Chapter Twenty Two: Danger, lingering in search.

Waiting for Kresley outside her moon-touched patchwork apartment/house block Waynev's new outfit suited her well.

Not, as well as the building, suited the surrounding housing block, but that was a stiff competition.

Hearing the phantom giggles despite her thoughts being hers alone for once in a blue moon, Waynev felt at the mix of leather and fabric covering her body.

The design was dark maroon red and dark navy blue; the pants padded with leather which allowed freedom of movement while the colour had already faded from them.

Second hand but from the approving look her stats gave them, they were obviously worth it.

Padded Leather pants

DUR (Durability)

1 = About to break.

10 = Better than new.

9.3/10

ATT (Attack)

1 = Worse than bare fists.

10 = A mediocre weapon.

100 = ???

0.00

PRO (Protection)

1 = Nearly threadbare.

10 = Mediocre armor.

100 = ???

9.85

UPG (Upgradable)

Unique equipment =Possibly upgradable?

(Locked)

Checking her new armoured shirt, unlike the last one, it covered her bust and allowed her to take a hit rather than bleed out the second a blade touched her. Its design was a simple dark red with the sleeves patterned with hints of blue between the leather padding.

Screwing her foot idly into the unyielding street Waynev checked the stats.

Padded Chest-armor

DUR (Durability)

1 = About to break.

10 = Better than new.

8.9/10

ATT (Attack)

1 = Worse than bare fists.

10 = A mediocre weapon.

100 = ???

0.00

PRO (Protection)

1 = Nearly threadbare.

10 = Mediocre armor.

100 = ???

12.4

UPG (Upgradable)

Unique equipment =Possibly upgradable?

(Locked)

Both items were expensive, leaving her only with 3 silvers and a few coppers.

Enough for lunch and maybe a bit more Waynev thought, her eyes idly scanning the surroundings before landing on a cart.

"Seems familiar…" Shadow looked near the back and spotted the box that eluded her.

"There's the artefact; it seems most carriages did have one similar to the one Siward and Wulfrun had." Not needing to be told twice Waynev checked the box using her gift.

Low-level Gravity Resistor

DUR (Durability)

1 = About to break.

10 = Better than new.

4.9/10

ATT (Attack)

1 = Worse than bare fists.

10 = A mediocre weapon.

100 = ???

0.54

PRO (Protection)

1 = Nearly threadbare.

10 = Mediocre armor.

100 = ???

5

UPG (Upgradable)

Unique equipment =Possibly upgradable?

(Locked)

"Hmph. Guess our ability is lacking when it comes to items not based on fighting." Waynev's observations lead to no words from Shadow, but from the silence, she could tell Shadow was disappointed.

As the silence stretched the residential houses, crammed into a city block became less attractive, and Waynev returned to the disturbing thought.

Well.

Disturbing event.

"She's stressed out the blacksmith is going to call out her name the second he sees her," Shadow whispered as she snapped Waynev out of it seconds ago.

"Also seems self-conscious about her size… and abilities gone." Shadow's mind fragmented from it's focused state to her normal one.

"How can you read other people's minds? Can you read mine?"

Slow to reply, Waynev stepped through into the store still following the timid girl sticking closely to the displays.

She was seemingly trying to bury herself in them and look like she knew what she was doing.

"It's an ability. So therefore like yours, I can only use it once a day…"

Shadow whispered to herself "... at least at this rank."

"... You didn't answer the question." Waynev glumly stated.

She already knew the answer.

"It's allowed me to be more-" She stopped to search for the word.

Waynev eyed the displays while waiting for what she knew wasn't going to be a good answer if her power allowed her to read people's minds, sure it would make her uncomfortable.

But could she do anything about it?

She'd been trying to get rid of Shadow for years, but maybe in this world, it could be possible.

But would it make the inevitable any more solvable?

Giving a silent sigh, she talked to Kresley and let her guide her to the second-hand pile.

Which, unlike the displays, was a tank of clothes.

