“I told you that had something in it,” Cid said as they walked past the guarded doors of the dungeon and into its first real chamber, or what was left of it. He kept his rabbit face features casual trying to distract Jax as they passed through the large space. Adventurers and miners working around them as they continued to strep the room of anything of value. What once had been detailed carved stone tiles and multicolored reliefs on its almost thirty feet high walls was mostly bare grey stone now. The space was well let and all the scarab and slime side tunnels had been cleaned and sealed but Cid picked up his pace. It still smelled of shit and death.

  Mia had died because of what had been in here. Especially on what had been in the alcoves they now disassembled piece by piece.

  “Rumor was that it wasn’t much, some gold and a few magical items but I’m surprised it wasn’t empty” He said before a worker behind him dropped a large piece of stone he had just cut out.

  Cid hopped sidewise closer to Jax as he half spun to see what it was. His half ear twitched at the loud sound of the stone hitting the floor and all the cursing made by the workers.

  “Just tuck that ear in already, you’re going to lose the rest of it one of these days, Cid” Jax said as he gently pushed Cid back to his side of the walkway with his spear hand.

  Cid quickly kicked up a small bit of rock, caught it and tossed it so it bounced off of Jax’s steel chest plate, with its sculpted muscles and abs that had been painted a dull bronze color.

  “Tits, Cid” Jax said as the rock bounced up after hitting his chest plate and flew past his uncovered head.

  “Now children let’s keep our oar slapping to outside the dungeon” Daggron said from behind them. Cid did a quick check back at that first room as they exited it.

  Daggron was the last of their three as they moved and would have been holding back further, usually with Mia, but not now. The Sea Elf was a bit shorter than Cid, maybe 5’5” while Cid was just over 5’6”. Daggron was the classic Sea Elf, short with bluish grey skin tone that blended in well in most low light situations which Cid envied. With golden hair that the elf had kept long and in a braid that went through an opening in the back of his open faced helmet so that his hair draped down behind his small elongated elf head like a horse's main.

  “Hey Jax how come you never get on the fishes case for his horse’s main? I’ve lost one of my ears so I know my risk” Cid said as he did a small jump keeping ahead of their group and scanning to see if anything had changed or reactivated in this trap room.

  It was a long 60’ by 20’ and at least 30 feet high again. It had continued the same detailed stone tile floor but had smooth rock walls and ceiling. No source of light but new glow orbs now dotted the space. Well Cid should be more precise he thought. Mia had also scolded him for not being precise with his words. This dungeon had glow orb lanterns throughout. A glow orb was just a magical ball of light that you could stick to something and it would stay there and give off light for a few minutes to hours depending on your Mana strength or the wands but it would go out. What everyone called glow orbs were really lanterns with enchantments that could turn off or on the glow orb and kept it fed with mana until it broke. Which could be thousands of years depending on its quality. Mia had him reading as much as he could stomach these last few years and working on his vocabulary. Now he would have to continue that alone.

  “Daggron is old enough to be our grandfather, if he wants to die to some monster grabbing him by his pretty hair, that’s his poor life choice to make” Jax said, shifting the large round shield that was strapped to his left forearm. His full face Corinthian helmet hung off his adventurer’s belt on his back right hip, letting his long and partially braided snow white hair hang loose around his head.

  “You think my hair’s pretty, stripling? Coming from a crazed [Hoplite] I’ll take that as the compliment it is. Especially from the man that spends two hours every week putting those wavy white locks of yours into little braids.” Daggron said. He kept his small shield hanging off the left side of his belt so he could have a hand free to wield his simple mace and one to toss his potions.

  Cid took a quick peek back at Jax who was smiling before he returned to scanning the way in front of them. It was good to see him smile. This large plane room had clearly been full of false floor tiles and each one of the trap ones had been removed and a thin piece of wood had been placed over them. They made their way through the room quickly.

  Mia, Jax's sister had put this team together over three years ago but Jax had always led it. She had been their [Mage] and almost all their range damage and support, but now all they had was Cid’s short bow and Daggron’s potions.

  Mia had died within minutes of the Desanigh doors being opened. They had been back almost a hundred feet when the Gold’s had opened the doors for the first time. Two gold teams in front of them and two other Silvers next to them. Little help did it as the stone scarabs were on them in twenty seconds. Mia had gotten a few shots of her spells off and then was buried under a wave of scarabs.

  They passed into the next cleared and still lifeless grey rock walled trap room but Cid kept his focus as finding traps and treasure was his job for the team and he still wanted to be doing it. He did not want the team to break up now that Mia, their friend and Jax’s sister had died here.

  He still laughed to himself when he thought about what his old self would have said four years ago. A street urchin of the Isle City. A Harekin with no parents and no future but death, imprisonment or an enlistment with the Navy. Now look at him, a proper Level 15 [Thief], an adventurer and off the City, clearing dungeons and slaying monsters.

  He smiled, not bad for Halfling. A Harekin Halfling. Rounded diamond like hare face with his big blue eyes and small snout with pug nose with a few short whiskers. A hare-like mouth with very thin lips. All that covered in a thick matting of fin rabbit-like fur. Mostly grey with white spots around his eyes and covering his ears. The fur ran down his neck and the top of his shoulders and most of his upper chest and then stopped there with just his long rabbit-like feet and ankles covered in it. He did have the ubiquitous ears. Two six inch long and very wide rabbit ears that came out of the back top of his head facing forward, but the rest of him was all human. He was more human than rabbit or beast. He was a Halfling not a beastmen and he had to make that clear out here in the West, where few Halflings were. He was not the decedent of some myth spawned horror and he wasn’t alive because his dad fucked a rabbit. He was a man, well a Halfling man, with a strange head and some fur, but normal, nothing special, nothing to get worked up about.

  Well he didn’t have any human-like hair, just fur on his body but like all Halflings he had learned that any extra bits of theirs, Harekin ears, Foxkin or Tigerkin tails and even Bearkin fur always goes first in a fight. Cid had lost the top half of his right ear in a street fight over territory for the urchin street gang he had belonged to at seventeen on the Isle City, when he dodged a knife slashing for his face but had not laid back his ears.

  They passed the next two rooms without incident. Entering the room were the chest and the divergent paths were found. Cid could see where that little chest had been and see that whoever made this room had been clever. Ten feet from where the little treasure chest had sat, and forming a nice circle around it, all the tiles there had been removed. Some kind of pressure plate activated the trap by what the Golds had left when they disarmed it.

  Master Netlor now sat there on a stool with a small travel table in front of him a travel chest next to him as well as his glaive where the bait had been

  He was alone for now in the large hexagon shaped room but a clear breakroom, or forward office was being set up here now that they cleared it.

  “Good morning Master Netlor” Cid said putting a smile on his face as he walked over to the older Kimber man. He looked to be in his fifties and fur so light it looked blond in the glow orb light.

  “Good morning to you, Wrath of Pele, right? I wasn’t sure if you would come” Master Netlor said as he started to update a journal.

  “We wouldn’t miss our chance” Jax said with a small frown on his face.

  “Good to see you still in the game” Master Netlor said, his bill wide in a smile.

  He trilled softly as he pointed to the two doors on the left. “Both of those have teams in them now. The far left one has Erin’s Lament leading, and they found a splitting path an hour ago. Not sure yet if the Crimson Bees will split off from them or stick together. The middle has the Green Tree’s leading a gaggle of Bronze ranked teams. This right one is open but that is because it ends in three rooms with a chasm jump, oh a good forty feet wide, to a very narrow open ledge that is above you, nearly flat against a perfectly smooth wall around it, and probably trapped” The now third in command of the Expedition said.

  Cid hopped up a few feet in excitement.

  “Calm down Cid, Master Netlor we will go down that way. It sounds perfect for our jumper here but anything else we should know?” Jax asked.

  “No, the three rooms before that jump are clear and the traps taken apart. One did have a few Stone Gargoyles in it. Nasty Nasty things but the Sun Splinters killed them yesterday.” Master Netlor said before writing down their team’s information.

  “Ah I need to ask now but do you have Message Scrolls by any any chance?” Master Netlor asked.

  Mia had taken care of that in the past. Cid moved toward the far right hallway letting Jax answer.

  “We do, Master Netlor and I have your name and you, ours. Let us know if anyone needs help and we will come running.” Jax said, rolling his wide shoulders and tossing his long wavy, half braided white hair back out of his face. His dark brown skin, of a nation of sailor’s, showed little emotion on his face now and with his prominent cheekbones and defined jawline set in determination. He looked like the ideal [Hoplite] of his people. Arms covered in thick black intricate City-State tattoos.

