Beauts
Rock and roll will never die
I love this so far, I am so excited to read the rest of it as ever
Through the Dungeons
- Thread starter Azure Sage
- Start date
Sorry I always take forever to release chapters. I am a lazy potato. ;p This chapter ends the first arc of the story. I hope you guys enjoy the read! Let me know what you think of it.
Fire and monsters besieged the town of Balena. Buildings were ruined, homes were lost, lives were destroyed, and among it all, the enormous fire-breathing dragon Aquamentus appeared. The two Dungeoneers of the Avalon Runners guild, Azure Sage and Snow Queen, watched on in a blank, hopeless stare as the town they’d sworn to protect was ravaged.
“It’s all over... There’s nothing we can do anymore...” Snow said.
Azure’s heart sunk into a dark void as horrid memories haunted his mind again. “Again... I couldn’t do anything again...” he said.
“I’m sorry I was cold to you when we first met, Azure.” Snow said, as if trying to atone before certain death.
Azure didn’t respond. His mind was spinning, looking for a way out of this situation. But he couldn’t think of anything.
- Damn it... Is there really nothing we can do at all?
As the two sat in their embrace, losing hope by the second, thunder clouds rolled in over their heads. Azure didn’t pay any attention to them, but they caught Snow Queen’s attention.
“Wait a sec...” she said, looking up at them. Her eyes widened. “Those are...!”
“Huh?” Azure said, looking up.
CRACK!
The air hummed and crackled as a devastating bolt of lightning struck. The impact was so fierce, it shook the buildings across town. Azure winced from the shock, feeling his hairs stand up on end. And that’s when he noticed it.
The lighting bolt had struck Aquamentus.
“It is! We... We might make it through this after all!” Snow said, her face beaming full of hope now.
“What is it?” Azure asked, not following her reasoning.
A second bolt of lightning came crashing down, once again striking Aquamentus. The great dragon howled as it stumbled, its scales burnt in places. As it fell, lightning gathered visibly on one of the buildings near the guild hall. At the source of this lightning stood a lone man.
“That was lightning magic?” Azure said.
“Yes! Look there!” Snow said, pointing to the man casting the lightning magic in question.
Azure squinted, trying to see the man clearly. When he was able to identify him, his face lit up and a spark of hope inside him was rekindled.
“I can’t believe it! It’s Repentance!” Azure said.
- I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that Repentance would be out there, too... If we have a guild Admin on our side, then even Aquamentus could be driven away!
Repentance, the Administrator of the Avalon Runners, stood before the monster Aquamentus at the edge of town, his arms crossed at his chest. As Aquamentus regained its posture, the two glared at each other like old enemies.
“It’s been awhile, Aquamentus...” Repentance rasped. “You’ve really made quite a mess out of my town. We can always rebuild the houses and buildings, but there is only one thing we can do for the lives that were lost today.”
Repentance’s body sparkled with electricity. He raised his arm up, his hand curled in a fist.
“And that is to pay you back a thousand times over!” he shouted.
Another lightning strike roared down from the skies. Aquamentus beat its wings and bellowed as it was struck. Repentance took a step back as the beast shook off the lightning, and the air began to crackle around him. Aquamentus released a spat of fire from its maw, threatening to rend the area in its wake to ash.
Repentance released a vast amount of electricity that had been accumulating in the air around him, meeting the flames. Their attacks locked together, and it became a battle of endurance as each pushed with all their might. Flames and sparks scattered all around them, lighting up the area as bright as day.
At last, Repentance’s lightning magic won out. The surge of lighting dispersed the fire, and traveled in the blink of an eye to shock Aquamentus once again. The creature roared in anger and attempted to swat the intrepid Admin. Repentance’s body became that of lightning, and he was gone in a flash. The dragon’s arm only managed to swat the building Repentance had been standing on.
As lightning, Repentance darted through the air, and reappeared above Aquamentus. He raised his arms up, and lightning magic condensed in the form of golden light above his head. A magic circle appeared in the air above him, a sign that he was casting high-order magic. Lightning strikes began to pour down from the clouds en masse, all striking Aquamentus.
The fierce dragon was struck repeatedly until most of its bluish scales were burnt brown and smoking. The beast whimpered in agony as Repentance returned to the ground. He was clearly exhausted after casting such a powerful spell, but Aquamentus was quickly regaining its vigor. Its eyes began to give off a pale blue light, and smoke of the same color wafted from its mouth.
“Heh... It’s not that easy, huh?” Repentance scoffed.
Aquamentus released a horrifying roar that fractured the earth around it, and an eerie magical force was accumulating in the sac in its throat. Repentance once again escaped out of the way in the form of lightning before the dragon fired off its attack. A ray of pale blue light struck the ground where Repentance had been, rending the earth asunder. The heat ray continued on to slice through buildings across town, engulfing them in eruptions of flame.
Repentance reappeared near the entrance of the guild hall, where many Dungeoneers were gathered.
“Bastard.” he rasped.
“Sir!” one of the Dungeoneers said, running over to him. “We’ve prepared the magic ballista cannon! Ready to fire on your command!” she reported.
“Perfect.” he said. He then turned to face the rest of the crowd of Dungeoneers. “Listen up! All mages and paladins report to the ballista room and fire when ready! The rest of you, help me hold that damned monster off!” he shouted.
“Yes, sir!” came the resounding reply.
Around half of the crowd of Dungeoneers broke off and rushed inside the guild hall. Meanwhile, Repentance led the rest of the crowd to face off against Aquamentus. The beast was winded after firing off the heat ray, and was busy catching its breath. However, it got on guard as the troop of Dungeoneers encroached upon it.
Aquamentus roared once more, its eyes and mouth still glowing with a pale haze. As its throat sac swelled up once more, Repentance hit it with the strongest lightning spell he could muster. The beast stumbled and prematurely released its attack straight into the air. The ray of heat pierced the thunderclouds blotting out the night sky.
Recoiling from the premature blast, Aquamentus collapsed. In that instant, a wave of attacks came raining down on it from all of the Dungeoneers in the troop; gunners and cavaliers alike worked together to hold the beast down while Repentance took a breather. At that time, Azure and Snow, who were watching from afar, noticed the structure of the guild hall begin to shift.
Atop the Avalon Runners guild hall was a giant wooden statue of a venerable bird, towering tall over the town. The wings of this statue began to come down, moved by gears. As they opened up, the upper body of the bird began to lower, aiming for the dragon that was still pinned down. The beak opened, and a cannon barrel protruded from within. The statue itself was the magic ballista cannon, powered by the magical energy of the Avalon Runners Dungeoneers.
The barrel of the cannon lit up with various colors of light. The accumulation of magic from some twenty-odd mages and paladins, an enormous amount of energy, was about to fire. Repentance and the Dungeoneers all noticed this and retreated to safety on the other side of the guild hall. Just as Aquamentus began to rise and fan out its wings, the magic ballista cannon fired.
A ray of light far larger than any Aquamentus could have released rocketed toward the beast, and upon impact, the monster’s scales were burnt off. The impact created the most devastating quake yet, leaving anyone in the area with a pounding head and ringing ears. The force of the blast opened up a large crater in the earth beneath Aquamentus. Its blood spattered in all directions, dying most of the crater’s surface area red. The mighty dragon was imprinted into the ground by the force of impact.
Even after all this, Aquamentus once again began to rise. However, it was beaten bloody and could barely hold itself up. At last, it finally turned tail and retreated back to the dungeon.
As the dragon limped away, the air rang with cheers of relief and victory. The Avalon Runners Dungeoneers threw their arms up and shouted to the sky with joy. Repentance let out a deep sigh and sunk down to a sitting position. He was understandably tired.
As the rest of the guild began another sweep of the town to clean up any remaining monsters, Azure and Snow breathed their own sighs of relief up on their rooftop.
“I can’t believe it... That was amazing! They really managed to drive it off! Thank God...” Snow said as tears of joy streamed down her flushed cheeks.
“Thank God...” Azure echoed. “I’m so glad the town was saved... I’m so relieved...”
Snow gave Azure a sidelong look after hearing that, and asked him a serious question. “I’ve been wondering for a while now. Azure... You don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable with it, but...”
“Yes?”
“Were you perhaps caught in a monster attack in the past?”
Azure felt himself inhale sharply. More images flashed through his mind, and he lowered his head. “... Yes. I was.”
“I see. So that’s why you were so desperate before...”
“Yeah. My hometown of Rosemary Village was wiped out. My dad, who was a Dungeoneer, was killed, along with the rest of my family. I barely escaped with my life. I could have saved my family, but I was too late in getting there. That’s why...”
Azure paused to take a breath.
“That’s why I became a Dungeoneer. I wanted to become strong enough to help save others from that kind of tragedy, and I wanted to become a Dungeoneer my family could be proud of.”
“I see. I remember hearing about Rosemary Village several years ago. I had no idea you were a survivor of that... I’m sorry.” Snow said.
“Thank you.”
The pair became quiet for a few minutes. Azure gazed out over the town, watching the scrambling Dungeoneers escort civilians to the outskirts, put down lingering monsters, and douse the fires. He etched this scene into his mind, in the hopes that the sight of a town’s salvation would finally give him closure and drive out the memories of Rosemary Village that haunted his mind for years.
“Hey.” Snow said, drawing his attention back.
“Yes?”
“I just wanted to say... Thank you for joining our guild.” Azure tensed up. “I don’t know if you’re thinking that you couldn’t do anything too grand today, but the fact is you being here saved a lot of people’s lives. You were strong enough to help people today.”
“Th-thank you...” Azure said, blushing a little.
“I have to admit, I’m a little envious...” Snow continued. “I’ve still yet to reach my own goal...”
Azure watched her with curiosity for a bit. Before they first entered the dungeon together, he found himself wanting to know more about her. He felt that same curiosity beginning to surface again.
“Snow... Why did you become a Dungeoneer?” he asked.
Snow was quiet at first. Azure wasn’t sure if she would answer. She began to tremble, and she hugged her knees. Azure thought at first that he’d upset her, but he quickly noticed that her anger was directed inward.
Snow Queen then clutched her eyepatch. “I became a Dungeoneer to track down the bastard that took my eye from me. Vengeance; that’s all I want.”
“So they fought it off, huh?” one figure said, observing Balena from a distance.
“It doesn’t matter. The experiment was a success. We got a dungeon boss to come out of its dungeon for the first time in history. Whether the town survived or not is irrelevant.” said another.
“True enough.”
“We’re making progress. Soon enough, our goal will be achieved.” said a third. “Depravity Arrow will pierce through all of the light in this world. We will make them pay. Every last one of them...” He said with a devilish grin. “Come. We’ve got work to do.”
