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 26
Tibs looked around for any of Serba's dogs as they headed to the board listing the orders the teams were going in. The day before, one of the dogs had been found before the guards' barracks, its throat sliced open. It was the big one, the one with ash-colored fur, that was always growling to anyone other than Serba and Tibs.
Tibs had wanted to go to her; she loved her dogs, and he didn't want her to go through the pain alone. But he didn't know where she was. The guards he'd asked didn't know either.
"Tibs?" Carina called, indicating the board.
He scanned it. Recognizing how his name was written was simple now. "We're the third to last team."
"Where you belong," a sneering Don said, walking away from the board. Finding his name was also easy. Tibs looked at the start of the list, right under the noble teams, and there was Don's name. First of the Runners to go in. Some of the other teams were talking about giving the guild coins again, just so they could shut up the corruption sorcerer.
"It gives us more time to train," Jackal said, looking at the board. "Pyan's not on there."
Tibs bit his lower lip. "Do you think she joined another team instead of finding someone to replace..." He swallowed.
"I haven't spoken with Tandy," Carina said. "She's been avoiding me since..." She looked at Mez, then shrugged.
Mez sighed. "I—"
"Explained things to her," Carina cut him off. "I know. Unfortunately, words don't do much for a broken heart."
Pain crossed Mez's face, then he forced it away into something resembling neutrality.
"Alright," Jackal said, turning away. "Let's go find her. If nothing else, Pyan always feels better after hitting me."
"Is that an offer that could be made to Tandy?" Khumdar asked as they followed the fighter.
Jackal frowned. "I don't think she enjoys punching me."
"I meant Mez," the cleric said.
"Tandy uses a knife," Tibs pointed out. Unlike him, she was quite good with hers.
"That'd be cathartic," Carina said, smiling at the archer, and only looked away.
"I don't know that word." It didn't even sound like any of the words Tibs knew.
"It is the action of improving oneself through a painful experience," Khumdar explained.
"But Mez will be the one feeling the pain. How is that going to help Tandy?"
The cleric smiled. "The word doesn't state who needs to feel the pain, so the person will improve."
"Or," Carina said, "maybe Mez is the one who needs to improve."
"That's enough," Jackal said, as Mez let out an exasperated sigh. "Mez has duties, and he's holding to them. I might think he's doing a shitty job, but I'm going to respect his decision."
"That is not as helpful as you think it is," Mez replied, eying the fighter suspiciously.
Jackal grinned. "It's exactly as helpful as I want it to be."
* * * * *
Tibs was looking for Serba when he noticed the smoke. Smoke in the air was common enough it barely registered, but this was thick, black, and smelled of more than burning wood. As soon as he ran in its direction he saw it, raising over buildings, and quickly he could tell it came from Merchant Row.
Fire was bad. Fire was hungry for a lot of stuff, mostly wood, which was what the shops were made of, as well as most other buildings in Kragle Rock. He pushed his way through the crowd filling the street, pocketing a handful of copper in the process. Guards kept everyone from moving past the center, and behind them, the clothier's shop burned.