Bell felt his mouth go slack, his sword drifting down to his side. The Al Miraj strutted back to the group. It was an older Al Miraj, if such a thing could exist, gray fur around his muzzle marking his age.
"Wow," Bell finally muttered as the dust continued clearing. The Al Miraj had destroyed the 32nd floor. Everything was charred and blackened. Even the magic stones were burned by the heat. Bell imagined they had felt that explosion on the surface, the scream that had accompanied it certainly should have been.
"Nobody messes with Fizzbang, the greatest sorcerer to ever live!" The Miraj yelled little gouts of fire coming from its mouth.
"Fizz, that's enough. Come here, old man," one of the harpies said, putting the Miraj on her feather-covered shoulder.
The group slowly made their way across the charred floor, the ground crunching under their assorted feet. Bell stayed near the front with the Fumore. All the other Xenos had fallen back, too injured to be of help.
"How much further to your home," Bell asked. The hair on his arms stood up, every instinct in his body yelling at him to run.
"End of this floor, behind the orange crystal wall," Ray huffed. The harpy was being partly carried by an orc. Her right leg feathers were stained red, and she favored her other leg heavily.
"We need to go faster," Bell didn't wait, moving up to a light jog. He swiveled his head left and right as the group moved. He saw something peeking around corners, red eyes peering out of the darkness.
"The hunters have become the hunted," The fumore stated from behind him.
"What is that? I can't make it out," Bell asked, the thing fading back into the darkness.
"It is the mother's guardian. Stay close to the pack, or it will attack."
"It won't attack Xenos?"
"Normally, it will not, but each one is different. They are a reflection of the floor they are born on. This one is an ambush predator. So long as we move quickly, stay close together, and cause no further harm, it will keep away."
"What is it?" Bell asked, watching its glowing red eyes vanish around another corner.
"A creature created by the dungeon to kill those who damage it. I have heard it called a juggernaut before," Ray said. Behind them, the Xenos had jammed together, everyone holding a weapon. It reminded Bell of a porcupine.
"I have never heard of anything like that," Bell replied with a frown. An ambush hunter that only rarely spawned would definitely be something adventurous talked about.
"We have seen three groups of adventurous trigger the one on the 32nd floor. None survived," Ray replied softly. The group was all but sprinting now.
Ahead the orange crystals appeared. Tucked into a corner, a stone's throw away from the entrance to the next floor. Touching the cold crystal, he failed to see anything behind it.
"There isn't anything here," he said, running his hands all over the crystals. He could even see the stone behind them.
"Because you are looking in the wrong spot," Ray replied, gesturing at the foot of a crystal that grew at a 45-degree angle. "The entrance is through there." Bell crouched. Instead of crystal, he felt a cool breeze.
"The crystals around it reflect light off each other you can't even see the entrance. How did you ever find this place?" Bell asked, sticking his head through the entrance. It was gorgeous if a relatively small circular space. Crystals like those on the eighteenth floor hung from the ceiling. A large pond fed by a flowing waterfall dominated the center of the room. Several small huts dotted the space around the pond.
Screams of joy echoed around the space as the Xenos entered. Many of them hugged each other while others sprinted to what had been their homes. Bell smiled, watching several Xenos splash each other in the pond.
"Bell, will you be staying with us? I can have a bed made up for you," Ray asked as she struggled through the hole. He leaned down gently, helping the wounded siren to her feet.
"No, I need to get those weapons back. If Ryuu finds you with them," Bell trailed off. He had expected her to catch up to them on the way down.
"It is most unwise to ascend with the juggernaut outside. This Ryuu may be dangerous, but the guardian is more," the Fumore stated, making its way over to him, the bundle of stolen weapons lashed together under its arms.
"What caused this one to appear? They must have a weakness, right?"
"This monster was spawned when the dungeon herself was hurt. That's why we don't let Fizz cast fireball too often," Ray replied. "It will collapse back into the dungeon after a day. If Ryuu is following us, the guardian will likely take care of her."
Bell's stomach dropped to his feet. His anger at the elf had long faded over time. Still, she had protected him when he was a child, and now she would walk into some dungeon creature she had never seen before. One, even the Fumore apparently didn't want to fight.
"I need to go," Bell replied. The Fumore nodded, tying the weapons to his back.
"Travel safe, Bell, but travel quickly. The dungeon will not spawn any creatures around the 32nd floor while it repairs itself. We will welcome you with open wings if you need to turn back. We won't forget what you have done for us," Ray's wings closed around him, hugging the smaller adventurer.