“Alright everyone, let’s party! You’ve earned it!” Repentance shouted over a mug of booze.
The entire Avalon Runners guild hall came alive with cheers and shouting. Everyone knocked their mugs together, danced on the tables, and sang with joy. The bard’s band in the far corner played harder than usual. The waitresses were more bubbly than ever. Even the quest marms partied and danced.
It had been one week since the monsters of the dungeon invaded Balena. The town barely made it through. Many lives were lost, both of the civilians and the Dungeoneers. But reconstruction was well underway, and a memorial service for the fallen was held the day before. Now it was time to party. Everyone drank to their success and survival.
“And let’s also not forget to officially welcome Azure Sage to our guild! His efforts during the defense of the town saved many lives! A toast to Azure!”
“To Azure!” rang out through the hall.
Azure Sage himself sat at one of the tables with his head buried in his arms; he was too embarrassed by that toast of welcoming to look up. Snow sat beside him, laughing and patting his back.
“Hey, Azure! Feeling okay?” said Spirit, who sat across from him.
Azure’s voice was muffled as he spoke through his arms. “Yeah. Thanks to your healing magic, I’m all better now.”
“That’s wonderful, darling! I’m glad you’re all perked up again.” she said, taking a swig from her mug.
“Seems like you’re fitting in at the guild just fine.” Snow said. “Have you been able to find a place to stay yet?”
“Yeah. A sweet lady named Pamela is letting me stay in her attic for cheap.” Azure said, finally lifting his head up.
“Hah, that sounds lame. Once you start making money from the requests, you’ll be able to afford a better place." she said. “Speaking of which, I was wondering.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to form an official team? You and me.” Snow asked.
Azure perked up. “An official team?”
“Yeah. Lots of members form parties together and stuff. It’s not official on paper, it’s more like a mutual agreement. So do you wanna be my dungeoneering partner?”
Azure was caught off-guard. He wasn’t expecting her to drop a question like that. “... Why me?”
“Well, after everything we’ve been through together, I realized Rep was right before. You and I really work well together. Plus, I... I want to keep adventuring with you and fighting alongside you. What do you say?”
Snow held out her hand, looking hopeful for Azure to take it. Azure felt flattered. When he first met Snow Queen, she was cold and dominating to him. But it seemed that she really warmed up to him after facing life-or-death situations one after another together. Azure found himself feeling the same way. He, too, wanted to keep fighting alongside her.
Azure smiled warmly. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
As he said that, Snow’s face lit up with a smile just as bright. Azure took her hand, and they shook on it.
“Let me know if you ever want a healer along!” Spirit said playfully.
“Haha, sure thing!” Snow laughed.
The two turned back to each other and exchanged a cheer with their mugs.
“Let’s seek out glory together!” They said in unison.
As they tipped their mugs back and drank their hearts out, it finally sunk in for Azure; he was now truly a member of this Dungeoneer’s guild. At long last, his life as a Dungeoneer was beginning.
Next: The Flower Girl
Chapter Five
Raison D'être
Raison D'être
Fire and monsters besieged the town of Balena. Buildings were ruined, homes were lost, lives were destroyed, and among it all, the enormous fire-breathing dragon Aquamentus appeared. The two Dungeoneers of the Avalon Runners guild, Azure Sage and Snow Queen, watched on in a blank, hopeless stare as the town they’d sworn to protect was ravaged.
“It’s all over... There’s nothing we can do anymore...” Snow said.
Azure’s heart sunk into a dark void as horrid memories haunted his mind again. “Again... I couldn’t do anything again...” he said.
“I’m sorry I was cold to you when we first met, Azure.” Snow said, as if trying to atone before certain death.
Azure didn’t respond. His mind was spinning, looking for a way out of this situation. But he couldn’t think of anything.
- Damn it... Is there really nothing we can do at all?
As the two sat in their embrace, losing hope by the second, thunder clouds rolled in over their heads. Azure didn’t pay any attention to them, but they caught Snow Queen’s attention.
“Wait a sec...” she said, looking up at them. Her eyes widened. “Those are...!”
“Huh?” Azure said, looking up.
CRACK!
The air hummed and crackled as a devastating bolt of lightning struck. The impact was so fierce, it shook the buildings across town. Azure winced from the shock, feeling his hairs stand up on end. And that’s when he noticed it.
The lighting bolt had struck Aquamentus.
“It is! We... We might make it through this after all!” Snow said, her face beaming full of hope now.
“What is it?” Azure asked, not following her reasoning.
A second bolt of lightning came crashing down, once again striking Aquamentus. The great dragon howled as it stumbled, its scales burnt in places. As it fell, lightning gathered visibly on one of the buildings near the guild hall. At the source of this lightning stood a lone man.
“That was lightning magic?” Azure said.
“Yes! Look there!” Snow said, pointing to the man casting the lightning magic in question.
Azure squinted, trying to see the man clearly. When he was able to identify him, his face lit up and a spark of hope inside him was rekindled.
“I can’t believe it! It’s Repentance!” Azure said.
- I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that Repentance would be out there, too... If we have a guild Admin on our side, then even Aquamentus could be driven away!
Repentance, the Administrator of the Avalon Runners, stood before the monster Aquamentus at the edge of town, his arms crossed at his chest. As Aquamentus regained its posture, the two glared at each other like old enemies.
“It’s been awhile, Aquamentus...” Repentance rasped. “You’ve really made quite a mess out of my town. We can always rebuild the houses and buildings, but there is only one thing we can do for the lives that were lost today.”
Repentance’s body sparkled with electricity. He raised his arm up, his hand curled in a fist.
“And that is to pay you back a thousand times over!” he shouted.
Another lightning strike roared down from the skies. Aquamentus beat its wings and bellowed as it was struck. Repentance took a step back as the beast shook off the lightning, and the air began to crackle around him. Aquamentus released a spat of fire from its maw, threatening to rend the area in its wake to ash.
Repentance released a vast amount of electricity that had been accumulating in the air around him, meeting the flames. Their attacks locked together, and it became a battle of endurance as each pushed with all their might. Flames and sparks scattered all around them, lighting up the area as bright as day.
At last, Repentance’s lightning magic won out. The surge of lighting dispersed the fire, and traveled in the blink of an eye to shock Aquamentus once again. The creature roared in anger and attempted to swat the intrepid Admin. Repentance’s body became that of lightning, and he was gone in a flash. The dragon’s arm only managed to swat the building Repentance had been standing on.
As lightning, Repentance darted through the air, and reappeared above Aquamentus. He raised his arms up, and lightning magic condensed in the form of golden light above his head. A magic circle appeared in the air above him, a sign that he was casting high-order magic. Lightning strikes began to pour down from the clouds en masse, all striking Aquamentus.
The fierce dragon was struck repeatedly until most of its bluish scales were burnt brown and smoking. The beast whimpered in agony as Repentance returned to the ground. He was clearly exhausted after casting such a powerful spell, but Aquamentus was quickly regaining its vigor. Its eyes began to give off a pale blue light, and smoke of the same color wafted from its mouth.
“Heh... It’s not that easy, huh?” Repentance scoffed.
Aquamentus released a horrifying roar that fractured the earth around it, and an eerie magical force was accumulating in the sac in its throat. Repentance once again escaped out of the way in the form of lightning before the dragon fired off its attack. A ray of pale blue light struck the ground where Repentance had been, rending the earth asunder. The heat ray continued on to slice through buildings across town, engulfing them in eruptions of flame.
Repentance reappeared near the entrance of the guild hall, where many Dungeoneers were gathered.
“Bastard.” he rasped.
“Sir!” one of the Dungeoneers said, running over to him. “We’ve prepared the magic ballista cannon! Ready to fire on your command!” she reported.
“Perfect.” he said. He then turned to face the rest of the crowd of Dungeoneers. “Listen up! All mages and paladins report to the ballista room and fire when ready! The rest of you, help me hold that damned monster off!” he shouted.
“Yes, sir!” came the resounding reply.
Around half of the crowd of Dungeoneers broke off and rushed inside the guild hall. Meanwhile, Repentance led the rest of the crowd to face off against Aquamentus. The beast was winded after firing off the heat ray, and was busy catching its breath. However, it got on guard as the troop of Dungeoneers encroached upon it.
Aquamentus roared once more, its eyes and mouth still glowing with a pale haze. As its throat sac swelled up once more, Repentance hit it with the strongest lightning spell he could muster. The beast stumbled and prematurely released its attack straight into the air. The ray of heat pierced the thunderclouds blotting out the night sky.
Recoiling from the premature blast, Aquamentus collapsed. In that instant, a wave of attacks came raining down on it from all of the Dungeoneers in the troop; gunners and cavaliers alike worked together to hold the beast down while Repentance took a breather. At that time, Azure and Snow, who were watching from afar, noticed the structure of the guild hall begin to shift.
Atop the Avalon Runners guild hall was a giant wooden statue of a venerable bird, towering tall over the town. The wings of this statue began to come down, moved by gears. As they opened up, the upper body of the bird began to lower, aiming for the dragon that was still pinned down. The beak opened, and a cannon barrel protruded from within. The statue itself was the magic ballista cannon, powered by the magical energy of the Avalon Runners Dungeoneers.
The barrel of the cannon lit up with various colors of light. The accumulation of magic from some twenty-odd mages and paladins, an enormous amount of energy, was about to fire. Repentance and the Dungeoneers all noticed this and retreated to safety on the other side of the guild hall. Just as Aquamentus began to rise and fan out its wings, the magic ballista cannon fired.
A ray of light far larger than any Aquamentus could have released rocketed toward the beast, and upon impact, the monster’s scales were burnt off. The impact created the most devastating quake yet, leaving anyone in the area with a pounding head and ringing ears. The force of the blast opened up a large crater in the earth beneath Aquamentus. Its blood spattered in all directions, dying most of the crater’s surface area red. The mighty dragon was imprinted into the ground by the force of impact.
Even after all this, Aquamentus once again began to rise. However, it was beaten bloody and could barely hold itself up. At last, it finally turned tail and retreated back to the dungeon.
As the dragon limped away, the air rang with cheers of relief and victory. The Avalon Runners Dungeoneers threw their arms up and shouted to the sky with joy. Repentance let out a deep sigh and sunk down to a sitting position. He was understandably tired.
As the rest of the guild began another sweep of the town to clean up any remaining monsters, Azure and Snow breathed their own sighs of relief up on their rooftop.
“I can’t believe it... That was amazing! They really managed to drive it off! Thank God...” Snow said as tears of joy streamed down her flushed cheeks.
