Dungeon Enslaved

by D. R. Rosier

  Was she doing it on purpose? Why? I was, I reminded myself, a rock.

  She nodded, “Which is why you should wait until the fourteen extra levels are ready. Take those two months to observe her before you make the offer. If it turns out to be a bad idea, make your move before she can report you to her masters.”

  I considered that idea, and I didn’t like it. Yet, being impatient would be foolhardy. I didn’t know nearly enough about her life or ambitions to trust the girl, family or not. There’d been indications she’d be open to the idea, but what person didn’t bitch and complain about their superiors at times? That didn’t mean she’d want to betray them.

  Astrith asked, “Any ideas for those last eight levels?”

  I replied, “I’m thinking golems for the last four levels of the dungeon, which should cover master levels three to five. I could build them the hard way as a human mage, so it shouldn’t be an issue to create them as a dungeon. I just need to experiment on making them tougher and bigger, the one I built in my old life was barely better than a toy. I’ll probably start on that when I finish figuring out the monkeys. Still nothing on the four levels for mid adept to mid master, which will be thirteen to sixteen.”

  She nodded, “Give it time, you have two months before you need to start worrying. Something will come up, or I’ll go out and get something. Worse come to worst, you could always just summon more powerful elementals for those levels, and then replace it when something else comes up.”

  That was a decent idea, but I wasn’t all that sure I wanted to repeat levels. I didn’t think twenty levels was all that large either, there were larger dungeons out there. But… it was enough to cover all the bases with a decently small incremental raise of difficulty from initiate level one through adept level five. I could always build more later, and just slip any new sections in and make tiny tweaks to keep it consistent. Twenty was just the minimum I needed to feel at all safe, and hopefully to prevent the adventurer’s guild from summarily executing me when the church called them in a panic.

  “Umm, so tell me about yourself.”

  She blushed, and her eyes widened.

  I elaborated, feeling a need to explain myself, “Well, I don’t know much about you, outside of the fact you’re my dungeon imp, and that you have a love for all things in another reality. Clearly, you know my mother, and knew who I was. You also volunteered to babysit for a sleeping dungeon.”

  She bit her lip in obvious thought.

  I added, “You don’t have to tell me, it wasn’t an order.”

  She shook her head, “It’s not that. I’m not typical of my kind. Most dungeon imps want an immature dungeon core, and to grow with it, not a human male master level mage that had their soul bound into an empty one by assholes seeking revenge. I did volunteer to watch over you, but the competition wasn’t exactly fierce.”

  I interrupted, “Wait. Revenge? It was those bastards that took over the kingdom and killed my wife the duchess, and her cousin the king.”

  She blushed, “I agree, they were in the wrong. But they were angry when Nurien picked up and left, fled to the elves. They hadn’t expected that at all. He’s always been close to them you know, the light and the dark elves have been allies to him, while Nysten slowly changed and sunk into corruption. Your wife and king were the only ones he still had respect for. I think it greatly saddened Nurien, after both the nobles and the church worked together so closely in Catalina’s time, that it was all falling apart. You were killed and bound, not only to become their new training tool, but as revenge against an imagined slight from a god that couldn’t interfere.”

  Wow, I hadn’t realized that. It wasn’t hard to believe either, my father had urged me to come with him, but there was no way I could leave my wife behind. The next day, she was dead, and I was soul trapped.

  Despite the shocking news, I felt guilty at harshly interrupting her tale.

  I replied, “Sorry, that’s startling news, but you were saying? Competition wasn’t fierce?”

  She said, “Right, like I said, I wasn’t typical for my kind. None of us are truly evil, at least not by nature, our souls aren’t twisted like most demons that feel a twisted joy and pleasure when they cause pain through deceit and betrayal. Still, we are demons, and competition is fierce between us. Your mother wasn’t exactly typical as well, which made us friends of sorts? I say of sorts, but we are friends, now, just not really in the beginning. Back then neither of us knew what that even meant. We were more like allies back then and did our best to protect each other from the others. I started to visit her often, after she got her dungeon. As you no doubt noticed, she taught me all the spells and knowledge she herself had acquired from the elven archives as well as Nysten’s magical tomes.”

  She was silent and thoughtful for a time, and perhaps a bit embarrassed, so I didn’t push her to continue and waited patiently. I had a lot going on after all, monitoring, testing, grieving, experimenting, building, planning, all in different partitions, so it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford to be patient in my primary focus.

  She finally continued, and the transition seemed unrelated, but I didn’t object.

  “Dungeon imps don’t really get in relationships, did you know that? I mean, with each other. We fuck, and have children, but there’s no love in it, and even very rarely consent. Goes back to that demon thing, a female usually gets pregnant when a male finds her alone and vulnerable, if you know what I mean?”

  Right, I felt a surge of disgust at the thought, but they were demons, they surely didn’t mate for love. It even made sense to a certain extent, if I took my human morality out of the equation. It was still hard to swallow though, Astrith was a sweetheart as far as I could tell, a little naughty and teasing perhaps, but obviously with a big heart and a positive attitude.

  She deserved better than that.

