The effect was worse for some over others, but all of Broken Fang was feeling the toll. Eddie was closest to breaking, he would spend his hours after the return sharpening his axe, grunting like a beast. He was first to go to bed, yet was heard muttering until the morning. Jarrah saw Aria biting her nails often, and even Rowan would spend hours staring into the fire, saying nothing. Each day they were forced back early. They were supposed to have mapped the fifth floor by today, but yet again, they failed to pass the third.

  This day would be different, it had to be.

  They had passed the scuttling scarabs on the first floor and defeated the rock-spiders on the second, into the shadows of the third they crept. The barrier between the second and third floors was thick, both Aria and Rowan needed help. This made the expedition more difficult as retreating to the second floor would take time. If they were to turn back, it needed to be early - a painful call to make.

  But today would be different, Jarrah needed it to be.

  Jarrah was in the rear. An orb of light Aria had made for him floated above his head and in each hand, he gripped his daggers tight.

  The third floor, like the two before it, was a maze of connecting tunnels. Rowan had mapped what broken Fang concluded was about half of the tunnels on this floor and they still had not found the stairway down to the fourth. Broken Fang did not even know how many floors there would be, but they estimated around six based on the way the floors seemed to be narrowing, becoming denser. It was all going too slow. They had become too familiar with the black bricks that constructed the walls, floor and ceiling. Surprisingly, the bricks were beginning to crumble and decay on the third floor unlike anything above ground. They had even found a stream of natural water that had broken through one of the western walls.

  ‘Halt,’ Eddie called from the front.

  The party came to a stop and silence fell over them. Jarrah enhanced his hearing and heard clicking of metal boots on the stone, the armored ghosts were close. Broken Fang continued forward on Eddie’s lead, slowly. The light from Aria’s floating orbs climbed over the stones and out of the shadows, the ghosts came.

  Iron armor for a body and seven feet tall. The thing inside growled, black smoke seeping from every joint. Behind the visor a single red light flickered. Eddie swung his battle-axe, with a snap the thing caught it, entering a contest of strength.

  ‘Aria!’ he called.

  Aria pointed her staff and blue light radiated from the sapphire at its tip. An icicle formed in the air, sharp and spinning. With an explosion of air, it launched forward. Jarrah could not see it fly, but he heard the crack as it struck the red thing behind the visor and the armor clattered to the floor, the smoke inside losing its shape and wisping away.

  ‘One down,’ Eddie said, wiping his brow.

  More clinking boots could be heard echoing off the walls, but Jarrah kept his mind away from the ghosts and their friends. The floor was covered in rubble, the bricks deteriorating and hiding amongst the rubble were rocks that weren’t really stone. One pounced, eight clawed legs and two pincers dripping venom open from beneath. In a flash it would have landed on the back of Rowan’s neck, but Jarrah’s dagger found it first. The thing squirmed, releasing green blood that Jarrah flicked off the blade.

  Broken Fang moved forward, today would be different, it had to be.

  * * * *

  Eddie screamed out. Two armored ghosts bore down on him, one against each arm. Eddie’s battle axe was impaled in the chestplate of one, but it wasn’t enough. Behind the ghosts, a green light shimmered through the dusk.

  ‘We got a crystal walker!’ Eddie called. ‘Jarrah, I need support here.’

  Jarrah was moving as fast as he ever had. An avalanche of rock spiders had crept up behind Broken Fang and were pouring over them. Jarrah was all that stood between them and the other’s backs.

  Aria swung her staff, charging up a bolt of ice. The green light shot towards Broken Fang from the dusk and Aria released her icicle to match. The emerald bolt collided with the ice mid-air, but the ice shattered. The emerald shard caught Aria in the shoulder, knocking a spray of crimson blood with it.

  Another green light began to spin through the shadows.

  ‘Jarrah!’ Eddie cried as the two armored ghosts forced him down to one knee.

  Jarrah sliced another spider that launched for Rowan’s back, and taking a gamble, he dropped his coating. Focusing all of his lifespan into his legs, he warped passed Rowan and Aria, landing Eddie’s flank. Jarrah slipped his dagger into the visor of one ghost, crushing the red ball inside. Eddie, freed up, slammed his fist into the helmet of the other ghost, crushing it completely. Both crumbled into black smoke.

