Chapter 23:

Fighting was better now for Ryuu and Bell. The problem was this was a new dynamic. Their entire relationship was shifting, and that reflected in the way both of them fought. While not even close to the travesty of their fight against the anubites, it was not their best. There were a couple of missed calls and some failed combination attacks. But these were only growing pains. Eventually, these two adventurers would become the ultimate tag team.

The desert worms were fierce opponents. They dug and tunnelled their way through the ground. Whenever Bell or Ryuu thought that they would finish the creatures off, the monsters dug underground. They vanished like an ocean; the desert rippled in their wake. Then, they would pop back in an explosion and spray.

"Bell! On your left!" called Ryuu.

Bell rolled left. As he moved, he pulled up on his knee and brought his hand out.

"Firebolt!"

Shots of fire came out and blasted the desert worm. It shook its enormous head, dazed and confused. Ryuu took the opportunity to jump high into the air.

"Wind blade!"

An arc of green came down. It swept through the middle of the monster, and the two sides fell down split in the middle.

Ryuu came down, one hand already stretched out. Bell caught her by the wrist and threw her at the next monster. The elf had already switched her wooden blade for a short sword, and she pierced it in the bottom. She held it in place. Bell sprinted forward and jumped off Ryuu's back. As gravity took him down, the Hestia Knife carved a bloody path across its body.

The two separated next, sprinting off in different directions. The second desert worm was still alive but now terribly injured. It burrowed back into the sand. Meanwhile, the other two worms dived down at the adventurers, their needle teeth almost spinning. Ryuu was nimble enough to get out of the way, but Bell was distracted. He was still a tad anxious about her, which mean that the monster's teeth punctured his left arm.

Bell ripped it away and suddenly felt his arm go numb. The desert worm's paralytic toxins hindered Bell's mobility. He was left with his right arm, and he went to work stabbing and slashing. He used his momentum to hit down at the desert worm's brain. The monster was still low to the ground from its divebomb. It flopped around as Bell twisted the knife.

"Firebolt!"

With his palm placed on the open wound, Bell's magic exploded in the head of the monster. Chunks of flesh went everywhere. The beast stopped flopping then.

Meanwhile, Ryuu darted to and fro. The desert worm couldn't keep up and was forced to bury itself. That left two monsters waiting for them. Ryuu took the opportunity to sprint for the camp. She grabbed a vial filled with a purple liquid. She tossed it to Bell, who caught it without looking. He drank quickly and felt his arm begin to return to normal. This was an anti-toxin whipped up by Urashima Taro. It was fast-acting and useful as a general anti-paralysis agent. This potion was the first original creation he had back in the Far East. The formula was tried and true.

When that was done, the two took up positions back-to-back. That was when Ryuu voiced her thoughts. The elf had spotted something peculiar in the middle of combat.

"Bell, I was able to spot one of the creature's beady eyes. It glowed purple," explained Ryuu.

Bell frowned, "Purple eyes? You don't mean?"

"It's like they had been charmed," replied Ryuu. Indeed, a disturbing thought, if Freya had been able to get all the way down here. There was only one problem.

"If Freya managed to get down here…. the Dungeon would've reacted, like when Hestia went to Floor 18," said Bell.

Ryuu nodded, "What I was thinking. Freya didn't come down, but those monsters are still being controlled. And there are no monsters with the ability to charm in this section of the Dungeon."

Bell felt his eyebrows quirk up, "Wait a minute, you think that this has something to do with the Sun Seekers?"

Ryuu nodded. "Which means that they know we're here."

It took a second, but a look of horror washed over Bell's face. Ryuu nodded again.

"The others could be in danger!"

"Shit!"

Aisha swung her padao with extreme force. She crushed the carapaces of all the desert scorpions that surrounded her before turning to help her allies. Mikoto stood in front of Haruhime, her katana tracing lines of silver through the air. Daphne stood on Lyd's left and was handling the brunt of the monsters along with the lizardman.

The party had been ambushed only a little while after crossing the river. They made their way over in boats woven from Dungeon Bullrushes and had launched an investigation into the desert. When she asked what they had been looking for, Lyd told Aisha that they were searching for tamer collars. Apparently, the Sun Seekers had found a way to control Dungeon monsters much as Tamers did. The thought had sent a tingle up Aisha's spine.

