PW Chapter 39: A Real Party

A bit late. Maybe enjoy the slightly longer chapter in recompense? :D

As they strode through the streets, Astrid turned to Muti. “Would you take the lead? I’m not sure where we’re going.”

“Weak leader.” Came Muti’s response. Astrid bristled at the faint disdain in the Barbarian’s voice, but Muti then corrected, “You are our leader. Give commands. Not suggestions.”

“Lead us, Muti.” Astrid said, still grinding her teeth despite the explanation. “We should be able to finish our first delve in the next two hours.”

“As you command, leader.” Muti stepped into the lead, her eyes not focused on the path ahead, but on any possible surprises. Each alley she passed was given wide berth, and whenever they walked past a location where too many people were milling around, the Barbarian bared her teeth, calling the party’s attention to whatever she thought was a potential threat. The fishmonger’s stall was the most suspicious to Muti, though Astrid had no idea why. The golden-haired giant even growled as they walked past, and the citizens stepped back in terrified submission. 

“Why are you doing this, Muti?” Astrid asked. “I don’t think anyone here poses a threat.”

“That is what you thought when you came here, no? And what happened to you.”

“You attacked me because you thought I was a Barbarian.” Astrid snapped back.

“My reasons do not matter.” Muti dismissed Astrid’s words. “There is no importance for why someone kills you, only that you are dead. This is why Humanity depends on the Bulwark. There, they know war, they know how to use humanity’s strengths against our weaknesses. There is only life and death, and they seek victory. Here… you are soft. That is not the way of the Warrior.” Muti spat the last word like it was bitter.

Instead of responding to Muti’s reaction to the word “Warrior”, Astrid asked, “Why are you here, then? I don’t know anything about your people, and you just pointed to that scar when I asked before.”

“And if I did not answer you then, why would I answer you now? Do you need to know why I am bound to you for this battle? Or do you just need to know that we are bound?” Muti scoffed. “You people… you think so much and understand so little.” 

Muti stepped another three strides ahead, staying close enough to retain her vigilance but ceasing all conversation.

“She’s always like that.” Skandr said, his vision lingering on a tavern as they walked past it. “There’s little pitfalls in daily conversation that you can accidentally step in, and there’s no warning about what’s coming.”

Astrid nodded slowly. Maybe she’d misunderstood something after doing the warbraids with Muti, but she’d thought that the Barbarian at least sort of liked her now. If that wasn’t the case, Astrid wouldn’t cry about it, but it was just… confusing. Klara’s words about how Barbarians just didn’t live like people in the Bulwark brought some measure of confidence to Astrid. She resolved herself to ask the Guild’s representative about her time among the Hordes, and hopefully that would bring her some clarity regarding the scar of Muti’s face. 

For now, though, Astrid followed the Barbarian out of the city’s walls, where the guards looked between the two of them, Muti with her teeth bared and Astrid with a genuine smile, then seemed to realize that this wasn’t really their problem, and they just waved them through. Skandr flicked a copper piece to each, and Astrid couldn’t help but ask why as they walked past.

“They’re good guys. I don’t have nearly the same expenses as delvers who’re fighting in melee, so I have more that I take home on the daily.” He shrugged. “It’s a good way to make sure that if anything happens, they’re generally on my side, and it makes their lives better.”

“Strange.” Astrid replied. “I know that there are rules regarding that in Stalhardt, but I suppose that I can’t say much about what happens here in Kznietch.”

“Astrid,” Skandr’s eyes met hers as he spoke, a faux outrage in his voice, “are you a stick in the mud? A little princess who doesn’t know how the world works?”

“I know how it works,” she sighed, waving him off as they caught up with Muti. “I just was raised by a guard captain and she and I generally believe that the rules are there for a reason.”

“I’m not so uncouth as to say that all rules exist to be broken, but…” Skandr shrugged. 

“Yes, I get it.” Astrid waved him off. “Now, Muti, what have you seen now that we’re outside of the walls?”

