"Zhis is taking more time zhan I had anticipated." The vampire complained.

"Hey, all of this was your idea," Scratch sputtered, trying to climb down the precarious honey grate.

The dungeon they were visiting had the character of porous rock. Bubbles of air tiled the waxy material, and connected together into a giant beehive.

While the vampire possessed the power of flight, the goblin had to clamber clumsily over the vines and lichen that lined the rock.

In omnipresent the greenery and diffuse ambient light it was easy to confuse up from down. It was easy to look at the expanse of leafy planes stretching out in front of him and forget that it was a miles deep chasm that he could fall into.

As a goblin's self preservation instinct is naturally suppressed, Scratch had made the decision to be calculating and deliberate about his actions.

Finally finding solid ground for his feet, he could free up his arms to swat at the pixies buzzing around his face. "Pests! Even without a fairy queen they're a nuisance."

There were more fairy creatures than just pixies hiding in the vibrant green bushes. Hunched creatures in mossy coats, fluttering dandelion creatures, and plenty of animal flower hybrids.

"You must believe me, zhat zhey are a lot more peaceful zhan if zhe dungeon master had deemed us intruders."

"Yeah. Is there any hope of us meeting this dungeon master today, or what? Cause I actually have stuff to do you know."

"Ve vere supposed to meet at zhe second gate around sundown. I do not zhink ve can make it in time, perhaps he vill move out to meet-"

There was a rumbling and grinding of stone.

"Ah! Zhere he is."

Scratch nearly fell over seeing the avalanche of a creature that had just snuck up on him.

It was a snake.

Its head was just large enough to fit between the gaps between rooms, touching the edge at all sides.

Through the network of negative space below them, the snake body was coiled. Endlessly swirling and overlapping so that they could not see the end.

All over its body were green scales that looked like sculpted jade, but there were naked spots around the eyes and belly that were plain black.

The hive rumbled and it moved again.

The boys jumped aside not to get run over as the enormous snake body slid smoothly through the holes.

It curved around and stuck in its head from a different angle.

Then it opened its maw, and a faint squeaky sound came out.

Noss gestured for Scratch to come closer.

The squeaks were a voice. A tiny critter voice that they had to almost stick their head into the maw to hear.

Scratch could get a good look at the many rows of shark teeth in the snake's mouth as it spoke to them.

"Omigosh, hi! I'm supderduper excited to meet another friend of mister Ritter's, sir."

"You're the dungeon master?" Scratch asked.

"Yepyepyep," came the voice from deep within the reptile, "it was me that found the wyrm shard you see. While I was digging my tunnels you see.

And mister Ritter said I could take care of it you see?"

"Nothophis is part of zhe dungeon," Noss explained, "he has swallowed zhe dungeon core and become part of zhe stem itself."

"Yup! You can look if you want." Nothophis threw up its enormous maw and gaped its throat, displaying a way down into its inside.

"Uhm, zhat von't be necessary."

"Yeah, no thanks."

The mouth relaxed a bit, but didn't close all the way.

"Omigosh. Was that a bad thing to say?" It squeaked.

"Tell you what," Scratch changed the subject, "we won't make it through all of the wonders of your honey-grate before midnight. So how about you tell us about them instead?"

"Oh! Sure! Mister Fleder said you ate a fairy queen and you wanted to know how to use her spawn. Didn't you mister Fleder?"

"Well, we didn't really eat it. We turned it into a dragon."

"Yes." It said.

"..."

"..."

After it became clear neither had a follow-up, Nothophis continued. "Only the fairy queen can control fairies, mister. She's their mommy, you see? Fairies can't make babies, so they protect their queen and she makes the next generation of fairies. That's why- you will have seen this- that's why pixies only do what the queen says. Either that or protect the feybloom."

As it spoke, the serpent's mouth was invaded by disparate flying humanoids, who rooted between the teeth and fished out rocks and bone shards.

They were cleaning his teeth.

