by Ryan DeBruyn
“Ouch,” Bat said as he tried to disentangle Azrael from him.
Azrael stood up and asked, “Did that kill it?”
Bat nodded and motioned to the approaching Dara and Jophi. “We need to hurry, this whole place is about to fall on top of us.”
Azrael could feel the constant shake of the tunnel and went to go help Dara with Jophi. Together they fled down the tunnel until Bat called, “We need to go up. Danu ascended here!”
They were forced to climb the walls, as none of them had the strength of Danu, who had likely jumped up the levels. Once Azrael reached the top, he found some chains and managed to hoist Jophi through the hole. Dara and Bat climbed up.
The group continued to follow Bat’s instructions.
“There is a large group of guards up ahead attempting to hold the combatants back. I think both groups are trying to get to the shipyard,” Bat exclaimed.
A large section of stone a hundred meters behind them collapsed with a loud cracking sound. “Straight through,” Azrael shouted as he grabbed Jophi and slung her over a shoulder.
“Stop that, I can do…” Jophi started to say but Azrael took off running and the rest of her words cut off in a shriek.
They turned a corner to see a massive Battle Royale taking place. On all sides, people were releasing skills, killing and maiming each other. Azrael hoped his Soul Cloak could help protect him and dove into the ranks. Jophi and Bat were right behind him.
Maybe it was because they didn’t attack anyone or maybe it was chance, but Azrael made it past the skirmish and into a hallway on the other side. Bat came after him, but at a glance he couldn’t see Dara. Azrael cursed but made the cold decision. “Leave her, let’s keep going.”
Jophi’s abdomen tensed and she grabbed his shoulder hard. “You have to go back—”
Azrael began running again. Now was not the time for emotional responses. Now was the time to escape. Dara was one of his trainers and she would understand his decision. The floor continued to quake violently as they hurried through a set of doors into a shipyard. A massive Destroyer pulled away from the dock and ambled out of the port. Azrael pointed to a tiny dropship, the only other ship present, and shouted, “That’s our best chance!”
Dara’s voice carried through the doorway and he glanced back. She was running down the hallway towards them, Torin and Papi hot on her heels. Jophi slapped his back. “Put me down, so I can cover her escape.” Bat nodded beside him and Azrael complied.
He took up a stance at the door. If his two friends failed he would close the gate to the shipyard, effectively locking out all three of the fighters. Jophi shot ice lances at Papi and Torin. They didn’t appear to do much damage, but they did freeze their legs to the ground. Torin shouted, “I am going ta kill ya. Dan’t you leave us here!”
Bat used some of his sonic attacks to add small stuns and slow the two guards further.
Azrael smiled as Dara crossed the threshold into the room and he closed the door. It would take them some time to break through the enchanted stone.
Dara took a deep breath and took over the escape from there. They rushed towards the dropship, and Azrael noted its black paint and skull and crossbones decal. This was a mercenary pirate vessel, likely here dropping off slaves. The four of them rushed to seats and strapped themselves in as the shaking continued.
Dara sat in the pilot chair and pointed to the co-pilot chair, motioning at it and Azrael with a gesture. He took the seat. She knew his teaching and skill, but trusted her experience more in this situation.
She clicked the ignition and with a practiced hand began toggling switches. He heard the clamps release the ship and the shaking he felt stabilized into the hum of the engines. Dara managed to pilot the ship out of the dock before it jerked and began to shake—alarms began sounding in the cockpit.
She looked at the warning lights and swore. “The normal thrust is not getting us away from the dungeon. Maybe it is some kind of forcefield or something? Azrael, push the throttle to forty percent. We’re going to have to try to break through it.”
He did so and the ship inched forward, but the shaking intensified. “That won’t be enough! Go to fifty percent.” The ship slipped sideways in the air, but barely budged forward. Jophi and Bat made distressed noises as everyone in the ship was tossed around like popping corn. Good thing they were strapped in.
Dara shouted, “Go full throttle! Hold together, you piece of junk—hold!”
The engines revved and for a heartbeat the ship didn’t move. Azrael felt his hope start to die, but then the ship shot forward like an arrow from a bow. He felt his head slam into the seat’s headrest, his body pressed firmly into it.
They shot out of the field and Azrael struggled to reach the throttle to dial it back. Dara shouted, “No, don’t! We are still fighting something. Look at the gauges.”
Azrael did so and saw what she meant. The drag meter and the speedometer were both in strange positions for a ship of this category. It was almost like they were flying a battleship and not a dropship. The weight the meters seemed to indicate were too high. He didn’t reach for the throttle again.
When they exited the atmosphere, Azrael looked through a side window back at the planet. Massive lightning flashes jogged through the skies. Some of the clouds began to turn green, others pink, and they began to fight for dominance. The green clouds seemed to obliterate the pink, crushing them down until only a small circle held. Just as Azrael thought it was over, the pink cloud got absorbed by the green, and everything turned black. The lightning redoubled—then calmed.
Finally able to speak, Azrael called, “What is happening?”
Dara pointed to the calibration tools, which finally seemed to be stabilizing, somewhat. She adjusted some switches and motioned to throttle back. She turned the ship slightly onto a new heading as she said, “I don’t know, but the gravity is still nearly doubled. It’s time to get out of here!”
They sped away as the ship shook violently.
Epilogue
A quest line has been abandoned.
Dungeon Quest
Initiate Combatant
Survival Challenges
The Arena Pit Dungeon no longer exists. This quest was removed from your log because it can no longer be completed.
Azrael had a brief moment of regret for the Etherience he would have gained from continual questing in the dungeon, but assuaged the feeling with a promise to adventure on other planets.
