Dungeon Robotics (Book 7): Collapse

by Matthew Peed

  Checking his nails, Xenio said, “I would have words with you about what you did to my brother.”

  “I killed you once. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about anything you have to say if I kill you again,” Lelune said, then gestured to her guards.

  They rushed forward, bringing their weapons down on Xenio, who didn’t move a centimeter. The blades passed through his body, then threw sparks as they collided with the floor.

  He chuckled. “Come now. Surely you aren’t foolish enough to think I would physically come here.”

  “I was hoping being dead for two thousand years would have made you a moron,” Lelune said, leaning her chin on her hand.

  Xenio laughed as his form moved through the guards. When he reached about ten meters from her, a barrier formed in front of Lelune. Sparks popped as Xenio ran his hand across the barrier. “Scared?”

  “I’m not about to fall to simply avoid mistakes.”

  “Nice cover.” Xenio turned to look at the massive scale on the side of the room. It was bobbing back and forth as if all balance had been lost. “Are you the cause of that?” he asked, pointing to it.

  “No. You know my plan. With the World Spirit selection coming, I cannot afford to be distracted. The mortals can solve their own problems.”

  “What about the mortals who worship you? I thought you at least pretended to care about them?”

  “My followers are following my orders. They are about to strike out against the undead.” Lelune flipped her hair, not bothered by the paltry accusations.

  Xenio looked to the floor where the map of the world was shown. Less the world really, more just the Eruio continent. He grinned when he saw a large chunk of the north was completely devoid of light that would represent Lelune’s followers. There was a strange blue light from near the center of the continent. Xenio realized that the center of the blue light was where he’d gotten his new body.

  “Looks like a new player has joined the board.”

  “A newcomer. I doubt he’ll manage to join the true game.”

  As if to spite her words, the ground shook. Dust fell from the ceiling but nothing more happened.

  “I wonder what that was?” Xenio asked as his body faded.

  Lelune glared at the spot he vacated. She was getting tired of people walking into her place of power as if they owned it. She realized then that she hadn’t seen Cassin in a few months. It wasn’t like him to not bug her.

  “I’ve come so far and sacrificed so much. I will not be stopped now!” she said, slamming her fist on her throne. She turned her glare to the blue glowing lights on the map. Maybe it wasn’t the necromancers that she needed to deal with, after all . . .

  Chapter 7

  Oparens

  This city was marvelous! There were so many things I had never seen before. Men and women who were once slaves walked around proudly, their slave crests on full display much like medals of honor. When I examined one briefly, I saw they all had the same master set. I could tell by reading the mana patterns from the individual that no orders were set. For all intents and purposes, they were free.

  “This is delicious!”

  I was eating a meal composed of dishes I had never thought possible. A steak with some sort of sauce over it, a stick of potato that was cooked in oil, and a pile of mixed vegetables. They were all cooked in ways I’d never seen before. It was delicious wasn’t enough to convey my thoughts on the matter!

  “Caw.”

  “It’s not my fault you can’t eat,” I replied, taking another bite from the steak.

  The other patrons of the tavern appeared to be greatly enjoying themselves. I quickly finished and went to pay. Thankfully, the old coins I collected last time I was here still worked, though I got a few strange looks. I would need to get some new coins soon.

  “Where did you find these?” the bartender asked as he took them.

  “An old ruin. I would have traded them, but . . . food comes first,” I said with a grin.

  He laughed. “You got that right. Don’t worry. I’ll take them off your hands.”

  “Thanks, my friend. Do you know where I could trade them in town?”

  After a few long moments, the bartender replied, “I think Fjoda, yeah, Fjoda. She should be able to handle them.”

  “She sounds like a lovely lady. Where might I find her?”

  “When you leave, take a left. Keep going until you see a silver building with black dragons. That’ll be the place.”

  I left the establishment and followed his directions. The buildings in the city were all of an interesting design. All white and sleek, they reminded me of the temples that the gods used to have built for them. Only this was on the scale of a city. I finally found the correct building after going into two other shops. They also had dragons as their décor.

  “Welcome to Madam Fjoda’s shop!” a portly dwarf woman called out when the bell on the door rang.

  As I made my way into the shop slowly, quite a few things caught my eye. At least four items radiated a level of mana that would be hard to come by in the Beneath. I couldn’t help but wonder why the dungeon hadn’t killed the woman to absorb the items.

  “Hello, madam. I have a few items that I need to get exchanged,” I said once I finally made it to the counter. I reached into my dimensional bag and handed her one of the coins.

  She took it gingerly, likely worried about any curses or spells that might have been on it. In the Beneath, that was the usual concern. You never knew what originated where. Kobolds had a love of spells that would remain dormant for weeks or months before they exploded, quite literally in most cases.

  “These be two centuries old. Where’d you manage to find ’em?”

  I grinned. Not a novice like I was last time I was on the surface, I said, “Trade secret. How much can I get for them?”

  She looked me over with a critical eye. Whether judging if I was an easy target or not, I couldn’t be sure. I would just have to hope that I got an honest appraisal. There really wasn’t much I could do but go to another shop.

