It's Only a Game... Isn't It?

by Ganondorf8

Chapter 3: Spying 101

Author's Note:

I don't think that's how one is supposed to use a Spy Glass.

It's Only a Game... Isn't It?
By Ganondorf8
June 24, 2016
Chapter 3: Spying 101.

" Don't sit down, I won't be with you shortly. " ~Merlin~ Series 4, speaking in opposites.

So there I was, about to walk head-long into some kind of dark dungeon, and my vision was limited only to what I could see at my feet. I wasn't buying the fact that I had to wear something that blinded my vision. I suspected there was something else at play, but if I chose to complain, no progress would be made, and our chances of getting back home would be snuffed out in an instant. It wasn't just the helmet that I found ridiculous. I also didn't like having a shield--the eyeball design was hideous--slung to my shoulder. You'd think I was some kind of knight being tasked to go somewhere with only the basic means of surviving whatever lied in wait.

I didn't want to go through with this. I wanted to protest my friends' decision of making me the dungeoneer, but my words would have been in vain. They had all conspired to throw me into whatever awaited me on the other side of the portal Treguard mentioned. While I had no qualms over my life as a pony--up until my falling out with Princess Celestia--why was I chosen because of that? Rainbow Dash had far more knowledge about Knightmare, and wouldn't stop talking about it. She should have been the dungeoneer, not me! I could imagine seeing her smug look, snickering away at my expensive. I had no intention of staying mad at her, but for the time being, I wasn't happy with her deception. There was also the fact that this game was apparently real according to Treguard.

What many assumed was nothing but an illusion was anything but that. I still didn't understand how this game could be real. I mean, I watched those episodes--I didn't have much of a choice given that Rainbow had the remote--and what happened to the dungeoneers was definitely fake. The special effects were pretty cheesy, but you could tell that the technology of the time was advanced. If it was real as Treguard claimed, then how did they manage to prevent the dungeoneers from truly dying? It was a question that I had no answer for, and I doubted my friends would be able to get one from our "gracious" host. If Treguard were truly a noble knight, he wouldn't need others to do something he was more than capable of doing.

Knowing that I couldn't stall any longer, I began to walk forward slowly--being blinded by a helmet made every step I took treacherous--and soon entered the portal. I assumed I would just zip from one room to the next like they did in those science fiction shows, but what I went through was something else entirely. My body felt like it was going to be pulled apart in all kinds of directions. Whatever magic was used to create this portal was clearly unstable if it did that. What made it even worse was knowing that there were other portals I'd have to use to get from one place to the next. If the trials ahead of me weren't going to do me in, it would be the constant strain my body took from the portals.

Upon coming out on the other end of the portal, my body immediately felt cold. Had I stumbled into some kind of cold storage? No, I didn't think so. If I had, then I'd have frozen on the spot instead of felt a cold wind blowing about. The light had grown dim around my feet, so that told me I was in a room that lacked proper lighting. I could also smell something in this room. It was faint but I sensed its presence surrounding me. It was the smell of death and decay. Whatever had been here before me lingered about in a morbid fashion. Then again, it might not have necessarily been before me. It could have been there for years or even decades, and I was the latest to experience being amongst death itself.

Since my friends weren't telling me to do anything--they were told before I left they could communicate with me through the helmet--I decided to take the initiative and walked forward a couple of steps. I stopped when my foot collided with a pile of old bones strewn about the floor, and my suspicion had been proven correct. Death and decay were prevalent, indicating that this room had long been abandoned by whoever used it. Upon a second glance, given how narrow everything felt, this had to have been some kind of ancient hallway.

" Sunset? Can you hear me?" Twilight asked.

" Oh, so you can talk to me." I answered.

" We were just deliberating amongst ourselves over what you should do, but I guess you made that decision yourself."

" I'm not planning on staying in this cold hallway for very long."

" It's cold?"

" Yes, and there are bones down here."

" Treguard and Majida just told about the area you're in, Sunset. Long ago, dwarves roamed this area and build tunnels that enabled them to travel from place to place without having to worry about their enemies discovering them. They've since abandoned the tunnels, so now who knows what could be lurking around the next corner." Twilight said.

