« (Randy) »

They had been making their way steadily into the hills. The little family moved slowly enjoying the bounty offered by the new lands. Then came the day their mother urged them to hide.

Randy found a shallow scrape of a hole in a field of high grass and watched the small party of mounted humans. They were a bit blurry but he figured that they looked like adventurers as depicted by some of his favourite games. Well except they were grimier than he had imagined and they didn’t smell any too clean. He kept on being surprised by how much information his nose fed him.

Randy froze. He had read somewhere that it was movement that drew the eye. He hoped that was true. ‘Got to plan an escape route, I hope adventurers aren’t as bloodthirsty in real life as in the games, I’m too attached to my pelt to want to loose it. Uh oh!’

Randy watched worriedly as a centaur shied away from the bush where Crooknose was hiding. Seeing the centaur gallop away made Randy relax, but then one of the humans dismounted and went to investigate. It was one of the big ones and he had a sword in his hand. Randy held his breath in worry.

The big thug kicked the bush where Crooknose was hiding even as he poked at it with his sword. Not unnaturally Crooknose let him have it. Randy winced, ‘Oh no, Run Crooknose Run!’ he thought desperately.

The big bully did not appreciate Crooknose’s gift, though the centaur sure found it funny. The big bully attacked Crooknose in a frenzy. Randy made use of this distraction and his brother’s unwanted sacrifice to flee. He gathered up his sisters and herded them away using a slightly modified escape route. Randy was sure avoiding being seen by the bully was more important than avoiding the sight of the other humans.

Their mother raced to join them and just managed to avoid a knife thrown by the murderer, but thanks to the laughing centaur who ran interference they managed to cross a low ridge and flee keeping out of sight of the humans.

Their mother kept them moving casting frequent looks over her shoulder, Randy was soon panting, but he maintained a watch for danger and hiding places as he fled. When they finally stopped their mother spent a long time sniffing them and making sure her remaining kits were safe and unharmed.

Randy was flabbergasted when he woke on the following day. He had gone to sleep in a hollow they had dug under a scraggly bush that had been growing in near solitary splendour on the hillside, and he woke in the middle of a thriving forest. But even stranger was the tree that was making its way towards the rising sun.

The little family moved cautiously deeper into the forest before finding a hollow that satisfied their mother. She dug them a new home with a little overenthusiastic help from her kits. The forest offered plentiful forage with bugs, larvae, earthworms and grubs along with berries, roots, leaves, grasses and nuts. And there was something else, something in the air that made them all stronger, especially Randy.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

« (Marty) »

Rosita slumped with relief when the Raptors left their home. “Honestly Marty, you have to give adventurers rewards when they beat you – consider it a bribe.”

« I don’t see why I should give fire bugs anything, » glumped Marty.

“Please Marty, adventurers can be petty and spiteful. Don’t get us killed because you’re pissed.”

« All I learned from this is that we need to nurture Thorn and add more traps. Have I told you about the one in the Temple of Doom? Could add that just before anyone arrives here. »

“Um, don’t go overboard Marty. We have to balance rewards to risks. And to our dungeon’s levels. We only have two levels so far so, we can’t be too deadly.”

« Don’t see why, » sulked Marty. « And anyway I was thinking of allowing anyone access to the first three rooms. Err four if the lake cavern is counted. Surely that will help with the elves. »

Rosita dropped to the floor and, rather abruptly sat on a handy stone. She stared at Marty and licked her lips nervously. “Do you mean you want to come to a – a – formal agreement – with the elves?”

« Yes. I am close to being able to create a third floor. We can afford to give them the first level. In return I will want an alliance. It’ll be tricky but... we need powerful defenders until we grow sufficiently strong. »

“I’ve never heard of a dungeon doing anything like this. It might get us into trouble. The guild won’t like it.”

« Fuck the guild. We exist in the elven forest, and from the weak feedback I’m getting from the river; we are good for this forest. »

“What? The river? How?”

« It’s faint. I can’t do anything with it but I can get information. Also the Piranha have killed, and I got a scrap of life force from it. »

Rosita hugged her knees to her chest and looked scared. “That’s scary. The Guild would have kittens. I – I think— You’re right, we should try to come to an agreement with the elves.”

Marty examined his fairy, « You’re frightened aren’t you Rosita? Why? Anything I can do to make you feel better? »

“It is nothing Marty. It is done now, and we – need – a counterweight to the guild. I think, I think we need – to – tie our fortunes to the elves. But that is so dangerous.”

« Associate with, ally with. But not tie. We need some separation even if it is more – expensive at first. I’ll contact their first scout and ask to speak with a representative of their government. I will hint – hell, I will state clearly I want nothing to do with the Guild. »

Rosita shuddered, but she nodded in reluctant agreement.

« But we still need to improve our defences, and see if we can set up a bug-out option. »

“A What?”

Marty watched the look of incomprehension on Rosita’s face with amusement but decided against getting into another tail chasing explanation of Earth slang.

« (Lady Rivanna) »

Lady Rivanna put the elaborate scroll back on the table. She looked up at the new Queen’s representative, “This is unexpected Lord Fairview. A new County.”

Fairview’s lips twitched. “Yes Countess, Lady of the Northern March. Now what did you want to communicate to the Queen?”

“The dungeon, Marty and Rosita, communicated with me. They want a formal treaty with our kingdom. They want nothing to do with the Adventurer’s Guild.”

Lord Fairview sat bolt upright. Rivanna could almost see his mind race with the implications.

“I checked the various treaties and— There is nothing preventing such a treaty. But it has to be a treaty, and it has to be signed soon.”

“Or the Guild will put a stop to it— Yes I see. It would be to our advantage if— How much are they willing to cede?” enquired Fairview.

“I pushed. We can get full unfettered access to the first level. And after he grows, one level in every six. I suggest we – ask for one in eight or less.”

Fairview gazed into the distance as he thought. “We have to inform Queen Aldrya. Will the Fairy be able to go and sign the treaty?”

“I doubt it. They are very young. That kind of freedom is – uncommon at best.”