"Do not keep zhe boy in such suspense much longer, Nothophis. Zhese pixies seem to obey you vith zhe utmost diligence. Tell us your secret zhen."

"No sir. I mean yes sir. But it's because I'm a grootslang, you see. So I leak these curses, you see." It shuddered its scales, releasing something invisible and odorless into the air, "The pixies simply obey me because I can control their mind via magic. That won't work for you I'm afraid. You can't control all of them with a sorcerous incantation. What you need is the fairy light. That's how the queen instructs her spawn, and they are predisposed to obeying it you see."

Scratch nodded. "We have a way to do that."

"Zhe vitch of Eston, Lacrima. She is a vonderfully ambitious woman," Noss added, "and vields transformation magic to become a fairy queen herself."

"That's splendid! Do you trust her?"

Noss nodded. "Yes."

"Weeelll~" Scratch picked at the insides of the teeth. "Not really."

"Oh. But she is loyal to mister Ritter, right?"

Scratch shook his head. Then, realizing there were no eyes inside the snake's mouth he said out loud. "Not even slightly."

"Scratch, miss Lacrima is one of your most valuable assets." Noss protested.

"Lacrima has been a liability from the start. She has commandeered the cavern by herself, threatening us to supply her with the resources she needed. She's the one that got us into conflict with the fairies in the first place. I managed to squeeze some support out of her by way of protecting her investment, but fundamentally, our needs are not aligned. It's only a matter of time before one of us double-crosses the other."

"I should have known. Zhat battle between Lacrima and zhe queen, you meant for her to lose, didn't you?"

Scratch gestured for him to ease his mind. "I set it up so either outcome would benefit us."

"Oh mister Scratch, that's a big problem," Nothophis said, "if you don't trust your fairy minder. If she turns on you, you will have to fight all of them again you see. And if you don't have her, they will eventually find their true queen you see. She's a dragon? Part of the dungeon?"

"An earth dragon, trapped in a pit. It's a sturdy fort and it can't get out, but Cyclophan can't pacify it for some reason."

"Nonono, that he can't. A fairy queen will have the blessing of Geros, god of earth. Your sanctum might be able to override her form with enough strength, but an evil god can not corrupt an unblemished mind you know. Without a replacement queen, the pixies will eventually find her, and they will send mantis knights and boggarts to free her of her baleful polymorph. I suggest you find some other way to produce the fairy light."

After receiving their advice from the fellow dungeon master, the boys were soon back at the Promise, at the teleportation circle deep within the underground foundry.

"Why is every new dungeon you show me filled with more nightmarish creatures than the last?" Scratch complained while the portcullis was being hoisted.

"A dungeon *should* be a nightmare to zhose zhat vould invade its bowels." Noss said decidedly. "Are you really planning to assassinate Lacrima?"

"No, not actively. I'm just saying... we should keep the option open at all times. She's wiley you know. But things are complicated by the meddling of that goddess person."

"...Vhat?"

"Oh, was that supposed to be a secret?"

Noss looked at him with a troublesome expression, unsure if whether he was joking.

The was a clanging noise as the portcullis was fixed into place by the attending troll and they walked outside.

"I actually have business with Lacrima in about... half an hour ago. We'll keep this confidential okay? Let's say... clearance level 5. In the meantime, you're our magic expert, try to find a way to produce fairy light without a queen."

----------------------------------------

Scratch had almost forgotten his own cynical words regarding the witch when he came into her underground abode.

"Papa Scratch!" She nearly screamed, so that he very much began to think Noss had spread his nasty accusation to her ears.

"What!?"

"You would keep a goddess waiting!" The source of her anger was the matte gray statue of Guth, goddess of magic, that had once again come alive, and had been made to wait on top of her socket.

So you saw fit to join us at last.

"Oh... this again."

You lack deference, goblin, but I shall be forgiving. For you have followed my will and bequeathed upon my servant the lands of fey.

Scratch held his tongue, mainly the thoughtless comment that he had not bequeathed anybody with anything, yet.

