Disclaimer: Darkest Dungeon belongs to Red Hook Studios and Trails in the Sky as well as its sequels belong to Nihon Falcom. I own nothing.

Ruins, Calvard

As much as Kevin Graham tried not to, he still found himself wrapped up in guilt and self-loathing from time to time after Estelle and Joshua went missing. Reports had indicated a band of Jaegers were hired to retrieve an artifact for an unknown client. Since Kevin was in another part of the country at the time, he had put in a request for the Bracer Guild to snatch the artifact first while Kevin and his team were on their way. It was supposed to be a simple but robust plan to make sure the artifact didn't fall into the wrong hands.

Supposed to.

By some cruel twist of fate, Estelle and Joshua were closest to the ruins at the time. They took the request and promised Kevin to keep in touch via ARCUS. Their tones became more shaken and frantic as they made their way deeper into the ruins until they were too far underground to be reached. Apparently, the Jaegers had beaten them there and got slaughtered to the last man fighting the ancient abominations that swarmed out of the lower levels. If it wasn't for a dead Jaeger's helmet-mounted camera that captured Estelle somehow activating the artifact by touch, Kevin would have assumed she and Joshua had died as well.

If only I'd told them to stay put. We could have fought off those things if we combined forces. They'd still be here now…

"Kevin?"

I need to make this right. I have to get that thing working again…

"Kevin!" Ries' voice and a light smack from her briefcase snapped him out of his reverie and back to the present. He turned and found her looking at him, her face etched with concern and worry. "I know you're beating yourself up again about Estelle and Joshua. It's not your fault. We didn't know what was inside, none of us did."

"We should have known better, but you have a point," Kevin sighed. "There's nothing I can do about it now. We need to focus on the task ahead."

Kevin and his squires had retrieved the artifact from the ruins over a month ago, but they hadn't been able to take a proper look at the ruins back then because of the urgency of the mission and the powerful grotesque-looking monsters within. Now that the Calvardian military had moved in and pacified the area with the help of the Bracer Guild, the area was finally safe to explore.

Even so, Kevin felt a chill going up his spine when he stared at the entrance, an archway covered in strange carvings and flanked by two barbed tentacle statues whose tips wrapped around each other at the arch's apex. A mere glance into that ancient black cavern brought back memories of dismembered Jaeger corpses, nonsensical carvings on the uneven walls, and the horrendous monsters.

"It appears the higher elements are still active here, even with the absence of those monsters." Ries spoke up, referring to the telltale symptoms of areas where the fabric of reality were the weakest.

"There haven't been any new reports of attacks, though. That's a good sign," Kevin replied, partly to reassure himself that the misshapen fleshy things he and his team fought won't appear again any time soon.

"Should we go in?" Ries asked, a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"Give Zin another five minutes. He said he'd meet us at the entrance," Kevin said. "Worst comes to worst, we go inside to find him. I'm sure the roaming army patrols know where he is."

"Kevin? Ries? It's been a while since we last met." A deep booming voice came from within the archway. Soon, a tall heavy-set man wearing Eastern clothing strode out of the shadows, turning off his headlamp as he walked. He was Zin Vathek, a highly experienced Bracer and martial artist. He was also one of Cassius' most reliable allies and one of many Bracers who helped mentor Estelle and Joshua when they first started.

"Zin! How have you been, buddy?" Kevin Graham strode towards Zin and got himself wrapped in a bearhug.

"I'm doing well, Father Kevin," Zin replied, letting go of Kevin before turning his attention to Ries. "Good to see you again as well, Sister Ries. Did you two send my regards to Cassius at the party a couple of days ago?"

"Yeah. He was a bit bummed out, but he understood why you couldn't come. Gotta make sure Estelle and Joshua are actually home for their next birthday, after all." Kevin dropped his smile and assumed a more serious expression. "Now, time for business. How's the investigation so far?"

"Not much to report since the last update. I got Killika to pull some strings to look into the dead Jaegers, but she hasn't gotten back to me yet," Zin replied. "Looked like most of them were torn apart and eaten alive. Not a good way to go. Gives me the creeps just thinking about it."

"Let's pray your friend can find some answers soon," Kevin said. "Say, where are the other Bracers anyway? I thought you had a whole team?"

