Chapter 4

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[Dungeon]

Since Sigurd and his party had left, I had been bored. I had grown used to the company and excitement of watching him challenge my floors. It was fun.

The solitude and loneliness of the dungeon was broken only by Memphis, my sphinx. She had yet to forgive me for accidentally naming her such. They were proud creatures, and she felt a male name was demeaning. I thought that it didn’t matter, and the name was what you made of it. Of course, I didn’t dare tell her that. No, I was in enough trouble as it was.

In the weeks that followed their departure, I had reworked a multitude of small details, polishing, and improving every single aspect of the dungeon. When that was done, and I was as happy as I could be with it, I moved onwards. Nature, ice and fire floors were done, it was time to move onto the final set of introduction floors, this time all related to wind.

I had had several ideas for wind floors, many of which were designed to test the agility and balance of any adventurers. Small sky paths with billowing gusts of wind to knock them off. But there was something tepid and boring about such. I already had sky paths in floor two, and the icy platforms in the ocean floor and the ice run all tested the same thing. No, I wanted something different. Something far better than that. Still, there was some merit in the idea. Perhaps with enough reinventing, it would be good enough for one of the floors.

I sighed, “Memphis!” I called, realising that the genius sphinx was my clear solution to this conundrum.

“Yes, Benny…” She called back up to me, I could feel her flying closer. I ground my metaphorical teeth in frustration.

Memphis had been playing these games with me for a while now, and I did not appreciate her playing around with my name.

I was a beautiful dungeon, dangerous, ingenious, and far more grand than a name like ‘Benny’ indicated. It was disgusting. My name was The Realm Beneath. It was a perfect name, for that was what I did, I constructed beautiful realms, worlds out of the imagination of the silly humans who came to raid me. Entire ecosystems under my command. Mine, not ‘Benny’ Argghghh it was infuriating.

Even more annoying though, was the smug sense of satisfaction on Memphis’s face, as I glared at her.

“It’s, The Realm Beneath, Memphis. You know that, get it right.” I said, fury barely restrained.

Memphis laughed at me, “Silly dungeon, its Realmie now, if you got to play around with my name, then I get to do the same with you.” She said, maliciously.

I growled in frustration, managing to hold myself in check when I saw her smile grow wider still. Oh, I would get her back for this…

“So, what do you need master Bean?”

She… no… control yourself…

“I’m working on the wind-based floors”

“Mhmm”

“I had originally planned for thin paths crossing a large gap in the floor, with plenty of gusts of wind and obstacles to help encourage them to fall off. You know?

“Yeah.”

“Well, it feels a bit uninspired, like after the fire it should be more grand, more… well, just more… you know?”

“Well of course, you’re never going to be able to match my majesty with a little bit of air, its invisible and subtle, not a parading catalogue of danger. Think subtly, I have a few riddles for you, perhaps some that may help you.”

“Memphis, just tell me, just tell me the answer!”

“Hmm, no, solve my riddle Ben. You have to solve my riddle.” She replied cackling to herself.

“Go on then.”

“We’ll start simple with:

I am small,

I am big,

I am tall,

I am short.

I am everywhere and nowhere.

Yet no matter how you search for me,

the closer you get, the less you see.

What am I?”

My mind starts to spin, running through all of the possibilities, nothing pops out to me immediately.

“Your next one, a bit harder perhaps, and a bit more useful for a dangerous level. Consider it wisely master:

Thick as fog, but light as air, you’ll never see me coming. I cloud your senses and grip your life; my ways are truly cunning.

My brother and sister are solid and wet, but I am the one you should not forget.

Without any effort, I can make folk die. Tell me, please, what am I?”

“Ok, they seem difficult, I’m coming up blank so far. Do you have any more for me, Memphis?”

“One more master, perhaps the one you shall make most use of:

I follow my path, my eye never wavers,

blind to the world, forgive my behaviour.

People all fear me, they say death and destruction follow?

But they would see peace if they were I to swallow.

I am angry in life,

I am calm when I die,

Nothing is left save all of my vapours.

What am I?”

With her riddles, and thus her advice delivered, Memphis leaves me alone, to deliberate on the answer. I could make her tell me, but it wouldn’t be a good idea, we have an understanding, and playing the game is a good way of building up our relationship, besides, solving the riddles is fun and I have a lot of time. Like way way way too much time.

Over the next few hours, I focus on the first riddle. How can something be big and small, tall, and short and everywhere and nowhere? It has to be abstract, nothing living with a defined shape could possibly fit those parameters. It also is somehow related to the wind, or perhaps something that would fit well on a wind related floor.

I didn’t know, and the other two made no more sense either. It was something I would need to think about for a while.

Two hours later, I was still puzzling over the riddles when I felt it. Just like before, the heartbeat sounded out, breaking my concentration. And just at the time when I felt I was nearing the answer, it was on the edge of my mind.

Oh well, I thought, racing my mind up through the floors to reach the entrance.

I was half expecting Sigurd and company to be coming down the stairs, but no, it was some new people. I felt gleeful. It had to mean that I had been discovered properly. Finally! I could at last begin working. With a new source of plentiful mana coming in regularly, my growth would explode.

The people that had entered my dungeon seemed less prepared than Sigurd and his group. Their armour was of lesser quality, tears, and damage evident. The metal pieces had dents and scratches and there was far more leather than metal. Their swords too were more rough, cheaper. They didn’t have belts of vials and potions for easy access, but rather shoulder bags that they carried with them. I assumed they would drop them before each fight.

I was pleased that they seemed less prepared, it meant I wouldn’t have to worry about them, they didn’t seem to have a good chance of reaching the fire floors, and although I hadn’t yet had a chance to test out the floors, my safety was certainly more important than that.

The group had four members, all men. Three of them had swords and leather armour with steel plates, and the last one was a mage, of what sort though, I didn’t know, they seemed confidant and I couldn’t wait to challenge them.