So they set out with supplies and made their way towards the dungeon that Theodoren had mentioned. It was a short walk, but they were both tense and silent. When they reached it, they could see it was a large, circular stone structure with a single entrance. "I have a question." Daisy held up a hand to top.

She turned towards him. "Do you even understand what you tried to do to me?"

His ears flattened. "I know I was a bit of a jerk. I'm not proud of that. I'll admit that, I'm not the nicest guy around." He gestured to the door. "Look, I'll make for it, honest."

Daisy frowned. "We're supposed to be a team, right? How do I know I can trust you?" She gestured at herself. "You tried to rape me, let's put that right out there. If I wasn't a prepared fighter, you would have pinned me down and had your way with me. Have you no shame at all?"

Theodoren stared at her for a long moment, then he sighed. He rubbed his forehead and leaned against the door. "No, I don't. I admit it. I was a complete jerk, and I'm sorry, but what else can I say? Look." He waved at her much as she had waved at herself. "You're a brood mouse. The stories I heard said they were damned sluts, if you don't mind my being as blunt as you are. I thought you wanted it. I thought you were just playing with me, until I got cut at least."

"Playing with you?" Daisy repeated, her voice cold. "I was playing at nothing." She held up her saber tooth dagger, the blade glistening in the light of day. "You know I'm a fighter, right? When I tell you 'no', I mean it. When anyone says no, you take them at their word." She growled softly, chest vibrating. "Do you understand?"

He held up his hands, his ears still flat. "I'm sorry, alright? I'll never do that again, I swear." He glanced at the blade. "Look, you've made it pretty clear that you're not to be trifled with. I'm not here to fight you. Let's beat this dungeon and get you that spell you want so bad."

Daisy took a slow breath. "This isn't my world." She turned from him. "And I like that on some levels." She swished her tail, whipping and cracking in the air. "I wouldn't be this in the old one, but I wouldn't be tag teaming with my assailant either. Look, let's go. Be on your best behavior."

He nodded. "I will be, I promise."

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, followed closely by Theodoren. They were in a large, round room, and there were several doors leading out of it. "Hm, like the dungeon I started in." She laughed lightly. "Whoever made this game wasn't very creative in dungeon designs." She examined the doors. "What are we looking for, again?"

"A large tablet." Theodoren looked around, his eyes narrowed. "It's a slab of stone with a spell engraved on it, and the guardians usually have it." He pointed down. "Down, at the bottom. The biggest baddest monster is usually the one that has it."

Daisy thought of the dragon she ran into in her first dungeon. "Bet he had a tablet. Oh well. At least he gave me a friend." She kicked open a door to reveal several goblins, charging into the battle without pause. Her blade flashed, cutting through them. One tried to run away, and a magical blast of fire blew him to bits, leaving a smoking pile of ash and bones.

Daisy nodded at the smoldering bits. "Nice shot. Don't need him warning his friends."

Theodoren nodded, then pointed at the next door. "That's the way we want to go. Down."

She shoved that one open, and saw a long stairway that led down into the darkness below. She started down those stairs with a smile. "I don't know why, but I feel more energetic, here."

"Yeah?" Theodoren kept up with her, remaining behind. "Maybe you have a dungeon delving skill. You should ask a soul appraiser when we get back."

They continued down, and soon found themselves in a room that was filled with a variety of creatures. There were goblins and trolls, and a few other things that Daisy couldn't identify. She drew her saber tooth dagger, and charged into the battle, her blade flashing. She learned to love her blade more than she already did, the way it punched through armor and hide so easily as she stabbed and sliced at everything that so much as looked at her oddly.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Soon the battle was over and they were left standing among the dead. Daisy looked around and smiled. She turned and saw Theodoren was looking at her, and she could see that he was impressed. "This is what you started a fight with." She prodded him with a finger. "Not smart."

Theodoren blushed at that. "I didn't know! Like I said, the stories about brood mice are all about them being basically mouse whores." He rubbed behind his head. "Look, I've seen a lot of things, but you are a natural fighter. You really like it, don't you?"

Daisy considered that. "Yeah, I think I do." She twirled her dagger. "Let's keep going."

