A Soldier's Life

Chapter 159: About What I Expected

It was going to happen, no matter my reservations. As Maveith repeatedly pointed out, the danger level was too high in the dungeon, and we needed allies. I had two healing potions and two aether restoration potions left. I handed Maveith the other healing potion from my dimensional space and held an aether restoration in my hand. Maveith looked expectantly at me. “I think I am going to remove my armor and store it. If she sees the red legion armor, she may panic.”

After storing the armor, I changed into some ordinary clothes. I had nice clothes I purchased in Telha, but I did not think they were appropriate for this occasion. Maveith sucked his cheek, inspecting me. “Eryk, you look a little tough. Like someone who would be in a press gang.”

Even though we had washed in the cockatrice chamber, we both looked a little rough. I took out my barber’s bag and used the small mirror. My scraggly beard from malnourishment had not fully grown back, my black shoulder-length hair was matted from my helmet, and my teeth were stained blue from the blueberries. Altogether it made me look a little menacing. I would run from me, too.

I started with the mouthwash. The mint-infused liquid strengthened my teeth, purified my breath, and whitened my teeth. Spitting the used potion resulted in a dark blue stain on the wall. I tested my teeth and was happy they felt smooth; my gums had recovered as well.

I gave Maveith a dose as well. Then, I had him hold the mirror while I shaved and trimmed my beard and hair. Maveith expounded on the benefits of being hairless while I worked. I cut myself three times with the straight-edge razor, but it did not matter as I healed the cuts immediately with my spell form. It felt surreal doing this in a dangerous dungeon. Also, there was the fact I was prettying up for an enemy who would likely try and kill me.

Maveith was hairless. He just needed to wash his gray-skinned head and hands. I thought he looked much more imposing than me, as his body was filling out again with our increasing sustenance. “Better?” I asked the goliath, who inspected me for a minute.

“Yes. Do you think she will recognize you?” Maveith asked.

I thought about it. My helm covered my head fairly well and protected my cheeks, but my eyes, nose, and mouth were visible. She had also recognized me the second time I placed her into my dimensional space. “Yes. She might not immediately, but she will eventually.”

“Stand behind me, then, until I can explain to her what is happening. Do you know her name?” Maveith asked.

“No! Both times we met, she was trying to kill me. I did not have time for introductions!” I laughed incredulously, but something tickled my mind. I pulled the elven dagger off my belt. I was wearing the black blade and her elven dagger. I looked at the small script. I did not remember what Scholar Favian had said the writing was, but I was able to sound it out myself in the elven tongue. “Her name might be Raelia Glavien.”

Maveith nodded, recalling the Scholar’s deciphering. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back to the safe room to do this?” he asked again.

Phantom pain spread through me. I could tolerate a lot of pain, but it was still extremely unpleasant. The ranged attack of the blue lizard would take a lot of work to overcome. We could never kill it if it never came within range of my dimensional space. Also, if the creature shattered the ice and put us in the water, we would be finished. Maybe if the chamber had not locked us inside, I would have had more confidence if we could draw it into the corridor. “No, Maveith. I think we will try our luck with the phase spiders.”

We cleaned up the corridor, but the dungeon had not yet absorbed our bowel movements. It was what it was, and I was going to assume our mess would be the last thing she was concerned with. I did not know how long we could linger in the corridor before the dungeon released the creatures in the rooms to pursue us, but the shapeshifters warned us that the dungeon would eventually pursue us.

I stood behind Maveith and told him, “She was in bad shape. Get the potion into her quickly. It might not even help. I was pretty certain she was dead when I pulled her into my space.”

Maveith took a deep breath. “I am ready.”

The elf griffin rider appeared on the floor in front of Maveith. He already had the potion moving to pour into her mouth. Her body was a mess; blood flowed from puncture wounds caused by the drake’s bite, and her leather armor and clothes were damaged and soaked with blood. It had not taken a lot of aether to take her out, and I could send her back—or remove her head if necessary.

Maveith was excited. “The wounds are closing! It is not going to be enough. I need the other potion.” His voice was urgent.

“It is our last healing potion, Maveith.” I could get by without healing potions, but Maveith could not. Maveith held out his hand emphatically. I pulled the potion from my space and handed it to him. He understood the ramifications.

The griffin rider’s wounds closed, and her face went gaunt as the potion did its work, using her body’s minimal reserves. Her chest began to rise and fall. Then she inhaled a deep, panicked breath. I guessed her mind had caught up and was remembering what had happened just before she had been stored in my dimensional space. “Search her for weapons and items, Maveith.”

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Maveith hesitated briefly before removing her belt, which had a few pouches on it. He handed it to me, and he found a knife secreted in her boot. I searched the pouches, finding three lesser dungeon healing potions. We had just used two greater healing potions on her, so I was taking these as payment and sent them to my dimensional storage. These potions would have been useful when we were back in the library, I lamented.

