by Tao Wong
Even having had the first floor described to him, Daniel finds himself standing at the entrance in shock as he attempts to grasp the magnitude and absurdity of the dungeon floor. He cannot, even with his elevated vantage point, see the end of the cavern or the ceiling above him, no matter how hard he strains.
Asin next to him lets out a chuff and a low growl of surprise, cursing softly in Catkin as she glares about herself, tail whipping back and forth. At Niko’s insistence, she carries a triple batch of throwing knives to make up for the losses that are to be expected through the day. Even now, she clutches a knife in her left hand, the blade sticking out between her fingers.
Having given the pair enough time to view their surroundings, Niko nods to Iyas, signaling him to get a move on. Iyas glides forward, head constantly swiveling to scope out his surroundings, an arrow nocked in his bow. Niko coughs, getting the pair’s attention. “Right, come along then. The monsters aren’t going to kill themselves.”
Walking together, the Adventurers scan their surroundings searching for threats. After a moment, Asin prods Daniel and points to Niko. Daniel frowns and not seeing what she does, raises an eyebrow. She lets out a chuff, her tailing having returned to its usual lazy waving as she points to her eyes and then up. Daniel slowly nods, realization coming as he begins to look upwards for threats. It is not a moment too soon as Niko grunts out, “Trouble.”
Daniel spots the Imps a moment later, a dozen scaled, warty figures gliding down with their bat-like wings spread out behind them. The monsters are mostly black with shades of red highlighting claws, pointed ears, and sharp, needle-like teeth. Snapping his crossbow to his shoulder, Daniel waits for the monsters to come near him. At the speed that they are approaching, he will only have one good shot.
Depressing the trigger slowly and gently, Daniel remembers to shoot for where the imp will be and not where it is. The bolt flies true when it leaves, catching an imp in its chest and knocking the monster away. Ahead of him Niko crouches, eyes tracking the pair of Imps that close on him before he draws his sword. Activating a Skill, the swordsman’s strike moves so fast, the air in front is compressed into a thin line along the edge of the blade, sending a wave of compressed and super-sharp air tearing into the Imps who dare to attack him. Wings and bodies shredded, the Imps smash into the walkway, what’s left of their wings feebly beating against the ground.
“That’s how you do it!” Niko calls out as he darts forward to thrust his sword into the Imps bodies. “Otherwise the Mana stones get lost!”
Daniel has no time to answer, working on cranking his crossbow while Asin stands next to him, throwing her knives at the monsters that rush the group. Tevfik keeps close to the two, stepping forwards to strike with his sword when an Imp comes too close, crippling the wing before he stomps on the creature’s neck. Ahead of them, Iyas has turned around and sent a pair of arrows into the sky, each arrow bringing a monster down.
Without a word, Asin grabs hold of Daniel and pulls him down, a ball of conjured fire flashing past where his head was. Eyes wide, Daniel drops the bolt and has to scramble for it on the ground even as Tevfik catches another fireball on his shield, enchanted runes flaring to life as they provide additional protection against the heat. Asin is on her knees, charging another blade and sending it straight into a throat, the blade piercing the creature’s open mouth. The Imp lets out a little gurgle, falling to the ground and as Daniel finally looks up, bolt seated, he finds the wave wiped.
Niko quickly moves around the dissipated bodies, picking up the mana stones and pocketing them while Iyas keeps a further eye out. “Not bad, eight stones and two imp teeth. Remember, shoot when they are over the walkways.”
Asin hops over to grab a pair of her blades that fell on the path while Daniel grimaces, realizing how little he did in that fight. The entire battle had happened so fast!
“Iyas,” Niko calls out and Iyas moves on, continuing to lead the party deeper into the dungeon.
The following hours have opened the two young Adventurers’ eyes to the level gap between them and the experienced Adventurers they party with. Each attack consists of at least a dozen Imps, often more and yet the party of three cut through the monsters with frightening ease. The fighters never waste any motion, each attack bringing an Imp to the ground to be finished. Skills are used sparingly and with precision, often triggered to take down multiple monsters at a time.
