Tech Duinn: An Ether Collapse Series (Ether Flows Book 1)

by Ryan DeBruyn

  Azrael filed down a cobblestone street following the slave in front of him. The buildings immediately surrounding the arena were merchandise shops. He could see Octorian’s gear replicated in display windows or hanging on walls. As they continued, the arena specific shops gave way to restaurants, live music bars, grocers, and even a few populace-accessible shops. You could tell these clearly because of the Arbuckle. Azrael tried to find the seed shop that had to be connected to it, but didn’t see it.

  He got a hint on the second Arbuckle shop he saw. The back of the rare metal merged with another building made of concrete bricks. An Arbuckle warehouse stood behind that building and also merged into the concrete. Oberan was keeping the seed shops hidden from the populace of Samheim. An interesting solution to keep citizens disconnected from outside forces.

  Soon they were passing into an industrial quarter of the city. The banging of blacksmiths’ hammers, the grinding of automated sawmills, and the hiss of boiling vats filled the air.

  The group of combatants was observed a few times by citizens of the city but usually were dismissed. A few people pointed to different combatants and whispered to each other, though. Azrael heard two young men who had pointed at a werewolf a few links in front of him. “That’s Dincarn. He destroyed every combatant during his Battle Royale. No one even saw him release a skill. He was like an Assassin. I bet he becomes a champion.”

  Azrael Analyzed the combatant the young men whispered about.

  Dincarn Abylos

  Journeyman-Ripper

  Level 31

  Health Points: 350/350

  Dincarn’s level was a stark reminder that Azrael was a small fish here. Each slave with him had survived a Battle Royale. Every person chained to him was dangerous. He doubled down on his focus and worked on being attentive to all the combatants he was chained to. It was a great exercise and could save his life if someone tried to surprise him.

  The werewolf began sniffing the air pointedly. Azrael tested it himself. Maybe there was a faint iron tinge to it. But they were near a great number of blacksmiths. That smell of iron grew stronger and was joined by the putrid scent of decay as they approached a massive gated complex. The complex’s double steel doors opened to admit the parade of slaves into a butcher’s yard.

  Of course the city would use the combatants as a free labor force. Why not have them perform the tasks that few others wished to? They didn’t need to pay slaves, and this would likely recoup some of the costs for the Arena Pit. Feeding thousands of mouths was likely very pricey.

  He scanned the perimeter of the complex and found numerous guards on walls and walking routes inside. Was this group of guards always on duty? Their guards disconnected the thirty combatants. Papi shouted, “Shift change.” The thirty bloody and dirty slaves currently working dropped their last piece of meat into red-stained plastic barrows.

  His group moved to fill the sections that the current workers left. Azrael joined the werewolf at a massive corpse. Two people had been working on it before, and he figured someone would correct him if he shouldn’t be there. The creature he began butchering could have been a gigantic pig, if the white color of the meat was an indication. That or a terrifying bird. He Analyzed a piece he had cut free, out of curiosity.

  Warhog Loin

  Cooking component

  He added it to the barrow.

  “You’rrre a noobie?” Dincarn, the werewolf, growled at him.

  Azrael looked around. Dincarn’s voice definitely carried to the guards who walked by. But they just continued their patrol. Talking was permitted, then. Definite bonus to being in a group of two. Azrael continued to work. “Yeah, I just went through my Battle Royale today. You?”

  The thirty slaves followed the vampire back out of the complex and the doors closed again behind Papi at the back.

  “I completed the second challenge alrrready. I have seen the fifth stage. I will not live long.”

  Azrael nicked his finger and hissed. He refocused on his butchering task. “How did Octorian and the other champions survive?”

  Dincarn chuckled deep in his throat. “The crrrowd favorrred them. If you lose and still live, the mob chooses yourrr fate. Combatants that arrre given a chance to live go back to the firrrst challenge. I hearrrd Octorrrian was sparrred eight times. It helps that he is Elven. The crrrowd favorrrs those that look like them.”

