Dungeon Bound

by Bastian Knight

  Still doesn’t help with the smell though. Does that mean I could use Cindra’s nose while scrying her?

  Two minutes later, he’d cycled through all the goblins still tracking the invading soldiers. Kelith was leading a group near the staircase to the fourth floor he’d used when traveling with Estrial. The other three groups were still on the third floor, but he didn’t recognize the locations.

  Need to make a more thorough inspection of the surrounding floors if we make it through this. We took a straight path when I came here on that fateful delve.

  “Kelith’s group is near the hidden staircase down. Not sure if they’ve discovered it or are just resting there. The other three spread out more, and I don’t recognize the rooms they’re in.”

  “Perhaps the talking fur coat could check and see if any of those other parties are closer than the mage’s?” Sthuza suggested, shooting a glance toward Cindra.

  Not even waiting for his agreement, the tall monster girl growled and tossed her heavy blade at the slender gorgon.

  Before Gabriel could shout a warning, Sthuza reached out and caught the flying weapon by the hilt. She spun with it twice, coming to a stop with the massive sword braced against the ground, the pommel above her head. Upon seeing his shock, she winked, an amused grin splitting her face.

  “Really, Master. Were you not aware that most powerful monsters have greater strength than a human of equal size? If not for SE-enhanced bodies, giants and dragons would barely be able to stand up.”

  “Sorry, it’s one thing to know it, but I keep forgetting that you aren’t just an exotic-looking woman. I may need a little time to get used to how amazing you two are.”

  Sthuza blushed at Gabriel’s words and turned to face his second bonded. By the time he glanced back to Cindra, an enormous fiery hound with shoulders only inches shorter than his own had replaced the statuesque beauty.

  Damn, I’ve gotten so used to her humanoid form I forgot just how impressive her canine one is.

  She wasted no time, lowering her muzzle to the hard stone and sniffing audibly. Gabriel watched in silence for several breaths as she moved around the large cave, sniffing at the air.

  A howl shattered the silence, and he blinked as the furry monster darted through one of the openings in the far wall, a blur of gray and blue.

  “We should follow her,” Sthuza said, sounding amused.

  Not wanting to see his Prime’s delight at his continued shock, he nodded without turning and started after the baying hellhound.

  Gabriel smiled to himself. Never been hunting with a hound before.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Sthuza and Gabriel caught up to Cindra three rooms later. She padded back and forth, snuffling at the smooth stone.

  While the theme of the floor matched the areas he’d previously explored, winding tunnels and natural caves, the section Cindra had led them to seemed abandoned. Most of the other rooms looked like someone actively cleaned and maintained them, while dust and cobwebs filled this entire branch.

  Thankfully it looks like regular spider webs and not more of those horrifying arachne. I’d prefer to see no more of those, though I can’t help thinking that bitch might come back for seconds.

  He shook away the distracting thoughts, returning his attention to their hunt.

  Cindra maintained a pace he could match for several minutes before she suddenly froze. She tilted her large furry head to one side, then the other. Then she bolted along the winding tunnel, her paws throwing up thick clouds of dust.

  “I believe she has located the intruders, Master,” Sthuza said, grinning.

  He chuckled at the gorgon’s light tone. “Looks that way.”

  They raced after the barking hellhound and rushed into an uneven, low-ceilinged tunnel filled with wooden supports. Gabriel glanced around wide-eyed.

  Did someone try mining in the dungeon?

  In the middle of the strange room, he spotted their target. Six more intruders seeking to kill his bonded and steal away Merideva. Another six allies of Kelith.

  Not going to let them do it! I don’t even care why that vainglorious prick wants the Core.

  “Oh shit, there’s more—” one man yelled just as a thousand pounds of berserk hellhound slammed into him. He crashed to the ground, his agonized screams almost drowning out the tortured sound of his plate armor crumpling.

  The other five intruders stepped back and split into two groups, none of them moving to aid their wounded ally.

  That’s pretty damn co… well, shit.

