Sentinel Station’s bells rang as we ran across the killing field, the ground thundering behind us.

“Monster wave!” a guard shouted from the walls. “Everyone inside!”

I took more of Nina's weight as we moved as fast as we could considering our sad state. The stumps of felled steelhusk trees dotted the open ground between us and safety. Arrows whistled overhead, striking monsters charging from the forest edge.

“Move, move, move!” Edwin called.

The camp’s scouts had found us as we closed on the camp, moving past us to check the forest for monsters. They'd returned shortly after, screaming for us to get back to base but were still providing some help despite not being combat-oriented classes.

We sprinted for the walls. Well, we tried to sprint. After all the fighting and hours of walking, most of us could barely manage a stumbling jog. Arrows and spells flashed past – ice, fire, lightning. The station's defenders did their best to cover our retreat and cull whatever numbers they could before the creatures reached the base.

Great fucking timing.

A Branch Walker leaped over a stump, claws extended. An arrow took it through the eye before it could reach us.

“Almost there!” Eryn shouted.

With a boom, the gates closed behind the logging teams. With monsters this close, they couldn't risk leaving them open for us. Instead, the defenders lowered the wooden elevators for the wounded, and rope ladders for the rest of us.

We reached the walls just as the first wave of monsters burst from the treeline. I put Nina onto the wooden plank and made sure she was secure.

“Hold on!”

On the other side, two guards jumped off the wall, and she soared up to the battlement where others caught her.

Thunder cracked as a lighting spell zapped from overhead and streaked into the monsters.

Garrett stepped onto another platform and I grabbed a rope ladder, holding it out to Eryn.

“Get up. I don't want to have to scrape you off the wall.”

“Thanks,” she said, voice shaky. A grin spread across her face as she rushed up, her blonde hair waving.

With Finn having found another elevator, my team was up, and I started up the ladder behind Eryn.

I looked behind me.

Rusted ruin.

It was one thing looking down from above the walls onto the horde, and another one entirely to see the monster wave coming right at you. It was safe to say that I almost… did something very unbecoming.

Monsters were flowing from the forest, and not only the normal ones. There were Sap Seekers, Ring Beetles, and Branch Walkers by the dozens. Even larger creatures the sigil didn't recognize yet. How come they’d followed us out all the way? Twisted Titan monsters barely ever came out to attack the base…

What's happening? Did we somehow piss off the dungeon?

I reached the top and rolled onto the walkway next to Eryn, my chest heaving. Her hand found mine and we both squeezed for comfort.

“I'm scared,” she said, her voice low.

I squeezed even harder, just to make sure she knew I was there. Not just me, but everyone else, too.

“Yeah, this was definitely something else. I never want to be outside during a wave again.”

It was frightening, though part of me was excited. This whole adventure was the exact thing I needed. I'd gone to a dungeon, chopped a variant in the face, and got out with a storage full of loot. What wasn't there to love?

Other than almost getting eaten…

All along this side of the wall, the guards ran the elevators, bringing the wounded up to the battlements and safety. Simultaneously, more defenders were rushing out from the Branchway, some still fastening the straps on their armour.

“Get the wounded through the rift!” Edwin's voice carried over the chaos as he hopped over the wall next to Eryn and me. “Everyone else, to your positions! We've got monsters to kill!”

I pushed myself back up against the wooden wall. My limbs felt like lead, but I had a smile on my face. I’d fight hard, if not for myself, for Eryn and the others.

Below, claws scratched against steelhusk-reinforced walls as monsters hurled themselves at the gates and walls. Then they started climbing.

“Here they come!” a guard shouted and more picked up the warning.

A Branch Walker's head appeared over the edge. Despite the tiredness dragging on me, I swung hard. The blade bit deep into the rotting wood of its neck. The monster's eyes went wide as I wrenched the weapon free, and it fell, taking three more creatures with it.

A Ring Beetle scuttled over the wall. My axe crashed down, splitting its shell. The creature's innards splattered across the wall. I was tired, so damned tired, but I wouldn't falter. Not now.

“Like hammering iron!”

