Yuki blinked the notification away and pushed against Jenny until she squirmed free from the woman’s grasp. Moonlight barely filtered through the cracks; aside from their immediate surroundings, she couldn’t see anything. The place smelled of burnt wood and the smoky, almost sterile scent of ash. They were surrounded by plants that twisted and sprawled across the ashen soil with thin, contorted dark green and washed out red leaves. Stone benches cast shadows in the pale light just outside the overgrown area.
From above, Yuki heard the pursuers and their dogs. Just behind her, Jenny's groans of pain. She couldn’t hear anything from where they were — no wind, no scurrying creatures, no distant drips of water.
Yuki hopped closer to Jenny and inspected the woman. She hadn’t paid attention before, but Jenny wore dark, sturdy clothes. Gone was the cute and colorful uniform. The trouser was a coarse, heavy fabric. The boots were rustic but strong-looking. The shirt had a bit of color, dark blue and faint shades of purple. The cloak was a deep green. She wore some sort of armor; it covered her arms, chest, and legs. The girl was prepared for a fight, just not for the amount of people chasing her.
“Status,” she called out again. Still at 6 MP. At least Yuki wasn’t hurt this time, even if being smushed between arms and boobs wasn’t the comfy paradise she often fantasized about in the before. She settled near Jenny’s face. Maybe Jenny should have named her Medkit instead. Tomorrow, Jenny would need to deal with the dungeon itself. Yuki would do her part as a magical creature and heal her pet human.
Jenny was her pet now, right?
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Jenny woke in the dark and cold, except for the bundle of ash-covered fur near her face. In front of her eyes, moving together with her vision no matter where she looked, was another crumbling parchment.
You have entered the Emberbind Conclave dungeon.
Jenny’s hand moved, fingers primed to pick up the paper, but it crumbled to dust before she could. One of those words was familiar: dungeon. Cursed places that one should never enter. Not even title holders and adventurers with specialized perks ventured into them.
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The Gloom was proof of that.
With Biscuit held in her arms, she sat up and looked about. She remembered falling and hitting her head against the stone. Tentative fingers explored her face and head, then touched her arms. Her fingers carried dried blood but no signs of any injury. She felt better than the day before. Even the slight pain from the dagger wound wasn’t there anymore.
Jenny raised Biscuit to eye level. The rabbit stared back, nose twitching.
“Tell me true, Biscuit. What are you?”
The rabbit ears twisted her way at his name. Of course, again, he didn’t answer. Jenny sighed; she was losing her mind. First, the magic, then the cursed knowledge, and now she wanted to cast blame on the pet. She placed him on her lap, finger trailing gentle circles on his ears and cheeks. She learned — it wasn’t even hard to notice — Biscuit really liked it when she massaged those spots.
The purring and thumping started soon after. A smile broke on Jenny’s face. She looked around.
Faint sunlight exposed what looked like an overgrown garden. Plants she had never seen before scattered about. Stone benches placed in circles around the central area where she fell. The cavernous chamber was huge. She looked at the ceiling in the distance and the plant that had broken her fall. The math didn’t add up. It made no sense how she wasn’t hurt.
A monstrous growl from her stomach stopped her hands. As usual, Biscuit pressed against her palms, but Jenny couldn’t indulge for long. “Alright, but just a bit more,” she said, resuming the petting.
Maybe it was dumb luck she escaped. Perhaps she had been cursed not to die. Her plans were in shambles, and the church had probably already branded her as a heretic. But she was alive. She just needed another way. A forbidden way?
Magic would work; it would be easy if she managed to keep anyone from finding out. She wasn’t cut for a life of danger and fighting, but maybe that was what she needed. The first thing would be to find the magic. Troubadours gave her a good idea of where to start. Old ruins of old places.
Jenny looked around again.
Exploring a dungeon was suicide. What if she unleashed another catastrophe on the island? But she was trapped and without options. She was also hungry unless she decided to eat the rabbit. The content purring and thumping convinced Jenny she wouldn’t.
For now, her priority was to escape this place. Once she managed that, she could revisit her plans. She placed Biscuit on the ground, and the rabbit gave her a not rabbit-like look. She pretended she didn’t see it.
Jenny collected the bag and inspected its contents. One of the oil flasks had broken on the fall, but the others were still intact. The lantern had also survived. Dagger, crossbow — everything accounted for. She packed her things, strapped the bag, and armed the weapon.
“Time to explore, Biscuit.”
By her side, Biscuit honked.
Jenny blinked, confused. It almost sounded like he said Jenny. She stepped toward the only passage in the distance. The rabbit followed by her side. Jenny amended her list. Survive the dungeon. Find magic. Stay in the possible-not-rabbit’s good graces.