by Drew Jager
"I see... Even so..." Gerald seemed to think hard on this, then when he steeled himself and turned back to Joy his eyes widened.
"Then I suppose the two parties can pay for the damages, and we will move on from this unfortunate... accident." He said, with a strange look in his eyes Wren could not place.
Gerald moved to leave, and Joy visibly sighed in relief. It wasn't until Wren had turned back to the Fox eared Beast-woman that he saw what might be the most hilarious, and terrifying, sight of his life. Aside from that bear, anyways.
Towering over Joy, Brian stood, wearing nothing but a pair of striped pajamas. His hulking figure clashed with the comical attire, and made the murderous gaze in his eyes all the more striking.
Wren flinched, and forced his head down. He couldn't look the man in the eyes, not when he could practically feel the anger coming off of him.
The Nobles were likewise affected, and seemed to be in a much more honest mood now. None of them were smirking anymore, and many also looked to the ground in shame. Or fear.
"Go to your rooms. Don't let this happen again, and I might not bar you all from the Dungeon. Dismissed." He spoke to them like children, and they could do nothing but comply.
Chapter 14 - A Day in the Life (Part 1)
"Hey, Sweetheart?" Will called out.
Bel's head peaked out over the covers from her bed, and looked towards him with half closed eyes. "Yeah? What is it?"
"Do you ever wonder what the Monsters do when we aren't looking? Or, what they were thinking when they fought the Adventurers?" He asked.
She grumbled something about useless questions, and wiggled under the Silk sheets to go back to her nap.
"I guess they probably wouldn't do much... I mean, how interesting could it get in here, where nothing really changes?" He sighed, maybe when he had more intelligent Beasts, he could ask.
* * *
During Brian's second visit to speak to the Dungeon.
I'm the best. I'm the best. I'm the best. The Dungeon Serpent chanted.
I got this. I got this. I got this. Today's the day. He was repeating these thoughts over and over in his head.
When his Creator had sent him the signal to attack, he felt nervous at the prospect of dying at the hands of that Human again. Now, looking at the pathetic Two-legs groveling to his Creator for help in some asinine Quest, he saw his chance.
"What is it you seek?" He heard from nearby, the Sun to his Creators Moon. He could listen to the warmth in her voice until he was nothing but dust. Just being able to hear her voice was enough to steel his heart.
The Human took a deep breath, and he was nearly tempted to strike then. He waited though; he had learned.
I'm the best. I'm the best.
"I received my Quest over sixty years ago, and until a month ago I had given up hope of ever completing it. Every Dungeon I had gone to was unable to help. When I received word of a potential Nature Dungeon though, I knew I may finally get my chance." The Human responded.
How dare he talk to her as an equal. He should be on his knees, praying we let him leave alive.
The Two-legs took another breath, and he made his move. While the Human was busy talking, he had been sneaking up behind him using the grass spread throughout the room.
The Creator had been hard on him, challenging him more than his fellow Monsters. He knew he must be being tested. Why else would the Creator separate him from the other Serpents, and leave him only a few vines, and grass, as suitable cover for an ambush?
The presence of his Creator could be felt, watching his every move, and he knew this could be it.
He struck out, and victory had never tasted so sweet. There was no chance of response from the filthy Human. As soon as he saw the look of absolute terror in the man's eyes, he knew he had won. Until the Human seemed to gather himself, and grabbed him by the back of his head.
NO! I need to prove myself! I just want to be-
His thoughts were cut short as the Human violently shook him, snapping his spine in the process. The last thought he had was of the fear in the Humans eyes, and how close he had come to proving himself.
After what felt like an instant, he was back in control of his body. His spine was no longer shattered, and the Human was long gone. His Creators presence, along with the warmth of his Sun, had vanished as well. He was alone, again. He had failed. Again.
I'm the best... I'm the best... He chanted, curling into a tight ball.
* * *
Half a day later, the Serpent waits, hidden under the vines on the ceiling.
Just a little closer...
The Elf had walked into the Dungeon just a few hours after that Human had come, and the Serpent couldn't be more grateful. It was another chance to prove his worth to his Creator.
He could hear the Elf berating different aspects of the Dungeon from below, and felt a seething hatred that he would dare insult his home. The Sun and Moon of his life had dedicated themselves to creating this place for them, and he would not tolerate this filthy Two-legs words.
He watched in interest as the Elf noted his cave, the Ore, but didn't seem to have the intelligence to look up. He felt joy for the briefest moment, but crushed the feeling. He had to stay focused, even if his opponent was a moron.
As soon as the Elf turned around to leave, he made his move. Slowly unfurling from his hiding position next to the vines on his roof, he prepared himself. When he had found out he could climb and wrap around the thicker vines, he was ecstatic. This must be what his Creator had intended when the room was made.
