Shezar flew again across the town's roofs to the Lord's home. The chimneys were all producing smoke, forcing her to fly around them. She did not want to get covered in smoke and soot for her next meeting.
The building came into view. The sun had set, and the town was lit in different areas with lanterns. Below, in the streets, people were still moving around. Taverns and inns were loud and busy. The Watch patrolled the streets, and some were still moving with purpose. In the main square, some children threw rotten vegetables at someone in a stock.
One of the windows in the building was open and light was coming out. She flew up to it and landed on the window ledge. She took a few moments to check herself and ensure she looked presentable. She was still under the invisibility spell that would prevent anyone from seeing her.
Mentally and emotionally, she was still recovering from her encounter with the Dungeon Core. The things he had said about the Gods terrified, shocked and outraged her. Never in her existence had she heard such a relentless flow of insults against the Pantheon, especially Oda. Her ears were still burning and her mind was trying to understand it all.
She hoped the next part would be easier.
The man she was looking for was sitting at a table reading some documents in the room. The room was bathed in fired light, the only light source. He was concentrating on the vellum before him with a frown on his face. She was ready and flew over to the table. She checked herself over one more time and was satisfied.
"Greetings Lord Ranus Goldwind. Shezar, am I herald of her divine splendour Astraus, Goddess of Dungeons."
The moral lord lowered the vellum and looked at the fairy standing on his table.
"I greet you, Hearld Shezar. What brings you to my lands this night?" He asked. Shezar let out a small sigh of relief as this was going far better than the last conversation.
"I have been tasked with answering the questions you posed to the collected priests earlier this day with a message." She had no idea what had been said but had been given a small speech to give him.
"Are you? Well, you have my thanks, Hearld Shezar." He placed the document down on the table away from Shezar.
She took a deep breath, stood straighter and began.
"Lord Goldwind, the Divine understands your fear and concern. They will give you the answers you seek if you agree by vol that you will not repeat what you are told to any but them or their emissaries."
He looked at her for several moments and then spoke.
"I, Lord Ranus Goldwind, swear this vow to the Pantheon that I will not speak of what is told to me this night unless the Pantheon approves them." He glowed slightly at the end of his words as the vow was accepted and seen by the Gods. Shezar was happy as everything was going well. She cast a spell over the room so none outside the Divine could hear them.
"This Dungeon was created to deal with what you call twisted monsters. Centuries ago, a dark and evil force started leaking into the mortal realm from beyond. Only now is its influence being felt. This Dungeon has two unique abilities to attract these monsters and cleanse the world of the corrupting force." She repeated what she had been told to say. "The paladins and other militant orders are here to make sure that the Dungeon is not interfered with and help protect your community from attack when needed."
As she spoke, the young Lord became paler and more concerned. She feared he was not taking the knowledge well. When she reached the end of her speech, she waited.
"What the hells are you saying!" He yelled. "That Dungeon is attracting every twisted monster in the area!"
No, he was not taking this well at all. He stood up and started pacing.
"Lord Goldwind, please collect yourself." She said meekly. This was going wrong, too! She was going to be in so much trouble!
"Collect myself! Collect myself!" He was still yelling. "You have just told me I will see more twisted monsters that could attack the town! How many are there in the area? Two have attacked the Dungeon. How soon will more arrive?"
The questions came thick and fast.
"Three have attacked the Dungeon and are coming from all corners of the world, so you have time." She sought to get him focused. Her words caused him to pause his fast pacing and slowly turn and look at her.
"What do you mean, "all corners of the world? " he asked very slowly and calmly. Shezar then realised what she had said and froze up. His stare was intense.
"N-nothing f-forget my w-words." She was stammering badly now.
"No, Herald Shezar. You said the Dungeon has been attacked three times, not the two I know of, and that the monsters are coming from "all corners of the world". Your exact words." He was now leaning on the table, looking at her. The distance was not far between them.
She was in so much trouble!
Before she could say anything more, there was a strange simmering, and all colour faded as everything froze. Shezar looked around, sensing Divine action in the peculiar effect.
"SHEZAR!" Astraus's voice boomed from all around her. She winced at the volume. "SAY NO MORE AND RETURN!"