“Thank God...” Azure echoed. “I’m so glad the town was saved... I’m so relieved...”
Snow gave Azure a sidelong look after hearing that, and asked him a serious question. “I’ve been wondering for a while now. Azure... You don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable with it, but...”
“Yes?”
“Were you perhaps caught in a monster attack in the past?”
Azure felt himself inhale sharply. More images flashed through his mind, and he lowered his head. “... Yes. I was.”
“I see. So that’s why you were so desperate before...”
“Yeah. My hometown of Rosemary Village was wiped out. My dad, who was a Dungeoneer, was killed, along with the rest of my family. I barely escaped with my life. I could have saved my family, but I was too late in getting there. That’s why...”
Azure paused to take a breath.
“That’s why I became a Dungeoneer. I wanted to become strong enough to help save others from that kind of tragedy, and I wanted to become a Dungeoneer my family could be proud of.”
“I see. I remember hearing about Rosemary Village several years ago. I had no idea you were a survivor of that... I’m sorry.” Snow said.
“Thank you.”
The pair became quiet for a few minutes. Azure gazed out over the town, watching the scrambling Dungeoneers escort civilians to the outskirts, put down lingering monsters, and douse the fires. He etched this scene into his mind, in the hopes that the sight of a town’s salvation would finally give him closure and drive out the memories of Rosemary Village that haunted his mind for years.
“Hey.” Snow said, drawing his attention back.
“Yes?”
“I just wanted to say... Thank you for joining our guild.” Azure tensed up. “I don’t know if you’re thinking that you couldn’t do anything too grand today, but the fact is you being here saved a lot of people’s lives. You were strong enough to help people today.”
“Th-thank you...” Azure said, blushing a little.
“I have to admit, I’m a little envious...” Snow continued. “I’ve still yet to reach my own goal...”
Azure watched her with curiosity for a bit. Before they first entered the dungeon together, he found himself wanting to know more about her. He felt that same curiosity beginning to surface again.
“Snow... Why did you become a Dungeoneer?” he asked.
Snow was quiet at first. Azure wasn’t sure if she would answer. She began to tremble, and she hugged her knees. Azure thought at first that he’d upset her, but he quickly noticed that her anger was directed inward.
Snow Queen then clutched her eyepatch. “I became a Dungeoneer to track down the bastard that took my eye from me. Vengeance; that’s all I want.”
* * *
“So they fought it off, huh?” one figure said, observing Balena from a distance.
“It doesn’t matter. The experiment was a success. We got a dungeon boss to come out of its dungeon for the first time in history. Whether the town survived or not is irrelevant.” said another.
“True enough.”
“We’re making progress. Soon enough, our goal will be achieved.” said a third. “Depravity Arrow will pierce through all of the light in this world. We will make them pay. Every last one of them...” He said with a devilish grin. “Come. We’ve got work to do.”
- ONE WEEK LATER -
“Alright everyone, let’s party! You’ve earned it!” Repentance shouted over a mug of booze.
The entire Avalon Runners guild hall came alive with cheers and shouting. Everyone knocked their mugs together, danced on the tables, and sang with joy. The bard’s band in the far corner played harder than usual. The waitresses were more bubbly than ever. Even the quest marms partied and danced.
It had been one week since the monsters of the dungeon invaded Balena. The town barely made it through. Many lives were lost, both of the civilians and the Dungeoneers. But reconstruction was well underway, and a memorial service for the fallen was held the day before. Now it was time to party. Everyone drank to their success and survival.
“And let’s also not forget to officially welcome Azure Sage to our guild! His efforts during the defense of the town saved many lives! A toast to Azure!”
“To Azure!” rang out through the hall.
Azure Sage himself sat at one of the tables with his head buried in his arms; he was too embarrassed by that toast of welcoming to look up. Snow sat beside him, laughing and patting his back.
“Hey, Azure! Feeling okay?” said Spirit, who sat across from him.
Azure’s voice was muffled as he spoke through his arms. “Yeah. Thanks to your healing magic, I’m all better now.”
“That’s wonderful, darling! I’m glad you’re all perked up again.” she said, taking a swig from her mug.
“Seems like you’re fitting in at the guild just fine.” Snow said. “Have you been able to find a place to stay yet?”
“Yeah. A sweet lady named Pamela is letting me stay in her attic for cheap.” Azure said, finally lifting his head up.
“Hah, that sounds lame. Once you start making money from the requests, you’ll be able to afford a better place." she said. “Speaking of which, I was wondering.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to form an official team? You and me.” Snow asked.
Azure perked up. “An official team?”
“Yeah. Lots of members form parties together and stuff. It’s not official on paper, it’s more like a mutual agreement. So do you wanna be my dungeoneering partner?”
Azure was caught off-guard. He wasn’t expecting her to drop a question like that. “... Why me?”
“Well, after everything we’ve been through together, I realized Rep was right before. You and I really work well together. Plus, I... I want to keep adventuring with you and fighting alongside you. What do you say?”
Snow held out her hand, looking hopeful for Azure to take it. Azure felt flattered. When he first met Snow Queen, she was cold and dominating to him. But it seemed that she really warmed up to him after facing life-or-death situations one after another together. Azure found himself feeling the same way. He, too, wanted to keep fighting alongside her.
Azure smiled warmly. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
As he said that, Snow’s face lit up with a smile just as bright. Azure took her hand, and they shook on it.
“Let me know if you ever want a healer along!” Spirit said playfully.
“Haha, sure thing!” Snow laughed.
The two turned back to each other and exchanged a cheer with their mugs.
“Let’s seek out glory together!” They said in unison.
As they tipped their mugs back and drank their hearts out, it finally sunk in for Azure; he was now truly a member of this Dungeoneer’s guild. At long last, his life as a Dungeoneer was beginning.
END OF PRELUDE ARC
Next: The Flower Girl
Last edited:
Jirohnagi
Braava Braava
Who are the mysterious people aiming to control dungeon guardians? Will Azure and Snow ever fall for one another? And just why does Spirit want to be Az's healer?
FIND OUT IN THE NEXT ARC OF:
THROUGH THE DUNGEONS
FIND OUT IN THE NEXT ARC OF:
THROUGH THE DUNGEONS
Link Floyd
ᵒⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ʳᵘⁿ
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2014
Woohoo! Great way to end the first arc. I'm really looking forward to finding out who these mysterious individuals are (The Red, perhaps? XD) and of course, I'm looking forward to seeing me in the story. c:
Fantastic writing as always! Keep it up! The action scenes are flawless and exciting!
Fantastic writing as always! Keep it up! The action scenes are flawless and exciting!
Alright, it's finally time for the next chapter! Now begins the second arc. We have a new character appearing today. c; I hope you enjoy the chapter!
The smell of burning flesh and smoke filled the air. The dark sky was blotted out by even darker smoke. The screams of people and the cries of monsters were all that could be heard amidst the crackling of flames and creaking of ruined homes.
A lone boy dashed through the rubble, covered in blood. Specks of crimson were spattered along the road as he sprinted in a panic. He cried the names of his family, searching for any sign of them in the devastation.
He rounded the corner to see his home reduced to a pile of rubble. Laying in a pool of blood just outside was the upper half of a chewed corpse. The boy dropped to his knees, screaming his little sister’s name. He reached out his hand to her, as if he thought he could still do something for her.
Quickly, the scent of blood was replaced by that of freshly baked bread. The image of destruction beyond the boy’s outstretched hand melted away into the sight of a pine wood ceiling. The blood covering the boy’s body had become a cold sweat, and the screams he let out turned to panting.
Reality had finally set in for Azure Sage. Shaking off the lasting impression of that horrid nightmare, he raised himself to a sitting position in his rather meager cot and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“The nightmares keep coming back... Even though I thought I’d gotten my closure...” he said quietly.
Azure suddenly heard a rush of footsteps coming up the stairs outside. Not long after, in came the figure of a middle-aged woman, almost breaking the door down in the process.
“Goodness me, what was that scream?!” she cried out.
“Oh, Pamela.” Azure said, watching the worried face of his landlady. “Sorry, it was nothing. Just... a nightmare.”
“Oh, my! Are you alright? Oh, I bet it was because of the monster attack last month. You poor dear.”
“... Yeah.” he lied.
“Well, get yourself dressed. I’ll have some warm bread for you to take with you on your way to the guild, dearie.” Pamela said, closing the door behind her.
“Thank you.”
As he listened to her work boots clamor back downstairs, Azure shifted his legs around to dangle off the edge of his cot. He wiped his brow one more time before standing up. His feet creaked across the pine floor to the window across the small room. Pulling back the gray linen curtains allowed sunlight to filter in, lighting up the room and revealing particles of dust.
Azure gazed out at the town of Balena. His view was rather limited, as there were many buildings around him that were taller than his current abode, but he could see the bustling streets and the golden morning sky, and that was enough for him.
After letting the sunlight in, he made his way to his dresser where he pulled out his clothes for the day; some black trousers and a white tunic with a black faux fur collar. Overtop these clothes, he strapped on some light silver armor; a breastplate, gauntlets, and shin guards. Finally, he slipped into his black lace-up boots and strapped his sword and his pouch to his back before leaving the small attic room he was renting.
Azure descended the stairs to a common area, connected to the kitchen at one end and the front desk at the other. The rustic wooden table in the center of the room was set with a plate of a couple steaming rolls.
“You can take a few of them with you if you’d like, dearie!” Pamela’s voice called out from the kitchen.
“Thank you.” Azure said.
He took only one roll with him on his way out. Passing by the front desk, he headed across the pine wood floor to the front door.
“I’m off to the guild. Have a good day.” he said.
“Be safe, dearie!” Pamela’s voice replied.
After exiting the small home in the heart of Balena, Azure Sage zig-zagged his way through the mass of people flooding the streets like always. It had only been a month since the monsters of Aquamentus attacked and nearly wiped out Balena, but the town’s usual energy was back in no time. Most of the destroyed buildings were already completely repaired. Life went on as usual, for both the townspeople and the Dungeoneers of the Avalon Runners guild.
As he weaved through the rushing crowd, Azure took a bite out of the warm sourdough roll and quickly gulped it down.
“That’s delicious...”
The Avalon Runners’ guild hall was noisy as always. A visitor would never be able to tell they had just fought an intense battle a month ago. Azure Sage entered the hall and felt comforted by the festive atmosphere. After being a member for a month, the guild hall had become a safe space for him.
It didn’t take him long to spot Snow Queen, his Dungeoneering partner. She was at the bar, having a drink with Spirit.
