The Greystone Chronicles Book Two: The Dire Lands

by Dave Willmarth

  Sasha laughed. “I guess having a dragon around is good protection!”

  Alexander wanted to know why the ancillary count went up. “Jeeves, what are the current ancillary structures?”

  “The current ancillary structures consist of The Mine, The Stone Bridge, and the Embassy of the Dragon Kingdom, master.”

  Kai grinned. “I did warn you. Any time I set up a residence in a location, because of my title, it automatically becomes an embassy. King Charles received a similar message when I chose the dragon forge as my perch.”

  Max chuckled. “Between Kai’s colonization and Brick’s consecrations, we’re slowly taking over the world!”

  Alexander raised two long benches from the stone floor, one on either side of the table. “Please, rest. We’ve got some things to discuss before we sleep.” When everyone was settled, he began. “Okay, I see several immediate needs we must address. First, there are two more mirrors in this room. We don’t know where they go, or what might come through them from the other side. Though the dust around them is not disturbed, I still have an itchy feeling, and think we need to explore, or somehow secure them.”

  Jules raised her hand. When Alexander smiled at her, she spoke. “This may sound stupid, but what if we just take them down and set them facing the wall?”

  There was a moment of stunned silence. “BWAHAHA!” Brick burst out. “Ye be genius, lass!”

  Laughing himself, Alexander continued. “Okay, problem solved, for now. We’ll address this again if that doesn’t work. Next item. We need to improve the defenses here, and rebuild the keep in general. Brick and I could do much of the rebuilding. But it would be slow. And we don’t know how much time we have before we’ll need to defend this place from PWP, or others. I suggest enlisting some help.”

  Sasha spoke first. “I’m sure if we feed him well, Fitz will come and help. Maybe add some protective enchantments?”

  Kai laughed loudly. “Aye, Sasha. He would at that. And I have some magical protections of my own that I’ll happily put in place.”

  “This keep be dwarven built,” Brick began. “Dwarves be the best ones fer repairin’ it. I’m sure me King would send us the dwarves and supplies we be needin’, in trade fer something o’ value.”

  “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Alexander agreed. “But it brings up another question. Population. We need miners and farmers, hunters, and crafters to restore and operate this keep. But being here might be dangerous to citizens. The dwarves accepted our invitation to settle in Whitehall, and it cost them a child within a matter of days.” He gave that a moment to sink in.

  “I intend to paint a giant target on this keep. I want this ‘Dark One’ to throw his minions against these walls, until he has none left, and has to come at us himself. And between the attack on Stormforge, and Whitehall, and the innocent citizens that were lost there, I’m not sure my conscience could take more,” Alexander continued.

  “Yer thinkin… adventurers,” Brick guessed.

  “In part, yes. I think we should ask King Thalgrin for dwarves willing to help us rebuild, with a full disclosure of the danger. Volunteers who are fully aware of the risk. Stonemasons, and maybe miners as well. We could also reach out to King Charles, to see if any human citizens would wish to volunteer. But I think it’s time the Greystone Clan begins its expansion. We can recruit players who are crafters, and those who are fighters. But…”

  “But you’re worried about recruiting spies for the Dark One,” Max finished for him. Brick was right behind him.

  “We can no’ read player’s minds. But we CAN make it so no servants o’ that dark scum be settin’ foot in our keep!” The dwarf grinned. “Just like Whitehall. We’ll bring Father Ignatius, and priests o’ every other god who wishes harm to the Dark One. We’ll consecrate the ground so there be no sneakin’ about, ‘n’ set wards what kills or captures any o’ his own, just like at our own house.”

  Kai added, “Fitz and I can create those wards, and it seems Brick is more than capable of providing the consecration. In addition, as a prince, I can accept an oath of loyalty from each member that, if broken, will have harsh consequences. Though, the oath would have to be to the Keep, as I am not a member of your guild.”

  “Is it possible to have an N…. a non-adventurer in a guild?” Jules asked a bit awkwardly.

  “I don’t know?” Alexander answered. “I’m not sure it has ever come up.” A rumble of thunder rolled across the forest outside.

  Chuckling, Alexander said, “Apparently Odin thinks it’s okay. Kaibonostrum, would you do us the honor of joining the Greystone Guild?”

  “It would be my pleasure,” the dragon prince replied. Alexander tried sending him a guild invite, but the [send] button was grey. “Huh. The invite won’t work. Kai, are you a member of another guild already?” he asked.

  Kai thought about it. “I was a member of a Trader’s Guild in a city that perished some three thousand years ago. But I doubt that would prevent my membership.”

  “Maybe the thunder wasn’t a sign from Odin? Maybe only adventurers can join the guild?” Lainey said, a note of sadness in her voice.

  “But why let Kai join our group, and become a citizen of the Keep, but not join the guild?” Max said. “Try it again.”

  Alexander pulled up his UI. Highlighting Kai’s icon in the Group screen, he thought, ‘Guild Invite’. This time, he was able to click the now green [send] button. Kai quickly accepted.

