Earth – World of The Misplaced Dungeon
{Timeline: February / March 2020 – MD from Ch. 144}
* * * FATHER EMANUEL DOMBROWSKI * * *
Father Emanuel lay in his bed staring at the ceiling of his room as he pondered this new certainty. He had never heard of the Falstaff Middle School. He finally swung his feet out of his bed and headed for his bathroom. The first thing to do, he decided, was to do an Internet search for the school and for a Donald Serpiente.
After his usual, and rather substantial breakfast, Father Emanuel spent a somewhat frustrating hour on his Internet search. He prayed for patience as his large fingers managed to hit several wrong keys. Still, he was happy enough when he was making his way to his church.
As he entered the church of Saint Ivo of Kermartin, father Emanuel crossed himself, and went to pray at the foot of the altar. He relaxed in the familiar surroundings of his church, and basked in the calming regard of the Christ on his cross.
After a brief prayer asking God to pardon his Bishop, and to help that troubled man to find God, Father Emanuel explained that he had taken a week’s holiday, and that, a week on Monday he would make the one hour drive needed to get to LA and the Falstaff Middle School.
He bowed his head and waited for any reply. Not receiving one, he explained that the Bishop, despite being a kindly man, had lost his belief. And thus had not allowed him to leave for LA any earlier.
After another prayer for the soul of his Bishop, and one for the soul of Donald Serpiente, Father Emanuel went about his normal day-to-day business.
* * * SNAKEY – DONALD SERPIENTE * * *
Donald Serpiente parked in the basement parking, he grinned at the change in himself since his last visit. He took the lift and walked into the waiting room of Dr Bellwether’s practice. He smiled at the look of astonishment on Suzie’s face. He gave her a brief hello, and took a chair when she acknowledged him. He picked up one of the dog-eared magazines on offer for the entertainment of the patients.
Surprisingly it was only a few days old, Snakey flicked past the principal story, something about the sensational murder of some bigwig in one of the troubled Central American republics.
“Donald, Dr Bellwether will see you now. I’m really glad to see you looking so well. Good luck,” said Suzie with a smile.
Snakey grinned at her, “Thanks Suzie. If you get a chance to be integrated, make sure to ensure your new self is healthy.”
Snakey knocked briefly and entered Dr Bellwether’s consulting room. “Morning doctor, I lucked out, I got integrated by the System. I found a way of choosing healthy. It seems to have worked. I need you to see if it truly worked, and to give me the all clear.”
Dr Bellwether stared at the man, his patient, who had been at death’s door two days previous. He tried to make sense of what Donald had just said. He came to his feet and offered his hand. “Donald, I sincerely hope you are correct. Please allow me to look you over.”
* * *
It had been an eventual fortnight. Donald Serpiente had endured a battery of medical tests and obtained the all clear. Officially his cancer was in complete remission. As for principal Galbraith, he had been arrested for fraud and misappropriation of funds, much to the joy of the majority of his pupils.
Donald had written to the members of the board of governors, informing them of his recovery and asking if the post of principal was available. He cited his record, and the fact that he believed he could turn the school around for little more than he had been accustomed to requisitioning for maintenance.
After a brief, almost pro-forma interview Snakey was once more the principal of Falstaff Middle School. He arrived for his first day back on the job better informed than either his staff or pupils expected.
On the dungeon front, Snakey had finished claiming, and fixing, the gym and the best part of the main school building. He had also excavated two rooms under the gym to act as his home and castle. Two Borribles now made the outer chamber their home.
* * * SHADOWMAGE DONA MARGARITA * * *
A small informally dressed cat ’folk woman strutted into the administration office of the Falstaff Middle School. She had sandy coloured fur and large alert ears. Her long silky black tipped tail had three dark rings.
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She was watched attentively by a nervous looking boy, and a large bulky man clutching a missal. They were seated on shiny new chairs, obviously waiting to see the principal.
The young cat woman grinned at the woman sitting at the front desk. “Hi, I’m here to see Snakey. Mother sent me. I’m Dona Margarita.”
For just a moment Gretchen Thornburg gaped at this unexpected visitor. Then recovering herself, she glared quellingly at the sniggering boy, and said; “Mr. Serpiente is busy Ms Margarita. Is this about one of our pupils?”
Donna giggled, “No. Snakey asked Mother to find him a magic teacher. I’m whom she came up with. I even have one of those green card thingies.”
Gret goldfished, “Your English is very good Ms Margarita, but you look very young to be a mage.”
“Only a small minority of mages have long white beards,” grinned Dona. “And I’m a master mage. Certified as such by the Mage’s Guild on Parthia,” she flicked an ear briefly. “So are you going to announce me to Snakey, and put the poor thing out of his misery?”
“P-Parthia? You’re an Alien?”
