The flickering torchlight guides the party back up the winding tunnel. Each step is more grueling than the last, the shallow incline is surprisingly tiring to ascend. Hugo is breathing heavily by the time they reach the last obstacle, a pit trap near the pyramid's entrance.

  "We'll do it just like we did the last one. Hugo?"

  "Aye."

  Hugo walks up to the edge of the spike filled pit. He takes a step back before running forward to gain some speed. He leaps. Unfortunately Hugo underestimated how far he had to go. His jump's speed and height are lacking, sending him straight down into the trap. His armor clangs against the stone lip of the pit as he falls.

  "Hugo!" Carter shouts.

  Mary is trembling as the sight of Hugo plummeting into the pit replays in her mind. Amy wears a dark expression, saying nothing. Carter approaches the edge of the pit. He holds the torch aloft, assessing the situation.

  "I'm fine! Think I broke my armor, though!" Hugo shouts.

  The tension lessens as Hugo reassures them of his health. Carter can see Hugo is laying on the stone spikes, with several of the spikes broken beneath his weight. The back of his armor is dented in several places.

  "Can you move?" Asks Carter.

  Hugo sits up, wincing at the painful sensation.

  "Yeah, but it fucking hurts."

  Carter breaths a sigh of relief. He pulls a bundle of rope from his bag, uncoiling it and lowering one end down to Hugo. He passes the other end to his two party members. The three of them brace themselves in preparation of Hugo's weight.

  "Ya ready up there?"

  "We're ready! Climb up!"

  Hugo climbs the rope with his jaw clenched. The pain threatens to escape through his mouth, but he resists the urge to vocalize. Sweat drips down Hugo's forehead as he climbs over the edge of the pit. Finally on safe ground, he collapses onto his stomach. Mary is quick to kneel beside him in order to tend his wounds.

  "Thank goodness you're safe..." Mary murmurs.

  Hugo grunts in reply, not moving from his position on the floor. Mary raises her rosary. The tunnel fills with a brilliant white light originating from Mary's rosary. The abrasions on Hugo's back knit themselves back together over the course of several minutes. Mary looks satisfied as the light fades, leaving Hugo fully healed.

  "All done, big guy."

  "Thank you kindly, lass."

  Hugo finally gets up off the floor, standing on his own two feet. He looks over at the pit of spikes warily. He moves several paces back from the edge. Mary interrupts him, voicing her concerns.

  "Must you go first? What if you fall again?"

  "I won't. Got too relaxed last time, won't happen again."

  Mary pouts. She doesn't stop Hugo as he sprints forward. He leaps, clearing the hole. He grunts with exertion upon landing on the other side of the trap. Turning around, he gives the rest of his party a thumbs up.

  "Told ya I would do it properly this time!"

  "Ideally you'd do it properly the first time, friend."

  Carter chuckles, tossing his torch across the pit. Hugo picks it up to illuminate the corridor for Carter. Moving cautiously, Carter crosses the gap with a running jump. Hugo grunts in mock dissatisfaction, as if hoping for Carter to fall.

  "Don't be like that, you'd cry if I fell in."

  "Nay, I'm not like our lass."

  Amy takes a running start before cleanly leaping across the gap. When she lands, she gives Hugo the stink eye. Her voice is laced with venom as she speaks.

  "Your party has two 'lasses' you big oaf."

  Hugo clears his throat, apologizing with reddened cheeks.

  "Sorry, lass."

  Mary is the last to cross. She looks even more nervous than she did the first time they crossed a spike it. Hugo's fall shook Mary up more than anyone. Her steps are unsteady as she shuffles toward the edge of the pit.

  "I-I can't!" Whimpers Mary.

  The rest of the party looks both disappointed and concerned upon hearing Mary's words. Carter offers moral support, standing at the edge of the trap with his arms extended.

  "I'll catch you! All you have to do is jump, like you're crossing a stream."

  Mary nods at Carter's words. She clings to the assurance mentally, taking a few steps back before sprinting at the hole. Once at the edge she leaps.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  "Gotcha!"

  Carter manages to catch Mary in his arms, the blonde woman bursting into tears upon realizing she made it. Carter gently pats the woman's back. Amy's brows furrow. Hugo looks away.

  "It's alright, Mary. We're almost out. Just a few more steps and you'll be out."

  "I-I know! I'm just so relieved everyone made it!" Mary sniffs.

  Carter and Mary separate. The priestess wipes her nose with a handkerchief provided by Hugo, her eyes puffy and red. Carter takes the torch back from Hugo, and they ascend the final stretch of the corridor.

  The stairs are just as they left them. Single file, the party climbs them out of the pyramid. Sunlight warms Carter's face as he steps out onto the peak of the pyramid. The familiar sounds of the swamp are music to his ears. His party steps out after him, one by one.

  "I am so happy to see the sun again!" Hugo remarks.

  "Really? It wasn't even that bad, friend," Carter replies.

  "You didn't fall into any damn trap, chucklenut!"

  Carter laughs at Hugo's retort. The two men enjoy the fresh air, the view of the swamp below surprisingly beautiful as the sun nears the horizon.

  Behind the two men, Amy comforts Mary. The blonde woman's difficulty delving worries Amy especially. Having known each other since childhood, they're remarkably close.

  "It will be okay, Mary."

  "B-But something could go wrong!"

  "I... I can't deny that, but we're delvers. It comes with the territory."

  "What if we quit?"

