Mash woke up early in the morning, the sun having not fully risen. This was when he normally awoke and would usually go for a run or start an exercise. Today, he decided he just wanted to go to sleep again. Eyes drooping downwards, and the blanket snuggly rubbing against his chin, he tried to fall asleep again. They had been up late trading stories with the other group of adventurers, learning much of their pasts and who they were now. He thought on what they had told him, of the fantastical places that were open only to their kind. Apparently, most races, humans included, would horde dungeons to themselves, the capital having two dungeons within it.

The labyrinth they had gotten into by accident was typically only available to elves. It rested within one of their towns, and without explicit permission, he would not be able to enter it. The dungeon was known as the snake labyrinth by the elves, named after its well-known caretaker. As they told them of their own escapades through the dungeon, Iviran repeated his warning about avoiding such creatures in the future. It was well known among the elves that the snake was not friendly, usually corrupting the minds of whomever encountered it. He was easily avoidable though, many paths usually led away from the creature. There were even tricks to know if the creature was along the path, you were on. The one thing they did not know was the creatures name, and Iviran was happy to learn of it.

The three of them had been in a long-time party, each of them above gold ranked. With plenty of stories to tell, they talked into the night. They had given them several recommendations for dungeons, or locations where many monsters lived. Mash had not told them of how dungeons were other worlds, believing that it was being kept secret for a reason. After learning why kids didn’t allocate their stats when younger, Mash realized that he needed to do a lot more research before breaking any rules.

As his thoughts wandered, his hunger grew, and he forced himself to get up. No point in wasting the morning even if the bed called to him. This inn was far fancier than he expected from the density of its occupants, and he was glad for that fact now. Each room had its own bathroom, water and heating crystals available for him to clean himself. There was even a larger bath available for him to use, and he enjoyed relaxing in the hot water. Its warmth even more enveloping than the bed had been. Still, he resisted the temptation, getting up and dressing himself. He never bothered changing the design of his mending clothes, only changing the color to match the marks on his skins. Once dressed and cleaned, he realized that he needed to cut his hair. It had grown unruly, and he cut it simply, just short enough to stop it from being a tangled mess.

With his morning prep out of the way, he made his way down the stairs. Luke was still sleeping soundly, and he left without making any noise, letting Luke get his rest. Despite the fun of the previous night, Luke still seemed shaken by the events with Leah. Mash thought about talking to him about it but thought that he should give him some space. As he stepped into the hall, he remembered his new mask, this time only donning the top portion to cover his transformations. It would help him get about town during the day.

Entering the tavern portion of the inn, he found Ivarin standing behind the counter. He didn’t look the least bit tired, despite probably having gone to bed later than Mash had. Mash vaguely remembered something about elves and their unique sleeping habits, but he didn’t really know what that meant. Well, he was glad for it, taking a seat at the now empty counter. Not many people were up at this time, and most found quiet seats among the tables.

Taking a seat, he noticed another person at the counter next to him. He didn’t notice her at first, an illusion had hidden her until he got closer. Sitting there casually, Zisha was eating some food for herself. Smells of meat wafted over from her plate, and he asked Ivarin for the same as her and double the servings. Ivarin ordered the food made, unflinching to his eating habits. He asked Priscilla if she needed to eat, but she merely said that he was consuming food for the both of them now. He guessed that meant his appetite would grow as she made more bodies.

“Were the rooms to your liking?”

Ivarin started a casual conversation, handing Mash something to drink. Taking a sip of the drink, he was pleased by the sweetness of the juice. It had a deep, golden-brown color, and was surprisingly refreshing. Chilled with magic, it felt soothing as it flowed down his throat. Mash only spoke after drinking the glass in its entirety, Ivarin already handing mash a larger bottle of the juice.

“They were amazing, especially the bath. You know what, despite having a fortune in my pocket, this was the first time I truly felt rich.”

He didn’t know why, but the other two started chuckling softly. Even with his mask on, they must have sensed his confusion. Zisha responding while stifling her laugh.

“You just reminded us of ourselves, many years ago, when we believed we had become rich. Adventuring will show you the truth, money comes and goes like water. I must ask though, what are your plans moving forward, it sounded like your last dungeon experience was less than pleasant.”

Her clear voice only made her sound ever more knowing. Again, he wondered what her age might be, but even with all the stories he had heard from them, he lacked any estimations. He thought then about her question, but didn’t really have an answer, only a general guideline of what they planned to do. His voice conveyed his own uncertainty.

“We were going to rest for a bit, then find another dungeon to explore, I guess.”

“May I offer a recommendation? I feel that I need to ask, knowing how most adventurers do not like to receive advice from their predecessors.”

