The Greystone Chronicles Book Two: The Dire Lands

by Dave Willmarth

  After an hour, the water level was high enough, and the pressure in the pipe low enough, that Beatrix could safely release her magic and let the water flow straight out of the pipe. It still gushed out with significant force, but not enough to impact the opposite wall.

  The two of them walked back to the lakeside end of the pipe. The water level had gone down in the lake. There was about five feet of muddy bank exposed. Lars was standing not far away, shaking his head. Approaching, the fisherman, Alexander said “Don’t worry, it’s temporary. We’re filling the moat. By day’s end, the waterfall should have the water level here back to normal.”

  “Aye, thank you, Alexander. I heard the splashing back by the wall. I was just about to call you, to look at that.” Lars pointed out toward the receding water line, just to the right of his new pier. There was a stone structure peaking above the water. Alexander could see the top third of what looked like a round stone door through the clear water.

  “It’s a tunnel entrance!” Beatrix shouted. The tiny gnome was easily excited. “We have to go look!”

  “If you were to open that door, the entire thing would flood” Lars commented. “I’d guess it’s very old, probably been there since this lake was smaller.”

  Alexander closed his eyes, using his mage sight and earth magic, he sent his senses into the earth below the lake. He quickly found the doorway, and a stairway tunnel leading downward. The stairs ended some fifty feet below the doorway in round chamber. From there, two other tunnels led in different directions. Alexander followed one, only to find it connected to others. There was a whole complex down there.

  “There are carvings on the door.” Lars said. Alexander couldn’t see them, but the fisherman was used to gazing long distances across the water, and obviously had sharp eyes.

  In raid chat, Alexander said, “Fitz, we may have found something at the lake even older than you!”

  “You shouldn’t insult your teacher, boy. The next spell I teach you might put a platypus beak on your face.” The wizard grumped. “I’ve picked up the egg, and am having a snack with Lydia. I’ll be there shortly.”

  “A snack?” Alexander realized he’d not gotten to eat his breakfast, having been interrupted by the players attacking the wall. “Any chance you could bring a little with you? None of us got to finish breakfast.” He pleaded.

  “You’ll spoil your lunch! Besides, I might be too ancient and weak to carry such a load.” The wizard responded, sounding petulant. Alexander figured it was best not to argue. It was nearly lunchtime, after all.

  “We’re right by the new pier, at the side of the lake.” Alexander replied.

  As they waited, Alexander noticed something else. The exposed bank was littered with seaweed-looking plants, growing in bundles.

  “Fitz, ask Lydia if there are any alchemy recipes that use some kind of freshwater seaweed. There’s a lot of it here.”

  After a moment, Fitz appeared with Lydia at his side.

  “Oh! That’s trisulca weed!” Lydia exclaimed. “It’s useful in all kinds of things. Good flavoring for stews and potions. Ingredient for water breathing potion. Very rare.”

  She immediately removed her shoes and began stepping through the muddy lakebed to harvest the plants.

  “Should I fetch Sasha to help you?” Alexander asked

  “No, no. We shouldn’t take too much. It must be allowed to grow and multiply. And it’s not good for it to be dry like this.” Lydia sounded concerned.

  “The lake should refill by this evening” Alexander said. “We’ve drained it some, to fill the moat. But the falls will refill it. I can temporarily block off the creek to speed things up, if you like.”

  “No, that would just cause other problems in the creek,” Lydia said. “We’ll just have to hope these plants recover, and that there are more of them below the water.”

  Alexander thought for a bit. “Lydia, you know how the farms at Whitehall were producing crops at a faster rate?”

  “Yes, I remember. Why?” Lydia asked distractedly, as she unstuck a foot from the mud to move toward another plant.

  “Well, the ground under the moat is consecrated as well. And the water that runs through the stream under the keep, too. It increases health, stamina, and mana regeneration. I’m thinking that if the consecrated water from the moat mingles with the water in the lake, maybe it’ll help these plants recover?” Alexander asked.

  “Oh! Well let’s hope so!” Lydia said, sounding relieved.

  “Aye, and might it make the fish bigger, as well?” Lars sounded hopeful.

  Alexander shrugged, and looked to Fitz. The wizard was casting a spell toward the partially revealed doorway, and wasn’t listening. Not wanting to interrupt, he told Lars, “We’ll ask the wizard when he’s done here. Maybe he can create a spell that circulates the water better.”

  “Ooh! I’d like to learn that one!” Beatrix grinned.

  Still watching Fitz, Alexander saw a thoughtful look on the old wizard’s face. “So, what do you see, Fitz?” he asked.

  “There are dwarven runes on the doorway. Ancient ones. And it is magically sealed,” Fitz replied.

  “There’s a stairway behind it, leading down to a whole system of tunnels. Makes sense that it would be dwarves,” Alexander added.

  Fitz said, “You are right about this doorway being old. Not older than me…” He waggled his eyebrows. “But certainly several thousand years. I don’t recall a dwarven settlement here. But maybe the dwarves were hired to build this for someone. Or maybe it’s simply an old mine.”

