Disclaimer: I do not own Maple Story or the NPCs in it, I only own my characters and the plot. The original characters are mine.
Italics = Thoughts
Chapter 14: Into the Dungeons!
When the group got back into Sleepywood, they met very happy folks who were grateful to them for getting rid of Dylie. After managing to escape the many thanks they were receiving, Replex placed Hikari gently onto her bed while Weniry continued healing her with her magic. Leo crossed his arms and glared at Hikari in a stern manner.
"I'm sick of this - Hikari, what are you hiding from us? There's something that isn't right about you," Leo demanded. Hikari looked blankly at Leo for a moment, before closing her eyes.
"Fine, I'll just tell you, it ain't a big matter anyway. I twisted my ankle when we first leapt through the archway and have been walking with it ever since. That was also the reason why I walked slower and slipped on Dylie just now. There, you happy now?" Hikari snapped. Moments later she felt a stinging pain on top of her head where Leo had just punched with his fist.
"Ow! That hurt you-"
"You idiot! Why didn't you inform us! There you go pushing yourself!" scolded Leo, his face filled with fury as Replex restrained the older boy from hitting Hikari more. He relaxed and his face turned into a sad one. "What would I do if you had landed in a situation like Replex? It isn't easy being the oldest here you know..." he mumbled. Hikari rubbed the bruise on her head.
"Sorry bro..." she said in an apologetic manner. Leo sighed, shrugging off Replex.
"Weniry, help Hikari to bandage up her ankle. After that, we can all take a good rest for our efforts. We'll wake up at dinner time to eat and discuss our plans," ordered Leo. Weniry nodded, grabbing the bandages and assisted Hikari in wrapping her ankle. Replex patted Leo on the shoulder gently.
"Dude, take it easy," he said. "There ain't a reason for you to take on the big brother role all by yourself. We can all share our burdens, yeah?" Leo thought for a moment, before brushing Replex's hand off his shoulder.
"Maybe. You should get some rest too you know? Good job on today..." Leo took just another step before collapsing into Replex's arms, exhausted. Replex merely smiled.
"You're the one who pushed yourself too much Leo, not any of us," Replex said softly, carrying Leo with ease to his bed and covering him. He looked over to Weniry and Hikari.
"Hey girls, get some shut-eye too. We better step things up, can't make Leo worry too much, yeah?" Replex said, grinning cheerfully. Weniry smiled, walking over to Leo, who was sound asleep. She gave a small giggle.
"I guess he used too much of his energy just now to fuel his attacks. Even though he's the most experience one in terms of actual fighting, he still has his limits after all," said Weniry, brushing Leo's hair away from his face. She then placed the book she was carrying on her back by her bedside and laid her head on the pillow after removing her glasses, blurring her vision.
Replex smiled as both girls decided to take a rest. He undid his ponytail, resting his arms behind his head as he laid back to think.
Why would someone put Dylie in Kerning Swamp? Was it to aggravate the citizens? What would they get from doing that? Was it to cause havoc? And I'm still confused by The Rememberer's words. What does he mean that curiosity and silence will end up breaking bonds? Arrgh, I can't think... Replex shook his head as the information ran through his mind.
I think I'll get some sleep first, Replex thought to himself, closing his eyes and slowly dozing to dreamland.
Later that evening, the group gathered at the inn restaurant to eat their dinner. Hikari limped her way over to the table, rubbing her back.
"How embarrassing though... to end up in such a pathetic state," mumbled Hikari as she pulled out one of the manuals Jin had given her when they left Kerning City. She started reading up on the skills of a bandit.
"We all make mistakes, Hikari. Well guys, what should we do after this?" asked Weniry, giving Hikari a comforting smile. Leo gave a shrug, looking at Replex.
"Well, before we discuss that, where did you guys train without me?" asked Replex.
"The Sleepywood Dungeons. There are various monsters down there, but we didn't go in that far 'cause we needed to return," Leo replied, taking a sip of coffee, having finished his meal already.
"Hmm... Then how about we go deeper inside to explore? Wouldn't that be fun?" proposed Replex with glee. Hikari snapped her head up from her manual so suddenly it startled Weniry.
"S-Something wrong Hikari?" she asked.
"I... honestly don't think it's a good idea," Hikari said, grabbing her glass of juice and downing it in one gulp. Replex made a sulky face for a second, before reverting back to his grin.
"Ahh, it'll be fine, I'm sure. Besides, if we have each other, I'm sure we'll be safe inside there!" Replex said. Hikari sighed and shook her head.