  Jarrah warped back behind the party, catching another spider in its pounce so close to Aria’s head his dagger cut loose strands of her hair.

  An emerald bolt streamed past Eddie, just missing his ear. If he had moved from the ghost’s lock a second later, it would have mushed his brains.

  ‘We need to turn back!’ Rowan yelled. He had both hands on Aria’s shoulder as golden-green light poured into her wound. Aria’s skin was pale in the dark.

  ‘I can keep going,’ she said, weakly.

  ‘This is the furthest we have ever gone,’ Jarrah said. ‘We need to keep moving.’

  We have to keep moving, Jarrah pleaded in his mind, I need to get to the bottom of this cathedral.

  Eddie picked up his battle axe, blocking another emerald bolt that shot out from the darkness. Jarrah knew it was over when Eddie looked down, grimacing.

  ‘Retreat,’ he said.

  ‘But we can-’

  ‘Retreat! I will cover the rear.’

  * * * *

  Eddie stomped into the sunlight first. The yellow thing was on its way down and streaming directly into their eyes over the distant black wall. Aria was on his back, her oversized witch's hat covering her face. Rowan stumbled out next, clutching his side and Jarrah was last to follow. Walking into the sun he sheathed his daggers and sighed.

  Broken Fang had not said a word since they retreated to the second floor. Eddie put Aria down softly on a bed of grass by their camp and looked back to the looming cathedral and Jarrah. Their eyes met, stubborn and full of regret. When Eddie turned away, Jarrah punched the wall. The black bricks cracked, but did not crumble.

  That was it, Jarrah thought, if we could not make it today, then we won’t make it at all.

  A spicy smell caught Jarrah's nose and his stomach growled. Looking over at the camp, Alek was stirring a pot over the flames with a wooden ladle. The kid had cleaned up, his hair was still overgrown, now touching his shoulders, but his face had been washed and Rowan had helped sew up his clothes. His earthy brown eyes were clearing each day, becoming less clouded.

  Eddie knelt over the pot and eyed the boy suspiciously. Alek managed a nervous smile as the hulking figure shrouded him in his shadow. Eddie took the ladle from Alek and raised it to his lips.

  ‘More salt,’ Eddie said, then looked at Aria lying on the grass, ‘but don't worry about that for now, just serve her a bowl.’

  Alek caught the ladle Eddie threw back at him and nodded. Serving up a bowl that steamed he sat by Aria and helped her lips to it.

  Eddie walked back to Jarrah in the cathedrals archway, and Rowan met them there.

  ‘It was a good run,’ Rowan said. ‘Our best yet. We have the third floor mapped to eighty percent I’d say.’

  ‘It’s not enough,’ Eddie said and Jarrah knew it was true. ‘The monsters regrow too quickly; the noctra density down there is ridiculous. In other dungeons I have tackled you could clear a floor and trust it to stay empty for days, this one barely seems to change between runs.’ He stood there, the light playing off his blue eyes. ‘I am making the call to return to Kerioth.’

  ‘What,’ Jarrah said, ‘you can’t be serious.’

  Rowan rubbed his face. ‘The deadline is still two weeks away. Now that we know the way we could make it back to Kerioth in… eight days, less even. That's enough time for a few more attempts.’

  ‘Today was too close,’ Eddie said looking at Aria. ‘Our party isn’t up to scratch to conquer T’karamatu. If we return to Kerioth and report what we know about the dungeon we will still be rewarded, just not as handsomely as we hoped. We could request to return with a larger party. Even just one more member would be enough.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  ‘Broken Fang, the strongest party in Kerioth,’ Jarrah quoted.

  ‘Don’t get smart with me. I am sorry things turned out this way, but with you watching our backs we don’t have enough firepower at the front to clear through.’

  Jarrah wanted to protest, he needed to get to the bottom of this city no matter what. What will I tell Rez? The revolutionaries needed it. But, in his heart, he knew Eddie was correct.