Exiting the hidden village, Bell immediately decided he would rather deal with monsters than complete silence. But he knew that thing was out there. Staying just out of sight, circling him, its feet, if it even had feet, utterly silent on the floor. The only sound was the delicate crunch of soot under his boots.
He broke into a slow jog, the weapons clinking on his back reverberating in the silence. Bell stumbled back as the beast lept out of the darkness. It was massive. Bell barely reached the creature's waist.
Its head reminded him of an emancipated dragon, its teeth and red eyes almost bulging from its skull. Three legs on each side, each tipped with sword-length claws that were gouging the dungeon's floor. Its body was easily twelve feet long, its tail another twelve and tipped with a spear-like appendage at the tip. Its skin was a sickly green with an odd shimmer.
No, not a shimmer. It had a magic-resistant shell.
It pulled its head back, its maw opening, a soundless yell coming from its mouth. Then it blurred towards him. Bell brought his weapon up, slashing at the closest leg. But, it veered at the last second; its shoulder slamming into his and its talons cutting at his back as it flew past. Bell was thrown forward by the force of its blow and saved from being impaled only by the sack of weapons on his back. He spun in midair to try and keep the beast in his sights.
It vanished, never slowing down as it moved back into the blackness. Bell's feet were shaky as he got them back under him. Keeping his back to the wall was usually not a good idea, but he would prefer any monster on this floor have a shot at his back than that thing. Shuffling slowly along, he finally reached the stairs going up.
His heart thudded in his chest. The juggernaut was splayed across the roof directly between him and the exit. It launched itself at him sending them both crashing to the floor. Bell thrust upwards, the weapon tearing through the beast's shell and cutting clean through where its spine should be. The beast didn't even notice. Bell screamed as he felt claws tear into his leg.
Bell ripped the swords upward, intent on gutting the creature. The claws in his legs retreated, pulling flesh as it jumped away again. It was now blocking the passage he had just come down, seemingly snarling at him as it pulled his flesh from its claws. The juggernaut seemed to smile at him as it ate the meat.
He couldn't make it to the surface with his leg cut up, and he couldn't run back to the village either; he would never make it past the juggernaut. He struggled to his feet, limping up the stairs away from the feeding juggernaut.
His mind raced as he struggled forward, a trail of red left behind him. He had never seen or even heard of a monster stopping an attack. He shivered as the thought of that creature tearing the flesh off his body raced through his mind. At least the monsters on this floor also hadn't begun respawning.
Behind him, the sound of claws on stone.
It was following him, the grinding sound getting closer. His injured leg strained to give him more speed.
"Bell?" Ryuu stood in front of him. Her cloak covered her face, but he would know that voice anywhere.
"Ryuu! You need to run!" He yelled at her. Behind him, the chitter was growing closer. He limped toward the elf for every step forward; she took one back.
"Bell, why did you take those weapons?"
"I didn't. I'm returning them. You need to run-"Bell saw her go for her weapons. She sprinted towards him. She's really going to kill me, Bell thought. But she kept moving past him, her blades meeting the juggernaut's claws as it attempted to attack again. It chittered, its mouth clicking like a bird, almost excitedly, as it vanished into the darkness again.
"A juggernaut," Ryuu's voice was hardly audible. "What did you do! Are you working with them!" Her voice was ragged as she turned towards him, her weapons not lowering.
"It wasn't me. A fireball spell wrecked the 32nd floor, and that thing appeared! They were starving in cages after Loki killed the Ikilos familia. I couldn't just leave them!" Bell replied shakily as Ryuu paced in front of him.
"Ikilos?" Ryuu said slowly, her weapons lowering slightly. "His familia were holding monsters, hostage?"
"They aren't monsters. They are called Xenos, intelligent monsters. They sold them." Bell replied, slumping against the wall.
"I will relay that to Freya. But why did you take their weapons?"
"I went to get food. When I came back, the Xenos had found them. I tried to get them to return the weapons to the grave mound, but there were a lot of monsters. I followed them down here so I could return the weapons,"
"I don't know what to do with you," Ryuu replied.
"Take the weapons and leave me," Bell replied, gesturing to his mangled leg. "I can fight it off and give you a headstart." Bell blinked against the tears that threatened to form at the edge of his eyes.
"No, you are coming with me. We can walk, and you can explain," Ryuu said in a slightly ominous tone.
"We don't have time for this!"
"Why didn't you leave when Syr came to get you?" Ryuu asked, completely ignoring him as she pulled him to his feet, an arm wrapping around him as she pulled him forward.
"Syr? Why would I go with her?"
"You didn't want to return to us?" She asked.
"What are you talking about? You didn't come to get me!" Bell shot back.
