CONQUEST: The Dungeon Core Gambit Book One

by Antony W. F. Chow

  The witch noticed the attention from the spellcaster. Yozka guessed, correctly, that Zefina was unnerved by the amount of mana Yozka had just used. She pointed up at the mountain looming above them. "I need to head up there and talk to the clan leader of the dwarves. I will come back tomorrow morning. I created these two guardians to watch over you and your mounts. Have a good rest of the day!"

  With a wave of her hand, Yozka started the trek up the mountain trail. It took her almost an hour to reach the entrance of the dwarves' home. When she arrived, Yozka was greeted by Iyelda the clan elder.

  "I see that you have returned with guests," the old dwarven priestess said with a slight smile.

  "These people are from the Adventurer's Guild in Bethmund. They will explore the dungeon tomorrow," Yozka explained.

  "And I see that you have taken a slave," the elder noted pointedly.

  The witch turned around and looked at Sin. "Yes, Markos has collared her. In exchange for her life, Sin will serve him."

  There was a glint in Iyelda's eyes. It was unheard of for a dark elf to be enslaved. "I would like you to tell the story behind her enslavement over dinner," the elder invited. "If Markos can vouch for Sin's behavior, she is also welcome to enter our home."

  Yozka bowed deeply. She understood that the dwarves and dark elves were enemies. To permit Sin to enter their home was an enormous courtesy. "Yes, my master will guarantee that Sin will act appropriately. Thank you for allowing her to enter." She grabbed the dark elf's hand and walked through the illusionary wall, pulling the startled elf through as well.

  Once the two women entered the den, a guard said, "We will keep a close watch over the dark elf." She spat on the ground.

  The other guards spat in unison.

  Iyelda raised her hand. "The dark elf is the property of our powerful ally. We must put aside our feelings of hatred and treat her with respect," she commanded.

  The guards slammed their left fists over their hearts and bowed. "Yes, Earth Singer."

  Markos heard the conversation among the dwarves through the Air Elemental hovering above. He wasn't necessarily trying to eavesdrop on them per se but rather he pulled the guardian from the griffon nest above in order to keep an eye on Yozka and Sin while they climbed the mountain trail.

  Given the fact that the dark elves had ambushed his emissaries during their travel despite the presence of the dire wolves and earth elementals, Markos had learned his lesson to be more cautious in this world of Enweld. Thus, he kept the air elementals close by.

  That said, the dungeon core was not surprised to learn of some racial animus between the dark elves and the dwarves. Since both races lived underground, Markos could only imagine the nasty battles they fought over territory. The magic barrier that he had encountered at the Village of Anopii may have been placed to prevent the dwarves from trespassing.

  Given the reaction of his allies to Sin, Markos wondered if she was better off living with the ogresses in the fortress on the mountaintop. But then again, there was a strong likelihood that the Yellow Sky Clan will not welcome the dark elf either. Additionally, he would prefer to have Yozka keep an eye on Sin, in case the Compulsion enchantment within the slave collar dissipated over time.

  Sin was a capable archer and perhaps even had some blade skills. In that case, Yozka was the only person that Markos felt confident in defeating Sin. In the meantime, he noticed that the dark elf seemed to have imprinted on Yozka as a parental figure. The slave rarely left Yozka's side since her enslavement.

  The dungeon core pushed aside his thoughts of the troublesome dark elf and focused on following what Yozka was experiencing back in the Great Hall of the Bulddinger Clan. He saw that she was having a light meal with the elder and engaging in equally light conversation.

  "How is my granddaughter?" Iyelda asked.

  Yozka paused for a moment to receive a communication via the Hivemind. "My master said she is doing fine. Her group has joined a merchant caravan and they are currently heading toward Lamour."

  "That's the capital city of Vessar, right?" the elder asked.

  The human emissary nodded in confirmation.

  You could ask me directly, you know, Markos sent his thought to Iyelda telepathically.

  My Lord, I would prefer to hold a direct conversation with my dining guest, the elder replied and quickly closed the mental link.

  The dungeon core shrugged metaphorically.

