Unbound
-
Jasper groaned, his stomach churning. “Ugh… I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that feeling.” Nausea hit hard as he opened his eyes. Something about teleportation always messed with him more than it did others.
“You alright, Jasper? Want me to cast a recovery spell?” Esther asked, her voice tinged with worry. She leaned toward him, her golden hair slipping out from her veil, her torso angled in concern.
“Nah, I’m good. Save your mana,” Jasper replied, taking a couple of deep breaths to steady himself. Even though the other party’s familiar hadn’t found any traps, that didn’t mean they were in the clear. “We should stay sharp, just in case. I’m fine now, let’s move.”
Jasper took one last deep breath and stood tall, eyeing the lone metal door in front of him. It stood there, looking harmless, covered in symmetrical carvings—patterns he’d never seen before. There was an odd beauty to it, like an ancient mandala. He didn’t know what the symbols meant, but staring at them brought a strange calm.
He stepped closer, reaching out to open the door. His fingertips brushed the cold metal, but before he could push, the door shuddered. Lilac smoke poured out from its edges, swirling around it like a wild, formless mane.
“DON’T BREATHE THE SMOKE!” Jasper yelled, throwing his forearm over his nose and mouth, hoping his sleeve would filter the air.
Thump
He spun around, dreading what he’d see. Esther was crumpled on the ground, her eyes shut tight.
Jasper’s mind raced. What do I do? He didn’t have an escape stone to get them out, and if he tried to grab her now, he’d probably pass out too.
His thoughts scrambled for a solution, but the world began to blur. The sharp lines of reality swirled together, like muddy water in a painter’s rinse bucket. Then, with the dull thud of his head hitting the ground, everything went black.
-
“-per, Jasper, wake up!”
Jasper’s body was being jostled back and forth, the sensation annoying as hell. He cracked his eyes open to see what was shaking him, and—
“Thank Althea!” Esther threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce bear hug, her eyes wet with relief.
“Esther? Where are we?” Jasper pressed a palm to his forehead, a throbbing headache hitting him harder than any teleportation nausea ever had.
“I think we’re in the dungeon…” Esther glanced around. They were in a hallway lined with dark wine-colored bricks, a faint mist swirling along the floor. Jasper had a bad feeling it was the same lilac smoke from before, though it was much thinner here.
“I think our only choice is to keep moving until we hit a fork in the road.” Jasper scanned the floor. Normally, a teleportation trap would leave a burned magical circle beneath them, but the maroon bricks were unmarked. “No telling when help’s coming.”
“Okay…” Esther helped him to his feet. The world still spun a bit, but it was better than when he’d first come to.
As they walked, doors started popping up every so often, each with a torch beside it. Jasper and Esther each grabbed a torch but left the doors alone. Without knowing what was on the other side, they agreed it was too risky to mess with them.
After a while, Jasper felt his sanity slipping. It was the same endless hallway, the same damn bricks, the same creepy mist.
“Hey, Jasper, look.” Esther pointed at a door on their right, flanked by two empty torch holders. “I think we’ve passed this door before!”
They’d been walking in a loop! Jasper had no clue how long the loop was, and he sure as hell didn’t want to keep trudging to find out. They were out of options.
“Alright, from now on, let’s start opening the doors. Doesn’t seem like we’ve got much else to work with.”
-
With Esther at his side, Jasper drew his claymore and held it ready. Sweat beaded on his forehead, the chilly dungeon air making it feel colder as he kicked open the door with the missing torches. Esther tossed her torch inside, its light cutting through the darkness. A cluttered desk sat against the far wall, separated from a dusty bed by a bookshelf. Jasper stepped in, his eyes darting around for traps or monsters, while Esther gravitated toward the books. He headed for the desk, where an open notebook with unfinished text lay atop scattered scratch paper. To its left were several ragged leather-bound books, their pages riddled with tiny holes. A bag of colorful gems sat quietly in the corner.
The room was quiet, so much so his breathing was the loudest sound around.
“Those look like slime cores,” Esther said from behind him.
Jasper let out a squeal, startled by her sudden presence.
Esther giggled, clearly pleased with herself. “Oh my, Jasper, I didn’t expect you to have such a cute scream.”
“Shut up…” Jasper muttered, his cheeks burning as he let out a frustrated sigh that echoed in the room.
