I could hunt my mate by scent alone, but there was something strange, a mystery, and if I became lost in the rut, I wouldn't be able to solve it. If my mate were a minotaur, I wouldn't worry about that, but I couldn't tell what species my mate was from the scent. It wasn't the only thing that was missing, but it was an important piece. A fellow minotaur I could chase and rut with ease. If my mate were an Orc, there would be a battle. If, Chaos forbid, I was scenting a naga female, I would flee rather than risk the permanent injury from mating her.
I couldn't lose my mind without knowing what my mate was.
Instead of risking beginning the chase and triggering the rut by scent hunting, I needed to create the space for conversation.
“Greetings!” the rocks called back, joyful. They had been hard to speak to in the past, but the Chaos God had returned, and with his return, the rocks had become... happy. The Orcs had seen him. All the creations of Chaos were preparing for the final battle, when he would destroy the separation between the worlds, break all the seals on the Dungeon, and change everything.
I walked over to the labyrinth map, a small raised section of the floor that held a smooth expanse of sand. I quickly sketched out the broad sections of the labyrinth into the sand, making sure my finger touched all the way down to the rock below.
"I am here," I said, pushing my finger down to touch the rock under the sand. "Is my mate in this section, or another?"
“This!” the rocks agreed.
"Where?" I asked.
The sand vibrated, a small shiver as the markings I'd left smoothed out, replaced by a detailed drawing of the twist and turns of the labyrinth that surrounded me. Two small circlesappeared, separated by twisting pathways. I examined the map, studying it as I developed my plan.
"Gratitude to the gift of Chaos," I said, swiping my hand to smooth the sand out before rising up off my haunches. I went back to the plants that had slunk down to block the entryway again, pulling out the pouch. This time, I reached up with it, well over my head, until the vines had pulled back to expose the hook that hung down in the center of the doorway. I tied the bundle to the hook, ensuring that the doorway would remain open. I checked on my stew and adjusted the fire, shifting the wood so that my stew hung over embers instead of open flame. It would do well simmering for some time.
I picked up a stone slab from where it was backed against the wall and moved it so that it was in between the fire and the entryway. Then I went to the shelf carved into the stone wall and took down two bowls and spoons and placed them out on the slab. I went to the trunk and pulled out the clean bedding I had packed away. I hadn't been planning to use it, as sleeping on the floor was fine for me. I'd cleaned the bedding when I first arrived to ensure that the next person prowling this section of the Dungeon had access to comfort. It was important that those with injuries had clean sheets to prevent the added strain of infection, which happened when the Dungeon Divers didn't clean their weapons well, which was more often than not.
I first rolled out an insulated base, so that the raised stone that served as the bedframe wouldn't steal the heat from the sleeper, then rolled the mattress out on top of it. I made the bed, tucking a fresh sprig of lavender under the pillow.
If I gave in to my rut, I wouldn't have the thought for small details, so it was important to attend to them now.
I put towels in the adjoining washroom, a nice perk of living here. The Dungeon Diver safe rooms didn't have places to shower, but the Dungeon always provided for its inhabitants. Ireturned to the passage, leaving the room open and welcoming behind me. I was the only dungeon monster other than my mate in this area right now, so I didn't have to worry about a goblin stumbling in and gobbling down my stew. The only thing I had to worry about was speaking to my mate before I was incapable of functional thought.
I held back another bellow as I headed into the maze, taking the route that would circle around behind where my mate was wandering.
Time to go have a calm, polite meeting.
Unless my mate ran.
Then I would have to deal with the aftermath.
Chapter
Three
Kyle
Amonster was stalking me.
I might not be a good fighter, but I was damn good at surviving, and I knew when something was hunting me. It wasn't just because my skin was crawling with the need to run and hide; it was because of the changes in sound in the maze around me. That first bellow had been the warning shot, but after that the monster had kept quiet, likely because it was trying to track the sound of my own footsteps. I'd taken off my boots, letting my socks muffle my footsteps as I stepped from one ball of the foot to the other, trying to tiptoe my way silently through the maze. It had gotten close to finding me. I'd come to a junction, only to hear the soft scuff of its footsteps down one end. I rubbed my hand on the rock wall the way I'd come, hoping the smell would cause it to head down that way, and quickly tiptoed away from the noise. The worst possible thing I could do right now was run. That would create a clatter of noise, and there was the real risk that I would run towards the monster rather than away.
What I didn't expect to find was a fire.
I stopped at a T-junction, staring down the long hallway that led to a brightly lit room. I could see the fire, set in a raised rectangular stone hearth in the center of the room, the smoke drifting up to vanish through the mesh of vines that made up the ceiling. On one end of it was a cast-iron pot hanging from a tripod, and my stomach growled as I caught the scent of a rich, meaty stew. I didn't realize I'd moved closer until I was already in the doorway, the smell of the food drawing me in like a worm on a hook. There was a large, cozy-looking bed in the corner of the room, a large chest with its lid tilted back, as well as a large, half-empty carry pack that was set on a shelf. A doorway on the far wall had a leather curtain hanging down that blocked my view of that exit, but at least there was another exit.
I moved closer to the fire, feeling the warmth on my skin, enjoying the dryness it created in the air, a respite from the cool humidity of the rest of the maze.
I stopped dead in my tracks as I spotted the two empty bowls and spoons sitting on a slab near the base of the fire. This had the look of a safe room, but something was off about it. It didn't have a door for one. Safe rooms always had doors that could be shut and latched. The bedding was too lush, too comfortable-looking. The fire was already started, and food was being made.
I turned to leave.
Even if it was a safe room, there was another dungeon-diving group in it. I was safer with the monsters than I was with another group, especially if they recognized me as a squire from a rival group. The Princes and Dukes were well known to be especially dangerous for mundanes to be around. The Kings had a better reputation, but they had gone through squires quickly recently, and reputation or not, that meant they couldn't be trusted.
A form stepped out into the end of the hallway, blocking my exit.
