Tree Dungeon

by Andrew Karevik

  I reached out and contacted the king’s mind. “Soren,” I spoke.

  “And so finally, you deem me worthy enough to speak to directly,” the king replied. “I am honored to be contacted by you. This isn’t about my insults to your design, is it?”

  “No,” I told him. “You have been aided by Jineve’s magic, I know this to be true.”

  “What is a Jineve?” he asked. “Is that the name of the spirit who has been whispering to me?”

  Our minds were connected through a telepathic spell; I could sense his emotions and feelings, enough to know if he were lying to me. It turned out, to my astonishment, that he was genuinely unaware of Jineve’s plan.

  “You do not know of the sorceress who has been aiding you?” I asked.

  Soren chuckled. “Ah, I see. No, I thought that perhaps it was the spirit of one of my ancestors, guiding me from afar. But what would a sorceress have to gain from assisting me?”

  And so, I told him of the entire plan that Jineve had concocted. Her greed, her anger at me for deeming her unworthy. Her lies by omission. He listened for quite some time as I explained perhaps more than I should have. But I was angered and confused at her actions. Speaking them out to someone else, a wise leader who was responsible for many, just as I was, felt good. I felt a keen sense of understanding from Soren’s emotions, as if he had been in this position many times.

  “Thank you, World Tree, for being honest with me,” he replied once I had finished my tale. “But I fear this is more your problem than mine.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I shall not mince words, since we are both responsible for great domains. You should be able to handle criticism when it is well meant. You are failing as a leader of your land. A subordinate, who vowed to aid you, who has pledged to be loyal in exchange for your protection and housing, is now supplanting your desires. Yes, she claims to be in the right because it was never written down anywhere that she shouldn’t do these things, but is that the kind of subject you wish to have? A person who only acts in your favor when they have explicitly agreed to certain actions?”

  “No. Not at all.” My mind darted back to the time that a goblin trap master stumbled across one of the apprentices who had fallen ill due to a heart condition. The trap master took the poor boy to the healers where they tirelessly worked to save him. There was no hesitation on their part. They aided him, not because I had demanded it, but because they knew he too was a subject of my little kingdom. That was the kind of loyalty I wanted.

  “Then you must not suffer someone who supplants your will,” King Soren said. “She has betrayed you by claiming the letter of the law, not the spirit of it. What will the rest of your followers think when they know that she has done so? Will they respect you for allowing her to go directly against your wishes? Or will they wonder what they themselves can get away with, as long as there are no explicit rules against such behavior?”

  There was wisdom in Soren’s words. “So, what must I do? I have had no cause to bring judgment against any of my people before. Even the trickster who mocks me to no end and defaces my roots with vulgar images works for the good of this realm. Jineve stands alone as the only one who comes against me.”

  “Then you must ensure that she is the only one,” Soren replied. I felt a grave sense of energy from him. A grim determination to do anything in order to maintain order. “I cannot tell you what judgment you must pronounce upon her. But judge you must, or else you will lose the rest.”

  “I thank you for your wisdom, King Soren. Tell me, are matters so complicated for human rulers?”

  “Oh, they’re much, much worse,” Soren replied with a laugh. “You’ve got it easy here.”

  Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the giant to their chieftain’s camp. Soren departed and went into the massive tent, to make a deal with Mwgwa, leaving me to think of how I would judge the sorceress.

  The king did not seem worried about the danger of a high powered spellcaster coming after him. Perhaps this was something he dealt with on a regular basis. No, there was a bigger danger in allowing her to go against my wishes unchecked. A judgment was in order.

  Chapter 23

  The king was rather close to finding the last gem to open the door. But I was too distracted to care about his progress. There was a verdict to pronounce, one that must be heard and seen by all who resided within me.

  The goblins had built a courthouse a few years ago, when families began to dispute with one another over petty things. Ehdrid had appointed judges to oversee these cases in order to ensure harmony. But today there would be a new judge presiding over a case.

  I called forth all of my servants and followers to enter the courthouse. Fortunately, it was spacious, as goblins reproduced rather quickly and Ehdrid had the wisdom to foresee that many would wish to attend these proceedings. Ehdrid’s honor guard was sent to escort Jineve to the courtroom. She was surprised by my orders but knew better than to challenge me. Any violence against my people would be met with direct action from me. She was more powerful than any other mortal within the dungeon, but her power was nothing compared to mine. And she knew it.

  When everyone had assembled, the goblins and the apprentices, Jineve was brought to the pedestal in the center of the room, where all eyes were upon her. And, for the first time ever, I spoke to everyone at once, using my real voice instead of telepathy. This changed the temperature of the room immediately. The goblins had been jolly and chattery, excited to see what new court case was happening, but as soon I spoke, they grew grim and quiet. Some were even afraid.

  “There has been a great crime against me,” I spoke. “A crime committed by the sorceress Jineve.”

  Jineve scowled at me. “I broke no law. I have violated no rules.”

  I ignored her words. The judgment was already done. She had gone against me by hiding her actions and by aiding the king. Soren, who had received her life-saving assistance, understood this was not the right behavior for a subject.

