Day four started for me a little earlier than I would have liked, but not earlier than I was prepared for. I stood there with all my belongings, and Saul strapped to my side in his holder. His avatar stood next to the door and pointed at it.
*remember, I cant see around the corners so be careful. *
"You'll be keeping a map right?" I asked, looking for confirmation.
*yeah, just take it slow and remember to drag your bubbles along so you don't have to keep blowing them all the time. *
That's when the light turned off, and the door swung open. I turned to examine the room, and found that the objects had molded over in an instant. Whatever the mold was it was dissolving them slowly. I guided my bubbles out into the hall way. I sent the shape of a lantern to one, then transferred the concept of light before stabbing it. The bubble took a moment to get the concept but eventually began to shine light.
The area of the light seemed to push some kind of miasma away from the door. It was purple and fine like dust in a ray of sunlight. " what the hell is that?" I said to myself.
*shhh, you can think thoughts to me when we are trying to be stealthy. You don't have to say them allowed. *
It took me a brief moment to gather my thoughts on that matter. *you mean that i have been talking to you this entire time and i could have saved myself the anguish of hearing my own voice?*
*I like your voice though. * Saul cooed into my ear telepathically earning him a smack on the cover. I turned my head away from him to gather my wits about what was to come and exhumed myself from this birthing crypt.
My little floating lantern bubble bobbed merrily down the way, leaving me plenty of room to examine the stonework around me. The dungeon halls were pretty simple. They were made of brick and seemed to be lined with unlit torches every 30 or so feet. I could go left or right. Both choices the same. A dark hallway filled with that low hanging miasma that crept along the ground. The threat of the dark was real, but i needed to see if it would kill me. In case I needed to hide in the dark here. So I gathered my courage and let the fog come.
The light faded back at my command and the ink black miasma began to surge forward. It wrapped around my legs and began to climb its way upward. I took not that it seemed to stand on the surface of my invisible hazbubble suit.
it writhed as it attempted to pierce the filter bubble, but the interior mana would not let the strange miasma pass, acting as if it were a solid object. It was an honestly fascinating, though terrifying interaction. " A note for future reference Saul, it seems that the miasma is in fact alive. "
*documented. * he responded, worry seeping from the thought.
Since the miasma could not infiltrate my barrier it instead chose to cover the barrier completely causing a different effect. My vision was shaded dark but I couldn't have been more certain that I was camouflaged. However without evidence or secondary data I couldn't be certain. Still it may be beneficial.
However currently it was impossible to see where I could step. So I sent my lantern bubble down the hall further and lit it. The world was purple, but i could see through the miasma just fine.
* Note Saul, the miasma is a deep purple and only purple light can pass through it. * I thought to the book.
*Documented. * he responded with.
I began to creep down the hallway with all the stealth an untrained new adventurer could muster, making sure to keep the light well ahead of me. Which as it turns out wasn't entirely necessary. Before too long a light became visible in the distance.
As I got closer I Noticed that the light seemed to be pouring out of a room whose door had been forcibly removed. It was currently laying on the ground rotting away. From within I heard a couple of people conversing, they were talking about...
" you know, know Hilda and benny just had their baby. " said a masculine female voice, Like a Chicago woman who had been smoking her whole life. "Did you and Vance really say that stuff about it. "
" I did and I would say it again. This is the dungeon. There's no place for children here. All its gonna do is slow everyone down and get everyone killed. " a man responded. He sounded tired. Exhausted really. I slid over to the wall and began to creep toward the door sidling closer to the voices. I need to see what was speaking. It could be people or it could be monsters that sound like people.
While I maneuvered as carefully as I could, i attempted to change the position of my bubbles. Transforming them into darts form and preparing them to launch to my defense. I peeked around the corner and saw them.
There were two goblins, An obviously short green woman with short hair in a nice custom three piece suit was bent over and searching though a large wooden shipping crate, and a barely kept together male with a scruffy beard and balding head who happened go be smoking a cigarette.