  “You’re worried that a single loss will cost you your life? Those boys we passed were enamored by you. They want you to become a champion.”

  “Cubs arrre purrre. Rrregarrrdless, I won’t leave my fate in the hands of the mob. I have alrrready made my decision.”

  Dincarn’s growling intensified and Azrael could practically feel the anger of the werewolf behind him. The powerful combatant saw no way out. The feeling of inevitability tried to settle onto Azrael, and he fought it. Shoving down the oppressive weight and looking for a logical reason for the werewolf’s feelings. “Why won’t you get past the fifth challenge?”

  “Disease,” was the short one-word response from the werewolf.

  Dincarn clammed up for the next few hours. They finished butchering the monstrous creature and it got replaced by a freshly-skinned corpse which had red meat. Azrael got back to work and Dincarn finally whispered, “I need you to prrretend nothing happened. When we switch shifts. Prrromise me.”

  Azrael blinked and looked around. Dincarn was begging him to act naturally? The only reason he would need to do that was if Dincarn was attempting to escape. The hundred strong military guards in the complex weren’t going to allow that to happen. He searched his feelings and realized he didn’t care about Dincarn, but he did care about what his plan might be...

  “You won’t make it out of here, Dincarn,” Azrael switched to a whisper as well, hoping he could get the werewolf to share his strategy.

  “I have a powerrrful stealth skill and can even crrreate a duplicate of myself, so thirrrty of us will still leave.”

  Azrael looked around and considered his Ripper class. The kids had assumed he was some sort of assassin but even Azrael’s assassination instructor couldn’t get out of here. “Your Ether will run dry if you try to move through this place undetected. I know people with Superb level Stealth that wouldn’t even risk what you are suggesting.”

  “Do not fearrr. The guarrrds will move me to the rrrefuse pile.”

  He looked over to see their last corpse’s bones, guts, and sinew get dropped onto a massive decaying pile. As soon as it was added, the grate exploded into a bonfire. The background noise changed to hissing and crackling as the bones and sinew caught ablaze. Azrael scanned the area to find six other grates all filled with refuse. A guard shouted, “Get to work. Or I will get my whip out,” thanks to his distraction.

  He returned to butchering and stayed silent. The guard was now closely watching him and Dincarn. Dincarn was planning to load himself onto the corpse of the creature they were currently slaughtering. Azrael would never consider an escape plan so reckless. If Dincarn was added to one of those piles, he could be burned alive instantly. It was even more likely because they worked on some of the largest corpses in the complex.

  The guard moved on and he whispered, “That is extremely dangerous. You would have to hope that you get added to a fresh pile with the size of corpses we are working on.”

  “Do you have a betterrr idea? I can’t fit onto the smallerrr corrrpses and I prrrobably won’t get placed on butcherrr duties again beforrre the fifth challenge.”

  Azrael gave up trying to convince him not to try. His question did kick-start Azrael’s mind, though. If the hare-brain was going to commit suicide, it would be best for him to gain some valuable information. His current plan would only succeed for someone who had stealth and some sort of clone ability. The fact that thirty slaves entered and left the complex made the clone skill a necessity to escape from this particular compound.

  With those skills, how would Azrael escape?

  At a glance, Azrael had
no chance of escaping this place. Their current barrow had been replaced when their carcass was changed. The cooks likely didn’t want white meat mixing with red. Azrael had seen it wheeled through a side door in the complex. Likely into a freezer or straight out into the town. He hadn’t been here long enough to study all of the intricacies. But if he was going to escape right now, that was the best shot he saw.

  Riding in the bucket would allow Dincarn to focus on controlling his clone, while simultaneously lowering the strain on his stealth skill. This method could also theoretically work for him in some way. All he would need was a clone ability, as stealth wasn’t particularly necessary for this plan.

  Azrael could summon a clone and hide in the bucket. Be away before the guards did a headcount. Add to that Dincarn’s stealth ability and the wolfman had an even better shot. “Have you considered the barrow?” Azrael asked in a hushed whisper.

