Chapter 5: A Strange New Dungeon

The next day, Kyuu dragged me outside to "get some fresh air,"

which was code for, "We're going to make your life even more

complicated today."

"So, where are we going?" I asked, looking around at the dense

woods. It was the kind of place where you'd expect a dragon to

suddenly pop out and yell at you for trespassing on its lawn.

"To your first dungeon," Kyuu said, grinning.

"Wait, a dungeon?" I repeated, my voice cracking like I was in some

low-budget horror movie. "I don't even know how to use magic yet!

How am I supposed to survive a dungeon?"

Kyuu stopped and turned to face me, her glowing blue eyes locking

onto mine. "You'll be fine. You've got the cloak, remember? Plus, I'm

here to help."

"Yeah, great. I'm really reassured now," I muttered, following her.

"So, do I just walk in and start fighting monsters or...?"

Kyuu didn't even look back. "Yep, pretty much. I mean, you might get

eaten by a wild beast, but don't worry—it's probably not a big deal."

I wasn't so sure about the whole "fine" part, but I wasn't about to

argue. Not with a fox spirit who probably knew more about survival

than I did.

We eventually reached a stone doorway, its surface covered with

vines, like something straight out of a Lord of the Rings fanfic. It was

big. Like, way too big for me to feel comfortable with.

"Okay, we're here," Kyuu said, casually standing next to it, like she

wasn't about to walk into the most dangerous place I'd ever seen.

"A dungeon?" I stared up at the giant stone archway. "This thing

looks like it could be the entrance to Mordor."

"Don't worry, it's a small one," Kyuu said. "No big deal. And hey, if

you die, I'll just drag you out and throw you somewhere. Easy

peasy."

"Comforting," I said, as sarcasm dripped from my voice like melted

ice cream on a hot day.

"Yeah, now get in there!" Kyuu said, shoving me toward the

entrance.