I dropped the cask and my will-o’-wisps off on top of the balcony near the stairs. The ointment I brought with us back down to the second floor. I doubted the magic would be appreciated, and I didn’t want everyone knowing about my supplies if I could avoid it.

Stovepipe and Brace met us at the portcullis to the second floor. Their swords were drawn and they were on high alert. After the goblins they weren’t taking any chances.

“Back so soon?” asked Stovepipe, “thought you said it took days to find the second floor.”

“It’s more dangerous than large. I had to pace myself.”

“He’s got the whole place mapped out,” Conan interjected, “Markings carved on the wall and everything. Just needed me to get by one trap.”

“And you managed to get the ointment?” asked Brace. She looked tense.

I held it up in confirmation.

Her face softened, “Rian first, then the others. If he survives the bloodloss he’ll need all the help he can get.”

I followed her in to the room with mural. Nobody had had time to deal with it. The two men who had remained uninjured (besides Stovepipe and Conan) had spent all their time tending to Rian. I was surprised he was still alive. We’d had people die from far less than losing a leg back in Blackbridge. The shock alone of losing a limb was enough to kill.

I quickly knelt down beside him and unscrewed the cap. Then I removed my glove and put a dollop of the ointment on my finger. It was probably cleaner than the glove. I didn’t trust my waterskins to clean myself given that I’d been drinking from them. Human saliva could be toxic to humans if it got in a wound. I pointed my chin at the man to my right, “You, lift up the bandages for me so I can see what I’m working with.”

I immediately regretted my order upon being faced with the stump of his leg. The blade hadn’t cut cleanly, and some things had torn. It might be that I should use my magic sword to make the wound a clean cut, but I didn’t know enough of medicine to be sure, and I was apparently the most knowledgeable here. It didn’t bode well for Rian’s survival.

“I know of two places which might help you, three if you’re willing to end up as I was,” I said as I began gently rubbing the ointment over his wound, “There is a statue to dwarf goddess on the first floor. She might help you overcome your injuries if you pray to her.

“There is also a pool of water I suspect to be magical though have no actual proof. It might just be poison, but if you’re willing we could try that as well.

“Finally, there is the dark altar of the warlocks. It gives you supernatural strength and might be able to save you or even restore your leg, but it twists your mind. The corruption is subtle, but an elf told me it was there. I had to make many difficult bargains to overcome the corruptions.”

I didn’t bother mentioning the Mushroom-King. He could undoubtedly save the man, he’d fixed my leg after all, but... but it wasn’t my choice to make.

Rian was biting down on someone’s belt, but his eyes had never left my face. I met them once more,

“There is another option. A creature known as the Mushroom King dwells in this dungeon. He can save you. Of that I have no doubt. But if he chooses to do so, and doesn’t simply kill you on sight, you will be bound to him for eternity. He will control you, body and mind. He may force you to turn on your companions, or to wreak destruction on your homelands.

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“I don’t tell you of him lightly. If he orders you to turn against us, I will be forced to destroy you. But... but the choice should be yours to know of him. Not mine.”

Rian spat out the belt, “Thank you. I’ll stick it out here for now,” he managed a wry smile despite the pain writing across his face, “I’ve had worse,” he jested.

I finished my administrations and passed the ointment to Stovepipe, “See that Brace and...”

I’d never learned the name of the guy missing his eye.

“Fionn,” Stovepipe supplied.

“Fionn. See that Brace and Fionn have their wounds tended to.”

I turned back to the other two, “Does anyone have any more cloth? I want to bind the wound itself to protect from the air. Might help it heal fast enough to ease off the tourniquet.”

One of the men nodded and began digging through his back, “Healer back home used to say a bad tourniquet killed as often as the wound.”

I didn’t if that was true, and I certainly didn’t know what to do if it was true. We’d just have to hope for the best, and find a way to get Rian up to the first floor if he changed his mind.”

I took the proffered cloth and began wrapping the wound as best I was able, trying to give Rian a bit of padding so he wouldn’t feel every twist and breeze. It was a bit of a blood soaked mess when I was done, but far better than the slapdash job he’d had tossed on him before.

Stovepipe returned with my ointment, “That’s everyone. How are things looking here?”

I stood and took it.

“Hard to say. I’ve done the best I can, but...”

“Don’t mind me,” Rian spoke up from the floor, “I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for this. No one to blame but the goblins for whatever happens. Thank you for your help.”

The other two men had left to switch posts with Brace. She came over, joined by Erin.

“What now, Oswic?” asked Stovepipe, “Are you still with us?”

“Are you still going to look for Eric?”

Erin clenched her jaw, “Of course! It’s not a simple calculus of life for life, that’s not how it works. We don’t trade it lives. It’s about not abandoning him. He’d do the same for any of us.”

“Do you still swear to guide me down as far possible?”

Stovepipe looked like he was about to say something, but Brace interrupted him, “If you find Eric, we will.”

Now would be the time to ask for more. They were shaken, and their quest had revealed itself to be far more dangerous than they’d expected. But that wasn’t me. If the dangers had been new, maybe, but so far it had been par for the course. I’d been faced with nothing I couldn’t handle, and I was more able than the others to handle said dangers.

I’d even gotten the druid stone out of the bargain. Now that I knew the treasures which could be found on each floor, I might explore them without an incentive. Finding Eric for smoother passage through the more dangerous floors was just a bonus.

“Any treasure I find is mine, and I’d like to see any you find as well for potential trade. That’s my only stipulation.”

“Of course. You don’t need to ask to keep what is yours by right,” said Brace

“I like to make myself clear,” I replied, “I’ll be off. Be careful without me here. I might be gone for several minutes, or several hours. My methods only allow to explore in uneven bursts.”

Conan walked up, “I’ll go with you. You’ll need someone to search for traps.”

I shook my head, “So will everyone else. And I can deal with traps. If I find a suspicious hallway you’ll be the first I call, but I work best alone. At least for now.”

Conan began to protest, but Erin put a hand on his shoulder, “He’s right. We can explore faster with you scouting ahead. You can even make a map for Oswic, then we’ll be covering ground twice as fast.”

“Fair well,” said Brace.

“Same to you,” I replied, and headed back out into the unknown.