Alicia paced back and forth at the edge of Elias’ pond, nervously watching the sun as it began to slip under the horizon. Every few minutes she glanced back to her house, wondering when exactly Kat would wake up, knowing that the Vampire’s arrival would signal the beginning of their first delve. She bit her thumbnail as she walked, and her footsteps grew heavier as the seconds ticked away.

  “All I’m saying is that you’ve been training nonstop for days. You’re gonna be fine!” Elias said. He was resting his arms on the side of the pond as he watched Alicia aimlessly wander.

  “But what if we’re not ready? I mean, Kat’s been following Delver news ever since the Change, and she’s mostly gonna be in the back lines anyways. Tab has been regularly working out for years, she’s got a crazy Ten, and an amazing Class! I’m the front line, Elias—if I mess up, someone gets hurt! What if I freeze up when I’m fighting my first monster? What if something sneaks up behind us and attacks Kat?”

  “Y’know, one big benefit of all this training is that it overrides panic,” Tab said. She was sitting a few feet away, idly sharpening her swords. “Muscle memory doesn’t just make fighting physically easier; it also reduces the mental burden of it. You don’t need to think about how to react to an attack, your body just does it.”

  “So, like… even if I panic, I’ll still keep moving around and fighting?” Alicia asked.

  “Look, I can’t guarantee anything, but that’s the idea. When we’re fighting each other, I always try to switch things up to keep you guessing. At first, you were only responding to moves you’d seen before, but you’ve been getting better. Recently, when I throw new stuff at you, you’re able to react on the fly. Every fight you’re in gives you more information to use for the next one. The one thing I can’t replicate easily are enemies that attack you with overwhelming force and strength, but those guys always move slower, so you still have ways to respond.”

  “Ugh, hopefully this’ll be easier once we’re in the Dungeon. Maybe it’s the waiting that’s freaking me out.”

  “If nothing else, all this worry is giving me a nice little garden, so that’s nice,” Elias said with a laugh.

  Alicia wasn’t sure what he meant until she looked down. Underneath her feet, exactly in the path she’d been pacing over the last few minutes, the ground had exploded with verdant greenery. Thick grass waved in the subtle breeze, a carpet of moss crept towards Elias’ pond, and a menagerie of impossibly vibrant tulips and lilies had taken root.

  “Oh, uh, sorry about that.” Alicia’s face turned dark green as she blushed with embarrassment. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d accidentally seeded this much plant life.

  “Hey, a little bit of nervous gardening never hurt anyone, right?” Kat said, slowly approaching the group.

  “Kat!” Alicia spun around instantly, running at her girlfriend and jumping into her arms before showering her with kisses. They both giggled incessantly, spinning around for a minute before Alicia reluctantly lowered herself to the ground.

  “Sorry I’m a little late, I’ve been fiddling with the straps of this armor Tab gave me. I think I’ve got it all figured out, though.”

  Alicia took a moment to look over Kat’s new outfit. Her pants and her shirt were made of thick padded material, heavy enough to offer slight protection while light enough to not impede movement. The pants had been tucked into tall leather boots, and her torso was mostly hidden by sleeveless leather armor. A simple short sword hung at her side, though hopefully not one she would need often. It all fit her incredibly well, and Alicia found her gaze wandering to the Vampire’s pert backside as she examined everything.

  “Dang, Kat, you look amazing. How does it feel?” Alicia asked.

  “Thankfully, since I spent most of yesterday training in it, I’m used to the weight. Ideally, I won’t need to be too active, and even if something attacks me, I can always fly out of the way.”

  With a whistle, Tab stood up and walked over. “Lookin’ good, Fangs! Though I think you messed up a strap or two” She reached for Kat’s waist, readjusted a few things, then patted her on the back.

  “Ah, that’s why it felt tight there. Good catch, Tab!” Kat said, even pulling the Foxgirl in for a quick hug, which surprised Alicia. Perhaps their mutual cam show had done more than simply soothing Tabitha’s worry about Vampiric bloodlust.

