The Shadow Labyrinth: A LitRPG Adventure Read online

  "Father? You took orders from foreigners? Not even of these lands?"

  "I took no orders. They offered a healthy prize for either his capture, or the destruction of the Black Citadel."

  "But I was in the Citadel!"

  The Jarl looked away. "You wouldn't have died. We would have burned the books, released the sages that threw down their arms."

  "And killed the rest," said Latia, arms crossed.

  "Kill me then," said the Jarl grimly. "Kill me and be done with it. If you don't, I'll keep attacking. I'll keep coming until he's dead or your precious Citadel is in smoking ruins."

  "I won't kill you," said Latia, marching away, head hanging.

  "I guess it's up to you," said the Jarl from his trapped position. His eyes glinted with menace. "I won't stop coming if you don't kill me."

  You have been offered a quest: Decide the fate of the Ice Giant Jarl.

  Kill: End the threat of the Ice Giants, but Keeper Latia won't support your claim at the Citadel.

  Free: The Ice Giants will keep attacking, and there will be no Citadel to help.

  Either way, you might not get the information you need to acquire a black crystal. Choose wisely.

  If ever he'd wanted to flip off his quest notification it was now. The game had given him an impossible choice. Terran stomped away, hand to his chin, staring at the flickering torches.

  "I'm sorry, Terran," said Newt, coming up from behind quietly. "That's no choice at all."

  As he mused on the decision, he realized that Keeper Latia was watching him, eyes rounded. The choice to kill her father would be devastating, but if he didn't then he'd never get the black crystal.

  When he finally made his decision, he approached the Houndmaster, who'd been sitting off to the side, running his fingers through the thick gray-and-white fur of his hound. The beast was taller than Terran, even lying next to the seated Ice Giant.

  "I want you to summon the rest of your clan."

  The Houndmaster looked back to the trapped Jarl. "He will have you killed."

  "Just do it."

  The Houndmaster nodded, rose to his feet, and with a pair of his favorite hounds, jogged into the darkness in the direction of the Black Citadel.

  "What are you doing?" asked Luna, watching the retreating Houndmaster. "Are we taking the short route back to the Glen?"

  "I'm not leaving without a black crystal, or at least knowledge of where to find one," said Terran.

  "After all we've been through, I trust your judgement, but I can't say I understand," said Luna, head slumping slightly.

  He let out a big exhale. "Just be at the ready in case this doesn't go as I hope."

  Before the Ice Giants returned, Terran built himself a stone platform fifteen feet high with steps to reach the top from behind. During the long wait, Keeper Latia stayed apart, occasionally glancing his way, but generally staying with the hounds for comfort.

  When he'd sent the Houndmaster after the Ice Giants, he'd intended that they all return, but as he saw the four lines of them, at least thirty giants, his stomach tightened with regrets. Before they arrived, Terran took his spot on the stone platform, which gave him the height to look down upon them since the end of the long hall had been built on a slope.

  "I have defeated your Jarl," shouted Terran, using his bardic voice when they neared. "And destroyed his longhouse. This fight is over."

  The shared looks of shock were not followed by resignation, but anger, especially when the Jarl's voice called out from the pile of fallen wood, "Kill them! Kill them all!" They kept moving up the slope, unsheathing weapons, lips curling to snarls.

  Using every trick of his voice he could muster, and imbuing it with the fury of his demigod status, Terran shouted, "Take another step and I'll destroy you like I did him."

  You have increased the skill Leadership.

  Skill: Leadership 9 (CHA)

  They don't want to kill you…for now.

  The sigh of relief he wanted to exhale was kept tight, for fear of showing even the slightest weakness. But his intimidation wasn't enough, as one of the largest Ice Giants, a bearded warrior with a double-edged runed battle-axe resting on his shoulder, moved ahead of the others.

  "Little runt, I'll eat you for a snack," he said, lifting his axe high as he turned to his companions. A rising laughter put a dagger in their brief fear. Before the warrior could turn, Terran unleashed a furious Void Blast, not at the Ice Giant, but at the axe, spinning it from his hand.

