Gentle music drifted through the canopy, backed by the subtle percussion of leaves crunching underfoot. Inspiration flowed through Katrina, suffusing her guitar before leaping through the air to return vitality to her party. In her opinion, their first fight had been an overwhelming success, and they'd escaped with only minimal injuries. Plus, Alicia had hit Level Three; yet another reason to feel optimistic about their first delve.
Part of her still had trouble believing she was in an actual Dungeon. On the one hand, it had been her dream ever since the Change; on the other, their surroundings looked nothing like she expected. Dungeons were known for taking on countless shapes and sizes, and she consistently combed through forums looking for news about incredible new discoveries. In the past, Dungeon floors had appeared as deserts, frozen tundras, mechanical mazes, sometimes even decrepit, overgrown cities. Heck, the Dungeon under Harvard University was so expansive that one of the earlier floors had been entirely tamed by Guilds and turned into a bustling urban community.
Despite an intimate knowledge that Dungeons could turn deadly at the drop of a hat, it was hard to ignore the beauty surrounding them. Rays of faux sunlight filtered through the canopy above, dancing across Kat's pale skin and triggering memories of exploring forest preserves as a child. At first she had instinctively flinched away from them, but quickly found herself marveling at the unique opportunity. The sunlight was fake, of course, but hints of warmth still flickered across her skin to sell the illusion. The fear of wandering Dungeon monsters faded into the background, just for a minute, as she smiled at the sensation. The simple joy of walking through a forest had been lost during the Change, yet this Dungeon had given her a chance to experience it with her beautiful girlfriend.
Alicia looked incredible amidst the abundant greenery. Even though she'd put years of effort into helping nature reclaim her neighborhood, bulky streets and boxy houses would always mar the landscape. Here, surrounded by verdant forestry, Alicia was completely in her element.
A trail of bright pink tulips sprang up in her wake, always a few paces behind her. They marked a path back to the entrance of the Dungeon, which Kat was incredibly grateful for. Getting lost in Dungeons was extremely common, even on floors where the paths were simple, straightforward hallways. Earlier, Alicia had even been able to warn them of an incoming monster by using her connection to the plants in the area, which had no doubt saved them from a possible ambush.
"Anything yet?" Tab asked, shaking Kat from her thoughts.
"Nothing so far. I'm not even sure what we're looking for though. Kat?" Alicia asked, turning back to Katrina.
"Well, for starters, familiarizing ourselves with the Dungeon is never bad. However, in terms of tangible goals, there are a few options. Most importantly, this place exists as a vehicle to find the Key Shard for the next level of the Chicago Dungeon. There's a good chance it's held by a boss monster, and we'll get it as a prize for defeating them. I've heard rumors that Key Dungeons are often more than one floor, however, so we should probably be looking for a door to a lower level. With all this forest theming, however, I'm not sure what it might look like. Sometimes combat isn't the point, though; there could easily be a puzzle that leads us downstairs. No way to know."
"So, just keep watch for anything and everything. Great," Tabitha said, turning her eyes back to the Dungeon around her.
Pushing deeper into the Dungeon, the trees began shifting closer and closer to each other, eventually funneling them into a tiny clearing with multiple paths branching off. They appeared quite similar to game paths, hinting at differently sized monsters that might be roaming through the artificial forest.
The group paused, all three of them looking around as they hunted for any helpful clues. Katrina counted three paths in total, all different sizes, but the thick trees made it difficult to see very far into any one path.
"See anything useful?" Kat asked, her Inspiration still flowing freely. "I can't see anything unique about any of the paths, other than their sizes."
Tabitha walked up to the path next to Katrina. "The sizing on this one makes me think the wolves came through here. The width looks about right, but that makes me nervous about the bigger path."
"The paths might not be natural, remember. The big path could have been artificially created by the Dungeon, rather than by the movement of monsters. Alicia, what do you think?"
Looking to her left, Katrina saw Alicia kneeling on the ground and inspecting a thick patch of bushes. "There're four paths, actually. This one here is just incredibly small." The group reconvened around the Dryad as she moved some branches aside, revealing a fourth, tiny path.
"Well, we have to pick something," Tabitha said. "How about the big path, since it'll be the easiest to keep track of. Besides, I don't even know if I'd fit into those smaller paths."
Everyone nodded in agreement, then started walking. Much like the entrance to the Dungeon, this path eventually widened until they were standing in another massive clearing, eerily reminiscent of the previous chamber. Was this how the dungeon was structured? A collection of large forests connected by small hub areas? They had yet to fully explore a larger chamber, so it was hard to commit to any one theory.
Before they had a chance to push deeper into this chamber, Alicia spun on her heel to look behind them.
"What's up, Cherry Blossom? Monsters?" Tab asked, her sabers at the ready.
"I... don't know. I thought I felt something, but it's gone now. Could just be nerves, for all I know. I'm still getting used to actually being here."
Kat stepped closer to Alicia and briefly paused her music, freeing up her hands to grab her girlfriend's shoulders. "Hey, it's okay to be scared. Good, even. I'm scared too, but we've got each other, we're gonna be alright."
Alicia shuddered briefly, then turned to look forward again. "Ugh, stupid monsters."
Seconds gave way to minutes as they continued walking, the idle Dungeon forest unnervingly quiet around them. Kat's eyes darted back and forth, eagerly watching every nook and cranny for signs of a possible path that might lead deeper into the Dungeon. As they kept walking, and monsters continued their fortunate absence, the group wandered slightly further apart. Not by much, they were all still within a few feet of each other, but they were no longer rubbing elbows as they walked.
This extra space made it easier to look around, and it was Tabitha that stumbled across the first noteworthy find. She whistled quietly before calling out "Hey, I might have found the door downstairs!"