"Fine fine, if you say so," Hikari mumbled, returning to her manual. Leo clapped his hands together, straightening his sitting position.
"Very well then, we'll go explore into the dungeons tomorrow, as much as I oppose to the idea..." Leo said reluctantly. Replex pumped his fist into the air.
"Oh yeah! I can smell adventure already!" He exclaimed. Weniry shook her head. That warrior who she first met in Ellinia has hardly changed. Well, not that she remembered that he had changed much anyway. She tucked into her meals silently as she thought about the black charm that was dropped by Dylie.
It burned to ashes the moment it was picked up by Replex. On top of that, our Rubian Marks also reacted to it... I wonder why? Is it because of the legend that the Rubian Jewel itself houses a great evil? Could be I guess, Weniry's thoughts ran through her mind like a rapid train, and she shook her head gently. She looked at Leo, who was resting back in his chair rather relaxed.
"Hmm... We didn't really use up any of our resources, we didn't eat the meat nor did we use a lot of our potions. I'll go sell the drops we got from the monsters to the shop owner." Weniry got up from her seat and grabbed Replex's pouch to sell the extra items they had. Leo watched her closely, observing her actions.
"Do you guys want to try out the sauna later? They have sauna robes for rent, so while we chill out a bit, we can also just have a nice chat there," Leo offered. Hikari shook her head.
"It's a nice offer, but I'll decline it," Hikari said, getting up. "I'll be in our room studying the skills for a Bandit. See you guys later." With that, she left the table and returned back to their room. Leo scowled slightly.
"Still a bit anti-social..." he grumbled. Replex grinned at him, patting him on the back.
"I guess I'll go with ya. What about you, Weniry?" Replex turned his head as he asked the magician. Weniry gave a short nod.
"It sounds really good and relaxing. I wonder why Hikari doesn't want to go for it though."
"Maybe she just doesn't like the heat?" Replex joked, chuckling softly.
"Maybe she just doesn't like being with you, Replex."
"Dammit Leo, that was low!" yelled Replex and he jokingly choked the older elf. Weniry smiled at Replex's playfulness.
"I can never understand how you can change from such playfulness to being serious, Replex," she muttered to herself.
"Now then, should we get going to the sauna before it closes?" Weniry asked. Replex stopped trying to choke Leo and stood up.
"Come on Leo, or we'll leave you behind~" Replex said teasingly.
"Shut up, Replex," snapped Leo, leading the two to the sauna anyway.
Meanwhile, Hikari was sitting in her room when she saw a bright light emerging from Replex's sword.
"Hmmm..." she hummed softly, staring at the light. Ru emerged from the gem, with a tight frown on his face.
"Who are you?" asked Hikari. Ru slapped his forehead.
Don't try and fake it, Hikari, Ru snapped meanly. Hikari cocked an eyebrow.
"Har har, yeah I'm joking. Now seriously, who are you?" Hikari asked again.
... I'm Ru, Replex's Rubian side. I want a few answers from you, Ru replied, his being floating to in front of Hikari. Though I can't hit you like this, I'd rather not possess Replex's body and beat the hell out of you. The first reason is because I don't really like bashing girls up, the second is because I rather not bother Replex because of this.
"Aren't you caring?" said Hikari with sarcasm. "What do you want, Ru?"
I know you're hiding something, Hikari, and I have a feeling I don't like it, Ru growled at Hikari. Hikari closed her eyes, before opening them.
"Hmm, maybe I am. Thieves are a secretive bunch after all," Hikari replied, leaning back on her pillow.
Listen, I want you to tell me what you know, 'cause your Rubian side is just too darn stubborn.
"If my Rubian side is too stubborn, what makes you think I will?"
Point taken, but that's not the point here. What I'm saying is that you have, and you will tell me the truth. What are you hiding!
"Hmm... If I tell you, you must promise to not tell anyone. Not. Even. Replex." Hikari glared at Ru fiercely, a sign that she meant business when she said that. Ru folded his arms.
Sure... If my hunch is correct on what you're hiding, then by my orders, I'm not allowed to say anything at all.
"Don't know what you mean by orders, but I'll tell you what I'm hiding. I'm hiding-" Hikari was cut off when she heard knocking on the door.
"Hikari, we're back! Can we come in?" Replex's voice came from behind the door.
"You fool, it's our room," said Leo from behind the door.
"What if she's changing huh?" Replex snapped back, and silence fell.
