Three days after Charlie and the others left Sirra, Charlie had a thought.

When his dungeon integrity hit zero, the dungeon collapsed. But what if there was something he could do to increase the integrity? To make the dungeon more stable.

“Parent, is it possible to make the dungeon more secure? So that it wouldn’t collapse as fast?” he asked.

“In theory, it should be possible. Dungeons are meant to be manipulated as the owner sees fit, in this case, you. Perhaps it would be advantageous to visit now. We can discuss it further there.”

Charlie blinked. He looked up. Merlin was driving. Orb hovered next to him. He’d made a habit of that, watching the tree line. Maybe he was keeping watch, or maybe he just wanted to enjoy the forest scenery. But lately, Orb spent a lot of time in the front of the wagon.

Mousifer and Bleedy were curled up beside Vetica, who quietly sharpened a knife. She’d changed out of the black outfit she’d worn in Sirra. Now she wore a black vest. The green sleeves of her shirt protruded from it with intricate symbols along her cuffs and shoulders. A series of belts started just below her waist and trailed up her stomach. Two leather straps crossed each other across her chest. She noticed his gaze. “Everything okay, Charlie?” she asked.

“Yes! Parent thinks we should visit the dungeon. There are things we need to talk about.”

“Parent? That’s the name of your interface, right?” she asked. They’d spent the last few days catching her up on everything they’d been through. She’d adjusted to most of it quickly. Most of it.

Charlie nodded. “Can we pull over somewhere, Merlin?” he asked.

Merlin looked over his shoulder. “Sure. What’s going on?”

“He’s about to teleport all of us into the dungeon,” Orb said.

Vetica sat up, looking at Orb. She hadn’t gotten used to a talking dungeon core. Marvin came to a halt. Merlin turned to face him. “What? Why?”

“Boy, it sure is painful being transported…everybody brace yourselves,” Orb said, messing with Merlin.

Merlin’s eyes went wide. “Wait!”

Charlie smiled.

“Transfer!”

A panicked neigh escaped Marvin.

A similar noise escaped Merlin.

Vetica shot up and hurried out of the wagon. Charlie patted the wooden wagon floor and Bleedy surged forward, picking him up. Charlie smiled, grabbing onto the familiar tufts of fur. He hadn’t ridden Bleedy like this in a while. It was nice. The baby carrier was better for towns, but there was something comforting about shooting around on Bleedy’s back. Mousifer scurried up beside him. Bleedy ran and leapt off the rear of the wagon, following Vetica outside.

“Woah, this is… inside you?” Merlin asked, climbing down the front of the wagon.

A thoughtful expression cut across Charlie’s face. “Hm. Not sure. Don’t know how it works. But we are in my dungeon.”

Vetica knelt down and touched the soft dungeon earth. “Huh, that’s so realistic. It’s hard to wrap my mind around it. Being transported like that. I’ve never seen magic like it.”

Charlie looked around. They were in a large room, not the room from the fight with Lusafeen, but it was similar. A round, open space with high ceilings. He marveled at the crumbled rock lying in piles all around them. A purple aura covered the broken fragments of the dungeon almost at random. At random intervals, the aura surrounded rocks slowly lifted off the ground. They rose until they reached the ceiling and snapped into place.

“I think it’s repairing itself…” he thought aloud.

“Correct. Current Dungeon Integrity is at twenty-six percent. As integrity increases, the damage is slowly repaired. But this process is slower after full collapse.”

Vetica whirled around. “What was that?” she asked. Merlin stood in stunned silence.

“You can hear him too?” Orb asked.

“While in the dungeon, I can make myself known to allies of the User. I am Charlie’s interface.”

“This is creepier and creepier by the second. Why exactly did we come here, Charlie?” Merlin asked, turning to him.

“It has become increasingly apparent that Charlie will continue needing the offensive capabilities of the dungeon. Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to inform him of some things. As his allies, it made sense to include all of you in this process as well. For starters, Charlie, your dungeon integrity is something that can improve over time. But there is another way to strengthen it faster. By reinforcing the dungeon yourself, you can create a structure more suited to your needs. Whether that be focusing on increasing the dungeon’s overall durability. Or using the dungeon for more traditional reasons.”

“So, Charlie can modify the dungeon?” Orb asked. “Does that mean we could make it so his power doesn’t run out so quickly? That would be a big deal.”

“Correct.”

Bleedy couldn’t take his eyes off one of the purple rocks. Charlie smiled. He slid down and waved his hand, giving him and Mousifer permission to go check it out.

Merlin ran a few fingers along his chin. “Wait…if Charlie can bring us all here…that could be useful. I mean, think about it. If we were in a fight, Charlie could transport everyone. We’d have a territorial advantage.”

Vetica’s face lit up. She scanned the room. She pointed above one of the entranceways. “Yes! For instance, you could put an alcove above the opening. I could wait there, and when enemies entered, I could jump behind them and slit their throats.” She turned her attention to follow one of the rising rocks. “Or we could make a vantage point for Merlin to rain magic down from above!”

