The group came to another set of guard posts on the far end of the hall. A single, shining, short sword was all that remained. It was buried almost to the hilt in the stone wall.

“Yikes,” Bert flinched. “I do not want to meet what did that.”

“Dad! Dad!” Wendy’s tiny voice from the Pretty made them all jump. “Do a King Arthur impression!”

Bert laughed and grabbed the sword, pulling as hard as possible. It refused to budge.

“Booo!” Wendy called. “No kingdom for you.”

Bert placed a hand on the wall, the stone cracking and shattering beneath it. The sword slipped and fell, and he caught it on the way down. A turn rune faded slowly as the wall stopped trying to twist itself apart.

“King Arthur needed better skills.” Bert grinned as Wendy’s laugh echoed from the Pretty.

“Who was this King Arthur?” Bell asked.

“A kid who, according to legend, pulled a sword from a magical stone, and it made him king.” Bert shrugged.

“A child King?” Lily shook her head. “Sounds like a bad idea.”

“Yeah, it was the English King, so pretty much anything was better than what they had.” Bert shrugged. “Hey Bud, this is sky metal. Want to give it to Tim?”

Bud nodded and tucked the sword away.

Lily looked at them, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

“What?” Bell asked. “I know the pair of em are idiots, but?”

“It’s just,” Lily swallowed. “You are so free with your gifts.” She ran her fingers over her spear. “It is not how things are normally done.”

“They tend to keep everything for themselves?” Bert asked.

“Well, it is their right.” Lily shrugged. “And yours, of course.” She looked down.

“They keep the stuff for themselves because they are idiots,” Bert chuckled. “Hoarding power makes you stronger, but your people weak.”

“And sharing power?” Lily asked hesitantly. “Doesn’t it weaken you?”

“No,” Bert explained. “I have the best things I could have, so Bell and I share everything else. We are strong, and our people constantly get stronger.” He grinned. “Look at what happened just a few days ago. My people were scattered all over, separated from me. But they are all strong and well-equipped. So they were fine. Sharing keeps you strong and your people stronger. Together, you can handle anything sent your way.”

“Even obsessed psycho stalker Immortals.” Bell nodded vigorously, then laughed.

They moved on, passing from the corridor into a large circular room. Recessed alcoves lined the walls, with shattered glass cases all around. Each one was empty, with nothing but shards inside.

Lily found a hidden door between two alcoves that revealed another staircase leading down.

Bert led the way as they moved, single file, down the stairs.

“We are getting closer,” Lily whispered. “But I can’t see how to get there.”

“Don’t worry,” Bud patted her on the shoulder. “You’re doing very well.”

“Thanks,” She whispered back. “I’m really nervous.”

“Is it that?” Bud pointed up where the Pretties were creeping along the ceiling, keeping pace with the group. “They are creepy, even to me.”

“Actually, I kind of like them,” Lily admitted. “They are minions, just like me.”

“You consider yourself a minion?” Bud hesitated and stopped walking for a moment.

“Well, since the oath. I kind of am one, aren’t I?” She gave a gentle laugh. “It’s not a bad life.”

“I was a minion once,” Bud said, kneeling down. “My Tim is a minion now. I am glad you do not see it as a bad thing.” He tilted his head to the side. “If it helps, Bert once told me that we are all someone’s minion.”

“Even… even him?” Lily barely dared whisper it.

“He is pretty sure we are all Bell’s minions as far as she is concerned.” Bud patted her on the shoulder. “We better catch up.”

The two of them trotted down the stairs and caught up with the others just as they reached a half-open door at the bottom. Lily was smiling the whole way, her eyes shooting from the Pretties to Bud and back again.

“Fuck me!” Bell gasped, falling back against Bert. “Why did there have to be a maze?”

“It is a weird place to put one,” Bert admitted. He was feeling somewhat distracted by her warmth as she rested against him. Her hair smelled of blueberries and cinnamon.

He had never noticed that before. Bell sighed, pushing herself away from him.

“Better get started, I suppose.” She stretched, her arms high over her head, and then bent and touched her toes.

Bert hurriedly tried to look away, but she caught him staring and winked.

It suddenly felt very stuffy in the doorway, and he moved a few steps away, letting the others into the huge cavern before them.

