Dungeon Walkers 2 Read online

  “Your ale,” the server said softly a few feet from the table.

  Cammie gave her a smile. “Sorry. I’ll take it.” She held out her hand, accepting the mug. “I’m sorry.”

  The server nodded, then hurried away.

  “And you’re scaring the staff!” Cammie snapped at her brother.

  Vulk sulked. “You are.”

  “At least you love each other,” Cyra said softly.

  Cammie sighed. “Just us and Mom left. We need to advance to help her. This is not advancing.” She stared at her brother. “Now, are you going to endanger Mother?”

  Vulk lowered his eyes to the table. “Sorry, Cam.”

  “Good.” She put the mug down in front of him before turning back to Trish with a wide, hopeful smile. “We can be useful.”

  Trish watched the byplay, then nodded. “Perhaps. We need to discuss perks and see if you’ll fit in.” She glanced to the side and nodded. “After breakfast, perhaps?”

  Cammie nodded, her hope fading a little. “Of course.”

  “Stern is the crew leader,” Trish added, looking at Vulk. “Is that going to stop you?”

  Vulk took a small sip of his ale and shook his head, not looking at Stern. “No.”

  “Let’s eat, then,” Trish said, giving the server a smile. “Thank you.”

  “Of course,” the server said as she quickly placed a bowl down for everyone. “Enjoy.”

  Stern looked down at the soup before him, a little surprised. Picking up the spoon that came with it, he stirred the dark broth and found pieces of egg, sausage, and potatoes. “Breakfast soup? Been a long time since I had one.”

  “Oh,” Cyra said, as she had done the same. “How interesting.”

  “It’s their standard breakfast,” Cammie said. “Tasty and filling.”

  “Smells good,” Trish said when her stomach rumbled. She took a spoonful and smiled happily.

  Stern copied her, letting the pork broth carry the flavors. It was lightly peppered, but had a nice bite of garlic. The sausage was pork and not overly salty, giving the meal a good heartiness. The eggs had been soft boiled and cut into rings— the yolk melted into the broth, giving it a creamy texture by the end.

  They all finished within a minute of each other, every bowl cleaned to the last bite. The server collected their bowls, letting them know she’d pass their kind words along to her grandmother. She had even brought them a second kettle before leaving them to their discussion.

  “Alright,” Trish sighed happily. “Now we can get down to business. First, let’s state the position of the crew and see if you’re still interested.”

  “Okay,” Cammie said, sitting forward. “I have to ask about the cat, though.”

  “She’s my friend,” Stern said without explaining further.

  “I see,” Cammie said. It was obvious that she didn’t understand, but didn’t want to push it.

  “Firstly, if you join as a full member of the crew, you’d need to update your badges,” Trish said, tapping hers to show them the crew icon on it. “We’re going to spread our name. Secondly, we’re going to be looking at Rescue Squad, so we won’t be running all the dungeons three times.”

  Cammie nodded slowly. “Both of those are fine. Are we going to run them twice?”

  “No,” Stern said softly. “Rescue Squad doesn’t come down this far, but pulling souls out still happens at this tier. We’ll be looking to pull souls as often as we can. No Walker should be left fractured.”

  Vulk just sipped at his mug, but his emotions were held tightly.

  “Most of the soul requests down here don’t match what could be made from using the dungeon points differently,” Cammie said slowly. “I’m not opposed, but we also need money.”

  “Speaking of money,” Trish said, feeling like this wasn’t going to work out after all, “our quest rewards are collected by Stern. He splits them, with an equal share being set aside to pay for the crew’s needs. That includes room and board.”

  Cammie had started to object, but then nodded slowly. “I can’t fault that idea. We’d all have to pay anyway, so having a crew fund makes sense.”

  “I know the cost of bringing soul shards out,” Stern said. “I’ll match that payment to you and your brother. It’ll help make it easier to not run the dungeons multiple times and make sure you can help your mother.”

  Vulk blinked, then sat forward. “Why?”

  Stern stared into Vulk’s eyes. “Because family is precious. I have brothers and sisters who will be Walkers in the coming years. I need to hold my runs open, just in case, but I don’t want to hinder members of our crew, either.”

  “That’s generous,” Cammie said, giving her brother a pointed look. “Just us? Not them, too?” She nodded at Trish and Cyra.

  “We’re in a relationship,” Trish said with a smile.

  Cammie blinked slowly for a moment. “The three of you?”

  “Yes,” Stern said.

  Cyra was red, but she nodded.

  “Oh. Well then, that won’t influence how the dungeon points are spent, will it?”

  “No. Everyone will have an equal share if we can’t agree on spending them as a group,” Stern said. “I hope we never have to do that, but we might.”

  “That’s fine, then,” Cammie smiled.

  “Now, why should we take you?” Trish said.

