Vol.1 Ch.28 Going Down into the Labyrinth.
After the group finished eating, they packed up the campsite and prepared to move out in hopes of catching up with Marcus. Rya and Quinus walk around the area to stretch their legs. Quinus kept secretly glancing over at Rya to admire her figure as she walked along, oblivious to his gaze. After he soaked in the view enough, Quinus decided that they needed to get going. Even if all he wanted to do was stare at her ass all day.
"We should probably get going. We can't let my cousin get too far ahead of us," Quinus suggested.
"Yes, I suppose we should," Rya answered but then a thought popped into her head, "Hey, do you guys have any enchanted weapons I could use?" Rya asked as she gestured, swinging an imaginary sword. "You know, just to help me defend myself."
"I'm afraid not. The only weapon that has any enchantments on it is my sword, the Sun's Fury. Otherwise, we have a normal steel short sword...But I must say, I didn't know you knew the way of the sword, Rya?" Quinus said with a smile.
"Yeah, I know a little, I guess. But really it's more for one of my magical spells that can warp a bladed weapon into a whip that I can move around at will. The annoying thing is, I don't think standard weapons can take the stress of the spell and the blade will break after casting it once, or twice if I'm lucky. So it would be something I would use as a last resort until I can get a weapon that can withstand my Dark Earthly Blade spell," Rya answered as she rubbed her chin.
"Hmm? That sounds more like a Maja technique than a magic spell... Anyway, I know someone who could create an enchanted weapon if we can get him the materials, but it would cost you a lot of gold. But he's one of the best blacksmiths in all of Fiafyr and was the former Baron of Ironside. Once we make it out of this mess, hopefully, he will see us," Quinus said as he looked at Rya.
"Well, that's good to know for later. In the meantime, I'll grab one of your spare swords if you don't mind."
"Sure... Percy!" Quinus yelled out to Percy who was busy gathering all their equipment.
"Yes, my Lord?" Percy answered as he turned around.
"Do you have that spare short sword by chance?" Quinus asked as he gestured with his hand.
"Ah yes, My lord... May I ask why you want this short sword?" Percy asked as he pulled it out of a backpack.
"Can you give it to Lady Rya, please?" Quinus asked as he gestured towards Rya.
"Sure thing, my Lord. And I'll put a second one in her bag," Percy said as he handed the short sword to Rya, and they gave her a spare backpack to use.
"Thank you, Percy. Now come on, let's get moving. We need to catch up with Marcus," Quinus said as he grabbed Rya by the hand and helped her stand up.
"As you wish, my lord," Percy answered as he quickly went to grab their remaining gear with Sir George.
They all gathered their gear and set off through the cavernous cave to try and catch up to Marcus. Rya struggled to get used to her new body proportions as she kept up with Quinus. She could feel her breasts bouncing around inside her tunic and rubbing her sensitive nipples against the rough fabric, which she had no choice but to ignore. And her hips and ass were wobbling every step. It felt like it was throwing off her balance, but she tried her best to keep her focus while holding the short sword in her other hand.
'F-Focus Ryan! You're out of the pan and into the fire. So deal with it! Guh! I-I can't believe I saying this, but I wish I had a fucking bra... Fuck, it feels like my tits are gonna explode out of my tunic!' She thought to herself as she started walking behind the others. They were going through the corridor Marcus went through when Quinus and the others were fighting the goblins.
After they had walked along the winding corridors of the dungeon, for a solid five minutes, Rya couldn't deny it anymore as the strange sensations ran through with each and every step she took as she continued to walk along the rocky path. These foreign sensations coming from her female body were making her realize something. She wanted to shake these thoughts away, but her thoughts began to run wild about "what ifs". Like, what if she couldn't reverse what had happened to her? It was a truth she no longer could avoid as she was a full-fledged woman now. A few hours ago, she was able to ignore it, as long as she didn’t look at her reflection when she still had her man bits and smaller chest. But now, she was reminded of what she's become with each step she took in her new body.
‘Goddess. It’s going to be difficult to get used to this woman’s body. H-How do women with curves like mine even function like this!? It feels like everything is in the wrong spot! My boobs are huge! And I can't stop them from bouncing around. It feels so... weird and uncomfortable. But not unpleasant. GAH!? Bad thoughts!... I just hope there’s a way to reverse this... B-But, maybe I should look at this from a different angle. I should be able to get some interesting data out of this. To feel what it's like to be a woman... Y-Yeah, I just need to look at this as a glass half full and not half empty... I-I should try and make the best of the situation while I can and find a way to reverse this as fast as possible. And I should probably get some clothes that can support these damn tits of mine.' Rya thought to herself as she tried to reevaluate her new goals for the future.
Quinus could see the expression of discomfort on Rya's face, and he felt concerned, "Is something the matter, Lady Rya?" He asked.
"No, nothing is the matter. Just trying to adjust to my new surroundings is all," Rya answered.
"I see. Well, we will reach the end of the dungeon soon. Hopefully, we can find the core and be done with it," Quinus said as they continued onward.
"Right," Rya said as she continued following the group.
At a certain point, Rya's elven hearing helped her eavesdrop on Sir George whispering to Percy by accident.
"I can't believe our Lord just made Lady Rya a citizen of Fiafyr... And a Dark Elf at that," Sir George whispered as he shook his head. "The nobles will have a field day with this when word gets out. Plus, the Alliance of the Divine Three will be coming for our throats for sure. As well as the Kingdom of Marn using this as an excuse to wage war on us... It will bring nothing but trouble to the kingdom."