Dammit, an interruption... Ru grumbled.
"You can't appear in front of them?" Hikari asked.
By right, I'm not allowed to. Rubian sides are not allowed to appear in front of anyone except our hosts... unless it's an emergency. You got lucky... this time, Ru said, disappearing into red sparkles.
Hikari gave a shrug. "Well, it's not like it's a big secret of mine... I was just hiding a stash of personal sweets. I sure didn't want them to find out I have a sweet tooth, it would be so embarrassing," Hikari sighed, turning to the door.
"Yeah, come in guys, sorry to keep you waiting," she called out. The door opened and Replex, Weniry and Leo walked in.
"Man that felt good. Hikari, you missed out!" Weniry said with a pleasant sigh escaping her lips. Hikari gave a shrug.
"I'm not really that fond of saunas," Hikari explained.
"I could have sworn I heard you talking to someone, Hikari," claimed Leo as he sat down on his bed, cleaning his long ears with a piece of tissue paper. Hikari gave a mysterious smile.
"Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps I'm going insane and I was talking to nobody in particular," Hikari said. Leo rolled his eyes.
"If you're insane, I'm already mental beyond repair," Leo said sarcastically. Weniry gave a small giggle.
"We should all get some rest, right?" Weniry asked, climbing into her bed. Replex nodded, climbing into his as well.
"Well, good night guys!"
The next morning, everyone had gathered at the entrance to the Sleepywood dungeons, which was a large stump with a wide opening carved in it. Replex smirked, cracking his knuckles.
"Alright then, let's get going!" he cried out, pumping his fist into the air. Leo shook his head, taking the lead and going in first. The cave was dimly lit with a few torches. The only available path seemed to be snaking deeper into the underground.
"It's dark in here though... Weniry, we'll leave it to you," said Leo. Weniry nodded, and pulled out her staff, concentrating. A burst of fire was seen at the top of her staff above the red jewel.
"Alright then, we better stick together then. We don't need to get lost and separated from each other," advised Weniry, leading the way with her torch.
The cave was eerily silent; the sounds of water dripping from the stalactites and falling to the ground were crystal-clear. Their steps echoed in the dark cave. They could hear low growling from the darkness of the dungeons where the light from Weniry's flames could not reach.
"It seems like the fire is keeping the Horney Mushrooms and Zombie Mushrooms at bay. It didn't happen last time cause we trained near the entrance..." observed Leo, as he glared back at a bunch of glowing eyes in the darkness. The owner of the eyes gave a scared squeal and disappeared.
"Gee, that glare of yours scares off even monsters huh?" Replex said, giving a raised eyebrow. He turned away to avoid the death glare that Leo was giving him.
Crunch!
"Eek!" Hikari let out a ear piercing scream and hugged onto Replex's arm, shaking in fear. Replex winced from the scream and looked at the shivering girl. Leo and Weniry halted their movements and turned behind to look too.
"What's the matter? Getting cold feet?" asked Replex. Hikari pointed a shaking finger to the ground.
"B-B-Bones... S-Skeletons," she stuttered weakly. Weniry directed the orb of flame downwards and let out a loud scream as well. Replex's face turned pale as he saw the large amounts of bones and skulls on the ground.
"W-We're walking on a bunch of dead people..." he stammered.
"It's not surprising... I heard that many adventurers get lost in these dungeons and never make it out," Leo said, trying to keep himself calm. "We'll be fine as long as Weniry can keep the light source going, there's no need to be afraid."
Hikari gave a small whimper. "I-I don't like things like these... I hate ghosts..." she said, trying to keep a straight face. Replex gave a sigh, patting Hikari's head gently.
"Stick close to me then, and just don't think about it," offered Replex. Hikari gave a small blush, continuing to hug Replex's arm in utter fear. Weniry giggled softly, continuing to walk forward.
"You know Replex, you're acting like an older brother," she said. Replex grinned softly.
"Karamel doesn't really like ghosts too. I don't believe in those kinda stuff, so I often have to be there for him when he thinks there's a ghost around at night," explained Replex, looking down at Hikari.
"I believe there's a certain limit where adventurers couldn't pass because of the extreme lack of light," said Leo. "And I believe that limit is here."
The group pass into an extremely dark cavern. Soft sounds of wings flapping could be heard in the silence.
"Weniry, could you make the fire bigger? Will it exhaust you too much?" asked Leo.
"It'll be alright. As long as I'm not using it for combat, maintaining a fire is easy," Weniry said happily, making the fire bigger. Replex gave a small chuckle.
