by Dante King
“You’re right. Excavating the entrance tunnels would leave me vulnerable to attack.”
“Perhaps the varidus are too much work as well. Even with your new Beast Affinity skill, they will prove difficult monsters to tame. They truly are vicious creatures. The males are much larger and more aggressive. The females are incredibly protective of their hatchlings and eggs—”
I interrupted her. “Hatchlings?”
“Yes. Baby varidus. They’re unbound. Not tethered to the mountain. But trying to take one from their brood is suicide.”
“With you by my side, champion, I’m sure we’ll succeed.”
Bertha was still hesitant. “Why would you desire a hatchling? Surely, if you seek these beasts for their power, you’d want one of the fully grown creatures?”
The monsters of the Infernal Realm grew in power in proximity to a dungeon. It was one of the main reasons why both Bertha and Puck had chosen to side with me. They knew that it was a sure-fire way to grow in personal power. But there was a commonality between all the creatures of Lilith’s Realm. They all shed Infernal Essence when they died.
But I could do the reverse. I could infuse Infernal Essence into things. Could I make a hatchling grow into a fully formed adult, just by inserting demonic energy into it? Hell, it was worth a try. And it would save me a whole lot of time. I could leave my dungeon for little more than an hour, and I doubted Puck and Ralph would have completed their task by then.
“We’ll take a hatchling,” I told my champion.
Bertha nodded but couldn’t hide her concern.
I lifted her head in my hand. In my new form, my palm almost dwarfed the half-troll’s head. “Meet me at the entrance to Zagorath, and we’ll catch ourselves a varidu.”
She raced toward the corridor. I watched her leave and couldn’t help but smile at her unquestioning obedience. She was a token of my existence in the Sinarius Realms. The half-troll would follow me to hell and back if I simply asked her.
I closed my eyes and felt for Abby’s consciousness, stored within her sapphiric core in my Throne Room.
“Yes?” she asked.
“I’m leaving the dungeon. I shouldn’t be more than an hour. Bertha is coming with me.”
“And what if you have visitors? Will I be entertaining them alone?”
“I won’t be far. Send a lightning bolt through the sky, and I’ll see it.”
“Or I could just kill them all myself. I’ve gotten much better, you know.”
“I know,” I said. But she wouldn’t be able to take the Sap Lords.
In my newly evolved Monarch Class form, I simply thought about my dungeon’s entrance, and Von Dominus teleported there. My avatar slipped out of the obsidian floor and pieced himself together out of the shadows.
Bertha appeared a moment later and raced up the narrow entrance staircase. We stepped out of Zagorath together and moved across the peak toward the varidus’ nests. The sky was bathed in an orange glow, and scorched lands stretched from east to west.
This was my realm, and yet I’d seen so little of it. I hadn’t forgotten about Lilith creating more Infernal Dungeons, but that was an investigation for another day. I had to remain focused, and thinking about the existence of other cores like me would only serve to distract.
My elf’s razor-sharp hearing detected movement ahead. Something was scrambling against loose slate and small pebbles. I motioned for Bertha to slow as I took the lead and brandished a dagger. I kept my back to the cliff to our left and continued to creep forward.
A small plateau opened up before us. Ages-old workmen had hewn out a space centuries ago. It was too neat to be purely natural. It was impressive, but not as impressive as the varidus that populated it.
I assumed the largest were males, and they had red and black streaks through their feathers. Enormous claws curled out of their wings, while serrated beaks extended from their bald heads. The bigger males could’ve scooped up a school bus and tossed it off the plateau. Thick chains of black metal encircled their slender, birdlike necks and fixed them to the mountain.
The bodies of the fully grown females were almost the size of an SUV and were feathered with subdued shades of black and gray. These, too, were bound with chains.
It took me a moment to find our prey. The hatchlings were clustered in nests against the cliff wall to the left. Each of them were about the size of a German Shepherd.
The females didn’t stray far from their nests and clutches of eggs. Most of the birdlike monsters napped lazily in the sun with their heads tucked under their wings.
