The Greystone Chronicles: Book One: Io Online

by Dave Willmarth

  Alexander quickly raised four small wall sections from the table top, fusing them together at the corners to make an 8 x 10 inch box. Then he created a couple of stone beams, placed them across the long walls, and fused them as well. Then he released the whole thing from the tabletop, and handed it to Thomas. The old man tried to pull the walls apart. Then push them together. He set the box down on its side on the ground and stomped on it. Then stood on it. Finally, he lifted the box and smashed it against the tabletop. A piece of one corner chipped off, but the box remained structurally sound.

  Chuckling to himself, he said, “This’ll do just fine, lad. No flexibility to speak of, but enough strength that it won’t matter if ya don’t build higher than 3 floors.”

  Alexander moved on to the next topic, weight. He showed Thomas where he’d made the first floor walls 6 feet thick. His plan was leave a 3 foot thickness on the ground level, raising the remainder of the stone to a 2 foot thickness for the second floor, and 1 foot thick walls on the third floor. With stone beams crossing between the walls at each level. The floor between the first floor and cellar would be stone, but he’d leave the upper floors and roof to be constructed of wood, to reduce the overall weight of the structure.

  With Thomas approving his plan, he got back to work. He cut more beams from the bedrock, raising them up through the walls and placing them across the top of the first floor walls. Then he raised the walls for the second story, and added beams across those as well. Finally he raised the third story walls, and placed the beams on top. He now had a total of four floors including the cellar. He placed the 4” stone floor slabs over top of the cellar, closing it off. Realizing he’d made a blunder, he formed a hole in a back corner where he intended the kitchen to be, and created a stairway down to the cellar. Then Brick reminded him they’d need a way to get kegs and large crates into the cellar, he created a ramp around back leading down to an arched doorway. The arch was just for style, as the entire cellar was cut directly into the bedrock, and he had no concerns about structure.

  Thomas led them into the main floor and looked around. He recommended a few tweaks, like a stone ledge around the top of the wall at each floor to help support the wooden floors. With a 40 foot span from front to back, the carpenters would need to add more columns, or load bearing walls, in the middle of each floor to support the weight of the floor above. But since the plan was for the second and third floors to have a central hallway with multiple rooms on either side, there would be no shortage of support walls. Since half the main floor was going to have a large great room, they’d add a couple stout wooden columns located above the stone columns in the cellar. The rest of the main floor would include kitchen and pantry walls to support the floor above.

  Having reached a good stopping point, they left Thomas to do some measuring and planning, and headed back toward the center of town. It was past noon, and both friends had skipped lunch. The found several tables set up outside the new warehouse with some of the meager supply of food the villagers had brought with them set out. Deciding not to reduce the limited supply, the friends moved to the bench Alexander had created earlier, and ate some travel rations from their bags.

  Sasha returned with the wagon and the crafters, extremely excited. “There is indeed a quarry, about a mile from here!” The two masons were quite animated. There was high quality marble in the quarry. The dwarves of Broken Mountain were experts at quarrying stone, and this was a valuable resource. After making a quick proposal to Thea, Alexander called for the mayor yet again.

  “Mister Mayor, we have a business proposition for you,” he began. “The two young masons here have discovered that your quarry contains a quality grade marble. They would like to arrange for a dozen or so dwarves to come here full time and extract the marble. They’ll pay you a fair price for the marble, and provide you with a crew of carpenters and stone masons to help you build. You would, of course, have to pay a percentage of the quarry’s earnings to the king, and we’ll need to get permission for the dwarves to set up here permanently. But I think we can assure you that he’ll grant it.”

  “In the alternative, if you’d prefer to work the quarry yourselves and sell the marble, we’ll provide your men with training to do so. For a permanent discount on the purchase of the marble,” Thea interjected.

  The mayor looked to Alexander. “What would you advise, Alexander. I know the king has appointed you Knight-Advisor. If he trusts in your wisdom, I certainly will as well.”

  Looking at Thea, Alexander winked.

