Monster Core 2

by Dante King

  “Negotiations went well, yes,” I said.

  “Superb. I assume she’ll be joining us in Zagorath promptly?”

  “She’ll be staying behind. She serves us better here than in Zagorath.”

  “I did wonder what your plan was when it came to already-established chambers of death,” Puck commented as he flew overhead and whipped around the trees. “Is she to be trusted? Has she seen the light and glory of Lilith?”

  I ducked beneath a low-hanging branch and used my Swiftness seal to keep up with the Shade. “She’s coming around. Some things aren’t to be rushed.”

  “Of course. Please tell me that we’ll be returning to the Infernal Realm soon, Master. I can’t stand this one. It reeks of uninterrupted, unrestrained life and an astounding lack of a disciplined gardener.”

  That made me chuckle. “Soon, Puck.”

  “I didn’t think I’d ever hear myself say this, but I wonder how the troll and the sparkly blue girl fare.”

  I had to agree with him. I’d only been away for a few hours, but it felt like months.

  “We draw close, Master,” Puck told me.

  We came to a clearing with a giant tree that towered above the forest. Small huts had been built on the branches, and other dwellings were carved into the tree’s massive limbs. Smoke, light, and the smell of a blacksmith’s forge told me that this guild house had decent access to resources. It was a perfect base for my purposes.

  “Puck,” I said as I turned to him, “as much as it pains me to say it—”

  “You need me to stay here,” the Shade finished for me.

  “Yes. I want you to watch for any potential danger. I wouldn’t like to be surprised while I’m inside the guild house.”

  “I will be your shadow sentinel,” Puck said with pride as he faded into the shadows.

  I pulled my cowl over my head and moved toward Elderwood House. A man in a blacksmith’s apron saw me approach and marched over to me with a large hammer in hand. I figured he intended to stop me, and I placed my palm on my dagger’s pommel, ready to draw at a moment’s notice. Before he reached me, a familiar face stepped between us.

  “He is a friend,” Ralph said to the blacksmith.

  “Another newcomer? Deadeye is going downhill.” The blacksmith raised his hands in exasperation and returned to his anvil.

  “Master!” Ralph said. “I have prepared the way for your coming, although I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Shouldn’t you have returned to Zagorath already?”

  “My power has grown,” I explained.

  “And the dungeon is defeated?”

  “Indeed.”

  “Where is the Shade?” Ralph asked. “I’m coming to like him, you know.”

  “He’s watching from within the forest. Now, show me to the others. I have a proposition for them.”

  Ralph led me up a rope bridge attached to the massive tree. We stopped outside a sprawling house decorated with the guild’s colors of blue and gold. I stepped up onto the porch, uncowled myself, and knocked on the door.

  Bolnir answered it. “Ah, I see that the mighty Viceroy of Lilith is indeed an elf of his word. Come in.” He grinned at me through his thick brown beard.

  The dwarf wore a simple smith’s outfit without the leather apron. Leather suspenders held up his trousers, and a slightly singed shirt bared his muscled arms. A pipe sat in his mouth and trailed scented smoke.

  I nodded briskly at him and swept into the house. My eyebrows lifted upon seeing a dark red stain on the floorboards. Someone had attempted to scrub blood from it but failed to remove the evidence entirely.

  I nodded at the stain. “The Sage?”

  “You got that right,” Bolnir answered. “Follow me.”

  I trailed the dwarf as he led me through halls lined with mounted animal heads, forest tapestries, and sprigs of herbs.

  “Impressive, isn’t it, Master?” Ralph said.

  “I suppose.” My adventurer was starting to sound like he was enjoying this realm a little too much. I feared my Enthrall might come undone, so I would have to find a way to ensure his faithfulness to Zagorath.

  “Here we are,” Bolnir said as he opened a large door.

  I stepped past him and into a large dining hall. A fur rug from some giant, prehistoric creature sat beneath a huge table that reached through the middle of the room.

  Quinn and Vaughn Harrowbark pored over a map spread out on the table before them. I went over to them and caught the tail-end of their conversation.

