Seeds of Discordia

Adva let out a frustrated scream as she watched Sebastean disappear through the portal with Omira on his shoulder after all of the Nagas went through. As soon as they disappeared, the guards and soldiers that were surrounding Jude's, Kala's, Liam's, and Lolita's groups suddenly grew aggressive and pointed their weapons at them.

"This is why we don't allow outsiders around the ritual," someone accused as other started slandering and shouting.

"Funny you say that, wasn't it one of your own that betrayed you," Roman shot back as he growled at one of the men who took a step towards them.

The man didn't say anything in his defense, but he still didn't let his weapon down. Shouts, screams, and noises echoed all around causing the area to be deafening. However, even with his heightened hearing, Liam drowned it all out. Instead, his senses focused on something else. Something more…familiar.

His eyes were set on the blue and black portal that stood menacingly in front of the cathedral like building's doors. His eyes were the only pair that was focused on it. Jude's, Kala's, and Lolita's were as well. All four of them felt something they hadn't in some time. Even though Jude and Liam didn't share the same Tutorial Area as Kala and Lolita, all four of them still had something in common. That common thing they shared was one hell of an introduction to dungeons.

Liam slowly turned his gaze over to Jude and noticed he did the same. Liam understood the look he was giving him, the question even he had for the young man. Are you feeling that too? Liam and Jude both nodded at the same time. As they did this they noticed Lolita and Kala were nodded to each other as well. That was when Liam understood they had the same experience and were feeling it as well. If it was just he and Jude they could write it off as some weird thing they shared, but for all four of them to have the same reaction…that was no coincidence.

Mercer, Avery, and Blair noticed some unspoken thing pass over the four. They knew something was going on but didn't know what it was. Mercer's curiosity won over as he got closer to Liam and asked loud enough for only them to hear within the loud noises all around them, "What's wrong?"

Liam turned his attention to him. Before he replied he looked at the others before looking at Val and Gimmel, who both caught it. "I think this dungeon might be a Forgotten Realm."

Mercer's expression turned dark as he stared at Liam. "Are you sure?"

Liam was hesitant as he thought about it. He wasn't sure. They hadn't touched the portal to see what dungeon it was, but that didn't matter. He could feel it in his gut. If it was just him he probably would have not said anything until he touched it, but after seeing the look on Jude's face he was sure of it. He gave Mercer a sharp nod with a confident face.

"Shit. You've got to be kidding me," Mercer cursed as he spun around. Someone shouted something at Mercer which prompted him to curse him out.

This behavior caught the others' attention causing Blair to step back to ask while keeping her eyes on the weapons pointed at them from her angle, "What's wrong?"

"Liam says it's a Forgotten Realm Dungeon," Mercer stated.

The others were close enough to hear which caused them to take their eyes off of the angry guards around them to look at Liam. Gimmel and Val looked confused as they stared at them. Val was the one to ask the question she shared with the teenage boy, "How do you know about Forgotten Realms? You guys are too fresh to this world to know about them, unless…" Her eyes widened as she looked at the others and finished, "You guys have experienced one?"

Artem, Roman, and Ariyana nodded. Val then looked at Lolita. She understood the question as she caught the look and understood why she was asking her. She and her group didn't have the same Tutorial Area as Liam. So when she noticed Liam nodding to that Jude fellow around the same time she and Kala silently acknowledged what they were sensing was a complete surprise. "Yes. I have experienced one as well. Not with him or whoever he was in one with."

Val's, Gimmel's, and a few of Liam's members looked at her with different levels of shock. However, none of them had time to react as new noises were added to the surrounding ones. Liam and everyone turned to see sparks flash between the cathedral and the center pool of water. They clash violently as the barrier between them stopped them from touching. However, the more the barrier prevented them from colliding against each other the more flashes of sparks hit.

They kept sparks and colliding against the barrier that eventually the barrier finally shattered causing the two sets of mana to finally connect. No one knew why, but the Decaying Mana started to spread across different parts of the giant building. Each time brittle stone started to shatter it was replaced with new stone from the other set of mana.

