Roric stepped away from the corpse of the giant insect, leaving his spear still embedded in the shell. Jaina was healing Evalynn's wounds away, the monster's pincers having easily torn through her armor. Even Gisley was injured when the creature lashed out with some kind of psychic attack, her antennae making her vulnerable to its wail. She fell to her knees, clutching her head until Roric used his master's defense power to shield her. That the creature had such an attack proved this was a more dangerous dungeon than expected, and they needed to move carefully.
This was the fifth battle since the spider creature, all of which were dangerous in some way. Thankfully the mysterious water woman hadn't reappeared, which meant she was preparing something ahead. Sooner or later, there would be another confrontation, likely coming when they were ground down. Roric needed to guide them carefully to maintain their strength and keep them combat-ready. He also realized they needed more gear, things like potions, magical scrolls, and special equipment if they wanted to venture into dungeon depths.
"Do you think we might stumble on the rogues guild?" Gisley asked as she shivered along the wall.
"I regret that the rogues are probably in the sewers, not the lower dungeon," Roric answered honestly as he finally retrieved his spear. "We need to find a way up if we hope to get out."
"That flood can't possibly still be going. Maybe we can get out that way," Chandice suggested.
"I think it's safer to look for another exit," Jaina said as she finished with Evalynn.
"I agree," Roric replied. "She didn't go through that much trouble to wash us down here just to let us climb back out."
"My head still hurts, and I feel hungry," Gisley said as she got up, her simple dress now soiled from walking in the dingy tunnels. Her hair was a mess, and she had smudges on her face as her damp dress clung to her skin.
"We are changing our tactics," Roric announced as he went to Gisley. "You and Jaina go naked from now on."
"Naked?" Gisley asked.
Roric explained that their naked defense skill would make them safer than they were with their skimpy dresses on. They wouldn't feel the cold and would get the wet clothing off, and then they could use their cleanse ability to clean up.
"Why didn't we think of this sooner?" Gisley asked as she discarded her dress.
"We were preoccupied with other thoughts," Jaina replied, pulling Gisley into a hug. "Now, hold me until we're both warm." Gisley smiled and wrapped her arms around Jaina as she smiled contentedly. Both women glowed for an instant, and the dirt was gone, their bodies perfectly dry and clean. Jaina pulled the snuggly woman in tightly and asked her if she was really hungry.
Gisley nodded and said she didn't like to eat the dry rations Roric often brought in his pack for adventures. Jaina thought of something Gisley might like better, and while nobody was looking, she reached into her pouch and drank Rajeen's potion.
Roric turned to Evalynn and suggested she get naked to join the snuggle. She balked at the idea of being out of her armor, but Roric insisted she had to be the coldest and most miserable of them all.
"My armor is trapping a lot of moisture Evalynn agreed as he helped her undress. A few moments later, he put the slave collar around her neck, and she cuddled with the others, sharing their body heat as they dried.
"Can you make some kind of fire to help dry her armor out?" Roric asked of Chandice, who nodded.
She looked about the room that appeared to be some kind of old dining hall. The beetle that was the size of a wheelbarrow had smashed several old tables and chairs, leaving behind piles of shattered wood. She ordered her demon to gather some of the bits into a pile, then reached out a hand and produced a palm of fire.
[lvl 1 Warlock skill: Create fire] Produce a small flame in the palm of your hand or on an object you are touching. The flame persists so long as you desire it to, or you run out of spell power. Can ignite combustible material.
She carefully held the flame to some of the wood until it started to burn on its own, then stood up and closed her hand to release the spell.
"Let's hope starting a fire underground isn't as dangerous as it sounds," Chandice said.
"The danger is in air quality," Roric said as he began to arrange Evalynn's armor around the small campfire. "The fire consumes oxygen and produces smoke, causing asphyxiation."
"So why are we doing this?" Chandice asked with some measure of concern.
"The space is well ventilated," Roric said and pointed to the smoke coming off the fire. They could see it was traveling to one side as if carried in a gentle breeze.
"A breeze," Chandice said as she considered the implications. "Couldn't we follow the breeze to find a way out?"
"We need to find the source," Roric replied as he wondered how hard that would be. He would need a way to gauge the breeze as they traveled, leading him to a thought. Gisley could produce glitter if her wings were out, creating a constant hail of the stuff to give them a sense of direction. But it would also mark the floor as they passed, giving anyone searching for them a trail to follow. He supposed he could carry a torch and trust in the dance of flames and trace amount of smoke. That should be enough to indicate the direction the air was flowing, but he would heave to drop it every time they entered battle.
Chandice took a moment to strip off her robes, ordering her demon to hold them near the fire so they might dry. She curled into the snuggle pile, sharing the warmth and love of her family.
"Well, this is nice," Jaina said with a sigh. "Too bad it's under such terrible circumstances."
"It's still nice to find a reason to snuggle," Evalynn replied. "I feel better already."
"You had us very worried," Chandice added and stroked Evalynn's head.
"She had me terrified," Jaina agreed. "I love my elven warrior."
"So I am your elven warrior, am I?" Evalynn laughed.
"Oh, sweetie, you know as well as everyone else that you're the most powerful fighter in the group," Jaina explained. "If you had died, not only would we have been heartbroken, but we would likely have all been killed by now."
"That spider thing would probably have gotten us," Gisley added with a shudder.
"I am touched you value my strength so much," Evalynn said as they huddled.
"I admire this tight elven butt too," Jaina added as she gave it a squeeze.
"Stop it," Evalynn laughed. "I swear all you ever think about is sex."
"That's what I'm here for," Jaina replied and kissed her forehead. "My role in this family is to provide it with sex and passion."
"Mine too," Gisley added. "Oh, and money by being a prostitute."
"See, Gisley understands," Jaina said.
"Well, my role is to help my master protect his family," Evalynn replied and leaned up. "I will stand between my slave sisters and any danger."
"And you do that admirably," Roric said as he joined them to put a hand on her shoulder. "I have never seen you flinch in the face of danger. You charge into every fight and do your best to tie the enemy down."
"She is a good warrior," Chandice added and went to rub Roric. "Oh, goodness, you are still soaked."
"It's the fur," Roric replied. "And my underclothes of padding are saturated."
"But you need to dry off too," Chandice insisted.
"We can't all be out of our armor," Roric insisted. "I am the master. It is my job to see to it you are all safe. When Evalynn is armored up, maybe I can do something to dry off."
"Does he smell like a wet dog?" Jaina teased as Roric gave her a little chuckle.
"I suppose I do resemble a dog," Roric agreed as he stroked Gisley's back, using his claws to give her a gentle scratch.
"He's not exactly like a dog, though," Gisley said as she looked back at him.
"He's supposed to be more like a hyena, but the silver mane gnolls look less savage because they are hero players," Jaina said. "And Roric tweaked his appearance to look even less so."
"I like his fur," Gisley said as he kept scratching her back, making her twist in relaxation.
"I like that long tongue," Jaina said.
"I am fond of the other part that's long," Evalynn added with a blush.
"Oh, we're terrible," Chandice laughed. "Everything we like about him is physical."
"I wouldn't say that," Jaina said and looked up to meet Roric's eyes. "Behind all that is a man with a strong heart, deep commitments, and a desire to love his girls. We all see that, and it's why we are here."