  Daggron kicked him in the butt to get him moving. “This was your idea today, no one is forcing us to do this” he said as he walked past the man and followed after Cid.

  The chasm was a perfectly square shaft of stone cut from the mountain. Their path had led to a fifteen foot wide edge that opened up to a forty by forty foot wide shaft that stretched below them out of sight but also a good fifty feet above them.

  Using his trusted collapsing poll that every adventurer should carry, he and his companions tapped at every surface and edge they could reach with the long thin collapsing poles. Next they all pulled out their detect magic wands and used them to scan the ledge and around the shaft for anything.

  Cid didn’t expect to find anything, the adventuring team that cleared it had clearly marked the room as cleared and safe, but good teams always double checked.

  After 10 slow minutes of checking around the edge all three remaining members of the Wrath of Pele stood there overlooking the chasm.

  Cid looked at his two teammates and shrugged. “Well no point in waiting around, who wants to do the honors and tie me up” Cid said as he dropped his shot bow and quiver he was carrying.

  Daggron unloaded his backpack and dug through it, pulling out a long thin, and finely threaded rope, 300 feet of it. It was some of the best rope in the world and it had cost but good rope when needed saved lives. He got close to Cid and tied one end onto Cid’s adventurer’s belt. A triple reinforced loop at the back of his belt, designed for exactly this kind of thing and the other end, Jax tied around himself, but put on a quick release knot just in case.

  Cid had spent long years as a street urchin in the Megalopolis that was the Isle City, and it had given him countless experience in the opportunity to learn the skills, Abilities and the just plain old practice to get Skills like [Sprinter] and [Wall Running], and with that good old-fashioned experience from being chased by guards, other children, the City Watch and people who he had stolen from. Cid was more comfortable maneuvering through a dense warren of streets in a city than he was in the open fields he had found himself in his adventuring life.

  He checked the distances, making sure the rope was secure and went over his gear. He had good Silver rated gloves that had a few enchantments but one that would come in crucial here. Sticky Hands. Also his boots were Silver rated equipment and had a similar enchantment on them Firm Grip among others. Both of these would allow him to jump and hang onto a flat surface like a wall for several minutes but the Ability that would come in crucial here was [Double Jump], his level one Ability that had set him on this path. [Pickpocket] was the other choice he had taken with the Way of Might, two Abilities at level one. Both had defined his life, [Double Jump] was a rare advance Ability he had used almost daily since the age of sixteen.

  He lined himself up to get as much running room from the right side, to the left at an angle. He was aiming for somewhere about a third of the way along the far left wall. Daggron and Jax cleared the way while positioning themselves to help if needed.

  Lined up he began to sprint across the space he had given himself to get up to speed before reaching the edge and jumping to the side wall of the chasm. He soared through the air, reaching the wall in a blink of an eye, there he turned his body so that he could push off the wall with his left foot and jumped off it. This time jumping a much shorter distance but as soon as he felt himself lose momentum, he activated [Double Jump]. There in the middle of the chasm now falling he suddenly jumped like he had just jumped off solid ground at a full run. Aiming for the doorway on the other side of the chasm.

  “Oh shit” Cid said.

  The chasm was definitely a little longer than 40 feet. He was going to come up short, heart racing he didn’t truly worry. The fact that he had misjudged was surprising but instead of landing on the wall next to the opening he landed now falling a good 6 feet below the opening. Slamming into the wall he activated his left glove and left boot enchantments sticking him to the wall as he hit. Hearing a loud sigh from his teammates at first and then laughing. He knew that they had worried that half second like he had, but he was fine, hanging from his left boot and left hand from the wall of the chasm.

  “Wow, misjudged that one didn’t you there kid” Daggron said with a chuckle.

  Cid looked back at the old elf. His dark blue Sea Dreamer chitin armor slightly glowed in the low light. The elf did look good in it as it was the same type of armor that Cid wore.

  “Oh, shut up you too,” Cid said, his ears twitching in slight embarrassment.

  “That’s enough, stop playing around. I don’t want you to fall because you’re jarring and not focusing on the job” Jax said.

  “Yes sir,” Cid replied, hefting himself up by his left foot and arm, and then activating both right boot and right glove as he reached higher, securing himself while he deactivated the enchantments on his left boot and left gloves.

  He continued moving from side to side allowing him to climb the wall until he got next to the opening. He looked down the opening’s hallway and it was pitch black past a few feet. It was six feet wide and at least fifteen feet high. Just the small edge where the light from the far glow lights could reach revealed any of it.

  With his left side secure against the wall he pulled out his detect magic wand using it to scan the opening. He had to cast it three times as it only covered a 3’ by 3’ section, no more than ten feet out from him and could only scan for a few seconds at a time. It had little colored glass on the wand, all showing green meaning that no magic was detected. If it had the glass would show red.

  With that done he put away the wand and still one handed he drew his collapsible pole from his belt, extending it by pushing its release button and shaking it. He extended its full eight feet then moving as slowly as he could he used the pole to check for any pressure plates, wires, or other traps. Anything mechanical or otherwise that could activate a trap on him.

  Cid hung there knowing that his time was running low on his glove and boot enchantments. He put away the pole, collapsing it back in on itself and pulled out a small glass marble. Putting it in between his teeth, not his two oversize front teeth, but to the side of his mouth. He held it in place there while withdrawing with his one free hand, his expendable light orb wand, casting light orb on the marble by touching the wand to the marble that was in between his teeth. Years ago he had casually cast it before in a similar situation and of course he had accidently stuck the light orb to his furry cheek, causing his teammates, and especially Mia at the time to laugh.

  With the marble glowing brightly as it had become the glow orb, and old adventurer’s trick. He took it and tossed it gently into the opening and saw it hit down the hallway a few feet then rolled a few feet more. Casting enough light to show the hallway back to where he was and maybe 15 feet in front of it. Seeing nothing but the dull, smooth rock walls and floor that were so common in this dungeon, he felt much safer.

  He released the enchantment on his left boot, letting his left hand and its glove hold his full weight. He quickly felt the strain on his arm and his gloves enchantment. Using both his feet now he swung himself slightly backwards and then when he started to swing forward he pushed off from the wall with his large Harekin boot covered feet, releasing his left hand at the same time, swinging himself into the hallway.

  Landing comfortably two feet in from the ledge. Another lesson he had learned from adventuring was that the first place that looks like you could hold on to or land is often a trap.

  He looked down the hallway, turning his head slightly just to reassure his teammates. “So far so good. Nothing but a hallway. Let me check, see what I can find. Want me to untie the rope” Cid asked.

  Jax didn’t hesitate with his answer “No, better just to be safe, no rush here. It’ll be hard enough to get us over to that side anyway. Take your time”.

  Cid just gave them a big thumbs up and then started the process all over again now that he was firmly in the hallway. First using his detect magic wand and then his pole, he inspected the bland rock hallway foot by foot, clearing it as he went. Just five feet further into the hallway he noticed a small cut out alcove that had been angled to hide itself. It was chest high to him on the left. Only a foot in size but angled away from him. Using his detect magic wand once again directly on the alcove it indicated that nothing magical was there. He only had three uses of it left before it ran dry. The light into the alcove was a little low so he cast a light orb on the wall across from the space at an angle that it shined well into the hole. The space went in over a foot before a 4” lever came out of the side wall.

  Seeing something like that in a dungeon, always made Cid’s skin crawl and his fur stand up. What made this worse for him and anyone else was the clear words carved just passed the lever at the end of the alcove. It reads, in common, Chasm Stairs. Seeing something so clear was always dangerous in a dungeon. It really could be a release design by whatever things had made this dungeon to allow explorers to make stairs appear to allow easy movement between the last room and this hallway, or more likely, it could just be a tempting trap.

  He walked back a few feet to check in with his team again. “Hey a few feet down the hallway on the left in a little alcove, is a lever and it says chasm stairs in the stone behind it.” He smiled his thin lip, rabbit face smile as both Jax and Daggron looked at each other, smiled and shook their heads.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he said.

  Cid watched as Jax tied himself to the top rope that stretched over the chasm. It had taken him over an hour but he had cleared far enough forward in the hallway that he had felt good coming back and setting up a chasm traverse with their expense rope and his thief tools. It had taken his hardened ant magic drill bits of his thief tool kit to get the anchor points in the magically reinforced stone around them but now Jax with all his weight and gear was slowly pulling himself hand over hand up the rope. Cid was amazed by his strength, the man himself must weigh at least 240 pounds, all muscle and broad shoulders let alone all the armor and gear he had on, but Jax slowly, and without any complaining, pulled himself across.

