Book 7: Chapter 42: Tension
***Savannah Dores has been rescued from certain death and removed from the dungeon. Eleven entrants remain. Prepare for an Energy infusion.***
Victor glanced at Sora, and she nodded, closing the door behind them. Theyd just found what they believed to be a set of stairs leading up to the third dungeon level and were preparing to climb them when the message appeared. It was the second one since theyd left the gargantuopods lair, and Victor was sure it would level him. He could feel the tension in his body and Core; it felt like even a hint of Energy would push him over the edge. They were in a round stone chamber with one exit and a spiral staircase leading up to shadowy heights.
Sora sat down with her back to the door, her bow in her lap. It might be a few minutes; it seems the System tries to wait for battles to halt before throwing the Energy at us.
Yeah. Victor sat down on the steps facing her. You think well get another chest when we go up?
Thats my understanding. Each level awards a chest, and the value of the prizes is supposed to increase as the number of participants dwindles. She smiled, shrugging. Should be quite a bit better than the last one. A few people have been knocked out since.
Mmhmm. Victor nodded absently as he stroked Lifedrinkers haft. Shed been very quiet since the gargantuopod, and he could still see the faint lines of shimmering green Energy in her silvery metal. He didnt know exactly how it worked, but it seemed like she was slowly digesting what shed taken.
Your axe is made of Heart Silver? Soras intonation made a question out of the statement.
Yeah. Well, she started with just a Heart Silver core, but it's expanded as shes . . . evolved is the word for it, I guess.
A wonderful weapon, to be sure. She must have drained much from the gargantuopod. Im sure it helped our fire to slay it. When Victor didnt respond, not wanting to chatter about his axe or her secrets, Sora tried another topic, You called yourself a titan, yes? Are there many of your kind on your homeworld?
Victor looked at her with narrowed eyes. Hed grown leery of strangers trying to dig information out of him. So many unscrupulous people had tried to use knowledge of his abilities against him that he was mistrustful. The problem with his thinking, though, was that the questions felt innocent enough; she could simply be trying to make conversation, perhaps trying to bolster their tenuous alliance.
Rather than answer her, he decided to turn the tables to see how she handled some personal probing. Hmm, how about you tell me about yourself? On my homeworld, people who look like you are often called elves. Is that right? He didnt mention that hed only seen them in fiction.
Elves? Well, I have a Fae bloodline and, as a result, have devoured many a text on the subject of the Fae. They have subgroups of people, and yes, Ive read the terms elf, elfin, and even elvish. However, my people are called the Ramash, and most dont share my pointy ears, strange coloring, and large eyes. I hail from a world somewhat distant from Sojourn; I had to traverse another hub to reach this place.
Victor nodded, more interested than hed expected to be in her answer. Hed made a lot of assumptions about herabout most of the people in the dungeon. For some reason, hed held himself apart as though he werent benefiting from a wealthy patron like most of the other entrants.
He was starting to see that he often gave himself more credit than he deserved, that he considered his efforts to get where he was somehow out of the norm. In his mind, the other dungeon goers were akin to spoiled rich kids, pampered on an easy world and handed opportunities that hed had to work for. Had he, though? It sounded like hed had an easier time getting to Sojourn than Sora. He decided to be more open-minded and to try to learn more about the people he encountered. Howd you get to know Cam?
In another dungeon. We were both signed up for the same time slot, and the coordinators put us together. I still consider him a friend, and Im dreading the outcome of my betrayal. She looked down, and Victor saw real emotion in her eyes, real hurt. Hed been so suspicious of her earlier that he hadnt considered the weight of her actions if she were telling the truth; shed gone against a friend to keep from betraying Victors trust. As he completed the thought, another voice in his head scoffedshed betrayed a friend to keep from getting smashed by him. Just because she wasnt stupid didnt mean she was loyal to him.
I dont know exactly what Cam was going to do, but you made the right choice. I dont tolerate betrayal well. At least in here, your friend had the Lifesaver, and your attack wasnt enough to kill him outright. I couldnt make promises to that effect if I lost myself in rage.
So you dont always have control?
