Would You Like to Play Again - the Champion's Challenge

by James Howlette

Copyright© 2020 by James Howlette

A Would You Like To Play Again Story (2)

Description: Pathios has had one hell of a start on Eden, now he has to deal with a the aftermath of his most recent decision and the temperamental person that came with it. There is still the matter of those who have been changing things within the dungeon and making it more dangerous. Whatever comes next, is he up to the challange?

Tags: Some Sex, Ma/Fa, Consensual, BiSexual, GameLit, High Fantasy, Spanking, Polygamy/Polyamory, Anal Sex, Cream Pie, Double Penetration, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Petting, Sex Toys, Squirting, Tit-Fucking, Big Breasts, Size

Published: 2020-11-18

Updated: 2021-09-29

Size: 244,415 Words

Chapter 1

So much has happened since I woke up to find I had died. I met some gods and goddesses, had to choose between Limbo or being reborn, so to speak. Since then, I have met two amazing women who (for some reason) care for me rather deeply. Not only that, but they love me and one another. There seems to be no jealousy between them and have only seem to grown closers since they chose to share me. My first life of being a social shut in, I could only dream of an outcome like this. Here, on Eden, things are much different than they were on Earth. The skills that got me labeled a nerd or loser now have aided me in my new life. I have had some uphill battles and the expected tough patches when teamed up with two gorgeous women. I have persevered with their help, made some new friends and some enemies. Most recently, we had someone breaking into our room to try and get Entivala. Despite the negatives, I look forward to seeing what life, and the Dungeon, have planned for me.

I was surprised when we found another individual trying to get into our room, and once Tyr got involved it was dealt with, somewhat. I would love to say that, after dealing with yet another person trying to get into our room, everything was now fine. Unfortunately, life as it is here, as well as on Earth, is never that simple. Kat’ilth’ana’s unexpected addition to our group was poorly timed and would easily hamper our immediate plans. We still had the quest we had to complete and Arachni to deal with. Kat’ilth’ana didn’t want to do anything, fighting us over the littlest things, until all of us finally gave in to our exhaustion. I had opted for the floor, trying to be a gentleman and show her I wasn’t as she expected. She didn’t care and threatened how she would make me pay for this once she was free of the collar. When the others awoke, we decided to go have a quick meal and training session before returning to the Dungeon.

Kat’ilth’ana adamantly refused to even get up from the bed, saying that she had been dealt enough indignities already and that she refused to be put through another one. A moment later she began to wail as the collar invoked a punishment for her unwillingness to listen to my request. As the pain finally subsided, she glared at me as if I had willed it to happen. I simply laughed at her childishness and we got ready to go, dressing for our sparring later. I, of course, enjoyed the view of my loves disrobing. Both made deliberately enticing movements as they took off their sleep clothes and put on their workout clothes. Of course we could hear Kat’ilth’ana’s mutters of disapproval and displeasure.

You would have thought that my choosing to sleep on the stone floor would have at least been treated as an act of respect. I could have just as easily been cold and heartless, making her sleep on the floor. I tried showing I am not what she assumes me to be, and that her notions are wrong. Instead of entertaining the possibility that she was wrong in her assumptions, she responded like a petulant child.

Once we were dressed, we collected what we needed for sparring and showering after. The whole while, Kat’ilth’ana sat on the bed in a typical childish manner. Arms and legs crossed and a deep scowl on her face.

“Are you going to continue this childishness?” I asked with an exasperated sigh. “I don’t want you to keep getting punished by the collar, but I have things to do. More importantly, I have a quest to complete and many lives are at stake. So, unfortunately the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the one.”

She simply huffed and made no attempt to move. Instead she remained in her angry pose and stared at me defiantly.

I shook my head in disappointment, “Very well, when the pain gets too much, we will be down in the dining hall. If we are not there, then we are probably in the training room down the hall from here. I do hope you realize we don’t have to be enemies and you can trust us.”

I received only silence and a glare of contempt before turning to leave the room. I was surprised to see a guard stationed there but given the amount of times someone has tried to tamper with my room, it made sense to have one. I asked the guard to make sure the room is locked when she leaves to find us. He simply nodded and we headed to the dining hall. Even with all the things that had happened over the past few weeks, I had always had a happy disposition when starting my day. I am sure Amenthia and Entivala had something to do with that. Still, today was the first time I entered the dining hall in a morose attitude.

Amenthia and Enti could sense my darkened mood and had me sit down while they collected food for us. Entivala, being the loving and kind soul that she is, made sure to prepare a plate for Kat’ilth’ana. Enti was bringing back a plate of her own food, accompanied by Amenthia carrying her own, when Kat’ilth’ana entered the hall. She had the same scowl on her face from before as she stomped her way over to our table. I had actually expected her to hold out longer, but then again, I had no idea how the punishment from the collar worked.

She put her hands on her hips and said loud enough that everyone in the room could hear her, “So mister ‘I am a caring guy’, makes his women get his food for him?”

I sighed and looked at her dispassionately, showing that her words had no effect on me. She had a smug smile on her face as everyone’s eyes turned to us, to see what all the commotion was about.

“He is a caring guy, you closed minded bitch!” Enti yelled as she dropped Kat’ilth’ana’s food on the table with a loud bang. “He was upset about how things were going, so Amenthia and I volunteered to get everyone’s food. I even got a plate of food for your dumb ass just in case you did come down.”

Kat’ilth’ana’s eyes widened in shock at Entivala’s outburst, then narrowed in anger as she looked on Entivala with disdain.

“I don’t know how I ever called you my friend!” Kat’ilth’ana yelled at Enti. “The Entivala I knew would have always done what is right. She would never let some human manipulate her, nor would she put her own interests above the people of the Northern Forests!”

Entivala shook her head, “Nor do I, Kat’ilth’ana. The woman I grew up to call my friend was never this hateful, mean, or callous. She was someone who valued my opinion and ideas. I saw her as an equal and cared for that person. The woman who stands before me now, I don’t recognize. She is a shell of the woman I called friend and I don’t think I will ever see that person again. You have been blinded too much to see the truth in our words. It is a shame, I would have liked to have my friend back, not this stranger before me.

“As for the Northern Forests, they have been in disarray ever since the former King came into power. He ignored tradition to fulfill his own selfish desires. He hurt many families with his greed, your people included. This was bound to happen to him and his family sooner or later. His son only hastened the response of the gods and both are now punished. It was time for our people to move in a new direction that will bring better prosperity for our future. Even someone as blind as you should be able to see that!”

There were some present who replied with a chorus of support, many who were elves like Enti. Kat’ilth’ana looked around and saw she had no supporters here. She sat down with a thump and began to slowly pick away at the food Enti got for her. Amenthia and Enti took their positions on either side of me and we all ate in silence. I could see that both of them were irritated by the actions of our new charge, but I didn’t let it bother me. When we finished our food, I saw that Kat’ilth’ana had finished hers as well. I gathered her plate with the others and took it to the cleaning cart. On my way back I could see her staring daggers at me, but it made no difference.

“Okay, everyone,” I said with as much of a smile as I could muster, given the circumstances. “Time to go upstairs and get some training in before we return to the Dungeon.”

My companions smiled and each gave me a kiss on the cheek. Kat’ilth’ana rolled her eyes at the exchange but didn’t make a snide comment. We left and made our way to the training room and selected a mat for our sparring. Amenthia and Enti took training staves for themselves as well as one for me. We first went through the customary forms for their staff work. Both were picking it up fairly quickly and so I began showing them the more complex and advanced forms. With any luck they would have most of them mastered in the next few months and they would become a deadly force to be reckoned with.

Kat’ilth’ana watched from the bench nearby and from what I saw, it seemed as if she was generally intrigued. When they were done their staff forms, we moved onto weapon work. For now, I would have Amenthia fight with dual swords to get her used to the fighting style I was going to teach her. I had thought the bow, with its secondary staff function. would have been enough. However, the attack that left me poisoned made me realize that we might end up in a situation that would call for hidden weapons. I planned to get Brot’k to fashion the changes to her bracers as well as practice versions. Enti is as always, stuck with her staff and I decided to work with a single sword.

I heard a chuckle from Kat’ilth’ana and glanced over to see genuine amusement on her face, though I wasn’t sure what she thought was funny. As soon as she noticed me, her amusement vanished, and her scowl returned.

“So, Kat’ilth’ana, what is it you find so funny?” I asked. “I don’t have food on my face, do I?” I turned to Amenthia and Enti and said, “You promised to tell me after that noodle fiasco!”

Both of them started laughing and I looked over to see Kat’ilth’ana fighting to suppress some laughter of her own. I made a mental note of that small victory and waited for the dryad to stop laughing and reply.

“I am laughing at you, little man,” she said with a smug smile. “You think you can take on the two of them with a single sword? At least grab a shield or something.”

I nodded and said, “You are perfectly right, Kat’ilth’ana. How about you hold this until I need it, it should only take a few minutes.”

Amenthia and Enti shared a smile before nodding at me. I walked over and placed the wooden training sword next to Kat’ilth’ana and returned to the mat. I then closed my eyes, centered myself and then got into a ready stance. Amenthia and Enti’s smiles vanished and were replaced with determination as I opened my eyes. I watched both, waiting for them to make the first move. I was not disappointed as Amenthia ran at me and began attacking with varied slashes and thrusts. I calmly stepped out of each one’s path, ducked, or jumped over them as they came towards me.

