Living Dungeon: Chapter 24 - "A strong bond"

Chapter 24 - "A strong bond"

The cheerful mood quickly fades away when Orsha transfers my proposal about "bonding" to the rest of the hunting party. A concerning silence occurs, which makes me think that I said something inapropriate. I consider asking if there's a problem with my offer, but Hasag speaks first...

Orsha: [... Hasag asks: Who does Kalifos want to bond with?]

Wait, they want me to choose? That's unexpected ... In any case, they seem to take this meter very seriously. I thought they would be more open towards it, because of the "powers" and stuff. I wonder if there's more to it then I'm aware of.

Kalifos: [Before we get to that ... I can't help but notice; you guys are not all to excited about it. May I ask what the problem is? Is It dangerous? Are there nasty side-effects? We can gladly leave it be, if the downsides are bigger then the benefits, you know! What meaning does a "bond" have to you anyway?]

Orsha: [Yes, Orsha will explain ...]

While we speak, the others just stand there in silence and exchange uneasy looks.

Orsha: [... When someone bonds with a spirit of a place they are tied together.]

Kalifos: [You mean like a marriage?]

Orsha: [... No ... They unify with each other.]

Kalifos: [They merge into one body?]

This is getting scary!

Orsha: [No ... Orsha has trouble to explain ...]

Orsha: "Ahog gormar sog ro-shara..."

Hoko: "Ro-shara gro-mog, dos shar-gos ereg gor magar."

Orsha: [... A bond by blood with a spirit of a place will tie their fates together.]

Thanks Hoko! It's still a mystery, but at least it doesn't sound as scary anymore.

Kalifos: [Wait ... are you afraid that I will claim ownership over you? I assure you, it's not my intention to rip apart tribes or families. You won't be treated differently then before, neither will I force you to stay if you don't want to. This was merely meant as a thank you for your support by making you stronger through these "powers" you have told me about. I never wanted to bother you with it!]

Orsha translates my words to the others and they indulge into a hasty conversation. I don't know what they are saying, but their worry seems to melt with every phrase spoken. Finally, I get an answer:

Orsha: [Hasag and the others are very happy about Kalifo's words!]

Kalifos: [Did you honestly think, I would force you to stay here until one of us dies? Just who do you think I am?!]

Orsha: [... In the songs of the ancestors it's told that the tribes who bonded with the spirit "Argos" could not leave his side ... It is also said that only the strong and healthy could form a bond.]

I see, so they just assumed I would do the same. The more I know about this Argos guy, the less I like him.

Kalifos: [Well, if it's like that then I can see where your uneasiness comes from. If Argos is the only reference you have, then it's common sense to expect the same thing from me. But I assure you, I'm not him. The fact that he didn't last is reason enough for me to do thing differently, starting with how I treat my allies. Please tell this to the others!]

Orsha: [Yes, Orsha will tell!]

She seems happier now. And her mood quickly carries over to the rest of the group. Just how rough was their life until now? Maybe there will come a time when they wouldn't have to be afraid of the next day and live peacefully inside of my borders.

Orsha: [Hasag asks: Who does Kalifos wish to bond with?]

Kalifos: [Well, about that ...]

Who should I pick? It's not that it meters much to me. If this "bonding" goes well, I would like to extend it to the whole tribe anyway. Thought, for the sake of experimenting it would be good if I get direct responses rather then having to look for a translator. So asking Orsha or Sari would probably be the best. But choosing just one right after declaring that I don't want to separate anyone...

I open a link to Sari, adding her to the conversation...

Kalifos: [Orsha and Sari - proud members of the Ashranie tribe! I hereby offer you to form a bond with me to gain power for yourself and your tribe.]

Both of them stiffen to my proposal. I silently smile to myself on how they like it when it gets theatrical. Orsha turns to Hasag and carries over my invitation. After a few thoughtful moments, he nods in agreement. Then Orsha's eyes meet with Sari's. The poor girl is completely overwhelmed by the sudden development and looks confused. Finally, she gives a hesitant nod as well. The only one who still wears a concerned look is Ormag. Well, everyone would be worried if their loved ones would agree to some untested rituals.

Orsha: [The Ashranie agree with Kalifos's offer!]

Kalifos: [I'm glad to hear that! Today it's quite late already, so how about we stall that for tomorrow?]

