No Need For A Dungeon Keeper!: In Deep.. [Episode 130449]

by CrystalBlaze

After all the madness, the Goddess situation, Kagato, the bounty hunters and the Relations and all that girl-related chaos, Tenchi felt he'd frankly been thru a great deal more than enough. (He truly capitalised Relations, as they WERE the head nobles of a interstellar empire, after all.)

But fate is a fickle beast, and so in a rather bewildering chain of events involving 1) Mihoshi 2) Ryo-Ohki 3) Washuu trying to create a way to clone Jurai Trees so Tenchi would not grow old on Earth and 4)five truly silly and inane dweebs in full-body Sentai uniforms trying to summon Zords--whatever the heck they they are--in the middle of the spacial-warp accessing Washuu's lab.. Things kinda went kaka.

As he slowly woke up, Tenchi mourned his having disregarded the urge to run away to Aruba that morning. Then he sniffed the air without actually opening his eyes. Air is good, but earthy, and somehow dank. The general 'feel' is off. I am NOT at the shrine. And.. Tenchi instinctively called up the energy sword that was his birthright, blocking and knocking aside a bladed weapon. A scythe of some kind, or a military pick like my AD&D playing buds at Tokyo University drew in warriors' hands for convention art contests. He ducked and rolled under a violent shuolder thrust, then finally opened his eyes..

The monstrosity before him has amused and enraged at the same time, Tenchi noted. He did indee have a pick-styled scythe, one that looked like the blade could fold in against the haft like a pocketknife blade. The creature itself was at least 7 and a half feel tall, maybe 8 feet. It was hard to tell due to the horns it had sprouting out the top of its head. Tenchi jumped up a bare inch over the low swing and used a bit of his Jurai power to push himself down and right, thus avoiding the follow-thru smash-thrust of the butt end. The scowling fangs of the creature slide up at the corners. Whatever it was, it was spoiling for a good fight for quite a long time, Tenchi could sense it.

Dismayingly, he could NOT sense Jurai's power beyond his personal reserves. And he knew he'd burn thru that fairly fast if he didn't watch it. rolling under a high donkey kick--Man, those burning cloven spine-backed hooves would have busted me UP!--Tenchi probed gently but urgently out, seeking a way to connect with whatever force of life was here, and at least conserve his powers. Thus as the Jurai prince ducked a jab of the folded-in blade then used his own weapon to prevent the unfolded blade from making him more than one piece on the return, he sent a flare of will down the first corridor of power he latched a hold of.

The results were.. Short, hairless, green, bug-eyed, and completely unafraid, even as it chittered and darted back from the horned monster. Said beast actually stopped the assault and nodded before stepping back a bit and watching Tenchi's reactions closely. The young man studied his opponent in turn, glancing about at times as the smaller creature he'd summoned ran about the large room. By thinking about it, Tenchi found he could call up a map (top down) of everything in the room after his inadvertant creation had been there. It wasn't memory--he could see small icons represnting himself and the demonic figure move about the viewed room in the samme manner as their own movements.

This musing was interrrupted by another's arrival thru the door at the far end of this strange chamber. The newcomer wore black and old-ivory robes, and had a blood red and neatly trimmed beard, as well as a skullcap (about the same getup as a Warlock, but in different shades). He spoke up "Greetings, Keeper. I am Radnul, your Adviser. You fought very well against the Reaper, very well indeed. This shows promise. But i see you are confused. Ask, and I shall seek to impart what wisdom I may." The man seemed to reek of amorality--not evil or good, but rather elemental purpose. It was something Tenchi has seen before, in a great many people.

"Yes. I am Tenchi. Masaki Tenchi, of the Masaki family.. and I doubt highly this is my world. I want to know what ytou intend of me, of course, but first, what's a Keeper, and why are you both so glad to see me?"

The older man thought on it as the greaved and shoulder-armored demon listened closely. "A Keeper is a holder of the Dungeon Heart. The Heart is a mystical focus and enhancement, allowing one to perceive and manipulate the local enviroment once it is claimed by creatures like the one you summoned. You're in the room with it." He indicated the pulsing red membrane in a shallow pit near them. It was ringed by a ring of three interlinked arches, all carved with a image at the joins where the legs of each arc merged into the supports. They had changed from what he remebered seeing during the fight, though.. Now one had the face of Tsunami, one support had the face of Tokimi, and the third had a oddly more powerful-seeming version of Washuu's "adult" face.

"I see.. the Heart has adapted to your concepts of Power and reflects that in its appearance. Keep in mind, Keeper Tenchi, that with the Heart, your aging is far slower, your power fueled by its eldritch energies. But we do have a problem.." Randul didn't so much as shrug, so whatever was coming was likely seen as natural in this setting as far as Tenchi could ascertain.

"As it happens, Keeper, the powers ruling the surface world mistrust the power of the Dungeon Heart, especially its power to teleport minions to any claimed land, to say nothing of claiming it at all. This is a needed function in any place the Heart or its temporary extensions traverse to, since the mana of the lands claimed are what fuel the Heart.. and consequently your life and power." He paused, then added "As a result of the conflicts between the Dark Gods and the intolerant Gods of Light, the Dungeon keepers are hunted by surface folk, and warded off from most realms by the power of the Gate gems. Were King Reginald or his Generals to find you while they had the upper hand, they would slay you--regardless of the content of your heart, due to your having claimed the Dungeon Heart."

Tenchi waited politely, then he pointed out "I've seen Darkness and the 'Unholy spawn' turn out to not be so bad, and Justice most unjust, but you're obviously angling for something. Why not just seek out a Keeper who'll do as you'd like? I'm not all that warlike." He shrugged as his recent opponent widened his eyes. Then the entity spoke, with a melodic, yet VERY intimidating voice. "You may not seek out the fight, youngling, but I assure you, you ARE a warrior." He then walked towards the Heart then.. flared a ring of fire around him, then faded away... "Nani?"

Before Tenchi could ask anything further Radnul said "He's eager for battle, our Horned Reaper, for he is a fighter by temperment as well as unyielding power. But he wants to take your measure before committing, I suspect. In any event, he's now in his personal quarters, and you of course have even grander ones accessible thru the Heart itself (as do I). You can seek them out after we talk about this.."

• Radnul explains each of the rooms and functions, since Tenchi obviously has had experience with wielding enhanced power of a differing sort.
• Horniculus thinks on his new Keeper, and his past Keepers.
• Tenchi gets the lowdown on the world around him (and what it'll take to get him home).
• What's going on back at the Shrine? (R.I.P Power Rangers, Remain In Pain!)
• What (if anything) are the ruling powers and other Keepers up to, and do any of them know/suspect a outworlder now had a Dungeon Heart?
• CrystalBlaze listens to the radio playing a parody of the intro to In Living Color. "You can do what you wahn-na doooo.. In Something Else, now!"