Tacca stayed quiet while Shale figured out what he wanted to say or do, which apparently wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. In the meantime, she worked on replacing the creatures that she had taken out of her dungeon at the appearance of the two Hill Dwarves, including her entire Boss Room. The traps that had been activated and the creatures that had been slain were already being automatically replaced – because she hadn’t messed with them – but the elements of her defense required her special attention. It didn’t actually take that long to replace everything but the Spiked Pit Traps, which she figured she would work on over the next hour or so.
Just as she had everything else done, Shale’s mind kicked back into the present, and his Mood Clothes started changing colors. First it was the blood red of “extreme anger” – which was understandable – and then a swirl of “fear” yellow and “despondent” black, before it switched to a dark blue of…actually, Tacca wasn’t really sure. She thought it might be something like “resigned acceptance”, if that made sense.
“I…really don’t know how to react. Obviously, I’ve seen too much to discount what you told me as a wild tale, so I’m nearly obligated to believe you. What I do with that knowledge, though…I’m not really sure,” he finally said, surprising Tacca.
“I thought you were set here as sort of a spy to find out what happened to Tac—me? Are you going to go back and tell Lily what really happened?” she asked, hoping that he would say no.
He was silent for almost a minute, and his Mood Clothes shifted colors in what was likely an argument going on in his mind. Eventually, it settled back to the dark blue it had been before. “I…think that I’m going to have to. I will understand if you want to dissolve the Bond with me – I won’t hold it against you. This is certainly not your fault, though it’s possible that your ‘bad luck’ may have played a part, but this needs to be reported so that the Council knows that something like this could happen – even if it’s unlikely to happen again,” he finally said, which made Tacca a little worried. She knew that something like this would happen, and she was a fool to think that she could’ve kept her secret long enough to get away without the Council knowing.
Shale opened and closed his mouth a couple of times as if he was trying to decide upon something. “However—” he finally said— “I’m not going to mention these other abilities and…quirks…of yours unless I’m directly asked about them. There are some things that should remain a secret between an Assistant and their Core, don’t you think?”
“Thank you, Shale. I really appreciate you doing that for me.”
“Honestly, it’s more for selfish reasons; I really don’t want to have to convince them that I’m not lying or describe all of…this…in detail. Besides, I think this might actually be fun being Bonded to you; I have a feeling there won’t be a boring day with you from here on out.”
Regardless of his motivations, Tacca was still appreciative. “When are you leaving?”
“I don’t really see any reason to rush, so I might leave in a couple of hours. I want to be back before those two alert the rest of the Raiders of your presence here and the rush comes. That is, of course, if they allow me to come back at all.”
Tacca had thought of that, which was certainly a real possibility. She felt bad for Shale because he’d have to get to know a brand-new Dungeon Core to be an Assistant to, which she knew from too much experience was always hard. As for herself, if she wasn’t to have a Dungeon Assistant anymore…she’d manage; she would certainly miss being able to talk to someone about everything in her dungeon, especially now that she wasn’t keeping many secrets. “Just know, if that happens, you’re always welcome here.”
“Thanks, Tama—Tacca,” he said, stumbling over her name. “I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to get used to calling you by your real name. You should’ve told me all of this from the beginning – that would’ve made this much easier.” Shale shook his finger at her in mock anger.
“Do you really think you’d have believed me or been so supportive if I had told you when we first met?”
It didn’t take him long to answer. “No, probably not. I guess this was the best outcome, after all – as much as I don’t like you lying to me.”
“Sorry about that – it was for your own good.”
“Yeah, whatever,” he said with a smile and the coloring of his Clothes started to change to a lighter blue of calmness and interest. “What I really want to know – while we have some time before I leave – is what all of this Bond business is that you did with those Raiders.”
Tacca was curious as well. She hadn’t told Shale yet about what she had overheard from the Hill Dwarves, so she spent a few moments describing the Abilities they had received. “…and all I know is that they gained a lot from the Bond, which could cause them problems in the future. I just hope they know not to advertise their Abilities to everyone, otherwise they could be in trouble.” A further explanation of what exactly she meant was required, because Shale wasn’t up on the whole sociology of Raider interaction like she was.
“Ok…but what did you get from the exchange? I mean, I saw what you obtained on that notification, but it didn’t really explain anything.”
The first place to start investigating, she thought, was the easiest to check: her new “creatures”. She had trouble thinking of Hill Dwarves as creatures to be used in her dungeon; she just thought of them as one of the Raider races such as Humans, Elves, Mountain Dwarves, Gnomes, Orcs, and a smattering of bestial Humanoid-hybrids. Regardless of her thoughts about their former place in the Raider hierarchy, they were indeed in her list of creatures.
Hill Dwarf
Hill Dwarves are a hardy race that predominantly lives above ground, as opposed to their Mountain Dwarf cousins who spend most of their lives underneath the surface. While shorter than many of the other races, Hill Dwarves are hardy individuals and have a bonus to their stamina for the use of Abilities.