  The incredulous giant gripped his hands into fists and started marching up the slope, but before he could take two steps, Terran used Rock Wall to place two short barriers in his way, tripping the warrior to land face-first in the snow.

  Feeling more control of his earthen abilities than he ever had, Terran built a pair of stone arches over the back of the Ice Giant, trapping him. As the giant struggled to escape, Terran spoke to the group.

  [You have increased the skill Earth Sense]

  Earth Sense (END) 11 - skill

  The earth is a fist for you! Just try to keep it PG…

  "I already wiped out two entire war parties and the Jarl himself. Don't think I can't do the same to you," said Terran.

  "Kill him," shouted the Jarl from the fallen structure. "If you all rush him, he can't stop you. He didn't beat me, he was lucky!"

  "Why are you even listening to this so-called Jarl? I thought the Ice Giants were a proud race who only fought battles when they could see the whites of their enemies' eyes, not flinging rocks at walls for days on end. I thought Ice Giants fought for themselves, not at the beck and call of those that live on an entirely different continent and wish to rule this one. Are you sure they'll honor your agreement once they take over?"

  The grumbling that had been focused at him turned towards the Jarl.

  "Lies! We would be victorious against the Citadel. They've made us weak! We could rule this continent ourselves. I'm doing this for you, my people," said the Jarl.

  "What have they promised you? What do you get in return?" asked Terran, his voice booming across the snow.

  "Jarl Alharod, what are you getting in return?" asked an Ice Giant warrior.

  "Freedom for our people!"

  "But we're already free, Jarl Alharod," said another. "I dislike throwing rocks at walls. At least when we were raiding, we did it honorably."

  The Ice Giants moved towards the fallen Jarl, looking down upon him as he was trapped in the broken longhouse, their questions continuing.

  "What are you getting in return?"

  "The longhouse is destroyed? How could you allow this?"

  "You have dishonored us!"

  As the tide turned against the Jarl, Terran saw no reason to stay, especially when the end would be bloody. He let the stone platform dissolve back into the ground. Keeper Latia met him at the base of the slope, walking beside him in her original form.

  "Thank you, Terran, for not passing judgement on my father. It is the right of my people to decide his fate," she said grimly.

  You have completed the quest "Decide the fate of the Ice Giant Jarl."

  You found a third way!

  You receive both rewards and a bonus reward! Keeper Latia will support your claim at the Black Citadel (which still stands), and you receive a leadership bonus.

  You receive Perk: Wisdom of the Giants!

  Wisdom of the Giants

  +5 Leadership

  +50% Influence when dealing with giant races

  "I'm sorry about your father," said Terran, looking up at the Keeper as they trudged through the snow.

  She closed her eyes momentarily. "He'd been away raiding for many years and even before then our relationship was strained because of my choice to join the Black Citadel."

  When they returned, High Keeper Astran and Lore Keeper Gruul waited for them outside the open gate. Neither seemed surprised about her taller form.

  "Is it done?"

  Keeper Latia hesitated, so he spoke for her. "The giants w
ill no longer raid the Black Citadel."

  The two keepers sensed there was a heavier price, but were wise enough not to question her.

  "You have met your half of the bargain," said a subdued High Keeper Astran. "Though I fear giving you the information could be worse than the destruction of the Black Citadel itself, I am a man of my word."

  "Thank you, High Keeper Astran," said Terran.

  You have completed the quest "Take care of the Ice Giants in return for information about black crystals."

  You are now level 24!

  "You look weary. We could reconvene in the morning after you've rested," said the High Keeper.

  "I would like the information now, if you don't mind. Now that you don't need the interdiction in place, I can return to the Glen," said Terran.

  Keeper Latia's head came up, and High Keeper Astran repressed a smirk as he caught their shared gazes.

