High pitched screeching came from a rusted, metallic, bearded head as I stomped on it with my foot while slashing sideways with my ax to keep the rest away.

"They are slow! Attack them from behind!" I shouted as I jumped backward out of the way of a metallic arm covered in rust. Blue lightning in their eyes, the three metal-dwarfs slowly turned my way and shuffled forward.

"Easy for you to say," Candlewick roared as she sliced across a metal arm. Her knife drew a deep gash across the metal, and more blue lightning rippled out of it, but the one-armed metal dwarf didn't slow down. Instead, he grabbed for her weapon arm. Candlewick moved her free hand in a flitting gesture, and she slid backward as if she was pulled by ropes.

I looked around quickly to find that only one other dwarf was downed, and a dozen were swarming towards us from the castle.

Libidi and Dibidi stood next to it, one drawing the attention of a dwarf as the other circled around. At this rate, it would take a while, but we wouldn't have a problem taking out these dwarves. No, the problem wasn't those few from the castle. The problem was the dozens of lumbering shapes that came from the buildings around us, blue lightning eyes everywhere. A quick look behind showed more blue eyes from the way we had come here.

No more from the castle, I thought as a plan formed in my head.

"Follow me," I roared and jumped forward, slashing at the dwarf ahead of me. I felt only a bit of resistance as the ax blade cleaved through its body from its shoulder to its crotch, and a fizzling explosion came from inside as the two halves split, then shot apart. I stepped through it, ignoring the occasional sparks, jumped left and decapitated one dwarf with a horizontal blow, spun around, ducked, and removed the legs from another one. With the three rusted metal dwarves gone, a small opening appeared in their line.

"Run to the castle," I shouted as I moved left, attacking the next dwarf in the line.

Libidi and Dibidi were the first to move, slashing one of the dwarfs along the neck while nimbly dodging its grasping hands. It crashed to the ground behind them, a jagged bolt of lightning erupting from the open wound.

Candlewick and her rogues were back up, looking to the castle, the few dwarves, and the hordes behind us.

"Candlewick, move!" I roared.

The one-eyed rogue looked at me, took a quick look at a nearby building, then gritted her teeth and nodded. With effortless ease her tongue clacked and plopped rapidly, and the group rushed forward, barely making it through the dwarves and towards the castle. As soon as all of them were through, I turned and ran after them to the castle.

The castle's doors were wide open and Libidi and Dibidi ran in without a care. I didn't see anything else to oppose us. Libidi shouted something as she turned from the entrance and began backing up. I didn't hear what she said, but four steps from the entrance, I saw a line of small angular shapes—runes—lining the floor and sides of the entrance. As I jumped over them, the sound from outside fell away like at the entrance to the underground.

I turned around, moving into an ax stance that would allow me to stop most of the slow things from passing me. A mass of blue eyes stared at me from the dark, unmoving.

"What the," I muttered as the figures oddly turned before shambling away. Candlewick stepped beside me, a quick glance showing she was following the withdrawal with quiet surprise. It took a while, but eventually, all of the shapes were gone, the streets once again empty except for the five heaps of dwarven rust.

"They can't enter," Candlewick hissed beside me.

Can't, or won't, I thought, keeping my worry to myself.

I took a deep breath, then blew it out through my nose and looked around. The rogues were all still slightly out of breath, standing behind us with daggers ready. To my surprise, Dibidi and Libidi were moving deeper into the building. I looked around, finally noting that we were in a single, massive room with an odd gateway standing on a pedestal at the back. Next to it stood a tall pillar covered in runes.

A portal? I thought as I turned to Candlewick. "I'm going to inspect this place. Can one of your rogues keep an eye on this entrance?"

"Rogues?" Candlewick whispered as she looked at me in surprise. Then she shook and nodded. "Yes. We need to find a way out of here."

I didn't reply as I turned and headed deeper into the room. Libidi and Dibidi were standing next to the rune-covered pillar and looked up as I joined them. The thing was stone, but of another type, as was the doorway two steps beside it. One glimpse at the runes showed they weren't in any language I could read. Dibidi went back to examining the pillar, then I realized he wasn't only examining it. He was reading it!

"You can read that?"

"We learned a few of... languages," Libidi said, catching herself before she said something she shouldn't.