"Shit, Jeri, its a baby your talking about. We cant just leave it. Plus its family and we don't leave family. " she said to him.
" you know who else is family, Lenore. Margaret and my children that I am looking to get back too. " He muttered in Their general direction with all the strength of a tired dad. I could feel him giving up. in every breath. " The least the boss could have done for us is warn us that this mission wouldn't be brief. I would have either brought them along or not gone. " He said pulling a club out of his belt.
" I don't disagree Jeri, but there's a line. Telling another man to kill his new daughter just because his pregnant wife decided to embark with us, is a bit much. " She said still ruffling through the box.
" You know Lenore. That guide said that if we gain enough power in the dungeon there is a chance that we could find a way out. " he said preparing himself. " If we reach the bottom we can even get a wish granted. " The way he spoke leaked with killing intent. Lenore could sense it too.
" you sure you wanna do this Jeri. " She said going still. Ready for a fight.
* Goblins aren't exactly the best of company, but they are people. Are you going to watch this play out?* Saul asked curiously. As if he was trying to gage the kind of person that I am.
* I don't know these people, but if it seems that he is starting to get the upper hand I will stop him. * I thought back.
* are you willing to kill him to do that?*
This thought sent my mind reeling. Killing a person was anathema to me. A taboo that you never crossed in my day to day life as a customer service rep. However, I knew just how horrible could be from that position as well. I readied my darts and steeled my nerve.
The fight broke out with gusto as Jeri the goblin stepped forward with an overhead strike attempting to smash Lenore in the top of the head. It was an explosive move but one that Lenore seemed to anticipate. Clearly she had some experience with fighting as she quickly side stepped and elbowed Jeri in the face sending him reeling backwards from the blow.
" Don't do this Jeri. It's gonna look bad if you or I come back to the group bye ourselves. " Lenore shouted at him.
Jeri Caught his balance and moved in again with his club. This time swinging for Lenore's torso. She blocked the shot easily and shoved him away again. " NO Lenore. I have to do this for my kids. I'm sorry. " He said, " besides. You and I both know that you were sent on this mission to take care of me. Nobody talks about the don's blood like that without repercussions. " He held out his hand, flashing a beam of light into the air. A sigil formed on the ground of the same color and ethereal chains poured out of it.
Lenore attempted to dodge them but one was too quick, and it grabbed on to here leg. Snaking around it as if it were alive. She couldn't move away from the rune any farther so she pulled out a knife and took a defensive stance holding her arm out like a shield. Her face was full of determination. She knew what was about to happen, and knew that it was gonna hurt.
Jeri stepped in and slamming his club into her arm as she attempted to block. Forcing her to gasp in pain. He then darted back as she lunged forward attempting to gut him with the knife. He swung again this time attempting to disarm her but she was too quick, and she moved her arm back allowing the club to whiff through the air.
I couldn't watch this any longer and not do something. I didn't know this lady, but I wasn't going to let this jerk kill her either. I also didn't feel like killing him. So I manipulated one of my bubbles. I changed its shape into a band flattening it and turning it thick. It bent and folded into the shape of a shackle. I passed it the concepts of hardness and strength. Thoughts of metal and iron.
While I did this Jeri stepped in again and swung once again smacking Lenore in the arm as she kept the bat away from her head this time. It couldn't have felt great to get a club across your bent up arm. She swung again, her shot going for lethality once again but missing do to being unable to move from her spot.
I sent the band forward aiming for the back of Jeri's head. causing the cuff to slam shut around his face, smothering his mouth and nose. I sent the bubble the concept of impermeability. The same concept that I gave to my armor. Which worked. He suddenly couldn't breath. The distraction was all that it took for Lenore to get to him. She made quick work with her knife, rending his flesh apart and scattering his blood all over the floor.
