She watched on as they clanged into the distance and that’s when she noticed that the street was becoming much darker than it had been moments earlier. Looking to the sky revealed the two suns descending to take their nightly nap, and signaling Kheeta to find someplace for the night. I wish I knew how to get back to Calisto… She thought to herself as her stomach growled once again, the funnel cake being the only thing she had eaten. Scanning the buildings on the street she saw one whose sign had a large crab hugging a flagon of ale. “There we go, an Inn!” She exclaimed loudly causing the people in the street to shoot her funny looks and her ears flattened with embarrassment as she pulled her hood closer.
As Kheeta reached the door to the establishment so did another patron, “Oh… I’m sorry, you go ahead,” she faltered as they both reached for the door handle at the same time. The stranger’s skin was a dark grey, like dirty cobblestone, and his fingers were pointed and sharp. As her eyes wandered over the rest of him they grew wide; large bat-like wings were folded against his back, and long pointed ears poked out of his black hair. He stood roughly six feet tall, with a long tail, and his teeth were yellow and jagged. He simply grunted deeply at the hooded Kitsune as he pushed his way into the inn, The Drunken Shell.
The interior of the inn was overwhelming but comforting at the same time, it was an odd feeling, and Kheeta didn’t mind it. Smells of apples, potatoes, and pig reached her nose causing her mouth to water and stomach to growl. Scanning the room, she quickly found herself a table in the corner, where she was hoping to go mainly unnoticed.
“What can I get for you today dear?” A peppy voice asked as Kheeta’s barmaid approached her. Her skin was a soft blue, and her hair was a bright green, almost taking on the appearance of seaweed. She kind of looks like Celia, Kheeta thought to herself as she felt her cheeks heat up. As the woman got closer Kheeta noticed her webbed hands and small slits behind her jaw, which she assumed to be gills, I’m not sure what race she is...
“Oh… uhm… what do you recommend?” Kheeta managed, trying to keep her thoughts on simply ordering.
“Well, personally I would get the roast pig and the pumpkin ale, it’s simply to die for.” The waitress replied in almost a melodic tone that seemed to make Kheeta’s heart swoon. She went to respond but couldn’t find the words, only nodding in agreement as she watched the blue woman walk away, hips swaying side to side.
“It’s not fair really…” Chimed a small voice with a strange accent from beside her; causing her to jump, and yip, her fur standing on end. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The voice continued, “the name’s Pip Underforge, bard extraordinaire.” As he introduced himself, a three-foot squirrel-like man, called a Musmeer, with shoulder length dreadlocks stepped out from behind the pillar to her left. He had a large purple hat, a green tunic and blue cloak; and as he leaned against the wooden pillar he placed a long pipe in his mouth. It was all she could do not to laugh at the clashing wardrobe choice as the Musmeer continued. “That’s Clarissa, she’s a nymph.” Seeing her confused expression he expanded, ”they put off a pheromone that makes people infatuated with them…” He seemed lost in a memory for a moment, “which normally I wouldn’t complain…” He trailed off before coughing and continuing, “but using it to increase the likelihood of tips? Well that’s just… low.”
“Why do you take such offense to it?” Kheeta asked the curious man.
“Because, as an entertainer I feel tips should be earned through talent, not biology.” Pip responded taking out a small hand drum from under his royal blue cloak. “For instance,” Pip turned away from Kheeta so that he was next to her but facing the rest of the Inn. “Attention everyone! Attention!” The building didn’t quiet down at all, it was as if he was yelling into the wind. “Hey! All of you shut up!” This brought more reactions from people as they did indeed quiet down. He pulled the strap on his shoulder around revealing two large acorns, the size of cannon balls, hollowed out to form drums. “Who wants some music huh? Who wants to hear a tale?” Without waiting for a reply the Musmeer jumped up onto Kheeta’s table and began pounding away at his peculiar drums.
“Octilus, was a bad man
Who would do all that he can
To become a god
And join his bride
Far above the land.”
Kheeta wanted to melt and disappear into the shadows as the entire inn began clapping and hollering, staring directly at her table and the dancing Musmeer upon it.