"We aren't in Boglodon yet," Dibidi said as he looked up at me with his cold blue eyes. "This is just the entrance, the city around us is just a defensive barrier."

It took me a second to process what he had said, but as soon as I did, I looked back at the entrance. I could barely make out some of the streets beyond. So that had all been the entrance? Looking back at the portal, I thought back to what Rathica had said. Only a Prime with a guiding marker could find it. I called up my map, and to my surprise, there was a detailed map of a massive keep on it. I was standing in the center building, and a small red dot was blinking in front of me.

I felt like slapping my head for not checking earlier.

"Does it say how to open it?"

Dibidi shook his head. "It's a message." He frowned as he pointed at the top line and began reading.

"If this thing still stands here, it means we didn't survive to remove it. So, to you trespassers who read this: By the elder's beard, how dare you stand on that spot! Had we still been here, we'd have locked you in the deepest dungeon to rot for a decade! May you choke on the riches of my race that you pilfer… but know this! The true Boglodon, the realm below the dirt, is locked to you! I spit in the eye of all, especially those Guidar, misguided fake beings. May you all join us in the Eternal Chaos!"

My mouth hung open as I stared at Dibidi. He had read the message with verve and feeling as if he was the one to write it, and for a few moments, his face had turned lively. Now it turned back to a cold facade, and he gazed up.

"A bit of a warning… how do we get in?"

I shrugged then moved towards the portal, noticing a large rune carved on the pedestal right before the entrance. Carefully, I placed my foot on it, and a sharp ping came from my status window. I yanked my foot back as a rumbling came from the portal, and dust fell from it and the ceiling. Right away, the rumbling stopped, and only the dust wafting down showed it had actually happened.

Now what, I thought as I pulled up my status information.

> Rathica's marker dissipated

> You have connected with a masterwork transportation rune

> A message lock rests on it… message playing!

I started as the status window disappeared, and I heard someone scrape their throat.

"Right, is this piece of Pilfer dung on? Yeah? Good. Right, listen up, you Prime. I don't know how you survived, but if you didn't get incinerated just now, you aren't from one of those fuckers. That means either our plan worked, or a long time has passed and a new Deity has formed. It's probably too much to hope that it's a dwarf. Whatever it may be, if you read this, we are all gone. I hope there are a ton of bones around this portal… but who knows."

I was staring dumbly at the portal, then noticed that Libidi was standing beside me, asking me if I was alright.

"Wait," I hissed, focusing on the raspy voice that started again.

"We locked Boglodon so those artificial metal Skolnis wouldn't get in. There are a few more presents after you enter, but I'll not spoil those for you. If you don't make it, I'll buy yah a Barubian beer in the great chaos inn realm!"

A soft click came, then the voice was gone, and I looked at the portal.

That was… useless? I thought as I wondered what the hell a chaos inn realm was supposed to be. A beer would be welcome, though.

"Brew?"

I looked up to find Candlewick and the rest looking at me.

"There was a message for Primes on that thing," I said as I pointed at the rune on the ground before me. "But Dibidi is correct. This isn't Boglodon. We need to go through the portal, and apparently, there are… surprises… down there."

"Are you crazy?" the youngest rogue hissed as she looked at me.

She turned to Candlewick and began clicking and plopping. I didn't have to understand the language to realize she was telling Candlewick to renege on our deal. I shared a look with Dibidi and Libidi, who slowly moved closer to me. More rogues began adding to the conversation, and to my surprise, the thick-armed rogue stepped beside Candlewick together with two others while the rest moved beside the youngest rogue. The atmosphere quickly intensified as the clicking took on a threatening tone.

"Enough," Candlewick snapped. She took a shuddering breath, then looked at the younger rogue. "Esmyr, you are a fool, and not because you are breaking your word to a Prime! The only strength we have is in numbers, and you have just reduced that."

The young rogue, Esmyr, I presumed, hissed, clicked, and plopped again before looking at me. She put her hand on the Basilwood dagger and sneered.

"We are leaving. We brought you to the ruins, scouted it, and did as we said. Our deal ends here."

I raised my eyebrows, took a look at Candlewick, and saw she was glaring at Esmyr. Then I looked at the opening behind them and shook my head.

"I think you are making a big mistake."

