I would call for a more hands off resolution to these issues. The storm cares not for the opinions of those below it. The storm will simply follow the wind and unleash its fury on that which does not flee its path. The shadow of our coming should alert those before the stormfront of what is to come. As Altocumulus said, any who seek to fly must know the dangers of the sky. I am more concerned about The Herald’s other interest. The idea that this new wind might bring changes that threaten the balance. That they might carry new weapons. – Letter from the Voice Stratus

As Asher approached the attached campsite through the intervening ash wall, she heard a deep voice speaking, “I believe it’s in our best interest to end our exploration of this dungeon. Moving further in, while not impossible, would be incredibly slow and difficult. We just don’t have a team meant for something like this. It wasn’t something we were primarily interested in.”

Another voice, high but clearly masculine, took over from there. “I regretfully agree with Andre. I would love to have a closer look at the lava bridges. The volcanic glass is truly beautiful and if I could harvest some it could be the perfect material for the tiles in a bathroom I have been designing. Perhaps we could make a few trips out onto the bridge, though I fear our ability to consistently put down the bridge’s guardian. None of us are well equipped for fighting the creature once it retreats into the lava pools.”

This time a feminine voice took over. A little deep for a woman, but sharp and crystal clear. Like ice cracking in the depths of winter. “I do not like this place. So many of my spells are far weaker than they should be. If the lakes and ponds were normal water rather than molten stone, I would be far more confident of our chances. At least then I could be useful, as it is I am only another weight.”

The first voice started speaking again, “Nobody thinks of you that way Veronika. You warned us when we were thinking about coming here. Not like my magic is that much more useful out on the lake! It’s the responsibility of the team to help pick up the difference when circumstances leave one of us weak.”

“Andre is quite right dear. The Ascendent Solarus ensures that there is a way through all trials.” The voice was airy, but bright. Like you could feel the warmth and joy she brought to every situation. “And in that same vein, I believe that there is a way for us to move forward. None of us have accomplished our goals in coming here. Not yet. Let me pray for guidance tonight, and we will see if the Guiding Lights are willing to share their wisdom.”

The second voice was speaking again, “I don’t see a problem with that. We have no reason to hurry at this time Sahar. If you wish to take the night, or even some time tomorrow, to ask for help I say take whatever time you need. The next trade caravan will not leave any later because we decided to spend an extra day here.”

A new man’s voice began to speak then. Gravely, like the speaker had just woken up or was a little sick. “Go for it. I like this place, plenty of good spots to set up ambushes and the Certilia are interesting prey.”

There was a sigh and the first woman, Veronika, was speaking again, “If only I could join you in your enthusiasm Balam. I agree that there are so many unique monsters to fight here, and in any other situation I would be raring to join you in your hunt.”

A gravely laugh that could only be from this Balam individual interrupted her, “Strange to see you so resigned Veronika. I didn’t think anything could keep you from hunting new monsters.”

“Hmmm. If we could find a way, I would love to claim some claws from one of the matriarchs. I would enjoy bringing them back to the outpost and sharing the story. So many of the younger hunters are eager to hear about prey in the wider world.”

Once more the second voice cut in, “Veronika is just crabby that her spell failed to kill that Certilia yesterday. And that she can’t wear her favorite gear in here. Her spells aren’t nearly as weak as she is making them out to be, the thing was just lucky.”

“Why anyone would want to wear anything but an Ice Lion fur I do not know Xavier. Nothing else I have tried has been half as comfortable.”

“Because we do not want to melt Veronika! How you wear that getup even outside this dungeon I will never know.”

The warm voice spoke up, “She has a cooling rune sewn into it! I saw her patching it up a few weeks ago. She has the mana for it I suppose.”

Somebody, presumable this Veronika woman, let out a discontented harumph at this, clearly displeased her secret had been revealed.

It was at this point that Asher finally broke through the wall and into the clearing. As soon as she was through, she was greeted by the soft, matronly voice, “Hello child, what brings you to our camp?”

The speaker was a woman who appeared to be in her early to mid-thirties, the first signs of laugh lines crinkling her eyes and she exuded a motherly aura. Perhaps most interestingly, the woman, who had to be Sahar, glowed. Quite literally. A soft golden light coming from her large frame and leaving her dusky skin appearing almost golden.

The woman was also huge, easily two feet taller than Asher herself. Of all things, it was the thought of having to look up like that made her pause. It simply wasn’t something a five-foot-eleven woman often had to do. The tall, tusked woman she corrected herself.

