The Dungeon Con: One Foot in the Grave ( Hank Grave Book 1): One Foot in the Grave (Hank Grave series)

by Marty Myers

  Then she spoke several words of power as she passed herself through his spirit form. Their essences mingled in a tingling warm sensation that quickly grew hotter and hotter before their auras merged. Then as they were fully joined together their cores began orbiting each other like a binary star system spinning closer and closer until finally their centers were rubbing and bumping up against one another.

  To Hank, this felt like every sensitive nerve his old body had was being caressed and teased simultaneously by the softest most amazingly skilled partner he had ever imagined. All of his senses seemed to be involved in this kaleidoscope of flashing erotic images and sounds and feelings of Llywelyn that played out directly in his mind. As their passions soared their centers sped up, even more, heated up incandescently and melted into one another.

  Then within them, there was just one super core which became, brighter and hotter than anything else Hank had ever known. It was far more powerful than the first time they had copulated as spirits and it was expanding, growing bigger and bigger until it was almost the size of their auras which struggled to contain it. The core wanted to erupt in an explosion of staggering proportions and Hank didn’t think he could hold it back any longer. Then with a final massive burst of light and sound, their cores went supernova and exploded simultaneously coming apart again in a long glorious release.

  This time Hank thought he had actually even seen stars or comets or something comprised of their essences shooting off of them as they let go. Each of them was hurled back from the other’s body, as the whole vault was set to glowing brightly from their release. Hank barely kept a hold of Llywelyn who spoke a few more words of power he didn’t understand as they spun and only gradually slowed once more to became two separate entities again.

  “ Wow.” Hank said, “ that, that was really something special. I mean the first time was great, I didn’t even think that it could be topped. But this time, it was just so much more somehow.” Llywelyn laughed and said, “ well as long as we are in accord each time we can add a bit more to the experience and enhance it. This time I also used some rare and powerful love magics I know to spur us on a bit. I hope that you don’t mind my meddling in our lovemaking.” Hanks laughed, “ meddle all you want,” he said. “ That was awesome. Llywelyn lay down beside Hank for a time while they both recovered their energies. She said, “ I wish dearly that we could take our time and do that again, but it seems like we must collect ourselves and return to the portal now. Hopefully, we will be able to meet again here in the next few days so that I might tutor your further,” she said and then she kissed him tenderly and got rose up from their resting place.

  When she was done mentally getting herself in order she explained, “ Hank, I have done all I could to rebalance your core and aura. I have even exchanged some more of our essences during our love making just now to help speed the process along. I want you to stop taking such ridiculous chances with yourself and be more cautious for the next few days. Give your insides some time to heal and settle or you will do more damage to yourself.”

  “ You can continue to gather minions and take their pledges of service but no one as powerful as Cronolithe for now. And no more siphoning off that guard’s aura either, find some other use for him and the Darkness that is eating him. Be careful with yourself my love. For you are the most valuable and irreplaceable thing you or I possess.”

  And with that she brought them both out of her mindscape and back to the vault. There she recovered the crystal and she and Hank teleported it to a safe place she showed him hidden deep within her dungeon’s personal chambers. Hank was surprised working with her in such a fashion at how small her teleportation talent really was. She had told him it had withered after her familiar/husbands death long ago but he had not really given it much thought. She was so powerful in so many other ways that it had not made much of an impression on him at the time.

  “ Llywelyn I know you deal with demon’s and I was wondering if there was any way you could get me some bones or remains from one who was very talented in teleportation.” I have started learning the path of death crafting and Provoas was telling me that if I wanted to fashion a talisman to boost my own talents further it would need to be fashioned of such remains and possibly also infused with a spirit that can freely travel between the realms.” Llywelyn paused at hearing this, “ your talent is already very far-reaching Hank, why would you wish to augment it further still instead of focusing on some other aspect you could bolster?”

  Hank said, “ it is my teleportation and my scrying talents that have allowed me to gather these minions to me that I have now, where I would have had few to none of my own choosing if I was just endowed with the talent that most other dungeons are. Yet I still don’t have the range to reach much of the seas or further over to the old world. I want to make the most of the bargain I have already struck with Manuck the Lord of the Seas while I can. I need to grow my horde as strong as it can be to defend myself before the Light finds us.”

  Llywelyn said, “ very well, your reasoning in this is sound but if I help you gather these very rare items, I want something in return. I have never progressed beyond the just the basic three paths in necromancy as my main talents lie elsewhere. If I bring you the ingredients I want you to make two talisman’s one for you and a similar one tailored for my own use. I will never match you in either scope or range but I am tired of being reminded so often of my diminished talent in this area.” “ Of course I will Llywelyn, “ Hank said. “ Whatever you want. I will practice my death crafting some more before we try making them.”

