Interconnected: Spliced Souls

“Man… This place hasn’t changed a bit, has it?” Gerld said, standing near where they had fought that golem mage the day before.    

 “Are you stupid or something?” remarked Sissy, standing beside him. She used one hand to prevent the gusty wind from stealing her hat. It was awfully breezy—even more than usual. “Of course, the place wouldn’t change. We were here yesterday.”  

“Well, you never know. Impossible things happen every day. You gotta keep an open mind, Sissy. It’s not that hard, you know.”  

“And you better be quiet unless you want to feel my fists.”  

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re part oni or something. Are you sure you’re a witch?”  

“Ugh. You’re insufferable.” Sissy sighed and kept looking.   

“So, are you okay with this?” Momo asked Suusa. He had just finished using [Earthen Radar] to detect the closest cloister of golems. The group had accepted a request to retrieve the minerals and stones held inside their bodies for a Molekin researcher to experiment with. But they weren’t alone. Momo’s friendliness was on display when she waved to the other parties they had met on the trip, but most branched off and delved deeper into the area since it was so widespread.    

The cliffs and ravines were easy to get lost in if you weren’t looking, yet the mountains were still hours away.    

One group had said they were hiking to the tall peaks in the distance since competition would be almost non-existent. The Arcton Mountain Range looked regal against the bright blue sky—like giant upside-down triangles had slammed against the planet when the gods and goddesses were crafting the world. They spanned about a hundred miles, so although it wasn’t the biggest chain in the world, the view was breathtaking.    

“Why would I not be?” Suusa replied. He stood and looked around.   

“Well, you’re an earth mage. And Servy told me about how you prayed for that golem mage.”  

“I am fine, Momo. Your concern is appreciated. I feel some strange movement about to the north,” said the ogre, his brown robes fluttering in the wind. “It’s unusual… I cannot explain it, but there may be at least a hundred.”  

“And?” Gerld jabbed his spear into the ground and leaned against it. “Between Momo’s [Acid Arrow] and that acid crossbow thingie on her arm, I think we’re good to take on a thousand.”  

“Hey. Shut up. Don’t say something like that because it’ll come true.”  

“Geez. Your panties are in a twist today, aren’t they?”  

Sissy fumed so hard Momo thought she saw steam spew from her ears. “Can it. Let’s get going,” remarked Suusa. He started walking, and the rest of the group followed. Momo kept one eye on Albert as he walked ahead of her and the other on the phone.   

She wasn’t the biggest fan of Servi being roped into some underground fighting arena. And Cassidy being buddy-buddy with the manager was suspicious. The singi knew about phrine and how it affected the body, but something like that wasn’t inherently evil. Any medicine could be turned into poison, after all.   

But I guess if it helps Servy solves this mystery… I know she’ll be okay. But I still can’t stop worrying about her.   

Her phone buzzed.   

Servi’s been registered for a match. She’s waiting now. Umm… I know this is odd. You don’t have any way to type back. I’m working on a solution, though. It won’t provide total freedom, but I can develop something manageable.   

“So, curious question.”  

“Huh? What’s up?” Momo looked up and saw three pairs of eyes curiously watching her.   

“That Skill Tablet. I’m just wondering why you have it. It’s Servi’s, right?”  

“Yep. But I like holding it, I guess. Some people give trinkets like necklaces, but Servy often gives me her tablet to hold. She can summon it back whenever she wants, so…”  

“Aww! I think that’s adorable,” gushed Sissy. “Why haven’t we done that?”  

“Because we’re never apart? Duh. I can’t remember the last time we were separated for more than a few hours.”  

Momo giggled, causing Suusa to ask what was funny. “You three are just really close friends, is all. To be honest… I’m kinda missing Srassa.”  

The topic swapped to the missing noble for a few minutes. Momo talked a lot about her while obviously being careful not to reveal too many details about her true identity. Gerld mentioned a conversation with Servi the day before about what she wanted to do in the future.   

