by J. T. Wright
Gaffney snorted and leaned back in his chair. “They are supposed to be easy to find, and if you can pick them out, you either have the Skill, or you’re on your way to learning it. You three can enter, no fee.”
“Wait!” Kerry exchanged a look with Felicia and half raised his hand to mimic Trent’s pointing. “That’s all you need to do to get in for free?”
The idea forming in his head was dispelled by another snort from the Sergeant. “You students flash your Status around any chance you get. Some are smart enough to keep it hidden. That’s what the test is for. And it’s no use trying to memorize their locations. We change them. Now, get going, before I remember that one of you isn’t a student and charge you all for admittance!”
Trent was already stepping into the crack in the boulder before the Sergeant finished his threat, and Felicia wasn’t far behind. Kerry took a moment to lift his shield and say goodbye to Sergeant Gaffney. As happy as he was to enter the Dungeon, he was slower to push his way through the crack. Turning sideways, his armor rubbed against the stone as he slipped in.
Once they were gone, Gaffney took the folded paper from his pouch and laid it on the table. He unfolded it and smoothed it with his hands until it lay flat. The paper bore a detailed drawing of an Adventurer in broken scale mail, and the name Trent Embra was written in bold letters at the top. At the bottom were clear instructions to assist the boy in any way he required and to report his movements.
Sergeant Gaffney would have to have a word with the Guards at the Gate and the members of the Watch that roamed the town. Trent should have been spotted a dozen times over, long before he reached the Trial. Gaffney hadn’t heard a peep from men who were supposed to be known for their attention to detail and observational prowess.
It would be fine if the orders were just from the Duke. Lewis Al’dross was a stern but forgiving man. However, a second set of orders had followed the official notice. Written in a rough hand, in large letters as if the ink were shouting, Cullen’s orders demanded to know Trent’s location immediately. Cullen was not known for his forgiveness or understanding.
Gaffney took out two whisper rods and set them next to the paper. One would connect to his superiors here in Bellrise, and the other was a direct link to the Sergeant of the Watch currently on duty at the Al’drossford Keep. Whichever was used first promised to bring trouble Gaffney's way if the person notified second found out. It was the Al’drossford communication device that his hand closed around at last.
The Captain in Bellrise would be displeased, but the worst he would do was dock Gaffney’s pay. The angry scribble of Cullen’s orders promised pain to any that wasted time before informing him.
**********
You have entered a minor Permanent Trial.
Recommended Levels 1 through 15.
You may exit at any time.
The words trembled as Trent read them. Beyond the translucent screen containing the message, the tightly fitted stone blocks that made up the wall also shook as the Trial itself vibrated. Dreq whined at his feet, and Trent shut his eyes and pushed up his mask to let the dry air of the room touch his face.
Something had changed in the brief time since he had entered the Trial. Closing his eyes, he let his mind float, hoping Perception would pick up on what had caused the disturbance. There was nothing. Or rather, he was unfamiliar with the normal state of this Trial and couldn’t tell what was different. He would have to rely on Kerry or the new Mage girl to tell him.
An unlikely possibility Trent realized as Kerry cursed and exclaimed, “Did either of you feel that? Why is it still so dark in here? Hey, Trent, first to enter lights a torch! We did bring torches, right?”
Trent opened his eyes. It was pitch dark without his mask on. He hadn’t expected that. Before he could remedy the situation by casting Spark, Felicia proved why a Mage was handy by casting a Light Spell, which sent a luminous white ball soaring to the ceiling.
“I thought it would be a cave,” Trent murmured, looking around. The blocks that made up the walls were red stone, and other than their color, they could have been found in the town's wall. A narrow opening in the walls was directly in front of him, guarded by two statues of red stone beetles, standing three feet high. The light from Felicia’s Spell spread out for twenty feet in all directions, completely illuminating the room yet failing to penetrate the darkness beyond the statues.
“It is farther in. This is just the antechamber, a Safe Zone to finish preparing in,” Felicia explained in her soft voice. “Didn’t Kerry explain the Dungeon to you?”
