“So, what’s the plan again?” Jared asked once they reached the outskirts of the purple cat tailed fields. The trek back hadn’t been overly long with the help of Regalas leading them.

  “Set up camp around here AWAY from the fields, so neither of you gets trapped in them again. Then Evie and I are going into the fields to gather as much pollen?” Aldrin looked at Evie, who nodded her head. “To get as much pollen for Pierre to craft potions that would make you immune to the effects of the field,” He said, looking back at the two.

  “And then?” Pierre asked.

  “And then we are probably going to face down another mini boss of the dungeon.” Aldrin finished.

  With the new plan in mind, they moved counterclockwise along the edge of the fields until they came to a copse of trees that gave them cover. Settling down, they made camp, keeping a careful eye on the fields for any more Golems that might sneak up on them.

  “We have to be careful when we rest. I can’t sense them since they aren’t a living thing,” Aldrin said.

  Evie took out four black stones with white runic carvings on them. “I can place a ward around us that will alarm me if anything gets too close.”

  “Some extra security is always good,” Pierre chimed in, pulling out his Alchemist Kit from his Inventory.

  He set the bowl down first, then took out the mortar and pestle, and lastly held a hand outreached for the collected pollen that Evie collected earlier. She placed it in his open hand and he took it without looking up, staring intently at what could only be a menu screen of potions he could make.

  “How does it work? Your alchemy?” Jared asked, peering over Pierre’s shoulder, watching him pluck ingredients from his Inventory and dropping them into the mortar.

  “I have a list of known potions I can make, potions I specifically know, and unlearned potions.” He said, moving over to turn on a small flame on the contraption of the kit. “For potions, poisons, and elixirs, a menu is presented to me and tells me what ingredients I need to make it. The downside is it doesn’t say how long they will take to make.” He said, beginning to use the pestle to turn the ingredients in the mortar to a goopy paste.

  “Which are you making now?” Aldrin chimed in.

  Pierre hummed for a moment, “Potion of the Insomniac Jester,” he mumbled.

  “The what?” Jared asked, stifling a laugh.

  “The Potion of the-“ Pierre began.

  “No, I know what you said. I just didn’t think it would have that kind of name,” Jared interrupted Pierre.

  Pierre huffed, “It gives immunity to sleep and hypnosis and lasts for 5 minutes. The dosage is 4 per vial.”

  “So we have 20 minutes per vial for you two while in the field looking for the golem maker,” Aldrin said, bringing a hand to his chin.

  He was quiet for a moment until he snapped his fingers, bringing all eyes to him. “I can search in the air for any movements. Granted, I don’t know how expansive this field is, so I’ll keep it to 5 minutes in every direction until I see something. Evie, lay down the defensive measures, Jared, see if you can pick up any unusual marking along the edges of the field, and Pierre, keep focusing on the potions. I suggest giving you and Jared enough to last an hour and if you need more pollen, just ask Evie to get it since she’s immune.” Aldrin said, looking at each of them. He got affirmative nods in response as the three of them sprung into action.

  He finally turned back to Regalas, who was grazing on the tall purple stalks. Aldrin had found it odd that he had been so quiet amongst everything, but he kind of understood, as what they were doing was still foreign to him in a way. “I suppose this is where we part ways, then?” Aldrin asked out loud.

  Regalas twitched his ear once, “Aye Night Lord, it is time. You have given me an immense boon in both knowledge of the outside world and my new status. I have debt I can never repay but hope to always remember.” He bowed his head and knelt in front of Aldrin, “From the deepest of my black heart, you have my utmost thanks and gratitude Aldrin Ravindra, Progenitor of Vampires and fellow Night Lord. I hope your future remains fortuitous and filled with contentment.” He humbly said, filling each word with his respect and appreciation he felt towards Aldrin.

  Touched by his genuine words, Aldrin bowed deeply in return, “It has been an honor Regalas of the Twilight.”