  “Huh. Now it works. Maybe it just took a few minutes for mighty Odin to alter the rules of the universe!” He grinned. “Welcome, Kai. You are the first dragon and the first non-adventurer to join Greystone!” Everybody golf-clapped as Kai took a bow.

  “Okay, back to business. It’s getting late. So, raise your hand if you support the plan to recruit citizens.” All in the room raised a hand. “And adventurers?” Again it was unanimous.

  “Then that is how we shall proceed. Next item. Jeeves, can we specify Dire Keep as a Guild property?”

  “Yes, master. As long as a majority of the ownership entities approve.”

  Alexander put his hand back on the table. “Jeeves, please designate Dire Keep as the official Guild Keep of the Greystone Guild.” The other four all laid a hand on the table and stated, “I approve.”

  “It has been done, master.”

  >>>SYSTEM ALERT! <<<

  The Greystone Guild has captured Dire Keep in the Kingdom of Stormforge, and claimed it as Greystone property!

  They all stared at the notification. It hadn’t even occurred to them that this would rate as a system-wide alert. That was usually reserved for worldwide events, or successful raids where one guild took a keep from another. That target had been painted on their backs much quicker than intended.

  “Well, shit,” Brick said.

  Chapter Four Be Careful What You Ask For

  Alexander read the system alert for the third time, shaking his head. “That was stupid of me.”

  “You had no way to know.” Lainey tried to comfort him.

  “It might tell us something, though,” Max pointed out. “Think about it. Jeeves told you that Baron Dire still had the ownership claim here, until we took it. The place was full of undead. System messages usually only happen when a guild keep is taken by another guild. So maybe Baron Dire’s still alive, and somehow running a guild?”

  “And we know, Jules was kidnapped and sent here by PWP. So, by extension, maybe PWP held the keep, and the ‘Dark One’ running them is Baron Dire?” Alexander finished the train of thought.

  “That would explain the system message, sort of,” Sasha said.

  “Well, regardless, we now have less time to prepare. I say we flip those other two mirrors, teleport back to Stormforge, and start with the recruiting.” Lainey nudged them.

  “Teleporting will not be necessary,” Kai said. “I know portal magic as well as Fitz does. He taught it to me when I was a small child. I can adjust this portal so that it will connect to both your
portal in Stormforge, and the Broken Mountain portal. It will save any new citizens from having to transport themselves and their supplies through the forest, where they might encounter enemies.”

  “Thank you, Kai,” Alexander said. “Can you also make sure that whomever has been using it can no longer connect to it?”

  “Yes. I will change its origin frequency. You will be able to connect to it from any portal on Io, using your medallions. But otherwise, no portal will be able to make a connection here.”

  As Kai collected all their medallions, plus a few extra from Sasha, and went to work on the portal, Brick and Alexander both observed using their mage sight. Both were interested in learning more about portal magic.

  The others removed the two unknown mirrors from the wall and set them on the floor, mirror-side down. Anyone attempting to use the teleportation magic within the mirrors would emerge within the stone itself.

  When Kai was finished, he handed them back the medallions, and opened the portal. They all stepped through it into the Greystone compound.

  Sasha showed Jules around, while Brick headed to the dragon forge to see what was happening there. Max took off to the butcher’s shop to see if he could obtain a late-night snack for their big cat mounts, and Bacon. Lainey headed into the workshop to see what she could make from the many hides they’d gathered. Alexander reminded her that she could take some time in the morning to see if the trainer had new patterns for her, and not to use too many of the hides in case she’d need them for higher level items.

  Alexander, with nothing in particular to do, raised himself a bench in the middle of the courtyard, and decided to practice his enchanting. The old gnome had taught him a basic light spell. Removing one of the smallest of the lich’s diamonds from his bag, he held it in his hand, and cast the ‘light’ enchantment. When he opened his hand, the stone glowed with a clean, white light. It did not seem bright in the open night air, but Alexander suspected that in a dungeon corridor it would be bright enough to see by. The standard ‘recipe’ enchantment he’d learned included the ability to turn the enchantment on and off at need. So, he deactivated the stone and put it back in his bag.

  The enchantments he’d done on the light posts around Whitehall had been significantly brighter, though he’d used the same spell. Was this due to the size of the stone? Or the medium? Did stone hold light better than diamonds?

  Deciding to experiment, he reached into the earth below and raised more obsidian. Just a block weighing maybe 100 lbs. He’d leave what he didn’t use at the forge, for Brick and the dwarves to make use of.

  Keeping in mind Fitz’s warning about putting too much mana into something and causing an explosion, he started small. He broke off a golf-ball sized piece of obsidian. Holding it in his left hand, he focused on his Ray of Light spell. Figuring a burst of magic into the stone would be dangerous, he tried channeling the light the way Kai had.

  His first attempt simply burned a groove into the stone, and he stopped after only a couple of seconds. He needed to rethink this. Ray of Light was a damage spell, Kai had said. It wouldn’t heal. Maybe it wouldn’t work as a flashlight type spell either.

