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.”
meet you. Oh! If you see Beyn, do NOT mention that I’m talking
That was odd.
you a bad person? Does Beyn hate
wish. No, he doesn’t hate me.
“He loves you?”
would REALLY prefer we did not
getting dressed,
Thanks, I appreciate it.
as he could so as not to wake those still sleeping around him before he crept
the sky, something 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
poked her in the arm and she glared up at
think I can talk to both of you at the same time…. Yep. I can. Nice.
but Alis
“I’m tired,” she snapped.
He agreed.
sorry I woke you up! Sheesh! You’ve only got yourselves to blame, showing up all shiny in my Nave the way you did. I certainly didn’t
and
are? And how are you talking to us?
thought about it. Then he nodded. “It doesn’t,”
that’s my name. Which you’ve probably never heard. The Eldest? The… ugh… ‘Great
Great One?” Alis said
Call me
Jern frowned.
kneel or something?”
you believe
He shrugged. Why not?
to priest Beyn! They couldn’t possibly
probably couldn’t. And I AM on the fourth stratum. As for why… that’s what I want to know!
we are?” Alis hissed, eyes
would really prefer we get through this without me having to talk to
nodded. That
fiery sermon, though,”
I find it hard to
understand that,”
You seem to just be getting
T1I1m3PhnYFNejmg9azwXsDKev12cMxX1KJLs7qWMv7Q+5nCqXKk2ggMDakUeyXhdT985JRYHICOY9ssyegRoFCHAH410g6wWP7CrSIRi2tuZHGTHeLfcVGJYNGgbPaipOfPbBZyC2eJMM3CFw7w9JxTU7lugMZudD5snIVQNR0uQeRmBnGKO+JSiPSygtyxtGVTg9aCEnpm2laQ1L0kW9dq8l7XrCX8k25mAcJ4MEvzc017xiEzSMS11OCyrd/XHVwMGNa7Re/7x38zI0Nqhu/TOhZt+W0ou6J14gmhjhpBhnWzn95dMNBWRs9MmRbVZtrx09y9+KOEjHc2SSCv5qCfeg3eQTYDBoEeTNmZ+eFchIfW3NBzhExEOfU4n7fEjqiMYhuWGWn9ziTrRV721mjAPTY3EYiw7Pqn6YxmPM2rZC29yGryTcruLrX+XIt11Q0JpxEJNysIjZUPiFaTQHfKH2kNSEMYiGV02I80obnUcdxPEXHha1na2tfWuPE0KREfuePzFhemD+lQNXDxszO7fSmxLBgc1Lv6vZghvKBjBJf9YBWjDtpdioEApA+wJpaiXediOkGLPyjAbiEFyUUpVhmYoDZOnQMQYUmM6Tr/zcp8XPWgGwXMuvCvn+ezj+8HT/lt3dhE5wMTmDkKBdIIm3BBZ9KW91c3vFfXeRiRu0Fh8x/N9d3tbs6HFtBgnZOyOv99kWhlieB9tqbsMUxKsPWBKo93TS0iHGORYRp5RfPl4QIBhADSKEovR68j56+7S062bPNg32bgfD7zhJgvQuKuWZ7SGQ2VkYa2gtxTqcdwkmPKG/ugqhG/hoZSwpE/cHNtAc+s60PdflHch8cQbX1s7V1748NfASiADA1F2W0S3D+aGKDVWRQfL4ekLn5luSzsucLDP9MXcjffnAcpuhwXaj8Rn70Sux6lY5zCk+CnT97Hpp80purmU7jpfYe08/CdglQTHQGqzcMEJGH3ghoDcxvFo/EYMANSvVw0/zTOO6En94m34ABfj2WyGS50VwUQRxrh6kRjB7MACKQ+gizf3vW25Fco2BYVJUNxk4Mb/1wiq/5OyPQASHE3sjwo9TTOD5PVCnNiyA0AuRIwj0bfnZSMf4WtP6B0eDp6ADTXa4NjxlWp20WLvkpOzlLlx6D1MGWj+7aTM4bhwyM50b+IlghYOgfi/NGrDKqjqu4sP62VGkH5O1FM3qb1xeWYCDjFPWbWqiu3E238ODiWX19UiBIeK+aUD7jv6pG7o4nx4aGqgriIeIpOxFgzlluh4cvrxa45ezhTpH2tqP9WkpLbGzL49DnDcfu59EZoYE/BsEBczAuiSq28JrTemBBWL5lHxPNfbnyZTdEObTfL4xx8AgAeCS+ZGQ9nXF2j230s1ezYvLRL/hl7A8ODFVV3CFOleUSbavHc8lV/sRGegrpkZ8IAsNZQaHEooNTUJ6AFud0zkWRXIFp5rAmMG15WYUxUto4O7G+3AsgK8GhhU3/J3/PBv8VxVmFmWw6vItCNZMae0cDdapE6somt3ryoBVKC79bdIh2CzPgsa0agn9FugcDCIAAc2zxvZYL41WyVd4US0qpBvlDKDkc0WIMZG8qKXGrSbr1mN5hatcgokJ6pClfbuwaepqU9mUEjicXKaFItsBuICPzsSx/hBnSVSn/6qoYQnJ1qu2usA95jSP2rRNwR0aVLZYGjhMTLTzxNzNd9vB0rFUwOraWoyn+SHVJTxO5bw00oUOeBoQ+83VKSPFR/q3emkVkI2CNlTw4XZdYjJiBaTnA+aTvxXnTcrIXo5wYbFORblDj0AFX1BYD5n1IHv70U7QGmtZyP16+xy+GOJq8+voYm6+Xrck0DGWH4tAERohit3kl65pxHTNbfPeY8zfCGRiitGGfMJKxQ+UOmePZg/YfreTZ8ro4gFlP7oPdKyyGAYIdpb4FBvai8qFgUKsv4OpU8oPg270Sg3SsdKrArffDP06H+ijy1msu/WQSXXKghlWSHyfBk+lA/RFjHIDj2tiFmuYFInid2IwqPBdwv14z54R6RrEFDFcg2hYmdw8fqjYFHn9FatNHozwYznAdfK2QcuS16sGUEkXUlYt5oob53LJkuC8OOFD0kufBJPCLsSryrE3xB5IkMr8HqDO/5KOBQPMJsEETzQojhvwKnUz7twpohQwTUPe/rWL6lTxfzLQA6kJOo9jWBx2s2UxxkX/AwfEWsKltTW00iXdilZaLcDXfKq9CoD3UeMqZPT9x+PIstG8w5JaIlT2gGKywdZPo6HlZ/AyLaV2LEndWK+wltxBPSdYk/AjfMYHNDWc9TGx5r9IDFeO9P4h6mqyiksrePtCQyZhiHz22VQExNBlO+AISS9CjQgAowTzNQoHQ8wp2ZxmWBDBvuDCW6o8Ox9T1NV4wRsd8KXurIFnUD5lMCfvMYWsNwL7e6x/WoUhG1awf1tvYL6FE3jkuah7EpfgTetAywHERe8Yhon6n9gavrRmH2MFDJ/YVQzPWlpWiA15xawXEJwF0+vpd29V9DRZexQTkXsPPa6U/jEbLXJoRX5Ahn+7cO+M7GT+DZl8WwTes8+v4vPlAkOXC7A/LDPOLQ2djNSox4rxRJPkPMlHoE5lxJmwc+t01EIF+yP0yF0ba1PZfSlA+WQFLd1B2t/RSsxM1HpxJpWASm0e+Wl18SQ8kDqexpulVKk0s8rlD8aLAksS8Q7IoBJ8fnnA5nxX/kLuMOl6B0gp5bEzmRyeMwAKnjxPxntjqgMqNaCCjyIQZvfwbc7kkSZthgXmp3imZpQqjSh8eXoIJN44aZXpEltzA1LykBZjhNs/4qLd+QzIlBpiaJbpMfStbrUWOaLJFqmqzVmRC8+GT97O7hZZtdJ06z5scZyPZagGalPPssl9Gr2ujt4oEE56/qVctOBUXSyQaLwGpFIJurMKLvz5Rfo6csCF3K9xyH9iq52C5l4hitgFx0N1v3PRBwN/su1IRn4V1F2l+IhdGtjTGgf43JyzV50SzkUL/HMAZjaytkamfX8ne17j9gAOm3DpZi5IWcC4yqk3EqTppadOoM+HhUlrmD2G+CogbMXT8Z6CYv2uI3O0MOUpZyfAoStgZp3rEMS9KTX9K/jekD1miV9Pxzr7olkY3DR9RwqL8VcBjlLE1ye3aLrzbYwPB3CcEBH6hV3cUltRymmXa61j9GYwnaNm/XLuN3dFn2XHiARhVLoYFS4aFoEiURIBPd1hFPO/elG02Dv84qHC60uClv147pjaHYHPJ5G9H/jpMCzqzTFZiMR+wG7s2wS8REFNC1wOAxIAWaNX1SxuZlpgxYGnXYyqmMYI6ykDPQOTXCIcQalJDOboP4xhbjJML8+WeQcOhl1Y+Xv295XZerbwVR9jhdqE3YB1vx9KatLeFtQmP+WSmiTRgNSGRwsclkZOPAKaMY6f4wUw3XR0I13mdPtj8oOb201Aq1FkiZwJLD/BoikeEssN80+q6qq63y8jPNhY+pANUwP9LicT5+8zzr9g4JIA+QKno79LOAfl71PONHatS5niTYrRIX2XBiyoH3WuMokh6dQ/GAe1o+G9gIloz/PAXMIPTkU+TKzUVpT/t17SVAZ38k5MWHJWAyv3bFcVDyu2QoWqqfe5Ta/ujOHv+Bma1P3Mj+0pRKC/NWA6APTCVIqQne
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!