Sahar wore a blue and white dress that looked vaguely religious and a tall, conical hat connected to a veil hanging along her back and shoulders. The dress had large bell sleeves which hung from her wrists and gave her sleeves an almost wing-like feel. The dark blue hems of her dress and the matching shawl she wore around her shoulders almost seemed to be covered in writing, but it looked nothing like any language Asher had seen before.

Deciding she had taken long enough with her staring, Asher quickly began talking, “Rebecca sent me your way. She said you might be headed further into the dungeon.”

As she spoke, Asher debated how she could best ask for their help. She didn’t have money to pay them and she was obviously less experienced than these people. What possible reason would they have for wanting to bring her along?

Before she could continue, the deep voice of the first man, Andre if she was correct, began to talk. The speaker was a few inches taller than the giant, glowing woman and had a pair of horns protruding from his temples and out toward his shoulders. The things curved forward and up, ending in a pair of wicked points, and were thick enough Asher assumed she could hang her entire body weight on them. The man had a full, well-kept beard and long, blonde hair he kept tied in a braid. He wore a set of plate armor, but it appeared to be made entirely of some type of dark wood with a black, skin tight suit visible between the gaps. At his side sat a shield of the same material and a whip was curled on his hip.

“Ohoho! So, the mother hen is letting her little charges out of her sight long enough to be exposed to our bad influences huh?” The big man smiled widely as he said this, clearly amused with himself.

“Oh, lay the girl you great oaf. You’re going to make her nervous with your jokes. You know how Rebecca is with insults.” She had been expecting this new man to be the gravely voice, with his wide frame and heavily muscled physique, but was surprised to learn he was actually the highest pitched of the men she had overheard earlier. The man wore some kind of plate mail made of stone and looked as though he talked about as often as a rock. He had long, pointed ears like an elf from a fantasy movie and vaguely Asiatic features that came together in a refined visage from the neck up. Like someone you expected to see walking along wall street talking about stocks and the effect of the current economy on their company.

The man, short only in comparison to his companions, sat leaning against a large hammer and shield and scratched at the five o’clock shadow forming along his jaw. His black hair was cut short, in the perfect image of a down to business professional. He was also, quite possibly, on of the hairiest men she had ever met. Thick, course strands protruding from his arms and the small dip in his shirt collar like some sort of pelt.

“Calm down Xavier,” The tall, horned man replied with a grin, “everyone knows I’m kidding. Besides, Rebecca would only be kicking my ass if she was offended by what I said.”

That statement put a smile on the rock man, Xavier’s, face, “True enough. And I wouldn’t do a thing to help you. Besides, we all know you’d be every bit the overbearing protector she is if you were in the same position.”

A piercing, clear laugh came from the other woman in the camp at that. The laugh tinkled like falling icicles before she spoke, “He has you there Andre. You dote so much on every child you come across, I am surprised you haven’t been roped into training a class already.”

The woman was pale. Not light skinned or untanned, pale as though she had never seen the light of the sun. The very border of unhealthy. Her skin had a tight, almost rubbery appearance to it at first glance and long, thin whiskers protruded from either cheek. Her eyes were pure black, with no whites, and matched with her long, black hair. She was maybe an inch or two shorter than Asher and stocky with muscle and obviously a bit younger than Andre, Sahar, and Xavier. Despite her age and relative height, the woman had a look of command to her.

The big, horned man blushed a little at the two’s comment and rubbed his nose before the first woman spoke up again with a chuckle, “The poor man already has been Veronika. The moment he hits E+ rank, they are going to put a class in his hands. An important task, forging the future generation of Adventurers. Perhaps I will join him, it has been too long since I helped guide new minds.”

Asher cleared her throat to bring their attention back to her at this point, “So speaking of passing on your knowledge to the younger generation…I was hoping you could help me out a little.”

Sahar’s glow seemed to increase a little at that, apparently enthused by her request, “Of course dear! We would love to help you out while we have a little time. As you might have heard we are still debating whether to continue further into the dungeon or not and likely won’t have made a decision until sometime tomorrow. Perhaps this is even a sign that we should head back now. Put our efforts in another direction…”

Quickly, perhaps too quickly, Asher spoke up “No!” Her shout seemed to startle the partly a little, causing slight flinching, “Sorry, I meant to say please don’t think that way. I think you have a little bit of a misunderstanding. I was hoping I could join you as you head further in to the Basin.”

That seemed to surprise Sahar, “And Rebecca agreed to this?”

