Piper stared at the gated entrance to the sewer, an uneasy feeling washing over her. She glanced around, noting that none of the others seemed to sense the wrongness emanating from below their feet. Everyone else in her group looked totally at ease—at least as much as they could before a quest.

  But she knew something terrible dwelled in the depths of the sewers. And she had no intention of going down there.

  One of the men guarding the entrance walked over and struggled to pull off the heavy wooden beam barring the entrance. He wore heavy plate armor and had a sword on his belt. A kite shield hung from a strap on his shoulder, swinging as he hefted the thick bar off. Based on his equipment alone, he was no ordinary guard. He was ready to face anything dangerous that emerged from the sewers.

  “Remember,” the guard said. “I’m not opening this gate if monsters are chasing you. You need to clear the opening before I take this bar off. Got it?”

  Basil nodded. “We swear not to bring any monsters back to the city.”

  “Good,” the guard continued. “The lives of the citizens around here are worth far more than any motley crew of aspirants.”

  Piper stepped forward. “Have any other groups gone down recently?”

  The guard nodded. “A group of wayfarers went in late last night. Never came back, though. Also, some aspirants went in a little while before you.”

  “I don’t think we should do the quest,” Pipers said, her unease increasing tenfold. “If a group of wayfarers went missing, then there could be something dangerous down there.”

  “Nonsense,” Basil replied. “The sewers are one of the easiest places to quest in the city. I’m sure they’re simply still trying to find their quarry.”

  Selene looked at Piper intently. “Why don’t you think we should do the quest?”

  “I sense something down there,” she said. “Something dangerous.”

  “In that case, I’m with Piper,” Selene declared. “We’ve had too many close calls lately.”

  Althea crossed her arms, a sour expression on her face. “I think we should do the quest. We can always run away if we encounter a powerful monster.”

  “Like with the necromancer?” Selene shot back. “That didn’t exactly work out well last time.”

  The guard pushed his helmet back. “Are you going in or not? I don’t got all day, you know.”

  “I hate to admit it, but Piper might be right.” Basil frowned. “After our last quest, I don’t want to tempt fate. We’ll return to the guild and find an easier quest to complete today.”

  Piper exhaled with relief. Thankfully, Basil seemed to be learning and wasn’t going to throw the group headlong against another powerful foe.

  The guard cursed under his breath. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet. Listen, I’ve been authorized to double your reward and grant an additional ten tallies if you take care of this today. We can’t have rats climbing up the pipes and wreaking havoc in a nice neighbourhood like this one.”

  Basil’s eyebrows rose. “Double the reward?”

  “That’s a lot of coin,” Selene murmured. “I could really use that money.”

  “It’s not worth it.” Piper stared at her group incredulously. “There’s something really bad down there.”

  “If we see the first hint of something we can’t handle,” Basil said, “we’ll simply retreat.”

  Piper looked at her group members. “You can’t spend your coin if you’re dead.”

  Althea stepped forward. “I say we go. It’s a risk, but not doing anything is a risk, too. What if this is the quest that gets us an uncommon or rare class?”

  Piper exhaled and tugged down on her new padded armor as she tried to think of what to do. Well, not exactly new armor. The many patched holes showed it had seen battle in the past. She just hoped no one had died in it. That would be way too creepy.

  She forced her wandering mind back to the present. “I’m not going,” she said. “You’ll have to find another group member.” With her day freed up, she could spend the rest of it searching for Lukas. She had to find him before the nuns did. Maybe Wisp would know a way to locate him.

  Basil scowled and turned to Selene. “What’s your decision?”

  “I’m going with you.” Selene gave an apologetic look to Piper. “I really need the coin.”

  “What are you doing?” Piper exclaimed. “You’re going to get yourself killed! We can find another group.”

  “Do you honestly believe a hunter and a jester will find another group?”

  “You’re amazing,” Piper insisted. “Any group would be lucky to have you.”

  “You know it doesn’t work that way.”

  Fighting the urge to stomp her foot in frustration, Piper puffed out her cheeks. “Fine. I’ll go with you. Someone has to keep you safe.”

