Dungeon Bound Read online

  Sthuza sighed, then nodded. “If you insist, Master. I would rather you not, but I will assist. Truthfully, I knew you would insist on healing her, so let us begin.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  It didn’t take Gabriel long to locate the wounded hellhound through the Weave. But he struggled for several minutes with the concept of injecting mana directly into the dying monster.

  Sthuza focused on keeping him calm and guiding him through the process. Having only theoretical knowledge, she struggled to explain it.

  Cindra’s labored breathing steadied after a while, and he felt their connection grow stronger.

  He dove into the heated sensation, deepening their connection. Suddenly, it was far easier to transfer mana to Cindra, healing her many wounds. Like a dam bursting, his power surged into the battered body beneath his hands. As the resistance faded, she seemed to pull him deeper.

  Meanwhile, his attention fled from the Mortal Realm, and Gabriel marveled at the strange visions of glowing lines heading off in every direction. A light-blue line connected him to Cindra, and he watched as energy flowed into her. Nearby a much larger cord of ethereal energy disappeared into the distance, while a thinner bright-green strand connected him to Sthuza.

  I’ve never heard of anything like this.

  He fell into a blissful peace, losing track of how long he spent watching the flow of energy and the beauty of the shifting images around him. Something shaking his shoulder drew him back into the physical, and he blinked tired eyes.

  They snapped closed again, and he struggled to reopen them. He succeeded, then realized just how exhausted his body was.

  I wasn’t tired at all before. What happened?

  “Ah, thank the gods, you are back, Master,” Sthuza said, and cool arms embraced him in a tight hug. Wrapped around him from behind, she was out of his vision, but he saw a few snakes dart in close. Several others gently brushed against his face and hair as the gorgon clung to him.

  “Sorry about that. How long was I out of it?” Gabriel asked, reaching back with one hand to rub her shoulder.

  “At leassst four hoursss, Massster!” she hissed, her sibilant voice thick with concern. “Please do not do something like that again. The stupid furball was not worth the risk.”

  “Shh, I’m okay now. I’m sorry I worried you,” Gabriel said, still stroking her shoulder. “Is Cindra healed?”

  Sthuza nodded, the movement causing her snakes to undulate. Several curled around his head, trying to steady themselves.

  How much control does she have over those?

  “She will live,” Sthuza whispered, her soft breath tickling his neck.

  “Can she walk?” he asked, now concerned about how they could move the larger monster.

  There’d be no point in all of this healing if we just abandon her out here.

  “I believe she will be able to, yes. And I expect that you wish to take her as your second bonded,” Sthuza said, sounding more exasperated than angry.

  He chuckled. “Am I that obvious?”

  “Apparently, Master. Though I must admit I do find it refreshing,” Sthuza whispered, releasing him and moving back. “Okay, you walking rug, it is time to stop pretending and get up. My master graciously bestowed healing upon your unworthy hide. The least you can do is properly thank him.”

  “Uh, Sthuza?” he said, surprised at the intensity in her voice.

  “She may not be a feline, but all furries are dangerous!”

  “Right…”

  That doesn’t sound like it’ll end well.

  “Cindra thanks the Dungeon Master,” the massive beast growled, her deep voice vibrating him as she shifted up to a sitting position.

  “You’re welcome, Cindra. And thank you for saving me,” Gabriel said, smiling as he studied her massive form.

  Thick gray fur covered most of her muscular, canine body. Each paw had a wide cuff of bright-blue fur that matched the thicker collar of blue around her neck. She stared back at him with surprisingly intelligent-looking eyes. Her black sclera contrasted sharply with the glowing sapphire of her irises, and she flashed vicious fangs when he smiled at her.

  Letting his eyes trail along her solid form, he noticed a fluffy gray tail wagging energetically behind her as the hellhound wiggled in place.

  “The master is taking Cindra?” she growled, quieter but still gravelly.

  Still smiling, he nodded. “If you want me to, yes. I appreciate your help, and it sounds like you don’t have anywhere to go now, right?”

