But this was the choice he’d made. Lauren was higher on his priority list than Robyn.
And when you included Adele into that mix, his choice felt even more correct.
“It’s about time. Robyn will be setting up camp around this time,” Wynne said from beside him, resting a hand on his thigh.
“Yeah. Suppose it is,” Ryker said, clearing his throat.
“And this is what you want to do? There’s no going back. There’s no telling what that core will do when you try this,” Wynne said.
“I know. Just to go over it again, you said this won’t break our core. I mean, this is pretty far outside of what I’d say were normal boundaries for them.”
“It’ll more than likely damage it. To the point that we’ll spend a while repairing it, and with our mana banks still depleted. The support column attack was costly. To refill the banks, and repair the damage, that’ll take some time. Destroy it though? No,” Wynne said, shaking her head. “Certainly damaged though.”
“Then, yeah. This is what I want to do.”
Ryker closed his eyes, cast his senses out, and sped off. Moving at maximum speed, he knew where he was going, and that he could actually get there. Tris, Charlotte, and Sierra were all carrying their cores with them. It was providing a vast area for them to work in that the dungeon controlled.
A fourth Fairy he didn’t know was posted on the inside of the perimeter of the dungeon with an unbound dungeon core. There was a clean line from the site of the ambush, all the way back to the dungeon that they used as an umbilical cord.
“She’s new, but I like her. Testing out her ability to follow directions in a situation that could change. I think she’ll be good for you as a personal assistant. Which you sorely need, as of late,” Wynne said, her tone caustic.
Up ahead, Ryker could feel his people closing in on Robyn and her team.
Chapter 25- Apologies -
Ryker hurtled into the woods that Robyn and her team had stopped in. Coming to a halt only when he almost passed the area over completely.
He ended up positioned right above Sierra.
She glared up at him, her bushy brows pinched together. Lifting a hand from her axe she waved at him as if to shoo him away.
Behind her was a team of Fairies who all reported up to her. Quite a few of them looked familiar to him. In fact he could even identify a few that he recognized from the previous assault on the supply train.
“Go ‘way, you glowing fart,” Sierra hissed at him.
Focusing in on her, Ryker got even closer. “I think right here is good. But feel free to complain more, I’ll just get closer. Maybe we’ll get to the point where I’m traveling from inside your head?” Ryker sent to her.
“Right bastard you are,” Sierra grumbled, shifting from one foot to another.
“And don’t forget it. Now, what do we have?”
Ryker pivoted in place and turned towards where he assumed Robyn and her people would be.
There, hidden amongst the brush, was a small clearing. Big enough for people to lay down in, though little better.
Seems she’s taking her mission seriously and is doing all she can to hide. It’s a pity for her that we tracked her from the dungeon all the way here.
“Master, we’re in position. What do you want to do?” came the mental prod from Tris.
Ryker drifted over slowly towards Robyn’s position.
He couldn’t get a good view of what they were about till he was practically sitting in the lap of one of them who was clearly on watch.
Robyn was there of course. Sleeping.
As were six acolytes of various ages. Only one of whom was awake.
Or at least, semi-awake. The girl was blinking her eyes rapidly, her chin dipping ever so slightly between each successive longer blink.
This is almost pathetic. This is going to be as bad as Gavin and Nikki. Except going the other way in favor of Lauren.
Ryker had a moment of anxiety and panic. Of indecision.
To kill Robyn here and now or let her go.
“Go. Their watchman is nodding off,” Ryker thought to Tris, Charlotte, and Sierra.
The group of thirty something Fairies descended on the Paladin and her charges. They were as silent as one could be running through the woods.
Which is to say, not that quiet.
Unfortunately the woman on watch didn’t hear it. She was in the middle of battling to stay awake.
Not a single member of the group was disturbed. Right up until Sierra sunk the blade of her axe into the poor woman’s head.
The crunch, grunt, and press of people all trying to get at the sleeping forms woke the others.
Who all met quick and bloody ends.
Swords, axes, and daggers rained down on their bodies as they lay in their bedrolls.
Robyn’s head was struck from her shoulders in a brutal chop from Tris herself. The Paladin hadn’t even been given a chance to raise a blade to defend herself, let alone get out of her bedroll.
Ryker immediately pressed his senses on the memories and energy coming from Robyn’s corpse. He directed it all into the empty dungeon core he held close to his own body. The other energies he let fill normal cores as they held no interest to him.
Only Robyn did. Only her death, he regretted.
There was a blinding flash throughout the woods as the energy and memories blasted across the distance and into the dungeon core.
Ryker was instantly knocked out of his control spell-work, and flung backward.
The dungeon core in his arms was quite warm, the originally clear and empty interior spinning and buzzing with energy.
“Sweet heavens above and hells below,” Wynne said, coming over to him. “You actually bound her soul to the core.”
“I did what? I didn’t want her soul. I just wanted her memories,” Ryker said, sitting upright.
“And that you have, along with what is essentially her,” Wynne said. She reached out a finger and tapped the core twice.
“She is… confused. And angry. Very angry. I do not think it’ll be long before you’re forced to tell her what is going on.”