From the lack of smell or mould, she could tell it was washed thankfully. Still, the difference between the display brimming with the sun's orange rays and catching envious eyes while the pile of gear tossed in a shoddy wooden tub in the corner garnering only disinterest was light and day.

"-receptive to your emotions and thoughts." Shadow finally answered, then continuing without missing a beat.

"Can't read them. Can't see them. But I understand them. As I understand your mistrust."

"But it doesn't change anything." She stopped, waiting as Waynev fished out a pair of garments.

“We still have a quest, a time limit to focus on."

Quest:

Find or create a Magic Catalyst.

Find an object that can be used as a Catalyst. OR Create an object that can be used as a Catalyst. Merge with the Catalyst.

Consequence:

You lose your innate ability.

Time Limit:

Three days, Eighteen hours, 22 minutes remaining.

Before she could reply, Kresley waved her over near the counter, looking down at the garments she shrugged and the two left the shop with their packs filled and their pouches lighter.

The two continued down the street as Waynev was thinking more about the quest before shrugging it off and enjoying the sights, she could take half a day to relax.

As the red and blue buildings continued endlessly she found herself with Kresley under a shop with cursive writing.

‘Potions filled with Emotions!’

“Corny.” Shadow remarked and after a brief look.

The sign had a red heart at the end of it and despite Waynev reading it easily she still found it weird that she was able to understand the awkward letters that formed the cramped words Aestern was inhabited by.

“After yesterday, I was thinking we could maybe buy some potions to help incase something happens? Maybe a tonic or two as well-unless there too expensive but if they are-”

Kresley went from leading in a semi confident manner to muttering so hushed Waynev couldn’t hear or bear to watch.

“Alright. It’s a good idea Kres, thanks for telling u-me.” Waynev smiled wide on purpose to try and alleviate her friends nervousness before walking with her into the shop.

The potion shop that currently stank of ammonia and chemicals that Waynev normally would’ve associated with cleaning.

The shop was on the small side however the window closest to the back of the shop brought in a pleasant orange that helped brighten and make the shop look lively.

Walking up to the counter Waynev could see a small figure in the back wearing an apron as they tipped the blue vial away from the flame and towards a small cauldron.

“Potions, interesting. Perhaps we can find a few that could help us rank up?”

Hearing a page turn Waynev saw Kresley looking through one of the books sprawled across the counter, looking down she saw two books.

‘Potions.’

‘Tonics.’

“No author for either,”

‘Maybe they’re a part of a guild or branch.’ Waynev thought, as her hands went to the potions book, her nails were growing longer and more than a few of them had scratches or were broken.

Grimacing slightly at the sight she made a mental note to take care of herself when she got back to the inn.

“At least you're not missing a finger,” Shadow added before giggling.

“But if you were missing a finger, it would cost less to fix those atrocities.” Ignoring the usual bad joke Waynev turned to the book.

For now the potions book, although it was a book the majority of said book was mainly how to make the potions rather than their effects, pulling back to the contents page Waynev found what she was looking for.

Five potions were now laid out in seemingly no order, going through the list she was surprised at the frankness of the names.

‘Health Potion’

‘Stamina Potion’

‘Mana Potion’

‘Agility Potion’

‘Strength Potion’

“Potions for healing, stamina and mana make sense but for agility and strength?”

“The agility and strength potion can’t be permanent… everyone would buy them.” Despite her statement she quickly skimmed through the book for the agility potion.

‘Agility Potion:

An enhancement potion that can be taken once a week to increase a person’s agility by half a normal human. ( Quarter a normal serpentfolk or dragonkin. Half a normal birdfolk. Half a normal dwarf or elf. Skeletons are not affected. )’

“Huh. They seem too good to be true.”

“Hey Kresley,” Waynev turned away from the book hoping for some advice.

“Are agility and strength potions worth it? Like… do they work?” Waynev pointed back to the drawing, briefly seeing the alchemist turn before hearing her friend's cute voice.

“Yes, they do but I don’t think we can’t make them anymore.”

