Dungeon Bound Page 24

  He tilted his head back, staring unseeing toward the stone ceiling. Overwhelmed by their latest setback, he stood there motionless.

  “Ar-are you going to ab-abandon me now, Gabriel Grimm?” Meri asked, her quiet, child-like voice blasting through his worries.

  “No. Nothing’s changed on that front. You saved my soul. I won’t back out now. But right now, we need to come up with a plan. Because I’m not sure we can fight that many at once. Especially with Kelith there,” he said, anger darkening his voice.

  “How skilled a mage is this Kelith?” Sthuza asked.

  Gabriel glanced over and smiled sadly at the sight of her eerily calm expression. And the stark contrast with the noticeable shivering of her head-snakes. After a single thought toward their bond, he felt her roiling emotions.

  She’s trying to put on a brave face, but she’s as terrified as I am.

  “He was second in our class at the Academy,” Gabriel said after taking a moment to compose his voice. Thoughts of the arrogant noble still threatened to whip him into a fury.

  “And you were the one who outperformed him at every turn, infuriating the spoiled brat of a local noble?” she asked.

  He stared at her. “How did you—?”

  “You mentioned before that he was a pompous ass, and your tone was ever so slightly smug as you pointed out his ranking,” she said, a small grin on her face. It wasn’t much against the fear still visible in her emerald eyes, but it was something.

  Damn, that’s impressive. Though, the amused expression’s far better.

  Sthuza turned to face Cuix. “Did you leave any of your goblins spying on the invaders?”

  The small female squeaked, bowed obsequiously, then nodded. “Yep, Scary Snake Death, I’s put Gorte to sneaky sneaks.”

  Sthuza looked back to Gabriel, her snakes looking somewhat calmer now. “You need to—,”

  Gabriel nodded and dove into his connection with the dungeon again, not waiting for her to finish.

  Apparently, putting a name to the goblin scout made the connection quicker, and he jolted at the realization he got better a vision from Gorte than he had from the others.

  Is it because I know his name? Does he have better eyes? Or am I still growing stronger?

  Whatever the cause of the improved scrying, he rushed across the mental bridge between them. His breath caught as he focused on the danger unfolding before his borrowed eyes.

  ***

  “I’m telling you, we’re in deep shit,” a heavily armored man said, his voice gruff.

  “Relax, Trevor,” the equally armored woman next to him replied, snickering. “So there are a few monsters left down here, and a few fools got themselves dead.

  “What, did ya expect we’d stroll over to this fancy treasure, nick it, and be on our merry way? Come on, man. Show some fucking spine.”

  Several others laughed at her words. When Trevor glared, most of them went silent and glanced away.

  “I understand your concerns,” a cultured voice called out, calming the large group. “It is regrettable that we lost two groups earlier. I assure you my father will pay out the death benefits we discussed before the delve.”

  Tall, slender, and blond, Kelith sauntered into the center of the armed soldiers. “And perhaps we should pay out a bonus to everyone here. After all, we must now push ahead with fewer people than intended,” he said, shooting a disarming wink at the woman who’d spoken.

  That earned him a loud cheer. Among the yelling and whistling, several women shot the wealthy scion lustful glances. He smiled and waited until the din quieted again. “Our diviner has discovered the Core’s location, so once we finish resting, we’ll head straight there.”

  After hearing conclusive proof about their plans, Gabriel pulled his senses back to his own body. He’d had more than enough of that prick back in school.

  Never thought he’d follow me into the damn dungeon. At least we know for sure now.

  He shook his head, his vision clearing, and he stared into the bashful face of Cindra.

  “Packmaster is back,” she barked happily, her blue tongue lolling from her mouth. Then he realized his face was disturbingly moist.

  She was licking me, wasn’t she?

  A moment spent recalling precisely how gory her mouth was a short while ago had him shuddering.

  Nah, Sthuza made her clean up first, right? Yeah, definitely. Still, I’m not asking. Just in case.

  He paused a second to calm himself. “I saw Kelith and at least three other casters. And if that’s not enough to terrify you, they had sixteen others with them. All were wearing at least decent armor.