“What? Well, let’s just release her then. I don’t want her soul.”
“That… isn’t something I can do, Ryker. I do not truly even understand what you did to put her there. Dungeon cores are made over time. A soul assigned by… a higher power… so to speak. I have never heard of, or seen, anything like this. I could very well damage her soul in attempting to do as you’ve requested.”
“Shit,” Ryker said, looking into the core.
“On top of that, do be sure to slip in a mana feed. Unfortunately there is no mana for her to feed on, which means eventually the core will grow dim and fail. Effectively killing her soul,” Wynne said.
Seriously? I’ve made a huge mistake.
“I can eat it,” Tar said in his mind.
“No! No… no eating this. I’ll… I dunno. I’ll handle this another time. Are we alright back at the camp? Is there anything else we need to do?”
“No. Charlotte is handling the site. Tris and Sierra are on their way back with the corpses. They’re leaving nothing behind,” Wynne said.
“Alright. Great then. I think I’ll just go to bed. I’ll deal with this in the morning. After I think on it,” Ryker said, frowning.
“Ah, yes. Adele has been waiting for you anxiously. Last I saw she was dozing on your bed. In between alternating between cursing you and wondering where you are.”
“Crap, I almost forgot about her.”
“Go blow some steam off,” Wynne said, grinning at him. “It’s fun to watch.”
Shit.
***
The pounding on the door shook Ryker from a deep sleep. Snorting and sitting upright, he glared blearily around his room. His eyes felt sandy and his hair oily.
“Huuh?” he groaned, rubbing at his eyes with his palms.
Before he could even process what was going on, the door swung inward a
nd Diane strode in, her heels clacking on the wooden floor.
“I just got a message from mother,” she said, slamming the door behind her.
Ryker blinked a few times, staring at her.
“Ah?” he said intelligently.
“Yes. Wait, how awake are you?” she asked, eying him critically.
“Wake,” he grunted out.
“Hm. It’ll have to do. This isn’t something that can wait,” Diane said. She pulled over a chair from the far wall and dragged it over to the bedside.
Ryker grumbled incoherently, waiting for her to get to the point.
Sitting lightly in the chair, Diane smoothed her dress out with trembling fingers.
Tar stuck his head up from the small basket full of shredded linens on the bedside table. With a chirp he crawled out and flapped over to Diane, settling in her lap immediately
“What happened?” Ryker asked, finally sensing just how distressed she was. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I received a message from mother. It didn’t come through the normal channels again. This time it was with a member of the church of light. They came in an organized group,” Diane said.
“Sorry, Ryker, it wasn’t something we could get a hold of. We thought there might be a message, but we weren’t sure,” Wynne said in his mind.
“Damnit, what’s the point in this if we keep missing messages? What can we do about it?” Ryker sent back.
“I’m working on it.”
“—ently dead,” Diane said, having continued with her speech.
“Wait, who’s dead? Sorry, still waking up.”
“The Paladin! The one I told you about that was being sent to slay the queen. She and that band of acolytes with her,” Diane said.
Ryker had to think for a second.
In the end, Diane had told him about the mission Robyn had been given, but only the day after she left.
He was flattered by her trust in him, but at the same time, still wasn’t quite sure where his emotions lay with her.
“They’re dead?” Ryker asked. “How do they know?”
“Apparently one of their vicars received a divine message. The entire party was wiped out to the last. And done in a way that isn’t possible,” Diane said, her hands holding on tightly to Tar. “Apparently they were traveling under a holy guise. There was no way they could be tracked or followed. Except by the church of the dark. Only they would have the ability to punch a hole through it, but it would have cost them.”
“Uh… huh. That seems a bit farfetched, doesn’t it?” Ryker said. Doing his best to sound amazed and dubious at the same time.
“But that’s just it! Mother explained it. The only reason they’d expend such efforts is if the queen really was in league with the church of the dark! It makes perfect sense why they’d go to such lengths to protect her,” Diane said, nodding her head at the same time.
That… actually does make sense. Except that we were able to follow them so exactly because we traced them straight out of the dungeon territory.
“I… ah… yeah, I could see how that’d work. But… are we sure of that? It seems so—”
“It doesn’t matter. Mother believes it. The church believes it. That makes it true. Even if I don’t believe it. Though the church of the dark hasn’t claimed or said anything, which adds to my doubt. They’ve been trying to take Robyn down for some time.”
Ryker’s mind turned to Robyn at that thought.
Her soul was still imprisoned in the dungeon core he’d made. Locked deep away in the bowels of the dungeon with only a millimeter thin strand of mana feeding her.
She was effectively in a comatose state due to the lack of mana, and no longer a concern.
He’d have to figure out something more long term for her.
And soon.
“Mother said… mother said she’ll be heading back this way for an important meeting or two. And to check on me, of course. I think she worries you’re going to kill me in my sleep,” Diane said with a strange smile.
“If by kill you in your sleep, she means smother you because you snore like a drunken axe-man, then yes,” Ryker said, shaking his head. “As for the meetings. Alright. When should we expect her and do we need to prepare anything?”
