No one answered Charlie’s question at first. Everyone else was focused on the knights.

Canano stared at Zephyr with wide eyes. He turned to Themis. “Perhaps we should send Geby to slow them down. She’s already come back from fighting them once, I’m sure she can handle—”

“No!” Themis snapped back. “I won’t risk Geby. Not yet. The next two core guardians are considerably stronger than those that have been defeated already. Their power, plus the fodder creatures I’ve given them, should be enough. Even if the hex knights are moving faster than expected, we still have time. There’s still a lot to do. Geby stays.”

Geby hadn’t really left the doorway since they’d entered the room. Even though Themis had made the door larger for her, the room itself didn’t have much free space for her to move around. That turned out to be a good thing for Canano’s study. When she heard Themis reject the idea of sending her to the frontlines, she slammed her tail into the ground behind her. Though Charlie couldn’t see it, there was undoubtedly a crater in the hallway now.

“Is she okay?” Merlin asked. Charlie had the feeling he really was just trying to figure out if she was going to attack them or not.

Canano sighed. “Don’t worry. Geby just likes to fight. That’s common amongst the Caldurra.”

“Even so, she’ll have to wait. Besides the dungeon itself, she’s our last line of defense when they reach this level. We’ll want her here, trust me. I can spare some of her underlings though, we have plenty. Zephyr, send reinforcements to the fifth and sixth core guardians,” Themis said.

“I will do so at once. Should I prepare an elevator?” Zephyr asked.

“No. I won’t risk opening any that are too close to the lab. The knights will have a lot of distance to cover now. All of if it filled with traps. Our forces should be able to hold until reinforcements arrive.”

“Affirmative.” Zephyr’s rings spun as he went to work, relaying instructions. He flitted around the room as he worked.

Themis walked up to the table and grabbed the book. “Sorry Charlie, you asked a question. I’m afraid I don’t have an answer for you. I’m able to have multiple core guardians because the dungeon you’re inside is not a single dungeon, but a group of interconnected ones. Zephyr is the key to this. He seamlessly integrates each of the dungeons with one another. Seven dungeons that are able to operate as one. So even though I constantly move between them, the function of each of my cores still operates as normal, regardless. You possess the ability to integrate multiple cores, but ultimately, you only have a single dungeon. I suspect it could be possible to have multiple core guardians one day, as you get stronger and further develop your powers. But for now, I think it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.”

“Wait, so, it’s kind of like a group of dungeons has been stitched together?” Merlin asked.

Orb bounced in the air. “It’s like a Frankenstein dungeon!” he said.

Themis raised a brow, looking at the floating dungeon core.

“Oh, Frankenstein was a scientist from a book on Earth. Now that I think about it, you aren’t all that different. You just surgically embedded a bunch of dungeon cores into your arm instead of putting body parts together. Kind of gross either way, though.”

Canano spoke up. “We should point out, Themis, that there is always a hierarchy amongst the guardians. No matter how many you have, one will always rise to the top. Geby is a great example. Caldurras are a powerful species. On top of that, Geby is exceptional even among her own kind. She is the strongest in the dungeon, and because of that, out of all the other core guardians, she has the most authority. Whether you get additional core guardians one day, or one of the other variants of guardians, the fact that your current guardian is an evolution koi means it’s unlikely any other creature could ever surpass it. It’s kind of hard to surpass something with unlimited potential.”

Charlie gasped. “There are other kinds of guardians?” he asked.

Themis nodded. “Parent has access to all of this information now, so we would best be served focusing on something else. He’ll be able to tell you more once you’ve moved on from Arcadeya. I am curious though, have you learned anything new from that book?” he asked, turning to Canano and the others.

Vetica sat on the table and crossed her legs. “It confirmed what Koi Levi told us. She was trying to find a way to create a special vessel. She wanted to see what would happen if an evolution Koi consumed a high number of humans.”

Themis’ face paled as the blood rushed from it. He staggered and grabbed a chair to stabilize himself. “A vessel? She was trying to get an evolution koi to turn into a humanoid of some kind? That’s unheard of. But why…”

Canano growled. “That’s what I was thinking. She might’ve been trying to give the green dungeon core a human form. If you think about it, it’s not all that far off from the research we were already doing.”

Merlin held up a finger. “She’d turn a dungeon core into a person! Then she could use it to control a dungeon of her own, just like Themis can.”

Themis shook his head. “No. If she pulled that off, it would be closer to Charlie’s power than mine. These abilities are limited in that I must remain within my dungeon for them to be effective. I also can’t use them without Zephyr’s help. If she was able to get control of a dungeon core with a humanoid vessel, that would be far more destructive. That creature would be everything the hex knights fear Charlie could become.”

That was a scary thought. Talmot feared Charlie might become a destroyer of humanity. But Charlie was human. He wanted to help people, not destroy them. If a dungeon core like Sen had managed to get the kind of vessel Lusafeen was trying to create…well, his plans may not have failed. Themis’ power was a lot more like a traditional dungeon. He had a lot of power but was limited in how he could use it. Charlie, on the other hand, could travel freely and still use his powers, even outside of the dungeon.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

If a dungeon core could do that too, it really could be the end of the world.

“Well, that sounds terrifying. Should we be worried that the cults already working on something like that?” Orb asked.

Themis thought about it for a moment. His eyes scrolled against the floor of the dungeon. “It’s unlikely. Evolution koi are rarer than dragons. Some theorize only one actually exists as a time. But that could be something someone made up. What matters is without Koi Levi, their plans can’t work. Even if they somehow captured him now, it’s too late. It’s not that an evolution koi has never eaten a human. It’s that their naturally inclined to go down different evolutionary paths. Lusafeen’s plan was likely to feed the creature only humans. It wouldn’t have a choice but to assume one’s form after that.”