“What’s to explain?” Kerry grumbled, “We check the entrance to figure out the configuration, and then we go kill bugs. The first floor is easy.”
“Is that as far as you intend to go? Just the first floor?” Felicia peered at Trent’s back. He tugged his mask back into place without answering.
“There’s only two of us, three now.” Kerry removed a gauntlet and walked to the walls, rapping the red stone with a bare fist. “It would be dangerous to face the first Guardian without more people.”
Felicia murmured in agreement while keeping her eyes on Trent. A short bow had appeared in his hands, and he tested the draw. He said nothing to confirm or deny Kerry’s assumptions.
“Hey, Felicia, have you ever seen red stone in the entrance before?” Kerry walked along the wall, dragging his fingers against the stone. “I don’t see any of the signs that are supposed to be here. The beetles look weird, too.”
He ended his inspection at the statues, bending slightly to peer at them, poking a sharp, carved mandible with his finger. The legs of the Beetle were too long and thin, the statues nothing like the squat insects he was used to seeing. A hooked horn protruded from its head, and barbs could be seen at the edges of its wings and along the lower half of its legs.
“What are you two looking for?” Trent asked, a hint of impatience colored with curiosity in his voice.
“Hints about what to expect,” Felicia answered before Kerry could. “There are five common layouts to the Dungeon. The antechamber will tell you which is currently being used if you pay attention.”
“That’s how it should be.” Kerry took a step away from the statue. Its lines were smooth and clean, making it look as if it could come to life. “Grey, slightly damp walls, first configuration. Beetles with wings spread, second. I don’t see anything I recognize. We’re the first to enter today; you don’t think we unlocked a new pattern, do you?”
“You and I didn’t.” Felicia pressed her hand to the dry red wall. There was a warmth there, not enough to burn, barely enough to notice, but it was present. “Maybe we should go back.”
“She has a point, Trent. We’re treading in unknown water here.” Kerry was reluctant to agree, but they were only students. It was better to be safe than sorry. ”So, not leaving then?”
“If you’re coming, you should take the rear with Felicia in the center.” Trent had already stepped by the statues into the dark of the tunnel. Dreq’s tail was wagging furiously as he pounced after the Swordsman. “And try to stay quiet.”
Trent quivered with anticipation as the antechamber gave way to the crudely hewn stone of a natural cave. The tunnel was too narrow to allow more than two people to walk side by side. The top of his head was an inch away from brushing the ceiling as he stalked forward. His eyes and ears worked to their fullest, but all they picked up was a straight path, Dreq’s eager panting, and two sets of footsteps.
Felicia wore soft leather slippers, and her steps were a whisper of movement in sharp contrast to Kerry’s heavy-booted clomping. It was less noise than Trent anticipated. He waited for arguments and complaints to hit him from behind. There was nothing, just the whisking noise of cloth and the occasional jangle of iron.
The two young Adventurers kept their own watch and held their tongues, ready to do their job despite the uncertainty of their surroundings. There was no badgering to hurry him along or calls for food or rest; no cursing or random bang
ing of a mace against stone to signal their approach to the Trial’s Beast. Felicia didn’t walk directly behind him, and Kerry maintained the perfect distance from the Mage at all times.
It should have been comforting, that air of semi-professional competence. If it weren’t for Dreq, who pounced at shadows and squeaked out growls, Trent would have been lonely. He felt disconnected from his party, the Mage and the Warrior he had stumbled across.
When the path opened up and offered them their first choice of the delve, Trent was happy to hear Kerry rest his shield against the ground and ask, “Left, right, or center?”
Felicia cast an additional three light orbs and sent them floating down the three branches. They revealed nothing but more unending stone. “Traditional wisdom says left.”
“It does? Why’s that?” With Far Sight and Dark Vision, Trent could see farther than his companions, though not a great deal farther. The left tunnel curved slightly as it went on, blocking his view after a hundred feet or so.
