You’ve made it deeper into the Dungeon now. As you delve further into its secrets, you aren’t resting quite as easily. Your dreams become… stranger. What’s haunting you in your sleep?

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Everyone knows that the dungeon doesn’t end on the lively, mossy-covered first floor, where the dungeon’s unique flora and fauna keeps the cavers alive in their own unique, magical way.

So as soon as you reveal your need and want for venturing deeper, many Coursers will start recommending mercenaries to you, that will both keep you company and make sure you return from the deeper dives safe and sound, without even a scratch on your back… at least the ones that kept raising their voices to recommend their better choice of a mercenary to rent out kept saying so.

Hillcrest, hearing their sister’s plan to delve deeper into the dungeon, could only sigh, knowing there wouldn’t be anything in the world that’d keep her away from the idea. So they delved themselves into getting to know more information about the various mercenaries available in the guild for help during the dive, making sure the one they pick would make sure to keep their sister safe.

That’s how Cithis descended deeper into the dungeon with Logue, an easy-going mercenary that she already took a liking to – he wasn’t one of the stiff, stern mercenaries she heard about, and at the same time, he was quite knowledgeable about the dungeon and the grullo Courser felt a bit relieved that she’d be able to explore the deeper caverns more safely with someone experienced by her side… Heh, he even got her thinking about becoming a mercenary herself after she gains more experience – who knows, maybe she’ll become one of the most known in the guild in the future? Ah… she’ll leave her daydreaming for later, when she’s safely back home.

The walk through the dungeon was filled with chatter and laughter, with Cithis being unable to keep her mouth shut during the exploration – she told him about the various traps she had fallen into, about how she met the giant stone statue that was ridden with nostalgia… and about how she met her dear moth friend, too.

“Her name is Mothra.” the Courser hummed, nodding to her side, where a giant moth was hugging her neck, also glancing around the dungeon, and chirped when Cithis finally acknowledged her presence. “She nearly gave me a heart attack when we first met!” she continued with the chatter, telling Logue all about the cavern with cocoons filled with caterpillars and moths, and how Mothra hatched perfectly at the time when she walked into that cave.

Logue chuckled, and that’s how their journey through the lively first floor went, their talk dying a little bit through their walk in The Earthen Furnace, Cithis panting more from the heat that she’d have wanted to… a shiver ran down her spine at the thought of exploring this place further. The creatures here didn’t seem as friendly as on the first level, either… Gah, she was meant to be the brave one, and yet here she was, shivering at the first sight of danger!

After a few hours, the two Courser finally descended deeper onto the third level, and found a safe spot to rest.

“We’ve travelled enough… You can rest, I’ll take the watch.” Logue hummed, and only then Cithis realized how terribly tired she is… Sure, she came back home tired quite a few times before, but now that she was deeper… everything felt different.

The grullo nodded, yawning, and slowly moved down to rest on the floor, making sure to not accidentally hurt Mothra in the process, the moth still clinging to her body.

Cithis didn’t realize when she fell asleep, but this didn’t feel like sleeping at all…

She was once again in the dungeon,  The Moor of Sleep feeling way more suffocating now. The Courser nervously looked around, not seeing Logue or Mothra anywhere – did they leave without her? Cithis carefully takes a step forward, and it feels as if heavy chains are attached to her legs, every step becoming more painful than the last. Even as she manages to take a few steps forward, even moving her head to look around becomes tiring and painful, and it feels as if hot pitch is seeping into her lungs, making it agonizing to even take another breath. Just as Cithis is about to collapse and hit the floor, the scenario changes.

She’s running now, the creepy howls and barks of hellhounds ringing in her ears as she runs as fast as possible, the fire spreading underneath her hooves licking her feet, burning her skin. But when she slows down, the hellhounds get closer, snarling and trying to grab a bite at her hind leg, to throw her down to the floor and devour whole. When she quickens her face, the heat seems to burn her more through every inch of her being.

Seeing a broken bridge, the Courser quickens her pace, readying herself for the jump – the coast ahead is clear, she can see the lively atmosphere of the dungeon’s first level… The hellhounds won’t make this jump, but she can. She has to.

Feeling the hot breaths of hellhounds hot on her heel, the lava threatening to devour her whole any second now, Cithis makes a strong jump. Her front legs are almost touching the other, safer side of the bridge…

As soon as her front hooves touch the cobblestone, it crumbles underneath her like dust, making her fall deep into the darkness, making her unable to feel or hear anything around her, as if she was thrown into the void.

“DO YOU DESERVE TO WALK THE LAND OF YOUR MASTERS?” a loud, ringing voice breaks her out of the limbo, and Cithis instinctively moves her ears back. She doesn’t like this at all…

Was she dead? Was it the Courser weighing of souls?

“ARROGANT. PRIDEFUL. STUPID.” the voice got louder, and it didn’t help that she couldn’t see their author, seeing only pitch-black darkness enveloping her. “YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO BE HERE.”

“Then why do I hear the dungeon’s call in my heart!?” she finally got her bearings together, clenching her teeth. She was respectful of the dungeon, respected its might and mysterious power. She was not going to let some weird voice of a equally weird stranger or creature accuse her of such things and behaviour. “Shut up! You know nothing about me, nothing!” the Courser screamed, and her surroundings started shaking, harshly crumbling.

“DISDAINFUL. THE LIKES OF YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE.” the voice crumbled too, cracking until only painful ringing in her ears could be hard.

Suddenly, she woke up, her breathing heavy and coat wet from sweat. She immediately looked around – Logue was still patrolling nearby, and Mothra was chirping in annoyance, probably having been woken up by Cithis’ nightmare, and moved down to sleep next to her, not enjoying the damp texture of her back now.

The Courser let out a deep sigh, calming herself down. It was just a nightmare… but she never had this intense nightmares before. It all… felt too real. Especially the voice in the end.

She shook her head. She’ll talk about it at home with Hillcrest… or not. She didn’t want to worry her siblings and make them ground her for a month for the next dungeon dives.

“I’ll take the watch now.” Cithis said calmly to Logue after she managed to calm down and wipe most of the nervous sweat off, not wanting to raise his suspicions and gave him a soft smile as soon as they exchanged places. Thankfully, there weren’t any mysterious, creepy voices when she was awake, and hopefully her watch will be as uneventful as Logue’s was…