  Closing his eyes, he thought about the standard recipe light enchantment. He broke the spell down into components, looking for an answer. Not finding one, he changed his train of thought.

  Okay, shooting the stone with the Ray of Light won’t work. I’m basically just attacking the stone. What about channeling the spell through the stone?

  Holding the same stone in hand, he extended his arm and focused on pushing the light spell from his hand through the stone. His fingers immediately heated up, and he stopped the spell, shaking his hand.

  That was stupid. Even if you did it right, the light has to burn through your fingers to reach a target. Little bit like sticking your finger in a gun barrel. Idiot.

  He smiled to himself. That admonition had come to him in Lainey’s voice.

  Deciding to continue this path, he made a few adjustments. First, he put on a glove. Then he shaped his subject stone into a more convex configuration. Then he reached down and pulled a small amount of stone from the bench, shaping it into an eight-inch tube, the end of which wrapped around the obsidian ‘lens’. The net result looked like a giant drinking straw with a big chocolate chip stuck in one end.

  Taking the thing up in his gloved hand, he began to slowly channel the ray from his hand, through the stone, and into the lens. The light beam sprang forth from the obsidian and into the ground where it was pointed. Alexander kept a minimal flow of mana going, waiting for a feeling of resistance in the stone, or heat in his gloved hand. After twenty seconds or so, he stopped.

  Okay, this is cool, I’m shooting the light thru the stick. But that doesn’t really get me anywhere. I can do the same just sticking my hand out. Can I stop the ray inside the stone?

  Again, being very safety conscious, he decided to move forward. Removing his armor and setting it, along with his bag, off to one side, he got ready to try his new idea. If he died, he didn’t want to lose any of his gold or gear. And he’d respawn a few feet away.

  He extended the stick with the stone at the end toward the ground. Closing his eyes, he focused on the Ray of Light spell. He pushed much more lightly than in his previous cast. Inching the mana through his hand, into the stone of the stick. From there, he watched it slowly progress down the length of the stick, into the stone. He pictured the beam swirling within the stone, spiraling down in a tight pattern toward the center. It worked! The light did not exit the stone, as before. It followed the spiral pattern he was picturing in his mind.

  Ever so slowly, he pushed more mana into the stone. The cast bar on his UI said he was up to 100 mana, and adding about 10 per second. As he approached 200 mana, he began to feel some resistance. He instantly stopped casting.

  Skill Level Increase! Enchanting: +1

  You have created a new and unique enchanted item

  So, he’d made something, and hadn’t killed himself or anyone else! This was exciting!

  Looking down at the stick, he saw:

  Ray of Light Wand

  Item Level: Unique

  Charges: 200/200

  Right on! He’d made his first wand! And of a type that nobody had made before…

  Wait. Why has nobody made this before? It’s a simple spell. Is it the materials? I know obsidian is rare. And most wands are made of wood. Maybe I’m just the first to combine them to make a shooting wand? Shooting! How do I shoot? Maybe just point it and shout ‘pew!’?

  He chuckled to himself. He really didn’t know how to activate the wand. Or whether it would fire a channeled beam, or a burst. A burst with 200 mana could be dangerous. Especially if it backfired somehow. He resolved to go ask Fitz.

  Passing through the house, he didn’t find the wizard in the kitchen, dining room, or lounge. His three favorite hangouts. Stepping out front, he checked in at the forge, finding several dwarves, but no wizard. Finally, he stepped through the garden to the base of the wizard’s tower. Looking about, he didn’t find any kind of doorbell or chain to pull. There was no door to knock on. One only accessed the tower through teleportation. And only at the wizard’s invitation.

  So, stepping back, he looked toward the top of the tower and shouted. “Fitz! Been practicing my enchanting! Discovered something new! Need to ask you if I’m about to blow some shit up!” He smiled as he pictured the likely look on the wizard’s face.

  In a flash, he found himself inside the wizard’s tower. He was standing next to Fitz, in an empty stone room. The walls were covered in runic writing and symbols.

  Fitz held out his hand. “Show me, boy.”

  Smiling, Alexander first took out the diamond, and activated the light spell. Handing it to Fitz, he asked “I enchanted this with the standard light spell. But it’s not as bright as the light posts I made. What’s the difference? Is it the size, the medium, what?”

  Fitz looked annoyed. “You interrupted me for THIS?”
His eyebrows merged into one large hairy grey caterpillar above his nose.

  “No… but I need this question answered, and I knew you’d ignore it after I show you the other thing.” He grinned at the wizard.

  Fitz actually laughed. “Well played, boy. Okay. The difference is partly in size, yes. Larger stones in general can hold more magic. Though some stones are better conduits than others. So, for example, a small bit of obsidian would hold more magic than a larger piece of limestone. Gems, in general, will hold more magic than base stone. But different gems, and even different cuts, favor different types of magic. I have a book somewhere around here that will help you.”

  He held up the diamond. “This is a small stone. But diamonds are actually good conductors of light magic, due to their clear and refractive nature. This one could actually have held more magic that you’ve put into it. And more magic would have caused it to glow brighter, or for longer.”