“You’re going to have to try and freeze that section,” Tanila said. "I don't want to use all of my mana, and you can recover some if you kill something.”

An ice bolt started forming near Max’s hand. After it had grown to the size he wanted, he released it at the section of burning trees blocking the path they were taking.

It hit one and shattered about a third of the trunk into tiny pieces. Sizzling and popping sounds came from the ice that landed in the fire all around it.

“Shame you're not stronger,” Fowl teased as they waited on the cooldown for Max’s spell. “This wouldn’t take so long if you could cast real magic like Tanila.”

“Oh, I’ll show you real magic when I freeze your nuts later,” Max replied as he pointed his hand toward Fowl’s crotch.

“Bah! You can’t do that,” protested Fowl. “Batrire wouldn’t like them being blue!”

A groan came from their healer, who shook her head in embarrassment.

“I can’t take him anywhere… not even to a dungeon,” she muttered.

Max smiled, then returned to the fire blocking their path, preparing to unleash another bolt of ice.

“How far do you reckon we have come in this forest? At least halfway?” Tanila asked after he cast the spell a second time.

“I’d hope, but,” he glanced back at the path they had come down, “it’s hard to tell. Right now, I just wanna find the chest and the portal and get out of here.”

“We’re still getting a little bit of experience, though,” Fowl said. “I’ve gained as much as during that first fight, or more, since we started exploring. Somewhere, spiders are dying.”

Hours passed before Max and the rest of the group finally found the edge of the forest. A wall of magic surrounded the dungeon floor, which projected a barrier at the edge of the last tree.

“It doesn’t look like the spiders could climb up this,” Max said as he ran his hand along the invisible wall.

Tanila nodded as she studied the barrier. “I’ve heard of dungeons that end in stone or have massive walls, but ones with these kinds of barriers aren’t usually in this low of a dungeon. The tower will have some floors like this, usually in a boss room to prevent adventurers from creating safe points to fight from.”

“You mean holes in walls?” Max asked.

She nodded as they turned to look back at the forest. “There are levels in the tower where you can dig through the ground or mine through a wall until you can’t. Depending on what you’re fighting, some groups and raids have used that to their advantage, preparing defensive areas inside a cliffside and bringing their quarry to them.”

“That’s kind of smart,” Max said with a laugh. “Almost as smart as burning a forest down.”

A groan came from Fowl. “Stop making yourself feel good. You had one amazing idea; let's see if it pans out.'

Max grinned and pointed in the direction they had decided to go. “Let’s stop waiting and see if we can find the chest and get something good.”As they began walking toward the smoldering section of trees, Batrire gently nudged Fowl, “Maybe you should use the key in case it's another mimic.”

Everyone but Fowl laughed at that comment.

After eight more hours of trudging through the charred forest they had created, Max let out a tiny whoop when he spotted a chest sitting in a very small clearing.

“Ok, Fowl, you’re up,” Max said as he pulled the huge key out, still amazed at how large it was compared to his torso.

“No sir,” Fowl replied, waving his hands. “There isn’t anything you could offer me to do that again.”

“You certain?” Max asked, holding it out to his dwarf friend.

“Absolutely! Not even if Ockrim himself showed up and told me to do it.”

Batrire groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Ok, I’ll do it, but just remember, you didn’t want to so I get the first crack at any shared loot!” Max exclaimed as he started jogging toward the chest.

About three seconds after Max finished his statement, Fowl processed what he said and started running after Max, shouting, “Wait! I changed my mind!”

Max glanced back at Batrire and Tanila, who were about twenty yards away, each with a hand on Fowl’s shoulder.

Grumbling could still be heard from the dwarf as Max took a deep breath and approached the chest.

It was the same size as the last raid chest they had acquired. Made of dark metal, it gave off a weird humming sound, and an aura of black light seemed to pulse from it.

“Wish it was Fowl opening that,” Tanila muttered as Max moved the key toward the chest.

Fowl’s complaint was ignored as the key moved from Max’s hand on its own and inserted itself in the huge keyhole. It turned, and a clicking sound could be heard.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Max had already taken a few steps back and pulled out his weapon, preparing for the worst. After nothing happened, he moved forward and tapped it gently with his weapon.

“If it was going to eat you, it would have already grabbed you!” shouted Fowl.

Max held up a middle finger toward Fowl and then stored his weapon. He pushed up with two hands on the lid, and the chest top snapped open.

Inside it sat a much darker than normal dimensional space, and within the void were eight items, all of the same black color as the chest.

“It’s safe, but you four give me a minute! I’m going to collect everything first!”

Fowl was moving the moment Max said, ‘It’s safe,’ running as fast as his little legs could carry him.

“Wait, ya bastard!” Fowl shouted.

Smiling, Max pretended to reach into the chest, laughing as Fowl started running faster.

“That’s one ugly staff,” Fowl said as he pointed at Tanila’s new equipment.

Scrunching her eyebrows, Tanila looked at her staff and then back at Fowl. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It doesn’t go with your outfit at all.”

