“Dinner is just about ready, Majesty,” Alexander said, as Silverbeard and Lola approached. “We may have just a bit more history than you expected. After dinner we’re going to consecrate the chapel in the keep. Just like the one you saw in Whitehall. Also, Brick is going to be shaping his new smithy. Though it won’t be a dragon forge, he tells me it’ll still have some magic bonus potential.”
He began to lead the group of dwarves around the left side of the main building toward the kitchen area. As they walked, the ground began to rumble. The dwarven guard instantly formed a circle around the king and council members, shields up and weapons in hand. All the dwarves in the courtyard instantly produced weapons as well.
After a momentary panic, Alexander realized what was going on. “It’s okay, everyone! That’s just Fitz!” he shouted.
As he calmed the crowd, a second tower appeared on the other side of the main structure, past where the trees had been planted. The tower grew up nearly sixty feet before it stopped moving.
“BWAHAHAHA!” Thalgrin bellowed. “That damned wizard be makin’ sport o’ scaring me guards!” This got a laugh from most of the dwarves in attendance.
Not the guards.
The group continued around to the courtyard outside the kitchen. Alexander led them to a long table with enough seats to accommodate all the council members as well as the king, Grimble, himself, and Master Silverbeard. Just as he was about to sit down, the king noticed the massive block of obsidian sitting next to the smithy. Brick was already inside it, using his shaping skill to push sections of it outward, forming the rough outline of his new structure.
Thalgrin shook his head. “I telled me wife just yesterday I wish I could adopt Brick and yerself as me own sons. Ye do things fer fun that most consider to be impossible!” He chuckled.
Grimble spoke up. “I telled ye, me King. Just before we arrived at Greystone Manor, Alexander and Brick more’n doubled the size of the dragon forge! Just like he be doin’ here now.”
Brick continued to work, as the rest sat down at the table. Thalgrin began, “Grimble telled me yer proposal. But I wanted to hear it with me own ears. Ye are willin’ to GIVE us a mithril worm? Just for trainin’ a second worm for ye?”
“Well, not quite. There are a few conditions,” Alexander replied. “First, we need tools that can harvest the mithril of the worm’s nest.”
“Aye, that be no problem,” Thalgrin said. He motioned to one of the masters he’d brought, who pulled out two diamond-tipped mining picks, and a couple of other diamond enhanced tools Alexander didn’t recognize.
“The second condition is that Fitz wants the skin from the worms. The skin they shed as they grow. All of it. They are a spell component that he needs for some plan of his,” Alexander added.
“Aye, lad. That be acceptable. We’d not deny the old scoundrel, even if what he wants be worth a mountain o’ gold.” Thalgrin smiled up at the new wizard’s tower.
“My third condition is that you let me name the worms.” Alexander grinned.
“Bwahahaha!” The king laughed, not quite as loudly as usual. “Fair enough.”
“Then we have a deal.” Alexander held his hand out to the king, who shook it vigorously.
“Kai has the other larvae. I expect he’ll be around soon enough. How long will it take you to train them? Alexander asked.
One of the masters Alexander couldn’t put a name to answered him. “It takes a year to properly train a wee worm just born. These two should come to life soon. Maybe another month. At a year, they be about the size of an ogre. Ten feet long and three wide.”
“So, I can expect you’ll return one of them to me in, maybe fourteen months?” Alexander asked.
“Aye, lad. That be a good assumption. Ye’ll need one o’ yer own to come learn how to handle the beast…” the master said.
Grimble visibly restrained himself from jumping up to demand the position.
“And how long do mithril worms live?” Alexander suppressed a smile. “Will they outlive a dwarf, for example? Should I choose a very young dwarf to be its handler?”
Thalgrin, seeing that Alexander was torturing Grimble, played along.
“Aye, the young ones be easier to train. Maybe one o’ the lads that Thea bring’d ye?”
Seeing Grimble turning red and looking ready to have a stroke, he relented. “On the other hand, Master Grimble here, DID help us find the worms. I’d have just mistaken them for rocks if not for him.”
Looking at the wide-eyed dwarven miner he asked, “Master Grimble, do you think you can handle your responsibilities at the mine, and still find time to learn to handle the worm?” He had to strain to maintain a poker face. Several of those around him were already failing, smiles cracking their bearded faces.
“Aye! I can manage right well, Alexander! By Durin! Them be my babies, and I’ll not have anyone else stealin’ me fun!” He thumped the table as he practically shouted at Alexander.
“BWAHAHAHA!” The entire table erupted in laughter as Alexander’s face broke into a smile. Looking around, Grimble realized they’d been yanking his beard. After a moment, he broke into laughter himself.
“Ye got me good, lad.” He shook his head.
“Of course, you’ll be our worm wrangler, Grimble. The job was never going to belong to anyone else. All I ask is that you train one other of our citizens. In case you make the worm angry and it eats you!” This elicited even louder laughter from the table.
