Dungeon Master 3

by Eric Vall

  “A weapon may only hold a single augmentation stone at a time,” I explained as I shook my head. “The nature of the enchantments used in such stones make them… incompatible with each other. I would highly suggest, if we were so lucky as to claim another, to not even attempt it. I understand the results might be… explosive. The stones can, however, be swapped for another whenever the user so chooses.”

  “Alright.” The princess pursed her lips and was quiet for a moment. “Do these augmentation stones have to be used with specific weapons, or will they work with any weapon?” As she spoke, she glanced over her shoulder at her sword Bloodscale.

  “Any weapon will do,” I replied.

  “Okay, then I choose to use Bloodscale,” Annalíse said as she removed the sheathed weapon from her back and held it in her hand. The scabbard was crafted of high-quality leather of a reddish-brown hue. The top part, as well as the pointed bottom end of the encasement, bore detailed silver carvings of dragons with outstretched wings. The silver quillon of the sword formed a straight line, and both it and the hilt bore a design that resembled a dragon’s scales.

  I had beheld countless weapons in my lifetime, and still I had to admit that Bloodscale was one of the most beautiful and intricately crafted weapons I had ever seen. Whomever had forged the weapon was nothing short of a genius, the craftsmanship was almost as impressive as that of the God Slayer.

  Annalíse unsheathed Bloodscale, and as she did so, its sharp points, and silver faces gleamed in the cavern’s light. The metal was utterly flawless, and the etching of a long scarlet colored dragon’s tail curled down each side of it from the top down to the sinister pointed end. Annalíse raised her weapon in the air in front of her and then turned to look at me.

  “So, what does my stone do?” the human woman asked me.

  “There’s only one way to find out,” I said with a shrug. “Attach it to your weapon, and you’ll discover what properties it has.”

  The princess looked at the green stone in her hand and then at Bloodscale. She furrowed her brow as her eyes roamed across the surfaces of her sword, and she turned it in her hand repeatedly.

  “Where am I supposed to attach the stone?” Annalíse asked finally. “There doesn’t seem to be a place to put it.”

  “Press the gem into the space nearest to the hilt’s bottom,” I instructed as I pointed to the area.

  “But there’s no--” the freckled woman began to say, but I held up a hand to interrupt her.

  “Just put the stone there as I told you,” I repeated.

  The female warrior blinked at me in confusion for a brief moment but obeyed. She slowly stood to her feet and positioned the stone at the bottom of the hilt as I had indicated. Annalíse hesitated for a moment, but then gently pressed the stone against the sword’s handle. As soon as she did so, the section of the hilt beneath the gem sunk inward and molded to the hexagonal shape of the augmentation stone. The stone was quickly pulled into the sword’s hilt and became imbedded in the metal at the pommel.

  Annalíse sucked in her breath and quickly yanked her hand away as the jewel locked into the sword’s hilt. Carmedy and Rana gasped in surprise, but Morrigan and I exchanged knowing glances. Once the emerald jewel was fixed in place, a low humming sound emerged from Bloodscale. Annalíse’s mouth gaped open as the sharp edges of the sword started to glow with vibrant green light. The luminous jade glow illuminated the swordswoman’s freckled face as she gazed at the weapon in awe.

  The etching of the scarlet dragon’s tail that curled down both of the weapon’s sides suddenly shifted to the same emerald hue, as green runes just like the ones carved into the stone slowly appeared on the shining steel of the blade. The humming swelled, and the symbols flashed slowly at first, but then gradually sped up until they flickered rapidly. Carmedy and Rana’s mouths hung open, and they leaned forward in anticipation of what would happen next.

  Annalíse gulped as she clutched at her sword with both hands, her eyes filled with wonder. Without warning, the symbols stopped pulsating and shone with a steady light.

  Green lightning emerged from Bloodscale and circled around the weapon. Annalíse winced at the storm of sparks but still held onto her sword tightly. The lightning buzzed and crackled until suddenly, the length of the warrior’s sword extended to nearly twice its original length. Despite the weapon’s increased size Annalíse’s hand’s did not lower the weapon, so I guessed that either the weight didn’t increase dramatically, or it imbued her with extra strength.

