The Infinite City: The Dungeon That Never Ends

"Get your head in the fight, Tern!" Nil shouted, loosing two arrows in quick succession. Both found their marks—two dagger-wielding bandits dropped into the dust.

Blue fire surged along my blade as I stepped toward Grinth.

He grinned, teeth yellow and cruel. "Should've stuck to building roads, Tern. Now I'm gonna carve you up slowly."

His cleaver came down like a hammer. I dove, rolling hard across the dirt road. My outer shirt tore open, scraping across the stone-studded path, but my armor took the brunt.

Grinth pressed hard. He was stronger. Faster. But not better.

Steel clashed as I met his next swing, parrying with a grunt.

"You're a tough son of a bitc—" he snarled, but I cut him off—literally—with a sharp kick to his knee.

He staggered, just enough. His speed dropped to something I could match.

I caught an opening and slashed—clean. One of his fingers flew off, the cleaver clattering to the dirt.

He roared and lunged, tackling me like a tribal arena brawler. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs as he straddled me, wrenched the sword from my grip, and pressed its flaming edge to my throat. I felt the pain lessen when my amulet pulsed.

Pain bloomed where the flames licked at my skin.

"I like your sword, Tern," he growled. "It's mine now."

Nil screamed something—I couldn't hear what.

My hand moved on instinct. I drew the dagger Orin sold me and drove it deep into Grinth's throat.

At the same moment, Nil's arrow thudded through my hand and into the side of his neck.

Grinth froze. Blood bubbled. Then he toppled off me, taking the fire with him. My hand still pinned to him.

"Are you okay?" Marlo asked, half yelling.

"To be honest, Marlo, I am really fucking far from all right. Do you have a healing potion—and maybe some pliers to get the arrow out of my hand?" I said.

"Yes—yeah, hold on," Marlo said, starting to dig through boxes.

Nil came up to me and knelt beside me. "I am so sorry. I didn't see you bring up your dagger."

"Don't worry about it. I still owe you for saving my life with that A-rank potion, so don't lose any sleep over it."

Marlo brought a potion. "Here's a C-rank potion and some healing burn salve. But I'll need to get the arrow out of your hand before you take the potion, or your hand will heal around the arrow. Bite on this. It's going to hurt like all of the hells," he said, putting a piece of leather in my mouth.

"Hold on," I said, pulling the leather out. "In my pack, I've got a little whiskey."

Nil grabbed it for me. I drank the last sip. "Do it." I put the leather back in my mouth.

Marlo broke the top of the arrow close to my hand, then pulled my hand up. White-hot pain ran up my arm.

"Drink the potion, Tern," Nil said.

I did as I was told. The pain lessened to a manageable level.

"Now, Tern, I'm going to rub this healing salve on your neck," Marlo said.

The pain lessened even more.

"We need to get these bodies onto the cart. Do you have a tarp or sheet, Marlo?" Nil asked.

"What? Why put them on the cart?" Marlo asked.

"Well, for one, Marlo, we're not going to leave dead bodies on the road. That would attract monsters and make the road more dangerous than it already is. And two, Grinth had a bounty of 45,000 copper on his head. If I were a betting man, I'd wager his lackeys had bounties too. I don't want to leave money to rot on the roadside," I said.

"Oh, okay, that makes sense. Let me get you a tarp and reorganize my goods to make room," Marlo said.

Marlo and Nil loaded the bodies into the cart. I tried to help, but Nil yelled at me to go rest.

Once we started back down the road, I started getting cold. I got my fire-ram wool blanket from my pack, but even still, I had a full-body shiver.

Once Nil noticed, she asked, "What are you doing? Tern, it's like 80 degrees out here."

"There's no way it's that warm. I'm freezing. It's like the cold is in my bones," I said.

Nil put the back of her hand on my forehead. "Great goddess', you're burning up, Tern. Marlo, do you have anything to treat a fever?"

"Nothing pre-made. But I think I have a little frostgleam root. Check that box," Marlo said, pointing.

Nil rummaged for a moment. "Here—this is it."

"Is it cold to the touch? If it is, then yes."

"Yes, it is cold," Nil said.

"Now put it in Tern's mouth. Tern, you need to chew this root well, then swallow it," Marlo said.

I did what Marlo told me, chewing and swallowing the pieces Nil gave me. Then I fell asleep.

I awoke on a table, covered in a light sheet. I could feel my nakedness underneath.

"What? Where am I?" I asked.

"You, Tern, are in the Kessler Healing House. I'm Rowan Kessler."

"I'm in your hospital, then?"

"No, it's my father's. But my great-great-grandfather founded this hospital when his brother-in-law founded the town."

"Oh. Okay. Where are Nil and Marlo?" I asked.

"Well, Marlo's down in the supply area selling some goods to the hospital. Nil went to the Adventurers Guild Hall to turn in the bodies of the outlaws you two killed. From what I hear, you're being put up for promotion to D-rank—because of outstanding battlefield achievement," Rowan said.

"What? That's crazy. I just killed an outlaw, and I nearly died doing it."

"Yes, you killed an outlaw that normally requires a minimum C-rank party for the guild to even allow an attempt. You don't need to tell me about nearly dying—I healed you…" she paused. "Tern, you have residual magic in your chest. It could go away on its own, or it could explode if disturbed."