“Sort of. I should tell you that I did not come into the dungeon with her…” As Asher told the group her story, she noticed a fifth individual off to the side. She didn’t know how she had missed him, but he had been sitting in the shadow of Andre. He had a boyish face, far rounder than she was used to, and a very prominent nose, but was overall quite handsome. Dressed in leather armor, the brown-haired boy seemed to be drawn into her story. She found herself speaking more directly to him as it went on, enjoying his reactions.

By the end, the entire group had gotten caught up in her story. Andre and Sahar had looks of pity for her situations, mixed with the occasional sign of pride at how she had made it through. Veronika and Balam both seemed to take pride in her actions, as if her accomplishments where their own, and they gleefully congratulated her on her rapid growth. Meanwhile Xavier, the odd one out, seemed to take the most nuanced approach to her story. It was obvious he was appraising her worth and the likelihood of her story being true.

“So long story short, I really want to, no I need to head further into the dungeon. It isn’t done with me, and I’m not done with it. Rebecca told me, in no uncertain turns, that the only way she is going to let me even attempt to go further is if I am part of a capable team and no longer on my own. That’s where I am hoping you all would come in…”

#

Xavier wasn’t entirely sure what to think of this Asher stranger. She certainly was a wonderful addition to their party if you only gave it a cursory glance. The exact addition they required to continue the dungeon, almost like an answer to their prayers. And that made him suspicious. It was just too perfect. They had literally just been thinking of turning around because they lacked a powerful damage dealer and one just falls from the sky? It was simply too perfect of a situation. And even beyond that, he had major concerns.

For one, the girl showed obvious signs of being inexperienced.

She had the bare minimum of equipment necessary. A staff, a cloak, and a bag. She didn’t even have anything like proper armor! He had been sure she was lying about Rebecca allowing her to stay. Had assumed she had been making things up to extend her fieldtrip in the local dungeon. There was simply no way the woman would approve of such an underequipped individual leaving her sight. Frankly Rebecca should never have even allowed this young woman to enter the dungeon in such a sorry state.

And if Asher hadn’t been lying, then his concerns would have been all the greater. He had known Rebecca for years, if to a lesser extent than his companion, and would still have immediately brought such a lapse in judgement to the higher ups in the Guild. The fear that such decision making was being made by the person entrusted with training new members?

You simply did not allow recruits to go on real dungeon runs. It was too dangerous and they were too likely to get themselves killed. It was criminal negligence at best, outright murder at worst. And in his mind, not reporting such a decision would have been the equivalent of facilitating each death Rebecca would doubtlessly be responsible for.

But then Asher had shared her story. If even half of it was true at least he could understand where Rebecca was coming from. And Rebecca would have known any lies before Asher even uttered a word of them.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Such a story was incredible. Near impossible. A miracle in action. Nobody should have been able to survive being dropped into a dungeon without even a single day of combat experience. Asher was truly gifted to have managed it and it spoke volumes to her talent and ability.

Yet even with that monstrous talent, he still wasn’t sure he agreed with letting a greenhorn continue in a dungeon like this. Even with a party like the Green Dawn. In fact, being such a promising recruit made him even more hesitant. The loss of an individual such as Asher was nearly incalculable. She was almost certain to hit C tier given time, ensuring her future as a true elite of the Adventurers’ Guild, at least in this region.

And her dying here was not an impossibility. Not even necessarily unlikely. It didn’t matter how sturdy the construction was if the foundation was shoddy. Put the girl in boot camp. Drive the basics into her. Help her set up a full kit of equipment. In a year she could tear through this place with a party like theirs.

But not yet.

The problem was, he could already see that his compatriots wanted to agree to the girl’s request. She was excitable, persuasive, and driven. A powerful combination for getting what she wanted, and it made the rest of Green Dawn want to help her and made them ignore that even if this is what the young woman wanted, it wasn’t what was best for her. Worse still, thanks to her talent they ignored the obvious dangers to both the girl and themselves.

Finished composing his thoughts, Xavier broke through the murmurs of congratulations and questions of his fellow party members. “I have to admit, what you have accomplished…it is amazing. It is something I would never expect someone in your position to accomplish. Are you sure you would not prefer to leave the dungeon and finally take a well-earned rest? No one would say you do not deserve such an opportunity.”

Asher looked at him when he said this, and he could tell she knew his thoughts. That he believed it was what was best for her and that he meant no disrespect when he pushed against her joining them deeper in the dungeon. He also knew she would reject his advice.