“Yeah. Adenaford’s definitely on our schedule. Maybe sooner than later, actually.”  

“Man, you can live like a queen with all that money you’ve earned. Or maybe like an empress?” Gerld greedily rubbed his hands. “Just think of how much you can turn that 40,000 into…”  

“Ugh, you’re looking like a creep. I see dupla in your eyes,” chastised Sissy. She blinked and looked uncertain. They knew they were taking advantage of Servi's goodwill. She made an interesting point and said most people wouldn’t let some random party bet a lot of money on her to win. “It’s…almost irresponsible, I guess? Forgive me, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. It almost feels like we have to pay her to thank her.”  

“Servy won’t accept it.” Momo already knew what her friend would say. Even if she didn’t harbor a goddess inside her, Servi wasn’t that type of girl. Excessive violence didn’t bother her, but she was a generous gal who merely wanted to help.   

She even stepped in and defended two children being tortured at the cost of her life.   

“I don’t think I’ve ever met someone like her.”  

“Haha, yeah. Servi's a unique one, for sure.”  

“I don't know if they’ll let you bet that much.” Suusa raised a good point. Forty thousand dupla was a lot of money. It was more than what most craftsmen in the big city earned in years, but it wasn’t enough to compare to someone like Harold Flynn and his unbelievable fortune. Still, there had to be a limit to how much you could earn in the amateur circuit. Gerld said Servi would probably have to move to the professional circuit.   

“Or if she keeps winning and winning and winning, maybe they’ll ban her?” asked Sissy.    

“Nah, that probably won’t happen. The crowd loves it when an undefeated newcomer goes on a victory streak. If I had to hazard a guess… She’ll probably get a sponsorship offer after the next four or five fight nights. Only if she keeps winning, though. Opponents will yearn for the chance to knock her off her pedestal, and you’re damn sure the city’s gonna make a spectacle outta it,” replied Gerld. “And the money… Hehehe… I can already see it now…”  

“You’ve got dupla for eyes again. Shove the greed aside and focus on our mission. I won’t spend my money to heal you if you get distracted and fall into a hole.”  

“Oh, how your words strike me in the heart, Sissy! How could you be so cruel?" Sissy bickered with him, and Suusa sighed and focused on leading the group.   

Albert had remained quiet and focused on solving the mystery since he sensed inconsistencies. He couldn’t figure them out, though. But a growing sense of dread tickled his heart. It wasn’t that big, but his stomach was almost churning.   

Perhaps it was time to make a move? Once night fell, that was. Cassidy had taken Servi to a place where she could find the answer, so why not use that to his advantage?  

Actually... Why would Cassidy bring Servi to a location like Fortuna without blindfolding her? It was a secret underground fighting circuit that offered death matches. Cassidy was one thing—she sold a powerful drug to fund her shop, which allowed her to keep her prices affordable for the poorest peasant. She shared a beneficial relationship that relied on each other to keep the status quo alive.    

But Servi? Why risk allowing its location and existence to leak?   

Albert wasn’t naïve. He knew the city would do whatever it must to keep mum about it, and the ones in charge weren’t amateurs. They would naturally have harsh punishments for anyone breaking the rules. And inviting someone that hadn’t been approved must’ve been against their tenets.   

So why?  

The natural process of deduction led to a few different conclusions—most of which would break Servi’s heart if she weren’t aware of them.   

He debated about texting his findings and decided to go through with it. His phone buzzed. A quick glance, and Albert softly smiled.   

Of course, she would. Servi's instinct is as sharp as a knife. I pray we’re wrong, but I fear we’re right.  

The undead revenant glanced behind him at Momo and saw her carefully tapping the screen. Itarr had told him she would develop a rudimentary communication method for those without a goddess’s blood, so perhaps she had decided to focus on that rather than the voice communication program. Changing her attention would let her mind relax and process any issues behind the scenes. 

