Story: Dungeon Crawl

[Quadhouse]

I hadn't planned on writing or posting this one yet. I'm currently trying to finish my next GFS story. This one just kept poking me. There's no BE yet, but the stage is set. I'll post more when it pokes me again.

Dungeon Crawl
By Quadhouse


Trilvian looked at her friends. ?And just why don?t you want to come with me,? she asked. ?After everything I did to help you on your quests.? All but one started to squirm. ?Merril, when you needed magical aid when you stole the Griffon?s Egg, did I say no??

Merril shook her head no. The Halfling looked miserable. Her eyes barely visible above the table.

?Riva, when you had to track down the man who killed your master, did I balk??

?No,? Riva nodded. The towering warrior was slumped in her chair.

?Crystal, when your goddess chose you to retrieve the Scepter of Mobius, did I withhold my aid??

?You know you didn?t,? Crystal said. She was looking down at the table idly tracing lines.

?And what about me,? asked the fifth member of their group.

Trilvian stared at the tall lanky man. ?I have nothing on you,? she said. ?You have yet to ask for my help on a quest. In fact, I don?t think you even want to be in this group.?

?It?s not that I don?t like the company,? the man said. ?What man wouldn?t want to spend weeks on end with four beautiful women.?

Riva snorted. ?Don?t kid me, Balts,? she said. ?I know what I look like.?

?There are men who are drawn to your beauty,? Balts said. ?Whether you see it or not. But, that is neither here nor there.? He sighed. ?I?ll go with you. For reasons of my own.? ?Besides,? he thought. ?Aunt Rose would do unspeakable things to me if I let anything happen to her precious Crystal.?

?That?s settled then,? Trilvian beamed. ?Tomorrow, at first light, we leave.?

?Do you mind telling us where we going,? Balts asked.

Trilvian?s face lit up. As she was an elf, this told the others that the quest was of far more importance than they realized. ?I have found a map to a mage?s lost tower. One that I?m sure of is filled with treasure.?

Merril?s face brightened.

?This mage was very powerful in her time. So, I?m sure she had plenty of guardsmen. There?s no telling what type of magic armor and weapons got left behind when she died.?

Riva straightened in her chair.

?And we all know who mages like to collect magic items,? Trilvian continued. She touched a couple of rings on her hand. ?Some of them may be blessed or cursed.?

Crystal looked thoughtful.

?Who?s tower is it already,? Balts asked. ?I haven?t heard of any powerful mages dieing recently.?

?Oh, she did over 400 years ago,? Trilvian casually said. ?Nobody could find her tower when she was alive, and nobody found it after she died. So her tower was never raided. That?s why she?s all but forgotten, except among mages.?

?So how do you know this map is real??

The question had come from Merril. As a rogue, she was suspicious of any map she couldn?t personally verify. Many a rogue had died because they were to trusting of convenient maps.

?I verified it,? Trilvian said. ?It?s real.?

?What?s this mage?s name??

Trilvian looked at her friends. ?Her name,? she finally said. ?was Klee-Fage the Stacked.?