  When he was within reach, Cid dragged him onto the ledge. With Jax across the old Sea Elf was quick with only being half Jax’s weight and with his two teammates on the upper side to help drag him across. Both Jack and Daggron looked at the mechanical lever after getting situated on this side of the chasm.

  “Yep, let Master Netlor decide when he wants to try that.” Jax said after looking at it. He turned to Cid and asked. “Do you need a break, Cid?”

  “I’m good. I was watching your fat ass hanging in the air for the last few minutes” Cid said.

  He cleared the hallway moving slowly for the next hour, his teammates staying back and letting him work. When he reached the end of the hallway, the next room was ninety degrees off it, giving him no view of the room till he got close enough.

  Once again he peered into a dark lifeless room. This dungeon was very unusual so far, the first room was the only room that was typical of ancient ruins while the rest of them had been strange. Lots of things lived in the dark underways of the world but finding bare stone room, after bare stone room, after that first one was disturbing. He checked the open doorway for any traps before he tossed another light marble gently a few feet into the space.

  This room was very different, unlike any he had seen in this dungeon. The space opened up to a very tall ceiling that was painted, showing a Kimber man in traditional white robes holding a red spear in his left hand. His fur was a blackish green and madness was clearly portrayed in the painting in his white on black eyes. He stood atop a pyramid of skulls that slightly glimmered from the reflection of the floor. Cid had been focused on the ceiling but now he saw how the floor shimmered with the gleam of water ripples still flowing out from where his marble had landed. It wasn’t floating but sat atop the floor showing that the liquid was less than half an inch deep but it covered the entire floor. Cid stopped breathing and indicated to his teammates with a hand for them to move back.

  Still holding his breath now and knowing that if there was no barrier between the room and this hallway he would have been affected already by any fumes or gases from that liquid, but he wasn’t sure so he risked it as little as he could. So taking his time and as few breaths as possible he checked the doorway for any signs of magic or traps or barriers again finding nothing again. Cid allowed himself to breathe deeply and through his nose, smelling a faint, very faint sense of something oily. He went back to his teammates.

  “Now that looks to be a nasty trap room. The ceiling is painted for once. With a Kimber on top of a pyramid of skulls. The painting is pretty decent and covers the entire ceiling. That room must be 50 feet long and at least 20 wide and there is a half inch of liquid covering the entire floor. It smells slightly of oil so some kind of Sea of Flame room. So what do you want to do Jax, clear it?”

  The tall brown skinned [Hoplite] looked to Daggron who shrugged. “I’ll have to look at it, but I think I might have something that could help. Hey kit, what do you think the trigger is? Pressure plate on the ground or some kind of motion detection in the side walls or ceiling?”

  Cid had no idea yet. “Get me a few feet into the room and I’ll be able to find out all right”.

  Daggron left his bag with them after having pulled out several items and potions. He went forward along with Cid staying back with Jax. They watched as the Sea elf approached, sniffing as he got closer to the door, then using his own extending poll he dipped one end into the liquid, pulling it back to him and smelled the end of the pole, wrinkling his nose a little. He leaned the pole against the side of the hallway wall. While he pulled out a small booklet from one of his many pockets on his belt. Flipping it to a page he then ripped a part of that page out. Laying it on the ground he used his pole to dip into the liquid again, bringing it back to the small piece of paper on the ground and touching the oil to the paper. They could see from where they stood the paper slightly changed color looking orange to Cid from this angle.

  “Yea, it looks like a standard mix of burning oil. Although how they kept it fresh for thousands of years would be worth a lot of money. Live like Merchant Princes of the Isles rich” Daggron said as he walked back to them showing them his test paper. “So can we burn it” he said with a large disturbing smile on his face. Cid’s right ear was twitching with anticipation.

  “So standard options for a standard room. Find the safe way through if there is one, burn it or neutralize the oil and set it off.” Jax said going over their options.

  “I can neutralize it and then freeze it, which I would suggest we try. If that room is freshly filled then there is a reserve for sure and who knows how big that is. If we don’t freeze it that could allow the reserve to feed it good oil fast once we trigger whatever is meant to ignite it” Daggron said and then with a predatory smile he looked at Cid.

  “I can just neutralize what’s there. It would save us a very expensive potion but it would put Cid at greater risk, which I am more than willing to do. The kit needs to learn and singing some whiskers sounds like that might do the trick.”

  Cid just rolled his eyes at the Sea elf, his bluish gray skin was dark in this hallway but the white of his teeth showed bright in the smile.

  “I’ll singe your hairy ass you old land shark” Cid mumbled under his breath, getting a chuckle from Jax.

  “All right, calm down you two” Jax said. “Don’t throw too much gold at it but see if you can neutralize and freeze that liquid and then we’ll have Cid try and clear the room”

  “That works for me,” Cid said.

  Daggron dug through his bag, pulling out five small vials, four of an oily yellow color and one deeply magical, glowing a bluish white color. Even Cid could recognize that one as a Flash Freeze potion. Daggron went back and lined up to face the doorway. Holding four potions in his left hand and one in his right he used his Ability [Throw Potion], throwing one across the length of the room. It landed in front of the next door, the small potion bottle breaking and letting the contents out in a perfect sphere because of his ability. It covered the oily liquid there and he could see the floor ripple and the gleaming oil change luster, indicating an alchemical change. With no reaction from the room he threw the other three potions changing and neutralizing the oil on the floor.

  Now only holding his Flash Freeze potion. He waited a good five minutes before throwing it into the room. It exploded halfway into the room instantly changing all the liquid into a thin sheet of ice. Daggron then waved for Cid to come forward and Jax followed.

  Cid saw that the center of the room had frozen solid while on the edges and of course near to them it was a slushy oily mix. Looking at Daggron his right ear twitched in frustration.

  “You had to make this interesting didn’t you? Cid said. Daggron looked at the room and then him. “I could throw another Flash Freeze, but even making them they are expensive. I only have two left.” He looked to his teammates.

  “Use another one” Jax said after a few minutes of thought.

  Daggron tossed the second one closer to their side, freezing solid the oily slushy mix. That was some powerful magic Cid thought.

  Jax had them wait another minute before he spoke. “If the ice hasn’t triggered a response yet it’s blocking something or it’s not a pressure plate as that is definitely enough weight to activate it.” He said thinking aloud. “It must be some kind of motion sense from the walls or the ceiling”.

  Cid nodded agreeing with the thinking. Twitching his nose and his whiskers from the stink of the oil that still lingered. “Watch but stay back. Let me try a few things to see if we can get this to go off without killing me”.

  Standing now at the very edge of the door frame before the half inch step down into the now frozen oily liquid, Cid used his trusty extendable pole to test the ground around him and then extending it as far into the room as possible with one hand up and the rest of his body further back, he let it fall and hit the ice. Nothing happened. He moved it and did it again. He tried a third and fourth time in different spots with no reaction.

  He then took a bit of twine out of a pouch pocket and a heavy metal coin with a hole in the center. Tying his twine to it he swung the coin until it had good momentum and let it fly down the length of the room holding on to the end of the twine and letting it bounce off the ice. The sound rang clear but nothing happened.

  Pulling it back to him he did the same thing working his way left to right until on his last throw closest to the right wall with a toss that had gotten the coin midway through the room a flame of fire licked out of the ceiling as the coin flew in the air. Reaching the floor the flame of fire burned the string and sent a steaming but faint oily black smoke in the air.

  “Well shit. I found it” Cid said. “That was my lucky toss coin, I should have used my metal wire.”

  “That flame looks hot enough to have burned the wire,” Jax said from behind him. “The really expensive steel wire” He said, having to speak over the still roaring flame of fire. “I can’t believe it’s still going”

  Cid agreed with him “Yeah it has been what fifteen, now twenty seconds, is it real fire or magical?” Cid asked his teammates.

  “No idea” Daggron said. “But good question, none of our detect magic wands could reach that far but it does seem that might actually be the first or only trap spot in the room, but I doubt it.” He edged closer to the door trying to get a better look at the fire shooting down.

  Cid thought about what had triggered the trap. “The beam or whatever is used to trigger could be sensitive or small enough that my coin tossing and this string wasn’t caught by it till the end. Anyway with the smoke still coming up and that flame still going let’s back up and take a break. See what happens in ten minutes”

  It was almost twenty minutes later before they heard the flame stop. They had backed up down the hallway a good way and Daggron had torn out two more test strips and placed them on the wall in view just in case the air turned poisonous and that was the real trap of the room. Luckily neither of the papers changed colors and they felt fine while they rested. Having taken a small break eating some food and each of them taking a turn to walk back to the chasm and relieve themselves.

