From Real to Realm

The rest of the day flew by. Val didn’t know how everyone else was handling it, but she was buzzing with excitement. The danger was real, she knew that, but she still couldn’t wait. Sleeping that night was hard enough. Spending another full day waiting felt worse.

The next day was all preparation. A boss fight wasn’t something anyone took lightly. Gear was checked, straps were tightened, and edges were sharpened. Val and Lynesia stayed home together through most of it. With the Ashen King hanging over them, neither of them pretended the risk wasn’t there. They spent the day a little closer than usual, making the most of the quiet while they still had it.

Before long, the sun had set, dinner was done, and everyone had retreated to their own beds. Come morning, they’d meet at the guild, descend through the top three floors, and step into the fourth together. Most of them didn’t know exactly what was waiting down there, but at least they wouldn’t be facing it alone. It wasn’t long before Val’s eyes grew too heavy to keep open.

Val’s eyes opened slowly to her dim bedroom. Minimal light was leaking through the window. The sun was beginning to rise in the distance, signaling a new day. She sat up slowly. Lynesia’s eyes opened just as Val was sliding out of bed.

“Morning, love.”

Val smiled, leaning over to kiss her. “Morning.”

Val’s stomach was in knots right now. She was excited, pumped, ready to go and beat the shit out of the Ashen King. However, she also knew it was going to be decidedly dangerous compared to anything they’d done before. Of course, they’d have Lyon leading the entire delve, with Cyrus’ group there to provide backup. But she wasn’t oblivious to the risk. Even pushing through the upper three floors could be risky, even before they reached the boss arena.

“You look stressed,” Lynesia said, slipping out of bed.

Val chuckled. “Just a little bit. Today’s… important.”

Lynesia walked up, gently cupping Val’s cheeks. “We aren’t going in alone; we have plenty of support today.”

Val leaned into her touch, nodding gently. “I know. I still worry about everyone. Being declared the leader of our party makes things a bit more stressful.”

“We all trust you,” Lynesia said, looking into her eyes. “We wouldn’t have agreed so readily if we didn’t.”

Val sighed before leaning in for another kiss. “Thank you.”

With her worries not necessarily assuaged but at least lessened, the two of them started getting ready. Freshly clean clothes, armor, and weapons were waiting for them on their dresser. The two of them worked together to get ready and make sure there weren’t any issues with their gear. Val’s armor took the longest, but Lynesia was diligent in her checks. Geared up with extra supplies for a multiple-floor push, the two of them walked downstairs.

“Something looks a bit different today, lass,” Marxus said, peering over his book. “I can see it in yer face.”

The two of them stopped as soon as Marxus spoke.

“We’ll probably be gone all day,” Val said, nodding. “We’re taking on a boss.”

Marxus’ expression hardened before he somehow relaxed it away. “Be careful. We want to see both of ya back safe and sound, you hear?”

“We’ll do our best,” Lynesia said, hand slipping into Val’s.

Together, the two of them pushed through the front door into the cold morning air. Their large fur coats were tied tight around them as they walked. Neither said a word as they pushed through the early morning bustle along the streets. People seemed to blur past as the two of them focused on what was ahead. The other thing that grounded them was the feeling of each other’s hands.

Multiple sets of footsteps gently echoed through the guild wing that housed Stormveil’s chapter hall. The lobby had been emptier thanks to how early it was, but they’d found the rest of their party waiting for them. The five of them were quiet as they walked. When they reached the doors, Val pushed them open.

Multiple sets of eyes were on them as they entered the room. Tamsin immediately peeled off from a conversation she was having to talk to them.

“Same room as yesterday,” she said, motioning to the room where they met Elira. “That room is exclusively used for your planning today.” She smiled. “Good luck.”

They made their way to the side room, slipping inside and closing the door behind them.

“You must be Valnarei.”

A tall man in plate armor was leaning forward against the table. Multiple maps were laid out for him while his eyes were locked onto his group.

“White hair thrown to one side,” he said. “Must be you.”

Val scoffed, holding back a laugh. “Damn, my hair must really stand out.”

He nodded. “It’s unique.”

Cyrus’ group was standing on his right, also looking over the maps on the table. On his left was a group of six people Val hadn’t seen before.

“At least you’re punctual,” Lyon said. “More than a few people don’t value our time.”

