Zack stepped toward the new doorway, stopping when he reached the precipice. The other side looked like an underground canyon, with strange trees sprouting up from the stone floor, and a web of green vines covering the walls. Light shone from some distant crystals, casting the whole scene in twilight.

It all made sense now. They must have passed through another portal to reach the library, and now that portal was gone, leaving a stone wall in its place. That would also explain the other dead-ends throughout this chamber.

No sooner had the thought struck him than a message appeared in his mind’s eye:

Quest Complete: The Mysterious Stone Wall.

Your Cognition attribute has increased by 0.25.

Your new Cognition is 8.25.

Finally. His thoughts raced as he tested his new attribute. Did he feel different? Smarter? Calmer? It was hard to tell with so much adrenaline coursing through his veins. Plus he’d only gained a quarter of a point. Camille had earned two full points in cognition, and even she’d claimed the differences were subtle.

The attributes also fluctuated behind the scenes. A simple fever could drop all your numbers by several points, and so could a sleepless night. But your status screen wouldn’t reflect those changes in real-time. In Gia’s own words, her designers cared more about long-term growth than day-to-day minutia.

Oh well, that was a topic for later. He had a new tunnel to explore.

Zack glanced around the archway and caught a faint glimmer of mana around the portal. Even the air moved in small ripples like water on a pond. He yanked his blade from its scabbard and thrust it forward. More ripples danced across the portal’s surface, but the weapon passed through with no resistance. Not that he’d expected problems; they’d already walked through one portal without noticing it.

He was about to step through, but Daudilus beat him to it. The husky’s tail wagged like a fan as he darted down the canyon, and he glanced the scene around in wide-eyed wonder.

“Wait,” said Camille before Zack could follow him.

“What?” He paused with one boot through the archway. Every muscle in his body itched to step forward. They’d finally opened a new passage, and he wanted nothing more than to explore it, fight monsters, and loot treasure. But he forced himself to stay calm and listen. Maybe that new cognition boost was working, after all.

“Think about it.” Camille glanced at the opposite side of the room. “That other wall just vanished.” She spread out her fingers and made a small explosion with her hands. “That means these portals can die at any time. What if this one fades after we go through? What if we’re stuck on the wrong side forever?”

Zack opened his mouth, then closed it. Camille had a tendency to overthink simple things, but this was different. Those other portals really had closed on their own. What’s more, gnomish tech needed a constant mana supply. They had no tools to measure the portal’s usage, or the ambient supply in the air.

“Okay.” Zack stepped back and planted both feet on the smooth stone tiles. Meanwhile, Daudilus ignored their conversation and sniffed around the canyon without a care in the world. “Any ideas?”

Camille rested her chin on her thumb as she considered the problem. “I could stay on this side while you two scout ahead. But I think we should experiment first—make sure we can open and close the portals if we need to.”

Zack called Daudilus back, and they set to it. Three levers sat on one side of the panel, all pointed toward the top. Camille grabbed the left lever and pulled it downward. They all glanced back at the portals, but nothing happened.

Camille pulled the next lever, and the portal flickered out, leaving a blank stone wall in its place.

“Huh.” She pulled the right lever down, but nothing happened. Then she brought the middle lever back up, and the portal sprang to life once more. “So the middle lever controls the middle portal. I wonder if the others are broken?”

“Maybe.” Zack examined the buttons and knobs. “Or we’re missing something.”

For their next test, they grabbed an old table and carried it through the archway. Then Camille disabled the center portal, turned the knob on the far right, and opened a new portal that led to a pitch-black cave.

Icy air sighed through the opening, sending a shiver up Zack’s spine.

Yeah . . . he’d save that one for last.

Camille rotated the knob back to its starting position, and the green canyon appeared once again, along with the table they’d left there.

“Satisfied?” Zack asked. He already knew the answer, but they couldn’t wait around all day.

“It’s a start,” she said uncertainly.

Zack nodded. “I think we should conserve the mana for now. We can always run more tests later.”

She let out a nervous laugh. “You just can’t wait to explore.”

“Yep, guilty as charged.”

Daudilus let out a bark of excitement as he ran back through the portal, and Zack moved to follow him. “You sure you’re okay back here?”

