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Sable Unlimited
Chapter 16: The Problem with Sand Part II

Chapter 16: The Problem with Sand Part II

She brought her sword around in a neat arc that struck the sand golem directly in the neck, splitting him in half. As the grains of white and brown collapsed to the floor, she spun to face two more golems who had sneaked up behind her and her sword flashed twice as she cut each of them down.

What in the blazes have I gotten myself into now, she thought as she jumped over a pile of sand. Jogging through the sand, another golem rose but her Emberblade caught it in the belly. How am I going to get out of this mess? The sand was over her ankles now and she had to fight just to keep at a jog. Feeling something behind her, she glanced back to see three more golems right behind her. She tried to pick up her pace but nearly tripped when a fourth golem rose up before her. She dodged this one, ducking to the left as the golem was still forming. If I can just get to the door.

But ten meters from the door, the sand had risen to her knees. As she waded through it, a coarse hand grasped her shoulder. She whipped around with a backhanded slash but the golem ducked and her sword hit nothing but air. Whirling from her miss, she was left completely open to the three fists that hit her in the face, neck, and chest. However, even though all three strikes had landed, her [Wound Chart] flashed only once, telling her the damage was minimal.

She shifted her legs against the sand and found her footing just as the other golems closed in. Her sword ran the first golem through the gut, then she ripped the blade free and cut at the second golem’s leg. When the third golem swung at her face, she ducked and brought her sword up into the monster’s pelvis, where it burst into particles. As the remaining golem crawled away on one leg, she shoved her sword point through its skull.

Now finally at the door, she searched for its handle but found none. And here I thought this was going to be easy. The door had no handle, no knob, not even a keyhole. However, located at shoulder height was the one thing the door did have: a large brass knocker.

She stole a glance behind her to see how close the next group of sand golems were – she still had time – and then inspected the knocker. She looked the knocker over as her [Analyze Item] skill flashed and a second later her H.U.D lit up with a blueprint of the device. As she suspected, the knocker itself was a puzzle. She pulled at its ring and was rewarded when the knocker’s bottom half rotated to reveal a slot for something smooth and round. It looks like I need a specific key, but I don’t have it and I’m trapped here by the door.

She looked back, not only were there a dozen golems bearing down on her, there were more forming. To make matters worse, the sand was above her knees now. Not only do I have an endless supply of enemies, this place is going to suffocate me if I stay here too long. This dungeon is officially a challenge.

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“Excuse me.”

She followed the voice upward to where she spotted a young man dressed in blue robes and covered in a sticky grey web that had him stuck to the ceiling. As their eyes met, the young man smiled weakly.

“Say, I can see you’re in a bit of a pinch, but if you’re willing to listen I’d like to make you a business proposition.”

“Does it involve getting you down?”

He nodded. “Quite, and in return I’ll help you escape this room.”

The next wave of sand golems would be on her in seconds. Calista readied her sword. “And then split the treasure from the rest of the dungeon? Fat chance.”

The young man nodded. “Have it your way, I guess, but don’t blame me when you have to eat the respawn penalty when the monsters in this room get done eating you.”

“Eat me? Sand golems don’t …”

He made a gesture then and her voice died as she looked. On the other end of the room, the ceiling was sagging like a drop of water.

“Oh my …”

She ducked as the golem swung his brown fist at her face. As she rose, she swung her sword at his face and he burst apart just as the next golem arrived, howling and swinging. With a parry and two more swings, she dispatched the next two monsters as well.

when the young man then pointed at the ceiling and she looked. Like a drop of water, the glass on the other end of the room was beginning to sag. Just then, the next golem reached her, swinging a brown fist at her face. She blocked the blow with her blade and then swung at its face. The golem fell apart as the others had. With a parry and two more swings, she dispatched the next two monsters as well. Then, her eyes traveled back to the far ceiling as she watched the giant, drooping mass of glass bend and reform itself into an angular shape. Then legs began to sprout, one by one, until there were eight. And finally, a head appeared at the fore of the beast, complete with four eyes.

She hissed under her breath, “By the Red Goddess, it’s a giant spider golem.”

“Look,” interrupted the young man, “by my calculations, if you cut me down right now, I can use my level one telekinesis spell to pull the key off the far suit of armor and open the door while you hold off the golems and we’ll be through the door just in time to shut it dramatically in front of the spider-monster-thing just before it’s mandibles close in on your legs.”

The wizard nodded, “Your legs because I’ll give up 10% of my share to be the first one through the door.”

“Deal.”

Her Emberblade flashed and the young man fell to the sand with a thud. Pulling himself upright, he made a series of rapid but complicated hand gestures as Calista readied her sword. Five more sand golems fell to her blade as the wizard’s telekinesis pulled something small and metal off a suit of armor and carried it into his hands. Seconds later, they tumbled into the next room, and then Calista leapt to her feet and slammed the door shut as the glass spider slammed into it. She then fell to her knees in exhaustion as the only sound was the sand as it trickled in through the door’s edges. They were alone.