“I can’t. Not yet. I’m not done here, I can feel it. There is something more here. Something I might not get another opportunity to go after.” Xavier saw the exhaustion in her eyes when she said that, but beneath that was a fire. A refusal to admit she needed to take a break. A drive to keep going regardless of what stood in her way.

Xavier sighed, resolved to do everything in his power to force her to take the rest she needed. Regardless of her opinion of him afterwards. “May I ask that we have the evening to think over your request?”

Glancing around, he made it clear he was requesting that the group discuss the matter away from the woman before they came to a decision. He knew they would agree, even if one or two had wanted to take the girl in immediately.

#

Xavier had watched Asher leave not long after that, but only after the woman had received assurances from multiple members of the Green Dawn that they would give her request real thought. He certainly had to admit she was persistent, and charismatic enough that she had managed to phrase her requests so that they did not sound like she was whining or nagging.

He felt her leaving through his Earth Magic, thankful that she was giving them the privacy he had requested. He had half expected her to take her time leaving, staying close to the edge of their camp listening like she had when approaching them earlier. He wasn’t sure if he would have waited her out or driven her away at that point.

It was the deep rumble of Andre’s voice that brought him out of his musings, “Alright Xavier, Asher is gone. Time to tell us what has you hesitating. Why don’t you want to take her in?”

“She’s at her limit Andre. Can’t you see that? She needs a break. Even beyond that…She lived as much thanks to luck as she did due to skill.” He kept his distrust to himself. They all knew he was the nervous one and would just chalk it up to paranoia if he started with it.

Veronika interrupted him then, cutting in to say, “I would argue instinct more than luck in most cases. My Soul Sense may not be quite as good as Sahar’s, but Asher’s magic is not subtle. Some of her intermediate Spells…they have an unconventional balance but are obviously powerful. And none of them are failures. If she really made them all without any guidance, she has a strong sense for her magic.”

“Or she was very lucky!” Xavier saw what Veronika was saying, but he had to remind them that a preternatural sense for the spell fusions wasn’t the only possibility.

He was surprised when Balam spoke up. The younger man tended to only listen in during these discussions, content to let the rest of the group decide what to do, “Even if it was luck, that’s a quality all its own in adventurers. Some of the best fighters I’ve talked to say becoming great is a combination of talent, training, and enough luck to make up for when those two fail.”

“Luck is fine, but you cannot make your plans around it.” Xavier took his time looking each companion in the eye before moving on, making sure they saw how serious he was about his next words, “She’s too green. She has zero formal training and is entirely under equipped for what we are likely to run into on the lake.”

Andre laughed at that, “The second is easy enough if we pool some of our old stuff and she has a few points to spend!”

“And that does nothing to address the issue of training!”

It was then, just as Xavier’s temper was beginning to grow with how the others were brushing him off, that Sahar began to speak, instantly soothing him with her calm voice, “What if we took a few days to put her through the basics Xavier? I know you are pushing so hard against her joining us because you are worried about her, so what if we took some time to see what she was really capable of.”

Xavier hesitated at that, “We do not go out onto the lake until after the trial period? And she only joins us out there if we can drive at least a few of the basics into her?”

“Of course dear. We’ll set up our own little boot camp for her out here. I bet we could even get Rebecca and Alejandro to help us out. Rebecca’s charges would enjoy being allowed to stay in the dungeon a little longer and I’m sure Asher would get a lot out of participating in the training. I’ll talk to her about it in the morning if we decide to proceed. And it isn’t like we don’t have plenty of time.”

“She has to be allowed to rest too. We cannot overdue it, hoping to cram months or even years of training and education into a week. That woman is near her breaking point already and I do not want us to be relying on her when or if she snaps.”

“Of course dear. I will commune with the Ascendent Solarus. Look for advice on the best way to guide this new mind. It is not the first time I have helped shepherd a damaged soul. I will help her rest to the best of my abilities.”

Sighing, Xavier rubbed his face knowing he had lost for now at least. “One week, then we see how things stand. And Balam keeps an eye on her. I’d like it if Rebecca talked to her a little more too. You have to admit, her showing up is a little too perfect for us.”

Andre boomed out in laughter for a second time, the peals so deep they felt like they should be shaking the earth. “There’s the overly suspicious elf I was looking for. Was wondering when he would show up.”

“Somebody has to be the cautious one around here Andre. We can’t be giving every person we meet a free pass because they remind you of your cousin, aunt, or neighbor.” Smiling slightly, Xavier directed the discussion toward what, exactly, their curriculum for Ashe would be in the coming days.

