Franco fidgeted in the cold predawn breeze coming from the nearby mountain tops, some of which still had snow late into the summer. It was more than cold that had him dancing from foot to foot and he knew it as he stepped trying to keep his blood moving. It was dark and the sun wouldn't be up for at least another hour but still teams passed him as he wanted near the entrance into the mountain.

  He went over his gear again for the dozenth time as he tried to keep his nerves at bay. He had a ruck with water and two days worth of travel food with a change of clothes. His adventurer belt with five wands. Shock Bolt, Magic Bolt, Flame Spray, Light Orb and Detect Magic. His belt knife, three healing potions, two stamina, two general antidotes and one Flash Fire explosive. He had his new armor, his ring of Sure Footed and of course his Jade Saber.

  “Make sure to leave some for us” A man said as he and his team passed Franco.

  “You know how it is, first come first serve” Franco said in a light tone waving as the man and his team entered the mountain.

  That was the third time in ten minutes someone had said something to him. He wasn't the only adventurer waiting for their teams here but he was the only one people had called out to.

  Luckily it was only a few minutes later when Faye and Summer showed up with Kara, their third and much taller than the twins team member.

  “You beat us here and here I was worried we would have to wake you up” Summer said as she shook his hand in greeting.

  “Me, I’m an exemplar of punctuality,” Franco said.

  “Since when” Faye said in a soft scoff.

  Franco thought that was strange but just played it off.

  “Well as long as I can remember I have” Franco said putting a smile on his face.

  “What is that, a month?” Kara said.

  “Who's counting?” he said as he waved the comment off.

  “Well, let's wait inside for Mari and his boys. No sense waiting in the wind” Summer said as she entered the well lit tunnel.

  Franco followed and was amazed to see how different the place looked. The walls had been smoothed out and clear light orb lamps were spaced down the middle of the ceiling. Just inside the doors was a guard station with little walls and two smaller gates. They checked some paper work that Summer had and then waved for them all to pass through. The guards all looked Franco over at least once.

  When they passed the small guard station there were now benches lining the walls here where a few dozen people waited in small groups or alone. Summer led them to an empty bench and they all sat down on it.

  “Long time since you have been back this way” Faye asked as she noticed his perusal of the tunnels and this waiting area.

  “I didn't think so but maybe two weeks or more,” Franco said.

  “If it was before the funeral, that was over three weeks ago” Faye said next to him.

  He had to look at her. She was wearing her duster clothes like usual but it fit much tighter around her waist. He noticed her new blue robe picking out from under the duster and then he saw her right hand with its fingerless gloves but now a new ring on it before he went back to her friendly face and open smile. Her face was set as if she had a joke she was holding back from him.

  “It hasn't been that long has it”

  She just nodded her head and when he looked and Summer and Kara they both nodded in agreement.

  How had he lost track of time? Well he had just spent two weeks learning that spell so he guessed that was how. He just couldn't believe that it had been a month since he had been down here. Innosaa had told them as much but he had thought they would be back after a few days, now he would be lucky to get his team back down here in two he felt.

  “Here's Mari” Kara said nodding towards the dwarf as he passed through the guard check point and headed for them.

  Franco stood but the rest remained sitting.

  “Good morning,” Franco said.

  He saw that they all carried their new weapons and items. Mari with his new axe, Dai with the bow and Istar with his new shield and new braces on each arm. They were all kitted out for a delve and along with Seasons End they looked a mean bunch.

  “So what did you get us today?” Summer said after greetings had been exchanged.

  “The same as most groups today, sadly. We’re going to the 3rd Gate by way of your Jade Temple path” Mari said as he nodded at Franco.

  “There about half the teams are meeting up in an hour to sweep the north east corner of the city and find the 4th and 5th Gates. After that we are meeting up at the Central Plaza. The rumor is that they found something there a few days ago.”

  “Central plaza?” Franco asked.

  “They found it five days ago or so and they think it leads to the second level of the Dungeon from all the gossip I’ve heard. It's a huge plaza with a beautiful fountain in the middle of it and it's said to have a map of Desanigh with slots for nine stones on the bottom of it. Of course eight of the nine slots are filled with stones right now. They think the plaza puzzles gave them out, so kinda like keys” Mari said.

  “And of course one’s missing” Ishtar said as he shifted his new shield.

