Wrack and Ruin

by Dave Willmarth

  Max left the orcs to mingle with their new dwarven allies and see to their wounded. As he followed Skullsmasher toward the mine entrance, he saw that Dalia was already within the palisade helping to heal both orcs and dwarves. He grimaced at the sight of mangled and crushed bodies of both races, some still trapped under large stones. When he caught up to his people inside the mine, he was saddened to hear that nine of his people and a dozen of Ironhand’s dwarves had been killed in the battle. Spotting Skullsmasher happily hefting a small bag of coins, while standing next to a forlorn looking dwarf, told him that the engineer Steelballs had survived the fight, at least.

  The wounded all seen to, Max delegated his corporals to organizing the available troops. He had decided to take a few days and use the manpower on site while he had it handy. The dwarves and orc troops would assist the engineers in improving the fortification around the mine. When Gr’tok and the others arrived at the way station, they’d do the same there. Max wasn’t foolish enough to think that An’zalor was through trying to take back the mine. A stone wall, a steel gate at the outer wall, and stout steel doors at the mine entrance would better protect his people. In addition, Max learned that the engineers and miners had been working on a tunnel that would lead to a hidden exit further down the cliff face. The tunnel was not completed, but they assured him that it would be done within a week. This would allow them to escape if cornered, or to launch an attack at their enemy’s rear guard if necessary.

  More troops would be assigned to digging a well within the mine to provide fresh water in the event of a siege. Still others were put to work digging the foundation for a barracks inside the fortification. Max offered a bonus in the form of gold for any of the new orc citizens who wished to stay and guard the mine. More than one hundred of them promptly volunteered, not anxious to live underground in Stormhaven City.

  With everyone’s immediate plans established, Max found himself an unused side chamber a bit deeper into the mine and sat down. Extending his legs and leaning back against the wall, he pulled up his notifications. The moment he did, Red popped up on his shoulder.

  Level Up! You are now a Level 20 Chimera Sovereign.

  You have earned three free attribute points.

  “Ya be level twenty! Wooo!” She did a brief jig on his shoulder. “I gotta admit, when we first met, I had my doubts either of us would live this long! O’course, without my help, your lanky butt would be a pile of monster poo somewhere in the forest by now…”

  Max gave her a sidelong glance. He was tempted to argue, but decided he just wasn’t in the mood. Instead he asked, “You mentioned a while back that when I reached level twenty, you’d be able to remain visible all the time. Does that mean others, besides Smitty and Dylan, will be able to see you as well?”

  “Well…” the little redhead looked down at her feet.

  “Well, what? Spill it, Red.”

  “Well, I suppose I could make it so that others could see me all the time. But I sort of enjoy bein invisible.” She looked up briefly to gauge his response, then quickly added, “And bein visible all the time would take a lot o’ power. I’d have to rest quite often.”

  Max smirked at his leprechaun companion. “How about for now you just introduce yourself to a select few. Starting with Dalia.”

  “Agreed!” Red clapped her hands and spun around. “Now, where are ya goin’ to assign your free points?” Max pulled up his character sheet and studied it briefly. When he’d leveled up to nineteen, he’d put all three of his free points into Agility. Since then, he’d gotten a huge boost to several of his attributes. He was momentarily confused, until he remembered the scepter that Regin had given him as a reward for bringing him the head of An’zalor’s champion and brother. It gave him boosts even when stored in his inventory. Thinking of the scepter reminded him that it gave him the ability to generate a morale boost among his people once per day. An ability he hadn’t used yet. Resolving to start using it first thing in the morning, he refocused on his stat sheet. He’d gotten plus ten to both Intelligence and Wisdom, plus eight to Endurance, and plus four to Luck from the scepter. With his already high Constitution and troll regeneration keeping him mostly healthy, Max decided to put two points into Strength, and one into Agility. Finished with the assignments, he closed his character sheet and got to his feet, intending to find Dahlia and arrange an introduction.