Henceforth, your people shall be blessed by the goddess of magic.

"Just like that?"

Aye. Blessed you are.

"I don't feel any different."

Ah- No, uh.. her auguste manner faltered for a second, what I meant is that from now on, you may receive my blessing. That is my decree.

"My goddess," Lacrima cried out. She was on her knees, her forehead pressed against the floor, "I shall retrieve the charms of the wiccan baptism. He shall be the first of his kind to take you in."

The statue nodded sagely.

"Hey, wait up. This doesn't require conversion to any religion, does it?" Scratch protested, "cause, you know, I have previous commitments."

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

One may follow and receive the blessings of many gods. Unlike Benesant, I will not begrudge you the pact you have with the fragment of Malsidious, or with the lich that serves his memory.

"Super. So what's the deal with you and Benesant anyway? Are you sisters? Got like a sibling rivalry going on?"

Mind yourself Scratch, remember that you are in the presence of a goddess.

He waved his arms in a disarming manner. "Yeah, with due deference. I'm really wowed by the miracle, I really am. But I feel that... if I'm gonna be a pawn in some greater conflict, I should at least know about it. What about the other old souls? Did Bennie bring those here as well? Was it someone else?"

I- I don't know what you're talking about. None of the gods are reincarnating anybody.

"Oh, come on."

Di-dismissed.

Guth's panicked manner disappeared and she righted her body and face into a motherly serenity. The statue had returned to its natural state.

Lacrima reached out an angry claw and spun Scratch by the shoulder. "Obscene little man!"

"Don't you think that, if she really didn't know what I was talking about, she would have questioned me about them?"

He grip loosened.

"Your goddess is keeping secrets from you." He tapped the side of his nose. "Well, that's a god's prerogative I suppose. Show me that baptism charm."

-

But before Lacrima was willing to confer the blessing of Guth onto Scratch, she had to have an audience.

It was a cultural ritual as much as it was a magical one.

Making the baptism a formal event delayed it by several days, as schedules were aligned.

There were representatives from the thieves' guild, the bandit camp, the cavern workers, and the goblin colonies gathered around the witches hut when she was finally satisfied.

"If my father could see this. He'd have a conniption." Lydia whispered in Scratch's ear. "He might actually have tried to kill you."

He laughed. "Even Lacrima wouldn't-"

But she nodded in confirmation. "I had to intervene."

He wanted to impress upon her how insane that was, when he heard Lacrima begin her proceedings without him.

"Since the creation of this world, there have been witches!" She began, "daughters of Guth, we are. And heirs to the mystical arts!" She beckoned for her apprentice to hand her the sacred items, and both Noss and Alpheba took it as their cue, bumping into each other.

"Every witch child receives the secret words, under the cover of night. But today, that secret will be laid bare to you all, as the goblins of the

Promise are adopted as her children," she continued unperturbed, "and you all, will be the black mass that bears witness to their rebirth."

Alpheba handed her an unsmooth, glistening wet rock.

"Scratch!" She summoned him, and the apprentice dragged him towards the center.

He was center stage now, the focus of attention. But not in the way he usually was, this time he was the prop. This time he had no knowledge or control over how the ceremony could unfold.

The human audience members were crossing their arms now. The grave speech by the venerable woman had set the expectation high for sorcerous spectacle.

Lacrima squeezed the toadstone and water dripped out. She encircle the ground beneath his feet with drips of water and then splashed his forehead.

Scratch gave the audience an irreverent toothless smile at being given a cold shower in front of them. Then the witch smacked him violently in the face with her palm.

Stars appeared in front of his eyes, and then exploded over his vision.

"Agh!" He covered his eyes, but he could still see.

Through his eyelids and the many tons of rock above him, he could see the points of light that were the stars. He could see the moon, not as a white circle, but as an intricate clockwork of runic circles and flowing energy, and countless strings flowing down, connected to the earth's surface.