The guards, Adva, Key, and Uncle stared at disbelief unsure what was going on. Their focus was so hard on the building that they didn't see the four groups look at each other, nod, and start to make a move. Jude's and Kala's group was the first to start sprinting. The guards around them reacted too late as the group of members ran as fast as they could away from them.

The other set of guards closer to Liam's and Lolita's snapped out of their stupor and swiftly turned to look at the group of people they were surrounding. As they turned to look at them, they were already moving as well. Blair, Artem, and the tallest member of Lolita's group ran between the small gap of a couple of the guards causing them to lose balance and fall to the side into other guards.

This new movement caused everyone to start moving. Uncle Naro and Key turned to look at what was going on. As they watched Liama and the others rush towards the portal they took a step forward to stop them, but came to a halt as Adva yelled out, "All guards and soldiers stop!"

Uncle Naro, Key, the guards, and the soldiers halted their movements and turned to look at her. Uncle Naro and Key saw a bit of concern and fear in her expression, but they also saw the strong resolve she held. They were confused by this and wanted to know what she was thinking, however, one of the guards beat them to it.

"Lady Adva, what is the meaning of this?!" one of the guards demanded. "Why are you letting those criminals…"

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"What crime did they commit for you to be classifying them as criminals?" Adva questioned with an authoritative voice.

"They…One group snuck in another while the other two forcefully barged in on our…," another guard tried to say but felt his voice die out as he felt Adva's stern look fall on him.

"Two groups barged in to warn us about the dangers that eventually befell us. The same warning the group we allowed to be here tried to figure out as they searched around," Adva stated with a matter of fact tone. She watched as Liam and the others made it to the portal and entered without any contest. After they all disappeared into the dungeon she focused all her attention on everyone staring at her. "As for the last group they didn't attack anyone so it would be wise to assume they were trying to assist the group who we allowed to help us."

"But…," a third guard tried to protest. Her voice was drowned out as Adva strongly interrupted, "We have more problems to deal with. The civilians on this islands need our help. Or are their screams drowned in your ears?"

The guards looked in the direction of the city not too far from where they were. They could hear the sirens, bells, and cries even from where they were. After some hesitation they finally snapped to attention and awaited for their orders.

Clean and crisp, Adva yelled out, "We need at least ten of you here to keep an eye on the portal. If anyone comes out, subdue them. If it is any of the groups that were here to warn and help us do not attack them, but instead tell them to wait for me, Key, or Nar to come and send someone after us. The rest of you. Break up into groups and surround the island. Attack any monsters that dare try to come onto this island or try to attack the city. We must protect those who cannot fight."

A chorus of affirmations echoed all around as everyone started moving. Adva noticed Key and Uncle Naro take a step towards her. She could feel the unasked questioned they wanted to have answered but waited for them to voice them. It was Key who broke the silence between them and asked, "I am going to assume you have a perfectly good reason as to why you allowed not just my apprentice, but Naro's and all those youngsters to what will probably be their deaths?"

Adva took in a breath before letting it out. She was trying to not only school her emotions but not let the guilt of failing to protect Omira from getting harmed. With as calm and controlled of a voice that she could muster, she nodded and said, "Yes."

When she didn't elaborate more on it Key frustratingly threw her hands out and said, "Well? Are you going to tell me?"

Uncle Naro eyed Adva as he remained silent. He felt something was off with the woman as he studied her but couldn't understand what.

"Because I believe they will come out of this alive," Adva stated once more with the same tone as she did earlier.

Key's face scrunched up in irritation as she argued, "Because you believe? Do you not understand what type of dungeon that is? Are you really going to stand there and tell me you allowed a group of newly arrived people to enter a Forgotten Realm Dungeon because you believe they will come out alive?"

"Yes!" Adva suddenly shouted. Her emotions started to spill now as she failed to keep them in check. "I know exactly what it was that I allowed to happen! I know full well that I sent a bunch of people who are fresh to our world in hopes they can reach Sebastean and those damn water snakes and save poor Omira! So don't stand there and judge me Keysilia!"