  After the flame had died out Cid went back to the room. He could feel the heat that had built up in the room, melting most of the ice and the liquid because he saw only the bare stone floor. He told his team what he had found before pulling out another hollowed coin and more string to better test the area in the front half of the room. Feeling confident in the safety of the half of the room nearest him. Cid stepped into the room fully for the first time and onto the dry warm floor. Nothing happened so pulled out another marble cast light orb on it and tossed it down the room slowly stepping forward scanning the room.

  He located six flames spouts, five from the roof one from the left wall and found tiny holes in the wall where something magical was passing through. Cid had not seen and had not heard of light base trippers but as he thought about it made a kinda sense to him. Maybe a type of light spell was being used to detect movement and activate the flame sprays when their thin beams were cut or broken by something moving through them? He wasn’t sure. He would have to write a few adventurers he knew and ask them what they thought about his ideas. Another thing Mia had made him practice, writing.

  He made it to the other side of the room in little more than an hour. Checking and marking everything he saw. Once his companions joined him having fully marked the triggers and the sprayers with the right adventurer symbols they took another short break.

  Cid toasted his teammates with his canteen. “To true adventuring! They don’t make stories about these types of rooms. It’s always some complex puzzle where the life of your teammate is at risk and the hero must race against time to save them.”

  Jax looked at Cid and a deep sadness came over his features as he put his back against the wall of this new hallway they sat in. “When I tell our parents about how Mia died I’ll try and tell a good story, not the reality. Not how she died within seconds of the first doors being open, not about her face being eaten off. I won’t tell them how adventures cheat all the time not expecting something thousands of years old and not actively maintained to work. And when it does it means it’s really dangerous.” Jax said.

  That stopped any further conversation and they went back to work soon after clearing the very short twenty foot long hallway to the next room, quickly finding the room to be a simple pitfall room all adventures were experts of. Without discussion they all took out something heavy they were caring and didn’t mind losing too much and tied it to the end of their extending poles. Slamming it in front of them as far as possible and dragging it from side to side. Like farmers scything a field the three of them worked there away across the long, relatively narrow room.

  Cid took the middle spot and was a few feet ahead of the other two and found about half the pitfalls in the floor while still scanning the uniform gray smooth rock walls and ceiling. He had to use the spare detect magic wand from Daggron’s backpack halfway through the room but they cleared the space in under an hour. Marking the pitfalls which were disappointingly just empty shafts. Sometimes if adventures got lucky whoever had built dungeons would have enchanted metal spikes at the bottom, anything still enchanted after this long of a time was valuable and beyond what could be enchanted today, so tearing them apart was profitable. The room had a relatively wide five foot path that zigzagged three times from wall to wall. Making avoiding the pitfalls relatively easy.

  Once they reached the other side of the long narrow room they talked about if they should push on. Half the day was gone and they had started a little late this morning. Daggron had been checking the message scroll and reporting their progress to Master Netlore and getting updates back from him. It sounded like something might’ve happened to a Copper team who hadn’t come back from checking a side passage yet. Cid hoped those kids were doing well, whoever they were.

  While still thinking about if they really wanted to continue they decided to clear this new hallway at least before making that final decision. They wanted to see the new room at least.

  That thought was a mistake as the hallway had been the longest one of the dungeon so far. At least 1000 feet long the hallway had three 90° turns in it as it sloped downward. Filling frustrated and tied now almost 2 hours later. Cid knew he had gone too fast this last hour but he had wanted it done.

  They stood again at the entrance to a new room debating on continuing or going back. Of course it would be much quicker, probably less than half an hour to get back instead of the hours that they had taken to get this far.

  “I’m saying we go in. Just this one room. It’s right here. It’s bigger. It looks like pit falls again, which is stupid, but it’s almost twice the size so it could be more complex, hoping to catch us off guard with some every other tile column floor instead of a straight path” Cid suggested.

  He was hopping from foot to foot, anxious. He wasn’t sure why. He had taken off his helmet, letting both his ears up as his head had started to sweat. Sweating with fur, the worst of both worlds. It was definitely warmer here, but they hadn’t detected anything magical about it. His fur shimmered from sweat and the glow lights they had set up on the large doorway into the next room.

  “How’s the bunny?” Daggron said. A look of worry on his face.

  “I’m fine, I’m fine, just hot” Cid said as he hopped from foot to foot.

  Daggron gave him an appraising look. “We did a lot today already”

  Jax shook his head watching Cid and then looking into the large room. “This room looks different and we can’t see the exit from here, it feels important somehow. I can sense something and so can Cid. Maybe it’s a dead end but if so, let’s confirm it and then we could go someplace else tomorrow instead of wasting time clearing a dead end.”

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Jax had taken a backseat for most of the day, more than usual in these situations. Jax nodded to himself “Feels like a fight to me and I need one right now” He said looking to Daggron. His face full of repressed emotions, full of fruitless rage.

  Daggron's eyes went wider than usual and his pointed elongated elf ears twitched at what he saw in Jax face. “Do you truly sense something from the room?” Daggron asked.

  “Something” was all Jax said after a few seconds.

  “It would be a shame to let some other team get hurt because we didn’t clear this room” Daggron said looking at Jax and shrugged. “Well who am I to stop us from making bad decisions”.

  Cid smiled and could feel his heart beat pick up. He was feeling something, something in the air was telling him that there was a fight coming. Jax who had carried his shield this entire time leaned it against the hallway wall. As he began dropping his rucksack and any gear he carried this far he didn’t need in a fight. Jax stood in the limited light looking like the warrior of the Free Cities he was. Putting on his Corinthian steel but bronze colored helmet. He checked his adventurer’s belt making sure his Gladius short sword was ready on his left hip and then picked up his large round shield and his short spear. Usually, he would have had a nine foot spear but when doing work like this in confined spaces he had his Silver rated five foot spear. That was a foot and a half of steel enchanted death.

  Cid checked over his gear. He and Daggron wore the dark blue, almost black chitin armor made from a Sea Dreamer. The beast that they had killed after completing Kia’s Blessing. The most dangerous fight they had that trip was twenty minutes outside that dungeon they had traveled months for and had spent a week clearing to gain a Title. Walking out of that forest by the shore of the Grand Island of the Evening Tide Sea Elves and then a Sea Dreamer attacked. The battle had almost killed all of them, but after a brutal slogging they had brought it down and were all gravely wounded from the fight. The armorer in that grand Seaport of the Evening Tide had charged them half its corpse to transport it and turn their half into armor sets for them. Cid had thought the deal was well worth it even if the other three had complained they were being cheated by the armorer at the time. They had not been able to punch through its magic resistant chitin armor, only taking it down after bleeding it from its few weak points.

  They had gotten four sets of armor out of that deal, one for Cid, Daggron and Mia. All three were made the same with segmented chest pieces for the front, one large piece cut to size for their backs and connected by Silver rated enchanted leather. Fasten together by one hole on either side of each armor piece. The armorer had later explained that it had taken an apprentice with his best enchanted drills days for each hole to be drilled. It was Gold rated armor that they had full sets of, chest piece, thigh, shin, greaves and a helmet. All made to fit over regular clothes and could be tightened down the fit comfortably. It was as light as thick leather and highly magic resistant. No enchantments could be placed on them, but the armor could take a full wand's worth of magic bolt and only be scratched.

  Cid’s helmet that he now put back on was the hardest thing for the armorer to make from the Sea Dreamer or so the armorer complained. A four piece helmet that allowed Cid to move his long and independently moving ears out from underneath the armor and straight up when needed. While leaving an obvious entry point was never good, Cid needed it so he could pull out his full ear or both if he had them lying flat back.

  The armor was the best item any of them had and the fight that had made them a Silver rank team and yet the armor hadn’t kept Mia alive for more than a few extra seconds. And those few seconds of life had not been a blessing at all when she was overrun by the stone scarabs. They had tried to bite through the chitin armor but couldn’t. Unfortunately there had been so many they dragged her down and found any and all exposed flesh, like her face. Cid shook his head at the dark memory of his friend and what had been left of her. Her almost fully intact body but no face or hands. What had woken him up every night for the last few days. That memory of grabbing her shoulder and pulling her out from under a ton of monsters and turning back while he was running, dragging her to safety to see that skull, empty bloody eye sockets staring back at him where no sound emerged but he saw her trying to move one of her arms. He had almost dropped her as he dragged her away in that moment at the horror but the tide of stone scarabs were following, and adventures were fighting and dying as he ran. Dragging a corpse through those tunnels.

