Bryn took a deep breath as she left the cave. Finally she could smell something other than essence. That smell was something people died for- she'd never thought that it could become so oppressive. Well… she clutched the strange bag to her chest. People had died for it.

It didn't hurt as much as it should. Bryn's comrades had died before and she knew how long mourning would hurt. It felt like a healed-over wound. No longer fresh but still tender. Had the dungeon done something to her? She didn't feel different- but then would she be able to tell?

She chuckled and let it go. That way lies madness. She’d lost enough already, she didn’t need to lose her mind too.

At a nudge from the drake, Bryn pulled herself out of her musing, giving Ms. Kittysaur an absentminded scritch on the ears. Ms. Kittysaur nudged back harder with a rumbling purr, nearly knocking Bryn over. She looked around and spotted the Sahii camp- was it really so far? Had they moved the camp instead of returning after the battle or… This was a second entrance!

At this point she was barely even surprised, numb from too many shocks to the system. Was the dungeon- was Ezekial trying to break all the rules or just doing it by accident? She could believe it either way. She was certain there was no other dungeon like him. Well, the Earth Mother perhaps, but the Northerners insisted she was not a dungeon and would kill anyone who claimed otherwise.

She began to trudge towards the camp, clutching the strange bag for comfort. It was like nothing she’d ever felt or seen before, a bizarre substance that seemed to come from nothing in nature. Still, it contained the souls of her comrades and she took comfort in that. Every delver had to accept that their souls were forfeit- that risk was the price of the power they hoped to gain. Not just the risk of death, but oblivion.

Becoming a ghast was even worse, depending on who you asked. To become part of a mass of tormented souls inflicting their fear, hunger, and hatred on the rest of the world…Generally the best ending in such cases was to be torn apart and end up joining heaven as a fragmented soul. Bryn thought she could do better though. All she had to do was brave the Sahii.

They were savages, everyone knew that. The serpent people, the children of dusk and dawn. All along the frontier villagers feared to go to sleep because of them- whether because they’d arrive as they tried to sleep or because they’d be there when the frontiersmen woke. They stole children and ate them!

Or so she heard. Bryn heard many things. Some of them she even believed.

Still, the rumors made her nervous and she decided to politely wait at the edge of the camp. She wished she had a white banner. Ezekial had said Ms. Kittysaur would protect her, but… Bryn took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

She stopped a good fifty feet from the farthest tent and squatted down to wait. A guard spotted her and turned to shout, attracting the attention of others. A gaggle of children turned out to watch her, peeking at her from behind a tent. Only half were Sahii, the rest various other changed. She recognized none of the lineages. Did the Sahii abduct children after all? They looked well-fed and clothed, so far as she could tell.

After a few minutes she spotted several people approaching. The chief- what was his name?- and magister- no, KAZ Itzal. Even if his title wasn't revoked he seemed to prefer the new one. She rose from her squat with a hand on Ms. Kittysaur, using the drake for both support and reassurance, clutching the bag with her other arm.

"A delver survived and is escorted by a drake. This dungeon truly is different. What do you want, delver?" The chiefs' tone was neutral, his eyes flat.

"I, uh, bring a message from Ezekial. He says he can heal Kaz Itzal’s grandson? And you should bring him to the stone table and leave him there?” Bryn suddenly regretted that she had not asked more questions. She’d been too overwhelmed by the bag of souls thing. And the ghast thing. And, well, everything else that had happened in the past day.

“What?” The chief was confused. Kaz Itzal inhaled, eyes widening, but then schooled his features into neutrality again.

“Ezekial. The dungeon. That’s his name. He can talk- through, like, spiderwebs. And he healed me when I was dying and said that I could become his servant in return? But I’m not allowed to run away either way so, uh. And he gave me my friend’s souls in a bag.” Oh gods she was babbling. Bryn was not good at this.

“Okay- slow down. I…” The chief rubbed his temples, frowning. “The dungeon is a person? As in the rock which produces essence and makes monsters?” Bryn nodded.

Kaz Itzal cleared his throat. “I can confirm this. Last night I was awoken by something teasing my wards. When I investigated I found a drake which seemed to be waiting for me. This drake, in fact." Ms. Kittysaur was sitting on her haunches, looking attentive and very polite.

"Her name is Ms. Kittysaur." Bryn added. They looked at her. She regretted speaking. "Ezekial named her?.." She added. It did not help.

"The drake led me to a hidden cave which was filled with strange carvings." Kaz Itzal continued as if she had not interrupted. "It seemed to depict the story of a god boarding a divine chariot which brought his soul to earth where he merged with the soul of a dungeon. He heard our prayers for water and delivered it to us so we may unite the tribes, asking our aid in his defense in return. He also offered to heal the soul of my grandson, an offer I accepted and he quickly delivered upon."

"Ah. That would be why he was able to join us in the battle." The chief gave Kaz Itzal a look. Bryn recognized that look. It seemed he'd be chewed out later- likely because he'd forgotten to inform the chief of these things before. "Then you said he took you as a servant, girl?" Was being called 'girl' better or worse than being called 'delver'?

"Ah, yes. Well, not exactly. He told me he had an offer for me and otherwise I'd be a prisoner?.. Because of his secrets. He will talk to me later about it, I think?.. Also, my name is Bryn. Bryn Butcherbird." The chief sighed. Maybe she should give him some clearer answers but she didn't HAVE clearer answers.

"Fine, Bryn. Finally… What the fuck do you mean by a bag of souls?"

"This bag." She clutched it harder. "There's a ghast in it."

"WHAT!??" The chief roared.

"It's harmless! We took the will out!" Bryn squeaked.

"You- how?" Itzal interjected in disbelief.

"With a net."

"A net." Itzal repeated flatly.

"It had warpstone in it, I think. Ezekial made it."

"He can MAKE warpstone?!" The chief hissed out. "And he made a NET out of it?"

"Yes? I think? He gave me a rock and said it was warpstone and…" Bryn trailed off. The chief was holding up a hand.

“Okay, come in. We’ll call a full meeting of the elders and you can tell us everything from the start. I trust you have no objections?” He gave her a flat look.

“No sir, just…”

“What?”

“You don’t eat children, do you?..”