Skeleton Girl: Dungeon Takeover

PoV: Abigail.

The way the room layout is ― the way I think in terms of direction ― the exit to the outside world is on the west wall, the northern of the two doors; also 'my squad' is the one west of the room's center. I'd almost got the remains of a stone golem put away but had heard the sound of something heavy dragging, and then a whimper which alerted me and the others that something was wrong. I see the foxkin girl, Tazha, pulling herself along the floor, in a very wounded state ― coming from the eastern wall, from the northern of those two doors.

Her previous statement ― a protestation of how Sharla left her to die, here, maybe ― seems to infer she and/or parts of her "team" may have gained the goddess' patronage. Not a great thought; but one I will have to check with Sharla herself, and find out what this deal is. Wait, Sharla would give her help and maybe adventurous boons to a group which ultimately is no better than thieves and rapists? Not good ― not for the so-called heroes, not for the world around them/us, not for Sharla herself ― it would do nothing but diminish Sharla and her integrity as a goddess, if any of my split second musings are correct. But for this wounded girl ... I bet her final line of thought is not about Sharla ... but about what few options she'll have, to continue living through this.

Could she even dare think to drag herself the distance of a half football field length, and that much through skeletons who would be attacking her? N, no; I don't think she can, in that state ... but I might be able to hint for some alternatives-

I see her, clearly ... far past the 'normal' range ― no doubt due to the dungeon's mechanic singling her out. Huh; maybe the dungeon mistress Suka does not want even this one getting away free? Even the mental imperative to 'fight' comes much, much, much more strong. This young wounded foxy girl may have a faint hope; but if not for the fact she's dragged her own body the length of twice her height from the door ... before she realizes her fate. But then ― noting my precise focus down upon her form ― she froze solid, for one mere second. A fatal move, while this room's inhabitants start their moves. Even so, I hear but try resisting this dungeon control force, impelling me to move forward, to defeat this invader ― I'm being told to strike the enemy.

... if the order were printed in text, instead of 'just' a mental directive ... I'd feel it would end in several bold exclamation points, to make the point.

It's clear even to me, with the muted colors not showing this full view of what her condition is, she cannot be dragging herself like this ... unless she were seriously wounded. Even the faint streak of something smeared in her path came from her, shows this better than any other facts. Something from beyond this current room, deeper within the dungeon by the looks of it; a place I have not yet been, cannot seen into. That must have been where the group ran into some deeper trouble.

"Let me ... let me leave," she whimpers, shuddering, pleading her last thoughts. Verbalizing her maybe last wish to the advancing other skeletons, or maybe to the dungeon itself through me or one of the others. Why or how would she say this? Why ask for this simple thing, despite her knowing she could only end in death, at my hands or by one of my companions?

Oh no ― I think she's about to die; certainly if nobody renders first aid ― what's this, first aid ― she might, no definitely will die. She might not last so long even to make it to the door outside, without intervention. Maybe she even dares me to kill her, by speaking ― seeing me with a dagger in hand, and within reach of her, yet not-

Also of note, the plea is singular in nature; she asks for safe escape, for herself. Not for anyone else; not for others of her 'team'. This may indicate she is the last, or nearly so, one from her team to survive, and she's as good as given up on this dungeon siege. Already in having seen six people enter, at least one confirmed 'death ― the stone guy ― and one 'maybe death' in the elfin archer guy. After all if I did steal some of their weapons and/or armor, then of course this is going to reduce their combat potential. If in fact two died here leaving four to go onto the next room ... is it in fact a harder difficulty room, to confront and exterminate the latter four?

Plus too I think this nonverbal command is somehow 'vengeful' in tone ... I know, hard to pick up on 'tone' from a mere command; but even so, it does. Somehow this succubus Suka, mistress of the dungeon (such as it is) wants the last one of them to die. Nothing less than this. Well if Suka and/or Tallin doesn't know much about the outside ... wouldn't capturing one or more of them be the more profitable act? It's what I would do, if I were in her place. But with a supposedly 'scaredy-cat' type of personality I suppose Suka to have, maybe she won't be relaxing unless she somehow 'controls' the whole situation?

I have ... conflicting thoughts and emotions, now. Help a fellow human (er I was, once) get out of here; or help my fellow skeletons do what we must. What the subtle directives infer I should do. To be skeleton, or not to be skeleton ― that is the question. Human life, skeleton life, human will, skeleton/dungeon will-

-so I do think, I actually do have a human mentality, still; enough to tell me 'you should help her', which I still feel, even with this other mental command. But on another hand, I think too, both a dungeon mistress or some control system as well as Lance as a leading skeleton here, are all sending out vibes we should all be finishing this. I have many separate opposing voices, all screaming at me, and ... and I just wanna go home to Daddy.

