Garzha Trailfinder wasn’t quite a household name, but she was as close as the Mire came.

  She’d been a beacon of hope, proof that people of the swamp could ascend without the Monarchy’s blessings.

  It wasn’t what she wanted, the title and status, that was to be Yuki’s path, not hers – and yet here she was.

  The five swept into the central courtyard. Stone steps wrapped the way ahead, rising to an impenetrable gate. The thick-scaled titan bark vibrated with power, its carved runes of protection warning off any would-be attackers.

  Garzha stepped aside, Krogh’s sword already halfway from its scabbard. “[Gravity Strike],” the blade swelled, like a titan tree growing from Krogh’s hand – eyes of soldiers stationed around the yard trailed up and up.

  Krogh leaped, cratering the ground beneath him, his form vanishing to a pinpoint in the sky.

  The guards standing at the gate eyed each other apprehensively. Their orders were simple, but they’d never been challenged by high levels before.

  Krogh crashed into the gate like a meteor. His sword obliterated the stone archway supporting the gate's mechanisms, sending stone and plas raining in all directions and splitting the gate like a hot knife through butter.

  Krogh’s tongue flicked out, moistening a dry eyeball, as he crouched, sword buried to the hilt, before sheathing his blade in one smooth motion. “After you, Trailfinder.” The frogkin gestured for her to continue leading the way.

  Garzha ascended the steps. Not a glance to spare on the dumbfounded guards, the four Krogh back in line trailed in her wake.

  The Spire’s double doors swung wide as she approached, as if expecting visitors.

  Garzha and the council, heads high, flowed into the Spire. Paintings lined the walls, their frames trimmed in gold, each depicting Senior Keepers standing proudly protectively gripping their tombs.

  Marraka gritted her teeth, Krogh reflexively reached for his sword, Kythan tested his wings, and Alyndra dipped her paw in honey.

  “The concentration of mana in here is…” Marraka wondered out loud.

  Krogh did a backflip in place, “We’ve faced worse.”

  Gazrha set her jaw, synched her top knot, and swung the door to the council chambers wide.

  Garzha was tense; something was off. A vatagand should not have been able to down a district. Titans were invincible, and yet one had gone down without a fight. The level 45 [Blade Mistress] reared back on one leg and slammed her armored sandal through the great hall doors.

  Garzha swept into the room, the Shamanic Council at her back. Her aura barely constrained, the [Blade Mistress] sat poised and on the edge of battle. She swept the room with her eyes in an instant, assessing threats – and there was only one.

  A single orc, with a smug grin, thick jowls, and deep-set eyes, sat upon a dias. Garzha’s blood ran cold, her heart skipping a beat. Her eyes snapped to the scepter in his fist, “Karn – what have you done?”

  “Ah, so you recognise this – good, that will make things easier.” Karn’s smile failed to touch his eyes.

  Garzha shifted slightly onto the balls of her toes, “And the others…”

  Kythan and Krogh stepped to either side of Garzha, while Marraka pulled the [Dream Walker] to the rear.

  Karn sat at the head of an empty table, upon a dias, under a black banner bearing the Keeper's sigil – a tome and spire. He replied in a conversational tone, “I have no need of them – they will serve Eldrin’s purpose – in their own way.”

  “Do you know what you’ve done?” Garzha gritted her teeth.

  “I have set the Mire free.” Karn pushed himself up with broad, powerful shoulders – the table creaking beneath his weight.

  He’s too fast.

  Karn gripped the scepter in a meaty fist, leveling it at Garzha, “It’s time you learned your lesson, Trailfinder.”

  Karn blurred forward, striking Garzha in the head. Kythan caught her as she toppled.

  Laughter echoed as the chambers' doors swung shut, “I shall return you all to the bog, your time in the Mire has approached its end – the Keeper’s reign is now!”

  Krogh’s sword leapt free of its scabbard, while Marraka dropped onto all fours. Kythan sank into the shadows. Alyndra backed herself into a corner, her body operating on instinct.

  Karn released the full weight of his aura, the scepter in his hand glowing white hot. It was oppressive, forcing the five onto their knees.

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

  Karn smiled as he took a step forward. This was going to be fun.

  Talon stalked down the forward, surprised at the ease of his movements – he’d never felt so free in his own skin.

  He broke into a run, following his ears, and trusting his danger sense to guide him in the right direction. The maze-like construction led past several forks before he finally reached the source of danger.

  Talon crept up to the corner's edge, his hand resting against the coarse stone wall, poking his head out, he got his first good look at the threat.

  Gelatinous cubes, about a dozen of them, roll bouncing in his direction. Their awkward and deliberate movements – rocking up onto an edge before slurping forward, in a short hop – were not the most threatening of actions, but Talon knew better.

  These substances were composed of a slow-acting acid, a viscous solution that clung to any surface it came into contact with.

  He glanced at his hands; he was not equipped for a fight like this. Backing up, he faded into the shadows, retreating to the party.