  My minions watched silently in awe as Bloodscale transformed before our eyes. Two jagged crescent blades covered in the same runes emerged from the sword’s sides to form a weapon that resembled a double-bladed battle axe with a long-pointed edge at the center. Annalíse stared in disbelief at the fearsome fighting implement that she held in her hand. She had barely opened her mouth to speak when the green lightning that surrounded the now-transformed Bloodscale proceeded to surround her.

  “Annalíse!” Rana and Carmedy shouted in unison as they moved to aid their friend, but I held up a hand to stop them.

  “Everything is alright,” I said calmly, and they stared at me as though I had sprouted an additional pair of eyes in the center of my forehead. “This is all part of the process. See for yourself,” I said as I nodded in the direction of the female warrior.

  They turned their heads slowly and watched as the jagged green streaks of lightning glowed brighter and brighter until it was nearly blinding, and we could scarcely see the swordswoman. We shielded our eyes as the emerald light shone fiercely when with a final flash, it dissipated along with the humming. As my eyes blinked away the last of the sunspots in my eyes, I could see that the augmentation stone had finished working its magic.

  The princess now wore a gleaming golden breastplate with a V-shaped neckline that seemed to flow down the curvature of her fit body. On each arm, she wore golden gauntlets while an open-sided scale mail skirt, engraved to look like the hide of a dragon, reached down to her knees. Through the gaps in the skirts, it was plain to see that her shin guards, and the cuisses strapped to her thighs were crafted of the same fine gold and stopped at her mid-thigh. What parts of her legs and hips weren’t armored were clad in dark leather. To top off the enchanted armor was a gold collar necklace wrapped around her neck, a green gem fixed to its center that was identical to the one on her weapon.

  “Wow wee,” Rana said with a low whistle as she and the others approached Annalíse to inspect her new gear. “That’s a serious armor upgrade right there.”

  “Yes,” Annalíse gasped as she looked down at each of her gauntlets in awe before stepping slowly in place to get the feel of her new armor. “It is quite impressive and feels as though it was made especially for me.”

  “That would be the work of the augmentation stone.” I nodded.

  “It’s magnificent, and this weapon…?” the swordswoman said as she held up the newly transformed fighting implement. The runes had faded away, but the etching of the dragon on the axe-sword’s blade was still green.

  “That is quite a fearsome weapon,” Morrigan said as she eyed what Annalíse held. “It should aid you well in battle.”

  “It certainly will,” the female warrior said as she swung the weapon through a short series of practice swings. Bloodscale’s razor-sharp edges sliced through the air, and Annalíse’s eyes lit up as she marveled at the axe-sword. Then she tilted the weapon back and forth in her grasp and then twirled it around with the utmost of ease.

  “Despite its large size, it’s surprisingly light,” the princess said excitedly, and then she reeled her arm back and posed with her weapon poised to attack. “I can’t wait to use this in combat.”

  “I’m pleased that you found something as useful as an augmentation stone,” I chuckled, “especially one so suited for you. However, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, you will first have to learn how to use the stone and your new weapon properly before you use it in battle.”

  “I
wouldn’t have it any other way!” Annalíse smiled brightly and brought the axe-sword down to her side. “I want to start training with Bloodscale as soon as possible. Perhaps this will help me…” The freckled woman’s voice trailed off and a more serious expression came across her face as she smoothed her hand over Bloodscale’s smooth surfaces. Annalíse didn’t finish her statement but continued to run her hand across the axe-sword and pursed her lips together tightly.

  I knew she was thinking about the issue of challenging her father. If she could master the use of the augmentation stone and effectively use her newly transformed weapon, she would certainly be able to defeat the High King.

  “We’ll train later,” I said kindly to the swordswoman, “but first, you should deactivate the stone.”

  “How do I go about doing that?” Annalíse asked.

