“What is the true difference between the old magics, and the new? That is the question asked by most scholars as we all seek to understand what we gained, and what we lost. From what we have discovered in old records and ancient ruins, the key boon we gained with the new magics in the form of the Beacon system is the ease of both gaining and advancing our magics. What we have determined to be what we lost in the promise was an insane degree of versatility as records indicate the only limit one had as to what magic they could learn was decided by the effort and time one was willing to put into their studies.” Untitled article written by unknown scholar reclaimed from long abandoned campsite.

  Two days passed and Andro and Chen found themselves once more standing in the Mettle Leagues training yard in the early morning hours with a group of roughly two dozen. All of them appeared to be there to take part in the trial run, something that was normally done in smaller groups. However it was revealed that Kalicena Von’Norman, the examiner for today’s trial run, wished to conduct it in the form of an expedition. All the same people from the entrance exam were there, with the expectation only being a few outliers who had done their exams earlier in the week.

  The young D’lavick noble was present as well, but had kept his distance from Andro, settling for shooting him glares when he thought he was paying attention. For his part, he simply pretended the young noble didn’t exist, though there was a small part of him that wondered if he had acted like that in his previous life. He would have liked to say he was better than the young D’lavick, yet he also understood he wasn’t perfect and had grown up accustomed to the privileges that were afforded to him because of his family name.

  A sharp whistle pierced the morning air of the training yard catching everyone's attention. As one, the whole group turned to see a trio of individuals striding towards them all. Andro was pleased to instantly recognize the same woman who he met inside Deagon’s shop, who he now knew to be Kalicena. She met his eye, making it clear she recognized him as well when she gave him a slight nod in greeting before turning her attention into examining the group.

  She was flanked by the two others who were obviously male, however that is where the similarities ended. The one who had whistled stood to her left and looked to be a Quintol on the taller side for his race and was dressed in furs and hides. His hair was wild but kept bunched up, contrasted by a neatly trimmed goatee, each the color of moss covered bark. His features were sharp and predatory, framing intense beastly yellow eyes similar to Lionel’s, but the vertical slits that made up his pupils only intensified the effect.

  The third member of the group was perhaps the oddest as at first glance he looked mostly human, until you noticed his absurdly white skin. Not only that but he also possessed alabaster horns that gently curved up and back from his temples, as well as a pair of similar colored leathery wings loosely folded behind his back. His soft features framed a pair of odd eyes with one a pure brilliant golden orb while the other glowed a vibrant bluish violet. Despite the oddities of his features, he gave off a warm and kind feeling, as if he would be the first one to offer comfort and aid to any who asked. He currently wore a warm smile on his face as he glided along with his companions, dressed in loose armored robes.

  Andro had met members of the Devlin race before, but he had never met one that looked even remotely close to the one currently striding towards them. All the others generally leaned more towards darker colors, specifically reds, blacks and grays. Seeing the one before him with such a lack of color was quite the surprise, even when considering everything he had done in his past life.

  “Good morning everyone.” Kalicena spoke up, making it clear she was the one in charge of the trio as they displayed no signs of disapproval. Just like the conversation she shared with Andro in Deagon’s shop, her voice still carried that chilling echo.

  “Some of you may recognize me, but I shall introduce myself properly,” she announced, her posture firm and steady, conveying a sense of authority despite being dressed in similar simple clothes to what she wore the other day. “My name is Kalicena Von’Norman, and I shall be the one in charge of today's evaluations.”

  Her gaze once more roamed over each and every person present, only this time it carried a weight that made it feel as if she was gazing directly into their souls. In that moment, it was clear to everyone there that she held their fate in the palm of her hands if they would join the league or not.

  Without missing a beat, she glanced over to her companions, gesturing to the feral looking Quintol first, “To my left is Lief Thorncrest, a long standing member of our group as well as an old friend.” Leif let out an actual snarl towards the group, only the chuckle at seeing some of them flinch back.

