Althowin stood on a pedestal. How she kept her balance was beyond Owin’s understanding. She wore a thin heeled shoe, which not only looked uncomfortable, it also looked impossible to balance in. Her other foot tapped Chorsay’s shoulder as she tried to get the giant’s attention. Owin was sure the awkward move took the utmost care for Althowin. Her 7 Shard strength could surely send Chorsay flying if she kicked too hard.

  “Do you need something?” Chorsay asked.

  “I need a lot of things. Currently, just that.” She moved her metal foot to point at a solid cube of stone sitting on the nearby table. Her hands were free, but they were tucked away as she had her arms crossed over her chest.

  Chorsay used both hands to carefully lift the cube.

  “What about this?” she asked.

  Owin sat on the floor beside Suta, Shade, Myrsvai, Vondaire, and Arkasti. Everyone wore loose, casual clothes, except Vondaire who still wore a flawless suit. Owin wasn’t convinced the umbra could wear anything else.

  After spending so much time in the Ocean, it was amazing to keep his feet free of boots and to let his hair stand tall instead of being smashed down by a helmet. His chitin armor had fully regrown and was ready for his adventure into the Fortress Dungeon, but for now, being dry and out of armor was the best.

  Althowin finally grabbed the cube from Chorsay and held it up. The pedestal cracked under the sudden increase in weight. “Owin! Are you listening?”

  “No.”

  “How do I deal with him?” Shade asked, exasperated.

  Althowin held the cube out and dropped it. The entire compound seemed to shake as it hit the floor.

  “Oh. Can I?”

  She gestured to it from her position above. Owin assumed she was standing up there just to be taller than Chorsay. There was no other clear reason for her to stand on something that was obviously not a stool.

  Owin grabbed the stone cube and lifted. It reminded him of the first time he held the Thunderstrike Maul. While he could lift it and hold it, the weight was far greater than what he had expected.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “This seems too heavy to swing.”

  “Activate a shard,” Althowin said.

  Owin concentrated and felt the silver gem shift in his shoulder. The familiar hum filled the room as it lifted behind him. While the cube was definitely still heavy, it was significantly easier to hold than it had been moments before.

  “How would I carry it around? I can’t always keep the shard active.”

  “I’m just seeing what I have lying around,” Althowin said. “When Zezog challenged me to make the heaviest block I could manage, I didn’t do it with the intention of making a hammer out of it someday. That was back when I had five shards too, so I’m sure I could make a heavier cube now, if I wanted.”

  Owin carried it to the pedestal and dropped it. “The Thunderstrike Maul has the charge attack, which is helpful. If this hammer would just be heavy, I don’t know if it would be worth using.”

  “Fine. Arkasti?”

  “No,” he said. “I will stay with my sword.”

  Everyone looked at his oversize claymore that was currently leaning against the wall.

  “It’s ludicrous. Who needs a sword that big? Compensation? Drama?” Shade nudged Arkasti. “It’s compensation, isn’t it?”

  “Shade,” Chorsay said.

  “Right.” Shade grabbed his jaw and forcefully held it shut.

  Althowin had threatened to toss the skeleton across all of Vraxridge if he didn’t stop talking. Even now, after that short outburst, Althowin held one eyebrow up, watching the skeleton warily.

  Althowin stepped off the pedestal and landed deftly on a single foot. “I’ll find something else to occupy Miya. I have plenty of other ideas.”

  They were all about to leave, and Owin could hardly believe he was about to jump into another dungeon. He wanted the shard. He wanted to get stronger. But even in the time he was inside the Ocean, so much had happened outside that he had missed.

  “Arkasti, we need to talk about what’s next.” Althowin walked right past the group to a door in the back of the room. “Fusion isn’t as simple as it sounds.”

  “I never thought it did sound simple. I have heard horrible stories.” Arkasti stood and stretched. “I would appreciate any advice you can provide.”

  “It’s a long trip to the Fortress and it will be a long journey up the tower, so get some sleep tonight.” She turned at the doorway. “If you do sleep.”

  “It’s barely morning,” Owin said.

  Althowin shrugged and disappeared into the hallway. “Let’s go, Arkasti.”

