Delvers LLC- Surviving Ludus

by Blaise Corvin (ed)

  His thoughts went dark for a second. Neither of them murdered me in my sleep for the bounty at least.

  When he finally fell asleep, he dreamed of avenging the girls’ sister and traveling the continent, righting wrongs.

  ***

  After living with the twins for a week, Calvin had reached a plateau with his magic.

  Thankfully, Lydia had agreed to teach him more about magic in general, which had been increasing his understanding. Calvin figured he’d make a lot more progress with a few more months of studying.

  I just need to survive long enough to study.

  Eupheme had also said he was still improving with his swordplay, though this seemed to actually mean she just had to spend a couple extra seconds to knock him down.

  Over the past few days he’d been thinking more about how they could defeat Rufus. The man was orb-Bonded; his incredible power and toughness were undoubtable facts. As skilled as the Nordic-looking swordswoman was, Calvin didn’t like Eupheme’s chances against the powerful ‘Bonded. He’d seen the man shrug off dozens of hits in the dungeon.

  Focusing on training had been a productive way to channel his worry. Once he’d gotten his Darksight to the point he could see through his magically created shadows, he had started practicing anchoring the dark spheres to his arrows. The magic didn’t last as long as when he centered shadows on his body, but they averaged almost a minute each.

  And being blinded for a few seconds would be enough to turn a fight. I still need to test if I can let Euphe or Lydia see through the darkness. He put that item on his to-do list.

  Calvin wasn’t sure how many other uses he could come up with for the darkness magic, but he liked his odds against most of the monsters he’d faced in the dungeon before. What he really liked though, was the plan he’d been forming ever since seeing through his magical darkness, confirming the ability.

  When he’d followed Rufus into the dungeon before, they’d slain dozens of goblins, but the asshole had complained loudly about how little loot they’d found in the treasure room at the end of the caverns. Calvin knew part of it was because he’d spotted the Dolos orb hidden away and had snagged it for himself. Now that he knew more about Rufus, he was sure if the man had known, he would have killed Calvin for sure, not just left him for dead.

  If orbs were worth as much as he understood now, it was likely he’d swallowed most of the dungeon’s loot. Much of the remaining value was still in the dungeon, sitting in plain sight at the end of a trapped hall.

  Rufus had walked right past the open passage and hadn’t said anything about what Calvin had seen until he’d been asked. There’d been a glowing bow hanging on the far wall.

  It turned out the fake adventurer had already cleared the dungeon once, the previous year with some allies, no doubt others he’d turned on, and he knew the traps. While Rufus had made it clear he desired the bow as well, his explanation of the simple nature of the strange room made it easy to see why no one had claimed the bow.

  What Rufus hadn’t realized was that the key to beating the trapped room was in the dungeon the whole time. The orb’s powers seemed tailor-made for it, at least Calvin thought so.

  Friends and Enemies, Chapter Four

  “And you truly believe your magic will let you get past this trap?” Eupheme asked, watching him closely.

  “Yeah, I mean I can’t guarantee it, but it makes a sort of sense, don’t you think?”

  “That you found a concealed orb which gave darkness magic, and the trap is largely light-based?”

  He nodded. “Exactly, that’s how a lot of dungeons in the games back on Earth worked.”

  “Games? You’re basing your strategy on children’s games?” Lydia asked, glaring at him.

  Scratching his head and looking at her sheepishly, he grinned. “I didn’t say they were games for children, but, sorta? I still think my logic is sound, though, and if it doesn’t work, I can just back down. Then all we’ve lost is a day or two of travel time,” he said.

  “And what if there are more spindly—”

  “Goblins, the dungeon was filled with goblins,” he said, practically growling at the fire mage.

  She flinched back, her eyes flaring, and he felt a surge of regret, but kept his focus on the debate.

  “He has a point, Sis,” Euphe said, grinning at the pair of them.

  “Fine, but I still think this is pointless,” Lydia grumbled. “And things have proper names.”

