Breaking Step (Dungeon Runner 3)

"Who needs to recharge?" Jackal asked as Tibs healed him.

The first fight of the boss room had taken a toll again, but mostly on Jackal. The creatures had focussed their attention on him to the almost complete exclusion of the others. Those who hadn't had done so to keep anyone from coming to the fighter's help.

Mez and Don had been the most successful ones, but the attacks had also bled off onto Jackal, so that what Tibs was healing was almost equally caused by his friends.

"I'm good," Mez replied.

"I will last this coming battle," Khumdar said, "and so long as we take the time for Tibs to assist in recharging me afterward, I will continue to be fine."

"You need to carry amulets," Jackal said.

"Should you know follow that same advice?"

"I'm a fighter. I don't have time for that sorcerer stuff."

"And I am a cleric. Darkness will provide me with what I need."

"Then why are you letting Tibs help you?" Mez asked.

"Because as someone who has spoken with Darkness, he too follows its will."

"Someone's become good at justifying," Jackal said, carefully moving his newly healed arm.

"I have not become anything," Khumdar replied smugly, and Tibs chuckled at the admission.

"Don?" Jackal called. "Don!"

"What?" The sorcerer looked away from the dragon, which had taken so much of his attention he hadn't participated in ribbing Khumdar.

"I asked, how's your reserve?"

"Oh, I'm fine," he replied distractedly, looking at the dragon again.

"I haven't seen Tibs help you in this run." Jackal sighed. "Don, any chance you can stop your mind from wandering?"

"It isn't wandering," the sorcerer replied. "The path it's on is well marked."

"Then how about you take the path that takes you back to us?" Jackal asked.

The glance Don gave him was filled with annoyance, which vanished as he looked at the others watching him. "I'm sorry. What are we discussing?"

"Tibs hasn't helped you recharge," Jackal said.

"Of course not. The reserves in the robe can easily last me through this floor a dozen time over."

"Don't give Ganny a challenge," Tibs warned.

She snorted. "I don't care about Don. It's Jackal who is getting all of my attention this time."

"I think we've noticed," Tibs replied darkly.

Jackal chuckled. "Don is safe, isn't he?"

"Angering the dungeon might be among the least wise things you have done," Khumdar stated.

"I'm not angry at him," Sto replied. "Ganny is. Is Don sure he doesn't want me to change the color of his robe? He just has to put it in the cache by the entrance."

"Sto wanted to make sure you're okay with the robe as it is."

Don chuckled. "As I said when he changed it so I could sense the essence it contained. I am fine with it. It's going to be simple to have a seamster add highlights when I decide on them. I checked and the robe's healing enchantment won't undo that."

Tibs focused on Jackal again to confirm he was fully healed. "You keep getting Ganny angry, and this is just going to get worse."

The fighter grinned. "I know!"