Now, she witnessed the process first-hand. Only a couple of monsters had been controlled, but they caused a racket as they attacked. This noise brought more monsters upon them. This was a pass parade. Upon that realization, Aisha felt a pit of dread in her stomach. This was dangerously familiar to what had once happened before.

"More coming!" shouted Daphne.

Aisha took a spot in front of the other Xenos. Aside from Lyd, she was the strongest member of this specific team. She had put herself in the rearguard and followed the lead of everyone else. In the back of her mind, she had also wanted to watch over everyone in case these Xenos creatures stabbed them in the back. She was paranoid, yes, but a lifetime of betrayal and ingrained it into her being. Thanks for that one, Ishtar.

Now, though, she was able to spot all the things that slipped through the cracks. When a couple of wadjets threatened to spit acid at a couple of Xenos, Aisha was there to cut them down. The moment a griffin made its attack, she cut off its wings and crushed its head. The attacks came like that for a while. After all, there was nowhere to hide in this desert. The only thing they could do was weather the attacks in front of them. All the while, they continued to cut a bloody path into the heart of the desert. They had to keep moving forward.

"Everyone, get down!" shouted Lyd.

Aisha did as she was ordered because the next couple of moments involved the lizard man breathing fire at their opponents. Unfortunately, this was the Great Desert, and many monsters had some resistance to heat. What Lyd's attack really did was buy some time. The sudden impact of the flames, and how they would obscure a monster's senses, gave the adventurers and the Xenos a moment to recuperate.

Aisha ran below the flames and laid into the monsters surrounding her. She took the lead, knowing that she was the best fighter besides Lyd. Her padao stained red with monster blood and gore littered the sand. There weren't many drop items, but Aisha wasn't concerned about the valis. She wanted to protect the others and redeem herself for what she had done back in the swamp. So, she turned herself into a storm of destruction.

Soon enough, the "pass parade'' had subsided. That meant that a moment of pause came over the group. Aisha was not one to wait around, though.

"We need to keep moving," said the Amazon. Some of the Xenos grumbled that a human was giving orders, Lyd nodded along.

"There's a rocky outcrop that can give us some basic safety and protection," replied the lizardman. He waved his hand, and the rest of the group followed. Aisha remained at the rearguard, looking to make up for her failures.

Mikoto had Haruhime climb onto her back. The renard was the slowest of the group, and no one was willing to take the risk that more monsters would find them. Even if Haruhime was embarrassed, and Mikoto was too, the Black Crow was not going to put her…dear friend's life in danger. Hestia Familia's top scout took her renard into the middle of the party and cast out her black crow skill to search for more monsters. Thankfully, there were only isolated monsters and no more groups. That did not mean they were in the clear. Just that a break had come.

For Wiene's group, there was no problem. The large groups of monsters that swarmed them didn't stand a chance. Not only was the Sword Princess there, but there were two dancing dragons as well. Otohime was in her element, with the wide-open spaces of the desert allowing her to make full use of her bisento's long reach.

Her staff was a long blur as it swept through the monsters in front of her. She duelled a group of five anubites, all on her own. Their landforms fell apart, and their brute strength did nothing to beat her finesse.

Around Otohime, Wiene covered the flanks. She had no weapons, but her claws cut through monsters like paper. The vouivre's newfound strength astonished Lili, who had no idea that their friend had grown so strong. Urashima and Chigusa stood near the rear, launching arrows to take out any strays. Overall, the monsters didn't stand a chance.

When the dust settled, all that was left was a collection of magic stones for them to store for later. Lili made sure to take every magic stone she could and stuffed it into her pack. After that, the group gathered to discuss what just happened.

"Something was…off, about those monsters," said Urashima.

Otohime nodded, "The first ones to get here, they acted like they were taking orders."

Chigusa shivered. "Are we sure about that? Can monsters be controlled?" she asked.

Lili nodded, "Master Bell once told a story about a charmed silverback."

Ais tilted her head, "Charmed? Like with Freya?"

At the mention of the Goddess's name, many of the Xenos shivered. Their fear was still fresh in their minds. There was also anger directed at the Sword Princess. Ais bore the brunt of it, even if she was a little annoyed. She didn't like being compared to Freya. Before anyone could voice their thoughts, Wiene spoke up.

"What do we do next?" said the vouivre to Lili. The prum rubbed her chin, deep in thought.

Lili looked back into the desert and nodded.

"Lili believes that we should continue. Whatever hides in the desert ruins is worth investigating. Lili knew from the beginning that the ruins were probably the best spot to check," explained the Dauntless.

