Archmage Valeterisa no longer dreamed. She no longer slept. She was beyond all of that.<\/p>\n
Or rather, part of her was. She had learned magic.<\/em> Like those before her, she had delved deeper into the mysteries of spellcraft and magic. Only\u2014in her era, Zelkyr\u2019s creations had sealed the greatest achievements of magedom away. Behind a test that was suicide to attempt.<\/p>\n So few [Mages] knew what magic was.<\/em> The rest played around at it. Even the most accomplished like Feor were children playing in the sandbox with toys the true [Mages] had left behind.<\/p>\n That was how Valeterisa would have described it, if you forced her to make an analogy for spellcraft in this era. But she had not been content to remain low-leveled, to shy away from what it meant to be a [Mage].<\/p>\n As a girl, she had wanted to be an [Archmage]. She had kept that dream, even as she aged. Now\u2014with her short Human lifespan, she had already reached Feor\u2019s level of spellcraft despite the half-elf being nearly four times her age. She had stolen away from the politicking of Wistram Academy to further pursue her goal.<\/p>\n Valeterisa had achieved one thing. One great technique of old. But\u2014in the way of those who lacked a guide, the knowledge of old\u2014she had dived into the heart of magic. Too far, without anything to pull her back.<\/p>\n She did not dream. She\u2026thought.<\/em> A part of her thought about thinking. Another was counting, making sure she ate, rested, excreted, kept herself basically clean\u2014the functions of the body. Another was pursuing magic. Yet another monitored the mansion that was her home. Another tried to crack the spell from one angle. Yet another reviewed all the information she had ever learned.<\/p>\n She was\u2014fragmented.<\/em> Using a Skill she had obtained, and magic to aid it.<\/p>\n [Parallel Thoughts]. A technique great [Mages] had used across the ages. But even one of the former, true Archmages of Wistram\u2014Archmage Chandler\u2014who employed the same Skill for his own ends would never have gone this far.<\/p>\n Az\u2019kerash, the Necromancer, who was still alive even if Valeterisa and the world had no idea\u2014fragmented his mind. He had experience with the technique, and the powers of unlife, his enhanced intellect, and magic to aid in the process.<\/p>\n Even so\u2014he could sustain about fourteen simultaneous thoughts. And that took its own toll, as moments like his encounter with Ryoka Griffin had once demonstrated.<\/p>\n Archmage Valeterisa had over forty selves thinking with her mind. She had forgotten her own name. A singular part of her remembered for her.<\/p>\n Parts, working towards a whole. <\/em>One kept her alive. One looked for danger. Most pursued magic, cycling between ideas. Trying to crack the grand theory that had consumed her for over ten years. Sometimes they devoted themselves to lesser tasks. But few of her separated selves had time for anything else.<\/p>\n One to eat and rest. Another to watch for danger. Another to just\u2014scream. Be angry. Break things when the stress<\/em> got too much.<\/p>\n Where was the one who remembered her name? The woman was lost in her head. And there was no self to tell her that.<\/p>\n Her fortress of a home held a Courier. She was aware of this\u2014dimly. But he would die of starvation or madness before she ever roused herself. And two more were coming. Valeterisa sensed it.<\/p>\n How arrogant. The two were coming, like the Mage Runner had, to wake the Archmage of Izril. Ten years she had spent here. Countless people had tried to rouse her, for their own designs or out of concern.<\/p>\n They had failed. Couriers<\/em> had failed. [Knights] had failed. Adventurers\u2014<\/p>\n They would never make it to her. There were too many traps. And the two young women did not get off to a good start. Statistically\u2026<\/p>\n They were doomed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ryoka Griffin stared at the distant mansion and felt her heart pounding in her chest. It\u2026was familiar, and nostalgic at the same time.<\/p>\n She had done this before. Run deliveries like this, that was. She had delivered to the Horns of Hammerad, run the High Passes, and then reached the Necromancer himself.<\/p>\n But that had been then.<\/em> Ryoka had survived close calls since then, but this was different. This wasn\u2019t just survival. This was putting her life on the line for a delivery. For money. Or in this case\u2014Lady Ieka\u2019s help.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this unhealthy, that I missed this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably. I\u2019m<\/em> shaking.\u201d<\/p>\n Serafierre val Lischelle-Drakle was so nervous she thought she was going to throw up. Or maybe that was the rat\u2019s blood. She felt\u2026powerful.<\/em> But unlike Ryoka, she hadn\u2019t actually done anything like this before. Ironically, the Vampire girl was the rookie in life-or-death situations.<\/p>\n \u201cJust listen and don\u2019t rush into things and we\u2019ll be fine, Fierre. Actually\u2014we might not be, but don\u2019t panic.<\/em> You\u2019re a Vampire and I\u2019ve done this before.\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre started and nodded. She bared her teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave it to me! This Archmage might have traps, but I bet she\u2019s not ready for a Vampire.<\/em> Especially\u2014a real<\/em> Vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n She opened one hand, and her tendons and fingers locked into claws. Fierre\u2019s eyes were glowing<\/em> in the twilight. Ryoka eyed her.<\/p>\n Fierre had been cured. What that meant was that she had been cured of whatever Teriarch knew was afflicting her people. Accordingly\u2014her weaknesses had led to some incidents. Garlic, sunlight\u2014Ryoka hadn\u2019t slapped her with a cross, but she was fairly certain Fierre was far more vulnerable to all the traditional weaknesses of her kind.<\/p>\n On the other hand\u2014Fierre was stronger. It hadn\u2019t been instantaneous; she\u2019d gotten better day by day. Today?<\/p>\n \u201cHow fast do you think you could move if we run into trouble, Fierre?\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire girl scratched her head. She looked around. A green rat looked up, saw the glance, and turned to dive into a hole that led into the rat warrens.