  “How are you not nervous, Kat?” Alicia asked, practically hanging off her arm.

  “I am, at least a little bit, but I’ve also got you two! We’ve got solid abilities that work well together, training has been going really well, and we’re only tackling a Key Dungeon. We’re gonna do great!” Kat said, kissing the top of Alicia’s head.

  “Well, no time like the present, right?” Tab asked, picking up her swords and sheathing them.

  “I guess… yeah, no reason not to,” Alicia said quietly. She quickly ran over to Elias, then kneeled down to give him a hug. “I wish you could come with us, Eli, but it means the world that you’re here. We’ll be back soon, and hopefully we won’t need too much healing!”

  Elias returned the hug twice as enthusiastically. “You’re gonna do great. Now go kick some Dungeon butt!”

  With nothing else to say or prepare, the three girls started off towards the Dungeon. Alicia spent most of the walk growing various pieces of wooden armor across her body, adjusting the size and density as needed until she found a comfortable blend of form and function. At her joints, and other places where she needed mobility, she used patches of thick, fibrous leaves, while the rest of her body got stiff, overlapping pieces of bark and wood. She also made it as dark as possible, hoping it might blend into the darker environment.

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  Katrina spent most of the walk adjusting the strap holding her guitar up. She periodically raised and lowered the guitar by fractions of an inch, occasionally playing a few test notes, and eventually seemed to settle on a comfortable height.

  Tabitha, on the other hand, seemed completely calm. She was simply taking in the sights of Alicia’s neighborhood, her hands in her pockets, as they made their way to the destroyed manor that housed the Key Dungeon in its basement. Alicia wasn’t sure if the calm was genuine or a defense mechanism, and spent a little too long wondering if Tab was trying to put on a brave face to keep Alicia from freaking out even further.

  Worrying about how much she was worrying wasn’t the best use of Alicia’s time, but thankfully it wasn’t long before they’d arrived.

  “Alright, this is it. Once I pull down the barrier, there might be monsters. Last time I was here, a zombie had wandered out of the dungeon and ambushed Kat and myself.” Alicia raised her arms and began focusing on the barrier, carefully shifting the vines and roots until they had a clear path.

  “We’ve only seen the zombie, right?” Tab asked. “We don’t know what other kinds of monsters to expect?”

  “That’s correct,” Kat said.

  “Alright, keep your eyes peeled, I’m taking point.” The Foxgirl walked ahead, sabers drawn, and her head darted back and forth as she stepped into the basement. The other two followed and, soon enough, all three of them were stepping into the Dungeon.

  The first thing Alicia noticed was the lighting. Specifically, the fact that there was any. Despite the fact that they were underground, soft rays of light danced around them, as if filtering through an unseen canopy of leaves. With the help of the light, she also noticed the ground was covered in leaves, dirt, and other detritus. It felt more like they were wandering through a chilly forest on a lazy autumn day, not risking their lives in a magical, monster-infested Dungeon.

  Alright, just remember your training. Stamina recovers quicker than Mana, which recovers quicker than Health. When in doubt, use SP over MP, but always choose one of those rather than take a hit. Using your barriers counts as getting hit, but a barrier hit is always better than anyone getting hit directly.

  Memories from the last several days whirred through her head. All the numbers they’d crunched regarding their natural regeneration, all the maneuvers they’d drilled over and over again.

  Before her thoughts grew too overwhelming, however, a hand grabbed hers. She looked over at Katrina, who was smiling back. “Hey, deep breath, we’re gonna be okay. We’ve got your back; all you need to do is focus and stay grounded.”

  Alicia forced herself to release the breath she’d been holding. “I know, it’s just… this is a lot. This weird light isn’t hurting you, is it?”

  Kat shook her head. “Nah. It’s pretty common for Dungeons to have ambient light, though it’s neat to see it in person. Almost makes me nostalgic for the ability to nap in a sunbeam, if I’m being honest.”