Again, Soras question rubbed Victor the wrong way, as if she was fishing. He glanced up to the air at the center of the spiral stair and saw the two spy stones floating around up there. There was no telling who was listening to their conversation. He was about to change the subject again when, out of nowhere, glittering balls of bright golden Energy slammed into each of their chests. Victor grunted as the euphoria swept over him, and when he came back to his senses, he had a System message waiting for him:
***Congratulations! You have achieved level 64 Herald of the Mountains Wrath and gained 12 strength, 17 vitality, and 12 will.***
He waved the message away and looked at Sora. She was staring into space, her eyes moving left to right as though reading something. She did it for a long while, and Victor figured shed gotten more notifications than a simple level; maybe shed gained a new skill or spell or some other kind of upgrade. With a grunt, he stood up and slung Lifedrinker back over his shoulder. Ready to head up?
Sora shook her head and blinked rapidly, hopping gracefully to her feet. Aye. If were separated again, Ill wait outside the award chamber.
That took some of the steam out of Edeya, and she looked up at Lam in confusion, waiting to see if shed made more sense of the tall strangers words. Warin Dak? Lam asked, obviously trying to dredge through her memory for the name. Darren could see whythe man before them spoke it like everyone should be acquainted with his meaning.
Oh, ancestors! The Ridonne chuckled, shaking his head. Im so out of practice. My name is Chal-dak, and Warin is my cousin. Hell likely win in the challenge dungeon, and Im sure hell throw quite a feast.
What? Lams eyes opened wide. Theres a Ridonne in there? She looked at Edeya, then down at Darren. I didnt see one on any of the spy windows . . .
Ah! I see the confusion! Warin-dak didnt awaken the, um, more pleasant side of the bloodline. Hes more bedecked with horns, and his coloring leans more toward crimson and less toward golden. Moreover, he fancies himself a wizard and wears heavy robes with a hooded cowl . . .
Oh! The one who killed the three others while they battled those troll things, Edeya said. Darren knew precisely who she was talking about; theyd watched the battle on the big viewing window just before Victor and his two friends began exploring the second level. Three adventurers had been fighting a pack of brutish horned giants with green, pox-ridden flesh when a fourth had arrived, blasting them all with terrible bolts of red Energy. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie to Darrendeath beams that melted through flesh and stone alike.
They didnt die . . . Chal-dak began to say, but Lam spoke at the same time.
Eliminated . . . She shook her head as they both stopped short, not wanting to speak over each other. When Chal-dak remained silent, she said, I wouldnt plan a victory party just yet.
Aha! Our conversation comes full circle! Might I enquire again? You know the giant warrior?
It was Lams turn to fold her arms over her chest and smile knowingly at the Ridonne. I do know him, and though hed be angry if I spoke much about him to a stranger, I would say he has no love for the Ridonne.
Ah! Such a shame. I dont suppose youll expand on the source of hisand youranimosity?
Again, it was Edeya who spoke up, her voice fierce, her brow narrowed in a scowl. Should we start with how you and your kind have kept the rest of Fanwath ignorant and subservient, locking away the world travel options for you and yours?
Oh? I suppose I cant be surprised that you dont know the Systems mandate, handed down when Fanwath was new. As far as I know, its not something they teach outside our academy.
Lam frowned. Mandate? Academy?
You see! There are things for us to talk about! Theres much I could explain. Wont you come to our party after the challenge dungeon?
Lam sighed, clearly ready to end the conversation. I wont commit to anything, and, as I said, you shouldnt invest too much in a victory party. In any case, we have other obligations in the near future.
Well. I do hope you manage to find the time. Even if Warin-dak fails to secure the top position, well celebrate his homecoming. Here, he flicked his fingers out, and a glittering, golden card appeared between his pointer and middle finger. He extended it to Lam, My calling card. Simply feed it a touch of Energy, and you can send me a message. Conversely, I can leave a message for you. Ill send you the address of our estate in Sojourn and any forthcoming details about the victoryor notgala. Darren knew he shouldnt, but he found himself liking the man. He was smooth and charming despite the hostility Lam and Edeya had been showing him.
Lam took the card, sent it into one of her dimensional containers, and nodded. We must be moving on. Obligations.
It was my pleasure, Lady . . . He lifted an eyebrow expectantly, obviously hoping to learn Lams name.
Lam.
Ah! He smiled, his eyes glittering with pleasure. No surname? Well, Lam the Ghelli from FanwathIll have to be content with that. I do hope to hear from you soon. With that, he bowed with a flourish, spun on his heel, and strode confidently away, back toward the drinking establishment.
What a cocky asshole! Edeya growled.
Lam groaned. Roots, Edeya! Youve been around Victor too much.
