by D. R. Rosier
She shrugged, “Let’s just say our families don’t get along, and leave it at that. I believe what was done to you is wrong, and could have drastic consequences in this mortal plane.”
That was interesting, even if unenlightening. It was also good to know I could create a human body if I wanted, an avatar as she called it, but something told me it wasn’t time. I was strong in my crystal, but very weak on the outside yet. Anyone that wished my destruction could destroy my shell easily if they were powerful enough. I couldn’t afford to create new enemies yet, and I would if I was discovered. I had a feeling I had enough of those already, for now.
They’d probably die in a revenge strike before my energy broke down, but what would be the point?
She said, “If you have any more questions, ask them. The ritual is almost complete, and even my spirit may not tarry after that.”
“You said beings of power can’t act on the mortal plane without worshipers to work through. Is my family trying to finish me off through theirs? Is it because I’m a dark entity?”
She smiled, “Sorry, I can’t verify what you aren’t sure of. Be careful little one, and you will find a way through.”
She looked almost regretful when she faded away. I wondered if that was regret for the way I’d been treated, or if it was because she couldn’t help me hurt the ones she didn’t like. In the end, I didn’t suppose it mattered, at least she wasn’t my enemy.
I returned my focus to the dungeon.
Over the next couple of weeks there were a few deaths, I wasn’t really disappointed there weren’t more. I enjoyed the challenge of challenging those in my little realm. As the numbers built up, I also noticed I was gaining the elemental magic faster, while the adventurers seemed to get better quickly.
It was mutually beneficial. The mages would get better faster from casting within such a highly concentrated magical area, and I was able to absorb the magical left overs for lack of a better term, of their spells. Even the warriors benefited, the heightened magic seemed to help them build muscle and speed faster, as if the magic was seeping into their bodies and effecting subtle and slow changes.
I also learned a paralyzing spell, and a few offensive water and earth spells that had a duration effect. For the spells that simply exploded out and expired, I couldn’t really read them and learn them, but any spell that lingered on one of my mobs became mine.
With the magical pieces and configurations that I’d unraveled to their simplest form, I’d managed to create quite a few new enchantments. Partial invisibility, increase the speed of a weapon wielder, dispel light magic, which was one of my favorites, and imbuing weapons with the elements. So far on that last one just fire, earth, light, and dark. Water and Air still eluded me, I didn’t have enough spells yet.
Inevitably, those few that had died didn’t have anything all that great to learn from, but I still learned and gained a bunch of power for it. I also took to heart what Ebony told me, and tried to be as unpredictable as possible within predictability, if that makes any sense. I kept the challenges at the same level, but I was forever moving things around, and making new traps they hadn’t seen before.
From what I could tell, the guild reports didn’t go into the details all that much, just generalizations and power levels. They didn’t want to reduce the challenge either, since it would merely stunt the growth of the people not learning for themselves.
I’d discovered though, that adventurers love to talk, and tell stories, in full detail while getting drunk at the inn. So, I changed it all up daily at the very least, only the large details remained the same.
“Nurien.”
I froze for a second, “Yes Lila?”
She said, “Swear to me you’ll never tell anyone what happened.”
I replied, “I swear. Do you forgive me?”
She sighed, “Yes damn you, I do. I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Ebony knows about you.”
She replied acidly, “Knows what exactly?”
“Nothing about that, she just knows you exist, and that you helped me with spells and pretending to be a dungeon. She figured it out about a week ago, and she hasn’t talked to me since I came clean.”
She laughed throatily, “You have a way with the ladies, don’t you?”
“I try?” I said more as a question. I did try, but I was a crystal, and far from understanding the female mind.
I decided not to mention the new spell until she started to get waspish again. That might sound overly manipulative, but it was more cowardice.
She snickered, “You really do, don’t you Nurien? What are you, you aren’t a fell creature, that much I can tell.”
“Still don’t know, except Boduna told me I was a higher being, although not what kind.”
I could feel her shock.
“I chatted with her when they consecrated the upstairs temple in her name.”
She replied, “I see, what else have you done.”
“I missed you. And… hold on.”
I simply ran through everything minus the minutiae in my mind of the last couple of weeks, minus what was in my partitioned mind of course, and the spell work for a new mind spell. It was easy to run the memories at high speed in my public mind.
Lila sighed, “Okay, that’s a whole lot. Are you going to use me in your plans?”
“Do you want to be?”
She replied, “Why not? Just get me out of here. I’m already your bound servant, why ask?”
“You know why.”
She teased, “Because you care about me, an evil slutty demoness?”
“Something like that. Oh, fuck it, yes, I do care. But there’s also the fact that it isn’t going to be easy, I need to depend on you without constantly watching my back.”
She said, “If you make me a new body, I’ll follow you anywhere, and protect you to the best of my ability, my word on the bond.”
I was shocked by that blanket statement, because the bond wouldn’t allow her to lie at all. That meant, she actually meant it.
She smirked, in our minds anyway, “I kind of like you too. But there’s also the matter of your strength, I’m planning to ride your coattails to power and glory, so I can watch all my enemies burn and suffer in damnation.”