“I think it's because the last grandmaster alch-”

“NO-” A loud voice made the two girls jump as the alchemist hopped down from her stool. Waynev realised the alchemist wasn’t short because she was young.

She was a dwarf.

“We can’t make any permanent enhancement potion because we’ve lost the ancient herbs needed. They were in demand during the mage wars and the grand alchemists used them all!” The dwarf shouted, but with her physique it soundly like a half shout which Waynev’s and Kresley’s eardrums were thankful for.

“Hmph.” Shadow mentally crossed out potions for advancement but kept the recipe just in case.

“Sor-”

“Not only that but the plants were only available in Dockern! Our family used to be rich, the store was bigger, the house was bigger, hell even we were bigger!” She jumped onto the stool near the counter, with her arms crossed.

Kresley was still recuperating from being shouted at and interrupted so Waynev asked a few questions that would hopefully calm the professional dwarf, potion alchemist?

“What potions do you recommend for an adventurer Ms…”

“Lomrubella Oakenbuster, if this were 30 years ago you’d call me Oaken but Rubella is fine for now.” She loosened her stance as she began the usual explanation.

After fifteen minutes of explaining Waynev could confidently tell the difference between the five different potions, despite two of them being discontinued.

It ended up with Waynev buying a health potion, a stamina potion and one mana potion.

Kresley ended up buying a health potion and a stamina potion before they left the shop.

Two steps away from the shop Rubella shouted urgently.

“Wait!” Hopping over the counter, Rubella almost faceplanted into the ground before she ran to Waynev.

“I almost forgot-what rank are you?” She heaved out, not used to physical exercise.

“I’m [Hollowed], the first rank why-” Waynev didn’t finish her question as one of the potions was ripped from her hand.

“Wow that was close, sorry but I keep forgetting this.” She laughed as handed back the silver Waynev paid for the potion.

“Mana potions kill anyone under the [Forlorn] rank, I’ve already got two strikes for it to be honest!” She laughed as if telling a joke that didn’t involve two possibly death adventurers.

“Oh my god.”

“They really shouldn’t give out strikes for killing the unranked but eh, anyway thanks for the sale come back if you need more!”

Waynev stood frozen as Kresley whispered “She’s a good alchemist but… a bit forgetful.”

Blinking she put the two potions away.

“Yeah. Forgetful.”

“What a day.” Waynev blew out.

She was escorting Kresley, the streets had thinned out thankfully, the cracked yet radiant road below her was making way for the dirt below as they approached her friend’s home.

“Thanks for coming Waynev, I normally don’t go out without Vaud or Pill… it’s been fun.” Kresley beamed with a tired radiance.

Grinning Waynev couldn’t help herself “Why not? Vaud seems pretty interested.”

Blooming in red Kresley nearly flipped into the ground.

“W-what, he doesn’t think of me like that.” Kresley faced the buildings trying to seem interested but her red ears gave her away.

“Caught her red cheeked. Hmm~ so that’s what she likes.” Shadow’s musings changed in intensity.

About to wrap around her friend Kresley suddenly stopped.

Catching herself Waynev saw the sign that caught her friends eye.

‘Elusive Yet Non-Intrusive Fortunetelling!’

“Hmm, is it magic or is it like our world? Obviously fake, but something people have a need to believe in…” Shadow’s words didn’t cut deep.

Kresley looked at the sign, as if in her own world before looking back to Waynev apologectically.

“Sorry I got distracted, let’s go.” Before Kresley made a step Waynev stopped her.

“Nah. Let’s have a look Kres.”

Waynev practically dragged the hesitant Kresley inside.

Much like her old world the entrance was enraptured in black curtains with a small sign above.

“Two coppers for a fortune reading? How does she make her money.”

Waynev, still holding onto Kresley, pushed the curtains aside and walked inside the elusive building.

It was pitch black inside, but as Kresley walked in beside her the curtains fully closed and a table visualised in front of them.

“Welcome.” A husky voice came from behind them.

