"What do you have in mind, girl?" Carl Jorgenson asked.

Jeze suddenly became self-conscious as the three Frostsworn turned to her. She steadied herself and shared what she knew about the Core Tunnels. How there was one connected to the Lich, Lev Shabuyaton.

"These Core Tunnels, are you saying one is here on the fifth floor?" Orn asked.

Jeze nodded. Orn stroked his beard.

Jorgenson inquired, "This Hold Core has tremendous power. What can we do with it?"

"If we remove all four, it will shut down the Wandering Spire and prevent the Fiendish Lord from conquering our realm," Jeze answered.

"Hmm," Orn said as he continued to stroke his beard. "I rather like having the Wandering Spire. It has been a great way to train up our Proven and a good source of wealth for our people."

A cold pit formed in Jeze's chest. She had not expected Orn to respond that way. She looked to Dunar and Carl Jorgenson with some hope but found none.

The Carl asked, "With these Hold Cores, can we control the Wandering Spire?"

The teenager swallowed hard and searched for an answer. She couldn't lie to them. They would see right through it. Panic started to form in her chest. Finally, she simply answered, "I do not know."

Orn nodded and said, "If they power the Spire, then with them we can take control of it. This is good information, Jeze."

Jorgenson gripped Jeze's shoulder and looked into her eyes. "I sense doubt in you, pup. You can share with us."

"I don't think we should control the Spire. I think it is best that we shut it down," she replied.

Orn chuckled. It rumbled deep within his chest and reverberated outwards like the roll of thunder before the storm.

He said, "Us Frostsworn are raiders and conquerors. It is our nature. For the sake of a civilized world, we had to suppress those urges. But they are there in all of us, like a sleeping Dragon. If not for the Wandering Spire, our people would sail the oceans again, but not as adventurers. It would be as raiders and conquers. But, if we took control of the Spire. Think on that, girl. We could conquer other realms and bring wealth and Glory not only to the Frostsworn nation but to all nations."

"Do you know where we can find these Core Tunnels?" Carl Jorgesnon asked.

Jeze gulped. She really didn't know, but she had a clue. With reluctance, she answered, "They should be where the Lich resides. That is all I know."

Dunar spoke up for the first time since they climbed up the steps. "The Core Tunnels are like a labyrinth. They are treacherous and filled with traps. It will take us time to retrieve the Hold Core even after we find the location of the Tunnels."

Orn smiled and clapped his hands together. Jeze flinched at the sudden loud burst of sound. "This is good. We stick to our plan and slay the Corpse Eaters, which will weaken the Lich. While Couzart fights him, we can search for the Core Tunnels."

“Aye, that is a good idea, Berserker Orn. I will inform the others." Jorgenson agreed, and they headed back down the steps.

Jeze recalled the early advice she received from Rainbow and Swordslayer. To be careful around one's secrets and to not trust anyone. She now understood what they meant. The Frostsworn were like any other nation in the world. They sought power and influence, and with a heavy heart, Jeze realized that Berserker Orn was no different than Prince Rodger. The only exception was that Orn considered her an ally. Dunar smiled at her and followed the others down the steps. By sharing the information on the Core Tunnels, what had she done? Jeze sighed and joined the others below.

"What in the hell was that? And you fancy yourself a Cold Priest?" Gunhild scolded Mikal.

The Healer scratched his dark curly hair and challenged, "I suppose you could do better?"

Helga approached Jeze and offered her a horn of mead. "Here you go, Jezie," she said.

Jeze accepted the drink with a nod. The honeyed liquid spread warmth through her body and helped her to forget her earlier troubles. Jeze smiled and noticed the residual effects of the Water aspect along the far wall. The same wall that Mikal and Gunhild were facing.

"What's going on?" Jeze asked.

Rolfe slapped her with a heavy hand and answered, "Mikal is being Mikal and believes he knows everything."