#

“If Green Dawn refuses to let me go with them, what do you think our chances are of slipping out of here before Rebecca notices Bob?”

Asher was wearing a groove in the ground with her pacing, but she couldn’t help it. She was sure she had gotten at least the big, horned man and Veronika on her side. The third man had been hard to pin down, hiding off to the side and somehow slipping from her mind, and the glowing woman had seemed fairly neutral throughout. Still, Xavier obviously wanted to send her out of the dungeon and that meant there was every chance they were going to tell her no tomorrow.

“Not great mistress. Somna Fae are well noted for their ability to discover secrets and reveal lies. In addition, she is known to be an accomplished adventurer. A career that usually requires at least some capability in tracking.” Bob’s voice was dry, with maybe just a touch of humor hiding deep within the monotone. “Fae are, in general, also known for their potent illusionary powers. Including, but not limited to, invisibility.”

As Bob finished speaking, Asher barely kept from screaming as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Spinning around in a panic, she found the woman in question grinning widely at her, flying a tiny bit off the ground so Asher was forced to look up at her.

Seeing Asher calm down, Rebecca began to speak, “The guides right kid, no way you are going to be able to sneak off on me!”

Rebecca gave Asher the best teacher’s glare the young woman had ever seen. The type every teacher Asher had ever had growing up gave right before saying something that Asher was going to listen to or so help every god real and fake. “I’m serious girl, you are not leaving this campsite without the supervision of either myself or the Green Dawn. If you try, I will drag you back to Baramel City by your ear and make sure the guards at every entrance of the Basin know never to let you in her ever again.”

Switching back to a cheerful grin in the way only someone imminently familiar with caring for children could, Rebecca moved on to happier topics. “Now come with me, I got the spare tent set up and laid out a cot just for you. You look dead on your feet kid, it’s high time you got a good night’s sleep.”

After that, Rebecca led her off to a neat campsite filled with sixteen single person tents. They were nothing fancy, simple little A-frame affairs with a flap of tied down cloth hiding a fabric cot and just enough room for a person to crawl in on top, but they were downright luxurious compared to her more recent sleeping accommodations. Around her, fourteen kids that seemed to range in age from maybe sixteen to twenty pretended to be busy while “surreptitiously” observing her. They lay in cots, pretending to sleep, with one eye cracked in her direction, or sat around tables covered in motionless cards.

Asher couldn’t bring herself to care, she was simply too exhausted. Within sight of a comfortable sleeping arrangement, it was as though a five-hundred-pound weight had descended upon her shoulders and she could barely muster the effort to take another step. “Thanks for this Rebecca. Which tent is mine?”

The short woman gestured toward the left side of the semi-circle of tents. “Second one in, right next to my own. If you need anything, tell one of the kids and they’ll come get me.”

Turning her gaze toward the rest of the group, she took in their obvious signs of interest and returned to that stern teacher look, “You hear that everyone! Be on your best behavior for our guest here! If she needs something either help her out or come get me. And don’t bother her unless she says she needs help! Asher needs sleep. Badly. So, try to keep it down for her.”

The woman had more to say to the group, and it seemed like she was getting them ready for something, but by Asher had already been crawling into the tent at that point and any interest in the waking world quickly disappeared in favor of finally being allowed to close her eyes.

#

When Asher woke late the next morning, it was to find the camp entirely empty. Well, almost entirely empty. Alejandro was, as far as she could tell, snoozing in what seemed to be some kind of lawn chair near the firepit in the center of the camp. A wide brimmed hat was laid across his face and he had his feet kicked up on a nearby rock, like this dungeon was some kind of vacation spot and he could relax without a care in the world.

As soon as she started moving around though, the man pushed his hat back onto his crown and swung up into a proper sitting position. “Hungry kiddo? Have a few leftovers from the recruit’s meal stored away that I could reheat.”

As he said the words, Asher’s stomach responded for her. She wasn’t sure how long she had slept for, but it had apparently been long enough to work up quite the appetite. A loud grumble from her stomach made her famished state obvious, and Alejandro let out a small chuckle before he began pulling flour, eggs, and other ingredients from seemingly nowhere.

“Rebecca should be back with her gaggle in a half hour or so, after they finish their morning training. Green Dawn is out with them. Seems like a couple of them wanted to talk with Rebecca.”

Asher felt a rock in her stomach at that. Oh, don’t be such a worrywart! That could be good news!

Putting on a grin, she walked up next to the older man as he started the fire with what appeared to be a wand. “Any idea what they wanted to discuss with her?”

