The Greystone Chronicles Book Two: The Dire Lands

by Dave Willmarth

  “I want you all to meet Master Silverbeard. He is the keep’s chamberlain. He will be the ultimate authority on everything when it comes to day to day operation of the keep. Assume that he speaks with my authority.” Silverbeard took a bow.

  “This is the wizard Fitzbindulum. He will be assisting us a great deal in improving the keep and its defenses. You are to give him anything he needs. Within reason. Don’t give him your breakfast.” There was general laughter at that. The king laughed the loudest.

  “We will have two royal Princes in our number at Dire Keep. Prince Edward, son of King Charles of Stormguard.” Edward took a bow, to solid applause. “And Prince Kaibonostrum of the Dragons, who is already at the keep, standing guard.” At this there was a mix of surprised exclamations and cheers.

  “That will be all the speech-making from me this evening.” Turning to the king he said, “Majesty, would you like to add anything?”

  Having spotted the food coming out of the residence, the king grinned. He raised both hands in the air, each still holding a bottle. “The food is served, and the bar is open! he shouted. This received thunderous applause.

  Alexander lowered the platform, and the feast began.

  Chapter Eight Keep On Keep’n’ On

  Alexander awoke before sunrise. He’d barely slept four hours after making sure everyone was properly housed after the feast. Which had begun at sunset, and ended near midnight.

  Stepping outside, he saw there were dwarves and humans both moving about, packing up tables and chairs, cleaning the grounds, and loading wagons. Lola and her grandfather were already organizing the activities.

  He took a moment to reflect. It had been a good night. Everyone got along, with no arguments more serious than who could hold the most ale. At one point a brave dwarf had attempted to woo Helga. She’d lifted him off his feet, given him a kiss that made him gasp for breath, then dropped him again, saying, “Maybe when you get taller.” Much to the amusement of everyone, including the would-be Romeo, who swore he was in love.

  The king and Edward had stayed for a couple of hours, then snuck out the same way they’d snuck in. Alexander now knew where the tunnel entrance was.

  Lugs had consumed a large amount of alcohol, and began showing off his dance moves on top of the smithy. Fitz encouraged him by throwing several different colored balls of light to hover over his head. His moves weren’t bad, and were very popular with the crowd. Looking at the smithy, Alexander saw Lugs still on the roof, snoring.

  Hobson had met with Brick, to their mutual satisfaction. The O’Malley’s had stayed until the end, hauling away all their dishware and cutlery, and a wagonload of drunken volunteers. Ironhammer and the other masters were all given suites at the Stallion, and would be staying there for some time, as part of Hobson’s arrangement with Brick.

  The highlight of the evening for Alexander had been Fibble. The goblin, having never been drunk, or seen drunks, began to panic when volunteers began to drop from overindulgence. He ran from body to body, shooting them with his wand, shouting “Pew! Pew!” This was so popular that several folks actually dropped ‘dead’ in front of the poor goblin, just to get shot. When the charges in his wand ran out, Sasha pulled the confused goblin aside, telling him he’d saved everyone, and was once again her hero. After that, the goblin strutted around with his chest out, and even helped himself to a large mug of ale. Which left him snoring on top of a table before Fitz put him to bed.

  Heading downstairs, Alexander found some leftovers arranged on the dining room table for breakfast. His volunteer cooks, human and dwarf, were already in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the troops. He made a mental note that the kitchen needed to be one of their top priorities at the keep. They’d need to be able to feed everyone by dinnertime.

  Fitz walked in and sat down, shoving food onto a plate. He’d agreed to accompany Alexander first to the slaughterhouse, then to the keep. After a quick bite to eat, he left the wizard to his breakfast, and headed out to speak with Silverbeard and Lola. “Good morning,” he greeted them both.

  “Good morning, Alexander.” Silverbeard greeted him. Lola smiled. She looked slightly sleep deprived. Or maybe hungover.

  “I want to thank you both for organizing last night’s feast. I think it went extremely well.”

  “You’re most welcome, Alexander. All part of the job,” the dwarf replied. “We’ll have everyone up and ready to leave in two hours.”

  “Excellent. Fitz and I are going to take Brick and head out early. First stop, the slaughterhouse. Then right to the keep. We plan to have the new portal ready in time to move everyone through by two hours after sunrise.” Master Silverbeard had been brought up to speed on the poisoned meat. The mages guild had determined that dark magic had indeed been used to poison the meat. The captain had sent word to the butcher that they’d be by at sunrise to pick up another wagonload, and not to tell anyone they were coming. Just in case, the mages were setting a trap. A second wagon full of the already spoiled meat would be leaving the shop and heading toward the compound shortly.

  “Lola, were there any from the list of human volunteers that did not show up last night?” he asked.

  “Two,” she confirmed. “Was attendance mandatory? Should I strike them from the list?”

  “No…” Alexander replied. “Attendance was not mandatory. We’ll see if they show up this morning. Thank you.”

