Dungeon Battle

by Andrew Bardsley

  Shunneth had listened to many lectures from her mother about the importance of the blood of the nobles, but as she got older many of her sibling warned her away from her mother's options and tried to convinces the girl that the true power of the kingdom was reliant on high-level warrior or wizards, that build personal strength with hard work and danger.

  Their long talks had not dissuaded her from the high option of her nobility, and so she, the last of the sibling, had been the only on to take her mother money and gain power with it by buying the best armor and weaponry.

  Now, this opportunity had arisen right on her doorstep to make her mark in the kingdom by becoming a dungeon master. She thought in her mind; she would show all her siblings that being noble gave you certain indisputable rights.

  Pushing her way to the front of the group, of jostling adventures who were all busy in their own worlds, as they talked to each other often make jokes at the experiences of the other poorer adventures in the castle ground, Shunneth was able to see the entrance to the dungeon. Every time she and the few noble born around her pushed through another group, the people would turn around to frown at the group of nobles and them move back slightly giving way with a slight bow of their head, which is how it should be thought Shunneth with an expression on her face if she was holding her nose, as if touching the commoners that just here because of wealthy parents was beneath her.

  Her first view of the sculptured gate made her gasp in amazement and wonder, how did something so wonderful get into this goddess forsaken place in the middle of nowhere. The last time she had seen such quality art was when she had visited the king palace in the capital a few years ago with her father and mother.

  She always remembered being introduced to the king family and wondering why they all look so common. Her mother had explained to her that king was from the peasanty before he became such a high-level wizard, and was not a true noble as was his wife, whom he had married for love, not a connection to the truly noble, as did Shunneth father.

  Her mother had said the only reason the king was, well the king, was because of his personal power, which to her mother was just not good enough as he hadn't even taken a wife from the true nobility as was the custom in the kingdom.

  As the doors opened to the dungeon, she looked back on the hundred or so adventures, put on a smile that did not reach her eyes at all, and clear her throat for quiet.

  "We are here not only just to challenge the dungeon, but also conquer," she said in an imperious tone of voice that carried to the back of the room.

  This produced cheers from the rest of the group of richly dressed young men and women and a pat on the shoulder from the ever-present Siliz. The youngest son of a knight of the ream, who just barely qualified as a noble in Shunneth option, but was useful to have around, to deal with all her day to day expenses and money matters as that kind of dealing was beneath her.

  Shunneth stepped out of the way allowing the crowd to surge forward into the dungeon, each saying, "I challenge the dungeon as they enter."

  As each person said the challenge, a flash of light emitted from the gate giving the person a sort of hallow glow for a second that then receded as they ran down the empty corridor into the first level. When the last of the common cannon fodder, had entered the group of noble laughed at adventure and smile before issuing the challenge for themselves on the entrance to the dungeon.

  --

  Shunneth had not even had to draw her sword on the first level of the dungeon as the cannon fodder did what it was here for, kill all the lower level monster that was beneath her notice.

  She had watched with the other sniggering nobles, when some of the adventures within her group had been trapped, by their own mistake for being so unskilled, she thought, behind a group of skeletons that had seemed to emerge from a hidden doorway. The trapped adventures had shout to the rest of the pack of young people to please come to their rescue as they were being attacked on all side. The armor they were wearing was starting to get damaged with the repeated hits with the bone dagger in the undead hands. As some of their companions were just about to go to their aid when Siliz has shouted in a commanding voice across the hall.

  "Leave them as we need to move on. It's not our fault that they were so stupid," Siliz as the adventure look at him in surprise but bowed slightly.

  As Shunneth has left the hall she heard the scream of the trapped as they were slow to cut to death by the monster, but she just thought that it didn't matter as they will be resurrected soon and why are they making such a commotion about dying which they should be doing in style rather than paretic screams.

  The adventures had arrived at the second level, and most of the group were looking at the puzzle at the start of the labyrinth. The bodies of hundreds of rabid rabbits were already on the floor all broken and torn apart by the adventure's weapons. Shunneth was wondering how they had gotten there until she saw, a woman presses some of the tiles on what looked like a chess board and one of the side doors open.

  "My lady," said Siliz in a solicitous voice to Shunneth as he stood next to her, "if you wait here while we find a pathway through the labyrinth. I'll send somebody to collect you when the way is clear."

  Shunneth nodded in acceptance, as was her right, to be given the utmost courtesy by the underlings and sat down as different door open, when tiles were chosen, leading into the labyrinth.

  Shunneth only entertainment as she waited was to look at the gorgeous sculptures on the hall leading into the second level and was starting to get annoyed as it had been an hour since everybody had left, and starting to think what was taking them so long; it couldn't be that hard.

  Just a she felt like shouting to see if anybody was around, Siliz appeared looking frazzled and a bit shock at first, but then his usual servient expression appeared on his face as he walked toward Shunneth with a smile.

  "It was a bit more difficult than we had thought it would be," he said in the way of apology, and she had a demanding look on his face.

