According to the in game clock, a couple of hours have passed since Dez walked out and it's already morning. The wall of ice is still present, sealing the tunnel and subsequently the dungeon.

I look through it, seeing the ghost of the Halfling walking and fading into the darkness. I can feel the bile trying to rise as my stomach roils with hatred. I punch my claws an inch into the ice, no other signs appear from my attack and again I feel inept. I was too late and everything I did after was pointless. I slam my head into the frozen block hard enough to deal a good amount of damage.

[You receive 3 bludgeoning damage!]

My fingers slide out of the ice as a slender yet strong hand rests on my shoulder. I close my eyes and take a deep breathe, "I'm so sorry."

The hand drops from my shoulder and wraps around my waist instead, joined by the other hand. A face rests at the base of my neck and muffles the voice.

"It's not your fault, Ardy."

Victoria's voice seems to echo in my mind. Her words come booming back. Its my mother's voice now. We're looking over the plot of land we chose for my dad.

"It's not your fault, Ardy."

The words come back again. It's Rita, the night shift nurse who was the first to learn ASL from us. We're standing over my mother, still asleep after surgery.

"It's not your fault, Ardy."

I don't think I can handle the burden of all of these things that aren't my fault. We slump to the floor together. The weight of my memories pushing me lower and lower, into the dirt.

Why is this game, this escape from reality, rubbing reality in my face? Why does everything here remind me of home?

"Why does it hurt so much, Vic?"

I can feel her legs wrap around me and her embrace tighten. Hot tears are dripping down my neck and collecting at the collar of my tunic.

She whispers, "Because you care. That is a truly heavy burden for anyone to carry."

A shuffling of feet draws closer to us, but we don't loosen from each other just yet.

Dawn clears her throat, "Everything is ready to go, guys."

I look behind her, past Rachel, Richter, and Mika who accompanied Dawn, and stare at the lone vardo. Sonny cleared all the buildings and we loaded everyone and everything we could inside the transporter.

Dawn places a hand on the wall, "Dez probably thinks he trapped us in here. He might come back soon to check on us so we better get moving."

Rachel helps Vic up and Richter helps me. The half elf puts his arm around my shoulder, "I'm sorry, bro. Everything happened so fast, you know? We did everything we could at the time. We all saw you."

"Yeah," Rachel adds, "We thought you totally made it in time. You were, like, so brave, Ardy."

I look up at everyone. My failure as a leader caused the death of my teammate. My friend. Our friend. I was about to say something when I felt a light kick in the ass. I craned my head in suprise and see Victoria behind me, a frustrated scowl on her face. "Wha…? Vic?"

"We… its because we forgot the good luck charm…"

I cast my eyes down, but I chance a small smile. Richter lets me go as Vic picks up my face and I look up at everyone slowly moving behind me, taking their turns hitting my backside.

She gives me a kiss and a sad smile, "This luck is gonna be for the trip. Okay?"

I smile back.

After the battle we picked up the loot sacks from the skeletons but all we found were a bunch of bones. About two thousand "Faith Infused Bones" added themselves to our inventory. Though they ranged from rib to femur, each was labeled the same.

We wrapped Ramona in some of the cloth the two rogues picked up in town. As morbid as it may sound, we use a rucksack to keep her in, preserving her in it until we can find a nicer place to bury her. If Dez is a Necromancer of some sort, then I don't want him anywhere near her body. We even came to the conclusion that the skeletons he had were the ones we buried at the crest of the hill.

Of course, that means we'll have one less rucksack to use for now, but we didn't want to leave her body around the vardo for people to see.

Once everything is squared away, we all receive two minor quests.

[Minor Quest Received: Revenge

[Kill Dez Driftwood 0/1

[Reward: 200XP to each person in party, 1*Queen Chest]

[Minor Quest Received: Resting Spot

[Find the perfect spot for Ramona Violetta's enternal rest 0/1

[Reward: ???]

"I may not need any other reason to kill that squirt," I seethe, "but it looks like someone out there wants him dead just as much and is willing to shell out some good loot."

Dawn is rereading the reward part, "A Queen Chest… And you said Nightshade came from a Rook Chest?" She's looking incredulously at me.

"Yeah. Wait. Nightshade? Is that what we're calling it?" I grimace slightly, but remember that its in the title of the description. "I thought Nightshade was the color?"

I feel knuckles rapping on the top of my head and look up, bringing my hands up to protect myself. It's Kona and Serenity on her broom. Kona wipes her eyes on her sleeve, "Idiot. Nightshade is a plant. What kind of Alchemist are you?"

She forces a weak smile and I return it with as warm a smile as I can muster. We make our way to the vardo as Kona continues chiding me.

Elsbeth is on the roof of the vardo, but she jumps down when she spots us. She waits for me and hugs me when we get close. When she lets me go she signs, "Thank you for trying to save Ramona. I was useless."

I shake my head, hugging the much taller elf and whispering, "We did everything we could. Did you get the Dez mission?" I release her and she nods her head, smiling her sad smile.

