Logan was beaming at me as I approached. The only person with something other than grim reflection.

  “Well. Well. Well. Look who got some in the dungeon. Was there a title for first to hook up in a dungeon.” Logan teased.

  “Shut up dude. It just sort of happened.” I grimaced but couldn’t hide the smile on my face.

  “Yeah it did.” Logan smiled even wider.

  “Seriously, no one can find out or one of us will be reassigned.” My face took on a serious look as I tried to let the point sink in.

  “Don’t worry mate, what happens in the dungeon stays in the dungeon.” Logan gave me a sly wink, which earned him a punch to the arm.

  I glanced around and saw everyone was preparing to follow Jace.

  “Come on, you hulking idiot.” I gave the smiling Logan another shove.

  A sudden pressure in my bladder reminded me I had to drain the main vein. “Everyone make sure you do your business before we move out. I myself am going to take a leak.”

  “Was that an invitation to join you or to come watch?” Gideon called with a stupid smile on his face, earning his a few chuckles from the group.

  “Sure but I am surprised you would put yourself in a position to feel inadequate” I quipped back.

  “Show me yours and I will show you mine.” Gideon was now beaming.

  “COCK FIGHT.” Logan joined in. The women of the group shook their heads but I saw them discreetly talk to each other before walk towards an out cropping of rocks for some privacy.

  I walked over to another part of the hill, unequipping my armor. After a few minutes a solid stream was flowing down the hill. A second later, Logan, Jamie, Gideon, Flynn, Gregory, Victor, Declan and Theo had joined me.

  “Couldn’t resist eh?” I quipped.

  “Yall were talking about it so much it made everyone have to go. Except Jace apparently.” Theo said.

  I glanced over my shoulder and sure enough, Jace stood rigid. A sentinel scanning the surroundings.

  Probably has Mana Sight activated as well.

  After an unusually long urination, we all regrouped with Jace.

  “Everyone feeling a little lighter?” I remarked making the men smile and the women blush.

  With the tension broken by the pee talk we continued towards the dungeon boss. We remained vigilant as we scanned our surroundings. I activated Mana Sight intermittently in case any Abyssal Horrors lurked nearby.

  Sage was still shell shocked but the further we got from the bog the better she became. She began practicing her flame conjuration, now trying to pass the flame to her other hand and vice versa.

  Kira was practically skipping as she walked. Every once in a while I felt a warm glow spread through me, I would turn to find Kira’s staff glowing as she healed me. She would just wave and continue walking or talking to Shanira, both glancing in my direction.

  The hill eventually turned into a decayed forests. The same trees that were below the cliff grew in thick clumps here. The Ash grey bark reaching towards the sky like skeletal fingers.

  The grass underfoot was yellow but didn’t break under foot. I bent down to run my hand through it, the grass felt supple and strong despite it’s dead appearance.

  “Weird.” I whispered to myself.

  “Thinking of going into landscaping Sparky?” Sage asked with a half smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  “The grass feels normal despite the appearance. Which is odd enough. Then there is the white eyes of the Drownjaws.” Sage shuddered at the mention of the crocodile monsters. “Sorry.” I quickly apologized as I stood up.

  “It’s okay.” Sage said but didn’t meet my eyes. “You know… Ethan saved my life before all this craziness.”

  “Theo mentioned it. I would like to hear the story if you are comfortable sharing?” I asked as we began to walk side by side with the group. I saw Kira inch closer out of the corner of my eye but she didn’t say anything.

  Sage’s eyes were looking at the ground in front of her. Her red hair cascading forward hiding her face.

  “We don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.” I said quickly as the silence became awkward.

  “No. It’s okay. It’s not much of a story.” She let out a sigh before meeting my eyes, tear already brimming. “It was the structure fire a couple months ago at the four plex.”

  “I remember, the meth lab explosion. It was a bad one. I had to assist with the investigation when I got on shift in the morning. Three dead right?” I asked as the memory flashed through my mind.

  “Yeah. I was on the rescue team and Ethan was on the attack line. When they found the meth lab, the shift captain called for a full exit and to exterior attack only.

  We were on the third floor of the second residence when we got the order. It was me and another firefighter Ben. As we were leaving the fire had chewed through the wall between residences and into the bottom floor.” Sage paused looking at the ground again as she relived the experience.

  She voice became hollow. “The smoke was thick and the heat was unbearable. Even in our bunker gear I could feel my skin burning. My visor was melting as we made our way back to the second floor. As we moved for the door I heard a massive crunch and the floor caved below us.” Sage shuddered and I placed a hand on her shoulder to ground her.

