Chapter 4

We found ourselves in the lobby of the Dungeon and I looked around to figure out where we had been dropped. It was near the entrance we normally entered when we would walk here from the Pact House. I felt silly as I looked around for Kat’ilth’ana, before I realized that she would have been sent somewhere else due to the gravity of her injuries.

I turned to the others and said, “We need to deal with things so that we can find out how Kat’ilth’ana is doing.”

They nodded in agreement and I turned to head to the Guild, with the others hot on my tail. I wasn’t surprised to find there was a long line. I was surprised when one of the service people gestured us over as we moved to get in line.

“Hello there, I am Vetlana,” the young woman said, in something reminiscent of a Slavic accent. “Esmerelda told me to bring you to her once you arrived.”

“How did you recognize me?” I asked, confused that had she picked up our party so quickly.

She let out a slight laugh and replied, “Well, a young man in dark dragon scale armor, with three beautiful women. One in robes, another in matching styled armor and a woman in plate armor accompanying them. Your group easily stands out dressed as it is. Also I will take any orbs that you collected while you were adventuring.”

I nearly nodded in response and followed as we were guided to Esmerelda’s office. We entered and thanked Vetlana before she closed the door and left us in the empty office. A few minutes later, a happy, but visibly disheveled Esmerelda entered the room. She gave us all a high sign before she sat down behind her desk.

“Hello all,” she said with a warm smile. “I take it that you encountered some of the Arachni, given the state of your comrade when she arrived at our healing chambers.”

That explained where she had gone, giving me a small sense of relief. She would be in good hands if she was being treated by the Guild.

I nodded and replied, “More than that, we fought and killed the queen. When we first arrived at the village, we were told not only did it suffer attacks, but that even monsters and adventurers had fallen prey to them. When the queen was killed, we searched the nest but found no one alive. Knowing that only Arachni remained, I had Entivala torch everything, killing every Arachni and destroying any eggs.”

Esmerelda’s eyes widened as I finished and said, “How on earth did you find their nest so quickly?”

“It was a unique set of circumstances,” I answered with a shrug. “We searched the first reported place of encounters but didn’t find any sign. It was only when we went to return that one attacked and tried to take Kat’ilth’ana. The following day we searched the other forest. We had stopped in a safe area when a group moved to attack us. They were just a distraction and we were surprised when the ground underneath the safe area gave way.”

I stopped and closed my eyes for a few minutes, sending out a silent prayer and hoping it was heard. A second later Tyr appeared with a crackling of energy, looking worried and off put by this disturbance.

“Why have you requested my presence, Pathios?” Tyr asked, noticeably agitated. “I was in the middle of an important meeting with the Council.”

I bowed slightly and replied, “I apologize, but I felt you needed to be here for what I was about to say as it is, no doubt, pertinent to your meeting.”

He simply nodded in response, and I gave a quick look around the room before I swallowed and continued.

“We made our way through the tunnel systems and came across the Queen’s nest. She was humanoid and could speak the common tongue used by the people here. She talked about being given the means to avenge her children by someone. She was unnaturally strong, and we were doing our best to deal with her. She got the jump on me and would have killed me, but Kat’ilth’ana was pierced by her four arms. She didn’t disappear and I couldn’t understand why she had done that. I became blinded by rage and I cut the bladed ends of her appendages off as Amenthia and Entivala provided the killing blows to the queen.

“When her body disappeared, she left a gem drop, but there was a stone as well. I picked it up and realized it was the same stone that had been in the poison daggers that had nearly killed me. Those had proven quite effective in blocking the emergency exit function of the transportation gem. I quickly placed it back on the ground and smashed the stone. Upon shattering it, Kat’ilth’ana teleported out. I think the same stone had been in the dragon we fought, which would explain why people died fighting it.”

Tyr nodded as he processed what I said, then asked, “If that is the case, why didn’t you see the crystal when you fought the dragon?”

“I think that our killing blow shattered the jewel before the dragon turned into smoke,” I replied. “That would explain why we didn’t think of the possibility of the stone. I just wish I could have brought it back to you, but I had to ensure Kat’ilth’ana could get out and get the medical help she needed.”

