“Are you sure about this?” Abby asked.
“Finally, you ask directly.” Isabelle muttered.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Abby defended.
Isabelle ticked off her fingers. “‘How many cores are we collecting? Shouldn’t we try with just one first? Is it safe? What happens if we screw up?’ You’ve been asking me if I’m sure about this for the past three hours without ever directly saying it!”
Abby gave Isabelle a pleading look.
Isabelle caved with a sigh. “Yes, I’m sure. One core or seven, it won’t make much of a difference.”
“I’m pretty sure the goal is to make a lot of a difference.” Abby grumbled.
“Yes, it is.” Isabelle harshly affirmed. “We’ve been lucky. That’s twice now the church has found us. Unlike Swift Brook however, you were able to spot them first! And thanks to your reflexes, we were able to avoid them all the way out of town. If anything, it just confirmed how much we need you like this.”
It’s true. Abby did spot the members of the church before they could spot them. And more to Isabelle’s point, Abby even managed to avoid detection from the rest of the townsfolk. Her speed and strength carried them both from hiding spot to hiding spot faster than anyone would ever expect a human to move. It had been so easy, that it worried her. If she were to evolve any more…
Goddess above, it still felt wrong just thinking about it. But this was the path she’d chosen. She had to follow through.
“What about you?” Abby couldn’t help but ask. “I know you’re trying to be the magic person, but what if it’s not enough?”
Isabelle held up her new staff, now embedded with several cores where they could fit in the knots. “Why do you think we’re taking so long to prepare? Unlike you, I’m not just going to rush into things. I have a plan, and telling you about it would only hurt our chances.”
While that hurt, Isabelle had already explained why she couldn’t tell Abby of her plan. If Abby knew about it, and she became enthralled, she’d want to tell her dungeon about Isabelle’s plan. And then the dungeon, or her, would think of ways to counter Isabelle’s plan. Isabelle couldn’t even risk telling Abby while she was unenthralled, because then Abby might just think of a plan anyway!
This was for the best. Abby had to keep reminding herself of that. She had a role to play, just as she held the role of vanguard in her party. Her job was to stand in front of everyone else and protect them.
And to protect people, you needed to be strong.
Abby hardened her resolve once again, fully acknowledging that she might have to do it again later. She couldn’t help how she wavered, but at least she was moving forward.
They walked in uneasy silence for a while longer, stepping over branches and around bushes. Abby understood this portion of the plan at least. Being outdoors, outside a dungeon, mysteriously made a dungeon's domain the size of their core. That much was common knowledge. Meaning if they were to experiment with live dungeon cores, doing it outside would be the safest. There was no risk of the many dungeons they held interacting with one another, or fighting for territory and wasting mana.
Isabelle kept them in separate jars with thick walls, specifically made for this purpose. Abby could hear the distinct sound of the hardened clay clinking against each other from her backpack. Seven of them. Caught over two days of delving in two separate dungeons, since they had to abandon the other town thanks to the church. They hadn’t even stayed in the next town for a day, setting out only after trading away the bare minimum amount of cores to buy their rations for the trek towards the capital.
“Here.” Isabelle decided as they came across a wide river. She gestured to a couple of boulders off to the side, many times the size of Abby.
Abby knew about this part of the plan as well. Since it was just part of the setup, it would do no good for Abby to panic. Explaining how this was all going to work was meant to ensure Abby was calm throughout the entire thing.
While Isabelle walked around the base of the boulder, Abby climbed on top. Once Isabelle was confident in whatever it was she was looking for, she climbed on top of the boulder as well. Abby eyed her staff warily, dreading what came next.
“Are you sure about this?”
Isabelle gave Abby the death stare. Abby bowed her head.
Isabelle set down her staff, taking a seat. With painfully slow movements, she took out all seven jars, one by one, opening their lids to the open air. “Do you want to be sitting or standing?”
Abby figited. “Standing, I think. With my arms and legs spread out as much as possible.”
Isabelle nodded. “Smart. That’ll probably take away your leverage.”
Abby swallowed. “Can… can you give me some space? In case I… expand?”
Isabelle snorted. “Yes, I thought of that too.”
