The four teams made camp after the defeat of the Rimewyrm. The behemoth''s frozen carcass was splayed across the tundra like newly created hills. Rainia told Jeze that hidden amongst the Rimewyrm''s ice chunks were precious gems that could be used for magical crafting. But everyone was too exhausted after the fight to think about riches and treasure.


    So much has happened. Including Prince Rodger''s attempted murder of Swordslayer and Rainbow. Jeze growled. Could you believe the nerve of that guy? She thought to herself. The audacity to attack fellow guildmates in an effort to make their deaths look like an accident! Jeze was furious, and she balled her hands into fists. Rainbow sat next to her by the campfire with a steaming bowl of recovery broth in her hands.


    "What do you make of the Fiend telling us ''until next time?''" The multi-colored haired lady asked.


    Jeze glanced up at her friend and she had no idea what the demon meant. That was another issue to think about, but why would Rainbow ask that of all things?


    Jeze leaned close and whispered, "I think you have bigger concerns to worry about. Like the Prince''s attempt to kill you."


    Swordslayer sat next to Rainbow. He chuckled and then grimaced in pain from where he was stabbed by the aforementioned Prince. Even with healing magic the sword fighter would need a few days to fully recover. When the pain subsided, Swordslayer spoke.


    "We only have to worry about him when there is an opportunity. He won''t make a move against us now with everyone about. Besides, I have studied him. I know his limits."


    Jeze growled, "You can''t be serious! He almost killed you!"


    Rainbow shrugged. "Wouldn''t be the first time."


    "You fought the Prince before?" Jeze asked.


    Swordslayer rubbed his injured side and answered, "Not directly. He always sends people after us."


    Jeze shook her head. Her friends could be so infuriating to talk to sometimes! "So this is different! He is here and an Elite ranked adventurer! You two need to be more careful."


    Swordslayer scoffed and grimaced. "We are with Amber Guard now. He wouldn''t make a move against us in the open. Besides, I''m sure I can beat him. He relies on his powers which makes him dependent and his sword fighting is sloppy. All I need to do is to wait him out. When his powers run dry, he''s mine!"


    "You are insane! Do you know that?" Jeze cried.


    The Prince fought a RimeWrym for almost an hour! How long did Swordslayer think to wait him out? Jeze couldn''t begin to understand how the sword fighter saw the world. Or reality, for that matter, she thought dryly to herself.


    Swordslayer chuckled and patted her on the back. "I suppose we owe you our thanks for showing up when you did. We would be dead otherwise."


    Rainbow added, "Your mate, Dunar, is very clever. Don''t lose him, he would make a good husband."


    Jeze sputtered, her thoughts derailed, and she blushed. "What? No, it''s not like that between us."


    The Proven sat a short distance away and Jeze worried that Dunar overheard them. Rainbow studied her and then returned to sipping her broth. Why would she say that? Jeze thought to herself and she gripped her head with both her hands. So many things were happening!


    "Can you two be serious for once?" Jeze exclaimed.


    Her friends chuckled. Swordslayer rubbed her shoulders and stated, "There is always another person, or monster, that is trying to kill us. You are young and new to this life. You''ll see after one near death experience, that they all are the same. Just another day."


    Rainbow nodded in agreement. Jeze wanted to scream. She rose up and stormed away from them. If they wanted to get themselves killed, so be it! The area around the Floor Portal bustled with activity, and Jeze saw that the other Elites arrived along with a caravan of merchants. That was good! She thought to herself. In order for them to restock on supplies they would have had to travel all the way back to the Safe Zone which was in the Frost Hag''s ice caves. The merchants being out here made things convenient, but it was a bit dangerous for them as there was no Portal that exited the Wandering Spire. The Floor Portal led to the next floor and only five could travel through at a time if they wanted to be together. The sixth person would be sent to a random location on the fifth floor.


