Chapter 34: 33. Into the Dark

Each step takes me deeper and deeper into the darkness. Even as my eyes adjust, I know it won't be long before I have no light to walk by. Leaning into the building drama of the moment, I walk to the edge of the darkness. I am at the point where I can no longer see the path ahead. It is like a pitch-black wall is standing before me. Sliding my hand into the dark, I make sure that it is not actually a wall standing before me. Passing through the veil, my hand vanishes before me. There is no way this darkness is natural. 

That thought increases my reluctance to proceed further into the dark. Reluctance that I have been doing a great job of ignoring until now. There is no way to know what lies ahead. It could be the end of the cave. I could run into a wall when the trail unexpectedly turns. There could be traps or even creatures waiting for my next step. 

Before foolishness and a sense of conquering the unknown take over, I pause for a moment. My heart is racing, and my palms are slightly sweaty. In front of me, there is only pure blackness…and silence. There is only blackness and silence...and me. There is only blackness, silence, and me. The trio of us destined to battle our wills against each other. 

I wish I could say the next step is easy. 

I stand at the edge contemplating and running through options. I can turn back now. Making it to the edge of darkness with no light is a feat on its own, and Gene has had ample time to reach out to me. 

This is definitely a trap. Even if it isn't a trap, there is a great chance I will get lost in this cave forever, with death being my only way out. 

I can light a torch and move forward with my exploration. Even better, I can summon Bones, and we can double the torches and move forward with even more light. To secure a pathway out, I can summon a bunch of cord and drag it behind. I could even focus on energy sense and feel my way through. Or I could turn back, and Gene can reach out in less suspicious circumstances.  

These are all smart and reasonable choices. For whatever reason, unexplainable to me, they aren't my choice. No. My choice is to conquer the dark on its terms. Unknowingly this adventure into the cave becomes a chance for me to learn a truth about myself.

Can I survive in the dark? Can I step forward having no clue what forward is to bring? My mouth turns into a grin. My head shakes disapprovingly while I laugh at my foolish decision-making. There is a good reason why I am not a boss. 

"Damn Bones and his demands for a pilgrimage. He will hear nothing of this."

Mind made up, I slide my right foot slowly in front of me a step. It crosses the dark barrier and disappears. I sweep it along the uneven rocky floor to ensure a solid footing ahead. With a bit of assurance, I place my foot down firmly. I'm about to transfer my weight when I quickly pull my foot back. 

My heart is pounding. Sweat forms on my brow. I am glad Bones isn't here to witness my bravery. Once again, I move my foot. This time though, I slide it a step to my right. With more confidence in the safety of my footing, I transfer my weight and successfully complete my sidestep at the edge of darkness. 

I repeat this sidestep motion eight times until I successfully locate the wall. It's a cold, damp wall with jagged rocks jutting out. Of all the walls I've felt in this cave, I'm sure this is the prettiest. This wall will act as my guide. As long as I keep the wall on my right, I know I have a consistent direction. 

When I want to turn back, I just need my pretty wall to accompany me on my left. I'm a fool, but I'm a fool who will play on the safe side to not get lost. Reaching my right hand out, I lightly take the wall's stony embrace. Hand gripping my guide, I move my right foot forward a pace and a half sweeping the floor as before. Confident in my step, I plant down and bring my left foot to follow. Hand on the wall, one slow, uncertain step at a time, I step further into the dark. 

Despite the steadfastness of my guide, my heart is beating loud enough that it replaces the silence. I look back to see if I can locate the cave's entrance. I cannot. The darkness is too thick. Consumed by darkness, I move further into the belly of the cave step by step. Each is just as cautious as the one before it.

The extra time it takes is more than worth it if it prevents me from blindly falling into some deep hole in the ground. And so I, T'am the foolish challenger of the dark, descend deeper into the unknown one shuffle step at a time in search of a shaman ghost asking for help. 

Truth be told, I don't know how long I have spent in the dark now. I've followed the wall for what seems like miles. Sporadic turns throughout the journey assure me that if I lose the guidance of the wall, I will indeed be lost. 

