Chapter 93
We followed the trail up the hill, Snappy leading the way. His bulk pushed the thorny bushes aside and widened the trail, which wound around the hill, and we were given a brief view of the ocean. When we were near the top, we came across the stream wed heard from the base.
Is that blood? Raven asked, studying the stream. It smells like blood.
I knelt beside her, confirming the stream wasnt water, that was for sure. The way it moved was far too thick. It was also colored like blood, but that didnt make sense. How could a stream flow with blood, there would have to be some creature supplying it.
Our answers came when we followed it to its source. We found the ruins of a fight, the zombie minks Id sent swarming up the hill had converged in a cave where they attacked what mustve been the queen and king. Nothing was alive, neither zombies nor the massive bulk of the queen or king moved. Although there was a lot of blood, that wasnt what supplied the stream.
The center of the cave was a basin, and from that basin blood boiled up and flowed into a pool. The pool overflowed into a stream that ran out of the mouth of the cave. I could palpably feel the blood magic of this area, and recognized some of the symbols carved into the basin. The magic in the basin came from the basin itself, and I wondered what horrific ritual had been used to create an effect that would last this long.
This isnt a hill. Now that I was looking for it, I could see signs. This is a ziggurat from the time of Slatar.
Thats not good, Maxwell said. From what youve told us, and what weve seen, theres never any good that comes of it.
Maybe, I said, exploring the cave. It depends on if theres someone occupying and using it. Magic in and of itself is not evil, its how its used.
The eroded stone that once comprised the ziggurat had become completely covered by plants and dirt.
I reshaped Mercy and began to probe through the covering of detritus that had built up over the years. I could feel when the needle-sharp tip of Mercy clinked against stone, and the vibrations hummed through the staff.
The others joined in, and Raven found what we were looking for. Raven meowed from the back right side of the cave, and I looked over as she shifted back into her human form. The air coming out of this hole smells different than it should.
Over time, the once square room, complete with arches that let in light, had become cluttered and filled, leaving only the one entrance. Unless you knew what you were looking at, you wouldve never guessed the room once had square corners.
Maxwell joined us as I reshaped Mercy into a broad headed blade. In short, I turned it into a shovel, and sincerely hoped whoever had created this magnificent weapon would forgive me one day.
Im not sure those big minks are dead, Maxwell said, looking at the unmoving form of the minks.
I stared at the two large bodies, and though it was faint, both of their chests moved. Raven drew a dagger.
Wait, I said, stopping her. I dont know that we want them dead.
I moved to the closest body. It was lighter than the other one, so I assumed it was the queen. I knelt next to her head and placed my hand on it. Though it was more difficult than using death magic, I channeled a small amount of dark magic into a simple spell. The spell did not do damage, but it did cause an uncomfortable ringing.
The queens eyes snapped open, and I felt her anger, but I locked gazes with it. A slight connection formed. In the weakened state of the creature, I made sure it knew I held its life in my hands, and after a moment she understood. The queen was smarter than her offspring, and through the unspoken link I pressed my will into her, and in as simple animalistic terms as I could explain, I laid out what I required from her and her king for them to keep on living.
Fear bloomed in her animalistic eyes, and also acceptance. There was no official bond between us, she was an animal, and she understood the hierarchy of power better than humans and other sentient creatures normally did. She would carry out our deal or they would leave, but in their state they couldnt afford to try and leave. I produced a health potion and poured it down the queens mouth and indicated Maxwell should do the same for the king when I tossed him another potion.
What are you doing? Raven demanded.
If Im right, I said as I picked up Mercy and began to remove soil. This place has been long abandoned, so we can hide here.
Wont the maps continue to track you? Raven asked.
Im uncertain on that. The magic of this place is incredibly potent if we can get inside, and I can cast that ritual. It might be enough to break the connection completely. Especially if Im wearing a relic at the time.
On its own, the relic was a powerful deterrent for the ritual that was tracking me, but as explained earlier, the ritual was a very powerful one. With the combination of the massive amount of blood magic distorting the areas natural magic, the ring, and the ritual that would disrupt the tracking, I was fairly certain I could break it.
