Cinnamon Bun

Chapter Three Hundred and Eighty-Seven - They Held the Line

Chapter Three Hundred and Eighty-Seven - They Held the Line

No one really wanted to drag a bunch of chairs up to the deck. The chairs below were all kind of bulky and hard to navigate through the narrow corridors of the Beaver. So we mostly settled on sitting right on the deck, though I did go and get a chair for mister Lepido to sit on, since he was a guest.

The fish was nearly done frying by the time everyone was properly introduced, and we passed around bowls for everyone to eat with. I... really wasnt too hungry, but I still took a small portion for myself because it smelled really good and my tummy was sometimes louder than my brain.

Besides, I was plenty active! Id burn off those extra calories in a few bounces, no problem!

So, I said as I nibbled on a wooden spoon. Judas and Wendy both mentioned trouble with a moth dungeon?

Lepido frowned into his bowl. Thats correct. Us mothfolk have lived nice, quiet lives for so long now that we werent prepared for the trouble we encountered. Were more dependent on our dungeon than I would have expected, and now that its closed to us, were left with little recourse.

What happened, exactly? Caprica asked. She was sitting on the deck, legs folded under her quite primly while she blew daintily over the top of her bowl to cool it off.

A strange plant took hold of the dungeons core, and after some time, grew and grew until the dungeons light was nearly extinguished. Its still a small dungeon, you see, even after all these years. A small, kindly dungeon that weve grown quite fond of, and in a way, I think it's grown fond of us in turn.

Dungeons can be fond of people? I asked.

Amaryllis made a so-so gesture with a wing. Theres no concrete proof that dungeons have any real personality. But... there are some people that insist on personifying them, and its true that occasionally the challenge a dungeon poses will change from person to person, which only encourages the thought that the dungeon has a personality behind it. Of course, those changes could be entirely arbitrary, or coincidental, and the factors that go into them might be so complex as to be invisible to the common person.

I dont know about all that, Lepido said. But we like our dungeon and its been fair to us in return. Slow to grow, not much of a challenge, plenty of fantastic goods. Its allowed our little village to prosper. Candlelight Glade wouldnt be what it is today without our dungeon. I know that because now that we are without, our village is suffering.

When did the first plants show up? I asked.

Oh, about two years back, he said, clearly while searching his own memories. It started off small. A few little strands around the core. Then it slowly grew, until today, it chokes out the entire dungeon. We couldnt make it to the fourth floor at all a few months back. Now the third is almost inaccessible.

I nodded along. Sounded serious, and yet... Two years is a long time, I said.

Much slower than any other Evil Root infection weve seen, Amaryllis said.

Maybe its a different kind? Awen asked. Plants can be pretty different from each other while staying the same kind of plant.

That was possible, I supposed. A slower-acting sort of Evil Root, maybe. "What do the plants look like? What colour are they?" I asked.

Lepido frowned. Theyre more like vines, he said. Theyre blackish-brown?

I shrugged. I didnt know enough about botany to actually tell vines and roots apart, really. So, either a slower kind of Evil Root, or something different but similar, or... hey, did any of the mothfolk try to stop it? I asked. Maybe theyd done something to slow the growth down, but then it hadnt worked?

We tried everything, he said. The moment we discovered it was harming the dungeon we started trying to cut it up, but the vines kept coming back. Theyre quite resistant to magic, you see, but some of our farmers are quite skilled, and weeding skills would level very rapidly when trying to kill those vines... or you call them Evil Roots? Have you seen them elsewhere?

Yeah, assuming were talking about the same thing, I said. But, before that, did the farmers succeed?

A little. A days work could clear out a whole floors infection. But eventually it started growing back faster and we only have so many farmers. We tried burning it, freezing it, we brought in anyone from Codwood that we thought could help. We even had a rotation going for nearly a year, farmers going down to weed the dungeon every single day. But then the harvest season came, and we were all quite busy, and the weeds exploded out of control. It took months to push them back, and by then theyd grown faster and tougher.

Oh, maybe its not so different from other Evil Roots, you were just more proactive about trimming it.

Amaryllis hummed. That seems entirely possible, yes. Have any monsters emerged from the dungeon?

He nodded. Some. The dungeon had mothsters, of course. They used to stay within, but soon they were roaming outside of the dungeon and making a mess of things. Then there were these strange... plant creatures. Skittish but quite aggressive. We have a rotation of folk by the dungeons entrance now, keeping them at bay.

I clapped my hands, then almost dropped the bowl I was balancing on one thigh. Okay, we should definitely try to help.

Can you? he asked. I feel like even if we get rid of the plant, it might be too late for Candlelight Glade now. So many young families have moved to Codwood, and some are finding life here just as good as it was back home. The folk of Codwood are a little... annoyed--some of them, at least--about so many of us showing up and looking for housing and work, but for the most part theyve been fine, friendly folk. New families have found new homes.