Vetica was really excited about fighting. Maybe a bit too excited. Charlie exchanged a look with Merlin.

“Oh, you should probably know Merlin’s nearly useless in combat. His magic is all show. Trust me,” Orb said.

Merlin scoffed. “Hey! That’s not your business to tell.”

“I can’t shrug, but picture me shrugging. I’m shrugging verbally,” Orb said.

Vetica frowned. “I saw him do it the other day.”

“It was a fake hex,” Merlin reluctantly admitted.

“If you’re going to point an arrow at someone, you should be prepared to release the string.” She clearly disapproved of this newfound information.

“Yeah? Well, you held a dagger to my neck, and I seem to be very much alive. So you’re one to talk.”

“It’s not too late.” Vetica scowled.

“I’m not scared of you.”

In a sudden flash of movement, Vetica drew her dagger and took a step toward Merlin.

He hopped backwards. “Charlie, get her!”

Charlie laughed. It would be nice to explore, to get a better idea of the dungeon. There was so much he didn’t know about himself. About his powers. About this place. But…

Stolen story; please report.

“I’m worried if we spend too much time here, we’d be giving the knights time to catch up,” he said.

Vetica nodded. “And the cultist. They won’t give up on getting revenge. Charlie’s right, we need to keep moving.”

Bleedy and Mousifer were playing on a rock that the purple reclamation aura suddenly intensified around. It rose into the air with them aboard.

“Squeak!” Mousifer called out. Charlie giggled and waved a hand instinctively. The rock reversed and floated back to the ground. The two disembarked, having learned their lesson. Here, he had more control. Moving the dungeon was like opening and closing his hand. That was interesting.

“Well, what if just a few of us remain behind? They could map out the dungeon while the rest of us keep moving. When you bring them back, they’ll return to wherever you are, right, Charlie?” Merlin asked.

“Parent?” Charlie asked, passing the question forward.

“Correct. Charlie is the focal point for transportation to and from the dungeon. Unless an entrance is placed, that will always be the case.”

“An entrance?” Charlie asked.

“When you yourself enter the dungeon, an entrance is created randomly in the nearby area. I monitor it to alert you if anyone intrudes during your time here. Alternatively, you can structure your dungeon yourself, and then the entrance can be placed wherever you want. You’d be able to move it as well, of course. But exploration is required first.”

“Hmm, okay. Well, which of us should explore then?” Charlie asked.

“Bleedy. Devil,” Bleedy said.

Charlie turned to look at Bleedy. “You two want to do it? You want to explore?”

“Squeak!”

Charlie frowned. He trusted them to do it, but worried about what would happen if they ran into trouble. He still didn’t know how stable this place was. And if they were attacked outside the dungeon and Charlie had to fight…

“Parent, can you help them? Can you keep them safe in here until they finish?”

“If you wish, I can remain behind with them. I can increase their odds of survival in the event of a total dungeon collapse, at the cost of lowering your dungeon integrity by a small amount. Additionally, I can assist them in mapping the dungeon.”

Parent shifted his communication settings so that only Charlie could hear the next part. “There’s also the matter of the investigation into the events from the other day. Regarding your involuntary ability usage and those tendrils. If I dedicate time here, I will be able to look into it more effectively.”

Charlie was grateful that Parent kept that part between them. No one knew about the tendrils except for Orb, and he preferred it to stay that way until he knew more. He did feel bad, keeping it from his friends, but he was worried about what it meant. An ability that not even the interface knew about was concerning. For now, he wanted it to remain a secret. At least, until he learned more. “You can remain here with them, and help me?” Charlie asked.

“No. If you wish to allocate my services to this role, a more basic version of the interface will be accessible. You’ll still be able to monitor your dungeon integrity and abilities. But will temporarily lose the ability to ask specific questions.”

Charlie nodded. “Okay. That’s fine. I want them to be safe in here.”

“Well, I suppose we should get back on the road,” Merlin said.

Bleedy and Mousifer rushed over to Charlie. Bleedy licked his face. Mousifer crawled up his arm and onto his shoulder. He tickled the inside of Charlie’s ear with his pointed nose. The mouse let out a gentle goodbye squeak, so as not to hurt Charlie’s ears. Charlie giggled. He turned his face away to try to escape the affectionate Bleedy and reached up to rub Mousifer’s little head. “You two be safe! I’ll see you soon, make sure to learn all you can so we can make this place awesome!” Charlie grinned. He looked around. One day, he wanted to get a big fluffy bed the size of this entire room. Everyone could sleep in it and have a pillow fight. Charlie would have to get onto Vetica for filling her pillow with rocks and beating up Merlin.

It would be so much fun.

“Well,” he said, hugging his adorable minions tight. “I’ll see you two soon.”