  Basil gave her a broad grin. “I knew you’d come to the right decision.”

  For the first time, Piper found herself reevaluating Basil’s leadership—something she probably should have done a long time ago. He was so obsessed with earning enough money to return home that he was willing to put all their lives at risk. If she couldn’t figure out a way to rein him in, he was going to get them all killed.

  Reaching up, she touched the meteor hammer coiled around her shoulder. Then she gave the short sword on her belt a reassuring touch. The weapon had a battered leather sheath and a notched blade, but it seemed solid enough. She’d bought both weapons from Finn, and it had cost her nearly all her money. But since she couldn’t risk using Gorebark at the moment, she thought it was a good investment.

  The guard shook his head as he swung the sewer gate open. As he did, he muttered something about aspirants under his breath. Beyond the gate was a tunnel constructed of pale bricks. A steep set of stairs descended into the darkness below. From the depths, she could hear the faint sound of running water.

  Basil pointed at Selene. “I want you to take point. I’ll follow a short distance behind you with Althea.” He then turned to Piper. “You’ll take up the rear. Until you can find a new bow to purchase, there’s not much you can do in a fight. Try to contribute in any way you can, but don’t get yourself hurt.”

  Piper bristled at his words before she realized that, in his mind, he was right. Most of the skills she’d displayed revolved around her magical bow. Without it, she probably seemed like a liability.

  Basil fished around in his pouch until he found his glowing stone. Raising it above his head, he shone a beam of light down the tunnel. With Basil illuminating their way, the group descended into the sewer.

  As she moved down the steps, the feeling of wrongness intensified, every fibre of her being telling her to flee. Something incredibly powerful and evil dwelt in the sewers. Why hadn’t Chloe mentioned anything to them?

  “I really think this is a bad idea…” she whispered.

  “Noted,” Basil replied in a hushed tone.

  After a short distance, they entered a vast tunnel. Immediately, a terrible stench assailed her and nearly made her gag. She lifted a hand to cover her nose and watched as the others followed suit.

  Only after she’d grown used to the smell did she examine her surroundings. The arched ceiling rose nearly to the height of three harroth demons standing on each other's shoulders. In the middle of the tunnel, a turgid river of waste flowed beside a broad walkway.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Piper walked over to the closest wall. She reached out to touch it, and the surface felt smooth as glass. No seams in the material were visible, making it look as if it had been shaped by magic. Which in this world was probably the case.

  “Which way?” Selene whispered.

  Basil took a moment to orient himself. “The girl at the guild stated that the rats had been spotted near the river.” He pointed to the left. “If I’m correct, they should be that way.”

  Selene took the lead, with Basil and Althea following about a dozen paces behind, while Piper acted as the rear guard.

  A muffled sound or a roar in the distance made Piper stiffen. Her hand dropped to the chain of the meteor hammer as she scanned the shadows. But when none of the others reacted, she relaxed slightly. It had sounded as if it were coming from a great distance.

  The group continued onward until they arrived at a massive pipe meeting up with the main channel. The others leapt over the disgusting stream, leaving only her to follow.

  Grabbing hold of her gear, she raced forward and jumped over the flow of waste. She landed lightly on the other side without a problem. But the thought of slipping and falling into the sewage filled her with existential dread. She’d never get the smell out of her hair if that happened.

  Selene slowed and glanced over her shoulder. “Want to join me for a bath afterward?”

  Piper nodded vigorously. “Try to stop me.”

  “Quiet,” Basil hissed. “This isn’t the time nor the place.”

  Selene made a face and continued onward.

  The sound of something scraping on the floor ahead of them made Basil hold up his fist. He crept forward and lifted the light to shine it down the sewer. It revealed a man dragging himself forward, with an oversized lizard nudging him along. The reptile was nearly the size of a donkey.

  Her eyes widened slightly as she recognized the man as the one who’d used [Identify] on her back at the aspirant’s guild. At least she was pretty sure that it was him. Blood obscured his features, and something had torn up his clothing.

  “Althea,” Basil said. “See if you can help him. Everyone else, keep an eye out for danger.”