“I see the world as it is meant to be, unfettered and free.” She replied. “I do not love these fields and their artificial manner, but I appreciate the blessing of the earth they grant humanity.”

Astrid squinted at the Barbarian, unsure if Muti was teasing or what. When the Rogue continued just looking at the lands around them, Astrid decided to take her statement as how she really felt and instead just asked, “Ok, is there anything—no, tell me what you have seen that might be important for me and Skandr to know about right now.”

“Ah, you can learn.” Muti’s anger from before had disappeared completely. “No, there is no sign of any escaped gnolls or other monsters nearby. The entrance we will use is a mere two kilometers from here, and we will arrive shortly, if Skandr is willing to put any effort into his pace.”

“You know me, Muti.” He shrugged. “No hurry here. There’s nothing I want to be doing outside of the Dungeon either, so I’m happy to take my time.”

“Then, if our leader commands, will you hurry?” Muti looked at Astrid.

“If I’m outvoted, I’ll hurry up a little.” He allowed. 

“Then, leader, what do you wish?” Muti asked, her expression excited.

“I say maybe we jog, just enough to get the blood pumping, to make sure we’re not stiff when we get into the Dungeon itself.”

“As you command, my leader.” Skandr’s address wasn’t nearly as respectful as Muti’s and Astrid didn’t mind it. Instead, she nodded and turned her attention forward as she set into a jog. Her hand ached under the wrap and her gloves, but considering it was her left palm, her shield arm wouldn’t suffer as much as her hammer arm. She thought about using Quick Recovery, but given that she was going against new enemies that she didn’t know anything about, and they had no healer, it would be more important that she made sure that she could recover from any surprises with wounds and so on.

So, the three of them jogged forward, Astrid and Muti staying at a comfortable light jog while the shorter Skandr was forced to pick up the pace. He pulled his chin-length hair back into a tail at the back of his head, his face still pale and going a little green from the running. Astrid remembered the alcohol that was still churning in his stomach, and asked, “Skandr, are you going to vomit if we keep running?”

“No.” He swallowed, giving her no amount of confidence in his words. “I’ll be miserable for the next couple of minutes, but I’ll be fine.” 

Astrid didn’t say anything more, just continuing on their path.

***

Arriving at the Dungeon’s entrance, Astrid was surprised to see the doorway just… existing in the middle of a field. A couple people were milling about outside of it, and as they saw the party approaching, they started to call out.

“Skirmisher here! Ranger with focus on daggers and short swords!”

“Finisher! Swordsman, let me get you some experience!”

“Ranged damage, Ranger!”

Every one of the people waiting were solo delvers without parties, and they weren’t strong enough to delve by themselves. For whatever reason, they hadn’t found anyone else to delve with, so they hoped to find short, or even long term possibilities here at the entrances. Of course, there were no healers or general supportive Classes represented here, as they’d be brought into a party through whatever incentives the party could offer. Instead, they were all some of the Classes already represented in Astrid’s party. 

“We’re not looking for anyone who isn’t a healer or supportive Class right now.”

As soon as they saw Astrid and Muti, most of the hopefuls stepped back, and when Astrid spoke, the rest did too. She wondered how long she’d be stuck in a situation like this if Klara hadn’t assigned her to work with these two. Regardless of any other difficulties and struggles Muti and Skandr had, the three of them made the majority of a completed party, with Astrid filling two roles and Skandr half filling the support role. All they really needed was a healer and they’d be set. She was lucky to have had Grom recommend her to Klara and have the other representative take some measure of interest in her. 

The prospective delvers dismissed, she turned her attention to her party members.

“We’re ready?” Astrid confirmed. 

Muti nodded while Skandr held up a hand. Then, putting his interlaced fingers behind his head, he caught his breath for a minute. Muti began stepping from one foot to the other in impatience, but it wasn’t long before he’d caught his breath enough to stop panting and was just breathing a bit heavily. 

