Dungeon Runner (Book 1 and 2)

Stepping Up, Chapter 06

"How did you score the first place?" Don demanded, getting close to Tibs.

He stepped back; he knew better than to allow the corruption sorcerer to touch him. The man might not be responsible for what infected Tibs, but it was a constant reminder of the damage that element could cause.

That, and the pool at one end of Merchant Row.

"How about getting out of our way, Don?" Jackal said, placing a hand at Tibs's back to keep them from colliding.

"You," the sorcerer snarled. "This is because of you. Hard Knuckles is your family. No wonder you tried to convince us he hated you. You didn't want us to realize everything he did for you."

Jackal sighed. "Don, Tibs says you're smart. So how about you stop saying stupid stuff? Knuckles wouldn't get me a tankard of water if I was on fire."

"He'd put you out," Carina said. "Harry wouldn't let a Runner burn to death, not ever you. He's hoping you're going to feed the dungeon."

"Carina, I love you like a sister," Jackal said out the side of his mouth, "but you realize I'm trying to make a point with Don, right?"

"Then make a better one," Mez said, which earned him a glare from the sorceress. He sighed.

"You can't fool me," Don snapped. "I'm going to talk with the guild leader. There is no way she'll allow this to stand." He stormed off, trying to shove them aside, but they moved out of his way. No one in Kragle Rock let an angry Don touch them.

"Is this in regards to something I miss by returning at the last moment?" Khumdar asked. He leaned on his staff, still reeling from his injuries.

"He said we're first," Jackal answered, "so it's got to be because he didn't have the coins to put in and he'd going in after us." He started walking again. "Let's go check the board. I want to see how many noble teams are ahead of us."

"All of them," Tibs grumbled. They had all the coins, so it was easy for them to go in before anyone else.

The board had come up in the morning, so the day before was when the teams had to hand over their coins to the guild if they wanted to increase their chances of going in early. On top of secretly charging the Runners for the training they received, the guild let them buy their way to an early position, but since they wouldn't tell anyone who had paid what, it forced the teams to hand over a lot of their hard earn coins.

In a quiet way of defying the guild, Tibs's team had stopped giving coins to increase their position. They'd realized that the last team to go in was no more at risk than the first one. They'd also passed their decisions along and until the attack on Sto, Don had been the only Runner still handing over some coins, and lording going in before any of the other Runners over them.

There was nothing to be done about the training fees. The guild charged each of them three gold for each day they had their teacher. Tibs shouldn't know, but his teacher, Alistair, had told him as part of explaining what the word 'technically' meant. Once he reached Epsilon, Tibs would have to repay the entirety of the amount, which was more than Tibs could even comprehend. The promised freedom would only come once he no longer owed the guild any coins, not when he reached Epsilon.

They reached the board and the other Runners became quiet, watching them. Tibs ignored them, if they were the first of the Runner teams, it was just randomness, not anyone arranging things for them. He quickly looked down the list, not bothering to read the noble names. They were long and had multiple parts to them. Only nobles could afford to have more than one name. He found the first of the Runner teams, Pyan's, and kept going. Was Don pissed just because his team had come before him? It was Don, so that was a possibility.