A Devil in the Dungeon: Divine Summons

Divine Summons

The morning sun had barely crested the rooftops when the message arrived.

A servant had appeared at Dorian’s door with a folded note, elegant script on fine parchment requesting his presence in the solarium at his earliest convenience. The wording was polite, as befitting a message from one’s deity, but the implication was clear. Lord Apollo wished to speak with him, and ‘earliest convenience’ meant ‘now.’

Dorian had dressed quickly, splashing water on his face and pulling on fresh clothes. He had a suspicion about what this meeting concerned. The previous day’s meal with Tanya had been enlightening, and he had planned to report his findings to Lord Apollo at some point, but it seemed the god had decided not to wait.

The Apollo estate was a sprawling complex of white marble and golden finery, designed to catch and reflect sunlight at every possible angle. It was beautiful in the way that expensive things often were, though Dorian had long since grown numb to its opulence. He navigated the corridors easily, nodding to servants and fellow Familia members as he passed.

The solarium was located on the eastern side of the estate, a large sitting room designed for receiving guests. A massive plane of windows dominated one wall, offering an unobstructed view of the sun rising over Orario, and the furniture was plush and expensive, arranged in intimate clusters that encouraged private conversation.

Dorian reached the heavy oak door and paused. He could hear voices from within, one smooth and melodic, the other soft and timid. It seemed that Lord Apollo was already entertaining someone.

Dorian withheld a frown and pushed open the door. The room inside was bathed in the morning light, the windows doing their job admirably. Lord Apollo reclined on a couch near the center of the room, a chalice of wine in one hand.

His appearance, as always, was breathtaking. Red hair fell in perfect waves around a face of classical beauty. His features seemed sculpted by an artist with an eye for perfection, from the noble brow to the full lips. He wore loose robes of white and gold that left little to the imagination, the fabric draped artfully across his form.

Beside him, curled against his side with a possessive arm draped around his shoulders, was a young man Dorian vaguely recognized as one of the newer members of the Familia, barely a month into his service. He was around Lucia’s age, perhaps younger, with pretty features and a nervous energy that suggested he was still acclimating to his new position.

Apollo’s eyes slid over to Dorian as he entered. There was an anger there at the interruption, which vanished as he caught sight of the adventurer.

“Ah, Dorian!” the god said, a smile splitting his lips.

The young man beside Apollo stiffened at the sight of Dorian, his cheeks flushing a deep crimson. He scrambled to extract himself from the god’s embrace, murmuring apologies that Apollo waved away with an indulgent smile.

“I should go,” the young man stammered, avoiding Dorian’s eyes entirely. “I have… training. With the others. I forgot.”

“Of course, dear,” Apollo said, his voice honeyed. “We shall continue this evening.”

The young man fled, practically tripping over himself in his haste to reach the door. He slipped past Dorian without a word, and then he was gone, the heavy oak clicking shut behind him.

Dorian kept his expression carefully neutral. He had long since learned not to comment on his god’s entertainments. Apollo’s tastes were well known within the Familia, and while some found them troubling, others saw them as simply the nature of a divine being whose appetites exceeded mortal conventions.

“Please, sit,” Apollo gestured to the chair opposite him. “I trust you slept well?”

“Well enough, Lord Apollo,” Dorian said, settling into the indicated seat. The cushions were sinfully comfortable, the kind that made it difficult to rise once one had succumbed to their embrace. “How may I serve you this morning?”

Apollo took a slow sip of his wine, his golden eyes never leaving Dorian’s face. The morning light caught his features just right, rendering him even more impossibly beautiful than the light of day.

“I understand you and dear Lucia took our newest interest out for a meal yesterday,” Apollo said pleasantly. “A social call, as it were.”

Dorian nodded, relaxing into the plush seat. “We encountered her by chance, truthfully. We thought it would be good to build a relationship with her.”

Apollo’s smile widened, satisfaction settling over his elegant features. “I’m happy to see my Familia taking the initiative. How did it go?”

“Well enough,” Dorian said carefully. “She’s cautious, but not hostile. She accepted our company readily enough once she understood we weren’t there to pressure her.”

“Pressure?” Apollo raised an eyebrow. “Why would she feel pressured? She should be delighted that I’ve put so much work into getting her into our Familia.”

