Time Elapsed: 01:37:15

As the last of the healing winds faded away, Severance was once again grateful that he'd chosen a healer class. He couldn't even begin to imagine getting through these daily sessions with Batin otherwise.

He turned, fan in hand, and regarded both Dhin and Batin.

"So, how was that?"

In Severance's opinion, he thought he did pretty good. He'd managed to mitigate each of Batin's fireblades, all the while fending of Dhin's constant attacks. Of course, he still got his butt kicked in the end, but it was nowhere as bad as the first few times.

Batin didn't answer at first. He considered the surroundings instead, from the scorched and crimson-splattered sands, to the lifeless gray skies overhead. These Ruins were as silent and empty as the dead, which made them a great place for teaching a man to endure. For wasn't that what they did? Time and sands wore them down into husks of their former selves, yet they still stubbornly stood.

Finally, Batin refocused on him. "That was adequate."

Severance's heart leapt

"Then-?"

"You passed." The edges of Batin's mouth lifted. "You are ready to face the fires."

Severance hoped that was just a phrase, and that Batin didn't mean it literally. Still, he allowed a tired grin to appear. It grew when he heard the familiar System chime.

Quest Completed: Undergo Batin's training
REWARD: ???

"Good work, Twiggy." Dhin tossed him the water bag, revealing his own delighted grin. No doubt he was just as relieved as Severance was that this was over.

Once Severance drained the rest of the water, he found Batin holding a narrow-sheathed blade in his palm. The sheath itself had slender straps that buckled together.

"Take this," the Veiled man said. "It has served me well for many years, and now it will serve you."

Severance's eyes widened. It was one of Batin's hidden blades, one of many that the man seemed to carry. And now Batin was offering it to him?

Awed by the gesture, Severance reverently received the weapon. Even with the sheath, it felt light and delicate, but he knew better than most just how dangerous it could be.

"Thank you. I'll use it well."

Batin's eyes flashed. "I know you will."

***

Sometime later, Olen tapped a map that was laid out on his desk.

"Here," he said. "This is where you'll need to go next."

Severance leaned in to get a better look. It was in the southwest corner, further south than he'd ever been before. The closest place that he recognized would be Ascendance. The town was in a healthy forested area, but the area Olen indicated below was simply colored gray.

"It doesn't look like anything's there," Severance pointed out.

"It's there. I promise."

Severance eyed the map doubtfully. "And how do we even get there? That's quite a distance from Ascendance."

"I can teleport you and your team there. It's best if this place remains hidden for now."

"Right," Severance agreed. Obviously, they didn't want the Chosen and Traders to have access to this place. It wasn't like they needed it, anyway. They already had the Chosen Den.

"I'll leave the choice of your teammates to you," Olen went on. "But I suggest choosing those you can trust."

Severance nodded. That went without saying. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Hm," Olen took a moment to consider. "It'll be similar to the Poseideous dungeon, so you'll want nine other Outsiders that are close to your level. Also, the climate is geothermal; you'll be dealing with high temperatures, so it may be wise to have those with countering elements. Considering your situation, Severance, I must warn you—it will not be pleasant."

"He's ready."

Both of them looked at Batin, who leaned against the wall, arms folded. The clansman met Severance's eyes, and the corner of his mouth lifted by the tiniest of amounts.

Severance blinked. Was that pride he'd heard in the man's voice? No, it couldn't have been. Batin never showed much of anything other than an unflappable, menacing calm.

Olen's brows rose. "Truly?"

Batin gave a single nod.

"Well." Olen hesitated, looking between them. His gaze seemed to linger on Severance a tad longer than it did Batin's, but in the end, he coughed lightly into a fist. "Then I will say no more."

"What will we be fighting?" Severance asked.

"I'm not certain." Olen pinched the bridge of his nose, appearing troubled. "As it's a space meant for Outsiders, I was only able to gather so much information. All I can tell you is that it's a creature I've never seen before. It's not native to Eliona."

Severance lifted both brows. "And Poseideous was?"

Olen smiled faintly. "There are historical tales of water beasts, though they're from a time when Eliona still had oceans. There's a possibility something like Poseideous existed in the past, however, that's beside the point. The foe you will face in this challenge is unknown, and that makes it all the more dangerous. You'll need to be careful."

Considering that he'd spent the past few days learning about the intricacies of fire, Severance was already planning on it. "All right. I'll look for some people."

"Discreetly," Olen warned.

"Right."

That put Awesome Dude out of it, then; at least for getting him to help gather people. His friend would probably enthusiastically broadcast it all across Tomorrow's Edge for everyone to hear. No, he'd have to approach this very carefully.

"When you're ready, let me know."

With a last nod, Severance left Olen's office. Batin didn't follow.

Instead of going out into the courtyard, Severance went into the main hall of the House. At the back of the large hall was a set of stairs going up to the second floor. He climbed those and headed to the room he'd been given when he first joined the Veiled. It would be a good place to send his messages, since no one would disturb him there.

When he walked in, he found Vast curled up on the bed. He frowned at the big beast, who looked extremely content where he was, and appeared to have no intention of moving any time soon. Was this where Vast hung out when Severance wasn't around?

Severance narrowed his eyes. His room was not a doghouse, thank you very much. He had half a mind to kick the beast off his bed and out of his room.

As if sensing this sentiment, Vast cracked open an eye to look at him, flicking his tail dismissively. Then he closed his eye and went back to sleep.

You're totally pretending to sleep, you jerk. Glowering at Vast, Severance huffed and sat on the low bench at the foot of the bed. He'd kick Vast out later. It was too much of a pain to deal with right now. And he had other things to worry about, such as gathering a team.

