“And how exactly do you plan to help us?” Faye still faced the front of the boat, and her voice was stern and uncharacteristic of her usual nature, as far as Kek had known her, anyway. Perhaps there was a dark side to her.
“Well, for starters,” said Selena, “thanks to me, you are on a boat instead of flailing around in the water about to be eaten by all the things that are down there. I have no idea how you survived so long in that water, to be honest. You don't even want to know what's in there.”
Kek was taken aback had to give himself a moment to fully realize why he felt so afraid. “I don't think I even want to think about it,” he said finally.
“That's for the best,” said Selena.
19
“So, do you know much about this dungeon?” asked Kek.
“I never go hunting treasure in a place that I haven't properly researched. I'm not a—" She stopped herself and looked over at Faye, then back to Kek, and shook her head with a smile. “Let's just say that I don't go anywhere unprepared, okay?”
“Well it's hard be prepared when you're not expecting to be a going on at adventure when you wake up that morning!” Faye stood up and flew so she was at the same height a Selena's head, looking her in the eye. Kek noted that each creature was strikingly beautiful, and in completely different ways.
Kek found it hard to imagine Faye as a sexual creature, even though she had such a gorgeous, albeit tiny, body and pretty face. It was a matter of size, really. Why he was thinking about these things he didn't know, but was surely because he had never spent any time with a female. And now he was in the company of two. When it rains it pours.
“I don't know why you dislike me so much, fairy,” said Selena. “I really haven't done anything to you. I even made a special effort to hide my body so that your boyfriend here doesn't get the hots for me. Do you think I enjoy wearing clothing?”
The steam could practically be seen coming out of Faye’s ears at that remark. “I do have a boyfriend, actually, and this is not him. I have come on a quest to retrieve something very important to me. And I don't know why I'm even telling you that because you're probably just going to try to steal it, so you can ‘help’ people. Because that's what you do, right? I trust that, oh sure!”
“Well, I can tell you to get ready for the maze of dark mirrors. That is the next area that's been set up by the dungeon lord to stop people from getting down into the dungeon proper. And I think you know what a dark mirror is, right fairy?” It was easy to tell that Selena was subtly mocking her, while trying to appear completely amiable at the same time. That was like an extra layer of mockery, and Faye was certainly not stupid enough to fall for it.
“Could somebody tell me what a dark mirror is?” Kek wasn't proud enough to pretend that he had information when he didn't. He would rather learn than only appear to already be knowledgeable.
“Here,” said Faye. And with a swipe of her hand, energy could be felt moving from her into Kek’s being.
He read on his HUD about dark mirrors. The maze of dark mirrors: They look much like any other mirror, but these have especially dark secrets that only the doomed discover. Anyone who looks at one will see the true reflection of their souls—tainted darkly. Are you ready to see the worst parts of yourself? Only affective against non-evil creatures.
Kek shuddered to think what that might mean. It was quite cryptic, but he had a knew that he didn't want to look into a dark mirror ever. They finally came to the other side of the river, and Salina moved her boat right up to the sandy shore. It was gritty, not at all like anything that could be found at a regular beach. The boat made a scraping sound as it collided with the grit, and it jarred suddenly.
“Will you please help me?” Selena asked Kek. She had her hand on the front of the boat where the magical lantern was hanging. He came over and helped her to drag the boat ashore, while it made a lot of scraping noises and hopefully wasn’t being damaged as they did so. It hadn't been so rocky at the start of the dungeon, but they had traveled quite far, and this could have been an entirely new type of terrain.
“Is this a magic river?” asked Kek, thinking out loud. “I mean, we have traveled downward, I can feel it. Shouldn't the river be flooding this area and filling up the passageway?”
“Yes. Magic River.” Faye was still annoyed, and it was almost like she was under a spell.
Selena nodded in agreement and that was all they said about it.
Kek was willing to accept that it was just a magic river, given that the dungeon lord who rule this place clearly had so many powers and so much influence over strange and terrifying things. And he, at the same time, accepted that they had just taken a river that had somehow traveled down without filling the area up. He wondered how else the dungeon lord would be able to manipulate the rules of the universe in other ways, possibly as a gamer himself. Hopefully Kek would learn how to do some better manipulation himself.
No one said a word as they walked along until they finally came to a corridor. The siren had detached a magical lantern from the front of the boat and carried it ahead of her in her left hand. And she now held the throwing spear in her right hand instead of leaving it slung over her back.
Faye had flown up ahead of the other two, as she was still in a horrible mood. It did give Kek reason to be greatly concerned, but he didn't want to let Selena know that he was a little suspicious. He wasn't about to believe that someone who had once been a murderous and bloodthirsty monster could just change so drastically and completely. He was only able to have these thoughts at all when he forced himself to stop looking at her and forget how incredibly beautiful and alluring she was. The corridor they walked down came to a series of intersections with at least ten different passageways leading from that area.