  Siliz bowed slightly and indicated for Shunneth to follow him the other side of the maze. By the time Shunneth was exiting into the corridor with the bridge in front of her she was very upset that some of the expensive clothing she had was now dirty as he had to climb and clamber under a large wall and across pits.

  She kept saying to Siliz that this was beneath her and wasn't there a better way, but he kept answering patently that it was the only way they had found. Shunneth nearly lost her composer when she started to walk quickly toward the narrow bridge over a large pit when Siliz shouted.

  "My lady stops now, "he said in an urgent voice, "I need to show you where to tread as it slippery in places, and you don't want to fall into the pit."

  Shunneth was just about to walk forward not carrying for what he had to say, as surely she could cross a simple bridge without help, but then she looked down into the pit and saw several bodies skewed on shape spikes. What made her gasp was not all the blood but how the bodies were pulpifying as if they were a turning into liquid. The backing of she extended a hand to the now solstice Siliz, who was able to lead her across the much-depleted adventures as she only saw about half their number left.

  The adventures were a lot more subdued as they descended to the next level of the dungeon as many of them were now injured and with an only limited healer in the group were still in pain.

  Siliz extended an arm to lead the noble lady down the spiral staircase this time taking the front of the group of adventures as Shunneth thought they must be getting close to the end of the dungeons, so it was time for her to lead the adventures. At the bottom of the stairway as another magical portal and a large wooden door that led to the levels as on the previous level. Shunneth moved toward the door and took her sword from her scabbard and used the golden pommel to knock on the door, as if by magic the door swung open, to reveal a landscape take straight out of the countryside surrounding the town below.

  For a second Shunneth wonder if she was outside, as t
he cavern was so vast with rolling hills and woodland areas. When she looked into what she thought of as the sky, she saw the large magical lights and the far away from the rock ceiling that seemed to be either white rock or painted white.

  "Let split up and see if we can find an exit for the next level," she said as she walked down the stone stairway to the grass below.

  Standing for a few minutes as the different group than normal worked together split up to explore the dungeon level in the bright, magical light. Her group, of course, included Siliz, as he would have it no other way, and the only other noble of any rank, making the number five.

  The five nobles set out for an area of woodland directly in front of them, but before they could get close arrows started to fly from between the trees. The first arrow hit Shunneth silver amour and fell to the ground doing no damage, as she still had her sword out, she rushed forward into the trees to find small goblin archer taking cover behind bushes.

  Name of Monster

  Level

  Agility

  HP

  MP

  Skills

  Goblin

  4

  4

  40

  -

  -

  One of the wretched goblins shot an arrow from point-blank range at her face, which managed to glance of the face guard on her cheek but cut into her beautify the face. The blood was pouring down her cheek, staining all of her clothes, as Shunneth ran forward and sliced the goblin in too with her sword of sharpness. Feeling another arrow hit her back, the armor defeated that she turned around the see another goblin pulling out a dagger charging her with an evil grin. She was able to turn around and cut her sword across his exposed neck.

  Just as she was finishing the creature off with a stab to his exposed body, Shunneth heard a scream behind her from one of the noble girls with her. Turning around, she saw the girl beset by several goblins with shape dagger. They were clambering all over her trying to find a place to sink their sharp knives into her body. As she was screaming Shunneth through that, they must have been able to find an exposed part of the girl's body. Shunneth was frozen for a few seconds as she stood in horror, watching the blood flow all over the girls' clothing. Pulling her sword out of the body of the goblin at her feet she ran over to help but saw that she was too late as another goblin drove a knife into the girl's throat cutting off the screams to be replaced by a gurgling noise. When arrived she hacked at the goblins trying to dislodge them. She managed to get two of the little beasts by slashing them in the back with her razor-sharp sword, but one managed to run away from the battle.

  Looking around for any threats she saw the rest of her team of adventures finishing of the few goblins left. Siliz ran over and was just about to examine the body of the fallen girl, as he normally did to take some valuables for himself, but a white glow surrounded the body as the fallen girl disappeared with all her belonging.

  "Dam," said the exasperated Siliz, "she that ring I wanted."

  Shunneth just snorted and walked off, leaving Siliz, as she really hated when he stole from the body of the fallen adventure, as it was so cheap, but she guessed he couldn't help it as he was barely a noble. The rest of the group formed up and started to walk into the wood with little thought for the girl that died.

  The next few hours were full of fighting mostly goblin, that seemed to attack them from hiding as the now four nobles made their way through the grass and woodland. Shunneth could still not believe the extent of the level in the dungeon as they had not seen any of the other team in their travels.

  Siliz was limping as he had been stabbed in the leg by a goblin with the end of an arrow that was laying on the ground next to the goblin, that was faking that it was the day. Siliz was in so much pain that he had not been able to kill the horrible creature as it ran off. The other two had laughed as he swears his head off, with no pity for the boy in pain, even Shunneth had smiled behind her hand, with no pity for the lower noble.