"Ya, and he is being proven wrong and we all get to see too!" Helga added.

Mikal briefly scowled at them. Gunhild was cracking her knuckles. The braided hair Carl turned toward her colleagues.

"What do you all think? Should I show this pup a thing or two?" She asked.

Skald, the wounded warrior, raised his horn from his position on the stone slab. "Aye! But go easy on him."

The other Carls laughed and slapped each other on the shoulders. Berserker Orn watched with interest. His deep blue eyes appeared to glow in the dim light of the tomb they were in. Jeze's worries melted away like the fading of Mikal's water aspect spell. She leaned in toward Dunar.

"Do you know what this is about?" Jeze asked.

Dunar, with a horn of mead in hand, replied, "Mikal is arguing with Gunhild around Rune Magic. You see, he is a Cold Priest. In our culture, only men can become a Cold Priest, and in the olden days, only men could practice Rune magic."

Jeze nodded. She knew Mikal and stated, "She is about to teach him a lesson."

Dunar grinned. "I hope so."

"You are not going to Shape the Water aspect into Ice any faster than I could," Mikal stated.

"Just wait. You'll see," Gunhild replied as she chugged her mead.

Mikal shook his head and crossed his arms with a smug look on his face.

Gunhild tossed the horn and wiped her mouth with her forearm. She glanced once at Mikal and tapped a Rune-covered Channeling tool that hung around her neck. With her thick hands, she shaped the glyphs in the air. Jeze admired the lady's form and strength. The Frostsworn maiden was very skilled. Gunhild snapped both her hands into fists and inhaled deeply, and ice crystals formed immediately on the wall across from her. Mikal's jaw dropped, and it looked like it was about to fall off. Ziplocke would have loved seeing this. Jeze reflected to herself with some sadness. It was replaced by anger over the memory of the Goblin's betrayal. This was over a Hold Core! Jeze gritted her teeth. The cursed Hold Cores were nothing but trouble.

"Jezie, are you alright?" Helga asked. The large warrior maiden leaned down to look at her.

"I'm fine," the teenager responded and then added, "Did you see the look on Mikal's face?"

"Ya! Did you know what Gunhild did?" Helga asked.

If it wasn't for the enjoyment of seeing Mikal's shocked reaction, Jeze's jaw would have also dropped. What Gunhild did was something unheard of. Did the Carl Summon Cold? She thought to herself and shook her head.

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"I've never seen Rune magic like that before," Jeze responded. She tapped her chin and continued, "Normally, you would need to Summon the Water aspect and then Shape it to ice. Or you could Shape the natural water vapor in the air, but that would require an impossible amount of Will. You see, the natural vapor does not want to be ice. It is comfortable with just being vapor."

Helga's attention drifted away, and the warrior maiden patted Jeze on the shoulder. "Ya, you lost me, Jezie. I'm going to get more mead."

"How?" Mikal tried to finish his sentence, but his mind was blown over by what he saw. It surpassed everything that he had known about Rune magic.

"Impressed, huh?" Gunhild asked with a grin.

"Who taught you that?" Mikal sputtered.

"What? I taught myself," Gunhild responded with her hands on her wide hips.

"Women can't be Cold Priests," Mikal stated. His mind was twisted in knots.

"Micky!" Helga exclaimed and patted Jeze on the shoulder. "You know Jezie can use Rune magic. Why are you so surprised?"

"But Jeze did not live in the Frozen North," Mikal responded.

The braided-hair Carl shook her head and growled, "I can learn Rune magic even if I don't don't have the dangling bits between my legs!"

"Gunhild! Have some decency," Jorgenson scolded. The other Carls laughed.

"Rolfe and I are learning Runes. Adventurers need to learn many skills to grow stronger," Helga stated.

Mikal rubbed his face. "This is very different. You are learning cantrips and the basics. What we just saw was extremely advanced. Honestly, I have never seen anything like it."