“No clue, besides it being related to you. At least I assume that’s the case.” Grunting as he stood back up, he gave her appraising look, “Listen kid, if they say no don’t take it too hard. You got a future in this career, Rebecca and I both know it. Hell, I’d even be willing to sponsor your basic training and first year’s membership if you decide to join up.

“Frankly speaking, taking you further in could be construed to be a dereliction of duty by some members of the guild. You ain’t a guild member, so you’re technically free to do whatever you please. Us though, well we’re ‘sposed to keep civies like you safe. Taking you further in could be seen as exposing you to additional danger instead.”

Feeling her heart sink a little, Asher did her best to keep a smile on her face, “Oh, I didn’t know that. Thanks Alejandro. I’ll keep what you said in mind.”

The man grunted at that, giving her a knowing look before he returned to preparing the food. For a while the two enjoyed a relaxed morning together, simply enjoying the delicious smell of the sizzling bacon and eggs while they talked about nothing of importance. Taking turns pouring out pancakes from the batter Alejandro had mixed up and eating their fill.

Then the first of the trainees began trickling in. Each was absolutely covered in dust and sweat, trudging their way forward with limbs dragging. Winking at her, Alejandro stage whispered conspiratorially, “I think that’s your queue to claim one of the showers before anyone else can kiddo.”

Asher could hardly think of anything that sounded better now that she was rested and full. A nice, warm soak to wash away the last of her trial’s aches and pains.

#

When she finally left the shower, she had been riding high on the joy of feeling truly clean for the first time in quite a while. She was also ecstatic to be clothed in a fresh t-shirt and pants Rebecca had left for her, rather than the worn and torn clothing she had stumbled into the camp in. How the woman knew Asher’s size, she had no idea. She wasn’t complaining though.

The last of the trainees had apparently made it back, followed by Rebecca, Sahar, and Xavier. The three looked at her expectantly, and Asher knew it was time. Whatever the decision the three had come to, they were ready to hand down her fate.

Walking up slowly, she took the time to greet them and wish them good morning. Each replied with their own pleasantries, telling her she looked worlds better than she had the previous day. Asher supposed she probably had looked pretty rough. Felt pretty rough.

Sahar was the first to finally broach the topic, “Alright dear, I won’t keep you waiting any longer. The Green Dawn has agreed to take you in-.”

Asher couldn’t help herself, she let out a whoop of joy. A sound which quickly drew the attention of the rest of the camp, who focused in on the conversation with interest. Asher got herself under control as quickly as she could, but she caught the indulgent smile Sahar quickly hid and Alejandro’s look of amusement.

“As I was saying dear, we have agreed to take you in on a provisionary basis. Our group does not have infinite time, but we have enough to take a week and get a real feel for your abilities. Rebecca here has been kind enough to agree to delay her own groups return from the dungeon as they had been slightly ahead of schedule anyway. She’ll be helping us out in this trial period.”

It was here when Xavier cut in, obviously disapproving of Asher’s earlier outburst, “This is not a game Asher. I, we, expect you to learn everything you can in the next week. We will be giving you a crash course on the basics of adventuring. Everything we can cram into your mind besides basic spell-work, since you appear to have that well in hand. If you do not meet our expectations, you will be leaving the dungeon with the rest of us.”

Rebecca cut in at this point, “You will also be expected to do basic training with the rest of my recruits Asher. Running, strength training, basic combat forms, and scouting. Special attention will be paid on threat assessment and monster identification, along with guild protocols for escaping from dangerous situations. The Green Dawn party wants to ensure you have every advantage we can give you for surviving an expedition onto the lake, and I agree with them.”

Sahar began speaking again. Clearly the group wanted to present a united front, avoiding any chance that she would target any particular individual with her ire. Not that they needed to worry, this was actually perfect. Asher could not have been happier with the situation. Bob had been incredibly helpful throughout the dungeon, but the amount of information she was authorized to access was exceedingly low and she would much prefer to be well informed.

“You will also be expected to rest dear. Like we said earlier, you look worlds better than you did yesterday but it is my professional opinion as the party’s healer that you are in need of as much rest as you can get. I will also be overseeing your diet, as you clearly have not been eating particularly well these last weeks. I plan to make sure you are as healthy as a Cetros Deep Diver before the week is up!”

“This sounds amazing.” Stepping forward Asher, drew all three into a hug. Xavier made a small show of resisting, but gave in in the end. “Thank you so much for this! I will do everything I can to make sure you don’t regret it!”