"Nalle, hurry, were going to be late." A flustered Amelia shouted.

"Amy, it's our first dungeon dive. We should go over everything one more time," I say as I exit the manor. "Now turn around so I can check your pack." I watch my twin sister set her pack down and look her up and down. People always told us we would eventually change enough that anyone could tell us apart at a glance. They were wrong. If you knew nothing about us, either of us could pass as the other. Those that know us would never mix us up as we have different interests. I like an engaging book under in the shade of a tree, while Amy would rather smack a wooden dummy all day with a stick.

"We're 16 years old today," Amy pouts at me, "we have been waiting for this day forever."

The adventurers' guild made a rule a few years back that everyone wanting to enter, The Forgotten Tomb's, must be at least 16 years of age. Father can't fool us. We know it was him.

My sister and I are five foot eight inches. We know we are short for High elves. We have pure white hair. I keep mine long and straight, with my bangs cut to hang right above my eyes. While Amelia keeps hers cut short with a tight braid down the left side of her face.

"Are you ignoring me?" Amy whined. But I continue to sift through her pack.

"Where're your matches?" I ask.

"Why do we need a match any way you can make fireballs?"

"Yeah, great idea. An enormous ball of unstable plasma to start a campfire. What could go wrong?" I retort while turning to our mother. "Mom, do you or Aunt Melania have any?"

Before either can answer, Sally pops out of the birthmark on Amy's hand. "Don't worry, I grabbed some extra supplies, there in my spatial bag."

Smiling, I thank her. "And what about you, Tayna?"

"Like you would forget anything," the tiny fairy said with arms crossed. I raise an eyebrow. "Fine, I grabbed more food. You know how Fredrick is."

"Where is Fredrick?"

"He is coming, just give him a moment, oh there is now," Melania says.

I look up and see the seven-foot six High elves walking fast in our direction wearing full plate armor with a massive kite shield on his back and his waist a short sword. Well, short for him, it would be nearly a broad sword if I held it.

"You're late. What took so long, anyway?" asks Amy.

"Sorry," pants Fredrick, "I couldn't find the matches."

I roll my eyes. Who is the twin again?

"Are you sure you're okay with just that robe and light armor Nalle," asks Aleana.

My outfit is a white robe that covers my white leather armor. I have a wand made from a special tree found only within the Eleneer palace. It's supposed to be a branch of the world tree, but you know how myths can be. All I care about is I got it for my fifteenth birthday from Auntie Listandra and uncle Fenis, King and Queen of Eleneer. My wand has a 10% boost to elemental damage. In contrast, my robe, a gift from my parents I got today, has a 10% reduction to elemental damage. cool stuff, right? "Mom, relax, we're going to be fine. As long as I stay behind these two muscle-heads, nothing should happen to me."

"Plus, Gnarleen and Ruskin will be there," says Amy.

Gnarleen is the only daughter of Chief Gnarlack of the Orc tribes that includes races like Ogres, Troll, and Tauren's. We have been best friends since we were little girls. Amy and I met Leen when Gnarlack came to a banquet held in the palace for Ruskin's third birthday. Fredrick and I, along with Amy, got bored, so we showed her our secret base. Our base is a shack in the palace gardens, but when your four imagination is everything. I don't know about Leen's mother. She never talks about her, and I don't know how to bring it up.

Ruskin is the son of Triston Darnath and Arlean Tuathe, the king and queen of Khuzdul. It might seem weird that leaders of a city-state would call themselves royalty, but when your seat of power is Khuzdul, who is gonna say anything against you? It also helps that they really are royalty. Aunt Arlean is the daughter of the King and Queen of Eleneer. While uncle Triston is the brother of the Dwarven king.

"Yea, Leen is a light mage. If we get hurt, she can put us right back together," I say to placate mom and Melania. It didn't work as they paled further. Fredrick and Amy also shot me glares.

"Here comes Leen and Ruskin now," says Fredrick, finally shifting his gaze from me.

"I thought we were going to meet them at the guildhall," added Amy.

I turn around and see our two best friends, well Amy's they only tolerate me. As for Fredrick, he is more like an older brother even though we're the same age. His parents live in their own wing of the manor. Aunt Melania used to be our nanny, but now she is Mother's best friend, and you couldn't separate the two with an entire army. While his father is Vice guild-master at the guildhall, and father's best friend, or maybe the righthand man would better describe him.

Gnarleen is wearing a robe like me. Instead of white, she chose a light green that goes well with her pale green skin. That's common amongst human orc hybrids. I notice Leen also has a new staff, its same height as her, around five-six with a white focusing crystal on the tip.