As if summoned by the very thought, my guide disappears. The wall is no more. I feel ahead to where it should be, even checking to see if I have another turn. Just emptiness. There is no turn. There is no wall. Turning back, I try to feel where the wall once was. All my hands find is emptiness. My guide is gone. 

I'm utterly lost in the dark. With my foot, I perform the scan I've completed thousands of times. When I stretch it forward and feel for the ground, it is gone. Nerves that I have been fighting back this whole time begin to rise. Along with my nerves, a pit in my stomach starts to form. 

Getting down on my hands and knees, I better understand the dire situation. I'm on a cliff. Well, I'm at a cave's version of a cliff. Maybe that just means a hole. Whatever it is, somehow, my guide led me to an overhang and then abandoned me. "Lousy unreliable wall." I attempt to summon some cord. However, just like the dark mage's spell, this cave has voided my ability to use mana. 

"Hello, wanderer." Had I not been currently crawling, the sudden voice from the dark would have frightened me right off of the edge. "You have reached the end. All you must do now is jump. Then we can talk."

"Hello, Gene? It is Gene, right? It definitely would be a shame if it isn't." 

"Damn that pile of bone. In all my years as a shaman and queen, my name was never butchered as so." Irritation is abundant in her tone. 

"Oh, agreed. Boss is many things, but a namer he is not. He actually thinks adding apostrophes into a name makes it superior. Hence, if you would like, you can call me T'am."

Raspy chuckling echoes throughout the cave. I can't see Gene, but I am most certain she is laughing. Whether it is directed at my name or Bones, I'm not exactly sure. It doesn't really matter. 

Mustering the remnants of my courage, I rise to my feet, step to the edge, and jump. 

Was this the wisest choice I've made? Probably not. We were already talking, so I don't see why I exactly needed to jump to chat some more. Maybe the shaman was joking...Huh, that probably is what she was doing. Serves her right for having such a morbid sense of humor. Looks like the joke is on her. All these thoughts rush to my mind the moment I leave the cliff.

Instant death is not what awaits me. Instead, I feel like I'm falling for an extended time. Quite dramatic if you ask me. The small pit developing in my stomach has now devoured my whole being. Horrible, awful, and terrifying is how I would describe my current dilemma. Tired of the anxiety, I try to calm all my racing nerves. Might as well not worry about dying 'til I'm dead, right?

Breathe. Got to breathe. 

Breathe in. Ignore the unsettling feeling and focus on breathing.

Breathe out. Release the tension.

Breath in. Relax.

Breath out. 

Panic, still ever-present, begins to make room for other thoughts allowing me to accept the situation for what it is. The world's worst trap working on the biggest fool. Who jumps off a cliff into the complete dark. 

In a way, it is comforting to be wholly embraced by darkness. There is something about the uncertainty and unknowing that goes with the dark. Any moment could be my last. Any moment could be a huge mistake. In the dark, you either embrace it and move forward, or you stop and stand at the edge of uncertainty forever. On the other hand, who's to say the dark path only leads to despair or death? What if there is more life and wonder to be found in the dark? 

If there is despair before me, I will fight it until the opportunity becomes a treasure. If it is a treasure to be found, I will gladly welcome it. No darkness is not to be feared. It is no stranger to me. It is my old friend, and I open myself to it. 

Power and energy surround me! The feeling of falling subsides. I'm suspended in the thick dark. Slowly the energy lowers me to the ground, continuing to encircle me. Energy and power rush into my body. I stagger a step and then another. Cold emptiness fills my body. The energy washes over me once, twice, three times, and then is absorbed into my channels. Once inside my channel, I guide the hollow energy into my third layer. What once was an empty third core is filled with the black mana of darkness!

Empowered by the new mana, I am beyond ecstatic with this new potential. I haven't a clue how to use it, but I feel like things have just changed for the better. This could be the best trap ever! As an added bonus, I can see. There isn't much to see. I'm in a cave, after all, but I can actually see that I am in a cave, and that is not nothing.

"I can't believe you just jumped!" Gene appears next to me. She is looking much more ghostly than when we first met. "Sure, you are a lich, and dying is sort of your thing. Still to think that you would just jump off a cliff in total darkness. What if I was joking? That answers the questions about if you are ever asked to jump off a cliff…." 

