The Guardian of Dawn and Twilight Dungeon

original

The Guardian of Dawn and Twilight Dungeon

章節 1: 1. An Dungeon different from the others

Kate and Jul are orphans. But contrary to what one might think, they only are since less than twenty minutes. Running through the forest that has always been southwest of their village, hand in hand, the two children with clothes torn in places, seek to get away from the reddish glow that clouds the starry sky.

"Big sister, let's stop for a bit. My feet hurt."

"Not yet, hold on a little longer, Jul. We have to find a place to hide."

"Where are Mom and Dad?"

"They'll find us later, don't worry Jul."

Kate lies to her younger brother. She saw her parents die under the blades of the men who attacked their village in the middle of the night. But she can't tell him the truth. Not now, or he'll be plagued by the despair she's trying hard to ignore herself.

The ten-year-old child doesn't know what to do, except try to flee their pursuers for as long as possible. Even if these pursuers will catch up with them soon enough. The cold accompanying the cloak of the night, reminds her that winter will be on these lands soon. Her feet are numb from the pain she's enduring from her long barefoot run. But even if she seems lost, it is not so.

A few days ago, on a foggy morning, a loud noise echoed through the forest, scaring the birds. The next day, one of the village hunters said he discovered a rock sticking out of the ground. From what Kate was able to glean while listening to the hunter's story to the elders, it would be the entrance to a Dungeon. One of those places that people named Adventurers explore to subjugate them.

This hunter, who was probably killed during the attack on the village, said that this Dungeon was different. Very different from the other Dungeons that had spawned near his childhood village, before he eventually settled as a hunter in Kate's village.

The entrance is not a dark opening like for a tunnel, or cave.

Nor even like a staircase that descends into the depths of the earth.

Even the rock where the entrance to the Dungeon is located doesn't seem to have emerged from the ground, but on the contrary to have been planted in the latter, like a nail driven into the wood.

In addition to this information, Kate has retained the approximate direction of this Dungeon.

Even then, some would wonder why she would choose to go there. The reason for her choice is what the hunter said, which left several other villagers skeptical.

--"...The Dungeon doesn't seem to be hostile. The first room has no Mamono in it…"--

Mamono. A name given to these dangerous creatures hunted by Adventurers, Mercenaries, or Knights of the Kingdom.

Normally, a Dungeon is always inhabited by at least one Mamono, who is its Guardian, however weak he may be. A Dungeon without a Guardian is like a flock without a shepherd ; it is at the mercy of any predator. Which has never been the case for what is known by everyone. Kate could have heard more if her mother had not discovered her and brought her home.

But whether the absence of hostility in this Dungeon is true or not, will determine whether Kate and Jul can take refuge there. How they will survive the winter comes next.

*****

Heading in the light of the two moons in the sky, Kate finally sees a bluish glow a few dozen meters in front of her, between the trees, some of them are lying on the ground.

('This is it. This is the Dungeon.')

Ignoring the pain in her feet, the young girl hastens with her brother towards the light, until discovering the entrance to the Dungeon.

A flat, large circular rock surface, with edges with steps of moderate height.

"Big sister, what is this place?"

Jul, despite his exhaustion, alternates between contemplating this unusual place and the tense expression of his sister.

At the top of the steps, a floor in which are carved figures sometimes circular, sometimes elliptical, sometimes polygonal.

The center of the platform houses two series of six monoliths in the shape of canines, each surrounding at equidistance a circular figure in the shape of a vortex, one having a counterclockwise direction, the other a clockwise direction. Only the counterclockwise radiates a bluish light.

While the two children were in awe, Kate hears barking in the distance, coming from the path where she and her little brother come from.

"!! Jul, let's go!"

"Eh? Older sister?"

Firmly holding the hand of the last living member of her family, Kate enters the luminous zone. Once inside, the two children hear a female voice in a neutral tone.

["Before you can enter, you must accept The Mark. Until you leave the Dungeon, The Mark will remain attached to your bodies, for your safety. However, be aware that any violent behavior will be reprimanded."]

While the mysterious voice spoke these words, a glowing glyph appeared in front of each of the children. Even though Kate didn't know about it, she didn't hesitate too long before touching the glyph that anchored itself on the back of the hand that came into contact with it.

["Once everyone in the circle is Marked, you can enter."]

"Quick, Jul. You too."

"Ah, okay."

Although Jul is a little scared, he trusts his sister and also receives the Mark. The barking is more distinct, and Kate spots one of the dogs coming out of the woods and running towards them, baring fangs .

"!!"

As the dog is halfway to the edge of the platform and the Dungeon's entry point, the light from the vortex intensifies and envelops the two children before disappearing with them.

*****

The dog, after the disappearance of the people he has tracked so far, smells the entry point without finding any trace to follow. Those he considers his masters arrive a few moments later. A group of three men of the Human race. A thin man in his thirties and equipped with a bow. Another man armed with a heavy hatchet. In places, scars adorn his tall body with outsized muscles, wearing clothes reminiscent of a "mountain man".

The last man is rather young, in his early twenties. Armed with a saber and a dagger, his clothes are slightly too large for him, soiled with traces of mud and ash, but lacking in apparent bloodstains, unlike his comrades. There is still an absence of malice into his gaze.

The thin man, completely excited by the discovery of the platform, asks his comrade with the big axe.

"Hey, Jeff! Is that what I believe?!"

Jeff, the mountain man responds with a smile on his face.

"Oh yeah, Matt. This is definitely a dungeon. We hit the jackpot."

"Damn ! How lucky we are !"

