Dungeon Master

by Eric Vall

  “Rana, we both know that’s not the truth,” I said gently. The red-haired woman slowly turned to look at me with a pained look in her eyes. It was clear that she didn’t want to discuss the topic. She had gone to some trouble to avoid conversation over her talisman, but not only did I want to know the truth, but I also needed to know the truth. She had kept her secret from me for long enough.

  I was after all her master. She would tell me what was so dire that it was worth all this lying and secrecy.

  “Why is that piece of jewelry so important to you?” I nodded to the necklace that she wore.

  “I… I can’t tell you,” Rana said quietly, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

  I hadn’t expected such a reaction. I figured that she was going to get angry or defensive or try to change the subject, maybe even storm off. Instead, she seemed deeply troubled.

  “Rana, if you’re in some sort of trouble, I can help you,” I said calmly. “But I can’t do that unless you tell me the truth about what’s going on. Every time that we’ve looted a dungeon, you’ve scrutinized the treasure. You’re not merely looking for pieces that suit your tastes, you’re looking for something in particular, aren’t you?”

  Rana was silent, and she balled in her lips, her eyes pleaded with me to stop pursuing the subject, but I continued.

  “When you searched through the loot from my dungeon, you found the talisman, but at the last one, you didn’t find whatever you were searching for, and it upset you.”

  “That’s not--” Rana started to whisper.

  “Were your efforts successful today?” I interrupted the curly-haired female. “Did you find what you needed?” I didn’t think that she had found whatever she was looking for since not too long after I had discovered the headpiece, she had stopped to see what I had found, but I had to be sure.

  Rana stared at me for a moment, and sorrow clung to her blue eyes. She finally released a sad sigh and rubbed at her eyes with her shirt sleeve.

  “No,” she mumbled. “Not yet at least. I wasn’t finished looking.”

  “Well, tell me what you’re looking for,” I urged. “Your search will go faster that way.”

  “I can’t,” she said softly, and she shifted her gaze to the ground.

  “Why not?” I tilted my head to the side. Why was she so insistent on doing this alone? What was the danger in my helping her search?

  Rana shook her head as she walked around to the front of the cart to take her seat. “I’ve caused them enough trouble as it is,” Rana mumbled as she climbed up and then sat down. “I’m not going to make it worse.”

  “Who, Rana?” I asked as I walked to the front of the cart. “Who is in trouble?” The fox looked at me wistfully but said nothing as she leaned over to pick up the reins in her paws. I opened my mouth to speak, but Carmedy’s voice interrupted me.

  “Come on, Master, time to go!” the cat called out to me.

  I turned to see the green-eyed woman seated atop Xerxes’ back, and she waved for me to join her. Morrigan had already taken her place on Scylla while Annalíse was preparing to mount, and I looked back at Rana for a moment. The fox woman had turned her head away from me so that I could no longer see her face.

  “We’ll continue this discussion later,” I said tenderly. “You will tell me the nature of your situation, and I am going to help you and these people whom you said were in trouble. This, I promise as your master.” With that, I walked away to join Carmedy, and as I strode toward Xerxes, I felt Rana’s eyes on my back.

  I hadn’t uncovered the whole truth, not yet. However, I had more information than I had before. I knew now that it wasn’t only Rana who was in trouble, there were others in danger too. I didn’t know who these people were, and I didn’t know who or what was threatening them, but one thing was for certain. Rana was my minion now, and no matter who this malicious being was, they were going to have to answer to me.

  Chapter 21

  We left the ominous valley and set off for the next dungeon as the sun began to sink behind the green mountain. We rode in silence for some time, and I figured that everyone was trying to process all that we had endured.

  Both the lava-filled dungeon and its master had proven far more troublesome than the last one, but this was to be expected. The further our journey took us from my domain, the more formidable trials we would face. The rotund god had been vile and insufferable, but there were far worse deities in existence, and sooner or later, we would encounter them. For now, I was simply glad that my devoted minions had made it out safely and learned from their experiences.

