Chapter 175: Gangs All Here

  Lirkiered the room, all smiles, to talk with Castile. He looked malnourished, but his eyes were filled with the joy of seeing us. I joihem to learn how they had ected with Fvius and the others. Castile immediately asked, “Who is with you?”

  “There’s a safe room down the corridor,” he pointed behind him. “Fvius, Brutus, Donte, Benito, Linus, Kolm, and the Schor are there.” The men moved into crowd Lirkin, even the naked Mateo and Firth, who had not bothered to dress.

  Bze interrupted and asked early, “What about Pavel and Lu?”

  The joy left Lirkin’s face. “I don’t think they made it. I know they didn’t make it.”

  Adrian moved to stand in front of Lirkin, grabbing his pauldron firmly. “What happened?” he demanded softly.

  Lirkin colpsed a bit, overwhelmed by the memory. “A few days ago, maybe four. It’s hard to tell time in this cursed dungeon. I was resting in the safe room where we arrived from the tavern with Lu, Benito, and Pavel.” He took a deep breath. “We didn’t leave a watd were all sleeping.”

  Konstantin rebuked him harshly from nearby, “Why not!?”

  Lirkin defended himself aggressively, “Every day was the same. After weeks, we just assumed we were safe.” His anger fell, and he softly added, “We got pt.”

  Castile calmed everyoh a look and then enced Lirkin to tiell us how it happened, Lirkin.”

  “A troll. A crusty-ass, shit-brown troll. If it hadn’t been so loud st down the corridor, we would’ve all been killed right there. Benito, even with his arm broken and useless, fro. He gave us time to form a defe took a nasty ssh to his face.” Lirkin paused, recalling the nightmarish i.

  “We formed up, proteg Benito with the dungeo behind us. We hoped to trick the troll into the portal, but an ice drake emerged from the corridor, and an elven wizard was just behind the drake.” Someone inhaled sharply at the firmation the summoner had joined us in the dungeon.

  “It was the summohen. He has an ice drake under his trol. I have seen it,” Castile firmed calmly to everyone.

  Lirkin Castile. “We figured fighting the specters was better than fighting the troll and the ice drake. We were going to ehe dungeon again together right after exiting, but the troll followed us through the portal.”

  Everyone was silent as Lirkin tinued his retelling. “There were a lot of specters oher side—and frozen body parts of legionhe troll pushed us back from the gate, ao tried to hold off the specters with his good arm but could barely stand.”

  He sighed as he repyed the final part of his tale. “Lu said he would distract the troll away from the portal so we could get back through together. Pavel joined him without being ordered, telli Benito ba. Pavel got two arrows into the troll, and it charged him and Lu. I saw specters swarming Pavel, and the troll tackled Lu to the grouhe colpsed tavern. That was the st I saw of them before I got Benito bato the dungeon. Fortunately, we arrived in a safe room close to Fvius and the others.”

  There was dead silence as we all absorbed the mental weight of more losses to the pany. Adrian broke the somber mood. “Let’s reuh the others. We mourn our fallen rades together.”

  “Make use of the pool first,” Castile said numbly. “Everyohe. Two legion both corridor entrances. Lirkin, Konstantin, and Adrian, g the others here.”

  It was not long before the pool was filled with men spshing each other like children while trying to catch the bobbing fish. Adriaurned with the others. The Schor and Kolm were supp Benito. His cheek and neck had a filthy bah dried blood. Linus had a splinted leg but was walking under his own power. It looked like Donte had recovered from the spider’s poison.

  The groups mingled, and smiles and ughter were all around, pushing the reality of our lost panions to the back of our minds. When I got close to Benito, he smelled like death and ammonia. He was still smiling, even though he was obviously close to Pluto’s realm.

  I patted Benito on the back. “It looks like a troll got a hold of you and took your maidenhood.”

  Benito’s eyes were a bit gssy as he replied, “I gave just as good as I got, Eryk. You wouldn’t happen to have any wio numb the pain a bit?” he asked hopefully.

  I preteo think about it. “I do have a bottle left, but I thought you might want this instead.” I held up one of the greater healing potions I had left. His eyes had trouble fog on it, and I do not think he uood.

  Castile s him, “Drink it if you want to live, boy. That’s a greater dungeon healing potion.”

  “Ah, you don’t happen to have another for me?” Linus asked jokingly.

  Maveith moved to retrieve one of his potions, but I gave him a look, aopped. I retrieved the lesser healing potion I had gotten from Raelia’s bags and offered it to Linus, who was flummoxed as I ha to him. He rasped out, “It should work as long as the bone is aligned closely.”

  “How many healing potions do you have?” Mateo intruded on the gift-giving, thankfully clothed this time. He preteo pat me down.

  I knew revealing the potions had risks, but her Benito nor Linus would be able to flee with us once we left the dungeon. I pushed away the handsy Mateo. “Just o now. I’d prefer to save it for a real emergency if you don’t mind.”

  I watched as Benito got help from Schor Favian to drink the healing potion. A loud pop had Benito wince as his forearm bones aligned properly. He started coughing up yellow phlegm and tearing off his crusty bandages as he seated himself on the ground. He soon y spread-eagle, breathing deeply, as if it was the first time in a long while he’d been able to do so.

  Benito’s skin was filthy with sweat, dirt, aly fked scabs. The first words out of his mouth were, “I am famished. What’s for dinner?” A tingly feeling of satisfa went through me.