Known Variants:
Fighter
Caster
Hill Dwarf Fighter
Cost (Level 1): 100 DF
Control Requirement (Level 1): 6
Creation Time (Level 1): 40 Minutes
Equipment: Rusty Iron Shortsword (Physical Attack +3) or Rusty Iron Mace (Physical Attack +3), Small Battered Oak Shield (Physical Defense +1), Ragged Leather Armor – Full Set (Physical Defense +4)
Stamina: 60
Stamina Regeneration: 5 per Minute
Physical Attack: 4
Ranged Attack: 0
Physical Defense: 6
Ranged Defense: 2
Elemental Resistance: +10% Earth
Specials: Bonus stamina for use of Abilities
Ability Options: [Blunt Weapon Required] Forceful Smash – 20 Stamina (+50 DF), [Shield Required] Slam – 15 Stamina (+30 DF)
Hill Dwarf Caster
Cost (Level 1): 100 DF
Control Requirement (Level 1): 6
Creation Time (Level 1): 40 Minutes
Equipment: Cracked Maple Staff (Physical Attack +1), Basic Cotton Robe (Physical Defense +0)
Stamina: 60
Stamina Regeneration: 5 per Minute
Physical Attack: 2
Ranged Attack: 0
Physical Defense: 1
Ranged Defense: 1
Elemental Resistance: +10% Earth
Specials: Bonus stamina for use of Abilities
Ability Options: [Focusing Weapon Required] Magistrike – 10 Stamina (+35 DF), Sapping Fog – 25 Stamina (+40 DF), Magibarrier – 15 Stamina (+35 DF)
Tacca slowly conveyed what she was seeing to Shale, at the same time trying to comprehend what she was looking at; it appeared as though she could create either a Hill Dwarf Fighter or a Caster, but that was all. Her Special Characteristic that allowed her to access all of the Variants didn’t work for the Hill Dwarves, because it only applied to known Variants. Since they didn’t already exist in her Dungeon Core’s system, they didn’t exist.
&nbs
p; Not only that, but she could create each of the Variants and give them Abilities for extra Dungeon Force – which was unheard of. Normally, creating something like a Goblin Mage gave them access to a single spell that couldn’t be changed; when they were upgraded in Level, of course, they would unlock other spells automatically. Still, though, there was no choice in what they acquired – it was all set out automatically. This, however, was saying that she had a choice of what spells she wanted to give her Hill Dwarf Caster, including all of them – as long as it had its “focusing weapon” equipped (i.e. the Staff).
The Fighter was similar in its use of Abilities, but where it differed from the Caster was the fact that it had them at all. None of the creatures she had ever researched had Abilities that they could take advantage of – it was only Mages that had spells who were unique. The “Stamina” portion was also unusual, as it gave her an idea of how many times her Hill Dwarves could use their Abilities before they had to wait for it to regenerate. Of course, during a fight they probably wouldn’t have that opportunity to wait, so it was more of a one or two-shot deal.
“Is…that Stamina thing only for these Hill Dwarves?”
Shale’s question hadn’t even occurred to her to think about her other creatures. That just proves that I don’t know everything; it might be beneficial to keep him around for more than just someone to talk to. Tacca quickly looked at the information for a Forest Wolf and, lo and behold, there was a Stamina count for it at 40; not as much as the Hill Dwarves, though that made sense because the Dwarves apparently had a bonus to their Stamina. What was more, she could give them any of the Abilities she had just acquired; the only problem was that they didn’t have the necessary equipment to use them. However, if she somehow acquired an Ability that didn’t require equipment…
“…then you could give these Abilities to any of your creatures,” Shale finished. Tacca had been absently describing what she was seeing and thinking to her Assistant, so it surprised her to hear her thoughts finished for her. “I may not be as familiar with the attacks that Raiders use as you are, but I’m pretty sure that there are plenty out there that don’t require a weapon or other equipment of any sort to be used. I’m almost positive that if you had another creature like a Goblin or a Gnoll, those abilities could be used by any of your creatures that came with the correct equipment.”
“You know, I think you’re right. I don’t have any way to test that yet, but perhaps when I acquire some more Core Improvement Points I can see about choosing some additional creatures…”
They spent the next several hours discussing different strategies and options, of how to best use the Hill Dwarves in conjunction with her Canines, going back and forth over whether it would be a good idea to include them at all, and what her next creature choice—creature family, actually—should be. It was only when Shale looked a little crestfallen and announced that he should probably report to the Council about Tacca’s situation that she realized how much time had passed.
The talk with her Assistant was beneficial in more ways than one. While she possessed a bit more knowledge than Shale, he had a unique way of looking at things that helped her look at her dungeon in a different light. Multiple times he made some valid points that Tacca hadn’t even considered, and if she had done it her way without consulting anyone, the things she wanted to do probably wouldn’t have worked out the way she planned. It wouldn’t have been a disaster by any means, but by making a few subtle changes she could mitigate some of the problems.
“I hope they let you come back; I’ve really enjoyed this discussion, Shale.”
“I would like that as well…but it’s in the hands of the Council now.”
Tacca hesitated before she ventured her next question. “Are you sure you want to report this?”
