Morgan cut another cocoon, revealing a sputtering survivor that Ainsley was able to heal.

  :: Dungeon Population 15/15::

  As Morgan prepared to go get another cocoon, Frank stopped him.

  “I don’t know what might happen if we go over the fifteen-person limit. Let’s move these two out of the dungeon, then see about the rest.”

  With a few quick commands, Frank sent two of his team and Bear’s group to recover the mangled and mutilated body of their fallen companion from the bottom of the spider hole. Then they headed out with the two recovered warriors.

  As they waited, Ainsley leaned on her sister, breathing heavily. Frank huddled everyone together.

  “This is pretty intense fighting, and would be much easier with more fire abilities. We will sit down when we get back to the Citadel to go over new strategies. While we are here, you guys have any other ideas?”

  “More smashing weapons,” Erik said, hefting his hammer onto his shoulder.

  :: Dungeon Population 8/15::

  “Hold on to any other thoughts,” Frank interrupted as the population message popped up. “Let's pop those sacks and hopefully rescue more people.”

  Two of the remaining cocoons held survivors they rescued. One was almost entirely uninjured, just poisoned and weak. The other was bleeding badly. By the time they stumbled out of the dungeon, Ainsley was barely recovered and was practically being carried along with the two recovered warriors. A trickled of bright blood ran from a nostril and down her chin.

  Outside, they watched as Bear finished a memorial. After scratching deep grooves into the wall, he slammed the sword into a thick piece of wood he had dragged from just down the street. He placed his hand gently on the scrawled letters Morgan couldn’t read.

  “Is name. Demitre. We Remember,” Bear said gently.

  The walk back to the Citadel was slow and filled with mixed emotions. The rescued warriors were excited and thankful to be alive, while Bear’s team was mourning the loss of their member. Walking along, carrying an unconscious man in wet, foul smelling robes, Morgan thought about how fighting in the dungeon as a group versus when he was alone. Alone, with all his buffs, if he didn’t get paralyzed with fear, the fight would have been much different. Worrying about the others made him fight more cautiously than he normally did.

  Sophia said.

  Just the memory of the grotesque cocoons made him shudder.

  Morgan said. Some liquid squeezed out of the shirt of the man he was carrying and soaked the back of Morgan’s shirt with its wet, sticky stench.

  They got the story as they walked back. The man told his story in a halting and low tone. The group had been patrolling the city yesterday. Without proper dungeon-exploring gear, because they hadn’t planned on exploring the dungeon. After an ambush, they were chased by a group of bandits and were forced to escape into the dungeon. Three of the strongest bandits chased them into the dungeon and forced them into the cavern with the spiders. The spiders had come from everywhere, and within moments it was over.

  He picked at the newly healed, puckered scars on his shoulder as he talked about waking up, wrapped tightly in the thick strands of webbing, unable to move. Hearing the muffled screams of his patrol as they woke up to find themselves trapped.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “Hank was right there next to me. I could hear him crying out for help.” The man gulped as he stared into nothingness. “Then I heard him scream as they added the spiderlings to his cocoon. He was still alive when they started dissolving his legs…I heard it all.” Then the man was silent the rest of the way back.

  After dropping off the wounded at the hospital ward, Morgan and Frank reported to Burns. She was happy to see them, but not with their report. She had dispatched a recovery group to find the one they had stumbled upon, but the dungeon had been far outside their patrol sector.

  “We also sent out a company of fighters to search the base you found, and I just got the report,” Burns said. “Unfortunately, there were no people we could catch. Interestingly, there were still a lot of warm beds and uneaten food. The first fighters also saw a few people teleport out through a portal.” Burns pointed at Morgan. “This means your intel was good, but they knew we were coming just before we got there.” Morgan closed his mouth as Burns held up a hand. “We had a mage bypass the warning trap, it didn’t trigger. Either we missed a different trap, or we have a leak.” Seeing the confused look on Morgan’s face, Burns continued. “A spy who is telling about our mission.” She pinched her nose as she thought and mumbled to herself. “There were twelve people that knew the details of the mission last night. Either they are bad spies, or they want us to think that. More likely, it was one of the forty-eight other people that found out this morning.”

  She turned, as if realizing she wasn’t alone. “Don’t let that out. Also, Master Chief, …I mean Frank,” Burns corrected herself as she addressed Frank, who was slowly shaking his head.

  “Yes, ma’am, I’m retired. Frank is good enough.”

  “Going to be Governor Frank, if the rumors are true,” she replied with a quick laugh.

  “I’m afraid that is just a rumor,” Frank responded. “I am backing Katherine for the spot. Nothing makes me happier than training the fighters. Last thing I want is to get wrapped up in all the office and admin.”

  “About the spy, ma’am,” Morgan said after thinking. “I think we had the same problem in the Academy. It is someone able to disguise themselves very well. I saw the man,” Morgan gestured slightly with his hands. “He was this tall, and gave information about the citadel that only a resident would know, but I had never seen him before or after that meeting.”

  “Hmm,” Burns had a faraway look in her eyes for a split second. “I’ll think about a plan for flushing out our spy. Thanks again for your rescue mission. Frank, make some new teams for tomorrow, focusing on the suggestions in your report.”

  “Warden, You can go with Frank tomorrow if you would like, or I have a special mission for you.”

  “Tough choice. Cool special missions or nasty spiders in a dungeon,” Morgan said, turning to Frank. “But, sorry ma’am, I signed up to help Frank and would like to at least help the teams finish the dungeon.”

  “You don’t need t...” Frank started.

  “I know. I’m doing it because I think it is the right thing to do.” Morgan turned to Burns. “Unless the mission is critical?”

  “No, it is a solo scouting mission. The incoming General sent another message saying he had increased his travel speed and would be here in six more days. If I know Edward, he is only a day or two away. I just wanted to make sure.”

  “Oh, that won't be a problem. I can go tonight and scout out his route and see how far they are. I won’t be able to give you an exact time, but I can tell you how far away they are.”

  “Well, that is good enough. I can send some fast scouts out just to report when he is within a day. Hopefully, he isn’t fast enough to get here before the election.”

  Frank nodded grimly. “You really think he is going to be a problem?”

  “I have never known him to willingly give up anything.” She tugged down on the front of her shirt as she walked to her desk. “He will make it his first course of action to assume command of the men here under my command.”

  “You could just say no,” Morgan said.

  “It isn’t that simple. I swore an oath to defend the constitution and to follow the orders of my superiors. Now we sent a team up to DC, and I haven’t heard from them. If the President and the government are defunct, then we should work to reestablish them.” She adjusted the notebook and pen on her desk as she spoke. “We have had nearly forty percent of the Soldiers originally with us desert, and I can’t really blame them. The world is in shambles, and they have family they can’t talk to a thousand miles away. Most of these Soldiers are just kids that haven’t even made it through basic training yet.”

  She motioned for them to sit as she continued her thoughts. “I am sure other units with established teams and command structures are doing much better. I was extremely hopeful when I heard we had a messenger from a General. Regardless of my feeling about the man, he is a General, and my men, and his men, deserve the respect of those who stuck together through it all. I will not, however, let him take over the Citadel. We will have the election in two days. When he arrives, this will be a civilian establishment that allows us to garrison troops here, not a military base.”

  “The third amendment will prevent him taking over and from quartering his Soldiers here without our permission. Bold,” Frank said.

  “Only if it works. And if he doesn’t get here before he election. I have already started moving all the Soldiers who want to stay in the Army into one sector.”

  Morgan stood and looked at the golden light coming in through the doorway. “It’s almost setting. Which way do I need to go?”