The older man was sitting at the end of the table. He looked to be in his late 50s or 60s. Tall with a lean but muscular build. “You must be Lars?” he asked.
“Aye, that’s me. I hear you found a good fishin’ hole. Bit tired of the harbor. Time to try something new. Catch some freshwater fish for a change.” He smiled. The captain had vouched for him, so Alexander wasn’t going to question him more. “Nice to meet you, Lars.”
Looking toward the young woman, he said, “And you are?”
She smiled coyly at him. “I’m Sophie! I’m an explorer and a scout. I can also cook really good bear stew. My pa wants to marry me off to some nobleman’s brat. But I want to make my own choices. Dire Keep seems to be where the adventure is!” She was young enough to sell the wayward waif story. And pretty enough that the men were distracted by her blonde hair and big green eyes.
He had no intention of refusing her, but he had to ask, if only to make it look good to the others. “Sophie, how old are you? Is your pa gonna come beating down my gates to drag you home?”
She snort-laughed. “I’m old enough. And my pa barely leaves his house. He’d never get riled up to fight over me.” Good enough.
Alexander looked at the guards. “Who is the squad leader here?”
A tall man in his late thirties raised his hand. “Corporal Taylor, sir.”
“Nice to meet you, Taylor. Though I think we’ve spoken before, at the east gate, maybe?” Taylor nodded. Alexander looked at the whole squad. They all seemed solid and calm.
“Captain Redmond recommended your squad. And I trust him completely. We’re on a tight schedule, and we need to get moving. I’ll get to know you all better in the coming days. For now, I welcome all of you to Dire Keep. When we go through the portal, you’ll need to wait in the courtyard so that Prince Kai can have you swear your oaths. After that you’ll get work and sleeping assignments. They should be serving lunch, and we have some really good cooks!”
Leading them outside, he stopped at the smithy to pick up the rest of the pins. Then he led his group, along with the miners he managed to drag away from the smithy, back to the portal, and they stepped into Dire Keep.
Lola was waiting for him, along with Kai. He introduced the newcomers, and left them in Lola’s hands. He handed her a pin before she stepped away. He strode over to where Silverbeard was directing the movement of supplies into the storehouse.
“Master Silverbeard, would you happen to have an empty sack?” he asked. The old dwarf instantly produced a leather bag. Alexander took it, and filled it with the dragon pins. He saved one for himself. “Have they started serving lunch?” he asked.
“Just now,” the dwarf answered. “There be tables set up outside near the kitchen.”
“Thank you. In that bag are pins with the Undying spell, and a single charge of a healing spell infused into them. There are enough for everyone to get one, plus a few extras. I’d like you and Lola to make sure everyone gets one? The founders don’t need them, they’ve got their own enchantments, much like yours.”
“Jeeves, loudspeaker, please,” he said. He waited a few seconds, then announced, “Your attention please. If you haven’t already heard, or smelled, our first delicious meal is being served in the yard outside the kitchen. Please make your way there. Jenkins, I’d like your squad and Taylor’s to grab yourselves some food and drink, and then relieve the guards on the wall, please.”
Leading Master Silverbeard to the lunch area, he motioned for the dwarf to begin passing out pins. Alexander stood up on a chair.
“Just one quick thing as you all enjoy your lunch.” He held up his black dragon pin. “Master Silverbeard will be handing each of you a dragon pin like this one. I want you all to wear this pin at all times. Except when you’re bathing. That could be painful.” There was laughter from the crowd.
“This is not just the symbol of Greystone and the keep, this pin may save your life. It is enchanted with a spell that will keep a mortal blow from killing you. Keeping you at 1% health. Unless you take a 2nd blow. It also contains a healing spell that will return 2,000 points to your health instantly. So! IF you happen to get shot in the face with an arrow, and you find yourself laying on the ground with 1% health, trigger the heal in your pin. Then go find a healer. Do NOT pull the arrow out before healing yourself, or you’ll die. You need to heal before you take any additional damage. Everybody understand?” Heads nodded.
