The Forest’s Silence (Adventures on Brad #6)

Daniel sat at the table on the second floor of a tavern, staring at the gate that once sent him and his party members into a Dungeon. A few weeks later, there were wooden barricades blocking exit from the entrance, and stone walls were fast forming behind those temporary barricades. Adventurers stood at attention behind the wooden barricades while even more city guards waited.

Daniel ran a hand through his black hair, his brown eyes tightening in memory over the last few weeks. The wooden barricades were the first thing to arrive, but soon after, the Adventurers Guild had started rotating Indigo and Violet teams to watch over the Dungeon entrance. Aided by the city guards, the goal was to stem any attacks that might arise.

“Anything?” Asin asked, her bestial growl erupting from her throat in a low purr. The Catkin sat down next to Daniel, long ears twitching as she peered out the window. Claws extended and retreated on her furry palms. Daniel looked away to meet Asin’s violet eyes and shook his head.

“Do not worry. They are a strong team,” Omrak said, sitting down. Yet, even the giant Northerner’s usual good cheer was subdued, his words carrying little weight of conviction in them. In truth, no one held any further hope for the teams to exit the Dungeon. Too much time had passed. Food would have run out, and potions of healing and mana would be depleted. If they were still alive, any sensible team would have withdrawn.

Knowing that, the Adventurers Guild had taken action. It was their job to deal with Dungeons. Failure to do so meant that an outbreak would occur – especially in Artos. The Dungeon only appeared once in a while, allowing a small number of teams in before it shut down again. But now, it had appeared earlier than normal and had not been cleared. The Guild could no longer rely on past practice. And so, they watched and waited.

A thump next to Daniel took his attention away from the table. Tula set her plate of food down beside Daniel—the roasted vegetable, fresh bread and meat-filled stew setting his stomach rumbling. Daniel looked up, flashing Tula a quick smile. The Ranger returned the smile, her placid brown eyes given a sinister air from the small scar that bisected one eyebrow. “Don’t mind me. Just had to grab a bite to eat when I smelled what they were cooking.”

“I do not understand how you can eat that,” Rob said, sniffing slightly. The Selkie’s dark, oily hair caught the light as he joined the group, calloused hands cupping a mug of ale. “Their drinks are barely acceptable.”
“Tastes fine to me,” Tula said around a mouthful of food. “Eaten a lot worse on the road.”

“Ugh. Rangers.” Rob sniffed but then turned his gaze over to the window. “Any change?

Around them, the tavern buzzed with more business than it had seen in years. The tavern and the one across the street had become unofficial hangouts for many Adventurers with nothing better to do. A shared sense of loss and hope, of responsibility and burden, kept them close at hand in case the worse came to be. Yet…

“No.” Daniel shook his head and gulped down a mouthful of beer. Rob was right—the beer here was barely acceptable. Nowhere as good as Erin’s. But they did not come here for food.

“I was thinking we should try Aramis next,” Rob said, leaning forwards. “We’re stalled on the fourth floor of Portos right now, so we should do Aramis. New monsters mean more experience. Might get us over the hump we need to level up.”

“We’ve only run the fourth floor five times,” Omrak rumbled. “It is insufficient to work out the proper methods to clear the floor. It only requires perseverance!”

“Sure, sure. I get that,” Rob said. “But I’m just saying, we could run Aramis and level up, make it down a couple of floors. Earn a little coin. Then tackle Portos again in a better situation.”

“I do not like giving up.”

“Rob’s not saying give up, just stop for a bit. And…” Tula paused and then ducked her head, sipping on the stew. Daniel cocked his head to the side, surprised that the Ranger had suddenly stopped talking. That was very strange.

“Ow!” Daniel exclaimed, glaring at Asin who had kicked him under the table. Still, he got the point. “What is it, Tula?”

“Nothing. Well, nothing right now…” Tula paused, visibly hesitant and then sighed. “But I got to go soon. In a week or so. There’s a new expedition leaving Silverstone, and I’ve been requested to join it.”

Release Date: September 1, 2019

Pages: 237

Genre: LitRPG Fantasy

eBook ISBN: 9781989458136

Language: English

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