Dungeon Champions

Sirun met us before we had a chance to recover. “The Mayor has asked for your presence.”

Seeing few options, we followed the guard’s lead.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the mayor of a town like Boulibar Bay. My borrowed memories were sparse on the subject of settlement management, mostly because the man I’d inherited them from seemed to like to live in dungeons.

The building Sirun led us to was relatively small, with wide windows and a squat door. I was barely able to walk inside without ducking.

Directly inside was a small desk with a bright-eyed woman sitting on top of it. Her legs were crossed over the edge of the desk, one foot dangling over the edge, and the other bouncing in the air.

She was also a total of a foot and a half tall, with large, magnificent wings that glowed green. Long gold horns curved off her tiny forehead, parting curly brown hair.

“Welcome to the mayor’s office!” she said in a high-pitched voice. It was obvious she was yelling to be heard, but she seemed used to doing so. “I’m Bea. Can I help you?”

No one else in my party tried to step forward on their own, so I did. “Hi Bea, I’m Jordan; Gate Guard Sirun escorted us here to talk to Mayor Regan.”

“Oh! Are you those adventurers who made all that fuss helping out by the northern gate?” Bea grinned and lifted herself off the desk. She took to the air, flying around us as if to get a better look. “I heard you lot were really useful. Especially your leader,” she added, pausing in front of me. The winged woman tucked a piece of hair behind a pointed ear and smiled at me.

Nym hissed immediately. “He’s ours.”

I turned to look at the catgirl. Her back and tail were straight, and her ears were tucked in against her head. Sadie was just as alert next to her.

Confused, I turned to look at the others. Merielle and Zuri were also glaring at the small winged woman, the former with her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and the latter with her arms crossed.

Britney seemed to be as confused as I was. We shrugged at one another.

I decided to telepathically ask Zuri what was going on.

Jordan: Care to explain?

The half-gorgon looked startled, and then smiled at me only briefly, before glaring at Bea again.

Zuri: She’s a daimon. A fae daimon, to be exact.

The name shook loose some information from my borrowed memories. They were shapeshifters, with a culture known for a particularly promiscuous nature.

I nodded slightly to Zuri in understanding.

There were a hundred different responses I could give, but I was sore and wanted to just get back to our rooms to rest.

Turning back to Bea, I kept my tone polite but firm. “I’m flattered, really. Thank you. But we really should meet with Mayor Regan. Is he in?”

Bea clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “A shame. Yes, follow me.”

Despite her disappointment at my gentle rejection, Bea stayed close to me and just a little ahead. Whether on purpose or accident, she fluttered at a level just perfect for me to look up her skirt if I so desired.

Zuri grumbled under her breath, and I chuckled inwardly.

Our group followed Bea through a plain-looking door and into a larger room. It was well-furnished, with a large oak desk, stuffed leather chairs, and even a few wall tapestries. The art depicted ships at sea and fairies, mostly goth-looking. They reminded me of the one with the harem we’d spotted walking through town.

The mayor’s room itself smelled strongly of leather and old parchment, and a single figure sat hunched over the desk, looking through bundled stacks of paperwork.

Bea cleared her throat.

Mayor Regan looked up from his paperwork, revealing a weathered elven face with sharp blue eyes. He stood as we entered but made no move to come around the desk.

“Ah, the adventurers I’ve been hearing about,” he said, his voice deep and gravelly. “I’m Mayor Regan. Please, have a seat.”

We settled into the leather chairs in front of his desk as Bea fluttered over to perch on a bookshelf. Mayor Regan took his own seat again.

“I understand you’ve had quite the eventful day,” Mayor Regan continued, leaning back in his chair. “Gate Guard Sirun filled me in on your exploits. Impressive work for newcomers. Thank you for helping defend our town.”

“You’re quite welcome,” I replied. “We’re just trying to get ourselves established here.”

The mayor nodded. “And you’ve done a fine job so far. I understand there was a follow-up quest? My Queen has been monitoring the area and received a notification of it.”

I exchanged glances with my companions before answering. “Yes, that’s correct. While we were out scouting, we found evidence of a new dungeon. One that isn't included in the maps.” I was referring to the dungeon maps at Massie’s.

“I see. Can you elaborate? Did you find any specific details?” He looked me over, shrewd light entering his tired eyes. “It’s not every day we have a Legendary Tablet Wielder as a guest. Surely you’ve got more to offer than that. Perhaps information about where you and your group came from, before arriving at our fair city?”

