Some of the crew tripped over themselves to run below deck to fetch Zale clothing. While they ran, others tended to the injured crew. Few required tending though. Those that the cloaker’s tails had caught hadn’t survived. All the surviving wounded were covered from splinters from the monster’s destructive rampage.

“Door!” Rakin shouted, drawing Kole’s attention away from the monster corpse.

“Awww,” Doug said, disappointed. “I was really looking forwards to seeing the floating mat.”

Rakin ignored Doug’s complaints and Zale’s situation and walked through the door.

“I guess he hasn’t developed a love for the sea,” Kole said to Doug.

The taller of the three boys waited for the crew to come up with clothes for Zale. She came out from behind the cloaker dressed in one of her spare sets of clothes, sans boots which were somewhere below the waves.

“Sorry, I—“ Kole began but Zale interrupted him.

“We aren’t going to talk about it,” she said firmly. “Ever.”

Kole and Doug nodded, and they headed through the door.

Zale shot Rakin a look as she entered the ready room, and he bit back whatever comment he was going to make.

“Nice job!” he said instead.

“Thank you, you too.” She said and turned to Doug. “Did you conjure those entangling roots?”

Doug nodded proudly.

“I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I’m very glad it did.”

They told Zale about what had happened while she’d been in the water, as they collected their belongings which had made their way to the room.

“Ready?” Zale asked everyone before she opened the door.

They all nodded, and she added in a menacing tone.

“Not. A. Word.”

The three boys all gave deeper nods, and even Rakin held in a comment.

Outside, the class was still mingling, waiting for the guest instructor to show up. Tigereye met them and led them to their debrief.

“Welcome back,” Tigereye said once they’d all been settled.

Zale had made herself a cup of tea from the refreshments in the room and had wrapped herself in a blanket.

“I saw your… performance,” he began, causing Zale to blush once more. “And I was very impressed.”

Rakin, who’d been holding in a hundred different jabs could no longer hold it in.

“Ain’t she a bit young for ye?” he said and then burst out into laughter.

No one laughed, and everyone glared Rakin. He lifted his hands up in surrender.

Tigereye continued, pretending like the comment hadn’t been made.

“Underbrook and I did not expect any group to slay the cloaker matriarch. We planned to award scores based on performance on the nightly battles. You have surpassed our expectations. Fives are reserved for groups that perform above and beyond expectations. This qualifies. Congratulations.”

Tigereye went on to explain and praise the specifics of each of their performances. He was impressed by Kole’s foresight in bringing the stone—something Kole hadn’t actually done but refrained from correcting.

“None of you wasted the extra time you were given. Each of you left with a new spell or ability. I am proud of you.”

He looked at Zale specifically when he said the last line, and she beamed, embarrassment forgotten under his praise.

Tigereye didn’t seem to be one to give out praise lightly, and Kole was glad to receive it, he felt a pang of jealousy at Zale’s reaction. Tigereye would be her mentor, and she was assured a place in the program next year. He wanted that. Someone to guide him, help him.

He pushed down the jealously and tried to recapture the feeling of triumph he’d just had, but it was gone, soured by his reaction.

The group left the debriefing room and went over to where the Ice Picks were lying on the ground and sat next to them. As they walked, Kole realized they were all swaying a bit.

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“I think I still have my sea legs,” he observed.

They all joined the Ice Picks, and sat in silence, all exhausted and not wanting to risk talking about what had occurred and being overheard. Tigereye had once more stressed the importance of not giving away what happened in the dungeon and no group wanted to fail over something as small as that.

After a half hour, a guest instructor came in and began a lecture about the ethics of adventuring and the responsibility of the adventurer to those in danger. The lecture was more of a group conversation, with the instructor asking questions to the students, and then having others poke holes in their logic. Kole would have been more interested if he wasn’t so exhausted.

When all the groups had had their turn, Tigereye got everyone’s attention and they gathered for the group debriefing.

“Let’s cut right to the fun part,” Underbrook said to the class and gestured to the leaderboard.

1. Ice Picks 13

2. The Forsaken 13

3. The Risen Dahn 11

Murmurs broke amongst the students at the change. Everyone had known the Ice Picks had received a 5 on the arctic circle dungeon, so for Kole’s team to have tied them, they’d have needed a 5 today.

“Now, first we’d like to apologize,” Underbrook said, speaking over the chatter. “It’s very unusual for the Dahn to produce time-dilated dungeons more than once a semester. Normally, we don’t let the students know if this will be the case, to encourage you to prepare for the unexpected but… it has been noted by our colleagues that most of you experienced downturns in your academic performances after your stint in the arctic. As such if this happens again, we will let you know in advance.”