“A morning drink really hits the spot!” Spirit said, wiping her lip.
“You said it, girl!” Snow, agreed.
“It’s not even ten in the morning yet and you’re already drinking?” Azure said, approaching them.
“Haha! The brew that Dekym makes is out of this world!” Spirit said, waving her mug in the air.
“Th-thank you.” Dekym, the meek, silver-haired bartender said quietly.
“Morning, Azure! You wanna hit up a quest today?” Snow greeted.
“Sure thing. I hope you’re not drunk already.” he said.
“Oh, please. Like I’d drink alcoholic booze in the morning.”
“Wait, you mean you’re not?” Spirit asked, surprised.
Snow laughed. “Hah, no way. I can’t drink before a quest, you know that!”
Spirit pouted and continued indulging in Dekym’s ale. Snow chugged down the last of her drink and left the mug for Dekym, who took it away with a nod. With a wave, Azure and Snow left Spirit and headed over to the quest board. The pair examined it with curiosity, searching for the perfect quest to take.
“So, what kind of quest do you want to do?” Snow asked.
“Something simple. Maybe a gathering quest.”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
After some deliberation, the partners agreed on a quest for gathering half a dozen lypzen hawk eggs. According to the quest information, lypzen hawks were a type of large bird monster that made their nests in the upper floors of the dungeon. They were supposedly very territorial and protective of their nests.
After taking the quest sheet to one of the marms at the quest counter, the pair had it approved and they were off to the dungeon.
“So, here’s the plan. I’ll distract them with my ice magic and keep them away from their nests while you gather the eggs.” Snow said.
“Okay. Your ice magic would be really useful for that.”
“After you get the eggs, we’ll split. And then we just head back to the guild and we’re done!”
“But if the lypzen hawks are supposed to be so protective of their eggs, wouldn’t they chase us nonstop?”
“Oh, good point. Maybe we should kill them first, then.”
As they chatted about their strategy for their undertaken quest, Azure Sage and Snow Queen arrived at the entrance to Aquamentus. The two had gone on many quests together during the past month, and at this point Azure no longer felt any anxiety about entering the dungeon. He was feeling much more confident now.
Azure took a deep breath before exchanging a nod with Snow. “Let’s go.” he said.
Together, the Dungeoneers entered the dungeon. They met with the familiar musty scent and the dimly lit entranceway. Many paths were open to them from here. This time, according to Snow, they had to climb to the upper floors. Snow directed him to the wall on the side of the entrance threshold, to a growth of scandent vines on the wall.
“We gotta climb this.” Snow said.
Snow gripped one of the vines and began to climb. Azure was surprised at how quickly she was able to ascend. The wall of vines reached very high, leading to a small opening in the ceiling. Snow reached the hole in just over a minute.
Azure quickly followed after her. However, he was not as experienced at climbing as her. He found it difficult to catch a good foothold, and there were a number of times when he almost lost his grip. In all, it took him over four minutes to complete the climb.
When he got to the top, Snow grabbed his arms and pulled him through the hole to his feet. She only said one thing after that.
“Slowpoke.”
“Heh... Sorry.”
The two of them were now on the upper floors. These floors had a different feel to them than the lower floors. The lower floors were mostly a system of dark caves and labyrinths. These upper floors, however, were much brighter as there were many holes in the ceiling through which sunlight could get in.
The upper floors had more greenery and plant life. Many vines and ivy hung from the ceiling as if it were a trellis. There were also patches of moss and ferns growing through the cracks in the ground. Unlike the cave system below, the upper floors were set up as a series of rooms instead.
Snow and Azure trekked across the first room to an open threshold across the way. Azure felt uneasy as they walked, as this was his first time coming to the upper floors. But he felt confident with Snow at his side.
After entering the next room, they discovered a trap in their path. From the ceiling hung large axes, swinging back and forth like a metronome, and from the floor rose spikes at irregular intervals from holes.
“This looks tricky to get through...” Azure said.
“It’ll be fine. Just follow me.” Snow assured him.
Azure nodded and observed her as she moved across the room. Snow rolled past the first axe and leapt to the side just before a spike shot up from the ground. Next, she zigzagged through the field of spikes and dove between the last two axes. Azure whistled in amazement.
“Come on!” she shouted across the room.
Azure took some time to watch the movement patterns of the blades and spikes before making his attempt. He jumped past the first axe, but stumbled when a spike almost pierced his foot. However, he quickly drew his sword and used it to vault across the remaining spikes. When he landed, he slid beneath the paths of the last two swinging axes.
“Phew...” he sighed.
“Nice work.” Snow said, helping him up. “The lypzen hawks are very close now. Get ready to fight.”
“Okay.”
After Azure returned his sword to its sheath, the two continued on their raid. They passed through the next threshold and found themselves in a large open room. The ceiling was open and lined with hanging ivy. Rays of sunshine lit up the room brighter than any of the magic torches throughout the dungeon could ever hope to do. There were a couple more growths of vines hanging down from the opening in the ceiling.
“I don’t see any nests, let alone monsters.” Azure said.
“They’re up there.” Snow said, pointing to the large hole in the ceiling. “We gotta climb some more.”
Azure grimaced, remembering his last attempt at climbing. However, Snow was already starting up the vines. Before long, she disappeared into the bright light overhead. Azure quickly followed up after her. He found it difficult to climb with such a bright light glaring down at him, but he powered through.
Not long after he passed through the large opening, his hands felt a ledge. As he climbed it and returned to solid ground, his vision was no longer hindered by the light. Snow was waiting for him in a battle position. He was confused at first, but then he heard a screeching sound.
Azure looked up, and above him and Snow were several large brown birds, all treading air. Behind them were five nests made of straw, each with about four eggs neatly nestled inside. The lypzen hawks glared down at the intruding Dungeoneers, getting right to defend their eggs with their lives.
“Remember the plan. We move in three seconds.” Snow whispered.
“Got it.”
Three. Azure drew his sword and the hawks stretched their claws. Two. Snow and Azure brandished their weapons as two of the hawks broke formation. One. Azure bent his knees, ready to act, and Snow began gathering magical power around her blades.
The very next second, two lypzen hawks swooped down with alarming speed. Azure used strength magic in his feet to leap forward past not just them, but the remaining hawks as well. He reached the nests in no time. In that same second, Snow stabbed her dagger into the ground, and spears of ice shot up and impaled both hawks.
Four hawks quickly turned to chase Azure down, while the remaining three remained focused on Snow. Azure, still using his strength magic as a booster, leapt in the air above them and slashed through one of their wings. The hawk fell to the ground, screeching in pain. In that same movement, Azure sent another slash through the back of a second hawk.
While Azure was fighting in the air, Snow held her own on the ground. As one hawk descended upon her, she made a shield of ice to catch its talons. As the hawk couldn’t move, she easily cut it down. She then used her ice magic to freeze the wings of the remaining two lypzen hawks. As they fell, she created spikes of ice beneath them to impale them. The last hawks on her end fell to their deaths.
As Azure returned to the ground, the last two hawks on his end dived toward him, ready to stab him with their beaks in a last desperate attack. The second his feet touched the ground, however, he performed a vertical spin attack and slashed through both hawks in a flash.
With no remaining lypzen hawks able to resist, the thieving Dungeoneers were free to take as many eggs as they pleased.
“I feel kind of bad. They were just defending their eggs...” Azure said.
“Yeah, but that’s life.” Snow said, shrugging.
Azure sighed and helped her collect the eggs for their quest. They only needed six, so they left the rest alone.
Azure Sage and Snow Queen descended the vines and returned to the first room of the dungeon.
“Let’s get going. We got what we need.” Snow said.
Azure was silent, however. “Wait a second. I think I hear something.”
Snow listened intently, and before long, both of them began to hear what sounded like screaming and the cries of wolves.
“Sounds like someone’s being attacked by shambra wolves.” Snow said.
Azure didn’t waste a second after hearing that. He already began dashing towards the sound. He heard Snow groan as she chased after him, but he ignored her. He entered one of the tunnels on the left side of the room and sprinted through the darkness without a care to his own regard.
Upon exiting the tunnel, he found himself in a wide open room. The ceiling was not very high, and it was dimly lit. There seemed to be small holes in the wall that appeared to be nests. Just them, a shambra wolf poked its head out of one of them. It leapt down and joined a pack of its kind in the center of the room.
As Snow arrived, Azure was just getting a feel for the situation. The shambra wolves were gathered in the center, and they appeared to be attacking something. However, that something was...
“Is that a giant plant?” he said, dumbfounded.
“I’ve never seen a monster like that before... What is that thing?” Snow said.
The plant monster appeared to have a body made of vines, and it had a lilac flower on its head. It didn’t appear to have a discernable face, but it was pounding shambra wolves into puddles of flesh like nobody’s business.
“Yes! Get them!” a small, feminine voice shouted.
“Is someone there?” Azure called out.
“H-huh?! Hello?!” the voice replied.
Soon enough, the plant monster thinned out the wolves’ numbers enough that the person beyond them was visible. It appeared to be...
“What the heck is a child doing here?!” Snow exclaimed.
“Is she... controlling that plant monster?” Azure said, amazed.
The girl was very short, and appeared to be a young teenager. She had tan skin and black hair tied in a side tail over her shoulder. She had a small mole above her lip, on the left side of her face. She was dressed in a purple tunic with white trimmings and a coil of silver armor around her waist. Additionally, there was a small, purple flower in her hair. Her amethyst eyes looked surprised to see other people here.
“Who is that girl? She’s way too young to be a Dungeoneer.” Snow said.
Azure however, had gone completely pale. He stared in shock at the girl’s face, who looked uncomfortable by this.
“I-it can’t be...” he whispered.
“What’s wrong?” Snow asked.
Azure’s stomach lurched. As he looked at the mysterious flower girl, her face melded in his mind and mixed with that of his sister’s. He began to hyperventilate and break out in a cold sweat. As his mind was being brought back to the time of his town’s destruction, he heard someone call out his name. However, that voice was muddled, and it sounded like the voice of his sister.
“Analyn...” he cried.
Azure clutched his chest and collapsed on the dungeon floor. In seconds, he had passed out.
Next: Kokiri Arbor
Chapter Six
The Flower Girl
The Flower Girl
The smell of burning flesh and smoke filled the air. The dark sky was blotted out by even darker smoke. The screams of people and the cries of monsters were all that could be heard amidst the crackling of flames and creaking of ruined homes.
A lone boy dashed through the rubble, covered in blood. Specks of crimson were spattered along the road as he sprinted in a panic. He cried the names of his family, searching for any sign of them in the devastation.