Key paused after hearing Adva use her full first name. Both she and Uncle Naro stared at Adva and watched as tears started to form at the edges of her eyes. They could see raw emotions bleeding from the woman who always kept a calm and cool expression. The same woman who scolded those who cursed or caused problems. Who would heal those with a warm smile that needed it. Who played the loving grandmother to those who needed it.

"You're blaming yourself for not catching that Sebastean was an enemy…aren't you?" Key asked.

Adva let out something that sounded like a faint sob and sigh as she responded, "I am…that poor girl. Omira had enough on her plate not having an actual relationship with any of her siblings. She never had any friends either. Those who were supposed to protect her only caused her harm." She took a moment to allow the tears to fall down some more before continuing, "A part of me gave up. A big part of me was torn that I hesitated because I knew that I needed to stay out here and help with fighting the monsters that are on their way to kill or destroy this island. But when I saw those four groups rush towards that portal without hesitation…I…I couldn't help but feel relief."

Adva paused for a moment and forced the tears to stop as hard as she could. "I felt relief that there was an option left to save her." Key opened her mouth to protest but was stopped as Adva raised a hand and said, "I know they all didn't run in there to save her. In fact I highly believe most of them ran in to fight the Nagas and Sebastean. But Liam…Liam and his group made a friend out of her. The short amount of time I interacted with the boy and the others in group showed me when they view someone as their friend they would risk their lives for them. Was I stupid to allow them to go in? Yes. Especially since Sebastean and the Nagas are a lot stronger than they are, but Jude and his group is there as well, and I feel that those two boys would figure something out."

"You were the Overseer for Liam's and his groups Tutorial Area right?" Uncle Naro finally asked.

Adva nodded. "And Jude as well. His group and Liam's were put in the same dungeon," Adva said. "And what a horrible experience they went through."

"What do you mean?" Key questioned as she stared at Adva suspiciously.

Adva looked at Uncle Naro and Key with confusion. When she didn't say anything Uncle Naro repeated the question, "What do you mean Adva? What horrible experience did they go through?"

"Liam didn't tell you?" Adva asked.

"Tell us what?" Key questioned, her tone was a little more forceful.

"Did you hear about the incidents that happened in three of the Tutorial Areas?" Adva asked.

"You mean the ones where teams of new arrivals died in certain dungeons?" Key asked. "I heard about it through some random informants. It was a big thing when the news of it came out."

"They were the Black Dungeons," Adva started back up. "The Black Dungeons had turned into Forgotten Realms without anyone noticing. And not everyone died in those dungeons." She stared at them with a hard look. "Four teams in each Tutorial Area that had the incident happen completed the dungeon."

Uncle Naro's brows started to scrunch as he pieced somethings together. Key stared at Adva with complete disbelief. Her voice was full of it as well as she asked, "Are you telling me that Liam and his group survived a Forgotten Realm as their first Dungeon Dive?"

"And Jude's," Adva corrected. She then added after a moment of pause, "And I believe the other two groups might have been survivors from a different Tutorial Area that had the incident as well."

Uncle Naro's mind started to race as he took in her words. He had thought the young man was just an adrenaline junkie with how easy he would jump into danger without a care. His will to train so hard just felt like someone who wanted to prove himself due to getting the worst starting class one could get. There was more he had thought, but after hearing Adva say what she did…things started making sense.

Uncle Naro now understood, Liam wanted to get stronger in case he had to be in a situation like this again. He wasn't someone who would take risks for the hell of it - he paused at that thought for a moment as he remembered certain things he did when crafting or training - at least not all the time.

Uncle Naro stared at the black and blue portal. He studied the shade of the blue and saw how it wasn't a fully light nor a full dark blue. That meant it was somewhere in the middle. At least he hoped that would be the case since Forgotten Realms upped the difficulty no matter the shade of the color. He let out a sigh. There was nothing he could do right now but trust that Adva was right. That he would come back safe.

He was going to need to because once he did he was going to beat the ever loving shit out of the young man for doing something this reckless. He nodded at the thought. He would discipline his apprentice and then he would cook them all a meal. A meal fit for a group of survivors.