  Seeming to ignore him, Kalicena gestured to the alabaster Devlin and said, “To my right is Amron Amthus, who also holds the title of old friend and long standing member of our team.”

  Unlike Leif who had snarled at them all, Amron instead gave a polite nod of his head along with an even warmer smile. Andro could hear a few whispers behind him about how some found the horned man hauntingly beautiful, as well as someone mentioning carpet and drapes. He quickly tuned them out after that and turned all his focus back onto Kalicena and to what she was saying.

  “Some of you may be curious as to why I specified for both of them as being long members. I do this so you all may understand the fact I trust them and their word more than anyone else.” She stated, a hint of challenge in her voice, “That means at any point if they inform me that you have failed the trail run, that means you fail. Keep that in mind as you all conduct today's trial run.”

  Once more whispers spread amongst the gathered group as everyone held a small discussion about the implications of her statement. Some mentioned a fear of failure due to unjustified bias, but the few who were familiar with Kalicena and her team quickly squashed the fear.

  “Here is how this is all going to work” she spoke up, all whispers silencing themselves instantly, “In less than a day’s travel south of the city there is a unique location many have come to call the Caverns of Potential. The caverns are a single large cave that contains five branching tunnels, each one leading to a dungeon. It is the only place to be discovered that has more than two dungeons within a few kilometers of each other, all within a similar level of difficulty. Currently, the fourth member of our team, Sarci, is keeping the entrance clear of any stray beasts and ensuring they are prepared for you all.” She looked around at them all again, gauging everyone's reactions and noting the ones who displayed recognition or fear.

  “The three of us will escort you all to the caverns where you will separate into even groups and proceed to run one of the dungeons under our supervision.” Kalicena explained, the previous whispers exploding into a fountain of questions. Some were questions of concern, some more of pure curiosity while others were questions born of fear. Andro stayed silent but could easily count himself as one of the select few visibly excited about the prospect of going into a dungeon.

  While he may have had a number of regrets in his previous life, not doing more dungeons was definitely on the list. Not only did he find the very idea of how they function fascinating, but the potential rewards and boosts in power one could obtain from them were staggering. Some of the greatest individuals to climb the ranks of power did so through the influence of dungeons. Unfortunately just as many, if not much more instead found only their death or ruin inside of one. They were not something for someone to take lightly as the original creators, the originals along with the Creator himself, designed them with a hefty amount of balance in mind. The riskier the dungeon, the greater the reward and vice versa.

  “Shut it!” Leif bellowed out, his voice gruff and sounding more like the roar of an angry beast. The shock of someone his size producing such an intimidating sound was probably the main contributor to everyone becoming silent. As the chatter died, the feral looking Quintol glared at them all before crossing his arms and giving Kalicena a nod, clearly indicating she could continue.

  “I understand both your worries, as well as your excitement. However if you wish to become a proper member of the league you must be able to face risk and challenge while maintaining a strong focus.” She told them, her icy expression softening ever so slightly to almost a stern motherly look. “If you find the idea of facing some of the easiest dungeons Venilar has access towards to be too intimidating, then it would be best if you just leave now and save us all the trouble.”

  She paused for a long moment, gazing at each and every person present, meeting them eye to eye. Her words had been curt and rough, but it was obvious they had been said with at least some degree of honest care to them. She wanted them all to succeed and would push them hard to be the best they could, but she also wouldn’t push them to the point of making a mistake that would cost their lives. All of that could be seen in her gaze as she stared at each and every one of them.

  To Andro’s surprise, other than some head turns as some looked around, no one moved. Those who were like himself and Chen, who were more excited than anything were looking around as if daring anyone to leave. There were still a few who looked nervous, or perhaps a little unsure of themselves, but seeing the conviction that the others around them held, they steeled their own will and met Kalicena’s gaze, refusing to back down.

  “Excellent” Kalicena stated, her own stoic expression shifting ever so slightly to display a proud smile. “We shall be leaving in less than half a glass, so take this time to gather whatever supplies you believe you will need. We expect to be gone for two, perhaps three days. With that said, the three of us will head towards the south gate.” Without so much as a parting, the three senior members walked off back the way they came.