As he died his magic didn't fade though. She was still stuck. " Whose there?" She shouted into the dark. she was smart and she had seen where the strange material had come from. I felt comfortable enough to step into the room. Which it seems was a mistake on my end. A dagger flew out and impacted my shields. Sending some sparks everywhere.
" Woah, woah. I don't mean you any harm. " I said holding my hands up in defense.
She was wary, but I didn't get any more daggers thrown at me. " Sure you don't human. Humans always mean goblins harm. Its like in your blood. " she growled.
" Is that a thing? There aren't any goblins where I am from. Your myths and legends to us. Works of fantasy. " I said in an attempt to show her that I was without such prejudice.
" Yeah, sure, cause your kind killed them all. " she shouted.
" OR... Or its because there just aren't any. There also aren't any dwarves, elves, magic books, spells, or dungeons. There is only humans and science. "
"What you expect me to believe that. YOUR using magic right now!" she shouted pointing at the bubbles and my giant staff.
" Huh, this is getting nowhere. I have a feeling that your just gonna be hostile to me until that spell wears out, if it wears out, Then your just gonna try and kill me. SO I am just gonna go. " I said turning and stepping away from the room.
A moment passed then she shouted after me. " WAIT!" Causing me to pause and turn back.
" HUH... It doesn't actually wear out, or at least It hasn't before. " she said putting her knife away. " I might need your help. " she said choosing to trust me.
I took a long moment to contemplate my next words.
* You know, this might be a good learning lesson towards spell work. * Saul chimed in.
" I know it could be helpful, you think I am not curious about the spell." I said back to him turning towards him.
" Who are you talking too? " she asked she said reaching her hand over to the knife again.
" Huh, my spell book. I really meant what I said, I have only been in the dungeon for about three days. it... He is alive and talks to me. " I said motioning toward the book strapped to my side.
" Uhuh. Well. I don't suppose your book knows something about this spell" she said motioning toward the chain. " its a daily spell. "
* I do, but we are going to have to go slow because you don't. Also you should have her discard her weapons.*
He had an astoundingly good point. " We might. However he doesn't trust you, so your gonna have to throw your knife into the corner. " I said pointing to the corner of the room.
She looked reluctant, but did so. " This spell will probably not kill me, but if any of the Vitre happen to come across me... It won't be good. "
" alright, well While I work on getting you free from this spell. Why don't you answer my questions. Information for freedom. " I said sitting down and pulling my bubbles into the room. I turned and expanded one and sent it to set it in front of the door. I sent it the concepts of opaqueness and density. Hopefully it would stop anything from seeing the light in the hall.
.
" Like what?" she asked curiously.
"Well, for starters what is your name?" I said catching her off guard.
" it's Lenore. "
"Alright Lenore, what are the Vitre? " I asked while sending one of my bubbles out to the strange chains, transmogrifying it into a pair of calipers. I wanted to take a measurement of the thickness of the chains.
When my magic touched the other magic though I began to get a strange sensation of rigidity. I opened my spell book to look at what Saul had to show me about it.
" the Vitre are what we dungeon dwellers, now including you, call some of the monsters of the dungeon. They can be anything, but they are called Vitre because when you kill them they shatter like glass and the mana they are composed of dissipates back into the dungeon. " her description was a little less detailed than I had wanted, but it was better than nothing. I didn't say anything in response, i just flipped the page I was on and continued to read. This action was kind of arbitrary since the page I was on was irrelevant. Saul was just showing me the relevant information regardless of page number.
" they lurk in the dark, fed by the miasma. The first one I ran into was a goblin like me, but with crazier eyes and unreasonably violent tendencies. When I stabbed it in the throat it shattered like an eggshell, and the pieces never hit the ground. "
"Interesting. These creatures sound like the ultimate way to torment adventures. "
"Adventurer? You really are new to the dungeon. " her somber response made me feel embarrassment.
