The Dungeon Fairy: Two Choices: A Dungeon Core Escapade (The Hapless Dungeon Fairy Book 2) by Jonathan Brooks (free e books to read .txt) 📗

because the lease from the crown was still active.  Before the other villagers left to settle down elsewhere, they signed over their part of the lease to her for another small payment; they considered the land to be basically worthless to them now, since they were afraid to go back because of the danger.  While it didn’t beggar them to acquire the lease for themselves, Sterge and Gwenda had been forced to live a bit lean for more than a month.

Until their payment from the Raider Delving Clan came in.  Since the dungeon was no longer there, the arrangement for a tenth of a percent of the 5% loot tax was closed and the final (and only) payment was delivered: 15 silvers and 8 copper.  It was actually quite a large haul considering that the dungeon hadn’t even been open that long, but with the quantity of Raiders going through every day, it added up quickly.  With that amount of money, and scrimping on a few things, they were able to live comfortably in Heftington without having to do more than help out with some work every now and again to supplement their savings.

“So, tell me again why you wanted to keep this land?” he remembered asking her about a month after they had evacuated.  “I’m beginning to doubt we’re going to find very many volunteers to come there and help us farm.  And with the dungeon gone, there’s not much draw for anyone else to visit – so those Inns are going to sit empty.”

“Well, for one, we don’t need to work the entire land to keep the lease from the crown,” she had told him, referencing the clause that the land had to be used for some purpose and not left empty – the ban notwithstanding.  “The two of us can work the land like we used to.”

“Yes, well, what about us being Raiders now?  We already lost the rest of our group when we decided to stay here in Heftington – which I completely understood at the time and don’t fault them for leaving – but with our…uh…Abilities…I’m sure we can make some good money delving through a few other dungeons.”

He remembered that she had shaken her head with a little smile on her face.  “No, I’d rather not leave right now.  For some reason I can’t explain, I have this need to stay nearby the dungeon.  I know it’s silly, but I can’t help but think this isn’t over.”

He had felt something as well, but he had put it down to sorrow in having to leave their home – once again – and not because of something else.  “That seems unlikely, Gwenda.  The dungeon was destroyed and it’s not coming back.”

“I know, but…” she sighed heavily, before going on, “this connection we had—have—with this dungeon – it’s not gone.  I feel it in my bones, in my soul; if it isn’t gone, that means that the dungeon isn’t gone.”

Sterge hadn’t known what to say to that, especially when he thought he felt something, too.  He honestly didn’t think it was because the dungeon was still there, but he would humor her since she seemed very determined to prove herself right.

Which was why they were climbing up the mountain right now, following the overgrown path up the hillside and up into the small pass where the dungeon entrance was located.  They had come back almost as soon as they were allowed to, just the two of them, and had spent nearly a week getting things in order.  They had planted a brand-new crop after clearing the remains of the thickly grown dead plants that had frozen over the month-long winter, and they had fixed up one of the Inns that had taken some damage from the weather to live in – since it was much more comfortable than their old houses and even their “Town Hall”.  Once that was done, and only when that was done, did Sterge agree to visit the mountain again to see what was going on up there near the old dungeon.

“It looks like some animals got to the remains out here,” he couldn’t help but remark when he saw the bones scattered all over the ground outside of the dungeon entrance.  The hike up the trail had been a little scary, since the last time they had been there was under some stressful circumstances, but so far nothing had jumped out at them.  The scariest thing they encountered were the unburied bones, torn gear, and unrecognizable scraps of flesh still near the waiting area.

There were many less than he had been expecting, especially since no one had been there; originally, a group of higher-Level Raiders was supposed to come to investigate even further, but Trevelyan, the Clan Outpost Leader in Heftington, had told them that it was too much of a risk.  The powerful Elf had volunteered to check it out, but had been called away for some other issue further north for some reason.  Obviously, our problem here is of little importance anymore.

Gwenda still had her determined look on her face despite the macabre scene – though it was much less horrifying now than it had been 6 months ago – and marched past the bones and scraps without even looking at them.  Instead, she was aiming right for the dungeon entrance that they knew so well—and then she stopped suddenly with a gasp, causing Sterge to look back at her to make sure she was alright.

She was; in fact, she had a smile on her face as she looked ahead.  Sterge whipped around to stare at where his best friend was now pointing.

Inside the familiar dungeon entrance was an equally familiar small brown fox, just waiting for them to arrive.  His heart skipped a beat in surprise, and he was so shocked that it took him a moment to realize that there was something different