Faye had stopped at the intersection and waited for her to non-flying comrades to catch up. Although, she would've never referred to Selena as an actual comrade. She said, “This must be one of the places that acts as a sort of hub for getting around the dungeon. You have to be careful of things like this and never assume that the way you see is the only way, even if it's the only one you're aware of.” She was talking directly to Kek, but every now and then, she half glanced beneath furrowed eyebrows at Selena.
“So which way do we go?” he asked.
“Far be it from me to assure him that I know more than a fairy.” Selena smirked as she said it, clearly knowing how much it would anger Faye.
“Of course, I know the way, and don't forget you have that guiding arrow in your HUD. Oh, of course, how silly of me. It does point the way, but you should never assume it's going to tell you how to get to a destination. It basically points you in the straight line we need to go. There could be a mountain or ocean in the way, however, and the arrow wouldn't know the difference.
Gee, Kek was glad she had decided to tell him this now. He imagined what might've happened to him if they were split up or something and he had to navigate his way using just the arrow. He said, “Do you think there's any way you can give me a map in my HUD?”
“Our leader would've done it if it were possible, I'm afraid. I guess you’re just going to have to rely on me.” She started smiling again and then stuck her tongue out at Selena.
“You are an odd little fairy,” said Selena. “I understand some things about the way you act, yet other things quite perplex me. Anyway, I will admit that you seem to have a better knowledge of this strange place. And I would rather be well-informed then just be right.”
Kek nodded and said to Faye with a smile, “Well then, will you lead the way?”
“I will be delighted to do so.” She led them to a seemingly random corridor in a large space that led to so many different corridors. She didn't hesitate for even a second and seemed to know where she was going as though the path had been trodden by her many times before. She said, “Remember what you read about the dark mirrors. Don't look into their reflections or you might not be able to stop—ever. And if you think there are just mir
rors on this level, you will be sorely mistaken.”
20
As soon as they were through the corridor, it began to narrow greatly until it was no wider than a hallway, and it was so short that Selena had to stoop slightly. Kek had no trouble getting through, and Faye was able to fly with accuracy so she didn't risk hitting the walls, ceiling, floor. She didn't cast her light spell since they were able to see just fine with Selena's magic lantern.
The corridor began two bend to the right and started to go down in a spiral decline. Kek could only wonder where all those other corridors led; perhaps there were shortcuts to various levels, or maybe they went out of the dungeon. He would be happy to never find out.
As they went down, Selena started another conversation with Kek. She walked in front of him but partially turned her upper torso so that she could look at him with her peripherals every now and then as they spoke. He found it difficult stop staring at her and sneaking glimpses of her body. Even in her modest clothing and in profile, her figure was arousing.
“So,” she said, “can I ask what kind of skills you have, dog-man?”
“Yes, I suppose.”
“He’s a kobold, not a dog-man,” Faye interjected.
“It's okay,” he said. Then, he continued speaking to Selena. “My skills are what you would expect from someone who was a servant, only I have high dexterity and an affinity with dogs. How useful that might be down here, I don't know. Oh … I can swim too.”
“Why, dexterity is always useful in this type of situation. I have a feeling that you might end up making a wonderful rogue or thief. Perhaps even an assassin,” said Selena enthusiastically. The idea of assassination seemed to excite her the most. “Whatever the case, I think we are going to be relying on your keen senses to alert us of danger and watch our backs. That's why I wanted to ask you if you're willing to take up the back of the group as part of a default state. I can't use my throwing spear effectively if I have one of my own comrades in front of me, anyway. That goes for you too, fairy.”
With a chuckle, Faye replied, “Oh don't worry, you would never be able to hit me with your spear even if you were trying. I’m much too fast. But if it really makes you feel better, you can take the front position.”
“Thank you,” was all Selena said as she shuffled past the fairy, holding her spear and lantern out in front of her. “It makes sense since I have the lantern anyway, right?” Selena said.
The other two didn't respond, but they both nodded even though Selena couldn't see them from where she was. It didn't seem she was too interested in an answer as long as they didn't disagree.
Kek shivered. It felt like there was a draft coming through the spiraling corridor.
“I'm detecting some serious evil, and that can only mean that we’re almost at the next level,” said Faye. “Get yourselves ready for the maze of dark mirrors.”
“Maze?” uttered both Kek and Selena in unison.
Selena said, “You never said anything about this being a maze.”
“Oh, I thought you were well prepared.”
“I had no plans to come down this far. I would've found more treasure than I could've carried back in The Inky Death. Not that I'm complaining, because it was my decision to come with you, after all.
“And I still don't know why someone like you would come with us.” Faye made it clear that she didn't view Selena as a person, just a monster who pretended to be one.
Kek wondered if all females were this argumentative and quick to attach themselves to people they barely knew. It made him suspicious, and more than once he asked himself if he was being taken advantage of by them. A naïve kobold coming into a dungeon and asking for help seemed like the perfect person to use for some sinister purpose.
“It's not your decision whether or not I am redeemed,” said Selena. “I know I am just a monster, but I don’t need to be told so.”
