Content warning:

None.

The six of them didn’t say anything as they ascended the staircase. Vines hung over the side, obscuring it from far away, and it went through a crystal-lit tunnel partway up. The team’s armor clattered loudly as they moved, and the large steps caused occasional stumbling for them.

Suddenly, the team started groaning before hurrying back down the stairs.

“Oh, sorry! I forgot to warn you! That’s my ward for keeping animals away. It’s uncomfortable, but I promise it’s harmless and the feeling will pass after only a few steps.”

They were panting and recovering from what they’d just experienced.

“That was like chewing aluminum foil, but I felt it everywhere!” the insect woman said.

The lion man glanced warily at the huntress then addressed his team. “Perhaps we should wait here instead. It seems safe enough.”

They started debating over whether to go or not until the mushroom woman pushed forward on her own and confirmed that it does indeed pass, and they continued.

They eventually reached the garden at the top of the stairs, situated on a small plateau. A home was carved out of the cliff face. Along one wall was a large sculpture of a crocodile, and to the side of the garden was another path leading elsewhere. The mushroom woman stared out in awe at the vast jungle below them, fading far into the distance.

A table with flowery designs carved into it sat near the railing. A mug with a bit of liquid still in it rested atop it. They were all made of stone. A chair, constructed of wood and vines, sized to the huntress and worn from years of use, overlooked the vast forest.

“What is this place?” the lion man asked as he looked around.

“My home,” the huntress said. “Take your boots and armor off in the entryway. I don’t want blood getting everywhere.”

With his drone recording everything, the lion man told his team, “I’ll go first. Keep ready in case something happens.”

The huntress stepped inside, brushing aside the vines that served as her doorway. She stored her weapons and armor in a nook where they fit perfectly, revealing simple, slightly rough clothes beneath. Her limbs were covered in scars.

The lion man was refusing to move from the doorway, so she rolled her eyes and said, “Fine, since you don’t trust me yet, feel free to keep the armor on. Just don’t sit down anywhere.”

The lion man scrutinized the house, keeping her in his line of sight and one hand on the handle of his sheathed sword at all times.

Other than the bathroom, everything was all in one room. The home was made mostly of stone and wood, and had a rustic quality to it. The walls, furniture, and many items had been carved to depict nature scenes, though some showed images of a modern city. One wall depicted a group of four women standing together, and another was an enormous map of the jungle which took up that entire wall. Many surfaces were painted, though most of the colors lacked the intense vibrancy of store-bought pigments.

Plants, vines, and flowers were everywhere in the house as well, mostly along the walls. Small paths in the walls carried water to the plants from an unseen source above, making a gentle trickling sound.

Crystals powered the lights and appliances. The most prominent thing in the room was the large crystal hanging from the ceiling, emitting a gentle purple light.

The lion man stared at the map with his fists clenched for a long moment, then finally brought the others in. They all abided her request to not wear bloody armor in the house

The huntress smiled. Just how long has it been since I last talked to someone? At least twenty years, I’m sure.

“There’s also a bath or shower here if you need it,” she gestured to her bathroom.

The insect woman, a bee, eagerly ran for it. “No way! How does plumbing even work in a place like this?” In addition to her wings and antennae, she also had yellow fluff around her neck, and fuzzy black and yellow stripes on her arms.

“Gray water gets recycled for gardening, and the toilet works with composting.”

While her guests were busy looking around the house and taking turns cleaning up, the huntress made tea, and started sorting through an old bag. She sat in a chair while they all reconvened on the couch. Heather did a double take between the portraits and huntress, but didn’t say anything.

“This is all I have left from back then,” the huntress said, holding out a tattered purse.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

It had endured many years of abuse and attempted repairs, and was covered in claw and bite marks, water damage, spell damage, and faded paint stains from decades ago. Inside it was a pair of sunglasses with a single, cracked lens remaining, a cracked and corroded phone, old clothing scraps, and her wallet.

“Lauren Park…” the lion man read aloud. “Jeez, I haven’t seen a driver’s license in a long time.”

“Do people not drive anymore?” Lauren asked.

“Only in cities, and even then, there aren’t a lot of drivers these days.”

She blinked. “Could you explain all of that in more detail?”

He gave her a disbelieving look but answered anyway. “People flocked to the cities to escape from monsters—mutated animals—after the Advent. Driving is now virtually impossible outside of city walls, unless you’re in a tank.

“Am I considered a mutant monster now…?” Lauren looked at her clawed hands.

What will my family think? Are they okay…?

“We’re not monsters,” the bee girl said. “We did change, but we don’t have it out for humanity. We’re still human, despite what a lot of religious people are saying.”

“Okay… If we aren’t monsters, then animals aren’t either.”

The lion gave her a stern look. “Many people have died to them.”