Now it made sense, perfect sense.
She giggled a little naughtily…
It was only a day later, when I watched Ebony come out her house, and she walked over.
Ebony asked, “If I have to decide now, I’ll take the first option. But… I might pick option two when you know what my new potential role will be. I’m sorry I sulked so long, but I feel like such a failure for not noticing sooner. It’s just… you make an amazing dungeon, and it blinded me to the rest of it.”
“You don’t have to decide now, but when I leave for the first time it will probably be the other way around, I’ll leave as just a small part of me. Either way, we’ll still be connected, and you can offer me advice.”
She nodded, and smiled tentatively. Was she really that sweet, or was I just a sucker?
Well, I was fairly sure I was a sucker, since I cared about two demonesses, so hopefully it was both. I’d already decided if she did follow me out of here, I’d give her a power upgrade. Things would be dangerous. I didn’t mention it though, perhaps I was a fool, but I wanted her to follow me for other reasons, not power…
Chapter Fourteen
Catalina was nervous, which was ridiculous. She was a princess, heir apparent to be duchess of Tenemin in the kingdom of Nysten. The group was due any moment, she knew Jerrold of course, her cousin. He was a mountain of a man at six feet two, brown hair, hazel eyes, and enough muscles to wield an axe with the speed most wielded a dagger.
He didn’t worry her at all, they’d been friends since before they could walk.
It was Sienna and Suzy she didn’t know.
At least she’d worked off her frustration as best she could alone. She’d adapted one of her air spells, which
had been quite a remarkable experience. She also hadn’t done a lick of magic today yet, and was feeling mostly like her old self. Just a little bit excited, but nothing too distracting.
She was wearing some blue mage robes the color of the sky, that while conservative showed enough of the curves underneath to be attractive. It wasn’t just meeting them for the first time today either, they would be going into the dungeon first thing tomorrow, and she was very excited about that.
She smiled as they walked in, and stood to give her cousin a hug, he looked exactly the same as he did when she saw him last year. When they released each other, she smiled at the two women.
Gerald waved at the woman in red robes, and she had on ruby earrings. The young woman was petite, a few inches shorter than the princess, but she could tell the woman had a nice curvy body. Curvy enough to make her a little jealous, but at the same time, her chest was bigger. Sienna also had the most luxurious and long red hair she’d ever seen, and warm light brown eyes.
Gerald said, “This is Sienna. Sienna, this is my cousin, princess Catalina.”
Sienna gaped, and she felt uncomfortable for a moment.
“Don’t worry about the title Sienna, and please call me Cat.”
Sienna slowly relaxed, “Right, the title, what title? Nice to meet you Cat, your bumbling cousin has told me all about you, but he failed to mention your mage aura is larger than most master’s.”
She blushed, “Well, I’m at Journeywoman level one right now, I don’t have the spell knowledge or control yet, or the age to qualify as an adept, much less a master.”
Sienna grinned and gave her a once over, “He also didn’t tell me how gorgeous you are.”
She laughed nervously, her initial impression of shy obviously completely wrong.
Gerald cleared his throat, “Cat, this is Suzy. She’s a cleric of Lana, goddess of logic.”
Suzy wore a white robe, and was a couple of inches taller than she was. The cleric had long golden blonde hair, blue eyes, and a body that quite honestly put both her and Sienna to shame. In her opinion anyway. Suzy had both Sienna’s curves, and her fuller breasts. She also had the face of an angel, and looked extremely shy, so she didn’t try the compliment approach to breaking the ice.
Cat smiled tentatively, “Nice to meet you Suzy. Goddess of logic?”
Suzy smirked, “Everyone asks me that, because I look like an innocent airhead, right?”
She giggled, “I didn’t say that?”
Suzy winked, but then blushed and turned away, as if disconcerted by her own boldness.
“I’ve got a knack for sensing patterns, and the ordered logic of seemingly random nature. That doesn’t mean I don’t follow my heart.”
Catalina grinned, “Where are my manners? I’m just excited you all got here, have a seat and the first round is on me.”
Jerrold sat with a return grin, “I knew I loved you cousin.”
She snorted, “Next round is on you.”
Jerrold laughed, “Fine, fine. Just so you know, Suzy is the only one of us not a journeyman yet, she’s apprentice level five, which is more than good enough. Especially since she’s a witch at finding traps and ambushes with that logic of hers, not to mention she’s our healer, so we’ll be the ones out in front.”
Sienna snorted, “No, she’ll be between or behind Cat and I, you’ll be out front mister axe man.”
She got jealous at first as they flirted, she wanted someone too. Actually, the way things were going she needed someone, even if it was just a special friend, something she’d never had, or even wanted before. But as she watched them joke around she realized she wasn’t getting that vibe. No, it was him and Suzy that must be knocking boots, Suzy was quiet throughout the evening since she was shy, but they shared enough significant looks that she knew it was true.
She realized Sienna was just a huge flirt, with everyone apparently, including her. Which wasn’t a surprise, she should have known her first impression was off, no fire mage was shy, the element lent itself toward passion.
Of course, the proof was at the end of the night.