Val could feel him sizing her and her party up. “We don’t waste time on something this important.”

Lyon held her gaze for a few more seconds. “Good. Come look at these maps. They’re for the first three floors. We had a group go down yesterday to clear out most everything that could get in our way.”

With permission given, Val’s party approached the table as well. The maps were detailed but had sketches and notes across many of them. Some pointed out danger zones where monsters were concentrated, while others listed environmental details.

“There’s not much planning to go over,” Lyon said, looking amongst everyone. “Elira gave you what you needed yesterday. I’ve also read over everyone’s profile here, so I know what you’re capable of.” He pushed the maps around a bit to reveal the arena map as well. “Take some time to familiarize yourself with the layouts. Once you’re ready, we move.”

With that, he stood before walking out of the room. As soon as the doors shut behind them, a few people let out long exhales like they’d been holding it the entire time.

“He’s kind of intense,” said a guy from the group on Val’s right.

Cyrus chuckled. “Lyon can be intense, but it’s not because he’s a perfectionist. His main goal is getting everyone home.”

“Really? What if we aren’t able to take down the Ashen King?” the guy asked.

Cyrus glanced over at Val, showing a toothy grin. “Oh, I think we won’t have to worry about that.”

“So, you’re Valnarei Strouss?” a female voice asked from the new group.

Lynesia immediately elbowed Val. “Told you the hair makes you stand out.”

Val rolled her eyes. “I am. This is my party.”

Lynesia gave a soft wave. “I’m Lynesia. I’m the mage of the party. I use a mix of defensive and offensive spells.”

Amarisse had her arms crossed. “I’m Amarisse. I’m the tank.”

Mina jumped up. “I’m Mina! I’m a striker! Get their attention, and I’ll sneak around to beat ‘em up!”

Cera giggled. “I’m Cera. I’m the channeler, I’ll do my best to keep everyone healthy.”

“And I’m a Hybrid, I fit where I’m needed,” Val said, giving a wave. “But it seems some of you already know me.”

The girl who asked about her stared at her for a few moments. “I’m Madeline. I’m the leader of my party, and I’m a mage. I fight from the back while evaluating what’s happening.”

Madeline was human, as far as Val could tell. She had dirty blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Light leather armor complemented her outfit with a tome on her left hip.

“I’m Scott,” the guy from earlier said. “I’m a marksman, which I’m sure is obvious from my bow.”

“Tessa,” a tall woman from the back said, waving. “I’m the channeler.”

Tessa was as tall as Val, if not taller. She didn’t wear any kind of robe like most other channelers did, though. Val noticed a decent-sized shortsword on her hip, too. She also wore more leather armor than most others.

“I’m Braun,” said a stocky man. “I’m a breaker.” He cracked his knuckles with a grin.

Braun was sub-six feet tall, but the dude made up for it with muscle. His hair was shaved very short on both sides with a small ponytail pulled tight in the back. He wore a sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscles and well-built body.

A taller man in the back waved at them. “Cain. Tank.”

It wasn’t much of an introduction, but it did the job. Cain was wearing a set of plate armor that covered a lot of his body. Even just waving at them made it clink together with the movement. Val couldn’t see much aside from his head, but he also had a helmet under one arm. During battle, he was probably going to be completely covered.

“We need to get you a better set of armor,” Val said, leaning into Amarisse.

“I’m Celina,” said a shorter girl to the far right of their group. “I am also a striker and ready to get behind the bad guys.”

With introductions finished, all three groups spent some time looking over the maps. The discussion was even across everyone present. Cyrus’ group obviously spoke the most, given their experience, but Val and Madeline’s parties were also involved in more than just asking simple questions. By the time Lyon returned, everyone was on the same page and ready to push into the dungeon.

“Alright,” he said, looking amongst them. “No time to waste. An overnight group just returned; the way is clear for now. If we waste too much time, we risk trash spawning again between us and our goal. Let’s go.”

No one argued. The moment he turned around, everyone else was hot on his heels. Elira and Tamsin were standing to the side, watching as everyone walked past. Words were sparse as everyone focused on what was ahead. Right now, no one could afford any distractions.

The walk to the dungeon entrance was just as quiet. Aside from minimal small talk amongst the different parties, they just made sure to keep close to Lyon. He didn’t talk at all. Instead, he’d occasionally look over his shoulder to make sure no one dawdled. It almost felt like a school field trip to Val, but this was obviously way different.

