After picking Intelligent Design and Outrider, I turned to my choice of monsters.

  Hmm, they certainly had their uses but-

  Huh? Oh.

  My spiders found Helvina at my doorstep with her escort, cool, guess I’ll make a decision later then.

  Floating over I was going to direct the canid to guide her down, but some thrashing and wiggling from Wormy gave me another idea. He flagged me down as I passed his room, one of his pet (?) rats motioned to have someone ride Wormy himself. It, wouldn’t have been a terrible idea, had she not been pregnant, instead it was decided that she would follow along the tunnels, riding a bull I safely dropped into them.

  “This is… certainly an experience, but not unwelcome.”

  ”…As you say milady.”

  They traveled through in silence, using an orb of light she produced as they went down perfectly round tunnels. After a couple of minutes, the light became visible, and my ‘dungeon sense’ told me that they would be exiting directly into the middle of the fifth floor. Exiting the tunnel they came upon a party.

  There were fires, food stands, a ramshackle stage, and monsters from across the dungeon. They were laughing and dancing, passing stories and all sorts of drinks, I could see kobolds gorging on meat and my dryads dunking one another into a giant barrel of, and I assuming here, alcohol.

  The partygoers felt my presence, freezing in place as they frantically cleaned themselves and others.

  My grove leader separated herself and took a knee.

  ”F-father, I can explain things!”

  I mean I already knew about the party, so it's not like you could get around me.

  "We are, uh, enjoying ourselves..."

  She didn't look too sure of her own words, still, I won't fault them, this time, I wasn't exactly the most spotless when I was young.

  "Thank you, Father, we'll clean up for your guest now."

  "No need to work on my behalf, your people should be able to celebrate, I'll just need somewhere to stay for a time."

  "Yes, Father had us make you a hut, I'll have my sisters guide you to it."

  She scurried off, leaving a pair of dryads to help them. Guiding them over to the shack, what they found was a decently sized hut, big enough for two or three I'd say, built from mostly metal and stone, a few knick-knacks and basic furniture being the only thing inside.

  She looked satisfied with it, but her guard was less so.

  "My lady, this place is hardly worthy of yourself, and the creatures haven't even sent an attendant."

  Rude

  "Don't insult the dungeon or its denizens, they're reverent to none but their maker, whom I would remind you can hear us, always."

  The now-named Buford looked around, a paranoid look on his face.

  I nudged one of the dryads back to the hut, she would be my mouth for the moment.

  "My father wishes to speak with you, guest."

  Helvina remained sitting, but nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

  "Father wishes to know if there is a way to find them."

  "Them? Do you mean... Buford, outside now."

  "But my lady!"

  "Now, or I'll hex you out."

  "Uh!"

  He stopped himself, leaving with a conflicted face. Standing outside, he grew more paranoid as he raised his spear towards any little sound he could hear, and those he didn't.

  Helvina shook her head.

  "He's dedicated but afraid."

  "Afraid? I thought you outsiders would be happy to of won the battle?"

  "Most are, but just as many are afraid of more attacks, the last half year has been uncomfortably violent."

  "Is there supposed to be a comfortable violence?"

  She gave a chuff.

  "No, obviously, but everyone would be a lot better off if things stayed quiet for the foreseeable future. But what can you do, now, I assume your master wishes to talk about Arthur again?"

  Yes

  "Yes, he has sent some of our kin to help you, but they are still gathering strength before they fully depart, and to that end, is there anything that could help speed up the rescue?"

  She got up and walked slowly around the room, she came to a stop by the small window by the door, Buford just out of earshot but still visible.

  "Several, none of which would be particularly useful right now. Most divination magic requires equipment and reagents I simply don't have available to me, and even if I did, I'm hardly a master of the art."

  She sat back down.

  "In most situations finding a lost person is done by paying your local priest a charitable 'donation' for their god's servants to find them, but I don't think I need to expand on why that's not an option. Alternatively, if he were dead or had an affliction that would make him stand out enough, the ritual of Dias would be best."

  Hmm

  "What if the person was afflicted by something... evil?"

  She raised an eyebrow.

  "Oh, well, depends on what really. The symptoms of corruption and long-lasting curse magic would be easy enough to follow, both of which would be Edward's specialty, while others, say, infernal or elemental, would be tedious but easy. What's the interest in afflictions?"

  !

  "Nothing, Father is just curious, we'll have someone sent over with refreshments and some food."

  As she turned to leave I had her ask one more thing.

  "Also, out of curiosity, what would happen if he wasn't found?"

  "Edward would be devastated, as would most of the Nightingale family, in all honesty, they might try to destroy you in their grief, should the worst come to pass."

  "They would break the deal?"

  "I don't have much of a head for politics, but even I know that the deal he made with your maker only exists while Arthur is alive, should he pass I believe the current lord Uther would seek his killer mercilessly."

  "But Father is his ally, we are allies!"

  "So long Arthur lives, and as much as we have come to learn and appreciate you and your master, the world outside of this mountain will think that the honorable heir Arthur was killed near a dungeon, likely from wounds by the dungeon."

  "But what of the battle, surely those you captured would be proof we had no hand in it."

  "Which won't matter, I apologize to your father, but most dungeons are known to be ruthless, opportunistic, killers, and if one weakened, lost, lord is presented to a band of goblins, most dungeons would hardly complain at the free meal."

  God damn it.

  I was already willing to help find him but now it's been bumped up to a need. The problem is that I don't know if I can tell them about Arthur's, condition, right now. I don't know how they would react to it, maybe anger that I hadn't mentioned his corruption, or perhaps they might even blame me somehow, I don't know, and I don't intend on finding out. What this means is that I might have to find him myself so I could run damage control and maybe see if I can help him myself before sending him back to them.

  The Legionnaire or Hotplite would be useful, both of which were perfect for this kind of thing. The dilemma was that I still had a duty as their ally to tell them where he was, should I find him first, and to tell them about his situation, if he was alive. Although, depending on how he's changed, will I want him to return, to not break these people's hearts?