First comes frustration, viscous and cold. It sinks through me, nestling in my gut and biting at my thoughts. We don’t have the Hearts to open the portal out. A clinical part of me draws up the numbers again, looking for a new answer. I can’t make it work with four, but my heart begs I try. Surely I can manage?

  No. I can’t.

  Then comes the stress. My heart, pulled from above and below, stretched until every beat is a pulse of pain. Verity will survive, certainly. But Lena, if she survives, will face the very changes she’s afraid of seeing. I won’t even get to help her through it! I’ll be down below, collecting Hearts and praying that nothing happens up above.

  Finally, when fear and stress meet, rage ignites.

  I will wring that coward’s neck. My claws will rip through flesh to hold the bone, pull and twist until—

  The Delver in me drags everything to a stop. We cannot afford my temper here.

  I breathe. In and out once more, Ivy. I can feel my flesh shifting, I can sense scales spreading across my body. Lena isn’t ready for long-term Delve exposure— this isn’t an attempt to contain us, it’s a choice to kill. What happened to Winston? Is he alright? No, no, he’ll be fine. Guards, magic, the enchantments of Craumont themselves; he’s well protected, and can protect Harriet too. If Lizzie was there, I’ve no doubts she’ll be alright.

  Lena shudders in my arms. She’s quieter now. I should probably push her away, right? Get my hands free to plan. To make an attempt at reopening the portal anyways. I very gently pull the both of us toward the portal proper, just a few steps away, and she follows. It’d be comical, if not for the circumstances, and the panicked beating of Lena’s heart banishes even that wisp of whimsy.

  Calming her down, then, is the correct choice. We need her functional, and it soothes my heart to do it.

  Raising a hand, I put it against where the portal should be; the shallowest point, the wound proper. Nothing.

  I push harder, adding drips of my own magic. A seam, a ridge—

  Too sturdy. Far too sturdy. My claws sink in, but there’s nothing to grip, not enough leverage physically or magically.

  But it’s something, even if it confirms my worries.

  “I can reopen the portal from this side,” I say, and before anyone can interrupt me, I hurry to finish, “But. We need more Hearts. We need a plan, and I need to—” Rip someone’s legs off.

  Breathe. Breathe.

  I swallow my rage again. I need to stay calm if I’m going to do this properly; anger kills in Delves, and I have far too much of it. “We need to keep Lena safe and get the Hearts. You... Verity, you should probably stay here while I collect them.”

  “M-more Hearts?” Lena says into my chest. “I’m sorry, now I’m slowing you down, or, or... oh, Restoration. Please.”

  “It’s not your fault, Lena,” Verity says quickly, closing in on us. She rests a hand on Lena’s shoulder, squeezing it. Something flickers in her eyes. “And Ivy, I know you’re a professional, but we were wrapping up for the day. Is there any chance we can wait this out?”

  “We can’t afford it,” I sigh. My hold on Lena shifts, loosening as I feel her pulling back. “The closest Mages capable of reopening a sealed Delve would be weeks away. We don’t have that kind of time.”

  “Then we’ll need to know what happened,” Verity counters, her brow furrowing. She’s scowling, lips pressed into a line. “And from your answer, waiting to be freed would take too long. Nor should we argue about this, that’ll make things worse. Lena, could you tell us what happened? You said... the priest, did this?”

  Really, I’m grateful that there’s a paladin here. Even if there was another Delver with me, they’re good at keeping calm, not keeping others calm.

  We lapse into a brief quiet, counted by Lena’s slowing breaths. She gently pulls herself free of my grip, stepping to the side to get out of Verity’s. A hand runs through her hair, tangling itself in her curly brown locks. “Right. Right. Um... yes. I can do that.”

  Hah. Well, it does help to have a task to focus on. Did Verity intend this?

  Verity’s scowl softens. “Thank you. Stop if it ever gets to be too much, alright?”

  “Priest— ah. Um, yes. Dongbaek was there. It was him.” Lena murmurs. Her free hand is clenched into a tight fist, with the other still running through her hair.

  I will break him. Let him feel my fangs before I rend flesh from bone. I was the fool that couldn’t catch her prey, and now Lena is paying for it. My feelings burn in my chest, but they’re contained now.