When the group finally reached the large stone doors leading down to the dungeon, Lyon stopped. He turned around, looking at each of them.

“We’ll follow the formation Elira gave you. Cyrus, your group will stay with me behind the other two. Madeline, your party will be on the left. Valnarei, your party will be on the right. Take this seriously and don’t do anything stupid. Your parties will handle most fighting if we run into anything on the way down. When it comes to the Ashen King, we still want you to handle most, if not all, fighting, but Cyrus’ group and I will use our best judgment to decide if we want to get involved.” He took a breath. “Any questions?”

Madeline’s and Val’s groups looked amongst themselves, waiting to see if anyone asked a question. A few seconds ticked by, and no one said anything.

“Good, now let’s get down there.”

The stone doors were slowly opened by the guards stationed in front of the dungeon. Lyon wasted no time in pressing forth into the dungeon. Val was the first one on his heels, not willing to wait for anyone else. Madeline’s party followed behind them with Cyrus’ group bringing up the rear. As soon as they were inside, the doors slowly closed behind them. Footsteps echoed down the stone stairway as they descended beneath the surface into whatever was waiting for them.

When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the craggy hallway opened up. Without being told to, Madeline’s group moved up on the left while Val’s moved up on the right. Both Cain and Amarisse were up front. Val was hugging Amarisse’s hip, ready to react the moment something showed its face, with Mina, Cera, and Lynesia spread an arm’s length apart behind them. Braun and Celina were flanking Cain, both with weapons ready and waiting for anything dumb enough to show itself.

“Good,” Lyon said, nodding. “Let’s push forward.”

Together, both parties started moving. They weren’t lowered in their stances with weapons up and ready, though. Walking through the dungeon like that would be exhausting in and of itself. Instead, they were walking like normal with their heads on a swivel. With 16 people total, and some of them high-ranking, it was highly unlikely anything on the upper floors could get the jump on them.

Thankfully, there was nothing in the way on floor one. It was just a decent amount of walking before finding the descending staircase to floor two. Whoever had been sent in to clear the way obviously did a hell of a job. It kind of bugged Val, though. She really hoped they ran into something for a warm-up before fighting the Ashen King.

“Emberfang!” Amarisse yelled, throwing her shield up just in time to deflect a small fireball.

The sound of steel being drawn echoed down the hallway as everyone drew their weapons. Cyrus’ group did as well, but stayed back with Lyon.

“Don’t look at me,” he said to someone in Madeline’s group. “This should be easy for ten of you to handle.”

Amarisse was already pushing forward, with Val on her hip. Lynesia was already weaving her hands in the air while Mina was hopping back and forth next to her.

“Don’t push too hard,” Val whispered to her. “Let’s see who wants to try first.”

Four full-grown wolves were at the end of the hall, pacing back and forth. Just as one of them was about to howl, a blur of magic launched overhead to smack it in the face. It stumbled for just a second before its eyes locked onto Lynesia.

“I’m not letting you call for help,” she said, glaring back.

Madeline’s group was finally pushing forward as well.

“I’m not getting left in the dust,” Braun said, pushing Cain forward. “Let’s get in there!”

A growl that reverberated in their chests echoed around the hallway as the one wolf lowered its stance. The fire wreath around its neck flared before it snapped its jaws a few times. Apparently, that was its way of telling the others to attack, because the others immediately darted forward.

The first one to reach them went after Cain. It launched itself at him, with a second right on its heels, ready to capitalize.

“AHAHAHAHAHA!” Braun yelled, his expression almost crazed. “Let’s fucking go, you fiery mutts!”

He ignored the first one, letting it crash into Cain. The tank took the hit, barely moving. The wolf clung to his shield, scratching at his armor without finding any purchase. Braun immediately swung the sword in his right hand, missing the second one. It had juked the attack. However, Braun wasn’t done attacking. Without missing a beat, he pivoted on his lead foot with a backhand swing of the sword in his other hand. Doing so meant he lost sight of the wolf for a few seconds, but the attack was enough to land.