“These are not to be given away, or sold. Under any circumstance. Bind them to you, so that they cannot be stolen. I swore an oath to you all that I’d do my best to keep you alive. This is part of fulfilling that oath. Oh! And I would prefer, by the way, that you all try to avoid taking any arrows to the face.”
Alexander stepped down to the sound of laughter. He watched as citizens were handed pins, and promptly put them on their clothes. Feeling a bit proud of himself, he headed into the kitchen.
Sasha gave him a look as he walked in the door. “Really? Don’t get shot in the face?” The ladies in the kitchen chortled.
“Seemed like a good idea at the time. I’m not a good public speaker, okay? Next time, you do it,” he mumbled. Looking around, he spotted Mattie. “Mattie? As of now you have formal permission to get a divorce. Go see father Alric when you have some time, and he’ll help you make it official.”
Mattie smiled at him, as the ladies of the kitchen gathered round to hug her. Alexander bailed as quickly as he could.
A message from Lorian popped up in guild chat. “We’ve found some adventurers in the forest. Moving toward the keep about five miles out. They are killing beasts as they go, much like you did.”
“How many?” Alexander asked
“Four. Two warriors, a mage, and a healer. They are fighting level 30 beasts, and barely succeeding.”
Max spoke up. “They could just be questing. Doesn’t sound like they’re much of a threat.”
“I agree. Lorian, if they’re not taking the meat and hide from their kills, please have one of your guys collect those from the corpses. We’ll let these adventurers do some of our work for us. He can follow behind to keep tabs on them and alert you if they become a problem.” Alexander wrote.
“It will be as you say.” Lorian replied.
Back out in the courtyard, Master Silverbeard had handed out pins, and was sitting down to eat his lunch. Not wanting to disturb the old man, Alexander decided to head to the wall.
On his way, he passed a group of miners. They were sort of shuffling around, adjusting their packs, checking a wagon of supplies.
Right! The mine! Completely slipped my mind. We haven’t cleared it yet. These guys can’t get to work until we do.
In guild chat he said, “I’ve got a gang of miners here with nothing to do. Who wants to help clear the mine? Max and Lainey, not you.”
“Jules and I will come.” Sasha said.
“Lugs, Helga, and I will come.” Beatrix replied. “Benny and Dirk had to log.”
“Ok, that should do fine. Meet me at the front gate in ten.” Alexander said.
Approaching the miners, he asked, “Who’s the most senior among you?”
Two miners stepped forward. An older human man, and a dwarf of indeterminate age. The dwarf spoke first. “We be two master miners. I be the eldest. Me name’s Grimble. This here be Jason.” He motioned to the human master.
“Okay. Jason, any objection to Grimble being mine foreman?” The man shook his head. “Fine. Grimble, the job is yours if you want it?”
“Aye, I’ll take it. I worked this mine a bit before the baron started takin’ slaves. That be me King choosed me. It were a good mine. We’ll have it back in shape right quick,” the dwarf grumbled.
“Thank you, Grimble. And I’m glad to hear you already know the mine. We’re about to go clear it, would you like to join us?” The dwarf nodded in the affirmative. “Fine. We’ll meet in a few minutes at the front gate. Just a few other things. First, none of my citizens works more than an eight-hour shift. T
hey can work two in a day, if they wish, but only with 8 hours of rest in between. I’ll leave it to you how to schedule them. If you want to work it in three shifts, just follow that rule. You have….” Alexander thought about his lists. Ten dwarves, eight humans. “I believe you have eighteen miners. We may add more later. The other thing is, each miner may keep 10% of what he produces. But all production must be turned in to you at the end of each shift. Their 10% will be awarded to them at the end of each week, either in ore, gems, or gold. Their choice. Stealing from the mine will be considered a breach of their oaths. Is that agreeable?”