He hated himself for not understanding his Creators genius sooner.
After moving, he saw the Elf throw his weapon away.
He really is a moron. This is going to be it, this is my chance.
When he walked over to retrieve it, the Serpent nearly fell from his hiding place in excitement. The pale Two-legs seemed dumbfounded there was no corpse where his Dagger lay.
He prepared himself, and hung off the vine to stare directly at the back of the Elf's head. The unrestrained glee he felt was only tempered by his thirst for the blood of the intruder.
They locked eyes. He struck. He missed, but followed up without missing a beat. He had experienced enough defeat to know that it wasn't over until he had could no longer move his body.
When the Two-legs had grabbed the Dagger back from the ground, he scored a bite into his leg. He felt the fangs in his mouth penetrate the skin of the Two-legs, and began to inject what venom he had.
A scream came from above him, and it only made him redouble his efforts. He unleashed every last bit of toxin he had stored up into the leg of the filthy creature. He coiled himself around the leg to keep him from being dislodged, and was pleased to realize his Creator was watching.
The eyes of the Sun and Moon were both on him. Then he heard the laughter from the two, and a stress he had been carrying over the past month disappeared.
It no longer mattered if the Two-legs killed him, which he very well would, considering he was ripping chunks out of his body away every second he held on. It meant nothing to him, he had done it. His Creator had noticed him, and he had proven himself.
Unknown to him, the scales of his body took on a distinctly darker shade of green. Bringing him closer to Evolution.
Before he succumbed to his wounds, he had one final thought.
I'm the best.
* * *
One quiet day, before Will opened the entrance and announced the Dungeon to the world, a Howler circles the Silverbark tree.
Soon.
A Howler flew high above the tree, searching for his quarry.
They're going to come out soon, then I can take it. It's going to be mine. All for me, and only for me.
He had waited for over half a day now, strategy was the key for his mission. His brother would never have had the patience it required to catch them unaware.
He did, though, and soon he spotted a small snout. Followed closely by a mountain of sp
ines, and he felt a sense of pride at his plan. It was elegant, yet simple. He would wait for the sister Spinebacks to separate, and strike when one had just emerged from their den beneath the roots. All other attempts to catch them unaware had ended with a spine in a wing or a bruised beak. Not this time, though.
He had watched, and bade his time, for over a week. He now felt confident that this was the time the sisters would separate, if only for a moment. Normally they were inseparable, and he had no chance of sneaking up to one without the other noticing. However, one of them seemed to have a proclivity for flower gazing. That would be the one he singled out.
His prize was what he and his brother had been fighting over for the past few weeks, the spines. Each one had a beautiful silver shine to it, and was just the right length. It would look perfect; it would be perfect.
All for me.
He had no idea what to do with it, since he had never gotten one before. He would figure it out once he got it though. Once the Spineback was far enough away, he dove. He was going to make it; she had no idea. She couldn't see his descent from her vantage point in the flowers, and he spotted the perfect spine right in the center of her back. A few feet above her, he was poised to achieve his goal.
Skraa!
It wasn't him. He would never endanger his plan by attacking. Someone else had alerted his prey. The Spineback reacted all the same, and began scampering back towards her burrow. Now, he had a choice to make. He didn't see his brother anywhere nearby, but that didn't mean he wasn't watching.
You can't stop me! It's going to be MINE.
With a small chirp he leveled out directly behind the retreating beast and landed on top of her back. This was definitely not part of his plan, but he had to improvise now. He would not give the satisfaction to his brother, and fail his mission.
With talons firmly grasping a few of the spines on her back, he positioned his beak to rip the prize directly off her body. The Spinebacks were a fearsome beast, though. Together, they were nigh unstoppable for the bird. Alone, one still presented a significant threat.
In one swift motion she had leapt from the ground and rolled through the air, trying to buck him off of her back and away from her spines. He held on for dear life, losing a feather or two in the resulting crash into the ground.
His beak was now firmly wrapped around the offending spine, though. It poked the roof of his mouth, but he didn't mind. One final tug and he felt the pressure holding his prize disappear. It was his!
The original owner did not want to part with her spine so easily, though. She snarled, and whipped her head around to bite his wing. He knew he would not survive a direct confrontation with the leviathan that was the Spineback, so he made to retreat. A few flaps into his ascent and he felt pain blossoming from his foot. She had caught him just as he was escaping.
Release me, foul beast! I have what I came for, you can't stop me now!
After a moment of struggle, she lost her hold on his foot. He was now sporting a vicious gash in his left leg, but the prize was still firmly grasped in his beak. Just as he was flying towards his hidden nest in the Silverbark tree, he spotted him. Another Howler flying low, aiming directly for him. For his treasure.