“I’ll be fine.” Camille fidgeted with her braid. He’d never seen her braid her hair before today, but it suited her. Especially with that cute camouflage jacket. “Just promise you’ll be careful, okay?”

“Promise.” Zack drew his blade and stepped through the archway. The air was damp on this side, a stark contrast to the dry tunnel he’d left behind. Water dripped from the leaves above, and insects chirped in unison with the singing birds. Well, they sounded like birds, but who could say?

The canyon itself was at least four stories deep, but the stone ceiling hung several hundred feet above its rim, and blue crystals shone like distant stars. Zack turned around and saw another archway behind him, almost identical to the ones in the last tunnel. But this archway had been carved directly into the cliffside.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

He continued on through the snaking canyon, and it didn’t take long to lose sight of the portal. As always, Daudilus ran farther ahead, and Zack didn’t stop him. He’d found the husky as a stray several years ago, and he’d always been more independent than most dogs. Even before he’d gotten his mana core.

Daudilus stopped to watch a cluster of birds as they soared low above the canyon. Their feathers shone with bright blue mana, like the starwing birds around the Valley. Except these birds were several times larger, and their calls sounded more like ravens.

“Could be dangerous,” Zack said. “Hopefully they don’t like husky.” He turned to see his friend’s expression, and Daudilus watched the birds as they faded behind the canyon’s walls. Even then, his blue eyes remained wide with interest.

“Jealous?” Zack asked.

The husky blinked, turning to meet his eyes.

“It’s okay. Lots of people dream of flying. Maybe Gia can make it happen someday.”

Daudilus perked up at that.

[Unlikely,] Gia said. [Canine bodies aren’t suitable for flight.]

“Seriously?” Zack retorted “We can have portals, but we can’t fly?”

[I didn’t make those portals.]

“Well, maybe we’ll find some gnomish tech down here, like a husky-sized jetpack.” He shot another look at the stone ceiling. “It would definitely help with scouting.”

Daudilus cocked his head to the side.

“A jetpack.” Zack gestured to the backpack he wore. “It’s shaped like this, but with a small rocket that launches you in the air. The gnome Commandos used them in the last war.”

They rounded a sharp corner and found a structure built halfway into the cliffside. Sturdy gray metal covered the exterior, and the vines had started snaking their way through the doors and windows.

Zack raised his blade and stepped forward. “Try making some noise,” he whispered to Daudilus. If something lived in there, then he’d rather fight it out here in the open.

Daudilus barked at the building, and the sound echoed down the canyon. Zack winced when he imagined it reaching Camille’s ears. Daudilus didn’t bark often, and she would probably assume the worst.

Oh well. They’d already walked for a quarter mile, and it was too soon to backtrack.

The sound faded, but the building sat as still as before.

“I’ll go first.” Zack retrieved a flashlight with his left hand, still clutching his blade with his right.

Daudilus nodded, and they climbed the small ramp toward the metal door.

The door creaked on rusty hinges as Zack pushed it open, and his light chased away the darkness. The room beyond looked like a small living space. A few gnome-sized bunk beds lined one wall, with a sturdy metal chest between them. A kitchenette sat on his left, with a simple counter, and two shelves filled with appliances and other gnomish tech. Another wall looked like a medical station, with some alchemy equipment he’d seen in the Temple of Healing.

“What’s this?” Zack wondered aloud “Some sort of outpost?”

Daudilus sniffed around the room, pausing to nudge the chest between the beds. Zack knelt on the ground beside the husky, placing his blade on the floor. Then he grabbed the handles on either side and undid their latches. A burst of air sighed through the opening, as if the gnomes had pressurized the chest against the humidity.

Zack set the lid on the nearest bed frame and shone his flashlight into the chest. Stacks of leather-bound books filled every inch of the space.

“Don’t suppose you can read Gnomish?” he asked Gia.

[No,] she replied. [But I’d be happy to help you learn!]

“I think I’ll pass for now.” He’d already learned Norinthian Sign Language, and that had been a massive time investment. Then again, things might be easier with Gia.

“We should get this packed up,” he said. They’d already lost their access to the library, and he’d rather not take any more chances. Zack still planned to join the Sentinels within the next year, and this discovery hadn’t changed that.