As impressive as their combat skills are, it is their teamwork that makes Daniel and Asin truly jealous. The group rarely speaks, and when they do, it is normally to order Daniel and Asin around. Otherwise, the well-oiled party work together smoothly, never targeting the same monster nor leaving gaps in their defenses as they fight.
“Asin, Daniel, come!” Iyas calls out. Daniel looks up, pushing away his thoughts about the differences in strength and hurries forward. Iyas waves them forward to where a new walkway starts, carefully brushing aside the dirt to reveal a pressure tile.
“See it? Right, watch this.” Glancing back to ensure the two are on the platform, Iyas backs off as well and throws a small pouch filled with dirt onto the tile. The weight is enough to depress the tile, and the entire walkway immediately tilts to the side, spinning halfway and tipping dirt and debris into the air before it rotates back.
“Shit!” Daniel shouts, his eyes wide as he imagines what would have happened to any Adventurer unlucky enough to be caught by that.
“Yes. Feather Fall enchantments are quite popular.” Iyas chuckles, waiting for the groaning walkway to right itself. When the walkway rights itself, he continues speaking. “See how the dirt, especially on this side, is slightly higher? Comes from the repeated tipping. You got to watch out for that.”
Niko waits for the lesson to be over before he clears his throat, waving back to the platform. “Good time to have lunch.”
Receiving confirming nods, Iyas elects to be on the first watch while the others eat. Almost immediately, Tevfik and Asin move to a corner of the platform, their tails curling around each other as they growl softly.
“So, what do you think?”
Daniel startles slightly, blinking up at Niko guiltily as he turns away from watching the two lovers. “Ummm…. none of my business.”
“Not them, the dungeon!” Eyes twinkling, Niko pokes Daniel who flushes.
“Oh! Of course, that’s what you meant.” Daniel pushes thoughts of getting berated by Elder Chetan aside as he replies to Niko. “It’s amazing. I never thought it’d be so big. And the monsters, they aren’t that much tougher than Kobolds, but there’s so many of them! And those burns sting!” Daniel rubs at his arm, remembering how Tevfik was unable to catch a fireball completely on his shield, splashing Daniel with just a touch of the explosion.
“It’s why we chose Porthos,” Niko says. “The Imps aren’t that strong, and so long as we keep them focused on us, you two should be pretty safe. Especially with your healing abilities. Aramis on the other hand - well, the Kulark are much harder to fight. They can slither faster than you’d think and their scales are extremely hard. Worst, because they’re sentient, they’ll target you and Asin first.”
Daniel nods at that, looking out at the vista spread before them. In the distance, he thinks he can spot another pair of Adventuring groups, but the level is so large and the pathways so numerous that meeting another team would require significant effort and planning. Running a hand through his black hair, Daniel lets out a sigh.
“Thinking about how far you have to go?” Niko enquires as he spots Tevfik get up with Asin to relieve Iyas.
“A bit.”
Niko just nods at that, standing up to have a chat with Iyas. A small smile tugs at the corner of Niko’s lips as he stands, a smile that is hidden from Daniel as he crosses over to his friend to plan the rest of the day.
“Right then, you see the big Imp there? That’s the Overseer - they are evolved Imps, and while they can’t fly, they are a lot bigger and stronger. They can cast Fire Dart too which sen
ds smaller but more numerous fire arrows,” Niko explains as he points out the floor champion they have located after hours of trekking through the dungeon. “Iyas and Asin will deal with his minions. I will fight the Overseer directly while Daniel will focus on killing any Imps Iyas and Asin bring down. Tevfik is on guard duty with his shield.”
After a series of nods, Daniel pulls his shield off his back for the first time that day, sliding it over his arm. He quickly secures his crossbow to his body with a strap on his leg before hefting it in his other arm, ready to be dropped at a moment’s notice. Daniel plans to shoot the single loaded bolt then immediately drop it for his mace. As he finishes his preparations, Tevfik points to Daniel’s shield. “Pour the holy water on it.”
Preparations complete, the party moves forward quickly at a light jog. There is no way to surprise the Overseer, so it is better to get to the monster quickly before it can call for more reinforcements.