"Hello, Genevieve! To be honest, that thought crossed my mind after I jumped. Seemed like an efficient way to eliminate future jokes."

"Pardon me, Hello T'am. I sense that you have embraced the dark. This is very good. Welcome to the path of the dark! Now that you are with me, we have much to discuss." Gene's broody welcome has me questioning some of my recent life choices. 

I'm not exactly sure, but I might have joined a cult. Rituals and hazing for initiation, a calm, charismatic leader, and a secret dungeon lair all add to the cult vibe. Not that I have anything against cults. Say one thing about cults: you are never alone when you are a member. I'm almost giddy with excitement to meet my fellow cult members.

Letting my eyes adjust to the new vision, I get a good look at Gene. And while she is more corporeal than when we first met, she is still a spirit. Looking around, I can see the cliff I jumped off of. It is about ten feet above me, which has me questioning all of the falling I experienced. 

I'm now in a vast cavern. My previous cave observation was clearly lacking. Now I can actually see huts and buildings filling the space. This isn't just a cave. This could have been a town. I say it could have been because if this once was a town, it now seems completely empty. Gene and I are the only signs of existence at the moment. 

"Very well, Queen of the Shamans." I lay on all the respectful pleasantries to my new cult overlord…overlady. Not wanting to go overboard, I withhold my bow in her presence. "Let us get to discussing," I say to my new friend and possibly new boss, eager to hear what she has to say.

34. Dungeon in the Darkness

"Welcome to the Shadow Lair," Genevive says as she opens her arms and presents all the empty houses, buildings, and such. She has a proud and sad expression as she does so.

"My people lived in this lair for years, and before here, we spanned all over this island. While the island is not our original home, it is our home now. We created this land when we were driven out of The Ebony Woods, our original homeland. We made this new land our home. Its very nature made it a cultivation holy ground. For a time, we prospered, even more than we did previously. 

"Sadly, greed followed us to our new home. Just as we were forced to flee from The Ebony Woods, we were forced to flee again. Can you imagine…" Frustration seethes out of her words as she recounts her past. 

"Our very own lands, and they wouldn't even let us have it." Gene is leaving out many important details, and I can see that it almost pains her to sum up her people's history so briefly. "With no empire or nation allowing my people to live as they please, our only choice was to fight."

She takes a moment to pause, giving me a chance to respond. Instead, I sit on the ground and allow her to continue. Honestly, after all the hiking and climbing, standing is the last thing I want to be doing. Social cues be damned, without skipping a beat, Gene smiles and lowers herself into a sitting position as well.

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"First, it was the humans that came for us. They figured that a new land must be abundant with resources worth harvesting. We fought for a bit, and then we came to negotiations. We offered them goods, and they provided us goods in return. We were sure they were biding their time to prepare to wipe us out. That is the way of the world. Power takes what it wants. 

"In preparation for the humans, we devoted ourselves to study and learning. Secretly, our shadow walkers learned many things that would help us over the years—ways to gain power, rituals, seal off our island, and even avoid death. 

"However it was not the humans who came for us. While we were making further preparations, an army of goblins and kobolds descended upon us. Thousands and thousands of goblins and kobolds caught us unprepared. We fought hard and desperately. We took many lives and lost few. Even though we were winning the battles, our population was dwindling. Every life lost was a costly blow to my people. 

"Unlike the humans, death didn't seem to dissuade the invading horde. No matter how many we killed, they kept coming while my people withered away. Out of desperation, we resorted to a ritual that would turn this shadow lair and my people into a dungeon. We would gain immortality, but our fates would be sealed to this cavern. Our love for life pushed us to the ultimate decision to go through with the ritual. We made this lair our home and prepared for the ritual.

"As the remaining one thousand of us prepared, a large assault from the horde pushed us into this lair. Half gave up their lives in defense while the other half performed the ritual.