Abby nodded, eyes locked on the dungeon cores. Each of them still alive. Still active. Still looking for the thralls that Abby or Isabelle had slaughtered. Even looking to enthrall more, if they could. For their own survival.
Yes. This was about survival. For them, for Abby, and for Setterton. For Isabelle’s continued survival. Abby took a breath. She was growing light headed, but now wasn’t the time.
“Ready.”
Isabelle stood, staff in hand. “Arms out.”
Abby planted her feet, wider than shoulder width apart. Her arms she spread out to her sides, far away from her body, but not quite in line with her shoulders. Her breath was shaky, but she was as ready as she’d ever be.
“Hold still.” Isabelle said. “No matter what.”
Abby nodded. She felt like she should hold her eyes shut, but she just couldn’t look away.
One of Isabelle’s magic cores began to glow. The stone beneath Abby shifted, startling her, even though she had been expecting it. But she held her pose, even as she sunk down into the stone. Her eyes became level with Isabelle’s.
The stone morphed around her legs, eerily maintaining distance. Her legs sunk into the stone in two distinct holes that slowly seemed to rise up her legs and join just below her waist. New holes formed below her hands, and Abby sunk into those as well, never touching the stone save for her feet alone. The stone seemed to rise up past her stomach, to her chest, and nearly to her shoulders. Abby’s heart pounded, and she breathed hard, but she didn’t move. She trusted Isabelle, even as the stone climbed up her neck, tightening snugly just under her chin. She could still wiggle, just a bit, but it was still uncomfortable to be entombed like this. Finally, her floor fell slowly away from her. Luckily, the ridge between her thighs rose up enough for her to sit on.
Isabelle stopped casting the spell. She got down on one knee, bringing the chosen jar closer. This was the one Isabelle insisted Abby obey. Abby didn’t pretend to know why, she was told to not ask questions.
“Are you ok?”
Abby nodded as much as she could, knocking her chin into the stone. She trembled slightly, where Isabelle couldn’t see her. Abby had to remind herself that it was okay to be scared.
Isabelle could tell she was unsure, but they were here now.
The only way out was through.
Isabelle found some prongs they’d bought in town. Using them, she picked up the dark blue dungeon core. A cube.
Abby licked her lips and laughed. “You- you’d think that people would use those all the time! So much safer. No need to touch the core directly. You could hammer it like a blacksmith!”
Isabelle nodded. “We’ll have to tell Owyn about it when we get back.”
When we get home. Abby needed to hear that. It was not a matter of if with Isabelle, but when. That was good.
Abby took a breath, calming down for real. “Ok. I’m ready.”
Isabelle nodded. She touched the core to Abby’s cheek.
Obey me!
Ok.
The connection was instantaneous, and intense. The dungeon- HER dungeon was proud of her. Thankful for her subservience! It was all Abby could do to contain her happiness. Her core held pride in her! She needed to protect the core!
She’s going to destroy you! Abby shouted at her core. Her body thumped around her tomb, attempting to escape. But against solid stone, with little to no wiggle room, there wasn’t much she could do, even with her enhanced strength.
Calm down. Her core commanded. Isabelle, the traitorous bastard, brought her core away from her cheek! Panic does not help negotiations.
Abby calmed down. She isn’t planning to negotiate. She’s going to kill you. It was fact.
“Abby? Are you ok?”
Abby glared daggers at her previous friend. She wanted to kill the little mage. Get her core and escape. Maybe find a good place to settle down and prosper.
Her core continued talking in a calm voice. Negotiations are the beginning of a relationship. What is it that you want? Power?
Yes. Abby replied instantly. And Isabelle is planning to feed me more dungeon cores in order to get it. But as soon as she’s done, she’ll destroy you!
Very well. Her dungeon acknowledged. Then we must escape before that happens, or else kill her.
Isabelle placed her dungeon off to the side, far away from herself. The idiot! What if a wild animal stole it! Her dungeon would not be able to defend itself! No, she was thinking about this all wrong. Maybe this new animal could take her dungeon away to safety? Her dungeon was strong, she could feel that. It would subjugate and enthrall any mere beast it encountered.
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Isabelle used the prongs to pick out a new core, holding it in front of Abby. “Open up.”
“I do no-OOMPH!”