“I’m ready.” 

“Then here we go.” Astrid led the way down the entrance. She mentally extended the invitation to party with Skandr and Muti, and they both accepted it. Then, they strode down. Just as in the other entrance Astrid had entered, it was a curling staircase that led down, but instead of becoming darker the deeper they went, light remained steady, coming from an unseen source. Once they stepped into the Dungeon proper, Astrid looked around.

Instead of the green fields above, the Dungeon looked like it was a ripe wheat field… that’d been liberally painted with blood. No, not blood. It wasn’t so scarlet. Instead, it was a light red, like that of rust. It was unnatural. And there was no movement in the waist-deep fields all around. No movement beyond that of the fields in the breeze that the Dungeon somehow created. 

“I’ve never been in here.” Astrid reported, her shield and hammer held aloft. “It looks like we have good visibility but no monsters in sight. I’m assuming that’s wrong?”

“Yes.” Muti reported. “The gnolls rest lying down, and if they aren’t fighting, they’re resting. They spawn in groups of at least two, usually three. If there are only two, it is a suicide throw’s chance that there is two brawlers or a brawler and a ranger. If there are three, there are always two brawlers and one ranger.”

“A… ‘suicide throw’s chance’ meaning there’s an equal chance of either possibility?” Astrid asked.

“Yes. Just how a suicide throw can either go well for you or terribly.” Muti nodded, the untied cheekflaps on her helmet slapping across her face. She tied them as she continued, “As I scout, I will determine how many there are and what types. Then I will report to you and we will follow your commands.”

“Okay.” Astrid acknowledged. “So, we’ll go accordingly. Muti, you have a Skill that allows you to detect monsters, correct.”

“That is what Skandr told you, yes.” Muti bared her teeth at Skandr. Was that just… the way that Barbarians communicated any sort of displeasure? Or was it something deeper than that? Astrid sighed.

“Then lead us in whatever direction we should to find our first fight of the day. We’ll decide on our approach once you’ve given us the information necessary.” 

“As you command. Follow me until I begin to hide. I will return to you when I have finished my mission. If you hear combat, come.” Muti nodded and then jogged off in one direction. Astrid followed suit, maybe fifteen steps behind where Muti walked. After maybe fifty strides, her awareness of Muti faded as the Barbarian activated her stealth Skill. Her disappearance was complete as she crouched down so that Astrid and any gnolls couldn’t see her any longer. Deciding to follow her Rogue’s command, Astrid settled down onto her haunches and waited. Her armor clinked as she moved into a comfortable position, and Skandr settled into a similar crouch next to her just a moment later.

“She’s getting along better with you than she does with me.” He grunted. 

“I don’t know.” Astrid hummed. “I think so, but I also get the sense that she’ll need me to fight her for real today, just according to the rules we talked about earlier. Something to prove myself. It’s hard to say how that’ll go for me when I can’t rely on my armor to keep me safe. She might just beat me bloody.”

“And you’ll enter the ring with her knowing that?” Skandr’s disbelief was obvious by his tone. “You’re crazy.”

“Maybe crazy,” Astrid shrugged, “but I’m also desperate. I really want to delve, to get along well with people who can delve with me long term. Frankly, Muti’s seemed to be a damn good Rogue so far, and with her Power growth being basically the same as mine, I want to work with her in the long term, even if that means that I need to train more in interpersonal combat.”

“You an idealist or something?” He asked.

Astrid laughed under her breath. “That’s what Bogdan called me today.”

“A man after my own heart.” Skandr chuckled. “If he says it, I believe it. I don’t mind working with idealists, less likely to rip me off, but don’t be trying to force me to do anything that’ll be stupid because of your ideals, ok?”

“I can live with that.” Astrid nodded. “What’s your opinion on working in a surge?”

“Here?” he asked, scratching his neck. “I’d participate, but from as far away as possible. I’m too low level, and in a surge, with shamans everywhere making the rangers stronger? I’d die too easily.”

