DF252 - Chiselled In Stone (Suliel) (Patreon)

“This is a mistake,” Suliel stated.

“Levels are never a mistake,” Kelsey retorted. Her second self, which she had suggested be referred to as “Kelsey Plus”, “Kelsey Prime” or “Kelsey Max”, was standing next to Suliel, at the entrance to the… Suliel thought it was the fifth floor, but she might have been confused by the many changes Kelsey had made to her layout. Alongside them were her two skeleton guards and Tyla.

Since the arena fight, Kelsey had reduced the size of the entrance and decorated the massive stone door with a bas-relief carving of a skull. Suliel stared at it. She supposed that the only thing they were waiting for was her. Tyla was too reticent to take the lead, and Kelsey was…

Kelsey was already inside, waiting for her.

“We don’t have to go in the upper entrance and run the full gauntlet?” Suliel asked, just to delay things further.

“Nah, I wouldn’t put you through zombies for no reason,” Kelsey said. “A good fight is the main thing Mel’s looking for, and zombies should be a challenge. Aris went through them at Level Five.”

And Suliel was Level Fifteen. Not that she had a combat class, but Aris hadn’t had one at the time, either.

“I suppose you had better open the door,” Suliel said.

“At your command, my liege!” Kelsey said enthusiastically, and with a rumble from deep in the earth, the stone door started sliding aside. Revealed was… an empty chamber with a featureless stone door on the other side.

“In we go!” Kelsey said brightly. As soon as they entered, the rumbling started again. The door behind them closed, and the one in front started to open.

“You used these chambers before, but they were bigger. I think you called them mana locks?”

“Yeah, this is how we pass through the upper floors quickly without undue mana loss,” Kelsey said. “This chamber is a part of the first floor; it just doesn’t have any zombies. The doors are designed so they can’t be opened at the same time.”

They watched the stone slide past until an opening appeared, then stepped into the next chamber.

“Regular dungeons can’t do this,” Kelsey boasted. “They have to rely on magic to move doors, and having people on the floor interferes with that. Electric motors make a lot of things easier.”

“Is it so important, then, to prevent mana loss?” Suliel asked as they entered the third chamber.

“It has to be managed,” Kelsey replied. “It all escapes eventually, but trapping the mana that way is what lets me use it. But if I hold too much of it back…”

Kelsey made an explosive gesture with her hands. “Pop! Goes the bubble.”

She watched the fourth door start to slide open. “Aside from that, no single event is catastrophic, but it’s important to keep track of the aggregate effect.”

“I see, much like a domain’s finances—” Suliel cut off as the opening to the next chamber gaped wide.

“Think fast! Skeletons!” Kelsey shouted gleefully.

Suliel’s skeleton guard rushed forward with a clatter to intercept the skeleton warriors pouring into the room. Tyla made a noise of alarm and started to cast a spell.

“Wait!” Suliel called to both Tyla and her skeleton guards. “I need to…”

Bind Undead.

The frontmost skeleton stopped where it was and saluted. Then it got knocked over by the ones behind.

Oh, for… Bind Undead. Bind Undead.

This time, her intent was focused enough that the next captured skeleton turned around and braced itself, pushing back on the small horde. The third one helped it, slowing the line enough that the first one could get back to its feet. Suliel kept Binding.

She could feel the cost of it. Every undead she took control of was a drain on her… she supposed they were magical reserves. She didn’t feel tired, but she could feel a limit approaching.

In the end, she had to part her defenders so she could make out the final skeletons of the wave.

“Was that really necessary?” Tyla asked Kelsey.

“Hey, I said that I didn’t need to put monsters in these rooms, not that I wasn’t going to,” Kelsey said. “This is a dungeon! You need to keep on your toes.”

Suliel snorted. “Thirteen skeletons,” she said to Kelsey. “Exactly what was needed to bring me up to my maximum count, if we didn’t kill any.”

Kelsey grinned. “Just what you needed! I’m helping you out. I’m a helper. Did you get any experience for that?”

“The barest of trickles,” Suliel replied. “I take it the next door is to the skeleton city?”

“No spoilers,” Kelsey said disapprovingly. “But I don’t think you’re gonna be surprised if I tell you that it gets dangerous from here on in.”

“It would not,” Suliel agreed. They all trooped into the fourth chamber. It was just big enough to fit them all. Suliel sent her defenders to the front, a line of seven and a line of six. Her two oldest defenders stayed next to her and Tyla.

Kelsey glanced at the pair. “Minions are disposable by nature, but I’m glad you’re taking care of Itchy and Scratchy. They hold a certain sentimental value.”

“I’m not sure how much they can hold, given that I’ve never seen you call them the same name twice,” Suliel retorted.

“They have lots of names!” Kelsey protested.

“Just open the door.”

This time, the slowly widening entrance revealed only darkness. Then Mel came flying out.

“Ugh! She got to keep them all?” the little fairy asked.

“Yes, I did. Thank you for asking,” Suliel said politely.

Mel screamed and swooped behind Kelsey.

“I forgot she could see me!” she squeaked.

“I didn’t,” Kelsey said smugly. “That’s why I had you wait in the cave, so you didn’t spoil the skeleton surprise.”

“Um,” Tyla said. “I can also see you.”

“With a spell?” Kelsey asked.

