Breaking Step (Dungeon Runner 3)

Breaking Step, Chapter 48

Don beamed. "Did any of you pay attention to how many squares Mezano moved? I never told him that."

Tibs thought back on the game. Like Jackal said. Don had instructed the archer on how many forward and then a direction. He'd been too focused on looking ahead and listening to Ganny for an idea of what was to come to pay attention to the rest of the move. It seemed Ganny had been in a similar situation.

"But he's an archer." Jackal motioned to Mez.

"Which I counted on the dungeon also assuming since it's the only role I've used him in before. After the board allowed that first move without me having to state by how many he had to finish it, I figured it was an autonomous system independent of the one that decides how to move the pieces. Then it was just about making sure that part was focused on defending it pieces so it wouldn't notice Mez wasn't moving as an archer did, but as the Lady could."

"You two worked this out ahead of time," Jackal said, not entirely pleased, as Ganny growled.

"I hate you, Don. I truly do. One of these days, I will get the upper hand."

Mez crossed the board and tapped the shield over the chest. "Tibs," he called as the distant rumble vibrated the floor.

Tibs checked the chest, then opened it. Three healing potions, two of essence, a sword and shield. Don got the essence potions, Jackal, Khumdar, and Tibs, one healing each. Mez still had those he'd entered the dungeon with.

* * * * *

"I swear," Don grumbled, scrambling up the side of the pillar. "You are trying to kill me."

"It wasn't that hard of a jump," Tibs replied, distracted by studying the landscape of shifting floor room. Nothing moved, so that while it looked like the sorcerer's feet that brushed the other platform, he had grabbed onto the side before sliding too far.

"Not hard for you." Don panted, rolling on his back once he pulled himself onto the top. "You will throw yourself off a chasm for fun. I am a sorcerer. My idea of exercise consists of lifting heavy books."

Clearly, he'd over estimated Don's ability this time. He couldn't remember how he'd judge them while iced, but that last run, while pissed at the sorcerer, he'd definitely made sure he had all the short ones, so he wouldn't have an excuse to cause one of them to die.

"As a Dungeon Runner," Khumdar said, "it may be to your benefit to expand to something more physical."

"Clearly, you haven't seen the books I've been reading."

"Khumdar's right," Jackal said. "You might be a scholar one day, but you need to survive the dungeon first."

"I have survived."

"You almost fell," Mez pointed out.

"The fall wouldn't have killed me," Don replied disparagingly.

"It could have killed one of us," the archer replied.

"What do you want me to say, Mez? I'm sorry, okay? I'm doing the best I can, but this isn't my kind of room."

"I want you to say you're going to accept Jackal's offer to train you."

"You do want me killed!" Don replied, horrified.

"I'm not that hard of trainer," Jackal said, smirking.

"You are stone through and through. It doesn't get any harder."

"Think of what it'll do to have some of that rubbing off on you."

"Kroseph won't be happy," Tibs said, deciding on a longer, but more suited path.

"Not that kind of rubbing," Jackal protested.