  Most of the group ended up being more prepared than expected, however there were still a few who wanted to grab a few extra supplies. Andro and Chen decided they were mostly ready, but took advantage of the chance and picked up some extra rations to be on the safe side. One person had shown up with barely anything other than his clothes, so they were frantically running into just about any store they could as the group made their way towards the gate.

  A few glasses later, they were all resting comfortably in the back of a larger expedition carriage and heading south down the main road. The carriage could have been better described as a log cabin on massive wheels, more than capable of holding a group twice their size and still have room for supplies. The entire thing was pulled by a group of a half dozen six legged lizard like creatures called Algodile’s, that had been purpose bred for the task. Their endurance was legendary as well as the speed they could run while pulling such a large contraption. The one who drove from the front had to wear special gear in order to be protected from the dust and debris that was kicked up by the creatures clawed feet mostly so they could see and breath.

  Since Venilar was more towards the west side of the continent, most merchant travel was conducted through the east gate. That meant the road south was mostly clear with only a few other wagons and carts on the wide road. Not everyone was fortunate enough to gain access to the large Algodile’s, partially due to the majority of merchant companies owning just about every known breeder of the marvelous creature. Because of this, there was a wide diversity of creatures used to pull carts and wagons, from the basic horse and oxen's, to even the more rare drakes and even summoned elemental’s.

  Andro spent the majority of the trip discussing with Chen different ideas and plans they could incorporate. Each one taking into account which of the examiners they could be paired up with, as well as who would be part of their team. Others in the group had approached from time to time about that very possibility.t Andro wasn’t too impressed with most of them as he could tell the majority just wished to use this as an excuse to try and build up some kind of political connection. He was more interested in finding team members who would take the trial run more seriously, or at least held a similar mindset to Chen and saw him as just a friend and not a political connection.

  As the two sat there quietly discussing along one of the bench seats attached to the side wall, a form promptly dropped down right on the floor in front of them. The two looked over and down at the newcomer, only to see the grinning snout of a beastkin looking back at them. Andro had met quite a number of beastkin in his old life and therefore held a better understanding of just how much variety the overall race possessed, with some even looking mostly human with faint signs of being a beastkin. Others on the other hand were easily more beast than anything else, looking more like wild creatures that simply started standing upright and speaking a recognized language.

  The one who so boldly sat before them did so with a relaxed posture as they leaned back, using their arms to prop themselves up. They were clearly more on the beastly side, their features heavily wolf inspired but possessed just enough humanoid aspects to not find mortal life challenging. They were covered in thick, pure white fur and gazed at him with red eyes so intense he could swear they were glowing. Heavy plate armor covered their torso, shoulders and upper legs leaving their lower legs uncovered as well as their entire arms.

  Considering how their lower legs looked as if they came straight from the hind legs of a wolf, he shouldn’t have been surprised to not see any signs of footwear. Not only that, but instead of a helm like himself, there was only a simple chain hood draped over the wolfish head, as well as two machete-like blades strapped to their belt.

  “Your Androlis right?” they asked, their voice containing a playful, if slightly gruff tone. Despite that, Andro was pleasantly surprised to hear a surprisingly strong sense of femininity in it telling him the gender of their new guest.

  “I heard you got Instructor Lionel to bleed during his practical exam, “ She continued before he could answer her previous question, and her excitement was clear to see.

  “Uh, yeah” He responded, partially caught off guard by her intensity, but quickly gathered himself and added, “He was tougher than expected, but I also think my skills caught him off guard.”

  She was nodding along as he spoke, her wicked grin only growing, “Oh I would have paid to see that” she chuckled, the sound like gravel being ground into dust. “He was my instructor as well, but I think he was a bit more prepared for my style. Still, I got a few good nicks in.” She said, a satisfied look on her face like she was reliving a fond memory.

