Abby woke with a start, bolting upright in her bed. She didn’t know what woke her, but it was probably just a creaky floorboard somewhere in the inn. She never did sleep well indoors. Her eyes went to Owyn, whose blankets rose and fell as he breathed. She nodded to herself and rolled onto her side, ready to fall back asleep again.
Owyn, in the meantime, felt the need to pee. However, having been startled awake, probably by Abby, he couldn’t just get up and leave for the bathroom. That would make Abby aware that he was awake as well! And then she wouldn’t be able to sleep!
He decided to hold it until morning.
----------------------------------------
“Morning.” Abby muttered to Owyn as soon as he walked over to her table.
“Greetings.” Owyn responded, taking his seat. “Water for breakfast?”
Abby took a swig from her mug. “Water for breakfast.”
Owyn sighed. “Thirty-four days. Then we’ll have enough.”
Abby groaned. “Liar. You said that last week.”
“Yes, I did. And then someone went and broke their shield.”
“It was old anyway,” Abby muttered into her mug. “We should have just made one from scratch. Cheaper if we did it ourselves.”
“And risk our lives using sub-par equipment?” Owyn shook his head. “You really shouldn’t be an adventurer, much less a vanguard.”
“What I should do is get a better teammate!” Abby pouted. “One who doesn’t run off at the first sign of something we’ve seen a hundred times.”
“Do that, and I keep your money.” Owyn warned.
Abby sighed. “Why did I ever trust you with my stuff?”
“Because I’m smarter than you. And more handsome.”
“Girls don’t want to be handsome!” Abby countered.
“They don’t want to be adventurers either.” Owyn raised an eyebrow in challenge.
“So are you calling me handsome?” Abby asked.
Owyn smirked into his mug. “It’d be more accurate than calling you cute.”
Abby turned away and tipped Owyns mug. He sputtered as water went up his nose. Abby smiled, pretending not to care.
The bar was empty, as usual this early in the morning. Only the owner and her husband milled about, chatting idly at a nearby table. They noticed Abby’s gaze and gave a questioning thumbs up. Abby returned the gesture, ensuring them that they were fine.
“Whatever.” Owyn said. “Let’s just go.”
Abby perked up. “No shopping today?”
“I have enough arrows, and I managed to save enough bottles from last time. I’d say all we need is food, but I see you’ve taken care of that already.”
Abby stood up, quickly putting on her backpack. “Mrs. Lark made an extra sandwich today! We can split it!”
Owyn adjusted his messenger bag at his side. His arrows jostled in protest, but they’d remain where they were unless he went upside down. “Wonderful. Shall we?”
They both took their weapons and headed out the door. Abby held a short sword in one hand, and a wooden shield in the other. Both were unfortunately small, and offered Owyn little comfort when it came to protection. They both wore leather armor, but at this point both sets were so worn thin that they may as well just be an extra set of clothing. Owyn himself just carried his bow and a helmet. Strapped to the front of the helmet was an iron disk with half a yellow dungeon core set in the center.
Technically other people called them ‘magic cores’, but in Owyn’s mind, they’d always be dungeon cores.
Their trek led them out of town on a well worn road. After about half an hour, they diverted course, leaving the main road in favor of a footpath leading down towards a creek a little into the woods. Only a few years ago had the creek collapsed into a cave system, opening up the possibilities of finding new dungeons. As was always the case, the first delvers got the best and most goods, but dungeons would always regrow over time. Thus, the people of the town of Setterton set up a slightly professional entrance to the cave system, hopefully to entice adventurers into keeping the dungeons in check.
Though the ‘professional’ entrance was only a wooden walkway over the creek, and a small dam to keep the water out. And the ‘adventurers’ were Abby and Owyn. And a few others, but still, when the average age of adventurers was in their teens, it didn’t instill a whole lot of confidence in the town’s people.
They spotted one such adventurer team sitting on the small dam. Three fifteen year olds. Two swordsmen and the noble's daughter, a mage.
“Greetings, Sirs Barry and Garth, and Lady Bellamy.”
All three kids shot to their feet at Owyn’s voice. He was the head adventurer of this town by default of being the oldest at nineteen. Just two months older than Abby, a fact that he thanked god for every day. Who knew what sort of disaster would befall them all if Abby was in charge.
“Morning Owyn!” The boys waved. Lady Bellamy pouted.
“Aren’t you supposed to say my name first?”
“Vanguards are supposed to lead the way, aren’t they?” Abby grinned at her.
“Morning Abby.” All three of them greeted. Abby ruffled their hair, one by one.
“Are you sure you’re well enough to delve again?” Owyn asked Garth, who had twisted his ankle the week before.
“I’m fine!” Garth stamped his afflicted foot to show him. “I can’t run very fast, but I can still do it. And I can hold my ground just the same as normal!”