  “I’ll give ya . . . fifteen gold per coin.”

  “Surely they’re worth more?” I asked, a little disappointed.

  “A few weeks ago, yeah. Lecazar doesn’t exist anymore, so I’ll have to try harder to find a collector,” she said, then took a drag from a pipe she pulled from under the counter.

  I debated leaving, but Qez wasn’t reacting, and he was a decent tell for liars. I decided this was probably the best offer I was going to get. I pulled a hundred of the old coins out and stacked them neatly on the table. It wouldn’t hurt to save a few for later. “One hundred. Can you exchange that many?”

  “No problem. If there’s one thing about being with Lord Regan, it’s that coins flow like water here,” she said with a big grin. Her being a dwarf, it was quite wide.

  The transaction was completed quickly. I counted the coins and found an extra fifty. “Excuse me, madam. I think there are a bit too many.”

  She laughed, then took another drag from her pipe. “That’s a little extra. Maybe you visit Madam Fjoda’s house tonight,” she said with an obvious wink.

  I laughed nervously and decided I needed to run before I was caught in this woman’s net. “Thank you, madam. I will remember your invitation.”

  I was about to exit the building when Madam Fjoda called out, “If you need gold, you should consider going to the capital. It’s only two days away, and that’s taking it easy. If you want to use some of that gold, you can use the portal. Have a nice night!”

  I waved my thanks and finished exiting the building. This place was becoming more and more peculiar. Had the surface been able to recover the secrets to teleportation? And was it now to the point that even commoners could use it? Maybe it was worth spending the gold to check out this magic.

  I was able to get directions to the Hub, as the locals called it. I knew I was on a mission from the council, but I couldn’t help but drag my feet. I always did enjoy
the night sky. The stars, as the surface dwellers called them, always provided a lovely illumination to the darkness. The breeze brought new scents to me one after another.

  I was nearly to the Hub when a blinding light lit up the sky to the west. I only knew it was the west by a guard shouting the direction when he saw the light. A flaming mass of rock that was the size of a mountain appeared to be streaking toward the other side of the mountains. No one even had time to react as it sank behind the range.

  Everyone held a tense breath. Something of that size would be felt even from here once it impacted. Nothing happened for nearly half a minute until, in a flash, a wall of fire hundreds of meters tall appeared on the edge of the forest. Screams and yells sounded out from every direction, and many people merely fell to their knees in prayer.

  I created a barrier around me and everyone I could reach, a dome of flames that I hoped would negate the incoming fire. In a blink, the wall washed over us. I nearly fell forward as nothing happened. I glanced around and found the people who were outside my barrier were also unharmed. They were patting their bodies as if they couldn’t believe what had happened.

  The next moment the ground rippled, or appeared to, around us. Trees that weren’t there turned to ashes as they collapsed to the ground. It, like the wave of flame, only lasted a moment before the scene passed. After maybe five minutes, it was finally over. Whatever it was.

  I dropped my barrier with a sigh of relief. A couple rushed over and thanked me for trying to protect them. I waved them off, saying it was no big deal. A few other people thanked me, then discussed what had just happened.

  Personally, I felt it was like a memory. But whose? I was even more interested in seeing this valley. For something to create an illusion like that that covered not just the valley but also the surrounding lands, truly powerful magic was at work.

  Chapter 8

  Louella

  “A dozen roses from Nero, Your Highness,” reported a messenger from the entrance to my office.

  “Damn. Already out of jail,” I mumbled, then with a smile, I turned to a maid. “Please have them placed in a vase. Then put them in the most remote part of the castle that you can think of.”

  “As you wish, my lady,” she said with a snicker. I had not hidden my feelings on the subject of Nero from my staff. She took the flower, then left the office.

  The clock showed it was well past dark, so I decided I might as well head to my quarters. No reason to stay here. Making sure I was alone, I tapped my staff on the ground. A portal to my room opened and I hopped through. It was only a few minutes’ walk, but I really liked using this new spell. I just didn’t want anyone to see me abuse this power like that.

  I let go of Helios, and the staff remained floating. It wasn’t to the point of Feuer yet, but it was getting there. It wouldn’t be too much longer until the staff was able to actually think. It was certainly able to send me its displeasure when I touched other weapons.

  Walking over to the balcony, I looked out over my city. It was becoming something I did nightly, more to reinforce my desire to protect the people who came to call this place home. I still couldn’t believe how fast my little village became a city. Lights glowed warmly in the cityscape from homes, taverns, and people walking the streets.

  I must have sat there for nearly an hour. The cold didn’t often bother me with my High Race body, but even I was starting to get chilled. I turned to head back inside when there was a flash of light that rivaled the sun. When I jerked around, I found the source—a ball of flaming stone that must have been the size of a mountain. The roar drowned out all the other sounds of the valley.

  Panicking, I sent a message to Regan but found the link was . . . silent. The world slowed down around me as my mind sped up, trying to think of how to deal with this. Even in that state, the only option I came up with was to flee. The moment ended before I could come to a decision, and the meteor struck the exact center of the city. There was a pause as if the universe was taking a breath, then the loudest sound I had ever heard tore through the valley.