I could hear Enti trying to move out of my field of vision and listened for the sound of her approaching attack. Based on the sounds her footsteps were making, I readied myself for her approach and I was able to time a dodge of Amenthia’s attack so that their weapons would collide together. Enti was able to keep hold of her staff, though she was knocked off balance, and the force of their blows sent one of Amenthia’s blades flying. Not to let that stop her, she pressed her attack and overstepped on a thrust strike, leaving me an opening to disarm and trip her. As she fell to the ground, I spun around to block Enti’s incoming strike with the sword I had taken from Amenthia and used the cross guard to twist the staff out of her hands.

I used my right foot to kick the staff out of her reach before she was able to regain it. Amenthia and Enti were not discouraged by how easily I had disarmed them and instead looked even more determined. They launched at me with kicks and punches, but I was able to block and deflect them with some ease after I tossed the blade aside. We danced like this for a little while, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, not giving each other any ground to advance. Then I made two quick movements that opened up Amenthia to attack. I was able to bring her down and get her to tap out before Enti could press the opening I gave her. With it just being us, I took my time until a misstep on her part allowed me to trip her and put her in position for a mock killing blow.

A few of the other people who were training had stopped to watch the fight and were now clapping. I looked over to see anger and confusion on Kat’ilth’ana face. It seemed she didn’t believe what she just saw, based on her expression. I didn’t think we had been moving too quickly for her to follow, but preconceptions can blind many to the truth that lies before them.

I smiled at her and said, “If you believe I cheated or it was a fluke, you are more than welcome to get two short swords and join me on the mat. If you do decide to spar with me, please bring the sword with you.”

She glowered at me as she snatched up the sword and tossed it to me as she passed by. She looked along the weapons racks, until she settled onto a pair of blades that were to her liking. She returned to the mat and began doing practice swings and flourishes. Her movements told me she had some experience with fighting, since sometimes novices don’t test their weapons beforehand. Some just grab a weapon and get ready to fight. Experienced people will test the weapons once they get them. They learn the balance, weight, and movement of the blades. It allows them to adjust their attacks to compensate for the effects the weapons would have on them.

Her movements were typical of testing the weapons, but I could tell that she was also overdoing it to try and show off. I guess she thought the look of her apparent skill with them would set me off balance, or something to that effect. When she was ready, she flipped her grip on the blades so that they both were pointing downwards, and I got into my own ready stance. Every move she made across the mat I mirrored as we orbited one another, waiting for the other person to make the first move. It seemed that she was wary of me, after watching me effortlessly disarm and ‘kill’ Enti and Amenthia.

Finally Kat’ilth’ana had enough and launched herself at me, bringing her right blade to bear in a cross slash, which I met with my blade before jumping back to dodge the vertical slash of her other blade. As soon as my feet landed, I launched myself with a cross slash of my own that would force her hopefully to use both blades to block. I was in luck as she did use both to brace for the attack. Even though she braced herself, the strength of my blow knocked her off balance slightly. Her hands recoiled from the force of the impact and I released my left hand to grab her right wrist. I twisted it backward, while I used my sword to hold off her other blade and threw a kick to her sternum.

As her body moved back, I tugged on her arm pulling her forward to further put her off balance and caused her to fall to the ground. As she went down, I twisted her arm behind her back and, when she landed, her hand let go of the short sword. I quickly kicked it away as I placed the tip of my training sword at the base of her neck. The look of surprise on her face was a bit amusing, but I didn’t like the hint of fear I saw there. I moved back to allow her to get up and she lashed out at me with her remaining blade. I twisted out of the way and had my sword ready for her next attack.

I wasn’t disappointed as she stood back up and lunged at me with a flurry of slashes. Her movements, though frantic, were still precise and graceful. She would have given me a run for my money, but her anger was making her sloppy. Instead of having a counter move ready to try and slip by my defences, she was blindly attacking. Pouring her anger, rage, and pain into each attack. While I did see a few opportunities to disarm her of her only weapon, I felt that she needed to get this out, now. If not, it could come bursting out at an inopportune moment and cost someone their life.

As our weapons continued to clash, the other Guild members who had been training stopped to watch. While my arms had begun to burn, I kept up with her attacks, parrying and blocking each one as I waited for her to burn out. After nearly ten minutes of attacking relentlessly, Kat’ilth’ana stepped back with her dagger in a defensive posture. I looked at her neutrally and I saw a twinge in her right eye before her eyes flashed green. A gasp burst from Amenthia as Kat’ilth’ana’s arm lashed out and vines began to lash out.

A second later, they met with a wall of ice, stopping them a few inches away from me. Kat’ilth’ana began to scream in pain as the collar punished her for the attempt to harm me. Those who had been watching began to mutter to one another as they returned to their previous activities. After a minute or so, her screaming ceased, and she collapsed on the ground. I carefully went over to her unconscious body and checked to make sure her breathing and pulse were normal. Confident that she was okay, I carefully picked her up off the mat. With the assistance of Amenthia and Enti, I was able to carry her back to our room without much issue.

When we arrived, the guard opened the door for us and mentioned that he had a letter for me, which Amenthia accepted graciously. When we entered the room, we were surprised to find the layout had changed slightly, and now there was a single bed along the wall that once housed our armor mannequins. Along with the mannequins no longer being in the room, our footlockers and their contents were missing as well. I carefully placed Kat’ilth’ana on the new bed and tucked her in. Amenthia handed me the letter, as we all sat down on our bed and I began to read.

I gave the letter for both Enti and Amenthia to read over while I went to check on our sleeping charge. As I got close enough to check, her eyes flashed open and she reached to grab me. Again she screamed in pain, though it was far shorter than the last one.

“I had hoped that you had learned your lesson,” I said with a sigh of disappointment. “All I was intending to do was check to see if your condition had gotten better or worse, but I doubt you would believe me, anyway. We have things to do, so get up. We need to get going. Ladies, hand her the letter so she can be on the same page as us.”

They shared a glance before Enti shrugged and brought the letter over to her. She snatched it from Enti and looked it over. The expression on her face was unreadable when she finished reading the letter. She looked at me, crumpled it up and tossed it at me. It didn’t reach me, but her message was plain, she didn’t care.

“Mature as always, it seems,” I relied, picking up the letter. “Until you are able to be here on your own without passing out from pain or dying, you are stuck with us. So get your ass up and let’s go because I have shit to do and I am getting tired of dealing with your attitude.”

Her reaction was expected. A response of indignity at my comment and a huff of irritation. I watched her eyes flash for a moment, then a cry of pain from her. It was the same flash she had just before she tried to use some of her magic to attack me. I could only assume that the collar picked up the pending attack and decided to end it at the start.

“Well, you have two choices” Amenthia scornfully announced. “You come with us, without a problem and we work to try and limit the pain you feel, which is the method we prefer. Or, you can lie here and sulk as we get further and further away, causing the pain to increase until it kills you or drives you insane. Since I am sure Tyr wants you to learn a lesson, I expect it to be the latter.”

With that she turned and made her way for the door with Entivala and me following right behind her. I wasn’t surprised to find an irritated Kat’ilth’ana following close behind. I figured she had had enough pain for now, though I hoped it was for the day. I didn’t like the effect this was having on the group. We headed downstairs and dropped in to see Brot’k and find out how things were going.

“My friends,” he announced in his normal, cheerful tone. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit, and who is the beautiful woman you have with you? If I didn’t know any better, I would think you are starting a collection.”

“I am not one of his women,” Kat’ilth’ana spat. “I would rather see this human piece of shit dead, but I cannot end him myself!”

Brot’k looked down to see the choker around her neck and the realization dawned on him. He said nothing but shook his head sadly.

I shook my head, “Yes, well, we are here to have you do more of your amazing work, my friend. I need you to prepare training weapons for Amenthia that mimic the gauntlets I was talking about making. Given recent events, I think we should have them, after all. I realized that she would need a method to defend herself if her bow is taken from her. Please get designs for the gauntlets prepared and we will drop her gauntlets off to be upgraded when we return tonight. That way, I can work with her to get her accustomed to them and teach her some moves to make her more versatile and deadly with them.”

“Ahh, yes, I see,” Brot’k said with a smile. “It is not a normal weapon, given the unique design of her blades, but I will get to work on it right away. The issue is less the real blades than the training ones, but I will think of something, I always do. I will send a messenger raven to you if you happen to be in the Dungeon, else I’ll leave a note with the guard in front of your room.”

Of course, he would have heard about that. Still, I was a bit amazed at how far word travels around, depending on the information.

“What the hell would this half breed know about smithing?” Kat’ilth’ana said with disdain. “If he were any good, he would be working for one of the major smithing houses.”

“Not every person has been perfectly sorted to the ideal Pact house,” I said as I moved to stand in front of her. “Brot’k is one of the most skilled smiths I have ever met, so show him the proper respect. If you have a snide or rude comment, keep it to yourself, otherwise I might ask Tyr to add a gag to it. I have tried to be polite and courteous, despite your attitude, but it’s becoming exhausting.”

I turned and left her with a fish out of water look as I returned my focus to my friend. Amenthia and Enti were trying to hide their amusement at her reaction.

“I will leave it to you, my friend,” I said clasping his shoulder. “For now, I need to get over to the Guild and get our new guest registered with us.”

He nodded in understanding and said farewell to Amenthia and Entivala. We made our way out of the shop and started for the quick travel tubes. Kat’ilth’ana was quiet the whole walk to the tubes and stayed that way while we waited in line at the Guild. After about a half hour, we were ushered into a room and found Esmeralda waiting for us.

