The wall trembled. A bright glow outlined the freshly-laid stones.
With a blissful smile, the Grand Master squeezed his eyes shut, meditating. When he finally opened his eyes, he pointed at the ruins of the barbican looming in the moonlight. "Take us there!"
"Think you can do it?" I asked Enea softly.
"Sure," she motioned the dwarves to come closer and laid her hands on their shoulders. They disappeared in a flash. I heard a soft popping sound coming from the barbican.
I ported, too.
"Let's have a look! Let's have a look!" Walmord stood cross-armed while his apprentices got busy setting up a system of hoists on the second floor. What a provident bunch. They'd brought everything they needed with them. They were yet to ask me or Enea for anything.
This time Walmord didn't do anything at all, just watched the other two do their jobs. They hooked up an impressive chunk of stone in the hoists, lifted, then placed it where they apparently thought it should belong. Having done that, they raised their torches and began searching for some missing part of the stonework.
They found several which looked like they might fit, then engaged in a heated argument, each defending his choice.
Finally Walmord had enough. "Shut up!" he snapped, then pointed at the one they should use.
The hoists creaked once more. The fragments of stonework screeched against each other as their ragged ends met with a flash. Perfect fit.
I couldn't believe my eyes. This part of the wall was perfectly restored. The repaired block of stone appeared whole: not a trace of the crack left!
The Grand Master looked pleased with his work. He seemed to like it here.
"How much will they charge us for this?" Enea whispered.
"I'm gonna find out," I said, climbing the rockfall. "So, Grand Master?"
Walmord bore a hole in me with his cunning frowned glare. The reflection of the torchlight danced in his eyes.
"What do you think?" I insisted. "You've seen the amount of damage. Do you need more time to make up your mind?"
"No, I don't," he said. "We will restore the castle."
"Then there're only your wages to discuss, aren't there?"
He heaved a sigh. I could see his inner struggle as the instinctive dwarven love of gold was wrestling with an equally strong creative impulse. "I could give you the price, I suppose. But I won't do that."
"Why not?"
"You have any idea how the castle was built?"
"Nope. There're no records left."
"The Founders used the power of the Elements," he said confidently. "That's how these walls were erected. Every stone here exudes the ancient magic. I can sense it. Feligo and Swessbill didn't even need my help to restore this part of the wall, and normally, it would be way outside their remit. I wouldn't be surprised if by the time they restored the barbican, both became Grand Masters. This citadel is absolutely permeated by the power of the Earth. But strangely enough, I can't sense any influence of the other three Elements. I wonder why?"
"Because their runic sequences are broken," I said.
The dwarf fingered his beard. "I appreciate your honesty. This is what I suggest: I can bring my whole clan here, to the last apprentice. We'll work until the most useless of them becomes a Master. We won't charge you. All I'm asking for is plenty of good beer as well as some food and lodgings."
"How many are you?"
"A hundred and fifty."
"What kind of lodgings do you need?"
Now it was my turn to fight temptation. If what he'd just said was true, it was actually him paying us for a unique profession-leveling opportunity. Once they'd finished restoring the castle, the Copperbeards could move on erecting new cities and castles, even setting up a proper Clan of their own. That would improve their standing among other dwarves no end. I was sure Walmord realized that.
"Our requirements are quite modest," he said. "Enough double rooms to accommodate the workers. Their families should receive one gold a day. XP is fine but it doesn't fill the belly. I know what you're thinking," he squinted at me. "A hundred common workers have every chance of becoming Masters if they start shifting magic stones. Am I right?"
"You are," I replied. "But friendship is worth more."
"You're dead right there," the dwarf grinned, pleased with my answer. "Apart from restoring the walls, you'll need stone carvers, right? I have about fifty of those. I wouldn't say they're at the top of their profession, but... think you could hire them?"
Say yes, Enea messaged me.
"Very well," I said. On one condition. I need the donjon to be done first."
Walmord's eyes glinted with triumph. "If you say so."
There I was, standing and wondering whether I'd just made the right decision.
"That's settled, then," I said. "Bring your carvers over. I'll get a hundred double rooms ready."
"In that case, we'll be here tomorrow morning. We'll need a cargo portal to transport all the tools and personal stuff. They'll stay here for quite a while, you know."
"That's not a problem. I'll get a portal ready."
The dwarf offered me his strong hand.
It looked like the restoration of Rion was about to begin for real.
Chapter Ten
The Crystal Sphere
Rion Castle
FINALLY, THINGS were looking up.
The castle bustled with life. We had so many newcomers I physically couldn't remember all the names. The dwarves worked double shifts, giving it their all. Togien and his team didn't leave the dungeons, gradually filling the clan storerooms with cratefuls of Spectral Dust, fragments of transformed matter and heaps of Snow Obsidian: the semi-precious stone which had accumulated the energy of the destroyed Altar of Chaos.
Archibald and Iskandar had formed combat groups which left every morning at daybreak for the moors where they'd discovered several decent farming locations.
Platinus and Raoul seemed to get on really well. I hired some NPC assistants to help them level up their skills. It was fun watching our two alchemists experimenting, creating new elixirs or trying to copy ancient potion recipes.
