Meeting the Rival

At the bottom of the dungeon, everyone was preparing to leave when I saw that thing covered in moss and vines.

"Hey guys, I think I see something," I said.

Everyone turned to see what I was looking at.

"What? Where?" Malti walked closer to me and squinted her eyes.

When I rushed over to the wall, I saw what looked to be the face of a statue, hidden by the foliage. I reached out to touch it, and when I did, the statue moved. Instantly, the ground beneath us opened up.

"Waahhh!"

We started to plummet down into the darkness.
I need to slow down!

I pointed my arm down and began to make my chant.
Let the mana converge and flow through the conduit to become a gust!

The wind slowed my fall a bit, but not enough. I hit the ground hard and let out a groan.

"Ugh..."

Still on the floor, I looked at Malti, who landed on her feet, holding Kassim in her arms. She acted a lot more like a real bodyguard than I did.

"Woah, I've never seen this place." Kassim was looking around the hole.

At the center of the pit, sitting on a stone pedestal, a small dark-blue gemstone sat.

"And that looks like dungeon treasure." Kassim's gaze was fixed on the gem.

I felt it draw me in. Without thinking, I reached out, grabbing at the gem. At first, nothing happened, but then, I felt a searing pain at the center of my palm.

"Agh!" I pulled my hand away, trying to drop the stone.

I turned my hand over to see the gemstone embedding itself into the palm of my hand. Why did I reach out and grab the gem? I have no idea; I just felt like it was right. And now, this gem is stuck to the inside of my left hand. The pain went away quickly, so I started scratching at it, trying to see if it would pop out.

"Hmm, I don't think I've ever seen one of these in person before." Kassim held my hand up, inspecting it.

"Sorry, I just grabbed it without thinking. It felt like I was under a spell."

"No, it's completely fine; you found this hidden room anyway."

"So... do you know what it is?"

"It looks like a binding stone." Malti was looking at it too now.

"A what?" I asked.

"A binding stone." Kassim then went on to explain, "Usually, dungeon loot gives you treasures, rare equipment, or spells. But very rarely, people find binding stones, which contain the essence of the dungeon within them."

"So... what does it do?" I was still confused.

"Well, put some mana into it; see what happens." Malti was excited.

"Alright."
Well, it's about time I got some overpowered magic.

I started to pour mana into my hand.

"Wait, this might not be sa—" Kassim was cut off.

Massive roots sprang up underneath us, pushing us upward. Trees sprouted up, with leaves and vines emerging from the walls. There was a brief silence, then Malti spoke out.

"Wow! That was so cool! Right?"

"Yeah, it seems like your stone involves plant growth and manipulation. I heard of another stone that involved sounds and one more that makes the owner bigger," Kassim said.

What? Honestly, I was really hoping for some super powerful destruction magic like in a video game or anime... something like that, but growing trees? And also, the other stone manipulated sound? These binding stones are kinda lame.

"So..." Kassim was looking up. "How are we going to get out of here?"

There was a silence, then Malti and Kassim both looked at me. I knew exactly what they were thinking. A few minutes later, we were all climbing a vine like a trail of ants.
I feel like I'm already misusing this power...

***

I was exhausted after leaving the dungeon. The binding stone took a lot more mana out of me than I thought it would. We made our way back into the city from the dungeon with the rest of the group. My stomach was growling. I hadn't eaten anything since we left in the morning, and it was now almost noon.

"I think I'm going to starve to death. Can we get something to eat?" I turned to Kassim.

"Yeah, don't worry, we're heading to one of my favorites right now."

We made our way to a place called "The Little Rabbit." It was a local spot, and the smell coming from inside was heavenly. The place was quaint, with small tables on the outside under a shaded canopy.

"Let's grab one of these outside tables." Kassim pulled the chairs out for Malti and me.

"Three plates of rabbit meatballs and some beer, too."

I started drooling at the thought of the food. This special treatment was really something else.

"Here you are, enjoy!" The waiter placed everything down on the table.

I dug in immediately, and I have to say, this is the best thing I've eaten so far. Rabbit meatballs, covered in a spiced brown gravy, and herb mashed potatoes. Washing it all down with cold beer really topped it off. As we were finishing our meal, someone called out.