  Calvin had somewhat expected to feel a sense of deja vu as they got ready and set out for the dungeon the next morning. But, even as they followed the same route as last time, the entire trip felt far different from his ill-fated venture with Rufus.

  A large part of this was no doubt the presence of the two pleasant and beautiful sisters he traveled with. He definitely preferred their company to that of the bad-tempered, sour-faced bandit.

  Now that he’d spent a week with Lydia and Eupheme, even if most of it was with his mind focused on his new magic, he felt a lot more comfortable with the pair. Lydia was a bit prickly and distant, but still polite and enjoyable to be around. She was smart and analytical, the type to dissect a problem and solve it for fun. Meanwhile, her sister, Eupheme, made the trip a constant delight. She was full of life and random knowledge.

  They were both amiable, but the swordswoman was outgoing and constantly cheerful. She pointed out countless edible plants while they walked, advising him on which were the least foul-tasting.

  As they made their way through the forest, Eupheme kept her sword ready, eyes always searching for a threat. When they finally found one, Calvin had almost been looking forward to it.

  Lydia spotted the goblins first; she called them by their Ludan name, but Calvin ignored it and nocked an arrow.

  Three filthy, green-skinned monsters came rushing into the small clearing near the dungeon. They were screeching madly, waving stone axes and carrying crude hide shields.

  Euphe rushed forward, sword and shield in hand, intercepting the three ugly attackers. “Don’t bother wasting your magic in this fight,” she called over her shoulder. It took Calvin a second to realize she’d probably been talking to both him and her sister.

  The swordswoman shield-checked the closest goblin, and the smaller creature fell flat on its back. She swept her bronze short sword at the second.

  Not willing to let her face the threat alone, Calvin shot the slowest goblin. His bronze-tipped arrow flew true and tore into the screaming monster’s chest. It went down fast, dropping its ax and wrapping its hands around the missile.

  Before Calvin could draw again, Euphe had beheaded the second goblin and was standing over the first one. Dazed, the monster was only starting to recover when she precisely thrust her sword down. The sharp blade sliced effortlessly through the poorly tanned leather armor it wore, piercing its chest.

  It was still making awful noise before she adjusted her angle and slashed, slicing its throat. After seeing her put the poor beast out of its misery, Calvin moved to do the same with his. He shifted the bow to his off hand and drew the bronze dagger Eupheme had given him before they’d set out.

  “Stay back, Calvin,” Euphe ordered, startling him.

  “I was just going to finish it,” he said, working to suppress a flash of indignation.

  “Yes, but I think he might not cooperate.” The skilled woman walked over and pointed at the goblin he’d shot with the tip of her bloody sword.

  He looked back, trying to see what she was talking about and frowned. The little bastard was gonna shiv me.

  Bleeding profusely around the arrow lodged in its chest, the goblin had a crude stone knife partially concealed in one hand. Sheathing his own dagger, Calvin drew another arrow and took his time lining up a clean shot.

  Satisfied, he loosed the arrow, smiling in savage pride when the bronze arrowhead took the glaring monster in the left eye.

  “Very good. As you said before, this world is deadly. Never take a risk you don’t have t
o,” Euphe said, smiling at him as she wiped the blood from her blade on a scrap of hide.

  And especially if you don’t know what the heck you’re doing yet, he thought. He didn’t say anything out loud, just nodded, then double-checked the monster was dead before bending to retrieve his arrows.

  The bronze arrowheads were much softer than the modern steel arrowheads he was used to, or the blessed steel ones he’d arrived to Ludus with. The bronze tips of both arrows were both damaged. Probably still work in a pinch. He set them aside and rejoined the sisters.

  “Have you two delved a dungeon before?” he asked, chuckling when he realized that was a question better asked before they’d headed out.

  Lydia shook her head, then looked away.

  “No, but we’ve both dealt with bandits and monsters before, don’t worry about us,” Eupheme said.