"Yeah, But I’ve never seen our Lord this happy in such a long time... Ever since the Prime Minister came up with that peace proposal with the Divine Three by using an arranged marriage, he hasn’t been himself," Percy responded as he smirked at Sir George.
Sir George scowled as he looked away. "They haven't even let the prince meet her yet. But I guess it doesn't matter in the end, if all she is is an opportunity for the Alliance to sink their claws into Fiafyr... Heh. Using her as a peace treaty between nations... Our lord would be better off with a succubus than any princess thrown at him from the Divine Three. They're just looking to steal his seed, then our kingdom. It's clear as day and the Prime Minister is too much of a fool to see it."
"You know his Majesty had little choice when the major nobles stepped in and backed the Prime Minister... Haah... But I do have to agree with you. I do not like the idea of using the prince as a bargaining tool for the ministers. Sometimes, I'm glad that I'm not a royal," Percy said.
‘Quin is engaged!?... I-I mean, that makes sense with him being a royal and all... B-But why is it bugging me so much? It's not like I care who he's marrying!... Even if it is a political marriage.’ Rya thought to herself as she tried to get a hold of her confused emotions. She started to become frustrated when she didn't understand what her feelings were telling her.
'Gah! Get a grip, Ryan! It doesn't matter. I need to focus on the important things. Like finding a way to reverse what has happened and getting my own life back... I don't need to get wrapped up in this. Besides, it's not like I'm into guys... W-WHICH I'M NOT! Because I'm straight!' Rya thought to herself as she kept on walking down the winding path, hoping they would run into Marcus at some point.
‘M-Maybe I feel like he’s a brother to me?... I mean, he does give out good head pats. So, after he gets married, he won’t be able to give them to me anymore. Especially if I'm stuck in a woman's body... ARH! T-That sucks!' Rya screamed in her head as she became sad for a second before refocusing on the task at hand.
"That reminds me, Percy. We'll have to deal with that traitor's dogs at some point too. So, keep an eye out for them," Sir George said as he motioned towards the hallway in front of them.
"Yeah, the infamous mercenary group 'Black Roses'. I heard some rumors about them, though. Not good ones," Percy replied as he looked over his shoulder. "Like how they destroyed the Wood Elves Kingdom in the northwest and enslaved them for the Kingdom of Marn... Of all the things they'll do to make money. It makes me sick."
"Some people say there’s a price for everything," said Sir Geroge with a grim voice.
'Hmm, "The Black Roses," aye? I'm sure they'll be pushing up roses.' Rya half-joked to herself. But what she really wanted to do was blow off some pent-up frustration that came out of nowhere.
***
As they continued into another cavern, they saw a fresh pile of dead goblins with strange holes in them.
"This is Marcus' doing. See those wounds? They were caused by an incantation called Wind Arrows. It's a magical spell that's almost invisible to see. And it's his favorite spell to use," Quinus spoke while examining the cavern full of goblin corpses.
"Yeah, this 'dungeon core' sure loves to pump out a lot of these goblins, sheesh! How many are in here? Like a hundred?" Rya asked as she rolled her eyes.
"A dungeon core doesn't care how many of its creatures it loses. All it cares about is keeping itself alive," Sir George explained.
"It's weird that this place is 'alive'," Rya said, as she was amazed by the concept of a self-aware dungeon.
Quinus and Percy nodded at each other as they finished their sweep of the area.
"All clear," said Percy, as he gathered his equipment.
"Let's hope Marcus didn't get himself killed out there," Quinus said while he walked past the goblin corpses.
"Hmm? Why’s that?" Rya asked with curiosity.
"Because he deserves to go to trial for his treasonous ways. Plus, I’m sure my uncle will claim I’ve murdered him out of spite. You know, Rya, being born a Royal is not what it's cracked up to be," Quin chuckled a little bit about how ridiculous the situation was as he looked at Rya.
***
Rya and the group made their way further into the dungeon's 10th floor. And they finally found the stairs down to the 11th floor.
"So you guys mentioned that there are a few more floors to go down?" Rya asked as she watched Quinus.
"Well, we don't know if the dungeon core has added a floor or two since the last time someone was able to get down there again," Sir George answered Rya.
"When was the last time someone reached the bottom of the labyrinth?" Rya asked.
Sir George paused for a moment.
"A little over a hundred years ago, I think." He finally answered.
Rya took a look at Sir George.
"Yeah, with that amount of time, it could have added a floor or two. Which would be annoying," Rya said as she looked at the hallway ahead of them.
"Well, I hope it's only a few floors that it added," Sir George said as he looked at Rya.
"What are you worried about, Sir George?" Rya asked as she started walking forward taking the lead.
"It's been a century since the monsters were cleared out. So by now, this dungeon is supposed to be infested with new mobs of goblins and traps, but the corridors on this floor are emptier than I hoped. I just hope that the core didn't create a dungeon lord," Sir George said as he looked around.
"Dungeon Lord?" Rya asked with a puzzled look on her face. "What's a Dungeon Lord?"
"It's when a dungeon creates a monster that's even stronger than its normal monsters," Quinus explained, glancing at Rya.
"Yeah, that would suck. Let's hope you're right about the core, only adding floors then," Rya said as she looked at Quinus.
"We should probably keep moving," Percy said while watching their backs.