  Both of them rose back to their full height, gazing at each other one last time. Regalas was the first one to break away as he turned and raced off, furiously flapping his wings and gaining altitude with each flap. Aldrin watched him go, headed back towards the mountain peaks in the distance, then he jumped high into the air then transformed into a swarm of bats heading off deeper into the fields.

  He had hoped he would find something in the center first. From the vantage point he had, the fields were still, almost like a predator lying in wait for its prey to wander by and drop its guard. It gave Aldrin a chill down his spine to think of it that way as he compared the Golems to teeth and the Golem Maker as the stomach. The field was just to lure the unsuspecting into the trap. It was clever in a diabolical way, but nothing they wouldn’t be able to handle once he found out where the “heart” was.

  Back at the camp, Pierre was busy steadily working on the potions for him and Jared. Evie was busy placing her runic stones at even spaced intervals, forming a half circle alarm that sat in front of their little den they made. “Pierre, when you get a chance, I need you to do something for me.” Evie finally said, returning to join him as he worked.

  “What is it?” He said without looking up.

  “If you make a cure, keep it to yourself for now.” Evie said, gravely and quietly.

  That broke Pierre’s concentration from the bubbling small cauldron that sat over the fire on a metal grated table. He looked at her with his eyebrows raised and mouth slightly parted. “What do you mean? Why would I do that?” He finally said, after staring at her, trying to process what she said.

  Evie took a shallow breath. “He can’t get distracted. Hells, look at him. He’s damn near catching onto being what he is. It’s just when we get to the Continent, things are going to change rapidly.” She hesitated on the last part.

  Pierre narrowed his eyes. “What are you not telling us, Evie?”

  She was about to answer until her alarm tripped by vibrating a stone she wore around her neck and then she heard Jared cursing. She glanced back at Pierre, who gazed at her?. Shaking her head and mouthing the word “later” she stood and went to free Jared. Pierre stared at her back as thoughts circulated around in his mind.

  They returned not a moment sooner. Jared was grumbling to himself about the alarm, but Pierre interrupted him by asking if he'd found any tracks. Jared shook his head. “However, I found some markings that are worth looking at whenever you’re done,” he replied.

  Pierre hummed in response and continued to focus on his potion making. He snuck glances at Evie, who blatantly ignored him, only choosing to focus on keeping the fire going.

  “Alright, what’s going on?” Jared asked, darting his eyes back and forth between the two. “You two are being weird. Are you two sleeping together? I mean, there would be no judgment here personally-“

  “NO!” both of them said in unison, cutting off any further sentences that were forming.

  Jared clamped his mouth shut, then twiddled his thumbs. “So what is it, then?” He asked again, warily glancing at the two.

  With a heavy sigh, Evie pulled her knees to her chest. “I asked Pierre not to tell Aldrin of the cure when and if he figures it out,” she said.

  Jared looked at Pierre, whose face was stoic. He gave a simple nod for confirmation, then Jared looked back at Evie, who stoked the fire, making it roar with life once more.

  “Why would you ask that?” Jared asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “Because look at him. He’s accepting the possibility that this might be permanent, which it is-“ Evie started.

  “How? How is it permanent?” Jared questioned again.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "Since his creation wasn't the result of being turned, he was instead remade into the Progenitor. Vampirism can only be fixed if a vampire turns you. If you’re born one which is extremely rare for them, or turned into one from a ritual, curse, or a potion, then the cure is death or, in their words, true death.” Evie said, burying her head lower into her knees, showing only her eyes watching the fire. “I didn’t want to tell him because he had so much hope of being normal again that I didn’t want to crush that.”

  Both Jared and Pierre sat back, processing the information Evie dropped onto their lap. “So that means he’s stuck like that?” Jared quietly asked, to which Evie nodded her head, not deigning to give a verbal answer.

  “And there is nothing we can do?” He pressed.

  “Nothing,” she repeated. “He is who he is meant to be.”

  “Then why will things change once we reach the continent?” Pierre asked, steering the conversation.

  “Because that’s where the Gods battled for dominance long ago. It is a place of power for those with ties to them. Vampires originated on that continent; it is their ancestral homeland, and they will recognize his presence the moment his foot touches the soil.” Evie said.

