Breaking Step (Dungeon Runner 3)

Breaking Step, Chapter 20

Tibs hurriedly looked around the floor, sensing for the trigger. If he'd missed one, he could have—

There was nothing there.

"You cheated," he said, looking up. "I didn't trigger anything."

"Yeah, I did," Sto replied. "Tibs, we need to talk."

"Ganny, are you going to let him cheat like that?"

"This is the only way we could think of getting you away from Don, since you won't let Sto get rid of him."

"He's on my team, and—"

"That's the problem," Sto interrupted.

"We need a sorcerer for the runs, and Tirania assigned him to my team."

"And you're okay with that?" Sto asked in disbelief.

Tibs filled the cracks before answering. "It's what it is."

"Stop that," Sto snapped. "Just let the abyssed water go and answer me."

"I have answered you."

"Tibs," Ganny said gently, "this isn't good for you."

"The alternative isn't good for anyone else, and they matter more."

Sto sighed.

"You're not doing anyone any good," Ganny said, "if you can't feel anything."

"I can think," he replied. "That's more important than feeling. And I do feel; just not as strongly. So it's fine."

"No, it's not," Sto said, exasperated. "Just let go of the water. Channel fire and let it out. It's safe to do in here."

Tibs looked at the wall, sensed the weave. Don said it would take every element to have a chance of impacting it. "Is that why you made this room? Because you think I want to let fire loose?"

"No," Ganny replied. "I designed this room so the teams facing it have to rely on themselves instead of their elements. It's when you returned the way you are that Sto realized you'd be able to let it go here."

"Thank you. I appreciate what you're doing, but I'm fine."

"No, Tibs; you're not," Ganny pleaded. "You feel. That's what makes you, you."

"I still feel. The ice just lets me stay in—"

"You don't stay in control, Tibs," Sto snarled. "You're someone who gets angry when I ate someone you hardly knew for not other reason than he was nice. You screamed at me, and you made me break rules I knew better than to break because your pain hurt."

Tibs swallowed and filled more cracks. "I know what you're trying to do."

"Then stop fighting me!"

Tibs chuckled. "When have I ever done that?"

"Tibs, I'm trying to help you."

"I know, but I don't need the help. I am grateful for what you want to do, but I'm fine."

"Tibs," Sto pleaded.

"We did what we can," Ganny said, defeated. "Tibs, we'll be here when you come to your senses."

"Thank you, but I don't think that's—"

"I'll make you a door that isn't guarded," Sto said.

Tibs closed his mouth and stared. "You can do that?"

"I'm Stone Mountain Crevice," Sto said solemnly. "All this is me, so if I can talk with you. I can affect it."

"I heard your call for help all the way into town. Does it mean you can reach there?"

"No, that was desperation. I yelled as hard as I could and hoped you'd rescue me." The silence stretched. "I wish you'd let me return the favor."

"I'm not screaming to be rescued."

Sto sighed. "You would, if you weren't so filled with ice."

"I'm fine."

"That isn't what people are meant to be like," Ganny said.

"How do you know?" Tibs asked. "You admitted you know little about people."

"But I've seen others who did what you're doing."

"You did? Who?"

"Harry," she answered. "He was so filled with light that the first time he stepped where we could see him, he blinded us."

"The new guard leader," Sto said, "Irdian. He's the same with metal. He feels like he could cut his way through my stone just by leaning against it. Tibs, I can feel the cold radiating off you from the floor above."

"I'm not like them. I'm doing this to protect others."

"No, you aren't," Ganny said. "You're doing it because you think it's protecting you. I just hope you realize it isn't, before you turn into an ice version of what those two are and come to us for help."

"Alright. If this becomes a problem, I'll come. Just tells me where the door—"

Ganny sighed.

"I just agreed with you. What's the problem?"

"It already is a problem, Tibs. You just don't want to see it."

She only saw what she wanted to see. Nothing he'd say could change that.

"How do I explain to the others how I undid the trap?"

"Think of something," Sto snapped.

"Sto, I'm sorry you aren't understanding what I'm going through, but—"

"He left," Ganny said.

"I'm sorry he feels hurt, but this is my decision. It's only affecting me."

She sighed again. "Just push on the wall to your left."

Tibs studied the section of the wall. Three paces between the lines, and three high, like the others. It was cool and solid to the touch. Was she trying to trick him into letting go of water to channel earth? Instead, he pulled earth essence from his bracer and wrapped that around his feet, spreading it wide when he couldn't get it to anchor to the floor. He wrapped his arms in more of it for strength and pushed as hard as he could.

He nearly fell over as the wall moved back far too easily. The only thing that let him keep his balance was the wide spread of essence keeping him standing. By the time he was steady again, the block was back three paces, and the one before the door slowly moved back, revealing his team. The only one looking concerned was Don.

"I told you he'd be fine," Jackals said. He halted his step in mid air. "Is it safe?"

He pulled the essence back into the bracer. "The wall sections move along the grooves." He indicated the opening pushing this block had revealed.

"So, it is safe?" Jackal asked.

"I didn't see Tibs touch anything before the wall closed him off," Don pointed out.

Tibs shrugged. "Maybe the room's broken." Sto had told him to come up with something. "We shouldn't risk it happening again. Hopefully, it'll be fixed on our next run."

He ignored the disbelieving look Don gave him as he walked by the sorcerer on his way to the exit.