Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Return to Safety

They moved quickly back to Gemore, coming back on the space-distorting transit road. At a jog it took only minutes, and Nathan marveled for what must have been the third time at the incredible enchanted road. He once again hoped his still somewhat bloody feet weren’t causing problems for its magic. His stamina wasn’t ticking up from [Magic Absorption], so that was something.

The guards at the gate raised weapons as the Heirs approached. Their rapid approach combined with the blood and torn clothes was probably pretty alarming. Or lack of clothes, in Nathan’s case. Nathan saw their eyes lingering on the bolts still stuck through Khachi’s shield. One of them called out, her voice booming across the square. “Threat incoming?”

Khachi slowed for a moment to respond. “No threats. We think we found a new dungeon out along the north road.”

That statement was met with a mixed response. Some of the guards swore but relaxed from their ready stances. Others laughed nervously. Everybody started paying close attention. The guard who was speaking moderated her volume as they got closer. “Then you’d be headed for the ‘dventurer guild. Gotta do some quick checks first, no amount of swimmin’ in blood’ll get you through without it.” She eyed Nathan. “Right. You. Well. Check all’a them first.” She gestured to the rest of the Heirs.

They were checked over quickly but thoroughly. The guards were interested in what had happened but didn’t want to hold the Heirs up for a full accounting. After a quick aura scan and cross-check that everybody could answer basic questions and account for each other, they asked every member of the Heirs to vouch that Nathan hadn’t been replaced by anything that managed to duplicate his total lack of a magical aura.

They admitted that they’d lost sight of him for some time during the fight, and that caused the woman commanding the guards to sigh. She asked some more questions about the fight, her eyebrows climbing as Aarl told a very short version of what he’d seen. She shot a look at Nathan.

“He’s got good protection from mind magic?” Every single one of the Heirs nodded enthusiastically. “If it was in the middle of a fight ‘gainst constructs there’s probably not much chance o’ a soul eater. But we’ll keep a note that there’s a risk here. Sorry, we’ll have to keep an eye on ya, and somebody’ll check in with you in a few days. Protocol.” She shrugged.

Nathan wasn’t sure why she was so apologetic. He’d heard of some of the insidious parasites or magics that could infect people here. Some ‘merely’ took a little while to trigger a psychopathic break, sending them into a killing frenzy. The worst, like the soul eater, could spread themselves to others if given time and privacy. Invasion of the body-snatchers style. Nathan would put up with a lot of inconvenience if it meant they had better protection against something like that! He wasn’t sure how magical that process was, or if he was immune or not. And he never wanted to find out.

Just watch, now I’m gonna find out. I think Davrar’s making me fatalistic.

They were waved through the city gates in short order, making a beeline to the Adventurer's Guild. People stepped out of their way on the streets, and a hush descended in the main hall as they entered. Nathan saw people inside counting them, finding out if all of the Heirs who had left had returned. He supposed that having somebody covered in blood tended to do that, though none of them were pristine. Khachi went straight to the counter, where a clerk Nathan wasn’t familiar with turned to greet him.

A heavy tread approached, and a hand clapped Nathan on the shoulder. Given how hard that had hit him, Nathan knew who it was before he turned around.

“What happened to you, my friend Nathan Lark? You look like you got chewed up by a Castlebear and survived to come out the other end! Hope you didn’t find a few Stalkers to be too much for you.”

Nathan looked down at Eldred Vanguard, assessing the man’s shiny bald head and enchanted armor. He was very slightly tempted to see if his new Rage class could best Eldred in the ring. But he was pretty sure it wouldn't. Eldred was high-level, and had beaten Artha in the ring. Furthermore, it would serve no point and might make an enemy. Instead, he answered politely. “Had no problems with some Stalkers, actually. But I think we found a new dungeon. Hidden under a nasty illusion that covered a bunch of Adventurer corpses. Wonder if that’s why the north road has been so dangerous.”

Eldred withdrew his hand, squinting at Nathan. “Huh. That so? A new dungeon inside Old Gemore? Big deal if that’s what it is.” He eyed Nathan slyly. “Buy you a drink if’n ya got any more details to share.”

Aarl stepped up besides Nathan. “We think it prudent to let the Guildmistress decide what to do here. Debrief comes first.”

Eldred sighed, then walked away, waving a hand scornfully. “You’re bein’ the pets ‘round here. But I’ll not argue.”

Khachi returned to them, eying Nathan. “I think we’re going up to see the Guildmistress in a minute. Shame that we can’t hit you with a cleaning spell Nathan. Do we have any more spare rags?

They spent the next couple of minutes watching Nathan wipe excess blood away. His hair was a sticky mess that was going to require a bath, and this pair of pants were going to require some advanced cleaning magic to get all the bloodstains out. At least Nathan was pretty sure he wasn’t going to leave smears on anything by touching it.