  She smirked, “So you can imagine how jealous I was, even as I was happy for Ebony when she wound up the lover and mate of an avatar. She was still my best friend, only friend really, and I never stopped visiting her, or let that jealousy come between us. I was and still am happy for her at the same time, you know? Anyway, because of that, all the stories, I felt like I already knew you. She told me about you, about all her children, she was very proud of you.”

  She swallowed nervously, “So, that’s why I was so willing to volunteer, and jumped at the chance to be your dungeon imp when no others would, because I didn’t want a normal dungeon with limited intelligence. It was worth the wait to me, to wait for you to awaken. It seemed like a demi-god stuck in a crystal, one I already knew about and admired, was…” she trailed off.

  Was what? I was confused for about fifteen seconds, until my slow ass male mind figured it out. In my defense, I was still stuck on the grieving. That interlude about being jealous about my mother and father hadn’t been nonsensical, it’d been the major point. She wanted what my mother had, which would be impossible with a normal dungeon. What she’d left off at the end, after the word was, was it was her best chance to find a true relationship, love, and family.

  All the little flirty looks, gestures, exuberance, and her dressing up for me suddenly made a whole lot of sense. She was seducing me.

  I was shocked, turned on, and intrigued, I was also horrified at the idea of betraying my dead mate in such in a way, and not even close to ready or done grieving enough to consider it. Most of all, she might have known me through my mother’s stories, but outside of stunningly beautiful, sexy, and cheerful imp, I knew next to nothing about her. Granted, it was a very good start, but it was just a start.

  Talk about feeling pressured, it was probably a good thing I didn’t have legs, or I might’ve started running. Okay, not really, but the thought was there.

  Granted, I was a rock, but I knew magic could get us in an intimate world built up in our own minds, it was more than possible with dark magic using a modified mind trap spell, and even to the point of making my own physical body in the real world, if limit
ed to my dungeon’s aura. I wasn’t my father after all, demi-gods couldn’t make avatars. I could partition my mind to control a spawned body as a dungeon, but I couldn’t split my will so it could walk off into the sunset.

  Pregnancy wouldn’t really be an issue either, for a dungeon with her permission, it would be a simple act of will. Even if we only ever made love in our minds.

  Point was, it was possible, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued, but at the same time I didn’t feel that way about her, not yet. Sure, she had a body I’d love to get to know, and was a hot wild little thing that would be fun trying to tame, and most likely fail at it, but that wasn’t any better than a male dungeon imp fucking her was it? Base lust would be the last reason I considered starting a new relationship and family. She deserved better than that, and I wasn’t an asshole. More than that, we were dungeon and dungeon imp, bound for life, it wasn’t like either of us could go anywhere if it didn’t work out, which meant taking it slow only made sense.

  Plus, I wasn’t done grieving for my wife, and the guilt was really building up as I considered just how possible that kind of thing could be between us.

  “In that case, we really should get to know one another better first, don’t you think?”

  I was pretty sure I’d said the right thing, when a look of relief came over her face, and she smiled…

  Chapter Eight

  Jenny woke up feeling pleasantly sore, warm, and comfortable. Andy was spooning her from behind, and she was spooning Sophia. She was toasty, and felt wonderful after a night’s rest, if it wasn’t for the insistence of her bladder and empty stomach, she’d have wanted to lay like that all day.

  The previous night had been amazing, and fun, both her friends were creative and amazing lovers, and she wasn’t at all positive she wasn’t just a little bit in love with both of them. The sex was incredible, but the reason for that thought was the warmth and safety she felt in her heart sandwiched between the two of them. She wiggled down the bed, and then slipped off the bottom of the bed to use the chamber pot. Afterward, she summoned a servant to bring them breakfast.

  She supposed some perks of being an adept in the church weren’t too shabby.

  She crawled back into bed, which woke up both her lovers. Sophia was so sexy, with a petite and tight body with proportionate and perfect curves. Her lover’s skin was soft and supple, and she loved Sophia’s perky tits and perfect little mound. She claimed a soft kiss from the redheaded spritely beauty, and then stole one from Andy as well.

  “Breakfast is coming.”

  Sophia grinned, “Good, I knew you were useful for something.”

  Sophia mock gasped, when Jenny spanked her ass.

  “You love it, so what’s the plan today?”

  Sophia replied, “A couple of dungeon runs, or we could stay in bed all day?”

  Andy said, “How about a compromise?”

  She laughed, “Alright, one dungeon run, and stay in bed the rest of the day.”

  Sophia snickered, “Sold. Although we should do the run first, so we’ll be all worked up for the rest of the day.”

  Andy snorted, “I have two of the sexiest women alive in my bed, I don’t need training to get worked up.”

  Sophia giggled naughtily, “Me either, I just meant we’ll be wanting it again, and we can resist right now, can’t we?”

  Silence met her question.

  “Can’t we?” Sophia repeated in a faux scandalized voice.

  She teasingly said, “I’m still thinking, you’re very sexy.”

  It was her turn to gasp, when she got her ass spanked, by both of them.

  They all reluctantly got out of bed, and then pulled on their clothes and armor. They were about fully dressed when the servant got back with their breakfast, and they started to eat.

  Andy said, “Air shield?”

