A Living Dungeon

by Allan Joyal

  “Obviously it didn’t happen. What did you do?” Bezztol asked.

  “I had become a friend of the crown prince of Ridneg. I convinced him that allowing me to take the duo outside the walls of the capital would be a worse punishment. I believe he thought I’d take them to some orc lair and stake them out,” Dared said.

  “Why would they think that?” Bezztol asked knowingly.

  “Oh, I never said a word about it….” Dared said.

  “Really?” Bezztol asked sarcastically.

  “To him,” Dared finished. “I had found out about the crown prince from some of the guards. They were happy to pass messages from me to him and to help me come up with stories that made me seem like a heartless killer.”

  “He might find out,” Bezztol said.

  “He’s dead. The king finally gave an order that even his closest advisors felt was too evil. They brought him down. However, by that time Colasmel had established a small workshop in Fairview. And when I offered to bring him here, he was happy to come,” Dared said.

  “Is he truly happy?” Bezztol asked looking over at the worker’s table where Colasmel was drinking with Joward and some of the laborers.

  Colasmel looked up and then over at the lordling. He said something to Joward and then made his way over to the table. One of the guards jumped up and headed out, leaving a chair next to Bezztol for the alchemist.

  “Let me guess,” Colasmel said. “That man is telling you about why I work for him.”

  “He tells me he saved you from execution and your daughter from a worse fate,” Bezztol said. “But that doesn’t explain why you’d leave a successful shop in Fairview.”

  “Because the idiots in Fairview didn’t like a woman working in an alchemist’s workshop. They wanted Jerisa to be married off. Several of the younger alchemists were constantly after me to provide my secrets, saying that they could take my recipes and be rich enough to lavish my daughter with gifts,” Colasmel said.

  “There are probably worse fates,” Dared said absently.

  “Yeah, and you saved her from one and then ignored her,” Colasmel said merrily.

  “I didn’t want her to be with me simply out of gratitude,” Dared said.

  “What about now?” Bezztol asked. He noticed that Dared’s eyes had been unfocused for a moment after he talked about Jerisa.

  “If I can get him in front of a priestess of Veshtrya, he’ll be marrying my daughter,” Colasmel said. He sounded like an angry father, but he winked at Bezztol.

  Dared sighed. “I don’t want to talk about that. Can we talk about the town we are founding?”

  Bezztol smiled. “So far it’s going to be a rather small town.”

  “Two taverns, an inn, a few shops, a barracks for the guard and a temple or two. It will probably have maybe two hundred regular residents. And to feed them I’m going to need at least another thousand farmers in the valley,” Dared said.

  “Probably closer to two thousand people working on the farms or supporting them,” Colasmel said. “But from what I’ve seen this valley is perfect for farming. And the forests to the south have plenty of game - for now.”

  Dared nodded. “And it will probably take a couple of years to bring that many people here. I’m just glad that Trifect found a few more guards. We are going to need them if more bandits like that Jivelt show up.”

  “We found the body of one of his friends,” Bezztol said. “It had been dragged to the altar the kobolds keep. They cut his throat open and allowed the blood to pool on it.”

  “What will that do?” Dared asked.

  “So far we aren’t sure why the kobolds have the altar. I can say that their rooms look to be perfect for their small size. There are many tunnels they can scamper through in order to set up an ambush. The Flame Vultures enjoy the rewards from those rooms, but say it’s stressful due to the fact that the kobolds can appear anywhere. Many use slings they have fashioned out of spider silk, which makes it hard to stop them. Sometimes you don’t even know they are there until the first stones fly,” Bezztol said.

  “Are they accurate?” Dared asked.

  “Not too accurate. The spiders are the bigger threat. The poison leaves an arm or leg numb and swollen if they bite you there. I’ve had only one Flame Vulture bit in the shoulder and he died before we could administer an antidote to him,” Bezztol said.

  “I think Kalacho lost someone four days ago too,” Dared said.