  Walking back inside, he found Brick finishing his own breakfast. Seeing him walk in, Fitz began stuffing his pockets with bread and slices of meat and cheese. Rufus jumped to the table and grabbed some cheese for himself, stuffing it into that odd pouch on his belly.

  With a wave of his hand, Fitz teleported them to the street outside the slaughterhouse. The three of them stepped inside to find the butcher waiting for them. Beside him was a wagon piled high with barrels of salted meat, wrapped sides of beef, etc. Fitz cast a detection spell on the entire wagon, then nodded his head. Alexander handed a pouch of gold to the butcher, and thanked him, saying they’d be back for more. Then with another wave, the three of them, and the meat wagon, were in the courtyard of Dire Keep.

  Kai greeted them in human form, and Brick handed the dragon a large platter of breakfast food from the dining room. As Kai ate his breakfast, they discussed his placement of the portal. He pointed to a spot just to the left of the inner gate, below a stairway that ran up to the wall. Fitz approved. Alexander got to work, raising a block of obsidian from the ground below.

  When the block sat in the courtyard, ready for Brick to shape it into columns, Alexander accompanied Kai around to the keep’s kitchen. The two of them unloaded the contents of the meat wagon into a cold storage room that Kai had restored to working order. Well, mostly Kai unloaded, as he was able to lift the heavy barrels alone. Alexander carried in some beef sides, then gave up and focused on the kitchen. He used the enchantments he’d learned from Baleron to heat up the ovens, which were magic. Just like the stove tops. They were all low on charges, so he pulled out a couple soul crystals and charged up the ‘appliances’. The kitchen was even larger than the one at the manor. He hoped it would be large enough for their purposes.

  When both he and Kai were done, they headed back to Fitz and Brick. The dwarf was just finishing the second column. Fitz stepped in to begin the infusion of portal magic.

  There was a significant chunk of obsidian left over. Brick had asked Alexander to pull more than they needed. Brick put his hands on the stone, and began to shape it. By the time Fitz was done creating the portal, Brick had shaped the obsidian into a roaring dragon’s head. Asking Kai to carry it for him, then place it above the main door of the keep, Brick fused the obsidian into the stone of the keep.

  The four-foot high, roaring dragon’s head would be the first thing anyone saw as they walked through the portal.

  They gave Fitz and Brick a few moments to rest. Then, almost precisely two hours after sunrise, Fitz opened the portal. And the new citizens of Dire Keep began to file t
hrough.

  Master Silverbeard led the way, to direct incoming traffic. Lola remained behind to make sure things went as orderly as possible at the compound. Making note of everyone who passed through the portal.

  Behind the chamberlain came the dwarven guards. They immediately spread out, manning the wall above the gate. Then came the wagons. Moving to one side or the other as they crossed through, making room for the others. Citizens followed, and immediately began unloading the supply wagons into the storehouse. Wagons with furniture moved toward the donjon, where they were unloaded as well. They’d need to make two or three trips today, in order to move all the furniture and supplies. The two dwarven merchants had received a list from Master Silverbeard, and remained behind in Stormforge to purchase what they could.

  Two wagons of fruit, vegetables, and other perishables moved directly to the kitchen entrance around the side of the main building. Longer term supplies like rice, grains, and salt went into the storehouse. Sasha, Lydia, and two druid volunteers took a cart loaded with fruit trees to one side, near the stables. There they began to plant the trees and imbue them with nature magic to make them stronger, and to help them grow faster. Each of these trees were to be the progenitors of an orchard, or grove, of their own.

  Max, Lainey, and Lorian each took a squad of two hunters outside the walls and began to search the area. They’d also bring back any game they came across. Jules and Edward stayed with Alexander as he moved about. Fitz and Kai headed up onto the wall, and began casting enchantments for strength, magic resistance, and other defensive measures. Mattie and the other cooks began organizing the kitchen and preparing to make lunch.

  With the kitchen in order, and the scouts out, Alexander focused on bigger picture items. They needed some kind of alert system in case of an attack. And a way to relay orders. Shouts may not be heard. He could form a raid group, but the limit was 100, and all told he had 119 souls joining him at the keep.

  Then an idea struck him. “Good morning, Jeeves,” he said aloud. There was no response. Maybe he needed to be in the control room? He laid a hand each on Jules and Edward, and teleported the three of them up to the control room.

  “Good morning, master,” Jeeves said as soon as they’d arrived.

  “Hi, Jeeves!” Jules waved at the table.

  “Jeeves, this is Prince Edward of Stormforge. He is under our protection for a while,” Alexander said, motioning for Edward to put his hand on the table.

  “Identity acknowledged: Prince Edward. Ward of the masters. Welcome to Dire Keep.”

  Having Jules touch the table, he said “And this is Jules. Member of the Greystone clan.”

  “Identity acknowledged: Jules. Welcome to Dire Keep.”

  “Jeeves, I have some questions. Can you make it so you and I can speak to other throughout the keep?”

  “I can hear you speak anywhere within the keep, within twenty-five yards of the walls, or within the mine, master. However, I can only speak to you when you are in, or very near, one of the structures. This includes the walls.”

