Dungeon Runner

Breaking Step, Chapter 04

Tibs looked at the names on his list; two and three of them. The Runners left who'd protected Merchant Row, and half of them were still injured because the guild wouldn't let the clerics heal them until they reached Sto's door. Only a little more than twice that has survived Sebastian's raids.

The guild had yet to announce when the runs were starting again, and Tibs wondered if those could happen with so few Runners. Was it best to let Sto rest, instead of getting him to use up resources with little in return? After surviving the raids, the first two floors wouldn't be much of a challenge for the Runners left doing them.

He only had eight fighters left and two archers. The others were all rogues. He didn't know the distribution of those not working for him, but more fighters than the others had survived among them, too.

Was there even more than four sorcerers left? Unless the guild allowed teams to double up on a class of Runners again, there was no way everyone could have a team to do their runs. And then that would mean, at most, ten teams, plus the nobles.

Each team would go in twice every nine days. That would make Jackal happy, at least.

"What do you think, Tibs?" Quigly asked from the other side of the table.

"It's going to be tough keeping all the businesses safe if thieves come in drove. It's a good thing Harry's guards are stopping most of them as they arrive."

"Those aren't thieves," the warrior pointed out. "Those who manage to make it past the guards, and that we've caught, are intent on destruction, not robbery. And they don't care what they destroy."

Tibs hadn't expected Sebastian's revenge from beyond death to start this quickly. He'd hoped for weeks to rebuild his forces and the town. If not for the guards, Tibs would be overwhelmed trying to stop them.

"I'll speak with the other Runners. After the raids, they have to understand how important it is we keep the town safe."

"Or they aren't going to want to have anything to do with fighting anymore," Quigly replied. "Not all survivors become hardened soldiers."

"They're Runners."

But Tibs knew that didn't make them people who wanted to fight. The dungeon didn't give them a choice, and neither had Sebastian, but how many only did the bare minimum to survive their runs? Went to the appointed training, then spent their time enjoying themselves?

Acted like their next run would be their last, instead of making sure they survived it.

It surprised him how many survive with that attitude. A handful of them were Runners who'd paid to be here, stuck fighting Sebastian's people when the Attendants vanished. Only the serious Runners had stayed once they returned. But Tibs wasn't sure he could trust them to want to keep the row safe.

They were here willingly, so they didn't suffer at the hand of the guild as harshly, so weren't as attached to Kragle Rock as the others. In their favor was the fact they weren't nobles, but they also weren't street, or criminals for whom being a Runner had been a reprieve of a more direct punishment. He'd had few interactions with them, outside of offering help with how to deal with the runs.

"We need everyone who can be convinced to help," Tibs finally said, "especially if outright destruction is the goal. When the guild brings in the new convicts, those will be easier to talk into working with us. We'll just have to manage until then."

Quigly watched him, and Tibs ignored the look. The warrior was the one who'd wanted Tibs to get back to running things, so he could accept this was how things would go.

"Alright. How do you want to divide the patrols?" Quigly asked.

* * * * *

Tibs watched the workers laying down the paving stone along the end of Dungeon Way, which cut most of Kragle Rock in half on this side of the transportation platform, and over the dirt patch continuing to the steps leading up to Sto's door.