Book 2 - Chapter 3 - The Pressure

“A level cap? That’s the first I’m hearing of it,” Cathria said as she followed Lillia through the long grasses of the Hunting Grounds. “Though levels are an adventuring mechanic, and as I said, that’s far from my area of expertise.”
Lillia was still struggling to string the bow that Thorne had hidden by the door of the Hunting Grounds. It didn’t help that she kept moving between attempts, but she was also spectacularly bad at it.
While Lillia had taken to swordplay like a fish to water, she’d taken to archery like a fish to a leash; much to Thorne’s dismay.
“And you say you’ve gotten that new drop? The Droplets of Experience?”
“Yes, but if I can remove them—” Lillia tried to force the bow to bend far enough to accommodate the string. She failed, and it snapped back at her, flinging itself out of her hands. “If I can take them out of my inventory, I don’t know how. I tried. It just doesn’t work.”
Cathria paused, staring out at the horizon as Lillia picked up the bow and shoved it away instead of setting it down.
“Has the experience varied?”
“Pardon?”
“Have you gotten different amounts for different enemies?”
“I’ve only killed spellmites…”
“Poor things.”
“And a chitterpede.”
Cathria didn’t offer the same sympathy to the bug.
“The Spellmite gave me more droplets. If it’s based on experience, then I suppose they always gave me more experience, but that just makes sense.” Lillia righted herself. If she kept wasting time on the bow, she was never going to get one of the black beasts in time to hold court today.
Partly because the attempted stinging slowed her progress. Partly because the entire ‘morning’ had been ‘wasted’ on a ‘tantrum’. Havoc’s words. Not hers. As far as Lillia saw it, everything this morning had been completely justified.
First of all, level 40 had been another dumb stat increase—whatever those did—and second of all, the level cap revelation had changed Nennia from ‘vague future responsibility’ to ‘imminent task.’
As many times as she’d fought the Spider Queen, she wasn’t looking forward to it. That was why she needed to hold court first.
By the time Lillia looked up, Cathria was holding the glass version of an ancient tome in her hand and leafing through the pages. The pages cracked as they folded over one another. Glass was never supposed to move that way.
“I may have something somewhere about this,” Cathria said as a spiderweb spread across her thumb. “I’ve memorized all of my books, but sometimes re-reading offers connections you missed.”
“You have books?”
“Of course I have books,” Cathria said without looking up. “I’m an archmage.” She turned the page and then continued. “You don’t need to wait on my behalf. I’m very adept at moving while reading.”
Their current target was a tree far off in the distance. Below the tree was a huddled black mass. Over time, Lillia had learned that the beasts used their coloration to try to appear as shadows under trees and avoid the Ambushers’ claws.
If their strategy worked, Lillia had yet to see it, but then again, she was always the issue. The scattered beasts were easy prey.
“I suppose I didn’t think a statue would have books.”
“Of course I would. This statue is based on my memory of myself, and my archive is as much a part of me as my clothes or my magic.”
Cathria almost certainly didn’t see it because she was still reading, but Lillia winced at that statement. She had a full archive back at home. She had spent five years mostly locked in a tower and only showing her face publicly when her aunt allowed it that now felt like a lot of wasted time.
Perhaps she could have been Lillia Ashvalin, archmage-in-training, if she had focused her study during those years. Perhaps she could have had spells alongside her skills if she hadn’t called her tutors boring and old.
Lillia shook her head. No need to let those thoughts linger in regret. If she had told people she was preparing for life in a dungeon, they would have had her—well, she’d already been mostly locked away, but locked away more. None of this was supposed to happen to a princess.
Considering the circumstances, she deserved some credit.
“Oh shoot, Lillia, I’m losing an ankle,” Cathria said. As Lillia turned to make Cathria her champion, the archmage threw the book up in the air, and it vanished into a shower of glass dust.
“Archmage Cathria, I name you my champion.”
Glittering rose-gold settled over Cathria, and the surface cracks in her black opaque glass began to heal themselves. It wouldn’t keep her together for long, but Lillia could buy her a few more minutes.
“Thank you,” Cathria said. Lillia motioned for the pair of them to get low, so she dropped to a whisper as well as a crouch. “In my brief skimming of the Septim of St. Vatruvio—”
“Who?”
“I was unable to find any reference to Droplets of Experience.” Cathria followed Lillia through the grasses as the rose-gold light faded from her glassy skin. “Based on my memory of the texts, it seems unprecedented. Or at least it was in my time.”
The black beasts were huddled under one of the wide-canopied trees that dotted the landscape of the Hunting Grounds. Their scraggly manes barely moved in the soft, ever-present breeze of the savanna; their tails constantly swished back and forth, batting at insects that Lillia could hear but not see.
