Caspian half walked half ran when he saw the wagon filled with pillows and blankets he didn't know why it was there nor if he was allowed in but after what he had been through he was getting in. As he tossed himself over the side he heard a muffled gasp as Ezmarelda clenched her hand and winced as his filthy form landed among her carefully cleaned linens.

“Let the boy have his moment you did just watch him strip a corpse for something to wear right?” remarked Darock.

They all loaded into the wagon and Caspian then felt a slight tip as they began to roll forward looking over the edge he saw the wagon had no locomotion but the 2 front wheels appeared to be sitting in shallow grooves that were appearing just in front of them then rising back into the stone floor just behind.

“Are you driving this thing with magic?” asked Caspian in awe of the simple technique and its massive usefulness.

“Pretty cool trick eh? Now what are all these questions you said you've got”

“Alright so first why are all the boars so weak but the slime behemoth thing was marked as DEEEATH for me?

“Wow, a 3 mark that's rare you survived shoulda turned you into a sniveling little pile of mud. Well likely because you followed us in or some other group. Boars give hardly any xp and are usually considered more trouble than they're worth though I suppose pretty great in a closed setting when you're nice and low-level. Not many people risk going into a dungeon this early on so I suppose the risk is still right there. Does that about answer ya?”

“Yeah. Ok is it bad I fight with my fists should I learn a weapon or …”

“Eh fists are fine just gotta delve a little into the Arcane like me once you get yourself a subclass just make sure to choose one that works with your style of fighting”

“Ok Ok makes sense. Alright, what's a blessing then do I need one? Want one?”

“That's easy a blessing comes from a patron you can try to attune to one connected to your subclass when you get one but unless you get some subclass over Rare rarity it's unlikely and Patron will take notice. Tina has a blessing not sure of what level but it's gotta be pretty good you should see the lil lady toss a fireball it's like someone just focused the sun through a lens on an ant. Ain’t no way she doesn't have some ancient infernal or a high-tier fire master somewhere fueling it.”

“Ok, finally I guess what do you know about something called … the endless cycle?”

“Ugh where did you hear that boy that’s not something you wanna mess with”

“A carving … it was in the tunnel by a hole in the ground” lied Caspian

“Phew thought you found some book or something. You don't wanna mess with whatever's in that hole not many know but I've gotten myself a good education at the Royal Institute and The Endless Cycle is something a lot of books talk about being the end of nations back in the Age of War its been a good century or 3 since then but they said there was a group of warriors back then who could melt the skin from bone and rip life from the shadow never did know if it was a weapon, an ability, or just the name of some empire that's dead now but if your lucky we can sell that tidbit to the guild when we get back should get you a decent tip if they find anything at least enough to get you some new gear. I'm assuming your gear got destroyed somewhere in there?”

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“Ugh yeah … yeah all my stuff got destroyed”

“Shame well hey here's to new beginnings. So what do you think you'll choose?”

“Choose what?” asked Caspian

“For your subclass” replied Darock clapping him on the back

“My eyes tell me you’re right on the cusp of 10 so I assumed you were just waiting to get somewhere safe before you drank down a few family essences and made your choice”

“Essences?” asked Caspian

“Yeah didn't your family give you some before you left for the dungeon I assume you didn’t just walk in and roll the dice on what Essences you'd want for your subclass otherwise you’ll just get a single choice maybe two if you’re lucky and diverse enough in what you fight before 10.”

Caspian chuckled and tried to decide what he should do or say could he fake it? He had burned a hole in the ground when he made his choice if he didn't do something crazy this time they would get suspicious right? Maybe not if he pretended it was something common and unpowerful. Unsure of what to do he played it as straight as he could.

“My parents are dead and I don't know how to get essences so I just played my cards I'm gonna wait till I'm outside then make my decision…… I have a grandfather” he added for good measure.

Caspian felt a warm light on his back as he saw the tunnel grow lighter and the path opened up to a wide atrium with a massive skylight letting in warm rays of the sun and a calm breeze with leaves dancing back and forth above. Caspian couldn't believe how much he'd missed the sun. Going through a short tunnel that seemed carved less than built in the wall of the atrium they had been in. At the end stood a man in some type of uniform with an iridescent shimmer over him. A rock flew from the wall rebounding off the shimmering barrier.

“Oi who goes there!!!” shouted the man having clearly been sleeping or otherwise distracted.

“Ayy coming out none badly injured just a little substituting” called Darock.

“5 in 5 out that's all me cares about I keeps me head down I don't dies”

“Sounds about right to me” agrees Darock as the gate before them slowly rises into the ceiling.

Caspian took in the wide-open green meadows dotted with trees. Snow-capped mountains in the distance as well as one they had just exited. He could see farms as well with sheep and the like grazing about them. In the same direction the path they were on led, was what must be a giant castle town some ways off.

“To the north, you've got the Mist Fang Mountains, South is farmland for I do not know how long, East is this dungeon and a wind-themed one with drakes up at the peak, and West is the city of Ender Crown.”

“Cool cool thanks yeah alright where would be the best place for a Brawler like me to go get stronger”

“Thought you might have gotten the class up Brawler is a respectable place to be just short of your subclass choice if you get an essence choice like Beast or Might take it. If you get Fiend or anything elemental in nature don't even worry just pick one you jive with you can always upgrade it later. As for hunting grounds, you should get your subclass first then go to either the Northwood or Southern Plains depending on the subclass. Woods has some Currupt Ents which are great if you get a more elemental sub and plains have plenty of Spirit Elk and at night have Shadow Wolves which will be great xp if you get a more beast or fighting specific sub.”

“Nice ok welp thanks for the help gotta go I guess,” said Caspian before quickly jumping out of the wagon and making a b-line south towards the farms.

“You think hell be ok?” asked Nathaniel

“Nope that kid has got a death wish and lied about at least 5 things he told up also he had no clue about essences so hell be dead soon but hey now we get to tell the guild that not only was that old man who guided us into the dungeon was a cultist of a banished patron but that there's at least 1 cultist of chaos in there if not a whole treasure trove well be set for years with that reward.