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 39
"I thought you were going to train me every day until I reach Epsilon," Tibs said as they walked through the guild building. Alistair had just informed him this was their last session together until he was ready to graduate to Rho, and he was more upset about it than Tibs wanted to admit.
"I've taught you all the essence aspect I can. The part you're working on at the moment, drawing in while manipulating essence, is just practice for you to find the method that will let you achieve it." He opened a door and ushered Tibs inside. "But you need to remember, you're already more advanced than the others at your level."
"Then why not just keep teaching me more advanced things?"
"For one thing, Tibs, until you can draw in while manipulating, you can't move forward, for a second, it's only once you can do that, that I'll be able to tell if you can progress forward. It's possible that you will be limited until your reserve grows naturally."
Again, Tibs was tempted to tell his teacher the truth about his element. Knowing the truth, they could properly work toward harnessing it. But he hadn't heard of anyone having this version of the elements. Everyone had one and only one. He was certain that if the guild knew what he had, Alistair would know and have asked about it. So, did he have something new? The way Water spoke of it, Tibs thought it was old. She'd mentioned a predecessor. If no one knew about his element, what would happen when the guild found out?
Tibs wasn't sure he wanted to find out, so he simply nodded.
"Then why not teach me Rogue skills. You said you'd do that."
"That was before I knew you found your own trainer for those aspects."
"He just teaches me how to fight," Tibs said.
"And that's probably plenty at this time. If I remember my second floor correctly, you'll encounter much more creatures to fight. And consider this, while I'm not teaching you, but guild can't charge you for my services. I doubt your other trainer is charging you quite as excessively."
Tibs thought about that and found saving the coins didn't balance what really bothered him. "What if you don't come back?"
"I will. Now, you stay here." He smiled and crossed the room to a pedestal with a polished sphere on it. "I'm no longer the young, brash man I was. The work I do for the guild doesn't put my life in danger like it did back then." The older Rogue patted the sphere. "Before we continue, I want you to remember that your situation is different from the others here. Don't let your lack of success discourage you, it's placed you at a seeming disadvantage, but that is only within the confines of how the guild accounts for things. Considering that you have survived the dungeon in spite of your low reserve, to me, that marks you as being more advanced than anyone else."
"But not in a way the guild measures things," Tibs said.
"This is the graduation for water essence users. Once you pass it, the guild recognizes you as Rho and you can proceed with the more advanced training."
"Which you've already given me," Tibs added.
"Which I have. But this means Tirania won't throw a fit anymore when I mention what I'm teaching you."
"I thought you'd convinced her to let you do it the way you wanted."
Alistair chuckled. "Convincing someone you're doing things the correct way doesn't mean they'll stop complaining about things not being done their way." He rejoined Tibs and took a knife off a hidden sheath under his pant leg. "Your goal is to shatter the sphere, but by using a specific technique. Take your knife and hold it as such."
Tibs studied how Alistair had his fingers around the grip. It resembled the grip he used when Bardik had him practice stabbing in close quarters, but it wasn't as tight.