He rounded the corner to see his home reduced to a pile of rubble. Laying in a pool of blood just outside was the upper half of a chewed corpse. The boy dropped to his knees, screaming his little sister’s name. He reached out his hand to her, as if he thought he could still do something for her.
Quickly, the scent of blood was replaced by that of freshly baked bread. The image of destruction beyond the boy’s outstretched hand melted away into the sight of a pine wood ceiling. The blood covering the boy’s body had become a cold sweat, and the screams he let out turned to panting.
Reality had finally set in for Azure Sage. Shaking off the lasting impression of that horrid nightmare, he raised himself to a sitting position in his rather meager cot and wiped the sweat from his brow.
“The nightmares keep coming back... Even though I thought I’d gotten my closure...” he said quietly.
Azure suddenly heard a rush of footsteps coming up the stairs outside. Not long after, in came the figure of a middle-aged woman, almost breaking the door down in the process.
“Goodness me, what was that scream?!” she cried out.
“Oh, Pamela.” Azure said, watching the worried face of his landlady. “Sorry, it was nothing. Just... a nightmare.”
“Oh, my! Are you alright? Oh, I bet it was because of the monster attack last month. You poor dear.”
“... Yeah.” he lied.
“Well, get yourself dressed. I’ll have some warm bread for you to take with you on your way to the guild, dearie.” Pamela said, closing the door behind her.
“Thank you.”
As he listened to her work boots clamor back downstairs, Azure shifted his legs around to dangle off the edge of his cot. He wiped his brow one more time before standing up. His feet creaked across the pine floor to the window across the small room. Pulling back the gray linen curtains allowed sunlight to filter in, lighting up the room and revealing particles of dust.
Azure gazed out at the town of Balena. His view was rather limited, as there were many buildings around him that were taller than his current abode, but he could see the bustling streets and the golden morning sky, and that was enough for him.
After letting the sunlight in, he made his way to his dresser where he pulled out his clothes for the day; some black trousers and a white tunic with a black faux fur collar. Overtop these clothes, he strapped on some light silver armor; a breastplate, gauntlets, and shin guards. Finally, he slipped into his black lace-up boots and strapped his sword and his pouch to his back before leaving the small attic room he was renting.
Azure descended the stairs to a common area, connected to the kitchen at one end and the front desk at the other. The rustic wooden table in the center of the room was set with a plate of a couple steaming rolls.
“You can take a few of them with you if you’d like, dearie!” Pamela’s voice called out from the kitchen.
“Thank you.” Azure said.
He took only one roll with him on his way out. Passing by the front desk, he headed across the pine wood floor to the front door.
“I’m off to the guild. Have a good day.” he said.
“Be safe, dearie!” Pamela’s voice replied.
After exiting the small home in the heart of Balena, Azure Sage zig-zagged his way through the mass of people flooding the streets like always. It had only been a month since the monsters of Aquamentus attacked and nearly wiped out Balena, but the town’s usual energy was back in no time. Most of the destroyed buildings were already completely repaired. Life went on as usual, for both the townspeople and the Dungeoneers of the Avalon Runners guild.
As he weaved through the rushing crowd, Azure took a bite out of the warm sourdough roll and quickly gulped it down.
“That’s delicious...”
* * *
The Avalon Runners’ guild hall was noisy as always. A visitor would never be able to tell they had just fought an intense battle a month ago. Azure Sage entered the hall and felt comforted by the festive atmosphere. After being a member for a month, the guild hall had become a safe space for him.
It didn’t take him long to spot Snow Queen, his Dungeoneering partner. She was at the bar, having a drink with Spirit.
“A morning drink really hits the spot!” Spirit said, wiping her lip.
“You said it, girl!” Snow, agreed.
“It’s not even ten in the morning yet and you’re already drinking?” Azure said, approaching them.
“Haha! The brew that Dekym makes is out of this world!” Spirit said, waving her mug in the air.
“Th-thank you.” Dekym, the meek, silver-haired bartender said quietly.
“Morning, Azure! You wanna hit up a quest today?” Snow greeted.
“Sure thing. I hope you’re not drunk already.” he said.
“Oh, please. Like I’d drink alcoholic booze in the morning.”
“Wait, you mean you’re not?” Spirit asked, surprised.
Snow laughed. “Hah, no way. I can’t drink before a quest, you know that!”
Spirit pouted and continued indulging in Dekym’s ale. Snow chugged down the last of her drink and left the mug for Dekym, who took it away with a nod. With a wave, Azure and Snow left Spirit and headed over to the quest board. The pair examined it with curiosity, searching for the perfect quest to take.
“So, what kind of quest do you want to do?” Snow asked.
“Something simple. Maybe a gathering quest.”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
After some deliberation, the partners agreed on a quest for gathering half a dozen lypzen hawk eggs. According to the quest information, lypzen hawks were a type of large bird monster that made their nests in the upper floors of the dungeon. They were supposedly very territorial and protective of their nests.
After taking the quest sheet to one of the marms at the quest counter, the pair had it approved and they were off to the dungeon.
* * *
“So, here’s the plan. I’ll distract them with my ice magic and keep them away from their nests while you gather the eggs.” Snow said.
“Okay. Your ice magic would be really useful for that.”
“After you get the eggs, we’ll split. And then we just head back to the guild and we’re done!”
“But if the lypzen hawks are supposed to be so protective of their eggs, wouldn’t they chase us nonstop?”
“Oh, good point. Maybe we should kill them first, then.”
As they chatted about their strategy for their undertaken quest, Azure Sage and Snow Queen arrived at the entrance to Aquamentus. The two had gone on many quests together during the past month, and at this point Azure no longer felt any anxiety about entering the dungeon. He was feeling much more confident now.
Azure took a deep breath before exchanging a nod with Snow. “Let’s go.” he said.
Together, the Dungeoneers entered the dungeon. They met with the familiar musty scent and the dimly lit entranceway. Many paths were open to them from here. This time, according to Snow, they had to climb to the upper floors. Snow directed him to the wall on the side of the entrance threshold, to a growth of scandent vines on the wall.
“We gotta climb this.” Snow said.
Snow gripped one of the vines and began to climb. Azure was surprised at how quickly she was able to ascend. The wall of vines reached very high, leading to a small opening in the ceiling. Snow reached the hole in just over a minute.
Azure quickly followed after her. However, he was not as experienced at climbing as her. He found it difficult to catch a good foothold, and there were a number of times when he almost lost his grip. In all, it took him over four minutes to complete the climb.
When he got to the top, Snow grabbed his arms and pulled him through the hole to his feet. She only said one thing after that.
“Slowpoke.”
“Heh... Sorry.”
The two of them were now on the upper floors. These floors had a different feel to them than the lower floors. The lower floors were mostly a system of dark caves and labyrinths. These upper floors, however, were much brighter as there were many holes in the ceiling through which sunlight could get in.
The upper floors had more greenery and plant life. Many vines and ivy hung from the ceiling as if it were a trellis. There were also patches of moss and ferns growing through the cracks in the ground. Unlike the cave system below, the upper floors were set up as a series of rooms instead.
Snow and Azure trekked across the first room to an open threshold across the way. Azure felt uneasy as they walked, as this was his first time coming to the upper floors. But he felt confident with Snow at his side.
After entering the next room, they discovered a trap in their path. From the ceiling hung large axes, swinging back and forth like a metronome, and from the floor rose spikes at irregular intervals from holes.
“This looks tricky to get through...” Azure said.
“It’ll be fine. Just follow me.” Snow assured him.
Azure nodded and observed her as she moved across the room. Snow rolled past the first axe and leapt to the side just before a spike shot up from the ground. Next, she zigzagged through the field of spikes and dove between the last two axes. Azure whistled in amazement.
“Come on!” she shouted across the room.
Azure took some time to watch the movement patterns of the blades and spikes before making his attempt. He jumped past the first axe, but stumbled when a spike almost pierced his foot. However, he quickly drew his sword and used it to vault across the remaining spikes. When he landed, he slid beneath the paths of the last two swinging axes.
“Phew...” he sighed.
“Nice work.” Snow said, helping him up. “The lypzen hawks are very close now. Get ready to fight.”
“Okay.”
After Azure returned his sword to its sheath, the two continued on their raid. They passed through the next threshold and found themselves in a large open room. The ceiling was open and lined with hanging ivy. Rays of sunshine lit up the room brighter than any of the magic torches throughout the dungeon could ever hope to do. There were a couple more growths of vines hanging down from the opening in the ceiling.
“I don’t see any nests, let alone monsters.” Azure said.
“They’re up there.” Snow said, pointing to the large hole in the ceiling. “We gotta climb some more.”
Azure grimaced, remembering his last attempt at climbing. However, Snow was already starting up the vines. Before long, she disappeared into the bright light overhead. Azure quickly followed up after her. He found it difficult to climb with such a bright light glaring down at him, but he powered through.
Not long after he passed through the large opening, his hands felt a ledge. As he climbed it and returned to solid ground, his vision was no longer hindered by the light. Snow was waiting for him in a battle position. He was confused at first, but then he heard a screeching sound.
Azure looked up, and above him and Snow were several large brown birds, all treading air. Behind them were five nests made of straw, each with about four eggs neatly nestled inside. The lypzen hawks glared down at the intruding Dungeoneers, getting right to defend their eggs with their lives.
“Remember the plan. We move in three seconds.” Snow whispered.
“Got it.”
Three. Azure drew his sword and the hawks stretched their claws. Two. Snow and Azure brandished their weapons as two of the hawks broke formation. One. Azure bent his knees, ready to act, and Snow began gathering magical power around her blades.
The very next second, two lypzen hawks swooped down with alarming speed. Azure used strength magic in his feet to leap forward past not just them, but the remaining hawks as well. He reached the nests in no time. In that same second, Snow stabbed her dagger into the ground, and spears of ice shot up and impaled both hawks.
Four hawks quickly turned to chase Azure down, while the remaining three remained focused on Snow. Azure, still using his strength magic as a booster, leapt in the air above them and slashed through one of their wings. The hawk fell to the ground, screeching in pain. In that same movement, Azure sent another slash through the back of a second hawk.
While Azure was fighting in the air, Snow held her own on the ground. As one hawk descended upon her, she made a shield of ice to catch its talons. As the hawk couldn’t move, she easily cut it down. She then used her ice magic to freeze the wings of the remaining two lypzen hawks. As they fell, she created spikes of ice beneath them to impale them. The last hawks on her end fell to their deaths.
As Azure returned to the ground, the last two hawks on his end dived toward him, ready to stab him with their beaks in a last desperate attack. The second his feet touched the ground, however, he performed a vertical spin attack and slashed through both hawks in a flash.