<\/p>\n Fierre blinked over and grabbed it so fast Ryoka barely saw the speed. The City Runner saw Fierre snatch the rat up, brush dirt off, and bite <\/em>it. She tossed the rat over her shoulder a moment later. The rat landed among its fellows, who fled the corpse before coming over for the free food.<\/p>\n Kosher rat. <\/em>Ryoka shuddered as Fierre turned.<\/p>\n \u201cHow fast was that?\u201d<\/p>\n The young Human woman stared at Fierre and felt her heart skip a few beats. Not just because of the unnatural sight\u2014but because that was so cool. <\/em>She hesitated, cast her eyes towards the distant mansion. And then she nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026have no idea. Let\u2019s find out.\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire girl blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOkay, this is about a hundred meters! I\u2019ll count as accurately as I can! Go ahead and run when I clap my hands!\u201d<\/p>\n Six minutes later, Fierre was standing away from Ryoka just up the beach. The Vampire girl was scowling. She kicked at a clump of grass.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is so\u2026stupid.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She hadn\u2019t meant it seriously. Ryoka Griffin, on the other hand, had.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said, this is stupid!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre shouted back. Ryoka ignored that. She wished she had her iPhone. Or a stopwatch. Well\u2014she\u2019d do her best. She had to approximate a hundred meters anyways.<\/p>\n \u201cJust run <\/em>when I clap my hands! Okay? Ready\u2014go!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n There was such a thing as doing some actual research, rather than saying \u2018wow, you\u2019re fast!\u2019 Ryoka clapped her hands and started counting. Fierre blurred<\/em> at her.<\/p>\n \u201cOne Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka Griffin got to \u2018six\u2019 before Fierre flashed past her. The City Runner stopped. She stared at Fierre.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d I do? I think that was fast. That was fast, right?\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire girl panted. Ryoka looked at her. She had been closing on seven. But that meant Fierre had just beaten the world record by, oh, three seconds.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThat was\u2026fast. The world record is 9.58 seconds, Fierre. You were like\u2014six and a half.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? And I was only three seconds faster?\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire girl didn\u2019t seem to get what that meant. Ryoka Griffin shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cThree seconds<\/em>? Fierre\u2014you\u2019re not an athlete. The man who trains his entire life<\/em> and runs on an actual track\u2014and is way taller than you\u2014runs three seconds slower.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Well\u2014I\u2019m a Vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre preened. On the other hand\u2014Ryoka Griffin now knew something. After a bit of calculation, she nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cInteresting. You\u2019re about 40 mph at top speed. Forty miles per hour. So you\u2019re about as fast as a horse\u2019s top speed. Not as fast as a cheetah. Interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n So Fierre still lagged behind Hawk. Ryoka had clocked the Courier\u2019s top speed above hers, even if he couldn\u2019t keep it up. On pavement, not grass and dirt, it might be different. But\u2026Fierre wasn\u2019t almighty.<\/p>\n Just fast<\/em>. Her twitch-speed was insane. That was probably what gave her the feeling of moving so fast; her reflexes were a lot better than a horse\u2019s.<\/p>\n None of that made Fierre any happier. She actually shoved Ryoka slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cStop calling me fast as a horse! I\u2019m a Vampire!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s amazing. But you\u2019re not invincible, Fierre. Want to test your bench press weight? Damn\u2014this is where Grimalkin\u2019s weight set would have come really in h\u2014hey!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre picked up Ryoka and tossed<\/em> her into the surf. The Asian girl went flying. That<\/em> was scary. On the other hand\u2014she didn\u2019t fly that far.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019re stronger than Grimalkin! Or even Relc, by much!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka shouted back. The Vampire girl threw a sandball at her. It hit Ryoka in the face and the City Runner went underwater as it stunned her.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It turned out Fierre had great <\/em>aim. And even if she wasn\u2019t as strong as Grimalkin\u2014she was strong enough to knock Ryoka silly with a mudball. Ryoka lay on the sand.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry! I lost my temper. Shoo, you little pests!\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre kicked a rat trying to eat the City Runner. Dizzily, Ryoka got up.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to call that \u2018Gold-rank\u2019 strength, reflexes, speed. Maybe a bit below a specialist. Hold on, I swallowed some water. I might throw up.\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre edged back. The Vampire girl could swim just fine, even if she hadn\u2019t practiced it much. She was coordinated, fast, strong\u2014after Ryoka rested on her knees and hands, she looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you had Skills, you\u2019d be really invincible. Vampires don\u2019t get Skills, do they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never leveled. Old Bamer says there were Vampire Lords, royalty who had powers like turning into mists. Even Skills. But those might be relics. Look, I\u2019m really sorry. It\u2019s just\u2014I\u2019ve never felt like this before.\u201d<\/p>\n The girl squatted by Ryoka. The Runner girl nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I\u2019m really happy, Fierre. But just remember\u2014there are things that can take you apart. I met a man who could have set this entire island aflame. He\u2019d have been able to beat you without even using his best Skill\u2014and he lost to Belavierr.