  “I'm Kaitlyn by the way” She suddenly said, leaning forwards and extending a clawed hand. Andro took the offered hand and gave it a polite shake, unable to help but notice the tremendous strength she possessed in her grip.

  “Androlis, Androlis Maxon,” he replied with a smile, “It is nice to make your acquaintance” He told her before gesturing over to Chen. “This is my friend, Chen”

  She extended her hand to Chen as well who took it without even blinking. A moment later she was back to casually leaning as she sat on the floor, looking up at the two of them.

  “Well, I'm just going to get straight to the point, I would like to join your team.” She stated as a matter of fact. Andro smiled under his helm, partially forgetting that he was still wearing it, but kept his response professional.

  “I have had many people come up to me with much of the same request. May I ask what makes you stand out from the others? What reason can you give me for choosing you over any of them?” He asked her, meeting her gaze and not entirely expected her to snort in amusement.

  “Because I have eyes and excellent ears,” She stated with a dismissive wave, “I don’t care about some silly little political game or about building connections for the family or any other shit like that.” She shook her head with genuine disappointment at saying that, but continued anyways, “Yes I know who your family is and why their a big deal to the city and all that, but that's the last thing I care about when joining you.” This time her excitement visibly grew as she was practically bouncing as if ready to pounce on anything that moved.

  Andro exchanged a look with Chen but quickly refocused back on the wolfen lady, unable to help but feel his respect for her growing.

  “I want on your team because you can fight. I want to join you because I can feel you are not afraid of battle and blood. People like you will come across all sorts of challenges and good fights, something I care about more than anything else.” By now she was practically drooling in anticipation, as if the thought of her next fight was just as alluring as a freshly cooked steak.

  “That is what I desire, what I want to be a part of. I despise the thought of being stuck with some whiny little play it safe groups.” She explained , her passion unable to be contained.

  Andor glanced at Chen once more who appeared to be deep in thought, but after a moment he nodded with the indication of his approval. He looked back at Kaitlyn, seeing that unlike all the others who had approached him, he failed to see any of the same signs of desperation that the others carried. All she portrayed was pure excitement and sincerity in her conviction.

  “If I agree, would you be willing to share your concepts and skills with us, as well as accept my word as the law of the team?” he asked her, purposely making the condition sound harsher than what they actually were to gauge her reaction.

  “Keep the fights interesting and I’ll even play fetch.” she said, only to burst out laughing as the two young men shared astonished looks, clearly not expecting such a declaration.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  ‘“I’m kidding about the fetch thing” She added through a fit of chuckles, “If you try ill bite your hand off” She snapped her jaws closed, and grinned wide to help prove her point.

  Chen couldn't help but pull his hands a little closer to himself as he eyed the number of sharp teeth that were visible. Andro meanwhile took a few moments to consider her request as well as her response, going over the benefits and negatives to such a possible partnership.

  As best as he could tell, she was being as honest as someone could be, at least when it came to her motivations. The only possible negative he could potentially see had to do with his family, but with how willing they were to accept Chen and their kind treatment towards him, he was confident they would show similar kindness towards Kaitlyn. Especially Kayla, which was his main concern as despite her reputation around the guild, he knew her true self and her love for soft things.

  With an internal sigh of hoping to not have any regrets, he stood up as he held out his hand and said, “Very well, welcome to the team.”

  Kaitlyn gracefully leapt up to her feet and took his offered hand with a toothy grin. “I'm already looking forward to our first good fight.” She stated, her excitement on full display. “Oh, and now that we are friends now, call me Kai. All my friends do.

  Andro nodded his agreement and sat back down on the bench, Kai following suit. The three of them spent the rest of the trip discussing their skills and tactics. Andro was pleased to learn that she shared the blood concept. Unlike him however she chose skills to boost her physical power and overall survivability.

  Her entire skill set and fighting style focused on raw physical power. That and outlasting whatever she fought in the off chance she couldn't instantly take it down. Overall Andro was impressed with her skill choices and had full confidence she would make a valuable team member. Chen was equally as impressed and was already talking about plans for a good spar with her.

