“One more time because I’m having trouble really understanding what you mean by, ‘this happens more than you would believe,’ Everett said as he looked at the trophies they had laid on his table. “You’re saying this has happened to you how many times?”

During their carriage ride to the faction house, Max and the other three had decided they needed to come clean about their luck in the dungeons.

Tanila had stated multiple times that the man wouldn’t share any information about their drops or success with anyone, and knowing he had a group who seemed blessed by the gods would only make him treat them better.

“At least four times?” Max asked as he looked at the others. “I think that’s right.”

Rubbing his eyes with his fingers, Everett chose to groan instead of cursing like he had initially planned.

“And the spider you defeated… the one with these massive fangs,” Everett said as he tapped the four-foot-long fangs on the table, “it was twenty-two feet tall?”

“Roughly,” Fowl replied. “All I know is it hurt when it dropped me after nearly crushing me between those things.”

Everett closed his eyes for the hundredth time since they entered his office as he considered the information, running his hand through his white hair and groaning softly.

Eventually, his eyes snapped open, and he looked at the four of them. Max could see the man had questions he wanted to ask.

“I appreciate the honesty, and I can see how much trust you are putting in me by sharing these things…”

“But?” Tanila asked, smiling as she prompted the man.

“But… I would assume that a creature of that size in a dungeon like you described would mean it was a chest guardian boss. Am I correct?”

“It was.”

Fowl chuckled at Everett’s face, scrunching like he was trying to pass gas.

“I don’t suppose… no, ignore that… I’m just a little envious… in all my years of adventuring, I’ve seen one chest guardian, and that battle wasn’t fun. I can only imagine how yours went and what you acquired from it”.

Max noticed Everett absently spun a ring on his thumb while he talked about that event.

“What we really want to know is how will this affect our climb through the tower? Are we going to be running into creatures that will be far beyond our level? And what happens if other groups are on the same floor? Then who gets the first crack at it?”

Tsking his tongue, Everett nodded at each question Max asked.

“Those are some specific questions, and the answer to each depends on the circumstances,” Everett replied as a massive rolled-up parchment appeared. A pen came next, and then Everett transferred the two fangs from the stone table into his storage and unrolled the parchment.

“Come over here, and let me show you four something.”

Max and the others gathered around the stone table.

“Is that a floor in the tower?” Fowl asked.

“It is. This is the first floor and the only one that has never changed. After the first floor, there is no rhyme or reason for what the floor will change to, the monsters, or the layout. The only thing that has always remained consistent, as long as anyone can remember, is that while someone is on a floor, it will not change.”

“Does that mean the factions keep someone camped out on them?” Batrire asked.

“A long time ago, they did,” Everett replied. “Eventually, it was noticed that doing so limited the rate at which creatures would respawn, as well as the number of rare items to be gathered on that floor. Another effect was that the higher floors of the tower became harder.”

Everett began to circle a few locations on the map.

“The tower isn’t like a normal dungeon, and people have many different beliefs or opinions about it. Some feel it's alive. Others believe it's something else, but I won’t get into that now.”

Everett had drawn arrows and lines at certain points on the map. He looked at it for a few more seconds and then made one final addition before turning his attention to the party across the table.

“The first floor is about twenty miles across. I won’t spoil the fights or the creatures. Tom will be responsible for preparing you for that. I want you to notice these areas I’ve marked.”

He tapped the one closest to the entrance and smiled. “Sometimes, a rare creature can appear here. It’s completely random, and no one knows when it will appear or why it only happens here. The first test of this theory of yours about being blessed by the gods will be if it is there. Next is over here.”

He pointed the end of his pen to another circle he had drawn and tapped it a few times.

“This one is rarer. Maybe three or five times a year, it spawns. If it happens to be there, don’t hesitate to attack it. Some tower climbers used to camp out and wait for it, but as I mentioned before, the tower seems to know and reacts accordingly.”

“Do factions share knowledge of rare spawns and their drops?” Max asked as he watched Everett begin to move his pen again.

“Gods, no… if you find one, do not tell anyone but me or Tom. It sounds bad to say it like that, but there will be crystals that drop from the creatures you kill. Those are used for a variety of things, but one of those things is our skill crystal.”

Max started to ask another question, but Everett held up his hand. “Just wait, I’ll answer in a minute.”Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

He put his pen on one circle and then, using a finger from each hand, tapped two other circles he had drawn.

“These three… they are the real test.”Max and the others saw Everett’s face change. His lips pulled inward, and his cheeks got tight.

“I’ve been in this position a long time… the woman before me…” Everett paused and sighed. “Our faction has only encountered one of these three spawns once during our time in this position. To get one of them would mean more than you three can know.”

A moment later, Everett’s demeanor changed again, and he smiled at the four of them again.

“Now, what was your question, Seth?”

“These crystals they drop, what are they used for?”

A slight chuckle came from Everett as he looked off to the side for a moment. A pouch appeared in the palm of the older man’s hand. He opened it and pulled out a handful of gems about an inch in length with a slight yellow tint. He gave one to each of them and then pulled one out for himself.

“Watch.”

Smashing the gem in his hand, a slight buzz could be heard, and then a yellow light flashed and was gone.

“You try.”

Max, Batrire, and Fowl all tried to squeeze or smash the gem in their hand, but no one managed to do it. Tanila stood there, smiling and holding hers.

“Not going to try?” Everett asked.