  “There were... there were members of my Church, there. Arguing with, with each other, with Lord Craumont. There were more people, too, and they just kept getting louder and I couldn’t hear and I—”

  Her breath’s going ragged again. Delving protocol and my own instincts suggest a handful of ways to ground her. She likes touch, I recall, so I bring my tail around and press it against her boot.

  Lena’s eyes flick down, and her breathing slows. Good.

  “Sorry,” she says, a bit pointlessly. “Alain was there too. Um. But then Dongbaek showed up, he said something, a-and then they started rushing us. Alain tried to stop it, most of my friends did too, but... he got through. Dongbaek did. He told me to move away from the portal.”

  “And you didn’t,” I murmur.

  “She didn’t,” Verity repeats, and her voice is tinged with something new. “Lena, that was incredibly brave of you.”

  “But I didn’t do anything! He still sealed the portal!” Lena shouts back, eyes burning once more. Her expression is scrunched; furrowed and radiating shame. “I was there, but I couldn’t stop it. How is that brave?”

  Lena tried to defend us. From her own former priest, no less. That same fire that nearly got her killed wasn’t only foolishness. When I open my mouth to speak, though, no words come out.

  “Because you made the right choice, not the one that kept you safe,” Verity counters, her voice even. “That’s bravery. Adamantine would be proud. I certainly am.”

  Lena makes a tiny oh noise, cheeks flushing red. She looks at me, wringing her hands. “I... I hope I made the right choice. But now we need to get out, right? What if they’ve hurt Winston, or opened up more Delves?”

  That’s enough to make me snort, even now. “Please. Dongbaek’s no threat to Winnie. Delves? If they could open them more frequently, they would.”

  “So as long as we get out of here safely, we’ll have wasted the massive risk Dongbaek took,” Verity follows along, nodding. She hums to herself, tapping her boot. “Goddess, though. What’s our plan?”

  “I go down, you protect Lena,” I offer again, waving a hand when Verity opens her mouth. “I can survive at greater depths for longer, I’m faster than you, and we can’t afford to leave Lena up here alone.”

  And it’ll give me a chance to let my anger burn out. It still seethes in my gut, a roiling pot of fury that sputters embers across my mind.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Verity grimaces. “And alone, you’ll be more vulnerable to fatigue. I’d rather go with you, but I can’t.”

  Then again... should I really be going alone, if I’m still angry?

  “Why?” Lena cuts in, her voice raggedy but much more calm. “I, um, I can... deal with weak monsters, or we can find a safe place for me to hide.”

  “The monster we fought on this layer wasn’t weak, Lena. But that’s not really what I’m worried about,” Verity answers quickly, working her jaw. A few sharp notes slip through her lips. “It’s the pressure. I... hm, Ivy?”

  I nod, picking up the mental thread Verity is offering my way. Even if I’d rather someone more diplomatic make this point, I’m better at explaining it, and Lena deserves a proper answer.

  “We can’t leave you here because of exposure,” I start. Lena’s gaze lays a heavy weight over my shoulders, enough for my words to catch in my throat. “Even a low pressure strains the body. There’s no way to relieve it without leaving the Delve.”

  “You’re saying it’ll kill me,” Lena says quietly, and that hangs in the air like a noose in the wind. “Oh, Gods. So you need to go alone, because one of you, you... need to protect me from that.”

  “It can be treated,” Verity cuts in, her voice gentle. “And I’m trained to give that treatment.”

  Something I should’ve asked her about, I realize, but I silently thank Adamantine for the skills of her paladins. Lena won’t be getting out of this without changing more, but as long as I do my part, she’ll survive.

  “So hiding from the monsters won’t cut it. Then there’s the actual feeling of this Delve,” I say, pulling my tail away from Lena’s boot. I lift it up to my waist so I can run my claws along it. “Something rotten about—”

  Two thoughts connect, and a rather startling realization presses its way to the fore. I look at Verity, then back at Lena.

  “Lena,” I start, slowing the clicking rhythm of my claws against my scales. “Does this Delve feel different to you?”

  Verity’s breathing shifts. “Ivy, are you...”

  Lena frowns and closes her eyes. “Um... a bit slimy, I guess? But it feels distant, like it's just barely out of reach.”

  “Ivy, you’re brilliant. Lena, I sensed a blessing on you, didn’t I?” Verity’s scowl softens further. “May I take a closer look?”

