Dungeon Builder's Harem Bk 6 Ch 6

Chapter Six

Fauraliiithiliana had heard such interesting things about the new dragon that Lord Leo had tamed. The elven scholar was quite keen to find her and speak with her. So the elf stalked the dungeon, searching for where Agubnamus was.

Lord Leo was busy in the Vault all day. He had been reviving the monster girls who had died and making some new ones. He had plans, it seemed. Ideas for new embassies. Fauraliiithiliana had her own plans. Her own ideas.

But that was for later.

For now, she wanted to talk to this interesting dragon that had served the Royal Family of Myreman in secret. How had that happened? The black-haired elf had to know.

She walked naked through the dungeon, used to going unclothed now in the endless, dark corridors. Well, they weren't dark to her. There was no light, and yet she could see. The air temperature was always comfortable, too. Even if she passed through a room that burned with blistering heat or froze with frigid ice. The pale-skinned and slender elf passed through all these hazards without a problem.

She did not set off the myriad of traps that dotted all the corridors. Nor did the many patrolling monster girls attack her. They greeted her with smiles and playful slaps on the ass. Sometimes invitations to naughtier activities that the elf enjoyed.

But not when she was on a mission.

Her long ears twitched as she clutched her journal to her chest, her phoenix quill in hand. She searched high and low before she found Agubnamus had settled into one of the dead-end branches. The dragon had curled up on the floor like a kitten at nap. Well, a lion, given her size and fierceness.

Her red eyes opened before Fauraliiithiliana came within thirty feet. The dragon sat up, her white hair spilling around her dark-blue scales. She eyed the elf, brow knitting tight. "You're not a monster girl yet you roam these halls freely."

"I serve Lord Leo," the elf said. "I am his scholar, and he is my research subject. Together, we are uncovering the mysteries of this world."

"And you want to know about my mysteries."

The dragon's perceptive words saved much time. "Yes." Fauraliiithiliana moved closer before she sat cross-legged. She opened her journal to clean pages and readied her quill. "How long have you served the Royal Family of Myreman."

"I have served the rulers of those who lived along the Myr River," she said. "For, I don't know, four thousand years. I had hatched not long before Meskalamdug appeared."

Excitement washed through her. "You were alive back then? What can you tell me of him?"

"The dragons were angry that Girru had mated with the Interloper and not one of the native races. And they hated that the races embraced these new Gods who usurped our place. Co-opted our elements and declared themselves the Lords and Ladies of Water or Air or Fire. They gave our power to the lesser races. To these priests. They taught others what is now wizardry."

"But you were just a hatchling, so you didn't pay much attention, right?" Fauraliiithiliana asked, her heart pounding so fast.

"No." Bitterness crossed the dragoness's face. "I had fun escaping my dam and frolicking in rivers. I was found by Lord Enki, the so-called Lord of Water. I fled and returned to my mother. But she was then killed by the first Hero of Water, Kaliasilianiiian. After that, it was serve or die. I chose to serve out of fear, and the Gods chained me to the leader of a fervent group of humans that had settled in what is now Myrecilla. The place was important to the Lord and Lady of Water."

"How dreadful," Fauraliiithiliana said. She kept writhing on her notes. "And you spent the next four thousand or so years protecting the leaders of what became Myreman in secret?"

"They would use my powers sporadically to keep the city, and the temple, safe from dungeon builders." Agubnamus shrugged. "It was a banal and dull existence. I spent much of it in a form like this."

"So you don't know anything about the shrines?"

The dragon's head cocked. "Shrines? Like the Temple of the Lord and Lady of Water in Myrecilla."

"No, no, shrines that the Incarnation created."

"Who is the Incarnation?"

Fauraliiithiliana set down her quill. "Well, it seems there is much you need to learn about the twelve shrines that are spread over a circle across this world. One lies beneath our feet. Lord Leo has found one more. They seem to hold the key to why the dungeon builders were summoned. I had hoped you had known more."

"I don't even know what made Myrecilla so important. I know it holds the greatest temple of Water in the world, but that wasn't the case when I was bound. That happened because I was there to keep it safe. It was able to flourish. To grow from a modest hovel made of logs smeared in tar to the grand edifice it is today."

Fauraliiithiliana nodded. "Well, this is what we know about the Incarnation, Queen Puabi. She came to this world fleeing the Gods, whom she calls demons, and summoned her son first to help and protect her, but he failed. And for all these years..."

* * / *

With Esclava chosen as my ambassador and the last of my monster girls revived, I decided to visit the dwarves and see if I could negotiate the treaty between us. I summoned Halia and the dwarven mage Hagza to me. Hagza had recently sworn herself to me along with the surviving members of her adventuring band.

Like with Halia, Hagza and her companions had attacked me to kill me. I tried to take them all alive, but sadly killed two. They fought with everything they had. They were convinced I was evil, but I returned them to their people.

When they learned of Berg, a new dungeon builder in the area, they agreed to help me destroy it. I sent Halia and some monster girls. They defeated him and were won to my cause. Hagza was also the granddaughter of one of the dwarven elders.

So she would prove useful in two ways.

"Asud Gu!" Hagza said as the four of us stood on the teleportation circle. As my vassal, she had learned the magic to work it from Kassie.

