The City and the Dungeon Page 11

  There are a few differences between a Boss and just a really powerful monster. Bosses are more intelligent, able to command any monsters they summon and use them with tactical skill. They have excessively large health, sometimes making battles contests of endurance. And worse, they often break rules other monsters follow: piercing resistances is one of the most common (and obnoxious).

  Bosses also treat heartstones differently. If the party is wiped, then the heartstones will later be found in different chests throughout the Dungeon. This is usually the end of the party.

  Most of all, Bosses are unique. No two parties will ever see the same Boss. There are similar Bosses, and it seems the base templates are selected from some kind of pool. But even then, they greatly differ. The factors appear to be the specific section and the specific members of the party, because if neither changes, they'll always see the same Boss. No other pattern has been identified. That hasn't stopped anyone from trying.

  "I didn't know this information existed," Xavier said, and flipped through another page of a book. Boss Statistics. "Did they record every Boss fight?"

  "I doubt it," Elise said. "I think that's from the RDU members." Elise herself was staring at a book atop a pile five deep. Treasure Drop Rates, also known as the Grey Book, is a publicly available registry of what can be found in the upper Dungeon. No one has ever read the whole thing, being as the indexes alone occupy twelve volumes. I'm not joking. Every possible way to sort through treasure is in one of those twelve indexes. Elise was looking through Three and Five, plus the actual books, to see what we could reasonably find before the Boss.

  "Why do we have it, then?" Sampson asked. His book was much more modest, one labeled Your First Boss Fight, and How to Make Sure It Isn't Your Last!

  "Ally," Andy said. When we had divided the intellectual labor, we just told Andy to do what she wanted. Her books were a bizarre mix of Boss books and others, including a novel and a textbook on gardening. Whatever she was studying, she did so intensely, flipping through a few pages in one book before switching to another.

  "I suppose High House Black is on good terms with the RDU," I said. I had gotten the job of reading the incredibly dense Boss Fights, a laborious tome of every consideration that went into a successful battle. An entire section was devoted to the 5th Boss. (That is the Boss on the 5th Floor. It's confusing, I know.)

  The most critical statement: There is no such thing as overprepared. The best battle was the most lopsided—and, as the book repeatedly hammered into me, there was no guarantee it would be as lopsided as it appeared.

  I wished Mical was here, to give us good business sense, if not just common sense.

  "Mail! News! Mail and News! Get your flimsy low-quality pieces of paper that are nonetheless of utmost importance to you!" called the house courier cheerfully. Andy went over and brought back three letters and a newspaper.

  The letters were for Sampson, Xavier, and me.

  Dear Alexander,

  Have you been all right? Our last letters have been returned with the courier quite rudely saying they were undeliverable. We paid this messenger more, so I hope it arrives. If not, I don't know what we will do.

  Things have been well for us here. Annabelle is considering the New Washington Academy. We are considering hiring a private tutor, graciously thanks to your wages.

  We have paid almost all our debts. I hate to speak only of money, but your recent remittance will soon run out.

  Sincerely,

  Alexandria Kenderman

  Postscript:

  Annabelle says: "You do realize you have a family back here, right? It's not just where you send money when you feel like it."

  My apologies, but Annabelle insists that I write it exactly like that.

  My face was red. I took one of the papers I was scribbling notes on to write a reply.

  Dear Mom and Annabelle,

  Sorry again! I just got more busy. I'm a member of a High House now. Just happened... a few days ago, really.

  How much are you paying these messengers? They might not have realized I'm no longer at Redd's. Tell them to send it to High House Black. There's no way they can mess that up. Actually, make sure they're a member of the Courier's Guild. It's possible they're just cheating you, as you're a surfacer.

  Man, that's weird to write. 'Round here, nearly everyone is a delver. I can't think of the last time I saw someone without an aura.

  I'll be sure to send something soon. Hope everything's going well.

  Alex

  P.S. Yes, Annabelle, I know. I miss you all.

  Andy tapped the headline of her newspaper wordlessly. The City Gazette was not the most high-brow of circulars, which might have explained the sensationalism.

  Arachne Slain on 7th! Was Someone Fed Up with Shirt Prices?

  "What the Dungeon?" I asked. "Are people celebrating slayings, now?"

  "People who were looking for a shirt are," Elise said. "I bet the market's instantly crashed."

  "Eidolon," Andy said.

  "I doubt it was another Eidolon who did it," Xavier said, "although I wouldn't put it past any of them, really."

  "But who could?" I asked.

  "Being violet doesn't make you invincible," Elise said softly.

  "Yeah, think of Alice Black," Xavier said louder, and Elise winced. "She's a High House member, too."

  "The Eidolons aren't," Elise said. "They don't have a Housestone. Just because they own a spire doesn't make them a High House."

  "Yeah, but people call the RDU a High House, and it doesn't even own a spire."