“from a portal the monsters came through
And every Quester they slew
Evil had won, the fight was done
Oh, what were we going to do?”
Pip was pounding his drums and kicking his feet out in either direction, coins clattering to the table, and he was more hollering over the roar of the crowd than singing now.
“Many died fighting back beasts
And of the glory they got the least
They imprisoned Octilus between space and time
No better deed can you find!”
As the bard finished the crowd went wild with applause causing Pip to grin ear to ear and bow so deep, he almost fell off the table. “Thank you, thank you.” He turned to Kheeta and tossed her four gold coins, “for being such a good sport, plus got to pay the Nymph tax somehow.” He gave her a wink and motioned to the waitress before disappearing into the crowd; leaving Kheeta speechless as the woman came back with her food and drink.
After finishing her meal, she tipped the staff and spoke with the large Craydon barkeep about renting a room for the night. After paying him the rest of her gold,; she headed upstairs to the single bed, lightly furnished room for some needed sleep… Tomorrow is enrollment for Dauntless Dungeon and I have to be ready. She thought to herself as she drifted into a peaceful slumber.
5 Floating Islands
Kheeta awoke to the sound of Paloofs chirping their good mornings, and she sat up to stretch, her second tail flopping itself over her head. “I really need to learn to control you better,” she said aloud, grabbing her brush off the side table; and brushing her fur only to be hit in the face again. “Okay, Okay, I get it we’re going, no more wasting time, I hear you… mischievous tail” she sighed as she began to gather her things.
The brisk air settled on her fur as she stepped outside and pulled up the hood of her cloak. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a handful of trail mix she used to distract Bastion. I’m glad I was smart and saved these in case of an emergency, I just wish I still had some of that gold left over for a hot meal. She walked down the street as she happily munched on her makeshift breakfast, following the directions the bartender had given her.
The various roads twisted and turned, with long, lanky, buildings towering on either side. There was a constant sound in the air, a mix of buzzing and humming; the clank of metal chiming in every so often. A thin fog covered the street and Kheeta could see people already starting about their day. A Garnorian woman opened her fish stall, beside her was an Abyssnor selling weapons, and on her other side was a Treant peddling various potions and elixirs. Celia and Calisto weren’t kidding when they said, ‘every race can call Dravenmoore home.’ Kheeta thought to herself taking another bite of her snack and smiling as three small Sehrmic children slithered by, playing a rambunctious game of tag.
Kheeta’s mind couldn’t help but to sit in awe of Dravenmoore, with its culture, sights, smells, and sounds; however, it was the innovative inventions that blew her away. Never had she seen such ingenuity and complex designs in everything from the architecture to the funny goggles some people wore to help with their vision, according to Calisto. She saw people whose arms or legs had been replaced with brass and iron replicas with the styles being almost as varied as Dravenmoore’s races.
The invention that impressed her the most was the funny mode of transportation that she saw zooming above her head and parked outside various buildings. They resembled large clear spheres, like hollow bubbles, with a singl
e seat inside. A long joystick sat in front of the chair, used for steering she assumed, and underneath was a large crystal that glowed blue. She watched as a small man operated one by sitting in the seat and using a special rune key to power on the crystal. Once it started glowing the back of the chair lifted up and the transparent bubble was formed before lifting them into the air. That’s so cool… she thought to herself as she stared up into the sky.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” Yelled an angry voice as Kheeta collided with another pedestrian.
“I’m so sorry,” she apologized quickly, guilt and panic rising in her stomach as she extended a hand to help the man up.
As a Bottonpint, he was only four feet tall, with fur that resembled moss, vine-like hair, and pointed teeth that poked out of his curled lip. “Well next time pay attention… Stupid tourist.” He snapped back, picking up his hat and spy glass off the cobblestone road; and stomping away, arms crossed like a child, causing Kheeta to giggle under her breath.