“I was summoned to a dungeon, where our group came together rather…organically,” I admitted, unwilling to divulge more information. For all I knew, this guy was part of one of the sacrificial cults we were determined to stop. “We’ve decided to adventure together.”

The fairy woman sitting nearby sniffed, adjusting her low-cut top to reveal even more cleavage.

Mayor Regan glanced at his assistant, then back to me, his eyes narrowed slightly. “I see.” He steepled his fingers in front of him. “So, what can you tell me about this dungeon you all met in? Any…unusual occurrences?”

I could sense he was fishing for something specific, but I wasn’t sure what. I decided to play it safe.

“Nothing too out of the ordinary, as far as dungeons go,” I said carefully. “Just the usual monsters and traps. Is there something in particular you’re concerned about?”

Mayor Regan leaned forward, his eyes boring into mine. “Let me be direct. We’ve had reports of unusual dungeon activity in our region. Strange, new monsters and adventurers disappearing. Then I heard rumors of a new party with…a unique setup who’d come from a nearby dungeon.” He paused and glanced meaningfully at Skullie, who was perched on my shoulder. “Just makes a man wonder.”

I felt my companions tense around me. This conversation was treading into dangerous territory.

“Mayor Regan,” I said, keeping my voice calm, “I can assure you that we’re simply a group of adventurers looking to make our way in the world. If we’ve encountered anything unusual, it’s news to us.”

The mayor held my gaze for a long moment before leaning back with a sigh. “I see. Well, I suppose I can’t fault you for being cautious. But understand this—Boulibar Bay values its peace and stability. We don’t take kindly to those who might disrupt that.”

“We understand completely,” I replied. “Our goal is to contribute positively to the town, not cause problems.”

“Very well. In that case, I have a proposition for you. There’s a friend of mine. Merchant Giles. He’s had some issues transporting goods to Lans, a town across the Bay.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And you want us to escort him?”

“Precisely,” the mayor nodded. “It’s not a public quest—the Queen has asked me to keep it discreet. But if you can stop the trade disruptions, I’ll make sure you’re well compensated. And more, if you can figure out if it’s some deliberate sabotage.” He shrugged. “Plus, it’ll go a long way towards establishing your reputation in town.”

I glanced at my companions, gauging their reactions. Merielle looked intrigued, while Nym’s tail swished with excitement, although I was pretty sure that was because she hadn’t realized it meant going on a boat. Zuri seemed cautious but not opposed, and Britney was trying—and failing—to hide a hint of eagerness.

“What exactly are we dealing with here?” I asked, turning back to the mayor. “Any theories on what might be causing these disturbances to trade? Is it the sea or land routes?”

Mayor Regan leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “That’s the puzzling part. It’s both.We’ve had issues with land routes and sea transport as well. Ships have reported strange disturbances in the water, unexplained damage to their hulls. Some have even gone missing entirely.”

I frowned, thinking about the sea-based attack we’d missed. “That does sound unusual. Any patterns to these occurrences? Could it be monsters from the attack we just survived?”

“Perhaps, but I’m not willing to bet they are related. Not yet. These incidents seem to be concentrated in a particular area of the bay. Merchant Giles can give you more details.”

Leaning back, I considered our options. This could be a good opportunity, but it also sounded potentially dangerous. What we needed was downtime for us to practice new spells, skills, and weapons.

Then again, increasing our reputation in the town could keep unwanted heat off all our backs if the Sisterhood came looking for the girls. “When would we need to leave?”

“Giles is planning to set sail in two days. That should give you some time to prepare.” Mayor Regan leaned forward, his expression serious. “I won’t lie to you—this could be risky. But if you can solve this problem, it would go a long way towards cementing your reputation in Boulibar Bay.”

I glanced at my companions again, seeing a mix of excitement and apprehension on their faces. “We’ll need to discuss this as a team, but I think we’re interested. Where can we find Merchant Giles to get further information?”

The mayor nodded approvingly. “He has a shop down by the docks in the Lower District—Giles’s Curios and Sundries. You can’t miss it; it’s the one with the large purple octopus painted on the sign. Stop by tomorrow morning and he’ll fill you in on all the details.”

I nodded and stood up, my companions following suit. “Thank you, Mayor Regan. We appreciate the opportunity.”

The mayor rose as well, extending his hand. “Thank you for your willingness to help. I look forward to hearing good things about your group.”

