Brahm growled, deep in his chest. “How do I know you’re not some invaders?”
Lisa spoke up. “I’m Lisa. Griff and I are outworlders. Shari and Mace invited us here. We know they freed you from one of those cages.” She pointed behind Brahm, who didn’t turn to look. “She said to tell you that it was Mace who asked Elysia to let you evolve. You and Charles and the others.”
Brahm still wasn’t convinced. “Swear that you tell the truth.”
Lisa put her hand to her chest. “I swear by Elysia that we are friends of Mace and Shari, invited here along with the Falling Water Tribe of orcs to help settle this stronghold.” She wiggled a bit in surprise as a golden light swirled around her. Elysia’s confirmation that she was truthful.
Brahm nodded his great shaggy head and held out a hand, which Lisa shook.
“Welcome, friends. I am Brahm. I am sorry for my suspicion.”
Griff shook his hand next. “No worries. Yer right to be careful.” He turned to Ag’thar. “This be Ag’thar, chief of the Falling Water orcs. They have agreed to relocate here.”
He waited as the two large humanoids clasped arms in greeting and grunted at each other.
“This be Jo, Meg, and Leroy of the dwarven village in the mountains. Mace has invited them to join ye here as well, but we haven’t had the time to extend the invitation.”
Brahm shook the hands of each of the dwarves. None of them had seen a minotaur before, and they stared openly at the man-bull, who was more than twice their height. When the introductions were all done, Griff said, “If yer okay with helping Ag’thar’s people get settled, we’ll head back through the portal and see about the dwarves.”
Both Brahm and Ag’thar grunted in agreement, still eyeing each other. Griff turned to leave and had almost reached the exit when he remembered something important.
“Oh!” He turned and trotted back to the orc and minotaur. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out the mithril guild chest. Both chieftains’ eyes bulged at the sight.
He set the chest down and said. “This be a gift for Mace. Can ye make sure it’s secured until he gets back?”
They both nodded dumbly for a moment before Brahm managed to say, “Aye, we’ll make sure he gets it.” and Ag’thar swore “Well guard it with our lives.”
Griff thanked them, then, on a whim, pulled something else from his bag.
“I brought this to celebrate when we cleared the dungeon. Forgot all about it. Maybe it’ll help you folks get acquainted a mite easier?” He handed Ag’thar a large keg of dwarven spirits. The orc grinned.
“We shall put it to good use.”
With that, Griff left their new allies and his party made their way back through the dungeon to the portal. His map having been filled in by the trip to the orc camp, he had no trouble navigating back to the dwarven village. They encountered a few bears and a small goblin hunting party along the way. But being much higher levels than when they had passed by before, the fights were almost too easy. And not worth much experience.
They reached the village in the late afternoon. One of the guards at the gate hollered something to the folks inside before waving at the party of adventures. By the time they reached the gate, a crowd had begun to form.
“Welcome back, oh victorious ones!” the guard teased. Meg shot him the single-finger salute and he chuckled. “Yer da’s been anxious to see ye return. Ye were gone longer than he expected.”
Meg had the courtesy to look abashed. It hadn’t occurred to her that their delays would cause her father or the others to worry. She nodded and said “Been a few big surprises. Close the gates and come listen fer yerself.”
They passed into the village and made their way to the square as citizens called out greetings and questions. There were a few ‘oohs’ and ‘would ya looky that’ comments as they filed in behind the group and followed them to the square.
Meg’s father was waiting, sitting on the edge of the fountain pretending to read a parchment as they approached. Meg smiled.
“Yer a terrible actor, da. Come give yer wee one a hug!” She opened her arms and stepped toward her father, who gathered her up and lifted her off the ground.
“I be glad yer back safe, lass. Had yer old da worried, ya did.” He sniffed once and tried to casually wipe a tear from his eye.
“We beat the dungeon!” Leroy puffed out his chest and looked at Campbell. “Nobody died, though it were a close thing more than once.”
Meg patted her father’s chest.
“Aye, Leroy were a true hero. Kept us all alive while the beasties was tryin’ to eat us.” Campbell looked at the boy, as if trying to reconcile the foolish alchemist he knew with the victorious dungeon veteran in front of him.
Meg saved him. “But he insists on muck’n about with the nastiest of things. Bug bits, troll hearts… I’ve a mind to never let him kiss me again,” she stated matter-of-factly.
The crowd gathered around all chuckled as Leroy spluttered, trying to defend himself. He finally threw up his hands and gave up.
Campbell did his best to suppress his smile as he addressed Griff.
“So. Ye cleared the dungeon and brought me young’ns back in one piece. Ye’ve grown quite a bit. And I assume ye made some friends with the orcs?”
