The Missile 1
Copyright© 2025 by Zen Master
Chapter 5: Dungeon World
As we started down the steps, Eric started talking about where we were going. “This is going to be the first level of a Pink portal, so most people call it “Pink Level One” or even just “Pink One”. Some people have found things that talk about “Dungeon World” as a whole, so we’re thinking that the Portals we just went through all send us to different parts of one particular world, right?”
We all mumbled something.
“If so, then the black wall at the bottom of the stairs is just a safety barrier to let us get organized. Up there in the ‘Foyer’ everything works just like in Dungeon World so we can get ready, but it’s safe. No monsters up there or on these stairs. Once one of us touches the barrier, though, just like a Portal we are somewhere else. There won’t be a black wall behind us. If we aren’t attacked immediately, we can stop and look around and verify that. No stairs behind us, no magic black wall to walk through. Don’t stop and gawk, though, until you’re sure we aren’t under attack. Okay, one more step and we’re in the Dungeon. Everyone ready? I am.”
“I am.” “I am.” “I am.” “I am.” “I am.”
“Let’s go.” Eric stepped down again and reached out with his axe.
Suddenly we were in much brighter light again. We were in a forest clearing. Nothing attacking us that I could see. Looking around, it appeared to be the intersection of three paths leading away in separate directions.
It occurred to me that I had no idea where North was. I ALWAYS knew which way North was! Okay, I might always know where North was on Earth, but I probably wasn’t on Earth anymore. It was scary, but it made sense.
On the other hand... “Eric, can we talk for a minute? There’s something weird going on.”
George started laughing, behind me. “No! We’ve gone through two magic portals, we’ve gotten some magic weapons, and you’ve noticed something weird? You’re a ‘slow learner’, Sam. _I_ figured out that there was something weird going on back on August first.”
Eric asked “Is it something new weird, that wasn’t weird before we came down the stairs and through the barrier?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Awright, let’s have it. What’s weird?”
“All my life, as long as I can remember, I’ve always known where North was. It’s not something that helps every day, but I just can’t get lost. If I go exploring the mountains northwest of my hometown, if I ever get turned around I know which way is north, and then I know that if I go southeast I’ll eventually find civilization again. My high school has several long halls that all look alike, but if I get turned around I always know which way is North, so I can tell which way I need to go to get to my next class, okay?”
“Sure. So?”
“Well, two things. I have no idea which way is north here, which is making me want to freak out, but I also have this vague feeling that we should go that way.” I waved my mace in a direction not exactly in line with any of the three trails.
“So, you may be able to tell which way we should go. That would be good. Or, it could just be your mind playing tricks on you. We’ll find out which one it is. Okay, let’s head down this trail here. They all look alike, and it’s close to Sam’s direction. Meanwhile, we’re burning time on Cindy’s Bless spell. However, there’s something I forgot that we gotta cover before we go.”
He turned to look at us again. “Store your weapons, staffs, and shields in your inventory.” We did that, and he did too.
“Now, take your pack off and put it down.” We all did that.
“Now, recall your weapons and stuff.” We all did that.
“Your packs are all heavy, and just awkward as hell. If we get surprised while we’re traveling, yeah we can fight with our packs on. If we have time, though, store your weapons, drop your packs, and recall your weapons again. It should only take a few seconds. Once the fight is over, we’ll pick up our packs again before we move on. Go ahead and store your weapons, put your packs back on, and recall your weapons again.”
Okay, that was easier than actually putting my mace down, taking my shield off, and then dealing with my pack and getting ready to fight again. My shield was not as easy as just picking up a weapon was. It really took both hands to either ‘equip’ it or to ‘drop’ it, doing it manually. Being able to store and recall it saved a TON of time!
After we were all ready again we started walking down the trail, spreading out when it widened and getting closer together when it narrowed.
After a couple of minutes Margie called “Stop!” We stopped where we were.
She went on “Everybody be still. Now, feel the air. Is there a breeze?”
No, there wasn’t. The air didn’t feel ‘dead’ or heavy, it just wasn’t moving.
