by Dave Qymlore
"Why are you asking me? I just told you, I have no idea who I am. I don't ... I don't think I can feel my body. And this light, blinding yet somehow I can see nothing at all. Tell me you can shed some—" he groaned audibly at the comparison he had unwittingly started making.
"Shed some, light, on the situation? Don't tell me you're a funny one too. I had a funny one here once, more so than the others. The rest have been very serious men, and a few women actually now that I think of it. Oh my, I just realized how incredibly long it's been since anyone else has been down here. Anyone at all, let alone a new dungeon core."
"A dungeon core? You mean like an apple's core?"
"Well, that simile really is stretching it quite a lot, but yes. An apple has a central core that is the most important part of it, which everything else grows from around the seed. I suppose you're really more like the seed at the moment. You've died, and now you're lying here completely, uh, useless—sorry about that by the way. It really did look painful..."
"I fell, down large stone steps, didn't I? Down and down. I must've broken every bone in my body. How the fuck am I still alive?"
"No, you're not alive, honey. And yes, you did fall down a lot of steps. I think you passed out before you reached the bottom of those and dropped to the lower levels. Please, allow me to finish explaining and then hopefully you won't feel so lost. I just know you'll understand, you seem smarter than some of the cores we've had."
"Who's we?"
"Oh ... I guess I mean me now. Everyone else died a long time ago. It must have been centuries by now, except I'm really not sure."
"Then I must be in the afterlife, because that's impossible! You're barely older than twenty from the sound of you." Lothar was beginning to feel like they were going around in circles. Only instead of going through the same topics over and over, they were expanding one things that made no sense at all. Nonetheless, he remained just as lost about his fate no matter how much this disembodied voice chattered away while they hung in this bright white void. He remained silent in contemplation for some time.
"Tell me about these 'cores' then," he finally prompted the sweet sounding female voice.
"You have died within a sacred temple. This was once a powerful society, or religion if you will. It was both really. Most outsiders referred to us as a cult."
"And you are a worshipper of some forgotten god?"
"Hmm, not exactly. I am more like a lesser deity if you want to classify things in your human terms. I don't quite rank that highly though, but mostly I just have less authority and power. I am the last remaining guardian of the temple."
"And who your god?
"The dungeon core is the god. Only, that position has changes hands many times. If the temple's core is destroyed or removed from this domain—the next worthy person becomes the core."
"Good for them then. Am I really dead?"
"Yes, you are dead. My condolences. However, you did have the luck of falling to your death."
"Falling to my death? Luck? You must be insane, and now I know I have displeased the gods enough to send me to a terrible place. Leave me be to sit here in this void."
"Is that really what you want?"
"Do I have a choice?" Lothar felt intrigued. The sweet voice chuckled lowly, almost inaudibly. It would have sent a shiver down Lothar's spine if he could feel any of his body at all. There were hidden layers to this unseen woman; he would definitely need to keep that in mind if this led to anything.
"You do have a choice," she continued. You can be obliterated, or you can willingly become the new dungeon core."
He wanted to sigh from frustration but had no mouth or lungs with which to do so. "You're talking horse shit, woman."
"Woman? Oh my, you are a domineering, strong man, aren't you? Putting me in my place already, and you don't even have any power yet!" She sounded happy about it for some reason, which was at least slightly worrying.
"Power?" Now that was alluring. But he could not tell if she was toying with him, or perhaps just trying to be funny. If only he could see her face and read her reactions, he might be able to figure out what her true intentions were. At the moment, he was starting to worry she was some kind of demon who had been charged with tormenting his lost spirit. "How do I know you're not some kind of trickster? Evil beings are known to present themselves as beautiful women to trick lost souls such as myself. And I know now that I must be dead, and most likely stuck someplace good men dread and bad men try to convince themselves is not real."
"Stoic and smart! Ooh, I think I might like you." The caring, kind facade was seemingly starting to slip away to reveal a personality that was not entirely balanced.
"Tell me then, what will I receive if I agree to be this so-called core?"
"The dungeon core, the central structure of the dungeon, and the most important part of it, might I add. You will be one of the most powerful entities in the land, that I can assure you. You will be the god of this place."
"A god? Hmm..."
"Is it really so hard to decide when the only other option is obliteration and eternal nothingness, darling?"
"Darling?
"Never mind. So, what is your decision? Yay, or nothing?"
He had nothing to lose. And if this were true, what warrior could resist the opportunity? It was worth the risk.
"I agree!"
4
There were a good fifteen of them who still survived, although the majority was unable to count higher than how many fingers they had. Being raised like livestock did that to a person.
"We'll never get to the city before dark," groaned Ronel. He was one of the only two men remaining in the group, and being older and larger he'd taken it upon himself to become the alpha in this pack of runaways. "We should stop running and fight."
"That would be suicide!" shouted Feyra. "Did we really come all this way, go through so much and risk the very little we had, just to turn around and let ourselves be slaughtered in such an uneven fight?" It wasn't that she was a tiny woman, standing halfway between five and six feet in height, with a well proportioned body that was as perfect for hauling well-water or guiding a plow as it was for breeding strong children. Thankfully she didn't have any yet; breeding with a slave driver would have been too much to bare. Her wide hips aligned well with her ample bust, curving into a slim and hardened waste in between. Her brown eyes were dark now, whereas they would often give a distinctive amber color that added so much warmth to her features. They only went to a more black color when she was angry.