Jeze reluctantly agreed with Mikal but kept that to herself. Instead, she asked, "What aspect did you tap into?"

Gunhild pointed at Jeze and exclaimed, "See? That's how you learn. You have to be curious!"

Mikal inhaled deeply and bowed his head. "I'm sorry if I offended you. Please share."

Helga gasped and exclaimed, "Did Micky just apologize?"

Rolfe grinned widely and stated, "I will forever cherish this moment in my heart."

"You two are not funny and could not possibly comprehend this conversation!" Mikal snapped.

Dunar drank from his horn and watched. Jeze knew that he was listening and waiting to hear how Gunhild created Ice without first Summoning the Water aspect. How much Rune magic did he understand? Jeze wondered.

Gunhild, a sparkle in her blue eyes, walked over to Mikal and gripped his shoulder with one hand and wagged a finger at him with her other hand. "I like you. You remind me of my first husband," she turned to Jeze and answered, "It is the Cold aspect."

"The Cold aspect?" Jeze repeated.

Mikal fidgetted under Gunhild's grip and muttered, "First husband?" It took his mind an extra moment before he asked, "How do you tap into the Cold aspect?"

Gunhild smiled and responded, "A better question would be how did I discover yet, you follow?"

Jeze narrowed her eyes and said, "I'm listening."

Mikal nodded. Dunar was also listening. Helga, Rolfe, and the other Carls returned to drinking and found entertainment elsewhere. Gunhild crossed her thick arms and leaned against the stone wall.

"My first husband was a Proven and studied to be a Cold Priest but never completed his vows," Gunhild started.

Jeze had a thought and asked Mikal, "Did you complete your vows?"

The Healer scowled at Jeze and said to Gunhild, "Why didn't he?"

"Pay attention!" Gunhild snapped and added, "Do not interrupt me."

Mikal and Jeze bowed their heads in an apology.

Gunhild looked at Mikal and answered, "He didn't complete his vows because he died. The life of an adventurer is no walk in the park."

Jeze recalled that Gunhild said first husband and she wondered out loud, "What about your second husband?" Jeze flinched from the glare Gunhild gave her.

The Carl answered, "My husband is a Cold Priest and not an adventurer. He remains safe at home taking care of our two boys."

"You have kids?" Mikal asked.

"Aye, do you two want to learn about the Cold aspect or about my life?" Gunhild snapped.

"Apologies," Mikal said with another bow.

Gunhild continued, "My first husband showed me the Runes while we were adventuring."

Mikal gasped, and the stocky warrior maiden scowled at him. Jeze chuckled.

"Do we have a problem?" Gunhild asked.

"No, mam," Mikal replied.

"As I was saying. I learned the Runes, mainly the Life aspect, so that I could provide healing in the field. But alas, it was not enough to save my sweet Lief," Gunhild wiped a tear from her eye.

She went on, "It's the life we live, aye? Anyway, that was how I first started learning Runes. It came in handy for my team. As you two know, once you learn one chain, you want to continue learning more. So, naturally, I went on to learn the Water aspect. There are plenty of tomes and scrolls on that in the Frozen North."

Mikal suppressed another gasp, and Jeze quietly chuckled. What Gunhild was saying was blasphemous to the Healer. Gunhild studied Rune magic, which was forbidden for women.

"You created frost without Summoning water, and I don't think you Shaped the existing moisture, because that would be impossible. How did you create the frost?" Jeze asked.

Gunhild motioned toward Jeze and said, "See that Cold Priest? Jeze here has the proper curiosity for learning."

Mikal muttered, "I'm not a Cold Priest. I didn't take the vows yet."

Jeze's eyes went wide. That was something she didn't know. Later, I would have to ask Mikal about that. She reflected, and for the moment, she decided to focus on Gunhild's teaching. The lady Carl also appeared taken aback, and like Jeze, she shrugged her broad shoulders. That was a topic for another time.

