"You found what?"

Arthur found his question drowned out as Charleston and some of the other older-looking knights yelled questions of their own. Theorisa was trying to gain control of the younger ones, who immediately started whispering amongst themselves.

Jemima didn’t appear to know what to say under the onslaught, and she looked at him with wide eyes. Arthur couldn’t help but worry at the expression on the normally steadfast woman’s face. He needed to do something, and quickly.

With effort, he did something he’d never tried before and focused on summoning the ember until it blossomed into life. His gut warmed, though not to the usual heat that he experienced when he got properly angry. Arthur only hoped it would be enough as he imagined the ember rising to sit in his throat.

His mind flashed back to the chaos during the battle for Diaboli Theatrum. The way his locket had burned against his skin, which in turn had allowed him to shout louder than he ever had before.

"ENOUGH!"

The roar ripped through the store, and all around him, he saw knights flinch. More than one pulled weapons as both Theorisa and Theobold spun towards him. While Theobold gripped the hilt of his sword, his mother had dropped into a fighting stance. He didn’t need to be a combatant to know she would have attacked if it had been anyone else.

Next to him, he heard a whimper. A quick look showed Penny huddled up next to Carly, eyes wide as she trembled. Her protector had the same wide-eyed look that Jemima had worn, her hands shaking. He’d totally forgotten they were even in the room.

As each eye turned to him, he forced the ember to vanish. It fought him, and he felt like he was trying to swallow a pill the size of a beach ball, but eventually, it vanished. After a deep breath, he motioned Carly to the backroom.

"Why don’t you take Penny into the office to watch The Elementals? Take a meal with you. I’ll send Theorisa in to get you when it’s time for you to leave."

"Sir," Carly said, her voice a squeak.

Penny was uncharacteristically silent as she scooped up one of her woven baskets and followed the older woman into the back room. Arthur shivered, not enjoying the way she looked at him. Any traces of the happy girl were long gone. Only once they’d left the room did he turn to the knights.

Theorisa hadn’t moved from her fighting stance, but he noticed Charleston was motioning for people to lower their weapons. That was good. He wasn’t sure exactly what would happen if someone tried to attack him.

Not with how high-strung Augustus looked with his bat tapping his shoulder as he watched the group.

"Now that we’re calm, shall we talk about this new development?"

Arthur smiled, doing his best to activate his Shopkeeper’s Smile ability, one of the general powers he' hadn’t bothered with. From what he remembered, the description mentioned that it would make it easier for people to buy things.

Which, considering he was the single game in town, hadn’t come up as an issue yet. Now, though, he needed this group to buy into the idea that they should calm down and give Jemima some space.

His grin widened as he tried to make eye contact with as many of the knights as possible. When his gaze landed on Theorisa, her stance shifted slightly to something less threatening.

Though he didn’t know if that was his doing or Augustus’s, who was letting out a slight hiss, Either way, he had everyone’s attention, and no one was harassing Jemima with questions, which worked for him.

With a nod to the crocodile woman, he tapped a coin against the counter.

"Alright, now that we’re all calm, can you explain more about what happened? You said you found a tunnel, correct?"

Arthur watched as she nodded. Her voice was soft, and he could hear the nervousness that filled it as the knights watched her with such intent that it almost felt physical.

"Yes, boss. I’ve been scouting the tunnels on level three, looking for any more signs of Slagsoul Chimeras."

Charleston made a motion and opened his mouth as though to interrupt. A glare from Arthur cut him off, and Theorisa put a hand on his armored shoulder. She looked down at him and shook her head. Jemima continued, as though she didn’t notice the interruption.

"After some time, I found a series of broken sacks similar to the ones we found in that room?"

Arthur nodded, remembering the broken balls of slime that had covered the walls.

"Right. Well, I followed them to see if I couldn’t find an intact one. They led me to a different tunnel, one with walls that looked reinforced. The further along I walked, the more I saw yellow and black signs talking about radiation."

"Ahh."

Arthur couldn’t help but speak up at that. The news didn’t surprise him, but he didn’t have to like it.

"How do you know the tunnel heads into The Pit?"

"Oh," Jemima said. "I found a map."

This time Charleston interrupted, his tone urgent as his hardened expression shifted toward Theorisa.

"Did the map have the name Genomian Coalition on it?"

Arthur winced at the name. It didn’t surprise him that Lisa’s old company would be involved, but it was the first time he’d heard of a Coalition.