  Her large eyes grew sad, and she nodded her massive head, causing furry triangular ears to flop, one winding up flipped the wrong side out.

  “Mean spiders hunted Cindra’s pack. Mother told her to flee, and so Cindra lived,” she said, her head tilting toward the floor.

  Without thinking, Gabriel reached out with his wounded arm and patted her fluffy head. Cindra immediately lunged forward and began rubbing against him. He started to fall over as she pressed into him, but Sthuza braced his back.

  “Get off him, you filthy mongrel!” she hissed.

  She has to weight five or six times more than me!

  “Cindra isn’t fil… Okay, maybe Cindra a little filthy,” the chastised hound retorted. “But Cindra not mongrel! Is pureblood!”

  “Yes, yes, I am sure you have quite the prestigious pedigree. For a dog. But if you are to be a part of Master’s retinue, you will have to learn to behave yourself appropriately.” A symphony of angry hissing accompanied Sthuza’s words.

  Gabriel raised a hand to intervene, but before he could open his mouth, the larger monster sat in front of the gorgon and calmed her wagging tail.

  “Much better,” Sthuza said. “Now, Master, I believe it past time we head back to my lair. I bound your arm as best I could, but you need to rest.”

  He glanced down, chagrined to see she had cleaned and dressed his injury.

  Guess she has medical supplies in one of those pouches? How many dimensional containers does she have?

  “Thank you, Sthuza. It was careless of me to dive so deep into that ritual without treating my own wounds first.”

  “Yes, it was. But you are still new to all of this. As long as you learn quickly, it will work out,” she said, and reached down, helping him stand.

  Wow, they’re both stronger than me. I know Meri boosted my physical abilities a lot, but Sthuza feels strong enough to pick me up and throw me.

  She transfixed the hellhound with a piercing stare. “Master has spent far too much of his mana on your mangy fur, so you will have to keep any threats from reaching him. Understand?”

  Cindra bobbed her head eagerly, and Gabriel could only stare at the pair.

  Her mouth is big enough to swallow Sthuza’s head whole, but she’s just taking every insult and order in stride. Monsters are weird.

  The trip back was uneventful, and Gabriel enjoyed the comfortable silence as they made their way back to Sthuza’s luxurious cave.

  I’m starting to think being a DM makes for a very strenuous life. Need to ask Sthuza about the average lifespan of DMs later.

  His Prime spoke up as they turned down the hall that led to her hidden door. “Master, I hate to impose upon you, but I would appreciate it if you could use a cleaning spell on the fur-brain and yourself before entering my home.”

  “Oh, right! Thanks for reminding me.”

  How much mana do I have left anyway?

  Mana 2.3%

  That’s not good. Didn’t realize I blew through so much on healing.

  Within seconds he had both of them surrounded by a nimbus of tingling suds. Half a minute later, the spell faded away, leaving them clean as only magic can get someone.

  A quick peek at his mana bar confirmed what Gabriel had expected. Despite cleaning them both, the magic he’d cast didn’t create a measurable draw on his pool. He stared intently for several seconds but saw no change in the Interface.

  Mana 2.3%

  “Ooh! Cindra love Packmaster’s
magic!” the hellhound barked.

  “Packmaster?” he asked, glancing first at her, then the smirking gorgon.

  Sthuza giggled. “You claimed her, Master. Marked her soul. Now you will have to live with that responsibility.”

  He glanced back at Cindra, who flashed a fang-filled smile and nodded. “Well, we’re clean, so let’s head inside. I’m really starting to feel drained.”

  Sthuza opened the hidden door and stepped aside. She let Gabriel go first, then followed the hellhound.

  “Please try not to get fur everywhere,” she hissed.

  Cindra ignored the comment, her eyes wide as she glanced at the piles of treasures, then stared at the assortment of pillows spread across one side.

  “Do not even think of getting on my bed, you fluffy crotch-licker.”

  Cindra whimpered, but reluctantly retreated from the cushions and moved to the large rug in the center of the room. She circled it twice, then settled down in the middle and curled up on herself.