---

Out of all of the VIP boxes surrounding the arena on the first floor, the one reserved for Fortuna’s manager was the most luxurious. It had the comfiest seats and recliners stuffed with unicorn hair, and the fountain in the corner provided the purest, most sparkling water in all of Lando. 

“Just where did you find this woman?” The manager saw the dozen unconscious bodies surrounding Servi. Her fists were bloody and raw, but she hadn’t slowed for a single moment. She had started off rather amateurish, but her prowess had evolved tenfold from the constant fighting.   

“The slums,” remarked Cassidy. She saw Servi step back and swing her fist, knocking out another challenger in a single hit. Instantly, she knew that Bullkin’s chin had shattered, but Servi immediately ducked, dodging a kick, then rolled backwards to entrap the attacker in a submission hold like a coiling snake.    

“Are you sure she’s not a monster? Look at her eyes.” Those crimson orbs weren’t the eyes of any human the manager had known.   

They were the eyes of a killer—of a woman who had been instinctually trained in the art of fighting, killing, and warfare. She moved with such grace in one moment, then fought like a rabid lioness in the next without any regard for her safety.    

She broke that man’s leg and ceased his screaming with a punch to the head, rendering yet another victim unconscious.    

“Yeah, I see them.” Servi recovered and stood, surrounded by groaning bodies while she suffered nary a scratch or blemish. Her clothes were torn, but that was the extent of the damage she had taken.  

There wasn’t time to waste, however, as four more combatants rushed into the cage, throwing themselves at her after popping a crimson pill into their mouths.   

That wasn’t part of the initial agreement. The manager had originally recommended Servi attempt their endurance match, and she finally agreed learning about her reward money. But the rules didn’t say anything about monotonia. Nearly every challenger had popped a red pill, intensifying their anger and wrath at the cost of their sanity.  

Servi looked up and locked eyes with Cassidy. The scornful gaze did little to frighten the woman, who was running out of time.   

 “Now, do you see why we need to get rid of her?”  

“It’s as clear as day, Cassidy. Clear as day. But it’s a shame. I’d like to cultivate that killer instinct a little more. Look. She’s becoming more violent…”   

“And that would be the day you die. Do not underestimate her.”  

“Do not tell me you think so little of me? Would I lose to a fledging like that?”  

Cassidy sighed and ashed her cigarette. Servi went for a throat punch and tossed her enemy over her back, landing on their chest with her knee, breaking a dozen ribs. She swiftly leaned back and avoided a kick, grabbed the leg, and shattered it so effortlessly that it felt like ripping a piece of paper.   

But that wasn’t enough to stop them. Fear didn’t exist for those consumed by the pill. The only way to stop them would be to make it so they couldn’t walk.   

But she still didn’t want to kill them. Not that Servi had any problems with that—she didn’t want to take a life when another option was available, but by no means would she cling to some false ideal hope that everyone could be saved.   

Or everyone could be redeemed. Perhaps a few could, but not the ones Servi had in mind.   

She quickly finished the rest with her powerful punches and raised an open hand. The red pills she had absorbed appeared on her palm, and she crushed them while looking at the apothecary.   

“She is smarter than I thought,” said the manager. “She knows you want to get rid of her. That was a clear warning.”  

“Yep. But Servi won’t do it. Not without asking me why. If I told her I’d reveal it tonight, she’d patiently wait like an abused mutt. That’s when you’ll act. Servi needs the money.” Cassidy sighed, prompting the manager to ask if she was afraid. “No. You won’t let me down, will you?”  

The manager softly smiled. “You must ask me this? After everything you and Sakdu have done for me?” The bastard was another pawn in the overarching scheme. Cassidy turned to leave. “You don’t want to watch the rest?”  