His mind wandered to the magical items he’d found in The Assembly’s home, which in turn sparked new thoughts. Were they even Genomian property, or had another company simply used their underground lab as storage?

It was yet another question, and one that The Watchdog Knights might have the answer to. If this Coalition created The Pit, then those who’d done the most to explore its depths would be the ones to know. Which, Arthur figured, added another point in favor of going to visit them.

"What about this made you sure it was a map to The Pit?" He asked.

"Well," Jemima said as she fingered the handgun sitting on her hip that she’d stolen from Captain Gregory, the security android. "I’m not an expert. I’ve never been. No one went near the place unless they had to. Still, it was a map of what looked like a massive facility. I’ve heard enough rumors to know that’s what The Pit is. I think?"

She looked over at Charleston, who nodded.

"That’s about right. I’ve seen similar signs and maps during the few crusades I’ve participated in. If she’s found a new way in? Well, that changes everything." He looked around and caught Theorisa’s eye once again.

She didn’t speak, but Arthur saw the slight nod of agreement.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"We have to let them know. I doubt Alyssa would be foolish to launch another crusade so soon after the attack, but for future planning? It’s invaluable."

"Well then," Arthur said, as he looked at the determination on Charleston’s face. "When do we leave?"

***

Arthur sat in the back of his rickshaw between Augustus and Theorisa. His hands gripped his briefcase, even as the older woman chattered about her life in the compound.

He’d done his best to nod at what he felt were the appropriate places, but he couldn’t get his mind off what Jemima had told them.

"A new entrance into The Pit? That might change things. I know the idea of a new entrance excites the knights, but I’m more worried about what might come out. If Rathnil finds out, down below might get far more dangerous."

The sound of dogs barking drew his attention moments before Theobold slammed on the brakes. Horses whinnied as knights tugged on reigns, forcing them to a hasty stop.

Theorisa fell quiet as Arthur craned his neck and did his best to peer down the road to see the issue. It turned out to be dogs—a lot of them. While canine, it was immediately obvious these beasts were not multipups, a fact made obvious by the lack of black fur and extra head.

Instead, these were a rusty-red color and so thin that he could count their individual ribs. Purple splotches stood out on their bodies, making them look infected, as the single glowing eye pulsed with a sickly green light.

The way it flashed made Arthur ill. Enough so that it took him a moment to understand what he was truly seeing. It wasn’t a staring eye, but a small, low-grade radiation crystal.

One of the knights that encircled the rickshaw cursed loudly as he pointed at the creatures. "She-demon faces. This does not bode well."

As though in response to his statement, the dogs howled in unison. The noise made his ears ache, and he almost missed the hissing that came from Augustus sitting beside him. Then the battle was on.

All the dogs charged, but the knights met them with an almost relaxed air. While fast, it became clear these mutants had little in the way of defense or powerful attacks.

Swords stabbed down, even as Augustus leapt out of the rickshaw. His bat swung through the air, each attack crushing an enemy without issue. As his chief of security worked, Knight Charleston yelled orders and tugged on the reins of his horse.

It whinnied and reared up, crushing one dog under a large hoof. Arthur watched it all from his spot, hand gripping his cane, though he didn’t think he’d need it.

These creatures couldn’t have attacked a worse group. With how excited Charleston had acted at the news of the tunnel, Arthur doubted that the sight of Pydes himself would stop the knight from returning to the compound today.

When the battle finished, he hopped out and approached one corpse. With his boot, he tapped its side and watched as the screen appeared with its customary popping noise.

STOCK FOUND

1X DOGCLOPS MEAT (INEDIBLE)- RARE

1X DOGCLOPS BONES - RARE

1X RADIATION CRYSTAL (RANK E) - RARE

SEND TO STORE INVENTORY

ADD TO BAG (UNAVAILABLE - MISSING SHOPKEEPERS BAG)

DISCARD ALL OPTIONS

He collected the others quickly, noting that he’d been right about the lack of rank for the radiation crystals.

Around him, the knights murmured, clearly eager to get going. Augustus moved to his side, shadowing him as he finished up his task. When he was done, he returned to the rickshaw.

Once he’d settled back in, Charleston trotted over on his horse.

"Those are new to me. Have you seen the likes of them before?" His tone was professional, but this close, Arthur could see the way his eyes flicked about through the slit in his helmet.

"No, sorry," Arthur said with a shake of his head. "I have a question for you, though. What did that knight mean when he talked about She-demon faces?"

