The Guild Core: The Complete Saga Boxset: A LitRPG Dungeon Adventure

by TJ Reynolds

  His body extended outwards and filled the armor perfectly.

  Rather than strap everything in place and slide the crinet over his neck and the chanfron on his face, he just ambled up the slope slowly, careful not to jostle the balancing armor.

  He set it down on the slope nearby, giving them quick access to the baggage.

  By then, the dragons had each wrestled out more than enough logs for the construction. They’d been smart enough to locate dead ones first.

  Rhona rolled her eyes as she listened to the squabble that had risen up between the beasts.

  It doesn’t bode well that you chose to give up so soon, Calreen, Freya said scornfully. Eight logs is hardly your share.

  The white Ananri dragon chuffed. And compete with you fools for no reason? Rhona asked for forty logs, not sixty!

  Anatoth set down one final log so large it would likely not be used at all. Then he turned to Calreem. We only gathered forty-six, brother. Don’t exaggerate.

  You gathered fifteen by yourself, Anatoth! If we had all competed to keep up, we would have sixty.

  Freya bristled. Don’t speak to—

  “Quiet!” Kai snapped as he strode up, cloak wrapped around himself from the transformation. “I don’t remember Rhona asking any of you to fight. Now shut up and listen!”

  Rhona suppressed a laugh and plastered a somber expression on her face. Thank you all for your contributions. I doubt we’ll need all these, but oh well.

  Calreem shot Freya a scowl, but the dragons kept quiet.

  Ignoring them, Rhona called Calreem forward. I need you to dig a furrow a foot deep here, making it around a foot wide, okay?

  The young dragon agreed happily and got to work with his claws.

  Rhona assigned Hazel to do the same fifteen feet away. Since there were four dragons all contending to work, she made good use of them.

  One by one, furrows were made around the shelter area. The downhill one was the deepest, and Rhona had Anatoth pull the loose soil up into a berm behind the trench.

  Finally, she asked the two biggest dragons to snap most of the logs in half with their tails.

  This proved difficult, since the logs rarely broke where she wanted them to. They did have extra, however, so it wasn’t long before she had what she needed.

  Thank you Anatoth and Freya, Rhona commended. Your size and strength were invaluable during this process.

  The dragons preened.

  She arched an eyebrow at Kai and continued. If you two will gather a bit of dry wood for the fire, that would be appreciated. And I do mean a bit!

  Anatoth and Freya flew away in pursuit of their goal.

  Now, Rhona finished, I need you two to work carefully and cleverly. Can you do that?

  The sun was setting by the time the rough shelter was complete.

  Rhona had asked Calreem to drive two large stakes in the ground at the top of the slope uphill. Stacking three logs behind it, the first and easiest wall had been built.

  She’d considered having long logs simply laid down and creating a tent space beneath, but the area would be a bit cramped, only good for sleeping.

  So Hazel drove four more tall stakes on the downhill portion. This created a gap where more logs could be stacked to form a short wall.

  After they did so, the ten remaining full logs were set in place over the top of the uphill and downhill walls.

  Normally, rope or some other binding would need to be employed.

  But the dragons had driven the stakes in so deep that the two walls were as sturdy as a house, and the slope over their roof gentle enough that the logs would stay in place easily.

  Then she asked the two dragons to drive in the side walls, pounding the logs upright into the trench they’d previously dug.

  Leaving a three-foot gap for a door and carving out a wide fireplace ten feet outside the door proved to be their final steps.

  Anatoth and Freya had produced a massive pile of dry timber. Rather than scold the beasts, Rhona praised them, noting that they would have enough fuel for two weeks if they needed it.

  Then she set to building a fire that they could all celebrate their achievements around.

  The group ate roasted warg that night, and everyone’s spirits were high. Though the dragons weren’t particularly hungry after feasting on trout and warg earlier, they all tasted the roasted meat anyhow and made a fuss about how lovely it was.

  Rhona smiled at Kai after Freya swore an oath that she’d never had anything so good in all her long life.

