The Crafter's Dominion: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 5) by Jonathan Brooks (best english books to read TXT) 📗

After a brief inspection of the room, the first to arrive therein fiercely whispered to the others, “She’s not here.”  At least, that was what she thought the figure had done, since all Echo could see was a blurry shadow.  Whatever effect had been deployed on the figure’s appearance, however, didn’t extend to his voice, because it came out clear and precise – if whispered.  She didn’t recognize it, but then again she didn’t know many people in the capital, so it wasn’t surprising.

I wonder if this is who I was being kept safe against?  Are these people assassins?  If so, why are they trying to kill me?  Those questions quickly shot through her mind as she crouched in invisible safety, only to realize that she already knew part of the answer.  They know I’m connected with Sandra’s dungeon somehow.  That begged the next question, of course.  Who exactly would benefit from killing me, and would know exactly who I am to the dungeon?  It didn’t take long for her to come to an answer.  Elder Herrlot.  I knew there was something insidious going on there.  But why would—?

As if thinking about the Elder conjured her into existence, Echo heard her voice, which caused her to tense up.  “Echo, stop hiding.  We’re here to get you out.  Come with us if you want to see your precious dungeon again.”

Elder Herrlot suddenly appeared where one of the blurry darkness smudges was standing, as whatever magical effect had hidden her was dropped.  She was dressed in a tight-fitting, supple black leather outfit – completely at odds with how Echo had been used to seeing her dress – and had a staff strapped to her back.  An odd green glow came from the haft of the staff, which the Ranger immediately identified as an Energy Orb.  Did she find a way to use the Orb in a weapon?  Or is it only there as a means of contact?  Her thoughts were rambling, focusing on anything but the situation.

Because as inviting as the Elder’s words were, Echo took them more as a threat.  There was no way she was going anywhere with the other woman – especially since they had obviously killed the guards keeping her safe inside the room.  Safe against the Elder.

“We don’t have time for this,” the older Elf muttered, before she swiftly grasped the staff from her back, gripped it tightly, and then gestured upwards.  Uh, oh…

The undulating branches that comprised the roof suddenly shot down from their relatively horizontal positions, sweeping over the floor of the room as well as the sparse furniture.  One came so close to Echo’s crouched form that she twitched in response, its resemblance to a deadly snake too much for her to stay still.

“There!” one of the other dark blurs whispered loudly, and a shadowy blob she took for a hand pointed in her direction.  Her presence betrayed by her brief-yet-obvious movement, Echo tried to avoid the branches that swung in her direction by using her Air elemental energy to sprint away and out of the door, but she only made it two steps before a rough wooden “snake” wrapped around her ankle, causing her to faceplant as she was tripped up.

“No, no!  Why are you doing this?” she screamed out, hoping that some of the Royal Guards would hear her as she dropped her invisibility.  “Help!  H—mph…” A thick branch abruptly wrapped around her mouth, completely cutting off her pleas for help.  The next moment, the rest of her body was likewise wrapped up in rough, wooden tree limbs, until she couldn’t move no matter how hard she struggled.  At that point, the only things she could move were her eyes, which frantically roamed over the 4 blurred figures as they turned her over; of those present, she couldn’t be certain which one was Herrlot.

“Are you sure we even need her?  This seems like an unnecessary risk.  Plus, I’m sure her screams alerted someone higher up—”

The Elder’s voice interrupted the one that had whispered when they had first come into her room.  “Yes, and we’re not having this argument now.  All I need is for you to follow orders, and we’ll discuss this when it’s safe.”  It was hard to tell where the voice was coming from, but a blurry gesture from the one nearest her right side was enough to tell her which one was the Elder.  “Pick her up.”

“Yes, Elder.”

Strong hands lifted her up off of the floor and hoisted her along someone’s shoulder, her head face-down.  Normally, that would’ve been uncomfortable with her abdomen in the bony shoulder of her captor, but there were so many branches around her that she was more like a log of wood than anything else.  As a result, she was only uncomfortable for the fact that she was confined and looking downwards as the blurry forms sprinted out of the doorway.  Her weight combined with the wooden bands keeping her locked up didn’t seem to weigh down the one carrying her, however, as he was able to keep up with the others quite easily.

As they passed through the doorway that had kept Echo locked up over the last few days, her eyes spotted the two Royal Guards that had been stationed near her “cell”.  There was blood running freely down the forehead of the one on the left-hand side, though she couldn’t see a mark on the other guard.  What she did see as she bounced past was one surprising thing: They were both still breathing.

Before she could ponder the fact that the guards were still alive, despite Echo assuming the worst of the Elder and her associates, her vision was relegated to the large, wooden walkway that composed most of the pathways in the Royal Tree.  These