“You made the right choice. You put the health and well-being of your party member first. That is to be commended. Besides, I have a feeling you will have plenty of chances to collect one for us to inspect.”

I turned to Esmerelda and asked, “How is Kat’ilth’ana doing? The damage the Queen inflicted looked to be unbelievably bad.”

“She is seriously hurt, but stable,” Esmerelda replied with a reassuring smile. “It will take some time to heal her wounds and ensure no other damage has been done to her.”

I turned to Tyr and asked, “What about her collar? I don’t want to be causing her any unneeded harm because I am not there!”

“Don’t worry,” Tyr replied. “The area she is in, is kind of its own pocket dimension. The effects of the collar will not work there and when she is healed, she will appear right in your room which now has been designated a safe area for her. If she is there and you are not, she will suffer no pain, other than any actions or thoughts deemed a viable physical threat to you”

I thanked him and, in a flash, he was gone again. I turned back to Esmerelda who was standing there, a little shocked at the exchange.

“So...” she said, drawing out the word for a minute before continuing. “You have completed your quest, so ten thousand gold as per the conditions of the task. You have collected two hundred prestige for your group and Cassandra has earned fifty for herself. You have also gained another five thousand gold for your orb drops. I suggest you rest a bit, trade in your drops, and enjoy some downtime. I think you all have earned it.”

“This was dropped when we killed the queen,” Amenthia announced as she pulled the glowing gem from her pack.

Esmerelda took the gem and inspected it a moment, “Not bad, not bad at all. You got a rare gem drop. These are the next stage up from orbs and ones like this almost never appear below the fourth or fifth floor. It is middle grade for gems with a low light, but both the glow and the gem itself are a different color. Given that, I will throw in another five hundred gold for it. If the value is appraised to be higher, I will get in contact and give you the necessary difference in gold.”

We thanked her and made our way out of her office. I followed the others while my mind kept playing over the events of that fight, trying to see what I could’ve done differently. There were just too many unknowns, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling I should’ve done more. Again and again, I mulled over the events, trying to figure out some way I could have avoided Kat’ilth’ana getting hurt. We stopped by the armory access point in the Guild to deposit our weapons and armor before heading back to the Pact house.

“Pathios,” Entivala said softly, breaking me out of my thoughts. “There was nothing you could have done to prevent it. We were lucky to have come out as well as we did. If she hadn’t come to your aid, you could have been injured just as badly. You could have also been killed, robbing Amenthia and me of our friend and lover. Don’t dwell too much on this, it will only lead to you second guessing yourself. Given the threats that we have been facing, we need you focused and sure of yourself.”

She gave me a light kiss on the lips, before turning and stepping into the transport tube. Amenthia followed suit, leaving Cassandra with me.

“She is right, Pathios, there was nothing you could have done. I had spent some time in the Dungeon before you came along, and that Arachni Queen moved like a creature from the higher levels. The last time I saw something move with that speed and power was on level eleven, during a Pact house raid. We were outmatched and fortunate that your sword is as strong as it was, as was Entivala’s magic and Amenthia’s bow. The damage done was greater than is typical for your level and helped us whittle it down until we could turn the tide.”

I sighed, “I know, and I know how strong and capable you all are. It’s just an instinct in me to want to protect those I care about or those who are my responsibility. When I fail in that protection it does cause me to doubt. I have worked hard to be able to protect those I love when I finally meet them. Now I wonder if I will see Entivala or Amenthia in the same position. The idea causes me unbelievable pain to even imagine. If I saw you like Kat’ilth’ana was, I would be distraught over a dear friend being hurt. It is just something I will need to deal with, given how things may be.”

“I am touched that you consider me a friend,” Cassandra said, as she placed her hand on my shoulder. “You will indeed see pain and suffering in the Dungeon, especially now that the rules are different. Before, it took being on the highest levels of the Dungeon to kill an adventurer; now anyone is at risk. Enjoy life and the love of your women. Do your best, that is all anyone can really do and try not to dwell on things. It doesn’t really serve any purpose other than to cause confusion and doubt. Now, while you relax, I am going to see what I can make out of the materials we have collected.”