  He hurried after her, already rattling off questions about what to expect during fusion.

  Shade exhaled loudly as he let go of his jaw. The whole thing fell off and clattered on the ground. He panicked, bouncing it around, before finally picking it up and snapping it back into place.

  “I won’t be joining you,” Vondaire said.

  “What?” Owin turned to see black eyes watching him. “Why not?”

  “I intend to fuse with a specter after getting my second shard. It will be more beneficial to complete a different dungeon next.”

  Chorsay grunted. “Let’s talk.”

  Owin followed Myrsvai through the winding compound, out into the courtyard, and through a series of hallways before they ended back at their rooms. Shade rambled about his infallible sense of direction, even as Suta dragged the skeleton back from several wrong turns.

  “What are you planning to bring?” Myrsvai asked. He already had bags for himself and Suta ready to go. The magus stopped outside Owin’s room and looked at the random stuff scattered across the bed.

  “It looks like a crab died in here,” Shade said.

  “That’s just my armor.”

  “We know, Owin. Are you planning to bring all of your weapons?” Myrsvai strode into the room and sat on a stool. He used his staff to push things around the floor. “You have the sword, your knife, and the hammer.”

  “And the wands,” Owin said.

  “And the wands. How are you going to carry all of this?”

  Owin looked over his shoulder at Shade.

  “No. I’m not a donkey, a mule, or any other variety of pack animal. Carry your own things.”

  “I also have a sword still in Shade’s box. And whatever Althowin and Katalin made.”

  “Too many weapons,” Suta said.

  “I have to agree.” Myrsvai grabbed the Incandescent Blade and opened his index. “This will likely be your best choice while in the Fortress. Fire will give you magical damage against specters.”

  “But I can’t even grab it without Shade’s help.” Owin walked into the room and lifted the Thunderstrike Maul. “And I miss this.”

  “You cannot bring an arsenal with you everywhere you go,” Myrsvai said.

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’re three feet tall,” Sanem said. She stood in the doorway with a sly smile on her face. “Even Chorsay only carried one weapon when he was still adventuring.”

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “See?” Myrsvai said.

  Owin scowled. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Choose one bigger weapon to bring with you. You will still have your lich knife.” Myrsvai waved Sanem inside.

  She waited for a moment, gave Shade an odd look, then walked in and sat on the bed next to the chitin breastplate. “Owin, we need to talk to you before you leave.”

  Suta nodded.

  “About what?” He sat beside Suta. “Did I do something?”

  “No. Well . . .” Sanem looked at Myrsvai. “Did he?”

  “Not any worse than usual,” Shade said.

  “You stay out of it,” Sanem said.

  “Wow, okay.”

  Sanem and Myrsvai exchanged a look and mouthed some things. Eventually, Sanem stuck her hands up. “Fine. Here’s the deal, Owin. I was talking to Chorsay over the last few days after his meetings with Althowin. She was even there one of the times we talked.”

  Owin waited. He felt awkward with everyone staring at him, but it was nothing new. People always seemed to be watching him.

  “More fighting is going to happen when you’re gone,” Sanem said. “People want to either kill you or control you. It’s not going to stop until you’re stronger than they are. Althowin mentioned leaders of Manga Regum and the Three Headed Hero Company, but she also said a few other names I didn’t recognize. At least with Veph gone, nobody seems worried about Void Nexus anymore.” Sanem sighed. “I know it isn’t what you want, but you need to be ready for this. Be ready to defend yourself, but also be ready to hear that people are fighting for you. You have to be okay with it. There might be times when Arkasti or another hero tells you to run. Don’t argue.”

  “Arkasti is going to the Tundra,” Owin said.

  “Arkasti is coming with us until we’re out of Vekuborg,” Myrsvai said.

  “Andres wasn’t the only Shard Hero in the Golden Bulls. They might be weaker now than they were, but they’re angry with the Hogs and with you. Arkasti might be able to get them to back down, or he’ll be ready to fight and protect.” Sanem picked up the chitin breastplate and turned it over in her hands. “You’ve got good gear now, but it doesn’t do you any good if you can’t get to the Fortress.”