Sienna asked, “You need a roomy Cat? These two will be knocking boots, something I don’t need to see at all.”
She laughed, “Fine, I guess I can share.”
All she could think was, that thank the goddess she didn’t need to take the edge off tonight, but what would she do tomorrow after the dungeon? Add in the fear and adrenaline to high magic use, and she was going to be a hot mess when they left the dungeon tomorrow…
Cat was nervous, yet very excited as they entered the dungeon the next day. She also figured her out of control large air bolts would come in handy in the coming battles. That wasn’t all she was good at though, she knew many spells, and cast an air shield around each member of her party, while Suzy did the same with a light shield.
Sienna asked, “Air shield?”
Cat nodded, “Think of it like a parry instead of a block. It doesn’t have the stopping power of an earth shield, but anything but a direct and very strong hit will be pushed to the side.”
She also cast a speed spell at her cousin, Jerrold would be able to move and dodge faster. It wasn’t much help for a spell caster, but perfect for a melee fighter. Jerrold also wore plate armor, and although he did have a nasty looking double handed axe, with a very large curved blade on one side, and a pointed spike on the other, he was actually wielding a spiked mace at the moment.
They’d decided last night that would make a better weapon for the skeletons, and he’d pull out the axe when they got to the zombie’s, knights, and mages. If they got that far this morning.
She felt in control, confident, and very much alive. She knew the risks, but she was meant for this, it was in her blood. The rest of them were in the same robes as last night, mages and clerics didn’t really wear armor, but depended on magic.
Suzy’s shield of light wouldn’t protect them from physical weapons, but it would stop dark magic, and creatures made of dark magic since dark magic was imbued into their very being. She couldn’t depend on it for her life though, Suzy was still an apprentice, and it might be effective for the first couple of floors, but not when they hit level three. After that it would do good against dark spells only, and only weak ones.
Suzy cast another spell, and two traps lit up green, and Jerrold started to move forward around the traps.
She was getting ready to follow, when Suzy said, “Stop!”
Jerrold turned, “What is it?”
Suzy smirked, and pointed up, “People need to look up more.”
She looked up, and saw several glowing green spikes in the ceiling, and Jerrold had almost walked right under it.
Jerrold said, “Thanks Suzy,” and adjust his course to avoid stepping under them by getting closer to the left side wall of the room.
She got a spell of air ready and held it in her hands as Jerrold carefully found the niche they had heard was there, and got ready to swing his mace, they were just a few feet behind.
Jerrold grunted, the niche was empty.
She heard stone on stone, and looked to the right, and two skeletons, one from each of the spike traps, were crawling out and standing up. Damn dungeon was sneaky.
Jerrold rushed one with the mace, while she released her air spell at the one behind. To her right, she saw a flash of fire, and the skeleton blew up into pieces, and then was set on fire as bones went flying.
Sienna laughed at the overkill, “I think we got him.”
The closer skeleton lifted its arm to block Jerrold’s attack, and swung with his other bone clawed hand. The mace smashed into the arm, crushed and shattered bone, and took it right off, as the other skeleton’s hand bounced off his armor and two protective spells. Jerrold took another swing, and bashed its head off, and the skeleton fell back into the pit.
She sighed, the fight hadn’t been hard at all, and she wasn’t expecting it to be hard until floor three. But… she was glad she’d waited, she’d have
never thought to look up. It would have been really embarrassing for the ducal heir to die in the first room, on an initiate level threat.
Jerrold collected the loot, they’d split it up later, and said, “Stay alert and we should be fine. Everyone ready for room two?”
Her nod echoed the others, and they moved forward behind Jerrold.
For the rest of level one, and most of level two, they didn’t have any major problems. Suzy saw all the traps between her sharp mind and the spells, so far without fail and pointed them out. Jerrold seemed untouchable, and protected the casters the best he could, and her, Sienna, and Suzy while in robes, were far from helpless.
Her and Sienna seemed to work well together, and they worked on their timing. They figured out if she released her oversized air spell a moment after Sienna’s fire spell, it would literally explode and increase the fire, harming other nearby mobs, and absolutely annihilated the target they’d hit.
It wasn’t until they reached the last room on the second floor that they saw something new, and something that gave her pause. Some of the zombies and skeletons on the second floor had swords, and rounded shields. A few even had tattered leather armor. But they weren’t facing a zombie.
She’d read in the report about undead knights and mages, but the reality was far more intimidating than a worded description in a book, and she straightened her back and pursed her lips with determination as they entered the room.
The undead knight wore gleaming black armor, which looked every bit as good as Gerald’s. It also wielded a curved longsword, and a tower shield. She could see the dark magic protection spell around its body. Behind the knight, was a zombie in robes, but unlike the other zombies this one’s eyes glinted a malevolent red, and it too had a dark aura about it. Dark undead mage.
Jerrold yelled a war cry, and raced forward with his axe raised high, his mace having been put away a few rooms ago.
The dark knight’s eyes seemed to glow brighter, and then when Jerrold was only ten feet away it rushed forward almost faster than she could see. Jerrold had no time to swing the axe, as the tower shield smashed into him and sent him flying back fifteen feet.