We shook hands. There was more to this situation than the mayor was letting on, but for now, this seemed like our best option.

My tablet updated with the quest.

***

Quest: Securing the Supplies.

Assigned to: Society of the Defiant.

Estimated Time to Completion: Unknown.

Estimated Risk: Unknown.

Potential Rewards: 50 gold, 25-100 experience points.

Details: With monster attacks on the rise, Boulibar Bay’s trade routes are at risk. Escort Merchant Giles’s designated shipment safely across the bay to Lans and investigate any signs of unusual activity along the trade routes.

***

We bid farewell to Mayor Regan and Bea—who gave me one last flirtatious wink as we left, much to the annoyance of my companions. As we stepped out into the evening air, I turned to my team.

“Well, what do you all think? Should we go talk to Merchant Giles in the morning?”

Merielle was the first to speak up. “I think we should. It sounds like a good opportunity to prove ourselves. But only if we have time to level up first.”

Nym gave a hesitant nod, her tail twitching nervously behind her. “I suppose it’s time to face my fear and see more of the bay,” she murmured. Sadie yowled from her shoulder and swatted at the air.

Zuri looked thoughtful. “This quest does sound potentially dangerous, but I suppose that comes with the territory of being adventurers. I’m in if everyone else is.”

We all turned to Britney, who had gone from introverted and sad to bordering on manic. “Well, I suppose if everyone else is going, I should come along too. Merielle’s idea about leveling up sounds smart, too. I support that. And, you know. Keeping you all out of trouble.”

I eyed her suspiciously. The change of mood felt abrupt, suggesting that she had an agenda. Instead of dealing with it though, I shrugged. “All right then, it’s settled. We’ll meet Merchant Giles in the morning and get more details. For now, let’s head back to our rooms, level up and get some rest. It’s been a long day.”

We made our way through the darkening streets of Boulibar Bay. The mayor’s words about unusual occurrences in the dungeons and the bay stuck with me. There was clearly more going on here than met the eye.

“Jordan,” Skullie whispered from behind my shoulder, “I have a bad feeling about this quest. Something doesn’t add up.”

I nodded slightly, keeping my voice low. “I agree. We’ll need to be on our guard.”

“Do you think this is related to my dungeon? How could it be? It took us half a day to get here…”

“There’s no way to know for now, but I don’t think so.” I tried to think back on my interactions with Corey the Chaos Core, and couldn’t piece together any sort of weirdness. Aside from just about everything, but it didn’t seem to be related. Remembering the fresh gravel in my pocket, I wondered whether the unusual monsters could have spawned from a new dungeon.

But that many, without it being on the map? That felt off, too. I said, “For now, let’s focus on getting prepared. We’ll deal with whatever comes our way.”

Skullie made a noncommittal sound and fell silent.

When we got to the inn, we grabbed a table in the main room and had dinner. It wasn’t anywhere near as good as the breakfast Zuri had made us—and I made sure to say so quietly, so as to not upset the inn’s chef—but it was food in our bellies.

As we finished our meal, I noticed my companions looking tired but satisfied. The day’s events had clearly taken their toll, but there was also a sense of accomplishment in the air.

“Good work today, everyone,” I said, raising my mug in toast. “We may not have completed every task, but we’ve made a solid start here in Boulibar Bay.”

The others raised their mugs as well, although they all seemed confused as to why.

“So, what’s our plan for tomorrow?” Merielle asked, setting her mug down after I didn’t move to explain. “Besides meeting with Merchant Giles, I mean.”

“First thing, before bed we’re going to level up.”

“Before bed?” Nym whined. “But I’m so tired!”

Sadie mewed in agreement.

I leaned over, petting Sadie first, then ruffling Nym’s silky ears. The gesture seemed to somewhat mollify them. “The last thing we want is a surprise in the morning, or some random monster attack at night and to not be prepared. First we level. As for tomorrow, Nym, do you think you and Sadie could do a bit of scouting around the docks in the morning? Get a feel for the area, maybe pick up any gossip about what’s been happening with the trade routes?”

Nym’s ears perked up at the suggestion. “Oh, yes! Sadie and I can be very sneaky when we need to be.” The cat on her shoulder meowed. “Yes, of course we’re not too happy about it being the docks. But it isn’t like we’ll be going on a boat…right?”

None of us had the heart to break the news to Nym. Or, at least, Zuri, Merielle, and I didn’t. Skullie or Britney could still be wildcards, so I quickly changed the subject.