Looking around, the whole cavern was filled with lines and circles now. Green and white light drawing the contours on buildings and people.

The audience was cluttered with neon, shackling their wrists, flowing below their feet and through their clothing.

"That's it?" Asked someone, it was Aimone, the southerner.

"The effects of a blessing are not visible to an outsider." Alpheba preached in a snooty tone of voice.

"Managgia, some witnesses we are."

Scratch wasn't listening, there was an enormous coiling river floating above him.

From the opening into the sear, and from the elevator shaft, towards the waterway into the troll garden, a vortex of magical light led. Exactly down the middle between the edges of the cave.

"What's he doing?" Alpheba asked.

"He's looking at zhe dungeon stem," Noss said, "it's his first time seeing it."

He had wandered away from the crowd, which was more entertained by the southener's arguments with the witch than with his invisible sights.

"Zhis is zhe source of your power," Noss explained, "zhat flow is vhat powers all of zhe dungeon's magic."

"The purpose of her gift is not the study of dungeons, it's the perception of all magic." Alpheba insisted, "look at us."

He did, but he regretted it.

Instead of the witch apprentice's face, he saw the transparent outline of a seething mad direwolf.

"Ah!" He fell over again, expecting to be crushed between its jaws instantaneously.

But it was the werewolf curse that she carried within her. It eyed him evilly, but could not manifest itself.

Alpheba suppressed a faint offense at being looked at as a monster like that, and extended her hand to help him up.

Noss looked even more evil to his new eyes.

There was something huge inside him, waiting to manifest.

Besides the monstrous bat, besides the human form, there was the unrealized bloodrise form, taking up physical space in the room.

"You can see our curses," Alpheba said. "Look, you have Grootslang curses clinging to you right now."

And he did. Tiny particles of light staining his outdoor clothing.

"Such zhings are best zhrown avay. Very hard to clean."

Lydia came rushing over to them. "Scratch? Are you alright?" She asked.

"I don't know... I thought I was just installing a firewall. I didn't expect... to see..."

Lydia had been infected with the werewolf curse, just like Alpheba. But her spirit was the allied windwolf Wendy.

The two hadn't fought for control. And as such, their minds had begun to meld.

Rather than the spirit of the wolf attaching to her body like a siamese twin, it looked now as if their features extended into each other.

Her proper haircut extended into a wild mane. Her eyes lengthened besides her face into piercing almond shapes. And the arm with with she touched him as she bend over him had extended claws.

"To see such things..." he said, stunned.

"What have you done to him?" Lydia asked accusingly.

"With time, you will develop the ability to look at things as if the magic isn't there." Alpheba sighed, "it's a trick of the mind that witches learn. Although... my master and I were blessed at a very young age..."

"I am a pureblood," Noss said, "I vas born vith zhe sight."

"Do you wish to let scarywitch.exe make changes to your device?" Scratch murmured to himself, "please read the fine print before you click agree. Christ..."

----------------------------------------

So. You've replaced me.

Don't be so dramatic.

After all I've done for you. After I've been such an acquiescent god to you.

Hey now. You are not my god, and neither is Guth. I never agreed to worship anybody, remember? We are businessmen, we make partnerships.

Scratch was communing with Cyclophan, evil god of Deceit and Trickery, during his visit to the colonies.

At first, he had spread the blessing himself. But Ada had gotten confident with the toadstone, and had been promoted to master of ceremonies.

The goblins were being blessed en masse.

You have reached a tribe not connected to the sewer system, so my dungeon does not extend to here.

I can see that.

The raked dirt and straw showed no sign of the magical flowing energies of the dungeon. It was almost like they were standing in a perfectly mundane tribal village. It reminded him of the early days of what would one day become the Promise.

How many of those boys were still alive? Just Quiet and Second?

What a wild two years it had been.

Did you ever find out why Guth wanted her follower to control the witchwood?

No. She didn't mention the shards at least.

If there is genuine power in that place, she may decide she won't need you anymore.

