Chapter 27: Dungeon delving, part 5

The sound of the mournful hymn that Thomas played was broken by the sound of pained whining from inside the sixth level. The two adventurers and the two slimes were safely in the fifth one. With Thomas attacking the monster by sending more miasma wisps through the door.

They heard a crash, somehow muted from the water, and the water that had been leaking through the door began to recede. When it finished doing that, Rina opened the door again.

The six floor was wet, and there was the big monster lying on the ground, dead. Now that she could see it better, it looked like a giant crocodile. Its maul as big as the door.

"Karl, Pavos, go for it," Thomas commanded. The two slimes did eat the crocodile. Then, they began to vibrate, and each one of them split. The two new crocodiles were smaller than the one they had taken the shape of, but no less formidable.

Much to Thomas's relief, the two new slimes bowed, and got in line behind Karl and Pavos.

"I will call the one with the horns on his head Jar, and the other one Yar," Thomas gave them the names, even if the slimes didn't pay the names much attention. They walked forward, without a sign of any monster in the waters that were to be seen through the glass. Finally, the seventh level was to be seen. There was no door separating the two levels, but it was clear that they were on the seventh, when the glass walls were replaced by stone ones.

They walked without anything trying to stop them for a time, then, both adventurers got sleepy. They didn't know why. Sure, it was almost dusk, but they couldn't afford to sleep now, when they had gone through so many levels in a single day.

"If we just lay down," Thomas murmured, stopping his walk through the tunnel.

"If we do, we are dead," Rina told him. She had heard of dungeons that put the people who delved into them to sleep, only for them to rob them of their vitality during that sleep. "We can sleep in the next level. Don't stop walking."

Yet, Thomas collapsed on the ground. His legs felt like lead. Not even a step further could be taken.

"Thomas, call Karl over, so he could carry you," Rina was surprised that the summoner had been able to walk for so long. What with all his rows of fat, she had expected for him to demand a break on the third level.

"Karl," Thomas called weakly. The slime turned to its summoner, looking fresh as a daisy.

"Karl, carry him. Don't let him go to sleep," Rina commanded. The slime growled at her. She decided to try and get her command across in a gentler fashion.

"Please, Karl. If he falls asleep, he might die. You like Thomas, don't you?" Karl remembered all the times that he had been fed by Thomas. How the adventurer would snuggle next to him at night. The music that he would play and which Karl loved hearing.

The slime made his choice, and went to his summoner. With much more gentleness than Rina had thought the slime-dragon capable of, Karl used his tail to get Thomas on his back. Said tail would poke the summoner every time when his breathing evened out. Keeping him awake.

"Pavos, could you please carry me as well?" Rina pleaded. The wolf looked at her with annoyance on his face, but moved to her. With much trouble, the elf got on Pavos's back. The two crocodiles kept on walking forward.

Pavos was not as mindful of Rina as Karl was of Thomas. He would whip his rat's tail around, and hit the elf on her leg none too gently. She was grateful that the wolf was making sure she didn't fall asleep, but vowed to return the favor, one day.

They made it to the end of the seventh level, only to see darkness up ahead. With much trouble, Rina summoned light wisps. As soon as the air of the eight level became clear, Rina patted Pavos twice and had him lower her to the ground.

"Good wolf-slime," she praised him, and turned to Thomas, who was snoring softly. "Karl, you were not supposed to let him go to sleep."

Karl just shrugged, and lowered himself so that he was lying on the floor. He did not let her get Thomas off his back. Rather, played a bed for him.

"It is good that you like him," Rina said sleepily. She laid next to the slime-dragon, and luxuriated in the warmth he was giving off. Pavos came and laid on her feet, with Jar and Yar keeping watch.

They all fell asleep, and the two adventurers didn't wake up until ten hours had passed. Somehow, they felt rejuvenated. Their mana levels were refilled and the wounds that the black miasma of the Lich had done on them were gone.

Rina blinked up at Thomas, who was making some coffee.

"Good morning," the brown-eyed adventurer greeted her. She smiled at him.

"Wait, you skipped dinner yesterday," she reminded him.

"It doesn't matter. No food until twelve o'clock," he said, as Karl breathed a steady stream of fire under the coffee.

"Can I have some of that?" Rina scooted closer. There seemed to be enough in the jug for two.

"Sure. You should have breakfast as well," Thomas pointed at a slab of stone, that was red, where some deer ribs were sizzling.

"You are a lifesaver, Thomas," Rina went to the slab, and took the meat off it. She felt famished. She knew that Thomas must feel much the same, yet, she did not try to get him to eat. He was a grown-up and could decide whether he wanted to eat or not.

As they took sips from their coffee, they strained their ears to hear any sounds coming from deeper from the tunnel. It was silent. That didn't sit well with the two and even the slimes were uneasy.