Dungeon Runner (Book 1 and 2)

Stepping Up, Chapter 21

Tibs stood, hands on the low stone wall, fighting the urge to throw up at the putrefaction emanating from the pool on the other side of it. It was night, not that anyone would come here even in the day, and he wore rags. He wasn't losing good clothing to this, like he had in his audience with Fire.

He'd tried to come here via the roofs, but his leg had cramped before he'd grabbed onto the window ledge. The corruption was making him suffer on purpose, Tibs just knew it. Stealing the roofs from him, forcing him to resort to the alleys and having to avoid the guards and bribe one of Serba's dogs.

He had still come, because he wanted the roofs back. He'd finally reached a point where he would endure whatever humiliation the element put him through, so long as it took out what was in him.

He pushed himself up and onto the stone wall, kicking a stone off, and it plopped into the pool. Tibs stared at it. It was the only thing visible in Claria's light, even the ripples it had to have caused in the liquid couldn't be seen.

He heard the bubbling as the corruption ate away at the stone and he was certain the stench increased, forcing him to swallow bile. How was it affecting the stone? Wasn't that a base element? What would it do to him if he got closer?

Wasn't he close enough already? Ganny had said all he needed was a strong emotion in the presence of the element, and he was fucking terrified just crouching there, staring as the stone ceased to exist. Why wasn't Corruption getting this going already?

Because it was going to make him suffer every step of the way. It was going to force him to jump in there, feel himself melt.

He swallowed more bile.

Just push, he ordered his body. That was all he needed to fall in. He didn't move. Push! Did he want the roofs back or not? Did he want his body under his control, or to suffer this constant uncertainty as to when it was going to fail him, yet again, because the corruption inside his essence decided his day hadn't been miserable enough.

What if he didn't survive it?

Fire had nearly killed him. It had taken Sto's intervention, and being able to hear him, for Tibs to survive long enough to make it to the clerics.

And if Corruption had any interest in giving him an audience, why hadn't it done that back when he'd been covered in the stuff and thought he'd die? That had been enough for the other elements.

It didn't want him. That was the only possibility. If he jumped in there, he'd dissolve into nothing.

He dropped on the dry side of the wall. Water was wrong. Or at least, he needed to find a way to do this that didn't guarantee he'd die.

He'd ask Sto, maybe. Try to find a cleric he could trust so there would be healing available.

He didn't have to do this, he told himself, reminded himself. The corruption would leave his body eventually. He just had to be patient, then Corruption wouldn't have a hold on him.

He looked at the corruption. "I don't need you," he whispered and walked away.

* * * * *

Tibs followed the guard through the guild building, counting his steps. He didn't know why he'd been summoned, but this was another chance to work out the layout, attempt to figure out how the protection worked. There had to be a system. This was just another puzzle and with enough information, he could work it out.

The guard knocked on the door, and it opened to show not Tirania, as Tibs had expected, but Harry. What did the guard leader want with him? Tibs hadn't done anything that could get him called; the corruption in his essence ensured that. Picking coppers out of pockets wasn't something Harry would bother with. If Tibs messed that up, the normal guards would deal with him.