Ronel walked over to the Feyra. The woman was smaller than him, as where most men in fact. He moved with a purposeful gate, slow and steady, and had a condescending smirk on his face like he was approaching a child who had been acting out and needed to be reprimanded. "Ever since I got us free of the slave pens, you've been a pain in my balls, woman. Know your place!" He wasn't a smart man, but he was confident and more than capable physically. Dumb, strong, and self-assured could be a deadly combination.
Feyra was too clever to raise the ire of a dumb brute if there was no need for it. But ... she also had to fight to control her temper when she'd had enough. This was one of those times. "I don't recall you rescuing anyone. In fact, we were already on our way through the slave camp when we heard you crying out in pain like a little girl.
"You best hold that whore tongue..." he said with close care, spitting out the words rather than shouting them. His eyes were full of a cold hatred.
"We kicked the door down to find you being buggered by the captain of the slave guards, didn't we?" said one of the other women with cruel laughter. Feyra couldn't remember this one's name, stocky woman with short hair who'd been at the tanning pools. It was hard to remember everyone's names when they had only met the previous night, and there had not been much time to stop and exchange pleasantries. Staying quiet had been the best option until they were well away from the forced labor camps.
Ronel didn't take the shorthaired woman's lip the s
ame way he had with Feyra. And she knew that she could get away with more because she had already proven herself to be a formidable force during their escape. But that didn't mean she was capable, or necessarily that willing, to protect the weaker women from a beating. She hadn't gone through so much to escape just so she could get her head bashed in my this idiot.
"What are you going to do, Ronel?" asked the woman. She has some muscles to her, that was for sure, but she was still small and had neither the reach nor the fast feet to take on the man. The challenge sent him rushing toward her in a fit of rage. Just as he was about to strike her across the head with his full fist, the other man stepped in and blocked the strike.
Gad was much more of a gentleman, having been a private slave to the wife of an important guard. His mistress had required that he be educated so he could perform administrative work for her. But being inside at a desk so much hadn't prepared him very well for the hardships they had experienced since escaping. He was a capable fighter, since he also acted as his mistress's bodyguard, but Ronel was more like a wild animal that could do any stupid thing at any time, plus he had the size advantage.
Shaking his head with anger, but clearly hesitant to start a direct conflict with Gad, Ronel settled for spitting in the shorthaired woman's face and stomping away.
"You would do best to stop antagonizing him. And I don't think laughing at his rape is going to help. Besides, how can you find such a thing amusing when you know full well what we've all gone through at the hands of our masters? Tell me you've never once been taken by force against your will."
"Yeah, but I'm a woman. Besides ... I was only trying to get him to stop picking on Feyra."
"Thank you," said Feyra walking over to where the shorter woman and Ged were standing. The rest of the group had spread out more now, going back to where they'd been resting on rocks, logs, and bits of softer dirt or dried grass. It was almost night time and that's when they had decided to start moving again. They were resting among a group of old, dead trees before they continued, having become far too exhausted to continue to go on. They were out in the open, in no man's land now, where there was little but rock and dirt. It was going to be more and more difficult to hide as they continued away from the woods and hills where the labor camps were. This would be their last chance to rest in a semi-hidden place before they had to make the dash across open no man's land to their destination: the city of Sollum.
"Uh ... everything was so frantic since we started out of the slave camps, I didn't have time get your name," Feyra said to the shorthaired woman.
"It's Saleba," replied the woman. The way she seemed so unfazed by almost having been beaten, it was clear she was either stupid, brave, or just used to being threaten on a regular basis. Most likely all three things were true. She was smiling though, so that was something.
The dirty face of Saleba went from a smiling one to a look of fear. "Can you hear that?" she turned to Ged and asked. While the other man, Ronel, had been considering himself the leader, it was Ged who they all turned to for leadership.
"Yes," he said, looking around with concern at the others as they all nodded too. It was the dreaded sound that most likely might as well have been their death-knell: the baying of the beasts that the slavers used to track down runaways, or to intimidate and mutilate those who didn't tow the line well enough while still in captivity.
"What now?" asked one of the group, a frail women who looked as though she hadn't been fed for weeks. Her worried question was met with a low chorus of equally lost-sounding questions from the group. No one moved; it was like they were frozen in place by their fear. "We need to hide," said one of them, and that was met with some agreement.
"No, we're not hiding. They'll sniff us out like that. I'll tell you what we're doing," said Ronel with confidence. "We're going to stop standing around like a bunch of lost runts—and we will run the rest of the way, now!" He started shoving the nearest women, who simply shrank away from his touch without daring to move her feet and be so defiant against the bully.
"You act like you've never heard that sound before, Ronel," said Ged. "Those are wargs. There's no way any of us, not even the strongest among us, will be able to make it all the way to Sollum City before they come upon us."