"Well, at least you have better control than last time back in Ellinia," said Replex. Weniry blushed, rubbing the back of her head.
Leo smiled for a minute, but frowned suddenly as he had to duck to avoid something flying over his head.
"Tch!" he scowled, pulling his bow out. He closed his eyes and focused, listening to the sound of the flapping wings before releasing his arrow. A loud screech was heard before the sound of a limp body dropping to the ground before them was heard. Weniry walked forward, motioning the rest to follow her. As the light illuminated the ground around her, a purple bat with something that appears to be a black mask over its face came into their view.
"Oh, I didn't know Stirges live in the dungeons too," said Hikari, calmer, but still hugging onto Replex's arm.
"Stirges?" Replex asked.
"Yeah, it's a bat-looking monster that like to fly around and can be really hard to hit 'cause they are so mobile. Don't point that fire upwards Weniry, I have a feeling a whole bunch of them are hiding up on the ceiling," said Hikari. Weniry tilted her head to the side.
"How would you know, Hikari?" asked Weniry, curious.
"Weniry, they are still bats!" Hikari cried out, throwing her arms up in exasperation. Her voice echoed through the cave and many flapping sounds could be heard.
"Oh shit... Guys, run forward and don't look back or up no matter what you do!" Hikari yelled, running forward. In spite of being confused by Hikari's instructions, the group ran forward with Hikari.
"Why the sudden haste, Hikari?" questioned Leo as he caught up to the thief.
"Trust me, Stirges aren't friendly monsters when their sleep is disturbed. I accidently disturbed a whole group in the Kerning Subway once, and I didn't turn out too well after that."
"Okay that's one reason, but why can't we turn around?" Leo asked again.
"You can, but it's freaky. Stirges have red eyes that glow in the dark when mad... And it's seriously freaky!" Hikari yelled. Curious, Replex, Weniry and Leo turned their heads back. A look of horror was etched onto their faces as they saw multiple pairs of glowing red eyes in the darkness, the Stirges' body barely visible from the light of Weniry's flame.
"Holy cow, that's IS scary!" yelled Replex, running faster.
"Just a bit more, I can see a light ahead! It's probably the exit of this cave!" screamed Weniry. As they passed the exit of the cave, a bright light from the flames of the torches that hung all over the place greeted them. The Stirges, fearing the light, fled back into their dark cave.
"This place is surprisingly bright," remarked Weniry.
"Why of course! This place has to be bright for my business!" The group covered their ears in pain as a loud voice reached their ears. Hikari looked up and saw a man with sunglasses sitting in a van nearby.
"It's been a long time since there have been adventurers brave enough to pass the Dark Cave, home of the Stirges! Most go back screaming!" the man yelled through a bullhorn, amplifying the volume of his voice several times. Leo stuck his fingers into his ears, annoyance written all over his face.
"Dude! There's no need for the bullhorn, we can hear you!" he yelled. The mysterious man put down the bullhorn and placed his hands on his hips.
"It seriously has been a long time since I saw people down here. This place is lit brightly as it serves as a place for business for me. Further down we have the Evil Eyes Cave, if you're interested. But if you are determined to reach till the end of the dungeons, I recommend buying a Return Scroll or four," he said.
"Not many survive all the way though, cause there are fierce Drakes down there," he sighed, shaking his head.
"Dude, who are you?" asked Leo.
"I'm the owner of the 24-Hour Mobile Shop! Call me Vann!"
That's... not very creative, Replex thought. He turned to face Weniry, whose mind was deep in thought.
"Well, Mr. Vann, do you have any scrolls for the nearest town?" Weniry inquired, pulling out the money pouch. Vann took out 4 grey scrolls from his van.
"It'll be 1600 mesos in total, young miss. A wise choice though," Vann chuckled. Weniry handed the mesos over, passing the scrolls to Replex.
"You can never be too careful in unknown territory," said Weniry. Replex kept the scrolls in his pouch safely.
"Well, be warned. Don't enter the Cursed Sanctuary if you value your lives," warned Vann.
"We'll keep your warning in mind," replied Hikari, finally letting go of Replex's arm. Replex spun his arm in a circle a couple of times.
"Aaah finally the blood can flow back into my arm," said Replex.
"I didn't hug that tightly did I?" asked Hikari, looking away as a red blush formed on her face.
"A little, but I guess it's understandable cause you were scared and all," said Replex cheerfully. Hikari blushed, turning away as steam came out of her head.
