The Myth Seekers were the last to arrive at the meeting in the Earl’s conference room. A long table of dark polished wood, littered with ancient scrolls, dominated the gloomy chamber. Two Seelie knights stood near the wall directly behind Selene, and Raith looked at their sheaths to see if one was missing a blade. Both were filled, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

  Their host stood beside his chair at the head of the table, pouring over a map. He did not look up upon their arrival, but the Countess offered a polite greeting.

  “It is good you have arrived. We have much to do to prepare in a very short amount of time. The three of you shall depart at first light.”

  Raith opened his mouth to protest, but promptly shut it. There was no point in starting a debate he couldn’t win. Instead, he decided to address the problems he could solve.

  “We’ve come up with a list of provisions. Delves can take weeks, and we have little food left, to say nothing of water. There is also the matter of potions. Nyhm can’t make…”

  The Hollow Earl interrupted without looking up from his map, his whisper slicing across the table.

  “My servants are handling this as we speak, as per our Accord. You are here to be briefed on the buried city and what challenges await.” He gestured at the chairs with a long, slender hand. “Now sit.”

  Like any good aspiring adventurer, Raith had done some research into dungeons. Of the ones that had been found, they generally fell into several types. Most common were mindless guardians left by the gods. Golems or animated skeletons and the like.

  And of course, traps. They almost all had those.

  Next were the hordes of varied beasts, kept contained and populated by the dungeon’s aethercore. Usually there are only two or three different kinds in a single dungeon. This type varied wildly in difficulty, depending on the types and quantities of monsters within. Raith was really hoping they’d find a low population of giant feral hamsters or something, but that wouldn’t be his luck.

  Finally were the puzzle dungeons. Sometimes a series of puzzle rooms or a maze, but occasionally something much stranger. A god-echo, or cursed divine automaton, subjected the delvers to some sort of performance. A twisted divine ritual meant to test ‘worthiness’ through theatrical cruelty. Although quite rare, these can take the form of anything from a scavenger hunt, to a carnival, a masquerade or some bizarre competition.

  “Do you know what sort of dungeon it is?” Raith asked as he eased himself into a chair.

  The corner of Selene’s mouth turned down slightly.

  “We have no certain knowledge, but the formor believe it to be filled with some variety of monsters.”

  Raith swore under his breath.

  “What do we know about the formorian team?” he asked, forcing his voice to stay level.

  The Hollow Earl frowned, his silver eyes thoughtful.

  “They are among the finest warriors the giant-kin can field. In terms of their Weaver’s Gifts, they are of the fifth and sixth braids. Three of the five are godlaced. What’s more, they’ve been equipped with the best enchanted gear their kingdom can provide. It is a formidable group, even by our standards.”

  Raith’s heart dropped and his mouth went dry.

  “We can’t possibly defeat a team like that. Even if you gave us all your relics, we’d be outmatched.”

  Selene nodded slowly, her expression unreadable.

  “You are not wrong. Which is why precisely you will not fight them head on. The goal is to reach the artifact first. If we deny it to the formor, the mission will be a success.”

  She stepped forward, her voice laced with quiet intensity.

  “We have access to ancient scrolls and long forgotten records of the city. Knowledge they lack. With our guidance, we believe we can direct you to the artifact before they even know where it is. If you move swiftly and stealthily, it is unlikely to come to a direct confrontation at all.”

  Raith considered that. Even if the giant-kin were only half as powerful as described, they’d still be more than a match for the three of them. But Selene’s plan was sound. Reaching the artifact first might be their only real chance.

  “Alright,” he said. “Let me see the map. Show me where we’ll find this key.”

  The Earl pointed a slender finger at the unfurled parchment lying across the table. Several locations were circled in deep violet ink. He tapped the first, near the northeast edge of the city.

  “This is the most likely location,” the Earl said. “A trove of relics belonging to the gods themselves. It’s certain to be heavily trapped. There may be a guardian, as well.”