Orsha: [Yes! Orsha and Sari will prepare!]

Oh, so they need to prepare for it? I wonder how all of this will turn out. I have no Idea about what to expect of it myself, so I'm a bit nervous as well. My biggest worry is, that I may have promised to much and won't be able to live up to their expectations.

Kalifos: [... Will Ormag be fine with that?]

I take another look at his concerned face.

Orsha: [Ormag will agree!]

This doesn't sound like he's having a choice. Well, if she's fine with it than there's no reason to pursue it any further, I guess. Soguru stood in the back the whole time, totally oblivious to the importance of the whole conversation.

It's already deep into the night when we leave the cave, and the other Lizard-Men show more relive then simple happiness to see their tribesmen appear in the entrance. Most of their lanterns has gone out already, but Orsog still doesn't let the chance pass to show off his new scar and trophy.

After they leave to their well-deserved rest, I too feel a slight tiredness tugging at my metaphorical sleeve. No use in over-exhausting myself again. After taking a look at my territory and confirming that there is no imminent danger I retreat to the core-room, throw some cloth over the core and tell Orsha that I'm going to rest for a while.

But this turns out to be harder then I expected, because all the noise from the bypassing people is distracting. In the end, I fall asleep from watching Soguru fiddling with some sticks and the newly acquired rabbit-horns. He's trying to craft something, but I didn't stay awake long enough to see the result.

...

I wake up to loud screams and my alertness kicks in immediately. But to my relief it's just a bunch of lizard-children playing around. One of them wears a wig of grass and leafs and the others chase it around, pretending they are on a hunt, but always careful not to hurt their "prey".

While I recover from my sleepiness, the sensations of my last dream are still echoing in the back of my mind. Again, I was trying to get somewhere, or reach something. Someone was calling for me, but I can't recall by which name. And there was this feeling that it's very important to find the source, but I couldn't ... [Well, it's just a dream.] I leave it be and go on my routine inspection.

The first unusual thing I encounter is Orsha and Sari being body-painted by Hassag again. One does not need to be a genius to assume that they are preparing for the bonding-ritual. [I shouldn't bother them right now...]

Once I go to the surface, I realize that it's still early in the morning. My rest was shorter then the times before. How long- and also how deep I sleep seems to depend on how much I exhaust myself. Which makes sense... Back then, the activation of the noisy boulder-trap couldn't disturb me, but today a bunch of children woke me up. Something to keep in mind.

Today's weather is nice and sunny. The guards are on their usual routine. Nothing's out of the ordinary.

[Ah, that's right!] There is something that should be ready by now. I open the research-screen and ... [There it is!] The current research project is finished and waiting to be accepted:

"Economics" - 30 DP
- Opens up new achievements for saving DP.

After accepting it, I immediately check my achievements. But to my disappointment, there's only one new entry to be found:

Achievement: "A coin speared, is a coin get" (Needed: "Economics")
Condition: Don't spend DP for a day.
Reward: 10 DP, new feature: "DP Bank".

[What? That's all?] 30 DP and over a day of waiting, just for that? Well, maybe it has fancy follow-up achievements ... And this requirement: "Don't spend DP for a day". I was planning to start digging out the refugee home, so I guess today's not the day I'll get that "DP Bank" [... Whatever that is.] I suppose it's something to put my DP in, but for what purpose? Don't tell me it can be taken from me ... certainly something to look out for.

While I think about it, I leisurely scroll through the list, to see if it really is the only addition ... It is! But I unexpectedly stumble upon a finished one:

Achievement: "Alert!"
Condition: The Alarm activates at least 10 times (10/10).
Reward: 10 DP, New Item: "Alarm Crystal".

This means, the alert voice sounded this night, right? I guess it was the notification about the finished research. But more importantly: what is an "Alarm Crystal"? Certainly another thing to check out later. But first: [What should I research next?]

I have thought about it already, and my decision was to go for the information granting projects. That is: "Additional dungeon Information" and "Event log". I got some free research hours through achievements - 225 if I recall correctly. Since the two projects need 100 DP each, this should be more then enough to finish them right off. [Let's see if they do their job...] I activate the first project and was not even asked to confirm the use of free hours ...

Announcement Voice: [Research complete!]

