Somnus V - Chapter 16

Mana pulsed and Kat grunted, trying to hold the massive turtle in place with Crushing Grasp. Kaleek rode atop the monster’s back, using the gravity from Kat’s spell to hold himself tight as he raised his sword in a double handed grip.

 Purple energy condensed into dozens of needles before launching themselves into a constant stream at the monster’s side. Each individual shard of energy didn’t deal much damage, but the unending avalanche of Psi energy resembled a beam more than it did a series of individual attacks.

 The turtle staggered under Dorrik’s attacks. Psi Storm didn’t deal much damage to a monster its size, but Kat knew from personal experience how disorienting the constant hammer blows of mental static from the spell could be.

 Kaleek hacked downward with his greatsword like a cleaver. The blade bit into the weakened turtle’s neck, slashing most of the way through in one blow. The dungeon boss went limp, falling to the ground with a loud hollow thump. Kaleek didn’t stop, slashing again and again at the dead animal’s neck and spraying dark green blood everywhere.

 Kat released Crushing Grasp. The steady pressure in her head relaxed almost immediately. She sighed, reaching up to wipe the sweat from her forehead. The entire dungeon had been modeled off of some alien swamp with the heat and humidity posing almost as much of a threat as the monsters during the prolonged campaign.

 Her stamina was still low despite not having used any physical skill in the final battle. Both Kaleek and Dorrik had required two stamina draughts each to recover from the sweltering environment.

 She looked at the turtle one more time to make sure it was dead. Given that its head was laying two paces to the side of its perfectly still body, it didn’t look like she had too much to worry about on that front.

 Kat began walking back toward the dungeon altar only to find Dorrik already there. The lokkel disappeared in a cascade of rainbow light before Kat could even make it a quarter of the way there. She shook her head ruefully. The big lizard could move quickly when he wanted to.

 Kaleek jumped down from the turtle’s back, landing on the ground with a heavy clank before stabbing his sword deep into the monster’s corpse. More greenish blood sprayed everywhere, painting his armor in a matter of seconds.

 She left him to his fun, following the trail Dorrik had left through the ankle deep murky water toward the altar. Kaleek would follow when he wanted. Evidently he had a lot of stress from the waking world that he still needed to work through.

 It wasn’t that Kat didn’t understand him. After the attack at Belle Donnst’s wedding, Kat hadn’t seen or heard any hint from the people that had been targeting her. Without any information, her daily life fell into an unending cycle of training, bickering with other shareholders, and waiting for her various plans to resolve the resource issue.

 Still, venting her anger with extreme violence wasn’t really Kat’s speed. Her new training routine handled most of her physical frustration and anxiety, but that didn’t mean that the constant inaction wasn’t wearing away at her.

 Somewhere out there, someone was gunning for her, and that person was distressingly competent. The rest of the market was beginning to take note of GroCorp’s strange purchasing habits. Increased costs were beginning to cut into research and production, and it was only a matter of time before the rest of the companies noticed the sudden decrease in supply.

 Kat placed her hand on the altar. Colors swirled around her as the completion notice popped up.

---------------------------------

Congratulations Adventurer!

You have completed the Iron Tier Level Twelve Dungeon, Sweltering Swamps

Three of Three party members surviving. Good Job!

Assigning awards:

Fortitude + 1

Stamina + 3
------------------------------

 When she reappeared in the real world, Dorrik was already beginning to climb a nearby wall. Kat wasn’t sure what to think about the twelfth floor putting dungeons in deep pits. The landscape itself wasn’t that bad, more of an arid steppe than anything too alien. The grass didn’t grow much more than knee high and other than concealing a couple snakes and large bugs that could deal a nasty debuff if she wasn’t careful, the rest of the threats were pretty straightforward.

 Well, as straightforward as roving herds dinosaurs could be. Kat shook her head and began climbing the wall after Dorrik. Every level had its own twists, but the one rule was that they were always harder than the level before. So far that hadn’t been the case.

 Kat dug her fingers into the wall, gripping onto stone handholds as she kept climbing. Up above, Dorrik clambered over the edge, briefly obscuring Kat’s lighting as he exited the pit. About thirty seconds later, she joined him, hopping to her feet and brushing dirt and gravel from the climb off of her clothes.

 “You sure seem excited,” she remarked dryly. Dorrik was standing a couple paces away from the hole, shielding his eyes with one of his upper hands as he looked up into the sky. “Usually you stick around for a little bit after defeating a dungeon boss. I don’t think I’ve seen you clear the scene like that before.”

 “My concerns are twofold,” the lokkel replied, still scanning the sky for something that Kat couldn’t quite make out. “First, before we entered the dungeon I noticed that the barometric pressure had begun to drop a bit. It may be nothing, but the twelfth floor is known for some fairly severe environmental effects. Second, I made some plans to spar with Jaalin when I returned to town. I wanted to make sure that there would be enough time for our match before the two of us must wake up.”

  Kat did her best to hide a smirk behind her hand as she responded.

“Oh, I see how it is. You’re ready to leave poor little Kaleek behind in order to make sure that you have plenty of time for your little date with Jaalin.”