“Bleedy!” the racooneever shouted from the room’s corner.

Themis turned to look at him and then quirked a brow at Charlie.

“He said Lusafeen tried to feed him to the egg in Troa!” Charlie said. He shuddered to think how close she’d come to succeeding.

“The first sacrifice is more of a first meal. It can affect the eggs early development, but ultimately, her plan would have still worked. This is most likely what she intended.” Themis clapped his hands together. “Any way, we should focus on things that only I can teach you.” Themis turned back toward the others. “Canano, I want you to continue studying that book. If Lusafeen was able to make any additional breakthroughs, I want to know about them. But make sure you get it back to Charlie before he leaves.”

“Of course, I’ll learn what I can,” Canano said.

Charlie blinked. “I can’t even read yet. If you want it, you can have it,” he said.

Themis smiled, kneeling in front of the stool Charlie was sitting on. “No, it’s yours, and you should keep it. But you should know something. The fact that Lusafeen was still conducting her research meant there are findings that she hasn’t turned over to the cult yet. I’m certain she ended up making a deal with them. We’ll learn more about what’s in that book soon, but for now, I should stress this. You should ensure that it never falls into the cult’s hands. We have to assume that they already know some of the information it contains. But if her disappearance sets them back even a little, we should do our best not to help them get back on track. You must protect it, alright?” he said.

Charlie nodded. “Okay! I will!”

Themis patted Charlie on the head. “Both of us are running on fumes, so let’s get some rest for now. We’ll resume our lessons in eight hours. I likely need even more than that, but we can’t afford the time.”

“But I can keep going!” Charlie protested.

“I’m sure you can, but I cannot, Charlie. It’s taking a lot for me to even remain awake now. Allow me to rest, and I promise I’ll be a more effective teacher. Besides, I think you’ll like your room,” Themis said, smiling.

Charlie relented. Merlin pulled the front of his cloak to the side and revealed the baby carrier on it. It looked much cleaner than when Charlie had last seen it. He grinned really big. “You washed it?” he asked.

“Oh yes. Somewhere between three and fifty-seven times. It was disgusting. But it’s clean now and you don’t have to slum it in my hood anymore.” Merlin smiled, crossed the distance between them, and picked Charlie up. Charlie wiggled his legs as he settled into the straps on Merlin’s chest.

It was like being home after a long trip. He looked up at Merlin, who smiled down at him.

Geby backed into the hallway and let Merlin and Charlie pass. Orb, Boop, and Parent all floated behind. Bleedy and Mousifer scurried after them. Geby followed the procession as they walked down the hall. “Geby? Are you coming too?” Charlie asked.

She made her cheerful noise, which Orb had said reminded her of a ferry horn and her footsteps beat against the hall behind them. She wasn’t trying to hide her presence, and it showed. He wouldn’t be surprised if the knights could hear her stomping through the halls.

Charlie tilted his head. “Wait, where’s Vetica?” he asked.

Merlin looked over his shoulder. “Uh, well, I’m sure she’ll be along shortly. She may want to wash off before lying down or something. Oh, maybe she’s getting us food. I hope she’s getting food.”

Charlie giggled. He watched Boop float ahead of them and bounce against one side of the hallway, then float to the opposite side and do the same thing. The purple dungeon core was marking the path forward.

A beacon of boops.

Merlin sighed. “The collective intelligence of our traveling companions is falling by the day.”

Themis

The researcher pulled the book to the side and looked at the drawing of Gunther one last time. In another life, Lusafeen could’ve been an artist. He wondered if she’d always known how to draw, or if she’d learn since they’d last seen each other. He wished he knew.

He hoped Gunther was still alive. It would be a minor comfort knowing the only evidence of the two of them working together still lived.

Evidence of the research he’d done with his niece.

“Themis, I need your help with something,” Vetica said, prying him from his thoughts.

He looked up and realized she hadn’t left with the others. “Oh, is something wrong?” He glanced over at Canano, who shrugged.

“No. It’s nothing like that. It’s just, you mentioned an elevator to the surface. Is that…something you can still use? I mean, without the knights getting access to it.”

Themis shook his head. “You want to go to the surface? Why?”

Vetica was quiet. She looked off to the side. “There’s just something I need to do. Can you help me?” she asked.

He didn’t know much about the woman. From Charlie’s stories, she’d only joined their party recently. Apparently, she’d been an assassin before all this. Was that why? Did she hope to return to the surface and take out some of the knights? Or was there something else? Either way, he got the feeling she wasn’t going to reveal the truth to him yet.

“If it’s important, truly important, there is a way. But you’ll have to take a tunnel far away from the lab. I can’t risk you emerging on an upper floor where you might run into the knights. Since they’re somewhere above us, you’ll have to walk for quite a while before I can send an elevator up. If that’s okay, then I’ll help.”

Vetica looked relieved. “Thank you. I’m ready to leave now.”

Themis nodded. Her impatience only made him more curious. “Zephyr, go with her. Wake the birds as well.” He turned back to face her. “From our intelligence, the knights are concentrated in the part of the city where you first fought them. They shouldn’t have much of a presence in the rest of the city, but if they find you then—”

“I know what’s at stake. I won’t do anything to jeopardize Charlie’s safety,” she assured him. With that, she turned to stride from the room. Zephyr followed her.

Canano sighed and looked over at him. “Are you sure this is the right decision?” he asked. He rubbed his paws together nervously.

Themis shrugged. “In a few days, she’ll be dead. If there’s something she needs to see to, I won’t get in her way.”