  “Yea but that's all above are level” Summer said as she stood up and put her small backpack back on.

  “Lets head out, it's a bit of a walk” Mari said as he took the lead.

  Franco couldn't believe the change that had happened to the main tunnel and then the side route his team had explored less a month ago. It wasn't wide but it was uniform all the way down now with the walls having been smoothed out and a clear and comfortable path made. He finally had to ask after they passed a second group of miners widening the tunnel.

  “How many people are in the camp these days” Franco asked as he walked behind Faye.

  “You should know better than us. Don't you hang out in the expedition office all day” She said as she continued to walk in front of them.

  They walked in single file just so that the occasional person walking the other direction could pass without issue.

  “I spent the last couple of weeks or so hiding from the world because of the Jade Temple and to learn a new spell,” Franco said defensively.

  “Well hiding worked because the city is all everyone is talking about and between The Wrath of Pele and teams like us people are pulling out treasures every day now. Oh and I think there are about 2000 people here now. So you learned to free cast a spell did you? Going for [Spellsword]?” Faye asked from in front of him.

  2000! Franco thought. That was like ten times as many people that were here then when he woke up in the infirmary. He really had missed a lot. He shook his head to clear it and remembered Faye had just asked him a question.

  “Yea by ancient magical means I learned to free-cast a spell in fifteen days. I’m not sure what my original plan was before I got my head bashed in but I really want to be a [Spellsword], I think. Anyway I’m level nine now so I thought I had to do that before I hit level 10. “

  Faye stopped and turned “Oaken's Grimoire from the Temple can accelerate learning that fast” She said in shock.

  Franco waved his hands. The rumors knew way too much. “Does everyone know what it is?” Franco said, waving her off. “And it's not what you think, it's more and less than that. Five spells and then its spent”

  He would get Oaken killed if people thought that his book accelerated learning of its spells and there was no limit to it.

  Kara from behind them coughed. “Keep up with the group”

  Faye shook her head in disbelief and then turned around and caught up with Summer who was in front of her. Franco heard behind her.

  “That's incredible but limited and he still allowed you to learn one of them. That's a good teammate.”

  “It should almost guarantee me [Spellsword] so I needed it. Maybe I knew how to free cast spells before but since I woke up I couldn't

  “Maybe” Faye said after a few seconds of silence.

  They reached the spot where Franco teams had turned off and changed their destiny to explore a side tunnel. Now there was a guard station here with two adventures in full kit. They both looked bored but they checked Mari’s papers and waved them on. This route which had been narrow enough that he had to walk sideways at times was now a tight but comfortable hallway. What had taken them hours that fateful day they walked in a fourth of the time. Only having to wait in a wider area once to let a mining team move out of the way before they could pass them.

  They entered the large cavern that led to the Jade Temple and Franco found it once again a changed place. Here another way station had been built with three guards and a few benches and tables. The path that led to the large gorge was well lit by light orbs and clear signs marked that the right path lead to the Jade Temple and the left lead to the 3rd gate of the Desanigh Dungeon. They followed behind several teams as they turned left and walked down the path.

  With the large canyon to his right this was all new to Franco and he found it incredible. They passed blocks of intact housing where adventurer symbols and signs clearly marked the areas as searched with nothing in them. Some were just a few buildings together, others looked like entire city blocks but still they followed the path downwards until they reached a set of stairs that cut their way down as they took several flights down that turned in on themselves before they reached a large cavern area where parts of several city blocks remained and a large door sat on the far side. It towered over the small area and then it hit Franco that he was about to see something special.

  No one said much as they walked, catching up to more teams in front of them. Was this the city? Franco was growing excited and more nervous. He couldn't believe that this was the first time he had been here. He felt like he had missed out on something by not being down here weeks ago with his team.

  They passed through the large doors and went down another large flight of stairs before he came to a large landing and a huge set of double doors that were open out to him. He stopped in place as he saw a painting come to life in front of him. Pass those two doors and below them lay a massive city. Miles and miles of buildings of different sizes with huge streets and a cave ceiling hundreds of feet above its floor. A dazzling mix of crystals and dungeon moss covered the ceiling bathing the entire city in multi colored light bright enough that it felt like a cloudy day. It was a thing of legends and myth and there it was framed by the massive doors.

