Max grinned at Fowl as the dwarves slid into the booth.

“You look like the donkey won multiple times,” Max teased.

Holding his head, Fowl nodded and grimaced. “That ass sure did… she was a feisty one for sure… I still can’t believe you knew about that.”

“Thank Batrire,” Max replied. “She helped with a lot of this party.”

Fowl leaned over and put his head on Batrire’s shoulder, sighing softly.

Tanila shifted under Batrire’s gaze as her eyes flickered back and forth between Max and her.

“It seems we weren’t the only ones dancing,” Batrire said, raising her eyebrows at Talina a few times. “How did last night go?”

Max didn’t react, keeping the smile he had on a moment ago in place. He glanced at Tanila, whose cheeks were turning redder by the second.

“Last night was a good night. Friends, family, and a party worth hiring a bard to sing about. What else could you be wondering about?” Max asked.

Snorting, Batrire groaned after not getting a rise out of him and motioned to the food on the table. “We going to eat or what?”

“We will, then we need to head to our Faction house. Tom and Everett want to give us as much information as possible on the next two dungeons. They’re not excited about us attempting this, but I told them our long-term plans. They are on board.”

“What Seth really means,” Tanila added, “is that they understand the value of keeping us alive if we are going to attempt defeating every floor of the tower. So if we pull off the next two dungeons, the rules for us will be different than for the majority of the rest of the Faction.”

“Because of the perks?” Fowl asked, keeping his eyes closed and his head on Batrire’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Max answered. “Ten floors is five percent, and on tower floor fifty, we are looking at twenty-five percent. Combined with some of our armor, the potential to resist damage and spells gives us a leg up most won’t ever have.”

“So what is the plan?” Batrire asked as she grabbed a piece of fruit from a plate.

“Eat breakfast and then prepare for tomorrow,” Tanila replied. “We only get one shot at each dungeon. We need to try and then get to the tower. Once word gets out that we are in the tower, things are going to change. Trust me.”

Grunting, Fowl shifted in the booth and sat up, opening his eyes and rubbing the massive bags that had formed under them. “Guess I’ll eat. We’re definitely getting a ride to the Faction house. I’m not ready for walking.”

Max chuckled and poured his dwarven friend a tankard of ale, ignoring the sigh Batrire let out as he did.

“That’s what I like about you, Seth. Taking care of me in my old age.”

The four of them laughed as they ate breakfast and talked about moments from last night.

“I won’t lie. Tom and I are nervous about your decision, but Seth already convinced us that nothing we say will stop you four from attempting these dungeons. With that said, here is what we can do.”

As Everett finished speaking, Tom opened a chest and started putting rings on the table. Four rings, almost invisible, were placed in a line.

“These will help when you fight the demons. Each one grants a ten percent reduction against demonic spells and, more importantly, makes you immune to their mental control.”

“Mental control?” Fowl stuttered. “They can control our minds?”

“With those rings, they cannot,” Everett replied, shaking his head. “Not all demons can do it, but some appear to be able to. No one likes it when their mage starts attacking them with spells or the tank turns and cuts down their own healer. It is one of the reasons why most people do not risk these dungeons at all.”

“Everett’s downplay this dungeon if you think that is everything to worry about. Portals will randomly appear and demons will drop out of them. Some will be invisible till they attack. This dungeon is dangerous even to experienced tower climbers. There is a reason a guard stands outside the portal to verify that you are aware of the risks.”

“And to make note of any who defeat it,” Tanila stated.

Both men nodded.

“They will ask if you made it, but I would suggest that you lie,” replied Everett. “There is no way to tell if you do. I did some inquiring around the guild hall, and it appears no one has attempted the dungeon in a few years.”

Fowl groaned loudly as he leaned his head back on the chair. “Why do I let them talk me into these things?”

“Ignore him,” Batrire said. “He’s just feeling old and weak.”

“Or smart,” Tom replied. “Regardless, two floors of demons await you. The boss is on another level. There are different types that can appear. Each has different magical and physical attacks. Some are able to control multiple minds while others have been recorded as being fifty feet tall and carrying a weapon twenty feet or longer.”If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“Ogre shite!” cursed Fowl. “Twenty feet?!”

“Or longer,” Tom said again. It's usually infused with some sort of magic as well.”

“Don’t forget they are resistant to magic, too,” Tanila said as if she were giving a lecture to everyone.

Everett chuckled and smiled at Tanila. “Would you like to go over everything else?”

“I’ll pass,” she replied with a grin. “Sorry, just trying to help.”

Everett nodded and pointed at the chest Tom was holding. Their advisor pulled out four potions, each a swirling black and white and unable to mix together.

“Those potions are rare and worth more than we will talk about, but if you’re going to do this, you’ll need them.”

“Curse cleansing,” Batrire whispered, leaning forward on her seat to get closer. “Those are rare.”

“Yes,” Tom said. “Try to not use them until you have to. You will know because the effects of whatever curse you succumb to will be too great to ignore. They can be random, but typically, it’s not till the second floor that you should need them.”