There was one near the tree trunk that was old and frail. Its fur was lighter than those around it and, though it wasn’t by much, it moved slower than its companions. Thorne had told her that it was better for the herd if Lillia killed the older members. She didn’t know if it mattered in a room that reset like the Hunting Grounds. But it felt better.
That, and they were easier targets.
“Pardon, Lillia, before you pursue your prey. You said that the dungeon wanted you to descend.”
“Yes, that was the message. “Descend to Continue your Quest.”” She could still see it as if it were right in front of her.
“Then perhaps that’s an avenue worth pursuing.”
“I’ll get on defeating Nennia then,” Lillia said.
“You are much more powerful than you were when you defeated Eisel.”
“Yes, but when I fought Eisel, I had people helping me. Namely Nennia.” Lillia called Viannafir to her hand. “I don’t think she wants to fight herself.”
“People fight themselves every day.”
As Lillia looked over to Cathria to question the statement, a large split formed down the center of the Archmager’s throat. It was about time for the discussion to end and for her to get to work.
“I’m not sure Nennia is plagued by inner demons,” Lillia said. “But I am going to speak to her. See if she will let me through without a fight.”
“Is that why—”
“That’s why I’m hunting, yes. Offering a deal.”
“For her to let you through?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I don’t think she’d do that. That wouldn’t be very narratively satisfying.”
“Narratively satisfying? I don’t care if it’s satisfying. I don’t want to fight Nennia.” She raised her voice, passed a hushed whisper. Several of the beasts looked in her direction, but either didn’t see the princess hidden in the grass or didn’t think anything with that many frills was a threat.
“While some of us are stuck watching more than participating, Lillia,” Cathria rested a hand on Lillia’s shoulder, her fingers began to crumble to dust. “I think you should give it a shot. You might do better than you think.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Lillia said.
Cathria offered a soft smile and then lay down in the grass so she could shatter peacefully.
Despite Lillia’s insistence on another plan, she had always seen a fight with Nennia coming. Fire in the halls of spiderwebs. Changing dresses to untangle herself. Using tantrums to keep her older children at bay. Lillia pictured it over and over in her quiet moments on the third landing.
The Spider Queen blocked the only door down. The Spider Queen blocked the only way out.
As the Five-Point Fall would put it, “The Way is Shut.”
But in all those thoughts. All those strategies and ideas, Lillia was always “a little bit stronger” than she was when she had them. If she were just a little bit stronger, she was capable of anything.
There was always a Lillia somewhere on the horizon that she would eventually grow into. That was a Lillia who would fight Nennia.
Now, the dungeon told her that she was there. She was The Lillia on the Horizon.
She didn’t feel any different. The dresses all fit the same. She’d killed the Silencer, but at what point had the scales of that fight turned in her favour?
What horizon had that been?
The dungeon was telling Lillia that when she looked in a mirror, she was staring at a princess who could overthrow a queen. That didn’t mean Lillia had to believe it.
The soft breeze of the savanna picked up for a moment. In the far distance, a piercing cry echoed out. Each of the beasts looked up.
Lillia broke into a sprint, swapping to the chitterpede riding boots, which clicked with each step. Then she snapped feathers between her fingers. The dress bloomed out around her. Volumous feathers cascaded over Lillia’s person.
[Ambusher Claw Petticoat - 3 x Ambusher Feather]
[If the Princess has enough momentum, the flight of the Ambusher will push her further forward, empowering her strike with the Ambusher’s fury. This effect can be used three times per day. Uses are only expended if the strike lands.]
[Dazzling Brilliance - When a creature makes a ranged attack against you, there is a small chance they are blinded.]
The Ambushers’ cry rang out as Lillia cut through a small gap in the herd. Vianaffir sunk deep into the older beast, then through it, and then into the tree behind as the surrounding beasts suddenly realized what had happened.
Lillia’s target struggled once, then fell limp. Around her, the black beasts bleated and panicked as they scattered off across the plains. Above them all, the Ambusher echoed Lillia’s dress.
She withdrew the blade, and the beast slumped down. Lillia backpedaled to avoid having any of the blood or the beast’s smell get on her shoes. Once it was on the ground, she raised a hand to it.
“Dance for me, my knight.”
Plate armor assembled in the air in front of her. A hand grabbed a large, two-handed spear before it could fall to the floor. A brilliant purple plume stood proudly on the helmet of one of Lillia’s three knights: Branle.
Branle wheeled, brandishing the weapon with shocking ease. The massive spear would have pulled Lillia straight off her feet, but he looked balanced and deft while wielding it.
After spinning to check his surroundings twice, the armor stopped and bowed to its master. As it stood up, it cocked its head.
“Please assist me in pulling this body out of the room so I can bring it to Nennia.”
Bronle looked from Lillia to the carcass and back to Lillia. He threw the spear to the ground and begrudgingly trudged over to the body.
He did have a bad habit of being summoned for the menial tasks.