“Hehehe… I’m just kidding.” Esther patted his head. “Anyways, I’m guessing this room belonged to an alchemist. There’s a ton of rare tomes and scriptures here. They’re in some language I don’t know, but the etchings look share equations and symbols with modern alchemistry.”
Alchemists were a rare breed, an ascended class only achievable by mastering magic. Jasper had never met one—most adventurers focused on combat, so mages usually aimed to become archmages instead.
“You sure about that?” Jasper asked, straightening the loose papers and trying to read them, though the foreign script was gibberish to him.
“This notebook’s got drawings of alchemist experiments,” Esther said. “I can’t even wrap my head around a quarter of it. Hard to imagine a regular person knowing all this, but Oman might be able to shed some light.”
Oman was their mage, he doesn’t talk much, but he does solid work.
Jasper reevaluated the room, grabbing anything not nailed down—papers, books, the bag of gems—and stuffing them into his adventurer’s sack. If Esther was right, this stuff was worth a fortune. Even without an alchemist’s skills, the knowledge could be broken down for regular mages to use.
Once they’d cleared the room of valuables, they stepped back into the hallway. The misty, wine-colored brick corridor felt the same, but it wasn’t as nerve-wracking as before.
“I wonder what kind of person lived in this dungeon,” Esther said as they started walking again.
“We’ll probably learn more if we check the journal later,” Jasper replied. “But for now, I just wanna get outta here fast.” Even if he felt more at ease, lingering wasn’t smart. They still didn’t know if they were safe.
-
A few moments later, Jasper and Esther reached another closed door. They repeated their routine: Esther tossed in a torch as Jasper kicked the door open. The room glowed with magic stones embedded in wall-mounted lanterns. A massive altar-like stand dominated the center, with a cluttered table against the left wall. They stepped inside cautiously, ears straining for any hint of a trap, but like the last room, it was silent.
The stand was enormous, big enough for two grown men to lie side by side. Jasper touched its surface, the cold biting like a coin in winter. He joined Esther at the messy table, where she was examining a scalpel among scattered utensils. Papers covered in detailed drawings of human, animal, and monster anatomy spilled across the table and floor. Esther had said the bedroom belonged to an alchemist, and this room likely did too.
“Looks like someone was in a hurry to get outta here,” Jasper said, gathering the notes into a bundle.
“Yeah, but what could scare an alchemist that bad?” Esther replied.
She had a point. Alchemists were tough; few things could rattle them. A chill shot through Jasper, his mind racing with thoughts of mythical creatures that might’ve spooked the alchemist—and could still be lurking in the dungeon.
Jasper scooped up the last of the writings, books, and tools, leaving the altar and table bare. He nodded to Esther, signaling he was done, and they stepped back into the lifeless hallway to continue their search.
It was strange to think someone had lived here, cut off from the world.
The only sounds were their footsteps echoing off the dungeon walls. The endless sameness of the bricks and mist was starting to drag Jasper down, heavy as a wet coat. Since the second door, no others had appeared, so the loop seemed to have ended, but an exit was still just a faint hope.
“I think it’s a good time to take a break,” Jasper said, turning to Esther. But behind him was nothing—just the empty hallway. Esther was gone.
“Esther?”
Silence.
The damp, hollow dungeon sent another shiver through him.
When had she vanished? Where was she? How long had he been walking alone? He had to find her. He’d been quiet, worn out, assuming she was too. He hadn’t noticed she was gone. It didn’t add up—how could she disappear without a sound?
His face flushed, his mind flooded with possibilities. Keeping on the same path probably wouldn’t help. Should he backtrack?
-
A faint light flickered in the heavy darkness far down the hallway as Jasper retraced his steps. It was the first change he’d seen since leaving the second room, and with no other options, he headed toward it. There hadn’t been any doors or torches for a while now.
The doors he’d passed earlier were gone, replaced by seamless bricks blending into the walls. The torch holders had vanished too, as if the rooms had never been there.
At the hallway’s end, Jasper found two marble doors, each flanked by a torch. His gut told him this was the boss room.
Without pausing, he shoved the doors open. He was done thinking; the whole ordeal had drained him, and he just wanted it over. To his surprise, the doors swung easily, no force needed. And there she was.
“Esther!” Jasper rushed to his teammate, lifting her limp form from the floor and cradling her in his arms. “Esther! You OK? Wake up!”
