The Crafter's Darkness: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 4) by Jonathan Brooks (ebook reader with android os TXT) 📗

The Orc Warriors advanced first down the tunnel, while Wyrlin, the Warlord, and his fellow Elves followed after.  It didn’t take long to come to what was obviously a room, because the sides opened out on either side, which was where the Orc that now lay dead and the Goblins had been waiting for them.

As soon as the first Orc passed over the threshold into the first room, a sheet of rushing water fell down from the ceiling, creating a giant waterfall that pounded the Orc into the floor.  He was dragged out by another Warrior beside him and when Wyrlin looked he appeared hurt but not greatly so.

“What kind of trap is this?” Mercyll asked.  “It doesn’t even seem like it would hurt all that much.”

“No idea, though I’m hesitant to spend my energy to negate it.  If we rush through, we should be safe,” Fyola said, staring at the waterfall suspiciously.

The first few Orcs who tried were soaked by the time they went through and came back, stating that it was safe.  When it was Wyrlin’s turn to go through, the shock of the cold water hitting him was certainly impactful, but not deadly.  He was drenched, of course, but otherwise not hurt.  Luckily, he and the others had unstrung their bows and put the strings in an oiled pouch to keep them dry, otherwise they might have been ruined.

“Hold up, I’m sensing another Water-based trap up ahead that feels nearly identical to this last one,” Fyola said suddenly as they walked forward.  “I’m assuming these were here to disorient us as we moved through, and then be attacked by those Goblins.  It’s probably safe.”

“Probably?  Are you willing to risk your life to test that theory?” the Warlord asked.

Yes.  Please test it for us, Fyola.

“Uh, no – I’d rather not.  I’ll just negate it, but I won’t be able to for long; the sheer size of this trap means I’ll only be able to do it for a few seconds.  I don’t want to waste my energy in the first room, after all.”  The Elite Leader strode forward and put her hands out – purely for effect – and said, “Get ready…ok, now.”

They all rushed across where Fyola had indicated the trap was, including herself, though she ended her negation too quickly.  A half dozen Orc Warriors were caught in the trap zone when it initiated, and they were slammed into the floor as they rushed forwards.  Wyrlin assumed that they were just going to be a little wet, but instead there were long shards of ice stuck in them in random places where they were hit by the waterfall.

“Mercyll, heal them,” Fyola said quickly, which prompted the other Elite spell-caster to rush to the first’s side.  Rothgar Bloodskull also shouted out in Orcish, and a dozen Warriors raced over and knelt by the injured Orcs as well, where they began healing them using their energy.  Huh.  It never occurred to me that they would be able to heal; I thought their energy was all used internally.  It was good to know that they had more than just a single healer, either.

“Probably safe, huh?” the Warlord said towards Fyola, before instructing those healing to only expend enough energy to get them up and walking, because they couldn’t afford to waste any time.  It seemed a little callous to Wyrlin, but she was impatient enough that he agreed.

Less than a minute later, they were on the move with their walking wounded, and they jogged lightly to where they could see another room was up ahead.  Before they got more than 50 feet from the threshold, another of the Elite spell-casters – the arrogant one that had called Wyrlin and his Rangers pathetic when they first met – strode forward and said, “There’s a Fire trap in here.  I’d heard that this dungeon had multiple elements, but I’ve never heard of one having opposing elements before.  We were right to destroy this dungeon heart because it’s entirely too powerful as it is.”

“Well then, negate it and we can keep going.  I don’t want to leave my Warband outside for too long, so let’s get this over with so I can get my revenge and save who I can out there,” the Warlord said impatiently.

“I don’t think I can negate the entire thing; the range of this trap is immense, and I’ll only be able to do an area of about 20 feet around me for about a minute or so.”

“Fine, let’s see what it is first and then we’ll be able to see if it’s necessary or not,” Fyola said.  As if to prove herself after her near blunder in the previous room, she walked forward and triggered the trap before springing back.  She needn’t have worried, since the trap wasn’t near the threshold, but instead were multiple lines of fire stretching across the open space of the room from one wall to the other.  They were staggered in different heights, meaning that if you wanted to get through them you’d have to duck or jump over them, and some towards the end of the room were moving in some sort of pattern, though it was hard to tell exactly what it was from his vantage point.

“Looks difficult, but not impossible.  There aren’t any monsters in here, so it seems as though this is a simple trap room – I’ve seen a few of those in my day,” Fyola said confidently.

“Are you sure about that?” the Warlord asked her snidely.

“Absolutely, I’ll show you.”  Then the Elite Leader did something Wyrlin wasn’t expecting; she tucked and strapped her robe to her surprisingly lithe body so that there was nothing sticking out unnecessarily, and then practically ran towards the lines of Fire crossing the room.  Without breaking stride, Fyola ducked under the first line,