Otohime tilted her head, "What makes you say that?"

"If these Xenos really are trying to be like humans," explained Lili, "Then the first thing they'd want is a castle. They wouldn't want to be stuck in any desert cave; they'd be too proud for that."

"That seems like a risky assumption," replied Urashima. A frown settled on his face.

Lili shrugged, "It's like Mister Lyd said, they're proud and unwilling to hide."

Ais nodded along. It made sense to her, but if Lili thought that the Sun Seekers were there…

"Shouldn't we get Bell and Ryuu?"

At the Sword Princess's question, Wiene nodded.

"Bell is super strong! He's the strongest person here!"

Ais frowned, "Second."

"What?"

"Bell is the second strongest adventurer in the party," replied Ais.

Otohime stifled a laugh.

Wiene frowned, "Who's stronger than Bell?"

Ais frowned, "I am."

"No, you're not," replied Wiene.

"Yes, I am," countered Ais.

They went back and forth for a little while. Finally, Wiene had had enough.

"If you're so strong, why didn't you try and fight Freya?"

That question stunned Ais into silence. She had no response and frowned. After moments of quiet contemplation, something in her face settled.

"Not before, but now I'm strong enough to save all of you," replied the Sword Princess.

Something in her face spoke to the little dragon girl. Wiene's gained a sparkle, the flames of hope returning. This girl was a little bit like Bell, and that made the magic stone that was Wiene's heart start to feel fuzzy.

The other Xenos looked on warily, but Wiene nodded. The matter was settled with her; she would put her faith in Ais Wallenstein. The vouivre turned back to Lili and gestured from the prum to continue.

The Dauntless frowned, "Lili doesn't like the fact that Miss Wiene believes she's in charge, but Lili will overlook that. For now, what really matters is that we move forward as fast as possible. If we waste time looking for Master Bell and Miss Ryuu, then these Sun Seekers might find time to relocate. Lili believes that the less time wasted, the better," the prum smiled, "Even if Miss Wallenstein might not be the strongest member of this party, she is capable."

Ais pouted and resisted the urge to stomp her foot. She was strong! And she'd prove it too!

The third group was under the most pressure. The monster attacks were relentless and incredibly organized. It also didn't help that their most powerful member was a mostly back-line mage. Lefiya was good, but she could only get so many spells off in time. Elwin was a one-man vanguard in front of her. He has used a combination of his Gemini and Taurus spells, so there were currently two Elwin's running around beating the shit out of everything.

In the front, Welf, Ouka, and Lett held the line. The goblin had grown stronger by order of magnitude the past year, and it showed. His battle-axe hewed through monsters. Besides him, Ouka was not to be outdone. The large ox-like man was a shield wall. Nothing broke through his defence, and all around him, monsters fell.

Welf was different. With a bit of foresight, the smith had made a new magic sword for the journey. It was jagged and misty. Welf called it 'Frozen Treat' despite the protests of his Familia. The mind-powered blade was quite effective against the desert dwellers. Their lack of cold resistance meant that they died in a flash-freeze with every sword stroke. And now that Welf had Spirit Healing, the smith just needed to take intermittent breaks before he could redouble his attacks.

Despite all that, there were cracks in the defence. Monsters slipped through to attack the Xenos. Cassandra cast healing magic where she could, but she was told not to exhaust herself. The dreamer had to watch on as her allies took cuts and bruises all over their body. She felt despair creep into her body.

"Wynn Fimbulvetr!"

The Thousand Elf took a page from Ignis's book and began using Riveria's powerful ice magic. Her overwhelming might was on full display as an entire crowd of monsters went down.

Watching over her, a banshee smiled gleefully. Oh yes, this little elf was powerful, only fitting for the object of Nysa's obsession. And the rest of this party was starting to get so tired. It would only be a matter of minutes before she could do as she pleased.

Now that Nysa's moment of triumph was at hand, she was happy to wait. Patience was easy when she knew that no one here was more powerful than her. The only exception was the ugly little goblin and her wonderful elf. The only thing that brought a frown to her face was that damned greened hair thing hovering around her. It seemed to have eyes in the back of its head. As it moved to one side of the little elf, its twin was the other end.

When the green one had split itself in two, a memory tickled Nysa's brain. She felt like that had been something she had once been able to do, in another life, one where her pride was crushed and her spirit broken. Seeing that just made her angrier. First, this disgusting creature was stealing her beloved? And now it was copying Nysa's own moves! That would not do! Her vision began to turn red. She had thought she had patience, but there was only one thing that mattered anymore.

