Dan scrambled into the clearing, stumbling over a rock, which caused him to completely miss getting stabbed by a beetle and fall near the tunnel entrance.

  Kabi’s blades danced, catching the Forger’s blades as she turned to swipe at poor Dan.

  He squeaked and dove into the entrance, out of breath.

  I launched at Dezmlia’s back, stabbing into the back of her neck. My shoulder slammed her into the ground as Kabi quickly stepped back, letting us both fall.

  [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against level 115, Dezmlia, The Breaker.]

  [You have collected a bounty: Gained an Experience Token.]

  [You have leveled.]

  [You have leveled.]

  [You have leveled.]

  I closed the notifications as Dan scrambled at the rock near the tunnel entrance.

  “We need to hurry.” He sketched in a panic, drawing runes on the rock with the smelly stick.

  Strange popped out of the tunnel, and Dan leaped back, shrieking again before regaining control over himself.

  Kabi joined him at the rock, and they both yanked it into place.

  “It’s coming…” said Lenna as she jumped down from the hill with wide eyes. She glanced back in the direction we’d come twice. Her fingers twitching.

  I felt the edges, drifting closer, but slower than I would have thought.

  “How much time do you need?” I asked, taking a deep breath.

  “Whatever you can give me.” Dan’s hands shook at whatever he traced on the rock. He then paused, wiped it away, and started again. “The rock by itself isn’t enough!”

  “Alex…” said Kabi in a low voice.

  “Don’t worry, it's like me,” I said with a nod. “Just get everyone inside.”

  Then I started strolling toward the area where I felt the Flora Maw. Curiosity stayed in the front of my mind, even as fear tried to take hold.

  The Maw paused its advance as I approached.

  The strange blue grass created a straight line on the top of one of the hills. I paused at the top of the one right next to it.

  The hair on the back of my neck suddenly rose as the line wiggled.

  “Hello,” I whispered as the sun finally crossed the horizon.

  A breeze flickered through the grass, and words came with it.

  “Child, why are you here?” Soft, so soft I’d miss it if I hadn’t been searching for it.

  “Passing through, on my way to battle the Offenders.” I gave it the truth, just like I would have given to Noseen.

  Four strange purple flowers bloomed on the edge of the line, like eyes forming. They focused on me.

  I almost jumped from the notification.

  [Azura, Flora Maw, Unknown, Unknown, Predator, Unknown.]

  “You hunt dangerous creatures, Child…” This time, the words came from the flowers themselves. Louder and clearer than before.

  “Someone must.” The certainty in my voice didn’t surprise me. They’d be running unchecked, from what I could tell. Not to mention the system rewards I’d gotten for killing them.

  “So young.” The flower petals fluttered.

  “I’ll grow stronger.” I let my confidence show.

  This time, my words caused the flowers to glance up at the night sky.

  I couldn’t help but look up as well. Yet, all I could see was darkness as a few stars winked out.

  “May the rocks tremble in your wake.” A single vine reached out to me, and soft pink pollen fluttered my way, as the vine jerked back. The line of grass shifted back.

  “Good luck on your hunt,” I finally added, feeling like I’d missed something.

  The line waved again before retracting.

  Then I turned around and headed back the way I’d come.

  The presence remained until some sort of threshold was passed, then it shifted forward, keeping a certain distance away from me.

  “May the rocks tremble in your wake,” I mumbled to myself.

  The others were gone from the barrow entrance as I arrived back on the scene, yet I felt Dan and Kabi right near the stone. They’d gotten the rock back in place, and it sealed the hole into the hill completely.

  The body of the Forger remained where she had fallen. It hadn’t turned to dust, and I thought that was probably a good sign.

  Before I could think about it too much, I snagged it into my inventory and approached the rock.

  It shimmered at my approach and let me pass inside. It tingled slightly.

  “You’re still alive?” squeaked Dan, as I stepped into the tunnel.

  “We told you she’d be fine,” growled Kabi. He studied me from my head to my toes. “What happened?”

  “There is a Flora Maw out there hunting. Best we stay inside for the night.” Its words hung inside my head on repeat.

