A Soldier's Life - 14 - I Decided I Do Not Like Dungeons

Chapter 14: I Decided I Do Not Like Dungeons

I checked my gear as we entered the dungeon. I had brought one short sword and one spear, and my pack contained just water and food. I also had two knives strapped to my waist. Castile was inspecting the walls; they were covered in script, but it wasn’t Latin. Konstantin moved next to me,

“You always enter the dungeon at walking speed. Even if you run into the entrance, it take some getting used to.” He motioned to the walls. “We  the script yesterday. It says the dungeon allows seven to enter. So actually be someone alive in here.” He continued, “We think all the monsters are insects. Spiders, centipedes, beetles, and roaches. At least that is what the ones who came before noted on the wall there.”

“Aren’t spiders arachnids?” I muttered. I never really liked spiders after getting bitten as a child and my arm swelling like a balloon.

“What’s that?” Konstantin asked as he studied the room.

“Ah, nothing. Thanks, Konstantin.” At least he was telling me what was going on. As Mage Castile was still studying the writing, I asked, “What language is that?”

Konstantin harumphed. “Orc. And an old orc dialect as well. This dungeon hadn’t been explored in a long time before that nitwit entered. And yes, the baron’s son was here. The length of time this dungeon has been untested means the critters inside are going to be nasty.” He spoke softly so only I could hear. “If it all goes to shit and you are the last one standing, run as fast as you can to the entrance.”

I had a million questions, like why Konstantin was suddenly being so friendly, but Mage Castile waved us forward. Konstantin and Delmar led us down a corridor with defined walls and a high ceiling, but the stone was all natural—not smooth but jagged and rough. The corridor suddenly opened up as if we were outside, with stars visible above us.

“Everyone, be quiet,” Delmar whispered. “We are in a massive chamber. Those are not stars. They are fire beetles. Not overly dangerous, but dungeon ecology usually means something preys on them.” Suddenly, a buzzing sound started, and the stars grew brighter and brighter as the beetles flapped their wings. The massive chamber began to light up, showing a rough rock-strewn floor and a ceiling covered in stalactites.

Everyone was on watch, looking for an enemy. I felt the ground tremble, and I was not the only one. Everyone’s eyes searched the ground. Castile swore. “The fire beetles are an alarm for something. It’s coming from below. Spread out!”

I stood there dumbly while everyone else moved apart. Someone pointed, and I saw the rocky soil collapse on itself and then erupt upward thirty feet away. A massive crawfish-looking monster emerged. Someone yelled, “Ankheg!” which meant absolutely nothing to me.

I held my spear at a ready position, but did not think my twig would have much effect on something so large. Castile cast her wisps of black chains at the beast. The monstrosity turned and blasted a rain of glowing green water at her. The fluid washed over her, hitting an invisible shield that flashed blue and splashing everywhere.

Konstantin was already flanking the restrained monster. The green water was steaming where it hit the ground. I guessed it must be some type of acid and noted not to get in front of the creature. I snapped back to my senses and hurried to the flank of the monstrosity as well.

It isn’t every day you get to fight a twenty-foot-tall burrowing crawfish—or maybe it was more like an ant. It had some nasty mandibles, so I figured moving behind the creature was the smartest move.

Everything was happening so quickly. The struggling beast slowly snapped the black tendrils of smoke cast by Castile. The clang of metal on chitin echoed through the air as everyone tried to break through the shell. I angled my spear between two plates and leaned in with my body weight. The tip of my spear pierced the weak point and the sank a foot deep.

My victory was short-lived. The beast broke free from the black restraints, and one of its clawed, body-sized limbs swung toward me. I fell backward, releasing my spear as the clawed arm sliced through the air where my head had just been. Okay, I decided I definitely did not like dungeons. Someone yelled, “Second coming from behind!” What was happening? My view was blocked as I tried to figure things out. Another voice shouted, “Watch the acid spray!”

I drew my short sword and one of my knives and rushed toward the injured one. It was oozing fluid from a dozen puncture wounds and struggling to remain upright. We needed to put it down before engaging the second. I ran up its carapace because I had the great idea of getting close to the head and stabbing it from behind—and it could also not attack me while I was on its back.

I realized in the back of my mind how I had been conditioned to fight, even under circumstances that seemed dire. I did not fear injury, and my goal was to end the threat before I was killed. I ran up the shiny carapace, gaining confidence with each step. I needed to get my blade between the chitin plates behind the head. Just two more steps...

My boot slipped on the angled, shiny shell, causing me to fall to the left. My knee slammed hard into the shell, and I dropped my short sword in favor of using my two hands on the dagger to aim it at a gap in the armor. I succeeded in lodging the dagger’s blade in the shell. This saved me from falling underneath the beast, which started thrashing to get me off.