The banshee struck like lightning. The ground exploded, and everyone's vision was obscured by the sand that sailed into the air. Elwin felt his clone get obliterated, an echo of pain following. Now, though, it was impossible to see. Whatever had attacked them had made it so that their vision would be obscured.

"Hii!"

Welf's blade blasted away anything that lingered in the air. When it was gone, Elwin shuddered at the sight before him. Ouka was on his back, his shield split in two. Lett held onto a wound in his gut. The rest of the Xenos were in similar states of disarray. That wasn't the worst part, though.

"Where's Lefiya?" asked the half-elf.

She was nowhere to be found. It all felt so wrong. She was supposed to be here, complaining about sand in her outfit. Then Elwin would tease her. But there was nothing. There was no blood or gore. There weren't even any dropped weapons or supplies. It was like Lefiya had not been there at all.

No no no

"No, no, no."

Elwin chanted these words like a mantra. He fell to his knees, and he began to dig with his hands. She had to be here somewhere!

Up on the surface, Riveria was not doing her job. She was supposed to be helping the younger mages with their training. The problem was, she couldn't meditate. The state of mind that usually came to her so quickly would not come. Her thoughts wandered like the wind. They kept returning to one idea, what if they were in trouble?

Ais and Lefiya were strong adventurers, and Elwin seemed to know how to handle himself, but this was the Dungeon. There was no such thing as being prepared. One could only try their hardest not to die. Riveria tried to rationalize her behaviour. She was most likely only being paranoid. Yes! That was it! The high elf decided that she would calm her nerves with some tea.

She gave some instructions to Alicia, who would teach the rest of the mages, and left to find a pot of boiling water. Some soothing tea was probably the best thing to settle her mind. She took the movements slowly to make sure she didn't break anything.

The Nine Hells returned to the courtyard where everyone was training and began to pour them all some cups. When she was finished, she sat down to enjoy herself. The others would wait until they had finished today's lesson.

Riveria took a sip, the tea already calming her fraught nerves. She set the cup down gently. Then, there was a slight sound. The high elf looked down to find that there was a crack in her cup. Why hadn't she seen that before?

"Alicia!" called the high elf.

The Familia's big sister figure jogged forward and bowed. Riveria rolled her eyes before pointing at the cup.

"When did this break?"

The elf mage took the cup from Riveria's hands and studied it. After turning it over in her palms, she frowned.

"This was part of a new set Lady Riveria. The chefs bought it brand new yesterday; there should have been no cracks," explained Alicia.

Riveria's ears twitched. Something in her spine shifted. She could feel her fingers and her toes start to curl. Finally, a horrible feeling settled into her heart.

Ryuu and Bell were still waiting at the campsite. They had suffered no more monster attacks, but that just made the elf feel even worse. She walked up to where Bell was standing guard and stood next to him. The two of them watched over the desert in companionable silence.

"Bell," began Ryuu, "I don't like just standing here. If those monsters really were being controlled, then that means that the others could be in danger."

Bell frowned, "I know, but what are we supposed to do about it? If we leave, we put the supplies in danger. We can't afford to lose the water."

Ryuu scowled. She hated that he was right, and she hated that her comrades were out there waiting for her. When Bell put a hand on her shoulder, she hated that her stupid heart still skipped a beat.

Bell smiled at her, "I think we have to have faith in them. They're OUR allies, after all. They're stronger than we know."

Ryuu started to nod, but she stopped. Something was making her twitch. Bell's hand squeezed tighter. The two of them kept their bodies lightly relaxed. When the hammer came down, they were ready.

The temple had only been lightly guarded when Lili and the rest of their party showed up. All that was waiting for them was a collection of scorpion men and a big pile of moss. The large green mass was full of vegetation, a few bits of wood, and a small magic stone at the centre. The only other thing in the ruins was what seemed to be a map. Lili studied what was in front of her.

While she did so, Ais, Wiene, and Otohime secured the rest of the structure. True to the legends, there was a small collection of precious metals and gems waiting for them. They scooped these up to give to Chigusa. As they were leaving the apparent treasure room, Otohime spotted a long jagged black rock. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Next to it was a desert lotus blossom. An incredibly rare flower, it had no practical use (that people knew of) but was quite pleasing to the eye. It sold in the upwards of millions of valis. So, she collected that too.