Mercy clinked against the stone as I scraped away the final lichen clinging to the gray stone. A door stood before us. It was a slab of stone with a notch chiseled into it to serve as a handle.
I slid my hand in and pulled. There was quite a bit of resistance, but the door moved. With a grinding sound, I heaved it open to a chamber that seemed far larger than the cave we were in, but I suspected that was only because the cave was so full of detritus.
As I stepped into the room I stopped in surprise as a prompt appeared in front of me. And not one of the broken prompts that Id been getting. This one, while different than anything I remember from playing, was clearly working properly. I read the prompt out of habit as my brain tried to grapple with what it said.
Ruined Ziggurat of the Blood Marsh
Dungeon Type: Lair, unclaimed
This is the ruined ziggurat from an age passed. Once a place of great power, it was destroyed and forgotten by time.
This dungeon is unclaimed. As a monster of sufficient power, would you like to claim this dungeon as yours?
Y/N
Note: This is a lair type dungeon. Lair dungeons are naturally occurring dungeons when places of power are left abandoned or created by powerful creatures. They offer the creature that calls it home several benefits, though these are not nearly as extensive as what is gained from other dungeon types. If the creature leaves the dungeon for an extended period of time, it will revert to the unclaimed status with all benefits and upgrades gained through the dungeon remaining with it for the next occupant.
Is there something wrong? Maxwell said, stopping behind me. He and Raven were crowding, not having expected me to stop.
I relayed what it said.
Well, I guess that makes a certain amount of sense, its also kind of cool. Maxwell chuckled.
I dont fully understand what you mean, Raven said, but I think you should accept it. Wont it further help you break that tracking spell?
I had not thought that far ahead, and saw she had a point. If for no other reason than that, I hit Yes. I could always just leave, and even the description said it would revert and there would be no side effects. If I stayed, I would make sure that none of the benefits I gained from it would be missed when I left.
As soon as I accepted the quest, I felt my awareness spreading out into what amounted to my new domain. It wasnt like I could see everything in it, and it was relatively small, but I gained sense inside the room in front of me and two floors below me. With the power I had available, I could innately tell the different changes I could make.
Lair type dungeons could have massive amounts of variance. They could be everything from a single chamber small cave to elaborate labyrinths. If this ziggurat was to be my hiding place, I decided I could live with that for a while.
I didnt so much have a menu that showed me the different ways I could change things, though I was certain there would be one if I looked hard enough, but I felt I could do certain things innately. The first thing I did was open the door wide enough so Snappy, Tuffy, the mounts, and the two surviving snakes could follow me in. It took a surprising amount of mana to do that and made the room cramped, but it was worth it. They would be a dead giveaway that I was there if left outside.
Im going to close us in here and try and disguise the front so no one else can find a way in, I said.
Before you do that, let me light a torch, Raven said. I gave her a questioning look, I thought she could see in the dark. As if reading my mind, she said, Yes, I can see in the dark, but not in the presence of absolute lack of light. Im certain there must be a dark magic spell that would allow me to, but I dont know it. She gave me a pointed glare.
As she got her torch, I avoided her gaze and left the room. Outside the room I could still feel a slight connection to the lair, though it was more distant. I glanced at the two large minks, they were still unmoving.
Using my connection to the cave, I found I could affect the things immediately surrounding the lair entrance. Using more of my mana, I carefully sculpted the plant detritus that littered the floor. By the time I was done, I had cleared away the evidence of me digging, and the door was now covered in a thick layer of grime and lichen. It wouldnt stand up to a close inspection, but a casual glance over the room would not reveal anything.
I didnt make the door swing open any easier, and it took most of my strength to open it. Reentering the room, I squeezed past the two large death biome creatures and headed for the stairs leading down. Raven used her torch and placed it in a holder on the wall as she followed me.
Wont you need that? I asked her.
Nope, Raven assured me. The light its generating will reflect enough off the walls to provide me with what I need to see, though I would still like to learn the spell.
Okay, Ill teach you as we explore. I dont think we have to worry about anything attacking us in the area that is considered my lair. Despite my words, I had the two snakes trailing after us. I also dont plan on keeping this place dark and gloomy. Just because we all can see in the dark doesnt mean my favorite thing in the world is to live in darkness.
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