  She stopped shaking but kept her eyes forward as she continued. “I lost Ben in the smoke. I wasn’t sure if he dropped or if he was still upstairs. I didn’t know the basement layout, the smoke was thick with chemicals and the fire licked its way over the walls and through the hole. The flames danced in a weird green hue and I thought I was hallucinating. Sparky, it was the first time I thought I was truly going to die.” She looked at me in fear as tears fell from her eyes and I pulled her in a hug.

  Sage sobbed into my shoulder, the other firefighters giving a look of recognition at the grieving. Kira gave me a gentle smile and turned away to let Sage grieve in peace.

  After a few minutes Sage’s sobs finally quelled and she pushed herself back.

  “Sorry. You are just so warm Sparky…” she spoke with an uncharacteristic meekness. “So there I was, thinking I was going to die, stumbling blindly through an unknown basement in a chemical fire from a meth lab. It felt like I was in a box, every turn I made I met a wall. Everything I trained for, every instinct failed me. That’s when Ethan found me. According to Theo, Ben had exited without me and explained what happened. Ethan grabbed the closest attack line and rushed into the basement to find me.”

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Sage suddenly laughed. “He got in shit for it too. The Chief put him through remedial training about entering a burning building alone and Clandestine lab fire protocols but he saved my life. He entered that building and prevented the casualties from being four instead of three. Ben went on stress leave feeling like he abandoned me and I have been trying to pay Ethan back ever since. Now I will never get the chance.” Silent tears began to fall down her face as she finished, wiping them away with a sleeve.

  “I’m sorry Sage. Truly. I didn’t know Ethan for long but from what I saw, he was a true hero. The world will suffer because of that loss. Let’s get stronger so we don’t lose anyone else. So we can stand proud with the dungeon closed in Ethan’s name.” I gave Sage a confident smile.

  “Thank you Sparky.” She gave me a hug before nodding. “Let’s master this damn fire magic.”

  Sage began concentrating on practicing her magic as we walked through the woods. Kira drifted back over and began offering Sage advice. Her tone suddenly a lot softer and kinder.

  I left them to their training as we excited the woods.

  The ground became rocky and uneven. Bleach white stone grew from the ground, intermingled with mana stones. The stones became steadily bigger to the size of a vehicle. Giant cliffs loomed in the distance, these ones giant one thousand meter monstrosities. A strange sound carried on a growing wind that blew from the direction of the cliffs. Thump. Thump. Thump.

  I had moved up the group to where Jace lead, activating Mana Sight to look ahead.

  “Jace, how does your ability work again?” I asked once I was beside him.

  “It is a navigation skill called ‘Unerring Bearing’. It gives me a sense to locate my objective. It pointed me towards the source of my family’s killer and now towards the dungeon objective.” Venom laced Jace’s words.

  “I’m truly sorry about your family. Was it monsters?” I asked, the familiar pain of death washing over me.

  Jace nodded as tears began to well up in his eyes.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked quietly.

  Jace’s jaw clenched and he continued looking forward not saying anything.

  I was going to leave it when he finally spoke.

  “It was one of those Abyssal Horrors. They were hacked down. My wife in the kitchen… my boy…” he didn’t finish as tesrs rolled down his cheeks.

  After several breaths he continued. “I couldn’t bear it. I buried their bodies together under my son’s tree house. I planned to join them when I was attacked by a Mireluker. After unlocking the system I decided to get vengeance first. I burnt my house down and began tracking the Mirelurker back to Oakehaven. I figured they came from the same place. That is how I earned the navigation and tracking skills. I met a few more Mirelurker but couldn’t find the Abyssal Horror. When I finally got to Oakehaven that was when I met you. You know the rest.”

  I was silent for a long while. The only sound was the crunching of our boots on stone and the idle chatter behind us.

  “I know I said it before but I’m sorry. Truly. I can’t imagine the pain you are feeling. I will help you get revenge.” I vowed. Jace nodded solemnly as I continued. “Maybe after all of this you could join us. Find purpose again, help up close gates so other families don’t suffer the same fate.”

  Jace looked at me with cold, dead eyes. “Understand this Elias. When we are finished here I plan to go back to my farm, lie on the graves of my family and kill myself. There is nothing you can do or say to change that. If I don’t die in here, I die there, it is inevitable.”

