Lady Kalina and Miss Heng cordoned off the second-level Floor Portal room. The two only allowed a handful of the Amber Guard to investigate, the Carls, Orn, and the Proven to enter the chamber. Orn had a twinkle in his blue eyes as he studied the Helldrake the team just defeated.
“Most impressive,” he said.
The Carls also nodded. One of them looked at the wound in the chest that killed the beast.
“A strong spear thrust,” the Carl said. She was a sturdy warrior woman with tightly braided blond hair and swirling facial tattoos that ran along her cheeks and down her neck to disappear under her mail armor. She turned to look at the Proven.
“You, big boy, did this?” The Carl asked, as she pointed at Rolfe.
The large Protector puffed out his chest and said, “Aye, but it was a team effort.”
The lady Carl nodded and said to Jorgenson, “A spear thrust like this requires tremendous strength to penetrate the scales of a Helldrake.”
Jorgenson nodded quietly. Rolfe beamed with pride but grimaced from his numerous injuries. The Proven took a severe beating from the Helldrake and were still recovering. Mikal’s Vitality Spring helped a lot, and now Jeze’s recovery potions were taking effect. It would be a week before the team was fully recovered. Rolfe alone sustained several fractured ribs. Helga received a deep puncture wound to her side as well as a dose of deadly poison. Jeze saw the Striker remained pale and occasionally shivered. Mikal and Jeze received little in the way of physical injuries, but the two Rune casters had over-taxed their Will. It would be risky if they attempted any strenuous Summoning, Shaping, or Controlling.
The Amber guard stood at the Threshold of the indigo Floor Portal. They were studying the Runes. Miss Heng barked, “Jeze, come here!”
The teenage girl did not budge and hissed, “I do not take orders from you.”
Miss Heng sighed and asked again in a gentler voice. Instead of barking the command, the Amber Guard growled, “Jeze, please come here and show us how the Floor Portal was sabotaged.”
Jeze gritted her teeth, and she balled two fists by her sides. Lady Kalina approached.
“A second Guardian coming through the Floor Portal is a serious matter. This would put all the Safe Zone squads in danger. Please help us prevent this from happening again,” the Ironfist Kingdom warrior gently said.
Jeze relaxed and sighed. She retrieved her journal and showed the Amber Guard the Runes that the stranger had inscribed. Lady Kalina and Miss Heng, both skilled Rune casters, studied the markings.
“Give me the book,” Miss Heng demanded.
Jeze refused.
“We do not have time for being pleasant. These patterns need to be studied and investigated so that we can find out who is behind this,” Miss Heng growled.
“I am not giving up my journal,” Jeze stated plainly.
“Can we copy the Runes?” Lady Kalina asked, her hands extended.
Jeze glared at Miss Heng as she answered the other Amber Guard’s question. “Yes.”
“Thank you,” Lady Kalina replied, and Miss Heng snorted with a shake of her head.
“Were there any other Rune patterns?” The Ironfist Kingdom Guild official asked.
Jeze shook her head and replied, “No, this was all. And they marred the Runes around the Threshold.”
“Threshold?”
“That is what the Ones from Before had called the portals,” Jeze answered.
“Children’s tales!” Miss Heng snorted.
“It is not! Look here!” Jeze retrieved the tome she took from the Pyramid.
Miss Heng studied the pages, and her face softened slightly. It went from scowling to being impassive.
“Seb has extensive notes from this. You can have your book back.” Miss Heng returned the book.
Jeze snatched it from her hands and gave a mock bow. “Thank you for your boundless generosity.”
Miss Heng growled, “Watch yourself, girl.”
“That’s enough!” Lady Kalina interjected before Jeze could retort. The Ironfist Kingdom Guild official added, “I’ve called for Irvin to help with this matter. We must alert the Guild members that there is evil among our ranks.”
As if on cue, the stocky official, with gray hair and in his silver breastplate, emerged through the portal. He was followed by a team of what Jeze guessed to be Initiate-ranked members based on the way they carried themselves and their gear. They were well-armed and carried themselves with the confident swagger of one that passed the Trials. The team assisted the Carls and the Amber Guard with setting up a defensive perimeter around the wide cavern.