“It isn’t a date,” Dorrik said stuffily, his crest rock solid as he continued to avoid Kat’s eyes. “It is simply a sparring match. I spar with you almost every day. That doesn’t mean that the two of us are dating.”

“Of course not,” Kat agreed. “You don’t act all weird and reptile-blush when you talk about fighting me. Instead, the two of us focus on tactics and maximizing our abilities. Something tells me that your spar with Jaalin is a bit more than a spar.”

“The clan hasn’t decided yet,” Dorrik mumbled hesitantly, finally tearing his gaze from the sky and looking away from Kat. “They’re still in talks about putting together mating pairings. Nothing is set in stone.”

“Oh?” Kat asked, leaning in. “Tell me more about these things that aren’t set in stone. Surely you must have heard some gossip already? At a minimum, you’re clearly aware of some rumors regarding Jaalin and you.”

“I think it’s about to rain,” Dorrik said awkwardly. “The air pressure has been dropping steadily since we climbed up from the dungeon.”

Kat glanced up skeptically. The sky was completely clear of clouds. As far as she could see, everything was a gentle blue lit by the diffuse light of the Tower’s fake sun. Then a single drop of something wet spattered against her cheek.

A second later, the raindrop turned into a warm deluge as water began to pour down from the sky.

“By the architects,” Dorrik said quietly, his crest deflating and his shoulders slumping. “I’ve never been so glad for a moment of serendipity.”

“Don’t think this lets you off the hook,” Kat said sternly. “Honestly? For someone so smart, why did you think that you’d be able to get away with mumbling something under your breath without me noticing. You know I have hearing that would make a bat look like an amateur, right? I’m pretty sure I could listen in if you were even thinking about something too loudly.”

Dorrik didn’t say anything. Instead, Hannah watched his mouth move soundlessly even as the rainstorm grew steadily heavier. Above the two of them, the previously clear sky was now heavy and gray. Kat couldn’t make out any individual clouds, but it certainly gave the same impression.

“I would prefer not to talk about it?” Dorrik said helplessly. “My feelings on the matter are complicated. Jaalin is frighteningly competent and that lends her an aura of beauty, much like your friend Belle, but at the same time our history together-”

Kat practically choked on her own tongue.

 “BELLE?! The same Belle that reduced the final paychecks of workers that fell into a processing vat for ‘terminal incompetence?’ THAT Belle?”

“Well, yes,” Dorrik replied, cocking his head. “You are obviously a person of importance on your world and so is she. I can only assume that you were keeping her nearby so that you could wed her in a marriage of convenience in order to join your two houses together. Much like Jenny was about to wed the leader of the Digital Desperados in Chrome Cowboys before she managed to turn the tables on him.”

Kat tried to respond only to choke on her own words. She closed her eyes for a second, letting the rain wash down her face as she tried fo find the appropriate answer.

“I have nothing against polygamy, but I’m not going to start a harem Dorrik. Certainly not one featuring Bell Donnst. Honestly, my mind is more or less blanking every time I try to think of the prospect. I just can’t force myself to process it.”

“It seems that Kaleek has exited the dungeon,” Dorrik remarked, leaning over the edge and peering into the hole. “I do hope he can swim in all that armor.”

Kat frowned slightly before glancing into the pit as well. The portal wasn’t visible. Instead, the steady rain had filled the bottom third of the hole. Kaleek was thrashing, the water washing monster gunk off of his armor as he flailed his way toward the wall.

“I thought he was supposed to be pretty good at swimming?” Kat asked, squinting down at the desoph. “I get that he’s wearing heavy armor, but I would expect his form to be better than that. Right now he looks like a puppy trying to figure out what to do in water for the first time.”

“He is good at swimming,” Dorrik replied. “Our victory at Basmere Pass was predicated on me holding back the stallesp while he removed a blockage on the Basmere River. It was swollen with the twelfth floor’s rains, and the flood wiped out most of the stallesp army that was in the area.”

She didn’t respond at first, instead watching Kaleek as he struggled to climb the wall of the hole. Rain was making the stone and dirt slick, and the desoph was having a hard time finding handholds as the water level kept rising beneath him.

“Say,” she said after a long pause. “Didn’t both Kaleek and you die at Basmere Pass?”

“A glorious death,” Dorrik agreed. “Obviously I would have preferred to survive the conflict, but Kaleek and my sacrifice meant that an entire world was free from stallesp influence. If that is the price we needed to pay for freedom, it was a cheap cost indeed.”

“I’d like to go back and visit someday,” he continued. “There are a number of iron tier dungeons in the area so it wouldn’t be too far out of our way. Plus, many of them are dungeons that I have challenged before. It is a rare chance for me to test my current abilities against my past self, to see if I have managed to surpass who I used to be.”

“That wasn’t why I asked,” Kat replied, pursing her lips as Kaleek slipped and fell backward into the water. “I just wanted to know if we had an example of Kaleek’s swimming prowess that didn’t end in, you know. Him drowning to death.”

Dorrik cocked his head, watching as Kaleek tried and failed to climb the wall yet again.

