The Great Hall was like Moria inside a glacier, with halls and passages carved into the ice. Klein led them through a long passageway that opened up to a spherical central chamber where a main avenue wound a circle around the perimeter from the midpoint to the base, its loops narrowing at the bottom, but perhaps a kilometer in diameter at the widest point. Above, sunlight refracted through from the surface, shining down on the city. Massive icicles hanging from the ceiling further softened the light, scattering thousands of tiny rays all over the city.

Klein pointed at these specifically, explaining that the icicles had special, magical properties and that there were floors and floors of farms where they were grown over centuries, with different batches having different effects. Some batches had rejuvenating effects, others granted combat buffs, and some just ended up delicious. The ones in the central chamber of the city were particularly ancient, rumored to be older than the city itself, with the ability to grant potent enchantments to weapons and armor. Klein’s own sword had a core of metal enchanted with their ice.

They continued, with Klein sharing stories of his childhood here as they walked the streets winding down around the perimeter of the central chamber. There was so much to see, with storefronts built into the walls and carts all around, with everything from exotic candy to fortune telling for a price. Adventurers were everywhere, flocking to the carts and stores in all sorts of interesting armor and weapons.

However, the thing that surprised Edgar the most was the children.

“I didn’t realize it, but this is the first time I’ve seen any kids… at all.” He said, glancing at Mirai.

“Well, it’s usually too risky to raise children this far out in the Network. The worlds are usually less settled.” She said, glancing around. “This place is… an exception.”

There were loads of little ones, laughing and screaming as they played, occasionally flying by on sleds. Edgar had forgotten the screams of playing children. You’d think someone was getting murdered. As he glanced down the side streets, he noticed residential areas, with families coming and going through doors built into the walls.

“Pretty cool, right?” Klein smiled at them, noticing them watching the kids. “The fact that we can be this far out in the Network, and there are this many kids… it’s pretty unique.”

“Isn’t it dangerous? There must be rift breaks?” Mirai said as a group of small children flocked around her.

“You’re pretty!” A girl cheered.

“Sword!” said a boy.

As soon as they noticed her sword, they began grabbing at it. She quickly unbuckled it, holding it up out of their reach. Of course, to the kids, this became a game and they squealed, running circles around her. A small cat-folk even decided to grab onto Edgar’s tail and go for a ride, which he indulged with gusto. Eventually, an adult emerged, calling for the kids, and the mob swarmed away. Edgar let down the young cat-folk, whose fur had poofed out to the tips of her ears like a lion’s mane, and watched as she zagged dizzily away, trailing behind the others with a big smile.

Klein laughed. “Rifts do break here, like any other place, but they usually break out on the ice, or in the cave network below the city—not in the city itself. To deal with them, we have both a Night Watch and raiding parties, but honestly…”

He gestured at the dome of ice above and around them. “The main thing that keeps this place safe is the fact that it’s built into a glacier, with kilometers of ice in every direction! It’s much safer than any wall we could ever build, with constant monitoring for intrusions and tunneling.”

Edgar nodded, admiring it all. He flipped a vendor a few coins for a honey-roasted grilled lizard as they walked, while Klein continued reminiscing. Klein waved to a few shopkeepers and other folks he recognized but continued on until they reached a cafe and hustled them inside, ordering drinks made from shaved ice and interesting flavors.

Edgar snickered at the fact they called the drinks ‘Slushies’ and promised himself that he’d find some way to re-invent the flavor blue raspberry. Even the brain freeze was nostalgic… Although, maybe just the first one. After the second, he started giving his drink side-eye.

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A few more adventurers entered the cafe, and as they turned to sit, they paused, staring at Klein.

“Is that Kly?”

“No way, look what the cat dragged in!”

The group walked over and took seats among them. Their attitude was friendly, but they were definitely sizing up Klein’s party as they settled in. Each of their group had matching uniforms with dark cloaks and “NW” badges.

“Well, look at this sharp bunch.” Klein laughed. “The Night Watch never looked so good.”

One of them, a man with a bow made of crystal slung over his shoulder, clasped hands with Klein and took a seat across from him. “Good seeing you, Kly. How long are you staying?”

“You too, Milo. Just until tomorrow, unfortunately.” Klein shrugged. “Gotta report to the Guild before I can get back to leveling.”

Milo’s eyes widened and then strayed over the others in Klein’s party, sparking with sudden fire. “One day? You barely have time for us anymore, brother. We had better get right to it, then.”

Klein raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “Oh, yeah? Well, if that’s the case, I don’t think we’ll need much time.”

Edgar saw a vein twitch in Milo’s temple as his gaze snapped back to Klein. “You still a Nine? You should know, I got some new skills since our last match.”

Klein nodded, smirking. “Sure.”

Milo’s vein throbbed again. “Oh, you’re going down.”

He dragged his gaze away from Klein, turning to the others. “What about you lot? Wanna test yourselves against the Ice of the Great Halls?”

Edgar nodded, excited, as did all the others. “Let’s do it!”

“Check yourself.” Klein said, wagging a finger at Milo. “They’re all twos and threes. Too low to challenge the great Night Watch. Got anybody else?”

The man tapped his chin. “Twos and threes, eh? My brother’s a two, nearly a three. Shy’s twin kid sisters are both threes, too. How’s that, Mr. Babysitter? Or would cradle-robber be more accurate?”

Now a vein in Klein’s temple throbbed. “That’ll work.”

One of the Night Watch waved over a couple of kids, handing them a few coins and muttering some instructions. Their eyes went wide and they sprinted off on a mission.

“The Training Grounds have been improved since the last time you were here.” Milo said, leading the Night Watch to the door. “Wait til you see. This place never ceases to amaze me.”

Klein rose to his feet, stretching. “You and me both.”

Edgar rose to his feet, swishing his tail excitedly, while Jim cracked his knuckles, and Mirai’s fingers drummed on the hilt of her sword. A bit of magic even crackled in Natalie’s palm—Fire-aspected, if Edgar wasn’t mistaken.

Milo and Klein chatted at the front of the group as they walked through the city. Edgar heard little bits of stories and bursts of laughter as they talked.

“Thick as thieves.” A woman next to him said, catching his eye and nodding at Klein and Milo. “No matter how much they bicker and fight, somehow they always end up tighter in the end.”

“Are they brothers?” Edgar asked, glancing at the woman, who he realized was Shy—the one with twin sisters.

She smiled. “Not by blood, but we all grew up together here, in the Halls—so all of us are brothers and sisters.”

Edgar nodded. “Are you all the same age, then? Same level too?”

Shy smirked. “Same age and mostly eights, except Milo and Klein. We’re not far behind, though.”

Edgar smiled, looking from Shy to the others in the Night Watch, watching the way they joked and laughed with each other. He couldn’t help but notice something underneath it—a weight in the air, heavy among them. As they walked, their eyes wandered down alleyways and into the dark places between buildings.

“Do rifts ever break here in the Great Halls, inside the city?” Edgar asked, following her gaze.

“Almost never.” She said, and even as she said it, her eyes lingered in the shadows of a crack in the ice near several playing kids.

She shook her head, forcing herself to look away. “Man, after joining the Night Watch, you start seeing shadows everywhere—even in broad daylight. It’s really quite safe here, ignore me. Speaking of daylight, make sure you watch the sunset here in the Central Hall. Everybody should see that at least once…”

Edgar chuckled, letting her go on about the many interesting things to see and do in the city, although he used his [Darkvision] to double-check the dark crack in the wall, beside the kids… just to be sure.

~~~~~

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