Dungeons Just Want to Have Fun

Leaving Aris in charge up top, Anton headed belowdecks with Kelsey. He stopped short as soon as he got off the ladder, struck by the number of eyes looking at him.

The deck seemed too small for them all. Sitting neatly— no, chained in place, were two lines of twelve burly male slaves, staring at him intently. The deck wasn’t lit well, and many of the slaves had dark skin, so in many cases, all Anton could see was their eyes.

A raised walkway ran down the centre of the room, leading to the overseer, at the other end of the deck. The overseer was a bald human of Elitran descent. He was standing next to the only light source, so Anton could see he was sweating heavily.

“Right. So.” Anton hesitated, intimidated by the intent stares. “As of now, you’re all free,” he said.

There wasn’t any reaction from the slaves, but the overseer spoke up.

“You can’t do that!” he exclaimed and took a few steps forward.

“Can’t I?” Anton said mildly and jumped up onto the walkway. Suddenly, he was on much more familiar ground. He sized up his opponent.

Bahir Koram, Level 18, Human, Overseer, Thug/Sailor/Overseer, S: 21 T: 19 A: 20 D: 20 P: 15 W: 14 C: 8

The same level as Anton, but Anton outstripped him in Abilities. Not that it was going to come to a fight.

“We just took your ship,” Anton said. “Your captain is on his knees, and you’re all alone. Are you really going to tell me what I can and cannot do?”

Kelsey came down and started shining a light around. From the cool, even brightness, Anton knew that she was using a normal light stone.

The man stopped and thought about it. Then he blanched and took a step back. “No, no, sorry,” he said quickly. “I can get the keys!”

“No need,” Kelsey said. When Anton looked behind him, she was holding up her metal-cutting tool. “I suppose you’d like to do the honours?” she asked him.

Anton felt a surge of excitement from his Class, that he couldn’t quite keep off his face. Kelsey grinned back in response.

Anton started with the chains that ran down each line of slaves. Each one ran through a loop in the slaves’ collars, linking them together. Anton didn’t bother going to one end. Instead, he severed the chains level where he happened to be standing.

“Everyone stay seated!” Kelsey called out over the rattle of chains as the slaves quickly pulled the links free from their brethren. “The Baron will go around and remove your collars next, and it’s quickest if you stay seated.”

This time, Anton went to the front. Kelsey’s tool sliced easily through the lock holding the collars closed. Each time the tool snicked shut, Anton felt a burst of experience. He hadn’t gone all the way down the first line before he got his next level.

You have reached Level 4.

Applying Benefits for Level 4

Strength +1

Toughness + 1

Agility + 1

Dexterity + 1

Perception + 1

Willpower + 1

Charisma +1

Please allocate 2 free Ability points.

Please choose a Trait: Heroic Parry | Shattering Blow | Disarming Strike | Quick Attack

Strength and Toughness, Anton thought. He could still feel the difference between himself and Al-Kadir.

Anton pondered his choice of Trait as he went down the line. Heroic Parry was the only one he wasn’t familiar with. Neither of his parents had taken it. He was tempted to, just to see what it did— and because it had Heroic in the name— but with Stoneskin and Uncanny Dodge he was well-set for defences. Shattering Blow did extra damage to objects. It applied equally well to armour, swords and chains, but as long as Anton had this cutter, he didn’t think it was needed.

Disarming Strike sounded fancy, but Anton’s father had always steered him away from fancy. Get the job done, don’t go showing off, he’d said. Which left Quick Attack. That had been one of his earlier choices, now re-offered, but it should pair well with his existing style. Getting it at Third Tier should make it even faster.

I choose Quick Attack, Anton thought, and kept on cutting slaves free. He didn’t get to another level, but he was quite close when he was done. He paused to contemplate his status.

Anton Nos, Heroic Liberator, Level 4

Overall Level: 19

Paths: Delver/Adventurer/Heroic Liberator

Class: Heroic Liberator

Strength: 28

Toughness: 28

Agility: 22

Dex: 22

Perception: 20

Will: 17

Charisma: 14

Traits:

Delvers Discernment

Leaping Attack

Stone Skin

Uncanny Evasion

Sense Mana

Spider-climb

Unwavering

Sense Destiny

Quick Attack

The now ex-slaves had stayed quiet while he removed their collars. A few of them had stood up or called out, but they’d been pulled back by their neighbours. Now that he was done, murmurs were coming from every part of the hold.

“Let’s go upstairs and talk this out,” Anton said. He grabbed the overseer and pulled him along. “You too.”

It took a while to get everyone organised, but Anton was looking over a crowd of sailors and freed slaves soon enough. His people were standing on the raised stern deck, looking over the disarmed marines and crew, standing in a tight knot. Surrounding them were the former galley slaves, casting angry glares at their former captors.

“First of all,” Anton said. “Is there anyone who speaks for you… oarsmen? A leader?”

There were mutters from the crowd, jibes being traded back and forth. Then one of the slaves got a clap on the back, driving him forward a step. A few more blows and pushes served to drive him to the front of the crowd. He was dark-skinned enough to be Zamarran.

Lioren Vaid, Level 22, Human, Galley Slave, Helot/Slave/Galley Slave, S: 33 T: 23 A: 12 D: 19 P: 12 W: 19 C: 7

Anton blinked at the man’s Strength. Galley Slave must have a double-strength advancement.

“Lioren?” he asked as the man came closer. Lioren grinned.

“Been a while since I’ve heard that name,” he said.

“Lion!” one of the ex-slaves called out. A few echoed him.

