Cat Core 2, Chapter 18.

I made a name change on the story. Larah, the young party member was too close to Shara, especially for the audio version. Her name has been changed to Jess. 

Chapter 18.

“So that’s it, nothing too deadly, just some strange cats as the defenders in the place. No other monsters or beasts, just cats?” Junior asked.

“Yes, sir, other than a pair of traps, the only defenders we encountered were overgrown cats,” Jess replied. Handling information for the dungeon guide was good training for Jess, given that she seemed to be the natural leader of the group. Matron took a moment to look for Tipp, who they had also brought along to the shop. He was just browsing and hadn’t pocketed any of the store’s goods, at least not yet.

“Well, that is an odd one. You’ve explored only a small way into the place, so there’s no way to know what type of champions it has or if there are any other creature types, but this early information will give us something to publish. The deal stands, store credit for five percent of the profit the guide makes,” Junior said.

“The deal does stand, but the percentage with be fifty percent. After all, we’re the ones risking our lives in there,” Jess countered.

“Ha, Matron, I like this one, she’s sharp. She’s wrong, but she’s sharp. Since I’m fronting the cost of everything, I’ll do a bit better for you, how does ten percent sound?” Junior asked, a grin plastered on his face the whole time. Matron never really learned to enjoy haggling over things, but she supposed it would help if you were a merchant.

“Ten sounds better, but let’s just cut to the chase and go with twenty-five. That’s my final offer,” Jess said.

“Normally, I like to go back and forth a bit more, but I can tell you’ve had a rough day in the dungeon. Fifteen is my final offer,” Junior said.

“Fine, that will do,” Jess said, glancing over to Matron as if seeking her approval. Matron didn’t indicate one way or the other, her thoughts were on the dungeon and the strange being that ran it.

This odd dungeon core named Florence Valentine had returned, something that Matron hadn’t thought was possible. Seeing her also brought back the bad memories. The day the dungeon was destroyed was the day that she had lost her friend Vanderman, someone she still thought about from time to time. She had lived the life he had always wanted to live, that of an adventurer.

Vanderman’s death had changed her. She was no longer Shara, the friendly healer. She was now Matron, a harsh taskmaster, consumed by her duty to the light. Shara was something long past, a name, and a person she had tossed aside to protect herself from the hurt and loss that inevitably followed from caring too much. At least she had thought that person was gone, now, it seemed, Florence Valentine had reminded her of what had been, of what could have been.

“Hey, you! You’re the one I was supposed to find. Kunrax has commanded that I seek you and your party out,” A loud voice called out from the doorway to the store. Matron’s hammer and armor were summoned, ready to fight a follower of that evil deity.

“No, none of that in my shop. If you want to scuffle, you’ll do it outside, Matron,” Junior commanded. She held the magic energy she was about to unleash, a blast of pure light that would have obliterated this follower of evil and her stinking hound from this world.

“Woah, crazy old bag, I’m not here to fight, I was commanded by Kunrax to join you,” the woman in the doorway said, holding her hands up to show she wasn’t a threat. The oversized hound at her side had its hackles up, and it gave a low growl, recognizing the threat that Matron represented.

“Outside, we’ll honor the proprietor’s wishes,” Matron said, motioning for the woman in the doorway to move back onto the dirt path in front of the store. The woman, no, she wasn’t a woman, just a kid of no more than twenty summers if Matron guessed correctly.

As they made their way outside, Matron thought about what this person had said. She wished to join them. It took someone who wasn’t right in the head to follow Kunrax, the Hound in the Night, but surely this girl couldn’t be so daft as to think a paladin of the light would deign to allow her to join the party? A thought struck Matron then, one that she couldn’t shake. What if this person was the one meant to join her charges, the one meant to heal their wounds? Surely the light wouldn’t choose one such as this to add to the party, would it?

“State your business, the followers of your dark god are not welcome in this place,” Matron demanded as they left the store. The girl backed away, realizing that her life was in danger and that Matron was a threat despite her age. Power and a bright glow enshrouded Matron as she called upon the light.