  As they were discussing team tactics, she was understandably surprised to learn that while Chen was a caster he wasn't going to be their backline. Her surprise shifted to curiosity and then enthusiasm when learning the specifics of his preference towards hand to hand. That discussion soon led to her learning that similar to Chen, Andros' role wasn't as obvious.

  Based on his equipment, one would expect him to have a frontline role focusing on dealing damage. Instead it was revealed his role was that of a skirmisher as well as a source of healing with his unique healing skill. He also saw no reason to not include his future plans and the sort of skills he planned on obtaining. Choices that would cement him further into the role of a more utility support instead of his old style as a frontline guardian.

  When the large cart finally came to an eventual stop, the sun was beginning its dip into the horizon. The muted hues of orange and red colored the sky and trickled through the canopy of the forest that had entered. With every moment that passed, the shadows deepened and stretched out as if reaching to claim anything within their reach.

  To his amusement, Andro observed that just about all of the other examinees had fallen asleep on the trip. His little trio was the main exception, but he couldn't really fault the others. Getting rest when one could was often needed as you can never really tell when your next opportunity would be. Despite that knowledge, he also knew that these dungeons wouldn't be difficult for someone at his skill so discussing tactics with his team was more beneficial.

  He looked up as the cart briefly shook and out of habit he nudged his two companions. It was just in time as they all looked up in time to see Kalicena step up into the large cart barely a heartbeat later. Her gaze fell on to them, Chen and Andro giving her a nod of greeting while Kai gave a friendly wave. She gave them a nod back and from the way she scanned over the rest, Andro could tell she was making a mental note as to who was awake, was waking up and those still fast asleep.

  “We have arrived” She hollered, easily loud enough that most of those who weren't already awake jolted upright and looked around startled. Her frown was all too visible when she saw that despite her holler, there were still a few who failed to even stir in their sleep.

  Andro was more than amused to see that one of them was the young D’lavick noble. Those who were around the ones still asleep were quick to shake them awake. Once they all were it wasn't long until everyone had climbed out and stood outside. Lief and Amron were already waiting for them, the former with a frown and the latter with a smile.

  The two of them stood next to a path that had been cut through the forest. Andro assumed it was the path that would lead them all to the caverns. Something that was confirmed by the words of the alabaster man who held aloft a glowing orb of light.

  “This path will lead us to the caverns. Please stay close and do not stray as nowhere is truly safe at night.” he said with his usually calm voice, but still carried the tone of one providing a warning that should not go unheeded.

  “It would be best if you listened,” Lief stated with crossed arms as he stared at them all, almost as if he was daring them to challenge his words. “Because if any of you leave the path and get eaten, I won't be saving you”

  With that said, he turned and began walking down the path. With his ominous words the group was quick to fall in behind him. Kalicena took the rear while Amron stayed near the middle to ensure his light reached everything around them. Andro would have been lying if he said he wasn't tempted to go off the path to test his skills, but he ultimately ignored those childless thoughts.

  They all walked for roughly half a glass before the trees abruptly ended just before touching a sheer cliff face. It was too dark to see how far it stretched up or in either direction but Andro had a feeling it wasn't too drastic. If he remembered his geography, they were probably near the end of the mountains where they abruptly curved towards the east. Their strange marvel of how they ended in these sheer cliffs.

  Before he could lose himself in remembering the history behind the mountains, he noticed the oddity. Directly in front of the path was a wide jagged crack in the stone, easily wide enough for someone to walk through it. There was no hesitation in their guide's stride as he led them all right in. The crack formed a short tunnel before it led out into a large open cavern.

  Sitting just inside the large cavern on a simple stool was a woman decked out in a full suit of plate armor. Her helm was sitting off the side as she held a bowl of food in her hand. The spoon had been halfway up to her mouth as she looked at them enter, her disappointment visible.

  "You guys are here already?" The woman asked, her spoon slowly lowering back down into her bowl. She glanced at it then back up to them as if she couldn't decide what was more important.