  May the rocks tremble in your wake.

  It felt formal. I’d ask Noseen about it next time I saw him.

  Dan hurried down the tunnel at my words, and I followed him. Kabi took the rear.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Light glowed in the distance, and I realized we were stepping downward as we traveled. The tunnel opened up with a narrow bridge across a chasm that I couldn’t see the bottom of, which stretched at least fifteen feet across.

  Dengu pushed a carcass of a beetle over the edge before moving to another one. Several dotted the area.

  Green glowing mushrooms covered the ceiling, which stretched up. Yet, they provided plenty of light to see the enormous cavern. Other tunnels branched off of it, going in different directions.

  “Welcome to the crossroads,” said Dan with a frown. “This is a safe area that keeps you out of the badlands or the grasslands at night.”

  Lenna rifled through a bunch of crates, near a tent and a fire that smoldered.

  “So, we found where the Forgers were camping…” I added seeing the site.

  “Yeah,” replied Lenna, glancing my way. “And it doesn’t look good.”

  Strange explored one of the tunnel openings across the way, but all I felt was curiosity. The darkness would keep him safe, so I didn’t worry.

  “Tell us what you found,” I invited. Maybe they had been luckier than me.

  “One of these tunnels leads to the badlands, while another, I think, leads closer to Steadfast.” She shook her head. “They’ve been using them to travel unnoticed.”

  “They don’t go all the way to the badlands,” argued Dan, shaking his head.

  “They do now,” she said, holding up a rough map.

  He snatched it away with a frown. “I’ve used these tunnels to gather resources for my runes…”

  “How recently?” she asked quietly.

  He didn’t answer, instead studying the paper in front of him.

  Strange wasn’t down the tunnel that led to the badlands. It was one stretching north into the mountains.

  Suddenly, the bond between us trembled, and I snapped to his senses.

  Light came from more mushrooms, which highlighted an archway.

  “Really?” I asked myself, more than anyone else.

  Strange stared at it, then asked if he could go through it.

  I sent a positive feeling.

  He padded forward and then passed through the stone arch. I got booted from using his eyes and he flickered back into existence, but much farther away. It took a few moments before he popped back into existence.

  I mentally asked where he went.

  He sent along images that didn’t make sense. Darkness, blocks of stone, and a massive closed door.

  “Alex, are you listening?” asked Lenna while touching my shoulder.

  “What? No, sorry. Strange found a portal.” I took another step into the cavern, realizing I still stood near the tunnel entrance.

  “A portal?” Dan froze and turned a pale blue. “Where does it go?”

  “I’m not sure. He sent images of more tunnels and a door.” I continued to the smoldering campfire.

  Strange poked around the cavern he was in a little more, not worried in the slightest.

  “What type of door?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “It was closed, and it reminded me of a castle, but underground.”

  Everyone else looked confused.

  “What’s a castle?” asked Lenna.

  “Its a large building made out of stone that has thick walls to resist bombardment,” I explained as best as I could. “The door was bigger than me, and much bigger than Strange.”

  “I’m going to check that out,” said Kabi with a frown. He marched off, heading directly to the correct tunnel. Worry about Strange trickled along our bond, making me smirk.

  Again, I wondered if he could feel the bond between Strange and I, but I didn’t ask.

  “So, what's up with the map?” That felt like our lucky break.

  “They must have been expanding the tunnel system,” said Dan, tracing a few areas of the map in front of him. “Only a few tunnels reached out to the north, to Steadfast, and then one that led close to the badlands, but not into them.”

  “Who used these before the Forgers took over?”

  “Our people used them before we came to the surface. Our people used to live underground, but as we evolved to walk upright, we moved upward to the mountains and forests.”

  Images of the little Azurafolk who still crawled on four limbs instead of two flashed through my head. When they became adults, they walked on two legs.

  He continued, “Our people split up into different clans.”

  “Steadfast, and then the water tribe,” said Lenna with a sharp nod.

  “More than that,” said Dan with a frown. “The mountain clan to the far north, us on the plains, beyond the badlands is another clan. The newest was the forest clan that the heir’s family went to found.”