The god looked down into his wine, swirling it thoughtfully. “Honestly, this whole debt situation is dreadfully droll. I’d rather just skip the formalities and inaugurate her today just to be done with it. But I suppose there is something to be said about the thrill of the chase.”

Dorian studied his god for a moment, weighing his next words carefully. There was a line he had to balance when speaking with Apollo. The god valued confidence and honesty among his children, but he also valued flattery, and the trick was in discerning which was required in any given moment.

“What interests you so much about her?” Dorian asked. “She’s a skilled adventurer for her age, but there are others with more experience who would eagerly join our Familia if asked.”

Apollo’s smile turned somewhat sharp. He set down his chalice, leaning forward with an elbow on his knee, his full attention now fixed on Dorian in an unsettling way.

“What interests any man who sees a waif in the prime of her youth?” Apollo said, his voice taking on a dreamy quality. “She may be young, but anyone could look at that young bud and see with certainty the beautiful flower it could become.”

His smile grew larger. “And she has fire, Dorian. Such beautiful fire. You can see it even from afar. In the way she fights to keep her independence, just as she fought her way out of the depths of the dungeon with nothing but a broken sword. It’s charming, in its own way. Most mortals would simply give in and enjoy the benefits of divine patronage.”

Dorian felt his jaw tighten, and he forced the muscles to relax before the tension could become visible.

He had long suspected that Apollo’s interest in Tanya was not purely about her potential as an adventurer. The god had always had an eye for beauty, particularly the kind that had yet to fully bloom. His ‘collection,’ as some within the Familia privately called it, included more than a few members who had caught his eye in their youth.

Dorian withheld his true thoughts and merely said, “I see.”

The silence stretched, and Dorian found himself the subject of scrutiny under his lord’s gaze. Apollo’s eyes glinted, a smile on his face. “Yes. You do, don’t you? You’ve had the pleasure of seeing our dear Tanya up close. Tell me, do you think she’ll be capable of clearing her debt?”

Dorian considered the question carefully.

“She’s determined,” he said finally. “And resourceful. When Lucia and I spoke to her, she had just purchased a new weapon. From what the blacksmith said, it was well over twelve thousand Valis.”

Now, Apollo’s smile faded. “Truly? She’s managed to make enough to comfortably spend that much?”

“Apparently so.”

Apollo’s expression shifted into something more calculating. He picked up his chalice again, swirling the wine as he contemplated this new information.

“How curious.” Apollo took a slow sip of his wine, his eyes distant. “A mystery child with martial skills, dropped into the Dungeon without a Falna and not only survives, but thrives in the aftermath. A debt as large as hers would have drowned many working men, yet she’s making good headway all on her own.”

He laughed, a warm sound that settled upon Dorian’s shoulders. “She really is delightful. I find myself wanting her even more now.”

Dorian kept his face neutral, watching as his god set his chalice down and rose from the couch, his robes shifting gracefully as he moved toward the window. The morning sun silhouetted his form, casting him in divine radiance.

“She lives in that tavern, doesn’t she?”

Dorian inclined his head. “Yes, Lord Apollo.”