  We continued past the mountain and once more found ourselves in a steamy and vibrant wilderness. It was quieter now that the forest’s inhabitants were surely settling down in preparation of nightfall. The pinks, oranges, and yellows of the sunset peeked through the gaps in the trees and added to the vivid beauty of our surroundings.

  As we rode along, I noticed Rana shift uncomfortably in her seat.

  “Um, guys,” the fox woman called out sheepishly.

  “Something wrong?” Annalíse said over her shoulder, and Morrigan also turned to look at the fox.

  “No, nothing’s wrong,” Rana said slowly. “I just… wanted to apologize for how I acted in there.” Both Annalíse and Morrigan raised an eyebrow in disbelief, and Carmedy and I exchanged a quick surprised glance. “If I hadn’t been so stubborn and worked with you guys on the riddle, we wouldn’t have lost Carmedy. I’m sorry.” Rana nodded in the cat-girl’s direction.

  “Oh, that’s okay,” Carmedy said kindly, and she waved her hand carelessly. “I knew you guys would find a way to save me. And I’m back now. That’s all that matters.”

  “Thanks, pussycat,” Rana said with a soft smile. “Still, I shouldn’t have tried to solve it on my own. I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you because of my pigheadedness, or any of you for that matter. And as for the labyrinth--”

  “There was a labyrinth?” Carmedy asked excitedly. “Aw, I missed it. I like maze games.”

  “Trust me, you wouldn’t have liked this one.” Rana grimaced at the recollection of the ordeal we had experienced. “Anyway, I shouldn’t have gotten so defensive when Morrigan was chosen to lead us.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” I said kindly. “It was a very stressful situation for all of us. And your instincts and keen sense of smell helped us avoid a great deal of the traps and monsters that were in there.”

  “Thanks,” Rana said with a bit of pride in her voice, “but still, Morrigan was the best person, I mean elf, for the job.” She turned to look at the white-haired woman. “You saved our butts back there. In fact, you saved our butts several times today. Thank you.”

  “Oh.” Morrigan blinked at the fox woman in surprise. “I accept your gratitude.”

  “Rana is right,” I said with a proud smile. “You led us through the labyrinth, gave us the means to deal with the soul collector, and that last game. We wouldn’t have made it without you, and Fea and Macha too, of course.” The she-elf had shown great prowess several times today, and I was quite proud of her. I would still need to train her so that she could become adept in dark magic, but her quick thinking and intelligence had impressed me.

  Morrigan looked at me uncomfortably and then she looked down at the ground. “You are most welcome,” she said quietly.

  Annalíse cleared her throat awkwardly. “You have my thanks as well.” Morrigan silently nodded in response.

  “You deserve thanks too, Annalíse.” I raised my voice so that the swordswoman could hear me from the back of our traveling group. “You showed great intellectual aptitude with the riddles we were given.”

  “That’s right!” Carmedy said gleefully. “You were a whiz. Those riddles had me stumped.”

  “It was nothing really.” Annalíse waved her hand carelessly, but the big smile on her face betrayed her pleasure for being praised. “I have to agree with Rana though, Morrigan was truly the her
o of the day.” The tall woman quickly looked over her shoulder to give Morrigan a grateful smile.

  “I still think the talking raven thing was creepy,” Rana called out. Annalíse and I started to laugh, and as we continued our ride, I thought I detected a faint smile come to the pale elf’s lips.

  “Fea and Macha talked?” Carmedy cried out in disbelief. “Aw, I missed everything.” The feline threw her head back dramatically. “When did they talk? What did they say? And what are soul collectors? And what--”

  “Woah, slow down there.” Rana chuckled at Carmedy’s hurried words. “I’ll tell you what happened while you were gone.” The fox woman turned slightly in her seat and filled Carmedy in on the events that had transpired in her absence as we traveled.

  We only journeyed for about a few hours before the colors of night overtook the land. We decided to make camp for the evening in a small nearby clearing with a river that flowed to one side of it. Rana and Annalíse began to unpack the goods and supplies from the cart while Carmedy got busy sifting through her pouches so that she could start a fire.

