Will heard a loud commotion outside of their cave, deciding it wasn’t any of their business they turned back to the project at-hand.
“According to the stone I just need to plant my mana and let it grow… Well for someone else I suppose that would work but I am entirely mana, does that mean a piece of me?” Will theorized aloud.
“Depends, what is this thing you are making for?” Theodore asked, enjoying his late afternoon tea. He had discovered he was quite enraptured by architecture and was looking over the final tunnel designs the two of them had worked on all day.
“I’ve already figured out how to dampen my meat-puppets pain sensors. So, they would be there to pretty much pilot my monsters or whatever. I can’t really call it possession since the bodies don’t come with a soul pre-equipped.” Will spoke, leaning down into their mental image of the river of mana unlocked by Jamie’s wish and filling a cup with the flowing energy.
“Alright, well then I suppose you would need to create spirits.” Theodore followed the logic to the next step.
Will slowly used the wizard’s trick from the spirit stone to pull the item out of their mental plane into the physical one. Holding a moderately sized measuring cup full of red liquid they continued speaking calmly.
“Right, so…” Will slowly poured a drop into the dirt around their pedestal, then another. The liquid crystallizing as it exits the measuring cup. “That’s what I am doing. Or, at least what I think I am. The crystal gave me two kinds of artificial spirit, one made of mana that I could easily control with my own will. Essentially a mindless drone…”
Will paused speaking as they continued pouring the liquid out of the measuring cup, making a crystal seed fall and then quickly covering it up with more dirt. “Or, a spirit made from a piece of the caster’s very own soul, which can learn and grow and think.” Will finished the cup off, burying the final seed, sixty-six in total.
“Now I understand why you are so confused chum; if your soul is made of mana then what comes out?” Theodore said, putting the blueprints down.
“We’re getting ready to find out!” Will said excitedly, their hooded head from earlier returning for some ambiance. Two thick muscly clawed arms, turning the candles on dim…
As if conducting an invisible symphony Will began pointing to different patches of seeds on the ground. Suddenly, music did indeed start to play, horns and trumpets, not loud but deep and bellowing; Theodore couldn’t know it but Will had added those in for the opossum’s benefit.
“Five teachers, a school, five classes of twelve.” The horns blared loudly as Will recited.
“Into my soul and toward the world I delve.” A wind Will conjured threw Theodore’s hat off of his head, making him chase it down.
“A hero to lead, a hero to fall.” Thunder sounded in the tiny cavern.
“And so the six shall lead this hall!” Will clapped their hands together, finishing the hand movements for the incantation. The spell “Academy of the Unliving” had been in the memory stone of spirit, and sixty-six sounded like a good number to start at.
Theodore catches his hat and walks back grumbling. Not seeing any change in the ground he grumbled just a little more, “razen-frazen. And what, pray tell, did that accomplish?”
“Well, normally that would have summoned the equivalent mana spirits of a small company of undead soldiers, five commanders, and a leader-mage,” Will said succinctly.
The ground where the crystalline mana had been planted vibrated and pulsed lightly.
“Alright, so, what if that spell had been used with soul-stuff?” Theodore asked as he began to shake, stepping back from the unnatural ground.
“Huh, ya know, the stone didn’t really say,” replied Will.
***
Galatea tiredly flew back to the flying mountain town of Barthel.
It had been a trying few days. After she had escaped her captors they had immediately begun moving the rest of the children. She had watched the home for hours as her fa-captor had made multiple calls to others in the family. Looking to go to a different state to escape whatever the possibly escaped young woman would bring to there door.
That’s what they were, that’s what they had always been, her captors. Parents don’t lock up their children to radiators for hours just to go out and get a pack of smokes. Parents didn’t tie up half of their near twenty children in the basement to keep them from sneaking out during their ‘sermons.’
Galatea saved her siblings. Yet to them, they had just lost a sister, a leader…
Still, after what she had done to expose the crime and get the children rescued she could not show her face to her family. She was the monster, and if anyone recognized her, the entire plan would be thrown into chaos.
Her plan had been simple. Covering herself in branchest and mud she had rushed the old house the captors had forced her to live in.
Breaking open the front door, destroying the porch, the garage, making sure to take the old man’s gun out of the equation. Destroying the car… So, so much was destroyed. Her siblings were terrified, but so were the captors.
Those idiots even called the police while she kept them busy, not letting them get downstairs. Not letting them get the children ‘presentable.’
