Every Courser hears the call of the dungeon in their lifetime. Most answer. Some don’t. What is it you seek here beneath the surface: Treasure? Adventure? Or something harder to define?

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The call of the dungeon is something you’re taught to ignore while growing up.

At least that’s how she remembers it – from when since she was just a young foal, prancing around in the grassy fields of the Empire, she heard the sweet voice, seemingly singing from her own heart. It told her to go further, to cross the line of the beautiful fields adorned with flowers, to descend down into the depths she often saw her parents’ subjects disappear into. Where they’d bring back loot and treasure, that’d be then sold at the stalls in the Empire, allowing the lower-ranked Coursers to try and live a comfortable life…

As soon as she takes a step forward, the stern voice of her mother makes her stop in her tracks.

“Young lady!” at the sound of the older mare, Tsubaki laid her ears down, immediately taking a few steps backwards, knowing a lecture, along with a grounding, was hanging heavy above her head. “How many times have I reminded you to not listen to that siren? Your father and I are having enough of your disobedience. This is not a behaviour befitting of a princess, and I will not have you bring dishonour to our Empire.” the young foal followed behind her mother, staying silent; it was unnecessary for her to speak to the Queen, as it’d be seen as back talking, or even betrayal of her own flesh and blood, and Tsubaki preferred to not make the situation worse.

And even as she looked out from the window of her room in the castle, she doesn’t seem to understand the complexity of it all. If the Coursers work so hard, descend into the dungeon day and night, sometimes staying there for days, just to bring back loot that will help the Empire prosper, why did her paren- the King and Queen despise them so much? It was only because the hard-working horses were brave enough to dive deep into the dangers, that she was able to live this comfortably.

Why couldn’t she go and help out the Empire herself?

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“That child is no good! You have seen her eyes; it is a curse.” Tsubaki incidentally walks past her parents’ room, the door only slightly ajar. She slows down her walk, finally staying still, as she brings her ear closer, holding her breath.

“There is no way someone like her can lead the Empire.” she hears her mother’s voice get more firm, any traces of her friendly and noble persona that she put up before her subjects completely gone now in the privacy of closed chambers. “She hears the voice of the siren. I know she wants to listen, no matter how many times she gets reprimanded.” her mother scoffs.

Tsubaki takes a silent step back, hearing her mother’s hooves click against the cold floors and she holds her breath, missing her father’s answer – but it seems she’s safe for now, and the Queen didn’t suspect that her conversation is being eavesdropped on by her own… daughter.

“She is cursed by the dungeon, she will only bring destruction and bloodshed to this land, to the Empire!” her mother continues, and Tsubaki barely feels able to stand on her own legs anymore, forcing herself to listen further. She was always raised in a strict environment, trained to be the perfect princess and future Queen of The Empire… but she has never heard words as harsh as this before.

Hearing the noises of hooves walking across the stone floor, and getting closer to the door, Tsubaki swiftly and quietly moved down the corridor back to her own room – thankfully, the strict “Princess Training” taught her how to walk as elegantly as possible… which helped her be more sneaky and agile on her feet.

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A visit from foreign land rulers was meant to happen that day.

Every Courser in the Empire worked day and night that week – from decorating the castle, every street and stall, to keeping them as clean as possible and making the cobblestone shiny, without a speck of dust or dirt. Various flowers adorned the streets, and the smell of freshly baked goods could be felt in the air – a truly joyous atmosphere, meant to hide the tight leash on every Coursers’ neck, with a threat of tightening if even one mistake would be made.

Not only the Empire was being decorated all nicely – various maids worked on Tsubaki’s two-coloured mane, twirling it and putting embellishing gold ornaments, making sure it’d fit beautifully right with the delicate tiara on top of her head. She half-suspected an arranged marriage – it was an easy way of sending the cursed daughter away, where her fate wouldn’t ominously loom over the whole Empire.

Was she overjoyed at the idea of marrying some stuck-up, arrogant prince? As often as it happened in fantasy stories – of course she wasn’t.

While the thought of escaping was strong within her, then lightened, then grew in strength once more, one was certain; Tsubaki’s gaze kept looking back at the entrance to the dungeon near the fields of the Empire, and the siren’s call in her heart only got louder. Even though all her life she was taught that dungeon diving was for the low-class, good-for-nothing bastards, ones that were meant to serve her and prolong her life of luxury, she never saw the hard-working Coursers as such – she’d sometimes sneak a few juicy apples from the royal orchard to foals the same age as her whenever she saw them while playing outside the castle, as she wasn’t allowed to have friends while growing up; still, she wanted to have at least some kind of positive relationship with the subjects of her parents’ cruel ruling.

Her mother’s voice dragged her out of her daydreaming – it was time to step outside and prepare for the visit, make sure everyone was working the hardest, and prepare a speech in front of everyone.

Tsubaki, adorned with jewellery and gold of all kind, having her hair done purposefully so some of the more wavy streaks would fall against her face and hide her unnaturally coloured eyes; stepped outside along with the guards, following closely behind her parents and even more guards. An unsettling feeling started burning in her stomach, and she wasn’t sure it was because of the discomfort the visit would bring her. The thought of not only having the marriage arranged, but also to a stallion made her want to puke – if only horses could do so.

The speech started, but Tsubaki zoned out, only standing there with her back straightened up, a soft, delicate, befitting of a princess smile adorning her muzzle, shining almost as brightly as the jewellery she was decorated with. She could hear her mother’s voice through a thick fog, and most of her vision was obstructed by her own mane. Time seemed to pass slowly, she could even feel her legs beginning to stiffen.