  “This is my domain. You serve me by living here and, in turn, I serve you. We all live and die together. To lie, to deceive and to commit sins by omission, all the while claiming you have done no wrong is inexcusable. Either you serve me, or you are against me. My rewards to those who live according to my wishes are great. A safe haven from all the cruelty in this world. Food for those who are hungry. Meaningful work for those who wish it. Knowledge for those who thirst. You have chosen to serve not me, Jineve, but yourself. And as such, these rewards are no longer yours to have.”

  There were gasps from the crowd. Many goblins began to whisper amongst themselves, shocked at this development. The seven apprentices sitting in the front row also were whispering, unsure of what to do.

  “For your deception against me, for aiding the king and violating the terms of a wager made between he and I, you are henceforth outlawed.”

  I let that last word boom out and echo for a few moments. Many did not seem to understand what I meant by such a word. I continued to enlighten them. “You are forever considered to be an outsider to me. This means you are no longer protected from my traps, or the monsters that guard these halls. No goblin shall render you aid; in fact, should they wish, they could murder and rob you as if you were just another human wandering in foreign territory. You may stay here for as long as you are able to survive, but you shall be afforded no care, no protection, no intercession on my behalf.”

  “You can’t be serious!” Jineve cried out. “I…I did nothing wrong!” She turned to the goblins and shouted again. “These charges aren’t true! He’s lying!”

  “As my final kindness to you, you shall be escorted to my mouth by the honor guard, but once you are at the entrance of the dungeon, you are no longer kin to me, or the denizens within me. You will be a stranger forever.”

  Jineve growled at me. “After everything I’ve done for you, you’d throw me out?”

  “You have done this to you
rself. If you wish to live for your own self, so be it. I have made it official that this is the case. Go and live the life you have chosen.”

  This was a harshness, to bring such powerful charges against her for one incident, but then again, that trust was broken. I could not rely on her again, lest she betray me for her own devices. This display would show the others that there was no letter of the law to be concerned about. Follow the spirit of the rules I had set in place, serve me, or leave in disgrace. There was no other option.

  “Very well,” Jineve said. She was seething, and I could see a few sparks of arcane energy flash from her fingertips, but she was keeping it together. She knew that to attack me would be a death sentence. “And what of my apprentices?”

  “They are yours, are they not? Here only because of your wishes. Take them with you,” I replied. I genuinely had no interest in those young sorcerers and wizards. They had done an excellent job with research, but to my knowledge, they were more interested in serving Jineve than me. I did not need more insubordinates living within me.

  The honor guard approached Jineve and took her, along with her apprentices out. The rest of the goblins were quick to scramble out of the courthouse, no doubt reflecting on their own actions and loyalties. Ehdrid had called a townhall meeting to be held after this judgment, so he could explain to them what had just happened. Up until now, only two members of the tribe had heard my voice.

  I felt sorrow at forcing Jineve out, but this was a good compromise. She had served me well in the years and thus deserved the dignity of being allowed to live outside of me. I had initially been leaning towards simply killing her, but she did not deserve that harsh a punishment. Execution would only be for those who brought direct harm to their kin. The rest would be expelled.

  One human remained after everyone else had made a hasty exit. I recognized him as one of the apprentices. He was the one the goblins had healed. Thomas was his name and he was more curious than the rest of the apprentices. While they had sequestered themselves in the small academy hall built to keep them safe, he was often out and about, exploring the rest of the dungeon.

  “Great Tree?” he asked, looking up at the judgment bench where he assumed that I was sitting. I said nothing, of course. Speaking would not be commonplace for those who were not selected by me. After receiving no answer, he continued with his request. “I know that you told us all to leave with her, but may I stay? I must admit that while I’m not terribly good with magic, I have other talents.”

  He dug into the bag that was hanging on his side, producing a few sketchbooks. “These contain designs I’ve made for rooms and traps. I find what you’ve built here fascinating.” He held one of the books up, opening it wide for me to see.

  I looked at the sketch. It was impressive in its design. It was a room that would fill with water, but rather than rely on magic to fill the space, there was a complicated mechanism that allowed for rapid draining and filling. Best of all, the mechanism was built into an adjacent room, meaning adventurers would have no access to it in order to escape. It was interesting work. Far more complicated in nature than my own rooms.

  He flipped through a few books, to show me more sketches. I didn’t speak a word to him, but he stayed, refusing to leave until he had an answer. He was a sickly young man, I knew. The healers had mentioned that he had a bad heart, making it hard for him to do much other than study and draw. He could travel throughout the dungeon, but usually at a slower pace. He tried to use magic, but his illness made it difficult to sustain the long hours of practice necessary to master arcane power.

  Thomas seemed earnest enough. I didn’t know if I had any use for his plans, but it did occur to me that he could fulfill a now empty position. With Jineve outlawed, I no longer had a representative to speak to humans in the outside world. I was not about to change my policy when it came to communicating with outsiders directly. Truthfully, I enjoyed the mysteriousness that came with speaking through another person. When I spoke directly, sure it was more effective, but the mystery vanished. I didn’t want people to look at me straightforward. Rather, I wanted them to see me with wonder and curiosity.