Kresley and Waynev both turned but saw only fabric rippling.

Turning back they looked into eachothers eyes before the table glowed and a cloaked figure held a prism.

“Please. Take a seat.” It was a she, both her voice and scaled cleavage spoke of her race and gender.

Blinking Waynev found herself sitting on the cushioned stone engraved chair, Kresley was next to her, her eyes glassy before she blinked and looked around suddenly.

“Now.” The two looked to the fortune teller.

“Who is sh-” Shadow whispered but was interrupted.

“This reading is based on my ability. My paired affinity looks through the soul, I won’t spread what I find but I use it to survive in exchange. Will you take the reading?”

A silence went through the room.

This was serious and not what Waynev had wanted their day out to end on.

“N-”

“Yes! P-please if Waynev wants to as well.” Kresley’s large eyes begged her, like Elise used to-

“Alright, alright we’ll try it.”

“Waynev was that really the best idea, what if-” Shadow never finished her sentence.

Taking her hand off the prism the fortune tellers hands touched the table and two orbs flashed into existence on the table.

“Put both hands on the orb, when the reading begins don’t take them off or you could… lose something.” The voice spoke in a hushed tone, then bobbed her head as Kresley put her hands.

Looking at the orb she could feel it staring back.

Waiting.

“Waynev this could help us but it could also cripple us. What do you want to do?” The question hung in the air but the answer was staring at her.

The cool surface invaded her fingers and then her palm.

Looking up the room became eerily quiet, Kresley was staring at the orb waiting, still excited and unaware.

While the fortune teller began humming, her tone of voice husky and deep.

Looking back into the orb Waynev found her vision clouding.

“Here we **”

Shadow's voice went as did all other noises.

But her vision stayed, as Waynev stared into the orb her reflection stared back.

With yellow eyes it blinked as she did, furrowed her brows and pulled her lips into her mouth.

She couldn’t look away, but then the moment was gone.

Blinking rapidly she saw Kresley still staring into the orb but she was blinking and her arms relaxed and moved away.

“Hmmmm.”

“Your life will change and be pulled along depending on what choice you make in the future, in a building filled with knowledge yet only shared with those with enough cunning to use it.” Kresley looked disappointed as if she hadn’t heard what she was looking forward to.

“And you.”

Her eyes went misty and Kresley leaned over, hopeful that something interesting would be told.

Waynev on the other hand wanted answers while Shadow wanted more than just talk.

“Where I was shown the future with your friend, I can now see the past with you two.” Her hands moved over the prism tapping, pushing and pulling the sides, her eyes changed colours yet the prism stayed rainbow coloured.

“In the beginning there were two. The two had distinct personalities and distinct futures, opposites and yet siblings, however as time passed the two became closer and closer until their bodies couldn’t distinguish between the two and they combined becoming one. Yet, “ Breathing in, she closed her eyes and dropped the prismon the table.

“Yet, despite the two becoming one their futures were too unique, their personalities protested the change but it was too late. They were one but neither wanted to leave the body and by the time they left their maker it was too late, they were trapped not only in body but also in fate. Even if one were to escape, they would always come back.”

Sweating she wiped her forehead and began to stand before almost falling to a crouch.

“Thank you for coming, it’s helped change my future as well. Please don’t forget to pay before leaving.” The cloaked figure bristled away, back to the two stunned girls.

“Wai-” But Waynev was too late, she was gone, but the questions stayed.

A short silence came over the two before Waynev heard coins bristling, looking over she saw Kresley put four coppers on the table.

“Sorry Waynev, I thought this would be a lot cooler. I shouldn’t have even looked at the sign or thi-”

“No, I’m sorry for making this weird, here I’ll pay.” Bringing out her purse Kresley stopped her.

“Please let me do this, I just want to leave…” Blinking Waynev left the store with Kresley and the short trip to her apartment was silent but not out of fear or disgust.

Saying her farewells to Kresley Waynev wasn’t surprised when she heard Shadows voice.