  “Cindra, happy. Sleepytime,” she growled, her steady breathing growing soft.

  Gabriel laughed. “Think she has the right idea.”

  “I believe there is something we should deal with first, Master.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “If you still wish to bond with this flea-infested mutt, Master, now would be the best time to do so.”

  Gabriel nodded and agreed, causing the canine to jump up from the rug and yip before running in circles. While she was distracted, he stepped close to his Prime-bonded. “Are you okay with me choosing her?” he asked, studying the gorgon’s face.

  Sthuza let out a long breath, then met his gaze and nodded. A quick peek revealed her head-snakes were splitting their focus between him and Cindra.

  “Yes. As much as I do not look forward to the walking rug shedding all over the place, she is an impressive specimen, and still young. Barely an adult.

  “With some training, and maybe a small investment on your part, she will make a reasonable bonded.”

  “Thank you, Sthuza,” he said, smiling at her before turning to face the hellhound.

  “So do we do this the same as before?” Gabriel asked, watching the energetic monster run in circles around them.

  “Yes, Master. You keep her distracted, and I will lay out the ritual for you. Then it is up to you to perform it,” she said, already rolling up the thick wool rug to expose the bare stone.

  “You can’t guide me through like you did last time?”

  Is this the sort of ritual the instructors always warned against performing before you’re ready?

  She shook her head, sending greenish-black snakes whipping around wildly.

  “Does tossing your snakes around like that hurt?” he asked, watching as several of the serpents lolled and weaved drunkenly about her.

  Sthuza turned back to him and flashed a shy smile. Her emerald eyes watched for any sign of disgust as she spoke. “No, Master. I feel anything that happens to them. But they do not negatively affect my balance or anything like that.”

  “Thanks for explaining. I look forward to getting to know you better,” Gabriel said, smiling. “I need to learn more about you since it sounds like we’ll be together for a long time.”

  She nodded, a wide grin spreading across her delicate face, and then she returned to preparing the ritual glyphs.

  It took her several minutes to finish tracing the patterns on the smooth stone. Gabriel wound up spending most of that time struggling to keep the ecstatic canine from crushing him with her bulk.

  Sthuza looked up after finishing her work and glared at the other female. “Get off of him, you ssshaggy firessstarter!” she hissed, moving over to help push her away from the overwhelmed DM.

  “Cindra can’t help it. Cindra is getting a new Pack!” Making sure they understood just how thrilled she was, she slipped a foot-long tongue out of her bright-blue mouth and licked up and down both Sthuza and Gabriel as they tried to calm the relentless monster.

  “Yes, yes. You are excited, but you must show proper respect if you wish to bond with Master.”

  That calmed Cindra, and the pair had her move into the runic circle so they could start the bonding. His Prime reminded him of the steps to form a bond, tying the fiery monster to him. It surprised him to see how swiftly Cindra picked up her side of the ritual.

  Given that she can talk, I guess it shouldn’t be so surprising that she can work through her end of the bindings.

  Half an hour after they started, he felt a connection binding him to Cindra through the Weave, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Just as before, a flow of thoughts and emotions surged over their new bond. He staggered back from the overwhelming lust and passion flowing from the four-legged canine monster.

  Her emotions rushed Gabriel, wrapping him in a fiery heat that threatened to burn away his very identity. Just as the flames began to consume him, searing his mind, they calmed, and he breathed easier as a steady flow of images rushed through him.

  ***

  Gabriel watched as dozens of scenes sped past him, giving brief glimpses of the hellhound’s past. The images blurred together, their attached emotions barely discernible. They began to slow, and he recognized the fight against the arachne, from Cindra’s perspective.

  Then her emotions flared again. Gabriel almost lost himself in the scorching inferno of her happiness and lust. The lust washing over him was enough to drown in.

  I can freely admit that I find Sthuza highly desirable, but this is way outside of my comfort zone.

  Not wanting to hurt the friendly monster’s feelings, he tried to suppress his revulsion at her emotions, but the whimper she let out warned that he’d failed.

