"Are you both ready?" Aiden asked his team, Iesha and Valiant nodding in agreement.

It's been some time since the battle of the 50th level, but Griffin Valor returned to the platform, ready to progress onward to Floor 51.

The gate to the next floor was larger than the previous ones, this time being twenty feet tall and swirling portal, like something from Star Trek, was inside the frame.

"Incredible..." Aiden had seen and experience many fantastic occurrences in this world, but this was still breathtaking.

"Still ready?" Iesha asked her friend, both she and Valiant were ready.

"Yes... let's go." Simultaneously, the party of three stepped into the portal together, feeling a strong force pull them upward, towards the stars and beyond.

Everything after they entered the portal was  a blur. Aiden was the first awake, seeing Iesha and his animal companion passed out beside him.

"Guys, guys, wake up." He rocked them back and forth gently. More aware of his surroundings, Aiden found that his team was in new surroundings.

Instead of the underground cave, Griffin Valor was now on a large rock in a vast, blue ocean, scarcely big enough for them and covered in moss. The sky was blue, but there was two suns instead of one, indicating that the portal took his friends to an entirely different area of the dungeon.

"Aiden? Where are we?" Iesha was now aware of her surroundings as well. Valiant, confused, cuddled close to Aiden.

"How I don't know where we are, but I think this might be the next floor." Aiden rubbed his friends head. "I don't see any monsters or signs of civilization, but at least we have Valiant." The young man mounted his griffin as Iesha sat behind him. "I say our best option is to fly and see what we can find. Once Valiant gets fatigued we'll stop and return home for the time being."

Following his instruction, the griffin took of for the sky and flew East. The three of them continued at an easy pace for about an two hours until Iesha spotted something towards the North.

"I think I see an island that way." She pointed and Aiden turned his mount in that direction. Another thirty minutes of flying and the group had landed; it was a fairly big island, but they still hadn't seen anyone yet. "Do you know what the dungeon is doing?" Iesha asked, nervous. "We haven't seen any monsters or traps, what could-" The elven woman went quiet when her ears caught sound of something. "Stay quiet, and follow me."

Having dived into the dungeon for a long time with Iesha, Aiden knew when it was always smart to listen to her. Following close behind Iesha while Valiant kept look out, the two of them was nearing the opposite side of the island when the elf girl gestured for them to stop behind a large bolder.

Similar to his friend, Aiden caught sound of something, it sounded like somebody moving glass bottles. He peeked from over the rock, seeing a wooden hatch propped up from the ground, which meant that there was someone on the island and they were in an underground cellar.

Where not alone... which means that is either a monster or trap. Aiden tapped his friend's arm. "First sign of someone coming up, I pounce and you give back-up." He whispered, and Iesha agreeing.

A minute of waiting and footsteps were heard from the cellar, someone was coming up. Getting ready to move, Aiden went into motion when he saw a humanoid figure fully come up from underground. The young man pushed the mysterious figure to the ground, causing them to drop the crate of bottles they were carrying, and landed on top of them. He was about to strike with a dagger, but stopped when he got a better look at the man in front of him.

He was young, maybe late teens, with brown hair and eyes, Caucasian skin, and lanky built; and he was terrified of the man who just attacked him. "Pl... please, don't hurt me." He begged.

Aiden was baffled, not a monster, a fey, a beastkin, Aiden believed he found... another human. "You... you're a human?"

"Yes, I... I am a human. Same as you..." The scared man got a look at Aiden's intimating build. "I think."

The man didn't seem to be a danger, so Aiden put his sword away and helped his victim to their feet. "I'm sorry for that, I wasn't expecting to meet another human in the dungeon."

"Another... you're from the surface?" The man awed. "I've heard legends of people who dove into dungeons, but until now I just thought it was myth."

"I can promise that I am real." Aiden confirmed. "My name is Aiden Ortega, and I have made it to the 51st floor from the outside world."

The man gave a hand. "I'm Franklin Portokalos, a wine merchant. What brings you to this floor?"

"I wish to help my friend receive her freedom. Iesha, you can reveal yourself!" He called his friend, Iesha walking closure. "This is Iesha, my friend and companion. If you please, how can we progress to the next floor?"

Franklin shook his head. "I'm afraid it won't be easy. Unlike other the lower levels, you will have to cross the water to reach new stages. Right now, you're on Sea 1, or the 51st floor as you understand it, to teach the next sea, or floor, you'll have to sail."

Aiden whistled, his trusty companion Valiant flying down. "We have a griffin, couldn't we fly on him to reach the next sea?"

"You could, but distance between islands is sporadic. Even if you flew continuously there is no telling when you'll reach a safe spot of land, and then you'll have to deal with the creatures of the deep." Franklin explained.

"I see." Iesha answered. "Could you lead us to shipwright, so that we may obtain our own vessel?"

The floor native thought about their situation. "I have an idea, why don't you board my ship and I take you to the next seas? As a merchant, I risk being attacked by pirates, so I rarely stray from routes my family are familiar with. If I travel with you, I get security and the chance to expand my network."

The two humanoids of Griffin Valor shared a look. "That sounds agreeable, but we plan to venture into dangerous regions. If you come, we can't guarantee your safety."

"I have no concern. Life here is already filled with danger, at least I have confidence in a group that has come this far." Franklin smiled and offered a handshake. "For the time being, I think it would be foe the best if we form a cooperation."

"Very well." Aiden shook his hand.

"Follow me, my ketch is at the shore. Follow me." The merchant lead them closure to the beach.

"Do you believe we can trust him?" Iesha asked Aiden when Franklin got further away enough to not hear them.

"I believe he can be trusted, for now at least." After years of living in the Paganish Realm, Aiden considered himself a good judge of character. "With his help, I think we can go across the 51st floor and beyond."