As she rounded the corner she caught her first glimpse of what she hoped would be her new home, Dauntless Dungeon. She peered up at the floating school, the white structure shone in the sun, its green rooftops matching the gem that sat atop their spire. Being this close Kheeta could see that the main building wasn’t even sitting on land, instead it drifted hundreds of feet in the air, supported by large stone pathways connecting it to the floating sky-islands on either side. The one near her seemed to have an amphitheater like the Den’s, theirs is just a lot bigger…and floating, she thought to herself as she walked towards the base of the suspended school. Water poured down from the what she guessed to be a courtyard on the last island, causing a waterfall to feed into the lake below, covering her fur in a light mist.
Near the edge of the lake sat a table with a Treant shuffling through papers. As she got closer she could see it was clearly a younger female, her hair was made up of lavender-blue wisteria and vines flowed down the pale birch that was her skin. Her body was smooth, as though she had been carved by a master craftsman, what appeared to be roots twined around her arms from her shoulders, ending at large hands with long thin fingers.
The tree-woman jumped to her feet as she noticed Kheeta, and hurried around the table to grasp the her hand. “Oh my goodness, are you a Kitsune? I haven’t seen one of you in… what I imagine is ages. Oh, it’s been just to long since I saw one of your cuddly faces, when did you guys decide to rejoin the world?” The Treant stared down into Kheeta’s shocked eyes and giggled, “Oh I’m sorry, I get excited sometimes, my name is Ms. Sylvestris but you can call me Sylvie, how can I help you?”
Looking up into the woman’s eyes Kheeta felt a wave of calm wash over her, “Yeah I’m a Kitsune,” she said, dropping her hood and unraveling her tail to reveal it as two. “And we haven’t… I uh…I’m testing the waters. My name is Kheeta,” guilt settled itself in her stomach. I don’t want to lie…but if they find out I ran away they might not let me in. “So, um…is this where I sign up for school,” she asked her tails nervously flitting behind her.
“Of course, what am I doing? Getting so carried away that I practically forgot why I was sitting out here.” She turned to grab the stack of papers from her desk and cleared her ‘throat’. “Welcome to Dauntless Dungeon’s School of Questing,” she began, reading from the official welcome sheet. “We are delighted to begin, what we hope will be, the first of many years, to allow one hundred applicants. If you are unfamiliar with the process of our school, it is quite simple. You will undergo a series of tests based on each Class of Quester; you will then be ranked and given an analysis on which Class would be most beneficial to your skills…” Kheeta listened on intently, “this is not to say you must choose this path, it is simply a tool to show which role you would be most readily proficient in. With that said, those who do not show remarkable skill in any area will be asked to take the next year to study hard, for the next entrance exams. Now that you have been informed on how this process will transpire, we would like to wish you the best of luck and look forward to teaching you in the future.” Sylvie gasped, feigning shortness of breath. “I don’t actually have to do that,” she giggled with a wink, “it’s just fun to copy breathers, and boy was that long huh?” She sat the paper down on the table and looked at Kheeta with wide excited eyes. “Now that we’re done with the formal stuff, what Class are you hoping to be?”
Oh, no what am I going to do? I was so excited about getting here I haven’t even thought of one of the most important parts, what’s going to be my role in a Party? She began fidgeting as she thought, okay what am I going to do, what role do I fill? I’m definitely not Warrior material, I’m a big ball of fluff. Rogue…no still too fluffy, can’t hide when my tails give me away. I never even knew about Gods until this week, so Cleric is out. I sound about as good as a cat when I sing so…no. That just leaves Mage and, well I saved Calisto with something like magic, but that only happened once. Kheeta sat there, her nose scrunched up as she tried to think, “honestly I have no idea, I don’t know what I’m good at, I used magic once…I think, but other than that I don’t know.”
Ms. Sylvestris smiled down at her sweetly “Oh don’t you worry about that sweetie, like the welcome said, we’ll help you find what role fits you. Now what’s this about you thinking you used magic?”
“Oh,” Kheeta’s ears perked up as she thought about Glittermoore caves, “I was saving my friend from Glittercaps and this really bright burst of light came out of my hand and then I got this.” She said pointing upward as her second tail flopped itself over her head. “I don’t know how I made the magic work, but I haven’t tried again. I’m terrified I might accidently make a fireball!”