  “Well, I think you should bring in the dwarves, but I think you should demand a bit more. Dwarves are handy fellows to have around, especially if you live in the wilderness. Having a dozen or so at hand in case of emergency could come in handy. But having more would be even better! Now, I have it on good authority that King Thalgrin of the dwarves has a need for large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, and you have yourselves a lot of fertile land here, but you don’t have the manpower to farm it.” He looked at Thea again, she was smiling and nodding her head.

  “Thea here is basically a dwarven princess. The king is her uncle. I think. I’m not really clear on the family tree. But I’d bet she has the authority to negotiate a trade agreement with you. Further, I’d be willing to bet there are a few dwarven farmers who are frustrated with the rocky soil of their mountain, and might be willing to relocate here in return for a lease on some land to farm. I’m thinking a percentage of their crop goes to feed the village as payment for the use of the land. The rest they are free to sell or ship home. We’ll even offer the use of our portal for quick transport, so the food is still fresh.”

  “That sounds most acceptable, thank you,” the mayor said. He and Thea moved toward his home to negotiate the details of the agreement.

  Sasha, no longer able to contain herself. “We found a dungeon!” she blurted out. Alexander thought she’d come back a bit too excited about a quarry. This explained it.

  “Just after we left the village, we bumped into Max and Lainey. Max said they’d found a large number of goblin tracks coming from the north. Old ones. He warned us to be careful. We kept going, and found the quarry. While the dwarves were checking out the stone, I was bored, so I started looking around for herbs at the edge of the forest. I spotted a cave in the side of the ridge above the quarry, and it looked like a whole bunch of people had walked out of it. There was a dungeon portal right there at the entrance!”

  Alexander was now just as excited as Sasha. An unknown dungeon! Based on the area they were in, it might be low enough level for them to clear. He thought probably the goblins had somehow escaped the dungeon and attacked the village. That would explain the large number of old tracks coming from that direction.

  They went to follow the mayor and Thea. Stepping into the mayor’s home, previously the lair of the goblin boss, the group’s appearance interrupted the trade negotiations.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have an urgent question. Mr. Mayor, were you aware there’s a dungeon portal near the quarry?”

  The man looked distressed. “No! I’ve lived here thirty years and never seen a dungeon. Our hunters have not reported one, either.”

  “Well, it seems you have one now. We’ll go investigate it soon. In the meantime, let everyone know to be extra vigilant. No one wanders off alone.” Alexander looked meaningfully at Sasha. “I’m going to port back to the city and update the king. Thea? Have you and the mayor reached an agreement? Shall I notify the king of a dwarf invasion in Whitehall?” He smiled at her alarmed look. She nodded her head.

  “Sasha, update the others on what you found, and ask the crafters to see what they can do about repairing the gate. Brick, can you do something about a door and shutters for the warehouse in case something happens and we need to defend the place? I’ll ride back from the city as quickly as possible.” Remembering his mount, he grabbed his figurine and dismissed the tiger. “Anybody need anything while I’m there?”

  Hearing no
thing, he pulled out one of the king’s teleportation scrolls. He didn’t think the king would mind him using one to provide a warning about another dungeon that could potentially hold demons. He activated the scroll.

  It turns out it was tuned to the inner bailey of the palace. There were guards stationed nearby, and one of them immediately ran over to Alexander, weapon drawn. Recognizing Alexander, he pulled up short, sheathed his sword, and saluted. “Sir! Can I be off assistance?”

  This whole Knight-Advisor thing comes in pretty handy.

  “I need to see the captain as quickly as possible. And probably the king, though I’ll leave that up to the captain to decide,” he replied.

  “Right, sir! The captain is with the king in his study. I’ll show you the way. Please follow me, sir!”

  The soldier led him quickly to a room off the main hall and knocked on the door. Upon hearing the king shout “enter” the soldier opened the door for Alexander.

  “Alexander! An unexpected pleasure. What brings you here this fine afternoon?”