\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre\u2019s eyes widened a touch. But she took the warning about Ser Raim seriously. Ryoka sat up.<\/p>\n She had met a Dragon. And the Necromancer.<\/em> Both of them could kill Fierre. Maybe she could get stronger. But as it was\u2014she had to be careful of overconfidence. And if there was one thing Ryoka Griffin knew, it was overconfidence. Also\u2014getting your fingers bitten off.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Measurements over. Let\u2019s do this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreat. But remember\u2014we\u2019re delivering a message. It\u2019s not going to be easy\u2014even if it looks like we can just knock. I\u2019ve got a [Detect Magic] amulet, here. One of my rings deflects arrows. I\u2019ve got a bunch of potions\u2014my caltrops, sand\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka\u2019s items were all geared towards escaping or slowing down whatever she ran into. She\u2019d used her funds to buy a few low-grade items, but she had been nervous about entering a highly-magical zone.<\/p>\n She had two trump cards. One was a bundle of cloth in her bag of holding she\u2019d been waiting to have made. She hoped it wouldn\u2019t break. It might not be good in an enclosed place. The second was\u2026<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s jars of acid.<\/em> Ryoka had six.<\/em> She\u2019d asked Erin for some since nothing else on her travels had been as effective. If Ryoka had carried six when she met Venitra\u2014she might never have had the trouble she did.<\/p>\n She had prepared, in short, as much as she could with the time and resources available to her. When Ryoka turned to Fierre\u2014the Vampire girl reached into her bag of holding.<\/p>\n \u201cUgh.<\/em> Everything\u2019s covered in\u2026well, my stuff!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo time to wash it off. We want to be done before daylight, remember? What\u2019ve you got?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026ick, ick\u2026blood, healing potions, a backup wand that fires [Steel-Barb Dart]. A dagger, enchanted with a weak piercing enchantment. And\u2026aha!\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire triumphantly pulled out her best weapon. Ryoka stared at\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cIs that your journal?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my notes!<\/em> See? It contains all my information on Izril!\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre flipped through the magical repository of her knowledge for Ryoka. The City Runner stared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are your weapons?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have my fists! I can probably beat up Madain!\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka Griffin covered her face. Once again, she ran into Fierre\u2019s sense of superiority. And fair play to her\u2014she could have probably punched out any [Gang Leader] in Reizmelt even pre-panacea. But here?<\/p>\n \u201cFierre. Have you ever fought a Bone Behemoth?\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2014no? Those are huge, aren\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly like, thirty feet tall. My friends conjured a Frostmarrow Behemoth. Fierre, one of them was below Level 30.<\/em> The other one was just over it, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Well\u2014we\u2019re just going to deliver a message, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cStay behind me. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cActually, you should stay behind me.<\/em> Vampire, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre pushed Ryoka back as the two turned towards the mansion. Ryoka opened her mouth, but didn\u2019t argue.<\/p>\n They should have brought Durene. Or Alevica.<\/em> Someone with either the ability to rip apart a tree, or the magical prowess. Or even that Vampire Hunter guy. Or Ylawes\u2026Ryoka was suddenly full of regrets.<\/p>\n Then again, how hard could it be to wake an Archmage who had been a recluse for a decade? Ryoka wished she had something to knock on.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, I\u2019m not detecting anything magic so far\u2026<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She was holding her amulet as she peered at the mansion in the distance. Fierre nodded. She was walking forwards and Ryoka suddenly fixated on something.<\/p>\n The mansion was set in the middle of the rat-infested, grassy isle. But there was a bare patch of land around it.<\/p>\n \u201cHold up, Fierre\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? You said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n As the two walked forwards, Ryoka saw the flicker<\/em> from beneath the soil a second before Fierre walked forwards.<\/p>\n \u201cFierre! Stop! It\u2019s a hidden sp\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire girl exploded<\/em> as she stepped onto the first magical landmine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Statistically speaking, poor performance.<\/em> The two intruders hadn\u2019t even detected the landmines. Well, one had, but that put them well below the bell curve. Larger groups had tried to reach her. Numbers were just a disadvantage. The first one stumbled back as the artillery spell went off. A homing [Spear of Light] aimed right at her, enhanced to nearly triple the destructive yield. She went running, and dodged it. Barely; the explosion knocked her to the ground.<\/p>\n However, a second spell activated on the heels of the first. It should have struck her; the City Runner had been blown off her feet by the first impact. The second spell flashed down towards her as part of the Archmage watched, impartially.<\/p>\n Flicker.<\/em> The Archmage\u2019s consciousness stopped, tried to track the blur that had intercepted the fallen Runner. Part of her mind took a bit more thought processing.<\/p>\n What had that<\/em> been? She had been sure\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFierre?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Ryoka Griffin could barely breathe. She was hanging off the shorter Vampire girl\u2019s shoulder. Fierre was sprinting away <\/em>from the mansion, with Ryoka on her shoulder.