Things returned to normal and the young Lord was still leaning over, looking at her.
"A-alas, my time is at an end and I must be away." She took to the air, opened the portal back to the Divine realm and fled through it.
She left a mortal Lord with far more questions and fears behind her.
## ## ## ## ##
Ranus sat down in a state of shock.
The herald had told him too much, he had realised after she vanished into a portal.
There was so much to think about and he could not tell anyone!
He spent a few minutes collecting himself before reviewing everything that had just been revealed. Once he felt ready, he started organising them in his mind.
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First, The Dungeon was not random but purposefully created, explaining many oddities and strange things. It somehow deals with the corruption that makes the twisted monsters.
What was the corruption and how does the Dungeon do this?
Questions leading to more questions!
"I need to get the southern trade route secured," Ranus says to himself.
More monsters were coming. His mind is spinning with this revelation. Fear and worry surged within him. The town was not ready. He needed money and lots of it fast!
What could he do?
Amya's offer of finding reliable creditors was the most obvious. Taking the temples up on higher rent was another. Where else?
The Dungeon was the only significant resource close by that he could exploit. The silver vein and the magical boar hide are the best. He would need to try to get more adventurers to those floors to harvest resources.
Like a bucket of cold water thrown at him, he understood what that entailed: more deaths. This caused him to pause as he asked himself another question: What cost would it be to himself?
As he sat there thinking, he remembered something his grandfather had once said to him.
"Great leaders are the ones that look to save the many over the few or all."
He did not understand what he meant, but he understood here in his room that night. Trying to save as many as possible was all he could do. This understanding brought him great sadness. Part of him still held onto the ideas of the great noble leader who was able to save everyone.
He lost the last of his innocence of youth that night.
"Tomorrow, I will need to speak with Elian." He was developing a bad habit of talking to himself.
Money was the start. Spending it wisely was the next thing. The trade route was the first thing, but what of the towns' defences? The palisade would not stop a determined, twisted monster of decent straight. Weak monsters could be held off even with numbers.
What he needed was a forty-foot reinforced wall with ballista and enchantments. But he could not afford that anytime in the next century at the current rate of financial gain.
Increasing taxes could help, but that would affect the town's prosperity and cause more problems down the river than it was worth in the short term. No, tax increases then.
He reached up and, with both hands, rubbed his face.
He knew he should retire and sleep but would not do so with these thoughts running around in his head. He needed to have the start of a plan!
Money. Increase the offers for the silver vein. He could try to convince Elian to make the vein exclusive to him. He doubted she would, but he had to try. He would have Amya see what offers for credit were available. He would need to scrutinise them carefully before agreeing to any. Hopefully, the increasing number of adventurers travelling deeper would bring more benefits.
Next, he would have Danrum review the town's defences again to….
Thunk.
Ranus looked along the table and found a black crystal sitting on it with a sheet of vellum under it. It had not been there a few moments ago. Ranus looked around the room to make sure he was alone. Or appeared to be. Once satisfied as he could be, he reached over and picked them up.
The crystal was shaped and designed to indicate it was a communications crystal. Why was it black? He opened the vellum and read what was written on it.
Lord Goldwind
You are in a more dangerous position than you know. The twisted are coming and they will be far stronger by the time they reach you. To this end, you need to speak to the Dungeon; he can help you. This crystal will allow you to, but beware; it is very strange. Tell not a soul you have this crystal others knowing will bring you more trouble.
A Friend.
As soon as he finished reading, the note exploded into flame and was destroyed. He cried out in surprise and threw it away to prevent being burned.
This night was getting stranger by the moment!
He looked at the crystal in his hand and wondered what he should do. In the end, he got up and went for a walk.
He walked through the streets, avoiding the rowdy and drunk. Passing townsfolk and Watch members greeted him.
It did not take him long to walk from his office onto the floodplain and up to the Dungeon. The Guild flunky on duty tried to stop him from entering, but he was able to threaten his way in. He stood in the entrance room and closed the door.
It occurred to him that he had never entered the building; now, he stood within the Dungeon. He walked deeper into the room to the door that led to the tower base. Here, he peered inside at the stairs that went up and down. Looking up into the rafters, he could just make out the sharoon that was known to hide out there as looking down at him in return.