  Bezztol nodded. “Yeah, one of their recruits was in a hurry to leave after they got a bit beat up fighting a couple orc and wolf teams on the third floor. He got ahead of everyone else and then forgot to avoid the webs in the room with the stairway. We finally got to see the monster that spun that.”

  “I thought it was killed. I remember Kalacho’s people bringing out a massive spiders body,” Dared said.

  “They definitely did,” Colasmel said. “That venom is amazing. It took a bit of testing, but with a red stonecap mushroom I was able to neutralize it and craft an antidote that will work for any spider poison. I even have enough to test some other concoctions.”

  “Plus you got eyes and fangs. I think you also said the liquid it uses to spin into the webs was an amazing base for glue. Joward really liked that idea as I remember,” Dared said.

  Colasmel shook his head. “You listen too well. Yeah, Joward likes the idea of a better glue. It will make assembling some of the walls go faster. Trifect also wants to try some. He thinks it can help repair some of the harness pieces that wear out quickly.”

  Dared smiled. “Well, if you run out, we can ask Kalacho to find a way to coax the spider out without getting one of his recruits killed. I assume another one has moved into the room.”

  “At least one,” Bezztol said. “I think the spider there is partly to keep the orcs from leaving the zone set aside for them. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t enslave the kobolds if they could move back up to the second floor of the dungeon.”

  “And the first floor closed up?” Dared asked.

  “Yes,” Bezztol said. “Shortly after the bats tried to turn one of the rooms into a lair. Both rooms closed up and they haven’t reopened. Honestly, the only reason I’d want to keep one open would be to have a temple there. That might help with healing. Right now a dead adventurer can’t be resurrected.”

  “That’s expensive,” Dared said.

  “We know, but having things like that comforts most adventurers. We don’t plan on dying, but,” Bezztol said.

  “So you like the town idea?” Colasmel asked suddenly.

  “Of course,” Bezztol said. “A town will bring more craftsmen, which means it’s easier to repair or replace equipment. I also expect more wizards.”

  “We had that one, but he left for Fairview,” Dared said. “I’m not sure I miss him. He seemed to have some strange ideas about dungeons.”

  “So many people do,” Bezztol said absently. “But I should go and check our camp. My people are going on a run tomorrow. Mostly to see if Xirthar and Pardlian are ready to graduate to four man teams.”

  “I’m looking forward to what your people bring out,” Colasmel said.

  Bezztol smiled. “They are looking forward to the coins we get.”

  Colasmel laughed. “Of course they are. Just like I’m sure they are hoping for the town to grow up. There are a few lonely men out in those camps. Jerisa has heard them talk when they visit the store.”

  Dared nodded. “I hope that once we get a few more buildings up that we see some immigration. But that might be a while. The men at the quarry are saying they need about twenty more days before we see good quantities of stone. For now Joward only receives a wagonload every four or five days. It’s barely enough to get in the foundations of the buildings we have planned.”

  “And winter will likely be early,” Colasmel said. “But it’s probably about a hundred days away.”

  “I wish we knew,” Dared said. “Trifect thinks he can use sledges to get to Fairview after the snow f
lies, but we’ll have to make them. I don’t want to start until just before the snow flies.”

  “You seem to have a handle on everything,” Bezztol said.

  “The money my father is supplying won’t last more than another year or so. I need to have a solid base before that happens. So far the dungeon’s alchemical treasures have been quite promising. Now I just need to develop the town so that it attracts crafters,” Dared said.

  Faestari started to pull back her awareness. The rest of the room was starting to slowly empty as people returned to their camps. However, she had a couple of new ideas for treasures the adventurers would be pleased with.

  Chapter 21: Family Secrets

  Five days later, the first serious attempt to explore the forth floor began as Kalacho and four other members of the Impaled Cats Company fought past the orcs and descended the stairway. Faestari was sitting with Aylia as the men looked down the first passage.

  “You’re going to concentrate on them aren’t you,” Aylia whined.