"Kassim? Is that you?" A stranger approached us with a group in tow.

I turned to Kassim, and for a split second, I saw his face full of disgust before he put on a smile.

"Hello, Rasen."

"So it was you!" The man was laughing.

The man had a large, muscular build with the same golden hair and reddish eyes as Kassim. He was covered from head to toe in jewels and finery. Also, the two guards on each of his sides were very imposing. One of them looked to be over nine feet tall! He must be a giant or something...

"What are you doing eating at a dingy place like this? Does father really give you so little coin that you can't afford to go to better places?"

Father? Ok, I'm starting to get it. This must be the first prince, Kos Rasen II.

"It's nothing like that; I just enjoy eating here." Kassim continued to smile.

Rasen turned to look at me. "Oh, look at this pretty thing, another pet? And... it's another demon? You really have a fondness for them."

"..."

"Well, I can't blame you too much. I have a weakness for pretty women as well... But do you really think that they can protect you? I mean, look at them."

He really pissed me off. I wanted to cut his mouth open, but I knew better than to act out right here. I turned to look at Malti, and it seemed that she was handling it pretty well.

"I have faith that they will be able to protect me. Besides, what do I have to worry about? I am just the second prince."

"Well, you're right about that. You don't need professionals like Yuddh and Ruhm. You're protected by your lower status, I guess. I need to be going now; I have important things to get to."

Rasen walked off, without waiting for a response, with his entourage in tow.

Rasen's big bodyguard walked in closer and leaned down. "I wouldn't mind eating you..." Before following Rasen.

I physically recoiled. He smelled like an executioner. The smell of death and iron radiated off of him. And trying to hit on me? I bet he's a fat, disgusting geezer underneath all that armor.

"Let's leave as well." Kassim quietly got up.

We made our way in the direction of the villa when Kassim started to explain the interaction we had just had.

"Malti already knows, but I'm sure you guess who that was, Sern."

"Yeah, the first prince... But what was he doing there?"

Kassim sighed. "My brother really has nothing to do, so he delights in roaming the city, showing off his bodyguards. It really was a coincidence that we met back there."

"Rasen is such a dipshit; thinking about him pisses me off." Malti huffed.

"Rasen tried to make a move on Malti a while back, but he ended up getting embarrassed by her."

I was really curious about the two people next to Rasen. They seemed like the real dangerous ones.

"So... what about those people that were with Rasen?"

"Yes... them..." Kassim paused before continuing. "Those two are quite famous in their own regard. The big one is known as Yuddh, the Monstrous. He's actually the one who possesses the binding stone that makes the user bigger. He truly is a monster, as before becoming a bodyguard, he was a roaming murderer and... a cannibal. They say that he ate his previous companions before arriving in Amir. In spite of all this, his strength is undeniable. His armor has anti-magic properties, and I've heard he has never lost a fight."

Thinking back, Yuddh's appearance made quite an impression. His armor was a golden-bronze color, covering him head to toe. He was a gigantic man, probably nine or ten feet tall, and was clearly bloated. The armor was covered in intricate engravings. The creepiest part was his helmet. On it was the face of a crying man, with empty holes for eyes.

Kassim went on. "The other one is called Ruhm, the Spear-Tip. He was once a famous spearman and champion of the people before coming into the service of Rasen. He is a far more respectable person, but still equally as dangerous as Yuddh."

He was the man standing to the right of Rasen. He looked to be of average height with a muscular build. His armor was silver and covered in ornate designs. For a helmet, he wore a chapel and a plated mask over his face.

"The reason he can afford to keep people like Yuddh and Ruhm on retainer is because of my father's and the other high nobles' favoritism." Kassim sounded bitter.

"It is for that same reason that I turn to people like you and Malti." He paused. "Now I know that it was a blessing in disguise. Without that, I would have never met you two."

"I have my work cut out for me. With my father and the high nobles supporting Rasen, I have to court the favor of the common people and lesser nobles to compete..."

"You don't need to worry so much because you have us!" Malti put her arms around Kassim and me, pulling us closer.

"Ahaha... Yeah," I said.

Yeah, if those two monsters are our opponents, then we really have our work cut out for us too...