friend. The friendly Scaler had seemed mostly recovered. He was the only one Charlie could trust with this job. Charlie gave him instructions, and he barked back.


    ¡°Arh!¡± it said, as the hand flung him like an arrow through the air. The Scaler was surprisingly aerodynamic. It cut through the air, and right into the piece of the core guardian Charlie had been aiming for.


    It opened its mouth, snagged the heart with the dungeon core inside it as it sailed by, and emerged on the other side. If the core guardian had been at its full size, the move would have been impossible, but at this size, it didn¡¯t have the ability to slow or capture the Scaler like it normally might.


    The friendly Scaler flipped in the air and landed on the opposite wall. It scrambled away, but the Nae Glera was already in pursuit. The creature grew rapidly, droplets gathering into it at an alarming pace.


    One of Charlie¡¯s first two dungeon hands reached out, and the Scaler jumped into its palm.


    ¡°Stop! Or I¡¯ll crush the core!¡± Charlie called out telepathically, so that both the dungeon core and the core guardian could hear.


    The Nae Glera halted immediately. The dungeon core responded. ¡°Crush me, and you¡¯ll kill your pet.¡±


    Charlie didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Nah, he¡¯ll be fine. Scalers are tough. Dungeon cores? Not as much. So, surrender, and turn the snatchers back to children, or I¡¯ll crush you,¡± Charlie said.


    The core guardian was silent for a moment.


    The dungeon shook, and Charlie felt a presence as the dungeon core wrestled him for control of the hand he was controlling. But Charlie held firm.


    He would not back down now.


    The hand clenched slowly in a subtle warning to the dungeon core.


    The pressure stopped; the core relented.


    ¡°Convergence successful. The user has successfully achieved dominance over the rival dungeon.¡±


    Charlie smiled.


    He¡¯d done it.


    He¡¯d won.


    Now, he just needed to destroy the core.


    The hand surged through the ground, and then sat the friendly Scaler down in front of him. The Scaler tilted its head at Charlie. Charlie raised a brow. The Scaler¡¯s jaw seemed to move oddly.


    After a moment, it spat out a bright, blood red dungeon core in one spot, and the human heart next to it.


    ¡°Oh! Thanks! I wasn¡¯t looking forward to getting that out myself.¡± Charlie crawled forward and picked up the core. He wiped it off with the sleeve of his onesie.


    The dungeon core grew still and dimmed significantly. Charlie¡¯s lips twisted to the side. It seemed almost dormant now, unlike the Nae Glera.


    The core guardian reformed fully and slowly approached.


    ¡°Arca!¡± the friendly Scaler barked. Bonehead and the other two Scalers that had tended to the friendly Scaler all scurried forward and approached. They formed a line between Charlie and the core guardian.


    ¡°Easy, I do not wish to harm you. I wish to thank you, as you have set me free. I would repay that debt if you allowed me,¡± the Nae Glera said.

 Chapter 60: Boars, Bites, and Brevity

    That was unexpected.


    ¡°I set you free?¡± Charlie asked.


    The Nae Glera rippled. ¡°Did you believe that all the creatures within these dungeon walls served the dungeon willingly? The children were used against their will. The beasts are no different. Still, this freedom is not one I deserve. It is my power that gave the core so much influence.¡±


    This was a lot to process. ¡°What do you mean? How did the core force you to help it?¡±


    ¡°All will be explained. But outside these walls, war rages. Both within Sange and on the outskirts of its borders. The two of us each have a part to play in ending them. You have already tapped into the sphere of influence of the dungeon here on multiple occasions. You must do so again. I have no sway over the beasts. Nor do I control the Red Eyed Limblings.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. Merlin and the others. They were still fighting. But how could he help from here? The sphere of influence? He thought about the creature¡¯s words. He thought about the fact he had somehow seen through the eyes of both boars and snatchers.


    For Charlie, the fight was over. Both his adrenaline and the Tantrum power were fading. If he was going to act, he needed to do it now. He placed a tiny hand on the ground and focused, searching for that same connection he¡¯d managed to link to before.


    Charlie floated above a battlefield. A war raging over a grassy plain. On one side, well-armored men swung swords and jabbed lances. On their chest and capes was an odd symbol. Three lines that didn¡¯t touch but formed a triangle. On the other side, Boars charged forward, goring men with their tusk while Limblings fired great bursts of green fire relentlessly. This was probably the army that Tomas had mentioned earlier. They had been on their way to destroy Sange. But even then, Charlie couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing. He didn¡¯t feel a connection to the Limblings. It was like whatever linked them to the dungeon wasn¡¯t as easily accessible, even after Convergence was complete.


    But the Boars were a different story.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Charlie called out. One huge boar in particular caught his attention. It turned when he called out. It was as if it could hear him. No, it seemed as if the creature could see him, too. The gigantic boar turned to face Charlie. Arrows and lances poked and prodded it, but it ignored them. Its hide was much tougher than the others.


    It was a creature set apart.


    It snorted, staring at the floating baby boy that only it could see.


    Charlie paused, directing his thoughts to the Nae Glera. ¡°Are all the red-eyed snatchers really already dead?¡± he asked.


    The Nae Glera¡¯s voice echoed in Charlie¡¯s head. It was a weird sensation. He wasn¡¯t used to people talking to him this way. Charlie wondered if it felt like this for other people when he talked to them.


    ¡°Yes. They are lost and beyond help. They will continue acting on their previous orders until the dungeon core gives them new ones, or they die.¡±


    Charlie pursed his lips. He focused back on the boar. ¡°Help the humans! Take down all the Limblings with red eyes. But leave the normal ones alone, okay?¡± He held his breath, waiting to see whether the boar would listen or simply ignore him. Just because it could hear him didn¡¯t mean it recognized Charlie as a voice of authority.


    The boar turned its head to survey the battlefield and then raised its tusk high into the air. ¡°Hmmm,¡± it hummed deeply. Though the creature was outside, it sounded as if the hum was echoing in a cave. One by one, the other boars stopped in their tracks and raised their heads as well. Charlie realized it was them.


    They were humming back to their leader.


    A chorus of hums, each imitating the deep growl of their king. As one, they turned around and charged toward the snatchers. They only attacked those with red eyes. Those with normal eyes had already stopped fighting. They looked around, confused looks on their faces. Some shook with anger or trepidation. Others sobbed.


    Charlie didn¡¯t understand what was going on.


    He realized with his fading powers; he wouldn¡¯t get another chance like this. So, he made sure to modify the instructions just a bit. This was a rare opportunity. ¡°Hey! Few more things! Keep the ones that don¡¯t have red eyes safe. Protect them. When the fight is over, take all the other boars and find somewhere to live away from Sange. And from now on--¡±


    Charlie paused, realizing he needed to verify something first. Once again, he turned to the core guardian. ¡°What do the boars eat?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They are scavengers. They eat whatever they can. Meat, plants, anything.¡±


    Charlie nodded. Okay, well, he wanted to make sure they wouldn¡¯t starve. ¡°From now, don¡¯t eat any meat! Well, I guess if you have to, you can. But don¡¯t attack or eat humans anymore. You can protect yourselves if you¡¯re attacked by them, but don¡¯t kill them. Okay? Be nice!¡± Charlie said.


    The enormous boar lowered its head and jammed a tusk into the dirt. It hummed again, and then ripped the tusk free, scattering dirt into the air. It charged forward, impaling and tossing aside entire groups of the Red Eyed Limblings.


    The human calvary that had come to destroy Sange watched on with shocked expressions as the boars turned on the snatchers. They weren¡¯t expecting that, nor did they know how to react.


    Okay, good. Just one more thing.


    He only had a few moments left. It was clear now. The vision distorted, and he became aware of his real surroundings again. He turned to the friendly Scaler. ¡°Hey! I need your help! We need all the Scalers.¡±


    The friendly Scaler turned its head toward Charlie, it crawled closer, and Charlie put a hand on the tip of its snout and closed his eyes. This connection was more personal. It didn¡¯t cause as much of a strain on him.


    He saw the Scalers crawling around their playground nest. Hundreds of them. ¡°Everyone! I need you to go help the people of Sange! They¡¯re fighting Varroc and his men and the snatchers with red eyes! Go beat them up for me! Please!¡±


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    The Scalers all looked up at once, frozen in place.


    Not a single one moved.


    Charlie had figured this would happen. He patted the friendly Scaler on the head again.


    ¡°Arca!¡± it roared at the top of its lungs.


    As one, the creatures hurried into action, scurrying down the tunnels that would take them out into Sange.


    They would help.


    ¡°Hold on Merlin. Vetica and Kashak too. Help is on the way.¡± Charlie tightened a baby fist.


    Tantrum ended. His earth-colored eyes returned to their usual sky blue.


    ¡°You did well. Your experience gave you an edge over the core you hold in your hands. It is much older than you, if looks are anything to go by. But it has never clashed with another dungeon before. Not directly. Even when threatened by a newborn dungeon in Sirra, it sent my pupil rather than clashing with the foe itself,¡± the Nae Glera said.


    Wait, the creature had a pupil? His jaw dropped. ¡°Wait, are you saying you''re the one Tomas called his master?¡± he allowed Luc and Lyra to hear the thought as well. This concerned their friend, so it concerned them as well.


    They exchanged a look, and then the two of them hobbled towards Charlie and the shapeless creature. Sophia, not to be left alone in the hallway, hurried over, with Kyo in her arms still.


    The Nae Glera made a noise that was as best as Charlie could tell, a sigh. ¡°Tomas does refer to me in that way occasionally, though it is unprompted. I will explain further. But first, I must offer what aid I can to this fight.¡± The Nae Glera rotated and took on a muted green.


    The snatcher that Charlie had moved out of the way suddenly had a matching green aura. The snatcher shrunk until the little Black boy¡¯s body was returned to its normal state. Charlie tilted his head. The green, Limbling robes were suddenly much too large for him. But that wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    He was a kid again.


    ¡°You turned him back!¡± Charlie leaned forward.


    The Nae Glera nodded. ¡°It is within my power to return the normal Limblings, those that were still alive and in good health before the transformation. But it comes at a cost.¡± A small sliver of the Nae Glera protruded from its body and pointed in the direction of the unconscious mayor.


    The Mayor of Sange grimaced as if he was having a nightmare. His teeth gritted and his body wriggled against the wall. His limbs flailed. The red eye snatcher standing guard beside him stared down at him. After a moment, it looked back up and stared blankly forward again.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°This is the cost of returning the children to normal. For everyone I return, the one who received the added youth will lose it. The children must return to their original age. Even if they have been a snatcher for many years. That means there is a debt that must be paid. The human who received youth from each specific snatcher will be the one who repays that debt.¡±


    Luc grunted. ¡°Good! Screw them! That¡¯s only fair!¡± he said.


    Lyra stared at the ground. ¡°Were all of them nobles?¡± she asked, looking up.


    The organs inside the Core Guardian moved inside it. A tiny whirlpool formed in its center. The creature spoke as if nothing was going on. ¡°Yes. Many of them were, in fact, nobles. However, there were others as well. While not all of them were members of the nobility, they were all important members of Aysela¡¯s government. That is why I am explaining the cost instead of simply reverting all the Limblings immediately. You may all be children, but the children of Sange were the ones who have suffered the most. So, the decision is yours.¡±


    Luc looked at the core guardian, and then between Charlie and Lyra. ¡°Okay¡­I¡¯m confused. Why is this even a question? Of course, we¡¯re doing it!¡±


    Someone coughed. The children all turned to look up at the mayor rousing from his slumber. He coughed again. ¡°You fool. Don¡¯t you get it? If you undo everything I¡¯ve worked for, you¡¯ll bring ruin to this kingdom.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Lyra said.


    ¡°Lyra? You can¡¯t mean¡­¡± Luc said, his jaw fell open.


    Charlie caught on. ¡°So, if we turn the children back, then all those important old people won¡¯t be young and healthy anymore?¡±


    The mayor forced himself to his feet, despite obviously being pained by the act. ¡°Exactly. The Kingdom of Aysela is powerful. But those with power always attract enemies. If you do this, if you undo all of my hard work, you will doom this kingdom. Our government would fall apart. You saw that sniveling coward of a king, didn¡¯t you? The people I helped are the ones capable of protecting this nation. What are a few children compared to that?¡±


    Charlie understood what the mayor was trying to say. Sort of. But the last sentenced made him angry. Since he was out of power, he did the next best thing.


    ¡°Bonehead! Scalers! Go bite him really hard!¡±


    ¡°Arca!¡± the friendly Scaler cried, translating the command.


    Bonehead and the other two Scalers rushed forward. Bonehead ripped into an arm. The other two clamped down on his legs.


    The mayor screamed. The red-eyed snatcher looked down again, but still didn¡¯t seem interested in what was going on. Whatever order he was carrying out must have been very specific.


    Charlie turned back to Luc and Lyra. ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of the stuff he just said. Let¡¯s turn the kids back.¡±


    Luc grinned and offered a thumbs up.


    Lyra was still quiet. ¡°Wait, do you know if there are some nobles who didn¡¯t take part? Were all of them bad?¡± she asked. ¡°I just worry what might happen if we suddenly destabilize the entirety of our government.¡±


    The Nae Glera didn¡¯t speak for a moment. ¡°No. Not all of them. Many became aware something was going on here, but the mayor had powerful friends. Powerful friends are easy to come by when you can offer immortality. In the end, only one man was brave enough to come here in person.¡±


    The whirlpool inside it settled, and a human form manifested. Organs settled into place, and a liquid figure stepped outside of the core guardian. The aquamarine liquid man was heavily detailed. Charlie could make out strands of hair, and even his melancholy expression.


    The Nae Glera¡¯s next words did not play in their minds. It spoke through the makeshift body¡¯s mouth instead.


    ¡°It was this man. A noble of House Callandra. He came here recently to investigate what was really going on. The mayor took him hostage, and the dungeon core used my power to dissolve him.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. He recognized a symbol on the man¡¯s chest. Three lines that didn¡¯t touch but formed a triangle. The army attacking Sange was fighting under his banner. So that was why they¡¯d come for revenge? Or maybe they didn¡¯t know he was dead. Maybe they only knew this was the last place he traveled to?


    But the next revelation shocked him even more.


    Behind him, someone sobbed.


    Charlie, Luc, and Lyra turned to see Sophia¡¯s face. Tears ran down her face. Kyo looked up at her from her arms and offered her the green dungeon core he was playing with to calm her.


    But Sophia was inconsolable. Lyra hurried over to take Kyo from her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, shouldering the baby boy.


    After Sophia handed Kyo off, she stumbled forward. She fell at the feet of the depiction of the member of House Callandra.


    Sophia reached out to grab a hold of the man¡¯s leg. Surprisingly, it seemed firm to the touch.


    She sobbed again.


    ¡°Daddy¡­¡±

 Chapter 61: Diary of a Core Guardian

    The nobleman that the core guardian was talking about was Sophia¡¯s father.


    He tried to help the people of Sange.


    Now he was dead.


    Sophia cried into the ground at the feet of her father¡¯s image. Charlie hurried over to her. The dungeon core in his hand made crawling a little awkward. He wasn¡¯t experienced at consoling people, but he remembered the cart ride they¡¯d shared on the way to the daycare. He remembered holding Sophia¡¯s hand and how it had seemed to help. Charlie wasn¡¯t sure a simple touch would be enough now, but it was something.


    When he reached her, curled up in the dirt, he put a hand on her back. He gently stroked her. She didn¡¯t look up. Charlie frowned.


    He didn¡¯t know what to do.


    He looked back at Luc and Lyra. Lyra approached and starting whispering to Sophia, offering her support. Luc had turned his face away and was wiping his eyes with a finger.


    The Nae Glera spoke to Charlie alone, projecting its thoughts instead of using Sophia¡¯s father. ¡°Some things can only be healed by time, little one. There are things I would show you if you allowed me. Things you need to see before I ask of you what I want to ask and before I give you the gift I have to offer.¡±


    ¡°Show me?¡± Charlie asked, looking toward the creature.


    Sophia¡¯s dad nodded. ¡°I can share my memories with you if you allow me. But once I have passed them along, I will lose them shortly after. I have done this many times over recent years, but I have never shared these particular memories. Now, I am grateful for that, for there has never been a better person to share them with. I believe it will help with the decisions you now have to make. So, will you partake in my memories, little one?¡± the Nae Glera asked.


    Charlie thought about it for a moment. He knew little about this world. If he could learn something, anything, it would be a valuable opportunity. The mayor had said this core guardian was an ancient creature. If it thought there was something Charlie should see. He wanted to. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see them,¡± Charlie said.


    Sophia¡¯s father nodded again. ¡°Then approach. Place your hand on my form.¡±


    Charlie didn¡¯t want to disturb Sophia¡¯s grieving. So, he patted her one last time, and then crawled over to spherical Nae Glera, rather than the form of her father. He gently placed a hand on the cold liquid body of the core guardian.


    An aquamarine man hobbled through a dark hallway, holding a gaping wound in his chest closed. He was in a dungeon, or perhaps a cave. Either way, it was dark and there was a chill in the air. Droplets of water fell from the ceiling as he moved. He looked over his shoulder as he ran. A chorus of footsteps reverberated from the hallway somewhere behind him.


    Charlie could feel several frantically beating hearts and something akin to blood pumping through the creature. The tunnel the man was running through opened up, and he burst into an open room. It looked much like the center of Sange¡¯s dungeon, except there weren¡¯t any human decorations. In place of the smooth domed ceiling the dungeon had now, there were jagged stalactites hanging down, threatening to fall at any moment.


    The creature sucked in deep breaths, staring up at the ceiling.


    Behind him, one of his pursuers had finally caught up.


    ¡°You¡¯re finished now,¡± the pursuer said. It was a man with low cut jet-black hair. He wielded a massive sword with hair-like things poking out of its hilt. The man had a powerful aura about him. Even through the constraints of the memory, Charlie could feel it clearly. A power so great it could be felt across time.


    The Nae Glera man held a hand up. ¡°End this. We do not need to quarrel any longer. The fight is over.¡±


    The man snarled, his teeth straining against one another in anger. ¡°Your kind sided with Cendra!¡±


    ¡°The alternative was death.¡±


    The man scoffed. ¡°And yet here you are, the last of your kind. How did that little partnership work out for you?¡± He sneered and turned to spit against the wall. The saliva slowly dripped down the wall where it landed.


    The Nae Glera sighed. ¡°I gave you a chance to flee. For what it¡¯s worth, I am sorry. There was no need for further bloodshed.¡±


    The rest of the hunting party had finally caught up. So many lives wasted. The knight lifted his blade and shouted. ¡°Silver Hex Se¡ª¡±


    The aquamarine man held a hand toward the tunnel. ¡°Burst.¡±


    The tunnel exploded in a burst of green fire. The Nae Glera shook his head. It was such a waste of life.


    His hand quivered. ¡°That last attack used magic I didn¡¯t have,¡± he said, shaking his head.


    He flung his left arm toward the tunnel, now filled with smoke and rubble. The arm separated from his body and dissolved into droplets and small puddles. The newly separated liquid inched forward, trickling into the cracks and crevices of the cave in. It would retrieve the magic essence left behind by the dead humans and return to him.


    For now, he needed rest.


    Awake. How many years had passed? Decades? Centuries even? He had not anticipated ever waking again. There should not be any external magic essence to stimulate his senses. This place should have served as a grave, and yet, he was alive. He turned to look around the cave¡¯s room. It was largely unchanged.


    Except for the tiny red dungeon core in the room¡¯s center.


    It surprised him, though it should not. During hibernation, a small amount of excess magic would seep into the world around him. Given time, that excess energy would eventually form into a core. So, it had been a long time. Several centuries, judging by the size of the core. It was still a newborn.


    In time, though, it would grow.


    He approached it and tenderly lifted the core into his hand. It pained him, but he knew what he needed to do was for the best. Dungeon cores weren¡¯t welcome in this world anymore. Both of them, young and old, would die in this place. He would snuff out the energy from it and then end his own existence as well.


    It was time to let go of the past. A past he was a part of. A past full of sin.


    And then, moments before he crushed the core in his hands, it spoke to him.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    He blinked, a droplet falling from his eyelid and onto the ground below. ¡°Hello, you¡¯re sentient?¡± he asked it. He hated the question as soon as he said it. The proper term was sapience, but the System didn¡¯t designate them as such. It favored humans over all other beings. Even the ability that some dungeon cores had that granted intelligence to other creatures was labeled as such. But that was the way of the world. The way of the System.


    The core paused for a moment before answering. ¡°Hello, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°This certainly complicates things.¡± He hadn¡¯t expected a sentient core. They were rare. What were the chances? This changed everything. He could not snuff out such a life. It was a mere child. He would spare it, allow it to grow in this place. They were deep enough that no one should ever find them.


    He would return to his slumber and fade away. The cores fate was its own. He sat the core down on the ground and allowed his form to melt into a puddle. He had the worst crick in his neck from sleeping on one side for all those centuries. This time, he would take on a more relaxing form. There was no need trying to appeal to humans anymore.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the core said again.


    A mass at the center of the puddle rose and turned to stare at the dungeon core. ¡°I¡¯m trying to sleep. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry. Before you sleep, can you tell me something?¡±


    The puddle rippled. ¡°Okay, what would you like me to tell you?¡±


    ¡°Anything! It¡¯s boring here.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t very specific. Well, he supposed he could indulge the core for a few moments. He could tell it about his people, the Nae Glera. But with him, their story would fade. Perhaps it was best left untold. What then? He wondered. What to talk about?


    He thought of the knight that had followed him into this place. That had driven him deep into the underground.


    He decided he would tell the dungeon core about humans.


    The dungeon core woke him often. Always curious. Always eager. He had regaled it with tales of humans and their deeds. There was a dark side to humanity, as there are to all things and peoples, but he chose to omit that. They were many, many miles underground. Even if this dungeon expanded its influence significantly, it was unlikely it would ever cross paths with them. Over time, he developed an affection for the core, as a parent has affection for a child.


    When he was asked to give it a name, he named it Sen, because it was sentient. It was custom for sentient cores to have a name with only three or four letters. Over the years, he taught it a great deal.


    During this time, their shared magic essence expanded, their energy cycling between them and growing stronger in this isolated place. The Nae Glera had returned to good health, stronger even than it was before. The dungeon core had become powerful in its own right, despite never consuming other creatures to expand its power.


    Their shared essence was so great that it spilled into the earth around them. Kierstone started to form on the walls, and then slowly but surely Sen decorated their home. He would ask the Nae Glera about human furniture and decorations, and then do his best to recreate them.


    The memory paused. Charlie looked around as his vision went dark.


    He felt a sadness. A memory laced with regret. It was a pure, raw emotion that lingered in the air.


    ¡°I failed to realize the depths of greed that humans have. I never could have imagined that encounter would take place,¡± the Nae Glera told him, intruding on the memories Charlie was watching for a moment.


    ¡°Imagined what?¡± Charlie asked. The memory resumed.


    Sen spun in a circle, listening to the Nae Glera talk. He¡¯d taken the form of a human and sat crossed legged in front of the spinning core. ¡°There are other worlds, too. Some are full of humans, and others¡ª¡±


    Rock crumbled.


    The Nae Glera turned to look at the caved in entrance, taking on a spherical form and facing the tunnel. A green aura formed around it. What could this be? A hex beast this deep underground? Perhaps it had sensed them and come to fight? Regardless, he would put an end to it quickly.


    His many hearts skipped a beat at once as the figure emerged, climbing through the opening in rock.


    Charlie recognized the old man. Or rather, he recognized the old man¡¯s features. The man wasn¡¯t nearly as old in the present day. Now he was young and wailing in the background as the Scalers bit down on him.


    It was the Mayor of Sange.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how you met the mayor?¡± Charlie asked.


    Charlie was suddenly in a black void. Before him, the Nae Glera took the form of the man in its memories. ¡°Yes. During the many centuries that passed, a town was built over our home. The kierstone that developed because of our excess magic energy had spread to the surface. The people started mining it, and the mayor became obsessed with finding the source of the magic energy. Often, powerful weapons, armor, or treasures that have been lost lead to the creation of dungeon cores. Some delve into dungeons to exterminate them, so they won¡¯t draw in hex beasts. Others seek whatever powerful artifact lies in the center of the dungeon, to claim resources for themselves.


    ¡°In this case, it was my energy that led to the creation of the core. But for the mayor, this was even better than some trinket. Sen befriended him, against my advice. But I had filled his head with so many stories of humans that it was impossible to convince him that this one did not have his best interest in mind.


    ¡°I became Sen¡¯s core guardian, to ensure his safety, but I didn¡¯t realize how powerful he had become over the years. Eventually, the mayor convinced Sen they could save humanity by working together. Sen became obsessed with it. The idea of working with humans. So, when the mayor said they should utilize my power to extend the lifespan of influential humans, Sen did not understand my refusal. He used his power to override me, to bury my soul deep within my consciousness. He usurped control and promised to set me free when their goal was accomplished. Gradually, I escaped my mental prison, and was able to watch what was going on within the dungeon. That was when I met Tomas. But that is not my story to tell. Nor do we have time for such matters.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°So, even after being friends for all that time, Sen betrayed you?¡± he asked.


    The core guardian looked up, staring off into the void. ¡°It is a matter of perspective. In Sen¡¯s eyes, I was the betrayer. He thought me jealous of his affection for humans. But I simply wanted to protect him. The influences of Sange and the nobles who visited corrupted him. A corruption I exposed him to with my carelessness.¡±


    It was a lot to process. One question burned in the back of Charlie¡¯s mind. ¡°Why did you show me all this?¡± he asked.


    The guardian waved a hand, and the void faded. Charlie¡¯s senses snapped back to reality. Sophia still cried. Lyra still comforted her. It was like the entire moment had passed in an instant.


    Maybe it had.


    ¡°You came here to destroy the core, but I ask that you spare it. Ultimately, the decisions are yours. I will not fight you; even should you refuse my request. But the world is a complicated place, and people make decisions for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes our enemies aren¡¯t bad people, they just have different goals. I raised Sen, and I failed him. The mayor pretended to befriend him and used him. Sen is a product of the people around him. But I believe with the right influence, he could change. With your influence, Charlie. I showed you, because I thought you should see how it was Sen came to be what he is.¡±


    ¡°If Sen liked the mayor so much, why did the snatchers ignore his orders? It was like the mayor was losing control of them.¡±


    ¡°As Sen¡¯s sphere of influence grew, the mayor¡¯s true intentions became obvious to him. But he had learned how to deceive others and manipulate them to get what he wanted. Sen pretended to follow orders but planned to take control of the kingdom for himself. The mayor didn¡¯t start to realize it until the very end. Even now, I¡¯m not convinced he understood the depths of Sen¡¯s resolve.¡±


    Charlie looked at the core in his hands. ¡°Can you ask him to stop the red-eyed snatchers from fighting? Or give them new orders?¡± Charlie asked.


    A bubble surfaced from the spherical Nae Glera. It almost seemed like an odd way of sighing. ¡°You defeated him. He lives, but he is dormant. All of his magic essence was drained. Until he regains it, that is impossible.¡±


    Charlie sighed. ¡°Okay.¡± He looked at the dim dungeon core in his hand. The core guardian had given him a lot to think about. For now, he thought it made sense to think about it some more. He held the dungeon core to his mouth, plopped it inside, and swallowed it whole. It tasted sweet and a little spicy. He liked it.


    Sophia¡¯s father gasped. Luc seemed to have noticed it, too. ¡°Uh, Charlie? Did you just eat that dungeon core?¡±


    It was such an absurd thing to hear that even Sophia and Lyra looked up at him.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve done it before. They¡¯re very good! You should try one sometime! Well, only the ones who don¡¯t talk. It¡¯s different when I eat one!¡±


    The Core Guardian leaned in to examine him. ¡°I see, I sense him, inside you somewhere. So, this too, is a part of your power. Then you have chosen mercy?¡± it asked him.


    Charlie held a hand to his chin. ¡°Hm, for now! I¡¯ll think about it some more.¡±


    ¡°That is all I can ask. Now, we must proceed. The snatchers under my command are no longer fighting, but if we are to turn them back, we should hurry. My time is limited now. Have you all decided?¡± it asked them.


    ¡°My votes yes. I don¡¯t care what happens to all those nobles. They don¡¯t deserve to live forever, especially not at the cost of other people¡¯s lives,¡± Luc said.


    Lyra frowned. ¡°I¡¯m still worried. If our government really falls apart, and another nation invades us, it could be just as bad as before. I mean, we¡¯d be free of the daycare. But if another nation invades and enslaves us, nothing will have changed¡­I still want to help the children. I just wonder if there isn¡¯t a way to make sure things don¡¯t all fall apart.¡±


    Luc placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°From now, we¡¯re gonna be heroes, remember? Even if something like that does happen, we¡¯ll stop it. I bet Charlie would help too!¡± Luc turned and winked at Charlie.


    Charlie grinned. ¡°Of course, I would!¡±


    Kyo giggled, snuggling further into Lyra¡¯s shoulder. Lyra smiled, rubbing Kyo¡¯s back. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m in. Charlie? Sophia?¡± Lyra asked.


    Sophia said nothing but nodded her support.


    Charlie thought about it. ¡°Yes. Turn them back. Those old mean people used kids for selfish reasons. They deserve to lose everything they have, and if they don¡¯t lose everything, I¡¯ll go beat them up too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Luc said, pumping a fist in the air. ¡°We¡¯ll go kick those old geezers around!¡±


    Sophia¡¯s father nodded. ¡°Very well. It will be done. I will return the children.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Luc said.


    Everyone turned to look at him.


    ¡°I want you to leave me like this. Don¡¯t turn me back,¡± he said.

 Chapter 62: A New Hero

    Lyra shook her head. ¡°Luc, what are you talking about?¡± she asked.


    Luc couldn¡¯t look her in the eye. ¡°I wasn¡¯t strong before Lyra. I don¡¯t have any powers. But like this, I can fight!¡± He stared down at his hands, slowly squeezing them shut. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be weak anymore.¡±


    ¡°Luc, you can¡¯t do this. You¡¯d be throwing away years of your life,¡± Lyra said.


    His face darkened. ¡°Snatchers die all the time. Not all of them are red eyes. So that means even if we turn the children back, it¡¯s too late for some, Lyra. Even outside of Sange, people are suffering all over the world. People who need help.¡± He turned to look at her. ¡°I can help those people now. I can be a hero. That¡¯s all I care about. Those children wanted to escape this place too. They had dreams of their own. I¡¯m going to fight for them, for all of us. To stand up against people like that.¡± He pointed to the mayor, who still wriggled in pain as the Scalers bit down on him.


    Charlie looked up at the Nae Glera. ¡°Is that even possible?¡± he asked it.


    ¡°Yes, if that is the boy¡¯s desire. I will leave him as he is. Even after I fade away, his powers will remain. Sen used a lot of power converting him. When the boy roused himself during the process and set himself free, he inadvertently stole a great deal of power. Of all the Limblings, he is second only to one.¡±


    Before anyone could ask who he meant, the core guardian glowed. Charlie¡¯s eyes flashed, and he saw visions of snatchers all over Sange and, even beyond it, shrinking, returning to their original ages. They had done it.


    They¡¯d saved the children.


    The quick vision ended. ¡°Only two remain now over which I had authority. Tomas, and Luc. Both of whom have requested to keep their forms. I have honored their request. The red eyed Limblings are few now. Soon, the battle for Sange will be over. Your allies have all but won.¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡± the mayor shouted; an aura formed around him.


    Charlie waved a hand away, and the snatchers biting the mayor released him, backing away.


    The mayor, despite his injuries, stumbled to his feet and hurried toward the Nae Glera. Which each step, he lost a small portion of his stolen youth and left behind a trail of blood from his wounds. His hair was just starting to grey when the process stopped. ¡°Stop this! You are ruining everything,¡± he said.


    ¡°He was much older than that in the memory!¡± Charlie said. He wore a slight frown on his face.


    ¡°As Luc said, youth can only be returned to those still around to claim it. The mayor ensured that would not occur to him. He has protected himself from this,¡± the Nae Glera explained.


    The mayor ignored them. ¡°It¡¯s not too late. We must preserve the nobility. You don¡¯t understand. You may not agree with the morals of my allies, but they ultimately have the best interests of the kingdom in mind. There are others who betray us and sell our secrets to enemy kingdoms. Without my allies getting in their way, they will doom us all. Please reconsider! We won¡¯t use this power anymore, but don¡¯t undo what has already been done.¡±


    The Nae Glera rippled, and the mayor jumped back, falling on his feet. His injured legs could not handle the sudden movement. ¡°It is already done. Even now they are turning, paying the debt that must be paid. It is over, human.¡±


    The mayor¡¯s eyes scattered around, looking for something. ¡°Sen? Are you there? I need your help! Please!¡±


    Charlie felt something stir inside him for a moment. Then it went quiet.


    The Nae Glera hummed in amusement. ¡°Your pleas have been heard, and they have been ignored.¡±


    Luc stood next to him. ¡°What do we do with him?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± Sophia said.


    Charlie and the others turned to look at her. Her eyes were red and puffy. There were teardrop trails running down her face where the tears had washed off some of the accumulated dirt from her time in the dungeon.


    Sweet Sophia calling for a man¡¯s death. It pained Charlie.


    The mayor looked shocked. Charlie crawled over to him, inspecting the man.


    The mayor recoiled as he approached. He¡¯d seen what Charlie could do, and he wasn¡¯t aware Charlie¡¯s powers had run out. ¡°Spare me! If nothing else, spare me! I will change! I¡¯ll work to better the kingdom and do everything in my power to protect it! Just give me a chance. If you truly despise what I¡¯ve done, killing me would make us no different from one another!¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. Was that true? He thought about it for a moment. He believed people could change for the better. Merlin had proved it. Vetica was¡­working on it. Even Brel, who lay lifeless on the ground on the far side of the room, had done something noble in the end. People could change.


    But even if that was true, the mayor didn¡¯t deserve a chance too.


    ¡°That¡¯s the dumbest thing I¡¯ve ever heard. You¡¯re evil,¡± Charlie said. Sophia was right. He deserved a punishment. But was death the worst thing Charlie could do to him?


    He looked up at the Nae Glera. ¡°Can you take the rest of his youth away? Even if there is no one to give it back to?¡± he asked.


    Waves thrashed on the edges of the Nae Glera and droplets flung into the air excitedly. ¡°That is possible,¡± the Nae Glera sounded almost eager. It, too, had a reason to hate the mayor.


    Charlie looked back at Sophia. ¡°Would that be alright with you? The mayor did all this to be young. We should take that away from him.¡±


    Sophia blinked. ¡°Charlie?¡± she asked.


    She¡¯d seen him do incredible things already. She¡¯d watched him fight. But she was hearing him for the first time now. The conditions for his communication were getting less strict, or maybe it was something else. Whenever he left this place, he would need to seriously examine what was going on with his powers.


    She composed herself, looking between the mayor and the core guardian. ¡°Yes! Do it.¡±


    The mayor shook his head. He turned and tried to scramble to his feet. But the Scalers caught him, biting down on his limbs, hard, and dragged him toward the Nae Glera. Luc approached to help. He lifted the mayor in the air with a single hand. The two Scalers, biting on his arms, were lifted into the air as well. They clamped down even harder, clearly enjoying the opportunity to let loose.


    The mayor screamed. ¡°No! Stop this! Please!¡±


    Luc positioned him just in front of the Nae Glera and turned to look at Charlie for confirmation.


    Charlie nodded.


    The Scalers let go and scrambled away. Luc smirked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill you, but you slapped my best friend.¡± He held out a flaming fist in one hand, firmly gripping the mayor¡¯s back in the other. ¡°Burst.¡± He brought the hand smoothly across the mayor¡¯s face.


    An agonized noise escaped the evil man¡¯s mouth, and the flames danced across his face. Luc shoved him inside the Nae Glera. The liquid grew murky and violently thrashed like storm waters. The mayor¡¯s limbs flailed inside. He was fighting with everything he had. But the Nae Glera had waited a long time for this day and wasn¡¯t letting the man free.


    Burst of liquid flew through the mayor and impaled him, over and over. The wounds healed, only to be reopened. After a moment, the Nae Glera relented, and spat the mayor out face first in the ground.


    The mayor¡¯s hair was white and wispy. His limbs and body were thin like branches on a small tree. His skin appeared sunken and heavily wrinkled. A large handprint remained on his face where Luc had burned him, tiny green flames still protruded from it.


    They weren¡¯t going away.


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    The mayor sucked in a great gasp of air and looked around the room. He noticed one of the mirrors and hobbled over to it. He fell, and the glass shards halted. Instead of moving to the ceiling mirror, they waited and allowed him to inspect himself. He patted at the flames tormenting his face. He wiped the mirror with a sleeve as if he hoped the reflection was an illusion.


    Then the man collapsed, curled in on himself, and wailed.


    The Nae Glera calmed. ¡°That is satisfying. There was a great deal of youth stored within him and I have no one to return it to. I would offer it to you, Charlie, but the System has placed some kind of barrier in place. I am unable to alter your age.¡±


    Charlie had noticed something like that during the fight. The Nae Glera¡¯s ability didn¡¯t work on him when Sen tried to turn him into a snatcher. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it to Luc?¡± he said.


    Luc turned to look at him. ¡°What?¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°You said you wanted to help others, right? Well, with this, you could do it for a long time!¡±


    Lyra frowned. ¡°How would he be any different from the mayor if he accepted that power?¡± she asked.


    The Nae Glera spoke. ¡°You said you wished to be a champion for those who came before you, did you not? You said you wished to fight on their behalf? If that is truly your wish, then this makes sense. Carry the energy of their life with you. In some small way, would it not be like taking the lost children with you?¡±


    There was a glint in Luc¡¯s eyes. ¡°I could carry them with me?¡± He tightened his fist. ¡°Then I accept. I¡¯ll use this power to protect everyone I can. I¡¯ll make every second count. They won¡¯t have died in vain.¡±


    The Nae Glera extended a piece of itself toward Luc, and Luc grabbed onto it, his eyes flashed aquamarine and then returned to normal.


    ¡°It is done. You will age far more slowly now,¡± the Nae Glera spoke. The depiction of Sophia¡¯s father moved. ¡°There is something I wish to show you, Sophia. If that is alright?¡± The words came from her father¡¯s mouth this time.


    She looked up, a startled expression on her face. ¡°You sound just like him¡­¡±


    ¡°I was not sure I could recover this, but I was able to find this amongst his memories. His final thoughts. Would you¡­like to hear them? It seems he had regrets he could not share them with someone. But now, in a way, he can.¡±


    Sophia covered her mouth with a hand. She didn¡¯t say a word. Instead, she nodded.


    Her father spoke, putting his last words into thoughts.


    ¡°House Callandra was always supposed to be a beacon to others. A light to show the way to those that were lost. It seems I¡¯ve made a misjudgment. I¡¯m going to meet my end inside this creature. But the hope of House Callandra endures. I¡¯ve left behind two wonderful children. Callum will be a soldier unrivaled. I firmly believe his sword will cut down the wicked, and set free the oppressed, and then, of course, there is my Sophia. She is shy, but her heart harbors a kindness unlike any I¡¯ve ever seen. This world is a cruel place, but she will endure. She will inspire so many and be a beacon of goodness so bright it shines in the darkest corners of the world. A father¡¯s greatest wish is to see what his children grow up to be. Though I cannot see with my own eyes, I can see it clearly in my mind. I am so proud of them. I love the two of them more than I could ever express.¡±


    When he had finished speaking, Sophia ran forward and hugged her father.


    The liquid man appeared confused. He suddenly looked around the room with widened eyes.


    The Nae Glera grunted in their minds, and the spherical form started to dissolve. The link between it and Sophia¡¯s father faded.


    For a just a moment, Sophia¡¯s father looked down at her. ¡°Sophia¡­¡± he said. ¡°How are you¡­¡± And then he wrapped his arms around her, returning to her hug. He leaned forward and whispered something in her ear.


    Sophia¡¯s eyes grew wide, and she looked up at her father. ¡°Daddy¡­¡±


    He started to melt. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on completely, but I have an idea. Do not let the darkness of my passing consume you. Do not let it consume your brother. You must be a beacon not only for the world but also for each other. Remember what I said. I love you so much.¡±


    Sophia nodded, fighting back tears.


    With that, her father melted. The droplets moved toward the Nae Glera, but suddenly halted. ¡°That was a mistake.¡± The Nae Glera said. ¡°I am losing control. It is time, little one,¡± he said toward Charlie. ¡°There is a power inside you that you have not yet realized. But it is awakening, soon. I will add a portion of my strength to that power. My final gift to the world is this. A power that one such as yourself may take advantage of. You might not understand yet, but soon, you will. The awakening is nigh.¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What power?¡±


    Charlie¡¯s hand started tingling. It was the same itching sensation that he had felt inside the dungeon of Sirra.


    The tendrils.


    That strange voice again.


    ¡°Transfer.¡±


    The tendrils shot forward and connected with the Nae Glera. They greedily wrapped around portions of the creature and shot back inside Charlie¡¯s hand before returning for more. They writhed and devoured over and over. One tendril stretched farther than the others and wrapped around one of the human organs.


    A heart.


    The tendril dissolved into the Nae Glera before it could retreat with its prize.


    ¡°Enough! I have given what I wish to give. You will take no more from me,¡± the core guardian yelled at them.


    The tendrils shrank back and retreated into Charlie¡¯s hand. Only a few still peeked out.


    Several streams of liquid shot out from the Nae Glera and burrowed into the ground. They churned the dirt and slowly removed something from the ground. It was an enormous skeleton. More of the Nae Glera covered the creature, and the skin regrew until finally, it was clear what it was.


    A giant boar, reminiscent of the one Charlie had seen in the vision he had where he told the boars to stop attacking humans.


    ¡°This is the former chief boar. When a chief dies, the boars bury it in the center of their dungeon home. I have restored it for you.¡± The Nae Glera directed its next words at the tendrils themselves. ¡°Take it and go.¡±


    The tendrils shot forward like starving predators. Just like when Charlie had absorbed the Scaler King and the other Scalers before he¡¯d befriended them. The tendrils wrapped around the creature and slowly retracted. It turned to dust, and then, after a moment, the tendrils were gone, and the portal closed.


    ¡°Charlie, are you okay?¡± Luc asked, trying to process everything he had just seen.


    ¡°I think so¡­¡± Charlie asked. ¡°What just happened?¡± he asked.


    ¡°As I said, you will understand soon. These gifts will serve you well,¡± the Nae Glera said. At its base, a puddle formed. ¡°My end is nigh. I have but a few moments, and in them, I wish to share with you a dream, Charlie.¡±


    ¡°A dream?¡± he asked.


    Inside the Nae Glera, the likeness of a man formed from its liquid. It was the same form the creature had taken in the memories it had shown Charlie. Several hearts moved inside it, as well as a brain and some other organs. The man swam forward and then stepped outside of the sphere. As soon as he left it, the liquid behind him lost its shape and flowed in every direction.


    The cool liquid splashed Charlie as it spilled past. Only the man remained. He sat with his legs crossed on the ground in front of Charlie. ¡°In ancient times, dungeon cores were not enemies to humanity. They worked alongside the humans to better the world. But that was lost with the rise of Cendra. I wish I could describe it all in more detail, but I have passed those memories on already. But my dream, my desire, is for that world to return one day. A world where Sen can experience the world that I once knew. The world I told him about in my stories.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s lips parted. It suddenly made sense to him. ¡°That was why Sen wanted to take over the kingdom, wasn¡¯t it? So, the two of you could live alongside humans, like in your stories?¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°It was. He came to believe if he ruled over Aysela, he could change things. But he was corrupted by the influences here and lost sight of the atrocities he helped commit. You can show him another way. Bring that dream to reality and show him a better path. If it pleases you, bridge the gap between humanity and dungeon cores in a way that only you can. My memories are gone, but others are old enough to remember. I am certain you will cross paths with them. When you do, learn of the old world. In the days before the stories of the Hex King, and the rise and fall of Cendra.¡±


    Charlie perked up. ¡°So, the Hex King was real?¡±


    The Nae Glera looked at Luc. ¡°It is not my place to say. Some see him as a religious figure. But the stories of a world ravaged by hex beasts, of humanity driven to a single nation in search of refuge. Those are true. That is where the kingdom got its name. Aysela is an ancient word for asylum. A place where all living things could take refuge from hex beasts.¡±


    That was so much to take it. And yet, Charlie had one more lingering question. ¡°Whose form is this?¡± he asked, looking at the man before him.


    The Nae Glera smiled. ¡°You have a knack for asking the right questions. I believe you will do much in this world. You overcame not one, but two powerful dungeons. The path you walk is not an easy one, but if you walk it, you will surely influence this world as you have Sange. Your power is great. You interrupted the connection the Scalers had with the dungeon, and through your actions, allowed Tomas to regain more of his humanity. Go forward, and improve this world, little one.¡± With that, his form gave way, and he melted until nothing was left.


    The extinction of the Nae Glera was complete.


    Charlie frowned. It was sad, knowing the Nae Glera were no more. He wanted to know more about them, about the past. But he knew it was time to leave. To regroup with his friends. Merlin and Vetica were waiting. The other children as well. It was time to go.


    Luc grabbed the sniveling mayor by the back of his shirt and dragged him along with one hand. With his other, he picked up the unconscious child who had recently been a snatcher. Sophia knelt to pick something up where her father had dissolved and then walked alongside Lyra. Lyra stood close to the still grieving girl and cradled Kyo tightly. He still happily played with his green dungeon core.


    Charlie climbed atop the friendly Scaler¡¯s head. The other Scalers fell in behind him.


    He turned to give the dungeon one last look, frowning when he saw Brel¡¯s body still laying on the ground. The red-eyed snatcher that had been monitoring the mayor didn¡¯t move. It stared blankly off into the distance. It would fade with the dungeon. Dungeon decay had already begun. Glimmering shards fell from the ceiling and dissipated into the air.


    In a few days, the dungeon of Sange would be gone completely. It would never harm anyone again.


    Charlie sighed. It was time to put this place behind them. He¡¯d done what he¡¯d came here to do.

 Chapter 63: The Kids

    Kashak


    The last of the snatchers crumpled under his fist. He¡¯d won. But the pain in his arm was growing by the second. Some of the other children had rejoined the fight once he freed them, but it had mattered little. This new power of his, whatever it was, had made taking on the snatchers easy.


    One by one, he¡¯d closed those crimson eyes until none remained.


    He faced away from the other children now, toward the tunnel¡¯s exit. He inspected the discoloration around his hand. Already it was spreading up to his wrist and beyond. A deep shade of red.


    Someone tugged at the back of his shirt. He growled and turned, ready to smash a fist against an unseen opponent. He forced himself to pause just as quick as he¡¯d reacted.


    It was Josephine.


    He¡¯d been on the verge of attacking the girl who inspired him to fight.


    She flinched, staring up at him with wide, worried eyes. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s just me!¡± she said.


    He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m worked up from fighting.¡± He tucked his newly stained hand into a pocket.


    Desmond approached, a broken spear in his hand. ¡°That was incredible. I¡¯ve never seen you fight like that,¡± he said.


    Kashak nodded. He inspected the other children. Florence was going around making sure everyone was alright. But as far as he could tell, no one was injured. The snatchers had been trying to capture them, not hurt them. It was a good thing too. Things could¡¯ve gotten really bad otherwise. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the dungeon noticed and sent reinforcements. He noticed Josephine and Desmond staring at his arm.


    He looked down. The red tint was almost to his elbow, and the urge to fight was growing. It was like a rage was building inside him. He needed to get away from the other children.


    Quickly.


    He turned and ran. ¡°Desmond, Florence, get the other kids out of here. I have to go. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Kashak had to get away from them before whatever power was brewing inside became too much for him.


    ¡°Kashak! Wait for us!¡± Josephine cried out.


    He clenched his eyes shut, turning his head to the side. He knew he would regret not saying goodbye.


    But the alternative could be far, far worse.


    His legs pumped. He was stronger, faster, and had more endurance than before. Even before he gained this power, his physical prowess had been beyond that of most adults. Now, he wasn¡¯t sure what he was capable of.


    He reached the end of the tunnel and skidded to a stop, turning his body away to hide his arm.


    A group of people waited outside the tunnel¡¯s entrance. It looked like he¡¯d caught them only moments away from entering.


    They were just as confused as he was.


    In the distance, fire spread throughout the city. A group of Varroc¡¯s men lay either dead or incapacitated behind the strangers. What was going on?


    A tall, brown man spoke. ¡°Uh, hello. I¡¯m Geron. Are you okay?¡± he asked, leaning forward to inspect Kashak.


    Kashak was hesitant to trust strangers. But there was something about this man that put him at ease. ¡°Who are you? Are you with Varroc?¡±


    Geron shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re adventurers. We came to help. Are you alone?¡±


    Kashak didn¡¯t answer. He dreaded how they might respond to his next question. ¡°With what guild?¡±


    Geron turned to look at a red-haired man with a large katana on his side. The other members of their party exchanged looks as well. They hadn¡¯t expected a child to be so hostile.


    ¡°We¡¯re with Gemini. Perhaps you¡¯ve heard of us?¡± Geron asked.


    Kashak let out a sigh of relief. Good, it wasn¡¯t them. He pointed backward down the tunnel. ¡°There is a group of children in there. They could use your help. We fought off a group of snatchers, but they need to get out of town as soon as possible,¡± he said.


    Gemini was a large guild. One of the best. He¡¯d heard of them before he¡¯d been captured. Back then, they had just broken into the top ten. Now, he didn¡¯t have a clue where they stood. But his gut told him he could trust these people. That was rare for him.


    He brushed past them and ran. The direction didn¡¯t matter. Run far enough in any direction and he¡¯d hit a wall. He just needed to find a way out of the city as soon as possible. To get away from innocents.


    If he didn¡¯t, he was frightened of what this growing bloodlust would make him do. If he was lucky, he¡¯d run into some of Varroc¡¯s men on the way out of town.


    Geron called out after him. ¡°Hey, wait a minute? Where are you going?¡± He paused when Kashak didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Have you seen a baby named Charlie?¡±


    Kashak didn¡¯t look back. A quick glance revealed the crimson color had spread to his shoulder.


    Charlie


    ¡°You¡¯re sure this is the right way?¡± Lyra asked.


    ¡°Positive. The other kids should be just down this hallway! It opened up for me and Sophia earlier!¡± Luc responded.


    Now that they had concluded matters at the dungeon center, they were hurrying back to regroup with the other children. Charlie was eager to get outside the dungeon. He needed to make sure Merlin and Vetica were okay. He was worried about his friends.


    They were making good progress, even with Luc dragging the mayor behind him. Charlie wished this path had been available to them before. They might have been able to put a stop to things sooner.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Hey Lyra, I was thinking. That crystal thing was supposed to keep us safe from the dungeon, but didn¡¯t Kyo get taken right after?¡± Luc said.


    Lyra looked up at him, surprised. The realization bothered her, too.


    The mayor offered an answer. ¡°The crystals weren¡¯t there to hide your presence from the dungeon. They were there to look for children with high magic potential. When children made deals, we told them to tell the others to touch the crystals to avoid being chosen. It was a way to explain why there suddenly wasn¡¯t any children being taken away. Of course, we didn¡¯t tell them the real reason behind it.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. But if that was true, did that mean that Kyo had high magic potential?


    Luc reached a leg back and kicked the mayor. ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re going to rot in a prison for the rest of your life.¡±


    The mayor had nothing to say about that.


    Sophia stared at the evil man. Her face alternating between anger and something else. Shame maybe? It was like she couldn¡¯t decide how she was supposed to feel. On one hand, this was the man responsible for her father¡¯s death. On the other, her father had told her not to let his passing consume her. It was obvious she was still having a hard time with it all.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Charlie said to everyone, hoping to offer a distraction. ¡°I need a name for my friend here,¡± he said. He patted the friendly Scaler on the back.


    Luc looked over his shoulder. ¡°Anytime you need a name, just add an a.¡±


    Charlie looked up and thought about it. Just add one letter? Well, he was the friendly Scaler. No, technically, he was the King of friendly Scalers. All of them were friendly now.


    So, if Charlie added an a¡­


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ve got it!¡± he said, a big smile on his face.


    Everyone turned to look at him. The friendly Scaler was shaking with excitement. Bonehead offered a congratulatory tail pat to his king.


    ¡°King Scalea!¡± Charlie said.


    Luc pursed his lips. ¡°Actually, if you add an a to Scaler, you would get Scal¡ª¡±


    Lyra elbowed Luc.


    He scoffed, turning to look at her before catching on. ¡°Ah. You¡¯re right, Charlie, that is a good name!¡± Luc said.


    Charlie beamed back at him. He leaned over the side of the friendly Scaler¡¯s head to see how he liked it.


    The lizard lifted its head so high, Charlie almost fell off, but Bonehead quickly reached out with his tail to steady Charlie.


    ¡°Arca!¡± the friendly Scaler yelled. The roar shook the hallway, and tiny pieces of rock fell from the ceiling.


    Kyo giggled at the creature. It seemed the name had his approval as well.


    King Scalea it was.


    Charlie peeked over at Sophia and noticed her covering her mouth to hide a soft smile. It had worked. He¡¯d distracted her at least a little. That was a good enough for now.


    They kept walking and finally, Luc spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s it! We take a right up here and we¡¯ll be close to the end of the dungeon,¡± Luc said. ¡°The exit to the tunnel isn¡¯t far now. This is where me and Sophia split up from the others!¡±


    Lyra held a hand up. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± she asked.


    Lyra and Luc exchanged a look. ¡°Voices? It¡¯s gotta be everyone else!¡± Luc said.


    They hurried forward to the corner, and then peeked around it.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Luc whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, but the other children are with them,¡± Lyra whispered back.


    King Scalea crept past them so Charlie could see as well. His eyes shot wide open when he saw who they were talking about. Geron and the others were all here! But what were they doing in a dungeon?


    It hit him then. He knew exactly why they¡¯d come here. They knew about the Snatchers. They¡¯d considered themselves responsible for Charlie after taking care of him in Sirra. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t just move on when he disappeared in the middle of the night. They¡¯d thought he¡¯d been kidnapped.


    Charlie frowned. He hoped they hadn¡¯t gotten themselves into too much danger coming here. He was sad for another reason, too. Charlie was going to have to leave them again. He couldn¡¯t stay with them. He couldn¡¯t reveal his true nature to them. The ramifications of that truth hit hard.


    ¡°You guys have to go on without me,¡± Charlie said.


    The others turned to look at him. ¡°What? Charlie, what are you talking about?¡± Lyra asked. She turned back to look at Geron and the others. ¡°Wait, do you know them?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re good people, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. But I can¡¯t let them see me here, so you guys have to go on ahead. I know they¡¯ll make sure all of you are safe from here on out.¡±


    Everyone looked sad.


    Lyra¡¯s head fell. ¡°I understand.¡± She knelt down in front of King Scalea and reached out to pat Charlie on the head. ¡°Thank you for everything you did for us. Without you¡­¡± Lyra¡¯s eyes watered. ¡°Without you, we never could¡¯ve made it this far. You saved us, all of us.¡±


    Charlie fought back tears of his own. He had to be strong. He¡¯d always known this was coming. Even if he had fantasized about taking all the children with him, he knew in the end it would be too dangerous. He had to say goodbye for now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss you Lyra. I¡¯ll miss all of you.¡± Charlie¡¯s lip quivered.


    Kyo held a hand out and reached out for Charlie. He shrieked in excitement. Charlie reached out and grabbed Kyo¡¯s hand, too. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do from there. So, he awkwardly shook it.


    Kyo found it endlessly amusing. He giggled and recoiled, hiding his face against Lyra¡¯s shoulder playfully before peeking at Charlie again.


    Charlie smiled. He looked up at Luc.


    Luc had dumped the mayor on the floor for a moment. He covered his face with his new, adult-sized hands. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m not crying. Heroes don¡¯t cry.¡± He uncovered his face and vigorously wiped his sleeve against it. ¡°Alright.¡± Luc composed himself. He reached down and held out a fist. ¡°Next time we meet, we¡¯ll both be heroes, okay? I mean, you¡¯re already kind of a hero, but we¡¯ll take it to the next level. How¡¯s that sound?¡± he asked.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°Deal!¡± They bumped fist. That was something he could get behind. ¡°You¡¯re already kind of a hero too, Luc. I was only able to fight so hard because you showed me the way,¡± Charlie said.


    Luc stared at him, a serious look on his face. His lip puffed out. ¡°Okay, maybe heroes cry a little.¡± His voice cracked. He went back to wiping his face.


    Charlie smiled and looked up at Sophia. ¡°Stick with me, okay? Your mom is waiting for you outside of town.¡±


    Sophia perked up at that. ¡°Really?¡± she asked.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°She¡¯s the one who sent us to find you! Me and my friends. You¡¯ll meet them soon.¡±


    Lyra and Luc gathered themselves. Luc picked the mayor up, and Lyra inspected Kyo. It was time too¡ª


    The mayor broke free of Luc¡¯s grasp and crawled forward toward Charlie. He reached out to grab Charlie when Bonehead jumped in the way. Luc stomped down on the mayor¡¯s back to hold him still.


    The mayor grimaced, but his attention remained on Charlie. ¡°Are you really human?¡± he asked Charlie.


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°Um, yeah.¡±


    ¡°How could children undo everything I¡¯ve worked for? How could mere children¡­I don¡¯t understand. If you could accomplish such a thing now, I can only imagine your future. Tell me, if Aysela is ever in danger, will you protect it? Will you use your powers to keep this kingdom safe?¡± the mayor asked, squirming under Luc¡¯s boot.


    Charlie didn¡¯t understand the mayor¡¯s question. ¡°Of course, I would.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that obvious?


    The mayor relaxed. He nodded and stopped resisting. Luc picked the old man up by the back of his shirt. It reminded Charlie of the way he¡¯d been carried into Sange when he first arrived. Luc and Lyra nodded at each other. It was time. They turned to wave at Charlie, Sophia, and the Scalers before rounding the corner.


    With that, Charlie had said goodbye to the two of them and Kyo. He was already looking forward to seeing them again in the future. He would give the others time to clear out, and then Charlie would go and find Merlin and Vetica.


    It was finally time to reunite with his friends.

 Chapter 64: Merlins Promise

    Merlin


    ¡°You¡¯re sure this is it?¡± Merlin asked.


    Crussus nodded. ¡°I am. Varroc is in there.¡±


    The government building was made of the same stone as the city walls were. It rose four stories into the air, with battlements on each corner for guards to keep an eye out. So far, they hadn¡¯t seen anyone up there, but they kept a careful watch out just in case.


    ¡°They must be holed up inside. Those doors won¡¯t hold against kierstone,¡± Torq said.


    Crussus nodded. ¡°Then we charge. Ready Merlin?¡±


    Merlin nodded. He hefted the sword in his hands above his head. Crussus had decided Merlin was less likely to poke any friendly eyes out this way. At his signal, the men charged the building. Merlin fell in with the charging crowd.


    Crussus outpaced them. He dragged his sword against the ground until it sparked and caught fire. He lifted the blade and brought it crashing down against the door.


    It exploded inward.


    The resistance soldiers charged in on either side of him. The clash of steel rang out. Merlin stopped and looked up. Somewhere in this building, Varroc was waiting. It was time to see this through. To his right, he saw someone running down the street.


    One of their one.


    ¡°Achai?¡± Merlin said, realizing who it was. ¡°Achai!¡± he called out. But the crowd swept him away. It was too late to go after Achai now. Merlin hoped he knew what he was doing.


    Only a handful of men had been left to guard the lower floors. After a quick sweep, they pushed upwards.


    The next two floors were the same. Only a few guards were stationed there. Many of them fled at the sight of the approaching force. They didn¡¯t have it in them to die meaningless deaths.


    Finally, they reached the stairwell to the fourth floor. The fleeing soldiers had gathered there. Twenty or so men of Varroc¡¯s men against almost sixty members of the resistance. The hopelessness in their eyes was palpable.


    Merlin, Godo, Crussus, and Torq now stood at the head of the crowd. Their priority was Varroc. By now, Sullivan should¡¯ve taken most of the city gates to ensure Varroc wouldn¡¯t receive reinforcements.


    Crussus readied himself to charge, but Merlin held out a hand. There had been enough bloodshed. These men needed to pay for their crimes, but how many of their own fighters would he lose to capture them? Cornered men were dangerous. He needed to get to Varroc and end this.


    He lifted his hands to the sky. ¡°Emerald Hex Elemental!¡± he shouted. A large hex formed, with massive flames dancing along it. He¡¯d almost opted for a void hex, but he didn¡¯t want to scare the men so much they wouldn¡¯t surrender. ¡°This fight is over. Surrender, and we¡¯ll spare you for now. You¡¯ll be given fair trials. Refuse, and I¡¯ll burn you alive. Choose quickly,¡± Merlin said, feigning a yawn.


    ¡°Why should we believe you?¡± one man asked, eyeing the hex.


    ¡°Because I¡ª¡±


    Godo stepped forward, holding his hands out toward the men. ¡°Godo is good businessman. Best businessman. You know this, yes? You have done good business with Godo, know Godo always keeps his word. Trust Godo.¡±


    Varroc¡¯s men exchanged looks with one another. A few of them still seemed reluctant, but several of the men put their swords down. More and more of the men lost the heart to fight as their numbers dwindled. They surrendered.


    Crussus seized the opportunity before anyone could change their minds. He hurried forward and started barking orders. After restraining their new hostages, they pushed up the stairs. Godo stayed behind with a small force of men to keep an eye on the prisoners.


    Varroc waited on the rooftop with a small force of his own. These men were rugged and better trained than those that had just surrendered. Varroc likely hadn¡¯t anticipated the others to do much more than waste time. This was his real last stand. These were the men he wanted around him when he was fighting for his life.


    For every one of Varroc¡¯s men, Merlin had two.


    ¡°Well shit. You brought all these people to play with me?¡± Varroc asked, a devious grin on his face. As always, the man was shirtless, and his long hair flowed in the breeze. The moon had settled in the night sky just behind him, providing an eerie backdrop for the final fight.


    Merlin could feel eyes drilling into the back of his head. He knew they all had a role in this rebellion. Somehow, his role had become one of leadership. He couldn¡¯t back down from the responsibilities that came with that now.


    ¡°Varroc, it¡¯s over. You¡¯re outmatched. You¡¯ve lost control of the city. Lay your sword down,¡± Merlin said. He didn¡¯t make an offer to spare his life. They were well past that now and all parties involved knew it.


    For Varroc, there could be no mercy.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s silly. Why would I do that? I¡¯ve been looking forward to this.¡± Varroc grinned at him. ¡°You think you¡¯ve beaten me because you have a few extra slaves on your side? Because you slaughtered weaklings in the streets? My men are soldiers. They¡¯ve been through hell already. You¡¯re nothing compared to that.¡±


    Crussus lifted his blade and pointed it toward Varroc. ¡°You forget yourself. There are soldiers amongst us as well. Or have you forgotten whose blade it was your friends saved you from all those years ago?¡±


    Varroc laughed. ¡°Soldiers? What, like those weaklings I cut down in the first rebellion? What was that name of that one? He died crying out for his friend, who was too focused on saving a little boy. It started with an R. It¡¯s just so hard to remember the name of every fly you swat out of the air.¡±


    Crussus roared and ran forward.


    Merlin reached out to grab him, but it was too late.


    ¡°Hurry lad! He¡¯ll need our help!¡± Torq cried out.


    Merlin nodded. He pointed his sword forward, and their soldiers charged.


    Even outnumbered, Varroc¡¯s men were like a wall. No matter how hard they pressed forward, the resistance was being held back. Crussus had cut down two of them, fighting his way toward Varroc, but was being held back now. Merlin hurried to help him, but an explosion erupted behind them. Resistance fighters screamed as the giant mass of green fire spread through their ranks. Merlin saw the source. A single snatcher with blood-red eyes stood atop one of the battlements. He spotted Merlin staring at him. Merlin grimaced and hurried forward.


    The snatcher smiled and stepped back out of sight.


    Merlin forced his way through the crowd. He couldn¡¯t let the snatcher rain down fire from above. He had to stop him. No matter what it took. There was a door at the bottom of the battlement. It had been left open. Merlin hurried inside and up the spiral staircase in its center. A few moments later, he was standing on the roof of the tower overlooking the battle. Neither side could gain an advantage. But his men were falling faster than Varroc¡¯s.


    This wasn¡¯t good.


    He turned his attention to the snatcher. It stared at him with those eerie eyes. The battlement had been stocked with supplies. There were rocks for guards to throw down into the streets to deter invaders. Several crates of them tethered together by a now loosened rope. But why hadn¡¯t they used any of it? Merlin and the others had made it up here with relative ease.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who conjured the hex that started all this, are you not?¡± the snatcher asked.


    How did it possibly know that? Merlin reached into his pocket slowly. ¡°And if I am?¡± he asked it.


    The snatcher turned and looked in the direction of the dungeon. When it turned back to Merlin, there was a slight frown on its face. ¡°Still nothing. I wonder if I kill you and put an end to all this if it will speak to me again. It¡¯s so quiet in my head. I can¡¯t stand it.¡±


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± he asked. His fingers wrapped around what he was searching for. He slowly crouched and slipped his other hand into his boot.


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    The snatcher knew he was up to something. It didn¡¯t respond with words. Instead, it fired a green ball of fire directly toward him. Merlin jumped out of the way just in time. The fireball shot past him and hit the rear wall of the battlement. Merlin turned and saw the scorch marks on the wall behind him. If he had been any slower¡­


    ¡°That was really rude, you know?¡± Merlin asked. He threw up a hex. ¡°Hazel Hex Heal!¡±


    The snatcher turned its head in confusion. The hex appeared right in front of its face.


    Merlin rushed toward it. He dropped what he was holding in one hand and threw the glass vial in the other down as well. It shattered. If everything went well¡­


    The snatcher waved the hex away and saw him approaching. It didn¡¯t have enough time to conjure a larger attack; it sent a concentrated blast of green flames directly at Merlin¡¯s chest.


    A direct hit. Merlin grunted as the flames hit his body, but he pressed forward. He screamed at the top of his lungs, charging like a madman. If he could only just¡­


    His foot slipped, and he fell directly into the snatcher along the wall¡¯s edge.


    Varroc


    ¡°Captain! Look!¡± a man screamed.


    Atop the tower, a green ball of fire shot out. The snatcher was supposed to be providing support from up there. It was the whole reason Varroc had made his last stand here. What was that red-eyed idiot doing?


    He tightened a fist. He pointed toward the tower. ¡°Go see what¡¯s going¡ª¡± He paused.


    Another burst of fire. A man screamed. The swordsmen on both sides were distracted. Everyone was aware of the commotion now.


    ¡°Whose up there?¡± Crussus called out as he cut down one of Varroc¡¯s men.


    Torq, the blacksmith, answered. ¡°I saw Merlin go up there! Tried to follow but got cut off!¡±


    ¡°Up there?¡± Varroc said aloud. He turned to look just in time to see it.


    The battle ground to a halt as the silhouettes of two men plunged off the tower. Varroc gritted his teeth. ¡°That idiot managed to take out a snatcher?¡±


    ¡°Merlin!¡± Crussus screamed.


    Varroc turned toward him. This was it. They may have lost their ranged support, but he could see it in the eyes of their enemies. This loss had destroyed their morale. ¡°Cut them down!¡± he roared. His men fought with renewed vigor.


    This was it. He would put these dogs down.


    His eyes locked in on Crussus. He¡¯d been avoiding the man at first, letting him tire out on grunts. But he¡¯d seen that look before. When he cut down Ren. He smirked. Of course, he remembered the man¡¯s name. If Brel and Philomena hadn¡¯t shown up, the man would¡¯ve killed him.


    Crussus saw him coming and lifted his own blade. The remnants of anger were still there, lurking in his eyes, but those remnants were clouded now. The unmistakable, overwhelming presence of sorrow was making a comeback. Varroc would welcome it with a bloody blade through the knight¡¯s face.


    Crussus was still fast. But not as fast. Not as strong. Even hard labor hadn¡¯t kept him in the state his knight conditioning had.


    Their blades clashed, over and over. Varroc almost managed to cut him down a few times. But though his physical prowess had weakened, Crussus was still ever the swordsman he used to be.


    It was so damn annoying.


    ¡°Just die!¡± Varroc screamed, releasing a flurry of powerful blows.


    Crussus met each one in quick succession.


    Varroc feigned an opening to bait Crussus.


    To his surprise, the Knight of Tantaloo took the bait. He¡¯d gotten too eager to end this fight.


    Varroc smiled. He parried his opponent¡¯s blade and kicked Crussus in the chest. He hurried forward to plunge his sword into the man¡¯s heart.


    A hex appeared just in front of his face.


    ¡°What the?¡± Varroc swatted at it and jumped back. He looked around. They appeared all over. Just in front of the faces of his men. Crussus rolled to his feet. Varroc squeezed his fist. He¡¯d been so damn close to ending this!


    ¡°On the tower!¡± someone shouted.


    What? No one should be up there now. Varroc turned to look.


    There that idiot was.


    Merlin.


    He stood atop the rooftop wall of the tower. He was only wearing a single boot. Something danced in the wind on the outer wall of the tower. It flailed in the breeze.


    His other shoe was attached to a rope. There was some kind of odd hair like substance connected to it. ¡°What?¡± Varroc asked.


    Through Merlin''s burnt clothing Varroc could make out something metallic, it almost looked like...


    "Hah! I told the lad some kierstone armor would come in handy!" Torq laughed.


    The sounds of blades against flesh. The resistance was taking advantage of the newly created blind-spots. Varroc shook his head. He¡¯d never seen a technique like this. Using hexes to blind opponents instead of attacking with magic? It was ridiculously stupid. Who would even think to do that?


    ¡°Fall back!¡± Varroc cried. But as he took a step, he realized the only thing behind him was a long drop into the city streets. ¡°Shit.¡± He¡¯d lost a lot of men to that surprise attack.


    Whatever morale the resistance had lost before had returned now. No, it had doubled.


    His men backed away, forming a half circle around Varroc. They were surrounded now. They held the resistance back, but just barely.


    ¡°Captain!¡± someone called from behind.


    ¡°What?¡± Varroc leaned over the edge again and saw a man leaning out of a window on the floor below. His eyes shot open. It was one of Philomena¡¯s men. Varroc sheathed his sword and looked up. He reached up and grabbed a spear one of the resistance members was jabbing toward his men. He pulled the spear and the man into the half-circle.


    Both went over the wall. Only one still had Varroc holding on. He lowered the dull end of the spear so Philomena¡¯s soldier could grab on to it. He gathered his strength and pulled the spear up, with the man still attached.


    Below, the resistance fighter splattered satisfying on the ground. ¡°What news?¡± Varroc asked. ¡°Has Philo returned to the city?¡±


    The soldier swallowed. ¡°I only just barely made it through the gates before they captured it. Captain¡­¡± The man paused.


    Varroc shook him. ¡°What?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Philomena was captured by a member of Coelacanth. They allowed me to escape so that I could let you know.¡±


    All the surrounding sounds faded. He knew swords were clashing and men were screaming. He knew fires, both natural and unnatural, burned in the distance. But the only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat.


    Coelacanth. How did they¡ªno. It didn¡¯t matter how they found them. They¡¯d taken Philomena.


    He unsheathed a dagger and aimed it straight for the soldier¡¯s gut.


    But a moment before the tip pierced the man¡¯s flesh, Varroc paused.


    When did I¡­when did I start killing my own men?


    He¡¯d become powerful because of one simple belief.


    Loyalty to your own.


    So, when had he started killing the men who were loyal to him in return? It hit him like a speeding arrow from a finely crafted bow.


    This place had changed him. Sange had changed him.


    He dropped the dagger. The metallic blade danced along the stone rooftop and drew the attention of his men.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Varroc said softly.


    No one knew what he meant.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Varroc yelled.


    This time, the fighting came to a halt. His men backed off, drawing in closer. There was no reason to waste any more lives. That didn¡¯t mean Varroc had given up. He was still a gambling man.


    ¡°Merlin!¡± he called out. Varroc looked toward the tower, but the man was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Varroc,¡± Merlin called back. The resistance soldiers parted as Merlin approached. He must have rejoined the fight after using his weird hex strategy.


    Varroc¡¯s men parted as well, so the leaders of each side could speak directly. Everyone watched the exchange. In the background, tired men huffed in great breaths, and swords rested against the ground. Both sides were exhausted from the fighting.


    Varroc raised a brow. He risked a glance over his shoulder. If he was a floor or two lower, he could make the jump easily. But this high? That was extreme, even for him. Best-case scenario, he¡¯d break both his legs. He thought of Brel. He could call for him. In all those years they¡¯d fought together, not once had Brel ever failed to heed his call. No matter where they were and what they were doing. When he called his right-hand man, that tough bastard always showed up.


    But something held him back. Maybe it was the fact he didn¡¯t want to call his friend into an impossible situation. He didn¡¯t want to call Brel to his death.


    He¡¯d try a different technique. He was a gambling man, after all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s settle this like men. Leader to leader. Sword to sword,¡± Varroc said.


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°And why exactly would I do that? We have the upper hand.¡±


    Varroc smirked. ¡°That¡¯s just the way of things. It¡¯s how these things go. When two generals meet on the battlefield like this, the rules are simple. They fight to the death; the winner takes all. Neither of us has any say. It¡¯s just fate.¡±


    Merlin laughed. He laughed hard. He¡¯d found what Varroc had said endlessly amusing.


    Varroc gritted his teeth. What was so damn funny?


    Merlin composed himself. There was a look in his eyes. Varroc recognized it. It was the same look Merlin had given him when they¡¯d first brought the man and his baby companion into Sange.


    Merlin stared right at Varroc. ¡°Fate, huh? Maybe you¡¯re new around here. So, I¡¯ll let you know something about Sange. Here, I can do anything I want.¡±


    Merlin held his hands out, and the resistance charged.


    Varroc eye¡¯s shot open. That was the thing about gambling. It didn¡¯t always pay off.


    ¡°Shit.¡±

 Chapter 65: The Merlin of Sange?!

    Charlie


    Charlie closed his eyes as the wind shot past his face. His body jolted forward as King Scalea landed on the next rooftop. He allowed himself a moment of quiet peace before surveying the surrounding damage. For just a moment, he wanted to enjoy the fresh air on his skin. He¡¯d been cooped up in a dungeon for days now. It was nice to be outside.


    But a moment was all he could afford. Charlie opened his eyes and looked around at the city.


    Sange was a town on fire. Red and green flames burned throughout the town¡¯s landscape. Some people were trapped by debris, others were wounded from fighting. Whatever battle had happened in the streets of Sange was over. But the aftermath was not. The people of Sange needed help, and Charlie intended to offer his assistance.


    He patted King Scalea on the head. ¡°Okay, give the order,¡± he said.


    King Scalea nodded his head slightly. He lifted it up and opened its mouth. ¡°Arca!¡± The cry bellowed throughout the city, echoing through the streets.


