It had been, a bit over a day, since the guild master took us to the dungeon to negotiate with it and stop the church from destroying it. To say it has been an eventful day would be an understatement as my team and I where mostly writing reports and keeping an eye out. That’s the nature of adventurers sometimes though, since not every job can be a grandiose battle between heroes and dragons. Sometimes I hated this job, but the good certainly outweighed the bad. What the people back at the academy would think if they saw a dungeon so young be able to communicate so effectively.
Shaking my head I go back to looking over the book I had gotten my hands on. Even when true that kind of thought would get you laughed out of lecture halls for even bringing it up, dungeons have few rights, less so then they had before. To even say one could communicate was stretching things in their favor for the academics back home. So best to not really consider it really, since I am here and I know what I am seeing, best to understand that.
This book seemed to agree, or atleast the hedge wizard that wrote it does. It is recounting the nature of a dungeon he lived near that seemed to grow with alarming speed. The thing that interests me though is how the dungeon seems to intentionally avoid people, more reclusive then antagonistic. Though how it is growing so fast like that escapes me and the author, but maybe just maybe there is something to it.
“Still reading up Ava?” I turned my eyes up and saw Orkus looking at me with a sly smirk I couldn’t help but return.
“Of course, not all of us can get by on luck alone.”
Venos quitly chuckled while he looked over his spear, Orkus shooting him a look of mock indignation before turning back to me.
“Any bets on those three making it back unscathed?”
I thought on that, between Vernuth and Morkan it was a toss up but with Lethia there to keep them healthy. I just shrugged it was impossible to tell with that trio, experienced enough in their own turn but not quite as tough as us.
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“I got money on one of them being out of commission for a few days” The ranger smiled and seemed pretty confident in that.
“You took a bad bet then, everyone knows those three will be heading out quick, injuries be damned.” Venos held his spear up to the chandelier, examining the tip for imperfections that means replacement.
“nah, this dungeon is special, they will have to take it slow after this run of it, there is no way they can’t.” he motions around “I mean look at us, it hardly challaneged us but we have been taking it slow even still”
I couldn’t help but nod along at that, despite how little challenge it posed we have been taking it slower afterwards. Maybe this will make them do the same, though I am not entirely convinced.
“only way to know is to wait at this point” I turn from him to the door as if expecting them to burst in that moment. Nothing happens of course but that is the nature of things, nothing happens quite on time, nothing is ever quite right when is most convenient. Bah, those thoughts are poison to a mage’s mind, best to keep them out for now, until I can prove them wrong. So as things stands I should take this downtime to keep studying and try and figure out more about this new dungeon. Hells maybe I should ask it if it has a name next time I visit, seems odd to call something so conscious “the dungeon” over and over. Rubs me the wrong way in the same way refering to a king only as “the king” does.
As I comntemplate this the door is slammed open and everyone’s attention is brought over to the minotaur now standing in the door frame. Ducking to enter has he speak up with a clear anger but confusion in his voice.
“Where is the Guild Master?”
The bartender is about to point up the stairs when the dwarf in question climbs down the stairs and looks at the minotaur. It is then I notice that he has something draped over his shoulders….my eyes widen as I recognize the scales and cloak of Lethia. For a second I fear the worst for them but just as quickly I can see the rise and fall of their breathing and the way their eyes turn towards everyone. Injured clearly but not dead, thank the stars for that at least, the way the minotaur was acting.
“Did someone die, cause to me it looks like you are causing a ruckus over a few injuries.” The guild master states the idea before I could, quirking an eyebrow to question the Minotaur’s actions.
“that’s the thing….he did”
There was a silence as everyone tried to comprehend that. Hells I wanted to laugh it out but, something seemed off. There was a touch of mana I hadn’t seen anywhere before permitting the naga, and it was worrying.