  ‘I better get back to Aria,’ Rowan said.

  Eddie nodded. ‘Good. Jarrah, you should get some rest, the journey home will be long.’

  ‘Aye.’

  He turned, but Jarrah couldn’t possibly get rest now, his mind was racing and his muscles still had energy left to spend. Not to mention someone was waiting for him.

  Rowan received the bowl from Alek and took over Aria’s care. Alek met Jarrah's eyes and Jarrah nodded his head to the side. The kid ran over, ready for their nightly training.

  * * * *

  Night covered the mist filled jungle. Somewhere a bird cried goodnight.

  Jarrah stood on a tree back twenty feet above the jungle floor. For this round Alek would hunt him, and like all good predators he was lying in wait, out of sight. Jarrah felt a chill wash over him despite being blanketed in the warm steam of the nearby ravine. Surely I am not scared of some boy who only just died? But there was something different about that kid. Something that was hard to put a finger on, but was felt. A feeling not too different from the angel that-

  Jarrah spun just in time as Alek flew out from a nearby branch. Jarrah blocked his strike, dagger against dagger. But if there was one thing Alek was, it was quick. Alek flipped over, and kicked at Jarrah’s legs. Jarrah jumped and tried to pin Alek down, but the kid rolled out of the way, off the tree branch. He fell down into the mist, but Jarrah knew he wasn’t done. A second later the kid came flying up foot first.

  It was a plan to catch Jarrah off-guard, unfortunately it did not. Jarrah caught his foot and when Alek tried to slash at him again upside down, Jarrah kicked the kid's blade away. It landed with a thunk in a nearby trunk. It was over.

  An explosion of steam. The fireball ignited right between them, knocking Jarrah off the branch and separating them. Some trick Aria taught him. His torso felt burnt, but there was no time to lick wounds. Through the mist a fire bolt shot forward. This time it was not evaporated. His strength in magic grows quickly too. Jarrah dodged it and when Alek came streaming after it for a follow up, Jarrah warped forwards. The distance between them closed in an instant and Jarrah’s fist collided with Alek’s temple.

  Nice try kid.

  * * * *

  Under the guidance of the full moon they walked to the great ravine. The steam was so thick here that they had to wrap bandanas around their mouth and nose, but it was a sight worth seeing. A continent cut in half.

  The crested a hill made of jagged rock and trees that grew on a tilt, what they saw was a wall of swirling steam and unless drop that led to churning red magma.

  ‘It really is steam,’ Alek said, his hair stuck to his face in wet strands.

  ‘Did you think I’d lie to you?’

  ‘I didn’t think you lied, I just thought you were wrong.’

  Jarrah laughed. ‘Do you want to know the ravines story?’

  Alek looked up at the moon. ‘Is it a long story? I fall asleep to long stories.’

  ‘I’ll keep it brief.’

  ‘Okay then.’

  ‘The time of the story changes depending on who you ask, but somewhere around one thousand years ago, Purgatory was at war. They say this war was the last time a demon touched this world, but that depends on what you call touching. The Empire of Tao held the Messiah’s land in the continent of Abraham, but they had been turned on by every country besides Peter. Eventually they were pushed out through a siege that lasted years, but the army had one trump card left. They held over half the world's remaining Bezzer blades.’

  ‘What’s a Bezzer blade?’

  ‘It’s a weapon that was made by this guy named Bezzer. They were cast in bronze and were imbued with extremely powerful splitting magic. They would divide anything they touched. Be careful if you ever walk the markets, every second merchant will have a phony bronze blade he will try to sell you claiming you could split a mountain.’

  Alek laughed. ‘Purgatory’s merchants sound the same as Earth’s.’

  Jarrah ruffled his hair. ‘Tao managed to retreat to the city of Peter, but soon the siege moved there and they were forced further east. Their final stand was somewhere south of here,’ Jarrah said, pointing south down the ravine which stretched further than the eye could see, even if there were no mist. ‘To block their retreat, the blades were positioned all pointing in the same direction in a row. About fifty men impaled the ground at the same time and the army’s advance was blocked, but the effect was stronger than expected. The world shook and the entire remnants of Tao’s empire was swallowed into the ravine they created, the blades were lost too.’