  "You can finish your food Sarci" Lief said with a dismissive wave as he strode past her, "We still need to figure out the split anyways."

  Sarci's face instantly brightened as being told she could keep eating and dug back into her food with almost childlike glee. As she shoveled what looked like some sort of stew in her mouth, Kalicena and Amron joined Lief at the front of the group. Amron held his light orb aloft and it split into half a dozen more. Each orb shot off and affixed themselves to the walls of the cavern at equal distances allowing everyone to get a clear view.

  The cavern was surprisingly round and smooth, giving the impression it had been hand carved. The open space was easily sixty or perhaps seventy meters in diameter in all directions but down. In the back half of the curved wall opposite of the entrance was five tunnel openings spread evenly apart.

  "Welcome to the caverns of potential," Kalicena announced before gesturing to the tunnels behind her, "each of these tunnels leads to a dungeon beacon, all at the beginners level. They are each a unique dungeon, however whether it's from their proximity or something else, they all follow a similar theme." She looked at all of them for a moment, but it was Amron who spoke up next.

  "All these dungeons are at the novice rank but have all been described as either dark, or creepy," he explained before pointing towards the far right one, "For example, that dungeon is called the crawling mines and takes place inside an abandoned mine shaft that was taken over by massive mutated insects" He must have noticed the look of absolute disgust that crossed most of the groups face as he let out a chuckle.

  "Don't worry, we shall not be going into that one today," he reassured them, "While it may still be a novice rank dungeon, it is considered to be the most difficult out of the five here as it was reported to be designed for nine star novices, not fresh ones barely a month out of their choosing."

  "That and we only have four of us here" Lief cut in with a shrug

  Whispers soon spread amongst the group of examinees. Some discussed how much they hate giant bugs, while others held curiosity about the other dungeons.

  "The group going with me will be running the dungeon called Cannibals Temple," Kalicena said, taking control of the situation once more. "Lief will take his group into the Forest of Gloom. Amron's group will be going into the Necropolis, and finally Sarci will be taking her group into the Bone Fields. Any questions?"

  Andro almost chuckled at the names of the dungeons and had to agree with Amron's earlier words. Based on the names alone all the dungeons did seem to possess a creepy factor to them. He failed to contain a small snort of laughter when he saw that the only person willing to ask a question was the same young woman who kept raising her hand with Lionel.

  "Will we get to choose which group we are a part of?" She asked a question that Andro thought was a fairly valid one.

  "No." Came the instant response. The answer was so abrupt it actually made the young woman speechless for a moment and looking unsure what to do next.

  "The groups will be decided amongst us four," She told them with a sense of finality that told them all there would be no second guessing their decision.

  The four examiners discussed briefly and near silently as they seemed to pick who they wanted. Andro thought it would be something that would take longer, but was hardly a handful of moments later before they separated.

  Kalicena proceeded to call out six names in rapid succession. To his delight, Andro heard his and his new teammates but he was disappointed to also hear D'lavicks as well. Turns out his first name was Fredrick, something Andro was already shortening to Fred in his head. A young woman with clear eleven blood was their fourth and she approached wearing simple brown robes with green embroidery and carrying a simple wooden staff. The staff looked as if it had been plucked right off a tree and was nothing more than a walking stick.

  He knew better as he recognized the style of the robes as being from the druids that tended to the grove district. He would bet money that the simple looking wooden branch was actually a potent magical catalyst designed to assist with focusing one's magic. He also wouldn't be surprised if she revealed she had awakened one of her concepts to be nature or one related.

  The final member of their team was even more surprising as it was the only Drakthynn in the entire group. Unlike Terry however, this one was on the slenderer side and barely taller than Andro. There was even a narrow tail extending from their lower back, that being the clear sign he was the other subspecies of Drakthynn.