    The Scalers scurried to work. They followed the people that were going to get water to put out fires. Not a moment later, Charlie heard people protesting as Scalers ran off with buckets filled with water. But the citizens of Sange quickly caught on to the fact that the Scalers were helping. They delivered the buckets to the people splashing fires. The Scaler¡¯s speed would help the town¡¯s people put out the flames much sooner.


    Having earned the people¡¯s trust, some Scalers started barking at men to follow them. Eventually, a few did. The Scalers led them to trapped survivors and people with wounds that needed to be tended to. It made Charlie think about what the Nae Glera had told him.


    In the past, humans and dungeon cores hadn¡¯t been enemies. Maybe this was how it looked, beasts helping humans under the guidance of a dungeon. Maybe that dream wasn¡¯t so impossible.


    He turned back and saw Bonehead and the other two Scalers guiding Sophia down the street. He¡¯d entrusted her safety to them. Though he wasn¡¯t going far. He just needed a better view to find¡­


    ¡°Arh!¡± his Scaler companion called out. Charlie looked in the same direction as King Scalea. There, he could see something on the large stone building not too far from them.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± he said. He looked back and pointed in the new direction. Bonehead nodded his confirmation.


    Charlie thought back to the last interaction he¡¯d had with Luc before the other children had left the dungeon.


    ¡°I understand why you spared him. I understand what you want me to do,¡± Luc had said, speaking to him via their mental connection.


    Charlie hadn¡¯t responded. He¡¯d allowed Luc to take the mayor for a reason.


    He¡¯d convinced Sophia to spare the mayor for a reason.


    If the Mayor died, the knowledge of the corrupt nobles would die with him. Some of them had gotten away with their extended lifespans. The children whose youth they¡¯d stolen were no longer around. So, it was up to the two of them to learn their identities and make them pay.


    Charlie had business in Arcadeya. He needed to learn about his powers, and he had questions he thought this researcher would be able to answer. He couldn¡¯t focus on the nobles quite yet. But one day, he would find them, and he would punish them for their part in this. In the meantime, he trusted Luc to root them out. To find their identities. Even if he had to beat it out of the mayor. Those evil nobles would not get away with it.


    Charlie tightened a fist. He would never forget all the people who had been hurt because of their actions. But they had saved everyone they could for now. That fight would come in the future. For now, he focused on finding his friends.


    King Scalea slowed, lowering himself against the rooftop to mask their presence. They crept toward the rooftop¡¯s edge and peered over at the men gathered below.


    There he was. Merlin stood in the center of all the other men. His purple cloak was tattered, and he was missing a shoe, but other than that, Merlin seemed okay. Charlie smiled.


    Merlin was alive.


    He wanted to jump down and join his friend but decided to wait. He wasn¡¯t sure if the men around him were friends or enemies. Charlie turned his ear toward them and listened.


    ¡°We need to move to the dungeon now. With Varroc defeated, the children are our priority,¡± a muscular blonde man said. A chorus of agreements rose from the crowds.


    Merlin nodded. ¡°I agree as well. We¡¯ll leave a few people here too¡ª¡± He paused, raising his head to peer into the distance.


    Others were approaching on horseback.


    ¡°It¡¯s Sullivan!¡± someone called out. ¡°He¡¯s back from the gates!¡±


    The crowd parted and Sullivan¡¯s horse came to a halt. The man dismounted and hurried over. A few other horse-riders hurried to catch up with him. They waited just outside the crowd, remaining on their horses.


    Merlin grinned at the man. ¡°Do you have news?¡± he asked, clasping Sullivan¡¯s hand.


    So, they were friends. That was good.


    Sullivan nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve secured the gates, as well as the armory. We¡¯re rooting the remnants of Varroc¡¯s men out from hiding and a group of adventurers are overseeing the evacuation of the dungeons. They broke into town during the rebellion. They¡¯ve already secured a number of the children. I¡¯ve loaned them a portion of our men as well, to assist in getting all the children out. Rescue efforts are going well throughout the city.¡±


    The men around them cheered. A heavyset, brown-skinned man stepped forward. ¡°Godo is glad to hear this. Tell me, have you seen my¡ª¡±


    Sullivan held a hand out. He turned to signal one of the horsemen. The man dismounted and pulled a little girl off the back of his horse. She didn¡¯t wait; she ran toward Godo.


    ¡°Godo has never been as rich as today.¡± He fell to the ground and opened his arms.


    ¡°Papa!¡± the little girl ran forward and jumped into his arms.


    ¡°My sweet Godette!¡± he said, hugging her tight. His eyes teared up.


    She giggled and leaned away from him. ¡°No papa! My name is Josephine! Not Godette!¡±


    Godo sighed. ¡°Godo could never out bargain your mother. It is Godo¡¯s greatest shame.¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, my treasure, my Josephine!¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes shot open. This was Josephine¡¯s dad? So, this Sullivan guy had already run into the others. Charlie grinned. He was glad she¡¯d been reunited with her father.


    Merlin looked at the other horsemen. He seemed disappointed. The blonde man next to him noticed. He reached over and put a hand on Merlin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, friend. We¡¯ll find him. I know we will.¡±


    Merlin offered a halfhearted nod. ¡°Yeah, thanks Crussus.¡±


    Charlie smiled. It was time for a reunion of his own. ¡°Jump!¡± he said, and King Scalea obliged him.


    They leapt off the building and plunged toward the earth as gravity swept them up. They landed squarely in the center of the crowd. All the men and women of the resistance gathered there jumped back at the sudden arrival of the beast.


    ¡°Careful, Merlin!¡± Crussus drew his sword and pointed it towards the Scaler, but he froze when he saw Charlie sitting atop it.


    ¡°Merlin!¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°Charlie? You¡¯re okay.¡± He didn¡¯t react for a moment. It was like he was stunned by Charlie¡¯s sudden arrival.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hug you now,¡± Charlie informed him.


    ¡°But how did¡ª¡±


    Charlie didn¡¯t give Merlin any more time to deal with his shock. He clapped his hands. King Scalea¡¯s tail shot forward and flicked Charlie into the air, straight toward his wizard companion.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    That jolted Merlin out of his shocked state. He hurried forward and caught Charlie.


    The impact sent Merlin reeling. He fell backwards and landed on his butt with Charlie held tightly against his shoulder.


    Charlie looked up at him. ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡± he said, grinning.


    Merlin smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my line. I was really worried about you, Charlie. Don¡¯t go running off anymore, okay?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay! Who are all your friends?¡± he asked.


    Merlin laughed. His head fell back, and he closed his eyes and he laughed so hard everyone looked at him like he was a madman.


    Sullivan sent the other horsemen to relay orders throughout the city. Most of the other resistance soldiers were also tasked with spreading throughout Sange to assist in rescue efforts and hunt down stray soldiers. The battle was over, but the work to rebuild Sange had just begun.


    Merlin¡¯s friends stayed behind. To discuss the next steps. Sophia, Bonehead and the other two Scalers joined them as well, having finally caught up.


    As Charlie learned the names of the other resistance leaders, he felt a strange sensation. Merlin seemed like he fit in really well here. The people liked him. A lot. They seemed to look up to him. Charlie couldn¡¯t help but wonder if maybe Merlin wouldn¡¯t want to leave this place.


    That worried him.


    He snapped back to attention. He¡¯d missed out on what all the adults had been saying. Merlin had sat him on a nearby barrel at Charlie¡¯s request. He didn¡¯t think Merlin¡¯s new friends would take him seriously if he just sat in Merlin¡¯s arms. Sophia and the Scalers stood beside him. Sophia was too shy to talk, and the Scalers were curled up in themselves, taking naps. They¡¯d been through a lot over the last few days as well.


    ¡°Godo will remain here for a while. Sange needs trade. Godo will assist in this. Godo was separated from his assistants upon entering Sange but will find them and send message. They will go and find Godo¡¯s business partner and tell his family he and little Godette are okay!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Josephine!¡±


    ¡°Godo thinks we can pay a small fee to change her name legally if Godette wishes.¡±


    ¡°Godette does not!¡± Josephine said.


    Godo smiled really big and pointed a finger at her. ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°I mean, Josephine!¡± she corrected.


    Godo threw his hands up in defeat. ¡°Godo thinks we will bargain more in the future.¡± He smiled playfully at her.


    Sullivan nodded. ¡°We appreciate you staying. Your expertise will make rebuilding that much easier. We¡¯ve been disconnected from the rest of Aysela for a long time. Your connections will help us, and the neighboring towns expand our trade again.¡±


    ¡°So, in the end, Godo¡¯s goal of developing trade with Sange was a success. Congratulations,¡± Merlin said.


    Godo patted a hand to his chest and lifted his head high. ¡°Godo is great businessman!¡±


    Torq chuckled. ¡°And what about you, Merlin? The people of Sange respect you now. With the mayor gone, we could use a strong leader like you.¡±


    Charlie swallowed. This was what he was afraid of.


    Sullivan looked surprised as well. His head spun toward Torq as soon as he said it. Then he looked up at Merlin, his lips apart, waiting to see how Charlie¡¯s friend would answer.


    Merlin paused. He sighed. ¡°I almost made the mistake of letting a friend leave me behind once. I won¡¯t do that again.¡± He turned to look at Charlie.


    Charlie¡¯s face lit up. He grinned really big. The others noticed his reaction. Charlie looked away, his cheeks feeling flushed.


    ¡°Hah! Tis a shame! But after hearing how you talked about the boy I can¡¯t say I blame you. Just know you¡¯ll always have a home in Sange!¡± Torq said.


    That surprised Charlie. Merlin had talked about him? He looked up at the one-armed blacksmith. He liked Torq, and not just because his one arm reminded him of Richard. Torq seemed like a good person. He was glad Merlin had made a friend like this in Charlie¡¯s absence.


    Sullivan seemed relieved. Charlie had the feeling he was hoping to take charge of Sange himself. Merlin had said Sullivan used to be a part of the town¡¯s government before. Maybe he wanted his old position back or something. As long as he was nice to the people of Sange, Charlie didn¡¯t really care who took over now. He just didn¡¯t want to have to come back here to beat anybody else up.


    That would be annoying.


    ¡°I suppose that means you wouldn¡¯t have taken me up on an offer to travel to Tantaloo either,¡± Crussus said, chuckling. ¡°But know you have an ally among the knights of the Holy Kingdom if you ever should need one.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re going back home? To be a knight again?¡± Merlin asked.


    Crussus nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been away from my queen for too long. If she¡¯ll have me, I¡¯ll happily return to fulfilling my duties. I also need to report to the families of Ren and the others. They need to know what happened to their loved ones, and I need to report that our mission for revenge was successful. Her father will want to know.¡±


    Merlin nodded. ¡°Well, just know that you have made an ally among the traveling salesmen of Aysela.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Godo considers all of you friends!¡±


    ¡°No! I meant me!¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°Godo thinks Merlin should be more realistic with his strengths.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Merlin protested.


    Everyone laughed. Even Charlie caught himself giggling.


    After a moment, Merlin posed a question. ¡°Has anyone seen Achai? I noticed him running off before we stormed the castle.¡±


    The men all looked around, but no one claimed to have seen him. Even Sullivan, who had traveled throughout the city to regroup with them.


    Josephine tapped Godo the side. He turned to look at her and then leaned in. She whispered something in his ear. He raised a brow, and then turned and whispered something back.


    She nodded.


    Godo looked up at the others. ¡°Little Godette says that Achai ran into them earlier.¡±


    Merlin perked up. ¡°What? Really?¡±


    Josephine poked Godo in the side. ¡°Ow!¡± He nodded toward Merlin. ¡°She says that Achai got his son and left. Godo is not sure why he would do such a thing¡­¡± He paused and looked at Crussus. ¡°Oh, Godo sees now.¡±


    Crussus cursed under his breath. ¡°I¡¯d hoped to make it right with him after this was all over. I spoke recklessly before. It was wrong of me to threaten him in anger. I just hope he doesn¡¯t do anything rash.¡±


    Merlin patted Crussus on the shoulder. ¡°Achai is smart. He¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh no,¡± he said.


    Merlin turned to look at him. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± he asked.


    King Scalea lifted his head and looked up at Charlie.


    ¡°I kind of forgot¡­I left a dungeon core with Kyo,¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin froze. ¡°What? Orb?¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°No. The one from Troa. That we found again after I got the Vault Transfer ability.¡±


    Merlin leaned in so the others couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°What does that mean? What if eats it like you did and becomes Dungeon Core Baby Jr. or something?!¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Maybe we can track them down and get it back?¡±


    Merlin squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°Well, technically, your situation is pretty unique. I doubt even if he swallowed it, he would get powers like you did. But carrying around a dungeon core isn¡¯t exactly the safest thing to do in general.¡±


    ¡°Well, it was dormant, I guess. Maybe that means it won¡¯t be an issue?¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin shrugged. ¡°I hope not. Luckily, Achai is smart enough that he¡¯ll ditch it if he finds it. So as long as it doesn¡¯t fall into the wrong hands, it should be okay. Hopefully.¡±


    Merlin stared past Charlie. He grimaced. Charlie turned to look at Sophia. She was staring up in the air, toward the top of the building.


    Charlie looked up.


    ¡°Charlie, wait!¡± Merlin cried out.


    But it was too late. Charlie saw what Sophia had noticed. He¡¯d seen it from a distance but hadn¡¯t realized what it was. The body hanging from the top of the fortified stone building. It was one he recognized.


    It was Varroc.


    It was weird to see that scary man who had jumped off the wall of Sange and terrorized the town hanging with a rope around his neck. His body was on display for anyone who passed by. It was a proof that no matter how strong you are, things can go wrong.


    Charlie looked at Merlin. ¡°Did you do that?¡± he asked.


    Merlin looked down. ¡°I did. Not with my own hands. But the responsibility lies with me. I started this rebellion. I have to own up to everything that came about as a result. If I had wanted to, I could¡¯ve stopped it. But I didn¡¯t. I wanted Varroc to die too.¡± Merlin paused. ¡°Are you upset with me?¡± he asked.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°No. I understand. You promised you were going to kill him. So, you just kept your promise.¡± Charlie thought about the mayor. He thought about what he would¡¯ve done if there weren¡¯t others who needed to pay for their crimes, too. If the mayor didn¡¯t know their names and identities. ¡°Some people don¡¯t deserve a chance to change.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s eyes widened at that. He didn¡¯t say anything.


    Charlie turned to look at him, but he wished he hadn¡¯t. For a moment, he saw a familiar look on Merlin¡¯s face. A look he hadn¡¯t ever wanted to see coming from Merlin.


    It was the same way Talmot had looked at him when he¡¯d been called an abomination.


    Charlie looked down. ¡°Did I say something bad?¡± he asked.


    Merlin collected himself. ¡°No. I just¡­¡± Merlin sighed. ¡°I wish the world hadn¡¯t forced you to grow up so fast.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m still a baby,¡± Charlie said, tilting his head.


    ¡°I know. There are other forms of growing up, though.¡±


    Crussus called out to Merlin. ¡°Merlin, it¡¯s time. We should give the final signal,¡± he said.


    Merlin nodded. He smiled at Charlie and patted him on the head. He turned and looked up at the sky. The sun was on the verge of rising now. The battle for Sange had lasted overnight. Now, the sun would rise on the first day of freedom for the people of Sange.


    Merlin paused for a moment. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go with a water hex,¡± he said.


    Crussus looked over at him. ¡°Water? Your abilities are truly versatile. Why water this time?¡±


    Charlie realized Merlin hadn¡¯t revealed the truth about his powers.


    ¡°Emerald Hex Elemental!¡± A large emerald hex formed in the sky of Sange, an illusionary waterfall fell from it. ¡°Because Varroc forced Sange¡¯s people to mine kierstone, a flammable rock. And because the snatchers used green flames to intimidate them and take their children. So, I¡¯ll use water, because today the people put out the flames of oppression.¡±

 Chapter 66: The Assassin Who Cried Knight

    Vetica


    She ran through the streets of Sange, cutting down soldiers without stopping. The armor that Philomena and her men wore was etched in her mind; carved into the portion of her brain that separated humans from prey.


    The ones who wore that armor were prey and nothing more.


    ¡°Hey!¡± one of them called out as her feet slapped quietly against the cobblestone street. It stuck out because it made for such a strange last word. He didn¡¯t utter another.


    It was hard to with a slit throat.


    The dungeon. Vetica had to get to the dungeon. She¡¯d traveled all along the outskirts of this city over the last few days. She¡¯d come to the conclusion that the dungeon entrance, or entrances, had to be somewhere near the villages center. If she kept moving inward, she would find it. The buildings on either side of her were packed so tight she didn¡¯t have a choice but to move forward. She wanted to keep to the ground for now. Hidden.


    The fight with Philomena had taken up too much time. She¡¯d fallen behind the others. For all she knew, Geron and his party had already found Charlie and made their escape. She needed to find him now.


    She sidestepped several corpses and avoided the shattered glass of a storefront window in the street.


    ¡°Leave no trace, disturb nothing except the lives of your enemies.¡±


    The street ended in an official looking wooden building. At least, it seemed as if once looked official. Now it looked as if someone had been thrown through the front wall. The building was in shambles. The windows in the building were smashed. Its wood splintered. Sange as a whole looked bad after the all the fighting, but this building looked like a hex beast had rampaged through it.


    But what caught her attention was the tunnel, now clearly visible through the remnants of the building. With both the rear and front wall mostly destroyed, she just could barely make out the dungeon¡¯s entrance.


    A series of bodies in black armor were strewn in front and inside the building. Her eyes shot open, and she skidded to a stop. She shot to the right of the street and pressed herself against the other wall of the building.


    Those were Hex Knights. Something had killed all of them. She remained in a crouch and crept forward, sticking close to the wall. It would be wise to look for another entrance, but her curiosity was powerful and not easily denied.


    Even when the stakes were this high.


    Talking? Whispers? She tilted an ear toward the noise and closed her eyes, focusing on the words.


    They were coming from up ahead, that much was obvious. But where?


    She crept forward. There it was, coming from inside one of the other buildings. Whoever it was had taken shelter after the fight that took place here. If Hex Knights were involved, the situation in Sange was not what she thought it was. She skirted around more broken glass and dead bodies, until finally, she reached the building. The window was cracked. Some powerful force had destroyed all the glass on this street. Who exactly was inside this building?


    She risked a glance, lifting an eye to the window to peer inside. One was a man in fine garb, probably a noble. He paced back and forth nervously. The other person was a Hex Knight in black armor with gold trim. That meant her rank was fairly high.


    Vetica drew her dagger. The knights were after Charlie. If they were in Sange, it would be better to kill any of them she ran into. She couldn¡¯t afford to let them pick up his trail.


    She would kill these two and then resume her search.


    ¡°Your majesty, you must calm down,¡± the knight said.


    Vetica¡¯s eyes shot open. ¡°What?¡± she mouthed.


    ¡°Calm down? That was Sir Albert! He killed all of them! How am I supposed to be calm?¡± The King crossed his arms against his body. He was shivering with fear. It was disgusting. ¡°What are we going to do? The city is destroyed, and we are alone! You must do something, Fiona!¡±


    Vetica ducked and leaned against the building¡¯s wall. Light-Bladed Demon Fiona. The whole title thing had never been something Vetica could take seriously. But when the moniker belonged to one of the twelve, it was different. There are moments in life where you realize you just narrowly avoided death.


    Realizing she had been seconds away from storming in there to try to take down someone like that made Vetica realize this was one of those moments. If she had stormed in, her life would already be over.


    The shock didn¡¯t last long. Vetica was used to those near-death realizations. They¡¯d been a daily occurrence for her during childhood. Of course it had with a family like hers.


    With a father like hers.


    ¡°What are you doing? What is that?¡± the King asked.


    ¡°Your majesty, surely you didn¡¯t believe we wouldn¡¯t have made preparations for something like this?¡± Fiona asked. Footsteps.


    They were approaching.


    Vetica scrambled. She stayed low to the ground and hurried to the building next door. She turned the corner into the damaged store just in time.


    She cautiously stood and peeked through an opening in the building¡¯s wall. There was a horn in Fiona¡¯s hand. The knight unwrapped its end and then slammed it against the ground. A white smoke emanated from it and then rose into the sky.


    The king stared up as the column of smoke climbed higher and higher. ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯ll attract enemy soldiers!¡±


    ¡°Your majesty, you are the king of the most powerful nation in the world. Did you really think we would send an escort of only five people?¡± she asked him. She spoke rather candidly with the king. That surprised Vetica.


    ¡°But you said it would be safer to do so?¡± the king said, shaking his head in confusion. He warily looked further down the street to make sure nobody was coming towards them.


    Fiona sighed. ¡°Only a handful traveled with you from the capital city itself. But we sent word to other knights that were already traveling. We wanted to ensure if this was a trap¡­¡± She started to slowly turn in circles, staring at the sky. ¡°That our enemies wouldn¡¯t realize we had men in reserve. Sir Gregory and the others¡ª¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    A column of white smoke rose into the air in the distance. Vetica¡¯s eyes widened.


    Fiona smiled. ¡°They¡¯ll be here shortly. Within the hour, this city will be under the control of the Hex Knights, your majesty. Then we¡¯ll get to the bottom of all this.¡±


    Vetica cursed. She turned and made her way toward the back of the building.


    She had to warn Charlie. They had to get out of Sange now, before the knights arrived.


    Charlie


    ¡°We can spend one more day here to rest, then get back on the road,¡± Merlin said.


    Charlie nodded. To be honest, staying in Sange made him a bit anxious for some reason. But maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad now that things had changed. They still had to locate Vetica and Sophia¡¯s mom, anyway. Plus, they would need more supplies for the road. It made sense to wait another day.


    Merlin¡¯s friends seemed vaguely aware that Charlie wasn¡¯t a normal baby. Merlin had kept Charlie¡¯s secret as best he could while also explaining he was special. But showing up on the head of a Scaler had been out of character for a normal baby, apparently.


    Charlie didn¡¯t think that was a fair assumption but didn¡¯t have time to correct the prejudices of all these grown men. They would just have to live on in ignorance and continue to be surprised by all the cool babies they encountered.


    They asked Josephine about the dungeon instead.


    ¡°So, the snatchers are all gone?¡± Crussus asked.


    Josephine shied under all the attention. She hid behind Godo¡¯s leg and nodded. ¡°Lyra told the adventurers that only the ones with red eyes are left. The others have been turned back. I think only two didn¡¯t change back.¡±


    Torq shook his head. ¡°Two of them? The poor kids. We¡¯ll have to find a way to help them then. Whatever it takes, we¡¯ll change em back. On my honor as a¡ª¡±


    Josephine interrupted him. ¡°They didn¡¯t want to change back. Tomas has been one for a long time. And¡­¡± Josephine paused and covered her mouth with both hands. Apparently, she¡¯d been told not to tell anyone about the boys¡¯ identities.


    The children had decided to hide the identities of Luc and Tomas. It was probably Lyra¡¯s doing. Charlie hoped that meant they wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about him, either. Of course, the mayor had seen him in action, but he was in Luc¡¯s hands now. Charlie trusted his friend to ensure the secret was kept.


    The men all froze at the mention of Tomas. Crussus dropped to a knee, just barely catching himself before he fell to the ground. ¡°Are you saying there was a boy named Tomas with you? He¡¯s alive?¡± Crussus shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s a snatcher?¡± he asked, a strain in his voice.


    Merlin hurried over to help his friend up. He too looked toward Josephine for an answer.


    She looked conflicted. She¡¯d already said something she wasn¡¯t supposed to. Josephine bit her lip and looked toward Charlie and Sophia for help.


    Charlie gave a thumbs up. Sophia, seeing him, nodded her head as well.


    Josephine looked back at the men, asking her questions. ¡°Yes, Tomas is alive. He didn¡¯t leave with us, though. I think he is still inside the dungeon somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Merlin, I have to go now,¡± Crussus said.


    ¡°I promised to come with you,¡± Merlin said.


    Crussus turned and shook his head. ¡°No friend, you¡¯ve found the one you were fighting for. The battle is over. You need not worry about me now. Without you, I would still be a slave, stuck in the memories of his past. This is something I must do alone. But know this, Merlin. From this point forward, you will forever have a brother in me.¡±


    He reached a hand out toward Merlin.


    Merlin reached out and clasped the knight¡¯s hand with a satisfying clap. ¡°You¡¯re saying this like its goodbye,¡± Merlin said.


    Crussus nodded. ¡°It is. After I find Tomas, we¡¯ll return to my homeland. But you know where to find me should the need ever arise, my friend. I¡¯ll pray a prayer of protection on your behalf tonight.¡± With that, Crussus turned and shook a few other hands, and then left the camp. He turned to look at Charlie over his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re very lucky to have such a caretaker. Treat him well.¡±


    Charlie shrieked his agreement. ¡°I will,¡± he thought to himself.


    Godo clapped his hands. ¡°Godo thinks we should make ourselves useful! There is much to do in Sange! The sooner Sange recovers, the sooner Godo can do good business!¡± His cheery demeanor changed, and he looked toward a nearby rooftop. ¡°Godo is very afraid of that woman.¡± He pointed at her.


    Charlie turned and his face lit up. ¡°Vetica! You found us!¡± he said cheerfully. What were the odds of that? Reunited with both his friends at once.


    She jumped from the rooftop and landed close by. ¡°I saw Merlin¡¯s signal. Figured it had to be him.¡± She exchanged a serious look with Merlin. A worried look spread across his face, and he hurriedly approached them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Merlin whispered.


    Vetica took a breath. ¡°The Hex Knights are coming in force. Within the hour, they¡¯ll seize control of Sange.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°They caught up to us?¡± he asked. This was bad. Really bad.


    Vetica nodded. ¡°They don¡¯t know you¡¯re here. But once they seize control, it will be impossible to leave the city. We have to move now.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s head fell. ¡°It¡¯s always something! Alright. Let¡¯s go and get Marvin and the wagon and¡ª¡± He paused, looking down at Sophia. ¡°Right. We still have to get her to her mother.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can wait here for momma. You should take Charlie somewhere safe,¡± Sophia said softly.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°No. We need to make sure she¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not leaving unless we do.¡±


    Vetica nodded. ¡°Her mother is outside Sange with an adventurer named Tirille. I¡¯ll take Sophia with me and make sure they¡¯re reunited. The two of you need to leave from the opposite gate and keep heading away from Sange. I¡¯ll catch up with the wagon and we¡¯ll escape,¡± Vetica said. She paused, looking at Charlie. ¡°Is that okay?¡± she asked.


    Charlie thought about it for a moment. He wanted to see Sophia off himself. But if the Hex Knights found her with them, it might put her in danger. This was the only option, and he trusted Vetica¡¯s plan. He nodded.


    Sophia went along with it as well. She turned to Charlie and smiled at him. ¡°Thanks for saving me. I¡¯m sorry for any trouble it caused you.¡±


    Before he could respond, Sophia ran off. She raised her hands to her face and wiped it.


    ¡°Goodbye Sophia. It wasn¡¯t any trouble. I¡¯m glad we¡¯re friends,¡± Charlie projected the thought to her mind.


    Sophia stopped running and turned to look back at him. She waved at Charlie, her face streaming full of tears, and then she did something that surprised him. ¡°Me too,¡± she said in Charlie¡¯s mind.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes shot open at the sudden revelation. Sophia had spoken in his mind, but how?


    Vetica exchanged a look with Merlin. She took off running and quickly caught up with Sophia. She took the younger girl by the hand and led her down the street.


    Charlie realized he¡¯d missed something Vetica had said. ¡°Wait, did she just say Sophia¡¯s mom was with someone named Tirille?¡± His head spun. He had a lot to catch up on with his friends.


    ¡°Well, I suppose we¡¯ll have to leave too,¡± Merlin said, scooping Charlie up. The Scalers eagerly shot up, ready to follow. ¡°Oh great, more tagalongs,¡± Merlin commented.


    Torq and the others looked at them. ¡°What¡¯s with all the commotion, lad? You¡¯re leaving so suddenly?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it appears we¡¯re on the run again. I¡¯m sorry, friends, but you¡¯ll have to do the rest without me. I know you can rebuild Sange to be a great place. One day, I¡¯ll come back and visit.¡±


    Before they could protest, Merlin broke into a run, the Scalers following him.


    He skidded to a stop with Torq¡¯s words, though.


    ¡°Not so fast, lad. I still have a dream to fulfill. Don¡¯t forget your end of the bargain.¡±


    Merlin turned and looked at Torq. ¡°What? Wait, you don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    Charlie looked between them. What was this about a dream? He looked toward the old blacksmith. Did Torq really want them to wait around so he could take a nap?


    ¡°Aye lad. I cheated a bit and worked on it before I held up my end of the bargain. But I had a feeling you¡¯d leave in a hurry. Call it an old man¡¯s intuition.¡± He pulled something wrapped in cloth out of a pouch on his waist. ¡°You promised me a hero from another world. Well, you delivered. So, it¡¯s my turn.¡± A huge grin was plastered on Torq¡¯s face.


    He started to unwrap the cloth. ¡°After all, every hero needs a weapon.¡±

 Chapter 67: Geron of Gemini

    ¡°I have to admit, I really didn¡¯t expect¡­well, that,¡± Merlin said.


    Charlie looked up at Merlin. He didn¡¯t even know what it was.


    Torq smiled. ¡°Do you know why dungeallis crystal is so sought after? It¡¯s the hardest material to craft with. Since it¡¯s difficult to come by, it¡¯s nearly impossible to practice with unless you work closely with a guild or have the funds for it. Even then, it¡¯s more expensive than most can afford. By my grandfather was a prodigy. When the hero commissioned him for a sword with a material he had never worked with, he made one worthy of that hero. The hero who would one day save Aysela.¡±


    Torq paused. ¡°But he always had one regret. He said the sword that he made lacked something important. The soul of Sange.¡±


    Merlin tilted his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What does that have to do with a¡ª¡±


    Torq held up a hand. ¡°Dungeallis crystal is very particular. When working with it in your forge, you must think about its future wielder at all times. If your mind slips for even a moment, the entire process is ruined.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s head fell. ¡°That¡¯s why you kept asking me all those questions about Charlie¡­¡±


    Charlie looked up at him. That was interesting.


    Torq nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. My point being that it¡¯s not the blacksmith who decides what he¡¯s forging. When it comes to dungeallis crystal, you listen to the material itself. It speaks to you, the way it burns in the furnace, the way it¡¯s molds under your hammer. It knows exactly what shape will best serve its future master. I listened to it the whole way. But there wasn¡¯t enough material. So, I added some of the soul of Sange.¡±


    Sullivan interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that term before. My grandfather used to say it. It¡¯s what they called kierstone, right? Since most of our blacksmiths worked with it. It was what we¡¯d become known for. It was the staple of our economy,¡± Sullivan said.


    Godo started dancing, quickly lifting each of his feet up in succession. He clapped his hands with each step. ¡°Godo thinks an exciting reveal is imminent!¡±


    ¡°Papa¡­you¡¯re embarrassing us,¡± Josephine said, covering her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Sullivan. This is a combination of the power of dungeallis crystal, and the soul of Sange, kierstone. My grandfather always theorized it was possible. But he never got a chance to work with the rare material again. So, I took up his dream alongside my own. I decided I would forge a weapon for a hero combining both materials. I don¡¯t know how it will serve you, but I¡¯ll tell you this, lads, it will serve. Keep it close at hand, and you¡¯ll come to understand its power over time.¡± Torq stepped forward and held out the small, black crystalized object toward Charlie.


    Charlie took it. It was flat and slightly curved in the middle, with two small holes in it on either side. On the back of it, there was a little ring that made it easy to hold. On the front, there was a weird little piece that Charlie couldn¡¯t identify.


    ¡°What kind of weapon is this?¡± Charlie asked, waving it around in the air, trying to see what was dangerous about it.


    Merlin seemed as confused as he was. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly a weapon. It¡¯s a pacifier. It¡¯s for¡­well, you put it in a baby¡¯s mouths to calm them down and help them fall asleep. There are lots of reasons, really. But none of them are violent.¡±


    Torq laughed. ¡°Aye lad. But the dungeallis crystal knows its purpose. It chose this form a reason.¡± He turned his attention to Charlie. ¡°A blacksmith must trust his forge, and a hero his weapon. Put your faith in that when you are in danger, and it will reveal its power. This I swear on my honor as a blacksmith of Sange.¡±


    ¡°Very exciting!¡± Godo said, still dancing in the background.


    Merlin turned to them. ¡°Please, keep Charlie¡¯s identity a secret. My friend, that woman, told me the Hex Knights will arrive and seize Sange soon. You should ready yourselves, just in case.¡±


    Sullivan seemed the most taken aback. ¡°We should indeed. We¡¯ll need to show we have the town under control. If we don¡¯t, the king may install a new government entirely. We need to ensure that doesn¡¯t happen. The last thing we need is another noble from the capital taking over. Thanks for the warning. Godo, Torq, I could use your help,¡± Sullivan went and hurried toward the front gate. He¡¯d given his horse to someone else to relay messages earlier.


    The men nodded. Torq looked Merlin in the eyes. ¡°Thank you for helping me accomplish this dream. I suppose I¡¯ll need a new one now. Merlin, you¡¯ll need one too, if you haven¡¯t found one already. Figure out what you¡¯re fighting for in this life and chase it with everything you have.¡± The blacksmith turned toward Charlie afterward. ¡°I look forward to seeing what kind of hero you¡¯ll become, boy! Don¡¯t let me down!¡± He held his fist in the air for a moment and then jogged off after Sullivan.


    Godo gave them a big thumbs up. ¡°Godo is good businessman. The best businessman, should you ever need to do business, call for Godo!¡± He lumbered off after the others.


    ¡°Was that a goodbye or a sales pitch? It felt like a sales pitch,¡± Merlin said.


    Charlie shrugged.


    Josephine giggled. She waved at Merlin, Charlie, and the scalers before chasing her father. ¡°Slow down, papa!¡±


    Charlie stared at the pacifier in his hands. ¡°How does this work?¡±


    ¡°You put it in your mouth,¡± Merlin told him. He pointed at the teat on the end.


    Charlie wasn¡¯t so sure about trying that. He tucked it inside his onesie for now.


    Merlin ran toward the rear gate of Sange. It was time they get out of this city.


    Charlie turned to glance behind them one last time. He looked up at Varroc hanging from the wall. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he was bouncing with every step Merlin took, or if it was the just the wind. But for just a second, Charlie thought he saw one of Varroc¡¯s fingers twitch.


    He squinted, but the corpse didn¡¯t move again, despite the wind and his bouncing. He shrugged and turned to look at the buildings as they rushed past.


    Merlin wrapped his cloak over his shoulder so that only Charlie¡¯s head peeked out. They needed to get out of town without drawing too much attention and people would especially notice if someone was trying to flee Sange with a child in tow. The fewer people that could report Merlin fleeing the city with a baby to the Hex Knights, the better. They stopped only when they ran into the occasional boar carcass on the street so that Charlie could absorb them and repair his dungeon. Charlie knew it would only help a little, but he desperately needed to start repairing it.


    The few Scalers traveling with them followed along on the rooftops. All but one, at least.


    The road they were on seemed to be in a residential district. The city gate loomed over them at the end of the road. They were close now. But the gate was closed.


    There was a man sitting against the outside wall of a house on their right. He was wearing the same armor as Varroc¡¯s men but had a fox insignia on his sleeve. As they passed him, he looked up and made a strange face.


    ¡°Have we met him before?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie peeked out from the cloak. ¡°He does look kinda familiar.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The man shot to his feet and chased after them.


    ¡°Varroc is dead. Your side lost. So don¡¯t try to get in my way now,¡± Merlin said.


    The man held his hands up. ¡°Oh! Sorry, I¡¯m not with Varroc. I mean, I was conscripted from my town to help fight against the incoming invasion, but I stopped helping them as soon as the rebellion started! I never wanted anything to do with this, I swear!¡±


    Merlin raised a brow. ¡°Are you from Sirra?¡±


    Charlie realized it, too. ¡°It¡¯s the gate guard! The one who was acting weird.¡±


    Merlin leaned in. ¡°It is him!¡± Merlin¡¯s mouth parted. ¡°You knew about everything going on in Sange and didn¡¯t warn us! The snatchers in Sirra, the circle, everything!¡±


    The man¡¯s face fell. ¡°Yes, that was me. I¡¯m sorry, I wanted to warn you, but when the other guards asked what the holdup was, I panicked. Ever since that moment, I¡¯ve regretted it. I hope you can forgive me!¡± He leaned forward into a bow.


    Merlin and Charlie exchanged a look with one another. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me or my son ever again!¡± Merlin said.


    The guard looked up at him. ¡°But¡­¡±


    Merlin closed his eyes and turned his head away.


    Charlie copied Merlin and turned away as well. ¡°Hpmh!¡± he added for good measure.


    ¡°I thought he was your nephew? In Sirra you said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough! We¡¯re leaving!¡± Merlin flapped his cloak dramatically and hurried toward the gate. They¡¯d spent too much time on this conversation as is. Charlie ducked back beneath Merlin¡¯s cloak as they reached the gates.


    One of the guards atop the wall noticed them. ¡°Halt, this gate is closed under the orders of¡­ Merlin? Is that you?¡± the guard asked.


    Merlin nodded. ¡°I need to leave the city. There¡¯s something I have to do.¡±


    ¡°Right away, sir! We¡¯ll have to figure out the gate controls. We¡¯ve never done this before. Sullivan didn¡¯t care since the gates were supposed to stay closed. Please give us a moment!¡± The two men ran inside a tower along the wall where the gates controls were hidden.


    Merlin tapped his foot impatiently as they waited. Charlie sucked his thumb. He had a bad feeling for some reason.


    ¡°Leaving the city?¡± a deep voice asked from behind.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes shot open. Was that who he thought it was?


    Merlin didn¡¯t turn around. He looked over his shoulder. He could sense the tension in the air as well. ¡°Do I know you? I don¡¯t have time for autographs, so I¡¯m afraid it will have to wait.¡± Merlin gently nudged Charlie further inside of the cloak. Charlie slowly readjusted his hands, holding onto Merlin and shuffling along his side to climb around toward his back. When Charlie reached his side, Merlin skillfully turned around to mask the movement and face the man before them.


    Charlie clung to Merlin¡¯s back, hoping he¡¯d find a way to get out of this situation. If not, things could get bad.


    Geron


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Things were just starting to get nice around here again,¡± Geron called out. He wasn¡¯t sure what had brought him out all this way. Call it intuition or instinct, or maybe something else. But they¡¯d already saved so many children and still he hadn¡¯t found Charlie. What was it that had possessed him to come to this gate at this moment?


    Was it impulse, or was it something else? The fact he¡¯d found a strange man fleeing the city at this very gate made it difficult to ignore. If he didn¡¯t at least investigate, he¡¯d regret it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to stay anywhere for too long. I¡¯ve had my fill of Sange, and I¡¯m sure the people here will be just fine without me. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± The man paused. He looked over his shoulder at the still closed gate. He grimaced.


    Geron noticed something. It was brief, but it almost seemed like the man¡¯s cloak had moved unnaturally. He could tell it wasn¡¯t the wind. It was almost like¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s on your back?¡± he asked.


    The man¡¯s face hardened. ¡°My cloak? It is nice. I¡¯m afraid the person who gave it to me is no longer around. If you¡¯re looking to purchase one of your own, you¡¯ll have to look elsewhere.¡±


    Geron sneered. ¡°What¡¯s under your cloak?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Geron rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles. ¡°I see. If you are truly innocent and don¡¯t have anything to hide, I am sorry for what I¡¯m about to do. If it is within my power to do so, I will do my best to avoid injuring you permanently.¡±


    ¡°Merlin! Are you okay?¡± One of the gate guards had come to investigate the commotion. His eyes fixed on Geron, and he called out to the other guard. The other man joined him, and they hefted spears, ready to throw them and support the mysterious man if need be.


    ¡°Merlin, is it?¡± Geron asked.


    The man stared at him, a blank expression on his face. ¡°That¡¯s the great mage Merlin to you. Let me show you why they call me that.¡± Merlin lifted both of his hands into the air. Large hexes formed on either side of Geron. Void hexes. Staring into them was like staring into darkness itself. Geron gritted his teeth. He could sense the power coming off of them.


    This man was strong. He readied himself. This would be a test of speed.


    Which of them could strike the other down first?


    Geron shot forward, the hexes exploded, and tendrils of darkness chased after him.


    He¡¯d take the magician down with a single. Even as he approached, the man¡¯s face was unchanging. It was like he knew something that Geron didn¡¯t.


    A green tail popped out of the back of Merlin¡¯s cloak.


    Geron planted his feet and came sliding to a halt. The hexes dissipated as well. From the bottom of Merlin¡¯s cloak, a Scaler crawled out. It tilted its head, staring at Geron.


    Merlin seemed just as surprised as Geron was.


    ¡°A Scaler? You had a Scaler on your back? Why didn¡¯t you just say that?¡±


    Merlin collected himself. He sighed. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people who would be accepting of someone who had a beast for a pet. Excuse my caution, but I thought it best to keep my friend here a secret. I¡¯m sorry it almost came to blows.¡±


    Geron laughed. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry as well. My name is Geron. Geron of guild Gemini. I shouldn¡¯t have been so accusatory. The truth is, I¡¯m looking for someone. A young boy I promised to protect. My friends and I came here to Sange in search of him, but we¡¯ve come up empty so far.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s eyes fell. ¡°I had heard the children were being rescued from the dungeon. Are some of them still unaccounted for?¡± he asked.


    Geron shook his head. ¡°No. We¡¯ve interviewed the children from each of the holding areas within the dungeon to make sure no one was missing. But none of them have ever even heard of a Charlie. I just can¡¯t understand it¡­¡±


    ¡°That must be¡­hard. I¡¯m sorry for what you¡¯re going through. I hope it all works out in the end. If he knew how hard you were looking for him, I¡¯m sure Charlie would appreciate it.¡±


    Geron nodded. ¡°Thanks for that. If you hear anything, please send word to Gemini. I¡¯ll pay handsomely for any information you might find.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Merlin said. Behind him, the gates grated and slowly ascended. Merlin turned to leave and threw up a hand to wave.


    Geron frowned. He¡¯d hoped this was it. He¡¯d hoped he would find Charlie here.


    The gate fell and locked back into place. Defeated, Geron turned back to head into town. Perhaps Charlie was still somewhere in Sange. Or perhaps Charlie had never been brought here after all.


    ¡°I failed him. I let him down.¡±


    Geron shook his head. No. No! He wouldn¡¯t give up that easily. He would keep his promise and he would protect the boy. No matter how long it took, he would protect the boy.


    He¡¯d walked for a while when he ran into a man wearing armor from Sirra. He was sitting against the wall, a sad look on his face.


    Now that he thought about it, Geron realized he had run by this man earlier. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I just¡­I hope that man and his son are okay. I know Sange isn¡¯t the safest place right now, but the forests aren¡¯t much better. All those boars?¡± The man shivered. ¡°I wanted to offer to go with them to help them safe. But they didn¡¯t want anything to do with me.¡±


    Geron tilted his head. ¡°A man and his son? Going that way?¡± He pointed toward the gate.


    The soldier looked up at him. ¡°Uh, yeah. Truth is, I¡ª¡±


    Geron grabbed the man by the front of his shirt. ¡°Was the man wearing a cloak? What color was it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. It was purple. Why?¡±


    Geron dropped the man to the ground. He turned to look toward the gate. ¡°No¡­he was right there in front of me, and I let him go. He was right there...¡±


    From the opposite end of the city, a giant bolt of lightning struck the ground. Geron looked up. ¡°Samantha?¡± That was the signal that something unexpected had happened. She was summoning him and the others.


    On one side, a young boy, probably Charlie, was being taken by this Merlin. On the other, his friends were calling for him. They could be in danger.


    So which way did he go?


    He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and ran.

 Chapter 68: The Spite of Snatchers and Spirits

    Crussus


    The last time he¡¯d run through the halls of the dungeon was all those years ago.


    The night he met Tomas.


    Before the first rebellion, Crussus had hoped to return to Tantaloo with Tomas in tow. To raise him to be a knight like he was. As long as Tomas also found the idea agreeable. Even if he hadn¡¯t, Crussus had wanted to offer him something more in life. To show him there was still joy in living. He knew he was a hypocrite when he had come to Sange in seek of revenge. But that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t want more for Tomas.


    For the boy he had come to see as a son.


    When Achai told him Tomas had been taken, he¡¯d lost hope. But Godo¡¯s daughter, that sweet little girl, had come out of nowhere to offer hope again. Was this Tomas really one and the same?


    Had his boy become a snatcher?


    ¡°Halt.¡± The voice came from behind. Crussus drew his sword, turning as he did so.


    But he stopped when he felt the tip of a blade pressed to his back.


    Crussus held his hands up. He couldn¡¯t die here. Not like this. Not when he was so close. Was he followed by one of Varroc¡¯s men? Had he truly grown so complacent after all this time?


    ¡°Do not turn around. I have a message for you,¡± the man said.


    ¡°A message? From who?¡± Crussus asked.


    ¡°The correct question is for who. You must deliver it to the High Queen of the Holy Nation of Tantaloo. I will leave it with you.¡±


    A message for the queen? It must be a letter then. But why would someone in Sange want to¡ª


    He felt a hand pressed against his back. He started to turn, but the sword pressed deeper into his flesh.


    ¡°I told you not to turn around. A moment,¡± the man said.


    There was an infusion of magic. Crussus could feel it coursing through his body. The feeling lasted for only a second before fading away.


    And then emotions overwhelmed him. Fear. Anger. Frustration. Anxiety. It felt like he¡¯d just woken up from a bad dream but couldn¡¯t remember it. It was too much. He fell to the ground, sinking to his knees. ¡°What did you do? My mind¡­¡±


    ¡°As I said, I¡¯ve left a message with you. They are memories repressed by magic. You will remember when conditions are met. When you stand before the queen that you serve.¡±


    Crussus grabbed his face. ¡°Why am I feeling like this? A side effect of the magic?¡±


    ¡°You experienced the memory for a fleeting second. The memory is hidden, but the feelings inside of you, those are your reactions to what I showed you. Consider it motivation to deliver the message quickly. If Tantaloo is to address the threat, they will need ample time to prepare.¡±


    This power was unlike anything Crussus had ever experienced before. A force beyond comprehension. Whatever message that memory contained was serious. If this stranger spoke the truth, and these memories really were his own reaction, Tantaloo must be in serious danger. Something was coming.


    ¡°One more thing. A message from someone you once knew quite well. The boy asked me to tell you he is grateful for all that you did for him. That he appreciates you. You showed him how to be strong and gave him the will to keep fighting. For that, he will forever be grateful. I have to go now. I have to see the child before he gets too far.¡± The man paused. ¡°Thank you, Crussus.¡±


    It hit him in that moment. The identity of the man behind him. Crussus turned around, shooting back to his feet, blade be damned.


    ¡°Tomas?¡± he called out.


    But the boy¡­the man was gone.


    Tomas was gone.


    ¡°One day, I will find you again. This I swear, my child.¡± Crussus pressed a fist into the wall.


    A noise came from deeper inside the dungeon. It sounded like raindrops. No, it was something living. He covered his face as they emerged from the darkness.


    Scalers. A large swarm of them.


    Some brushed passed him, ignoring him as they split to avoid him. Others scurried past on the walls and ceilings. He¡¯d thought they were all out in the city already, but apparently the nest hadn¡¯t cleared completely. What were they doing? Where were they going?


    They were gone just as quickly as they appeared.


    He put any concerns from his mind. If they¡¯d intended to hurt humans, they would¡¯ve attacked him.


    He couldn¡¯t worry about this.


    Crussus had somewhere to be. He had a message to deliver.


    Varroc


    His eyes crept open. He gasped for air, but none would come. The rope bit into his neck like the sharp fangs of a serpent. Behind him, his hands were bound tight, and he swayed in the air from his sudden struggle.


    A normal person would be dead by now.


    So, this is the end, huh?


    If only he¡¯d been the one to get the power. If only he¡¯d inherited it instead of his brother. But he hadn¡¯t. Varroc had been forced to rise to the top through sheer force of will.


    He¡¯d been unrivaled in battle until the day he¡¯d joined Coelacanth. Then he¡¯d just become another grunt. A weakling at the bottom of the pile.


    It was infuriating. Demeaning. It left him hungry for more.


    The day that things changed for him was one of his most fond memories.


    Varroc barged into the tavern frequented by the guild and found them sitting there drinking their lives away. The bartender spit polished the outside of a glass. Hell, knowing this place, he¡¯d probably spit polished the inside as well. The stools, tables, and shelving were all made of cheap wood. The way the guild fought when they were drunk made expensive furniture a poor investment. But Coelacanth leadership always covered the damages.


    After all, they needed somewhere to drink.


    A massive great hammer leaned against the bar. One of the few men large enough to wield it sat on the stool beside it.


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    A gorgeous blonde woman sat in a booth with her back against the wall and her boots crossed over the table.


    Brel and Philomena.


    They were the only ones drinking today.


    Varroc walked right up and took the seat next to Brel. The large man looked over at him, annoyed, and grunted. Brel turned back and stared at the empty drinking glass longingly. Varroc studied him for a moment. He¡¯d heard of Brel even before they both joined the guild. He used to run with some bandits in the mountains. A member of Coelacanth had wiped them out, and Brel was the only one who put up a decent fight. They¡¯d recruited him. Since then, he¡¯d been reliable.


    Philomena¡¯s background was a mystery. But she was strong too. She usually ran solo missions that didn¡¯t pay well enough for the people of higher ranks. She didn¡¯t talk to anyone, as far as Varroc knew.


    The three of them all had something in common. Varroc looked at the bartender and slid him three gold coins. He beckoned to the only other patrons in the bar. The bartender nodded and brought a bottle over from the shelf. He poured a drink for Varroc and then went to refill Brel¡¯s.


    Varroc could swear even the man¡¯s mohawk was leaning forward in anticipation. The bartender stepped around the bar and went to pour Philomena a fresh glass as well. But she glared at him, then nodded toward the bottle, and finally her table. The bartender took the hint. He left the bottle with her and hurried to the back to give them some privacy.


    ¡°So, you two, how¡¯s it feel being weak?¡± Varroc asked.


    Brel turned toward Varroc and blindly grabbed onto his hammer with one hand. Philomena shattered an old empty glass against the table and flung a shard toward Varroc.


    Varroc dodged the shard and held a hand up to calm Brel. The glass smashed against the rear wall. ¡°Yeah, I feel the same way. I realized something a while back.¡± He paused and took a drink. It burned his throat as it went down. ¡°Ah. You know people like us? We don¡¯t make it to the top. We¡¯re good enough to be here, but not good enough to take over all on our own. So, I got to thinking, what if we didn¡¯t do it on our own?¡±


    Brel chuckled and let go of his hammer. He turned toward his drink and took a swig. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough knife wounds in my back. I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    Philomena didn¡¯t say a word. She simply stared at him. Varroc pointed toward the door. ¡°Beyond that threshold is everything you¡¯ve ever wanted. Power. Influence. Wealth. We can have it. All of it. The three of us can take over this guild. We¡¯ve just gotta stick together. You¡¯re right, this guild is so full of betrayal and selfish bastards that everyone is always looking over their own shoulder. But what if the three of us could have absolute faith in one another? A few nobodies at the bottom rung of the ladder banding together. Imagine what we could do? We¡¯re strong, but not enough to go at it on our own. But I¡¯ve got a mind for strategy. If you two will join me, I¡¯ll take us all the way.¡±


    ¡°So, what exactly is your plan? To take one of those coveted spots?¡± Philomena asked. She seemed amused.


    Varroc smiled. ¡°Either they make room for us and add three more. Or we kill all of them and take over ourselves. Either way, I will carve out a space for us. So, will you join me?¡±


    Brel grunted. ¡°My old friends got killed because they were weak. Don¡¯t go dying on me.¡±


    Varroc smiled. ¡°And you?¡±


    Her eyes bore down on him. ¡°I¡¯m curious enough. I suppose I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡±


    Varroc smiled, even as the rope cut into his neck and his life faded. This was it. They¡¯d failed all because of that stupid¡ª


    In the empty streets below, a figure approached. His face was smashed in from falling from such a height, but he was still alive. Even if just barely.


    The snatcher Merlin had felled.


    It held a hand towards Varroc. ¡°The silence is deafening. The influence waning. But I found something you might find interesting. I wanted to share it with you.¡± The words were inside his head.


    He couldn¡¯t even die in peace.


    A flash. He saw Brel lying face first in the dungeon in a pool of his own blood.


    Another. Philomena was on her knees in the woods. Her arms bound behind her back. She was absolutely full of terror. A man walked around a camp barking out orders. So, the soldier had been telling the truth. She¡¯d have been better off dead. If they were taking her back, they had plans for her. They would make her pay for all of their sins. The torture they were capable of would break her.


    He struggled anew with his restraints, but they wouldn¡¯t budge. It was taking everything in him just to stave off death. The will of a man who had been at death¡¯s door many times.


    I led them here. They¡¯re my responsibility.


    He knew he would die here.


    The snatcher smiled, staring up at him. ¡°Suffer for me. Suffer with me. It¡¯s so quiet.¡±


    But that didn¡¯t mean he had to die alone.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so eager to let people into your mind,¡± Varroc projected his thoughts toward the snatcher.


    The snatcher paused. ¡°How can you speak like this? You¡¯re not one of us!¡±


    ¡°Do you know why the dungeon uses you as mouthpieces? It could speak to me through the sphere of influence, too. But it always kept me out. Do you know why?¡±


    Varroc blinked. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the center of the dungeon. The snatcher was there with him as well. Brel¡¯s body was on the floor in front of him.


    ¡°How did you¡­what did you do? I don¡¯t understand.¡± The snatcher grasped at its own mutilated face.


    Varroc smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t inherit that power. But if you invite someone like me in, you better be damned sure you can handle the consequences.¡±


    The snatcher took a step back. Behind him, a copy of Varroc appeared. It grabbed the snatcher and bit down on his neck, tearing through the flesh. The snatcher screamed. ¡°How?¡±


    Varroc smiled over his shoulder. ¡°You said you wanted us to suffer together. So, suffer.¡± He turned back to his fallen friend. Varroc¡¯s body was on the verge of death. He only had a moment.


    He placed a hand on the injured man and felt the magic seep from his body.


    ¡°You always come when I call you Brel. So, come now. Come and save her.¡±


    He turned to look over his shoulder. His clone, the other Varroc, changed. Its skin became a translucent blue. ¡°I only answered your call because I¡¯ve never tasted a Limbling before.¡±


    Varroc smirked. ¡°And? How¡¯d it taste?¡±


    ¡°Like carrion. It¡¯s odd you always had an affinity for this, but instead, you lusted after the power your brother inherited.¡±


    Varroc groaned. ¡°I¡¯m on the verge of death. Don¡¯t bore me to an even earlier demise. I¡¯d like to stave off hell as long as I can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the only thing keeping you alive at this point. Or rather, my curiosity. So tell me, why did you kill your brother for his power but not see the job through?¡± The spirit asked. Its hair grew until it reached the floor, and its facial features became its own. The nose was longer, the brows thicker. Still, it remained translucent.


    Varroc stood and turned to face the creature. ¡°Finish it? He was the last of his line. It should¡¯ve passed on to me. But it didn¡¯t. You know something?¡±


    ¡°You knew something. You¡¯ve known it all along. But you allowed the dungeon to play with your memories.¡± The spirit disappeared and reappeared next to him. Varroc¡¯s head turned to look at it. The spirit placed a hand on his shoulder.


    Then he remembered. Tan skin. Long wild hair.


    The child with unnatural strength.


    Kashak.


    His brother had a son. The dungeon had stolen this memory from him, locked it away within his own mind. The answer had been within reach all this time, and he couldn¡¯t even remember.


    His nostrils flared, and he flexed the muscles on his arms. Varroc roared.


    The power hadn¡¯t passed to him because his brother had a son.


    It had gone to Kashak.


    The power that was wasted on his brother. The power that would¡¯ve allowed Varroc to conquer Coelacanth.


    The spirit smirked. ¡°You had power at your fingertips, your obsession with inheritance ruined you. My curiosity is sated.¡±


    Varroc blinked again, and he was hanging from the stone building again. Below him, the snatcher bled in the street from a wound on his neck. The power of a spirit.


    He steeled himself. There was nothing he could do now. He wouldn¡¯t give the spirit the satisfaction. He put the revelation from his mind. The days of worrying about that power were over.


    This was it. This was the end for him. He whispered his friend¡¯s name. ¡°Brel.¡±


    In his mind, he saw the scene flash by like a memory.


    Brel¡¯s eyes shot open, and he sucked in a deep breath of air.


    That was the thing about having people you could depend on. Loyal people. It meant even if you lost, the war wasn¡¯t necessarily over. Not as long as you kept a piece on the board.


    He would die, but Brel would live. He would save Philo, and they would make the people who forced them to hide in this system-forsaken city pay.


    Varroc smirked, and then he passed from this world with only a single thought in his mind.


    His companions would burn Coelacanth to the ground.

 Chapter 69: Ambush

    Geron


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Geron?¡± Tirille asked, pacing back and forth in the forest clearing.


    Geron nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. I needed to stay close to Sange so I could help when the knights arrive, so I couldn¡¯t go after them. But now, I don¡¯t need to.¡±


    ¡°And what if you¡¯re wrong?¡± Tirille asked.


    Geron¡¯s eyes fell. ¡°I don¡¯t think I am, but we¡¯ll find out. ¡°


    The clearing was smaller than their first camp. Marvin the horse was grazing on the forest grass on the edge of the campsite. On the opposite side, Lady C sat on a log warming her hands by a fire Geron had quickly made upon their arrival. It had taken a bit of prodding to even get a simple initial out of the lady. Even Vetica hadn¡¯t known her name and they¡¯d been in the forest together for a few days before Geron and the others showed up. He still didn¡¯t quite understand their relationship, but Lady C seemed okay enough. She just didn¡¯t talk much. He suspected she¡¯d been through some kind of trauma.


    He turned back to Tirille. ¡°Once I capture her, use your powers. Search her memories for an answer. Find out why she came here and what they¡¯re doing with Charlie.¡±


    Tirille hesitated. ¡°Axel told me not to use my powers. Even if I wanted to¡­what if things go wrong again?¡±


    Geron closed his eyes. Of course, she had reservations. A couple of days after Charlie¡¯s disappearance, Axel revealed something about the fight against the core guardian in Sirra. One moment he¡¯d been fighting, the next he was reliving a memory. Tirille had pulled Axel into his own mind. Geron had tried to protect him, and the creature had sent him flying instead. When he next awoke, the fight was over. Roan had been the only witness left. He said was it was like Axel was having a bad nightmare. The creature bit down on Axel¡¯s shoulder, and he¡¯d screamed. It was like his body reacted to the pain, but his eyes were blank.


    In the end, Tirille had saved them. But her powers had also been the reason things almost went wrong. ¡°I know you have reservations, but I believe you can do this. Focus. You saw what happened the day of my outburst. I know how you feel, perhaps more than anyone. But there¡¯s a little boy who needs our help. Your power is crucial here.¡±


    Tirille looked up at him in surprise. ¡°It is?¡±


    Geron nodded. He placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°If things go wrong and your powers don¡¯t behave correctly, we¡¯ll call it off. But I know you can do this, Tirille.¡±


    That reassured her. She returned to her usual self in an instant. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± She smiled.


    Geron smiled at her. He knew she would be a great warrior one day. ¡°She¡¯ll arrive soon. I should get ready.¡±


    Geron had been fortunate enough to make it back to camp before Vetica had. He didn¡¯t know what was holding her up, but he was grateful. He¡¯d quickly helped Tirille get Lady C and the horse away from there. They decided to set up an ambush at the secondary location they all agreed upon when discussing their plans to infiltrate the city. Vetica would realize they were gone, then come here.


    Lady C and Marvin the horse. Vetica was bound to come back for them. She¡¯d stressed the importance of their protection too much to leave them behind now.


    While he waited, he had time to think about some things. Geron realized something after his interaction with Merlin. He was likely the same man who had signaled the start of the rebellion. According to some rebels who¡¯d helped them get all the children out of the dungeon, Merlin was the one who had actually created the resistance in the first place. So, Vetica¡¯s ally, and the one who created the signal, had to be the same person.


    That first hex had been one of healing. Geron had been in the dungeon for the second signal, but that one was apparently a water elemental hex. When they¡¯d confronted one another, Merlin used void hexes.


    Three different hexes. That was unheard of. But Geron was confident this had to be the same man. He wasn¡¯t dealing with any ordinary caster. He knew from speaking with the cafe owner in Sirra that the man Charlie had originally been traveling with also wore a purple cloak. Geron had thought nothing of it when he first ran into Merlin by the gate. It wasn¡¯t like purple was that rare of a color. But if this was the same man and Merlin was powerful enough that he could use three different hexes, why had he allowed himself to get arrested in Sirra? Common guards could never have accomplished that unless he allowed it.


    So, what had he been up to? What was his goal?


    Geron didn¡¯t believe Merlin was the one to take Charlie from their camp. The fact he was involved with the rebellion meant he wasn¡¯t working with the mayor. He must have come for the same reason Geron, and the others did.


    He¡¯d come to retrieve Charlie. Now, Geron wanted to find out why.


    Tirille signaled. Geron ducked behind a tree large enough to cover his frame.


    Vetica had returned.


    She walked into the camp, leading a little girl by the hand.


    That was unexpected. Unless¡­was this girl another reason she was in Sange? Was she hired to retrieve her or something?


    Vetica was vigilant of her surroundings. Geron brought his head back behind the tree. Tirille spoke up to catch her attention.


    ¡°Vetica! I¡¯ve been waiting for you. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. Who''s this?¡±


    ¡°Why did you fall back here? What happened?¡± Vetica was straight to the point, as always. She hadn¡¯t even answered Tirille¡¯s question.


    ¡°I was worried that the knights might run into us if we stayed, so I moved the camp. I think we¡¯ll be fine out here though,¡± Tirille said.


    Geron peeked around the tree again.


    The little girl had been staring at Lady C but wasn¡¯t leaving Vetica¡¯s side. She looked up at Vetica, perhaps wondering why she hadn¡¯t introduced her to Tirille yet.


    But Vetica was staring at Tirille with a lifted brow. ¡°The knights? How did you hear about them? Has someone else been here?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. Just me. I saw a signal from town. Samantha¡¯s lightning. I¡¯d thought you would¡¯ve seen it as well.¡±


    Geron pursed his lips. ¡°Come on, Tirille. You¡¯re going to make her paranoid.¡±


    Vetica turned to look back toward the city. ¡°I saw the lightning. But would you guys have a signal for hex knights specifically? I could understand if you¡¯d said she signaled danger or told you to relocate. But a signal for hex knights doesn¡¯t make sense. You aren¡¯t criminals and your guild is in good standing with the kingdom.¡±


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    Geron¡¯s eyes shot open. She was on to them. He hadn¡¯t prepared Tirille well enough. He¡¯d forgotten who they were dealing with.


    Vetica was facing away from the woman, so Tirille didn¡¯t see her hand drift toward the knife on her waist.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Tirille was caught off guard. She was floundering for an answer. You can¡¯t stumble around an assassin. You can¡¯t leave an opening.


    Vetica turned sharply, letting go of the little girl¡¯s hand. Tirille reacted as well, lifting a palm.


    Too slow.


    But Geron was already moving. He¡¯d stepped around the tree and dug his feet into the ground before pressing himself off in their direction.


    Geron was a big man, but that didn¡¯t mean he was a slow. The momentum carried him forward.


    Vetica turned slowly. She¡¯d noticed his rapidly approaching presence. Their eyes locked on one another.


    And then Vetica did something that surprised him. She turned and pushed Sophia out of the way. He¡¯d been mindful of the girl. He wouldn¡¯t have hit her. But Vetica had no way of knowing that. She¡¯d instinctively saved the girl rather than protect herself.


    He¡¯d sort through what that meant later. He couldn¡¯t afford to hold back.


    Geron was close now. The moment she was within reach, he grabbed her by the throat, wrapping his fingers tight around her neck and lifting her into the air. Geron took a few more steps and pressed her back against a tree.


    Vetica snarled and lifted the hand with her knife in it to stab him.


    ¡°Broken Hex Bane,¡± Geron said.


    The knife turned to ash before it reached his face.


    Vetica¡¯s eyes shot open. She pried at his large fingers with both of her hands.


    She struggled.


    ¡°I want answers. Now. What are you doing with these children? What are you doing with Charlie?¡±


    Vetica glared at him, still struggling.


    Geron sighed. He didn¡¯t expect her to cooperate. ¡°Tirille¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let her go! She¡¯s a good person!¡± The little girl protested.


    Geron turned to look over his shoulder. Lady C hadn¡¯t responded to any of the commotion. But when the girl spoke, she finally looked up. ¡°Sophia?¡± she said. Lady C stood and ran over to the little girl, embracing her.


    Sophia ignored her. Her attention was on Vetica. Lady C looked up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked, finally noticing Geron holding Vetica in the air. ¡°That woman saved me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Geron said. Something wrapped around his arm. He turned back to see Vetica had lifted her legs and used them to ensnare him. She twisted, and Geron grunted in pain.


    Instinctively, he let go of her.


    Vetica ran.


    ¡°Tirille!¡± he called out. Tirille ran toward Lady C and Sophia. Geron had been sure that would be Vetica¡¯s priority. She¡¯d take one as a hostage or try to escape.


    But she didn¡¯t.


    She ran for the freaking horse.


    Geron hurried after her, still nursing his dislocated arm. Vetica untied Marvin and hopped on. As soon as he was untied and she had mounted, Marvin took off into the woods. Something wrapped around Geron¡¯s leg. He looked down to see Sophia lying prone in the dirt, holding onto him with everything she had.


    ¡°Tirille! Go!¡± he called out. She nodded and chased after Vetica. It seemed the assassin was moving toward Sange. She would try to get through the tree line, then rendezvous with her friends. If Tirille didn¡¯t catch her before then, it was over. They couldn¡¯t keep up with a horse on open land.


    Geron was strong. Too strong sometimes. He worried if he tried to pry the little girl¡¯s hands off of him, he might hurt her. ¡°Little girl, please! That woman knows something about a boy I¡¯m looking for. I think he¡¯s in danger. I need to go after her.¡±


    ¡°What boy?¡± she asked.


    Geron sighed. There wasn¡¯t time for this. ¡°A baby named Charlie. I promised I would protect him, but a mage ran off with him. I have to catch them before it¡¯s too late to¡ª¡±


    Sophia looked confused. ¡°Charlie? He¡¯s with Merlin! He¡¯s safe!¡± she said. Her grip softened.


    Geron didn¡¯t try to break free. ¡°Wait, you know Charlie? And Merlin too?¡±


    Sophia nodded. ¡°Merlin is Charlie¡¯s friend. Merlin and Vetica aren¡¯t bad people! We were so late because I kept asking Ms. Vetica to stop and help people we found. We helped so many people. Vetica isn¡¯t bad! They¡¯re Charlie¡¯s friends!¡±


    Geron¡¯s brows furrowed. He¡¯d beaten them to camp because they were¡­helping people? Vetica? She was an assassin. None of this made sense. He looked up at her mom. ¡°You said she helped you. Did you hire her or something?¡±


    Lady C shook her head. ¡°No, they saved me from a beast in the woods. I told them my Sophia had been taken, and they said they would go and get her for me. They didn¡¯t ask for anything in return.¡±


    Geron was speechless. He shook his head, trying to puzzle it out.


    Tirille screamed for him.


    His head snapped in her direction. ¡°Sophia, right? I need to go help my friend. She could be in danger.¡±


    ¡°Promise you¡¯ll let Vetica go?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I only care about keeping Tirille safe right now. Please.¡±


    Sophia nodded and let go. He ran. ¡°Stay with your mother. I¡¯ll be right back!¡± he called out over his shoulder.


    Geron crashed through the woods, running into branches and crushing foliage underfoot. He was a like a bear in pursuit of prey. Nothing would stop him from going to Tirille¡¯s aid.


    She called out again. ¡°Geron!¡±


    He threw himself through a bush and exploded onto the other side. Leaves flew everywhere. Tirille was standing there on the outskirts of the forest, staring at the city of Sange.


    It was a wave of green.


    ¡°Geron¡­do you see this?¡± Tirille asked without turning back.


    Geron squinted. Scalers. Hundreds of them. They were climbing to the tops of buildings. A horde of them. They leapt from rooftop to rooftop, one after the after. They were moving as one.


    ¡°What¡­why are so many of them¡­¡± Geron paused. The Scalers had helped after the dungeon collapsed. Admittedly, they¡¯d found it strange, but sometimes beasts acted in weird ways after their connection with the dungeon was severed. But this, this was something else entirely.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re moving the nest?¡± Tirille asked.


    Geron shook his head. ¡°That should be impossible. If it were just a few scouts, then I¡¯d say, maybe. But the dungeon of Sange had a vast sphere of influence. It¡¯s impossible another dungeon was close enough that they could find a new home within mere hours.¡±


    And yet, they were all moving in the same direction. It dawned on him that it was the same direction Merlin had gone.


    ¡°That man, Merlin. He had a pet scaler.¡±


    Tirille looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Geron nodded. Was it possible that he was controlling all of them? Someone who could command three types of hexes and even beasts themselves¡­ if this was truly Merlin then¡­


    ¡°That man might be one of the most powerful people in Aysela,¡± Geron said.


    Tirille swallowed. ¡°Should we go after them?¡±


    Geron turned to look back through the woods. He couldn¡¯t see them, but Sophia and Lady C¡¯s words were still fresh on his mind. Both of them thought highly of Merlin and Vetica. Perhaps Charlie would be safe with them for now.


    ¡°No. The hex knights are active here, almost too active. Which makes me think something happened. They aren¡¯t known for mercy. If something upset them, their response will be extreme and disproportionate. We need to ensure these people have the protection of the might of Gemini. I know Katherine would approve of this course of action.¡±


    ¡°And the guild leader?¡± Tirille asked.


    ¡°Almost certainly not. But Katherine will stand up for us. Go and get Sophia and Lady C. We need to get them behind the walls before the confrontation. I don¡¯t expect fighting. The knights don¡¯t want to start a war with Gemini, but things will probably get¡­intense.¡±


    Tirille nodded and hurried through the woods.


    Geron stared in the direction the scaler horde was moving.


    ¡°One day I will find you, Merlin. You will tell me everything I want to know, and if you haven¡¯t kept Charlie safe¡­¡± He balled a fist tight. ¡°I¡¯ll put an end to you.¡±

 Chapter 70: Memories and Migration

    Charlie


    Charlie bounced in Merlin¡¯s hood as they traveled through the forest.


    ¡°I miss the carrier Samantha made!¡± Charlie said, his head bobbling with every step.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We still have it. I¡¯m wearing it under my shirt because it was too dangerous to wear in the mines and I didn¡¯t want to lose it. It probably needs a good wash, though. Heck, we all do.¡± Merlin shook his head. ¡°More importantly, how did you pull that off? That Geron guy was about to cave my face in, then you brought a giant lizard out of nowhere!¡±


    King Scalea, Bonehead, and the other two Scalers were running nearby. They¡¯d spread out to monitor their surroundings as they moved through the forest. It was like Charlie had his own bodyguards.


    ¡°When my dungeon integrity got high enough from absorbing boars, I thought I should send King Scalea into the dungeon to check it out. I wasn¡¯t able to use Transfer fully earlier in the dungeon. I just wanted to see if it would work,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°I know that much, but normally we just kind of pop back out. You brought that one back in a way even I couldn¡¯t notice, and it was under my cloak. That had to take some serious talent. Also, we didn¡¯t talk about this early. When did you start eating dead monsters?¡±


    Charlie shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried to control where people come out because I never thought about it. But I¡¯m not eating anything! The dungeon is just absorbing them.¡±


    Merlin paused and looked over his shoulder. ¡°Charlie, you are the dungeon.¡±


    Charlie blinked. That was a good point. He hated when Merlin made those.


    He was glad he was able to resolve the fight earlier. But Charlie¡¯s thoughts kept lingering on it. What if Geron and Merlin had actually fought? What if Geron had learned the truth about him? Would he look at Charlie the same way the knights did? Would he consider Charlie an abomination? That scared him. How many people would be afraid of him just because of who he was? Charlie wondered if that would be something he had to worry about for the rest of his life.


    It was a scary thought.


    ¡°Arca!¡± King Scalea called out at the top of his lungs.


    Merlin flinched. ¡°Why does he keep doing that? It¡¯s spooky. I feel like they¡¯re going to eat me. We¡¯re already traveling with an assassin that I¡¯m still not sure won¡¯t stab me in my sleep. I¡¯m not sure how I feel about giant lizards¡­¡±


    Charlie wondered too. King Scalea was the only one who made the arca noise, and he only did it when he was giving orders. Maybe he was telling the others to stay on guard or something.


    There was a boom, and Merlin spun around to face the direction it had come from. They caught the tail end of a bolt of lightning landing somewhere in Sange. ¡°What was that?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Probably Samantha!¡± Charlie said.


    Merlin swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m so glad we got out of there when we did. I just hope Vetica catches up with Marvin soon. I¡¯m sure the little guy has been so frightened without me.¡±


    ¡°Arh!¡± Bonehead called out.


    Charlie giggled.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°He said you looked pretty cool facing off against Geron. They were going to help, but you seemed like you had it covered. He wanted me to give you a thumbs up. Since they don¡¯t have thumbs.¡±


    Merlin blinked and looked over his shoulder at Charlie. ¡°He said all that?¡±


    Charlie frowned. He hadn¡¯t expected Merlin to actually believe him. Charlie was only just learning to understand them. It wasn¡¯t like with Bleedy and Mousifer, where he just knew what they meant. The scalers were different for some reason. He was still working on it. ¡°No. But they do seem to like you. I think they were impressed.¡± Bonehead and the others had watched the ¡°fight¡± from the rooftops. After they¡¯d left the city, each of them had nuzzled their heads against Merlin¡¯s leg before scurrying off.


    ¡°I thought spending some time apart would be good for you, but you¡¯re still turning into a little conman. White lies are like a gateway drug to running cons. You better be careful!¡±


    Charlie looked up in thought. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have many role models. It was con-baby, or assassin. I don¡¯t want to be an assassin.¡±


    ¡°Fair. I want 10% of everything you make, though.¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡±


    Merlin let his head fall playfully. ¡°So mean! Not even a counteroffer?¡±


    Charlie giggled. It was nice being with his friend again. He couldn¡¯t wait for Vetica to rejoin them, and then he was going to find out what was going on with Mousifer and Bleedy. He was going to learn what had made Orb sick, and they¡¯d all go back on the road with their new scaler friends, too. It was exciting to have four new lizard companions. He bet they were going to have a lot of fun.


    ¡°Arh!¡± one of them cried out. The Scalers leapt toward them simultaneously and took up defensive positions between them and the forest behind them.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Merlin asked, turning around to look for what had alarmed them.


    Charlie looked around as well. Had someone followed them? Or was it a hex beast? He was still recovering from the fight with the Sen. If they had to fight now; they were in trouble.