“Hello, everyone,” she said with her usual happy disposition. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

Kat’ilth’ana scoffed and I turned to give her a hard look. She stared me down for a few moments, but then turned and looked away like a petulant child.

“Sorry about that, Esmeralda,” I apologized. “We have had someone added to our group we did not expect and who doesn’t want to be here. That said, she needs to be added to the group registry for when we are in the Dungeon.”

Esmeralda glanced at Kat’ilth’ana and her eyes locked on the collar before glancing back at me with her usual smile.

“Yes, I understand,” she replied. “Tyr sent me some advance notice of a collared person being added to your party for the time being.”

She picked up the gemmed document before her and walked over to where Kat’ilth’ana was seated. She grasped the woman’s collar and turned it until a jewel appeared. It matched the one on our bracers and Esmeralda placed the document jewel over the one on the collar. We watched the jewels begin to glow as a thin beam of light shot from the page to the collar. When the beam ceased, she brought the page to me and, after a moment, went to sit down.

Esmeralda sighed, “Your companion is now added to your group; her collar will serve as a bracer for the duration of her time with you. I have also paired her status information to your bracer so that you can monitor her vitals when in the Dungeon. I cannot say I am too keen on this. She has an inherent hatred for you and could easily become a liability. The collar may punish her for direct attempts to harm you, but it may not punish her for not attempting to save you, either. I only advise caution when dealing with her and don’t be afraid to punish her yourself for her actions.”

I shook my head, “I know the risks involved, but there are people in the Dungeon counting on us to kill those spiders before more people go missing. I cannot abandon my duty, just because an inconvenience has appeared. Tyr is looking for a way to not have her with us all the time and hopefully he will come up with a solution. Until then, I have two lovely ladies who will help watch my back.”

She nodded and asked if we had anything else that we needed help with. We told her no and thanked her for her assistance. With that task done, we made our way to the transfer tubes to head to the Dungeon. We would go to the third-floor Pact house, get equipped and do some scouting. As we entered the tube, I wondered just how all of this was going to play out.

Chapter 2

When we entered the level three Pact house, I was surprised at the inactivity I saw when I glanced around. Normally there are numerous members coming and going, but the number here was a fraction of that. I saw two people at the check in area, depositing orbs, another heading for the transit tubes.

“Excuse me,” I said to a nearby Pact house facilitator. “Sorry to bother you, I have two questions to ask. First, where is everyone? Normally there are nearly three to four times the people here. The second, is where can I find the armory? We need to prepare to go into the Dungeon.”

The young man sighed and replied, “Due to the number of missing or dead at the hands of the Arachni, new adventurers are not coming to the third floor. Until the issue is dealt with, new adventurers are staying on the floor below rather than risk coming up here. Seasoned ones are not returning, either, as some have been forced to use their emergency stones in their encounters with the Arachni. They have said they have been assaulted by groups of the beasts that overwhelmed them. As for the armory, I will guide you there, if you would please follow me. You will find it in the same spot in any Pact house on any floor.”

We thanked him and followed as he took us down a hallway to the left of the tubes. Three doors down there was a golden door with a jewel in the center. It was intricate, much like on the large doors of the dining hall.

“Touch the jewel of your bracer to the door,” the young man said, gesturing to the door. “Your armory will be called, and the door will open for you to enter. All who are registered to your party, or group, will find their equipment here.”

I nodded and placed the jewel of my bracer against the one on the center of the door. Both jewels began to glow as a thin stream of light shot from the bracer to the crystal opposite it. The door then opened with a click and I pushed it inward. We entered to find a large, spacious room, nearly comparable to the current bedroom we had in the Pact house. There was no furniture, instead there were mannequins housing our armor lining the wall to the left, with some empty ones to spare. The mannequins were on a raised section of the room pulling focus to then. Along the wall to the right were displays that held our various small arms and weapons racks to hold our larger weapons.

I marveled at the simple design and how it reminded me of a superhero show or movie, in the way they set up their lairs and displayed their suits and equipment. After admiring the room for a few moments, we walked over to our respective mannequins and began getting ready. Following Brot’k’s suggestion, we made sure to keep as little on as possible when we donned the armor. I saw Kat’ilth’ana glancing our way a few times, though not saying anything about our lack of clothes. We helped one another to lock up our respective garments, though Enti didn’t really need any help. I think she just wanted an excuse to feel us up and be felt up in return.

I saw that Kat’ilth’ana was having issues with a section of her armor and I gestured in her direction. Amenthia and Enti looked and saw the issue as well. They glanced back at me and I nodded, causing Enti to sigh, before heading over. Before Kat’ilth’ana could say anything Enti quickly assisted her to finish donning her armor.

“I didn’t ask for your help,” she snapped at the elf. “But I thank you for it nonetheless,” she continued in a softer and more pleasant tone.

Entivala shrugged, “Don’t thank me, Kat’ilth’ana, thank Pathios. He was the one who noticed the issue and asked me to help you with it.”

Kat’ilth’ana turned to look at me with a glare, but there was less fire behind it than there had been the last time I received it. I made a mental note on her reaction and continued getting ready. As I moved around to help loosen the tight hide, I realized it felt good to be in my armor again. It was beginning to feel like a second skin, and I felt diminished without it. It was not as comfortable as the Minator hide one I had started out with, but I had no doubt that the one that would be made in the future would put that one to shame. I turned to find smiles on Enti’s and Amenthia’s faces at my display, no doubt it looked amusing.

“Brot’k said that the hide would be tough,” I explained. “These movements, while silly looking, are designed to loosen the fibers in the areas that will need the flexibility of softer and more flexible hide. The purpose is to expedite the process and make it more yielding to our movements sooner.”

Both nodded in understanding and I guided Amenthia through a similar set of movements for hers. Once that was completed, we donned our capes and helmets, while Enti put on her cloak. As I looked at her, I was amazed at how well the clothing turned out. All she needed was a lightsaber and she would be as close to a Jedi as anyone could get here. Next, we put on our small equipment. I put on the belt that Amenthia had made for me, then collected some of the throwing stars I had Brot’k make.

“Enti, I want you to have these,” I said, handing her the stars. “In the dungeons and dragons game of my world, mages typically used throwing darts as a weapon. I am sure these will prove useful to you.”

She thanked me and kissed my cheek. As expected, Kat’ilth’ana made a disapproving noise which we all ignored. Amenthia grabbed a few stars of her own and I collected a few for my belt. You never know when something like that could come in handy. I took my sword and shield, attaching the sword to my waist. I wished I could have just thrown the shield on my back, but the cape got in the way.

“Enti, my dear, while I love the cape you gave me, I think I will leave it here today. There is ample fire protection in our armor, and I don’t want to give the spiders any extra area to latch on to with their webs.”

Enti smiled and said, “It’s okay, my love, you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to. I know you will appreciate it nevertheless and will wear it when the situation calls for it.”

I thanked her and took the cape off, hanging it on my mannequin. A thought crossed my mind as to finding a way to have it malleable so that I can compress it onto my back when I want to carry my shield. Something like what they did for Batman’s cape in ‘The Dark Knight’. I would also need to find a way to attach the shield to my back, but we already figured a light magnetism spell would do the trick. It would have to be bound specifically to the shield and the piece of drake scale. Since there was no mounting it to my back as yet, I would have to wear it on my arm.

Everyone was finished getting equipped around the same time. I glanced over at Kat’ilth’ana and had to admit she had decent equipment. Her short swords were no different than I last saw them, sitting in scabbards on her hips. Her armor consisted of what looked to be light leather armor. I figured she sacrificed the added protection to allow for more stealthy movement. Immediately the Assassin’s Creed games sprang to mind, and I put those ideas on the back burner for now. If she weren’t a permanent member of our group, I wouldn’t have them made. Though if I were able to at least change her attitude about me, I could send the designs with her to get made.

“Okay, is everyone ready to go?” I asked, getting nods from Amenthia and Enti. From Kat’ilth’ana I got a sigh and roll of the eyes.

“What about Cassandra?” Amenthia asked. “Don’t you think that we should have her come along with us today?”

Just as Amenthia finished asking the question, Cassandra burst through the door, breathing heavily.

“Sorry I am late,” Cassandra managed between breaths. “I woke up to find my equipment gone, so I spent part of my morning trying to figure it out. No one could tell me anything, so I went to find you guys, but the guard outside your door said you left. So I went to see Brot’k and he told me what happened with my stuff and that you had already left. So I ran over to catch up with you guys. By the way, who is this woman and why is she looking at me like she wants to kill me?”

“She is Kat’ilth’ana, a forest dryad from the Northern Forest Kingdom. She tried to break into my room to ‘free’ Entivala from my influence and convince her to help get the Royal Family back into power. I called Tyr, he got pissed and threw a slave collar on her. So, now we are stuck with her until her attitude changes or Tyr finds a way to make her not get punished to death by being away from me.”

Cassandra nodded her understanding and made her way over to her equipment. Amenthia, Enti and I discussed the plan for today, while Cassandra got dressed. We tried to engage Kat’ilth’ana to join the conversation, but she chose to stand quietly by the door, not paying attention to any of us. Once Cassandra was ready, we told her of the plan, but made sure we were loud enough that Kat’ilth’ana could overhear.

“Today we do some reconnaissance,” I began. “We will check with the townspeople where they have seen the Arachni, areas outside of town that people have disappeared from as well as frequency of attacks. This will help us correlate the data to get a general location of where their nest could be. If we see any materials that Cassandra could use, we will make sure to collect it. The sooner she starts crafting, the sooner she can start gaining experience in her field.”