What to do, what to do.

Screw it, I'll help ... for now. If I can 'rescue' her ... well then does that set me against Suka, and/or Tallin? How can I do ... anything? This impulse is forcing me to walk this way, anyway; so at least I am forced to make some form of contact-

Necklace time; time to speak up. Got things to say.

"Hey. If you can make it to the corner door south of you to another room, you can be safe from the other skeletons. It's too far to the exit but you should be able to make the other door there near you. I'll hold these off-"

First time using this voice thing. My voice is ... somewhat like I remember ― yet not. Shaky, naturally, from all the serious effort of walking and focusing on who else could be getting there before me. Blame it on being dead again, maybe. Or just for Sharla's gift of a voice box not being so realistic? Eh ... close enough to count as me; even this shaky tone of voice might be within range of 'normal' even, if ... if she understands me.

She definitely looked at me in surprise, as I pointed secretly to the one door she should go toward. In the meantime I am walking forward too, to obfuscate my means of helping her and hindering these others. Her eyes went suddenly wide, as she considered this; then she struggled to move forward ... somehow.

And now it's her turn to struggle ― not just physically, but intellectually ― will she believe me? Well; she has little chance of making it out, the direct way ... but then again even she knows, she might make it out if she can recover in the other room.

And ... we'll have a lot to talk about ... including about Sharla.

For this fox girl, it's her only hope ― for her to trust me, or not ― and we both know this. This moment is too weird anyway to doubt the seriousness of survival situations.

PoV: Tazha.

'Is this thing ... for real?'

The army of skeletons are still advancing; and the skeleton's voice is right ― a female voice; but it's odd: skeletons are only things. Unholy abominations. I am in no condition to exit by myself; and anyway we already fought through a pack of goblins on wolves out there just to get here. We even saw how over half of Kida's mongrel litter of abominations were killed in this same goblin pack; but then again it's eerie how Kida could suck it up for her entry inside the dungeon, figuring she'd blow off steam from her loss of kin, through this adventure.

Not to mention the heavier armed skeletons in the next room, and their immediate surge against us.

This first room of the dungeon, it had defeated our heaviest hitter, Garnet the Stone Golem. My former lover Deek also, down or dead. Kida dead too ― with no shield, only a mallet and her rage, even a number of skeletons would overwhelm her. Leaving just three, to enter the second room, once we'd had enough losses ― Dellan, Leumas, and I. It's almost surprising how fierce things turned, once we entered there-

The second room was a dark grassy plains simulating night, with roaming skeletons locked on the entrants-

Leumas the Trap Mage actually continued fairly well, despite losing an arm now to one skeletal swordsman. Last I saw of him, he was moaning in pain but still swinging his other arm, casting as many spells as possible. Dellan ― despite not having his own weapon ― managed to disarm one of the skeletons by sheer force, and was using a rusty iron blade then. I, avoiding one skeleton archer, unfortunately stepped in front of another swordsman, the same one who disarmed Leumas, to receive the unavoidable slash. Knocked aside by the force of the blade slicing me, I could not avoid a second slash, breaking my hip bone-

-even if brother begged and pleaded for me to stay and fight, to not abandon him ... I am not going back in there! I'll die if I return to his way of doing things! Besides, I ... I don't think I can ever rejoin his way of ... doing the almost criminal things. He cannot reform his ways; but at least I can refuse to sink any lower with him.

I cannot believe it, cannot believe my life is about to end in a place such as this. Unbelievable how we entered the dungeon and made a beachhead but somehow one lone skeleton here had disarmed already half of us! Where did our weapons go? Knowing how skeletons might drop loot items we'd stayed in this one room far longer than we should have, with Dellan screaming, wanting his sword back; such a bossy jerk. Even more so unbelievable ― for the same skeleton we were hunting in this same room is this same one to help me now?

What is wrong in this world of misadventures?

It was all Dellan's idea, all from the start. First, to leave the kingdom who summoned us, for our own free adventuring. And now after a decade and a half of banditry, to find somewhere and take over as a 'bandit king' ... or just 'king' ... himself. Or ... he never said which of us two women ... me or Kida ... he would have as 'queen'.