[That was easy!] And the next one ...

Announcement Voice: [Research complete!]

And here's when I notice the difference between reduced research costs (gained from secret achievements) and free research hours (gained from tier-up achievements). While the first one nullified the whole process, the second one only reduced the time, meaning I still had to pay for it.

After pondering about it for a while, I chose the "Food creation" research next because it sounds like it will soon be the most needed. It's a 300 DP project, so it will take a while, and the remaining 25 bonus-hours are very welcome in shortening that process.

Instead of indulging myself in exploring the new possibilities of the two finished projects, I return back to Hasag and the sisters to see how things are going. Even if it's tempting, it can wait after the ceremony, my allies are more important right now! The timing appears to be perfect as well, since a small crowd is already forming around them in the meeting hall. A colorful pattern of curved lines and dots covers the bodies of the sisters from head to toe, just like on that day when they talked to me for the first time. I wonder if it's simple decoration, or if the pattern really serves any purpose.

I have to admit, I'm quite nervous about the whole thing, especially after they made the whole "bonding" thing such a big deal yesterday. Right after Hasag finishes with -what I assume is- a ceremonial speech, I open a link to both of them:

Kalifos: [Greetings, girls!]

Orsha: [Greetings to the great spirit, "Kalifos"!]

Sari: [... Greetings ... to the great spirit ...]

I can feel the tension in their voices. Maybe I could try and lift it a little...

Kalifos: [Say, you always refer to me as a "great spirit". Are there other spirits too? Like, normal spirits?]

Orsha: [Yes! The Ashranie where always friends with the spirits of the forest. There are also Spirits of the earth and spirits of the wind. Maybe others too ...]

Kalifos: [I see. And they are all friendly with you?]

Orshas look drops to the floor.

Orsha: [... No ...]

I almost burst out laughing, because of how much that sounded like a kid that gets bullied. She really has a childish site to her.

Kalifos: [They give you trouble?]

Orsha: [Sometimes they scare away the pray and make hunts difficult. Sometime they give bad weather to the Ashranie camp.]

Kalifos: [I see ... Wait ... was that big storm their doing too?]

Orsha: [... Orsha does not know who called for it. Orsha could not sense any spirits in the clouds!]

Kalifos: [Then it was just a "natural" storm, I guess. Does it happen often around here?]

Orsha: [The Ashranie have seen strong storms before. But there where no storms in the swamps Where the Ashranie lived before!]

Kalifos: [So it's a regional phenomenon. I guess we will have more of them coming in the future then.]

Orsha: [Yes, Orsha thinks that too.]

Kalifos: [By the way, how did Hasag's group get along with it out there?]

Orsha: [The Storm is not as strong in the forest ... Just wet.]

Kalifos: [Ah, makes sense.]

At this point, Hasag takes out a bone-knife from his belt. With the many decorations attached to it, it looks more like a tool then a weapon. I don't like it, even if I know what he needs it for. Seeing it, Sari makes a step back out of reflex.

Kalifos: [Are you afraid Sari?]

Sari: [ ... ]

Kalifos: [To be honest, I'm nervous too.]

The girl throws a shy look at the core.

Sari: [... the great spirit "Kalifos" is ... afraid?]

Kalifos: [I wouldn't say "afraid", but I won't deny that I feel a bit anxious. It's my first time to bond with someone as well.]

Sari; [ ... ]

It doesn't seem to encourage her much and now Orsha has also a hard to read look on her face. Did I choose the wrong words? Multiple occasions come into my mind where Orsha tried to encourage and stop me from doubting myself. I didn't pay much attention to it until now, but it's clear that they need me to be strong in my decisions, probably more then I do myself.

Kalifos: [Well, "anxious" is probably the wrong worth too. I think "curious" will be the most fitting term! Be assured that if there would be even a slight hint at this being a bad idea, I wouldn't suggest it.]

This makes them both look up in surprise. I guess, I found the words needed! There, an interesting thought strikes my mind: 'Maybe this is what the really want!'. A strong lead I mean ...

