Master of the Dungeon: A Heroes and Harpies Fantasy

by Cara Vance

  “Okay,” Trinity said, her tone indicating boredom. “I guess I watch them.”

  “Fine.” Seth threw a set of dice of his own behind the screen in front of him. “The two closest charge Sonya.”

  “Why didn’t you come off of ready?” Becca nearly screamed at her.

  “What does that even mean?”

  “You picked up your sword and were waiting for them to do something...like I told you.”

  “Oh, that was an option?”

  “It was,” Seth replied. “Unfortunately, you squandered the opportunity and they’re not making the same mistake.” The glee in his voice indicated he was enjoying this a little too much.

  He could take that and go fuck himself with it as far as Trinity was concerned. It was just a game after all, and she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of getting all hot and bothered over it. Some folks considered it a point of superiority to win at Monopoly, but Trinity saw it as just a sad extension of their own lack of a life. “Bring it.”

  “Um, maybe you shouldn’t be so cocky,” Becca warned.

  “Why not?”

  “You’re just first level.”

  “Whatever.”

  “With that attitude, you probably won’t make second,” Seth said in a matter-of-fact voice, his blue eyes drilling into her. “What’s your armor rating?”

  For a second, Trinity stared at him like he had two heads, then she remembered a few of the rules he’d told her about. She wasn’t about to give him any more reason to act like he was her better, so she glanced down upon her character sheet, letting her eyes take in the various stats and notes about equipment until she found what he was asking for. “Says here it’s a nine.”

  “My first roll is a twelve. That’s a hit. The next is...ooh, a nine. Another hit. Pity. Had you kept the chainmail, your rating would have been two points higher. That would have been a miss.”

  Trinity’s teeth ground together in silent frustration at the dig. For all she knew, this dick had lied about whatever number he rolled behind the screen and was purposely throwing her refusal to be one of his jack-off fantasies back at her. She forced composure upon her face as way of response. No way was she giving this dickless loser the satisfaction.

  A few more dice were thrown. “Fourteen points of damage in total.”

  Becca reached across the table and grabbed Trinity’s arm in a near panic. “That’s all the damage points you can take.”

  “Right on the money, if I recall correctly,” Seth added. “I’ll need a save roll.”

  “For what?” Trinity asked.

  “To see if you go unconscious or not.”

  “That’s part of your barbarian powers,” Becca explained. “If you make it, you stay awake and your fury automatically heals you three points.”

  “Whoopee for me,” Trinity replied unenthusiastically. She picked up the twenty-sider, glancing once at Becca, who nodded ever so slightly, and tossed it down. “One.”

  “Oh no!” Becca cried.

  “So sorry, Sonya,” Seth said. “I’m afraid the orcs have overwhelmed you.”

  “Well, that sucks,” Trinity replied with an easy shrug. “Oh well, it’s been fun.” She started to rise.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “You just said they killed me.”

  “No, I said they overwhelmed you. You lost the battle, but not your life...yet.”

  “Yet?” she asked disappointedly.

  “You still have a chance, but due to your poor rolling and - dare I say - even poorer attitude, there will be consequences.”

  Trinity remembered Becca saying something along those lines. Now what? She almost felt sorry for Seth, for whatever stupid thing he was going to say next that was obviously meant to embarrass her. “Fine. Hit me with your best shot.”

  “Your words, not mine.” He reached over to a pile of nearby books and grabbed one from near the bottom. This tome was different than the rest. To Trinity, it looked much older. Where the others were covered in brightly colored illustrations of knights and wizards battling monsters, this one was a stark contrast. It appeared to be bound in aged leather, a dull grey in color. There were symbols etched on the front, but she couldn’t read them.

  For just a moment, a feeling of worry wormed its way into her, but then she shrugged it off with a chuckle. The weathered appearance of the book was obviously done on purpose to make it seem more in line with the game. For all she knew, the writing on the front was in Klingon.

  Where before she’d looked worried, now excitement shown in Becca’s eyes. “Now you’re gonna see why I love this game so much.”

  Trinity had no idea what she was talking about, but could see the anticipation almost radiating from her.

  Seth opened the book in front of him, then looked up and met her eyes. “Before we go any further, let me just say I’m not mad at you, Trinity.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. You’ve shown me and poor Becca nothing but a bad attitude since you got here, but I know it’s not really directed at us.”

  “That a fact?”

  “Yes. Like I said, Becca told me all about you before I agreed to let you sit in at our game.”

  “What do you mean, ‘all about me’?” she asked, turning one eye to her roommate, who grinned guiltily in return.

  “You recently broke up with your boyfriend under somewhat less than friendly circumstances, isn’t that right?” he asked.

  Trinity couldn’t believe it. She rounded on Becca. “You told him about me and Trevor?”

  For a moment, Becca looked as if she wanted to crawl into a hole and die, but then she managed to find her backbone and look her friend in the eye. When she spoke, her voice was strong and steady. “Yes. Besides, it’s better for people to hear the truth before that asshole starts bragging that he dumped you instead.”