" Not exactly the best thing to say to someone who has a helmet covering her eyes."

" Don't worry. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and I will be guiding you every step of the way. You may not be able to see where you're going, but we do."

" I still can't believe you guys forced me to do this."

" Why are you complaining, Sunset?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" Because I didn't want to be a dungeoneer. Heck! I didn't even want to go through that door!"

" But you did, right?"

" Only to make sure nothing happened to you guys." I answered. When it came to magic, my friends lacked the kind of experiences that I spent years getting used to. They were capable of taking care of themselves, yes, but sometimes the impulsive sides of their personalities came through, and that only caused further problems to develop. " If only you hadn't rushed off so haphazardly, Rainbow Dash, then we'd still be at your place watching this show instead of being a part of it!" My temper was reaching a boiling point, and I desire to kick those bones by my foot to express how infuriated I was. Then I remembered the breathing exercises Her Highness showed me when she visited after the Friendship Games. Getting mad wouldn't do any of us a world of good, so I began to breathe in and out slowly to calm myself down.

" Are you okay?" Twilight asked.

" Let's just get this over with so we can go back home."

" Then I suppose we should tell you more about where you are. Like I said, you're in dwarf tunnels, but you shouldn't linger around for too long. Goblins are known to be on patrol down there, so if you run into any, we'll guide you back to an alternate path." Twilight said.

" The Goblins are pretty stupid, Sunset, so they aren't too difficult to avoid, but you should be careful of their master." Rainbow Dash added.

" Master? Who would that be?" I asked.

" It used to be a guy named Skarkill, but the Goblins never really liked him, and secretly plotted to get rid of him. The current master is a pirate named Raptor, but he's proven himself just as ineffective. You'll know if he's nearby if you hear his voice. Raptor may act tough, but he's pretty dumb. Okay, you need to walk forward until you reach a corner that's about a few metres ahead." Rainbow Dash answered.

Despite still being annoyed at how she got me into this mess, I had no choice but to listen to her instructions. Deep down, I felt Rainbow enjoyed the idea of giving me orders on just about every action I perform. I felt completely powerless and it was because of the helmet. I had every mind to just take it off, toss it aside, and go back and demand Treguard send us back home immediately. My conscience wouldn't allow me to do that, however. I knew playing this game meant an awful lot to Rainbow Dash. The thought of seeing her upset was too much for me to bear. I didn't want to see her in tears or anything, so I had no choice but to suck it up--arguing with her on the other way was something I intended on doing.

I walked forward a few steps until Twilight told me to stop due to almost walking into a wall. I was then asked to turn to my left, and continue walking forward until I either came upon a junction or another corner. Since I couldn't see anything ahead of me, I took to looking at my feet to give me an idea of what was around me. So far, all I saw were bones of creatures I hadn't the foggiest as to what they were, but then I came across a barrel that appeared lucrative.

" There's something on this barrel."

" What is it?" Twilight asked.

" It looks like a piece of paper rolled up."

" You've found a scroll." Rainbow Dash said.

" What do I do with it?"

" Unfurl it and read it out loud to us. We'll write it down in case we need to use it later on." Rainbow Dash answered. How could I possibly read anything with this helmet that limited my vision? I had no time to argue over something trivial given Twilight's warning about Goblins patrolling the tunnels. I picked up the scroll, unfurled it, and to my surprise, the words were large and bolded. That meant I should be able to read what it says given the lack of light around me.

" It says 'Today's password is the nickname of Lissard, but only the foolish know it'.'"

---

" A most interesting clue you've been given, team, and so very early in the quest." Treguard said from his throne next to the fireplace. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie had since written down what was on the scroll, but they began talking amongst themselves as to its meaning.

" So we need a password?" Twilight asked.

" It's part of the overall experience. Passwords are needed to get past certain obstacles, but they aren't just given to teams like that!" Rainbow Dash answered, snapping her fingers to her last word. " You have to earn such information by doing something else. It varies from quest to quest so that they can be unique and not repetitive."

" You don't know the nickname?"

" I never got to those episodes."