The next beast she ran into, a golem with a thick shield, she smashed but her dagger just bounced right off it. She was in mid-swing with her dagger when a blast of magical fire blew the golem's head off. "Oh! Thanks." She looked at her dagger, then at her companion. "You mentioned some things in here can't be just beat up."

"And some things can't be blasted." He waved her along. "Like I said. Good team. Now, let's keep going. I think we're getting close, we're on floor eight now."

Daisy nodded. "I'm glad you're here with me." She smacked his shoulder hard enough to make him stagger. "Even if you're still a jerk."

"Oof." He rubbed his shoulder. "You hit hard."

She laughed at that. "Good." She was grinning now, her eyes bright.

He shook his head as he followed her. "Focus that anger on the monsters, kindly. I'm on your side." He paused. "Well, at least until the end of this dungeon." He smiled at that.

Daisy turned and looked at him, then she snorted and laughed, and started down the hall. "You are really something, but I can appreciate you being straight forward. God, I can't believe I was tempted before. You're not my type."

"You're a brood mouse. You have a type?" Theodoren was looking at her, his nose twitching.

"I do, now." She turned and looked at him, her ears pricking. "Besides, we brood mice are actually very discerning. It's why I ran off the first time." She didn't go into the details, pushing into the dungeon. "Ugh, feels, what, icky around here."

Theodoren nodded, his ears flattening. "We're getting close to the guardian, I think. This place has a lot of monsters that are resistant to magic, so I'm going to have to rely on you a lot."

Daisy tightened her grip. "I don't plan to back off." She tapped at the door at the end of the hallway and it began to slide open of its own power, waves of pure maliciousness rushing free. The room was pitch black save for the glowing red eyes of what she assumed was the guardian. She could hear the sound of metal scraping on stone. She took a deep breath, and she felt a surge of power flow through her.

A few magic words came and a second wave of power rushed through her. "You have buffs? Fox of secrets." She grinned. "Thanks for the boost, but I think I need some light, here." She stepped further in. The eyes of the guardian were glowing brighter, and she could feel it watching her. "Well, come on, you big bastard!" She shouted at it. She heard the sound of something moving in the darkness, and she braced herself.

With a rumble of metal and stone, a massive suit of armor rose up, the red glow coming from inside. "Oh shit. What the hell is that?"

Theodoren was watching from behind a barrier. "It's a golem."

"I've seen golems!" She pointed her dagger up at the guardian. "They weren't so big!"

"Well, this is the guardian, isn't it?" He smiled at her. "Now, go take him down. I'm right behind you!"

Daisy growled at that, but charged forward. She jumped to the left just in time to avoid a great fist leaving a dent in the floor where she had been. She slashed out, and her dagger bit deep into the metal, and she heard a roar of pain from the golem, but she didn't stop there. She charged up the arm and leaped at its face, or what passed for a face, and drove her dagger into its eye sockets.

That strike didn't seem as effective. Did the thing even have eyes? The golem was thrashing, and she was knocked off, falling hard to the ground. It didn't hurt her, but it did leave her vulnerable. The golem raised its foot up, intending to crush her, when a blast of magic hit it. It didn't do much damage, but it delayed it just enough for Daisy to scramble out of the way.

The golem turned its attention to the source of the blast, and it stomped down on Theodoren. It seemed the shield he had cast on himself didn't hold up to that attack. The fox was sent smashing against the nearby wall, slumping to the ground with blood dripping from his snout. "Ow..." He groaned softly, and tried to stand up, but he fell back to the ground. He was in no condition to continue fighting.

Daisy saw that, and she felt a surge of anger.

─Revenge activated.

Daisy nodded at the letters, not that they changed what she had in mind. "Get back here!" She charged towards the golem, and leaped at it. She caught hold of its leg and started to climb. It tried to reach down and grab at her, but she kept climbing, and soon she was on the shoulder of the golem.

The guardian reached for her with a squeal of gears and bent metal, but Daisy ducked and rolled away. She scrambled up onto its helmet and drove her dagger into its head, and then she pulled the blade free. She drove her dagger in again, and then ripped the helmet off, and the golem collapsed, its body falling to the floor in a heap of metal parts. "That's what I thought, you big bastard." Daisy landed on the floor next to it, and kicked at the pile of metal with a huff.