    The merchants had brought along a small army of mercenaries for protection, but would they be enough? Jeze wondered to herself. The Ice Giants and Winter Wolves were at least Tier 5. That was beyond the range of Initiate ranked fighters, which could handle up to Tier 4 with some difficulty. Jeze shook her head, why was she worried about the merchants? She had more important things to worry about! Such as, scheming Princes, Cultists, and now Fiends. What did that Fiend mean about seeing them later? How was the Fiend connected to everything? Jeze was delighted when she spotted Irvin among the merchants. She ran over to her old friend and like a burst dam, she told him everything.


    "Whoa! Slow down, I just arrived," Irvin replied while he held up two hands. He looked at Jeze with his bushy eyebrows and said quietly, "We shouldn''t talk here. I''ll come find you and the others when I can."


    Jeze sighed and muttered, "Fine."


    She sulked off back toward her camp and on the way she found Mikal arguing with a merchant that sold supplies.


    "Can you believe this guy? He is selling the Water Bricks for nearly triple what they are worth!" Mikal exclaimed.


    The Merchant, a beefy man, held up two hands and replied, "It is a big risk for me to be out here."


    "Oh, you think? Risky to be out here, you say? You do realize we are trying to save the realm?" Mikal responded.


    The merchant shrugged their broad shoulders. Mikal glanced at Jeze.


    "The nerve of this guy!"


    Jeze responded, "Its still worth it for us to buy our supplies here rather than huffing all the way back to the Safe Zone."


    Mikal''s eyes widened, and he grabbed Jeze by the elbow to move her to their camp with the others. "Why would you say that in front of him? I''m trying to negotiate a better price!"


    Jeze yanked her arm away and scowled at the Healer. "We have bigger things to worry about!" She snapped.


    Mikal scoffed. "We can''t do anything if we are broke." The Healer looked at the enormous form of the Rimewyrm corpse. "Hmm, I wonder how much we could get from that. There has to be hundreds of magical applications."


    "I heard that Prince Rodger and High Cleric Manfeld laid claim to the Rimewyrm," Ahanu said, as he joined their conversation.


    Earlier, he was recharging his enchanted gear and needed a break. Mikal''s eyes went so wide that Jeze worried that they would burst from the Healer''s skull.


    "By what right do they have? It was Jeze that killed the beast when she repurposed the corrupted Floor Portal!" Mikal Exclaimed.


    Ahanu shrugged and said, "I suppose you could argue with them about that."


    Mikal sputtered and muttered, "It''s so unfair." He then tapped his chin and looked up, "What about the Ice Giants and Winter wolves? Are they worth anything?"


    "I think they are being assessed now by the Scavenger teams and Merchants. It will probably be split evenly among all the teams that fought," Ahanu responded.


    Mikal growled, "Thieves and vultures the whole lot of them. Probably going to rip us off, even though we risked our lives."


    Jeze chuckled. In a way she was glad that Mikal antics made her laugh and took her mind off all their other problems. If only for a moment. Jeze scanned the busy area and she saw no sign of Prince Rodger.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Where is the Prince?" She asked.


    Ahanu pointed off in the distance. "He and the other Elites made camp elsewhere. I suppose they are talking about Elite things."


    Jeze leaned close and said, "Well, we all need to talk."


    She told Ahanu about the Prince''s attempt on Swordslayer and Rainbow''s lives. Mikal muttered something about Jeze and drama, and he walked off. The Spirit Walker Protector''s eyes went wide.


    "We should tell Miss Heng. She will know what to do," he said.


    Jeze exclaimed, "No! Not her."


    Ahanu replied, "She is not so bad once you get to know her."


    "Maybe to you. Miss Heng is out to get me," Jeze snorted her reply.


    "She respects you, you know?" Ahanu said.


    Jeze rolled her eyes. "She sure has a funny way of showing it, but we can''t tell her. I don''t trust her."


    Ahanu crossed his arms. "She has been nothing but loyal to the Guild."


    Jeze placed a gentle hand on the Protector''s shoulder and replied, "I know. I just rather not tell her about this. She will just accuse me of causing trouble."


    Ahanu nodded and asked, "Then who?"


    Jeze''s eyes lit up when she noticed the Ironfist team. "Lady Kalina! But, let''s wait until Irvin can join us."


    "You are making my head spin," Ahanu said.


    Jeze grinned. "I''m sorry. A lot is happening."