Hearing her response, Mash realized that it was true. He had certainly acted that way with his father in the final months before leaving home. As he was considering the request, the food came out. A large plate of assorted meats were laid out before him, not a speck of anything else on the plate. It was all cooked well and smelled delicious, and he began stuffing his face immediately. His favorite pieces were the sausages links, which had a surprising amount of heat to them. It made his tongue tingle, but the juice quickly soothed the burn, letting him enjoy the flavors. He nodded his head, unable to speak with the mouthful of food.

“Good. From what you have told us, it sounds like you haven’t properly grown as a group, let alone spent time training. Don’t get me wrong, you have reached the same conclusion as many adventurers, using your free stats as you received them, though it’s not often spoken of. Despite the training not doing much for your stats, it is still wise to get familiar with your full range of combat abilities, both individually and as a group. I recommend visiting the capital, and getting some training done at the guild there. It’s facilities and mentors are highly capable, and you should find them quite useful.”

She paused giving Mash time to think of her words, and what they implied. It seemed like his big revelation to use his free stats early wasn’t really all that big. From her tone, it sounded like most adventurers would come to that conclusion at some point. He didn’t mind the advice either. Despite her giving it to him like a lecture, he found himself understanding. Even if they didn’t spend a long-time training, a week or two to learn more about their abilities sounded reasonable. He wondered if he was to blame for their struggles with the previous dungeon. Practically having pushed them into it, he never really gave them the opportunity to learn their skills. He figured that they were gaining levels quickly and could stop to do that after several class advancements, but that seemed foolish now. Having someone state the obvious to him, was not a very pleasant experience.

“It seems like you are smart enough to recognize good advice at the very least. I can get you to the capital quickly if that is what you wish, just think of it as repayment for the information on the great snake of the labyrinth, or rather the “String of Fate” as you revealed. The elves back home, were quite eager to meet one marked by the creature, so I would request you visit my homeland one of these days. There is no need to rush though, we elves live a long time. Simply, think of it as further payment for the teleportation.”

It was said so casually that Mash almost overlooked it himself, but Ivarin’s final words broke the illusion.

“Teleportation!”

Yelling loudly, Mash choked on the food that was in his mouth. Ivarin was capable enough with space magic to teleport them directly to the capital! That was something he thought was reserved exclusively for nobles or armies. A teleportation like this would be well out of his budget normally, and he had to feel a little suspicious of Ivarin’s generosity. Mash already wanted to visit the elven kingdoms, so his request didn’t change much there, but he needed to check with his friends. He wasn’t sure if he could just accept Ivarin’s words and wanted to get more opinions on the matter.

“You shouldn’t offer to teleport someone so freely, Iva. You know that it would seem suspicious, even I would assume you have something nefarious planned.”

Visha was chastising Ivarin, and their conversation eased Mash a little. Still, he was not able to fully accept their words, he had already agreed to many decisions in haste, and he still needed to talk with the others anyways. Priscilla told him to accept the offer, that he was indeed misusing the power he had available, not to mention her own capabilities. Having cleaned his plate at this point, he excused himself.

“I’m going to go talk to the others, ask them what they want to do. Could I get some food for them?”

Laughing at something Visha had said, Ivarin easily brought out the requested meals, mostly just breads with some jams and cream. Mash happily scooped up the food, noticing that there was more food than reasonable. Grinning, Mash started chewing on a piece of fruit as he made his way towards the others.

Heading down the hallway towards their rooms, he decided to wake up Red and Jill first. Luke would be easier to wake up, and might already be awake, considering the time. Knocking on their door, he called out to them so that they knew who he was.

“We’re awake, just give us a second.”

He could hear their response through the door, relieved to find them awake. The second dragged on, but Red did open the door fairly quickly. She closed it immediately, a question coming through the door, her words filled with hostility.

‘Who are you?”

“It’s me Mash.”

At first he was confused, but then remembered that he was wearing his mask still. She opened the door again, more slowly this time, Jill standing behind her ready for a fight. Once they got a good look at him, they realized that he was indeed himself. Red immediately flipped a switch, smiling when she saw the food in his hand. She tried to snatch the platter away from him, but he moved it out of the way, turning towards his own room.

“Come on, we can eat in my room, I have something to talk about with everyone.”

She followed him after hearing his words, but he could make out some grumbling behind her. Jill making a comment about luring them with food, as she caught up to them. Opening his own door, he found Luke awake, reading a book silently. When he saw them, he also tried taking some of the food. Mash didn’t stop them from eating anymore, setting the food down on a nearby table. While they ate, he told them of Ivarin’s proposal. They obviously held the same suspicions as he did, their faces frozen as he finished his retelling. Curious to hear their thoughts on the matter, Now, he waited for their response, letting them process the information.