Dungeon Walkers 1

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “Yes, but these clothes are a little big.”

  “Too big?”

  “I would need a belt for the pants.”

  “If you hold them up, will they work to get to the room?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. I have some rope in my bag. We can fashion you something to keep them tied up.”

  “Umm... Can you take my old clothes then?”

  “Sure,” Stern said, feeling her rising embarrassment.

  “Thank you.”

  “Oh, uh... can you get the divider for me, too?”

  “Okay.”

  When he moved the divider, he understood why she’d asked for help— the shirt was easily two sizes too large for her, but with it tucked into her pants, it was passable. The pants were far from the right size.

  “We’ll see if we can make them work with some rope. If not, then they can be used just to get from bath to room,” Stern said. “Go ahead. I’ll grab your clothing.”

  Cyra nodded, keeping her eyes averted as she held her pants in place and left the room. Stern made a mental note to never buy another thing from the merchant who’d sold him the clothes. Draping Cyra’s clothing on his other shoulder, Stern left the bathroom behind.

  Back in the room, Stern found an older belt in his pack and was able to use it instead of a rope to help secure Cyra’s pants. Cyra thanked him again when she was able to let go of them.

  “You can easily wear those over your other clothing tomorrow,” Stern said. “Might make things a little warmer for you.”

  “Oh, that’s a good idea,” Cyra said, nodding.

  There was a knock on the door, and Stern opened it for the maid, who brought their food and drinks in. When she was gone, Stern took his seat at the table across from Cyra.

  “Smells good,” Cyra said.

  “Agreed,” Stern said as his stomach growled. “We’ll be leaving just after daybreak, so I suggest sleeping after dinner.”

  Cyra nodded as she took her first bite.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Stern walked along silently. Cyra was beside him, thinking over what they’d been talking about— Stern was glad that she was clearly pondering their conversation.

  Looking up at the sky, he knew they’d be stopping for the night soon. The city would be a half-day ahead of them still, and he didn’t want to push too hard. He’d kept their pace slow to not tax Cyra too much.

  The chill wind was picking up again and he knew it’d be another cold night. If they stopped a little earlier, they could at least have a fire for a bit.

  “We’re going to set up just up ahead,” Stern said.

  Cyra nodded absently, as she was still lost in thought. Stern smiled and watched her for a moment. Turning his gaze back to the road, he started looking for the best place to set camp for the night.

  The sun was just reaching the horizon when he found a small cutout off the road. “There,” Stern pointed, heading for the spot.

  “Huh?” Cyra asked, blinking.

  “We’re stopping for the night. You’ve been thinking for a long time.”

  “It’s a hard question,” Cyra said. “I don’t think there’s a right answer.”

  “There isn’t,” Stern admitted. “It’s a personal question, so it’s different for everyone.”

  “What about for you?” Cyra asked as they stepped off the road.

  “I don’t know. I’ll likely find out in time. All Walkers do. Most of the powerful Walkers are on their third or fourth crew by the time they reach the prismatic badges. There’s a reason there are so few of them.”

  “You know how many of them there are?” Cyra asked.

  “The Dungeon Walkers keep a rough tally of them. Out of every hundred, only a handful of Walkers advance beyond the precious metal badges. Most stop because of the question I asked.”

  Cyra frowned as she looked at the camping spot. “We’ll be in the same position in time?”

  “On one side or the other,” Stern said. “Very few crews have managed to stay together past death and rebirth of one or more members.”

  “You grew up around the guild, didn’t you?” Cyra asked.

  “You could say that,” Stern said. “If you can get the tent set up, I’m going to see about collecting some wood for a small fire.”

  “Uh, yes, I can manage that,” Cyra said, nodding, but her uncertainty was a cloud to Stern.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll help when I get back, if needed. You only saw it done once.”

  “Okay.”

  Stern shucked his pack off and placed it beside the small fire pit that’d been previously dug out by someone else. “If you can’t manage the tent, clean out the pit a little. I’ll handle it when I get back, otherwise.”

  Walking away, Stern summoned Pawly and added all of her upgrades. “You want to hunt a little? We’re camping for the night.”

  Pawly chuffed and went loping off ahead of him. Stern chuckled as he trailed her, looking for deadwood that could be used for the fire.

  When Stern made it back to the camp, the tent was up and the fire pit was cleaned out. Cyra was also missing, but when he noticed the shovel was also not there, he nodded in understanding. Laying the wood out for the fire, he was just finishing when Cyra came back.

  “Is it okay?” she asked, glancing at the tent.

  “Haven’t checked,” Stern said. “I was getting the fire ready, first.”

  “Oh... I can get it going if you want to check.”

