Dungeon Runner (Book 1 and 2)

Stepping Up, Chapter 41

The guard stepped before Jackal and the team, blocking the entrance to the dungeon. "You aren't going in."

"What are you doing?" the cleric asked, but the other guard held him back.

"This is our run," Jackal stated.

"I don't care. You're not going into that death trap."

Tibs frowned. If the guards cared how many Runners were dying, did it mean they were afraid the town would die because of it and they would lose their job?

"There's loot in there," the fighter said, stepping forward, stopping when the guard placed a hand on his sword. "Loot, me and my team are going to get. So get out of the way."

The guard only glared at Jackal.

"Is the dungeon closed?" Mez asked, looking from one to the other.

"Yes, it has," the guard facing Jackal said too quickly for Tibs to believe.

"No, I'm not," Sto replied, offended, at the same time Jackal snorted.

"This has nothing to do with the dungeon," Jackal said dismissively. "It's my father."

"Then you know I can't let you in."

Okay, that made more sense.

Only... Sebastian had to know how good Jackal was now. Why was he so afraid for Jackal? Sto wasn't that hard yet. Tibs watched the guards and how they tried to hide their fear.

"Maybe you haven't been paying attention," Jackal said, "but I don't answer to him. Move out of my way, or I am going to move you myself." His skin turned the gray of stone.

"No," the guard replied, his voice shaking.

Jackal stepped forward.

Instead of drawing his sword, the guard stepped back. Jackal took another step and, and another, each time the guard moved until he glanced behind him and realized he was at the threshold and got out of the way as Jackal took a last step.

Grinning, the fighter entered.

Tibs looked at the guards as he followed. They were terrified, but of what? That Jackal would die? Of Sebastian's retribution?

"Why did you let him in?" the second guard hissed once the team was inside.

"I didn't see you come to my help."

Tibs stopped to listen.

"Hey, I'm not to the one who was ordered to keep him out. Don't fucking put this on me. If I'd been you, I would have gone into the dungeon with him, instead of having to face Wells. Better those horrors than Wells' displeasure."

"That can't be worse than what the Runners who came out said."

"Right, you never worked for the man. You've just had to deal with the orders he's given since arriving. There's still time for you to go in there and be tortured. Trust me, that's the better fate.

"Tibs?" Jackal called. He stood next to the section of wall where the doorway to the second floor hid. That he'd stopped there meant he could sense the way the essence was altered. Was he getting better, or had Tibs missed the fighter putting his hand against the wall?

Tibs joined them, mulling over what the guards had said. Those words in front of Jackal would have been an act to scare him into doing what Sebastian wanted. With no one but the baffled cleric there... they were truly terrified of what Sebastian might do. Of what they had heard from the Runners who had made it out of the dungeon.

He looked at the doorway, fighting the urge to look in the trap room's direction. As far as he knew, his team was still the only one who had found the doorway. Carina hadn't said if she'd told the other teams or not. Tibs didn't know how many sorcerers with elements were left.