The mist was heavy here and bright. A light source in the distance made the mist-wreathed area glow. Before them was another stone archway down a short set of stairs. The crumbled guardhouses on either side were long gone, but the maze walls looked fully intact. With walls rising up well above head height.

“I’m sorry, but my tracking skill doesn’t seem to work here,” Lily frowned. “I can tell whatever it is is in there, but not how to get there.”

“No point in a maze if it doesn’t block skills,” Bell said. “Onward!” She giggled and pointed.

Bert grinned and started down the stairs with Bell while Lily and Bud shared a smile and followed.

“Ugh, I’m so bored!” Bell said minutes later as they rounded another corner. “Let's turn a different way!”

“Nope,” Bert shook his head. “Always turn the same way in a maze, and you always find the way out.”

“If you don’t die of boredom first,” Bell muttered as she folded her arms, leaving Ringer to float along next to her. “We could just smash our way through.” She kicked one of the walls. “These are not that tough.”

“Yeah, but I bet they have defenses against that,” Bert warned, a fraction of a second before Bell slammed ringer into the nearest wall.

There was a flash of light.

They were back at the start of the maze.

Bert turned and glared at Bell.

“I tripped?” She tried.

“You have perfect balance,” Bert noted. “You never trip.”

“Worth a try.” She laughed without a trace of remorse. “Let’s get going then. Chop chop.”

Bert grumbled as he started down the stairs again. He paused, looking at the walls.

“It’s different.” He noted. “This is not where we started last time.” Looking behind him showed only one destroyed guardpost. “Definitely not where we came in.”

“Ooops?” Bell offered.

“No one hit the walls, please.” Bert sighed as they set off again.

Five minutes later, he stared at the start once more and turned a flat stare on Bell. “I did say please.”

“I was just checking.” She grinned. “Why don’t I lead? That way, I won’t get bored.”

“After you,” Bert gestured. “If anything tries to eat you, just dodge.”

“No!” Bell laughed, trotting off into the maze with the others trailing behind her.

============

“I swear I will take Ringer away from you until we get back to the Waystation!” Bert roared an hour later as they stared at yet another entrance.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Try it!” Bell got right in his face.

They stared into each other's eyes, glaring as Bud calmly motioned Lily back.

“I am serious!” Bert hissed.

“So am I!” Bell hissed back.

“I don’t want you to be stuck in this mist for the rest of time because you have impulse control issues!” Bert growled.

“Oh, is that the problem?” Bell grinned.

“Yes!” Bert snapped.

“Okay,” Bell smiled. “I’ll be good.”

Bert blinked as she shrunk Ringer back down to its original size and slipped it into her belt. She winked and kissed the tip of his nose.

“Uh, thank you,” Bert asked, giving her a confused look.

They entered the maze again, with Bert constantly glancing at Bell, who was wandering along, humming happily to herself. Turn after turn, the group got more and more tense, waiting for the flash of light that would lead them back to the start again.

Finally, an archway appeared ahead of them, the mist shining brightly inside it.

They all prepared, with a slight hesitation when Bell enlarged Ringer. She gave them a flat look and rolled her eyes.

Ahead of them, the light blocked anything like clear sight. Creeping forward one step at a time, they finally got close enough to shield their eyes and see what it was Lily had sensed.

It was an archway with bright, shining light coming from it. But it wasn’t just light that flowed out of the portal. It was mist.

They had found the cause of the misty valley after all.

“Any idea how we close this?” Bert asked.

“Thought you would never ask!” Bell grinned as she swung Ringer in a wide arc. It moved so fast it whistled in the air, passing inches from Bert’s head and striking one side of the portal arch. The arch shattered into smithereens.

Instantly, the portal began to destabilize. The party backed up, feeling a suction effect slowly building.

“Run?” Bert suggested, just as a flash of light came, and they found themselves back at the entrance.

Lily lowered her spear.

“I thought it was worth a try?” She squeaked as she lowered her new spear when the others glanced around.

Bert started to laugh. Bud gave her a one-armed hug as Bell cheered and clapped.

“See! Pixie’s rule!” She patted Lily on the back as the maze in front of them dimmed.

Finally, the light died completely, and Bell summoned the light orb again.

“Think there is anything else worth taking while we are here?” Bell asked.