  “Packmaster, not want Cindra?” she growled softly, backing away, her belly brushing the stone floor. The pitiful sound was disturbing, coming from the muscular beast.

  Sthuza sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.

  “Really, Master? I keep forgetting how little you know,” she said, one hand coming up to rub at her eyes.

  “And as for you, fur-brain,” she said, turning to glare at Cindra. “How long do you plan to pretend to be a semi-intelligent dog?”

  Gabriel flinched at the gorgon’s harsh words and glanced down at the submissive canine. Whose massive muzzle bobbed sadly and then seemed to blur.

  He blinked at the sight, his jaw dropping as Cindra shrank into herself. Within seconds there was a humanoid with dark-gray skin squatting where the enormous hellhound had been.

  Short light-gray fur coated her legs and arms partway, while brilliant-blue cuffs of thicker fur accented her wrists and ankles, just like on her more monstrous form. Though the fur stopped there, leaving her hands and feet bare. Each of which ended in a set of dark claws.

  Similar blue fur encircled her throat, forming a plush collar and drawing his eyes to the strong, feminine face staring up at him.

  The first thing he noticed was that her eyes were slightly smaller but otherwise identical. Black sclera surrounded luminous blue irises filled with anxiety. Lowering his gaze, he took in her plump charcoal-gray lips and her powerful neck.

  Then Gabriel noticed her breasts and promptly forgot everything else. As soon as he saw them, his eyes locked onto the pair of gravity-defying orbs. Capped with erect bright-blue nipples, they were by far the largest breasts he’d ever seen. Even more impressive than the arachne’s sizable rack.

  I didn’t know breasts could get that big. Or hold their shape like that.

  Eventually, someone cleared their throat loudly, and Gabriel shook his head. He reluctantly turned his head and found himself face to face with a sharply glaring, deep-green gorgon.

  “Ssshe hasss very large breassstsss, doesssn’t ssshe, Massster,” Sthuza hissed. Her snakes stood rigid, their tiny green eyes glaring at him, poised to strike.

  Gabriel swallowed hard. “Yeah, she does,” he said. “But I’m more surprised by the whole shapeshifting bit. I thought she was a hellhound.”


  Sthuza nodded, causing the snakes around her head to flail wildly. “She is a hellhound, a seruuberc hellhound to be specific. And I presume that you are not aware of their breed,” Sthuza said, her voice calming as he kept his eyes focused on her.

  “Never heard of any distinction between different breeds of them. Is this another part of the Guild lacking valuable knowledge?” he asked, drawing a small nod from his Prime.

  “They are natural shapeshifters, though with only the two forms. Because her mass does not change, Cindra can switch between forms for only a minor energy cost, unlike me.”

  He turned back to the squatting monster girl behind him and took a step back at how close she was now. Even squatting with her thick round ass near the stone floor, her fuzzy ears still came up past his waist.

  She’s taller than I am.

  His eyes dropped back to her chest. Damn, that must be where all her extra mass went.

  He swallowed again, trying to restrain his body’s energetic response to the generous skin on display before him.

  Kind of surprised she doesn’t have any scars from earlier.

  “Packmaster, not hate Cindra? Not going to send me away?” she asked, her voice still deep, but far more feminine and husky now.

  “No, he does not hate you, or your massive mounds of fat,” Sthuza answered for him.

  Cindra’s dark-gray face lit up at Sthuza’s frosty words, and she leapt, wrapping powerfully muscled arms around Gabriel and tackling him to the hard stone.

  “Ow,” he gasped as she landed heavily on his chest.

  “Gah! You ridiculousss mutt, get off him!”

  She ignored the hissing gorgon and began rubbing her face against his neck and whining in pleasure.

  “Cindra, stop you’re crushing me,” he groaned, vainly trying to pry the large woman’s firm body from his.

  “Packmaster won’t regret it. Cindra will do my best and make you happy lots,” she whispered into his ear, her hot breath driving his arousal through the roof.

  Several minutes of working with Sthuza let him finally dislodge the deceptively strong hellhound girl, and he took a few deep breaths before standing back up.