  He knocked on his armor, then pulled his two daggers out, each one Silver rated. The one in his right hand, a dull silver dagger with a ten inch blade but with Magic Piercing, and Magic Deflecting enchantments. In his left a simple black hilted triangle blade, Armor Piercing and Bleeding enchantment on it. His class Enhancement for [Thief] had been [Ambidextrous]. Mia had to tell him what that meant, but now he spun both daggers each in a separate hand. His years of experience, Skills and Enhancements allowed him to twirl, then flip and catch each one independently without looking. He slid them back into their sheaths and dropped off the extra gear he was wearing.

  “I’m also ready for a fight.” Cid said.

  “Listen up, just because we feel something and want a fight, doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen. So you go in there and you do your job” Jax said “But we will be right here and have your back”

  Daggron pulled the small round shield that had been hanging from his back hip all day. Holding it with his left hand he then put his mace in his left hand also. Leaving his right hand free to pull one of his many potions from his belt at need.

  Cid with his extending pole in hand creeped forward into the room. This was larger than any of the other dungeon rooms, even the entrance one. At least fifty feet wide and over a hundred long, but Jax was right the light marble he had thrown into the room near the entrance was barely strong enough to throw shadows at the far end of the space. The far wall looked solid, but with no sign of another hallway or doorway.

  He was tapping the ground in front of them and scanning it for any sign of a trap, or pressure plate as he moved slowly. First one and then two feet away from the door with nothing happening, and then he was three feet into the room still with nothing, but before he got five feet into the room the floor shook. Without seeing what he had triggered and through the violent shacking Cid immediately hopped backwards into the doorway but his caution was not needed as large sections of the floor on either side of the room started to collapse with two large open pits forming on either side of them running from their side of the room and going all the way to the far wall.

  Leaving a solid walkway where Cid had been standing, wide enough for four people to walk comfortably down, running straight from their entrance to the far wall that shook itself loose and then started to slowly lower like a drawbridge away from them. Opening into another bigger space, one glowing and bright for what it was, a cave. A natural looking cave.

  One thing that was common in the deep dark places of this world where things actually lived, was Dungeon Moss. It was everywhere in those kinds of places, living off of the Mana and providing light, not brightly at times and sometimes not consistently, but it was everywhere and common enough that finding yourself as they had in these barren, pitch black hallways and rooms was uncommon and unnatural and very scary. One bad thing about Dungeon Moss was there were always monsters where you found it and other living things. Ancient lights turned on above them in the high ceiling of the dungeon room. Washing the space and the parts of the cave they could see from the lowering door in bright light and there they found the cave full of living things. Things that Cid knew could hurt them.

  “What the hell is going on?” Cid said.

  “Looks like the fight we asked for,” Jax replied.

  Cid could hear the smile on the Hoplites face.

  Right before the stone drawbridge fully opened a deep piercing, screeching cry emerged from the room they were in but it was clearly projected not at them, but towards the opening into the cave.

  “Oh shit fuck” Daggron said as baiting beast cry screamed out. “What’s the call Jax, run?” he asked.

  “We’ll need my [Phalanx] Ability activate for this fight, so shield up and stay in line with me as much as you can Daggron”

  “Why are we fighting when we could be running from this monster tide that the Dungeon was nice enough to call for us” Daggron asked with worry in his voice.

  “They provided us with a defensible bridge, come on.” Jax said, leading the two into the room.

  Cid let them pass and followed after. The room was bright enough that they could clearly see down into the pits that made up the rest of the floor. They were deep, maybe as deep as the room was long, and at the bottom shimmered hundreds of items. Most looked like simple stakes but others had what looked like knives or other sharp items attached to their short poles driven into the ground, but they were all clearly enchanted.

  His team all looked to see if they could see something of value but Jax kept them moving down the bridge. “All enchanted but kitchen knives, arrowheads. That looks like the top half of a sword, still quality but mundane”.

  The wailing cry ended from the room as they approached the midway point of the bridge. There was movement, skittering movement by the stone ramp leading into the cave. They couldn’t see the ground of the cave itself from where they had stopped but they could hear lots of movement and even noises of fighting.

  Jax looked ready for the fight and glanced back at Cid as he had both hands on his daggers. “Take the Message Scroll from Daggron and write to Master Netlor. Tell him what’s happening and tell him we might not make it. Hopefully that chasm will stop anything if they get past us”.

  Cid took the Message Scroll out of Daggron’s hand when he held it out for him. Stepping back as the two stood talking, reassuring each other.

  Cid was not too worried yet, Jax was a true [Hoplite] of the City States and all citizens at the age of fifteen joined the City Militia. It was a rite of passage for Jax’s people. They got one year of training until they came of age at 16 and the Apparatus opened for them. Then depending on talents, Skills and Abilities they gained, they would train, fight and serve when called upon for the next ten years for their City State.

  Cid had met Jax, when Jax was level 11. A little more than three years ago after having served his ten years and going from level 1 to level 10 in those ten years was impressive. Jax had explained when Mia introduced Cid to him that he had fought for six of those ten years in two separate wars. In one he spent a year as a marine in intense ship battles almost drowning half a dozen times.

  Jax now said he hated the sea and war and he wasn’t sure which was worse, but that experience had made him the goal for every citizen-soldier of the City States. Their ideal warrior whose Abilities were legendary and a key to the City States long history. A Hoplite with their signature Ability, [Phalanx]. When fighting in formation, side-by-side with his companions he would gain almost double his physical attributes.

  Legends even Cid had heard growing up on the streets of the Isle City thousands of miles away from the City States had spoken of the City State [Hoplites] powers. Jax had never confirmed any details but had said he thought doubling was a little generous. Whatever it did it greatly increased his physical attributes and Cid had seen it in action, time and time again, and he would see it again now as a tide of scrambling Giant Cave Salamanders came in from the cave. Not rushing forward as they normally would, no it was much worse Cid thought. Tall bulky Lizardkin standing on two legs holding crude weapons in their thumbed hands could be seen behind the tide of giant salamanders heading their way and leading their less developed kin.

  Cid quickly wrote a message to Master Netlor, telling him what was happening. The Kimber man quickly responded and said he will try to send any volunteers, but that people have been pulled to search for that lost Copper team, he recommended retreating if possible, and then he wished them luck.

  Cid pocketed the Message Scroll and looked over the approaching swarm of lizards. The Giant Cave Salamanders were about a foot wide and five feet long not including their long tails. Nasty things and tough to kill as they would climb over you and try to get you to the ground. The mouths were huge compared to the rest of their body and would clamp down and try to tire chunks of flesh or limbs off if they could.

  There were dozens and dozens of the Giant Cave Salamanders in sight within seconds of the door opening and to Cid’s surprise at least as many of their higher kin. Lizardkin armed with bows and spears, some with small shields. Giant Cave Salamanders were legion down in these dark places of the world, but it took hundreds of giant salamanders births for a single Lizardkin to be born. They would have to be a dominant established colony for centuries, if not millennia for this many and they were forming up in formation. Lizardkin bred true with each other but a large population that was sustainable was unheard of and this advanced, just their luck Cid thought.

  Cid found it hard to believe. All this and more ran through his mind as he adjusted his helmet and made sure his ears were back, fastening and tightening it down in worry. The whiskers on his nose twitched in nervousness as he slowly drew his daggers. Mia had made him read beast manuals, after beast manual, after monster manual when she found out he could not read. She had taught him and had spent hours with him doing so. She had never complained about it and she had been his friend and so much more.

  He bared his teeth and his blue eyes grew thin in rage.He was going to break this dungeon for what it had taken from him.

  “Should I go all out from the start” Daggron yelled as the sound grew as the lizards organized their lesser brothers.

  “No,” Jax said confidently. “They’re gonna send in the salamanders first. Then they’ll probably try to rain arrows down on us. I’m not worried about those but we need them to commit to the action before we go all out. Here they come.” He beat his spear three times against his shield before shouting the battle cry of his City, in a language of the ancients before this world.

  “Sauni e tau le taua!”

  The mass of hundreds of giant salamanders slapping their damp feet on dry stone sent a shiver down Cid’s spine and he could feel his ears twitch under his helmet from the strangely disturbing sound. Their kin yelled and hissed in their bestial, strange tongue as they began to lose their arrows at what must be their longest possible range. With all but a few falling short of their position. The few that did reach them clinked off of Jax's shield as he stood slightly in front of Daggron as the salamanders approached.

  Suddenly and without sound everyone but the rushing salamanders noticed the flashes of different colored lights coming from the walls on either side. As metal bolts shot from the walls. “Arrow traps” Cid yelled as one of the bolts burst into flames, magical flames.