  “Better than the ratty GG gambeson I wore when I went delving anyway,” he muttered darkly.

  “GG gamby, what?” Cindra asked, leaning in closer and tilting her head.

  Seeing that he was distracted trying to hold Cindra at bay, Sthuza answered for him. “A relatively inexpensive type of armor crafted from properly treated goblin grass.

  “And before you ask, it is a very tough fibrous weed that many races use for rope and other utility items.”

  “Thanks, Snakey, you always know the answers,” Cindra said happily, still leaning side to side in an attempt to invade Gabriel’s personal space.

  He pressed a hand against her flawless gray-skinned face and paused. “Hey, she’s right.”

  His sudden claim startled both bonded.

  “Cindra is?”

  “I dread to ask, Master, but how is she right?”

  He flashed her a teasing grin. “You do always seem to have all the answers.”

  The elegant gorgon blushed a darker shade of green and looked away momentarily before meeting his gaze.

  “That is kind of you to say, thank you,” she said, then took a deep breath. “I am aware you are asking about my past, without asking. It is not pleasant to recall, but I am willing to tell you more about myself. Just not right now. We do not have enough time.”

  He nodded, pushed Cindra back once more, then stood again. “Good point. We know they’re coming, so we’ve got to prepare the best defense we can.”

  Both bonded matched his nod, and Merideva floated back into view. She’d apparently retreated to her cubbyhole while he’d been scrying.

  “D-do you really think you can beat them?” she asked, her soft voice barely audible.

  Gabriel stared at the dim blue Core for a moment, weighing his response.

  Still not sure how much of my thoughts or feelings Meri can read, but she deserves the truth regardless. I don’t want to keep secrets. Had enough trouble with that between Mother, that shithead Kelith, and Estrial.

  “I honestly don’t know, Meri. All I can promise you is that I will do everything in my power to fight them.”

  She bobbed up and down, her dim glow brightening slightly at his words. “If you want, I’ve saved up a few points of DE from earlier.”

  He smiled when Sthuza perked up and moved closer.

  “That’s great news!”

  “You acquired a fraction of their value through your bond with…?” Sthuza asked, trailing off.

  A glance at his Prime revealed her looking almost as dispirited as she had earlier. “What’s wrong? I thought you were excited.”

  She tried to flash a smile. “Yesss, I wasss. I let my imagination run away on me. Then I recalled that we were not fighting within Lady Merideva’sss dungeon,” she hissed, her snakes coiling tightly behind her head.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “She means that I didn’t get any Essence from the ones you killed. Or the minotaur you helped Cuix slay,” Meri said, causing him to shoot a harsh glare at the embarrassed goblin.

  “Then, where did you get any Dungeon Essence?” Gabriel asked.

  “It’s all I have left from the stockpile ED gave me,” she whispered. The sadness in her tone reminded him that the Core had been through a lot before they met.

  Not going to pretend I have any idea what her life was like before
she came here. But being attacked by terrifying bug monsters the moment she exited the portal must’ve had a significant effect on her. Plus, she lost all of her followers.

  Did she have a DM when she arrived?

  Realization of how little he knew about the Dungeon Core bonded to him rocked his mind. Still, this was hardly the time to let himself get distracted by history or relationships.

  There’ll be plenty of time for learning more about all three of them after we kill that insufferable prick.

  He laughed to himself.

  Well, maybe after we kill him, Estrial, and recover the crystal.

  “Sorry, I just realized something we’ll have to work on later,” he said, answering the curious look Sthuza shot him.

  Reaching out, he carefully cradled the depressed Core in his hands. “I can’t imagine how hard it is for you after losing everyone who came with you. Right now, we need to make the best use of whatever DE you have left.”

  Softly caressing the top of the warm orb, he smiled. “But I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help you get back everything you’ve lost.”

  Still dim, Merideva shifted color to a lighter blue as he spoke.

  Sthuza’s eyes locked onto Gabriel. “How much DE remains?”