Ruskin is our ranger. He is half-dwarf, half-elf, also he is only fifteen, and somehow got permission to join us. Probably because his Dad and Mom rule Khuzdul, his outfit is dark leather, with two deadly long knives strapped to the waist. When the two got closer, Amy happily said. "I can't believe you got permission to join us, Ruskin."

I smiled at Leen and asked, "everything ready?" She gave me a one-armed hug and said, "I'm always ready." Then she ran over to Fredrick with a grin.

Amy pokes me in the side and says, Look at Mother.

"after swatting the offending hand away," I turn around and see her wringing her hands together. Amy and I run up to give her a hug and a peck on each cheek and, in unison, say, "we're going to be fine, mother." We both had to hop a little to kiss her, as Mom is six foot six inches, with pale wheat-colored hair.

Fredrick is also consoling his mother with help from Leen. Unlike Amy and me, he towers over his mother, who stands at just over six feet. Not to mention his chest is about four feet wide, so Aunt Melania practically vanishes into a hug from him.

I am about to tell everyone to get ready to depart. When the door to the teleport room opens and Leen's Father and Uncle Triston walkout.

Leen abandons Fredrick and sprints at her father, giving him a bear hug. At least I think she tried to as he is just under nine feet tall, Leen is tiny next to him. Chief Gnarlack bends down, picks his daughter up, and walks toward us, carrying Leen in one arm like a child. The sight made everyone smile except Fredrick, who laughed and made a face at Leen.

Lord Darnath, or Uncle Triston as Amy and I know him, walks up to his son and starts lecturing. I also swear I saw a vial passed to Ruskin, but I'm not sure. I can only make out some of what they say. "Remember, it's your job to scout ahead between battles. Watch everyone's back during, don't let your party get hurt ya hear, or your mother will put you back in training." Or something like that.

While that's going on, Amy and I are still holding one of Mother's hands each while I check through our pack again. Difficult with one hand. Finally satisfied we were all set, I clapped my hands. Not nearly as impressive as when Father or one of our uncles did it, but it worked. "Okay, everyone, let's head out," I turn. Amy and I hug and give Mother another peck. Say a couple more reassurances than head out the gate.

Darnath steps forward, "hang on their lass, let me walk ya there."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"It's not like we got far to go. The guild is across the street," said Amy. Under her breath, she added. "Besides, how would that make us look being walked to our first dungeon run by the King,"

"I heard that. -- Alright, off ya go then," said Darnath.

We waved and walked toward the massive building across the roadway. It really surprises-both Amy and me when people tell us that this entire area was nothing but slums and garbage heaps when we were babies. They also say that tall stone walls separated different parts of the city. I look down the street toward the center of Khuzdul. See crowds of people bustling around massive storefronts, and the further into the city you go, the bigger everything gets. Clear to the gargantuan palace in the center where Ruskin lives.

Although Khuzdul is the richest place on the mainland and a few of the surrounding islands, I say islands. Still, they're just smaller landmasses surrounding Veridian, Like Eleneer to the southeast, the elves' ancient home. Its island is roughly one-third of the mainland, Which's what we all call Veridian. It is completely covered in forests. Aunt Aleana says, In the center of the kingdom, the trees touch the heavens. That seems impossible, but I'm not telling her that.

There's The Crag to the northeast. That's where Gnarleen is from. According to our tutors, that island is the ancestral home of Orcs, Kobolds, and goblins. Maybe Gnomes, to I can't remember Amy, was distracting me throughout the lesson. Their homeland is roughly half the size of Veridian.

The Dwarves come from a land farther southeast beyond Eleneer; their land is also around half the mainland's size. It's completely covered in towering mountains. The edge is cliffs so high that you have to use the fancy lift designed by one of Darnath's ancestors to enter.

Then there's Drascus, home of the Demon kin to the west, about the same size as Eleneer. Active volcanoes cover their lands. Amy told me they take lava baths, but I never heard that before, so not sure I should believe it. Anyway, there are also many smaller islands, all home to several small kingdoms.

Veridian Itself is around three thousand miles north to south and close to the same east to west. With the northern third being mountains, while the rests are fertile lands and lush forests, where they grow most of the crops for all surrounding kingdoms.

Khuzdul sits in the center. Although we hold little land, we can buy anything we need from our neighbors without worrying too much about being cheated. The only dungeon in the world is below our feet, after all.

Several people stop to wave and wish us luck as we rush past. Many older adventures seeing us moved aside, smiling. "Must be their first run. I hope they don't get hurt in there." Said a human with a rapier strapped to her waist and light leather armor that has seen better days.

Another older dwarf, with staff and red robes that seemed wreathed in flame, said. "I have seen this lot running drills in the yard many times. They'll be fine so long as they don't become excited and dive too far."