<\/p>\n It really hurt. Ryoka was half-blinded from the spell\u2019s impact, anyways. But she had seen her friend die\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOw, ow, ow! It hurts so much!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n That wasn\u2019t what most people said with her injuries, though. When the Vampire girl got them out of range and dumped Ryoka on the beach, Ryoka saw\u2014<\/p>\n Fierre\u2019s legs and part of her stomach were torn open. Bone<\/em> shone around torn flesh. Her blood had stained the grass. But\u2014<\/p>\n The injuries were already healing.<\/em> With incredible speed, Ryoka saw the wounds closing. Fierre gripped at her arm and Ryoka saw\u2014her arm had been broken by the impact, slightly. Now the bones snapped<\/em> together.<\/p>\n \u201cThat hurts so damn much!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka Griffin stared at Fierre. She should<\/em> have been paste. A landmine did not let you walk away with those kinds of injuries. Fierre\u2019s skin was tough.<\/em> Ryoka should have measured that. How hard was it to hammer a stake into her chest?<\/p>\n \u201cFierre? Are you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m not!<\/em> Why didn\u2019t you detect that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI saw it only when we were right on top of it! It must be camouflaged!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour amulet\u2019s a piece of junk! If I find that [Merchant] who sold it to you, I\u2019m going to eat\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Whumph.<\/em> Something hit the dirt at the top of the incline. Both young women went running.<\/p>\n \u201cDead gods, it\u2019s still after us?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRun <\/em>further away!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Artillery spells. Seriously?<\/em> Ryoka and Fierre peeked over a sand dune at the very edge of the island, as far away from the mansion as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. It stopped firing. So we know there\u2019s landmines<\/em> and a spell that blasts anyone coming towards the mansion to pieces. And we can\u2019t see the Archmage\u2019s magic with our level of spell. Ideas?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGive up?\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre looked at Ryoka\u2019s expression. The Vampire girl was trembling, now that they were safe.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, come on, Ryoka! You were right!<\/em> I\u2019d be dead if I wasn\u2019t stronger now. And that wasn\u2019t a fun way to find out I can survive a Tier 4 spell. I think that was what it was.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka blinked. Instead of comforting platitudes, she focused on Fierre\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re sure Tier 4?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBased on the power of the spell? Pretty sure. Tier 5 can vaporize you. Tier 3 is usually weaker and you can\u2019t delay it. Like\u2014[Delayed Fireball] is Tier 4\u2014[Fireball] is Tier 3.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman wasn\u2019t sure if Fierre\u2019s abilities to appraise spells was actually that helpful. Either way, she<\/em> was dead if she stood on that landmine\u2014or crippled at the least. She narrowed her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cNo wonder people can\u2019t get to the front door. Well, I have my trump card. But I don\u2019t know\u2026I could try flying<\/em> towards the door, but the wind isn\u2019t under my control. I\u2019d probably be hit by a spell or the wind would pulverize me by sending me into the ground or something.\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? You\u2019re not giving up, Ryoka?\u201d<\/p>\n The City Runner gave her friend a blank look.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not. We\u2019re not dead. We should have expected this much, Fierre.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n That was the difference between City Runners and normal people. Fierre closed her mouth as she saw Ryoka investigating the distant mansion. They really were<\/em> insane.<\/p>\n \u201cHm. The wind is strong around the mansion. Sort of weird.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka muttered. She was trying to see if she could sail on the winds with her trump card into the mansion. She might hit it hard<\/em>, but what if she threw Fierre? Wait, that could work. Throw her into the wall, get her to ring the door\u2014but the door was probably trapped.<\/p>\n Still\u2014something was off.<\/em> The wind was blowing\u2026Ryoka Griffin closed her eyes.<\/p>\n She could\u2026sense the wind. Not concretely, and even if she asked it to blow hard, it sometimes failed her. She needed a teacher. Teriarch had offered some insights, and Ryoka had learned to call the wind stronger since the fire at Riverfarm. But she seldom tried to use the wind to scout.<\/em><\/p>\n Yet\u2014if she wasn\u2019t wrong\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, Ryoka?\u201d<\/p>\n The City Runner started. She narrowed her eyes at the mansion.<\/p>\n \u201cI think\u2026I think that damn mansion is fake,<\/em> Fierre. The wind\u2019s blowing straight through where it should be going around the walls.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Fake?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre started. She looked at the mansion and groaned.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, skunk blood.<\/em> Of course! It\u2019s the oldest trick in the book! Is the Archmage even on<\/em> this isle?\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka felt sick. She might not even be here! But first\u2014they had to test this idea. So Ryoka opened her bag of holding.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on. Let\u2019s just make sure this is actually an illusion. There\u2019s something<\/em> there\u2014just not the disturbance in the air a mansion could create. That door\u2026might be real. Here\u2014help me set up this. I just need a handkerchief\u2014and a stick or something\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre offered Ryoka a rat. The green rodent squeaked and tried to get away. Ryoka stared at the rat.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. That\u2019s cruel.