Isabelle shoved the core into Abby’s open mouth. She swallowed it on instinct, completely ignoring the cries of the jagged, ugly core as it melted in her throat. Its power already burned through her body, becoming one with her own.
Oh? You are already evolved? Excellent. A good base is welcome. Tell this human we look to negotiate. Abby could already feel her body changing. It was growing, ever so slowly.
Isabelle was already picking out the next core. Abby tilted her chin so that the little mage couldn’t trick her again. “We wish to negotiate.”
“Good.” Isabelle agreed easily. “I do too. That’s why I’m feeding you gifts.”
“LIES!” Abby shouted. Birds in a nearby tree took flight, frightened by the outburst. She cursed herself then, remembering that her core was all that mattered. It needed to escape, and if another animal managed to do that, so be it. But Abby had to be quiet, lest she scared too many animals away.
Isabelle pushed this next core close to Abby’s lips, enticing her to consume that ugly thing. “Eat this, and then we’ll talk.”
Chew it. Her core demanded. Consuming fragments means your transformation will take longer. We will use the time to negotiate.
That was good logic. Perfect logic, as it was her dungeon’s thoughts. She opened her mouth to accept the core.
Isabelle gently moved her prongs into Abby’s mouth, letting go of the core. But she kept the prongs inside! Abby bit down on the metal, but the prongs kept the core firmly in the center of her mouth, atop her squishy tongue! Abby growled, struggling to force the prongs out of her mouth so she could chew the core, but in her struggle, the prongs accidentally shoved the core against the back of her throat! Abby swallowed.
“Open up.” Isabelle demanded, getting down on Abby’s level. Abby opened her now empty mouth, still glaring daggers at her captor.
“Good. Now we can talk.” Isabelle said. “Isn’t talking nice? It’s so much easier than fighting, and we can both get what we want!”
“What do you want?” Abby asked for her dungeon. She cursed her past self for not hounding Isabelle for details on the plan.
“I want a powerful ally.” Isabelle said calmly. “Which is why you were chosen to be Abby’s master.”
Abby couldn’t believe her ears. Was… was she insinuating that she wanted to be allies with a dungeon!? It sounded mad, but then again, they’ve both had experience with Lucid. Perhaps that tainted the mage girl’s judgment. Either way, Abby and her dungeon would have to take advantage of that.
Isabelle kept talking. “We’re going to be getting ourselves into a lot of trouble soon, so we need all the help we can get. You see, the church, the guys we’re aiming to conquer, have done something terrible to our home. They’re very powerful though, for a group of humans. In one instance, we’ve even met a man who had been previously evolved by a dungeon, and is now working for the church!”
Abby said nothing to her, but clarified the details for her dungeon. She tried her best to recall all the details of Garroway, although now, in her own evolved form, he felt rather insignificant. If it weren’t for his ability to use magic, Abby could probably stand a chance against him.
Abby rolled her tongue around her mouth, feeling ridges form down the center of it, like a spine.
Isabelle plucked out the next core, presenting it to Abby. Unfortunately, she held it out of reach. “You, my beautiful Blue, were chosen to act as Abby’s master because you showed promise in one very specific aspect. Subterfuge. Your monsters hid themselves very well, and attempted to ambush us at every turn in your dungeon. You were smart with your evolutions, and you never left things open to chance. Even going so far as to…” She picked up her staff with her open hand, pointing it directly behind her, into the forest.
Abby’s dungeon’s mood lowered significantly. Abby growled to make its displeasure known, though she didn’t know why.
Isabelle smirked. “Yes, I’ve been aware of your little tail for quite some time I’m afraid. Is this why you were willing to negotiate? Did you think you had yourself a little safety net in the form of a monster that you had hidden away? I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Blue. I’m not some naive little girl for you to take advantage of.”
What do you want. Abby’s dungeon did not ask. It demanded to know answers. Suddenly, Abby was made aware of a secondary presence. A lizard, hiding in the trees directly in line with where Isabelle was pointing her staff. How did she know it was there?
This must be a part of the plan she refused to talk about.
“What I want is simple.” Isabelle responded to Abby’s dungeon. “In fact, I’ve already told you. I want a powerful ally. Now open up.”
Abby’s dungeon considered the facts. It allowed Abby to swallow the next dungeon. Whole.
