“Morning everyone, take your seats.” Luxios arrives and breaks the pre-lesson chatter. “Today we will talk about the very important dungeon you will explore next month.” He projects his voice around the auditorium while walking down to the blackboard.

We were told that in about three weeks we will go to a curated dungeon where we will experience first hand how to strategize and bring down monsters. It’s supposed to be pretty much the final test for the course. Luxios told us it’s not so dangerous you could die, but you might get your butt kicked pretty hard, and it serves as an indicator to how well you will do on real quests. After the dungeon goes successfully you can already go on quests and missions, but you’ll still need guidance.

“Are we going to go to the dark swamp?”

“Will we ride a dragon to get there?”

“We’re going to the dungeon under the castle, right?”

Some students erupt like this and ask to be answered right away. I don’t know much about the places we could go, but everyone looks excited.

“Calm down, everyone, we can get to-” but before Luxios can address all the students the door opens and Darsh comes in late again.

“Darsh, late again?” Luxios asks him while he stands befuddled next to the door with everyone looking at him. “You also left early yesterday, could you explain yourself?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” He tries to explain. It’s not like him to miss out on physical training. “I was asked to come back home, my father left for the summit since he’s a noble and he wanted to tell everyone in the family some stuff.” So that’s where he went yesterday?

Luxios isn’t happy about it but he still allows him to take his seat before continuing his lesson. A few students ask him about the summit on his way to his seat but he insists he doesn’t know anything. Delvin who sits next to him isn’t happy at all about this, I wonder why.

“-This means that you will have to form groups with members from other guilds too. It does happen sometimes that members of other guilds are commissioned to join a quest to meet guild regulations so it won’t be the last time you match up with strangers.”

Apparently we need to divide into groups of five according to Luxios, with a quick glance and a nod we all agree to be in the same group with each other. Delvin, Darsh, Albi, Grey and myself.

“The place we decided upon is west of here, it’s a cave a bit off the road to the underground ruins of Frisko. It’s not that close to it so don’t worry about encountering any gnomish argots, it’s going to be mostly small monsters, and of course I will be around to make sure you are all alright.” Luxios explains to the class and starts drawing something on the blackboards.

While Luxios draws something, the class begins to rustle with chattering whispers.

“It doesn’t sound that exciting now, I was really looking for something.” Grey whispers to me, I was also a bit let down, but I suppose it’s a fitting challenge to some of the class. I can see Darsh isn’t so happy about it either, he’d probably rather stay and spar with me more than to beat small monsters. Delvin on the other hand is smiling, I guess an easy challenge is right up his alley, and lastly Albi remains with her emotionless expression as per usual.

Luxios finishes drawing three things, one is a lizard, another is a bat and another is… just a circle. Oh, he starts explaining. “These are the three things you are most likely to face when you’ll be there. A Monk Lizard, a Vaht, and lastly-”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“A circle!” A student yells interrupting class, it’s always the same one who thinks he’s funny. Well, to be honest, I did laugh, and so did the rest of the class.

“Very funny,” Luxios says with sarcasm and waits for the class to calm down. “It’s called a murk, not to be confused with murkins. I will let you guys study these in preparation for the dungeon sprawl after class, in the meantime we can talk about the importance of the group and the job each member need to make…” the lesson goes on into the importance of good coordination, a good front line, ambushers, control of the field of battle and some other things. After Luxios finished all he had to say about the dungeon we returned to magic study.

I managed to make fire using magic. I can only make a small candle flame, but it’s enough to light a bonfire if I gather enough twigs, it’s one of the goals for us while studying.

There are a few goals that were set by Luxios for proper control of magic to help with basic things like cave maneuvering, making fire, setting traps and the sort. One of them is to make flame well enough to like a bonfire, another is to control the air enough to make a gust that can push small objects. It's supposed to be great for a distraction.

There are so many goals that it’s impossible to manage all of them in the span of the course, but you don’t have to know all of them. You don’t actually need to know any of them to pass the course, and since hunters most often travel in groups it’s enough to have one or two people know each use for magic. Delvin obviously managed to master quite a few and Grey is not far behind. I only have fire well under control and I think I’m making a breakthrough with the ‘wind knocking something over’ one.

During the break a few students go to ask Darsh some things while he tries to get me to go outside to spar. He looks kind of stressed.

“Darsh, did your father go to the Summit?”

“Darsh, what are they doing at the Summit? Is it just for fun?”

“I bet it’s important, the paladins are there two.”

“I’m a noble but my father didn’t go there.”

They all harass him with all of these questions.

“Look, I don’t know!” Darsh answers all of them “I just had to go home. My dad didn’t tell me why he left, he didn’t even tell my older brother! All he did was spend half a day telling us what not to do while he’s gone.” Poor Darsh.

“Your older brother is the heir, right?” another random pester.

“Heir Shmeir, we’re nobles without land! He’s to take the name and position and go on fancy vacations on fairs and what not. I don’t care about that, I’m going to be a hunter, and the strongest one there is too!” Darsh answers them all “And I’ll be making a name beyond nobility, like all of you can try to do.”

I never really asked Darsh what his motives are, I only knew he was bent on being the strongest, and that he was competitive in a fun way.

“I don’t know what’s at the summit, but it’s probably of no concern to us.” I come in to defend him. “We should focus on the dungeon we’re about to face.”

“The nobles can sit and talk whenever.” Delvin joins to back Darsh up. “It’s the hunters and guilds that make a difference if you ask me.” He says with a slightly condescending manner, the others nod as if he has a point. I don’t really know but from what I heard it’s true that guilds are the ones people most of all, for pay of course.

I wonder if the guild master went missing because he’s at the summit, but none of the other guild masters have been called, and he was missing since before the summit I hear.

“Thanks.” Darsh whispers to us after all the pesters leave him. I'm glad to have helped, Delvin still has a sulky expression on his face. Darsh turns to me and asks me “Hey, Fren, do you mind sparing today? We didn’t get to yesterday bec-”

“Yeah, let’s go.” I stop him, I know it’s what can set his mind at ease. “But I won’t go easy on you since you’re down.”

“I wouldn’t like you to, thanks Fren.” He grabs me by the shoulder and we leave to the yard to train some.