  “Amazing isn't it. I will never get used to it and I will tell my grandchildren about this sight till they grow sick of it” Kara said next to him.

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  Her voice surprised him but it was understanding and as he looked at the beautiful redhead with her two handed warhammer on her back in her half plate armor he realized that there was something more to her. He had thought she fit her team but now he saw her in a new light. Was she their older sister, a cousin or maybe a guard?

  He coughed to clear his throat before he answered. "It really is and now I feel like my team has missed something by not being here sooner” Franco said.

  Kara slapped his back and got him moving again so they could catch up with the group.

  “And many here still wished they had been you down there fighting Demons in the Grand Armory of the Jade Temple Franco. Now that's a thing of legends and you bear a Jade saber of legends" She said next to him.

  “That guy sounds pretty great. Maybe I’ll get to meet him some day” Franco mumbled more to himself as they caught up with the group.

  Kara just gave him another pat on the back as they started down the stairs into the city proper. Into the first floor of the Desanigh dungeon and what Franco could tell was destiny. His soul and mind itched with it. Fate was on the move and he knew it somehow.

  The team was just off to the side of the landing when Franco caught up with them.

  “Pretty amazing isn't it” Faye said.

  “Beyond words really” Franco said with a smile.

  —-

  “Well will they let us fight or what?” Franco said.

  The day had gone stale soon after entering the city. They were one squad in a small army of adventurers. Clearing streets that scouts had mapped out yesterday or this morning. Gold teams clearing companies of Undead or a few monster nests that had been strong enough to fight off Undead.

  Now half a day later they waited with most of the other adventurers waiting to see if the Golds would leave them anything as they had cleared their way to the 5th gate. There apparently was a small army of undead there. Seeming to have fallen back in the face of their advance today.

  “We will get to fight. Eleven Bone Giants, two Skeleton Mages, an Ivory Knight and two Bone Abominations with nearly 200 skeletons. That is more than even these Golds can handle by themselves easily. I think they are debating if they want to spend the time to have us split up into two or three groups and approach the plaza from different directions.” Mari said from where he sat.

  “I hope not,” Franco said, shaking his head.

  “Why not?” Mari asked.

  “Because that is a terrible idea and a good way to get a lot of us killed. Classic defeat in detail. We just need to hit them all at once and this will be over. It might get dicey but if we are going to do this today then we should do it all at once.” Franco said without much thought as he laid down. Today had not turned out like he wanted.

  It was some time later when a woman walked by calling the team captains for another meeting.

  He was laying next to Faye on the street when the woman walked by calling for them.

  “So what do you think?” Franco asked her.

  She kept her cowboy hat over her eyes as she laid next to him.

  “Who knows, today was way slower than I wanted. Going in a bigger group with another team or two is one thing but this just feels like militia duty all over again.”

  “You did militia duty” Franco asked surprised.

  “Yes and I’m sure you did it too if you are from Abigail. We all do it.”

  Franco thought about it, he couldn't pull up any memoirs about it but he had thought he could lead a group in a fight and he felt confident about his opinion on tactics earlier. Maybe he had done it in the past.

  “Maybe, nothing comes to mind but I feel strangely confident I could lead in a fight or that I have in the past. Probably just overconfidence" Franco said.

  “I doubt you were poor when you came out here but it wouldn't surprise me if you led a squad or company in training or in a fight or two before this. You do have the feel of a younger son of a noble to you” She said with just a hint of mockery in her voice.

  “What I do not. I’m sure I’m just some young adventurer that got lucky early on.” Franco said only half joking.

  Faye laughed at him for a bit before she sat up and helped him to stand.

  “I’m sure you’re all self made Franco just like my sister and me” Faye said with a wide smile as she dusted off her hat and readjusted it.

  Franco didn't think it was all that funny but as if Faye had sensed her Summer was there a minute later with Mari. He was sure he wasn't some noble son that would be to, what was the word he was thinking. Too ironic. Yea ironic he thought.

  “Alright listen up you bums” Mari said as leaned on his axe shaft.

  “We are going in as one group in a few minutes. Gold’s and Silver teams up front. Bronze behind until we get close. If they send the skeletons in first the Bronze backed by the Silver will move forward to engage while the Golds wait for the enemy heavies. We let the high level fight the high level. No need for heroes here. We are adventurers and not some damned [Heroes] so don't go being one alright?” He looked around and made eye contact with everyone in their group.