"System, Inbox." At least he had a few names already in mind. He scrolled through his relatively short friend list and found the first player.

Severance: Hey, you free?
Ironhide: For about 30 mins, then my time is up. Why?
Severance: I need a team for a new raid. Need to keep it quiet, though.
Ironhide: There's another raid? Never heard of it. Where is it?
Severance: My clan found it. They'll bring us there when we're ready. You interested?
Ironhide: Definitely. Will tomorrow 8 PM PST work?
Severance: I don't get on until 10 PM PST.
Ironhide: Okay, no problem. I'll sign in later tomorrow. You tell AD?
Severance: Ha, I need to keep this quiet, remember?
Ironhide: Good point. If he's free, I'll bring him as a DPS. Want me to look for others?
Severance: Yeah, that'd be great. I was going to ask Valentin, and I know another tank. If you can find another healer and more DPS, that would help a lot.
Ironhide: Sounds good. What level range are we looking at?
Severance: I'm 37 right now, and I'm a point away from 38. So probably not much lower than that.
Ironhide: Got it. Valentin's quite a bit higher than you, so I'll try to find people to balance the team out. Keep me posted and I'll do the same.
Severance: Will do! Thanks.

Severance: Hey, I've got access to a new raid. You want in? 10 PM PST tomorrow. Let me know.
Valentin: Where are you meeting?

Severance: Should we meet in Tomorrow's Edge?
Ironhide: Sure. At the Trades Court?
Severance: Yes, that works.

Severance: Trades Court in Tomorrow's Edge.
Valentin: Thanks.

Severance: Valentin's on board, I think.
Ironhide: Nice.

Feeling a bit stiff, Severance rolled his shoulders back. Now for his next message. This one he was a little nervous about, but when he thought about people he'd want to run a dungeon with, this oddly was the first name to pop into his head.

Severance: Hi. Just found out about a new raid. We're going to give it a try tomorrow. Wondering if you want to help?

There wasn't an immediate reply. Not that he expected one, but both Ironhide and Valentin had been pretty quick to respond. This particular player was definitely online, though. Since Severance didn't have this player as a friend, the System wouldn't have allowed him to send a message if they weren't online.

He sat there, absently chewing on his thumbnail. The semi-translucent System windows hovered before him, silent and revealing no new messages. He knit his brow, growing worried. What if he was wrong? What if this player wanted nothing to do with him? They hadn't exactly been on the best terms the last time they talked.

Maybe it would have been better if he asked someone else.

His inbox chimed. A reply. He stared at the notification warily before opening it.

Jack Coyote: Who is in the party?

Severance leaned back a little. That wasn't the response he was expecting. It wasn't a yes or a no. Instead, the tank was fishing for information. Which, if Severance thought about it, was probably a smart thing to do.

Severance: Ironhide, me, and Valentin so far. Valentin's a knightglaive. And possibly Awesome Dude, another DPS.

This time, the reply was immediate.

Jack Coyote: I see. I know of Valentin. He's a good choice. What can you tell me about this raid?

Even as he listened to the System play the message in Jack's cold, authoritative voice, Severance wondered if he'd made a stupid decision. If Jack joined the raid, they'd all have to deal with that blunt nature of his. And there was no way he would just stand on the sidelines and let the team do their thing; he was the type who preferred to take command.

And yet... that might not be a bad thing. His words about not abandoning a teammate still rang fresh in Severance's memory.

Severance: It's in a geothermal area, so gonna be hot. That's all I know. I don't know what we're fighting.

There. He wondered if that would satisfy Mr Jack Coyote.

Jack Coyote: I will bring a cryomancer. And I recommend your cohealer be a Moon Scribe. Where do we meet you?

Well then. Severance eyed the message, an eye twitching. And so it begins.

Severance: Tomorrow. 10 pm pst. Trades court in Tomorrow's Edge.
Jack Coyote: We will be there.

Severance: I got another tank and a cryomancer. And maybe the other healer should be a Moon Scribe. Shields would be nice to have.
Ironhide: Okay, nice. And already ahead of you. Remember Morning Glory? She's in. Just waiting to hear back on a couple, but we should have our DPS lined up for tomorrow.
Severance: Awesome. Thanks for the help.
Ironhide: No problem. I'm looking forward to seeing what this raid is all about.

Severance smiled, though it grew a little strained. Tomorrow was going to be a tough day. While he was looking forward to a new challenge and putting his skills to use, he wasn't too keen on the inevitable hurt that was coming his way. It was worth getting stronger, though.

He closed the System windows, sighing deeply. Then he looked over at Vast. The vastlhidan was curled up into a tight ball of silver fluff, the very picture of everything soft and cuddly. Severance eyed the furball for a long moment. Then he impulsively got up, went around, and sat on the edge of the bed. Vast didn't stir, apart from a single flick of his tail.

A few moments later, Severance stretched out on the bed. He rolled on his side, facing Vast, and gently poked the animal's black nose. That made Vast open his eyes. He regarded the human beside him, then carefully leaned over and dragged a massive tongue across Severance's face.

"Ew, stop that!"

Severance tried to shove Vast's head away, but that only earned another rough swipe. When Severance tried to squirm back, Vast made the effort of securing his prisoner by curling his tail around Severance's legs. Satisfied, he lowered his head to his paws, rumbling deep in his chest.

Severance wiped his face on his arm and grumbled right back. Still, he scooted closer, feeling the warmth emanate from the vastlhidan like a big old furnace. Doggy slobber aside, it felt very comfortable. He rested his forehead against soft fur, and just for a moment, closed his eyes.

He'd relax for a bit, just a couple of minutes, and then maybe he'd see if Mouna wanted to go hunting...

He was asleep before he knew it.