Halfway to the Overseer on the final walkway, Iyas pulls to a stop and begins shooting at the Imps that have begun to converge on them. Asin skids to a stop next to him, throwing knives held out before her while Niko sprints the last few yards. Daniel spots that not all the Imps have left the Overseer’s side and brings his crossbow to bear, shooting an Imp that attempts to block Niko’s path out of his way.
The next few minutes are a blur for Daniel as he runs from downed Imp to downed Imp, all the time trying to keep an eye out for errant fireballs. Iyas provides cover fire for Daniel without a break, his hands blurring as he fires.
As Imps dart forward to strike at Daniel in ever increasing numbers, Tevfik raises his head to the ceiling and lets out a snarl that raises the hairs on the back of Daniel’s neck and arms. He freezes for a brief moment, the primordial part of his mind recalling other beasts before he can push past it. The Imps, the targets of the Skill, are not as lucky and all freeze for a few minutes, struck by fear, and this allows the ranged attackers to attack freely. Iyas does not waste the opportunity, his hands glowing as he constantly pulls on the bow and fires arrows made of green energy at the Imps. Asin spins around and throws her knives as well, each shot targeted at a different Imp.
Daniel is left to run back and forth, swatting at Imps and stomping on them when he can. As the Imps push the fear aside, they screech and divert their attention to attack the greater danger, all of them launching themselves at Tevfik now. Asin scoots to the side, throwing a last dagger before pulling out the enchanted oil flask. She watches, occasionally striking down an Imp that comes too close before snarling out in Catkin as throwing the flask into the air after triggering the enchantment. The flask shatters, sending flaming oil around and catching many of the Imps in the blast radius. Tevfik, warned beforehand is crouched behind his enchanted shield, the explosion giving him a momentary respite.
Behind them, Daniel spots Niko cutting upwards with his sword, the Skill triggering to pick up the Overseer from the ground. Even as the creature begins to fall, Niko cries out and lunges forward, spearing the monster with his blade and then twisting in his hips to tear the wound wide open, ending the monster.
Daniel has no more time to watch as he catches a fireball on his shield from a downed Imp, the backdraft of heat singeing hair and eyebrows. He pushes forward, dropping his shield onto the creature’s body and crushing it before it can breathe again, using his lowered body to allow him to swipe at another Imp.
A few minutes of intense battle later, the bodies of the Imps fade away in motes of blue light while the Adventurers catch their breath. Asin rubs ointment into her ear where an Imp caught her as it flew past, and Niko favors his leg while the others check over other minor injuries. Once he is able to, Daniel moves among the group and casts his spells, starting with Niko who proceeds to gather their loot. As he heals them, he receives murmured thanks, Iyas shooting Tevfik a knowing glance after being healed.
Later that evening in the Wandering Rooster, Niko drops a pouch onto the table where the other party members have been waiting, drinking.
“Not too bad a haul for the first floor,” Niko says. “Split four ways, that’s 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Copper each. As requested, we didn’t change the stones that fit your needs, Daniel, and split them into your pile instead as part of your share.” He then drops two Copper coins on the table. “Oh, and there’s this leftover. Tip?”
He gets nods from his party members of course and at the raised eyebrow from Daniel to whom he explains, “We just add it to the waitress tips when it comes up like this.”
“Oh…” Daniel nods in agreement, the mystery of the good service explained. While Daniel is getting the explanation, Asin has pulled the pouch aside and deposited the contents out, quickly shifting the stones to the side before counting the remaining coins. Her ears wilt slightly at how much it has reduced, especially as they were still two stones short!
“So, you leveled up eh?” Iyas says, returning to their prior conversation.
“Yes! Amazing that it happened with just one trip.” Daniel nods quickly.
“Mmm… There were a lot of monsters today. It’s another reason we chose Porthos,” Niko adds.
“What Skill are you going to choose?” Niko asks, curiously. “Are you going to get another Healing Spell?”
Asin tilts her head to Daniel too, nose wrinkling as she considers what her friend will do. More healing would be nice, though Daniel was only a moderately good fighter right now.
