Dungeon walkers 4, p.1
Dungeon Walkers 4, page 1
Dungeon Walkers
Book 4
Written by
Daniel Schinhofen
Edited by
Sammi Katt
Copyright © 2023 Daniel J. Schinhofen
No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form by an electronic or mechanical means – except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews – without the written permission from the publisher.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Copyright © 2023 Daniel J. Schinhofen
All rights reserved.
Table of contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Epilogue
Chapter One
Stern woke early, pinned between his loving wives. To his right lay Cyra, sleeping peacefully, her face unlined with one of her floppy bunny ears covering her eyes. Her ears were nearly the same color as her hair, a mixture of blonde and brown. He might’ve tried to stroke one of her soft ears if not for his arms being pinned down.
After a moment, he turned his head the other way to look at Cammie. The blonde-haired dwarf was using his left arm as her personal pillow. Her hair was tousled from their time together before they went to sleep.
Snuggled up behind her was Trish; her short red hair gave her the most shocking color out of all of them. She was also the most aggressive and forward of their family, not that he’d complain. It was her personality that had led them to this moment.
Healer, trap finder, and a bulwark, Stern thought of each in turn. Nearly a full crew all by themselves… It’s finally time to put our gear back on. Breakfast with the family first, then after that, they’ll head south and we’ll go north.
“Mmhm?” Cammie murmured as she opened her eyes.
Stern met her sky-blue eyes with a soft smile. “Good morning, Cammie.”
“Good morning…” she murmured back, then giggled when she felt Trish stir behind her. “It seems I’m going to be a handful this morning.”
“A delightful handful,” Trish snickered, kissing the back of Cammie’s neck. Green eyes peered past the dwarf to look at Stern. “Hello, lover.”
“Hello, trouble,” Stern chuckled softly.
“Is it time to wake up?” Cyra yawned.
Turning to look the other way, he gave the green-eyed rabbit lykian a smile. “We’re all awake, so probably.”
Cyra leaned in and kissed him sweetly before she got out of bed. “Okay. We’re having breakfast with your entire family, right?”
“Yeah. These last two weeks enjoying our honeymoon have been lovely, but it’s time to move on again.”
“While they go south to meet your family’s friends,” Trish sighed, giving Cammie a kiss before she also got out of bed. “Your father seems awfully sure that the Travelers will be here soon.”
“He’s always been like that,” Stern shrugged, following Cammie as she got up. “Not sure if he knows somehow, or if he’s just guessing.”
“Do you think the two Travelers will be okay with your brother, sister, and Josie?” Cammie asked.
“I’m pretty sure. My parents are, and they’d know their friends. It’ll be interesting if the couple will be short-term or more like my parents. If the Travelers come and go often, it could make it a very spotty climb up the ranks for their crew.”
“Agreed,” Trish nodded. “I’ll wish them well. Ana, Josie, and Joseph were really meshing the last couple of days. I’m not surprised your parents funded a stint through the mock dungeon for them.”
“Neither was I, but Jon’s head almost exploded,” Stern grinned. “Will you need help with your armor?”
“Still getting used to it, so yeah, I could use the help. Your parents went a little crazy on their wedding gifts to us.”
“Showered us with them… new armor and weapons for us and our friends,” Cyra said. “We’ll be the best-geared Walkers at this tier.”
Cammie nodded in agreement as she started to pull her leather armor on. “We’ve taken the time to get used to the feel of the armor and weapons, but it still feels different.”
“I’m glad my younger siblings were happy to have our old gear. It’s good to see them wanting to get used to wearing it,” Stern smiled.
“And I’m glad we got some training in the last couple of days,” Trish said as she put her plate armor on. “It was nice having a couple of weeks mostly off, but I know I needed to keep up with the exercise.”
“You, most of all,” Stern said. “The front line is always the most physically demanding spot in a crew.”
“Wear the heavy armor, swing the weapon— it’s also very straightforward,” Trish grinned.
“I can help,” Cyra said, having gotten her armor on. “I’ll get the buckles and straps that you can’t, Trish.”
“Thanks. Never thought about the fact some pieces of this really require a second person to help get on… or at least make it far easier to get on.”
“You could do it by yourself,” Stern said, “but it would take longer, at the very least.”
