Naomi was again drinking and getting along with adventurers in the tavern on the fifth floor. Unlike her boyfriend, King Alduin, she had only a few responsibilities. And while he was training or making decisions, she could do whatever she wanted. However, Naomi wasn’t lazy. While she tried to maintain a healthy ratio between work and rest, she was always doing something. She works in her forge to fulfill small orders from the town, for example. Naomi also spends a lot of time studying magic and runes, and building artifacts in her personal workshop on the last floor. Recently, she finished a toy golem representing the sixteenth floor and assisted Grand Merchant Venancijs in packing all the toy golems for the Royal Fair, which is scheduled to take place in two months. And in her free time, she tries to spend time with King Alduin if he is free too, or just like now, she has fun in the tavern.

  Naomi was about to order another mug of ale and maybe some snacks when Goddess Tabitha appeared, hugged her tightly, and cried. All present stood still. The appearance of any god in the dungeon was possible, and even wild stories were circulating about such events. But the cringing goddess of fun was a bad sign.

  “It’s all right. Calm down and tell me what happened, Tabi.” Naomi hugged the goddess and tried to help.

  “I will take care of her.” The Lady spoke, appearing too.

  Her face was expressing a mix of deep sorrow and absolute fury. Adventurers, initially just shocked and a little scared, were now terrified.

  “Goddess?” Naomi asked the Lady when the Goddess of fun calmed enough to release her.

  “Get ready. All of you get ready.” The Lady commanded, and both goddesses vanished.

  No one needs to be told twice. All of them drop everything and run to warn the whole oasis, and maybe even the world.

  It took four hours to scout the vicinity of the oasis and contact all places where mana radios were sent. No one found anything, but scouts and couriers were sent to warn every town and village.

  “Regretably, we will need a week, maybe even two, before we will know anything for sure.” Gustav, Grand Marshal of Holy Knights, reported to the nervous Naomi via mana radio.

  “Thank you, and I’m sorry for pestering you all because of this.” She answered.

  “You don’t need to feel guilty for that.” Arch Priest answered. “We feel frightened, exactly like you. The only difference is that we can better control ourselves.”

  “You are right, Arch Priest. Let’s try to look at all of this calmly. Maybe we will understand something?”

  “Agree.” Duncan nodded. “What words did the goddess use exactly?”

  “She tells me that I need to prepare for something, and all adventurers too,” Naomi answered. “I think that I’m the target. I finally provoked cultists enough to make them move. But I can’t understand how?” The border is still guarded and watched even now. And there is a desert itself. The army can’t cross it. Yes?”

  “The border is watched and guarded, but there are still gaps left. Treacherous passages over the cliffs, hidden ravines, maybe even underground caves. However, they are not big enough for a whole army to cross. I don’t think that one of the castles fell either. Preparations for a siege large enough to overwhelm one of the castles will be reported long ago. And the defenders wouldn’t fall immediately. They would have enough time to warn the nearest towns if something like that were happening.” Duncan answered.

  “And about crossing the desert. A normal army indeed can’t do that, but an undead army is another story.” General Serator said. “One necromancer can command a dozen zombies, which can carry all necessary supplies. But without securing supply lines even for them, such an attack would be suicidal.”

  “The road to the northern border is long. I’m taking my people north, to ensure they will pay the price of defiling the sacred desert.” King Alduin proclaimed.

  “Please, no,” Naomi asked with a shaking voice. “We don’t know what's there. It could be something bad.” She tried.

  “Dungeon Mistress. That is exactly the reason I need to go there. I can’t allow them to desecrate your dungeon, and a sun elve’s law demands destruction of any cultist trying to enter the desert.”

  Naomi lowered her head, but after a few moments she clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and spoke again. This time with a firm voice. She decided to stop him, even if it meant losing his love.

  “King Alduin. Your pride is speaking through you, not your wisdom!”

  All present sun elves look at her in disbelief. Even the rest of the crowd was surprised. Not all of them know how serious her accusation was. For sun elves, it was just a step away from calling someone a traitor.

  “Dungeon Mistress, can you explain?” He asked slowly, and his face was dead serious.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Oh, now you are listening. Good. You have around one thousand warriors, right?”

  “Yes. Others will join me on the way north.”

  “So, adding your companions, you will have two thousand in raw numbers, and because you are sun elves, everything should be multiplied by two. So you will have a strength of four thousand troops. Yes?”

  “It doesn’t work that way, but in favorable conditions, we will be able to stop an army that could reach those numbers.”

  “Great. I’m not a general, not even a warrior, and I don’t know anything about that. But I know something else. You all, while teaching me how to fight, constantly repeated to watch my opponent. And that it applies not only to duels but also to armies, too. And the second most important reason was a panicked goddess, and the other one was pissed off. Tell me, my King, can four thousand undead do that? Because last time I checked, we have many more of the undead besieging the castles on the northern borders, and gods weren’t giving anyone any warnings.”

