Duelling Dungeons

Kass and I stayed up top, just quietly enjoying each other’s company, until the distant sound of revelry slowly faded and we were left with nothing but the sound of crickets and the light of the stars.

“We should probably head back,” I said quietly.

“What’s your hurry? We could stay up here all night if we wanted,” Kass asked, pulling me closer.

“I’d love to… but we didn’t tell anyone where we were going, and I have a feeling that if we don’t head back soon, someone will come looking for us,” I said.

“Why would they do that? Everyone should be celebrating or resting after the match?” Kass asked.

“I don’t know,” I replied, squirming awkwardly. “It’s just a feeling I have.”

“I probably just your imagination,” Kass said.

“Maybe,” I admitted quietly, “But now that I have the idea in my head, I can’t get it out.”

“And we all know how you are when you get something in your head,” Kass sighed, sitting up. “Alright… I’ll head back with you, but in exchange, I want you to find a babysitter for George the next time we both have time off, so we can go on a proper date in town.”

“George isn’t a baby, you know,” I said, sitting up next to her. “He doesn’t need a babysitter.”

Kass slowly turned her head towards me and raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Not all the time! He can behave himself sometimes!” I exclaimed.

Kass’s eyebrow inched higher, but she didn’t say anything.

“I’ll find someone who can keep him under control for a couple of hours,” I promised.

“Good,” Kass giggled as she coiled her tail and pulled herself upright. Once she had, she extended a hand towards me. “Shall we go?”

“Yes, thank you,” I replied, gently taking her hand and letting her pull me to my feet.

As soon as I was on my feet, I slipped my arm around one of hers. I saw a flicker of confusion cross her face, just for a moment, and smiled. “Just because we’re heading back doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy each other’s company for a couple more minutes. We’re not there yet,” I explained.

Kass's smile widened. “That’s true, we can still take our time and enjoy ourselves a little,” she replied, wrapping her other arm around my shoulder and slowly escorting me back to the rocky egress.

We took our time, slowly wandering through the plaza and then down into the access tunnels as we made our way back to the hub. It seemed that most people had already finished celebrating and gone to bed, because the tunnels were exceptionally quiet; We didn’t meet a single person on the way. That was fine, though, because it allowed me to rest my head on Kass’s shoulder and just enjoy her presence.

The instant we stepped back into the Atrium, that changed. Bella, who had been floating around the control center, came flying over the instant she saw us.

“Where have you two been?” she asked. “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”

“Uhhh… out on the grounds, relaxing,” I replied. “Why?”

“Because you left all your tablets behind, and Lanivia wants to talk to you,” Bella replied. “ASAP.”

Kass turned her head and looked at me oddly. “How did you know?” she whispered.

“I didn’t!” I insisted quietly. “I just…”

“Had a feeling, I know,” Kass muttered.

“What are you whispering about over there?” Bella grumbled, resting her hands on her hips. “Something you want to share?”

“Would you believe me if I said I had a feeling you were looking for me? And that’s the reason we came back?” I asked.

“No…” Bella said slowly. “But I don’t think you’d lie to me about something like that either.” She paused and shook her head. “We can talk about it later; right now the boss is waiting for you.”

“Right,” I replied before glancing at Kass.

“Go on, Lanivia is waiting for you. We can talk afterward,” Kass said, cutting me off before I could say anything.

I nodded. “I’ll be back soon,” I said, turning and swiftly making my way down the stairs. I nodded to the few people who were loitering around the area as I crossed the atrium and headed towards the impressive set of heavy double doors embedded in the far wall.

While the other doors around the atrium, leading to the projection rooms for the different floors and access to the residential area, were typically left open, the door to Lanivia’s personal chambers was almost always closed and locked. Yet as I approached one of the heavy wooden doors, it magically swung open, welcoming me in.

A couple of months ago, I would have found that intimidating, but after getting to know Lanivia a little bit, I knew that this wasn’t the Lich showing off. In fact, this minor show of power was probably reflexive, something so minor that she was barely even aware she was doing it.

I didn’t need to be concerned with these subconscious actions; I just needed to be cautious around Lanivia herself. Oh, I didn’t think she’d ever intentionally hurt me or anyone else in the dungeon, but after seeing her unleash her full power against another dungeon master at the opening ceremonies, I couldn’t help but feel cautious around her.

Beyond the doors was a long stone spiral staircase lit by a series of torches mounted on the wall, their flames burning an eerie purple. This entire place was Lanivia’s domain, and as I slowly descended towards her sanctum, I felt an odd feeling wash over me. With each step, the feeling grew; it was as if I were slowly submerging into a dark pool, my senses dulled and smothered by an overwhelming power.

Although the feeling was unusual, it wasn’t painful or even uncomfortable; it was just… odd, something I hadn’t experienced before.

When I arrived at the bottom of the long staircase, there was a second, smaller set of doors that swung open as I approached, giving me free access to Lanivia’s sanctum.

No matter how many times I came here, I was always struck by a sense of awe as soon as I stepped inside. The massive cylindrical room had no top or bottom, just a never-ending stack of bookcases stretching as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of floating sconces burning with purple fire lit the room, just enough for me to make out a practically unending stream of books floating out of the bookcases and flying down to the small platform at the heart of the chamber.

That’s where I found Lanivia, like always. The ancient lich sat at a massive, ornate desk, practically unmoving as the books flew down, positioned themselves directly under her head so she could read whatever passage she wanted, and then returned to their previous positions.

I didn’t say anything as I stepped up to the narrow strip of floating stone that acted as a bridge between the floor of the dungeon and the floating platform. I didn’t need to.

As soon as I did, the stream of books flying back and forth came to a complete stop. Lanivia slowly rose to her feet and turned towards me, a sly smile on the illusory dark elf visage she used to conceal her true form from the public.

At least, I thought I could make out a sly smile. The truth was, I could see straight through the illusion, seeing the skeletal form beyond. My vision started to swim, and my head pounded.

Lanivia slowly rose from her chair and floated across the endless abyss of knowledge, slowly approaching me and not once breaking eye contact.

“Welcome, Talia,” she said, and even though she spoke quietly, her voice seemed to resonate through the chamber. “We need to talk.”