Chapter Seventeen

Her first impression was of darkness. Her eyes strained to see. The dungeon hadn’t transported her back to the field. She was somewhere new. She couldn’t see the walls around her. Everything was black, so dark that she could barely see her hand in front of her face. The stone beneath her was aged and gray. The light flickered on and a solitary amber light hovered above her head.

A figure appeared out of the darkness. A woman cloaked in slithering shadows, each step revealed a dress coated with iridescent black feathers that shifted colors as the light hit them. Changing from deep red to purple, and then to green. As she strode forward, her height became apparent. She moved like a panther, lithe and muscular.

Dark black hair flowed down her back like water; Her skin was so pale it looked almost blue. Her ears were tapered at the top, like an elf, and her irises were a piercing emerald-green. She was shockingly beautiful and absolutely terrifying. A raven with keen yellow eyes sat atop the woman’s shoulder. It tilted its head at her, and Moira could’ve sworn it winked.

The woman’s lips pursed as she stared down at Moira. The air thickened in her presence. Moira felt the sudden urge to bow. She fought against the compulsion and instead met her gaze. A slow smile crept across the woman’s face and she spoke.

“I am The Morrigan.”

Moira stared up at the towering woman. “What do you want?” She spit out through gritted teeth.

It was all supposed to be over. She’d gotten the notification. The dungeon was complete.

The Morrigan laughed, the sound piercing through the air. “I’ve been watching you, Puppet.”

“Why?”

The Morrigan trailed her fingers along Moira’s cheek. She flinched at their coldness, it was like all the warmth had been drained out of her.

“I had to see for myself if the rumor was true. An Outworlder is a rare occurrence.”

“Is it true?”

The Morrigan stared down at Moira, leaving her question unanswered.

“Why am I here? Why was I brought here?” she asked, her voice quivered with fury. The energy in the room rose, and it became difficult to think clearly.

“You know why. All the pieces have been laid out in front of you,” The Morrigan crooned as she circled Moira, examining her carefully. “Fate sent you to my Dungeon.” The Morrigan winced, choking on the word Fate. “To grow or die, and you’ve grown.”

Moira stiffened. “Your Dungeon?” A raging fury billowed up. Her hands clenched, nails digging into her palms so tightly that blood trickled through her fingers. This woman, creature, was responsible for Duke’s death.

“Ah, yes, the dog,” The Morrigan said, reading Moira’s thoughts, “But look at what you’ve achieved without him.”

Moira snarled, barely able to keep herself restrained. She shook with anger as the woman continued speaking.

“Oh calm down, Puppet. I’ve done you a favor.”

Moira lunged forward, shrieking. The Morrigan smirked and flicked her wrist. Moira froze in mid-air.

The Morrigan sighed dramatically. “So angry, Moira. Bursting with emotions just waiting to break through. Careful, you don’t want to let yourself be controlled.”

The Morrigan circled her carefully. “Now, on to important matters. Have you thought about the 3 floors? They’re meant to prepare you. The first floor was designed to test your strength; physical and mental. You defeated the beast, just barely, and made it through to the next floor. The second floor tested your intelligence and wisdom. Three times you defeated my challenges. Although, the last was mostly luck.” She smirked.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Then there was the third floor—you faced yourself and trained your magic away from too many prying eyes. What did you think of your reflection? Any merit to what she told you?”

The Morrigan paused, staring directly into Moira’s eyes. Her demeanor changed, her eyes softening. “Listen, carefully. Think about what I’ve said. You need to prepare yourself for what’s coming.”

Moira listened, she was trying to tell her something. Something she wasn’t allowed to say outright.

The Morrigan’s smirk returned, the moment gone. “Now, are you ready to behave?” She clapped her hands, releasing Moira’s head.

She nodded. The Morrigan flicked her hand and released her hold. She fell to the ground, scraping her knees on the stone floor.

“What do you mean, prepare me for what’s coming? What do you know?”

The Morrigan sneered down at Moira and again ignored the question. “Open your inventory.”

Moira complied and pulled up her inventory. “Notice anything missing?” asked The Morrigan.

Moira examined her Inventory, everything appeared to be there. Suddenly, it hit her. Duke’s body was gone.

“Where is he? You can’t take him from me.” Her voice shook, coming out in a high-pitched whisper, sounding like acid against her ears. Whatever that moment was before, The Morrigan was not her friend. She wouldn’t allow her to take the last piece of Duke that she had left.

The Morrigan ignored her, playing with the feathers on the wing of the raven. “Moira, you have a choice. You’ve completed the Dungeon alone, which deserves a substantial reward. There are two options. You can either receive enough experience to hit the first Tier right now—or I can use that energy to bring Duke back. This is only possible within this Dungeon. If you choose the levels, you will never have the chance to bring him back again. I collected his soul before it crossed over, but I can only maintain it for so long. If you choose option two, the energy cost will also take your Beast Slayer title. You’ll never be able to gain it back.”

Moira’s pulse raced. It couldn’t be. It was too good to be true. There had to be some catch. But to have Duke back, she had to take the risk. He meant everything.

“So, what will it be, power or love?”

Moira didn’t have to think about it. “Bring him back.”

The Morrigan nodded. She flicked her hand and Duke’s body appeared in front of them. He looked pristine, like he’d just been freshly groomed. All the blood and grievous wounds were gone.

The Morrigan kneeled beside his body and took off the necklace that laid against her throat. She carefully opened the locket. A blue light floated free from the necklace. The Morrigan guided it toward Duke’s body. It entered him in a flash of blue light, and a surge of energy swept through the room.

Moira shook as the power brought her to her knees. She squeezed her eyes closed and clasped her hands over her ears. Blood dripped down her face and poured from her ears. She screamed as the pressure threatened to overwhelm her.

Then it was gone. Moira lifted her head hesitantly.

The Morrigan knelt beside Duke. He lay motionless on the ground. She leaned down and gently whispered something in his ear. Moira just barely caught the end of what she said.

“Your fate doesn’t end here, little one. You have much left to do.”

The Morrigan gently kissed Duke on his head. Light flashed in his eyes as life returned to his body. His eyes widened, and he shook his head before frantically looking around the room. When he found Moira, his body relaxed, and he trotted toward her, tail wagging.

He nuzzled his head against her chest and then looked up into her eyes. He licked her face carefully. Cleaning off the blood and tears that ran down her face.

Moira sobbed into his fur, drenching him in snot and salty tears. She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go. She had her best friend back.

The Morrigan spoke. “There are a few additional effects of bringing him back. You two are now intertwined by fate. Your lives are tied together. One of you cannot live without the other.”

Moira lifted her head and nodded back at The Morrigan; it was a price that she’d happily pay to have him back in her arms. “Thank you.”

The Morrigan smiled and flicked her hand. There was a flash of light and suddenly they were back in the grassy field.

#

The Morrigan watched them go and exhaled. She’d played her part carefully, but she would pay a price for bringing the dog back. It went against their plan, but she could see the girl’s fate and, without her dog, she would’ve fallen deeper into darkness. To save them all, she needed his light. She just hoped that the girl had understood her warning.

Lightning struck, slamming into The Morrigan and bringing her to her knees. She spasmed as it hit her again and again; draining her of the power she’d gained over the past hundreds of years. Light flowed out of her as some of her brilliance left her body. The Morrigan collapsed, a Tier weaker.