Dungeon Champions

I was about to suggest we head to the inn to recover, but Sadie had other ideas. The cat crept from wherever she’d been hiding and padded through the open gates. Nym followed, anxiously calling for her companion to slow down.

Zuri, still holding her head, her eyes shining with approval as Merielle gave her the rundown of the fight, waved. “We might as well follow them. There’s a bonus quest.”

“And a curious cat to appease,” the elf warrior added with a chuckle.

Now at near-full health, thanks to a little manipulation of Britney’s Thorns class ability, Merielle was still a bloody mess. Beneath it all was a gleam of triumph, a confidence that hadn’t been there before. Whenever she looked at me, I saw her take slightly deeper breaths and stand just a little bit taller.

In contrast, Britney stood away from us. The celestial woman’s expression was as clouded as I’d ever seen it.

I was in no mood to coddle her. If she’d been with us from the start, that fight wouldn’t have gone sideways in the beginning. And if I’d taken command sooner, we would have defeated the monsters faster.

Doubt nagged at me, a freeze-frame of Merielle on the cusp of certain death. Those blasted memories estimated how much damage the minoant would have dealt with its pincer. Critical attacks deal double damage. It was a giant creature, with enhanced strength. We’d have been looking at eight, maybe ten hit points’ worth of damage. She’d have been beyond saving.

Keeping my feelings from my face, I followed the women through the gate. Britney followed at a distance, just beyond easy hearing. Once we were through the battered wreckage, Merielle raced off to join Nym, who was following Sadie.

“What’s wrong?” Zuri asked, moving against me and sliding an arm around mine. The warmth and softness of her body melded against mine, increasingly comfortable.

“I miscalculated,” I admitted.

“How so?”

“I wanted all of you to get as much experience as possible, as quickly as possible. That was a mistake.”

She squeezed me, her eyes full of wisdom that had nothing to do with Tablets. “You took a calculated risk, and now we’re level four. Jordan, it’s been days since you rescued us and we’re level four. Do you have any idea how significant that is?”

I did.

“The problem is, having power and not knowing how to wield it – especially when the Tablets give quests based on average level – is a trap. We need to slow down and focus on refining what we’re learning.”

“Slow down how?” Her question wasn’t combative, just curious.

“I’m going to get involved directly from now on. Especially when there’s any sort of boss involved. Next time, I’ll take the minoant, or whatever, out before it can become such a threat.”

Through our telepathic connection, I showed her my combat analysis of what almost happened to Merielle.

I continued, “I won’t let my ambition get any of you killed. No matter what.”

We walked together for a little while, following Nym, Sadie, and Merielle as they followed sets of tracks down a dirt path. It led north, parallel to the coast. After half an hour, we came to a large, open area where the foliage was flattened in a large swatch near the coastal cliffs. Evidence of dozens, maybe even several hundred, creatures showed in the trampled ground and broken foliage.

Zuri held me up, pointing for us to walk to the cliff. I looked around and saw Merielle and the others, except for Britney, had adopted a more cautious approach. Seeing evidence of the full invading force, which was clearly much larger than we’d fought, had given them reason to hesitate.

Approaching the scenic view of the ocean, the sounds of crashing waves and the aroma of sea salt was almost overwhelming. We looked down the coast, toward the city, and saw where the bay had sustained evidence of damage. It was difficult to see from so far away, but crowds of people had gathered on the docks, around several central figures.

Did some of the adventurers lose their lives? Against what? I saw no evidence of corpses, although that might have been an artifact of the distance.

“I think you’re right,” Zuri said after a moment.

“About?”

“Everything. I think you made the right call. You let us stand on our own, which was nearly catastrophic. Then you took charge and showed us what we’re capable of as a team.” She emphasized the word team. “Jordan, in a single fight you’ve given Merielle more confidence than the woman has had in her entire life. I don’t think I need to mention Nym. With your help, she just realized what a true battlemage is capable of. She saved her friends.”