"I do, but the turnover rate is terrible. This place creeps people out, especially the younger ones. Plus, I can't keep the same people here forever since everybody has talents that are sorely needed across every branch. The new team arrived yesterday and are exploring the interior with your hired help who got here a couple of hours ago." Zin paused for a few seconds before continuing. "Not that I don't trust your judge of character, but why did you hire Colonel Richard of all people? Wouldn't fellow Gralsritter members be more suited for investigating artifacts?"

"Don't get me wrong, Zin. I'd trust every single member of my order with my life, but Colonel Richard's R&A Research has eyes and ears in places the church can't reach." Kevin replied. "Having a fresh set of eyes on this case will hopefully get us more clues about what happened and how to get Estelle and Joshua back sooner."

"A fair assessment," Zin nodded. "Pardon me if the question is too strange, but how does this place make you feel? I recall you mentioning back in Phantasma that you can sense the activity of higher elements?"

"Yeah, Ries and I can definitely feel the higher elements active, all right. That explains why there were some pretty freaky monsters here," Kevin replied. "There's something else, though. It feels like there's something ancient and evil in the air."

"Could it be one of the Seventy-Seven Devils like the ones we encountered in Phantasma?" Zin asked.

"I wish that was the case because I'm actually familiar with them," Kevin replied. "This feels like something else entirely…"

A shiver suddenly shot up Kevin's spine as he heard footsteps approach. He and Ries quickly turned towards the entrance and drew their weapons. The two of them gazed intently into the dark tunnel that led further underground. Soon, three dots of light shone from the darkness, and the two relaxed once they recognized the owners of those headlamps.

The man in the middle was wearing a set of coveralls, a hardhat, and a sheathed Eastern-style sword that hung from the belt on his waist. He was Alan Richard, a former colonel in the Liberlian Army and founder of the private investigation agency R&A Research. The woman on his left had short black hair and wore martial arts clothing while the woman on his right had long silver hair and had an elegant green-and-white outfit. They were respectively Lynn and Aeolia, Bracers who used to work in Crossbell before the Imperial occupation forced them to relocate.

"Is something the matter?" Richard asked. "Why were your weapons drawn?"

"My apologies, Colonel," Ries beat Kevin to a reply. "An evil unlike anything we have seen before permeates these ruins. Even being around the entrance makes us uneasy."

"Yeah, what she said. Sorry about that, guys." Kevin then noticed the shaken look on Aeolia's face. "Aeolia, right? I think we briefly met when I gave Lloyd and the others a hand in Crossbell a few months back. Everything okay? You look kind of spooked out."

"As a licensed doctor, I found these walls incredibly suspicious ever since I first arrived," Aeolia said with a shaking voice. "After closer examination of the interior, I can safely say that these so-called stones are actually fossilized flesh from some unknown creature."

"You…you seriously mean we were inside some giant monster's stomach? This…ugh…this is wrong on so many levels." Kevin felt dizzy as a wave of nausea washed all over his body. He almost wished he was back in that virtual copy of hell the Recluse Cube had created. He checked on Ries and noticed her face, which was white as a sheet, carried a look of utter disgust.

"We…we should expand our investigation. There is simply too much we don't know," She barely spoke above a whisper, and Kevin could tell she was trying to distract herself from Aeolia's horrifying revelation.

"Agreed, but we only have so much manpower. What else can we do besides comb the ruins and wait for Killika?" Zin asked. "There's too many unanswered questions to tackle at once. Who hired these Jaegers? What did their client know? Most importantly, how the hell do we get the artifact to work so we can bring back Estelle and Joshua?"

"I believe this is where my expertise comes in. R&A Research has informants throughout Western Zemuria, and that extends to certain figures within the Calvardian government. Allow me some time, and I'm sure I will have some clues we can work off of. I believe the dead Jaegers as well as their employer would be with a good start," Richard said.

"Informants, huh? That gives me an idea. I work with one of the only remaining active Bracers in Erebonia from time to time. Apparently, he knows a guy who's an information broker that's helped him plenty of times in the past. I'll give him a call later today," Zin said, before turning to Lynn and Aeolia. "Can I trust the two of you to look into local folklore to see if there's any legends surrounding this area? Anything would help."