“There’s no breeze, right? But, that tree we’re about to go under has branches moving.”
Eric said “Ambushes come from all directions, including above. Okay, right now I want everyone to stay in formation, but in a minute I’m probably going to call for a ‘battle-line’. If I do, I want Matt here to move back some. Sam, I want you to go around Matt and come up beside me. Don’t get in his way, he can’t see you and you can see him. Go around him to the outside, so you’re covering him from threats to our right. Give us both some room to fight. Matt will deal with anything that tries to squeeze between us. Cindy, you stay right where you are. George, you move around Cindy to the left and come up beside me. Stay far enough away that you can’t hit me with your sword. You hit me with your sword and I’ll hit you with my axe, okay? Margie, you move up into the gap between me and George. Everybody know what to do if I call for a battle-line?”
We all mumbled agreement. “No, sound off in order so I know who has it and who needs their hand held.”
“I got it.” “I got it.” “I got it.” “I got it.” “I got it.”
“Good. Okay, just for practice this time, Battle-line and drop your packs! Now!”
I moved out and up some. I did almost run into Matt, I hadn’t moved out enough at first. As soon as I was in place, I stored my weapons, dropped my pack, and recalled my weapons again. Now that I knew what to watch for, I could see what Margie was talking about. Yeah, branches ‘ain’t sposta’ move if there’s no wind.
George ... Eric ... Sam
... Margie Cindy Matt
“Okay, Sam and George? You need to be a little behind me. I use up a LOT of space when I swing this thing. You’re safer if you can see me out of the corner of your eyes, and I’ll fight better knowing that I probably won’t be cutting either of you in two. Okay, that’s good to start with. It’ll depend on the opponents. Sometimes we’ll want to be closer, sometimes we’ll want to be farther apart. Okay?”
We both said ‘yeah’.
“Margie and Matt, you are Combat Mages. You will be using your spells as you feel appropriate. You will use your staffs to push away anything that tries to come through the gaps. Don’t swing your staff side to side, it’s too big and you’ll hit us too. Just jab and poke. Cindy, in this formation you’re pretty safe from the front and the sides. You are NOT protected from above or behind, so that’s your job. Look around, look up, look behind. Notice who’s sneaking up on us. Everybody got it?”
“I got it.” “I got it.” “I got it.” “I got it.” “I got it.”
“Good. Now, let’s go back to travel formation just for the practice. Right. Okay, Margie, can you see any targets?”
“I think so.”
“Can you set the damned thing on fire?”
“I’ll probably set the tree on fire, but yes.”
“Everyone, do we care if the tree is on fire?” We aren’t under it.”
“I don’t care.” “Not me.” “Not me.” “Nope.” “Not me.”
“Okay, battle-line! ... Everybody get ready. Margie, light it up!”
Margie waved her staff, and it threw a ball of fire at the tree. It splashed when it got there, too. We heard some screeching and saw some branches move, and five dog-sized things dropped down to the ground. Three were Doberman-sized. The other two were only Terrier-sized.
They immediately charged at us, spreading out to attack Eric, me, and George. For animals that wanted to kill us, they moved terrifyingly fast. However, I had spent half my life either dodging or catching baseballs. Or, hitting them with my bat. Compared to a baseball, they were slow, slow, slow.
Eric was in front, and when the first raccoon-thing got close enough he gave it an overhead cut that ended with two parts lying limp on the ground. When mine got to me I swung my mace from over my shield like I was a lefty and wanted to bloop a ball into the gap between first and second base. I felt the impact and heard a crunch, and it went flying a little. It didn’t get up, either. I didn’t see what George did, but his was lying on the ground.
The two smaller ones following behind both charged at Eric. I guessed that they had shorter legs and couldn’t keep up with the big ones. He yelled “I got ‘em!” while I was trying to decide what I should do. He stepped to one side and got one, then another step and got the other.
Suddenly it was quiet. Two of them, the big one in front of George and a small one, were smoking. They smelled HORRIBLE!
Eric said “Anyone hurt?” Silence.
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