South of the Sylcyne Forest, where the broad expanse of a river cut through the land from west to east like a god had taken a knife to it, a bustling town had set its roots down. Known as The Edge, by those who lived there, the town was a vital hub for those heading north. Built around the original ferry, the town stretched to both sides of the river. A truly massive bridge had replaced the ferry, separating Edge Greater from Edge Lesser, the latter being on the north side of the river.

  Within Edge Lesser, behind the Lucky Coin inn, two figures dueled in an impromptu training circle. It wasn’t nearly sufficient enough for the individuals using it, but they only saw it as further training in self-control. The woman blitzed forward with blazing speed, emerald energy coating her fist as she leapt for her opponent’s throat. The man she was facing dodged with seeming ease, his movements effortless and graceful as if in response to the woman’s savagery.

  Both of them shimmered with a barely perceivable silver energy, an aura that clung to them even as they exchanged a series of controlled blows. The energy from each would have shattered the surrounding land for a dozen feet in any direction if the individuals hadn’t been strictly redirecting and reusing the Aether from their exchange. It also helped that the training ring they were in was surrounded by its own shimmering aura, maintained by one of three spectators.

  “You need to work on your Aether control, Natalia,” Boris called out from the sidelines as he readjusted his Working to absorb some errant Aether.

  “What do you think I’m trying to do, Boris?!” The woman in the ring responded harshly, blasting forward in a blitzing rush before aiming her right elbow at her opponent's temple. The man was moving even as she darted in, responding by smoothly moving into her range. His left arm moved to push her elbow out of the way while reaching to grab the back of her head with his left hand, with his right hand slamming into her gut. His left hand moved like lightning to readjust, the flash of a Skill activating, highlighting the movement in liquid silver as he turned his back to her before lifting her up and over his body in one smooth motion.

  It was something a Bronze-Core could’ve possibly been strong enough to implement, but not nearly as smoothly or as powerfully as her Silver-Core opponent. Natalia’s world spun as the man’s hands whipped her up and over before her body slammed into the ground with a crack of displaced air and shattered earth. As the air blasted from her lungs, she was left gasping as the man slowly released her before squatting by her head. She was left looking up into Korim’s kind eyes, eyes filled with more understanding than she wanted to see.

  She threw a hand over her face to avoid those eyes, focusing on regaining her breath even as her other party members began to move into the ring while discussing the fight.

  “I still think the overhead throw shouldn't count. It was only possible because of a Skill activation anyway, and this was supposed to be a simple brawl.” Natalia would have recognized her friend Aliria’s voice anywhere, and she couldn’t help but huff at the poor attempt by her friend to avoid losing money.

  “Uh, uh, uh. That was a manual Skill Working, and you know it. This was as much a practice for Aether Control as it was a brawl, and those count. Therefore, Korim’s breathing techniques count as a legitimate move, and you owe me ten Chits. And not the Duskies you have either. Ten Glimmers, Aliria.” Grisham’s gruff voice was a sheer contrast to Aliria’s, its bass timbre cutting across the yard.

  Natalia had to chuckle at Aliria’s good-natured groan even as her breath steadied. When she removed her hand from her eyes in order to stand, she found Korim’s hand waiting to take hers. She let him help her to her feet, needing the contact more than she cared to admit. She avoided his eyes, but the squeeze he gave her hand before releasing it let her know he saw through her. He had been nothing but understanding since she had rejected his advances earlier in the year. It wasn’t like she didn’t like him either. It was complicated.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Her grandfather’s disappearance for years, followed by the System message she had received in the Spring, weighed heavily on her heart, and she refused to do anything with it until that burden was lifted. Korim had been understanding, and had even thanked her for communicating so well, but it was clear that he was simply biding his time until she found closure before asking to court her once more. He hadn’t let her refusal temper his kindness either, remaining a faithful and diligent friend in the midst of her anger and grief.

  Even as her cousin Boris joined the bickering duo in gathering around her and Korim, a polite tug at her aura had her turning to see a guild messenger standing at loose attention at the entrance to the inn. With a burst of enhanced musculature, she was in front of the young man, who couldn’t help a small burst of fear at her sudden appearance. Natalia winced at her faux pas and sent the man an apologetic look even as he fumbled with something in his inner coat pocket.

  Like most messenger coats, it was enchanted with a Spatial Working. It was only for documents with the proper seal, which let the messenger both carry a lot of documents and also let the guild mass produce the coats due to the restrictions lessening the upkeep and cost of the Workings. To his credit, the young man’s hand was barely trembling when he handed over the intended missive. Natalia had to use all of her self-control not to rip the blasted thing open in his presence, giving him a nod and receiving the letter with grace.

  It was only after he had departed that she pressed her thumb to the seal, unlocking the letter for perusal and System clearance.

  Attention Silver-Core Delver Natalia Talios,

  Your request for permission to ascertain the location and specifics of possible dungeon activity in the Sylcyne Forest is granted. You have been given full authority to act on the Delving Society’s behalf, with this letter acting as System proof. If dungeon activity is confirmed, all normal rewards shall apply.

  The High Council watch over you,

  Melle Mialana, Director of the Delving Society

  Natalia let the words sear themselves into her sight, the enchantments on the page letting her System apply the words as a notification. They would remain a part of her System logs as an extra precaution in case the letter were lost or stolen. She couldn’t help the wild grin that spread across her face at the sight.

  “Good news, I take it?” Grisham rumbled. “It was about time we heard back. It’s been weeks. I was starting to think we would be here until the snows kept us from traveling north.”

  Natalia turned to find her team watching her intently. She held up the letter like it was a victory flag.

  “Full authority, and all normal rewards! Signed by the Director herself.”

  They joined her in smiling at that news. Boris stroked his beard thoughtfully before speaking up.

  “Normal procedure then, Captain? Supplies and such? How long do you think it’ll take to get to the spot? Also, I know you said you trusted him, but do you really think that old man knew what he was talking about?”

  Natalia frowned. It was a valid question. “Yes to the first bit, enough for a month or two. We have the space in our bags. As for your last question, I know Cornelius seemed a little touched in the head, but I tested his senses myself. I’ve never seen someone below Bronze that could sense Aether fluctuations like he could. I believe him, and beyond that, I want to believe him.”

  She said the last words quietly, but they all heard her. She hadn’t tried to hide them. It was simply the weight of it. She needed them to be right, needed there to be a dungeon further north. It was the only way to get the support she needed to have her mission approved. Her grandfather was most likely dead, but she needed proof, irrefutable proof that he was gone.

  “For my part, I believe Cornelius is correct,” Korim said softly. “I’ve sensed something amiss in the north. The Aether is behaving strangely.”

  “Well,” Boris said, with a sigh. “You’re our Wayfinder. If you believe there's a reasonable chance this won't be a wild goose chase, then I see no reason to fight it. Besides,” he said with a broad grin. “The Sylcyne is always full of monsters this time of year! I doubt we will come away poorer than when we started.”

  Natalia had to chuckle at that, and the rest of her team followed suit. Leave it to Boris to lighten the mood with talk of money. He wasn’t wrong, though, and Natalia let her mind be consumed by the logistics needed for their journey north. As she went over plans with her team and handed out tasks to be completed before their departure, the back of her mind whirled with possible outcomes.

  The possibility of failure hung heavy on her thoughts, but so too did the likelihood of success. For success on this mission was not the end of her journey but rather the beginning of it as far as she knew. What she could not know was that the north held far more secrets than she realized.