  Piper unlimbered her meteor hammer. If things got really bad, she could always recall Gorebark. But she’d rather avoid that, as she’d have to hide her actions under layers of illusions. Hopefully, whatever had attacked the aspirant, she could handle with her new weapons.

  The healer hurried over to the young man. She stopped short as the lizard snapped at her. The reptile then took up a defensive position in front of the man.

  “Let her through…” the man croaked. “She wants to help.”

  The lizard looked from Althea to the man and back again. Finally, it stepped aside to clear a path to the injured aspirant.

  “What’s your name?” Althea asked, kneeling at his side. As she spoke, she pressed her hands against his back.

  “Hector…” he descended into a fit of coughing. “You need to get out of here. He… killed my entire group.”

  Basil squatted beside the injured man. “Who killed your group?”

  “He’s some sort of rot mage.” Hector sighed as the healing went to work. “The bastard took down two of my group members with diseases and then summoned a sludge monster. I barely made it out with my life. He’s got to be at least level 300.”

  Basil rubbed a hand down his face and then nodded. “Right. We’re getting out of here. I’ll carry Hector, while Selene and Althea go ahead. Piper, you cover our retreat. Understood?”

  Piper nodded but froze when she spotted a monstrous shape moving in the darkness.

  “I’m afraid you won’t be going anywhere,” a raspy voice said. “I have plans for all of you.”

  Piper’s gaze snapped over as a man materialized from the gloom. He had wild white hair that stuck up as if he’d been struck by a lightning bolt. His body looked diseased, with weeping sores and green patches covering his exposed skin. A second mouth had sprouted near his ear, and blackened teeth filled the extra pair of twisted lips.

  Next to the man, a grotesque monster, seemingly conjured from sludge, waded through the river of sewage. Its head nearly brushed the ceiling, and it had thick, powerful limbs.

  “Well, well, well,” the man whispered. “So many aspirants to add to my experiments today. What a lovely turn of events!”

  Basil leaned down and gathered Hector up . With a grunt, he heaved the young man over his shoulder. “Run!” he roared, turning to sprint away. “We need to get back to the entrance!”

  Turning her gaze to the man, she used [Identify].

  Human, Level ???

  Ding! Your skill, Identify has reached level 13.

  …

  Ding! Your skill, Identify has reached level 15.

  Crap, she thought to herself. I’m seriously outmatched.

  The diseased man watching them must have four classes and an insane number of stats. Plus, she had a feeling that whatever classes he possessed weren’t poor quality like her group mates.

  Piper hesitated for a moment as the others ran past her in the tunnel. She might be able to take down this man and his pet monster. Then again, she had to avoid using her bow, and the tunnel didn’t exactly leave a lot of room to maneuver with her illusions.

  Althea slowed and grabbed Piper’s shoulder. “Didn’t you hear Basil? He said to—” Her words were cut off as a spell slammed into the woman. Almost immediately, pustules burst forth across her face. She let out a scream, convulsed forward, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

  Piper’s eyes widened as Althea collapsed to the ground. She reached down and gathered the healer into her arms. Then, with inhuman swiftness, she raced after the others.

  Ding! Your skill, Running has reached level 18.

  In her arms, Althea continued to cough up blood. With each breath, her chest rattled as her skin turned a sickly green color.

  “Heal yourself!” Piper cried out. As she spoke, she glanced over her shoulder to see the monster stampeding after them. For something made of filth, it moved impossibly fast.

  The group continued to sprint down the sewer. Another spell hurtled over their heads, striking the ceiling and smashing through the stone. Broken pieces of masonry pelted them as they raced past. One of the larger pieces struck Selene, making her cry out and stumble to her knees.

  Shifting Althea in her arms, Piper grabbed the back of Selene’s tunic as she passed and hauled the woman back to her feet. Together, they continued racing toward the exit.

  Piper keenly remembered the guard's warning about not opening the door if there were any monsters nearby. Would he make an exception in this case? She had to pray that he would.

  Finally, the tunnel they’d used to access the sewers came into view. They were going to make it.

  Then, everything seemed to slow down as a spell struck Selene in the back, making her tumble to the ground.

