Ch 19

Casimer was in a strange place with a strange form. His body was a well designed, humanoid composite of desert insects, grasshopper mice, a bit of plant, and the human being he had previously devoured. He attempted to manipulate his environment, and found it exceedingly difficult to do. The sky above him was red, and the air stunk of mustard. The world around him was a desolate, flat plane, red churning clouds in the sky flashed with contained lightning and muted thunder.

In his right hand was embedded a burning white opal, and the moment he glanced at it, a blue window appeared, expanded, passed through his body, then returned to hovering above his hand. Displayed on the screen was a screen of gibberish, arranged in three columns, each wall of gibberish seeming unique to the other two.

“That's a pretty interesting little toy,” a voice hissed from somewhere above him in the sky. Casimer whipped his head around and saw a thick, long creature with smooth black skin, random streaming tentacles that trailed behind it. The creature's face was on the end of it's body, and consisted of a driftwood mask with drawn eyes and a mouth. Casimer let out a scream, and shot venom and webbing at the creature.

“Oh hush,” it hissed, body curling and avoiding the attack “I hope you are smart enough to see I have nothing to gain from your death.” Casimer paused, memories of his initial attacks on Melchsee guiding his actions. He was clearly outmatched in every way, and this creature, whatever it was, had him at his mercy. The blue window at his hand began to blink, then displayed a picture of the strange creature, along with a warning that victory through combat was very unlikely.

“I'll bet,” Casimer said, subtly generating an insect eye near the window to track it's ever updating information readout “that you are a dungeon.” It took most of his self control to frame it as a statement, rather than a question. The creature seemed pleased.

“Finally, a child with a brain. You must have gotten lucky and eaten something quite good before you came here.”

“I'm afraid,” Casimer said, reading the script Melchsee was feeding him “That guess is the extent of my knowledge. Wise and powerful dungeon,” Casimer said, the words like gravel in his mouth “Where am I? Have I died? Who are you?” It chuckled, body lazily streaming through the air, seeming to be very pleased.

“And it knows how to flatter, kuk kuk kuk. Oh yes, you are much preferable to that other scamp across the way.” An evil light shone from behind it's mask for a moment, then passed. “I will answer your questions, and even give you a little information for free. Never say good old Labyrnthee didn't do anything for you,” one of the streamers patted him on the head “You are in The Dungeon, little boy. It is to this place we are anchored at our most basic level, it is here where our roots are nourished by raw mana, this place which connects all dungeons to all places.”

Casimer nodded, noting that on Melchsee's window a fully rendered model of Labyrnthee had been generated, along with a transcript of what he was saying.

“Have you died. . . Well, certainly something has given you a shock. It was an adventurer, I wager, touching what he shouldn't touch. I imagine he got something like a wish out of it, big piles of gold and jelly, they like that sort of thing. You will return, if you are able. Simply rebuild your core, here, and you will. Now, for something fun.”

Casimer got the impression that he should avoid letting Labyrnthee ever have any fun at his expense.

“Some distance away,” he said, “There is another dungeon, almost as weak as you. He is very stupid, but gifted with a decent core. You, on the other-hand, are clever, but your core is as common as dirt. In fact, it may even be dirt, but I won't look too closely.”

Casimer kept his mouth shut.

“His dungeon is basic, just a cave with the biggest brutes he could conjure up out of wildlife guarding his core. You at least, had a clever trap to assist your funny little mice. I was rather amused to see the illusion broken by the pink ape monster, I must admit. Now,” his tone changed from pleased to business “I want you to go to that arrogant whelp and his Den of Monsters, I want you to kill his creations, and I want you to claim his core for your own. Do this, and I will teach you how to return. You have a day,” he said seriously “and then you will no longer have the option to return, and you will never become stronger, and you will die here to monsters much less bored with violence than I.”

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Melchsee began displaying a reply that balanced diplomacy with self interest, and Casimer closed the eye on his wrist.

“Which way?” he growled, a savage smile on his face. Labyrnthee began to laugh in earnest.

–

Casimer had expected to make his trip alone, but Labyrnthee floated along above him. Casimer had briefly tried to fly with his insect wings, and discovered them woefully inadequate for the task. His companion was surprised when Casimer sprouted gigantic fly wings and flapped them to a blur, but seemed to keep his opinion on the matter to himself.

Melchsee had migrated off of his body, covered herself with a nimbus of green energy, and grown fly wings that looked like Casimer's and began flying with them. He got the impression she was trying to defend his ability to produce functional wings. She flitted about, hovering over rocks and random patches of red dirt, passing blue windows through them, and repeating the process elsewhere.

