Dungeon of Doors

~ Andy, Wildwood ~

The lanky mushroom monster tilts its head up as if sneering at me. I clench my fists, cursing my lack of foresight in not bringing a good melee weapon. That problem solves itself when I realize how thin and fragile looking the wooden spikes the monster just created look. I reach out and quickly snap off a chunk of the wood, giving myself a makeshift weapon.

Thankfully the monster isn't able to do anything about it. It waves its staff, but the best it can manage is making the wooden spikes extend further in an effort to stab me. I step out of reach before glancing at the tree its standing on. Everything it does is affecting plants, but not much else. I don't understand its power, but I have to try.

The sound of fighting behind me assures me my friends are still doing alright. I focus all my attention on finding a way around this monster's defensive position. It is standing on a tree shaped like a platform, meaning it has a weapon it can use all around its body.

Fire might work here. The only issue is we used the last of our oil and spark stones, yet the monsters managed to stop the fire from catching on the tree. I need a different avenue of attack if I'm going to pull this off.

I try another charge, lunging forward and climbing over the spikes as fast as I can. My boots crunch and break some of the wood as I go. Pieces of it start to move, and before I can make it to the next not so spiky section of the ramp the wood shoots up like a set of spears. I feel it pinch into my boots before I kick off, falling flat on my back a few paces from the foot of the tree.

"Damn it! This is unfair!"

My frustrations don't matter to the monster I'm fighting. It waves its stupid gem staff around, and I'm shocked to find the grass parting like curtains to reveal long thorny tendrils. I can't tell if they're roots, or something else, but they're the same plant that snapped my arrows into pieces. Now they're grabbing hold of me!

"What the hell is your problem?!"

Anger boils in me at the absurdity of this fight. How am I meant to hurt something that I can't touch, yet can touch me whenever it wants? The thorny vines leave red scratches on my skin as I fight it. My struggling quickly snaps and tears the plants. They're not strong enough to hold me down as I am. I wrestle away from the vines before glancing back at my friend and cousin. They're both holding out, but they look dog tired. Will is bleeding from his wounds whilst Teddy frantically stabs at the biglete. This isn't looking good.

An unnerving sensation hits me as I stumble to the side. There's a huge chunk of jagged wood where I was just standing. Looking up reveals that the monster is now dropping pieces of the tree on top of me from above, using the branches around the roof as a weapon.

Fear and adrenaline course through me as I look at the monster lazily guiding the plants with its strange green gem bearing staff. The thing is using it like a baton, encouraging the life around it to bend to its will. Sweat beads upon my brow as I scurry out of the way of another falling chunk of wood.

Realization dawns on me as I watch it time each attack with its staff. This thing isn't doing all of this on its own, but rather it is using the staff to control the plants. Why haven't I realized it sooner? I can win if I just get the stupid staff out of its hands!

"A-Andy! Hurry up, we can't keep this up!"

Teddy's shouted words quicken my pace. I can't just keep dodging the falling wood attacks forever. I've got to make my move. The problem is there aren't many things I can use to attack the monster from down here. It broke my arrows, so my bow is useless. I don't have anything like oil to throw at it and burn the damn thing. Though there is one thing I have attached to my belt. I've still got a dungeon lantern.

There's no way a dungeon lantern will win me this fight. It's basically just a glowing rock, and this monster is really good at what it does. If I throw it the stupid thing will just block my attack with the tree it's standing on.

Misdirection has to be the answer.

I charge forward with brows furrowed, my makeshift wooden weapon in hand. I've only got one shot at this, and I need this monster to think I'm going for another melee charge. I climb up the spikes with reckless abandon. My chest aches from the effort of scrambling up so quickly, my hands and feet getting cut and pricked by the sharp wood as the monster continues to build more of a spiky barrier between me and it.

"Die, damn it!" I throw my wooden weapon at its face.

My practice with throwing around spears means I'm at least able to make a few meters distance with the attack. The weapon is moving toward its head in a perfect arc. Unfortunately, the monster is quick to create a wooden barrier guarding its face.

Fortunately, that was the distraction. I unclasp and hurl the dungeon lantern from my belt in one fluid motion. The glowing dungeon-made lantern flies through the air a short distance before hitting the monster's hand which holds the staff. There is no barrier blocking the projectile. No more spikes, nor healing for the biglete.

"Yes! Finally, haha!"

The monster looks shocked. Then it scrambles for the staff, diving to the ground in hopes of grabbing it again to continue the fight. Unfortunately for it I wasn't reeling in surprise like it was. My own lunge is faster and I manage to grab the staff and pull it away from the lithe mushroom beast's hands.