Bertha laid a hand on my shoulder. “How are we going to approach this, Master?”
My Enthrall ability needed two seconds to fix onto a target and bring it fully under my will. We only needed one hatchling. I didn’t have time to steal half a brood of varidus. The hatchlings prowled around, stumbling a little as they moved. It didn’t look as if they could fly yet.
I needed a few seconds with one of them alone.
“I need you to distract the larger ones,” I whispered. “Just run through them. Don’t attack any of them, if you can help it. I only need their focus off me for a few moments.” A thought occurred to me. “How likely are they to follow us?”
“Very likely,” Bertha muttered darkly. “But their chains will work in our favor.”
I nodded. “On three. One—”
I found the best candidate in an instant: a curious hatchling ambling about 30 feet from where we lay hidden above them. Right beside one of the mother’s nests.
“Two.”
Bertha coiled beside me like a champion track runner.
“One.”
I tightened my grip on the dagger and fed off the ocean of Infernal Essence that swirled within my Tainted Elf. My eyes didn’t leave the hatchling as I gave the order.
“Go.”
I dashed forward as Bertha leapt over me, spun gracefully through the air, and landed almost in the middle of the plateau. The reaction of the monsters was instant. The varidus wheeled on her as an ear-splitting screech filled the air. I raced toward the young varidu, and its black beak shot straight toward my chest with lightning speed. I twisted and caught hold of the hatchling’s crest. The whole plateau seemed to shake as the brood-mother behind me shrieked.
I spun around as the giant monster reared and lifted its claws to strike. Before it could carve me apart, I jumped with my empowered legs and sprung into the air. The varidu-mother couldn’t avoid my dagger as I slammed it beneath the monster’s chin and skewered its brains. I landed on my feet, the hatchling still gripped firmly in my left hand. I raised the struggling creature up and stared deep into its eyes. It was simple to reach out with my consciousness and find the bestial bundle of instincts in the hatchling’s mind. I scrambled through the tangle of sensations and pain, then something finally gave way inside its mind.
Charm test. . . Success!
Varudi Hatchling Successfully Enthralled!
Now, I wouldn’t have to worry about the creature trying to free itself from my grasp.
The deafening screeching grew louder as every brood-mother became aware of intruders to their nests. Bertha stood in the middle of two males, and she barely kept them at bay with her halberd. If these creatures could give my champion trouble, then this hatchling could very well become a prize worthy of Zagorath.
I simply had to ensure I returned with it. I knew Bertha could be re-summoned if she died inside my dungeon, but I had no idea whether she could be resurrected if she fell on this plateau. I also hadn’t discovered what dying meant for Von Dominus yet—so it was time to leave.
The crackle of loose rock behind me warned me of the incoming mother of the brood. Instinct had me dive to the left, and a beak snapped at the air where I’d been half a second before.
“We’re leaving!” I shouted as I dropped the hatchling and drew my second dagger.
I turned my eyes back to the infant varidu I’d Enthralled. I reached inside its mind and stir
red up the emotion of fear. The creature’s flight-or-fight mindset kicked in, and it raced across the plateau, back toward my dungeon.
A sudden wave of dark energy pulsed across the mountaintop, and blood sprayed through the air as Bertha took the head off a varidu male, and the other male she’d been fighting stampeded toward me. I released a Fright spell with a simple mental command, and the varidu stopped in its tracks. Before I could finish it off, Bertha drove the spiked end of her halberd into its back.
“Was that dark energy from Chaos Nova?” I asked her.
“A worthy spell,” Bertha said.
More varidus rushed toward us, their chains not short enough to prevent them from closing the distance. I wanted to stick around and fight, but I had more important things to do. I cast a second wave of Fear on them, and they cowered for a second. It allowed Bertha and I to escape from the plateau without the need to spill anymore blood.
The varidus were creatures of this realm, and I wanted to keep as many of them on the mountaintop as possible. They provided an excellent ambience for any adventurer traveling toward Zagorath’s entrance.