“I believe she’ll be here late tonight or tomorrow. As for preparing anything, she only said to make sure there was a building site suitable for a temple made available.”
Diane paused for a moment, then pouted.
“I do not snore.”
Well that’s ominous.
“She’s making a deal with the church of light. They now firmly believe the dark church is involved on Lauren’s side. The members sent to deliver the message are preparing the way for a temple to be built here in Dungeon. I believe Veronica is about to overrule you as Count.
“I had Charlotte take one of their number in the group that brought the message and peel apart his mind for this info. She’s made his death look like an accident but there might be something coming from that later,” Wynne said.
“I’m… I’m concerned,” Diane said, ducking her head down.
Long gone was the proud heiress whom he’d met originally. Diane his wife remained, who sought solace in his thoughts and opinions.
“What part of it exactly? To me it sounds like we’re about to be hosting a new army, or ally. At least that’s my thought,” Ryker said, using Wynne’s info.
“I do, too. And that’s the part that worries me. The church of light isn’t just… a religious group. It’s backed by Trevail. And they’ve never been shy about making overtures to Lauren about bringing Dale under their own hand. I fear mother may be inviting in the fox to the henhouse with this move,” Diane murmured.
“I, yeah. I can definitely see it going that way if we’re not careful. We’ll need to keep an eye on it and do our best. Though I think they’d try to eliminate me first before they made any type of move on you. You’d have to be a widow before you were useful to them, wouldn’t you?”
“I suppose. But they may not even care for a valid casus beli. They may simply decide that they need none at all since Lauren is an emissary of the dark. They could simply declare a crusade and… and take over.”
Shit fuck. Alright so this is rapidly getting out of hand.
Ryker scrubbed his hands back and forth over his face, trying to think of something.
“Maybe it’s time to simply divest ourselves of this human politicking and focus on the dungeon,” Wynne said. “This human involvement has been entertaining, but we have a dungeon to run. This would be as good a time as any to simply back out, my king.”
“What? No, not yet at least. We might be able to fix this.”
“So, that means you never put yourself in a position where you can be eliminated easily, or taken hostage. Perhaps we move our headquarters to a location closer to the dungeon for a time since it’s also close to the farm. I’ll ask the dungeon to provide escorts and intercede on your behalf,” Ryker said.
“I fear also for Claire and Adele. As cousins to Lauren, they may make a move against them as well simply for the relation. Or if they did, they might do it subtly, and blame a single member. It’s what mother would do,” Diane admitted.
“Ugh, alright, uh… I don’t—”
“Can we send them both to your farm for a while? Until we’re sure of their intentions? We can claim they’re sick and unwell,” Diane said, lifting her head to meet his eyes again. “While I have no love for Adele, I do not dislike her either. We’re simply diametrically opposed due to our familial positions. She’s even amusing when she gets on a tirade,” Diane said with a smile. “Claire is easier to work with of course, but I doubt the church will care.”
“Ah, yeah, we can do that. Yeah. Though I think Claire isn’t too happy with me right now. You’ve been sending her in your place as of late, even when I protested there was no need.”
“There is a need. And you agreed to me leading in that area. As for Claire, t
hat’s her duty. It isn’t right for Adele to broker an exchange of that nature. If I allow this shirking of duty to go uncorrected, there will be problems down the road. I must do this. Anyways, that’s besides the point,” Diane said. “I’ll make the preparations for mother. You speak with the dungeon, Adele, and Claire. I’m sure they’ll listen to you more than me.”
“I can do that. But I don’t really think—”
“Husband? Thank you. I truly appreciate your thoughts and simply listening to me. You’re a blessing. Thank you,” Diane said. She lightly picked up Tar and set him in his basket.
Leaning over she planted a kiss on his lips and then darted away.
With one hand she waved at the chair as she headed for the door. “I’ll have the maids come in and tidy up for you. I’ll expect you for dinner tonight,” she said, leaving.
The door clacked shut, leaving Ryker alone with his thoughts.
“That didn’t go well,” he said to no one.
“You know what also does not go well?” Wynne asked, her tone dangerous.
“I uh… no…?”
Wynne simply appeared in a white and black flash of light. She was dressed in her normal attire, and very close.
Leaning over the bed in fact.
“When you make changes that change the very dynamic of the dungeon history and don’t tell me!” Wynne shouted at him from two feet away.
Ryker’s ears were ringing at the sheer volume and he wondered if someone was going to rush in.
At least he hoped someone would.
Then he remembered that Wynne had a tendency to use her magic to block sound.
“Now,” she said, laying a hand on the top of his head and smiling in a dark way at him. “Tell me about that Minotaur that you have in your office. The one that talks, thinks, eats, and is actually developing soul energy.”
“It’s doing what now?”
“Developing. A. Soul. It’s collecting the very essence that is required to create a soul, which is normally done during pregnancy. Last I checked, dungeons do not give birth, nor do they grant souls. So now you will walk me through what it is you did to the gigantic walking pair of breasts that is a cow in your office!” Wynne shouted again. Her volume had been getting higher and higher with each sentence.
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