"You're a fool if you think hiding like a sniveling bitch is going to help, and where d'you think you can go if not right to the city? Look around." He raised his arms up at shoulder height to either side of him and turned slowly, gesturing at the vast emptiness of no-man's land. "The only solution is to run, and might the fittest survive, those who got the will to live."
"You're a selfish oaf. There are ruins up on the rise in the distance, near the base of those rocky mountains. You have seen them just as well as any of us. Now they look like a good option, I think. At least we'll have a chance to make a stand if they do find us there."
"That's a better option than just dying in the open as soon as the warg pack catches up to us—and they will, and way before we get to the city," said Feyra. She was instantly agreeing with Ged and the others who wanted to hide. They really didn't have time to discuss this any longer. "Why don't we just decide for ourselves?"
"Yes, those who wish to make for the ruins, follow me!" said Ged with enthusiasm, albeit with a dire tone making his words bleak.
"And anyone who wants to run for the city, the city that's a good few hours away on foot, follow Ronel." Feyra gave him daggers as she spoke, but honestly hoped that he would run off and lead the wargs away from the others. All of the slaves followed Ged and Feyra without hesitation, and they were on their way running as quickly as possible. Although a few of them were able to go quite a bit faster than the weaker ones of the group, no one ran ahead. No one was left behind.
Except for Ronel, who began to run toward the city with confidence ... that was until he turned after a good twenty bounding paces and saw that not one single person had taken his lead. It was a satisfying sight to see his shoulders slump as he realized that no one wanted to go with him. He was all alone and his idea was clearly considered idiocy. Feyra enjoyed that very much.
"Oh shit," she mumbled, nudging Ged and motioning behind them to show them man that Ronel was now following after them like a stray dog that had just been kicked. "It was too much to hope for that he might lead them the other direction I guess."
"That is somewhat callous," said Ged.
"You're fucking right it is, but he's a dickhead," said Selena with a low chuckle.
"True," said Ged with a little smirk of his own.
On they headed to the ruins.
5
Everything shook and rumbled. The very fabric of existence seemed like it would shatter and fall away to reveal whatever was behind that blinding white light. Even that began to fade, and there really was something else behind it!
"I can see!" he exclaimed. And what a sight to behold. He was lying down on a cold stone slab. Above him was what could only be described as an angelic being. "I have seen you before," he said. "You're, you're the most beautiful woman I have ever set eyes on." Lothar felt foolish immediately for blurting that out.
"Oh, you're sweet. Thank you, honey," she said with a wink and the prettiest smile he'd ever seen." The woman was floating above him, somehow suspended. No, wait, she was flying above him!
"You have wings?" he said. "The statue, there was a statue made in your likeness. I have seen it somewhere."
"Oh, that would have been on the raised temple room, where you fell down the stone steps."
"You have wings," he reiterated as though she might somehow be unaware of them. "Are you some kind of fairy I haven't seen before?"
"Do you like them?" she said with a little flurry of her gorgeous physique in the air and made her curves even more obvious. She was wearing just a simple cloth wrap that covered her from cleavage to thigh. "I've had them my whole life. And that has been a long time. I must say, I quite like the look of your body too," she added upon noticing his eyes wondering all o
ver her big breasts, firm stomach, and son-giving hips.
"I have a body now?" he replied, looking downward to his prone body that lay upon the heavy stone slab. It was so cold that only a corpse could have been comfortable on top of it, but he felt fine despite the low temperature. And that was made worse by his lack of any clothing at all. "Have I been naked this whole time?"
"You didn't have a body until minutes ago, so I guess not." She smirked playfully and bit her bottom lip, looking down at his body from her hovering position several feet above him. There was plenty of room for her to bat her wings where they were too. The room was a vast chamber made of stone. And now that his eyes were starting to adjust to actually being able to see anything other than a bright white light again, he noticed the entire chamber was decorated with gold images, silver, and other precious metals too. There were precious stones of all variety as well. Either that, or they were incredibly attractive fakes. He had never been a rich man, but armies always did their fair share of looting while at war, and he had taken part in the plundering of many villages, even some cities.
"I see you're admiring the goods," said the enchanting woman, drawing his attention back to her two beautiful orbs—those lovely eyes, that is.
"Are your eyes green or blue, I can't tell."
"They can be whatever color you want them to be, darling. I'm a changeling fairy. So it wasn't entirely accurate to compare myself to a dimi-god, but I am honestly the last remaining guarding here. There used to be a dozen of us. And you better believe that was a lot of fun, especially for the dungeon cores who we served." She winked at him again, only this time there was salacious intent behind the gesture, and she poked the edge of her very pink, very wet tongue from between her plump lips. "I think you can probably imagine what kind of fun I'm talking about."
"You had sex with your gods?"
"God, singular. I'm not the only one who had sex with him, or her, either. And yes, technically there is only one dungeon core here. The soul inside it is, hmm, like the person steering the wagon, to put it simply. Not that I think there's anything simple about you." This had all been so much to take in, he'd felt unable to move. Now though, he sat up and realized that his body did not ache. In fact, he felt better than he had since being a young man just joining the military. "This body, it's, this is my body, only this is not the same one I had when I died. I feel so strong!