More beaks snaked outward and snapped at our heels. Adrenaline coursed through my body as I pumped my legs and stayed one step ahead of the varidus. The varidus scrambled after us and howled primal screeches that reeked of carrion and death. Then, came the sound of chains snapping tight, and I knew we’d escaped with our lives.
I’d expected to be out of breath, but it seemed my Monarch Class had much more stamina than my Lord had possessed.
“You did it,” Bertha said as we marched back to Zagorath.
“I told you I would. Now, where the hell is that hatching?” I could still sense its fear, so I knew it was alive and hadn’t scurried off a cliff.
“There.” Bertha motioned toward a clump of rocks where a feathered lump was trying its best to remain unseen.
“Come to me,” I commanded, and the creature left its hiding place. “You’re going to be one of my minions. If you’re anything like your kin, you’ll be worthy of Zagorath.”
The auburn light vanished as we stepped into Zagorath’s dimly lit depths. I led the varidu through the Antechamber to the halls of the Pretzel. I moved it carefully around the traps of Zagorath until we reached the precipice of the Chasm.
It was only then that I dissolved Von Dominus and took control of my dungeon once more. Bertha watched my Tainted Elf melt into the floor and retreated back to her favorite place in the Antechamber. I felt a flood of affection for my first champion. Bertha smiled at the touch of my core and settled back into a meditative pose.
The confused varidu hatchling croaked softly as my Enthrallment began to wear off. It was an impressive creature. It was small, sure, but those monsters on the mountainside weren’t exactly fluffy little puppies. They were killing machines.
A thought occurred to me, and I touched Bertha’s mind. “How do the infant varidus become tethered to the mountain?”
She kept her eyes closed as she smiled at the question. “I’m not entirely sure outside of the legends, Master, but I’ve heard tell there’s a Beastmaster who once lingered on Shadow Crag and tended to its creatures.”
Huh. A Beastmaster, capable of weaving a magic that allowed him near the varidus and even let him chain them to the mountain? Sounded like a useful ally, or a powerful enemy. I stored the information in the facets of my gem for later evaluation and reached toward the varidu once again.
The infant monster’s eyes were clear and curious as it peered around at the Chasm.
I tentatively reached out to its mind. The varidu didn’t have the same properties as an adventurer or any of my other minions within my dungeon. It was a creature that both belonged and didn’t belong within Zagorath. I probed into the little varidu’s mind and effortlessly found my way inside it.
It was time to test Beast Affinity.
I searched within my core for some means of activating it and realized almost instantly that I hadn’t asked Tyria how to use the ability. I knew that it would only allow me to summon as many beasts as I’d captured—so one varidu would have to suffice—but how the fuck did I activate it?
Frustration boiled within my gem as the answer remained hidden. I searched the facets of my gem, the essences within it, and all the blueprints I’d mastered during my short time in the Sinarius Realms. When I’d almost considered the task fruitless, I discovered a tiny green glow inside my gem. At first, I thought it was simply stray Nature Essence, but as I focused on the little light, I realized it was something else entirely. It carried the image of Tyria, and I was reminded of the beautiful nymph I’d conquered. I concentrated on the symbol until my mind blossomed with understanding.
Like all dungeons, Tyria possessed a natural understanding of her abilities, and since I’d made some small part of her mine, I also had that understanding. It merely required a little work to reveal it.
I aimed my dungeon senses upon the varidu, now almost completely rid of my powers. When my ethereal fingers touched the creature, it recoiled, but I forced a portion of the ground to extend. Obsidian snaked out from the floor like a slime and smothered the hatchling. Slowly, inch by inch, I consumed the hatchling like I’d eaten weapons, armor, and magical seals.
Taming test. . . Success!
Varudi Hatchling Successfully Tamed!
With a simple thought, I re-summoned the hatchling. Instead of fear in its mind, it knew only devotion. Devotion for Von Dominus. Devotion for Zagorath.