~*~*~
They grabbed their bags before leaving the room. Jon and Nicole were waiting for them, sitting on the sofa snuggled up to each other. Zasha was lounging at their feet, and Pawly was splayed over their laps, getting belly rubs.
“Glad she’s behaving herself,” Stern said. “Having to heal claw wounds would slow the day down.”
“She’s been a sweetheart,” Nicole giggled. “I’m happy she lets me pet her belly.”
“I only did because Nicole said it’d be okay. I was leery of a trap,” Jon said.
“It normally is a trap, but she lets a select few get away with belly rubs,” Stern smiled.
“Sure you’re ready to move on?” Jon asked.
“Yeah. We can’t get Nicole her perk if we stay here,” Trish said.
“Thank you…” Nicole said softly. Her mask was securely in place, but her gratitude was still easy to see. “I’m hoping we find it soon.”
“It’ll lead to a change, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Stern said. “Come on, Pawly. We’re going to have breakfast with my family.”
The large Maine Coon was off their laps and by the door in moments, looking back as if she’d been waiting the entire time. Zasha raised his head up, a big doggy grin in place as everyone laughed at Pawly.
Jon stood up, then stretched, clearly finding his limits in his new gear. All of their armor was in the mottled camouflage that Stern’s family preferred, as they were all hand-me-downs from the higher-tiered Walkers. “Never thought I’d be in plate armor… I look like a bulwark more than anything else now.”
“I feel the same way,” Trish said. “If we meet intelligent mobs, they’ll have to figure out which of us is the real bulwark.”
“I’m curious as to how much this prismatic drake hide will boost my spells,” Nicole wondered.
“About a quarter of what it does now, if I’m remembering what Marysue said when she got it years ago,” Stern said. “You put healing into the staves, so you both have two emergency heals, right?”
“Yes, which will be held back unless absolutely needed,” Cyra nodded.
“I think we’re all excited to try out our new gear,” Cammie said, patting the small crossbow slung over her shoulder. “I know I am.”
Pawly meowed loudly, complaining from next to the door.
“Okay, okay!” Stern laughed. “We’re going.”
~*~*~
Stern was glad for the carriage as it rolled up to the manor his parents had been renting. Getting out of the vehicle, he helped his wives down before getting their bags from the footman. They carried the bags up to the porch, as they’d just take them off soon, anyway.
Six people stood on the porch, watching the new arrivals. Most Walkers would feel intimidated to find that particular group waiting for them, but Stern just smiled at his family. Darkhand— Rescue Squad group one— was the best crew in Walker society. It was led by Stern’s father, Seamus Masterson, and was filled out with his three mothers and Seamus’ two best friends.
“Looking good. Reminds me of us,” Seamus laughed.
“Different, but similar,” Gerald nodded. “You all look comfortable in the gear.”
“Still getting used to it,” Trish replied, “but another day or two will help us feel like we’ve had it for years.”
“I still don’t know how anyone wears that heavy stuff,” Karen said. “Give me my leathers, a knife, and some shadows any day of the week.”
“Has Josie been behaving herself?” Jon asked.
“She’s been a dear,” Julia smiled. “Joseph is clearly smitten.”
“He’s been talking a lot more,” Stacia smirked, “as if someone unlocked his tongue.”
“Eww, Mom!” Stern gagged.
“It’s just how she is,” Seamus laughed. “Once a succubus, always a succubus. Breakfast is waiting. Come on. Goodness knows your siblings are probably trying to eat the table by now.”
“Because we’ve never had a late breakfast in our lives,” Ana said, having opened the front door.
“I swear, sleep in once or twice and your children will never let you forget,” Seamus said, clearly overacting his part.
“Sleep would’ve been forgiven,” Stern grimaced. “Some of those homes weren’t nearly as soundproof as you thought they were.”
“Breakfast, right?” Marysue asked, clearly wanting to distance the current conversation.
“Yes, please,” Gerald said, quickly leading her into the manor.
“I am who I am,” Stacia snickered.
“And we’ll never ask you to change,” Karen said. She put her arm around Stacia’s waist, guiding the infernal into the manor.
