Carlister rapidly moved through the floors, moving as fast as he could with Lanly staying glued to his side. The two didn't even look back nor care if the others followed, but the terrified huffing of the two temporary adventurers and mule let them know they came close behind. However, when they made it to the tenth floor, the monsters began seeking them out, coming at them from much further than they should, and Lanly felt fear shiver down his back like cold rainwater. His breath hitched and his entire body froze for a second before rapidly settling in to quickly defeat the beasts. They fell quickly, but now they had to fight through a few dozen instead of just a half dozen or so, their speed quickly slowing to a slog, taking almost twice as long to make it through the tenth floor. The two behind them would be a liability, not a help, so Lanly barked out at them.

"Watch our backs but stay away!"

After each fight, Lanly felt his breathing grow erratic, fear spiking and causing him to hyperventilate whenever they weren’t fighting any monsters. Still, Carlister walked rapidly, keeping one foot on the floor at all times. The tense rapid walking and frozen moments of fearful monster slaying continued for another three or four floors until Carlister froze once again, his eyes rapidly staring out across the area. Carlister stared up at Lanly then back across the area.

“Times up.”

Lanly panted, “Options?”

Carlister stared at him, “Run!”

Carlister turned and began sprinting down the corridor and Lanly stared after him, mouth agape and fear freezing his feet to the floor. He only remained frozen for a few moments but then immediately began sprinting after Carlister when the three behind him jostled passed. He cursed and sprinted back past them to be in the lead again. Lanly caught up with Carlister when he met the first monster, and Lanly had moved into the monster’s side as they’d always done, but Carlister completely ignored their regular combat methods and simply stepped into the beast to slice his sword through a front leg. The thing fell to the ground with growls of pain and Carlister leaped over the beast towards one of the walls before leaping off the wall once again to clear the monster. He didn’t stop nor look back, sprinting down the hallway.

Lanly found himself stumbling once again, having already buried his sword in the side of the beast as he expected to slay it with a piercing strike to the heart, as both had always done. Carlister’s actions had left Lanly shocked, but Lanly adapted as he always had, turning from the beast and leaving it to collapse and die behind him, sprinting to catch up to Carlister. The next monster came out of the corridor and Carlister didn’t even stop to fight the beasts that were now coming out at them, simply slamming into him with a shield before slicing at a limb, attempting to weaken or lame the beast before slamming it away from him one last time and turning to sprint away.

Lanly soon fell in with Carlister, adapting his strikes to maim or paralyze. Carlister grunted in approval when Lanly began doing so and Lanly found himself calming. They made it to the entrance to the fourth floor, leaving the fifth floor behind littered with lamed monsters while scrambling up the corkscrew stairs with little concern. The stairs proved a bit safer only because the dungeon break had only begun. Lanly worried about the second and third floor, but what really concerned him was the first floor.

“Fourth floor?”

“Same.”

“Harder.”

“No choice.”

“Then… just running.”

Carlister frowned before replying, “If we’re lucky, might make it.”

Lanly tensed once again, not liking the eloquence that Carlister was now showing. They burst onto the fourth floor to see three monsters already streaming away from them towards the dungeon exit to the third floor. All three monsters immediately turned when the group came onto the floor and Carlister frowned.

“Don’t think we can run by these guys too easily.”

Carlister grunted.

“Kill fast?”

Carlister grunted again, but with a dissatisfied growl.

Lanly felt his tension flow from him. Game face!

The stepped in and rapidly killed the first, using their normal tactics, but then Carlister leapt across the body of the first to meet the second and Lanly cursed, struggling to make it across the still flailing gigantic corpse. Lanly cursed even more eloquently when one of the slave adventurers jostled him from behind.

"Watch your step, fool!" Lanly roared.

By the time Lanly made it to Carlister’s side, the man had already stepped in and took a wild swing at the beasts face. Lanly gaped to see Carlister’s wild strike which left his right side open, the beast swinging an incredibly dangerous paw the size of his chest up and into his side. The claws scraped screeching across Carlister’s metal breastplate before slicing across his front.

Carlister made sure to keep his arm up and out of reach, allowing the claws to scrape ragged channels across the front of the plate. Carlister ignored it, stepping once again into the beast’s reach to stab his sword directly into the eye of the beast. It shuddered, shaking wildly before collapsing dead at his feet. Carlister grunted with that, wincing with some pain before leaping to the third.

“Move!”

“Maim or kill?”

“Maim.”

Lanly nodded and allowed Carlister to step in first as he always did. The beast swiped out and Lanly came in to slice across the knee of the limb, immediately laming the beast. It yowled loudly in pain but more in rage. Despite that, it was hobbled and would pose no threat if they could flee from it. Carlister stepped forward and thrust into the eye once again, immediately killing it. Lanly frowned. Thought we were maiming… but… Carlister didn’t wait and leapt across the corpse once again, Lanly easily keeping pace this time as he now understood Carlister’s motives.

“You didn’t maim it.”

Carlister grunted but continued running. Lanly fell silent, banter not something he really wanted right now although the perverse side of him kept thinking of really dumb lines. He didn’t want to piss Carlister off, however. That would be incredibly stupid.

