There were hugs and handshakes as they exchanged excited greetings. Hump had a smile on his face the entire time. This was what he’d wanted when he left Drakalyn. These were the people he was meant to be with. Friends that even after being apart for six months, it was straight back to normal with them. Friends he could count on.

His own excitement carried over to Nishari, who sprinted back and forth across the room, unable to control herself. At some point, Dylan suggested the move to an empty office space to talk away from the prying ears of their company and everyone else that had gathered in the lounge. Even during his brief time amongst them, it was clear Bud, Dylan, and Emilia were well-respected by their company. Hump liked to see it.

As they left the room, Nisha looked back over her shoulders like a hawk, her eyes ravenous, burning with the desire to play.

He was surprised at how quickly people had taken to the little dragon. After Dylan had greeted them, the druid invited them to sit down and told the company that there was a baby dragon there to say hello. A crowd formed immediately, and in minutes people flooded in from elsewhere on the compound. Hump feared he might see a few nervous swords at first, but it seemed people just wanted to see her.

As they should, he supposed. She was adorable, after all. It made sense that she wasn’t the first exotic pet they’d seen in Fort Nordric—not that she was a pet. Once she was a bit bigger, perhaps that attitude would shift slightly.

Stop harassing people, Hump told her, and she looked at him with wide, sad eyes. We can play later.

She skulked after him and plopped down on the floor next to a tall window. They were on the ground floor, looking out at a small road filled with small shops and crafters. Seeing so many people, she wagged her tail eagerly.

Good. That will keep her entertained for a bit.

Everyone sat down around a large wooden table. It was filled with papers, maps, and letters.

“So…” Hump said. “Here we are. The gang back together.”

“Why are you making it weird?” Celaine asked.

Bud laughed. “It really is good to see you both. You’ve been missed.”

“You too,” Hump said. “The trip to Drakalyn was certainly interesting, but I’m definitely pleased to be back. Even if it means coming to Fort Nordric. How’s it been? And I want the truth, not just what you say in front of your men.”

The three shared a look. Hump picked up on something unsaid. In truth, they all looked tired. Weariness was clear on Bud’s face like he’d never seen it, not to mention what he’d read in the letters. It was clear their time here hadn’t been the easiest.

Dylan spoke first. “It’s bloody awful. You’re going to hate it. Especially you, Celaine.”

Celaine wrinkled her nose. “I suspected as much.”

Dylan gave a big nod. “Everything is grey, and cold, and horrid. If I’m completely honest, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t required to be on the king’s orders.”

Neither Bud nor Emilia added anything, both appearing conflicted.

“So, it’s safe to presume morale in the fortress isn’t at its height,” Hump said.

“Life here’s difficult,” Emilia said. “It’s not all bad, though. As far as training is concerned, one could hardly ask for a better experience. We’ve all progressed quickly here. Bud especially. He reached the fourth circle in the most recent attack.”

As pleased as he was for his friend, he knew what it meant to develop so quickly. Celaine had gained her fourth circle too after facing down the lich queen in Estora. When pushed to the edge, people grew fastest, but that came at a cost. It hardly seemed right to voice that.

“Congratulations!” Hump said. “Wow. That was quick.”

“Thank you. Kelisia is with me, and I’ve needed her in our time here. Can’t say I disagree with anything Dylan and Emilia have said, only that as hard as it is, what we do matters. You’ll understand when you see the monster wave—a tide of bodies, essence, and teeth that wants nothing but to devour. Nothing is more important to Alveron’s survival than holding Fort Nordric.”

“You must have seen a lot of combat,” Celaine said.

“It never stops.” Emilia stood and leant over the table, sliding one of the maps into its centre. “You see these red dots along the river—these are all locations we’ve been to over the last three weeks, cleaning up after the most recent assault.”

Hump could tell Celaine was counting the dots, just as he was. sixteen expeditions in just two weeks—that would be tough anywhere, let alone in the Fallen lands.