“It’s not possible, and you know it. Until we first enter the tower, we can’t absorb the power inside them.”

Grinning, Everett nodded and put his pouch back into storage. “You four can keep those. A little treat once you enter the tower.”

“It was a test,” Max said, realizing what had happened. “You and Tom have talked.”

Laughing loudly, Everett nodded. “He had mentioned a few things and his beliefs. No specifics, but I’ve known him long enough to read between the lines, and I also had my own concerns. Tanila is right, though. Those are the next steps in the process of getting stronger. You will find the colors change the higher you climb, and you can no longer gain experience from the lower-level ones. As you can see, the one I used vanished. I gained nothing from it, but the power was still consumed. Now, there is a lot more Tom will go over, but let me get back to the crystals the boss and rare spawns drop.”

Everett pulled a small chest out of his storage and set it on the table. He slowly looked at each of them, and his eyes were different.

“I’m going to show you this only because you have revealed your hand to me.”

After turning the chest towards them, he slowly opened it. Inside was a yellow pulsating gem the size of Fowl’s head.

“This gem is used for our skill shard. It gives it the power required to increase your skills into the higher ranks. I won’t bore you with specifics, but I’ll give you four one free major upgrade. Choose who uses it wisely. It takes a few of these crystals to provide the power that kind of upgrade. The later ranks… let’s just say you’ll have to earn them through a lot of hard work.”

“What about the adventurer halls? How do they get energy for their shards? Do they use these?”

Everett smiled and shook his head. “I guess you really wouldn’t know. All those trophies you collect are used to power their shard.”

Closing the lid, Everett stored the chest and smiled at the group. “I’ll get you a copy of this map when it’s time to go inside. Do you have any other questions or things you need to know? I’m certain a few of my leaders are waiting to hear what transpired in our meeting today.”

“Actually, we are planning on going to the ale festival,” Fowl said with a smile.

Everett chuckled and flipped a gold coin to Fowl. “Enjoy the first round on me. It’s good you all realize the importance of living and enjoying life.”

Fowl snatched the coin out of the air, holding it up for Batrire to see.

“See! Even the gods must want us to drink!”

She groaned and rolled her eyes. “Dear Ockrim, we are going to be in trouble tonight.”

Max walked next to Tanila, laughing and smiling as they watched Fowl holding four tankards of ale in one arm while drinking a fifth one he had just collected.

“How much is he going to drink? I mean, that’s like seven so far?”

Tanila shrugged and motioned at Batrire, who looked animated as she said something to Fowl. “She was being serious last night. Fowl doesn’t drink a lot most days, but I have been present for one night of binging before, and you are in for a treat.”

Smiling, Max looked at all the lanterns and lights that were hung across the street. The main road that ran through this section of town was decorated, and there were stalls everywhere, each selling ale that never seemed to run out. The street was packed, adventurers and citizens alike all enjoying a night to forget the pain of a few days ago.

“You ok?” Tanila asked as Max walked with his hands clasped behind his back. “You’re not upset, are you?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s weird for me. For so long, I wasn’t sure how I was going to survive after that day… now I’m trying to remember how to actually live. I guess I was so focused on trying to get stronger and doing whatever I had to do that I forgot there is a life worth living outside the dungeons.”

Tanila shook her head and chuckled, seeing that Max was smiling, just slowly pushing himself through the crowd and trying to keep close with Fowl and Batrire.

“Everett was right,” Max continued, his eyes scanning the crowd of people laughing and drinking around them. “I have a reason for wanting to live. One day, I hope that reason realizes the same thing.”

Her eyes went wide as Tanila realized what Max had said.

Max simply smiled at her once more before turning his attention back to trying to find Fowl and Batrire as the crowd pressed in around them.

“Seth?”

He turned and saw Tanila looking at him, biting her bottom lip with her nose scrunched. “I’m trying. I really am.”

Laughing, Max gave her his best smile and nodded. “I know. No rush. Now, if you don’t mind, can you help me find our dwarven friends? Remember, one of us is vertically challenged.”

Tanila got up on her tiptoes and looked around, spotting her two dwarven allies.

“Found them. Let’s go shorty.”

“I’m going to kick your arse,” Fowl muttered, glaring playfully at Max, who was across the wooden table from him. “This trophy is mine.”

“Wanna wager on it?” Max asked. “We can do money or something else.”

Fowl ran his fingers through his wet beard, nodding slowly. “What do you have in mind?”

“A week of all harvesting duties, no matter what.”

Grimacing, Fowl tried to consider what dungeons were on their list for the next week.

“Wait… the apes… we’re doing them next, aren’t we?”

Max nodded and smiled. “You’re going to have to do some work regardless, but if you win like you think you will, imagine not having to harvest anything at all.”

“Deal! But no complaining when I win!” exclaimed Fowl.

They shook on it, and Max laughed, looking down at the twenty tables that had been lined up in the middle of the street. Every seat possible was filled on both sides of the tables.

“We gotta beat these people first,” Max said.

“Just follow my lead,” Fowl replied. “I’ll help you not pass out too quickly.”

Both of them laughed as the giant bell began to ring, signaling the start of the drinking contest.

“Those two are morons,” Batrire said with a sigh as she and Tanila watched their two men drink the first tankard of beer for the contest.

“They are, but they’re our morons.”

Both of them laughed, holding each other’s arm, enjoying a moment without having to worry about danger being right around every bend.