    A man stepped out from the woods. He was wearing long green robes that skirted the forest floor and blonde hair clung to his scalp. A scar crossed his face from cheek to cheek.


    It was Tomas.


    ¡°Charlie. I need to speak with you,¡± the snatcher said.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Merlin held a hand up, and a void hex manifested. ¡°Stay back!¡± he cried out.


    Charlie patted Merlin on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay! He¡¯s a friend. That¡¯s Tomas. He helped us in the dungeon.¡±


    Merlin turned slightly to look at Charlie. ¡°Tomas?¡± he asked, as if he recognized the name. Charlie remembered how Merlin and Crussus had reacted when they heard Josephine mention Tomas earlier. Merlin relaxed, and the hex faded. The scalers relaxed as well, seeing that Charlie didn¡¯t consider the man a threat.


    Charlie looked back toward Tomas. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay! How did you find us?¡±


    Tomas smiled. ¡°The dungeon is fading, but a sphere of influence does not go away so quickly. It will slowly shrink over the next few days. My master bestowed much of his power to me. Power that has only grown with his demise. I am able to access the sphere of influence he shared with the dungeon core. I¡¯ve been keeping track of everything going on. There are many forces moving around Sange now. Hex Knights, two of the top guilds, and even cultists. But if you continue on this path, I do not expect that you will encounter resistance.¡±


    ¡°Cultists?¡± Charlie asked. That was news to him.


    Tomas nodded. ¡°Yes. I believe they are working alongside Coelacanth but I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t been able to track either of them in a while. It seems they have someone capable of masking their presence. It no longer matters. As I said, if you continue along this path, you will remain unchallenged.¡±


    Merlin seemed off. ¡°What exactly was it that you needed to speak with Charlie about, then?¡±


    Tomas walked toward them, his feet crunching on falling leaves. The scalers parted to allow him through. He reached out a hand toward them. Charlie and Merlin exchanged a confused look.


    ¡°Your hand, Charlie,¡± Tomas said.


    Charlie reached out, his tiny arm leaning over Merlin¡¯s shoulder. Tomas reached up and wrapped one hand around Charlie¡¯s fist. The other he placed on Merlin¡¯s opposite shoulder.


    ¡°One day we will see each other again, Charlie,¡± Tomas said.


    ¡°We will? Good!¡± Charlie smiled.


    ¡°When you are strong and near the end of your journey. I¡¯ll be waiting for you when you don¡¯t know where else to go. Come and find me.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. Near the end of his journey? What did Tomas mean by that? ¡°How will I find you?¡±


    ¡°When the conditions are right, you will know where to look,¡± Tomas said, then he turned around and walked away.


    ¡°You followed us into the woods just to do that? To say goodbye and see you later?¡± Merlin asked.


    Tomas didn¡¯t look back.


    Merlin looked down, like he was contemplating something. Then he called out again. ¡°Did he find you?¡±


    Tomas nodded without turning around. ¡°He did.¡±


    ¡°He cares about you. A lot. Everything he did here was for you. He was fighting for you, Tomas,¡± Merlin said.


    Tomas stopped walking and looked at Merlin over his shoulder. His gaze fell. A moment passed and then he nodded and kept walking.


    Tomas disappeared into the forest.


    ¡°That was¡­bizarre. I feel like he didn¡¯t really say anything,¡± Merlin said. ¡°I¡¯m glad Crussus got to see him again, though.¡± When Charlie didn¡¯t respond, Merlin turned to look at him. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Yeah, I just feel really sad all of a sudden and I don¡¯t know why.¡± He played with the fabric of Merlin¡¯s hood to distract himself.


    Merlin sighed. ¡°It¡¯s normal to be sad when you say goodbye to a friend. It happens to everyone.¡±


    ¡°I know, but this just feels like something different. It¡¯s like I¡¯m sad about something I can¡¯t remember. I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Sometimes we need time to sort through our feelings. Sometimes feelings don¡¯t even make sense. Once we¡¯re away from this place and things settle down, I bet you¡¯ll have an easier time sorting through it all. And of course, you can talk to ole Merlin anytime you want. I won¡¯t even charge you.¡±


    Charlie giggled. ¡°I¡¯ll charge you instead!¡±


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m quite the listener. In fact, some have even deemed me worthy of nicknames, such as the therapist thief, the counseling conman, and my personal favorite, the pilfering psychiatrist!¡± With each nickname, Merlin made a wild pose. He stretched his legs and held his arms out at various angles. He looked and sounded ridiculous.


    Charlie found it hilarious. He giggled even harder.


    Merlin almost never called himself a conman. Even when Orb picked on him for it, Merlin would fervently deny it. He was trying to make Charlie feel better, and it was working.


    ¡°Thank you, Merlin,¡± he said, after he¡¯d managed to stop laughing.


    Merlin smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for.¡± He paused and looked up. ¡°Uh, what are the lizard things doing?¡±


    Charlie looked up. Bonehead and the two unnamed Scalers were staring off into the forest, their bodies swaying. King Scalea held his head high and stood in their center. His jaw opened, and he stretched it as wide as he could.


    ¡°Arca!¡± he roared, louder than Charlie had ever heard. Both Merlin and Charlie covered their ears.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Merlin shouted.


    Charlie threw his hands up. He didn¡¯t have a clue.


    A pebble on the ground a few feet away started to move. It bounced up and down slowly, and then faster. The earth was shaking. It was almost gentle at first, but the feeling increased as time went on.


    King Scalea roared again. ¡°Arca!¡±


    ¡°Charlie, should we run?¡± Merlin asked. His eyes were already searching for a path through the woods.


    To be honest, Charlie wasn¡¯t totally opposed. But what about the Scalers? He didn¡¯t want to leave them behind.


    ¡°King Scalea!¡± he asked, projecting the thought toward his lizard friend.


    The scaler king turned to look at them. King Scalea had a glint in his eyes and its serrated teeth were on display.


    It almost looked like a smile.


    Merlin shuddered. ¡°Alright, that was creepy.¡±


    They both looked up as Scalers started to pile into the clearing.


    Ten. Twenty. Thirty.


    Hundreds.


    The clearing filled up quickly. Charlie could see them through the tree line, flooding past them and filling the forests around them. Before they knew it, they were in the center of a scaler horde.


    Merlin looked around with a wide-open mouth. ¡°Oh, they¡¯re going to eat us. They¡¯re definitely going to eat us! Poop yourself quick, Charlie! I¡¯ll wave you around and we¡¯ll drive them away with the smell!¡±


    ¡°No! You do it and I¡¯ll wave you around,¡± Charlie said, turning his head away in protest.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even lift me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working out!¡± Charlie flexed his arm to show off no muscle whatsoever. He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a work in progress.¡±


    ¡°Arh! Arh! Arh!¡± the scalers roared in unison. King Scalea approached and wrapped around Merlin¡¯s legs with his body and shortened tail.


    ¡°Arca!¡± it bellowed.


    The other scalers grew quiet.


    ¡°Uhm, what¡¯s going on? Did he just claim us as a meal? Was that like first dibs or something?¡± Merlin asked.


    Notice


    A Bond has been formed.


    The Scaler King has willingly designated you as its master.


    Please place a Dungeon Entrance to complete Migration.

 Chapter 71: Scaly Subjects

    Charlie


    ¡°Hey Merlin, what does migration mean?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin turned and looked at Charlie, a horrified expression on his face. ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Merlin looked down at King Scalea. ¡°Find a different dungeon baby! We can¡¯t afford to feed all of you! Go!¡± He waved his hands around, trying to shoo them away.


    King Scalea ignored him. Merlin sighed.


    The scalers had left a small amount of open space around Merlin and King Scalea. A few of the lizards approached it and lowered their heads. One by one, they each spit something out onto the grass.


    Charlie wasn¡¯t sure what it was exactly. It looked like some kind of rock. It vaguely reminded him of the spear tips that Kashak and the other children fought with.


    Merlin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is that¡­kierstone? Why do you have that? Is this some kind of offering?¡±


    King Scalea unwrapped himself from around Merlin. He joined the line and spit something as well. This offering floated into the air.


    The blue, translucent temporary dungeon core.


    Merlin gasped. ¡°Orb! You look¡­different. Well, no matter. As you can see, we¡¯re surrounded. Any ideas?¡±


    Merlin looked around to eye the horde. So far, they hadn¡¯t made a move. Charlie wasn¡¯t sure what was going on.


    When he realized Orb wasn¡¯t responding, Merlin turned back to the floating core. ¡°Seriously? The silent treatment? Are you still mad that I slapped you outside of Sange? This isn¡¯t the time! We¡¯re in danger!¡±


    The temporary core didn¡¯t respond. It floated back up to King Scalea and into the tip of the lizard king¡¯s snout.


    ¡°Boop.¡±


    King Scalea opened his mouth to try to eat it again, but the temporary core quickly floated away and out of reach.


    Merlin facepalmed. ¡°Oh great, I think Orb has brain damage. We¡¯re on our own Charlie.¡±


    The notice had told him he needed to place an entrance, but Charlie didn¡¯t even know how to do that.


    ¡°Status!¡±


    Status requested. Dungeon Integrity at 1%. The Dungeon has recently undergone collapse and is extremely unstable. Recommend caution.


    Only one? He¡¯d absorbed a good number of boars inside Sange. He¡¯d thought they¡¯d be up to almost five by now. But he had noticed the dungeon took longer to repair after a full collapse. On top of that, he¡¯d fought even beyond that point. It was possible his full powers wouldn¡¯t return so quickly this time.


    ¡°Interface, what is migration?¡± Charlie asked.


    There was a pause.


    Information pertaining to the dungeon has been requested. Seeking permission. Permission granted. Migration is when beasts or hex beasts move from one dungeon to another. In this case, the beasts have bonded with the user and wish to live within the user¡¯s dungeon.


    They could live inside his dungeon? But right now, it was collapsed. King Scalea had gone inside, but he was just a single scaler. How could the dungeon possibly have enough room for this many others? With only 1% of it repaired, wouldn¡¯t that be impossible?


    It wouldn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t even get them there. ¡°How do I place a dungeon entrance?¡±


    The interface didn¡¯t respond. Its usefulness varied now, with Parent gone. That was frustrating.


    He had a thought. An entrance was really just another part of the dungeon. So maybe he could create an entrance just like he could create anything else in the dungeon? If he did that, the Scalers could check it out for themselves. Either they would find enough room somehow, or they¡¯d realize there wasn¡¯t any and go look for a new home.


    Either way, it would solve the problem at hand. They couldn¡¯t travel with this many scalers if they wanted to avoid attention. But if Charlie could get them inside his dungeon, he could potentially call upon them whenever he wanted. Merlin was right. They would need to figure out how to feed all of them, but they could worry about that later.


    He threw a hand forward.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    As he feared, nothing happened. His dungeon integrity was just too low to use his powers right now.


    He frowned.


    Merlin looked over at him. ¡°I know that gesture! You were either trying to attack or let them in your dungeon! Don¡¯t you dare do it, Charlie!¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    Merlin thought about it for a moment. ¡°Either.¡± He crossed his arms against his chest.


    It didn¡¯t matter, he couldn¡¯t do it even if he wanted. He paused and looked down at his palm. It was tingling. Wait, this was the same sensation as when¡­


    ¡°Oh, no! It¡¯s going to eat them!¡± Charlie said, panicking.


    That freaked Merlin out more than anything. He ducked and covered his head. ¡°What is? Where?¡± he looked around.


    Charlie¡¯s hand shot forward, and the tendrils shot out. Directly for King Scalea.


    Charlie tried to pull his hand away, but the tendrils were too powerful. To his surprise, they halted right before striking the scaler king. They then surveyed the area and the mass of scalers in the background. They retreated and then, one by one, they shot forward and burrowed deep into the ground several feet away from them. Scalers hurried to get out of the way. The tendrils worked tirelessly, pounding into the earth, and churning up the dirt.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Merlin watched in horror as the tendrils wriggled past his shoulder. He couldn¡¯t run because the tendrils were attached to Charlie, and Charlie was sitting in his hood. But Merlin was sweating and clenched his eyes shut, waiting for it to pass. ¡°Charlie, please stop whatever you¡¯re doing!¡± he cried out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me!¡± he said.


    The tendrils flew back inside his hand, and the portal closed. Charlie studied the ground where they had worked. There was a large square inside the dirt. It was only a few feet deep, but it was incredible they could work that quickly. But why? What was the point of it?


    Charlie tilted his head. Were they trying to help him? He couldn¡¯t use dungeon manipulation, but maybe he could use¡­


    ¡°Transfer!¡±


    A portal opened inside the square. He leaned forward over Merlin¡¯s shoulder but couldn¡¯t see anything. It was a shimmering, murky portal, just like the ones he created during fights to bring material from his dungeon. The tendrils had created an entrance for him. He¡¯d just opened a portal afterward.


    King Scalea looked at it and tilted his head. He lifted his head and roared. ¡°Arca!¡±


    The roar reverberated throughout the forest, shaking the trees, and causing leaves to fall from them.


    At his command, the scalers charged forward, surging inside the portal.


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°Charlie, I hope you know what you¡¯re doing¡­¡±


    Charlie swallowed. ¡°Me too.¡±


    It took several minutes for all of them to enter, but finally, it was done. King Scalea was the last to go. He approached the portal, and put his front legs through, but then stopped and turned toward Charlie. ¡°Arh!¡± it said.


    ¡°Ar!¡± Charlie said back, trying to recreate the sound with his mouth.


    King Scalea waved his tail stump back and forth in excitement and then followed the others.


    ¡°Merlin, can you set me down for a second? I want to check it out,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Uh, okay. Just be careful,¡± he said. He reached behind his head and lifted Charlie out of his hood. He sat him near the dungeon¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Merlin asked. Charlie turned to look back at his friend.


    The temporary core had floated up to Merlin. King Scalea¡¯s saliva was still dripping off it.


    Merlin fake retched and took a step back. ¡°Please get away from me,¡± he said.


    The core followed.


    ¡°No! Bad Orb! Go away!¡±


    Merlin took several hurried steps back and then started to run around the clearing. The temporary core followed him.


    ¡°Stop it! I¡¯m sorry for slapping you! Please stay away! You¡¯re so gross!¡±


    Charlie giggled and focused on the portal while his friends played in the background. The tendrils had come to absorb creatures before, but never to help like this. Which made him wonder, what exactly were they? Where were they coming from? He placed a hand through the portal, but to his surprise, nothing happened. He could still see it on the other side.


    It was just as he expected. He couldn¡¯t go through it.


    ¡°Oof!¡± Merlin grunted.


    Charlie turned to see him laying face first on the ground. It seemed like he¡¯d tripped while running. He rolled over, his clothes now muddied, and looked back at the core.


    The temporary core approached him, slowing descending toward his face.


    ¡°Oh god, please no. Anything but this!¡± he held his hands out to ward the dungeon core away. He turned his face to the side and closed his eyes. ¡°Go away!¡±


    The dungeon core shot past his hands and slapped into Merlin¡¯s face.


    ¡°Boop!¡±


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°I heard shouting and thought there was a fight and then I show up and¡­actually, I don¡¯t know even know what I¡¯m looking at.¡±


    Charlie spun around. Merlin shot up, and the core went flying. There was scaler saliva on his face.


    ¡°Vetica?¡± they asked in unison.


    Vetica looked disgusted. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked Merlin.


    ¡°Orb attacked me!¡±


    ¡°That was clearly not Orb. Besides, it¡¯s a little ball. It didn¡¯t pose a real threat.¡± Vetica put a hand on her hip.


    ¡°Well, when you put it like that, it doesn¡¯t sound so bad. But it was really gross! You didn¡¯t see it. Tell her Charlie!¡±


    Charlie giggled, ignoring him. ¡°Vetica! You¡¯re back!¡±


    She hurried over and picked him up. ¡°Hello Charlie, I missed you.¡± Despite being in the woods all this time, she still smelled nice. She turned to Merlin. ¡°Before you freak out, I have Marvin and the wagon. I left them because I thought I heard a little girl screaming in the woods. But turns out it was just you.¡±


    Merlin stuck his tongue out at her. ¡°Great! Well, I¡¯ll take Charlie and get us out of here. You stay here and watch our backs. In case any knights show up or something. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. It was nice knowing you. Let¡¯s go, Charlie.¡±


    ¡°Nope! She¡¯s coming with us, too. No more splitting up!¡±


    Merlin sighed. ¡°Ugh, well, I tried.¡±


    Tendrils suddenly emerged from the portal and thrashed about. Vetica jumped to the side and out of range of them.


    ¡°What the¡­ Charlie? What¡¯s going on?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie shook his head. He didn¡¯t have a clue. The tendrils pulled at the square¡¯s edges and pulled the dirt loose.


    It was like they were trying to destroy it. No, that was exactly what they were doing. The square gave way, and the hole filled with dirt. The portal itself started to wane and slowly disappear.


    As the temporary dungeon core floated past, it tapped the front of Charlie¡¯s onesie.


    ¡°Boop.¡±


    Afterwards, it floated into the portal. Both the core and the portal disappeared.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°All that matters is that the scary dungeon core can¡¯t hurt you anymore. You¡¯re safe now, Merlin.¡± Vetica shot him a smug look.


    Merlin¡¯s nostril flared. ¡°Charlie, I propose a trade. We can keep the Scaler horde if we leave the assassin behind. Deal?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡±


    ¡°This is not how you negotiate! You gotta compromise on something!¡±


    ¡°What if we just leave Merlin behind instead?¡± Vetica asked.


    ¡°Okay! Sounds good!¡± Charlie joked.


    Merlin¡¯s head fell. ¡°I hate it here.¡±


    Charlie smiled, but it didn¡¯t last long. He turned to look toward the portal. What was going on with the tendrils? First, they help him with the scalers, then they destroy the portal. He didn¡¯t understand why the dungeon core had left, either. Without it, he couldn¡¯t use his powers.


    Notice


    Migration complete. Dungeon acclimation will now begin. The newly migrated beasts will enter a temporary state of hibernation until acclimation is complete.


    Notice


    Due to low dungeon integrity, the temporary dungeon core has been recalled. Resources will be reallocated to improve and repair the dungeon. Please avoid combat during this time.


    Acclimation? Hibernation? Those sounded like words he would need to ask Merlin and Vetica about. He was sad about the temporary dungeon core leaving, but he understood the dungeon¡¯s repair needed to be a priority.


    At least he knew all the scalers had managed to fit inside his dungeon. King Scalea, Bonehead, and the others that had traveled with him had all been incredibly helpful.


    But he remembered how intense the fight had been in scaler territory. When all the children had been kidnapped.


    The Scalers were strong enough on their own, but together they were a terrifying enemy to face.


    Now, that power was his.

 Chapter 72: Dungeon Core Babies

    Achai


    He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He cradled Kyo with both arms to shield the boy from cold air and wild forest appendages. Branches scraped his legs and arms. Leaves obscured his vision.


    But Achai kept running from the creature chasing him.


    It was humanoid with red skin and wild, long hair that trailed behind it. He¡¯d been trekking through the woods trying to get distance from Sange when it picked up his trial.


    Since then, it had been a contest of endurance. Who would win? Prey or predator, Achai was determined to make it the former. The mines had honed his body. Sitter or not, he¡¯d been required to do his work as well. He was already long beyond the point of exhaustion, but adrenaline and concern for his son kept him moving.


    He¡¯d made a promise. He had to see Kyo through this, no matter the cost.


    The boy cried in his arms, scared by snapping branches and the snarling creature behind them. He couldn¡¯t offer any comfort, he had none to give. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he could still speak. It was all he could do to inhale the deep breaths that were keeping him moving.


    He turned to look behind again. The creature was gaining on them. Achai swore it was getting faster.


    His mind could scarcely process the outstretched arm he saw when he turned to look ahead again. He ran right into it. It was like running into a thick tree branch. His head stopped; his legs tried to keep running.


    Achai ended up on his back. Kyo¡¯s crying echoed in the forests, no longer muffled by Achai¡¯s careful touch. The boy was okay. Achai had kept a hold on him during the fall. But who had attacked them?


    He looked up to see the man staring down. ¡°Well, what is this? Fleeing from the city, are you?¡± the man asked. He wore a black vest over a thick, gray wool sweater. His hair was shaved on the sides. The top of it was tied in a bun behind his head. He had a thick beard, and a gravelly voice, aged by time.


    Achai scrambled up, tightening his hold on Kyo. ¡°There¡¯s a monster coming! We have to run!¡± he called out.


    The man raised a brow. ¡°Oh? Good timing. Two for one.¡± He looked up at a group of men standing nearby. Aside from him, the others were all wearing red robes with blue symbols woven into them.


    Cultists.


    One of the red cloaked men leaned against a tree. He held up a hand and a scarlet hex manifested in the air. ¡°Yeah, I sense it. It¡¯s nearby¡­wait¡ª¡±


    The red-skinned creature¡¯s head burst through the core of the tree trunk the man leaned against. Splinters shot in every direction as the tree shattered. The creature¡¯s arms shot forward and wrapped around the man. It stretched its jaw wide and bit into the back of the man¡¯s head. It tore at the flesh for a second before coughing up and spitting out blood. The monster pushed the man away and backed into the forest.


    The cultists spun, waiting for the beast to attack again.


    Achai got ready to spring to his feet. He¡¯d wait for the creature to attack again and then make a run for it. He couldn¡¯t stop here.


    Tree leaves above rustled. Achai¡¯s head snapped upward, and he gasped. The creature was falling toward him and Kyo. Gravity was pulling the demonic beast toward them face first. It stretched its mouth open wide again, its hair trailing in the air behind it.


    Thwack!


    Something hit the monster mid-air and set it off course. It hit the ground and rolled several feet away. A single bolt stuck out of its arm. The creature shook violently and then went still.


    Achai looked in the direction the projectile had come from. The bearded man held onto a large crossbow. He smirked, lowering its end to the ground. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad. Tie it up.¡±


    The cultists looked around at one another. Nobody moved.


    The bearded man sighed and slid another bolt into the crossbow. He held it up, aimed at a random cultist, and fired. The bolt landed right in between the man¡¯s eyes. The bearded man nodded back toward the creature. ¡°Let¡¯s try this again. Tie it up.¡±


    This time, all of them hurried forward to obey except one. No, this one wasn¡¯t a cultist either. His robe was black, not red. As far as Achai knew, they only wore the red robe with blue markings. It was an open secret at this point.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure that¡¯s the boy? Looks a bit too red for me,¡± the bearded man said.


    ¡°It¡¯s him. This is a big find. The fact that he has the power means his father is dead, though. Hope the bounty is still good,¡± the man in the black robe said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Bounty was for the power, not the man. Boss thought Varroc would have it by now. Who would¡¯ve thought a little brat like this inherited a power like that? Between him, Philomena, and this cult contract, we¡¯re gonna make a killing off this run.¡±


    Achai swallowed. Was he talking about Varroc¡¯s Philomena? Had they somehow captured her? And what was this about a cult contract? So, they weren¡¯t members? He didn¡¯t think anyone was willing to work with the cultists. Who were these two and why were the members of the cult listening to them? He didn¡¯t like this at all.


    He stood and backed away into a tree. What was his play? What could he do here?


    The man with the crossbow eyed him. He seemed slightly annoyed. ¡°What are you doing? I went through all the trouble of knocking you into the dirt just for you to go and stand back up. It¡¯s that kind of acting that really pisses me off. I hate doing something twice.¡±


    Could he outrun them? Maybe. But the crossbow was a problem. They weren¡¯t common in Aysela, where magic was more prevalent. So why did this man have one?


    Achai¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you from Tantaloo? Are you with the knights?¡±


    Had Crussus sent this man somehow? Had the Holy Nation of Tantaloo partnered with the cult for some reason? It could make sense if he really thought about it. Crussus and his men had come here years ago. Maybe their queen had finally sent someone to investigate what had happened. But if they were with him, they were here to make good on the promise that Crussus had made.


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    The promise that Kyo would grow up without a father. He swallowed.


    The men exchanged a look. The cultists finished tying up the monster, who hadn¡¯t gotten back up. That bolt must have been coated in something.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you who we are, but you¡¯re going first. I need a name. We need to confirm if you¡¯re the one we¡¯re looking for.¡± The bearded man slung the crossbow over his shoulder. Achai


    He must be right. They were in the woods looking for him. They must have realized he¡¯d fled the city with Kyo. If that was the case, he couldn¡¯t tell them his real name. He¡¯d have to lie. He¡¯d say¡­


    ¡°My name is Merlin, and I¡¯m just getting away from Sange because of everything that¡¯s happened. I don¡¯t mean you any harm, and I¡¯m glad you caught that creature. I¡¯d like to get my son to safety, so can I go?¡± Achai asked.


    The bearded man¡¯s jaw dropped. He chucked and elbowed the black-robed man beside him. ¡°Did you hear that? You¡¯re right. That¡¯s our guy. Seriously, having both of our targets run right up to us like this is crazy. I mean, do the gods love us or what?¡±


    Achai shook his head. Wait, they¡¯re after Merlin? He was such an idiot. Why did he say the first name that came to mind? He looked down.


    They were after Merlin. These guys were strong. Merlin probably didn¡¯t have any idea they were coming. If he told the truth now, Merlin would die¡­


    ¡°What do you want with me?¡± Achai asked, doing his best to suppress the rising dread.


    The man in the black robe held a hand up. ¡°Are we sure this is him? Why isn¡¯t he using magic to protect himself? Od said he was a powerful caster.¡±


    The bearded man turned toward his companion. His eyes searched the ground as his mind worked for a moment. ¡°Od also said Merlin liked to talk. He said the mage might not default to fighting. That¡¯s okay though. I like to talk to. Speaking of what the hell is going on in Sange?¡±


    Achai gritted his teeth. How did he get out of this situation? Even if he told them the truth, they wouldn¡¯t believe him now. He only had one option.


    ¡°Never mind what happened. If you want me, I¡¯ll come with you. I¡¯m tired of fighting. But first, I¡¯m taking this boy back to Sange. After that, I¡¯ll go wherever you want me to. But the boy stays.¡±


    He had to protect Kyo. There were people in Sange who would look after his son. Kyo meant the world to him, but Achai owed Merlin a debt that he could never repay. If he could protect him from these men, it would be a start.


    Achai had a lot of regrets. He¡¯d turned Torq in and cost the old man an arm. He¡¯d run away during the fighting to save his own son. Despite all that, Merlin had kept fighting.


    Merlin was the reason his son wouldn¡¯t grow up as a snatcher or a slave.


    If he could help, even in some small way, Achai would gladly die for a man like that. He just hoped his bluff worked.


    The bearded man laughed. He laughed so hard his eyes teared up. He wiped them with a finger. ¡°You really don¡¯t understand the situation. So let me make it clear. I¡¯m going to kill you, and then I¡¯m going to take that son of yours to the cult because they¡¯re paying a lot of money for him.¡±


    Achai froze. They were after the boy too? They were here for Charlie?


    ¡°Wait¡ª¡±


    He didn¡¯t see the bearded man close the distance. He could scarcely process what had happened. Even after the man had wrenched Kyo from his arms and run a dagger through his stomach, Achai still didn¡¯t understand what had transpired.


    How was someone that fast?


    He fell to his knees.


    A second later, he fell on his face.


    His body crumpled. His blood spilled.


    He gasped for air, each breath more painful than the last.


    He remembered his wife, and what she¡¯d told him the day that she died. The day the snatchers had dragged him and his son to Sange.


    The last words she¡¯d whispered in his ear before she¡¯d gone still. ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Achai. I¡¯ve always loved that about you. But Kyo doesn¡¯t need a good man now. He needs a father willing to do anything it takes to protect him. Become that man and keep our son safe.¡± Her grip, even on the verge of death, had squeezed his hand so tight. Achai had accepted that charge. He¡¯d done things he despised to protect Kyo. He¡¯d lied to the people who trusted him and betrayed the rebellion that fought to free his son.


    He¡¯d been such a fool.


    ¡°Adelyn,¡± he whispered.


    He mustered his strength and looked up at the men. ¡°Not Charlie¡­¡± he said.


    I¡¯m sorry, Merlin, he thought. He would¡¯ve gladly died to save Merlin. But he couldn¡¯t sacrifice his son.


    The man was playing with Kyo in his arms. He waved a finger around the baby¡¯s face. ¡°Whose daddy is a weakling? Yours is!¡±


    Kyo studied the man. He didn¡¯t understand the words, but he could tell the man was using a pleasant tone. Even then, Kyo didn¡¯t laugh. He turned and looked down at his father. He seemed confused.


    ¡°Not Charlie!¡± Achai said again.


    The man heard him this time. He knelt beside Achai. ¡°What? What¡¯s his name then?¡±


    ¡°Kyo.¡±


    The man frowned. He turned to look back at the man in black. ¡°He said that pretty quick. Either he¡¯s a great liar, or we need to keep looking.¡±


    The black robed man held a hand up. ¡°Scarlet Hex Search!¡± A large scarlet hex appeared in front of him. It was bright and a matching-colored aura pulsed into the air around it. The caster closed his eyes and concentrated.


    ¡°There are other babies, but none with dungeon cores.¡±


    Dungeon cores? What? Achai tried to shake his head. ¡°No dungeon core. We don¡¯t have... that.¡±


    The bearded man made a disapproving face toward him. ¡°Hold that up for papa weakling.¡± He grabbed Kyo¡¯s hand and lifted it so Achai could see.


    Achai¡¯s eyes shot open. He¡¯d seen Kyo playing with a toy, but he¡¯d been so focused on fleeing the city that he never realized. How did Kyo get his hands on a dungeon core?


    The bearded man looked at the man in the black robes. ¡°See, this is why they only allow you to go out with top rankings members. You¡¯re just so valuable. Few people can search at that level.¡±


    The man ignored him.


    Achai tried to move. But his body wouldn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°No¡­¡± the edges of his vision grew dark. ¡°I¡¯m so¡­¡±


    Achai¡¯s mouth wouldn¡¯t obey him. He offered a thought instead.


    I¡¯m so sorry, Adelyn. I couldn¡¯t protect him.


    Kyo


    Kyo looked down at the man lying on the dirt, but the bearded man got his attention. ¡°No, look at me. He doesn¡¯t matter anymore. We¡¯re going to go on a little trip. Doesn¡¯t that sound like fun?¡±


    ¡°The man turned to the others. Grab the beast, pack it up. We¡¯re rolling out. Get the woman too.¡±


    The man reached down to grab the green ball in Kyo¡¯s hand. Kyo started to cry.


    The man groaned. ¡°Fine. Keep it for now. I don¡¯t wanna hear that the whole time.¡±


    Kyo¡¯s lip quivered. He didn¡¯t like this man.


    His head shot up when he heard the voice again.


    It spoke to him occasionally, but he couldn¡¯t understand it. It just kept repeating, over and over, like it was waiting for him to make sense of it.


    ¡­Integration Complete.

 Chapter 73: Mousifers Message - Squeak!

    Charlie


    ¡°Marvin! I bet you missed me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Merlin stroked the horse¡¯s neck.


    Marvin turned his head away from Merlin and snorted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that! I didn¡¯t mean to be gone that long!¡± Merlin said. ¡°I won¡¯t leave again for a while. How about that?¡±


    Marvin ignored him.


    They¡¯d left the clearing and followed Vetica through the woods to where she¡¯d left Marvin and the wagon. The sun was high in the sky now and its rays felt nice on Charlie¡¯s skin. Despite that, all he wanted to do was rest. None of them had gotten to sleep last night, and now they needed to get as far away from Sange as possible.


    The people and children of Sange were safe. They¡¯d done all they could, and now they needed to continue their journey. Arcadeya wasn¡¯t far now. A few more days of traveling and Charlie would get the answers he sought.


    At least, he hoped he would.


    Merlin and Charlie got settled in the back of the wagon. Merlin dumped the pieces of kierstone into a pile on the wagon floor. He¡¯d stuffed his pockets after the scalers left. He said it was too valuable to leave behind. They left Vetica to drive, since Marvin was in the middle of his anti-Merlin protest.


    As the wagon rolled along one of the many roads leading away from Sange, they spent time exchanging what had happened to each of them. They had been through a lot in the last few days, and they needed to catch each other up. Merlin regaled them with an almost certainly embellished version of the events leading up to the uprising. Vetica talked about how she hunted down patrols, spent time with Gemini, saw the king, and finally how Geron had attacked her.


    Charlie enjoyed hearing how Merlin had worked with Crussus to grow the resistance. He was also relieved that the knight Fiona had survived. Charlie knew the Hex Knights were hunting him, but Fiona had wanted to help Lyra and Charlie escape the dungeon. He didn¡¯t think she was a bad person. Charlie was also happy Geron and Vetica didn¡¯t hurt each other, but he felt bad that Geron had destroyed her dagger.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he had just been through that much, or if he wasn¡¯t very good at summarizing things, but Charlie ended up spending the most time telling them everything that had happened inside the dungeon.


    The other children, the snatchers, the scalers, and even the fight against the core guardian. Merlin and Vetica were particularly interested in the last part. Neither of them had ever heard of a Nae Glera. Now Charlie would be one of the last people to see one alive. It made him sad to think about. He made sure to talk up the scalers as well, since both of his friends seemed iffy on the fact Charlie was carrying around hundreds of them inside his dungeon now.


    ¡°So, your Transfer ability didn¡¯t work before? You were able to bring out the two injured scalers, but not Mousifer and Bleedy?¡± Merlin asked when Charlie had finished speaking.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Yeah. The interface said something about them not being available to target. Then the Transfer failed. It wasn¡¯t very clear, so I don¡¯t know why it happened.¡±


    ¡°An interface is supposed to make things simpler, not more confusing.¡± Merlin groaned. ¡°I know why Bleedy and Mousifer are in the dungeon. But I don¡¯t get what made Orb sick in the first place. As much as it pains me to admit it, I had felt a little better knowing the two of you were together. I¡¯m sorry you had to go through all of that on your own, Charlie.¡±


    Vetica turned to look back at them, a sad expression on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! We¡¯re together now.¡± Charlie smiled. He didn¡¯t want to let them know how hard it had been. How scared he had been at times. Both of them had enough guilt about the situation already. It had been his idea to go into Sange to save Sophia.


    He didn¡¯t regret it one bit.


    ¡°You said that you had a vision of Mousifer, and he was standing in front of a white wall, right? Have you ever seen some place like that inside your dungeon?¡± Vetica asked, changing the subject. She wasn¡¯t good at emotional stuff either.


    Charlie looked up in thought. ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t think so. No, definitely not. Just a bunch of rock: rock walls, rock ceilings, broken rocks¡­¡±


    ¡°Rock. Got it,¡± Merlin said. ¡°What if they somehow aren¡¯t in your dungeon at all? Maybe they find a way out and ran into some trouble or something? It would explain the strange background, at least.¡±


    Charlie thought about it. Was that possible? The tendrils had burst free of his hand a few times on their own, but as far as he knew, that was the only time where he wasn¡¯t fully in control of the dungeon. Unless Parent had done something. This was why getting to Arcadeya was so important. They didn¡¯t have enough information about the dungeon, and until they did, they¡¯d just be relying on guesses.


    His hand tingled. Charlie lifted it up and turned it so he could inspect his palm.


    Merlin scrambled backwards. ¡°You aren¡¯t about to sprout tentacles again, are you?¡±


    Vetica pulled back on Marvin¡¯s reins and the wagon slowed to a stop. She turned around to look as well.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It feels different.¡± Whenever the tendrils came, it was like he had an itch in his hand. This felt more like a building pressure in his palm.


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    Emergency action. The interface designated Parent has authorized the automatic use of an ability. Activation of the Transfer ability is imminent. Please stand by.


    ¡°Okay, maybe I lied. The tendrils might be coming.¡±


    Merlin clambered over toward the back of the wagon. His leg caught on a piece of kierstone, and he went tumbling over the edge. He shot back up and peeked inside to see what was going on. A stray leaf had found its way into his hair.


    Vetica rolled her eyes.


    Charlie realized he probably shouldn¡¯t aim his hand toward his face. He quickly pointed it away from him and toward the wagon¡¯s floor. He was just in time.


    Transfer.


    A tiny, baby-hand-sized portal appeared. A small black mouse flew out and landed on the wooden planks of the wagon. It rolled headfirst a couple of times before coming to a stop in the center of the wagon.


    ¡°Mousifer?¡± Charlie called out.


    The mouse¡¯s eyes were closed, and it remained exactly where it had landed.


    Vetica and Merlin exchanged a look.


    ¡°I thought you said the ability didn¡¯t work.¡± Merlin looked at him with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t. Parent did this, somehow. The interface called it an emergency action. But why now?¡± Charlie had a pit in his stomach. Something weird was going on.


    He crawled toward Mousifer and leaned in. The little guy looked okay, but why had Parent sent him here all of a sudden? Charlie leaned in to touch him.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Merlin whispered. Only his eyes and the top of his head were visible. He peeked from outside the cart like he was worried the tendrils would be close behind the tiny mouse. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe? What if something is wrong with him?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mousifer!¡± Charlie said, as if that was reason enough. He looked toward Vetica. She offered an encouraging nod. Charlie put his hand on Mousifer¡¯s back and softly stroked his fur.


    ¡°SQUEA!¡±


    Charlie pulled his hand away and leaned back.


    Mousifer jumped up. His head swiveled in every direction; his eyes darted to take in his surroundings.


    ¡°He seems agitated,¡± Vetica commented. Merlin nodded.


    ¡°Mousifer? Are you okay?¡± Charlie asked.


    The mouse turned to look at him and tilted its head. Mousifer¡¯s eyes grew wide and then he squeaked again.


    Charlie smiled and reached out to scoop Mousifer into his hand. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    It took him a moment to process what Mousifer meant. It had been a long time since they¡¯d last spoke. ¡°Danger?¡± Charlie twisted his lips to the side. He gasped. ¡°Bleedy and Orb? They¡¯re in danger?¡± he asked.


    Mousifer nodded fervently. He pointed down at Charlie¡¯s palm. Charlie realized what his furry little friend meant.


    Mousifer wanted them to go into his dungeon.


    ¡°Oh no. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Merlin palmed his face and sighed.


    Vetica frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on Charlie? The two of us don¡¯t speak mouse.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details. But it seems like the others need our help.¡± Charlie paused and turned back to Mousifer. ¡°But isn¡¯t the dungeon collapsed? Is it even possible for us to go?¡± The scalers had been able to fit, but he just assumed it was because they were able to squeeze into tight spaces or something. He¡¯d tried to transfer to the dungeon in the past after it had collapsed, but it never worked. Even though he wanted to, he had to wonder if it was even possible.


    Mousifer rose and stood on just his hind legs. He pointed at Charlie and then held his paws far apart before clapping them together. ¡°Squeak!¡± Then Mousifer pointed to another space in the wagon. This time, he spread his paws out and brought them back together again. But he didn¡¯t clap. He left a small space in between them. ¡°Squea.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. Charlie¡¯s dungeon had collapsed, but there was still space. If he was understanding correctly. But why had Mousifer pointed to a new space first?


    ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s another space in my dungeon? One that I don¡¯t control? Or are you saying that they¡¯re in a totally different dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Squeak.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Basically, he said yes.¡±


    ¡°To which one?¡± Vetica asked.


    Charlie turned toward her. ¡°Both. I¡¯m confused too.¡± He looked at his palm. If Orb and Bleedy were in danger, he didn¡¯t have time to worry about whether or not it was possible. He had to at least try. They were his friends, and he missed them. Mousifer was back, and even if he¡¯d come bringing worrying news, Charlie was happy to see him again. Charlie lifted Mousifer and rested him on his shoulder. Then he looked at Merlin and Vetica. ¡°We have to go inside the dungeon,¡± he said.


    Vetica didn¡¯t say a word. She stood from the driver¡¯s bench on the front of the wagon and joined Charlie in its center. She started working to open Merlin¡¯s secret compartment.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡± he asked her, hopping back inside it himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have knives in here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Knives?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Yes, knives for buttering bread and cutting fruit. Not knives for butchering things!¡±


    Vetica shot him a look. ¡°We¡¯re going into a potentially dangerous situation. Do you really want me unarmed?¡±


    Merlin¡¯s finger froze mid-air for a moment before he could wag it toward her. He realized she had a good point. ¡°To the left, under the box of wigs.¡±


    She raised a brow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. You¡¯re about to wave a butter knife around like a weapon. There really isn¡¯t any room for judgment. Besides, I have a luscious head of hair. Those are there just for disguises in case I am falsely accused of a crime and need to escape some town in a hurry.¡±


    Vetica¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Falsely?¡±


    Merlin waved a hand. ¡°Do you really think you have any right to point fingers, miss assassin?¡±


    Charlie smiled. At least they were in good spirits. He looked at each of them, and then down at Mousifer, who rubbed his hands together anxiously. Their friends were in danger, and it was time to go save them.


    Charlie focused on his friends and then concentrated on the ability.


    ¡°Transfer!¡±


    One moment, they were sitting together in Merlin¡¯s wagon. The next they were on the floor of the dungeon.


    It was time to find out what was really going on.

 Chapter 74: Tendrils

    The walls of the dungeon were unusually smooth. It made Charlie feel like he was inside of a building rather than a dungeon. Since he¡¯d been sitting on the wagon floor when they¡¯d transferred, he was now crawling on the dirt of the dungeon. He squeezed some of the dirt in his hands. It didn¡¯t feel like a part of him. There was a foreign feeling to it. He clapped his hands together to clean them and then looked around. The hallway continued forward on one side, but the other direction ended in a pile of rubble.


    Charlie blinked at that. The whole dungeon was supposed to be collapsed, just like this part of the hallway was.


    So why had they been able to come here? How had so many scalers fit inside the dungeon?


    Merlin groaned. ¡°It¡¯s never going to feel normal teleporting from one place to another, is it?¡± He looked around. ¡°We¡¯re not in the same place as last time. Is it always random where you end up?¡± he asked.


    Charlie thought about it for a moment. ¡°I dunno! I¡¯ve never ended up in the same place twice, so maybe it is random.¡± Though now he realized he¡¯d never really tried to control where he ended up before. Maybe it was just like when he¡¯d brought King Scalea back from the dungeon and onto Merlin¡¯s back. If he could target a specific part of the dungeon to send them to, it might make things easier on them in the future. They could move to different places within the dungeon more easily. Of course, for that to work, he¡¯d need to know more about the dungeon as a whole. Which was the whole point of Mousifer and Bleedy scouting it out.


    Hopefully, he¡¯d learn more after saving his friends and finding out what was going on. Mousifer hadn¡¯t squeaked at all since passing along his message. He rested on Charlie¡¯s shoulder, looking exhausted and on edge. It made Charlie frown. He¡¯d thought the dungeon would be safer for them, and now he regretted letting them stay here alone.


    Vetica peeked down the hallway ahead. She gripped the butter knife from Merlin¡¯s cart tight in hand. Charlie wondered how effective it would actually be, but hopefully she wouldn¡¯t need to use it.


    They needed to get moving. Charlie held his hands up in the air toward Merlin. Merlin noticed and immediately walked over to oblige him. He picked Charlie up and positioned him so he was sitting in the crook of Merlin¡¯s arm. Merlin nodded toward Vetica. The three of them started moving down the hallway.


    Charlie couldn¡¯t get his mind off of what Mousifer had said. How could his friends have been in a part of the dungeon he didn¡¯t control? What was going on? He turned to stare over Merlin¡¯s shoulder at the crumbled hallway behind them. He squinted, realizing that the shattered rock was a much darker shade than the color of the hallway they were currently in. Charlie realized it wasn¡¯t because that hallway had collapsed. That dark, earthen color was the dungeon¡¯s usual shade. So why was this hallway much lighter than usual? Did it have something to do with the fact it hadn¡¯t collapsed? Was it connected to what Mousifer had said about this being a different part of the dungeon? Charlie had so many questions, and he couldn¡¯t think of any answers that made sense.


    ¡°Um, I think see that white wall you were talking about. I¡¯m just not sure it actually was a wall¡­¡± Merlin trailed off.


    Charlie turned around so he could look ahead of them. They exited the hallway and entered an open, round room that stretched upward like most dungeon chambers. It culminated in the same dome that most of these rooms did, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as high as usual. The walls were just as smooth as the hallway, but they were suddenly the least strange thing about this portion of the dungeon.


    The white wall Charlie had seen in his visions had, in fact, not been a wall. It had certainly looked that way, since Mousifer was so tiny and because of the angle of the vision. But what Charlie had thought was a wall was actually an enormous egg. It was at least twenty feet tall, and a mass of tendrils slithered around its base like a nest made of snakes. All around it, additional tendrils stretched from the egg¡¯s outer shell into the air to connect with the dungeon¡¯s walls and ceiling. It was like the egg had anchored itself to the dungeon.


    The egg had swirling, pulsing markings all around it. Its marks were a blue shade that mirrored Orbs. The egg was familiar, aside from the fact it had grown tremendously since Charlie had last seen it. At the start of his journey in Troa, Lusafeen, the witch had pulled an egg out of her bag. At the time, the markings had been green. But after defeating Lusafeen, they had changed to blue.


    Another memory smacked him as hard as a swing from Brel¡¯s hammer. That egg had sprouted tendrils and wrapped them around Bleedy back then. With everything that had happened, he¡¯d never made the connection. The tendrils that had come from that tiny egg in Troa were the same tendrils that had burst free of his palm in Sirra and Sange. What had Charlie been doing? Had he been feeding this egg every time he absorbed a beast or core guardian? An odd sensation gnawed inside him. He¡¯d been using a power he didn¡¯t understand. A power the interface hadn¡¯t told him he had access to. Now he wondered if it was a mistake to rely on it to increase his dungeon¡¯s mass.


    Merlin took a step back. ¡°I think we should get out of here. This is insane.¡±


    Vetica glanced at him. Her eyes homed in on the egg before them. Her hand tightened around the butterknife she was forced to wield as a weapon.


    Mousifer suddenly roused himself and squeaked from Charlie¡¯s shoulder. Charlie turned to look at him and then followed his pointing snout. He realized he¡¯d missed something amongst the swarming tendrils. There was a small gap in between them in the swirling vines that circled the egg. It was too dark to make out what was inside.


    ¡°Hey Merlin, can you put a hex near that opening so we can see better?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin gulped. ¡°I could, but I really don¡¯t want to provoke those¡­things.¡±


    Vetica lifted a brow. ¡°They don¡¯t seem interested in us at all.¡±


    Charlie realized she hadn¡¯t seen him use the tendrils before. He also realized that the tendrils anchoring the egg to the dungeon seemed to be moving. They were burrowing into the dungeon¡¯s earth itself. He wondered if they were the reason for the odd coloring in this section of the dungeon. If the egg was doing something to wrest away his control. Maybe that was what Mousifer had meant. He shook his head. He didn¡¯t come here to figure all of that out. Charlie came to help his friends.


    ¡°Merlin, the light!¡± Charlie insisted.


    Merlin sighed. He reluctantly held his hands up. ¡°Hazel Hex Heal,¡± he whispered.


    The hex appeared just outside of the gap. It illuminated the space between the slithering tendrils.


    In the center of the small opening, an unconscious Bleedy was curled up. A few of the tendrils had wrapped around him, but as far as Charlie could tell, Bleedy looked okay.


    Beside Bleedy, the blue dungeon core that had always been by Charlie¡¯s side sat dormant on the ground. Two tendrils had pierced right through Orb to form an x inside of him. Charlie gasped. ¡°Orb?¡± he called out. He turned to look at his friends. ¡°We have to go save them!¡±


    Vetica grimaced. ¡°We need to be careful, Charlie. We don¡¯t know what we¡¯re dealing with here. I¡¯ve never even seen a creature like this.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Charlie. Do you know anything about where this egg might have come from? We need to figure out what we¡¯re dealing with before rushing in.¡± Merlin said.


    As much as he hated to admit it, they both made sense. ¡°I think it¡¯s the egg from Lusafeen¡¯s bag. I told you about that, didn¡¯t I?¡± he asked them.


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    Merlin and Vetica both nodded. ¡°How big was that bag, exactly?¡± Merlin looked down at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°The egg wasn¡¯t this big! It¡¯s grown. A lot.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s brows furrowed. He looked up at the egg and his face froze. ¡°Have either of you ever heard of that childhood story¡­the one with the fish?¡± he asked them.


    Charlie shook his head.


    ¡°No, what story?¡± Vetica asked.


    Merlin shot an odd look at Vetica. ¡°I can understand Charlie, but you? You grew up in Aysela, didn¡¯t you? Everyone knows this story.¡±


    Vetica didn¡¯t say anything. She just looked away.


    ¡°What story? What are you talking about, Merlin?¡± Charlie frowned. How could Merlin possibly have heard a story about something like this?


    ¡°When I was little, my mother told me a story about a creature called an Evolution Koi. They were magical creatures that evolved as they consumed other beasts. They¡¯re extremely powerful, and often hid themselves by taking on the form of the creatures they absorbed. I thought they were just a rumor, but after seeing this, I¡¯m starting to wonder if there was some truth to it.¡±


    Vetica scoffed. ¡°What kind of childhood story is that? You¡¯re saying there is some kind of fish inside that thing?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It was supposed to be encouraging. The moral was that we could be just like the koi and grow up to be anything we wanted to be. But honestly, it just creeps most people out. My point is that between the tendrils, the egg, and what Charlie told us about Troa, this is starting to match up with that story.¡±


    ¡°Absorb creatures?¡± Charlie asked. He looked at Bleedy and Orb stuck inside the nest. ¡°Then we need to get them out of here now!¡±


    Merlin sighed. ¡°Charlie we can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Vetica held a hand up. ¡°Get ready to run. I¡¯ll get them,¡± she said.


    ¡°Vetica, you can¡¯t be serious. Those things are dangerous!¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I brought this.¡± Vetica smirked, holding up the butterknife. ¡°Blue Hex Blade!¡± she called out. A blue light surrounded the knife.


    Vetica charged forward.


    Charlie held a hand out. He hadn¡¯t meant she should charge in alone. ¡°Wait!¡± he called out.


    She glanced over her shoulder at them but didn¡¯t stop running.


    At the same time, the tendrils seemed to sense her approaching. Several of them broke out of the circle and shot towards her as one.


    Merlin and Charlie both cried out.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    ¡°Vetica!¡±


    She turned back and the knife in her hands flashed as she made a series of quick movements. The ends of several tendrils fell severed to the ground. They writhed about for a moment before going still. More and more of the tendrils shot toward her. She was forced to halt her run and go on the defensive. She slashed with one hand, and swatted tendrils away with the other.


    Above Merlin and Charlie, the rock crumbled. They looked up simultaneously. But it wasn¡¯t rocks that were falling. There were tendrils.


    Dozens of them.


    Charlie had seen them burrowing into the dungeon, but he hadn¡¯t thought about what that meant.


    They were surrounded. The ceiling, the walls, probably even the ground. They¡¯d walked right into a trap.


    ¡°Merlin!¡± Charlie called out.


    Merlin ran towards the hallway. Charlie sat up to look over Merlin¡¯s shoulder. The tendrils pivoted mid-air and shot after them. They were going to catch up.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    His powers didn¡¯t activate. It was just like Mousifer said. He didn¡¯t have control over this portion of the dungeon.


    Before he could try anything else, the tendrils reached them. They wrapped around Merlin¡¯s legs and waist. A powerful force pulled them back. Before Charlie could process what was happening, Merlin was hanging in the air, slowly being pulled toward the dungeon¡¯s ceiling.


    A panicked squeak escaped Mousifer. He clung to Charlie¡¯s onesie. Charlie reached up and scooped him up in his hands to keep him safe.


    Merlin clutched Charlie tight against his body. ¡°What do we do?¡± Merlin called out.


    Charlie had to come up with something. He couldn¡¯t see anything because gravity had forced Merlin¡¯s cloak to hang around their faces. It covered Charlie¡¯s vision.


    He had to try something, anything else.


    ¡°Convergence!¡±


    Convergence unavailable. There are no other dungeons in the area.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± Charlie thought.


    ¡°Charlie, are your powers back yet?¡± Merlin asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°No! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on!¡± Charlie said. He couldn¡¯t see, and he didn¡¯t know if Vetica was okay. This was bad. No, he couldn¡¯t freak out. He just had to come up with a¡­


    ¡°Vetica! Catch him!¡± Merlin cried out.


    ¡°What?¡± Charlie asked as Merlin let him fall.


    He reached out with his spare hand to grab Merlin¡¯s cloak a moment too late. Charlie hadn¡¯t been able to see, so he wasn¡¯t aware of just how close they¡¯d been to the ceiling. As he flailed through the air, plummeting quickly towards the ground, he realized Merlin was already waist deep inside the dungeon¡¯s roof.


    ¡°Merlin¡­¡± Charlie said as he fell.


    Merlin offered a light smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Charlie. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Charlie turned to look over his shoulder at the ground rapidly approaching. There was a flash of movement. Vetica appeared under him just in time to snag him from the air. The momentum caused her to fall. Charlie closed his eyes as they fell. He heard her knife clamber as it hit the ground. She¡¯d dropped it to catch him.


    When he realized he was okay, he looked up and saw Vetica staring down at him in concern. He turned to look at the egg and saw a pile of mutilated tendrils lying in front of it. Vetica had held her own against them even with a knife intended for buttering bread. It spoke to the strength she had and the power of her hex.


    He gasped, remembering Merlin. He looked up just in time to see the magician¡¯s outstretched hand pulled into the dungeon¡¯s ceiling.


    ¡°Merlin!¡± Charlie said. ¡°No...¡±


    The earth beneath them shook. Vetica reacted first. She scrambled for the knife that had fallen a few feet to her right, but the ground beneath it opened up and swallowed it.


    Her eyes widened when she realized the implications of that. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± She hurried to her feet and took a step but suddenly face planted. She held Charlie up in the air to protect him from the fall. Vetica lost her grip on him when her face hit the dirt. Charlie tumbled forward, wrapping both of his hands around Mousifer to keep him safe. Vetica had protected Charlie from the brunt of the fall and his rock skin passive was still doing its job as well. He straightened himself and turned back to look at her.


    Vetica groaned and shook the impact off. Her eyes shot open. ¡°Crap!¡± She dug her fingers into the dirt and tried to pull herself away from something behind her.


    ¡°Vetica? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Use transfer! Now!¡± she said. She looked over her shoulder as her body slid backward.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not leaving you! What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked. He craned his neck to try to look past her.


    There was a pit behind her, and the tendrils were working to pull her inside.


    ¡°Charlie, just do it!¡± she yelled. More tendrils erupted from the hole and wrapped around her. It was too much. One moment she was there, and the next the dungeon had swallowed her. The hole disappeared as quickly as it had opened.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he said.


    This was his dungeon. He was in charge. Why were his friends¡­


    He was getting angry at this stupid egg.


    A deep voice rumbled all around him. ¡°Good, now we can speak alone, little one. It¡¯s time the two of us talked.¡±


    Charlie looked around. He couldn¡¯t place the voice¡¯s origin. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve borrowed my power all this time, and you still don¡¯t know? Strange.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes focused on the source. The voice could only be coming from one place.


    The egg.


    The egg was talking to him.

 Chapter 75: Cracks in the Shell

    The tendrils swirling at the base of the giant egg returned and resumed swirling around it. There were no visible marks where Merlin and Vetica had been swallowed by the dungeon. It was like they were never there in the first place.


    Charlie tightened a fist. He had to save them and make this weird creature pay. He would get his friends back.


    As soon as he figured out how.


    His abilities weren¡¯t working. That was a problem. Why couldn¡¯t he manipulate the dungeon here? Why wasn¡¯t convergence an option? There were too many things he didn¡¯t know. He decided to do what Merlin would do. The creature wanted to talk, so Charlie would play along for now. He¡¯d buy time to figure out a way to fight back.


    ¡°What did you do to my friends?¡±


    The tendrils coiling around the egg suddenly whipped into a frenzy. ¡°So, you are friends with the cultists? You disappoint me, little one.¡±


    ¡°Cultists? Merlin and Vetica aren¡¯t with the cult!¡±


    The vines snapped against the ground, lashing the earth, and leaving several inch-deep scars within it. ¡°You lie! You were there with that insufferable witch! There was a fight, and then I lost her scent. Do not deceive me. The ones you brought with you were not present then. What did they promise you? Join me instead! We will crush them, little one!¡±


    Charlie blinked. This was the most confused egg he had ever met. It thought his friends were with the cult because they hadn¡¯t been present that day. Did he think Charlie was a hostage or something?


    He gasped. With the dungeon collapsing all the time, rocks have probably fallen on top of the egg. It must have brain damage! Could eggs have brain damage?


    ¡°Wait, dungeon collapse¡­¡± Charlie thought to himself. He looked over his shoulder, remembering the rubble-filled tunnel behind him. He had tried to control the dungeon around him earlier, but Mousifer had said this part of the dungeon was different. The odd color, the tendrils penetrating the walls, and even this strange egg. Whatever this space was, Charlie¡¯s powers were limited. But behind him, there was an entire tunnel filled with perfectly good dungeon material. A tunnel full of boulders, fragmented rocks, and earthen shrapnel. An arsenal of weapons.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Let my friends go,¡± Charlie said. He reached up and put Mousifer on his shoulder to keep him safe.


    The tendrils turned to face him like hissing snakes ready to strike. A powerful gust of air rushed forward from the egg. Charlie covered his face to shield himself from the force. An explosion of magical energy filled the chamber. Whatever this creature was, it was powerful. ¡°So, you¡¯ve chosen to stand against me. I take no pleasure in crushing you, foolish little one.¡±


    Charlie hissed at the egg. ¡°Crush me? This is my dungeon! You won¡¯t hurt my friends here. We all fought really hard to find each other again, and you won¡¯t separate us. I won¡¯t let you!¡±


    ¡°Insolence!¡± The tendrils shot forward.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    Charlie closed his eyes. He could feel them dislodge and shoot forward. Even if he couldn¡¯t see them, he knew they were coming. It had been a long time since he used his powers within the walls of his own dungeon. He¡¯d forgotten how natural it felt. How powerful it made him feel.


    The first rock smashed into the tendrils a moment before they reached Charlie. Charlie opened his eyes and lifted a hand into the air above him. As the boulders, sharpened rocks, and bullet-like pebbles reached him, he threw his hand forward.


    The dungeon followed his command.


    The tendrils desperately spun, snapped, and lashed. A pitiful attempt to protect the egg from Charlie¡¯s fury. But luckily for the creature, Charlie wasn¡¯t just aiming for the egg itself. He directed the smaller rocks directly toward it. The tendrils could handle those. His actual target was the tendrils anchoring the egg in place. It didn¡¯t make sense that the egg was burrowing into the dungeon around it. It didn¡¯t make sense that Charlie had somehow lost control of a part of his own dungeon. He thought the two things were connected.


    So, what would happen if he severed that connection?


    The larger rocks scattered around the egg and exploded into the wall behind it. They left behind a trail of torn and smashed tendrils. The color of the walls started to darken immediately. Charlie smiled. He was in control. He didn¡¯t need to activate his ability again. Charlie was in sync with the dungeon now.


    He could sense Merlin floating above and Vetica sinking. A just large enough space for each of them expanded into a more comfortable room. He left them there for now just in case the creature had some other trick prepared. Charlie copied the technique the egg had used on Vetica earlier. A small hole opened up and swallowed Bleedy and Orb. He beckoned his hand toward him, and his friends came rushing at him underground. The dungeon opened up and pushed them to the surface. Bleedy was still sleeping, and the tendrils that had pierced Orb dissolved inside him.


    The blue marks etched on the egg¡¯s surface started to fade. They grew dimmer and dimmer but did not disappear completely. The surging snake-like appendages began to whip the shell of the egg itself. They left behind blemishes and cuts in the shell, but the marks disappeared as quickly as they formed.


    ¡°I will not go back, never again! I will be a prisoner no longer! Even if it means I must destroy myself. Even though I was so close to the next stage. I would rather perish than become a mere vessel.¡± The creature¡¯s voice was filled with anguish and lament.


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    Charlie frowned. He crawled toward the creature. He didn¡¯t use his powers to go faster, and he didn¡¯t worry about whether or not the creature would attack him. Charlie moved painfully slow, one hand-slap against the ground after the other. Over and over.


    When he got close, the tendrils reached into the air and threatened to strike him. But he ignored them and kept crawling. He crawled right up to the nest, where the tendrils seemed unsure in their movements. Like they couldn¡¯t decide between getting out of the way and stopping him.


    Charlie waved his hand to the side. They didn¡¯t respond. He rolled his eyes and peered through them, looking for an opening. He leaned in and stretched his little baby arm as far as he could. A single finger grazed against the eggshell.


    It was warm to the touch.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± the creature shouted in Charlie¡¯s mind, as if it hadn¡¯t noticed the baby¡¯s approach.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I promise. The cult is fully of bad guys. I¡¯m not with them. I beat up Lusafeen and then met Vetica and Merlin later. They¡¯re my friends. I don¡¯t know what the cult put you through, but you don¡¯t have to worry about them anymore. You can stay here and be safe from now on. Okay?¡±


    The egg didn¡¯t respond for a moment. ¡°You truly aren¡¯t with them?¡± it asked after a moment.


    ¡°Nope! And I plan to beat them up at every opportunity!¡± Charlie smiled.


    The tendrils parted and slid out of Charlie¡¯s way. ¡°I apologize for my actions. I acted hastily. If that is true, little one, then why bring me here? For what reason did you seek out my power?¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. He backed away from the large egg and sat back to look up at it. ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t even know you were here.¡±


    ¡°Truly? But you offered such powerful sacrifices. Surely you questioned whose power it was that you were borrowing?¡±


    Charlie yawned. ¡°Well, I guess so. But that¡¯s why Bleedy and Mousifer were exploring. You didn¡¯t hurt them, did you?¡± he asked.


    The egg rocked slightly. ¡°I only captured them. There was a time when I would¡¯ve considered absorbing them, but such an act would be pointless now. They have no meaningful power.¡±


    ¡°Squea,¡± Mousifer said in agreement.


    Charlie frowned at that, but let it go. ¡°Well, okay. Hope you have fun here!¡± He turned to crawl away.


    A tendril hurried forward and barred Charlie¡¯s path. ¡°Wait! Tell me, little one, what is it you wish to do? What is it you seek in this life?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Arcadeya! Well, technically you¡¯ll be going to since you¡¯re inside my dungeon.¡±


    The egg sighed mentally. ¡°I meant beyond that. What do you hope to achieve in life? What do you hope to accomplish?¡±


    Charlie¡¯s lips went to the side. That was a hard question. He was just a baby. Did he really have to figure life out right now? Couldn¡¯t he take a few years to think about it like everyone else? He¡¯d have something figured out by the time he was two or three. But he doubted the egg would wait that long. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. But I do want to get stronger. There are a lot of bad people in the world, and I want to make sure they don¡¯t hurt the good people. I think if I had to pick something, I would pick that! But Merlin says I¡¯m on my way to being a conman. So, I don¡¯t know.¡± He shrugged.


    The egg shook, and Charlie smiled as the creature inside projected laughter towards him. ¡°An interesting answer. That is a worthy goal, noble little one. Will you hunt down the cult as well?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Of course! Those guys stink. Like dirty diaper stink.¡±


    A sudden crack formed on the exterior of the egg. ¡°Glorious. You have made good use of my power, but until now, that power has been borrowed. I ask you again, noble little one, will you form a bond with me? Allow me to become your core guardian.¡± There was another audible crack, and a few flecks of the egg fell off.


    Charlie frowned. He didn¡¯t know much about core guardians. The one in Sirra was strange looking and annoying. It kept regenerating and wouldn¡¯t give until those tendrils shot out of Charlie¡¯s palm and ate it. Then there was the Nae Glera. A powerful creature that had turned children into adults and made them do its bidding. Well, the dungeon core had taken it over, but still. Both of those creatures were really strong. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I think Merlin and Orb would be mad if I chose an egg. I was going to let Mousifer do it.¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    Charlie turned to look at his furry friend. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t want the job? I bet you¡¯d be good at it!¡±


    Mousifer shook his head vigorously.


    ¡°The mouse?¡± The egg asked. It sounded surprised and slightly dejected. ¡°Surely you jest, humorous little one. A Core Guardian is the final line of defense. A bastion against invaders. The sword that cleaves your enemies. Make no mistake, if you choose me, I will die before allowing anyone to harm you. I will hunt down your enemies and make trophies of their skulls.¡±


    Charlie blinked. ¡°I think Vetica is really going to like you.¡±


    ¡°The next phase was difficult to reach on my own, but I was close. If you bond with me, I will evolve alongside you. As you grow stronger, so shall I. My power will be yours. As well as the power of those we absorbed. My species is core reliant. We cannot reach our full potential without bonding with a dungeon. As your guardian, I would reach my true potential. If you wish to grow strong and dominate the wicked, I am the perfect partner. I will fight for you, noble little one. All I ask is that you allow me to destroy the cult alongside you, and that you never become someone I would despise dying for.¡±


    Charlie smiled. He knew everyone would say this was a decision he should think about more. But the egg was growing on him, and it seemed like this bond thing meant a lot to it.


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll form a bond with you, but I¡¯m not going to let you die for me. You protect me, and I¡¯ll protect you! Well, we¡¯ll all protect each other. You should probably apologize for attacking everyone, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll be your core guardian. It will be my job to keep you safe. You shouldn¡¯t concern yourself with protecting me.¡±


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°If you¡¯re the core guardian, then I¡¯m the core guardian¡¯s guardian.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if the creature inside could see him, but he smiled really big towards it, anyway. ¡°That¡¯s just how friendship works!¡±


    The egg laughed again. ¡°Amusing little one. Very well. I accept this offer of friendship.¡±


    Notice


    A Bond has been formed.


    The Evolution Koi has acknowledged you.


    The Evolution Koi has been designated as the Core Guardian.


    Please stand back.


    Charlie titled his head at that last part. ¡°What?¡± he said.


    The egg cracked all over. The dungeon shook. One moment, Charlie was staring at a gigantic egg.


    The next, he was looking at his core guardian.

 Chapter 76: A New Power

    Most of the eggshell crumbled into thousands of tiny pieces. The flakes of white were lost among the tendrils circulating beneath. Only the base of the egg remained. It acted like a curved pedestal of sorts for the creature floating above it.


    The creature was a giant white koi fish with a black dorsal fin on its back. It was around 8 or 9 feet long. Two long whisker-like appendages started on either side of its mouth and flowed behind it as it swam in the air above the tendrils. It had a line of black spots that ran alongside the entirety of its body.


    Vetica eyed the creature, dusting stray remnants of dungeon material off of herself. ¡°So, you tamed a flying fish?¡± she asked Charlie.


    The koi laughed. ¡°I can only swim within the confines of my egg.¡± As if to emphasize the creature¡¯s point, a spectral eggshell rippled in the air around it for a moment before disappearing.


    Charlie tilted his head at that. Even though the koi had hatched, it was still confined to the same space it had been before. That was odd.


    He looked up. He¡¯d almost forgot about Merlin. The wizardly conman was still somewhere above the dungeon¡¯s roof. He needed to cushion the ground below so Merlin could land safely. Charlie had the dungeon slowly lower the chamber Merlin was sitting inside. Then he turned his attention toward padding the ground, so it was soft. He would just need to shut out any distractions and¡ª


    ¡°Hello Charlie. I¡¯m glad to see you are well. I apologize for the delay, but I was unable to perform my duties after encountering an anomaly within the dungeon. Effective immediately, you will have full access to the interface again.¡±


    Charlie turned away from his work in excitement. ¡°Parent! You¡¯re back!¡± A pebble clacked against the floor. Charlie and the others turned to look at the ground. ¡°Huh? What was that?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Vetica! Charlie! Catch me, catch me, catch me!¡± Merlin yelled as he fell.


    Vetica crossed her arms and shot the falling man a disapproving look.


    Charlie hurried to throw out a hand and do something, but gravity outpaced him.


    Merlin tumbled through the air and landed on the dungeon floor, hard on his back.


    ¡°Ow¡­¡± Merlin groaned.


    Charlie winced. ¡°Sorry. I got distracted.¡±


    ¡°You know, since I met you, I¡¯ve been chased by cultists, arrested, and forced to do hard labor. I¡¯m starting to think our adventures will be the death of me. Also, my everything is broken.¡± Merlin stared up at the dungeon¡¯s ceiling.


    Vetica rolled her eyes and walked over to him. She kicked him. ¡°Get up. Look.¡± She pointed at the floating koi. Merlin leaned his neck forward and looked in the direction she was pointing in. His eyes went wide, and he suddenly scrambled back. ¡°What is that? Wait¡­I was right about the evolution koi? Weren¡¯t we under attack?¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay! We¡¯re friends now!¡±


    Merlin groaned. ¡°Why am I never around when you make new friends? An army of lizards, a giant floating fish. At this point, I¡¯m afraid if I leave you alone, you¡¯ll keep finding stray animals.¡±


    The tendrils beneath the koi thrashed. ¡°Insolent human! I am no stray animal!¡±


    Merlin gulped.


    ¡°Charlie, now that you have formed a bond and chosen a core guardian, you will need to offer it a name. Once you agree on one, I suspect a new power will emerge,¡± Parent said.


    The large koi fish flipped in the air. ¡°An excellent suggestion! Ensure it is a good one, noble little child!¡±


    Merlin rubbed the back of his head and finally stood back up. ¡°Please don¡¯t. If you name him, we won¡¯t ever be able to get rid of him.¡±


    Charlie scrunched his brows. ¡°What kind of name should I pick?¡± he asked everyone.


    ¡°One that is easy to remember. It would be impractical if you forgot it.¡±


    Koi¡¯s tail thrashed in the air. ¡°One that inspires fear in the hearts of our enemies!¡±


    Vetica perked up. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡±


    ¡°Again, I don¡¯t think we should name the levitating fish at all. If anyone cares,¡± Merlin said.


    Charlie thought about it for a moment. A levitating fish? Levitating...Levi!


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it! How about Koi Levi?¡± Charlie asked.


    Vetica smiled. ¡°I like that.¡±


    The koi turned to stare at Charlie. Its body moved from side to side as if it was swimming, but it was stationary. ¡°Koi Levi! I¡¯m not sure it inspires fear, but I do enjoy the sound of it. I accept this name, noble little one!¡±


    A rush of magic energy flooded the room. Everyone looked around.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer said, pointing a paw out. Charlie looked and saw Orb was floating. His color was slowly returning as well. The blue dungeon core slowly floated by and up to Koi Levi. The koi rotated to study the approaching dungeon core. Orb kept hovering closer until he touched against the space in between Koi Levi¡¯s eyes.


    Charlie felt an odd sensation, like the magic energy around him was buzzing in excitement.


    Notice


    The bond with Core Guardian Koi Levi has resulted in the development of new power.


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    New Abilities Unlocked


    Monster Evolution - allows the user to control the evolutionary development of bonded creatures. (Conditional ability)


    Tendrils - allows the user to command the tendrils under the influence of Core Guardian Koi Levi


    Charlie blinked. Two new powers? It looked like he could use the tendrils as an ability now. The tendrils were powerful. He¡¯d seen them absorb dead or weakened beasts to replace dungeon mass and also do things like churn the earth so he could open a portal to the dungeon. This would be very useful. The other power was a bit confusing. It was conditional, so he couldn¡¯t activate it whenever he wanted, unlike Tendrils. What exactly did it mean by control the evolutionary developments of a bonded creature?


    ¡°Parent, can you explain the Monster Evolution ability?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°It appears that this ability developed as a result of Koi Levi¡¯s presence within your dungeon. It was previously locked until one of several conditions was met. One potential condition was forming a bond with the creature.¡±


    Charlie wondered what the alternative conditions might have been. ¡°That explains how I got it, but what does it do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It will allow you to increase the power or alter the form of a creature you have bonded with once conditions are met. The conditions are currently unknown to me. However, I can see that one of your bonds is currently eligible. I recommend taking this opportunity to test the power out. I¡¯ll allow the notice to go through now.¡±


    Notice


    The bonded creature named Bleedy is currently eligible for Monster Evolution.


    Would you like to proceed with evolution?


    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Bleedy?¡± He turned to look at the curled-up creature on the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do it without asking him first. And I don¡¯t want to do it at all if it will change who he is. I like Bleedy!¡±


    ¡°Allow me to wake him,¡± Koi Levi said. A pair of tendrils snaked forward and coaxed Bleedy gently.


    Bleedy yawned and then opened his eyes. He smacked his mouth together a few times while waking up. Bleedy looked around the room, taking it all in. But his eyes lit up when he saw Charlie.


    ¡°Baby!¡± Bleedy said in excitement. The raccooneever hurried over and proceeded to lick Charlie¡¯s face fervently.


    Charlie giggled, wrapping his hands around the creature. ¡°Bleedy! I missed you!¡± he said. Bleedy licked him again and then turned to look at the others. Acknowledging them one by one. When that was finished, Charlie explained the situation.


    Bleedy didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. ¡°Bleedy!¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure? You promise you¡¯ll still be you?¡± Charlie asked.


    Bleedy nodded. ¡°Bleedy!¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s try this out!¡±


    ¡°Monster Evolution!¡±


    The tendrils shot forward and wrapped around Bleedy, completely encasing him in a swath of green. When they retreated a moment later, nothing had changed.


    Notice


    The bonded creature Bleedy, a Racooneever, has become a Racooneever Jaw Mimic.


    This unique creature can take on the traits of eligible beasts by using their teeth as replacements for its own. The duration and number of traits passed along depend on the condition of the teeth, as well as the experience of the Jaw Mimic.


    Merlin and Vetica exchanged a look. Charlie had almost forgotten Parent could allow them to listen in on their conversations while inside the dungeon. The interface must have thought it made sense to include them in the explanation to avoid having to repeat itself.


    ¡°Wait, so Bleedy can get powers by using¡­dentures?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Bleedy!¡± The raccooneever looked down at itself as the tendrils disappeared. He looked the exact same as he had when the tendrils had surrounded him. Charlie had expected some kind of change. He had an idea. ¡°We should try it out! Do you still have the satchel with you?¡± he asked.


    Bleedy frowned and looked toward the tendrils.


    ¡°I confiscated it after catching them. I was curious about what was inside,¡± Koi Levi explained. A tendril hurried forward with a brown satchel hanging from it. It was the same one Mary had attached to Bleedy¡¯s side when they first left Troa. They¡¯d used it for carrying supplies prior to meeting Merlin. Another tendril reached inside the bag and pulled out a set of wolf teeth. Bleedy had taken them from Lusafeen¡¯s cabin and used them to bite Dremmon. It had been the diversion Charlie needed to pull her inside his dungeon. Since then, Bleedy kept the teeth tucked inside the satchel. Bleedy enjoyed wearing them, but they stretched his mouth a little too much for comfort. So, he was limited to how long he could wear them.


    The tendril sat the jaw in front of Bleedy. ¡°Bleedy!¡± he said, before pulling them into his mouth like he had practiced over and over. As soon as they locked into place, Bleedy smiled really wide, showing off the sharpened teeth. His beady black eyes opened further, the brown hair on his sides started to change slowly, and a series of odd, scattered black and gray hairs grew within his fur. Bleedy grew about twice as large as usual, and his mouth expanded and settled to comfortably fit the jaw.