"In the very depths of this cave, my people gave their lives hoping for a new life as a dungeon. As the defenders died, it became clear that the dungeon process would not be complete in time. Out of options, I took the core that holds my people, the core that would become the dungeon, and I gave it to my totem and commanded him to keep it safe. 

"He did as he was told and fled from the pursuing army. That left me. I had yet to bind my soul to the core. I was to perform the final act of the ritual. Without my knowledge, my people would be lost. Trapped in the core forever. 

"With the horde approaching, all I could do was hide in my shadow and outlast them. It was years. Eventually, I became too weak and could no longer sustain my shadow realm. While I was recovering, the horde surrounded me once again. I had no intention of letting them take my people or knowledge from me. And so I gave up my body and transcended to a spirit walker. 

"As a spirit, I could harness a greater power of shadow, albeit limited in what it could do. The biggest and most taxing ability was to shroud this island in a thick shadow that would leave many to get lost. Shrouded in shadow, the beast horde could not send more troops to this land. Together my totem and I eventually took out the horde that remained. 

"Once the island was reclaimed, we waited. As a spirit, I could not complete the ritual, and my totem lacked capacity. For years and years, we waited, my people tied to the core and me tied down as a spirit. A hundred years passed in waiting while I worked desperately on a solution that never came. Then one day, I felt a new power challenge my hold on this island. A lich had laid claim to the desert lands."

Gene's distant eyes she had while recounting her past fade into closer, more focused eyes that are directed at me. "As you grow in power, my ability to maintain control over the shadows grows faint. The veil I have maintained grows weaker and weaker, allowing the hoard to search for the core and my spirit in full force once again."

She takes a long pause here, allowing me to ask questions. I have a few on my mind but allow her to continue with what she has to say.

"Since you are a lich, this is somewhat your providence. How you were able to bind this land, let alone gain access to it, is beyond me." She gives me a curious look, maybe hoping for an explanation. I have none to give, so she continues. "A dungeon on your lands can either take away your powers or increase them. Lichdom is about control. I'm offering you control over the dungeon core and my people. I just ask that you be a benevolent dungeon lord."

That was unexpected, and I am sure my countenance is doing nothing to hide my shock. I consider Gene's words making sure I didn't mishear what she said. "And you would trust me with your people?" I finally ask.

She takes a moment and responds. "Yes and no. From what I've seen of you so far, I have no reason to believe you would be a ruthless ruler. And while you gain power, it isn't your only motivation. Your recent encounters both with the spiders and bugbears have also led me to believe you do not thirst for violence and yet are willing to fight to protect what you deem important. 

"Most importantly, your relationship with your skeleton is not the most common. You treat your minion as your equal, even giving him power over you, if only in a title. A power-hungry lord does not subjugate himself to call a minion his boss. 

"On top of all of that. I have little choice, and your uniqueness offers a potential solution. It takes time for a dungeon to form even after the ritual is complete. Once it is complete, it will be weak in its early stages and vulnerable for others to take. Believe me, the horde will stop at nothing to gain this core." 

"Okay. You want me to defend the core after the ritual?" I ask, seeking a little clarification.

"I need you to bind the core to yourself, complete the ritual, and hopefully, this won't put you in a state too weak to defend yourself from the upcoming onslaught.

"I will offer my services as your bound spirit in return. You may or may not know this, but one of the perks of a death lancer is the warlock contract that can be created with it. With this, you can harness a spirit's power and use it for your gain. I believe you can gain much with me as your spirit."

"You don't look too pleased to be bound to me." 

"It isn't my first choice. However, my options are very limited." 

The immense information that has been unloaded on me carries significant weight. If I wasn't already sitting, I would have taken a seat. Minutes pass while I consider everything that has been said. Finally, the thought weighing on me the most comes out. "Can we bind the dungeon core to me? I thought you were turning this cave into a dungeon."

"There are two types of dungeons. The dungeon that you speak of is bound to a place. This is a closed dungeon. Progress revolves solely around consuming. As the dungeon consumes more, it and its inhabitants become more powerful with it. 

"Open dungeons are bound to a person. Progress is much more individualistic. However, keeping the boss strong keeps the members of the open dungeon strong as well. In both cases, the dungeon and its people will survive as long as the core is not destroyed or taken. There are many similarities and differences between the two, which we can delve into later. 

