Stepping Wild (Dungeon Runner 04)

"Here you go." Tibs handed the puzzle to one of the older children. "Be careful with it and don't take the tiles out. They just slide. Do you know your numbers?" The girl rolled her eyes at him. She probably thought every child in the city learned their letters and numbers. "Then one of the thing you can do with it is to arrange the numbers from one to fifteen."

She looked at it, frowning. "Without taking them out?"

"Let me try," the boy, slightly younger, said, reaching for it. She raised her hand out of reach.

"You slide them," he said.

"But there are too many in the way."

"That's the puzzle. You have to find a way to slide them in place, even with those in the way."

"Let me try!"

"You don't even know your numbers," she snapped.

"I do too. One. Two, Three…. Four." He looked at his fingers and raised his thumb. "That one."

"Five," Tibs provided, smiling.

"Five." He focused on his other hand. "Six…. Seven…. Eight…." He stared at the finger. "It's the last one of the week."

"Nine," she said, mildly exasperated.

"And Ten. There."

"And what's that one?" she demanded. Putting a finger under the tile with twelve on it.

The boy looked. "I don't know. Pa only showed me to ten."

"Then—"

"What are the individual numbers?" Tibs asked. "If you take each ones, what are they?"

"One…and two."

He nodded. "One represent the tens. And then it works the same way you learned. Which one comes before one and two?"

"That's not how it's called," she said.

The boy looked at the puzzle, then put a finger on eleven.

"Why?" Tibs asked.

"Because the first one is the same for them, and then one is just below two."

"There you go. You know more numbers now."

"But that's not what it's called," she said again, with emphasis.

"It's what we call them where I'm from," he said.

"Then they do it wrong there," she stated adamantly.

"Why only…one and five? Why is there one missing?"

Tibs considered. It probably wouldn't be as fun for them if they first had to work out how the pieces moved. And it wasn't like this was a test. It was just to occupy them. "Because you need a hole to slide the tiles in to."

Amazement showed on his face, while she only looked baffled. Then he was holding it, sliding pieces around.

"That's mine," she said, and he stepped away from her.

"It's for both of you," Tibs warned. "It's be shared and puzzled over together. This is something you help one another with, not fight over."

"But you gave it to me," she whined.

"Because you are the oldest. So the more adult one. The one who knows that sharing and helping each other is the better way to do things."

Her expression said she didn't believe him, but he'd put her in an impossible position for someone her age. Not to do what he said meant she'd be less mature. And she wouldn't have that.

He straightened and caught Lian watching him. Then he was next to Tibs as he headed for another group of children.

"Okay, I have to know. Why are you here, away from your family?"

Tibs chuckled. "Why do you think I'd have a family?"

The young man nodded to the children, now puzzling over the plate he'd given them. "You know how to deal with kids."

"I've seen plenty of them over the years."

The look Lian gave him reminded Tibs he looked no older, but he didn't elaborate. He took a cube with painted squares and lobbed it at the other man.

"Here, have fun with this one. Make sure the faces are aligned before trying to turn them, or you can break it."

"What am I supposed to do with it?" he asked, turning the rows.

"Bring the colors together on all six sides."

"What do I get when I do it?"

"The satisfaction of knowing you beat the puzzle."

The roll of the eyes said how little Lian thought of that, but he was still turning them. He was sufficiently focused on putting one face together that he kept walking when Tibs turned to another group of children, taking a cylinder puzzle out of his pack.

*

Tibs knew he'd reached Karliak by the two trunks bending together at the top to make an arch with dense foliage on each side, making it impossible to see beyond them. Other than the entrance, Karliak blended well among the forest.

He knew why Karliak had been eager to accept the deal, but still pulled in his sense to avoid getting details.

The entry corridor was three paces long, then the room opened. It was smaller than before, twenty tiles as long and wide as his foot, between him and the exit, roughly twice that in width at the longest point.

He pressed on a tile, and it broke away. Three more until he had one able to support his weight.

"What are you doing?" Karliak said.

"Testing myself."

"But you know how to cross it."

"But I don't know which tiles can support me."

"But you sense them…right?"

"If I let myself do it."

The entirety of the fourth row was now broken, so he started on the fifth.

"Why wouldn't you let yourself know what the way is?"

"More fun this way. By the way. You're an asshole."

"What? Why? What is that?"