"You sure? Were you not complaining before, for the bad luck of having to chase down the fugitives who escaped in this place?"

"Hmm, no. I do not remember. Heh heh."

"Hmph, fine. Hey, Dan, rejoice. You have the chance to explore a Dungeon for the first time. But don't let your guard down, or you could end up dying. And this time, don't screw up, like before. The chief has given you the rare chance to right your wrongs with us."

Hearing the archer's words, the young man nods.

"Yes, Brother Jeff."

"Tch."

*SLAP!*

Irritated, the giant corrects Dan, with a slap that throwing the latter to the ground.

"It's Big Brother Jeff for you, idiot !"

Dazed, the boy answers, frightened.

"S-sorry, Big Brother Jeff!"

"Heh heh, take it easy Jeff. The chief has already given him a beating in the village, for having missed the escape of our fugitives. He won't achieve anything if he loses the ability to move."

"Hmph, he didn't even participate in the raid! A weakling like him needs to be at least aware of his place in our group! If he wants my respect, he has to fight for it!"

"Yeah yeah, let's not forget what we have to do. Our prey seems to have taken refuge in the Dungeon. They don't seem very smart. Thanks to this, we'll kill two birds with one stone."

"True ! Let's go!"

Hesitantly, Dan asks.

"Shouldn't we tell the chief about our discovery?"

Disappointed by their young rookie's ignorant words, Matt responds while following the bruiser Jeff.

"Sigh, you're not very smart, little Dan. Listen carefully. Judging by the state of the ground around this stone slab, this Dungeon appeared very recently. Which means that Dungeon was born only a very short time ago. So there will be few rooms to explore. Only two, maybe three rooms maximum before we get to the Dungeon's center. And for such small Dungeon, Jeff and I are more than enough."

After hearing the archer, Dan nods and doesn't say another word, following his "big brothers" to enter the Dungeon.

*****

After disappearing into the vortex, Kate and Jul appeared in an oblong-shaped room with circular borders about a hundred meters diameter. Under their feet, a circle with a vortex identical to the one Kate and Jul took to enter the Dungeon.

Their point of arrival in the Dungeon is about ten meters from one of the circular ends of the room. In the center is erected a circular platform that houses a two meters long oval table. The table is carved from a black material. Just above it, is embedded in the ceiling a symbol known in a different world as the representation of Unity in Duality. Balance in Opposition. A symbol which energizes the transformation of everything.

Kate notices that, according to the words of the hunter from her village, there is really no creature here, except for her and her little brother.

But where are they supposed to go now? There's no light on the ground, like at the entrance to the Dungeon. Walking through the room with her brother, Kate finds a circle similar to the one outside, in the other encirclement of monoliths.

('This one must be used to get out of the Dungeon. But if we get out now,...')

Kate knows their pursuers will arrive where they entered. They might even get in this room in any minute. But there is no apparent way out, except for two other vortex circles which differ in the presence of symbols on their outer edges.

"Big sister, my feet hurt."

Jul is exhausted. He ran with his sister through the forest to here. His feet have numerous abrasions and blisters.

"Sorry, Jul. Come, let's go near this table."

Perhaps due to the lack of immediate danger in this place, Kate chooses to let her brother rest. She will also try to heal her wounds. No sooner have they climbed onto the central platform than a circle of blue light, bordering the limits of the platform, lights up. She has no time to wonder about the phenomenon, as she is alerted by a flash of light coming from the direction where the two children were before.

"Wow, this is a very flashy Dungeon. If entry is by teleport, there's a good chance you'll get some valuable treasure, Jeff."

"At least we won't have to search for our little runaways any longer."

"Oh, there they are, there they are. Found you, my little ones."

"E-eek!"

Pale-faced, petrified by the arrival of their pursuers, Kate is about to attempt to flee again with her baby brother when the voice she heard earlier rings in her ears.

["Present your offering at the Dawn and Twilight Dungeon's altar, and you will receive a gift equivalent to this one."]

"Hey? Offering?"

As she was taken aback by the words of the Voice, Matt commands the dog.

"Get them, Bolpa!"

At his master's command, Bolpa, excited at the idea of pleasing him with his obedience, rushes towards the two children, growling.

Kate takes Jul in her arms, wanting to protect him from the dangerous animal.

*DONG!*

*WHINE*

When Bolpa jumps to get to the platform, he violently collides with a force field that pushes him back as quickly as he landed on it. The force field was only perceptible when in contact with a tangible object.

With this incident, the voice resounds in the whole room.

["Please remember that any violent behavior will be reprimanded. It is forbidden to disturb the group's offering time in the altar area."]

--"!!!!!"--

Everyone present is stunned by the events. Kate didn't think this Dungeon would prevent any harm to be inflincted upon them. But the Voice's next words brings the ten-year-old back to reality.

["You have five minutes left to present your offering at the altar. After this time, your group will be kicked out of the area."]

"W-what kind of offering we can give to it ?"

["Anything may be offered at the altar, but be aware that the altar may not accept your offering, if deemed inappropriate by the Guardian."]

"...Guardian?"

As Kate thinks of an offering that can be accepted by the altar before which she and her brother stand, an amused voice is heard from outside the platform.

"Woops. Sorry, my little Bolpa. I didn't think it would be so difficult to catch those two kids."

Matt was busy consoling the dog who had been shaken by this "mishap". Beside him stands Jeff, who runs his hand over the invisible surface of the energy shield, producing luminous fluctuations in the air.

"Hmph, we just have to wait for them to come out."

"Indeed, Brother Jeff."

As the two adults talk, young Dan stares at the two children, with a trace of regret that he quickly shakes off from his face.