"In that case, I'll pull some strings on the church side of things to see if there's any mention of the artifact in ancient texts. Hopefully we'll gain some insight into how it works," Kevin said. "Zin, Ries, let's go take another look inside. I think Richard and his two friends earned a break."

Hamlet

Estelle spent two days after her return from the Warrens recovering from the mother of all hangovers caused by the sheer amount of liquor her new friends gave her in celebration of her 20th birthday. After asking around the day after the party, it turned out Estelle had flown into an angry drunken rant about the swine after a few mugs of beer and a couple of measures of some unknown liquor. She had then declared an eating contest to "teach those freaky bastards a lesson" which completely depleted the Hamlet's pork supply but greatly fattened the tavern owner's coffers. Luckily the Caregivers Conference was ending, and the visitors avoided the inconvenience of having no more bacon or ham to consume. All things considered, a good time was had by all.

After her relaxing days and getting her usual outfit cleaned and returned to her, Estelle decided to train some more at the Guild. Part of it was to keep her skills sharp, but the other (and most important) part was to distract herself from the gaping, aching, Joshua-shaped hole in her heart. Since an expedition had already left, Estelle could only hope they would find some sign of Joshua during their mission.

"Pardon me, Estelle. May I ask something of thee?" Reynauld asked her as she stepped inside.

"Sure, what's on your mind?"

"I conversed with Junia and Damian regarding thy performance in previous expeditions, and they all spoke highly of thy skills. As a fellow warrior, I humbly request to spar with thee," Reynauld said.

"Sure thing! Beating up training dummies all the time is kind of boring anyway." Estelle grinned. She appreciated the fact Reynauld was upfront with her about his request rather than mincing his words. The two of them went to get wooden training weapons and spoke to Barristan regarding their plans, who heartily agreed and even roped in Tardif to act as a referee. With preparations complete, Estelle, Reynauld, and Tardif went to the empty patch of land behind the blacksmith's workshop.

"Rules are simple. One round, end upon knockout or first blood," Tardif said dryly. "Begin."

"I'll go easy on you, Reynauld. I won't be using Arts whatsoever." Estelle grinned as she circled Reynauld, staff at the ready and looking for the first chance to pounce.

"Show me thine wrath, Estelle!" Reynauld yelled. "Thou cannot pierce this bulwark of faith!"

Estelle continued to circle Reynauld as she eyeballed his longsword. She quickly adjusted her grip, extending her reach beyond Reynauld's. With a roar, she swung her staff downwards only for Reynauld to block it with his sword. A deep thud sounded as the two weapons collided and the force of it shivered up Estelle's arms.

The impact left her bones tingling, making Estelle grunt, but it also knocked Reynauld's sword aside. She took advantage of that opening by firmly thrusting her staff towards his faceplate like a battering ram. Weapon struck armor with a gong-like clang, but Reynauld didn't react and simply swung his blade at Estelle's torso.

She managed to duck and roll at the last second, feeling the 'swoosh' of the blade as it sliced overhead. Estelle stood and darted backwards out of his reach. She had fought other swordsmen before in both spars and actual fights, and Reynauld seemed to rely more on brute strength and durability rather than speed.

You got this, Estelle. Your staff has a longer reach than his sword. Force an opening, wear him down, and keep him away from sword range. With a strategy in mind, Estelle went for a hit and run approach. Swing, hit, then dodge. A few of her hits connected, while Reynauld managed to parry others. Estelle guessed Reynauld was surveying her weaknesses too, as expected of an experienced veteran.

Estelle's latest swing was met by one from Reynauld's sword. Their weapons locked together in a brief stalemate until Estelle felt Reynauld's sword seemingly give out, but she was too far into her swing to react to his split-second faint. Reynauld's blade slid along her staff, aimed straight at her. Estelle's sternum felt like it was kicked by a horse as his thrust knocked the air out of her lungs. The blow caused her to stagger backwards and trip over. Crap! He's faster than I thought!

"Five…four…three…" Tardif started to count down to her defeat. Not one to give up easily, Estelle inhaled sharply before jumping back up.