" Guess your knowledge about Knightmare isn't quite up to snuff as you claim."

" Ooh! Sick burn!" Pinkie Pie said. Rainbow then looked at her, a glum expression spread across her face. " What!? Twilight was just telling the truth, Dashie. I know you really love this game, but not knowing everything does make things more difficult for us and for Sunset. But then, where's the fun in knowing everything? If you knew the ins and outs then this wouldn't be fun for anyone! I'm glad to know that we can all be surprised together." Pinkie Pie said, jumping up and down on the bench.

" Treguard! This clue, it makes no sense." Majida said.

" Hmmm, yes." Treguard said.

" How are they supposed to find this password if they don't even know who might have it."

" Team... Think about the clue written on the scroll." Treguard said, looking at my friends, hands firmly on the arm rests of his throne. " It said that only the foolish know the password, so what would that indicate?"

" Let me think." Twilight answered. She began knocking her pencil against her hair and dove into deep thought to come up with an answer. For someone like Twilight, this was a normal occurrence, wanting to find the solution to a problem. However, this game was far beyond her usual scope, so it took much deeper thinking than what she was used to. Rainbow Dash just stood and watched while Pinkie continued bouncing up and down. " I think I have an answer, but I need to do some quick research. Good thing I made sure to bring some book with me before we left your place, Rainbow Dash." Twilight then reached for her backpack only to discover that it had disappeared.

" I'm sorry, team, but you cannot use outside assistance from your world." Treguard said.

" I see." Twilight said, looking rather dejected in her response. It made sense that she wasn't able to rely on looking up information in books. Doing so only made the challenge behind Knightmare minimal to the point of it not even existing. Twilight had to rely on her mind to come up with the answer she needed. " If that's the case then I don't want to be seen as violating the rules."

" You must think quickly, team. Sunset Shimmer's life force is already draining away." Treguard said.

---

I had been listening to the conversation, and that was the first time Treguard mentioned anything about my life force being drained. All he ever said was that I needed to feed it constantly to retain my health. If that was the case then this game had suddenly gotten much harder than previously suspected. I suspected Rainbow Dash knew about the health system of this game, but either forgot to mention it or wanted me to figure it out on my own. If I didn't find food then I would drop down dead without warning. I said that I wanted to get this over with, yet now that couldn't be further from the truth. Every step I took could end up being my last if I didn't consume whatever constituted as food in this dungeon.

" Sunset, we'll figure out the clue's meaning later." Twilight said.

" If only someone had warned me about needing food." I said.

" Look! I forgot, okay!" Rainbow Dash said.

" You need to start walking forward again." Twilight said.

I rolled my eyes over Rainbow's response. How could she not know!? I didn't believe her for an instant. The anger I had towards her began to flare up again, so I resumed my breathing while walking forward in hopes of calming down before I said something I'd regret later. I decided to take the scroll just in case I needed it later, but Treguard quickly told me that it wasn't necessary since my advisors had written down what was on it. Carrying a used scroll was pointless, so I walked backwards towards the barrel, and placed the scroll back before continuing onward again.

As I walked to the next corner, I began to think about the whole needing food to stay alive. My stomach wasn't rumbling or anything, so it's not like I was hungry and needed something to eat. Why make such a big deal when it was obvious that I wouldn't be getting famished any time soon? Also, why use something that only served to hurry teams along out of fear that wasting time was detrimental to the cause? Those two questions and more plagued my mind, but I suddenly had to stop thinking about them when someone, or something stepped out from the shadows. How could I tell without being able to see? The tunnels echoed everything and that included footsteps other than my own.

" Greetings traveller." A stern voice called out in front of me.

Without being able to see who it was, I had to rely on what little I could see as provided by the helmet--it was obvious that the voice was male. I saw what appeared to be the bottom of a staff or weapon, yet I quickly assumed it was the latter given the feet of this person was wearing sandals. A knight or other warrior would wear something more befitting of a fighter, namely boots or even armoured shoes.

Since the hallway was too narrow for me to try to go around this person, I had no other choice but to see what he had to say. If he meant to do me harm, I had nothing that I could use to properly defend myself unless the helmet provided some ample protection. Hopefully, I wasn't in a situation with no means of getting out of it.