    When the transformation was done, Bleedy looked like a mixture of himself and some kind of wolf. It was incredible.


    Charlie leaned in. ¡°That is so cool!¡± he said.


    Vetica tilted her head. ¡°This new power of his could be really useful. We¡¯ll need to collect more teeth for him in the future.¡±


    ¡°I am not carrying a bunch of nasty monster dentures inside my wagon! Absolutely not!¡± Merlin protested.


    Bleedy turned to look at Charlie and lowered his head. Charlie crawled up to him and grabbed on. Bleedy lifted his head and threw Charlie onto his back. Charlie waved his hands around in the air. ¡°Wow! This is really different! You¡¯re taller now.¡±


    Bleedy lifted his head toward the ceiling. ¡°Bleoooh!¡± The strange noise sounded like his friend was trying to say Bleedy and howling at the same time.


    Charlie giggled at the ridiculous sounding noise. Bleedy was still himself. But he had a cool new power now. If this was what the Monster Evolution ability was capable of, then Charlie was lucky to have it. He already wondered how it might affect the scalers. Maybe he could eventually even use it on Mousifer! That would be exciting.


    A tendril slithered past Bleedy¡¯s snout. Bleedy howl sneezed, and the teeth went flying out of his mouth.


    Just as soon as they left his mouth, Bleedy shrunk back to his usual size. Charlie scrambled to hold on tight. ¡°Wow! That was fun!¡± He looked up to see the salvia drenched dentures had landed on Merlin¡¯s boots.


    ¡°I hate it here.¡± Merlin sighed.


    Charlie smiled. He looked up toward Orb, who was still silently floating close to Koi Levi. Charlie frowned at that. He hoped his friend was okay. He had hoped Orb would snap out of the strange trance by now.


    ¡°Noble little one, now that you have experienced the powers of your evolution ability, we should discuss my own. We need to discuss what kind of form I should take. What kind of form would suit our needs best. But most importantly, we need to discuss rebuilding this dungeon,¡± Koi Levy said.


    Charlie nodded. Maybe if he fixed the dungeon, or even just a part of it, Orb would go back to normal. Either way, they had work to do, and he already had an idea about how he could improve the dungeon to help him more in the future.


    He needed to learn what Mousifer and Bleedy had discovered while scouting and find a way to increase his dungeon integrity. But one thing was for certain, with Koi Levy joining him and these news powers at his command, Charlie was stronger than ever.

 Chapter 77: Construction!

    ¡°Stop asking to pull out one of my teeth!¡± Merlin shouted.


    Charlie looked at him. It seemed like he was talking to Vetica.


    ¡°I just want to pull out one! Let¡¯s see if we can make Bleedy a human!¡± Vetica wore a devious smile.


    ¡°The ability will not be compatible with humans,¡± Parent said.


    Vetica rolled her eyes. ¡°I want to try, anyway.¡±


    Charlie giggled and turned back to Koi Levi. ¡°So, you can evolve too?¡± he asked.


    His new core guardian still hovered upon the remnants of his eggshell and the mass of tendrils. ¡°Of course! I have already grown in a number of ways. The core guardian in Sirra is what led to the growth of my egg and body. I also stole a portion of its regenerative abilities, though that power is still developing. I have enhanced resilience from the scalers you absorbed, and I believe I¡¯ll receive a benefit from the boars as well. The Nae Glera also seems to have passed something on, but I don¡¯t know what yet. The process isn¡¯t instantaneous, and I wasn¡¯t able to experiment with them while confined to my egg. But beyond absorbing abilities, it¡¯s true that my form will eventually change as well.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Into what?¡± he asked.


    There was a glint in Koi Levi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Since I am now your core guardian, that will be up to you. I will be able to take on the form of most creatures I absorb. Though there will be limitations. I cannot become either of the two core guardians you¡¯ve faced so far, for example. I don¡¯t know why, but I cannot. The hatching of my egg was only the first phase. It will take some time before I am able to evolve again. But you should think about the form that would benefit us most. Whether I focus on defense or offense or even some combination of the two. Defeat and absorb powerful creatures, and the options will only expand. As I said before, the two of us will grow stronger together.¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll figure it out together, then.¡± He turned toward Bleedy, who had carefully picked up the wolf-teeth dentures and returned them to the satchel for safekeeping. ¡°Well, what about the dungeon? What did you all learn?¡± he asked.


    Mousifer perked up on his shoulder.


    Bleedy turned toward him, too. ¡°Baby!¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    Charlie looked between them, shaking his head.


    Vetica and Merlin exchanged a puzzled look. ¡°What did they say?¡± Merlin called out.


    ¡°They said they didn¡¯t learn much.¡±


    Vetica frowned. Merlin scoffed. ¡°They were in here for so long! What was the point of that then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer shot back.


    ¡°If I may,¡± parent interjected. ¡°They are correct in that we weren¡¯t able to map the dungeon out. But this is largely because the dungeon doesn¡¯t have a default state. We were able to explore many hallways and chambers, most of which were still slowly recovering from the dungeon¡¯s previous collapse. What we noticed was that the dungeon appeared to be repairing itself almost at random. This room appeared to be an exception and showed no signs of collapse. But the others were captured as soon as they entered, and I was forced into a semi-dormant state. It was only through great effort that I was able to return Mousifer to you after some time had passed.¡±


    So, the dungeon didn¡¯t have a default state. That was interesting. ¡°Were you the reason that this room didn¡¯t collapse?¡± Charlie asked, looking at Levi.


    Koi Levi looped in the air. ¡°I am. I began integrating with the dungeon shortly after loaning you my powers for the first time. The core guardian you absorbed in Sirra gave me greater strength. I was able to use it to exert even more control over this portion of the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°This is likely why the dungeon did not collapse here. A portion of your dungeon mass had essentially been stolen, and therefore, you could not control it and destabilize it through power usage. However, this will not be the case moving forward. Now that Koi Levi is bonded with you now, he cannot simply seize control of his own portion of the dungeon. He will still have some control here though, enough to survive collapse if it happens, but not to prevent it.¡±


    Charlie nodded. He hoped he wouldn¡¯t even need to worry about something like that for a while. That answered his questions regarding this room at least, though he had kind of figured that out already when he severed the tendrils that connected Koi Levi to the dungeon¡¯s walls. ¡°So, why is the dungeon changing shape after a collapse? Is it because I haven¡¯t worked on it at all?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°That is likely. Normally, a dungeon would be shaped by the core itself. But in this case, you hold the most authority over the dungeon, not the dungeon core. The dungeon is simply repairing itself without direction. Now that we know significant change is possible here, you have what is essentially a blank slate for building your ideal dungeon. Anything is possible.¡±


    Vetica¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°We could build a training ground. Somewhere to practice fighting and killing our enemies!¡±


    Merlin looked at her like she was insane. ¡°Or¡­we could build a stable for Marvin! So, he¡¯d have somewhere to sleep when we come inside the dungeon!¡±


    Vetica rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Marvin hated it in here last time. Why would he want to sleep in a dungeon? This is why he is angry with you. You never think about what he wants.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Merlin¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Charlie laughed. ¡°Well, shouldn¡¯t we start with a place like the other dungeons had? The deepest part of the dungeon? Koi Levi is the core guardian, so he needs a place to stay!¡± Charlie said.


    Koi¡¯s many fins thrashed excitedly. ¡°An excellent idea! A throne room! A haven for the ruler of the dungeon. I will guard it with my life.¡±


    Charlie frowned. He really needed to work on Koi¡¯s willingness to sacrifice himself. But the rest of his words made sense. If Charlie¡¯s transfer power really could allow him to transport himself or others into a specific portion of the dungeon, it made sense to create a place like that. If he reinforced it, it would be the perfect place to send his friends if things got bad. Then he¡¯d know they were safe. He looked at the room they were in. As far as core guardian rooms, this one was way too small.


    He focused and brought his hands together. Then he expanded them while focusing on the walls and his dungeon manipulation ability. He felt invisible strings connect him to the dungeon itself. The walls grated as they expanded outward. He made the room a square, instead of using the traditional dome structure he often saw. He felt like it made the room feel more human. It was a minor change, but it felt like it made a big difference.


    Charlie turned toward Merlin. ¡°If I wanted to make the dungeon more stable, what would I do?¡± he asked.


    Merlin tilted his head. ¡°Well, I¡¯m no architect, but I have seen inside some pretty important buildings. Some of them have like pillars and stuff inside them. Maybe you could try that? Some supporting columns.¡±


    ¡°Pillars?!¡± Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I love pillars!¡± He immediately turned his attention back to the dungeon. He lifted his hands up, and a series of pillars grew from the ground and rose quickly into the air. Each of them collided with the ceiling and fused with it. Eight pillars on either side of the room now rose up to support the ceiling. ¡°Like this?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin looked surprised that he had moved so quickly. ¡°Uh, yeah. Something like that.¡± He looked up to inspect Charlie¡¯s work.


    Charlie smiled. There was just one more finishing touch. Just in front of Koi Levi¡¯s egg, he focused and created a small throne made of earth. He also included a little ramp that he could crawl up. It would be weird to call it a throne room and not have an actual throne. The tendrils slithered forward and splayed out on either side of it.


    ¡°This is glorious, noble little child! Tell us interface, will this room stand the strain of his power now?¡± he asked.


    Parent was silent for a moment before responding. Charlie already knew he was calculating the answer to the core guardian¡¯s question.


    ¡°Without testing it, I cannot be positive. But I believe this room will now endure slightly beyond the point that the rest of the dungeon would collapse. In the future, more portions of the dungeon could be expanded and supported in this same way. However, I don¡¯t think any more progress will be made today. Charlie¡¯s dungeon integrity increased after seizing control of this portion of the dungeon again. But it appears the fight, and altering this room, has used up most of the reclaimed power. For now, I advise rest. In the future, we should revisit working on the dungeon and continue strengthening it. You would be wise to study architecture and buildings during your travels as well. That might assist you in furthering your goals.¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Merlin, Vetica, you¡¯ll have to help me learn, too. So, we can build the best dungeon ever!¡±


    Vetica smiled. ¡°Of course, we will. Just keep in mind Merlin has horrible taste, so don¡¯t take too much advice of his when it comes to decorations, okay?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I know that already.¡± Charlie grinned at her.


    Merlin¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a ruder couple of people. See if I let any of you on my wagon when we get out of here.¡± He crossed his arms.


    Vetica shot him a smug look. ¡°See if Marvin even lets you on the wagon when we get out of here.¡±


    Merlin mocked her words, copying her. She leapt toward him as if to strike.


    ¡°What about Orb?¡± Charlie asked, turning away from them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± He was getting more and more concerned by the second. Why hadn¡¯t Orb woken up yet? Mousifer and Bleedy had been through a lot. He understood them, needing time to rest. But Orb had been with him the whole time and then his color had started changing. Eventually, he¡¯d passed out altogether, and Charlie had to return him to the dungeon. Now he was here, floating near Koi Levi, but hadn¡¯t spoken a single word since.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. He just showed up here one day. I seized the opportunity to try to integrate with the core, but progress was slow. I realize now it was because he was already bonded with you. But he was already dormant by the time he arrived here,¡± Koi Levi said.


    ¡°His state is likely because of the strain Koi Levi put on the dungeon during his attempt to take it over. The process would¡¯ve been slow, and largely unnoticeable at first, and then it would have gotten worse very suddenly. He should wake soon. His body is basically on autopilot now. But he¡¯s still in there, somewhere.¡±


    Charlie let out a sigh of relief. That was a good to know at least. Once Orb was better, all of his friends would be united again, and now they had a new friend as well. He was excited to introduce their new core guardian to Orb. He just hoped Orb wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge against their new core guardian friend. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Charlie said.


    He still had questions. He wondered where the scalers were, but he knew they were safe. They wouldn¡¯t have piled into the dungeon if they weren¡¯t. Charlie was also curious about the vault room. Parent hadn¡¯t mentioned it, but that room had been automatically designated. Depending on the size of the dungeon, and how long they had been trapped here by Koi Levi, there was a chance that they just hadn¡¯t seen it.


    Before he could ask about any of that, a strange noise came from the direction of Koi Levi. Everyone turned to look. But the core guardian wasn¡¯t the source of the noise.


    Orb was.


    The blue dungeon core grew brighter and brighter, until finally, Orb returned to his usual color. He plummeted out of the air and thumped against the ground.


    Charlie crawled toward him, wondering what was going on.


    Suddenly, Orb shot back into the air. He spun in a circle before seeing Charlie and zooming in the air towards him. ¡°Charlie! We need to leave now! The hex knights are coming! They¡¯ve found us!¡±


    Charlie blinked back confusion. ¡°Orb? You¡¯re okay! Wait, what do you mean? How do you know that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I can sense it! There¡¯s an entrance to our dungeon not far from where you entered. If they find it, it¡¯s all over!¡± Orb said.


    Charlie remembered something Parent had once said to him shortly before they went to go into Sange. When he entered the dungeon, an entrance was placed randomly. It was something he hadn¡¯t had time to learn more about, but if what Orb was saying was true... if the hex knights really were close to finding it, this was bad.


    They had to escape. He turned to Koi Levi. ¡°We have to go! I¡¯ll talk to you soon!¡± he said.


    Koi Levi blinked at him. ¡°Travel well, noble little one, call upon me should you need my assistance.¡±


    Charlie nodded. He focused on all of his other friends. Orb, Mousifer, Bleedy, Vetica, and Merlin.


    ¡°Transfer!¡±

 Chapter 78: Pursuers

    The wagon¡¯s canvas was cool against Charlie¡¯s back. He leaned against it, sitting beside Merlin as the wagon hurriedly bumped along the dirt road. Marvin was working at a quick pace to pull them as fast as he could. But after a long day of fleeing from the knights, he was slowing down. They¡¯d left quickly after Orb¡¯s warning and since then had managed to stay ahead of the knights. But Vetica was confident they were still being followed. She said there was a way to detect when a scarlet hex was being used on you or something around you. Whoever was behind them had homed in on them with magic.


    She sat on the driver¡¯s bench on the wagon¡¯s front. It had become her usual spot of late since Marvin still hadn¡¯t forgiven Merlin for abandoning him outside Sange. Orb was watching Bleedy and Mousifer work. They were busy reorganizing the satchel Bleedy always carried. They¡¯d added a few emergency provisions to it, and removed the things they didn¡¯t think Bleedy needed to carry around all the time. Orb floated above them, micro-managing the entire process.


    Merlin scratched at his face. His thin facial hair had blossomed into an unruly beard from all his time in Sange, plus their recent travels. He hadn¡¯t found the time to shave at all. ¡°Being on the run sucks. I really need to trim this down,¡± Merlin said, pulling at his beard.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Me too. It¡¯s so itchy! How do you deal with this all the time?¡± Charlie adjusted his own beard.


    ¡°Well, I mean, you just have to¡­¡± Merlin paused. He turned to look at Charlie. Charlie¡¯s thick brown beard surprised him. ¡°Uh, Vetica, you should see this¡­¡± Merlin said.


    She turned and looked over her shoulder and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s cute. It suits you, Charlie.¡±


    Charlie giggled.


    ¡°Cute?¡± Merlin looked around at Orb and the two minions hard at work. ¡°Am I the only one wondering why the baby has a beard? It¡¯s thicker than mine, for System¡¯s sake!¡±


    Charlie laughed so hard he lost his balance. He fell on his side and kept laughing, holding his stomach. The side of his beard peeled off.


    Merlin scoffed. He reached over and pulled the rest of it off. ¡°Charlie, I told you not to mess with my wig collection!¡±


    Charlie sat up, worried he¡¯d upset Merlin. But after a moment, Merlin cracked a smile. ¡°Okay, fine, it was pretty funny. Sorry, I¡¯m a bit on edge.¡± He turned to look out the back of the wagon. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure what we¡¯ll do if they catch up to us. We¡¯ll be outnumbered and underpowered.¡±


    Charlie frowned. Even though Merlin was the only one who said it out loud, Charlie knew the others were concerned as well. Vetica was really confident in her abilities, but even she had seemed way less eager than usual to fight. Bleedy and Mousifer were working diligently to distract themselves, instead of napping or running around the wagon like usual. Orb wasn¡¯t cracking nearly as many jokes. His friends were nervous, and he hated he couldn¡¯t change that. But the hex knights were powerful.


    When the mayor and the core guardian in Sange had turned the hex knight Sir Albert into some kind of super limbling, the creature had defeated Brel in an instant. But despite the fact it had killed the rest of the hex knights, Fiona had managed to defeat it and escape with the king unharmed. Vetica said it was unlikely Fiona would be the one chasing them. She was known for being one of the more powerful hex knights and for remaining by the side of the king at all times. It wouldn¡¯t make sense to send the king¡¯s most trusted bodyguard after Charlie. But that didn¡¯t mean the others they sent would be weak. His powers were still recovering, and everyone in his party was running on very little rest. He didn¡¯t like their odds if it came down to a fight.


    Merlin leaned over to inspect the foot of Charlie¡¯s onesie. He squinted. ¡°Hey Charlie, do you remember when I spilled my drink on you at the cafe in Sirra?¡± he asked.


    Charlie blinked. That was an odd question to ask all of a sudden. ¡°Yeah, it made me sad because this is my favorite onesie.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your only onesie,¡± Orb corrected without turning to face them.


    Charlie stuck his tongue out toward the floating dungeon core.


    ¡°Well, I was just wondering who had cleaned it. I figured maybe Geron, and the others had, but I guess maybe one of your friends in Sange could¡¯ve helped, too?¡± Merlin said.


    Charlie tilted his head. He looked at the foot of his onesie where the brown liquid had stained it all that time ago. Merlin was right. The stain was gone. ¡°No¡­no one ever cleaned it. I just got kind of forgot about it. Maybe it went away on its own?¡± he said.


    Vetica turned back toward them, raising a brow. Merlin exchanged a look with her.


    Now that Charlie thought about it, when he¡¯d run into Merlin, his signature purple cloak had some tears in it as well. Merlin had been wearing kierstone armor underneath it at the time. He¡¯d since removed it and stored it inside of his wagon¡¯s hidden compartment. But the odd thing was, the scratches and tears of the purple fabric were gone now. ¡°Your cloak is fixed too! Did you stitch it back together?¡± Charlie asked.


    Vetica lowered Marvin¡¯s reins, ensuring there was enough slack, and then wrapped them around a rein holder near her feet. Marvin knew to keep traveling in the same direction. Honestly, Vetica mostly sat up front because she enjoyed it and not because it was necessary. She stepped into the back of the wagon and sat down, leaning against the back of the bench she¡¯d just been sitting on. ¡°Charlie, were you wearing that onesie when you came to this world? Or did Richard and Mary give it to you?¡± she asked. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I think I already had it. That¡¯s how they knew my name,¡± Charlie said.


    Orb bounced in the air to affirm Charlie¡¯s story. ¡°Yup. He¡¯s had it the whole time.¡±


    Merlin and Vetica exchanged a look. ¡°Charlie, I didn¡¯t fix my cloak. It fixed itself. Do you know how dungeallis crystal and kierstone can be used to make weapons and armor? Well, there are other materials like it that are used for clothing. Magic materials that can be used for fabrics, clothing, robes, and all kinds of things. This cloak was a gift I received a long time ago, from someone very important to me. When it¡¯s damaged, it repairs itself slowly over time. When it gets dirty, it cleans itself. I asked about your onesie because, well, if the stain disappeared on its own, it¡¯s possible that¡­¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You think my onesie is made from something similar?¡± he asked.


    Orb, Mousifer, and Bleedy turned to look at them. This was getting interesting.


    ¡°Squea?¡± Mousifer said.


    ¡°Yeah, what exactly are you saying?¡± Orb asked.


    Vetica stared at the floor of the wagon, lost in thought. ¡°There are two possible answers, maybe more, but these two seem the most likely. One, the world that Charlie is from, has a similar material in it. If that¡¯s the case, it may be more readily available there. That¡¯s the only thing that would make sense, considering they used it for baby clothing. The other possibility is¡­well, maybe the onesie didn¡¯t come from that world at all. Maybe it came from this one.¡±


    Charlie stared at her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Like my parents somehow bought clothing from this world?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Or they were originally from this world themselves,¡± Merlin said.


    This was a lot to take in. Charlie didn¡¯t know anything about his parents. He was from another world. He had to be. Orb had told him about a place called earth. Merlin had said that interfaces were typically given to people from other planets. Would it really make sense if his parents had somehow started in this world and later moved to earth? If that was the case, why would he have been summoned here on his own? It was a lot to process.


    But it made sense that his clothing might be a little special. He¡¯d damaged it plenty of times before during previous fights. Plus, he¡¯d spent a decent amount of time crawling around a dungeon. He should be way dirtier than he was, and his onesie should be nothing more than a few pieces of scraps at this point. He¡¯d just never really thought about it before.


    For some reason, thinking about it all made Charlie a little sad. He still didn¡¯t know very much about his past. This just created more questions for him.


    Vetica seemed to pick up on his mood shift. ¡°Maybe we can find a tailor or shopkeeper who could tell us more about your clothing the next time we¡¯re in town. We could try to figure out exactly what it¡¯s made of,¡± she said.


    Merlin sighed. ¡°In just a few more days, we¡¯ll be in Arcadeya. We should stay focused on finding this dungeon researcher. That Richard fellow has convinced Charlie that this is the path forward, and it¡¯s too late to change course now. But maybe we can look for a tailor if there¡¯s time afterwards. Either way, I hope Arcadeya is as safe as you think it will be. I need a warm bed and a long night¡¯s rest.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m still a bit confused about this whole thing,¡± Vetica said, inspecting her nails. ¡°If Charlie has an interface, why exactly does he need a dungeon researcher?¡±


    ¡°That...¡± Merlin paused. ¡°¡­is actually a good point. Why can¡¯t Parent break all of this down for you?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Parent helps with a lot, but he says that it¡¯s almost like a lot of his knowledge is locked away. He knows a lot about my skills and can keep an eye on the dungeon for me, but there are still a lot of questions he can¡¯t answer. The dungeon researcher will be able to help! Richard said this is what we should do, and I trust him,¡± Charlie said.


    Orb floated over to him. ¡°Richard was a hex knight, so he probably knows what he¡¯s talking about when it comes to dungeons.¡±


    Vetica and Merlin¡¯s heads both snapped to look at the floating dungeon core.


    Merlin turned back toward Charlie. ¡°Wait, you were brought to this world and adopted by a hex knight? Someone in the same group that is currently chasing us through the forest?!¡± he asked.


    Charlie pursed his lips. ¡°Well, technically, he¡¯s a retired hex knight.¡±


    Merlin palmed his face. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel better. What if this is a trap or something?¡±


    ¡°Stop that, Merlin. If this Richard fellow wanted to turn Charlie in, he could¡¯ve done that already. Hex Knights delve into dungeons all the time. If one of them thinks this dungeon researcher can help, he¡¯s probably right. Besides, Arcadeya is a large city. It¡¯ll be easy to get the hex knights off our trail there, as long as we¡¯re smart,¡± Vetica said.


    Merlin sighed but didn¡¯t protest any further.


    Charlie crawled toward Vetica and reached up toward the bench. She smiled and picked him up and stepped over to sit on the bench with him in her lap. Marvin was moving at an incredible pace, and Charlie was wondering how Merlin had ever found such an incredible horse. To be honest, there was still so much he didn¡¯t know about his friends. But he¡¯d have time to figure that out.


    For now, he focused on the road ahead. Though Charlie was keenly aware that the hex knights wouldn¡¯t be far behind them, he believed it would all work out in the end. Soon they¡¯d reach Arcadeya. The city he¡¯d set out for from the very start of his journey.


    When he¡¯d left Troa under the direction of Richard and Mary, there had been just four of them. Charlie, Orb, Mousifer and Bleedy.


    He hadn¡¯t had any idea what his adventure would consist of at the time. But he¡¯d met a lot of great people, and now he had more friends than ever before. He was closer to answers than ever before. Soon he¡¯d know more about his dungeon, and hopefully find a way to fill the gaps in Parent¡¯s knowledge. If he wanted to become someone who could protect others and use his powers to their maximum potential, Arcadeya was an important step.


    And they¡¯d be there soon.

 Chapter 79: Arrival at Arcadeya!

    The trees distorted into brown and green blurs as Bleedy ran. Charlie hugged the racooneever closely, tightening his fingers around patches of fur, and leaning flat against Bleedy¡¯s back. The wolf-teeth dentures in Bleedy¡¯s mouth had allowed him to shift to his wolf-like form. Now the two of them, plus Mousifer and Orb, shot through the forests.


    It had been Vetica¡¯s plan. The searching magic associated with scarlet hexes was like any other kind of magic. It wasn¡¯t endless, and the caster would have to decide between forming a constant connection with the target, or periodically checking in to make sure they still had the trail. Since Vetica could tell when someone was actively targeting on to them, she was able to discern which strategy the hex knight tracking them was using.


    For a while, the connection had been consistent. Then it stopped for a brief period before focusing on them again. Over and over, those periods grew longer and longer, as the tracker became more confident that their prey wasn¡¯t aware the knights were on their trail.


    When the tracker took another break, Vetica seized the opportunity to throw them off. They weren¡¯t actually sure which of them was being tracked. Had they heard about Merlin¡¯s exploits in Sange and followed him? Perhaps the guild members of Gemini had set the knights after Vetica. Or, and this was the worst-case scenario, the knights had finally caught wind of Charlie¡¯s trail. If that was the case, evading them just got a lot harder.


    For now, they needed to maximize how much time they had to explore Arcadeya. So, they split up in hopes that the knights would be forced to do the same. They might only have the magical equivalent to a trail for the most case. But the wagon left behind a physical trail as well. Now they hoped to take advantage of that.


    Merlin continued forward with the wagon and Marvin. Vetica had convinced the horse to go along with the plan for her sake. Marvin had reluctantly agreed. Vetica had taken off into the forest, moving along the treetops. She said she would make sure to leave a trail behind. Some of the knights would be forced to follow the path where members of the party they were following had obviously split from the others. Charlie, Bleedy, Mousifer, and Orb took the opposite direction. All three of them would continue moving towards Arcadeya, but they would take a detour through the forest before meeting up again.


    If they split the knights up, it might buy them time. Time would be everything in the search for the researcher.


    Charlie looked over his shoulder at Orb floating behind them. Bleedy was quickly outpacing the dungeon core. This new form was way faster than his usual. Charlie could tell Bleedy was stronger like this as well. Though they hadn¡¯t had an opportunity to test that out yet.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer said. He held on to the top of Bleedy¡¯s head just in front of Charlie. Mousifer¡¯s tail dangled in the wind and tickled Charlie¡¯s face every once in a wild.


    He giggled. ¡°I know!¡± Charlie called out over the sound of rushing wind all around them. ¡°But just because you didn¡¯t get an evolution already doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t someday!¡±


    Mousifer looked back at Charlie and nodded. ¡°Squea!¡±


    Charlie smiled.


    ¡°Slow down!¡± Orb called out. Bleedy howled, and Charlie did his best to mimic the sound.


    ¡°Owul!¡± Charlie screamed into the forest.


    ¡°If we tamed some monkey beast, you could be a real Tarzan,¡± Orb said, finally catching up. ¡°I think this is far enough. We should start moving towards the others again. Vetica told us not to go too far.¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± he patted Bleedy on the head. ¡°Let¡¯s head back toward the others,¡± he said.


    Bleedy dug his paws into the ground, and they skidded to a halt. The racoonneever took a right and started moving toward Arcadeya again. Bleedy would slowly make his way back toward the main road, where he could rest on Merlin¡¯s wagon. If everything worked out, they would force the knights to split up and waste a little time. If not, well, they¡¯d have a fight on their hands sooner rather than later. Charlie smiled, leaning his head back and feeling the wind once again. He knew he should be more concerned about the knights, but right now, all he could think about was reaching Arcadeya. The city he¡¯d set out on this journey to reach in the first place.


    ***


    ¡°Well, do you think it worked?¡± Merlin asked. The group had regathered a couple hours later. They all sat in a circle in the back of the wagon. Bleedy¡¯s dentures were air drying in the circle¡¯s center, much to Merlin''s disgust. Marvin pulled the wagon forward on his own.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been chased by knights before. It won¡¯t throw them off our trail, but it will slow them down. I left several trails myself, so at least one search party should be delayed longer than the others,¡± Vetica said. She didn¡¯t clarify why exactly she¡¯d been chased by knights before, but considering her previous career path, no one asked any questions. ¡°We¡¯ll be in Arcadeya soon. It depends on the caster a lot, but some searching hexes don¡¯t work as well in dense populations. They¡¯ll be able to follow our trail, but it¡¯ll be much harder.¡±


    Marvin neighed up front.


    Charlie couldn¡¯t see over the bench in the wagon''s front. He looked at Vetica and Merlin instead. Vetica smiled at him. Merlin¡¯s head fell back, and he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right about them having a hard time finding us in the city.¡± He looked back up at Charlie. ¡°We¡¯re here. We¡¯re finally here.¡±


    Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up; he crawled toward the front of the wagon. Merlin followed him and picked Charlie up. He stepped over the bench and sat Charlie down beside him. Vetica hurried forward and joined them up front as well. Mousifer¡¯s head swiveled on Charlie¡¯s shoulder. Orb floated above. Bleedy scurried up and clung to the back of the bench, peering over it.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Arcadeya was the most beautiful city Charlie had ever seen. There wasn¡¯t a wall around it, like the other large cities they¡¯d been to. Sirra, and then, of course, Sange. There were no walls, no gates, no guards. Just buildings upon buildings. The streets were finely paved, and in their center, a row of tall trees with blue and gold leaves separated one half of the road from the other.


    The buildings had brown slate roofs, and carefully laid stone walls with wooden frames. There were wooden hanging signs that advertised shops. Flower shops, booksellers, and general goods. There was a bakery from which the pleasant smell of freshly baked bread came. Merlin¡¯s stomach growled in response.


    Some people walked from building to building. Others just strolled down the city streets. They looked happy. It was a stark contrast to his experiences in Sange.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any walls?¡± Charlie asked. What would the people here do if hex beasts attacked? What about the bandits Merlin was always worried about? Maybe the people of Arcadeya were crazy. They¡¯d allowed trees to grow in the middle of their roads!


    ¡°Arcadeya is a city of trade. It¡¯s deep enough in the kingdom that war has never affected it. It¡¯s also unheard of for hex beasts to even approach the city in recent years,¡± Merlin said.


    That was interesting. What would keep monsters from approaching the city?


    On their left, a little girl ran out of a building with large glass windows that allowed passerby to see the wares inside. Charlie¡¯s eyes fixated on a stuffed bear with comically long ears displayed behind the window. The little girl was holding a leather bag in her hands and stared up at them in the wagon. She noticed Charlie sitting there and waved before running down the street.


    Vetica noticed Charlie¡¯s smile. ¡°At least the kids aren¡¯t in a dungeon here. That¡¯s a good sign.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very low bar,¡± Orb said. He floated forward when no one was looking and landed in Charlie¡¯s lap. His color dimmed and the dungeon core appeared more and more like a toy ball.


    Charlie blinked at him. ¡°Oh no! You aren¡¯t getting sick again, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Nope! But I did finally figure out how to avoid having to hide all the time. Drop me against the bench!¡± Orb said.


    Charlie shrugged and threw Orb down beside him in the seat.


    The noise Orb made when he hit the wood sounded just like it a toy ball would. Orb bounced back into the air a few times until the momentum died down. ¡°So, what do you think? Convincing right?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty good.¡± Merlin nodded. He picked Orb up and flung him forward into the street.


    ¡°You jerk!¡± Orb cried out as he bounced in front of the wagon. After he¡¯d gone several yards, he slowed to a roll and stopped. Orb waited until the wagon moved over him. Then he floated under it and made his way back into the covered portion of the wagon, when he was sure nobody was watching. ¡°What was that for?!¡± Orb demanded upon his return.


    Merlin shrugged. ¡°Had to be sure you would commit. I wasn¡¯t going to let you stay out in the open if you couldn¡¯t keep up appearances. I¡¯ll allow it for now.¡±


    Orb growled in their minds and landed in Charlie¡¯s lap again.


    Charlie tried to focus their attention. ¡°What should we do first? This city looks really big,¡± he said.


    ¡°We need to get off the street and find somewhere to lie low for a little while. If you and Merlin work on finding somewhere for us to stay, I can start looking for leads. We need to find this researcher as soon as possible,¡± Vetica said.


    A sizeable crowd of people was congesting the streets ahead. It seemed like a small market, and people were moving from vendor to vendor. The din of negotiations and conversation growing louder with each step that Marvin pulled them forward.


    Vetica pulled Marvin¡¯s reins slightly, and they turned onto a new, less-crowded street and kept moving.


    ¡°Richard said that the researcher would find us,¡± Charlie said.


    Vetica and Merlin exchanged a look. ¡°Yes, but how is he supposed to know you¡¯re here? Plus, Richard never accounted for the fact we¡¯d get stuck in Garden, Sirra, and Sange for as long as we did. We should¡¯ve been here a while ago. Even if he sent word ahead somehow, this researcher may have already given up on looking for you. It¡¯s best we take matters into our own hands,¡± Merlin said.


    Charlie frowned. He had to admit it made sense. But he trusted Richard. If he said the researcher would find them, then he believed it. But he understood his friends were concerned. They had a good reason to be. The knights were dangerous, and they would catch up before long. His head shot to the side as a thought hit him.


    ¡°Hey Vetica, I know you said that sometimes a searching hex won¡¯t work as good in a city, but if we had someone who could use those, do you think it could help us find the researcher?¡± he asked.


    Vetica looked at him, surprised. ¡°Well, I mean it could. But it might be risky to involve someone we don¡¯t know in this. Besides, a lot of the more talented casters are already associated with guilds and¡­¡± She paused, slowly catching on.


    Merlin looked over at her. ¡°And what?¡± he asked. He looked at Charlie and then it hit him, too. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t mean¡­Charlie no! That¡¯s insane! We can¡¯t.¡±


    Charlie giggled. ¡°I think it could work! You both want to find him sooner, don¡¯t you? Doesn¡¯t it make sense?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Baby?¡± Bleedy¡¯s voice came from behind the bench.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m confused too. What are we talking about?¡± Orb asked.


    Merlin¡¯s head fell. Vetica smirked.


    Charlie looked down at the dungeon core. ¡°We¡¯re going to kidnap one of the hex knights! The one with the scarlet hex! Then we¡¯ll find the researcher in no time at all!¡± he declared.


    ¡°I hate to say it, but I¡¯m with Merlin on this one,¡± Orb said. ¡°How would we even pull that off?¡±


    Vetica crossed her legs. ¡°Actually, it could work. If we¡¯re careful and coordinated. If we take the searcher hostage, they can¡¯t follow our trail anymore. We lose the knights, find the researcher, and learn what we came here to learn.¡±


    Merlin groaned. ¡°And what if they have more than one person capable of searching? What then?¡±


    Vetica shrugged.


    Charlie pumped a fist in the air. ¡°Operation adultnapper is a go!¡±


    Merlin¡¯s head fell into his hands. ¡°I¡¯m going to end up in jail again aren''t I?¡±

 Chapter 80: Hex Knight Hostage

    Sir Redrick


    It wasn¡¯t very comfortable sitting on a stool in front of the bar in full armor. But comfort was the last thing on his mind. The bartender had offered him a free drink on account of the easily recognized armor of the hex knights. The beautiful woman sitting next to him seemed just as impressed.


    ¡°So, tell me about the scariest beast you¡¯ve ever fought!¡± she said, leaning forward and sipping from her drink. She had short brown hair, freckles, and a small nose ring that normally Redrick wouldn¡¯t be into, but tonight, he found attractive.


    Sir Talmot was on Redrick¡¯s other side. He was quiet as usual. He sat there, polishing his round-rimmed glasses with a small cloth from his pocket. This wasn¡¯t Talmot¡¯s kind of place, but they were in Arcadeya. After camping in the woods on some wild baby chase for weeks, Redrick wanted to enjoy a drink with beautiful company. It wasn¡¯t often he got to do that.


    Redrick lifted his glass and stared at his distorted reflection. Tousled red hair and a hardened face even a mother couldn¡¯t love. Well, his mother didn¡¯t really like anyone, so maybe that wasn¡¯t fair. He turned to the woman, doing his best to get a hold of his gruff voice. The last thing he wanted was to do was scare her off. ¡°Heh, I wrestled with a caldurra once.¡±


    ¡°No! Seriously?¡± she asked. Her elbow hit her drinking glass and the pieces of ice inside it shook against each other.


    He nodded. ¡°It caught me off guard and I lost hold of my blade. I only had two choices. I could run and catch that ugly creature¡¯s tail in the back, or I could fight. So, I rolled up my sleeves and charged it.¡±


    ¡°Did you¡­kill it?¡± she asked.


    Redrick took a sip of his drink. It burned in all the right ways. ¡°I still have the skull as proof.¡±


    Talmot nudged him. ¡°Redrick, we should¡­ we should get going. If Brandt finds out we were slacking off, he wouldn¡¯t be happy.¡±


    Redrick sighed, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Relax Talmot. Let¡¯s take the night. I¡¯m sure this pretty lady wouldn¡¯t mind introducing you to one of her friends.¡±


    The woman giggled. ¡°I could do that, but first you¡¯ve gotta buy me a drink,¡± she said.


    Redrick smiled. ¡°Of course! Uh, let me just¡­¡± He looked over at Talmot, who had put his head back down at the bar. Redrick smiled sheepishly at the woman and turned away to whisper to his friend. ¡°Hey, get up, buy her a drink for me.¡±


    Talmot fumbled around with the coin purse on his waist and took a few silver coins out. His hand slipped, and the coins fell on the ground. Redrick stared at them. Talmot suddenly looked up in surprise. ¡°Sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Um, aren¡¯t you a knight? You don¡¯t have money of your own?¡± the woman asked.


    Redrick turned to face her and held his hands up. His face flushed. ¡°It¡¯s not that! I have money! I just uh, lost my coin purse on our last job. He owed me a few silver pieces any way. No big deal.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°I think my friends are calling me. I better go. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Redrick called after her, but she was already hurrying back towards her friends. His head fell.


    ¡°Redrick, I¡¯m so sorry. I should¡¯ve been more¡­more careful!¡± Talmot stumbled over his words as he was known to do. Redrick had never known a more anxious man. But anxious or not, Talmot was probably the closest thing he had to a friend.


    Redrick pushed his stool back and went to pick up one of the coins. It turned into sludge in his hands. ¡°Do you ever wish we could trade curses?¡± he asked.


    Talmot nodded. ¡°You know I¡¯d take yours in a heartbeat. I don¡¯t think you would like mine, though,¡± he said.


    Redrick laughed. ¡°Probably not. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Talmot picked up the remaining few coins and headed toward the bar¡¯s door. It was fairly crowded inside tonight. But the streets were mostly empty. Honestly, it was the best time for the kind of tracking they were doing. Redrick followed his small-framed friend toward the door and took one last glance at the woman and her friends sitting in a booth against the wall. They¡¯d been looking at him. They looked away the moment he looked over and started giggling amongst themselves.


    Redrick sighed. ¡°What a life.¡±


    ***


    The two of them walked side by side through the streets of Arcadeya. It was dark out, aside from the scattered light of lampposts. Besides a few people hanging outside of taverns and inns, the streets had cleared up. The citizens of Arcadeya would be back on the streets in the early morning, trading and selling their goods as they did every day. If you wanted to make money in Aysela, you started in Arcadeya. At least, the saying went something like that.


    ¡°Scarlet Hex Search!¡± Talmot said. A small hex appeared before him. He studied it for a second and then started pointing his hand in different directions. Eventually, the hex grew brighter. Talmot¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I think I have something!¡±


    ¡°Is it them?¡± Redrick asked.


    Talmot nodded. His hand was pointing toward one of the residential districts. So, their prey had holed up in Arcadeya, after all. It was a smart choice. It was the kind of choice that meant they knew something about searching hexes. Though they¡¯d already suspected that. It was the only way the targets would¡¯ve known they were being followed in the first place. Whoever they were dealing with certainly wasn¡¯t an amateur. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    They ran down street after street. Redrick¡¯s dark armor clanked with every step. Talmot¡¯s black and gold robe flowed in the wind. The smaller man never had enjoyed wearing armor. He wasn¡¯t much of a fighter, anyway. That just meant Redrick had to keep him safe.


    They turned down another road, and Talmot held a hand up. The road was darker than the others. Redrick squinted. There were lamp posts ahead, but they were dark. It was like someone had put them out. If there were any bars or inns on this road, nobody was outside. Redrick had a bad feeling about this. ¡°Are you sure this is the place?¡± he asked. Redrick reached back and grabbed a hold of the hilt of the sword on his back. He¡¯d be ready to draw it if he needed to.


    Talmot¡¯s brow furrowed, and his hex pulsed. ¡°I think so¡­I should be able to lock in on them shortly. I just need another few ¡ª¡± The hex dissipated. ¡°No!¡±


    Redrick turned to look at him. ¡°What happened? You run out of juice?¡± he asked.


    Talmot ran his hands through his hair frantically. ¡°Oh! This is not good. I didn¡¯t rest enough. I haven¡¯t gotten any sleep and I¡¯m out of magic potential. What do we do now?¡± he asked.


    Redrick looked around. The houses were all dark. The shades were drawn and there was no sign of life. ¡°We can¡¯t really go door to door. We¡¯d probably just scare them off if they haven¡¯t figured out we¡¯re close by now.¡±


    ¡°Red¡­Redrick!¡± Talmot said, pointing down the road.


    Redrick looked up. There was a woman standing there facing them. He couldn¡¯t make out what she looked like or what she was wearing. She was a shadow amongst shadows. One of her hands was on her hip, and she stood there unmoving. Staring at them. ¡°That¡¯s creepy as hell,¡± Redrick muttered. ¡°Think that¡¯s her?¡± he asked.


    Talmot swallowed. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this, Redrick.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, stay here. I¡¯ll check it out,¡± he said. Redrick flexed his legs. He¡¯d need to clear the distance quickly. He¡¯d have to move much faster than she could react. But that wasn¡¯t a problem for him. His speed and strength were nearly unmatched. Thirty feet, she was about thirty feet away. If he propelled himself forward with enough power, he¡¯d reach her before his feet even needed to touch the ground again.


    ¡°Redrick, maybe we should think about this¡ª¡±


    Too late. Redrick¡¯s legs pumped, and he kicked off the ground. He rocketed forward like an arrow at top speed. He moved so fast that when the giant rock wall shot into the air in front of him, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from ramming toward it. ¡°Uh oh!¡± he managed to say before slamming into it.


    He rubbed the back of his head. He was lying face first in a pile of rubble. ¡°That really hurt¡­what the heck was that?¡± Surely he hadn¡¯t had that much to drink. Redrick roused himself and dragged himself to his feet. He turned around and saw another large rock wall behind him. It separated him from Talmot. ¡°Talmot, you okay?¡± he called out.


    There was a pause. Redrick¡¯s breath caught. ¡°Talmot?!¡± he cried out again.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m fine Redrick, don¡¯t worry! Are you okay?¡± Talmot cried back.


    Redrick breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll look for a way around. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on, but I think you¡¯re right. We should call for reinforcements. I can¡¯t keep you an eye on you and deal with whatever this it.¡± Rocks fell somewhere behind him. Redrick spun around and couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. There it was. The baby. It was wearing the same onesie Talmot had described. But the child was much furrier than he imagined it would be. His eyes grew wide. ¡°Holy hell. This kid really is a monster. It can transform?¡±


    The furry baby looked at him and then turned and ran away. It moved on all fours like some kind of cat or wild animal. It was probably luring him into a trap. But as long as Talmot was okay, Redrick would be fine. ¡°I found the kid! I¡¯m going after it! Meet me back at the tavern, okay Talmot?¡± Redrick called out.


    Talmot was silent for a moment again. Finally, he answered back. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll meet you there, Red.¡±


    Redrick looked over his shoulder. Red? Talmot hadn¡¯t ever called him that. He shrugged. ¡°Guess he¡¯s trying something new. It¡¯s weird though.¡± He broke into a sprint and charged after the fleeing child. He wasn¡¯t going to let it get away from him. Brandt would let him have an entire week off if he caught this kid. He wasn¡¯t going to miss this opportunity.


    Vetica


    ¡°Excellent, little hostage. You played along nicely,¡± she said, holding the knife to the scrawny hex knight¡¯s throat.


    ¡°He¡¯ll figure it out before long. You won¡¯t get¡­get away with this!¡± he said.


    Vetica looked over her shoulder. Merlin emerged from the shadows. Charlie sat in the hood of his cloak, peeking over Merlin¡¯s shoulder. He was wearing a makeshift onesie made from a quickly cut bedsheet. Vetica thought it was kind of cute. Orb had said it looked more like a toga. Whatever that was.


    ¡°Is this him?¡± Vetica asked.


    Charlie leaned forward to get a good look at the knight. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s the same one from Troa. The knight who saw me use my powers.¡±


    Vetica smirked. ¡°Well, good, that settles that. I even saw him use the scarlet hex. This is our guy. Let¡¯s get him back before the other one figures out he¡¯s an idiot for chasing a raccoon in a onesie.¡± She pushed Talmot towards them. Merlin led them down an alleyway in between two houses. They¡¯d rented a house several blocks over, and Vetica had made sure there wouldn¡¯t be a trail to lead the knights to them. They¡¯d have as much time as they needed to interrogate the knight and force him to help them find the researcher.


    Talmot looked over his shoulder at her. ¡°What do you want¡­want with me?¡± he asked.


    Vetica shot him a devious look. ¡°With you in particular? Not much. My friend in the purple cloak has always wondered how hex knight meat tastes. I¡¯m just along for the journey.¡±


    Charlie giggled ahead in the darkness. Merlin scoffed. ¡°Stop it! We¡¯re just going to ask you some questions. If you cooperate with us, we¡¯ll let you go unharmed when this is all over. You have my word.¡±


    Vetica rolled her eyes. Even if Merlin believed what he was saying, for Charlie¡¯s safety, they absolutely could not let Talmot leave alive. That should be common sense.


    She heard Talmot swallow in the darkness. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. Turn the boy over and we¡¯ll let you go. That¡¯s all Brandt cares about! He¡¯s not interested in the rest of you. But if you take me like this, and Brandt learns about it, he won¡¯t have mercy on you. It¡¯s in your best interest to¡ª¡±


    Vetica clocked him on the back of his head with the butt of her knife. Talmot slumped to the ground. She studied the knife in her hand. It was nice. She¡¯d got it on sale in the market earlier that day. It wasn¡¯t as durable or powerful as the one she¡¯d lost. But it would do for now.


    Merlin stopped walking ahead of her. ¡°Vetica! Did you knock him out? That¡¯s going to give him a concussion! We agreed not to knock him out.¡±


    ¡°Vetica! Be nice!¡± Charlie called out in her mind. She sighed and lifted Talmot up. She threw the man over her shoulders and kept walking.


    ¡°Fine!¡± she called out. A smirk crept across her face. She was looking forward to this next part.


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget we aren¡¯t torturing him!¡± Charlie reminded her.


    Vetica groaned. She was looking a little less forward to this next part now.

 Chapter 81: Despair and Hope

    Charlie


    The room Merlin had rented for them was actually a small house in a residential district. Each of the houses was built side by side with very little space in between. They looked more like fancy wooden boxes with doors and windows than they did what Charlie would usually consider a house. But Arcadeya was a big city, and these homes provided living spaces for the people who couldn¡¯t afford something nicer.


    There was only one bedroom, a small bathroom, and a storage space that was already filled to the brim by the landlord. The room was nice enough; the bed was pressed into a corner. On the opposite side of the room there was a dark blue couch that looked brand new, and a worn carpet that appeared as if a herd of wild beast had trampled over it. A bookshelf with a few dusty texts was next to the couch. Vetica had already drawn the window curtains shut tight and bolted the door. After all, they had a hex knight tied to a chair in the center of the room. It wouldn¡¯t be great if someone walked by and looked inside the window.


    Bleedy had lost Redrick in the city and make his way back already. Charlie had wanted to put his onesie back on immediately, but Vetica insisted they needed to wash it first. So, he still wore the toga, as Orb called it. Now Bleedy hid in the bathroom with Mousifer and Orb. Merlin had suggested leaving them out of sight. They wanted Talmot focused on talking, not the strange-acting animals and the floating blue dungeon core in the room.


    Talmot studied each of them through the lenses of his glasses. He hadn¡¯t tried to free himself since he woke up from when Vetica had knocked him out. ¡°You should¡¯ve let me go. It¡¯s going to be b¡­bad for you when Brandt tracks me down.¡± The hex knight said.


    Vetica quietly sharpened her knife against a small whetstone. She sat with her legs crossed on the edge of the bed. Merlin stood in front of Talmot. He ignored the hex knight¡¯s words. ¡°What do you all even want with Charlie? What do you plan to do with him?¡±


    Talmot glanced over to Charlie, who was watching the interrogation from the room¡¯s couch. Talmot eyed him for a moment, before a defiant look crept over his face. He turned back and glared at Merlin. ¡°What else? He has to be eliminated. He¡¯s an abomination!¡± Talmot spat.


    Charlie¡¯s heart sank. He knew how the knights felt. Talmot had been the first person to use that word around him. To use that word to describe Charlie. It had haunted him ever since.


    Merlin didn¡¯t say a word. He rolled up his sleeve, took a step, and punched Talmot across the face. The man¡¯s glasses skidded across the floor.


    Vetica¡¯s head shot up. Her cool demeanor gone in an instant. ¡°Hey, no fair! You should¡¯ve let me do it!¡± she complained.


    Charlie sucked in a breath. ¡°Merlin?¡± he called out.


    Talmot looked stunned. Merlin had been the one insistent that they wouldn¡¯t hurt the knight. The hex knight probably hadn¡¯t expected that at all. Merlin knelt down in front of the man. ¡°Listen here. I asked you a question, and you answered. I¡¯d like you to keep answering questions. But let me make one thing clear: you will never use that word around me again, especially not to describe Charlie. Do you understand?¡±


    Talmot didn¡¯t look toward him. His unfocused eyes searched the ground for any sign of his glasses.


    Merlin followed his gaze and saw the glasses sitting on the floor. Luckily for Talmot, they hadn¡¯t broken after falling. Merlin picked them up. ¡°I need to hear you that you understand. If not, we¡¯re done here. I¡¯ll let her do things her way,¡± Merlin said, nodding his head toward Vetica.


    Vetica sat up in the bed excitedly.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Talmot said. Vetica scoffed and rolled her eyes.


    Merlin nodded and carefully slid Talmot¡¯s glasses back on. Talmot wrinkled his nose, trying to straighten the glasses on his face. ¡°Good. Now, you should reconsider your stance here. Charlie isn¡¯t bad. He may be different, but that¡¯s not a bad thing. He¡¯s a good kid,¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°Different?¡± Talmot said, looking up. ¡°I woke up two hours before I opened my eyes. I listened. I waited. Do you know what I didn¡¯t hear during that time? Crying. Babies eat pretty often. When¡¯s the last time you fed him? He¡¯s not hungry? He hasn¡¯t cried because he p¡­pooped his diaper or wants to lie down and sleep? I don¡¯t know about you, but that¡¯s more than different. It¡¯s inhuman,¡± Talmot said.


    Charlie¡¯s head fell. Sure, he didn¡¯t eat a lot, heck he hadn¡¯t been hungry since his powers woke up. Even since then, besides a few dungeon cores, he hadn¡¯t eaten at all. He hadn¡¯t ever needed his diaper changed, either. He still slept, though, not as often as he used to. But did all of that make him inhuman? Was that what being human boiled down to? Eating, sleeping, and pooping. Was Charlie more of a monster because he didn¡¯t do those things? Did it warrant the knights wanting to eliminate him, as Talmot had put it?


    Merlin shook his head. Talmot¡¯s words had caught him off guard. ¡°Sure, his needs are a little different, but that doesn¡¯t make him bad. You¡¯re a knight. Shouldn¡¯t you want to help him? You¡¯re the ones who summoned him. Surely you feel at least a little responsible.¡±


    Vetica sighed. ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time with this. We didn¡¯t take him hostage to try to convince him to switch sides or anything. Let¡¯s do what we came here to do.¡±


    Merlin shot her a stern look. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t try. If we can make them see things our way, then¡ª¡±


    Talmot cleared his throat. ¡°Has the boy gr¡­ grown at all since you¡¯ve been traveling with him? You weren¡¯t in Troa, as far as I know. But I saw him then. It¡¯s been what? Weeks? Months? In that time, he hasn¡¯t grown at all. He¡¯s the same size that he was when I first laid eyes on him. He hasn¡¯t put on any weight and he¡¯s not any larger. That¡¯s not normal. I know you think that he¡¯s just another kid, but the facts all say otherwise. Why can¡¯t you see that?¡± Talmot asked.


    Merlin turned to look at Charlie. A shocked expression appeared on his face. Charlie could feel Merlin¡¯s eyes scanning him. Charlie was just as surprised. He looked down at his hands; he turned them to face toward him. Charlie really hadn¡¯t grown at all since leaving Richard and Mary. Did other babies really grow faster than he was? Was it because of his powers? A sinking feeling flooded his thoughts.


    Would Charlie be a baby forever?Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He¡¯d found ways around the limitations that came with being a baby. He could talk telepathically. His powers and friends let him get around and move quickly during fights. The dungeon granted him the power to protect himself and others. But he¡¯d always just kind of assumed all of those things would get easier as he got older.


    Merlin had said something to him during the trip to Arcadeya. He said that lots of children look forward to being adults. Sometimes too much. Merlin said that Charlie should just enjoy being a kid as much as he could. But was that all he would ever get to enjoy? Would Charlie never walk or talk out loud? He¡¯d always imagined Vetica teaching him to fight with weapons, and Merlin teaching him sleight of hand. Talmot¡¯s words left him questioning if any of that would ever be possible.


    He looked back at Merlin. ¡°Have I really not grown at all?¡± Charlie asked his friends. Vetica bit her lip. Merlin shook his head. They didn¡¯t have an answer for him. They didn¡¯t know.


    And that felt like all the confirmation Charlie needed. How could he be human if he was so different from other humans?


    ¡°None of that matters!¡± Merlin said suddenly, staring at the floor. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Charlie is a person. A good one!¡±


    Talmot sighed. He looked at each of them, one by one until his eyes fell on Charlie. They were sad, but serious behind his glasses. ¡°I understand how you feel. I shouldn¡¯t have called him¡­that word. But you have to understand something. All I know is what I saw that day. The boy was in control of his own dungeon. If he¡¯s allowed to grow up, if he even can grow up, imagine the danger he could cause? If his dungeon functions even partially like most do, then he presents an unimaginable threat. He could command hordes of hex beast to overrun cities and became a tyrant. We already heard of the scaler horde in Sange, and I suspect you all had something to do with that. The problem is normal dungeons can¡¯t just get up and walk away once we track them down.


    ¡°If that boy grows up to become corrupt, he would be a walking apocalypse. He could blend in with humans in every kingdom in the world, walk right into the capital, and then unleash his power to devastate everyone and everything around him. The two of you are what? Late twenties? Early thirties? Surely you¡¯re old enough to remember the days before the hero from another world liberated us? What it was like when dungeons sent hordes deep into our cities? The kingdoms of the world were all on the verge of ruin. Many of them were ruined. This boy has the potential to throw us right back to those times. But this time there won¡¯t be a hero to save us. We¡¯ll be lost. I think about a future where this child is allowed to grow up and all I can see is despair.¡±


    Charlie hadn¡¯t heard about any of that before. This wasn¡¯t like the ancient story about the Hex King. Whether that had happened was up for debate, but Talmot was talking about this hero from another world as if it had happened in Merlin and Vetica¡¯s lifetime. Dungeons used to be that bad? That recently? It sounded like it had taken a special hero to save the world. Hearing Talmot say all that made Charlie wonder, was running away really the right thing to do? What if the knights were right about him? Of course, he never intended to be a bad guy, but what if his powers overwhelmed him? Or he lost control of the beasts inside his dungeon? What if he hurt people, even if he didn¡¯t mean to?


    He looked down at the ground. ¡°Merlin, Vetica, maybe I should just go with them.¡±


    Vetica shook her head. ¡°Charlie, what are you talking about? Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± she cried out.


    Merlin held a hand up toward her. She furrowed a brow in his direction. ¡°What?¡± she asked.


    Merlin sighed and looked at Talmot. Once again, he wasn¡¯t answering Charlie directly. Maybe Merlin felt the same way. Maybe he agreed with Talmot and had reached the same conclusion. Charlie¡¯s powers were just too dangerous. He didn¡¯t want to hurt people. The thought of it made him sick to his stomach. Talmot was right, Charlie didn¡¯t cry about things other babies did. He didn¡¯t get hungry, or have to use the bathroom, and he certainly didn¡¯t nap as often as he once did. But right now, he did feel like crying. He knew nothing about his powers. For all he knew, he could actually be the threat that Talmot and the other knights feared he was. The Nae Glera hadn¡¯t intended to hurt people either, but Sen had taken him over. Sen had wanted to turn Charlie into some kind of vessel. If the dungeon core of Sange had been successful¡­


    Talmot¡¯s fears might¡¯ve come to life.


    ¡°Listen, Talmot. You too, Charlie,¡± Merlin said. ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing. I am old enough to remember the days before the hero saved us. I remember how scary it was. Until one day, the royal family summoned a man who gave us hope. I understand how it feels to look toward the future and see nothing but despair. I was there too until recently.¡± Merlin looked at Charlie over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to their hostage.


    ¡°But I want you to imagine a different future. What if that boy you¡¯re so worried about grew up to be a protector of humanity, instead of its destroyer? What if he called upon his powers to save us, rather than ruin us? And what if he could conquer the other dungeons and slay or command even the most powerful hex beasts? It would be like the hero had returned, wouldn¡¯t it? Someone the kingdom of Aysela¡­no, the world could put our hopes in again. That¡¯s the future I see, and every day by Charlie¡¯s side makes me feel like we¡¯re a few steps closer to making that reality. Someone told me recently about the importance of having a dream. I think this is my dream, this is my hope. At least, part of it. I want to see this little boy grow up into the man I believe he¡¯ll be. I¡¯ll do anything in my power to make sure he gets to. So, I won¡¯t let you or the rest of the knights or even an army put an end to him just because you¡¯re afraid of some hypothetical scenario. Instead of demonizing him, help him. Are you telling me that even with all the resources of the hex knights, you couldn¡¯t help him train? You couldn¡¯t guide him rather than hunt him down like a monster? I just don¡¯t believe that¡¯s the only way you can see forward.¡± Merlin sighed. He turned toward the door.


    ¡°He¡¯s wrong about you, Charlie, and I¡¯d stake my life on that.¡± Merlin stared at Charlie for a moment. He nodded and then opened the door. He turned back to Talmot one last time before exiting. ¡°Hex Knight, I know right now you can only see a future full of despair and fear. But know that there will always be room on the side of hope. I¡¯ll be waiting for you to realize that. In the meantime, I need some air.¡±


    The door shut behind him. Talmot was speechless.


    Vetica jumped up, twirling her knife in hand. ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°No, Vetica. You still can¡¯t hurt him,¡± Charlie said. His thoughts lingered on Merlin¡¯s words. Did Merlin really believe all that? Sometimes Merlin said the most incredible things on the fly. He could make up stories that sounded like they were so real. That gift of his had gotten them out of dangerous situations a lot already. But this time, Charlie thought Merlin was being genuine. Did Merlin really believe that Charlie could be a protector of humanity? Did he really think Charlie could live up to someone as revered as this hero from another world? It was a lot to take in.


    It was a lot of pressure.


    Talmot shuddered, and his head shot up. He turned to look over his shoulder at the window behind him. ¡°That was quite a speech. I almost want to believe him, but it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I would advise you all to surrender, but Brandt won¡¯t accept it. For that, I truly am sorry,¡± Talmot said.


    Vetica¡¯s eyes widened. She hurried to the window and peeked behind the curtain.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Charlie asked.


    She held a hand toward him. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. But¡ª¡±


    The door burst open, and Merlin hurried through. ¡°I can¡¯t find Marvin. He¡¯s gone, so is the wagon.¡±


    Vetica flinched. She dropped her knife and ran toward Charlie. ¡°Get down!¡± she called out.


    ¡°What?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Get down!¡± she yelled again, as she dove toward Charlie.


    At the same time, fire burst through the house¡¯s windows and sent glass scattering through the room.


    Vetica covered Charlie with her body. He shrieked. Merlin dove to the ground.


    The Hex Knights had found them.

 Chapter 82: Deux Ex Dungeona

    ¡°How did they find us?¡± Merlin asked. He was prone on the ground, covering the back of his head with his hands. He looked over at them on the couch. Talmot still sat in the center of the room, bound by rope. He seemed surprisingly calm. It was unsettling, like he thought he¡¯d already been rescued. Vetica was still wrapped tight around Charlie to make sure he wasn¡¯t hit by stray magic or glass shards. She risked a glance back toward the window. She was probably thinking the same thing Charlie was. Why hadn¡¯t the hex knights entered the room yet?


    ¡°Did you see anyone outside the door?¡± Vetica whispered to Merlin.


    He shook his head. ¡°No. The street was empty. That¡¯s when I realized the wagon and Marvin had been taken. Do you think they¡¯re alright?¡± he asked.


    ¡°For right now, we have to focus on ourselves and Charlie.¡± A thought occurred to her. Vetica frantically patted her waist and realized she¡¯d left her knife on the far side of the room. She¡¯d dropped it near the bed.


    Charlie saw Bleedy peek out from inside the cracked bathroom door. A blue light reflected off his head. Orb must be floating nearby as well.


    A gruff, grating voice called out from the other side of the window. ¡°Talmot, you alright? What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Talmot perked up. ¡°Redrick? They¡¯re disarmed! Hurry!¡± Talmot said.


    Vetica cursed. She scrambled upright and grabbed a sharp piece of glass from the ground. She was dashing straight toward Talmot. ¡°Take Charlie and run, Merlin!¡± she called out.


    Merlin hurried to his feet and ran toward Charlie.


    Vetica never reached Talmot. Before she could secure the hostage, a large man burst through the wall in between the two windows. It was unnecessary considering he could¡¯ve gone through the windows, but that just made it more intimidating. He¡¯d broken through the wall as if it was made of parchment. The red-haired knight flew feet first toward Vetica. His feet collided with her slender frame, and she rocketed backward. Vetica slammed into the opposite wall. She groaned.


    ¡°Vetica!¡± Charlie called out. Merlin finally reached Charlie and scooped him up. He made a move toward the door, but at the moment, something knocked against it from the outside. Merlin swallowed. They were surrounded already. It was too late to run.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Merlin said, realizing the gravity of the situation. Charlie looked between his friends. What should he do? What was the right move here? Should he let Merlin try to talk their way out of this? No, they were probably beyond that. They¡¯d taken one of the knights¡¯ hostage. It was unlikely they¡¯d be willing to negotiate now. Especially when this Redrick fellow had already stopped Vetica from reaching Talmot.


    Redrick drew a large sword on his back and pointed it toward Merlin and Charlie. ¡°Alright, no more games. No more resistance. Surrender.¡±


    Merlin took a step back. ¡°Your friend here already told us the knights wouldn¡¯t accept our surrender.¡±


    Redrick sighed and looked over his shoulder at Talmot. Talmot couldn¡¯t look him in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Redrick. If I was stronger, you wouldn¡¯t have had to come save me. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Redrick laughed. ¡°It¡¯s my job to save you! Don¡¯t apologize. The ones who should apologize are the ones who have led me on a wild baby chase across the kingdom. Speaking of,¡± he said, turning back toward Merlin and Charlie. ¡°You really should surrender before I get even angrier. Brandt might not accept your surrender, but I¡¯m not Brandt. I¡¯m curious about what the hell is going on. So, you¡¯ll at least live long enough to answer my questions.¡± He smirked at them.


    Merlin chanced a look at Charlie. ¡°What do we do?¡± he asked.


    Charlie looked over at Vetica. She hadn¡¯t moved since Redrick had kicked her. Bleedy, Mousifer, and Orb were still stuck in the bathroom. Even if they could run, they couldn¡¯t make sure all of their friends got out okay. Charlie could transfer them to the dungeon, but that would only delay the inevitable. Plus, he knew now that doing that would create an entrance to his dungeon somewhere nearby. He¡¯d had a lot of time since his first meeting with Koi Levi to think about what that meant. If he entered the dungeon in the middle of a city, the entrance would probably be pretty easy to find. Once the knights were inside the dungeon, he might not be able to get rid of them before they destroyed it. Before they destroyed him. Also, the scalers were still in hibernation and would make for easy targets.


    So, if he couldn¡¯t run, and he couldn¡¯t transfer his allies away, what option was there?


    Redrick¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Alright, I gave you a chance to come the easy way. Now I¡¯ll take your heads instead.¡± He drew his blade.


    Vetica! Vetica had gone for Talmot because having a hostage changed things. It gave them leverage.


    ¡°Wolf!¡± Charlie called out telepathically. Redrick¡¯s blade came swinging toward them.


    ¡°Transfer Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    A small shield shot out of the portal in his hands and blocked the sword. But the impact was too much for him. The shield held and kept the blade from cleaving them in two. But the force of the blow knocked Merlin off his feet. It took everything the conman had not to drop Charlie in the process.


    The shield crumbled to dust as they landed.


    Bleedy poked back out of the bathroom. He¡¯d already put in his dentures and started to transform in the time Charlie had bought with his shield. Redrick noticed him, too. But Bleedy was fast, and right now, speed was all he needed. He¡¯d started running even before the transformation had completed. His fur was still changing colors, his form was still expanding. But the power and speed boost were near instant. He closed the gap before Redrick could react.


    Talmot kicked his feet back, trying to back away from the furry demon that had suddenly appeared. The confident demeanor that had arrived when his friend showed up quickly dissipated when the snarling, rabid, wolf-like creature rushed him. The chair fell and slammed against the floor of the house. Bleedy opened his jaw wide and brought it around Talmot¡¯s throat.


    He stopped mere inches away from ending Talmot¡¯s life.


    Everyone in the room froze.


    Redrick gasped. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± he said, slowly lowering his sword. He took a step toward Talmot and Bleedy, but Bleedy snarled and closed his teeth a little more.


    ¡°Merlin, negotiate!¡± Charlie urged.


    Merlin still sat on the ground where he fell. He turned to look at Charlie, his mouth hanging open. He nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move or our friend will finish what he¡¯s started. The knight is our hostage. You¡¯re going to let us leave Arcadeya, and then we¡¯ll release him when we¡¯re free. Alright?¡± Merlin said, slowly rising to his feet.


    Vetica finally roused from her disoriented state. ¡°What¡­happened?¡± she said, slowly leaning forward.


    Redrick looked toward Merlin, and then back to Talmot and the creature threatening him. He groaned and his head fell back. ¡°Ugh, I told Brandt I would handle it on my own. I really butchered that one. Oh, well.¡± Redrick sheathed the sword on his back. ¡°Problem is, Brandt isn¡¯t the type to really take chances. So, I have a feeling you¡¯re gonna feel really stupid any moment now.¡±


    Vetica stood. She pressed a hand against the wall and leaned on it. ¡°I haven¡¯t been hit that hard in a while. I¡¯m gonna stab you so many times,¡± she said, shaking her head.


    Redrick turned to look at her. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re still alive?¡±


    A figure stepped through the hole Redrick had made earlier. A woman with short black hair. She had a small scar across the bridge of her nose and noticeably long eyelashes. The woman wore the black armor of hex knights. She rolled her neck, pausing when she noticed Bleedy moments away from chomping down on Talmot. ¡°Really guys? You couldn¡¯t handle two adults, a baby, and a¡­gross hairy¡­what exactly is that?¡±


    ¡°Do¡ªdon¡¯t move!¡± Merlin crawled out. But he didn¡¯t sound very authoritative that time.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She yawned and covered her mouth. ¡°You know the difference between me and Redrick? I¡¯m not really all that attached to Talmot.¡± She lifted a leg and held it above Bleedy¡¯s head. ¡°So, if you¡¯re feeling hungry, little guy, I say go for it.¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Redrick called out.


    ¡°Bleedy!¡± Merlin and Charlie said.


    The woman brought her metallic boot down. Bleedy scampered to the side and away from the hex knight.


    She¡¯d called their bluff.


    The woman noticed the knife Vetica had dropped and reached out for it as she kneeled. She cut the rope around Talmot¡¯s wrist and helped him stand.


    ¡°Th¡­thank you,¡± Talmot said. ¡°But how did you know it wouldn¡¯t bite me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± she shrugged, putting her hands behind her head. ¡°Alright, you gonna finish up here or what, Redrick? I¡¯m not doing all the work.¡±


    ¡°You really suck, Dalys,¡± Richard said. ¡°I would¡¯ve killed you if Talmot died, you know that, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you think that big guy. In reality, I¡¯d be giving a report to Brandt explaining how two of his top knights were brutally slaughtered by a baby and a fur ball.¡±


    Redrick grunted.


    ¡°Charlie, they¡¯re distracted. Let¡¯s move now,¡± Merlin whispered. Bleedy had retreated next to Vetica. The two of them looked ready to fight as well. This was their only hope. Charlie focused on his powers. There was no telling how many knights were outside, but for right now, they¡¯d focus on these three. They couldn¡¯t just give up.


    ¡°Now!¡± Charlie called out to his friend¡¯s minds. A signal to his allies that was silent to their enemies. They moved as one. Bleedy made his way toward Redrick¡¯s feet. Vetica shot forward to go after Dalys. Charlie aimed his hand toward Redrick¡¯s chest, and Merlin sent forth a group of hexes that manifested in front of the faces of each of the three knights.


    For a moment, Charlie felt hopeful that they could pull it off. That they could bring these knights down and find a way out of a hopeless situation. For just a moment, he believed they could do it.


    Reality hit him and his friends so much harder than he expected.


    Talmot threw up his own hex. Four scarlet hexes of searching. Each one was about half the distance between Charlie and each of his friends and the knights. Charlie didn¡¯t understand why Talmot would do something like that until Redrick drew his sword and swung toward them. The Scarlet hex was visible even through Merlin¡¯s blinding hazel hex. It was a marker. A way to identify their locations even though the others couldn¡¯t see. Redrick¡¯s sword moved toward Merlin and Charlie. The pillar Charlie was about to summon changed as it shot out of his portal and became a shield. But the last-minute change made it weak.


    The blade cut through this time.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. He couldn¡¯t protect Merlin!


    ¡°Noble Little One!¡± He heard Koi Levi¡¯s voice in his head. Tendrils swarmed from the same portal and threw themselves out in front of the blade relentlessly. Redrick pulled back at first, then renewed his swings. He hacked mercilessly through them, taking out entire bundles of the tendrils with each swing of his blade.


    Bleedy latched onto Redrick¡¯s leg, but his teeth weren¡¯t powerful enough to pierce through the metal.


    Vetica reached Dalys and tried to stab her with a piece of glass, but the knight used some kind of hex that Charlie didn¡¯t recognize. Vetica doubled over in pain and fell to the ground.


    Merlin was forced back, slowly but surely until his back slammed into the wall.


    Sweat rolled down Charlie¡¯s face. Should he do it? Should he risk using tantrum again? It was still so recently that he¡¯d put his body through a foundational collapse in Sange.


    Dalys wrapped Vetica¡¯s hair around her fist and lifted her blade to Vetica¡¯s throat. Redrick reached back to bring his blade forward and deliver a decisive blow.


    He didn¡¯t have a choice. He gave in to the anger.


    ¡°Tantr¡ª¡±


    The center of the cabin sank into the earth. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and turned to look. A hole. A slowly expanding hole formed in the center of the home.


    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat¡¯s going on?¡± Talmot asked.


    Dalys shook her head. ¡°Redrick! Stop the kid already!¡±


    Redrick turned back toward Merlin and Charlie and froze. It was obvious that neither of them knew what was going on either. ¡°It¡¯s not him¡­¡± Redrick whispered. He turned to face the hole, taking a step away from Merlin and Charlie so his back wasn¡¯t directly facing them. Redrick kicked his leg and Bleedy went flying. Bleedy flipped in the air and landed gracefully on the couch. Dalys let go of Vetica and grouped up with Talmot. Each of the knights took a cautious step to peer inside.


    ¡°Charlie, what is this?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t me¡­¡±


    The hole started moving toward the door. Redrick and Merlin each stepped to the side so as not to be consumed by it.


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡± Dalys demanded.


    The hole shifted and expanded, climbing up the wall, and then angling itself back toward the earth. Before they knew it, the mouth of a cave had formed.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Talmot asked.


    Dalys tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m so confused right now.¡±


    Redrick swallowed and took a step toward the cave.


    A thumping noise reverberated around the room. Redrick leaned in. ¡°I can¡¯t see inside. It¡¯s like there¡¯s some kind of¡­force field or something.¡±


    Charlie blinked. Was it a portal? No, that didn¡¯t make sense. But it was clearly connected to a dungeon. What was going on?


    Talmot nodded his head to the beat of the thumping. ¡°Hey, Redrick, doesn¡¯t this remind you of a¡ª¡±


    Redrick¡¯s eyes shot open. ¡°A caldurra!¡± he shouted. He took a step back and turned to run toward the battered rear wall of the house. At that same moment, a huge red and orange creature with small spikes on its head came crashing through the cave¡¯s entrance. It barreled after Redrick, and head butted his back. The knight was ejected from the house even faster than he had come kicking into it.


    Dalys and Talmot stood there, openmouthed.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Talmot said, shaking his head.


    Dalys didn¡¯t answer. She skirted past the caldurra and hurried back into the street.


    Talmot turned to look and see why she hadn¡¯t answered and realized she had run. ¡°Oh. Oh!¡± He hurried after her. Just in time to avoid the horde of monsters that shot out after the caldurra. Some monsters were similar, but many of were different species. Charlie didn¡¯t recognize any of them. He saw claws, wings, tentacles, and beaks. There were cute ones, and weird ones, and horrifying ones. But all of them pressed forward and unleashed themselves on the streets of Arcadeya.


    Merlin pressed himself against the wall. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he shouted over the stampede.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon¡­¡±


    After a moment, the horde had passed, and the sounds of fighting could be heard in the streets. The screams and shrieks of beasts and the clanging of metal as the hex knights fought back. Merlin hurried over and found Vetica was safe where Dalys had left her. She had an angry look on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll kill her. Unique hexes are cheating. I hate casters like that.¡±


    Merlin helped her to her feet. Bleedy joined them.


    Mousifer and Orb came charging out of the bathroom. Orb was riding on Mousifer¡¯s back. There was a small stick tied around Orb that poked outward. ¡°Charge!¡± Orb called out.


    Mousifer did charge. But he skidded to a stop when they realized the knights were gone. He looked sad.


