“That’s…that’s unbelievable! How did she get so lucky?”
Shale chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s what I was trying to tell her, as well, but she didn’t seem to believe me. Then again, it wasn’t all beneficial for her….”
Her Dungeon Assistant then explained how fragile her Core was, how she had been limited on what she could create, and how her initial starting statistics had been less than a normal Core would have access to. Then came another description of how she had been attacked, including more detailed depictions of the blue-skinned, 6-armed invaders than any of the other Fairies had heard by that point. Finally, he arrived at the current day, choking up a little as he told them about Malachite being missing and possibly dead, though he did mention that he might still be alive somewhere – but no one knew for sure.
“So, that’s the current state of affairs. From what I’ve been told, the Council Leader mentioned to all of your Cores that he would move them again once this whole business with these monstrous people is taken care of, but we don’t know if either of those things will happen. Does that sound about right?” Shale had taken charge of the explanation magnificently and Tacca just let him go, as he was getting much more engagement than she probably would have.
They all nodded, and he went on. “That’s what I thought, which brings me to why you’re all here. From our tour earlier, you all saw the crowds of Raiders outside, including the town a little out from the base of the mountain range. Tacca has some…contacts…with some of the Raiders, through the same Bond that allows you to hear her, and they are worried about having enough shelter and food for everyone that is fleeing here from the north. I don’t have to explain to you what’s happening up there, as you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t know, but that’s the current situation.”
“So…what does that have to do with us?”
I’ll take over from here, Shale. Thank you for the explanation, by the way. Tacca focused her thoughts, trying to figure out how she wanted to describe the scope of what she had planned. First, let me tell you what I’m currently working on. Near your Cores’ locations, closer to the surface, I’m creating a space for the Raiders and even non-Raiders to live, as well as provide them a place where they can grow food to get them through the winter month.
“What? Why?”
That’s the best part, I believe. Tell me, what do you think will happen if I were to, say, connect my dungeon with those spaces?
It didn’t take more than a confused second for them to realize what Tacca was talking about. “That’s…insane, you know that. I’ve never heard of anything like that being done before.”
As far as I know, you’re correct. But I might as well take advantage of the Raider Presence inside of my dungeon if they’re stuck inside the entire time, right?
“That’s quite devious; you’re creating a space for them to live, but you’re also going to get stronger because they’re living there. Genius even,” one of the male Fairies, who she had learned was named Gneiss during Shale’s tour, stated with wonder on his face. “But that still doesn’t explain what that has to do with us.”
That’s what I want to find out, as well. My proposal is an experiment, because it is something that hasn’t been done before – as far as I can tell – and it could potentially be dangerous. However, if it works, then it could be beneficial for all of the Cores in the Nursery.
“The Nursery? Is that what you’re calling where our Dungeon Cores are located?” asked Tulip with amusement in her voice, who was one of the female Assistants. “It fits, I suppose.”
Sorry about the nickname, but it made it easier to describe them in their current state. Anyway, what I want to do is try to connect one of your Cores to the space, as well, to see what would happen. My hope is that they will be able to share in the Points being accumulated through Raider Presence.
They were all silent as they looked at each other with hesitation in their body language. “That seems extremely dangerous,” Gneiss finally spoke up. “We don’t know what will happen; it could theoretically destroy both Cores. Are you sure you would want to risk that?”
Tacca knew the risks, but she also knew that she had to do something to help the Cores in the Nursery, especially if they never found Malachite. If that was the case, then they would be stuck there indefinitely, destined to try and eke out an existence in the Wentrylock Mountains buried thousands of feet under the surface. If she could give them some sort of head start, it would benefit everyone in the long run.
I’m sure. The question is, do you think any of your Cores would be willing to risk it? If it works, then the rest can certainly connect together and we can all benefit.
“I’ll ask, but I can’t guarantee anything,” Tulip answered first, which was followed by the others.
That’s all I can ask. If you have any other questions, please let me know; you can pop in here any time and speak to me. Once we’re connected, if that is what your Cores wish to do, then we can communicate at any time.
They all had a few more questions, mainly about her dungeon – which she thoroughly enjoyed talking about – before they left, *popping* out of her Core Room via their Translocation, and she was left with Shale.
Do you think any of them will want to try?
“I don’t know. Maybe? We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.”
Regardless, I’ve got to get this done. I hope one of them is willing to risk themselves, because I’m really curious if it will work.
“Are you sure you want to risk yourself? They were right, you know – it could be extremely dangerous.”
I know, I know. The way I figure it, I’ve already cheated death a few times, so what’s another?
“You do know that you’re not just gambling with your own life, but mine, also?”
Her mind froze at his question. She had forgotten that he had just passed his year with her, and the probability of him dying was almost certain if she ended up being destroyed in the process. Those that had been Bonded that long were nearly guaranteed to die if the Core was shattered, though there were a few cases in the past where the Assistant survived if the Bond was just barely over the year threshold.