“Maybe you should have Levitation prepared and ready to go,” he said. “Just in case. I’m sure Kaleek won’t need it, but…”

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Kat agreed. A moment later she finished her thoughts. “Just in case. I wouldn’t want to step on his toes and make him think that we don’t believe in him.”

“Of course,” Dorrik replied. “He complains constantly of us ‘stealing his kills,’ whatever that means. I wouldn’t want to upset Kaleek further by helping him when he hasn’t asked for it.”

The two of them watched as he began to climb the wall of the pit a third time. Kaleek’s armor glowed red as he activated a skill. Each time he jammed his fist into the wall, dirt and rock trickled out, splashing into the water below.

Slowly, the otter was able to pull himself up the side of the pit, grunting and swearing the whole time. Kat kept an eye on him to make sure he wouldn’t slip, but it seemed like he was in a lot more control of the situation. Kaleek was still struggling, but that struggle had transformed from wild flailing into something much more purposeful and organized.

“He seems to be making pretty good progress,” Kat remarked. “I think he’s going to be able to make it up the wall despite the rain picking up a notch.”

“Indeed,” Dorrik said agreeably. “That reminds me, the last time I talked with Jaalin, she gave me an update on the hunting grounds that were leased to your new trainees. They are well on their way to paying back their initial loans. All but a couple have acquired their first classes, and you should have already noticed the trickle of subscription stones that the enterprise is generating.”

“Jaalin?” Kat asked with a mischievous smile. “You should know better than to bring up another woman while you’re on a date, even if it’s me. They might get the wrong idea.”

“The trainees are also very conscientious,” Dorrik continued stoically, seemingly immune to her teasing now that he’d weathered the first flurry. “If all of humanity had sought out mentors and community contacts as thoroughly as your subordinates have, I doubt your race’s social standing would be as low as it is now. According to Jaalin, a number of warriors are beginning to come around. I wouldn’t be overly surprised if some of your trainees began to form partnerships with lokkel as they graduate from the hunting grounds and start climbing the tower.”

“That is good news,” Kat replied. Kaleek was almost three quarters of the way out of the pit, the water rising steadily behind him. “Frankly, I could use some of that. Our progress in the waking world to find out who is hiding in the dark holding a blade to our back isn’t going anywhere near as smoothly as I’d like. Worse, we are starting to see production delays in the new refineries. Labor unrest, parts shortages, and faulty supplies like cement that seems to crumble apart whenever we try to build something on top of it. No one thing that screams interference, but I don’t need to be paranoid to have suspicions.”

“Do you think it’s someone within your corporation?” Dorrik questioned. “I know that your various departments have a healthy rivalry which stops you from sharing information freely, but I suspect that they would be in the best position to know what rare materials your researchers were using. Plus, they have opposed you in the past.”

“Maybe.” Kat shrugged. “I don’t think so, though. I might not have made many friends, but the last power struggle was a big enough show that no one is willing to challenge me that brazenly. If I show weakness, they’ll probably try something, but for the moment, I don’t think any of them want to be the first person to move.”

“Plus,” she continued, watching Kaleek try to heave himself over the side of the pit. “It’s not like Belle is sitting around and doing nothing. She has informants in all of the shareholders’ organizations including my own. I’d like to think that between Emma and hiring for loyalty we’ve caught most of her higher level agents, but my division is simply too large for us to be able to screen everyone. I’m sure there are at least a couple of her people keeping an eye on us.”

Dorrik cocked his head to the side, crest fluttering inquisitively.

“I thought she was your ally, Miss Kat. Why does Miss Donnst spy on you if she’s your comrade? Honestly, the moment I thought I understood your species, I find a new wrinkle. Truly you are a fascinatingly barbaric race.”

Kat chuckled. Kaleek was finally able to leverage himself over the edge of the hole. The desoph rolled onto his back, gasping for breath.

“Belle has spies in our organization for the same reason we have spies in hers,” she replied. “For the two of us it’s a game, but also not a game. She tests my defenses and I test hers. Belle is a bit different from you or I. She doesn’t believe in blind loyalty, just mutual benefits. Belle knows that working with me is in her benefit, but deep down, I suspect she worries that I will eventually cut her loose and leave her behind. Because of that, even as one of my most entrenched allies, she needs assurances that I am strong enough to weather the storm and that I won’t turn on her. I stop just enough of her influence to assure her that I’m not a force that will be moved easily, but I let a couple agents through in order to calm her fears. It’s a delicate line to walk and I suspect she knows that I’m walking it, but for now that’s the best I’m going to be able to do.”

“What a formidable woman,” Dorrik said with a shiver. “Are you sure that you do not wish to mate with Miss Belle as well? I would be most interested in observing such a union.”

 “Pass,” Kat replied firmly with a roll of her eyes.

“But-” Dorrik began, crestfallen, only to be interrupted by a groan from Kaleek. The big otter warrior rolled over, a massive grin on his face.

“That was amazing,” Kaleek said happily. “I don’t think I’ve had to push myself that hard outside of a dungeon since, well. Ever.”

“Can we do it again?” He asked, practically begging. “And this time let’s wait for the water to half fill the pit before I start climbing out. Please? Pretty please?”

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