  I’ll take the compliment, I suppose. But, a blessing? Now, of all times? It doesn’t take much effort to figure out which God would involve themselves with Lena.

  “Um. He blessed me? Really? It’s been months since he did any... oh, um, yes. You may.” Lena fidgets in place as Verity moves closer, and visibly flinches when she looks up into Verity’s eyes. “Oh. Your eyes are—”

  “I’m aware,” Verity drawls, looking away. “I can close mine if they’re bothering you.”

  “I was going to say they look, um.” Lena takes a deep breath. “Pretty.”

  “Um.” Verity blinks owlishly, and her scowl vanishes. Her eyes are nice, true, but...

  “Can we get to the point?” I grunt, drumming my claws on my tail. Click click clack.

  “Ah. Yes, of course.” Humming, Verity turns to face Lena again and rests her hands on Lena’s shoulders. Lena stands a little taller, no matter how small she may look in comparison to the armored paladin. She tilts her chin up and holds Verity’s gaze without wavering.

  None of us are breathing, I realize. My curiosity rises with each patter of Lena’s heart.

  “Oh, Goddess. No, Restoration,” Verity exhales, releasing the moment. “That’s better than I could’ve prayed for, quite literally. This isn’t my Goddess’ area of expertise.”

  Lena draws in a heavy breath, cheeks flushing. “Really? What does it... I can feel something, but...”

  I clear my throat loudly, for lack of a better way to get us focused. “Verity?”

  “I’m—” Verity snaps, only to cut herself off. She takes a deep breath, counting under her breath. “Gods, I have so many questions. The Restoration doesn’t usually intervene like this. Lena’s only going to feel a tiny fraction of the pressure we feel. Barely even counts as exposure.”

  Were I any less stressed, my jaw would have dropped. Lena’s does, and her expression goes from courageous to radiant. “Restoration, thank you for your light. For your, your blessing, your strength, for protecting me from...”

  Lena swallows. The light in her eyes gutters, but stays stubbornly lit. “We have a chance now, right?”

  I hold my tongue at that. Lena won’t die of exposure, at least. Oh, Goddess. Lena could’ve died alone in a Delve if not for divine intervention.

  Verity closes her eyes and furrows her brow, leaning closer to Lena. “Hm. What’s even fueling this? If my... if Adamantine can’t send me anything through the sealed portal, how is this structure running?”

  “Divine magic is structured?” Lena perks up again, just a bit. “I mean, um, it makes sense, I just hadn’t... ah. Sorry, I’ll let you focus. I’m trying to not, um. Panic.”

  I’ve seen more than a few blessings over the years, my own experience included. Divine magic is still magic; it needs direction and power. Which means... mm.

  Verity stiffens, abruptly standing up. “Damn. Ivy, Lena?”

  I gesture at her, gritting my teeth. “Let me guess. Finite duration?”

  Lena squares her shoulders and bites her lips. Her fingers twitch, fidgeting over her bag.

  “Limited power, all pushed through before the Delve was sealed, I think,” Verity sighs, running a taloned hand through her hair. She plucks a greyish feather from her head, twirling it between two fingers. “How long will it take you, Ivy?”

  “Will I be okay? How long do I have? We’ll be alright, um, right?” Lena pulls in further, one hand tangled in her curls while the other fidgets with the pack on her side. “The Restoration will protect me long enough, I’m sure, but...”

  Taking a deep breath, I draw on years of work with the Delvers’ Guild. Years of descents, years of reading reports and creating my own. Hearts are more frequent at lower depths, but this Delve had been unusually sparse. I’ll go with the safest predictions, then, nothing approaching optimistic. “We need four more hearts. No, five, to be safe. That should—”

  “H-how long will that take?” Lena’s voice bursts from her throat, and I’ve closed the gap between us before I have time to think about it. “I’m... please, Ivy. I need to know.”

  “Eight hours, and I’d need one of those to rest right now so I don’t lose focus on hour five,” I say, focusing on being as clear as possible. “Verity, how long?”

  “Do you think—” she starts.

  “Verity,” I cut in, resting a hand on Lena’s shoulder. We don’t have time for this nonsense. “Answer the damned question.”

  Her yellow-gold eyes meet mine and hold them. “Sorry. Six hours. Rambling’s a bad habit of mine.”