Griff nodded. “We did. And more. I’ve a… proposition for ye. For all of ye. But I think we should start by talkin’ somewhere private? Yerself and the elders, if ye will.”
There were some murmurs among the gathered citizens, but Campbell held up his hands. “Now, now! Ye can all stop by the tavern later, and we’ll hear about their adventures. The outworlders got some business they need to discuss.” He said. The crowd calmed and began to disburse as the elders stepped forward.
Feeling bad, Griff shouted, “Drinks and food are on me tonight!” which immediately got him a rousing cheer from the retreating citizens.
Campbell led them to his house, as some of the citizens were already headed toward the tavern after Griff’s announcement. He shook his head.
“I hope ye earned some gold in that dungeon, lad. Ye know a dwarf can drink like no other.”
Griff laughed. “I have a few hundred gold. I think we’re okay.”
Campbell’s eyes grew wide and he looked to his daughter, who nodded. She pulled her coin bag from her belt and jingled it at him.
“I’ll buy ye a new village if ye like. Though I don’t think ye’ll need one.” She winked at him as he just looked confused.
Meg, Jo, and Leroy broke off to run errands of their own, already knowing what Griff had to say. Griff and Lisa joined the elders at Campbell’s dining table. When they were all seated, he gave them a brief rundown of what had happened in the dungeon, and when he was done, he said, “We’ll tell ye the whole story at the tavern. In the meantime, I’ll need an oath from each of ye. What I’m about to tell ye canno’ be shared with anyone outside this room. At least, not for now. Depending on what ye decide, that may change.”
The elders, all of whom had evolved a few days earlier and with whom Griff enjoyed ‘Revered’ status, didn’t hesitate. They all raised a hand and swore not to share any secrets he revealed. As soon as they were through, he began.
“My friends Mace and Shari, I’ve telled ye about them. They’re the ones who got Elysia ta agree to the evolution o’ citizens. Well, they cleared a dungeon themselves a week or so ago, and in in the bottom o’ that dungeon, they discovered a room with twelve portals.”
He waited while the elders reacted. Even as isolated as they were here in the mountain village, they knew that even the biggest of cities on Elysia only had two, sometimes three portals. A dozen was unheard of. When they’d calmed a bit, he continued.
“As it happens, one o’ them portals connects to the cave behind the waterfall near the orc camp. We confirmed it this mornin’. Mace invited the Falling Water orcs to join him at his stronghold, which sits atop the dungeon. It be an old mine, cut right into the mountain. His allies be using it to gather ore a
nd other resources fer their nearby settlement called Lakeside. It be a mixed race settlement, with orcs, dwarves, goblins, ogres, humans, halflings, kobolds, elves, centaurs, and minotaurs. Mebbe more, I dunno. Mace captured the stronghold when he killed a bunch o’ slavers and freed the minotaurs and halflings.” Griff paused to take a breath and Lisa took over.
“We’ll be goin’ to join them shortly. Now that we’re strong enough to survive outside this village.”
The elders all went stone-faced. They didn’t want the outworlders to leave, but they understood. Outworlders had always remained in the village for just a short time, then moved on to bigger, more dangerous areas.
“The thing is, we’d like ye to come with us. All of ye. We know ye love this village. And rightly so. It be a lovely place. But ye know that we be the last o’ the outworlders that’ll ever come here. And the village will suffer without more. Even with many o’ ye bein’ evolved now, are ye gonna spend all yer time out huntin’ beasties ‘n bringin’ back loot for the crafters? And if ye do, who will they sell to?” She stopped to let them think it over. When she saw a few nod, she pushed on.
“The stronghold be inside a mountain. Protected. With yer people, the orcs, and the others to grow and defend the place, an army couldn’t take ye. There be resources in the mine and the plenty o’ wood and game in the forest. The portals would let ye return here to fish in the pond, or I saw another that looked out onto the ocean. Mace ‘n Shari got plans to build a port city there and trade all over the world. The stronghold will grow to a city, maybe a nation. We’ll have the elves as allies, and maybe others too. Ye would be welcomed as citizens, and could be among the founders.”
“But if ye stay, ye’ll be alone. With no outworlders, and the orcs gone, the dark ones that come down from the mountain to raid their camp won’t be held back. They’ll eventually find their way here.”
She sat back in her chair and let out a long breath. Griff patted her hand. He’d never heard her make such a long speech before.
One of the elders spoke up. “Ye could just stay here. Might be yer friends would come join ye?” He sounded hopeful.
Griff shook his head. “I’m sorry. We have been asked by Elysia herself to help the whole continent recover. Not just this village. That be part o’ the reason for evolution. We outworlders canno’ hope to do it all with just the few we have left.”