“And what, pray tell, is her field? Kat’ilth’ana asked. What surprised me was it sounded like a general question with no arrogance or snide remarks.

I turned to Kat’ilth’ana and answered, “She is a Runesmith, able to put enchantments directly into the weapons and armor she forges.”

Kat’ilth’ana simply nodded and turned her head away from the rest of us once again. We did one last check before heading out of the armory and leaving the Pact house. I made sure to thank the young man for his assistance and asked him about the attacks.

“They have happened every other day for the past week. Before then, it was maybe twice a week for about a month. Prior to that we never saw them, other than the occasional adventurer stumbling across a few and killing them. They have never been this active or aggressive before.”

If they normally didn’t act this way, something must have affected them, causing this reaction.

“Where have they currently been seen? “I asked. “Do you know of anyone else who would be a good source of information in the town?”

“I am not sure,” the young man replied. “But, if you are looking for a good place to ask, try Noval’s Tavern on the north side of the village.”

I thanked him, as did everyone but Kat’ilth’ana, and we left to find this tavern he spoke of. It took us a half hour, with the assistance of some nice villagers, before we located the tavern. Upon entering, I was surprised to see it, too, had been rather empty. There were two servers attending to the scarce clientele and a middle-aged man tending the bar. We made our way over to the bar and I took a seat.

“What are you looking for, sir? “The man asked in a deep, resonating baritone. “We have some of the best spirits on tap and fresh stew cooking.”

I smiled, “While that sounds good, I am looking for information. We are looking to rid the third floor of the Arachnid attacks, but we need to get a bearing on where their nest could be. I was wondering about what you may have heard on the subject. We know they have become more active and aggressive in the last month or more”

The man nodded, “You are quite correct. They have come to the village walls, attacking the soldiers. So far none have been taken or killed, but their injuries are mounting. I have never seen them act this way before. The soldiers who were conscious after the attacks said they seemed to come from the north east. Though no one has disappeared there, the disappearances happened to the south west.”

I thanked him for his information, and we headed out. The others could see the pensive look in my face.

“What is it, Pathios?” Amenthia asked. “You have had a clouded expression since he gave you his information. What made you so upset?”

“This is the second case of something like this; the first was the dragon we fought,” I replied. “I just have a feeling that someone is interfering with the creatures in here. It is the only thing that makes sense. The real question is, what is their agenda?”

Enti looked pensive as she asked, “You think that whoever is responsible for Trethraz is also responsible for this current string of attacks?”

I simply nodded in reply as we continued towards the northern exit of the village. I had this feeling that the people who attacked me had something to do with this, but I couldn’t see the reason why.

“The attacks have come from the north east and I want to see if there are signs of where they emerged from.”

“What do mean emerged from, Pathios?” Amenthia asked, before her eyes widened in realization. “You think that they are using tunnels to hide their true location?”

I nodded and replied, “It makes the most sense. I figure people have looked in both areas for the nest and found nothing. That means they are striking from there, but their home is somewhere else.”

“So how did you plan to find this so-called nest?” Kat’ilth’ana asked smugly. “You gonna wave your fingers and magically find out?”

I glared at her, “No, I am going to use the tracer potion I bought. As long as it doesn’t take three hours for one of their people to return to their nest, I can find out exactly where it is. I just coat one of my shuriken with it and make sure to get it stuck in one of them. Even if the shuriken is removed, I just need enough of the liquid to transfer into the bug and then we can follow it home.”

I saw a look of shock on her face, which was becoming a regular thing lately. She had been continuously underestimating me and being shocked each time I exceeded her estimate. Mind you, I expected it to be set fairly low. However, her expectations were like throwing a ball lightly expecting the person to barely be able to hit it, then having the ball slammed out of the park. She expects a child, yet she gets Babe Ruth. I doubt anything I have done to surprise her will change her opinion of me any time soon. I half expected a snarky comment, but she was unusually quiet.

Pulling my thoughts away from that issue, I focused on the more pressing one. Once we got out of the Northern gate, I brought up my map display in order to get a better idea of the layout. There was a small forest that started in the North East and then curved in a crescent shape until ending just south of the village. We would start at one edge of the forest and work our way to the other. If one lead didn’t pan out, then we would try the other one.

“Everyone please come take a look at the map,” I said, glancing quickly at the group before continuing. “Okay, we will start here at the northern edge of the forest. We will be looking for possible signs of their movements. We will also use our maps to actively try and locate a target. While they seem to target lone adventures or pairs, we have no real idea how aggressive they now are and if they would attack a group our size. Everyone watch out for one another. I don’t want anyone getting hurt if we can help it. That includes you, Kat’ilth’ana, just in case you were wondering.”

Kat’ilth’ana said nothing, while the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

We made our way North, North-East, towards the edge of the forest. There were no signs of any mobs between here and there, which I found odd, given the distance between the two. As we neared the edge of the forest, I decided to bring up Kat’ilth’ana’s stats page to get an idea of what she could do.

---

Strength: 5

Defense: 8

Speed: 8

Vitality: 4

Magic: 8

Wisdom: 6

Agility: 8

Awareness: 13

Weapons:

Main Hand:

Name: Vish’alt Blade

Weapon Type: Short Sword

Damage Type: Slash/Pierce

Attack Damage: Strength + 7

Durability: 83/100

Off Hand:

Name: Vish’alt Blade

Weapon Type: Short Sword

Damage Type: Slash/Pierce

Attack Damage: Strength + 4

Durability: 86/100

Armor:

Head: None

Body:

Type: Light Leather Armor

Defense Rating: Defense + 6

Enhancements: None

Runes: None

Durability: 76/100

Gloves: None

Boots: Leather

---

Abilities: None

---

Enhancements: None

---

Runes: None

---

Durability: 76/100

---

---

Her armor was in decent shape, but could use some repair, like her blades. Her inventory showed that she had throwing daggers along with some smoke bombs. This just further confirmed her Rogue class to me, which could help us sooner rather than later.

We entered the edge of the woods on high alert, expecting to run across mobs at any moment. I had wished that we could put Kat’ilth’ana’s high awareness to use, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. Her hatred of me and of her circumstances seemed to be higher than her need for self-preservation, at least for now.

“Enti, Amenthia and Cassandra: same order as before. Amenthia stick with Enti in the middle and Cassandra bring up the rear. Kat’ilth’ana, pick whichever part of the formation you feel is prudent. Enti, please activate your map and start tracking mobs. Look for any Arachni that could pop up. We aren’t using our usual grind system for maximizing our drops. This is a search pattern, with focus on possible cave and tunnel entrances. Those will be the highest probable places to start. The only thing we should try to do, other than search, is collect materials for Cassandra, if possible.”

I drew my sword and started moving into the forest with the rest following suit. I was surprised to find that Kat’ilth’ana was following just behind me. I made a mental note to keep my eye on her. She could use a fight with a mob to try and attack me, hoping the collar would think it was an accident. I hoped that I was just being paranoid, but given how things have gone lately, it would be better to be pragmatic.

We walked for ten minutes before we came across our first mob. It was a ruin of kobolds, searching for things to collect amongst a rocky outcropping. I turned to Amenthia and nodded, before starting to close the gap between us and our targets. As I ran towards them, two arrows zipped past my head hitting two of the kobolds in the base of their skulls. While I didn’t know if that would be a kill shot, they would be paralyzed until we were ready to dispatch them. Closing my eyes, I tried to feed my mana into the blade, and I was rewarded with a fiery glow emanating from it. I swung the blade horizontally and watched as a six-foot wall of fire appeared. It began to move outward towards the kobolds and within moments engulfed them. I watched as the flames consumed them into bursts of black smoke. An orb or two dropped, but I was pleased to see a few gold and some ore dropped.

I wanted to see how the attack would fare against a group of enemies, as well, and how the environment would react. Once the fire wall had passed all of the kobolds, it dissipated, but I could see flames remaining on various trees and shrubbery. Enti quickly cast some of her magic to put it out, but this was a valuable lesson on the abilities of the blade.

“What purpose was there in doing that?” Kat’ilth’ana barked. “You could have set the forest ablaze with your carelessness. Yet another arrogant human, doing what they want with no thought of the area around them.”

I looked at her blankly and replied, “If we had come across a mob outside of the forest, I would have tested it then. Unfortunately, this was the first one we came across and I tested it for good reason. We could end up fighting a whole slew of Arachni. Knowing the width and height of the flame wall, as well as how far it travels in a charge is important. I knew Enti would be able to put the flames out before it spread, and I learned that it would interact and ignite the area it contacts. That means if we are surrounded by spiders and their webs the Dragon’s Breath attack could ignite their silk and thus spread through the whole nest.”

She glared at me for a few moments then sheathed her blades and walked over to a nearby tree. She touched where the flames had injured the bark and began speaking in an unknown language. A few minutes later, new bark had covered the burn and the tree looked as if it had never caught fire. While we collected drops, she healed the rest of the injured plants. As I went to put the blade back in its scabbard, I noticed that one of the jewels had changed color. It was now a few shades darker. The ones on the other side and the one in the pommel were still bright blue. I realized that perhaps the color of the jewels would let me know the charges I had left.

We waited until Kat’ilth’ana had finished healing the rest of the plants before heading deeper into the woods. For the next three hours we encountered far fewer mobs than we had expected, given how scarce this floor was of adventurers. Still we had wiped out six more ruins of kobolds, three packs of wolves, two sloths of bears and a clamor of harpies. We collected a bit more ore for Cassandra, some hides, and a various amount of orbs. We decided to search for an unoccupied safe zone in which to rest and eat. It took another hour and two more fights before we arrived.