“Jeze!” Irvin called out when he spotted the teenager.
The two embraced in a hug. Jeze filled Irvin in on what happened with the stranger and their fight with the Helldrake. The older official’s eyes went wide.
“You and the Proven bested a Helldrake? That’s a Tier five monster!” Irvin sputtered.
Jeze grinned and replied, “It was a piece of cake.”
Irvin arched an eyebrow and looked at her team. Rolfe shuffled and walked like an old man, and Helga looked pale as death. Mikal sat against the wall with his eyes closed. The Healer looked exhausted. Dunar talked with the Carls and walked with a limp. Jeze had bags under her eyes and was covered in soot.
“It was a hard-fought battle, but we won!” Jeze explained.
“Incredible,” Irvin replied.
Orn clapped his hands. The sound reverberated across the chamber like a roll of thunder before a brewing storm. It caught everyone’s attention.
“Carls, Frostsworn warriors, and our Proven. Let us leave this matter in the Guild’s hands. We must begin our assessment!” The Berserker boomed.
Jeze and her team were interviewed extensively as a group and as individuals. To Jeze’s dismay, Lady Kalina and Miss Heng were a part of the assessment team along with the Carls and Berserker Orn. Irvin was not involved as he was only Prospect Ranked. Instead, he led the investigation and the efforts to further secure the Floor Portal chamber.
“Show me where you entered the second level,” Lady Kalina asked. She held up a map.
Dunar answered and explained how they created the first Safe Zone. The Leader went on to describe their journey from the second Safe Zone to the Floor Portal room.
“Tell us about the First Floor,” Miss Heng demanded.
Why does she always demand? Jeze reflected with a scowl. She really did not like the Amber Guard. The Proven, including Jeze, took turns describing their adventurers on the first floor. Their fight with the Imps and the Thralls.
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“Which Scavenger team did you use?” Carl Jorgenson asked.
“Jeze’s merchant friend, Hannah,” Dunar answered.
“Find her,” Orn ordered another Carl. The warrior departed through the exit portal.
Miss Heng nodded and looked over the Proven with her narrow dark eyes. “This is to corroborate your tale,” she explained.
As if we would lie to you! Jeze thought to herself. It was through an immense amount of self-control that she did not say her feelings out loud.
“Now we will see your capabilities. We know that you are injured, and it is up to you to pass up on this opportunity. Or you can try your best,” Orn explained. There was a twinkle in his blue eyes.
Jeze was worried about Rolfe, Dunar, and Helga. They suffered the most serious of injuries. Especially Rolfe. He nearly died! The big oaf would not back down, and Jeze was worried that he would aggregate his extensive wounds. She looked to Mikal, but the normally outspoken Healer remained quiet. In fact, he looked eager to participate! That was odd to Jeze. Mikal had said that with his Life aspect healing and Jeze’s recovery broth, it would take at least a week for Rolfe and Helga to recover from their injuries. A little less for Dunar, and he also advised that he and Jeze avoid using Rune magic. They pushed their Will to the limit and needed to rest.
“I will be your field assessor, girl,” Miss Heng said.
Jeze inwardly groaned. Her concerns vanished and were replaced by a mountain of stubbornness. Jeze would not fail in front of Miss Heng!
“It was reported that you are skilled with the Earth aspect and that you were able to knock a Helldrake out of the air. Show me,” the high-ranking Guild official ordered.
“I was told that I needed to rest my Will,” Jeze replied.
Miss Heng arched an eyebrow and scribbled notes down on her scroll. “Suit yourself,” she said.
Jeze growled and rapidly Summoned and Shaped a boulder that was as big as her and Controlled it to slam against the wall. The sound resonated across the entire chamber and caused everyone to look up with alarm. Miss Heng didn’t even flinch and just scribbled more notes onto her scroll without even looking up. Jeze’s body trembled from the exertion, and her head throbbed with pain, but she ignored it through pure stubbornness.