He chuckled. "It's what we call someone who tricks us in a way we really should have seen coming."

"So it's what you call someone smarter than you?"

Tibs snorted.

"Then yes, I am an asshole. How did I trick you?"

"The second room."

"You said if I made it, you'd get me a deer to be a Runner."

"But I intended it to be when you had absorbed enough essence your influence would have grown to fit a second room the size the first one you made."

"But you didn't say that."

"Hence why I should have known you'd just make two smaller ones." He stepped into the short corridor. In the other room, a bear stood still. "You're going to have a combat room as your second one?"

"You said that's what should be there."

"It's what Sto had. You don't need to follow that exactly."

Tibs stepped in. "A bear is going to be too much for the second room."

"It's all I have that can fight."

"You have the hoppers." He walked up to the bear.

It clumsily lunged for him.

"Those just run away."

He stepped aside. "They run away out there. Those you make can do whatever you want them to."

It almost fell, turning to face him. "But those are so small. You can step on them and end the fight."

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"Then you make them tougher." He avoided another clumsy lunge. "Sto made his out of stone at first."

This time, the bear fell onto its side. "I can do that?"

"You can do whatever you have the essence to do." He crouched as the bear…struggled was nothing like what it did. Attempted to get to his feet. "Having trouble controlling how it moves?"

"I have no idea how you do it," Simtor said, sounding strained. "There is so much in here to keep track of."

"You're in the bear? You're actively controlling it?"

"Isn't that how you control what you do?"

Tibs laughed. "I was born this way. It's the only way I know how to be."

"How does Sto do it?" Karliak asked.

"I never asked," he realized. "I know it wasn't active, like Simtor is doing it, because somewhere on the second floor, he decided he was going to take on Jackal directly in a fight, and it was funny to watch him fumble about and get broken up until he got the hang of it."

"How about you go ask that dungeon so I don't have to do this?" Simtor complained.

Tibs stood and headed back. "I'll get you the deer I promised."

*

"Did Simtor say something wrong?" Karliak asked when Tibs returned with the immobile deer over his shoulders.

Catching it had been simple; Fever to hold it in place. But returning with it had been more complicated. He couldn't use the essence to change its position, because he didn't want to risk damaging it. He could use fever to heal it, but it was simpler not to have to. So he'd made a support out of stone over his shoulders to hold it in place. At least, it had kept his mind from lingering on the memories.

"No. They had no way to know. I can't go back. And I'd rather not talk about it."

"Alright."

"Is the floor ready, or do you need me to step outside?"

"It's ready."

"Close the entrance." He stepped on the tiles able to support him until he was far enough. "I don't want it to escape that way."

"The way the lynx did?" Simtor asked

"Yeah."

"Are you going to get it back?"

He sighed, returning to the corridor and placed the deer down. "I guess I'll have to. I promised he'd be a Runner. Ready?"

"Yes," they said in unison, and Tibs released the deer, and was thanked with a hoof in the stomach before it ran through the room. He wasn't hurt, but the surprise kept him from following its progress until it was halfway through, and then he got to watch it for a while as, instead of going for the exit, it ran around, breaking multiple tiles, but always having two feet on unbroken ones.

"It's not moving like the hoppers, or Tibs," Simtor said.

"I hadn't accounted for how four longer legs work. I thought it would hop. That's what the ones who passed through me did."

"Did they do it the same way as hoppers?" Tibs asked.

"I…now that I'm thinking back on it. No."

"Animals have different ways of walking, depending on how fast they go, or what's in the way." The deer hopped into the corridor and the other room. Tibs leaped through the room and watched the bear try to hit it.

"Why did you remove the exit?" He hadn't noticed that detail.

"Because it's just going to run out," Karliak answered.

"Technically, you're breaking a rule. Remember, there should always be a way for the Runner to get through the room."

"But we don't have the bear right yet."

"Yes, but that would be part of you learning."

"So, I should let it go?"

"No. I'm not here to enforce the rules. Just keep them in mind, because if you break too many of them. Or in too big of a way, there will be consequences."

"The Them will come."

"Simtor told you."

"Of course."

"They're real."

"I believe you. I don't think you'd lie about something that's going to keep me safe if I do what you say."

"Good. Sto didn't." He pushed that memory away.

The bear finally managed to hit the deer when exhaustion caused it to fall.

"The lynx now?" Simtor asked.