"Finally going to give you a taste of your own medicine, you stupid mushroom!"

My normally calm demeanor is forgotten in my excitement. I wield the staff like a club, swinging it forward with the intent to kill the stupid thing. Rather than the magical attack I'm expecting to produce I simply bludgeon the monster in the face. There is no sign of movement from the plants around me, and the mushroom monster is stumbling backwards from the blow to its face.

Damn it. How does this stupid staff work? Am I doing something wrong?

I wave the staff around like the mushroom monster was, hoping to get it to produce some kind of effect. Maybe make the spikes of wood or something else useful. All I get is disappointment and a few lumpy chunks of the wood bubbling up beneath the monster.

Before the monster can get up to keep fighting I go ahead and hit it again with the staff. The gemstone at its head is strong enough to put the beat down on the monster, allowing me to turn the monster's head into a pile of mush with a few strong overhead swings.

With the monster wielding the staff dead, the others are able to bring down their foe. Turning to look at them reveals they're both laying on their backs, dog tired, with their enemy in a heap before them. I join them in taking a load off now that we've finally finished this drawn out fight.

It's a few minutes later when we finally start to patch ourselves up and take stock of the situation. There's a strange lack of a treasure chest. The only loot we've found is the staff from the monster, and a strange orb floating at the back of the chamber. The green orb looks a bit like the gem on the staff. I don't understand how it's floating, but it is.

"What took you so long, Andy? We were dying back there!"

Catching my breath, I laugh "You wouldn't believe it. That stupid monster was making it impossible to get to him, so I had to throw a dungeon lantern at it."

"You killed it with a dungeon lantern?"

"No, I used the staff it dropped, but basically yeah."

We share a tired laugh at that. Never thought I'd kill what felt like a dangerous monster with something so mundane. Their attention finally lands on the staff itself, and I explain my theory on what it can do. Teddy is of course excited by the prospect of strange magical things.

"Let me borrow it, please?"

"Of course. It's sturdy, so I doubt we can break it."

I hand Teddy the staff and he takes it gingerly. The short guy holds it aloft and proudly announces it as his own, puffing up his chest with pride.

"With this magic staff of the forest I will prove my prowess as a wizard, no, a warlock!"

Will snorts in amusement at Teddy's antics. Proclaiming himself something out of storybooks is pretty laughable, especially when he's taking up such a childish pose. Teddy doesn't seem to mind us both laughing at his expense. He jabs the staff forward into the air with a look of concentration on his face.

"Grow, nature, grow!"

Much to my surprise, he does have results. The grass growing from the soil beneath him rises with the speed of water flowing. The grass turns a soft golden hue, swaying as it reaches its full height before falling over itself due to its own weight.

"What? How did you do that? I couldn't get it to listen to me..."

"Simply spoke from my heart, like a true warlock would!"

"Warlocks aren't real, Teddy."

"Hah! Then what am I right now?"

Will's words do little to bring down Teddy's attitude. He waves the staff in a circle, and around him the lengthy yellowed grass shifts into a spiral pattern, growing a greyish charcoal hue before withering. Will and I look at Teddy with raised brows.

"O-Okay, so maybe the grass couldn't handle my magical prowess..."

"Can I try?"

Teddy looks surprised by Will's request. He nods before carefully passing off the green gem bearing staff to Will. Will is much more patient with the new item. He holds it in his hands, carefully feeling the smooth wood of the handle. He eyes the glowing green gemstone with curiosity. Strangely, he closes his eyes as he holds it.

Several long moments pass with Will holding the staff. He's silent, and has his eyes shut. Teddy and I exchange confused looks as we watch our friend.

"I think I can feel something strange."

Will doesn't make sense. He doesn't try to explain himself, and instead he holds up the staff and stares fiercely at a fixed point a distance away. We watch patiently, for quite some time, but eventually Will starts panting. He droops as if exhausted.

"I-I can't do it... I can sense something, but it won't listen to me."

"What are you talking about, Will?"

"That staff made it so I could feel something floating in the air."

"What? Teddy, did you feel anything?"

"Nope. Nothing at all!"

Confusion lingers between us as we wonder about this strange new staff. We can't get it to work the way we want, all for different reasons. The dungeon didn't hand us any kind of guide on how to use the stupid thing. The monster who knew how to use it is dead, and now we're left guessing as to how to use it.

I chew my lip as Will hands me the staff. I can't feel anything when holding it like he can. And it barely responds to my desires. What we need is someone who's an expert on dungeon stuff. Someone smarter than any of us. One group of people does come to mind.

"Are the pioneers still in Daywark?"