I look around at everyone, "Then the next time we run into that evil little mage, we'll have his Life Crystal as a trophy." Everyone nods in agreement. "Dawn, as we discussed you'll be inside. Richter, Rachel, and Serenity, you'll be inside as well?" I ask as a formality, but they smile and nod.

"Craft, teach, keep everyone company? Okay. Kona and Elsbeth, you'll be our eyes in the sky." El looks apprehensive as her gaze shifts to the cat girl and broom. Her eyes lingering on the flying sanitation device.

"Don't give me that, El. Besides, if I had Zoom I'd do it myself." Kona looks down at the floor and kicks a small rock, but a gentle hand on the shoulder from the elf picks her spirit back up a bit.

"Vic and I will be driving the first day, but I'll be accompanying every driver due to my Apex Predator Feat. As good as it is with hunting, it also works well for hunters. You two still have the Whisper Ear Cuffs?"

Dawn and Serenity agree, touching them to assure me. After a quick test we found that they still work in and out of the vardo.

"Good. Serenity, you'll scramble the militia and Dawn will gather Rachel and Richter in case we need the support. We'll reach our first stop safely and gather some resources when the opportunities arise."

Walking in the former Command Center, I stop at the pedestal before the two foot wide amber orb. Sonny is dim now and I cock my head, "What's the matter Sonny?"

[Ramona. My traps were horrible failures and she died.]

I rub the back of my neck, "Look. It was no one's fault, but Dez's. Your traps afforded us time to rally, to protect the non-fighting citizens." Her glow brightens by a few lumens. "We were blind sided by a higher level foe. But we're not going to roll over and we're not going to let him get away with his crime, right?"

I gently pick up the now much brighter dungeon core, cradling it like a baby, "We need to get stronger, as I'm sure he will too. The best way is to get out there and see the world, right?"

My footsteps echo in the empty chamber. All signs of our inhabitence are gone.

[Agreed, Ardy. Though, I am a bit anxious about being in the outside world. I do believe I was, well, born here you might say.]

"It'll be alright, Sonasolaria." The quick dimming and relightening of the orb didn't escape my notice.

[Let's… just join the others, shall we? I do believe I may still communicate with you through the confines of the vardo.]

I get the distinct feeling that her little light show was actually her form of blushing, but I merely smile to myself. I step through the double doors and walk into a brightly lit, building-less hamlet.

In the left corner, they set up the living area. Its set up like a giant studio apartment, dividing the area by way of furniture placement. The tables are pushed together in a communal format. Past them are the beds and they're eerily reminiscent of a hospital setting. Some people have tents set up, but they use them mainly for moments of privacy.

On the far right, it looks like a hastily thrown together stable. The carts and wagons were stripped and the parts used to create a make shift fence. We didn't plan on bringing them anyway; the logistics and security needs of a convoy are big turn offs right now. Our goal is to be as inconspicuous as possible, but the horses are too valuable to leave behind or turn loose. Towards the center, but not too far away from everything else is the crafting center which is basically Dawn's Travel Smithy, some regular tables, and three inventory filled rucksacks.

The shift in location startles me, but I continue to the center where Dawn has her travel smithy set up. There is a metal copy of Sonny's pedestal waiting for her and I place her in her rightful spot.

Dawn stops me from buckling her in with the available straps of leather, "I guess we didn't need those after all. Everyone says we won't feel any movement during the ride. Nightshade is so awesome, I don't know how else to describe it."

I'm tracing my fingertips on a wooden table. As someone who has had to hear from many professionals and well meaning acquaintances about the five stages of grief, I have become aware of the system's meddling. I see it in the players and in the NPCs themselves.

The loss is now an event, a quest that seems destined to be accomplished and then shelved in a log somewhere. The only regret I've been feeling lately is that I didn't get a chance to get to know more about her. What was she even doing in a city like Kes Rentas? What brought her there?

Dawn looks at my hand, "Every piece of furniture was crafted by Ramona and Elsbeth, from beds to tables to the crates that hold everyone's meager belongings." Dawn places a dark hand on the table as well, admiring the duo's craftsmanship, "We have to get going or her death might be in vain."

We nod to each other and I leave to take my place in the shotgun seat next to Victoria. She grabs the black leather reins and reads the instruction screen out loud, "Whip the reins while saying 'Mer-jay' to go. Say 'Oh-pree' while pulling on the reins to stop. The horses will be directed by your intentions. Seems simple enough."

Without the dungeon’s presence, the backdoor has nothing sealing it closed. So, we're soon underway with a swift crack of leather and a commanding, "Merge!"

Victoria is silent for the first thirty minutes or so, even when we stop to dispatch groups of Mandragoras and Forest Stalkers. Unlike the much lower level creatures, such as the Wolves and Boars, these seem to still be interested in taking us on. It works for me, taking out my frustration one by one and gaining loot. The XP gain by now from them is negligible, but we can always use more petals, roots, and general stalker parts.

Our intended route takes us north on a lesser used road towards Rentas Lake where we'll skirt around it, farming it for monsters and resources unavailable anywhere else for miles and stop by the port city of Higo. Maybe we'll keep riding, maybe we'll take a ferry, we would figure it out when we got there.

