Path of The Dragon Mage (Nomad): Welcome To The Dungeon (Patreon)

Note: Happy early Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it!

***

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Corvus asked yet again.

Charm who stood in her human illusion, simply crossed her arms and gave him a look. Weirdly, it reminded him of Starella. "I am starting to think you do not have faith in me."

Corvus looked around the roof-topped Grand Palace. Since Charm had officially been handed the responsibility of the city -- two hours ago -- she had demanded expensive rugs be brought up to provide a softer service in which to conduct meetings, bonfires light on all four corners for light and ambiance, and mountains of meat for her to eat... and grudgingly share with her guests.

"It's not that," he said quickly.

Another look. "You know I can feel the pulse of your thoughts."

He grimaced. "Managing the city through cleanup after a crisis is a large responsibility... and I have the feeling I'll return to find you sitting atop a pile of gold and jewels, demanding the last of the city's goats as offerings."

Her eyes seemed to glitter. "That is not a bad idea. Taxes are a human concept, but if I find that people come to me with stupid problems, or if somebody is wasting my time, a penalty is not out of the question..."

"Charm..."

She rolled her shoulder and a way that made Corvus think her true form--hidden by the illusion-- was actually shrugging a wing. "That is a lovely tower. It would be a shame if a beautiful dragon set fire to it..."

"You're kidding."

"You worry too much. I have been in your head since hatching. I know the finer points of human diplomacy."

Corvus was fairly sure he didn't even know those finer points of diplomacy, but there wasn't much of a choice. The governor had no heir older than five years old, and none of his wives had stepped up. A Noble Lord would only use the opportunity for temporary management to expand his power base. Starella flatly refused to be left behind, and Corvus had no true authority to tell her what to do. He couldn't even blame her. If it were Charm's egg was down there, he would be doing the same thing.

... He still wasn't sure if he should find some way to stop her or ditch her before they started the quest.

What if the dragon egg had hatched?

"You're overthinking again," Charm said. "All you are doing is tying yourself up in knots. I will oversee things and make sure that there is a city for you to return to. Go. Complete your quest. And get your head on straight."

He let out a breath. "I will."

She gave him a look. "And do not put yourself in needless danger. I have a city to run, and I cannot stop my important business to tear through an underground city to find you."

He laughed at that.

This was another marker of how rapidly Charm had grown. A week and a half ago, she had dearly leveled a building when he had gotten a tattoo.

He had run out of time.

There were noblemen politely waiting their turn to speak to his dragon. She was right. She had business to do... And so did he.

Corvus stepped past his human her human illusion to where his dragon actually sat, curled up on a giant rug that cost more than most houses. He rested his hand on her snout, between her nostrils.

Charm breathed a puff of warm air on him.

"Go," she told him in her own voice.

He nodded, turned, and walked to the stairwell that led off the roof to the inner tower. Perry stood obliquely off to the side, nodding to him as well. He and Corvus had already had a few moments to talk. Thankfully, Perry mostly seemed amused by Charm taking charge.

Corvus had asked the man bluntly if he was upset about it. After all, Perry had been the governor's advisor.

Perry had shaken his head. "No. I will advise Charm if she needs it... And if she wants it," he said with a smile that told Corvus he knew how well that would go over. "But I have never wanted outright leadership -- I've done my best work in the shadows."

That was not the most reassuring thing he could have said, though Corvus appreciated his candor.

After the meeting, Corvus had spent a few hours re-upping on every single rune he could think of that might be useful. He'd also requested newly sharpened short swords from the guard commander. Perry added a few more gems he managed to create -- force, gas, and light gems. Those should serve well in the sub-levels.

He found Gwen ascending the stairwell, looking for him. She had changed into new clothing and now wore a sturdy set of pants and a bright blue tunic that went well with the clan colors in her hair. She also had a new bow in hand and a quiver filled with arrows slung over her shoulders, courtesy of the stores.

"Roan has officially been added as your bodyguard," she said lightly. "I don't if that was a bright idea, considering he still looks like he wants to kill you have the time."

"You saw that, too?" he asked in dark amusement.

She shook her head. "CloudStrike's wound wasn't your fault--"

"Yes, it was."

He needed to take responsibility, if only so it wouldn't happen again. Never again would he allow himself to be so careless with constructing new runes. He still wasn't sure what he could have done differently... But there had to have been something.

Gwen started to shake her head, then paused, biting her lip and thought. She reached over and gripped his hand, tugging him to the side of the stairwell. "I wanted to say I'm sorry, for being so hard on you earlier. I knew you would do the right thing and accept the quest. I should I had more faith in you."

He shook his head. "Gwen, I'm still not sure this is the right thing... But for good or for ill, I couldn't leave you to take care of this alone."

"You've chosen your friends and family over the people who rejected you... That is the right thing."

He was suddenly very aware of how close they stood together. She was still holding his hand as she looked up into his eyes. He remembered how she looked in the dress... And truth to tell, she still looked good. Both beautiful and competent in this new outfit.