    Miss Heng called for all the teams to gather around her.


    "We should go," Ahanu said and headed over.


    Jeze joined her teammates, and they sat with the other teams around Miss Heng. Irvin joined them.


    Miss Heng began without any formalities. "You all are to restock on your supplies, rest, repair your equipment, and be prepared to head into the Fifth Floor in two days time."


    That was it. She added nothing more. Jeze''s eyes went wide, and she raised her hand.


    "Miss Zanchi?" Miss Heng asked with a sigh.


    Jeze looked around at the gathered crowd and became a little nervous. Where should she begin? She should have thought first before she raised her hand.


    "Sometime today please," Miss Heng snapped.


    Jeze scowled. "We need to discuss the Prince''s treachery. He attacked Rainbow and Swordslayer!"


    Rainbow shook her head, and Swordslayer scoffed like it was no big deal. Miss Heng narrowed her eyes.


    "Nothing is ever easy with you. Do we have proof?" She asked the Amber Guard that traveled with Rainbow and Swordslayer.


    Aaron responded, "We did not see any such attack. We," he cleared his throat and said, "got separated."


    "What?" Miss Heng demanded. "Why?"


    The blond man stuttered for words. Tara, the red head, spoke up, "Oh, stop beating around the bush, Aaron. They left us, plain and simple."


    Miss Heng glared at Rainbow and Swordslayer, "Is that true?"


    Swordslayer shrugged. "That surprises you? They were moving to slow for us."


    Miss Heng shook her head. "We do not have time for this. Do we have any other witnesses?"


    "Why do we need more? I just told you what I saw!" Jeze cried, she rose to her feet.


    Miss Heng ignored her and spoke to Dunar. "Tell me what you saw."


    Dunar glanced at Jeze and answered the Amber Guard captain. "We saw the Prince fighting Rainbow and Swordslayer. We do not know who instigated it. It appeared to be an accident due to the poor visibility."


    Jeze''s eyes went wide. Why would Dunar lie?!? "Tell the truth!" She demanded.


    "I did," Dunar said, his jaw firm.


    Miss Heng rubbed her temples and stated, "No harm was done. Be more careful next time and stick with your team!" She snapped at Rainbow and Swordslayer.


    "What? No! The Prince needs to be held accountable for his actions!" Jeze demanded. She glared at Dunar, why would he betray her like that?


    "How do we do that? Hmm? He is a Prince to the largest Empire and an Elite ranked adventurer. We also have no evidence, so please enlighten us on why you wish to waste all of our time?" Miss Heng responded quietly, but her inner rage could be felt. It was almost tangible the way it nearly leaked out of her.


    Jeze fumed, and she made two fists at her side. She glanced at the collected crowd and asked, "So, we are just to forget what happened? What if he decides he does not like the Ironfist team and attacks them?" Jeze pointed at Lady Kalina''s group.


    Jeze was happy to see some nods of approval from the Ironfist team. She had some support. Irvin held up two hands to make a calming motion.


    "We are not saying that. Just now is not the right time," the old man stated.


    "So when someone is killed? Would that be the right time?" Jeze demanded.


    Dunar shook his head. He was about to say something, but decided against it. He crossed his thick arms, and his frustration was evident like a cloud around him.


    "What do you propose that we do, Jeze?" Miss Heng snapped.


    Jeze couldn''t find an answer and she noticed for the first time the bags under the Amber Guard captain''s eyes. Miss Heng''s hair had come undone, and she looked older and tired.


    "Master Couzart remains somewhere on the fifth floor and I''m in charge of the Amber Guard. I''m just an Adept rank, I have no power or ability to stop the Prince, even if I wanted to!" Miss Heng nearly shouted.


    She continued, "We are stretched thin. We face an evil that knows more than we do. They have the upper hand. Our realm is at risk of being destroyed, and you! You are concerned with trivial matters! You waste our time with this!"


    The other teams remained quiet and it was clear to Jeze that they all agreed with Miss Heng. A part of her felt young and foolish and this made Jeze even more angry and she screamed in frustration before storming off.


