Breaking Step (Dungeon Runner 3)

Breaking Step, Chapter 86

Tibs watched Kroseph and his father speak by the bar. The server had been ready to get back to work as soon as he'd been strong enough to move about, but his father wasn't risking him having a relapse.

"Do you think the dungeon can make more rings like it?" Don asked. "Everyone in Kragle Rock would benefit from one."

"The way Tibs explained it," Mez said, when Tibs didn't answer, "is that it was hard for the dungeon to make it."

"And I don't want a city filled with people not growing old," Jackal added distractedly.

Tibs pulled his attention away from what was turning into a heated argument between the two. "And we'd need to give everyone an amulet, which I'd have to refill." Don nodded thoughtfully. "There's one thing I don't understand. How come the ring didn't drain itself fighting what's afflicting him? It increased how much essence it gives him once it pulled from the amulet. Why did it slow down as he got weaker?"

"I don't think it's what it did," the sorcerer said, turning pensive. "A weave this complex needs to be able to adjust to changing situations. The one most likely to have an impact will be the availability of essence. So it's reasonable it has a way to give out less if its internal reserve runs low. Under normal circumstances, I doubt it could be noticed. He might age slightly faster until it replenishes itself. But the Weakness put more of a demand; until it reached a point where all it could give out was what it pulled in. Which was only enough to keep him from dying."

"So if he doesn't get a new amulet in time, he'd going to go back to nearly being dead?" Jackal asked worriedly.

"We won't let that happen," Tibs replied as the server headed in their direction.

"Can you sense how long the amulet will last?" Khumdar asked.

"It's too early. I can sense it pulls more when Kroseph exerts himself, but I can't tell how much."

Mez winced. "That's going to hurt Jackal."

The fighter looked at him uncomprehendingly.

"You can't cause him to exert himself," the archer said. "That means no bed fun."

"Right." Jackal stood and took Kroseph's arm, only for his man to pull it out.

"I'm not sick."

"I'm afraid you are," Don replied, and Kroseph glared at him, dropping on the free seat.

"I'm not bedridden." He looked at Jackal, sliding another chair to the table. "And you know better than to treat me as if I was. What's the plan?" he asked Don.

"I think the plan is to find a way to have the dungeon make a ring to handle this one specific issue. It wouldn't be as demanding on it, and should allow for it to have a larger internal reserve, as well as a more efficient process of refilling itself."

"Doesn't that mean it's going to drain people?" Jackal asked. "That's just moving the problem around, not fixing it."

"I can't answer that," the sorcerer said. "There's a little of all the essences in the air, enough it was able to keep you alive."

"Barely," Jackal grumbled, taking his man's hand in his.

"But Tibs can change one essence into another. It's possible the dungeon can do the same, and it might have a way to make a weave that does it."

"Or not," Tibs said.

"It seems that only in figuring out the source of the illness will this be resolved," Khumdar said.

"And do you have any idea on what that is?" Mez asked. "Oh hoarder of secrets."

That the cleric didn't immediately answer caused Tibs to stop sensing Kroseph and watch him.