The Greystone Chronicles Book Two: The Dire Lands

by Dave Willmarth

  “No! Not yet, anyway. I don’t know if these will grow anywhere else. We need a few days to plant them and see if they’ll survive. You seal that entrance, and you might kill every plant in there,” Sasha said.

  Alexander weighed up his options. He wanted to keep those demons and undead in there forever. At least until he had an army to deal with them. On the other hand, those plants were valuable as a healing resource for his people and the citizens of Stormforge.

  “Alright. I put thirty feet of solid stone between us and the dungeon portal. Anything coming out will be destroyed as it hits the rock. If the dark one wants them out, he’s going to have to dig his way in. That will have to do. But please, plant those things as quickly as you can. If they live, you can bring all the druids and Lydia and transplant the rest.”

  Sasha nodded her agreement.

  Alexander gathered the women in his life together, and teleported them back to the keep. Sasha instantly dashed toward the grove near the stables.

  Lainey reached over and Gibbs-smacked the back of Alexander’s head, looking meaningfully at Jules, who was staring at her feet.

  Alexander took Jules hand, and teleported the two of them to his sitting room. Taking a seat on a sofa, he pulled her into his lap.

  “I didn’t want to have to do this, but Lainey and Sasha insisted. I’m afraid it’s snuggle time.” He grinned at the beautiful rogue.

  She pounded his chest half-heartedly, saying, “Such a gentleman. Forcing his affections on a lady in distress.”

  Alexander froze. Realizing what she’d said, Jules whispered, “Oh! No…” and then just kissed him.

  He had urgent matters to attend to. The rest of his guild, and the king, needed to know what he’d found in that dungeon. His people needed to prepare. The enemy was just a few miles away. It wouldn’t take players long to break through that stone and free the army of demons and undead.

  But nothing short of the end of the world was going to make him leave that sofa just then.

  Chapter Eighteen I’m Out of Good Chapter Names

  After an hour or so of quality snuggling, Alexander felt much calmer and more relaxed. In fact, he was so relaxed, he needed to either get up and do something, or go to sleep.

  His conscience got the better of him, and he squeezed Jules one last time. “Need to get moving. There are things we need to deal with,” he said gently.

  “Noooo!” Jules grumped at him. She was mostly asleep herself.

  “You stay here. Or better yet, crawl into bed. I’ll be back when I can,” he said to her, rising from the sofa. She face-planted into one of the cushions and didn’t move.

  Moving toward the door, he grinned at her. “Turn your head to the side so you don’t suffocate.”

  “Mmmph,” was the only answer he received.

  Heading downstairs, he checked in with Silverbeard. The chamberlain had established himself an office not far from the Great Hall.

  “The duergar will be taking the oath tomorrow. They’ll stay in their caverns until we can build them the housing you suggested. Please have Jeeves start on that after he finishes the dining area.”

  “The dining room be done. The stone removal part, at least. It were basically just a big box. There be a large hearth on one side. And a second kitchen. We can add to it as ye like.”

  “Great! Then please ask Jeeves to start on housing for the duergar. Do you have a plan for him?” Alexander asked.

  “Aye. There be basic plans in his library. I will get him started,” Silverbeard confirmed.

  Leaving Silverbeard’s office, Alexander moved back out to the courtyard. He opened up guild chat.

  “Lorian, are you in the keep?”

  “No, Alexander. I’m out with a hunting party,” Lorian replied.

  “I’ve stumbled upon some of the Dark One’s army in the cavern where the demon dungeon is located. I sealed them in with a thick layer of stone, but I’d like someone to keep an eye on the place. To let us know if they escape, or if anyone else approaches.”

  “I know the place. We’ll go check it now, and I’ll set a watch somewhere we can observe without being seen.”

  “Thank you, Lorian. Please add your hunters to a party or raid group so they can contact you instantly if they see anything.”

  “Already done. I do have a bit of experience in these matters,” Lorian responded dryly.

  Shaking his head at his own stupidity, Alexander moved toward the smithy. He and Brick still had dragon pins to make for the duergar that would be joining them in a few days.

  Before he even reached the kitchen area, a large shadow passed over him, followed by a second shadow. Looking up, he saw Kai and Lia in dragon form, circling toward the field outside the keep. Changing direction, he went to meet the two dragons.

  Lia was a lovely blue dragon. Much smaller than Kai, her azure scales were tinged with a silver sheen that reflected the sunlight in undulating flashes as she moved. The nearly translucent membrane of her wings made them seem almost too delicate to support her in the air. In total she was maybe a hundred feet long from nose to tail.

  As Alexander approached, she turned her head toward him, fixing him with lovely silver eyes the size of basketballs. “We have found a suitable location, Alexander. You will come with us to assist in shaping our roost.”

  Alexander chuckled, then executed his best formal bow, one foot back and his left arm behind him as he swept his right arm outward. “Of course, Your Highness. I am your loyal servant.”