"I have been trying to find you since you vanished. Bell, everyone thought you died."
"Ishtar told you where I was, then you ran off and joined Freya. I saw you in the dungeon, remember!" He was light-headed from the blood loss, and he was angry.
"I never saw you in the dung-. Bell, were you wearing a necklace?" Ryuu said as she pulled him into a small alcove.
"Yes,"
"A charmed necklace that changed your appearance?"
"Yes"
"Those rely on skin contact. You took it off your chest but kept it in your palm. I didn't recognize you," she replied. He stared at her dumbly. He had gripped the necklace in his hand. He smacked his head into the wall. "Ishtar also never told me where you were."
"She lied about a lot of things," Bell slowly replied. "Ryuu, you need to go. That thing isn't killable. I stabbed it in the spine, and it has no magic stone. If we keep this pace up, it will keep attacking you."
"You are coming back with me. We will determine what happened, and you will join Freya's familia. This Juggernaught is far weaker than it should be. It is not particularly dangerous to me," she replied. He stared at the elf in horror.
"How do you know what this thing is?" Bell stammered.
"One of them killed my familia, and I have hunted several since becoming a member of Freya's familia. I know my former familia would approve of our using their weapons to stop this one," she replied, grabbing a set of swords off his back. "Magic blades, it's immune to magic. But these will help if any monsters attack as we move out of the damaged area."
Then they were moving again, making their way towards the stairs. The creature attacked once more, sprinting from the darkness. Ryuu dodged its swings, but the beast never slowed, hissing as it vanished around a corner. The chirping resumed, slowly circling them.
"It may be weaker. But it is most definitely smarter."
Bell nodded, clutching the two magic blades Ryuu had handed him. They moved slowly, limited by Bell's limping pace. The juggernaut made several passes each time Ryuu knocked the creature back or dodged its strike.
Then it vanished.
"It's going to bring a pass parade," Ryuu stated, pointing to the stairs leading up and a faint, barely audible pounding of feet. "You focus on the regulars; those swords should have enough charge. The juggernaut will likely try to attack us from above. Keep your ears open for its chittering. Remember, those swords won't hurt it."
She had barely finished when the stomping of feet on stairs started. Bell started swinging the blades, gouts of fire and ice slicing through the air and cutting through monsters sending plumes of superheated steam into the air as fire and ice collided. But the press kept coming, and the blades couldn't cut deep enough into their lines to slow them down. Like a tidal wave, the monsters reached the base of the stairs.
Which worked better as they spread out each swing and took out more of them. Ryuu stood next to him. If she moved up, the swords would be useless. His arms began to burn, and sweat dripped down his face. Finally, the parade slowed, Bell only taking swings as the monsters reached the bottom steps. The stairs positively glittered with gems.
The final swing caused the swords to turn to dust in his hands. The magic holding the sword together collapsed as the last blast of magic cut down ten more monsters.
"Leave all the weapons except that sword," she stated, pointing to the long thin sword in the bundle. "They are slowing us down."
When he didn't immediately respond, she walked back, physically cutting the weapons off his back. "They are slowing you down too much," she stated again.
Bell nodded wordlessly, grabbing the sword she indicated and continuing behind her.
"What have you been doing," Bell asked. The crackling slowly got to him. He was desperate for noise.
"Looking for you," Ryuu replied. "It has been busy, between my duties in Freya Familia and working at the hostess."
"You still work at the hostess?" Bell asked in surprise. It certainly didn't seem like the thing a member of the Freya Familia would do.
"Of course, that's my home," Ryuu stopped holding a hand up. "I think we are about to run into your guards."
Bell frowned at the word guards but didn't argue. Ryuu was correct. Rounding a corner was Aisha and Haruhime leading nine more amazons.
"Bell!" Haruhime yelled out his name but was stopped from moving toward him by Aisha's arm.
"Elf, I see you have found our missing member," Aisha stated slowly, the amazons slowly spreading out in a half-moon.
"I wouldn't spread out," Ryuu replied simply. Aisha simply chuckled, waving the amazons forward.
"Aisha, listen to her. There is something down here," Bell said, limping forward.
"There is always stuff down here, Bell. It's the dungeon- what is that sound," Aisha replied, looking around.
"A juggernaut, it is a rare spawn. This one seems to be an ambush hunter. You need to keep your party together," Ryuu said. Aisha's scoff was cut off as one of the Amazons screamed, the juggernaut leaping onto her back and dragging her into the blackness.
"Don't move!" Aisha yelled, "Circle up! Bell, get over here!"
The amazons followed Aisha's orders forming the circular formation Bell was familiar with. The screams of the dragged-off amazon falling away.