To sum their history up: They ended up in the wild after serving Argos for who-knows-how-long. They had to survive on their own, which must be difficult for someone who's used to get their directions from someone else. Then they were chased out of the swamps, had problems with Harpas and Goblins and are now threatened by the humans. And these are just the things that I know about. I can't imagine how uncertain their future must look to them. Hasag tries his utmost to be a pillar for them and Orsha is doing her best to follow in his footprints, but they must be yearning for a strong foundation to their existence again. Now that I think about it, they may not need actual protection as much as a place they can call "home". Somewhere they belong ...

It's their bad luck to stumble upon the single being that has even less clue about it's future then themselves ... But I realize now how important it is to show confidence in what I do.

Orsha: [Orsha ... is curious too...]

Kalifos: [Then let's explore this new path together!]

Orsha: [Yes!]

Finally, a smile on her face.

Sari: [... Sari too ...]

Kalifos: [Of course! Who would even think of leaving you behind?]

Orsha signals Hasag that she's ready and he steps closer giving her the knife and a small bowl. Orsha does not hesitate. With a single move she cuts into her left hand and lets a thin stream of dark liquid flow into the vessel.

Kalifos: [I wish there would be another way ...]

Orsha: [It is alright! Blood it is that connects. And blood it will be that separates ...]

Wow, that's rather grim. They sure are dead serious about it!

Once there is a small puddle in the bowl, Hassak takes it from her and another women tends to her wound. Despite the bunch of people in here, it's dead-silent. No one dares to disturb it until Hasag raises the cup in the air and announces:

Hasag: "Shornag kar go-shar - "Kalifos" ... Drgosh gor-nad sel "Orsha", osrag gar-donad dos "Ashranie", ermog gor-sodar lor sech shor go-mesh!"

Even if I think that I got the meaning quite well, I let Orsha translate for me:

Orsha: [Great spirit of the ancient - "Kalifos" ... "Orsha" - a strong hunter, daughter of the "Ashranie", offers her blood as a bond of fates!]

Kalifos: [And I appreciate it!]

Wait ... since when did I become ancient? But, more importantly:

Kalifos: [Ahm ... what am I supposed to do now?]

Orsha: [... Orsha does not know ...]

Nothing's happening, so spilling blood and saying some fancy words is obviously not enough. I feel like, It's my turn to do something now and I start with taking the goblet out of Hasag's hands, making it flow up in the air.

Bystanders: "Whoooaa ..."

Gosh, I wish I could get a manual for that ... Now what?!

The first thing I try is open a menu for it to get some kind of interaction, like I used to do with most other things, but this soon proves futile since no window opens. Alright - think! Why do they need to give their blood for this? Because it's a part of them? Their live-essence? If we're supposed to form a bond on equal terms, than am I expected to offer something of equal value? The only thing that comes to my mind is DP.

I try to fuse some of my DP reserves into it, but even with intense concentration I don't get any reaction. No, that's not the way ...

Think ... Think ... It's not enough to give a promise, but also necessary to give blood ... something physical ... I gaze at the only physical manifestation of me - the core! Maybe that's it ...

I bring the shallow bowl over to the core and carefully dip it in the sticky liquid. By now, the tension in the room is so high that one could cut through it. Feeling all their gazes on me makes me even more nervous. If I mess this up, my reputation in their ranks may have a significant drop! If I would be able to sweat, I would be in need of a tissue now ...

But my concerns don't get a chance to get a foothold. Shortly after the core touched Orsha's blood, a yellow glimmer begins to spread through the liquid. The blood begins to evaporate into a glittering fog and gets absorbed by the dungeon-heart.

Surrounding Ashranie: "Whoooaaaa! ..."

Once the process is finished, not even a drop is left. Another breath later an unfamiliar screen pops up in front of me:

)<>------------------------------------------<>(

Announcement!

The following individual requests to form a contract:

Name: Orsha

Race: Lizard-Men

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Cost: 173 DP

-Agree- / -Disagree-

)<>------------------------------------------<>(

Kalifos: [Yes! I figured it out! ... Wait, you're only sixteen years old?]

I thought she would be at least over 20. Orsha shows me a slightly dumbfounded look.

Orsha: ["Sieks-tean"?]

Right, they can't count. Well maybe they mature just faster then other races ... Wait - how do I know how fast other races mature? ...

Kalifos: [Never mind, it's not important ...]