Apollo’s smirk reflected sinisterly in the glass. “Good. I want you to give her a message for me.”

~~~

The afternoon sun slanted through the small window of Tanya’s rented room, casting long shadows across the desk where her newly acquired saber lay.

Today’s dungeon crawl had been brief, merely a field test for the weapon before she committed to relying on it in earnest. A weapon had to be proven in combat before it could truly be trusted, and the upper floors had provided ample opportunity for such evaluation.

The results had been… adequate. The blade itself was serviceable, the edge holding true through a dozen goblin kills without noticeable degradation. However, the alignment was slightly off, the balance favoring the tip more heavily than she preferred. More concerning was the tang, which she had discovered was a bit loose around the hilt, producing a faint rattle when the blade made contact.

It was a common flaw in secondhand weapons, the result of previous owners who hadn’t properly maintained the fittings. Fixable, but the time and effort required was far beyond what the cheap sword deserved. For now, the saber was usable, and that was all she required.

Tanya sat at the desk, a cloth in one hand and a small bottle of oil in the other. She worked the polish into the blade one stroke at a time, her eyes scanning for any signs of rust or damage that might have escaped her initial inspection, until a knock at the door garnered her attention.

She frowned, noting the time. A few hours until dinner, and she hadn’t asked for any service. Who could be bothering her at this hour?

Opening the door revealed Syr standing in the hallway, the gray-haired waitress offering her usual gentle smile. She looked slightly out of breath, as if she had hurried up the stairs.

“Syr,” Tanya said, setting aside her cleaning cloth. “Is something the matter?”

“There’s someone here to see you,” Syr replied, smoothing down her apron. “He’s waiting downstairs at one of the tables. I thought you might want to know.”

Tanya’s brow furrowed at the mention of a visitor. “He?”

“A tall man,” Syr described, raising a hand. “Dark hair, handsome. He said his name was Dorian?”

Tanya’s expression flattened. Of course. The Apollo Familia member she had shared a meal with just yesterday. She supposed telling them where she lived was probably not a good idea in retrospect.

“Thank you for telling me,” Tanya said, rising from her desk. “I’ll speak with him."

Syr nodded and retreated down the hallway, her soft footsteps fading as she descended the stairs. Tanya took a moment to collect herself before securing her new saber at her hip and following after her.

The tavern was beginning to fill with the early dinner crowd, yet Tanya spotted Dorian immediately, standing at the bar and chatting with one of the waitresses. His face lit up when he saw her, an easy smile crossing his chiseled features.

“Tanya,” he greeted, inclining his head. “I hope I’m not intruding on your rest.”

“You are, somewhat,” Tanya replied, stopping at a comfortable distance. “But I doubt you came all this way simply to chat. What does he want?”

Dorian’s expression flickered briefly before settling into a neutral smile. “Straight to the point. I can appreciate that. Sit with me?”

They found a booth away from the doors and the noise. Dorian waved off a waitress that approached, leaning forward and placing his arms on the table with a serious expression.

“Lord Apollo has requested a meeting with you,” he said in a measured tone. “He wishes to discuss your debt and your future in Orario.”

Tanya’s eyes narrowed. “My future is my own concern. And the debt will be paid in full within the allotted time.”

Dorian raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m not here to argue with you. I’m simply delivering a message. Lord Apollo wishes to speak with you personally.”

“A personal meeting with a god,” Tanya repeated flatly. “How flattering.”

“I know you’d rather not,” Dorian said, his voice low. “And I’m sure you have your reasons. But refusing a summons from a god is not a simple matter in Orario. Lord Apollo could make your life considerably more difficult if he chose to.”

Tanya studied Dorian’s face, searching for any sign of deception or ulterior motive. The man’s expression remained open, his posture relaxed, but there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn’t been present during their meal the previous day.

“Is that a threat?” Tanya asked, her voice mild.

“I didn’t come here to threaten you,” Dorian replied. “Lord Apollo is not accustomed to being denied, and he has already shown considerable patience by allowing you the month to clear your debt. Most in his position would have demanded immediate repayment or service.”

“Considerable patience,” Tanya repeated, the words tasting sour. “And what happens if I simply refuse to meet? From my perspective, I have nothing to gain from a face-to-face meeting with my creditor.”

Dorian was quiet for a moment, his gaze dropping to the table. “Then Lord Apollo will find other ways to bring you into the fold. Ways that may be considerably less pleasant than a simple conversation.”

Tanya felt her jaw tighten. She couldn’t risk that. She had made considerable headway into clearing her debt; complications at this stage might set her back further than when she first began.

“When is this meeting supposed to take place?” she asked finally.

“Tomorrow afternoon,” Dorian said. “At the Apollo estate. I can escort you there myself, if you’d like. It would save you the trouble of navigating the city.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Tanya replied. “I’m capable of finding my own way. Just tell me where to go.”

Dorian hesitated, clearly wanting to protest, but he thought better of it. “The Apollo estate is in the eastern district, near the city wall. It’s a large white building with columns. You truly can’t miss it.”

“I’m sure I’ll manage.”

Dorian rose from the booth, adjusting his armor as he stood. He looked down at her for a moment, his blue eyes holding hers with concern that Tanya found both unnecessary and vaguely irritating.

“I know you have no reason to trust me,” Dorian said quietly. “But Lord Apollo is not an unreasonable being. You’ll see.”

Tanya smiled thinly. “I’m sure I will.”

She’d keep her knife well at hand, just to be sure.