Enti activated the privacy system and we started getting our lunch ready. I had not realized that Enti and Amenthia had collected food supplies before we left. There were dried meats, fruits, and veggies to eat and enjoy.

“I am becoming rather concerned,” I said in between bites of food. “We should be seeing a lot more mobs than we have been. I believe that the Arachni are not just attacking the village and players but attacking other creatures. We know that Trethraz got stronger from surviving attacks, perhaps the same is happening there. What is worse is, they can attack in groups that could easily overpower any mob that spawns.”

“So you believe they are working as a unified force instead of a spattering of one or two in a group?” Amenthia asked.

I nodded, “It makes sense. What makes matters worse, is that arachnids are very versatile creatures. Venom in their fangs, webbing in their thorax, some can camouflage, others hide until their prey passes by and then they attack. They can jump great distances and move without making a single sound. That makes them formidable, but if you add a dark intelligence behind it, you have a very credible threat.”

“Do you think the people who attacked you are behind Trethraz and this Arachni threat?” Enti asked, before taking another bite of food.

“It is a possibility,” I replied. “We know through Jonta that someone has been circumventing the rules that govern the Dungeon. That same circumvention showed itself to be present when certain people fought Trethraz. It would be foolish not to consider the possibility.”

“But what would their goal be?” Cassandra asked as she sharpened the edge of her sword. “This group must have some kind of agenda?”

“That I don’t know, and their possible involvement in this Arachni problem is just supposition at best,” I answered with a sign of frustration. “Well, let’s finish our meal and break camp. We still have a lot of ground to cover and I hope to get this done before sundown.”

We cleaned up our camp and continued our curved path through the forest to its southern edge. We came across various mobs, though I was pleased that most were kobolds. The ore they dropped would prove useful for Cassandra in starting to build her levels in runesmithing. Hopefully, the changes proposed for Brot’k’s shop would be instituted soon. That brought up a thought as we were moving southward after killing another ruin of kobolds.

“Cassandra, isn’t there a kit that you could bring that would allow you to smith and forge inside of the Dungeon?” I asked. “I would think it would be prudent to be able to forge on the fly, without having to leave.”

“Not that I have heard of, no,” Cassandra replied. “It would make restocking throwable items easier, as I could forge new ones at safe zones. However, the smallest anvil would still be far too heavy to lug around, not to mention where would I get the necessary heat for a kiln.”

I thought for a moment and replied, “Couldn’t you just get the anvil enchanted so that you can make it lighter. Then you just turn off the enchantment when you’re ready to forge - after placing it down, of course. As for the kiln, wouldn’t the heat from a fire spell produce enough raw heat to melt the metal for you? Then you just need the right hammers, a quenching method, blanks and a whetstone to sharpen them.”

“You consistently surprise me,” Cassandra laughed. “Every time I am around, you come up with new ways of thinking that blow my mind.”

We continued our track through the woods, and, twelve mobs later, we had arrived at the southern edge. I had been disappointed that there were no appearances of any Arachni in our travels, though I was uncertain what I was looking for.

“Amenthia, my dear,” I called over my shoulder. “What exactly do Arachni look like? I know it has to do with spiders, but that is about it.”

“The scouts are usually what spawn on the low levels like this one. They are usually just spiders the size of the wolves here. I have heard that, on higher levels, they can have humanoid forms. Some look like a human with extra protruding limbs out of their back. Others I have heard of, speak of them like a centaur. Human from the stomach up, spider for the rest. It is all speculation on my part as I have never seen them myself.”

I thanked her for her information, and we started back towards the town. It would take an hour to get back, but there was still some daylight left. As we turned to make our way, there was a sound of surprise and we turned to find Kat’ilth’ana being dragged towards a large spider. It looked like a large tarantula, using its fore limbs to pull the webbed dryad towards its waiting mandibles.

“Amenthia, Enti, sever that web before she gets in range of its fangs,” I yelled as I pulled out the bottle of tracking fluid and some of my Tyr symbol shuriken.

Amenthia and Enti wasted no time with my blonde companion shooting two arrows towards the web closest to its thorax while Entivala used a fireball to try and burn through the webbing between Kat’ilth’ana and the Arachni. Despite the damage both attacks did, the beast continued to pull her closer. With my task done, I turned and ran at the large beast, throwing two shuriken at its body before drawing my sword. The two shuriken embedded in its body, an inch away from its many eyes, causing the creature to screech in pain and frustration. I jumped as hard as I could to quickly close the final gap between us before she got in range of its poisonous fangs. I brought my blade down near her head, severing the web from her and bringing my shield up. It was good I had, as the Arachni spit venom at me, but the shield blocked it from hitting me or Kat’ilth’ana.

With the web line severed just in the nick of time, Amenthia and Enti focused their attack on the beast itself. It raised its front legs and again screeched in anger, trying to aim its thorax at us, only to receive two arrows in response. Next a fireball impacted against it, causing it to fall over and the hair on its body to burst into flames. The beast slowly got up and then turned to run away. I gestured for the others to stop their attack as the beast made its way off, but the flames on its body seemed to be too much and it burst in a cloud of black smoke. I cursed our luck, but we had succeeded in running into one.

I carefully removed the web that was wrapped around Kat’ilth’ana. After five minutes, I had removed enough for her to assist completely removing the webs. While I was busy helping Kat’ilth’ana, Enti and Amenthia walked over and picked up the shuriken and the orb that dropped. I almost thought I had heard a thank you from Kat’ilth’ana, before she stomped off towards the town. We didn’t want to risk anything else today, so we followed her back to the village.

“Do we want to head back to the Pact house?” I asked, trying to make sure Kat’ilth’ana could hear. “It would take some time to remove our armor, go back then return again tomorrow.”

“What is it you would suggest, then?” Cassandra asked. “There is the inn nearby the Pact house we could go to.”

I nodded, “That sounds like a plan, we will get two rooms. Cassandra, I will ask that you share a room with Kat’ilth’ana, so that we know if there are any issues with her collar overnight.”

She nodded and said she would have no problem doing that. I noticed that Kat’ilth’ana had heard us and adjusted her direction towards where Cassandra had said the inn was. It was off-putting seeing the streets bare of adventurers and of villagers. We arrived at the inn to find a nice middle-aged woman behind the counter.

“Welcome to the Dark Beast Inn,” the woman said with a wan smile. “I am surprised to see adventurers, given all that had been happening lately. What could I do for you?”

“We would like two rooms, side by side please,” I replied politely. “We would also hope to get an evening and morning meal.”

The woman smiled and said, “Of course sir, though wouldn’t three rooms make sense? As for meals we have evening meal soon and we have morning meal a few hours after dawn.”

“Two rooms would be just fine,” I answered. “If you could please show us to our rooms, we’d appreciate it.”

She smiled and picked up two keys before guiding us down a nearby hall. She gestured at two doors on the left and handed me both keys. She then wished us a good night and walked off. I handed Cassandra one of the keys and we went to our respective rooms. After removing and storing our goods, we met the others in the dining room. I was surprised not to see a disgusted look on Kat’ilth’ana’s face. Instead she seemed to be searching my face for something and seemingly becoming more confused with each attempt.

Dinner was a somber affair, though the food was delicious. We discussed what we had learned, from both our investigation and the attack we thwarted. Even Kat’ilth’ana contributed to the conversation, though it was mostly to argue with me or one of the others. She did agree that we needed to check the southwestern forest. That was where a few people had been attacked and disappeared. If we were lucky, we would find a sign of an entrance for their nest. At the least, we would be able to track one back there. With dinner and our discussions completed, we said goodnight and went to our respective rooms. I brought up my stats to see where things stood for tomorrow and the threats we would encounter.

---

Pathios Daxion

Level: 2

Health: 150

Mana: 0

Strength: 8

8/10

Defense: 11

Speed: 4

4/10

Vitality: 5

3/10

Magic: 3

0/10

Wisdom: 3

0/10

Agility: 8

3/10

Awareness: 9

9/10

Weapon:

Name: Dragon’s Bane

Weapon Type: Bastard Sword

Damage Type: Slash/ Pierce

Attack Damage: Strength + 11

Traits: Sword totals double against Dragonkin.

Abilities: Dragon breath: Fire wall appears in front of the wielder, damaging enemies and destroying no fire-based projectiles. Water attacks of fifty or more damage negate wall. Sword contains three charges, per day.

Durability: 100/100

Armor: Dragon Scale Armor Set

Effects: 50% Fire Resistance

Set Defense Total: Defense + 12

Head:

Type: Dragon Bone Helmet

Defense Rating: Defense + 2

Enhancements: None

Runes: None

Durability: 89/100

Body:

Type: Dragon Scale Armor

Defense Rating: Defense + 8

Enhancements: None

Runes: None

Durability: 89/100

Gloves:

Type: Dragon Bone Gloves

Defense Rating: Defense + 1

Enhancements: None

Runes: None

Durability: 89/100

Boots: Dragon Scale Boots

Defense Rating: Defense + 1

Enhancements: None

Runes: None

Durability: 89/100

---

After perusing my stats, I felt confident that we were ready for whatever we could come across tomorrow. With every encounter we have come out on top and we have worked to make sure that we would always end up on top. With my mind slightly at ease, I laid down and wondered what tomorrow would bring.