The donjon was gradually taking shape, looking more and more like the impregnable citadel it had once been. The dwarves worked tirelessly inside as well as outside, some repairing its walls and outer fortifications, others rebuilding the destroyed rooms and halls.
On the surrounding islands, the local fishermen, hunters and farmers were busy exploring and reclaiming new hunting grounds and farmlands.
I had relieved the two Guards of Gloom and the Elf ex-prisoners. They'd been pestering me for quite a while to let them go home and see their families who must have believed them dead. I didn't need them to swear an oath that they'd come back. They had promised to return, anyway, hopefully bringing their families along.
Dimian's new shop became the first structure built on the second defense level. He was doing good business there already while Enea took care of the finer points, representing him in his negotiations with the guild.
These days I spent a lot of time in the Hall of the Elements as well as in the temple library. As it turned out, we couldn't take a single sheet of parchment out of the library so we had to hire some calligraphers to copy the ancient manuscripts.
To top it all, the Moor Goblins remained a constant threat. We hadn't yet discovered their totem and all attempts at negotiation had so far failed. After the defeat of their fleet by the castle walls, they didn't risk open confrontation but used every opportunity to hurt us in a thousand petty little ways, stealing fishermen's nets, scaring our herbalists or bringing a train of hydras to wreak havoc in the surrounding villages.
I wasn't going to start a war with them, not quite yet. Still, they needed a lesson. At the very least, we had to purge the nearby lands of them to stop them from impinging on our livelihood.
I had so many things to do I didn't even notice the time flying.
Every five days, Enea logged out to have her capsule suppl
ies refilled and do a quick workout in the gym. She never lingered in real life, though, and hurried to return to Rion.
I hadn't seen much of Lethmiel lately: he was too busy running the household and only contacted me about really urgent things. Thanks to him, the castle was running like clockwork, leaving him no spare time at all.
* * *
ENEA LOOKED upset. She'd been like this all day since she'd logged back in: pensive and brooding but not in a hurry to share the bad news.
Enea and I did our best to visit the Practice Hall daily. Normally we went there just before lunchtime when it wasn't busy. Today, too, we were there alone apart from one of the newbs doing a bit of training in the far corner. His name was Astrum, if I remembered rightly. I nodded to him and turned to Enea.
"Today we'll do some shield work," I reached into the weapon stand for a practice sword which dealt virtually no damage.
Enea followed my example. On my sign she picked up a shield. She hadn't equipped the Bracelet of a Metamorph though: at our authenticity levels we had to really work on combat techniques, fine-tuning our reflexes and memorizing the blows and combos.
"Watch your physical energy levels," I said. "If it drops too low, you won't be able to attack and parry."
I tried a couple of lunges which Enea blocked with her shield. Predictably, she was spent.
"This won't do," I said. "Try to dodge my blows. Don't just stand there, keep moving, but always keep your eyes on your opponent."
She seemed to struggle with military skills.
"Let's do it again," I said.
"Sorry. I don't think I'm in the mood."
"Something happened?" I asked, attacking her again.
She dodged the blow. Much better!
"My father called," she said, lowering the shield.
"Did you talk to him?"
"Yeah. He apologized. He asked if he could come and see me."
"What's the problem? You can log out whenever you want."
"You don't understand me. He wants to come here. He wants to see the castle."
That rendered me speechless. Still, I quickly regained my composure. After all, why not?
"He can come if he wants," I said. "Although I don't think he'll appreciate the kind of life we live here."
She sighed. "That's the whole problem. He never does anything halfway. That's the way he is. He found out about the implant."
"Was he angry with you?"
"Not really. He just said that he'd ordered one for himself. Apparently, Infosystems have already launched a limited series of them."
"Wait a sec. Say that again?"
I put the weapons away. Apparently, today's practice wasn't meant to happen.
"He bought an implant identical to mine," Enea repeated, "and had an in-mode capsule installed at his place. Now he wants to come and see us."
"Do you mean he wants to log in to the Crystal Sphere? Like an ordinary user?"
"Yep. He says he wants to see for himself. He's not going to actually play. He's not interested in quests or leveling. He just wants to get a taste of it. Do you mind?"
"No, I don't. I'm actually happy to hear that."
"Why?"
"Why do you think? It means he still loves you. Instead of ignoring you and blaming your stubborn character, he actually wants to see what it is that draws you here."
She perked up a little. "You really think so?"
"Of course. One thing I don't understand is how he did it. An implant and a capsule cost a king's ransom. And you can't just walk into a shop and buy them. Not yet, anyway."
"You don't know my father. When he wants something, he goes for it. Trust me."
"So when is he coming?"
"In a couple of days' time. I didn't know how to tell you. Last time it wasn't very nice, was it?"
"Forget it. It's okay."
"I thought you were still angry with him."
"I was. 'Was' being the operative word. Can't see why I should be angry with him now. Is he coming on his own?"
"Not really. He never goes out without at least two bodyguards."
"Why? What's the point? If they too register like regular users, they won't be much good to him. Two level-1 bodyguards! They won't be able to defend themselves, let alone anyone else."