The sprinted through the fourth floor, killing or maiming several dozen more of the beasts, the fight becoming quite tricky when they made it towards the entrance back to the third floor as all the monsters of the fourth floor crowded the entrance to go up to the third floor. Both Lanly and Carlister looked at the wall of monsters with trepidation before glancing backwards. There were no monsters behind them, yet, but it was only a matter of time. Carlister seemed to deflate, glancing over at Lanly.

“It’s been good with you, Lanly.”

Lanly’s breath froze then quickened rapidly even as the three behind began blathering cries of fear.

Lanly spoke up quickly, “Don’t give up. Not now! We’re getting out of here!”

Carlister smiled, “Not giving up. But…”

Oooh… he smiled. Why did he smile! He never …

Lanly’s thoughts cut off as Carlister turned from him and leapt towards the beasts with a howl of rage and despair. Lanly followed shortly after. We’re going to make it! We’re going to make it! We’re going to make it! I’m not givin’ up! This is not over. There is no way I’m givin’ up!

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Carlister disappeared into the beasts as a whirlwind of destruction. His shield became a weapon, no longer used in defense and Carlister only used it to create openings for his sword to kill. Carlister dove into their midst and cared little for the beasts around them, only pushing as deeply into the monsters as possible, seeking the exit and leaving behind any beast that targeted the others. Lanly joined him, dancing in and around behind him, his sword thrusting from behind Carlister’s shield for eyes when he remembered the fourth floor’s weakness were the eyes of the massive beasts. Been a long time since I fought on this floor seriously… anything else? More? What else … gotta…

His first several thrusts proved too shallow, but he soon learned to press deep. Carlister’s armor grew gouged and soon almost ragged, although his metal plate protected him. Lanly’s own leather would prove useless on the next several floors, but they made do, Carlister offering Lanly protection with his metal clad limbs and body when Lanly needed it. After an eternity of only moments, Lanly and Carlister found themselves breathing heavily at the entrance to the third floor, the floor at the entrance of the fourth floor littered with the corpses of fourth floor monsters while another crowd of monsters they'd managed to push past ravaged the two slave adventurers and the huddling slave acokzau mule. They stared at each other before turning to stare at the corpses of dead monsters and the sea of living monsters between them and their slaves, swarming the slaves and overwhelming them. Lanly cursed to see their pack and gains clasped by the acokzau mule. He pointed towards it. Carlister immediately shook his head no and turned back to the stairs, fleeing rapidly up it. Lanly followed quickly after.

“See! We’re going to make it!” Lanly crowed halfway up the stairs, more in false bravado than true belief.

Carlister grunted, but grinned at Lanly wildly before chuckling gruffly. Lanly felt himself shudder. Carlister’s slightly crazed laughter was short lived as he grimaced and brought a hand up to his chest, coughing as they continued up the staircase.

Lanly grimaced, “Healer?”

Carlister nodded, “Health is on empty.”

Lanly nodded, “Let’s go.”

Carlister stared at him then back the way they’d come. Lanly frowned and immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him.

“You’re not staying. You stay, I stay. So if you want me out, get your ass in gear and let’s move!”

Carlister looked up at him then nodded, and the two continued jogging up the stairs to the third floor. They moved slower but Lanly refused to leave him behind. For the first time Lanly had ever known, Carlister broke the silence first.

“I’m not going to be able to move fast enough.”

“Still not on us, so shut up and move.”

Carlister fell silent and Lanly felt relieved. He didn’t want to waste the time arguing and the two finally hit the third floor. The cats would prove rather weak against Carlister but more importantly, Lanly could lead as he could easily handle the cats himself. Lanly took the lead and Carlister thumped behind him, his metal armor rattling loudly behind him.

They’d made it to the first corner and Lanly grew worried that they would find the cats piling up at the entrance just like on the fourth floor, but they came around the corner and Lanly felt his eyes go wide as he saw a young man easily put down a cat then take out a second cat with a simple thrust straight through the beasts open mouth as it leapt. Well… that’s… a lot easier than I can… Loki’s silver balls! How does he track the beasts… their wild leaps are… his speed is incredible!

Lanly spoke quickly and quietly to Carlister, “Maim them? Leave behind a roadblock?”

Carlister growled back, a low rumble difficult to hear, “Leave him be. We would be maimed and left behind!”

Lanly grimaced while also shivering with some fear. Right… don’t mess with the guy… got it! Lanly didn’t slow, sprinting directly towards the man and his two apprentices with Carlister lumbering behind.

“Move. We seek out!”

The man blinked, parsing his command before cautiously moving to the side, holding out his spear to press his apprentices to the wall while his right hand took out his sword and held it out defensively in front of himself. Lanly nodded, smiling and grateful. We… might just make it!

* * *

The spymaster leapt across the roofs of Coushar with little concern for stealth while cursing his master, Gunlan, vehemently and often under his breath. His steps led directly to the gate plaza for planar travel of Coushar before he slowed and became more cautious to engage his stealth. He slipped down into an alleyway before stepping out into the gate plaza, eyes quickly if furtively searching for the Second in Line for Patriarch’s messenger.

