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Brand was the first to spot them, as we crossed through the barrier of stone that was the low-slung wall marking the boundaries of the cult’s residence. The wooden barrier that swung open at Timball’s push was reinforced with metal and had numerous low-slung spikes to discourage direct attacks, especially by squat goats.

The wall was barely above chest-height but probably more than sufficient to block the goats. The series of spikes – wooden and metal – that jutted outwards would discourage most of them from attempting to clamber upwards, and, unlike Earth goats, the six-legged variety in the dungeon seemed averse to leaping.

Once inside, though, slipping through gates or, in one case, leaping the wall itself, the other watchers arrived. Three of them, all of them having simple thick, single-handed swords by their hips and ranged weapons in their hands. Crossbows or bows, it mattered little at this range, especially when they were nocked and approaching us. One of the three limped, though that did little to make his threat any less.

“Timball…” I said, softly. “There’s not going to be trouble, is there?”

“What?” he asked, all wide-eyed innocence. Very convincingly too, so much so that he followed the jerk of my head to the incoming watchers. He broke out into a laugh, before stopping when he realized no one else was laughing and, in fact, we were growing ever more tense. “No, no. That’s Sweta and Krek. And…” He frowned, then dropped his voice. “I always forget her name. Don’t tell her that.” Then in a more normal voice, he added. “They’re the other lookouts coming back.”

Waving a hand, he stepped further forward, and gestured for them to lower their bows. There were some very pointed glances between each other before the points were no longer pointed at us. The first – a thin, almost scarecrow-like figure, slid forward, the crossbow in his hand angled down, but both hands still on it.

“What are these, Timball?”

“Guests, Sweta!” Timball either cared little for the man’s tone or just blithely ignored it. “I invited them to take warmth by the hearth, but they refused and want to camp out here.”

“We didn’t—” Brand began, only for Kira to shake her head a little to silence him.

Sweta looked us over with a sniff, the other two coming to a stop near us. The woman had taken the arrow off her bow but still carried it in her off-hand, while the other – Krek – was surveying us with a mildly distrustful look, leaning on the opposite leg from the one he had been limping on.

After a too-long silence, Sweta grated out. “Welcome to the Everlasting Flame of the Core Dungeon.”

“You are too kind, but we likely won’t be staying. We just need to find another place to rest,” I said, respectfully. Ignoring Kira’s glare that she shot me.

“And I told them there’s not going to be anything close.” As though Timball had timed it, a weird half-snickering, half-bleating noise that I could only characterize as a deep-throated hyena scream echoed through the air. “The brambles are bad, but they’re not the worst thing out there.”

“What do you mean?” Sophia asked.

“Don’t you know?” Timball said.

“Of course not. They’re surface dwellers.” The woman scoffed. “You think the brambles are the only thing you have to worry about? They’re not why we dig deep to hide.”

“There are no reports of anything like that,” Kira said, frowning. “Certainly not in the academy or the Dungeon Library records.”

“Oh, and you think that tells it all, eh?”

“B. Enough.”

“Bee?” I said, blinking.

“Balaz!” Timball said, all too loudly, then flushed. “Sorry. He asked.”

I couldn’t help but smile a little at how awkward Timball was. I did wonder if he was on the spectrum at all, if that was even a problem in this world. It wasn’t something I had noticed much, but partly that was because the people of Tionerth were subtly different to what I was used to. Touchy when I least expected it, standoffish when they weren’t. That kind of thing.

“The threat?” Sophia said, reminding the group.

“We call them hunters. They come out at night only, and there aren’t many of them. But those that camp out in the fields, who are caught traversing above ground, thinking they’re safe. They’re the ones they target.”

As Sweta said the name, Krek made a strange gesture in front of his chest, a weird upright wave motion. It was copied moments later by B and the others.

“What are they?” Sophia said.

“We don’t know. We just have the bodies that come after.” A slight pause, before Krek added after a moment, “We know they have claws. And are strong. The bodies we have found, they are torn apart.” Looking at Kira, he went on, “They only appeared in the last few years, so it’s possible the records have not been properly updated.”

“I see.” Kira gestured for the team to close in. “If we can speak?”

“Go. But choose, quickly. We do not like being out after dark.” Sweta gestured around, indicating the falling darkness. I found myself nodding in acknowledgment of his point even as I gathered with the rest of the group, making sure I was turned so that I could watch them all. I noted how Yorrick, taking his role as tank and the only one with a shield, did the same on the other side.

“This sounds like garbage to me,” Brand said. “If there was a real threat, we’d have heard of it.”

“I…” Yorrick frowned. “I might have heard things. About something new on the lower floors.”

“From who? Where?” Brand snapped.

“On the streets.” Yorrick shrugged. “I’ve been hanging out near the dungeon, near the pubs.”

“Lin?” Kira asked.

“Nothing where I’ve been but…” I shrugged, too. Of them all, I probably had the smallest social circle and I certainly wasn’t about to hang out, listening to rumors when I could be training or actually delving.

“I didn’t see anything in the scrolls or guides, but…” Kira sighed. “The Academy graduates often just use the fault to establish their entrance further down, and then push till they get to the first floor. It’s not surprising they don’t have news on this floor. As for the main library…”

“Well?” Yorrick snapped, getting a glare from Brand in return.

“They’re just not well funded. The reports could be there and just not compiled. The focus is on higher levels or deeper levels, not the in-between ones.”

“Fine, so it might be possible. Or a lie.” I took charge of the conversation, looking at the group. “The real question is do we stay or risk it.”

“I don’t trust them,” Yorrick said firmly.

Sophia hesitated for a moment before saying, “Even if they’re right, whatever is out there is likely less dangerous than over thirty crazies if they come after us.”

“Only if they’re aggressive.” Kira shook her head. “If they were, someone would have complained about them. Timball’s nice, and the others are just…”

“Wary. I would be to,” Brand said. “We’re adventurers. They’re just civilians. I doubt any of them have proper skills for living down here. I say stay.”

When I looked at Kira, she shrugged but inclined her head a little in Brand’s direction. I guessed it was her way of saying she was not particularly fussed either way, leaving it to me to make the final decision.

Typical.

“Nearest defensible structure?” I asked, stepping away from the group while looking around, searching the surroundings in the fast-fading light. I could barely pick out hilltops one over. Night came fast, on this level, faster than those above.

Even if they were wrong and there wasn’t anything to worry about, it was clear it was time for us to go if we didn’t want to be stumbling around in the dark.