The woman chuckled, “I doubt you need to worry about that… novice mage fires can barely be used to light torches or kindling. If you’re just learning you might have magic, you’ll need practice before you can do much damage.” She patted Kheeta’s head as she continued, “It sounds like, for whatever reason, your magic was dormant until you felt a need to protect your friend. Now you know that you can use flare, and I just told you about mage fire. There are a few other basic spells I’m sure you could do if I explained them, oh and of course, if you would like to continue learning about your newfound ability… we have classes for that.” She smiled as she handed Kheeta a quill and she slid a small stack of papers in front of her. “Now these are just some things we need you to sign before we can enroll you,” Kheeta looked down at the massive stack of papers. Clauses for liability in case of untimely death and/or dismemberment? Students subject to any punishment the school deems fit including but not limited to, the stocks, solitary confinement, detention, menial labor, and execution! They can’t be serious! Butterflies rose up in her stomach twisting it into a painful knot and causing her nose to scrunch as she wondered what she had gotten herself into.
“Now dear don’t you worry,” The Treant librarian consoled seeing the anguished expression of anxiety holding Kheeta hostage. “I’m sure that you’ll be fine, and besides these papers really are just a formality, Dauntless Dungeon hasn’t had to institute corporal punishment in almost a century.” Kheeta let out a sigh of relief and scribbled her name on the lines indicated in the paperwork.
As she stood with Miss Sylvie discussing the different types of mage, a loud baritone horn split the air like the cannon of a ship. “Well it looks like it’s time to advance to the testing grounds,” the Treant began, putting her papers into a dark leather bag. “You have great timing, you’re the last person to enroll this year,” the friendly woman shot her a smile. “Follow me to where the others are waiting,” she commanded gently beginning their trek around the lake
Well Kheeta… here goes nothing! Taking a deep breath, the Kitsune quickly bounded after the tree, not wanting to be left behind. The lake seemed to glimmer and glow as Kheeta peered into its reflective waters. Something small darted across the glassy pool and drew her attention. As she stared, a small creature resembling an ott
er from The Den, only with a long green kelp mane around its head and legs, swam up to the bank. It shook its fur vigorously, sending water flying from the tufts around its six feet. Kheeta laughed and smiled at the creature, its name finally coming to her, a Leott. She stared at the little guy for a moment before realizing she was falling behind again and ran to keep up.
As the duo finally reached the other side, Kheeta could see that there were indeed many applicants this year; as a crowd of roughly one hundred awaited them. Among the attendees Kheeta could make out a few races she recognized and a few that seemed totally foreign. There were Selchii, that resemble humanoid sharks, Hafpints of all variants, as well as Geonors, Abysytes, Kelphytes, Froeggart, and many more.
“Thank you everyone for being so patient,” Ms. Sylvestris began taking her place facing the crowd. “Momentarily I will open the staircase leading to the Testing Grounds, we will ascend in a two by two line with no tom foolery, am I clear?” All the kindness that was present in her voice during their table interaction was gone now, replaced with a cold authoritarian tone. “I don’t need any students falling into the lake… again.” The crowd mumbled their understanding as she turned to face the waterfall behind her. To Kheeta’s amazement the tree-woman twisted the ring on her finger and muttered a few words under her breath, causing the waterfall to change shape while still retaining its flowing appearance. After a few moments a long watery staircase lay before them, leading up to the island. “After me,” Ms. Sylvestris instructed as she began her ascension and the Class-hopefuls followed two by two, Kheeta being about ten rows back and excitement radiating out of every pore.
Looking to her left she saw her line partner, a Meripint whose tentacled head came to her elbow. His skin was the dark blue of a bottomless lake, with sporadic rings of color that shone the same brilliant green as the Dauntless tower’s emerald. Speaking of, I wonder if I can see it from here? She mused to herself. Looking upward she found the arcane crystal perched upon its spire, a magical aura spreading across the campus, sprinkling down green flecks of magical energy.
Dauntless Dungeon Page 6