From up top, the monsters were somewhat easy prey. The defensive positions were perfect - elevated platforms provided clear shots for archers, while the wall's width let warriors like me swing freely. The steelhusk trees anchoring the walls created natural strongpoints, their metallic bark seemingly immune to the monsters' claws. It did allow them to climb, but not all kinds of monsters could pull their weight up.

“Don't get cocky, kid,” Edwin said.

He'd placed his shield by the wall and wielded his flaming sword in a hand-and-a-half grip, butchering the monsters as they came.

“Got it, Commander!”

Between two monsters, he looked over at me and shrugged.

“But, you're not wrong.”

Something gnawed at me, though. The thrill of the dungeon still pumped through my veins - the raw, primal challenge of facing monsters head-on, where every move could mean life or death. Up on the wall felt... safe. It was almost boring.

I shook my head, brow furrowing.

What's wrong with me? Safe is good. Safe means everyone gets to live.

The memory of Nina's wounds and Finn's severed hand flashed through my mind. That's what happened when we had to go out there.

I got the loot, and we got out alive. Survival tops everything.

Another Branch Walker appeared, and I introduced it to my axe.

* * *

My arms and back burned as I cleaved through what felt like the hundredth monster. They'd been relentless, wave after wave focusing on our section of the wall. It was strange - almost as if they were targeting us specifically. I'd be flattered if I wasn't so tired, or had my spatial storage filled before the fight even started.

“Never seen such an attack before. Nor so concentrated. If I didn't know better, I'd say they carried a grudge for our visit,” Commander Edwin said as he stood beside me, wiping monster gore from his blade. “Impressive work up here, Ash.”

“Thank you, sir.” I wiped the sweat and grime from my brow. “Just doing my part.”

“Get some rest. Head through the rift - you've more than earned it. I'll keep a spot open for you next time, too. Got a good head on your shoulders.”

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I nodded, my body aching. Eryn had gone a while ago, her quiver empty and fingers trembling with exhaustion.

As I stepped up to the elevator, Edwin called after me.

“Oh, and once you get your class, if you ever need a constant party, you let me know.”

“Thank you, sir. I might just take you up on that.”

I descended to the floor of the camp and approached the rift. Despite the exhaustion, my heart soared. The spider carcass in my storage was unlike anything we'd ever looted, and I couldn't wait to show it to Pa. Between it and the other monster carcasses, we'd have enough materials for the forge to get by for a while.

The rift's green surface rippled before me, and I took a deep breath and stepped through. It was time to go home. The familiar tingle faded as I stepped onto solid ground. First came the fresh air and the cacophony of people shouting and working on various things, and only then did I feel the afternoon sun hit my face. I took a step to the side, stretched my arms towards the heavens, and let other people through. Some were exiting, like me, while others made their way Riftside, ferrying various necessities.

I made it. I actually bloody made it.

Fifty feet of packed earth spread out before me. Sharpened stakes lay flat around the massive circle where the rift stood, except for four spots, ready to be lifted into place in case of a monster breach. It hadn't happened since Sentinel Station went up, but our job was to prepare so it would never happen.

Around the circle, the earth slanted down into trenches, which again were carved into a second perfect circle.

Workers hefted pickaxes and shovels, working on what would someday become our moat, filled with water to slow any monsters that might come through the rift. For now, though, the trenches were a work in progress, like everything else in Dawnwatch. Their rhythmic strikes and grunts echoed up, mixing with the constant sawing and hammering from the wall beyond.

First Steel, Dawnwatch's innermost wall, rose behind the trench, a circular palisade of steelhusk-reinforced wood that followed the moat's curve. The wall stretched thirty feet high, topped with a wide wooden walkway where guards patrolled. Four bridges spanned the gap between my position and First Steel, each supported by thick wooden stilts driven deep into the earth.

The eastern and western bridges led to massive gatehouses, their gates raised to allow traffic, while the other two bridges simply ended at the walls. Wooden elevators hung ready above them for emergency evacuations. Just in case it had to be abandoned. Nobody wanted to be left trapped inside the walls with the monsters if they ever made it through.

