Peeling Mel away, I looked into her deep violet eyes, studying her face.

She appeared ghostly as though she could fade away at any moment. She was wearing a dark grey robe with frayed edges, starkly contrasting her normally very stylish outfits. The only article that remained unchanged was the yellow headband keeping her hair out of her face.

“Are you really here?” I asked hesitantly. I held her by her shoulders, looking her up and down.

“Ow!” I yelped as she pinched my side.

She laughed, tears running down her face, falling off her chin before they evaporated. “More real than I have ever been.”

Standing up I rubbed my side.

“You didn’t have to pinch me. I’m pretty sure you could do that before anyway.”

“I didn’t have to, but it was amusing just the same.”

Stepping back she looked at the rift floating in the space in front of me.

“Would you like to visit our Library officially?” She said, gesturing to the glowing tear.

“What do you mean, I’ve been to the library.”

“No, you’ve sent your consciousness into the space while meditating. This will physically transfer you to the space the Library is contained in.”

“Does that mean the time dilation won’t work?”

“No it won’t,” she said shaking her head. “Since it doesn’t activate your meditation Ability, it won’t take effect, though you can meditate while in there. You just won’t be able to interact with some of the features like the labs, but you won’t have a time restriction like you normally do.”

“What about the entity?” I asked nervously.

I had come out to this area of the forest for some seclusion in order to find a solution to deal with it.

“With your body inside the Library, it won’t have anything to control if it attempts to take you over again, and if it does, it won’t have anywhere to escape to,” she reassured me. “While you can access the Library on a whim, as it is a part of my domain, I get the final say in those entering and exiting.”

“That does make me feel a bit safer.”

I was still hesitating, recalling the feeling of helplessness I had been subjected to when it had forced me into one of my own memories.

Mel placed her translucent hand on my shoulder giving me a soft smile.

“I’ll be right here with you, no matter what happens.”

Taking a deep breath, I nodded to her, placing my hand on hers, surprised that it didn’t pass through it, but rather sat directly on top.

Dropping my arm, Mel kept her fingers interlocked with mine, seemingly afraid to let go.

I assumed she was just reveling in the fact that she now had her own sensations such as touch that she had been deprived of in her previous state.

Returning her smile, I braced myself as I pushed my way into the rift, my vision temporarily blocked by a bright blue light that temporarily blanked out my sight as I clenched my eyes shut to shut out the exposure.

***

Kira Yune

Turning onto the main road back to the village she called home, Kira had been walking in relative silence with her team member, who had been revealed as the Duke's grandson, Trennel Navir.

He had made several attempts to start up a conversation with her, but in her current state of mind, she had kept her responses curt, preferring to think as she determined whether or not it was worth continuing to be a part of the team the boy Marquess had formed.

On the one hand, this amount of Experience was likely never going to fall into her lap again, but after she had seen the attitude he had taken with the monsters in the Dungeon, preferring to clear levels instead of exterminating the vermin that plagued and tormented the people she had grown up with. How was she supposed to go along with that, knowing that while he played Adventurer, more people would die, and more lives would be ruined?

The two of them approached the intersection where the main road that led toward the boy's estate.

“This is where I will leave you,” Trennel said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

“Are you not going to use the teleportation Array in the village?”

“No, I would prefer to walk. I have a few things I want to sort out before I arrive at Typhens house.”

“Alright,” she said, turning towards the direction of her village.

“Will I see you in the morning?”

She paused, not sure of her answer.

“I- I don’t know,” she said, turning to look at the young man.

“Well, I hope you decide to join me- er- us on the next floor,” he said, tripping over his words.

She gave him a soft smile, before catching herself, her face flushing.

Nodding slightly, she began walking away, leaving him at the crossroads.

At her sedate pace, it took another half hour to reach the outskirts of the village, passing the first building on the perimeter.

Walking past the first row of dormitory-style buildings, she made her way into the center square that housed the small market where the local farmers held their stalls that supplied the small population.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Can I interest you in some skewers?” A small Dwarf woman called out to her as she inhaled the fragrant aromas, making her mouth water after a long day of rations and constant combat.

“Where is Hasir?” Kira asked, looking around for the elderly Elf who had run this stand since she was a small child.

“He has fled with his family to seek more prominent opportunities in Requara after selling me his land and livestock.”

“When?” Kira asked, shocked that she had not been informed by her grandfather before her departure that morning.

“Only this morning dear child. He had spoken of the devastation the Dungeons had caused to the land and wished to flee as soon as he was able. With a generous offer, he was more than happy to whisk his kin off to the safety of the city.”

Confused at this she decided not to mince words, as she had always been taught by her father to get to the crux of a point.

“Why would you pay for his land knowing the damage the monsters have wrought upon this region?”

Leaning in closer, the Dwarf gestured for Kira to get closer.

“Because I have it on good authority that there is an effort being made to clear those Dungeons for good,” she whispered, cracking a toothy smile. “You would know something about that wouldn’t you miss Yune, wouldn’t you?”

Standing straight, Kira gripped her staff tightly as she looked around for any threats.

”You are not in any danger child,” the woman said, amused at her defensiveness.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Renora, I am the sect leader of the People’s True Republic, and I wish to have a few words with you about the current leadership of the reigning Dukedon that governs these lands. Or rather fails to govern in this case.”

