Dauntless Dungeon

by Devan Johnson

  “This is for the road, we have a few hours before we reach Glittermoore cave and I thought we might like a few snacks.” At the mention of snacks both the boys perked right up and came running over to their father, who promptly opened the bag and handed them each a cookie in turn. Kheeta smiled, they’re so different from Kitsunes but they also seem happier. “So Kheeta, somethings been on my mind,” Calisto said handing her a large chocolate cookie as well.

  “What’s that?” She took a bite of the pastry and her taste buds exploded with flavor, Merigohl cooked with spices that she had never heard of in The Den.

  “If Kitsunes haven’t left the Den in two-hundred years then how do you even know about Questers?” Calisto inquired taking his own cookie out and setting the bag down, as the cart jolted into motion.

  “Well,” Kheeta began her thoughts drifting to Celia’s songs and tales of being a Quester. I’ve always kept Celia a secret… “We had a library in town that had loads of books about famous Questers.” She half-lied hoping that would be enough to satiate his curiosity. He looked at her for a second causing unwarranted panic to rise in her stomach, why are you even freaking out, it’s just Calisto? She thought angrily to herself before failing to stop her mouth from blurting what she had dubbed verbal vomit. “Like for instance my favorite book at the library was The Crypt Caper, it was about a Geonor who would go to decrepit temples and tombs to find cursed artifacts. There’s also the Tales of Celia, and her crew of musical pirate Questers, and then there’s of course Sir Rodrick, who single handedly defeated the dracolitch and saved Princess Merelda.” She leaned into the story books that Celia had gifted her for fuel for her library ruse, her stomach still a flutter.

  “The way you talk about questers is inspiring,” Calisto finally responded with a smile, his tone hinting at sadness.

  “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to be,” Kheeta replied looking at nothing and eating her cookie, glad he seemed to have taken her nervous over-talking as eagerness.

  “Well I don’t know how to say this so… I’ll just come out with it.” She looked at her goat-friend in front of her with a look of concern now. “I’m sure you’re aware that being a Quester isn’t all just fame and glory, and that it’s dangerous… but in recent years the number of Quester’s has been decimated.

  “What do you mean?” Kheeta asked her tail beginning to slump down beside her.

  “Well a few years back there were a couple of wars, and then the monsters started breeding in alarming numbers. A lot of the Questers who survived quit after losing nearly everything, in some cases entire Guilds were wiped out.” Kheeta couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she simply stared in shock as he continued. “Exploration, protection, and adventure… those were the codes that the old Questers use to live by, but after their numbers were cut there came too many Quests and not enough Questers.” The cart hit a rock and they all were jumped a few inches off their seats. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that the Questers in your books don’t exist anymore, and those that still do are few and far between.”

  “That’s terrible!” Kheeta exclaimed her eyes wide with shock, and a knot settling in her chest. Disappointment threatened to send her spiraling after having her whole world view shattered in mere moments.

  “Yes, it is. That’s why I must venture into Glittermoore Cave twice a month by myself,” Calisto said bringing Kheeta back from her thoughts, “we can’t afford to hire a regular quester. So I get to risk my neck to keep everyone, including Questers, healthy” He scoffed at the end, but his face betrayed a pang of guilt.

  He opened his mouth to say more but was interrupted as she suddenly perked up and looked at him, her eyes sparkling with tears and determination. “I know what I have to do then, I’m going to go to Dauntless Dungeon and become one of the true Questers, who helps where its needed not where its profitable.”

  “Well there’s a fire,” Calisto chuckled, “you can do it Kheeta, I’m sure of it.”

  As they finished the rest of the snack bag Calisto had brought, the cart began slowing to a halt, “well it looks like we’re here!” The satyr proclaimed as he swung open the cart door allowing the two smaller goat-kids to come barreling outside, startling a cluster of Paloofs, and chasing one another.

  “I’m going to get you!” Zohk yelled stretching his hand out and barely missing Grett.

  “Not if you can’t catch me!” Grett taunted as he spun around and doubled back behind a rock.