With no remaining lypzen hawks able to resist, the thieving Dungeoneers were free to take as many eggs as they pleased.
“I feel kind of bad. They were just defending their eggs...” Azure said.
“Yeah, but that’s life.” Snow said, shrugging.
Azure sighed and helped her collect the eggs for their quest. They only needed six, so they left the rest alone.
* * *
Azure Sage and Snow Queen descended the vines and returned to the first room of the dungeon.
“Let’s get going. We got what we need.” Snow said.
Azure was silent, however. “Wait a second. I think I hear something.”
Snow listened intently, and before long, both of them began to hear what sounded like screaming and the cries of wolves.
“Sounds like someone’s being attacked by shambra wolves.” Snow said.
Azure didn’t waste a second after hearing that. He already began dashing towards the sound. He heard Snow groan as she chased after him, but he ignored her. He entered one of the tunnels on the left side of the room and sprinted through the darkness without a care to his own regard.
Upon exiting the tunnel, he found himself in a wide open room. The ceiling was not very high, and it was dimly lit. There seemed to be small holes in the wall that appeared to be nests. Just them, a shambra wolf poked its head out of one of them. It leapt down and joined a pack of its kind in the center of the room.
As Snow arrived, Azure was just getting a feel for the situation. The shambra wolves were gathered in the center, and they appeared to be attacking something. However, that something was...
“Is that a giant plant?” he said, dumbfounded.
“I’ve never seen a monster like that before... What is that thing?” Snow said.
The plant monster appeared to have a body made of vines, and it had a lilac flower on its head. It didn’t appear to have a discernable face, but it was pounding shambra wolves into puddles of flesh like nobody’s business.
“Yes! Get them!” a small, feminine voice shouted.
“Is someone there?” Azure called out.
“H-huh?! Hello?!” the voice replied.
Soon enough, the plant monster thinned out the wolves’ numbers enough that the person beyond them was visible. It appeared to be...
“What the heck is a child doing here?!” Snow exclaimed.
“Is she... controlling that plant monster?” Azure said, amazed.
The girl was very short, and appeared to be a young teenager. She had tan skin and black hair tied in a side tail over her shoulder. She had a small mole above her lip, on the left side of her face. She was dressed in a purple tunic with white trimmings and a coil of silver armor around her waist. Additionally, there was a small, purple flower in her hair. Her amethyst eyes looked surprised to see other people here.
“Who is that girl? She’s way too young to be a Dungeoneer.” Snow said.
Azure however, had gone completely pale. He stared in shock at the girl’s face, who looked uncomfortable by this.
“I-it can’t be...” he whispered.
“What’s wrong?” Snow asked.
Azure’s stomach lurched. As he looked at the mysterious flower girl, her face melded in his mind and mixed with that of his sister’s. He began to hyperventilate and break out in a cold sweat. As his mind was being brought back to the time of his town’s destruction, he heard someone call out his name. However, that voice was muddled, and it sounded like the voice of his sister.
“Analyn...” he cried.
Azure clutched his chest and collapsed on the dungeon floor. In seconds, he had passed out.
Next: Kokiri Arbor
Last edited:
Jirohnagi
Braava Braava
Will Azure ever get over his nightmares? Is Pamela more than she seems and Just who is the purple haired girl-child?
Find out in the next installation of:
THROUGH THE DUNGEONS
Find out in the next installation of:
THROUGH THE DUNGEONS
Alright, it's time for Chapter Seven! @Ari and @Pendio your characters appear in this chapter. c; I hope you guys enjoy it! Tell me what you think of it.
Azure Sage’s consciousness slowly began to return. He felt the pressure of a wooden bench against his back, and he began to feel around. As he did so, he fell off the bench and hit his head on the floor.
“Ouch...” he groaned.
“Whoa, are you okay?”
Those words, accompanied with a laugh, were spoken by Snow Queen, whose face was soon visible hovering over Azure.
“I’m fine. What happened?” he asked, sitting up.
“We’re back at the guild hall. You passed out in the dungeon after seeing that girl.”
It came back to Azure in a flash, and he became somewhat pale again. “Oh, yeah... I remember now.”
“You had another episode didn’t you?”
“... I did. She looks just like...” Azure bit his lip instead of continuing. “Never mind. Where is she now?”
Snow gestured over to the bar, and sure enough, the mysterious flower girl from the dungeon was sitting at one of the stools sipping a drink served by Dekym. He seemed to be blushing, so she was probably really enjoying it.
“I see. So what are we going to do with her? It’s against the rules for someone her age to enter a dungeon, much less fight monsters.” Azure said.
“Rep was just about to talk to her about it. Look.”
Azure and Snow looked on as Repentance approached the young girl.
“Now then, I’d like to ask you a few questions about what you were doing in the dungeon. Do you think you could answer them for me?”
Even though Rep had said all that with a smile, the girl still looked intimidated. She was even breaking out in a sweat. It wasn’t surprising, considering Rep was a big man towering at close to six feet, five inches. His sharp eyes didn’t help his case much, either.
Azure felt the pit in his stomach growing again. The girl looked so much like his sister that he almost couldn’t tell them apart. He knew his real sister was dead and gone, but he couldn’t ignore this girl. He wanted to do something for her, if only out of respect for the memory of Analyn.
Azure stood up and walked over to the bar to join them. “Excuse me?” he said.
“Oh, Azure. I’m kind of in the middle of something now.” Rep said.
“Do you think I could talk to her? I think you’re scaring her.”
“What?! But I’m not scary at all! You must be joking.”
“Well, look at her...”
Rep glanced over the poor girl who looked like Rep’s very visage would cause her to pass out any second now. He then turned back towards Azure.
“I don’t see a problem with her. She looks fine to me.”
- Is he serious...? He must not be very good at reading people...
“Just... Let me take over. Please.”
“Well, if you insist.”
After that, Rep backed off. Azure sat down at the stool next to the girl and faced her with the most polite smile he could muster.
“Hi there. I’m Azure Sage. You can just call me Azure if you’d like. What’s your name?”
The girl seemed to calm down after Rep’s scary face was replaced by Azure’s much gentler one. “V-Violet.” she said.
“That’s a pretty name.”
“Th-thanks... I chose it myself.”
“Huh? You chose it?”
“Yes. It’s my Dungeoneer’s code name.”
This shocked everyone within hearing distance. “Your what?! But, you’re... way too young to be a Dungeoneer...” Azure said.
“Well, I’m still a cadet, but yes...”
“Oh, now it makes sense.” Rep said.
“Wait, what’s a cadet?” Azure asked, puzzled.
“A cadet is a Dungeoneer in training.” he answered. “These so-called prospective Dungeoneers are often trained from a young age like her in low-level, less dangerous dungeons.”
“Wow. I didn’t know there was such a thing...”
“Yes. I’m a member of Kokiri Arbor.” Violet said.
“Ah, that’s the cadet guild in charge of the dungeon Auroda.” Rep said. “What are you doing all the way out here in Balena? You should know that cadets aren’t allowed in the high-level dungeons like Aquamentus until they become fully-fledged Dungeoneers at the age of eighteen.”
“Y-yes, I know...” she said, once again feeling intimidated by our Admin. “But I had to come here... I had to prove myself. They all kept saying I couldn’t be a Dungeoneer... I had to prove that I was strong enough.”
- So that’s why she came out here? She put herself in danger for a reason like that...
Azure couldn’t help but feel like Violet was similar to his own sister. He began feeling short of breath again, so he clasped his hand over his mouth and tried to calm his breathing. Violet seemed to notice this, but before she could ask him if he was okay, Snow approached her with a question.
“So, Violet, was it? What made you come here to Aquamentus to do that? It’s one of the higher-level dungeons in the country you know?”
“R-really? I just chose it because it was the closest one to my own guild...”
“What?! You didn’t even look into the dungeon before you entered it? Are you trying to die?” she snapped.
“Hey, chill. There’s no need to yell.” Azure said, recovering.
“At any rate, this is still a clear violation of the Dungeoneer Network policy.” Rep interjected. “You’ll have to go back to your guild and receive your punishment.”
“B-but... I was just...” Violet began, looking to be on the verge of bawling.
“Look, I know how it is. Sometimes the desire to become strong seems more important than rules. I get that.” As Repentance said that, he seemed to have an empty, faraway look in his eyes. “But it doesn’t change that what you did was a serious endangerment to your own life, and the Network values preservation of lives as one of the top priorities for all Dungeoneers, whether it be your own life of that of your comrades. You need to understand that.”
Violet looked distraught, but she nodded her head. “... Yes. You’re right. All of our lives are precious. I’m sorry.”
“Now then, I’ll have someone escort you back to your guild. Azure, Snow, since you two found her, I’ll leave that assignment to the two of you.”
“Wait, what?! We have to keep babysitting her?!” Snow said.
“I’m fine with that.” Azure said, though he was still shaken up by the memories of his kid sister.
“Ugh, you would be.” Snow complained. “Great, now I have to go to a guild full of kids. I hate kids.”
“Hahahaha! Relax, it’s not like they’re toddlers. You’ll be fine.” Rep laughed.
“I won’t forgive you for this.” she snapped at him.
“Come on, let’s get ready.” Azure said, standing up. “I have to get a few things from home first. Can you wait here for us, Violet?”
“... Okay.”
About an hour after meeting the Dungeoneer cadet Violet in Aquamentus, Azure Sage and Snow Queen began their assignment to escort her back to her guild, Kokiri Arbor, in the town of Lignum. According to the map, Lignum was several towns away from Balena, however it was in fact the closest town that also had a guild and a dungeon. The majority of the guilds and dungeons were spread far apart across the map. To reach Lignum, the trio had to ride a coach for the better part of the day.
Throughout the coach ride, Azure couldn’t keep his eyes off Violet. Her striking resemblance to his sister continued to eat away at him. He felt as though his head spun every time he saw her. Violet began to notice his stares, and looked uncomfortable.
“U-um.. Excuse me, but why are you staring at me so much?” she came out and asked him.
Snow had to hold down a laugh, for she too had noticed the staring.
“Oh, uh, sorry. It’s just... You really look a lot like someone I used to know. That’s kinda why I freaked out when I first met you. I’m sorry about that.”
Snow quickly quieted down after hearing that, for she knew all too well that he was referring to someone he lost in the destruction of Rosemary Village.
“Oh, I see. I was wondering what that was about. Will you be okay?” Violet asked.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thank you.”
Violet smiled. “That’s good. You seem really nice. I’m glad you’re not scary like Mr. Rep or Snow.”