Chapter 3

Out of respect for our companions in the room next to us, the ladies and I refrained from engaging in any sexual activities. We felt we had seen some progress with how Kat’ilth’ana had been reacting to the group and me. Not only that, we thought that rescuing her might have gained a positive reaction from her. The last thing we needed was to be set back in all that progress by having her overhear our activities. That said, neither Amenthia nor Entivala attempted to dress in a way to hamper it. They wore their underwear, but I had to try and ignore the sensation of their bare breasts pressing into my sides.

I at least tried to maintain some decorum by wearing pants to bed, to prevent them from being enticed, but I could tell that just proximity to me and my touch was getting to them. We eventually went to sleep, though it did take some time for my body to calm down enough for me to surrender to sleep. My dreams were free of messages from anyone, as well as free from the darker manifestations of my fears. Normally, sleeping with Amenthia and Entivala kept things like that at bay, but lately my worries of what could be coming had begun to break through the comfort my lovers gave me.

I knew that nothing would stop me from protecting them, even if it meant my life. I knew they felt the same in regard to me, though I hated the idea of that coming to pass. There were times that I worried that perhaps the speed with which we had been moving was too fast. That we had allowed our lust to push us forward before the love we spoke of had time to grow naturally. However, when I would look over at them and see the look in their eyes, all I saw was love. Sure, there were times that lust filled their eyes, but between it all was love and adoration. I had never had such feelings in my past life; had only wished it would happen.

As I woke the next morning, I noticed that there was a unique sensation pulling me out of my sleep. As I became more aware of what was going on, I realized what the sensation was and opened my eyes. Before me were Amenthia and Entivala. No longer next to me, but instead lying on my legs. My pants were no longer at my waist, but rather bundled around my ankles. They had also freed me of my underwear and were taking turns enjoying my morning erection. They were whispering to one another as they would take turns sucking and licking my shaft. At times, they would both lick a side of it, while other times, it was one sucking my dick as the other would concentrate on my balls.

It took a little while before they noticed that I was awake and looking at them. Both of them blushed at getting caught, but they didn’t stop what they were doing.

“Sorry, Pathios,” Amenthia said, while Enti took her turn. “We really were trying to be good, but this morning we saw it and figured if we were quiet, maybe we could at least suck it.”

Amenthia took her turn while Enti said, “Please don’t be mad. You were so amazing yesterday, and you know how much it affects us to see you be heroic like that.”

I was about to reply when I felt a familiar sensation begin building. Enti saw my reaction and went down to assist Amenthia and, a few moments later, I began to unload into Amenthia’s mouth. She swallowed a few shots of it before she held the rest in her mouth. She showed me how much she still had in her mouth before pulling Entivala into a kiss, giving the elf her share of my spend. When they were done, both had a look of happiness on their faces and smiled at me. I had been surprised that I hadn’t made any sound, given how intense it had felt.

“Thank you, my loves,” I said to them both softly. “Your attentions were both pleasurable and appreciated. When we are able to be truly alone, I will make sure to spend ample time doing the same to both of you. For now, let’s get ready to have our morning meal and then head towards the south western forest.”

We got dressed and checked to see if the others were up before we went downstairs. They weren’t in their room and we found them a few minutes later, sitting in the dining room. It looked like Kat’ilth’ana hadn’t slept well at all, despite not being in the room with us. Cassandra, on the other hand, looked to be happy and well rested. I didn’t want to press Kat’ilth’ana, as she looked irritable and confused. I felt that we made some progress yesterday and I didn’t want to cause any loss to that progress.

We made our orders and ate in relative silence. When our meal was completed, we began discussing the plan for today.

“We will get the rest of our gear and head to the southwestern forest. Since that is where people have been reported missing or narrowly escaping an attack by our targets. I would think it is a lot like what we thwarted last night as we were returning to the village. However, I would not be surprised if we are assaulted by groups of Arachni instead of a lone spider. So, we need to be ready to face groups of enemies and we will have to watch one another’s back if we are to succeed.”

Kat’ilth’ana grimaced with mild irritation and asked, “Why should we even bother? Shouldn’t you be trying to get further into the Dungeon?”

“It is true that the goal should be to progress in the Dungeon,” I said with a nod. “That said, we have taken a quest from the Guild to deal with this and so we will attempt to fulfill it to the best of our ability. Not just for the reward, but first and foremost because we need to protect these people.”

Kat’ilth’ana looked at me strangely, as if she were trying to see if I was being truthful or just saying it to make her think I cared. Nothing I had said was changing her mind, but I was certain my actions had done. With the discussion over, we made our way back upstairs and armed ourselves. I checked the charge on my sword and was pleased to see all three gems were glowing. I suspected that I would be using all of my charges before this quest was done. Fully armed and ready for the day, we left our rooms and the inn.

It took us ten minutes to get to the southern gate of the village and a quick glance at the floor map told me we would be another hour or two before we reached the edge of our target forest. I wasn’t at all surprised to see a lack of creatures between the village and the forest. I was starting to think that the Arachni were using them to make themselves stronger. Because we had arrived after their attacks had begun, I had no way to gauge the difference. As we neared the edge of the woods, I had Entivala bring up her map display so that we could have an idea of what we were walking into. Due to the dense nature of this particular forest, it made it extremely difficult to tell anything.

“Everyone keep sharp and look everywhere, “I said as I drew my blade from its scabbard. “These things could be in a bush, up in the trees, or even buried in the dirt. Spiders are both resourceful and insidious that way.”

Everyone nodded silently, even Kat’ilth’ana, which surprised me. Slowly I started moving into the edge of the woods, with Kat’ilth’ana, Amenthia and Enti in the center, with Cassandra bringing up the rear. I kept my eyes moving around, darting to any area an unexpected sound originated from. Due to the density of trees, the forest was rather dark and ominous despite it being mid-morning. The forest itself was kidney shaped and was around ten kilometers in length. It was smaller than the last one, but we needed to comb every meter to be sure we didn’t miss anything. We used our standard movement pattern for when we were grinding for drops.

Over the next few hours, we went through almost a third of the forest, but only came across two “??” of Kobolds and a pack of wolves. My gut told me we were on the right track because there were too few mobs for the distance we had covered. I had wondered if this floor had been more thinly infested than the first two, but Cassandra assured me that there had been far more when she had been here with her previous Pact house. I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach. To be able to get rid of so many mobs, plus the respawns, meant that the Arachni could have a significant force. I began to question if we might be in over our heads.

I had noticed there were signs of us approaching our quarry. Wisps of webbing dangled from the trees overhead, far too large to be made by a normal sized spider. I gestured to them and everyone saw and nodded in response. We continued along our path slowly, but still didn’t run across any further signs. We located a safe zone within the forest and made our way there. We were fortunate to find it unoccupied and we set up to have our mid-day meal.

I shook my head, “We should have come across some more signs by now. Something to lead us towards them. Instead, it feels like they are out of reach. Hiding in the shadows, watching us in order to find a way to successfully attack.”

“That would mean an intelligence that is far higher than they should have,” Cassandra replied. “The Arachni that I came across were a bit of a challenge, but no more intelligent than any of the fauna you might run into. It doesn’t seem possible for them to have this drastic a change.”

“Normally I would agree with you,” Amenthia said with a frustrated sigh. “The problem is that they could have changed that much. “T” was manipulated in some way allowing it to subtly get strong enough to survive an attack by adventurers. Thus, instead of dying and a dragon being respawned, it grew unnaturally powerful.”

I nodded, “I was thinking the same thing, my dear. Perhaps the Arachni on this floor have a queen and she has been the one who was altered? Thus, the changes would carry over to any of her new brood. Perhaps instead of being solitary like most arachnids, they have been trained to have more of an ant or bee mentality. A queen who has her drones carry out her will?”

I was surprised when Kat’ilth’ana spoke up and said, “I don’t know about whatever these arachnids you are speaking about are. However, these Arachni do have a drone mentality, so your supposition is not out of the realm of possibility.”

I glanced over and saw her staring back at me; a neutral look was on her face. I nodded in acknowledgment, knowing that anything I would say could cause her to react negatively. She surprised me again by nodding back and then returning to her meal.

Just as we were finishing, I noticed a red dot appear and then disappear on Enti’s map. It was for the briefest of moments, so I believed that it had been a trick of the mind. Then I saw two more flash and then disappear. I gestured to gather their attention, pressing a finger to my lips, and pointing to Entivala’s map display. We watched for a moment or two before the briefest of flashes occurred again. From their positions, I would assume that there were two or three circling the safe zone.

We got our weapons ready and were about to attack when we felt the ground begin to give way underneath us. We had only moments before we fell into a dark tunnel beneath us and landed with a painful thud. I landed on my back and got the wind knocked out of me. Amenthia landed hard on her side, but the others were able to land in a way that allowed them to still be upright. It was a good thing, as well, since we had less than a second to react before two Arachni attacked us. Enti cast a fireball down the tunnel she was facing, striking the large spider as well as two behind it before it continued down the tunnel.

The fur on their bodies caught fire and the creatures uttered strange cries of pain. Kat’ilth’ana cast some of her own innate magic and sealed the tunnel with vines, barring our enemies from entering. Amenthia had been able to get up and began shooting arrows at the burning arachnids and, one after one, they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“Well,” I exclaimed as I tried to catch my breath. “I think we know how they are capturing people and taking out the monsters that usually are here.”

I picked up my sword and turned to nod at Kat’ilth’ana. She nodded in response and I thought I saw the hint of a blush on her cheeks. I chalked it up to her being a bit flush from the adrenaline and I once again took point. I could hear the Arachni banging against the wall of vines and I knew that we would not have long before they would break through. I started down the open tunnel keeping my eye out for possible surprise attacks. I knew that Enti and Amenthia would collect the drops as we went so, I didn’t bother gathering anything as I went by.