  "Well, you'll have to stay the night regardless as the interdiction field takes time to disassemble. We'll get the young sages on it right away, but you won't be clear to return until morning. My apologies," said the High Keeper as he inclined his head.

  "I suppose another night wouldn't be too terrible," said Terran, still locked with Latia's gaze. "But I do wish to have the black crystal information tonight."

  High Keeper Astran started gesturing towards the swirling snow, his mouth opening to attempt another delay, but then sighed.

  "Very well. It's unlikely you'll be able to acquire it in the first place, but I can tell you. You've earned that much." High Keeper Astran clasped his hands in front of him, his bald head reflecting torches from the inner gate. "The Black Citadel is aware of only one black crystal. It is an ancient crystal, maybe even the first black to have been grown, though we have no way to tell. There is a beast, not just any beast, but one who would end the world if it could awake from its slumber."

  "The Beast That Eats the World," said Terran as an ache formed in his gut.

  "Yes, you know the stories," said High Keeper Astran. "Many cycles ago, at the beginning of creation, it was lured into the Shadow Labyrinth, a place of lies and confusion in the bowels of the Lady of Shadows' home, and was put to sleep, where it has rested ever since."

  "Wonderful," said Terran sarcastically. "Is there anything else to know?"

  The High Keeper shook his head. "Outside of these walls, that knowledge would never have been found."

  "Thank you," said Terran.

  "I would ask that you not wake the Beast," said High Keeper Astran, "but I do not think you would listen to me. You do not have a death wish, but careful of hubris, it has brought low many a hero in these lands. Our tomes are filled with horrible ends, too brutal to speak of here. The Howling Wind might be a terrible threat, but what could be woken in the labyrinth would be much more." He paused. "Is my debt settled?"

  "It is," said Terran, feeling the weight of the day's events heavy on his shoulders. "A bath and a bed would be wonderful."

  As they strolled back through the gate, Keeper Latia ducking through the opening, Lore Keeper Gruul said, "There are hot springs beneath the keep. You can wash the grime off in those lovely pools. I can take you straight there if you'd like."

  Terran had hoped from a response from Latia, but she'd already hurried off in a different direction. Maybe she didn't like goodbyes.

  "Lead on. Newt? Luna?"

  Newt raised a single eyebrow.

  "Right. A building full of books. I should have known better than to ask." Terran smiled at his furry companion. "And you'll be asleep in front of the fire before I've dipped my first toe in."

  Luna winked. "You got it."

  The passages that led to the hot springs were many, but Lore Keeper Gruul noted the hidden signs on the walls that would lead him back to the upper areas. They reached a small chamber filled with fog, the moist warm air soothing on his cracked lips after days in the frigid cold. The pool was wide enough for a dozen people with room.

  "This space is private, reserved for the Citadel leadership. It is yours for the evening. There are robes in the side chamber. You will not be disturbed, so stay as long as you'd like."

  "Thank you, Lore Keeper Gruul."

  The aged Barghest inclined his head then swept back up the tunnels in his robes.

  Terran stripped off his gear, depositing it in his hidden backpack rather than leaving them out for thieves, not that he was expecting any, but one could never be too careful. The water was almost too hot as he ventured his toes into the pool, but given a few moments to adjust he slid into its embrace, the heat working out the tension of his muscles.

  Sitting on an underwater bench, Terran leaned his head back against the stone and closed his eyes, trying not to think about the impossibleness of his task: entering the Lady of Shadows' realm, finding his way through the Labyrinth, and somehow stealing the black crystal without waking the Beast That Eats the World. He was so deep in his thoughts he didn't hear the person enter the room until they had slid into the pool.

  "I'd be happy to scrub your back, if there's a luffa around," said Terran without opening his eyes.

  "It might be necessary, though fingernails work just the same," said Latia.

  Terran opened his eyes. The keeper was across the pool, shrouded in mist, wearing the light blue skin of her iceflower elf form.

  "You changed," said Terran.