"That's just the way he is."
"So that's how he wants it, then? Very well. That's not a problem."
"Why are you laughing?"
"He's just like I used to be. It took me some time to get rid of old habits. It's okay, don't worry. We'll give him a proper welcome. We can show him around the castle, then have a nice meal..."
"You're so cool," Enea gave me a kiss. She touched her Bracelet of a Metamorph, then raised her shield. "Let's get on with it!"
* * *
The Crystal Sphere
Two days later
I WAS STILL half-asleep.
Enea awoke. She touched my shoulder gently with her lips so as not to wake me up, slid out of the bed and began getting dressed.
"Morning, sweetheart," I said.
"Oh," she turned to me. "It's still too early."
"Well, you shouldn't get up then, should you?"
The sleepy Alpha swayed on her shoulder, casting sideways glares at me. Last night he'd had to sleep alone in a chair.
"I'm a bit worried," she admitted. "My father knows nothing about the Crystal Sphere. And what with his implant-"
I really didn't feel like getting up but apparently, I had to. I hoped his visit would go without a glitch. Then again, I wasn't too sure. "Would you like me to accompany you to Agrion?"
"You don't need to. I can do it."
"Don't you want breakfast?"
"No. I won't enjoy lunch otherwise. Now, let's see. They arrive at nine. It's seven a.m. now. A bit too early but never mind, I can pop into the guild to sort out a few things... Alex? Why is it so quiet?"
"The dwarves are having a shift handover. Archibald has taken the rest on a Moor raid, don't you remember? There're not many people left in the castle at the moment."
"That's right."
"It'll be okay. Don't worry."
"I can't. I thought Dad had disowned me. And now look," she picked up an apple, bit into it, then laid it uneaten on the table. "I'm off, then. I have too many things to do."
She disappeared in the flash of a teleport.
I got up, equipped my gear and set off to check the guard posts. I just knew I wouldn't be able to do anything serious until they arrived.
I opened the chat. "Lethmiel, is everything ready for our guests?"
He took it as a personal offence. "Absolutely, my lord. The table is laid in the Reception Hall. The stone cutters team finished it last night."
Just to give myself something to do, I went there and checked it. A ceremonial escort of several level-100 lancers lined the portal. Two knights towered by the freshly-restored double doors. Hiring all these top-level NPCs had cost me a pretty penny but they looked good. Impressive.
To while away the time, I walked out onto one of the outer fortifications to check on the dwarves' work. They'd already repaired all the breaches up to the level where the runic sequence of Air was supposed to start. Now the lower third of the donjon's walls looked brand new.
We couldn't move any further though as we'd run into a problem. The twelve runes of Air had been all but destroyed. We didn't have a single intact depiction of them. The dwarves had been forced to move on to work on the barbican and the outer walls — at least until we found the missing pictures which their carvers could use to copy the runes onto stone.
I rambled about the castle for a bit, enjoying the unusual silence. A few minutes before the appointed hour, I was back in the Reception hall.
At 9.05 a.m., the portal flashed open.
Out came Enea, alone. She looked pale and distressed. "Alex, they're gone!"
"Wait up. Take a deep breath. Good. Now tell me."
"They're not there! I looked for them. Some people told me ab
out three newbs who logged in about half past eight. Their descriptions seem to fit."
"And? Where do you think they went?"
"I've no idea! They're marked as 'online'! I tried to contact them but their messaging is blocked!"
"Are they on your friend list?"
"Of course!"
"I want you to give me their coordinates. Do you remember how you once found me by checking your friend list?"
"Of course! Wait! So stupid of me!"
Three emerald dots lit up on my map, overlapping each other. Oh. Quite a hike. The Savage Lands, of all places. "Enea, I think they've been kidnapped."
"No! Why? How? Nobody knew!"
"I know, I know. Just give me a minute."
I activated several map-making apps at once. My Celebrated Pioneer status gave me access to some plugins which allowed me to locate both friends and incoming calls.
I changed the map mode to Local View. A moment later, a sketchy picture appeared, depicting a lopsided old hut sitting amid a forest glade next to a half-rotten barn and a crumbling water well.
A nice secluded place.
I contacted Archibald. "I want you to hand over command to Iskandar and port immediately here. Use the scroll I gave you. Take Arwan and Highr with you. Do it!"
I switched over to Togien,
"I need you in the Resurrection hall, now! This is an emergency!"
Now the lab:
"Raoul and Platinus, grab all the combat elixirs you have and come here, quickly!"
It took them less than a minute to arrive. My choice of team was simple: these were those I could trust.
"What's up?" Togien demanded, taking in Enea's tearful eyes.
I explained the situation. "I'm afraid we've got a mole. A double-crosser. And I think I know who he is. We'll sort it out later. Now we need to rescue Enea's father."
"We can't just go there blindly," Archibald said. "We need to collect some intel first."
My interface flashed with an incoming call. I forwarded it to the combat chat for everyone to see and hear.
"This is Alexatis, I presume?" a rogue's avatar appeared in the box.
The Curse of Rion Castle (The Neuro Book #2) LitRPG Series Page 26