This guy's got experience. Probably fought spearmen during his Crusades. Should have seen that one coming, Estelle thought as she shuffled away from him. While time was more of a wild card in the sense it allowed both her and Reynauld to adjust their tactics, distance was firmly on her side.

"Is this all thy strength?" Reynauld taunted her. "Can the mighty Bracer not endure more than a few mere swipes from a piece of wood?"

"Takes more than just a poke to knock me down!" Estelle taunted back. "Come on, charge me already!"

Reynauld simply held his position and watched her like a hawk as she circled him. Estelle could tell both of them were trying to figure out ways to beat each other on the fly. Time for something crazy.

Estelle lowered her grip, holding the staff nearer the end, and began swinging it back and forth in wide, strong arcs, advancing on Reynauld with a series of animalistic grunts and roars. Clangs rang out like cannons firing in quick succession as the strength of her blows blasted through his blocks and smashed into his armour, forcing him back inch by inch. She wanted him to think she was out of control, desperate to end the fight, and just as she hoped, Reynauld was experienced enough to weather the storm and wait for the right opening.

And then the opening came. Reynauld suddenly thrust forward after parrying one of her blows, but she was ready for it and swiftly rolled to the side. Reynauld bowled straight past her and as she rose from her roll, she swung her staff around with all her might, catching him in the back. Combined with his own momentum, the blow caused him to stumble and fall, weighed down by his heavy armour. Before he could get up, Estelle stepped on his back with one foot and gave his helmet a quick tap with her staff.

"Five…"

Reynauld grunted and tried to stand, only for her to give his helmet a slightly more powerful downward smack.

"Four…"

He struggled some more and tried to flip himself over, only for Estelle to go on her knees to pin him down.

"Three…"

Keeping one hand on her staff, Estelle used her free hand to pin his left arm to his back.

"Two. One. Match," Tardif said. "Congratulations, Estelle."

"That was an excellent duel, Estelle," Reynauld said, still pinned down. "Thou art quite the nimble foe."

"You're pretty sturdy yourself, Reynauld." Estelle smiled as she stood up. "You're not hurt too badly, are you? I did give you a couple of hits on the head."

"Not at all, but I do appreciate thy concern. This suit of armor has served me well during my campaigns abroad," Reynauld replied and shook Estelle's hand. "Come, let us go enjoy some refreshments. Thou art invited as well, Tardif."

"Whatever, it's not like I have anything better to do." Tardif shrugged and followed the two of them to the tavern. They noticed the stagecoach had returned, and Paracelsus was there along with the Heir. The door opened, and out came an older man with shoulder-length grey hair and wearing a purple outfit with a yellow vest.

"It has been a while," Paracelsus greeted the older man before walking away with him. "Come with me. I have much to show you."

"What was that about?" Estelle asked the Heir after the two were out of earshot.

"The first expedition to the Farmstead brought back certain peculiar minerals, and the Plague Doctor decided to contact someone from her former institution for further research," the Heir replied.

Before Estelle could say anything else, four more people exited the stagecoach's cabin. Three of them wore armor similar to Reynauld's while the fourth person wore a bronze-coloured mask and armor in addition to a hood-like white shroud. The broken half of what must have been a gigantic sword was strapped his back.

"How now, my brothers!" Reynauld said enthusiastically as he greeted the three other Crusaders. "What brings the three of you to this humble place?"

"We have answered the local abbot's call to arms, Brother Reynauld," one of them replied. "Once more, we shall follow your lead into battle."

"This is truly a joyous occasion!" Reynauld exclaimed before turning to the Heir and Estelle. "My Lord, Estelle, these are three of my most trusted men during my campaigns. All of them are skilled warriors and stalwart servants of the Light."

"A pleasure." The Heir nodded at the three new Crusaders before turning his attention to the fourth figure. "What about you, good sir? Are you with them too?"

"To a certain extent."

"Wait, that voice! Could it really be?" Reynauld suddenly got on one knee and bowed his head. "My liege, I was not aware…"

"Please rise, old friend. There is no more need to grovel before me," the masked man said. "I am Baldwin, a Leper and nothing more."

"My Lord, this man here is one of the finest warriors I have ever fought alongside." Reynauld got up and turned to the Heir. "Like my three brothers, I offer nothing but the highest praise for his skills and character."

