*** Jem ***

The fight did not take as long as the five heroes expected. There was no monologue. There was no final doomsday magic. There wasn’t even a proper fight. In the end, it was just one old monster, sitting on a throne that had ceased to be a seat of power a long time ago, in an ornate throne room with trophies of victories long past.

The great monster king known as Behemoth lay before them, a three-meter-tall demon in the shape of a man with scaled skin covered in blood as black as midnight.

What had once been the terror of the four kingdoms was now a broken old man covered in burns, ice, and a steaming gash in his stomach where the scythe had been pulled through.

“A year of my life” whispered the paladin, his sword shining under his influence as the hero of light.

The whisper turned to an anguished roar “A year of my life wasted on this? I thought the old man couldn’t even fight anymore. Am I just a joke to you?” He kicked the old monster before turning back to the throne. Ever since the monster king lost consciousness, a yawning black portal opened in front of it leading to this dungeon’s vault.

The dwarf and gnome slowly got up, digging out some healing potions and chasing away a mouse that had gotten into the bag. Grimel knelt to begin chaining the old monster up, sealing his once fearsome power behind runes the human kingdom of Valence had prepared long ago for this purpose.

The elf smirked, zipping around the room, exploring its many facets and alcoves with the faint tatters of her shadow dress trailing in her wake. “You’re overthinking this one, Dale. I told ya they just wanted you to escort his treasure up. You weren’t expected to fight him. Nobles be like that.”

The paladin paled before grumbling out “I know, it’s just- this isn’t the adventure I thought it would be. I was told there was a monster king and a dungeon and I thought there would be… more I could do, you know?”

Grimel shook his head with a sigh before sticking his equipment back in the massive sack. “Well, at least we got here, eh? Now, so long as nobody kills this old coot, the dungeon vault is open. So, you up for it, Liz?”

The gnome slowly got to her feet and started trudging towards the gate with her pack, the classic dungeon floor holding up much better than the king’s chamber tiles had before. As the hero of heart, she was little more than the baggage carrier for the group during the past year. While there were always benefits to the strength provided by the title, the lack of offensive abilities really weighed on her.

“i- I guess I’ll go see what he has in there.” With a few shaky steps, she popped inside the portal, the size barely enough to accommodate her massive travel bag.

The elf finished her circuit next to the throne and started picking over a small, ornate golden cage beside it. “Hey Jem, check this out. The monster king’s got a little cage over here. It’s even got a little name tag. Huh? Why’s he imprisoning Rhubarb? Isn’t that a vegetable?”

*** Rhubarb ***

It’s quiet… the five loud ones are poking Food-giver. I don’t understand. Why was food giver crying? Why did he stop moving? Why is he whispering Rhu again? Maybe it means safe?

Stolen story; please report.

I scurried over to his hand. I hope he needs pets. That should make things better. It always made things better before.

He picked me up slowly and deliberately. Good, it looks like it’s petting time then. Maybe it’s food time again soon? I don’t think I could eat more after the last food stick.

Wait. He’s not putting me on his chest this time. Food-giver looks at the loud ones, waiting for when they aren’t looking at him. He then quickly brings me to his face.

“I’m so sorry, little one. It looks like I won’t be able to raise you like I wanted after all. Just… do one last thing for me, would you? Make it quick.”

I don’t understand these words. Is that his mouth? IS HE EATING ME?

NO! BAD FOOD-GIVER! I NEED OUT! THIS MOUTH IS NOT A PLACE FOR A MOUSE TO BE. I NEED TO DIG. I NEED TO GO. THIS IS NOT RIGHT.

***Behemoth***

The great monster king, lord of the Great Labyrinth, sat on the cold stone floor. Of course, It didn’t feel cold from the waist down. It really didn’t feel like anything. The damage from the hero of shadow’s scythe refused to heal, so here he sat.

The man who once frightened the world into peace squirmed as his pet mouse thrashed in his mouth before scurrying down his throat. He wondered if anyone had ever thought of a more elaborate method of suicide. It’s not like he had a choice, though. There were some things in this dungeon that just couldn’t be let out. He shuddered to think of what could happen if this hero of shadows got her hands on even half of the equipment he had stolen from her predecessor.

In his final, breathless moments, as the world started to go dark one last time, he sent one last request. System, could you show me... My friends, one last time?

One last window opened for the old monster, showing five crystalline graves, preserving the bodies of five individuals from four different races and four different kingdoms. While four of the bodies had a single hole through the chest, the last one looked mangled, despite clear efforts to restore her to her former beauty.

A single inscription remained etched in its surface.

In Memory of L

“I’ll be waiting over here for that last dance you promised”

* * * Jem * * *

The saintess relaxed on the floor next to the obsidian throne, playing with the miniature golden cage. “I don’t understand adventurers’ fascination with raiding vaults. You’re going to get a prize anyways once the boss of a dungeon is dead. Why take the risk of it closing behind you for a few extra pieces of gold?”

Dale rolled their eyes and rested for the first time in weeks on a cushion that popped into existence onto the throne after the carnage of the fight. “We’ve been down here on this one quest for a full year, Jem. We’re going home with his entire horde or nothing at all.”

“Imagine” continued Grimel, “all this dungeon has managed to generate in the years since anybody has conquered the place. I’m not going to be happy with just a sword or a bag of coins that the dungeon says we deserve. I deserve it all and so do you after this whole fiasco.”

“I… suppose” whispered Jem, as she glanced over at the struggling monster king. She wondered why in the world he was holding his mouth like that… then his side started to turn black and red.

Her eyes turned as round as saucers and, for the first time that anyone in the room could remember, she raised her voice “WHAT’S HE’S DOING?!? STOP HIM!”

As soon as the words fled her mouth, she already knew it was too late. A series of messages flashed in front of her face too quickly to stop.

[Hero of the Mind, Monster King Behemoth has been slain.]

[A new Hero of The Mind has been chosen.]

[Grand Labyrinth Vault has closed]

With a half-formed gnomish cry of fear from its depths, the black void in front of the obsidian throne snapped shut.

The hero of the Heart, Lizabeth Frostmoon, was gone. In the place of the portal, four bags of gold, a scepter and a crown dropped to the floor.

Jem barely noticed as the hole in the monster king’s chest grew wider and a shapeless mass pooled out. “She… had all of our supplies, didn’t she?”

Even the elf held still for a moment, in a moment of shock. All their supplies were now gone, replaced with useless gold, and now, a new monster king selection had begun in the Grand Labyrinth.

The floor started to shiver in anticipation to welcome its new boss.

“Well, fu-“