by Dale Britton
"I don't know," Ian murmured. "I feel kind of weird."
"What's wrong?" Jordan asked.
Ian shook his head back and forth as if to clear it. "I think I'm going to pass out. Kind of dizzy." He held his horse's rein with a death grip. Johnny tried to move back to stand at his brother's side, but it was impossible with the horses in the way.
"Hang on, Ian. It's just a little farther. We're almost out."
Ian's eyes widened. "No." His voice sounded mechanical. "No, we're not."
From somewhere just ahead an enormous roar filled their ears and their minds with pain. The light ahead that was so tantalizingly close suddenly disappeared, and the tunnel was plunged into darkness.
Chapter Seventy-Nine
"But why would the worst monsters always be deeper in the dungeon?" Sarah asked. "And why is it called a dungeon, anyway? It's not like prisoners are being held here."
"Because that's how the game works," George said.
"Need I once again remind you that we are not playing a game?" Yrabelle shook her head, momentarily distracting George when the light from her globe sparkled off her golden curls.
"We know that," Ollie said, "but the comparison has worked very well so far. Our game seems to be patterned closely after your world."
"Or vice versa," George murmured.
Their progress had improved once Ollie had figured out the pattern of the underground maze. He had realized that they could ignore most of the rooms. Whatever they were looking for would be at the center of the deepest level. It was just a matter of avoiding as many monsters as possible until they reached that spot.
Right now, they were walking as quietly as possible down a long corridor toward what should be the stairway that led down to the seventh level. They pointedly ignored each of the several doors they passed along the way. In the game it was important to search every room, so you didn't miss out on any interesting monsters or treasure. Now, however, the fewer monsters the better, and they couldn't care less about the treasure. It was funny how the possibility of real death changed your perspective on things.
Sarah stopped walking for a second and cocked her head. "Do you guys hear something?" she asked in a whisper.
The others paused and listened. There was a quiet mewling sound, like an animal in pain. It was just about the most pitiful sound imaginable.
"I think it's coming from in here," Yrabelle said, indicating a rather small door on the left side of the corridor.
"Oh, we have to help it," Sarah said.
"We don't even know what it is," George objected. "It could be a giant spider, or something worse."
"But it's hurt," Sarah said. "It needs help. I know it does."
Ollie sighed inwardly. He loved Sarah's compassion, but it could be a little inconvenient sometimes.
"Let's take a quick look," he said, readying a fireball. The fire came instantly to his call and hovered in the air above his hand. "George, you open the door and I'll send the fire inside. If there's something dangerous in there, hopefully we'll take it by surprise."
George stood at the side of the door and grabbed the handle. The sounds from inside were getting louder and becoming more and more urgent. Ollie nodded and George flung open the door. Ollie's fireball flew into the room. He caused it to flare brightly so that it totally illuminated the small area.
George's guess turned out to be half correct. There was indeed a giant spider inside the room, but it wasn't the spider that was making the disturbing noises. An impossibly large web with strands an inch thick stretched across an entire corner of the room, and trapped in its center was a young cat person that looked like it was just barely out of its kitten stage. The spider loomed over the squirming creature, trying to sink its glistening fangs into the small cat person's sides.
The sudden bright light caused both creatures to freeze. The cat stopped mewling, while the spider screeched in pain. For a creature that was used to complete darkness, the bright light was more than just blinding–it was painful.
"Get it, Ollie!" Sarah shouted. Apparently, her compassion didn't extend to giant poisonous spiders who attacked poor defenseless kittens.
Ollie concentrated and flung the fireball directly into the spider's abdomen. The beast emitted an inhuman deafening high-pitched squeal. Ollie held his hands over his ears in a vain attempt to block out the sound. He was afraid his head might explode. And unfortunately, instead of collapsing into a pile of ashes, the spider turned and rushed toward the doorway. It was obviously in pain, but Ollie's fireball had done little more than slow it down. The thing was huge–six feet tall and at least as wide.
