Dungeon Life

Chapter One-Hundred Twenty

Thanks to Teemo, Im feeling a lot better about the whole thing. It also helps that everyone is doing the last bit of prep, which helps solidify what were going to be doing. Something about knowing this is it helps me focus. Having time to second guess makes it too easy to get lost in my own head.

Queens ants deliver a bottle of the electrolysis potion to the enchanting lab, where Thing is putting the finishing touches on Rockys disguise. I think he was able to put a bit of an enchantment like the oil idea, to help Rocky move easier in the water. I still dont understand why its easier to enchant something than make a potion, but it is what it is.

It might actually be that its easier to just make a quick and dirty enchantment that will be easy to remove once something better is developed. Whatever the reason, Rocky is looking the part very nicely. He holds himself differently than Neverrests lich did, but not so differently that it should raise suspicion.

Slash has his axe on his back and is looking equally nervous and excited, and the other scions seem to be doing what they can to help his confidence. Hes still a bit nervouscited, but he doesnt seem worried, so thats all I can really hope for.

Jello is just bubbly and happy and looking forward to seeing what the ocean is like. Its easy to worry she might not be cut out for this, but through the bond, I can feel my soft cubes steely determination. She understands the stakes as well as any of the scions maybe even more. Theres a lot of parallels to be drawn between helping Hullbreak and in rehabilitating a mole or gremlin.

We dont have forever to prepare, though. Low tide is early in the morning and in the middle of the afternoon, and I want the morning one. Im pretty sure Hullbreak doesnt sleep, nor would his scion or denizens but it just feels wrong to start this kind of fight in the afternoon.

Rocky and Slash gather up a few more potions from Queen, and my four scions head for the shortcut. Hopefully, well be able to talk Hullbreak down without a fight. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Yendo

The merman lays on the bed in the brig, staring at the ceiling. The glorified plank that juts from the wall isnt the most comfortable way to sleep, and he can only imagine itd be even worse for the land folk to sleep on. They dont have water to help buoy them and lessen the discomfort.

Staring at the ceiling has become a significant part of his morning routine, since being thrown in here. He doesnt blame the Captain for it. He really did swim off when he thought the First Mate couldnt do anything about it, and sent that message that started the siege? Its been a long defensive battle, so he supposes its close enough of a siege for him.

Not for the first time, he wonders if he did the right thing. Was he mistaken? His gull, Whitecap, seemed convinced Neverrest was subsumed, but Yendo was the only one that believed him. After the endless stream of undead, he cant help but wonder if his companion was wrong somehow.

Pst, hey.

The merman frowns and sits up, looking at the barred window, expecting to need to shoo away another young merfolk who is trying to talk with him, but the window is empty. He just stares through it in confusion, wondering where the voice could be coming from.

Down here. Be casual. I dont want attention from anyone but you, Yendo.

The mermans confusion mounts as he looks more downward, and eventually spots a very strange sight: a rat peeking out from under his uncomfortable bed. Rats cant breathe underwater. And hes pretty sure they dont talk, either.

You sent that letter, yeah?

Yendos confusion shifts gears to a different type of confusion. Yes but not to a rat. Whitecap was supposed to deliver it to the Dungeoneers Guild.

The rat smiles and nods. Yeah, Tarl got it, and he asked my Boss to help.

The merman doesnt look very enthusiastic about the rats help. Unless your boss can help stop Neverrests attack, I dont know what else you can do, little one.

The rat just grins. Thats not Neverrest. Let me introduce myself: I am Teemo, Voice of Thedeim, the dungeon that subsumed Neverrest. Hes been sending those undead so Hullbreak doesnt starve.

Yendos eyes widen at that, and suddenly the methodology of the attacks make much more sense though the reasoning eludes him. But why? I thought most dungeons dont get along with other dungeons.

Teemo chuckles. Yeah, the Boss is kinda weird, but he really does want to help. And part of that is making sure he has the situation understood right. Hullbreaks traumatized by losing some dwellers a while ago, yeah? He cut himself off, and was slowly starving. Hed rather die than lose another, and he doesnt trust outsiders.