“No. I’m heading to my lab to finish the next batch of phrine. Tell Servi I’ll meet her here tonight. And give her the money she rightfully earned. It’s a lot, but you’ll get it back.” Cassidy didn’t wait for a response as she closed the door behind her, leaving the manager lost in his thoughts. Even if Servi spilled the truth about Fortuna, who would believe her? The sigils used to transport clients to and from the underground club could be erased whenever. And that wasn’t mentioning the permanent one in the bunker, which connected to his estate’s basement.   

Each guard at the sigils spread around Arcton had a sapphire crystal on them, which connected to the one the manager always had on his person. It took just one command to cloak Fortuna in a veil of secrecy that had just one way to enter and one way to leave.   

That mimicked his life. The manager could retreat or advance and grab fate by the horns, something he had done for over thirty years. But surprises kept coming his way. He almost found it a shame Servi’s destiny was about to face its end, but he didn’t care enough to stand against a powerful kobold and his incredible influence. That was likened to suicide, and not even he could take on the army hidden in the base beneath the Arcton Mountain Range.   

“But it’s a shame,” he said, lighting another cigar. His calm expression betrayed his hulking muscles hiding behind his suit. “You could’ve been something special.”   

Little did the manager know he was caught between a rock and a lioness’s den.   

There was always someone stronger, after all.    

---

Momo, tap the word ‘hello’ in the box below. If you don’t see it, hit the pink square on the right.   

Momo gently tapped her index finger on the pink box and quietly sighed.    

That’s the fourth time Itarr has tried to make it so I can ‘text’ her, but it’s still not working. I wish I could help.   

Eh? But why?! I was so sure it would work this time!! Ah! Wait, I think I have it! Just a little bit longer! Oh, and the situation has changed with Servi and Fortuna. But don’t worry. It’s still under control.  

Well, at least Servy’s okay. Momo locked the phone and slipped it in her pocket before stretching. She found it odd how the motion didn’t feel strange—probably because she had seen Servi do it a hundred times before.   

The curious cat couldn’t deny her inquisitiveness about the phone. If Itarr could figure out these issues, Momo could, realistically, always communicate with a goddess, an immortal woman, and an undead revenant.   

That was one thing, but it could be better… In this instance, Momo would need control over Servi’s phone, but if she got her own?  

Well... She could talk to Servi anytime she wanted to without using an in-between—which went for Albert and Itarr. But that came at the risk of turning into an immortal. Most would jump at the opportunity to become one. People rightfully feared death. They didn’t want to die. But far fewer understood the implications of becoming one unable to experience death—of being unable to die from attacks that targeted the flesh and soul.   

Momo…wondered if perhaps that was her eventual destiny. Why else would fate bring her into contact with a woman like Servi, who shared a soul with Itarr?  

But could Momo make the decision? She remembered what she had told Servi—that she’d take her best friend’s blood if the situation really called for. Momo’s heart felt unsettled whenever she thought about what would necessitate such a thing.   

Come on… Think about something else, you cat! Focus on the mission. And don’t get distracted.    

Momo quietly sighed once more and focused on moving one foot in front of the other as they traversed the rocky land.    

Suusa, the one leading them, found it peculiar that he kept receiving different signals from alternate directions whenever he used [Earthen Radar]. But luckily, the wandering targets had finally settled down.   

“We must go through that tunnel,” said the ogre, pointing over a cliff. To get there, they would have to rappel down and cross a teetering bridge of stone to cross a hungry ravine. Momo said she had a way down, but Suusa used a utility spell called [Earthforge: Create Rope].   

“And that’s why you’re the earth mage guy we love!”  

“Please don’t diminish me to a terrible title like that,” Suusa said, narrowing his eyes. He crafted an anchor, wrapped the rope, and threw the other end down. The ogre went first, testing its durability. One by one, the others descended and carefully crossed the narrow bridge. It wasn’t broader than a tree, but the ravine’s bottom…looked so dreadfully far away.   

And Momo didn’t do good with heights. She dreaded them and wished she could fly over it. It didn’t matter if it was only about twenty feet long. To her, that was thirty feet too long.   