“What are the ones with the Xs?” Celaine asked.

“Forts and keeps that couldn’t be salvaged,” Emilia said. She pointed at a point to the north. “This was Barrowhill Fortress, the first of our defences. It was overrun back when the warlocks attacked Sheercliff.” Her finger trailed southward. “All of these forts and keeps are lost now too. Fort Nordric is the only large fortress we have left.”

“It will make for a valiant final stand, don’t you think?” Dylan said.

Hump laughed. “The kind of final stand stories are made of.”

“If anyone’s still around to tell it,” Dylan added.

“It never stops, does it?” Celaine said. “From one final stand to the next.”

“You’ve been busy then?” Emilia asked. “I must admit, I’ve been very curious about your trip. Was it good to be home?”

“It was nice,” Celaine said. “Other than the lich queen.”

Everyone looked at her and a smile spread across Hump’s face. She’d done that on purpose.

“Are you going to elaborate or leave us hanging?” Bud asked.

“Well… it turns out Drakalyn has its own problems too,” Celaine said. “Lich Queen Irila had waged war on us.”

“She was a nasty one too,” Hump added. “Some daughter of a minor god that really didn’t like Owalyn. Not a god of the Pantheon, mind you. A bad god.”

“That’s quite the feat,” Emilia said. “From the past tense, I take it she’s no longer a problem.”

“She’s dead,” Celaine said. “You know how it is. Hump just can’t help but burn things.”

“Half the credit goes to you,” Hump said. “You’re the one that landed the final blow on her soul. I guess Walt deserves a share too actually.”

“Walt?” Emilia asked.

“A house spirit.” Hump waved his hand in the air. “It’s a long story that we can get into another time, but the short version is we found a house spirit bound to a stone and he’s now my librarian.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“A house spirit,” Dylan said, surprised. “As in a divine house spirit?”

“That’s the one,” Hump said.

“What do you mean he’s your librarian?” Bud asked.

“The lich had a library in her phylactery. Walt took it over and now it’s ours.”

Bud rubbed his face. “I don’t even know how to evaluate which part of this story is the most blasphemous.”

Hump grimaced. It was probably for the best he wasn’t telling them the old story Owalyn had told him about the Pantheon. For just a second, Hump considered telling them, but he only humoured the thought for a moment. What good would such information do them anyway?

“Yeah,” he said instead. “If you could just pretend you couldn’t hear that part and focus on the lich killing details for Kelisia’s sake, I’d appreciate it.”

Dylan rested a hand on Bud’s shoulder. “Stay strong, friend. Resist the urge to purge.”

“I’m not going to purge him.” Bud rolled his eyes.

“Not yet.” Dylan clapped his shoulder. “It’s not even been an hour though.”

“You’ll like Walt,” Hump said. “I’ll need to introduce you when we have more time.”

“You have him with you?” Bud raised his voice.

“Erm...” Hump glanced at Celaine for help, and she shrugged. “No…”

Bud sighed, slumping farther into his chair.

“Before Bud passes out from all this,” Emilia said, “what about the Dragon Keeper Trials?”

“Passed the first two, failed the last.”

“Oh.” Emilia sat back. “I thought the whole point was they wouldn’t let you, how do I put this?”

“Live,” Dylan said.

“Yes. I thought they were going to kill you if you failed? They let you leave?”

“Playing my part in the war helped with that,” Hump said. “Especially taking out the lich.”

“What trial did you fail?” Dylan asked.

“Ah. You’ll like this one Bud,” Hump said. “The final trial was to accept Owalyn’s blessing and become one of her Chosen. I declined.”

Emilia burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you turned down a god’s blessing.”

“Do you think?” Celaine asked. “It seemed very ‘Hump’ at the time.”

“It is,” Bud said, smiling. “He’s a hedge wizard. I couldn’t imagine him as anything else. The same goes for you, Emilia.”