  “No!” Piper screamed as she watched her friend fall. She reached the young woman’s side a second later to witness the skin peeling away from her face.

  Selene screamed, twisting on the ground, while a horrible disease ravaged her body. She stiffened until her bones cracked. Then blood gushed out from hundreds of places on her broken skin.

  Shifting Althea to her shoulder, she grabbed Selene and dragged her up the stairs. If she could just reach the safety of the guards above, she might be able to save her friend.

  Piper took the stairs as fast as she could while holding the two women. When she arrived at the gate, Basil was already there, pounding on it with his fist.

  A peephole slid open, and dark eyes regarded them. “Back already?”

  “Just open the damn door!” Basil snarled. “We have wounded!”

  “Any monsters behind you!”

  “Not right behind me…”

  “Good enough.”

  The door swung open, and three guards hurried inside. One took Althea from Piper’s arms, while another took Selene. The final one slid his arm around Hector to help Basil carry the young man. They dragged the injured outside while Piper tried to catch her breath.

  From below, the rot caster appeared and raised his hand. A torrent of bubbling green liquid shot up the stairs.

  Piper turned her back to the caster to shield the others clustered around the opening. The spell struck her between the shoulder blades, sending her reeling forward. After a second, the green energy dissipated, rising into the air like smoke.

  Ding! Your skill, Infernal Resistance has reached level 4.

  …

  Ding! Your skill, Infernal Resistance has reached level 8

  Hector’s eyes widened almost comically as he watched her take the spell with no effect. She ignored the look and hurried over to help the guards shut the gate.

  The guards nearly jumped out of their skins as a roar from the rot monster shook the tunnel. With all of them pushing, they swung the door closed, and runes flared to life on its surface. A heavy impact followed, making the gate rattle and the guards leap back.

  Piper retreated from the gate, her fingers itching as she prepared to call upon Gorebark. If the rot mage broke through, she’d have to use everything at her disposal to stop him.

  But when no further attacks occurred, the guards sheathed their weapons and moved over to tend to the injured.

  Piper felt herself trembling as the adrenaline drained from her system. She slumped against the wall and rubbed a hand down her face. She’d expected the quest to go badly, but not this badly.

  Turning her head, she inspected Selene and Althea lying on the ground. If anything, they looked worse than before. Every inch of exposed skin wept pus, and as she watched, Selene shuddered violently.

  She pushed herself back to her feet and hurried over to the healer. “Did you use your spells? Can you heal yourself?”

  Althea shook her head. “Not… strong… enough…”

  Turning to Basil, she looked at him helplessly. “What do we do? We have to do something!”

  “They will join the Undying Emperor soon,” he said softly. “All we can do is make them comfortable.”

  “This is your fault!” She rushed forward and grabbed his tunic. “I told you I had a bad feeling about going into the sewer. But all you cared about was making enough money to get back to your stupid girlfriend.”

  “She’s not stupid,” Basil shot back. “And they knew the risks.”

  “The risks? All you’ve done is throw us into deadly situations after deadly situations. It’s like you have a death wish!”

  “This is what’s required to become an aspirant.” He tried to pry her hands off his shirt’s collar and failed. “It’s not my fault if you lack the mettle.”

  “If anything happens to them…”

  “Unhand me,” Basil growled. “This instant.”

  The sound of weapons being unsheathed made her freeze. Around her, the guards had readied their swords. They weren’t about to allow this to escalate into a fight. Even among aspirants, a brawl involving spells and skills could prove deadly to nearby civilians.

  Releasing Basil, she stepped back. “We need to take them to a healer and find a way to fix them.”

  “We can’t possibly afford what a healer will charge.”

  “Let me worry about that.”

  Piper would find a way to make enough coin to pay the healer. And then she was going to return and take her revenge on the rot mage who had attacked her group.

  Where the Forest Remembers, on Patreon. The first chapter is now live and I'll be posting new chapters three times a week. The story follows a max level druidess who finds herself in a world eerily similar to her favorite online roleplaying game. Now, as threats gather around her like storm clouds, she must race to figure out why she was summoned to this world—and face enemies long thought defeated.