“I've thought about what was said.” Shadow began slowly, as Waynev walked to a public bench nearby.

Plopping herself down she relaxed and put her heavy pack down.

“Go on.” Waynev didn’t bother giving her own opinion, she wanted to nap before their nightly dive.

“What the fortune teller said. Our past, not only yours but ours… it was from us being born but then me dying or being combined but staying distinct. I think I know what we are.”

Born together, being combined and yet having two people in the same body.

Waynev pieced the information together and could only stare at the answer.

“We were twins.”

Were before they… became one.

Still inside the womb, she heard cases where one twin consumed the other but combining with the other?

“It's why we can talk to each other, we’re on the same wavelength ever since we were made. I wasn’t put or created in your mind.” Shadow’s voice cracked.

“I am me.” She whispered.

Chuckles.

Then laughter.

Waynev couldn’t help herself.

She was never normal and never could be.

As the laughter continued the cheerfulness turned to tears.

She could never be free from Shadow.

It was something she unconsciously knew but to hear it from the fortune teller was too much.

“Waynev,” She ignored the voice and began openly crying with her hands on her face.

Quietly sobbing people continued to walk and talk unaffected by the sight.

“We have to be one.” Shadow’s words shocked Waynev to stop crying before spraying out.

“What are you talking about.”

“I don’t want to have another person in me. I am ME. Not you or your twin. I just wanted to be normal.”

Her arms were shaking but not in despair, instead they gripped her hair.

“Don’t lose your way and your mind, remember.” Closing her off, she wasn’t crying but was done.

She quit.

So what if she was [Hollowed], if she could never be herself-

“Waynev. This is the only way to reap what’s wrong.”

“Don’t be selfish and think of me for a change! I didn’t want to lose my body or be just a voice.” Shadow shouted as Waynev’s ears rung from her intensity.

“We have to save Elise and Kresley and Vaud and Pill. We’re not even halfway there we can’t give up.” Waynev closed her eyes.

She loosened her grip on her hair and began pushing away the tears but not wiping them away, they were still problems but she had bigger priorities.

“I-” She choked back a sob.

“I know. But it’s like I’m trying to bend steel, I can’t do it like I am now I’m not strong enough…”

“You don’t have to be. We can grow stronger and find or make tools that we will bend to our will.”

“No.” About to refute Waynev Shadow was surprised when she continued.

“Shadow. I’m not the same naive young girl you manipulated for years, I’m going to do things the right way. And the right way is my way, the way that I make, the way that doesn’t involve hurting my friends or involving bystanders.” She shoved her hair aside and broke free from the bench.

Slagging her bag to her arm she pushed through the crowd ignoring the muffled protests.

“The right way… Hmm.”

Feeling the fight leave her Shadow thought back to her nightly encounters and Waynev's words.

She had tried the right way before coming to this world but met only failure but now… perhaps this world was more different that she thought.

Hearing a screech, Waynev saw a small creature, looking like a half-possum half-human abomination.

From the looks at the people around her, uninterested glances paired with unhurried strides it was an everyday occurrence.

Continuing onwards only Shadow saw the creature get captured and promptly beheaded and pocketed by one of the shiftier looking citizens.

"Today we're gathering materials. Tonight we'll transcribe enough of the book to get an idea of what we have to do next." Waynev's strides were increasing in their pacing and size, unconsciously from Shadow's influence… and her desires.

"Before that, we just have to convince the PK team to follow our lead, which won't be hard if we jus-"

"No." Shut down Shadow conceded, small losses didn't mean much if she won the war.

Walking past the tents, she finally made it to the small clearing.

Where the group had formed and where her journey into the dungeon had begun.

Finding Pill alone, Waynev found herself waving him down.

Only to be ignored as his eyes continued to drone into the book below him.

"All his eyes," Shadow whispered, noticing even his eye-hairs were looking at the book.

"Weird." She murmured, a hint of playfulness entering her eyes.

Circling to his back, Waynev slowly snuck up behind the unknowing serpentkin.