"Very well, then. All of you, please follow me. We have much to discuss," the Heir said, and everyone except Estelle and Tardif followed him.

"I'm going to have a drink. You coming?" Tardif asked Estelle before turning towards the tavern.

"Nah, I'll join you later. I got something to ask first," Estelle replied before turning her attention to the driver. "Did you pick up a fishing rod by any chance?"

"That thing old Margen told me to pick up? Nope, couldn't find any, sorry," The driver replied. "I'm going for another trip next week, so make sure to check with me then."

"All right, thanks anyway." Estelle sighed before heading to the tavern for some lunch.

The rest of the week was rather uneventful, save for the fact that the previous week's expedition never returned. Estelle didn't know the four who went well enough, but she still felt a pang of sadness over their presumed deaths. The depressive atmosphere around the Hamlet was a far cry from the cheerful mood of the Caregivers Convention that had taken place mere days ago. Still, life went on, and Estelle found herself in the Heir's office with three others.

The first person was a blonde woman who wore a tall-crowned hat, grey jacket, brown pants, and shin-high hiking boots. Several knives, darts, a pickaxe, and assorted other gadgets hung from a utility belt she wore on her waist. She was Audrey the Grave Robber, and she seemed to be good friends with Margaret.

"Pleased to finally go on a run with you, dear," Audrey said, tipping her hat at Estelle. "Margaret told me all about you."

The second person was a bearded man with the darkest skin tone Estelle had ever seen, Schera included. He wore a sand-colored turban and robes. An ornate dagger hung from his belt, and he carried a skull with a candle on top. Whatever the reason may be, Estelle felt a bit creeped out.

"I am Abdul the Occultist, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said with a strange accent. "Please do not be alarmed at the skull. It is merely a tool, nothing more."

The third person was a woman whose skin was slightly lighter than Abdul's. A spear and shield were strapped to her back. She wore an outfit that exposed her stomach and seemed to be designed to be as light as possible. The thing that stood out the most to Estelle was her left arm, which ended with a bandaged stump instead of a hand. Estelle wondered what caused it. Judging from the bags under her eyes, Amani hadn't been sleeping well for at least a few months.

"Greetings, I am Amani the Shieldbreaker," she said in an accent similar to Abdul's. "May our performance be blessed with success."

"Now that you are all here, I can finally divulge the details for this week's expedition," the Heir said. "As you may know, the Old Road isn't the only way for supplies to reach the Hamlet. Goods are also transported by sea, but the fish-men's dark magic has made that route just as dangerous as the Old Road, if not more.

"Scouts from previous expeditions have pinpointed the locations of three dormant protective wards that will make the sea safer to traverse, even if it's only for a limited period of time." The Heir then gestured at the three glowing yellow jars on the desk. "Simply pour the contents of one jar onto a ward, and it will activate. May success and good fortune go with you. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to chair a strategy meeting about that bothersome Farmstead which killed your four comrades."

The team convened among themselves after the meeting. The others told her some of the enemies are highly durable and dangerous, so Estelle made sure her ARCUS was set up to enhance her attack power and physical protection. Once preparations were made and provisions gathered, the team headed out of the Hamlet and hugged the coast until they reached the dark watery caverns known as the Cove.

The interior was dark, humid, and ancient. Even with torches, the team couldn't see very far ahead of them. Natural rock formations were interspersed with seemingly man-made structures that hosted carvings of various sea creatures both natural and otherwise. Estelle loved the refreshing salty smell of sea breeze, which made Ruan one of her favorite places to visit, but the Cove smelled wrong. The salt and moisture in the air made everything smell fetid and rancid, like rotting fish.

"Don't you girls feel cold wearing so little?" Audrey quipped as they traversed the dark caverns.

"Like Abdul, I came from a land known for the scorching desert sun," Amani replied. "Such coolness is welcome."

"Not gonna lie, I do feel kind of chilly," Estelle replied. "Problem is, I don't have anything else."

"That shall change the moment we get back, dear," Audrey said cheerfully. "Maggie and I will take you to the town seamstress."

"As long as I get something orange." Estelle chuckled a little. "You know, I was joking with Barristan about evil fish men during that swine attack, but I never knew that was actually a thing."