"I think we need to get better with the bear before that Runner returns," Karliak said.

*

"Who are you?" Rachel asked, putting the puzzle cube down on the table hard enough, Tibs worried it would break. It was unsolved.

"I'm Tylian," he told her.

"You're not just some traveler." She shoved the cube at him. "Those aren't cheap."

"I gathered things to sell on the way. I am experienced traveling in the wild. And things are bad enough there the artisan who makes those had trouble selling them, so I was able to argue the price down."

She didn't believe him, but she had no way to prove what he said wasn't true. The refugees already talked about how horrible the city was. She left in a huff, leaving the cube behind.

Once he was done eating, he took it to another group of children.

*

"You're getting the hang of it," Tibs said, watching the deer move.

"Getting the hang of letting it do all the work," Simtor said, sounding strained.

"I was paying attention to it as it did it's run," Karliak said.

"And it's getting easier to have it move that way," Simtor added, still strained.

"If you can get me another bear, it would make it easier to work out how to move it."

Tibs expanded his sense. "There aren't any around. Unlike deers, they don't live in groups. I can get you a lynx instead."

*

Tibs blocked the entrance before putting down the lynx. "You aren't avoiding your run this time."

It was hissing at him once it was free, backing up, until a foot broke a tile. Then it turned and ran through the room, leaving broken tiles in its wake.

"You're supposed to fight," Karliak called as Tibs landed in the corridor. He sensed the lynx vanish in the forest.

"You need to make it tougher for it to win."

"I could just close the exit," Karliak countered, annoyed.

"You could."

"But that breaks the rules," Simtor said.

Karliak sighed. "And it's the easy solution. I'm going to learn more by not taking that one."

"Did you teach Karliak that, Simtor?" Tibs asked, surprised.

"No, is it one of those things I should have?"

"I don't think so. It's simply something that few people realize. When it comes to learning, the easy way rarely helps." He headed for the exit. "I'll get the lynx."

*

"Get back here!" Karliak yelled, and Tibs headed out of the dungeon after the lynx.

*

Tibs headed out of the dungeon after the lynx.

*

Again.

*

"Can't you just hold it as soon as it's out?" Simtor asked as Tibs headed for the exit, yet again. He'd lost track of how often he'd chased after it over the week.

"Yes."

"Then why aren't you doing it?"

He grinned. "Because I'm having fun chasing it." He stepped outside the dungeon's influence.

*

"Get back here with that!" Karliak yelled as the lynx darted between the bear's legs and through the gaps in the thick bramble, chunk of meat held between its teeth.

Chuckling, Tibs left after it.

*

"That's it," the dungeon said, annoyance bordering on anger. "I am done. That thing—"

"Runner," Tibs corrected.

"Has to be cheating."

"It's surviving and learning."

"It has gotten the bear moving quite well," Simtor said. "I barely have to pay attention anymore."

"But it's not supposed to always leave. The meat's there to keep it around so the bear can get it!"

"Maybe you need a break," Tibs said.

"What I need is for that Runner to get back here and die."

"Tibs is right, Karliak. How about we go over the last runs and see how we can improve things."

"I'll be back in a few days."

*

"Get it in here," Karliak ordered as soon as Tibs stepped within their influence. "I am so ready for it this time."

"How about we take a rest from that?"

"Tibs, I want that Runner in here."

"How about I explain about the second floor?"

"I…. No. I want…. Am I ready for that?"

"To learn about it, yes. Create it, I don't think so. It's also good to plan ahead. Sto and Ganny were working on the next floor almost as soon as he opened one." He didn't know if Karliak was aware of it, but his rooms had grown larger over the weeks of the lynx running them. It would be some time still, but even without anything dying in them, they were growing.

"Okay, what's the second floor?"

"Like the first one, but harder."

"That's it?" they said, a mix of surprise and suspicion in their voice.

"There has to be more to it than that," Simtor said.

"Not really. It their core, that's what the further floors are. Just more difficult versions of the previous ones. You have more essence to work with, so they are larger. Books I found that talked about it say dungeons double the size of the floors as they go down. But they don't agree if that means double the number of rooms, or the space they cover."

"So what should I do?"

"Whatever you want?" he countered with.

"But you read that—"

"That's what people think dungeons do. I never asked Sto about it, because I was busy surviving his floors, and his fourth was unusual. Even Ganny said that. I don't think you want to put all your essence into the next floor, because you always need more to make adjustments. But I think you're the one who should decide what your next floor will be."