  “. . .we don’t have a chance of defending Elderwood House if they launch an all-out attack on us,” Vaughn said. “We’re just a small guild. It’s not like they need us here.”

  “They’re not going to burn Elderwood to the ground,” Quinn argued.“Even if they haven’t heard from the Sage, they’ll send people to investigate first.”

  I pulled out a chair at the head of the table and sat down. Ralph stood over my right shoulder, and Bolnir pulled up his own chair to my left.

  “You made it out alive,” Quinn said to me, his mouth agape.

  I met his eye. “I told you I would. And the dungeon is conquered.”

  “It cannot be,” Quinn said.

  “Vaughn,” I said. “How’s the leg?”

  The other Harrowbark brother straightened up at the mention of his name. “Fighting fit. A few herbal potions, and it’s right as rain.”

  “Good.” I leaned forward on the table and steepled my fingers like a proper evil overlord. “I have a proposition for you. I want the Sap Lords to attack Zagorath.”

  “They won’t do it,” Bolnir said. “The Infernal Realm is too far from here. It’s not worth the effort.”

  “We will lead them to a travel stone,” I said.

  The dwarf leaned back into his chair and puffed on his pipe. “So, that’s how you lot got here.”

  “Indeed. That solves the problem of distance, but I imagine they’ll need a reason to visit my dungeon.”

  “Maybe you could ask them?” Quinn suggested. “The unfortunately deceased Sage usually pens a letter detailing the amount of dungeon visits and the equipment found. If no letter is received, then the Sap Lords are likely to send some administrators. They’ll want to know why their supply has been interrupted.”

  “How soon?” I asked.

  “I figure they’ll be here tomorrow,” Bolnir replied.

  I nodded. “And if these administrators were also to mysteriously vanish? How would the Sap Lords react?”

  The Harrowbarks blanched at my words. Bolnir was the first to speak.

  “They’d take it personally,” the dwarf told me. “Very fucking personally.” His tone was guarded, but his unease was plainly written on his face. The already-pervasive tension in the room seemed to tighten.

  “We won’t risk the lives of the people who live in Elderwood House,” Quinn told me flatly. “We may have sided with you against Elohin and the damned Elves, but we won’t be responsible for bringing the fury of the Sap Lords down on our families and friends.”

  “I will take full responsibility,” I replied.

  “Easy for you to say,” Vaughn retorted. “Your life won’t be at stake.”

  A simple enough sentiment. “I have no intention of having you break your oaths to the lords, gentlemen. Ralph and Puck will be primarily responsible for waylaying and otherwise interrupting those who come to unjustly take your hard-earned spoils.”

  “I’m in,” Bolnir said. “How about you two?”

  The Harrowbark brothers glanced at each other, clearly unconvinced of my proposition.

  “You have nothing to fear for yourselves or your people,” I said. “Simply blame the champions of Zagorath. The Sap Lords will attack Zagorath, and your guild house will be safe. You’ll also receive a great boon from the lords’ deaths. They will no longer hang their nooses around your necks.”

  “Can you swear no harm will come to Elderwood House?”

  Bolnir laughed. “He conquered the dungeon, didn�
��t he? All by himself, mind you. I’ve thrown my lot in with him. I figure you lads should do the same.”

  “All right,” Quinn said as he nodded at his brother. “We’re in.”

  “For better or worse,” Vaughn added with a grimace.

  “Richer or poorer?” I added. “No? Shall we continue with the plan, then?”

  Grunts came from across the table, and I continued. “Do these administrators know the forest around Elderwood House?”

  There was another tense silence until Bolnir spoke up again.

  “They don’t know this corner of the forest like we do, no. They’ll be following the well-worn trails and sticking to them.”

  “Then, with your help, Puck and Ralph will lay an ambush,” I said. “My followers will attack them from unexpected angles, string them out into the woods, then deal with them accordingly. Can I rely on your help in guiding Ralph and Puck to the best place to lay an ambush? All they need is information. As I said, I’ll not have you break your oaths to the Sap Lords.”

  “This is breaking our oath,” Vaughn began, but Quinn cut him off.

  “No, it’s not. We would only provide information; our swords won’t cut the administrators down.”