The news from the girl was a hint of this place; Dellan had thought to set up camp in here, of all places. Of our group, we were half for it and half against it; Dellan would lead as king, Kida would be his mate and queen, even Leumas got a promise to be 'royal mage'. But on the opposite side: I'm against the whole thing in principle; Granite saw how Dellan would want him to merely be the 'castle defense'; plus Deek thought maybe he and I could just leave- with Dellan being the overriding vote. He kinda sealed it in my mind, at least, of how brutal he'd be as a ruler ― by forcing down an already distraught girl, raping her, and then letting everyone else take a turn on her. Except me; I was already horrified by the deeds he'd done ... some of which I'd only started recalling recently.

My own memories have been returning these last couple years; and I've been trying to 'get back to good' very, very, very slowly. It's not been easy, in fact every step forward is also another half-step backwards, where Dellan interrupts and overrides me. If any of the others even knew how traumatic it's been for me, they never bothered to help me much less stop Dellan. Thus ... I escape here and now, or ... I die. Simple as this.

Still ... for now ... I'm crawling as fast as I can, to the door this creature pointed toward. Why? Why toward this door in specific ― to another dungeon trap? Or, could I take it on faith in the goddess of something overriding the normal dungeon system here in my behalf? Er, would a goddess even care about someone inside a dungeon ... much less, for us failed summons?

Halfway there ... and it hurts, it hurts, the blood leaks, I'm feeling so weak, too ... but I also notice something strange too. While the one skeleton was also walking this way, it started walking in front of the other skeletons. Clearly obstructing others, and causing them to recalculate their steps- Why?

I'd had to laugh at this, recalling the game times back on Earth, of dungeon monsters' "path issues". Whatever. This skeleton is more or less clearing a way toward the door from so many skeletons, I dare not waste any more of my efforts to watch this comedy of errors. Will I live or die in trying to just get there? I don't know, it's not going to be easy.

I had the vague sense of scale for this room, so odd to have the entry room so vast. Maybe half the length of a football field; fifty yards? One hundred fifty feet? And the sides were half that, maybe seventy five feet in length, with these two doorways positioned one third of the distance from each corner. That's already twenty five feet to crawl from one door to another; and I'd already gone two thirds of the way but felt my strength not so great.

"Inside the next room, just inside of the doorway to the right, is my supplies. A backpack, my loot bag if you will. It holds a blue potion, a red potion, and a white potion. Use what you need, leave the rest for me."

I grunted acknowledgement, while pulling myself even faster at news of a healing potential, then dared to wonder. 'How would a dungeon minion be having its own loot bag? Also ... what is wrong with this world!'

And even if so, with a blue potion being mana restoration and a red potion being health restoration ― I'd never even heard of a white potion. Wait no ― one of the mages in the city once said something of a rare "Potion of Melathun" ... but still no idea its function. Otherwise, the mention of potions alone gave me a further hint of hope, of a chance of any kind of restoration ― since I'd already expended all my potions from before this.

There ― I was just within grasp of the door frame, just about to pull myself inside, when I heard the voice once more.

"The room is dark, and previously had rats, and might be dirty and smelly. But it is cleaned out now ... more or less. Go in, have a rest. Once the skeletons here return to their standard positions, I will come talk to you. Have many things to say, and ask."

I can only gulp at this latter part. Talking ... to a skeleton?

... well, I ... I have been, more or less ... no, it was talking to me.

PoV: Abigail.

I could sigh in relief. The fox girl Tazha finally pulled herself fully through, gasping suddenly and cursing at the stench she breathed in then. I am concerned her leg might be broken if she could not even walk upon it, or even crawl on hands and knees. Sepsis or toxicity if the wounds are not cleansed is another worry; but nothing I can do for her, here.

Dragged herself, she had, from the previous room. It makes me consider, again, all the things I've thought already. Why nobody else came with her, from her group? Was she the last of them? Or, had they abandoned her ― or she, them?

But I had sensed a moment ago her waning struggle; that's why I mention those potions. I'd rather not have her rummaging through the remaining bits and pieces, in there; but I should suppose I need not hold back in this much help as one or two potions.

And that last set of words, was to inform her ― it will be dark, but she would otherwise be ... safe ... for a while. Also I'd had to in all truth tell her, I would be coming to see her, in a short while. Just so she didn't get better and then end me, when I came there to check up on her.

If something like that last thought happened, would I then be outside of this room's respawn options? Not sure I wanted to find out; not sure I want to test it without knowing one way or another. Already I'd seen the stuff I had in this Inventory system came along with me, every time. I could extract each and every piece, and even repair them if I wanted ― not that I would repair the weapons until after I'd been sure the bandits themselves were defeated. I suppose when I'm next before Sharla, I should ask if she needs them back, or if I can ... use them.