  Chapter 41

  “ It is time,” Llywelyn said, “ let us return to the portal room before the Lord Darkness summons us.” They flew back through his dungeon and arrived in the portal room to find the last of several skeleton porters carrying bags full of arcane ingredients and equipment out of the portal and into the altar room. The Darkness was directing them from overhead. Hank could see the majority of the room was already filled with the bags which were then being unpacked and assembled by skeletons and Provoas into a complex series of arrangements. There were many different types of crystals and rare elements and talismans strung together in a framework of solid metal wiring which was laid out in a peculiar pattern clear across the floor, walls and even running up onto the ceiling of the room in some places. Hank could not make any sense of its complex workings except to note that the altar with his body were at the epicenter of the device.

  Other than the Black Guards, Provoas and the skeleton guards that had stood here since they had been marched in during the first portal opening, and some skeletal porters bringing material into the dungeon, no one else was here. “ Good,” the Darkness said upon seeing them return. “ You have arrived before the portals closing. I expect most of these ingredients to be expended in my efforts over the next three or four days, so another portal will need to be opened to replenish them before then. With this in mind, Llywelyn will be returning to further your education then. I expect you two to make the most of this precious opportunity to strengthen Hank and safeguard my own interests. She will also be in charge of having another shipment of ingredients prepared to come with her in three days time.”

  “ Meanwhile a good portion of my own attention must be focused here overcoming the obstacles standing between me and my son’s resurrection. Your body is the wedge allowing me to pry open an exception to the Bans, he said excitedly. The second Ban is being eroded even now as we speak, I can feel it slowly crumbling under my will,” the Darkness shouted. “ Breaking it is a tremendous task even for one such as I and if it can not be brought down by the time this ritual is completed, I will fail to bring him back. I will not have it!” he yelled in a fit of petulance. “ Anything that needs to be done to weaken and break the ban I will do it!” he screamed. Hank and Llywelyn prostrated themselves before the Lord as the whole dungeon shook with his exclamations of fury. Seeing the preparations in the altar room tremble and shake with his outburst the Da
rkness brought himself back under control.

  “ I should have given him more power last time,” he muttered to himself. “ I will give him more power this time,” he said in a louder voice. ” He shall rise up to become a true Dark Lord second only to me in power. We will see the rise of another Lord of Darkness to contend with the Lords of Light and my son the Dark prince shall rise up to be the new Lord of Endless Shadows.” So saying the Darkness turned and flew back into the altar room and closed the doors.

  Llywelyn and Hank rose to their feet and she gave him a worried look. She looked around and took over the remaining scattered porters and sent them back through the portal. She turned to Hank, “ Take care of yourself,” she said. “ I will be back in two days time at midday. If anything happens before that you contact me.” She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before she let go and shut down the portal. Hank felt some of himself go with her and wondered how close they would become over time. He hoped they would both survive long enough to get the chance to see just how far their burgeoning relationship could take them. Llywelyn was definitely different than anyone else he had ever been with. He felt like there was just so much more to her than anyone else he had ever known.

  After she had left Hank once again was struck with the urge to keep building, to finish his dungeon and complete the demon contract. His other self was making good headway in crafting the spider’s level which was becoming more detailed and complex than any of his other floors folowing their suggestions. The plans for one looping figure eight tunnel had become five of them spaced around each other along with a few individual circles all connected to each other by the smaller crawling tunnels for the regular sized spiders to ambush adventurers from. It would be a complete disorienting change of pace for any adventurers or heroes who had somehow descended that far.

  Thinking about it Hank sent another of his selves back down to the dwarfs level to offer to add more chambers and details to their own floor. Now that he had seen a bit more of how their hold’s were laid out he would carve them their own burial chambers and add some more embellishments to make his dungeon seem more like home to them.

  Then Hank decided that he should go find Alastor now and apologize for failing to introduce him to Llywelyn yet again. The last thing he wanted was for the two of them to have any problems come between them. Hank felt around for his friend and located him down in the kitchen. When he arrived Alastor was teleporting in more dead mountain sheep to feed the extra guards. “ Hey,” Hank said as the last few sheep arrived. “ Look I am sorry you didn’t get to meet Llywelyn again. She was just really insistent on dragging me away to bargain with the spider queen and to check me over and see what type of damage I had done to myself.” Alastor looked over at Hank and said, “ its alright I had just been hoping that I could join you guys for a while and get to see if she is going to be alright being around me,” he said. “I have heard a lot of different things about her over the years and since you and I are kind of a package deal here. It would be good to make sure everything is going to work out alright between us sooner rather than later.” Hank could see the sense in that. “I am sure that if anyone knows this it is Llywelyn Alastor. I will make sure you get your chance to meet her this next time no matter what. She is supposed to open another portal here in two days time to deliver more supplies that the Darkness needs for his work and to keep teaching me. So we will make sure you meet her then.”