“Oh.” Faye stopped floating and gestured for the other two to stop with her. “Okay,” she said, “I think just being around so many of these dark mirrors is starting to have an effect on you. That's not good at all. We’re about to walk right through what could be maybe hundreds of these things. Is not really a maze by the way, it's more like a metaphoric maze, the way you have to—drat. She furrowed her brow and scratched her dainty chin and thought. It's hard to explain, but it's like a maze inside your own dark places within you.”
“So, it's a metaphor, for just like you said,” said Selena sarcastically. “That wasn’t hard to explain.” She seemed to get a lot of joy out of pushing the little fairy so that she started to become flustered and went on one of her little rants.
Kek felt sorry for Faye, but on the other hand, he didn't want to get between their bickering. He wasn't sure what it was all about, but he knew it couldn't have anything to do with him.
“I think we need to focus on the task at hand,” Kek said with a display of leadership that surprised him. Being around Faye with her natural sense of knowing what she wanted seemed to be having a positive effect on him. “So how do we avoid these things,” he asked the fairy. “Do we just look ahead, or will we have to keep our eyes shut, maybe blindfold ourselves?”
“That's the thing,” said Faye. She flew ahead of both of them and turned around so that she could address Selena and the kobold more easily. It also seemed like she was holding her arms out to block them and make sure they didn't try to go past her without listening first. “You’re going to be tempted to look at them. In fact, don't assume that you will be able to resist. I am immune as a fairy, so my plan is that I will be able to be your guide and help you resist. Honestly, I would not expect either of you to be able to go through here alone. And no, Selena, I'm not just saying that to give myself a big head. This is serious, and I really wish you would take it seriously.”
“Very well,” said Selena with a sigh. “I would like to help you both get what you've come for. I'm sorry for being such a brat about it. If we can call a temporary truce, we will get through this, right?”
“Okay, we can have a temporary truce, but I am not going to forget what you really are.”
“It's good to see that you plan to maintain your prejudices as passed down by your predecessors. Don't let that hatred go to waste, no matter how misguided it is. Okay then, let's do this,” said Selena.
Kek was ushering them forward because he was sick of waiting around while they debated everything endlessly. He was starting to wonder if this would be as slow-going if he was alone, or if he had the company of other males like he had had when out hunting with the humans. Even though they had hated him, everything had gone much more swiftly.
They walked into huge hall covered in lights or gems. It was quickly apparent that they were hundreds—possibly even thousands—of mirrors giving the impression that they were precious stones or many sources of light. There were all sorts of sizes and shapes, with different frames ranging from gold to silver to wood, and some without any frame at all. Many of them were broken or chipped or had cracks in them. And the floor was covered with these sharp fragments. Kek had to be careful where he was walking, or he would cut the pads of his feet. He learned that the hard way when he stepped on a sharp piece of mirror glass that was piled up on top of some other broken fragments in a way that allowed it to stab into his foot as he brought his pad down on top of it. He let out a small yelp and then quickly covered his elongated mouth.
“Shh,” urged Faye when she fluttered by his ear. She put her hands on the top and bottom of his jaws and gently pressed his mouth closed for a moment. Her touch felt nice, and he realized it was the first time she’d ever touched him. He didn't know why he couldn't control these kinds of thoughts, even though there was so much danger.
“Would you like me to carry you, fuzzy dog-man?” said Selena quietly.
Kek scowled at her but quickly smiled; it was impossible to be mad at Selena, as he had already become aware of. Faye didn't have any trouble being mad at her, but then again, she was not a mal
e.
21
They continued to walk, and the going was slow. Faye flew ahead of them in reverse so she could keep eye contact with them. She would spin around periodically to make sure she was headed in the right direction or not about to collide into anything. She seemed to trust that her two companions were looking out ahead for her and making sure that something didn't creep up and grab her.
Selena offered to put out her lantern so that they couldn't see the mirrors, but Faye said it wouldn't matter. It was the magic in the mirrors that really did the trick, and not actually being able to see their own reflection. If they looked into a mirror without any lights, the same thing would happen.
There were noises coming from among the walls of mirrors and the pillars that lined the sides of the huge hallway. It was easily two hundred feet wide and possibly one hundred feet to the ceiling.
“This should really be called the hallway of dark mirrors, don't you think?” Selena seemed happy with her remark. Jokes clearly were not her forte.
Even though it wasn't funny, Kek laughed a little.
Faye gave him a stern glare, and then her eyes darted quickly to Selena, then back to Kek. She had something on her mind that she wasn't willing to say in front of both of them. It would have to wait until later, because Kek was not in the mood for any more of this bickering and drama.
“Hey! What are you doing?” asked Faye.
Kek could hardly hear her because his attention had been drawn to something, and this time it wasn't Selena’s beauty. No, it was something sparkling up high on the wall that had caught his attention. Knowing that there could be enemies about, he wanted to make sure that they weren't about to be ambushed by goblins or something like that. Yes, that was why he was looking there. He started to feel afraid, but it wasn't the fear of imminent danger or physical harm causing the emotion.
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