I would have liked to have obtained the archer's silver bow; for one thing it might increase my combat options for this room. Imagine me sniping people invading the dungeon with an elven bow ... might make the invaders think I was an elf and retained my weapons or something. If this world even has the elven race, outside of the one party member. Hah; I'm perfectly fine using a bow with arrows ... I just need some practice, first.

And now Tazha finally pulls herself within the room, and ... everything returns to 'normal'. No remaining 'pressure' from a 'command' imperative ... which in itself is strange. Suka or the dungeon system thinks the fox girl is defeated now? Maybe if the others remain in the second room, that has Suka's attention more than here, now. So. The room resets after a moment; skeletons go back to their positions, no longer being able to find a 'threat' in this room. It's like a never ending dress rehearsal on stage, for a theatrical event which never sees day one.

... oh? Odd; my mind suggests something so strange as a 'theater' analogy ... yet another aspect of myself to add into a list of self exploration.

If I were in any sense fully under the control of the dungeon, yet with this sensibility ... I think I'd be insulted at how simplistic all of these skeletons are. So it's not their fault, they just have zero awareness for how defeated they are, every time. Me, on the other hand ― I know full well and feel it every time I am defeated. They ... not so much. Wouldn't it be strange if any or even all of them could talk, though? A whole room full of skeletons as chatty as anyone else in here ... though in this sense I'd have to fear their 'telling' on me for all the sneaking around and hiding salvaged goods. Oh on second thought then, no it wouldn't be a good thing to have more skelly friends talking too.

If this dungeon has existed a fair length of over a hundred twenty years, and before these recent incursions since I became aware, then ... I'm unsure how many times in the previous two invasions I may have 'died'. I probably don't need to keep track of them; at least for now. But what's more accurate is the mind numbing boredom of standing around in silence ― nothing to see, nothing to say, nothing to hear, nothing to do. Until, now.

At least now with the randomness and oddity of memories snapping back into place ... it won't be dull.

Even as I take my position back at 'my spot' ― and again let my vision turn gray as I'm standing as still as the rest ― I'm thinking. What things to say to the girl, what things to ask, finding out if she like mushrooms on her pizza as much as I do-

After a respectable time ― maybe a half hour, maybe more, not sure ― of no further intruders backtracking, I finally step from here and proceed to head toward 'my door'. Inside I sense small light sconces around the room illuminate the now not dark room, some faint light spell maybe she knew here. Or, maybe something different ― it's the first time in however long for some non-skeleton non-rat creature to be in here. The fox girl shows me without knowing it, another function of this room.

She's cleansed a square meter area, by hero skills perhaps. She sits reading the scraps of paper ― such as the girl's journal, and mentally piecing together what happened in the previous times. I won't interrupt because I think maybe she deserves to know what I do. I see the other things strewn out upon the floor ― the orb, the clothes, and ointments and things. Damn, I should probably keep the magic things hidden too, in my own Inventory. At least the orb, for which I've worked so long and hard-

But with the increased light level, I am also noticing more about this room. It's a human friendly light, almost like the 'fake sunlight bulbs' found on Earth, for building interiors. However the light sconces are also "dirty" ― in how the faceted gems or crystals emit light with shadows ― the rats having touched everything in here. Light is emitted in stray misshapen patterns; but it's more. This shows this room to have been more than I thought it was, too ― something I might have thought of, from a pen and paper style role-play ― a 'safe room'. A place in a dungeon which is temporarily or permanently off limits to attack in either way. No dungeon minion could enter except as a noncombatant; no adventurer would need to fear attack while in this safe zone. A place to pause.

In reality before this, 'seeing' but not 'knowing' this, I'd wondered how it could work. And, after thinking about it, it did make sense ― to a degree. I had not had any struggle to get in here, yet the other skeletons never did follow me here; but why should they? They're on their own preprogrammed course, their own routine. But I ... being outside the traditional path of a dungeon minion ― which this now confirms ― I could freely enter here, and be 'safe' as much as adventurers and heroes could. Also, I'm glad to see Tazha is safe too ― and to be vindicated for my concerns.

She turns to me, a warning glance even though I'd just helped her before this. It must be odd; for her to have been dragged inside this dungeon, and attacked, and also attacking my fellows out there ... and yet now to see me here, right near her body. Except unlike the others, I will not make a move to betray any little form of trust I can build.

