Kyle gazed down from the stone bridge he and the others had begun to cross, peering down into the abyss below. Faintly, he thought he could hear water, but it could have also been the rush of blood in his ears. Without Quail by his side, the dungeon was much scarier than usual, and not even the presence of others could soothe his nerves. Packing down the anxious energy, Kyle instead glanced at his companions, a teasing smile not quite reaching his eyes....

“Well, I’ve had worse.” From somewhere near the ground, Sledge heard Graebyx snort. “I remember!” His friend replied. The two coursers walked side by side along a dusty track. Both were battered and exhausted. Graebyx’s muzzle was nearly dragging along the ground. Sledge wasn’t doing much better. Each step was ponderous and slow. Sledge felt like he was trying to force his body upriver against a rapid flow. The two of them were barely covering any ground. �...