“That was quick,” Brianna said. She fell on her bottom, panting. Her face was flush from the dancing. Her chains slowly faded, and her tattoos lost luminosity until they were no brighter than dying embers. “Terrifying, but quick.”

“It should've been long and terrifying,” Nox said, studying Medusa’s corpse and the damage his ice arrow had inflicted. “I'd take a giant rampaging monster over a stealthy manipulator and enchanter any day. Her gorgons would've made the fight extra challenging if we didn't have Otis or a summoner like Alexander assisting. Luck was on our side. You make for a terrifying presence on the battlefield. The fear your chains put in Medusa won.”

“You weren’t kidding about holding back in class either.” Brianna poked the dead boss’ corpse with her foot. “Two attacks. It took ye two fecking attacks to put down an Adept-ranked boss.” She glanced at Otis. The gremlin sat on his bottom, nibbling on Medusa’s snakes. “That thing of yours as well. I didn’t know he could cast spells as well.”

“He can’t. I fed him a spell in preparation, and he used it when instructed.”

“What are you?” Brianna raised an eyebrow. “Frost mage? Lightning mage?”

Nox chuckled. “I’m a preparation mage.” He clicked his fingers. Otis glared at him for a moment, making whining sounds. The gorgon statues had crumbled following Medusa’s death, giving him the freedom to explore and play around. When Nox flashed him an angry glare and snapped his fingers, the gremlin ran off, collecting all the fallen essence glass. Currently, Joey was his only source of Mind Essence, and his investigations kept him busy. “Each of my projectiles has a different spell and I can produce something to meet the occasion as long as I have the necessary essence glass. This fight just consumed two of my most powerful frost spells. We’ll be in trouble if we need more.”

“Well, I understand now why you don’t cut loose in class. Why waste limited resources while sparring?”

“I don’t want to accidentally kill someone or want dangerous magic raining over the city either.” The throne room’s door had opened. A second exit also appeared on the opposite end. “In your expert art and map-reading opinion, which way should we go?”

Brianna hesitantly looked between both doors. “The map didn’t mention any quick exits around the boss room, but I heard a fair bit of movement after I took Medusa’s head. There is a chance the walls moved. I suppose the question is forward or back.”

“Forward,” Nox said. “Those hallways carried sound. If the others were in the same section as us, we would’ve heard each other. It means they’re in the neighboring sections. I think we have a chance to slay the other two bosses and destroy the dungeon for good. The treasure rooms might ensure you don’t need to work for people like me or in the student police force to survive.”

“You’re not the worst person I’ve worked for,” Brianna replied. “I just wish I had better control over the rage that accompanies Fenrir’s Chains so I can be of more use on the battlefield.”

“You don’t have to tell me, but what are your central cantrips?”

“I don’t mind. I didn’t have much choice about them. The tattoos require Reinforce, Haste, and Calm Mind. The first two work with the tattoos and are essential for controlling and powering them. I use Calm Mind to rid myself of the rage that accompanies Fenrir’s Chains. The downside is that they come hand-in-hand. I can’t manifest the chains against for several minutes after using the cantrip.”

“You’re an adept, and you only have three cantrips?” Nox raised an eyebrow. “You have room for three more, you know.”

Brianna looked embarrassed. “I haven’t found many that I have the aptitude for, and the decent ones are beyond my means. I’ve been saving for a few.”

“Have you considered Soothe? It might help ease the effects of rage and keep it from dominating you. It’s like Calm Mind but doesn’t just rid you of what you’re currently feeling. You can use it to cool down your body and items too.”

“I haven’t heard of it,” Brianna answered. “But it sounds perfect. Perhaps I’ll make it my first investment.”

“I’ll give you the scroll once I’m done here. I think it's important that you get the anger in control if we work together.” Nox got the smile he was looking for. “So, which way?”

“I suggest we got that way.” She pointed at the door they hadn’t used. “I suspect doors connecting the different sections would be near the center of the dungeon where the three meet. The heart is also hollow. It might be a meeting space for the sisters.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Lead the way. I need to prepare a few more ice spells. They might prove vital if we end up facing another gorgon sister.”

They picked the door connected to a long hallway that ended in a treasure room. Gold coins, armor, weapons, and a littering of relics littered the space. Nox guessed Medusa had her minions strip anything of value of their victims to grow the treasure horde. It was tempting to study it all, but Nox resisted. He had Otis store the gold and all objects of power in his spatial storage.