  “ In the meantime, I have gotten a change in grimoires from Provoas and I was wondering if you would like to work with me in learning some death crafting.” “ I knew that already,” Alastor said, “ I have been picking up on some of the new information from our link as you were practicing it earlier.” The Imp smiled and said, “ our bond is still growing closer it seems. I even caught just the tiniest bit of your dalliance with the fair Llywelyn earlier when you tow ran off. Although it was just for a few seconds I must say even second hand, that the lady is fine.” Hank blushed as Alastor laughed at him, before sensing how mortified his friend was becoming at being teased. “ Seriously don’t worry about it Hank,” he said. “ I could hardly see or feel anything through the bond other than a very brief flash of emotions and light so your trysts are safe enough as long as they continue happening in the mindscape.”

  “ Now, why don’t you show me this new path of yours and run me through the basics.” Hank agreed and said, “ do you mind if we have a couple more students, I want to see if Birch or Haman can learn some more from me. I am thinking Haman will be my contact among his people and I want the other goblins to see he has grown stronger by following me.” Alastor agreed and they went to set up a workshop of their own to work on their death crafting in.

  Chapter 42

  Meanwhile, Llywelyn was busy arranging her own affairs. Once she was through the portal and it closed she dismissed the porters and guards back to their regular posts. Then she went to her personal chambers to check upon her precious prize. It was there, nestled snugly into a special chest she had tucked away safely within her most secure chambers. After looking it over and rechecking all of the work she and Hank had done to the crystal, at last, she was satisfied. Then she carefully looked within herself to see if they had managed to spark the conception she had plotted to bring about with their latest lovemaking.

  There it was, the tiniest beginnings of another soul, just barely perceptible floating deep within her core. The Bans prohibited and forbade the birth of a dungeon. Here then was her first personal step along the path to breaking the second ban. She would carry the little dungeon soul within her and nurture it while she worked to repair and replenish its eventual body in the form of the fragment of crystal Hank had found and when the Darkness managed to erode the ban enough to bring back his favored son she too would combine the little emerging soul with the dungeons crystal heart and bring forth a new life that had been barred from being born into this realm for centuries. Hank and she would then have a child together. Something more to fully cement her place at his side. She would give him something that no one else could now.

  She sang to the new soul within her and bathed it in her own essences to help it develop and grow. She had taken more of the Light essence from Hank not just for his own sake but to help the new life take hold and flourish within her. She felt a bit of regret at deceiving Hank with what she had done. She had even clouded his memories a little bit there at the end so that he would not begin to suspect the significance of their work on the crystal together in that manner and then letting her take it back with her after their tryst. Her tampering with his memories would eventually fade away and he would regain an accurate memory of the event, but by then she would be well along the path to carrying their child to term.

  Later after strengthening her wards, protections, and charms about herself and the child as strong as she could make them. Then doing the same thing to others upon the chest with the crystal and then again upon her chambers, Llywelyn turned her attention to other important matters. Such as finding out how her spies fared in following Francis and the angels. Then she planned on launching the hunt for the vampire called Eleanora of the house of Nightmire to tie up some of Hank’s loose ends. For, after all, she thought, a woman’s work is never done.

  Chapter 43

  The Darkness meanwhile was very busy himself, not only with his work in raising his son from the dead. He was also resisting the temptation to strike out at the followers of the Light now that his spies had informed him that a pronouncement was being delivered to all of their churches and congregations shutting the mortal’s pleas off from beseeching aid from the Greater Host and the Lords of Light themselves.

  It had to be a trap to bring him out of hiding long enough to reveal his own whereabouts and that of his son’s resurrection point, he thought. When had the Lords of Light become so cunning he wondered in aggravation? It was almost the perfect bait to tempt him to action. They had apparently tired of dangling the new saint out waiting for him to bite and had instead rais
ed the stakes. But no, he must not reveal his hand so early, as tempting as rampaging through the realm might be.

  The Darkness knew that the gates of Heaven and their High Houses could be thrown wide open again in short order to let pour forth the wrath of the heavens down upon him if he should take their bait and lead his forces out onto the field of battle prematurely. Instead, he would continue letting his small raiding parties attack more remote targets and continue building up a sizable horde as a decoy just outside of the Dark Citadel while his truly crucial pawn remained well-hidden elsewhere. If they attacked the horde at the Dark Citadel he could keep their mortal armies busy and pinned down in the north and their attention focused there. He consoled himself with the knowledge that his other plans were progressing quite nicely as he manipulated his pieces into thinking they were playing their own game.

  Chapter 44

  In the Heavens Bahramel was frustrated. How could he have lost the confidence of so many angels so quickly, he railed to himself. He had sent many of the angels of the lesser host out on vital missions to search for and locate the crucial locations where the Bans were breaking down. Searching for where the threats to the very Lords of Light themselves were going to appear, but instead of focusing upon these truly vital tasks. All many of them could do was to talk of, wonder about or question the few sacrifices that a select few of them had had to make for the good of the many.