“I don’t know. None of the instructors said why,” Felicia admitted. “They just said that people tend to go left, unless there’s a better reason to go right. To me, that tunnel looks more spacious. I'm starting to feel cramped in here. The Dungeon has never been so monotonous before.”
“Should we be mapping this?” Kerry lifted his visor and squinted around. “Did either of you bring parchment?”
“Already on it.” Felicia removed a roll of paper from the loose sleeves of her robe and began drawing a straight line that ended in three short dashes. “I made notes about the antechamber as well. If this is a new configuration, there may be a reward for exploring it.”
They took the left tunnel, and Trent saw no reason to mention that he had an internal map that was more accurate than Felicia’s hand-drawn one. He picked up the pace, going as fast as he thought Kerry was able, half-hoping the Warrior would bellow at him to slow down. If Kerry felt any strain, he kept it to himself.
Trent knew he was being unreasonable, childish, when a change in the tunnel brought them to a halt again, and he caught sight of Kerry’s red, sweaty face behind the visor of his helm. Did he actually want Kerry to scream, “Bloody flaming piss!” and throw things? Hadn’t he wished Tersa would have acted more like Kerry? Weeks alone in the Moonlit Forest must have scrambled his brains!
Motioning for Felicia and Kerry to move back the way they had come, Trent brought them into a huddle and crouched down. His hand stroked the back of Dreq’s neck, something that startled the pup as much as it pleased him.
Dreq pressed close to the scratching fingers as Trent said, “Twenty Level 4 Swift Beetles. Lowest Attribute is Strength at 8 but they have Agility at 13. They are all crowded at the end of an open cavern with a high ceiling.”
“You have Identify?” Felicia said blandly. “And it’s leveled enough to pick out Attributes.”
“Only for creatures at a lower Level than me,” Trent answered. “Don’t you?”
“I have the Reveal Weakness Spell but–"
“Does this matter?” Kerry took a drink and wiped his face with a cloth. He tucked the cloth and canteen into the satchel at his waist. “Twenty is doable as long as we don’t let them surround us. We can lure them into the tunnel. Swift Beetles can’t fly far, but they hop high to make up for it. You'll need to watch for that, Trent.”
“The tunnel widens at the cavern. There’s enough room for two people.” Trent’s fingers closed around the scruff of Dreq’s neck. “You'll block half with your shield, Kerry. I'll still have space to stand next to you. Felicia, you'll need to be ready to Heal.”
“That shouldn’t be necessary,” Kerry assured Trent. “They’re called swift, but they’re nowhere near as fast as you. Not unless you are only that quick when you dance. They shouldn’t be able to touch you.”
Felicia cocked her head. Behind her veil, her eyes narrowed as Kerry’s reference to the night before escaped her. Trent just shook his head. “The Spell won’t be for me.”
Dreq knew something was off, but it was too late. He was lifted into the air a second before he could run. He hung, legs dangling, in the air in front of Trent’s face as Trent said, “Dreq might need it, though.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Dreq had been having such a pleasant day. Every day with Trent was an adventure, and this one had been the best the Dog could remember. He had awakened early, when Trent tossed aside the hide and plucked him from his rightful place on the boy’s chest. Dreq thought that meant it was time for another round of chase or a battle with sticks. He’d been blown away when Trent tucked him in and patted his head without insisting that he get up and run.
He hadn’t gone back to sleep, though. He had settled his head on his paws and watched as Trent woke the old man and the clumsy boy and proceeded to whack at them with a pole. It had been marvelous! Watching Kerry tumble to the dirt was good, but to Dreq, the look on the old man’s face when Trent mastered a common Skill and exploded into the movements of a Basic one had been as sweet as the honey the straw-haired girl fed him yesterday.
After that, it was feasting on the Dire Bear meat Dreq had been eyeing in Trent’s Storage. That odd-smelling old woman made Dreq nervous, but she knew how to cook. That was one ability that Trent was lacking. Raw meat was better than burned. Trent always insisted on holding perfectly good food over a flame until it was black.