“And here I thought singi were fine with tall places,” said Gerld. He watched as Albert extended a hand for Momo to take.   

“And here I thought I told you to stop being insensitive.” Sissy rolled her eyes and apologized for the Rhinokin.   

“Eh, it’s fine.” Momo told her friends how they conquered the maze in Waveret’s dungeon. “It wasn’t easy to climb it. I dunno. Maybe I’ll overcome that fear one day, but… Let’s hope there’s a different way back.”  

“Hmm… Perhaps there is? It may take a while, but I could craft multiple pillars with [Earthforge] and tie them with a couple of ropes to widen the bridge.”  

“Really? Oh, that’d be so helpful, Suusa!” Momo smiled and felt relief as they entered the tunnel.   

Servy probably isn’t scared of any heights. If I became immortal…   

Momo didn’t finish that thought and instead focused on the tunnel. It sharply declined until it evened out, then snaked and became narrower until the group had to crouch. It eventually widened, revealing more hidden stairs behind a false wall in the back. Sissy used a wand to cast an illumination orb that hovered above them.    

“Now, this is what I think of when I hear adventure,” said Momo, her voice reverberating. “Crawling through tunnels and getting your hands dirty. It just makes my heart pump!”  

“I’m glad someone’s excited. Ugh, it’s so hot. It’s supposed to be the start of Autumn, right?” Sissy groaned.   

“They say it gets hotter the deeper you go, and we’re descending into whatever we found ourselves in. Ah, we’re not gonna get lost, are we?”  

“No,” Suusa answered Gerld. He had been using magic to leave a trail they could follow.   

“That’s good. My grampy once told me about a magic compass. If you click the button, it marks your location and tracks you as you walk. All you have to do is follow the needle to get to your starting point,” Momo said, turning her head to the right. She saw little brown marbles embedded into the wall.    

“But those are expensive.”  

“Says the witch with about 15,000 dupla burning a hole in her pocket.”  

“Like I’m going to spend half my money on that when you could buy it. We only need one compass."  

"Why the hell should I buy it?!”  

“Just because. You earned more than me from the bets, so go on. Be a team player.”  

“Why not Suusa?”  

“Because he’s the dependable one.”  

“And I’m not?”  

“Well…” Sissy shrugged. “Kinda? You’d be more reliable if you do this for us, Gerld.”  

“Oh, come on. Don’t give me those eyes.”  

It was like watching a comedy sketch that had been rehearsed, but Momo found it endearing. She liked how close Suusa, Sissy, and Gerld were. She wasn’t sure if they had gone all the way—or if the teasing they shared could be inferred as romantic gestures, but was it her place to ask questions about it?  

She didn’t think so.  

“But wow… Just how long are these stairs?” Momo tightly gripped her sword’s pommel and wondered aloud, her voice a mix of awe and slight hesitation. Suusa stopped and used [Earthen Radar] and became alarmed.   

“I detect movement. At least four,” whispered the youthful ogre, crafting a pair of thin daggers. “Maybe more. We’re thirty feet away. Put away the wand and take it slow. I’ll lead since I can see better in the dark.”  

The plan was sound. Suusa went first, and Albert followed close behind.   

Momo strained her ears and relied on her incredible hearing, but she just heard faint shuffling.    

They reached the end and came to a flat passage that spanned twenty feet in width and height. A soft green glow radiated at the end. Slowly, they approached. It sounded like someone was dragging their feet as they moved.   

Suusa pressed his back against the wall and slowly shuffled, his earthen-made daggers ready. He turned his head, peeked around the corner, and…  

“It’s just golems,” he whispered. “The dumb ones. They’re stumbling around.” All readiness vanished from his face as he forged his daggers into a great club. “Follow me. It won’t be hard,” he said, walking ahead. The rest trailed behind. Momo gasped, but it wasn’t because she was scared.   

