We spent three full days in the treasure trove. That was more time there then what it took to reach it. It's foolish really, but you'll find that when you are surrounded by so much treasure you know you cannot carry with you, you'll find that you have trouble leaving it.

But not me. I was impatient and insisting we leave only an hour after I found the white stone.

I had other places to go, more things to get.

Patience.

I learned it.

But finally we were leaving, going back through the throne room and passing those doors instead of going back through the gate. There were several more treasure troves on this level, but I needed something specific and I could only think of one persons vault it could be in.

It was a risk going there, not knowing what could be on this level and with our only exit being where we started, but it needed to be done. If I found what I was looking for, then I would become that much more powerful and that much more deadly. Marqis wouldn't stand a chance at all.

It was something Arion had said, actually, he'd told me that the king had sent an army in a few years back in search for something. I knew this, but I had assumed it was to search for the white stone. However, he informed me that it was the Ruberous Faun, and since that moment, it had come across my mind several times if it was worth the risk finding it or not.

The Ruberous Faun was originally named simply "Rubric" but when Çonahn Faun - an elven lord - won a battle with it, the Rubric became renamed.

It was a simple gemstone of molten yellow but made into a perfect square naturally. Upon finding it, it was found that this stone help magical properties and so it was put away to be tested and used, when Çonahn used it, he found that he could heal a certain about of people at a time. Being careful, he had managed to make it so his entire army survived an otherwise bloody battle.

Later, it was broken apart and sold to each of the elven lords in case of another war, but it was to be kept put away and not used unless it was for the kingdom. When the kingdom fell, most of their treasures were left inside. Including, apparently, the Ruberous Faun.

I searched for a piece of it in the Kings treasury, but seeing as it was not there, it must be set back into a whole form in Çonahns treasure. If not, then at least a piece of it is. Surly.

A gem that could heal wounds with a touch... now that was surly worth the risk.

So when they reached the top of the stairs, I said, "Turn right." And because I had lead them so far, they did so without a comment.

This floor was more elaborate. It was where the court was held, where the offices were, where council meets had been taken place... among many other things. This floor was by far the most filled with riches, even simply sitting in desks inside rooms.

When I almost reached the door, I could smell something. It was scat.

It was something marking their territory.

Everyone slowed but didn't stop, eyes out and careful.

Then there was the sound of a yip. I almost groaned aloud, more mutts.

"In here." I said, motioning to the door that was Fawns office. There was a sound of howling but we quickly closed the door behind us.

Inside the office was not much at all, but behind the desk, where a curtain would have been before it rotted away, there was another nob to get inside. Everyone recognized it by now and went quickly, Aitch and Arion pushing it open, then I went in and started going over the code.

I felt a slice of guilt when I lead them into a room when I didn't know how we were going to get out.

Aitch gaped when he looked around. "Shize, if I knew we'd be runnin into another of these, I'd have left some room in my pack."

I walked around, my eyes searching the shelves. It wasn't half so elaborate as the Kings but it was stunning just the same. My eyes though, were searching for one thing and one thing only.

"How do we get out?" Jaz wondered, picking up a necklace and putting it around her neck where several others hung.

"I think we'll have to go back the way we came." I said, my mind only partially into the answer, the rest of me searching, searching. I recognized several rare things that could become useful but no Rubric. Yellow, yellow, a flash of yellow, that's all I need. Yellow that's not gold.

Then I saw it, right on a top shelf. I touched it to lift it down and gasped when I felt a tingling in my hand and elbow as my wounds healed. More, my entire body felt vigorated, as if I'd just had the best nap in the world.

I turned to see that Arion had followed me. He was frowning at me with a look of disapproval, and I knew that he knew I'd done this on purpose. That we had not needed to come here. I felt something in me clench at the fact that I'd disappointed him, but no, this was worth it.

To prove my point, I pressed the stone up against his face and watched his eyes widen and brighten, watched him stand taller and move his shoulders around, stretching the muscle that must have been hurt when he'd protected me from the stones falling in the dungeon.

Too late, I wondered if the king had the stone searching for anything about the Ruberous Faun as well. If he did, he'd come for it when we got out of here. I should not have shown him. My only hope was that Arion could not remember the name of it. If he didn't think the name, the stone wouldn't hear him.

"The Ruby... thing." He realized and I almost smiled, hopefully that would be enough.

"We should go quickly." I said.

He narrowed his eyes again. "Yes. No time to waste."

I winced at his tone but turned away.

"We need to get out of here." I said to the three, trying desperately to keep Arion out of the conversation. "There's a way out through the twentieth floor, an emergency exit used during the war, so we can go back the way we came."

Aitch frowned. "You mean through the throne room?"

I nodded.

He frowned as he understood what that meant but then shrugged and took another handful of crystals, shoving them in his pocket. At this point, he had so much gold and so many crystals that his cloak was dragging on the floor and he had tightened his belt. I was surprised more could fit.

Jaz slipped a few more necklaces over her neck in a determined way, not an uncaring way. She was pissed and she made sure I knew it. Rian gave me a sad look but motioned for me to lead the way. We'd talk later, I knew, and once again I would have no explanation. How he could be my friend, I had no idea. I couldn't wait for the day that I could tell him the truth.

We went up to the closed door and grimaced when we heard the snarls.

"How many are out there, do you think?" I asked, turning to Arion.