Do you think I don't know that!? Who is the people manager over here?

Let's just say I've seen my fair share of betrayals.

Scratch bit down on his cigar. In that case, what do you think of this new blood over here?

The broodmother of the colony was a recent import from a far-off bandit city. A poor woman that had been sold as a broodmother to the goblin nation and had nowhere else to go. If she had bared children, it couldn't have been more than one or two litters at this point.

Most of the goblins in the hamlet had seen broodmothers come and go. Some where even older, from before the Promise.

The current matriarch had been given the comfortable straw chair to watch the proceedings. But not the care and adoration newborn goblins showed to their mommy.

In fact, she looked distant from the proceedings. Observing them from afar with sad eyes.

She has not knowingly lied to you so far.

She hasn't really had to opportunity. The demon you gave me said that social bonds are what keep human beings from betraying each other. And she has not had the chance to build social bonds with anybody.

The comment slightly peeved Cyclophan. Because Scratch had gone against his wishes to select a boastful demon outside of his affinity. The incubus was capricious and weak, and Cyclophan had never vouched for his competence. Scratch now had an inflated sense of the temptation demon's competence thanks to a successful scheme using a wyrm shard.

And you have repeatedly claimed to be able to prevent betrayal by taking away its drivers. Well? What drivers are there now?

I can't detect any. That's what worries me. I don't know anything about these new women.

Cyclophan calmed down. It was all for the sake of protecting the dungeon after all. You did bring the banners.

Yes. We did.

-

After the mass blessing was done, it was time to present them to her.

"And if you do that with every new baby. You can be sure they'll be good boys." Ada was just explaining the baptism to the broodmother.

Considering the frequency of goblin births, baptism was something she would need to do herself. The master of ceremonies wouldn't be able to keep traveling from colony to colony, blessing new goblins every hour. Multiple toadstone had been produced for the purpose.

"A moment of your time please?" Scratch said. He had put the burning cigar away now.

Constantine coughed to get her attention.

"We have yet to design your personalized flag."

The banners he had with him were of a deep blue, that would stand out in a forest at any season. The cloth had been produced domestically for the first time, in a favored colony, and as goblin-made wares the ends were frayed and uneven. But there was enough room to sow in a unique emblem with contrasting colour.

"These flags? We fly these in town?"

Scratch nodded. "In town and on the trading trails. We have wargs and hobgoblins patrolling the forest. By your flag they'll know these aren't feral goblins."

"But then... why are they personalized?"

"..." Scratch didn't say anything, but gave her a meaningful look.

"Oh... If I... do something. My flags won't count anymore. Is that it?"

"It's only a precaution, you don't have to worry thinking about it. Have you thought about a design yet?"

She took the cloth in her hands. "Is it supposed to be an animal?"

"It can be. Beth and her kids, from further east, they have a tower in their colony. So she wanted hers to be a tower."

"Okay..."

There was a short silence while the woman stared at the cloth in her hand.

"You know... you don't have to start breeding right away." Scratch began, sensing her unease.

She looked up in surprise.

"Your job here is to be their mother. Teach them proper values. Set up some sort of industry. Maybe something that you could put on a flag."

"A farm!" Constantine suggested.

"Oh, yes! A Farm." Scratch nodded. "This winter food is getting kinda scarce. So we're instituting a real, actual government policy. Farm as much produce as you can. Anything you can't eat or sell the Promise will buy for at a fixed price."

She smiled. "For the paper money."

"Indeed."

"With your face on it."

"With my face on it, yes. And a few other faces too you know, I don't mean to seem conceited. It's really gold you know, you're just not keeping it at home. Attracts bad attention. You can buy anything that can be smuggled via Barbara at the Promise. And of course, the colonies trade with each other."

"And with the hot-spring." Ada added.

"Right. With Laurus' girls as well."

The woman thought for a moment. "Can my emblem be a sword?"

"A sword?"

"I want to produce weapons."

"I don't know... we already have the steel armory of course..."