And then a scream could be heard, scent of smoke slowly invading her nostrils.

In rising panic, the princess raised her head, shaking it to unblock her vision, and her two-coloured eyes widened in shock. One of the lanterns fell, the glass shattering and the small fire quickly latched itself onto the delicate decorations that the streets were embellished with, spreading further through the main square of the Empire. Tsubaki furrowed her eyebrows – the lantern were usually really sturdy, and even if a Courser accidentally fell onto it, it wouldn’t budge… unless it was kicked by someone on purpose.

A sabotage, perhaps?

She saw shock on her parents’ faces, as they wanted to say something, to calm down the crowd – but another lantern fell, setting more patches of decorations on fire, raising hell right in the middle of the Empire. What confused Tsubaki the most…

…is that it seemed no one was rushing to put out the fire.

More panic arisen between the Coursers, and before she knew it, the stampede was rushing…

…right in the direction of her parents, who have started to escape right as the second source of fire started. Barks of hounds in the colour of the night sky roared between Coursers, the dungeon beasts quickly starting to run after its prey. It seemed that while the King’s subordinates worked diligently in the dungeon the royal family despised so much, they managed to establish bonds with the bloodthirsty creatures and tame them to their will.

Before she could think further, she quickly sped up to a gallop, hearing angered voices behind her own back, and her heartbeat quickened in anxiety and fear. She knew the subjects of the two dictators would reap its harvests sooner or later, but she certainly didn’t expect it to be now…

…or maybe she just ignored the visible signs in the past.

Tsubaki darted into an alleyway hidden behind the castle, meaning to escape to the only other place she knew in her life – the dungeon.

Cloven hooves hit the soft ground of the fields she’s got to know over the many years; screams and yells, barks and growls got more distant as she galloped as fast as she could. Even if they’ll suspect she escaped into the dungeon, her parents were probably the main concern of their rage; the hunt for her will continue later… if anyone will suspect the dainty cursed princess of the Empire is strong enough to survive in the mysterious surroundings of the dungeon…

The piebald Courser quickly descends down into the path that many undertook years after years, her mane now completely free from any kinds of ornaments, as it flowed in the air while she ran – deeper, deeper, deeper, until she breached the huge opening filled with moss and vines descending down the walls. She has never seen the dungeon, yet she does not feel fear. Instead, it feels as if a long-lost friend is embracing her in a warm hug, welcoming her back home.

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She’s not sure how many hours have passed since the outburst of the rebellion.

Her hooves take her further and further through The Overgrown Caverns, lungs burning from the long and tiring escape, her breathing heavy as she pants, trying to catch her breath. While she walks, she takes a few moments to look around for anyone that could be trying to track her down, and quickly digs up a hole in the moist soil – her teeth quickly grab onto the gold ornaments decorating her body and she throws them into the dig up hole, every single one of the expensive and shiny jewellery lands in the ground, before it’s quickly buried again, left to be seen by curious adventurers in the future…

Or by an obedient hound, that’ll sniff through the dungeon to catch her trail.

What Tsubaki seeks now in the dungeon isn’t treasure, or a fun adventure to playfully rise her adrenaline – what she searches for is a place where she’ll belong… but for now, it’s a place of her escape, of desperate need to keep her life and not end up like her parents. But when she thinks about them, there’s no guilt or sorrow tugging at her heart. It’s frustration arising from her own helplessness – she wasn’t able to help the Coursers living in the Empire, as she was a victim of her parents’ reign herself, being only a princess from title, only meant to serve as a decoration by the King’s and Queen’s side, to show their earthbound side, to warm the hearts with their “parental” care over their daughter. If only she could have helped, if only she was stronger, more determined, more…

The Courser lets out a stressed out sigh, shaking her head.

Finally glancing away from where her riches were buried, she turns into a completely different corridor, and moves forward, deeper into the dungeon. The Empire fell, and the castle wasn’t her home anymore – if she ever considered it to be one. From now, she wasn’t a princess, or a lady, or anyone from a royal family.

She wanted to be an adventurer. Just like the call of the dungeon wanted her to be, with all these years of hearing the beautiful song in her heart, enticing her to descend into the depths.

What she sought in the dungeon weren’t riches or fame – it was a potential chance for a new life, starting everything anew… learning to live between the lower-ranks, as her parents’ teachings would call the Coursers that weren’t royalty, and when she gains more confidence… maybe she’ll once again appear on the surface, ready to face the sins of her past, breaking the shackles of her bloodline once and for all. She’ll once again stand before the Coursers of the Empire of the past and allow them to judge her, to test her character and loyalty. What she sought was to be just one amongst many, to be equal with others and while she couldn’t change the past, she yearned for a brighter future, one carved with her own thoughts and hard work, a brighter future that would be shared amongst them all…

She looks back at her cherry-stained white coat – the hue of her own body will remind her of the bloodshed that happened that afternoon, and maybe in the future, it will remind her of juicy, fresh fruits that feed the whole village and sweetens their lives, instead of crimson blood staining their hooves in an act of rage…

Tsubaki drops down the tiara from the top of her head, smashing it down to the ground with her hoof, until all that remains are shiny speckles scattered on the dungeon’s floor. Kicking a few pieces of moss and soil, she buries the last remains of her gilded chains, and continued her journey forward, deeper into the dungeon.

That night, everyone from the royal family died. But some were given the thin, delicate as a spider’s web chance of redemption and rebirth anew.