  “Good, if we make it into the plaza then everyone goes wide to let the Golds move in and clear out the space. We are working as teams so stay together and watch the teams to your right and left. Drop anything you don't need here”

  Franco prepared himself by drinking some water and eating some rations before he dropped his ruck and checked his gear. This was the first fight he will do with his new saber and spell and he was excited to see how much he had really strengthened himself. A few spars was not enough to give him a real feel for his new power.

  Summer and Franco took the lead for their group. They both wanted to fight and test their gear. Summer’s new sword was wicked looking with his curved blade. Franco wondered how it would handle in a fight but he had a new weapon to test himself and get on line where Summer led them.

  They were towards the left flank of the larger formation with Summer, Kara and Franco in front for their team with Mari and Ishtar just behind them with Faye and Dai in the back. After just a few minutes of everyone getting set a lone man in full plate waved the group forward as they moved. It was Sir Allen, a Gold ranker and the apparent leader of this large group. Although the two full Gold rank teams here liked to argue with him about everything.

  The street here was at least ninety feet wide with large sidewalks on either side. The buildings here didn't have courtyards but just small steeps up to their front doors. Franco was just off the left sidewalk on to the ancient street. With saber out in his right hand and his Shock Bolt wand in his left he felt primed to fight as they moved down the street.

  After a half block or so they took a turn to the left down another large boulevard and he saw the 5th gate ahead of them, almost two full blocks away. As well as the army of Undead that was formed up to meet them.

  A drum started playing a marching tune and then a bagpipe started up behind Franco. After a few seconds he felt a washed with energy like he had just drank a full cup of coffee.

  “Fucking Bards, I hate Bards” Mari said loudly behind him.

  “It's The March of the Dead,” Faye said.

  Fitting, Franco thought as feelings and hints of memories ran through him. He had heard the pipes before in battle. When was that? Had he been a soldier for a year or two before this? But he had been so low level when he woke up here.

  “The pipes, the pipes are calling” Franco said as the old memories washed over him.

  Summer slapped him on the back “Ha, you are a True Son of Abigail, pulling that quote out now”

  The adventures fell into step as they approached the quiet horde and when they were a block away the skeletons rushed forward in a single mass.

  “Bronze to the front! For the Living!” Sir Allen bellowed his massive two handed sword held in both hands as he held its point aloof.

  Franco instantly remembered the reply to that ancient battle cry that had been shouted on a thousand thousand battlefields.

  “For life” he yelled as he ran forward to meet the ancient enemy, Death.

  Almost fifty Bronze ranked adventures moved forward as spells and counter spells started to fly from both groups. A true lighting bolt had been deflected away saving a dozen Bronze ranked adventures before the two sides clashed as Shock and Magic Bolts filled the space around them.

  With Summer now just a step behind him and the clattering cacophony of bones upon him he casted Soul Lance through his saber and he felt the spell form almost instantly as his Mana moved easily through the nineteen complex three dimensional shapes as he set its point to appear just pass the sword wielding skeleton he found himself in front of.

  A hollow white lance of magic appeared piercing the skeleton that ran itself onto it further, severing its own spin in less than a second as another skeleton behind it did the same and then a third before a sudden pile up caused the spell to break and dozens of running skeletons to trip and fall into a mass breaking up their rush.

  “Nice” Summer said as she appeared next to him now as they got within sword range of the skeletons.

  With spells flying over and around him Franco moved to the left of the pile up he caused and easily parried a spear away and cut the unarmored skeleton Kimber in half with his saber. It was no harder than pushing a sword through a small pool of water. The skeleton just fell apart. He Shock Bolted another skeleton and then cut away its out-thrusting arm that held a dagger and with a quick twist beheaded it.

  Franco used his Perfect Perry Ability that the saber gave him to block a club blow aside so that he could bring his saber down in a chopping motion and cut the skeleton from left shoulder to navel in a flash.

  Through the saber he Free cast Soul Lance as fast as he could between swings using the Mana battery function of the saber itself as well as its Spell Focus to cast the spell a dozen times or more in a minute. Each one killed one or two skeletons before breaking apart as he moved around the dying skeletons.