\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire girl gave Ryoka a long look. She opened her mouth and Ryoka slapped the rat out of her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cStop that.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She was no huge animal advocate, but Ryoka was definitely against cruelty and Fierre eating the rats did bother her. The Vampire girl sulkily got out some vomit-stained blood bags.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really hungry. Being blown up<\/em> makes you hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t know about that. Here\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka finished her creation. It was\u2026a handkerchief tied to a stick with some twine. She tossed it up and Fierre felt the wind blow<\/em>. She saw the little parachute open and the stick flew off. It flew towards the mansion\u2019s walls in the distance. Even Fierre\u2019s enhanced eyes lost it, but Ryoka grimly nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cIt went straight through.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDarn.<\/em> Well\u2014now what?\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka Griffin thought about this. If they couldn\u2019t see the Archmage\u2019s mansion, was it underground? Accessible only via teleportation? Or\u2026her eyes narrowed. She closed her eyes and felt for the wind.<\/p>\n \u201cAha.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unexpected.<\/em> The part of the woman\u2019s mind which was tracking the two was infinitesimally small. Basically only there to record and watch for dangers to her person. Even so\u2014the two\u2019s progress had defied the statistical norm.<\/p>\n They had found the invisible mansion without going for the fake one. Now\u2014they stood at the entrance, investigating carefully.<\/em><\/p>\n Somehow, they had found it. Though no magical resonance had occurred. A Skill? It was still within parameters.<\/p>\n After nearly twenty minutes of bickering, the two entered the front door. Which was, of course, not trapped. Just reinforced.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The door slammed shut<\/em> and it was at that moment that Ryoka Griffin knew she\u2019d been duped.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not designed to keep us out! It\u2019s designed to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHiyah!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre punched<\/em> the door as hard as she could. The impact was thunderous. The door\u2014which had no knob on the inside\u2014remained shut. Fierre shouted in pain.<\/p>\n \u201cAaah! That hurts so much!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019d hit the door hard.<\/em> But the enchanted wood didn\u2019t budge. Durene with her club? Ryoka shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in trouble, Fierre.\u201d<\/p>\n The two spun around. The opening to the mansion, which they\u2019d been investigating through the untrapped door\u2014was a long hallway.<\/p>\n Stone. The invisible mansion had been resting on the cliff\u2019s edge. Ryoka hadn\u2019t seen<\/em> any of it, just known it was there. The door had appeared and like idiots, they\u2019d gone in.<\/p>\n Now\u2014she saw faint scorch marks, detritus like empty potion bottles or glass\u2014evidence of other people having come through, waited here, and gone on, sometimes clearly having attempted to exit.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we\u2019re not the only ones who tried this. I doubt we can break out with our bare hands, Fierre.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about your acid?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t work on non-organic materials. Doubt it\u2019d do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Just to be sure, Ryoka glanced around the walls, floor, and at the door again. All stone, except for the enchanted door. Actually\u2026it might be stone too, just spelled to look like wood.<\/p>\n \u201cLike a damn dungeon. That\u2019s what this is. An Archmage\u2019s dungeon, only there\u2019s a living person controlling it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStatistically, that\u2019s how most dungeons come to be. Someone makes their own fortress, it gets buried or lost to time and bam, a thousand years later you have adventurers.\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre walked in front of Ryoka down the long hallway. Ryoka sighed. They were doing\u2014okay so far, but this felt like more and more of a mistake. Now she remembered, she had barely survived Az\u2019kerash and the High Passes! What made her think that meant she could just survive<\/em> this?<\/p>\n There was one door at the far end of the hallway. Ryoka Griffin and Fierre walked towards it warily.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, this time we\u2019re checking<\/em> this door. Maybe try to put a wedge in, so we can get out.\u201d<\/p>\n The two young woman clustered around the next door, which was pearly-white and had a little\u2026arch?…carved into the door. Ryoka frowned at it.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone has a sense of gamesmanship. That\u2019s either someone messing with our heads, or it\u2019s telling us what lies beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ll go first. No arguments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFierre\u2014I can\u2019t let you risk your life again. Let me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire girl grabbed Ryoka as she reached for the handle. Fierre held Ryoka by the shoulders seriously, looking up at her taller friend, then hugged her tight.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not losing my first Human friend. If anyone\u2019s going to be in trouble\u2014I have a better chance of surviving. No arguments.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned, and faster than Ryoka, yanked the door open. Fierre looked into the room filled with mirrors, took a deep breath, and stepped through.<\/p>\n \u201cFierre! Don\u2019t\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka moved, but an invisible barrier held her back. The door slammed shut.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Room of Similarities took out 14.2% of all intruders alone. And those who entered almost never left without serious damage, or needing to use the artifacts they\u2019d brought, or magic or a Skill. Of the intruders, 0.6% had ever left unscathed.