“Maybe…” Daniel trails off, not having thought too deeply about his choices yet.
“No! Don’t waste your Skill Up on that. You can learn Spells with training,” Iyas declares, and Daniel grimaces.
“I wish. The cost alone of renting a Healer’s time to train me…” Daniel shakes his head. “It’s impossible, at least for me.”
“That’s why you should join our Guild!” Iyas blurts out and then yelps, rubbing at his foot and glaring at Niko.
“Guild?”
“Yes, we’re all part of the Green Robin,” Niko replies, tapping at the badge that is situated on each of their cloaks. Daniel blinks, having noticed it before but not recognizing its significance. He had thought it was just a party badge - after all, even Beginner Adventurers in Karlak had done it. “What do you think? Interested? You and Asin could run Advanced dungeons all year long with different parties, increasing levels at a higher rate. And as a Guild member, the Guild would help locate and pay for your lessons just like it does for Mages.”
Daniel frowns and then his eyes narrow slightly before he looks between the three experienced Adventurers. His voice laced with suspicion; he says, “You invited us because you wanted us to join your Guild didn’t you?”
“Well, partly. We did want to show you around though, we like you guys,” Niko hastily adds.
“Why?” Asin says, her tail unwrapped from Tevfik and now sticking out beneath her chair straight down.
“Well, we…”
“Why?” Asin repeats.
“Daniel’s a healer. Is that what you want to hear? Healers who aren’t priests are really, really rare. And most priests are a pain to work with - their abilities come from their Faith, so the better the Priest, the more Faithful they are to their God. We partied up with a Priest before from Mohin who would never work on the Fifth Day. So yeah, we want, the Guild wants, any healers they can find,” Niko replies exasperatedly.
Daniel looks to Iyas who just offers a short nod while Tevfik growls softly to Asin. She lets out a low snarl in return, moving her hand away from his before she stands, stalking out. Daniel looks between the three before he stands up and rushes out after his friend, Niko calling out quickly, “Think about it!”
As the door shuts, Daniel glimpses Niko berating Iyas for bringing up the Guild so abruptly, disrupting his plans. Daniel has no time to watch though as he hurries after his friend.
“Asin…”
She stalks onwards, not saying a word, tail lashing out side to side behind her as her shoulders hunch. Pedestrians scramble to get ou
t of the short Catkin’s way, the glower and array of knives a clear warning to all.
“I didn’t know. I mean, there was this other guy who asked me to join his Guild, but I didn’t know…” Daniel blathers on, filling the silence. “I mean, they don’t even know about my Gift, and they want me this badly. I wonder what they’d be like if they knew. I guess it’s good the other Adventurers didn’t, but I know Liev mentioned it might be an issue…”
Asin lets out a little growl, and Daniel shuts up, her stalking carrying them through the city streets quickly. After a time, she says softly, “Tevfik no like me. Just you.”
“I don’t think that’s true, Asin,” Daniel adds quickly. “I mean, he’s always watching you…”
“Idiot,” Asin says, and for a moment Daniel wonders who she means. He opens his mouth to ask and then remembering her growl, shuts up, finishing the walk back to their inn in silence.
Chapter 10
“I’m not complaining about being out of the sewers, Asin, but did we have to take quests so far away?” Trudging out of the city, Daniel grumbles as he hefts his backpack. They had only been in Silverstone for a few days, as it stood, and now they had left it again on another quest. This one involved a visit to a nearby village to help the farmers fight off attacking vermin while they completed their harvesting.
It was not a glamorous job, but it certainly paid well as the farmers needed to attract the Adventurers away from the Dungeons. Luckily, with the Skills that most farmers gained, they were able to manage and see to large tracts of land, allowing them to handle the expense. Truthfully, from Asin’s point of view, the most important aspect of the quest was for once not the pay but that it got the pair out of Silverstone and away from that traitorous, two-faced Catkin.
Seeing that his partner has decided to ignore him, Daniel glances over to the side and spots a familiar face from the Guild Hall. Not seeing a guild badge on the group, Daniel diverts himself slightly to say hi.