  The magic was clearly visible as it flew slamming into a giant salamander and setting it a flame for a few seconds and sending it into a frenzy. Causing it to roll trying to put out the fire and knocking three of its companions off the walkway and into the pits below. Other effects were happening among the charging salamanders as they were hit from both sides. The bolts were flying, just a foot above the walkway, designed for beast and monsters as well as adventurers. Fire burned among them while ice slowed or stopped them dead. A strange hollow white light would engulf some causing them to hiss in great pain or just kill them instantly.

  Cid saw one get hit by a bolt with the strange hollow white light in its left forward leg. It jumped turning sideways as it hissed in pain in the air bringing its head around trying to pull the bolt out before the life in it just winked out and its lifeless body just tumbled back into the rushing salamanders knocking others down before being climbed over.

  It was clear in seconds that the arrow trap wasn’t going to be enough. There weren’t many but they flew, five or six effects on the right wall and then as the salamanders reached the middle the left began shooting also. The same types of bolts covered in ice magic hit one of the leading salamanders cutting off its tail, greenish blood spilled across the ground.

  They were coming fast now and bolts were already slowing down after the first few seconds, but they were constant and then the salamanders reached them. The first wave of salamanders tried to bowl them over but Jax counter charged and showed why he was such a feared warrior, why every citizen soldier of the City States wanted to be a [Hoplite]. His short spear moved like a snake, its iron head bringing death with each strike. It would shoot out and the Silver rated weapon enchanted with piercing, endurance and lightness would kill like lightning, striking out killing the salamanders that reared up getting an extra foot in height trying to strike or bit Jax or Daggron and each one that did dead with a spear strike to its head or neck. For all his strength and speed Jax was not enough to hold back the tide of salamanders alone but with Daggron, crouching low but still keeping up. He shield bashed his way forward, throwing off a salamander and then brought his mace down to crush a skull of one and then kick another off the side of the walkway.

  The salamanders piled up there in front of them while Cid stood ready with both his daggers in hand, he watched and then hopped in to stab or cut down any of the few that made it behind either of his teammates holding the line.

  Jax [Phalanx] was impressive, his greater physical attributes showing themselves as he slew the low level giant salamanders faster than they could climb over their own dead. The bridge they fought on was helping greatly, although wide enough that two people couldn’t hold it easily it stymied them as were the arrows from the dungeon itself. The outcome of this first fight was clear to Cid and also the Lizardkin, now almost a hundred strong.

  They held back their lesser brothers, now a gap opening up between the first wave and the new one they were building up. Daggron smashed his mace down, killing the last of the Giant Salamanders in the first wave.

  Using that as their signal the lizardkin launched their second attack sending hundreds of salamanders in front of them while they moved in formation with at least thirty spears forming their vanguard with shield wielding lizardkin to the sides to protect against the trap arrows and a block of archers in the rear with random warriors with crude clubs or axes among them.

  The intervals between the bolt shots from the wall were growing longer, only one bolt appearing every 40 seconds or so. Allowing most of the giant salamanders to reach them as well as the formation of lizardkin.

  Once again Jax began to tussle with the salamanders as they tried to bring him down or bite one of his limbs. He was a [Spear Master] and he killed like one in this limited area. He fought side by side with Daggron and in formation enough that his Ability activated, and it was enough. He didn’t take a step backwards but he would step forward lancing out with a spear thrust, killing a salamander as he pierced its skull and then cut through another as he brought the spear back to his side and stepped back to his spot. Lance, kill, back again over and over. He had not used any of his other Abilities, like [Quick Thrust], his level one ability. One of his two level 1 Abilities and what had set him on his path to become a [Hoplite]. It was all talent, practice and experience for him as he slew here now.

  The salamanders broke, now just struggling to get over the literal short wall of their own dead. The few living fled back and the Lizardkin made way for them to pass through their formation. They had known this would happen, and as their lesser brothers fled arrows began to fly. This time well within the range of Cid and his teammates.

  The Lizardkin formation stopped twenty feet in front of them and waited with their spears out while they peppered Jax and Daggron with arrows.

  “Dammit they’re smart, smart enough” Cid yelled.

  Crouching low with his large round shield in front of him and Daggron stepping back putting his shield up to give them some cover the three quickly moved close together.

  Jax had to talk loud enough to be heard over the ringing of stone tipped arrows pinging of his shield. “We move in now. Daggron unloads on the spears once we push through these dead salamanders. I’ll go next, then you Cid. Break their archers but hear me, no more than thirty seconds and back to us. Daggron holds back ten feet and let us fall back to you. Watch the edges and stay alive” he said quickly and then stood moving forward in a run.

  He bashed his way through the small wall of dead salamanders as his shield cleared the way but as Jax stepped on top of their bodies his footing slept causing his right leg to shoot out to the right as he caught his fall with his left foot and shield braced on the ground. Pulling his leg back in after just a second wasn’t fast enough as a dozen arrows landed near the exposed leg many bouncing off his bronzed colored steel shin guards but two found their way into his leg. He yelled as he stood and kept himself moving forward, blood flowing down his right shin and into his boots. Jax beat his spear against his shield when he got close to their spear line drawing the eyes of many of the Lizardkin.

  Daggron had moved out of Jax’s shadow as soon as the man had started moving. Keeping himself low with his shield covering him he moved faster than Jax. Hiding behind a thicker spot of the salamander dead he had his first potion flying through the air by the time Jax had gotten to his feet again and distracted the spear line.

  The first one exploded at head height among the group of spear lizardkin. More flash and bang then real damage, it stunned and surprised the group. Taking off half the head of the nearest Lizardkin when it exploded and sending bone and body shrapnel into six more around it. Daggron had fought on the sea for over a decade for his people. Mostly in boat to boat actions and they were much like this. Tight packed and intense. He did not let up as potions, all weaker than real battle potions but made good enough by his Skills and Abilities exploded among the Lizardkin. A poison cloud sent two to their knees choking while an acid one caused several to drop their spears as they tried to wipe off the acid. Fire sent one and his nearest companion who he had grabbed onto falling off an edge in panic. He only out right killed a few but wondered many more and had sent the spear formation into panic, breaking it apart.

  Jax jumped forward into the broken formation shield held out and using his Abilities now. [Quick Thrust] after [Quick Thrust] had his spear moving fast enough that he mowed down the lizardkin around him clearing a path using four of his six charges of the Ability. He killed six Lizardkin in three seconds.

  Their formation was in chaos but the Lizardkin still held as those in fighting shape closed in around Jax while the closest archers dropped their bows and pulled their secondary weapons.

  Jax was not alone because Cid was moving and he was moving fast. Speed had always been the key to his life before his team had met him and changed his life. He was a [Thief] in all but class when Mia had recruited him. All his life up to that point had been about that. Now his Skills, Abilities and Enhancements since he had become an adventurer and made him a fighter.

  Daggers out, each operating independently as he moved. He was a [Knife Fighter] he was skilled with daggers, speed, and his natural ability to jump, leap, and dodge. He used [Dodge] to flash past Jax, killing one spear wielding lizardkin with a cut across its chest, while another died to his dagger in his left hand, taking out one eye before he jumped past both of the dead lizardkin and Jax. Getting well past the five foot height of the Lizardkin, he [Double Jumped] into the middle of their archers. He twirled as he landed like a dancer, daggers out slashing three and then four of them across their faces. Taking out eyes or slicing open their lizard like snouts. He didn’t stop moving, jumping back towards his companions as soon as he had landed he was among a new group of Lizardkin archers.

  They were just now trying to pull out obsidian daggers and knives, old rested swords or axes as they dropped their bows, but they were in each other‘s way hampering and blocking as some backed up and others moved forward. He hopped his way through them as much as run. Jumping from one Lizardkin to another his daggers like twin born serpents flashed as they worked independently and coming together to parry a spear thrust or cut down an arm raising an axe. Speed was life for Cid as he killed his way back to his companions.

  The Lizardkin had levels but not many it seemed, monsters like them often had a hard time leveling. The only damage Cid took was from them. An Ability powered [Block] left him open for a rusty sword to try and run him through. Cid wasn't worried as it skidded across his armor but it cut his other arm between his segmented armor cutting him deeply by his left elbow in a bit of bad luck. He didn’t stop, he couldn’t, he was picking up minor wounds as he moved. Running or jumping cutting Lizardkin down. He fought like the street child he was pushing a shield welding Lizardkin into another one and knocking both of them over the edge and onto the spikes. He was getting close to Jax and took one large Lizardkin from behind planting both his daggers into the back of its thick scaly neck and used the corpse as a shield as he spun in clearing him space and tossing it at the feet of another Lizardkin.

  In the cleared space he jumped seeing Jax fighting towards him and took an unseen axe blow to the side of his chest. Most of his armor took the blow but the edge of the axe must’ve nicked something as he felt blood run down his right side. He spun around mid-tumbled as the hit had thrown off his jump with his large boot covered rabbit like feet he kicked the offending Lizardkin and sent him backwards taking two more with them over an edge.