<\/p>\n The first of the two walked into the room and Archmage Valeterisa\u2019s watching mind-segment stirred. If it could be said to be interested in the results\u2026it waited as the girl spun around from the closed door and raised her fists.<\/p>\n Both waited.<\/p>\n \u2026Nothing happened. The girl looked around. The Archmage\u2019s mind expected the mirrors to work. But\u2026something was wrong. An invalid template had entered the room. The Archmage tried to make sense of it and another of her parallel processes devoted itself to the puzzle. Of course, she only had magical data. If she could have seen the room, it would have been obvious.<\/p>\n The Vampire had no reflection.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFierre! Fierre! F\u2014<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The door opened and Fierre waved at Ryoka from the other side of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Ryoka, I think the trap\u2019s dead! Nothing happened!\u201d<\/p>\n She had opened the other door, which had released the magical lock on Ryoka\u2019s side. Fierre peered through the other corridor.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on!\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka spied the mirrors. She guessed what had happened.<\/p>\n \u201cFierre, it\u2019s the mirrors! You have no reflection<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire girl slapped her forehead.<\/p>\n \u201cDuh! Gah! I forget you people get reflected by mirrors!\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka opened and closed her mouth. Then she saw Fierre whirl.<\/p>\n \u201cHold on. Something just moved. I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She stepped through the door as Ryoka drew breath to tell her to wait. And the door slammed shut.<\/p>\n \u201cFierre!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka Griffin raced forwards, then felt the door slam shut. She was ready, though. She looked at the mirrors, drew a tripvine bag, and threw<\/em> it.<\/p>\n The magical vines burst in the air as Ryoka was reflected across all the mirrors. Ryoka would have settled for mud, but she hadn\u2019t time to make any with the water and sand in her bag of holding. Whatever was coming out of there\u2014<\/p>\n Ryoka saw herself in the mirrors as she braced, one hand holding a jar of acid, the other in her bag of holding. She saw\u2026nothing.<\/p>\n Just herself. The other Ryokas were tensed, ready to move. Ryoka Griffin stared at the vine-covered mirrors facing her. Four in all.<\/em> They were all large, segmented, covering a half of the room.<\/p>\n Nothing happened. Then\u2014one of the Ryoka\u2019s straightened. She turned to stare at herself. And then began to walk towards the mirror\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n Ryoka felt the hairs on her neck stand up.<\/em> She saw another Ryoka stand. And then the other two. They walked towards the edge of the mirror. Pushed out<\/em> of the glass. Three were blocked by the vines, and began to fight them. But the last exited. She raised her fists, and her face twisted in rage\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Room of Similarity was her finest work. The mirrors were actually all relic-class artifacts. But she had come up with the concept. Not only did the mirrors reflect the person trapped within, they created doppelgangers with the same spells, Skills\u2014the exact strength of their opponent.<\/p>\n And four?<\/em> Well, one was bad enough. But four opponents with your Skills and magical abilities and fighting style could overwhelm even experts.<\/p>\n Most people survived, of course. 79.3% progressed onwards, because they had gear, or potions or other items that the mirrors couldn\u2019t reflect. 6.5% turned around and refused to go further until they were forced to continue or captured.<\/p>\n The mirrors weren\u2019t perfect. They just took the base person\u2014the Courier had fought his reflections with spells but triumphed because he had healing and mana potions as well as artifacts.<\/p>\n But the Archmage had data about both intruders. Neither one was magically significant to her [Detect Aura] spells. One was\u2026odd. She had wind-element attributes and the other one was plain invisible. But neither was even close to Gold-rank threat levels. So her thought-processes, all two of them, expected the mirrors to triumph.<\/p>\n After all, even if the opponent could win, the psychological impact of fighting your reflection\u2014even killing<\/em> one took its toll. Few could just\u2014<\/p>\n The City Runner threw the first jar of acid in her doppelganger\u2019s face. The Archmage\u2019s thought processes halted as the first reflection went down in record time. The City Runner hit the second with a jar of acid\u2014the other two broke free of the vines and charged her.<\/p>\n They were as fast as she was. One kicked the young Human woman in the chest while the second swept her legs and tried to stomp on her face. That was an aggressive combat style. But neither one used Skills, which they should<\/em> have done. Neither did the young woman.<\/p>\n A third thought process joined the other two. That was so odd. Did she not have Sk\u2014<\/p>\n The young woman raised her hand as one of her clones raised a foot to stomp her face in. The air in the room hurled<\/em> the doppelganger into a wall and left red paste which faded after a few seconds. The second doppelganger tried to copy the gesture.<\/p>\n Nothing happened. The Archmage\u2019s three thoughts watched the City Runner blow the second one into the wall and then run over and kick the life out of herself. That was\u2026strange.<\/p>\n Just how had she done that? A Skill? But a Skill would be copied\u2026an artifact? But no magic had been\u2026<\/p>\n And meanwhile, the next<\/em> two traps had failed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The door swung open and Ryoka Griffin, panting, raised the jar of acid.<\/p>\n She saw Fierre, standing in the hallway, stomping on something which slithered away. A moving\u2026shadow?<\/p>\n \u201cFierre! Are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire spun. She stared at Ryoka; the City Runner had a growing bruise on her arm from where her clone had punched her.