Just as she heard the sirens of the approaching police officers she darted down the basement door, loudly busting it off the hinges.
Leaving an obvious trail of mud and branch she had stomped down the steps, destroying a few on the way for good measure to really sell the ‘magical creature attack’.
Just as she heard the police come in the front door she made her move. Not fully expecting to live through a blind rush between who knows how many officers; she darted out of the basement. She was ready to accept her fate.
The thing about fate, however, is that no one knows it and would likely never guess their own correctly.
Two police officers, both tired and overweight stood at the front door of the house. Thinking this was some sort of prank, neither were as ready as Galatea had thought they would be.
“You can’t go down there, it’s… It’s already left.” The muscular captor had been telling the police just as she ran past him and the two officers.
“Yes, Yes my minions, attack the BAAASEMENT!” Galatea squawked in her best wicked witch of the west impersonation as she burst through the front door.
And so she flew. Expecting to be shot out of the air with all of the dirt and grime weighing her down.
Yet no bullets came, no searing pain in her shoulders or wings. She didn’t look back, instead of hearing a shuffle as two more officers exited their own car to watch her escape.
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Galatea’s mind went at ease when she heard the first pair of officers sputter out, “W-wait, MINIONS?! Get in here! There are kids in this house!”
The last sound to hit Galatea’s ears from the cacophony behind her was her muscular captor doing his best to keep four police out of his little torture basement.
After deeming herself far enough away; she waited and watched as more ambulances showed up. Taking children away for malnourishment and more. Her pare- captors, would not be able to wiggle their way out of this one.
And so, she flew. She had no home to go back to, she never had one of those.
She flew to the dungeon, to the genie. She flew to the land of wishes where anything was possible.
And so, here she was, hovering over the town of Barthel, her honorable mission finished.
Swooping down and landing in the near middle of town she watched as multiple new forms walked the streets. Dwarves, Drow, hell, even an Orc over there.
She let out a long whistle and let a true smile cross her face for the first time. Not one filled with resentment or righteous malice, but one of enjoyment. “I think I might like it here.”
A man came up, thick slab of pitch-black metal on his left arm with a decent sized afro on his head. “You look to be new in town, or so I think. Hard to tell with all these changes the last couple days. I’m Jerome, Sheriff round these parts.” the ebony dwarf said.
“D-Galatea, my name is Galatea D’Aubigny. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She lifted his hand and kissed it as if he were a princess of a foreign land.
This had the added benefit of making the stout man blush. “I..uhm… Welcome to Barthel. There’s not much round here right now, but I think that’ll change soon. What uhm, brings you to town.”
“Oh, just coming back to fulfill a promise.” She smiled again, cloaking her body in her large wyvern wings.
Jerome looked nervous, “I uhm, well, please do enjoy yourself, but uhm, don’t do anything foolish. We had an outsider really mess up recently… There’s some magic around here and an uhm… accident happened.” Jerome spoke again.
Galatea, understanding the situation, having heard the story from travelers on the road. Right before she had come to Barthel some low-life used the genie’s powers for evil or something and some people died.
“Don’t worry, I’m real careful about magic.” She gestured to her angelic form.
“Good, the stuff is stronger up here or something. Best leave the mystic stuff to the pros.” Jerome said with an air of finality, walking away and not taking the bait.
Galatea saw the man keep an eye on her as she walked toward the mine. But he made no move to stop her as she stepped inside. Placing her palm inside the gargoyle's mouth.
“I am satisfied.” She spoke aloud, signifying her refusal of a wish.
Stepping inside the maroon room, she was surprised. The tables were neat and orderly, whats more; tall penguins walked around the tables. Carrying serving trays and other things as a large walrus near a far door ordered them about.
“Careful, careful, be swift but tactful. It is more important that you do not fall or spill than you get across the room with speed.” The walrus coached the penguins.
“Uhm, hello, I’m Galatea… Am I intruding?” she asked.
“Oh, no, we are just preparing for the marrow good lady.” The walrus chuffed.
“What’s uhm, what’s on the morrow?” Galatea replied, copying his overly formal language.
“Why, It’s the opening of Majesty Will’s dungeon of course. We will be playing the role of butlers for the first week, quite good.” The walrus spoke, wiggling his mustache like bristles.
“Uhm, Alright, I told Will I would be back so, where may I find them?” She asked.
“Straight back to find their Majesty. There will be no trick hallways for the first iteration.” the Walrus chuffed again and barked at the penguins to go faster. They had stopped training altogether while the two beings had spoken.
