On the balcony, watching a beautiful princess feed the birds.
What a life I have.
Thank you, Mr. Snake.
Lyra looked up and saw him watching. She waved him down.
What does she want now. I think from the first moment she saw me she made it her mission to never let me rest until I run away.
He came down to the garden.
"Hello Lyra. You need something?"
"No. I'm just worried. I wanted to talk to someone."
"About what."
"There's a story I heard when I was a child. About magic." She paused. "A long time ago a dungeon appeared from nowhere. No one knew where it came from. But when it did it brought chaos with it. A group of heroes formed a party and cleared it. When I was sixteen I read the full story — two thousand adventurers lost their lives trying to clear it before the hero party finally did."
"That's old history. Why does it worry you now."
"Because a dungeon appeared in our country. The kingdom officially closed it. In just the first three days so many adventurers lost their lives."
"Where is it?"
"4 days by wagon. It's closed, but people still go. They say when a dungeon is cleared it gives you wealth that even kings don't have." She looked at him. "Don't even think about going there. I don't allow it. As princess of this country, that's an order."
Lyra, I know I'm strong but I'm not crazy. How would I go somewhere I know people are dying in. And even if I wanted to — how do I break a princess's order. It's absolute. I can't.
Lyra smiled a little.
Now that's the Lyra this country loves. I heard when you smile, Oakhaven smiles too. Is that true?
"Anyway. I'm heading into the city. You need anything."
Please don't say you're coming with me.
"No. Be careful."
"Goodbye Lyra."
When no one was looking he transported to Oakhaven park. He sat.
"Come here, girls."
Nyx and Luna appeared.
"Go search. I want information about that dungeon — and find me a group heading there today. I want to go."
"As you command, master."
After a while they returned.
"Master, no one is talking openly about it. But we found a group leaving today."
"Take me to them."
He transported to the location. A man was making preparations at a wagon.
Liam stepped forward. "I want to come. I'm strong. I can be useful."
"Why do you want to go there?"
"My name is Liam. Same reason as everyone else. Money."
The man studied him. Then stepped back.
"Money. Good answer." He raised his voice. "Come on out."
"I'm Kaelen. This is my crew." He pointed to a broad-shouldered man. "Garrus. Our shielder. The man's a beast." He gestured to a sharp-eyed girl. "Seraphina. Magic caster. Telekinesis that can stop a charging boar." He nodded toward a woman leaning against the wall, lean and muscled. "And Zarya. Warrior. Fights like nothing you've seen. I'm the face and attacker. We need three more — one healer and two fighters. What's your magic?"
"Do you believe me if I say I'm the best healer you've ever seen?"
Kaelen pulled a knife and cut his own palm without hesitation. "Okay. Heal me."
Liam placed his hand over the cut. Green light pulsed. The wound closed in seconds. No scar. No blood.
Kaelen stared at his hand. "You're in. You said two warrior companions?"
"I'll bring them."
"Perfect. Full party. Tomorrow morning. City gate, a hundred meters out."
That was easy.
And the healing — that was just basic. How was it that clean.
He stood alone in the alley.
"Come to me."
Nyx and Luna appeared and bowed.
"Tomorrow we go. Both of you. Hide your horns."
They bowed and vanished.
The next morning Kaelen's party waited at the gate.
Three figures approached. Liam, with two women of such beauty that both Kaelen and Garrus stopped breathing.
"This is Nyx. This is Luna." Liam looked directly at the two men. "Stay away from them. I won't be responsible for what happens if you don't. They are killers."
The warning meant nothing. Kaelen and Garrus were already lost.
"We don't care," Garrus said. "I want to die by those hands."
Liam let out a short laugh.
The party turned and began the journey toward the dungeon.
The 3-day journey was peaceful.
For the past hour Garrus had been jogging beside the wagon staring at Luna.
"Please, my lady Luna — marry me!"
Luna stared ahead and ignored him.
Garrus switched sides. "My lady Nyx! Then you — please, marry me!"
Nyx ignored him too.
"Why." Garrus threw his hands up. "Why does no one love me."
Kaelen laughed from the front. "Alright, enough. Let's camp here. This road has worn me out."
They set up camp. As night fell the five of them sat around the fire. Nyx and Luna sat behind Liam.
Zarya looked at Liam while polishing her blade. "What's with your two? They haven't said a single word."
"They have their reasons. I don't know them all."
Silence settled over the fire. Then Garrus spoke quietly.
"I have a sister. She's ten. I do all of this to provide for her. I know I might die fighting someday. I don't care. I have to be strong for her."
Seraphina went next. "I have old parents. I'm their only child and their only income. When I was little they told me every day they wished I had been born a boy. That a girl can't make a living in this world. That's why I'm here. To make them apologize for that."
Zarya laughed. "I come from a wealthy family but I have nothing. They hate me because I was better than my brother at everything. My father wanted a strong man as his heir. He got a strong girl instead."
Kaelen tried to lift it. "And me? I just want to collect enough money to make one of them marry me."
Everyone laughed.
Liam glanced over and saw the faintest smile on the lips of both Nyx and Luna.
"Alright," Kaelen said. "Sleep. We need to be ready tomorrow."
They settled for the night. Liam lay on his back looking up at the stars.
Everyone carries something. I have to protect them. Can I protect them.
The next morning they were back on the road. Around midday Kaelen, who was riding ahead, screamed.
"THAT'S IT!"
In the distance — the dungeon. Its peak lost in the clouds.
When they arrived they found two hunters on the ground soaked in blood.
Liam jumped from the wagon and healed them. Both gasped and sat up.
"Thank you. But don't go in there. It's hell in there."
The second man was trembling. "It's white. You can't see it until it moves. We were on floor 46. Everything happened so fast. We just woke up out here. We didn't even come out on our own."
They got up and fled.
Liam understood. A creature of immense speed.
He turned to the group. "Let's go back. I'm not going in today."
He planned to send them away and return alone with Nyx and Luna.
But Kaelen shook his head. "We can't go in now even if we wanted to. The previous group failed. We have to wait ten hours for the dungeon to reset."
Liam stood watching the entrance.
Nyx and Luna stood beside him.
"Do you feel anything inside. Is there a demon in there."
"Sir — remember what that man said. It was white."
"If it's white it's a light general."
"But we both feel a Demon General too. Maybe it's a mixed dungeon. We're sure of it."
"What's a mixed dungeon."
"In a normal dungeon the leader is on floor 100. In a mixed dungeon there are two powerful beings — one on floor 50, one on floor 100. Both nearly equal in strength. That's what makes a mixed dungeon so hard to clear."
Liam turned back to the group and tried again to send them away.
I know if we're lucky we lose one or two of them. If we're not lucky none of us come out.
Ten hours passed.
The dungeon door opened.
They were ready. They stepped through.
The stone door shut behind them. Solid rock. No handle. No seam.
There was no turning back.
The first floor was a vast empty cavern.