They told them a little more about the war of the lich, and about the fall of the Great Tree. Hump didn’t mention that Owalyn was now free, not even to Celaine. That was a secret he would honour.

Soon, talk turned to the present.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Bud asked.

“We stopped by Sheercliff City on our way back and ended up coming here with Marcela and the other reinforcements. Heard you needed a hand.”

“You’re staying then?” Emilia asked.

“Yeah.”

“For good this time,” Celaine said. “I’ve even been instructed to do so.”

“So, things can go back to how they used to be,” Dylan said. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Bud’s face seemed to drop at that.

“What?” Hump asked.

“It may not be that simple,” the knight explained. “Going on an adventure isn’t exactly in the cards right now. For one thing, I have my company. We’re also part of the defence force here, and we’ve been assigned to an upcoming expedition to clear a dungeon—the one I told you about in my letters. You did get my letters, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Hump said. “Which reminds me—I’m sorry I couldn’t respond. As for the expedition, I don’t think that will be a problem.”

Bud raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“We’ve already agreed to join the expedition to the Infernal Halls. In fact, it’s a quest directly from Countess Daston. We’ll join you if you’ll have us.”

“Wouldn’t a quest from Countess Daston put you under Marcela’s command?” Bud asked. “My own company is reporting to Overseer Oswald.”

“As in, the Oswald from Bledsbury?” Hump asked.

“That’s the one.”

“Huh. I’ll need to say hello. Shouldn’t be a problem though.” Hump pulled out his silver Adventurer’s Guild medallion, as did Celaine. “We snagged ourselves a couple of these before heading over.”

Emilia leant forward, looking at the medallion. “I can’t believe you got silver rank before us. you haven’t even been in the country.”

“Countess Daston helped to speed the process along,” Hump said. “We were told they would allow us to function independently, so it should be enough, right?”

Bud thought for a moment, then nodded, grinning. “I believe so. At least, I can’t think of a reason you wouldn’t be able to accompany us. Dylan and Emilia aren’t officially part of the Blackthorne company either. Guess that means you’ll be taking over again?”

Bud and Hump shared a look.

“Taking over?”

“Yeah. You’ve always been better at making the decisions.”

“It’s been six months,” Hump said. “You’ve run things since I was gone, and from the sounds of it done a damn good job at that. It’s your company, and you’re the one they respect. I’m just a stranger. I think it best that Celaine and I join as support, and don’t interfere too much with what you already have going on.”

Bud shook his head. “You’re giving me too much credit. You’d be better—”

“He wouldn’t,” Dylan interrupted.

“Agreed,” Emilia said. “I know you lack confidence in your own command, but the rest of us don’t. The company won’t follow anyone else. Certainly not a wizard they don’t even know.”

Bud gave them both a doubtful look. “Are you sure?”

“We’re sure,” Emilia said.

“I’ll follow your lead,” Hump said. “Of course, if you ever need to talk things over, I’m here for you. Not sure I’ll have much to offer but I’ll do what I can.”

Bud sighed. “In which case, we already have our first quest.”

“That was quick,” Hump said. “What’s the mission, boss?”

Bud gave him a tight-lipped frown and sighed. “A dungeon is developing nearby. We’re to destroy it. It’s suspected of being a node of the Infernal Halls.”

“Now that sounds just brilliant!”

“What’s a node?” Celaine asked.

“It’s one of the ways that dungeons expanded,” Emilia said. “Dylan can explain it better.”

“First of all, this is the first I’m hearing about another node,” Dylan said. “What’s going on?”

“We’ll get to that in a minute,” Emilia said, gesturing for him to hurry up.

Dylan sighed. “Well, a node is a physical extension of a dungeon’s domain. It almost functions like a second dungeon core, acclimatising to its surroundings and taking form using the local essence. They’re all but unheard of outside of the Fallen Lands.”

“It’s not the first we’ve encountered here,” Bud said. “They’re tough.”

“Ah,” Celaine said. “My people call them branches.”

