[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

Two rats continued to clean the infestation from a safe distance, while Noemi returned to rest at the log behind. The woman in an orange robe tended to Noemi's wound. She applied an ointment, then bandaged the injured arm.

“Thanks.” - Noemi replied after her arm was fixed. - “My name is Noemi, by the way.”

“Mongatha.” - The black woman responded. - “It was brave of you to take on such a hard quest alone.”

“...and stupid! I didn't expect there would be so many worms.”

“It was on a notice.”

Noemi made an embarrassed smile. - “I know... I just thought... I'm better than hunting rats.”

“You definitely are.” - Despite the flaws, Mongatha praised the warrior. - “I assume, you're not in a guild.”

“No, not yet.”

“You should join Roosters.”

“Actually, I've other plans.” - Noemi took a better look at the woman and realized that she keeps a spear on her back, she also matched the description given by Augmi.

“What would they be?”

“Dune Boars.”

Mongatha's expression turned serious. - “You should forget about it, they don't take foreigners.”

“Perhaps, but there might be something they could require me to do in exchange for being taught their spear techniques.”

“Boar's combat style is part of their cultural heritage. It's not an option.”

“You must be from dune boars, right?” - Noemi asked boldly.

“Yes.”

“Is there a part of your techniques that was also used by outsiders?”

Mongatha contemplated for a moment, then slowly replied. - “There is.”

“Would it be wrong to be taught those?”

Mongatha wanted to answer affirmatively, but she recalled the laws of her village carefully. - “No, but I doubt you would find a teacher.”

“I will strike a deal! You can mention me to your tribe.”

“I might.”

Just as the girls finished talking, the two rats returned from their hunt. They weren't even half done, they were just catching a break.

Mongatha spoke to Noemi, introducing her companions.

“Tador.” - She pointed with her arm at elder rat, then at younger. - “Tikan.”

“Glad to know you, Tador and Tikan.” - Tikan's appearance made Noemi slightly uncomfortable, but she didn't let it bother her.

Tikan was suffering from labyrinth disease. In seventeen years, entire left half of his body was covered in stacks of lumps, which made the corresponding part of his face unrecognizable. Numerous ulcers on the rat's skin excreted purple pus and his left arm was oversized, reaching down to the ground. Its fingers lacked nails, had only a single bone segment and were five to seven centimeters long. The entire limb could function and possessed increased strength, albeit its movement was hard and painful. Tikan used it mainly to support his heavy crossbow.

At that moment, Noemi's stomach growled, what was met with a general laugh.

“You've been working really hard since morning, no wonder you're hungry.” - Tador opened his satchel, there was a dark, leech jerky inside. - “Help yourself!”

In her current state, Noemi couldn't refuse. She took a bite, it was salty-sweet and had a nice, smoky aftertaste, but it couldn't compare to Arath's rat jerky.

Tador also passed a waterskin over to the girl and complimented as she was eating. - “You cleared about half the nest alone, I'm impressed.”

“Only half?” - Noemi answered with a full mouth, surprised.

“Yeah, there are no red ones.”

Noemi continued to consume, but she had an asking expression.

“The largest type, they have a poisonous spike at their rear and are secreting green ooze from glands all over their body. You can tell the average nest size by the number of these. What we have here, is your average invasion.”

Noemi kept chewing and talking. - “You seem to know a lot about these worms. Please teach me more.”

“There are also green ones, their mouth extends into a sharp beak. They live in the sewers and have quills all over their body. Very rarely you can meet blue worms, they are shaped just like their black brothers but have thicker armor. Their hide is great for leather armors, so it fetches a high price... then you can encounter gray ones that camouflage at corners of walls or explosive glowworms. These are quite small but very scary. If you come too close, they'll violently explode. Their bodies are translucent with bioluminescent organs in shades of green and red. At last, there are their large, non-explosive cousins with onyx skin and rows of phosphorus spheres along their torso...”