Campbell nodded. “We need to discuss this. Ye make good sense. And we’re grateful fer the offer. But this be our home. For some of us, the only home we’ve ever know’d.”
Griff and Lisa nodded and got up from their seats. They left without a word, heading for the tavern.
They sat with the villagers, some of whom were already well into the victory celebration. Leroy was telling a group of young dwarves about how his miraculous healing saved Lisa from being consumed by the dwarf-eating butterflies. Meg and Jo were telling a table full of others about how Lisa fell into the guts of the massive pill bug. Lisa’s face scrunched up and she said, “They’re all going to think I’m an idiot.”
Griff laughed.
“Nah, learning things in the hardest, most embarrassing way is sort o’ the way we dwarves do things. We charge in head first ‘n consequences be damned!” He threw a fist in the air as he said it and several nearby citizens shouted in agreement, raising fists of their own or splashing ale from their mugs. “By the end o’ the night, ye’ll be a legend!”
Lisa and Griff celebrated with the dwarves until late into the evening. The elders joined them after an hour or so, but gave no indication of their decision. Campbell said they’d get together and discuss it the next day. No earlier than noon.
When it came time to log off, Griff handed Jo a hundred gold for the innkeeper after she assured him that that was more than enough to pay for the food and drinks. The two of them retired to their room and logged out.
*****
Over a late dinner, they talked about food. About the various recipes Griff’s mum had taught him. Lisa began to make a list of ingredients they didn’t have, and they decided to make a run to the Tesco store in the morning. Since the dwarves would be hung over until at least noon, as Campbell had emphasized. Retiring to their beds, each set an alarm for 8am.
*****
The bear was losing the scent. As it got closer to the city, there were too many confusing scents, and it ranged back and forth between the buildings, catching hints of its prey here and there and following until it lost the scent again.
Eventually, it came across a new scent. Much stronger. It wove through the streets, into buildings and up onto roofs. It went places the creature couldn’t follow, into holes its body couldn’t fit through. Across gaps in rooftops it could not leap. But each time it lost the trail, it would pick it up again. It forgot about the prey that smelled of exhaust and its own blood. This was strong prey.
It followed the scent for days. In and out and up and around, losing it and regaining it. Until it led the creature to a big cave with a shiny front that smelled of many foods. Its hunger urged it forward and it roared a challenge to the prey inside.
Two dead black eyes looked through the glass of the Tesco storefront at the massive enemy that approached. The sun was rising behind it, and its shadow covered half the street. The snake was coiled around the ceiling rafters with just its head hanging down.
Here was a threat. Invading its hunting ground. It needed to die.
End Book Two.
Acknowledgements
As always, I must thank my family for their encouragement, patience, and untiring service as alpha readers. Several friends, readers, and family members found their way into this book as characters. My apologies to you all. You know who you are. Except Bobby and Jake, who deserved what they got. And thank you to my friends and guildies who gave me ideas and feedback to help me improve the final product.
PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! They are vitally important to indie authors like myself.
Thank you to L. Sherrard for pointing out the many, many mistakes I made as this tale leaked from my brain. And much appreciation to Richard Sashigane for the amazing cover art and formatting.
You can always find my books, art, and random interesting things at my website: www.davewillmarth.com or on twitter @davewillmarth (Yeah, I know. Twitter. I tweet now).
Or find the Greystone books on Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/Greystone-Chronicles-Book-One-Online-ebook/dp/B076FN84HY/
Please check out my Greystone Guild facebook page for information on upcoming books https://www.facebook.com/greystone.guild.7
You can also get great information and reviews from Ramon Mejia’s LITRPG Podcast at https://www.facebook.com/litrpgpodcast/
I’d also like to recommend you check out some of my favorite authors/friends within the genre.
Daniel Schinhofen https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Schinhofen/e/B01LXQWPZA
Michael Chatfield https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Chatfield/e/B00WCAOQME
Ramon Mejia https://www.amazon.com/R.A.-Mejia/e/B01MRTVW3O
Dawn Chapman https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Chapman/e/B014A0RUBC
Eden Redd https://www.amazon.com/Eden-Redd/e/B00I8X8BCK
Paul Campbell Jr. https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Campbell-Jr./e/B07J6JF1ZX/
Check out Paul’s new first book Peaks of Power: Beginnings that just launched a few days ago!
If you enjoyed this book, or even if you didn’t, but you DO enjoy the LitRPG and GameLit genre, then I recommend you check out the following Facebook pages (you might find some authors loitering there):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/RPGGamelitSociety/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/GameLitSociety/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGBooks/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/GameLit/
Survivors Page 39