  I missed Linus taking the other potion, but he had also removed his splint and ractically skipping around the coffee berry trees. For some reason, I eled my inner Delmar. “Okay, now that everyone is mobile, I need a full ating of the provisions. I want four men pig berries and four men fishing.”

  Everyone looked at me strangely for a moment before Castile backed me up. “You heard Eryk. Everything o be harvested before the dungeon recims the room, and I want everyoo bathe. I am siy eyes watering from your stench when I try to sleep.” She let out a slight smirk and wi the men before returning to her usual demeanor.

  As the men paired off and started to work, I did not like that Konstantin and Fvius moved off to guard one of the corridors at Adrian’s orders. Adrian began making the rounds to che the men, and I joined him. Adrian had always been more ied in morale than Delmar had. But I was not Delmar, and I wao know how everyone was doing.

  We still had a number of injuries among the men. Firth had broken fingers, Donte was weak from the after-effects of the poisoo still had a fever even though his body was healed, and Kolm had bruised ribs, but Wylie’s leg iion was at least clearing up.

  I gave Benito one of the two cure disease potions I had purchased at the Adventurer’s Guild in Telha. That immediately normalized his temperature and apparently healed his mouth, as Benito suddenly could not stop talking. Several people noted privately that I should have waited a bit longer before saving his life.

  Soon after, we abahe harpy room and made the walk to the safe room Fvius and his group had been using. Everyone smelled mildly better, and we were mostly in good spirits. I stood, listening to Fvius report to Castile ohe group had settled in the familiar-style safe room. The dungeo loomed nearby, entig us with its offer of freedom. The lump in Castile’’s backpack was the key to that freedom.

  It might have been just me, but Fvius’s eyes kept roaming to me while he talked. “There is a rge earth drake room dowher corridor from the harpy room, but I assume Eryk has already told you that.”

  “He has,” Castile said firmly. “What is this way?” She indicated the only other exit from the safe room.

  “Wolf spiders in the first room. They are just rge, hairy bastards, but their venom lingers for days. Beyond that roiaipedes. They have a paralyzing toxin, but there are only four of them. Beyond that is the safe room where we arrived. her of the rooms offered a det food source. We have been killing the harpies every two or three days for the fish. We did not know the berries were edible. Linus tried them whole and ended up vomiting an hour ter.” Fvius waited while Castile sidered the information.

  “And what is beyond that safe room?” Castile questioned.

  Fvius held up his hands to dra in the air. “Two other corridors. One goes this way to a ferocious owlbear with glowing red eyes.” He shifted his hands. “The oes this way for a long distao a water-filled room with giant snapping turtles. We sidered trying that room, as the turtles might have been too slow to pursue us in the corridor. I decided against it, thinking there might be other threats in the murky water that could follow us.”

  “This dungeon is a bloody menagerie,” Adrian spat.

  “I don’t think it is worth expl those rooms,” Castile decided. “We will rest for a day and then make our exit.”

  “To where?” Fvius inquired. Castile looked a little irritated at the question.

  “We will try to return to the under city and back to the library to avoid the tration of specters iy. From there, we clear the snow to the gates a outside the aura of the city.” Castile expined.

  “What about the elven summoner?” Fvius pressed.

  “He made a mistake following us into the dungeon and dismissing his elementals. Without his stant trol of the weather, I am guessing the snow is now passable.”

  Fvius was not as certain. “We ot be sure of that.”

  Castile’s patience ran out. “Enough, Fvius. You and Bze watch the wolf spider room for the approach of the summoner. Do not engage if you see him or his creatures. Just retreat here to report so repare.”

  Adrian added stiffly, “Be aware. He has been using goblins as scouts as well.” Fvius nodded curtly and turned away from roup. Once he was far away, Adrian spoke to Castile and me. “He’s been leading the men for weeks and has bee bolder. Clearly, he has won over Brutus and is w on Konstantin.”

  “Do you think he will be a problem?” Castile asked.

  Adriaated a little. “Maybe. Konstantin told me he was asking about how Eryk and Maveith reected with us.” Adrian had an amused look on his face. It made me look to Castile and back to Adrian. Castile had obviously shared something with him. I should’ve realized it when he was no longer suspicious of me. Shit—I hoped this would not bite me ter.

  Castile watched Bze and Fvius move down the corridor. “Bze will let us know if he’s up to anything.” She turo me. “Do you and Maveith want to scout the harpy or earth drake room? We will be leaving the dungeon when you return.”

  I uzzled for just a moment. I retty sure she was asking if I wao harvest more essence. I sidered the offer. I had dozens of essences in my dimensional space. But magic affinities were rare. Charm or earth essence? “We watch for the summoner in the earth drake corridor,” I finally said. Castile nodded approvingly.

  A short while ter, as I was getting ready to leave, Brutus offered to join us. Thankfully, Lirkin suddenly needed help preparing meals, so Adrian volunteered Brutus to help. Maveith and I walked back down the corridor to the earth drake room. We stood at the entrao the chamber. The familiar draic beast stirred and thundered a challenging roar at us, like it remembered that I was responsible for its past deaths.

  Maveith grunted, “I don’t think it likes you very much.”

  I looked down the long corridor behind us and then back at the drake. “It’s going to like me a lot less in a few seds.”

  ? Chted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne

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