“What sort of spell is that?” Labyrnthee asked, indicating Melchsee with his streaming tentacles.

“Her? I don't supposed I know,” Casimer replied

“You don't know? Where did it come from? The only thing you bring with you to this place is your body, the composite and ultimate expression of your power.”

“I've been meaning to ask about that,” Melchsee said, flitting over and flying just behind Casimer's left shoulder “Do you mind explaining further?”

“It speaks? Are you making it do that?”

“No,” Casimer and Melchsee said simultaneously.

“What a strange little ability,” Labyrnthee said, voice distant, amused, and only for the briefest moment, lucid. He gazed at Casimer for a moment longer, then turned his attention to Melchsee. “The body of the dungeon is the full record of the fights and feats committed there, of the treasures and magics he has created, and the power and abilities of those who have died in the depths. For such a young dungeon,” Labyrnthee commented “you have done exceptionally well in cultivating your body. It speaks well of your future.”

Casimer and Melchsee looked at one another, and exchanged the thought that neither of them had put forth any effort into the body.

“I think I see something,” Casimer said, pointing at a mound of red dirt in the distance. It looked to be about twelve feet tall and eight feet wide, and had an arched, dark entrance that reached nearly to the top.

“There he is,” Labyrnthee hissed, pointing with his streamers “The fool has not even any defenses!” The paint on his mask began to run, the simple smile widening and depicting sharp teeth, the eyes smudging and becoming more angry.

Melchsee launched herself at Casimer's hand and embedded herself there, and a nimbus of green energy in the shape of a sword was projected into his grip.

“Yesssss,” Labyrnthee hissed, looking at the sword “What evil tricks you have, what a wicked mind! Go! GO!” he screamed, red light surrounding him in a nimbus like a black crimson storm “Show me violence! Show me BLOOD!”

The light from Labyrnthee shot forth and enveloped Casimer, and he was gripped by bloodlust. Melchsee let loose a tinny scream, and the output of energy became a torrent, the blade turning red and warping and churning like fire.

Casimer charged into the Den of Monsters and glanced around, many compound eyes wildly spinning. There was only one room, the floor and walls covered with thick, mossy stone bricks. In the center of the room was a raised platform, upon which sat a green wooden Dungeon Core, which shone with soft light. Surrounding the platform were six grizzly bears, standing on their hind legs, a circle of dry white paint was drawn onto their faces and paws. They were arranged in a hexagon and facing outward.

Casimer bellowed, a harmony between a cicada, a toad and the howl of a mouse, that had the force of a freight train whistle. Above the heads of the bears, projected by Melchsee, dripping purple skulls appeared. The bears began to cry out in fear and run, and Casimer lept, wings flying into a blur, propelling him forward as he lept onto the back of a bear and bit into it with spider fangs, stinging it with scorpion barbs on his finger tips, sword forgotten. He drank it's blood and screamed, head thrown back and tiny droplets flying along the arc of force, mouth wide open, the sound now like a man, then turned his compound eyes to the remaining five bears. The stone in the center of the room began to vibrate, then sent out a pulse, and the icons above the bears vanished. They bellowed in rage and charged.

Casimer hissed and covered the ground in web as he made his egress, skittering across the floor and climbing onto the stone wall. One of the bears got loose and charged ahead of the others, Casimer braced himself, then lashed out, sword appearing and retracting in a split second, piercing the bear through it's snout, causing it to fall back in pain. Casimer pounced, jumping from the wall onto the exposed belly, stabbing furiously before retreating from the remaining four bears as they charged.

With a sudden change in motion, he launched himself off the wall and over the heads of the bears, spraying toxic mist as he did so, burning the bears faces badly and causing them to be enraged with pain. Casimer began to chuckle, skittering across the ground, jumping over the corpse of the first bear and waiting on the wall behind it. The other bears were charging on all fours, bellowing grizzly bellows, and when they were over the corpse of the first bear, Casimer snapped his fingers and it exploded, infernal flies and ants and spiders with wings spreading and attacking the remaining four.

There is no need to describe how horribly the remaining bears died. Upon their merciful final breaths, their bodies collectively burst into green panes of light, leaving behind piles of gold, plants and several pieces of jewelry. Casimer stood up, body seeming to suck in the light around him, covered in blood, eyes shining with dark triumph. The Dungeon Core in the center of the room began to pulse with frantic green light, and Casimer approached slowly.

Casually, he reached out and picked it up, sending a shock through the structure and causing it to collapse into motes of fading light. He stood, breathing hard, arm extended with the gem clutched in his grip. Above him, Labyrnthee laughed with wicked, wild delight.