  Chapter 3

  Max found Dalia resting on a pallet in the healer’s room just off the main mine shaft. She’d helped to heal the wounded from the battle, and drained her mana in the process. Since there was no longer an urgent need, she didn’t waste a mana potion, choosing instead to rest quietly while her mana recharged.

  He plopped himself down on the floor next to her, wondering the best way to start the conversation. He suspected that during their time together Dalia had caught him speaking to Red more than once. How did he explain to a companion who might think he was crazy, but liked and accepted him anyway, that he wasn’t actually talking to an imaginary friend?

  Red, in her typical fashion, saved him the trouble.

  The little redheaded leprechaun appeared out of nowhere, standing on Dalia’s chest. She gave a little wave and said “Hello there! I’m Red!”

  “Gah!” The dwarfess practically jumped out of her skin, swiping at the tiny figure, who simply floated out of the way. “Max! Get it!”

  Max sighed, shaking his head sorrowfully. “If only I could, Dalia. It seems I’m stuck with her. That’s Red, my… guide?” He looked at Red, who nodded, floating over to his shoulder. “We’re soulbound companions. She helps me navigate this world, and gives me endless shit at the same time.”

  “You love me, and you know it!” Red stuck her tongue out at him before crossing her arms and turning her back. Which left her facing Dalia again.

  “I have been with Max since he arrived on this world, though you haven’t been able to see me. Now that we’ve both grown more powerful, I’m able to make myself visible to others for short periods.” She waved again. “Nice to finally meet you in person. I’ve wanted to thank you, for being a good friend to him.”

  “Err… nice ta meet you too, Red.” The dwarf didn’t sound at all sure that it was.

  “I’m sorry she surprised you like that. It seems to be her nature to misbehave in mostly harmless ways, and it does get annoying.” He glared at Red, who pretended not to see. “Just so you know, Smitty and Dylan can see her, too. We think it’s a Battleborne thing. But no one else has seen her yet. We’d like to keep her a secret, if possible.”

  “O’course.” Dalia nodded, still eyeing the redhead somewhat suspiciously. “It’s your secret to hold as ye wish.” She looked from Max to Red and back. “So… what do you do? Are you a… combat…fairy?”

  Max snorted, then laughed aloud, enjoying the mental image of Red flying into battle with a tiny wand or sword. Red shot him a finger and a nasty look. “I’m Max’s guide. I help him understand the rules and possibilities of this world. The world he came from is very different. There was almost no magic left, and they relied on technology to accomplish many of their everyday tasks. Fancy machines that did their heavy lifting, and most o’ their thinking, for them.”

  Max nodded. “Though I hate to admit it, Red has been extremely helpful to me.”

  “Alright then, that be good enough for me.” Dalia gave the leprechaun a hesitant smile.

  Red leapt off of Max’s shoulder and floated over to Dalia’s. She pretended to sit, though she still had no physical form. “It’ll be good to have another woman to talk to! Max absolutely refuses to gossip, or do anything fun, really.”

  Dalia looked nervous again, but Max tuned out the rest of the conversation. The two of them would get along, or they wouldn’t. He decided to find his corporals and see how things were going.

  Just outside the mine he found Dylan surrounded by dwarves who were all speaking to him at once. The ogre was attempting to make eye contact and respond to all of them, which res
ulted in him constantly spinning. Max was tempted to just watch and see if he’d get dizzy and fall.

  “Corporal!” Max called out, raising a hand as he stepped forward to save his friend. “Is there a problem?”

  “No problem, boss. These guys are all looking for me to help them out, is all.” Dylan indicated the dwarves, who looked like bulky infants compared to the ten foot tall ogre.

  “Aye.” Steelballs nodded his head. “This big hunk o’ muscle could speed up our construction o’ the stone wall by a good bit. He can lift two or three times the weight o’ any dwarf or orc.”

  “No!” Another dwarf shouted. “We need him on the lumber crew. Put an axe in each hand and he’ll fell trees like a scythe through wheat. And he could pull a sled full o’ logs all on his own.”

  The four dwarves that surrounded Dylan all began to argue again, each of them trying to claim him for one task or another. Max cleared his throat loudly, getting their attention again.