Despite my lower perception, I activated my map for a second to see if there would be an overlay of the possible tunnels. I was happy to find that some of the tunnels appeared on the map, but it still wasn’t very much information to go with.

“Pathios, you let me figure out our path,” Enti said from behind me. “You just focus on keeping us alive. This could get ugly for us really fast.”

I nodded and slowly pressed forward. We moved in a tight formation and I followed the directions given by Entivala. I was surprised by one instance where Kat’ilth’ana spoke up and suggested we go down the opposite path when we arrived at a fork. As we passed, she had brushed against one of the many roots sticking out along the tunnel walls and was able to sense along the root path. The path Entivala showed was set with a strap that would place us in a cave in. There were two Arachni waiting for us down that path, as well.

The path she suggested would have a few more enemies, but they were in a larger cavern that would give us room to maneuver better. I looked back at her and nodded as we turned to go down her suggested path. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had been dishonest, but my gut was telling me she was focusing on her own survival rather than on my demise. Her words proved true as we came across a cavern with alcoves along the upper walls. Kat’ilth’ana moved along a nearby wall to her left and touched one of the roots having out of it.

“There are two enemies up there,” she whispered, gesturing to a large alcove just above us. “Those two over there house one each, but I cannot tell if there are any on the other side of the room.”

I nodded and looked at the others, who all nodded in return. Enti began to draw her mana, causing a spark to flash in her hand. Slowly the spark grew and became an ember the size of a baseball. As she prepared her spell, Amenthia prepared her bow, grabbing two arrows. One, she held in her hand while the other was nocked, ready to be unleashed at the first sign of our foes. With another nod Entivala threw her fireball up into the first alcove. It exploded in a blast of yellows and reds that illuminated the area, as the screams of their targets filled the air. A moment later, two very charred Arachni fell from their hiding spot, landing on the ground with a thud. A second later, they curled up and disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

The two at the far side of the room jumped out of their hiding places and landed on the ground with a thud. Amenthia wasted no time firing her shots as she quickly nocked the arrows in her hand for her second volley. Her aim was true, and the arrows pierced the arachnids eyes causing them to collapse and disappear in a puff of smoke. Kat’ilth’ana touched the root again and confirmed that there were no more targets in the room.

I turned to her and said, “Thank you, Kat’ilth’ana. I appreciate your assistance today and I marvel at your abilities.”

She said nothing, responding with only a curt nod and a slight coloration of the cheeks. Enti stepped forward a little and went over her map.

“I am still not seeing a way out, yet,” she told us. “Right now, I can make out that the path ahead curves towards the heart of the forest. Perhaps we will find an exit there that will lead to the surface.”

We agreed that was our best option at the moment and cautiously made our way into the next tunnel. We didn’t attempt to run or rush through. That would allow the spiders to get the drop on us, as they had already proven their cunning twice, now. Kat’ilth’ana was also making sure to take the time to touch the various roots that were jutting out of the tunnel walls. With her aid, we took care of two more ambushes before we arrived at the next large chamber. The area looked to be a kilometer or two in diameter and circular in shape. The roof curved towards the center like a dome and looked to be five or six hundred meters tall. Various alcoves littered the walls and ceiling. Thick webs crossed at various points above us and we could tell we had walked into some serious danger.

Entivala looked at her map and said that if the little movement she had detected was accurate, there could be thirty or forty Arachni in this room. Kat’ilth’ana confirmed Enti’s assessment when she touched two roots near the wall as we entered. She pointed down the tunnel to our left and said that a much larger creature was in there and making its way towards us. I expected to see something like Aragog from the second Harry Potter movie; an enormous sentient spider that towers above its children. The Arachni we had encountered had been roughly the same size as the ones from that movie.

Instead I was shocked to see the visage of a woman. She was nearly seven feet tall with an ethereal look to her. Long, straight, black hair hung low past her hips. Skin the color of porcelain, like what you would find on a doll. She had the typical features of a humanoid woman. Soft angular features, full lips, and an upturned nose. However her eyes had an insect quality, both her two humanoid eyes and the small six that sat above her eyebrows. She also had two mandibles on either side of her mouth. Her legs were long and lithe, with hair running down them like you would find on the legs of a tarantula. Four long arms jutted out of her back along her shoulder blades, looking like the long legs of a black widow spider. These appendages had sharp, blade like tips on the ends and did not look like one would want to be on the receiving end. Her arms were unnaturally long, as well, covered in the same long tarantula like hair. Elongated fingers with talon like tips adorned her hands and she walked with a model’s grace.

She wore no clothing and her more humanoid features were on display, specifically her breasts. Small, but proportional to her frame, they bounced with each movement. Which, while sensual and distracting, only added to the unnatural look of the creature walking towards us. It looked like someone had tried to splice a woman and spider together.

“Congratulations,” the creature said in a strange accent. “No one has ever made it this far into my sanctum; at least no one who was still able to put up resistance. I must say I am impressed, but the death of my children at your hands weighs heavily on me. You will have to pay for your transgressions here and pay you shall!”

“Transgressions?!” I roared, angered by the audacity of her words. “You have taken and killed people from the village as well as adventurers! You have wreaked murder and fear for months on innocent people and you have the nerve to talk about our transgressions?”

She continued to close the distance between us. “I merely do what is necessary for the survival of myself and my children. I have had to watch for centuries as so-called adventurers have killed them. Other monsters and villagers, as well. I had enough and was given the means to wreak my vengeance.”

“What do you mean given the means?” I asked picking up on her slip and hoping I could get her to elaborate more.

She smiled a toothy smile of pointed fangs and replied, “Nice try, human, but I don’t plan to talk with you about this. You have made it this far, but your journey has come to a close.”

She reached out with her left hand and we all dodged out of the way as a stream of webbing shot towards us. In response to her attack, the other Arachni in the room began to swarm and move to attack us.

“Everyone watch out!” I yelled, glancing at them all. Each one nodded and I poured my energy into activating the sword.

The three jewels began to glow brightly as I jumped forward. Entivala encased our team in a dome of ice as I spun around near the center of the room and activated the ability of my blade. Fire erupted in a circle around me and, by using all three charges, it blasted outward in all directions. My armor protected me from the heat and damage, for the most part, as the fire stretched out and engulfed the webs and creatures inside the chamber. The flames quickly spread along the flammable silk and the many spiders tried in vain to escape the spreading fire. Soon, the cavern was filled with cries of pain as they were engulfed in a torrent of fire that consumed them. The woman screamed in pain and rage at the death of her young, turning her focus towards me.

“You insignificant worm!” she screamed at me. “I will bathe in your blood and your miserable corpses will feed my children!”

She moved towards me with a burst of speed that surprised me. I had only a moment to bring up my shield before she collided with it and sent me falling through the air backwards, from the sheer force of impact. As I hit the ground, the wind was knocked out of me and I lost my grip on my sword. It went skidding across the ground away from me and was then buried beneath a thick layer of webbing. I rolled backward until I was on my feet, crouching. I barely dodged out of the way of another volley of webbing. I brought my shield up just as another strand shot towards me and hit the dead center of the shield. She began to pull against the strand, and I fought desperately against her to try and keep upright. I couldn’t risk losing my shield, or I would lose my best means of protection.

In a flash of inspiration, I recalled a scene from one of my favorite movies. Captain America was fighting Spider-man, and to prevent the young hero from taking Cap’s shield, he jumped in the air and spun hard, pulling Spider-man towards him, then struck him with the shield. I had nothing to lose and as soon as I felt her pull lessen, I tried the same maneuver. Using my momentum and training, I flipped and spun, hoping to throw her off balance and possibly sever her web’s connection with the shield. She surprised me by lunging towards me and I found myself pinned to the ground. I was happy that the shield was providing some form of barrier between us, because, up close, I could see her claws could do some serious damage.

I watched her pull her head back, as her cheeks began to fill. I tried to pull my shield up to cover my face, but she was too strong. As she readied herself to attack, a ball of ice the size of a beach ball impacted with the side of her head. The resulting impact diverted her attack, missing my head by inches. A second volley hit her ribs and knocked her off me. I rolled away from her and glanced over to see a thick green viscous liquid, steaming, and burning into the floor where it impacted. Enti rushed over to my side as two arrows whizzed by my head towards the fallen Arachni Queen. She screamed in pain and frustration as the arrows tore into her flesh. One embedded itself in her shoulder, the other pierced the bicep of one of the arms protruding from her back.

Cassandra silently rushed over and took a series of swings at the creature with her sword. Some missed but the creature had also had the tip of one of her extra arms sliced off and some cuts to her left leg and torso. As Cassandra swung at the Arachni for another attack the Queen smacked the blade away and landed a hoarse kick to her sternum. The force sent her flying into a nearby wall and the impact knocked her unconscious. Enti quickly cast a wall of rock between the queen and Cassandra just in time to prevent another acid attack. The bitch was keeping herself between us and my sword. In an act of desperation, I spun around and tossed the shield at her like an oversized frisbee and running towards her in its wake.

