Dungeon Noble - Squire

The reward for the first tier turned out to be a pouch of coins and a stack of wrapped cuts of meat.

“Lizard steak, good for your muscles,” Aspen said approvingly as he caught sight of the meat. “I’ll buy it all at the going rate unless anyone else wants any?”

Jake was tempted, but in the end, he decided he wanted the raw Wyrdgeld more and let Aspen take it all. That left the other three with just over thirty Wyrdgeld each.

“I remember when this felt like so much,” Jake said with a sigh, absorbing his Wyrdgeld and mentally assessing how much he now held. The second rank of this tier would cost him four hundred and forty Wyrdgeld, and he had just under four hundred.

Two more delves as a group or a single solo delve, and he would be able to advance.

“Yeah, and it only gets worse,” Aspen said with a chuckle before leaning in and whispering loudly. “Rank ten cost five hundred and forty, so look forward to that!”

Jake went pale, and the big classer laughed as he gathered up his stack of steaks before heading for the exit.

Aspen’s Class had normal Wyrdgeld costs, which meant that for that same rank, Jake would need over a thousand Wyrdgeld.

“You okay, Jake?” Alan asked as he took his own share of what they’d divided up.

“Yeah, just realising how far I have to go,” Jake said with a sickly smile. It was so much Wyrdgeld, and it wasn’t like these numbers would go down.

If the second tier was this expensive, how bad would the third or fourth be?

Then again, he was judging this from the earnings of just the first tier. That tidal wave of serpents they’d fought back in the fire Dungeon would have been worth a heap of Wyrdgeld, and that was just the one floor.

Clutching hard to that idea, Jake pushed his worries down for the moment and followed the others out of the Dungeon.

“Well, how did it go?” Felix asked as they emerged, his eyes scanning over them all before he nodded approvingly. “I see you managed to emerge relatively unscathed. That’s good.”

“It went well. I’d work with these two again,” Aspen said, flashing Jake a grin. “Gargan seems to hold his own as well, so I’d work with him despite his lunacy.”

“Likewise, this group suits me, even with Aspen’s denial of the truth,” Gargan said with a sigh. “We should discuss Patrons before doing anything further as a group, though.”

“Agreed,” Felix said evenly before nodding over to one of the tables set up in front of the Dungeon. “If the two of you take a seat, I’ll catch up with them, and then we can talk it all through.”

“Sounds good,” Aspen said before pausing and rubbing his jaw consideringly. “I wonder if there’s a grill in some of those temporary houses that’s in good condition.”

Jake smothered a laugh as the big man took off at a jog, clutching his pack of steaks like they were precious cargo.

“So, what did you think?” Felix asked, looking between Jake and Alan questioningly.

“I struggled to get a good read on Aspen,” Jake said with a frown. “He was impatient and pushy, to begin with, but then was careful and communicative once things kicked off.”

“He changed once you gave orders,” Alan said thoughtfully. “Maybe he just wanted to see that we took it seriously?”

“Maybe,” Jake said, not quite convinced but willing to take that explanation for now. “We need that conversation about Patrons, but otherwise, I’ve got no issues.”

“Excellent, I had high hopes for him,” Felix murmured, a slight smile touching his lips for a moment. “It’s hard to tell sometimes, as people act differently around a higher tier classer. That’s why I sent you in alone. Now, what about Gargan?”

“You spent more time with him, Alan. What do you think?” Jake asked.

“He’s quiet, intense and capable,” Alan said, shrugging slightly. “He went along with everything we asked, and he seems to know just as much as Aspen about Dungeons, if not more. I liked him, and it helps that he’s damn strong.”

“That wand probably helps,” Jake said, but Alan’s point was well taken. “He was impressive, though.”

“Well then, let’s have some lunch and talk about Patrons,” Felix said, turning away with a satisfied expression to lead them over to the table.

Aspen had left his spear leaning against the corner and was currently in a nearby house, grilling steaks.

They had some rations and dried food with them, but the smell wafting out of the open door made Jake’s mouth water.