I’m sorry, Shale, I didn’t even think about that. I can certainly break our Bond before it comes to that, if you wish.
“No, I’ll see this through with you – no matter what. I already told you that I wouldn’t leave you, even when those monstrous people were attacking, and I’m not leaving now.”
But—
“No, I’ve made my decision. If you’re dead set on doing this, then I’m going to be along for the ride – no matter what happens.”
Figurative warmth suffused her Core at his words, and Tacca couldn’t help but feel privileged that she had ended up with such a wonderful Assistant.
Ride or die, Shale. Ride or die.
“Huh?”
Just something a Core once said to me when I refused to leave them when they were under attack. Basically, it means sticking with someone till the end, no matter what.
He chuckled at the explanation. “Well then – ride or die, Tacca. Ride or die.”
Chapter 19
It turned out that none of the Cores were willing to risk themselves in such a dangerous venture…yet. She had a feeling they would soon change their minds once they realized how isolated they were, which had been done on purpose to protect them from the invaders; since it had only been a few days or weeks in a few of their cases, the longer they went without any external stimulation, the more likely that they would be willing to risk their Cores for the chance of having some sort of interaction with others, Raiders or otherwise.
Therefore, it was left to Tacca to continue creating the new space for the people to survive the winter. Her massive room was soon finished at 500 feet in depth, and she looked at it with a discerning eye, seeing it as she had imagined: a grand entrance Hall. Starting on the bottom of the side walls, she began making small hallways that led to modest-sized
rooms 10 feet in width and 30 in depth, with 10-foot ceilings. Each of these were going to be spaces where people could live, though she wasn’t exactly able to furnish them with what she could create. Separate, private areas were about the best she could accomplish at this point.
After placing 46 of these rooms on either side of the Hall, for a total of 92 (which she thought might comfortably hold 6 people per room), she used her ability to create stone to fashion some stairs in two separate areas along both walls, which led 12 feet up to a stone landing she created and which ran the length of each wall. The platforms, supported by small columns underneath and attached to the wall itself, was 8 feet wide, with a short stone railing about 4 feet high running along the side jutting out into the Hall – so that no one would fall off accidentally.
Along these platforms, she copied what she had done on the ground floor and created another 92 rooms (46 on each side again). Then it was just a matter of building upwards, extending the staircase out into the Hall a little so that she could make a set of stairs that switch-backed upon itself and rose all the way to the ceiling. As an afterthought, she also added a short wall to the stairs, so that no one would fall off of them, the same as the platforms she was creating along the walls.
By the time she was done, she had 7 platforms, all with rooms that people could use to live within. Including the ground floor, there were a total of 736 modest-sized rooms, holding 6 people each, for a total capacity of 4,416 people. She wasn’t sure if there would be that many staying inside of the large space, but at least it was there if they needed it.
That took care of the living arrangements, and now it was time for how to feed them. While she couldn’t actually grow food, and the plants that she had access to weren’t really edible, she could provide the space and dirt for the people to grow their own. Also, if she was right, then her Dungeon Force-created soil would help them grow their food even faster. All they needed was space.
Instead of one huge room, Tacca decided on multiple rooms that could be farmed a little better than one massive field. Therefore, at the backside of the Hall, she created a wide doorway that led to a long tunnel, which then branched off 3 times into junctions, leading to the left and right, as well as continuing straight ahead. At the end of the 6 tunnels she created to the left and right, she started hollowing out 10-foot-high rooms that were 100 feet wide and 200 feet long, before filling them with dirt that was 1 foot deep. A 3-foot-wide stone walkway along the center of the room going all the way to the back finished it off, allowing people to walk through the room in order to access everything.
In the 7th room, which was at the end of the main tunnel, she created a large storeroom that was 200 feet wide and long, with stone walls that shot out from the walls, allowing there to be some sort of separation for the different crops that they could grow. When that was done, her concentration left her project as she figuratively stepped back and saw what she had accomplished.
Better yet, it had only been 1 week and 6 days! When she was determined, she could certainly accomplish a lot, she found; not only that, but if she applied Carve Earth in multiple sections, she could remove the dirt and stone at quite accelerated speeds.
What do you think, Shale?
Her Dungeon Assistant popped over via his Translocation and looked at everything, making pleased noises as he saw all of the rooms Tacca had carved out of the mountain, as well as the makeshift farms and storeroom.
“It looks great, Tacca, and I think it’ll work for them, at least for a month.” Shale hesitated for a moment. “However….”
What?
“Don’t you think you’re forgetting something?”
Tacca looked around the entire complex she had constructed, trying to figure out what he was talking about. There were rooms the people could sleep in, farms they could grow food – what more could they want? She knew that the light inside of the rooms were more than capable of growing plants, so sunlight wasn’t the issue, and since that was all they needed—
Water!
“Exactly,” her Dungeon Assistant confirmed. “Not only will they need water to grow their food, but there’s no place for them to get water here, especially if they’re holed up for a month. Sure, I guess they could brave the entrance and gather up some snow to melt, but that isn’t really a viable method of getting water, especially if there are 1,000 or more people living here.”