    Dunar rose to go to her, but Miss Heng stopped him.


    "Let her go," she said and added, "You all need to prepare for the task at hand and that is to secure the Fifth Floor. As I said earlier, we leave in two days."


    With that, the teams departed to prepare. Later, Jeze rejoined her team. It ached her to see that none of them said anything to her. Not even the jovial Helga and Rolfe. Dunar''s gray eyes looked disappointed. Jeze took a deep breath.


    "I''m sorry for earlier. I know why you did what you did," she said.


    Dunar nodded. "You are too impulsive sometimes."


    "Yeah? Well, at least I have principles! You lied, and for what? Because you are afraid?" Jeze snapped back.


    Rolfe and Helga paused their packing to watch the two argue. Mikal rubbed his hands together. The cynical Healer was enjoying this! Jeze thought to herself. Dunar put down his pack and stood tall.


    "I am not afraid. I have ran with the Dire Wolves through the deep snow!" He growled and continued, "In the Frozen North people have killed each other over such accusations, Jeze Zanchi. You have traveled with us long enough to know that."


    Jeze''s anger deflated. She knew she had gone too far. So much was happening, and she didn''t know what to do. She didn''t know what to say. Dunar''s face relaxed.


    "We take things one step at a time. We work hard, we get better, and someday we can stand up to people like the Prince," Dunar stated.


    "Ya!" Helga exclaimed.


    Rolfe nodded and added, "Let us conquer the fifth floor and find our glory!"


    Mikal surprised everyone when he raised his fist to the sky and cried, "For glory!"


    The others paused and grinned. They chanted back, "Hurrah!"


    Jeze went over and embraced Dunar. The tall man patted her back and promised, "We will win."


    Irvin approached their camp.


    "Hail friend!" Rolfe greeted.


    The older Guild Official nodded back and said, "I just left a meeting with the Elites. We need to talk."


    "Ya? What news do you have for us?" Helga asked.


    The Proven gathered around the older Guild Official and Dunar asked, "Will they enter the fifth floor?"


    Irvin sighed and shook his head. "No."


    "What?" Mikal demanded. "Do they know what is at stake?" He asked.


    Irvin looked up with sad eyes. "Prince Rodger and High Cleric Manfeld are more concerned on how to split the remains of the Rimewyrm and the others," the Guild official shook his head, "Want more incentives to join."


    "They are bribing the Guild?" Mikal cried.


    Dunar sighed and replied, "Sounds like it. That means it is up to us."


    "It saddens me to hear them talk like that," Irvin admitted, and Jeze rubbed his shoulders.


    "Any news on the Fiend we encountered?" She asked.


    Irvin responded, "Aye, we did discuss that. Since the Rimewyrm and the Fiend came at different intervals, plus the fact that not an entire army of Fiends came through, we believe that the Cultists may not have a solid partnership with the Demons. We think it was just confidence. The concerning issue is that the Cultists can repurpose the Portals to lead to the higher levels."


    Mikal snorted, "That sounds promising. The floors are hard as it is, now we need to potentially need to face Fiends from the upper levels?" The Healer rolled his eyes.


    Irvin turned to Jeze and said, "But, the real reason I am here is this. Jeze, you need to be careful. You need to stop drawing attention to yourself. Your outburst earlier can not happen again."


    Jeze scowled and snapped, "I don''t need another lecture."


    "But you do," Irvin replied. "Be easy on Miss Heng too. The Elites are interested in the Core Tunnels and so far Miss Heng has not reported that you were the one to find them."


    "I don''t understand," Jeze muttered and asked, "Why would she need to do that?"


    Dunar nodded in understanding, and he agreed with Irvin. "The Elites only care for themselves. They view us like insects and not worth their time. But, if they find out that you have a way to discover the Core Tunnels. They will start to pay attention to you and you do not want that."


    Jeze hugged her pack close to her chest. Inside were the tomes she got from the Pyrmrid and the Core Tunnels. "I understand," she said.


    Mikal snorted. "How much do you want to bet that she will start another fight?"


    Jeze scowled at the Healer.


    Helga laughed. "That is why we love our Jezie!"