  Bolnir blew a thick cloud of smoke. “Besides, those bastards aren’t the Sap Lords. They just work for them.”

  “The greatest virtue of Eveline is balance in nature,” Quinn added. “The scales have been weighed against us for far too long.”

  “This is insane,” Vaughn muttered. “All of it.”

  I stood up smoothly and fixed my gaze on the elder Harrowbark brother. “It is not my intention to destroy the Deadeye Guild. Far from it. It will endure, and flourish, further and greater than ever before. As it stands, Elderwood House has my protection and good faith. If you wish to turn from us now, we’ll leave and never return.”

  I’d already set the pieces in motion, so this trio couldn’t reject my offer. If I didn’t deal with the Sap Lords, then they would surely raze Elderwood Clearing to the ground.

  Bolnir slid off his chair and strolled around to my side. He offered me his hand, and I took it firmly. His granite-grey eyes met mine with refreshing faith. “We’ll stand with you, Von Dominus. We’ve come too far to turn back now.”

  “You’ve made the right decision,” I said.

  Vaughn met my eye. “You’d better deliver on your promises, servant of Lilith. I only think of the fate of the people who live here.”

  “As do I,” I told him. “It would’ve been simple enough never to negotiate with you. To simply kill the Sage and leave under the cover of darkness, over your dead, cold bodies. But we are not what your guild would have you believe. We are not monsters.”

  “I have to admit that you’ve proven that much,” Vaughn said

  “Your fear is understandable,” Ralph said from over my shoulder. “But look what we’ve accomplished together so far. And think of the future—think of the security and wealth that your guild could flourish under without the millstone the Sap Lords have placed around your necks.” My adventurer tapped his chest, where his Deadeye Guild sigil lay hidden beneath the breastplate he’d taken from Elohin’s corpse. “We stand together. I’ll not turn my back on any of you. And neither will Von Dominus.”

  “Then, it’s settled,” I said, taking advantage of Ralph’s rousing speech. “I must leave now. Zagorath will be ready when the Sap Lords come to settle the score.”

  “You put a lot of faith in your followers. And us,” Bonlir said.

  “I choose my champions well,” I said with a curt nod. “Put your faith in mine, and they’ll not fail you. I will return when the Sap Lords are dealt with.”

  I looked to Ralph. My adventurer met my gaze without so much as a flinch. Everything told me that his faith in me was rock-solid, but I couldn’t afford to take chances. My increase in power had afforded me Greater Enthrall, so it was time I put it to use.

  “Ralph,” I said. “Walk me to the forest.”

  “Yes, Master,” he replied.

  We left the hall, walked through the rest of the dwelling, and descended the rope ladder to the clearing. Puck waited for us at the forest’s edge.

  “You’ve returned, Master!” the Shade said. “And you brought the stable boy. . .”

  “Hail, friend.” Ralph beamed and waved at my other champion.

  “Ugh, I’m afraid this realm is rubbing off on him, Master.”

  “I know,” I said. “It’s why I brought him here. Come, we need the cover of the trees.”

  “For what, Master?” Ralph asked as he followed me deeper into the forest.

  “Here is good,” I said. “Now, I want you to look me in the eyes, Ralph.”

  He obeyed readily, and I stared into his dark brown pits. They were flecked with both emerald and crimson, the former evidence of the realm that had infected him. I needed Ralph to be completely obedient to my will, so I focused on the center of his pupils and pushed.

  In an instant, his mind was my playground. I tweaked a few memory nodes here and there before I instilled in him the virtue of total obedience.

  Charm Test. . . Success!

  Ralph Kraus the Adventurer of Zagorath successfully Enthralled!

  “Will you make him walk off a bridge?” Puck asked. “Perhaps impale himself on his own sword?”

  “No,” I answered as Ralph stood wide-eyed and completely overcome by my power. “He is now completely under my control.”

  “I was hoping for a rather theatrical suicide.”

  “There is something else. I wonder . . . if Ralph becomes an actual champion of Zagorath. . .”