“I’m not following a dark god. Kunrax is misunderstood, he seeks to bring those in his care down into their final judgment. Isn’t that the same thing your light claims to do? Do you not claim to bring judgment to those deemed worthy of their fate?” The girl argued. She had a point, but it wasn’t one Matron wanted to consider.

“Misunderstood, tell that to Vanderman and the others that were killed for reason by your fellow cultists,” Matron hissed.

“Hey, I know there were some who did horrible things in the name of Kunrax, some even still do it to this day, but they weren’t true followers. Kunrax is casting ones such as those aside, denying them his power. They are winnowed from the flock when found, I’m merely a neophyte, seeking to spread the truth about his will. I seek to make amends for the sins of the past, to show the true nature of my master,” the girl said.

“For what it’s worth, Matron, I’ve heard rumblings of this. There’s a schism in their faith and some, like this one, are claiming that Kunrax isn’t an evil deity,” Junior called from the doorway. Merchants kept tabs on these types of things, knowing the troubles of a pantheon could mean an opportunity for profit. At the very least, it would allow him to know who to bar his doors to, and who to let in.

“I’ll stay my hammer, for now, speak your peace and then be on your way,” Matron said. Her gut reaction was to fight, but there was something about this situation that was odd, something tickling in the back of her mind.

“Thank you. I truly have been guided to you and your party. The dreams showed me all of you as clear as day. My deity wishes me to use my powers to heal the wounds of those in your care. I am to protect them with my life, to value their lives as I would that of my bonded,” the girl said, motioning toward the large hound at her side. Some of the followers bonded with hounds, their god granting them both powers from the joining. There were also detriments, as the death of one meant the death of both.

“You may have had some dream, but the twisted dreams of your god have no sway over the light. If the light wished you to join us, it would have been made known to me,” Matron argued.

“But hasn’t it? I assume that you came from one of your keeps. Tell me, do the followers of the light lack for healers among your kind? Was there no one capable in that entire place that could join you, were there none worthy of the task? Why, tell me, didn’t the light provide a healer for your group while your party journeyed here? Why didn’t the light have one of your kind waiting here for you? Why didn’t one of the other ‘good’ aligned powers step forward to have one of their followers join? I’ll tell you, it’s because the light knows that this position is for me, not for any of the others. I, a follower of what you think is evil, have been chosen by the light to prove my worth. By proving my worth, I’ll prove that my god is what he says he is, not what the misguided want to make him out to be,” the girl argued.

Was this it? Was this brash young lady truly sent here for a purpose other than the furtherance of evil? Matron couldn’t bring herself to believe it, but that voice in the back of her mind seemed to confirm it. There might not be a pillar of light descending from the heavens to announce this was the one, but perhaps the person in front of her, the unlikely choice, was the correct one.

“The light provides, Matron. I think that, despite disliking her on sight, this one was meant to join us. I can feel it?” Jess said, a shocked look on her face.

“Sure, why not, I always liked doggies,” Tipp said, appearing from behind the follower of Kunrax, sheathing the twin daggers he had held poised to strike should things have gone another way. The hound gave a yelp of surprise and snapped at the rogue, who quickly drew out of bite range.

“I’ll leave the decision up to you Jess. If you are to lead this party after my instruction is done, you will have to learn to make the hard decisions and live with the consequences of them,” Matron said. As much as she wanted to slam her hammer into a follower of Kunrax, she had to let her student follow her path. It was time for Jess to do so, to take up the mantle of leadership and make her own decisions.

“What is your name?” Jess asked.

“I’m Isa and this is Gnaw,” the girl replied. The hound gave a small yip when he heard his name, standing protectively between Isa and Tipp who backed away further.

“If you wish, I will allow you to join us on a trial basis. We’ll see how you do in our next delve and then we can make a determination as to whether you will be a good fit with our party,” Jess said with confidence. Matron stood down, dismissing her armor and weapon back into storage. Jess had made her choice and Matron would abide by it, but that didn’t mean she would trust this Isa just yet.