Otis hadn’t yet developed the ability to create and manage infinite spatial storage spaces. Currently, three was his limit, and he struggled to make big openings. If any got stuffed too much, there was always a risk of losing items. Nox imagined the borders of the pocket dimensions weren’t particularly strong, and when pushed, elements disappeared into uncontrolled space. Otis’ ability to accurately identify and retrieve items that Nox wanted needed work too. He especially struggled to pick out the correct concoction or bew. Nox had resorted to investing in expensive and unique containers to help the gremlin differentiate, but they still had a long way to go. He hoped growing the Spatial Storage moon would improve Otis’ mastery and control.

Because of the new Ratra Bow’s potent arcane field, Nox didn’t risk carrying many artificed objects. He missed his beloved Artisan’s Arm, but Mage Hand’s ability to work with the new weapon somewhat made up for the shortcoming. The treasure room featured a few rune-covered bows and mana weapons. Nox didn’t know whether they worked, but they appeared of foreign construction, and he hoped Sapna could use them to improve Ratra’s Bow further.

A lever in the treasure room opened the curved wall at the back of it and opened a path to the wedge’s corner. It was as Brianna had predicted. A door had opened at the back of the section. The pair found two more entrances in the circular room beyond it.

“Which way?” Brianna asked, looking between the pair.

“I’m not sure,” Nox answered, studying the two paths. Gorgon and serpent corpses littered both. “It looks like they already defeated the boss in one section and are working their way towards the next. Perhaps they’re looking for us.”

The tattoos around Brianna’s ears glowed crimson. She stuck an ear to the walls and took several minutes to listen. “I think they took care of the winged snake already. Muscles is left.”

“Are you sure?”

Brianna nodded. She pointed at the section to the right. “There is a fight going on down there. I think they might be with the boss already.”

“Let’s go then. We don’t have much time to waste.”

Following a mental prod, Otis consumed a stored essence crystal sphere. His eyes and the crystal shards growing out of his eye back adopted a sky-blue glow. The spell in store didn’t have the same power as the one they used against Medusa, but it will have to do. Brianna had resisted the cold because of her time in the north and her tattoos’ warming effect, but the rest of the party didn’t have the same natural tolerances.

As the curving outer wall of the boss room into sight, Nox consumed a mana pill before manifesting Ratra’s Bow. He opted for the combined form of the short bow and launcher gauntlet again. It sacrificed speed and maneuverability for the double shot. He hadn’t tested it with much besides mana bolts and the lightning essence projectiles yet. However, the potential excited him.

Brianna claimed it sounded like there was an ongoing battle with several large creatures on the battlefield. They expected Caitlin, her wood armor, to be one. The rest had to be the final Gorgon Sister’s minions. Nox attempted a combination spell. He made an arrow of aquatic essence, hoping to create rain and mist. The second was a standard lightning projectile—he had grown fond of it.

The pair reached the boss room’s entrance and found utter chaos. The gorgon sister and her minions—a combination of lesser gorgons and giant snakes had successfully separated the party further. Caitlin stood in a far corner, locked in a grappling match with a half-human-half-snake specimen. Unlike Medusa, she was all scales and tail below the belly button. The creature’s human half rippled with muscles, and she too had a mane of slender serpents that came down to her waist.

Meanwhile, Alexander and Joey stood corner against the opposite door, surrounded by gorgon statues, active gorgons wielding spears and shields, and serpents. Several bow-wielding minions pelted them with arrows and bolts too.

“What do we do?” Brianna asked.

“You take care of the masses, and I’ll help Caitlin,” Nox said.

“Are you going to open a path for me?”

Nox nodded, kneeling. He targeted the gorgon army's backline, where the ranged attackers stood. He tapped into his Animation planet and added its spell to the bolts just as they shot forth. Haste and Nox’s cocktail of alchemical brews helped him marvel at the projectiles in action. Both projectiles spun so swiftly that the triangular arrowheads blurred into cones as they flew forth. The Aquatic Essence released mist and a spiral of droplets spraying all it passed. Meanwhile, the second arrow's lightning tendrils danced over all wet surfaces. All touched reptilian foes recoiled from the magic.

Then, the projectiles struck the heart of the gorgon army and exploded. A dark cloud exploded from the point of impact, covering a good deal of the rear guard and ranged attackers. Then, lightning spread across the battlefield.

“Send in your lightning squirrels!” Nox yelled.

“You’re alive!” Alexander celebrated before obeying. A couple of dozen of forearm-sized squirrels appeared around him. The fair on their back stood on end, and lightning arced between them. When he pointed, the army charged, and a storm was born.