  Falling onto the bridge Cid used his [Dodge] ability as a spear shot for his face and instead skidded off his chest plate as he rolled back onto his feet stabbing the lizardkin who had almost killed him. Stabbing him in the eye as he pushed passed him and felt the lizardkins eye ball pop out as he pulled his dagger free and finally breaking through the shattered formation of archers and rear line of spear wielders to be back among his teammates.

  Jax was there, spear flashing as it blocked one attack as he shield bashed his opponent. Daggron had not stayed back but was in step with Jax, killing another Lizardkin as the Sea Elf crushed its skull with his mace. Cid jumped to join them getting behind Jax and twilled his daggers shedding the blood off both them like a rookie. He smiled at the memory of Mia yelling at him after an early fight saying doing a flashy move in the middle of a fight was how you died.

  He joined Daggron and pulled out one of his two Healing potions only drinking half of it as Daggron used his Medic class to quickly stop a few of the worst cuts from bleeding with [Stabilize Wounds] and then used is only other spell on Cid, [Rejuvenate] he felt his body knit together and energy come back to his tired arms and legs, between the three Cid was back in fighting shape in seconds and without using two healing potions to do it.

  They stood there and watched as Jax causally finished off the last of the fighting Lizardkin. A few dozen ran back into the cave taking all the lingering Giant Cave Salamanders with them as they fled.

  Daggron walked over to him and used a healing cream on a few cuts on his arms before he got down on his knees to work on the arrows in Jax's legs while Jax stood catching his breath and watching the Lizardkin flee.

  “How you doing?” Cid asked as he hopped next to him.

  Taking a few more deep breaths Cid could see the sweat dripping out from the bottom of Jax’s helmet.

  “Fine, pull them and I’ll use a healing potion. We don't have time to try and save some money” Jax said between deep breaths.

  “They are obsidian and pieces of the arrow heads have broken off in your legs and with all your dancing around have done some real hurt. I need to cut them out, and we will have to use a healing potion on the wounds to stop all the bleeding.” Daggron said as he got to work with a knife and a pair of fine pliers.

  Cid sipped some water as he moved around the battlefield killing a few wounded Lizardkin and seeing if any of them had anything of value. Some had gold or silver rings or bands. Nothing enchanted one even had a necklace of fine jade beads that Cid pocketed. It took Daggron only a few minutes to cut out the pieces of the arrowheads and then used one of Jax’s healing potions to close the many deep cuts. Then he cast [Rejuvenate] on Jax who thanked him and helped him stand.

  Daggron standing and rearmed, pointed with his blood covered mace past Jax who had looked away from the cave entrance. “Looks like seconds are coming, giant spiders not sure what type”

  Cid stood from the Lizardkin corpse he was picking through to look at the newcomers. “Giant Woolly Cave Spiders. Daggron how do you not recognized them” He said

  “Shit ass” Daggron said, looking at the gathering spiders. Some of them were huge. “Maybe I didn’t read all those books you did, kit” the sea elf mumbled as he wiped sweat off his face.

  “You're twice my age and I know for a fact that you have fought a few Giant Woolly Cave Spiders.” Cid said as he joined his other two teammates as he saw them gather. There was no point in running from spiders that big.

  “Fucking huge spiders. I’m a sailor bunny boy and I was on the sea for 30 years. This adventuring life is still kinda new to me.” Daggron said as they spread out from each other trying to get as much room as possible on the narrow bridge.

  “You have done it twice as long as me,” Cid laughed.

  “Like I said, only six years. I’m an elf that’s short.”

  “You’re short,” Cid said.

  All their focus was on the spiders in front of them as they started to move towards them but he knew Jax smiled at the poor joke. He racked his brain trying to remember what he had read about the spiders as it finally came back to him, his heart starting to race again.

  “Not poisonous, I believe, just tough and they use their fangs to puncture you. They use their front legs to try to pin you so that’s different and their hair is fine and sharp. They don’t shoot out or anything but if you get pushed up against it it’ll stab you.

  “We’re getting close enough.” Jax said, setting himself up for another fight.

  “Keep the giant spiders from biting me, thanks for the advice, kit. Good thing you read all those books” Daggron said with a forced smile on his face. Cid noticed the shaking of one of his hands. No one liked giant spiders.

  “It looks like a small nest,” Jax said. “Probably the second dominant species of that big cave network there. I can’t imagine that many lizardkin would let anything else live nearby. They probably had to fight their way through the Lizardkin camp to get here so It’s one last fight for our lives boys, just another day as an adventurer”.

  Thirteen giant spiders came forward. The second largest, its body the size of a horse leading them and with its eight wide set legs it covered the entire walkway. While the largest was at the rear having to fold its legs underneath it to fit on the bridge.

  It looked like it was walking on tippy toes to stay on the walkway, Cid thought with a smile coming to his face he would laugh if it wasn't so monstrous. At least 15 feet tall with a body 12 to 14 feet wide. Its legs came out another 15 feet at least.

  “How do you wanna handle this first one?” Daggron said.

  “What do you have left?” Jax asked quickly as the spiders started to run towards them.

  “Three on me” Daggron.

  “Kill the first one and save what you can for the big bastard."

  Two bolts flew out from the walls, one hitting the large front spider causing it to jerk as an ice bolt slowed it down while a smaller spider following it flopped down dead its legs instantly retracting to its body as one of the hollow white light bolts killed it. Cid had to find out what that was.

  Daggron pulled a faintly magical glowing potion bottle and tossed it using his Ability, [Throw Potion]. It landed among the many eyes of the large front spider a good thirty feet in front of them. The potion exploded just before hitting the spider. A fine mist of oil covered its monstrous face before it lit on fire. As did its hair to the surprise of everyone. Causing the giant spider to shriek and scramble and unfortunately to stampede forward.

  “Oh, fuck, shit” Daggron yelled as the fire completely engulfed the giant spider that was the size of the path they were on, causing it and two smaller spiders it had caught on fire as well to stampede toward them.

  “To the edge” Jax said, throwing himself to the ground and rolling left. Cid went right as did Daggron.

  As Jax scrambled to the left one of the spider's burning legs landed on his lower left leg, crushing his shin and pushing him off the edge as it madly ran past them in panic.

  Cid rolled, dodging the scrambling giant and followed Daggron right off the edge. He was just a little above the screaming sea elf as they fell. Righting himself so he was falling head first he resheathed the one dagger he hadn’t dropped in his mad scramble away from the giant burning spider.

  Kicking against the wall he fell next to, he gathered enough speed to grab the screaming elf by his belt. Cid with Daggron now in arm twisted to face the wall activating both his feet and his one free gloves enchantments and stuck himself to the wall. The sudden jerk to a stop almost dislocated his right arm as Daggron bounced in place but luckily Cid’s grip held as Daggron yelped in fright.

  “You good?” Cid groaned out in pain.

  “I pissed myself,” Daggron laughed. Clear fear and amazement in his voice.

  “Gross,” Cid said.

  “Get ready I’m going to double jump up”. He looked up and saw they had fallen at least 20 feet. The giant flaming spider had collapsed towards the doorway they had entered, and it seemed another spider had just caught fire from one of the few remaining wall bolts. Cid could see the largest spider and backed up and was at the far end of the bridge where it had started.

  Cid didn’t know how Jack was doing and they didn’t have time to wait.

  “Is [Double Jump] enough to get us out of this?” Daggron said, sounding much more in control of himself.

  “No idea” Cid replied as he released both enchantments on his feet. He pushed off against the wall while holding Daggron in his right hand and letting go of the wall, releasing his enchantment on his glove as he jumped only going a few inches before he felt his little upward momentum spent. Activating [Double Jump] he shot upward almost eight feet before clamping against the wall with his three enchantments again.

  “Fucking bilge piss, you nearly gave me a concussion kit” his passenger yelled.

  Cid looked down to see Daggron with one hand on his head; it looked like he had slammed it against the wall when they jumped up. Cid felt bad but he was worried that Jax was dead or dying and they didn’t have time to waste.

  As if Daggron had heard his thoughts he looked up past Cid to the walkway above. “I think I can hear him”. Cid looked up hoping to hear Jax.

  “Sounds like he’s fighting, can you hear that?” Daggron asked.

  Cid let his half ear pop out of his custom helmet. He could clearly hear Jax yelling at the spiders now. He twitched his whiskers in surprise and was just happy to hear Jax’s voice. Cid felt his [Double Jump] ability ready to be used again.