Gene is patient, but her time is dwindling, and she presses the urgency. "I need you to help me free my people and keep them safe. You can use the dungeon to increase your influence, strengthening your lichdom."

As wild as it all seems, what Gene says makes sense to me. Sure I have a bunch of questions and some reservations, but she is taking a much bigger risk here. Besides, I should be dead many times over. If I had the means to overcome death, it would make sense that Gene and her people also found a way. On top of that, I am foolishly eager to believe her words due to my promise to Bones. 

"Genevieve, you mentioned that dungeon cores can become stronger. Would this core allow for progression of a minion that is a bit stunted at the moment?"

"Would you pass up the chance to bind the core for yourself and offer it to Bones?" Do you understand the amount of power you would be giving up?"

"Would it work? And not really, I don't. Seems though, if I make Bones stronger, I also become stronger." 

Gene contemplates this for a bit. After going through scenarios, she lets me know what she thinks. 

"This could actually be a much better proposal. Your minion binds the core leaving you at full strength to defend the dungeon while it develops. Bones gains added protection because he is your minion and can't die unless you die. And you can't really die. If this works, are you prepared to make Bones' boss rank more official?"

"Sure, I'll find a way to outrank him in the end."

"Then let us get started. Summon Bones, and I will call for my totem. You may want to give me some space when he arrives. He has been a bit protective over the last century." 

"Oh, that might be a problem. It seems this cave doesn't want me to use my mana."

"That won't be a problem. I will block the silencing shadows for the time being. You will be free to use your mana according to your needs."

"It's that simple, huh? Well, thanks. I will go and summon Bones now." 

Awkwardly, I get up and leave the shaman behind to do as she directed. Giving her and her totem some space. Deeper into the lair, I find a lovely building to rest in. The totem hasn't arrived yet, and I am not sure when that will happen. Part of me sort of figured the arrival would be sooner than later. Not that that matters. Mostly just curious to see what this totem is. 

When I contact Bones, I fill him in on everything. Mentioning a chance for him to gain his own core is all it takes. Becoming a dungeon boss is another strong motivator. Nothing I really said afterward mattered. Next time I will hold off on the good news until the end. Regardless, Bones is one hundred percent in. 

He would've had me summon him immediately had he not had his own news to share. Apparently, the spider queen returned, seeking an alliance with favorable terms. Knowing we wouldn't trust her, she even offered to swear allegiance with an oath pact. Something that is near impossible to break. We agreed, and the queen decided to wait in our home for our return to make things official. 

With everything discussed that needed to be discussed, I un-summon Bones. True to Gene's words, my ability to use mana is no longer being blocked. Fortunately, despite the distance between us, the un-summoning still works. However, the mana return I usually get when I un-summon Bones never returns. The loss is negligible, and I am already working on summoning the boss. 

Bones forms into his pale boney figure. Mana courses around him, giving him many human-like features. Most notably, his facial expressions are much more human. "Hello, boss," I say with a warm welcome, glad to be with my friend again. 

"Hello, Cap. Hey, good work, not dying. You miss me? You missed me. I didn't even have to ask. I can see it in your face. You are practically on your way to hug me."

I was walking towards Bones as he spoke. Quickly I abandon my steps. I wasn't on my way to hug him. He just summoned between me and the door, and I was trying to lead the way out. No matter. Nothing wrong with being friendly. I continue my steps towards the door and Bones, wrap the boss in my arms and give him a bone-cracking hug which I quickly repair.

"That was a neat trick, T'am. You learn how to manipulate summoned mana on your pilgrimage?"

"Suppose I did, boss. Just kind of happened while I was cutting my way through the woods."

"Nice! I knew sending you on this quest was going to be beneficial to me. Now let's go bind us a dungeon." Bones just about runs out the door when he pauses in his steps, turns back, and says, "We have lives to save!" 

I would maybe consider believing Bones is in it for the lives at stake; however, his giddiness and excitement for a chance at a core can't be hidden. To be fair, I am also really excited for him...And the lives we are going to save.

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