  Alexander bowed his head. “Your Majesty, Captain. I’ve just come from the village of Whitehall, to the northeast. Our guild had agreed to escort the refugees back to the village after we cleared it of goblins. While helping them get reestablished, and scouting for potential resources, we located a previously unknown dungeon nearby. From the signs still available, it looks like the goblins that sacked the village emerged from the dungeon. I’m concerned that they may have been pushed out by a more powerful new inhabitant-”

  “Demons,” the king finished for him. The captain nodded his agreement.

  “I thought you’d want to know right away. I’m afraid I used one of your teleport scrolls to get here more quickly with the news,” Alexander apologized.

  “Nonsense! That’s exactly why you have them, Alexander! Use them as you see fit. We can always get you more. Fitz makes them for me. I’ll bribe him with some of my newly acquired dwarven ale!”

  Alexander laughed. “I’m afraid he’s been helping himself to a good bit of Brick’s supply, so he might not be so easy to bribe!”

  This got a chuckle from both the captain and the king. “Yes, I was quite surprised to see that tower the other morning. Seems the old goat has adopted you lot.”

  “I think he’s mostly staying for the food and the dwarven spirits. Speaking of dwarves, Majesty, we took our dwarven crafters from Broken Mountain with us to help the villagers rebuild. They discovered a marble quarry nearby, and are negotiating with the mayor of Whitehall to have a crew come and mine the quarry. In addition, I’m afraid I suggested the dwarves send a few farmers as well, as the village needs to grow and produce food. Most of their able bodied men were killed in the goblin attack, and the dwarves have a need for fresh produce. But before they finalize anything, I wanted to get your approval.”

  The king looked thoughtful for a moment. “You have my approval, of course. And Brick is already authorized to negotiate trade with Broken Mountain on my behalf. He’s done very well, so far.” He paced back and forth a few times. “Captain, do we have the resources to send guards to Whitehall?”

  “I could send a few dozen guards on rotation. The village is only about 4 miles away by road, so we could switch them out once per day-” the captain began planning.

  “Captain, if I may?” Alexander asked. The captain indicated for him to continue.

  “My friends and I are happy to investigate the dungeon. If the inhabitants aren’t too strong for us, we could clear it for you as well. While having guards would be helpful, rotating them out every day seems like a lot of effort. Would you maybe have some guards with families who’d be interested in a new home? Or some recently retired guards who could still train villagers and stand a watch on the wall? The village currently has more homes than occupants, and I’ll be building more. Brick and I are going to build real stone walls and gates with towers to help in the defense. The mayor will begin recruiting soon. The village will earn a good income from the quarry, and will be able to pay a small guard force. They could also use any good crafters who are looking for a new home.”

  The king spoke up, “In answer to your first point, I would like you to clear the dungeon if you can.”

  Quest Received: Investigate with Prejudice

  Investigate the new dungeon at Whitehall. Clear it of any hostile inhabitants if possible

  Rewards: variable

  “As for the rest, it seems you’ve decided to not only restore one of my villages, but make it into an overnight boomtown!” the king chuckled. “I assume your guild will be receiving some of the profits?”

  “No, Majesty. We plan to help them rebuild, arrange for their continued security, and then leave them to it. We did agree to let them use our portal to transport fresh produce to broken mountain, but we’ll not charge them. It’s our duty to help, Majesty. I believe you called it ‘doing something useful’ when I’m not needed here as an advisor,” he grinned at the king.

  “HAHAHA!” the king and the captain both had a good laugh. “Indeed, Alexander. Well put! I see I chose well.”

  “Aye, Majesty. Lydia and I have spent a great deal of time with Alexander and friends. They are good people, one and all, and have accomplished some surprising things,” the captain agreed.

  “We will arrange for a dozen guards to accompany you back to Whitehall. They will watch over the village in the short term while we put the word out for interested citizens. I believe the captain may already have a few in mind?” The captain nodded.