I turned and glanced to the northeast, seeing the scaffolding just above First Steel's battlements. The keep's skeleton was taking shape, steelhusk lumber forming its bones. It wouldn't be finished for months, perhaps even a year or more, but I loved looking for progress every time I returned home, and I knew workers would be crawling across it like ants, hammers ringing against nails. Unfortunately, there weren't that many of us as it wasn't that big of a rift compared to some out there. The Kingdom couldn't spare the extra manpower necessary to ease the project.

I inhaled deeply, letting the tension drain from my muscles. The scent of fresh-cut steelhusk, industry, and humanity filled my lungs. Sawdust tickled my nose, along with smoke from cooking fires and the earthy smell of turned soil from the trenches below.

Home.

The pressure that had built since entering the dungeon - the weight of responsibility, the tension of combat, the constant vigilance - it all melted away as if it had never even been there. My shoulders relaxed, and I felt lighter than I had in days. And much more excited to be home.

“Ash! Good to see you back!”

Walt's voice boomed from atop First Steel's eastern section. The captain's red beard caught the sunlight as he waved down at me, and I couldn't help but grin. He was an imposing man, and someone I could consider calling a friend.

“Hey, Walt!”

“How'd it go in there?”

“Everyone lives, and my spatial's full!”

He barked a deep belly laugh that seemed like it could shake the walls. If anything, the man was a goodhearted soul who made sure to look out for everyone, especially us scavengers.

“The rift's blessed you today, lad!”

I chuckled and waved back before heading for the eastern bridge. The sounds of construction rang out all around me, and in all honesty, I could never get enough as it wrapped around me like a warm blanket. After the eerie silence of the dungeon, broken only by monster screams and the clash of weapons, the noise of work was welcome.

The gatehouse loomed ahead, its raw wooden walls still waiting for steelhusk reinforcement. Through the gate, I could see the processing station – a hundred-foot square “sluice” surrounded by high wooden walls. Those walls needed reinforcing too, but it wasn't a priority. Nothing but the first line of defense was, and rightly so. Stories about rift breaches were the stuff of nightmares that I didn't even want to think about.

We'll get to it. Kingsworth wasn't built in a day, either.

Inside the sluice, two tables were set up as usual. A line of people from our expedition waited at each. Nina stood at the first, negotiating the sale of her loot to Harold Markwell from the adventurer's guild. The old mage's remaining arm gestured as he spoke, probably trying to negotiate a better deal on the unknown monsters. Eryn waited behind Nina, her honey-blonde hair catching the light. Five more adventurers shuffled in place behind her, and I could see they were eager to get it over with and go home.

Bet they’ll drop the price with every specimen sold. I'm glad Nina and Eryn are getting theirs in early.

At the second table, Rasek faced off with Isabel Pine, the bank manager's elegant figure straight-backed in her chair as they too haggled over the price. Garrett stood second in line, his wounded shoulder bound but his face eager.

No sign of Finn. Probably already off to see Victor. Not surprised he's gambling on the monsters having gems over taking the guaranteed payment.

My friends were safe. Wounded and tired, but very much alive. After everything we'd faced in the dungeon, seeing them here, arguing over prices and counting coins, made my chest tight with happiness.

“Ash!” Harold called out, waving his one arm. “Come show me what you've brought back!”

“Let me save you some time,” Isabel cut in, her voice carrying across the sluice. “Whatever he's offering, the bank will beat it.”

I smiled and shook my head.

“Sorry folks, but this haul's going straight to Pa!”

Eryn stepped out of line, touching the shoulder of the man behind her.

“Hold my spot?”

She darted over and threw her arms around me, planting a quick kiss on my cheek that made my skin tingle. There probably wasn't much to it as she wore her heart on her sleeve, but I liked to think that one day, well, maybe I could offer her something more than scavenging. For now, that was still just a dream.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For saving my life out there.”

“Ah, well,” I said, trying to sound casual, but my heart was doing backflips. “What are friends for?”

She smiled and stepped back, and I couldn't keep the grin off my face as she shot me a wink.

“Nina's not the only one looking for a mounting, it seems,” Garret said with a grin.