Also what I'd thought of as niches along the north and south walls were, in fact, small closet like rooms with simple cots as beds; bedrooms in deed if not name. This is final proof of a sort, this area was originally intended as a safe room; the room has places to sleep. These niches showed signs of having curtains at one time, to permit privacy while sleeping; but time and unforeseen occurrence had allowed them to deteriorate or be eaten away by ... the vermin.

On this note, I have some sense ... from all the filth on the floor and even up partway on the walls ... of this room smelling rancid. Even if I have allowed the rats to escape into the outer room and be slaughtered, this still did nothing in the few days to alleviate the filth now clearly seen in here. Maybe this dungeon itself did permit refreshing the air flow through here; and for that I can only be thankful. But ... filth is filth; some natural stench will remain for the time and duration of the dropped mess being here. I want to see it cleaned. Hey I may have been a slut with my father but at least I was a clean slut-

The east end has no door to go through; the eastern third is more a 'shop' space but without a merchant or shopkeeper, and no wares except a lot of old goods damaged by vermin. I think I want to setup shop there; I could restore all the objects and then sell them to adventurers-

For now, I have to see if I can get through to this girl, start with a common point.

"... from Earth, too?"

Recognition, in those eyes. "Yeah! You?"

"Yes. I am ... was ... a young female, starting a family with my lover, and ... got killed by a jealous former mate." I won't expound on the details, any further than this summary. "Then, I found myself ... here."

She looked me over again, intently. Sighed, in resignation, and grew a wry but understandable grin. "Must be strange, to first be human then not, and especially as a skeleton, an undead thing."

"Yes well I could not do anything about it. But at least here, I have a chance of getting back to ... some form of life."

"... how. If you don't mind my asking."

I already expected this question, but not its suddenness. "This is going to take a while ... but you have a while to rest and heal too, so ... if you will trust me ... I'll tell what I can of it."

She finally set aside those scraps of paper, and pulled herself back against the backpack, for support. Watching me with intense curiosity.

"... and then after the girl ... incident, a couple days past ― it was the lone goblin riding on a wolf, the last of them we saw out there."

Tazha nodded then, her eyes getting heavy as she struggled to keep from sleeping just yet. Blinking a lot more now, just in the effort. All she's experienced to date must have been hard for her to handle.

"Tazha," I said calmly. "You do not need to fear me, I will not attack you. You are free to rest here as I believe this room is a safe zone where dungeon minions cannot attack those coming in, and other minions don't even have a desire to come inside here anyway. Do rest, while I do some cleaning around here."

She didn't answer; instead, she allowed herself to sleep as I suggested. She somehow rolled to one side, using the bulk of my pack as a makeshift 'pillow', by my offer for her to do so.

Now that the room was lit, I could safely explore the niches and nooks and crannies, and see things in at least partial color ― somehow because she still may be an 'enemy'. A treat for me who'd been getting used to the dim grays, or forcing myself to keep moving so I could at least see in partial colors-

Glancing a few times back to her now sleeping form, I ponder the thought of how a fox girl could look so cute just sleeping there, among filth. Well that's all we have, here; but even in her curled pose, she does have this, a gentle, subtle look of peace. Only with this shred of her own cloth rags brought with her, to cover her nose, and block some of the foul stench of here. I don't blame her. I cannot smell it like she does yet if I could I would not wish to remain here long. She's only here because the alternative is escaping to the outside ... past all my fellow skeletons ... and for now, that would be more difficult, in her state.

First things first. I will store everything, from the damaged beds and scraps of curtains and curtain rods and even all the dusty dirty things in the shop back there. Everything, because I wanted to see if or how I can start some cleaning process. Not just fixing but cleaning. Even if some of the beds are less damaged than others ― in the end, they were all filthy, from untold numbers of years of rats or other things scurrying around, rending or soiling or dropping things, randomly.

The dark fungus or mold on the walls ― another sign, even if this is a safe room, this much might be a health hazard to visitors, at least for extended exposure. I may or may not be immune to it, having no breathing organs; but I sure as hell don't want my 'friends' to be harmed from it. So ... any amount of it which can break away, I break it and store it, safely gone.