  “Perks,” Cammie exhaled slowly. “Okay. Vulk is up to Iron Skin, uses both hands to wield axes, can cut through light armor, and the wounds he leaves bleed. Of course, he and I are good with seeing in the dark and are resistant to poison. I’m good at dismantling mechanical problems, making simple traps, and cracking locks. I also have Thick Skin, as a lot of the lower traps are simple needles.”

  “A trap finder?” Trish said. “And you had a hard time finding a group?”

  “I won’t go without my brother, and... well…” She glanced at Vulk, who frowned at her. “He’s a problem child.”

  “You failed to tell them how often you break things,” Vulk snorted.

  “Breaking things?” Trish asked.

  Cammie looked away, a touch of pink coloring her cheeks. “I have a tendency to fiddle with things if I’m bored or stressed. I can pull a lot of things apart, but I’m not as good at putting them back together.”

  Stern chuckled. “So you’re a deconstructor more than a maker?”

  Cammie frowned at him, then sighed and nodded. “Yeah.”

  “I can kill a lot of things,” Vulk grunted. “I’m not a bulwark because I use both hands to attack. If I just used a shield and tried to protect others, we’d have found a group easier. But why hinder myself by taking away a source of damage?”

  “What about you three?” Cammie asked quickly. “Stern said you’re the bulwark.”

  “Yes, I’m the bulwark. A quick rundown for each of us…”

  Trish explained her perks, which had Cammie nodding. Cyra then explained hers, and both Cammie and Vulk sat forward eagerly when they heard she was a healer.

  “We’ll accept,” Cammie said.

  “Yes. Healing can help keep us alive,” Vulk nodded.

  Stern stayed quiet as they dismissed him with Cyra being a healer. Cyra glanced at him, and he just shook his head.

  “Okay, we’ll do our run tomorrow. If we can find a balance, we’ll get you added as members of the crew,” Trish said. “Fair?”

  “Fair,” Cammie grinned. “Thank you so much.”

  “I’m glad I can finally do what I was born to do,” Vulk grunted.

  “Meet at sunrise for breakfast,” Trish told the siblings. “We’ll likely be pulling shards tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” Cammie said. “I need to make sure my gear is in order. Come on, Vulk.”

  “Yeah,” Vulk nodded. “Tomorrow.”

  When they’d left, Stern exhaled. “They stopped even thinking about me. Guess we’ll spring Pawly on them tomorrow.”

  Cyra giggled when Pawly huffed. “They’ll be impressed.”

  Pawly meowed, then waved a paw at Stern.

  “Okay, go home. See you for dinner?”

  Pawly nodded as she faded away.

  “We should go check on shards,” Stern said. “We’ll pick a quest now so we can eat and go tomorrow.”

  “Yes,” Trish nodded. “Then, we have the rest of the day to get our gear in order. We’ll be turning in early tonight to get good sleep. This dungeon will be longer and harder... I don’t want us not being prepared.”

  “We’ll be ready,” Cyra said as she stood up. “Let’s go.”

  Stern got to his feet. “Best to do it before everyone comes back from the dungeon. Did you want to try finding a sixth, Trish?”

  Trish hesitated, then shook her head. “Not right now. I’ll ask around this afternoon. I want to see if a caster is available and talk to them myself, first.”

  “Okay.”

  Trish rose and led the way to the door. “Let’s see who we can save.”

  Chapter Seven

  Stern returned Cyra’s kiss happily. His arms were around her waist, and he drew her in to lean across his torso. Cyra felt lust and love in equal measure, radiating no fear at all in the moment. When the kiss ended, Stern gave her a smile. “Good morning, Cyra.”

  “Good morning,” Cyra smiled back, staying where she was stretched across his pectorals. “I feel good today.”

  “Yes,” Stern said as he squeezed her lightly. “That’s a wonderful feeling.”

  “I think seeing you and Trish the other day helped. You were so concerned for me, even when she was scrambling your brains,” Cyra giggled.

  “I was,” Stern agreed, his body reacting to the memory.

  “I talked with Trish last night, after…” She trailed off, biting her lip gently. “An
d we think that maybe I can go a little further tonight. Not like her, but maybe a little closer... if you’re okay with that?”

  Cyra’s worry spiked as she asked, and Stern ran a hand gently down her back. “If you’re sure, then yes. I would welcome anything. I just don’t want you hurt. You mean too much to me for me to let my lust control me unthinkingly.”

  Cyra swallowed hard, her love for Stern spiking, and she kissed him again. It was demanding, deep, and passionate as she tried to show him how much his care for her meant to her.

  Stern groaned and broke the kiss before she was ready. “Cyra, we need to stop. We have a dungeon to run,” he panted lightly.

  Cyra blinked slowly at him, not having wanted to stop, but his words penetrated her brain. “Oh, right. I… sorry.”

  “No,” Stern soothed her. “Nothing to be sorry for. Your kisses are starting to make me want more, and it’s not time for that, yet.”

  Cyra blushed, but she was smiling as she leaned over him. “As much as you want Trish?”