It was a term he’d heard used before by members of The Watchdog Knights before, mostly Rab. Originally, he’d thought it’d simply been some form of local swear, but now he was curious. An actual creature called The She-demon, especially one with faces like those dogs, wasn’t something that he wanted to deal with.

Charleston grimaced even as Theorisa let out a snort. For a moment, he thought she would speak up, but she appeared content to let Charleston handle this one.

"It’s an old rumor, one that has persisted since our founding. You know of the Crusades, of course. Well, it’s claimed that once someone got to the bottom, An elevator that no longer works was involved, and they saw the creature at the bottom of The Pit."

"The She-demon?" Arthur asked.

"Yes. From the reports, she was nothing but a massive pile of sludge dripping from wires and steels. A single, massive sphere dominated her face, and it’s said that those who looked at her for too long collapsed, rotting and sick. The single survivor who made it back turned up ill, burned, and raving. No one takes much stock in it. Not that we’ve ever gotten far enough down to check."

"I see."

Arthur smiled as he answered, his thoughts dredging up the description of The Medusa’s eye. Next to him, Theorisa patted his shoulder.

"I wouldn’t place much stock in it. Now come, we need to keep going."

Charleston nodded as he rode to the front of the group. The rest of the knights and Theobold soon picked up the pace to follow his lead. As the sound of hooves and wheels filled the air, Arthur did his best to settle back into his seat.

Theorisa wasn’t talking anymore; her eyes watched the spot where the Dogclops had fallen until it vanished from view. He didn’t blame her; now that he knew more about the She-demon they consumed his thoughts too.

With the purple markings, it was clear that Rathnil had been instrumental in their creation. But he didn’t know why or if the imitation was intentional. All he knew was that he really hoped the ex-board members could get their summoning working, and fast.

***

When they got close enough for Arthur to see the damage to the wall around the compound, he couldn’t help but wince.

A large chunk of it was simply gone; the newly created entrance was guarded by several grizzled knights with crossbows. Each raised their weapons at the approaching group, their stances making it clear they wouldn’t hesitate to fire.

Behind them, men and women swarmed carrying tools, but as one guard yelled, they dropped them and raced inside. From the swiftness of the action, it was clearly a practiced maneuver, and it made Arthur wonder if they’d faced recent trouble.

"Halt!" the guard nearest to them yelled out as he brandished his crossbow. He had a commanding voice, though there was the vaguest quaver to it, as though he wasn’t used to shouting so loudly.

Knight Charleston’s horse snorted as he pulled it to a stop.

"Knight Hellsion?" Charleston called back. "It’s Charleston from the farm team. What are you doing back in armor, you old goat?"

Several men chuckled, and even Knight Hellsion’s voice sounded heartier as he responded.

"All hands on deck after the attacks, Knight-Captain’s orders. Plus, we’ve been having some unusual visitors as of late. There's no need to let the young blood get hurt if we don’t have to."

"Define unusual?" Theorisa asked as she rode up next to Charleston.

Hellsion shades his eyes. "Well, bless my eyes. Theorisa! We’ve missed you lately. The Knight-Captain will be pleased to see you."

"I’m sure. Define unusual Hellsion." While she didn’t snap the words, she was obviously expecting a rapid response.

"Right, yes." Hellsion gestures outward, as though pointing to as many of the nearby streets as he could manage. "We’ve had a few attacks by new Pit Fiends in the area. Strange skinny dogs and birds covered in purple plumage. We aren’t sure where they’re coming from. Not that Hulvin—"

Before he finished his sentence, his eyes finally drifted over to Arthur, and he stopped midsentence. With a brief clearing of his throat, he continued.

"Well, as I was saying, Alyssa will be happy to see you and your visitors, I’m sure. Did you want to come inside?"

"We would," Theorisa agreed. "Do we use the hole or the gate?"

"There’s little difference," Hellsion said with a chuckle. "But we’d need to send someone to open the gate, so you may as well come through here. I would like to ask your friends to leave their carriage outside. A little big for our streets."

"Of course," Arthur called out as he climbed down before grabbing his briefcase and cane.

Augustus followed, and Theobold briskly moved the rickshaw over. He didn’t chain it, not that Arthur blamed him. Arthur doubted any of the knights would steal it. That done, he followed Charleston and Theorisa inside, wondering exactly what the man was going to say about Hulvin.