Owyn nodded. “Good enough, but I still want you calling it early today. Today and tonight should be for you to test the waters of your ability. It won’t do to over exert yourself.”
“Kay…”
“You just want more for yourself!” Lady Bellamy accused.
“And if I do?” Owyn smirked at her.
“Leave them alone.” Abby smacked Owyn on the arm. “Come on. We’ll go left if you guys go right?”
“Deal!” Lady Bellamy shouted. She gathered her vaguards and together, they scurried into the cave system below.
Owyn and Abby went soon after, ducking slightly to get through the first part of the cave. It would open up later, but for now, they would have to crouch. As they walked, Owyn affixed his helmet to his head, tying the straps beneath his chin.
Abby watched him as he did it. She snorted. “You look like a dork.”
“A dork with a light.” A small effort of will turned on the dungeon core in the helmet. Light flashed for a second, startling Abby.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Fucker.”
Owyn grinned. “Serves you.”
----------------------------------------
Abby led Owyn through the cave system. A series of rooms, morphed from dungeons long gone. Their path was familiar and marked, something Owyn checked obsessively. His light often strayed from the path.
“Oi!” Abby whispered. “Eyes front!”
“They are.” Owyn lied, his eyes clearly wandering to a purple plant growing from the cracks nearby.
Abby swung her shield at him, and Owyn dodged without looking. Though his head did return the light to the front. Abby gave him a look, which he returned with indifference. A scratching sound alerted them to a monster ahead.
They both set themselves into their combined ready position. Abby had her shield in front of her, low to the ground. Her sword was out to the side, well out of the light that Owyn’s helmet gave off. Owyn already had an arrow strung, but he didn’t draw the bow quite yet. He aimed over Abby’s shoulder, peering down the corridor they faced. His arrow tip drew a shadow, marking where he was looking to Abby so she would know to pay attention elsewhere. Looking for ambushes.
Their feet moved as one, without prodding from the other. Each footstep they made was quiet and in sync. Even if they made a sound, it would only sound like one step, hopefully confusing the enemy. Neither adventurer swayed from their formation as they approached.
A cat sized rat appeared from around the corner. It looked at the pair of them.
An arrow lodged itself in the thing's forehead before it could even think of raising an alarm.
Owyn nocked another arrow, but neither of the two humans moved for a second otherwise. Even their breathing went quieter as they listened for sounds of anything else approaching.
Abby tilted her head to one side. A question done in the silent language the two had invented.
Are there any more?
Owyn’s arrow shifted, moving the shadow in a certain way.
Check around the corner first.
They moved again, taking quiet steps towards the corner. Abby slowly turned her body such that the shield would be the first thing to enter the room. She held it up to her face, peering one eye over it and around the corner.
“Clear.” She said, standing straight.
Owyn relaxed and followed her into the room. They both cast their eyes about, looking for the core. A few regular sized mice darted at their feet, but both humans calmly dealt with them by just stepping on them.
“Nothing, you?” Abby asked.
“Nope. I’ll check.” Owyn reached into his shirt, pulling out a necklace with a blue orb on the end. He willed it to show him the location of the dungeon core. A blue light spawned within the orb, touching one edge of the ball. Owyn followed it blindly, and Abby protected him from errant mice as they went. Eventually, it became obvious where their destination lay, so Owyn dropped the necklace back down his shirt.
He knelt next to a rock and reached a gloved hand beneath it. With just a little effort, he lifted it up, revealing a gray plumbob shaped crystal. Also a mouse that had bit onto the thick fingers of the glove.
“Ooh!” Owyn said with excitement. “A plumbob core! These ones are about to control mana way better than the spheres or cubes! They’re perfect for offensive spells! We’re lucky to have caught it early, otherwise there might have been magic traps here! Actually, I’m wondering if we just didn’t trigger any! Hey Abby! Do you think-”
Abby lightly swung her sword, decapitating the mouse that still hung onto his finger. “No, I don’t want to trigger the traps on purpose. Let’s just find them and move on.”
Owyn grabbed the crystal with his free hand.
Obey! The crystal willed.
Owyn absently broke the tip off one end of the crystal, making sure to collect the piece he broke off. The voice of the crystal disappeared with it.
“You’re no fun. Magic traps, Abby! Flame throwers, acid pits, maybe we could get lucky and find a mana overcharge!”
“This dungeon is too young for that and you know it.” Abby said plainly. She still went about the room, checking for traps.
Owyn tucked the dead dungeon core in his bag. “What, are you disappointed?”
“Aren’t you?” Abby asked, exasperated. “It had mice and ONE ratling! It’s not fun if it’s not challenging!”
“Nonsense!” Owyn prowled along the ground like a sniffer dog. Unlike Abby, he found several traps, though these ones were remnants from the old dungeon that was here long before this one ever came about. “There’s plenty of fun to be had in discovering the secrets of dungeon cores! With a little bit of luck, we might even be able to find you a core good enough to set into your shield!”