" Hello." I said.

" Judging from the helmet that you wear, you are a dungeoneer who travels the unseen path. I am Brother Strange, but know that I mean you no harm. I often travel about these tunnels giving warnings to those who wind up traversing them. I am also a sort of proverbial monk who seeks out new proverbs to add to my ever growing collection." My heart began relaxing knowing that this man had no intention of hurting me, but then why would anyone want to walk about these tunnels? Whoever this man truly was, he certainly was brave for wanting to walk amongst old bones from long ago. " I have given you the pleasure of my name, so may I ask what they call you?" Brother Strange asked.

" My name is Sunset Shimmer."

" A most unusual name, but please do not think of my words as an insult."

" You're not the only one who said something to that effect."

" So, what brings you here to the dungeon depths?"

" Um, Twilight? What am I supposed to say?" I asked. Even though I knew despite my hesitation, I wanted to be sure which was why I asked Twilight. I would've asked Pinkie, but I had a feeling she was distracted by something to give me solid advice. And Rainbow Dash? I didn't want her telling me anything.

" You should tell him the truth." Twilight answered.

---

" Treguard? Who is this man who has presented himself before Sunset Shimmer?" Majida asked.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is Brother Strange, an unusual monk who wanders the dungeon path aiding those who he believes needs it. He serves the Powers That Be although he doesn't directly get involved in the affairs of the Opposition. As a proverbial monk, he collects all manner of proverbs for reasons no one is quite sure why. What I can tell you, team, is that he gives out advice to anyone who can give him a proverb he's yet to add to his book." Treguard answered.

" That sounds pretty lame." Rainbow Dash said.

" Better not question it considering Sunset needs all the help she can get." Twilight said.

" I mean, seriously!? Who collects proverbs?"

" This monk does apparently."

" My opinion still stands in that it's lame." Rainbow Dash said. She then noticed that Brother Strange was holding something in his hand. He was holding a magnifying glass but showed no signs of looking into it. " What's he got there in his hand? It looks like a Spy Glass."

" What's that?"

" Something they introduced to allow teams to spy on the Opposition. If this guy is holding it, Sunset needs to get her hands on it pronto. Now, we need to give him a proverb that he doesn't have, so we've gotta come up with a good one almost no one ever uses." Rainbow Dash answered. She then began writing something down on her notepad before she realized I was still standing there waiting for instructions. " Sunset? Tell him that you're on a quest for the Cup, and that you'd like him to give you the Spy Glass he's holding."

---

" Can Twilight tell me that?" I asked.

" What!? I just told you what you need to do."

" I want to hear it from her."

" Why are you being like that all of a sudden?" Rainbow Dash asked. I refused to answer her question and that offended her. " Fine! I'll let you talk to Twilight, but you need to cut it with the attitude." I knew my manner towards her was going to make her mad, but she deserved it for dragging me into something that we should've ignored. I also knew my temper was dictating my actions, yet nothing prepared me for the eventual conservation we had. Why did I allow my arrogance to blind me? Had I explained myself to Rainbow instead of ignoring her, we could've resolved the problem without it blowing up in our faces.

" Sunset? Is there something we should know?" Twilight asked.

" I'm fine, Twilight."

" Alright, if you say so. Anyway, you should tell Brother Strange that you're on a quest for the Cup, and you want the magnifying glass he's holding. We've just learned that you will need to give him a new proverb in order to get some information, and I'm being to believe that glass will count as information." Twilight said.

" I'll give it a try." I said, turning my head slightly upward to let Brother Strange know that I was ready to answer. He had been standing there for quite some time, and no doubt had listened to my little spat with Rainbow Dash. Hopefully, he didn't think of me as selfish and not wanting help from my advisor--assuming he even knew that. " I'm on a quest for the Cup, and I was hoping you could help me."

" The Cup? That is a worthy challenge indeed. I can help you by giving you this spying device, but it won't be so easy to get it. Like I said, I am a sort of proverbial monk who seeks out new proverbs to add to my collection. Do you happen to know of any proverbs? If you can give me a new one, I'll hand over this Spy Glass." Brother Strange said.