  "And how is my Alethea adjusting to her life as a newlywed?" the grandmother probed.

  Yozka paused again as she looked at the memories through the Hivemind. She was mildly irritated to learn that Sibalt had been fucking the dwarfess on a daily basis. "She seems very happy to be married to Sibalt," the witch answered politely.

  Iyelda smiled broadly. "I'm glad to hear that. I was concerned that she harbored unhappiness at participating in a political marriage," she admitted openly.

  Yozka shook her head. "If you don't mind me saying this: As Clan Leader, you must put the survival of the clan above all else. Alethea's marriage to Sibalt binds the clan to my master, the dungeon core. He is a mighty, magical entity who is now obligated to extend his protection to your clan as an equal rather than an underling. Frankly, you made a very wise decision in offering your granddaughter for this political marriage."

  "Is that your personal opinion or your master's?" the elder asked cautiously.

  "My personal opinion. While a part of the master's thoughts resides within me, I still retain my autonomy of thought and action. Markos Turloch was born a man in his previous life and he identifies more closely with Sibalt. Consequently, my connection with the master isn't as strong," Yozka noted.

  Iyelda was silent for a moment and then politely changed the topic of conversation. "Why are Alethea and her husband going to the capital? I thought they were going to get the petition for the charter in Bethmund."

  "The Administrative Clerk in Bethmund said the charter must be approved by the Queen personally," Yozka answered.

  "So Sibalt will meet Queen Levioda and ask for her permission?" Iyelda's heart began to fill with dread.

  "He has no choice if he wishes to fulfill the mission," the witch replied calmly.

  The answer did not appease the elder. If Queen Levioda decides to capture him and force him to remain in Lamour, then the clan will be obligated, by familial bonds, to rescue Sibalt. Thus, the Earth Singer offered a silent prayer to the Earthmother to watch over him.

  Chapter 40

  A Complicated Relationship

  After a light supper of venison and mushrooms over dwarven ale, Yozka and Sin shared a room and a bed for the night. The witch watched as the slave slept soundly.

  Yozka's mind was clouded with misgiving. She did not like the idea of slavery. But it was a fact that Sin was part of a bandit group that tried to attack Yozka's camp in the middle of the night. Given the opportunity, Sin would not hesitate to slit the throat of every woman in her sleep, including Yozka.

  Under Vessarian Law, the proper punishment for a bandit captured was death by hanging. The dungeon core had shown great kindness and mercy in allowing the dark elf to live. However, Markos went a step beyond the boundary of justice by enslaving Sin.

  Frankly, this act was hitting a bit too close to home since Yozka was now part of a collective will which was known as the Hivemind. And since Yozka was part of the Hivemind which committed this act of slavery, she was equally guilty of enslaving Sin and this realization troubled Yozka greatly.

  Markos followed her thoughts in silence. As the dungeon core, he had a tremendous responsibility for the physical safety of his assimilated beings. As such, he made a judgment call to act in a way that ensured the personal safety of Yozka and Sibalt.

  Even with a slave collar around Sin's neck, there was no guarantee that the dark elf wouldn't betray her master and his servants. The only way to prevent such betrayal was to bound Sin's mind to the collective. Yet, Markos was reluctant to do so.

  First, Markos felt
that Sin had some mental instability. He was concerned that this mental instability would infect the Hivemind if she joined the collective. Second, the assimilation of a mortal to the dungeon core should be seen as a reward. If Markos assimilated Sin simply to prevent her betrayal, then it would devalue the act of assimilation in his view. Thus, he refused to assimilate Sin and used the magic slave collar as an alternate means to bind the dark elf's will.

  Yozka read Marko's thoughts silently. While she appreciated his concern for her well-being, it did not lessen her sense of guilt for taking part in this despicable act. In the end, this was a situation where she could not agree with the dungeon core. Coming to that conclusion, she finally closed her eyes and slept.

  The witch awoke the next morning to the sound of metal banging. Someone was already working at the forge deep underground and the noise had reached her ears. She reluctantly opened her eyes and suddenly became aware of the smooth, firm arms of Sin wrapped around her chest. When Yozka turned her head, she saw the pale gray eyes of the dark elf staring at her.

