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

rolling plains and grasslands, with sparse stands of trees found throughout.  There was a small hilly “mountain range” near the center of their lands, but for the most part it was without too much in the way of obstacles.  Field of view was limited to the next hill over, which prevented being able to see more than a mile in the distance; even then, unless you crested the hills, you couldn’t see what was on the other side.

This was the exact reason the King and his party had been ambushed so successfully, because they weren’t expecting the need for any type of advance scouting party to warn of potential ambushes – especially with a group of their size.  The dungeons around Gnomeria had never done something like that, and even if there had been a few monsters, they could’ve easily been taken care of by the scores of Defensive Forces that were along.  Against a swarm ambushing them, they were wholly unprepared and paid the ultimate price.

Felbar and the other leaders of their expeditionary Force weren’t going to allow the same fate to befall their group.  All 6 of the War Machines were now occupied, and they ranged far ahead, investigating each hill before the rest of their people could succumb to an ambush.  Things were quiet for the first hour or so, with not even a hint of a monster in the distance.

That all changed when Violet suddenly saw Felbar in his War Machine rushing back to their location, approximately a half-mile in the distance – with a horde of various dungeon monsters following behind, eager to rip him apart.

Chapter 16

“May I introduce you all to Echo, the first one of us to have become acquainted with the dungeon in the wasteland.”  Elder Herrlot was now showing her off to the crowd that had just been introduced to the young Ranger.  Echo didn’t know what to say, so she just stood there like she had lost the ability to speak.

“She doesn’t look like much, does she?  Remind me why we needed to risk our lives and – even worse – expose our plan prematurely?”  This came from one of the Elites up near the front of those assembled, and he was certainly large and intimidating for a fellow Elf.  Streaks of dark blue were accenting his leather outfit, standing out just enough to be seen, but would be difficult to notice at a glance.

“Oh, knock it off, Winter.  Can’t you see that she’s a bit frazzled from being trussed up and carried here all the way from Lyringlade?”

Before she knew it, the speaker was next to Echo, putting her arm around the Ranger’s shoulders and squeezing tight.  Echo looked at her defender, only to see the other Elf giving “Winter” a predatory smile, her long, lilac-colored hair tied up in a messy bun atop her head.  A bow was strapped unstrung around her back, which only served to make Echo appreciate the help, coming from a Ranger.  Or…an Elite who uses a bow, at least.

“Besides,” her rescuer continued, “I’m sure the Elder was just about to explain.”

“Yes, Sheelagh, I was,” Herrlot responded.  “I would have already, if someone hadn’t interrupted me.”  Echo was glad that the Elder’s glare wasn’t directed towards her, but Winter seemed entirely unaffected by it.

“Then get on with it, already.  Some of us need to get back to our culling, and this just seems like a waste of time.”

Elder Herrlot and most of the others seemed to ignore the Elite’s words, and Echo had to wonder if Winter’s name came from his spell-casting specialties like her own, or because of his icy disposition.

“You all know why we are here, but Echo does not; to say she is ignorant would be putting it lightly,” Herrlot began, which made Echo’s temper rise in response.  Not only was she taken from relative safety, wrapped in branches, and then carried halfway across the world (or so it felt like to her), but now she was being called ignorant – like it was some sort of failing on Echo’s part.  “Therefore, to explain her importance, I need to cure her ignorance.  Some of it, at least; it would take years to solve all of the problems going on—” the older Elf pointed at Echo’s head— “up there.”

“Hey—”

“Now, we all know that there have been shipments coming from the wasteland, crates filled with Energy Orbs, exactly like the ones you all now possess.”  For the first time, Echo noticed that every single person in the underground room had an Energy Orb, either on a necklace, on a bracelet, or in one case, in a circlet on their head.  “These come from the dungeon found there, and as all of you can attest, these Orbs are powerful; so powerful that they can turn the tide of attrition that has been plaguing our people for decades—centuries, even.  We are few; but we are the strong, skilled, and Elite members of our people. Yet our elemental energy can only keep us alive for so long before running out.  These Orbs change that, saving countless lives—”

“Yes, we know all of that.  Get to the point.”  Echo was really starting to dislike this Winter person.

The Elder was really starting to look perturbed.  “Hmph.  Anyway, we all know how much of a boon these can be…but how easy is it to get one of them?  Tell me, Sheelagh, how did you obtain yours?”

“It’s basically impossible.  The Royals must be keeping them all for themselves; I only got mine from…you.”  Sheelagh seemed confused for some reason, as if she couldn’t figure out why she had to wait to get it from someone who wasn’t even in charge of their people.  I’m wondering the same thing.  This can’t be true, can it?

“Exactly.  All of you here received your Energy Orb from me or one of my associates.  Why?  I can