Although meditating for a week was entirely unsatisfying to the group of youngsters. It wasn't without merit, as we could all breathe and move around more easily in the essence heavy atmosphere with ease. However, today was the day we would take our first step out of the entrance chamber. When we had double-checked everything one last time, our party finally moved in sync into the dungeon proper.

With Ruskin in the lead, they made their way down a short hallway of yellow sandstone bricks. It covered the walls in fanciful hieroglyphs and scenes of travelers exploring an unknown cavern. At the end of the tunnel, the scene showed a female adventurer placing a stone with a bird's picture on a stand. While entertaining to me, I like to read adventure tales. The rest of the party only gave a glance at the walls.

Ruskin reached the door leading into the next section of the dungeon, and while he checked the door for traps, I studied the door's message; it read. Welcome Traveler to your First Test. Finally, Ruskin straightened and said, "no traps that I can find magical or mundane."

Fredrick stepped forward. Okay, everyone; as we practiced, Amy and I will lead and keep their attention, while Nalle supports. Leen, you help Nalle if you see an opening, but otherwise, save your mana if things go wrong. Ruskin, watch our backs, but if you see an opening for a stealth strike and nothing is near the support, attack.

After seeing everyone nod assent, he walks up to the stone door and pushes it open with a creak of rusting iron. When he takes a step inside, he notices that a massive rat waits in the far center of the room, with a rat nest to each side.

{Rat King, level 5. HP 2000, MP 0}

{Rat Nest, level1. Spawns 5, level 1 Rats}

"Change of plans, Amy, take the nest on the right, Nalle Blast, the one on the left. I will tank the boss till you both finish, Ruskin, kill the stragglers." Ordered Fredrick. Before they finished nodding to Fredrick, two rats had burst from the nests and started running at them. "Go!"

While I was channeling my first spell, Amy had sprinted halfway across the room, skewering the rat on her massive two-handed sword. After flinging it off, she got back into position to attack the next rat she saw poking out of the nest. Figuring it was a waste to use a skill on these rats, she just charged forward again, hacking down at the rat's head. Before it could fully leave the nest, destroying the nest. Blinking, she stood stunned for a moment before shrugging and stamped the nest to oblivion before turning to help Fredrick.

Having channeled my fireball, I took one look at the lone rat scurrying toward me and ignored it. Knowing Ruskin could get it before it could threaten either Leen or myself. Instead, I pointed a slender finger at the nest, sending the nearly two-foot ball of fire shooting across the distance. In less than a second, there was a minor explosion, pelting my friends in debris. I was grinning ear to ear, but everyone else shot an irritated look my way, which I ignored. Ruskin had dispatched his lone rat with a casual toss of a throwing knife pulled from somewhere up his sleeve.

Fredrick stood a few yards before the King Rat; however, the target didn't seem inclined to fight. It stood impassively watching the one-sided battle until the nests got destroyed. Once they were, it immediately charged toward Nalle. Noticing the movement, Fredrick ran forward, and shield bashed the giant rodent causing a brief stun effect. Quickly hollering back, "Ruskin Flank it, strike when you can, Nalle, watch Leens back, don't you dare send one of your fireballs our way."

Amy, who was rushing forward, winked and gave me a playful smile. Then when she was beside the still dazed rat, she used her cleave skill and chopped its head off in one clean swipe.

Causing Fredrick to turn toward her, "Really, you couldn't let me get one swing in?"

Amy scoffed, "I don't know what you mean. I saw you smash it in the nose with your shield. In fact, only Leen didn't get to take part at all."

While the two were glaring at each other, I was bent over the giant rat poking it with the end of my wand. When it broke apart into multicolored motes of light. Most of the motes sunk into the floor but about a quarter, split into five parts, and sunk into each party member's chest.

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"Oh, that's convenient," remarked Gnarleen, "I was afraid I wouldn't get any experience since I didn't help."

Suddenly Fredrick, Ruskin, and Leen shouted in joy, "I leveled."