  His raw conviction shook me to the core, a chill ran down my spine. “I hope not my friend. You saw the survivors camp in Valen. You saw what we are trying to do. Think about what I said. We could save so many more people with your help.”

  Jace didn’t reply. He just looked back to the cliff’s that were slowly getting closer.

  I left him to his thoughts and returned to Logan, Kira and Shanira who were chatting while their heads swiveled left to right. My stomach rumbled and Michelle’s soup, left forgotten in my go bag in the Bearcat, suddenly entered my mind.

  I need to find a way to bring food in here without carrying it.

  I banished the thought, and the growing hunger, out of my mind. Focusing on scanning the surroundings.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  The sound grew louder and louder as we grew closer to the cliffs.

  “What is that sound?” Kira asked.

  “It’s eerie.” Shanira agreed.

  “Sounds like drums.” Gideon added.

  “Maybe it’s a party.” Logan said to an eyeroll from everyone within ear shot.

  “I don’t like it.” I said sweeping the terrain once more. “Prepare for combat.”

  Everyone fell into formation, I tried to force my senses further. Trying to pin point the loud Thumping noise.

  The sound vibrated through the rock formations making it sound like it was coming from everywhere.

  Suddenly someone screamed, I turned around to find Kira clutched in the talons of a giant bat like creature. The bat was massive, twenty feet tall with giant vein covered membrane wings. Large hooked claws stuck out from the crest of the wing. It was all black with a purple hue, it’s tail feathers swirling out in silver streaks.

  It clutched Kira around both shoulders with massive three pronged claws. It flapped it’s wings with deep echoing THUMPS.

  “KIRA!” I shouted and threw my tethered Jian piercing a wing. I wrenched it towards the ground as Victor stabbed it’s other wing with his Billhook. Shanira shot a mana arrow that broke apart on its snout, but the monster was stunned enough to release Kira.

  She dropped from fifteen feet off the ground and Logan rushed forward, catching her before she hit the ground.

  The monster twisted on itself collapsing to the ground in a heap of wings and mass. The rest of the party fell on it in moments. I stabbed my blade into it’s screeching mouth, red blood erupting as it choked on my Gladius.

  Skyrend Shade Killed – 200 xp

  A replying screech sounded from above causing my head to snap towards the sky as the notification blinked out.

  Mana Sight Activated

  There was a thick layer of swirling mana pulled along on an invisible current. As I stared, multiple shapes broke apart the mana stream as they dropped from the sky like bullets, the mana condensing around them as they approached.

  Dozens of Skyrend Shades were attacking from the sky.

  “ABOVE,” I shouted as I quickly retrieved my Jian from the dead monster at my feet.

  The monsters struck at once, slamming into people or swooping through the air to catch someone in their outstretched talons.

  The fight turned desperate as the Skyrend Shades hit and fled.

  Kira was bent low healing and trying to prevent herself from being scooped up again.

  I leapt at an approaching Shade, my blade cutting it’s wing clean off. The monster spiraled into the ground where Jace finished it off with a quick thrust of his bastard sword.

  Windstep Activated

  The world blurred as I appeared above the back of another Shade my dual swords stabbing through the back and out the chest of the monster.

  Skyrend Shade Killed – 200 xp

  The blody plummeted out of the air and I prayed no one would get hit by it as I began to move again.

  Windstep Activated

  I was on the back of another Shade in a blur, sweeping my Gladius out at a passing shade. My blade bit deep as the velocity threatened to tear the blade from my grip. I squeezed my hand around the grip, a primal growl ripping through my throat as my blade exited the back of the shade and it dropped out of sight.

  Skyrend Shade Killed – 200 xp

  Congratulations on leveling up. Accept the rewards?

  Yes/No

  I was barely aware of the screens as the bloodlust consumed me. Yes. My Agility racked up three more points and Mana by two. The electric feeling of the level up intensifying the thrill of the battle.

  Only a second had passed and I launched my Jian into the face of another Shade before yanking it careening into the shade I was standing on. The two bat creature collided, throwing me from my stance. I barely tugged my Jian free with the mana tether before gravity began pulling me towards the ground.

  Only then did I realise how high I had gotten. The ground so far below began rushing up towards me as the ant like figures of my team began to grow larger as I plummeted.

  A fireball shot up taking out a shade to my right as mana arrows were released like Shanira's bow was on full auto.

  The sight of them growing closer swept the thrill from me.

  Fear laced up my spine as I tried to think of a means to escape. A windstep would throw me against the ground and my feet needed to be underneath me.

  Fuck no time.