  “I don’t want other people to fight for me.” That had already happened too many times before. Artivan died for it and Katalin nearly killed herself defending him.

  “You don’t have a choice, Owin. People have already decided they’re going to protect you. I fell behind quickly, but that won’t stop me from helping when I can. Raif and I are going to stay here to stay safe, but we’re going to do everything we can. Miya has been working nonstop to learn enough to build you new equipment, especially now that Ernie and Kat aren’t here. Everyone wants to help you.”

  Suta grabbed Owin’s metal hand. “Twins.”

  “You have to accept help,” Sanem said. “We’re not giving you a choice.”

  “This is the most aggressive assistance I’ve ever seen, and I have to say, I love it.” Shade dropped himself onto the bed beside Sanem.

  “Get away from me.”

  Shade immediately stood. “I, for one, would never be aggressive. Only passive aggressive, but none of you care about that.”

  ***

  Sofia Halaby had only been in Nagyati for a few hours and she was already sick of seeing gold. The obsession with a single color was bizarre. At least the other hero companies branched out from their primary colors. Having a whole company of people matching was just stupid. Decorating a city to match the hero company was even more stupid.

  She twirled Surge around her finger as she walked into a bar. Her directions were vague, at best. What was she meant to do with vague? Interpret it herself? Absolutely not.

  The bar was busy for early afternoon. Maybe people in Vekuborg just drank a lot more than they did in Izylia. As she walked in and noticed all the gilded armor, a thought finally occurred.

  “Is this just the Golden Bull side of town? I can’t escape all this gaudy bullshit.” She snorted. “Bullshit.”

  Her question was quickly answered by the fifteen heroes who slammed drinks down and stood with enough angry force to knock over chairs and stools. Each one, as expected, wore some form of golden armor.

  The Three Heads wanted her to figure out the intentions of the Golden Bulls. Who gave a shit? If they’re leader already died fucking with the goblin’s people, Sofia figured that was enough of an answer. They weren’t allies to the goblin, but that didn’t mean they’d be allies to the Three Heads.

  Indexes flashed in the dim bar light.

  Sofia stretched out her arms. “Take a look! Like what you see?”

  Ten of the heroes moved closer. It looked like a few soldiers and berserkers that were confident in their brawling skills. Some magic users flanked the close-quarters idiots. The ones sitting back were more of a concern. The smart ones.

  “I’ve got some questions,” Sofia said loudly.

  “Get out,” the bartender said. Unsurprisingly, he was also wearing gold.

  “Wait,” someone finally said. “Look at her face.”

  “There it is,” Sofia whispered.

  Unfortunately for the Bulls, some idiots charged before the one smart person in the room could make an observation.

  Sofia stuck a cigar between her teeth, pointed Surge up, and lit the end on the burning barrel of the weapon. She sucked in a mouthful of smoke and stepped sideways, avoiding the first careless punch. There was no reason for her to even let all the heroes get close, but sometimes a hero just needed some fun.

  She whipped Surge around and pointed it directly at the Golden Bull’s face. Few people recognized it as a weapon. It wasn’t a sword, spear, or mace. It wasn’t a polearm or a bow. They saw she was a wizard and assumed she’d have a staff or a wand, or no weapon at all. They assumed she would be easy prey if she didn’t cast a spell. They were all idiots.

  Steam hissed out of her backpack as the pistons shifted. Lava rushed through the tube under her arm and into the bottom of Surge. The sudden influx of lava powered the weapon and forced a nugget of lava out at lightning speeds. It struck the Golden Bull directly in the forehead and launched him across the bar.

  Sofia smashed the butt of the weapon into the next hero, but before hitting him, the hero flashed. His knight abilities stopped her strike from knocking him out, but it still had to hurt. She pointed a single finger of her free hand at his stomach.

  “Flame Push.” The simple spell launched from her fingertip, hit the knight in the stomach, and sent him flying, even with his abilities active.

  “Stop, you morons,” a hero shouted. He had horns growing from his head, showing he at least had some minor senses about him. “Can’t you see she’s fused?”

  No matter what she wore, Sofia found it incredibly difficult to hide a rat nose and ears. The tail and feet were a little easier, but still not simple. Her backpack shifted and released another hiss of steam.