  Using the same technique as last time he pushed, digging deep with all of his strength hoping that his Harekin heritage helped him jump further. He landed just a foot or so below the lip of the walkway and could hear the fighting clearly, the scrambling screeching sounds from dead or dying spiders. Something large hit the ground, shaking it by its impact and nearly causing him to drop Daggron.

  “Ready yourself” Cid yelled. “Daggron I’m going to swing us back on the walkway”

  “What? What do you mean "swing”?

  With the surly Sea elf swearing at him Cid let both his enchantments on his boots deactivate and started to swing his body and Daggron’s back and forth. The strain on his arm and his left glove’s enchantment meant either one of them was about to give out. His left hand with its enchanted glove slipped a few inches as he swung.

  He still needed more momentum so he swung harder and as he did he slipped again, the weight and movement too strong for the enchantment. So now on his last upswing he kicked off against the wall letting go with his left hand and swinging Daggron over the lip and onto the walkway. Cid followed him rolling clear of the elf as he came up to his feet with his one anti magic dagger in hand the other lost.

  As he scrambled to his feet he had to [Dodge] as a thick spider leg went for where he had just been. It was a smaller spider, its body a large dog size compared to the bigger ones.

  As it spun around trying to keep Cid in front of it. Cid crouched low and leaped forward cutting through one of its extended legs. The spider oozing a blackish green blood skittered backwards right into Daggrons long knife that he drove into its body, once and then twice as Cid planted his dagger in among its many eyes.

  Jax was in front of them, a good ways further up as he fought the last of the Woolly Spiders on the walkway. His spear lashed out as he hobbled backwards dragging his crushed leg, blood flowing from the perturbing bones that had punched through his skin. He somehow still had both his shield and spear as the spider followed after him. Using its front to legs to punch out at Jax. He turned his shield taking both hits on it but almost falling on his back from the blows.

  Cid ran towards the fight and without saying anything he jumped towards the spider. It turned its mouth and fangs up ready to welcome him as he came crashing down. Jax’s spear pieced through its head as it had turned away from him to focus on Cid. Jax tore his spear fear and the spider slumped on its side, its legs retracting to its dead body.

  Cid landed next to it and turned checking to see that no new spiders were near and the large one was still on the end of the bridge. Seeing that they were currently safe he moved over to Jax who had just dropped his spear and shield and sat down.

  “Wait for me to set some of them before you drink your healing potion” Daggron said as he got near the same time Cid did.

  Cid saw when Daggron used [Stabilize Wounds] on Jax as the bleeding slowed and some of the bones seemed to have moved. Cid helped remove Jax’s shin greave exposing more of the wound.

  “Lay back Jax, Cid take one of his potions and pour it where I tell you”

  With Jax’s bearing through the pain they had the leg back together in thirty seconds. Which was needed as the last and largest spider had creeped back onto the bridge. It was clearly watching them and Cid felt sweat running down his back from its many eyed stare.

  “It’s watching us” Cid said.

  “We can all feel it kit” Daggron said, keeping his voice low.

  “I think it will attack as soon as it sees me move. It’s waiting for me to die I think, but if I’m healed it will attack or run. It’s too smart for my liking, but damn it’s good to see you both alive.” Jax said from his back.

  “Close thing that but Cid dove after me and saved me. I pissed myself when falling and he just followed me over and played the hero.” Daggron said with clear appreciation in his voice.

  Jax laughed at that and turned his head slightly to keep the spider in view. It was inching closer.

  “Lets finish this, help me up Cid and if you could hand me my shield Daggron I’ll rush it and see what it does.

  “Sure but all I have left are two Ice Bloom potions and my belt knife.” Daggron said as he moved to pick up the large round shield.

  “I only have one dagger left on me but it should do the job” Cid said.

  “Now” Jax said as he sat up, spear in his right hand. Cid helped him stand while Daggron picking up the shield had it ready for him to take hold of as soon as he was on his feet.

  With both in Jax’s hands Cid hopped back a few feet keeping himself in the middle of the walkway as Jax rushed forward.

  To Cid’s surprise Daggron was running with Jax. A belt knife in his left hand and an Ice Bloom potion in his right. Cid stopped moving backwards and stepped forward to follow when the giant spider jumped.

  “Shit” Cid said.

  Leaping high it cleared the arrow traps and was coming down like a landslide where Jax and Darrgron would be. Jax came to a dead stop as Daggron did the same and in an instant cocked back his right arm spear going from an overhand grip to an underhand one. He activated his [Lance] ability and threw the spear before he leaped backwards without looking. Daggron threw his potion in the same moment as he jumped backwards.

  Cid had not stopped his movement forward but quickly sprinted as fast as he could in the few seconds it took the spider to come crashing down.

  The spear empowered by Jax’s [Lance] ability tore into the abdomen of the spider that landed badly missing the two adventurers it had aimed at by a dozen feet. Just before it landed Cid jumped and as it’s massive body hit the walkway instead of legs like it had intended Cid used his [Double Jump] to clear the distance between them and come down on its head before it scrambled back onto its many legs.

  Cid realized too late that he had not thought this plan out as the Giant Woolly Cave Spider was hairy and as he landed he felt a dozen hairs find their way though his armor somehow and stab into his joints where his armor had deflected them towards.

  Screaming in pain he stabbed down into the monster's head pushing deeper and deeper with every stab before the spider got its legs under it and reared back onto its back legs. Cids mostly horizontal footing went vertical before he jumped off, aiming for the walkway but crash landed as the spider hair was shooting pain throughout his body.

  Jax in this moment activated his level 15 ability, an ability he had just gotten from the opening of Desanigh and the fight that had killed his sister Mia. Reaching his empty right hand out he [Return Spear]. His spear that was still in the abdomen of the spider ripped itself free and shot back towards his waiting hand. The spear shaft horizontal as it reached him. He moved forward back into the attack.

  Daggron threw his remaining Ice Bloom potion at the rearing spider seeing Cid jump or get thrown off. Coming back down on its front legs the potion hit the front two legs causing pain to shoot through them and to slightly lock them up, not enough to truly hurt the wounded spider but enough that its front legs locked up causing it to land badly again. Its body drove down to the walkway as the front legs buckled underneath its own weight.

  Jax, now within range of the monster's body, used both [Quick Thrust] and [Lance], spending both their charges as fast as he could as he ripped open a hole large enough to climb into in seconds. Black greenish blood poured out of the wound as chunks of its hairy skin fell to the side in the attack.

  It scrambled backwards a dozen feet getting its many legs underneath it as it tried to move away from Jax but Cid rolling to his feet screaming, cut the tip off of one of its back legs. The spider, now gravely wounded and surrounded, swung its body in panic trying to turn itself sideward away from both threats. With it hurt so badly and bleeding from multiple wounds it slipped in its panic and tumbled off the bridge backwards a walling screech coming from the falling spider.

  Cid in more pain than he had ever experienced waited to see its splatter belly up, its entire body impaled by dozens of spikes before he collapsed to the ground and passed out.

  All three of them stood there at the end of the bridge looking into the cave. It had taken an hour and their remaining healing potions to get them up and moving again. Light from the dungeon room behind them and the Dungeon Moss in the massive cave itself showed them a world in chaos. They stood on a ledge looking down over a massive cave. To their right but nearly below them was a short stone wall. No more than ten feet high and poorly put together.

  It blocked off this small section of the cave. The rest of the cave further to the right was open with the ceiling a few hundred feet above them at least. A slightly glowing river flowed in that part of the cave and animals and monsters were fighting as the remnants of the Lizardkin with thousands of Giant Salamanders fled their settlement and were moving in the open causing many a beast to attack them.

  Cid turned his head away from the Lizardkin. To the left of where they stood was the Lizardkin village. They had dozens of large buildings in their open space all built on top of a huge stone laid floor while more doors than he could count lined the opposite side of their cave wall, homes built into the cave itself it seemed, while few doors could be seen on their side.

  This Lizardkin village had been built on a massive stone plaza at the bottom of 50 long stone steps leading up to a pair of huge double doors on the far left. The door sizes were hard to guess from where they stood. The doors were stone and had intricate geometric designs on them. While next to the doors on either side giant plaques had been carved out with writing on them. They could only tell this because the writing near the top of the plaque had been left alone while everything the Lizardkin could reach seemed to have been broken away by them as stone rubble littered the area around the doors and the steps leading up to them.

  Above the stone doors remained the most important message, well at least the most important message to them Cid thought.

  Welcome ye who would plunder our grave. Here lies the 9th door to the remains of the First Vault of Desanigh, the Grand Grotto and your death, for behind these doors lies the first floor of the Dungeon of Desanigh.