Rolling her eyes, Tanila ignored Fowl and ran her hand along the new staff. Very thin crystal-like strands ran through the black metal, their pattern almost like a spiderweb. She had immediately traded out her old one, amazed at how much better the new one was.

“Yer talking about outfits, and you got that damn plate chest piece on. One black piece and the rest of yer outfit doesn’t match,” Batrire said as she pointed at Fowl’s new chest piece. “Even worse are the lines running along yours.”

Shifting from side to side, Fowl spun. “I look dandy, and you know it. Besides, not everyone gets a cool tiara like you… not even Tanila.”

Batrire’s grin grew as she tapped her head, raising her eyebrows a few times. “Ockrim likes me more than you,” she said.

Max had said nothing, letting the other three enjoy the first crack at their items.

“Seth?”

Looking up from the helmet he had in his hands, he saw how she smiled softly at him.

“Yeah?” he replied, still amazed at what he was holding.

“Going to share the stats?”

Nodding, he couldn’t help but grin as he slid it over his head.

A gasp came from Batrire when his brand-new black helmet vanished after he took his hands off it.

“Where’s yer damn helm?!” exclaimed Fowl.

“Invisible. It’s an ability of the helm,” Max replied, banging his hand against the side of his head. As his gloves hit his helm, a slight sound of metal on metal proved that it was still there.

“Gods, that is so unfair!” Fowl complained. “Now, I must stare at your bald head all day!”

“What about the stats?” Tanila asked. “It’s obviously better than your old one.”

Nodding, Max grinned.

[ Inspect Helmet ]

*****

Scout Spider Helm

+5 STR/CON/DEX

Invisible State

Minor Poison Resist

Bonded

*****

“HOLY MOTHER OF GOD LOVIN ELF TI–”

Batrire’s staff smacked into Fowl’s head, interrupting him as he proclaimed his curses for the entire dungeon to hear.

“Shut it, or you’ll bring the whole dungeon down on us,” Batrire snapped.

“That’s… impressive,” Tanila said. “Even though all of ours have a plus five to two stats yet again, as Fowl would say, someone up there loves you.”

Max frowned as he saw everyone looking at him.

“There are still four items waiting for us to roll on them.”

Fowl stopped massaging the spot on his head where Batrire had bopped him and grinned, knowing what was coming next.

“A cloak, boots, belt, and what looks like a helm or circlet, depending on who gets it,” Max said. “I would prefer the cloak or the boots. I’m not sure I will give up my belt piece yet.”

“I’ll do boots or helm,” Fowl said.

“Only really need the circlet or belt,” Tanila stated as they went in a circle.

“I’d only really want the belt,” Batrire declared, pointing at her waist. “Momma needs something to keep this robe tight.”“Ok, so Batrire gets the belt, Tanila gets the circlet, Fowl gets the boots, and I get the cloak?” Max asked only needing a moment to figure out how it would best work.

“Sounds good to me!” exclaimed Fowl as he moved up next to the chest. “Can I go first so I can protect my toes in case Batrire decides to step on them?”

Everyone chucked and nodded, letting Fowl go first. When the boots materialized in his hand, Fowl scowled slightly.

“Bah, not as flashy as I had hoped, but I can’t complain, even if they look ugly.”

Max nodded at the weird crystal design on the boots’ backs and sides. The crystal lines did not have a specific pattern.

“They provide a nice boost to my strength and constitution. Four points each!” Fowl exclaimed.

Batrire went next and got a black cord that cinched itself around her waist. She smiled as she put it on, and grinned even more at the fact it gave four points each to constitution, intelligence, and wisdom.

Fowl started to complain, but when she raised her staff he stopped, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Your turn, Tanila.”

She nodded at Max and reached inside the chest. When the timer ended, a black circlet with a single clear crystal in the center of a spiderweb sat in her hand. Slipping it onto her head, she smiled. “How’s it look?”

‘Beautiful as always,” Max said with a sigh, causing Tanila’s cheeks to redden a little.

“And the stats?” Fowl asked. “Don’t forget the stats!”

Touching the black metal with her fingers, Tanila nodded. “Five to intelligence and wisdom, and it has a Clarity effect.”

Batrire whistled. “That’s really nice. What’s the bonus?”

“Twenty-five percent,” Tanila said, wincing as she did.

“Holy dwarf balls,” groaned Batrire. “Twenty-five percent! That’s–”She stopped ranting when Fowl poked her in the stomach.

“Hey now, don’t bring the dungeon down on us,” he teased.

“But twenty-five percent!” Batrire exclaimed.

“Someday you’ll get something nice,” Fowl replied before turning to Max. “Alright, chosen one of the gods, make me cry.”

Chuckling, Max nodded and reached into the chest, touching the spot where the cloak was.

The timer finished, and a black cloak appeared in his hands.

Even before he put it on or inspected it, he could feel its power radiating through his hands.

“Don’t tell me,” Fowl muttered. “I can already tell I’m going to be extremely jealous.”

Tanila moved forward and touched the cloak with her fingers, looking at it in surprise.

“What is it, Tanila?” Batrire asked, seeing the mage’s face change.

“It’s spidersilk,” Tanila replied.