“Tipp, take Isa inside and sign us up for another run,” Jess said. There were mutterings around them, a crowd had gathered, and Matron had been so focused the fact a follower of Kunrax was here that she hadn’t even noticed, a foolish oversight on her part.

“Sure, come on in Isa and Gnaw, so just what type of healing do you do? I’m not going to have to bark or something just to get healed, am I?” Tipp asked as they walked back into Junior’s shop. Isa gave a small chuckle and the tension of an impending fight faded away.

“Did I make the right decision?” Jess asked. Matron was about to reply, giving more advice and admonishing her for a rash decision, but held her tongue. Those days were done, they had ended the moment Jess had stepped up and taken control of the situation.

“It’s no longer my place to say, you have your party and the time for my guidance is nearing an end. Lead with the same confidence I saw you exhibit just now, and you’ll do fine. As for whether you made the right decision or not, time will tell,” Matron said, leaving Jess to her thoughts and fears.

Matron made her way back into the shop, wanting to see how long it would be before her group could make their next delve while at the same time trying to figure out when she could sneak away to visit with Florence. The shop mostly was stocked with adventuring gear, but perhaps there was something on hand that might make a good gift for her odd dungeon friend.

“Who is that behind the counter?” A loud voice boomed from the doorway. Something about this shop attracted loud and strange people, but this person was someone Matron remembered.

“Who do you think it is, don’t you recognize your own kin?” Junior replied.

“Ha, if it isn’t my third favorite nephew. Come over here and shake Uncle Bartleby’s hand, Junior,” the man said.

“Welcome uncle, I was wondering if you would show up,” Junior replied, giving his uncle a big hug.

“Tell me, Junior, is this dungeon worth my time? I’ve not heard good things from the guild, they fear this place may be one of the bad ones if you get my meaning,” Bartleby said.

“Excuse me, Bartleby, sorry to interrupt, but my charges recently delved into the dungeon and while it’s unusual, it hasn’t gone murderous and mad,” Matron said.

“Thank you, Shara, and yes, I recognize you, old Bartleby never forgets a face or a deal. Don’t take offense, but aren’t you a little long in the tooth to be clearing dungeons these days?” Bartleby asked.

“Long in the tooth? You’re older than I am even though you look the same as the first day I met you. How does that happen?” Matron asked. It was true, when she had first met Bartleby, he was the same middle-aged-looking human she saw before her now.

“I’ve quite a few more miles under my feet, but my line of work does have some advantages. Junior, I’ll get with you in a bit, I’m going to catch up with Shara here,” Bartleby said, leading matron across the street to the inn, offering to buy her a meal and an ale in exchange for her story. Matron was a bit nervous about leaving her charges, but Jess needed some freedom to work on her own.

“So, are you going to tell me the secret of your youth?” Matron asked as they began their meal.

“A very rare and valuable item was requested by a very old and established dungeon. In return for finding the said item, and before you ask, no, I will not tell what the item was. Now, for finding the item I was rewarded with a legendary reward chest. Normally I’d sell such a thing for a tidy profit, but something told me to keep this one for myself. I don’t know if the dungeon had a hand in that, I suspect he did, but right then and there, before I even left the dungeon, I opened the box. Inside, was something I only heard rumor of, a potion of longevity,” Bartleby said. It was an astonishing find, a truly legendary prize.

“How much longer will you live?” Matron asked.

“I don’t know for sure, the dungeon said something like another hundred years or so, not bad for a human I tell you. Now, your turn, tell me about this new dungeon,” Bartleby replied.

“Well, I don’t want to spoil the surprise, let’s just say you’ll enjoy meeting this dungeon. I’m sure it’s perfectly fine for you to visit,” Matron replied.

“Ah, mysterious, I like mysterious. I think I’ll go bug my nephew to put me in the queue. Hopefully, being part of the family will move me up the list,” Bartleby said.

“He better not, my party is scheduled to go in before you do and if you jump place in line, I’m not going to be happy about it,” Matron joked.

“We’ll see, you can’t blame me for trying,” Bartleby said. Matron enjoyed spending time and enjoying a meal with an old acquaintance. It was good to put aside her duties and just enjoy the moment.