“We can look,” Bert grinned. “The place is trashed, and I am a Garbage Man.”

“Umm, excuse me?” Lily raised her hand. “What do you mean a Garbage Man.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Bert laughed. “You haven’t heard that part yet.”

============

Wendy glared out the crystal windows of the Control Tower as the mist started to thin, the Shell creatures vanishing along with it.

“Dad!” She called through her Pretty to the group far below the surface.

“What’s up?” His voice sounded distant but clear.

“The mist is taking all the Mobs away.” She complained. “We won’t get to grind if we wait much longer.”

“Stay on the drawbridge, and make sure you are careful.” Mom’s voice came over the connection.

“Thanks, Mom!” She dropped the connection and dashed for the elevator. It was a good thing she remembered to remove her Skelly suit from the Express before they borrowed it.

She dashed across the ground and then hesitated. Was she being smart about this?

“Way Way. Can you let everyone know about the plan?” She waited and was rewarded with the doors around her flying open, Orcs, a dwarf, and a sleepy farmer pulling on their gear.

Scruff yawned as she held out a hand, vines wriggling toward her over the bridge to Trailer One and wrapping around her body.

“Hey, sexy!” She said as Wendy called her Skelly suit over to her and climbed in.

“Hey!” Wendy grinned. “Ready to go kill some Shells before they are all gone?”

“Sure,” Scruff shrugged. “I should be able to grow something new from their remains.”

“Fingers crossed!” Wendy saw the blank look and rolled her eyes. “It means I hope it goes the way you like.”

“Bud Patrol, ready to roll!” Gor’tal saluted her, a broad grin on his face.

“Aye, let’s get to smashin’!” Gavin cheered.

Wendy led the way over to the drawbridge as Slothy emerged from the barn and trotted along after them.

As soon as the drawbridge touched down, they charged. Wendy was in the front, with Gor’tal and Trunal on either side. Gavn and the brothers, Mic and Ric, at the flanks.

Slothy and Scruff hung back, watching and taking out any stragglers they missed.

Wendy laughed as her skeletal claws tore through the shells. More and more of the shells fell as she and Orcs held a strict line at the edge of the drawbridge.

“Ahh, Gods!” Gavin yelled in joy, “I love this hammer!”

Wendy began to lose herself in the carnage as her blood began to sing. First, one foot, then the other left the drawbridge. The orcs and the dwarf followed her, and they pushed into the tide of the shells.

She laughed as her fists smashed her enemies aside. The first she knew of there being a problem was when she heard Sal’ali cry out behind her.

Whirling around, she saw they were encircled, with shells on all sides. Sal’ali was in the middle of their circle, cradling her arm as she healed a deep puncture wound.

“Hold!” Wendy yelled. The others stopped advancing and looked at her. “We need to push back to the drawbridge.”

Tru and Gor nodded and switched positions with Mic and Ric. They started to push back, and in minutes, they were back on the drawbridge.

“Good work!” She grinned at the Bud Patrol. “Sal’ali? You okay?”

“Fine,” The orc woman nodded to her.

“My fault,” Wendy admitted. “I shouldn’t have moved forward.”

“Your blood sings with the joy of battle!” Tru’nal beamed. “There is no better feeling.”

They laughed and returned to fighting.

Glancing around, Wendy realized that Rose wasn’t there.

“Take over from me,” Wendy asked Scruff, who shrugged and trotted down the drawbridge to do so. “Thanks, I don’t want Rose to miss this.”

“She isn’t.” Scruff pointed at Rose, who was peering around the edge of the gatehouse.

Wendy ran over to her, smiling as she left splatters of black oil around.

“Hey, Rose.” She smiled. “Why don’t you come join us? We can protect you while you get a few levels.”

“Do I have to?” Rose asked.

“Of course not,” Wendy said, backing up. “I just wanted to offer.”

“Then I would rather not,” Rose said.

“Okay,” Wendy took a few steps back, “If you change your mind, just come on over and join us. You’re always welcome.” She turned and dashed back into the melee as Scruff dropped back and joined Slothy in watching.

“This is fuckin’ great!” Gavin laughed. “I’m makin’ levels like crazy!”

“Good for you!” Ric clapped him on the back.