  Trinity paused for a moment to consider this. Although she felt it was a gross violation of her private life, Becca had a point. Already she’d heard whispers in the hallways of “poor Trevor” and how he’d been cheated upon. The only question was whether he’d started those rumors or his PIG slut.

  “You may not know this about me,” Seth continued, changing direction - his voice becoming serious, “but I used to be painfully introverted.”

  “So?” Trinity asked, not getting the point. Hell, wasn’t the game they were playing basically introvert heaven?

  “So when I say that, I actually mean I could barely talk to anyone anywhere. It was like I lived in my own little shell, terrified of poking my head out. But then my cousin introduced me to Heroes and Harpies. It was wonderful. For the first time in my life, I could interact with others because I wasn’t me...although I realize now that I was. It was just the real me I’d hidden away from the rest of the world.”

  His eyes bored into hers with an intensity that hadn’t been there earlier, and for a moment, Trinity felt the slightest of quivers inside her stomach. However, then she remembered the subject they were talking about and quickly tried to convince herself it was just indigestion. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I want you to know why I love this game. There are no social stigma here. Everyone is an equal and can stand or fall, depending on how well they play their character and the roll of the dice. Ever since I started playing, I’ve tried to introduce this game wherever I go because I’ve seen what it can do for me and for others. It allows us to be free, to shed our problems, and just be ourselves for a short time without having to worry about what anyone else thinks.”

  Trinity considered this for a moment. She didn’t know Seth from a hole in the wall, but she knew Becca and could attest that in the past several minutes, she’d seen a side of her roommate that she didn’t often. The Becca of every other day was a mouse. The one sitting here across the table from her had shown the attitude of a warrior. “Okay, fine. So it’s good for...”

  “It’s good for everyone,” Seth interrupted. “That’s why I became
a psych major here, because I wanted to understand it better and learn how I could take that to the next level. Little did I know that I’d be presented with the opportunity to do so in a way that went beyond my wildest expectations.”

  “This is the good part,” Becca said, her eyes practically alight.

  “Remember when I said I was buddies with the comic book store owner?”

  “Yeah, so?” Trinity asked, wondering if there was a point to this all.

  “Well, I meant it. He’s been a good friend, and even volunteered to keep an eye out for rare editions for me. The funny thing is, I had no idea how rare some of them were. That brings us to this tome in front of me. It is the ultimate expression of this game, the ultimate freedom to be who we want to be...”

  “Okay, then...”

  “...Be warned, though. Whatever misgivings you bring into it will come back to haunt you until such time as you give yourself to the game and free yourself of whatever is holding you back.”

  Trinity had no fucking idea what this guy was talking about, but found the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. On the one hand, she was a little creeped out by the reverent tone his voice had taken. On the other, well, it was almost intimidating to see such a level of passion in his face. Hell, she’d certainly never seen that look from Trevor, not even when he’d been happily plowing Lisa from behind.

  She was dismayed to find a small part of her envying Seth. If only she could find something to believe in like he did. Of course, she’d prefer that her true north be something other than a mere game.

  Trinity wasn’t sure of her next move, whether she should leave or stick this one out. However, before she could say or do anything else, Seth began reading from the dusty old book in front of him. At first, it sounded like nonsense to her, syllables that weren’t meant to go together...almost painful in their cadence.

  Then, the book and Seth both started to glow. Trinity blinked, certain her eyes were playing tricks, but when she opened them again, it had only gotten brighter.

  “What is this?” she asked, but her voice sounded far away, almost hollow, while Seth’s began to boom out louder and louder.

  All at once, the room began to spin and Trinity was forced to grab hold of the tabletop to keep from pitching over onto her side.

  She began to suspect she’d been...what was it...dragged, drugged? Something that started with a D. It was getting harder and harder for her to think. The only thing she could truly focus on was the sound of Seth’s voice - reverberating as if he was speaking inside of her head.

  Trinity forced herself to look up, willing her mouth to open so as to beg Becca for help, but couldn’t form the words because her roommate was no longer there. In her place sat a beautiful blonde warrior priestess, wearing a robe made of the finest silk that seemed to shimmer with a power all its own.

  Before she could even think to question whether she was going mad, Trinity lost her grip on consciousness as her mind fled to a place that was darker than any dungeon she could imagine.

  FIVE

  Ugh what happened? And who the hell is that talking?

  As she slowly awoke, Trinity wasn’t quite sure of anything, other than she appeared to be lying on something cold, hard, and damp. She’d been roused from the blissful silence of unconsciousness by an argument. Two voices, both deep and sounding as if they’d been gargling with gravel, shouted back and forth at each other. Beyond that, though, she had no idea what they were saying.

  Did I pass out in the French dorm again?

  Her memories stirred and she remembered Becca, the game, and suddenly feeling dizzy as Seth read from that old-looking book.

  Oh crap, I fainted in a geek’s room.

  Other memories stirred within her, including an odd one of her roommate turning into someone else, but that must have just been a dream.

  Whatever the case, she was uncomfortable as all hell. Trinity tried to turn over, but a cry of pain escaped her lips. For some reason, her body hurt, even worse than that time in high school when she’d tripped and taken a tumble down her front steps.