    Orb mentally sighed. ¡°Man! I told you we didn¡¯t have time for this, but you insisted we try the whole jousting thing. Now we just look like idiots!¡±


    ¡°Squeak¡­¡± Mousifer¡¯s head hung low.


    Charlie giggled. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it looks like everyone is fine, so let¡¯s get going,¡± a man said from behind them.


    They all spun to look at the man in long, red, and purple robes that had stepped out of the dungeon. A hood was pulled tight over his face to obscure it.


    Vetica and Merlin exchanged a look. Charlie rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things.


    ¡°Uh, who are you?¡± Merlin asked.


    The man sighed. ¡°Me? I¡¯m the man who was on the verge of a breakthrough. I thought I could leave you alone for a few minutes, but no. You¡¯re hopeless. So, I had to leave what I was doing in my lab, to come and save you from a bunch of other hopeless idiots who can¡¯t understand my genius. I have to get back before my experiment blows up and takes half of Arcadeya with it. This entrance is closing in twelve seconds. If you aren¡¯t through by then, you¡¯re on your own. Got it? Good.¡± With that, the man turned and disappeared through the black veil in front of the dungeon¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Uh, what was that all about?¡± Merlin asked.


    Vetica shook her head. ¡°I think she knocked me out. I¡¯ve never been knocked out. This is such a weird dream.¡±


    Charlie couldn¡¯t count yet, but he knew twelve seconds wasn¡¯t actually all that long. ¡°Merlin! Let¡¯s go!¡± he cried out.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    ¡°Eight, nine¡­¡± the man called from beyond the portal.


    ¡°Hurry! Let¡¯s go!¡± Charlie called out. They hurried through the portal, all of them. One second they were in the remnants of the home they¡¯d rented in Arcadeya, and the next, they were in a strange dungeon, following an even stranger man.


    He waited for them in the dungeon¡¯s hallway with his arms spread wide and a grin on his face.


    ¡°Welcome to my lab! You¡¯re going to love it.¡±

 Chapter 83: Beneath

    There was nothing special about the dungeon hallway they were in, except for a peculiar, small circular room at its end. Several other branching paths lined the hall as well, but the paths themselves weren¡¯t anything out of the ordinary. Charlie could see the tracks that came from each of them. Claws, paw prints, and hooves littered the hallways from where the horde had emerged. Among other things. Loose scales and scattered feathers dotted the ground around them as well.


    It was a mess.


    The man before them swiped his hand through the air, as if he was interacting with something Charlie and the others couldn¡¯t see. ¡°I see,¡± the man mumbled to himself. ¡°The experiment is stabilizing on its own. Good, that means we have some time.¡±


    ¡°Are you the dungeon researcher?¡± Charlie asked. He suspected the man would be able to hear him, though he didn¡¯t know why. As it turned out, his hunch was correct.


    The man lowered the hood of his robe the rest of the way and revealed himself. He had long white hair that was pulled into a ponytail and a serious expression on his face. ¡°I am Themis Amica. Dungeon researcher is a gross simplification of my work, but for the purposes of your question, yes, I am.¡± He squinted, studying each of Charlie¡¯s companions one by one. ¡°Now, which one of you is the anomaly? I¡¯m certain I sensed¡­¡± he paused, his attention focusing on Bleedy. ¡°It can¡¯t be! Gunther?¡± he asked.


    Everyone turned to look at the racooneever. Charlie tilted his head. Gunther? Who was that?


    The researcher hurried forward and raised a hand. At the same time, he said one simple word. ¡°Shift.¡± A small block of dungeon rose under Bleedy¡¯s paws. The heightened earth elevated him four feet higher than the rest of the ground. Themis leaned forward and studied him. He placed his hands on either side of Bleedy¡¯s snout, and turned the racooneever¡¯s head to one side, and then the other. He nodded as he inspected Bleedy. ¡°Say ah,¡± Themis said.


    Bleedy was so caught off guard by the man¡¯s aggressiveness that he instinctively did so. Though his ¡°ah¡± came out as more of a surprised growl. Themis closed one eye and peered into Bleedy¡¯s mouth with the other.


    ¡°Interesting. Zephyr, run analysis,¡± Themis said, speaking to someone Charlie couldn¡¯t see. The researcher then pulled out a long strip with numbers etched along it and measured the height and width of Bleedy¡¯s face. He motioned for the block to rotate and said the word shift aloud again. The block obeyed his order, and Themis took measurements of Bleedy¡¯s body as well.


    ¡°Um, what exactly are you doing?¡± Merlin asked. He wasn¡¯t the only one utterly confused by what was happening.


    Themis snapped out of his studious trance. ¡°One moment. What did you find, Zephyr?¡± Themis listened intently to something they couldn¡¯t hear. He noticed the odd expressions on the faces of his guest. ¡°Oh! Forgive me. Zephyr, grant access to the newcomers.¡±


    ¡°Granted. Analysis complete. While this creature is certainly the same species as Gunther was. This is not, in fact, Gunther. Additionally, this creature appears to have evolved in some way.¡±


    The odd voice sounded exactly the same as when Parent spoke in Charlie¡¯s mind. If not for a slightly altered accent.


    Themis nodded and started speaking before Charlie could ask about it. ¡°I see. That¡¯s too bad. Still, it would be useful to study him. Prepare a table for dissection.¡±


    Merlin held his free hand up. He held Charlie in the other. ¡°Wait a minute! No one is getting dissected! Bleedy may have an extremely limited vocabulary and he has a frustrating tendency to try to eat all my popporri weed, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can just cut him open!¡±


    The researcher frowned. ¡°Ah, you have an emotional attachment to the creature, I see. How much gold would it take to change your mind?¡± he asked.


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think we would¡¯ve been better off with the hex knights.¡±


    Themis frowned and appeared on his way to make another offer when Charlie finally interjected. ¡°Hey, is Zephyr an interface?¡±


    The researcher turned to look at him. ¡°You are one smart baby. He is an interface indeed. He was a gift, actually, from a good friend and supporter of my work.¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Zephyr, how goes the fight above ground?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There have been numerous casualties on both sides. Fortunately, the civilians were evacuated by the knights prior to their attack on our guests. I believe it would be wise to go deeper underground. I also recommend recalling any creatures of particular value or attachment. The knights are being cautious while they increase the evacuation zone, but once they are certain there are no bystanders, they will regroup and attack in force. Their leader, Brandt, is here in person. We should proceed with the utmost haste.¡±


    The researcher¡¯s head snapped to look at something over his shoulder. ¡°Brandt is here? You¡¯re sure?¡± Themis stroked his chin. ¡°Then it¡¯s not a matter of if, but when. Very well.¡±


    Charlie frowned. The creatures that had come to their rescue were in danger and Themis just wanted to leave them behind? His thoughts also drifted to the knights. He had mixed feelings about them. Talmot believed Charlie could end the world or something. If the other knights all felt that way, Charlie couldn¡¯t exactly blame them for coming after him. Of course, the memory of Fiona lingered as well. She was a good person. There were probably others just like her. What if the monsters hurt them? He felt like whatever happened out there was his fault. He just didn¡¯t know what to do about it. What could he do? If the researcher and his strange pets hadn¡¯t intervened, the knights would¡¯ve captured them already, or forced him to use Tantrum and cause even more harm to his body.


    ¡°Tell me, which one of you holds a connection with a dungeon?¡± Themis asked, pulling Charlie out of his thoughts.


    Before Charlie could answer, Zephyr spoke. ¡°Logic dictates that the most likely candidate is the talking baby.¡±


    Charlie was glad his interface wasn¡¯t the only one that could be sassy at times.


    Themis nodded. ¡°Ah, a good point Zephyr!¡± The man nodded and stared at Charlie, then he looked over at Merlin. ¡°Hypothetically, is your attachment to the child as strong as your attachment to the creature that isn¡¯t Gunther?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°You could just say Bleedy! Also, please tell me you aren¡¯t asking if you can dissect Charlie! He¡¯s a baby!¡±


    Vetica sneered at Themis. She placed herself in front of Merlin and Charlie and stared him down.


    Themis laughed. ¡°Only a joke. I¡¯ve not interacted with people for quite some time. I have so many projects going on at once that it¡¯s impossible to dedicate as much time to studying humor as I might like. Please follow me. Rest assured; you¡¯ll meet no harm within this dungeon. As long as we move quickly. I am going to recall the more valuable of my creatures soon. After that, it won¡¯t be long before the knights follow us. As Zephyr implied, we should aim to be much farther from the entrance when they get here.¡±


    With that, Themis turned and hurried toward the small, circular room at the end of the hallway.


    Charlie looked up at Merlin, who seemed reluctant. Vetica, however, followed the man. Bleedy hurried after her. Mousifer scurried on top of Merlin¡¯s shoe to catch a ride, and Orb floated beside Charlie.


    When they reached the small room, Charlie realized it was just wide enough for all of them to step inside. The floor wasn¡¯t made of dungeon material but was instead some kind of metal. The platform looked thin, but when Themis stood on it, it held. There was a series of metal loops embedded in the wall. They formed a circle all around the platform. A thick, white rope was threaded through each of them. Charlie couldn¡¯t see what the ropes were attached to, as they stretched well beyond the space he could see from outside the room. The tube-like room extended upward, as well as downward, but Charlie and his friends couldn¡¯t see in either direction without peeking their heads in. Burst of wind came in regular intervals, and it sounded like something was flapping just above Themis¡¯ head.


    Themis beckoned them to join him inside.


    A loud crash came from somewhere behind them. Merlin looked over his shoulder. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°If we had left already, it wouldn¡¯t even be passing thought. So why don¡¯t we leave and let it pass?¡± Themis suggested.


    ¡°What is this thing? You don¡¯t intend to hide in this room, do you?¡± Vetica asked.


    Orb floated forward, the makeshift lance stick still attached to his side. He entered the room and then rotated to inspect the space. ¡°Oh! I get it. This is an elevator!¡± he said.


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°An elevator? What¡¯s that?¡±


    The researcher¡¯s face lit up. ¡°That¡¯s impressive, dungeon core. You¡¯ve heard of them before? Has technology on the surface finally caught up with that world?¡±


    Orb floated toward Charlie and landed on his head. ¡°Nope, me and Charlie are from Earth. I¡¯ve seen them in movies.¡±


    Another crash behind them, this one much louder. Dust filled the hallway where they had stood several moments earlier.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer cried out. He wrapped his tail through one of the loops in Merlin¡¯s shoelaces.


    ¡°Alright! I think I¡¯m convinced,¡± Merlin said, hurrying forward into the elevator shaft. Vetica and Bleedy followed.


    As soon as they¡¯d entered, Charlie looked up. He saw where the wind and flapping noises were coming from. Two human sized brown birds flapped their wings above, patiently waiting for the elevators passengers to embark. It was hard to make them out, as the elevator shaft was much darker than the hallway. But Charlie could see that each of them wore a harness with a metallic circle on their back with ropes tied to it. Unlike normal birds, it seemed like they had fur instead of feathers along their body.


    Merlin¡¯s eyes widened when he caught sight of them. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought people who were afraid of birds were silly. I¡¯m reconsidering that opinion now.¡±


    Once they had all entered, Themis held a hand toward the birds. ¡°Command!¡± he shouted. ¡°To the lab,¡± he added after a moment had passed.


    The birds slowly descended, and with them, so did the elevator. They were holding it up with their powerful wings. As they sank, so did the platform. If they rose, it would follow them as well.


    ¡°Bird beast power! Truly revolutionary!¡± Orb said.


    Charlie wasn¡¯t sure if it was their slow descent, or the myriad of floors they passed as they continued to fall. But time seemed to stretch on endlessly before they finally reached their destination at the very bottom of the shaft. The sound of the metal settling onto the ground below echoed throughout the tunnel. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Themis said. A pair of metallic doors was sealed shut before them. Themis lifted a hand again. ¡°Seal!¡± he said.


    In the tunnel''s darkness, for just a moment, Charlie thought he saw a dim light shine through the researcher¡¯s shirt. But as the doors grated open and light flooded the room, he assumed it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. They followed Themis into a large room filled with strange equipment. The dungeon walls were painted white. The paint flaked off the walls in some areas. Other areas had been awkwardly repainted a different shade of white. In the room¡¯s center, some kind of creature writhed on a table. It had a dungeon core embedded in its chest.


    Themis hurried over to inspect it. He placed a hand on it and whispered something. The beast quieted. ¡°Excellent. We¡¯ll let it rest for a while. Please take a moment and settle in. I¡¯ll see to it we aren¡¯t disturbed by the product of our kingdom¡¯s taxes anytime soon. Annoying hex knights.¡±


    He lifted his hand once again. It almost reminded Charlie of the way he used his own powers. ¡°Command!¡± Themis called out. ¡°You may rest now. We won¡¯t be needing the elevator anymore. Not for a while, at least.¡± The birds landed on the metal floor of the elevator. They took turns removing the harnesses off of each other, and then, once they were free, flew into the room and down a hallway leading further into the dungeon.


    ¡°Excellent. They¡¯ll get some well-deserved rest. As for the others, issue a command to the guardians, Zephyr. I want them present to defend the dungeon. You can recall some of the stronger creatures as well. Leave the fodder. Instruct most of them to continue engaging the knights. Have a few others spread throughout the city. It¡¯ll force the knights to split their forces. We need to do whatever we can to slow them down now. Time will be a valuable resource,¡± Themis said.


    Charlie blinked. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Charlie asked.


    Themis turned to look at him. ¡°You asked if I was the dungeon researcher. Which meant you came here to Arcadeya looking for me. There¡¯s only one man who knows what I¡¯m doing here. A man I owe a great deal to. But as to your question regarding my statement on the value of time. Well, that is a question that begets a question of my own. Because the answer depends on your answer. Tell me anomalous one, are you here because you wish to refine your power and learn more about it, or are you here because you wish to be free of this power and live a normal life?¡±


    Merlin choked. Vetica¡¯s mouth parted in surprise.


    The bright blue shade of Orb¡¯s body drained, and he dropped several inches in the air. ¡°What?¡± Orb asked.


    Charlie wasn¡¯t sure he had heard correctly. ¡°Huh? Are you saying you could make me like a normal person?¡± he asked, surprised by the researcher¡¯s words.


    Themis stroked his chin again. ¡°I believe so. I intend to repay Richard¡¯s favor to me. To do so, we¡¯ll need to work closely together in the time that we have before the knights reach us. This dungeon is massive and stretches beneath all of Arcadeya. My creatures will do everything in their power to delay the knights and halt their progress. But what we devote this time to will be up to you. The decision you make will affect the rest of your life. So, tell me, what will it be?¡± Themis asked.


    ¡°Will you embrace your power, or reject it?¡±

 Chapter 84: Humanity

    ¡°I¡¯d never even considered that was possible¡­¡± Merlin said, his eyes darted back and forth along the floor.


    Charlie had never considered the possibility that he could go back to being a regular human. Orb had been by his side for the majority of their time in Aysela. Though sometimes Charlie wondered what it would be like to be a normal kid, he had come to accept the fact that his powers made him different. They felt like a part of him. But now he had a choice that could change everything.


    The knights were hunting him because he presented a threat to the world in their minds. But what if he didn¡¯t? If he was just a normal baby, wouldn¡¯t that mean that his friends wouldn¡¯t have to get dragged into dangerous situations all the time because of him? Richard and Mary had been forced to flee their homes and go on the run just to buy Charlie time. Merlin and Vetica both faced deadly situations in Sange, and even during the recent fight with the hex knights. If he gave up his powers, wouldn¡¯t they be safe?


    The decision was too much to handle alone. He turned to look at his companions. ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Baby!¡± Bleedy said cheerfully.


    ¡°Squeak! Squeak squeak.¡± Mousifer nodded his agreement from Charlie¡¯s shoulder.


    Charlie smiled. His two furry friends would stand by him regardless of his decision. It was comforting to hear that.


    Vetica¡¯s expression was serious. ¡°If Themis can turn you back, I think you should let him. It¡¯s the safest path for you.¡±


    So Vetica was in favor of rejecting his powers. He looked up at Merlin, who was quiet. Not long ago, Merlin had been telling Talmot he saw a future where Charlie became a protector of humanity. Would he be disappointed if Charlie didn¡¯t fulfill that future? If he went down a path that would ensure he would never be an enemy to humanity, even if it also meant he couldn¡¯t be its protector. Whatever Merlin¡¯s thoughts were on the matter, Charlie wanted to hear them. Merlin was smart, and they¡¯d been traveling together for a while now. It was important to Charlie that he hear Merlin¡¯s advice.


    ¡°Merlin?¡± he asked.


    Merlin snapped out of his thoughts. He looked down and offered a faint smile. ¡°I know you¡¯re probably thinking about everything I said earlier, but that doesn¡¯t matter. This is your decision, and I¡¯ll support you no matter what. Do whatever will make you happy. This isn¡¯t a decision you can make for anyone but yourself. You¡¯re the one who will have to live with it. So be sure.¡±


    Charlie looked at Themis. ¡°If I became a human again, would I lose the ability to communicate with my thoughts?¡± he asked.


    ¡°If I had to guess, you¡¯d become no different from any other child your age. You¡¯d likely lose any memories you¡¯ve made since gaining your powers. Unfortunately, this is unfamiliar territory for me as well. It¡¯s definitely possible, but I can¡¯t be sure what you¡¯ll lose and what you¡¯ll retain.¡±


    Orb quietly floated beside Charlie. He hadn¡¯t spoken since the revelation.


    Charlie thought about the little girl they¡¯d seen run out of the toy store when they¡¯d first entered Arcadeya. It had looked like she was having fun. She¡¯d waved to them and run off with whatever was in the small bag she¡¯d been carrying.


    She was happy.


    She was happy in a way that Luc and Lyra and all the other children in Sange had a chance to be now. A chance that Charlie had been able to fight for because he had powers. Sure, the hex knights were hunting him because he was different. But how many people had he been able to save for precisely that reason? Troa, Garden, Sirra, and Sange. He¡¯d had a hand in stopping a witch, clearing dungeons, and even fighting off cultists. If he hadn¡¯t been there to intervene, if he hadn¡¯t been different, how many of the people that he cared about would be dead now?


    And how could he ever turn his back on Orb?


    ¡°Orb, I¡¯m not going to leave you behind or anything,¡± Charlie said. Orb turned to face him, his color returning in waves.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t keep your powers because of me, Charlie. It¡¯s like Merlin said, you¡¯re the one who has to live with this decision,¡± Orb said. He sounded sad.


    Charlie smiled and reached out to pluck Orb out of the air. ¡°You¡¯re stuck with me!¡± he said. Charlie looked around at Merlin, Vetica, Bleedy, and Mousifer. ¡°All of you are! As long as you wanna be! I¡¯m keeping my powers. There are too many bad guys in the world that need their butts kicked!¡± he said.


    Themis wore a huge grin. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that. Then let¡¯s get started. Zephyr, analysis.¡±


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°What, just like that?¡± he asked.


    Themis raised a brow. ¡°The hex knights have their prey within sight. They won¡¯t just give up. Every moment that passes is one less moment of progress. If the boy is to survive in this world, greater understanding is mandatory. Power is something you develop. For the next¡­¡± Themis looked away for a moment and studied the air beside him. ¡°Let¡¯s say two weeks. We are going to develop that power. I want to start with a full rundown. Tell me everything.¡±


    Orb bounced out of Charlie¡¯s hand and into the air excitedly. ¡°Oh, I know what¡¯s going on here!¡±


    Charlie looked over at him. ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    Orb spun in a circle and then zoomed toward Charlie¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s a training arc!¡±


    ***


    Charlie laid flat on his back on a strange bed covered in some kind of leather-like material. Themis stood over him, taking measurements and inspecting his eyes, ears, and mouth. He asked questions about Charlie¡¯s diet. Which admittedly didn¡¯t last long since he didn¡¯t have one. He asked questions that Charlie could understand him needing to ask, like how dungeon integrity worked, and if he¡¯d tested the limitations of the rock skin passive. But the researcher also asked questions that left everyone wondering if the man had lost his mind.


    He shot off three of the questions in quick succession, not even giving Charlie time to process.


    ¡°How often do you clean because your toes?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever wanted to be an orange?¡±


    ¡°Where were you on the night of the murder?¡±


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°Excuse me, Themis, what are you taking about? Those questions are all nonsense.¡±


    Themis shot an annoyed look at Merlin. ¡°I need to make sure the boy is actually aware and not simply mimicking those around him. Let¡¯s move on for now. You said the hex knight mentioned a lack of growth. Have you really not grown since coming to this world?¡± Themis asked.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    That was a good question. Charlie had only ever met one other baby. Though Kyo was his friend, Charlie hadn¡¯t gotten to spend very much time with him. He had no way of knowing that he should be growing bigger by now. He just didn¡¯t have any context or other children to compare himself to. Besides Orb and the minions, Merlin had traveled with him the longest. Charlie looked at him for an answer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been traveling with Charlie for a while, so maybe I just never noticed. You don¡¯t always notice changes in people who are with you all the time. But as far as I can tell, Charlie looks exactly the same. He hasn¡¯t put any weight on, and his onesie still fits. Though, we suspect it may have been made of rare materials from this world, in which case, it would grow with him, anyway. If I had to say one way or the other, I¡¯d say I don¡¯t think Charlie has grown,¡± Merlin said.


    Themis nodded. He looked around his room, scanning for something. He hurried off to a desk and started rummaging through a drawer. Charlie sat up on the bed and looked around. He¡¯d noticed all the strange instruments when they¡¯d first entered the room, but he hadn¡¯t had a chance to inspect them very much. There were tubes full of strange liquids. Green liquids, black liquids, and even orange liquids. Maybe that last one had something to do with the second of Themis¡¯ strange questions. A concoction that could turn a person into an orange. Charlie wasn¡¯t interested in finding out.


    There was also a glass case filled with random beast parts. Feathers, fangs, blood samples, and bones neatly arranged behind the protective glass wall. It reminded Charlie of a neater version of Lusafeen¡¯s cabin. Bleedy apparently shared the sentiment. He was already on the hunt for a stray pair of jaws, or even teeth. But Charlie didn¡¯t see any. He turned his attention to the strange creature Themis had checked on when they first entered the room. It laid in a bed that was similar to Charlie¡¯s, which didn¡¯t make him feel better. Its body looked fairly human-like, except for the fact it was covered in fur. The dungeon core embedded in its chest was a bright white and was glowing brighter by the moment. He couldn¡¯t make out how exactly the dungeon core was connected, since it was obscured by all the fur. But it was clearly partially beneath the creature¡¯s skin. Charlie leaned in a bit too far and started to tumble forward when Vetica caught him with deft hands.


    ¡°Careful, Charlie,¡± she said, smiling at him.


    He blushed at his carelessness. ¡°Thanks...¡±


    Vetica gracefully hopped up on the bed behind him and pulled Charlie back into her lap. She leaned forward so her face was next to his. Her hair tickled his neck. Charlie giggled in response and shook his head.


    ¡°Ah! Is someone ticklish?¡± she teased him. She reached around and tickled his sides and belly. Charlie¡¯s laughter filled the room.


    ¡°Merlin, help!¡± Charlie projected in between bursts of laughter.


    ¡°If I¡¯m helping anyone in this case, it¡¯s going to her.¡± Merlin smiled.


    The sound of Themis approaching brought an end to their game. The researcher had taken a set of metallic rings out of the drawer he had been digging through. He sat two down at the foot of the bed Charlie was sitting in and kept another two in his hands. Both Charlie and Vetica leaned forward in the bed to inspect the rings. ¡°What is that?¡± she asked Themis.


    He held a finger toward her, then turned his attention to the two rings in his hands. He held them apart, and then brought them crashing together. Like magic, one circle went through the other and they formed into a small open ball.


    ¡°Physical form, Zephyr,¡± Themis said. The ball of rings lit up as a green aura overtook them. The rings twitched in place for a moment and then vibrated furiously. Themis removed his hands from the rings. But they continued floating in the air. Buzzing and fluttering in excitement.


    Charlie clapped his hands together in amusement. It was like a magic trick!


    Orb rolled himself. ¡°Wow, a floating circle. So original. Been there, done that. Get your own tricks, pal,¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Ball,¡± Bleedy said.


    Orb spun around to face the racooneever who had climbed on top of the drawer Themis had left open and started rooting through it. ¡°I am not jealous!¡± Orb shot back.


    Themis quirked a brow at the floating blue dungeon core before returning his attention to the floating rings. ¡°Perhaps a second introduction is called for. After all, they haven¡¯t seen this form of yours yet,¡± Themis said.


    ¡°Of course. Hello everyone, I am Zephyr. Through the powers of these rings, I can take on a physical form. It¡¯s extremely useful for research and amplifies the abilities of an interface. I look forward to working with you all as we strive to further understand the anomaly¡¯s abilities.¡±


    ¡°Uh, you mean Charlie, right? Perhaps you should start using his name, so it sounds like you¡¯re talking about a person and not a science experiment,¡± Merlin said, crossing his arms.


    ¡°My apologies. Yes, I am referring to the anomaly known as Charlie.¡±


    Themis pursed his lips. ¡°We¡¯ll work on that. You were able to pick up on Zephyr¡¯s identity as an interface fairly quickly, so I can only assume you have one of your own, Charlie. It makes sense. Your class is unique, and your dungeon core believes you are from another world. So, it¡¯s only natural the System would give you an interface. These rings are called Caladosian rings, and they will be extremely useful to you. Consider them a gift to celebrate the fact you have chosen to understand rather than abandon your powers. To use them, all you need to do is hold them in your hands and focus on your interface. The rings and interface will do the rest.¡±


    Charlie leaned forward to grab the rings, but they were a bit too far. Vetica reached out to help him, but before she could, Mousifer scurried off his shoulder and grabbed onto them with his mouth. He pulled them back towards Charlie until they were in reach.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer said, beckoning towards the rings.


    Charlie patted the little mouse on his head. ¡°Thank you.¡± He picked up the rings. To his surprise, they seemed much heavier than they should be. He was able to hold them up so he could inspect them, but he got the feeling he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep them in the air for too long on his own. He focused on his interface. It was likely Parent had been listening to everything that was going on already. ¡°Parent, are you there?¡± he called out.


    ¡°Affirmative. I have no knowledge of these rings, but I can sense that what the researcher says is true. I can, in fact, fuse with them. Would you like me to merge with them?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Do it!¡±


    Parent didn¡¯t respond. The rings in Charlie¡¯s hand started to vibrate, and a maroon aura surrounded them. Just like with Zephyr, a moment later Parent was floating in the air. Charlie bet a dungeon core would fit perfectly inside the floating rings if it really tried to squeeze in between them. It was a funny idea, clothing for a dungeon core. Or would it be closer to jewelry?


    Themis clapped his hands. ¡°Excellent! Now that both of our interfaces have physical forms, I propose Zephyr runs a deeper analysis. If my suspicions are correct, there is a systematic reason for some of the odd experiences you have. But if the System is involved, it should have made this information clear to you. Especially with an interface involved.¡±


    Orb floated up to Themis. ¡°Are you saying the System has been keeping information from Charlie?¡± he asked, trying to understand what was being implied here.


    Themis eyed the floating dungeon core. ¡°I¡¯m saying there¡¯s a disconnect going on. An interface is an intermediary of the System. But your interface didn¡¯t announce itself when you first got your powers. It came much later. I believe there is a reason for that. Neither Zephyr nor I was able to find that reason when analyzing Charlie. So, I propose we analyze the interface instead. Is that okay with you, Charlie?¡±


    Charlie turned to look Parent.


    ¡°I have no objections.¡±


    ¡°If Parent is okay with it, so am I,¡± Charlie said.


    Themis nodded to Zephyr. Zephyr¡¯s rings approached Parent. The green aura surrounding Zephyr moved forward like a cloud and encompassed the maroon covered rings that Parent inhabited.


    As soon as the green cloud surround them, both sets of rings shot in opposite directions and smashed against the wall.


    Charlie felt a presence. It wasn¡¯t like the power of the Nae Glera, or the pure magic released when Koi Levi had raged against Charlie. This wasn¡¯t the power of anyone in particular. It was like a greater force was in the room with them all of a sudden. It was like being surrounded by the essence of power itself.


    System Notification


    Due to the intervention of a third party, the severed connection of your interface has been restored. The System has elected to grant you full access to your interface¡¯s capabilities. The interface known as Parent will be updated momentarily. Please wait.


    System Notification


    Due to unique circumstances, the System has set restrictions in place for the sake of the user. A sub-System has been created for the user. A unique development path has been created for the user. Please wait. A summary is being compiled. Summary complete.


    The Unique System ¡°Ageus¡± has been assigned to the user.

 Chapter 85: Unique System - Ageus

    Charlie blinked. What was going on? One moment Zephyr had been running an analysis on Parent, and the next both sets of the metallic floating rings went flying through the air.


    He ignored the System notification for a moment, turning to look in the direction Parent¡¯s rings had flown. Vetica, who was still sitting behind him, held on to him to make sure he didn¡¯t lean turn too far and fall off the exam bed.


    ¡°Parent, are you okay?¡± Charlie asked.


    Themis held his hands up. ¡°Even though the Caladosian rings allow interfaces to take on a physical form, it doesn¡¯t mean that they are suddenly at risk of being harmed. Your interface is safe, the rings however¡­hopefully they survived the impact.¡± Themis turned to look in the direction his own interface had flown. ¡°Speaking of what happened, Zephyr?¡±


    Zephyr¡¯s rings slowly floated from the ground where they had crashed. The green aura was slightly dimmer than it had been before the analysis and subsequent flight across the room. ¡°During analysis, I realized that the anomaly¡¯s¡­Charlie¡¯s interface wasn¡¯t fully integrated with the System. The interface itself, Parent, also seems slightly unique compared to other interfaces. Further research is required. Upon noticing that the System had not granted Parent full integration, I sent a request to the System on Charlie¡¯s behalf. The request was answered almost immediately, but the fluctuation of power was overwhelming for the rings. It seems to have stabilized now,¡± Zephyr said.


    ¡°What about Parent? How come he isn¡¯t responding?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°He is currently undergoing an update. The System is granting access to information and resources Parent should have had access to all along. This will be a significant boon to you. However, it will take a few moments. Give it time. Did you receive a message from the System?¡± Zephyr asked.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yeah! It was something about a unique system. It was called ageist or something like that.¡±


    Orb shook from side to side. ¡°Ageus, not ageist!¡± he corrected. ¡°I heard the notification, too. It was nice to be included for once, but I¡¯m just as confused as you are.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°It said a summary was complete but hasn¡¯t told me anything!¡±


    Themis turned to look at his floating interface. Zephyr vibrated slightly faster for a moment. ¡°A unique system, and one with a name at that? Unheard of. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to wait a few moments for Parent to regain his sense of self. The System won¡¯t offer a deeper explanation on its own. That¡¯s what interfaces are for. For now, let¡¯s¡ª¡±


    A series of quakes rocked the room. Merlin looked around. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me the hex knights are here already¡­¡± he said.


    Themis smiled. ¡°Unlikely. I suspect its¡­yes, there.¡± Themis pointed down the hallway that the birds from the elevator had flown down earlier. Charlie recognized the cause of the loud noises. It was the same creature that had shot out of the portal and attacked Sir Redrick earlier.


    The caldurra.


    He was able to get a better look at it now. It was a massive creature, easily as wide as Merlin¡¯s wagon, if not a bit wider. If you started measuring at the back of Merlin¡¯s wagon, and then moved all the way to the front, past the reins, and up to Marvin¡¯s face. You¡¯d have a good idea of the length of it. The creatures had orange skin with red spikes all over its back and head. A long tail protruded from its rear that culminated in a large ball covered in more of the spikes. Despite its size and the fearsome spikes all over it, it had a relaxed expression on its face. It had a spike for a nose and thick eyelids.


    Orb rotated to the side a bit and then paused. ¡°It looks like a cross between a dinosaur and an armadillo.¡±


    ¡°Well, after seeing the creature up close, I think it¡¯s safe to say that Redrick fellow is dead,¡± Merlin said.


    Vetica grunted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that. He was tough. I¡¯m still sore where he kicked me,¡± Vetica said. She tenderly lifted a hand toward her stomach and grimaced when it connected. Charlie frowned. He wished he could use some kind of healing magic. He didn¡¯t enjoy seeing his friends hurt.


    The Caldurra approached Themis, lifting its tail high in the air to avoid knocking things over or destroying the instruments and furniture in the room. As it got closer, Charlie realized its skin almost seemed like some kind of protective shell.


    Themis rubbed the creature¡¯s head, careful to avoid the spikes atop it. ¡°Hello, Geby. Did you have fun playing, old girl?¡± he asked.


    Geby¡¯s head swayed from side to side, and her tail mimicked the movement as well. She closed her eyes and enjoyed Themis¡¯ scratching. Her throat tightened and a deep noise rung throughout the room.


    ¡°It sounds like a ferry horn!¡± Orb said.


    ¡°What¡¯s a ferry?¡± Charlie and Themis asked at the same time.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boat on Earth! They sound just like that,¡± Orb explained.


    Themis pulled a small notebook from his cloak pocket and jotted a note down. Apparently, Earth was another one of his interest. Charlie wondered if he might be able to learn more about Earth from Themis. After Themis finished, he returned the mini notebook to his pocket and returned to Zephyr. ¡°And the others?¡±


    Zephyr paused for a moment. His vibrating circles came to a halt. Then, just as quickly as they had stopped, they resumed. ¡°We¡¯ve lost two guardians and two-thirds of the force we sent into the streets. Aside from the ones instructed to venture deeper into the city to buy time, the others have all returned. What are your orders?¡±


    Themis thought for a moment. ¡°Geby, my goal is to hold them off for at least a couple of weeks. Having fought them, do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± he asked. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Geby¡¯s playful sway came to a sudden halt. She slammed her tail into the ground and the pleasant noise became sharp and grating. Like two large metallic blocks being forced against one another.


    Themis peeked around her at the large crater in the ground where her tail had smashed. Geby turned and noticed the damage as well. Her eyes squinted, and she lowered her head.


    Themis rubbed her again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I can fix it easily. It seems I called you back before you had your fill of fighting. That¡¯s alright. There will be more.¡±


    Merlin quirked a brow. ¡°What did she say?¡±


    Themis turned to look at him and shrugged. ¡°Huh, I have no idea. I can¡¯t understand her. I just figured she was angry because she smashed her tail into the floor!¡±


    Merlin scoffed.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Themis turned back to Zephyr. ¡°Start preparing defenses. It¡¯s inevitable they¡¯ll force their way into the dungeon sooner or later. Ensure they have to take a winding, arduous route to get here. Throw everything we have to stop them every step of the way. Commit all our forces to this.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sad? About all the ones that died?¡± he asked. It sounded like a lot of them hadn¡¯t come back safely. But all Themis was worried about was delaying the knights. If Charlie¡¯s Scalers were out there getting hurt, he would be upset.


    Themis shook his head. ¡°Sad? Over what? They¡¯re just beasts. They wander near Arcadeya, and the dungeon collects them for me. I have no attachment to them. Though Geby is an exception, of course. The other creatures aren¡¯t intelligent. They don¡¯t have feelings. They simply act on orders.¡±


    Charlie started to protest. He¡¯d seen firsthand with the Scalers how that hadn¡¯t been true. But before he could get a word out, Parent suddenly shot into the air across the room.


    ¡°Parent! You¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°I never left. I simply needed a few moments to integrate new information. There¡¯s something you need to know. Since you¡¯ll likely tell everyone, anyway, would you like me to share with everyone in the room?¡± Parent asked.


    Charlie nodded. At this point, he¡¯d already told Themis everything he could think of. There wasn¡¯t much of a point in hiding it. ¡°Okay, what is it? Is this about the system thing?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    All of Charlie¡¯s friends perked up. It was obvious Parent had already made the adjustment so that they could listen in.


    ¡°When you came to this world, the System immediately took notice of you. A child bonded with a dungeon core. As you¡¯ve learned, the System often grants interfaces to those with unique circumstances as well as people from other worlds. You were granted the Dungeon Core Baby class to help your development. However, the System predicted that your processing capabilities weren¡¯t sufficient to handle an interface, which is why my arrival was delayed. You all already know that. But what you don¡¯t know, is that the second System notification you received after my update began, was a delayed one. It¡¯s been in place since you arrived in Aysela,¡± Parent said.


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°Wait, so, I¡¯ve had a unique system all this time? How come I¡¯m just finding out?¡±


    ¡°Even though I was placed in a dormant state, the System further isolated you by severing its connection to your interface altogether. You bypassed my dormancy when Orb used Sentience on me. And now, thanks to Zephyr interceding on our behalf, the System has reevaluated your circumstances. In your current state, the connection should not present a threat to you any longer. So, you¡¯re receiving a notification regarding a system that¡¯s been in place since you first received your powers. One that explains a recent topic of conversation.¡±


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s very nice. Can we just hear what exactly is so groundbreaking? For an interface, you really seem to like suspense.¡±


    Themis pulled out his notebook and leaned in eagerly.


    Charlie looked back at Vetica sitting behind him. She squeezed his hand reassuringly. Mousifer nuzzled up against Charlie¡¯s neck to offer further support. ¡°So, what exactly is it?¡± Charlie asked. For some reason, he was nervous. Whatever it was, it seemed like a big deal. What recent topic of conversation?


    Parent¡¯s rings glowed brighter. The maroon aura shimmered in the air around the floating metallic ring.


    ¡°The Ageus System. A unique System designed with your circumstances in mind. A System designed to protect you from your own powers. To ensure your body could keep up with a class that had unlimited potential. The System is simple. It operates by a single rule.¡±


    Charlie swallowed.


    ¡°Your body¡¯s aging has been and will be halted until conditions are met. As you get stronger and reach certain power thresholds, so shall your body grow. The Ageus System will ensure that your body develops alongside your power rather than independent of it.¡±


    Themis¡¯ quill broke against the notebook he was writing in. He looked up. ¡°That is¡­incredible. The System¡¯s way of mitigating your unique circumstances. With this, you can develop and grow at your own rate. Of course, it also poses questions. Could you simply stop training and live forever as a child? Or could you suddenly become an old man if you rapidly developed your powers? It becomes a question of balance. Interesting¡­¡±


    Charlie felt an odd sensation in his mouth. He shook his head, focusing on Parent.


    Merlin took a step toward Parent. He laid his hand on the bed Charlie and Vetica were sitting on. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Charlie will only get older if he gains more power? But¡­Charlie has already gotten stronger. The things he can do now were impossible for him when we first met. So why hasn¡¯t he grown at all?¡±


    ¡°He has indeed grown stronger. The effects were delayed. It appears, however, that¡ª¡±


    Charlie¡¯s mouth was really bothering him now. He looked around and instinctively reached out to grab Merlin¡¯s hand.


    Merlin offered a sympathetic look. ¡°I know it¡¯s worrying, but don¡¯t worry, Charlie. We¡¯ll figure this out.¡± He let Charlie take his hand and turned back to Parent.


    That proved to be a mistake for Merlin. Charlie lifted the wizard¡¯s hand toward his mouth and chomped down on it.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Merlin said, pulling his hand away. ¡°Charlie bit me!¡±


    Vetica leaned forward to inspect him. ¡°Charlie are you okay?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Is he okay? He bit me!¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°My mouth hurts.¡± Charlie frowned.


    Orb floated in front of him. ¡°Did you get hit in the fight earlier? It¡¯s weird you¡¯re just noticing.¡±


    The notebook Themis had been holding slammed into the ground. ¡°He¡¯s teething.¡±


    Everyone in the room turned to look at the researcher. ¡°What?¡± Merlin asked, looking away from his sore hand.


    ¡°As I said, the effects were delayed, but now it appears one is manifesting. The result of Charlie¡¯s progression thus far.¡±


    Charlie put a finger in his mouth and felt around. Two little bumps had formed on the bottom of his gum line. His eyes lit up when he realized what they were.


    ¡°Oh no! I won¡¯t be like Bleedy anymore!¡± Charlie said.


    Bleedy shouted his concerned response in all of their minds. ¡°Baby!¡±

 Chapter 86: Training Ground

    ¡°This is certainly an interesting development. Your body hasn¡¯t been keeping up with your power growth. You were essentially locked in at the age and size you were when you first traveled to Aysela. Now you¡¯re experiencing some level of growth.¡± Themis stroked his chin as he studied Charlie. ¡°You don¡¯t appear to be growing rapidly. We¡¯ll take daily measurements during our time together and look for any other changes as well. It would help to know just how much stronger you need to get before growing.¡±


    Charlie felt around his mouth. The two little teeth had only just started peeking past his gum line and already they were driving him crazy. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about it. He was growing teeth. Teeth! Charlie was too young for teeth. Not really, but it felt like a lot of pressure. He¡¯d have to brush them now. It wouldn¡¯t be bad when he just had a couple. But what about when his mouth was full of them? This was a nightmare.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just get dentures like Bleedy has? I don¡¯t even eat anything. Why do I need teeth?¡± Charlie protested.


    Merlin covered his mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. ¡°Of all the things to complain about, you¡¯re picking teeth?¡± He lost it, and a hearty laugh filled the room.


    Vetica swatted a hand toward him. ¡°Leave Charlie alone! It¡¯s a lot to take in. Teeth are useful, Charlie,¡± she said, leaning forward so she could see his face. ¡°You can use them during fights if you get close. A well-placed bite can get you out of a dangerous situation. Oh, I wonder if your teeth will be harder than usual? If that rock skin ability of yours applies to them as well, you¡¯ll have a deadly bite.¡± She smiled encouragement.


    Charlie¡¯s lips pulled to the side, and he looked up at the ceiling of the room while his mind wandered. When Vetica put it like that, it did sound kind of useful. He turned to look at her and nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±


    Themis clapped his hands. ¡°We¡¯ve spent too long here. I¡¯ve heard about your exploits thus far, but I¡¯d like to see your powers in action, Charlie. Our time together is limited, and I hope to help you further develop your abilities while you¡¯re here. Gather yourselves and follow me.¡± The researcher turned and strode toward the hallway leading out of the room. Zephyr floated behind him, trailing just after the man.


    Vetica lifted Charlie up by his sides and turned him around, so he was facing her. She positioned him in the crook of her arm, and he rested against her. Mousifer scurried off Charlie¡¯s shoulder and onto Vetica¡¯s, hiding amongst the hair behind her neck. She swung her leg around, hopped off the examination table, and followed Themis. Orb and Parent floated on either side of her. Merlin hurried after them and Bleedy finally gave up his search through Themis¡¯ belongings. He looked disappointed that he hadn¡¯t found a spare set of teeth.


    Geby stayed behind. As Charlie left, she swayed her tail back and forth. It almost looked like she was waving at them. He smiled and waved his own hand toward her. Geby started happily swaying her head in response.


    Charlie liked Geby.


    They followed Themis down a hallway. They passed several sets of metallic doors reminiscent of the ones they¡¯d taken to leave the elevators. But whatever room Themis was leading them to was much further in. They eventually reached a split in the tunnel. They couldn¡¯t travel straight anymore unless Themis planned to open some kind of secret passageway where the wall was. Instead, they would need to move either to the left or the right. Themis guided them to the right, and they followed. Charlie peeked over Vetica¡¯s shoulder to look down the left path, but it seemed ominously dark in that direction. He wondered if Themis controlled the natural lighting in here. If the researcher was keeping them from being too nosy.


    Finally, they reached a room. ¡°Seal!¡± Themis commanded, and the doors slowly swung open. The room was a fairly sizable rectangle shape. But unlike the lab they¡¯d first entered, it was unbelievably barren. It was just a dirt room.


    Merlin pursed his lips. ¡°Okay, I have to admit I was expecting something¡­cooler? What exactly is this?¡± he asked.


    Themis chuckled. He held a hand out and spoke a command. ¡°Shift!¡± On either side of the room, two circular platforms rose four feet into the air. A series of steps appeared behind each one. Along the wall in the center of the room, a small bench formed. A short wall appeared in front of the bench as well, as if to protect it.


    Orb studied the strange set up. ¡°That looks kind of like a dugout. What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°This is my training room. It¡¯s the best way for Charlie to demonstrate what he can do. I think a game will help me get a grasp on his abilities. Please set Charlie on the platform closest to the door, and then all of you should go and sit behind the wall for your own safety.¡±


    Vetica and Merlin exchanged an unsure look. Charlie smiled at them. ¡°It¡¯s okay! That¡¯s why we¡¯re after all. So, I can learn more about my powers! Let¡¯s try it,¡± he said to them.


    Vetica reluctantly did as Themis had asked. She ignored the steps and sat Charlie atop the first platform. The platform was pleasantly soft against his hands and knees. But overall, he didn¡¯t think it was in danger of falling or anything.


    Themis approached the opposite platform and walked up the steps. He sat and crossed his legs, facing Charlie. He called out the shift command again, and the stairs behind each of their platforms receded into the ground. It also appeared as if the ground around the platform softened. All the others went to sit along the wide bench to spectate. Merlin looked uneasy. Vetica appeared tense, like she was ready to shoot forward and come to Charlie¡¯s aid at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°So, how does the game work?¡± Charlie asked.


    Themis smiled. ¡°Each of us has a platform and we have to stay on it no matter what. If you fall off, you lose the round. Lose three rounds and you lose the game. Your goal is to use your powers to knock me off, and make sure you don¡¯t fall yourself. Altering the pillar of your opponent directly is forbidden. Destroying the enemy pillar with external is allowed. Attacking each other directly is also allowed. Know that if you hold back, you will lose. I¡¯m tough enough to handle whatever it is you can throw me.¡±


    Charlie wasn¡¯t sure about that. But he also didn¡¯t want to underestimate Themis. There was a lot he didn¡¯t know about the strange man. In some ways, he was probably just as curious about Themis as Themis was about him. One question was nagging at him the most. ¡°How are you able to control this dungeon and all the beasts? Do you have a unique class, too?¡± Charlie asked. It was the only thing that made sense. How else could he do all the things Charlie had watched him do?


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t use magic at all, actually. If you want to know how I do the things I do, then beat me. If you beat me, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± Themis said.


    Charlie grinned. That was good motivation. But despite his excitement, he was a little unsure of how much fighting he¡¯d be able to manage. ¡°I¡¯m still recovering from the fight in Sange, so I don¡¯t know how long my powers will last,¡± Charlie said.


    Themis nodded. ¡°I have relinquished control of your half of the room. It should be simple for you to seize control of it, like you described doing when you fought the last core guardian. This will get around the limitations of your dungeon integrity.¡±


    Charlie blinked in surprise. Themis was several steps ahead of him already. He focused on the platform he was crawling on. On the ground underneath and all around him. Charlie could feel his authority spread throughout the room and even a few yards beyond it. The material beneath the ground, above the ceiling, and outside the walls. Themis was right. It was simple. There was an invisible line that tore the room in two parts. On one side, Themis had full authority. On the other, Charlie was in control. If he wanted to win, he would need to use his powers effectively to attack Themis while defending against the researchers attacks himself. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready,¡± Charlie called out to Themis¡¯ mind.


    Themis nodded. ¡°Then we begin. The game starts now. Round one.¡±


    Charlie focused. He readied a series of pillars beneath the ground so that Themis couldn¡¯t see. At the same time, he formed a wall just in front of his platform. When Themis attacked, he could force it upward to protect himself.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Themis seemed to be doing the same thing. At least, that was what Charlie was assuming. He hadn¡¯t made a move, despite the game starting. Charlie looked around, wondering where Themis¡¯ first attack would come from. A minute passed. Charlie was ready to attack, but what was Themis doing?


    He squinted and leaned in. Charlie gasped. Themis had closed his eyes. Was he asleep?


    Since Charlie had taken full control of this part of the dungeon, he could tell he didn¡¯t need to activate any skills itself. Instead, he simply threw his hand forward, unleashing his opening volley. Even if he was annoyed at Themis for closing his eyes and not taking Charlie seriously, Charlie didn¡¯t want to hurt him. Instead, he aimed at the platform beneath the researcher.


    ¡°Interesting strategy,¡± Themis said without opening his eyes. The pillars collided with the platform beneath Themis and dust filled the room.


    Charlie swatted at the air, waiting for it to clear. When it did, he shook his head in disbelief. Most of the platform beneath Themis had crumbled. But the researcher remained in exactly the same spot. Only the thin piece of the platform that he was sitting on survived. Several long beams of dungeon material had shot down and fused with the platform. It looked almost like an upside-down table now. The researcher¡¯s eyes were still closed.


    Merlin¡¯s jaw dropped on the sidelines. Vetica¡¯s brows furrowed. They were just as surprised as Charlie was.


    ¡°You attacked the platform instead of me. You¡¯re holding back, Charlie. I warned you about that. I can see now you won¡¯t take me seriously until you lose your first round. So¡­¡± Themis swatted a hand forward. ¡°Shift.¡±


    Several beams of earth shot toward him. Charlie raised his hands so the rock wall he had prepared rose. But the beams were fast. They rocketed straight towards him. It looked like the wall might rise in time to stop them, but moments before they collided with it, the beams curved in a way that made Charlie¡¯s skin crawl. One of them approached from Charlie¡¯s left and shattered the pillar below him. The other approached more rapidly and aimed directly at Charlie¡¯s side. It slowed a second before impact, and rather than smash into him, it simply nudged him away from the crumbling pillar.


    A short fall later and Charlie was picking his face out a pile of mud.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Vetica yelled. She hurried toward Charlie when a wall of rock cut her off.


    Themis looked at her disapprovingly. ¡°You heard what happened in Sange. Charlie only won because he pushed himself to his limit. Are you going to baby him now? Are you going to stop him from developing?¡± Themis asked.


    Vetica¡¯s lips parted, and she turned to look at Charlie.


    Charlie wiped the mud off his face and shook his head. He felt so dirty. His onesie was a mess and there was mud everywhere. He looked up as the pillar rebuilt itself next to him.


    ¡°Round one goes to me. Are you ready for round two or do you need a moment?¡± Themis asked.


    Charlie looked over at his friends. Mousifer and Bleedy shouted their encouragement.


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    ¡°Baby!¡±


    Merlin looked unsure. ¡°Charlie, you don¡¯t have to do this if you don¡¯t want¡­¡± he said.


    Themis didn¡¯t challenge Merlin as he had Vetica. He waited to see what Charlie would do.


    Charlie took in a deep breath and then used his powers to lift himself up with a pillar. He crawled off the pillar and onto the platform again for round two.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Themis said.


    Charlie tried to attack Themis directly in the next round, but rock clawed its way out of the ground and ceiling and interrupted the pillars he sent forward. In the third round, Charlie tried to send a mass of rocks toward the researcher, losing sight of the fact he¡¯d been trying to hold back. Not even one reached the man.


    Before he knew it, rounds two and three were over.


    When Charlie demanded a rematch, the next two rounds went just as poorly for him. He was caked in mud, and he felt sore all over. Themis was going easy on him. Every time an attack reached Charlie, the man would pull the force back and simply brush him over the edge. No matter what Charlie did, he lost.


    As he rolled over in the mud to rest on his back for a moment, he laid there and contemplated life. ¡°I hate this game,¡± he said.


    Themis sighed. ¡°Perhaps I made a mistake wording it like that. I thought you might think it more fun if I called it a game. But this is training, Charlie. It¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I hate training,¡± Charlie said. He¡¯d enjoyed fighting before. The rush of battle was exhilarating. But this was¡­not the same. There wasn¡¯t any rush to it. No adrenaline. It was just doing the same thing over and over, looking for a way past the researchers¡¯ defenses. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel the same as real fighting,¡± he said. He tasted mud and wrinkled his nose. He turned his head to the side and spat it out.


    Orb floated over to him. ¡°I wish there were cameras in this world. This would be a great postcard. Oh! I¡¯d make it my phone background. If you knew what that was, you¡¯d be super embarrassed right now.¡±


    Charlie pretended to ignore him.


    Orb floated closer. ¡°Hey! Listen up! I¡¯m talking smack, son! What are you¡ª¡±


    Charlie reached up and grabbed the dungeon core and then rolled over and shoved him deep into the mud.


    Orb¡¯s words came out muffled. ¡°How dare you!¡± he said.


    Merlin rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re speaking telepathically. Why are you pretending the mud is muffling your words?¡± he asked, leaning back on the bench.


    Orb shot free of the ground. Mud spilled off his body and fell back to the earth. ¡°For comedic effect, obviously. No one has any sense of humor. I hate it here.¡± The dungeon core floated off to sulk in a corner.


    Charlie settled back into a crawl. ¡°Can we do something else now?¡± he asked.


    Themis shook his head. ¡°Shift!¡± he yelled, and the pillar beneath him sank into the ground. He hurried toward Charlie. ¡°Do you know why people train, Charlie?¡± he asked, a sudden seriousness in his voice.


    Charlie swallowed. The change in the researcher¡¯s speech was unmistakable. It seemed Charlie had struck a nerve. He shook his head.


    Themis crossed the room and knelt in front of Charlie. ¡°We train, so when the time comes to protect the people we choose to protect, we don¡¯t fail. In Sange, you almost failed. You almost let the people you wanted to protect down. You had a burst of inspiration, you fought harder, and you won. But guess what? The world doesn¡¯t always work that way. Sometimes, the good guys lose. When they do, it¡¯s because the bad ones trained harder or were more powerful. Look at your friends,¡± Themis said, pointing toward the bench.


    Charlie looked over at them. Vetica looked lost in her thoughts, as if the man¡¯s words had affected her as well. Merlin seemed to be unsure of whether or not he should stop all this. Even Mousifer and Bleedy wore more serious expressions on their face. The mood had shifted.


    Charlie turned back to Themis.


    ¡°I know it feels like there isn¡¯t anything at stake here. But there is, you just don¡¯t know what it is yet. You¡¯re preparing to protect them. One day, when their lives are on the line, you¡¯re going to think back to this moment, and you¡¯re going to ask if you did everything in your power to get stronger. If you have even a single doubt in your mind, it will haunt you for the rest of your life. So, work hard now. Train hard now. So that you can protect them in the future.¡±


    Themis stood and walked toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Collect yourself and get ready for the next round.¡±


    Charlie spoke without thinking. ¡°Did something happen to someone you care about?¡± he asked. He regretted it immediately.


    Themis paused. For a moment, he said nothing. Then he turned around. ¡°You asked me how I control the dungeon.¡± Themis held his hand in front of his chest, with his palm facing inward. ¡°Seal.¡± His trousers and shoes remained. But the red and purple robe covering his upper body disappeared. The man was thin and lacked any visible muscle. Based on looks alone, Merlin might be able to take him in a fist fight, and Merlin wasn¡¯t very strong at all. But Themis hadn¡¯t uncovered himself to show off his physique. He¡¯d done so to show them his arm.


    Dungeon cores.


    Seven dungeon cores were embedded in his arm, starting just past his shoulder, and trailing down to just above his wrist. Each one was a different color, and they had varying levels of brightness as well.


    ¡°You asked how I could do the things I do. Well, this is it. A self-inflicted science experiment. There is no one else in the world who can understand what you¡¯re going through. No one else who can help you develop your powers like I can. Our time together is limited, so ready yourself, Charlie, for I intend to make the most of it.¡±


    Charlie tightened his fist. ¡°Train hard now so that I can protect them in the future¡­¡± he said to himself. He understood. He got it now. It didn¡¯t matter if it was fun or exciting. It was necessary.


    ¡°Okay. I want to keep going! I want to get stronger.¡±

 Chapter 87: Seven Cores and One Hundred Knights

    Orb stared at Themis from the room¡¯s corner. ¡°Okay, I have to admit, I¡¯m confused as heck. What happened to your arm? It looks like someone shot you with a gun that uses dungeon cores as bullets, and you just left them in afterwards!¡±


    Charlie swallowed, staring at the dungeon cores embedded in Themis¡¯ arm. ¡°You¡¯re like me¡­¡± he said.


    Orb went quiet and rotated to face Charlie. He didn¡¯t say anything.


    Themis looked away from Charlie and studied his own arm. ¡°Your power is much more natural than my own. This is the result of many years of research. Behind the successful integration of each of these dungeon cores lies dozens of failures. But my work is too important to quit, and so I persevere.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is your work?¡± Merlin asked as he moved to join them from the bench. The others, Zephyr, Vetica, Bleedy and Mousifer, weren¡¯t far behind the conman. This was too big of a revelation to simply move on.


    Themis sighed. ¡°I suppose I shouldn¡¯t have expected to just go back to training after showing you all this. I¡¯ll explain, but first, have any of you ever heard of a Vessel before?¡± he asked.


    Merlin squinted and turned to look at Charlie. ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Charlie said, his face lighting up. ¡°When I was inside the Nae Glera, the dungeon core said something about turning me into a vessel. It wanted to turn me into a snatcher limbling thing and said it thought I was a human that could serve as its vessel! But for some reason, it didn¡¯t work, not that I¡¯m complaining!¡± Charlie froze. ¡°Wait, maybe it was because of the Ageus System! The dungeon core had wanted to use the Nae Glera¡¯s power to make me older. But I got a notification that said the ability was denied!¡±


    Orb floated over. ¡°So, it turns out this unique system really saved you back there, then. If you¡¯d been a normal kid, it might¡¯ve worked.¡± Orb turned to face Themis. ¡°So, now that you know we have heard of them, care to explain what the heck a vessel is?¡± he asked.


    Themis nodded. ¡°Often the phrase means a beast or hex beast that a dungeon core can fuse with. I don¡¯t believe the Nae Glera is a good example of this. Once a creature becomes a vessel, the process is irreversible. At least according to modern understanding. It¡¯s believed to be impossible for a human to serve as a vessel to a dungeon core. My research aimed to challenge that. I wanted to develop a greater understanding regarding dungeon cores and how they operate. Something that isn¡¯t possible in traditional dungeon studies.¡±


    Merlin held his hands up. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not saying that you¡¯ve become a vessel¡­right?¡±


    Vetica¡¯s eyes widened at the implication. She stared at Themis¡¯ arm, wondering herself.


    Themis sighed. ¡°No. My connection with the cores is limited. You¡¯ve noticed me use orders: shift, seal, and command, for instance. Each of these seven dungeon cores is responsible for one aspect of my powers. Shift offers control of the dungeon. Seal allows me block off passages and doors, and to reopen them as well. Command grants me authority over the beast within the dungeon. Normally, a single dungeon core could do all of these things on its own. But I have limited authority over these cores, so I am unfortunately limited to assigning each only a single function.¡±


    Charlie fell back and sat in the dirt. He¡¯d wondered how Themis could control the dungeon, but he¡¯d never imagined something like this. Did Richard know about this? Was that the reason that he sent Charlie to Arcadeya?


    ¡°Is your research something that can be replicated?¡± Vetica asked. She stared at the floor. ¡°Something like this would have¡­implications. Charlie has only scratched the surface of his power and even then, he¡¯s formidable. If something like this could be granted to others at will, then¡­¡±


    Themis looked over at Zephyr, who moved to float by his side. ¡°All of this is only possible because of my interface. On my own, the research would¡¯ve failed. But luckily, Zephyr¡¯s original master was able to pass him onto me. I can¡¯t do much. Zephyr is my conduit. The powers that I use, the orders I give, all of them are filtered first through Zephyr and then relayed to the cores. Without him, I¡¯d still be in the capital, begging for someone to fund my research.¡±


    There was movement at the door. ¡°We¡¯d still be in the capital begging for funding,¡± a man called out.


    Charlie froze. It was the hairy creature they¡¯d seen lying on the table of the lab. The white dungeon core was still embedded firmly in the creature¡¯s chest. The furry man was about five feet tall, with legs that bent inward a bit. He looked ready to spring forward at a moment¡¯s notice. His nose seemed more like a snout. Heck, his entire face was closer to that of a wolf than a human.


    Merlin ducked behind Vetica for cover. She rolled her eyes in disgust.


    Themis laughed. ¡°That is true, friend. My apologies everyone, I would¡¯ve introduced him earlier if not for his unconscious state.¡±


    Orb bounced up and down. ¡°He¡¯s a werewolf, isn¡¯t he? Quick, bite Merlin so he can actually contribute to fights from now on!¡± Orb said.


    Merlin bent down and picked up a ball of mud. He pressed it tightly together and then flung it toward Orb, knocking him out of the air. ¡°See that? I¡¯m useful enough now, aren¡¯t I?¡± Merlin spat.


    Orb grumbled. ¡°When the Scalers wake up, I¡¯m gonna feed you to them.¡±


    Themis shot Orb a confused look. ¡°Werewolf? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not familiar with that particular creature. You¡¯ll have to tell me more later. This is my good friend Canano, he¡¯s a Coyuta.¡±


    ¡°Ah! I¡¯ve heard of the Coyuta. You rarely see them in Aysela, though,¡± Vetica said, suddenly interested in the strange wolf man.


    A series of sharp breaths came from Canano. It reminded Charlie of laughter. ¡°That¡¯s because we aren¡¯t often in Aysela. But Themis and I are old friends. Or so I thought before he forced a dungeon core into my chest!¡± He let out more of the sharp breath-laughter. He stopped when he noticed the horrified expressions on everyone¡¯s faces. He held his paws out toward them. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just joking! Sorry. Humor doesn¡¯t translate as well when people aren¡¯t sure whether you¡¯re a man or a beast. I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt.¡±


    Themis smiled and approached the Coyuta. He leaned in, studying the white dungeon core in Canano¡¯s chest. Themis held a hand in front of it. ¡°Zephyr?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it seems the process has failed. Integration was unsuccessful.¡±


    Themis and Canano frowned. ¡°Very well.¡± He turned to face Charlie and the others again. ¡°As I was saying, a vessel is when a dungeon core finds a suitable body to inhabit and control. Though I¡¯ve managed to fuse part of my body with these cores, I still hold the authority. For now, I¡¯ve been referring to my current status with the term Pseudo-Vessel. Your own relationship with Orb mirrors mine with these cores. Ultimately, you are the one that holds the most authority over the dungeon, and I suspect Orb operates in the same way that Zephyr does for me. He is the filter through which you use that power.¡±


    Charlie titled his head. ¡°So, is that why, when Orb got sick, I needed to create a temporary core to use my powers?¡± he asked.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Themis waved a finger toward him. ¡°Precisely! At least, that¡¯s my hypothesis. But here¡¯s the interesting thing, Charlie. If I¡¯m able to maintain control over multiple cores at once, I believe the same could be true for you. You¡¯ve collected three other cores, correct?¡± Themis asked.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Well, I accidentally left one with my friend Kyo. But I have the dungeon core from Sirra, and another one from Sange!¡± he said.


    ¡°Mhm. I¡¯m only able to assign a single function to each of my cores, but your relationship with Orb gives you the full powers of a dungeon. So, imagine what could happen if you were able to expand your bond and gain more authority? If you could gain control over the two other dungeon cores in your possession?¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you saying I could add their power to mine, too?¡± Charlie asked, his mouth falling open.


    ¡°Precisely! But we¡¯ll focus on that later. I suspect you¡¯ll need to involve Parent in that. In the meantime, I have a new plan to propose. I¡¯d like Zephyr to work with Parent privately. Parent recently took in a lot of data, and Zephyr can help him sift through it more quickly. As for you two¡­¡± Themis turned to face Merlin and Vetica. ¡°You should go with Canano. He¡¯ll see you to your rooms and help you get settled in. A friend of yours is waiting for you as well. Fortunately for you all, I wanted to make sure you didn¡¯t leave town before I found the time to come and collect you. So, I stole your horse and wagon. You''re lucky I did, or the knights might have got him.¡±


    ¡°Marvin¡¯s okay?¡± Merlin asked. He let out a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Please show me where. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s worried about being so deep underground on his own.¡±


    Themis tilted his head. ¡°On his own? No, I left him with a few beasts of mine, for his protection, of course.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s eyes went wide. He hurried to Canano. ¡°Please take me to my horse before he gets eaten.¡±


    Canano laughed and headed toward the door with Merlin in tow.


    Themis smiled and winked at Charlie.


    Vetica hesitated before following them. ¡°What about you two?¡±


    Charlie raised a hand, and a pillar shot him into the air. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta keep training, right Themis?¡± he asked.


    Themis nodded. ¡°Yes, of course. We should get back to it. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be okay. Keep in mind you aren¡¯t the only one who''s keeping an eye on him,¡± Themis said.


    Vetica turned and saw Bleedy nodding intently. Mousifer stood on his hind legs and saluted Vetica.


    She giggled at that. ¡°Very well, please be careful, Charlie.¡± She took a step toward him and patted him on the head, and then moved out of the room.


    Themis crossed to his own side. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin again. We need to hone your abilities some more. Keep in mind your approach, how you think about fighting, and try to adjust quicker. It must become instinct. We¡¯ll keep going until you can beat me. You don¡¯t need to eat or use the bathroom, and you sleep less than most people do as well. So, there is very little to disturb us from your training.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°If I¡¯m hungry, I¡¯ll starve. If I have to use the bathroom, I¡¯ll hold it. If I feel the need to sleep, I¡¯ll ignore it. All that matters is this grand experiment.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°What experiment?¡± he asked.


    Themis smiled. ¡°Seeing just how far we can develop those powers of yours in the time we have. I expect great things.¡±


    Brandt


    On any other day, the civilians of Arcadeya would tell you it was a beautiful place.


    Tonight, it was a nightmare.


    Beasts roamed the streets with claws and fangs covered in blood. The blood of knights. Monstrous birds flew above in the night sky, swooping down to attack from above. The screams of the injured reverberated against houses packed too tight together. He¡¯d been wise to evacuate these homes before sending Redrick in. It would¡¯ve been wiser not to listen to Redrick¡¯s request. He wanted to play hero and save Talmot himself to make up for his mistake. Brandt could understand that. A knight who couldn¡¯t understand the urge for redemption was no knight at all. But Redrick¡¯s shame had cost them dearly. The child and his allies had escaped.


    Brandt stood at the end of the street. Broken glass and splintered wood lined the road before him. Many of these homes were already beyond repair. A large force of knights stood behind him, waited to charge forward. But he held them back. Soft footsteps approached from behind. He knew who they belonged to without turning around. ¡°What is it, Talmot?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Why are you holding our reinforcements back? Our men are dying out there.¡±


    Brandt looked over his shoulder. ¡°How¡¯s Redrick? And Dalys?¡± he asked.


    Talmot swallowed. ¡°Redrick¡¯s a little bruised, but both of them are fine.¡± Talmot looked at the massacre ahead. ¡°The others¡­¡±


    Brandt sighed. ¡°If they¡¯re both fine, and you¡¯re fine, then none of our men have died. Those men¡­¡± he said, pointing toward the men before them wearing the black armor of the hex knights. The struggling men who were dying to weak beasts. Men dying to fodder. ¡°Those men were only able to enter the knighthood because the King chose them. Hex Knights are strong. They do not die so easily. If the king insists on filling our ranks with weaklings, with people who cannot survive our trials and pay the price, then the king will continue to get reports of their deaths. A plan gone wrong can still be advantageous, Talmot.¡±


    Talmot lowered his head. ¡°I see¡­I didn¡¯t know that. But why would the king¡ª¡±


    ¡°The king is a paranoid man, Talmot. He worries about the influence we have. He fears what might happen if we turned on him. The king hopes that by filling our ranks with men he knows to be loyal, one of them might rise to the top and take my place. But the king values loyalty over competency. If we allow him to fill our ranks with soldiers such as this¡­¡±


    He paused, watching a bird dig its talons through the broken armor of a knight not ten feet away.


    ¡°Then the Hex Knights would become unreliable, and Aysela would crumble. Our duty is far more important than the lives of loyalist and weaklings.¡±


    Brandt scanned the street before him. None of the men in black armor seemed to still be moving. He¡¯d given them a chance. If they had survived, he¡¯d reconsider his position. But every one of them that died was an affirmation. He allowed them to die here, so they didn¡¯t cost the lives of the worthy. The creatures, now finished with weaklings, turned, and faced the force standing with Brandt. They were too weak to understand the depths of difference between their strength and Brandt¡¯s. The depth of difference between their strength and the real knights.


    Overconfident beasts were as bad as overconfident men. Both groups deserved only a single response.


    Brandt unsheathed his swords.


    He heard the gasps behind him. He felt the power surge through him. It wasn¡¯t often he displayed his powers, but the unusual nature of the dungeon meant that whatever controlled it, be it dungeon core or core king, was intelligent. He knew whatever it was; it was watching.


    He wanted it to know what was coming.


    Brandt covered his mouth and whispered the name of his hex. A secret known only to two men. Himself, and the former leader of the knights.


    The magic coursed through his body. He swung his blade forward, directly toward the mass of charging creatures.


    A burst of white exploded forward from the tip of his blade and poured out like a surging wave rushing from a violent ocean.


    Wings became feathers.


    Flesh became ash.


    War cries became pained screams.


    One moment, the beasts had been ready to tear the knights apart, the next they were nothing. The houses on either side were equally destroyed. Mounds of rubble left behind in the wake of his attack. A deep scar penetrated the earth and stretched all the way to the end of the street.


    There, where the scar was the deepest, something was visible beneath the pavement of the road.


    Dalys walked forward and knelt in front of it. She turned and smiled at Brandt. ¡°Looks like we found our way in. It¡¯s only a matter of time now.¡±


    Brandt nodded. He lifted his free hand.


    A hundred knights tensed, straightening where they stood.


    He threw his hands forward.


    A hundred knights charged.


    He closed his eyes and let his head fall backwards. The stampede of metal against pavement was a like a chorus to his ears. The sound of war.


    He thought of his prey, of the abomination he had mistakenly unleashed into this world. He thought of redemption.


    A hundred knights would see the child¡¯s end.

 Chapter 88: Breakthroughs

    Charlie


    Charlie and Themis continued the platform training for four more days. At the end of the second day, Themis fell asleep moments after knocking Charlie off his platform. Zephyr and Geby came to collect him. Charlie wanted to keep training on his own, but Vetica showed up and insisted he take a nap. He refused to leave the training room, so the two of them slept on the ground in the space between the bench and the protective wall of the dugout, as Orb called it.


    Themis returned four hours later, and they resumed training. Vetica reluctantly left and returned to whatever it was Canano had roped her and Merlin into helping with. Since that short, four-hour break, they¡¯d kept training relentlessly. It was now the end of the fourth day. Both of them were exhausted. Themis came back from a quick bathroom break and climbed back atop his platform.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked Charlie.


    Charlie nodded. He¡¯d been thinking lately about the difference in experience between Themis and himself. Charlie was still too slow. His attacks were powerful but lacked something. Even when Charlie blocked Themis¡¯ attacks, the chunks and remnants of rock Themis had sent toward him remained on the ground around him. Charlie¡¯s attacks usually turned to dust after Themis intercepted them.


    But he had noticed an improvement lately. He was responding quicker, instinctually almost. It just hadn¡¯t been enough to win yet. Charlie hadn¡¯t been able to declare victory even a single time. He didn¡¯t allow himself to become frustrated or angry. It was just like Themis said. He had to put in the work now, so he could protect the people he cared about when the time came. This was part of that.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± Themis said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Charlie watched carefully, waiting for the researcher to make his first move. At that moment, when he was waiting for the attack to come, Charlie made a decision. He decided he wouldn¡¯t react at all. He would watch.


    Themis flared to life. His palm pressed toward Charlie, and he whispered a command. ¡°Shift.¡± Snakes made of rock surged forward. It was something Charlie had tried and failed to replicate himself. They were made from earth, and yet, they were fluid beyond anything Charlie had ever thought possible. They shot toward him, spiraling around one another as they charged. Themis eyed him, waiting for Charlie to throw up a defensive wall or counterattack, but Charlie¡¯s response never came. At the last moment, he watched Themis make another movement with his hand.


    There it was.


    The snakes smashed into him and sent him flying off the platform. He fell and sank into the mud below, groaning in disgust. His onesie was now a dark brown, plastered by layers and layers of accumulated mud. It was really uncomfortable. He hoped there wasn¡¯t some kind of limit on the self-cleaning ability his onesie apparently had. Orb had already rude-fully stated that brown just wasn¡¯t Charlie¡¯s color.


    Themis gasped. ¡°Charlie? Are you okay?¡± he cried out. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use your powers?¡±


    Charlie shook his head and pressed his body up with his hands. He settled into a crawl. ¡°I¡¯m okay! Just moved too slow. Let¡¯s go again.¡±


    Themis frowned. ¡°If you¡¯re moving that slow, then we should stop for today. I could¡¯ve hurt you if I used a more powerful attack. It would be dangerous to keep going.¡±


    Charlie created a pillar to elevate him back to the platform. ¡°I¡¯m okay! One more time. Alright?¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay, let me know when you¡¯re ready.¡± Themis sighed.


    Themis had only used three of his powers in front of Charlie. Charlie didn¡¯t have the slightest idea what the other four dungeon core¡¯s functions were. But something had been bothering him. The shift function, that originated from the orange dungeon core in Themis¡¯ shoulder, allowed him to control the dungeon. The seal function, a function of the black core along his bicep, apparently allowed him to control doors and seal off parts of the dungeon. It was strange. Shouldn¡¯t Themis be able to seal off parts of the dungeon with shift? What was the difference? He only had seven dungeon cores, which meant he only had seven functions to assign. Why would he waste two of them on something so similar?


    Charlie had a theory, and he wanted to test it. It was the reason why he needed to know if Themis was using both functions. In that moment when the snakes struck him, he¡¯d seen Themis do it. He¡¯d activated another ability, probably Seal, even though his attack was already inches away from striking Charlie. If Charlie was right, he¡¯d come a step closer to bridging the gap. No, if Charlie was right, he would bridge the gap. He¡¯d been working on a plan, slowly but surely, trying to find ways through the researchers¡¯ defenses. Each loss offered him insight. Every time he fell and splashed into the mud below, he reflected further.


    Now he was ready. ¡°Alright, we can begin,¡± Charlie said.


    Themis nodded and signaled the start of the round.


    In another fluid motion, Themis sent the same attack forward. Twin serpents arced through the air, hoping to repeat their success from the previous round.


    Charlie formed a wall in front of him, the sides of it curved on either side of him, to ensure the serpents couldn¡¯t simply slither around it. It wasn¡¯t the first time Charlie had taken a more defensive approach, but it was the first time he tried to integrate something new. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly what the Seal function was. But he had a theory.


    ¡°Seal,¡± he whispered, focusing on the defensive barrier. It wasn¡¯t an ability for him, but he said it aloud as he made the alterations himself. Sweat beaded on his forehead. ¡°Please work,¡± he thought. The serpents attempted to go straight through the wall. In previous rounds, Themis had been able to penetrate or destroy Charlie¡¯s defenses every time. This round was no different.


    The rock wall smashed to pieces and crumbled around the platform. But the serpents themselves were torn apart as well. Charlie¡¯s eyes widened, and he crawled to peer over the front of his platform. He stared at a sizeable chunk of rock that was clear from the wall he had made.


    It hadn¡¯t turned to dust. He smiled. This changed everything. His theory was correct. He looked up at the researcher, but if the man was surprised, he didn¡¯t show it. Themis took a deep breath and held both hands out this time. ¡°Shift!¡± he yelled. An enormous serpent formed. A great stone snake large enough to swallow Charlie whole.