  "Are they still arguing over the 8th Spire?" I asked. Both the RDU and the Eidolons have attempted to control the spire left by High House Draco; both with half-success. The RDU occupies it, and the Eidolons own it. Neither is happy about it.

  "Feel sorry for the girl who lost Arachne's Web," Sampson said. "You have the power, then you die, and someone else's going to be Arachne from then on."

  "Yeah," Elise said. "And the Eidolons aren't going to lift a finger to help you. They'll help the next girl. You? If they'll even revive you, you're just another slave to bow and scrape for the chance at another piece of theomorphic gear."

  "What I don't get," I said, "is why they don't soulbind their gear in the first place."

  "You can't," Elise said. "No one's managed to soulbind a piece of theomorphic gear. It's not like you can replicate it, either."

  "Numinous gear," Xavier said.

  "It doesn't count. Doesn't turn you into a god."

  "But why does it matter if they can't soulbind it?" I asked. "Oh. It doesn't count as yours if it's not, right?"

  "That's how the Law works. And note how long the Eidolons have been trying to get that changed."

  Andy finished reading and handed the paper to Elise who flipped through it. "Standard Eidolon trash: 'Unprovoked attack,' 'Danger to shallow floors,' 'Considering our gear assignment options'—seriously? You'd think they'd realize people would care if they weren't humongous jerks."

  "Hermes isn't," I said. "I mean, not that I've met him—"

  "Hermes is an honorable non-member," Elise said.

  "But that's rare. It'll happen to anyone who gets that amount of power," Xavier said.

  "Not Alice Black," I said. Elise gave me a look between irritated and amused. "I'm serious."

  "Whatever. I don't see how this will help us fight the 5th Boss," Xavier said.

  "Alice Black," Andy said.

  Xavier shrugged. "I guess we could ask Alice Black for advice, but..."

  Elise looked at me, and I at her. As Xavier talked on, I don't think any but the two of us realized what Andy meant.

  Another high-spectrum delver had died mysteriously—and on an early floor.

  Chapter Eleven:

  The Court

  Our plans for the Boss fight were derailed a day later.

  A Steel Knight I didn't recognize strode into the common room from the door to the teleport pads. His aura was green and pure gold
Lawful. He was covered in gray armor bearing the insignia of balanced scales.

  I stared at him and realized he was heading to our table.

  "Alex Kenderman and entire party?" he asked gruffly.

  "Yes, sir," I said.

  "Are you counting Mical?" Elise asked.

  "I am searching for a 'Mical Parsimony' as well. Is she not with you?"

  "She left," I said. "You can probably find her—um, she's started a herb cafe somewhere."

  "Very well, then. Alex Kenderman and partial Party of Alex Kenderman, you are hereby summoned to appear at the Lower Court." He flopped sheaves of paper on our table.

  "What?"

  But he walked to the door towards the Black family's chambers instead. Seth Black emerged from it and stood most imposingly in the way. "Is there a problem?" he asked calmly. "This is a private building."

  "I'm looking for an Alice Black," the Steel Knight said, unflapped.

  "Right here," Alice Black herself said. She walked from behind Seth Black.

  "Alice Black, you are hereby summoned to appear at the Lower Court." He handed two sheaves of paper to her and walked back out to the teleport chamber without another word.

  I turned to stare at our pile. Xavier tugged a sheaf with his name out. Each of us, in fact, had one with our name. I had two.

  One was labeled, In, re: Combat on the Third Floor.

  The other was labeled, The Law vs. Alex Kenderman.

  I barely noticed that Alice Black had come to our table. "I was wondering when the summons would come," she said.

  "What did I do?" I asked desperately.

  "It's your unauthorized revival," Alice Black said. "Didn't you notice the change in your own aura?"

  Actually, I hadn't. But as I looked at my own arms I could see a black mark, and a few gray. The black mark was, I suddenly knew, -5, revival without authorization. Fascinated, I looked around, then at Alice Black. She had her own marks.

  "It's not nice to stare at people's actions," Alice Black said. I winced and turned, but she caught my chin and yanked it back. "Go on, look." There were many, the Chaotic overshadowed by even more Lawful. But I saw the marks for the slayers she killed. And also a slaying of a Lawful. What?

  "Huh," Sampson said. "This is... what even is this?"

  Alice Black let go of me. Sampson had opened his sheaf, and inside I saw row after row of numbers, letters, and symbols. "It's the Law's record of exactly what happened," she said. "Gives you time to prepare a defense. Which, by the way, you are coming with me to do right now."

  * * *

  Hagel Rand, Esq., the High House's attorney, had a habit of talking nonstop, a green aura, and a spotless Black Dragon scale three-piece suit. More noticeable was his lighter grey Neutral aura with significant black streaks. "Yes, yes, I have some Chaos. Oh my, an attorney with Chaos in his aura, what shall I ever do but make political humor about it? Now, shall we get to the actual point of your presence here?