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka! What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoppelgangers. They got me. A classic.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka felt like it was. Fierre stared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou beat up yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFour of \u2018em. They didn\u2019t have my acid jars, thank g\u2014thank goodness.\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka shook her head. She was still shaken, a bit. But she\u2019d taken care of them fast. It hadn\u2019t been hard. Fierre shuddered at the thought.<\/p>\n \u201cFour of me\u2014how\u2019d you win? I\u2019d be so freaked out at killing<\/em> myself.\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cEh. Low self-esteem. That was actually sort of fun. I always wanted to punch myself in the face. And they couldn\u2019t command the wind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh. Okay\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire decided she needed to build up Ryoka more often. The City Runner was busy investigating the next hallway.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was attacked. Little\u2026shadow-things came out of the walls. Tried to grab my bag of holding\u2014well, they got it. But they didn\u2019t get me!\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre made a triumphant fist. She\u2019d lost her bag of holding, but more than one shadow familiar had been destroyed by the angry Vampire. None came to attack Ryoka now. The City Runner nodded.<\/p>\n She was tired.<\/em> The young woman looked around. This hallway stretched further with no door in sight.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like we passed the first test. We might be under attack again, so let\u2019s make a plan\u2014we could be in danger so\u2014so\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She yawned<\/em> hugely. Fierre stared at Ryoka.<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry. That just took it out of me. I shouldn\u2019t be so\u2014tired\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka yawned and realized something was wrong at the same time as Fierre. She grabbed the amulet.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not\u2014not a spell? Is it\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The soporific gas usually kicked in after the shadow familiar attack. The Archmage was satisfied to see it worked. The Runner collapsed as her friend watched. The Archmage waited\u2014the other girl hadn\u2019t taken any precautions against the gas that she could observe. She waited\u2026waited\u2026her three thought processes added a fourth as the Vampire girl looked around and cursed. And when the Runemark Golems came marching towards her, the little girl hit one hard enough to crack<\/em> the enchanted stone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Ryoka? Ryoka, wake up!\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka Griffin woke up a bit later with a dry taste in her mouth. She looked up and saw Fierre shaking her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhuh\u2014Fierre? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been asleep for the last ten minutes! Wake up\u2014I think I gave you the right antidote.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWh\u2014what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman rubbed at her head. She looked around blearily; the tonic that Fierre had applied was taking off the effects of whatever had put her to sleep, but she was still groggy.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was the air. Or maybe you got stung? I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t fall asleep?\u201d<\/p>\n The City Runner looked at Fierre and then remembered\u2014Fierre could grind up poisonous leaves without gloves on. She did it as one of her side jobs.<\/p>\n The Vampire grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cNope. Lucky for you I was here\u2014look at this.\u201d<\/p>\n She pointed and Ryoka saw four Golems. Well\u2014the remains of them.<\/p>\n They were like jigsaw puzzles. The Runemark Golems that Fierre identified them as were all made up of parts. An arm, a shoulder blade, a fist\u2014each one enchanted with a glowing, magical rune.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to destroy them. They\u2019re designed<\/em> to break easier than their actual bindings. So they can come back together. Recyclable foes. I dealt with them.\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre had taken one of Ryoka\u2019s tripvines and used it to web the pieces to prevent them coming together. Ryoka looked at the Vampire.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you beat all four?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI punched them. I told<\/em> you it works! But uh\u2014it took a while.\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre rubbed at her cheek. She\u2019d gone several rounds with the Runemark Golems while Ryoka napped; only her Vampiric toughness and endurance had let her win.<\/p>\n \u201cThose boxing punches you taught Alber actually helped. A bit. You shoulda seen it! I gave one a hook, and then I did that counter thing\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n She broke off as Ryoka grabbed her friend and hugged her.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you.<\/em> That\u2019s for earlier. Let\u2019s not get separated again, shall we? If we go forwards\u2014we go together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? But going one at a time works. You\u2019re the weak link here.\u201d<\/p>\n That was true. Ryoka had been saved by Fierre after escaping a trap that had passed the Vampire by. Now though, the City Runner wanted to make up the difference.<\/p>\n \u201cI can at least help our progress here. You take my amulet; you can react faster so you\u2019ll see something if we\u2019re on top of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. What will you do?\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka concentrated. She closed her eyes and the dead air in the hallways pushed forwards. She sensed the corridor ahead. The connecting passages, the air coming under a secret hallway, a pit trap\u2014she opened her eyes, inhaled, and pushed.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWind fist!