Amy and I gaped at them, "when did you guys pass us up in exp, were still barely at thirty-seven percent?"

Ruskin absentmindedly said, "well, we went hunting with Gnarleen's Dad the week before. We would have invited you both, but you know how Nalle is, a mile or so outside the city, and she gets sick." The room went silent, and after a few seconds Ruskin quickly straightened up, turning to me.

The moment he started to apologize, I waved him off and with an embarrassed smile. "That's fine, it's true. If I leave town, I get sick. I wish I knew the reason."

While the others placed their stat points, Amy and I walked over to the opening that showed up after the Rat King died. Peered inside, what we saw was another hall, just like the last, five-foot-wide, eight feet tall, and walls covered in carvings.

When the others joined us, we walked into the passage in the same formation as before. Again I spent my walk studying the walls, eventually voicing out. "This dungeon really likes itself. It references dungeons like every couple feet in this hall."

The others glance at the murals, shrug, and continue, Ruskin again checking the door at the end. While I notice a picture of the same female adventurer placing a stone with a boar onto a stand. Interesting, I thought.

Ruskin gives the all-clear once again. While Fredrick looked around, noticing my attention was still on the wall, he calls out. "Nalle, you joining us, or are you more invested in the dungeon's interior decoration?"

Looking up confused, I see everyone staring at me amused, blushing as I turn to Fredrick, letting him know I'm ready. When he pushes the door open, all we see is an empty room at first. Then we look down and see a section of the floor covered in tiles with letters carved on top.

"Okay, fearless leader, what now," I ask with a smirk, knowing Fredrick hates puzzles and riddles.

Ruskin walks forward, squats down, pushing a hand onto a tile. With some pressure, the tile crumbles, and we see small stone spikes a foot below. Well, it won't kill ya, but it won't feel nice either said the excited half-dwarf.

Meanwhile, Amy was looking at the letters on the tiles, then back into the hallway. I let her have this one when she looks up and sees me smiling encouragement as she grins back. Amy walks up to a tile, and before anyone can grab her, she jumps from tile to tile until she stops on the other end. A huge grin on her flushed face.

Gnarleen was gaping at Amy across the tiles, then shouted out. "How did you figure out the right tiles?"

Remember what Nalle mentioned in the hall, the dungeon kept bringing up itself on the walls, and there is a trail of Tiles that spell out, The Forgotten Dungeon, so I went for it. While Fredrick chided Amy, I wanted to see what was in the chest on the other side, so I skipped across quickly, followed by Ruskin and Leen.

When we were all gathered, we looked back to see Fredrick slowly lower his massive foot on the first tile and gently put more pressure. Until he was sure, the tile could hold his not insignificant weight. Soon he was sure it could hold him, and he picked his way carefully across while Ruskin checked the chest for traps.

Nodding to Fredrick, he said, "I can't find any traps, but just in case, everyone stand back." Saying that, he slowly lifted the lid barely half an inch before halting and checking inside the seam for anything that might trigger something unseen.

Finding nothing, he threw the lid wide, startling a squeak from the three girls who shot irritated glares at him. Inside sat five identical Blue steel rings with the word Eruantian on the face.

Noticing this, Fredrick frowned, "How does the dungeon know our party name?"

I picked up one ring and could see words on the inside, Amelia Eversong. Shrugging, I handed it to Amy, who looked at me, confused, "Look inside, silly."

When she did, she gasped, "Why is my name on the inside of this ring."

Ruskin, who had picked up the rest, looked around, "all of them have our names."

Fredrick laughs, "I always wondered why all the divers had the same blue ring with their party name. I just thought it was a tradition, and they had them made."

When we all had our rings, we each scanned them: mine was a party ring of intelligence if I'm in a party with matching party rings. I get a two percent increase to my mana Regen for every member. Leens was the same while the rest got Health Regen for there's.

"Neat," was all I said, as we're all from wealthy families, the increase wasn't great, but every little bit helps.

Then we all turned to the left, looking at the next pathway.