Around another hour of this ― occasionally checking back to hear Tazha breathing softly ― I am about done. At the counter in the back, I do now see another orb as one of the items; but this one is attached to the counter and cannot be released ― it's the safe room control. I ... think so. But it's also drained of mana, so it cannot repair and clean the room's things like it should. Or, not literally drained; only hovering at maybe a single point of mana remaining, the last vestige before it goes 'boom'. Let's not let it go boom, okay-

-wait; a faint spark of illumination, a hint of some power growing faintly now? When I put on the Repairman Belt then I note by touching this orb ... I sense its mana is increasing slightly faster? Well ... I could stand here like this for a while, and hope I'm doing a good thing with it. Let's see; approximate two percent increase over what feels like a five minute span, means ... two hundred fifty minutes, to full, more or less? Four hours, plus some; so nobody is here saying this thing cannot activate already. But for some reason I'm thinking it should be full of energy, before I do something.

... a fourth hour of standing here has come, and Tazha at the far end of the room is just now starting to act restless. She slept so still, I'd find myself glancing all the way back across the room to watch for her still being alive but asleep. Yes, still alive; her chest rises and falls with such soft breaths ― face still covered in her own cloth rags. Then with a jolt at some inner reaction, she jerks herself awake, to sit bolt upright. A sick cough infers she's got a normal reaction still, to the smell.

".. w, what, where-"

Even my vision of the current area has grown; with each passing percent of mana stored, it feels like the luminary sconces provided more light, just to let anyone within this area see better. Still not desirable for their lack of cleanliness; but brighter light is better than weaker light.

"I am over here, performing a task."

Her eyes settle on my form, and she comes awake. I hear the loud protest from her stomach, but have nothing to share of food, or I would, of course ... aah wait, those spicy peppers I retrieved and what was in the kids' pack which is now mine. But that's all, truly all I have.

"... it's somehow brighter ... hey wait, didn't this place have some broken tables and other furnishings, just a while ago?"

"They are going to be replaced soon. If this is meant to be a safe room, then having damaged furnishings could not be the best use of presentation. And since this room is like me on a path to better things, it is also providing better light, due to my process here. Just a little ... enhancement."

Tazha laughed. "Yeah I know what you mean. It was like this for me too; back home on Earth I worked in a place after school hours which had a lot of old junk, and finally the old man saw the need to do the same. Out with the old, in with the new."

I think this is the first sign she is more open to my presence. Maybe she just needed to sleep, and then wake up after knowing I would not harm her, as I said.

"... so, what task, can I help."

I ponder for a second, then admit to what I suspect. "This orb, it is the controls for this space. The safe room was unused in all the time I was awake, and it became filled with rats and their messes for however long before I'd arrived. But as I told you I had let them out into the other room, where the other skeletons did their 'Three Stooges' routine, so it should be fairly safe from vermin. Only, this room itself might not be so healthy to be inside, for any amount of time; so I'm working on restoring this-"

"Restoring!" she leapt to her feet and stepped this way. "H, how!"

"This belt, I got from Sharla-"

"-say, you get around, don't you." Tazha grinned more sharply. "Eh ... pay it no mind. But ... from the goddess? Truly?"

"... yes. It's also why I think I'm now outside of the typical dungeon minion path, in how I have separate ways to upgrade than they do. And if I take control of this safe room, I am willing to operate it as its manager. I never did want to fight, anyway." I pause, to note she's just about arrived to this spot; but she's walking with only a faint limp now. "-anyway as I was saying. So I'm working on restoring this globe ... think of it like a motherboard in a computer whose main power cord was unplugged, so it had to run on spare batteries for all this time. When you entered, its proverbial 'batteries' were under two percent; but in over four hours it's filled to now the last five percent or so from full."

She's here, standing shoulder to shoulder with me, and looking at me and to the orb I'm touching. Despite her lingering pain which is not fully healed, I see a spark of intellect in her, which is fitting for her.

Silence is ... unbearable. Even if she could see the status screen I can, I must keep a conversation going between us, right? Unfortunately I've already hit the highlights to my life; so now it's her turn. The biggest question here ― her adventuring party. Or, to find out what happened in the time since I last saw them all together.

"About your ... companions," I open up the conversation to another inquiry ― but she stops me with a sharp look.

"-don't wanna talk about them. They ... might not be my companions anymore ― anyway it's a long story."

I have this feeling I should retort, 'hey I told you my story so now your turn', but ― I also am afraid of pushing away this first fellow human(ish) contact. So, I ... I'll play it safe.

"Okay, no pressure."

We let the moment lapse to silence again, with both of us in deep thought. About three percent remaining to charge, and then it's done too. How does that work? I think my 'fix' was just helping it along in absorbing the dungeon's mana, for use within the safe zone.