The action pleased Isabelle, which in turn pleased Abby’s dungeon. Negotiations were now open.
Isabelle made a show of deciding which core to pick out next. “I’m sure Abby’s already told you some of it, but here’s all the facts. The church has our home village hostage, and are forcing them to either obey a dungeon they control, or die in the process. I suspect most of them are going quietly, they’re no heroes. However, I have proof that this dungeon has a soft spot for us humans, with one in particular being particularly attached to your thrall right there.”
Owyn. Abby growled, and this time, it wasn’t due to the dungeon’s influence. Isabelle was planning on leveraging Owyn somehow in all this. Unacceptable.
Her bones were shifting beneath her skin. Abby could suddenly touch the ground with her feet again, even if it was just with her toes. She couldn’t tell exactly where her evolution was going, but she had a small idea. Her muscles were already at their extreme, so in order to build more, she needed to be larger. That was good. She needed to be more powerful.
Isabelle decided on a core. She plucked it out of the jar and crouched before Abby, arrogantly looking down on her. “We have many enemies, but the church sits at the center of it. Right now, we’re suspecting that they are controlling dungeons in order to evolve humans, like Garroway. In order for these evolved specimens to not appear enthralled, after the dungeon has evolved the human, they destroy the dungeon.”
“Like you’re planning to do now.” Abby stated.
“No.” Isabelle raised her chin. “Like you thought I was going to. There’s so much more use in keeping a dungeon around. Mercy showed us that much, remember?”
Abby remembered. Lucid had somehow tamed Mercy, prompting her to act in his stead for some larger plans. Her dungeon shared in Abby’s disgust at the practice. It was an affront against dungeons to tame them as such.
“You will not tame us.” Abby warned.
“I don’t plan to.” Isabelle said easily. “I plan to feed you. Like the church is feeding Lucid.”
Abby’s dungeon fell silent. She could feel it trying to think of Isabelle’s angle in this. What would she gain from this?
“I can’t be enthralled, of course.” Isabelle took a new interest in her finger nails. She haphazardly waved around the core in her prongs as she picked at the dirt beneath them. Abby’s eyes remained locked on the core, eager to consume more, if her master willed it. Isabelle continued. “I’m like the priests of the church. An innocent front. The part that can be shown to the public. But you, Abby, you’ll be the one going behind the church’s back.”
“Out with it.” Abby spoke her dungeon’s words. “What is the deal?”
Isabelle smiled, presenting the core to Abby. Abby leaned in, mouth open to receive her prize for cooperation.
“It’s simple. But before I tell you your part in the plan, I must confess something that I only think of as a possibility. For the moment, use your mana to assist Abby’s evolution and listen. Remember, she’ll need to be stealthy for her part. You’ll thank me later, if you follow my advice.”
Abby wanted to argue with her, but she couldn’t refute what she was saying. She had trusted her, once. Perhaps she still could. Isabelle was focused on defeating the church, much the same as Abby was. If she said that such actions could be beneficial to the dungeon, she surely meant it. In the meantime, her dungeon recalled her earliest statement. That they would be walking straight into danger.
Isabelle’s favorite spell is fireball. Abby told her dungeon. If I can resist fire, I can fight her if things go wrong. If not, fire resistance is still a good idea, to fight common methods of fighting.
“Go on.” Abby prompted Isabelle.
“Abby, I want you to recall some of our earlier conversations. Remember how the church is the largest consumer of dungeon cores? Pacified or otherwise? Well, earlier we concluded that it all had to do with the church evolving people. In order to do that, they’d need a sacrificial master core, like Blue here, and some sacrificial feed cores. Like little pinky here.” Isabelle waved around the next core for emphasis. “But sometimes things don’t work out in the real world. Things go wrong, and plans don’t pan out. So they’d have to try again. And there is, of course, the legitimate side of the churches business, providing magic cores for those who need them, and performing magic as required, but again, those all take cores.”
Isabelle leaned in. Not close to Abby, though she did keep her eyes on her, but to Abby’s dungeon. “So tell me Blue, if you wanted to horde valuable resources, where would you keep them?”
“In the center of the nest.” Abby spoke for her dungeon. “Like the capital.”
Isabelle grinned. “Now you’re getting the picture.”