“That’s what they call me,” Lioren explained. “Elitran tounges aren’t good with the sound, and they don’t want to bother for a slave. So what’s your plan, here?”

“Uh…” Anton said. He hadn’t had the chance to think this through. “Well, you’re free now… so we’re going to give you this ship and you can go where you want.”

Lioren frowned. “This is an Elitran ship. If the Empire catches us in their waters, they’ll kill us for sure.”

“Right, so…” Anton looked helplessly at Kelsey.

“So go north,” Kelsey told them. “That’s the quickest way out of Elitran territory. If you go north you’ll hit free lands eventually.”

“I was born free,” Lioran said, “But not everyone wants to leave their homeland. Especially not to an uncertain future.”

“You could go to Kirido,” Anton said. “That’s my town… we can find a place for you there.”

“Eh, these guys aren’t going to be great at navigating,” Kelsey said. “Asking them to find a town might be asking too much.”

“Couldn’t we follow you back?” Lioran asked.

“Oh, we’re not going straight back to Kirido, we’re—” Anton stopped as Kelsey hit him lightly on the shoulder.

“Don’t give away operational details!” she said. “They might get captured and tortured to tell them where we’re going.”

“Should we have told them about Kirido, then?” Anton asked, alarmed.

“That particular chicken has flown its coop and has a lovely family in South America,” Kelsey said. “I’m certain that Al-Kadir has told them about where you came from.”

“Then… doesn’t that mean that the Elitrans will be coming for Kirido?”

“Eventually,” Kelsey said. “Don’t worry, Suliel is putting something together for that eventuality.”

Lioran watched their back and forth closely. “Maybe we don’t want to go to Kirido,” he said.

“Eh, there are pros and cons that you’re going to have to weigh,” Kelsey said. “Anyway, we are going to an unnamed Elitran town to… do some things. If some of you want to stay on Elitran soil and be runaway slaves, then we can give you a lift.”

“That… doesn’t sound very appealing,” Lioran admitted. “But maybe someone…”

“Have the discussion, a vote maybe,” Kelsey said.

Lioran turned to go back to his people but paused. “Wait,” he said. “What about the original crew?”

“Hmm,” Kelsey said. “I guess we’re leaving them in your hands?”

“You can’t do that!” Captain Darzan yelled from the mid-deck. “We surrendered in good faith! If you leave us in the hands of these savages, it will be nothing less than murder!”

Kelsey leaned on the railing, looking down at the captain. “I dunno, then. Anton, do you want to hold a trial and render your judgement? As a Baron, you’ve got the power to do that, right?”

“What? No! That’s only in Kirido! Even if it wasn’t, I don’t have the faintest idea of how to dispense judgment!”

“A noble’s prerogatives extend as far as his army does,” Kelsey said. She pointed at the decksweeper. “You’ve got that. I figure that means you can bring justice wherever you like. And I can get Suliel to help you with the technicalities.”

She paused, holding one hand up. “She says she’s not at all busy and happy to help, no matter how long it takes,” she said.

“Can she hear you say that?” Anton asked.

Kelsey grinned. “Wouldn’t be much point if she couldn’t.”

“Thank her for me,” Anton said, “but that doesn’t feel like justice, just violence. That said, I’m not comfortable with the crew being executed by the crew.”

“Then you must protect us!” Captain Darzan called up.

“It’s fine,” Kelsey said to Anton. “They aren’t going to kill them.”

“We’re not?” Lioran asked, pausing from climbing down.

“Nah,” Kelsey said. “For one thing, having some Elitran officers as hostages will be super useful if you do get caught. For another, you guys are all rowers. You’re going to need help crewing the rest of the ship. And finally…”

Kelsey grinned at Lioran.

“You’re all sick of manning the oars, and this ship isn’t going row itself.”

Lioran snorted but didn’t reply. He just joined his fellows for the discussion.

Kelsey had to replenish the vessel’s stocks of food and water. The galley held only three days’ worth of food— it had been planning to make port the next day. That wasn’t enough for the trip north. Kelsey had no problems with the water, but she balked at supplying enough food.

“I’m not made of crispy fried bread,” she said. “I’m supposed to be feeding Kirido as well, and someone burned down my fields. And killed all my farmers.”

“We need to give them something,” Anton entreated her. “We can’t leave them to starve on the high seas.

“What about fishing?” she asked. “I can make fishing rods, no problem.”

She stared into space for a second. “Not proper ones, admittedly. For some reason, I don’t have them in stock, and I’m not sure how they work. Oh, I guess it’s just a rachet? Or… nets. Nets are probably a better idea, and a lot easier. I can do nets.”

“Do you know how nets work?” Anton asked. “I never understood why the fish don’t swim around them.”

“If you’ve seen nets on the shore, they look like sheets,” Kelsey said authoritatively. “But really, they’re more like bags. It’s hard for the fish to find the exit once they’re in the net.”

“Oh,” Anton said. “Do you think they’ll be able to use them? They’re not fishermen.”

“They’ll get the hang of it,” Kelsey said dismissively. “It’s mostly pulling on ropes, for which they are eminently qualified.”

When they left the galley, Lioran waved them goodbye while wearing the Captain’s hat. Kelsey had left them with freshly drawn maps, a compass and lots of nets. As Kelsey had predicted, the crew had not been executed. Some of them were manning the sails, and the rest were down below. Right now, only four oars were moving, but Kelsey expected that to change.

“Eventually they’ll figure it will go faster if they go back to the oars,” she said. “Shorter shifts, sure, but they’ll row harder just to show the crew up.”

“You got what you needed from the maps?” Anton asked.

“Yeah,” Kelsey said. “We know where we’re going.”