Dungeon Master 7

by Eric Vall

  “We are here,” the sage stated, and Morrigan nodded in agreement. “This charter ship is taking us to the nearest continent of Galencia.”

  “The Holy Order is based out of Galencia,” I stated as I stared down at the yellowing paper, and the librarian nodded. “This will be a difficult task.”

  “Yes, the streets and cities will be teeming with mages,” Morrigan stated as she looked to me, her dark eyes wide and nervous.

  “Then what do you suggest we do, Haruhi?” I asked in a firm voice as I looked to the librarian for answers.

  Haruhi was intelligent, filled with the knowledge that she had learned from her books and librarian father. I wanted to see what kind of plan she could come up with on her own, this was just like the rigorous training I’d put my other women through, but for Haruhi, it’d be more of a mental exercise.

  “Well, the first part is pretty easy,” the sage said as she grabbed her and Morrigan’s pack and slammed them down on a clear space of the table. “I brought along a few disguises for when we port in Galencia, but that won’t completely solve our problems.”

  “Then what do you suggest we do after we dock?” I inquired as I stepped closer to the table, and the sage pointed to another place on the map.

  “Well, we’ll need to gather supplies first, but the disguises should help with that. After we get what we need, we will leave the main streets and use these.” Haruhi stated as she grabbed another much smaller roll of transparent paper and placed it over the top the thicker map. “These are chains of underground tunnels used by the Holy Band hundreds of years ago. They don’t use them anymore, so they should be empty.”

  Haruhi’s hazel eyes were intent on the overlaid maps and pointed out a direct path to the forest outside of Galencia. I followed her paw’s movement to the end of one of the larger tunnels where it emptied out into the thick trees drawn on the map.

  “There are two dungeons in Galencia, one of them has been there since basically the beginning of time, the other one I don’t have any information on because it was created fairly recently, within the last hundred years or so.” The sage said as she rolled up the transparent paper and pointed to a large cluster of rocks and stone painted on the map.

  “Do you know what god resides in the first dungeon?” I questioned her, and finally, her signature smile spread over her plump lips.

  Haruhi grabbed a large book and thumbed through the pages so quickly that the paper was a blur before my eyes. The sage reached the page she was looking for, and her wide, hazel eyes scanned it for a moment.

  “Athar, the god of regeneration and rebirth,” the sage smiled as she turned the book in her hands and pointed out a large drawing of the god.

  Morrigan and I both leaned in closer to look over the god’s appearance. In the painting, he floated in the air, cross-legged with his two hands held out beside him. His eyes were closed, and his long honey-colored hair reached his waist in waves. He looked young, but that may have just been the artist’s rendition, the handful of drawings or depictions of me showed me as a demon suckling the blood from pale maidens.

  My eyes moved from the drawing to the words handwritten on the pages, and it took me a moment to realize that it was written in a different language. My eyes widened as I glanced back up at the visibly excited sage. Not only did the librarian know these things off the top of her head, but she also knew how to read and write in different languages that none of my other minions could. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I felt incredibly proud of the sage.

  “Do you know what type of attacks this god will use against us?” I inquired as I pulled away and rose to my full height.

  Haruhi closed the large book with a snap and placed it on top of another as she looked directly into my eyes.

  “From what I’ve read, he possesses a legion of Ushabti, formerly known as clay guardians,” the librarian told us as she placed her hands behind her back. “Athar was widely worshiped all over the world, and the Ushabti were left at the altars and temples. When he was cast out, he called the guardians to his side, and now they protect his dungeon from intruders.”

  “Do you know how to defeat the Ushabti?” I asked out of pure curiosity.

  I’d never heard of or witnessed the Ushabti, or clay guardians, before. When I was worshiped, most of my followers left burnt offerings or animal sacrifices at my altars, and I accepted them happily. I wondered how much power these guardians had and how difficult it would be to kill all of them.

  “No, there isn’t much written about them honestly,” Haruhi shook her head doubtfully as she reached for a smaller book and flipped through it. “I didn’t even know that they could be used as tools by the god.”