I held onto the handle as the beast’s death throes began to whip my body with it. My focus had been on this one beast, and I had not been aware enough to understand everything else that was going on around me. As I was being thrown about, I could see Mage Castile and two legionnaires fighting the other ankheg. One of my fellow soldiers was slumped over in obvious pain. My ride slowed as the goo that made up the ankheg’s blood stopped flowing from its wounds.

I pushed off hard and rolled to gain distance. My shoulder was in pain; I had definitely strained the shoulder socket, and I was lucky I had not dislocated the shoulder as well. I moved to help with the other ankheg. Konstantin said, “Stay back. It is handled—brave, but stupid boy. The beast was finished if you just gave it time. There was no need for a killing blow.” He walked past me to watch the end of the other battle.

Castile, seeing I was free, yelled, “Fool! Eryk, get a healing potion for Linus!” My eyes flashed to the injured legionnaire, and I rushed to him. I did not feel as though I was at fault. I was ordered to follow Linus’s orders. In the absence of orders, I helped fight as best I could.

I knelt, pulling the potion from my space and helping Linus drink it. He looked relieved as his injury healed and the pain faded. “Got caught in a claw. Got a wee bit crushed.” He coughed up some congealed blood, as the potion did its work. The second beast was now in its death throes as well. We had won, and everyone was alive. It was going to take some time for the potion to do its work, but other than that, everyone was in one piece.

Mage Castile removed her collector from her back and placed it over the ankheg. Blue smoke began getting drawn out, and an essence sphere formed in the center. “Major essence of constitution,” she announced, moving to the other beast to repeat the process. “Major essence of constitution again.” Everyone watched as Castile examined the essence, then handed them to Linus and Firth, who were visibly eager to receive them.

Delmar commented as an experienced dungeon delver. “Not much worth harvesting that wouldn’t take a long time. I say we let the dungeon reclaim them as is. Apparently, it makes the reset process quicker, but I hope we are out before then.”

Linus, his voice still raspy from his still-healing lungs, asked, “We’re not going to do that again?”

Mage Castile considered for a moment. “No. We will delve as deep as we can safely and then retreat. We will call for an experienced delve team from the Adventurers Guild if we don’t find the baron’s son. Our team is not equipped for this dungeon, and we are a person short of the party limit.”

Delmar looked displeased, but Castile mollified him, “Relax, Delmar. I know you did this for a living, but we are not equipped for it and will run out of potions before long. I want someone to capture a fire beetle and everyone else to search this large chamber. I see the one exit opposite where we entered. There should also be a prize in here somewhere for defeating the two monsters.”

Everyone dispersed to search the chamber. I stayed in the center with Delmar and Castile, listening to them talk. Delmar said, “Tough first room for a dungeon, and those ankheg were stronger than the norm. I don’t see how the baron’s group got past them. Maybe their party was killed, and the sole survivor just ran to the exit and will be in the next safe room.”

Castile gave him a withering look. “Delmar, those were newly formed. The carapace was too shiny for them to be ancient. I have been in a few dungeons, too. You are smarter than that.” Delmar flushed with embarrassment.

Konstantin returned with one of the fire beetles, holding it by the wings as it flared its light defiantly. Mage Castile took the collector shield and used it on the live beetle. An essence formed, and the three of them were surprised. “It is a minor perception essence. If only one in ten of those beetles yields one, this could be quite the harvest.”

Konstantin swayed her thoughts, “They’re only on the ceiling. Got lucky catching this one. I don’t think getting them down will be easy.”

She nodded reluctantly, “Okay.” She tossed Konstantin the essence. “We would need to use the collector on the live ones in order to get a chance at an essence as well. Delmar, start making preparations for the next room.”

Firth soon approached with a small stone chest, a huge grin on his face. Delmar scolded him, “Fool. It could have been trapped.”

“But it wasn’t,” Firth retorted. “There’s seven gold and a potion inside.”

Delmar’s eyes widened in surprise. “Never heard of a dungeon giving gold in the first room.”

Castile slyly took the coins. “That’s one for the Empire, and one for each of us. No word leaves your lips about this, Eryk. Store the potion. I will study the runes later.” I nodded.

As we rested at the passage leading further into the dungeon, Konstantin sat next to me. “The dungeon rewards collected by a company belong to the Empire. Castile trusts us and Firth’s greed, but you are an unknown, Eryk. Follow our lead, and this delve could be profitable for you.” He sat silently next to me, and when I did not respond, he stood and walked away.

An hour later, after Linus declared he was good to go. We all stood and moved toward the tunnel. It opened into another large chamber illuminated by fire beetles. Everyone gasped as the beetles lit up the vast room. We were at the first of many crisscrossing bridges that led to reach the other side.

Konstantin grunted, “I hate spiders.” Did he say spiders? I was surprised I actually had something in common with a veteran. I looked again; the bridges were made of webs. Imagining what size the spiders needed to be to create those bridges, I decided again that I did not like dungeons.

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