  “They didn’t.” King agreed. “What are you proposing then, Dungeon Mistress?”

  “The usual thing, obviously. We need to send a scout.” She answered. “Stiupid me!” Naomi realized something. “We forget about Alessia and Lord of Thunder! They need two or three days to reach the north and find out what’s going on there. We can even give her the mana radio, and we will know instantly when she finds something!”

  “And what’s your plan if she found something that outnumbers us greatly? Don’t tell me you expect me to sit and watch how they try to conquer your dungeon.”

  “That is not a bad idea, actually. Terrifying but not bad.” Naomi answered. “But that depends on what is coming here. And you, my king, forgetting about the paladins and adventurers who are here. With them, your numbers double again. Depending on how bad it will be, you can fight them outside the castle or hide inside and kill them from a safe distance. And they wouldn’t breach those walls or gates, because they belong to my dungeon.”

  “We will do that.” King Alduin agreed. “But my men and I will be preparing for marching anyway.”

  “Sure thing. I don’t see a problem. We need to make preparations anyway. And if you can stop those necromancers alone, you can go and have fun.” Naomi pretends indifference.

  Alessia departed on the same day to find out what had happened in the north. Their breaks were short, only to eat, stretch sore muscles, and catch some sleep. Also, they warned anyone in the vicinity about the possible invasion of the undead army. Some wanted to stay and fight regardless, but Naomi gave Alessia her badge and orders to direct all to the On Taram, which was a rally point. The northerners were much harder to convince, but Naomi stepped in again. She simply gave the order to prepare for evacuation, and because she did so as an envoy of the gods and was warned by them, there was no room for argument. With heavy hearts, people began packing food and warm clothes and checking if they could take anything valuable with them.

  “They will hate me.” Naomi covered her face after ending the call.

  “Maybe. But you, Dungeon Mistress, are forgetting about one thing.” Eriser answered her, drinking an ale.

  “And that is?”

  “You need to be alive to feel anything at all. Earlier, they hadn’t had any chances to survive whatever was coming. Thanks to you, they will live. That is what matters, not their feelings.”

  “I guess,” Naomi answered, while sighing heavily.

  On the third day, they entered the north. It was much colder than in the desert, and clouds were thick and dark, but thankfully, they were high and didn’t look like storm clouds. On the fourth day, around noon, they found the first indication that something had indeed happened.

  “I smell smoke,” Alessia whispered while observing the horizon from the Roc back.

  “And death.” The Lord of Thunder whispered in her mind.

  One hour later, they saw rising smoke from the burning town. The column of smoke was so big that the air was filled with soot. They also find an undead army starting its march further south.

  Alessia immediately grabbed a mana radio and made a call.

  “This is Lady Itylara, tell us what you find,” She heard the familiar voice of her Lady half an hour later, when all leaders gathered to listen to what she had to tell.

  “Yes, my Lady. There is indeed an army marching south. Around six thousand strong, quite disciplined, and led by a powerful necromancer or lich. They destroyed one town already.”

  “Can you tell me how powerful he is? Maybe you see his banner?”

  “I will try my lady, but his aura of dread and curses reaches even us while we are high in the sky.”

  “This is Dungeon Mistress.” Alessia heard another familiar voice. “Do you know the song ‘A lich and his sock’?”

  “Yes, Dungeon Mistress.” She answered, surprised by the question.

  “Then sing with me.” And Alessia heard the Dungeon Mistress singing, or to be precise, trying to do that. She was a terrible singer. Despite that, she joined in, and they both sang for a few moments.

  “How do you feel now?” Dungeon Mistress asked when they ended.

  “Better, a less scared, Dungeon Mistress. Was that magic, Dungeon Mistress?”

  “Not exactly.” Naomi laughs. “I recently read everything I have about curses, and it turns out that there are two ways to fight their effects. The first is strong will, but you need a lot of training and discipline. Additionally, there is a second one that can be used even by kids. Curses amplify and feed on our bad emotions and thoughts. So when you are thinking about something nice or funny, it’s harder for curse to affect you.”

  “Understood. I will try to think about sand or desert sun. Or bringing cultists to justice.”

  “Not the last one. While that is important, it involves violence, and it could be used against you.” Naomi warned.

  “Understood, Dungeon Mistress.” Alessia obeyed. “I found the banner of the commander of the army.” She added, because while talking, Alessia was busy searching for a flag guard. A zombie in expensive clothes carried a banner.

  “We are ready.” She heard Lady Itylara's voice.

  “It’s a dark fabric with a silver picture of the tree. Branches are mostly without leaves. And the roots are entangled around the head. No, it’s a skull.”

  “Understood. Dark banner, silver picture, withering tree, and skull entangled in the roots.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  “You done well, Alessia. Now return to On Taram. We need to prepare for that army.”