"You said down," Simtor said.

"All the dungeons that are written about are in mountains."

"Why?" Karliak asked.

"What's a mountain?" Simtor asked.

"The why is because people believe that's the only place dungeons are found. The what a mountain is…feel under you, below the soil. To the rock."

"The denser essence?"

"Yes. Now envision that's all around you. It's the only thing around you."

"I can make that."

Tibs chuckled. "Now, try to imagine it beyond you."

"What do you mean?"

"You know the forest exists outside your influence, right?"

"Yes. I traveled through it."

"Mountains are like that, too. They exist beyond what you can reach. All stone. Different kind of stones. There are holes and gaps and some reach to where there are animal. Sto got his bunnies and rats that way."

"Why do people think it's the only place we are?" Simtor asked.

"Because they think they know everything. They have magic that lets them know when a new dungeon appears, but it has to be set to only sense the mountains."

"Because that's where they already think it's going to be?"

"Yes."

"So, my second floor is under me?"

"It's the simplest way I can think of for you to not extend so far people will always run into you. Instead of leading outside, your boss room has a passage going down, and your second floor is there. Same with the third and fourth, and so on."

"How many floors should I plan for?" Karliak asked.

"According to the books, the oldest dungeon has ten floors. But I don't know if that's because there can't be more than that, so because no one has found an older one."

"We I double a floor each time, the tenth one is going to need … I can't even envision how much essence I'll need to make it."

"Then I think it's good to make sure we have twice as much essence as we used on the floor before making the next one…what is it doing here?"

Tibs looked through the corridor and to the other side of the trap room. A lynx. He was pretty sure the same one as he'd brought in over and over. Inched forward.

"Your loot worked."

"My what?"

"The loot you left did its job."

"The meat? That was to keep it in place."

"But it doesn't know that. To that lynx, it was a reward of sort, and now it wants to try for it again."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"You've reset the rooms, right?"

"I don't have the bear or the meat, since you didn't go get it, but the tiles are reset."

"Then I'll step outside. You reset this room, and observe your Runner and learn from how it beats you."

"You sound rather confident it's going to win," Karliak said, offended.

"You better prove me wrong, then." He stepped outside and waited.

The wait didn't feel interminable, but the sun hadn't moved as much as he felt it should have by the time the lynx darted out, chunk of meat between its teeth. He watched it vanish among the trees and stepped into Karliak.

"The bear is just too big," Simtor said.

"But it's all we have. The deer doesn't have claws."

"But you saw how one kicked Tibs. So maybe that?"

"The legs are too far apart. The lynx is going to have an even easier time running between them."

"Well, we need something smaller than the bear, because as easily as it moves now, it's still not nimble enough."

"The only thing we have that's smaller is the hopper, and the lynx is so much larger."

"Hmmmm."

"What?"

"What if the hopper was bigger?"

"I don't know if Tibs will get us a larger one. He didn't mention anything he needs, so I'm not going to be able to haggle one of them out of him."

"They don't really get bigger than those I brought," he said.

"When did you get in?" Karliak asked, surprised.

"A bit back. I've been listening to you two discuss. I guess you were too focused to notice me."

"We don't need him anyway," Simtor said. "I don't think."

"If he isn't getting us something, I don't see how we can have something larger than a hopper and smaller than the bear. Unless you want to wait until the lynx fails its run…which I don't know it will."

"But the hopper and the bears, they're just essence. And Tibs said that Sto made his out of stone, which means we can change them. There's a way to make the hopper bigger. Or the bear smaller. Maybe give the deer claw," Simtor added excitedly.

"I don't… no…maybe? Okay, I think I can see how I'd do that, but it's going to change everything about how the essences interact. What we've learned isn't going to work anymore."

"So, we learn something new. It's going to be fun!"

Tibs sat and listened to them discuss and plan. He watched a few attempts at making one of the changed version fail, and they returned to planning.

As the sun set, he realized they wouldn't need him for much longer. Maybe to get them different animals so they'd have more to work with, but with figuring out they could use what they had to build from, they now had everything they needed to become a complete dungeon.

He'd have to remind Simtor to be careful, since they didn't know all the rules that could bring the Them. But he'd tell them what had brought one to Sto. Then….

Well, then, Tibs had his own work to get back to.