Thats not all bad, I said. If we can clear out the dungeons root problem, then that just means your village will be able to keep growing, right?

That would be nice, he said. We started with little more than half a dozen families, now there are a couple hundred folk living in Candlelight Glade, even after so many moved on.

Then youll just grow again, I said.

Lepido smiled. Maybe so. Do you think you can help us? We dont have much to pay for that kind of thing, else we would have sent for help out in Inkwren. We had a few strange sorts show up, but none of them were able to help.

We can try, I said. We have a bit of time to spare, right? I asked the last to Amaryllis who frowned and made a so-so gesture. We have some time to spare. If we reach the dungeon by tonight and clear it out before morning, then we might only lose half a day to this adventure. That would make it all worth it.

Joe, of all people, raised a hand and I blinked at him. Hey, uh, think that once the dungeons cleared, we might give it a go?

After its cleared? I asked. You mean, if we manage to remove the Evil Roots?

He nodded. All three of us are nearing our tenth level. Dont know if I want my second class to be a moth class, doesnt seem like it fits, but its better than nothing, and itll unlock more general skill slots in any case.

Even if you decide not to take the class? I asked.

Oh, they could switch out their second class with something else, Amaryllis said. "Once they have something to switch with. Doing that means you lose the progress you made toward that second class, but you don't lose the progress on your first class. Whereas, if you wait to take a secondary class until you have the perfect one, you'll be capped at level ten and won't be able to advance at all. Some progress is better than none."

That seemed... entirely fair. Alright, I said. Lepido, how long does it normally take to clear out the dungeon?

Before all this evil plant business? A few hours, at most, he said. Everyone in Candlelight Glade has gone through the dungeon at least once, most of us more than that. We cultivated a lot of materials there. Silks and cloth and dyes. That means we go down into the dungeon two or three times a day. Some of us, at any rate.

Ah, okay, I said. In that case, it wouldnt hurt to ask some of the mothfolk to escort the Scallywags through the dungeon if it wasnt too dangerous. Clive, Steve, Gordon, do you think you guys would want to give it a try too?

Clive was sitting with his back to the railing and was calmly stuffing his pipe. Nope, he said.

Steve and Gordon looked to each other, then started debating it. I left them to it. If they wanted to go, they could.

Alright, so, how far is Candlelight Glade and whats the dungeon like? Amaryllis hinted at it already, but we really don't have much time to spare. We're trying to get to a wedding, and even if it's more than a month away, we need to arrive early."

Lepido smiled. "Ah, a wedding. Always a lovely event. You a part of it?"

"Nope! Well. not yet, at any rate. Hopefully! Um, we're friends with the couple. I guess we haven't technically been invited, but mostly we just need to get there to keep a bunch of terrorists from crashing the ceremony."

Lepido stared at me.

"Anyway!" I hurried along, "We'll need to make things quick. Can a big group enter the dungeon? What kind of challenges are there?

I never heard of the dungeon having problems with big groups, Lepido said. Do you really think you can help?

Maybe, I said. I didnt want to make any promises Id end up breaking. Still, a little hope wouldnt hurt. I think I can help, in any case. Weve cleared out Evil Roots from other dungeons before. But never a dungeon that had been infected for this long. It might be a lot harder than any of the previous dungeons we fixed up. So yeah, no promises except that well give it a good try.

I wouldnt mind coming along, Calamity said. Dont know if Id want a moth class for my third one, but your idea of getting it as a stopgap aint so bad.

Ill come as well, Caprica said. I have some experience in dungeons, and I'm probably our strongest combatant, so it makes sense for me to help spearhead the fighting.

I glanced at my other friends. Of course Im coming, Amaryllis said. To help our strongest combatant here, if nothing else.

Ah, Ill come too, Awen added. It might be a nice experience, and, um, I guess I wouldnt mind having more arms.

And lots of cute fluff, I said. And wings!

She nodded. That too.

Alright! I said as I bounced to my feet. Lets grab the gear we need. Mister Lepido, how far away is Candlelight Glade from Codwood?

Half a days walk, he said. A little less if your hips arent as old as mine. Even less by carriage.

That was further than Id like. In that case... do you think we could park the Beaver above the town?

Thatd be mighty strange, but theres room for it, I suppose. No docks or anything though.

That was probably fine. We could hold steady over land without too much trouble, and we had rope ladders for coming aboard and disembarking.

Then thats what well do, I said.

Lepido blinked. We havent even talked payment yet, though. I dont know how much a group of adventurers costs, but we had a hard enough time convincing the few that showed up to come already. Were not the richest little village.

Well do it for free, I said.

Amaryllis flicked one of my (bunny) ears. Well discuss remunerations on the way over, she said. Seeing as how we are in the region already, Im certain we could do the work for a steep, yet reasonable, discount.

I massaged my ear. Okay, fine, I said. Ill let Amaryllis fleece you for a bit, and then well charge half of that. In the meantime... lets pick up, everyone! We have some flying to do!

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