  “That collar necklace that you have.” I pointed to the jewelry around the princess’s neck. “Did you notice that it holds a similar stone to the one that you attached to Bloodscale?”

  Annalíse lightly touched her fingertips the jewel piece around her neck with her fingertips. “Yes, I can feel that it’s the same shape. I thought it was just ornamentation.”

  “No,” I shook my head, “there is a purpose behind its presence. Now, I want you to press your index finger against the stone.”

  “Okay,” Annalíse said slowly. “Like this?” the princess asked as she looked down at the green jewel and gently pressed her finger against the gem just as I had instructed. She had only just pulled her finger away from the stone when the green jewel started to glow. Green lightning burst from the stone and surrounded her body just as it had before. The streaks crackled and fizzled as the glow intensified to a blinding light, leaving only a faint silhouette of Annalíse’s body visible. When the vibrant glow finally disappeared, Annalíse’s armor and clothes had reverted back to her original gear.

  “Oh no!” Carmedy gasped. “What happened to her pretty gold armor?”

  “The augmentation stone recalled it.” I gestured to the gem on Bloodscale’s hilt. Even as I spoke, the weapon shrank back to its previous size, and the double-edged axe blades retracted into the sword.

  “It appears as though Bloodscale has returned to its original state,” Morrigan said nonchalantly, “save for the fact that the dragon etching remains green rather than red.”

  “You’re right,” Annalíse said as she scanned her sword. “Why is that?”

  “It seems as though the etching will take on the color of whatever augmentation stone you have affixed to its hilt,” the tattooed elf said unemotionally. “The change of color likely indicates that the stone is in use and in proper working order. Should you choose to replace it with a different stone, the etching will change its color to match the stone. Should you remove the stone, the etching will return to its original scarlet shade.”

  “I see,” Annalíse said slowly. She reverently sheathed Bloodscale.

  Since we didn’t possess any sort of riding animals or devices to transport our belongings at present, I stuffed each of the treasure chests into my void pocket to make travel easier for us.

  “Now that that’s sorted out, can we get out of here?” Rana said as she turned toward the tunnel entrance. “I know we defeated this dungeon and all, but this place still gives me the creeps. I don’t want to stay in here any longer than I have to.”

  The fox twitched her tail as she walked toward the exit. Morrigan and Carmedy turned to join her, but stopped when Annalíse called out to them.

  “Wait a second,” the swordswoman said quickly. “There’s still the matter of how I’m going to move about Tamarisch without being seen. I can’t just travel from town to town out in the open, remember?”

  “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” Rana folded her arms over her chest and then she turned to look at me. “Hey, didn’t you say that you had a way around this or something?”

  “I did indeed,” I said to the fox woman.

  “Alright, so what was this big idea that you had?” the curly haired thief asked with a smirk.

  I calmly folded my hands behind my back and allowed a devious smile to creep across my face. “We’re going to dig our way through to the next dungeon.”

  Chapter 7

  “We’re what?” Rana cried out as the others looked at me in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. We’ve got no shovels, no pick axes, no nothing! You actually expect us to claw our way through solid rock with our bare hands, er, paws, whatever? I understand that you’re trying to do this whole master and minion training thing as we go about our merry way, but this is just ridiculous. I can’t believe that you--”

  “Rana, calm down,” I calmly interrupted the fox-tailed woman’s frantic rant and gave her a grin. “When I said we’re going to dig our way through, I didn’t mean you specifically.”

  “Oh,” Rana said, and she blinked in surprise. “Sorry, never mind then. No complaints on my end.”

  “Why is it necessary that we perform this strenuous labor while Rana is permitted to sit at ease?” Morrigan said with a slight frown. “Forgive me but this seems unjust.”

  “You won’t be doing any digging either,” I chuckled to the elf. “None of you will in fact.”

  Carmedy wrinkled her nose and scratched at her head. “Okay, so if we’re not going to be doing the digging then who is?”

  “Just wait a moment and you’ll find out,” I said with a small smile.