  “Gentlemen. I know Dylan here looks like a big dumb ugly piece of meat, but he’s a valued member of my party. He’s a veteran of scores of battles, an expert tactician, and apparently very popular with the ogre ladies. Please treat him with some respect.”

  “I’m a really good dancer, too.” Dylan added, breaking into his best version of the robot, then shifted into the running man, which caused the ground to shake. The dwarves all backed off and eyed him warily.

  Max barely managed to contain his laughter. “Yes. Any of you need dance lessons, Dylan is your man.” Dylan switched to some kind of free-form gyration that made Max snort. “In the meantime, I’m afraid I need him to come with me.”

  The dwarves bowed their heads briefly and moved off as Max motioned for Dylan to follow him. “You seen Smitty, dancing boy? Also… the robot?”

  “Hey, I gotta be me, boss!” the ogre grinned down at him. “Smitty was headed out to talk to the new orcs. He’s appointed himself their official liaison, since he’s an orc himself.”

  “Fair enough. Those orcs are going to need some time to get used to working with dwarves anyway. How are things going?”

  “Well, I got this terrible itch right on my taint. I don’t know if something bit me, or I got a sliver from the wagon, or-”

  “Not what I meant, corporal.” Max interrupted. “So very not what I meant.”

  “Oh, right. Sorry boss. The engineers already had a plan to improve the wall, even have blueprints drawn. They’ve got scouts out searching for the best spot to quarry stone. No shortage of it around here, they tell me, but they would prefer a place that’s uphill from the mine, to make it easier to move large blocks from there to here.”

  “Especially if they can’t just hook you to a sled and let you pull them.” Max chuckled.

  “I don’t mind workin, boss. Truly. Hard work helps me build up my Strength and Endurance stats, and if I can be useful at the same time, I’m up for it.”

  “Good to know. But you choose where you want to help, and when. Don’t let those dwarves bully you into servitude.”

  “No worries, boss. There’s Smitty.” Dylan pointed to where the other corporal was speaking to Ag’thorn and three other orcs. When Max approached, all but Smitty saluted with fist to chest.

  “Hiya boss.” Smitty raised a hand in greeting. “I was just getting a report from these scouts. There’s no sign of another force coming from the orc city, but Ag’thorn says they were originally given six days to take the mine and report back. So their war chief may still be waiting for word for another few days.”

  “Well, with travel time, that gives us at least four, maybe five days to beef up the fortification before more troops arrive.” Dylan added. He was naturally falling back into his old role in their squad. He had been their logistician and sometimes strategist when Max asked for his input. He had a gift for analyzing data and making connections.

  “The scouts are also reporting a structure that they spotted to the west of here.”

  “Occupied?” Max asked. Smitty turned to one of the scouts, who shook his head.

  “We do not believe so. The structure was large, but not intact. It appears to be an old ruins. We spotted it from atop the cliff when we were…” He paused and looked to Ag’thorn, who nodded. The orc cleared his throat. “When we were preparing to drop rocks on the dwarves. Time was short, and we did not investigate the ruins. Did not even see them until the sun rose high in the sky. The stone they were made of… it glitters.”

  “Dude! A whole building made of gold?” Smitty was already looking westward, ready to investigate.

  The scout shook his head. “Not gold. It is stone, we could clearly see that much.”

  “Maybe quartz, or whatever this world’s version of it is.” Max ventured. “It’s worth checking out. How far away is it?”

  The scout looked thoughtful for a moment. “Maybe two miles west and slightly north from where we stood atop the cliff.”

  “Alright, we can walk from here. It’d be difficult to move the wagon through the forest anyway. Smitty, go get Dalia. We’re going to check it out. We leave in ten minutes.”

  “Boss, okay if I grab some gear? Like maybe one of those big axes the orcs had? There’s a bunch that were looted from the dead.” He looked sheepishly at Ag’thorn for a moment. The orc just shrugged. Looting the dead was a part of life on this world. To the victor went the spoils.