As Tador was speaking, Tikena, Magotha, and Noemi already finished their portion of lunch.

“Ah, I'll finish explaining other monsters after we're done, If you don't mind.”- Tador observed that his companions were preparing for combat.

“Is there still spot for another person?” - Noemi asked, clutching half of her broken spear.

Tador pondered for a while. He looked at Magotha.

“It's your decision.” - Dune Boar responded.

“To be fair, we weren't expecting you to actually stay here, fighting, after seeing all these worms. We can't scam you out of your honest half of share, but we need to earn a living, so it would be nice If you could take a rest and let us handle the leftovers, so we don't have to split the remaining half four times.”

“I'll help for free.” - Noemi suggested. - “I wouldn't be able to finish the task and get the reward without you, so it's only fair.”

“How understanding of you.” - Tador smiled and prepared a crossbow. - “Then, let the hunt begin.”

[ ––––––––– ֎ ––––––––– ]

“Collect their hide, teeth, and blood. They all fetch a fair price.” - Tador relayed to Noemi, who kneeled over a butchered corpse.

The dam was clear. Beaver builders returned to their tasks and repairs, a few of them offered fresh, baked potatoes with rat butter to exterminators, as a supplementary gift.

Tador had friends who offered him a small cart harnessed by colossal grubs to transport all of the fresh animal products. When everything was moved, four adventurers took their respective places, leaning against the edges of a vehicle, and it started lazily moving.

“Minus the transport, that will be... about ten silver pieces. How do we split?” - The trio looked at each other, then at Noemi, like it was her call.

“You helped me greatly. I wouldn't sell these without your help. If I take two silver coins, is it fine?”

The rest of the party nodded at one another and agreed. To them, it was a good deal. Altogether, Noemi had already earned six silver coins in a single day and it was still about noon.

“I didn't know hunting beasts could be so profitable!” - Noemi noticed, it was about six times what Arath earned per hour without bonuses.

“Profitable, but dangerous.” - Tador responded. - “Magotha mentioned that you're not in any guild. This was a large infestation, you probably won't find another task as profitable as this without membership or inside the city... and outside, the risk is higher. You don't know what trap you might walk into or what monster might be hiding behind a corner...”

Noemi listened attentively.

“...I can recommend your services to some fresh recruits, you'll learn a thing or two before you decide in which direction you're going.”

“You're too generous... thanks!” - Noemi responded with a smile.

The cart moved into a town area, the four passengers enjoyed the rest of their ride in silence.

[ ––––––––– ֎ Days 30 – 34 ––––––––– ]

Arath and Noemi worked hard past the last few days, their savings amounted to twelve and twenty one silver coins respectively.

Arath earned a total of five silver coins as a bonus for his new rat dishes and attracted new clients, then helped to set up a booth with deep friend rat tails in the old town, what would start generating royalties starting this weekend.

Noemi was cooperating with recruits of different guilds, including 'The Rust', 'Serpent Sorority', 'Roosters', and 'Cartographers'. She was informed that at her level of proficiency, hunting for salamander hides or cyclopean stalkers' meat and organs was the most profitable, but the issue was that these monsters weren't a common encounter, so she coordinated a lot with 'Cartographers'. It fitted her, since she didn't like small game, and exploring was always full of dangers and new fauna, like the worms mentioned by Tador. Unfortunately, the girl was yet to find another cyclopean stalker, but salamander hides sold well.

[ ––––––––– ֎ Day 35 ––––––––– ]

In Zurno, the eighth day of the week was a day off. As promised, Augmi and Noemi met together to stroll around the cultural districts of the town. They met at the alchemist's shop, enjoyed a sweet after-breakfast, and exchanged their experiences from the past five days, then moved to the furthermost point of a city, while continuing their gossips.

“I wonder how Arath's business is going.” - Noemi continued the last topic of the discussion.

