Duke greeted Greslarnier at the same time it greeted him. “Duke! It is so good to see you. Or, should it be Your Majesty now?”

“You may call me Duke.” He responded with a smile. I’m glad you found a new home here. I was worried that I hadn’t seen you before.”

“It took me a while to find my way here but when I made it to the Inn of Safety, Axis brought me here, to this wonderous place. It’s a full world in and of itself. More than remarkable, I’d say. They don’t even seem to be disturbed by my appearance.”

“This place is something, for sure.” A thought popped into Duke’s mind and he shared it without hesitation. “Hey, you’re a mental mage, right?”

“I am but I don’t generally make that public.”

Duke winced. “Sorry about that. I want to talk with you sometime soon. Your unique specialty might provide some insights I’m lacking.”

“I’d be glad to do so. I have a few hours more on this shift but I’m free after that. Maybe we can meet at the Winking Wizard Tavern and grab some dinner.”

“That might work. I might have a few others with me as well.”

“That’s fine. It’s not like I am looking to take the place of your girlfriend. That is the scent of a woman on you, is it not?”

Duke’s mind stumbled briefly. “That, um, yes. That’s my girlfriend. I’ll see you later.” He hurried into the guild, heading for the center of the building where he suspected the path to the Guildmaster’s office would be.

The layout of the interior had changed since he first came to the Guild, but it only took him a few minutes to find the right section of administrative offices. The grand spiral staircase dominating the center of the area was too much of a giveaway for Duke to miss. He climbed the stairs for a full thirty seconds before giving in to his impatience and flying up the rest of the way to the top floor.

The stairs ended on a landing that looked down on the entire spiraling structure. Duke peered over the edge and saw how intimidating the stairs would be to someone with any fear of heights. There was no handrail, nothing to prevent someone from falling off and plummeting to the bottom. OSHA wouldn’t approve of this, but I can see the purpose of deterring those who have no business coming up here. Not sure I agree with the approach, but I bet it’s effective. Nobody’s going to accidentally wander into the Guildmaster’s office.

The door to the Guildmaster’s office was the same as it had been before. Duke gave it the confident triple-knock that was drilled into him in the academy. The response was immediate. “Come in.”

Duke entered the office to see Chal’barnah smiling at him with her wickedly sharp teeth. “Good day, and welcome, Your Majesty.” She stood up into a bow which Duke was now certain was designed to give him a full view of her cleavage. The twinkle in her eye as she held his gaze the entire time triggered his XENOGLOSSIA confirming what he already knew to be flirtation.

“Good to see you, Chal’barnah. I trust all is well with the guild seeing as at least the building is growing.” Duke took a seat indicating for her to sit as well.

“Oh, very much so. Our adventurers have become exceptionally skilled at delving into the depths of the dungeon as well as keeping the various monsters that roam this land at bay.”

“Does that have anything to do with their elite trainers?”

“What an oddly specific question. But our three elite trainers have done a remarkable job at bringing out the best in our people. How do you even know about the trainers? It’s not like they are public figures.”

“Not public figures?”

“No, they tend to keep to themselves. It really adds to their mystique and confuses many of the newer adventurers. I can’t say that I blame them though. I know first-hand how difficult it can be to be radically different from those around you and able to read their unconscious reactions. You, Your Majesty, are an interesting exception. You don’t seem to be fazed in the least by my appearance.”

“Why should I be?”

“Most are, that is all. Regardless, there must be something you need for you to visit me after that arduous climb up the stairs.”

“The stairs with no railings. Quite the deterrent for those who aren’t serious about coming up here. If this wasn’t a place built around those who risk their lives regularly, I would say that it’s a rather bad idea but for the Adventurer’s Guild, I can see it. Anyway, I want to borrow your three elite trainers for a while.”

Her countenance visibly dropped before Duke could see her conviction return. “Of course, but that really is not up to me. They are free to go or stay as they wish. Their roles here are voluntary. They are paid by their students so you might have to convince them to forego that income.”

“I don’t think that will be a problem. Where can I find them?”

“They have an entire wing of the building in the back, including the training arena.”

“Thanks, Chal’barnah. It was good to see you again and do keep up the excellent work of your Guild.”

“I very much plan to do so, Your Majesty. We will complete the dungeon soon. We had thought the tenth level was going to be the end, but it seems that the dungeon keep going on.”

“Best of luck. You may find that the dungeon is growing in relation to your abilities.”

“Is that even possible? No one has ever dealt with a dungeon before we came here.”

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“It is possible but I’m sure you will complete it before too long. Just don’t get complacent if you do. It may grow again, adding even more difficult levels.”

“You seem to know an awful lot about dungeons, Your Majesty. Would you care to tell me more?”

Duke gave her an enigmatic smile. “Someday, perhaps, but for now, I’ll tell you this: The dungeon is a living entity. Running through it helps it to grow and prosper. It is neither benevolent nor malicious. Treat it with a healthy respect and you will generally be OK. Disrespect it and you will be surprised on how dangerous it can become.”

“That is an interesting take on dungeons. The dungeon does change over time so I can see the possibility of it being alive, but that’s a lot to take in.”

“Yes it is, but it is also fact, so be careful. I’m off to see if I can recruit a few friends for a trip.” Duke left her with the thoughts on the dungeon, hoping she would take it to heart. He felt slightly guilty for not telling her that the entire city existed within a dungeon but decided it was best to keep that part to himself.

Stepping out of the office, Duke hopped off the edge of the platform, plummeting down to the base of the tower, only halting his movement just before hitting the floor. There were a few gasps as he landed but Duke only offered a sly smile as he walked deeper into the building.