Esther was soaked in slime, her clothes torn in spots, exposing patches of skin. A flush of embarrassment hit Jasper, his mind briefly wandering to awkward places. He slapped his cheek, muttering, “Calm down, she’s your teammate.”
He pressed his fingers to her neck. Her pulse was erratic, her muscles twitched randomly, and her breathing was ragged. She was alive, and that let Jasper breathe a little easier as he scanned the room.
He’d been lucky—no traps had sprung when he’d charged in like an idiot. The room was wide but empty. An open stone chest sat in front of them, and a gold door loomed behind it. Whatever had been here likely attacked Esther and fled. Jasper didn’t know any monster that left its prey like this, but the room was clear of threats—just him and Esther. Still, the creature was out there, and he had to stay sharp to avoid her fate.
A loud rumble echoed as the golden doors began to open. Jasper pulled Esther close, one hand gripping his claymore’s handle. He stared at the widening gap. The doors revealed a gold chest—a sign of prime loot and a hint that the boss monster had been dealt with somehow.
Jasper hoisted Esther onto his back, using the empty stone chest for support as he stood. Step by step, he approached the gold chest. A blinding light burst out as he lifted the lid, dimming to reveal a heap of gold and gems.
“Holy shit.” He wasn’t kidding. This much gold could set his whole party up for life. They barely scraped by on one silver a month; with this, they could live free forever, taking jobs just for kicks.
Jasper caught Esther before she slid off his back, the sight of the treasure leaving him stunned. He’d expected gear, weapons, or potions from the alchemist, but this was more gold than he’d ever seen in one place. He opened his adventurer’s pouch, and it magically swallowed the entire haul.
A magic circle glowed beneath him, its pattern familiar this time. Jasper checked that Esther and his sack were secure, then closed his eyes and let the magic whisk them away.
-
When Jasper opened his eyes, the sight of trees against an orange sunset sky let him release the breath he’d been holding.
“FUCK YEAH, WE MADE IT OUT ALIVE!”
Shit, he’d almost forgotten—Esther was still out cold, slumped against him like a mannequin. Jasper eased down, laying her across his legs. He dug into his adventurer’s sack, pulled out a red vial, and popped the cork with his thumb. Carefully, he poured it over her body. A faint crimson glow shimmered briefly, then faded. Nothing.
That glow should’ve meant she was healed. Jasper checked the spots where her sacred attire was torn, but the cuts and bruises he’d seen earlier were gone.
So why wasn’t she waking up?
Had she taken a hit to the head? That would explain why a low-grade potion didn’t work. Jasper didn’t have any high-grade ones—couldn’t afford them before—but with the gold now, he could. He hoisted Esther onto his back and started running.
Turns out, sprinting back to camp takes forever with someone on your back. Why couldn’t the adventurer’s sack hold people? Esther was unconscious, so she was basically an inanimate object, right? Whatever. They made it. Jasper unzipped Esther’s tent, revealing a neat stack of religious texts by her sleeping bag. A small statue of Althea sat beside an ivory candle, and a bag with white fabric peeking out lay nearby. Thank Althea she had spare clothes.
Gods, after splitting the gold, they could finally ditch camping in the wild.
Jasper gently lowered Esther onto her sleeping bag. She looked peaceful, her delicate features calm, like she was just napping. He stepped out, zipping the tent closed, and headed back toward town.
-
“Jasper?”
Time seemed to freeze as Jasper’s brain scrambled to process the voice calling his name.
“Jasper? Is that you out there?”
Esther’s soft voice came from the tent. Jasper fumbled to unzip it, and the sight inside was every bit as relieving as he’d hoped. Esther’s eyes locked onto the disheveled man before her as she propped herself up. He dove in, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close. As he did, he thought he felt something shift beneath her skin, like a faint ripple under his hands. Startled, he tightened his grip for a moment, but when he pulled back slightly to get a better look, she seemed completely normal—no sign of anything unusual.
“You woke up!” Jasper said, his eyes stinging as he fought back tears, though he couldn’t stop staring, searching her face and arms for any hint of what he’d felt.
Esther’s cheeks flushed pink under his gaze, and she fidgeted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “W-what? Is there something on me?” she asked, her voice a mix of embarrassment and confusion.
“Nah, it’s just… I thought I felt something weird for a sec,” Jasper mumbled, scratching the back of his neck, his own face heating up. “Must’ve imagined it. You’re fine, right?”