" Any ideas?"

" Know any proverbs?" Twilight asked.

" I know a few good ones. 'Too many cooks spoil the broth'? I asked. Brother Strange didn't answer and that told me he must already have that one. " What about this one? 'Look before you leap'?" He said nothing so I had to try another one. " How about 'There's no use crying over spilt milk'?" Again, Brother Strange refused to say anything. I was starting to get desperate, as the proverbs I gave him were ones I had learned during my time living as a human. I decided to try one more proverb and hoped it would work. "'The pen is mightier than the sword'?" Once more, no response came from Brother Strange. It appeared he had most proverbs and what I was saying to him didn't resonate. " This isn't working, Twilight."

" Let me think of something."

" Sunset! Say to him 'A party isn't a party without a cannon firing confetti'." Pinkie Pie said.

" You're not serious, are you?" I asked.

" He needs a proverb he doesn't know, and that's a personal Pinkie Pie proverb right there."

" Are you sure, Pinkie?"

" He'll love it."

" Alright. I trust your judgement, Pinkie." I said, turning my attention to Brother Strange. " Do you have this one? 'A party isn't a party without a cannon firing confetti'?" At first, he didn't answer and my gut was telling me that he must have heard it, but how could he know about a Pinkie Pie proverb without knowing she exists?

" I've never heard of that one before." Brother Strange said.

" Does that mean?"

" You have given me a new proverb for my collection, and one that is certainly unusual. It will take me some time to fully understand the meaning behind it, but you have given me what I wanted, so now I shall give you what you want." Brother Strange answered. He handed the Spy Glass over and I almost dropped it. Fortunately, I managed to get a firm grip on the handle. It looked like an ordinary magnifying glass, yet when I tried to touch the lens, I discovered that there wasn't one. Was it to prevent anyone from breaking it? " When you use this, you will be able to spy on the Opposition and find out what he is doing. Please do not use it until I am at a far enough distance away from you. I do not want to end up with an unfortunate mishap should you linger too long."

" How do I use it?"

" I am certain the dungeon master or someone close to you shall provide that answer." Brother Strange answered. He then started to walk forward and my instincts told me to step to the side and allow him to walk past.

I had no idea how far away he needed to be before I could use this Spy Glass, so I waited about thirty seconds before addressing it. Other than the missing lens, it was just a regular magnifying glass, but one that could let me see the Opposition. I tried raising it to my face but that didn't work as the helmet blocked my vision. I then tried waving it around hoping that doing so would trigger some kind of magic, yet that idea didn't work either. My next idea involved putting it down by my feet and looking at it that way, but all that did was give me a crick in my neck. Then I smacked it against a wall hoping to receive a signal, but that idea quickly failed due to the echoes vibrating in the helmet.

" What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

" Trying to figure out how to use this thing."

" You're kidding, right?"

" Not in the mood, Rainbow Dash."

I knew that she knew what I was supposed to do, but I refused to listen to what she had to say. My stubbornness towards Rainbow had proven disastrous not to mention humiliating considering that I tried slamming the Spy Glass into the wall. I then tried placing it under the helmet in the hopes that I could see something, but the darkness within quickly quashed that notion.

It soon got to the point where my frustration wanted me to just throw it away and completely ignore it, but the Rainbow Dash offered a suggestion that I didn't consider.

" Why not place it up to the Eye Shield?"

" Huh?"

" The Eye Shield lets you use the Spy Glass to see what Lord Fear's up to."

" Oh."

" You might want to leave the dwarf tunnels before you try using that. You don't want to be caught by Goblins as you eavesdrop." Rainbow Dash said. Despite my brain wanting me to ignore her advice, my heart decided to trust in her judgement.

Twilight told me to continue walking forward and I did so with the Spy Glass firmly in my hand. The next corner came up and this time it turned to the right, but I made sure to check my surroundings in case there was another scroll or something similar for me to pick up. I walked down this new hallway--new as in a different direction as they were all pretty much similar to each other--and soon saw light shining by my feet. That meant I had finally gotten out of the tunnels and into some fresh air--or whatever the dungeon constitutes it as.