"PILLER!" She shouted and jumped back preemptively as his snakes tried to bite the attacker.

On his feet, he looked at Waynev, as did a few onlookers.

"Wayne." He grumbled, he sat back down with a heavy thump.

Still facing her his scale shimmered in the afternoon sun, "Vaud and Kresley are... out. They won't be here until after dinner." He pivoted back around on the seat, swinging his legs over he moved aside slightly.

"He seems different. Strange." Shadow's words incited a double-take from Waynev.

Looking back at Pill he didn't seem as agitated, or was it alert?

Sitting down next to the new and improved teammate Waynev opened her bags.

Getting to work, she opened the ruined book beginning to rub charcoal and transcribe text to paper.

Shadow was scouting the surroundings for both Pill and Waynev until she noticed a few eyes land on Waynev.

Barely visible in her peripheral vision, Shadow barely saw a few small long and tethered figures.

Looking at the hair-snakes, they seemed to be scouting much like she was. Seemingly peering at the faces of the bystanders, adventurers and shopkeepers.

But she also noticed something else "Peering, observing, watching. Hmm." the eyes tracked Waynev's hand movements, he knew more than he let on.

Roughly two hours later, the light blue bench became black in the lamplight barely illuminating their figures.

On a half-full stomach, the PK group finished their meal.

"Finally. Now go on, show me how talking to their heart works without threats." Shadow whispered Waynev could feel the hints of emotion in the statement.

"Alright, guys? What do you thin-"

Before she had finished the last syllable Pill interrupted "I've already found a passage for us to take. We shouldn't take unwanted risk-"

"Unwanted risks?" Waynev retaliated with a cross of her arms.

"Like going into a beginner's passage and it turning out to be poisonous?"

"Wayne we can't-"

"What would've happened if I wasn't there?"

Looking at her squarely, he held his hands out.

"It was an unfortunate mistake. Maybe we could've made it out anyway with the warlock's help."

"The same warlock that knocked you out in the first place?" Waynev's tone oozed with sarcasm.

Pill grumbled and looked away.

"What do you guys think? I've checked these out through the guild, I know what to look for, and I'll scout ahead of the group."

"I was going to wait until we were in the dungeon to tell you this but oh well," Rolling her shoulders she uncrossed her arms and faced the whole group, giving Pill a chance to redeem himself.

"My power lets me teleport. Since I'm only [Hollowed] I can use it once a day, but that's more than enough to escape any monster's or poisonous fog, you name it." Waynev pushed forward, meeting their eyes she saw nods and Kresley relaxing her posture slightly.

"All I ask is that we take my way. Let's have today be the trial, then after we'll see if it works or not?"

Saying her piece, she backed out and let in a silence that wasn't uncomfortable.

Moments passed before Vaud nodded, "Waynev, it sounds like you're prepared, and after Pill messed up, I'm happy to try something new." He walked up to her and looked back at Kresley and Pill.

Kresley immediately after jumped "Me too. I think that maybe what Pill did yesterday wasn't the best for us." Kresley sputtered and inserted another small sentence after joining Vaud and Waynev.

"Sorry Pill, I don't want to sound mean, but we-we nearly died just from that fog!" Kresley squeaked out, looking at the ground instead of the towering serpentfolk.

All eyes turned to Pill as he turned away and looked at the distance, a small scowl on his face, but his eyes were unfazed.

"Fine." Walking next to Waynev, he turned to the group.

"Now let's go! This is my time, and I can't spare a moment of it. But before we go,"

Everyone lurched back, thinking the argument was over; they turned to Waynev and Piller.

"Wayne, how do we make money from the passage? You're gathering something but is there enough of it for us to sell and for you to use?" Asking the problematic question Pill accentuated the 'and' while keeping eye contact with Waynev.

"There-" Thinking back on what she read, she remembered something even better.

"-is enough, and if we gather a surplus, it can help strengthen the body, especially for the unranked." Waynev looked at the team with a cat-like smile.

She knew she had them.

