Dungeons and Dalliances

6.22 – Secrets

"Rules of engagement?" Malice asked, shivering as Natalie left her hands resting on her thigh and her stomach. "What do you mean?"

"You're an amazing fighter," Natalie said, feeling the wolfgirl straighten up proudly in her lap, "but when I summon you, I want you to take a little longer to make sure you know what's going on. Especially if it's other humans attacking us. It might be a non-lethal fight. Or even if there isn't other people there, then we might have some other goal, like with a boss." She shrugged. "Dungeon encounters can be weird, you know. Arbitrary. Lots of rules. So you can't just rush in."

"Hm," Malice said. "I guess that's true."

"But seriously," Natalie said, kissing Malice on the neck to soften the words. "You were—are—incredible. One of the best fighters I've ever seen, especially hand-to-hand. If you wouldn't mind sparring sometime, there's a lot I could learn from you."

Malice squirmed in her lap, and while Natalie couldn't see her face, she imagined it was burning with heat. Natalie was laying it on intentionally thick—Malice obviously liked the praise. Not that she didn't mean the words, though. She absolutely did.

"You were decent enough too, I suppose," Malice said, flustered. "I also wouldn't mind sparring with you."

"Cool." She kissed Malice on the neck again. "But there's more. For when I take you out." She hesitated. "When we're around people, I think you maybe shouldn't talk. If that's fine?"

"Hm? Why?"

Natalie was relieved that Malice didn't sound offended. Simply curious at the request. "Because I can call you a summon, but even with that explanation, it's still weird how human-like you look. Even more so, a summon that can talk and has a personality would … draw eyes." To put things lightly.

"Why would you care?"

"Just as a matter of staying safe," Natalie said. "I guess. I don't know. Maybe nobody would give a shit. But if they did, I don't want them taking the [Capture Core] to study you."

Malice bristled. "Take the core? Simply kill them if they try."

That obviously wasn't a viable solution for a whole slew of reasons, but Natalie chose a different reason to reject the idea. "I'm hardly the strongest person in the world, you know," she said wryly. "It's why I'm keeping my class a secret too. Plenty of people could force me to do what they want."

Malice stewed in thought for several moments. Natalie closed her eyes and nuzzled her face into Malice's neck. Seriously—she could get used to having a pet wolfgirl to snuggle with whenever she wanted.

"I suppose that is an unfortunate reality," Malice said sourly. "But the obvious solution is to become strong enough that it doesn't matter. So you can do whatever you want, to whomever you want, and they won't have a choice in the matter."

That perspective was unsettling, but nothing unexpected by this point. Malice was a monster. It was just how she viewed things—through a straightforward, primitive lens.

Malice sniffed. "Not that I care if you want me to not talk when other humans are present. Just, I expect my Master to be strong."

"I'm working on it," Natalie said. "I've only had my class for less than a month. It takes time."

"Nonetheless."

"That would be nice, though." Becoming strong enough to do whatever she wanted—that was a reason lots of people delved, even if they wouldn't admit it.

"Considering who your patron is, it's well within your grasp."

Natalie stiffened.

"Right …" she said slowly, pulling her chin off Malice's shoulder. "That's actually the second big thing I wanted to talk about. What you know."

"What I know?" Malice asked, turning her head to hold Natalie's gaze briefly. She looked back forward, her voice taking an uncharacteristically cautious tone. "What specifically?"

"The dungeon, for one," Natalie said. "My 'patron,' as you've called her twice. And everything else. I've never talked to someone from the dungeon before. There's a lot to learn. Especially relevant to my class. Anything you can tell me would help."

Malice was quiet for a bit.

"You're my temporary Master," she eventually said. "The Keeper of the Crypt owns me for all eternity. When I die, or the core is compromised, I will return there. She'll know my mind. She'll know what I said. And I can assume she doesn't want her secrets divulged, whatever paltry amount of them I know." She sighed. "So do you understand?"

A chill went down Natalie's spine. She wondered what kind of territory she was stepping into here. The secrets of the dungeon. The dungeon. How many people had spent their lives studying that enigmatic, powerful entity? And here Natalie was, a wolfgirl cuddled between her legs, a reservoir of insight speaking about things they couldn't ever hope to have access to. A first-hand witness to how the dungeon functioned internally. Natalie might be one of the only people in the world to know how truly sapient the dungeon and its inhabitants really were.

Gods. What kind of scenario had Natalie landed in when it came to her class, Malice, her patron, the Bestower—all of this? It nearly made her head hurt. It almost seemed like gods and goddesses were the least of her problems.

"It would cause you issues, long-term, to tell me anything?" Natalie said.

"Likely."

"For 'all of eternity,' no less."

Malice shrugged. "Her moods are ephemeral, as I said. But even so. I suspect she would be upset for some time."

Natalie was silent.

"Then I obviously won't press," she sighed, eventually. "It could be important for my situation, but I'm not going to force you into saying anything that puts you in danger."

A few moments passed.

Malice huffed.

"Ugh. Why?" she demanded, her wolf tail swishing, though blocked by how they were sitting, only thumping gently against Natalie's leg. "Where did the you from our first fight go?" She made a noise of frustration. "Acting like this, you're definitely not going to get any secrets from me."

Natalie blinked. "What?"

"What I do or don't say is entirely my choice," Malice continued loudly. "You're my Master because I submitted to you—and I can change my mind at any point. I've decided I'm not going to tell you anything because it would cause me problems down the line. If you did, perhaps, want to force answers out of me, then you'd have to put in some work. A lot of work. I wouldn't break easily."

Natalie digested that.

She gave one short, incredulous laugh.

"Malice, you aren't telling me I'm supposed to fuck the answers out of you, right?"

"You couldn't if you tried," Malice declared. "After your behavior my last few summons, I've lost faith in your ability to act as pack leader. If I'm being honest, I'm starting to doubt my servitude entirely. You clearly don't have a spine, or lost it somewhere along the way."

Natalie bristled, however obvious the goading was.

She took a breath, calming herself. She considered the situation for a few moments. Malice's implications—her hidden request.

Alright.

Fine.

If the brat wanted to be fucked stupid in exchange for giving her some answers, Natalie could make that happen.

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