As I walked into the next room, I felt immediate relief over how much room I had compared to the cramped spacing of the tunnels.

" Where am I?"

" You're in a courtyard." Pinkie Pie answered.

" Anything special about it?"

" Nope! Just an ordinary courtyard where you're surrounded on all sides by castle walls."

" You sound too eager about this."

" I've never seen the inside of a castle let alone one that looks to be falling apart. I envy you, Sunset, as you've gotten to see a magnificent castle according to the stories of your early childhood you told us about when you read your journal." Pinkie Pie said. I then heard the sound of gurgling water, and it reverberated throughout the helmet. It sounded like I was going to drown even though I was no way near any body of water, but it quickly dawned on me that Pinkie was behind the shenanigans. " Sorry about that. I needed a drink of water to take care of my dry throat. You wouldn't believe how fast that genie, Majida, can quickly conjure up what you want just by asking."

" Uh-huh... Anyway, I'm out of the tunnels, so it should be safe for me to use this thing, right?"

" Probably."

" What do you mean 'probably'?"

" Rainbow Dash understands it better than I do, so you might want to ask her how to use it. Although, you two are currently having a fight over us being dragged into this because of how impulsive she was, but she's always acted like that whenever something gets her blood pumping." Pinkie Pie answered. I knew she was trying to get me and Rainbow to make amends before our quarrel got out of hand. I should've taken the initiative straight away instead of allowing it to linger on any longer. " Well, since you two aren't really on good terms right now, I'll act as a mediator and get back to you in just a second." Pinkie's voice then trailed off within the helmet, and I immediately felt guilty that she had to act as a scion. Why did I have to be so thick-headed to allow my displeasure to get between two friends? " I'm back, Sunset!" Pinkie Pie said.

" WAAAAH!"

" No need to scream, silly. You're in an ancient castle and I doubt anyone heard that."

" Don't surprise me like that!"

" If I didn't then you wouldn't know that it was me talking to you. Anyway, Rainbow Dash said that you need to raise the Spy Glass to the Eye Shield. That should allow all of us to see what's going on." Pinkie Pie answered. I could see it too? That was a pleasant surprise considering my lack of vision. Unfortunately, Pinkie didn't say where on the shield I had to raise the Spy Glass to, so I began fiddling about in hopes of figuring it out on my own.

My results spoke for themselves. I doubted that anyone in my current position had so much trouble using something that was so simple in its premise. I tried placing the shield on top of the Spy Glass, but that didn't work out of fear I'd break the latter. I then tried it the other way around with the Spy Glass out on top, but that didn't fare any better. I then thought about sticking one into the ground and reflect the other, but I quickly gave up on that idea when it became too obscure even for me.

" Gah! This isn't working!"

" Um... What are you doing?"

" Trying to make this work, Pinkie."

" I've got to be honest with you, Sunset. When it comes to a comedy routine, you don't exactly know your timing very well. I think you should leave that to the professionals, like myself, and simply raise the Spy Glass to the eye of the shield." Pinkie Pie said.

That's what I had to do!? I slapped my forehead only for my hand to collide with the helmet, resulting in a loud thud. How could I have been a bonehead for not figuring out the obvious straight away? Without another word, I placed the Spy Glass in front of the Eye Shield, and peered into the empty space where something appeared.

I saw what looked like another castle, but the walls looked like they had been created using computer effects, and not stones and mortar. There were several windows on the walls and each one had a fiery background on the other side. Wherever this castle was, it was surrounded by fire on all sides. I could also sense a great evil power emanating from what I was looking at. That's when I took notice of a man who was standing in the middle of the floor. He appeared to be fiddling about with a remote control of some sort, but showed signs of anger due to wanting to throw it at a wall.

Could this be the Opposition? If so, he didn't exactly look all that threatening. In fact, he looked rather comical with his choice of get-up. He wore dark robes and had a breast plate on his chest--the kind knights wear. He also wore a helmet that was literally a skull, and his complexion gave the impression that he was either dead or had been lacking in sleep. I had no idea if he could see me spying on him through the Spy Glass, so I opted to remain quiet until I was certain that this was a good idea.