“Y-yeah, I’m fine!” Esther said quickly, her blush deepening as she waved a hand dismissively. “You’re staring like I’ve grown a second head or something, geez!”
“Sorry, sorry,” Jasper chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. “Just makin’ sure you’re in one piece.”
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “Well, I am. So quit gawking already.”
He felt her hands gently patting the back of his head, easing his lingering worry.
“How long was I out?” Esther’s voice vibrated through her torso into his.
“A couple of hours,” Jasper replied. “I was heading to get a high-potion since I thought the regular one didn’t work.”
“Oh gosh, that must’ve cost a lot!” Concern laced her tone.
Jasper reluctantly pulled back from the hug, scanning Esther’s body one last time to confirm she had no injuries, though he was careful not to linger too long this time.
“The dungeon gave us enough loot for our whole party to die happy, no matter what we do for the rest of our lives!”
Esther’s eyes widened, boring into his as if searching for more details through sheer willpower. Jasper let the silence linger a moment before continuing.
“I don’t know exactly how much we got yet, but I’m planning on telling the team either way.”
Esther nodded quietly, still processing the shock.
“That said, I don’t think they’re coming back tonight.” Jasper pulled open the tent flap, revealing the night sky. “So we should get some sleep first.”
Esther nodded again, and Jasper slowly crawled out of her tent.
“You gonna be alright?” he asked, poised to zip up her tent and head to bed himself.
“I think I’ll be fine. I’ll let you know if I’m not,” Esther said, offering a faint smile.
“Alright,” Jasper replied. He couldn’t shake his worry for her, but there wasn’t much more he could do now, no matter how much he wanted to help.
He walked to his own tent, far less tidy than Esther’s. Clothes and pieces of his light armor were strewn around his bed. He stripped down to a pair of cheap fabric pants and a t-shirt—glorified potato sacks, really. But things were different now. He could finally start living like a human. That dungeon might just be the best thing that would ever happen to him.
-
Jasper woke up in a haze, his body slick with sweat, his cock painfully hard from what felt like a wet dream…but he wasn’t too sure
“Oh fuck…” Sensual tremors shot through him, radiating from his throbbing cock. His muscles clenched and released, the sensation driving him wild. The wet, tight warmth enveloping his dick pounded relentlessly against the base of his shaft. Squinting, he tried to make out the source of the pleasure but the mental haze only allowed him to see the blurry silhouette of the alluring figure.
He squirmed, like a ladybug flipped on its back, desperate to regain control, but it was no use. Muscle spasms overwhelmed him, and a creeping sense of powerlessness set in. Was he drugged too?
“Mmmmph… yes,” the figure moaned, her voice dripping with ecstasy. The echoing slap of flesh against flesh muddled his thoughts, pulling him deeper into the haze of the moment.
His climax built, an unstoppable wave rising inside him. His body tensed, bracing for the explosion of pleasure. Unable to hold back, he thrust one final time, releasing his hot seed into the mysterious figure, his body shuddering in ecstasy.
Utterly spent, Jasper drifted off as he finished, catching a woman’s chuckle just before he blacked out. When he woke, his tent was closed, with no sign of anyone having been inside.
-
“Hey, Esther,” Jasper said, rubbing his eyes, still trying to shake the vivid images from last night. “Did you hear anyone… uh, come into my tent last night?”
She looked at him with her kind eyes, a faint smile on her lips. “No, Jasper, I didn’t hear anything. Why do you ask?”
He hesitated, unsure if he should spill about his…dream. “Just had a really… intense dream, that’s all.”
Esther raised an eyebrow, curiosity flickering in her gaze, but she didn’t push. “Well, I hope you’re feeling rested now. Breakfast’ll be ready soon.”
“What’s for breakfast?” Jasper asked, the enticing aroma from the pot pulling his focus.
“I whipped up some soup with the last of our potatoes, dried meat, and beans,” Esther replied, a hint of pride in her voice. “After we eat, maybe we should hit the market in Ardglass.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jasper agreed, digging into the warm, hearty soup. “What’d you put in this? It tastes incredible!”
Esther grinned. “Salt, pepper, thyme, and the special ingredient…” She leaned in close, whispering in his ear, “is love.”
Jasper’s face flushed, a shiver running down his spine as her soft voice triggered flashbacks of the night before. He couldn’t stop wondering who that sultry mystery figure was. Esther giggled at his blush, and he quickly buried his face in the soup, savoring every drop of that love-infused goodness.
