Chapter 15

Note: Thanks to Alex for beta reading this!

“You have to stay behind us, Dark Lord,” Morana said as Litay led my force of monster girls through the maze. “This beast is dangerous!” My banshee glanced behind me, her black mist spilling down her.

“Yes,” growled Vilkas. She loped in her lightning wolf form. “I know you are strong. You killed me in Sharithin, but I like this new life. I don’t want to die again!”

“We come back to life,” Garnet said as she ran at my side now, a black whip coiled in her hands.

“Not if Lord Leo perishes,” Vilkas growled, loping behind the choir racing through the dungeon.

“Dark Lord Big Bro is invincible!” Garnet declared, her voice echoing through the dungeon.

“Just stay behind us, Leo,” Lana Fulmine said as she ran on the other side of me. Her golden hair crackled with lightning, her silvery expression beseeching me.

“Fine, fine,” I said and slowed my run so I wasn’t in near the front of my force of monster girls. “We are going to do this, Leo!” Alizee shouted as she soared with us, floating with her feet just off the ground. “We can! Woot!”

I smiled for a moment at her enthusiasm, memories of her prancing about during prep rallies and games to get our side pumped to cheer on the team.

“Yessss, we will, Massster,” Paanee hissed as she slithered ahead of me, her big boobs bouncing.

Maya fell in beside me and took my arm with hers. My watery undine smiled at me as she said, “I’ll make sure you stay in the back. Crystal, you’re with me.”

My older sister took my other arm, her chill bleeding through my robes. Mist spilled off her icy face as she said, “We won’t let our dirty boy get killed.”

Four of my monster girls died. Asnova, Marmur, Mazsi, and Zala. The surviving rock elementals and goblins who were on guard duty. They must have followed the dragoness into the dungeon. My hands clenched. Level 1 monster girls could not handle a dragon.

That was why I had brought my companions. Unique monster girls had the power, but only if there were lots of them.

“She’s at the door to my lord’s throne room, Lord Leo!” gasped Litay as she lead them through the dungeon. We passed traps that had been sprung.

“Who sent this dragon?” I demanded. “Or is she a marauding beast? Just a wild dragon that wants to find a lair. Those exist, right?”

“They do,” cried Kassie. “They’re rare, but ... You think this isn’t the work of a dungeon builder.”

“Whoever sent it will pay,” growled Nina Naughty. My devil held a pitchfork.

I started casting my defensive spells on the run.

“Hard and enduring, let the rocks of Lady Ki defend!”

My skin turned to stone, a hard layer of protection that would keep me safe. Granite Flesh had saved my ass a few times. Maya and Crystal let go of me now.

“Steel wards with unyielding strength, let the defense of Lady Nisaba protect!”

A suit of metal armor appeared around me, conjured by Metal magic. It was heavier than my normal armor.

“Strong and unyielding, let the granite of Lady Ki enhance!”

Strength of the Mountain gave me the strength to move in such heavy armor like it was nothing. My muscles bulged with power now.

“Life energizes and enervates, let the grace of Lady Ianna empower!”

Stamina flooded through me. Vitality. It wasn’t enough to have more strength, I needed the endurance to be able to run all day and fight all night. I wouldn’t get fatigued.

“Lightning crackle and hiss, gird me in the love of Lady Uttu!”

Static Aura encased me in crackling defense. One of the first spells I had ever learned. It would disrupt the next attack that hit me. Layered defenses. Static Aura, armor, and Granite Flesh. I would not go down easy.

My monster girls wanted me to stay in the back, but this fight would get brutal. I would have to fight. I knew it. Just so long as Siwang and I survived. Fear lashed at me as we followed Litay. How long before the dragon was into Siwang’s throne room.

How long could he and his companions last? \ / * Halia burst into the guard post in the first level of Lord Leo’s dungeon. The paladin trembled, wishing that Lord Leo had summoned her. Smerta stood in the room staring at the map on the floor. It was like the one in the throne room, but smaller in size.

“He didn’t take you, either?” Halia asked, trying not to sound bitter.

“I have command of the dungeon when he’s not here,” Smerta said. The valkyrie had her icy armor about her.

“Right, right.” Halia took a deep breath. “We have to prepare for this to get worse.”

“It already has,” the valkyrie said. “She cleaved through the Level 1 monster girls without breaking a sweat.”

Halia cursed, her hand fingering the pommel of her blessed blade.

“Werebears and orcs, haul ass to Siwang’s dungeon right now!” Smerta ordered telepathically. “Quetzalcoatls, too!”

“I thought we were here to defend the dungeon,” Halia said, giving Smerta a look.

“There is a saying from Leo’s people,” said Smerta. “The best defense is an offense. We are going on the attack. Back him up. So?”