The meal was served, and the table grew quiet as everyone fell to eating. Barrels of ale and casks of spirits were tapped, and small talk commenced. Brick finished the rough shape of his smithy, and came to join them at the table. He wolfed down a bear steak and a bowl of stew, along with a loaf of bread. Shaping took a lot of stamina.
Fitz also joined them, and stuffed his face as much as any two dwarves. Raising a wizard’s tower also took some energy, apparently. Having eaten as much as he could hold, the wizard looked to Thalgrin. “The boy here told you I need the worms’ skin?”
Thalgrin laughed. “Aye, ye glutton! Ye’ll get yer skin. Ye have me word.”
Alexander had inspiration. “Before we head over to the chapel, I’ve decided on names for the worms.” He said. The king looked at him in anticipation. “I think we should call them Rufus, and Fitz! Both seem to be able to eat without stopping. Which seems fitting for a rockworm! I’ll leave it to you which one to name which.” He grinned.
“HA!” The king laughed. Fitz thought about it for a second, then waggled his eyebrows and grinned back at Alexander.
“It be settled then,” Thalgrin declared. He raised his ale in a toast, “To Rufus, and Fitz!” he roared.
The crowd raised their glasses in response, “Rufus and Fitz!”
With the meal concluded, Alexander said, “Jeeves, loudspeaker, please.” Then waited a moment.
When he was sure he was connected, he said, “I’d like to thank the ladies in the kitchen for a wondrous meal, fit for a king!” That caused some mild chuckles.
“For any who are interested, we will be consecrating the keep’s chapel to both Durin, god of the Dwarves, and Asclepius, god of healers and medicine. You are welcome to come observe.”
And with that, Brick led the king and the others to the chapel. The two priests were already there waiting. Brick moved forward and took a knee before the altar, holding his hammer to his chest. The two priests knelt next to him. Surprisingly, Thalgrin moved up and took a knee next to Brick. All the dwarves in the chapel, and those outside who couldn’t fit in the room, took a knee as well. The humans all either knelt, or bowed their heads.
The two dwarves and two humans in front of the altar began to murmur prayers. The two priests uttering a memorized prayer in unison, while Brick and Thalgrin each quietly spoke to their god in their own way.
There was a roll of thunder that rumbled through the keep. Beams of light erupted from the staves of the two priests, and the hammers of the two dwarves, striking the altar.
As in Whitehall, the altar bore both the hammer of Durin, and the staff and serpent symbol of Asclepius. The obsidian began to glow with the light of the two deities, growing brighter until it was necessary to close one’s eyes and look away. With a crack of lightning, the light shot out through the ground, washing through all of those in attendance. The guards on the walls observed the light spreading out from the main building, moving outward through them and the wall they stood on. It continued outward, in a growing circle, until it reached the lamp posts Alexander had just placed. The lights glowed more brightly for a moment, then faded back to normal.
At the same time, the immense gong sounded again, and a light display circled the top of the keep’s tower. The keep had gained another level!
There was a quiet reverence from those in and around the chapel. They’d all received buffs as the light passed through them. And the chapel around them had changed.
Where before, the altar and much of the chapel at Whitehall had turned to clear crystal, the chapel at Dire Keep had done the opposite. The altar remained black obsidian, while the ceiling, walls and floor of the chapel around them had become the same black stone as the altar. All of it glowed with an inner light. The light within the altar itself pulsed, a lessening of the darkness of the stone.
Confused by the different result, Alexander asked, “Did you change something from last time?”
Brick and Father Ignatius both shook their heads. Thalgrin said, “It be the same blessing of light. The same healing magic. Only the manifestation be different. That be Durin’s doing. A reflection o’ his anger at the loss o’ one o’ his lil’uns. The village were a place of peace. This be a place of war and vengeance. The black stone be more fitting.”
Alexander couldn’t argue with that. He’d come here with the intent to draw in this ‘Dark One’ and destroy him.
The dwarves each laid a hand on the altar before leaving. Many of the humans, too. This was another way to protect the people of Dire Keep. Small wounds would heal faster. Health and mana regeneration were increased. Production would increase, as well. In both the crafting of goods, and the growing of crops.
Heading outside, the king said his goodbyes. His guards took possession of the worms from Grimble and Kai, stowing them carefully in leather wraps.
After seeing them through the portal, Alexander headed back toward the gate. The group of adventurers had been expected by now. He wanted to greet them outside. Sasha tagged along with him. She stopped halfway to the light post, about a hundred yards out from the gate. Kneeling to put a hand on the soil, she cast a druid blessing on the land. Alexander activated his mage sight, and watched the green magic of the nature spell drawn up into the light magic bestowed by the gods, and blended with the ever-present earth magic as it spread in all directions around them. It was a beautiful sight, full of swirling color and movement.
When Sasha and Lydia had cast this spell on the farmer’s fields in Whitehall, the growth rate of the crops had nearly tripled. Sometimes druids were handy folks to have around.
“How are you doing, with all this?” he asked her. He’d not really had much of a chance to talk to his best friend lately. A lot had happened in the last few weeks.
“With the building of the keep? It’s fun!” She smiled at him.
