Ariel awoke screaming five times that night.
Every time, she felt a gentle hand touching her back, and heard Orion's voice saying, "Just let it out. Scream if you have to scream. Cry if you have to cry. It's ok. I'm here." The fifth time, she hugged the man rubbing her back, sobbing into it, before falling back asleep.
It held her hand for the rest of the night, and the girls nightmares seemed to calm, for that night at least.
-
'What is it about this girl that makes me pity her?' Orion thought. With the morning sun breaking, he sent the Miner back to the tunnels. It was time for the girl to rise anyways, and he did not wish to frighten her with the unfinished features of the automaton.
-
As Ariel awoke with a start, she immediately shrank under the covers for a moment. Remembering where she was, she slowly peaked around the cave. The glowing moss seemed reminiscent of sunlight with the coming of day, no longer the cool blue of the night before.
"Orion?" Ariel whispered, afraid of having been abandoned by the dungeon.
"Yes, Ariel? Are you ready to get up?" Orion's voice sounded above her bed.
"Is it- is it daytime?"
"Yes, time to start the day, and go over the rules. If you're staying in my dungeon, you had best abide by them, for your safety and my sanity," he replied with a gruff voice. "Over to the washroom with you. It's clearly labelled in Common. strip, shower, and we will see about some new clothes. I'm afraid I am no tailor, but if you're willing to give me your old ones, I can make them good as new."
"Oh... I... yes sir." Ariel mumbled as she entered the room. Her eyes widened at the sights all around her. Pipes, fixtures, the largest chamber pot she'd ever seen! A kitchen sink in this wash room? she immediately relieved herself.
Once she finished, she heard Orion's voice, "Push the handle." Water whisked the night soil away. Ariel could not help but drop her mouth open at the sight. "Now, girl, strip, into the shower, and give me your clothes. I'll make you two new sets, and you're to wash them yourself."
Dumbfounded, Ariel entered the strange, tiny room. "It's called a shower. Close the door. I dont want to get water everywhere." Ariel, nodding, slowly shut the brass door behind her. "Turn the nozzle, girl. Left is hot, right is cold. Find a good spot for yourself."
Turning the nozzle, Ariel was immediately hit by a cool stream of water. After a few seconds, it heated, more and more, as she adjusted it to a comfortable temperature. "Oh my," she said aloud.
-
"Now for the tour and rules. This is the safe zone. It is the only room in which you are safe. If you wish to enter another room, you must be accompanied by Sylph, or myself, preferably Sylph. Am I clear?" Ariel nodded at his words. "Good. To the left, Crafters Corner. Wander into that room uninvited, and a trap may trigger. Much as you're a healer, I doubt you can regrow a limb just yet. correct? Excellent. You'll see we have a variety of lifestyle professions set up to produce here, should anyone other than Gareth manage to make it inside. During your free time, you may use the alchemy set, again, when Sylph is available to escort you here.
"To the right here is the Combat Arena. Again, trapped. No entry without permission. Porky lives down there, and he is the one you need to escort you. He likes the red berries. Aside from him, there are a dozen goblins, a black bear, a mountain lion, several foxes, some wild game and a training area. If you step into this Arena here, You will be entering a fight to the death. I cannot end it. You cannot end it. Only a death ends the combat. Nod if you understand? Good girl. And that section is the training area, wooden dummies, targets for ranged attacks, perfectly safe unless you injure yourself.
"This central passage? It is the deadliest section in my Dungeon. I call it The Last Treasure Hunt. Three people have attempted to enter. None have succeeded. Gareth almost died in there. I pulled him out at the last second, and he spent a week in bed recovering. You wouldn't last four feet. It is the last hunt for a reason. You are NEVER to enter there. Under no circumstances. Nod if you understand? Good girl.
Now, the passageway outside. There are traps all along it of course, however, these traps only trigger when a challenger enters the gate, and only for the challenger who enters. If you are in the passage, the gate will not open. If you are in the yard, the gate will not open until you come inside. You may freely wander this passage and the yard within the gate. do not use the ladders. Or the stools. They're traps. Can't disarm them. They activate with use. Nod if you understand? Good girl"
Ariel's tour of the Dungeon was beyond her expectations. The kitchen had water piped in, with a self-replenishing supply of wood for the stove. The facilities were amazing to her eyes, and the yard was beautiful. The animals spawned by the dungeon warmed to the young woman, Porky even going so far as to allow her to ride his back on occasion (provided she gave him handfuls of the red berries).
"One final note, Ariel," Orion said. "I will be making you your own private room to use. And should someone challenge the dungeon, the moss glows red. You are to immediately go to your room and wait inside. Many adventurers have no problems harming or killing to get what they want or need. Am I clear?"
"Yes sir. Thank you. For- for all this."
"Don't thank me yet, girl. I'll be putting you to work starting tomorrow. Every day here, you'll be showing me what a healer can do, both inside the dungeon, and harvesting in the wilds with Sylph. You will earn your keep. Now leave me be. I need to work with my Miner to see about a bedroom for you."