  He meant Kabi’s father and mother. Though, I guess his grandfather had come along as well.

  I muttered with a frown, “Except now they are mostly gone.”

  “You guys would know that better than me.”

  I sighed, hoping that the survivors who joined the water tribe would someday be able to reclaim the forest. Those towering trees were just so amazing. I liked that area way more than the hills and grasslands.

  It made hunting easier.

  “What now?” asked Lenna, staring into the remains of the fire before turning to me.

  Dengu padded up to the three of us with a happy grin.

  “Well, we killed the one who got away. Now we know where to find more.” I motioned to the map.

  That, plus my skills, and we could make a difference in this fight. Plus, pushing them completely off this planet sounded like the best plan.

  Lenna smiled, giving off hunting vibes. “That’s a plan I can get behind.”

  Dengu growled softly, almost like a deep chuckle.

  “Wait, what?” asked Dan with a frown. He shook his head frantically. “I’m not getting involved in this fight. I can head back to Steadfast in the morning.”

  Kabi crossed the bridge heading toward us. His shoulders practically touched his ears, and he had a sword clenched in one hand.

  “You okay?” I asked, reaching out to his shoulder.

  “That portal leads to the labyrinth, but not the area near the Academy.” He let out a frustrated growl. “But they know about it.”

  “Just because they know of the dungeon doesn’t mean they figured out how to travel to different areas,” I said. At least, I hoped they hadn’t figured that out.

  “We can’t take that chance, not with all the water tribe kids there.” He shook his head frantically, as his fingers tightened around the sword again.

  For a moment, I worried he was going to snap. The wave of anger and sadness from our connection rippled through my head.

  “Dan can head back to Steadfast in the morning and warn your father about it. He can pass the word along to the Academy so they can prepare.”

  Kabi’s head snapped to Dan. “Can you do that?”

  “Yes.” He swallowed hard. “I can warn them.”

  “Do you swear?” Kabi stepped closer to Dan and my hand fell off his shoulder. Tension built inside my friend.

  “I swear.” Dan gave him a sharp nod, as his fingers crinkled on the edge of the map. “Kids need to be protected.”

  Something shimmered inside where the bond to Kabi went. Kabi’s shoulders lowered, and the sword vanished from his hand.

  “This northern tunnel, where does it go?” I asked, pointing to the one that Strange now explored.

  “The northern clan. I wouldn’t worry about them. They are isolationist, and fully believe we shouldn’t have moved to the surface.” Dan rolled his blue eyes before holding out the map. “This one is the one that leads back to Steadfast. It doesn’t go to the city itself, but close. It explains where the creatures came from without the city noticing.”

  “Are you sure you're okay going by yourself?” I asked, not waiting to risk the warning.

  “The tunnel should be fine. Nothing left the plains alive, and you took care of the last Forger.” Dan stood taller than I’d seen him. “Plus, I can make a difference with this. Fighting isn’t my strong point, but I can deliver the warning.”

  I nodded slowly, still not convinced, before looking at Kabi. “Can you give him your communication stone?”

  His eyes widened, and he slowly pulled it out, giving it to Dan.

  “Communication stone…?” he asked.

  I pulled mine out of my pocket and showed him how to use it.

  “This is amazing.” His eyes went wide, and he smiled. “I have a rune I can use, but its distance isn’t nearly that far.”

  “As long as you don’t go through a portal to a dungeon or different world, it works…” The ones left behind in Lakeside no longer connected to mine. Which sucked, but at the same time it was one less distraction.

  “Maybe, if I can figure out how this works, I can create a better rune.” He started nodding to himself and sat down next to the remains of the campfire.

  At least this way we could contact him. It helped settle my nerves.

  Strange encountered stones blocking the tunnel north, so he turned around to rejoin us, moving much faster than before. It didn’t take long before he sprinted off to the next tunnel, this one heading to the badlands.

  I sent him a warning, and I felt his acceptance.

  Then I moved away from the campfire area and toward a cleared area near the bridge we’d entered from.

  I sat down and pulled the Forger's body out of my inventory.

  Time to figure out why this one hadn’t vanished.