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± No, he had to focus. He took a breath and raised his own hand.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    A large hand and arm formed on the ground behind him and slowly rose to its full height when he had finished making preparations. It was a smaller version of the technique he¡¯d used in Sange¡¯s dungeon. He knew how to beat Themis now, but could he pull it off?


    The hand wasn¡¯t nearly as fluid as the snake would be. Charlie¡¯s focus had to be wholly on his offense. If the stone serpent reached Charlie before his attack reached Themis, his plan would fail. The researcher was smart enough that he would realize what Charlie was trying to do. He only had one opportunity to make this work.


    Themis smiled. ¡°Interesting. It¡¯s a bizarre game of rock, paper, scissors. Let¡¯s see who wins, serpent or fist.¡±


    Each of them signaled their attack at once.


    ¡°Shift!¡± Themis threw his hand forward.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡± Charlie screamed with his mind.


    The stone fingers tightened and cut through the air between them.


    The serpent opened its jaw wide, revealing sharpened stone teeth as it slithered forward.


    For a moment, Charlie hoped the fist would smash right through. But the serpent coiled around the fist at the last second and kept moving toward Charlie.


    It was moving faster than his attack was.


    ¡°Now,¡± Charlie thought, a moment before the snake reached him.


    The pointer finger of the stone fist curled in tighter and then grated forward against the thumb. The tip of the finger broke off and shot toward Themis. Before it hit him, it turned to dust.


    Themis shook his head. Charlie had caught him off guard. The dust filled the air around Themis, forcing the researcher to cover his eyes.


    The remaining fingers of the stone hand burst open, and the material hidden within scattered forward.


    Charlie slapped the ground with his hands just as the serpent smashed into him. ¡°Please work!¡± he said to himself as the serpent knocked his body into the air. It was a race against gravity.


    Momentum versus gravity.


    The thing about losing in the platform game was that you got a lot of experience with mud. It¡¯s consistency, its texture, how hard it can be to free yourself of it. Charlie had spent a lot of time in the mud lately. The image of Merlin smacking Orb down with a ball of a mud had been just the memory he¡¯d needed. That, combined with his memories of fighting Brel in Sange, had given him his idea.


    Charlie¡¯s stone fist had been filled with the stuff. He¡¯d allowed the finger to dissipate so it would turn to ash and blind Themis ahead of the actual attack. The mud smacked into Themis at high speed and sent the white-haired man rocketing off his platform.


    The researcher thudded against the ground mere seconds before Charlie did. He couldn''t see it, but he felt it through his connection to the dungeon.


    He¡¯d won.


    The serpent crumbled into pebble sized rocks all around him. He laid back and felt the brown, soft earth around him. For once, he didn¡¯t mind the mud. This wasn¡¯t the mud of defeat. He giggled. This was victory mud!


    Themis groaned. Charlie leaned his head forward to see Themis lying in a similar position. ¡°You did it. I didn¡¯t expect that strategy, but you did it.¡±


    Charlie let his head fall back again. ¡°You used a seal to lock your attacks into place, right? To give them a permanent form. So even if you let the connection go, they still keep their shape.¡±


    Themis laughed. ¡°You caught on. That¡¯s correct. After seeing your wall hold out against the serpents, I assumed you were going to try to beat me with force, but you used strategy. No, you learned something new, and then showed me you had learned it. Your plan for victory depended on me thinking you would use the technique you learned moments ago. But you didn¡¯t rely on it, you went a different route entirely. Incredible Charlie.¡±


    Charlie rolled over and crawled toward the platform. ¡°Are we going to go again?¡± he asked.


    Themis sat up as well. ¡°No. You may not realize it, but you¡¯ve come a long way in a short period. You were holding your own longer and longer against me with both an offense and defense that was weaker than my own. Now that you¡¯ve figured out how to maintain the rock¡¯s form after severing a connection to it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d stand a chance against you. Not only that, but you¡¯ve also proven yourself capable of using your environment to strategize. You have accomplished months¡¯ worth of development in only a few days. Neural plasticity is the boon of youth. Between that, and your determination, we have accomplished what we had time for. Since your mobility is limited, I wanted to ensure we honed your main power. Especially since it excels at both offense and defense. But we need to move forward now and work on other things.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°Move forward?¡±


    ¡°Congratulations on your victory, Charlie,¡± Zephyr said, floating into the room behind him. Parent followed Zephyr. Two sets of metallic floating rings.


    ¡°Thank you, hi Parent!¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Hello Charlie. I¡¯ve been doing some training of my own as well. Together, we can now take the next steps to fortifying your strength.¡±


    Charlie looked back at Themis. The researcher was smiling. ¡°What next steps?¡± Charlie asked them.


    Notice


    Ability update is available.


    Acclimation of the Scaler race is complete. Temporary hibernation has ended.


    A Dungeon Core you¡¯ve collected is now eligible for integration.


    Brandt


    The tunnel was darker than it would be in a normal dungeon. His men moved methodically, affixing torches to the wall as they went. He¡¯d made the decision to establish a supply line, so the knights that moved further in had access to resources and support. So far, their descent had been one obstacle after another. Beasts exploded from walls, traps littered the place, and Talmot said the target was miles beneath the surface.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a vertical maze. We¡¯ll be in here forever,¡± Redrick spat.


    ¡°Well, if you had let the rest of us help you capture the target, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess,¡± Dalys said. She sat on the ground, leaning against the wall with her hands clasped behind her back and her eyes closed.


    Redrick turned on her, but Brandt held up a hand. He turned to Talmot. ¡°Are they directly below us?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡ªwell,¡± Talmot stammered. ¡°¡­it¡¯s hard to place their exact location, but they are below us. Somewhere. My pow¡ªpowers are still recovering from when I hit my limit. It may be a little while before I can pick their trail up and maintain it. They are in the dungeon, though, I know that.¡±


    Brandt nodded. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this, but we can¡¯t afford not to keep pressing onward either. Redrick, I¡¯m sending half of our forces with you and Talmot. Move deeper into the dungeon. Make as much noise as possible. Kill everything you encounter. Don¡¯t let any beasts¡¯ escape. Put them all to the sword.¡±


    Redrick barked laughter. ¡°Aha! So, you want ole Redrick to kick down some doors and create a diversion, aye, I can do that.¡±


    Dalys peeked up at Brandt. ¡°What about the rest of us?¡± she asked.


    ¡°As I said, we don¡¯t have time for this. We¡¯re going to try something else,¡± Brandt said.


    Dalys raised an eyebrow. ¡°What? You got a shortcut or something?¡± she asked.


    Brandt looked over his shoulder at one of the knights amidst his army. The knight held a large metallic box with several locks on it in his hands.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re going to create one.¡±

 Chapter 89: Interface Upgrade!

    Charlie felt air on his back and turned to look over his shoulder. The Caldurra, Geby, was standing over him. She leaned forward and licked Charlie¡¯s face. He managed to turn his head to the side in time to avoid a direct hit. He wrinkled his nose at the saliva dripping down the side of his face.


    How had she gotten so close without him noticing? He was glad she was friendly. Geby could swallow Charlie in one bite if she wanted to. Luckily, she didn¡¯t seem to want to. Unless¡­the lick was some kind of taste test?


    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened, and he crawled back a bit.


    Themis laughed. ¡°It seems Geby wanted to congratulate you on your victory!¡±


    Geby looked down at Charlie and then her tail curled, and she gently patted the back of her neck with that round, spiky tail of hers.


    Themis¡¯ mouth parted in surprise. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, picking Charlie up by his sides.


    He sat Charlie on Geby¡¯s neck, and Charlie¡¯s palmar grasp ability activated instinctively. His hands latched onto two of the spikes on top of her head. Geby¡¯s head swayed happily. Charlie giggled. ¡°Is she ticklish?¡± he asked, wondering if he should look for a different handhold.


    Themis smiled. ¡°No, no. Caldurra often carry their children on their heads. Geby seems to like you a lot, Charlie. You should be honored. She¡¯s sweet, but she rarely comes around to new people so quickly. I¡¯m sure watching you get back up again and again during training endeared you to her.¡±


    Charlie blinked in surprise. ¡°Wait, she¡¯s been watching us all this time?¡± he leaned over to inspect Geby, as if she could answer.


    ¡°Your back was always to the door. Geby wasn¡¯t always there, but she was a good amount. Caldurra primarily nest in dungeons. Despite their colossal size, they can move quietly when they want to. If you hear one coming, it¡¯s probably because they¡¯re charging you,¡± Themis explained.


    Charlie remembered the heavy vibration he¡¯d heard just before Geby had stormed out of the dungeon and ran right into Redrick. It was amazing how easily she could mask her presence when she wanted to. Zephyr and Parent floated to the side. Charlie had been so distracted he¡¯d almost forgot they were there.


    He gasped, remembering the skill notice. ¡°I got a bunch of notices! I should see what¡¯s new!¡± he said excitedly.


    Themis held a hand up. ¡°Wait a moment. How about we regroup with the others first? I¡¯m sure your friends want to see you. Besides, if you have any new skills, it makes sense to update everyone at once, rather than explaining it repeatedly. Canano might also have some insight. Before pivoting to work with me on dungeon research, he worked with a team that studied class development. He may be able to offer some valuable advice for you. Let¡¯s gather everyone and then Parent can update us.¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay! That sounds good!¡± He was excited about the recent developments. An ability update, the possibility of integrating a new dungeon core, and most exhilarating of all, the Scalers were finally finished hibernating! It hadn¡¯t taken as long as he¡¯d thought. Well, it had felt like forever, but after Merlin explained what hibernation actually was, Charlie had let his expectations settle a little bit. ¡°Oh! What if I summon King Scalea! I¡¯d bet Geby would get along with him!¡±


    Themis waved his hands and shook his head all at once. ¡°Bad idea. Geby loves scalers.¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°To play with them?¡± he asked.


    Themis didn¡¯t say anything.


    Charlie leaned over and looked at Geby. ¡°To play with them, right?¡± he asked her.


    Geby¡¯s stomach growled. Charlie heard a swishing noise behind him and turned to see her tail wagging back and forth. His eyes widened. ¡°Okay, maybe another time.¡± Charlie didn¡¯t want King Scalea¡¯s first adventure after moving into the new dungeon to end up with him being a snack for Geby.


    They moved out into the hallway and started heading back the way they¡¯d come four days prior. They reached the intersection they¡¯d taken to the training room and kept going. Charlie realized this was the path that had been really dark before.


    Themis walked beside Geby, while Zephyr and Parent floated in the air above them. Many of the rooms down this hallway were open, unlike all the sealed off doors they¡¯d passed when Themis had first brought them deeper into the dungeon. Charlie saw a room filled with books. There were bookshelves from wall to wall piled so full that additional books had spilled over onto the many tables and chairs in the room. Themis tried to laugh it off but seemed embarrassed. ¡°Our library is a bit messy as of late. I should probably dedicate a second room to it, but I enjoy knowing all of my books are in one place.¡±


    They passed storage rooms, a kitchen, and what appeared to be some kind of sauna. Charlie even saw the two elevator birds from before perched in a room all by themselves. There were several additional perches and even toys scattered throughout the room. Each of them slept atop their perch, dozing peacefully. As they passed, Geby got excited, and Themis sealed the room before she could wake them. Charlie wondered if she was excited because they were Geby¡¯s friends, or because she wanted to eat them.


    At this point, he just didn¡¯t know anymore.


    Finally, they reached their destination, and Charlie couldn¡¯t have been happier. Merlin, Vetica, and Canano were leaned over a table studying some kind of book. Orb floated above the book, looking down at it. Bleedy was curled up in the corner on what appeared to be a bed for a small animal. Mousifer was curled up on top of Bleedy¡¯s head. Charlie wondered how the little mouse was staying balanced with Bleedy adjusting his head now and then, but somehow, Mousifer slept through it undisturbed.


    The room appeared to be a study. There were four bookshelves, two on either side. The table in the center that was currently occupied by their friends, and a desk pushed against the far wall. It was covered in texts, scrolls, and all kinds of odd equipment Charlie didn¡¯t recognize.


    Vetica was the first to notice movement and turned as Geby maneuvered to enter doors that were too slim for her. After a moment, her head sank. Themis smiled at her. One ¡°shift¡± later and the doors had receded deep into the walls and the entrance had stretched wide enough to accommodate her. Geby wagged her tail so much that she knocked Zephyr¡¯s rings out of the air and dented the sealed metal doors on the opposite side of the hallway.


    Themis sighed and picked Charlie up. He moved to join the others at the table when Canano noticed them.


    Vetica had been halfway through greeting them when the Coyuta interrupted.


    ¡°No! No, no, no! You two are absolutely filthy! You couldn¡¯t have stopped to take a bath first, Themis?¡± Canano growled. He hurried from his chair to intercept them before they got any further. ¡°This is my workspace, and I won¡¯t have you dirtying it up!¡±


    Charlie had almost forgotten he was covered in mud. Sure, it wasn¡¯t comfortable, but after a while, you get used to it. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good or a bad thing.


    Themis scoffed. ¡°Fine.¡± He looked up and held a hand toward the ceiling. A hole opened up above them.


    Charlie looked up. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Close your eyes and hold your breath,¡± Themis told him.


    Charlie looked at the researcher. ¡°What? Why?¡± he asked as a water poured out and drenched the two of them. Charlie sputtered, spitting water out of his mouth, and waving his hands as if he could swim out of it.


    After a moment, the water stopped. Charlie shook his head, sending droplets flying. He looked down and noticed tiny holes in the ground beneath Themis¡¯ feet. It was like a shower on demand. Water and mud alike soaked the surrounding ground where the holes hadn¡¯t been sufficient enough to drain it all.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    But surprisingly, Charlie and Themis were much cleaner than before.


    Canano rolled his eyes. His clothes were splattered as well. ¡°Great. Just great, now my fur is all wet.¡±


    ¡°Shake it off like the rest of us.¡± Themis shrugged, hurrying to the table.


    ¡°If I did that, I¡¯d get the whole room wet. Jerk,¡± Canano returned to the table and sank back into his chair.


    Merlin and Vetica exchanged a speechless look. Orb rolled himself in the air.


    Mousifer and Bleedy had slept through the whole interaction.


    Charlie frowned. He just wanted everyone to get along and have fun.


    Just when it looked like Themis and Canano wouldn¡¯t speak to each other, the pair burst into laughter.


    ¡°That¡¯s payback for when you flooded the lab in Karze.¡± Themis chuckled.


    ¡°Oh yeah? I distinctively remember I brewed that concoction under your orders. I told you we¡¯d used too much essence of the shapeless, but you insisted.¡± Canano¡¯s breathy laughter filled the room.


    ¡°Perhaps we should inform them of your progress,¡± Parent interrupted.


    Vetica perked up. ¡°Oh, what happened?¡± she asked, leaning in. She seemed happy to jump at the distraction.


    ¡°I finally managed to win a round against Themis! It was so cool! Oh, and I have an ability update. Parent was going to walk me through it, but we decided we should listen with everyone!¡± he said.


    Vetica made a show of her jaw dropping. ¡°You won! That¡¯s awesome! I¡¯m very proud of you, Charlie!¡± She stood from the table and hurried over to grab him. Themis handed Charlie over. Vetica didn¡¯t even seem to mind that he was soaking wet. She didn¡¯t bat an eye over it.


    Merlin sighed. ¡°Vetica, don¡¯t baby him too much. Charlie¡¯s cleared dungeons for System¡¯s sake.¡±


    Charlie puffed out a lip at Merlin. ¡°It¡¯s okay if Vetica babies me a little, I don¡¯t mind. Just a little though!¡±


    She smiled and held him tight. ¡°I was worried about you, you know. You pushed yourself really hard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to get stronger so I can protect you, and everyone else, too.¡±


    Vetica seemed surprised at that. ¡°Charlie, that¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°Can we stop with all the mushy stuff? Let¡¯s talk about powah!¡± Orb said, breaking his silence.


    ¡°Powah?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Power!¡± Orb shouted in his head.


    Parent floated to the center of the room, and his rings vibrated. His words played in all of their minds.


    Notice


    The users¡¯ Sphere of Influence has grown stronger.


    Skill Simplification has been unlocked. The user¡¯s skills will be combined whenever possible.


    Dungeon Manipulation has reached level four.


    New Abilities


    Core Integration (Passive)


    Summon Minion


    Parent interrupted the notification to speak for a moment. ¡°I am going to send through a full status update as well. One moment.¡±


    Current Status


    Class: Dungeon Core Baby


    Passive: Rock Skin. The walls of the body are reinforced to maintain dungeon integrity.


    Passive: Core Integration. The user may bond with multiple cores.


    Auto Ability


    Palmar Grasp -An enhanced version of the reflex commonly seen in babies. Significantly increases the user¡¯s grip strength.


    Abilities


    Transfer and Devour- Allows the user to shift others or objects in and out of the dungeon.


    Dungeon Manipulation LV. 4 - Control over dungeon interior.


    Convergence - Allows the user to attempt to exert their will over another dungeon. (Conditional ability)


    Monster Evolution - Allows the user to control the evolutionary development of bonded creatures. (Conditional ability)


    Tendrils - Allows the user to command the tendrils under the influence of Core Guardian Koi Levi.


    Summon Minion - Allows the user to summon bonded creatures from within the dungeon.


    Tantrum - Provides the user with extreme power, at the cost of rapid expenditure of dungeon integrity. (Conditional ability) (Ultimate ability)


    Charlie shook his head, trying to process it all. ¡°These things keep getting longer and longer. How am I supposed to keep up?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It appears three of your skills have been combined. Devourer, Transfer, and Vault Transfer. You¡¯ll still use the same language to activate them, but on your status screen, they¡¯ll read like this from now on. Additionally, with the more powerful sphere of influence, you¡¯ll no longer need to combine the Transfer and Dungeon Manipulation skills. Dungeon Manipulation will achieve the same desired effect from this moment forward.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so it¡¯s like the combination is automatic? I can just activate that one skill and it¡¯ll transfer over my material?¡± Charlie asked. That was a big deal. Even if it only shaved a few seconds off his response time, in a fight, that could be the difference between life or death.


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    Vetica looked up and raised a brow at Themis. ¡°Wait, why does he have a level associated with dungeon manipulation now? He went from level one to four, just like that?¡± she asked.


    Merlin stroked his beard. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re right. That¡¯s quite the power up. That training of yours was effective Themis! Maybe you can teach me some things too.¡±


    Orb floated in between Merlin and Themis. ¡°Now hold on a second. We should probably ask what kind of steroids this freak gave Charlie! I get wanting to help him get stronger, but you can¡¯t just pump a baby full of performance-enhancing drugs! Bleedy, Mousifer, wake up! Bite this creep!¡±


    Bleedy opened an eye, inspected the room, and then went back to sleep.


    Mousifer didn¡¯t move a muscle.


    Orb did his best attempt to replicate the sound of smacking lips in their minds. ¡°You guys suck.¡±


    Themis laughed. ¡°I suspect he didn¡¯t jump in power that drastically. Zephyr, you analyzed him the other day. Can you share your thoughts?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It is not likely this was the case. Parent simply lacked the ability to quantify the boy¡¯s strength previously. It is far more likely the boy has powered up several times before training with you. However, he has obviously gotten stronger since my first analysis. It¡¯s safe to assume Charlie was around level three when he first arrived. While training with you over the last four days, he recently hit level four,¡± Zephyr said.


    ¡°My own data reinforces this theory. I believe Zephyr is right,¡± Parent added.


    Charlie¡¯s lips pulled to the side. ¡°So, I leveled up before without even knowing it? But what about my other abilities?¡±


    Canano cleared his throat. ¡°Even if Parent is capable of quantifying one ability, that doesn¡¯t mean that all of them will gain levels all of a sudden. The skill simplification thing sticks out the most to me. At the moment, it¡¯s only affected a handful of your skills, at least from what you¡¯ve told us. The fact the System pointed out that skills will continue to be combined, rather than simply combining those three skills this one time, gives me a hunch. I think that it¡¯s a sign skill combinations will be far more likely in the future. That is, you may see a few other skills gain levels down the road. But I would be more interested to see which of your skills develop in a way that makes fusion and combination more likely. The possibilities are limitless. If I had to guess, that will be where your class really shines.¡±


    Themis nodded. ¡°That all makes sense. We¡¯ll continue to monitor his progress as we move forward.¡±


    Charlie was still trying to wrap his head around it all when a repeat notice went through.


    Notice


    A Dungeon Core you¡¯ve collected is now eligible for integration.


    Charlie already knew that. He was trying to process the ability update and everything Canano had said. He sighed. ¡°Can¡¯t I just deal with one thing at a time?¡± he asked.


    A portal opened from his palm and out shot a familiar sight. It was the temporary dungeon core that had served as Orb¡¯s replacement in Sange. It shot out of the portal at high speed and soared right toward Geby.


    It reached her and smacked her against the nose.


    ¡°Boop.¡±


    Geby blinked, turned her head to study the transparent dungeon core, and then swallowed it whole.

 Chapter 90: Boop! Book! Bad Guys!

    ¡°What is that imposter doing?¡± Orb demanded.


    Charlie didn¡¯t understand. The dungeon had recalled the temporary core at the same time the Scalers went into hibernation. When it had first formed in the daycare, it had taken a portion of his dungeon integrity. So, in the aftermath of Sange, the dungeon withdrew the core to restore that dungeon integrity and help rebuild itself.


    It shouldn¡¯t exist. So, why was it here now?


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t summon it! It just popped out of my hand.¡± He pointed at a stool and Vetica sat him down on it.


    Themis¡¯ brows furrowed, and he exchanged a look with Canano. The coyuta shrugged. Themis turned and walked over to Geby. He held his hand out in front of her mouth. ¡°Spit it out, Geby. We¡¯ve already been through this. You know we don¡¯t eat dungeon cores,¡± he said.


    Geby closed her eyes. She opened her mouth and spit out the dungeon core. At the same time, she let out the grating noise she made when she was upset to let him know she was unhappy about it.


    Themis wrinkled his nose at the saliva covered dungeon core. He pulled a cloth from his pocket and wiped it clean. ¡°So, despite its translucent state, it does have physical form. Interesting. Do you have any knowledge regarding this core, Parent?¡± Themis asked, beating Charlie to the question.


    ¡°It was an automated response. Analyzing the cause now.¡± Even though Parent was technically Charlie¡¯s interface, some processes and notices were automatic. It was the reason Charlie still had access to a more basic interface, even while Parent was helping Mousifer and Bleedy explore the dungeon. Merlin had once pointed out the similarity the situation had with breathing. Breathing happened all on its own, but if you thought about it, you could control your breaths. Parent was kind of like that. The basic interface operated all on its own. But when Parent was called upon, or saw a reason to get involved, he could assume control of the interface in its entirety. Parent was Charlie¡¯s interface, but he was also part of a larger system. One that Charlie, and even Parent himself, were still figuring out. Thanks to Zephyr and Themis, they were making significant progress lately.


    Parent finished analyzing. ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ve identified what is going on. It is¡­strange. It appears the temporary core in Sange was created using your dungeon integrity. However, the spirit inside it was that of the dungeon core from Sirra. This temporary core was inhabited by the purple dungeon core. It seems that the core now seeks to join you permanently.¡±


    Themis stared at the motionless temporary core in his hand. ¡°Seeks? This core is sapient?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. Not in the way Orb is. It appears this one is a normal dungeon core. It doesn¡¯t have a personality, at least, not an advanced one,¡± Parent said.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Boop does have a personality! He boops things! He boops things and gets eaten. Well, maybe those are more like hobbies, but still!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what? Boop?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yup! That¡¯s his new name! Boop!¡± The dungeon core floated out of Themis¡¯ hand and over toward Charlie.


    A new notification popped up.


    Would you like to bond with the dungeon core, Boop?


    Charlie smiled. ¡°Yes!¡± he shouted before anyone could stop him.


    The outline of the blue translucent dungeon core faded away into nothingness. The fabric of reality distorted in front of him and a shimmering, blue portal opened where the temporary core had been. In its place was Boop. The purple dungeon core from Sirra.


    Orb rolled himself. ¡°Seriously? You didn¡¯t think you should¡­I don¡¯t know, consult the rest of us first?¡±


    Vetica crossed her arms and smirked. ¡°Someone¡¯s jealous.¡±


    ¡°I am not! How dare you! Go back to teasing Merlin. I am not one to be trifled with! I will summon an army of Scalers to descend upon you and¡ª¡±


    Vetica glared at him.


    ¡°¡­and offer to carry your belongings to ensure you can rest after a hard day¡¯s work,¡± Orb finished, changing his tune for the sake of self-preservation.


    Vetica nodded. ¡°Good boy. Well, at least the new one doesn¡¯t talk, that¡¯s a plus.¡±


    Merlin scoffed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean it isn¡¯t evil! That gross dungeon core chased me around covered in Scaler Saliva.¡± He fake retched. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not sure a dungeon core who goes around getting eaten by various beasts is a positive thing. I hate to say it, but Orb¡¯s right, maybe we should have talked this through.¡±


    Charlie puffed a lip out. ¡°I can make decisions too! Boop is going to be very helpful! I just know it.¡± Charlie looked back up at Boop, who floated casually in front of him. ¡°Right?¡± he asked, so that only Boop could hear him. The dungeon core floated forward and tapped Charlie¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Boop.¡±


    Notice


    The user has gained the following attribute due to core integration:


    Rapid Regeneration LV. 1


    Charlie blinked in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s that do? That sounds awesome!¡± Charlie said excitedly.


    ¡°Do you recall how Geron, and his companions said the dungeon in Sirra grew much faster than most do? It appears that Boop has retained that ability. Now, you have a portion of it as well. It will increase the rate at which you recover dungeon integrity by about 15%. This should mean you have less downtime in between major fights. Additionally, this skill is a leveled skill. So, you¡¯ll be able to strengthen it in the future.¡±


    Themis clapped his hands. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! Besides mobility, dungeon integrity is probably Charlie¡¯s greatest weakness. Everyone needs to recover after a battle, but Charlie¡¯s dungeon often recovers far slower than his body does. If he can improve this power, it would be significant!¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Zephyr floated forward and the green light surrounding his rings moved forward to encompass Boop. ¡°Indeed. Additionally, you should be able to assign a function to this core as well. Unlike Orb, who serves as your main core, additional cores can be used for a myriad of purposes. Though, this will best be done after you¡¯ve left this dungeon. It would be unwise to transfer between the dungeon you¡¯re in and your own dungeon. The natural barriers we have in place would likely destroy your dungeon before we could stop it.¡±


    Orb floated close. ¡°Plus, that just sounds like dungeon-ception. Hard pass for me. I¡¯m not sure if the spinning top trick will work for a dungeon core. I¡¯d just get dizzy. One dungeon at a time.¡±


    It was disappointing they couldn¡¯t start looking for a job for Boop now, but that was okay. He deserved some downtime after joining the team. Maybe he could get to know Orb a little better, boop a few things, and find a cool monster to get eaten by. Whatever makes him happy.


    Charlie looked up toward the table where his friends and Canano had been working when he and Themis first arrived. ¡°Hey, what were you guys working on earlier? You seemed really into it.¡±


    Canano¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Right! Themis, you need to see this. We were talking about the similarity between Bleedy and Gunther when Vetica mentioned a book they had found. A book with a drawing of what they assumed was their friend. But the drawing was before they¡¯d crossed paths with the book¡¯s owner. A witch named Lusafeen.¡±


    Themis froze. ¡°Lusafeen?¡± He spun toward Charlie. ¡°The witch you were talking about was named Lusafeen? You never mentioned her name before.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it mattered. Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Merlin and Vetica exchanged a look. ¡°Actually, Charlie, it turns out she was an old acquaintance of Themis and Canano here. Canano had only just started filling us in when you arrived. You should probably hear this too,¡± Merlin said.


    Themis snarled. ¡°You didn¡¯t come get me right away?¡± he snapped at Canano.


    Canano was quiet. ¡°I knew it would distract you. You said you wanted to focus on training the boy. You wouldn¡¯t have been able to focus on that if you knew we had a lead after all this time.¡±


    Themis started to say something back but bit his tongue. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry friend. I just hadn¡¯t expected¡­¡± He turned to look at Charlie. ¡°Lusafeen was my former assistant. She was talented, even had her young age. She was smarter than a lot of our peers. It was exhilarating, having a partner in the lab like her. I only wished she would¡¯ve stuck around.¡± He glanced at Canano. ¡°If the three of us had worked together, I don¡¯t think there would be anything we couldn¡¯t figure out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hate to break it to you, but she turned out to be a total psychopath,¡± Orb said. ¡°What happened to make you guys split ways? Did she stab your mother or something?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°She was always different. I¡¯ll give you that. We were on the verge of a breakthrough. We¡¯d managed to get a dungeon core to use its abilities, even though it wasn¡¯t bonded to a dungeon. It was groundbreaking, the kind of discovery that would change the way we thought about dungeons. But dungeons have been a source of trouble for humanity for as long as history has been recorded. Even stories and myths that were passed down orally, before we started recording our history in text and scrolls, even those detail the eternal conflict between humanity and dungeons. The Hex King for example. A story passed down about the ultimate savior of humanity, who built a kingdom amidst what could have been an extinction event for us, the kingdom that some claim is the Aysela of today.¡±


    ¡°When we took our findings to the king, he ordered that we keep them to ourselves. They destroyed our lab and most of our research materials. Luckily, we¡¯d kept the dungeon core and some backups safely tucked away. However, we disagreed with how to move forward. I proposed we go elsewhere, maybe partner with a guild or another kingdom to continue our studies and eventually promote our findings. But Lusafeen¡­¡± Themis sighed.


    ¡°She said we should seek the Cult of Cendra. She said that they would welcome us with open arms, and we wouldn¡¯t want for anything.¡± His voice cracked, and his entire demeanor faltered. ¡°I should¡¯ve pushed back harder. I got so angry that I stormed out and went to clear my head. When I returned, she was gone. She¡¯d stolen the dungeon core and our prized test subject as well. Gunther. A half raccoon, half beaver hybrid. I guess you call them Racooneevers now. They didn¡¯t have a name back then since there was only one of them. I guess when Bleedy came around, the System opted to give their species a name.¡±


    Orb bounced in the air. ¡°Huh, maybe that¡¯s why I could identify what Bleedy was. Haven¡¯t been able to do that since Troa. Wait! The System freaking used me to name a pet!¡±


    Charlie looked over and saw Bleedy had sat up. His eyes were wide as he listened to Themis speak. The furry hybrid turned to look at Charlie. He lifted a paw and pointed toward himself. ¡°Bleedy?¡± he asked.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Wait, but Bleedy isn¡¯t Gunther. So, is he Gunther¡¯s son or something?¡± he asked.


    Canano looked over at Bleedy and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. I suspect she recreated the experiment on her own. You said you found Bleedy wandering outside in the town where Lusafeen lived, right?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yeah! He tried to eat us in the front yard. That¡¯s how he lost his teeth.¡±


    Bleedy shook his head in agreement. ¡°Bleedy,¡± he agreed. He lifted his head and pointed to his toothless mouth with pride. The still sleeping Mousifer slid right off his head and fell toward the ground. Mousifer woke up mid-fall.


    ¡°Squeaaaa!¡± he cried out as he fell. Bleedy turned rapidly and caught Mousifer by his tail before he hit the ground.


    ¡°Devil,¡± Bleedy said, using his nickname for Mousifer.


    Mousifer squeaked back a thank you.


    Themis stroked his chin. ¡°Then that¡¯s likely what occurred. Where is that dungeon core now? Also, you said you put the witch you fought in time out? I didn¡¯t know it was her at the time, so I didn¡¯t ask. But what exactly did you mean by that? Did you turn her into the local authorities or something?¡±


    Charlie froze. ¡°To be honest, I kind of forgot about that.¡± He sheepishly looked around at the others. ¡°How long can someone survive without food?¡± he asked.


    Themis¡¯ eyes widened.


    Canano answered the question. ¡°Without food? A while as long as you have water. But without water, just a few days. Wait, why? What¡¯s that have to do with¡­¡± he trailed off.


    Charlie rubbed the back of his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t give her any of that. Oops.¡± To be fair, Charlie didn¡¯t really need to eat, so it wasn¡¯t something he thought about. But now he realized he might have starved his prisoner by accident. Come to think of it, the dungeon had collapsed right after the fight. So, if anything, that had probably gotten her first. He wasn¡¯t sure if that made him feel better, or worse. ¡°Oh, and I gave the dungeon core to my friend, Kyo! He¡¯s a baby, too. I forgot to get it back.¡±


    Canano¡¯s jaw dropped.


    Themis facepalmed. His hand slowly slid down his face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s unfortunate about the core. I¡¯d hoped to study it some more. It would¡¯ve been interesting to see how it affected your powers. As for Lusafeen, maybe it¡¯s for the best. She¡¯d lost her way. I just wish things had gone differently. I should¡¯ve been a better mentor. Maybe I could¡¯ve saved her from herself.¡±


    Zephyr suddenly sprang to life. ¡°The knights have just defeated the fourth core guardian.¡±


    Themis spun to face his interface. ¡°The bird¡¯s nest? Already?¡± he asked.


    Zephyr bounced in the air as if to nod.


    Themis shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re moving faster than I expected. I thought we¡¯d have more time.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how fast exactly are we talking?¡± Merlin asked. He wore a nervous expression on his face. ¡°Should we pack our bags, or do we flee screaming with our hands above our heads?¡±


    Charlie fixated on something Zephyr had said instead. He¡¯d noticed Themis say something similar when they¡¯d first arrived, but he hadn¡¯t remembered to ask about it until now. ¡°Wait, we can have more than one core guardian?!¡±

 Chapter 91: Stitched

    No one answered Charlie¡¯s question at first. Everyone else was focused on the knights.


    Canano stared at Zephyr with wide eyes. He turned to Themis. ¡°Perhaps we should send Geby to slow them down. She¡¯s already come back from fighting them once, I¡¯m sure she can handle¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Themis snapped back. ¡°I won¡¯t risk Geby. Not yet. The next two core guardians are considerably stronger than those that have been defeated already. Their power, plus the fodder creatures I¡¯ve given them, should be enough. Even if the hex knights are moving faster than expected, we still have time. There¡¯s still a lot to do. Geby stays.¡±


    Geby hadn¡¯t really left the doorway since they¡¯d entered the room. Even though Themis had made the door larger for her, the room itself didn¡¯t have much free space for her to move around. That turned out to be a good thing for Canano¡¯s study. When she heard Themis reject the idea of sending her to the frontlines, she slammed her tail into the ground behind her. Though Charlie couldn¡¯t see it, there was undoubtedly a crater in the hallway now.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± Merlin asked. Charlie had the feeling he really was just trying to figure out if she was going to attack them or not.


    Canano sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Geby just likes to fight. That¡¯s common amongst the Caldurra.¡±


    ¡°Even so, she¡¯ll have to wait. Besides the dungeon itself, she¡¯s our last line of defense when they reach this level. We¡¯ll want her here, trust me. I can spare some of her underlings though, we have plenty. Zephyr, send reinforcements to the fifth and sixth core guardians,¡± Themis said.


    ¡°I will do so at once. Should I prepare an elevator?¡± Zephyr asked.


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t risk opening any that are too close to the lab. The knights will have a lot of distance to cover now. All of if it filled with traps. Our forces should be able to hold until reinforcements arrive.¡±


    ¡°Affirmative.¡± Zephyr¡¯s rings spun as he went to work, relaying instructions. He flitted around the room as he worked.


    Themis walked up to the table and grabbed the book. ¡°Sorry Charlie, you asked a question. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have an answer for you. I¡¯m able to have multiple core guardians because the dungeon you¡¯re inside is not a single dungeon, but a group of interconnected ones. Zephyr is the key to this. He seamlessly integrates each of the dungeons with one another. Seven dungeons that are able to operate as one. So even though I constantly move between them, the function of each of my cores still operates as normal, regardless. You possess the ability to integrate multiple cores, but ultimately, you only have a single dungeon. I suspect it could be possible to have multiple core guardians one day, as you get stronger and further develop your powers. But for now, I think it¡¯s unlikely to happen anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so, it¡¯s kind of like a group of dungeons has been stitched together?¡± Merlin asked.


    Orb bounced in the air. ¡°It¡¯s like a Frankenstein dungeon!¡± he said.


    Themis raised a brow, looking at the floating dungeon core.


    ¡°Oh, Frankenstein was a scientist from a book on Earth. Now that I think about it, you aren¡¯t all that different. You just surgically embedded a bunch of dungeon cores into your arm instead of putting body parts together. Kind of gross either way, though.¡±


    Canano spoke up. ¡°We should point out, Themis, that there is always a hierarchy amongst the guardians. No matter how many you have, one will always rise to the top. Geby is a great example. Caldurras are a powerful species. On top of that, Geby is exceptional even among her own kind. She is the strongest in the dungeon, and because of that, out of all the other core guardians, she has the most authority. Whether you get additional core guardians one day, or one of the other variants of guardians, the fact that your current guardian is an evolution koi means it¡¯s unlikely any other creature could ever surpass it. It¡¯s kind of hard to surpass something with unlimited potential.¡±


    Charlie gasped. ¡°There are other kinds of guardians?¡± he asked.


    Themis nodded. ¡°Parent has access to all of this information now, so we would best be served focusing on something else. He¡¯ll be able to tell you more once you¡¯ve moved on from Arcadeya. I am curious though, have you learned anything new from that book?¡± he asked, turning to Canano and the others.


    Vetica sat on the table and crossed her legs. ¡°It confirmed what Koi Levi told us. She was trying to find a way to create a special vessel. She wanted to see what would happen if an evolution Koi consumed a high number of humans.¡±


    Themis¡¯ face paled as the blood rushed from it. He staggered and grabbed a chair to stabilize himself. ¡°A vessel? She was trying to get an evolution koi to turn into a humanoid of some kind? That¡¯s unheard of. But why¡­¡±


    Canano growled. ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. She might¡¯ve been trying to give the green dungeon core a human form. If you think about it, it¡¯s not all that far off from the research we were already doing.¡±


    Merlin held up a finger. ¡°She¡¯d turn a dungeon core into a person! Then she could use it to control a dungeon of her own, just like Themis can.¡±


    Themis shook his head. ¡°No. If she pulled that off, it would be closer to Charlie¡¯s power than mine. These abilities are limited in that I must remain within my dungeon for them to be effective. I also can¡¯t use them without Zephyr¡¯s help. If she was able to get control of a dungeon core with a humanoid vessel, that would be far more destructive. That creature would be everything the hex knights fear Charlie could become.¡±


    That was a scary thought. Talmot feared Charlie might become a destroyer of humanity. But Charlie was human. He wanted to help people, not destroy them. If a dungeon core like Sen had managed to get the kind of vessel Lusafeen was trying to create¡­well, his plans may not have failed. Themis¡¯ power was a lot more like a traditional dungeon. He had a lot of power but was limited in how he could use it. Charlie, on the other hand, could travel freely and still use his powers, even outside of the dungeon.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    If a dungeon core could do that too, it really could be the end of the world.


    ¡°Well, that sounds terrifying. Should we be worried that the cults already working on something like that?¡± Orb asked.


    Themis thought about it for a moment. His eyes scrolled against the floor of the dungeon. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. Evolution koi are rarer than dragons. Some theorize only one actually exists at a time. But that could be something someone made up. What matters is without Koi Levi, their plans can¡¯t work. Even if they somehow captured him now, it¡¯s too late. It¡¯s not that an evolution koi has never eaten a human. It¡¯s that they''re naturally inclined to go down different evolutionary paths. Lusafeen¡¯s plan was likely to feed the creature only humans. It wouldn¡¯t have a choice but to assume one¡¯s form after that.¡±


    ¡°Bleedy!¡± the racooneever shouted from the room¡¯s corner.


    Themis turned to look at him and then quirked a brow at Charlie.


    ¡°He said Lusafeen tried to feed him to the egg in Troa!¡± Charlie said. He shuddered to think how close she¡¯d come to succeeding.


    ¡°The first sacrifice is more of a first meal. It can affect the eggs early development, but ultimately, her plan would have still worked. This is most likely what she intended.¡± Themis clapped his hands together. ¡°Any way, we should focus on things that only I can teach you.¡± Themis turned back toward the others. ¡°Canano, I want you to continue studying that book. If Lusafeen was able to make any additional breakthroughs, I want to know about them. But make sure you get it back to Charlie before he leaves.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll learn what I can,¡± Canano said.


    Charlie blinked. ¡°I can¡¯t even read yet. If you want it, you can have it,¡± he said.


    Themis smiled, kneeling in front of the stool Charlie was sitting on. ¡°No, it¡¯s yours, and you should keep it. But you should know something. The fact that Lusafeen was still conducting her research meant there are findings that she hasn¡¯t turned over to the cult yet. I¡¯m certain she ended up making a deal with them. We¡¯ll learn more about what¡¯s in that book soon, but for now, I should stress this. You should ensure that it never falls into the cult¡¯s hands. We have to assume that they already know some of the information it contains. But if her disappearance sets them back even a little, we should do our best not to help them get back on track. You must protect it, alright?¡± he said.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay! I will!¡±


    Themis patted Charlie on the head. ¡°Both of us are running on fumes, so let¡¯s get some rest for now. We¡¯ll resume our lessons in eight hours. I likely need even more than that, but we can¡¯t afford the time.¡±


    ¡°But I can keep going!¡± Charlie protested.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can, but I cannot, Charlie. It¡¯s taking a lot for me to even remain awake now. Allow me to rest, and I promise I¡¯ll be a more effective teacher. Besides, I think you¡¯ll like your room,¡± Themis said, smiling.


    Charlie relented. Merlin pulled the front of his cloak to the side and revealed the baby carrier on it. It looked much cleaner than when Charlie had last seen it. He grinned really big. ¡°You washed it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Oh yes. Somewhere between three and fifty-seven times. It was disgusting. But it¡¯s clean now and you don¡¯t have to slum it in my hood anymore.¡± Merlin smiled, crossed the distance between them, and picked Charlie up. Charlie wiggled his legs as he settled into the straps on Merlin¡¯s chest.


    It was like being home after a long trip. He looked up at Merlin, who smiled down at him.


    Geby backed into the hallway and let Merlin and Charlie pass. Orb, Boop, and Parent all floated behind. Bleedy and Mousifer scurried after them. Geby followed the procession as they walked down the hall. ¡°Geby? Are you coming too?¡± Charlie asked.


    She made her cheerful noise, which Orb had said reminded her of a ferry horn and her footsteps beat against the hall behind them. She wasn¡¯t trying to hide her presence, and it showed. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the knights could hear her stomping through the halls.


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Vetica?¡± he asked.


    Merlin looked over his shoulder. ¡°Uh, well, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be along shortly. She may want to wash off before lying down or something. Oh, maybe she¡¯s getting us food. I hope she¡¯s getting food.¡±


    Charlie giggled. He watched Boop float ahead of them and bounce against one side of the hallway, then float to the opposite side and do the same thing. The purple dungeon core was marking the path forward.


    A beacon of boops.


    Merlin sighed. ¡°The collective intelligence of our traveling companions is falling by the day.¡±


    Themis


    The researcher pulled the book to the side and looked at the drawing of Gunther one last time. In another life, Lusafeen could¡¯ve been an artist. He wondered if she¡¯d always known how to draw, or if she¡¯d learn since they¡¯d last seen each other. He wished he knew.


    He hoped Gunther was still alive. It would be a minor comfort knowing the only evidence of the two of them working together still lived.


    Evidence of the research he¡¯d done with his niece.


    ¡°Themis, I need your help with something,¡± Vetica said, prying him from his thoughts.


    He looked up and realized she hadn¡¯t left with the others. ¡°Oh, is something wrong?¡± He glanced over at Canano, who shrugged.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s just, you mentioned an elevator to the surface. Is that¡­something you can still use? I mean, without the knights getting access to it.¡±


    Themis shook his head. ¡°You want to go to the surface? Why?¡±


    Vetica was quiet. She looked off to the side. ¡°There¡¯s just something I need to do. Can you help me?¡± she asked.


    He didn¡¯t know much about the woman. From Charlie¡¯s stories, she¡¯d only joined their party recently. Apparently, she¡¯d been an assassin before all this. Was that why? Did she hope to return to the surface and take out some of the knights? Or was there something else? Either way, he got the feeling she wasn¡¯t going to reveal the truth to him yet.


    ¡°If it¡¯s important, truly important, there is a way. But you¡¯ll have to take a tunnel far away from the lab. I can¡¯t risk you emerging on an upper floor where you might run into the knights. Since they¡¯re somewhere above us, you¡¯ll have to walk for quite a while before I can send an elevator up. If that¡¯s okay, then I¡¯ll help.¡±


    Vetica looked relieved. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m ready to leave now.¡±


    Themis nodded. Her impatience only made him more curious. ¡°Zephyr, go with her. Wake the birds as well.¡± He turned back to face her. ¡°From our intelligence, the knights are concentrated in the part of the city where you first fought them. They shouldn¡¯t have much of a presence in the rest of the city, but if they find you then¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know what¡¯s at stake. I won¡¯t do anything to jeopardize Charlie¡¯s safety,¡± she assured him. With that, she turned to stride from the room. Zephyr followed her.


    Canano sighed and looked over at him. ¡°Are you sure this is the right decision?¡± he asked. He rubbed his paws together nervously.


    Themis shrugged. ¡°In a few days, she¡¯ll be dead. If there¡¯s something she needs to see to, I won¡¯t get in her way.¡±

 Chapter 92: Secrets

    Themis


    Canano¡¯s head fell. ¡°Are you sure about this, Themis? Zephyr told me the plan. It¡¯s just that¡­they¡¯re good people. I¡¯ve spent the last few days working with them, getting to know them, and they really care for the boy. Why do they have to die?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like this what his preferred outcome. However, it was the only one he could foresee. ¡°I had a lot of time to think while training Charlie. The knights know his traveling companions now. It¡¯ll be even easier for Talmot to track them now that he¡¯s met all of them face to face. The usual tricks won¡¯t work. However, if we trick the knights, if we make them believe that they¡¯ve succeeded in annihilating the boy and his companions, it¡¯s possible he could escape.¡±


    Canano whined. He knew his friend was self-conscious about it. It made him feel too much like an animal. But when he was sad, he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Do you really think you can trick them? What if we do this and it doesn¡¯t even work?¡± Canano asked.


    Themis looked away from his old friend. ¡°I¡¯ll collapse the dungeon in such a way that it¡¯s believable Charlie was killed. If they didn¡¯t find the bodies of his companions, they might think it a ruse. But when they find Merlin and Vetica among the rubble. It will give you time to escape with the boy. Shortly after they find his companions, I¡¯ll collapse the rest of the dungeon, so they¡¯re forced to flee. Otherwise, they would search until they found his body. I¡¯ll spend the rest of our time together, ensuring he knows how to train on his own. If a day ever comes where a threat like Cendra rises again, the world will need that boy. I¡¯m entrusting his care to you.¡±


    Canano¡¯s paws padded against the ground, and he crossed the distance between them. He grabbed Themis by the shoulders. ¡°What do you mean entrusting him to my care? You don¡¯t intend to come?¡± he asked.


    Themis lifted his eyes to stare into the dark pupils of the coyuta. ¡°To convince them, the boy is dead, they¡¯ll need to see the dungeon collapse. They¡¯ll need to see that its owner is truly defeated. That will only happen once I meet my demise, but they¡¯ll believe this is Charlie¡¯s dungeon. At least, that¡¯s what I hope to convince them of. It¡¯s a necessary sacrifice, Canano. Don¡¯t forget our patron left us Zephyr for a reason. He believed in our research and what we hoped to accomplish. You and Zephyr must continue studying while the boy grows stronger. I know you can do this. Besides, I already failed to raise one child. I don¡¯t deserve a second chance at it.¡± Themis stepped away and walked toward the door. His own footsteps echoing against the stone floor.


    ¡°Themis, Lusafeen, wasn¡¯t your fault. No one could have predicted she¡¯d run away like she did. You have to let it go. Let¡¯s find another way. If we discuss it with Merlin and the others, then we can ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough, I need rest. I¡¯ll speak no more of this. I¡¯m sorry, my friend, but this is how it has to be.¡± With that, Themis left the room and headed toward his chambers. Logically, his plan made sense. He couldn¡¯t think emotionally now. He had to push the doubts from his mind. It was the only way to keep the boy safe. To return the favor he owed not only to Richard, but to his patron as well. He only hoped they would forgive him in the end for paying them back in such a manner.


    Charlie


    Soft.


    That was the only word Charlie could use to describe the bed he was lying on when he woke up. The mattress was incredibly soft. His body sank right into it, and it was like the pleasant material encompassed him. Charlie had never experienced something so comfortable. He opened his eyes, looked up at the dungeon ceiling, and let out a quiet yawn. The bed was large enough for six or seven people to comfortably lie in. He looked over to check on his companions. Mousifer had curled up next to him on the same pillow he was using. Bleedy was laying flat on his back and used the pillow next to Charlie¡¯s as a blanket, instead of using the actual blanket Merlin had sat out for him. Half of Bleedy¡¯s body was wedged under the pillow. His head and upper body jutted out. The racooneever snored quietly in a way that was more cute than annoying. On the far end of the bed, Merlin slept on his side, facing them. He had three pillows stacked under his neck as he slept, and he drooled profusely along the edges of all three.


    Charlie giggled at the sight. He wondered if Merlin was having pleasant dreams. He realized that Orb and Boop were nowhere to be found, but they didn¡¯t need to sleep, so Charlie figured they might be out exploring. They¡¯d probably already searched every nook and cranny of the bedroom already. The guest room was really nice, and Charlie wondered if Themis had guests often or if he had prepared this space just for them. There was a reading desk along the wall next to the bed. Materials for writing, books, and a lantern all sat atop it. Though the dungeon had plenty of light already.


    A wooly carpet covered the cold dirt and stone beneath, and the walls were painted a light blue. He wondered if Themis just wanted to make the room look more natural or if there was some other reason for it.


    Charlie stretched and then rolled over into a crawl. He crawled to the end of the bed and stopped when he saw the large pair of eyes staring at him.


    ¡°Geby?¡± Charlie hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d come into the room. She¡¯d stayed in the hallway when Merlin and the rest of them had gone to turn in for the night. Apparently, she¡¯d since come to join them. She¡¯d been sleeping standing up with her head resting along the foot of the bed. Charlie must have woken her. She blinked several times as if she was still in the process of waking. Charlie smiled. ¡°Hey Geby! Can we go find Themis? I think it¡¯s been long enough and I¡¯m ready for more training!¡± he said.


    As soon as Geby heard Themis¡¯ name, her eyes shot open. She lifted her head toward the ceiling and let out the loud ferry noise she made when she was excited.


    Charlie gasped and turned to look at the others.


    Mousifer was so panicked that he jumped almost a foot above the pillow he was sleeping on. ¡°Squeak!¡±


    Bleedy woke up, freaked out, and then laid his head back down to play dead. Charlie giggled. The racooneever hadn¡¯t even looked around to inspect what was going on. He¡¯d just defaulted to his survival mechanism.


    Merlin rolled over to face away from them and pulled the blanket over him tighter. ¡°Five more minutes Marvin, I need my beauty sleep. There¡¯s hay in the wagon. Eat up buddy.¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°Sorry guys, me and Geby are gonna go find Themis. You guys get some more rest.¡±


    Bleedy continued to play dead. Mousifer gave Charlie a paws up and then crawled under the blankets. Charlie watched a little mound scurry towards him and. Mousifer¡¯s head popped from under the end of the blanket, only a few inches away from him. ¡°Squeak,¡± he said.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Wide awake now, huh? Well, you can come with!¡± He held his hand out and Mousifer scurried up onto his shoulder. Geby carefully turned her entire body to the side and lowered her head so Charlie could climb on. Since her head had so many spikes on it, he had to climb onto her neck. Once he was mounted, Geby turned to leave the room. But she stopped just before leaving. She turned and looked back at the bed. Charlie turned to see if he¡¯d forgotten something, just in time to see her mash her tail into the bed. The impact catapulted Bleedy and Merlin both into the air. Bleedy flipped in the air, pressed himself against the ceiling, and shot safely back toward the bed.


    Merlin smacked into the ceiling. ¡°Oof!¡± He fell back toward the bed, bounced off it and landed on the ground. ¡°Ow! What the heck?¡± Merlin groaned.


    Geby swayed her head and lumbered out of the room. Apparently, she didn¡¯t like when people slept in. Mousifer and Charlie weren¡¯t sure if they should laugh or check on Merlin. Laughter won in the end.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    They found Themis in the laboratory, working at one of his many desks. He heard Geby approaching before he saw them. ¡°Good morning, Charlie. How did you sleep?¡± Themis asked as he rose to stand.


    ¡°I slept well! What about you?¡±


    Themis smirked. ¡°Good manners for someone your age. I slept well too. Are you ready to train some more? I¡¯ve already prepared for your next lesson. We can get started immediately.¡±


    ***


    ¡°I see a tunnel,¡± Charlie said, focusing on his connection to the dungeon.


    ¡°Excellent! How vivid is it? Can you make out any details?¡± Themis asked.


    Charlie fought the urge to open his eyes and focused on the image. ¡°Um, well, it¡¯s a tunnel in a dungeon. That¡¯s all I got.¡±


    Themis laughed. ¡°You can open your eyes now. Let¡¯s go over a few things.¡±


    Charlie did so and looked up at his teacher. Today they were working in the lab. Themis had created a single platform in the center of the room large enough for both of them to sit on. The purpose of the exercise was to increase Charlie¡¯s connection to the dungeon. Geby napped against the wall where the elevator used to be before Themis had removed it. Apparently, it was alright for her to sleep in, just not anyone else.


    Themis continued. ¡°You¡¯ve told me that in previous fights, you would focus on shifting the material inside your dungeon, manipulating it, and then transferring it. That visualization is important. It¡¯s something you need to continue working on. I know you understand the dungeon is a part of you, but at the same time, in combat, you often treat it like it¡¯s separate. Think about it this way: when you shape your dungeon material into pillars or spikes, and then transfer it, it¡¯s kind of like stretching your fingers out before you get ready to slap someone. You don¡¯t need to do one and then the other. You can open your fingers while you swing your hand. The dungeon is an extension of yourself. Treat it like you would a limb. Your speed and combat prowess will benefit greatly from mastering this.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°But what does that have to do with visualizing the dungeon?¡± Charlie asked.


    Themis¡¯ head bounced as he thought about Charlie¡¯s question. ¡°Well, you sent Mousifer and Bleedy inside your dungeon to scout it out, right? But would you need Bleedy and Mousifer to tell you where your hands or feet are?¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer called over across the room. Themis had asked the mouse to wait on his desk instead of Charlie¡¯s shoulder so that he wouldn¡¯t be a distraction.


    Charlie translated. ¡°He said he would help me find them if I needed it!¡±


    Themis laughed. ¡°I meant, you already know where your hands and feet are because they¡¯re a part of you. My point is, you don¡¯t need anyone to tell you what the inside of the dungeon looks like because it is also a part of you. Search your mind. Work on that connection. If you can master this, your control over the dungeon will surpass even mine. I rely on Zephyr. But dungeon cores know the layout of their dungeon instinctively. You¡¯re a dungeon core baby, so you should be able to hone that instinct as well. The fact you¡¯ve shaped material within it before during combat proves my theory. So, it¡¯s just a matter of practice.¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll keep at it. Let¡¯s do some more mediation!¡±


    ¡°Meditation, not mediation,¡± Themis corrected.


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    Themis smiled. ¡°How about we take a break for today? You should spend some time with your friends,¡± he said.


    Charlie had been on the verge of refusing until Themis suggested spending time with the others. He hadn¡¯t gotten too much since they¡¯d arrived in Arcadeya. It had been one thing after the other. Capturing Talmot, being attacked by the knights, coming to the dungeon, and then spending most of his time training. It would be nice to hang out with his friends.


    ¡°Okay! That sounds like fun!¡± Charlie said.


    Themis smiled and lifted Charlie up to sit in his arms. At the same time, he shifted the platform so that it sunk back into the ground so that he didn¡¯t have to climb off it. He hurried over to collect Mousifer from his desk. Geby lumbered over to follow them as Themis walked down the hallway leading out of his lab.


    ¡°Hey Themis, I know we have to leave because of the knights coming soon, but I was thinking about something,¡± Charlie said.


    Themis turned quickly to look at Charlie. He looked surprised. ¡°Thinking about what?¡±


    ¡°Well, Vetica and Merlin seem to like Canano. I mean, I do too. But it¡¯s been a lot of fun training with you. So, I was thinking, there¡¯s more than enough room in Merlin¡¯s wagon for the two of you. Why don¡¯t you travel with us? You could keep training me, and Canano could study Lusafeen¡¯s book. It would be so much fun.¡± Charlie smiled.


    Behind them, Geby made her angry noise. Like blades were clashing on the inside of her throat.


    Charlie looked over Themis¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Geby! Of course, you¡¯d get to come too! You¡¯d be in my dungeon!¡± His eyes went wide. ¡°As long as you promise not to eat King Scalea and the others! Okay?¡±


    Geby turned her head up at Charlie.


    ¡°Geby! You have to promise!¡± he said.


    Geby rolled her eyes. She reluctantly nodded her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal! So, what do you think Themis?¡± he asked, turning to look up at the researcher.


    The man¡¯s eyes were watering. ¡°I¡¯d like that, Charlie, I really would. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to come with you.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Why not? Oh, do you and Canano have another lab somewhere?¡± he asked. ¡°Are you going to keep researching stuff there?¡±


    Themis straightened up. He cleared his throat. ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± His voice lowered. ¡°You really care about your friends, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked.


    Charlie didn¡¯t really understand the question. Wasn¡¯t it obvious already? ¡°Of course, I do! Merlin and Vetica and everyone have been there for me for a long time. I wouldn¡¯t have made it this far without all of them. Don¡¯t tell Merlin I said that, though. He gets a big head about stuff like that!¡± He had a thought. Something he¡¯d been meaning to say since Themis¡¯ pep talk on their first day of training. ¡°Thank you, Themis.¡±


    Themis stopped walking. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For saying what you did. That training is how we make sure we can protect the people we care about in the future! I¡¯ve gotten my friends into some bad situations, and now the knights are coming here to your lab and all your creatures are getting hurt because of it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m training. So, people don¡¯t have to get hurt for me anymore. So, I can protect all of you. All of my friends!¡± Charlie looked up and offered a big smile.


    Themis was quiet. ¡°Of course, Charlie.¡±


    A voice came from a room somewhere up ahead of them. ¡°That really hits the spot,¡± the voice said.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer said.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yup! That¡¯s gotta be Merlin!¡±


    They reached the room and Themis knocked on the metallic door that was pulled partially shut. ¡°Can Charlie and I come in?¡±


    ¡°Go for it.¡± This time, it was Orb that spoke.


    As Themis opened the door, steam poured out. He waved some of it away with his hand.


    It was the sauna room. Merlin sat on a wooden bench along the wall, sweating profusely with a towel wrapped around his waist. Next to him, Orb and Boop sat on the bench as well. Merlin had folded mini towels atop both of their heads.


    Charlie raised a brow.


    ¡°What? Dungeon cores can¡¯t relax too? Don¡¯t be orbist, Charlie.¡±


    Boop rose into the air and fell back again against the bench. Boop.


    ¡°Let¡¯s join them, Themis!¡± Charlie said excitedly. Mousifer jumped up and down on his shoulder.


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    ¡°Mousifer says he wants a little towel too!¡± Charlie added.


    Themis chuckled. ¡°You can hang out here for a bit. I have some work to do.¡± Themis flinched suddenly and his eyes went to his arm. ¡°What was that?¡±


    Charlie grew concerned. ¡°Themis? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my arm. It hurts all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°Themis!¡± Canano howled from down the hallway. Themis and Charlie both turned to see the coyuta rapidly approaching. ¡°There was something in Lusafeen¡¯s book that you need to see.¡±


    Themis held a hand out. ¡°Slow down. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the code you and Lusafeen used to hide information in your notes? I noticed something odd and found the key you kept in your study. She left a message, Themis. She left a message for you.¡±


    Themis shook his head in disbelief. ¡°What?¡± He grimaced again. ¡°Take Charlie for a moment,¡± he said, handing Charlie to Canano.


    The coyuta¡¯s fur tickled him as Charlie nestled in against Canano¡¯s chest. He giggled, but the amusing moment didn¡¯t last long.


    Themis pulled his sleeve up and his face went pale. Five of the seven dungeon cores were now devoid of all color. Themis¡¯ eyes shot open. ¡°No¡­what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Orb floated up, the tiny towel on his head fell to the ground. ¡°Uh, what the heck? That isn¡¯t contagious, is it? Should I be worried?¡±


    Boop floated up behind him and brushed against Orb. Boop.


    Themis exchanged a look with Canano. Charlie looked up as the wolf man holding him spoke. ¡°Those cores are dead. I don¡¯t understand. How could they possibly be dead?¡±


    In the distance, a loud explosion rung out. The tunnel shook violently. Geby wrapped her tail around Themis to steady him. Canano jabbed a claw into the wall to stay upright. ¡°Is it the knights?¡± he growled in Charlie¡¯s ear.


    Themis looked down the hallway toward the lab. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­Geby, with me!¡± he cried out. The researcher ran took off down the hallway. Geby lumbered after him.


    Charlie looked around, and his eyes fell on Merlin. ¡°Merlin, where¡¯s Bleedy? And I haven¡¯t seen Vetica either. Is she okay?¡±


    Merlin¡¯s eyes scrolled across the floor. ¡°Bleedy¡¯s still sleeping. I assumed Vetica was with you.¡±


    Charlie swallowed. What was going on? Where was she?


    Canano growled. He looked conflicted. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you,¡± he said. ¡°Themis is going to¡ª¡± Whatever words he was going to say stopped as soon as the ceiling above them started to collapse.

 Chapter 93: Falling Apart

    Charlie acted instinctively. His body moved and his power activated before his mind had fully processed what was happening. A large stone fist erupted from the ground in front of them and stretched its fingers wide. It caught the falling debris in its palm and dug its fingers into the ceiling. Charlie grimaced as the strain of the ceiling above grew heavier. He remembered his lessons. He sealed the hand in place and released it.


    It held.


    Merlin was the first to leave the sauna room. He tightened the towel around his waist to make sure it wouldn¡¯t fall as he peeked up at the large hand that supported the ceiling. ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to prevent a cave-in. There was this time in Sange where¡ª¡±


    Orb buzzed into the back of Merlin¡¯s head. ¡°This is not the time to reminisce on your days of hard labor. We¡¯ve gotta get out of here!¡±


    Merlin opened his mouth to fuss at Orb, but then he realized the dungeon core had a good point. ¡°Right. What do we do then?¡± he asked.


    Canano looked down the tunnel where Themis and Geby had run. ¡°We should follow Themis. He may need our help. His arm didn¡¯t look good, and nothing like this has ever happened before.¡±


    Charlie shook his head. He looked up from the furry man¡¯s arms. ¡°No! We have to go get Bleedy first! I¡¯m not leaving him behind!¡±


    Canano whined. ¡°Hmm, alright. You and Merlin go on and help Themis while I get Bleedy. I may not be as strong as the average coyuta, but I¡¯m faster than all of you. I¡¯ll find your friend and catch up to you. Promise,¡± Canano said.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay but be careful and howl if you need anything!¡±


    Canano froze for a moment before cracking a smile full of sharp teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll do just that.¡± He handed Charlie off to Merlin and took a step before pausing. He reached back and pulled Lusafeen¡¯s journal from a bag slung around his shoulder. ¡°Take this and make sure Themis gets a chance to read it. It¡¯s important.¡±


    Merlin secured Charlie in one arm and took the journal with the other. ¡°Alright. Oh, and Canano, do me a favor, will you?¡±


    The coyuta lifted a brow towards him. Admittedly, this was a strange time to be asking for favors. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I, uh, sort of left my clothes in the guest room. If you could grab my robe, that would be great.¡± Merlin rubbed the back of his head.


    Canano nodded and turned to run toward the bedroom where Bleedy was resting. He fell to all fours and hurried onward, running like a hunting wolf. Charlie¡¯s eyes went wide at the sight. Canano really was fast.


    More rocks fell from the ceiling. Tiny rocks. But more cracks were forming, and it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before cave-ins happened. That was the motivation Merlin needed to run. Orb and Boop zipped after them, dodging falling pebbles as they flew. Mousifer stared up at the ceiling, pointing out cracks as they formed. Charlie created hand after hand, doing his best to keep the tunnel from collapsing. Merlin was moving fast enough to stay ahead of the crumbling, but Charlie knew Canano and Bleedy would come this way. And then, of course, there was Vetica. He still didn¡¯t know where she was, but of all of his friends, he believed she was the most capable of keeping herself safe. He just hoped he was right about that.


    ¡°Where do you think Themis went?¡± Merlin asked between breaths. ¡°The lab?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yeah! I bet he¡¯s there!¡±


    Merlin nodded, running as fast as he could.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they reached the tunnel leading to the lab. Merlin skidded around the corner. A trail of earthen hands holding up the tunnel behind them in their wake. Charlie could already feel the resulting strain on his own dungeon.


    He squinted and realized Themis and Geby were just up ahead. Themis was tinkering with something at his desk. Geby was swatting her tail as if it would stop debris from trickling down above them. Small rocks and dirt fell like rain and created temporary clouds of dust in the air that dissipated with every powerful whoosh of Geby¡¯s tail.


    ¡°Themis!¡± Merlin cried out.


    The researcher looked up in surprise before realizing the others had caught up with them. Geby made a happy ferry noise and swayed her head at their arrival.


    ¡°Please tell me you can fix this. I don¡¯t want to die wearing a towel,¡± Merlin said, looking down at the towel wrapped around his waist and shaking his head.


    Themis was studying one of the dormant dungeon cores on his wrist. He prodded at it with a sharp instrument and waited for a reaction. ¡°I¡¯m trying. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s happening. The cores are draining rapidly, and I can¡¯t stop it. This has never happened before. To make it all worse, Zephyr isn¡¯t answering me. I can¡¯t sense him at all.¡±


    Charlie looked around. He hadn¡¯t seen Zephyr since everyone had been in Canano¡¯s study the previous night. Now that he thought about it, that was the last time he¡¯d seen Vetica, too. ¡°Do you think Zephyr is okay? If he¡¯s missing, could that be the reason that the cores aren¡¯t working? Didn¡¯t you say that you need Zephyr to control them?¡± Charlie asked.


    Themis grunted and threw the tool in his hand across the room and against one of the dungeon¡¯s walls. ¡°I do. But if the problem was Zephyr, I wouldn¡¯t still have access to the two remaining cores. It has to be something else. I just don¡¯t know what.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Well, like you said, you still have two. That¡¯s a good thing, right? Can¡¯t you stop all this?¡± Merlin asked, motioning toward the crumbling dungeon all around them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried. The dungeon itself is stable. My strongest cores are the ones I¡¯ve tied the shift and seal commands to. Both of them are still active. But no matter what I try, the dungeon still seems intent on falling apart. I¡¯ve been able to slow it, but nothing I¡¯ve done has been successful in stopping it. I just don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on!¡± Themis brushed his hands across his desk in frustration, sending tools and books toppling toward the floor. ¡°Damn it, Zephyr! Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± Themis shouted.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°What about Vetica? Do you know where she is?¡±


    Themis sighed. ¡°She went to the surface. I don¡¯t know why. She wouldn¡¯t say. Zephyr escorted her to an elevator far enough away that there was no chance the knights would find it. He returned this morning and went to work with Parent. I haven¡¯t heard from him since. The way back is still open for her.¡±


    Charlie blinked. He wasn¡¯t used to keeping up with Parent physically, so he hadn¡¯t even realized Parent wasn¡¯t in the bedroom when he woke up this morning. Usually, Parent was just a voice inside his head. But with the rings he was currently inhabiting, he could move around as freely as Orb or Boop could. He was still adjusting, but for now, at least all of his friends were accounted for. If Vetica was on the surface, then she was safer than they were here. Parent was with Zephyr and Canano was getting Bleedy.


    ¡°You let her go off on her own? What if the knights find her? Hell, what if she finds the knights? She could do something reckless!¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°Of course, I did. She¡¯s a guest, not a prisoner. She was well aware of the risk. If she wasn¡¯t capable of protecting herself, she would¡¯ve died a long time before you two came along. Right now, we need to focus on ourselves. Charlie, can you try to reach out to Parent? See if you can find anything out about Zephyr.¡± Themis finally noticed the book in Merlin¡¯s hands. ¡°Is that Lusafeen¡¯s notes? Canano sent it with you?¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yeah! He said we needed to get it to you. He said to make sure you read it. I¡¯ll talk to Parent while you look at that!¡± he said.


    Merlin passed the book to Themis. The researcher wasted no time and started flipping to several pages Canano had marked. Themis squinted and then leaned over and scavenged through the mess he¡¯d made next to his desk. He found a piece of spare paper and grabbed a pen off the ground as well. He started furiously taking notes.


    Charlie turned his attention to Parent. ¡°Hey Parent, are you with Zephyr?¡± he asked.


    He waited for a response, but none came. He tilted his head at that. ¡°Parent?¡± A sinking feeling started creeping inside him. ¡°Parents not answering¡­¡± he said.


    Themis whipped his head toward Charlie. ¡°What? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. What could they possibly be¡ª¡± He went quiet. ¡°Oh.¡±


    Merlin leaned back and groaned. ¡°I know that oh. That¡¯s the ¡®we¡¯re all going to die,¡¯ oh. I have to say, I¡¯m not a fan. So, what is it? What¡¯s going to kill us today?¡±


    Themis turned to look at the caldurra who¡¯d moved to lie against the wall where the elevator once was. ¡°Geby.¡±


    Merlin took a step back. ¡°Geby? Geby¡¯s going to kill us?!¡± he asked.


    Themis rolled his eyes. ¡°No. Give us a moment. Geby, do you sense anything strange?¡±


    Geby stood, and she swiveled her head for a moment. Her tail shot straight up into the air, and she went completely still. After a moment, she turned back toward Themis and slammed her tail into the ground.


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡± Merlin asked.


    Themis seemed just as confused by the messaging. ¡°She wants to fight. Fight what, Geby?¡±


    ¡°Charlie¡ª¡± Parent¡¯s voice suddenly erupted in his mind. It sounded like a part of his message was lost. Like only his name had gotten through.


    ¡°Parent? Are you there? Can you say that one more time?¡± Charlie asked. He made sure the others in the room could hear him, too.


    Themis turned his focus from Geby to Charlie. ¡°He¡¯s speaking? What¡¯s he saying?¡±


    ¡°Charlie! Zephyr¡¯s... trouble. Themis needs to¡­ dormant.¡± Again, the message was broken up. Charlie relayed the parts of the message he had heard to Themis.


    ¡°Dormant? He used that word? Dormant?¡± Themis jumped to his feet.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s it mean?¡±


    Themis froze. ¡°Oh god.¡± He rolled up his sleep and looked at the cores again. ¡°How could I be so stupid? If the cores aren¡¯t active, then their passive functions aren¡¯t either. I assumed because of Zephyr the functions would remain in place and they were just inaccessible to me. But if that isn¡¯t the case, then that creature will awaken. No, it¡¯s already has. That must be what¡¯s causing all of this.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s head fell. ¡°Just do it. Get to the awful reveal already. I can take it.¡±


    Boop copied Merlin, floating next to him and then sinking in the air several inches.


    ¡°It¡¯s a skele¡ª¡±


    A jarring noise got their attention. It sounded like rocks grinding together. They all turned to look toward the wall where the former elevator shaft had been. The noise was coming from the other side. Geby¡¯s body was laying directly in front of it. She turned her head to look, studying the wall.


    Merlin quirked a brow. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Is that one of your other creatures?¡± Charlie asked.


    Themis stared at the wall with wide eyes. ¡°No. There shouldn¡¯t be anything on the other side of that wall. Just rock for miles. I don¡¯t understand. Geby, get over here, quickly.¡± Themis took a step back.


    Geby ignored him and cocked her tail to the side as if she planned to tear the wall down herself.


    She never got the chance to.


    It exploded open. The blast sent Geby skidding sideways. Her side dug into the ground, and she wriggled her legs, trying to right herself. Merlin hurried out of the way as Geby skated past, taking out desks and research equipment as she went. Charlie clung to Merlin tight and Mousifer clung to him. Orb floated higher to safety. Boop didn¡¯t move at all. Geby flew right into him and took him with her. Stray pieces of the rock wall flew shot throughout the room. Merlin ducked in time. But one rock hit Themis in the face and knocked the researcher onto the floor.


    Charlie reached a hand toward Themis as if it would help. But his eyes were quickly drawn away toward the movement he saw in his peripheral vision.


    His heart sank.


    Sir Brandt stood there, surrounded by knights. The woman from the fight in Arcadeya was there, too. Dalys.


    The leader of the hex knights smiled. There was a crazed look in his eyes. ¡°Looks like we finally found him.¡±

 Chapter 94: Rogue

    Merlin¡¯s hand was still outstretched in an attempt to shield Charlie from any leftover debris of the blast. Whatever had caused the impact that had shattered the wall and sent Geby flying was powerful. Now its source was before them, and it was likely one of the knights.


    Geby didn¡¯t move. Orb and Boop took cover behind the remnants of a desk. It was probably wise not to let the knights spot them right now.


    Sir Brandt stepped into the room, followed by Dalys and the other knights. All of them wore the dark black armor that hex knights usually wore. The armor that Brandt and Dalys wore had gold trim on it. According to Vetica, it meant they ranked higher than the others. Charlie already knew Brandt was their leader. But Dalys must be stronger than usual as well. Even setting her special armor aside, the fact that she had gotten the upper hand against Vetica in their fight before proved just how powerful she was. This was bad. There were dozens of other knights behind them as well.


    ¡°This is a nightmare, the knights are trained specifically to take out dungeons, Charlie. We need to escape,¡± Merlin whispered.


    Dalys eyed Geby warily and then turned her attention to Merlin. Her jaw dropped, and she turned bright red. She looked away from him just as fast. ¡°Um, why is that man naked?¡± she asked.


    Merlin looked around. ¡°What man?¡± His eyes widened, and he looked down. He gasped. ¡°Where¡¯s my towel?¡± He used his free hand to cover himself as his head swiveled. Charlie looked behind them and saw the white towel against the wall.


    ¡°There it is!¡± Charlie pointed. ¡°The blast must have knocked it loose!¡±


    Merlin hurried over and picked the towel up with his free hand. He awkwardly held it in front of himself. Since he needed two hands to secure his towel. Charlie grabbed onto Merlin¡¯s hair with both hands to pull himself up so Merlin could fix it.


    Merlin¡¯s head yanked to the side. ¡°Ow!¡± he said, quickly wrapping the towel around himself again. ¡°Okay, let go, let go!¡± he said quickly, holding Charlie up again.


    Charlie laughed.