When they returned to the main room, Lili was still studying the map. The prum also spent time glancing at the heaping pile of moss in front of her. Her memory was screaming at her now, and she did not like the implications.

"Wiene!" shouted Lili.

The vouivre came dashing over, attentive for what the Dauntless had to say. Wiene still remembered how smart Lili was. She was the most clever person here.

"That swamp monster, when did it first appear?" asked Lili.

Wiene took a minute to consider the question. It was hard to keep track of time in the Dungeon; everything moved so differently down here. What felt like days was actually weeks, and what could be months was actually just hours. There was one event that stuck out, though.

"It was pretty soon after we rescued all of you from the Deep Floors. Maybe a little bit after that big attack on the Not-Dungeon next to the Dungeon," replied Wiene.

Lili did the math in her head. The dates did match up with what she remembered. But if that was the case, and this was the plan of that creature…

"Miss Sword Princess!"

Ais came over, face severe but impassive.

"If needed, could you find your way back to the main camp?"

Ais nodded. The route was simple enough.

"Lili wants you to go on ahead. Master Bell and Miss Ryuu might be in danger."

At those words, Ais almost vanished. However, her conscience kept her in place. She battled with herself and her promises. She had promised to keep these people safe. What if something happened while she was chasing down Bell? How was she supposed to protect everyone? She had no answers and was stuck looking between the entranceway back into the desert and back to where Lili was watching her. Finally, she turned to Wiene. The Sword Princess bent down till she was eye-level with the little vouivre.

"Wiene, if I leave, will you be able to protect everyone while I'm gone?"

Ais's face was as serious as it had ever been. The little dragon girl nodded.

"Go save Bell!"

With those three simple words, Ais vanished into thin air. Ariel was active, and she cut through the desert. After she had left, Lili turned to the other Dragon Princess in their party. Otohime frowned at Lili's glance but sighed. She gave a defeated nod.

"I'll be ready, just in case," were her only words.

Lili faced the rest of the Xenos.

"Lili wants this place scoured from top to bottom! The Sun Seekers were here, which means that there might still be something worth finding!"

Then she turned to the pile of moss. She thrust a gloved hand out, wriggled around in the heap of plant life, and pulled a tiny magic stone. She inspected it between her fingers before she threw it at the ground. Her boot followed soon after, turning it and the green mass into dust.

The Dauntless had been tricked.

And now she was pissed.

Scipio barely registered the destruction of his copy. His focus was on the battle in front of him. His hope had been to destroy whoever had been left guarding the supplies with the sand worms. Unfortunately, the two adventurers were some of the strongest of the bunch. The only one he feared more was that girl with the long blonde hair.

Even still, these two were quite the dangerous pair. They were too fast for his vines, and the boy had fire magic. The elf had her own wind magic that could cut through the thinner parts of his body, but the boy was the real danger. Scipio began to remember him and the pain that he inflicted upon him before.

The Marsh Warden was not the strongest Sun Seeker to ever live. Compared to the others, he was weak. He lacked potential in that aspect. None of that had mattered to Typhon, though. The King of the Xenos had only ever looked on and expected. He expected things of Scipio like no one else ever had. The other Xenos, the human lovers, could live on their dull lives for as long as possible. They could continue to dream without putting in the proper work, never living up to their ambitions. Scipio, however, was going to put in the work. He would live up to the expectations placed upon him.

The monster roared, and many more answered his call. This was his backup plan, deep in the Desert Floors of The Dungeon. It had taken him a long time to track even one of these creatures down, but now he had five of them.

When they crested the dunes, Scipio delighted in the despair that washed over the boy's face. The elf was harder to read, but Scipio could still imagine that she was shaking in her boots. Because in front of them were great creatures of stone.

Walking around on four legs, like a beast, but with the head of a woman, were the sphinxes. There were five of these magnificent creatures, each of them wrought from the stones of the Dungeon. They stood at three meders tall and were easily ten lengthwise. There was only ever one per floor at any given time, but Scipio had managed to wrangle them all, turning them into his servants. Scipio had no strength as a monster, but he had the smarts and willpower to compensate.

The two standing in front of him tossed themselves into battle, but their attacks did little. Cuts and slashes could not pierce the stone hide of these monsters. Blasts of fire would only leave scorch marks. And even blades of wind would only chip away at the rocky exterior.