“You know the Fire, Shadow, and Affliction aspects. Show me how you used them in combat,” Miss Heng ordered.
“At you?” Jeze said with a grin.
Miss Heng glanced up at this question from the scroll. The Amber guard grinned, and it reminded Jeze of when she saw a cat spot a cornered mouse. Miss Heng put away her scroll and removed her robe. Under, she wore a grey form-fitted suit of padded armor that showed off a toned and muscular body. Black leather vambraces that were adorned with intricate runes covered her forearms. Jeze recognized other channeling tools on the Amber Guard’s body, such as rings wrapped around with etched Rune chains. Miss Heng was a pure Rune caster. What were her capabilities? Jeze wondered and regretted her comment. Were they to spar? Was she even in any condition to spar?
“I have not trained today. So give me your best, and I promise you it will be inadequate,” Miss Heng challenged.
All doubts and concerns were wiped away by a tide of rage within Jeze. Without any hesitation, she tapped her Darkness ring and Summoned a ball of inky black that covered Miss Heng’s head. Next, she completed a series of fluid gestures in rapid succession. A feat that Jeze developed through countless hours of training. She Summoned and Shaped shadows and faded from view within them.
Miss Heng calmly walked out of the ball of Darkness and completed glyphs with her fingers. Jeze did not recognize what patterns they were, but she was confident that Miss Heng would not spot her.
“Clever,” the Guild official observed as she scanned the chamber. Her narrow, dark eyes glanced over Jeze, who was crouched within the Shadows of the room a short distance away.
Miss Heng snapped her finger and completed the final glyph to her spell. A silver light emitted outwards, and it melted away all the Summoned Shadows and exposed Jeze. It was the Light aspect! The Amber Guard had a smirk on her face that infuriated Jeze. She pulled out her Fire Channeling tool from her belt and launched a barrage of Fire Darts at the Guild Official.
Miss Heng calmly tapped a ring on her finger and completed a gentle gesture with her fingers. A shield of Water mist formed in front of her that negated the Fire Darts. Jeze tapped her Earth bracelet and Summoned a mound of dirt behind Miss Heng. Jeze Shaped it into two boulders and Controlled them to launch with tremendous speed at Miss Heng’s back. Jeze was certain she would win with this attack, but at the last moment, the Guild Official dodged the attacks with the grace of an acrobat. One boulder slammed into the wall, and the other Miss Heng stopped in mid-flight with an aspect that Jeze did not recognize.
“Force aspect,” Ziplocke said from the shadows.
Miss Heng’s smirk remained on her face as she twitched her fingers and overpowered the Will that Jeze poured into her spell. The boulder soared at Jeze, and she rolled out of the way. In a fluid motion, Jeze threw her hand axe at Miss Heng, tapped into her Affliction channeling tool, and Summoned a curse. With surprising dexterity, Miss Heng deftly caught the axe. Jeze Shaped and Controlled a curse to strike her opponent in the chest with a ball of red energy and continued her charge with her battle axe and sword in each hand.
Miss Heng’s lip twitched as she rebuked Jeze’s curse. “Decent, but not adequate,” the Amber Guard observed.
Jeze responded with an overhand chop of her axe and a thrust of her sword. Miss Heng sidestepped the axe and ducked the thrust. The Amber guard twirled away from Jeze’s follow-up axe slash. Miss Heng tapped into another aspect, and Jeze felt a powerful presence in her mind. She couldn’t move!
“I’ve seen enough, girl,” Miss Heng said as Jeze strained against her powerful Will.
The Guild official pulled out her scroll and started to write down some notes. This was like the Imp’s affliction magic! Jeze thought as she controlled her breathing and focused her Will into a fine edge. She broke free of the Mind aspect spell and attacked with her axe! Miss Heng was caught off guard and barely dodged the chop, and Jeze followed up with a sword thrust toward the throat. The tip of Jeze’s blade drew a thin line of blood from Miss Heng’s chin as the Official scrambled out of the way. Miss Heng completed a series of gestures so quickly that Jeze was instantly encased in ice. She screamed and howled like a wild bear as she chopped with her axe to break free.