  “Tell the mayor that as my personal apology for being unable to protect his village during the recent attack, I hereby waive all taxes due to the crown for the next two years. I suggest he use that time to grow and prosper. We will send him what aid we can in the short term. I’ll have the guards meet you in an hour at the east gate. There will be a dozen mounted men, and a wagon with supplies for one hundred people for a week. We’ll throw in some tools for farming, and leave the horses and the wagon there for the village’s use. Anything else you can think of, Captain?”

  Captain Redmond nodded his head. “I’ll accompany you back to the village. I want to observe this dungeon myself. If you can wait a bit longer than an hour, I believe I can have a few new villagers ready to come with us. Master Holston, the baker killed by those PWP, well, his family hasn’t the heart to keep running the bakery. Too many memories. Lydia spoke to his wife, and she was talking about leaving. Whitehall would be a change, and still close enough that she could visit friends. I’ll send Lydia to speak with her. There are a few others I know of. Good people who would be a benefit to the village.”

  “Thank you, Captain. These people had to flee with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. They lost most of their able-bodied men in the battle. The remaining villagers are mainly women, children, and elders. I think the baker’s family might find the village a good place to heal, sharing the same recent loss as the folks there. I’ll make it a priority to build them a new home, and bakery if they are so inclined. Speaking of building, I’d like to get back as quickly as possible to build some accommodations for the guards and new residents, as well as help with the walls.”

  The king interrupted. “Build? How are you building so quickly? How many crafters did you bring along?”

  “Ah, sire. Fitz taught the boy earth magic. He can already raise several tons of stone from the earth and shape it. He and Brick raised and built the portal columns in their compound, and he raised several tons of obsidian for the dragon forge they’ve just constructed in the last day or so,” the captain explained.

  “You’ve built a DRAGON FORGE? In just a day?” the king gaped at Alexander.

  “Yes, Sire. I sort of, overdid it. Did too much too fast. But all I did was raise the stone. Brick shaped it, with the help of three crafters. It’s quite beautiful.”

  “That settles it!” The king began to pace again. “Guard!” he shouted, and a guard came running in from a side room. “Tell my personal escort tha
t I’m leaving the palace. We are going to the Greystone compound, then to the village of Whitehall. I want to be ready to leave in 10 minutes.” The guard took off like a shot. “Captain, you get your men together. Choose men whom you think might be inclined to stay in the village, with or without families. And round up whichever citizens you had in mind. Provide guards, horses, and carts to help them carry belongings if necessary. We’ll be rousting that grumpy old wizard and teleporting to the village immediately. You’ll follow as quickly as you can. In the meantime, I’m going to see this dragon forge for myself! Alexander, you’re with me. I’m inviting myself to your home. Let’s go!”

  Alexander followed the king. They headed out into the inner bailey courtyard. Though it had been less than 10 minutes, a contingent of 10 of the king’s guard were already there, preparing their horses. “Change of plans!” the king called out. Put away your mounts. We’ll be traveling via teleport for the foreseeable future!” The guards all dismissed their mounts, gathering in formation around the King. Alexander was politely but firmly excluded from the formation. The guard took their ruler’s security seriously, especially when leaving the palace. The king shrugged apologetically. A good ruler knew when to allow his men to do their jobs. Speaking of jobs…

  “Heading back via teleport shortly. Bringing the king with me. This evening maybe 30 more folks are coming. Guards and families who want to move. Warn the mayor! Do what you can to get the first floor of the inn habitable.” He broadcast in guild chat.

  They walked the few blocks to the Greystone compound. Alexander dashed ahead briefly to ensure the wards would allow everyone through. The king walked through the bailey gate tunnel shouting “Fitz! Wake up and get out here! We need you to...” his voice trailed off as he caught sight of the smithy.

  The king walked slowly toward the building, taking in the obsidian walls. Stepping through the door, he saw the glow from the swirls of silver and glass additives Brick had worked into the stone. Running his hand across one of the workbenches, he whispered, “This is… you two created this in a day?” He stepped over to the forge, with its very realistic looking dragon head. Touching the runes, he asked, “My dwarven a bit rusty. What do these say?”