I hadn't realized that the dungeon would be this scary.... Not by a longshot.
"I can't take this anymore!" I groaned, stabbing angrily at the strange dungeon creature that flew at me. It was shaped like a giant moth, with long antennae that dripped some foul sticky substance. It screeched as I slashed at it with my sword, cutting it cleanly in half. I shuddered at the nasty sight and turned back to my companion. That had been the final monster in the group that had attacked us out of nowhere.
"You shouldn't have come in here in the first place, Valkyra!" snapped my king.
His name was Sinbad, and he was the ruler of the mighty kingdom of Sindria. He had taken me in after freeing my hometown from a viscous band of slave traders, and I was very grateful to him. Over time I had even fallen for him... I wanted to do everything that I could in order to help him...which was why I had entered this dungeon in the first place...
"You should be thanking me, or at least appreciate what I'm doing!" I hissed, stomping towards the archway at the end of the tunnel. It looked like there was a safe area up ahead. The djinn of this dungeon was awfully considerate...
I flopped down on the ground and grunted tiredly. It seemed like we had been in the dungeon for days, but it was impossible to tell in the dark tunnels. Sinbad marched after me and stood in front of me, arms crossed and expression angry.
"What do you mean thank you?! You're trying to capture a dungeon and become a king vessel, a RIVAL! Why would I appreciate you betraying me like that?" he snarled. I winced at that, I hadn't thought of it like that... But I shook my head and glared back up at him.
"Who said I was doing this for myself? Maybe I was doing it in order to be of more use to you!" I snapped. Sinbad looked shocked as I angrily got to my feet, not wanting to be interrogated further. Sinbad grabbed my wrist as I passed him, holding me in place.
"Even if that is the case, you can't conquer a dungeon like this on your own..." he said quietly. I tugged my hand away and marched off, my heart pounding. Why did he have to go and touch me...?
"I can and I will... Just watch me..."
We progressed further into the dungeon, Sinbad trailing a ways behind me as I dispatched more creepy crawlies. I was tired, but my determination to make Sinbad eat his words kept me going.
"How much further could it be...?" I mumbled to myself as I turned a corner in the tunnel.
Suddenly I felt a sharp pain on the side of my head and my vision went black.....
------
I groaned as I slowly returned to consciousness, my head throbbing. I tried to move but something held me tightly.
"W-what is this....?" I said, blearily opening my eyes to see what was holding me so tightly.
It looked like some strange white rope, but I could feel it sticking to me...almost like.....
My breath hitched in my throat as I saw something big move out of the corner of my eye. I slowly turned my head and felt terror well up in me as I looked at the creature scuttling to me.
It was a huge, hairy spider. All fangs and long legs with sharp hooks at he end of each. It's beady eyes were fixed on me as I began to struggle, my heart pounding in horror as it got closer.
There was nothing else in the world that terrified me more than spiders.
I let out a panicked tell as the hideous thing got closer and closer, snapping it's pincers at me in excitement. I struggled as hard as I could, but the spider silk holding me wouldn't budge. If only I could reach my knife....
"Looks like you're having some trouble," said a loud voice behind the spider. It stopped and turned, hissing angrily at the thing that had interrupted it's meal.
"Sinbad!" I cried in relief, never happier to see my king. He leaned against the entrance to the cavern, eyebrows raised as he took in my situation. My heart fell as he shook his head.
"I thought you said you could handle this yourself Val..." He said mockingly, lips curled in a slight smile. I couldn't believe his nerve....
"WELL I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE SNEAK ATTACK SPIDERS IN HERE YOU JACKASS! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" I yelled, my panic worsening as the giant spider began to turn back towards me.
"I dunno.... You said you could handle it..." He said, placing his hands behind his head and grinning over at me. I gave him a furious look and kicked out at the spider as it got closer and closer.
"Yes well I didn't anticipate this, now HELP ME!" I snarled, a hint of terror leaking into my voice as my foot made contact with its head. I screamed in frustration and fear as I heard Sinbad laugh.
"Alright then.... But you owe me..." He chuckled, strolling slowly towards the preoccupied spider.
"Fine!"
"Anything I want."
"Yes, anything!"
"Absolutely anything."
"YES FOR THE LOVE OF THE RUHK HELP ME SINBAD!"
------
"That....was the worst ordeal of my life..."
It was late at night in the palace of Sindria, and we had only recently returned from the dungeon. Ja'far had lectured me soundly as Sabine and her husband Masrur looked on sleepily. They were constantly being woken up by their newborn, and had been trying to get him to sleep. Eventually Ja'far had finished his lecturing and I had been allowed to go to bed.
I gently brushed my fingers across the bracelet on my wrist, which now contained my Djinn, Ulf. At least I had succeeded in that... It was a good thing after all that Sinbad had been there...
"I wonder how he was able to get into the dungeon... I thought he couldn't enter them anymore..." I murmured to myself...
"I can tell you if you'd like..." said a smooth voice behind me. I jumped in surprised and turned to face the intruder in my room. I groaned when I saw it was Sinbad. Having him in my room so late at night like this was not good for my imagination.
"Sin what are you doing in here?" I groaned. I eyed him warily as he moved away from where he had been leaning against my bed, stopping just in front of me. He leaned in close, causing my heart to pound nervously.
"You promised that you'd owe me.... I'm here to collect...."