  I knew this Thomas as little as I did Jineve. But I could tell he would be little trouble, for he kept his head down when he talked, avoided eye contact and was rather nervous about any kind of interaction. Not nearly as brash and bold as Jineve had been. This was the kind of person who would stick to the words given to him. But I needed to be discerning. I could not simply just entrust him with this authority as I did Jineve. I would observe him for a time, to see how he handled his new responsibilities.

  I stretched out to Ehdrid and informed him that Thomas was to be given to the goblins’ Guild of Dungeon Crafters as a new member of the team, an architect. There, he would be placed in charge of four goblins, to implement his designs. How he handled his authority would give me a good picture of how he would respond to my own commands.

  Ehdrid confirmed and sent a messenger to retrieve Thomas. I said nothing to the boy. There was nothing to say until the time was right, but nevertheless, he was thankful that he was being allowed to stay. And I was thankful that I’d get some more, refined traps to improve the second floor. Even without Jineve’s help, the king was moving through it far too quickly for my taste.

  Chapter 24

  King Soren was victorious in his efforts. He had assembled all five gems, having slain the Hurlic and Shrevar in the Magekiller, bargained with the Giant Chief for his earring and, of course, having blatantly cheated his way through the rest of the dungeon with Jineve’s help. But he was not to blame for this mistake. It was Jineve who had led him astray. His hands were clean. As far as I was concerned, he believed that he was keeping his end of the deal, ascribing his guidance to the power of his ancestors or perhaps Isha, goddess of oathkeeping. He would claim the Age of a Thousand for himself, clasping it tightly in his hand, raising it high above the pedestal in the final room.

  It was in that moment that I would watch him to find what he would do. No doubt the idea of agelessness was a temptation. Would he succumb and wear the amulet for himself? Or would he continue with his steeled resolve to destroy the artifact and free his lost kin? His servant produced the answer by drawing out a large, thick box with many strange locks and hinges upon it. Once Soren had confirmed the amulet was safe to be handled, it was promptly handed over to the squire, who secured it greatly.

  “It is so that if there is any power of temptation of this device, it cannot overtake anyone,” Soren explained to thin air. It occurred to me that he had been talking quite a bit during the last few parts of his adventure, but I had been distracted by pronouncing judgment on Jineve. I realized now that he had been talking to me, but I simply did not have the power to be present with him as well as understand his words. He had been having a one-sided conversation for the better part of a day and hadn’t realized it.

  The squire placed the amulet in the box and then sealed it shut, tightening each clasp around the box, twisting a separate gem, which in turn warded the box. Then, three chains were produced from a silver bag, chains of anti-magic, that were wrapped around the box tightly, locked so that no spell could unbind them. It would take the better part of a year for a rogue or thief to try and get that box open.

  “Well?” Soren asked. “Is our bargain concluded? Am I free to leave?”

  I decided to indulge the king, in the hopes of expediting his departure. His camp had turned away too many adventuring parties within just three days. I wanted to be back to my regular way of conducting affairs as quickly as possible.

  “You are free to depart, King Soren,” I said. “You have done well in your task.”

  “And how did you perform in your…task?” the king asked. It was rather brazen to ask me my own business so effortlessly, but then again, he was royalty. He spoke to me now as if he were a peer, not some tiny speck in a dungeon. At first, I wanted to resent his tone, but then realized that I had an opportun
ity to learn if my action would have unforeseen consequences in the future. I could not be prideful, not when I had followed his own advice earlier. He deserved to know the truth.

  “I exiled her. She is no longer friend or kin of me or my people,” I explained.

  Soren nodded. “Good call.”

  “Was it?” I asked. “I have never done such a thing. Will there be consequences?”

  Soren laughed at that. “There are always consequences. But the question I always ask myself before making a decision is whether those consequences are better than the consequence of doing nothing. Usually the answer is yes. She may come back, angry or vengeful. But it’s better than that anger festering inside of you where you’re vulnerable.”

  There was wisdom in those words. “I thank you for your kindness in your concern for my affairs,” I replied. “I wish you well on your quest to destroy the amulet and free your people.”

  Soren bowed. “And I wish you well in your reign over this kingdom of yours.”

  And with that, the king and his squire took their leave, making their way out of the dungeon, slowly and rather carefully, to ensure that there were no traps or parting “gifts” waiting for them. And as they walked, I began to sense a great burst of magic outside. It was wild, chaotic and violent. My consciousness shifted to watch what was happening outside. Had some high level adventuring party arrived and disagreed with the king’s decree?

  No. It was not the work of an adventuring party, but rather a single woman, whose skin was aflame. She was hovering above the camp, throwing down fireballs at the warriors and guards, incinerating them instantly. The retinue of spellcasters tried to cast a warding spell, but they were not as fast as this woman, who snapped a finger and struck the breath from their lungs, suffocating them. Within seconds the camp laid in ruin and the woman let out a laugh.