  He swallowed hard against the urge to vomit when Cindra chomped her white fangs onto the man’s steel helm and belched a thick gout of blue fire.

  Mercifully, her flames quickly burned out the screaming man’s throat and lungs, silencing his earsplitting shrieks. Inhaling the blue flames had silenced the dying man, but he still thrashed about in his heavy armor.

  How is he still alive?

  Gabriel wasn’t the only one staring at the horrifying sight. But no one moved to intervene.

  Everyone talks about how rewarding it is to strengthen the body with Essence. Doubt many have ever considered that kind of downside.

  With a complete lack of interest in the dying man, Cindra crouched low, coiling powerful leg muscles and threw herself at the closest standing warrior.

  This one was better prepared, and he got his large shield up in time to blunt the worst of her lunge. He staggered back, swinging a gleaming shortsword wildly to discourage a second strike.

  The renewed violence broke the distraction, and everyone burst into action as one.

  Sthuza drew back her bowstring, nocked a black arrow, and loosed at Cindra’s target. He blocked the projectile, but it sank halfway through his battered shield, unnerving the besieged fighter.

  Gabriel snickered. No doubt they’re regretting the decision to try dungeon diving without Guild training right about now.

  The rest of the man’s group moved to support him, showing good discipline and teamwork.

  Two of them had fallen back and were now swirling their hands in esoteric gestures and spouting the harsh syllables of arcane casting. Bright glyphs shimmered and danced between the two casters, weaving a single spell.

  Even as Sthuza loosed a third arrow, they finished their tandem cast. A brilliant blue shield of hexagons formed out of the Aether, quickly spreading around the group.

  Shit.

  “Thisss could be a problem, Massster,” Sthuza hissed in frustration. Her fourth and fifth arrows splintered against the enchanted barrier, just like the earlier one.

  Cindra was still inside the defensive shield the pair of mages had erected, but without her magical sword. And without the ranged support they’d grown accustomed to.

  The moment Gabriel saw their shield spell, he knew what they’d cast next.

  They were already casting for that projectile barrier before Sthuza attacked. Did the first group get off a warning? Or are these two better mages?

  He tapped into his diminished mana pool and began forcing power into his own spell. The arcane words flowed from his lips as naturally as breathing. He barely noticed, his focus fully consumed with tracing precise glyphs at a reckless pace.

  It’s going to be too damn close.

  Fighting the nagging worry that he wasn’t quick enough, good enough to save his bonded, Gabriel drew more mana from his pool. He staggered, dropping to a knee without missing a glyph.

  The spell circle forming around him was completely undisguised, letting any mage attempt to counter it. Not that anyone would. The enemy casters would have to pause their current efforts to attempt it, or risk using Area Suppression. Neither would ensure success.

  Risky to use even against a regular mage, even more so now that Meri boosted my SE so much. But getting that spell shield up will give them plenty of time to kill Cindra.

  His right hand tingled as he pushed too much mana too fast through it and into his sword. The arcane conduit greedily absorbed the pow
er, sucking it in and amplifying it to dizzying levels.

  He struggled to ignore the gnawing sensation in his gut, casting the most potent haste spell he’d ever attempted. Unable to ignore the growing fear, he split his attention between forming the spell and watching the opposing mages complete their next magic.

  Get this done, or she’s doomed!

  With another hard push, forcing both mind and hand to trace the last several glyphs at a suicidal pace, he gasped when the spell completed.

  On the other side of the barrier, finished spell circles surrounded the dual casters. Gabriel released his hold, praying to any gods listening that his enchantment would reach her in time.

  Cindra fought for her life, trapped within the glowing blue dome. Three fighters jabbed at her, just enough to keep her from landing any crippling blows.

  Gabriel felt the rush of power race through the Weave, but he moaned in despair when he saw the pinkish glow spiraling out and fusing with the blue barrier.

  No, please!