  I squeeze Lena’s shoulder as gently as I can manage, and I sigh. Six hours, after which Lena's soul will start to fracture and Verity will have to begin treatment. Eight was already a stretch— six would mean taking absurd risks where failure means death rather than injury. Not feasible... alone, at least.

  “We can manage, then. Verity, you’ll be defending Lena and taking the rear.”

  “Gladly,” Verity agrees, and with a flick of her hand produces another magic shield. “We’re going together then?”

  My tail slips from my hands, curving back around behind me. “I could get this Delve done alone, but we’d be running right up against the limits of Lena’s blessing, and that’s with risks.”

  Verity’s lips twitch. “Safer and more effective as a team, as always.”

  Or dead together, a part of me whispers.

  “Well, yeah! Um,” Lena chimes in, nodding vigorously. “And I can help a bit, maybe!”

  “Which is exactly why I’m planning around it,” I say drily, hoping my voice sounds better than I feel about this. I may be leading us all to our deaths, after all. Nothing stressful about that, except for everything. “So. Lena?”

  “Y-yes?” Lena’s head jerks up, her eyes finally meeting mine. Her pupils have stretched at the top and bottom, just barely enough for my own enhanced eyes to notice. “Whatever you say, I’ll, I’ll follow to the letter. Um, no questions asked!”

  I blink, closing my mouth. My lips are twisting of their own volition, peeling back to show teeth. She’s surprisingly calm, right now, or maybe she’s just as overwhelmed as I am? “Thank you, Lena. So, stick close to Verity, got it? She’ll be the one giving you orders, mostly.”

  “Um, understood!” Lena nods vigorously, shuffling up to Verity’s side. “May the Restoration protect us all. And, ah, Adamantine too!”

  “Goddess protect,” Verity says, and I find myself echoing her words. “May her light guide our path through the dark.”

  Turning around, I tap her boot with my tail, gesturing at Verity over my shoulders. “Come on, then. Let’s get this done quickly.”

  “No more planning?” Verity hums, but I can hear her wading through the bone-grass behind me. “What about those rest hours?”

  “I would’ve thought we make, um, strategies, right? So we don’t get split up,” Lena adds.

  “As you’re aware,” I hiss out. The sound of my own voice— strained, heated, afraid— is enough to snatch the words from my mouth. I vent those same feelings through my tail, jabbing its tip into the ground a handful of times. “We don’t have much time to sit around. As for rest, the easiest layer we've come across is the third, so we'll stop there. Come on.”

  Thankfully, nobody comments. I take that moment to breathe, counting my breaths against Lena’s and Verity’s.

  Focus, Ivy. Strategy. “Lena, stay in the middle while we travel. If there’s any enchantments you can apply to your clothes, do so now. Put Verity between yourself and the monster. Verity, those shields you summoned during the fight with the spider—”

  “—Not the way you’d like,” Verity cuts in, jogging up beside me. Lena steps between us a moment later, filling the gap. “They’re a last resort defensively— if I’m not touching them, they break apart after a few seconds.”

  “Good to have, still,” I grimace. I’d hoped she could give one to Lena, just in case. “Anything else we can use?”

  “Well, I can hit things quite hard. Adamantine’s magic helps with that,” Verity chirps, and the sudden brightness in her tone is like hearing a gryphon’s call next to my ear. “I’m told I can also brighten up a grim room, and I think we need that right now.”

  Lena giggles, sniffling. “Y-yes, we do. Unless, um, Ivy...”

  They turn to look at me. I cross my arms, eyebrow raised. “Did you think I’d say no?”

  Verity coughs into her fist. “Well, I thought you’d grumble about it?”

  “That! Yes, um. You do that a lot.”

  Bah. Where’s this good cheer coming from?

  Fortunately, we come upon the portal down before I have to offer up an answer. I’d be hurt if they weren’t so right, and it’s a sight better than thinking about... everything else.

  Goddess protect us, because I don’t know if I can.

  One! As always, I really appreciate reviews and ratings. Your honest opinions mean so much to me, and more ratings means more people will see this story. It also helps me mitigate the occasional rating-bombs!

  Two! Following this chapter, TDoC will be going on its regularly scheduled break. If you'd like to see more of the arc now, check out my Also, we've got a fluff piece exclusive to patreon, and another one's coming in the next week or so.

  Thank you for your time and patience. See you all on the other side!

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