  Pierre flicked his eyes back to the bubbling small cauldron that sat over the fire, then back at Evie, “You know, for someone who claims to not know much, you sure know a lot.” He said.

  Evie chuckled, the sound breaking the tension that loomed over the revelation. “I know little compared to others who have lived since the time of Gods.”

  “Wait, can we live that long?” Jared asked, changing the subject.

  “I told you, after Tier 3, things start getting a bit weird. From what my parents have told me, Tier 1 to 3 are basically the foundation of what direction you want to go in with limitless potential. Tier 4 is when you start to solidify that direction. Tier 5 is your time to consolidate and learn, and finally, if you make it to Tier 6, that’s when you are considered a Demigod if not an outright God.” Evie explained.

  “So why don’t we see a bunch of Tier 5 and 6 running around?” Jared asked.

  “Oh they are around. Trust me. Most are only reserved for severe cases such as infestations, plagues, wars, or anything that will cause mass casualties. Tier 5 people are usually roaming the world, chasing the dream of achieving Tier 6. It’s hard work, especially if you mess up during your foundation Tiers.” Evie said. “Tier 6 people are also shadow leaders of whatever noble house helping their family reach the same Tier as them. Sometimes they are still out adventuring the world or have traveled to a different plane of existence in search of something above Tier 6?. Although, should things ever escalate negatively and they are called upon, their presence will be like the first Progenitor Wars all over again.”

  “So in a nutshell, Aldrin is stuck as he is, but as soon as we get to the Forbidden Continent, whoever lives there will instantly know who and what he is. Then, to top it all off, we have to get him to Tier 6 in order to fend off other Tier 6? All the while trying not to die ourselves?” Pierre surmised.

  “Yes,” Evie said.

  “Ah… well… Shit.” Jared said, after reading through it.

  Evie groaned, “This is what I was afraid of happening.”

  “What do you mean?” Pierre asked.

  “A world war is in the works and we have chosen our side for the coming conflict. Which also means that pretty soon everyone will be leveling up faster than before because the monsters and quests will be ramping up. Adventurers will eventually have to disband and return to their respective homes to take part in their homeland's defense.”

  “Isn’t the Adventurers Guild exempt from World Wars?” Pierre asked, carefully eyeing the potion he was making.

  “They are, but people can still leave to go defend their homes if need be. The Guild won’t hold you back from doing so. You just forfeit all ties and benefits the Guild offers during wartime. Those who choose to stay can take Quest deemed as Mercenary Work,” Evie said, taking a breath.

  “Is there always war?” Pierre asked.

  “Yes, and no. War propagates fast growth and an outlet to cull the populations of the world. There are some races that engage in light skirmishes throughout the year to strengthen themselves, but there hasn’t been any open war in some time now.” Evie informed them.

  “Sounds a lot like our world,” Jared said to Pierre, who nodded.

  “Back to the matter we were talking about before,” Pierre said, earning the focus of the two sitting before him. “So Vampires are on the Forbidden Continent. We have found no evidence to say yes or no, but we are under the assumption they are,” he deduced.

  Evie carefully looked Pierre in the eyes,”Yes, if Waesmenor was correct in what he alluded to, then yes.”

  “Are we going to need protection from them?” Jared jumped in.

  “No. A Servant is considered a high honor among those that make use of them. We are basically Aldrin’s inner circle, and since he is the Progenitor, he would be seen as royalty automatically. Hence, we would also be above other Servants we would encounter.” Evie told them.

  “But Aldrin is also not a sufficient rank yet either. Hell, we don’t even know what’s after Juvenile.” Pierre said.

  “Well, what’s after Juvenile in our world? Mature right? Or an adult? Since Juvenile is that weird gap between pre-teen and teenager to adult?” Jared asked.

  Pierre thought for a moment, tapping his chin, “It would be our best guess.”