  His finger slid to another mark closer to the city’s heart.

  “This structure, near the aethercore, was the personal storehouse of the city’s high ruler. If the artifact isn’t in the first vault, this is the next best possibility.”

  Then his hand moved east, to a third, more remote mark.

  “And here,” he said, “the home of a city official known for his role in security and enforcement. If anyone aside from the ruler once possessed the key, it may have been him. But this is the least likely of the three.”

  Raith studied the map, noting the distances and the choke points. He was having trouble understanding the scale of this city.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “So how big is this place? Bigger than Beckhaven?”

  The Earl nodded solemnly.

  “Much bigger. It housed several million souls, in its prime. The outer rings were where the mortal labor castes and slaves lived. Closer to the center, the buildings grow in scale and opulence. That’s where the gods resided, alongside the true giants. Creatures over thirty feet tall, built for a different age.”

  Selene had tilted her head and added, “The city’s design reflected its hierarchy. The outer wards were dense and narrow, cramped dwellings stacked like hive cells. But in the inner sanctum, structures rise like cliffs. Temples and palaces sized for titans.”

  “The giant-kin patrolled the outer rings,” the Earl continued, tapping a segment near the edge of the central disc. “They kept the slaves in line. Enforcers of divine will.”

  Raith swallowed hard.

  “So, how long does it take to cross the whole thing? From the gates to that first vault you pointed out?”

  The Earl's mouth turned grim.

  “At an uninterrupted fast march, an entire day. However, you’ll have to navigate through traps and monsters and whatever else the gods have left as petty revenge. Expect it to take much longer, and expect it to be dangerous.”

  “Do we know where the formor will head first?”

  Selene gave a nod.

  “They suspect the key lies within the bank vaults. The Earl has used his agent within their ranks to seed misdirection and reinforce that belief. It is heavily warded and trapped. The secure portion of the building will require a massive effort to enter, and likely cost some of them their lives.”

  Raith blinked.

  “Wait. You have an agent in their team?”

  The Earl smiled, pleased.

  “You mortals underestimate the reach of old favors. The cyclops among them is one of my intermediaries. Unbeknownst to his companions, he has been passing us information. He will not act against them openly, but he will quietly undermine their efforts.”

  Selene turned toward him.

  “Can any of you read magical script?”

  A small thrill of relief passed through Raith. For once, he’d prepared something useful in advance.

  “I can.”

  “Good. Then I will pen a scroll for you. It will point towards artifact’s when you are in close proximity. Use it once you’ve entered the city.”

  Raith exhaled, tension still knotted in his chest. It was a risky and desperate plan, but there was at least a chance it might work. He hoped.

  ***

  They Myth Seekers were spared another meal with the fae, using their little remaining time to finish preparations. A bogle named Gabble, who Nyhm evidently knew somehow, doled out a month of rations. Raith was afraid it might be something gross, but they looked and smelled like cookies. Gabble assured that the food would keep them in robust health. Thea seemed especially pleased to have something besides the soldier tack they’d subsisted on last time.

  In addition to the rations and endless water canteens, the toad-like chef handed over three greater healing potions per person and an equal amount of greater stamina potions. He also provided each of them three No See Em draughts, which he said would make them invisible to mortal eyes for an hour, but they would shine like a beacon to immortals.

  When he thought no one was looking, the odd creature surreptitiously handed Nyhm a package with a nudge and a wink. Raith raised an eyebrow at his brother, who just shook his head and tucked the package away.

  I’ll have to ask him about that later.

  The team adjourned to their chambers, ostensibly to get a good night’s sleep before the mission began. Raith paced. He went to his library to study traps and lore. He slept a restless sleep. He woke up and practiced his forms. Then he paced some more.

  They were in over their heads on this, and the growing pit of anxiety in his gut had begun to blossom into actual nausea. He was going to get his best friend and his brother killed, and he couldn’t see a way out of it.