She was…a little unnerved that the golems were so…humanoid. They weren't stocky, block-like globs of chunks of rock seemingly glued together.   

They had faces but no defined features—the eyes were vacant and devoid of any and all emotion. Their limbs didn’t have the right amount of fingers, and their legs were slightly crooked, preventing them from walking without needing to wobble like a penguin. Their flesh was even crafted or formed to look like actual skin. Tattered cloths hung from their emaciated frame. The ominous green glow came from verdant-colored torches lining the walls.    

“Don’t let it fool you,” said Gerld. His tone was filled with grimace and disgust. “They’re monsters. These things only pretend to look like this to make us lower our guard. They don’t even have souls. Think of them as mindless barriers preventing us from completing our goal.”  

“He’s right,” added Suusa. “They want us to leave them alone. Some theorize golems can impart information from vast distances via their element. Even now, what they’re doing might be sent to a horde of golems a hundred miles away through the skill energy below the soil. Killing them prevents them from being smarter, which makes the world safer. But why… Why are there so many?” Suusa’s voice trailed. He sighed and mournfully lifted his great club, bringing it down upon the clueless monster without it being aware of its impending fate.   

Momo aimed her wrist-mounted crossbow and found herself hesitating. But she steeled herself and fired a bolt of acid at a golem’s head. It wasn’t enough to kill it, but Albert finished it with a thrust from his new weapon. It shone ominously in the verdant light and hazy darkness.   

“This feels weird,” said the singi. Momo lowered her arm and put a hand to her chin. Suusa had already lethally dispatched the remaining three, their battered corpses broken and shattered. Gerld became the team’s collector and stashed their minerals in a bag he kept on his hip.   

“Your heart is too kind, then.” Gerld cracked his knuckles and sighed. “Do you feel for a giant rat when you kill one? Or a merfolk? They’re monsters. I remember you told me how they killed and harvested the crew of that missing ship. Well, what if these golems are aiming for bigger prey? They claimed one noble’s life already. What if their next target is the city?”  

“I get your point. I guess I still have a lot of maturing to do.”  

“I think we all do, but I know it’s not wrong to at least look at things with different viewpoints. Even the most clear-cut decision can benefit from playing devil's advocate,” added Suusa. Momo observed this solemn look on his face as he prayed.   

I guess he has a bleeding heart underneath that rough exterior. Kinda like Cassidy. 

Albert was deep in thought. He felt something was off. His decades of experience had never steered him wrong before. Golems weren’t new. As the former Puppet Master, he was well-versed in how they were naturally formed. He knew their mannerisms and behavior and how a slight environmental change could impact their actions—for better or worse.   

But to see them act so humanoid?   

The undead butler kept his mind churning as they progressed deeper into the tunnel. It didn’t take long before they bypassed crudely designed huts made from mud and rock. A couple of alcoves in the walls must’ve functioned as additional rooms.   

But where were the golems? The group explored everything they came across, and Momo always emerged with more questions than answers, but that ended once they reached the tunnel’s end. There, they found a cliff overlooking what could only be described as a shanty town.  

“What the hell? Are they trying to become…” Gerld didn’t finish it. He was too stunned.   

“But where are the golems? I don’t see any.” Sissy made a good point. Suusa focused his eyes and looked, but he didn’t see or detect any until after he used [Earthen Radar].   

“They’re held up over there,” he said, pointing to a church-like structure. It was the tallest, most defined building they could see.    

“Should we leave and report this?” Momo looked over her shoulder. She was a little hesitant to continue. They were still so far underground.  

“And what if they act by the time we leave? Doesn’t it seem like…I don’t know, they’re preparing for something? Why else morph to look like a human? People will always treat strangers who look like them better than others. Put two humans and three singi in a room, and they’ll gravitate towards what’s familiar.” He almost insinuated that these golems wanted to become identical copies of people to infiltrate the town. Maybe to have their enemies lower their guard?  

