Dungeon 42

...Typical

Chapter 58

Agony and I continued on our way, descending from the second layer safe zone to the final layer of the yellow stack. It was an exciting trip since this area had the first instances of traps and puzzles being combined. Sometimes a surprise would trigger as a consequence of an incorrect puzzle choice. Others, the layout of a trap was itself a puzzle.

The progression from one or the other to both wasn't exactly elegant. I would have to backtrack and create a less abrupt transition once I had more layers in place. The tour carried on until we reached the boss room. I'd been experimenting with its aesthetic.

The natural section of the chamber gave way to an ancient structure revealed by an apparent cave-in. Rubble, fallen stalactites, and non-construct skeletons were lying about for dramatic effect. Agony flew around the chamber, inspecting the mixture of broken columns and decorative stonework I'd added near the mirror.

The layout made it look like there was a simple straight shot to the safe zone since the giant mirror set into the wall didn't look threatening in and of itself. I'd carved a message into the glass and filled it with black and hints of a tarnished silver.

"Life takes many paths, but the end is always the same. Memento Mori," Agony read the inscription aloud. He gave me a 'really?' look, but I stuck my nose in the air anyway. It was a little basic but still pretty spooky.

"Pretty sure you're an example of that not being the case," Agony said archly.

"Well, pretty sure I died even if I didn't stay that way. So, still technically right," I shot back. Agony rolled his eyes, and I did my best not to think too hard about what either of us had said. Maybe the inner workings of fate and mortality were tutorial or sub tutorial level information, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I hadn't run up against the system’s suppression response for a while, and didn't relish the idea of the existential crisis it was probably delaying.

"Try passing through the mirror," I suggested. Agony looked at me funny, then inspected the mirror before grinning. He backed up then darted through, and I followed him in. Inside, the rows of risers were full of skeletons who rained confetti down on us.

"WELCOME!" came the group psychic roar. Then, as the bright paper dots got close enough to Agony, they combusted into colorful sparks. I couldn't explain why but I'd know that certain chemicals changed the color of fire and had been playing around with the ones at my disposal for a week.

"What!?" Agony asked in cheerful astonishment. Instead of answering, I started flying up and into the necropolis proper. Like during New Year's, I'd set up decorations, games, and as much of a party atmosphere as I could manage.

"Welcome to my dungeon," I chirped. Agony looked at me, then took off to explore. I was pretty pleased, knowing the stone poker chips and fireproofed cards would stand up to him. A significant bit of foresight on my part. When a tablecloth caught fire ten seconds later, I realized I hadn't accounted for all of the flammables.

"Shit!" I said, hurrying to deal with the fire. No one was in any actual danger from it, but the ash would make a mess.

"Agony!" came an excited baying. Blackmoor was running toward the smaller fire elemental and yapping excitedly, catching half the room on fire in the process. I watched the mayhem unfold while most of the skeletons just laughed in amusement. Some didn't even do that, just carrying on with their games as the table cloth under them burned.

By the time everything that could burn was either ash or put up, I was mentally exhausted. Despite that, I made sure to show Agony the commemorative chips I'd made with a cartoon version of him on them.

"Neat," Agony said appreciatively. A small stack of the various chips disappeared, presumably into his inventory.

"You made all of these games?" Agony asked, gesturing at the shelves where I'd left copies of everything I'd made for public use.

"Mostly, they're a little jank because I was trying to recreate stuff from memory in a lot of cases. Or based on descriptions," I explained. For example, Dawn and I had a really odd chess variant we worked on sometimes. She didn't have any particular artistic inclination, so getting all the pieces to look right was taking a while.

"Still, this is really neat," Agony said. It only took a few minutes for him to switch from examining the games to watching the skeletons play them. I'd thankfully fireproofed all of the pieces and cards.

Unlike myself, Agony readily invited himself to play and was quickly chatting animatedly with the skeletons. After observing for a while, I felt confident he had things in hand and excused myself. I didn't go far.

Instead of going for a walk, I decided to lurk at the top of the grand staircase. I floated on my back and made a detailed series of mental notes about future renovations and a makeshift fire code. An hour passed, and I tried to dredge up the wherewithal to go back downstairs but failed.

Below me, the party had shifted gears. Instead of the awkward and subdued energy of the New Year's party, there was a kind of liveliness.

I'd summoned a can of Chaos soda but had been ignoring it for a while. When I finally went for a drink, I found the can had sealed and refilled itself. I reopened it, amused by the new development. Watching the festivities, I wondered at the change in atmosphere.

It wasn't like I got the impression that the skeletons disliked me exactly, but I was their dungeon master. So it wouldn't be that strange for them to find it uncomfortable for me to be around when they were socializing.

"Mistress?" Henry called. I hadn't noticed him coming up the stairs.

"Hey, everything alright?" I asked, shifting into something like a sitting position. He didn't sound worried, so I was only curious rather than concerned.

"I'm w-well… are you?" Henry asked. I felt my orbs flicker. That he'd been looking for me out of concern was a bit of a surprise. Though in fairness, this wasn't the first time I'd ditched a party midway.

"Yeah, uhm… I was just feeling a little tired," I oversimplified.