Ollie frantically tried to cast his spell again, but his head was still hurting from the spider's scream. The fire wouldn't come, and the spider was right on top of him. Time suddenly slowed down. Ollie could see every detail of the monster. Liquid glistened on the creature's fangs. It was one of the most poisonous creatures in Valoria. Ollie knew that its venom was harvested for use in magic and for weapons. It was covered in a rather pretty orange fur, which would be attractive if not for the fangs and bulbous eyes and the eight hairy legs that were even now reaching out toward Ollie while he stood there frozen, unable to even turn.
The creature screamed again, breaking Ollie from his trance. It reared back, its legs flailing in the air. At first, Ollie couldn't figure out what it was doing, but then he saw the knife that had magically appeared in the spider's head. Yrabelle. As he watched, another knife flew in and hit the monster directly in one of its eyes. The beast screamed again.
There was a blur and a rush of air as Sarah flew past him into the room. Ollie saw the glint of her dagger as she threw herself at the spider, but it turned out she wasn't needed. Yrabelle's knives had done the job. The creature fell onto its back, convulsed for a few moments, and then lay still.
"Stay away from its fangs," George shouted from the doorway. "Just because it's dead doesn't mean it isn't dangerous."
Ollie slowly let out his breath. For just a second there, he'd been certain he was about to die. He was still shaking.
Yrabelle carefully collected her knives from the spider's carcass while Sarah turned her attention to the small cat person. The poor creature looked like it was in shock. It watched them carefully, trying to decide if the teens were saviors or if they would replace the spider as new tormentors.
"Stay away from the webs," Ollie said. His brain was finally starting to work again. "You do not want to get caught in that stuff."
"But how are we going to get it out?" Sarah asked. "Look at the poor thing. It's scared to death. It looks like it's starving, too."
"Just be careful," Ollie said. "Any animal is dangerous when cornered. I'll try to burn it out."
This time the fire came immediately. Ollie tested it on the web a short distance from the cat person. He was afraid the flame would set the web on fire, but instead, the web just shriveled away when it came in contact with the heat of Ollie's spell.
"Perfect." He moved closer to the cat person. Sarah talked to it soothingly while Ollie worked, carefully burning away the webs until the creature was free.
George approached from the doorway, holding something out to the creature.
"Here. Would you like some dried fish? I don't like it much personally, but it seems like the kind of thing you'd go for."
The cat person watched him warily, then moved before any of the party could react. It dashed forward and grabbed the fish from George's hands, then darted out through the open door, disappearing into the darkness.
"What?" George called after it. "No 'thank you'?"
Sarah laughed. "Leave it alone, George. I'm sure it's been through enough trauma for one day."
It's not the only one, Ollie thought.
Chapter Eighty
Unfortunately, the giant spider wasn't the only monster they were forced to face on their journey to the depths of the dungeon. Avoiding the rooms helped a lot, but the group couldn't expect to move through the passages
without running into the occasional random encounter, and the deeper they went, the more dangerous these encounters became.
On the seventh level of the dungeon, they turned a corner and Ollie literally ran into a bugbear. It was hard to tell which of the two was more surprised. Before either could recover from the shock and before Sarah could try to make friends with the monster, George rushed forward and sliced off the bugbear's head with one swing of his huge sword.
Near the stairway to level eight, the party encountered another group of cat people. They seemed to be the only creatures who didn't follow the rules of the dungeon levels. They were everywhere. This group ran away at the first sight of the party, disappearing silently down a side corridor.
Halfway through level eight, the party was forced to bypass a corridor that was blocked by a huge pile of stone that had fallen from the ceiling at some time in the past. The detour sent them down a narrow hallway where they had to walk single file. The passage eventually opened out into a large circular room with several other similar passages leading out at various points along the wall. They had seen rooms similar to this one already. Ollie called them "hub rooms," and they were placed in the center of each level of the dungeon. This one was occupied by a small troop of lizard men. Unlike other creatures they had met in the dungeon, the lizard men did not run away when Ollie threw fireballs in their general direction, nor did they give in to Sarah's attempt to reason with them. The party was forced to fight the creatures, killing several before the others ran away.