  “That’s Sofia Halaby. The fucking Rat.”

  She opened her index as she released a puff of smoke from her mouth. “Vilmos. 2 Shard Hero. Fused with . . . a goat?”

  The Bull took a long drink of his ale. Nobody else in the bar moved except the two heroes she had knocked down. They squirmed in pain.

  “Why are you here?” Vilmos finally asked.

  Sofia lowered Surge and smiled broadly, the best she could with the cigar between her teeth. “I wanted to see the sights.”

  Vilmos stood, parting the other patrons who had backed away when the fighting began. “Shard Heroes don’t go sightseeing.”

  He was a thin man. Thinner than she had expected. It looked like half the weight was on his head. After a few more steps, she finally figured it out.

  “A minotaur!”

  “Yes,” Vilmos said.

  “Really keeping that bull theme going. I’ve always wondered that about you lot. It’s an odd choice.” She slipped Surge into the holster on her hip. “The Three Heads want to know where the Bulls stand. As one of their only Shard Heroes, you should be able to answer.”

  “Our leader can answer that,” Vilmos said.

  “I didn’t hear about a replacement.”

  “It’s a new recruit.” There was something in his voice. Disdain? Contempt?

  “Is it? Would I recognize the name?”

  “Voolyn Eskitorra.”

  “Ah, fuck. Are you sure?”

  Vilmos’s face shifted so much that she couldn’t tell if it was anger, confusion, or something akin to disappointment. “Am I sure?”

  “If Voolyn joined the Bulls . . .” Sofia pulled her racoon skin hat off and scratched the tangled gray hair on her head. “What’s his angle, do you think?”

  Vilmos waved everyone away. “Join me for a pint if we’re going to have a conversation.”

  Sofia glanced at the hero she had shot with Surge. He had a swollen boil on the center of his forehead. Someone needed to drain that. “You sure? You’re not mad about me kicking their asses?”

  “They attacked a Shard Hero. That’s their own problem.”

  By the time Sofia sat across from Vilmos, the bar felt far more empty. Everyone who remained had packed themself into the other half, staying as far away as possible. Not that it really made their conversation anymore private. There were plenty of classes that helped people hear even the quietest whisper.

  “Voolyn said we will be working alongside the Three Headed Hero Company. Are you affiliated with them?” Vilmos opened his index again. “You’re not part of a company. Did you start working as a bounty hunter?”

  “Well, no. Not really.” Bounty hunters had a bad reputation among Shard Heroes, but it did pay well. Doing it once didn’t mean she was working as one. Did it? “Maybe. Sometimes.”

  “I’m not judging.”

  The bartender set two pints down on the table and hurried away without a word. Sofia pulled the cigar from her mouth, blew smoke to the side, and drained about half the glass in a single go.

  “After all,” Vilmos continued. “The only way to stop a Shard Hero is with a Shard Hero.”

  “Most aren’t gonna agree with you. I’m not the most loved of the Shard Heroes.” Her backpack hissed as lava circulated. “If Voolyn’s here, I’ve got no reason to be. A lot of people aren’t sure about the Bulls. I don’t know if the Trueborn Giant is gonna help the image much, but you all can worry about that yourselves.”

  “Voolyn is respected.”

  “He was before he stalled.” Sofia shrugged and finished off the pint. “But if the Heads are looking for a pawn, he works.”

  “Didn’t you just say you’re working for them too?”

  “Oh. You go where the money is.” She let smoke drift from between her lips. The Three Heads and Magna Regum were funneling so much money into whatever they were planning that Sofia had to go along with it. For now, at least. Her curiosity was too strong to let the opportunity slip by.

  “If your job was only to see if the Golden Bulls were allies, your answer is clear,” Vilmos said.

  “There’s more to it than that. But, I’ll try not to bully any other heroes.” Steam hissed out of her backpack, drawing a worried glance from Vilmos. She couldn’t leave until she got a message from Isaak, Olena, Nastya, or Egnatia.

  Go to Nagyati. Ensure the Golden Bulls align with our mission. Await next directions before leaving Nagyati.

  Taking money from rich freaks was a mistake. Why would she need to wait?