“Speaking of which, give me back my light!”
“No!” Owyn found a rare, red fern within one of the old traps. He picked out some of his harvesting tools in order to fish it out at the roots. “It’s your fault you broke your shield, not mine! And you were the one who wanted to go cheap on it, I was only doing like you wanted!”
“Yeah, well, that was before I remembered that would mean I wouldn’t have my own light.”
Owyn held the plant in his hands, successfully harvested. He stuck his tongue out at Abby. Abby returned the gesture.
----------------------------------------
“Left.” Abby told Owyn. She tucked her notebook back into her backpack.
“Are you sure?” Owyn kept his eyes on the center corridor. “I could have sworn it was time to go back to the center one again.”
“Owyn…”
Owyn sighed. “Yeah, I know, fine. I just wanted to see if the urnik corpse was still there. We forgot to take its fangs last time.”
“It’s been a week,” Abby told him. “I’m almost certain another dungeon has already claimed it by now.”
Owyn wasn’t almost certain, he knew. He’d done too much research. It almost spoiled the fun. He had to remind himself that they weren’t there for fun. They were there to do a job.
“I hate this one.” He grumbled. “No plants.”
“I know!” Abby said, excited. “There’s almost always just monsters! It’s great!”
“Let’s get it over with…”
----------------------------------------
“OWYN!” Abby shouted angrily.
“In a second!” Owyn called over his shoulder. He was holding a large crystal very precariously. His tiny hammer chipped at the rocks near the base. If he didn’t get it right, the crystal would lose its pink color.
Abby slammed her shield into the horn of the crystalline lizard as it charged her. The unexpected offense dazed the lizard for just a second. Long enough for Abby to swing her short sword into its face. By sheer luck, the edge of her blade slammed into the beast's eye.
“OWYN!!!” She shouted again.
The crystal lizard screamed. The light it gave off pulsated vibrantly. Obviously an attempt to dazzle the opponent. It would have worked on any other cave dwelling creature, but Abby was used to the surface. She practically welcomed the extra light, using it to secure her footing better between the loose rocks around her feet.
The creature recovered, lowering itself for another charge.
An arrow pierced the blinded eye, and the lizard dropped like a puppet with the strings cut.
Abby huffed, trying to gather her breath. She glared over at Owyn, who held the now freed pink crystal in his arrow hand. The thing was massive, at least the size of her forearm. It would certainly bring a good haul of money, so she tried to not be too mad at him.
“Whatever. Let’s just find the dungeon core and be done with today.”
“Aw, I thought you liked fighting monsters?”
“I do when I have a teammate I can rely on!!”
Owyn huffed indifferently. He tucked his bow under his elbow and brought out his necklace. Abby watched him concentrate for a second before the little light showed him the way. Abby followed the path with her eyes. At the end of the carven they were in was a little purple and pink glow, sitting atop a small rock. Abby ignored Owyn out of spite and approached the core alone.
She could feel its anger and fear when she got close enough. She steeled her mind as she got to her knees in front of it. With her shield hand, she held the crystal in place.
Die! Obey! Die! The dungeon core shouted at her, attempting to break her will.
Abby struck down with the pommel of her sword. Unlike what she wanted, the core did not split into two, and instead shattered into a dozen odd pieces.
“Abby!” Owyn sounded upset. “What’d you do! Oh no, it’s all over the place! Abby!”
Abby stuck her tongue out at him. “Serves you, for not helping me.”
“I had to take the crystal out while the dungeon was still alive! And it was growing in such a weird spot! I had to hold it while I worked!”
“So you admit it trapped you?”
Owyn froze. “No, I could have left whenever I wanted.”
Abby felt a smirk growing. “But you didn’t. Hence, you fell for a trap.”
“I didn’t! And that wasn’t a trap!”
Abby fluttered her eyelashes and held up her ear to him. “Remind me again what exactly a trap is?”
Owyn stiffened. Then, he sagged. “Any structure designed in a way to ensnare, disable, kill, or otherwise distract a delver.”
“And that crystal had you…?”
“Fine! It distracted me!” Owyn threw his hands in the air. “Dinner’s on me! Whatever!”
Abby giggled maliciously. “And you know what today is?”
Owyn thought for a second.
Abby answered anyway. “Today is the day Mrs. Lark cooks those giant steaks we so dearly enjoy.”
Owyn’s eyes widened. He looked like he wanted to argue more, but he knew better. “Fine. Fine! A bet’s a bet. Eat as much as you want.”
Abby stood up and skipped away, looking forward to leaving the dungeons for once. Owyn could only curse his luck as he collected the remains of the pink dungeon core.
“And today was going to be such a big profit day too…”