Alexander had learned from his interviews that miners working for a clan or company normally got to keep 5%. And that, at least among the human miners, theft was common practice. So, he expected this would be acceptable.
There was murmuring among the gathered miners, and much bobbing of heads. Grimble replied, “Aye, that be more than fair.”
“Fine. See you at the gate in five minutes,” Alexander said as he moved away. He finally reached the wall, and ran up the stairs to find Kai and Fitz working on more enchantments. “We’re going to clear the mine. Any magical padlocks or anything I should know about?” he asked Fitz.
“HA!” The wizard laughed. “The king’s guards closed the doors and padlocked them, but no magic. And I expect the doors have weakened a good bit by now. You should just be able to bash your way in. If I remember right, there were only six branches, none of them all that deep. The baron used slaves during most of his time here, and slaves work more slowly than paid miners.”
“Thank you. Our new mine foreman, Grimble, actually worked the mine before the baron went all assholish. I’m taking him with me now.”
Changing subjects, he said, “Kai, Fitz, I was thinking about adding a second wall, maybe two hundred yards out. To give our farmers and shepherds a safe space to work. Maybe irrigate from the creek? Or from a moat? What do you think?”
The wizard and the dragon both looked out over the meadow surrounding the wall. Kai spoke first. “That could work. I would discuss it with the masons, let them investigate the ground. And bring the farmers in, too. This land may not be good for farming. I like the idea of irrigation, though.”
“And the moat!” Fitz added with enthusiasm. “We can have our very own moat monster. I believe we still have a couple eggs stored at the guild tower. This will be fun!”
Shaking his head, he said, “I’m all in for the moat monster. Beatrix is a water mage, she should be able to help with the irrigation and moat. Kai, would you mind gathering the farmers and masons and starting that discussion? I need to go clear the mine, but I want to start on walls as soon as possible. Fitz, can you fetch whichever guild mages are willing to help? We’ll pay them in dwarven spirits, or gold, or whatever currency they like.”
“Aye, lad,” Fitz said, as Kai nodded his head. “The guild will be happy to help. This Dark One’s minions have become an annoyance in our city. I’ll stop at Millicent’s first, and pick up some bribes.” He waggled his bushy white eyebrows.
“You know that one of our cooks, Edna, worked for Millicent? I bet if you’re real nice to her, she’d make you some treats.” Alexander laughed as the wizard perked up even more.
“Thank you, gentlemen. I’ll check in as soon as I get back from the mine. Alexander headed down to the gate to meet his new party.
Finding everyone waiting, he sent around group invites. Sasha and Jules had brought along their goblin protector. It seems Fibble quickly figured out that if he ‘protected’ Sasha while she was in the kitchen, he’d receive tasty treats. The goblin was smarter than he looked. Initially he was going to tell Fibble to stay. But he had promised the little guy adventures. And the mine should be relatively safe. And he saw that Fibble was wearing a dragon pin. So he let him come. The last member was Edward. Alexander had decided the boy should see some combat. Though he hoped there wouldn’t be any serious fights in the mine.
As they walked toward the mine, he looked over his group. There was Lugs, the tank, in his massive plate armor. Alexander hoped the tunnels were high enough for him to walk in. Next came Helga, with her two-handed barbarian axe. She’d need room to swing that. So far, not the ideal combination for a tunnel fight. But he needed to learn how to work with these folks. Jules could stealth and do back-stabby damage. Grimble was carrying a shield and hammer. Sasha, Beatrix, Fibble and himself would be in the back, casting dps and heals. Edward would remain between Sasha and Alexander at all times. The prince was level 25, but Alexander suspected this was mainly due to weapons training and completion of non-combat quests generated by his father and maybe Captain Redmond.
Chapter Nine Mine Your Own Business
Upon reaching the mine entrance, they found it mostly overgrown with shrubs and high grass. Lugs and Helga cleared the way in just minutes, the half-ogre simply ripping the trees up like weeds, and Helga sweeping her blade like a lawnmower.