  “Hey guys, I want to play too!” Tianara called out quickly slipping from her harness, giving chase after her two rambunctious brothers, causing both of her parents to giggle.

  “So, where’s the cave?” Kheeta asked looking around for any sign of an entrance and not finding one.

  “It’s about a mile up the path,” Merigohl answered gesturing to the leftmost path. “We make camp here, that way if anything happens the children aren’t in harms way.” She explained, relieving Kheeta of her confused expression.

  “Well Kheeta, you ready to head out then?” Calisto asked standing up on the tips of his hooves to give his wife a goodbye kiss.

  Kheeta chuckled at the odd sight, “yeah, lead the way.” The two set out down the path leaving the happy family behind them, as nerves began to creep up on the poor fox-girl. What kind of dangers are in this cave? What if it collapses? Cave ins are common and terrifying… Kheeta what are you thinking? The thoughts attacked her like a million stinging bees, but she forced herself to smile and continue to push on. After what seemed like too long they finally reached the mouth of the cave. Etched into the rocky mountainside was a circular hole, roughly twenty feet high and an unnatural darkness seemed to blanket the entrance. “That’s Glittermoore Cave? I’m usually pretty good with the dark but even I’m having a hard time. How are we going to see?” Kheeta asked, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat.

  “Yep, it’s really dark for about the first hundred feet but then you get to the Glittermoore rocks and it’s not so bad.” Calisto responded as he slung his crossbow off of his shoulders and flipped a switch on the side. There was a soft click and the bottom of the weapon began to let off a soft glow. “This is Ezra, she’s my own invention,” he explained seeing her confused expression. “It has a lantern built into the bottom, and this is the coolest part…” The Satyr grabbed the bow-ends and collapsed them before rotating the barrel of the weapon upside down. With the flick of another switch the lid of the lantern flipped open and as Calisto squeezed the trigger a small jet of flame shot out “I never leave home without my mistress… are you coming?” He shot her a sly grin and flipped Ezra over again, turning her back into her original form.

  “Yeah, on my way!” She hollered back, forcing her legs to move closer to the dark chasm. Here goes nothing Kheeta, your first quest! The cave air was damp and musty causing her to crinkle her snout as she followed close behind Calisto, trying her hardest not to leave Ezra’s light. “So what kind of things live in here?” The walls around her were slimy, the floor slick, and the ceiling seemed to be getting shorter as they progressed.

  “All sorts of things really,” Calisto responded, as if that would make her feel better. After a moment he expanded, “large spiders, giant rats, and I’ve cleared out the occasional rust monster, but the biggest nuisance of Glittermoore Cave would have to be the Glittercaps.”

  “Glittercaps?” Kheeta repeated with a confused tone, “I’ve read about Redcaps, and we had to deal with them in The Den every once in a while, but I’m not familiar with Glittercaps.”

  “Well” Calisto began as he stepped over a large mound of rumble, “the legend goes that a colony of Redcaps lived in Glittermoore Cave until its original entrance collapsed, and they were trapped inside. Most creatures simply would have died after a while, but not the Glittercaps, ever resilient they adapted to survive, using dark magic to warp their bodies into twisted versions of their former selves.” Kheeta listened intently, goosebumps covering the skin under her risen fur. Ahead o
f them was a soft glow, illuminating the darkness that blanketed the space beyond their small pool light, their every footstep echoing deep into the void before them. “They turned to cannibalism and the Glittermoore rocks for sustenance,” Calisto continued using Ezra’s fiery breath to clear a thick spider web from their path. Oh, my gods that spider must be the size of a horse! Kheeta thought to herself as she covered her yip of anxiety. “For two years the entrance to this cave was blocked off, until one day a miner broke through and they once again had a way to travel in and out of their cave.”

  “Did he die, I bet he died. Wait so why have they stayed if they can just walk out the entrance?” Kheeta asked her goat-guide as they ventured deeper into the cave almost to the source of the soft glow, their path slanting down and the air growing colder now.