The students let out a collective groan at the suggestion they might have another long period in the dungeon, but Kole perked up at it. His main concern was finding the time before the end of the semester to complete his spell. If he had an additional extra month, he was certain he’d meet his goal in time.

“So, onto the grades. As those of you with math skills and memories may have deduced, the Forsaken have received a 5 this week.”

Underbrook continued, talking over the new round of chatter.

“Tigereye and I didn’t actually expect anyone to defeat the cloaker matriarch. A 4 was to be given to any group that made it through to that battle with all their members intact—no easy feat I assure you. The Forsaken,” Underbrook smiled at the name, “used their time aboard the ship to not only prepare and plan for each night’s attack, and each of them learned a new skill, spell, or ability in that time that allowed them to defeat the cloaker matriarch.”

“Can we see the fight?” someone asked.

“No!” Both Tigereye and Zale said in unison. Tigereye firmly—closing the issue—while Zale had shouted in reflex and panic and shrank in embarrassment after.

“There was… a private incident in the final battle, so unfortunately we will not be able to show it to you,” Underbrook explained to the disappointed class.

Zale sagged in relief next to Kole, and Underbrook continued speaking of and showing highlights.

Aside from Kole’s group, only three others made it to the matriarch’s battle with all their members alive, though only the Ice Picks and Gray’s team made it there with everyone in fighting condition. Most of the groups didn’t survive the nightly attacks long enough, and it was only the groups that devised and implemented strategies and sourced new arrows that made it through.

Groups that made it to the matriarch with any member standing, got 3s and most groups fell into this. Four groups received either a 1 or a 2, the 1s reserved for groups that not only failed to make it to the end but underperformed in the nightly defenses. Underbrook shared some of the more impressive feats, and Zale looked over to Harold proudly as they showed him cleaving through one of the matriarch’s tails.

“Bah, I did that too,” Rakin grumbled.

“Before we dismiss for the week, does anyone have any questions?” Underbrook asked after completing the group debrief.

“What in the god’s names were those cloakers doing!?” A student shouted out, clearly still troubled by the events.

“Oh…” Underbrook said. “We don’t really know.”

“What do you mean?” the same voice asked, outraged.

“What I mean is, cloakers are a mystery to us. They didn’t exist before the Flood, and no one has really been sure why their young swarm ships like that. There are theories, but nothing’s been proven.”

“How often does this occur?” another student asked.

“Oh, it’s quite rare. It maybe happens to one ship a year—at least, that’s all we hear about. I suppose it could happen more often and the crews are just lost… but the attack you all experienced was on par with the most intense attacks recorded. You all really should be proud of yourselves.”

Underbrook looked at one particularly disheveled group, and then amended with a grin, “Well, most of you at least.”

The class dismissed after that, and Kole and his friends stood around each other, no one speaking.

“So…” Zale began breaking the ice. “Are you all okay if we don’t do anything tonight?”

“Yer the only one who ever wants to do anything after these blasted dungeons,” Rakin grumbled.

Kole didn’t agree with the sentiment in general of Rakin’s statement, but on this particular occasion he really wanted to get to the crafting college and return the very expensive emerald he’d somehow acquired.

“I should really bring that gem back to Amara,” Kole said, only slightly regretful.

He was also a little tired of being around people this past month, even if he’d spent most of each day alone studying.

Doug only shrugged.

“I’d like to get back to the Glade.”

Zale smiled in relief that she’d not hurt anyone’s feelings.

“Great! See you guys tomorrow!” she said and then spun around.

“I’m coming!” she shouted, waving to Harold who was waiting for her by the door.

“Bah,” Rakin said and spat on the ground. “I don’t like that guy.”

Bah indeed, Kole agreed silently.

“Why?” Doug asked, looking from Rakin to Harold, “He seems nice enough.”

Kole was about to respond but realized he didn’t know why he didn’t like Harold, he simply didn’t. He’d thought it was because he’d hurt Zale, but she’d forgiven him.

Should I? He wondered. But found he couldn’t.

“He doesn’t appreciate Zale,” Rakin said, “we’ll see if he sticks around whenever she comes to her senses and stops wearing that stupid bracelet.”

Kole found himself nodding in agreement.

“Now if ye’ll excuse me, I’m going to go bury myself in the dirt.”

Rakin left after that, leaving Doug and Kole looking at each other confused.

“Is that a dwarf thing?” Doug asked Kole.

“I have no idea,” Kole answered honestly.