  They’d already gone over what he recalled of the dungeon from last time. Its layout had been simple, mostly a straight line to the treasure room at the rear. The main exception was a tunnel running across it just before the final room, which was where he’d seen the bow, and the trap he hoped to bypass now that he had magic to work with.

  The trio paused when they reached the weather-beaten door blocking off the cave.

  Everyone agreed Euphe would lead the way, but she’d made it clear both sisters expected Calvin to warn them of any traps that could have reset. Reaching out for the door, she paused, glancing back for confirmation. When he nodded, she pulled the thick wooden door open, causing crude hinges to squeal.

  “If there’s anyone still here, I’d say they know we’re coming,” Euphe said, grinning before stepping inside.

  ***

  There was enough light entering through the open doorway to see inside the first room. The light was fortunate, as the uneven ground proved treacherous enough without being dark.

  “Need the light spell now,” Lydia said quietly, glancing at Calvin out of the corner of her eye.

  “Right, yeah,” he said, bending down and grabbing one of the fist-sized rocks scattered about the room. It took a lot more focus for him to use Light magic, but he’d started practicing it at the fire mage’s suggestion three nights earlier.

  He was feeling a strain by the time he’d made two more of the small stones glow, but felt a lot more comfortable with all three of them having a light. This is way more convenient than the lanterns we used last time.

  The three of them made their way carefully through the winding tunnel that formed the majority of the dungeon. Calvin had been a little let down before by the simplistic nature of the place, having expected to find a multi floor, RPG-style dungeon with bosses before each major treasure.

  Instead he’d followed a hulking brute of a man wearing bronze armor through a low-ceilinged cave and helped him brutally slaughter dozens of nasty little monsters barely half his height. Nothing about this world has been like I’d have imagined, he thought. Euphe is a perfect version of a fantasy heroine, but I never would have expected to meet one in the flesh.

  With the strong fighter in the lead, he found himself staring at her rear more frequently than he should have been. Given how often she had to crouch under crudely constructed barricades the goblins built to inconvenience humans, Calvin had to admit, it looked really nice when she squatted.

  Whether Lydia noticed him staring at her sister or not, the more reserved woman didn’t say anything. If she had, it would have embarrassed him to his toenails so he tried his best to keep his eyes to himself.

  Calvin had suggested earlier that he could help watch both in front of and behind their formation, but Lydia had been firm that she’d handle the rear guard.

  Calvin still wasn’t sure how powerful her magic was; best he understood it, natural mages tended to be weaker than orb-Bonded. But Euphe was comfortable letting her sister take the rear, and he wasn’t about to second-guess the more experienced woman.

  They all crept slowly down the shallowly inclined tunnel, moving deeper, focused on reaching the site of the main fight he’d taken part in before.

  The stench hit them before they’d actually made it there, though.

  While the whole place reeked with a foul musty smell, when they started getting close to the first big battle site, where the largest group of goblins had gathered, the stench of decomposing corpses was overwhelming.

  “Rotting… that is rotting foul,” Euphe cursed, trying to cover her mouth and nose with an armored arm.

  “Damn, I hadn’t thought about the bodies,” Calvin said, trying not to gag as the rancid odor filled his lungs.

  Eupheme sheathed her sword and unslung her backpack, putting her back to a wall as she started digging through it.

  “I’m feel—” Lydia called out from behind him, just before becoming violently sick.

  Torn between looking to make sure she was okay, and wanting to give her some privacy, Calvin erred on the side of privacy. He didn’t want to push his own gorge by witnessing hers, either.

  While he swallowed the bile trying to escape his stomach, he didn’t realize Euphe had stepped closer. He flinched back before recognizing her face past the cloth wrapped across the lower half.

  In her hand, she held another piece of cloth with something wet smeared in the center. “Put it on, it’ll help with the stench,” she said, her voice slightly muffled but stronger than earlier.

