Duelling Dungeons

“I’m sorry, I went too far,” Sylvia muttered as she strode towards the exit. Her long stride meant that I had to jog just to keep up with her.

“Too far? I’m the one who asked you for a duel, despite knowing that I was completely outmatched,” I replied. “I expected to lose– maybe not that badly, but still. What I didn’t expect was your complete disregard for your own safety. I know Windigos have superior regeneration capabilities, and even though dungeon combat is completely safe, you can still lose limbs and receive mortal wounds in the simulation. You’ll have to learn to treat your simulated wounds with more respect if you join us in the future.”

Sylvia finally slowed her pace and turned towards me, frowning. “Wait… Are you serious? Are you really more concerned with the fact that I didn’t show any regard for my own well-being than the fact that you lost?”

“Why would I care that I lost?” I replied blankly. “I went into our duel completely expecting to lose. I have no magical ability, and no martial skills, and I challenged someone over twice my size to a fight. I admit, I’m a little disappointed that I couldn’t last a little bit longer, but I just wanted to see your fighting style firsthand. If I wanted a ‘fair’ fight, I would have activated my arena and relied on more traps and distractions to try and gain an edge.”

I looked her up and down. “I admit. I didn’t expect your combat style to be so… brutish.”

“That’s because that’s not how I normally fight,” Sylvia replied quietly. “At least while I’m not in a dungeon.”

“In that case, I guess we could try and find some wooden sparring weapons, and try to find another place to duel,” I muttered. “We don’t need a training room here, because it’s safer and easier to practice within the dungeon, but I’m sure we could find some space. Maybe we could find a clearing in Voss’s grove outside.”

Sylvia gave me a confused look. “You’re not going to ask why I fight so differently while I’m in a dungeon?”

I sighed, then glanced around to make sure that no one else was around.

“Look, Sylvia, I may not be the most emotionally and socially aware person on the planet. I admit that I can get far too focused on my research and plans to notice what’s happening around me sometimes, but even I can see you have some sort of negative experience with dungeons before,” I said quietly. Sylvia’s face paled slightly, but I continued. “You’ve been jumpy ever since you walked in here, glancing around the area uncomfortably whenever you thought no one was watching. You didn’t say anything, so I just assumed it was something you didn’t feel comfortable sharing with me.”

Sylvia smiled depreciatively. “Is it really that obvious?”

“It was to me, but that’s probably because you were my guest and I was paying closer attention to you,” I replied. “I doubt anyone else noticed.”

“So why didn’t you ask me about it before?” she asked.

“Because I figured if you wanted to talk about it, you would have brought it up yourself,” I said. “Since you didn’t, I tried to be accommodating and make your visit as comfortable as possible.”

I paused for a moment.

“I probably shouldn’t have invited you to have a duel inside the dungeon. In hindsight, you probably only agreed out of some feeling of obligation instead of interest. That was my mistake, I let my excitement get the better of me,” I said.

“Are you always this straightforward?” Sylvia asked, letting out a short chuckle.

“Sometimes, not always,” admitted. “I may be getting better at handling social situations, but I can be fairly awkward. I think I default to a more straightforward and logical way of thinking when I’m not sure how to handle the situation.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds this situation awkward,” Sylvia sighed. “Look… Talia, you seem like a good person, but that doesn’t change the fact that we just met. I’m not comfortable discussing my personal situation with you.”

“I understand that, that’s why I haven’t asked,” I replied. “Even if we were more familiar, I’d recommend that you discuss it with Kass first. She’s far better at dealing with emotional situations than I am.”

Sylvia cocked her head to the side. “You know… that’s not a terrible idea,” she muttered. “I’ve known Kass for a long time now. She’s probably my closest friend, maybe it’s time for me to share my story with her,” she muttered, before looking down at me. “She wouldn’t happen to be around, would she?”

“She’s still out visiting her family,” I replied, “but she should be back in a day or two.”

“That’s fine,” Sylvia said. “I’m not exactly eager to have this discussion, so I could use some time to prepare for it anyway.”