  Whether or not a divine was listening, his spell activated just before the enhanced barrier began blocking spells and physical objects. He sagged in relief as the spell anchored to Cindra.

  Apparently, neither mage had thought he was fast enough. They stared in disbelief as a powerful glow suffused the rampaging hellhound. The dark-blue arcane light blended into Cindra’s gray-and-blue fur. If anyone doubted the potency of his snap-cast spell, her blurring image was proof enough to change their minds.

  In the short seconds she’d spent battling one versus three, she’d taken several superficial wounds. Blue blood matted thick fur where she’d been too slow to evade all three attackers. Now their roles were reversed, and the three warriors struggled to weather her lightning-fast strikes.

  One overextended in his rush to dodge aside, leaving his partner exposed. The hasted monster dashed forward and snapped her powerful jaws around the surprised man’s knee.

  Sharp fangs shredding cloth and flesh announced the start of the poor bastard’s screaming death. He collapsed heavily, dropping his spear and grabbing his mangled leg in dismay.

  Showing the only mercy to be found in a dungeon, Cindra darted around the third soldier’s measured swing and pounced on the wounded man’s back.

  She sank her bloody fangs into his exposed neck. A loud crack silenced his screams as she bit down, shattering his spine.

  The first fighter, whose ill-timed dodge had given her the chance, screamed in a fury and brought his bastard sword down two-handed. Aiming for Cindra’s neck, he overextended when she vanished, his sword slamming into the hard stone floor instead.

  The force of his strike sent unexpected agony radiating up the man’s arms, numbing his grip. As his sword fell from nerveless fingers, his head tracked her dash.

  No one moved as the large monster stood motionless, staring at the unarmed human.

  Then she smiled. Gouts of blood and chunks of flesh dripped from her toothy maw.

  The third soldier vomited in her helmet while the weaponless one raised his hands as if to ward off the unstoppable monster.

  Barking a terrifying laugh, Cindra leapt at the man, batting aside his upraised arms and knocking him onto his armored back. The snap of cracking bones rang out over the rasping of metal against stone as she slammed her half-ton bulk on his chest.

  He coughed blood, then went slack, exposing his neck. In the blink of an eye, Cindra struck again, ripping his throat out before turning on the two casters.

  Taken aback by her whirlwind assault, their focus broke. The momentary lapse caused the complex shield to flicker as they backed away.

  Before Cindra could deal with the mages, she howled when the forgotten warrior stabbed her short sword into the hellhound’s flank.

  Gabriel winced in sympathy, furious at the human woman for wounding his bonded. Unwilling to leave Cindra to handle the last three intruders alone, he rushed to the barrier’s edge.

  “Keep shooting, it’ll fail,” he called out on the run.

  Just hope it fails before I reach it.

  As if she’d been waiting for his order, the gorgon unleashed a veritable flurry of black arrows at the still flickering dome. She didn’t bother aiming. The shield made for far too easy of a target.

  Once, then twice, the arrows struck the shield and shattered. But the third arrow pierced through a few steps before Gabriel reached the defensive spell. While the missile got through, the barrier started to solidify again.

  Until one mage collapsed, screaming, a black-feathered arrow in her gut. Between the distraction of being locked in with a bloodthirsty hellhound and a gut-shot caster, the shield flashed once more before vanishing entirely.

  It dropped half a step before Gabriel would have slammed into the magical barrier. Instead, he charged through and followed up by taking a swing at the incredulous mage. The male caster stared wide-eyed at Gabriel as he rushed forward, arcane conduit raised.

  He brought the gleaming blade down hard, slicing through the man’s unarmored arms with ease before carving deep into his torso.

  The mortally wounded mage gaped at Gabriel for what felt like a lifetime before slumping to the ground, the only sound a weak exhale of breath.

  I… I killed him. Was he evil?

  Concern about the morality of his actions threatened to distract him from the present, so he forced his mind to focus on the remaining warrior.

  It was an unnecessary precaution.

  Savage growling drew his attention even before he turned around. His mad charge had distracted the last armored soldier.

