The dungeons that were created by the Great Demon Lord Teyva Akura in conjunction with her own abilities, connection to the great Labyrinth, and her divine compatriot Journey were artificial constructs. The two of them selected locations within the great forest and other territories that Teyva had claimed that possessed sufficient geography or topographical features to create a compelling challenge to trespassers. There were some changes here and there, but doing so kept the cost in resources and mana to a minimum. All Teyva really had to do was supply monsters using her own powers which Journey would take command of and spread through the rooms of the dungeons as necessary. Journey handled the creation of the treasures and rewards within.
There were rules that governed what Teyva could and could not do, of course. Journey refused to create valuable dungeons within Teyva’s immediate territory, nor could she enter one of these self-made dungeons herself. Journey cited her already fractious relationship with the other sovereign beings that watched over the world when she was asked about this restriction. Giving Teyva an easy source of wealth, experience, and magic items would have upset the already precarious balance of power in the world. It was for that reason that it had been a while since Teyva had even seen a dungeon for herself. Not since diving into the library beneath Osan.
Now she found herself yet again inside a dungeon not of her own make while wearing the face of the human woman she used to be, Ianna.
Even though they had stepped down into the sarcophagus as if it were a staircase, the group stepped out through a vertical portal. The sudden shift in position and direction caused them all to stumble slightly as they came out, expecting a step where there was none. Ianna staggered half a step forward before a breeze caught her face and she blinked. They’d been underground up until this point and the sensation was more than a little unexpected. The wind picked up and it blew at her hair, sending it tousling around her face as she took in her surroundings.
They were standing in an octagonal gazebo made of the same black and gold stone that the labyrinth was made of. Thin columns were the only thing that held up the weighty roof over their heads and the faint illumination of glowing stones embedded in the walls provided a modicum of light. It was a beautiful structure with the stone elegantly carved with depictions of alien plants and animals that the memories baked into her Aspect of the Labyrinthian responded to with longing. The sensation gave her pause and left her transfixed as she admired the carvings. This lasted until a gasp of awe drew her eyes towards Azrael who was staring past the columns to the space beyond the gazebo’s interior.
Ianna followed her gaze and her mouth opened in shock.
She was looking out into a paved arcade that surrounded the gazebo, the stone was a sheet of pure reflective black compared to the gazebo itself and broken into bricks that glittered in the streaming moonlight that poured down on the space. Beyond the paving, a garden stretched out for what seemed like miles. Glowing flowers that looked like they were carved from diamonds grew in bushes amongst trees with luminous white bark. Their leaves glowed just as brightly, reaching up to a sky glittering with stars and a single enormous white moon that cast its radiance across the entire garden.
Ianna walked breathlessly to the gazebo rail and rest her hands on it, peering out onto the garden before noticing something odd as she admired it. Her lips formed a line and she glanced at Azrael who moved to stand next to her. “You see it?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Azrael said, “The garden just… stops.”
“Look!” Mack called and the two of them turned to see him standing on the other side of the gazebo, pointing out towards the sky. They hurried over and followed his line of sight before gaping at what they saw. An island floated in the air, just past the distant edge of the garden. More plants and buildings decorated it. Ianna turned her head and spotted another and then another. There had to be at least two or three dozen floating islands hanging in the luminous space, all of them a part of the majestic garden.
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“What is this place?” Delilah asked, “It’s beautiful.”
Nephral strode over to stand with them, hopping up onto the railing and peering out with suspicion in his feline eyes, “I do not know, mother?”
“A dungeon, I think,” Ianna said with equal awe as she scratched behind Nephral’s ear, she laughed and turned to look at Azrael, “This is the kind of adventure I always imagined. Look at this place!”
Azrael chuckled, “Good to get you out of the palace, sister.”
Ianna turned to look at Miranda who was standing at one of the sides of the gazebo. She walked to stand next to her and turned to see a complicated look on the priestess’ face. She looked down at her hands resting on the rail for a moment before looking up at Ianna. “Breathtaking, but I cannot help but feel… anxious.”
Ianna gave her a comforting smile and put a hand on her shoulder, “It was fun when we were on our way and making good time, but now we’ve taken one hell of a diversion. I understand, Miranda. We’ll figure out how to get out of here. The notification said we have to complete all of the challenges here and then we can leave, so that’s what we’ll do,” she squeezed her comrade’s shoulder, “We’ll get to Katal, I promise.”
Miranda reached up to squeeze Ianna’s hand gratefully, “Thank you, majesty.”
“Pretty sweet though, right?” Ianna asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
Miranda snorted and nodded, looking back out, “Yes, yes it is.”
Azrael stepped up behind Ianna and cleared her throat, “We should scout around a little. If this is a dungeon, we aren’t safe here.”
Ianna nodded, “Right,” she turned to the others, “Everyone stick together,” she said and Mack and Delilah made their way over to stand with them. She took a few steps back and held out her hand, fingers splayed out, “Let’s have a peek around, shall we?”
Mana flowed through Ianna as she activated her [Create Darkeye] ability. The creature took shape before her hand, a swirling mass of mana that condensed into a glowing eye that took on a fleshy appearance before shadows wrapped around it and its presence seemed to slip into the very air. For anyone who she did not want to see the creature, it became difficult to observe. She smiled at it even as Mack and Delilah took an involuntary step back, “Hello dear,” she murmured and reached out to stroke the side of the creature, “Would you be so kind as to have a look around this garden for me?”
The creature let out a low dreadful hum that contrasted with the filial joy that she felt through her bond with it. It darted out of the gazebo and rose into the air. She closed her eyes and allowed her line of sight to join with it. She could have simply split her sense of sight between it and her present surroundings if she wanted, but she had a feeling that giving it her full focus would be better in this situation. She saw through the creatures eye as it rose up and up over the gazebo to float above it first, panning in a circle to take in their surroundings. The garden most certainly fell off at one point and it was clear that there was nothing beneath the floating islands as far as one could see.
“There is no ground beneath us,” she said absently as the creature continued to pan around.
“Troubling,” Azrael murmured, “Where are we then?”
“Not sure…” Teyva murmured, “...aha!” she sent a mental command to the darkeye to stop its panning, focusing on a particular point. The creature’s sight zoomed in on the location as it rose up and began to drift that way. There, in the garden, what looked like a butterfly was sitting atop a small bush of crystalline roses. Its wings glowed so brightly it was almost blinding as it quietly clung to one of the flowers, nibbling on it. “Found something. It-”
She was cut off as the creature abruptly stopped what it was doing and turned its body to look directly at the darkeye. It can see the darkeye? She reached out to call the darkeye back but it was far too late. The butterfly flapped its wings once and its entire body pulsed. The next moment a shard of rock the size of a human arm took shape in front of the butterfly and exploded into motion, blasting straight through the darkeye in a single blow. Ianna let out a gasp and stumbled back, her vision returning to her immediate surroundings as her monster’s pain momentarily echoed in her head.
Azrael caught her quickly, “Majesty! What happened, are you okay?”
Ianna pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking off the echoing pain and blinked away tears. She looked up at the garden and her lips formed a thin line, “That happened,” she said darkly and nodded towards the beautiful space. Dozens of butterflies were rising up from where they had been hidden behind the hedges. “Get ready for a fight.”