Gunhild answered Jeze's question, "It is true, I did not Summon water. Instead, I Shaped heat."

Mikal looked up and asked, "What does that even mean?"

Gunhild explained, "What is cold. At its core, it is the absence of Heat." The lady Carl continued when she saw the blank expressions on her pupils' faces. "When you create a fire, it generates heat. Heat that spreads and warms the space around it. When the fire dies, the heat leaves, and then the area becomes colder. Heat wants to move, you see?"

Mikal shook his head, but Jeze's eyes lit up with understanding.

"You are Shaping Heat!" She exclaimed.

"Correct!" Gunhild cried.

"Have you two gone mad? Can one of you explain to me what you are talking about?" Mikal hissed.

Jeze answered, "It is very difficult to Shape natural aspects. The difficulty is because they do not want to move. Summoned aspects are easier to Shape and Control because they are not native and come from a different realm where they do not follow the rules here."

Mikal snapped, "I know that already! How is she able to Shape heat?"

"Because even native heat wants to move. It naturally disperses, so it's easier to Shape!" Jeze shot back with a scowl.

"She is a clever one," Gunhild said to Dunar with a playful elbow to his ribs. The Proven Leader nodded but looked away with a slight blush on his face.

Mikal nodded in understanding and asked, "How did you discover this?"

Gunhild patted the Healer on the shoulder. "Great question! It's what we do when we Shape water into ice. Go ahead and do that."

Both Jeze and Mikal Summoned water vapor and Shaped it into ice. Jeze was not that good with the Water aspect, but she had been around Mikal long enough to learn the Rune chains. She learned them more out of academic curiosity and for the aspect's utility and never intended to use it for combat. Jeze needed the Water Rune chains in order to activate their water bricks. However, as she Shaped the Summoned vapor into Ice, she felt the pull of Heat energy.

"I feel it," she said, and Mikal nodded in agreement.

"Good! Now, let's take that same Rune pattern and focus on the Heat, not the water vapor, but the Heat," Gunhild said.

That was much easier said than done, Jeze realized. After she shaped the Runes in the air, she could feel the Heat energy. It was fleeting, even more so than the Fire aspect. It slipped through her grasp like water in one's hand. Mikal, being more familiar with the Water aspect and with Shaping the Heat out of the vapor, was successful before Jeze. This annoyed her, and Mikal knew it.

"Keep practicing, Jezie," the Healer mocked.

Gunhild ignored the jests and asked, "How does it feel?"

Mikal's face turned serious, and he answered, "It's hard."

"Aye, anytime you Shape a native aspect, it will be challenging. But Heat wants to escape and spread out. It will do that naturally. All we are doing is giving it a little nudge," Gunhild answered.

That analogy made sense to Jeze, and she changed her efforts from trying to hold onto the aspect to nudging it. This still required a tremendous amount of effort, but her Will has become very strong over the past few weeks from hard adventuring. In moments, she was able to create an area of intense cold in front of her where frost appeared along the walls.

"Very good!" Gunhild cheered.

"About time. Took you long enough," Mikal chided.

Jeze stuck her tongue out at the Healer. She had a thought and asked Gunhild, "What made you discover this?"

The Lady Carl smiled. "Adventuring requires us to think fast on our feet. We were on the second floor, fighting a swarm of Hellhounds. They were weak to Cold, and creating walls of ice was taking too long. I needed to be faster, and that was when it clicked. I felt the Heat energy and took a gamble. Instead of Summoning water, I focused on Shaping the heat, and I was rewarded. I named this spell Frostbite."

"That is an apt name," Mikal acknowledged.

"Thank you," Gunhild said.

Orn loudly clapped his hands. The sound reverberated off the walls like an explosion. Everyone's attention was turned toward the Berserker. How does he do that? Jeze wondered.

"We have spotted another Corpse Eater. Everyone get ready, we head out in 5 minutes," Orn boomed.