  “Yes,” Stern said, meeting her green eyes. “Equally.”

  Cyra beamed, then leaned down and rested her forehead against his. “And I want you as much as I want her. I’m going as slow as I can because, if I rush, it might mean a setback. So I end up awkwardly trying to do more, but hold back, too.”

  “I know,” Stern whispered. “As much as you love me, I love you back. Trish loves us both just as much, too.”

  Cyra sighed softly, then sat up beside him. “Okay. We’ll be waiting for you.”

  “I’ll hurry,” Stern said when Cyra got off the bed.

  It was only a few minutes later when Stern came out of his room, buckling his backpack in place. “I’m ready.”

  “The full bag?” Trish asked.

  “My parents have told me of their runs,” Stern said. “The later dungeons go a lot easier if you have your bag… from the length of the dungeon to things like needing rope.”

  “Hmm...” Trish said. “That would hinder my ability to fight.”

  “Cyra and I should be the ones to carry them,” Stern said. “Anyone who’s going to end up in melee can just carry a first aid kit.”

  Cyra was already heading for her room. “I’ll grab my full bag. Train as you fight, right?”

  “In this case, fight as you fight,” Stern chuckled, “but yes.”

  Trish tapped the back of her belt. “I have my kit. What you say makes sense... I wonder how the siblings will take the bags?”

  “We’ll find out shortly,” Stern said.

  “True enough,” Trish agreed.

  Cyra came out, buckling her pack on. “Okay. I’m ready.”

  “Let’s go,” Stern said. He grinned at Pawly, who was already sitting by the front door. “Sorry, your majesty. Your attendants needed their gear to serve you.”

  Pawly meowed and lifted a paw as if in benediction.

  Cyra giggled. “She’s always so cute.”

  Stern and Cyra had to put their bags beside them when they took seats at the table. Pawly claimed the chair to Stern’s left again. The same serving girl came out to take their order, but paused when she saw the dwarven siblings coming to the table.

  “Breakfast, dark ale,” Vulk said as he dropped into a chair.

  “Breakfast and tea, please,” Cammie said, giving her brother a glare.

  “Please,” Vulk added, looking away from his sister.

  “Five breakfasts, a kettle of black tea, and one dark ale,” the girl said before hurrying away.

  “Why the bags?” Vulk grumbled.

  “Later dungeons require many things,” Stern replied a bit tersely, unable to help himself. “Rope, spikes, sleeping bags. I will always carry my bag, as we might need the items later, and getting used to it now is just smart.”

  “You’re not going to fight?” Vulk snorted.

  “Brother,” Cammie said overly-sweetly as she turned a death glare on him, “are we going to have to talk again?”

  Vulk looked away from her. “No. I don’t remember hearing his perks yesterday, though.”

  “Because you both agreed and left before I could,” Stern shrugged. “And my perks are easier to show than explain.”

  “We’ll explain in the dungeon,” Trish said. “Stern was the bulk of our damage before.”

  Vulk snorted softly. “I see.”

  Pawly hissed and glared at Vulk. He jerked, startled.

  “Easy,” Stern said, soothingly rubbing Pawly’s head. “He’ll learn.”

  Cammie frowned, clearly trying to put things together, but was derailed when the server came back with the kettle and cups for the table and her brother’s ale. “Thank you, Keita.”

  “You’re welcome,” Keita replied, her gaze going to Pawly. “Is the kitty nice?”

  Stern gave Keita a nod. “To those who respect her. She also loves petting. Did you want to try?”

  Keita looked back at the bar where her father was serving someone. She nodded, then moved around the table and held her hand out to Pawly. Pawly sniffed it, then pushed her head into the girl’s palm. Keita smiled and gave Pawly a light scratch behind the ears.

  “Keita, breakfast is up!” an older woman called from the kitchen.

  Keita scurried off, glancing at her father who gave her a questioning look. “Sorry, Father.”

  Her dad looked toward their table, frowning when he saw Pawly’s head. “Hey, the cat—?”

  “Is mine,” Stern said. “A summons. She won’t leave a mess.”

  “A summons? Well, okay…” The man was clearly doubtful, but he did his best to keep his suspicion and distrust off his face.

  “A summons?” Vulk asked. “The cat?”

  Pawly growled softly, eyeing Vulk like he was lunch. She cut off when Stern stroked her head.

  “We’ll explain in the dungeon,” Trish said again, firmly, “unless you want to walk away now?”

  “No!” Cammie said quickly. “We’ll wait. Won’t we, Vulk?”

  Vulk grumbled under his breath. “Fine. Whatever.”

  Keita was back with their food a minute later. It was the same breakfast soup as the day before. She wished them all a good day and, with another look at Pawly, left them to eat.

  Stern and Cyra both pulled out chunks of sausage for Pawly, who ate them as if it was her just due. Cammie watched with interest while Vulk snorted softly.