  Latia raised an eyebrow suggestively as she waded through the pool towards him, hair slicked back and eyes hungry. "I didn't think you'd want to tangle with the full-version me. There are some compatibility and fitting issues that would be difficult to overcome."

  Terran gathered her in his arms, pressing against her and placing his hand on the back of her neck.

  "No, this form of you is just fine."

  "You're not too tired, are you?" she purred into his ear. "The hot springs can drain a person."

  "A minute ago I was thinking about how nice it would be to fall asleep in front of a crackling fire, but strangely those thoughts are quite absent in this moment," he replied, his lips almost touching hers.

  "I can make that happen," she said. "But not until after."

  Terran never had a chance for a retort as Latia smashed her lips against his, and all his thoughts were consumed by their embrace.

  Chapter Twenty

  They said their goodbyes on the roof of the Black Citadel. Terran felt it would be rude to teleport from inside, but there was also a part of him that wanted to linger. He could have spent a few more days with Keeper Latia.

  Newt was loaded down with books in his mountainous backpacks. He was even reading one while they waited for the others to say their goodbyes, while Luna waited patiently on her haunches, cleaning her paws for the tenth time that morning.

  "Thank you again for stopping the Ice Giants," said High Keeper Astran, hands behind his back as he looked out at the abandoned catapults on the plain, already collecting drifts of snow blown by the constant winds.

  "And thank you for upholding your end of the bargain," said Terran.

  "Will you go after it?" asked the High Keeper.

  "I will."

  The High Keeper hesitated, then reached into his side pouch and handed over a small compact black book. "I copied some notes for you about the Shadow Labyrinth. I don't know if they'll help, or if they're still valid, but a little knowledge is better than no knowledge."

  Terran accepted the book, inclining his head in thanks.

  Lore Keeper Gruul addressed Newt, slapping him heartily on the shoulder. "You're welcome in the Citadel anytime you want to return. I've never met a more inquisitive or intuitive scholar. Enjoy your books and please offer my apologies to Zoras, would you?"

  Newt blushed, but nodded enthusiastically.

  The final goodbye was left for Keeper Latia, who gave a hug to Newt, pressed her forehead against Luna's, then finally approached Terran. She cupped his face, kissing him tenderly before setting a small heavy bag in his hand.

  "What's this?
"

  "I gathered them from the fallen during our battles. They're useless to us because my people would know where they came from. Better for you to use for the defense of your homeland. If you stop them there, then the Black Citadel will remain safe."

  Curious, Terran peeked inside the bag to find it filled with gemstones, including a transparent opal, which he needed for the topaz crystal. He shoved the bag into his pouch.

  "Maybe I'll come back sometime for a visit, give Newt a ride," he said.

  "Maybe," she said wistfully, tilting her head as if she knew that he would be too busy for such trivialities. "Farewell."

  Terran kept his gaze locked with Latia's as he triggered the pathway traveling and shifted away from the icy plains. He landed beneath the oranges and reds of the Rock Leaf Forest, the heat of springtime almost oppressive after the wintery wastes of high mountains.

  They walked in silence for a bit. Terran had landed them away from the main settlement.

  "You seemed happy with Latia," said Newt suddenly.

  Luna hung her head. "You're not supposed to say that."

  Terran chuckled under his breath. "No, it's okay. I was, but I think partially because I knew it would be temporary. More than likely, I'll never see her again, even if I'm successful retrieving the black crystal."

  "What about Della?" asked Newt, face pinched.

  "She knows that my heart is with Chanterelle, but it's still nice to warm each other's bed, or hammock in this case. If she found another I would be both happy and sad. Mostly happy."

  Newt screwed up his face. "Is this normal?"

  "I...I don't know, but I suppose as long as everyone's communicating about it, it's not a big deal," said Terran.

  The weight of their conversation hung heavily on Newt, which Terran eventually deciphered.

  "I don't think you have to worry about it with Elia, she seems quite smitten with you, and besides, you're perfectly allowed to say no if she desires such an arrangement, but I don't think you'll have anything to worry about," said Terran, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.