Dona smiled sweetly, “does it look like I’ve got an exoskeleton?”
“Please take a seat Ms Margarita, I will inform Mr Serpiente that you are here to see him.”
Dona turned, nodded at her attentive audience and selected a chair.
* * * SNAKEY – DONALD SERPIENTE * * *
Gret waited until Dona had seated herself, then she went to have a word with Donald. She knocked briskly on his door and entered. “Donald, there’s a young cat girl waiting to see you. She’s rather flippant and she claims you asked her mother for a magic teacher. Then the Priest is still waiting and Tommy has been sent to see you again.”
Snakey felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The powerful mage he had felt enter his domain was not hostile. The cleric was still a mystery. And Tommy was getting to be a pest.
Then he realized Gret was still waiting for him to respond. Not wanting to worry her, he smiled and said, “What’s Tommy done this time? Will we need to inform his parents?”
“The usual Donald. Pestering the girls and disrupting class.”
Snakey sighed. “Contact his parents please Gret. No. Send in the mage girl, I’ll see her first. Tell the priest I’ll see him next. Let’s let Tommy sweat for a bit longer.”
Gret nodded and exited the office.
Shortly after she left Dona waltzed in. “G’day Snakey, M’ name’s Dona. Mother tells me you need me. But you really need to finish claiming this place. And you also need to get yourself some decent guardians.”
Snakey snorted, “Confident, aren’t you? Do you have a truth spell? Do you mind casting it on young Tommy? And I have two guardians in the room next to my core.”
Dona grinned. “Why, yes I am. You are too young to be much of a challenge. It’s lucky you’re allied to Mother, and that she approves of you. I take it I’ve got the job?”
Snakey spread his hands helplessly, “Yes. I can sense your power. You scared me spitless when you rode your bike into my domain.”
Dona smiled blindingly, “It’s beautiful, it is just like Frog’s. A classic Harley Davidson. I’ve got an anti-theft ward on it, just in case. I’ll go and have a look ’round while you see the priest. That is unless you want me to stay close. Not that a low level Priest like him should cause you problems.”
* * *
Snakey watched the cat girl sashay out of his office. Maybe this idea was a mistake, but it was too late now. Thankfully he was no longer human or Dona’s presence would conspire to drop his IQ by several points. He pitied his male teachers, well with the exception of Frederick.
He noted that Dona stepped into some shadows in the outer office and faded from sight. Even he had difficulty tracking her in his domain. He alerted Jack and Jill and sent them to shadow his visitor. Then, of course he had to summon two more Borribles to take their place as guardians.
“Enter,” he said at the knock. He looked up to see the priest enter his office. The man was huge, and most of it was muscle. “Please come in father, please sit. Do you want coffee?”
“I would love one, thank you principal Serpiente.”
“Please call me Donald father,” said Snakey as he rose to prepare two coffees. He returned to his desk and placed one in front of father Emanuel, along with a plate of cookies.
Father Emanuel smiled and took one of the cookies with pleasure. “Now then Donald, can you explain what is going on. I sense you mean well... But... A dungeon?”
Snakey felt an instant of alarm, before realizing the man in front of him did not, by himself, constitute a threat. “I was dying father. And when I saw my old school... And heard what Galbraith was doing... well I was desperate.”
Father Emanuel smiled politely and sipped his coffee as he waited.
Snakey licked suddenly dry lips. “Then I remembered what a friend of mine, the vice-principal of a school on Maui had to say about Bluey... err, that is, the System, and one of his pupils. And, well, I just knew this was both possible and...” Snakey looked at the man sitting in his office, he sensed no threat from father Emanuel.
“So I talked with Bl— the System and – confirmed that dungeons didn’t need to be predators, though the strongest ones all are – predators that is. I used my contacts to uncover Galbraith. And well...”
Father Emanuel nodded thoughtfully. “I see, so you regained your position. And you are restoring the infrastructure. Using your powers. Passively feeding of the life force shed by your pupils and staff. So far I see no problem. But God is keeping an eye on you.”
“Through you Father?” asked Snakey.
“Not only. You will be seeing more of me,” then father Emanuel straightened and looked deadly serious. “And I trust that young lady will not be seeking converts amongst your pupils.”
Snakey felt like a snake staring at a mongoose, “She’s a mage, not a priest. Possibly you could recommend someone to take... um...”
“That should not be necessary my son. As I was saying, you will be seeing me often.”
Snakey stared at the door to his office, the priest had left seconds ago. It was time to see Tommy. But first he settled down to grow his domain. It was relaxing.
“Oh Shit!” cursed Snakey as he examined the small cache of drugs hidden behind a loose brick. A bag of white powder and a much larger bag with marijuana. “Someone is dealing. In my school.”