"Those eldritch creatures are not to be underestimated. Their warriors run the gamut from nimble to durable, and all are deadly in their own ways. Their shamans are capable of dark rituals and healing their allies. They also bring strange sea beasts and even the enslaved corpses of the drowned into battle," Abdul said.

"Wait, enslaved corpses?" Estelle said, remembering the fungal monstrosities she fought in the Weald. "You mean like those mushroom men?"

"No, not quite, although I have fought the Weald's denizens before," Abdul replied. "Unlike the witches' coven, the pelagic shamans use magic unknown even to me instead of corrupted fungi."

"Guess I better get my notebook ready," Estelle quipped. "I fought seaside monsters before, but we don't have homicidal fishmen where I'm from."

"Your home sounds like paradise, then," Abdul said. "By the way, word has reached me of your 'orbment' and 'arts'. If we have the time, I'd like to learn more about your strange magicks."

"I hate to burst your bubble, but Orbal Arts aren't really magic, and I'm not some super witch or anything like that," Estelle replied. "An orbment is just a tool like a shovel or a gun, nothing magical about it. It's treated more as a science where I'm from."

"Worry not, I am not disappointed by your answer. I'm rather even more fascinated. Like Paracelsus, I'm a learned scholar myself. Magic, science, they occupy two sides of the same coin," Abdul said sagely. "I dabbled in some alchemy myself before settling on my current…field of studies."

"I…guess? Sorry, all that book crap is a bit over my head. I can barely wrap my head around how orbments work," Estelle sounded a bit dejected, remembering every time Tita tried to explain to her an orbment's inner workings. "Maybe I can cast some Arts when we get into a fight and give you a demonstration."

"That would suffice. Thank you for indulging my curiosity," Abdul nodded. A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke up again. "As this expedition's healer, I must warn you that my methods may be somewhat disturbing to behold and may not always work as intended. I apologize in advance."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Estelle asked.

"I rely on the technique known as Wyrd Reconstruction to heal wounds. The power behind it can be somewhat…varied," Abdul said.

"Thanks for warning me. Guys, let's stop for a bit," Estelle said before digging out her quartz case and swapping out one of the quartz to give her access to some low-level healing Arts in exchange for giving up a speed bonus. "There, better safe than sorry. Let's keep going, the first ward should be behind those stone doors with tentacles on them."

Estelle and Amani pushed the doors open, allowing Abdul and Audrey to rush inside together. Four green-scaled fishmen with cutlasses and harpoons were congregated around one of the inactive wards, and Audrey wasted no time in throwing a dart towards one of them. The dart's tip stabbed into its torso and the liquid within promptly drained into its system, causing the fishman to snarl in pain.

Meanwhile, Abdul raised his skull and chanted in some unknown language. A glowing sigil appeared on another fishman's torso before several spots lit up on its body. Amani held her good arm forward, and Estelle thought she saw a translucent snake springing forth from her arm and biting into the marked fishman. It stumbled around weakly for a couple of seconds before keeling over dead.

Not to be outdone, Estelle swung her staff at a third fishman only for it to parry away her staff with its cutlass before charging at her. Estelle sidestepped at the last second before swinging her staff at the back of its head, knocking the fishman to the ground. That strike gave Abdul the opening he needed to plunge a knife into its neck, killing it.

With only two fishmen remaining, Estelle and Amani charged towards one of them while Audrey threw a knife at the one she'd nicked with her poison dart earlier. They made short work of them, and the cave became quiet once more.

"These are pelagic groupers. You can think of them as the fishmen's light infantry," Abdul explained while Estelle jotted down the details in her Bracer notebook. In the mean time, Audrey poured one of the glowing jars onto the ward, activating it. "They fight up close with their cutlasses, and their harpoons allow them to reach further foes."

"Guess I don't need a fishing rod if I'm catching these kinds of fish," Estelle quipped. "I'm guessing I can't eat them?"

"It is not something that had ever been attempted, and I advise against it," Abdul replied. "The flesh may have corruptive properties. Legends say those who eat them will become one of the pelagic nightmares themselves."

Estelle blanched at Abdul's words. "Eww! What the hell is up with these things? Guess it's catch and kill for those guys."