“People died to animals before they had magic, too. Were they monsters then? Does an animal only become a monster the moment you consider it a threat?” The two other men on the team looked ready to argue, so she changed the subject. “Anyway, who are all of you? You still haven’t told me.”

“You don’t know who I am? Surely you’ve seen myself or my father on PIP?”

Lauren shook her head.

He cleared his throat. “I am Adam Higgins, son of senator Michael Higgins, and leader of the Explorer team Abyssal Seekers—the number one team in the world. Thank you for saving James’ life.”

The man with stone-like skin spoke up, “Yes, thank you very much for that. That probably would’ve been it for me.”

“Probably for all of us,” the mushroom woman said in accented English. The cap on her head, her skin, and her hair were all differing shades of mauve, and her eyes were a deep purple. She had tattoos on her chin and lips. She looked like she might start crying.

Is she Maori?

“Are you okay?” Heather asked concernedly.

“I’m fine.” The mushroom girl checked the device on her wrist. “My EE still isn’t working.”

The bee girl decided to accept that answer for now, then explained for Lauren, “EE stands for Emergency Escape, which will teleport you out of the Dungeon when activated. It’s a function of the System Band, which allows us to cast spells. …Some animals’ spells can disable tech, though.”

They even have teleportation now?

“Oh, and my name is Heather,” the bee said, then gestured to the mushroom. “and this is Marama.”

“No introduction for me?” the person with scaly skin and feathers asked.

Heather gave him a flat look, and Marama had a slight amused smile.

He scowled. “I’m Mack. I want to know how you use magic without a Band.”

“Let’s see…” Lauren began. “I saw animals using magic and wondered if I could do it, too. So I started experimenting, and slowly figured it out through trial and error.

“I start by sensing the energy moving through my body, like blood. I then form an image in my mind of what to do with it, then will it to happen. I have to control how it’s flowing as I do that, though. Like, I can’t make a ball of water just by thinking about it, I have to direct the energy in such a way that it coalesces in that specific shape and substance.”

“And who hasn’t tried that before? What makes you special?”

“Um… I don’t know? Why do you need the Band thing to cast spells?”

Heather explained, “No one can use spells your way, but researchers figured out how to use the energy in the body—mana—via a medium. It requires voice activation, though, and all the spells are presets.”

“I see…” Lauren said. Her eyes darted to the portraits on the wall. “Any other major changes to the world?”

“A lot of things, yeah. Weather is getting drastically worse worldwide, plants are dying everywhere, and there are blobs of undead bacteria around.”

“And tectonic plates,” James added. “They’re shifting around pretty rapidly, geologically speaking.”

Lauren blinked, then shook her head. Her eyes went to the portraits once again.

All the other stuff doesn’t matter right now. I have to ask.

“Is my family okay? Is there a way for me to look them up from down here?”

Heather pulled a durable-looking smartphone out of her pack. “It’s still on, so my pack must’ve insulated it from the lemur’s spell… But there’s barely any signal, so I can’t look them up yet. I can do it when we’re on the surface, though.”

“Who are they?” Marama asked, examining the portraits. “What are they like?”

Lauren pointed at each portrait as she spoke. “They are Savannah, Emma, Maeve, and Lucia—my sisters, mom, and aunt. They all had the last name Park last time I saw them. They’re-”

“Wait, you’re one of those Parks!?” Adam exclaimed.

Heather tried to contain her laughter, Marama smiled, James groaned, and Mack shook his head disapprovingly.

Adam shook his head. “The wolf ears and name should’ve given it away. …I guess you’ve been telling the truth.”

“U-Um…” Lauren started. Her heart pounded as she awaited clarification.

Adam looked up at her and gave an even heavier sigh than the one Mack just gave. “The Park family are the most prominent team of Freelance Explorers. And they are notoriously uncooperative with government operations.”

“They’re alive…!” she breathed. She slumped in her seat. Eventually she asked, “So when do your EE things come back online?”

Heather said, “It varies, but probably by the end of the day.”

Adam sighed. “No, we still have much to investigate here, so we aren’t leaving yet. This will be our base of operations.”

“Excuse me? No, take me to the surface,” Lauren said.

He gave a placating gesture. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do th-”

Lauren glared at him and snapped her fingers, and the ceiling crystal’s purple glow turned bright and harsh. All five of the team members yelped and writhed in intense discomfort.

“You will not keep me from my family, and you will not use my house as you please.”

Adam had fallen to the floor, so Lauren used her foot to turn his head so they could make eye contact. “Do we have an understanding?”

“Adam, please!” Mack begged.

“F-Fine,” their leader spat.

Lauren smiled and snapped her fingers again. The glow faded, and so did the discomfort.

She looked at the others. “Sorry you all got involved in that, but I wasn’t going to let this idiot keep me from them.”