The numbers were definitely starting to thin out as the mist burned away even more; luckily, they all flowed toward the group. Blindly throwing themselves into the grinder.

A distant Air Horn sounded, and Wendy smiled wider.

“Uhh, are we gonna get in trouble for doing this?” Mic asked, eyeing his brother.

“No!” Wendy yelled as she pulled down another Shell and smashed it against the drawbridge's base. “We have permission.”

The air horn sounded again, closer.

Rose dashed down the drawbridge and hesitantly started to fight. Tru’nal moved over a bit, covering her and giving her tips. Wendy frowned when she saw the girl reach down and wipe oil from some corpses on herself.

Was she trying to make it look like she had been fighting the whole time?

Wendy shrugged.

It was up to her if she wanted to fake it, but experience points didn’t turn up by magic. Wendy had just leveled to twenty-three and was only two levels away from her first class evolution.

The Express broke through the last of the mists and approached its ramp while Wendy and her crew kept fighting. She was glad they were back, but this opportunity was too good to let pass. She felt the Express come to rest in its usual spot on the Waystation and focused on the enemies in front of her.

She could see the last of the shells disappearing beneath the blades of her group.

When the last one fell, she laughed in joy, turning to see her Mum and Dad watching her and waving. She wanted to just run back up and give them a hug but held herself back, checking everyone was okay, and no one needed healing.

Once that was done, however, she ran back up and hugged them.

“How was it?” Her dad asked.

“It was so much fun!” Wendy laughed. “I can’t believe they just kept coming, and we just cut them down!”

“Aww, my baby’s first battle!” Her mum hugged her tightly.

===========

Later that night, Lily knocked on her sister’s door. They hadn’t talked much since their argument. She looked down at the ring in her hand.

“Hello?” Rose called

“It’s me, Lily,” She called back.

The door opened a crack, and Rose peered round it.

“What?” She asked. “Am I needed?”

“N-No, no.” Libby took a step back. “I just have this for you.” She held out the small gold and silver band. “It’s a storage ring.”

“What?” Rose’s eyes widened. “How did you get it?”

“Bell found them on a body in the ruins!” Lily said excitedly.

She winced as her sister slapped her across the face.

“Don’t call Lady Bell that!” Rose looked horrified. “What if she hears you?”

“S-She told me to call her that.” Lily felt tears welling in her eyes.

“No, she didn’t!” Rose shouted at her, “Why would she?”

“She’s nice, and we’re pixies, sort of.” Lily stammered.

“Stop lying!” Rose went to slap Lily again, but Lily caught her hand.

“Stop that!” She pushed her sister’s hand away, “What’s wrong with you?”

“How are you so strong?” Rose gasped.

“Lord Bert, he helped me level,” Lily said.

“Why?” Rose started to cry. “Why would he? We are nothing to them!”

“You don’t get it, they aren’t like that.” Lily shook her head. “The Lord explained it to me.”

“Explained what?” Rose spat. “How we are useful?”

“Well, yes. Sort of. Can I come in? It’s kind of long.” Lily tried.

“Tell me here, or leave me alone,” Rose demanded.

“Fine!” Lily sighed. “Lord Bert believes that to keep things to yourself is stupid. That by making everybody stronger, we are safer together.” She frowned. “Or something like that.”

“So what, how does that apply to us?” Rose scowled. “We are just servants.”

“Well, so what?” Lily shrugged. “Bud was a minion, and Tim is one now. They are still part of the family and the Court.” She remembered something. “The Lord even found a new sword made of sky metal, and he gave it to Bud for Tim!” She summoned the spear she was given. “They gave me this as well, and a storage item!”

“Because they needed you, idiot!” Rose sneered, finally opening the door wide. “To guide them to what they wanted.”

“You’re wrong,” Lily tried to explain. “I couldn’t help with this one bit, and they were just as nice.”

“Well, I am just going to do what I am ordered to do. Nothing more. You go ahead and be useful all you want.” She sniffed. “Just don’t be surprised when they still treat us as servants.” She ignored the ring, slamming the door and locking it.

Lily heard Rose crying, but her sister wouldn’t open the door.

She returned to her room, sitting on the bed and looking at the ring.

Finally, she got up and put the ring in a drawer.

She’d keep it for Rose, for when she was ready.