The other pouches contained myconid powder, dark moss, and spools of twine. I looked at Maveith, who was waiting for her to regain consciousness. “Give me the ring,” I indicated the bright silver ring the elf wore. Maveith hesitated a moment before removing it and handing it to me. It looked like it could be an artifact, so I sent it to storage.

Her eyes began to flutter, and if it was not for her blood-caked face and messy hair, I might have thought she was attractive. “Raelia,” Maveith whispered softly and reassuringly. “You are safe now. I am Maveith.” He started to repeat that over and over. What if her name wasn’t Raelia? Then Maveith would look silly, not me.

A groan escaped her lips as she came to and moved slowly. Her crusty eyes began to flutter, and the moment was upon us. I whispered, “Be careful; she has fireball magic.”

Maveith hissed, “Quiet. Elves have excellent hearing.”

The griffin rider slowly turned her head as her eyes focused. The shimmering lights in the ceiling were probably not the best environment to awaken to. She finally focused on the smiling Maveith, who was lucky I had the mouthwash to whiten his teeth. Otherwise, his dark blue lips and stained teeth would have scared her. She finally spoke weakly and confused, “A goliath? Where am I?”

“You are in a dungeon. I am Maveith, and I will not harm you. You have my word as a member of the Stoneskin Clan.” Stoneskin clan? Maveith had never told me he was part of a clan. I felt slightly betrayed that he told the elf first.

She spoke softly with effort. “Why am I in a dungeon? What happened? I was with Vaeril.” She paused to think. “We were running from the accursed Telhian legionnaires.” Her body jolted. “A drake. I was in a drake’s mouth and helpless.” She was sitting up, and I could tell her heart was racing with the memories that were just a few moments ago for her.

Her hands traveled over her body, feeling her bloody clothes and the holes in her armor. Her voice was slightly clearer. “Maveith, how am I here with you?” Yeah, Maveith, how is she here with you?

“My friend saved you.” He moved aside so she could see me. The elf’s eyes had trouble focusing on me as she had not quite gotten accustomed to the shifting and flowing dungeon light. There, I could see it happen; her eyes started to widen as recognition occurred. She reached for her belt knife.

I could not help myself. I pulled her runic dagger. “Looking for this?” It was an idiotic play to taunt her, especially when she overreacted, and anger flared in her eyes.

Maveith tried to calm the situation. “Eryk is a good person. He has saved me multiple times. He will not hurt you either.” I was smart enough not to debate the point and sheathed the dagger. If necessary, I would end her.

“He is a legionnaire, goliath. Do the world a favor and end him before he kills you,” she spat a bloody glob on the floor at my feet.

“I do not think this is going to work out, Maveith. I will just put her back for now,” I said, thinking the threat would give us some leverage.

The elf realized what that meant, rolled to her feet in a flash, and darted into the phase spider forest room. “Well, we tried,” I said, but Maveith was already rushing after her.

“Raelia! Stop! We are in a dungeon!” Maveith yelled, but the elf girl did not stop.

“Fuck,” I swore, drawing the black blade and moving to protect Maveith.

The elf reached the center of the room, and two phase spiders launched from the trees. She managed to roll forward and avoid both. She was sprinting toward an exit we had not been able to see. Two more of the phase spiders zipped through the air behind her back. She could not see them but dodged anyway. Then Mama Spider flashed to the ground, blocking her access to the corridor exit.

Maveith had crushed the first two spiders that had attacked the elf. I caught movement and slashed the air, bisecting my own spider. I could not focus on Maveith or the elf girl. The spider’s bodies were the size of cats, but their legs made them seem much larger. I was actually surprised at how easily my black blade cut through them. They were probably just as surprised, as they were a blur and thought themselves immune to my attack.

I killed a second, then a third, and then snuck a glance at Maveith. He was covered in spider goo. The elf was dodging the horse-sized spider, trying to sneak past it. I got my fourth spider, and Maveith yelled, “We have to help her. She does not have a weapon.”

I was free of spiders and rushed forward as Maveith crushed another spider with the hammer, splattering spider goo on me as I passed. The elf girl was trying to tear the spider from her back, and the large spider closed in on her. I removed the head of the large spider, feeling modest resistance to my effort, but I was successful. I hacked one of the small spiders on the ground, leaving just the one on her back.

Maveith joined me, grabbed the spider’s legs on her, and started tearing them off with his bare hands. The elf was wobbling on her feet as the venom took effect. I spun, looking for threats, but just smiled when I noticed the stone chest in the center of the trees. The elf collapsed to the ground, paralyzed.

Maveith knelt to check on her. Relieved, he said, “She is alive. Just puncture wounds in the shoulder. Are you sure the venom is just a paralytic?”

I walked over and stood over both of them. “Maveith, I do not think this is going to work out. She is not going to help us.” The elf’s eyes started darting from me to Maveith and back again. She tried to speak, but it came out garbled. I noted, “Huh, looks like the paralysis doesn’t affect her hearing or sight.”

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