Her smile was brighter than the sun. Azure felt the hole in his heart widen. He felt he’d give anything to be able to see his real sister smile again.
“Hey, I’m not scary!” Snow said.
“Your yelling isn’t very convincing.”
It was late in the afternoon by the time the trio of two Dungeoneers and a cadet arrived in Lignum. The town was, in a word, “green”. There were tall trees draping their leaves over most of the buildings. Some homes were even carved into the trunks of the bigger ones. The roads were mostly dirt and gravel, and the grass grew tall along the paths. There were many bushes and shrubs and gardens throughout the town, making it a very lush and vibrant place.
“This place is beautiful...” Azure said, taking in all the scenery like a child on his first road trip.
“Yeah. I love it here. It’s such a pretty and peaceful place.” Violet said, breathing in the fresh forest air.
“Where is the guild hall?” Snow asked.
“It’s down on the other end of town. Lignum has one large main road that runs straight through the center, leading right to the guild hall that’s carved into the trunk of the second biggest tree. And beyond there is the dungeon Auroda, inside the very biggest tree.” Violet explained.
“So that’s the general layout of the town?” Azure asked.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Okay. Let’s get a move-on, then. I don’t want to have to spend the night here.” Snow said.
The three of them began their trek across town. They could already see the “second biggest tree” in the distance, dead ahead. However, it still appeared to be quite a long walk. There were several horse-lead wagons marching up and down the street, so they hitched a ride on one of them. According to Violet, that was a common practice in Lignum.
As a result of their ride, they arrived outside the guild hall significantly faster than they would have if they’d remained on foot. Now that they were up close, Azure gaped in awe at the sheer height of the tree. He had to crane his neck and bend back just to see the top. He couldn’t believe that there was an even bigger tree just beyond this one.
Azure and Snow felt a little anxious about entering the guild, but Violet clearly had the most apprehension. It appeared she was scared out of her mind about being punished.
“I really don’t want to go in there...” she whimpered.
“Come on, already. Just accept your punishment. Woman up.” Snow said.
“Take it easy on her. She’s understandably nervous.” Azure said.
“You’re being too easy on her.” Snow complained.
“No, Snow is right... I have to face the consequences of my actions...” Violet said.
Azure was surprised that she’d said this, despite how much she was shaking. He watched as she took a couple deep breaths to calm herself and clasped her hands to her cheeks. After she prepped herself for whatever might come, she stepped forward and pushed open the wooden doors to the Kokiri Arbor guild hall.
As the doors swung open, they revealed the interior of the guild hall. It was much smaller than that of the Avalon Runners’ hall, but that was to be expected of a cadet guild. There were also less than half as many people. And those people, the cadets, were all young teens. There wasn’t a one of them that looked older than fifteen.
The cadets were all dressed in light armor, some of them carrying light weaponry. Azure wasn’t even sure if some of their weapons were real or not at first. He wondered how they were to fight monsters with equipment like that, but he soon remembered that Auroda was a lower-level dungeon with much weaker monsters than the ones that inhabited Aquamentus.
Azure then heard footsteps approaching his group, and Violet quickly hid behind his back. As he turned to ask her what was wrong, someone called out to them.
“Excuse me? Can I help you folks?”
Asking the question was a girl who appeared to be around the same age as both Azure and Snow. She had brown, bobbed hair with a pink bow pinned in it and brown eyes gazing at us with curiosity. She wasn’t dressed in armor like the cadets.
- She looks too old to be a cadet, but she also looks too young to be an Admin. Who exactly is she?
“I’m one of the Admins here. My codename is Ari. Do you two need something?” she asked.
“You’re an Admin? At your age?” Azure asked.
“Yeah, cadet guilds usually have two young Admins to supervise the trainees.” she answered. “The other Admin, Pendio, is out right now. You two look like Dungeoneers. Which guild are you from?”
“The Avalon Runners.” Snow said.
“Oh, really? What can I do for you two?”
“Well...” Azure said, gesturing for Violet to come out of hiding.
She slowly showed herself to her Admin, clinging to Azure’s sleeve with her hands. “Ari...” she said quietly.
As soon as she saw Violet, Ari practically shoved Azure aside, kneeling down and putting her hands on Violet’s shoulders.
“Violet?! Where have you been?! We’ve been worried sick about you! Are you okay? You didn’t really go into a high-level dungeon, did you?” Ari asked frantically.
Violet looked away in shame, giving Ari the answer she didn’t want to hear.
“... So you really did it. Violet... I’m sorry, but I’ll have to punish you for this. I hope you were prepared for this outcome.”
“I’m sorry... I just... I didn’t want the others to think I was weak...” Violet said quietly. “I’m not weak! I beat a whole horde of monsters all by myself in there! These two even saw me do it! I’m not weak, I’m not!”
“Is this true?” Ari asked us.
“It is.” Snow said. “Her magic was very strong.”
“Well, be that as it may, it doesn’t change the rules. But I do want you to know that I’m very glad you’ve come back safe, Violet. Nothing could make me happier than that.” Ari said, giving her an encouraging smile.
“Ari... Thank you.” Violet said, sniffling.
“Ari! We have a problem!” a new voice said, sounding distressed.
The group turned around to spot a young man with black, clean-cut hair and a white-collared shirt enter the hall. He was flustered and clearly out of breath.
“Oh, Pendio, you’re back. Did you find him?” Ari asked.
”No... I’m sorry, I couldn’t find King anywhere. He must still be inside the dungeon...” Pendio said, casting a worried look in the direction of Auroda.
“That’s not good... It’s been over eight hours now. We have to send in a search party. Violet, we’ll have to put the matter of your punishment aside for now. This is urgent.”
“Did one of your cadets get lost in the dungeon?” Azure asked.
“Yes, one of our more, shall we say... impulsive cadets. His name is King. We tell them that no one is allowed to enter the dungeon alone, but he never listens. I was afraid this might happen.” Ari said.
“I’m glad you’re back safe, Violet.” Pendio said. “I hate to put this on you when you just got home, but could you assist in the search? Auroda may be a low-level dungeon, but it’s still a dungeon. We need all the help we can get. “
“Of course.” Violet said.
“In that case, we’ll help, too.” Azure said, volunteering himself and Snow Queen.
“What?! This isn’t our problem!” Snow said.
“That doesn’t matter! They need our help, so we should help them. Besides, remember what Rep said? Lives are a Dungeoneer’s top priority, whether it's ours or someone else's.”
“... Yeah, that’s true. Fine, I’ll help too.”
“Thank you. I feel better having official Dungeoneers helping out.” Ari said.
- It looks like we’ll be spending the night in this town after all, though this isn’t what I would have expected to be doing.
Next: Search Party
Chapter Seven
Kokiri Arbor
Kokiri Arbor
Azure Sage’s consciousness slowly began to return. He felt the pressure of a wooden bench against his back, and he began to feel around. As he did so, he fell off the bench and hit his head on the floor.
“Ouch...” he groaned.
“Whoa, are you okay?”
Those words, accompanied with a laugh, were spoken by Snow Queen, whose face was soon visible hovering over Azure.
“I’m fine. What happened?” he asked, sitting up.
“We’re back at the guild hall. You passed out in the dungeon after seeing that girl.”
It came back to Azure in a flash, and he became somewhat pale again. “Oh, yeah... I remember now.”
“You had another episode didn’t you?”
“... I did. She looks just like...” Azure bit his lip instead of continuing. “Never mind. Where is she now?”
Snow gestured over to the bar, and sure enough, the mysterious flower girl from the dungeon was sitting at one of the stools sipping a drink served by Dekym. He seemed to be blushing, so she was probably really enjoying it.
“I see. So what are we going to do with her? It’s against the rules for someone her age to enter a dungeon, much less fight monsters.” Azure said.
“Rep was just about to talk to her about it. Look.”
Azure and Snow looked on as Repentance approached the young girl.
“Now then, I’d like to ask you a few questions about what you were doing in the dungeon. Do you think you could answer them for me?”
Even though Rep had said all that with a smile, the girl still looked intimidated. She was even breaking out in a sweat. It wasn’t surprising, considering Rep was a big man towering at close to six feet, five inches. His sharp eyes didn’t help his case much, either.
Azure felt the pit in his stomach growing again. The girl looked so much like his sister that he almost couldn’t tell them apart. He knew his real sister was dead and gone, but he couldn’t ignore this girl. He wanted to do something for her, if only out of respect for the memory of Analyn.
Azure stood up and walked over to the bar to join them. “Excuse me?” he said.
“Oh, Azure. I’m kind of in the middle of something now.” Rep said.
“Do you think I could talk to her? I think you’re scaring her.”
“What?! But I’m not scary at all! You must be joking.”
“Well, look at her...”
Rep glanced over the poor girl who looked like Rep’s very visage would cause her to pass out any second now. He then turned back towards Azure.
“I don’t see a problem with her. She looks fine to me.”
- Is he serious...? He must not be very good at reading people...
“Just... Let me take over. Please.”
“Well, if you insist.”
After that, Rep backed off. Azure sat down at the stool next to the girl and faced her with the most polite smile he could muster.
“Hi there. I’m Azure Sage. You can just call me Azure if you’d like. What’s your name?”
The girl seemed to calm down after Rep’s scary face was replaced by Azure’s much gentler one. “V-Violet.” she said.
“That’s a pretty name.”
“Th-thanks... I chose it myself.”
“Huh? You chose it?”
“Yes. It’s my Dungeoneer’s code name.”
This shocked everyone within hearing distance. “Your what?! But, you’re... way too young to be a Dungeoneer...” Azure said.
“Well, I’m still a cadet, but yes...”
“Oh, now it makes sense.” Rep said.
“Wait, what’s a cadet?” Azure asked, puzzled.
“A cadet is a Dungeoneer in training.” he answered. “These so-called prospective Dungeoneers are often trained from a young age like her in low-level, less dangerous dungeons.”
“Wow. I didn’t know there was such a thing...”
“Yes. I’m a member of Kokiri Arbor.” Violet said.
“Ah, that’s the cadet guild in charge of the dungeon Auroda.” Rep said. “What are you doing all the way out here in Balena? You should know that cadets aren’t allowed in the high-level dungeons like Aquamentus until they become fully-fledged Dungeoneers at the age of eighteen.”
“Y-yes, I know...” she said, once again feeling intimidated by our Admin. “But I had to come here... I had to prove myself. They all kept saying I couldn’t be a Dungeoneer... I had to prove that I was strong enough.”
- So that’s why she came out here? She put herself in danger for a reason like that...