She was shocked at hearing the word.

"But for the sake of export... Why not?"

"Maybe Felix can help." Constantine suggested.

----------------------------------------

Felix wasn't with the blessing troupe, but in the underworld, at the elven mansion.

It had not been uncommon for the male hobgoblins to try and intrude on the ladies' space and try to bask in their presence.

But now they could hardly get a day's break.

Liorin had slept with Will.

That's what will had claimed at least.

It had inflamed the hope of all the brothers, who were biologically hardwired to reproduce, and could hardly think about anything else.

"Do you need help cutting that?" He intruded into their kitchenette, "I can show you how to use a knife you know. Ever tried throwing a knife?"

"I do not wish for thine presence," Farith nearly shouted, having done everything short of physically touching him to try and get him to leave.

"Make thyself scarce."

"Oh. I don't know what that means. Is Liorin here?"

In his mind, he would have a better chance with a woman that had a proven track record of putting out.

"Out. Out!"

He obeyed her, but only because he had seen Liorin and Will in the elven garden.

Outside, he was reminded of his new vision.

The magical flow of the dungeon shone like a glowing wire through the already rather bright desert of the underworld. And the magical gem that purified the sewer water from the troll fields had a circle of glowing runes floating around it.

He pulled at the elf girl's sleeve. "Hi! I wanted to ask you... wanna try some stuff with me too? I'll give you a really cool boar tusk."

Liorin wrapped herself in Will's arms protectively. She had discovered that binding herself to one captor gave her a way to fend off the others.

"Liorin says we should be together. Just the two of us." Will said, squeezing her. "Like... promised to each other."

"Why do you get to be the only one?" Felix pushed him. "I'm older. I want-"

Will had let go of Liorin and grasped at him.

A scuffle developed.

Both were trying to get a hold of the other's wrists and trying to wrest the other to the ground.

They had been taught more advanced martial arts, but it didn't occur to them to use it against each other.

Still, as Liorin saw this occur, it seemed to her like a savage and deadly combat.

"Stop it! STOOP ITT!" She yelled in a panic.

They did not.

"Curse you! Damned brutes! Why must thou display over my body like rutting elks! What must I do if their father dies before their time?"

The fighting boys slowed down slightly.

"Who's father?" Felix asked.

She put her hand on her belly. "I am no longer a maiden. It hath already begun. I shall be a mother soon."

----------------------------------------

Grootslang

Family: Beast

Threat Level: A

Reward: Peerage

The territory of a grootslang can be recognized by the large holes in the terrain, which the creature has dug to move between planes. They are tunnels that lead into the underworld.

Adventurers can not enter continue through the territory of a grootslang without the aid of an archbishop or higher ranked church official, as the ground itself is seeped in evil. Joining an expedition into a grootslang's lair without express consent by the guild and local count is forbidden and can lead to expulsion. Knowingly letting others do so can also result in punishment.

The treasure found inside a grootslang's lair is cursed. It may not be retrieved and can not be sold.

The rubies in its bowels will enchant the senses of those that behold them, and inflame in them a wicked greed. Were one to succumb to this greed and take one with them, they would fall further into its clutches over time, becoming totally obsessed with the shiny trinket. Rubies retrieved from a grootslang's lair have caused much bloodshed in the past, as normally reasonable individuals came to deadly blows over its possession.

The mesmerizing curse that afflicts everything within the grootslang's lair is considered the hardest curse out of all to lift by church officials, and it requires at least a bishop. The process can therefore be rather expensive.

The grootslang itself resembles a giant snake, though the consistency of its body is more like stone than flesh.

It sets itself apart by the mass of its body and its great speed, which it can use to crush a steel golem in one hit. Adventurers that are able to withstand its initial tackle must then avoid being ground up in its maw or swallowed whole.

A grootslang's weakness is water magic. It uses its scales to move, and these are most easily damaged by ice.

No parts of a grootslang may be harvested and sold, as all its body parts are highly cursed.