Jern woke with a start.
“What was that?” he mumbled sleepily.
It’s me.
“Who’s me?” he wondered as he rubbed at his eyes.
Anthony.
“Who’s Anthony? Can I go back to sleep, Anthony?”
You were asleep? Sorry about that. I don’t sleep much.
“So… can I?”
No. Well… you can in a second, I just need your attention for a minute. Two minutes. Look, I’ll be honest with you, five minutes probably, then you can go back to sleep.
“I’m really tired, Anthony. Can this wait until the morning?”
I mean… it could? But I’ve already woken you up, so we may as well do this now. Can you go and get your friend?
“Wha… what? Which friend?”
The other golden glowy person. The girl.
“Alis?”
Sure.
“You don’t know?”
Well, I haven’t spoken to her yet, I figured I’d just talk to one of you and then you could get the other.
“She’s… she’s in the girls’ dorm. I can’t go in there.”
Dammit. Look. Just put some pants on or whatever and I’ll get her to meet you outside. I want you to be able to talk to each other while I figure this out.
Jern blinked a few times and rubbed at his eyes again. The fuss over the new Class he and Alis had unlocked had gone on for ages, and frankly, he was exhausted. He didn’t need this right now. He looked down.
“I’m already wearing pants.”
somewhere Alis can come meet you. Oh! If you see Beyn, do NOT
That was odd.
you a bad person? Does Beyn
No, he doesn’t hate me. He
“He loves you?”
REALLY prefer we did not use that phrasing.
getting dressed,
Thanks, I appreciate it.
pulled a coat on as quietly as he could so as not to wake those still sleeping around him before
he was still getting used to. Outside, the light from the Dungeon veins was the same as always. Patrols of humans and ants were constant, and several gave him odd looks
stumbling with fatigue. He poked her in the arm and she
at the same time…. Yep. I can. Nice.
but Alis glared at…
“I’m tired,” she snapped.
He agreed.
you up! Sheesh! You’ve only got yourselves to blame, showing up all shiny in my Nave the way you did.
sighed and
And how are you talking to us?
he thought about it. Then he nodded. “It doesn’t,”
Anthony. I mean, that’s my name. Which you’ve probably never heard. The
One?” Alis
Call me Anthony.
Jern frowned.
we… kneel or something?” he asked
Wait, you believe
He shrugged. Why not?
the fourth stratum according to priest Beyn! They couldn’t possibly talk to us! And why would they
stratum. As for why… that’s what I want to know! You guys have a Class change or something recently? Something ant related? You’re
do you know where we are?” Alis hissed, eyes darting at the darkness around
this without me having to talk to Beyn. Between the three of us,
That
like a good fiery sermon,
it hard to enjoy them since I’m typically
can understand
guy gets it. How about you, girl? No? You seem to just be getting angrier. Fine. FINE. Have it
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