  He worried he might not be able to find them, but his mind was as sharp as ever, as he took each turn, before finding his…companions crouched against the wall, protectively gathered around Trogg.

  Talon sighed, he really didn’t like the idea of protecting that thing, and yet he did – which was all the more disturbing for him.

  As he approached, Pryuuk stirred, his movements alerting the twins. “What have you found?” Pryuuk’s eyes narrowed as his wings tensed at his sides.

  “Gelatinous cubes, not an enemy we – I can fight.” He glanced at his hands.

  Pryuuk nodded, “What do we do? Run?”

  Jynxx and Noxx stepped forward, determination in their eyes, but a slight tremble in their knees. Talon held up a hand, “Not yet, boys – but steel your nerves, we may as of yet need your talents.”

  Talon signaled for them to follow before heading back in the direction of the cubes.

  The [Ronin] considered his options; he could abandon these – beastkin, leaving them to their own devices. That would surely be a death sentence, and he owed Churi, loath as he was to admit it.

  They could stand and fight, and battle in which he would be relatively useless. Pryuuk’s abilities were – he didn’t know – if they needed to adopt a baby cube, then perhaps – Talon snorted at his own joke.

  The twins' abilities would probably be more effective, perhaps even devastating, but again, Talon wasn’t sure.

  And of course, if they were to engage the enemy, the sounds of battle would surely bring much more trouble down upon them, even if they were successful.

  That really only left them with one option – they ran.

  Well, they didn’t actually need to run, now that Talon thought about it. The cubes were a slow-moving foe, and it did not seem like they were aware of their presence – the monsters were just out on patrol.

  Talon hadn’t been a dungeon diver. He’d always relied on others for exploration; his talents lie in other areas. He missed his Talon and could have used them in this scenario.

  When he’d gone after Thalgor and his companions, the Talon had made short work of the dive, extracting their target with ease, avoiding traps as easily as road signs.

  Traps.

  He’d almost forgotten – there would almost assuredly be traps down here.

  They did have one thing going for them – Talon knew their direction. Of course, in all likelihood, he was guiding them to a worse danger, but he didn’t know, and right now, uncertainty was as good as it got.

  Baby Trog let out a soft bray, a sound that was annoyingly cute. Jynxx stroked the baby’s forehead while offering it another mushroom to chew on.

  Talon continued guiding them away from the cubes, taking turns that moved him in the direction of Eldrin. The problem was that turns in one direction often lead them, in a winding fashion, back in the other direction. This was, after all, a maze.

  Sounds echoed. Torchlight flickered. Long stretches of darkness slowed their way. Water dribbled down the walls in places, leaving miscolored patches where minerals had leaked into the stone.

  Talon fell through the floor, surprising the twins, and Jynxx almost dropped baby Trog. To the party's credit, none cried out in alarm – and Talon’s clawed hand reached through the floor, as he dragged himself back up, onto the tunnel floor.

  He indicated they stuck to the side of the wall as he jumped the gap. Holding out a hand, he helped Jynxx across, lest the boy drop the little monster child and bring down the dungeon on all their heads.

  They continued, Talon in the lead, the others a few paces back. Their line of travel was bringing them deeper into the heart of the dungeon, and that much Talon was sure of.

  The air grew cooler the deeper they went. Just as they were lulled into a false sense of security, walking down a long corridor, a sound came from behind them.

  Talon turned, focusing his attention on their rear. Pryuuk stiffened as the twins lowered into a crouch. Talon smirked; those two had good instincts.

  Shluurp. The [Ronin]’s blood ran cold—long flat shadows cast around the corner, their images dancing in the torchlight. How had they snuck up on them? There shouldn’t have been anything that close…a trap door? It didn’t matter; they had no choice – they had to advance.

  Talon motioned with urgency, as they picked up their pace, careful not to make too much noise as they ran.

  As they approached the far end of the corridor, it ended in a T. Only for cubes to roll around both corners, bouncing straight at them, bits of armor and random items, jiggling inside the cubed forms. Talon snarled, reflexively drawing his claws, as he dropped into a crouch.

  His party spread out at his back as they came to a halt. Trapped from either side, there was nowhere to go.

  Jynxx handed baby Trog over to Pryuuk, as Noxx stepped up. It was now or never. Talon desperately looked around for a hidden passage – for anything. Maybe they could run past those cubes ahead, banking around the corner – distancing themselves from the threat–

  The sounds of steel on stone, weapons slapping shields, “This way!” shouts echoed from ahead, Talon’s brow knitted in confusion – “Charge, shields up, spears down!”

  Whoever they were, caution wasn’t their prerogative; at this rate, they would call the dungeon on their heads.

  The forward advance of the cubes halted, as the monsters rolled back, facing the threat at their rear.

  Just before the last cube could bounce out of view, a spear thrust through its surface, skewering its core – shattering the thing, in a flash of light. The cube melted into the floor as a figure stepped around the corner, careful to avoid the melting monster’s fluids.

  His deep-set hood hid his face, as his spear trailed at his side. Thalgor lowered his hood, a frown on his face, “Talon.”