By the time they reached level nine, their supply of healing potions was starting to reach an uncomfortably low level.
"How deep does this stupid thing go?" Sarah asked in an uncustomarily negative manner. She was trying not to think about how far they were going to have to travel to get back out.
"Not far, I think," Ollie said. "Actually, this is already deeper than Ian usually goes in his campaigns. Now if it were George..."
"I made a forty-two-level dungeon once," George said. "You know, in honor of Douglas Adams."
"Sorry," Sarah said. "No idea what you're talking about."
George stared at her with disbelief. "You know 'Lord of the Rings' but you've never heard of 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'?"
"Oh, right. I've heard of that movie, but it didn't have Orlando Bloom in it."
George shook his head. "Blasphemy."
Yrabelle laughed. "I wish I could visit this world of yours. It sounds like a fascinating place."
Ollie abruptly stopped walking. "Well, Sarah, I think I have the answer to your question."
"What question?"
"The one about how deep the dungeon goes. This is where the next staircase should be." Ollie pointed at a blank wall.
"So, this is the end?" George said. "Now what? Do we have to search the whole level?"
"Maybe," Ollie said. "But let's start in the obvious place."
"The hub?" Sarah asked.
"Right."
The party turned back in the opposite direction, and Ollie led them through a maze of corridors until they came to the familiar circular room. It was just like the one from the previous level. There were the passages leading out in every direction, just like before. The only difference was that this time the room was empty. At least, it was empty of monsters.
"Is that what we are here for?" Yrabelle pointed at the large chest that sat right in the center of the room.
"It sure looks like it," George said.
"I don't like this," Sarah said. "This is way too easy."
"You're getting the hang of it," Ollie approved. "Of course it isn't going to be easy. There should be some sort of final encounter before we get our treasure."
"Why must that be so?" Yrabelle protested. Her eyes flashed angrily. "I am tired of the manner in which you continually minimize my world's very existence! Perhaps just this once our experience will not mirror your infernal game.
The others stared at her for a moment.
"I'm sorry, Yrabelle," Ollie said when he was able to speak again. "Believe me, we don't mean to trivialize your existence. But it doesn't hurt to be cautious, does it?"
Yrabelle looked down at the ground. "No, I should be sorry. You have been right about every single thing thus far. It is just, well, I see the way you all look at me. It is like I am a sort of curiosity. Like I am not a real person at all. It can be an uncomfortable sensation."
"No Yrabelle," George exclaimed. "That's not how it is at all." But even as he said it, he could feel some of the truth in the elf girl's words.
"No matter," Yrabelle said resolutely. "We have a task to fulfill. Let us see what is in this chest."
"All right," Ollie said, "but carefully. There's probably a trap."
The group cautiously approached the chest, watching for anything out of the ordinary. No monsters attacked. Nothing shot at them. The floor remained solid. They reached the chest without incident. Ollie examined it carefully, looking for anything that looked like a trap. There didn't seem to be anything.
"It looks safe. I'm going to open it. Stay back." He lifted the lid and was surprised when it opened easily. He had more than half expected to need to use the key they had found. He was also surprised that there weren't any traps. This is way too easy. He lifted the lid and looked inside.
"What is it?" George asked.
Ollie stared into the chest unbelievingly. For a moment he thought there was something wrong with his eyes. He looked up.
"It's empty. There's nothing here."
"Empty?" Sarah repeated. "Then what are we supposed to do now?"
A cold, hollow voice spoke from the darkness at the edge of the circular room.
"Now, you will die."
Glowing red eyes appeared in the passageways surrounding the party. There were too many to count. One by one, dozens of demons poured into the room. There was a moment's pause, then the screaming monsters rushed forward to attack.