  “As I have said, I know little of their culture except for the tales handed down to me,” Evie said. “Which is why I’m in such a hurry to rush you guys to a decent level, so we do stand a chance to run if we can’t fight back and that’s if we encounter any unwelcoming Vampires. Hopefully, they still follow a strict hierarchy, much like the shapeshifters.”

  “Whoa whoa whoa, time out lady, you’re talking about werewolves now? There are werewolves here?!” Jared stood up.

  Evie looked at him like he had grown another head like the Ettins she knew little of, “If there are Vampires, why wouldn’t there be Werewolves too?” She drawled.

  Pierre sighed, “He’s deathly afraid of werewolves even though they weren’t real in our world,” He emphasized the last part.

  Evie gazed back at Jared, who turned pale and held a thousand-yard stare. “Jared?” She called him.

  Pierre stood up to move next to Jared, gently tapping him on the shoulder and waving a hand in front of his face. “Huh, no reaction. Yeah, he went down a rabbit hole. He will be back in a few minutes,” he said, sitting back down.

  “He is a strange man,” Evie said while looking at the still frozen Jared.

  “Jared’s head has always been in the clouds and so when the reality you have in your head becomes the reality you live in,” he gestured to all around them, “For him, in this case, his desires and fears manifested themselves. He may also have the abilities and tools to fight against them, but only if he can overcome himself.”

  Evie stayed quiet as she listened to Pierre speak. She looked at Jared in a new light, realizing that this was still new to him, especially coming from the Civil War between the Fire and Ice Giants.

  “I’m still sorry for your first experience with my kind. We aren’t all like them,” she said softly, looking down at the ground between her and the fire.

  “I know and it’s ok. We all have our things we gotta deal with eventually,” Pierre said, turning back to finishing the potion.

  Evie was about to say something else when Aldrin fluttered down, reshaping into his body just outside her alarm circle.

  “Can someone let me in?” Aldrin asked, feeling a force stopping him.

  “Sorry! We can’t let any monsters in!” Evie called back with a smile.

  “Very funny Evie, now let me in. Please.” Aldrin deadpanned.

  Chuckling to herself, she got up, “I’m coming, hold on,” she said in between her giggles. When she got to where Aldrin was, she leaned down to one of the runic rocks and whispered a word, opening up a passage for him to slip through.

  “Thank you,” he grumbled to her, stepping into their makeshift camp. He saw Pierre still concocting the potions and Jared fiddling with his bowstring. Evie came up behind him, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

  “So, what did you find?” She asked, getting comfortable on the ground in front of the fire.

  Joining the circle, he sat down too. “I think they are underground. I saw another group of three burrow themselves out from underneath, then cover it back up.”

  “What sort of Dungeon is this? This doesn’t feel like a Tier 2 Dungeon at all.” Jared said.

  “It is. I told you, the higher Tier Dungeons start getting more elaborate and expansive.” Evie said.

  “Something to also keep in mind, Regalas had confirmed that Dungeons are indeed snippets from the past,” Aldrin said to the group, weighing their stunned reactions.

  “So it really is true that these places are glimpses into the past where something significant had happened. But what could have happened here to cause it to become a Dungeon?” Evie whispered while she stared into the fire.

  “I don’t know, but whatever it was, we just gotta stay on our toes,” Aldrin said.

  Just then, the bubbling of the cauldron stopped as Pierre looked up. “It’s done. I can make a second batch, just in case.”

  “Better safe than sorry,” Jared replied, to which Aldrin and Evie nodded.

  Pierre got out the rest of the ingredients Evie had collected for him, then set to work on the second batch. Jared rested a bit while they waited and Evie went back to making more Runestones, specifically ones for healing and curse breaking. Aldrin felt something was off with the group but didn’t bother to address it currently, as he was listening for any of the Golems to wander by.

  Aldrin watched her do it, curious about how the magic worked. She carved a symbol then whispered into it, making it light up briefly before becoming inert, then she set aside in its correct pile. It wasn’t long after that Pierre finished and Evie had a nice stack of both runestones. Choosing to rest and ready themselves for their next mini boss, Aldrin kept watch. The need to sleep no longer having the allure it once held to him.