  Kai hung his massive dragon head at Lia’s demanding tone. “I am sorry, Alexander. My mate has not yet learned proper manners,” he growled. “She has spent very little time around other races”.

  “No harm done at all.” Alexander smiled at Kai, then at Lia. “Where I am from, it is understood that expectant mothers often become… erratic… as they prepare for the coming of their children. I can only imagine that a nesting dragon might be much the same.”

  “You have no idea,” Kai mumbled, his voice was barely more than a whisper. A dragon whisper. Which could be easily heard by his mate, whose tail began to twitch.

  Wanting to avoid a confrontation between dragons inside his walls, Alexander quickly inquired, “Can you fly me up to your chosen spot? Or is it better if we teleport?”

  Lia immediately snarked, “Kai will carry you on his back. Since he is in the mood to apologize for me, it is the least he can do.” And with that, she took to the air, managing to whip Kai’s flank with her tail as she leapt.

  Looking up at the still growling dragon, Alexander asked, “So, do you just grab me up on a claw? Or do I need to climb? I’ve never ridden a dragon before.”

  In answer, Kai laid down on his belly and lowered his neck to the ground. By putting one foot on Kai’s forepaw, Alexander was able to reach up to grab a spine at the base of the dragon’s neck and pull himself up. Straddling the thick neck in a spot between two spines, Alexander patted Kai’s neck. “I think I’m good to go, my friend.”

  “Hold on tightly,” Kai rumbled. He lifted both wings high in the air, and with a monstrous push from his hind legs, and leapt upward while pushing down with his wings. The sensation was nothing like Alexander had ever felt. There was a rush of air in his face as his stomach dropped. He instinctively gripped tighter around the spine in front of him with both hands.

  “YEEEEAHHH!” he cried out as the ground dropped away beneath him. The massive dragon gained altitude quickly. In a matter of seconds, Alexander could see the keep below, the farmers and livestock in the fields, even the mine entrance and the dwarves marking lines with rope at the quarry. He could feel Kai chuckling beneath him.

  “So, you like to fly, then?” Kai asked.

  “Hell yes! It has always been a dream of mine. A dream for most people, I think.”

  “Well then, let’s go!” Kai’s wings beat several more massive strokes, and they shot up even higher. The keep below soon became just a speck. Alexander could see Stormforge in the distance,
its walls and towers seeming like a toy castle.

  They passed through a layer of clouds into a cold, clear sky. Jupiter and Saturn were vivid in the reflected light of the sun. Millions of stars shone brightly through the thinner atmosphere.

  “This is amazing! If I could fly, I’d spend all my time up here!” Alexander shouted to be heard above the roar of the wind in his face.

  “I’m afraid you’d quickly freeze,” Kai responded. “But I thought you might enjoy the view for a moment. Now hold tight. Grip with your legs!”

  The dragon’s head dipped, and his wings folded. Suddenly they were diving like a hawk after a bunny. Alexander let out a guttural scream of joy, and Kai roared in agreement. The two plunged downward, the forest and lake below growing larger by the second. When Alexander became sure they’d splash into the water, Kai spread his wings. They caught the air with a snap, and the dragon’s vertical velocity became horizontal. They skimmed the lake, leaving a plume of water in their wake. With a slight adjustment of his wings, Kai raised them up just enough to clear the forest treetops as they shot forward.

  Alexander found himself laughing hysterically as the dragon circled back around toward the lake. The adrenaline in his system had his hands shaking.

  What a rush! No wonder so many players would kill for a dragon mount.

  Kai flew straight toward the series of waterfalls that fell from the top of the ridge and fed the lake. He flared his wings and landed on a ledge next to one of the falls, about four hundred feet up from the lake. The ledge was wide, and a deep pool had formed where the water fell into the rock before continuing over the edge and down. Folding his wings, he walked along the ledge and ducked behind the waterfall.

  When he wiped the spray from the fall off his face, Alexander found himself in a cave. It extended back maybe a hundred feet from the ledge, and was about eighty feet wide. The ceiling was high, rising up to sixty feet in a rough dome shape. Still, it was tight quarters for two adult dragons. The sun’s light shining through the falling water outside caused the entire cave to shimmer.

  “I can see why you chose this place!” Alexander beamed at Lia. “Fresh water, natural light, but still some privacy.”

  “Yes, and when Lia is too fat to fly, there’s food right here,” Kai said. Alexander turned to watch as the black dragon extended his head to within inches of the waterfall. After a moment, Kai’s head shot forward into the water, then emerged with a fish in his jaws. “They drop right down the falls into the lake.” He grinned his toothy dragon grin.

  Lia, tail twitching once again, said, “If you would not mind, Alexander, I would like you to extend the space a good bit. Please.”

  “It would be my pleasure, Lady Lia. You just point and tell me what you need, and I’ll make it happen.” He smiled.