  “Then we will simply have to go there and find out,” I smiled at her, and Haruhi’s eyes crinkled at the corners as she grinned widely. “And what of the second dungeon? I know you said there isn’t much known about it, but please tell me what you do have.”

  “Well…what I have it pretty close to nothing,” the sage admitted in a whisper as her eyes lowered and her paw ran over the cover of one of the books. “The only thing I have is reports of people going missing and being found months later eviscerated near the cave’s mouth…other than that, I have absolutely nothing. I’m so sorry, Master, I feel as if I’ve been no help to you at all.”

  “No, that is untrue,” I stated in a firm voice as I reached across the table, hooked a finger under her chin and made her look me in the eye. “You’ve been very helpful so far. We know what we’ll face in the first dungeon, and we have our course of action planned out. You’ve done everything I’ve asked and more. Do not feel that way, I do not, and neither does Morrigan.”

  “Without you, we wouldn’t know any of this information and would have gone into Galencia blind. You gave us important information on the first dungeon and the god within that we wouldn’t have otherwise known. You are an integral part of this party now, and I am glad to have you along for this journey.” The elven woman uttered in her usual emotionless tone, and Haruhi perked up as her white ears twitched.

  “T-thank you…” the sage muttered, embarrassed as she pulled the books into a single pile.

  I left my women to their own devices as I checked in on the second half of our party. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply as I sought my three women out. I found their heartbeats quickly and listened to their separate thoughts for a moment. Despite the great distance between us, I could still hear them as if they stood directly beside me, so I began the process of transferring my essence over time and space into the second avatar.

  It was an easy process, and I felt the Shadow Slave I’d placed within the second proxy shift out of the way for me. I sunk deep into the flesh of my newest avatar and opened my eyes. I felt the quick brush of the air but ignored it as Carmedy’s wide, emerald eyes came into view.

  “Bob?” the alchemist called as she leaned in closer to my face. “Bob, are you alright?”

  “What is this Bob name?” I laughed, and Carmedy’s expression broke.

  The feline slipped, and in a split second, she was sitting in front of me on Heijing’s scales and the next she slid off into the open air. I roared and reached out for her, but her tiny paw slipped out of reach in a blur.

  “Tighten your knees and hold on for dear life!” Heijing’s voice boomed as she nosedived after the falling cat.

  My heart thrummed in my chest as the wind blew my hair back. I did as Heijing commanded and held onto her tightly as I focused in on Carmedy’s tumbling form. The dragon rippled through the air after her, and the earth raced up to meet us. Heijing was screaming as she struggled to keep aloft, but Carmedy’s wailing face came closer and closer by the second.

  I slammed my dark power out, and it shot out of my left hand like lightning. The amethyst and black power zipped forward and surrounded the feline-like a protective bubble, and she stopped midair, then hung there for a moment. Heijing’s icy blue eyes stabbed back at me and gave me a grateful look a
s she maneuvered herself toward the floating orb of black magic.

  Heijing slowed herself then circled the sphere once, and I pulled back my power to reveal a cowering Carmedy. The feline held her paws up over her eyes as she continued to scream helplessly. The dragon positioned herself beneath the alchemist, and I slowly pulled her down in front of me.

  Carmedy’s eyes slammed open, and she looked left first and then right as she realized we’d brought her back to safety. The feline collapsed onto me and held me with shaking paws. My eyes met Annalise’s, then Rana’s over the cat’s trembling shoulders, and they gave me weak and frightened smiles. Rana whipped sweat from her brow, then turned back around to speak to Heijing.

  “How about we put ‘er down, Scaly? Pussycat has had enough for one day,” the redhead yelled over the roaring wind.

  Heijing didn’t answer, only jerked her massive head back once and slowly whipped her ribbon-like body toward the ground far below our feet. Their party had gotten a lot farther than Haruhi, Morrigan and I had, but that was to be expected with how fast Heijing could fly. There was no ocean in sight, even when I turned and looked back at the horizon.