The walk back to town had been followed by a game of fetch. Just a game, and a mild one at that. Trent hadn’t tossed the tooth too far or pushed Dreq to run faster. He stroked his head when Dreq brought back the subject of the chase, and in the Dog’s opinion, Kerry’s return had come much too soon.
That was alright because then came the Trial! Dreq had been looking forward to seeing what this place had to offer. He didn’t ask for much. A chance to watch Trent fight was enough to satisfy Dreq. There were always tasty morsels and Cores laying around when Trent drew his sword!
He should have known better, should have realized it was too good to be true. Trent was obsessed with getting stronger. He had no appreciation for the subtleties of a nap. Dreq had accepted that being with Trent meant hard exercise simply for the sake of an Attribute Point or two.
And there were benefits to this kind of lifestyle. Dreq’s Agility had gone up 2 Points and his Strength one due to Trent’s absurdly rough type of play. Agility and Strength, but not Constitution, which was why Dreq had to find a way to put a stop to Trent’s current plan.
“Stop squirming!” Trent shifted his grip from Dreq’s neck and held him up with both hands. “You want to unlock the rest of your Status, don’t you? We did not come here for me. This Trial is your chance. The Beetles are only Level 4!”
“Scared.” Dreq had been careful not to speak where others could hear him, but he whined that single word into Trent’s mask.
“I understand that, believe me, I do.” Dreq did believe Trent, or he did, right up until Trent said, “You get over it.”
Dreq’s tail curled up tight against his belly and his ears lay flat as he growled. A growl was the best way to express what he thought of Trent’s carefree dismissal of the Dog’s heartfelt confession.
Trent ignored him. Dreq cut off his growl as Trent’s presence lessened, evidence that Stealth was being used, and the end was approaching. It was dark when Trent set him down on the stone, and as Trent’s hands released him, Dreq almost howled. He would have run had he been able to see where he was going. He would have called for Trent, but that would only bring the Beasts.
“Trust me, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Trent’s voice was a lifeline in the darkness that Dreq seized upon desperately. “Ah… this didn’t help me. I still don’t get it, but you have Intelligence; you need Wisdom. What I was told was that Intelligence is related to how fast you learn, and Wisdom is how well you use what you know. This will go faster when you figure out what that means… I think.”
Dreq hunkered down. He might have panicked, but then he felt Trent through th
e Party link. He was nearby; he hadn’t left! Dreq applied his Mana to the link to further cement it. He normally waited for Trent to fall asleep to do this. Desperate times required a break in his routine.
Night Sight! Whatever it took, Dreq had to get Night Sight. The second a Core holding the Skill appeared, Dreq would claim it! He would fight Trent for it if he had to. Trent didn’t understand how oppressive the dark was, not with Dark Vision built into his mask. How Dreq would love to have that Skill!
When the light came, in the form of a glowing ball attaching itself to the roof, Dreq thought it was a mercy. He had thought it was suspicious the way the Mage girl wormed her way into the group, but he felt a warm glow of appreciation for the veiled angel when her Spell filled the cavern with a flood of bright white.
It turned out, in reality, the minx was a demon, much like the one Dreq found standing inches away. Waving antennae and cruel-looking mandibles on a hairless face were the last thing a Dog should see when sight was restored to him. He had heard a clicking sound but had not known it was so close. The black-shelled Beetle chittered at him, snapping its fearsome mandibles closed on the spot where Dreq’s head had been a moment previously.
The appendages breezed by Dreq’s stomach as the Dog reared up on his hind legs and swiped at the air with his paws. Hackles raised, teeth bared, Dreq barked out a warning, and then tucked his tail and ran. His recently raised Agility allowed him to hop backward, drop to all fours, and flee with a quickness he’d never known before!
Dreq fled right into the spindly leg of the Swift Beetle that was directly behind him. He was surrounded! He bounced off the leg, a wicked barb pricking his head, and settled onto his haunches. He spun in a circle and confirmed that there was no retreat. The Trial Beasts were all around, and more waited behind the four that had reached him first.