As they made their way down a particularly dark tunnel, they suddenly heard chittering coming from the darkness ahead. It took Estelle a couple of seconds to realize that they sounded exactly like the skeletal foes she encountered in the Ruins. Soon, a hulking bone commander appeared, flanked by two bone soldiers with a bone courtier trailing behind them.

"What the hell? They're not supposed to be here!" Audrey exclaimed before throwing a dart at the bone commander. It broke apart upon hitting its armor, spraying corrosive blight all over it. Meanwhile, Estelle dashed one of the bone soldiers to pieces. She narrowly avoided a strike from the bone commander's mace and saw Amani had dispatched the other bone soldier with ease.

"Come on, guys! We only got two to go!" Estelle called out as she swung her staff at the bone commander and cracked its armor, allowing Audrey to stab her pickaxe even deeper into the large skeleton. Out of the corner of her eye, Estelle saw the bone courtier getting ready to splash her with its tempting goblet.

"Oh no, you don't!" Estelle narrowly avoided the rancid wine and closed the distance, forcing the bone courtier to backpedal. It unsheathed a knife to try to parry her blows, only for Estelle to completely shatter its knife arm. Before it could retreat, Amani charged and stabbed the spear straight through its sternum, pulverizing the torso and killing it.

Estelle and her companions turned their attention towards the bone commander who was trying to make a last stand. Abdul raised his skull and recited an incantation, causing the bone commander's armor to glow and visibly soften. Audrey then threw her knife at one of the corroded spots before Estelle and Amani charged. The bone commander frantically tried to parry away the blows of the two women, but it could no longer muster the strength it once had. Within seconds, the bone commander clattered to the ground in a pile of shattered bones and metal.

"Everyone okay?" Estelle asked as she surveyed the damage. She thought back to the incident in the Weald with the pile of destroyed skeletons and how her present companions seemed just as suspicious and spooked as Junia had been back then.

"This is not a good omen," Abdul said. "Normally we only get bone rabble venturing far from the Ruins. That's the folks with clubs, by the way."

"Yeah, what he said," Audrey picked up from Abdul. "And the bone rabble tend to just wander aimlessly. This feels far more organized. They have a bone commander leading the troops and a bone courtier supervising everyone else."

"Does this mean there's a bone king somewhere who's organizing everything?" Estelle asked.

"No, not a bone king. A necromancer, like the ones our friends Reynauld and Dismas had dispatched in the past," Abdul said, and Estelle found herself shuddering upon hearing the word 'necromancer'. She remembered what Reynauld said about them, and how angry he seemed back then.

"That is the only explanation as to why they are so organized and why more powerful undead have been dispatched outside the Ruins. For what reason I do not know yet," Abdul continued. "Let us continue on our mission, but we need to report this matter once we return. An expedition to the Ruins will perhaps uncover more about this matter."

"Agreed. They might not be the only skeletal raiding party," Audrey said, and the group swiftly departed the battlefield. They quickly found themselves in another room with a protective ward. Unlike the last one, it was unguarded. The group made quick work pouring out a second jar onto the ward and activating it.

"According to the map made by the cartographer camp, we are quite far from the final ward. Shall we press on or shall we make camp?" Abdul asked.

"I still feel quite energetic, and I'd rather not go sleep any time soon.," Amani said.

"As do I," Audrey replied.

"Same here," Estelle said.

"Very well, then. Let us get going," Abdul said and they went on their way.

They traversed the fetid tunnels and caverns, battling both maritime and skeletal enemies along the way. The successive fights had left them winded and worn out, but they were able to pick up some loot along the way that would help finance the Hamlet's activities. Soon, they found themselves in front of another door. With tired grunts, they pushed the ancient stone doors open and found themselves facing four giant snails that were about half as tall as Estelle.

"Beware the sea maggots. Their shells make them highly resistant to damage," Abdul warned Estelle as they stared the animals down.

"What are you talking about? Those are just snails," Estelle said.

"Nay, we refer to them as sea maggots. To be honest, I am quite ignorant on the origins of that name as well. Let's just get this over with," Abdul said as he raised his skull and cast a spell to weaken one of them. The sea maggots' tough shells were no match for Estelle's armor-cracking blows, Amani's spear, and Audrey's pickaxe which all went through their carapace like wet paper.