  Guarding her thoughts, she spoke to her friend with her mind. They are children, Kai. Somehow, now that they speak, it is painfully obvious.

  They are, Rhona. And they adore you. Kai shot her a wink.

  Eventually, the dragons grew sleepy and they clawed out nooks in the hillside to sleep in.

  Kai positioned them to sleep on all four sides of the shelter, and as Kai and Rhona got ready for sleep, they commanded Greg to stand watch.

  As Rhona crawled into her bedroll beside Kai, she was all too aware of their proximity.

  Strange, she thought to herself. We’ve been companions for nearly half a year now, and yet this feels like the first time we’ve slept alone.

  The two said goodnight and let the heavy silence of the night speak for them.

  Rhona’s awkwardness was at last overcome by fatigue.

  She fell asleep seemingly between thoughts, the night’s activities and conversation blending seamlessly into her dreams.

  The next morning, Kai announced his plan to scout out the great valley. “I figure we should all mount up and fly around the western rim first. We can battle anything strong enough to bother with, and slowly work our way down to the end of the valley.

  “Then we turn back and head up the center the valley. Thoughts?”

  Rhona considered while she chewed a hunk of one of the biscuits Ban had packed for them. “Sounds good to me,” she said at last. “If we don’t encounter anything promising, we could always change out course. Won’t be hard to find camp again given the size of our lake.”

  A half-hour later, Kai transformed within his dragon armor, and Greg and Rhona helped strap it in place.

  The young dragons had left their armor in place since they knew a great hunt would follow the next day.

  Rhona and Greg mounted up, and the group took to the sky.

  Though the shelter easily rested a few miles from the steep ridge above, the valley itself continued to descend quickly for many more miles.

  Rhona had grown used to the thin air over their long flight, so the true elevation of the campsite eluded her. Watching the grasslands fall away as Kai effortlessly glided down the valley cured that misperception.

  Patches of pine trees clumped together along the valley’s edge. Each clump appeared at a distance to contain a multitude of smaller animals.

  Birds exploded from treetops as the dragons passed, and here and there herds of deer or pairs of scheming foxes ran for cover.

  It didn’t take long till they found prey worthy of their time.

  Kai spoke to Rhona as he slowed down and gained altitude. Look ahead. Tell me what you see?

  She peered over his side and gaped for a while before the creatures started to make sense. I… I think they might be bison, she said finally. I’ve seen ordinary bison before in the plains north of Brintosh, but these are obviously different.

  Kai flapped around in a lazy circle. The dragons circled behind him, each showing considerable discipline in silencing their thoughts.

  Rhona waited to see what Kai would order, and as they passed near the herd again, she stared at the beasts.

  The bison had the bulky bodies and hunched shoulders and backs as those she’d seen before. But these beasts were seemingly wreathed in silver clouds. Twisted horns rose up from their skulls, long and dangerous, even to a dragon.

  Their bodies were massive, easily the size of Kai, though lacking the wings of course.

  At last, they came
close enough for Rhona to inspect them.

  Mist Bison

  Elemental Mega Fauna

  Emerald 3

  Shivving hells, Kai! Even the regular ones are Emerald 3! I don’t think we should brawl with the herd.

  Kai acknowledged her and veered away again. I agree. And the alpha is Viridian 1. That is something we’ve never encountered before. If we can avoid it, I’d prefer we not try to do so now.

  Spotting a nearby peak that overlooked that section of the valley, Rhona suggested they land there and plan out a strategy.

  Ten minutes later, the group of dragons huddled close by, hawk-like eyes peering down at the hulking beasts. Alright, we want to pull a few of the monsters away from the herd so we can fight them alone, Kai said. Any ideas how we might achieve that goal?

  Rhona bit her tongue.

  This question had been aimed at the dragons, all of whom needed to start thinking for themselves.

  She expected Anatoth and Freya to spout off first, but the two dragons turned their heads toward Hazel.

  The golden Orondi was often the wisest of the group, and her race was known for tactical thinking.

