“What’s the plan?” asked Monty as he and CJ inched their way along the wall to their right.

  They’d left behind the classroom full of children and were slowly encroaching on Skippers’ location. CJ unwilling to just run in and present himself as an easy target. One flaming pitchfork stab was enough for him. That left them with very little to work with.

  The sounds of splashing could be heard from the water letting CJ know that Marty was still very alive. From his vantage point he could see Elena's team finishing off some combatants and another man leaning over the wall into the water trying to get a soaked Marty out of the drink. He was now in his standard stoner form and CJ made a mental note to ask about that bizarre class later. Then his empty socket began to itch like crazy. He placed his left hand over it in a useless attempt to salve his frayed nerve endings and felt a bump. It wasn’t the bump of a new eye growing, rather something sharp jutting from within the hole. He grabbed Monty with his right hand spun him around, alarm in his voice.

  “Monty, what the fuck is happening in here? Is my eye somehow growing back? Is it a bone spur?”

  “I… what the hell is that?” Monty asked himself while he scrutinized the sharp protrusion.

  It looked like a shaft of blue quartz growing from the lower half of his orbital socket. As the rabbit leaned in closer it poked up another quarter centimeter. Monty stepped back in shock. He couldn’t imagine what that must feel like. Mouth agape, he swatted CJ’s questing left hand away from the damage.

  “You said a fire attack did that?” questioned Monty.

  “Originally,” began CJ visibly pulling his hand away from his face. “I lost it when the fiery pitchfork slammed into he wall next to my head. Redmond healed all the burn damage, fuck it’s itching like crazy now, but he told me he couldn’t regrow the eye.”

  “I don’t know how to tell you this bud, but some kind of cobalt blue crystal is growing in there.” With concern in his voice, Monty continued. “We better get you out of here until we can figure this out.”

  “No running now CJ. Bring your ass in here and lets settle this like men.” Skipper yelled from just inside the room.

  It was clear to CJ that he’d been listening to them whole time and he almost kicked himself for not starting up a new party chat with Monty. Both man and rabbit turned back to the doorway continuing forward. Monty cast Now You Don’t, before scampering across the doorway to the other side. Immediately lances of flame shot from the doorway. CJ gasped, somehow Skipper had seen through the spell again.

  “Alright, I’m coming in. No tricks this time.”

  “I’ll believe that when I see it.” Replied Skipper.

  CJ waved a hand past the door opening. No flames. He slid his head around the corner and pulled it back right away. Nothing. He fully stepped into the doorway, past the door jam before diving to his left. No flames. CJ managed to roll forward behind a love seat. He placed his back up against it before taking in the rest of the room. It was a nice office only the interior doorway showed signs of burn marks and scorching patterns. The walls had several different painting hung up that were obviously stolen and brought back here. When peeking his right over the piece of furniture he was behind he could see a wide metal desk in front of a wall with two doors and a blacked out glass window between. Seated in the chair at the desk was Skipper. To his right was a full bar filled with every alcohol imaginable. Some bottles were still in their boxes. To his left was a loose pile of random gear. Everything from shoes to kitchen appliances and even some winter coats.

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  “Are you done? Can we get to the terms of your surrender now?” asked an exasperated Skipper.

  “If you think I came in here to surrender,” began CJ standing up behind the couch and signaling with his right hand for Monty to come in, “then you’ve poorly read the situation.”

  “Let’s be reasonable about this, there are several of his team tearing through my men out there. Surrender is the only way to get what you want.”

  It was then CJ realized he wasn’t talking to him. Skipper was addressing the imp on his shoulder. CJ could see it much more clearly in here than he did before. As the little demon became more agitated with every word from Skipper, there was this charcoal smell in the room mixed with rotten eggs. It grew increasingly pungent the more they argued.

  The itching in CJ’s socket ramped up to another level completely. Between his eye and the smell, he had to drop down below the couch again. Monty had reached his side, one eyebrow raised in confusion about what was going on in here.

  “He’s arguing with the monster on his shoulder.” Came the muffled voice of CJ as he held his nose shut with one hand and forced his eyes shut weathering the irritation.

  “Both of you are acting weird. Party up, quick.”

  CJ opened his eye and met Monty’s while willing a party chat invitation. Tears were flowing from both sockets as the smell in the room was almost unbearable.

  New Message from Monty: What’s the play? You mentioned a monster, but I don’t see anything else in this room.

  New Message from Party Leader CJ: It’s having a tantrum on his left shoulder. You telling me you can’t see that?

  CJ popped his head up to see Skipper fulling standing now, gesturing wildly while he argued with the Imp. Only it wasn’t all that wildly. His right arm kept swinging back to the door on his right side. When it did his index finger pointed to it just before it came back around to the front of him. If CJ was staring at him he might have missed it. Then the arm came back pointed twice before swinging back in front of Skipper.

  New Message from Party Leader CJ: It’s a count down. Stay on my heels when I start running.

  Monty just nodded instead of replying. When Skipper pointed his index finger at the door for the third time. He hurled the pitchfork in his left hand at the wall on his left side. CJ and Monty bolted past him, Monty kicking the door open.

  “You fool! If he clears it we are sunk. Stop him!” came a screech that sounded like crackling embers in a campfire. With those words Skipper turned on his heel to see CJ and Monty burst past him. He took off after them.

  It wasn’t three steps through the door before CJ felt that familiar sensation of traveling through kaleidoscope of colors again. They’d found the dungeon the Webwork told him about. Only this time he didn’t get a message about being in a party. He found that strange but not as strange as the dungeon parameters.

  Bolster Dungeon: Burnt on the fourth of July- Will you survive the holidays?

  Rank C: Survive the Grilling Planes. 1 Common Item.

  Rank B: Ford the Beer River. 1 Common Item and a Common Spell Scroll.

  Rank A: Defeat the Dungeon Boss. 1 Uncommon Item, 1 Uncommon Spell Scroll, and an Uncommon Training Manual.