---

" Blast this infernal communicator! I've got every mind to pick one of my minions at random and throw it at them! That would definitely relieve me of some stress over trying to get this thing to work properly." The man clearly appeared annoyed that his device hadn't lived up to his expectations, but why would he treat those who served him as nothing more than individuals he could torment at a moment's notice? Perhaps I misjudged him on how evil he truly was. " Lissard? Lissard? Get in here you sorry excuse for a tadpole."

" You beckoned me, Lordness?" A humanoid lizard asked as he walked into the room.

" It's no use, me old newt! I just can't get this communicator working at optimum capacity."

" That's a communicator, Lordness? It looks more like a brickness."

" Well of course it looks like a brick you imbecile! It was supposed to be a revolutionary device that could allow me even greater control of the greater dungeon that's currently under the control of the Opposition. And, when I say Opposition, I of course mean myself, Lord Fear, the top dog, the man, numero uno, big man on campus! But, this useless device just doesn't cut it for me, so I might as well use it for its intended purpose as you say."

" You mean, the brick, Lordness?"

" Yes, that! I doubt I'd miss given how large of a target you are, but I'd better stand close just in case I have the slightest chance of missing."

" Actually, that wouldn't be a good idea." Lissard said, cupping his hands together and appearing to take on a pleading stance.

" And what could possibly be a better one, hmmm?"

" There's a new dungeoneer who's just started out on Level 1."

" Really? I thought Treguard had finally given up on wanting to send more of that lot down into the dungeon considering how they've all bitten the dust, so to speak. Guess you just can't teach that doddering old fool the common sense to just admit defeat." Lord Fear said. He began to pace about for a few seconds before throwing his device into the wall, shattering it to pieces upon impact. Lissard appeared to cower in fear over what he just witnessed, but quickly regained his composure out of fear that he would be punished. " Fortunately, the password needed to get this new dungeoneer out of Level 1 is safely locked away."

" I don't understand, Lordness."

" Open up what constitutes as ears and listen! That idiotic jester, Motley, overheard that repulsive cesspool, Sylvester Hands, mention the password had to do with the nickname that I call you whenever you speak to me up close. You know the one, right?" Lord Fear asked. Lissard nodded his head several times in response. " Because of Hands, Motley learned something he shouldn't, so I've had Raptor capture him and lock him up in a chest somewhere on the first level."

" Brilliant, Lordness!"

" I know, and I also know that the key to freeing that fool is in the hands of Honesty Bartram. You know, that shifty salesman who always tries to con anyone he does business with into buying something they don't need. I'm actually surprised he kept it and not just sell it off to some random stranger." Lord Fear said. He paused for a moment and placed his hand on his chin, and began to think.

As I continued to watch the conversation, I couldn't believe that they would lock someone just because they knew something important. It sounded to me that this Lord Fear was very paranoid over anyone discovering even the smallest weakness in his defences.

" Lordness?"

" No... I don't trust that Bartram to do anything right. He's likely to sell the key to the dungeoneer just to earn a profit. Better get someone else down there to pick up the key before they end up getting it and freeing that jester." Lord Fear answered.

" Speaking of the dungeoneer, Lordness. There is something unusual about her."

" They're all pre-pubescent youths, Lissard. They all have something unusual about them because of hormones."

" This one is older than the rest."

" Really? So Treguard has stooped to using older teenagers has he? He must really be desperate."

" Also, this one possesses the magicness."

" Of course they can use magic, me old newt. They're all capable of using magic whenever they earn it from doing something heroic."

" Well... About this dungeoneer, Lordness--" Lissard said, speaking in a nervous tone. Lord Fear had since turned his back to his servant, and began chuckling to himself most likely over viewing me as not being a threat to his self-made dominance. I was personally concerned at how this lizard man knew that I was capable of using magic. I hadn't used any ever since my friends and I came through that door in the park. " You see, she... she... she can use magic of her own free will." Lissard said. The moment he uttered those words, Lord Fear immediately stopped before turning around, his face looked like it was about to explode.

" WHAT!?"