We both entered the transfer tube and once inside the atrium of the Pact house we said our goodbyes. I made my way through the various corridors to our room. I wasn’t at all shocked to find that there was still a guard stationed at our door. I said hello to him, which he returned curtly, and I entered to find the room empty. I brought up my map and looked at the overlay of the Pact house. They weren’t on the current floor, but when I checked the main floor, they were located within the dining hall. I figured they had the food covered and, knowing them, they would prefer to eat here after all that had happened. I decided to take a shower and remembered the vial of liquid. Enjoying the distraction ahead, I made my way towards the showers down the hall. Along the way I activated my bracer to see how my stats had changed.

Pathios Daxion

Health: 170

Mana: 0

Level: 3

Strength: 11

2/10

Defense: 13

Speed: 6

9/10

Vitality: 7

8/10

Magic: 5

0/10

Wisdom: 5

0/10

Agility: 11

0/10

Awareness: 12

5/10

Weapon:

Name: Dragon’s Bane

Weapon Type: Bastard Sword

Damage Type: Slash/ Pierce

Attack Damage: Strength + 11

Traits: Sword totals double against Dragonkin.

Abilities: Dragon breath: Fire wall appears in front of the wielder, damaging enemies and destroying no fire-based projectiles. Water attacks of fifty or more damage negate wall. Sword contains three charges, per day.

Durability: 87/100

Armor: Dragon Scale Armor Set

Effects: 50% Fire Resistance

Set Defense Total: Defense + 12

Head:

Type: Dragon Bone Helmet

Defense Rating: Defense + 2

Enhancements: None

Runes: None

Durability: 74/100

Body:

Type: Dragon Scale Armor

Defense Rating: Defense + 8

Enhancements: None

Runes: None

Durability: 74/100

Gloves:

Type: Dragon Bone Gloves

Defense Rating: Defense + 1

Enhancements: None

Runes: None

Durability: 74/100

Boots: Dragon Scale Boots

Defense Rating: Defense + 1

Enhancements: None

Runes: None

Durability: 74/100

I got the two-point increase that comes with the new level, but I knew that even with these stats, I would have been in the same position again if I were to fight the queen now. I went to the showers and got undressed. Before heading in, I poured what was left of the tracking liquid onto the boxers and made sure it was paired and tracking on my map. Confident that it was working properly, I entered the showers and got into one of the stalls. I enjoyed the hot water cascading over my sore muscles. A few areas were more painful than others and I knew I would have a bruise in those areas soon enough. I took my time washing my body of the sweat and grime that had accumulated during our time in the Dungeon. Part of me wished that Amenthia and Enti were here to enjoy this with, but I would see them soon enough.

With my shower concluded, I made my way back into the changing area and wasn’t surprised to find my used boxers missing. I quickly got dressed and activated my map display. I could see the ladies were in our room, but I was more interested in the trail of yellow appearing on my map. Not wasting any time, I slowly began to follow the trail. I had to alternate between the map and my surroundings as there were a lot of house members moving about. Still I managed to bump into a few, but they accepted my apologies and went on their way. After five minutes I came across a stairwell heading up and moved to follow. When I got halfway, I was repelled by some unknown force. I adjusted the map to the next floor up, but no details were given, not even the trail from the tracking liquid.

Resigned to the unfavorable outcome of this search, I turned and followed the hallways back to my room. I mulled over what I had learned, though it wasn’t much. Someone who had access to the third level was coming to wherever I was showering and taking my boxers. I still wondered why someone would want to do that. The fact that it was someone who was much higher in both level and position only confused me further. Putting it in the back of my mind for now and I entered our quarters to find Amenthia and Entivala sitting at the table and eating. A plate was sitting at the table for me and I gave both ladies a kiss on the cheek before sitting down to join them.

They both gave me warm and reassuring smiles before returning to their meals. I soon joined them, trying to enjoy the good company and delicious food. Just as we finished our meal there was a light knock on the door. I gave permission to enter and was surprised to find it was Tyr entering our room. We all stood up, and he smiled before gesturing to us to sit again.