Jophi, Dara, Azrael, and Bat sat in the small mercenary pirate dropship and surveyed what Azrael would describe as a hole in space. It had taken the majority of the power to escape the insane gravity of the anomaly, and they were currently waiting for the Ether Converters to replenish it.
Bat squeaked, “Can anyone explain to me what has all of you so fixated? What just happened, did we escape the gravity anomaly?”
Azrael blinked. Bat’s ‘vision’ must have been confined to the dropship since they got onboard. He tried to think of a good way to explain the events that led to this moment. Jophi beat him to it, “We have escaped, but Tech Duinn got sucked through a literal hole in space.”
Jophi looked to Azrael, lost for what else to say. He just shrugged at her, as he couldn’t think of a better explanation. He doubted anyone truly knew what this massive hole in space was.
Bat’s ears flicked like he heard the same thing.
Azrael looked at the others, who hadn’t reacted at all. Was he hearing things?
Bat pointed to Azrael, “You have some strand of dark black Ether connecting you to something off the ship. Do you know what it is?”
Azrael shivered. Maybe he really was hearing Apep’s voice. If humanoids became Planetary Gods and Dragons became Star Gods—what in the Sovereign Halls did dungeons become when they ascended?
&nb
sp; He shook his head, dismissing the question from his mind for now. “Are you sure, Bat? I don’t feel any different…” he said instead.
Bat shrugged and stopped questioning. The others gave him a strange look and he shrugged as well. They had somehow survived the destruction of Tech Duinn. That was enough for now.
Whatever was happening now was beyond the ken of everyone aboard. Dara voiced a more immediate concern, “We have no food on this ship and likely can only make it to a nearby planetary star port. According to the navigation system, we are nearest to a planet called Athas Four. Anyone heard of it?”
Jophi came to look down at the information and clicked a few buttons to navigate around. She pointed to Gaia, which was listed at less than a light year away. Then she scrolled back to Athas Four and pointed out Athas One through Three. Then she nodded, “If I am not mistaken, these are the planets that surround the Star God Skard. The Dark Elves control these planets, but they are all colonies of either Gaia or Mars. The surfaces are too extreme to be habitable. So, they have massive cities deep underground and a spaceport that always remains on the dark side of the planet.”
Azrael chimed in, recalling a few lessons himself, “Are these the planets that were too close to the Star God? Or the Star God that grew too large? The surfaces range from 372 degrees during the day to absolute zero at night?”
Dara snapped her fingers, recalling what she knew as well. “Yes,” she said and looked to Jophi. “Can you get the group passage onto a ship bound for the Sovereign Empire?”
Jophi clicked a few more buttons and pointed to the results. Dara blinked. Azrael felt his breath catch and he stood up for a closer look at the screen.
This can’t be right.
Bat asked, “What is it?”
The list of planets owned by the Sovereign Empire contained a single entry. Each world Azrael knew implicitly, due to long hours of rote lessons, was labeled as captured. Only a few of the planets were listed as Tuathan owned. Some were now the property of Martian Guilds and others were Gaian Guilds. It would seem that one of the Etherverse Superpowers, the Sovereign Empire, had been reduced to a single planet in the time they were on Tech Duinn.
Dara looked to Azrael before she spoke, “I am going to try to get back there. What’s your plan?”
Azrael thought about it. Did he owe anything to his father? Maybe—but it would seem that the addition of Guilds had entirely upset the balance in the Etherverse. He looked to Jophi, who was going to head to Gaia and her Cathodiem Guild. Then to Dara, who intended to rejoin the Empire.
Gaia was the most powerful Planetary God in existence. Surely that meant it had the greatest opportunity to advance! Why would he join the losing side? He and Dara wouldn’t be able to turn the tide of the conflict. Not if the Empire was down to a single planet. But he might be able to gain strength and take some revenge…
Azrael shook his head and responded, “I think I will try to go with Jophi.” Then to soften the blow, he added, “Perhaps on Gaia, I can petition the Atlantean Council to halt the fighting.”
Dara turned to Bat and he squeaked, “I’m going with Azrael.”
Jophi shrugged. “If we can get to the spaceport of Athas Two, I have contacts. If we can find a fast transport, we can make it to Gaia in under a year, Dara. With the war, I doubt it will be easy to find a way onto Sovereign Prime.”
Dara nodded and smiled softly, “I have to try. Verimy’s family lives on Sovereign Prime. Perhaps I can help them survive whatever comes next.”
Azrael surveyed the people on the ship. What was this strange warmth he felt when he looked at them all?
Probably just euphoria from surviving Tech Duinn—yeah, that must be it!
Afterword
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About Ryan DeBruyn
Ryan has always been a dream chaser. His first career was as a professional athlete, which taught him the dedication and perseverance needed to chase fantastic goals. A devastating injury removed Ryan from this world before his prime, and taught him the value of an education.
His first book began as a hobby project while he attended Georgian College. Using his hard fought lessons, in motivation, discipline and hard work Ryan published his first book in February 2019.
He is a recent graduate in the field of Electrical Engineering and a full-time author.
Here’s hoping you enjoy the worlds he creates as much as he does!
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About Mountaindale Press
Dakota and Danielle Krout, a husband and wife team, strive to create as well as publish excellent fantasy and science fiction novels. Self-publishing The Divine Dungeon: Dungeon Born in 2016 transformed their careers from Dakota’s military and programming background and Danielle’s Ph.D. in pharmacology to President and CEO, respectively, of a small press. Their goal is to share their success with other authors and provide captivating fiction to readers with the purpose of solidifying Mountaindale Press as the place ‘Where Fantasy Transforms Reality.’
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