Daudilus left to scout the rest of the canyon, and Zack retrieved some canvas sacks from his backpack. He filled the first two with the kitchen contraptions and medical equipment, then he loaded the third sack with books. The chest itself was at least two hundred pounds, and he doubted he could carry it through the canyon on his own. Camille had struggled enough with that table, so she’d be no help.

“Hey,” Zack said as he worked. “How come I never got a quest to join the Sentinels?”

[Gnome commandos focus on daily disciplines,] Gia replied in her usual flippant tone. [Not dreams or aspirations.]

“It’s a goal,” Zack said. Not a dream."How’s that different from my other quests?”

[The steps are too vague.]

“No they aren’t. I’m saving money to get an apartment in Arvendale, then I’ll talk to the recruiters, and pass the entrance exams.”

[Like I said—too vague. And I thought the Sentinels only accept elves.]

“My dad was the first human to join them.”

[Then I suspect he had some secret advantage you don’t know about.]

“I have you,” Zack retorted. Although he couldn’t ignore Camille’s warnings; what if the elves discovered his mana core and wanted it for themselves? But that was a problem for later.

“How’s this different from fixing the espresso machine?” he asked. “Or opening the portals?”

[Because gnome Commandos improve themselves and their surroundings. You’re ignoring your surroundings and looking toward the horizon.]

“You should be more supportive.” Zack tied the sack tightly around the books. “You talk about daily discipline, but the Sentinels are the most disciplined people in the world.”

[Oh yes.] Gia didn’t bother to hide her sarcasm. [I’m sure it’s all about discipline for you. Nothing to do with your insecurities, or your pursuit of happiness through dramatic life changes.]

“Fine.” Zack snorted. “Sorry I asked.” He grabbed the first bag and stepped back through the structure’s front door. A few birds sat perched on the trees, while others gathered on the canyon’s rim. The things were far larger than he’d thought—at least five feet long from head to tail. And that probably meant a twelve-foot wingspan, judging by what he’d seen before.

Daudilus trotted back down the canyon a second later.

“Did you find the other end?” Zack asked.

The husky shook his head, then he drew something in the dirt with his front paw. Zack leaned forward, and Daudilus drew several smaller paths that broke off from the main one.

“So it’s like a maze?”

Daudilus nodded.

“And I’m guessing this was the only outpost?”

Another nod.

“Oh well. Let’s take our loot back before we get carried away” Daudilus hung his head at that, and Zack scratched him behind the ears. “We’ll have more chances to fight monsters. In fact . . .” He glanced up at the trees where more of the giant birds had gathered around. They watched him with narrowed eyes, like a pack of wolves stalking their prey. “Keep an eye on those birds. You might just get your wish.”

They made it back to the first chamber, and Camille convinced him to bring the bags up to the truck. Zack would have preferred to empty the outpost first, but Camille still expected the portal to die at any moment. And it was her truck, so he didn’t push too hard.

More mutant starwing birds watched him on the second trip. The creatures spoke to one another in low squawks, but Zack doubted they were self-aware. Mana made creatures smarter, but it took an absurd amount. Even most trolls or kobolds weren’t as smart as Daudilus

They loaded the second batch of loot in the truck, then he and Daudilus returned for the final batch. The chest was far lighter by this point, so he carried it down the canyon rather than unpacking the books.

Still, the chest weighed well over fifty pounds, and the walk felt longer each time.

“We’re definitely getting you a harness,” Zack said through gritted teeth. Daudilus shot him a confused look, and he continued. “Some huskies pull sleds through the snow. Gia might even give you a skill for it.”

The birds followed him just like before, flying from one tree to another. They looked more hostile this time, and the larger ones seemed to roll their shoulders like fighters in a pit. Daudilus must have noticed the same thing because he raised his hackles and let out a low growl.

“We’re almost there,” Zack said as they rounded the corner toward the portal. Camille waited on the other side, clutching her firearm in both hands.

Trees ruffled behind him as the birds drew closer, and they let out sounds like battlecries. Daudilus bared his teeth, and he looked ready to spring into battle.

Ten more steps.

A few birds landed on the ground, and Camille’s eyes widened in alarm. Their talons clicked against the stone floor as they shuffled closer, and Zack quickened his pace.

Five more steps.

His muscles strained with the weight of the chest, and sweat beaded his brow. His instincts screamed at him to draw his blade, but he pressed on.

Then the portal vanished in a cloud of silver mist.