They entered the main hall and looked around, noticing that every single window had a line at least ten people deep. Amy strode up to the nearest, dragging me along while telling the others to wait nearby. I was nervously checking my mechanical watch, a gift from Uncle Darnath. He said he picked it up while visiting The Crag a few years ago when the Dragons started wreaking havoc. Rechecking my watch, I say. "We're gonna miss our scheduled dive." Amy eventually took my watch away, saying. "relax, our Father runs this whole place. We won't miss our first run."

Suddenly Amy grabbed my hood and yanked it over my head while staring down several youths. That wanted to come to talk to us. I wouldn't mind, but they had a nasty look about them. "You should cut your hair. It's too conspicuous," Amy said. I responded by poking her in the side right where she was most vulnerable, making her laugh, drawing eyes from everywhere. Good thing she didn't put her armor on yet. Having fairies is so useful sometimes, I thought. While Amy and I had an impromptu Tickle fight, annoying many around us, I might add. We overlooked Branch Master Freeden and Vice Branch Master Marcus, drawing closer with stony expressions. That doesn't mean everyone else failed to see, as they made a line leading straight for us.

"Is this how you two should act in my place of business." Amy and I froze, straightening up and turning around. We both put on sweet smiles and said, "Daddy." That was a mistake as his face turned dark red, and he said through clenched teeth, "my office now!"

Marcus walked past, winking. Striding over to his son, he clapped Fredrick on the back and asked him something, not sure what

Fredrick, no idea when he had gotten to the front of a line. Was trying to pretend we didn't exist. As he finished signing up our party for a beginner instance. At the counter, the man didn't even glance at the paper, only stamped it and handed a badge to Uncle Marcus. I heard Him and Aunt Melania used to be royal guards of Eleneer. I find it hard to believe as Melania has been our nanny since we were born.

Father turned and strode off, knowing we would follow him. He is wearing a striped business suit designed by Sally. It looks good on his nearly seven-foot frame. The fairies are amazing at designing new clothing, and they made all of our dresses. My favorite and the style I wear most of the time is a pure white silk dress.

While we followed father, we heard the red-robed dwarf from the earlier remark with our heads down. "Don't be too hard on them, Guild-master, or you might find yourself sleeping in the office for a while." Which got several laughs around the room.

From across the room, Marcus spoke up, "Freeden, lecture them later. They're scheduled to dive in five minutes."

Freeden stops and turns to his daughters. "Amelia, where's your armor?" - "Sally has it,"- "Go get it on, there's a waiting room over there, and carry your own emergency supplies. What if there is a problem, and you can't get to them?" Then he shifts to me. "Are you ready?"

I can see the worry on his face, So I reply. "We're all set. We have triple checked everything."

"Recheck it before going in, and Nalle be safe,"

When Amy came out dressed in her mail armor (she only wears plate armor for training, Father gave her a similar chat, Marcus, I could see, was doing the same for the other three.

"Nalle, remember always stay behind Fredrick and Amy but keep another eye behind at all times. Ruskin is good, but sometimes accidents happen. Also, keep your sister out of mischief, you know how she is."

Amy scoffs, "most of the time when we get in trouble, it's from Nalle's plans backfiring." Too quiet for anyone to hear.

When we arrived at the dungeon entrance, it was rather disappointing it was a door into a cave with a blue shimmer around it. "This is the lowest level instance. The dungeon designs it for new adventurers to build up their confidence and work out problems in their tactics, teamwork, or just helping to get firsthand experience with their skills in a proper battle, simulation." Said Father to the group.

"Also, essence inside is barely above normal, so you shouldn't get sick from it. If you do, don't go into battle. Go back to the first room and meditate. It might take one or more trips to acclimate," added Marcus. "Alright, you all be careful."

"Why would we get sick?" I ask curiously.

"Essence poisoning, the higher your level, the more essence your body can handle. Well, there is more to it, but that's the basics," explained Marcus.

Father just clenched his fists and barked. What have I been getting those tutors for, anyway?

Amy says, "essence comes from the planet, and all living things absorb it. As they absorb the essence, the body refines it into what we call mana, all the mana we can't hold in our bodies gets expelled and absorbed into the planet."

Everyone's mouths gape open, and I ask, "when was this lesson?" "That was the day I pretended to be you to take lessons so your perfect attendance wouldn't take a hit. While you snuck out to attend that class for mages."

After Amy's confession, I slowly look up at my father. Freeden snorts and says, "what, you think I don't know what you girls get up to? Who do you think those mages came too for payment on those lessons?." Alright, it's time for you guys to enter and remember to watch each other's back. The dungeon is mostly understanding toward beginners, but stupidity will get you killed.

Amy and I hug our father while Marcus gives a few last-minute pieces of advice to Fredrick, and we enter the dungeon.