  The human blushed in reaction. Yozka was still not accustomed to the attention of the beautiful slave. In her mind, the witch still saw herself as an old, hideous looking woman with a stooped back and ugly pockmarks on her face. She still had not, mentally, accepted her physical rejuvenation, by her master, into a beautiful, healthy woman who looked a decade younger.

  Sin slowly drew her face closer and then kissed Yozka softly on the lips. The dark elf's hand lowered until it reached the human's secret spot and gently caressed her sex.

  A soft moan escaped Yozka's lips as she felt her clit being toyed with by those silky, delicate fingers. She gritted her teeth when she felt herself being penetrated. However, the witch made no attempt to stop the slave. It had been far too long since Yozka laid with Sibalt and somehow, Sin had picked up on her frustration and jealousy at seeing the newlyweds copulate every night during camp.

  Yozka relaxed her body and allowed Sin to take her mind off Sibalt and enjoy the sensual pleasure overtaking her body. The fingers turned and twisted inside her body, eliciting gasps and groans from Yozka. Suddenly, the fingers started moving quickly, like a piston, causing friction and pressure began to build within Yozka. Eventually, the pressure overwhelmed her senses. The mistress' mind exploded in ecstasy and she screamed. Loudly.

  Once her body stopped its involuntary spasms, Sin moved her fingers again. The skillful ministration soon caused Yozka to climax a second time.

  The dark elf waited patiently for the climax to end. Then she moved her fingers again. After the third climax solely from Sin's fingers inside her pussy, Yozka finally grabbed the dark elf's wrist. "It's time to get up," the witch said quietly. Her throat felt raw from her involuntary screaming during her orgasms.

  Sin's eyes had never left Yozka's face the entire time the dark elf was serving her mistress. She finally turned away from the human and got off the bed. Standing naked, she waited patiently for Yozka to leave the bed and then helped her mistress get dressed. Afterward, the dark elf put on her own meager clothes and the two left the room.

  When the duo arrived at the great hall, they were met with embarrassed faces and sideways glances from the dwarves.

  "Good morning!" Iyelda greeted the two with a bright smile. She was seated at a table in the center of the dining hall. Two bowls and mugs were awaiting the new arrivals.

  Yozka and Sin joined the elder at the table. "Good morning," the witch replied and started eating. She realized that she had made too much noise this morning even with the banging of hammers echoing in the air. There was nothing she could do about this realization except to finish her breakfast and return to the settlement to rejoin the adventuring party.

  Markos and Jessica were laughing at Yozka's predicament back inside the dungeon. When Yozka made love to Sibalt shortly after she was assimilated, Markos had enjoyed the experience through Sibalt's mind.

  This was the first time Yozka had sex since then and the dungeon core was thoroughly enjoying the encounter through her mind. Of course, he realized that Yozka was moaning and screaming too loudly but he didn't want to stop the intimate encounter and thus kept silent. Still, he was very impressed by the way Yozka had maintained her grace and dignity in front of the hostess and the other dwarves in the dining hall.

  When Yozka finished her meal, she rose from her seat. "I'll be leaving now. If anything comes up, please contact Markos directly." She nodded slightly at Iyelda and left the dining hall with Sin trailing behind her. The two walked quickly and burst through the illusionary wall.

  Yozka breathed in the cool morning air and shivered slightly. To get her blood pumping through her veins, the witch started hopping down the stairs like a leopard. She used Earth Work to harden her skin and bones in her legs and ankles and continued dashing downward like a madwoman. She sensed that Sin was able to keep up, somehow.

  Within ten minutes, the two reached the bottom of the mountain. They walked slowly through the new settlement to reach the outermost house.

  Yozka was surprised to discover that the adventurer's group had risen and they were busy cooking breakfast over a campfire.

  Ouwanda noticed their approach and waved. "Care to join us for breakfast?" she invited.

  The human emissary of Markos shook her head. "We ate already," she replied.

  "Didn't think those mountain dwarves are early risers," Visrow sneered. "Nor dark elves." The high elf suddenly noticed Sin lurking in Yozka's shadow and spat on the ground.

