The Dungeon Fairy: Two Choices: A Dungeon Core Escapade (The Hapless Dungeon Fairy Book 2) Jonathan Brooks (online e reader TXT) 📖

destroyed the rest of the creatures in her dungeon – without activating more than one of her traps in the process.  The Confusion-based trap in the sixth room was nearly unavoidable, and after making their Healer voluntarily trigger it, they pulled him back while the inhabitants of the room attacked.  It was a smart strategy, since it allowed them to have their strongest group members face the attack free of confusion, all of whom quickly finished off the wave of Canines that streamed forth to do battle.

The Boss room was a little harder than the others for them, due to the sheer numbers arrayed against them, but they avoided the Slowing-based Enchantment trap entirely – which had occasionally contributed to a death.  That, and the fact that the 3 new members of the group had all increased their Level – to some exclamations of surprise – earlier, helped them overcome the difficult room.  At the end, the two Hill Dwarves appeared pleased as well, as they too leveled up to Level 3 – or so they said.  She wasn’t sure exactly how fast they normally increased their level, but she couldn’t remember any of the other Raider groups delving through her dungeon mentioning that they had hit Level 3 already – even the ones that had gone through twice already.  Must be that Power Boost Ability they had mentioned last time they were here.

As they congratulated themselves, picked up the rewards in the chest specifically in the Boss Room for that purpose and left via the exit staircase, Tacca braced herself for how they would react to her message.  Again, she hid direct communication in the form of a hastily developed poem, but she thought it was plain enough that they would understand it.  After taking a few steps into the staircase, the Scout was the first one to notice it.

“What’s this?  I hadn’t heard that there were messages in the exit – anyone else heard differently?”

They all shook their heads to indicate that they hadn’t, before the Elven Fighter said, “No, but look what it says.

Caution be with those that tread deeper inside,

As deadly traps allow the Core to hide.

Keeping safe against the Merchants of death,

Protecting this dungeon with its last breath.

Beware the danger of a powerful knave,

That seeks to destroy the Core inside this cave.

Those with means are filled with envious greed,

Their attempt to doom this dungeon a heinous deed.

Repaid in kind, to their own demise,

Showed that their thinking was not wise.

Though future threats are likely imminent,

This warning goes out to the settlement.”

They listened as the Elf incanted Tacca’s stern, coded caveat.  When she was done, they all looked at each other in surprise and confusion – though the Hill Dwarves seemed a lot less surprised: They had seen something like this, after all.

“Uh…what does that mean?  Is that supposed to be poetry?  Better yet – why is it here in the first place?” the Healer finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over them all.

“We…saw something like this last time we were here,” the Hill Dwarf Caster slowly admitted.  “The last one we saw didn’t make much sense, but I think I understand what this is saying.”

“Wait – you’ve had the dungeon communicate with you?” the Elf inquired, plainly skeptical.

“I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say that, but there was a warning of sorts last time as well.”  Before anyone asked her to explain that, she went on.  “I think this means that, somehow, there was a group of Merchants that snuck in and tried to destroy the Core of this dungeon.  Obviously, they didn’t succeed, but instead were killed for trespassing further down past this last room.”

“Why would they do that?  They have all of their people here, don’t they?  That doesn’t make any sense.”  Tacca had a fairly good answer to the Scout’s question, though she received some better context when the Caster explained.

“The Minister has been trying to acquire this land since they arrived, and I’ve rebuffed him at every opportunity.  This entire area is being leased by the crown, which means he has no way to gain control of it through any other means but through the villagers, who have entrusted me to make decisions regarding the entire situation.”  The Hill Dwarf thought about it all for a moment.  “It doesn’t surprise me that they would try something like this, though; after everything I’ve learned about them, they’d rather something didn’t exist if they can’t control it.  Though, to be fair, I’ve heard plenty of stories describing Raiders being just as ruthless when it comes to controlling access to dungeons; that’s the main reason why we decided to stay neutral and retain the lease to this land rather than trade it away to either faction.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” the Gnome said, to the surprise of the other two new Raiders.  “What?” he asked of their expressions.  “I’ve heard more than a few stories that back up what she’s saying.  It was one of the reasons I hesitated even joining the Raider Clan, but it was either this or starve on the streets of Galberton.  Despite the rocky start, this is proving to be much more lucrative than…my previous profession.”

The whole situation didn’t sound good to Tacca; fights over access to her dungeon could only be bad for her.  For one, if one of these “factions” the Caster was talking about gained control of the land, then they could limit access to her dungeon to only a specific number of people.  Right now, she was relying on quantity over quality, so a reduction in the number of delves could be detrimental to her growth.

Secondly, and probably the most important thing, was that she was in danger of being destroyed by one side or the other, if only to be “kept out