Jeze found Lady Kalina and Rainbow and suggested to them that they use the downtime to study the tomes they discovered. The two Rune casters agreed.


    "We should include Miss Heng," Lady Kalina said.


    "No way," Jeze said while she shook her head.


    Lady Kalina sighed and lectured, "She is more knowledgeable than us. Don''t be foolish. As an adventurer, you need to be able to set aside what is comfortable and do what is right."


    Rainbow agreed. "She''s right, you know."


    Jeze sputtered and finally acquiesced. Afterward, the four ladies sat around a wooden table within a Rune box hut. At one point, Ahanu and Irvin sat with them but quickly discovered that this was above their rudimentary knowledge of Rune magic and beyond their attention span. Mikal and Dunar swung by as well. Dunar was fascinated with Frost Hag''s journal, and much was written within it that was an affront to Mikal''s spiritual beliefs. Eventually, the Frostsworn Healer left. He muttered something about how he was needed to help Rolfe and Helga with their Rune inscriptions. Dunar remained, and Jeze found it interesting how he focused on Frost Hag''s journal.


    After Mikal walked out, Rainbow observed, "He is really defensive about the Frozen All-Father."


    Jeze snorted, "Don''t get me started."


    Dunar looked up from the tome he was reading and stated, "He is a Cold Priest."


    "What does that mean?" Rainbow asked.


    Dunar paused and replied with a smirk, "That he is really defensive about the Frozen All-Father."


    This caused Rainbow and Jeze to laugh. Lady Kalina even chuckled a little, and Miss Heng glared at them.


    "Are you all finished? Because we have work to do!" She snapped.


    Jeze scowled but returned to reading along with the others. Some time passed as each person scribbled notes down.


    Miss Heng looked up and ordered, "Okay, let''s share what we learned."


    "Why are you in charge?" Jeze snapped.


    "Because she is the ranking Guild Member here, plus the Captain of the Amber Guard," Lady Kalina replied.


    Jeze avoided the glares and shrugged. "Fine, whatever."


    Dunar raised his hand, and he spoke when Miss Heng nodded at him. "The Frost Hag writes how the Spire appeared in Niflheim. It was just like what we experienced with the monster waves. She and her Ice Giants were defeated by a Fiend general named Aragrash."


    "Aragrash, we should take note of that name," Miss Heng said.


    "Does she mention anything else?" Jeze asked.


    Dunar scanned Frost Hag''s journal, and he answered, "The latest Journal entries state that she has not seen Aragrash or his Fiends in some time and that every so often, her home would be invaded by the descendants of the First Kings. She particularly enjoyed freezing them in her Ice Caves."


    "This adds up with what we know. The Ones from Before corrupted the Spire, and they trapped the Fiends at the top levels. The Spire continued to travel between realms," Jeze said.


    "What does she mean by the descendants of the First Kings?" Lady Kalina asked.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Miss Heng answered, "It refers to mortals in the Frostsworn religion. The Frost Hag was cursed by the Gods, and she took out her vengeance on their mortal human children."


    Rainbow tapped her chin and observed, "She is referring to adventurers that entered the Spire from the previous events?"


    Dunar nodded in agreement. "That is correct."


    "Good information. Not entirely useful, yet, but helpful. Anything else?" Miss Heng asked.


    Jeze had been studying her brother''s journal and the tomes she found from within the Hold Core chamber. She answered, "My brother mentions how each floor represents a realm the Fiends conquered. It''s inhabitants conscripted into the Abyssal army. I think we can talk with them."


    "Talk to the Demons and monsters that attack us?" Miss Heng inquired with an arched eyebrow.


    Jeze scowled and answered, "I happen to know that approach works." She was referring to Viel and how the sword fighter discovered the Core Tunnel on the third floor.


    "We typically attack first before talking. Does not hurt to give that a try as long as we are careful," Lady Kalina suggested.


    Miss Heng nodded and didn''t say anything else. She motioned for Lady Kalina to share. The Amber Guard bowed and complied. She was reading one of the maintenance tomes that they discovered from within the Hold Core chamber.


    "This looks to be an instruction manual of sorts."


    "For whom?" Miss Heng wondered.


    "The caretakers of the Spire," Jeze replied.


    Dunar nodded and explained, "Think of the Spire as a vessel. A ship that requires a crew to maintain. To clean the deck and repair the hold."


    Miss Heng nodded, "Except this ship is the size of a city and requires advanced Rune magic."


    Lady Kalina continued, her voice rising with excitement, "They talk about the dimensions that were conquered and subsumed into the Wandering Spire. These include the Labyrinth, the World Volcano, Niflheim, Swamps of Despair, the Necropolis, the Nexus, and the Castle."


    Jeze narrowed her eyes and asked, "They only listed seven. What are the last two floors?"


    Lady Kalina shrugged as she flipped through the pages. "It does not say. But this tome was damaged by fire."


    Jeze ducked her head. It probably happened from her fight with Drake and his men.


    Dunar said, "The first floor was probably the Labyrinth. The second was definitely the World Volcano, and the third was the Swamps of Despair. Niflheim was the fourth floor, which leads to the fifth being either the Necropolis for this Nexus  you mentioned."


    “Necropolis? Like a cemetery? And what is a Nexus?” Rainbow wondered.


    The others didn’t know either and shrugged their shoulders.


    "That is helpful, good work!" Miss Heng exclaimed.


    Jeze nearly fell out of her chair. Was that a compliment?


    The Amber Guard captain leaned close and asked, "What do we know about the Core Tunnels and these Hold Cores?"


    Lady Kalina, Dunar and Jeze shared a look and all three remained quiet. Miss Heng''s face was impassive. Rainbow chuckled.


    Miss Heng scowled. "Still do not trust me? It is important that we organize groups before going into these Core Tunnels. From what I have read, these Hold Cores could be the key to defeating the Wandering Spire. They each hold tremendous power, and without them, the Spire will shut down."


    Rainbow spoke up. "I found a clue."


    Everyone looked at her. She grabbed the tome Jeze found from the Hold Core chamber with Veil.


    "It is hinted that the Core Tunnels can be accessed through a gravestone for the Monarch, Lev Shabuyaton," Rainbow stated.


    Miss Heng tapped her chin and nodded. "I''m sure we will know more about what that means when we see it."


    "Perhaps it is in the Necropolis," Dunar suggested.


    Lady Kalina agreed, "That seems the most likely."


    Jeze wondered about something, and she asked, "What do you all make about the Fiend we fought?"


    Rainbow added, "The Fiend was very skilled but was not a Lord or a Greater Fiend."


    "They are like us in the sense that to achieve a higher rank, they need a catalyst," Miss Heng explained.


    "So, the one we fought was what? A servant to the Fiendish Lord? Or the one that is working with the Cultists to carry out their own agenda?" Rainbow wondered.


    Miss Heng chuckled. "It seems you are transferring your anxiety and distrust to another."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Jeze growled.


    "Nothing," Miss Heng responded with a straight face.


    Rainbow gently patted Jeze''s shoulder. "Do not let her get under your skin."


    Miss Heng scowled and concluded their meeting. "That is all for now. You all should go, get rest, and prepare. Tomorrow we will venture into the fifth floor."