  Without further explanation, I reached my arms out to either side and turned my palms upward as I summoned the power of the ice god. The four women watched eagerly as a small frosty cloud appeared before me and hovered close to the ground. A stiff chilly wind blew past us and rustled the fur of our cloaks, and such a gust announced the materialization of three more clouds beside it. The cloud formations grew and stretched to roughly half the size of one of the women. Suddenly, a set of white talons burst from each of the clouds and clawed at the air. Rana and Morrigan furrowed their brows at the unexpected sight, and Annalíse instinctively placed a hand on the hilt of the sword at her hip.

  Carmedy yelped and hopped backward. “Aren’t those the…?” the feline asked fearfully.

  As if to answer her question, out of each of the four clouds stepped a familiar long-limbed ice demon, so thin that their ribs pressed against their colorless skin. At the center of their gruesome faces was an empty triangular hole where a nose would have typically been, above it a set of beady pale glowing blue eyes. Below the hole, an unnaturally wide gaping mouth of jagged teeth that stretched to either of their long, pointed ears. From their heads sprouted white antlers that we had seen not so long ago.

  My minions quickly shook away their shocked expressions and readied themselves for an attack. The ice demons, however, made no move toward them. They stood in hunched over positions with their knuckles touching the floor, their mouths gaped open as their pale blue eyes held a vacant gaze.

  Seeing that the gangly creatures weren’t going to attack, the women gradually relaxed.

  “Soooo, uhh, are those yours?” Rana asked me.

  “Yes,” I said to the fox. “Since I defeated the ice god, these demons are now at my beck and call.

  “So, like, you have control over them?” Carmedy asked as she approached the horned creatures cautiously.

  “Yes, they’re perfectly safe now, for us anyway,” I said with a dry chuckle. “I can’t say the same for our enemies. Anyhow, they won’t move an inch unless I order them to do so.”

  “Really?” Carmedy murmured. She edged closer to the motionless ice demons, stopped in front of one, and cautiously poked at its forehead with her index finger. The colorless creature did nothing in response, not even any indication that Carmedy had touched it for that matter. The ice demon simply blinked its dead eyes, and its narrow chest rose and fell with every raspy breath that passed through its slack open jaws.

  “Hey, that’s pretty neat,” the feline said giddily and repeatedly poked and prodded at the beas
t’s various parts.

  “Carmedy, quit poking at that thing,” Rana hissed, and the green-eyed cat gave one last poke before she walked back to the group with a giggle.

  “Sorry,” Carmedy said with a grin. “I couldn’t help it.”

  “So, please enlighten us, oh fearless leader.” The red-headed fox crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at me. “What do these gruesome goons have to do with anything? Or are you just trying to show off again?”

  I gestured to my new antlered lackeys. “These demons will be the ones doing the digging.”

  “Oh, I see now.” Annalíse nodded. “This is what you meant when you told Makar that you’d use what you found in the dungeons.”

  “Precisely,” I said to the swordswoman. “This is how I expanded my territory in my first dungeon.”

  “What do you mean?” Annalíse asked.

  “When I first fell to this world from the heavens, my impact created a crater that became my prison. Over the next hundred years, various adventurers came to try to take my power and the gems that the heat of my banishment had created. I killed all who tried to best me, but I soon became bored and sought ways to increase my power.”

  I gestured to the walls, and the women’s eyes all followed my hands.

  “I had control over goblins, skeletons, wraiths, all sorts of horrific monsters that did my bidding. I grew tired of crafting traps and planning for the occasional adventuring party, so I put my minions to the task of burrowing through the walls. Soon, I had found another dungeon, and I went to war against another dungeon deity. He fell to my power, but that was just the start. In the next few hundred years I had conquered most of the dungeons on the continent and had increased my power a hundred fold.”

  “Wow, Master is amazing!” Carmedy gasped as she clapped her hands together.

  “Is that when you met us?” Rana asked.

  “No,” I said as I shook my head. “The mages realized my power was growing, either through killing adventurers or other dungeon deities. They foresaw what I would become and created barriers in the ground so that I could not expand. Then they outlawed anyone from attempting to explore the depths of my domain.”