  Hazel shuffled nervously and lowered her head. Anatoth and Freya could fly over the herd to harry them at different angles. That might prevent an outright stampede. She bobbed her head subtly, as if she were considering her own plan. No sense in having them simply move off.

  Kai prodded the dragon’s plan. What if the bison use skills and bring one of us down from the sky? How could we minimize risk?

  Calreem spoke up. Best not to fly over the herd at all.

  Hazel was speaking, Freya snapped. Wait your turn, little one.

  Kai growled menacingly. Hold your tongue, Freya. Don’t let the fire rule your heart.

  A moment passed until Calreem tried again. He glanced between his siblings and Kai, his eyes wide with fear. It was obvious he wanted nothing more than to please those around him.

  Finally, he looked down at the bison below. The bison are hedged in between those two hills. If Freya started a fire in the valley below, it would burn inwards toward the bison. Then Anatoth could strike the far side of the herd with Winter’s Wrath. The herd would scatter, and we could regroup in the sky and choose targets as we see fit.

  Freya made an odd thrumming noise in her chest. The other dragons looked to her and she lowered her head before Calreem. A wise plan, little brother. Accept my apology.

  Of course! Calreem replied instantly. I don’t know if it will work, but—

  We won’t know if any plan will work, Kai butted in. Accept Freya’s praise, Calreem. Your plan may not be perfect, but it took several factors into consideration.

  Rhona smiled as she observed the Ananri dragon’s discomfort. Calreem’s gleaming white scales and bright, curious eyes made him appear like a mythological beast.

  Yet he was just an awkward youth that yearned for acceptance amongst his peers.

  “Let’s do it!” she shouted. “I’m growing bored up here. We give Calreem’s plan a try, and hope for the best. If anything goes wrong, we fly back here and regroup.”

  “What, no battle speech?” Greg asked, surprising the group.

  Rhona turned and found the champion’s eyes lit up with Ban’s intelligence. “No, Ban,” she replied with a smirk. “No battle speech.”

  Greg’s face pulled into a frown, but then he shrugged. “No worries. I’ll think of one for you lot while you swoop about. Good luck on the hunt, Kai!”

  With that, Ban retreated once more, leaving the brute work to his friends.

  Having decided upon a strategy, the dragons flew back to the herd and swooped around it. Kai started circling a half-mile out from the mouth of the small canyon where the bison were feeding.

  He commanded Freya to initiate the attack, and the plan got underway.

  Rhona tried not to feel useless as she sat atop Kai, waiting for the action to start. But this wasn’t exactly her hunt. This was all about leveling the dragons as quickly as possible.

  She had no doubt that during their time in this valley, she and Kai would find plenty of time to progress themselves.

  In the meantime, she settled for a secondary role.

  Freya folded her wings and soared toward the edge of the herd. The green dragon blurred forward as she opened her wings and sped away.

  Many of the bison noticed her approach, and they bellowed in warning. A few even seemed to activate skills. Their horns glowed a bright silver as if charging up for an elemental attack.

  At the last minute, the Mireen dragon reared up and triggered Forge Storm.

  The gout of fire expanded and charred the field below. The grass was green and lush, but under the inferno of Freya’s spell, it was little but fuel.

  A gentle breeze fanned the flames, and soon a hundred-foot swath of meadow burned.

  Freya flapped hard and swerved to avoid the handful of attacks thrown at her by the bison. Their horns released bolts of silver Wind ether that streaked up at the green dragon.

  She was quick, however, and not a single attack struck her.

  Anatoth, get on with it! Kai commanded.

  The blue Azure dragon broke off and headed around the opposite side of the herd.

  He dropped down just above the scattered trees.

  The dragon’s jaws opened, and a thick column of Water ether plunged down.

  Rhona could heard the crackle of flames mix with the shattering creak of ice forming in the distance. The sounds were anything but quiet, but soon, the panic of the bison drowned it all out.

  Anatoth winged off in time to avoid another volley of Wind attacks, but one of the spells struck him on his armored flank. The blast echoed off the surrounding hills like cannon shots.