  Like most of the races that populated the world, the Drakthynn held subspecies. As far as Andro knew though, they only had the two with those being either the Bloodkin or the Wyvborn. Terry belonged to the Wyvborn as they inherited the more physical traits and were often physically powerful and possessed the unique power of exhaling out a breath attack depending on their bodies natural concept. The Bloodkin inherited more of the natural magical powers of their ancient draconic ancestors, allowing them a stronger connection to their natural concept but lacked the physical strength and breath attack.

  The one walking towards them was easily identified as one of the Bloodkin. His scales were in shades of violet and dark purples and looked less thick than Terry’s. He was wearing a mixture of dark blue cloth and chainmail that draped over his torso and upper legs. A hood of chainmail covered his head but had holes for his short straight horns to poke through. His arms were left bare along with his lower legs and feet and when he reached them he gave a polite bow. To Andro's surprise, he could see a pair of violet wings tucked neatly behind the smaller Drakthynn. While it was common knowledge that the Drakthynn would eventually develop wings as they advanced in the ranks, one being born with them was rare.

  "Greetings all. My name is Kazyk and I look forward to participating in this dungeon with you all." Kazyk said when he bowed

  His voice was much softer than Terry’s, but still carried a hint of that hissing undertone that all scaled races seem to possess.

  "I too am looking forward to working with you all," the young elf said, giving a small bow of her own to the group. Her voice was gentle yet thick with an accent that confirmed her origins of being raised in the grove among people who spent most of their time talking to plants instead of people. "I am Draelin of the grove and shall do my utmost to aid us in succeeding in today's trial."

  "The pleasure is all mine," Andro replied with his own polite bow towards the two. "My name is Androlis Maxon, but you may call me Andro."

  The rest of the group exchanged their greetings, except for Fred who simply scoffed in annoyance and actively kept his distance from both Kai and Kazyk. Andro took note of that but decided to ignore it for now. If it ended up being an issue, he would address it in the dungeon. There would be no good calling him out on it in front of everyone else considering their encounter the other day. People would probably start to think he was beginning to antagonize Fred on purpose.

  With introductions out of the way, Kalicena led them all towards the fourth tunnel. As they got close to it, they could see that there was actually a small sign hanging just above the opening stating the dungeon's name.

  [Cannibals Temple. Recommended for individuals with 1-4 stars.]

  Andro frowned slightly at the message, looking between it and Kalicena but just shrugged and kept following her. He wasn't too worried about the dungeon being too difficult considering their group composition. They had his knowledge and skill, Chen and Kai's combat prowess and as much as he loathed to admit it, Fred's overall firepower. He did not like the entitled brat one bit, but he could both recognize and admit when someone held power and potential. The D'lavicks had gained their reputation on the wall for a reason.

  "If you don't mind me saying, but I have always wanted to meet one of the famous Maxon seer's." Kazyk said with a good deal of excitement in his voice, pulling Andros' attention from his thoughts. While the Drakthynns hissing undertone to his voice was familiar, his overall accent wasn't. Even with his softer voice, he sounded as if he was used to shouting more often than not. He had an idea from where he recognized the accent but wasn't confident in stating it out loud without some confirmation.

  "I hope I am not too disappointing," Andro replied then added, "But if you don't mind me asking, you are not from Venilar originally, are you? I do not recognize your accent."

  "That is a simple explanation," Kazyk said, nodding his head, "I was raised Rowani, but moved to Venilar just under two years ago."

  As soon as he heard Rowani, Andro knew it was true as he had encountered the famous nomadic people in his old life. But that is where he grew confused as that is exactly what they were, nomads. His confusion must have been expected as Kalcyn was already shaking his head.

  "No, I wasn't banished. No, my fleet wasn't destroyed or exiled. I already know you were probably going to ask what a Rowani is doing living in the city."

  He spoke in a way to suggest he had repeated those words quite a number of times.

  Andro stayed silent, those very questions on his lips dying before they emerged.

  "I already understand that you are curious and I am willing to answer your questions, if you're willing to answer mine." Kazyk said with an earnest smile.