“In all honesty, it might become the most profitable food stall in the city. Not only the location is perfect, but it's quick and cheap food. It easily gained popularity... and the technique...” - Augmi looked at Noemi. - “You don't know a lot about your friend, do you?”

“No... he's a bit anti-social and not very talkative.” - Noemi made a half-timid grin.

“Arath had studied alchemy.” - Augmi stated. - “That's what I'm sure. You don't get to his level without understanding at least the basics of brewing potions. He's combining the tastes and alchemical knowledge the same way than an craftsmen put together revolutionary inventions.”

“You seem to be of high praise for Arath.”

“No, Noemi. You misunderstood, I don't praise him. To me, he's like a slumbering titan.”

“Titan?” - Noemi was a bit shocked, then began to heartily laugh. She couldn't stop tears from her eyes. - “He has zero muscles and always hides when it comes to danger.” - Noemi, though, quickly recalled Arath's scars and what he did, then got a bit more serious. - “He's... more like a skilled, but confused farmer.”

Augmi didn't respond.

“Hey! You're an outstanding alchemist. He's nowhere near your level!”

Augmi was afraid it was the other way around. She visited Dekhan's Inn the past few days, Arath was learning at a frighteningly fast pace. He wasn't just a 'rat' boy anymore. If his expertise wasn't cooking, Arath could be top contender in the labyrinth. Augmi was a master in her craft, but it was like she was sleeping herself, for the past few days of her life.

Noemi noticed the mouse's doubt. - “Alchemy and cooking are two different subjects. There's no point comparing them, but your choice of expertise is more profitable and useful in the labyrinth.”

“You might be right... every labyrinth survivor has something exceptional. We take what we are good at, and use it to survive. Our city is a good example... there are not many natural resources to work with, yet we salvage what maze gives us, and build a civilization is the most unlikely environment... but it's not perfect.”

“Why?”

“Collection of resources is too dependent on guilds. Local people are less willing to risk their lives, and lack of incentive halts progress. They should've never allowed mercenaries to control the economy. All power was transferred to people who would ultimately leave Zurno or use increasing monster activity to accumulate more wealth. It's a system of slavery disguised as economy. I'm ashamed to be part of this system, so I support small local businesses, like Dekhan's, whenever I get a chance.”

Noemi's world got a whole lot more complicated, she understood what Augmi wanted to relay about the issue, but she was too new to comprehend the nuances. Conversation kind of stopped, but it wasn't an awkward long pause, since girls already reached a fountain district at the farthest, rear area of the town.

The region wasn't much prettier than other parts of a town, but there were visible differences. Houses were often two or three-story high and sometimes, outside, ground-floor and foundations were made out of neatly cut small stone bricks.

The richest houses were the highest and were the only houses with glass windows, always of yellow color, and often cracked. They also had rooftops made of clay tiles and were usually located at the edge of a cliff, which was simply the junction of two enormous cylindrical tunnels, of which one was vertical.

A single wooden staircase was allowing an access to lower parts of the vertical tunnel, where a path to the most challenging section of the dungeon, and a boss, was located. Parallel to the cliff was the main street. It was the only location in the city, where you could find oil lampposts. There was a single wooden aqueduct extended to center of the pipe, where an annular waterfall was falling down from an unknown zone at the top of pipe. At last, one could spot wooden cranes. Their wooden arms were pointing towards the abyss and holding buckets or boards of wood which functioned as a lift. Walls of the vertical shaft were covered in dry, root-like vines, which were the main habitat of giant leeches.

“Augmi, to be honest, it looks.... hideous.” - Noemi couldn't comprehend how the pipe could be the city's most renowned treasure.

Augmi smiled gently and explained. - “Let me tell you a story of 'The Darkest Night'.