Kira’s eyes snapped onto the woman before quickly looking around once more to see if anyone else was within earshot.

Only the old Bake Mrs. Gibbins was at her stall currently twenty paces away, but she had been half deaf for the better part of a decade.

Stopping her panicked surveillance for a moment, she recognized how odd it was that most of the stands were unoccupied, especially at this time of day when most vendors would be scrambling to offload the rest of their daily stock to those coming off of the farms from their day's toils.

Using a quick vibration spell, she took a better look at her surroundings, feeling several dozen bodies in the buildings around her, not nearly as numerous as they should be.

“Perseptive as advertised,” Renora crooned. “Why don’t you come with me and we can speak with your grandfather. He is already aware of my proposal, and wishes to hear what you have to say on the matter.”

The Dwarf woman grabbed a few sizzling meat skewers off of her hot plate, handing two of them to Kira before gesturing her to follow her in the direction of the Elder lodge.

Kira took the snack but didn’t move to follow the mysterious woman.

“No need to fear, we are not here as a threat to you or any of your people. Quite the opposite really. We have come to help you and wish for you to pay back that attitude in kind.”

“In what way?” Kira asked, tentatively, taking a few steps in the direction of the old woman while keeping her senses peeled.

“We wish to recruit you as you have an extraordinary opportunity to cause some real change in this god's forsaken corner of the kingdom.”

They entered the lodge to find Elder Bainer sitting at the conference table she had departed just this morning.

One other figure sat next to him, draped in a pale blue dress that carved a sharp V into her bosom, revealing a familiar silver locket.

“Day, Elder Bainer, Mrs.Yune,” Renora said with a shallow bow.

“Day, miss Lynel,” the woman said in kind, dipping her head of bright red hair slightly. Shifting her gaze, she addressed Kira. “Day Kira dear, I am relieved to see you unharmed and back safely from your first delve.”

“Day, mother, grandfather.”

Kira waited patiently, hoping to get some sort of clear explanation of what was taking place in her village that would justify her mother coming out of their home to join her grandfather in a meeting.

Renora wasted no time as she jumped directly into the matter she had come there for.

“As I have already told the Elder here, we have heard word that you are on the team of the new Marquess from the Estate to the north, yes?”

“That is correct,” Kira said, knowing her grandfather would have surely confirmed that already.

“Is it also true that he has recruited the Young Lord of House Navir?”

Kira nodded slowly.

“What is the disposition of Lord Navir?”

“Pardon?” Kira asked, not understanding the question.

“What is the boy’s measure? How would you describe him?” She clarified.

“I- I’m not sure,” Kira answered honestly. “I’ve only met him. I would say he isn’t what I expected.”

“How do you mean?” Renora asked, taking a seat at the table.

Following her lead, Kira thought about what she knew of Trennel.

“He doesn’t act like any other Noble I have met. He is quiet and doesn’t add much to conversations other than facts about whatever subject is being discussed. He hasn’t divulged much information about himself and had even tried to keep his House a secret from us before grandfather had directly mentioned it to him. Why?”

Renora exchanged looks with Elder Bainer before responding.

“We have sent multiple operatives to try and get close to House Navir, but with their extreme vetting only a few have been successful, and with the protection placed on the young man, none have been able to get close enough to gather sufficient data to compile a personality profile.”

Confused, Kira decided to remain silent, patiently waiting for further explanation.

“What are your thoughts on the Duke and his rule?”

“That they're repulsive and incompetent to the point of being a danger to those who were unfortunate enough to be born in their lands,” Kira said without hesitation, practically spitting the words.

A grin spread across Renora’s face as she shared another glance with the Elder.

“And what would you say if I told you you could help us remove them from power, giving the right to rule to the individuals that cared about the land? To those who were raised to love the land they walked not just the riches it produced? What would you say if you could play a key part in making that become a reality?”

“What would you have me do?”

“Simply stay close to the Navir boy. Try and open his eyes to the atrocities his family perpetuates throughout the region in the name of accruing more power and wealth.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Renora stated crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair. “If he says anything interesting, we would surely be interested but that isn’t your concern.”

Looking at her mother she nodded, the Elder gave her a soft smile, usually reserved for when he was about to tell her she wasn’t allowed to do something.

“You made it very clear that you are your own woman and are capable of making these decisions yourself, but you have our full support in either choice you make.”

Looking at her mother with a questioning glance, she asked, “You’re not opposed to this?”

“We have spoken about this at length all day and believe if you are already going to be delving with this team, then it will not be any more dangerous to befriend this boy and educate him on some of the truths that plague these lands.”

Kira thought about it. On the one hand, Trennel had seemed to be genuine enough, more of a bookworm than the grandson of the monster of a ruler that had let her family and friends die for a few extra coin being kicked back toward him.

On the other, it wasn’t a bad thing to show him the true extent of the repercussions his family's actions had caused. It may even gain them a powerful representative. Someone who could force the Duke to listen.

“I did learn one thing,” Kira said, thinking of the excuses the liaison had given as to why they couldn’t logistically send regular help to clear the Dungeons.

“Oh?” Renora asked, leaning forward.

“There’s a gate.”