"Well, here goes nothing." He muttered to himself as he channelled a little mana into the crystal. It glowed with an inner deep purple light. He raised the crystal to his mouth and took a deep breath before saying, "Hello, can you hear me?"
There were a few moments of silence, and Ranus thought Rickle might be having fun at his expense then.
"Bloody hell! Not another one!"
The voice from the crystal was male, and he spoke with an accent that Ranus could not place. He was still on guard, not sure who he was talking to.
"Greetings, I am Lord Ranus Goldwind of Shadow Vale." He needed to see where this was going to go.
"Who?... Wait, I know that name. It's the town outside, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. Whom am I addressing?" Ranus was sweating.
"Look, mate. You wandered into my entrance room and started talking to me through that odd crystal thing… Stop making eyes at Larry!" That caused Ranus to jump as he was looking again at the sharoon.
"Larry?" Ranus was confused.
"Yes! Larry! The sharoon in the rafters. Stop eying him up!"
Ranus was now very confused. Either someone was playing the greatest joke on him, or he was actually talking to the Dungeon. He remembered the part about the Dungeon being very strange from the note. If it were true, that would explain a lot. What sort of name was Larry?
"I have been given this crystal, allowing me to speak to you." Ranus offered, still unsure who he was talking to.
"What? Who did that? Was it that bastard Oda? It was him, wasn't it?" The question came fast and aggressively. The voice on the other end was getting worked up.
"Do you mean Oda, the God of Balance, Guardian of Time and head of the Pantheon?" Ranus asked, now confused.
"Yes! That fucker! Was it him? Fucking son of a diseased whore would do something like this!" Ranus was shocked at the words that emerged from the crystal.
"Er… I do not think saying those things about a Divine being is a good idea. He might be listening." Ranus looked about worriedly.
"Stop panicking. I said a lot worse about that shit stain of a God." The voice said cheerily. Ranus was afraid now. Divine smiting was something he always sought to avoid. He looked to the door, expecting a paladin of Oda to smash their way in to seek balance against the words spoken about their God.
"What got you so worried?" The voice asked.
"I fear divine vengeance for listening to those words; let you speaking them." Ranus did not know what to make of this conversation.
"Don't worry, that lot keep their distance…. I hardly get any of their servants showing up." The voice seemed distracted.
"Let us start again, shall we? Whom am I addressing?" Ranus needed to focus the conversation and now believed he was talking to the Dungeon. He had never encountered anyone so willing to insult a divine being before and feared no consequence.
"Well, I am not telling you that you can call me "Dungeon"." The voice replied.
"It is only polite to share your name when in conversation." Ranus countered.
"Well, Goldwind. Names have power, and mine has more than I like to admit, so, no." Ranus knew this was true for some beings and if it was correct, then the Dungeon was one such being.
"Very well, I can accept that, Dungeon." Ranus knew it was time to be diplomatic. "I was advised to come and speak to you about threats coming to this valley."
"What threats?" The voice was now concerned.
"I have learned that twisted monsters from a reliable source are coming here from all over the world," Ranus spoke with the gravitas the revelation demanded.
"Shit! I already know that!" The voice was relieved.
"What you do! Did the divine messenger tell you as well?" Ranus asked, confused all over again.
"Divine messenger?... Oh, you mean that fairy that showed up earlier tonight." The voice asked.
"Yes! The messenger from Astraus, Goddess of Dungeons." Ranus was happy that she had been here too then. The Dungeon was told of the threat by her.
"She was here until I told her to bugger off." Ranus's confusion returned. He was getting a headache now.
"What do you mean you told her to "bugger off"?" Ranus was afraid to ask but had to.
"The fairy showed up and began spouting on about divine this and that, which I replied with "bugger off". It took a few attempts, but she got the message in the end."
"So, she told you about the twisted monster then?" Ranus was trying to understand what was going on.
"Nah. Already knew about them."
"How then?" Ranus was in a near-constant state of confusion now.
"My existence is drawing them here, of course." The voice replied with a cheery tone.
Ranus was silent and then went on his own swearing and cursing tirade.
"I know the feeling." Came from the crystal with a sympathetic tone.