The others all went with them, except Seamus and Stern, as the older man had stopped his son for a moment. When it was just the two of them, Seamus gave his eldest child a smile. “I’m glad you asked us to come. I never would’ve thought you’d find three women like I did.” He chuckled when Stern rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Son, I’m happy for you. Moreover, I’m proud of what you’ve done. I think things might begin to change finally, all because you made people stop and look you in the eye.”
“Wasn’t me—”
“Don’t downplay it,” Seamus cut him off gently. “You’ve been able to let the anger go. Your new lesser empathy perk probably helped with that, but I’d bet your wives helped more.”
“They did. Still do, too.”
“Being able to push past that and tell people who you are and what you’re doing made an impression, more than anything we did for years. ‘Seeing is believing…’ I guess the old truism still works. The perks you’ve told the guild about and what other irregulars are starting to report will do even more. You’ve almost gathered all of my summoner perks, and you’re just about to reach the copper tier. If you keep going the way you have, you’ll pull it off by the end of bronze.”
“It was hard at the start to take those perks and not the ones to improve me personally,” Stern admitted, “but I wanted Pawly to stay with me the whole way. Then, it kind of snowballed.”
“I know how that is,” Seamus chuckled. “You’re just missing the bulwark perks I took to balance my summoning ones. I think Joseph will pick those up quicker, as he never seemed interested in being a summoner.”
“He’s only ever wanted to be the protector, and now it looks like he has someone other than family to protect. I think they’ll be good together. Josie’s intelligent, and Joe needs someone like that in his life.”
“Mean, but funny,” Seamus laughed. “We better get going, but I wanted you to know how proud we are. If things really start to change, it’ll be because of you, at least in part.” He added on the last part to stop Stern from trying to deny the sentiment.
“I’ll take partial credit, but it’s not just me.”
“Stubborn, but you come by it honestly.”
Stern chuckled. “I know. From both my birth parents, if not all my parents.”
“Too true… did you know I tried to fight the idea of having all three of them as wives?”
“What?”
“Oh, it was decades back now. Shortly after your mother and I married, when Karen and Julia were just friends. I was being a stubborn ass, holding to old ideals and not letting their love sink in. Your mother is stubborn, thank the Goddess for that. She finally got me to see the hurt I was inflicting on Julia and Karen. When I stopped objecting, that was when love and happiness really started filling in every aspect of my life again.”
Stern listened as they walked inside the house. He’d never known his father had been worried about multiple partners the way he’d been. The fact they had that in common made Stern smile.
Chapter Two
Breakfast was a grand feast set out by the manor’s cooks. Everyone enjoyed the meal, including Stern’s younger sister, Odilia. She had her fill, though she stayed away from the meats, still holding to her vegetarian ways. With breakfast done, they started to say their goodbyes.
“How long will you be staying in the south?” Stern asked his father after they’d finished their hug.
“Less than a year. Sometime between now and then, the Travelers should be showing up. I figure the acolytes at the temples will be told a month beforehand so they can spread the word.”
“Your friends that are going with Joe and Ana, are they going to be here like you, or will they come and go like the others?”
“I think they’ll be longer term like us, staying for a year, then taking time away,” Seamus said. “I already went over the possibilities with your brother and sister. They said they’re fine waiting in between runs. If it gets too bad, they only have a couple of years before Kaylee and William catch them. She’s changed her mind, and as long as she has family with her, Kaylee says she’ll run.”
“Not Sheryl, though?”
“No. She’ll only do the bottom tier and maybe go through the second, but after that, she’ll stop.”
Stern looked over at his siblings, a smile touching his lips. “Never know. She might find someone she wants to stay with.”
“I hope she does, but she doesn’t need to be a Walker,” Seamus said. “I’m going to go hug your wives. Go say goodbye to your mothers, at the very least.”
Stern hugged Julia, thanking her for doing the drawing of Cyra’s parents and the family portrait of him and his wives. She kissed his cheek and told him to stay safe before handing him off to Karen.
“Don’t go getting a big head,” Karen said, putting him into an armlock after their hug. “I know you’ll treat them right, but I’ll remind you if you fuck up.”
Stern tapped his shoulder. “I yield, Mom. I’ll never treat them wrong. My parents taught me better than that.”
“Damned right we did,” Karen said, then sniffled, pressing her face into his back as she let go of his arm. “Stay safe, Squirt. We want grandkids, you hear me?”