  “It might be good to check with Master Tomebinder, to see if he has any records,” Alexander said. “Speaking of dwarves, it’s nearly noon. I need to get back to open the portal for Master Breakstone. They’re going to be installing our new gate on the outer wall. Fitz, can you stay here and make sure Lydia and Lars get back safely?”

  The wizard nodded. Lars started to object. Alexander cut him off. “We’ve had two attacks already today. I asked you to stay inside the walls yesterday, because it’s not safe out here. How did you even get out? The outer gates are still closed.”

  Lars smiled, and held up a pendant he wore on a braided leather cord. “This was a gift from my late wife. She was concerned about my boat sinking far from shore. She was sure I’d get eaten by a sea monster. It holds a teleport spell. She called it my safety net.”

  “I see. Well, I suppose if you get attacked, you can save yourself with that. Still, be careful out here. And by tomorrow, you should be able to sit on the wall and fish!” Alexander grinned at him. “The view would be even better from up there!”

  “Ha! I just might do that, lad.” Lars chuckled.

  Alexander said goodbye to Lydia, and teleported himself and Beatrix back to the keep. He had a few minutes before he needed to open the portal, so he went to find Sasha. He found her in a room just down the hall from the kitchen. She was setting up an alchemy lab.

  “Are you sure you should be putting this so close to the kitchen? You might poison everyone!” he teased.

  “Hush, dork boy,” she answered. “I can set up my mad scientist lab wherever I want! Now, why are you bothering me? Did you wear yourself out playing with rocks again?”

  I came to tell you that we found a rare plant in the lake when it drained a bit. Lydia calls it tri… tri… fecta? Something like that. She’s picking some now.”

  “Trisulca weed?” Sasha corrected him. “That makes water breathing potions. I haven’t learned that one yet!” His friend was suddenly excited.

  “Well, from the looks of things, you’ll have plenty of chances to practice,” he said. “I’m sure she’ll share some. But she did say you had to be careful not to pick too much, or they’ll die out.”

  “Of course! Every herbalist knows you don’t over-harvest. Silly boy.” She smacked him on the back of the head.

  Taking that as a dismissal, he headed back toward the kitchen. He begged a warm roll from Mattie, and went to check on Edward.
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  The boy looked miserable. His face was pale, and he was sweating profusely as he pumped a bellows for one of the smiths. He winced slightly every time a hammer struck a piece of metal with a loud clang. He smelled of smoke and stale liquor sweat.

  Brick walked over. “Gotta give the lad credit,” he said. “Been workin’ like a dog all mornin’. Ain’t let’d the hangover stop him. Might be he learned his lesson.”

  “Edward!” Alexander called him over. “I think you’ve had enough. You look ready to drop. Go get a bath before lunch.”

  “Thank you, Alexander.” The prince walked slowly and stiffly inside, as if his head were made of glass, and he was afraid it would shatter.

  “Brick, Master Breakstone is about to return from Broken Mountain with gears and chains to install a stone drawbridge. Thought you might like to tag along and watch?”

  “Aye! Thank ye. That’d be cool to see.” Brick joined him as he walked toward the portal.

  Master Silverbeard was waiting for them as they approached. “Alexander,” the master began, “would you like me to handle the negotiations relative to the quarry?”

  “Well, the details, certainly. Though we basically agreed to the same terms Thea negotiated for the Whitehall quarry. I don’t even know all the terms,” Alexander admitted. “But she can catch you up.”

  The old master chamberlain shook his head. “In the future, it may be best if you consult me before entering into significant negotiations. I’ll do what I can to make sure this deal is favorable to the Greystone guild.”

  “Thank you, Master Silverbeard. And I will certainly remember to include you, or Lola, in the future. Right now, I’m more interested in building a solid friendship with our neighbors, than in earning more coin. I think allies are going to be needed. Allies we can trust.”

  Silverbeard nodded his head. “That is wise of you to consider, Alexander. Just remember, it doesn’t always have to be one or the other. We can make friends, AND gold.” He winked at them both.

  “BWAHAHA!” Brick laughed. “He be right. Dwarves no be resentful of a fierce negotiation. We be considerin’ it like a good battle.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Alexander said, as he opened the portal.

  Master Breakstone and Brogin led the way, as a procession of pony-drawn carts moved through into the courtyard. Alexander could see enormous clockwork-like gears, coils of massive chains with links the size of his head, and two pulleys that were each so large that only one would fit in a cart.

  As Brogin led the carts out the inner keep’s gate and down the path toward the outer gate, Breakstone approached Alexander. “Me King give’d me a loan to purchase all this on short notice. But I do no’ like bein’ in debt. Be there any chance ye can pay me fer the marble ye ordered?” he asked, hesitantly.

  “Of course! We could have given you the mithril before you left! I’m sorry I didn’t think of it,” Alexander said. He nodded to Silverbeard, who produced a half pound of the mithril that Grimble had retrieved from the mine.