  The sun was brightly shining when the adventures crested a rise into a small valley with a rock jutting out of the green grass with small trees trying to break through the rock as they grow. As they walked down towards the rocky outcrops, the team was relaxed as they saw no place for the goblins to hide in the valley. Just as Shunneth was about to call for a rest, one of the rock piles started to shake, as suddenly rocks were throwing high into the air raining down upon the four adventure. Shunneth felt a large rock hit her head clanging on her helmet, that drove her neck down, as she was about to scream in pain the rock stood up transforming into a rock troll, the appearance halting the scream in her throat.

  Name of Monster

  Level

  Agility

  HP

  MP

  Skills

  Rock Troll

  7

  2

  150

  -

  -

  Before anybody could do anything, the troll smashed one of the noble in the head with it large stone fist. Shunneth watched in horror as his head seemed to cave in, with blood splattering everywhere as his face deflated like a balloon, under only one might blow from the massive monster. Still, in shock, she saw his body fall to the ground only to be quickly absorbed into the dungeon with white light.

  The scream now reached her throat as it pierced the silences as the rock troll reached toward her. Stepping back, she managed to pull out her sword that was always razor sharp and was made so it wouldn't ever break. Fumbling with panic she, managed to hit the rock troll in the body, as here sword enter smoothly at first, she suddenly found that she could not move it as it seems to be stuck in the body of the monster. Trying to pull it out she still could move it as the weight of the monster's body must be pressing down onto her sword, preventing her from moving it.

  As Shunneth had only been concentrating on her sword, she didn't notice the large hand of the troll moving at speed toward her, as it two fists hit her squarely in the chest smashing in the breastplate of her armor sending her flying into the air to land on a rock that broke the back plate. Shunneth just lay there for a few second as felt the pain and nausea course through her body. She heard another scream and then a thud as if the stone was being dumped onto metal.

  Moving her head, she saw Siliz running past her, as their eyes meet, she mouthed the word 'help' through her broken lips, but all he did was shake his head as he ran. Into her vision, a large rock seemed to be moving at speed, as it sped past her, in pursuit of the terrified young man. Just as her consciousness started to fade all she could hear, above his screaming was the sound of metal again been smashed by rocks, that cut short a man's screaming and then she fell into blackness.

  --

  Gasping for breath, she suddenly awoke in the most uncomfortable position spread across some rocks with the armor biting into her upper part of her body. Her first mistake was to move slightly, which caused her shooting pains to ripe across her back. Taking deep breaths, she was able not to black out again as she lay there as immobile as possible.

  In her pack, she had a healing potion, so Shunneth moved her hand slowly, and not feeling a return of the sharp pain moved it to her side but found that her pack was not there. Cursing in her mind as she was worried about calling attention to herself, she moved around her hand, feeling for anything that would be of use, and soon felt her small knife for eating. Pulling it out of its shelf, she held it to her chest and started to check her armor.

  As she touched her armor, the sharp pain increase, so she wondered if it was cutting into her body. Finding the straps for her breastplate Shunneth was able to saw slowly, as she gritted her teeth in pain until the plate dropped to the ground with a clatter in the still night. Waiting for a few seconds to see if she would be attacked, Shunneth stayed silent, until she thought it was safe to continue cutting herself out of the crumpled armor.

  I took her what seemed like forever for her to cut herself free on this goddess forsaken rock she was lying on in the dark. When she had finished,
she was free of all her armor and able to move without the excruciating pain shooting through her body. This allowed her to slow clamber of the rock in just her padded under clothing, that she had worn beneath her armor.

  From behind her, she heard the noise that she had been fearing as she shed herself of her armor, the grinding of moving rock getting closer. Panicking Shunneth dropped her knife and ran into the dark night as fast as she could.

  She kept on running away from whatever was behind her, hitting bushes and ripping her clothes in a rush to escape her nightmare monster. When she could run no more, she bent down and throw-up, the contents of her stomach, into the dark waving grass wondering if she would be killed any second. Wiping, her face half expecting a fatal blow to come, but she felt nothing. Getting up Shunneth looked at where she was and could only see large open field and forests light up by the magical light giving a dim glow to provide enough light for the nocturnal creatures.

  Checking if she had any item that would be useful, she found none, as she was only in her torn clothing that offered her no protection. Falling to her knees on the ground and sobbing with worry as she was all alone and defenseless for the first time in her life in an area filled with the monster that was several levels higher than her level one. Not really know what to do she started to stagger to anywhere away from her hoping to find somebody to help her.

  Stumbling along for what felt ages she like ages she eventual saw a glowing yellow light of a fire in the distance. Hoping that it was other adventures that could help her, she started to run or more stumble toward the glowing light in the distances.

  Just as Shunneth was about to shout out a greeting, to the adventures, she noticed that one of them got up, and instead of seeing a silhouette of a man she was the small sharp features of a goblin. Stopping and involuntary gasping in horror, she saw the goblin ear twitch around as it faces her and cries out in a high piercing voice and pointed at Shunneth.