And from their nods and Kresleys small smile, they knew just as well as she did.

Waynev took the lead of the party, her party.

Knowing Shadow was listening, watching her she whispered.

"That's how you win over a group."

Walking through the dungeon leading the team, she could focus on more than just the wall ornaments and passages.

They were heading towards the S layer; the plan was simple.

"Find the passage, find the hive, harvest the royal slime, sneak away without any pursuers." Shadow detailed, her earlier anger mostly absent.

In its place, a cold, calculating veneer lay.

At this level, Waynev couldn't help but look up and feel claustrophobic.

They were over a hundred meters underground, over 300 feet under and yet the air was cold, and the breeze was salty.

Usually being so deep underground, the temperature rose rather than fall.

Strange.

"Cold air and from the looks of the roof," Waynev rose her head and noticed water leaking from one of the long cracks that went lengthways with the corridor.

"Water damage, if Gods didn't make this place,"

"I wouldn't let us anywhere near it." Even then Waynev thought this place had claimed more than it's fair share.

The group was silent, despite their chatter yesterday.

The cause wasn't the elephant in the room; however, instead it was the warning from another party.

A pair that had more blood coating them then they had in their bodies, from their sullen looks and injuries whatever happened was serious.

A warning of monsters roaming the passages had put them all on high alert.

Except for Waynev and Shadow.

Despite them leading the group, their nerves were calm.

Shadow's ability to sense creatures nearby gave Waynev the edge she needed to react to everything, and with her upgraded stats she didn't have to outrun the bear, she just had to outrun her teammates.

Not that she would do that, of course.

A small voice suddenly assaulted her from behind.

"W-wait Waynev we're here," Twisting she saw a small hole in the wall, on the ground surrounding it was a bit of rubble, it looked fresh.

"Kres, doesn't this look like a new passage?" She stated, looking at the rocks as her mouth formed a line.

"Actually-" Pill rudely interrupted.

"I swear if he keeps interrupting Kres…"

"-me passages need to be broken open regularly. I've even heard a scholar claim that dungeons are alive." Pill laughed, shuffling his rucksack and peering within the dark crevice.

"Well… feel free to enter." He looked back at Waynev, Kresley and Vaud side by side, with Vaud still peering around the corridor, the earlier warning still having an effect.

Squeezing her way past Pill, she peered inside and could see nothing.

Then she put her torch through first and followed the wet stream, seemingly appearing from the corridor she was just in.

Hearing the rest of the team enter, she slowly began walking through the dark passage.

Continuing past the small pot-hole like pockets that were overflowing with the cold liquid, she could smell a dankness that spoke of unseen mould and organics.

This continued with whispering behind her every few steps, mostly from Vaud and from his tone, was likely directed towards Kresley.

Until Waynev made her way to a crossroad.

Two tunnels stumped their progress.

As indecision plagued the party, Waynev checked the two passages.

The one on the left which carried the small stream with a barely visible light in the distance, seemed safe, but the ceiling seemed to curve slightly.

Or was that the light?

While the one on the right had nothing but steep steps with small pillars not quite reaching the ceiling, instead, they worked their way up halfway and stopped, giving the already artificial feeling dungeon an alien or abnormal vibe.

"I suggest the left, the stream leads to the exit. While the right screams, beams an extreme that could and probably would hurt the team." Still staring at the abnormal pillars, Waynev found herself back away to the group, who had just caught up to Waynev.

"Wayne," Vaud didn't hiss though from his clenched jaw it was out of courtesy rather than inability.

"What's the plan?" Kresley and Piller were already looking into the deep passages, Kresley stuck to the left side after noticing the threatening pillars.

Piller, on the other hand, didn't mind the area, his snakes hissed slightly at the darkness though his face was almost identical to the stone encasing the passage.

Wholly still and watching them calmly.

Vaud didn't seem to mind after taking a look, instead stood next to Kresley and waited for Waynev's decision.

"It's all up to you now." The voice of reason, the voice of treason whispered, but Waynev was unaffected.