“I need you all to wait here. For as long as possible,” said James as soon as the floor boss was defeated. “The next room will be a puzzle and I need to finish and clear out the first one because it is an individual problem. There is a chance of death otherwise, so I need to go at it alone because I have done this before. Only leave this floor when the dungeon gives you no choice. Stay warm and stay put. I need to go.”
James gave them one good look and then left them to their own devices while he returned to the memory beast’s lair. Even knowing what was to come did not stop the creature from grabbing him right as he entered. As soon as he was through the portal the counter for the novices had started.
The memory this time was different as it most likely would be. It was almost impossible to predict what memory would be chosen. Only once the floor was challenged enough times could you be sure that the memory beast had plumbed every available strong memory from the mind.
This time James found himself walking through a dungeon. The now 15-year-old James held his bow roughly as he watched for traps for the sake of his group. The group walked on wooden floors as the walls and ground shook.
“We need to get above the deck into the captain’s quarters. It should have the key we need to unlock the portal to the next floor,” said the boy next to him. He was a swordsman with a small round shield in his other hand.
“We were just ambushed by skeletons when we entered. They can smell our living bodies. If more are not headed this way already then they will soon,” said James. He took a look behind them where their mage guide waited quietly by the floor entrance. “What do you think we should do Eona?”
“We are going to have to face them now or later once we have the key. These areas are better because of the enclosed spaces but it also limits us at the same time,” she said.
“Anyone else wants to chime in?” said the first boy.
“No,” said the others.
“We will wait here then and if we need to we can make a run for it and spread out on the upper deck if need be. James. Alert us if you notice anything. Let’s start by sweeping each of the rooms and make our way towards the center of the ship.”
Their group progressed further and opened the first door. Nothing. As Erik went to open the next door it opened on its own. Skeletons started pouring out. Erik raised his shield and pushed the first skeleton back before getting away. Their mage fired off blasts of light causing the skeletons to ignite and turn to ash over the course of a few seconds.
James started to pelt the skeletons with arrows. His heavyweight arrows punched into the skeletons with a thud causing pieces to fall off and eventually completely crumble. The arrows damaged the skeletons easily enough that Eona was able to jump in with her knives next to Erik and finish destroying them.
The skeletons fought against them as a few more reinforcements stepped in to fight against James and the others. After ten minutes of constant battle, they had cleared the immediate area of monsters and dangers.
“That could have gone better. I was wondering for a while when the horde of skeletons would end,” said Erik.
“At least the way is clear now and there will be fewer skeletons to deal with later,” said James.
“Unless they are reanimated,” said Eona.
“That is why I have my bone-shatter arrows on me. They should stop the boss from reanimating the ones I hit or at least reduce the time long enough for us to finish it off.”
They made their way to the stairs without encountering more skeletons but once they took their first steps up to the deck skeletons were there. A few walked down the stairs while others dropped down from the open hatch. The skeletons were wet and cold.
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Together James and the others started to fight the monsters off. They first regrouped and backed away from the stairs once it was safe. When that was accomplished they protected themselves while the fresh batch of skeletons came down from the storm above. Their light mage was their strongest defense and stayed in front. A beam of light shot from a crystal in his staff. The beam arced hitting all of the skeletons from wall to wall. It stopped the skeletons in their tracks and gave them a breather after running from the stairs.
“We need a better way to clear them,” said Erik. “I don’t think we can let John keep doing that.”
“No, I cannot,” said John. “I have a set amount of potions and I already overused my potion amount for the 20th floor. If we want to kill the golden roc then I can’t be using any on this floor.”
“How many do you have left?” asked James. He fired off another set of arrows.
“Only two. One per floor if I was to skip this one.”
“The next floor we have the beach and a leviathan. We don’t need to fight it, but we will probably have to if we want to collect its egg to activate the door,” said Erik.
“This is a decision for you,” said James to Erik. “You are our team leader after all. How should we proceed?”
“We get to the upper deck first then reevaluate but expect to grab that bottle as soon as the rain hits your back. Rest for now.”
“Got it,” said John.
James fired another bone-shatter arrow, and it went through two skeletons before impacting a wall. The number of reinforcements had slowed but they were still coming.
“They are letting up. Should we push,” said Eona.
“Do you still have those specialty arrows?”
“I have two left. I will need to reproduce more in the safe zones else I will run out of mana completely.”
“Use one now and one on the boss of the floor.”
“Here she comes.”
James knocked his arrow and aimed it at the center group of mobs. Bones went flying two seconds after he launched the arrow. The explosive tip activated and caused a shockwave directed outward. Those not immediately destroyed by the flames and power were damaged by pieces of their allies or knocked over.
Erik and the others were ready. As soon as they heard the explosion they ran towards it and James followed. Erik used his shield to push the mobs away and Eona did the same with her knives. James activated his agility boosts and caught up to them. He took the stairs two at a time until his feet hit the slick deck.
He looked up. The sky was overcast and raining. Skeletons surrounded them on all sides. It took him a few moments to reorient himself in the direction of the captain’s quarters and the boss.
“Down it now,” said Erik.
John complied and took out a mana potion. He threw it on the ground once finished and began preparing spells. Together they resumed the fight.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
James lurched from exiting the memory. The memory beast’s vines disentangles from him and rose back up to the ceiling. He looked around and saw none of the novices.
“Good. I’ve got enough time. Sorry but you are just going to have to go.”
James knocked his bow and aimed upward at the mass of dark green and grey that was the core of the memory beast. The arrow hit the creature and exploded on impact. The creature and the dungeon in turn shook. James ignored the dungeon’s plea and fired off another shot.
He moved out of the way and let the creature drop dead from the ceiling before dissolving into nothing. James looked and the doorway to the next room. There was a flash of light from the crease in the door for a moment before dissipating. The puzzle had leveled up and grown.
It was another two minutes of waiting before the novices all came tumbling into the floor in a hurry.
“I am glad you all made it and followed my instructions. I just cleared this room of its monster but that means the puzzle in the next room is harder than it could have been. For now, we should read the puzzle and take five or ten minutes to rest and try and solve it. We can discuss it once that time is over. I know you are all rather tired and so am I.”
James looked at the wall once entering. Instead of three lines of questions and information each, it has a set of five with a single accompanying question.
Statements:
1) No interesting poems are unpopular among people of real taste.
2) No modern poetry is free from affectation.
3) All your poems are on the subject of war.
4) No affected poetry is popular among people of real taste.
5) No ancient poem is on the subject of war.
Question:
Make a new statement about this puzzle.
James took a minute to read over the writing before sitting down. He was cold and exhausted. He took his bag off his shoulders and adjusted it until it fit comfortably and rested his head. He fell asleep quickly after closing his eyes as his mind wandered to his memories within the dungeons.