"What? Do you think you can stop us? I've seen you fight! You are fast, but not fast enough to stop us if we want to flee!" Esmyr hissed as she backed up. "I hereby decree our deal done, and we will leave. With the Basilwood weapons," she added, shoving the knife deeper into its scabbard.

"You can say what you want," I said as I took a few steps forward and put the ax on my shoulder. "But we both know you are weaseling your way out of it instead of holding the bargain."

Esmyr snorted, her voice turning into a mock version of mine. "I need some of you to scout out where Boglodon is and the others to guard the survivors." She backed up until she was at the exit of the building. "We scouted out the entrance, guarded the survivors outside, and helped you find that portal," she said, pointing at the stone doorway.

I clenched my teeth hard as I realized I had botched the wording. I never told them where to stay until we got the survivors safely inside or exactly where they were inside. Libidi and Dibidi stood beside me, coldly staring at the rogues, and Candlewick and the four with her seemed ready to explode. It was us seven versus ten of them. Should I stop them? And then what? Force them to fulfill what I actually wanted them to do? After a second, I took a deep breath and lowered my ax, putting the blades on the ground and leaning on the tip of the handle with one of my elbows.

"Piss off," I said with a growl, feeling tired and angry.

Esmyr laughed and turned out of the doorway. "Better think about what you want some more if you ever make a deal in the future," she said before she jumped through the doorway.

I glared after her. If I meet you again, you better hope you don't need my help, I thought as vindictive ideas filled my head.

The other rogues turned and followed Esmyr one by one, a few taking a pained look at Candlewick before leaving. The old woman who'd angrily told me she wouldn't sleep with me was last, and she hesitated. She and Candlewick shared a long, intense look, then she took one more look at me, sniffed, and disappeared into the city. Candlewick's shoulders lowered, and she stared at the ground for a moment. Then she turned to me, dully staring through me as if I wasn't there.

"Why didn't you leave with them?" I finally said.

Candlewick seemed to shake awake, and she blinked a bit before she snorted. She took a deep breath then shook her head. "Don't hold a grudge."

Her words took me by surprise.

"I'll stay here and make sure to guard those survivors as long as you promise to leave them be in the future," she continued.

I looked at her, and slowly I realized what was going on. She was afraid of me… or perhaps of what I stood for. Did she think I would hunt them down?

I might, I thought, and I finally realized my hands were hurting slightly. They were gripping the edge of my ax blade, the knuckles white, while my teeth were clenched so tight my jaw hurt. I took a deep breath of air and released my death grip on the ax. Then I opened my mouth and moved my jaw left and right, relieving some of the tension and probably looking stupid in the process.

"I can't believe they just left, leaving these people to their possible doom," I said, my voice coming out in a croak.

A flash of pain and regret shot across Candlewick's eyes before it faded together with fear I'd not noticed was there. Her normal, stoic look returned.

"Each of them has had a hard life, Esmyr more than most of them. They-"

"Don't stand up for them," the bare-armed woman hissed from the side. She looked at Candlewick with a mix of anger and sadness. "Your life, my life, neither was any easier! Those people out there? I couldn't care less about them! But Esmyr, Doalis, and the others… they just left us! We went through—GAH!"

She growled as she stomped on the ground. "They just left us," she shouted as he moved towards the door entrance and slammed the gleaming pommel of her shortsword against the stone, causing chips to fall down.

The other two rogues that had stayed looked at her. One of them, a simple-looking woman who could have stood on any city square as a merchant lady, rubbed her eyes, then gripped Candlewick's shoulder.

"I'll talk to her," she whispered.

Candlewick nodded while the last of the remaining rogues moved to stand beside her. She was quiet, her face unremarkable, except for her eyes. Those were too small to be pretty and intensely black. They were also scrunched up and slightly red.

Seeing Candlewick's shoulders still slumped, I sighed, wondering what their story was. I'd wanted to ask. But not right now.

Casiron. Most of those rogues abandoned us and are heading back your way.

A wave of surprise was followed by a barely concealed anger.

They left you there? Are you alright? Casiron growled. Shall I stop them? I can incapacitate them and-

No. Let them pass… We are fine, I said.

Some part of me wanted Casiron to do it, but one look at Candlewick told me it was the right thing to let them go. For now.

