The Crafter's Dominion: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 5) Jonathan Brooks (books that read to you txt) 📖

the Defensive Forces as they beat back the constant appearance of so many foes.  Visiting Sandra’s dungeon to learn about new Enchantment techniques, to see the Enchantment Repository, and to discuss the finer points of material selection for a certain Enchantment sequence wouldn’t really interest her.

So, even while it made sense that she would want to join in the Defensive Forces as they left on their assault, the Council Leader had different plans.  “I’ve told you before, Princess, we need you to stay here in case something goes wrong.  Even if elevating you to the title of Queen when we get back doesn’t interest you, we can’t have the last member of the Royal Family venturing into danger—”

“You can’t order me to stay, Brinda; I outrank you even as a Princess, and if I want to go, I will go.”  Celeste folded her arms over her chest as if her words were final and she had just made a proclamation.  Which, to be fair, was exactly what had happened, but the Council Leader didn’t see it that way.

“I can’t order you, no…but I urge you to reconsider.  What will happen to our people if you were to fall in battle?”

“They’ll be fine; they’ll do what they’ve been doing all along – listening to you and the council dictate how to live their lives,” she responded with a huff, before waving off her words.  “Not that I would have it any other way.  It’s no secret that I have no desire to rule, so I might as well try to be useful if it’s the last thing I do.”

Brinda appeared as if she wanted to continue arguing, but one look from the Royal Gnome and her severe, scar-streaked face was enough to cease her objections.  As much as I agree with the Council Leader, I have to admit that we can always use more help.

Slumping visibly in place, Brinda conceded the point.  “Fine.  But if you can promise me one thing?”

“Maybe.”

“Try to stay out of the thick of battle and retreat if it looks like things are going badly?”

Princess Celeste barked out a laugh.  “Ha!  That was two things…but I will do my best.  I don’t want to die, after all.”

“I guess that’s all I can ask.”

“Good – so let’s get moving!  I’m eager for some payback.”  There was a slight hitch in the Princess’ voice, though it was entirely possible that Violet imagined it.  I bet she’s still suffering from what happened.  I know how she feels; I don’t think I’ll ever get over the deaths of my parents, either.

Things moved quickly from there.  Not just figuratively, but physically; the multiple oversized Haulers had been improved upon since the one that Sandra built in her dungeon, and they could move much faster than before.  Using an Energy Orb to provide more speed was a necessary expense, because they didn’t want to travel for a week to get to where they needed to go – they could get there in a little less than a day.  Not as fast as the Aerie Roc that brought Violet and Felbar home, but faster than anything most had seen before.

Speaking of the gigantic bird, it was following them overhead as per Violet’s orders while the Journeyman Enchanter rode with the rest of the Defensive Force on the Haulers.  There was plenty of room to carry dozens of them atop the roof, though the 10 Haulers they had were practically filled to the brim.  Also, staying true to their name, each of them were hauling additional Weapons of War.

In one wagon being hauled were stacks of Flame Thumpers lined up and ready to be distributed when they arrived.  In another were boxes filled with Ice and Absorption Bombs, carefully packed so that they wouldn’t be activated when those were also distributed to the Force.  A third had corded bundles of extra Mass Accelerator bolts, though the Haulers also had reserves on board.  The fourth Hauler had the rest of the random non-Energy Orb Weapons that had been designed, though whether they would be effective was something else entirely.

As for the remaining 6 Haulers, they were bringing along their most important cargo: their Orb-charged Weapons of War.  Inspiration based on one of Sandra’s constructs made up half of them (2 per Hauler), and they were going to be deadly; with a Roaring Blademaster as the model, their deadliness only made sense.

Standing 15 feet tall was a wooden cone with the point facing upwards, a flat disk at the bottom, and a wide 10-foot base.  The outside of the cone was generally smooth and perfectly proportioned, though it wasn’t free of decoration; dozens of 8-foot-long, thick steel-link chains were attached securely to the cone, where they draped down and dragged along the ground.  That was it – a relatively simple design, which was precisely what they needed.

A hidden hatch on the side of the “Shredder Cone” allowed access to the inside, which was where all of the magic happened.  A chair set on a swivel was perched in the middle, where a member of the Defensive Force could sit and operate the different enchantment sequences inside by pushing the Energy Orbs against them.  First, a Natural Orb was constantly supplying a low-energy enchantment that opened up small slits in the side of the cone so that the Gnome inside could see outside; when it was pushed up against another rune sequence, though, it also started to rotate the entire Cone in place.

This was only accomplished by an Earth Orb, which directed an enchantment sequence below the Cone, where it would shape a small sliver of stone that would lift the cone up on a point, held in place by an indentation on the cone’s bottom that was made of steel.  It also allowed the Shredder Cone to move by shifting the sliver of stone forward, backward, or side-to-side, using