Dungeon Champions

Chapter 6: Betrayal, the Onion

Crossing to the double doors, I stopped next to the pile of bones. Part of me was surprised at just how comfortable I was with everything. Fighting the undead was simple. Although I didn’t remember specific details about my past, Earth pop culture was steeped in the mythology of killing monsters like those.

It’s everything else that’s complex.

I didn’t doubt the origins of my new memories, nor did I feel any guilt about how I’d acquired them. Why would I? The old man had been a corpse when I’d arrived, and the bargain I’d made with the Dungeon Core had made perfect sense.

The challenge was reconciling just how good everything felt. I was fairly certain that the person I’d been on Earth had not enjoyed anywhere near the advantages I had now. There was a pang of loneliness in my chest, along with the vague ghost of a memory about headaches. Both suggested that the gifts I’d been given had been transformative, at the least.

But what kind of person am I now? Violence felt better than natural. It was glorious.

Using the axe head, I pushed the pile of bones aside, making room to open the doors. Once they were clear, I looked back to make sure Merielle was ready.

She looked up at me, her expression fixed in grim determination. Pursing her lips, she nodded. Skullie, still held in one hand, turned to look at the doors, his spine crackling like bubble wrap.

“I think that space is cleared out,” the lich said. “Possibly. Probably. Um, unless the others used it as storage. I never know. You see, I am—er, was—one of the…low rungs on the ladder, so to speak. They hardly told me anything.”

“Helpful,” I replied sarcastically, lifting the latch and pulling the doors open.

In front of us was a wide, long hallway lined with magic symbols. The symbols pulsed dully, throbbing like miniature heartbeats.

Lifting Skullie toward the symbols, Merielle asked, “What are those?”

Shifting my weight to one side, I kept an eye on the hall but remained where I was. My memories told me what the runes were, but I wanted to hear it from another perspective. Just because the person I’d learned everything from knew something didn’t make the inheritance flawless.

“Growth symbols,” Skullie said. “The Dungeon Core has put down this hallway and left markers for where it wishes to expand next. Each of those symbols can become a doorway to another hall, or room, or maybe something else. Some Cores grow traps out of their growth symbols.”

I added, “And Cores grow by absorbing experience in their dungeon. Monsters that die in here join it. Hey, Skullie, why didn’t all those bones join the Core? Did you all collect them outside or something?”

“Some we scouted at one of the dungeons exits,” Skullie confirmed. He moved his head slightly in a way that made me think he was trying to shrug his shoulders. “The rest weren’t inside the dungeon long enough to bond with the Core. That can take days, or even longer.”

“Speaking of entrances, did you see a grizzled old adventurer on your way to help me?” Merielle hesitated, looking over at me again. “He, uh, was wearing armor a lot like…yours. Oh, hey! You didn’t kill that old man, did you?” The look she gave me was suddenly wary.

I shook my head. “He was dead when I found him. Was he mean or something? What did he do?”

“Nothing bad,” she said with a shrug. “He was just really rude when he realized we were following him. He threatened our Guide unless we held back and gave him half a day’s head start.”

“Ah. Makes sense. He wanted to get to the good stuff before you all did.” In theory, he’d also have cleared out the worst of the boss monsters too.

I once again took the lead. The corridor was dark compared to the last ones, which had been lit by a gentle, ambient glow. The air was cooler, although I barely noticed it. Merielle shivered, drawing closer to my side.

“Tell me what you know about the Sisterhood,” she said to Skullie.

The lich twitched, sunken sockets looking over at me before he responded. “Several years ago—I don’t know exactly how many, as time passes strangely inside a dungeon—several groups of the more intelligent monsters came together. Their greed led them to a decision; to make a pact with a group of adventurers. In return for magic and treasure, the adventurers would help us grow our Cores.”

“By kidnapping and binding adventurers to a Core, then killing them?” I guessed.

“That, yes. Sometimes, skilled adventurers are given an option to join the dungeon’s denizens, like becoming a boss monster or something. Most of the time, they are just food.” The spine rippled in a motion that managed to convey a shrug. “It works for everyone.”

“Everyone but the dead,” Merielle said. “And the Sisterhood is one of these…groups?”

“One of several, yes.”

She cursed, shaking her head. “I don’t believe it.” Then she paused, tilting her head and tapping a finger to her jaw. “Actually, I do. We have to tell the others. Someone has to stop the Sisters before more people get killed.”

“And the other groups,” I said, my tone grim. “It’s one thing if folks willingly walk into a dungeon, knowing they could die. It’s another to lure poorly trained adventurers into them just to have them killed. I don’t care if it artificially makes the Core more powerful, or the rewards better, it’s wrong.”

After a few minutes of walking down the long, expansive hallways, I began explaining my class to Merielle. I showed her my legendary Tablet, then gave her a rundown of my objectives.

“I gave my word to this Core to take out another. It’s promised to allow me to free you and your allies. Once I get you all out, I need to put together a team. After that, we will need to prepare enough to go into the other dungeon and take the Core inside.”

Merielle studied the gold-wrapped, filigree Tablet, then looked up at my face. Her bright eyes reflected the golden hues as she considered her reply. “I can’t speak for the others, but I’ll say this: if you’re willing to help deal with the Sisterhood, I’ll fight by your side.”

I smiled. With the right training and experience, it was clear Merielle would be a solid fighter. “I do like trades. And I don’t mind the idea of bringing a few assholes down along the way.”

We made it to the end of the hall, where another set of double doors stood tall. This pair was plain and made from wood, darkened by the years and reinforced with thin belts of steel.

“This will take you out to the forest,” I said, pointing at the doors. “It’s north of the main entrance. I suggest you go out this way and circle to the west. There’s another exit over there, and it’ll be closer to the next member of your party, assuming she’s still where Corey said she was.”

Merielle swallowed but didn’t let her fear show beyond that. With a quick nod, she moved around me to grab the door. She paused, her hand on the long iron handle, and looked back at me. I couldn’t tell what was going on behind those big eyes of hers, but she looked to be considering something.

“Thank you,” Merielle said. She offered me a warm smile, then pulled the door open.

Compared to the inside of the dungeon, it was like a fairytale landscape.

Bright light angled in through the door opening, giving a view of the forest beyond. Birds sang and insects chirped a welcoming song.

“It should be safe for you out there,” Skullie said. “We’re still miles away from the goblin capital, and we cleared out most of the local monsters ourselves only recently.” Jerking his jaws side to side, he twisted to look at me. “Can I go now?”

“Go?” I arched my brow. “I suppose. If we let you go, I’ll have to take your phylactery though.”

Skullie made a shrieking sound. “You will?”

“Of course. What sort of respectable adventurer would I be if I just let a lich free?”

Merielle looked from the lich to me, an expression of fascinated disbelief on her face. “What are you suggesting?”

“I’m saying that Skullie can either work with me, or I’ll send him to the final afterlife,” I explained.

Click-Click. The lich’s teeth clattered together loudly, in apparent terror. “Skullie will serve,” he moaned.

Merielle raised the spine in her hand and looked at it for a moment. Skullie writhed, his head twisting this way and that. “Um. Do you mind taking it—him—them? I don’t think waving around the remains of a lich will help lighten the atmosphere.” She offered me the skull with a thin smile.

“Probably for the best,” I said. Taking Skullie, I tucked the spine into one of the straps of my armor. Jamming it into place broke off a few of the boney bits sticking out from the edges—probably the remnants of a rib—but it otherwise fit just fine.

Skullie opened his mouth a few more times, perhaps considering whether to protest, then stopped.