Dare We Hope?

*Heavy Knocking* "Master Marius!" *Heavy Knocking* "Master Marius!"

Hrngh. Huh, is it morning already? I can't tell. Ever since the Nether miasma has clouded the sky 15 years ago, Solus has never graced the world with bright and warm glory. The Solar Lamps are the only lights that remain to illuminate the haven, including the farm lands. A good thing too. If not for Solar Lamps, we would have not been able to grow anything. And that means we will starve. And we will starve to death.

*Heavy Knocking* "Master Marius!" *Heavy Knocking* "Master Marius!"

Banish, you morbid thoughts. What was it? Oh, yes. Someone is knocking on my door. What time is it? It's the 2nd hour after midnight. What the Blazing Hells is someone disturbing my sleep in this ungodly hour.

*Pounding on the Door* Master Marius!"Master Marius!" *More Pounding on the Door*

"Quiet down, you! Stop that incesant shouting and pounding on my door." I shouted at my 2nd floor window, attracting the attention of the youth. Female, huh. Well at least she's pretty. Not like that dumb oaf that disturbed my sleep last time.

"Master Marius! I apologize for the disturbance. But I must bring you to the Great Hall with all due haste. The entire council is awake and waiting for you there."

"What in the Deep Hells the council is meeting now of all times! They could have waited until morning!"

"I cannot tell anything you more, Master Marius. I truly don't know anything else. But they say that you are one of the very few people that has any experience in this matter. They even sent someone else to wake Master Grumman, and that is a task I wouldn't wish on even my worst enemy."

Wake Grumman up? At this ungodly hour. What madness is this? (Though I would pay handsomely to see that happen, and the epic beatdown he will unleash.) The only thing that may need both us is on our expertise on dung....

Do I... Is it... Is it happening... Have they really found a dung...

"Master Marius!"

"Yes... Yes, I'm coming! Just let me change into something decent and we'll be off. Or do you want me to go there half-naked?"

"Um, ye... I mean, no Master Marius, that will be indecent." He, he. Still got it. Just like Aiyana when we...

"Master Marius!"

"Oh, right. Wait for me. Give me a few minutes."

--------------------------------------

Great Hall

"Have you found it?"

"We don't know." Councilor Kansur replies to me. An elf, Elf'thane or High Elf to be exact. A man of few words. A very reserved man, highly respectful and respected of his fellow beings. Very weird, considering that the Elf'thane are the more egotistic and narcissistic of all the races in Ehritrinia.

"What do you mean 'YOU DON'T KNOW'!?"

"What Councilor Kansur means is that we are not sure if it is what we are looking for or not. All the signs point to it as real, but the scouts was not able to verify before a Nether Tide blanketed the entire area." Councilor Hessane, a female Felinid beastkin, replies. Calm and collected. Another oddity considering the Felinid are the most rambunctious of all races. Even seen a little kid in maximum sugar high? Multiply that by ten and you get your average Felinid.

Hmm... maybe there is some truth to that rumor about Kansur and Hessane.

"Then why are we here at this Gods-forsaken hour yapping at each other for?" Sevillt, another councilor asked. As slimy as any self-aggrandizing bootlicker can be. Fitting as he a Morlock. Think of a very slimy toad that learned to stand upright. With a bulging throat and a very low intelligence for the race, I never know how he reached quite a high position here in Trevellen.

"Because Master Marius and Master Grumman are the only remaining dungeon experts here in Trevellen. There are some other experts out there, but it will take days, if not weeks, for them to come here. So, they are the only ones who can verify if the dungeon is real or not. Luckily, the Nether Tide comes and leave the area in a regular pattern. If you leave today, you will reach the area just after the Nether Tide leaves." Kansur answers.

I looked at one of the people seated to the side. Grumman, quiet and brooding in his seat. That bodes ill for anyone. Then he stood up and began speaking.

"So ye bludy bashtards wek me in de meedle of the noight. To tell us dat ye found a bludy dunjun. Well Ah'll be... Marius, ye bludy bashtard! Ah all but geven up hope dat we find one. And now we deyd. By Haldorf's Beard, dis colls for a celebrayshun!" (So you bloody bastards wake me in the middle of the night. To tell us that you found a bloody dungeon. Well I'll be.... Marius, you bloody bastard. I all but given up hope that we find one. And now we did. By Haldorf's Beard, this calls for a celebration!)

And he smiled. With teeth. And a berserker only smiles like that when he finds something - or someone - to kill. The last time I saw him smile like that is when a minor noble tried to force us to evacuate him and his household. And his riches. A minor noble like should not have that obscene amount of gold and treasures. Even a Tern will look twice at it.

"Not yet Grumman. We still have to check if the dungeon is real or not. Then if it's real, you can drink yourself. Like always."

"Hah, dat's a fine idea. Ah'll drink inside de dunjun. Gud ding I shtell have dat bottle of rum ye gave me." (Hah, that's a fine idea. I'll drink inside the dungeon. Good thing I still have that bottle of rum you gave me.)

"And I thought you drank up all the alcohol in you stash. Wait, where do you get your booze? I know that brewing any alcoholic beverages is highly regulated."

"Well, Ah mek me own booze, ya git. From mushrooms. Grew dem meself. Tashtes roil bad, but id gets me drunk roilly good." (Well, I make my own booze, ya git. From mushrooms. Grew them myself. Tastes real bad, but it gets me drunk really good.)

*Cough* "Masters, if you will?" Kansur interjects.

"Sorry. Continue, councilman."

Hessane was the to speak. "You will accompany a supply caravan leaving for Crensham this afternoon, reaching the Broken Blade Pass when the Nether miasma there will be at its thinnest. Then you will proceed to Barrowmeen Waystation. From there you will travel to the area where the dungeon is located. The scout team that discovered the dungeon will accompany you Masters, so you won't get lost."

"And den?" (And then?)

"And then we will know if the world can be saved or not." I said.

I hope.