"I c-can't imagine why-why," Henry said archly, casting a glance toward the party below. It looked like Chris had taken to juggling wooden balls and Agony. That quickly transitioned to him juggling fire as the balls ignited. The bones of his hands were scorching from exposure to the intense heat of a fire elemental, but he was laughing, insensible to pain.

"Well, at least they're having fun," I replied dryly.

"Yet y-you were no-not?" Henry asked. I studied the crowd below for a few moments rather than answering. I knew intellectually some of what I was feeling was confirmation bias. I thought something was true, so I interpreted what I saw as evidence to support that assumption.

"Honestly, unless it's only one or two people, I start to feel awkward. In a crowd like this? I turn into a ball of anxiety," I admitted.

"Why? We-We're your m-monsters," Henry asked. I flinched at the wording. Of course, it was true in the most literal sense. I was a dungeon master, and they were my summoned monsters. That I didn't think of them that way didn't change the fundamental reality of the situation.

"That's true, but… You guys, the hounds, the moles, you’re sapient. You are thinking, feeling, beings. You’re people, even if you're no longer human, or never were in the first place. How you see me," I started and fumbled. Explaining that my social anxiety didn't recognize a species barrier was a very involved line of logic. One Henry likely had no frame of reference for.

"You care what we think of you?" Henry asked, disbelief clear in his voice. I rested my elbows on the rail of the stairs and scrubbed my face with my hands. To someone who didn't have the problem, just being that aware and concerned about strangers would sound absurd. That I felt the same way about beings I had no small amount of control over likely didn't make any sense at all.

"That's part of it," I agreed.

"I think it's normal to a degree, given the circumstances. I should care how you guys feel and what you think of things. The reason I can't stand crowds is… involuntary. I know I'm making more of it than there is, logically. Yet I'm still up here because it's exhausting to fight against after a while," I continued. I hadn't really meant to explain so much, but it felt easy to talk with Henry leaning on the rail next to me.

"Also, like you said, I summoned you. I'm the dungeon master, it's probably hard to cut loose and have fun around me, and I want everyone to be able to relax. So that just… adds to what I was already feeling," I finished. Without memories, I wasn't sure if I'd gone through this as a human, but I felt a bit bad for my prior self if that was the case. It wasn't crippling, but it wouldn't have made life easy.

"Is my... c-company an ac-ac-acceptable al-alternative?" Henry asked softly. I almost didn't catch the words over the din from downstairs. I tilted my head in confusion as I looked at him. He, in turn, looked steadily down at the crowd below us. I had to wonder what kind of impression I'd given him up to this point for him to ask that.

"Henry, I like spending time with you. No matter the occasion," I replied, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. I didn't want him to think I considered his company a consolation prize. I didn't like how crowds made me feel, but it wasn't like I felt like I was missing out.

If I hadn't felt a need to play hostess, I'd have gladly camped out at a table with Henry and a couple others and been fine. I'd done as much the day after New Year's when we played poker without feeling uncomfortable.

"M-Mistress," Henry started, turning toward me as he stood. I froze, surprised by how far into my personal space Henry suddenly was. No one got particularly close to me usually. Belatedly I realized my hand was still on Henry's shoulder. I snatched it back and hid it behind my back like I'd done something wrong.

"I've made you uncomfortable," Henry said, glancing at my arm as he took a step back. I could have kicked myself. No one would have taken that well. Not when I'd yanked my hand back like it was burned.

"No, you didn't, but... Doesn't my touch bother you?" I asked. Henry hesitated to answer, and I felt like squirming but just tightened the grip of my hands behind my back.

Henry looked like he was struggling for words, then just gave up in exasperation. We stared at each other, neither one knowing what to say. I felt terrible for putting him on the spot but didn't take the question back. It was better to just hear it than wonder. He’d seemed fine about it before but I couldn’t help the nagging feeling he was just being polite.

The sound in the air shifted, the tune the bards were playing shifted from a merry jig to something still lively but more sedate in pace. Henry glanced down, then back to me. His posture changed, turning more formal before he executed a neat bow.

"May I-I ha-have th-this dance?" Henry asked, holding out a hand to me as he straightened back up. I reached out to accept on impulse.

Holding my hand, Henry stepped in close again. His free hand went to my waist and gently drew me in until the space between us vanished. My fear of being found repulsive evaporated. This would have been intolerable if he felt that way.

"Do… do y-you still th-think-" Henry started, but was cut off by a loud crash from below.

"Christopher," Henry said, like the name was a curse. Looking down, I found Chris and several other skeletons were fighting. The crash had been from them overturning a table in the process.

It was my responsibility as a dungeon master to provide them with a decent and entertaining environment. However, that was not the same as putting up with destructive bullshit every time they felt bored.

"They are in so much trouble," I growled. Henry chuckled and didn't meet my eyes when I looked toward him. It seemed my irritation lacked gravitas, but that was a concern for later.

"Oi!" I shouted, hopping over the rail to land among the combatants. They split apart, clearly shocked by my sudden arrival.

"You're all grounded!" I shouted. My declaration drew blank looks. Shit, they probably had no idea what that meant. But they would learn. Oh, how they would learn.