  Heijing swirled through the sky until she found the perfect landing spot and directed her massive body downward toward it. She landed perfectly without jostling us around too much, and I slid off her back first. Then I helped all of my women down, and once I finished, Heijing transformed back into her human form before our eyes. Her icy blue eyes were tired, and she breathed heavily, but instead of collecting herself, she hurried over to Carmedy and checked the small feline over.

  Carmedy giggled softly as the Qianlong poked and prodded her in a few places, but Heijing didn’t stop until she was satisfied. The dragon held Carmedy at arms length and looked deeply into her emerald eyes then nodded once.

  “Whoa, Heijing is just like a mother hen.” Rana snarked, but the dragon ignored her.

  “Master? You’re back?” Annalise asked as she pulled her canteen from her pack and took a massive gulp from it then handed it over to the redhead.

  “Yes, I decided to check in on you while I wasn’t busy,” I stated, then I turned toward the alchemist and grabbed her by the shoulders. “I am sorry that I frightened you.”

  “No, it’s not your fault,” Carmedy chuckled as she batted a shy hand at me. “It was my fault for being so jumpy. You saved me in the end, that’s all that matters!”

  “That’s true,” the fox woman nodded as she took a swig from the canteen then offered it to Heijing, but the Qianlong made a face and shook her head. “We thought we’d really lost her, good thing it really wasn’t Mr. Bob.”

  “Who is this Bob you speak of?” I asked as I furrowed my brows in confusion.

  All three of my minions pursed their lips to keep from laughing and glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes. Rana nudged Carmedy with her shoulder and then pushed the feline forward.

  “W-well, we didn’t know what to call him…it didn’t feel right calling him Master, and when I asked him for his name, he only replied with no…” the cat-girl explained, and I stared at her for a moment.

  “Go on,” I stated with a wave of my hand, and Carmedy cleared her throat as her cheeks flushed pink.

  “I-I decided to give him a name, it didn’t feel right just saying ‘hey you’ all the time,” the feline chuckled then she looked me directly in the eye. “So, I named him, Bob…the Body. We asked him if that was alright, and he just shrugged his shoulders and made a weird clicking noise in his throat.”

  “He doesn’t seem to mind it,” the high queen offered as she looked between each one of her sisters, then at me. “He responded to it the few times that we asked for his help.”

  “Bob the Body?” I questioned as I held my chin in my fingertips and looked each of the women in their faces.

  My minions looked as if they were on the verge of bursting into laughter while Heijing didn’t look even the least bit amused, but I wasn’t surprised by that. I grinned at them as the first bubbles of laughter burst up my throat, and expressions of relief spread over each of their faces.

  “It’s a good name, right?” Carmedy giggled as she came closer, and I nodded in agreement.

  “Yes, it’s a perfectly suitable name for my empty avatar.” I laughed as I reached out and stroked her soft, black hair.

  “Where are we?” I inquired as I turned and looked over the thick tree line.

  “We’re pretty close to Terramanta,” the swordswoman answered as she pulled out a small map that I assumed she’d borrowed from Haruhi. “We’ve been traveling west for a good while now.”

  “We are two hours from the ocean shore,” Heijing stepped in as she pointed in the direction they’d just came from. “There is a small dungeon right over that ridge, that is where we were headed. We are in search of more powers to add to mine and yours, then we plan to travel to towns to buy soup-lies.”

  “Supplies, Heijing, supp-lies,” Rana corrected, and the Qianlong furrowed her brows and mouthed the word over and over. “We’re working on it, you’ll get better, don’t worry.”

  “Thank you, some of your terms are so unfamiliar to me, and it is difficult, but I will keep trying and make all of you proud,” Heijing stated emotionlessly as she bowed her head.

  “Shall I join you?” I grinned as I reached into my void pocket for the God Slayer.

  “Yes! Yes! Let’s go kick some deity booty!” Rana cheered as she grabbed for her elven daggers. “We haven’t pillaged a dungeon in what seems like forever! I don’t want my skills to get rusty!”

  “If only we had Haruhi with us, she would be able to tell which god was in this dungeon,” I said as I slammed the haft of the God Slayer down, and the three glinting blades sprang to life.