“Jeze, that is enough!” Orn’s voice boomed.
The teenager relaxed and panted with exhaustion. The Berserker had a grin on his face and his blue eyes twinkled with mirth.
“I’ve always told you, Miss Heng, that you should get a weapon,” Orn said.
Miss Heng looked furious, but the guild official calmed with a nod. “Perhaps you are right,” she replied and returned to write on the scroll.
Orn did not say more. But much was expressed in that silence. The adrenaline wore off, and Jeze slumped over, her legs still encased with ice. Her head throbbed with pain.
Miss Heng glanced down and snorted, “You overdid yourself, girl.” She released the Water aspect, and Jeze sat on the ground crossed-legged.
“I made you bleed,” the teenager snapped back.
In a rare moment in history, the Amber Guard smiled. “That you did. Pushing yourself this hard is the only way you can improve, but it is a fine line we dance. You must know when to rest and when to keep your mouth shut,” Miss Heng replied.
Jeze’s head hurt too much from the strain on her Will to give a remark. Miss Heng placed a blue teardrop-shaped vial on Jeze’s lap.
“Drink that. It will help with your recovery,” she said.
“I don’t need your help,” Jeze growled.
“It will also prevent your Will from being damaged beyond repair. I advise you to drink it or risk losing the ability to use Rune magic. It is up to you,” Miss Heng replied and walked away without another word.
“Wait,” Jeze called out.
Miss Heng paused without turning around.
“How many Aspects do you practice?” Jeze asked. She recalled Miss Heng utilizing the Mind, Light, Force, and Water.
The Amber Guard glanced over her shoulder and replied, “You are like me. We do not restrict ourselves to a few Aspects. All Rune magic has uses.”
“How are you able to master so many aspects?” Jeze asked.
Miss Heng appeared to be thrown off guard with the questions and her eyes looked off to the side as she reflected. After a moment she returned her gaze to Jeze.
“I am a Rune artist, and I study the craft in its entirety. As an Adventurer, I train my mind and body and push myself to reach my limits. If you wish to be like me, I suggest that you do not dilute your time with other pursuits and focus only on the Runic arts and your physical fitness,” Miss Heng answered.
Jeze smirked. “And yet you were cut by an Initiate rank.”
Miss Heng’s face darkened into a scowl. The Amber Guard nodded once and walked toward Berserker Orn. She handed the Frostsworn the scroll, and the two shared quiet words that Jeze could not hear. With that, Miss Heng went through the exit portal. Her departure was like a door opening, and Jeze’s teammates flooded her with cheers. They were so excited that Helga and Rolfe grimaced in pain and needed to kneel on the ground to recover. Orn clapped his hands loudly and caught everyone’s attention. How does he do that? Jeze wondered.
“Our assessment has concluded. We will discuss our findings and will return with our decisions. Proven, good luck to you,” the Berserker stated.
“I’m sure Jeze will become an Adventurer Rank!” Rolfe cheered and then sighed, “I don’t think I passed.”
“What? You slayed the Helldrake! You heard what the Carls said. It takes tremendous strength to pierce the scales of Helldrake,” Jeze countered.
Rolfe smiled widely. “I am very strong,” he said while he flexed his impressive muscles.
“Regardless if we pass or not. I am proud of each of you. We have grown much since the monster waves, and I see us continuing our improvement,” Dunar stated.
Mikal snorted and replied, “Sure, that is nice. But you know what would be even nicer? Becoming Adventurer rank!”
“Oh, ho! I agree with Micky!” Helga boomed.
“You are all Knuckleheads! Ooh, I can’t wait to see the disappointment on your faces when you are told that you have failed!” Ziplocke shrieked.
The Goblin was upset when the others laughed at his remark. He pulled his ears back and scowled at them.
“Knuckleheads,” he muttered.