  “Thanks,” he gasped, gagging despite his best effort. He put on the makeshift mask and breathed a sigh of relief as the potent smell of camphor and menthol dampened the overwhelming odor. “That’s a lot better,” he said, stepping up to keep watch as Euphe helped her sister.

  It took her a few minutes, during which he made sure not to listen to their whispered conversation, but the swordswoman soon took the lead again.

  “What did you mean you didn’t think about the corpses?” Euphe asked after they’d passed the worst of the rotting carcasses.

  “Well,” he started, glad for the dim light and mask covering his embarrassment, “in most games, the bodies despawn after a few minutes. I guess I haven’t really internalized the whole ‘this isn’t a game or a dream’ thing yet.”

  “Ah, yes, this is not a game, nor do I think you are dreaming,” she said seriously.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, sorry, I’ll adapt, just hope you’ll forgive my confusion until then.”

  “I do not mind your oddness, if that’s what you mean,” she replied. It could have been a trick of the light, but he wondered if she’d just winked at him.

  “Glad to hear it,” he said.

  “If you two have finished talking about his ability to misunderstand the most obvious things, would you please keep watching our front?” said Lydia from behind.

  “Uh, right, sorry,” he said, glancing at Euphe quickly enough to spot her rolling her eyes.

  “Do not worry, Sister,” said Eupheme. “I am keeping a careful watch. Though I can’t imagine even spindly—”

  “Goblins. They’re goblins,” Calvin interjected.

  “Right, I doubt even goblins would try to live in this foul place without removing those bodies,” Euphe finished.

  Friends and Enemies, Chapter Five

  They continued through the winding passage, giving the scattered corpses a wide berth as they went.

  “There were a bunch of these things in here, weren’t there?” Lydia said, looking at her sister.

  “Yes, I hadn’t expected to find so many corpses,” she replied. “How did just the two of you kill so many?”

  Calvin frowned, recalling the gruesome fighting all too vividly. “Honestly, Rufus killed the vast majority. Thinking back, I think I might have been invited along just to carry stuff out, and because he wanted my bow. I don’t know what his orb grants him exactly, but none of the little goblins managed to make a scratch on him. At least one stabbed him in the face, but there wasn’t a mark there the next time I looked.”

  “Hmm, that does not bode well for our quest to slay him. Admittedly, w
e should fare better than these monsters. Most of them look to have been wielding stone spears and knives.”

  “Yeah, hopefully using metal weapons will be enough, plus we have Lydia’s fire magic, right?” he said, smiling politely at the fire mage. She nodded curtly but moved further back.

  I really don’t know what she’s so cold for, he mentally complained.

  When the main tunnel curved sharply to the left, forming a swiftly descending spiral ramp, Eupheme paused and turned back to him.

  He said, “I’d forgotten about this part. Pretty sure it’s not natural, but it’s not trapped. It descends for a few rotations then levels out again and we’ll see the side tunnel I was talking about.”

  “Very well,” Euphe said, nodding decisively and starting down the oddly-shaped ramp.

  It looks like a smooth version of those spiral staircases in fantasy castles, observed Calvin. He’d had the same thought the first time he’d seen it, too.

  While the three of them quickly confirmed he was correct about the lack of traps, the four startled goblins staring up at them proved Euphe’s earlier claim to be wrong. Apparently, goblins had a very high tolerance for nasty smells.

  “Why would they keep living in a place filled with their own dead?” she asked in disbelief.

  The armored woman glared at the snarling goblins with righteous anger, seemingly offended that they didn’t meet her expectations.

  “They probably did it just to spite you, Sister,” Lydia replied cheekily.

  Calvin chortled, caught completely out by the unexpected teasing.

  “Whatever, Sis. I could use a little support with them if you two don’t mind,” Euphe said. Not bothering to wait, she rushed at the gibbering monsters.

  Bow in hand, Calvin quickly nocked an arrow and shot the rightmost green-skinned monster. He really had practiced a lot on Earth. Archery had been a way for him to de-stress.