  “I see. Thank you. Now, is there a way I can speak to all of the citizens and guests at once?”

  “Yes, master, there are two ways. You can speak through the structures, as I’m doing now. Your voice will transmit from every structure at the same time. Or you can make announcements, which will transmit directly to each citizen and guest. You can also transmit individual announcements, though you will not be able to hear a response.”

  “Okay, Great. Thank you, Jeeves. Let’s establish a protocol. When I say ‘Jeeves, emergency message.’ I want you to send my voice to every citizen and guest. When I say ‘Jeeves, loudspeaker.’ I want you to send my voice through all the structures.”

  “Understood, master. Protocols established.”

  “Next. Within your defensive capabilities, do you have a way to bind or imprison someone?”

  “We have dungeon cells in the lower levels that can be used to imprison a being, master. As for defensive capabilities, at higher levels I can stun a designated target, and transport them to a cell. I am afraid that at my current level, my abilities are quite limited, master.”

  “And how do you gain levels?” Edward asked. Then he looked sheepishly at Alexander. “Sorry.”

  “I gain levels through an increase in progress points. Points can be earned in several ways. Increases in my population. Addition of new structures, or improvement of existing structures through expansion. Increased production levels. Also, successful defense from enemy attacks. Trade agreements and alliances will also grant points. As well as certain achievements of my masters and citizens. For example, having a master crafter as a citizen grants 10 points. A journeyman grants 5. So, if a citizen who is a journeyman crafter achieves master status, I would receive 5 additional points.”

  “That makes sense. And you are currently level 10, correct?”

  “Yes, master. I was formerly level 15, but the loss of my citizens and the lack of any production, combined with the deterioration of my physical condition, have lowered my level.”

  “But why have all the new citizens not raised it back up some?” Alexander asked.

  “My next level increase by population would be at fifty citizens, master. The next beyond that at one hundred. At the moment, my population is only 5.”

  “Of course! We’ve not officially made anyone citizens yet!” Alexander smacked his forehead.

  “Jeeves, if all of the guests here became citizens, except for Edward, Fitz, and Kai, what sort of level increase would you receive?”

  “I would increase two levels from population growth. Until a guest becomes a citizen, I am not aware of their personal information, and am unable to calculate any bonus points, master. In addition, bringing me back to fully intact physical status will restore a lost level.”

  “Right! Then let’s get busy!” Alexander had a new mission. “Jeeves, one last thing. Are you able to tell when someone uses one of the portals, or the transport mirrors?”

  “Yes, master. Someone tried to use one of the mirrors last night. One of those you set on the floor. Their essence was destroyed. I received a point for successful defense.” Jeeves sounded pleased.

  “Okay, Jeeves, I want you to notify myself and the other owners if anyone attempts to use the mirrors or the portals.”

  “Of course, master.”

  After checking that the two mirrors were still securely facing downward, Alexander teleported the three of them back down to courtyard.

  Running up the stairs to the top of the wall, he approached Kai and Fitz.

  “I just had a conversation with Jeeves,” he began. “We’ll pick up two keep levels just by making all these folks citizens. That may improve the defenses faster than we can do it manually. I think we should start taking oaths. What do you two think?”

  Fitz just shrugged, while Kai nodded his head. “Where shall we do this?”

  “How about in front of the main building entrance? Under the gaze of the black dragon? It would give some symbolic meaning, since we’re making the dragon the guild symbol,” Jules suggested.

  “Great idea, Jules!” Alexander hugged her. “Jeeves, loudspeaker, please,” he said.

  When he heard Jeeves say, “Go ahead, master.” He cleared his throat.

  “Attention all volunteers. Please report to the courtyard in front of the main keep entrance immediately. Everyone but the guards on the wall. Thank you.”

  He smiled as heads popped up and began to look around at the sound of his voice. Jules giggled.

  They made their way down to the courtyard. Meeting Master Silverbeard and Lola at the main door, Alexander asked, “Lola, do you have the lists of volunteers?” She nodded her head in the affirmative.

  “Did everyone on the list show up, and come through the portal?” he asked.

  “All came through the portal except the two dwarven merchants, and Jenkins and his squad, who remained to guard them,” she confirmed.

  “So, all t
old, there should be 111 bodies here. Minus the nine who are out scouting. And Fitz, Kai, Fibble, and Edward, Sasha, Jules, Brick, and myself. There are twelve on the wall, keeping watch. That leaves 82 volunteers that should be gathered here,” he calculated.

  Raising his voice, he shouted, “Please line up, facing me, in three rows!” As the volunteers situated themselves, he asked Lola, “Please count them; confirm all 82 are present.”

  While she did that, Alexander turned to Kai. “Do we need to do this individually? Or can they swear as a group?”

  “As a group will suffice. Though I will need to touch each one to infuse the magic that binds the oath,” the dragon said.

  When Lola returned from counting and adjusting the lines into three roughly equal lengths, she nodded. “Eighty-two volunteers.”