A loud yelp echoed through the hallway, mixed with crazed laughing. Braun was swinging almost wildly at the wolf he was fighting. Cain and Celina were easily handling the other one. Cain would let it get close to attack, using his shield and sword to block it. Celina would then jump in for just a second or two to land a few blows before backing off again. The moment Celina would back off, Cain would take her place to block the retaliatory blows.

As for Braun, he kept the pressure up. If at any point the wolf was able to maneuver around him, an arrow would fly in from out of nowhere, forcing it back for a second. Scott was watching the fight intently, making sure to cover as much as he could.

Val wasn’t able to watch all that much, though. By the time Madeline’s party had separated and engaged, they were also being attacked. The other two wolves were pushing them.

“Fucking Braun,” Madeline said, shaking her head. “Gods love him, but he needs to get that battle frenzy under control.”

Lynesia chuckled, just barely hearing her. “I wondered why he just pushed forward.”

Another yelp echoed through the hallway. This time, it was accompanied by a strained yell as Val used a wolf’s momentum to toss it to the side. It had lunged at Amarisse’s side while she was already actively fighting off the other one that pushed them. The Emberfang Wolf slammed into the craggy wall before falling to the floor.

Before it even had a chance to get back to its feet, a magically shielded Mina was bearing down on it. Thanks to her speed, Mina was able to get in multiple hits. The wolf was barely able to register that it had been hit before she was backing off again.

Lynesia glanced over just in time to see the other wolf knock Amarisse off balance. However, she didn’t need to worry as Val shoulder-checked the wolf. Of course, she winced due to the literal fire nature of these wolves, but it did the job. Together, she and Amarisse took the opening to skewer the wolf with halberd and sword together. Around the same time, Braun’s wolf fell to the ground, dead.

“Two down, two to go!” Lyon yelled. “Don’t let up!”

The wolf facing off against Cain and Celina looked rough. It had a nasty limp while bright magma-like blood dripped from multiple cuts across its body. The wolf facing off with Lynesia and Mina looked just as bad, stumbling every few seconds as it struggled to stay upright.

It didn’t take much for Cain, Celina, and Braun to overwhelm their second wolf. Braun had calmed down a bit after killing the first, but didn’t stop until he knew the second was dead as well. Honestly, it was overkill to have all three going after the same wolf together.

As for Val’s party, their wolf was practically bullied as well. Between Val’s reach, Mina’s speed, and Amarisse’s ability to block attacks, it was just unfair. Lynesia still used a spell or two to keep it from focusing too much on one person, but it only made it that much easier.

“Well done,” Lyon said, approaching. “I can see why Tamsin and Elira chose your parties for this.”

Cyrus’ group moved up as well.

“Take a few minutes to catch your breath,” Lyon said, walking past them. “Only a few minutes. We can’t risk exhausting ourselves fighting trash along the way.”

A sudden playful punch to her shoulder made Val cough on her water.

“Holy shit, Val,” Cyrus said, smiling. “You’re completely different from when we trained you.”

Val laughed through her cough, nodding. “That happens after delving for a few months.”

“She’s still hardheaded,” Cera said, glaring at Val.

Cera’s hands were glowing over the burn on Val’s upper arm that wasn’t covered by armor. The shoulder-check on one of the wolves had burned her. It wasn’t serious, but Cera insisted on healing it now.

Dolf chuckled. “Sound about right.”

Irina nodded. “Val was pretty hard-headed when we first met her, too.”

“It’s a shame we couldn’t change that about her,” Zennia said, sighing.

Lynesia giggled. “Val’s calmed down a lot compared to before. Now she only does stuff like that if it saves someone else.”

Amarisse wiped her mouth after drinking water. “She’s not stupid about it anymore.”

“Alright, let’s get moving again!” Lyon yelled.

Everyone rose to their feet, then returned to formation. After a final check, both Madeline’s and Val’s parties started moving forward. Luckily for them, they were able to get through both floors two and three without running into anything else.

“I can see the bottom of the stairs,” Val said, turning to everyone else.

Amarisse was in front of her, shield up and ready, with Cain directly to her left. Slowly, one by one, they stepped onto the fourth floor.

Small embers floated through the air on unseen currents. Ash clung to just about every surface around them, puffing into the air with each step. Bright veins of magma were woven into the obsidian rock around them as they moved closer to the large door ahead. The closer they got, the hotter it became.

Val’s heart was racing as she turned to everyone else. “Who’s ready to fell a king?”

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