Abby opened her mouth, accepting the next core. She swallowed it whole. Her dungeon was becoming giddy with possibilities.
Abby spoke in its place. “If we follow you, you’ll gather information as to the whereabouts of this horde of cores, and we’ll sneak into their nests and take it all for ourselves?”
Isabelle nodded with a perfect smile. “Exactly! You’ll become more powerful than any dungeon has ever been, and I’ll get to take down the church!”
It’s too easy. Abby warned her dungeon. This is too much in our favor. “What’s the catch?”
Isabelle’s smile faded. She sighed, picking up the last core. “It’s true, it won’t be that easy. I’ll have other jobs for you. If the church really is using dungeons to evolve people, we’ll need a dungeon of our own to find them. My human magic can only take us so far without being noticed. I’ll have to ask you to sneak around the church, listening in to secrets behind locked doors. Each secret we hear could give us a hint as to how the church operates, and where we can hit them that will hurt them the most. But again, all of this depends on your abilities to create the best spy in the world. Are you able to do that for us Blue?”
A spy… Yes. Abby’s dungeon liked the idea more and more.
Abby recalled her own desires, and decided to chance requesting a part from her dungeon. Remaining as human as possible would help. To blend in with other humans.
Yes! Abby’s dungeon praised her. To hide in plain sight! You must remain unassuming! You must blend in with both the day, and the night! You should be able to get in anywhere! Hear any secrets! STEAL anything that interests us!
Abby’s hands flexed with excitement. This was a good idea!
“Deal.” Abby opened her mouth.
Isabelle went to feed Abby. However, she hesitated at the last second. “You’re not going to betray me, are you? No, what am I saying! You can’t find the cores without me! That’s why you need to work with me! Because I’m the one who’s going to be gathering information!”
Not unless we find it without you. Abby smirked. She remembered a small fact Owyn had told her long ago about thausens. Supposedly, they were able to find sources of magic. While they could additionally eat the magic as sustenance, Abby didn’t need that ability. Besides, she wanted to evolve! She couldn’t evolve if she ate magic!
“Hurry up!” Abby said impatiently, leaning in towards the final core.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Isabelle patted Abby on the head, feeding her the last core. She placed the tongs off to the side and stood, staff in hand. She stretched as high as she could. “Good! Negotiations complete! So, oh good dungeon, what do I call you? Can I keep calling you Blue?”
Abby’s dungeon considered it. No! It is degrading to be named like the sky! I wish to be named something elegant! Something worthy of a spy!
Isabelle crossed her arms in thought. Abby wiggled in her prison. She filled it out much better now. And with her latest evolution, she could probably…
Abby sucked in her chest, shoving her organs down. Her bones, somehow multiplied, clicked against one another, shifting in place. By craning her neck, Abby lifted a shoulder up to her neck, coiling her arm like a boneless snake out of the hole until her arm popped out of the restrictive tomb. Isabelle watched with bland fascination.
Abby smirked at her new abilities. “Perfect for getting into tight fits, wouldn’t you agree?”
Isabelle smiled. “Yes, I can agree to that. Is your evolution finished?”
Abby considered it. Her eyes flicked to Isabelle’s staff, where she could inherently sense the magic held within them. It was faint, even from this close up, but it was there. They could improve her perception later. “Yes.”
Isabelle smiled again. “Good.”
Her arm twirled her staff in a circle. Abby gasped, pushing herself up and halfway out of the hole to stop her, but Isabelle was too far away. Her staff collided with her dungeon, destroying it in an instant.
Abby felt her will return to her. A wet screech came from a tree behind Isabelle. Out from it shot a lizard, with a razor sharp tongue and humongous eyes. Isabelle waved her staff in its direction, summoning a lance of ice that pierced its mouth.
Abby watched it all happen, dazed and confused. What happened? Why did Isabelle betray-
No. She didn’t betray them. She lied. To save Abby. To keep her human, and free, like she said she would. She kept her promise. Abby shuddered. With tears or laughter, she couldn’t tell. Maybe both.
Isabelle’s staff clattered to the stone, and she rushed to Abby, picking her up by the face with shaking hands. “Abby! Oh Goddess, are you alright? I’m so sorry, are you ok?”
Abby smiled thankfully at her friend. “Yeah. I’m fine. Help pull me out?”