But Arion couldn't seem to look at me at that moment. "Doesn't matter, we have to get through."

"Will they get bored?"

Jaz answered. "Not before they draw the attention of another werm. They're loud."

Great. As awesome as it was that I killed one, it's not something I wanted to repeat at all.

I pulled out my sword and stood back. Jazera went behind us, pulling her bow, Rian at the back to help guard Jazera, and Aitch leading with it axes.

He grinned. "Here we go." He said and yanked opened the door with a yell and stormed the hallway, not letting them enter.

Then we ran.

But they were not like the last time. They were not herding us. They'd had us cornered already and we were not supposed to leave.

They attacked immediately.

With it being so dark, it was impossible to count them, but there were many and they looked rabid in their hunger. I killed three, then was almost bit by another to which I cut his head off, then I was bit on the back of the leg. Arion got that one then grabbed me around the waist again, yanking me along.

But I pulled away. "I'm fine!" I called. I wasn't even out of breath.

He gave me a warning look and grabbed my arm, being sure I stayed close.

In the throne room, we tried to close the doors but they were simply too heavy. It was a waste of time and we were forced to fight our way into the gate room. The mutts falling after us like a wave of teeth and snarls.

"Mir!"

"I know!" I snapped, rushing to the centre of the room and immediately figuring out the code again so that we could get out. I rushed around, wishing I could make my mind work like it did inside the gate.

"Mir!"

"Shush!" I yelled, running to find the last code.

"Hurry up!"

I quickly entered in the code and started it up by clicking it into place. The waterfall went backwards.

"Got it!" I whipped around to watch the others come. Like last time, the four Shadows moved back, but unlike last time, Rian was limping.

I felt alarm and it came out in my tone. "Rian!"

"Jaz! Take her and get out of here!" Arion shouted.

"Wait!"

Like last time, Jaz yanked me through, and again I was suspended in that form of mind of turning seconds into minutes.

I told myself that they would be fine. I told myself that the Shadows could take care of themselves. I told myself many things.

But I had time to spare, alone in my thoughts, and it told me that Rians limp was bad. That for a Shadow to show such weakness meant it was even worse than it seemed. And then I remembered Arion's tone of voice, and the waver of fear he'd had in there when he shouted to get me out.

Then we were out and we both stopped. I twisted and knelt in front of the spheres...

Only to realize I couldn't remember the numbers.

"The code!" I hissed. "I can't remember the code!"

Jazera grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet roughly. "Let's move! Get ready to run!"

But I had the Ruberous Faun, I could heal them. I yanked away and went to run back in but she grabbed me again. I turned to hit her, to force her to let me go, but Arion was suddenly there and grabbing my arm.

"Close it!"

I turned to see only Aitch fighting off a mutt.

"But Rian-"

"He's gone dammit, now close it!"

"But I have the-"

He shook me violently. "He's gone! Now close the damn gate!"

"I can't remember it!"

He cursed and yanked at me, calling out to Aitch. Together we ran out of the room and took off down the hallway.

Which way? Which way?

"Right! Right here!"

We almost passed it, we swirled, went through. There was something down the hallway running toward us, but Jaz shot an arrow and it wasn't until we leaped over the body did I find out it had been a young spike hog, probably coming out for its first kill.
We reached the staircase. "Go down go down!" As we ran down, the mutts used it to their advantage and leaped, causing us to turn and fight them off, cutting down several then twisting and running again.

"Right! Then a sharp lef-"

A snake came out, striking both Arion and I in one shot, cracking one of my ribs and piercing something too. I fell but then stood just as quickly, knowing that the mutts were on us and the Ruberous would heal me. I let my instincts take over as I cut off the snakes head and then turned, cutting the head off a mutt that was close enough that the blood squirted into my face as it did. I barely noticed, spinning for the next one.

"Arion!" I shouted at him, panic creeping into my tone. I was almost healed now and I dropped the gem onto him so it would heal him faster, not having a chance to stop to be sure it was doing the trick. They were converging on me now, overwhelming me and they would get through any second. It was only because I had been completely healed of both injury and exhaustion that I was able to keep it up now for this long.

Then Aitch was at my side, pushing me back, telling me to get Arion to his feet. An arrow shot passed, the pack began to get pulled back, but there seems to be a never ending amount of them, had another pack joined theirs? Or was this just one pack?
I grabbed the Ruberous and jammed it onto Arion's head where it was bleeding. He must have hit his head on the stone wall when the snake pushed him into it.

"Arion!" I shouted at him, my voice letting out a squeak at the high tone of near-panic.

He blinked awake, squinting in confusion.

"Arion, you have to get up. Hear me?"

He yanked himself to his feet, then noticed what was going on and went back to his usual self even with blood across his face that was his own. He whistled, which must have meant something to the others because they began to retreat and follow. I grabbed the stone and put it between our palms as I joined his hand with mine and we ran.

Then we were there. Finally.

Our only escape now.

"Jump!" I shouted and yanked my hand out of Arion's so I could clasp closed the pockets of my cloak and then I was in blinding sunlight and I jumped.

Sound stilled.

Time stilled.

I saw nothing but I felt everything.

I had a moment where my mind worked together as one and I heard my breath, I knew how I needed to move my legs, I felt the sun on my face, warm and bright, and smelled pine and fog and water.

For two breaths this happened. So clear and so very precise.

And then I was falling down into the lake which I severely hoped was still there.