  ‘So there’s fifty Bezzer blades down there?’ Alek said, looking into the churning red water below the thick steam.

  ‘Maybe, but hundreds have tried to find them and few return at all. Most likely they melted. The story isn't finished just yet, there’s one more part.’

  ‘You said the story would be short.’

  ‘You’re not asleep yet are you?’

  Alek said nothing.

  ‘Underneath Tao’s last stand was - by pure bad luck - the remnants of a demon. Asleep under the stone was an Odium.’ Alek looked confused, so Jarrah explained. ‘An Odium is something between a demon and a monster, in truth no one knows what they really are, but they’re the last thing you ever want to run into. They have the reverence of the divine without the intelligence of a pig. If you run into one the fear alone will paralyze you. Only those with the strongest coating can even move in their presence.’

  ‘Coating,’ Alek said, sounding disappointed.

  ‘Aye, the thing despite all your speed you lack, you might just be the most unfortunate person in Purgatory if you came face to face with an Odium.’

  ‘I don’t know why I can’t learn it. I learnt boosting from you easily enough.’

  You learnt boosting in a week. You have mastered it to the point that takes men years of dedicated training. If Jarrah was being honest the kid was a prodigy. Even back at the cryptic-knight school he would be considered a golden child, but telling him that would do no good and only inflate his ego.

  Jarrah punched his shoulder. ‘You were pretty quick tonight, don’t get too down.’

  ‘But…’

  Jarrah nodded, ‘But without coating you won’t be able to kill anything. You need coating to beat coating, it’s both defense on your body and offence on your blade. You should also be wearing blocking a blade with your own, the coating sharpens your blade, but it also strengthens them and without a coating, it may shatter under the pressure. It is essential, but if you keep practicing I am sure you will learn it soon enough.’

  ‘I’m not so sure,’ he said. ‘It’s the same with magic. Aria tried for days to teach me water, wind, ice and stone, but none of it was any good. Then she teaches me fire and I pick it up straight away. It’s like some magic is completely blocked to me.’

  ‘You will be fine; everyone learns different things at their own pace. I’ll finish the story and we can walk back.’

  Alek nodded.

  ‘Legend says there were twelve Odiums, at least originally. Three were confirmed to be slain, this was the fourth. The Bezzer blades split the continent and their combined strength split this Odium. But the creature did not die. What woke were fragments of it, fractured Odiums. A single Odium could flatten a city, but these fragments caused damage much faster over the entire countryside. After being ignored for far too long they were hunted down by the holy-knights. Still many holy knights fell to them, their reverence, the fear they imposed was just too strong. Many died without even being able to fight back.’

  ‘Are there any fragments left?’

  ‘No, they’re all gone. The last was slain over nine-hundred years ago.’ Jarrah stood up. ‘Come on, let's head back.’

  Alek stood, but he lingered. ‘I… Thank you for teaching me to fight.’

  ‘No problem, I need the practice myself.’

  ‘I’m still not strong enough.’

  ‘For someone who just died, you are doing alright.’

  ‘But I need- when you go into the dungeon tomorrow, can you take me with you?’

  ‘Without a coating you wouldn’t be able to slay any monsters. Not to mention the risk to yourself.’

  ‘I won’t be a burden. My fire magic can defeat a coating.’

  The kid was looking at him with those pleading brown eyes, and white knuckled fists.

  ‘Fire magic is no good underground, it will consume our air.’ But there is a way. If he can move fast enough, hit hard enough it is possible to defeat a coating. It is just armor after all. With his speed, it might be possible.

  ‘How is your head feeling?’ Jarrah asked.

  He rubbed his temple. ‘It’s fine.’

  It was a terrible idea, but if he can watch the rear, I could help up front. He would be fast enough to catch the spiders too. It could work, but at the end of the day, it would all come down to Eddie’s decision.

  I need to see the bottom of that dungeon no matter what.

  ‘Then how about we do one more bout, there is another trick I can teach you.’