  Movement from the corner of my eye had me throwing my tethered gladius into the rear end of a shade.

  The tether caught.

  Fear burned into exhilaration as the ground stopped rushing up and started sliding past.

  I yanked downwards and the beast tumbled towards the ground as I deactivated the skill and activated windstep to land on the ground.

  My arm ached but I couldn’t stop the stupid grin on my face as I looked at Kira. “I flew.” I was giddy with excitement.

  “Looked more like crashing to me.” She said with a scowl, the Skyrend Shade with my Gladius still in it’s backside crashed behind me as if to prove her point.

  She lifted her staff and the tenderness in my shoulder disappeared. “Thanks.” I said with a confident wink before turning around and finishing off the Shade with my Jian and retrieving my Gladius.

  I looked up to see Logan cleave an attacking shade straight down the middle mid flight.

  Victor had hooked another and was hauling it to the ground with help from Gregory.

  Jace and Jamie were protecting each other as Theo pelted water missiles that tore through wings with ease, sending Shades cratering to the ground for Jamie and Jace to kill.

  After the initial shock everyone was finally finding their ground against the airborne monsters.

  We regained formation and began attacking them in sequence. The long range picking off the Shade flying too far away for melee range. While the melee fighters engaged the ones swooping down to attack.

  The monster bodies soon littered the ground and the remaining Skyrend Shades circled high above, no longer daring to approach.

  “Let’s move closer to the cliffs to give us more cover.” I shouted above the storm of Thumps from the massive wingbeats.

  “I am level ten, I will need a moment to pick a class once we get there.” Jace said as we moved.

  “Same.” Jamie shouted beside him.

  The wind was picking up, becoming a howling tempest as it swirled through the rocky terrain.

  Sage threw a fireball but it got swept away in the wind. Shanira didn’t bother shooting any arrows in case the same thing happened.

  We reached the cliff side and the melee members created a half circle around the range members, Jace and Jamie.

  A horrible screech echoed high above, so loud it dropped me to my knees. I felt my eardrums burst and warm liquid flowed from them.

  A mana shield suddenly appeared and the noise decreased. A familiar warmth spread through my body and I got to my feet to look around. Kira had her staff raised and her hand spread in front of her. Her face was pinched in strain as she continued to heal everyone. My ears made a popping noise, the sound of screams and confusion finally filtering in.

  “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?” Someone shouted.

  Shanira screamed in pain, blood trickling through her fingers as she covered her ears. Gideon was running to her, healing magic pooling in his hands even as his own ears bled.

  Slowly people were standing up and looking around at their comrades still kneeling on the ground.

  The mana shield flickered and my attention snapped back to Kira. She had gone to one knee, clutching the staff like she was holding onto life itself. Blood was trickling from her nose and she coughed as she continued healing.

  I picked up my blades where they fell from my hands, unsummoning them. I rushed to her side a fistful of mana crystals already in hand.

  I crushed them into her hand, watching as the mana absorbed into her skin.

  Kira’s breathing finally eased and she looked up at me with a thankful look, but she didn’t say anything. Her focus back on healing as I crushed another handful of crystals in her hand.

  I continued giving her mana crystals until she was finally able to speak.

  “Thank you, everyone is healed. I am going to keep the barrier going to a bit longer. Elias…” she paused as she stared in my eyes. Worry creasing her face before she continued. “What was that?”

  I stared at her for a moment, checking her for injuries before looking towards the sky. “I think it was the dungeon boss.”

  As I stared high above a giant black figure launched off the cliff top. Blue light reflected off a massive black body as it disappeared in the black sky. “Contact Above. Shanira, use your skill. See if you can tell me anything about what is up there.”

  Everyone moved back into position as Flynn handed more mana crystals to the struggling Kira.

  A wave of energy rippled through the group as Declan applied his buffs.

  “Holy shit!” Shanira said suddenly.

  “What?” I asked scanning the dark above.

  “I am only catching glimpses but it looks like a giant bat. Oh shit, it’s diving.” Shanira called out.

  “BRACE FOR IMPACT.” I shouted and looked above activating Mana Sight. The swirl of mana that flowed high above scattered as a massive bat-like creature descended from the heavens. Mana concentrated in its wings as they tucked to it’s side and plummeted from the sky.

  The bat-like creature spread it’s wings at the last second, it’s giant talons poised to strike.

  It hit the barrier with a force that shook the earth beneath it. The mana barrier shattered and the beast enveloped us.

  The Dungeon Boss had arrived.