"I think we can call it a night here," Estelle said. "Let's make camp."

As with previous expeditions, Estelle handled the cooking. She surveyed the chamber and noticed it contained a moon pool of sorts which seemed to connect to the sea. Estelle saw several large healthy-looking fish swimming in the pool and squealed in delight.

"It's good to see you in high spirits. Did you find treasure?" Audrey asked Estelle when she came back to the campfire.

"Not quite, just fish. But this means I can bring my fishing rod whenever it arrives and catch some food," Estelle replied. "Of course, I'll let someone like Abdul or Paracelsus have a look to make sure they are actually safe to eat first."

"That would be a wise course of action," Abdul said. "For the time being, please keep silent. There's something I must do."

He closed his eyes and bowed his head, seemingly in prayer. Suddenly, his head shot up and eyes opened, completely white from the eyeballs rolled all the way back. Spittle flew out of Abdul's mouth as he chanted in an unknown language with a voice that wasn't quite his own. Estelle couldn't help but stare on in a mix of horror and fascination at the sight, which reminded her of seizure victims. She tried to get up, only for Audrey to gently tug her dress. Estelle looked in her direction, and Audrey shook her head at Estelle and tugged some more in an attempt to get her to sit down. Estelle reluctantly complied, and the demented chanting was over in a few seconds.

"I can never get used to this," Audrey shuddered.

"Apologies if I scared you, but it was a necessary sacrifice on my part. I had made certain bargains in the past in exchange for powers and knowledge," Abdul said in his normal voice. "The ward I casted with the help of my 'benefactors' means there will be no ambushes upon our camp tonight."

"O-okay?" Estelle raised an eyebrow apprehensively.

"It's no use…they will come." Amani barely spoke above a whisper.

"Oh, no…not again," Audrey sighed before inching closer to Amani. "Come on, dear. We've made it through this before, and we shall do so again."

"You-you're right. It's just every dream I have, they become stronger," Amani said. "I must become stronger too, so I can one day be rid of them and be at peace."

"What do you mean? Who?" Estelle asked.

"My sincerest apologies. As someone undertaking an expedition with me for the first time, there is something you must know. I had been a slave once, and the price for my freedom was steep," Amani said as she held up the stump that was her left arm. "Ever since then, I have been haunted by nightmares and demons of my past. It is best you prepare yourself to do battle upon your awakening."

Estelle looked on curiously as Amani chanted in what appeared to be her native tongue. For a split second, phantom snake scales flashed into existence all over her body before disappearing.

"That spell should protect me better for the fight to come," Amani said ominously. "Before we sleep, let me share a few secrets with you all on how to exploit weaknesses in the enemy's defenses, no matter what they may be…"

After Amani's lessons — which seemed more like a sermon — the group slept. Or most of them did, since Estelle was later woken by Audrey's footsteps. "Go back to sleep, dear," she heard Audrey's reassuring voice. "I merely scouted ahead a little. Worry not, the tunnel ahead is clear."

Estelle simply rolled over and went back to sleep, dreaming once more about Joshua.

"The desert – it pulls me back!" Amani's screaming caused Estelle to jolt awake in her bedroll.

"Wait a minute, weren't we in a cave before?" Estelle shot up and surveyed her surroundings. The Cove had been replaced by what appeared to be an endless expanse of desert, and Estelle and her companions stood next to a ruined carriage which appeared to contain at least two mangled bodies. The night breeze sent chills all over Estelle's body.

Soon, hisses sounded from behind the dunes and the source of the sounds soon slithered into view. It was three snakes: a cobra, a rattlesnake, and a gigantic adder with two heads. They stared at the group with malice and hunger in their eyes, but the brunt of their gaze was focused on Amani.

"So here they are. Steel yourselves, for they are upon us," Amani said, a hint of resignation in her voice.

"Don't worry, Amani. I'll make sure we all live to see tomorrow. I'm going to pound these snakes into submission!" Estelle said as she readied her staff.

Author's Note: Kudos to my amazing beta as well as the folks at r/fanfiction who helped me flesh out this chapter, especially the spar between Estelle and Reynauld. This is most likely the last chapter I'll post before the new year, since I'm traveling for a couple of weeks. Make sure to leave a review!