"Yeah, this is day four. I haven't even been out of my starting room until now. "
"Oh, you got a starter package. Lucky. Most people don't get invited by the dungeon like that. "
*I might be giving too much away. * I thought as I looked at the spell's energy.
"Alright no sudden movements or you might lose a limb. " I said to Lenore. I stood up and used my staff like a giant pen. The needle on the end depositing the Aether from its chamber through a long channel cut through the interior of the device. The liquid magic's glow was barely perceptible here in this well lit room, but it did give the immediate area an ethereal green glow.
Saul spoke about the runes I was drawing from the diagram. * that is the rune Aiwaz, a long forgotten symbol now but it's meaning is freedom. Like every other rune, it has a long story that survives several civilizations. The magic stored in the meaning of the rune and its experiences is felt in the wider world around it, and invoking it here will help guide the minute aspects of the spell towards the intended goal. *
*are they always this simple?* the rune itself was no more complicated in form then that a a child's rendition of a bird flying through the air.
* All of the oldest symbols are simple yes. It has to do with the simplest being the first that sentient life comes up with, we can go over that another time though. Activate the spell and lets get out of here. *
I did as he bade me to do and found the magic taking the form of a small flock of bubble birds. They flew out and grabbed the chains pulling them just loose enough for the goblin to slip free.
"Yess! that's much better. Thanks for that. " she said stepping around me and picking her knife up off the ground. For a moment I thought she might whirl on me, but she didn't. She just kept moving toward the door and looked out into the dark hallway. " Well, thanks for the help... " she paused waiting for my name.
" Call me Malindr, " I replied.
" Well, Malindr, Next time I'm in a bind I hope that I run into a soul as kind as you. " She then stepped into the dark, her body melding into the shadows and I lost sight of her.
*well that went pretty well. * I thought toward Saul. * I even got to learn a new spell, what is that one called anyway?*
*Flock of freedom. It's quite effective. * he responded.
That's when I heard something new. A crack in the dark, like plastic being snapped. I moved back and hoped whatever was out there wouldn't be smart enough to see through my illusion. Unfortunately I was wrong.
A skeleton stepped into the room, an iron sword in its loose somehow animated hand. The creature had no clothing and clearly wasn't looking to play nice.
Of the six darts only three managed to connect with its strange form, each one producing a glass like noise as they embedded into the beast. It closed the gap, and I swear that sword got three times larger as It came barreling down toward my head.
Luckily the barrier seemed to stop the blow. I acted as fast as I could to swing my staff around, drawing the spiked end back and jabbing it forward.
It passed harmlessly through the skeletons ribcage.
I almost feinted at the sight of the mistake. I swear the skeleton laughed at me. Then it turned its body pinning my spear in place and swung again. Crashing into the side of my mana armor again. This time causing the nearly imperceptible bubble to flicker into visibility and begin to fade. I wrapped my hand around the staff and pulled some of the Aether free, doing my best to steel myself against the practical god of impending death in front of me.
The skeleton swung again, this time causing the bubble to flicker and part of it to shatter.
I blew a large bubble, though my desperation almost caused it to pop. It filled the air between me and the skeleton, quickly expanding to from the size of my hand, to the size of my upper torso. I Sent the mana filled air inside the sensations of pressure, and the direction of forward.
When the skeleton swung again, it popped the bubble and blasted toward the wall behind it. Clattering to the ground as the magic that seemingly held the thing together seperated. A couple of the bones involved had slightly glowing cracks that streaked like glass from the impact zone.
This was a vitre, one of the creatures that Lenore had mentioned. She had to know that the skeleton was out there when she left. She must have looked right at it, and decided that It wasn't worth mentioning.
I sprung to my feet and stumbled forward, aiming my spear for the head of the skeleton that was lying somewhat helplessly on the groung. With a single stab I would have pierced it and maybe ended this fight. Except I barely caught the glimpse of an arrow flying for my head. I didn't get to hear it impact.