  She nodded, and then muttered the arcane words under her breath to cast the short spell. A barrier of air that sound proofed the room settled over the ceiling, floor, and four walls. She was curious, it wasn’t something they did often, and only when discussing topics that might get them in deep shit if the masters found out about it.

  Not that they were treasonous, the masters were just paranoid old bastards, and hated any kind of questioning of their power and society.

  “We’re private.”

  Andy asked, “Have either of you ever thought to leave the church? I mean, they’re holding all three of us back, and many more. The master slots are few, and the competition is fierce. I’m coming to believe none of us are assholes enough to advance. None of us play politics.”

  She frowned, “Not seriously? I’d leave the church in a second, if it wasn’t for my goddess. There’s also the matter of where we’d go, I assume you want to go find someone that could teach us master level knowledge?”

  Andy grunted, “That’s part of it yes. The rest is how the young ones are treated, the young ladies more than the men, and the populace isn’t treated very well either.”

  Sophia said, “We’ve all talked about fixing things before, from within, we can’t do that if we leave. Leaving doesn’t help the young ones or populace either, all it does is take us away from it.”

  She nodded, “I agree, plus where would we go to find master level knowledge. The church controls Nysten and Jennesar, I doubt the elves would accept us in the north, and the Gira Dynasty to the east is a conquering society, which I’d argue is even worse. We could be killed out of hand, instead of just taken for granted, but at least here we’re respected as adepts. The masters hoard knowledge, and perhaps take advantage of young and horny teens, and they elicit sex from them for more advanced training, but otherwise they aren’t that evil or bad. Taxes are a little high to support their lifestyles, but they aren’t crippling to the populace either. They don’t go around killing people for fun, they’re just lazy and perverted old men.”

  Andy nodded, “That worries me too, we’re ripe for invasion, if the Girans look to the west.”

  She said, “You don’t have to tell me, I’ve tried that tack before, got in trouble for bringing it up.”

  Sophia shrugged, “So yes, I’ve thought of it, but not seriously. I won’t forsake my goddess either, even if I hate the church leadership, and even as Adepts we can have some impact, we shape the minds of the next generation. It isn’t simple, or easy, but we can’t fix the church if we leave. What made you bring it up today?”

  That was a good question, they’d certainly talked about this a lot before, if not the leaving Nysten part of things. It wasn’t exactly a conspiracy, because they didn’t want to overthrow the church, just reform it to what it used to be in the past. Sometimes she wondered if it was even possible, without a check on their power like the nobles.

  Andy shrugged, “Just on my mind, it’s frustrating.”

  “And?”

  He just looked at her.

  She said, “I sensed an and in there. You’re holding back on us.”

  He looked suddenly nervous, which was not like her Andy, he was usually a fun guy who was confident but not cocky, and respectful. It was why her and Sophia welcomed him to their bed. For a long time once she’d attained journeywoman status and was no longer solicited by the masters, Sophia, Anne, and Regina were the only ones she let in her bed, to let off that post training steam that always ramped up her libido to almost painful levels.

  He was a good friend, plus he had a big cock, and actually knew how to use it well. Of course, that second part wasn’t the reason he was in their bed, but it was a hell of a bonus.

  “Spit it out Andy.”

  He cleared his throat, “I… we… We don’t really talk about it, about our relationship, but I care a great deal for both of you.”

  Her and Sophia exchanged a look, and then looked back at him.

  Sophia said, “We care about you too, you wouldn’t be here if we didn’t. What does that have to do with it?”

  He shrugged, “I want to fix it. It’s more t
han that though, I don’t just care about you as friends. I haven’t said anything about it because I didn’t want to make things weird.”

  Sophia teased, “Too late,” but the quip fell flat.

  She snickered uncomfortably, and then gave Andy an apologetic look.

  “So… by more than friends, you mean… what exactly?”

  It was like trying to get blood from a stone, why were men so damned determined to hide their feelings? She felt a little guilty pushing it, but she was curious, and she cared about him too, so did Sophia. The two of them had talked about it often, and about what a generous and thorough lover he was. No other man she’d been with had been either.

  But then, the masters were lazy assholes, so she probably shouldn’t judge the whole male half of the species by their example.

  He gave her an exasperated look, “Do I really need to spell it out? I love both of you, okay? I know that’s not exactly normal, but it snuck up on me, the three of us do spend a lot of time together, and not just in bed.”

  Sophia asked in a shocked voice, “Love, as in…”

  He smirked, and then said with his usual confidence now that the subject was out there, “As in love. As in I haven’t even been interested in another woman for the last six months, and I’ve had more than one throw themselves at me who I put off. As in I can’t imagine my life without you both in it, want to settle down and make babies, love.”

  Oh. Holy shit. She had no idea what to say.

  Sophia looked as shocked as she felt.

  She also felt guilty, because she didn’t know how she felt about that. Flattered, and a little tingly, but also shocked. He wanted both of them, for life, as in polygamy? She’d thought she loved him, and Sophia, but was she in love? She’d had no idea what that even was, her first example of a man being with a woman was an older master hitting on her and taking advantage when she was just sixteen, while hot and bothered from training all day.