"... you said your name is Abigail?"

"Yes. It was in the past life, and once I remembered it, I chose it here as well. No more being a skeleton called '<unnamed>' for now."

Tazha gave a faint laugh at the situation, then calmed down.

"Um, sorry, I guess I don't have the perspective of not having a name. I've either had the name my parents gave me in the last world, or the name I chose when coming here."

"Pay it no mind. It felt unusual, but then again until someone finally came along to talk, nobody else was around to tell my name. In the meantime, would you like to tell me about yourself? If it's not impolite to ask."

"... there's some things I just ... don't wanna say, just yet. The worst of it's being around Dellan recently, and the things you may have heard him mention when we first set foot inside the other room. But, some things, I may tell of my former life-"

"Anything you want to tell is up to you, Tazha. Just know this ... I too am lonely; I will appreciate the time and contact."

The girl nodded, then sighed, and began.

Even if Tazha were keeping things back, I am still getting a sense of the reality of her life, before this world. And in a sense, who she is ... going forward in this world too, as I think over what she said. It's such a sad tale, but I think she did keep trying to make things right, even when she had little alternative.

At a certain point while she's talking, the orb had filled to one hundred percent completion; and then the new menu screen also popped in front of it, between the orb and I. But Tazha, not seeming to notice it, had went on talking too. The screen does not flicker, I have no interruption in the view ― the menu itself must be provided by the orb, not something I would have within me. Cool; no chance of failure in this, then.

Zaya's Dungeon Safe Zone System - Management Screen.
This dungeon safe zone is currently without an administrator.
You may obtain full administration rights through this system.
Control Orb is currently holding full mana (65536/65536 MP).
Options:
- [locked] (variable MP) Clean/Sanitize the safe room surfaces.
- [locked] (variable MP) Repair structural safe room objects.
- [locked] (16384 MP) Install an extra floor within the safe room.
- [locked] (8192 MP) Install a Summon System in the safe room.
- [locked] (4096 MP) Install a Hospital System in the safe room.
- [locked] (2048 MP) Install a Shopping System in the safe room.
- [locked] (1024 MP) Install a Lodging System in the safe room.
- [locked] (512 MP) Install an Inventory System in the safe room.
- [locked] (256 MP) Install a Customized Area in the safe room.
- [locked] (128 MP, +1 MP/m^3) Assign a system into a space.
- [free] Assume control/management for this safe zone room.
- [locked] [free] Safe room configuration options.

-wait a second. While I do want the latter option, will it in some way 'bind' me to this space so I cannot then leave it so easily? I don't know; but what I do see is ... the other things are locked ― either because I do not have the permission to select those things, or because the 'administrator' must be selected first.

Then in the midst of this, I do some subtle calculation. The control orb being a container capable of holding 65536 mana points is one thing. I know the square root of that is precisely 256. Hmm; was it a mana recharge rate of 256 MP per minute, of which I've already stood in this place for a full two hundred fifty odd minutes? That's ... odd, but I'll accept it. And with the Repairman Belt giving an increase in the mana rate to recharge ... I'm thinking it's a factor of two increase. Double? Quadruple? Octuple- nah, I don't think a repair belt could be so generous as to go eight times normal. Two times, maybe; four times, eh ... that might be the upper limit. Let's say it doubles it, for now. Until I learn otherwise-

Also I'm sensing some confusing situation here. Zaya's Dungeon? What, what happened to it being Suka's Dungeon? Er ... maybe then instead, it's just Suka was the one who from some time past had overtaken Zaya, to then become the current dungeon mistress. And maybe Suka is neither able to, nor cares to, overtake all of the dungeon rooms ― which spoke volumes too in regard to the 'know it all' succubus ... or something. It's not like she gave off the aura of being fully in control, here; look at me, if I'm able to resist her-

I believe to select this could even further separate me from Suka, but maybe could alert her somehow of the change. Also would it somehow link me to a person named Zaya, regardless of whether he/she/it still exists or is in the dungeon, much less the world? All things to ponder.

"... uh, hello Abigail, Earth to Abi, come in Abi-"

I looked up, astonished to see how I'd been neglecting her story time, for my own review of things.

"... s, sorry, Tazha. While you were talking, this orb got fixed and mana filled, and ... I was endlessly curious about the options shown."

