Davren slowly spun the glass in front of him. The green liquid sloshing as he sat lost in his thoughts as the rogue continued trying to tell his story. He apparently awoke a day ago to the caretaker pouring this drink down his throat. Davren made a game out of counting how many times these two said the drinks are amazing. They were loving this experience but to Davren this was his worst nightmare. This was not a trained party and it obviously showed, those system notifications said war. Who knew what was happening to their parents while they were stuck here. And this dungeon was changing, those wolves should not have been in an F - Ranked dive. That meant either they were transported somewhere else or this one had grown to a higher level. Davren also could not figure out what this place needed with them.

Davren pushed his drink to the middle of the table as his brother and friend began to break out in song. The rogue had barely completed five sentences in the weeks they had been here but he was very talkative now. Davren didn’t know him well enough to care so he just changed the subject.

We need to plan. Do you know where your healer is? He said. We need to be on the move to find a way out of here.

Look who’s awake, a raspy voice said.

Davren turned towards the voice to see Jada making her way down the stairs assisted by a short older man. Her arm was draped over his shoulder as she still looked exhausted but was awake. The man slid her into the booth and turned to Davren, introducing himself.

Slain Godtree, the man said, extending his left hand across the table

There was a slight flicker in the palm of the man’s palm that Davren thought he imagined. Reaching towards the man his arm instead bumped into his glass knocking it over and spilling the green liquid all over the table.

I’m so sorry, he said. Let me clean that up.

Do not worry, Slain said, this happens all the time. Can I refill your drink?

Slain made his way to the bar and returned with a cloth only to find that Davren had finished cleaning the mess with his own cloth.

If you weren’t an adventurer I would offer you a job. I don’t know if I’ve seen this table so clean in a long time.

Davren noticed the slight grimace on the caretaker's face as he noticed him chewing the last of his rations from his ring. He also had his own drink which he had shared amongst the party.

We don’t want to put you out, Davren said in between chews.

It’s no bother at all, this is the job. Let me go get dinner started.

Slain left the party grumbling about ungrateful tourists under his breath.

Continuing his merrily munching on his dry tasteless rations, Davren watched as the caretaker seemed to glide back behind the bar and disappeared through a door with a glow emanating behind it.

Jada, he said seriously, how did we get here?

Well…

Three days ago

“Javen focus” Jada screamed

“Typical of Javen’s family, " Jada thought. “The moment we need them they are useless. I mean this loser was supposed to be B- Rank but he couldn’t get a team through an F- Rank dungeon. Now I have to save everyone myself… again”

Jada let out a frustrated groan as her head pounded in pain from overusing her essence.

Javen’s brother gets a nap and all the glory while we get yelled at? Not on her watch. Once this princess woke up he was going to get a piece of her mind. This dungeon was challenging for sure but they were all low ranked so that was to be expected but the guide left more to be desired.

Yes!!! She screamed

The actual hero here, her strong bear of a man, Javen, had just defeated the beast that took out the other waste of space laying on the ground.

Oof.. Jada cringed, are you ok J?

Jada ran to Javen’s side cradling his head as he had just violently hit the ground.

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Heal!!! Heal!!!

Jada looked around seeing the petite healer frozen in fear.

Kaylen the battle is over, get it together!!!

Carefully removing Javen’s head from her lap she stomped over to the terrified woman.

“CRACK”

Jada punched Kaylen, knocking her to the ground. The healer could only stare at her with tears welling in her eyes.

Heal!! Now!! Jada screamed again

She and Kaylen had been friends for years as her mother, a minor noble, had befriended the wife of Duke Washnom. So when Jada decided it was time for her friends to go through a dungeon, she picked the team carefully. Javen was going, of course, he was going to be the strongest man alive pretty soon. Duran was smart and trained to be a rogue so they definitely would need one of those. Besides, he was Javen’s best friend so that was a no brainer. Kayla was there mainly because of her station. If Jada were able to rank up a Duke’s daughter both she and Javen would be set for life.

A week of training should have been enough to get her to learn healing, no matter what that blowhard Davren said. Why she had been a lump of waste this entire trip was confusing. Kaylen had always bragged about her father training her himself before she was empowered. Now here she is when faced with a real fight, fainting and crying.

Bringing her back alive should get me my own title as a lady in my own right. Jada thought greedily

Stop whimpering, Jada said, I don’t want to stay here longer than I have to.

Sitting up, with tears in her eyes Kaylen tentatively answered. I.I don’t..I can’t

Spit it out woman!! Jada said

I don’t know how to!! Kaylen answered.

What do you mean? Jada said squinting her eyes

I never.. I didn’t.. Kaylen stuttered through her answer. I never finished training, she said while averting her eyes.

That statement caused Jada to pause, she was exhausted from using her abilities, drained from this trip and scared because Javen was laid out in a dangerous place. She didn’t have time for this, on top of everything else Davren might have had a slight point which is the worst part of this hell.

Damn it!! She said

Grab a foot, we have a long way to go.

She walked over to Javen carefully grabbing his left foot. Kaylen tentatively joined her and they both worked to drag the three unconscious men away from the sand.

Hours passed before the women found a small cave. Checking the area briefly they sat, confident nothing would jump out at them. Duran groans beginning to stir,

“He looks terrible”, she thought. “If he doesn’t get help soon Javen will lose his best friend”

She was not about to allow that to happen, if Javen was going to be the man she knew he could be, early losses of friends could not be allowed. She would get them through this if it was the last thing she did. With the three guys out for who knows how long she needed to push through. And Jada silently made herself a promise that she would…right after a brief nap. Her eyes begin to shut as the muffled groans of Duran grew louder.

Now

Davren’s stomach growls as Jada finishes her story.

But how did we get here to this tavern? He asks

Everything after that was just a big blur honestly, Jada said. I was barely awake the rest of the time. We got here, we were fed and given this amazing drink. Now I feel better than when we started this trip. How we arrived here probably doesn’t matter, just drink up and don’t worry about it. We can spend a few more days here and then when our heads are clear find a way out of this dungeon.

A few days eh. Davren chuckles to himself

This trip had been challenging since the beginning but now it seemed utterly unbearable.

“Wait a second”, he thought to himself. “Javen, girlfriend, Rogue, name starts with a D I believe. Isn’t there someone missing?”

Where is the healer, he said

Still sleeping, Javen said, she was really out of it last night. I didn’t want to wake her, you know she didn’t sleep for two days right? She also only had one cup of this drink, I was just telling Duran that we should take her some.

No! Davren almost yells but catches himself.

Just let her sleep, we have a long road ahead. I think I'm going to stretch my legs for a minute.

The caretaker works hard jerk, take your mug with you, Jada said

Davren looks to the mug he had previously spilled only to find the table showed no signs of having been damp and the mug was filled again.

You’re right, I’ll take it now. I’ll also be back in a minute so don’t go anywhere.

Making his way up the stairs again he flashes the caretaker a winning smile as the worker cleans a mug while standing behind the bar.

Can’t wait to see what there is for dinner. He said in this most jovial voice

Just make sure you have your seat before the dinner rush. This place will be packed full and tonight’s fare looks to be one of the best meals in this place in a long time. Slain said with a look that made Davren’s skin crawl.