I ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED A DUNGEON

Hakimi had noticed the markings before he noticed anything else about her. Black lines tracing up her neck and across her cheekbone, like something had cracked her open and sealed itself back wrong. Hakimi slowed his pace as he walked by her and stopped next to her.

"What are you looking at?"

She turned her head towards him briefly without much curiosity and then went back to looking at the building. "Felix. He asked me to wait here."

"Felix. Who is he?" Hakimi studied the building. He was headed there himself. "And where has he gone to? Walking alone in the middle of the streets isn’t very safe for a girl like you."

"Felix is a husband of mine." She stated it simply. "He has gone into the building to return the things of the perfume man."

She remembered what Felix had told her. "This is a job. We will be paid."

Hakimi stared at her.

Rava told me he would be collecting today from the market district. Is Felix trying to intercept Rava here?

He glanced at the girl again. There was no reservation about what she had told him; no reading of his expression before she spoke, nothing of the little calculations people always did before answering the questions posed by strangers.

She’s lying? Not likely. Then why she feels...

"He entered alone?"

"Yes."

"Shit." He brought his fist to his mouth and thought for a moment. Then he lowered his hand. "Come with me."

"No, Felix told me to stay here."

His gaze shifted over her again. The markings. The lack of movement. Her total lack of concern over the fact that she was alone on a street and his hand was moving toward a sword handle.

His fingers released the hilt.

Whatever she was, she didn’t fear him. That was enough knowledge for now.

He started to move towards the building.

"Humans ask too many questions," Dune mumbled to herself.

Felix leaned against the wall and took a slow survey through the opening in the doorway.

Three men. One seated on the left side of the room, holding a sword by his side, another standing and pacing around restlessly while the last one, seated alone and away from the other two, was physically different from them, broader shouldered and silent despite his large size. Felix could feel the heat radiating off him as he stood in the hall.

The bag lay on the floor next to the feet of the large man.

That’s probably it. Now, how do I get it?

Felix thought to himself as he pulled himself away from the door frame.

Wait. Where’s the fifth?

"Where is Hakimi going to be?" The pacing man, Ginger, asked, casting a glance towards the bag.

"He will arrive shortly." Rava, the large man replied, gazing out the window.

Fuwa shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he glanced down at the floor. Reaching down and picking something up from the floor, he showed the others a playing card. It was six of clubs and he turned it upside down looking for something written on the back before holding it up.

"Is this yours?"

Ginger looked at it. "No. Where’d you get it from?"

"From behind your—" His eyes flicked to the door frame. There was another one lying flat on the ground just behind it. Slowly he got up, pulling his sword with him. "There’s another one."

He went into the corridor, looking both ways.

Cards lying flat on the ground in both directions, forming a path leading towards the stairs and down the long corridor in the other direction.

"Somebody’s in there." He shouted.

Chair legs scraped and moments later Rava and Ginger joined him in the corridor.

"Where?" Rava asked. The heat that emanated from him increased.

Fuwa indicated both ways, not saying anything.

Rava glanced at the cards leading to the stairs and began to move in heavy steps, slowly following the trail as if being invited by the intruder.

"We have to wait for Hakimi," Fuwa said.

Rava kept on moving without stopping.

Fuwa looked at Ginger and back again. "Keep an eye on the bag," he told him and drew his sword. "I’m going to take this side."

Ginger swallowed hard. "Just be careful."

Fuwa walked slowly, holding the sword in his right hand and the two cards clamped between the fingers of his left hand.

He stopped as soon as he came face to face with the third one. It was five of hearts. It lay flat on the floor of the hallway.

Fuwa gazed at the card for some time before flinging it away from himself and going downstairs.

"Why am I doing this?" Fuwa asked himself, confused. "This is a trap, the entire trail is a trap and I have fallen for it." Fuwa went downstairs, whispering softly to himself. "I am not meeting my ancestors for these gold coins. This man killed Vyor and it will be smarter to go meet Hakimi and let him deal with it."

Fuwa stepped down onto the last step but suddenly, a card lay right in front of him.

Nine of hearts.

Did he get Hakimi too? No. He shook his head. Hakimi is not Vyor. He’s only late.

He kept going.

Hakimi stood by the end of the ground floor.

"Hakimi." Fuwa hurriedly approached, relief washing over him. "There is an intruder. He killed Vyor and Rava is searching for him."

"I know."

"You know?" Fuwa blinked. "Where is he?"

"That’s what I’m going to discover. Where is Rava?"

"Upper floor. Following the cards." Fuwa shifted his weight. "I expected that the intruder could try to come out here, so I went down to check. You can never be sure—"

Hakimi looked at him.

No words were needed. Fuwa was afraid and the reason why he gave for that fear was a man’s attempt to justify himself.

"Check outside," Hakimi said. "Make sure no one is there."

"Yes." Fuwa nodded, already on the move. "Good idea. I’ll do it."

Hakimi let out his breath once and started climbing the stairs.