Let them go, but if they try to take anything, stop them. If they attack you... I let my message trail off, but the murderous intent that came back to me from Casiron told me they wouldn't like it if they tried.

I turned to Candlewick. "I've told Casiron to let them pass unless they try to steal things."

Candlewick held my gaze for a moment as if she was trying to determine if I was telling the truth. Then she nodded. "Thanks."

Yeah, I thought. I knew she was trying to help, but I wish she'd told me that my wording was going to end up biting me in the ass. I turned to Libidi and Dibidi, done with the rogue for now.

"What can you tell me about this portal?"

The two Isirow shared a look, then Dibidi glanced at Candlewick so quickly I barely noticed. As if it hadn't happened, he turned to me. "Not much. It was inactive before, but I can sense something from it now. It should be functioning."

"Wait, you can sense magic?" I blurted out in surprise.

"We both can," Libidi said. "It's why we were… sent here."

I looked at them both. They wanted to tell me something but didn't trust Candlewick. Probably a smart choice. I thought for a moment, then turned to Candlewick. She was gazing at a wall, but as soon as I turned to her, her eyes snapped to me and focused.

"We are going through the portal. This place isn't safe for the refugees, but perhaps what lies beyond the portal is, or can be. If we aren't back in ten minutes, head outside. I'll contact you through Casiron."

"Are you crazy?" the muscled rogue said from the door. "You have no idea what is down there!"

"We will do as you say," Candlewick said, ignoring the other.

I nodded, not sure whether I should thank her and not feeling like it. I moved to the portal, and after a moment's hesitation stepped on the rune. There was no new message, but the inside of the stone doorway turned misty. Within a moment, it was as if I was staring at a dense fogbank, the tendrils drifting slightly out from the portal.

I'm going through the portal, I told Casiron. If something happens, I might need your help. Be ready to change bodies… you can still do that, right?

He was quiet for a moment, and then Casiron sighed. I can, but I'd prefer not to. Try and stay out of too much trouble?

Didn't Rathica say your kind is notoriously good at getting into trouble? I retorted.

Just bad luck, Casiron replied, but I sensed something more, painful memories that he tried to suppress. If you need me and have another body, it might take me some time to reach you. Don't expect instant help.

Got it, I said.

"I'm going in. Follow me after a few seconds," I said before stepping forward.

I'm not sure what I had expected. Blackness? A sense of travel?

I was surrounded by a cold mist that wrapped around me, and for a moment, it felt as if I was being hugged by a fluffy, snowy cloud. Then I stepped out into a large, pitch-black room. Confused by the darkness, I took one step forward when a bit of a draft tickled my cheek, and I instinctively ducked and raised my ax. Something slammed into it with a clang of metal against metal, knocking me sideways like a ragdoll. I stuck out my two left arms to keep from skidding across the ground, the rough stone grinding across my palm as I looked around.

What was up with my dark vision? Why couldn't I see anything?

Something slid across the ground from where I'd just been, and the sense of a massive body moving towards me made my hairs stand on end. Without thinking, I raised my three free arms and fired into the blackness. Three pings came, and then there was a soft growl so deep I felt the ground rumble.

Casiron, I'm in deep shit, I shouted in my mind before getting up and backpedaling with my ax in front of me. The sliding sound gained on me so fast I barely managed to grab my ax with four arms before something slammed into it, and I was thrown back again, much further this time. As I slammed into the ground, I heard a soft dripping sound from the direction I'd come, then a startled intake of air.

"Barsoc!" Dibidi or Libidi's voice shouted.

A bright burst of light shot up in the air like fireworks. It illuminated a long tentacle that hovered a few feet in front of me, frozen in midair. Behind it was a head the size of a car, with four bulbous eyes, shut closed above the slit of a mouth. The corners were drawn back, and a pained moan came from inside its toothless mug. Where the neck should have been was a thick, leathery tail with four long tentacles on the side that stretched a hundred feet from it. Behind it, I could just make out Dibidi in front of the portal, fervently gesturing for me to come.

The light struck the ceiling above us and faded slowly like a flare running out of fuel. As it did, I saw the thing's eyelids slide open, revealing red pupils in the form of screeching faces set inside murky blue eyes. They focused on me, and the mouth turned down in a sneer.