Brother. Come to steal away my greatest acquisition? It's all mine, you can't have any of it! All for me.
They clashed midair, clawing and pecking at each other's wings to force the other out of the sky. His brother was his equal in everything, at least that's what the Creator had intended. He would exceed the Creators expectations though, and he felt he now outsmarted the other Howler.
During their mad scramble, he positioned himself for a counter attack. He aimed the spine, still lodged in his beak, and jammed the end directly into his brother's torso. He knew it wouldn't kill him, but the pain would be enough to momentarily stun him. This would give him enough time to make his escape.
Once he saw the spine enter his brother's chest, he heard a squawk that was both parts pain and anger.
All for me. It will all be mine.
He felt no remorse as he watched the body of his brother crash into the ground, though he was worried he had gone too far when the form of his brother didn't move for a few moments. Until he saw him twitch, and then begin ascending towards him again.
It was too late now; he had made his escape. He dove into the many branches and leaves of the tree, and hid in the nest only he knew of. He was positive his brother had his own nest, but he was not sure where. They were not able to steal each other's treasure once hidden in the tree, no matter how much they wanted to.
Once safely inside, he gazed over his little empire. Small nuggets of Silver pecked from the tree were delicately placed in a small pile. Seeds that had never bloomed were scattered all over the ground of his den, and flakes of the Copper from the Ore room decorated the walls of his hidden room. This was his. It was all his.
He placed the newest acquisition on the ground, and spent well over ten minutes trying to find the perfect place for it. He settled for having the spine lean against the wall, next to his pile of Silver.
It's all mine. Nobody can have it, but me.
Chapter 15 - A Day in the Life (Part 2)
* * *
Deep under the roots of the Silverbark, two Spinebacks rest.
"I saw the most beautiful flower today! Did you see it too? Did you? I bet you did; I know that when I saw it I couldn't take my eyes off it. I bet you saw it. Come on, don't be shy. It was white, and just the right amount of purple. Come on, Teresa, answer me!" The Spineback was laying on her stomach, asking whatever floated through her mind.
"All the flowers are white and purple. I wish you wouldn't call me that, Sis. We haven't earned names, yet." The other Spineback, much tamer, responds.
"It's Sistine! We went over this Ter, it's okay as long as only we use it! Of course, it's okay. I mean, why would the Great Ones be mad at us for something as little as a name. I bet it's fine. Yeah, it's fine. So, stop worrying, you're not worried are you? Are you worried?" She fired off one after the other without taking a breath.
Her sister, Teresa, didn't even flinch at the barrage of questions. She had grown used to her sisters' tendencies; painful acclimation is how she would have worded it. "No. I'm not worried, Sis. I just don't want them to be angry with us."
"They would never! I bet the Sun would think it's cute!" Sis, or Sistine, had taken to using the nicknames the Serpent in the first room used for the Great Ones. She thought it sounded beautiful, and that was all that mattered. That poor Serpent, all alone up there. She had once caught it drawing pictures in the dirt with his tail, and she was able to connect the dots to what he was doing after a few minutes of charades. He had seemed so excited just to have a visitor.
She sighed at the thought of the poor Monster, she knew he had been tested harder than any of the other Dungeon Monsters. It made her sad, but Ter noticed her mood slipping.
"Sis, we should get ready." Ter whispered; she was far softer spoken than her sister.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Is it time already? Did we already clean ourselves? Did you clean, too? You look like a ball of quills, Ter."
"We both look like a ball of quills, Sis."
"I just want to make a good impression on the new Monster, it's so rare for anything new to happen in here. Now just after we fight that gross Elf, we get a new family member!" She was chirping in excitement.
"It won't be family. Or do you consider those horrible birds' family?" Ter asked.
"Well, nobody said you had to like your family." She replied absentmindedly.
Teresa was about to retort, but her sisters comment made perfect sense.
"We should get going."
"Okay! I can't wait to see what it looks like; I wonder if it will have spines too. I bet it will, spines are the best. The birds think so too. Should we bring a gift? I think we should bring a gift." She looked worried at the last statement.
"No time. Let's go."
"Okay!"
&
nbsp; After a short walk through the many hallways, they ended up in the Alcove tunnel. Along with some of the other Dungeon residents who were trying to open the Boss rooms door.
There, they saw the female Monkey pointing and giving orders to her three male counterparts. Both Sisters held the Troop in high regard, as they were the first Monsters the Great Ones had brought into the Dungeon. As they entered the room, all the Monkeys turned to greet them. The female smacked the boys in the back of the head for stopping their efforts in opening the door. No time for play, it seems. The female Monkey greeted them in the male's place, and hooted once before she went back to helping the boys push the door open.
