Liana hadn’t decided what she wanted to call her new bat friend. She tended to his wing as best she could, but she knew her lips were no where near delicate or practiced or skilled enough to heal him fully. She knew in her heart that he would never fly properly again. Still, she helped him, fed him, bound the wing tight to his body as best she could. And she continued to watch the Coursers near the castle. She watched one in particular – she had spots of chestnut and splashes of wh...

Liana knew she was in trouble the instant the ledge began to shake. Surprised, she looked down to find herself precariously perched atop a moss-covered golem. It would have been amazing if Liana wasn’t absolutely terrified of being crushed. Instead of smashing her against the rocks, they looked at her inquisitively, as though they had asked a question and she was being rather rude in ignoring it. She neighed softly, anxiously. “Hello there, um…” She looked above their shoulders...

Liana stowed her loot from rescuing the lost Courser, the suspicion of earlier giving way to eagerness. What bounties would the dungeon bestow upon her next? She knew she had gotten extremely lucky, knew it in her bones. And yet… the dungeon called. The darkness. The depths. She knew she would return. Soon. That same night. The call sang in her blood; something had been awakened inside her that she had previously ignored. Shoved down in the interest of maintaining mediocrity. Flayed ...

Liana entered the dungeon for the first time, questioning her sanity. Am I really doing this? She wasn’t the strongest Courser she’d ever met, nor was she the most intelligent. The best compliment she had ever received was “you’re always there and you don’t cause trouble.” Was that really the heart of an adventurer? Hoof-beats echoed against the moss-covered walls, and she cursed silently. The oft-whispered of treasure would surely not be free for the taking, else ...