It was an event that took place sixteen years ago. For forty months straight, no adventurer was able to conquer the dungeon. All light systems were producing close to no light and monsters were roaming the city on a daily basis. Criminals from Lynn settled in the city, what resulted in countless dreadful events, I won't go into the details, but murders, extortions and torture were a daily occurrence. During these times, legends say that raw sewage was dripping down that pipe, and that vines were replaced by a webbed abomination made of living tissue. It had thousands of tiny eyes that could permanently hypnotize a person who looked at them for longer than a minute. After the revolt led by our current mayor, Lynnians were allegedly executed by having their psyche fed to that monster. It may sound like a tale used to scare little children, but If you ask some of the adults.. they remember that thing well...

After the curse was lifted, the situation changed diametrically. It's told that water would be purer than purest of tears and drinkable straight from the fountain. Vines would not only return to their original form but also bloom splendidly in pink flowers and bear small, sweet red fruits after two weeks.

Fruits would be then picked by a guild or guilds, who claimed the victory, then processed into expensive wines. A common citizen would never get to taste it in his lifetime. I sometimes wonder what would happen If an autonomous group was to conquer the dungeon...”

Noemi looked down the fountain with a faint smile, she understood Augmi's admiration of the place after imagining how it would look like. Augmi stared with her dreamy eyes at the bottom of the well and continued to explain after a pause.

“...See?” - She pointed. - “There's a shallow pond at the bottom. Flower petals would richly fall, like to honor the efforts of heroes. However, when the party fails, there's a burial tradition. Citizens throw a piece of stained glass down, one for each deceased adventurer. Water polishes the glass and whenever the labyrinth is conquered and water is purified, a beam of angelic light comes from the top and causes the glass to shimmer in all colors of rainbow. I wish to see it at least once...”

Augmi's eyes were sad, yet she was smiling. She dreamed in silence with Noemi for several minutes, after which the alchemist's face turned to a sly grin and she spoke in a confident voice.

“...but of course, that's not everything. Leeches here are excellent sources of oils and contain fluids necessary for making health potions. They're my little, personal gold mine. Come, let me show you.”

Both girls traveled down the shaft and mouse instructed a lizard to pierce several, healthier specimens with her spear. In the meantime, she also showed Noemi the crystals under the surface of polluted water.

After finishing their business down below, both girls took a break and tasted Arath's new, crispy snack on a stick. Augmi guided Noemi around the city, showing her noteworthy places, like mayor's house, manors of guild leaders, a city hall and a square for seasonal slave trade and executions.

After finally reaching the alchemist's humble house, girls stored the collected worms and enjoyed a hot drink. Augmi wanted to pay for assistance in the collection of leeches, but Noemi waved it off and asked for dyes and a large piece of paper instead. She quickly made a precise sketch, then colored the picture.

“Ready!” - Noemi exclaimed with a bright, wide smile.

It was a vibrant representation of the fountain after conquering the labyrinth.

“It’s beautiful… that’s how I always imagined it.” - Augmi whispered quietly, she was awestruck as it was as much as she could ever wish for. A perfect portrayal of flowerful, mosaic scenery depicted by the survivors of the darkest night. - “Thank you, it means a lot to me.” - She replied, almost in happy tears.

Augmi hugged her tall friend by the waist, then let her free to search her drawers.

“I want you to have something.” - The mouse spoke.

“There's absolutely no need! You're my best friend!” - Noemi nervously scratched her neck as she confessed, all while keeping a cheerful smile.

“...and you're mine, that's why I want you to have it.” - Augmi gifted the lizard girl a simple necklace made of twine and a cylindrical, green gemstone. - “Its smell will delay the effects of most poisons. I don't have any use for it, and you told me you wish to continue climbing the labyrinth... so it's yours.”

“Thanks! I'll keep it forever, to remember you.”

Shortly after, Noemi said her goodbyes and traveled back to the Inn. Augmi was reflecting on how her life was less lonely since she lost her entire team. She would miss Noemi after she leaves. Mouse alchemist went to sleep earlier than usual, concluding it was a nice day, maybe the best she ever had.