Advent of Eternity - Chapter 34 (Patreon)

They headed out of the house and back into the foggy streets, keeping to the alleys. The sun had risen high overhead, but it didn’t look like it was having the slightest effect on the thick fog. It had now risen to chest level, making it look like the town had been flooded by a thick, white ocean.

Knell’s eyes lit yellow as they walked and he kept his head on a swivel, prepared to react at a moment’s notice. Nothing came, though. They passed the town square once more, then made their way past it and deeper into the town.

“There,” Cyll whispered, pointing at a stout, square tower covered with beautiful designs and flowing artwork. It was just barely visible through an alley. “I remember that. They used the same ugly things before I got captured. It marks the entrance to a dungeon, and its height correlates to how dangerous the place is.”

“I don’t gather that this dungeon is particularly dangerous, then?” Knell guessed as they wove toward the tower.

“Probably not,” Cyll said in a harsh whisper. “I didn’t pay too much attention to that bit, to be honest. Dungeons weren’t a big challenge for me.”

“Then we’ll make them a challenge,” Stix suggested. “If you take any mortal blows while we clear this thing, you lose.”

“Why do I have to do something as stupid as–” Cyll paused midsentence and glanced back at Knell. Then he sighed and shrugged. “Fine. What happens if I lose?”

“I’ll figure that out, but I promise you won’t like it.”

“And if I win?”

“I’ll admit that you aren’t as stupid as you seem to be.”

“That’s a terrible deal. I am this stupid.”

Stix nearly laughed. The emotion immediately turned to regret as she spotted the smug grin on Cyll’s face. “Don’t worry about winning. I’ll be surprised if you get past the first fight without getting speared in the chest.”

“We’ll see about that,” Cyll replied. They drew up beside the stout tower, stepping from an alley to get their first good look at it.

A rather quaint opening the size of a door sat at the base of the tower, one at each of its four sides. They were completely black, with no light going in or out of the entrances.

“More ominous than I thought it would be,” Knell said.

“Have you never been in a dungeon before?” Stix asked. “I thought everyone had seen them once or twice.”

“I grew up on the road,” Knell replied. “And dungeons really aren’t that common. I studied them a little, but my training was focused in other areas.”

“Well, never too late to learn,” Cyll said. “Just jump through the hole. The gods will kindly take us all to the proper location.”

He spat on the ground, then strode up to the nearest portal. Knell and Stix readied their weapons and the three of them entered the swirling black pool.

Ice raced across Knell’s skin and he drew in a sharp breath as a shiver raced through his body. His vision went black for several seconds and his limbs failed to respond to his brain. Then, a tiny mote of light appeared in the distance.

He focused on it and the light bloomed, forming into a torch illuminating a square, stone room. Knell regained control of his body and he staggered, catching himself with his staff before he could fall.

“That was horrible,” he said, grimacing and inspecting himself. Nothing looked out of place, but that wasn’t particularly reassuring. Behind them, a black disk swirled on the wall, awaiting their touch. Across from it, on the other side of the room, was a closed wooden door.

“We can leave through that whenever we want,” Cyll said, nodding at it.

“We won’t get the experience for clearing the dungeon if we leave before killing the boss, though,” Stix added.

Knell rubbed his chin, sorting his thoughts out. It was unlikely that the gods were paying constant attention to every dungeon in the continent, but there were a lot of them, and they were probably paying closer attention to dungeons than the outside world. Furthermore, there was likely something important in the dungeon, but he didn’t even know what he was looking for. It was impossible to make a good plan without knowing what he was actually seeking.

“Honestly, I’m half convinced dungeons only exist so the gods can watch us suffer,” Cyll said. “They fill these stupid things with monsters day after day, just to watch adventurers and treasure seekers fight to their death for a scrap of magic or some gold.”

“It’s good experience, though,” Stix said.

“What use do I have for that? I can’t level,” Cyll said with a sigh. “I just hope there’s a good sharp thing somewhere around here. I refuse to use one of your butter spreaders for a weapon.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my knives,” Stix defended.

“Let’s get on with things,” Knell said, setting a clock in his mind. Some exploration would do them well, and it might unearth something he could use to form some semblance of a strategy. If they didn’t find anything within an hour, he resolved to approach the issue from a different angle. “Any suggestions on how to do this?”

“You don’t have a plan?” Stix asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t have anything to work with yet. This is new ground for me, and it would be stupid to presume that I know more about dungeons about two people who have visited them before.”

“Huh. Fair enough,” Stix said. “They can occasionally be pretty tricky from what I’ve heard, but all the ones I’ve been in have been really straight forward. They’re a few rooms, occasionally in a maze, full of monsters and some loot or gold. You kill whatever is in your way, then make it down to the bottom floor of the dungeon and kill the boss, which is the strongest monster in the area. Once you kill it, you beat the dungeon and get some bonus stuff.”

“There can be some pretty brutal traps,” Cyll put in. “I once saw a man fall into a pit of hamsters. Vicious little creatures. They ate him alive.”

“I’ll make note to avoid any hamster pits,” Knell said, not letting the slightest trace of a grin cross his face. “Then, Cyll, lead the way. And don’t forget Stix’s rules.”

Cyll screwed his nose up. “I won’t.”