  “Eyes on the Dungeon, team, not each other,” Tab said, her eyes darting from wall to wall. “We have no idea what kind of monsters or threats to expect. Actually, do we even know what to expect from the layout? How have the previous Key Dungeons worked?”

  “Honestly, that information is hard to come by,” Kat said, joining the Mage Knight in surveying the current tunnel. “Most of them have been completed by Ashes To Ashes, and they keep as much information from the public as possible. Early on, they tried to convince everyone that the Key Dungeons were crazy tough, but eventually people figured out they were lying to try and scare people off.”

  “Jerks,” Alicia said. She redirected her focus and kept looking around, trying to not distract herself with more conversation.

  It was nerve-racking being in an actual dungeon. The only sounds were the leaves and twigs snapping under their party’s feet, and she felt like it would be more appropriate to have eerie, ambient music playing.

  After nearly a minute of careful walking, Alicia noticed a dramatic change in scenery. The entry tunnel had been incredibly stereotypical; completely square and made of dark stone, with no defining features. The strange forest lighting had filtered in quickly, as did the detritus covering the floor. Now, however, there was absolutely no sign that they weren’t in a legitimate, above-ground forest. The ground was no longer hard stone covered with leaves, it was fresh dirt filled with grass, moss, and roots. The smooth, unnatural walls had vanished, replaced by sections of incredibly dense shrubbery and thickets. Even the ceiling seemed taller, now a blanket of thick leaves rather than harsh stone. Alicia had been expecting a series of tunnels, but this was something else entirely.

  Ahead of them, while some passages through the trees were still visible, she also saw large patches of completely open forest. A sinking feeling appeared in her stomach; navigation was going to be much harder than remembering a collection of simple directions.

  “This is way more open than I was expecting,” she said, her voice shaking.

  “Dungeons aren’t always clean, ninety-degree turns,” Tab said, looking around. “I imagine it’s certainly easier when they are, sadly. Shame we don’t have a Ranger.”

  “Alicia, what if you grow us a trail?” Kat asked. “Put down a bunch of colorful flowers to mark where we’ve been?”

  “That’s a fantastic idea! Keep watch, I’ll mark where we came in real quick.” Alicia gripped her quarterstaff tight as she kneeled down, placing her off hand on the ground. The dirt felt disturbingly lifelike, though she could tell it only extended a few feet down before ending abruptly in harsh, Dungeon stone. She connected with her Racial Features, then summoned a line of pink tulips leading from the party to the entrance they’d used. “Okay, entrance marked. I’ll just keep a line of flowers growing as I—”

  Alicia froze. With her focus turned towards the plants of the area, her perception had been temporarily split between her body and the nature she had connected with. The plant life in the Dungeon, despite its artificiality, was still real enough for her to commune with.

  She felt a disturbance just beyond the group.

  “Something’s coming,” she whispered. Standing up, she kept her focus on her feet and their connection with the land around them. She raised a hand and pointed to their left. “Over there.”

  Time passed agonizingly slowly as the three of them fell into formation. Alicia in front, ready to intercept and deny space, Tab behind her, swords drawn, and Kat holding up the rear. Best case scenario, Kat wouldn’t need to cast spells or heal after this, but Alicia knew better than to hope for a perfect first delve.

  Twigs snapped, leaves crunched, and Alicia finally saw what was approaching. Or, more accurately, looked back at what was already watching her. Two dull, brown eyes stared at her from behind a large bush, only a couple feet above the ground. They were surrounded by thick brown fur and, as Alicia made eye contact, she heard the monster start to growl. It stepped closer, its enormous paws pushing through the brush, and Alicia finally saw its full size: likely only a little bigger than a real-world wolf, which still meant it was positively massive.

  This creature, however, was only partially a wolf. Its eyes, locked on Alicia with predatory malice, were pale and glossed over. Huge patches of its fur had been replaced with grotesque, fungal growths. White, nearly translucent roots crept from the beast’s maw, dripping with saliva as they dangled from its massive teeth.