  “Yea he did, I doubt he was expecting a small ravenous army to come pouring out. And as far as them leaving, to put it simply, they don’t want to.” Calisto answered crouching under a large boulder and momentarily disappearing, the light from Ezra going with him and leaving Kheeta paralyzed, alone in the dark. “Come on, once you’re on this side we can put out the light.” He insisted, his hand appearing from under the rock.

  Okay Kheeta you can do this, it’ll be okay plus the other side isn’t dark… Kheeta tried to convince herself as she took the satyr’s hand and vanished beneath the rock as well. Calisto was right, as she passed through to the other side she could see a blue-green glow reflected off the walls surface. After a quick scan of the corridor they were in she found the source, a funny glowing plant. “Calisto, what kind of plant is this?”

  “That’s Alistair,” he replied kneeling down next to the plant with his arms on his furry legs. “It usually only grows about a foot tall, and it’s not really good for anything, except the natural bioluminescence that it gives off.” True to the description the plant stood roughly one foot tall, its blue leaves shaped like small spades, with a yellow flower adorning the top, the whole plant emanated with a soft hue. “Unfortunately, that glow doesn’t survive past it being uprooted,” he said as Kheeta plucked a leaf and the vibrant glow died out.

  “You really know a lot about plants,” Kheeta said as they both stood back up and looked down the dimly lit path ahead, Alistair growing sporadically along the way.

  “Well as an alchemist it’s kind of expected,” Calisto laughed making another winding left turn. “Plus, the Gremlins and Glittercaps are famous for making poisons and traps so there’s general lack of antidote to go around.”

  “Oh, trust me I know all about Gremlin traps,” Kheeta chuckled half-heartedly rubbing her hand, that had almost completely healed.

  “Well their traps are a little bit different than the Glittercaps.” Calisto warned as he put his hand up, signaling her to stop. Kheeta, still looking at her hand, didn’t notice Calisto’s command and continued walking forward until she felt pressure against her ankle…

  Before she could pull her foot back the wire that had been carefully strung across the corridor snapped and almost simultaneously a loud puff echoed through the cave. “What was that?” Kheeta exclaimed looking around with wide eyes and ears twitching.

  “That was…” Calisto tried to answer as he clutched a dart in his hand and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious. Kheeta froze, panic prickling at her mind and fear replacing the blood surging through her veins, unsure of what to do.

  How can you be a quester if you keep freezing up? Get it together! You’re the one that set off the trap like an amateur, so now you need to do something to fix it! Anxiety riddled thoughts bombarded her mind causing it to throb and tears to start to form in her eyes. Now you’re going to cry? You were stupid to think you could ever do anything but run a stall. Her thoughts tortured her until loud scuttling sounded down the path to the right. “Hello? Whose there?” She managed to choke out, trying in vain to see down the dark path. “I’m warning you, I’m armed.” Kheeta pulled her scimitar out of its sheath and held it shaking before her, trying to position herself between Calisto and the sound.

  White hot pain shot through the back of her head, sending her thoughts spinning and her ears ringing. Before she knew what was happening Kheeta had fallen to the ground still dazed and confused. Her vision was warbled and distorted everything seeming to trail after itself and it sounded as if she was underwater. Kheeta tried to move and found that her muscles didn’t want to respond, only slightly twitching at her commands. What happened? What did they do to me? She managed to position herself so that she could glimpse Calisto if she strained her already warped vision.

  Movement over Calisto’s shoulder drew her attention and she tried earnestly to get a better look. “Nice job, goat meat’s the best!” A voice exclaimed as a small creature climbed over the top of Calisto. “Leave the fox, too much fur.” The creature commanded as hands outside of her vision began to pull Calisto down the path. Almost as quickly as they came, they were gone, leaving Kheeta alone and slowly regaining her senses…

  As Kheeta’s eyes slowly fluttered into focus she felt the knot on the back of her head, not-so-silently cursing her situation. “Damn it! Good job Kheeta set off every damn trap in the place, get Calisto caught, you forsaken idiot!” Well stop feeling sorry for yourself and go rescue him… be a quester. Her internal voice told her as she angrily kicked a bunch of Alistair, all of them losing their glow as soon as they left the ground. Deciding that she was both right and indeed idiot she picked back up her scimitar and headed down the path they had drug Calisto.