He had a point, but she wasn’t sure of the correct solution, either. For one, water wasn’t something she could just create. Plants, trees, and thousands of different kinds of rocks, ores, and gemstones – absolutely. Something as simple as water – not so much.
There were three possible sources of water, as far as she could fathom. One, which wasn’t exactly practical but might work, was to hollow out holes through the ceiling of her rooms, running through 3-inch-wide tunnels that led to the surface, where they would be exposed to the coming snow, which would melt after coming in contact with what was “technically” her dungeon, and then trickle downwards to the people living inside of the space she had constructed. This was the “natural” solution, but it was a bit unreliable, especially if the holes on the surface got frozen over and wouldn’t melt, and the time it would take to set all that up could require a week or so.
She didn’t have that much time.
Another source of water was through an Environment, namely the Aquatic Environment. She would have access to water then as an Environmental Object, and she could place it anywhere she chose, and just like her plants when they were cut down, it would automatically be replaced if some of it was consumed through the ambient Dungeon Force running through her dungeon. This was the easiest solution for Tacca, though it would require using some of her Core Improvement Points to unlock the Environmental Access. It was also the least versatile, as it would be difficult to direct where the water was needed without a lot of preparation and time, which she didn’t have, so it would likely just end up being large pools of water that the people would have to move to where they wanted it.
The last possible source of water was through Water-based traps. They could be activated by someone simply walking or touching in a certain spot, and water would appear in whatever “trap” Tacca designed. This was the harder of the two “magical” solutions, because of the expense of Dungeon Force to set them up, as well as the expense when they needed to be reset after use. That could be reduced if she were to purchase a Water trap specialization, but it would still be expensive to maintain – though it really did depend on how she utilized the traps she did set up.
Environment or traps? Water-based traps or Environmental Objects? Which one is better?
“Why not both?”
Both? Isn’t that a little excessive?
Shale chuckled, shaking his head. “Excessive? No, I don’t think you’re looking at it in the right way. Water, for lack of a better word, is the lifeblood of the mortal races. They can’t live without it, and they will take it however they can get it. It will cost you a little more in terms of Points spent to acquire the Environmental Access and specialization, about 1,400 total if I’m not mistaken, but it will also make their lives much easier. And easier, and therefore happier, is what you want here.”
What do you mean? They won’t freeze to death or starve, so they should be happy.
“You forget that I’ve been watching all of these Raiders in the town down below,” her Dungeon Assistant said matter-of-factly. “Did you know that one of the reasons those people want to delve through your dungeon is because of their need to get away from everyone else?”
That doesn’t make any sense.
“It’s true, I’ve been listening in and observing over the last few weeks, and I’ve learned a lot about the mortal races – more than I learned at DAPS, anyway,” he continued. “With so many people gathered in one place, there have been arguments over inconsequential things, fights, and even a few killings, though those are rare.”
Why?
“Boredom,
mostly, but also because they’re not happy. Many of them don’t have a place to stay, they may or may not be able to afford food, or they have to wait for a month to see your dungeon – and for quite a few, all three of those things at once. But you should see the smiles on their faces when they finally get a chance to delve through your rooms, or if something finally goes right for them in town – like getting a room to themselves – or having enough to eat. Those happy people don’t argue, don’t fight, and don’t kill their fellow Raiders, behaviors which I’m sure you’d prefer to maintain while they’re inside an enclosed space like the one you’re creating.”
Tacca could certainly see the potential disaster that could create, with disgruntled Raiders trapped inside of a mountain, unable to leave or have any other outlet. Which gave her an idea of sorts of what to do with her new section….
But there wasn’t time to dwell on that, because she had less than 24 hours to finish her grand project. Taking Shale’s advice, Tacca spent 1,400 CIPs; 600 went toward a Water trap specialization, while 800 was used for an Aquatic Environmental Access.
Aquatic – Environmental Access
The Aquatic Environment allows the creation of water, water-based plants, corals, shells, and a variety of rocks within the dungeon.
Access Costs:
Fresh Water: 1 DF per cubic foot
Saltwater: 2 DF per cubic foot
Kelp: 1 – 5 DF depending upon size
Seaweed: 1 – 5 DF depending upon size
Seagrass: 1 – 5 DF depending upon size
Algae: 1 – 5 DF depending upon size
Coral: 2 – 10 DF depending upon size
Shells: 3 – 20 DF depending upon size
Rock: 1 – 100 DF depending on size
Water – Trap Specialization
Water-based traps can range from mildly annoying to fully lethal, depending on how they are applied. Producing voluminous amounts of water is a sure way to drown unsuspecting victims, but Water-based traps can also be adjusted through temperature changes, creating different states of matter.
The Dungeon Fairy: Three Lives: A Dungeon Core Escapade (The Hapless Dungeon Fairy Book 3) Page 18