They backed away, and Charlie held his hands out for someone to pick him up. Merlin, who’d gotten used to caring for him, hurried over. But not before Vetica beat him to it. She deftly pulled him into the air and into her warm embrace. She shot a look at Merlin. He grumbled. “At least the horse still likes me more.”

Marvin neighed.

“How dare you,” Merlin said. “Like actually. So ungrateful.”

Charlie turned to look at his furry companions one last time as Vetica climbed onto the wagon. Merlin settled into his seat and took the reins again.

“Transfer!”

Their wagon appeared again on the forest path road they’d been traveling on. Charlie sat in Vetica’s lap, taking in their surroundings. He noticed something in the center of the wagon, something familiar that he hadn’t seen in a while.

Orb buzzed over to it and then spun to look at Charlie. “Um, why is the book from Lusafeen’s cabin here?”

Dremmon

Glass shattered against the marble floor. A few specks of red wine managed to reach Od’s face. He wiped them with his hand. It was far better to deal with spilled wine. The alternative in this situation would be his blood.

“This is not what you promised me, Od. You spent months in that forest with the acolytes. And yet you have nothing to show for it. What’s worse, you left with nearly two dozen men, and return with only a handful,” another man said. The man sat on a throne; his face obscured by darkness. The torches had been positioned intentionally to create the effect.

Dremmon watched from the rafters. The scent of terror was delight. Od reeked of it. But there was something else on him as well. A strange, yet familiar scent. He struggled to place it.

Od swallowed. “Yes, I’ve failed you. But there were… complications beyond my control.”

“Complications?” The voice was dark, full of malice. “And what should I tell Lord Cendra? That we are unable to complete the ritual because of complications beyond our control?”

Od took a step forward, stumbling to his knees. “No, my lord. I’ve already taken action. There was a man. A powerful spell caster named Merlin. I regret to say had we engaged him any longer, he might’ve wiped us out. He offered us a deal, but he went back on it. His betrayal led to the capture of my forces. And the loss of the plant we’d been sent to retrieve by Master Arroane.”

“Arroane sent you, did he?” The man on the throne looked up at Dremmon.

Dremmon lowered his head slightly to acknowledge him.

He continued. “Your messengers never informed me you were acting on behalf of Arroane. You say you took action. What exactly is it that you’ve done?”

Od swallowed. “I hired an assassin. One of… his. She’s good. I expect word from her any day now. He was last seen traveling toward Sirra with a baby and some kind of small creature. It’s likely he’s already dead.”

Dremmon perked up. He leapt, and his paws met the wooden floor with the slightest thump. He approached Od and inspected him. His eyes ran along the man’s torn, red cloak. His nose searched, inhaling the scents clinging to the fabric. Strange and familiar. What were the chances? That his prey had become an associate of this Merlin.

The cult’s leader stood. “What is it, Dremmon? What do you smell, my friend?”

“The scent of prey. The child with this… Merlin. It’s the same one from Troa. The baby traveling with a dungeon core.”

Od’s face went still, the blood draining from it. “That child was…”

The room started to shake and tremble. “It seems you’ve ordered the assassination of someone quite interesting indeed. That child is valuable. And now, you’ve put its life in danger. How should I punish you for that, Od?”

“Please, allow me to atone. I will personally go and find them and…”

“Go and find a corpse? You just said he was likely dead by now.”

“I’ll recall the contract. There might still be time.”

The cult leader walked with purpose. He took three sharp, quick steps and placed his hand on Od’s shoulder. A chill rang out.

Dremmon backed away, just in case. He had no interest in dying in the aftermath of some gruesome display of power.

Od shook. The terror was truly intoxicating now. Dremmon knew he would need to hunt soon. To quell the bloodlust he felt. There was something, inexplicable, deep within that told him with certainty, the child was still alive. He worried not about the assassin. His prey would not be so easily overcome. Dremmon had learned that from Lusafeen’s death.

She had died to warn him.

To prepare him.

Her death had purpose.

He believed he would be the one to bring that purpose to fruition.

To Dremmon, and Od’s surprise, the cult’s leader did not take Od’s life for his failure. “Go. But know this: you will confess your sin and failure before Cendra one day. And on that day, you will wish I struck you down.”

Od stammered, struggling to find words. He stumbled to his feet and hurried out of the room.

“You’re sure, Dremmon? The child is one and the same?”

Dremmon nodded. “It is. Allow me to fulfill my purpose. The hunt calls me.”

“No. Not you. Not like this. That child has the potential to offer value to Cendra. I cannot waste him on your petty instincts. Overcome such things.”

Dremmon fought the urge to kill him. To make him prey. But he knew what would happen. He knew the power of those lurking in the darkness. He would hunt the child. Dremmon would pick the boy’s flesh from his teeth with sharpened claws after a bloody hunt. But for now, he would wait.

Like any good hunter.

The cult’s leader turned and looked into the shadows to his left. “You know what to do.”

Laughter. “I’m on it. You want all three?”

“Just the kid and the dungeon core. Kill the other. Make it…painful.”