  “Thank ye, Alexander. Ye’ve the honor of a dwarven lord.” Breakstone bowed his head slightly before heading off to follow the carts.

  “That be a great compliment,” Silverbeard said. “Dwarven honor be our most cherished gift. It be give’d to us by Durin hisself. To abuse that gift be among the most grave of sins. A dwarf who breaks his oath, or dishonors his god, be outcast for life.”

  This was not news to Alexander. The concept of honor among dwarves went all the way back to the writings of visionary men like JRR Tolkien. It was coded into their very being in Io. Even players like Brick who chose the dwarven race tended to behave better than the average player. There were, of course exceptions.

  Brick and Alexander followed the procession down to the gate. Breakstone and the others were all gathered around the back of a cart, a set of drawings laid out on the tailgate. They were pointing at the gatehouse and the bridge supports.

  When the two friends got closer, Breakstone said, “We’ll be needin’ ye to make some changes to the structure. And to move that wall.” He pointed to the temporary wall Alexander had raised to seal the gate.

  For the next few hours, Alexander and Brick moved stone, shaped stone, following detailed direction from Breakstone and Brogin. The gatehouse was raised ten feet higher, and its walls thickened by more than double. Chambers were created within the structure to house the gears and levers, and channels were made for the massive chains to pass through.

  Breakstone had Alexander pull up another slab of stone, this one granite. He also asked that Alexander pull up a 5x5 block of obsidian. He pulled up a bit extra for himself, as well. For his enchanting work. He’d used most of his supply for the dragon pins. Once that was done, Breakstone sent Alexander on his way, asking Brick to stay for some further shaping.

  Alexander stepped out to the edge of the moat. Best he could tell, there was about six feet of water in it now. The water was slightly muddy, from all the agitation, so he couldn’t see the bottom. He reminded himself to speak to Fitz about a spell to circulate the water.

  Walking back to the keep, he visited with a few farmers who were taking a break from plowing the fields within the wall. One of them said, “This soil be good enough. But some fertilizer wouldn’t hurt.”

  Even a city boy like Alexander knew what that meant. “There should be some outside the stables by now. We’ve had several horses and ponies in there for three days now.”

  “Aye, there was. But them druids claimed it, to make their trees grow,” another farmer replied.

  “Alright, then.” Alexander looked at the group. “Which of you is the best judge of livestock?” After some murmuring amongst themselves, several of them pointed toward a human. One of those Alexander had interviewed. The man was roughly fifty years old, with salt and pepper hair. He was over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and strong arms.

  “That’d be me.” he said.

  Alexander recalled his name. “Plowright, isn’t it? I remember thinking it sounded like a blacksmith’s name.”

  The man nodded. “Aye, I hear that often enough.”

  “Okay, master Plowright. Let us go to Stormforge. I’ve made arrangements to purchase livestock, but I know little more than how to tell the difference between a horse and a cow.” This earned him some chuckles from the farmers. “What will we need?” Alexander asked.

  “We’ll be needing mostly beef cattle,” Plowright said. “A couple more plow horses couldn’t hurt. Speed up the work a bit.”

  “We should have some dairy cows!” another farmer added. “Milk, butter, cheese…”

  “Pigs!” A dwarven farmer stamped his foot down in the soil. “We’ll not be wantin’ to go without bacon fer breakfast!”

  Alexander raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. So basically, some of everything?” He chuckled. “Plowright, why don’t you come with me, and you can choose for us?”

  The farmer nodded his head, and followed Alexander back into the keep. As he walked, he messaged Fitz in raid chat. “I’m opening a portal to Stormforge. If Lydia’s done, she can go back with me.”

  “We’re already back at the keep. She says she wants to spend some time with Sasha and the druids.” Fitz replied.

  Walking through the inner gate, Alexander saw Fitz walking toward him from the direction of the kitchen. He had a pastry in each hand. “That Edna, she’s not as good as Millicent, but she’s damn close!” He grinned.

  Laughing at the wizard and his bottomless pit of a stomach, Alexander said, “Plowright and I are heading to buy livestock in the city. And speaking of livestock, how do we… hatch? Is hatch the right term? How do we hatch the moat monster?”

  “It’s under a stasis spell right now. I simply place the egg in some shallow water, and remove the spell. It will hatch relatively quickly. Within a few days, I imagine,” the wizard replied.

  “And, how fast will it grow? How big will it get?” Alexander asked. Noticing Plowright beside him, he a
pologized. “I’m sorry, master Plowright. I’m wasting your time here.”

  “No, no. I want to hear this, too. Animal husbandry has been a hobby of mine since I was a lad. I’ve raised everything from chickens to horses. Never even seen a moat monster,” the farmer replied.

  Fitz answered, “With a good food supply, it will grow quickly. Within a week, it should be about the size of a horse. After two weeks, it’ll be the size of a small whale. From there, the growth will slow a bit. But it will never stop growing, as long as it has food.”

  “Then, do we need to make the moat bigger?” Alexander asked.

  Fitz shook his head. “No, forty feet wide and deep should be plenty. At least for the next several years.”