She was glad to see that he hesitated as well, but he eventually nodded reluctantly. “I don’t really want to, but I feel that I have to. My duty is to the Council first, as much as you and I may wish differently. However, I’ll do my best to convince them that you’re alright and hopefully they’ll allow me to return.”
“I understand. Good luck.”
Without another word, Shale fluttered to an open space in her Core Room and activated his Translocation, disappearing quickly to his destination. Tacca had no idea what kind of reaction the knowledge of her situation would elicit, but she figured it probably wasn’t good. She didn’t want to mention to her Bonded Assistant that not allowing him to return was probably the least of things the Council could do; it was entirely possible they might do their best to destroy her, even though they weren’t “technically” allowed to personally destroy a Dungeon Core. Then again, she also wasn’t “technically” supposed to be in a Core, so there might be some grey area there.
Regardless, there wasn’t much else to do but wait…and continue digging more rooms for some planned expansions to her dungeon.
Chapter 30
Sterge and Gwenda stopped by his cabin for about an hour’s rest and practically gorged themselves on food; the one thing about living on a farm was that there was almost always large quantities of food to eat. For himself, he ate more in one sitting than he usually ate in an entire day and Gwenda wasn’t far behind. For the first time, Sterge started to understand why Raiders needed so much food all the time; if this was how he felt after just a few hours inside of a dungeon, then those that potentially spent days inside some of the larger ones he’d heard of would be even hungrier. He supposed it was a good thing, though, because otherwise there probably wouldn’t have been as much of a market for their vast quantities of produce and meat from their livestock.
After they ate until they were stuffed, they left for the town of Heftington and the Raider Delving Clan where they had first become Raiders. It was a long, hot walk – especially since he was still wearing his leather armor – but Gwenda thought it would be appropriate to be wearing their “official” Raider gear when they got to the Clan outpost. She wanted to look as convincing as possible as they presented their story and descriptions of where the dungeon was located.
Sterge figured it would just be easier to present the maps and drawings that the Elf had made, as it showed where it was perfectly. Gwenda nixed that idea, though, as she was worried that someone would recognize the handiwork of the dead Ranger and accuse them of theft – and possibly even murder again. He grudgingly agreed that she had a point, and they already had a taste of being locked up; whatever they could do to avoid being inadvertently punished for something they didn’t do was probably for the best.
What they were bringing with them was the magical stone tracker that the Elf had been carrying. Their story was that they found it in their field while they were planting their newest crops – after they had already delivered the corpse; since they were new Raiders and were “ignorant” of what it really was, they didn’t think to turn it in. Instead, they investigated what it seemed like the stone was pointing to and found the tunnel leading further into the mountain. It was a simple enough explanation that they concocted on their way to town, which Sterge practiced reciting repeatedly so he wouldn’t forget.
All of that work of exploring the dungeon, traveling to Heftington, and rehearsing their story worked. As soon as they got into town, they immediately went to the outpost and asked for the Raider in charge; when the incredibly intimidating Elven woman finally saw fit to see them, they explained their story without a problem and described everything that would be needed to find the new dungeon…before asking for their finder’s fee.
“Two gold pieces,” said the Clan Outpost Leader without hesitation.
That didn’t seem right. “Whoa, hold on now. We’re talking about a new dungeon here that hasn’t been discovered before. And returning this stone thing here to you has got to be worth quite a bit, right?” Sterge asked after hearing the ridiculous amount that the superbly armored Outpost Leader was going to give them. He wanted to say some other things that were probably not the smartest, but the massive sw
ord she carried – which was larger and possibly even heavier than his own Dwarven body – and casually set down next to her made him more than a bit cautious.
“That’s true, these trackers are valuable, all right. That’s why you’re getting two gold instead of only one.”
It was Gwenda’s turn to speak, because Sterge just felt his mouth open and close in disbelief. “So the finder’s fee is only one gold piece? I thought I remember hearing somewhere that the reward for finding a new dungeon was a lot more than that.”
“Again, you’re right. Well, half-right, at least. The normal maximum finder’s fee for finding a new dungeon is 50,000 gold; unfortunately, you don’t qualify for the ‘normal’ finder’s fee.”
“What? Why not?”
The Outpost Leader – who he still didn’t know the name of – sighed heavily, as if what she was going to say was distasteful. “Well, the maximum finder’s fee only applies to Raiders who have achieved their 20th Raider Level, have registered with any Clan Outpost as an official search participant, and can also back up their find with maps and drawings of the area. Then, a higher-Level Raider group is called in to confirm the existence of said dungeon; when they make their report confirming its location, only then will they be paid the maximum finder’s fee. For any other Raider informing the Clan of a potentially new dungeon, their finder’s fee is equal to their Raider Level in gold pieces.”
“But…we both achieved Raider Level 2—”
Sterge stopped talking as he felt as though something was looking deep inside of him, like his soul was laid bare for the world to see. It only lasted a moment, but that was enough to make him shiver in confusion.
The Dungeon Fairy: A Dungeon Core Escapade (The Hapless Dungeon Fairy Book 1) Page 29