Dungeon Runner
The Tiger Writes
sciencefiction
sciencefiction
31K5
Tibs survived by picking pockets; until he's caught.
Instead of losing a hand, he's sent away and told he must now survive a dungeon.
How is a kid who knew nothing more than his ...Stepping Up, Chapter 74
Tibs groaned as he came awake, but that was interrupted by a sharp pain in his jaw. He reached for his essence and found his reserve was empty.
How? He forced himself the rest of the way to wakefulness and sat. He was in Kroseph's bed, it was daylight outside, and Jackal was seated facing the bed, his feet propped up on the end of it. He was glaring at Tibs.
"What was that?" the fighter demanded, tone hard.
Tibs opened his mouth, and the eyes narrowed.
Instead, he tried to figure out why Jackal was angry.
"I'm sorry I ran off. But you and Rao were more than enough to deal with those thugs, and I couldn't do anything to help since I can't control how I act when I use an element." He bit his lower lip. "Did Rao die?" That would explain the anger.
"No. Neither did Don." That the answer was flat and didn't have any added comments about Don worried Tibs. "You think you running off is why I'm pissed?"
What else could it be?
"The plan was to chase my father out of town. Don't try to tell me one of the elements made you run off to kill him. I saw your eyes."
That was what Jackal was angry about? "He got Radkliff killed!"
Jackal snorted. "You think he's the only one?"
"No, and your father had to pay for all of them!" Tibs wanted to stand and get in Jackal's face, but now that he was awake, his entire body ached. What had he done with his essence for it to be just about empty? That reserve was so deep Tibs thought it never ended. Now he could barely make out the sliver of essence in it.
"Oh, so now he's my father and no longer Sebastian," Jackal spat. "Do you have any idea what's going to fall on the town if you killed him? I told you he has plans in place."
"We'll deal with that."
Jackal was on his feet. "No, we won't! With my father dead, all his coins go to destroying those responsible! You think having him here was bad? He wanted to town for himself. Now, if he's dead, there might not be a town left a few sunrises from now."
"You don't sound sure he's dead."
"I fucking hope he isn't, but you didn't leave much for anyone to know."
"What do you mean?"
Jackal looked at Tibs suspiciously, and he tried to remember. The house and the chase were clear, even if his thinking didn't always make sense. Then he'd crashed and ran to the platform. Sebastian at been on it, about to escape and Tibs had been angry and he wasn't going to let that happen. He'd called fire and then...
Then it was heat and roaring and screams. He touched his jaw. Someone had punched him and knocked him out. He looked at Jackal.
"Don't even think to ask me to apologize. What I'm sorry for is not getting there sooner."
"What..." Tibs swallowed, putting some things together in what Jackal said. "What did I do?" That the fighter didn't immediately answer worried Tibs. What had he done with all that fire?
"Possibly more damage than my father managed in the time he was laying siege to us. Other than the platform, there is nothing left standing for three blocks around it, Tibs. It's all been burned to ashes."
Tibs pulled his knees to himself. "Did I kill any of the townsfolk?" He barely heard himself asking as he wrapped his arms around his knees.
Again, Jackal was slow in responding, and Tibs tightened his hold.
"I don't know." Jackal sounded tired. "We tried to evacuate as many as we could from the area, but with my father's archers always there, we never confirmed if it was clear. You didn't leave much for us to be able to tell. Even my father's people were nothing more than ash by the time I knocked you out and they were in the open. If there was someone in a house you burned down, there'll be no way to tell what is them and what is the burned house."