Felix produced a small bushel of apple Wyrdfruits from his pack and passed them out while they waited. Jake had a feeling that these were the ones he’d gotten from the Dungeon and sold to Felix, but that only made them sweeter.

Aspen emerged with plates a few minutes later and snagged a Wyrdfruit on his way back to make more, leaving them a juicy steak sandwich each.

“Here,” Gargan said, opening his pack and pulling out a bottle of something and some stacked metal tumblers wrapped in cloth. Passing a tumbler to each person, he poured out a measure of clear liquid before knocking it back in one.

Jake followed suit and grimaced as the strong alcohol burned the back of his throat. His eyes watered a little as he felt the liquid fire flow down his throat, but it was mixed with a fruity flavour that more than made up for the heat.

“More,” Gargan said, hefting the bottle and doling out another measure each before knocking his back with a casual motion.

Aspen had a double measure in his tumbler when he came out to join them, and the big classer knocked it back thoughtlessly before gasping and staring at the tumbler incredulously. “Damn, that’s the good stuff.”

The corner of Gargan’s mouth stretched up into a small smile, and he judged how much was left in the bottle before putting it away. “Now, we talk Patrons.”

“Should I be here for this?” Alan asked, his cheeks bearing a touch of red from the two shots of strong liquor.

“If we’re all going to work together, there needs to be no secrets,” Aspen said firmly before considering his words and qualifying. “Well, no secrets about capabilities and threats anyway. I don’t give a shit about your personal stuff, as long as it doesn’t come round and fuck me.”

“Agreed,” Gargan said simply, and Jake echoed him a moment later.

“Good. Now, my Patron is Kalinkos, part of the Unaligned Pantheon. He is the Patron of Fire and Dedication. Of using that burning core within you and forging it within the heat of battle.” Aspen’s eyes were lit with the passion of a true believer, and Jake listened intently as he described his god.

“So, what does that mean in a practical sense?” Jake asked, wanting to compare their Patron Gifts.

“It means that I have protection from fire, but in the future, I will have Abilities that help me prosper in combat.”

Jake nodded, wondering just what those Abilities would look like. “What about you Gargan?”

“I serve Napthir, also of the Unaligned Pantheon. She is the Patron of Cleansing and Rebirth.” Gargan seemed to ignore the pointed look that he got from Aspen, instead calmly waiting for questions from Alan and Jake.

“So, do you get a similar Gift as Aspen, then?” Jake asked, noting the almost malicious gleam in Gargan’s eyes as he realised what the question was.

“No, one of my Class Abilities gives me resistance to flames. My Patron Gift is far more useful,” Gargan said, carefully not looking at the outraged Aspen. “I am able to infuse my fire with a purifying aspect, which allows me to gain the basis of control around what is burnt and what isn’t. Unclean or impure things are also more easily burned by my flames.”

Jake was well aware of how the views of the classer could affect how their abilities functioned, but he also remembered the warning about not taking it that far.

Gargan’s Gift was a good example of that it seemed, especially if he could mark his allies as being ‘pure’, as what then happened if someone did something that he subconsciously viewed as impure?

How would he react to monsters if he always regarded them as impure?

Jake had concerns, but Gargan had been nothing but a boon to them so far, even with his small jabs at Aspen.

“One question before I talk about mine,” Jake said after a few moments of thought. “Can you tell me about the Unaligned Pantheon?”

Both of the other classers looked surprised at the question and exchanged a thoughtful look before Gargan spoke up. “It is a neutral Pantheon, one that exists outside of those like the Triarchy. It gives our Patrons allies, and those of us with Patrons who share a Pantheon are encouraged to work together for the common good.”

“I see,” Jake said, wishing that they all shared a Pantheon, that would have made things much easier. “In that case, my Patron is The Great Dungeon, a member of The First Pantheon. I’m still new to this, so I don’t really know the principles it stands for.”

Even as he spoke, Jake remembered his vision and the things waiting just outside the thin layer of protection that surrounded their reality. He wasn’t sure that sharing such knowledge was really for the best, though.

“Are you being serious?” Aspen asked in a strangled voice, his eyes wide with shock.