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 ...Bottom Rung, Chapter 26
The group they passed as they walk down the path eyed them, the state they were in and the shield Jackal carried, talking among one another as each group continued in their respective directions. The two adventurers at the bottom eyed the shield, but didn't comment or do more than raise an eyebrow.
The adventurer behind the table had a sword at his hip and smoky dark gray eyes. He took the three copper coins each of them handed over, as well as the two silver and copper Geoff handed him.
"We're not done," the adventurer said as they turned to head to town. Tibs wanted the horrible tasting potion so he'd feel better, and Geoff couldn't stand without Pyan's help. He reached for the shield, but Jackal was faster, stepping away. "It's guild property," the man said.
"Bullshit," the fighter replied. "It's dungeon loot that we earned defeating the boss."
"Everything found in the dungeon is guild property," the adventurer repeated, looking bored. "You'll all get recompensed, minus the guild cut, of course." The smile wasn't quite a smirk. Tibs hurt too much to ask what the R-word was.
"Is that how this guild works?" Jackal yelled, loud enough for anyone all the way to the waiting area for the dungeon could hear. "They swindle us out of anything we earn properly?" He outright smirked at the adventurer as people moved closer. "Us dying for the dungeon's not enough for you people? You expect us to line those fat rat's pockets too?"
Four teams worth of people were close enough Tibs heard their grumbling. Don was on one of them, eying the shield greedily. More were coming from the direction of the town, with one dressed in green running toward it.
"Listen here," the adventurer ordered. "I don't make the rules, and neither do you." He didn't look as worried as Tibs thought he should. Four teams weren't to be taken lightly, and more were on the way. One adventurer couldn't be that strong, even three, if he included the two by the path.
"Oh, you clearly make them enough to do whatever you want with us," Jackal replied. "You want a shield like that, go in there and get one yourself. You're powerful enough I doubt it'll take you more than five minutes to get in, kill the boss and get back here."
Even Don was paying attention to the conversation now, Tibs noticed. Although he had a calculating expression on his face rather than an angry one.
Now the adventurer seemed to notice how many people were around Jackal. His expression darkened, and he opened his mouth. But a man behind all of them spoke with an authoritative tone.
"What's going on here?" he demanded.
Everyone turned, except Jackal, who froze and paled. If Tibs hadn't been injured, he might have turned too fast to notice. People moved out of the way of the approaching man and Tibs saw him properly and immediately knew he hadn't been anywhere on the field when he'd looked around.
"Well?" the man asked. His eyes were bright and white, his black hair cut short. He was massive, with a sword at his belt, a shield on his back, and a dented and tarnished armor. The man was a fighter; and the kind who had no issue stepping in the middle of a fight when needed.
"This fighter," the adventurer put as much disgust as he could in the words, more than Tibs thought should be possible. "Seems to think he's too good to hand over the loot he found."
"We get to keep the loot," Jackal said, not turning, and voice cracking ever so slightly. Tibs tried to understand what was wrong with him.
"Turn around, boy, when you speak to me."
Jackal swallowed and did as he was told, slowly and looking at the ground.
"That's not where I am."
Swallowing again, Jackal raised his head and looked at the man. If Tibs hadn't been looking for something, anything to explain his friend's behavior, he would have missed the tightening of the eyes. The man somehow recognized Jackal.