We appeared a hundred or more miles away near the Light Shrine where the Twins' dungeons had lain. The werefoxes were already here to guard the dungeon. They yipped in excitement at the sight of me.

"Oh, they're cute," Halia said, patting Lomri's head.

"We are cute!" said Lomri as she darted around Halia to sniff her ass.

"None of that," I said as I marched down the hallway. "We're here to speak with the dwarves."

"Yep, we'll have to play later," Hagza said. "I'm seeing the perks of serving Lord Leo, Halia."

"Many perks," my paladin said, a smile on her lips. She put her hand on her sword, glancing at it.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Mmm, no," she said.

I marched with Hagza on my right and Halia on my left. Esclava followed after. We reached the exit guarded by a group of dwarven warriors in full armor and with heavy shields. They had axes on long poles. I had no idea what the weapon was called, but it looked gruesome.

"I wish to speak with your noble council," I said, smiling at them. "The dungeon builder known as Berg is dead."

"Oh, yeah," Hagza said.

The dwarf, a young man with a beard that only was about five inches long, so short, nodded and motioned. He led us to the settlement of Vorianil. It wasn't a major city but filled the valley with stone buildings. Many of the dwarves were returning covered in dust from the quarries where they created large blocks of stone they traded with neighboring cities.

A fine type of limestone, I believed. Good quality stone.

We came to the same building as before and entered to meet with the elders. The older dwarves didn't sit. They stood with their backs straight. All had white or graying hair. Three were male and two were female.

"Grandmother," Hagza said and went to one of those women. The pair embraced. "I'm so sorry for not coming straight back."

"You just ran into the dungeon like a pack of hellhounds snapped at your heels," said the woman, her eye flicking to Esclava. "Or an ifrit spun fire at you."

"There was an emergency in Astovin," I said. "Hagza and her companions came to help."

"Hmph," grunted the grandmother. Elder Nazinaka was not a woman that would be won over easily.

Elder Kazzik stroked his white beard, studying me, while Elder Verkanim kept his arms folded behind his back, his eyes hard. He shook his head.

"Berg is dead," I said. "I am here to see if you wish an alliance."

"I don't know," said Elder Verkanim. He shifted his shoulders. "We will be in trouble with our king. He rules the Vorianil Mountains. We are his subjects. No, no, he won't be happy with this alliance."

Elder Nazinaka waved her hand in disgust, her other arm still around her granddaughter's shoulder. "Since when has our grand king of Great Kharabarnath ever crawled out of Azkomizikam to help us? My granddaughter made her choice. She serves Lord Leo, and they have killed Berg."

"Lord Leo did not come to conquer us," said the other female elder. I hadn't gotten her name.

The last one, another white-bearded dwarf, nodded. "Yes, yes, he could have attacked us, but he has not."

"Still, what do we get out of the alliance besides avoiding being your slaves?" Elder Kazzik asked.

I winced. "You are not ever going to be my slaves. If you say no, I'll walk away. Block that dungeon entrance. You'll never hear from me again. If you say yes, I'll protect you. So long as I live, no other dungeon builder will enslave you. Attack you. Kill your young men or carry off your daughters."

"And what do you get out of it?" Elder Kazzik eyed me with strength behind him. The dwarf might be old, but he had the weight of a mountain in him.

Elder Verkanim nodded. "Yes, yes, what? Our labor?"

"Your friendship," I said, smiling. "Your cooperation. A change in the paradigm of this world. I want dungeon builders to be allies, and friends. We are not brought here by our choice. We are dragged here against our will, and find a world turned against us. Many lash out. Others are just rotten. Evil. Those have to be killed, but the average dungeon builder, I hope, is like me. Just wants to live. I want to unite us and you. I want to make a world where we work together to produce peace and stability."

"Would we bend the knee to you?" grunted Elder Kazzik.

"The only ones who I would ask to swear allegiance to me are those who wish to become adventurers to hunt down the rogue builders." I looked at them. "For you, I just want to be your friend. I'll leave Esclava here to run my embassy. She'll be my liaison with a small cadre of monster girls that can help patrol your lands, if you wish, or will just be here to have some amount of defense before I can marshal my greater forces to defend you. It's your choice. Say no, and I leave."

"No," said Elder Kazzik.

My hope sank. "Okay. Well, I understand. Are the rest of you in agreement?"

Elder Nazinaka glanced at her granddaughter. "Yes. Yes, we are."

"Grandmother!" gasped Hagza.

I sighed. "I get it. Well, thank you for your time."

I turned to leave when Kazzik snorted. "You really would just leave. Just like that."

I nodded. "What's the point? I'm very busy. I want to be your friend, but there are other alliances I have. Other places I can protect. You want to be on your own, I get it. You're proud. Have a good day."

"It's done," said Elder Kazzik. "We'll ally with you."

I smiled and nodded to Esclava. I had a feeling it was a test. But if it wasn't, I would have let them go on. I wasn't here to stop them. I wanted their friendship, but I wouldn't push them. That wasn't the right way to do this.

Diplomacy by war was a terrible thing.

* * / *

As Halia neared the teleportation with her Lord and Hagza, her sword vibrated in the scabbard again. It kept doing that when she was near the Light Shrine. There was a connection there. She needed to figure that out.

She had to speak to the foremost expert in the world on shrines.

Fauraliiithiliana would have answers.