“No, I mean with everything. The long immersions. The attack on Olympus. All of it,” he said.
“Oh. Well, the attack kind of freaked me out. I mean, we’re sort of the cause of all those people dying. And they might have killed some of our friends,” she began. “It’s easy for us to be in here and say, ‘You deserve to be locked up for killing an NPC’… but for some of those people, that meant a loss of their income for a year.” Alexander nodded his head. He’d had similar thoughts.
“But then I think about the people they’ve victimized. Players just like them, who’ve been unable to earn their own livings because those assholes were constantly griefing them. And even if these creeps didn’t bother to read the Terms of Service before they logged in, they can’t have missed all the videos. They knew what they were getting into. And attacking innocent people in real life with guns and rockets, that’s not okay. So, I’ve pretty much decided that assholes are assholes, and they need to pay the price for their decisions.” Her voice was soft, but confident as she finished.
Alexander brought her in for a hug. It felt strange, as his elf body was a good half a foot taller than his real-world body, while Sasha was the same not-quite-five-feet. She hugged him back fiercely, and he could hear a few snuffles against his chest. Then she turned her head slightly, and said, “So… Jules, huh?”. He could hear the wicked grin on her face.
“What about Jules?” he asked, trying to sound clueless. “You don’t like her?” Misdirection was his only hope, here.
“Of course, I like her! She’s sweet, and smart, and SO tough for hanging in through all that’s been thrown at her. I love her.” She started tickling his ribs as she looked up at his face. “But not as much as youuuuu doooo!”
He broke away and ran from his diminutive torturer. His elven legs gave him long strides, but she was a quick little thing. She leapt and tackled him to the ground. Perching on top of him, she began to poke him in any spot he left momentarily undefended.
“Alex and Jules, sittin’ in a tree! K-i-s-s-i-n-g!” she chanted. She’d tortured him like this beginning when they were both seven years old, when he’d taken a fancy to a girl on the playground.
Alexander was saved by a call from one of the sentries on the wall. Looking up, he saw the man pointing out toward the forest. Sasha leapt to her feet, then pulled him up as well. They both turned to face a group of four players that matched Lorian’s description.
In guild chat, Alexander asked, “Lorian? Are you still back there?”
Lorian’s very amused voice came back. “We’re here, in the trees. They just passed under us. I’d have warned you sooner, but I didn’t want to interrupt… whatever that was.” Sasha grinned at him, proud of herself for some reason.
Lorian continued, “I do not believe they pose a threat. I’ve been listening to them talk amongst themselves, and they mostly seem curious about the guild that captured a keep and plans to fight the Dark One. There was no mention of spying, or battling with you. I suspect they plan to ask to join you.”
Interesting.
“Thank you, Lorian. If trouble starts, please put an arrow through the healer’s head first,” Alexander replied.
The tree line was approximately three hundred yards from their location. Too far for Alexander to make out much detail. He waited while they approached. When they crossed within the boundary of the light posts, Lorian and his hunters appeared out of the tree line, moving smoothly and silently.
Alexander raised a hand. “Greetings!”
One of the two warriors raised his hand to wave back. “Hello there! We’re looking for the Greystone guild! Would you happen to be one of them?” he called out.
Alexander was instantly suspicious. If these players knew about Greystone and Dire Keep, then they must have seen the videos. And there were not so many elves around Stormforge that they’d fail to recognize him.
“I am Alexander. One of the leaders of Greystone. How can I help you?” They were now less than fifty yards away, still moving forward. Their body language was very casual, none of them reaching for weapons or checking the area around them.
Sasha must have had the same thoughts. She sent out a message in guild chat. “Player party has arrived. There’s something strange about them. We’re out in front of the gates. Maybe you guys wanna come say hello?”
The group walked within five yards before coming to a halt. Alexander had put a hand to his sword, letting them know to keep a polite distance.
“Easy there, Alexander. We mean you no harm. My name is Dayle. This is Warren, Misty, and Lyra.” He indicated first the other warrior, then the mage, and finally the healer. “We saw the system message about you taking the keep. And we
know about your battle with PWP. We came to see if we could join you.”
“No offense, but how do I know you’re not just PWP butt-munchers, or other minions of the so-called ‘Dark One’ come to infiltrate our ranks?” Alexander asked.
Dayle didn’t even blink at the insult. If he was PWP, he was smarter than their average bear.
“We’re not. And I can prove it to you by telling you something about yourself that I shouldn’t know.” Dayle smiled. His hands remained well away from his weapon. His eyes shifted upward as Brick, Max, and Lainey walked out the gate.
“You’re Alexander Greystone. That’s Sasha, Max, and Brick. I didn’t catch the other girl’s name. But I know your face. I’ve seen your dad’s feed as he watched you play,” the man said.
Alexander thought for a moment. “Anybody halfway clever could have made the name connection. I did use my last name for the guild name, after all. Tell me more about seeing the feed with my dad.” The others had arrived in time to hear this last request, and were suddenly very interested.
The Greystone Chronicles Book Two: The Dire Lands Page 26