The doors to the mine had been knocked off their hinges. So. At some point in the last two hundred years, someone had been inside. Hopefully they were long gone.
The main tunnel, at least, was plenty large enough for Lugs. Wide enough for two cart tracks, and with twelve-foot-high ceilings. Lugs was just able to clear the support beams. But he’d have to remember not to take any overhead swings.
They moved into the mine, and Grimble called a halt. He stepped forward, sniffing the air, and examining the ground. Shaking his head, he returned to report.
“There be cave troll tracks. And somethin’ smaller. Clawed feet. Likely kobolds, or bugbears. The troll tracks be older.”
“Right. Let’s hope the little guys drove out the trolls,” Alexander said. “Sasha? What’s the plan?”
Sasha looked to Grimble. “What’s the layout of this place?”
The dwarf got down on one knee and used his hammer handle to draw a diagram. He drew the main shaft they were in, a long straight line. From the main shaft, he drew four side shafts, each one having a couple boxes along them that indicated rooms for stored equipment. One branch went to the left, not very far. The other three went to the right.
“This be how it looked when I left. The good veins all ran to the north. We abandoned the south shaft when the vein died out pretty quick,” he said.
“Fitz told me when they cleared the place, there were six shafts. I didn’t think to ask if that included the main tunnel. So, there is at least one more. Maybe two,” Alexander added.
“Right. So, we’ll start with the left shaft, and clear that first,” Sasha said. “Jules, I want you in the back of the group as a lookout. Stay stealthed. Call out in group chat if anything approaches us from behind. Grimble, I’d like you to lead the way, as you know the mine, and can check to make sure it’s stable. But if Jules sees something, I need you to move to the back right away. We’ll need a second tank to defend our rear if it comes to that. Lugs, you’re tanking the front. Helga right behind. Then Alexander and Beatrix, myself and Fibble. Edward you stay with me.”
The group moved forward, following Grimble. The dwarf ranged back and forth across the main tunnel, check the tracks, the support beams, and occasionally putting his hand to the ground to check the stone around them. After about five minutes, they reached the first side shaft, branching off to the left. As they moved in, Jules stealthed and paused at the junction for a while. The rest of the group moved on down the shaft. This one was only about a hundred yards long, with a single room. Cut off from the light of the main shaft, Alexander brought out the diamond he’d enchanted with a light spell. It glowed brightly enough to light the tunnel for about thirty feet. That wasn’t going to be good enough.
“Hold on, folks. I need to make some light,” he said.
“No need!” Grimble called out. He reached into his bag and pulled out three headbands with a reflective box looking thing attached. He put one on his head, and touched a button on the box. Clear white light like a flashlight beam shone out from the box, illuminating the tunnel
about fifty feet down. He handed one to Lugs, and the other to Helga.
He said, “Critters what live in the dark don’t like bright light. They’ll attack those what carries the lights first.”
This got a laugh from Helga. “What a sweet gift.” She winked at Grimble. The dwarf grinned back, and they got moving again.
They reached the room about halfway down the shaft. Inside, Alexander could see several sets of blood red eyes reflecting the light. Though he could not see bodies.
“Kobolds,” Grimble said. “They be fast. Sharp claws and teeth. Crude weapons. Skin be tough as leather armor.”
Sasha called out, “Lugs, tank them out here in the tunnel. Alexander will pull them to you. Alexander, now.”
Alexander chose a pair of eyes near the center of the group, and hit them with Wizard’s Fire. The room lit up as a kobold screamed in pain. Six others came running out of the room, only to be slammed by Lug’s massive shield. Sasha cast her Thorn Trap on the tangle of kobolds, and Alexander cast Wizard’s Fire two more times. Then he focused on the one still burning in the room. It was a lizard-man looking thing with black scaled skin, and a thick tail. Like a four-foot-tall T-rex, only with longer forearms. It had a mouthful of sharp teeth.
The Greystone Chronicles Book Two: The Dire Lands Page 22