  Her worry pressed down on him, and Stern nodded. “Okay, but I’m sure you did just fine.”

  Cyra went to get the fire-starter and Stern turned his attention to the tent. After a minute, he only found one problem with it. Looking back, he smiled when he saw Cyra standing up from the growing flames.

  “Cyra, come here, please?”

  Cyra’s anxiousness increased as she went to him. “Yes?”

  “Just one very minor thing,” he said. “This line needs to be pulled tighter. That’s it. Otherwise, you did perfectly.”

  Cyra’s anxiety vanished, replaced by a fountain of happiness. “I did okay?”

  “Yeah. Let me tighten this down and we’ll have some dinner.”

  “I’ll go get it ready!” Cyra said, rushing off to the bag.

  Stern chuckled softly at how eager she was to get dinner ready. He got the tent squared away, then went back over to the fire. “I’ll be back in a moment. Pawly’s out prowling, so don’t be startled if she shows up.”

  “I’ll have dinner ready when you get back.”

  Grabbing the shovel, he started walking away. “Sounds good.”

  Dinner wasn’t much, nor was it hot, consisting of the cheese, salted meat, and hard bread they’d gotten from the inn that morning. Cyra was happy as they ate, though, and she stole a glance or two at Stern when he wasn’t looking.

  With their meager meal done, Stern sighed as the fire was turning to embers. “We’ll reach the city by midday if we leave near sunrise. Has the extra layer of clothing helped keep you warmer?”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  “Let me cover the embers and we’ll call it a night.”

  As he reached for the shovel, Pawly came back into the camp. She carried a dead rabbit with her, proudly bringing it to him.

  “Guess I have a bit more to do, first,” Stern said. “Feel free to turn in, Cyra.”

  “You’re going to skin it?”

  Stern tossed the last few pieces of wood onto the fire. “Yup, and I’ll see about cooking some of the meat. I’ll need to gather a bit more wood, though.”

  “I can get the wood,” Cyra said, standing up. “I want to help.”

  Stern paused, then nodded. “Okay. Pawly, you going to go with her?”

  Pawly dropped the rabbit next to Stern, then chuffed.

  “Okay, see you both in a bit.”

  When Cyra made it back with more wood, Stern had the pan he always carried ready for the fire. He’d sliced the meat thin to help it cook faster
and it covered the bottom of the pan.

  “I can cook this if you want me to,” Cyra said as she put more wood on the fire.

  “Just make sure it’s cooked all the way through,” Stern said. “Once it’s done, we’ll pack it up and then get to bed.”

  Using a rag to clean himself up, Stern watched Cyra cook the rabbit. Reminds me of Mom and Dad when we’d go camping, Stern thought. Blinking, he shook his head and made sure he had things ready for the finished meat.

  ~*~*~

  The city was coming into view, and Stern was glad for that. Before we even get to the inn, I want to get her some better clothing, he thought. He glanced at Cyra and knew what people would think when they saw her. Like she rolled a fat bum and took his clothing.

  “Are we going straight to the dungeon?” Cyra asked.

  “No. We’re going to get you proper clothing first,” Stern told her. “I could use another outfit, too and we’ll get some travel gear. I want to wait for armor until we get to Darkstone— I know an armorer there who can make a good set for you… hmm... should also get you a dagger or something to defend yourself with. Maybe a staff? That’ll let you keep things farther away from you.”

  Cyra’s pace slowed a little as she thought about the cost of everything he was saying. “That’s a lot.”

  “You can always trade your dungeon points to me if you feel the need, but if you’re serious about being a Walker and going as far north as you can, you’ll need it. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t do this much. For a fellow Walker who’s determined to go as far as she can... well, I could use the company, and I’d rather have my friends safe.”

  Cyra’s heart hammered and she looked away from him. “I am serious and I want to go as far as I can with you.”

  “Then don’t worry about it. We can pick up a quest or two on the way to Darkstone to help offset things. We’ll be doing quests outside of dungeons as we advance, so a few of the easier ones down here is a good place to start.”

  Cyra walked more confidently, knowing that she could help pay for things by doing quests. “Okay. I’ll pay you back in time.”

  Stern didn’t add more as anything he could say would feel corny to him.

  The guards on the gate gave them a nod as they entered the city, though one of them gave Stern a long look. Stern pushed away the man’s hate and kept walking. He spotted a store after a few squares.

  “There,” Stern said, pointing.

  Entering the building, Stern smiled at the person behind the counter. The dark-skinned woman gave him a smile. Her hair— fluffy, curly, and off-white— stood out against her skin, and told Stern all he needed to know about what kind of lykian she was.

