Breaking Step (Dungeon Runner 3)

Breaking Step, Chapter 73

"It wasn't funny," Jackal grumbled in response to the chuckling as they walked to the next house.

"It sort of was," Don said, between chuckles. "You, made to quiver by a dog; not a big one at that."

The fighter rounded on the sorcerer. "You have no idea what those things are capable of. I don't care how small it was. They're a danger to anything decent."

"You should be fine, then," Mez said, as Don stepped back, hands raised, but grinning.

"These things aren't normal." Jackal looked up. "One of you made them! Come on, fess-up! Nothing that evil comes about naturally!"

"You have experienced little of the world," Khumdar said. "If you had found yourself facing a badger, you would not think so."

"I don't know what those are, but they're probably dungeon creations, too." Jackal shuddered, and Tibs fought against smiling.

The lock on this door was like the previous ones, and Tibs realized those had only seemed complex because they were different from the ones he had encountered before. Now, he could envision the type of tools a thief would need to get through them.

"I'll stand guard," Jackal said. "In case one of those things comes back."

"You know," Don said. "It's unlikely there will be another one inside."

There was nothing there with essence, but Tibs kept that to himself.

"Then you'll be fine, right?" the fighter replied.

Inside was much like the others. A living room with stone and metal furniture, and an area to prepare food. This room was smaller, making space for a third one. It reminded Tibs of Zacharia's art room. Bowls contained dried colors, brushes lay scattered on the bench and metal frames rested against the wall.

"It's going to take until the abyss gets here to go through every building," Mez said, poking into the room. "Can't you tell where the important stuff is, Tibs?"

"No." He picked up a frame and wondered what it might have been used for and reflexively extended his sense. "There isn't anything that—There is something," he said in surprised as a difference registered at the edge. He couldn't make out what it was, other than it wasn't like anything else he sensed.

"Loot?" Jackal asked, looking into the art room

"What happened to standing guard?" Don asked.

"Got bored."

Tibs walked out of the room. "I don't know." Don was looking over a translucent container. "The essence doesn't... I don't have words to describe it. Flow is the best I can think of."

"We shouldn't just go there," Don said as Jackal opened his mouth, expression eager. "One of these houses might have something important. A clue to where the boss room is."

"We'll come back after checking what Tibs is sensing." Jackal exited and with a shrug, Tibs followed.

He sensed the houses they passed, and they registered much like the others. Some were larger, some smaller. Some had shelves and counters near the entrance that reminded Tibs of the shops in Kragle Rock. He also sensed four-legged creatures moving about between houses, but unlike on the previous floors, they didn't seem to react to their presence. As if they were just dogs like those in his town.

What he sensed didn't become easier to explain as it got closer. It was a structure in the center of a large plaza, one story in height and made of a black...something. It had to rough look of stone, but he couldn't sense the essence that made it. What he sensed didn't.... Flow was still the only word that came to him, even if it wasn't the right one. The essence didn't flow right to his sense.