  Surely, this is what true destruction would sound like.

  I threw my arms up to brace myself for the coming explosion. The ground rippled as I watched, and a wave of flame flashed toward me. I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment, but nothing happened. I was vaguely aware that I was still cold from the night. Thinking Regan must have done something, I gingerly opened my eyes. The valley was on fire.

  The walls of the valley glowed as if they had just been melted. A massive crater was carved into where the second district sat. Yells and screams cried out from the city. I blinked a few times and watched as the image faded. There was no damage to the valley or city. It was gone as though I’d awoken from a nightmare. I rubbed my eyes, then pinched my cheek to make sure I was awake. What had just happened?

  Tapping my bracelet to send Regan another message got me nothing in reply, so I formed a portal into Ezal’s office. She was scrambling to find out what had just happened. Her guards rushed out into the night to check for damages with Bruce directing them like a field general.

  “Your Highness, until I know more, I think it would be better if you stayed in the safety of the castle,” Ezal said firmly when she saw the portal.

  “I want to help,” I said, coming through. “Plus, I can run if need be.”

  Another portal opened, this one a black swirling mass. We braced ourselves, then relaxed when we saw Julie emerge. She looked around, then locked her eyes on me. I wasn’t sure I had ever seen the psychopathic woman so serious. That only meant that whatever the issue, it was truly a problem.

  “Something has happened to Master.”

  “Regan?! Do you know?” I asked. If something could take out that walking force of nature, I was worried about the future of my valley.

  “I don’t know. The link to him grew . . . strained. As if it’s being stretched to its limit. Master . . .” she said with a grimace.

  I quickly made another portal and found Izora still at her embassy. Thankfully, she was leaving in the morning for Tearfalls. Izora saw the portal, then held her hand out to someone out of view. She came through and looked around, frowning when she saw Julie but otherwise ignoring her.

  “Something has happened to Lord Regan. Though I guess you know that,” she said, facing me.

  “Yeah. We were hoping that you might have some insight, as you’re the closest to him mentally.”

  “I think little Ignea would be better for that. But I’ll try.”

  She sat down and seemed to sink into herself. We all waited for a few minutes, and I started to worry this was a lost cause. Considering that this was Regan, he would likely appear in a few hours, laughing about what had happened. The idle thought brought a chuckle to my lips.

  A sword burst from Izora’s chest, blood spraying everywhere with her screaming. I rushed forward, but before I took more than a step, the sword and blood vanished into shadows. Izora was hunched over, breathing rapidly with her hand over where the sword had pierced through her.

  “Are you ok?!” I asked, kneeling next to her.

  “Ye . . . yeah. I got close but something . . . some sort of wall blocked my path.”

  “Damn it! What is going on?” I said and slammed my fist on the table. The corner tore off from the strength I used. I sighed as I waited for the desk to fix itself. When nothing happened after a minute, I grew even more worried. I spun around and opened a portal to Goblin City. That was as far down as Regan would allow me to make portals.

  As I walked out to the center plaza, I saw the goblins were in a panic as they rushed around. I glanced behind me to see the others had followed. The goblins didn’t even spare us the briefest look. Suddenly, the sound of an explosion echoed from the building next to us.

  Debris and flames rained down, but when Izora moved to block a chunk of the building from hitting Ezal, it passed right through her. The image turned shadowy, and the building returned to being in one piece.


  “Ignea!” I called, hoping she would be able to respond.

  The fairy appeared a few moments later. She looked both scared and worried. “Louella! Izora!”

  “Ignea, what’s going on?!”

  “Father went to investigate the moon. While he was worried that something like the situation with Alara might happen again, he made preparations for it. A few minutes ago, it was like he was cut from the fabric of time!”

  “Hell, what does that even mean?” I couldn’t have his creations go crazy and kill everyone in the aura. “What does that mean for the dungeon?” I asked.

  “Father left me and a few of his other children with the ability to control everything for a while. However . . . the more finely tuned things will be left to the wayside until he gets back.”

  I thought about the desk not repairing itself and asked if that was what she meant.

  “Yup. There will be very little of the self-repair that there was before. Try not to destroy the town!” Ignea said, flying up to me and pointing at my nose.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Can you feel anything from Master?” Julie asked, looking at the fairy with wide eyes.

  “A . . . a little . . .” she started to say when a mech appeared on top of us and started walking down one of the streets. It was firing its gun and missiles at some threat, but the vision turned to shadows after about five meters.

  “What is going on?!” Izora asked, and I nodded with her question.

  “Time,” Ignea replied simply. We all just stared at her, and she flew in a circle before she continued. “Time is very dangerous, but there are a few people in the world who can manipulate it. Never more than vision of the past or future, from what Father has been able to learn about the subject, bubbles of time are appearing in Father’s aura that show these visions for everyone to see.”

  “Then that giant meteor that struck the valley?” I asked. The memory of such destruction still very fresh.

  “Likely from a millennium ago when the valley was formed. If that had struck this valley now, there wouldn’t be any life left on the continent,” Ignea replied, shaking her head.