  Faestari looked at the water sprite. Aylia spent most of her time in the hidden pool. She was always talking about how much she loved how the dungeon was laid out and trying to convince Faestari to add more twists to the underwater stream running through the fifth floor.

  The young dungeon soul found that she rarely could refuse Aylia’s entreaties. The wandering river now made its way through fourteen different rooms. Aylia at least kept finding and bringing in creatures to help populate the growing jungle that was the fifth level. Many of the rooms had crystal skylights that provided light during daylight hours. Several of the rooms were even heated as Faestari had reached down under the mountain and found a wellspring of hot gases and water she could tap into.

  Faestari turned to look at Aylia. “It’s the first time any adventurer had reached the fourth floor. Well third now I guess. I shut down the first floor, but it was empty already.”

  “You already told me about shutting down the first floor. You wanted to get rid of the bats,” Aylia said with a pout. “But do you have to watch the adventurers wander the floor? You never have time for me anymore.”

  Faestari carefully put an arm around Aylia. The water sprite had a fondness for suddenly turning into water, leaving Faestari soaked. “I do have a purpose. And I adore you. Look at the floor you are on. How many rooms have creatures that you thought up?”

  “Most of them,” Aylia said with a pout. “Well, most in the region you’ve populated. But you won’t spread out the stream more.”

  “We don’t have enough water,” Faestari said with a sigh. “Every room requires water to help fill the pools. Right now if I add another room the stream to the village will stop and they’d know what’s going on. Perhaps next year we’ll be able to add a couple more.”

  “But by then the adventurers will have visited the floor,” Aylia complained.

  “That will happen,” Faestari said. “But I make changes all the time. I remember you snuck down to the spring to see the celebration in Gee’if’s camp the night they found that mithril ingot in the final room on the second floor.”

  Aylia smiled and nodded, but then spun around to stare at the far wall. Faestari looked over in surprise and found that the wall was glowing hot. A moment later a man made out of fire seemed to burn his way into the room, although the stone behind him was unmarred once he stepped away.

  “A mephit!” Aylia cried in dismay. She jumped into the pool and vanished as Faestari stared at the unwelcome creature.

  “Why are you in my domain?” Faestari asked angrily.

  “I live in the fire node you tapped,” the mephit said.

  “That’s wonderful,” Faestari said sarcastically. “But I did not invite you to come and visit me. So once again, why are you in my domain?”

  “Can I not live within? The fire node feeds me mana, as it has allowed you to add steam to several rooms of your dungeon,” the mephit said.

  “And you are just going to melt your way through the walls of my dungeon, damaging the rooms,” Faestari said. “That is not something I want or need.”

  “You malign me,” the mephit said. “I only wish to be part of the great dungeon you are creating. Even if you have a water sprite advising you. I can make the dungeon stronger.”

  Faestari closed her eyes and reached out with her mana. She was shocked to discover that the mephit was chained by a thin trickle of mana. The chain headed off somewhere to the East and left her domain.

  “You are not free,” she said firmly.

  “I assure you, my master rarely calls on me. I only offer my services to you as a way to help the dungeon to grow,” the mephit said quickly.

  “You have a strange way of offering your services. You invade my private chamber,” Faestari said.

  “I had no idea,” the mephit said. The flames made it impossible to see an expression, but Faestari had a feeling the creature was lying. “I just felt the presence of the water sprite. I wanted to ask her.”

  “She seemed remarkably uninterested in a conversation with you,” Faestari said. “But I’ll be kind to you for now. Return to your fire node. I’ll look into expanding the dungeon to provide some rooms for flame creatures.”

  “I could stay here and advise,” the creature said again.

  “Go,” Faestari commanded summoning her mana and forcing the mephit back a step. She surrounded the fire being with mana, blocking the heat of the fire from affecting any part of the dungeon.

  The mephit tried to move towards her. It seemed to flow forward only to slide back under the press of her mana. It then began to sink through the floor, burning away a circle of grass as it left the chamber.