Galatea stood back up to her full height, walking out to the dungeon proper.
The first room had been carved to meticulous detail. Carvings of archers, hunters, and legendary challenges in coliseums lined the walls. The first room, a test of your aim and skill was a thing of beauty. The room looked odd however, Just looking at one challenge may show an archery range, yet out of the corner of her eye, it looked like the carnival game with the hammer and bell.
In the back of the room, next to the door leading onward stood a stone statue. It appeared to be in the pose of an archer, however, due to the damage, it was hard to tell. Both of the arms ended in stumps just below the shoulders.
The being was genderless, in that on the right side there was a breast covered by a toga. While the left lay bare and flat. The statue's hair was in a bun and its face was that of a young adult.
“Greetings, I was not prepared for a Challenger so early. The room still needs its finishing touches so I must ask you to come back on the morrow.” The statue spoke, the sound of small birds chirping making up its voice.
“I’m Galatea, I’m not here to challenge, Will should be expecting me.”
“Ah, Yes. Do go on.” The statue said, and the door next to them slid open. The rock making a smooth sound as it slid past each other.
The Next room housed five humans and a large sentient tree. The tree had eyes and a mouth and it was looking right at her.
“Please don’t ma…” Galatea began, ready to say it for the third time.
“Oh, Galatea, we were expecting you. However, Will has given me the honor of testing you. I am sure you know what is going on here, the dungeon, the gargoyles…” The tree mused on
Galatea, nodding and stepping back to ready herself for a fight. Spreading her fingers and baring her teeth, if this was an ambush then she would make sure they paid.
“Oh no, you misunderstand. Please, look to your right.”
To her right, a set of wooden training weapons could be found. A sword and a small wooden buckler were already laid out. Along with a large stick with a round ball of feathers at the end to act as a spear.
“The Hero wishes to see your strength. I… We… remember your strength of character.” The tree spoke again
“I don’t remember you,” Galatea responded, confused. Only the genie had been in the cave before. Maybe a small animal but not this menagerie of insanity.
“Oh, but you do.” A new voice comes from within the pack of humans. A large man walks forward. A massive two-handed wooden sword in his grip. He’s well built with a trimmed and well-cared-for beard. “When you were made you, we were not distinct. Passive thoughts and ideas floating in that magical realm of creation…”
The ‘Hero’ did not have much time to react as Galatea grabbed the spear and lunged at him mid-monologue. “Shut yer yap and let's get to sparring.” A savage grin crossed Galatea’s face, her normal elegant tone replaced with a savage joy in her voice.
The hero reared back his massive sword, leaving his full chest open for attack as Galatea mercilessly peppered his torso with jabs. Before he even had a good grip on it over his head she had slammed her spear into his chest so many times it was starting to turn black and blue.
“ENOUGH!” the large tree in the corner of the room bellowed. This farce had only made it more mortified at its new student.
“Clearly this woman is far more skilled and far smarter than our ‘Hero.’ Please continue on. I will deal with this one’s training.” The large tree grumbled as the thick wooden door to the next room slid open.
Passing architecture and nature bundled together Galatea traversed the final few rooms of the dungeon, all the way to the sixth and final room. The treasure chamber.
“So, what do you think?” Will asked with childlike glee in their voice.
“Well, the walls are super pretty, and I liked the small lake with the…” Galatea began but Will cut her off.
“I mean the people, the NPCs, the spirits!” Will said excitedly.
“Uhm… I don’t know, a bunch of them seemed smart and really capable, but that hero or whatever was just embarrassing. After I beat him I heard him mumbling how it didn’t make sense that I won because he had the bigger sword.”
“They did not come out as expected, I think you would agree.” An opossum stepped forward out of the darkness, using a sophisticated cane and equipped with a tophat and monocle.
“I am Theodore, good lady.” The opossum bowed as Galatea’s mouth lay open for a few seconds longer than she would like.
“Yeah, I have to agree. The teachers are great, but I guess my idea of a ‘hero’ is a bit untrained.” Will grumbled.
“Anyway, since you were given a wish without completing the dungeon we thought we might have an arrangement for you,” Theodore interjected.
“Oh, what might that be?” Galatea quizzically raised an eyebrow at the opossum shuffling his feet.
Will spoke up this time, cheer in their voice.
“Well, we’d like you to be our Dungeon boss for a while. I mean unless you have something more interesting you have planned.”