Yendo can only sigh and nod. Yes the Captain went mad with grief that day, and he hasnt truly recovered.

Teemo nods at that. Cool, thats about what the Boss figured. He has a plan to try to confront, uh Captain Hullbreak with reality, but he needs your help to do it.

The merman looks incredulous. How much help can I be? Im in the brig. And how do you know my name? How do you know so much about the Captain?

Teemo sits back a bit, getting comfortable as he explains. You arent the only one to talk to Tarl. That letter dug up some stuff from his past, too, you know. He told us what he and the guild know. The Boss knows a lot more than they do, now. Im not the first one in here.

Yendo looks a bit shocked at that, but manages to keep his voice low. But how? Unless your dungeon has some kind of aquatic spawners, anything they send inside would be obvious!

Teemo grins at that and shakes his head. Nah, you just gotta think outside the box. And speaking of outside the box I can get you out of here.

But how? Even if youre a Voice, I dont think youre going to be able to break the door down and fight past the First Mate once she hears a commotion.

Who said anything about a commotion? I can get you out of here with barely even a ripple in the water. Teemo pauses for a moment after that, his confidence flowing into caution. Itll get messy once they realize youre gone, though. The Boss doesnt want to harm any dwellers, including you, but youll probably be in the middle of a battlefield pretty quickly. He cant guarantee your safety.

Yendos resolve solidifies at hearing that, remembering how often the First Mate would say that something is forbidden because she and the Captain cant guarantee their safety. Hearing the danger, but still being given the choice this is what the Captain needs to understand, what his people need.

Ill do it.

Teemo looks relieved. Great! Now, this will feel a bit weird. I had some practice with shortcuts underwater on the way in, but the transition still isnt as smooth as Id like it. Are you ready?

Yendo doubts he is, but he nods. Whether hes ready or not, it doesnt matter. This may be the last chance he has to help everyone he cares about.

Good! Just follow me, and try not to think too hard about how everything looks, ok? Im going to be a little messy about it so they notice pretty quickly. Thedeim wants the fighting, if there is any, to take place at low tide.

Yendo doesnt have much chance to question that as the rat does something, and then slips through the something. Hes already starting to regret this decision, but hes not going to balk at the challenge. He swims forward, and does his best to keep his gaze resolutely on the tail of the rat before him. Reality seems to twist and bend, reminding him of when hed poke his head only barely above the surface of the water and see things all strangely distorted.

Hes dimly aware of exiting and entering several distortions as he follows Teemo, and he can feel when they leave the safety of the Captains territory, but he doesnt get much time to dwell on it. Teemo is still moving. The thought of slipping away crosses his mind, but he rejects it. No, this is the current hes in now, and hell see where it goes.

Teemo stops and finally lets Yendo get his bearings, and he fears he may have made a mistake. Skeletons are everywhere! Hes in some kind of submerged fortress or something!

Easy, Yendo. Theyre not going to hurt you, encourages the rat, though it takes Yendo a few more seconds to understand the truth of that statement. The undead arent rushing him to tear him apart. In fact theyre ignoring him. None are moving to try to even restrain him! As he looks around, his eyes settle on two strange figures.

One is exactly what he would have expected: a lich. Its not acting much like he would have expected a lich to, though, as it seems to just be communicating with the other figure.

At first, he thinks it must be a skeleton weighed down with more rocks than usual, but he doesnt see any bones anywhere! It has a strange style of hat, and an equally-strange style of axe on its back, too.

Unsure of what else to do, he decides to swim over, hoping they might give him some kind of explanation, but he bumps into hes not sure.

Teemo chuckles. Thats Jello. The Boss has slimes that are basically invisible in the water. The guy in the hat is Slash, an earth elemental. The Boss also has smaller elementals to act as spies, too. Thats why the skeletons were weighed with rocks, so they can easily get inside without raising suspicion about sudden piles of rock around.

And the lich?

Thats Rocky. If Hullbreak and the First Mate want a fight, Rocky is here to give it to them.