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She punched<\/em> and the wind blasted down the corridor. It set off one trap door which opened up seamlessly ahead of Fierre. The Vampire girl blinked at Ryoka. The two stood there and Ryoka turned beet red.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026\u2018wind fist\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m trying to fake a Skill. How does [Wind Fist] sound?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEh, I like [Gale Fist] more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood point. I was just copying this\u2026guy. Who shouts his own name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuy? What guy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEr, I met him in Liscor. He\u2019s cool. He\u2019s this Drake [Spearmaster]\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2026named Relc.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Four of the Archmage\u2019s processes listened. Now the intruders were in a more open, labyrinthine area, she had periodic spells to listen to them. They moved out of her \u2018earshot\u2019 and she noted the fragment of conversation for later automatically, saving the data in her memory, as it were.<\/p>\n Then her process realized she had far, far<\/em> too much conversation saved and deleted the scrap since the term \u2018Relc\u2019 had turned up nothing in her knowledge banks.<\/p>\n Four of her thoughts\u2014a whole 10%\u2014were now devoted to their progress. Even as she was, Valeterisa loved a good statistical anomaly.<\/p>\n And the two young women were that. Not only were they dodging most of the traps with ease, they had a unique skillset that allowed them to navigate the area.<\/p>\n One of them, the tall one who looked Drathian, was clearly using the wind somehow. With a Skill? She had used it to sense the layout of the labyrinth completely. She was headed for the door and avoiding or anticipating most of the traps that had any noticeable tells, like the fake wall with the spider-summoning artifact.<\/p>\n Not that there was any good route that let you avoid traps. Who would do that? The Archmage saw the smaller girl leap at the spiders just in time for the rune spell to activate.<\/p>\n The spell should<\/em> have locked down her muscles so the [Furry Spiders] summoned by the spell could overwhelm her, but the little girl just ran through it and punched the spiders to death. She ripped off a leg, dodged a leaping spider\u2014<\/p>\n She was as strong and fast as a Gold-rank [Warrior]! Some kind of [Brawler]? She waved at her friend. The City Runner jogged forwards\u2014and fell on her face as the rune trap got her.<\/em><\/p>\n Strange.<\/em> The other girl dragged her friend to safety, killing a shadow familiar that went after the bag of holding. The familiar\u2019s remnants vanished, to be reformed in the binding chamber. The entire dungeon was designed to be reused; no sense in temporary constructs that needed replacing.<\/p>\n The Archmage\u2019s four processes combined were enough to note details about the intruders, like their appearances. And even have a bit of emotion\u2014curiosity. The two had gone through the second layer with ease, navigating all the traps designed to slow them down while the gas worked.<\/p>\n By rights they should have been stripped of their belongings, affected by the gas and proceeding fights, and worn down for the third layer\u2019s trap. They were not, and the Chamber of Insanity, which had gotten the Courier<\/em> awaited down a door they were reluctant to enter.<\/p>\n The Archmage\u2019s thoughts tracked them. But they did not summon more processes. The two might bypass this room, which would be interesting to see.<\/p>\n Yes\u2026interesting.<\/p>\n But there was still no chance they\u2019d make it to her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The door was incredibly suspicious to Fierre and Ryoka. But they knew it was a trap; the spiral on the doorway indicated to Ryoka that it might be some mental effect.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we should go in together. Or let me. I\u2019m good with mind stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n The City Runner couldn\u2019t tell Fierre about Teriarch\u2019s geas, but the Vampire girl was adamant.<\/p>\n \u201cVampire. Ryoka, when has being a Vampire not worked for me in this place?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Well, once we get outside, one of us can go sunbathing.\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre shoved Ryoka, but gently.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one makes traps for my kind anymore, Ryoka. Look, I\u2019ll go in. We\u2019ll try to block the door, but there\u2019s a stupid barrier spell. I go in, and\u2026well, we\u2019ll see. Okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Fine. Just be careful. I can\u2019t use the wind; the doors are airtight. Just go in, and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.<\/em> Okay. But take one of my healing potions. You\u2019re out. Actually, take two. And\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Fierre rolled her eyes, but she took two potions and entered the door. It swung shut behind her; Ryoka waited.<\/p>\n And waited.<\/p>\n And\u2026<\/p>\n After four minutes, Ryoka had heard nothing. But after four minutes, the door swung open. Ryoka saw someone standing in the pitch-black room.<\/p>\n \u201cFierre?\u201d<\/p>\n The Vampire girl was stock-still. Motionless. Ryoka knew something was wrong. Fierre was audible now\u2014mumbling.<\/p>\n \u201c…said you\u2019d come back\u2026Mom, Dad, someone for dinner\u2026can\u2019t drink another drop\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFierre?\u201d<\/p>\n The City Runner hesitated. Fierre was in the center of the room. Something was very wrong. Ryoka knew she should back up. She stepped forwards\u2014<\/p>\n Caught herself.<\/p>\n No.<\/em> Something was wrong. It was a fool\u2019s idea to go in there. If the room was open\u2014Ryoka summoned the wind.<\/p>\n The Vampire girl stumbled as the wind blew at her back, a blast of air meant to knock her out. But she caught herself.<\/p>\n \u201cFierre! <\/em>Come on!\u201d<\/p>\n Ryoka shouted. The wind had activated the room. The darkness lifted for a second and Ryoka saw glowing runes, etched on every surface\u2014she closed her\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n