  Rhona grimaced but held her tongue.

  The Azure dragon flew away to safety, slowly circling round to join up with Kai and the others. His wings beat heavily, and Rhona could see the beast was in pain.

  When he came close, she saw the plate armor had been bent inward, pressing against one of his ribs.

  Kai swept the other dragons up into a tight formation. Hazel, use Blessed Gale on the group. We need all the advantage we can get.

  The golden dragon activated her spell, and cooling relief and rejuvenation flooded the party. Rhona breathed in deep, enjoying the rush of Wind ether that eased the tension from her muscles.

  Finally, Kai wheeled back toward the rampaging herd.

  Rhona saw most of the herd had found a gap between one hill and the flames. The bison poured out into the valley, charging at incredible speeds.

  Several others, caught up in a panic, simply ran through the fire. Their shaggy, silver-misted coats only burned for a short time.

  Must be whatever ether mist they have wrapped around them, Rhona thought. Kai, make sure not to rely on your fire or Freya’s in the fight to come.

  Good point—I’ll be sure to let Freya know, Kai replied, then headed deeper into the canyon.

  They flew over several smaller groups of bison that were held up in the blusters of pine trees. Kai passed them by, most likely seeking weaker prey.

  Then Rhona spotted three of the beasts at the far end of the canyon. It was the best chance they’d get.

  Kai shouted a few mental orders, and the dragons descended on the bison. Rather than attack from the sky alone, Kai landed before the monsters and cast Confounded Core as he landed.

  The spell hit one of the bison, but the splash effect didn’t work this time for some reason.

  Still, as the monster galloped away from its fellows, Rhona was relieved the odds had been pushed in their favor.

  The two bison prepared to charge, and their horns lit up with silver light. Kai shouted for Anatoth to use his spell again, and a pillar of ice struck the beasts hard from their flank.

  Though Winter’s Wrath didn’t kill the monsters outright, it did ruin their spell casting. One panicked and bolted, dropping the spell altogether.

  The other relea
sed the Wind spell only after flinching, and it careened away into the sky to Kai’s right.

  Freya, Hazel, take the one that’s running! Kai shouted a second later.

  The green and white dragons were like glorious hawks as they struck the fleeing bison time and again, wetting their talons with each pass.

  They brought it down soon after as its ravaged body collapsed to the ground.

  Anatoth and Calreem did for the other. The Azure pummeled the bison across the side of its stout head. The blow dazed the beast, and Calreem flew in and took out the bison’s throat with a well-aimed slash.

  The final bison recovered from its confusion shortly after, but Freya roasted it with a direct blast of Forge Storm.

  Kai waited while the dragons absorbed the ether that flooded the air.

  Rhona patted his neck. That went well. I’m going to dismount and see if I can’t help Anatoth with his armor. Looks like he’s still in pain.

  She unbuckled her legs and slid down from Kai’s back.

  Then she jogged over to where Anatoth panted nearby. He squinted his eyes at her, a gesture she’d learned was a sort of greeting for dragons.

  It very much reminded her of a cat.

  Hey, buddy. I’m going to try to fix that, okay?

  Thank you, Rhona. The wound cannot heal as it is, the Azure admitted, turning to give her his flank.

  She found the bound section of armor and discovered two of the shifting plates were stuck together. They needed to be stretched apart before they could slide back together, one over the top of the other.

  Rhona got an idea. Anatoth, take a deep breath in. Sorry about the pain, just do it as best you can.

  The Azure did as asked. His implicit trust wasn’t lost on her for a second.

  Slowly, as his lungs filled, the armor spread apart.

  She pried as hard as she could, and at the last moment, the two plates separated. The top one immediately slid over the other.

  Anatoth exhaled in relief.

  He thanked her, and she trotted back to Kai. Hey, might want to cast a heal on Anatoth. His armor is dented but fine now. That rib is at the very least bruised, though.

  Good work, Rhona. I’ll heal him right away.

  Then his body went rigid, and he turned back toward the canyon and the still-mewling bison in the distance.