  I focused on my dungeon core and felt its presence many miles away. I was still connected to it, however faintly, so I drew upon its power. It took almost a full minute to come to me, but now I knew I could use my core’s abilities even from so far away

  Charm Test. . . Success!

  Ralph Kraus the Adventurer of Zagorath successfully Captured!

  Human (Cothslar)

  Name: Ralph Kraus

  Core: Infernal/Nature

  Rarity: Magic

  Possible Evolutions: 2 (Demonic Guardian, Hellborn)

  “Interesting,” I said as I read the text floating in front of my eyes.

  “What is it, Master?” Ralph asked. He still sounded the same, but I knew he was completely under my command now. He would never betray me, even if the allures of the other realms beckoned to him.

  “You are now my fourth champion,” I said.

  His eyes shone with pride. “You won’t regret this honor you’ve bestowed on me.”

  “There is more. I see you have an evolutionary path. I believe I can reach my core from here, so how about I invest the power of Zagorath into you?”

  After increasing in power, I could know manipulate essence while far away from my core. How far exactly? I didn’t know, but I was willing to give it a shot.

  “I would like that very much,” Ralph answered.

  “Is it really necessary?” Puck said. “A lowly human like him could never become truly powerful.”

  I ignored the Shade as I called out to my dungeon core and requested Soul Essence. It felt so very far away, but it responded. I realized that it wasn’t actually traveling the actual distance between my current location and Zagorath, but using a kind of wormhole, something akin to a travel stone.

  I poured 500 Soul Essence entered my body and flowed into Ralph Kraus. I selected the Guardian evolution, and his form twisted and morphed. Two small horns grew from the sides of his head, and his skin took on a shade of scarlet. His torso bucked as he bent over and heaved. Ridges grew along his spine until they became two-inch spikes, and a tail shot free of his pants. The new appendage ended in an arrow tip and flashed around his body as he stood.

  “It will be difficult for him to blend in with the guild now,” Puck commented from behind me.

  “Here,” I said to Ralph. “Have my cloak. You can hide your horns within its cowl. Your tail
can be tucked into your waistband.”

  “Thank you, Master.” His voice carried a harsh edge, and I noticed elongated canines had formed inside his mouth.

  Now, Ralph was so much more than a human adventurer. He was now a Demonic Guardian, and he would serve Zagorath for the rest of his days. If he died, then he would return to my dungeon core, and I could resurrect him at the price of Essence.

  The breastplate he’d taken from Elohin had been destroyed during the evolution, and he could benefit from a new pair of pants. Still, he had Elohin’s glaive and the weapon I’d crafted for him, Zagorath’s Chosen Great Sword. His new form boasted great strength and speed. I imagined it would prove quite powerful when combined with the Swiftness +3 and Might +3 seals I’d crafted into his sword.

  “Ralph,” I said. “Give me the glaive. I need as many seals as I can get for when the Sap Lords come to Zagorath.”

  He handed the weapon to me, and I inspected the remnants of the breastplate. The Manipulate Earth seal was broken in half, and I doubted it could be preserved. Even so, I removed what remained of the breastplate from Ralph’s chest and held it in the crook of my arm. I ordered Puck to hand over the elven bow and chainmail. Once I had them comfortably in my hands, I turned to my champions.

  “Ensure the Deadeye Guild remain faithful to their promise,” I said. “If you sense any hint of betrayal, you will end them. When the administrators have been dealt with, I want Puck to return. Ralph, you will stay here to ensure the Sap Lords know that Zagorath is to blame.”

  “Understood, Master,” Ralph replied.

  “I would be all too pleased to gut the bearded midget,” Puck said with a grin. “And those two humans,” he added.

  “We made them a promise that they will be safe,” I said. “Ensure it is kept.”

  I watched the two champions leave the forest and enter Elderwood House, Ralph now a hulking figure with my cloak wrapped around him and Puck a creature wrapped in shadows. They were a strange pair as they ascended the great tree, but no one stopped them. Ralph received a few wary glances, but no one stopped him. Puck’s presence either scared them, or Bolnir had told the rest of the guild that he was an ally in their cause. Either way, their ascent to the Sage’s opulent house was unimpeded.