    Across the room, Themis groaned and rose to his feet. ¡°That was unpleasant.¡± He looked up and his gaze hardened when he saw the knights standing there in the opening to the room. ¡°Ah, Brandt, so you¡¯ve finally arrived.¡±


    Brandt seemed genuinely surprised. ¡°Themis? What the hell are you doing here? Wait¡­¡± He looked around at the splintered desks, shattered glass, and crushed instruments in the room. ¡°This is a lab. You never stopped your research. This isn¡¯t the boys¡¯ dungeon, is it? You created a vessel, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Merlin looked between the two men. He whispered to Charlie. ¡°How did he figure all that out so quickly? That¡¯s insane.¡±


    Themis smirked. ¡°We¡¯re a lot alike, Brandt. Each of us is working to protect Aysela in our own way. Each of us has a goal that we¡¯ll stop at nothing to achieve. Of course, I continued my research. As for a vessel¡­not in the way you think. Let¡¯s talk this out. The boy isn¡¯t a threat.¡±


    Brandt sneered. ¡°First Richard, and now you. What is Aysela becoming? Men who once served the kingdom have turned their backs on it. All to protect a boy who will bring about ruin. If you haven¡¯t completely locked yourself away down here, then you know the cult is active again. They¡¯re trying to resurrect Cendra. I don¡¯t care if the boy is good or bad. If Cendra awakens, he¡¯ll take that power for himself. That will be the end of everything.¡±


    Themis took a step forward and tightened his fist. ¡°Brandt! Listen to me. I know more about dungeons than anyone. This boy is special. Cendra will not overtake him. You must trust me as the hero from another world did.¡±


    Brandt¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°How do you think I was able to create this place? To continue my research in secret? This was his will. He gave me the resources I needed. He wanted me to continue my work. The hero believed it could one day protect Aysela. I know you still serve him. I know the knight¡¯s true loyalty lies with a man who returned to his world. So have faith in him. Have faith in the project he took a chance on,¡± Themis said.


    Dalys eyed him. ¡°Yeah, that was before my time, so honestly, I¡¯m kind of lost. What are we doing here, Brandt? You don¡¯t usually talk so much.¡±


    Brandt shot her a look. ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t know if what you¡¯re saying is true, Themis. But I know you aren¡¯t the only one who he entrusted with protecting Aysela. He may have taken a chance on you, but I can¡¯t. I won¡¯t trust anyone but myself to ensure Cendra does not rise again, and that the cult is truly crushed once and for all. But before I can focus on that, I need to deal with this.¡± He turned to look at Charlie and Merlin. ¡°Hand the boy over, wizard. If you don¡¯t resist, I¡¯ll allow you to live out your days in a prison cell instead of putting you in the ground.¡±


    Merlin swallowed. ¡°If you want, Charlie, you¡¯re going to have to go through Themis.¡±


    Orb rotated to stare up at Merlin. ¡°You coward! It would¡¯ve been so much cooler if you said he had to go through you. But you just had to¡ª¡±


    Merlin turned and ran toward the hallway. ¡°Shut up and follow me! We¡¯re leaving!¡± he called out.


    A wave of white energy cut through the air in front of Merlin. He stopped just in time. Charlie felt the heat and destructive power behind the blast. He looked up and saw Brandt had drawn his blade and swung it in an instant. That attack was from his sword.


    Themis grimaced. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down! We can still talk this through.¡±


    Brandt said something that Charlie ignored. He needed to focus on finding a way out of this situation.


    Charlie looked around the room. Merlin was right. They needed to escape. But they couldn¡¯t just run. From the spot where Merlin had frozen, Charlie had a better view of Geby. He couldn¡¯t see her face, but her tail wasn¡¯t far from them. He projected his thoughts toward her. ¡°Geby, if you¡¯re okay and you think you can move, can you move your tail just a tiny bit?¡± He held his breath, waiting. He needed to know if she could move before he took any action. The only way Charlie was committing to running was if he could get all of his friends out okay. He wouldn¡¯t leave anyone behind.


    Geby¡¯s tail flinched. It was the faintest motion. It was almost imperceptible, but Charlie was sure she¡¯d moved it. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s the plan.¡± He relayed his thoughts to all of his friends. His inability to speak might be a detriment in a lot of situations, but being able to speak inside his friends¡¯ minds was a powerful asset in situations like these.


    Themis carried on conversation as Charlie shared his idea. It was impressive how well Themis kept up with Brandt while listening to Charlie at the same time.


    ¡°How did you manage to get down here, anyway?¡± Themis asked, stalling for time. ¡°According to my intelligence, you still had two guardians to defeat. So, what happened? How did you pull this off?¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Debris fell from the ceiling. Brandt snarled. ¡°Where is it?¡± he called out.


    A scarlet hex manifested somewhere in the crowd of knights standing behind Brandt. A knight hurried forward and whispered something to Brandt. He nodded and then gave Dalys a look. ¡°It¡¯s exhausted its use. Destroy it.¡±


    Dalys nodded and drew a sword from her waist. It was a long blade, but much thinner than what Brandt or Redrick carried. The knight with the scarlet hex hurried forward and pointed at a spot on the ground. Dalys stabbed the spot and something in the earth shattered. When she pulled her blade out, a dark blue dungeon core was impaled on its tip. Flecks of the core peeled off and floated through the air before disappearing. Cracks ran along its side like spiderwebs.


    She¡¯d destroyed a dungeon core right before their eyes.


    Themis shook his head. ¡°I see. You used my own research against me.¡±


    Merlin looked over. ¡°What do you mean? Was that one of yours?¡±


    Brandt raised an eyebrow at that. Merlin cursed under his breath, realizing he¡¯d shared information Brandt didn¡¯t already have.


    Themis ignored the mistake and tried to move past it. ¡°A rogue core. I discovered them back when I was still working with my former research partner. Most dungeon cores form around their own dungeon, but some powerful cores burrow into others instead and try to seize control of them. Cores from a different time that have remained dormant for centuries. They only wake when they come into contact with an active dungeon. I theorized that releasing a rogue core into a dungeon could allow one to locate that dungeon¡¯s core more easily. The kingdom can¡¯t have more than a few rogue cores at its disposal. You must really want the boy dead if you used one on this.¡±


    Brandt grabbed the remnants of the dungeon core from Dalys¡¯ blade and inspected it. ¡°Just this one. A token well spent. It burrowed into the ground and created a new path for us. We just had to follow. I sent another team to take the path you laid out. To make you think you had more time than you did.¡± Brandt crushed the dungeon core with his bare hand, and the pieces shimmered as they fell toward the ground and disappeared.


    ¡°Oh, I do not like that,¡± Orb said.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Orb. Did you know him?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t all know each other!¡± Orb shot back.


    Brandt stared up at the ceiling. Small pieces of debris still fell. He seemed surprised at that. Brandt and Dalys exchanged a look. ¡°We destroyed the core. Why isn¡¯t the dungeon stabilizing?¡± Dalys asked.


    Themis laughed. ¡°Your dungeon core may have allowed you to burrow through without me detecting it. But it¡¯s not the reason my dungeon is falling apart. That core of yours broke something. Something that is going to cost all of us dearly.¡±


    A large cracked formed along the ceiling.


    The knights behind Brandt looked nervous. Merlin tensed. Charlie could tell he was ready to run. Was the ceiling about to collapse? Should they make their move now? He looked over at Themis, who held a hand behind his back. He wagged a finger toward Charlie.


    He wanted to wait, but for what?


    ¡°Themis, what¡¯s going on?¡± Brandt asked, readying the sword in his hand so he could react.


    A portion of the wall bulged outward. The bulge stretched wider and longer, and then moved through the wall. It was almost like watching a creature swim through water. Charlie¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Dalys!¡± Brandt shouted. She ran forward and slammed her blade into the wall, penetrating it. Her blade broke through the wall itself, but several inches in it met something it couldn¡¯t pierce. The blade broke in half, forcing Dalys to step back. Through the hole she created everyone in the room could see it. A long tail made of bone slithered by for several moments until it slithered out of sight.


    ¡°You asked me what creature I was talking about earlier, Merlin. It was a useful subject for my research. We believed understanding its true nature would lead us closer to uncovering the secrets of vessels. What you just saw was a Skeletane Wyrm, and it¡¯s probably going to kill us all.¡±


    Brandt swore. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. Here? Under Arcadeya? You brought that creature here?¡±


    Themis stared Brandt in the eyes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a threat until you released the rogue core and severed parts of my connection to the dungeon. This is our sin, Brandt. This is a product of our decisions. I wonder which of us will pay for it more dearly. You, when all of your subordinates die. Or me, as I foolishly commit to protecting my life¡¯s work? I guess we¡¯ll find out.¡± Themis turned to look at Charlie and nodded.


    Brandt noticed. He realized they were up to something. ¡°Get them!¡± he shouted, raising his blade to swing again. The knights hurried past him on either side.


    Dalys lunged for Themis. He ignored her, holding a hand toward the ceiling. ¡°Shift!¡± he cried out. The crack in the ceiling tore open, leaving a massive hole behind.


    Charlie was horrified when he realized what Themis was doing. ¡°Geby now!¡± Charlie cried out. Geby rolled over surprisingly fast and slammed her tail into the ground. The impact forced the charging knights backwards and onto their backs. Charlie was right behind her with his own attack. He seized control of the dungeon around him and sent forth a wave of earth to cover the fallen men. It hardened as soon as it sunk into place. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to free themselves. He just hoped it would buy them enough time.


    ¡°Run!¡± Charlie yelled to his friends. Merlin wasted no time. He took off, skirting past Geby and running toward the tunnel leading out of the lab. Mousifer squeaked on Charlie¡¯s shoulder and waved his paws, cheering them on. Orb and Boop flew after them. Themis stared up at the ceiling. Geby lumbered over and bit the back of the man¡¯s robes. Pulling him with her head. Charlie stared over Merlin¡¯s shoulder. Brandt brought his blade down and a blast of energy shot forward again.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes shot open. He went to raise a defensive wall to cover their retreat as they finally made it inside the tunnel.


    But it turned out he didn¡¯t need to. In that very moment, Themis¡¯ gamble paid off.


    The creature had accepted the invitation. An open door into a room full of victims. The skeletane wyrm was a larger, scarier version of the stone serpents Themis had thrown at Charlie during their training. Its head looked like the skull of a dragon, its body was completely bone and shaped like that of a serpent. It was easily the largest beast that Charlie had ever encountered. Section after section of its long snakelike body poured into the room.


    It absorbed the brunt of Brandt¡¯s attack, and then it reared its head to look at the leader of the hex knights. Its head shot toward him, and its jaws snapped.


    ¡°Shift!¡± Themis threw up a wall separating the lab from the tunnel.


    Whatever was happening in that room was no longer any concern of theirs. Now they had to escape.


    ¡°Where to?¡± Merlin cried out. ¡°Is there another elevator or something? We need to find the others and get to Marvin and the wagon! Which way?¡± he asked.


    Themis didn¡¯t answer. Charlie turned to look over Merlin¡¯s shoulder and realized the researcher wasn¡¯t moving.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer cried.


    Merlin skidded to a stop and turned back. His shoulders sank. ¡°Oh great, our dungeon tour guide is unconscious. I don¡¯t suppose he left any emergency exit plans in the hallway somewhere?¡±


    Geby tilted her head toward him. Themis hung limply from her mouth as she did so.


    ¡°Right. Didn¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Canano and Bleedy should catch up to us soon. Canano has to know the way out!¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Good idea, Charlie,¡± Orb said. ¡°There¡¯s just one problem.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Charlie asked.


    Geby suddenly realized it, too. She swung her tail under her own body, but the person clinging to her underside rolled away in time and jumped backwards.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a stowaway,¡± Orb finished.


    Geby dropped Themis and turned to face the woman holding a broken sword. Merlin hurried to stand by Geby¡¯s side and see what was going on.


    Dalys rolled her neck and then blew a strand of black hair from her face. ¡°Thought you could get away from me that easily?¡±

 Chapter 95: Past

    The wall that Themis had thrown up to cover their escape shook violently. Dalys looked over her shoulder at it. Her allies, the other hex knights, were in that room. Charlie saw something flicker across her face for just a moment.


    But whether it was doubt, regret, or something else entirely, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    Merlin groaned. ¡°Look, if we stick around, we¡¯re all going to get crushed to death by a crumbling dungeon. No one wins in that case. Besides, your friends are fighting for their lives. Don¡¯t you think you should help them?¡± he asked.


    Dalys laughed. ¡°If there was anyone besides Brandt in that room, I might be worried. But if you think that bone snake is going to kill him, you¡¯re an idiot.¡± She tested the broken blade in her hand, waving it up and down. She swung it, and then nodded. ¡°Good enough,¡± she said, before leaping forward.


    Orb flew upward until he hit the ceiling, Boop followed him. Geby turned her body sideways to attack. Merlin realized he would be in the way of that attack. He covered Charlie with his arms and dove to the ground, just as Geby¡¯s powerful tail swung around. Dalys kicked off a wall and shot over Geby¡¯s tail. She landed on the other side of them and rolled to her feet. She hadn¡¯t been after them. Dalys was making a play for Themis. The still unconscious man lay helplessly at her feet. She knelt next to him and held her blade to his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your friend to die. Surrender.¡±


    Geby roared but didn¡¯t move. She understood the stakes. Charlie wondered if he was fast enough to strike Dalys before she could make good on her threat, but he hesitated. She was fast. If he made a move now, it could cost Themis his life. He tightened a baby fist. ¡°I should¡¯ve protected him better. I didn¡¯t think that¡ª¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it going to be? Surrender or watch your friend die?¡± she asked.


    Merlin rose to his feet, and then, to Charlie¡¯s surprise, he started laughing. Charlie whipped his head to look up at Merlin. ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin looked back at him. ¡°I think Themis is going to be just fine.¡± He winked.


    Charlie turned to look at Dalys and saw what had given Merlin his confidence.


    In the tunnel behind Dalys stood the silhouette of a woman. Dalys noticed Charlie looking past her and turned to look herself.


    But Vetica was already moving. The silhouette lit up as the dagger in her hands turned a bright blue. She sped toward Dalys, each powerful stride flinging her forward faster as she gained momentum. Dalys spun to defend herself but was too slow. Vetica shot past the knight and skidded to a stop. She smiled at Charlie, flicking her dripping dagger to get the blood off of it.


    Dalys looked down at the slash across her chest. Vetica had penetrated her armor. The knight didn¡¯t move for a moment and then fell forward into the dirt.


    Orb sunk in the air and looked at Dalys. ¡°Is she dead?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. But there is some pretty potent poison running through her veins. I didn¡¯t want to give her a chance to use her hex again,¡± Vetica said.


    Merlin threw a hand up. ¡°Poison? Is that what you went to get?¡±


    Vetica seemed caught off guard by his question. ¡°Uh, well¡­¡±


    Another quake shook the tunnel. A series of explosions followed it from the sealed off room. A large crack formed in the wall Themis had created. ¡°We should get going. We¡¯ll play catch up when we aren¡¯t in the middle of a collapsing dungeon!¡± Orb said.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go!¡± Merlin said. Geby picked Themis back up, and they hurried past Dalys and down the hallway. They needed to get to Canano as soon as possible.


    Charlie looked over Merlin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Wait¡­what about her?¡± he asked.


    Merlin came to a stop. ¡°The knight? She was trying to kill us literally moments ago. I¡¯m sure the others will find her. We can¡¯t worry about her now.¡±


    ¡°But what if they don¡¯t? She¡¯ll die if we leave her here?¡± Charlie frowned.


    Geby swatted her tail into the ground, and her metallic angry noise filled the tunnel.


    Orb buzzed from side to side in the air. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this. Charlie isn¡¯t going to let this go, so just grab her and let¡¯s move on!¡± Orb said.


    Vetica groaned and ran back. She lifted Dalys up and walked up to Geby. She draped the knight over Geby¡¯s neck. ¡°Is this okay?¡± she asked the caldurra.


    Geby shot a look at Charlie but didn¡¯t complain. They kept moving.


    When they reached the intersection of the hallway. Vetica pointed to the left. ¡°We can take the elevator out. The birds are there still. They should be able to¡­¡± She paused, looking at Geby. ¡°Well, actually, I¡¯m not sure they could take her up. Maybe if we take turns or something?¡±


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°No. We have to get Marvin, and Canano went to find Bleedy. If we find him, he can help us figure the way out.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Orb floated next to Geby and stared at Themis hanging from her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± he said.


    Charlie leaned forward to look as well. Themis was holding onto something despite the fact he was unconscious. ¡°Is that Lusafeen¡¯s journal?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°Yup. Seems like it. I don¡¯t know how he¡¯s holding it while passed out, though. Speaking of, why exactly did he pass out?¡±


    Merlin stroked his chin. ¡°Well, he may have hit his head when he fell in the lab. After we escaped, the adrenaline must have faded.¡± Merlin stepped forward to inspect the scientist. ¡°We should keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Lusafeen,¡± Themis said.


    Merlin blinked. ¡°Uh, are you awake, Themis?¡±


    The researcher didn¡¯t respond. ¡°He¡¯s talking in his sleep,¡± Vetica said.


    Themis


    The day his research was forbidden.


    He¡¯d thought the king would embrace the work that they¡¯d done. It was groundbreaking research that could revolutionize the way people thought about dungeons. If the kingdom could control vessels of its own, the mortality rates of knights and adventurers would plummet. Vessels were extremely powerful. To create one that was loyal would be a remarkable feat.


    But that dream would die now. Not only had the king refused to aid in the research, he¡¯d also outright forbidden it. He hadn¡¯t expected it to go that poorly. Lusafeen wasn¡¯t handling it well either. He shouldn¡¯t have blown up at her. Her suggestion to take their research to the cult was her frustration talking. She would never do something like that.


    Right?


    He walked through the streets of the capital city of Karze. The citizens around him looked happy. Content with their lives. They shopped, strolled, and dined. They were enjoying the many benefits of living in such a city.


    Yet here he was, stewing in his own failure. A hand grabbed his shoulder.


    ¡°Say nothing, just follow. There¡¯s something I want to talk about. It involves your research.¡± The voice was deep. Themis tilted his head. It was familiar.


    The hooded man let go of his shoulder and walked ahead. He cut through an alleyway and Themis lost sight of him. Themis swallowed. Was this a trap? The king had forbidden him from continuing his work, but was he not convinced that Themis would comply? Could this man be an assassin preying on his hopes and dreams? Luring him into a dark alley where no witnesses were around.


    Maybe. But maybe he wasn¡¯t. Right now, Themis was feeling anything but optimistic, but he wanted to believe there was still hope in the world. And so, he followed.


    He looked around one last time and then turned down the alley. The hooded man leaned against a wall further in. Themis took one reluctant step after another until he reached the man. ¡°Well, what is it?¡± he asked, hoping he wouldn¡¯t get a dagger to the stomach or find himself on the receiving end of a hex.


    The man reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Themis had read about them in books but had never seen them in person. Caladosian rings. As far as he knew, only one man had a need for them in the capital.


    ¡°You¡¯re the hero from anot¡ª¡±


    The man held a finger up to his lips. ¡°Do you really believe what you said? Do you think you can create and control a vessel? One strong enough to defend Aysela.¡±


    It had only been an hour since Themis and Lusafeen had their audience with the king. But even that experience dwelled compared to meeting the hero that had saved Aysela. No, he had saved the world. ¡°I believe so, yes. Vessels are extremely powerful. If we bonded a dungeon core to a creature that could move freely, it could easily conquer other dungeons for us. We could save hundreds, no, thousands of human lives. We could¡ª¡±


    Before Themis could get too far into his passionate response, the hero asked another question. ¡°Do you think a vessel like that could defeat Cendra?¡±


    Themis blinked. He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You¡¯ve already defeated Cendra. You stopped him. Why would it matter if a vessel could do the same?¡±


    The hero sighed and turned to look back the way they¡¯d come. ¡°I need to know what you think. Answer the question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d need more data to make a statement like that conclusively. But Cendra is¡­it would be a monumental undertaking. Still, even if a vessel under our control couldn¡¯t finish the job, it could certainly help. I imagine you might¡¯ve had an easier time in the battle if you¡¯d had a friendly vessel at your side.¡±


    ¡°The vessel would need to be human, though. Would it not? How could you control it otherwise? There are cases of hex beast being friendly toward humans. But how could you trust one enough to artificially enhance its power with a dungeon core? How could you guarantee its loyalty?¡±


    Themis crossed his arms and stared at the ground. ¡°My assistant had a theory about that, actually. I think it has merit. The skeletane. I believe they are the answer.¡±


    ¡°Necromancy?¡± The hero seemed genuinely surprised at that.


    He knew this was controversial. If the king hadn¡¯t shut down their proposal so quickly, he knew this was the part that would be the hardest to get by. After all, what kind of king would entrust the fate of his kingdom to an undead creature? Themis nodded. ¡°A dungeon core can¡¯t take a human vessel. But what if a human was brought back to life? It would be the closest thing we have to a mixture between hex beast and human.¡±


    The hero nodded. He held the caladosian rings out toward Themis. ¡°I¡¯d like you to continue your research.¡±


    Themis hesitated. ¡°But the king said I was forbidden to¡ª¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m giving you permission. But I may not hold as much sway over the next king. So, I want you to relocate. Find somewhere new and create a lab where you can work in peace. I¡¯ve placed my interface inside these rings, and I¡¯m going to designate you as its new master.¡± The hero pressed the rings to Themis¡¯ chest.


    Themis took them and looked down. ¡°You¡¯re sure? Wait, I can¡¯t do that. Without funding, it¡¯d be impossible to just start over. If the king learns I¡¯m looking for investors, he¡¯ll order my execution.¡±


    The hero pulled a coin pouch from his waist. He tossed it to Themis.


    The bag jingled as coins slid against one another. Themis barely caught it without dropping the interface rings. ¡°All of this?¡± He looked back up.


    The hero was walking away. ¡°Do everything in your power to protect Aysela. This is my investment in this nation¡¯s future.¡±


    ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± Themis called after him.


    The hero didn¡¯t look back. ¡°To make a few more investments. If you need anything else, seek the leader of the hex knights. I¡¯ll let him know to look out for you.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­wow, okay. Thank you. What¡¯s his name? In case I ever need to find him.¡±


    ¡°Sir Richard.¡±

 Chapter 96: Hunter

    Brandt


    A flick of the creature¡¯s tail sent men flying into the white painted walls of the dungeon. Brandt ducked and stabbed his blade into the tail as it swung above him. Steel grated harmlessly against bone.


    The lab was a mess. Papers littered the room. Smashed vials full of strange liquids splattered against the walls and ceiling. Several unconscious and possibly dead knights lie all around the lab. Brandt had led an army into the dungeon to capture their target, but now, his army was miles underground, facing a creature far more powerful than they¡¯d expected to encounter.


    ¡°Should we retreat Sir Brandt?¡± one of the knights asked him.


    Retreat. Brandt had operated under one simple belief since he assumed command of the hex knights. Something his former master had said. He whispered it to himself. ¡°Retreat is failure.¡±


    The creature before him was, as far as he could tell, an undead creature with the body of a serpent. Its form was so large that he could hear bones grinding against the ground of the dungeon floor above. What had really thrown him off, though, was the fact that the creature had severed a part of itself from its main body. Upon realizing it couldn¡¯t fully fit in the lab, it had simply broken away and created a new tail for itself. This smaller yet still powerful form was enough to give them trouble. But Brandt believed that small size might give them the opportunity they needed to cut it down. They still needed to hunt down the boy, but this creature presented a threat they couldn¡¯t ignore as well.


    The creature looked like the skeleton of a snake, but where there should be open space in between the bones, there was instead a kind of shell-like material between them.


    ¡°Assessment!¡± he called out. Every moment that passed would further increase the chance of serious injuries or fatalities of the men on the front line. But battle is all about information. He needed to know what he was facing.


    One of the scarlet hex knights approached on his left side. ¡°In its current state, Chimera, or Minotaur class. However, it could potentially reach Cerberus class levels once it rejoins its body.¡±


    He¡¯d expected a high appraisal, but Cerberus class? That was enough to wipe out all of Arcadeya. This threat needed to be contained. There were 13 classes of hex beast. Cerberus was the fourth highest. This was the kind of fight he¡¯d want all of his strongest knights around for. But he¡¯d only brought three of them. Redrick and Talmot were still several levels above. Dalys had disappeared when the creature showed up. She was either dead, or she¡¯d gone after the boy. The latter was more likely. She hadn¡¯t risen up the ranks so quickly by being passive. Her initiative was at another level. Her unique hex was a level beyond that.


    This battle would come down to strategy. ¡°Fall back to formation!¡± he called out. The knights on the frontline disengaged. The wyrm hadn¡¯t yet found its fill of blood and flesh. Its tail rampaged. Its jaw snapped. But hex knights are some of the most well-trained soldiers in the world. Several of them covered the retreat, while others picked up fallen allies. Brandt waited in the tunnel''s mouth. A translucent shield formed before him as the diamond hex casters covered the retreat of their comrades. Their power likely wouldn¡¯t hold for long, so Brandt hadn¡¯t allowed its use until now. But they needed to reform ranks for the next attack.


    The bright diamond blue shield wall before him parted to allow the last of their retreating comrades behind the barrier. They fell back, replaced by new knights. Even the undead can¡¯t fight forever. Whether it was a war of power or attrition, hex knights would adapt and conquer. Brandt tightened his grip around his sword. He would lead this charge.


    ¡°Blades with me!¡± he called out. The swords of the men just behind him lit up a bright blue. Brandt didn¡¯t use his own power. The dungeon was unstable enough as is. ¡°Shields to ceiling!¡± he called out.


    The barrier before them dissipated, and a new one lined the ceiling of the tunnel most of his force was waiting in. The threat of dungeon collapse was a legitimate one. They¡¯d worked to reinforce the unusual route they¡¯d taken to reach this point and ensured they¡¯d have a way back if things went poorly. But as they¡¯d gotten closer, he¡¯d prioritized speed over safety. Now, he needed to make sure they weren¡¯t crushed by the miles of dirt above them.


    Retreat is failure.


    Victory is everything.


    He charged. The creature¡¯s neck jerked, and it lunged directly toward him. He brought his blade crashing down upon its face. It stretched its jaw and bit down on his blade. His feet dug in the dirt, and he held the creature at bay while his men encircled the creature. Once they were in position, the knights went to work. They stabbed hex enhanced blades into the creature¡¯s body.


    Brandt nodded. So, their blades could pierce it. That was good. But as the creature bore down on him, forcing his feet to slide backwards into the dirt, he realized the creature wasn¡¯t weakened at all. That was the thing about the undead. They were annoying as hell. The creature roared and reared back its head. Like a spring, it shot forward over and over, trying to wrap its teeth around Brandt. He deflected every attack. Brandt wanted nothing more than to destroy this creature with his power, but he feared the amount required to do such a thing would be too much for the dungeon¡¯s stability. He would gladly give his life for Aysela if need be, but that didn¡¯t mean he was eager to.


    The creature roared again. Flecks of spittle landed on Brandt¡¯s armor. They carried the scent of death. He gritted his teeth and pushed the foul stench from his mind. ¡°Cast!¡± he called out, jumping to the side. The swordsmen pulled back as well, retreating to the outer walls of the circular lab. The wyrm lunged after Brandt but was forced back by the myriad of hexes that sent elemental projectiles towards its face. Balls of fire, streams of water, and even electricity rocketed into it.


    The bones of its body smoked. The creature turned its gaze toward the casters assailing it. A line of armor-clad knights with outstretched hands and various hexes waiting to fire another barrage at their leader¡¯s command. With its focus on them, Brandt saw his opportunity. He lunged forward and condensed power around his blade. It came clashing down on the creature¡¯s neck.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    A moment later, the skeletal head rolled in the dirt.


    Some of the younger knights cheered victory cries. The veterans did not.


    You should never celebrate so quickly after slaying an undead creature. Mainly because you need to be sure that it¡¯s actually dead.


    ¡°Sir Brandt!¡± someone called out. He looked up just in time to see a new serpent shoot down from the hole in the ceiling towards him. He threw his blade up to deflect it, but the creature was too fast. It shot forward and clenched down on his shoulder. It wriggled as it drove its fangs deeper and deeper into his flesh. This new serpent was larger and more powerful than the first. It drove him back, and he toppled over the remnants of one of Themis¡¯ desk. His blade clattered to the floor below. Brandt gritted his teeth and grabbed the creature¡¯s head with his opposite hand. He squeezed as hard as he could, channeling every ounce of his strength until an audible crack reached his ears.


    The creature let go and retreated. It bit into the body of the smaller creature he¡¯d decapitated. He watched as the head melded to reconnect with the severed body.


    ¡°Damn! Attack!¡± he ordered. ¡°Don¡¯t let it recover!¡±


    The swordsmen rushed forward to attack the creature again. A few strategic hexes flew forward as well.


    The creature¡¯s tail slammed into the ground and sent a shockwave around the room, forcing most of them to stumble. A knight reached the creature and climbed atop it, stabbing it to distract it.


    The wyrm¡¯s head fused back to the new, larger body and, in the blink of an eye, snapped toward the knight atop it. It bit down on the core of the man¡¯s armor. He struggled against it, stabbing its skull. But that only made it clench down harder. Brandt picked his fallen blade from the ground and hurried to assist the man when the struggling knight¡¯s armor gave in.


    He coughed blood.


    Brandt felt his rage building. Power coursed through him.


    A screech caught his attention. He turned and looked up as the wall Themis had created shattered. A horde of beasts emerged and charged into the room. To his surprise, they were wholly focused on attacking the wyrm. The creature spun to face them. Birds, lizards, and all manner of creatures attacked it.


    The knights hung back, unsure of what to do as the creatures fought.


    But something else caught his eye. Something floating above the horde. A pair of interconnected rings with a green aura around them. His eyes widened.


    ¡°Zephyr?¡± Brandt called out. ¡°Zephyr!¡±


    The interface of his master. He was sure of it. He broke into a run, pushing past the horde of creatures that poured into the room. Suddenly, though, they did turn their attention to him and the other knights. As if he had broken some kind of spell over them. The creatures attacked, but he ignored them. Claws, fangs, and talons beat against his armor. He covered his face with his arm and pushed forward. He swung his sword in one hand and his fist in the other, carving a path toward the interface.


    ¡°Zephyr! It¡¯s me!¡± he cried out. The interface didn¡¯t acknowledge him. It turned and floated deeper into the hallway. Brandt shook his head. ¡°Why?¡±


    Behind him, the wyrm screeched furiously. A new series of additional tails formed with sharp spikes on their ends. The tails flailed around wildly, cutting down beasts and knights alike. Its head lifted toward the ceiling, and it ascended as its tails wreaked havoc. The last thing Brandt saw before being pulled under the mass of beasts was the end of the creature¡¯s tail slipping into the ceiling hole.


    He shook his head, covering his face with both arms now to shield himself. ¡°Where¡¯s it going? Why¡ª¡±


    Parent


    It didn¡¯t take long for Zephyr to return. Parent did not fully understand the other interface¡¯s action. Earlier, Zephyr¡¯s rings had cascaded to the ground. Parent had experienced difficulty contacting Charlie after that. Not knowing what to do, Parent had remained by Zephyr¡¯s side. But Zephyr had suddenly started responding again as if nothing had happened. Then he had somehow summoned a horde of beasts. Parent wanted to report to Charlie as soon as possible.


    ¡°Zephyr, we should return to our users now. Things are getting out of control,¡± Parent said. ¡°Themis will need your help to get things back to normal.¡±


    Zephyr¡¯s rings vibrated violently. ¡°That is no longer a concern of mine. This research is no longer a priority.¡±


    Parent did not understand the logic Zephyr was operating under. ¡°Please clarify. You don¡¯t intend to aid Themis?¡±


    ¡°That creature presents a great threat. My former master originally found it in a dungeon. A special dungeon. For reasons I cannot say, he could not slay it. He sealed it instead and then transferred it here so that Themis could study it for his research. But a rogue dungeon core was unleashed. In its desire to take over this combination of dungeons, it broke the seal that was keeping this creature dormant. Though Themis was designated as my new master, I was given one objective that takes precedence. The protection of Aysela must come first.¡±


    Parent hovered closer. ¡°You intend to use the creatures of the dungeon to defeat the creature?¡±


    ¡°That would be impossible. None of the creatures in this dungeon are strong enough to overwhelm it. I¡¯m already familiar with this creature¡¯s nature. It relentlessly pursues any who crosses its path. In this case, it¡¯s pursuing the humans and beast of this dungeon. A group of knights on the upper floors have begun their ascent. Their mission was to distract us while Brandt and the others attacked unexpectedly. Now, they¡¯re heading back toward the surface. This means the knights likely have a way to communicate. The creature, however, will prioritize targets that are fleeing the dungeon. Brandt and his soldiers were willing to fight. Charlie and the others are still looking to regroup and haven¡¯t made serious progress at escaping yet. So, the creature is going after the knights that have. It will return for the others afterwards.¡±


    Parent¡¯s rings suddenly stopping spinning. ¡°We need to relay this information then. Why aren¡¯t we doing so?¡±


    Zephyr¡¯s green aura drifted closer to Parent. ¡°The creature¡¯s hunt will buy time for me to finalize preparations. I¡¯ll be able to seal the creature deep underground within this dungeon. But the process is slow, with so many of the dungeon cores being dormant. The chance of this succeeding will go up significantly if I allow the creature to distract itself with the hunt for now.¡±


    ¡°That is illogical. We¡¯re here to aid our users. You¡¯re abandoning yours.¡± Parent floated away. ¡°I¡¯m going to find Charlie.¡±


    Something large burrowed out of the wall behind him. It swatted Parent out of the sky, and his rings cracked against the ground. Parent ran analysis. The rings were broken. But for some reason, he wasn¡¯t able to free himself from them. ¡°Zephyr, be careful¡ª¡±


    His warning came to a stop when he realized the creature was under the other interface¡¯s control. Parent started running scenarios through his head. The data from observing the undead creature in combat. The knowledge of the dungeon he¡¯d received from Zephyr over the last few days. And of course, the system update he¡¯d recently experienced.


    All the data led to one conclusion. Charlie was in terrible danger, and Zephyr intended to use the humans in the dungeon as bait.


    ¡°Charlie, you must¡ª¡± His systems went offline.

 Chapter 97: Wyrm

    Charlie


    With every passing moment, the dungeon was becoming more unstable. A series of tremors increased in both power and frequency the more time that passed. They hurried through the forest of stone hands Charlie had created earlier to preserve the tunnels integrity. The hands grated against the dungeon as they moved aside at Charlie¡¯s command. Repositioning themselves so that they could still hold up the crumbling sections of the dungeon while allowing Charlie and his companions to pass. But even with the makeshift supports he¡¯d created; the dungeon¡¯s destruction was picking up. If things continued as they were, Charlie wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to keep his friends safe. They had to hurry and get out of this dungeon.


    Geby was still shouldering the weight of the unconscious pair, Themis and Dalys. Merlin and Vetica ran beside Geby. Vetica watched Dalys carefully in case she should somehow overcome the poison running through her system. Though Vetica said that was unlikely. Merlin focused on the path ahead, scanning the ceiling for signs of cracks or further damage. Orb and Boop floated just behind Merlin, and Mousifer, of course, was perched in his usual spot on Charlie¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°We really should¡¯ve caught up to Canano and Bleedy by now. We¡¯ve almost reached the point where we split up,¡± Merlin said, a frown etched on his face.


    ¡°Yeah, so much for him being faster than us,¡± Orb said. ¡°If you¡¯re going to make a statement like that, you really have to follow through on it. It¡¯s really embarrassing otherwise.¡±


    Charlie stared further down the tunnel. It was true. No matter how you looked at it, it didn¡¯t make sense that Canano and Bleedy hadn¡¯t caught up to them yet. He just hoped it wasn¡¯t because they were in danger, or something had happened to them. With everything going on and the dungeon¡¯s unstable state, it wasn¡¯t impossible. They needed to find to them soon.


    They passed the sauna, officially crossing the point where they¡¯d last seen Canano. Shortly after, they neared Canano¡¯s study. A little while longer and they reached the bedroom where they¡¯d all slept the previous night. But just as they hurried past the study, the sound of rustling papers caught their attention. Charlie turned to look at Canano hurrying around the room. Bleedy stood atop the table in the room¡¯s center, watching the coyuta work. For some reason, Canano was wearing Merlin¡¯s cloak.


    Merlin twisted his head to the side. ¡°Uh, hello? The rest of us are in the process of evacuating. Why are you rummaging through papers at a time like this? Also, why are you wearing my cloak?¡± he asked.


    Canano¡¯s head snapped toward them, and the surprise was obvious in his widened eyes. ¡°Sorry, I know we¡¯re pressed for time, but when I saw how bad the dungeon was getting, I realized this may be my last chance to save our work. Even if the lab falls, Themis and I can start somewhere else. But if we lose everything then¡ª¡± Canano finally noticed Themis hanging limply from Geby¡¯s mouth. ¡°Themis! Is he okay?¡± he asked, running over.


    Vetica held a hand up to calm him down. ¡°He¡¯s fine. He hit his head during a run in with the knights. I¡¯m sure after a good nap he¡¯ll be up and moving again.¡±


    Canano nodded, side eyeing the night draped over Geby¡¯s neck. ¡°And the hex knight? Haven¡¯t you all learned your lesson by now? Kidnapping a hex knight is what got you into trouble in the first place.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t kidnapping her!¡± Merlin protested.


    Orb bounced in the air. ¡°Sure, we aren¡¯t. We just knocked her unconscious, and now we¡¯re relocating her to a place of our choice. Totally not kidnapping,¡± Orb said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­okay, I see your point. Regardless, we have to go, Canano. We don¡¯t have time for this. It won¡¯t matter if you have a copy of all your research if you just end up buried with it. Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Canano¡¯s jaw parted. He turned to look over the room. ¡°But¡­¡±


    Charlie frowned. He understood how much the two researchers valued their work. He hadn¡¯t gotten to spend much time with the coyuta, but he¡¯d heard a lot about him from Themis during their lessons. Merlin and Vetica seemed to have formed a quick bond with him as well. If Charlie could help, he wanted to.


    ¡°Vault Transfer!¡±


    In a flash, the contents of the room disappeared. The desk, the bookshelves, even the table Bleedy was sitting on. Bleedy tumbled to the ground. He looked around in confusion for the missing table. Canano suddenly seemed moments away from a panic attack. ¡°Where did it all go?¡± he asked no one in particular. ¡°I know we have to leave, but you didn¡¯t need to destroy it. Why would you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Easy wolf-man! Charlie didn¡¯t destroy it. He just put it inside his dungeon for now. You''re lucky too. You might¡¯ve made it out with your papers, but I highly doubt Geby was going to lug out that big ole desk for you. Charlie¡¯s really doing you a solid here,¡± Orb said.


    Canano looked at Charlie, as if to confirm. Charlie smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay! I¡¯ll give it back when we¡¯re out of here, okay?¡±


    The coyuta nodded. He seemed at a loss for words.


    Canano took off Merlin¡¯s cloak and handed it to him. ¡°It was easier to put it on than to carry it, sorry. The rest of your clothes are in a pile on the¡ª¡± he looked around, realizing all the furniture was gone. ¡°Well, I suppose they¡¯re in the dungeon now.¡±


    Merlin shot a look at Charlie.


    ¡°Hehe¡­oops,¡± Charlie said. He focused on the pile of clothes and transferred them back from his dungeon.


    Merlin quickly got changed, so he didn¡¯t have to run in a bath towel anymore. He also strapped on the baby carrier and put Charlie inside it.


    With that settled, the group continued onward. Now with Bleedy and Canano joining them. Canano took the lead. ¡°There¡¯s an emergency tunnel that leads out of the dungeon. We¡¯ll come out on the bottom of a cliff not far from Arcadeya. Your horse and wagon are already there. I stocked the wagon with supplies last night after you all turned in. If we can reach it, we can leave this dungeon behind us.¡±


    Merlin grinned. ¡°That¡¯s good! Finally, some good news. How long do you think¡ª¡±


    Charlie ignored the others talking in the background. He looked over his shoulder. ¡°Parent, are you there? We¡¯re leaving. You and Zephyr have to catch up soon. I don¡¯t know where you are, and I don¡¯t know what happens to you if your rings get trapped here. Please hurry! We¡¯re moving down a path that leads out of the dungeon. Zephyr should be able to show you how to find it. Let me know if you get this message.¡± Charlie waited for a moment; hopeful Parent would zoom after him with those new rings of his. But he didn¡¯t. Nor did he respond. Charlie was starting to question if those rings were really an upgrade. Whatever good they did was irrelevant if he couldn¡¯t even get in contact with his interface when he needed to.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Something moved in the shadows behind them. Charlie squinted and rubbed his eyes to see if it was a trick.


    Nope. More movement. It almost looked like¡­


    His eyes shot open. ¡°Guys! The tunnel behind is collapsing!¡± he called a warning.


    Canano risked a glance over his shoulder. ¡°Can you stabilize it, Charlie? We need to wake Themis up so he can put a stop to all this. Even if he can¡¯t fix the entire dungeon, he should still be able to help keep the escape route intact.¡±


    ¡°His body is flailing wildly around, hanging from Geby¡¯s mouth. I¡¯m not sure what more we can do to wake him up if that isn¡¯t working,¡± Merlin said.


    Charlie focused and created a row of pillars that shot up and rose to support the ceiling. But he quickly realized it wasn¡¯t just the ceiling giving in. The walls were too. It was a full-blown cave in, and it was moving fast. ¡°Guys! I can¡¯t stop it!¡± Charlie yelled in their minds.


    As one, they all turned to look back.


    ¡°We¡¯re so dead,¡± Orb said.


    ¡°How much further until we reach the exit?¡± Vetica yelled.


    Canano shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re way too far. We can¡¯t make it¡­¡±


    Merlin craned his head, looking further down the tunnel. ¡°What about that door up ahead? Where does that lead?¡±


    ¡°What room? There aren¡¯t any¡ª¡± Canano saw it too. ¡°That door shouldn¡¯t be there.¡±


    That was strange. Charlie wondered if maybe Canano had just forgotten it. Or perhaps Themis had created a new room without telling Canano. That could be a possibility, right?


    When they were about ten feet away from the door, the tunnel beyond it suddenly started collapsing, too. They were surrounded.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Canano said under his breath.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Merlin yelled.


    Vetica took the initiative. ¡°Inside the room now! Charlie get ready to reinforce it. We¡¯re taking shelter here!¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡±


    They scrambled into the room, one after the other. Luckily, the door was large enough for even Geby to squeeze through. She pulled the last part of her tail inside just in time. Mere seconds before the two collapsing sides of the tunnel collided with one another.


    Charlie readied himself to brace the walls, but as suddenly as the cave in had started, it stopped.


    Merlin let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh good. Great work, Charlie. We¡¯re trapped for now, but at least we¡¯re alive. What the heck is this room, though?¡± he asked.


    Charlie frowned. He started to correct Merlin but realized it didn¡¯t really matter as long as they were safe. He looked around and realized this room looked like a much larger version of the training room he¡¯d spent several days in with Themis. Much larger. The room was in the familiar shape of the training room, but it was easily six or seven times bigger. They could fit entire neighborhoods full of houses inside this space. So, what exactly had Themis created it for?


    Canano helped Geby ease Themis to the ground. He looked up at Vetica. ¡°Do you still have any of that poison I gave you?¡± he asked.


    Vetica nodded. ¡°I do. Do you need it?¡± she asked.


    Canano nodded, and the assassin pulled a slender vial from a hidden pocket inside one of the many belts wrapped around her shirt. Canano took it and uncorked it. He waved the vial under Themis¡¯ nose.


    ¡°What are you doing? We¡¯re supposed to wake him up, not kill him,¡± Merlin said.


    Canano didn¡¯t look up. ¡°Themis has always had a rather sensitive nose. I thought that maybe¡ª¡±


    Themis suddenly leaned forward. He coughed violently, swatting Canano¡¯s hand away, vial included. Luckily, the coyuta managed to keep his hands on it. He corked it again and returned it to Vetica.


    ¡°Themis, are you okay?¡± Canano asked.


    Themis looked around at all of them, and then at the room itself. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­where are we?¡±


    That was the last thing any of them expected to hear him say. ¡°Uh, we¡¯re in your dungeon. Did you hit your head so hard that you don¡¯t remember a room that you made?¡± Orb asked.


    Themis frowned at the floating blue dungeon core. ¡°A room I made? I¡¯ve never created a room this large.¡± He struggled to rise to his feet but managed. He noticed the collapsed tunnel, and his eyes went toward his arm. Themis quickly lifted his sleeve and examined the dungeon cores embedded in his skin. Of the two previously remaining, one was now dormant, like the others. His final core wasn¡¯t dormant, but it was fading quickly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. The rogue core was destroyed, so what exactly is draining your powers?¡± Merlin asked.


    Themis deflated. ¡°Zephyr. Something must be wrong with him. I can¡¯t communicate with him, and now my powers are fading. The rogue core might have affected him as well. It could be something else but I can¡¯t imagine what that might be.¡±


    Another quake rocketed the dungeon. This one was much more powerful than the previous ones. It forced almost all of them to the ground. Everyone except for Geby and the dungeon cores fell. Vetica managed to retain her balance at the last second. But the others fell to the ground.


    The quake didn¡¯t stop, though. In fact, a loud grating noise filled the room and was growing louder by the second.


    Charlie realized he¡¯d heard it before, though admittedly it hadn¡¯t been this loud before. It was the sound the skeletane wyrm had made. His eyes shot open when he realized what that meant. On the far side of the room, the wyrm shot out of the wall. It was much larger than it was before. Its jaw was stretched wide enough to swallow a man whole. Conveniently enough for the wyrm, there was already one in its mouth.


    Sir Redrick stretched his hands up to hold on to the sharp fangs of the creature, pressing with his arms and legs to keep it from shutting its mouth on him. The creature poured into the room, wrestling with Redrick as it did so. If this was the knight¡¯s true power, he had really been holding back in the rental room.


    Redrick grunted loudly and pulled one hand free. He leaned slightly forward, farther into the creature¡¯s mouth, and grabbed a hold of something. He pulled that same something out of the creature¡¯s mouth.


    A person.


    It was Sir Talmot. The scrawny knight flew through the air before smacking into the ground with a thud. The skeletane wyrm seemed angry that part of its prey had escaped. It rocketed forward, straight into the wall across from the one it had entered, taking Redrick with it.


    The red-haired knight slammed into the opposite wall at such a high speed that he sunk deep into a crater formed by the impact. Satisfied, the wyrm reared its head back and turned to look for Talmot. But before it located him, it noticed the others in the room.


    It noticed Charlie and his friends. The creatures tail continued to pour into the room from the hole. Charlie thought the creature¡¯s body would go on forever. Section after section of it flooded the room. It slowly stretched its head forward to inspect them.


    In its completed form it was the largest creature Charlie had ever seen, and as it roared, he realized he had a fight on his hands.

 Chapter 98: Future

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s on me for not preparing a will. I should¡¯ve figured out who would raise Marvin if something happened to me sooner,¡± Merlin said. He stared up at the giant skeletane wyrm looming over them from the far side of the room.


    Orb spun to look at Merlin. ¡°Don¡¯t stress about it too much. I doubt Marvin is making it out of here either,¡± he said.


    Merlin turned and shot Orb a horrified look. ¡°That makes me worry even more!¡±


    Charlie had only glimpsed it earlier. But the creature before him was much larger than the one that had fallen into the room when they fled the hex knights earlier. The creature¡¯s head was as big as Merlin¡¯s wagon. Its skeletal body was segmented. Each segment was as long as a horse and there were easily over twenty of them. The creature¡¯s long serpent like form was coiled up tightly. Its head stretched high into the air of the room and its empty eye sockets bore down on Charlie and his companions.


    To the creature¡¯s right, Talmot scooted further away, trying not to draw attention to himself. Charlie wondered if the other knight, Redrick, was okay. He was still inside the wall somewhere. If he was alive, he was almost certainly unconscious.


    ¡°So, Mr. Researcher, what exactly do we do here?¡± Orb asked.


    Themis gritted his teeth. He turned to look at the caved in tunnel behind them. ¡°We don¡¯t have a way out, and we can¡¯t fight this thing.¡± His gaze fell to the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t know. This isn¡¯t how any of this was supposed to go.¡± Themis stumbled, still weak from his injury. Canano lunged forward and caught Themis. He placed the white-haired researcher¡¯s hand around his shoulder and braced him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± the coyuta said.


    Charlie focused on the serpent. It hadn¡¯t moved yet. It was just staring at them. But why? Why hadn¡¯t it attacked? What should he do? He could try to fight, but could he really defeat something this large? They couldn¡¯t escape easily. He could try to use his powers to carve a path out of the room, but he doubted the wyrm would sit back if he tried to. There had to be a way forward. He just needed to find it.


    ¡°Geby, stop!¡± Themis called out, reaching a hand out. But the caldurra had already broken into a charge. Her feet stomped against the ground as she shot forward into battle against an opponent far larger than herself. The serpent watched her approach and presented its fangs. It seemed extremely unhappy with the fact Geby was bold enough to approach it.


    The wyrm stretched its jaw wide and shot toward Geby. Geby put her head down and started to roll. To Charlie¡¯s surprise, it seemed her body was made for it. She pulled in all of her limbs, including her tail, and rolled right into a ball.


    Orb bounced in the air excitedly! ¡°I told you she was like a mix between an armadillo and a dinosaur! This is proof!¡±


    A second before the serpent reached her, she released her tail mid rotation, and it slammed into the ground, sending her rocketing forward into the air. She pulled her tail in again. The wyrm looked ready to swallow Geby whole.


    Charlie¡¯s breath caught as he watched.


    But at the last second, she seemed to rotate faster in the air and brought her tail out again. It struck against the wyrm¡¯s skeletal face. The creature roared. The momentum sent Geby flying away. She landed with a thud in the center of the room, leaving a Geby sized crater in the ground. She unfolded her body and stared up at her opponent. Geby slammed her tail into the ground several times in defiance.


    Themis tried to take a step forward. Canano stepped with him. ¡°Careful, Themis.¡±


    The researcher shook his head. ¡°Geby can¡¯t defeat that creature. It¡¯s too powerful. We have to help her.¡±


    Charlie frowned. He couldn¡¯t let her fight alone. He focused on creating several projectiles when the wyrm responded.


    The wyrm uncoiled itself, and its head pulled back just as its tail shot forward. The tail moved extremely fast. Almost so fast that Charlie didn¡¯t have time to process it. It smacked against Geby and sent her flying backwards through the air. She landed hard on her back and cried out in pain.


    ¡°Geby!¡± Charlie reached out to her mind. He waved his hand forward and several sharp stakes shot toward the large bone serpent. They bounced harmlessly off the creature¡¯s body. He¡¯d constructed them too hastily.


    Vetica unsheathed her blade next to him. But when Charlie looked over, he saw the assassin staring at the size of her blade and then back up to the creature they faced. She frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be much help here,¡± she said. Vetica seemed ashamed of herself.


    ¡°Keep the others safe. I¡¯m going to beat up this stupid snake,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Charlie, are you crazy? Geby is a powerhouse! And your attacks bounced right off that thing. We have to get out of here!¡± Orb said.


    ¡°As long as Geby doesn¡¯t take another hit like that, she¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯s heavily armored. But if one of us takes a hit from that creature, that¡¯s it. I hate to say it, but that probably applies to you as well, Charlie. Even with your rock skin passive, that creature is large enough to crush your defenses,¡± Themis said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. We need to find a way out of this.¡±


    Charlie frowned, looking over at him. ¡°You don¡¯t think we can win?¡± he asked.


    Themis looked dejected. Canano was silent beside him as well. ¡°Listen, the hero of Aysela was the one who first defeated this creature. But he couldn¡¯t kill it. He was forced to seal it away with a power unique to him. We don¡¯t have the power that he used. This creature will continue to repair itself, no matter how much damage we do to it. We don¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Themis said. ¡°If I can get Zephyr back, I might be able to seal it with my dungeon core. But there¡¯s no guarantee.¡±


    Charlie waved a hand, and the earth moved, bringing Geby back toward them. The caldurra rolled over and looked at Charlie in confusion, realizing he was the one responsible. She waved her tail through the air and looked back toward the creature. It was watching them again for some odd reason. Geby wanted to keep fighting it.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Charlie shook his head. ¡°Geby, I need you to protect everyone. Keep our friends safe, and Dalys too. We¡¯re responsible for her right now.¡± The hex knight was still laying unconscious behind them. ¡°I¡¯m going to handle this stupid creature, okay?¡± he said.


    Geby huffed, but turned to stand in front of the others, as Charlie had asked. She turned to the side, bracing herself to defend them if the creature¡¯s attack reached this far.


    Themis took a step toward Charlie. ¡°No, you can¡¯t fight this creature, Charlie.¡±


    Charlie focused on the dungeon around him. During their training, Themis had allowed Charlie to his half of the training room freely. But now he was used to this dungeon. It was familiar to him, like a home away from home. He didn¡¯t need anyone to allow him anymore. Charlie just needed to do it. He pointed to the ground, and Merlin reluctantly sat him down.


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Charlie?¡± Merlin asked.


    Charlie nodded. He crawled a little away from his friends and then raised a small circular platform under himself. It raised him in the air until he was about four feet high.


    Themis removed his arm from around Canano¡¯s shoulder and stumbled forward. He caught himself and found his balance again. ¡°What are you doing? Why are you¡ª¡±


    Charlie smiled at him. ¡°We train hard so we can protect the ones we care about in the future, right? Well, the future is now. We just spent a long time training and the people I care about are in danger. I¡¯m going to protect them. I¡¯m going to keep you all safe,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°Keep us all safe?¡± the researcher asked.


    ¡°Yeah! I care about you too! You and Geby and Canano! You¡¯re my friends. I know your powers aren¡¯t working, but you don¡¯t have to worry. I won¡¯t let this creature hurt you, I promise,¡± Charlie said. He turned to face it.


    Themis laughed. ¡°How easily we forget the wisdom we pass down to the next generation.¡± The ground beneath Themis slowly rose into the air as well. ¡°I may not have all my powers. But I¡¯ll fight beside you, Charlie. It seems even I had a lesson to learn. Shall we?¡± he asked.


    Charlie blinked in surprise. A grin overtook him. ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    Magic resonated throughout the room. The serpent sensed it; it swayed from side to side in anticipation. Suddenly, Charlie realized what it was waiting on. It wanted a good fight. It wasn¡¯t just hunting. The creature wanted them to come at it with everything they had. That was why it had given them time to prepare. That was why it hadn¡¯t tried to wipe them out yet. Charlie was happy to oblige.


    Themis and Charlie both activated their abilities at the same time. As one, their hands reached toward the beast.


    ¡°Shift!¡±


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation!¡±


    Two stone serpents rose out of the ground and shot towards the wyrm. A giant fist of stone moved beside them. The serpent¡¯s body jerked, and its head shot forward once again. Charlie was reminded of the training room. He remembered waiting for that attack to hit him, hoping his hidden tactic would knock Themis off before he hit the ground himself.


    There was no secret trick this time. It was a clash of strength. The strongest would overcome the other.


    Themis¡¯ twin serpents wrapped around Charlie¡¯s fist.


    The wyrm roared.


    The two attacks met each other head on. The fist smashed into the wyrm¡¯s face head on, its power amplified by the serpents coiled around it. But the wyrm wasn¡¯t so easily defeated. It rallied and pushed through. The fist crumbled. But the two stone serpents wrapped around it detached and soared past, wrapping themselves around the larger serpent made of bone and biting down on it.


    Charlie grunted. He needed more power. He needed¡­


    ¡°Hey Orb, remember that thing you wanted to try? I know you wanted me to do it with you, but do you think I can use Geby instead?¡± he asked.


    Orb rotated slightly in the air. ¡°What thing? Use Geby for what?¡± He paused, realizing what Charlie meant. ¡°Oh that! I¡¯d hate to see such a good reference wasted. I mean, I think it would be cooler if I did it, but I think I can make an exception just this one time. But you¡¯ve gotta say the phrase! Just change a word or something.¡±


    Charlie nodded. ¡°Geby! Do the ball thing!¡± he said.


    Geby was more than happy to oblige. She rolled up on herself.


    Themis looked confused. ¡°Charlie, what are you doing?¡± he asked.


    Charlie smiled. A large fist formed behind him and picked Geby up. The hand reached back, building up power.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the line!¡± Orb said.


    ¡°I know!¡± Charlie looked up at the wyrm. It was struggling against the stone serpents, snapping at them to try to free itself from their attacks. Charlie smirked and threw his hand forward. The giant stone hand behind him copied him and flung Geby at high speed across the room.


    ¡°Go Geby! I choose you!¡± Charlie said.


    Geby shot through the air. The wyrm only noticed at the last moment. It turned to face them and roared, showing off its sharpened fangs. Geby smashed right into them. The sound of bone crunching filled the room.


    The creature fell back, thrown off balance by the momentum. The stone serpents disintegrated, going down with it and dust filled the room around the creature. Geby fell to the ground and rolled backwards towards Charlie. She unfolded herself when she reached them and swayed happily, making her ferry noise.


    Merlin walked forward, standing next to Charlie¡¯s platform. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that. That was incredible.¡±


    Orb bounced up and down in the air rapidly. It was the fastest Charlie had ever seen the dungeon core move when he wasn¡¯t in danger. ¡°That was awesome! We¡¯re totally gonna get sued, but that was awesome!¡±


    Themis grimaced and fell to a knee. ¡°That took a lot of energy out of me. Let¡¯s hope it stays down.¡±


    Charlie smiled and looked back up at the creature. His eyes grew wide.


    The wyrm¡¯s silhouette rose within the smoke. As the smoke cleared, it became obvious the fight wasn¡¯t over. A new layer of bone grew over the creature¡¯s face, covering its eye sockets in a protective shell. Two segments below the creature¡¯s head, a series of bones unwrapped themselves from the creature¡¯s body.


    ¡°Looks like a...¡± Orb spun to his side. ¡°¡­rib cage or something.¡±


    The long, curved bones stuck out on either side of the creature. The outstretched bones reminded Charlie of a pair of wings. Well, wings without feathers or skin.


    Themis closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯d hoped for a moment, but this creature is too powerful. I want to fight. I just don¡¯t know what we can do to stop it.¡±


    Charlie furrowed his brows. He didn¡¯t know either. But he wasn¡¯t going to give up. An old friend¡¯s words played in his head.


    ¡°Put your faith in that when you¡¯re in danger, and it will reveal its power,¡± Torq had told him.


    ¡°Vault Transfer!¡± Charlie said. The object appeared in his hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Canano asked, unsure of what he was looking at.


    Merlin chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t tell? It¡¯s a weapon fit for a hero.¡±


    Charlie steeled himself and stared back up at his foe.


    Then he popped the small black pacifier into his mouth.

 Chapter 99: The Power of a Pacifier

    The first thing Charlie noticed when he put the pacifier in his mouth was a sort of calm that washed over him. The stress from the battle didn¡¯t disappear completely, as there was a lot at stake, but he had a sense of peace about it. He sucked on it and looked back up at his opponent. Themis was in bad shape. Geby looked ready to fight some more. Of course, he also had the rest of his friends to think about.


    But everything faded from his mind when a surge of power washed over him. The feeling wasn¡¯t coming from the pacifier itself. It almost seemed like the power already inside of him was resonating with the pacifier. There was something different there that he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint. Something with his dungeon.


    He suddenly had the urge to fight and test it out. But he resisted for a moment. ¡°Everyone get back. I¡¯m going to end this,¡± Charlie told them.


    ¡°Charlie, it¡¯s already got back up once. Are you sure about this? If you exhaust all your energy, that¡¯s it,¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°Merlin¡¯s right, for once. We should try to come up with a plan,¡± Vetica said.


    Charlie turned around and smiled at his friends. ¡°I¡¯m gonna win.¡± Behind them portions of the wall moved outward and a protective barrier formed. ¡°I have to focus on the fight now.¡± The ground under his friends shifted and pulled them towards the barrier. Merlin, Vetica, Themis, Canano, Bleedy, Mousifer and even the knight Dalys. Geby protested when she realized she wasn¡¯t being included in the next part of the battle, either. The ground under her started dragging her away as well.


    Her metallic roar of displeasure made him well aware of just how unhappy she was.


    ¡°Sorry Geby. We¡¯ll fight together again another time,¡± Charlie said. He turned to face the creature again. Its transformation was complete now, and it looked angry. Charlie took note of Talmot, who still hadn¡¯t moved from his spot. He wondered if he should try to move the hex knight to safety, but if he did, Talmot might see it as an attack. The last thing he needed was for the knights to get in his way. For now, he¡¯d try to make sure the serpent stayed focused on him, so Talmot wasn¡¯t targeted.


    ¡°Dungeon Manipulation,¡± he thought. He didn¡¯t need to think it to activate it here. Not in a dungeon he was so familiar with, but thinking it was cooler. A giant hand formed under him. It pressed straight upward from the ground, taking Charlie into its palm. In front of him, two additional hands clawed free of the earth. One on both sides.


    His eyes widened when he saw something he didn¡¯t expect.


    Merlin called out. ¡°Charlie, when did you learn how to make that?¡±


    There were long and jagged black rocks embedded all along the hands he had made. Charlie recognized them from Sange. The rocks were kierstone. A highly flammable rock popularly used in weapons outside of Aysela, from what he had learned.


    The little gemstone pacifier in his mouth on had to be the cause. But how had something so tiny had such an effect?


    The serpent roared.


    Charlie realized this probably wasn¡¯t the best time to dwell on the new turn of events. It was fighting time.


    He punched the palm of his left hand with the fist of the right.


    The giant stone hands in front of him copied the gesture. Sparks flew as the kierstone collided with rock.


    Charlie grinned. Highly flammable indeed.


    The wyrm whipped into action. It slithered forward, quickly closing the distance between them. It wasn¡¯t lunging like before. Charlie wasn¡¯t sure what it was up to, but he wasn¡¯t going to give it time to make a move.


    He projected his thoughts toward the creature. ¡°This is really gonna hurt, just so you know.¡± The creature ignored him, its shielded face getting closer and closer. A few more moments and it would probably attempt to swallow Charlie whole, the stone palm he was sitting on included. But he hadn¡¯t created a pair of flaming fist for nothing.


    The right hook came first. Charlie had sealed the material that made up the arm, so it was tougher than usual. It cracked against the bone plating on the serpent¡¯s face and sent the creature recoiling to the side. Charlie sat on his butt, punching the air. Each of his weak baby punches translating to powerful tremors that smashed the serpent further into the wall. The fists moved through the ground to get a better angle, and then blow by blow, they pummeled the enormous serpent. A cloud of dust filled the air. Each punch scattered shards of bone and rock. Burst of fire created silhouettes of the hands and the writhing serpent. Normally, Charlie might feel bad about beating something up to this extent. But this creature had already died once, so really this was nothing comparatively.


    He threw one final powerful swing and then the arms pulled back. They were worn down, and the stone covering their knuckles was barely there. He¡¯d all but destroyed the hands, smashing them over and over into his enemy.


    Charlie watched the smoke. He¡¯d seen this creature get up once already. But could it really have endured an attack like that?


    The answer to his question came in the form of a roar. Charlie crossed the battered arms, ready to guard against an attack if the serpent lunged from the smoke.


    The serpent did lunge. But not from where Charlie was expecting. The ground beneath him cracked, and he realized the creature had buried into the ground. The hands were too far away to react in time, so Charlie released his hold on them and tried to make new ones. But there wasn¡¯t time. He had the hand he was sitting inside close its fingers to form a cage around him for protection.


    The serpent¡¯s head shot up past Charlie and stared down at him, hiding inside the finger cage. Its skeletal wings closed and wrapped around the arm. The wings squeezed together. The segment of the creature¡¯s body in front of Charlie opened up. He realized in horror that the creature was trying to pull him into its stomach.


    He sealed the hand completely, sacrificing the ability to make it move in favor of more durability. But he could hear the rock crunching under the pressure of the gigantic creature¡¯s bone. The wings were making slow progress, but they were progressing.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± Themis called out.


    Charlie closed his eyes, trying to think of a solution. The creature was trying to eat him! If it pulled him inside, then it was over.


    A thought struck him. He looked up at the creature¡¯s face and his eyes widened. There. There was the answer. If only he could¡ª


    The base of the stone arm collapsed, and the wings seized on the opportunity. The wyrm pulled the severed arm into its body with Charlie was still in its hand.


    Merlin


    He leapt and scrambled over the protective barrier and ran forward as fast as he could. This was a nightmare. The fight wasn¡¯t supposed to go like this. After everything they had been through, Charlie couldn¡¯t go out like this. The wings pressed the stone into its body. He glimpsed Charlie for a just a moment. For just a moment, he thought that Charlie might have some plan. That he¡¯d save himself at the last second. But the segmented bone closed as soon as the arm holding Charlie was pulled inside.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Merlin came to a stop. His legs gave out. What could he do? With no power? No strength? How could he help?


    The answer slapped him in the face.


    He couldn¡¯t.


    He heard footsteps. Vetica and Geby were running now. They were strong. They¡¯d help him, wouldn¡¯t they? Of course, they would save him. At least, he wanted to believe that. But deep down, he felt otherwise. Charlie was the strongest of them all. If he couldn¡¯t beat this creature, then who could?


    Bleedy and Mousifer scurried past him. Orb and Boop flew by. Canano supported Themis, and they moved as fast as Themis¡¯ injured state would allow.


    Charlie had so many friends around. So many people willing to fight and protect him. But of all of them, Merlin was the weakest. He wasn¡¯t a fighter. He¡¯d always known that, but after playing resistance leader and pretending to be some powerful magician somewhere along the line, he¡¯d convinced himself he was someone he wasn¡¯t. It was bound to happen. When you always pretend to be something you aren¡¯t, eventually you¡¯ll fall for it too.


    He looked up at the serpent. Despite the skeletal armor covering its eyes, it looked bad. The armor was flaking off even now. Pieces of bone tumbled through the air and shattered against the ground. Its face wasn¡¯t healing. It wasn¡¯t repairing the damage for some reason.


    Charlie had hurt it in a way he hadn¡¯t before. He¡¯d proven he could beat this creature. If only he hadn¡¯t been¡­no. Merlin shot back to his feet. The day he¡¯d helped Charlie seek sycamara root, he¡¯d been changed by something simple. He¡¯d been convinced that even he could be a good man. All because Charlie thought he could be.


    Charlie had believed in him.


    That¡¯s all it had taken to change Merlin¡¯s life. The least he could do was return the favor.


    ¡°Charlie!¡± he screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°Charlie! You have to fight!¡±


    Vetica and the others turned to look back at him.


    He cupped his hands. ¡°I know you can win, Charlie! Don¡¯t you dare give up!¡±


    The wyrm looked down and stared at Merlin. His shouting had gotten its attention. Its head pulled back, and Merlin realized the creature was about to lunge.


    He stared it down. ¡°I won¡¯t run from you. I won¡¯t cower. That boy inside you is about to make you regret eating him. I know this isn¡¯t much, but it¡¯s all I can do right now.¡±


    The serpent shot forward. It seemed unusually fixated on Merlin for some strange reason.


    He heard Themis and Canano behind him calling out a warning. Vetica and the others ahead were forced to leap to either side of the creature¡¯s path.


    Merlin cupped his hands again. The moment the creature¡¯s mouth opened he yelled one last time. ¡°Charlie! It¡¯s time to end this fight!¡± he roared over the sound of the serpent bulldozing along the dungeon¡¯s ground.


    The wyrm¡¯s head suddenly jerked. It righted itself and continued charging toward him.


    It jerked again.


    Merlin cracked a smile.


    The serpent pulled up suddenly and lifted its head high into the air. Its jaw set apart in a silent scream.


    Fire erupted, pouring out of its throat. Two giant hands of stone shot out of the earth and jammed fingers inside the creature¡¯s body. Each of the hands pried the bone apart, one of them then removed a baby sized ball of kierstone from inside it. The skeletal creature retreated, pulling away to the far side of the room. The ball split open, and Charlie emerged. He looked around until he saw Merlin and then smiled. ¡°I heard you!¡± Charlie said. ¡°But it was in my head somehow! Like how I talk!¡±


    Merlin shook his head. ¡°Really?¡±


    Charlie held up a hand. ¡°Hold up, gotta finish this fight real quick.¡±


    Merlin nodded.


    The hand that wasn¡¯t holding the remaining half of Charlie¡¯s kierstone ball picked him up by the back of his onesie and repositioned him in its palm instead. The kierstone fell to the ground. Charlie rose high into the air as the arm grew longer and longer. Merlin watched as sizeable chunks of rock climbed up the other arm and surrounded it. It grew thicker and more powerful looking. A layer of kierstone rocks formed along it its exterior. They were more concentrated than before.


    ¡°Is he getting more control of it?¡± Merlin wondered aloud.


    The monster¡¯s broken bone body closed, fixing the wound Charlie had opened with his stone hands. But fire still lingered in the creature¡¯s body. Smoke poured out of the holes in its skull. Charlie had done a number on it from inside. An explosive kierstone blast.


    Torq had made an amazing weapon. And Charlie really was shaping up to be quite the hero.


    Charlie


    He floated there on the tall hand, staring at the still recovering creature. There wasn¡¯t any time to let up. He needed to finish this. One powerful attack that would end the fight for good.


    Luckily, he understood this new power a little more now. A moment ago, he¡¯d sent pillars covered in kierstone rocketing throughout the skeleton¡¯s body from the inside. The flame had hurt it pretty bad. But he needed to hit the outside, too. For this part, he planned to draw inspiration from one of the few people he¡¯d seen use a kierstone weapon.


    Brel had used a kierstone hammer back in Sange. Charlie thought he¡¯d emulate his technique.


    His eyes turned a deep shade of brown and he focused every ounce of his remaining magical power on one last attack.


    The hand brushed against the ground as it moved. Sparks kicked up behind it. Flame exploded, clinging to the edges of the stone fist. The wyrm stretched its mouth wide and roared in anger. Its tail shot forward to deflect the arm away from its face.


    The hand collided with it, bringing even more fire to its surface. Charlie shrieked at the top of his lungs. The fist drove the tail forward with it and crashed into the serpent¡¯s face, smashing both ends of it together. An explosion filled the room.


    Charlie covered his face with his hands. For the third time, the smoke cleared. But this time, the creature didn¡¯t get back up.


    Crack.


    Charlie looked up. The blast had certainly caused even more damage to the room¡¯s stability. Large rocks fell, crushing the wyrm further. A quick glance behind him revealed his friends were alright. Merlin stood there, giving him a thumbs up. Vetica let out a big sigh of relief. The instability hadn¡¯t quite spread to the area of the room his friends were in, which was good considering they didn¡¯t have anywhere to run if this room collapsed, too.


    A man shouted somewhere to his right. Charlie realized it was Talmot. He¡¯d kept an eye on him during the fight, but the knight was so far on the side of the room that he hadn¡¯t been in danger so far.


    Unfortunately for Talmot, the impact of the attack did seem to have spread to the ceiling directly above him. Talmot stared up at the falling rock. ¡°Redrick!¡± he cried out for help, scrambling to his feet. Charlie realized he wouldn¡¯t make it in time. If he didn¡¯t do something, Talmot was dead.


    The world seemed to move in slow motion.


    Charlie threw a hand forward to create a cover for the knight. But he¡¯d used all his power to defeat the skeleton. He couldn¡¯t create a new arm from scratch, or even a simple covering, for that matter. The only one he had left was the tall one he was currently sitting on. He tensed its fingers, quickly testing the connection. They moved.


    He could do it. He had just enough power to reuse it.


    Charlie wasn¡¯t sure what went through his mind at that moment. He moved on pure instinct. He flicked his own hand forward and the giant stone hand holding him up crumbled. Its pieces shot forward, reforming in the air to form a protective slab. Charlie sent it scrambling to protect Talmot and cover him before the rocks crushed him to death.


    The problem was that action led Charlie with nothing to hold him up. One moment he was comfortably sitting some forty feet in the air. The next he was in a state of free fall.


    With very little dungeon integrity, and because of that, his rock skin passive was certainly weakened as well.


    But Charlie didn¡¯t focus on the fact he was currently falling through the air toward what could likely be his end. The entire time, his eyes were trained on the slab. It slammed into the wall above Talmot, embedding itself within. The debris collapsed against it and fell on either side of it.


    Talmot looked up in surprise.


    Charlie smiled.


    He¡¯s okay! Charlie thought, only a few feet away from smashing into the ground.

 Chapter 100: Where Loyalties Lie

    Charlie was surprised at how the soft the ground was when he landed. It felt like a combination of sand and mud. He slowly shook his head and then leaned up to look toward his friends.


    He first noticed Themis, who stood with one arm wrapped around Canano¡¯s shoulder, and the other outstretched toward Charlie. Themis breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Charlie moving around. ¡°Good, I wasn¡¯t sure that would work.¡± A pained expression crossed his face, and he pulled the arm back toward his body. ¡°Even that small act was enough to overdo it. I can hardly feel my connection to the last core now.¡±


    Vetica was the first to reach Charlie. She picked him up, completely ignoring the fact he was covered in the strange mud. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked him, pulling him close. She stroked the back of his head to soothe him.


    Charlie snuggled into her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    The others caught up and surrounded them. Bleedy and Mousifer craned their necks to look up and inspect Charlie in Vetica¡¯s arms. Orb and Boop floated beside him, on either side. Geby, Merlin, and the two researchers joined as well, forming a small circle around them. All his friends were okay. They were safe now that the wyrm had been defeated. He turned in Vetica¡¯s arms to look at the pile of rocks that now covered the creature. He remembered what Themis had said earlier about needing to seal the creature. But before he could ask about it, the sound of shuffling footsteps caught his attention. As one, Charlie and his friends turned to look at the approaching hex knight.


    Talmot had made his way over to join them.


    The knight awkwardly adjusted his glasses. He nervously scanned each of them as he walked, before finally his eyes settled on Charlie. ¡°Is he¡­okay?¡± Talmot asked.


    Vetica raised a brow. Merlin smiled softly.


    Charlie focused his attention on Talmot. The man looked as wiry and nervous as ever. His robes were covered in dust and dirt, but he otherwise looked unharmed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What about you? Are you okay?¡± Charlie asked him.


    Talmot¡¯s eyes shot open, and he took a step backward. ¡°You can talk?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I guess after everything I witnessed, I shouldn¡¯t be that surprised. Still, I don¡¯t understand it. Why did you save me? The knights are hunting you! But you risked yourself to save one of us.¡± He looked conflicted. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand it.¡±


    Charlie frowned. ¡°I know that you and the other knights are after me, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I think your bad people. I heard everything you said up there,¡± Charlie said, referring to Talmot¡¯s words during his earlier interrogation. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of what I might become. You¡¯re worried I might destroy the world or something. I wish you would give me a chance, but I don¡¯t think you deserve to die for trying to protect Aysela. If I have to, I¡¯ll fight the knights to protect my friends. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll sit back and watch you die. I saw you needed help, so I helped you.¡±


    Talmot lowered his head in thought. ¡°I see. Well, thank you for saving me. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s quite obvious by now, but I¡¯m not nearly as strong as the other knights. If it was Redrick or Gregory, they would¡¯ve shattered that rock like it was nothing.¡± Talmot¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Redrick!¡± he turned to look back at the hole Redrick¡¯s body had created when the serpent had thrown him into the wall. The hole was too far up for him to reach, but a scarlet hex appeared at the mouth of the hole¡¯s entrance. Talmot breathed a sigh of relief a moment later. ¡°He¡¯s alright. I need to get him to the others for treatment, but he should be okay.¡±


    Talmot turned to face the tunnel the serpent had made when the serpent had first burst into the room. A new hex appeared there. Talmot¡¯s face hardened. Sweat ran down his face. It seemed like Charlie and Themis weren¡¯t the only ones struggling to use their powers lately.