  The hallway was short and she could see a bright light coming from what she guessed was the end. The way it flickered on the walls and the aroma that had filled the cave let her know it was a fire. Oh no! How long was I out? Please no… Kheeta panicked, every bad scenario playing on loop in her mind as she forced herself closer to the light.

  The path, led to a dead end that concluded in a large cavern; where several, of what Kheeta presumed to be Glittercaps, danced around a makeshift camp. Standing only six to eight inches tall, they had two large eyes on the top corners of their flat and triangular heads. Large mandibles took up the entire bottom corner, forming a mouth similar to that of many insectoids Kheeta had seen. They had pale leathery skin everywhere except for their oddly shaped heads; the back of which were long and sagged down, resembling an over-sized winter cap. This ‘cap’ was a pale red with the same blue-green speckles of the Glittermoore rocks, as opposed to the blood red of the Redcaps she was used to. Finally she noticed their tails, they were long thin whip-like appendages with a large circular club at the end. That must be what hit me in the head, she reasoned as a shudder ran down her spine and two Glittercaps began to crawl up the wall of the cave, clinging to it like overgrown spiders. I thought Redcaps were unsettling, but these things are just awful…

  She scanned the area, careful to stay out of sight, until her gaze finally found what it was searching for; tied to a pole, ready to be hoisted above the fire to roasted like a pig, was Calisto. He had regained consciousness and was struggling violently against the restraints, taking five of the small Glittercaps to subdue him, even bound.

  “Just slit his throat, he’ll only kick a few more times after that.” The tallest one, who appeared to be in charge, commanded in a shrill voice while leisurely drinking from a large goblet.

  “No! Stop!” Kheeta screamed before she realized what she was doing; and sprinted out into the open with her hands in front of her. A blinding flash of light burst from her hand and scalded the eyes of the cave-dwelling Glittercaps, even Calisto had tears welling up from its intensity.

  “Ah, too bright!”

  “Make it stop!”

  “Retreat! Run away!” The Glittercaps screamed as they scattered in every direction, trying to get back to the darkness of the other corridors.

  “What was that?” Calisto asked as Kheeta ran over and began to cut his bonds with her scimitar.

&nbs
p; “Honestly, I have no idea.” She answered truthfully looking at her hands in disbelief.

  “Kheeta? Don’t you usually have just one tail?” Calisto asked, pointing at her with a quizzical and almost scared expression.

  “What? I’ve always had just one tail, all Kitsunes only have…” suddenly something large and soft hit her in the face from over her left shoulder. “What in Rhespira?” She exclaimed, pulling the silky mass away from her face and staring on in astonishment, holding a brand-new tail. How did that happen? Two tails? Since when do Kitsunes get two tails? And that blinding flash… what’s going on? The questions railed back and forth through her head as she stared at her new appendage.

  “Well I’d love to discuss this some more… but we should probably leave before they get back.” Calisto suggested going through the belongings left by the fire. “The good news is that the Glittercaps did all of the harvesting for us, will ya look at that!” He tilted the open bag so that she could see inside, and it was indeed full of royal blue berries and a glowing pink mushrooms with white spots.

  “Now all we have to do is make it back to our camp.” Kheeta said with a sigh, thinking about the long trek ahead of them.

  “Don’t worry the way back is never as long or hard as the trip there,” Calisto assured her as he optimistically set back off the way they came…

  By the time they reached the campsite the twin suns had set and the three large moons lit the sky; the kids were sleeping and Merigohl had dinner hot and ready for them.

  We made it… I knew I could do it, I’m going to prove to Mother and the rest of them that I was born for this! With that sentiment taken to heart, she went to bed happier than she had been in her whole life, leaving difficult thoughts like her new tail for tomorrow Kheeta to worry about.