  Morrigan, on the other hand, walked off away from the camp and into the dark woods. I watched her curiously as she moved in between the forest, but then I stood and followed behind her.

  I walked about fifty yards behind the white-haired elf as we threaded south away from the camp. Then she turned toward the river, and I followed her to a small alcove where the bank of the water was somewhat hidden by boulders and a large oak tree.

  As I drew nearer, I heard her speaking with Fea and Macha, as I had heard her do many times before. She started to raise her hand in the air in front of her when I cleared my throat. The tattooed elf jumped slightly in response to my unexpected interruption, and she lowered her hand as she turned slowly to face me. As the she-elf’s face came into view, I realized that her eyes were wholly black. She was practicing dark magic.

  “May I join you?” I asked as I moved to stand beside her on the river bank.

  “As you wish,” Morrigan said as she turned back to face the water, eyes still drowned in darkness. We were completely out of sight and earshot from the camp, but I doubted anyone would come looking for us.

  “What are you doing?” I asked quietly as I watched the white-haired woman raise her hand in the air once more. Morrigan breathed a long sigh of impatience before she finally answered me.

  “I was attempting to practice the death projection technique that you used when we encountered the brigands,” Morrigan said blankly.

  “Oh, I see,” I said with a nod. There was no way that she’d be able to figure it out on her own from having seen me perform that particular form of dark magic. I appreciated her tenacity, but this wasn’t the way to go about doing things. That ability was far beyond her current power, and she might injure herself.

  She needed to ask for my help, but I knew she was too proud.

  “It is coming along well,” she said.

  “Perhaps I can help you,” I said kindly.

  “I do not require aid,” Morrigan said simply, and she took a deep breath. “I am quite capable of using this technique.”

  “Have you used it before?” I raised an eyebrow. I already knew the answer, but I wanted to give her a chance to be straight with me.

  “No, I have not,” Morrigan said slowly. The slight flush to her otherwise pale cheeks revealed that I had seen through her small lie. “I am, however, able to learn swiftly. It will not take long for me to master the technique.”

  “Oh?” I said dubiously and folded my arms over my chest. “In that case, please show me what you can do. Use death projection.”

  “At this very moment?” Morrigan rapidly blinked her eyes. She hadn’t expected me to challenge her on this.

  I didn’t want to embarrass her or destroy her pride, but she needed to accept that she was still a novice when it came to dark magic.

  “Yes,” I nodded in affirmation, “at this very moment. Aim the projection toward that group of trees.” I gestured at a line of trees that stood along the other side of the river. “Can you do that?” I cocked my head to one side.

  “Of course I can.” Morrigan sniffed, but her obsidian eyes shone with worry.

  “Alright then, go ahead.” I motioned for the pale elf to begin. I knew that she wouldn’t be able to do it. She had no clue as to the process that one needed to go through to perform death projection. All Morrigan knew was that she needed to hold up her hand, the rest was her own guesswork.

  Morrigan looked at me for a moment. There was a hint of sourness to her expression. She obviously wanted me to leave her alone to practice, but I wouldn’t. The mage-marked elf had lived long enough knowing only a few necromantic skills. I wouldn’t let another day go by without teaching her something.

  Morrigan hesitated, and then she moved her hand in the direction of the tree line and concentrated. The pale elf groaned slightly, and her hand shook a bit from the strain. She had no idea what she was doing. Fea and Macha, still perched on her shoulders, cawed and bobbed their heads.

  “Silence,” Morrigan hissed at her pets, and they immediately quieted themselves. The white-haired woman took another deep breath and released a louder grunt as she pushed her pale hand forward. Nothing happened, as I had already anticipated. Morrigan’s eyes began to return to normal. As she lowered her hand, she looked down at it with frustration. Her lips formed a tight line, and she raised her head to look out over the river.