However, the sphinxes themselves did not land any hits, but it was only a matter of time. Scipio knew the one great truth of the Dungeon. In a race against time, the Dungeon always won. Just to make sure that he was also protected, the Marsh Warden mounted his own great beast. Looking down at the battle also let him better exercise his will upon the monsters.

He could not reprogram them per se, but he could suggest tactics and attack patterns—anything to tire these two out even more. The end for them was near, and they were the last to know. Until that godforsaken bell began to chime.

While he danced around attacks, a pure white light gathered to the boy with snowy hair. The elf sped up, working around him. She soon erected a self-imposed circle, dancing as she went. Scipio did not fully understand the concept of beauty but watching her, he came close.

After only thirty seconds, the boy began to move. Around his white fist, he had tied a black cloth. Suddenly, Scipio remembered the light. It haunted his nightmares and spelled his doom. The boy would destroy the monsters in front of him. Thankfully, Scipio had a backup plan.

He didn't see, so much as feel, the first impact. When the boy punched the head of the sphinx with his glowing white hand, wrapped in black, the concussive blast echoed throughout the Dungeon. Scipio had just lost one sphinx, seeing it turn into ash like all monsters did when they meet their end. The other three began to harass the boy, who was showing signs of exhaustion. Apparently, calling forth the white light cost him a great deal of stamina. Scipio tucked that information away for later while he worked on eliminating the obstacles in his way.

His attacks and suggestions had panned out, thankfully. Without realizing it, the two adventurers had been led away from their lovely campsite. Atop his personal sphinx, Scipio went on a rampage of his own. He destroyed the supplies and everything else he could find. Water containers exploded under his onslaught. While this happened, the second and third sphinxes were annihilated. That only left one monster to distract two adventurers. Thankfully for Scipio, the boy had nearly exhausted himself. The elf girl did what she could to keep him alive, damn her, but it mattered not. Now, it was only a matter of time before they starve or died from thirst.

With his mayhem complete, the swamp monster turned his gaze back to the adventurers. The boy with white hair had destroyed the last monster. All that was left was Scipio himself and the sphinx he rode. Still, though, the tactician of the Sun Seekers smiled. The boy had passed out from exhaustion. The heat and possible lack of sleep had also helped. And the elf was now hindered by supporting him. They were sitting ducks.

Scipio gave the order to his magnificent beast. It was time for the finishing blow. The sphinx raised a paw up and started to swing down.

Ryuu knew she was going to be crushed. The most likely scenario was that the first blow wasn't going to kill her, but the second one could. The third one definitely would. She closed her eyes and prepared to throw Bell as far away as she could. It would only buy him a couple more seconds, but it would be worth it. Except, the attack never came. The only thing that hit Ryuu was rubble. She opened her eyes and was faced with the back of a hero.

Ais Wallenstein's hair swayed with the wind. She held her Desperate lightly in one hand. The Tempest winds still raged around her like a protective shell. Those winds, combined with the Durandal aspect of her sword, had allowed her to blast through the stones of the sphinx. She brought her gaze up to Scipio and felt fury. This monster had almost killed her friends. It had nearly killed Bell.

Even to Ryuu's trained eyes, it looked like the Sword Princess vanished. The elf blinked, and her saviour had obliterated the sphinx's back legs. There was to be no escape. The giant moss monster seemed to have realized this because it jumped from the side of its steed.

Ais crushed the sphinx's head and turned to Scipio. She readied herself to charge but paused. The great monster started to laugh, its voice like a rumbling volcano. Before Ais could move, a sand worm appeared from below and swallowed it whole.

When Lefiya finally came to, she did not recognize where she was. The only familiar thing was the face looking down at her. None of the creature's facial features were similar to her old flame, but Lefiya knew who she was looking at.

"Miss Filvis?"

With that, the Banshee's smile widened.

Whoops! Things got away from me, but hey, that's life! Now, though, we return to our regularly scheduled programming. The Dungeon, and the Sun Seekers, have made their first true move. Quite the bold one to if I do say so. I came *this* close to redoing volume 14 with Bell and Ryuu, but decided against it at the last minute. That said, Lefiya is now gone...whoops.

Review Responses:

ReallyInfinity: Glad you made it! Kind words are always appreciated! I'm excited for where this is going next to! Just have to wait for the characters to tell me!

pix25: I'm happy they made up to...sort of...

King Damage: Awww, well you're going to make me blush. Happy to hear that you're enjoying it!