"Erm Hikari? There's steam coming out of your head," stated Weniry in concern. Hikari slapped her cheeks gently, shaking her head.
"I-It's nothing, really... I'm just worried for the trip forward," Hikari hesitated for a moment, putting a finger to her chin thoughtfully.
"If there's something on your mind, state it loud and clear," Leo said impatiently. Hikari shook her head, saying it was nothing. Leo gave a shrug, pulling out his bow and taking a deep breath.
"I bet the Evil Eye Cave is going to be fairly dark... Can you use magic while maintaining the flame?" Leo asked.
"Yes, but I'll have to constantly use the Blue Potions. We have a large stock of that with some Mana Elixirs that we bought from the Sleepywood inn, so I'll be fine," assured Weniry.
"Well, good luck on your trip, you four!" cheered Vann, waving to the group as they proceeded downwards into the dungeon. He gave a small frown after they left. "I only hope those teenagers make it out alive... A beast lays dormant in that sanctuary..."
After a short walk down, the group began noticing more eggs around. Weird, pale yellow eggs with funky stripes around it. Hikari took a seat on one of the rocks.
"Anyone hungry? If my sense of time hasn't failed me, it's about noon right now," Hikari asked, pulling the bag of food Jin had given her from nowhere.
"I suppose we could all use a short break and a snack," Leo sighed, sitting down as well. Replex grinned and sat in a cross-legged fashion, followed by Weniry. Hikari took several strips of preserved wild boar meat and handed it out.
"Mmm... Crunchy and tasty," commented Replex as he took a bite out of it.
"Well, Jin preserved it, so it has to be good," replied Hikari, taking a bite out of hers, chewing slowly. "Damn, it's a bit hard though, for some reason."
"Well, let's just thank our stars Master Jin looks out for us and gave us preserved food," said Weniry, munching on her strips happily. A smile crept onto Hikari's face, before she reverted back to her normal, cold face.
"You know guys, The Rememberer said something strange to me and Hikari the other day," Replex said, still eating. "He said something like... Curiosity and silence... erm..."
"Curiosity and silence may be the eventual reasons for broken bonds," completed Hikari. Weniry looked at Hikari, who seemed to be in deep thought.
"You sure you don't understand those words Hikari? I mean, you seem to be thinking about them very much," asked Weniry. Hikari shook her head.
"Nah, I don't at all, Weniry. Anyway, are we done?" Hikari asked the others.
Quick way to change the subject, Hikari, thought Weniry, frowning. She got up anyway, relighting the fire on her staff. Leo readied his bow while Replex pulled out his sword. Soft growling could be heard from where they were, a short distance from the Evil Eye Cave.
"Growling... Those sounds from that cave sound very aggressive," Leo hissed. "Be on your guard you three, we may be assaulted. Weniry, go behind us, we don't need out light source being snuffed out," Leo ordered. Weniry shifted behind quickly, holding her staff high as they entered the Evil Eye Cave.
More growls greeted them as the yellow Evil Eyes came into the shine of the flame. Hikari's eyes darted around. Broken egg shells littered the walls of the cave, and the path was slopping downwards with a steep gradient.
"This is not very advantageous to Replex... Leo and I have a better advantage here with the angle of the path we're standing on," explained Hikari with gritted teeth, Steelies appearing between her fingers.
"Then I'll be your shield then," said Replex, pulling out his shield as well. "Can you guys hit from behind me?"
"We can go crazy with such a steep gradient, Replex, " said Leo. "Keep an eye for your back too, Weniry."
"Roger, Leo," replied Weniry. Hikari's eyes narrowed as more Evil Eyes came into view.
"It seemed like someone... or something angered them. Evil Eyes are traditionally never this aggressive. We're in for a rough run down, guys," muttered Hikari.
"I heard Evil Eyes can be quite docile; and thus they become easier prey for adventurers. But it becomes a totally different story when they are angered," Weniry informed, curling her fingers around her staff tighter.
The Evil Eyes gathered closer, eyes fierce and baring their teeth, crouching low in an offensive stance as if they were about to leap. Neither side moved an inch, creating a heavy atmosphere and tension.
The silence shattered with loud, echoing battle cries, the sound of arrows and throwing-stars piercing the air and stabbing their targets.
A/N: Oh ho ho~ Hikari is afraid of scary things. I'm so not creative with the name for the owner of the 24-Hour Mobile shop. As always, stay sharp till the next update.