  “I miss her…and Morrigan…” Carmedy pouted as she slowly mixed up a potion in one of her burlap bundles.

  “I even miss those pesky crows.” Rana chuckled.

  “Ravens,” Annalise corrected through a smirk. “If Morrigan heard you calling them that, she’d kick your ass from here all the way back to Valasara.”

  “Well, ya know what, I’d let her because I miss that pointy-eared woman a lot, okay?” Rana laughed, and the high queen nodded in agreement as she drew Bloodscale.

  “Alright, Master,” Annalise smiled as she gestured toward the trees directly in front of us. “Lead the way.”

  I stepped forward, and my women followed after me in a loose formation. Annalise was the closest to me, and Rana and Carmedy walked side-by-side behind the high queen. Heijing trailed in the back just as Morrigan always did, and I could feel her eyes burning into my back.

  I could feel the god’s power emanating ahead of us, and it wasn’t strong. It wouldn’t take much for us to defeat this god and steal its powers. I was excited in a way, this was the first time that Heijing would see my women and me in action as we battled against another god. She’d helped us against Tuzakeur, but that had been different. The sorcerer was powerful, but his power was nothing compared to a true god’s.

  The dungeon entrance didn’t take long to find, it was almost like an entrance to a mine, and we stood outside of the gaping darkness for a second and looked in. Heijing came to stand at my shoulder and leaned out over the black expanse below. She turned and looked over each of my women, and I listened to her thoughts. Rana had been right that Heijing was like a mother hen. All the Qianlong’s thoughts were geared toward making sure each of my minions was safe, and their weapons held in the correct position. The dragon turned back to me and looked over the God Slayer once. She didn’t have to worry over my safety, I was a god after all.

  “Do I also need a weapon?” Heijing asked in a curious voice as she held up her empty hands.

  Rana burst into laughter and almost dropped her elven daggers to the forest floor as she bent forward. The redhead guffawed at the blue sky for a moment as the rest of my women tittered softly beside her. When Rana straightened, she wiped tears from her eyes and pointed d
irectly at Heijing’s chest.

  “You’re literally a weapon,” the redhead chuckled, and Heijing looked more confused than ever.

  “Whatever do you mean?” the Qianlong asked as she looked to me for clarification.

  “You’re a dragon,” Annalise said as she glanced over at Rana and the redhead nodded vehemently. “You don’t need a weapon because you have massive teeth and breathe fire.”

  “Fire! Out of your mouth!” Rana shouted as she jumped up and down at each word.

  “You are correct that I am a dragon and I can produce fire out of my mouth, but I am not a weapon,” Heijing stated in her cold, emotionless voice as she turned back toward the entrance of the dungeon.

  “If you’re a weapon, then you’re a really, really, pretty weapon,” Carmedy giggled, and I glanced over at Heijing out of the corner of my eye. “I wish I had scales, all I have is this tail and my ears, and they don’t do much but wiggle around.”

  The Qianlong’s cheeks were dusted a soft pink as she ducked her head, and the tiniest of smiles played about her lips. The Qianlong glanced over her shoulder and nodded her head to the women behind me gratefully.

  I stepped forward into the darkness of the dungeon mouth then turned with the God Slayer held tightly in my hand. All of my women looked at my handsome face with wide eyes and bright smiles. It felt like ages ago since we’d defeated a dungeon, and I was ready to feel the rush as I killed another god. From the expressions on Rana, Carmedy, and Annalise’s faces, I knew they were eager too. Heijing looked apprehensive, but this was her first dungeon, and soon, she’d get used to it like all of my other minions.

  “Come, let’s destroy everything in sight.” I grinned as I gestured with my hand for them to follow, and they tramped into the darkness after me obediently.

  Chapter Nine

  We entered the dungeon together in the same formation with Annalise directly behind me, then Rana and Carmedy. Heijing took up the back, and she moved silently. The path ahead of us was completely clear of rocks or stones, and surprisingly, this dungeon didn’t smell of stagnant water or rotting moss. But the deeper we moved inside of the dungeon, a floral, fruity smell rose up from the depths and both of the hybrid-women sniffed at the air curiously.