  He still took blows from enchanted bone clubs or cuts from old rusty daggers but his Sea Dreamer armor was amazing. Franco still worked up a sweat in the light armor but nothing the skeletons had could get through it.

  Next to him Summer was controlling the battlefield around her. She somehow moved Franco and the skeletons around her as she fought. Dancing forward to cut down a skeleton with her sickle sword or pierce one through the head with her other short sword.

  Huge spells were now going off as fiery arrows rain down among the undead in front of them when an Ice Lance took a Bronze adventure to his left by surprise as it pierced his leather armor and blew out his back. The man died before he knew what hit him. Franco cut down his current opponent but winced at the man's bad luck. He didn't think he would have died but would have been sent flying back from the hit with some broken ribs at most. It was his poor armor that had killed the young adventurer more than anything.

  “Bronze back, Silver to to font” Sir Allen shouted from somewhere.

  Franco wasn't sure how long that fight lasted but he emptied his Shock Bolt wand on the nearest Skeltons before he started to fall back with Summer at his side.

  He had moved further to the center of the street than he had expected but he fell back behind Mari and Kara who now moved forward with Ishtar to engage the last skeletons and the Bone Giants as they moved in.

  This was no clean fight and the Bone Abominations with the Mages and Ivory Knight would join in as well. The real fight was about to begin and Franco was glad to be playing a support role in it.

  “You looked great out there Summer” Franco said as he switched out wands.

  “Not bad yourself” Faye said as she stepped up to him.

  “I feel like I killed fifty of them but that can't be true.”

  “Twenty two and I killed seventeen” Summer said as she took a sip from a small flask on her belt.

  “That's like a fifth of all the skeletons that can't be right” Franco said.

  “I would put my money on you two, killing all of them easily. You both looked amazing and your power ups are noticeable. You are easily sold Silver rank in power now if not experience.” Faye said quickly as they watched their remaining team members engage two Bone Giants.

  Dai was still behind them but he was supporting Ishtar in his fight with a sword and shield Bone Giant while Kara and Mari traded blows with a twin sword wielding giant.

  It was at this moment that the Bone Abominations with the Ivory Knight moved in to attack. They were met instantly with each Gold Team taking an Abomination while Sir Aleen fought the Ivory Knight.

  Franco kept his eyes on his temporary team members and threw in a few Magic Bolts as well as Faye to help Ishtar and Dai take out their giant but their fights and Mari’s were over in just over a minute as the Bone Giants fell to the overwhelming numbers of Silver and Bronze ranked adventurers.

  The Golds' fight went on longer as their opponents were all harder to kill and both sides had magic support as the two Skelton Mages kept pressure on the Silvers and helped the Abominations.

  A younger elf swordsman in one of the Gold Teams got unlucky Franco saw as the elf stumbled on something on the ground as he Dodged away from one attack by a weapon welding limb of the Abomination just to be skewered by another limb wielding weapon. A dagger of some kind went through his throat and almost tore off his head in just a moment. A member of his team was at his side with a healing potion in seconds but it was too late. That team went wild in fury and less than a minute later they killed the Abomination.

  The other two fights went better and both died as well as the Skelton Mages as they fell to an onslaught of spells from the Silvers and Bronze ranked adventures now that they could get in range of them.

  Franco overlooked the battle field after the last Skelton was killed and saw a dozen or so adventurers in the back field being treated for wounds while eight bodies had been covered in treasure blankets.

  Faye and Summer approached him as he sheathed his saber and holstered his wand.

  “Hell of a fight”

  “Eight died to see that many high level Undead destroyed isn't bad but also not great. Faye and I have seen both sadly before” Summer said.

  Faye nodded next to her. “It's the quality of their weapons that make these Undead so dangerous. So many have Silver or Gold rated weapons which outside of here they wouldn't. Summer and I, with some friends, took on the Dungeon of the Old World in Abigail a few times and fought twice as many undead with half our levels and did better and worse at times.”

  They both looked at him as if waiting for a response. Had he done that dungeon? He did have that flash of memory of standing over an injured companion while a wave of Undead attacked him before and he did have a title that might be related.

  “You will have to tell me about that sometime, is it a dungeon a lot of Abigail adventures do. It rings a bell for me, but we have kills to claim before others take them.

  The twins just agreed with him before they shared a private look with each other before they turned to follow after.