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.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

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 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.”