“No, I think it’s due to Dungeon Sight,” Tyla said.

“Ugh! Everyone can see me now. Why am I even invisible?”

“Now, now,” Kelsey soothed. “It’s just two people, both of whom you’ve already met. And in Tyla’s case, quite a lot more than meet.”

“Ugh! Don’t remind me!”

“I won’t have to, as long as you’re polite. And do you know? Normal human conversations avoid talking about sex. Back me up here, Suliel.”

“That is true,” Suliel said slowly, wondering what she was participating in. “It’s something to be avoided in polite conversation.”

“Fine, I guess I can be polite, then,” Mel said, kicking at empty air.

“I’m surprised you know that, though,” Suliel said to Kelsey.

“Just because I know a custom doesn’t mean I have to abide by it,” Kelsey said. “Now let’s get this party started!”

Suliel stared at the darkness in front of them. “Tyla?” she asked.

“Yes, My Lady.”

A ball of light formed in Tyla’s hand and flew through the door. Suliel paused before ordering her soldiers forward.

“I’m more accustomed to formality than my husband, but under the circumstances, I think we can let it slide.”

“You’re going to be a queen, Lady Suliel! I can’t just—”

“Then you will be one of the few allowed to address a queen by her first name,” Suliel insisted. “It should be a treasured honour, so make use of it.”

“Yes… Suliel.”

Suliel smiled. “Then… let’s go.”

They marched forward. Suliel had heard that the Skeleton City was gone, replaced by the Arena… but here it was again, looking just like the stories had made it out to be.

The cave floor sloped down from here, forming a huge bowl that the city stood in the centre of. Suliel couldn’t see the streets from here, but she could see the maze that the buildings formed.

“Just so you know, Hughie and Louie are level twelve, and the new guys are level eight,” Kelsey told her. “The archers here are level ten, but I doubt you’ll want to upgrade. Arrows aren’t great against skeletons.”

“What about the assassins?” Suliel asked.

“Great question! They’re level ten as well, and I’d recommend picking up a few. They can’t hold a line, but they’re good at sneaking around and causing havoc.”

The first volley came before they entered the city. As predicted, it was ineffective against the skeleton warriors. They just raised their shields, and the few arrows that made it through just got stuck between their bones. Suliel had even less to worry about. Tyla cast a spell that sent any arrow that came near the two of them flying away.

“That’s cheating!” Mel protested.

“C’mon, Mel, they’re level ten. There was no way the arrows were going to hurt them. This is just gonna be a straight puzzle solve.”

“Do you do this sort of commentary on all the delves?” Suliel asked. She was feeling a bit shaken. Despite Tyla’s protection, it was nerve-wracking to see a flight of arrows flying at you. Level ten or not, any arrow that hit would be deadly enough.

“Oh, yeah, but normally they can’t hear us,” Kelsey said.

“Lucky them,” Suliel muttered. She ordered her skeletons to charge forward.

They took another volley before they reached the line of archers, but it was just as ineffective as before. Then it was sword and shield against awkwardly handled bowstaves. Despite the level difference, her ‘men’ were acquitting themselves well. Except for…

Some of the archers were on top of the buildings. Now they could fire directly down at their attackers. It was an awkward angle, but her soldiers couldn’t defend from above and ahead at the same time. And from above, the most obvious target was the one vulnerable spot a skeleton had. The head.

When the first of her skeletons went down, Suliel cried out in shock, as if she’d seen a real death. She wasn’t sure why; it had just felt like it.

“Tyla, can you…” She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but Tyla knew what she could do.

She reached out a hand and said, “Up.”

One of the soldier skeletons started to rise, and Suliel quickly adjusted his orders. When he reached the roof, he started laying into the archers with abandon. Tyla cast the spell again, bringing another warrior to a second roof. It wasn’t long before the streets and roofs were clear.

“Couldn’t you have used that spell to just knock the archers off?” Suliel asked.

“I could have,” Tyla confirmed. “But that would have taken six casts, instead of two. And this way you and your skeletons get experience.”

“Oh.” That was true. Tyla was level twenty-six; she could kill a thousand level 10 skeletons and barely get a single drop of experience. Suliel herself hardly got any. The level eight skeletons, on the other hand…

She turned to Kelsey. “Are the skeletons getting experience?” she asked.

“Sure are,” Kelsey said. “Three of them are level nine already.”

“Right,” Suliel said. She could do this. “Let us proceed methodically.”

In the end, it didn’t prove particularly challenging. Not that it was easy—Suliel exhausted herself chasing after her troops and there were a few near misses. But between the skeletons to guard her and Tyla to point out where the assassins were hiding, Suliel never found herself in real danger.

By the time they got to the end, Suliel recognised the floor for what is was. A practice arena, to get her used to commanding her troops, and selecting the appropriate fighting force for a given situation. She lost a few warriors and picked up two assassins. Most of her warriors had reached level ten, and one had reached eleven. When she finally made it out of the maze, she was ready for what lay beyond. Only the gate guards were left to stand in her way.

“Now, these bad boys are level thirteen,” Kelsey said. “You’re gonna be tempted to take them, but there a little too big for where you’re going next.”

Suliel nodded. The next floor was the inside of the fake castle. Room to room fighting against noble skeletons armed with rapiers.

“All troops,” Suliel said. “Charge.”