  “I don’t know what is thrrrough that doorrr. It could be a cold rrroom with only one exit,” Dincarn admitted.

  Azrael nodded while looking at his blood-covered arms and stolen clothes. He wanted to convince Dincarn to try this escape plan. It gave Dincarn a better chance to escape but also provided valuable information to Azrael.

  “Fresh meat is more likely sold to the vendors immediately. Or at least brought to merchants to pick through.” Azrael Analyzed and then held up a piece of meat he had just cut. “This could be a choice cut of Devil Duck. A smart merchant would be able to tell, and a smart leader would let people buy the expensive meats from the town at a profit.”

  Azrael had said his piece, and now it was up to Dincarn. Either way, Azrael would get information. He likely wouldn’t have turned in the werewolf anyway, but the benefit of this information made it a certainty that he wouldn’t.

  They both continued to work and then Dincarn rumbled, “Tell me when the coast is clearrr.”

  Azrael did so, and watched as a second Dincarn suddenly popped up. Before one of them vanished. Azrael held his breath, but no guard began shouting. He saw the bucket shake a few times and smiled as he continued his work, throwing pieces on top of the now-concealed Dincarn. The werewolf had chosen to go with Azrael’s plan.

  He Analyzed the clone.

  Dincarn Abylos

  Journeyman-Ripper

  Level 31

  Health Points: 150/150

  Dincarn’s health had drastically changed. Azrael hoped that none of the guards would notice. Or if they had stronger Analyze they didn’t have other information that would alert them.

  The clone worked away beside Azrael and together they made their way to the line when the change in shifts happened. Unfortunately, they hadn’t finished butchering the corpse or filling their barrow, but they were extremely close. Azrael crossed his proverbial fingers for the werewolf. If this worked, Azrael would have found a method of escape on his second day.

  It was a dark night, the stars providing a low level of illumination which allowed the guards to guide the prisoners on the pathway back to the Pit.

  Halfway back to the Arena Pits, Dincarn’s clone vanished. The two guards heard the clank of chains and began screaming at all of the captives. They ordered everyone to sit down in place. Within thirty seconds, more guards arrived. Torin was among them. They conducted a very thorough search of the surrounding area.

  A military runner approached Torin. “The Obliteration Enchantment destroyed a barrow of meat. The guards assume a slave was hiding inside.”

  One of the guards chuckled. “At least this rumor will spread through the noobies, and no one will try to escape again for a few months. It seems to happen every third month, like clockwork.”

  Torin sneered. “Oberan is still going to be pissed. A combatant and a barrow of meat…”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Azrael and the group of slaves were brought back to the entry chamber of the dungeon. Once back in the dungeon, Torin rushed out of the room, mumbling about having to tell Oberan. Azrael felt the tension in his shoulders drop and he was able to breathe normally again. The toad hadn’t even acknowledged him because of its own stress.

  The slaves around him were collected as a group and led away, but he was told to wait.

  Gyr knuckle-walked into the room and led him to the second floor. Azrael exited the metal staircase and waited for more instructions, unsure where to go from here. Gyr made a gesture left, and Azrael started down the raised platform in that direction.

  He peeked over the rickety railing and found the hallway he now knew led to the courtyard dungeon entrance. He began tracking how many doors and turns they might take. A rock wall made up the other side of the walkway he followed. He counted each passage carved into it. Gyr grunted at the fifth passage, and Azrael turned down it.

  It was much more pleasant to be escorted without the dog leash and polearm, and he was hoping that good behavior here might bring more such treatment in the future. Not likely, but he sincerely didn’t wish for Gyr to get physical. Torin may have been intense, but he doubted that the toad could come anywhere near the strength of Gyr or Yonel. Oberan sparred with the two regularly. If they could keep up with an Epic ranked individual, then they were beyond dangerous.