Jablach’s office was the first one he found. Again, the simple triple-knock on the door gained him entry.

“Duke!” Jablach launched over his desk to greet his friend, wrapping him up in a crushing hug.

“I take it you are happy to see me then.” Duke responded.

Jablach let go and stepped back, looking at Duke. “You’ve gotten bigger.”

“I’m all growed up now.” Duke quipped. “It seems like you have found yourself a good niche here.”

“Indeed, I have. I’m not training people to fight in the arena, but I am teaching them how to fight for their lives nonetheless. I take that the overwhelming majority are successful is a sign of success.”

“A good measure. How many have you lost?”

“Of the roughly two hundred I have trained, four have not made it back from the dungeon. It was a sad day, but their entire party disappeared. The consensus is that they delved too far for their abilities. But I’m sure that is not why you sought me out. What can I do for my most accomplished student?”

“Most accomplished?”

“You killed everyone you faced in the arena and managed to topple a kingdom, primarily through your own efforts. I think that qualifies…Your Majesty.”

“I suppose it might. I’ve never thought of it that way. Anyway, I’m here to recruit you for a dangerous mission. Gefolich and Axis as well.”

“Are we toppling another kingdom? Who pissed you off?”

“Well, Pahst pissed me off by sending an assassin to kill me, but that situation has been taken care of already. What I need you for is a run on a particularly difficult dungeon.”

“Another dungeon? I was under the impression that ours was unique and there were no others.”

“Your dungeon is truly unique. There’s not another one like it on all of Teldin. But there is much more to that story that we’ll not be going into right now. There are several dungeons on Teldin now and that number is only going to increase. The one in particular I need your help with is called a siege dungeon. We’d be fighting off wave after wave of enemies that both grow in number and power.”

“How powerful are we talking?”

“I’m not entirely sure but I know that they were Tier Three before I had to stop. I don’t think they will get above Tier Five, but they will number in the hundreds by the last wave.”

“That sounds difficult indeed. I assume we can stop if it gets to be too much for us.”

“We have the chance to exit after each wave. It’s really the later waves where I expect we will run into difficulty. I know that sounds obvious, but I was able to get through the first twenty or so waves by myself so I think the team I am putting together will be able to handle it. What do you think?”

“I think it sounds like a lot of experience, even for me. I’m in.”

“Great. Let’s go see if the others are also willing to join.”

“I’m sure they will be, but it’s better to ask than assume, right?”

“Very much so.”

The pair found Axis on the floor of the arena with a class of students. Duke had only seen him fight once and his concentration was elsewhere at the time. This time, he was able to watch Axis move among the students with frightening speed. The man moved with a fluidity that Duke hadn’t realized was possible and now set as a goal for himself. They waited for him to take a break and just watched.

“The two of you together spells trouble. If Gefolich was here as well, I would be sure of it.”

“I just haven’t made my way over to him yet.” Duke smiled as he responded.

“Is there another undead horde I need to slow down for you?”

“Good to see you too, Axis.”

Axis broke into a wide smile. “Great to see you, Duke. How has life been treating you these past months? I hear all sorts of gossip but get very little actual information beyond the massive prompt saying that you are a king now.”

“Yeah, not what I had planned at all. Care to take over?”

“Oh hells, no. I’m rather happy here training the young bucks in how to kill without being killed themselves. Now out with it. I can’t give them too long a break or their muscles will get cold, and I’ll have to start them over all again for the day.”

“I would like for you to join a run that I am putting together in another dungeon. It will take one or two months to complete so it’s a bit of a commitment. The dungeon itself involves defeating wave after wave of opponents.”

“A month or two you say? I’m not sure I can stand being away from my family for that long to be honest. Ever since you brought us back together, I’ve been loathe to leave them even for a day. I’ll have to speak with Salandra about it.”

“How about if it was only a day or two away from them?”

“That, I could handle.”

“Do you think they would mind spending a day or two in Cloudspire?”

“I think they would be delighted with the trip.”

“Excellent. Prepare your things. We leave in the morning. Now to go fetch Gefolich.”

“Good luck with that one. He’s not one for combat anymore.” Jablach spoke up, receiving an agreeing nod from Axis.

“Should I not ask him and put him on the spot then?” Duke asked, concern rising in his voice.

“No, ask him, but make sure it’s not an obligation.” Axis advised. Duke nodded in response, and with a smile, the three headed off to Gefolich’s classroom.

The classroom turned out to very closely resemble the one Gefolich had set up in the Leviathan halls. He greeted them with a wide smile, his flute swinging out from its cord around his neck.

“Hello my friends!” His class of students were instantly forgotten.

Greetings were exchanged and they all poured into Gefolich’s office for discussion. Duke started the conversation. “I have recruited Axis and Jablach for a particularly challenging dungeon run and was wondering if you would like to join us. I know you have stepped away from active combat so I have no expectations, but I would feel awful if you wanted to come and I didn’t invite you because I didn’t want to pressure you. So, what I guess I am saying is that I’d love to have you along, but I’m totally cool if you want to sit this out.”

“You dance with your words like a satyr on too much wine. I appreciate the sentiment you are stumbling to express. And your initial thoughts are accurate. I have retired from the life of combat. I enjoy teaching more than I ever did fighting and would prefer to stay in that realm. Thank you for the opportunity, but I am going to have to decline.”

“We had expected as much but you will join us for dinner this evening?” Duke offered with a smile.

“Now, that, my friends, is an offer I will not turn down.” Gefolich’s smile widened.

“Great. Let’s meet at the Winking Wizard Tavern at six bells?” Duke offered.

“Sounds perfect.” The group dispersed, leaving Duke with several hours to kill. He decided to explore the shops around the city.