The Crafter's Dilemma: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 3) by Jonathan Brooks (english readers txt) 📗

One of the Apes physically carried the Drone because it didn’t move very fast, and as they sped away they were joined by a Jaguar Queen and Dire Wolf that she had on the constant prowl around her dungeon entrance.

* Kelerim!  What are you doing here – and what happened to you? *

Kneeling down seemed to ease some of the pain and lying on his side seemed to ease it even more – enough that he was able to talk without much coughing.  “Sandra!  Thank goodness you heard me…I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean for any of this happen…” he managed to get out, before his body was wracked by another coughing fit and the Dungeon Core could see spots of blood on his hand that he used to cover his mouth.

* I have help on the way, Kelerim – just stay awake until they arrive, which should hopefully be in a few minutes.  Now, explain what happened. *

Sandra was worried about her friend, but despite the wounds on his body – which apparently also included his lungs – he appeared to be hale enough to survive until her constructs arrived.  Kelerim coughed once more, which seemed to help calm him a little, and he began talking softly, just slightly louder than a whisper.

“I went to find my father, using the coinage you created for me or trading my skills to create fine blades to work my way to where the Bloodskull Family Compound was located.  I had never been there before, and it was a lot larger than I had expected; it appeared as though my father was a much more powerful Warlord than I knew.  It was then that I knew that I couldn’t just come out and pronounce myself his offspring; mainly it was because I was worried there were more there like my half-brother that would kill me as soon as they learned of my existence, but also because I couldn’t easily prove my claim.

“I needed to see him, however, so I came up with a plan.  After some time talking with the guards, then showing a few attendants of my father what I could offer with my Blacksmithing skills, I was finally granted an audience with the leader of the Bloodskull Family – my father – on the pretense of offering myself to his services.  During the audience, I managed to convince my father of who I was by telling him what I knew about my mother, and he welcomed me with open arms.”

He paused as a tear fell from his eye and he coughed again.  “It…was everything I had ever dreamed of; having a family and a father who cared about me, feeling…loved, I guess.  But that lasted all of fifteen minutes, when I couldn’t hold back the reason I needed to see him.  I told him how I had met Razochek and learned of who I was, and how my half-brother tried to kill me.

“My father wouldn’t believe that of his other son, however, and accused me of lying – and then calling for Razochek to come back and refute the claims.  Then…and I’m not proud of this because I fear I’m a coward…I told him that a dungeon near Grongbak killed him instead of it being me.  I…just couldn’t do it; I could sense at that point that if I told my father the truth, he would kill me.  Instead, he put me under watch – not quite a captive, but unable to leave the Compound – while he assembled a small army of his people to go destroy the dungeon that had dared to kill his son.”

That really doesn’t sound good.  Her fears were only a little alleviated when Kelerim continued.  “I didn’t tell him which dungeon, or even where it was located, so he doesn’t know it was you out here, but I don’t think that matters.  When they learn of Razochek’s disappearance out in the wastelands, they’re sure to investigate; I can only assume that my father doesn’t know what happened before I even arrived because the Warbands still around here don’t want to be blamed for his death.  That’ll probably change with an army that I estimated to be nearly 1,000 Orcs strong.”

* Ok…but that doesn’t explain why you are here. *

Another coughing fit interrupted his response, but he managed to get over it enough to answer.  “I was able to escape from the Compound because I wasn’t technically under guard, but I was followed by one of my father’s retainers who tracked me down to approximately a dozen miles west of here.  He captured me and told me he was bringing me back to my father, but I managed to swipe a knife from his belt and stab him deep in the gut before he could react; it wasn’t anything near a killing blow, unfortunately, and he enacted his revenge with his sword as I tried to escape, stabbing me shallowly a couple of times – including my chest.

“The blood loss from the much deeper wound I inflicted on him slowed him down considerably, though, and I was able to flee; I managed to make it this far in desperation before my strength started to give out.”

Kelerim’s voice started to get weaker and weaker, until the last part was just barely above a whisper.  Fortunately, her constructs were already arriving, having run the entire way with the Repair Drone – which immediately went to work healing him.

* Kelerim, you’re going to be fine, though likely tired until you get some rest and something to eat.  Before my constructs bring you back to the safety of my dungeon, however, tell me this: how close is that Orcish army. *

The half-Dwarf/half-Orc’s eyes started to drift close, as his wounds were being healed and the absence of pain made him drowsy after everything he had gone through.  His exhaustion was plain to see in every