Eryn stalked over to him and slapped his chest several times, and he cried out in pain. Must have hit his wounded shoulder in the process. Good. He deserved it teasing her in front of everyone.

“Be careful, she bites!” I yelled over my shoulder and hurried for the eastern gate.

Maybe I wasn't a proper adventurer yet, but today? Today I felt like a hero.

I passed through the sluice's heavy gate and stepped into Dawnwatch proper. The east main road stretched dead ahead through the heart of our growing settlement, like the spokes on a wheel with the rift at the center. On the left side of the road, the Royal Bank's freshly-painted facade gleamed in a royal deep blue and silver. Above, flapping in the breeze, hung their flag, showing the Tharungian silver castle on a blue field.

The adventurer's guild hall stood opposite, painted forest green and red, their flag a red tree of life on a green background. The two buildings faced each other like grumpy old men across a garden wall. While each had the same goal, they approached it with wildly different methods. And that was great if anyone asked me, as monopolies were rarely good for ordinary folk.

Instead of passing through the gate, I turned right and onto the innermost of the circular roads which ran through Dawnwatch. It would take me to the industrial quarter and our smithy. The familiar scents of coal smoke and heated metal grew stronger with each step, and so did my grin.

“Ash! Ash!”

Karl's excited voice rang out as small boots thundered across packed earth. The ten-year-old skidded to a halt in front of me, eyes shining like silver coins.

“What was it like? Did you fight lots of monsters? Was it scary?”

I looked down upon the boy.

Was I ever so young and eager to hear stories of my elders?

Hell, I probably still was.

And maybe I wasn't a level sixty warrior who could single-handedly defend a city from a horde, but that wasn't what Karl needed today anyway. Still, I wanted to make an impression. I was also a hero of sorts, after all. Wasn't I? I'd stood shoulder to shoulder with the commander and hacked down dozens of monsters on the wall alone.

I fished a silver coin from my pocket, glanced around conspiratorially, and pressed it into his palm.

“Silver?” he said, his eyes going wide as plates, staring at the gleaming metal. “Thank you!”

“It was amazing, Karl. And dangerous.” I crouched before him. “So we're going to need more parties to tackle it and all the ones to come after. You know what that means, right?”

He nodded hurriedly, still staring at the coin. Likely more than he'd ever had for himself.

“That's right. We are going to need more scavengers and adventurers.”

I paused, waiting for him to catch up.

Slowly, his gaze drifted up from the coin to meet my eyes.

“Exactly. We need you to work hard and grow stronger so that one day you can join us.”

“You really think I can do it, Ash? Become a scavenger like you? And, and, and, maybe even an adventurer?”

“Course you can.” I ruffled his hair. “Just look at me – I started right where you are.”

Karl clutched the silver, bouncing on his toes.

“Did you get any monsters? Which faction are you selling them to? The Kingdom? The Guild? Or Victor the alchemist?”

“Get your head on straight, Karl, and try again.”

I gave him a frown.

His face scrunched up as if he was trying to stare through a wall, and then suddenly it brightened.

“You giving 'em to your Pa?”

“Of course I am,” I said, rewarding him with a smile.

“Did you find any new ones? Can I see? Please?”

I glanced around the street. It was nearly empty.

Why not give the kid a memory of a lifetime?

With a grin, I opened my spatial storage and pulled out the Ring Beetle carcass, nearly dumping it on his shoes.

“Roar!” I said and gave it a wiggle with my boot.

Karl's scream echoed off the buildings as he bolted down the street, and I quickly stored the monster, chuckling to myself.

“Ash Aldrich!” Martha the seamstress called from her doorway, trying to look stern but failing to hide her smile. “That boy won't sleep for a week now.”

I shrugged.

“True enough. But better he's scared now than gets brave ideas about hunting monsters before he's ready. A healthy dose of fear might keep him alive long enough to actually become a scavenger.”

She shrugged. I gave her a wink as I hurried past, and joy spread through me as I stepped onto our small plot of land. It wasn't much, but it was ours.

The smithy stood right before me, smoke billowing from its two chimneys, and hammering away inside was Pa.