  “Yeah, take what you need. When we get back, I’ll see about having one of the masters craft better weapons and some armor for you. Start thinking about what you want. Also, how’s your skill with a bow? With your size, we could get you one large enough to throw ballistic missile-sized arrows.”

  “I did some shooting back home as a kid. Can’t say I’ve touched a bow in… ten years at least. But I’ll pick it up.” Dylan shrugged. “Or maybe a great big crossbow?”

  “Either that, or learn some magic attacks. Or all of the above. Just some way for you to do decent ranged damage.”

  “Magic! I like that idea.” Dylan slapped his chest. “I could be the first ogre wizard in our guild!” His enthusiasm died a moment later when he realized he and Smitty might be the only guild members left. Their entire unit had been wiped out in their last fight on Earth, and there was no way to know if any of the others had been given the choice to become Battleborne, or respawned on this world with them.

  “Embrace your inner wizard, if that’s what you want.” Max patted the ogre’s shoulder, having to reach up slightly to do so. “Seems like we can be whatever we want to be in this world.”

  Dylan nodded and strode off to find himself a battle axe. The heavy two-handed axes the orcs had used to try and chop through the palisade would serve as a good off-hand weapon for the ten foot tall tank. He had more than enough muscle to wield it as a dwarf would a short sword or war hammer. Max temporarily amused himself by plotting to have one of the dwarves craft the corporal a massive steel club with spikes on its upper half. He’d enjoy watching the ogre go all Captain Caveman on somebody.

  Red appeared on his shoulder, and Max tensed briefly, looking at the nearby orcs. None of them appeared to notice her as she said, “Dalia will be here shortly. She was just finishing some potions she made from the extra pure herbs.”

  Max turned his back to the orcs, pretending to stare up at the cliff as he mumbled, “Did you hear about the sparkly rocks? Any idea what that is?”

  “Yes, and nope.” The leprechaun shrugged. “But I recommend you examine the stone closely. Maybe take a swing at it with a mining pick while you’re there?”

  *****

  A little over an hour later the group pushed through a dense wall of brambles and scrub brush to step onto a wide paved stone area. The stones at their feet were each about six feet square, with grass and weeds growing up here and there in the narrow cracks between them. The paved area covered maybe two acres of ground, in the center of which was the ruins they sought.

  There was a low stone wall that was mostly still intact. Only about s
ix feet high, it was clearly more decorative than defensive. At that height it wouldn’t hold back anything larger than bunny rabbits or drunken squirrels. At the center of the southern wall was an arched opening. There were signs of it having doors at one time, parts of badly rusted hinges still bolted to the stone on either side.

  As the group stepped through the archway, Max noted the sparkle within the stone that the scout had reported. It was only visible with the sun striking the stone at a certain angle that reflected the light in his direction. As he moved, different sections of stone sparkled, then went dark. The stone itself was a muted grey with a faint swirl pattern one might expect to see in marble.

  Within the wall stood three structures. One large central building with a flat stone roof that remained only partly intact, and two smaller buildings to either side. In between were roughly square patches of overgrown grass, each with a single silver-leafed tree growing in the center. The trees were both squat, maybe twelve or fifteen feet tall, with gnarled branches and wide canopies that reminded Max of oversized bonsai trees. The smaller structures were each little more than a doorway with a short landing inside that led to a descending stairway.

  “Those look like mausoleums.” Dylan commented, pointing at both of the smaller structures at once.

  “Those are totally dungeon entrances!” Smitty pumped a fist into the air.

  Max had been thinking along the same lines. “Let’s check out the big building first. But Smitty, keep an eye on our six, in case something comes out of those doors.”

  “Roger that, boss.”

  Max checked the map on his UI. They were technically outside the area he had claimed from An’zalor after the arena trials, so this wasn’t his property. If it did turn out to be a dungeon, would they have to clear it for him to be able to claim it for Stormhaven?

  He was about to ask Red if she knew, when the sound of metal on stone, followed quickly by an animalistic squeal of pain, echoed out of the building in front of them. Instantly, all of the party had weapons in hand. Dylan moved to the front, shield and axe ready, waiting for Max to give the word to move.