  Azrael’s hallway had branching pathways, and on the third carved path to his right, he heard another grunt. He turned and exited the tunnel. The room was another dual-leveled cell block, but strangely these cells were made from wood that contained glowing symbols. Azrael wasn’t an expert at any crafts but could tell that these symbols carved into the wood were Enchanting glyphs. He wondered why they had been cut into the bars, as most enchantments were invisible to the naked eye.

  Gyr motioned to the first cell, and Azrael entered a dual gate. The outer gate clacked shut loudly behind him and the inner door opened in front of him. Now he was in a large compartment that contained eight wooden beds, a wooden harvest table, and a spare cave with an open door. Azrael moved to the door and found a full bathroom, complete with shower, toilet, and sink. He turned to check on his escort, only to find the Troll gone.

  He looked down at his blood-stained arms and clothes and smelled himself. He shuddered and entered the bathroom—it was time to empty his ring of the loot and take a much-needed shower.

  Then I can fall asleep.

  He dumped everything within his Ring of Holding onto the floor of the room and began sorting through it. The vast majority were ragged clothes of the people he had killed inside the arena. However, he had managed to loot a few rings, earrings, necklaces—and a glowing stone? He picked it up and was shocked when something stabbed into his mind, “I have been in that stupid alternate space for what felt like months! How dare you ignore me! I let you live to spread my greatness—wait, where are we right now?”

  Azrael had completely forgotten about the dungeon core. His cheeks flushed red and he ran his hand through his hair. He remembered the blood on his hands too late and removed the hand with disgust.

  “We are inside the Pits. I think it is an Arena Dungeon,” Azrael said.

  “Really? Put me down onto a surface.” Azrael raised an eyebrow but lowered the dungeon core onto the stone floor. It shrieked, “Pick me up, pick me up!”

  Azrael jerked it off the ground. “What was that about?”

  Apep flashed brightly for a moment before responding, “I wasn’t ready for it to realize I was inside its depth. It will likely devour me if I don’t capture an area for myself. Where are we in the dungeon?”

  Azrael looked around, bemused by the question. “A washroom, off of a group holding cell for arena combatants.”

  Apep’s pink center flashed rapidly, and Azrael could swear he felt pulses of power coming off the stone. “Do you think people would notice if I started consuming their refuse?” the dungeon asked.

  Azrael looked at the toilet. “Do you mean our poop?”

  Apep began pulsing so quickly that Azrael could feel the stone vibrating. Just before Azrael could ask a concerned question, Apep stated, “Put me down
again.”

  “Not so fast, Apep. What do I get out of this?” Azrael questioned the dungeon core.

  Apep’s stone seemed to illuminate and darken in time to Azrael’s breathing. Silence stretched and then Apep spoke into his mind again, “We could come up with a binding agreement. You did complete my quest after all…”

  Azrael squinted before nodding hesitantly.

  Ether Contract

  By agreeing to the contract, Azrael Sovereign and Apep will be linked.

  The dungeon core will:

  ● Attempt to help Azrael escape the Arena Pit

  ● Provide any other reasonable help that Azrael asks for

  ● Follow Azrael’s commands where reasonable

  Azrael will:

  ● Place the dungeon core on the ground within The Pit

  ● Bring Apep sustenance where possible

  ● Allow Apep access to excrement of his companions

  Agree to Ether Contract terms?

  | No

  Azrael’s stomach knotted and he swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. Was there anything within this contract that could hurt him? He could demand more from Apep, but that would likely increase his own stipulations. Right now, both his and the dungeon’s terms were loose. This was preferable to something concrete. Breaking a contract could put you entirely in the power of the other party.

  His body broke out in a cold sweat as he mentally clicked yes and did as instructed. This might not even work—was he going to watch Apep get consumed by the Arena Dungeon?

  A purple wave pulsed through the bathroom, and Apep’s core sank into the stone. Azrael tried to grab the stone before it fully submerged but was too late. Damnit, he should have figured out a way to increase Apep’s chances. Of course it would lose to a much older and more powerful dungeon.

  “I have successfully set up this room, and most of the cell outside as my territory!” Apep said.