  "Behave," Tita warned while mischievously running a finger down the elf's spine.

  Visrow shivered at the contact and nearly yelped. She turned around to yell at the halfling but Tita had already vanished. The elf spotted the target of her ire--hiding behind Sin! Visrow mouthed the word, "Traitor," and, in response, received a tongue stuck out of the halfling's mouth. The elf pointedly turned her head back to her party leader.

  "Would it be okay to break camp in fifteen minutes or so?" Ouwanda asked.

  "Sure," Yozka smiled. She walked over to a large rock, which was the inanimate form of an Earth Elemental, sat down, and leaned against the rock.

  Sin immediately took a spot next to the human and leaned on Yozka's shoulder.

  "Are they actually a couple?" Tita gasped while staring at the two from a distance.

  "It's not polite to stare," Aabroa admonished her.

  "If you can't finish your oatmeal in fifteen minutes, you'll have to go hungry until we break for lunch," Zefina pointed out.

  "Oh, fine!" Tita groused and started spooning the bland food into her mouth quickly. Despite her small size, the halfling had a big appetite and she ate as much as Ouwanda.

  The five adventurers ate in silence and finished in ten minutes. They returned to the house to pack up and check their gear. Five minutes later, they marched in single-file out of the house and toward Yozka, who appeared to be napping.

  However, the witch abruptly opened her eyes when they were a few feet away. She rose to her feet and helped Sin rise, too. Their hands lingered for a moment and then Yozka released the dark elf. The human representative looked at the gathered adventurers and held up a finger. She turned and activated the Earth Elemental behind her.

  The minion regained its humanoid form. Its eyes stared at the adventurers and Sin impassively.

  "These people are my guests. You are to protect them from harm," Yozka ordered. Then she started walking in the direction of another boulder toward the west. When she reached it, Yozka held out her hand and pressed her palm against the wall.

  In reaction, the wall dropped and revealed a cavern.

  The witch tapped into the flow of air mana and used Air Work to create a Sphere of Continual Light. The ball of light floated above her head and provided five feet of illumination. She waited until everyone had entered the large cavern and dismissed the elemental.

  Yozka turned to face Ouwanda. "I've done my part in guiding you to the entrance of Markos' dungeon. Now, it's y
our turn to take the lead and explore. I will follow you as an observer."

  The veteran fighter nodded. She turned her head slowly from left to right and looked into the eyes of every member of her party. "You know what to do. Let's get started." The five women slapped their hands in unison.

  Tita took the lead. She was followed by Visrow, Aabroa, Zefina, and finally Ouwanda as the rearguard.

  The druid lit a candle and placed it inside a shuttered lantern, which gave off a dim light.

  Yozka waited for the adventurers to move a few yards ahead before she started following them with Sin in tow.

  Chapter 41

  Dungeon Exploration Begins!

  Tita walked ahead slowly. Her head was in constant motion, turning from side to side and up and down to scan for traps. Every ten minutes, the halfling thief stopped to take a quick, 10 seconds break. She closed her eyes, inhaled deep breaths and listened to the sound of her heartbeats. When she reopened her eyes, Tita felt refreshed and resumed her tedious detection of traps.

  A half-hour later, Tita detected the first trap. The thief immediately raised her hand. She got on her knees and lowered her head. She stared at a trip wire, which was thin and barely visible to the naked eye, and her eyes followed the wire to the walls. She noticed the wide gap in the wall. "Bring me the lantern," she demanded while holding out her hand.

  Aabroa dutifully passed the requested item to Visrow, who then bent her knees and carefully placed the lantern on Tita's palm.

  The thief held out the lantern toward the wall and saw the telltale gleam of a sharp blade. "There is a trip wire that will cause a swinging guillotine to drop," she announced. "I'm going to put the lantern on the ground in front of the trip wire to mark its location. I will go ahead and check for more traps. Once it's safe to move forward, I will ask you to step over the lantern," she instructed.

  Tita continued scanning for more traps and found two more trip wires within the same corridor. She dropped an empty sack in front of each wire to mark the location of each trap.