  "I can do that." Andro responded with a polite nod

  "I'll answer your first one," Kazyk started, "As you may know, Drakthynns can figure out their body concept rather early in life considering the way our bodies conform to a natural affinity."

  Andro nodded, indicating he was familiar with the knowledge. It was one of the famous aspects of the Drakthynn race, as their body concept was always their natural affinity they develop as they grow older.

  "Well due to the oddity of my affinity, it was decided that living out on the ocean on a ship wouldn't allow me to reach my full potential. So, I came to Venilar hoping I can join the League. Once I gain enough power, I can make my way to Turan and learn more about what it is to be a Drakthynn." He gave a smile when he was done, but Andro could tell it was at least partially forced. More than likely while the young Drakthynn was excited to be on the journey, but part of him rejected being away from his home among the Rowani.

  To help encourage as well as reassure him Andro clapped him on the shoulder and said, "No matter how you are here, we are glad to have you as part of the group."

  He ignored the disgusted sound he heard come from Fred. However, he failed to stop his eye from twitching when he heard the entitled noble mutter something that sounded like "filthy nomad".

  Andro had tried, by the grace of both the Creator and the old gods he had tried. He had stayed silent so many times and attempted to just ignore the young brat. He knew that confronting the young noble could have consequences, there always were when dealing with nobility. But he had reached his limit.

  Not only that but they were all about to head into a dungeon recommended for people with a few stars when they had none. Any mistake, any hitch in their teamwork could easily be the death of someone. If this was left alone and not addressed, he already knew that Fred's attitude would get someone hurt, if not killed.

  With a casual shift in his stride as they all continued their way down the runnel, he was by the young noble's side in only a few moments. With a casual motion, as if they had been friends for the longest time, he had his arm slung over Fred's shoulder.

  "What do..." he started to say but was interrupted by Andro.

  "Freddy my guy, let me offer you some encouragement." He said with nothing but cheer and positivity, yet ensured he was just loud enough he knew the others could hear him.

  "I don't.." Fred once more tried to speak but was interrupted once more.

  "After all this isn't just your first dungeon, but a test so important it could affect your reputation, so let's make sure we are all at the top of our game." Androlis explained cheerfully with a friendly chuckle. Fred once more opened his mouth to speak, confusion and frustration warring on his face. However, a firm squeeze on his shoulder silenced him.

  When Andor spoke again, he made sure only the young noble could hear him, his tone much more intense. "I am going to make this as understandable as I can. You are acting like nothing more than a spoiled child who didn't get enough attention from mommy and daddy, and I am at my limit for patience." He whispered, his voice taking on a growl at the end. All cheer had vanished from his tone as his grip ever so slightly tightened on Fred's shoulder.

  The young noble looked stunned at the abrupt shift in attitude. Some of the shock attempted to morph into outrage, but he was once more cut off.

  “So, let's make this simple for everyone involved. I have entirely way too much shit to deal with already and have no intentions of adding your entitled ass to the list.” As he spoke, his grip continued to tighten as his eyes intensified, the usual steel color shifting to a swirling bronze. “So, you are going to put forth your best effort during this exam. We are all going to pass with excellent marks, and you are going to keep your mouth shut unless addressed. Do all that without causing further trouble and you get to keep all your organs.”

  He released his grip, gave Fred a pat on the shoulder and moved back on over to his team. All but Kai was giving him curious looks about the encounter. She was giggling and gave him a somewhat subtle thumbs up of approval, no doubt having heard everything he had said.

  Fred meanwhile was staring at him as if he was an entirely different person. His eyes were a little wide as he reached up to rub where Andro was gripping. Whether it was intentional or not, his stride shifted to carry him further away from Andro and his team.

  Not long after the little pep talk with the young brat, Andro and everyone else reached the end of the tunnel. They emerged into a small square room barely a dozen meters across and tall. There were two distinct features in the small cave, a doorway of shifting black smoke on the far wall, and a much smaller version of the beacon sitting in the center.

  “Welcome to your first dungeon entrance.” Kalicena said, walking up to the small beacon before turning to face them all.