A city like Arcton was perhaps impossible, but the smaller villages within a week’s travel were viable targets.    

“Can they really do that?”  

“Probably. Momo, you weren't there when we fought that golem mage. They’re…becoming more self-aware. It was crying, but I’m sure it didn’t know why it needed to cry other than a last attempt to save its life. You can leave if you want. We won’t judge you, but we’re progressing with the mission.”  

“No, it’s not that. I can’t just leave you guys here.” Momo’s curiosity grew, but she remembered an old saying her grandfather had taught her.   

Curiosity killed the cat, but I’m a singi. I have a little feline in me, so it’s okay to be a little more curious than a usual cat.  

 The group was resolved, so they used another rope formed by Suusa and rappelled down to the ground, then approached the shanty town. They moved quickly and quietly, reaching the ‘town square.’ There, they saw a fountain that spewed mud in thickened squirts. 

“Okay, they’re in there,” said Suusa, using [Earthen Radar] to confirm the golems’ locations. That church-like structure looked the neatest and most well-preserved. And while it was still made of brown rock and dried mud, it almost emitted a rustic atmosphere that could fit right at home in the desert.   

“How many?” Momo readied the acid crossbow mounted on her forearm.   

“At least 30. Maybe more. But— Wait?! Where—” Suusa growled and rushed into the church, leaving his friends behind. Gerld cursed and followed, with Sissy and the rest bringing up the rear. The youthful ogre with brown robes busted through and saw rows of pews and an altar at the end, but…  

“Don’t tell me you’re losing it.”  

“Shut up, Gerld!” exclaimed Suusa. “They were just here!”  

“How can they vanish like that?” Momo asked, arriving. Sissy walked ahead with a water wand at the ready, her eyes scanning the church for any surprise attack.   

“I don’t know, but this isn’t the first. Remember? I kept detecting a group in a different direction whenever I used [Earthen Radar]? They must be traveling underground.”  

“Like through tunnels below us?”  

“That’s right. I bet…” Suusa used his great club and smashed a nearby pew, and then he threw a few chunks.   

They didn’t bounce. Instead, they sank into the softened dirt. Suusa said it was a pitfall trap left behind. Kneeling once more, he used [Minor Tremor], which sent soft vibrations throughout the ground. The shaking felt oddly relaxing. Momo probably could’ve fallen asleep to the gentle ebb and flow if she was on a bed of warm, soft grass under the sunny sun.  

A thin layer of dust soon filled the room. Momo coughed and held a cloth to her mouth, her eyes slightly watering from the discomfort.   

“[Whirlwind Breeze]!” Sissy used a green wand and summoned a gust of wind, which circulated the tiny earthen particles and sent them away in a faux sandstorm through an open window.   

Suusa apologized, but he turned their attention to two downward tunnels that appeared. The incline was steep—almost like a direct shaft.   

So, what was the plan?  

After discussing it, the group decided to split up.   

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” Gerld asked as Suusa formed five more ropes. It took trial and error and a skill energy potion to make them long enough.    

“Yeah. Albert and I will be fine. You said something about the two pathways linking up, right?”    

Suusa nodded and said [Earthen Radar] was like a bat’s sonar. “If there are any subterranean passageways, I can visualize them as if I’m looking at a map. And these two tunnels reunite at a dead-end room at the far back.     

“And that’s where we’ll meet up. See ya then!” Gerld said, descending. Sissy and Suusa took the other two ropes and slid down into the deep darkness with only a white illumination orb to follow them. Momo looked up and saw the one Sissy had cast for Momo. It was bright without being overbearingly blinding.     

“And it’s just us. Are you ready, Albert?” The undead butler nodded and rappelled down. Momo quickly followed, the orb trailing just a few feet above her. The shaft was awfully narrow. Yes, it was big enough for two kobolds to go down--back-to-back-- but even for the skinny, thin singi, it was almost claustrophobic.