  “Morrigan, why don’t you let me show you how to do it?” I said softly. The elf was silent as she solemnly gazed into the distance and stroked the beaks of her winged companions. “There’s no shame in asking for help.”

  “It is not the way of my people to ask for aid,” Morrigan said without turning to look at me. “We are expected to be adept in a multitude of skills.”

  “But not dark magic.” I shook my head. “To my knowledge, elves are not permitted to practice dark magic. I know that I was unacquainted with the world for many years, but elvish laws are steadfast. I doubt very much that this rule has changed. Am I correct in assuming this?” I stepped a bit closer to her. I figured that since I had already exposed her lack of experience, I may as well uncover the mysteries behind her ability to use dark magic.

  Morrigan released a sigh and was silent for a few more moments before she finally whispered. “Yes, your assumption is correct.”

  “I thought as much,” I said with a nod. “And you are a novice.”

  “How did you--” Morrigan started to say.

  “I’ve been observing you. I’ve been observing all of you in fact,” I said with a slight shrug. “I have to if I am to help you hone your skills. You, I have noticed, seem to resort to soul exorcism every time you need to defend yourself. You are able to use shared sight as well as communicate using Fea and Macha, but I have seen you use no other combat skills besides soul exorcism. That is the only form of dark magic that you have mastered, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Morrigan said as she folded her hands and stared at the ground. “I… I did not wish for anyone to know this. I do not wish to appear incompetent or purposeless. High Elves cannot be so.”

  “I understand,” I said patiently, “but would you please explain to me how you came to practice dark magic in the first place?” I knew that my questions were making the dark-eyed woman feel uncomfortable, but I had to keep pressing her.

  She had kept her secrets from her master for long enough.

  Morrigan looked at me with a displeased expression before she sighed and lowered herself to sit down in the tall grass beside the river. I followed suit and seated myself beside her. The shore was made of soft sand, so I took off my armored gauntlets so that I could feel the small grains with my fingers.

  “As you already know, I am of High Elvish descent,” Morrigan began, “and I am sure you are already aware that High Elves are quite skilled in magic, or rather we are skilled in white magic.”

  “Yes,” I said and indicated for her to go
on.

  “I, of course, was trained in white magic at an early age, I had no issue mastering it. In fact, it was so simplistic that I found it dull and tiresome. The white magic of the High Elves can be lovely and beautiful, but I also found it to be weak. My people are not successful in combat because of their use of magic. It is virtually useless in battle. We are successful because of our skill with weapons. I began to imagine how much more powerful we could be if we were capable of wielding a more potent magic,” the elf said coolly as she raised her gaze to the radiance of the full moon.

  “I see.” I nodded. “So you sought to learn dark magic?”

  “Indeed,” Morrigan said with a slight spark of enthusiasm that I was not accustomed to seeing from her. “Though I was not permitted to practice it, I had seen dark magic at work with my own eyes on more than one occasion. I found it enticing and powerful and intriguing.” The beautiful woman’s passion for the dark arts shone in her eyes as she spoke.

  “So, what did you do?” I asked eagerly, and I leaned forward in anticipation of her answer. I was so close to learning the truth. Morrigan hesitated before she spoke.

  “I sought out the Holy Band of Mages,” the pointy-eared woman finally said with a note of sadness.

  My eyes widened in surprise. I couldn’t believe my ears, but I continued to listen silently.

  “I desired to be a part of their guild so that I could learn from them,” Morrigan went on. “I disguised myself so that the mages would be unaware of my descent. At first, my efforts were successful. Every day, I trained in the ways of necromancy, and the first skill that I was taught was soul exorcism. The mages seemed quite impressed by my progress, and I was told that I was one of their most promising pupils.”

  Now I knew why Morrigan possessed the red markings of a mage, she had been one of them. Things were becoming clearer, but there was still much that I didn’t comprehend.

  “I don’t understand,” I said as I ran a bare hand through my thick dark hair. “If you were being trained by the mages, shouldn’t you have learned more than soul exorcism? What happened?”