Chapter Eighty-One
Realization hit Johnny like a sledgehammer. They hadn't escaped the mind crab at all. The creature had tricked them, and they had walked directly into its lair. He could hear odd clicking noises echoing off of the walls of the tunnel. The monster was close. Johnny wanted to run, but he was terrified that if he did, he would run right into the claws of the beast. His horse was going crazy, trying to break free so it could flee from the monster that was closing in on their little group.
"What should we do?" Jordan yelled. She was really scared. He didn't blame her. He was terrified.
"Nobody move," Lylor shouted. He apparently had the same fear as Johnny. "I will try to light a torch. Hold the horses tightly."
The clicking sounds were getting louder. The mind crab had decided to approach them. Johnny could feel the creature in his mind. Don't run, it said. Everything is fine. There is no danger. Johnny could feel himself beginning to relax in spite of the sounds of the approaching monster that got louder every moment. The horses quieted, their panic fading away. Yes. There is no need to fear. You will not be harmed. Johnny heard a clattering sound as Lylor dropped his torch, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. All he needed to do was relax, and everything would be fine.
But his peace was disturbed. At first, it was just a muttering sound from nearby, somebody talking to himself. The muttering got louder until suddenly he heard his brother yell. "Get out of my head!"
Johnny felt a moment of clarity as the mind crab recoiled from Ian's shout of defiance, but the creature renewed its attack almost immediately. This time Johnny fought back. Thanks to Ian, he knew it was possible now.
But it was so hard. The creature's presence was enormous, and despite his resolve, Johnny felt his will weaken. He couldn't overpower this thing. It was too strong. And it was getting closer. Don't worry. Everything's alright. Johnny closed his eyes.
"Leave me alone!" Ian screamed, and again Johnny's mind momentarily cleared. He struggled to clear the fog from his head. It was so hard. He was so tired.
"
Johnny!" Ian yelled. "Shoot it!"
"What?" Johnny mumbled. Ian's voice was so far away.
"Shoot it! Shoot it!" Ian screamed, jolting Johnny from his stupor. He shook his head. Shoot it. Right.
Johnny acted without thinking, trusting the magic of his bow. He drew an arrow and shot blindly toward where he thought the creature was. He might be horribly wrong. He might be shooting directly at one of his friends. But he believed the magic of his weapon would be able to account for his bad aim and guide his arrow to his intended target.
And he was right.
If the tunnel hadn't been so completely dark, Johnny would have been able to see his arrow fly toward the crab. He would have seen how it weaved its way around Jordan, who stood in the way of its target. The arrow then flew under the belly of Lylor's horse before curving back toward the crab and striking the creature at a point on the top of its head where a mass of antennae writhed in the air.
The mind crab's scream of pain was felt more than heard. It pierced Johnny's skull like an ice pick. The pain was terrible, but it faded quickly, and Johnny realized his mind was clear again. His thoughts were once again his own.
Moments later there was a spark and Lylor's torch finally flared to life. The light revealed a living nightmare. The mind crab hunched only ten feet from where the party stood with their horses in the tight corridor. It was huge, filling the entire passage with its bulk. It flailed about with its claws–all six of them–blindly trying to grab hold of something. Johnny's arrow protruded from its head, just above a maw that was no less than two feet wide and filled with rows of sharp teeth dripping with a clear liquid. The creature was in pain, but it was far from dead.
"Let us leave this place!" Lylor shouted. "It appears to have lost its ability to compel us."
He didn't have to say it twice. The party turned and ran back down the tunnel, leading their horses and moving as fast as they could in the tight space. They felt like they were moving glacially slow. The mind crab made a brief attempt to follow them, but after a minute it dropped off. Maybe it was too hurt from Johnny's arrow, or maybe it was afraid to roam too far from its lair. Whatever the reason, the members of the group were grateful.