The girl's eyes lit up, with an interest in this revealed thing. "Options? You see something, like ... a screen? What's it look like? Is it-"

"-yes; I see a screen. You don't? Have you never seen-"

"-n- no. I guess not. I've never seen any screen ... ever. And, having played some games on Earth I did expect to see something like that, once I arrived here; but, nothing." She sighed, then groaned. "Well, that settles it. Abi, I believe you're a special existence if you get this much. It's proof too, my 'team' were not such hotshots like we first thought. But anyway. Kudos on this chance to see it."

I would do a subtle cough here, to pass the moment; but the silence increases the tension anyway.

"It only looks like a simple screen, though ― some thing with words. Dark green background that's still one third transparency; mostly bright white letters, but some heading text of yellow. Let's just say, I unlocked a way to assume administrative rights, or maybe even ownership if you think about it, for this space. But only for this safe room. Plus, other options are locked for now, until I select to initialize them. But I'm concerned-"

"Really? Tell me more, what options you see, I'm curious now."

I begin reading off just the names of things, with a brief note, to give her the brief clue of what might come here. "A summon system, to obtain support minions. A hospital system, for guest health ops. A shopping system, for buying what may be needed, both for this dungeon and guests. A lodging system, for guest resting. An inventory system, for guest storage of items. A customizing system, for more detailed control of spaces. And then, option to fire off the cleaning and sanitizing system and repair of broken things. Oh, and adding a second floor, but I don't know why-"

Tazha's eyes lit up with each thing, a hint of her interests being piqued. "... hospital ... if only I'd have known, I wouldn't have had to take your stash of potions-"

"-you still would have needed to use those potions, to survive as long as it would take to get these things going. Only now it seems this space can be much, much more than it is now."

"I want to see it ― well I truly wish I could!"

"... I don't see how I can share the screen view, though, especially if you're not tied to the dungeon. I did look but there's no option here. It's only showing to me, I think. Not like I can't in the future; I just don't know how, as of now."

Tazha shows a disappointment in not having the same access as I ― but it's a logic she accepts. It is understandable; if I were in her shoes, then I would like to see this too. And I'm sure if my own tale were ever told and this one detail got included, then the future reader would probably like to see it as well.

"But even so. I think you have to not be inside this room while I edit the options and reconfigure the system. I do feel close enough to you, I'd rather you not leave until you are healed well enough; I see you still limping, so I know your leg must not have healed fully yet. I don't have to do it now; but to do any of the changes such as sanitizing this whole room, I do have to be the administrator of this space ― plus I suppose too this room should be empty of unrelated beings."

"... well then ... should I go now, so you can try it?"

"... um-"

I waver on giving an answer, just now. It's still a concern, and maybe I haven't yet told Tazha how seriously I'm worried in this option ― but she picks up now on what I can't put into words, quite yet.

"-Abigail wait, what you said earlier ― you sound as if you are hesitant, maybe afraid, of going forward. Are you saying, you see something wrong with this option, to take over the safe room as its boss?"

I did hesitate, for a very practical reason. It's this matter of whether I get "bound" into this space or not. Not to mention what happens whether this space belongs to either Zaya or Suka. And what it means for me if I choose one over the other.

... pretty sure I'm not so eager to be Suka's little minion; but the same doesn't automatically extend to being Zaya's bitch, either. Apparently I've also got the interest of a goddess too. Maybe, Tallin knows this Zaya? Sounds like one huge family affair around the dungeon; but at least if I can have his perspective-

-yet Tazha is looking expectant of an answer from me. I sigh, heavily.

"So ... Tazha ... it's like this-"

I splat out the basis of the dungeon scheme ― of this dungeon currently being in Suka's hands, of this safe room being in Zaya's hands, and the possible conflict I sense coming sometime ahead of this. In a minute I see Tazha also hold up a hand, to halt my rapid spoken worries.

"-Abigail ― wait. Let me tell you a little more of what I have seen in this world."

I stopped and only nodded. Time to listen to teacher?

"So ― my, no our arrival, me and the other seven, was by group summoning from Earth to this world ― which I know now the locals call 'Ather'.¹Yes the world name is Earth with the characters rearranged. The kingdom who summoned us called themselves the Lightwater Kingdom; but they also went by one byline denoting their arrogance too. Those in the royalty called themselves 'True Heirs of Ather' ― all to say, they had designs on someday ruling the whole world. Now you and I would know even in the most ideal of circumstances ... governments just don't last that well, not across a whole world. Not at bronze age or even iron age levels of technology and travel. Even with the weird attacks and twisted magical lore."

Another nod, acknowledging the truth of her last words, then she continued.

"Abigail ... you know that little saying, 'the enemy of my enemy' ... or something?"