Astrid wanted to disagree with the sentiment, but she knew better than he did how reasonable it was. That he was willing at all was enough of a testament to keep her from disregarding him.

“There are three.” Muti’s voice came from the field just beside Astrid. She startled but only twitched in place as she turned to look at her Rogue.

“There is always danger, leader.” Muti’s voice was disapproving. “You must remember that we are in the Dungeon. Enemies are everywhere.”

“Yes.” Astrid gritted her teeth. It would be easier to be angry at Muti if she wasn’t right. “Now. There are three?”

“All sleeping. Or lazy.” She shrugged, but her mouth was curled in a bloodthirsty smile. “I can kill the ranger before the others awake.”

“First, where are they?” Astrid slowed the Rogue.

“That direction, 200 of my paces, nearly 300 of Skandr’s.” She pointed. “To approach quietly, I would say it will take a mere two minutes.”

“Then we’ll approach quietly and hidden. Before we engage, Skandr, will you use your buff?”

“On myself and you, Astrid.” He nodded. When she cocked her head at him in confusion, he clarified, “I need to make sure not to catch either of you in my crossfire. It’s more useful for me to be more mobile than for Muti to be.”

“Sounds good.” Astrid nodded. “And what’s your effective range?” 

“Up to 30 meters accurately. At 15 I can be sure my attacks will hit.” 

“Very well. Let’s get moving.”

They hunched and stalked through the tall grasses, ready to visit death on their enemies. When Muti held up a hand in the universal sign for “wait”, Skandr took the opportunity to mumble something Astrid couldn’t make out and cross his fingers together. Then, with lightning gathering in his hands, he ripped them apart and two small nexuses of power remained. He pressed the first into his own chest before pushing the second into Astrid’s back. It tingled for a moment, then, she felt almost like how she had when she’d gotten Steady Load. Muti grinned before setting off, her steps silent in the field.

Astrid and Skandr stalked ever closer, their steps steady as they approached the monsters. She kept her eyes and ears peeled, making sure she was awake for whatever was coming. Before Muti did anything, though, Astrid laid eyes on a gnoll for the first time. They walked to the edge of a maybe seven meter circle that’d been pushed down in the middle of the field, and inside of this little clearing lay three gnolls. Each had a snout like a dog’s but shorter, with a ruff of fur along the top of its head, ears that twitched in its sleep, and a thickly muscled body that, standing, was probably nearly as tall as she was. The one that was closest to her had no weapons in or near its hands, but wraps of some sort covered its wrists and fingers, and white spurs of bone protruded from the knuckles where it would punch. 

Then, Muti lunged out of the opposite side of the small clearing and interrupted Astrid’s investigation. Her swords both plunged deep into another gnoll’s chest and it gasped out in pain as its life was almost immediately taken from it. Its companions woke nearly immediately, their red eyes searching for their enemies. Both looked at Muti as she pulled one short sword free and plunged it deep into the dying ranger’s eye. 

Gnoll Ranger slain. 17 Experience gained, split among party

Astrid didn’t pay any more attention to the notifications and threw herself at the distracted Brawlers. 

“I’m going left!” She called to Skandr as she smashed the edge of her shield into the base of the brawler’s spine. Bone cracked as it yelped and fell, its face twisted in rage while it snapped at her ankles. The other brawler went to attack her broadside, but a fist-sized bolt of lightning struck its ribs and instead of continuing through to attack her, it stopped where it stood, twitching. Astrid took the opportunity to destroy the first brawler’s skull as Muti threw herself at the partially incapacitated monster. It recovered and turned towards her, but she ducked one attack while plunging her sword into its chest. Astrid’s hammer pulped its skull as it fell. 

Gnoll Brawler slain. 15 Experience gained, split among party

Gnoll Brawler slain. 15 Experience gained, split among party

“A level 7 and two 6’s.” Astrid grinned. “Let’s harvest them and get 17 more, shall we?”