  "Some of you may have ideas on what to do now. Those ideas are more likely than not wrong. I advise you to listen to my instructions carefully. Be it as you may that you have the right to do otherwise, it would be unwise on many levels. For example, you could demand a jury trial with a human prosecutor. Months and much crystal later, you would have reached essentially the same result as a bench-and-code trial. Which is what you are going to have. Similarly, each of you may individually ask for a separate trial. This will also waste everyone's time and crystal."

  "Excuse me," Elise said. "We had a party member who left but was in the combat. What about her?"

  Hagel sighed. "If you would let me finish explaining the situation you are in, you will not have this sort of question. There are, in fact, two situations. Alice Black and you, young man," he pointed at me, "are being charged with Chaotic actions. All of you, at the same time, have been summoned because the Law always summons after a combat between delvers. This is entirely to your benefit, as the slayers will not be able to demand a full trial. Instead, you will most likely receive a deauration, such that you will not have any change in your alignment. Thus, your now-separate party member will only benefit from the case in the hands of a competent public defender.

  "Now for you two," Hagel continued. "Alice Black, I am certain you understand why the Law is charging you, but Mr. Kenderman?"

  "An unauthorized revival," I said. "But I didn't mean to do it—"

  "Really?" Hagel asked. "The Law's record says that you cast Revive on Alice Black, and certainly not on any of your party member's heartstones, the nearest of whom was tiles away. I believe you will have extreme difficulty arguing what you just claimed."

  "Oh," I said.

  "Why is she charged with slaying, but we aren't?" Sampson asked.

  "It's different if you attack someone who didn't attack first," Alice Black said flatly.

  "Very good," Hagel said. "In addition, none of you killed one of the slayers, which in and of itself is a Chaotic act."

  "What about slayer hunters?" I asked. "How do they get extra Lawful by killing slayers?"

  "Why is due to good legal representation. How is a question which would cost you many hours in crystal to explain fully were I not the House lawyer. It is at the moment irrelevant. If you would talk less and listen more, this would take much less time.

  "In this situation, all but one of you would be better off testifying. Now, here is what you shall not mention," Hagel said. "You, Mr. D'Ambrose, were not recognized by the Law as participating in the revive. Yes, yes, I know you haven't told me, but it's an obvious inference from the records. The magistrate will be legally unable to note this unless you mention it. Therefore, you shall exercise your right not to self-incriminate, and no one shall be the wiser."

  "Then why do I testify?" I asked.

  "Oh, you'll testify, only testify correctly. For example, by neglecting to mention—"

  "Um, aren't we supposed to tell the whole truth?" I asked.

  Hagel sighed, "This is—do any of you have even Legal 1?"

  "Nope," Elise said. "I've studied the Law, but—"

  Hagel's palm hit his face so hard I thought I heard a crack. "I suggest you all immediately acquire said skillstone. Mr. Kenderman? You'll need at least Legal 2, of which, conveniently, I have a spare. Then I suggest you immediately attend to the Courthouse Law library. Your situation is awkward enough without you being clueless."

  * * *

  The Courthouse has a public legal library the size of a dining hall. The smell of brand-new books was nearly overpowering. Several patrons sat at tables reading, their auras orange, yellow, or even green, and with the white and gold of strongly Lawful. A few delvers, also of a variety of spectrums, had grey with streaks of black. They read through their books with even more intensity. Studying before a trial, I guessed. One woman watched by a party of guards had an aura almost black: -97, when I looked at her hard enough. Then I tried not to look her way at all.

  The library was organized, the shelves clearly labeled, and without a single missing book. I was puzzled, but found Title Four: Death and Revival. The moment I removed it from the shelf, an identical book fell from the ceiling and hovered into place. I admit I flinched.

  But hey, if there was no need to wait for a given book... I took anything that looked promising and carried a whole stack to the first empty table I could find.

  And then I read. And read.

  A Legal skillstone gives the understanding of the nature of laws in general, or perhaps their spirit, but not of any specific law, or the Law itself. Without the latter knowledge, the former is nigh-worthless. Even so, as I read, I had a faint sensation of déjà vu—as if it were a familiar book, which I had not read in ages.

  Nonetheless, I decided I had made a mistake by starting at Title Four, and walked back to find an introductory text: The Law: a Complete Guide. Sometime after the forward, I decided it was too introductory. It began with the early laws of the City, before the Law was cast.

  One passage s
truck me, before I looked for another book.

  Initial tests of the Law resulted in failure, until it was determined that each delver would have to consciously accept the Law's individual tracking and aura visualization subspells. Even then, the final Power of the Law spell is believed to be in the trillions. Where this Power is sourced is a state secret. Two common beliefs are that it is from a "Lawstone" dropped somewhere in the Deep, or that it is from the Cornerstone itself.