What "is" important is that it costs me DP, and not a small amount ... Well, it's too late to turn away from it. I hope it's worth it! Not wanting to delay it further, I chose "accept" which causes another screen to pop up:

)<>------------------------------------------<>(

Contract conditions:

After forming the contract, the dungeon will receive a % DP income of the contracts cost, depending on the following conditions:

Contracts stability:

Contract can be resolved by both sides - +0%
Contract can only be resolved by the contractor - +1%
Contract can only be resolved by the Dungeon Lord - +4%
Contract can not be resolved - +5%

Boundaries:

Contractor is not bound - +0%
Contractor is bound to the dungeons domain - +2%
Contractor is bound to the dungeons terrain - +3%
Contractor is bound to a room (specify) - +5%

Contractors growth:

Contractor gains growth every day - +0%
Contractor gains growth once a weak - +2%
Contractor gains growth once a month - +4%
No growth - +5%

Contracts duration:

Contract lasts a weak - +0 %
Contract lasts a month - +1%
Contract lasts a year - +3%
Contract for live - +5%

Final % - __ DP

-Done-

)<>------------------------------------------<>(

So it "IS" an actual contract after all! I guess, I'm supposed to choose an option from every category. And my choice will decide the ... Income? Now THAT'S a pleasant surprise! This is actually a very good reason to contract as many people as possible. That is, as long as I can afford the initial costs. But seeing the options ... it seems like the more I treat my underlings as tools or slaves, the more DP I get from it. I think I'm now beginning to understand why Argos treated them this way. It is indeed quite tempting! But how far do I want to go with it?

As for the boundary - I already promised them that they will be free to go whenever they want, so this will need to stay at 0%. Thinking about the contracts duration, I remember what Orsha said; "Blood it is that connects. And blood it will be that separates". This doesn't sound like a time limited offer. Since they will be free to come and go as they like, it shouldn't be a problem to go with the "lifetime" option. And the same goes for the contracts stability.

I wonder what will happen if they are really away for a while, be it on a long hunt or them deciding to leave for good. Will I still get the income? ... We'll see ... This leaves the last option, the "growth". I highly doubt that it refers to their body-size, so I guess it's about the growth of their ability. Since the reason for this whole undertaking is to acquire these so-called "powers" for them, I'll go with the "max result - min DP" option.

The final Counter shows me the result - 10% income. I wonder how often the payout will be. Daily? Weakly? Monthly? `Guess there's no other choice then wait and see. As soon as I'm done with the contract's setup, I confirm it by selecting the "done" button.

Once I do, I see Orsha twitch and show a surprised look, like she's carefully listening or inspecting something. Soon after, she reaches out and grasps at something invisible in front of her.

Orsha: "Orsha gor-zás, degrog sor go-nàck!"

Announcement Voice: [A new individual has joined the dungeon's forces!]

Everyone stairs at her blankly, me included. She didn't seem to get the same screen like I did. Now I'm curious.

Kalifos: [Orsha, what happened?]

Orsha: [... A spirit asked Orsha if she wants to follow the order of the great spirit "Kalifos" and offered Orsha the staff of fellowship ... Kalifos did not see?]

Kalifos: [I think no one did ... was it a man or a woman?]

Orsha: [It was a spirit!]

Interesting. Rather then receiving the contract, she actually saw "someone" and this guy talked to her. If I think about it, it's quite reasonable. Even If she would get the contract as is, she would probably not be able to read it. At least, I haven't seen any written records in their possession. So the dungeons system translated it to them in a way they can understand. That's quite incredible! Whoever designed that complex system had put a lot of thought into it.

To confirm it, I open the list of creatures from the menu and there she is; Under the "contracted" rider, there's an entry of a lizard-men named "Orsha", complete with picture. Aside from several general characteristics, like gender and age, there's also a list of her physical and mental capabilities, which are shown in numbers. According to them, Orsha has no outstanding strong- or weak-points. She's what one would call an "all-rounder".

There's also a "growth"-counter, which shows a 0 (zero) and an entry that says:

{Daily income - 17 DP}

Ah, so it is daily! I couldn't be happier about it. This is what I was looking for, a source of Income without killing anything. Now, if I could get souls the same way, it would be perfect ...

Once Orsha finished excitedly telling everyone about her experience, it's Sari's turn to step forward. After hearing Orsha out, she doesn't look so hesitant anymore ...

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