I sent the varidu further down the stairs and made sure to keep it hopping over the trigger-points for my stair pitfall trap. The creature halted on the platform in front of the Throne Room.
The Beast Affinity skill meant I couldn’t summon more than one because I’d only captured one, but what if I could make this one more powerful by filling it with Infernal Essence? It was time to test the theory.
I experimented and probed raw Infernal Essence at the creature. The hatchling drank it in greedily as dark energy curled around its body. Slowly, it began to grow and morph. Muscle filled out its gangly frame as new feathers sprouted and lengthened its wings. In a matter of minutes, my new pet was almost too big for the platform. Shining claws gripped the edge of the obsidian walkway. Hunger roared through its mind.
It didn’t take me long to spawn a Hellbat from my soul forge. I sent my minion down to the Chasm. I fought the Hellbat’s instincts for a moment before I overwhelmed its mind and set it on my new pet. The varidu exploded off its perch to meet the coming threat. Wings flared as a glittering sheen of black and red raced through its feathers.
I’d had some luck in securing a male.
The varidu took off and glided over the Chasm. Its beak shot out and snapped up the Hellbat. My new monster tore the unfortunate minion in half and consumed its flesh. Zagorath’s varidu screeched happily as its massive wings beat the air while it circled the Chasm.
I fed my pet a few more Hellbats, poured more Infernal Essence into him, and watched as he grew.
He stretched his brand-new wings, screeched ever louder, and startled the Lightning Imps. I took some time to convince him that the Lightning Imps weren’t to be trifled with.
I hollowed out a maze-like structure in the razor-sharp stalagmites at the bottom of the Chasm and sent the new beast of Zagorath to dwell inside it. I needed to call him something, so I settled upon the name of my old horse from Enter the DarkRealms.
“Hellwind,” I said. “Hellwind the Unchained Varidu.”
I had a pet monster. Now, it was time to redecorate my dungeon.
“You’re back,” Abby said as her consciousness touched mine. “And I see you’ve brought something back with you. What’s her name?”
“His name,” I corrected. “He’s Hellwind.”
“A lovely name,” she said.
“Thank you.” This version of Hellwind was much more powerful and striking than the one I’d used for my character in Enter the DarkRealms. “There’s one final thing I ne
ed to welcome the Sap Lords. I doubt they’ll make it this far, but what’s a Throne Room without a—”
“Throne?” Abby finished for me.
“Exactly.”
I reached out and found the plinth where the dungeon cores rested. The small iron pillar shifted under my careful application of Physical Essence. It lengthened, widened, and formed itself into a shining centerpiece.
A throne of Obsidian Alloy. The Throne of Zagorath.
My dungeon core shifted as I detailed the new item. My heart slid into the back of the tall chair and shone with a blood-red light. I placed Abby’s gem below it, and her sapphiric core sparkled happily at my ministrations.
“Are you going to warn me before you start turning me into an adornment for your seat of power?” she grumbled.
I knew she was faking the displeasure because I could feel her admiring my latest addition.
“Sure,” I said. “Next time.”
I took my map of the Infernal Realms that I’d received from Lilith and turned it into a vast ornament on the Throne Room floor. A little flair was required, so I traced each of detail of the map with a slight trace of trollish iron.
Obsidian spikes jutted out of the walls at my command; I figured there was nothing wrong with a little environmental advantage. I placed a Siphoning Stone on the far wall to pick up any leftover essence from corpses or my champions. There was no need for Crystal Skulls to illuminate the room because the light from my blood-red core and Abby’s sapphire-blue core bathed it in a purplish hue.
I retreated into my dungeon heart and finally relaxed. We were going to wreak havoc on the Sap Lords.
“How long have Puck and Ralph been gone?” Abby broke me from my moment of peace.
“A while,” I said as I started to understand her meaning. “Perhaps a while too long.”
I immediately summoned Von Dominus, grabbed the two rings I’d crafted as a reward for Ralph, and started marching toward the travel stone.
“You’re leaving already?” Abby asked.
It didn’t take long for Bertha to join her at the travel stone.