  Faestari stared at the damage the mephit had done. “I don’t trust that creature,” she muttered. She made sure her mana shield around the creature guaranteed that it could not return to the chamber and would block it from entering her domain at all should it leave. Then she turned back to her alcove.

  “Do I check on the adventurers or finally read Salene’s note?” Faestari said.

  “You haven’t read it yet?” Aylia asked from behind her.

  Faestari turned around to see Aylia’s blue hair floating in the water. The water sprite rose out of the water until you could see the indentation of a belly button floating just above the surface. “You vanished and returned quickly,” Faestari said.

  “I don’t like fire spirits of any kind,” Aylia said. “Yes, heat is necessary to create steam, or to allow that jungle of fungus you grew in several chambers on this floor, but fire can destroy me. Especially magical fire like a mephit can use.”

  “Can’t your water harm him?” Faestari asked.

  Aylia turned a bright pink. Her hair transformed back into water for a moment causing a splash as it rolled off of her. “I won’t fight him in your house,” she said softly.

  “But you’ll fight adventurers,” Faestari said.

  Aylia shook her head. “That will be out there, in the caverns. This chamber is your home.”

  Faestari shrugged. “It’s only felt like a home recently. I was pretty lonely until you arrived in the dungeon. Now I have someone to talk to, even if she distracts me.”

  “How are the adventurers doing?” Aylia asked.

  “They ran into a stag beetle,” Faestari said absently.

  Aylia laughed. “I’ve seen those stag beetles. I was going to ask if you wanted to make a water bug that size.”

  “Wouldn’t that be the crayfish?” Faestari asked.

  “No, there are bugs that nest underwater. They bring down bubbles of air and trap them to create a pocket of air under the surface. A giant one of those would be a real danger to adventurers, and you could hide the treasure underwater in the nest,” Aylia said hopefully.

  “Next year I’ll see if I can spare the water for a chamber. That would take more water than I have stored,” Faestari said. “As for the adventurers, they are going to head back to the surface.”

  “You’re getting better,�
�� Aylia said. “You did not have to close your eyes and concentrate, to keep track of them.”

  Faestari shook her head and resumed walking to the alcove. “I also missed anything they might have said. That worries me a bit. They might have thought the beetle was too difficult an opponent. I think one of the adventurers lost an arm to it.”

  Aylia looked upset. “Will they do anything?”

  Faestari sat down on the edge of the raised platform in the alcove. She turned and looked at Aylia. “Would you mind if I check that?”

  Aylia put her hands on the shore and rose up out of the pool. Her legs solidified as she ran over to the alcove. “I’ll watch over you while you do,” she said.

  Faestari closed her eyes and sent out her mana. The team of adventurers had made it back to the stairway to the floor but had stopped. One of them had been laid on his back and a robed figure knelt next to him.

  “Ygryail, how is he?” someone asked.

  “The beetle’s mandibles were sharp. It cut through his wrist,” the robe figure said in a soprano voice. “I’ve managed to stop the bleeding, but I don’t want to use too much magic or the regrowth potion we have at the camp won’t work.”

  “How much time do we have?” Kalacho asked.

  “Not too long,” Ygryail said sadly.

  “Please,” another of the adventurers said. “You have to save my brother’s hand. We only know adventuring.”

  “I’m trying,” Ygryail snapped back. “I love him too.”

  Faestari looked carefully under the hood of the robed figure. The woman’s face was lined with tears of despair. It was clear she was about to give up on saving the hand of the man.

  The young dungeon made a decision. Just behind Kalacho a massive hand grew out of the wall. A second hand followed and then two feet as a golem stepped free. It’s thunderous footsteps finally making the adventurers aware of its existence.

  “What?” the uninjured brother said. “Is it not enough you took his hand.”

  “I can carry him,” Faestari had the golem say. “Monsters will leave us alone. We may still save your brother.”