Azure couldn’t help but feel like Violet was similar to his own sister. He began feeling short of breath again, so he clasped his hand over his mouth and tried to calm his breathing. Violet seemed to notice this, but before she could ask him if he was okay, Snow approached her with a question.
“So, Violet, was it? What made you come here to Aquamentus to do that? It’s one of the higher-level dungeons in the country you know?”
“R-really? I just chose it because it was the closest one to my own guild...”
“What?! You didn’t even look into the dungeon before you entered it? Are you trying to die?” she snapped.
“Hey, chill. There’s no need to yell.” Azure said, recovering.
“At any rate, this is still a clear violation of the Dungeoneer Network policy.” Rep interjected. “You’ll have to go back to your guild and receive your punishment.”
“B-but... I was just...” Violet began, looking to be on the verge of bawling.
“Look, I know how it is. Sometimes the desire to become strong seems more important than rules. I get that.” As Repentance said that, he seemed to have an empty, faraway look in his eyes. “But it doesn’t change that what you did was a serious endangerment to your own life, and the Network values preservation of lives as one of the top priorities for all Dungeoneers, whether it be your own life of that of your comrades. You need to understand that.”
Violet looked distraught, but she nodded her head. “... Yes. You’re right. All of our lives are precious. I’m sorry.”
“Now then, I’ll have someone escort you back to your guild. Azure, Snow, since you two found her, I’ll leave that assignment to the two of you.”
“Wait, what?! We have to keep babysitting her?!” Snow said.
“I’m fine with that.” Azure said, though he was still shaken up by the memories of his kid sister.
“Ugh, you would be.” Snow complained. “Great, now I have to go to a guild full of kids. I hate kids.”
“Hahahaha! Relax, it’s not like they’re toddlers. You’ll be fine.” Rep laughed.
“I won’t forgive you for this.” she snapped at him.
“Come on, let’s get ready.” Azure said, standing up. “I have to get a few things from home first. Can you wait here for us, Violet?”
“... Okay.”
* * *
About an hour after meeting the Dungeoneer cadet Violet in Aquamentus, Azure Sage and Snow Queen began their assignment to escort her back to her guild, Kokiri Arbor, in the town of Lignum. According to the map, Lignum was several towns away from Balena, however it was in fact the closest town that also had a guild and a dungeon. The majority of the guilds and dungeons were spread far apart across the map. To reach Lignum, the trio had to ride a coach for the better part of the day.
Throughout the coach ride, Azure couldn’t keep his eyes off Violet. Her striking resemblance to his sister continued to eat away at him. He felt as though his head spun every time he saw her. Violet began to notice his stares, and looked uncomfortable.
“U-um.. Excuse me, but why are you staring at me so much?” she came out and asked him.
Snow had to hold down a laugh, for she too had noticed the staring.
“Oh, uh, sorry. It’s just... You really look a lot like someone I used to know. That’s kinda why I freaked out when I first met you. I’m sorry about that.”
Snow quickly quieted down after hearing that, for she knew all too well that he was referring to someone he lost in the destruction of Rosemary Village.
“Oh, I see. I was wondering what that was about. Will you be okay?” Violet asked.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thank you.”
Violet smiled. “That’s good. You seem really nice. I’m glad you’re not scary like Mr. Rep or Snow.”
Her smile was brighter than the sun. Azure felt the hole in his heart widen. He felt he’d give anything to be able to see his real sister smile again.
“Hey, I’m not scary!” Snow said.
“Your yelling isn’t very convincing.”
* * *
It was late in the afternoon by the time the trio of two Dungeoneers and a cadet arrived in Lignum. The town was, in a word, “green”. There were tall trees draping their leaves over most of the buildings. Some homes were even carved into the trunks of the bigger ones. The roads were mostly dirt and gravel, and the grass grew tall along the paths. There were many bushes and shrubs and gardens throughout the town, making it a very lush and vibrant place.
“This place is beautiful...” Azure said, taking in all the scenery like a child on his first road trip.
“Yeah. I love it here. It’s such a pretty and peaceful place.” Violet said, breathing in the fresh forest air.
“Where is the guild hall?” Snow asked.
“It’s down on the other end of town. Lignum has one large main road that runs straight through the center, leading right to the guild hall that’s carved into the trunk of the second biggest tree. And beyond there is the dungeon Auroda, inside the very biggest tree.” Violet explained.
“So that’s the general layout of the town?” Azure asked.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Okay. Let’s get a move-on, then. I don’t want to have to spend the night here.” Snow said.
The three of them began their trek across town. They could already see the “second biggest tree” in the distance, dead ahead. However, it still appeared to be quite a long walk. There were several horse-lead wagons marching up and down the street, so they hitched a ride on one of them. According to Violet, that was a common practice in Lignum.
As a result of their ride, they arrived outside the guild hall significantly faster than they would have if they’d remained on foot. Now that they were up close, Azure gaped in awe at the sheer height of the tree. He had to crane his neck and bend back just to see the top. He couldn’t believe that there was an even bigger tree just beyond this one.
Azure and Snow felt a little anxious about entering the guild, but Violet clearly had the most apprehension. It appeared she was scared out of her mind about being punished.
“I really don’t want to go in there...” she whimpered.
“Come on, already. Just accept your punishment. Woman up.” Snow said.
“Take it easy on her. She’s understandably nervous.” Azure said.
“You’re being too easy on her.” Snow complained.
“No, Snow is right... I have to face the consequences of my actions...” Violet said.
Azure was surprised that she’d said this, despite how much she was shaking. He watched as she took a couple deep breaths to calm herself and clasped her hands to her cheeks. After she prepped herself for whatever might come, she stepped forward and pushed open the wooden doors to the Kokiri Arbor guild hall.
As the doors swung open, they revealed the interior of the guild hall. It was much smaller than that of the Avalon Runners’ hall, but that was to be expected of a cadet guild. There were also less than half as many people. And those people, the cadets, were all young teens. There wasn’t a one of them that looked older than fifteen.
The cadets were all dressed in light armor, some of them carrying light weaponry. Azure wasn’t even sure if some of their weapons were real or not at first. He wondered how they were to fight monsters with equipment like that, but he soon remembered that Auroda was a lower-level dungeon with much weaker monsters than the ones that inhabited Aquamentus.
Azure then heard footsteps approaching his group, and Violet quickly hid behind his back. As he turned to ask her what was wrong, someone called out to them.
“Excuse me? Can I help you folks?”
Asking the question was a girl who appeared to be around the same age as both Azure and Snow. She had brown, bobbed hair with a pink bow pinned in it and brown eyes gazing at us with curiosity. She wasn’t dressed in armor like the cadets.
- She looks too old to be a cadet, but she also looks too young to be an Admin. Who exactly is she?
“I’m one of the Admins here. My codename is Ari. Do you two need something?” she asked.
“You’re an Admin? At your age?” Azure asked.
“Yeah, cadet guilds usually have two young Admins to supervise the trainees.” she answered. “The other Admin, Pendio, is out right now. You two look like Dungeoneers. Which guild are you from?”
“The Avalon Runners.” Snow said.
“Oh, really? What can I do for you two?”
“Well...” Azure said, gesturing for Violet to come out of hiding.
She slowly showed herself to her Admin, clinging to Azure’s sleeve with her hands. “Ari...” she said quietly.
As soon as she saw Violet, Ari practically shoved Azure aside, kneeling down and putting her hands on Violet’s shoulders.
“Violet?! Where have you been?! We’ve been worried sick about you! Are you okay? You didn’t really go into a high-level dungeon, did you?” Ari asked frantically.
Violet looked away in shame, giving Ari the answer she didn’t want to hear.
“... So you really did it. Violet... I’m sorry, but I’ll have to punish you for this. I hope you were prepared for this outcome.”
“I’m sorry... I just... I didn’t want the others to think I was weak...” Violet said quietly. “I’m not weak! I beat a whole horde of monsters all by myself in there! These two even saw me do it! I’m not weak, I’m not!”
“Is this true?” Ari asked us.
“It is.” Snow said. “Her magic was very strong.”
“Well, be that as it may, it doesn’t change the rules. But I do want you to know that I’m very glad you’ve come back safe, Violet. Nothing could make me happier than that.” Ari said, giving her an encouraging smile.
“Ari... Thank you.” Violet said, sniffling.
“Ari! We have a problem!” a new voice said, sounding distressed.
The group turned around to spot a young man with black, clean-cut hair and a white-collared shirt enter the hall. He was flustered and clearly out of breath.
“Oh, Pendio, you’re back. Did you find him?” Ari asked.
”No... I’m sorry, I couldn’t find King anywhere. He must still be inside the dungeon...” Pendio said, casting a worried look in the direction of Auroda.
“That’s not good... It’s been over eight hours now. We have to send in a search party. Violet, we’ll have to put the matter of your punishment aside for now. This is urgent.”
“Did one of your cadets get lost in the dungeon?” Azure asked.
“Yes, one of our more, shall we say... impulsive cadets. His name is King. We tell them that no one is allowed to enter the dungeon alone, but he never listens. I was afraid this might happen.” Ari said.
“I’m glad you’re back safe, Violet.” Pendio said. “I hate to put this on you when you just got home, but could you assist in the search? Auroda may be a low-level dungeon, but it’s still a dungeon. We need all the help we can get. “
“Of course.” Violet said.
“In that case, we’ll help, too.” Azure said, volunteering himself and Snow Queen.
“What?! This isn’t our problem!” Snow said.
“That doesn’t matter! They need our help, so we should help them. Besides, remember what Rep said? Lives are a Dungeoneer’s top priority, whether it's ours or someone else's.”
“... Yeah, that’s true. Fine, I’ll help too.”
“Thank you. I feel better having official Dungeoneers helping out.” Ari said.
- It looks like we’ll be spending the night in this town after all, though this isn’t what I would have expected to be doing.
Next: Search Party
Jirohnagi
Braava Braava
Will Snow ever learn Kindness? Has Rep figured out he is an intimidating person? Who is King and why are they so stupid?
Find out Next time OOOOOOOOOOOON:
THROUGH THE DUNGEONS
Find out Next time OOOOOOOOOOOON:
THROUGH THE DUNGEONS
Link Floyd
ᵒⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ʳᵘⁿ
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2014
We should totally have a chapter where everyone goes to the bar and gets drunk and fights each other.
Just kidding. XD Once again, another brilliant chapter! I can't wait to find out more about this Violet character, I'd love to hear more about her backstory.
Just kidding. XD Once again, another brilliant chapter! I can't wait to find out more about this Violet character, I'd love to hear more about her backstory.