"I will escort Bell to the surface. If you fight me, you will die," Ryuu stated with a shrug.
"I can't do that. If we return without Bell, Ishtar will kill us herself," Bell's heart jumped at Aisha's grated words.
"Come with us," the words were out of his mouth before his brain had time to catch up.
"Bell?" Three sets of eyes bored into him.
"Nobody is going to have to die," he gave a small smile to Ryuu. "I am going with Ryuu, and then Ishtar can meet us at the Hostess."
Aisha's eyes slowly widened. "Her charm didn't work."
"No, it didn't."
Ryuu gave him a look he couldn't decipher. Across from them, Aisha was swearing. Haruhime's face was completely hidden, but she was nervous and confused based on the swishing of her tail.
"Let's get back to the safe floor. We can discuss this there. Elf, if I send Haruhime over with a potion for Bell, would you promise not to stab her?"
Ryuu nodded, the circle of Amazons shifting closer until Haruhime slipped out, running to Bell's side. The pain relief from the potion was almost immediate. A horrendous itching sensation spread through his leg as the flesh regrew and knitted itself together.
Ryuu positioned herself between and slightly behind the Bell and the Renard.
The trip back up was made in silence. Aisha and the amazons kept the monsters at bay. Ryuu would rush the juggernaut every time it appeared. The beast finally left them alone as they passed the 22nd floor.
Ryuu slowly put extra distance between the two groups as they approached the eighteenth floor. Aisha clearly noticed slowing her group down as well. The final two floors moved one step at a time, both groups on edge.
The situation didn't get any better once they reached the eighteenth floor. They had hardly cleared the stairs when sounds of shouting reached their ears. The yells were generated by a group of amazons being circled by several figures in long black cloaks, their faces obscured by metal masks.
"Well, this complicates things," Aisha groaned, turning back to face him. Next to him, Haruhime slipped a shaking hand into his own.
Freya enjoyed the mindlessness of working at the hostess disguised as Syr. It was especially appreciated on days like today, where the alternative was to wait in her tower. The works kept her mind busy, but when Horn appeared, all thoughts of serving were gone. Freya simply hung the smock up and walked out the back door.
"We found Bell," Horn replied as they returned to tower Babel. "He is heading to the deep floors."
"Then why are you here without him, and where is Ryuu?" Freya asked.
"He was leading a group of monsters. Ryuu followed him, and I believe he will be returning with her,"
Freya's eyes widened. Her Odr, what would he possibly be doing leading monsters? She had heard rumblings of intelligent monsters, but to have news that Bell had found them was surprising.
"Ishtar is a part of eviilus," Freya mused out loud. Clearly, that group knew more of the dungeons than she had realized. Perhaps it was time to have a visit with Ishtar.
It wouldn't do to have her Odyr's soul tarnished by being pulled into another stupid plot by Evilus.
How a group led by a god of wine had eluded Ganesha and Loki for so long truly spoke to the ineptitude of the two deities.
"Ishtar familia was also on the eighteenth and first floor,"
"Retrieve Ottarl and Allan,"
She watched Horn dash into the manor. Freya made her way to her viewing room at a much more sanguine pace. A smile crossed her face as Ryuu's soul closed in on Bell.
"My lady," Ottarl's voice boomed behind her. He was kneeling with Allen, both of them already outfitted for battle.
"It appears the trash has forgotten her place. Ottarl, take our best and bring Ishtar to me. Allen, take however many you need and retrieve Bell from the dungeon."
"What of the amazons?" Allen asked.
"Kill anyone who gets in our way," the smile on Allen's face turned positively feral before the two turned and strode from the room.
AN: It's been a while, hasn't it? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If not, well, I enjoyed writing it, and since I do this for free, I suppose that's what matters. To be honest, I wasn't sure where I was going with this story, but as I write, the direction is slowly coming back to me. In the next chapter, we'll find out who the Amazons are fighting (Hint: It's not Freya), and Bell will be forced to confront the fact that he was used and lied to for the past few years, which will be the midpoint of the story. I'm not sure how I'll end it yet, but I may leave it up to the reviewers to decide who Bell ends up with: Aisha & Haruhime or Ryuu. I have a rough idea of how to end it with either option and if enough people like the story, I'll happily write both. But, the story will diverge for the last third and one is definitely the bad ending, well kinda bad. Like the diet coke of Bad.
Secondly, I hate the formatting style of and it has been a while since I have had to post anything. So, if its wrong let me know and I shall fix it.
Oh yeah, the first person who can guess the origin of Fizz gets two votes. (Think D&D)