  “Miss, I hope you can help us,” Stern greeted her. “I need a new outfit that can stand up to the rigors of travel and dungeons. My companion needs three sets of the same. We could also both use something that’s more comfortable for those nights we stay at an inn.”

  “Walkers, I will be happy to help you. Are you staying long?”

  “Today and tomorrow only. We’ll be leaving the day after,” Stern replied.

  The clothier frowned slightly. “That will be difficult, but I have some pieces I can alter in that timeframe, if that’s okay with you?”

  “Could you also make some quick repairs?” Stern asked. “My other outfit has a couple of tears.”

  “That is very doable. It will take me a few minutes, depending on the amount of work.”

  “How much for the clothing, repairs, and alterations?”

  “Hmm… since you’re going to buy, I can waive the repairs. The cost will depend on if you like the clothing and wish to buy it. Would you like me to start with you or her?”

  “I’ll be faster,” Stern said, “and I can go get some other shopping done while you help her. Cyra, do you mind?”

  “No, that’s fine,” Cyra said quickly.

  Stern took his backpack off and set it next to Cyra, digging out his other set of clothing. “And here are the clothes to be repaired.”

  The clothier took them and looked them over. “Less than a quarter-hour to fix them.”

  “If we don’t buy anything, I’ll pay for the repairs, but I’m certain we’ll be buying.”

  “This way, please,” the woman said, motioning to a door beside the counter. “Miss, if you’d like to have a seat?” She motioned to one of the chairs near the door. “It shouldn’t take long.”

  “Thank you,” Cyra said, bringing the bag over to the chair and taking a seat. “Stern… can you summon Pawly to keep me company?”

  Stern nodded, his fingers making the correct motions. When Pawly appeared, he pointed to Cyra. “Keep her company, please.”

  Pawly chuffed and went to Cyra, jumping into her lap.

  Stern shook his head and followed the shopkeeper into the back.

  “Your summons is a cat?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you’re not a blighted, but an irregular?”

  Stern was surprised the woman knew about them. “Yes.”

  With a smile, she opened a door into another room. “When I ran years ago, we had a crew member who was irregular, too.” Her smile slipped. “She had a hard life.”

  “Did she retire or…?” He trailed off, but his question was obvious

  “She retired after being reborn,” the woman said softly. “We all stopped at that point.”

  “You don’t wear your badge anymore?”

  “Not in over a decade,” the woman said. “Now, first I’m going to measure you, then I’ll see what I have that’s closest to your size.”

  “Okay,” Stern nodded.

  ~*~*~

  “I’ll be back. If you finish first, just wait here for me, okay?” Stern told Cyra when he came out of the back.

  “I’ll be waiting,” Cyra said, but her hands tightened slightly on Pawly. “Can Pawly stay with me, please?”

  Feeling the spike of fear from her, Stern nodded. “If that’s what Pawly wants.”

  Pawly chuffed and jumped off Cyra’s lap as her hands had slackened. She walked to where the clothier was waiting, then looked back as if asking what was taking Cyra so long.

  “Looks like she wants to stay,” Stern chuckled. “See you both soon. Take the bag with you into the back. I’ll be bringing one back with me.”

  “Okay,” Cyra said, standing and picking up the bag with a grunt.

  ~*~*~

  Entering the clothier again, Stern had a backpack slipped over one of his shoulders. Cyra sat in a chair in the front, petting Pawly. Her clothing was vastly better than what she’d been wearing before. The colors made him slow for a second, as he hadn’t expected the combination on her— a black shirt was offset with a red vest, and a black skirt covered her legs.

  Cyra went from happy to worried in an instant. “What do you think?”

  “Oh, you look good,” Stern said. “I just… why those colors?”

  “It’s what I had on hand that could fit her today,” the clothier said. “She asked for pants, which I’ll have for her more rugged set, but for inn clothing that she could have today, this is what I had.”

  “Ah,” Stern exhaled, “okay.”

  “Is something wrong with these?” Cyra asked, suddenly self-conscious.

  “No,” Stern said quickly, then sighed. “My family uses those colors, so I was just surprised.”

  “Oh...” Cyra said, looking down. “Should I see about getting something else?”

  Stern hesitated, then spoke honestly, “No. It looks good on you, Cyra.”

  A smile bloomed and she ducked her head. “Okay.”

  “I have your clothes patched,” the clothier said. “As for the cost of everything, it’ll be a silver.”

  Cyra’s head jerked up when she heard the cost, but Stern nodded. He pulled out the small silver coin and handed it to her. “When will the others be ready?”

  “Morning, the day after tomorrow,” the clothier told him.

  “Okay. We’ll be here
just after sunrise, if that’s okay.”

  “I normally open a little after that, but I’ll make sure to be open for you.”

  “Thank you,” Stern said.