  Amy looks surprised. She gives Mary a concerned look before responding.

  "Do you want to quit?"

  Mary hesitates, her expression growing complicated as she considers what to say. Being a delver is fraught with danger. Every time you enter a dungeon you accept the risk of death. Mary has been to dungeons several times, and they're always fraught with danger. They often fuel her nightmares: whirring blades, huge skewers, swinging axes. It's all so much for Mary, and yet it's the career she chose.

  "Could we? I don't know if I'd want to go back to the abbey..."

  "Well we do have quite the sum of gold now. Maybe even enough for a little vacation?"

  Carter and Hugo join in on the conversation. Hugo gently gives Mary a pat on the shoulder, his gloved hand lightly making contact as he speaks in his usual gruff tone.

  "Aye, any good city lord will buy this off us for a hefty sum."

  "Really? How much do you think?" Mary asks.

  "Oh, can't say for sure, but it'd probably be about thirty crown."

  "THAT MUCH?!" Amy shouts.

  "A-Aye... They could make around two crown with each of these er, dungeon coins, so I imagine they'd compensate us for them very well."

  "He's right. We should be able to take plenty of time off after we trade these in to a city lord."

  The group's excitement is palpable now. Carter is quick to interrupt the brewing conversation, his hand raised to gesture for the party to listen.

  "We can celebrate once we've secured the gold. For now, we must make haste."

  "Pah, but I'm mighty tired!" Hugo complains.

  "You can camp out in the swamp if you like. I'm sure the mosquitos will welcome you, friend."

  Hugo's complexion pales as he imagines the mosquito population targeting him in his sleep. Oh he can feel the itchiness of such a scenario, all those horrible welts! Hugo is first to begin marching down the pyramid. Carter laughs, following after him. Amy and Mary share an amused smile as they move down the pyramid.

  ~

  High above the clouds lies the edge of the world. Here, where the planet's atmosphere kisses the endless void, something is coming. The vaguely spherical chunk of rock is floating ever nearer. Like a ship lost at sea, it drifts closer and closer to the planet's boundary.

  Finally a tipping point is reached. The rock moves faster, picking up speed as it becomes a meteorite. Grey rock turns orange from the heat of entering the atmosphere. Fire blazes along the exterior of the meteor. It plummets through the upper atmosphere like a stone sinking into water.

  Moments later, the meteor breaks through the cloud layer. The aerated moisture does little to cool the meteor in its descent. The clouds part to reveal the interloper, its fiery appearance a beacon in the evening sky. The sun is setting, yet this meteor does its best to compete in terms of splendor.

  Several eyes watch the meteor with wonder. It is a rare sight, one worth watching.

  One familiar old woman watches the meteor with a serious expression. She follows the trajectory of the falling meteorite, tracing its path through the sky. Massive vines rise from the earth around her. The soil is displaced as the vines carry the woman toward the meteor at high speed. Roots and branches snap all around the old woman as she charges toward the meteor's predicted site of impact.

  Seconds later, the meteor hits the spot the old woman expected. She's not too far now, her robes billowing in the wind as plant life propels her forward. Several trees tear themselves apart to let her pass, whilst others turn themselves into helpful limbs meant to push her forward.

  She ignores the path of devastation she creates. The only thing in her mind is the smoke rising from the crater ahead.

  The old woman reaches the impact site before anyone else can consider looking for it. Her dark eyes search the crater. Smoke rises from a chunk of rock sitting amid mulched forest. She lowers herself to the ground, releasing a phlegm laden cough into the crook of her arm.

  Glittering crystals from the void fill the meteorite. Strange crystals one cannot find in this realm are embedded into the space rock's surface. The old woman wastes no time in forcing nearby plants to pry some of the dark purple crystals free.

  Another cough. The old woman hunches over, dark blood splattering onto the churned soil beneath her feet. Her expression turns grave as she wipes the blood from her lips.

  Her vines finally finish breaking apart the meteor. She collects the chunks of foreign crystal into a small pouch, hidden beneath her many robes. The old woman turns on her heel. An assortment of hulking vines and roots move with her mana, guided by her will. She rides the immense vines up and out of the crater, leaving the smoking meteor behind.

  She travels at high speed once more, following her trail of destruction back from whence she came.

  Several minutes go by. She manages to reach her destination in less than an hour: an overgrown house situated between three massive cypress trees. She wills some of the vines covering her front door aside. Inside, moss blankets the floor like carpet. Bioluminescent fungus lines the walls, corralled by thin green vines.

  The old woman's steps are silent upon the mossy floor. She stumbles into her kitchen, blood splattering onto the moss as she hacks out a rather violent cough. The old woman's hands are shaking. She pulls out a mortar and pestle from within her cupboard. With a great deal of trembling, the old woman fills the mortar with otherworldly crystals.

  No strength lies in the old woman's arms. Instead, she relies on manipulating the wooden pestle with her magic. The pestle is living, its internals a hodge-podge of plant life. The old woman wills the pestle to work. The hard wooden pestle grinds against the dark purple crystals.

  The old woman feels faint as she works with her mana. Blood is leaking from her nose.

  Purple glittering powder fills the mortar. The old woman realizes she's finished grinding the crystals, and quickly brings the mortar up to her lips. Brilliantly glittering crystal dust pours down the old woman's throat, her eyes watering as she feels the hard sand-like material score her throat.

  A few gulps of water later, the old woman is stable. For now.