“And?” My heart remained heavy, my conscience uncertain. Now that the ice was gone, I felt too much.

She grabbed my head, pulling me to look at her. The tangle of her serpents regarded me. Oddly, I felt no familiar tingles. “You just gave two of our party members a life altering experience.” She lowered her voice to a whisper as she pulled me down and came to her toes, kissing me gently.

“And we won,” she said, exhaling against my mouth.

There was fierceness in her pronouncement. Fierceness and pride.

Glancing over, she added, “Even Britnayel learned a valuable lesson, I think.”

Ignoring the presence of the celestial, I leaned over, wrapping my arms around Zuri’s hips, pulling her tight against me. Part of it was from longing, wanting to feel her smooth, supple body against mine. Most was for the feeling of her. Zuri was part monster, a being who longed for violence as much as I was coming to realize I, too, craved it.

She was also part woman, who saw the emotions on my face and knew true compassion.

“Screw her,” I said, not thinking.

Zuri burst out laughing. It was a throaty, pleased sound. “Perhaps, when she earns it.” Her eyes half-lidded. “But when you do, you must promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“First, you must be with me. Loudly. Often. Until she knows nothing more than the desperate desire for you. And when she finally has the courage to admit her needs, I want you to make that bratty princess know her place.”

I eyed my lover. “It sounds like you want that to happen.”

She smirked up at me. “Of course I do. I suggested the idea of a harem for a reason. Only the greatest men deserve to know the devotion of many. When I say great, I mean it in my terms, not mortal ones.”

That got to me. I laughed, squeezing her again. “Oh, I…am growing so very, very fond of you.” I nearly used other words. They felt too fast, too soon. Even if Zuri made me feel safe and alive, even if she spoke to all parts of my heart, there was something – maybe it was the Earth in me – that prevented me from taking another step.

“And I you,” she replied, leaning in and up to nip at my ear, her breath hot. “As soon as we’re able, I expect you to claim all of me.”

I could think of only one reply. “Fuck. Yes.” Sliding my hands down her wide hips, I gripped her ass hard enough to make her gasp.

“Oh. Also, you can increase our Endurance scores now, too. Can’t you?”

“I can, why?”

She reached around, gripping my butt through the armored padding. “Because it’s not fair if you are the only one who can go all night, my darling lover.”

We separated after that, moving to join the group.

Britney, who’d been standing at the edge of the clearing, watched us. I looked over at her, reading a mixture of emotions. She’d gone paler than normal, her eyes narrow and lips pursed. There was something judgmental in the tilt of her jaw, or maybe just aloof. Contrasting her face, however, was her body. Her shoulders were back, and her breasts pressed forward, the hard tips of her nipples on extravagant display despite her wardrobe.

It occurred to me that she might have somehow overheard our conversation, although I didn’t know how. Not with the sound of the waves.

I also didn’t care. Britney had done enough to stay with the group, but she had a ways to go before I’d see her as truly part of what we were building.

“Look at what Sadie found!” Nym said as we approached.

There were bits of loose rock on the ground along the path leading from the clearing. Kneeling, I picked up a handful of the stone, studying it with a frown. “This is fresh.”

Nym bobbed a nod. “And Sadie says it’s got hints of magic in it, too.”

Looking from the cat, who rushed over to headbutt my shins, to Nym and then Zuri and Merielle, I said, “It’s a new dungeon. It must be.”

We all knew we weren’t ready to explore that. Not yet. “Levels and recovery first.” I stood, pocketing the debris. “We’ll report our findings and discuss revised tactics going forward. Then, if we decide to go exploring a dungeon, we can make that happen.”

No one, not even Britney, protested as we turned from the findings and made our way back to town.

We passed the pile of monster corpses as we went. Remembering Skullie’s contributions, I grabbed the minoant’s body. It went right into my storage space, no problem, much to my mixed delight and chagrin.