  He shrugged, drawing an exasperated sigh from the gorgon. “You can check via the Dungeon Interface, Master.”

  His face flushing in embarrassment, he nodded and brought up the Interface. Even with his attention on searching through the detailed panes of information, he continued to stroke Meri’s Core.

  “Looks like one hundred points even.”

  I need to find the time to study this better. It feels like there are a bunch of stats and sections that don’t show up until I think to look for them.

  Sthuza’s gaze slackened as her snakes began undulating rhythmically. He watched with concern for several minutes as she slowly swayed to a melody only she heard.

  “Unfortunate, but I believe our best bet will be to…” Sthuza said, trailing off. She swallowed, looking unhappy as she continued. “Summon five more goblins to help distract them.”

  “Are you sure?” Meri asked, her voice fragile and muffled.

  His Prime nodded then flashed a small smile. “There is not enough time to set up any good traps using the limited supply of DE available at present. Of course, that means there is also no possibility of creating additional rooms.”

  “If you think that’s the best course, I trust you,” Gabriel said. Looking at the Core, he smiled. “But only if you agree.”

  Merideva brightened at that, though her hue remained blue. She floated off his hands and bobbed in that way he’d come to think of as nodding. “Sure, I can do it right now if you want.”

  He shot a glance at Sthuza for confirmation and then gave Meri the go-ahead.

  I’m curious how conjuring a new monster works. The only Conjurations I’ve seen before were attack spells.

  ***

  To Gabriel’s surprise, he didn’t have long to contemplate the thought. Within ten seconds of telling Meri to start, five sets of arcane glyphs began to form on the smooth stone floor.

  He stared in wonder at the intricate and perfectly formed symbols as they multiplied, brightened, and then began to rotate.

  I’ve never heard of anyone being able to weave five spells at once.

  Apparently, his surprise was written on his face as Sthuza turned to him and explained. “Dungeon Cores have an incredible natural talent at spellcasting. If they did not have their own set of rules to live by, they could conquer the world.”

  His eyes widened at that.

  Just how much of what the Guild knows about dungeons is wrong? Perhaps the better question is, are any of their beliefs accurate?

  After shaking aside the disturbing revelation, he looked toward the glowing crystal ball. Meri gave off no noticeable indicators that she was crafting five intricate spell circles at the same time. In fact, as far as Gabriel could tell, she wasn’t doing anything.

  That judgment felt wrong, so he focused inward, reaching out for the bond between them. Copious evidence of her masterful spellweaving was clear the moment he touched their connection.

  That’s amazing. Her control and pacing are both perfect.

  So thrilled by the spectacle of flawless spellwork, he watched in rapt fascination as she worked.

  All too soon, Meri finished. Gabriel struggled against the sense of loss, his soul begging for her to continue when she cut her arcane constructs free. Not wanting to miss out on the unfathomably complicated spells creating life, Gabriel shook his head and returned his sight to the physical.

  Sthuza smirked at him, amusement dancing in her green eyes as she nodded toward the brilliant glow emanating from across the large room.

  His jaw dropped as the spell circles continued to spiral. Faster and faster they spun, their arcane glyphs becoming indecipherable as they began to spread vertically.

  Within the glowing magical cyclones, dark shapes began to materialize. Motionless at first, they soon began to shift, and soft sounds burst forth. After several minutes, the glowing blue light show dimmed. As the spell circles faded from existence, five clean goblins stood across from him.

  Never seen a goblin look that fresh. Or naked.

  His excitement to see the miracle of life so proudly demonstrated withered when he unintentionally set his eyes on five sets of goblin genitals.

  I hope Cuix isn’t planning an orgy.

  A glance back to the original goblins made him shudder. Cuix, the undisputed leader of Merideva’s goblins, was positively vibrating in her eagerness.

  Maybe she’s just looking forward to leading more troops?

  Another peek dispelled that hope when he saw the look of burning lust clouding the green-skinned girl’s wide face. With ample motivation, he drove any lingering thoughts of goblin sex from his mind. He turned back to his bonded and drew them over to a corner.