  With a satisfied grunt, and a look of promised retribution toward Kai, Lia began to direct Alexander. He moved stone for her, leaving support columns in a few places to ensure the integrity of the cave. Walls were moved back to either side. The back of the cave was extended, and shaped. Lia had him create a deep chimney at the back that extended up to the surface of the ridge, and deep into the mountain. It would provide both air flow and a refuse dump.

  On the left side, she had him create several rooms of human proportions. He added a kitchen and bathroom, both with hot and cold running water. The enchantments he’d learned came in handy there. He made half a dozen bedrooms with stone beds off a large common living area with a fireplace. At Kai’s request, Alexander pulled up obsidian to form the fireplace.

  Lastly, Lia had him hollow out a circular indentation that sloped to a depth of about six feet in the floor of the main cavern. “This will be my nest,” she explained.

  Looking at the forty-foot diameter depression, Alexander volunteered. “I could cast a heat enchantment on it, to help keep your babies warm.”

  Lia looked touched, and blinked for a moment before answering. “Thank you, Alexander, that would be very kind of you. And thoughtful.”

  Your reputation with Dragon Princess Lia has increased to Friendly

  Alexander smiled as he cast the spell on the stone at the bottom of the nest. He closed his eyes and pictured the steady warmth of an incubator. The snug feeling of being under a heavy blanket on a cold night. When he thought he had the power level right, he carefully released the enchantment magic into the stone. Not having tried to enchant anything this large, he wasn’t sure it would work.

  Skill level up! Enchanting +1

  After a bit of a sniff to investigate, Lia stepped into the nest. She curled her body into a ball and settled down on the newly warmed floor.

  “Mmmmm… that is wonderful. Thank you, Alexander,” she practically purred.

  “I wasn’t sure I’d get the temperature right. I don’t know how much heat dragon babies need. If you want me to adjust it, just let me know.”

  “It will be just fine. Thank you, my friend.” Kai responded. Lia seemed to have already drifted off to sleep.

  “Do you need anything else? Any supplies?”

  “No, I can take care of the rest. We-” Kai stopped talking and tilted his head. Just as he did so, there was a large GONG that reverberated through the stone of the cavern.

  “Something just attacked the keep and was destroyed master. It tried to enter through the remaining mirror in the control room.” Jeeves said.

  “Jeeves, how are you able to speak to me here?”

  “As Prince Kai is a guild member, and this structure is within my area of influence, it has become another of my ancillary structures. It is formally designated ‘Dragon Embassy’. The addition of an embassy, an additional structure, and the defense points I received from the destroyed entity in the mirror have granted me another level, master.”

  Kai nodded his head. “I felt the death of whatever tried to enter the control room. It must have been powerful.”

  “Indeed, Prince Kai. I was rewarded a significant number of defense points upon its demise. More than I received when you defended against that party of adventurers.” Jeeves confirmed. “I estimate that the being that was destroyed was at least level 100.”

  Alexander opened guild chat. “Okay, folks, we just had a level 100 or higher mob or adventurer try to enter the control room through that last mirror. We’re going to have to check it out ASAP. But at that level, they’re more than twice as strong as any of us. We’re going to need everybody if we’re to have any kind of chance. And we’re going to need better gear. Meet me in the main hall in thirty minutes. We’ll raid the guild vault, then hit the auction house.”

  Turning to Kai, Alexander asked, “Can you contact Fitz and ask if he’ll join us? He’s very concerned about the mirrors.”

  The dragon nodded his head and disappeared. Lia, still curled up in her new nest, opened one eye. “I shall not be joining you, Alexander. I must prepare the roost.”

  “Of course, Lia. And if there’s anything you need while we’re gone, just let Jeeves know. He and Silverbeard will figure something out.”

  With a small bow to the nesting dragoness, Alexander teleported himself back to the keep.

  Skill level up! Teleportation magic +1. Rank increase: Adept

  Through the constant use of teleportation magic, you have developed your abilities to the Adept level. Teleportation spell range increased 10%.

  Sweet! There really is a benefit to spamming my magic abilities. I’ll have to ask Fitz what my range is now.

  Alexander walked into the keep and through the corridors to the great hall. Opening his UI, he selected his guild tab, and then the guild vault. In Io, the guild vault wasn’t a normal physical room located in the structure of the guild house. One could not just walk up and break into it like a treasury or bank vault. It could only be accessed, under normal circumstances, by an authorized guild officer. When activated, a door would appear in the nearest wall, and the officer who summoned it could provide access to whomever they chose. In the event that the guild house -
or keep, in this case - was taken, the guild vault would become accessible to the conquering party. For this reason, most guilds designated a few individuals whose job, in the event of an attack, was to grab the gold and most valuable items in the vault and teleport away to an alternate location.

  Alexander opened the guild vault and stepped inside. While he was waiting for the others, he’d look into his own gear. Other than his legendary mithril shirt, his gear was mediocre at best. Items in Io were not level specific. A level one noob could equip gear he bought in the auction house that came from a level 50 dungeon. He would not get the full benefit of the item, however. Io scaled the stats down to fit the player’s level.