She caught it as it came within range but was unable to stop the two arrows that embedded themselves into her left shoulder and her abdomen. It gave me the distraction I needed to get past her towards my fallen blade. Ignoring our enemy and hoping they could buy me the time I needed, I started using my scallops to cut the webbing off. It was not easy, as the webs seemed to be remarkably dense. I looked back over my shoulder to see that the others were having a difficult time dealing with her. Even Kat’ilth’ana was helping, using her Dryad magic to both protect them and attempt to hurt and wound the queen. As I worked to finally wrench the blade free, I heard a scream of frustration and turned to find the Queen closing the distance between us and striking out with her four appendages.

I pulled with all my might and, just as I finally freed the blade, I heard a scream of pain and turned to find Kat’ilth’ana standing between me and the Arachni Queen. The four blade like tips had pierced her armor and were jutting out of her body. One pierced her left thigh, another her lower right abdomen. The third was jutting out of her shoulder and the last was through her chest. It looked like it missed her heart, but I didn’t know enough about Dryad physiology to know for certain. I watched in shock as she looked at me, anger, and pain on her face, until her eyes began to droop. Her body went limp and Entivala screamed, seeing her former friend hurt so badly.

I couldn’t understand why she had done that, especially since her purposes were served by me dying. As I watched her body sag, my shock gave way to rage blind, all-encompassing rage. I ran towards them and drove into a roll coming up on their right and sweeping the sword upwards as hard as I could. I was rewarded by watching the blade carve through the appendages and sever them completely. Kat’ilth’ana’s limp form fell to the ground as the queen screamed in pain. Not wanting to lose my advantage, I used the momentum to arc it over and around. As it came back down, I rotated my grip on the sword and drove the blade deep into the queen’s stomach.

I heard the twang of Amenthia firing her bow and watched two arrowheads burst through the queen’s torso. She screamed again but it was short lived as a lance of ice pierced through the back of her head, coming out of her mouth. As I withdrew my sword, she fell to the ground and a moment later disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. A medium sized gem sat on the ground, a faint glow coming from it. Next to it was something that looked like a small ruby, which glowed as well. Picking it up and inspecting it I realized it looked exactly like the jewel from the dagger that had nearly killed me. Realizing what it was, I dropped it to the ground and smashed it as hard as I could with my blade. My strike was successful, causing it to shatter into dust. A second later, a flash of green filled the room and I turned to find Kat’ilth’ana gone.

“Entivala, do you detect any more enemies near us or coming our way?” I yelled, embarrassed and frustrated at what happened.

She shook her head and replied,” I don’t see anything at the moment. What do you think we should do?”

I walked over and picked up my shield, then turned towards where the Arachni Queen had come from. Without saying a word I walked towards the heart of her lair, not sure of what I would find. My stomach turned as I took in the sight before me. The mangled bodies of villagers and adventurers alike were spread about the room. Infantile spiders were feasting on the remains, while the rest of the room was filled with eggs. I pulled up my map display, to see if I could find anyone alive, but the only blips were those of the Arachni in the room. I looked behind me to see the others.

“Enti, I want every meter of this room up in flames,” I whispered, trying to keep my anger in check. “Then we will leave and find out Kat’ilth’ana’s status. I would have gone right away, but we needed to make sure the threat was done and that her act of bravery and sacrifice was not in vain.”

Enti simply nodded and walked into the opening to the room. The rest of us moved back behind her and merely watched as she invoked her fire spell and poured every last ounce of her magic into it. She gestured forward and a torrent of flame burst forth blanketing the room in white hot heat. The roar of the fire was not as loud as the scream of rage that burst from Entivala’s lips as she rendered everything in the room to ash. As the magic subsided, she dropped to the ground, exhausted by her efforts. I picked her up and we gave one last look at the room before we activated our transport stones and left the Dungeon.

Chapter 4

We found ourselves in the lobby of the Dungeon and I looked around to figure out where we had been dropped. It was near the entrance we normally entered when we would walk here from the Pact House. I felt silly as I looked around for Kat’ilth’ana, before I realized that she would have been sent somewhere else due to the gravity of her injuries.

I turned to the others and said, “We need to deal with things so that we can find out how Kat’ilth’ana is doing.”

They nodded in agreement and I turned to head to the Guild, with the others hot on my tail. I wasn’t surprised to find there was a long line. I was surprised when one of the service people gestured us over as we moved to get in line.

“Hello there, I am Vetlana,” the young woman said, in something reminiscent of a Slavic accent. “Esmerelda told me to bring you to her once you arrived.”

“How did you recognize me?” I asked, confused that had she picked up our party so quickly.

She let out a slight laugh and replied, “Well, a young man in dark dragon scale armor, with three beautiful women. One in robes, another in matching styled armor and a woman in plate armor accompanying them. Your group easily stands out dressed as it is. Also I will take any orbs that you collected while you were adventuring.”

I nearly nodded in response and followed as we were guided to Esmerelda’s office. We entered and thanked Vetlana before she closed the door and left us in the empty office. A few minutes later, a happy, but visibly disheveled Esmerelda entered the room. She gave us all a high sign before she sat down behind her desk.

“Hello all,” she said with a warm smile. “I take it that you encountered some of the Arachni, given the state of your comrade when she arrived at our healing chambers.”

That explained where she had gone, giving me a small sense of relief. She would be in good hands if she was being treated by the Guild.

I nodded and replied, “More than that, we fought and killed the queen. When we first arrived at the village, we were told not only did it suffer attacks, but that even monsters and adventurers had fallen prey to them. When the queen was killed, we searched the nest but found no one alive. Knowing that only Arachni remained, I had Entivala torch everything, killing every Arachni and destroying any eggs.”

Esmerelda’s eyes widened as I finished and said, “How on earth did you find their nest so quickly?”

“It was a unique set of circumstances,” I answered with a shrug. “We searched the first reported place of encounters but didn’t find any sign. It was only when we went to return that one attacked and tried to take Kat’ilth’ana. The following day we searched the other forest. We had stopped in a safe area when a group moved to attack us. They were just a distraction and we were surprised when the ground underneath the safe area gave way.”

I stopped and closed my eyes for a few minutes, sending out a silent prayer and hoping it was heard. A second later Tyr appeared with a crackling of energy, looking worried and off put by this disturbance.

“Why have you requested my presence, Pathios?” Tyr asked, noticeably agitated. “I was in the middle of an important meeting with the Council.”

I bowed slightly and replied, “I apologize, but I felt you needed to be here for what I was about to say as it is, no doubt, pertinent to your meeting.”

He simply nodded in response, and I gave a quick look around the room before I swallowed and continued.

“We made our way through the tunnel systems and came across the Queen’s nest. She was humanoid and could speak the common tongue used by the people here. She talked about being given the means to avenge her children by someone. She was unnaturally strong, and we were doing our best to deal with her. She got the jump on me and would have killed me, but Kat’ilth’ana was pierced by her four arms. She didn’t disappear and I couldn’t understand why she had done that. I became blinded by rage and I cut the bladed ends of her appendages off as Amenthia and Entivala provided the killing blows to the queen.

“When her body disappeared, she left a gem drop, but there was a stone as well. I picked it up and realized it was the same stone that had been in the poison daggers that had nearly killed me. Those had proven quite effective in blocking the emergency exit function of the transportation gem. I quickly placed it back on the ground and smashed the stone. Upon shattering it, Kat’ilth’ana teleported out. I think the same stone had been in the dragon we fought, which would explain why people died fighting it.”

Tyr nodded as he processed what I said, then asked, “If that is the case, why didn’t you see the crystal when you fought the dragon?”

“I think that our killing blow shattered the jewel before the dragon turned into smoke,” I replied. “That would explain why we didn’t think of the possibility of the stone. I just wish I could have brought it back to you, but I had to ensure Kat’ilth’ana could get out and get the medical help she needed.”

“You made the right choice. You put the health and well-being of your party member first. That is to be commended. Besides, I have a feeling you will have plenty of chances to collect one for us to inspect.”

I turned to Esmerelda and asked, “How is Kat’ilth’ana doing? The damage the Queen inflicted looked to be unbelievably bad.”

“She is seriously hurt, but stable,” Esmerelda replied with a reassuring smile. “It will take some time to heal her wounds and ensure no other damage has been done to her.”

I turned to Tyr and asked, “What about her collar? I don’t want to be causing her any unneeded harm because I am not there!”

“Don’t worry,” Tyr replied. “The area she is in, is kind of its own pocket dimension. The effects of the collar will not work there and when she is healed, she will appear right in your room which now has been designated a safe area for her. If she is there and you are not, she will suffer no pain, other than any actions or thoughts deemed a viable physical threat to you”

I thanked him and, in a flash, he was gone again. I turned back to Esmerelda who was standing there, a little shocked at the exchange.

“So...” she said, drawing out the word for a minute before continuing. “You have completed your quest, so ten thousand gold as per the conditions of the task. You have collected two hundred prestige for your group and Cassandra has earned fifty for herself. You have also gained another five thousand gold for your orb drops. I suggest you rest a bit, trade in your drops, and enjoy some downtime. I think you all have earned it.”

“This was dropped when we killed the queen,” Amenthia announced as she pulled the glowing gem from her pack.

Esmerelda took the gem and inspected it a moment, “Not bad, not bad at all. You got a rare gem drop. These are the next stage up from orbs and ones like this almost never appear below the fourth or fifth floor. It is middle grade for gems with a low light, but both the glow and the gem itself are a different color. Given that, I will throw in another five hundred gold for it. If the value is appraised to be higher, I will get in contact and give you the necessary difference in gold.”

That was a preview of Would You Like To Play Again?: Book 2 : The Champion's Challenge. To read the rest purchase the book.

Add «Would You Like To Play Again?: Book 2 : The Champion's Challenge» to Cart