  “Will they be enough to help us survive this?” he whispered, eyes locked on Sthuza’s brilliant green ones.

  Slender shoulders rose in a noncommittal shrug. Doubt, fear, and hope warred across her aristocratic face.

  “It is impossible to say, Master. At the very least, I am confident they were the best we could do with the limited time and Essence available.” She let out a heavy sigh. “We will learn nothing more until we face the invaders.”

  “Cindra… I will keep you safe, Pack—Gabriel Grimm,” Cindra said solemnly. Her face held unnaturally rigid as she corrected herself.

  Gabriel and Sthuza both blinked at the sudden shift in the hellhound’s speech.

  Oh gods! If she’s using my name, trying to be so formal… Even she thinks we’re doomed.

  Touched by her sincere effort, he fought back his terror and rewarded her with the biggest smile he could manage.

  “Thank you, Cindra, I know I can trust you by my side,” he said, matching her serious tone. He turned to his other bonded. “Thank you, Sthuza. For everything you’ve done for me and for standing with me now.”

  At most expecting a regal nod or a polite smile from the cultured monster girl, he froze in shock when she lunged forward.

  Dressed in form-fitting leather armor and partial skirt, her body was soft and cool against him, but her tears were hot as they dripped on his neck.

  “Massster, pleassse do not die! I cannot bear to lossse you ssso sssoon after finding you,” she said between hiccuping sobs.

  He wrapped his arms around her slim body that suddenly seemed far smaller than he remembered.

  “Then I guess we’ll just have to kill Kelith and those mercenary assholes with him, won’t we?” he said with ridiculous bravado, a dopey grin on his face.

  Her sobs shifted gradually into soft laughter. “That doesss sssound like a good plan,” she hissed, her voice muffled as she wiped at her runny nose.

  She stepped back from their embrace and rubbed angrily at her eyes. “Yesss.” She coughed twice, clearing her throat. “Y
es, Master, we must slay any who would dare attempt to steal Lady Merideva.”

  He nodded at her, grateful for her effort in keeping their morale up. But before he could reply, powerful arms snaked around him and the gorgon, cinching them tight against each other. And against the largest pair of breasts he’d ever seen.

  “Cindra, you are crushing me, I mean Master. Let us go at once!”

  The statuesque monster girl shook her head vigorously, her thick mane whipping across his face. While Gabriel just laughed at her enthusiasm, Sthuza sputtered, spitting in desperation to get the hellhound’s light-gray hair out of her mouth.

  He worked his arms free from the tight embrace and did his best to hug both of his bonded.

  Finally, after several long minutes, Cindra relaxed her grip and freed her captives. Sthuza, head-snakes hissing in outrage, pulled back the moment she let go.

  Gabriel reached up and affectionately ruffled the taller woman’s unruly hair, a wistful smile on his face. “We need to get a brush or comb for you.”

  That’s another thing that’ll have to wait until we survive this mess.

  He sighed and ran his hands through his tousled hair. Not bothering to ask the goblins for an update, he closed his eyes and reached out to scry through the scout’s again.

  But all he found was darkness. He pulled back, then sought out Cuix’s goblins. Nine subservient nodes appeared in his mind’s eye.

  They must have spotted the scout. Shit.

  “I think they killed the scout. We need to get ready in case they’re right outside,” Gabriel said. He made his voice as hard and commanding as he could, hoping it would be enough to keep Meri and the unreliable goblins calm. “You nine are going to work together and keep each other alive. But no running away from the battle.”

  Gabriel stared intensely at each of the short monsters for several seconds. “We’re going to fight in here, within Merideva’s Domain. There will be no retreating.”

  He hardened his glare, demanding each small monster pay attention. Two of the newer goblins pissed themselves at that, but it pleased him to see that none of them backed away.

  It’s good that she spawned them with weapons, but why didn’t they get clothes?

  “Meri, I want you to go back and hide in your cubbyhole until it’s over,” he said, then paused, thinking back. “Didn’t you have a way to conceal it before?”