The two of us stood there awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs until Sylvia’s stomach growled. She quickly placed a large hand over her middle and smiled awkwardly. “Sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. The Manor’s magic might dampen everyone’s racial abilities and downsides, but it can’t completely suppress them,” I replied. “I realize you’d probably like to leave, but would you let me treat you to a meal before you do? We can sit down and talk one last time before you go.”

Sylvia hesitated, but after her stomach growled again, much louder this time, she nodded.

“This way then,” I said, gesturing towards the residential area before leading the way.

Along the way, I noticed that most of the pamphlets and lollipops I’d left on the small booth I’d set up were already gone. The pamphlet was fairly self-explanatory, which is why I felt comfortable enough to leave the booth alone for our duel, but I still wanted to get back there, in case anyone had questions.

Still, as anxious as I was, I knew that it could wait until I finished talking with Sylvia. I knew what my priorities should be.

When we arrived at the cafeteria, Sylvia looked around, bewildered. “This is a cafeteria?”

“Lanivia pays attention to the staff’s well-being. Great food, amazing recreational areas, and exceptional sleeping quarters. Just one of the advantages of working here,” I explained, as I led her to the counter.

Myra wasn’t there; instead,d it was an older elven woman. Another member of the kitchen staff whom I recognized, but had never talked to before.

“Not going to your regular place?” she asked as I wandered up. “It’s rare to see you visiting the counter.”

“I wanted to order as soon as possible,” I replied. “I’d like a chicken sandwich, and one of every entree for my friend.”

The woman paused and looked up at me. “Pardon?”

“She has a big appetite,” I said. “You can start bringing it out as soon as it’s ready. No need to wait for it all to be ready at once.”

She looked at me strangely, but still took down the order. “I guess we can do that. It’ll be a couple of minutes.”

“That’s fine…” I replied. I took a couple of seconds to glance around. “You wouldn’t happen to have seen George, would you?”

She smiled. “He came charging in here a couple of minutes ago, knocked over a couple of tables and chairs, which made Myra furious. She chased after him with a frying pan and hasn’t come back yet.”

“Of course he did,” I muttered. “Thanks for your help, we’ll be at our table.”

She waved lightly before disappearing back into the kitchen.

“Is everyone around here so… friendly?” Sylvia asked as we wandered over to the table.

“Most people,” I replied, slipping into the booth. “Since the Manor is such a prestigious place to work, we can be more selective with the people we hire. Make sure that everyone works well together.”

“That doesn’t explain why you went out of your way to try and hire me,” Sylvia muttered. “Kass must have told you my background. I’m not exactly a team player.”

“Well… that’s true. But it’s occasionally worth taking a chance on someone exceptional,” I said. “Lanivia believed in me, and I believe it’s worth trying to pay that forward.”

Sylvia was quiet for a minute. “I’m not sure if I’m worthy of that chance,” she finally said.

“You never know unless you try,” I replied, looking her over. I took a moment to find the right words before continuing. “You told me earlier that you couldn’t turn down my offer by message, and despite coming all this way and being uncomfortable the entire time you were here, you still didn’t outright turn me down. I don’t know what sort of issue you have with dungeons, but it’s not enough to keep you away. Something about the offer must appeal to you, so how about this… Join the dungeon on a trial basis, and try working here for a week or two without any obligations. That’ll give you enough time to see how we do things around here, and even have that talk with Kas. If you like it, you can sign on for a longer period, and if not, I’ll shake your hand and wish you luck elsewhere. How’s that sound?”

“Why are you going out of your way to accommodate me?” Sylvia asked. “I’ve never done anything to deserve it.”

“Because sometimes all you need is for someone to believe in you and give you a chance,” I told her. “Lanivia did it for me, and now I’m doing it for you. So, what do you think?”

Sylvia frowned, locked her hands together in front of herself, and sat quietly for a minute. I could tell she was thinking hard about the offer.

“Fine, we’ll give it a try,” Sylvia finally agreed. “I make no promises ,though.”

“I know,” I replied, smiling faintly. “Thank you for giving us a chance.”