  Raith didn’t know how much time had passed when there was a quiet knock on his door. He opened it to find his brother standing in the hallway with a haunted look.

  “Come on in,” he said, stepping aside and gesturing towards the chairs. “Can’t sleep?”

  Nyhm strode past him, but didn’t take the offered seat. Choosing instead to pick up the pacing where Raith had left off.

  “I slept as much as I’m going to.” He paused and met Raith’s eyes. “I can’t protect you from this. These formor. They’re far too…”

  "We don’t have to fight them. That’s the whole plan, and it’s a good one. All we need to worry about is slipping through the dungeon’s defenses. There’s a good chance we get through this without a single fight.”

  Raith desperately wished saying the words would make him believe them. From the look on Nyhm’s face, so did he. On closer inspection he noticed something unusual in his brother's eyes.

  "Have you bee crying?

  Nyhm shook his head, but Raith saw tears begin to well up at the reminder of whatever had upset the normally stoic elfling. Nothing he'd seen in the castle had unnerved Raith more than this.

  "No, seriously. What's going on?"

  Nyhm looked at him with eyes full of tears, "I just realized that mom and dad won't even remember me and if we die down there I don't know if they ever will."

  The words pierced Raith's heart like an arrow. He pulled his brother into a hug and they spent a moment getting control of their emotions before taking a step apart. Raith cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes.

  “What was up with that bogle earlier?”

  Nyhm looked away with a flush.

  “I got caught up in an eating competition earlier.”

  “You did what now?”

  “It’s not important. He was just giving me some odd unseelie ingredients for a few recipes he shared.”

  “You’re becoming quite the expert on faerie concoctions, aren’t you?”

  Before Nyhm could answer, they were interrupted by another soft knock at the door. Raith walked over and opened it to find Thea standing there looking pale and tired. Unlike him and his brother, she actually needed a full night’s rest.

  “Couldn’t sleep?”

  Thea paused in the doorway and looked back and forth between the brothers.

  "Knotted gods, we can't all be crying at the same time. Get ahold of yourselves."

  She shook her head and walked past him into the room. A tangle of vines extended from the end of her injured arm, firm but unformed.

  “The [Root Gauntlet] is looking good. You’ve already come a long way with the seed Selene gave you.”

  The edges of Thea’s mouth turned down as she glanced at her arm.

  “Not far enough for what lies ahead.”

  A knot at the end of the vines unfurled, revealing a small seed that had been hidden within. As they watched, it burst into a lovely yellow flower. Raith smiled.

  “You’re already casting spells with it! That’s wonderful.”

  “It’s my simplest spell, and of no use in a fight.” She gestured with the [Root Gauntlet]. “This is little more than a club at the moment.”

  “Can you still cast Mosshoof and that Chameleon spell?”

  Thea gave a nod.

  “Good. Then our plan remains a sound one. This doesn’t need to be one fight after another. We sneak in, avoid any trouble, grab the artifact, and sneak back out. If trouble finds us anyway, we’ll disengage from any fights we can’t win, and whoever it is will forget we even exist as soon as we’re out of sight.”

  All three stood there, unwilling to voice their reservations about all of the things that could go wrong with the plan. The linchpin here was going to be getting that key before the formor, because once it was in the giant-kin’s grasp they didn’t have the strength to wrest it free.

  Thea looked at the floor with a sad expression.

  “I wish Tolliver were here.”

  Nyhm nodded.

  “I feel terrible about how we left him.”

  A pang of guilt shot through Raith’s chest.

  “I’ve been thinking the same thing, but there’s nothing to be done about it right now. We need to trust Zinny, and we'll find him as soon as we get out of this mess.”

  If we get out of this mess.

  Raith looked back at Thea.

  “Are you going to be able to sleep anymore tonight?”

  She shook her head.

  “Alright then. Let’s pack up and get this over with.”