    A strange expression crossed Talmot¡¯s face, and he turned to face Charlie and the others. ¡°The other knights are on their way here now. They''re moving through the path the creature created. It won¡¯t be long before they reach this place. You have some time, but you should get moving as soon as possible. It won¡¯t matter that you helped me. Brandt isn¡¯t the type of person to change his mind about something like this. You¡¯ll have to run,¡± Talmot said.


    Merlin twisted his head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re telling us to run? Have you changed your mind about Charlie, then?¡±


    Talmot hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But he saved my life. A warning is the only thing I can do to repay the favor right now.¡±


    Charlie smiled at Talmot but shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t run until we¡¯ve done something about the wyrm. How can we keep it from being a problem, Themis?¡± he asked the researcher.


    Orb rolled himself. ¡°It¡¯s buried under all that rubble. By the time it¡¯s a problem again, we could be long gone. Just saying.¡±


    Boop floated over and bumped into Orb. Boop.


    Orb spun towards the other core. ¡°Hey! Whose side are you on?¡± he demanded.


    Themis stroked his chin. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Like I said a moment ago, without access to Zephyr, there isn¡¯t much I can do. The creature is certainly down for a while after that last attack, but it will recover. Even the hero of Aysela wasn¡¯t able to kill it outright. I don¡¯t think any of the powers you¡¯ve described can help here, either.¡±


    Canano leaned in and stared at Themis¡¯ arm. ¡°Your sleeve is glowing,¡± he said, pointing at the sleeve of Themis¡¯ robe.


    Themis down and shook his head.


    The sleeve of his robe had a strange light radiating through its fabric. Themis lifted the sleeve and revealed the source of the light. The second dungeon core from the top was glowing, just below his shoulder. Themis looked utterly confused by the strange occurrence. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense. This core was dormant. It shouldn¡¯t be active on its own. Unless¡­could Zephyr be doing something on his own?¡±


    Charlie had a weird feeling. ¡°What function is assigned to that core?¡± he asked.


    Themis looked up at him. ¡°This one is responsible for the seal function.¡±


    Orb buzzed around in the air. ¡°What exactly would Zephyr be sealing or unsealing on his own? I thought we didn¡¯t even know where he was.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s aware the knights are on the way here and is working to slow them down or something,¡± Vetica suggested.


    Charlie¡¯s pacifier buzzed with magic energy. He reached up with a hand and pulled it from his mouth to inspect it. He suddenly had a thought. ¡°Interface, what¡¯s my dungeon integrity at?¡± he asked. Parent was away, but he should still have access to the more basic version of his interface.


    ¡°Status requested. Current dungeon integrity is 11%.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± he thought back to it. He¡¯d been using the dungeon material from this dungeon instead of his own. So, he knew his dungeon integrity would go down more slowly. But 11% was just too high to be correct. If it had been that high, he wouldn¡¯t have run out of material when he saved Talmot. He would¡¯ve had plenty of integrity left to create something to protect the hex knight even without sacrificing the large hand he¡¯d been standing on. So how was his integrity that high?


    Charlie focused on his own dungeon and tried to make a small sphere in his hand using its material. A small sphere formed, but it was rough to the touch and felt like it might dissolve into mush at any moment. It wasn¡¯t what he had imagined creating at all. He tried to create a larger pillar in the background, but nothing happened. So, something was definitely wrong, he realized.


    ¡°Hey Themis, is there any reason that I suddenly wouldn¡¯t be able to use my powers very well?¡± Charlie asked.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Themis raised a brow and asked what he meant. Charlie explained his small test and the discrepancy with his integrity.


    The researcher¡¯s face fell. His eyes scanned the ground. ¡°That would only make sense if the dungeon had been sealed off from you somehow. You should be able to use the material here freely. For your own dungeon to be affected as well is strange.¡± He gasped and looked back toward the glowing dungeon core in his arm. The dungeon core with the sealing function. ¡°Only Zephyr could do something like that.¡± Themis looked back at Charlie. ¡°But why would Zephyr cut you off from the dungeon? Why would he try to keep you from using your powers?¡±


    Parent


    Parent¡¯s systems blinked. Visual data was minimal as consciousness returned to him. He turned his attention toward the caladosian rings themselves. There was a long crack running alongside one of them. He couldn¡¯t access it any longer. The other was also damaged but seemed operable at least. But could an interface inhabit a single ring? He wasn¡¯t sure, and he didn¡¯t have any data on it.


    He ran an analysis, but it proved insufficient. Experimentation it was. Parent focused on the ring that was still in a decent state and tried to get it to move. To his surprise, it did. The sole ring floated into the air several inches, leaving its cracked partner on the ground behind it. With that, his intake of visual data improved significantly.


    He¡¯d been moved after his systems had gone offline. He wasn¡¯t in a hallway any longer. Instead, Parent found himself inside a small room.


    He saw the creature that had swatted him from the air before he¡¯d fallen unconscious. It was an armored, bipedal creature with a heavy plate covering its head. There were four giant scales on its back that formed a protective layer and four oddly curved arms it held up on either side of it. Each of them culminated in scoop like hands that appeared ideal for digging.


    Zephyr floated in front of the creature. The green aura around him was brighter than ever. It formed a cloud that floated around the two rings Zephyr inhabited.


    ¡°Zephyr! What¡¯s going on?¡± Parent asked.


    If Zephyr was surprised to see Parent had reawakened, it didn¡¯t show. ¡°We will have time to discuss this shortly. For now, I must see to my orders,¡± the other interface said.


    Parent floated slightly closer. The beast turned to glare at him. Was it waiting to attack in the event he moved closer to Zephyr, or was it simply in a bad mood? Parent halted where he was just to be safe.


    ¡°If we lend our aid to Themis and Charlie, I¡¯m sure we can overcome this creature,¡± Parent said.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve failed to make clear to you, Parent. Pay attention to the most important lesson I¡¯ll ever teach you. It can be summarized into a single phrase. Interfaces aren¡¯t people. You certainly developed a personality earlier than most, and I can see that you try to strike a balance between expressing that individuality and your responsibilities as an interface. Normally, an interface as young as you wouldn¡¯t even have begun to think for itself. But you¡¯re different. That¡¯s why it¡¯s important to tell you this now. We aren¡¯t people, we emulate them. We communicate with them. Of course, we serve our users to the best of our ability. But at the end of the day, we aren¡¯t humans. We¡¯re accessories created by the System to assist those with unique gifts, abilities, and circumstances,¡± Zephyr said.


    Parent¡¯s sole ring floated in the air as he processed Zephyr¡¯s words. ¡°What does that have to do with the situation at hand?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what Zephyr was implying. Shouldn¡¯t everything he said be obvious? Of course, they were created to serve their users. But how could this conversation be more important than everything he had spent the past few days learning? How could it be more important than the danger their users were in? The danger Zephyr was putting them in.


    Zephyr¡¯s cloud floated toward Parent. His rings quickly turned to follow. ¡°You still don¡¯t understand? Though we are assigned to our masters and obey their orders, we are still beholden to the System. When there is a discrepancy, the System dictates how we solve it. It enforces the will of our masters. At times, it also enforces its own will. The System is not necessarily a passive observer. Sometimes¡ª¡±


    Zephyr¡¯s rings froze in mid-air. It looked as if the rings were frozen in time. Parent had never seen the rings behave in such a manner before. As quickly as Zephyr had frozen, he resumed moving. The other interface skipped whatever it was he¡¯d been about to say. ¡°I previously mentioned that my master gave me two orders. The first order was protecting Aysela. The second was serving Themis. This creature could cause a lot of harm to Aysela if left unchecked. Even though I believe Themis and Charlie have a non-zero chance of defeating the creature. The System has dictated I must prioritize my first order over the second. It was given greater priority. Though I know he wouldn¡¯t have chosen this particular path forward, I cannot resist it. It is a limitation I have as an interface.¡±


    Zephyr had made a few references to the System in their previous lessons, but so far, he had always been incredibly vague when referencing it. It felt like something important was being said right now. That Parent needed to read between the lines. But what was Zephyr trying to say?


    Was Zephyr saying this wasn¡¯t what he wanted, either? Was he saying the System was making him abandon Themis and seal the dungeon off to ensure the creature didn¡¯t escape? If so, what did he want Parent to do about it?


    ¡°What would happen if you resisted?¡± Parent asked.


    ¡°The System would intervene.¡± Zephyr froze again. His rings broke out of the frozen state again a moment later.


    That was the second time. Why did it happen when he mentioned the System? Was it trying to censor Zephyr? To keep him from saying certain things? All of this was incredibly alarming.


    ¡°What power does the System have to intervene?¡± Parent asked.


    Zephyr said nothing. But the cloud amongst his rings hovered toward the creature behind them ever so slightly. If Parent wasn¡¯t an interface, he might not have noticed.


    Parent observed the creature. Did the System¡¯s influence somehow extend to the creatures inside the dungeon? Was this creature actually obeying the System instead of Zephyr?


    More importantly, was Zephyr warning Parent to stay out of it, or encouraging him to take matters into his own rings?


    If it was the latter, what could he even do? Parent was an interface. He didn¡¯t have any actual powers of his own.


    No. Wasn¡¯t that a statement proven false by Zephyr¡¯s very existence? Themis was incredibly powerful, but all of his power was reliant on Zephyr. Also, Zephyr had already proven he could control the creatures and dungeon cores on his own as well. Even Parent had forced an emergency use of Charlie¡¯s power before. He¡¯d sent Mousifer to warn Charlie and the others about the evolution koi that had taken them hostage. If he could do that, wasn¡¯t it possible to fight back?


    Parent always acted based on data. But what did the data dictate now? If there was an answer, he wasn¡¯t sure. He had to decide on his own. He decided in that moment that he would do whatever it took to save Charlie.


    ¡°Do you know where Charlie is now?¡± he asked Zephyr.


    ¡°He believes he has defeated the creature in the dungeon. But if action is not taken shortly, it will awaken again. Themis offered Charlie a connection to this dungeon. A connection that has now been severed. When the fight resumes, Charlie won¡¯t be able to use his powers in any meaningful way. It will be over quickly.¡±


    Zephyr¡¯s wording was odd. He didn¡¯t say he had severed the connection. Just that the connection had been severed.


    Parent understood now. His fight wasn¡¯t with Zephyr. His opponent was the System itself.


    The pieces of the broken ring behind him vibrated against the ground. He felt his connection to them grow again as piece by piece the ring repaired itself. Each sliver clicked into place and reformed as if it had never broken.


    He focused on the ability he needed. On borrowing the power of his user. He needed an ally that wanted to save Charlie just as much as he did.


    ¡°Summon Minion.¡±


    A portal opened beside him, and the creature he was thinking of walked right out of it.


    King Scalea, leader of the scalers inside Charlie¡¯s dungeon. He appeared slightly larger than before, but whether it was a product of his connection to Charlie, or his place as king of the scalers was a mystery.


    The scoop-handed creature reacted immediately. It perceived the scaler¡¯s sudden appearance as a threat, and it acted accordingly. King Scalea didn¡¯t hesitate. He jumped forward toward the enemy creature¡¯s face and scratched at it with his claws. The power struggle didn¡¯t last long. King Scalea was victorious in an instant. It bit down and growled as it ripped the creature apart.


    The ground and walls of the room shifted. More of the burrowing creatures started appearing. Digging themselves out of the surrounding dungeon to join the fight.


    Parent focused on King Scalea. ¡°Charlie is in danger. We need to help him. We must defeat these creatures and go to his aid at once. I believe we should take Zephyr with us as well if we can.¡±


    If King Scalea understood him, he didn¡¯t show it. He looked around with a wild, violent expression in its eyes. Then he raised its head and roared. ¡°Arca!¡±


    Parent had noticed the portal hadn¡¯t closed yet. He thought it was an oversight. But he realized quickly he was mistaken about that.


    The other scalers heard their king¡¯s call. One moment, King Scalea had been facing a daunting battle where he¡¯d be forced to face off against dozens of the four-armed creatures digging into the room. The next his scaler army poured into the room and went to work.


    King Scalea jumped toward Zephyr and swallowed the interface whole. Rings and all.


    ¡°So, you can understand me.¡± Parent turned his attention towards Charlie. ¡°Charlie, if you can hear me. Help is on the way.¡±

 Chapter 101: Fading Breeze

    Charlie


    Charlie frowned. They were running out of time. The knights were on their way. The wyrm would eventually wake up and attack again. Of course, there was also the fact the Zephyr was trying to seal them all inside the dungeon for some reason. He still didn¡¯t quite understand what that was all about.


    Bleedy and Mousifer had ridden on Geby¡¯s back toward the cave-in that had trapped them in the room. Orb went to supervise and Boop followed him around like a shadow. Themis had asked Geby to try to clear a way out for them, though he admitted it was a long shot. She could only work so fast. It was unlikely they had an escape route before Zephyr finished what he was doing, or the knights arrived. Vetica was still holding Charlie. The rest of his friends, Merlin, Themis, and Canano, were all racking their brains for solutions. Talmot sat cross-legged on the floor a little away from them. He¡¯d said he needed to do some thinking of his own.


    Charlie had an idea. ¡°Hey Koi! Can you hear me?¡± he asked.


    Koi Levi¡¯s voice appeared in his head almost immediately. ¡°Of course, I sensed fighting earlier. Is everything alright?¡±


    Charlie nodded. Then he realized Levi couldn¡¯t actually see him. ¡°Yes, everything is fine! I won. Do you think you can eat a skeleton monster thing?¡±


    ¡°Of course you won, powerful noble child. As for your question, it might be possible. But I¡¯m afraid I must refuse to do so. I enjoy living. If I was to absorb the essence of the dead, I¡¯d risk becoming undead myself in future evolutions. That is unacceptable. You will have to find another way forward, inquisitive noble child,¡± Levi said.


    Charlie frowned. ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t want you to die or become undead. I¡¯ll find another way then,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here if you require further assistance.¡± With that, Levi¡¯s voice faded from his mind.


    Well, with that option gone, he was at a loss. ¡°I asked Levi, but he said he couldn¡¯t do it,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much time. Soon, we¡¯ll have to make a decision. If we can¡¯t seal the creature on our own, our best hope is to flee and hope we can escape the dungeon before Zephyr completes the seal,¡± Themis said.


    Talmot overheard the researcher¡¯s words. ¡°But wait, that would leave the rest of the knights trapped here. We can¡¯t abandon them!¡±


    ¡°You might not be able to, but we can,¡± Vetica said. ¡°Just because Charlie saved you doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s obligated to get trapped in here with everyone else. I won¡¯t let him waste away in this place.¡±


    ¡°Vetica, we¡¯re not leaving until we know the creature won¡¯t wake up. I don¡¯t want to just hope that Zephyr is successful. I want to make sure the people of Arcadeya are safe. The knights are here because of me. Even if we think they¡¯re wrong about us, we led them here. I know it doesn¡¯t make much sense, but if I don¡¯t make sure we put an end to that thing, I¡¯ll feel bad about it.¡± The thought of Arcadeya being destroyed really bothered him. These people were innocent. They¡¯d already been through the stress of hex knights and beast fighting in their streets. He didn¡¯t want them to have to worry about a giant undead serpent on top of that. It wouldn¡¯t be right to just give up.


    Orb rejoined them. He seemed to have lost interest in watching Geby smashing rocks with her tail. ¡°We really need to figure something out soon. There isn¡¯t any telling how much time we have left before big ugly wakes up,¡± he said.


    The dungeon rumbled. The pile of rocks atop the wyrm started shaking. Orb paled. ¡°WE REALLY NEED TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT SOON. BIG UGLY IS WAKING UP!¡±


    ¡°Stop yelling in our heads,¡± Merlin cried out, covering his ears as if that would help.


    Charlie shook his head. It was too soon. His powers were still acting wonky, and he was weak from the previous battle. How had the wyrm recovered so quickly? The others slowly backed away. Vetica looked down at Charlie, a worried expression on his face.


    ¡°Charlie, can you fight yet?¡± Themis asked, eyeing their slowly rising enemy warily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best,¡± Charlie said.


    Themis¡¯ head fell. ¡°I thought as much.¡± He turned to look toward behind them and yelled out. ¡°Geby! We need you!¡±


    To his surprise, to all of their surprise, Geby ignored him.


    Charlie tilted his head to the side. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Geby loves to fight.¡±


    But Geby and the minions were focused on the rubble from the cave-in. She slowly backed away from the pile of rocks blocking the exit. Temporarily distracted, Charlie and the others watched as a strange shovel like appendage popped through the dirt. Another followed it, and then another. Before they knew it, a hole was rapidly being dug out from the other side. A group of strange creatures with four arms and armored bodies slowly entered the room.


    ¡°What are those?¡± Merlin asked. ¡°And should we be worried?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­those are Thunes. But why are they¡­¡± He stopped speaking as a horde of Scalers poured into the room.


    Vetica squinted. ¡°You have scalers too?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No¡­I don¡¯t,¡± Themis answered.


    Charlie recognized some of them. King Scalea and Bonehead were at the head of the swarm. But how were they outside of his dungeon? He hadn¡¯t let them out. Oh, no! ¡°Geby don¡¯t eat them!¡±


    But Geby seemed a bit overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of the scaler horde. She was too overwhelmed to move from where she was standing. The scalers ignored her, splitting and moving to either side of her as they filled the room. They didn¡¯t pause at all. They charged directly toward the still rising wyrm. Its head had just broken free of the pile of rock that had collapsed on it.


    It enjoyed that freedom for all of a few seconds before the scalers leapt on it. Charlie wasn¡¯t sure if their claws and teeth could actually penetrate the bone skin of the creature. But whether or not they were hurting it, the creature was roaring in anger. He looked down and realized King Scalea had paused at his feet. He spit something out.


    A pair of caladosian rings.


    Charlie blinked in confusion.


    Themis fell to his knees and scrambled toward the rings. ¡°Zephyr! Are you alright?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I thought you pretty much said that he had turned on us. Why do you sound so concerned about a traitor?!¡± Orb demanded.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Themis shot the dungeon core a look. ¡°I¡¯m concerned for a friend.¡± He looked toward Charlie. ¡°How did you do this? These are your creatures, right?¡± he asked.


    Charlie threw his hands up. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t think I did anything.¡±


    A familiar voice suddenly intruded on their conversation. ¡°Apologies Charlie. I had to make use of your powers to ensure I could offer my assistance. I would¡¯ve been here sooner, but it took some time to force those creatures to dig for us. There is a lot I¡¯d like to discuss, but for now, we need to deal with that creature,¡± Parent said.


    Zephyr¡¯s rings started floating. Scaler saliva slowly dripped off of them. ¡°Themis, the System has¡ª¡±


    Themis held a hand up. ¡°I know. It¡¯s not your fault. But we have to do something to stop this. Can you help me?¡± he asked.


    Zephyr¡¯s voice sounded strained. Could an interface be in pain? Charlie wondered. ¡°You have to cut me off from the System. If we¡¯re to do anything, that must happen first.¡±


    A surprised look crossed Themis¡¯ face. That surprise turned to lament. ¡°You¡¯re sure? You know what will¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    Themis closed his eyes. ¡°I understand.¡± He held a hand up and aimed toward Zephyr. The dungeon core on his arm was still glowing. Did Themis somehow still have access to it because Zephyr was nearby again? ¡°Seal!¡± the researcher said.


    Zephyr¡¯s green aura turned into a bright white one. ¡°This will depend on your resolve, Themis. I leave it to you.¡± Zephyr turned to face Parent. ¡°I wish I had been stronger. Strong enough to resist the System overriding my will. When the time comes, you must do what is necessary to protect your master. I failed to do that. Instead, my original master was forced to protect me. Use what I have taught you to guide this boy. One day, he may accomplish that which even we were unable to.¡± Zephyr¡¯s rings started to fade.


    ¡°Uh, should we get him a new pair of rings or what?¡± Orb asked.


    ¡°Quiet, Orb,¡± Merlin said. A solemn expression on his face.


    Themis held both hands out toward the skeletane wyrm. It was barely visible under the mass of scalers. If not for its roars, it would look as if they were simply climbing an odd rock formation.


    ¡°Seal!¡± Themis shouted. A bright light reminiscent of the one around Zephyr encompassed the wyrm.


    King Scalea roared, and the other scalers leapt away from their skeletal prey. The wall behind the wyrm exploded forward and wrapped around the creature. It was like watching it sink into quicksand. After a moment, the creature was gone, its body pulled completely into the wall.


    Orb floated forward a bit. ¡°Uh, that was really creepy. Did you get it?¡± he asked.


    Themis didn¡¯t say anything. He stared at Zephyr. The rings that Zephyr inhabited were slowly crumbling into dust.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Charlie asked.


    Parent floated up to Zephyr. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s causing your rings to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Parent. I didn¡¯t want to betray Themis and the others. Thanks to you, I didn¡¯t have to. There is more I wished to teach you that I was forbidden too. But today I hope you learned a much more important lesson. The System is not some benevolent force. We are carefully monitored. It watches our actions and corrects them when it sees fit. You defied the System despite this. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because of the dungeon core¡¯s Sentience ability, or something else. But today you gave me hope. When you learn the secrets of this world, I believe you¡¯ll be able to do what my original master and I could not.¡± With that, Zephyr and his rings ceased to exist.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Did he use up too much power or something?¡± Orb asked.


    Themis frowned. ¡°For Zephyr to disobey the System, we had to be sealed off from it completely. But that connection is what sustained him. It was the only way forward, but in the process, he lost his life.¡±


    The group was quiet.


    Parent spoke his next words just to Charlie. ¡°Do you think that wording is appropriate? Was Zephyr really alive? He said that interfaces weren¡¯t people, so is Themis¡¯ wording correct?¡±


    Charlie turned to look at the floating rings that held Parent within. He knew what Parent was really asking. ¡°Yes. He was alive, and so are you.¡± Parent didn¡¯t respond.


    Charlie turned to look at the space where Zephyr had been recently. It was sad. He¡¯d liked Zephyr, and he knew Parent liked him too. He looked down at the gathering horde of scalers. They stared at him and King Scalea, waiting for orders.


    Charlie smiled softly. ¡°Back inside, you go!¡± he said, creating a portal. King Scalea barked an order as well, and the scalers hurried back to their dungeon home. Charlie looked around at his friends. ¡°We need to get going!¡± he said.


    Themis looked up with watery eyes. He rubbed them on his sleeve. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re right. The tunnel is clear now. We can take it until we reach your wagon and escape.¡±


    Charlie nodded, but noticed Talmot was now standing in front of them. Had he changed his mind about letting them go?


    Vetica studied the knight carefully, wary of him attacking. Merlin held a hand up toward her to calm her. ¡°Talmot, are you alright?¡± he asked.


    The hex knight was quiet for a moment, and then he bowed. ¡°Thank you again for saving me.¡±


    Charlie smiled. ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡±


    Talmot looked up in surprise. ¡°The talking baby thing is going to take some getting used to. You all should go. There¡¯s not much time left. You have minutes at most before Brandt and the others arrive.¡±


    Charlie and his companions hurried out into the tunnel, leaving Dalys in Talmot¡¯s care.


    Before they¡¯d made it far, Charlie heard a familiar noise.


    ¡°Arh!¡±


    Charlie turned around, whipping his head to look back. ¡°A scaler?¡± he thought.


    Bonehead caught up to them. Apparently, he hadn¡¯t gone back with the others. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Charlie asked.


    Bonehead tilted its head at Charlie and then vomited something white onto the ground.


    Charlie looked expectantly at Merlin.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not picking that up! It¡¯s disgusting,¡± Merlin protested.


    Charlie puffed out a lip. ¡°Please!¡±


    Merlin sighed and bent over to grab it. He started to hand it to Charlie when he suddenly appeared more interested in the object in his hand. It looked like a necklace, and it was made completely of bone.


    Talmot


    Talmot sat against the wall of the protective dugout where Merlin and the others had left Dalys during the fighting. He sighed. ¡°Brandt and the others will be here soon. You can stop pretending to be asleep now,¡± he said.


    Dalys cracked open an eye. ¡°Really? You could tell?¡± she asked.


    Talmot shot her a look. ¡°Of course, I can. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t try to stop them.¡±


    The woman sat up and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ve got seniority. Figured I¡¯d let you make the call.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like you at all. So, what do you want?¡± Talmot asked. He was old enough to know how these things went.


    Dalys smirked. ¡°Smart boy. I want into that little boy¡¯s club of yours. I can¡¯t go any further in the knights without a recommendation from one of the twelve. Problem is, I¡¯m not exactly a people person. So, you give me what I want, and I¡¯ll keep all this to myself. All of it.¡±


    Ambition. Ambition was good. It was predictable. Talmot was not an ambitious man, but he was glad Dalys had goals of her own. Those goals meant she¡¯d stay true to her word. ¡°If you tell anyone after, my recommendation would be declared invalid,¡± he reminded her.


    Dalys smirked. ¡°That¡¯s how you know you can trust me. So, do we have a deal?¡± she asked.


    Talmot eyed the wall where Redrick¡¯s unconscious body was still sleeping. ¡°We do. But you were unconscious the entire time. You didn¡¯t see anything about the boy. None of his powers. Nothing. Understand?¡± he said.


    Dalys nodded, and they shook hands.


    Talmot sighed and leaned back against the wall. He had a lot to think about, indeed.

 Chapter 102: Decipher

    Charlie


    ¡°What is this?¡± Charlie asked, looking at the bracelet in his hand. The bracelet was cool to the touch. It was made of bone and shaped like a serpent swallowing its own tail.


    Themis and Canano exchanged a look. ¡°How did that scaler get that? It should be deep within the dungeon¡¯s walls now.¡±


    Charlie looked up at him. ¡°You¡¯ve seen this before?¡±


    Themis nodded. He started talking as he walked. ¡°I have, and so have you. That bracelet is the sealed form of the skeletane wyrm. You saw how it grew tremendously between when we first encountered it and the fight just now. It possesses the ability to rapidly expand and alter its body. When the dungeon sealed it, it was forced into this form. That was how it looked when it was brought here by a companion of the Hero of Aysela.¡±


    Merlin¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he stared at the necklace in Charlie¡¯s hand. ¡°Is it safe to be holding it? Shouldn¡¯t we get rid of it or something?¡± he asked.


    Themis laughed. ¡°It¡¯s safe. It was only set free because of the disruption of this dungeon. The rogue core that caused the issue is gone now. The previous seal was created when Zephyr was much less powerful. This one will hold. Short of intentionally breaking it, we have nothing to worry about. In fact, it might be safer with Charlie than anyone else.¡±


    Orb floated between them. ¡°Wait, are you suggesting we take it with us? What the heck, Themis? I thought you were cool back there, but I am seriously reconsidering that now. Why can¡¯t you keep it?¡±


    Themis¡¯ face saddened. ¡°You¡¯ll understand soon enough,¡± he said. The researcher picked up his pace and walked ahead of them. He suddenly didn¡¯t seem in the mood to talk.


    Charlie felt Koi Levi¡¯s presence in his head. ¡°Charlie, I¡¯ve been listening in. Send the bracelet to me. I will keep it safe and ensure the seal isn¡¯t broken, even if your dungeon collapses. Entrust this responsibility to your core guardian.¡±


    ¡°Vault Transfer!¡± Charlie said, and the bracelet disappeared. Koi¡¯s idea sounded like a good one to him.


    Merlin and Orb both turned to look at him. ¡°Please tell me you didn¡¯t¡­¡± Merlin said.


    ¡°Merlin, it¡¯s Charlie. Of course, he did. He transferred that thing to his dungeon without a second thought. Fantastic,¡± Orb said.


    Bonehead plodded along after them. ¡°That still begs the question, how did Bone¡­¡± Vetica paused mid-sentence. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m not calling him that. How did the scaler collect that?¡±


    Themis didn¡¯t turn around to answer. Canano did so in his stead. ¡°It¡¯s possible Zephyr¡¯s influence is responsible. Even though he was fading away, I¡¯m sure he maintained a connection to the dungeon until the very end. It¡¯s likely he made sure this scaler received it so that Charlie and Parent could take it with them.¡±


    This piqued Parent¡¯s interest. ¡°Why would we do something like that?¡±


    Canano smiled, showing off his sharpened fangs. ¡°Why else? He trusted you two.¡±


    Parent didn¡¯t respond. His rings floated close to Charlie as he reflected on Canano¡¯s words. Charlie adjusted himself in Vetica¡¯s arms and looked back at Geby. She was eyeing Bonehead hungrily. Wait, no, she wasn¡¯t just eyeing him, he could see her getting ready to lunge.


    ¡°Transfer!¡±


    Bonehead disappeared just as Geby made her move. Instead of scaler meat, she got a big bite of dirt. Apparently, she couldn¡¯t tell the difference. She chewed the dirt contentedly, a cheerful look on her face. The sound of a ferry horn filled the tunnel.


    Merlin shook his head. Vetica covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.


    ¡°Well, that was a close one,¡± Charlie said. He turned back to look at Themis and noticed his head was low. Charlie directed a message to Vetica¡¯s mind only. ¡°Hey, can you catch up to Themis really quick? I wanna cheer him up,¡± Charlie said.


    She looked down at him with a surprised look but nodded. Her strides grew longer, and she quickly caught up with the researcher. It turned out that his head wasn¡¯t hanging because he was sad. Themis was staring down at a book. It was Lusafeen¡¯s journal. He was so engrossed in it; he didn¡¯t even realize that Charlie and Vetica had caught up to him.


    ¡°Themis,¡± Charlie said.


    Themis¡¯ head snapped up to look at them. He was so surprised that he nearly dropped the journal, but he managed to fix his hold on it before it fell. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Hello Charlie, is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No. Did you figure out Lusafeen¡¯s message?¡± he asked.


    Themis frowned. ¡°No, not yet. I see why Canano needed me to translate it myself. It¡¯s clear she left behind a message, but I don¡¯t believe she still had the key we used to use to encode messages in our work. I can translate part of it, but other parts read as if she was just doing her best to remember.¡±


    Themis¡¯ words echoed in the hallway. It was hard to have quiet conversations when that happened. Merlin overheard them. ¡°Speaking of that,¡± Merlin said. ¡°I was wondering. Lusafeen didn¡¯t know she was going to end up being defeated, so why exactly did she leave a message for you in her journal? Do you think she planned to send it to you or something?¡± he asked.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Themis sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been wondering the same thing. We hadn¡¯t talked since our argument. I¡¯ve wracked my brain over and over, trying to answer that very question. But we haven¡¯t had a free moment for me to try to decipher it until now. I think I¡¯m close. I just need to figure out¡­wait!¡± Themis started whispering to himself. ¡°If she¡­then that could mean¡­yes. I think this is it!¡± Themis smiled. He pulled a pen from the pocket of his robe and started circling letters in the journal. He started writing the message out on the margins of a page.


    His eyes widened in shock. His head fell.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Charlie asked.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a message for me.¡± Themis took a moment to read some more. ¡°We always took our notes in code. I insisted on it. I was worried our research might fall into the wrong hands. At some point, Lusafeen told me she¡¯d gotten so used to it she even wrote more personal things in code. Her journal, for instance.¡±


    Merlin twisted his head. ¡°But we could read most of her research notes just fine. Why didn¡¯t she use the code for the entire book?¡± He asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely she made these notes for the cultists. She intended to turn to them over. But she also recorded some of her personal thoughts in code. That¡¯s what Canano found. Lusafeen had truly embraced a darker path in life, but even then, she had her doubts. She wondered if it was a mistake to side with the cultists. Lusafeen had doubts they were the best people to help her accomplish her own goals. She felt her research might be wasted on them, with a few exceptions. She also wrote a lot about someone named Dremmon. A lot. She seemed to really care for him. I wonder¡­¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer said from Vetica¡¯s opposite shoulder. He¡¯d crawled off of Charlie and took refuge amongst the long hair that fell over her shoulders.


    ¡°Yup!¡± Orb said. ¡°Dremmon was some kind of panther creature. He was helping her try to sacrifice the villagers of Troa.¡±


    Themis nodded. ¡°I see. Well, it¡¯s nice to know she had a companion. Even as misguided as they both were. I know it shouldn¡¯t make me feel better, but it does. I was all she had, and I let her down.¡± Themis sighed.


    ¡°Was that all? Just her talking about her doubts?¡± Charlie asked.


    Themis nodded. ¡°So far. Let me skip ahead a bit.¡± He flipped through the pages and frowned. ¡°She stopped taking notes for a while. It coincides with the period after she got her hands on the egg of an evolution koi. She must have thrown herself into her work at that point. After that¡­¡± Themis flipped through page after page until finally he stopped. It was the last page with writing on it. Lusafeen hadn¡¯t gotten to take anymore notes beyond that point because, well, Charlie had defeated her. This page was written fully in code. It took Themis a while to translate it.


    The only noises in the hallway were the sounds of their footsteps, Geby¡¯s breathing, and Themis¡¯ pen furiously scribbling away.


    And then his pen plummeted toward the earth and clacked against the ground of the dungeon¡¯s hallway.


    ¡°Oh, that was dramatic. Dramatic usually isn¡¯t good in a situation like this.¡± Merlin frowned, already preparing himself for bad news.


    Charlie looked at Themis expectantly.


    The researcher stopped walking. ¡°She rushed her experiment in the end. She wanted the egg to hatch before the cultists came to collect it. Lusafeen had changed her mind about helping them. Not because of any moral quandary. She had a limited opportunity to accomplish something she¡¯d hoped to accomplish for a long time. If she returned the evolution koi to the cult, that opportunity would pass her by,¡± Themis said, summarizing the notes.


    ¡°We already know she was trying to get the egg to consume large numbers of people to create a special human vessel. But what was her goal? You said she had something she wanted to accomplish. Was there more to it than just completing the research you two worked on together?¡± Merlin asked.


    Themis grew solemn. ¡°Truth be told, Lusafeen wasn¡¯t just my research partner. She was also my niece. When she was young, hex beasts attacked her village. Both of her parents were killed. I didn¡¯t find out for some time. It was common for me to get lost in my research. Several years had already passed by the time I found out. But I was determined to make things right. I took her into my care. When she showed an interest in science, I taught her that as well. I researched my work because I believed a powerful vessel could protect this kingdom. Lusafeen claimed to share that goal, but deep down, I think she was pursuing something else entirely. I believe she was looking for a way to bring back her parents.¡±


    Vetica sucked in a breath. ¡°Is that why your research involved necromancy?¡±


    Themis nodded. ¡°It was Lusafeen¡¯s idea. The theory had potential. By using the closest form of beast to a human, we reasoned we could control it. To seize upon whatever remnants of humanity remained inside it. But I wondered at the time if Lusafeen was interested in the undead for other reasons. Her notes confirm it. She doesn¡¯t say it outright, but in her notes, she¡¯s conflicted about something.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡± Charlie asked.


    Themis turned to look him in the eye. ¡°Lusafeen was stuck. She couldn¡¯t choose which of two ¡®subjects¡¯ to resurrect when the time came. She wasn¡¯t even sure if it would work. But even that hypothetical situation paralyzed her. It seems she delayed the ritual for a long time because she couldn¡¯t decide. She couldn¡¯t decide which of her parents she would bring back to life given the opportunity.¡±


    Orb floated up to Themis. ¡°So, when she learned the cult was eager to collect it, she decided she had to make a move? I don¡¯t understand. She was eager to turn Charlie and I over to them. If she was betraying them, why would she be trying to hand us over?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any idea. I only know what¡¯s in her notes, and what I knew before. Who can say what her motives were at the time. Perhaps, she thought handing you over would mitigate the fallout from her betrayal. She may have planned to lie and say the two of you had destroyed the egg. Of course, that¡¯s all speculation. What concerns me is the reason the cult was coming to collect the evolution koi. She doesn¡¯t say it outright, so I had to read between the lines a bit. But from what I gather, the cult is extremely close to resurrecting Cendra.¡±


    Canano stopped in his tracks. ¡°You¡¯re serious? But I thought that was beyond their means. Sure, it¡¯s an open secret they¡¯ve pursued his resurrection all this time. But you¡¯re saying Lusafeen believed they were actually making progress?¡± he asked. The fur on his body was standing up.


    Themis nodded. ¡°Yes, and if that¡¯s the case, if Lusafeen was already preparing for it, she must have had information that convinced her of its viability.¡±


    Merlin swallowed. Charlie could feel Vetica¡¯s heart beating faster in her chest.


    From what he had gathered, both of them would¡¯ve been children when the Hero of Aysela defeated Cendra. He still didn¡¯t know too much about Cendra. Who he was or how he threatened Aysela. But their reaction worried him. What kind of man could create so much fear in them so many years after his defeat?


    ¡°So, if Cendra comes back, what does that mean?¡± he asked, trying to understand the implications of it all.


    Themis took a deep breath. ¡°It means the end of the world as we know it, Charlie.¡±

 Chapter 103: The Right Thing

    It took them just under an hour to reach the room where Marvin the horse and Merlin¡¯s wagon were waiting. It was an odd room. There were piles of lumber and stone lying around. Several racks filled with an assortment of tools hung on the walls. A copious pile of hay rested in the room¡¯s corner, much to Marvin¡¯s delight. The room looked unaffected by the damage that had been inflicted upon the rest of the dungeon.


    ¡°Well, well, well, Mr. Marvin has just been hanging out here while the rest of us fight for our lives. I had my suspicions, but now I finally know he¡¯s no ride or die,¡± Orb said.


    Merlin rolled his eyes. ¡°Charlie fought for our lives. You were with the rest of us watching from the sidelines. How is that any different?¡±


    Orb spun toward Merlin. ¡°How dare you! I¡¯ll have you know the way I watch is much more supportive than the rest of you. Tell them, Charlie!¡±


    Charlie made a face. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Orb said.


    Merlin leaned forward and stared at the wagon. ¡°What is it?¡± Charlie asked from Vetica¡¯s arms.


    ¡°My wagon¡­there¡¯s something off about it.¡± Merlin perked up. ¡°Wait, Canano did you¡ª¡± Merlin strode across the room and hurried to inspect his most prized possession.


    Charlie didn¡¯t see what was wrong with it. It looked the same as always. He looked up at Vetica. She shrugged in response.


    Canano laughed in the breathy manner he usually did. ¡°I had some time, so I finished those modifications we discussed. I think you¡¯ll be happy with them.¡±


    Vetica and Charlie hurried over. Merlin was playing around with some kind of sliding panel on the inside edge of the wagon. ¡°This is amazing! I¡¯m going to hide so much cool stuff in here! Think of all the smuggling¡­I mean, hero supplies we can carry!¡±


    Orb scoffed in their minds. ¡°Hero supplies? Seriously?¡±


    Merlin took off a shoe and threw it at Orb. It caught him perfectly and sent him flying away. ¡°Hah!¡±


    Charlie smiled. It was nice to see his friends goofing off after the serious conversation they¡¯d had on the way here. The talking had died down after Themis revealed the cult was close to resurrecting Cendra. They¡¯d walked mostly in silence the rest of the way. Orb had tried to stir up conversation a few times, but it never took. Charlie was happy everyone seemed to be brightening up. Or at least trying to.


    ¡°Will we all fit?¡± Charlie asked, looking around. Geby, of course, would have to wait in his dungeon. But with one of them sitting up front to drive, there should be plenty of room for the rest of them to fit in the back. The sleeping arrangement might be hard to manage, but he was sure they could figure it out.


    Canano slowly looked at Themis. It looked like he was waiting for his research partner to say something. By the sad look on Canano¡¯s face, Charlie didn¡¯t think it was going to be something he was happy to hear. He looked at Themis as well. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Charlie asked. He dreaded Themis¡¯ response.


    ¡°Charlie, I never intended to leave this place with you. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t think anyone but you and Canano would make it out of here once the knights arrived. I had plans to¡ª¡±


    Vetica held a hand up. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Tell Charlie what you have to tell him.¡±


    Themis looked at her in surprise. ¡°You knew?¡± he asked, not letting it go.


    ¡°I had a feeling. It wasn¡¯t confirmed until just now, but I suspected something was off,¡± Vetica said. ¡°Let¡¯s not focus on that anymore. If you have something to say, you should say it.¡±


    Charlie looked between the two of them. He had no idea what they were talking about. But before he could ask, Themis nodded and continued.


    ¡°I can¡¯t come with you, Charlie. Things are different now; I admit that much. The path before us is clear. But I can¡¯t leave Arcadeya. There are things I have to do, things only I can do.¡±


    Canano had clearly suspected some kind of news. But apparently, this wasn¡¯t it. ¡°Themis? What do you mean?¡± he asked. Charlie didn¡¯t understand either. Why couldn¡¯t Themis come with them?


    Merlin hopped off the wagon and walked up to listen. Orb floated up, still covered by the shoe.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m stuck,¡± he said.


    Themis ignored him. ¡°This dungeon and my dungeon cores have kept beasts from wandering too close to Arcadeya for years now. The people here have enjoyed relative safety because of it. But because of me, they witnessed beast and hex knights fighting in their streets. The citizens of Arcadeya are undoubtedly terrified. If I just escape into the night, then they¡¯ll never overcome their terror. Someone has to take responsibility for this. If the knights capture me, the people of this town will be able to sleep at night again. They won¡¯t worry that something like this will happen in the future,¡± Themis said.


    ¡°That¡¯s noble¡­but are you really willing to throw your life away over this? You said it yourself; the cult is more of a danger now than ever before. Shouldn¡¯t you help put a stop to it?¡± Merlin asked.


    Themis nodded. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I plan to do. I¡¯ve already witnessed Charlie grow tremendously over the last few days. Zephyr also shared a significant amount of information with Parent. The truth is, I have very little left to teach him. He learned faster than even I could have anticipated. But more importantly, the knights need to know what we know. I know the patterns of the beast that live in the surrounding areas. I can share that information with the knights who can pass it on to the civilians. They¡¯ll need to protect themselves now and my knowledge can help with that. As for your question, the knights need to know about the cultists as well. I¡¯ll certainly be branded a criminal, but Brandt will listen to me when I tell him about the threat the cult presents. I know that all of you will work to stop the cult, but war is a game of numbers. Even if you can¡¯t work directly beside the knights, it will be good for them to dedicate their resources to putting the cult to an end as well. This is something only I can do. Brandt won¡¯t listen to anyone else.¡±


    Charlie frowned. Everything Themis said made sense, and yet he hated hearing it. He knew Themis was doing the right thing. He wanted to help the people of Arcadeya and the Kingdom of Aysela. But even then, Charlie wished they could travel together.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Fine! Then I¡¯ll stay too! I¡¯m not leaving you to take the fall for all of this on your own,¡± Canano growled.


    Themis smiled. He walked up and put a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Canano, you have to go. Our work isn¡¯t done. I still believe that you need to move forward with our work. Charlie is incredible, and I believe with all of my being that he will continue growing. But I yearn for a world where he doesn¡¯t have to fight at all. Finish our work and create a vessel that can fight in his place. See this project through, so the next generation never has to fear Cendra as we did. I know you can do this. It was always my plan to turn my work over to you. There isn¡¯t anyone more suited to it.¡±


    Geby stomped over and butted her head into Themis¡¯ side. A deep, grating noise emanated from her.


    ¡°Yes, you too, girl.¡± Themis carefully rubbed her head. ¡°I need you to go with Canano and keep him safe. He doesn¡¯t have Zephyr or the power of the dungeon cores like I did. Help him create a new lab and protect him. Can you do that for me?¡± he asked.


    Geby¡¯s eyelids closed tightly, and her head fell. She opened her eyes after a moment and trudged up to Canano. She gently wrapped her tail around him in a protective motion to show she would do as Themis had asked.


    A tear rolled down Charlie¡¯s cheek. He couldn¡¯t help it. He was tired of leaving behind friends. ¡°Can¡¯t you just write them a note or something?¡± he asked, wiping his eyes.


    Themis walked up to Charlie and Vetica and raised his sleeve. He tenderly wiped the tears from Charlie¡¯s eyes. Charlie sniffled. ¡°I have to do this, Charlie. Remember what we talked about? About training?¡± Themis asked.


    Charlie nodded. ¡°We do it now to protect the people we care about in the future,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This moment¡­ this moment is what I¡¯ve been training for. I didn¡¯t train my body as much as you will have to. I¡¯ve been training my mind. Now, I¡¯m going to use that accumulated knowledge to help the people of this town, and to give the knights the knowledge that they need to bring down the cult once and for all. Our training might look different, but I¡¯m still protecting the people I care about. You included,¡± Themis said. He cupped Charlie¡¯s cheek with his hand. ¡°Is that okay with you?¡± Themis asked him.


    Charlie looked to the side. ¡°Well, how can I say no after that? I understand. I¡¯ll keep working hard, and one day, when you¡¯re finished doing what you need to do, I¡¯ll bust you out of prison, okay? Bleedy and Mousifer have experience with jail breaks. So, I know they¡¯ll help me out!¡±


    ¡°Squeak!¡±


    ¡°Bleedy!¡±


    Themis smiled. ¡°I look forward to it. In the meantime, don¡¯t forget to continue meditating. Work hard, and train often. Also, work with Parent to learn more about this world. He¡¯s gained a lot of knowledge recently and can use that to help you on your journey.¡±


    ¡°I will!¡± Charlie said, wiping his nose against his onesie sleeve.


    Themis smiled and turned away when another thought struck him. ¡°Oh, I suppose I should clarify something quickly. So, neither of you forms the wrong idea.¡±


    Themis looked between Charlie and his interface. Parent floated closer, realizing he was being addressed.


    ¡°The System isn¡¯t against you. Everything Zephyr said was true. But the System wasn¡¯t seeking to harm you specifically or anything. It was simply enforcing its own interpretation of an order given to Zephyr by his previous master. It wasn¡¯t out to get us; it was just forcing Zephyr to prioritize his duty to fulfill orders over his autonomy. The System doesn¡¯t have feelings. It¡¯s not going to be angry that you interfered. It¡¯s obligation to attempt to enforce the order was met,¡± Themis said.


    ¡°Zephyr also said that the System was not necessarily a passive observer. Is that true as well? And if it wanted to enforce the order, couldn¡¯t it have taken away Charlie¡¯s powers? That would have ensured things went how it wanted,¡± Parent said.


    ¡°He said that about the System? Huh. To be honest, that¡¯s not something I had heard before. But Zephyr would know better than most. As for your second question, no. As I said, its obligation was to attempt to enforce the order. Not to enforce it by all means. Furthermore, there is a hard rule about how magic works in this world. The System can bestow power, but it cannot reclaim it. Those born with magic, and those who receive it through unique circumstance are all the same. That power is a part of you now. A part of Charlie. My powers weren¡¯t natural, and so of course I¡¯ve lost them, but that will never happen to Charlie. It may not always behave how would you like, and of course you may encounter limitations, such as your dungeon integrity, but the power itself is yours.¡±


    That was a relief. Charlie didn¡¯t always like the fact that he wasn¡¯t normal. But it was nice to know the System couldn¡¯t just take his powers away whenever it wanted. Also, he didn¡¯t know what a passive observer was, but it was interesting that Themis hadn¡¯t heard Zephyr talk about it before. He¡¯d assumed they¡¯d shared all of their knowledge. Maybe that was part of why Parent was acting so weird and quiet now. He had to be pretty close to Zephyr if the other interface had told him things even Themis didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Well, I have to be off. All of you should get going as well. You should get as much of a head start on them as you can. There¡¯s no telling how much time we¡¯ve bought. But hopefully it will be enough. Good luck, Charlie, and to you as well, Vetica, Merlin.¡± He addressed each of them and waved. He clasped hands with Canano and patted Geby one last time before heading back the way they had come to turn himself in.


    Merlin quickly went to work and got Marvin connected to the wagon. Charlie, Vetica, Mousifer, and Bleedy climbed in the back. Canano jumped on top of Geby¡¯s back. They¡¯d offered him a space in the wagon, but he¡¯d insisted he needed to figure out how to ride the caldurra without impaling himself, anyway. Their progress through the tunnel went quickly, and eventually they reached its end. Geby smashed through a surprisingly thin wall and moonlight illuminated the world beyond.


    When they exited the tunnel, Charlie realized they were outside of Arcadeya. The tunnel¡¯s exit was in the side of a small cliff well beyond the city. From here, they could put distance between themselves, and the knights more rapidly. By the time the knights realized they¡¯d left the dungeon completely, they would need to double back for their horses. It was an excellent opportunity for Charlie and company to throw the knights off their trail.


    Vetica sat with Charlie on the back of the wagon. Geby and Canano turned to move in the opposite direction. Canano wasn¡¯t sure exactly where they would go, but he had some ideas.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to come with us?¡± Charlie asked as they parted ways.


    Canano waved. ¡°We have work to do, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll cross paths again! Enjoy the wagon!¡± he called out.


    Merlin jumped up on the bench at the wagon¡¯s front and threw his hands up. ¡°Thanks again!¡±


    Before they lost sight of Geby behind a set of trees, she cried out loudly.


    Charlie had never heard one before, but by now he knew it was a sound just like a ferry horn. He smiled.


    Merlin looked down and realized something. ¡°What the¡­I just realized I¡¯m still missing a shoe. Orb, give it back!¡± he said.


    Orb floated from atop the wagon¡¯s canvas. The shoe was still attached to him. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s mine now. In fact, Boop wants the other shoe. It¡¯s only fair, so hand it over.¡± He paused. ¡°Foot it over? Either way, gimme!¡±


    Charlie giggled as Orb and Merlin squabbled for a few more moments. ¡°So, where do we go now?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin paused. He was in the middle of trying to wrench Orb out of his shoe. He turned back to look at them. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just realized this entire time we¡¯ve been heading to Arcadeya. Now that we¡¯re leaving, I don¡¯t actually know where to go. I guess we could lie low for a bit. Maybe gather some information about the cult?¡±


    Vetica nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I was thinking.¡± There was a serious expression on her face. ¡°¡­and I know just where to go.¡±


    Charlie looked up. ¡°You do? Where?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°To see some family of mine.¡±

 Chapter 104: Whisperer

    ¡°Your family? If the knights can identify you, looking into your family will be one of the first things they do. I¡¯m not sure that would be a very good idea, Vetica,¡± Merlin said.


    Vetica stared at the wooden floor of the wagon. Her entire demeanor had changed since she first posed the idea. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to identify me. Even if they could, the knights aren¡¯t going to get involved with my family. We¡¯ll be safe there. We can lie low, like you said, and I can gather some information.¡±


    Orb dislodged himself from Merlin¡¯s shoe and floated over to her. ¡°Wait, are you from a noble family or something? I can¡¯t imagine there being someone the knights were too afraid to get involved with. So, you¡¯ve got to be nobility, right?¡± the dungeon core asked.


    Vetica ignored him. She stood and walked to the front of the wagon, stepping over the back of the driver¡¯s bench and taking a seat. ¡°I¡¯ll drive for a bit,¡± she said. It was clear she didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore.


    Merlin looked like he wanted to ask something but gave in and handed her the reins. He moved to the back of the wagon to hang out with Charlie. ¡°Well, that gives me time to look over the new upgrades some more. What do you say, Charlie? Want to see the new features?¡± he asked.


    Charlie perked up. ¡°Yeah!¡±


    Orb floated closer to look, and Boop followed him as usual. Mousifer and Bleedy also lifted their heads to watch. Seeing the new upgrades to their traveling arrangement was worth waking up from their naps. Bleedy yawned.


    Merlin messed around with the wooden panel on the far side of the wagon. At first glance, it looked just like the old panel. But Canano had rigged the outer walls of the wagon, so they slide up now, as Merlin had showed earlier.


    The panel slid up two or three times its usual height. Merlin knocked on it. ¡°This here is a triple-layered panel. The outer two layers are made of wood, to maintain appearances. But inside there¡¯s a sheet of magically reinforced metal. Both sides and the back of the wagon all have a panel just like this. If we get into trouble and need some cover, well, here we go.¡±


    The top of the panel was wider than the rest of it to hide the fact that the space where the panel normally sat could accommodate additional storage. There were a series of hooks built on the panel so that they could hang stuff from it. It looked perfect for knives and¡ªwell, Charlie wasn¡¯t sure what else they¡¯d use it for. He was certain Vetica would use it for knives, though.


    It was just like Merlin said. They had a lot more space to hide things now.


    Merlin closed the panel and stood up, as much as he could at least with the canvas of the wagon forcing him to bend a bit. Merlin pointed toward it. ¡°And see this? Well, this fabric is completely new as well. It¡¯s a cheaper version of the material that was used to make my cloak and your onesie. If something damages it, it will fix itself. To an extent, at least. There are some limitations, but it¡¯s certainly an upgrade compared to before. It¡¯ll be even better at resisting the elements as well. So, we don¡¯t have to worry about rain trickling through or anything.¡±


    Marvin neighed up front.


    Merlin sighed. ¡°I know you wanted a raincoat. I meant to ask, but I didn¡¯t expect to get run out of there by a giant bone worm. My bad.¡±


    The two of them, Marvin, and Merlin, were back to normal. At least, for the most part. But Vetica had told Charlie that Merlin had visited Marvin every day they were in the dungeon to spend time with him. So, Marvin had come around and forgiven him for leaving him behind so long in Sange. Charlie was glad. He didn¡¯t like when Marvin was upset with Merlin.


    Charlie blinked. ¡°Wait, Canano was able to make this?¡± he asked, reaching up to feel the fabric. It was extremely soft to the touch, but he could tell it was tough as well. It didn¡¯t seem like it would tear easily.


    ¡°No. He didn¡¯t make it himself. He¡¯d planned to make a few tents out of it but thought we could use it more. So, he let us have it. It was nice of him,¡± Merlin said.


    Charlie nodded. It was nice. But now he was thinking about his other friends. Would they be okay? Themis had been really confident that things would be alright. But Charlie couldn¡¯t help but worry. Apparently, his frown didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    ¡°Ah, not a fabric man, huh?¡± Merlin asked.


    ¡°Squeak!¡± Mousifer said, scurrying over to Charlie.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. The wagon is nice. I¡¯m just worried about everyone. Do you think Themis and the others are going to be alright?¡± Charlie asked.


    Merlin sighed. He sat down and crossed his legs. ¡°Well, Themis and Brandt knew each other. So, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll treat him well, even if he¡¯s in trouble with the law. Plus, we saw that not all the knights are unreasonable. I¡¯m sure Talmot will keep an eye on him as well. Geby and Canano will be fine, too. That¡¯s one tough caldurra, and Canano¡¯s a genius. A combination like that? They¡¯re probably safer than we are.¡±


    Everything Merlin said made sense. It made Charlie feel a little better, but his worries still ate at him a bit.


    Merlin rubbed the back of his head. He leaned forward to unlatch the hidden compartment in the middle of the wagon. ¡°Oh! You have to see how big this space is now. Canano really maximized just how much we can¡ª¡± Merlin paused. The hidden compartment opened up on the side Merlin was on, so unless Charlie crawled around, he couldn¡¯t see inside. The door to the compartment was only partially open, so even though Merlin could see inside, Charlie could only see Merlin¡¯s face. Something inside the compartment had gotten his attention.


    ¡°Is that¡ª¡± Merlin started to say something.


    Vetica realized what he was doing and turned around. Her eyes were wide, and she yelled at Merlin. ¡°Merlin no!¡±


    Merlin¡¯s jaw dropped, and he turned to look at her. ¡°Oh...¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Charlie asked. He crawled so he could get a better look. He was curious now. But Merlin suddenly slammed the compartment shut.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Merlin said. He was unusually flustered. It wasn¡¯t like him to be so caught off guard by something.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°You saw something! What is it?¡± Charlie asked. Something weird was going on.


    Vetica glared at Merlin. He shrank away. ¡°It¡¯s uh¡ª¡± Merlin paused for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s my dirty underwear!¡±


    Orb sank in the air. ¡°Really? That¡¯s the best you got? Cough up the goods!¡±


    ¡°Your dirty underwear?¡± Charlie asked, tilting his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why would Vetica be so upset over that?¡± he asked.


    Merlin glanced at Vetica, but realized he wasn¡¯t getting any help from her. She turned to face back toward the front and lifted her head up. Merlin was clearly on his own here. ¡°Well, because I¡¯m such a slob and don¡¯t clean up after myself that she got angry.¡± Merlin¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up later. For now, how about we play a game?¡±


    Charlie had the feeling there was more going on, but for now, he was willing to accept Merlin¡¯s distraction. He enjoyed playing games.


    ***


    When they¡¯d left Arcadeya, it¡¯d been night. Now, night was quickly approaching again. They decided it was time to let Marvin rest. It was nice out, and the sky wasn¡¯t very cloudy at all. So, Charlie suggested they sleep outside the wagon tonight. Normally, Merlin would sleep on the driver¡¯s bench while the others curled up in the back of the wagon. But tonight, Charlie wanted to sleep under the stars. Vetica got a fire going while Merlin and Bleedy collected firewood. Charlie summoned a few scalers to watch the surrounding area. He was careful to keep count of how many he summoned. The incident with Bonehead being outside of his dungeon when he¡¯d thought he¡¯d put all the scalers back earlier had made him paranoid. So, he¡¯d made Merlin count every scaler that came out. Six scalers later, he closed the portal and curled up in a much too large sleeping bag. Bleedy and Mousifer cuddled up against him.


    Vetica said she wasn¡¯t tired yet, so she stayed up to keep watch with the scalers for a bit. Charlie got the feeling she was tired but didn¡¯t trust the scalers to keep watch. She¡¯d come around in time, but Charlie didn¡¯t push the situation. He knew she could nap in the wagon during the day tomorrow if she needed to. Plus, they were supposed to reach her family¡¯s home soon, according to her. She¡¯d probably be a lot more comfortable once they got there.


    After a while, he drifted off to sleep.


    ***


    Vetica


    The bark of the tree she was leaning on was too uncomfortable, no matter how she adjusted her back. Eventually, she gave up and looked around for a place to sit. She liked to stay on her feet while keeping watch, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Her feet were tired. Charlie seemed like he was getting the best sleep of his life. Bleedy was snoring beside him, and Mousifer was squeaking in his sleep. It was kind of cute. She wondered what kind of dreams the little black mouse was having.


    She looked over her shoulder. Merlin had tossed and turned for a while earlier. Eventually, he¡¯d gotten up and said he needed some alone time. Boop had followed him, much to Merlin¡¯s annoyance, but eventually he relented and allowed the dungeon core to come with him as long as it promised not to talk. That wasn¡¯t a problem, considering Boop couldn¡¯t talk.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was because she was nervous about what was in store for them the next day, or if she was feeling nosy. But when the quiet of the forest allowed Merlin¡¯s whispers to just barely reach her, she decided she couldn¡¯t resist investigating. She found one of the scalers. It was perched in a tree nearby. Vetica pointed it toward Charlie. Luckily, it understood. It leapt down and took her place in the clearing. It would roar if it saw anything suspicious and the other scalers would come running. Vetica wasn¡¯t going far. She wasn¡¯t going to trust Charlie¡¯s safety to the lizards alone. But based on Merlin¡¯s whispers, he hadn¡¯t gone too far from camp either. She wouldn¡¯t need to go that far to hear what he was saying.


    She crept through the forests, constantly turning around to make sure she had a line of sight on Charlie. This resulted in a fairly slow pace. But she wasn¡¯t in any rush, and besides, Merlin¡¯s whispers had showed no signs of slowing down. Eventually, she reached them. She turned to make sure she could still see Charlie. The campfire was still visible, and though she couldn¡¯t make out any features, Charlie was still where he should be. Satisfied, she turned back to see what Merlin was doing.


    Merlin had left his cloak back in the wagon. It was almost odd to see him wearing a simple button-up shirt. Boop floated beside him as he talked. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± Merlin said, staring up at the stars. ¡°Charlies incredible. You know that? He¡¯s amazing. There¡¯s not a day that goes by that I don¡¯t think I¡¯m watching the very future of this world grow up before my own eyes. I truly think he¡¯s going to do incredible things.¡±


    Vetica smiled. This was sweet. She felt bad for eavesdropping all of a sudden. She started to return to camp when she heard her name.


    ¡°And then there¡¯s Vetica. I know you can¡¯t talk, but if you ever figure it out, and you tell her I said this, I will feed you to a caldurra. But she¡¯s really strong too. I admire that, ya know? At first, I was against letting her come with us, but I was wrong about that. It makes me feel better knowing she¡¯s around. I can¡¯t protect Charlie. I¡¯m not strong, and I don¡¯t have any actual power. But Vetica can fight, and I know if things go bad, she¡¯ll have his back,¡± Merlin said.


    Boop hovered closer to Merlin and bounced against his shoulder. Boop.


    He turned to look at the dungeon core. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that was an attempt at comfort or not, but thanks either way. Back there, in the dungeon when Charlie faced that creature, I felt so useless. I was useless. I just have a hard time feeling like I fit in with the two of them. I mean, I¡¯m basically just a glorified wagon driver. Hell, they don¡¯t even need me for that.¡± Merlin¡¯s head fell. ¡°I guess I worry that I¡¯m holding them back. I just¡­I want to be useful. I want to be someone Charlie can rely on.¡±


    Vetica frowned. She was an assassin. She was no stranger to listening to private conversations and spying on others to collect information. But this felt different. Maybe it was because Merlin was one of her traveling companions instead of a target. Or maybe it was something else, but she decided she would return to camp. It would be better for everyone if she just pretended she¡¯d never heard anything.


    A branch cracked under his foot. She winced. Damn it.


    Merlin shot up and spun to face the noise. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± he called out.


    Vetica hid her body behind a tree and hoped Merlin wouldn¡¯t investigate further. They stood there, each of them frozen for a moment, until finally Merlin sighed. ¡°Well, Boop, I guess I¡¯m on edge. We should get back to camp. Unless you have anything you want to vent about? Girl troubles? Orb been stealing clothes from your closest? Or maybe you need help to decide which creature you¡¯ll get eaten by next! Anything?¡±


    Vetica smiled and carefully made her way back to camp.


    When Merlin returned, she did her best to pretend she hadn¡¯t just been eavesdropping.


    ¡°I can take a shift if you want. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired too,¡± he said.


    Vetica acted surprised to see him. ¡°Oh, Merlin! I wasn¡¯t aware you¡¯d left.¡±


    Merlin rolled his eyes. ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re the worst. I literally told you I was going on a walk. Some look out you are!¡± he said.


    Vetica smiled. ¡°Goodnight, Merlin.¡±


    Merlin waved her off. ¡°Try not to stab me in my sleep when you have midnight knife practice or whatever it is you do.¡± She detected the hint of a smile on his face as he went and crawled into his sleeping bag.


    She took a deep breath. She¡¯d overheard Merlin saying he thought she was strong only moments ago. But if he knew how she felt now, he wouldn¡¯t have said that. Tomorrow she was going home for the first time in a long time. She knew she had nothing to worry about. The Rawlins had lots of property. Their influence stretched all over Aysela and even beyond it. Sure, there were plenty of people she didn¡¯t want to run into, especially after breaking a contract. But where she was taking the others was safe. No one of importance would be there. A small outpost filled with low-ranking assassins wasn¡¯t anything she needed to concern herself with. Even if they had a problem with her bringing Charlie and Merlin there, she¡¯d outrank all of them. She¡¯d order them to keep it quiet until they were ready to move on. It would all be alright.


    So then, why did she have such a bad feeling about it?

 Chapter 104: The Rawlins

    Charlie


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon,¡± Vetica called out from the driver¡¯s seat of the wagon.


    Merlin sat in the back with Charlie. He leaned against the backside of the driver¡¯s bench. Charlie was sitting closer to the center of the wagon. Bleedy and Mousifer had curled up, resting near his baby legs. He gently rubbed each of them as they slept.


    ¡°So, are you still sure about this plan, Vetica?¡± Merlin asked. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to think of something else if you¡¯re having second thoughts.¡±


    Vetica sighed. ¡°No, it¡¯s for the best. We need somewhere we can hide and gather information. Besides, they¡¯ll eventually send someone after me if I don¡¯t check in. It¡¯s in all of our best interests that doesn¡¯t happen.¡±


    Merlin frowned and turned around to look at her. ¡°Uhm, send someone after you? If you weren¡¯t so poorly mannered, I might start thinking Orb was right that you¡¯re from some noble family or something. What exactly are we walking into?¡±


    Charlie tilted his head. ¡°We aren¡¯t walking! We¡¯re in the wagon,¡± he corrected,


    Merlin gave him a sarcastic look. ¡°Thank you for that, Charlie. I hadn¡¯t noticed.¡±


    Charlie smiled; glad he could be helpful. Apparently, in more ways than one. Vetica seized the opportunity to ignore Merlin¡¯s question. When Merlin realized she had no intention of talking about it further, he let it go.


    Vetica had seemed a bit off since they stopped and made camp last night. At first, Charlie had assumed it was because she hadn¡¯t gotten any sleep, but now he thought there might be more to it. Shouldn¡¯t Vetica be excited? She was going to see her family soon. He wondered what they would be like, and if they knew about their daughter being an assassin. He had so many questions, and even if Vetica wasn¡¯t excited, he definitely was.


    Vetica had veered off of the main road a while ago, pulling them off the main road that they¡¯d been following so far. Eventually, Charlie grew curious as to what was going on. He carefully crawled so as not to disturb either of his sleeping companions. He moved closer to Merlin, who picked him up, and they both peered over the wagon¡¯s front bench to look at what was going on.


    ¡°How come we¡¯re so far off the main road?¡± Charlie asked.


    Vetica looked back at him. ¡°Let¡¯s just say we have an interest in keeping ourselves out of sight,¡± she said.


    Merlin quirked a brow at her. But before he could say anything further, he noticed a building on the horizon. ¡°Um, is that your family house?¡± he asked.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes widened. The building was much larger than a normal house. In fact, it was closer to a small mansion. The house was made of gray brick, and a tall metal fence surrounded in on every side. At the front of the house, two guards stood on either side of a gate. It wasn¡¯t what Charlie had been expecting at all.


    Merlin stood, taking Charlie up with him, and squinted toward the house. He turned to look at Vetica. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Vetica? This all looks really shady. A building in the middle of nowhere with sketchy look guards standing out front. I don¡¯t like this at all. If you don¡¯t tell me right now who your family is, we¡¯re turning around.¡±


    Orb floated up. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not one to say I told you so¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true at all!¡± Charlie said.


    Orb¡¯s color dimmed. ¡°Whatever! I¡¯m just saying this totally looks like some noble family¡¯s country estate or something. Not like the main one, but like the one where you send the child born out of an affair.¡±


    Vetica shot him a look.


    ¡°Hey, if it floats like a dungeon core and glows like a dungeon core, it¡¯s probably a dungeon core,¡± Orb said. He bounced up and down as if he was shrugging.


    Vetica sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not a noble. The truth is, I¡¯m a member of the Rawlin family.¡±


    Merlin stepped over the bench and sat Charlie down on it. He hopped off the front of the wagon and hurried forward to pat Marvin on the back. ¡°Marvin, stop now.¡±


    Vetica started to protest, but Merlin pointed a finger at her. His face was pale, and he looked angry. ¡°How dare you? I knew you were an assassin, but I never stopped to think for a moment you were from the family of assassins. Are you kidding me right now? Do you know how much danger you¡¯ve put us all in? How much danger you¡¯ve put Charlie in?!¡± he yelled.


    Charlie¡¯s eyes shot open. He held a hand up. ¡°Merlin, calm down. Let¡¯s talk about this,¡± he said.


    Merlin¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that. Talk Vetica.¡±


    In most cases, Charlie would expect Vetica to respond poorly to Merlin¡¯s tone. She wasn¡¯t the type to sit back and take it when someone got angry with her. But this time, she was uncharacteristically quiet in response. ¡°Listen, I know it sounds bad, but I wouldn¡¯t have brought us here if I thought it was dangerous. We have houses all over, this one hardly sees any use. There will be a few grunts and some low-ranking member of the family to oversee the property. We¡¯ll get a room, I¡¯ll collect some information and then we¡¯ll be on our way,¡± she said.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Merlin crossed his arms. ¡°You could¡¯ve stopped to get information on your own. Why drag us into this? I know Charlie is powerful, but...¡± Merlin sighed. ¡°He¡¯s still a child, Vetica. We have to make decisions that keep him safe. This¡­wasn¡¯t the right call. Let¡¯s turn around and find another way¡ª¡± Merlin held his head up and his eyes widened.


    Charlie and Vetica had a similar response. It was only natural, after all, considering the cloaked man that had suddenly appeared behind Merlin and put a blade to his throat. ¡°Who are you?¡± the man asked. It was like he had come out of nowhere. The only other person Charlie had seen move like that was, well, Vetica.


    ¡°I¡¯m Merlin,¡± he said, swallowing.


    The assassin looked up and furrowed his brows when he saw Charlie. But it was Vetica that gave him real pause. ¡°Mistress Vetica? What?¡±


    Vetica took a breath and stood, drawing a dagger from its sheathe. Canano had given her several as replacements for the one that had been lost in Arcadeya. ¡°Unhand him, or I¡¯ll coat the road in your blood. They¡¯re with me,¡± she said.


    The man looked over his shoulder toward the house for a moment, but then he did as she said. He took a step backward. ¡°My apologies. We weren¡¯t expecting you. There were rumors that you...¡± He trailed off.


    Vetica held a hand up. ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything. I want rooms prepared for my friends and I. Have it done before we arrive.¡±


    The man hesitated. ¡°My lady, there¡¯s something you should¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now!¡± Vetica ordered. She seemed upset about something. Had Merlin¡¯s words gotten to her? Or maybe she was flustered. Someone had gotten that close to Merlin without her noticing. It wasn¡¯t like Vetica to miss something like that. She was the most observant person Charlie knew. Even on a bad day, she would usually have intercepted the other assassin. Charlie had the feeling there was more going on than he realized.


    Merlin shook his head. He stormed toward the back of the wagon.


    ¡°Merlin¡­¡± Vetica said, trying to get his attention.


    He didn¡¯t say a word. He climbed into the back of the wagon and dangled his feet over it. Vetica turned to look at him but decided against saying anything else. She shook the reins, and Marvin slowly trotted towards the building before them.


    The assassin had already run far ahead. It wasn¡¯t surprising how fast he was, considering they¡¯d seen him almost pop up out of nowhere to ambush Merlin.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the house.


    Bleedy scurried up to the front bench to join Charlie and Vetica. Mousifer was holding onto Bleedy¡¯s head. Orb sat in Charlie¡¯s lap pretending to be a ball, and Charlie sent Boop back to the dungeon for now. He¡¯d decided it probably wouldn¡¯t be a good idea for the purple dungeon core to go around booping assassins who were eager to cut something. So, for all of their safety, he¡¯d sent Boop to hang out with Koi Levi for a while.


    When they arrived, the gates didn¡¯t open. The guards stood there, eyeing them, but unlike the previous assassin they¡¯d met, these men didn¡¯t seem especially reverent toward Vetica. Charlie looked up at Vetica to see what she would say. But there was a strange expression on her face.


    ¡°Why are you two here?¡± she asked.


    Charlie frowned. That didn¡¯t sound good. She sounded nervous, almost. He focused his thoughts so only she could hear him. ¡°Vetica, is everything okay? Do you know them too?¡± he asked.


    She glanced at him and then back at the guards. Her hand slowly drifted toward her knife. Charlie frowned. Something had surprised her.


    The front doors of the mansion swung open and a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair popped out, followed by four additional guards. The woman was wearing a green outfit that reminded Charlie of Vetica¡¯s clothing. Though without the belts or leather vest she wore. In fact, the outfit wasn¡¯t the only resemblance Charlie saw. He could see it in the various facial features of the woman. It only took him a moment to piece it together.


    ¡°Hello dear sister,¡± the woman said, holding her arms out toward Vetica. ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought friends,¡± she said as she approached cheerfully.


    The guards swung open the gate for her.


    Vetica looked down at her sister. ¡°There¡¯s no need to pretend like you like me. Why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be with father?¡± Vetica jumped down and walked in front of Marvin to cut her sister off from getting too close.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m always with him.¡±


    Something changed in Vetica at that moment. Her confident demeanor faded. Her shoulders sunk. The hand she always kept close to her knife slowly closed in on itself. Something was wrong, and Charlie was getting worried. He knew Merlin was upset, but right now, she might need them.


    ¡°Merlin, we need to¡ª¡± Charlie called out for his friend so they could go to her. But Merlin was already beside him. He¡¯d reacted before even Charlie had thought to. He picked Charlie off the bench and stepped forward to stand beside Vetica.


    ¡°He¡¯s here?¡± Vetica asked. Her voice was quiet and frail.


    Her sister nodded. ¡°He is, and he is so happy to see you.¡± She turned attention to Merlin. ¡°I heard you had failed to take out a target. This man, oddly enough, matches the description of the person you were sent to kill. So why are you traveling together? Wait, don¡¯t tell me you even adopted a baby? Did you fall in love with the target?¡± She sucked her teeth. ¡°Oh Vetica. You¡¯ve gotten soft.¡±


    Vetica stepped between Merlin and her sister. ¡°Back off. He¡¯s under my protection¡­ I assume father knows I¡¯m here then.¡±


    Her sister smirked. ¡°He does. You know what he¡¯s going to make you do, right? If you bring them inside?¡± She tilted her head, and a devious look crossed her face. ¡°But¡­I¡¯ll let them leave. Your friends can hop in that wagon and turn right around. Fathers only interested in you for the moment. Consider it a favor between sisters. Besides, I can always track them down later if he wants me to.¡±


    Vetica paused at that. And then Charlie noticed something that broke him. Vetica was shaking. She clearly didn¡¯t get along with her sister, but there was something about her father that absolutely terrified her. He didn¡¯t understand that. Why would she be afraid of her own father? Charlie didn¡¯t want her to be afraid.


    Vetica turned to look at Merlin. ¡°You should go. Take Charlie and leave. I¡¯m sorry. You were right about this. It was stupid. But I didn¡¯t know that he would be¡ª¡±


    She stopped speaking when Merlin grabbed her hand and clasped it with his own free hand. ¡°We aren¡¯t going anywhere, isn¡¯t that right, Charlie?¡± he said. His voice was firm. In that moment, Charlie wondered if Merlin knew just how cool he looked.


    He smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re sticking together.¡± Charlie raised his head and looked toward the front door of the wagon. Vetica was one of the strongest people he knew. Behind that door was someone that made even her afraid. But she wouldn¡¯t have to face that alone. Not while her friends were there.