Their gazes met, and something indefinable seemed to pass between them.

Corvus dipped his head and Gwen tilted her chin up, just slightly.

Their lips met.

It was a simple kiss, just a touch of his lips against her own. But Corvus's heart seemed to thunder in his ears, and he was aware of everything about her. The slight flowery scent of her, the way her breath puffed against his own, her hands clasped against his own, tight and strong.

He reached up with his free hand and cupped her chin, kissing her deeper.

She gave a shaky little huff of a laugh but didn't pull away...

And someone cleared his throat right behind them.

Corvus turned. It was Roan.

He was still decked out in his new guard uniform, his war hammer balanced casually against his shoulder. He leveled Corvus a very unimpressed look.

"If you two are done," he drawled. "The Princess is waiting for you down at the entrance to the sub-levels."

Corvus had half a mind to tell him that Starella could damn well wait.

But Gwen squeezed his hand again and let it drop.

"Great," she chirped, clearly in a very good mood. "Let's go. Time's a'wasting."

Roan snorted and turned to walk down the stairwell.

Gwen started to follow, but Corvus caught her elbow. "Wait," he said, and when she turned back to him, he placed a second, fleeting kiss on her lips. "For luck."

She looks startled and then smiled. "You shoulda done that a long time ago."

***

As they made their way down the stairwell, Corvus thought about the many futures Bartee had seen between the two of them. He hoped that this led to one of the good ones.

As Roan said, Starella waited for them impatiently on the basement level.

When Corvus and Gwen had accepted the quest, they had been granted a mini-map that showed the entrance to the lower levels. Roots and dark vines had crumpled the wall of the basement, showing a dark tunnel beyond.

Corvus's night vision showed only walls of bare stone. He suspected it looked like an ominous black hole to the others.

Starella stood alone, with only one standing guard at attendance.

Like Gwen, she had changed clothing and now wore a shirt and sturdy pants. She kept pulling at one of the pant legs as if she were not used to the clingy material around her legs.

"Are you ready?" Starella asked.

"Almost," Corvus said. Then he opened up his Bag of Holding -- he had left the majority of the books to Perry to hold, who looked delighted at the wealth of knowledge -- and pulled out an empty bag. It was the newest one he had looted from the rat queen corpse in the jungle.

He tossed it to Starella, who caught it and looked at the brown bag with mild disgust. "What is this?"

"It's a Bag of Holding," he said. "To help carry your egg."

She glanced at it again, then reluctantly fitted the strap over her shoulder.

It was obvious she thought there was nothing different or special about the bag at all. No Path messages came to her.

That's a good thing, he told herself.

Corvus gestured to the tunnel ahead. "Shall we?"

"I'll take point," Roan said gruffly, stepping ahead of them all with his warhammer in one hand.

Gwen rolled her eyes but said, "I'll take the rear."

"Starella, you stay behind me," Corvus said.

The Princess nodded, face pale but she seemed determined... even as her fingers twisted together anxiously.

The moment they stepped inside the tunnel, the air temperature instantly dropped a good twenty degrees.

Corvus pulled out two of the rune gem's that Perry had given to him and cracked them together. Immediately the gems lit up with the blaze of light.

He handed one to Gwen and Roan as they took up the front and the back.

"You don't have one?" Starella asked.

"I've always had good night vision, you know that," he said lightly.

She frowned but didn't question him on it.

The walls of the stone tunnel were strangely smooth, as if it had been poured out by a machine and then sanded over. As they walked, Corvus ran his hand fingertips along the edge. They came back dusty.

"Stop for a moment," he said, then swept his palm in an arc. There was something... underneath the dust.

Starella must have seen it too because she peered closer. "Is that a fresco?"

"A what?" Roan asked.

"Someone painted a mural on this stone." Not caring about the dirt, Corvus swept his hand back and forth revealing more.

Then he stepped back.

It was... An odd scene. Clearly of the noble tower district within the city, but like he had never seen before. The sky was achingly blue and there were bright lights in vivid, neon colors affixed in dazzling displays on all the towers. A sign stood in the middle, though the words painted on it were cracked and unable to be read. He thought he caught the words 'Welcome', but nothing more.

Painted impressions of people were depicted going about their day. The clothing was... odd, the trousers short, and some ladies wore scandalously low necklines.

Seeing this, Roan guffawed. "Well, these people were having a good time."

Gwen punched him in the shoulder.

"It's odd," Starella commented, "but not particularly relevant."

Corvus agreed. "Let's go."

They continued on. The tunnel seem to be sloping down, though it was hard to tell. The only sounds were their soft footsteps.

And abruptly, it ended and the way beyond was pitch black, even to Corvus's night vision. And just before that stood a signpost, its face covered in years of grit.

As before, Corvus wiped at it.

This time, the sign was slick and smooth, and the words were well-preserved.

Welcome to Meadow City Training Dungeon.

Enter at your own risk.