“And the boss… you’ll just have to fight the boss while cursed,” Everett stated. “Even if you take a potion while fighting the boss, it will cast another one every minute. The good news is most versions of the boss only cast one curse… but some don’t, so be prepared.”

“Is it too late to back out?” Fowl asked, glancing at his three companions. “Not that I want to be known as a chicken, but these two are doing their best to make us not want to attempt this.”

Max nodded. “It’s ok if you’re a chicken, we’d still love you, but none of us are changing our minds.”

Sighing, Fowl nodded and then moved till he could pick up one of the rings. Slipping it on his fat finger, it changed sizes until it was a perfect fit and vanished. “Holy Ockrim! Where did it go?”

“It’s still there, just hidden. None of us know why they do that. Once you return, we will need them back until later in the tower climb. Those are not items many have.”

Each of them took a ring and slipped it on, admiring how it vanished as Fowl’s had.

“Anything else?” Max asked as he stood up, carefully passing out the potions to each person in their party.

Everett extended a hand.

After they shook, the older man smiled. “Just be safe. If you can’t defeat the boss, run. None of us would think any less of you if that happened.”

“Understood,” Max replied as he turned to shake Tom’s hand. “That won’t happen, but we appreciate the advice and help.”

“You’re doing this tomorrow, right?” Tom asked.

“We are,” Tanila replied. “Coming to see us off?”

“No, but I will go and pray for your safety. Perhaps the gods will listen to me since it’s been a while.”

The four of them stood and, after saying their goodbyes, headed back to the inn.

“Tomorrow,” Tanila whispered, running her hand along Max’s cheek.

He smiled and nodded, taking her hand and kissed her fingers gently.

“Just another day in a dungeon for us.”

She started to protest, but Max put his finger against her lips and pulled her closer to him on the bed. “Yes I know it’s different, but I won’t approach it that way. We will come through because I know what my family is capable of. Especially the woman I love.”

Tanila reached over and pulled Max close, kissing him as they lay there in her room, a private place where no one else would intrude.

As they pulled apart and their lips slowly peeled from each other, Max ran his hand through her unbraided hair, smiling at the red color she had kept.

“Perhaps you should wear your hair like this tomorrow.”

He felt her tremble in his arms at that statement as her green eyes held his gaze. “That would be… a very special thing.”

Nodding, Max moved close, kissing her again for a moment, and then lay his head back against the pillow they were sharing. “It would… I would wear mine like that if I could.”

Tanila burst into laughter, pushing against his bare chest with her hand as Max tried to pull her close. Wrestling for a few, they let the worry of tomorrow disappear, enjoying the moment they had. For once, neither was concerned about what the world or the gods might think about the two of them being together.

Each was overjoyed by what they had found.

“You four are certain you understand the risks?”

Max and the others nodded as the armored guard watched them, her blue eyes studying them.

“And there are only four of you in your party… you understand that this is no normal dungeon. To venture into here is to risk death.”

“Death comes for us all,” Fowl replied. “Today, we will either conquer what most think is impossible, flee with our tails between our legs, or join our gods in our final resting place. Regardless, we won’t be dissuaded from going inside.”

The guard nodded, a slight upward curve to her lips as she heard Fowl speak. “Very well. I have written your names in my journal, given you the warning all receive and now offer you the chance to do what no other has in years. May the gods watch over you and grant you success.”

Max smiled and motioned to Batrire, who cast her buff.

“We’ll see you soon,” Max said as he pulled out his weapon and moved toward the portal.

It was different from every other one they had seen. It was pure black and pulsed with a power that seemed to warn them not to venture inside.

Max’s eyes took a moment to adjust, but he sensed something coming at him as he came through. Tanila had warned them that sometimes demons waited at the portal, unhindered, unlike in so many other dungeons, attempting to strike down those who entered.

His weapon slashed at the incoming shape he sensed with his sonar skill, and Max smiled as the creature began to try and pull back, noticing that he had somehow detected it and was about to cut into it.

“Time to die,” Max taunted as his halberd sliced through the creature that his eyes were now able to see.

A creature with purple skin and four arms, each holding sharp daggers, had been charging at him. Four eyes were blinking in confusion, and its two mouths were open. A shriek came from them as Max’s blade cut its chest in half.

Black blood squirted out, and the demon began to kick and writhe on the ground in apparent pain, but not quite dead yet.

Not wanting to hesitate, Max slashed down at the creature’s head, cutting it in half, two eyeballs on each side staring at him.

A cold chill ran through his body, and Max shuddered at the torrent of cold that suddenly assaulted him.

[ Demonic Soul Consumed ]

[ 1 Demonic Essence Collected ]

“Holy shite,” Max cursed, sensing the other three behind him as he read the message.

“What in the world was that?!” Fowl exclaimed.

Glancing at the other three, who were watching the demon begin to dissolve into black particles, Max could see their concern about being attacked so soon.

“A demon,” he replied, turning his attention to the dungeon around them. “Get your gear ready. This isn’t like anything else we’ve faced.”