I made a note at the time that a lot of the area is named Rentas. Victoria explained that it is the family name of Lord Bertrand and that they were the ones who established the city over a hundred years ago. Dawn had asked why his title was still Lord even after marrying Victoria. It was simple in a political sort of way.

According to their laws and customs, people cannot upgrade in status simply through marriage. The propagation of an heir would propel the male to the station of his wife. However, if the female is of lower status, then she would only go up to one step lower than her husband's. So far, there hasn't been any same-sex title marriages due to the inability to produce children. Essentially, marriage in the upper echelons is more akin to business deals and keeping titles going through future generations. So, when Lord Bertrand's mistress, a Lady Charlotte Coriandra of Kes Denezren, became pregnant, Victoria lost her right as wife for failing to do so first.

Ugh. Politics. Royal politics.

I bring up my status screen and peruse it, not wanting to disturb Victoria's driving. Up ahead, several bolts of lightning streak down on some poor creature as Kona's cackle weakly echoes and drowns in thunder.

Victoria mildly clears her throat in the universal sign that she would like to converse but she didn't want to startle me, "How much XP until your next level?"

I take her question as this world's equivalent to small talk and smile inwardly, "I still have six hundred and thirty to go. You?"

She glances over at the woods, "A little over five hundred."

She gets quiet again, so I ask if she wanted to talk about anything, "Goddesses, I should be asking you that. You were leading us after all. You know no one is blaming you, right?"

I take a deep sigh, but before I can say anything she continues, "I know how it feels to lose people under your command. To lose a friend. Ramona will be missed. The Pantheon has blessed us with two quests," she shakes her head. I know that the drop of liquid that hits my hand isn't rain but I feign ignorance, look up to the sky, and hold the dripped hand up expectantly.

Victoria lets out a hoarse laugh and clears her throat, "Silly boy." Needing only one hand to steer, she pulls mine down and places hers in it. We clasp fingers for a while and smile in silence.

Spoiler: Ardacen's Character Sheet

[Basic Info: Ardacen Winters__ Race | Subrace: Human | Custom

[Height/Weight: 5'9/165lbs

[Class | Subclass: Blue Mage 3

[Level: 12

[Experience: 2370| 3000

[Multiclass | Subclass:

[Artisan Job Classes: Cook 3 | Alchemist 3 | Leatherworker 1

[Copper/Silver/Gold/Platinum: 1185/403/120/2

[HP/MP/Stamina Regen Delay: 8sec/7sec/8sec

[HP/Max/RegenPerSec: 116/116/9

[MP/Max/RPS: 96/96/8

[Stamina/Max/RPS: 71/71/8

[Combat Modifiers

[Strength: 1+2

[Dexterity: 42+2

[Arcane: 36

[Faith: 1

[Defense Modifiers

[Agility: 41+11

[Armor: 25+2

[Willpower: 16+4]

[Main Hand: AWP Claw

[Durability: n/a

[Type/Range/Ammo: Dexterity/Melee/0

[Base/Modified Damage: 10/54

[Off Hand: AWP Claw

[Durability: n/a

[Type/Range/Ammo: Dex/Melee/0

[Base/Modified Damage: 10/54]

[Head: empty

[Durability:

[Armor:0

[Shoulders: Mantle of the Grey Wanderer 3/3

[Durability: 240/240

[Armor: 2

[Bonus:+2Dex, +2Will, +3HP Regen

[BodyOver: Scaled Brigandine

[Durability: 115/115

[Armor: 6

[BodyUnder: Simple Cloth Tunic

[Durability: 80/80

[Armor: 1

[Arms: Simple Umbra Bracers

[Durability: 110/110

[Armor: 4

[Hands: Great Bite

[Durability: 110/110

[Base: 5

[Bonus: Bludgeon. Inflict Bleed1

[LegsOver: Simple Umbra Greaves

[Durability: 110/110

[Armor: 5

[LegsUnder: Simple Cloth Pants

[Durability: 80/80

[Armor: 1

[Feet: Simple Umbra Boots

[Durability: 110/110

[Armor: 4]

[Face: Mask of the Grey Wanderer 3/3

[Bonus: +3Agi, +1Str, +1Armor, +3SP Regen

[Neck: empty

[Ear Right: empty

[Ear Left: empty

[Wrist Right: empty

[Wrist Left: Simple Bracelet of Storage

[Ring Right: Minor Ring of Storage

[Ring Left: empty

[Waist: Sash of the Grey Wanderer 3/3

[Bonus: +3Agi, +1 Str, +1Armor, +3MP Regen

[Spells: Arcane Bolt I, Assassinate, +Shadow Toxin, +Healing Breeze]

[Skills: Minor Survival Craft III, Critical Stab I, Stealth I, Echo Strike, Discipline/Tempest Palm I, Roundhouse Kick]

[Feats: Adaptibility, Varient Hunter I, War Party Leader I, +Alpha Wolf's Pride, +Swarm Tactics, Sonny View Analyzer, +Apex Predator]

[Major Quests: none

[Minor Quests: Recycle, Revenge, Resting Spot]