When he finally found him, he walked across the plaza with calm confidence only slightly marred with an edge of tension. When he arrived near the messenger, the messenger immediately recognized what was happening, but did not react to the spymaster. The spymaster nodded with gratefulness at the messenger’s professional actions and quickly sat on the small bench next to him.

They remained silent for a time until there were few people surrounding him. The spymaster should have waited just a bit longer, but tense fear slithered through him like cold slime and he could barely restrain himself from fleeing.

“The master bids you stay and await the gate. Do not fail your duty, no matter what happens.”

The messenger flinched at that, stiffening at that with some worry and the spymaster ground his teeth with anger. Of course now the messenger will worry… foolish stupid clan brat… Thank, you fool!

The messenger remained silent for a time, allowing a young couple to pass before nodding, “As the master commands.”

“As the master commands,” the spymaster replied ritualistically before standing and fleeing quickly, if with still some modicum of inconspicuous movement. He was able to restrain himself until the alleyway, then leapt to the roofs and fled from the city as rapidly as he could.

Loki’s cursed fool of a simpleton. What good will this do, you foolish boy! Maybe it is wise that I seek escape. First playing with fire in deceiving a great clan … the Galgandar’s master clan at that! Then to seek out the Wyvern! A fool! What … The spymaster cut off his thoughts as bells began tolling, and he cursed, dropping all efforts at stealth to speed rapidly from the city, even as rage infused curses rolled in his mind as he thought of the fool clanner brat.

* * *

Kilniara and Gwenvair spent the morning relaxing with one another on the bed in their room, Kilniara bent to the task of encouraging Gwenvair while Gwenvair slowly grew ever more calm and joyful. When lunch grew close, Kilniara turned from calming Gwenvair to eagerly planning their future together, Gwenvair once more invested in their family if still struggling to resolve the hurt she felt from what had happened earlier. But she struggled on gamely and soon the game face became her reality and she was able to join in the conversation with full participation.

When lunch did arrive, both girls decided to head down to the common room for lunch and so began dressing for the day. Kilniara laughed, finding the idea of staying in bed until noon to be utterly ridiculous.

“I can’t believe we still are in our pajamas!”

Gwenvair smiled, “You haven’t done so before?”

Kilniara smiled and shook her head, “My family was too poor to take the chance to waste a day. We were always awake with the sun and working until well after it.”

Gwenvair’s smile turned a bit bitter, “Do not believe I slept in often. One cannot be First in Line for Authority if one is lazy.”

Kilniara’s smile faltered at that but she sighed in acceptance of Gwenvair’s statement, “True. It is hard for me to see the life of clanners.”

Gwenvair bowed her head at that and offered her own sigh in kind, “And I could never understand the life of the commoner, either. We both have much to learn.”

Kilniara shrugged at that, however, “Thankfully, we will have a long time to learn.”

Gwenvair’s bitterness lightened at that and she chuckled, “That, we do. And it will be… amazing.”

Kilniara giggled at that and nodded excitedly, “Yes, it will be!”

Gwenvair gave Kilniara a full hug and struggled to hold back her own excitement, “An eccentric!”

“A young eccentric!”

“One who … truly loves.”

Both girls fell silent at that before giggling again and hugging each other excitedly but didn’t stay long, both leaping up to finish dressing for the day. Their talk turned to idle conversation, most revolving around Joe as they both wondered about their new relationship, now more real with the certainty of Joe’s knowledge.

They wandered down to the common room and settled at one of the tables there, continuing their chat while waiting for Joe’s return. The common room was quiet with only three others, each sitting at their own table. Their chatter added noise to the room but everyone else soaked in their alcohol and silence. The girls, however, never really noticed, too happy in their own world. It didn’t last very long, though, as noise from outside the inn suddenly began to grow. The first to notice the growing noise were the loners in their own world, morosely lost in their alcohol. The girls took only a few moments longer to catch on, their conversation coming to a stilted halt.

“… and that’s when… what’s that?”

Gwenvair glanced at Kilniara in surprise then paused, glancing around in an attempt to find what Kilniara was talking about, “What’s what?”

“The noise outsi…” Kilniara trailed off when everyone else in the room began standing and looking towards the door, even the barkeep stopped his incessant cleaning while his wife stepped out of the kitchen, leaning out to look towards the outside. The whole inn fell silent even as the noise outside the inn swelled to a great crescendo, the sound of thumping feet and cursing crowds easily heard through the walls. One of the men closest to the door went and opened the front door and the sound of loud panicked crowds erupted in through the door even as the streets seen through the door revealed crowds stampeding down the street shouting in terror. It took a bit, but the shouts soon became clear and the panic outside immediately leapt into the room, everyone leaping and fleeing in any direction they could, although those with their heads on straight turned directly towards the inner city walls. Outside, the cries turned to a distinct chanting accentuated by the loud clanging of the city’s warning bells.

“Dungeon break! Dungeon Break! Dungeon Break!”