They were interrupted by the front doors slamming open. Nathan caught a brown-furred blur before Kullal had wrapped Stella in a smothering hug.

Damn. I’m pretty sure that’s the fastest I’ve seen anybody move since the Guardians of Gemore swooped in to take out the Grave Tangle.

“Oh thank the Divine that you’re alive. We heard you’d been wounded and I just couldn’t stop myself. What was this about a new dungeon? On the north road? We should never have let you go out that way. But you’re ok now, yes?” She patted Stella all over, fingering the tear in her robe and the replacement shirt that Stella had thrown on underneath it. “You got hurt! How? What could have gone through this enchantment? Well, you’re healed. Good. We can get this repaired. What happened?”

Dalo walked through the doors a moment later, stretching wide. His clothes were notably mussed. “I couldn’t stop her from flying here the moment she heard. Dear, leave them alone. I think they’re about to go up and talk to Sudraiel. We can ask them what happened later. After all, they’re Adventurers now. They need to follow the rules. We’ll just wait here. It will be good to remember all the time we sat in this room. It’s been years. Let's plan a close-call party after this?”

He collected Kullal, who only released Stella with reluctance.

She looked at Nathan and gasped. “Nathan! What happened to you? Is that all yours? I haven’t seen anybody that bloody and still standing since Stanel… well. We’ll hear your story later. It seems the Heirs have teeth after all!” She flashed a smile with nearly as many teeth as Khachi, then spun and joined her husband in sitting down. Nathan noticed that most of the adventurers shot Dalo and Kullal wary looks, giving them a pretty wide berth.

Then it was time for them to follow the clerk upstairs to report to the Guildmistress.

Sarah spoke up In the stairway. “That was cute. Your parents are cute, and you shouldn’t be ashamed, Stella. Stanel doesn’t show himself to us that way. Sometimes we think he’s just training us because it’s what mom would want.”

Aarl shot her a complicated glance. She raised one eyebrow slightly and set her mouth in a slanting line. He just shrugged in response.

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Twins, right.

Stella seemed more embarrassed now that Sarah had called it out, flushing pink. “My mom is great, but she is too loving sometimes. I know she cares so much but it seems impossible to take risks sometimes without getting scolded about it.” Stella waved her hand back down the stairs, recalling her mother’s unstoppable tirade. "And I want to be an Adventurer, I want to make things explode! Use magic to blow up things I don't like!"

Khachi chuckled. “Well, we certainly took a risk today. Remember that your mother let you take this risk, and wasn’t hovering high in the sky to watch over us. Good thing too - we wouldn’t have gotten any levels at all. I was a bit worried about that, but I’ve got the levels to prove that they weren’t.”

Nathan was feeling around for new scars as they climbed. He’d been cut a lot today. There were lines in his skin where he’d suffered the deepest wounds. They looked like faint, decade-old scars, but they were there.

I wonder if I’ll be covered in those in a few years. I could probably figure out how to control it with [Regeneration] at the next Development. Something to think over later.

Nathan shook his head, looking up to join the conversation. “I don’t think I would have minded having a little bit of support for that dungeon. We were fine with the Stalkers, but that fight was nasty. I had to take my level 27 development in the middle of the fight.”

The Heirs all grew quiet, glancing around at each other. They seemed to elect Aarl. He had a thoughtful look on his face as he spoke. “I… noticed you had some new capabilities. They seemed powerful. I hope you took a class that suits you, and not something that cripples you or goes against your nature. We would be filled with sadness if you jeopardized your future to save us.”

Nathan thought about that for a moment. The clerk was definitely listening in, and they were almost at the top of the stairs. “No. I don’t think it did. I wish I’d gotten the chance to discuss with Artha, but… I think I made the best choice. Definitely don’t want to continue making those decisions in the middle of fights. Twice is enough for me.”

Stella looked down at him, her face concerned. Then it morphed to contentment. “I finally hit level 27 after that fight too. Today was my first time fighting without my parents around. Guess Davrar decided it was enough to finally push me over the edge, huh?”

What. Stella hadn’t hit her class development? Jesus Christ. I’d assumed with her firepower she was over level 27. What now, she starts shooting lightning bolts from her eyes?

Then they were at the top of the stairs, and the door into the Guildmistresses office was already open. Standing next to it and waving them in was the same Knuld with purple robes who had been here the first time Nathan had visited the Guildmistress. They all trooped into the office and sat in the chairs before the broad desk.

Sudraiel raised her head from some kind of written report, looking past the Heirs. “Siltul. Sit. If they’ve discovered a dungeon then you’ll need all the details as well.”

The Knuld secretary stepped forward, grabbing the spare chair and setting it against the wall to the side before sitting. He gazed unsettlingly at each of the Heirs with his glowing white-irised eyes as he brought out a fine slate to take notes on.

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