  Fatally, in this case, as the powerful hellhound pounced on the woman’s back. Sinking her claws through the lighter armor, Cindra proceeded to rip off all four limbs, leaving a gory mess of steel-sheathed people pieces.

  Gabriel shuddered at the scene before him as his second bonded continued gnawing on a dismembered leg.

  That’s a lovely sight. Surprised I’m not vomiting after that.

  Sthuza chuckled. “I believe that one is quite dead, Cindra.”

  “She tastes good,” the giant monster said, her voice muffled by a mouthful of raw fighter.

  “Still, I believe Master would be more comfortable if you did not devour humans.”

  Cindra spat out the bloody mess at once, her blue tongue glowing eerily through the gore as she licked her muzzle clean.

  It should bother me she was eating a person, shouldn’t it?

  The thought held his attention for a while before he shrugged.

  Hmm, can think about that later.

  “Don’t worry about the mess, we need to move to intercept the next party,” Gabriel said, not wanting to dwell on the intimate slaughter he’d just taken part in.

  “Very true, Master,” Sthuza replied, smiling. “We need to get the next one before they descend.”

  Not bothering to even consider looting the dead, he focused inward to locate the goblin scouts.

  Meri’s voice screeched in his mind the moment he did, driving a spike of burning agony through his head with its extreme volume. “Gabriel! You’ve got to save me!”

  He fell to his knees, the sharp pain as he hit the stone dulling that in his head.

  “Massster, are you all right?” Sthuza gasped, her voice pitching up an octave.

  Strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him against Cindra’s armored chest. He went with the motion, his focus on the rapidly diminishing pain.

  He shook his head. “I-I don’t know. I was trying to scry, but I heard Meri’s voice screaming in my head.”

  Sthuza’s light-green face turned even paler. “This is not good. We must get back at once.”

  “No arguments from me,” Gabriel said. He patted Cindra’s leather-clad arm affectionately and got up as soon as she released her grip.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  It took the trio a quarter-hour to race back to the floor where Meri’s minuscule Domain was. From there, it was only another minute of sprinting before Gabriel
saw the closed door sealing off the altar room.

  He pushed the door open, almost smashing his face against it as he continued forward when the door stopped after only two inches.

  “They here, Boss Lady! We is doomed!” Cuix cried out from the other side of the barricaded door.

  “Meri, are you okay?” Gabriel yelled. He put both hands on the door and gave it a shove. To his surprise, the door swung open. Wood and stone tumbled to the ground behind it. The startled cries of a pair of goblins accompanied the crashing sounds.

  “Gabriel!” Merideva screeched, announcing the dark-blue orb’s presence.

  Larger than his fist, the glowing Core slammed into his chest at max speed, blasting the breath from him. He instinctively wrapped his hands around the shivering DC as he staggered back from the heavy blow. Two hands caught his shoulders, helping him keep his feet.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, rubbing the smooth orb. A quick glance at his Prime revealed she was just as surprised as he was.

  Quiet sniffling sounds emanated from the terrified Dungeon Core. He waited patiently until her sobs diminished, and her glow brightened.

  That’s the darkest I’ve ever seen her. She’s almost black.

  “They’re coming to kill you and enslave me!” Meri wailed, her voice muffled against his coat.

  How can she sound muffled? She’s a magic crystal!

  “We’ll stop them, don’t worry. We’ve already taken out two groups of them,” Gabriel said. Mentioning the dead intruders brought back vivid memories of the one he’d gutted, so he swept the thoughts aside unsettled. He could deal with that later.

  Like if I live to see tomorrow.

  “That’s great, but the other three groups seem to have figured out where we are,” Meri said, pressing harder against him.

  “We’ll just have to hit them before they can get here,” he replied, trying to spread a cheerful mood.

  Sthuza sighed. “I believe she means that the remaining three groups have formed into one oversized party and are headed in our direction.”

  Shit. How many would that be, eighteen? Twenty?