“Branches is a much better term for it,” Dylan said. “The Inquisition seems to have more presence in Fort Nordric than in the south. I think they were the ones that made the discovery, and everything they name sounds so artificial.”

“That’s wizards for you,” Hump said. “Boring and artificial.”

“You’re not boring, Hump,” Dylan said. “You’ve got a dragon with you!”

Hump laughed. “So, what’s the schedule looking like? I presume we’re taking care of this node-branch-whatever before the expedition to the Infernal Halls.”

“Yes, a date has not yet been set for the Infernal Halls,” Bud said. “General Korteg wants to wait for the next monster wave to arrive before launching the assault.”

“The wave is estimated to arrive any day,” Dylan clarified. “It’s been three weeks since the last, and that one almost destroyed a fortress.”

“The next should not be so bad,” Emilia added. “We did damage to the Infernal Halls and have kept them weak. This next one should simply be monsters.”

“As for the node, I’ve been ordered to leave at first light tomorrow. I still haven’t told my company—they won’t be happy.”

“Tomorrow?” Dylan said, letting out a breath. “You’re kidding.”

“Oh, or Dylan. Sorry Dylan. Just found out while we were out.”

Dylan rolled his eyes. “They’re really trying their best to drive us into the ground, aren’t they?”

“Sounds delightful,” Hump said. “So, we’ve just arrived and already scheduled for an early morning start.”

“I thought you didn’t mind early mornings,” Bud said. “You always made fun of me.”

“What can I say?” Hump said. “I’m a changed man, used to certain luxuries. I own a manor in Sheercliff, you know?”

Bud snorted and played along. “Is that right?”

“You did always strike me as a man with exquisite taste,” Dylan said.

“You’re so full of shit,” Celaine said. “You should have seen his face when his butler greeted him. I thought his jaw was going to drop off.”

The group laughed.

“I bet that drives you mad,” Bud said. “Vivienne said she’s hired some staff in the letter. Do they call you sir?”

Hump pouted. “They do, and they won’t stop even when asked.”

“That’s how it goes,” Bud said. “A butler isn’t just there to do what you say. He’s there to make you look your best. At least, a good one is.”

“Joseph certainly seemed like a good one.” He glanced at Celaine. “Don’t you think?”

She nodded. “I liked him.”

“Was it weird being back in Sheercliff after being out of the kingdom so long?” Emilia asked.

“The strangest part is getting used to the reputation Hump’s garnered,” Celaine said. “They knew him as the White Flame. The Wizard’s Society were all over him, and the nobles. You should have seen it. He had a basket stacked full of invitations the morning we left.”

“Yeah, that’s going to take some getting used to,” Hump said.

“Not that he’s the only one,” Celaine continued, looking at Bud. “I hear you’ve gained a bit of a reputation yourself.”

“Oh, don’t remind me,” Bud said. “I don’t deserve the attention.”

“Yes you do,” Emilia snapped. “Bud’s being an idiot again. He’s the Frost Knight because he led the defence of a breach that could have cost us this half of the fortress. There were… casualties.”

“Ah. That’s tough,” Hump said. “I’m sorry.”

Bud gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”

There were a few moments of silence between them.

“It will be a good way to warm us back into things,” Dylan said, changing the topic. “The whole team back together. This is nice, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Celaine said.

“We have a dragon now too,” Dylan said. “I’ve always wanted a dragon.”

“She’s my dragon,” Hump said, remembering how annoyingly well Dylan had gotten along with Nishari when she’d first hatched.

Dylan smirked at him.

“What will you do with her now that she’s here?” Emilia asked.

“We talked about that,” Hump said. “I’m not sure I’m too happy about the answer.”

“She’s seven months old now,” Celaine explained. “It’s time she starts playing a role in combat. She certainly has the strength. So Nisha will be coming with us.”

Nishari perked up, no doubt picking up on Hump’s anxiety. She let out a curious whine.

It was time she joined them on the hunt.