Breaking Step (Dungeon Runner 3)

Breaking Step, Chapter 48

"Mez," Don said, "Three and to the left. Prepare to defend yourself."

The archer moved and found himself lined with the opposing sorcerer, who acted immediately. The ball of earth formed and flew. Mez crouched as he tapped one end of his bow on the ground. A wall of flame shot up, consuming the ball.

Tibs felt its heat all the way to the other side of the board.

"That's new," Jackal commented.

"There's only so much I can do shooting arrows," Mez replied, dusting himself off as he stood. "My instructor made it clear he wasn't letting me take my test until I showed I could do more than shoot trick arrows."

"They do get annoying, don't they?" Don said, "with their constant push for us to be better. Tibs one forward. You should be safe, but watch for how the dungeon moves its archer. It could set up two against you if we're not careful."

"Ah!" Ganny exclaimed. "Like I'm falling for that again." Her archer moved to a position that Tibs thought might be setting it up to go against Jackal, their Lord for the game.

"Yeah," the fighter said. "It's almost like they want us to survive our runs. How inhumane of them."

"Especially since you all agree the guild has no interest in seeing to it you survive," Khumdar added.

"Individuals aren't the guild," Don replied. "Khumdar, left diagonal, three squares."

"Are you certain?" the cleric asked, looking the board over. "Is not Jackal more—"

"I'm the strategist," the sorcerer snapped. "Jackal can take care of himself."

The fighter shrugged when Khumdar checked with him.

Tibs tried to work out the consequences of the move, but he didn't understand the game well enough. What he knew was that while Don didn't understand Ganny was intelligent, he was aware there was a cunning involved in everything the dungeon did. And that the dungeon understood something of the people doing the runs. A lot of what he'd done throughout this game was attempt to trick Ganny into making a mistake. Tibs simply had no idea if it was working.

"I think someone's in for a surprise," Ganny gloated as one of her sorcerers lined up with Jackal. "I'm sorry Tibs." She didn't sound it as the ball of fire hit the fighter and stuck to him until it went out.

Jackal dusted himself off. "I'm quite fine with just improving on what I can already do." His armor lost the gray hue that had matched Jackal skin.

"I am getting tired of how you're alway getting stronger," Ganny grumbled, and Tibs smiled.

"Mezano, if you'll do the honor?" Don instructed.

The archer moved diagonally one square, lining him up with Ganny's lord and pulled on the bow while her fighter raised its shield.

"How?" Ganny exclaimed as the arrow became so bright Tibs had to look away. The explosion sent pieces across the room.

"I can't believe that worked," Mez said, awed.

"The archer can't move like that!" Ganny yelled as her other pieces crumbled away.

"How was Mez able to do that?" Tibs asked. "He's the archer."

"According to whom?" Don asked. "I never stated which role he had."

"Each motion you had him do was that of the archer," Khumdar stated.

"Were they?" the sorcerer smiled.

"You had him move and turn," Jackal said. "It was two or three ahead, then to the left or right for the rest of the move."