  All at once, the voices stopped arguing. Silence descended, almost as if...almost as if they were listening. She wasn’t sure why, but an instinct deep inside of her bade her to remain quiet. That was weird. If she was hurt, shouldn’t she be asking for help? Nevertheless, that feeling of dread wouldn’t leave her, so she heeded its warning for now as she tried to force her eyes to open.

  They were sluggish at first, still feeling heavy, but at last they fluttered open. For a moment, Trinity feared she’d been struck blind as nothing but darkness greeted her. However, after a few seconds, her eyes adjusted and she realized it was just dim wherever she was. A flickering light shone from...well, somewhere. That wasn’t important, though. What was of considerably higher interest to her was the ceiling above. No tiles or plaster met her view. It appeared to be a marred surface of rock.

  Where the hell am I?

  As she mulled this, the voices started up again, those low tones making their odd sounds - almost closer to an animal’s growls than a human voice.

  Trinity felt beneath her body and realized that whatever she was lying upon, it seemed to match what was above her. No wonder it was uncomfortable.

  A panicked thought raced through her mind. Had she been drugged and taken out to the woods somewhere...to a cave, it would seem? She took a deep breath and winced. The smell definitely seemed to suggest it.

  But what about Becca? Had a similar fate befallen her? She hadn’t seemed particularly worried when Trinity had been busy passing out. Wait. Was she in on it?

  All that talk from Seth, all that conviction about his stupid game. Was it possible he’d brainwashed her poor roommate? Wasn’t that how cults began?

  Whatever the case, she realized she couldn’t stay where she was. Gritting her teeth against the soreness she still felt, she put her hands down and forced herself into a sitting position.

  For a moment, the room...or cave...spun as her equilibrium righted itself. Once she felt that she wouldn’t puke or pass out again, she looked down and got ready to...

  What the hell am I wearing?

  Gone were her jeans and sneakers. In their place was a leather skirt, leggings made of some course and uncomfortable cloth, and well-worn leather boots. Squinting in the flickering light (a campfire?), she glanced down at the rest of herself. There was no sign of the pink blouse she’d been wearing. What she wore instead was some leather...harness, it felt like. Whatever it was, it was thick and hard, but it wasn’t in all that good of shape.

  Multiple cuts and nicks marred its surface. From the look of things, it had been through hell and back. Suddenly, Trinity realized that maybe it wasn’t just her odd clothing that had taken a beating. Darker patches were evident on the surface of the leather, next to where the gouges had been made. Not wanting to, but needing to know, she put her finger upon one such patch and felt the wetness.

  It’s blood. My blood.

  For a moment, the urge to scream rose in her throat, but she quickly clamped down upon it. The funny thing was, it hadn’t been a cry of anguish that she’d wanted to make, but more one of anger. That was odd.

  A part of her knew she should be terrified. After all, more than ever, the signs pointed toward her being kidnapped. But why had they dressed her in these weird clothes? What kind of fucking fetishists had taken her?

  Whatever the case, she needed to end this. Though obviously injured, she realized it must be superficial, otherwise, she would be fully incapacitated. That she was sitting up and appeared to have full use of her appendages testified to that.

  Of far greater importance, she had no idea where she was, aside from in a cave - a cave that was currently being guarded, judging by the nearby voices. She had no idea who they were or how closely they were paying attention. Could she sneak past them? What if they caught her? What if they realized she wasn’t dead and decided to finish the job?

  What if I do it to them
first?

  Trinity froze, having no idea where the thought had come from. She’d never been a violent person. Hell, the only time she’d really considered the concept of bodily harm to another had been when she’d caught Trevor in the act and even then she’d chosen to retreat.

  A red haze of rage descended at the memory, but she pushed it away and tried to force herself to confront the reality of the situation. After a few moments of this, Trinity realized that she was attempting to analyze everything to the point of inaction. Of all the things she could possibly try, that one wasn’t an option. Somehow, she knew that doing nothing was perhaps the worst choice of all.

  Unfortunately, it appeared that her options were rapidly diminishing as the voices began to make their way toward where she sat. She turned in their direction, noting a rocky outcropping that blocked her view, but which also served to keep her out of sight.

  Sadly, her choices of hiding spots appeared to be limited as a quick glance in the other direction seemed to confirm no other exit from this place. If this was indeed a cave, she was in the back of it.

  Fight them.

  There it was again. As much as she didn’t want to listen to the voice in her head, she had to admit it was right. Insanely enough, she was in no mood to hide. If anything, a part of her wished to confront her attackers and - make them pay - hold them responsible.

  Whatever the case, Trinity knew she was out of time and options. She could huddle where she was and accept her fate, or she could choose to face whoever was coming and at least see them before...well, she didn’t quite care to let that thought play itself out.

  Thus, before she could talk herself out of her mad course of action, she stood up...and immediately wished she hadn’t.

  She expected to see Seth. She’d also been terrified that she might find Becca with him, his accomplice in this crime. What she didn’t expect to see were the monstrosities standing before her.