The Crafter's Defense: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 2) by Jonathan Brooks (top 10 novels txt) 📗

Core had seen before.  The arrow practically pushed itself out the Gnome’s body and plopped onto the ground, and the wound it exited from quickly sealed itself up.  She couldn’t see the internal damage being repaired, of course, but within seconds her Repair Drones had finished and put their pads and arms away.

One of the Apes that had come with her little army of rescue constructs picked up the unconscious Gnome and started to run back to Sandra’s dungeon; halfway there, though, Junipar woke up screaming for a few seconds before she registered where she was.

* I’m sorry about that, Junipar; you’re safe now and you’ve been completely healed, though you may be inordinately tired for a couple of days.  My Ape is bringing you back to my dungeon, where you and the rest can depart on your journey.

 

* I appreciate what you tried to do for me, and I apologize again for what happened. I just didn’t think they would attack you outright like that; though, from what he was saying, I think he believed you were a goblin for some reason. *

“Stupid, racist, too-tall Elves,” Junipar responded weakly but with fervor.  “That’s one of the reasons my parents told me we don’t deal with their kind anymore; they think anyone smaller than them are monsters or goblins,” she added with a little sadness in her voice.  “And I’m sorry, too, that I couldn’t help more, but I think it’s time we all get back home.”

* I agree; by the time you get back, the rest should be ready to go.  You can join them as soon as you are ready, and I would suggest sleeping along the way if you can until you regain all of your strength. Again, I apologize, but I do appreciate you trying. *

“I’d say ‘any time’, but that wouldn’t really be true.”  Junipar smiled weakly as she responded, and by that time they were already approaching the new entrance through the Bearlings’ old lair.  Sandra had already told the others to start preparing for their journey, so they were ready to go as soon as she arrived.

* Junipar and Violet are going to need a little rest, but they’ll be fine after a day or two.  As for the rest of you, I want to thank you all for your help providing my new Enchantment Repository examples of your runes; I am hoping to expand it someday soon and teach others how to use runes just as effectively as you all do naturally.  Though, I have to admit, I am in awe of your natural ability – I’ve never seen anything like it.

 

* I’m going to send a force of my constructs with you as far as they can roam past your village, but after that you’re all on your own.  Have a safe journey, and may the Creator watch over you. *

Sandra added that last part in hopes that the Creator was listening – since it seemed as though she was some sort of pet project – and that they would be protected on their way back to their capital.  She doubted that the Creator could actually do anything, but it didn’t hurt to try.

Junipar was a little weak, but she was able to climb on board one of the wagons without needing any help.  The others got into their places – with Lankas piloting the Hauler – and double-checked that everything was secure.  Jortor turned to Violet, who was still leaning up against the far wall and said, “Let’s go, Violet – we’re all here except for you!”

“I’m…not going,” Violet responded with thinly veiled reluctance.

“What?!  Why?” Lankas asked, shocked and confused.

“Have you forgotten who else is still here? Felbar can’t be moved, apparently, and I’m not leaving him here all by himself.  If – no, when – he wakes up, I want to make sure there is a friendly face near or otherwise he might make a fool of himself trying to tear up the dungeon,” Violet added with a smile.

“Yeah, I can see him doing that,” Jortor added, nodding along with his words.  “But why does it have to be you that stays?  One of us…” he said as he looked around, and none of the other Gnomes met his eyes.  “Okay…maybe not.”

“No, you all go home, and we’ll follow as soon as we’re able to leave.  Get those supplies back to our people – they’re going to need it.”

Most of the Gnomes looked like they were going to protest further, but none of them said anything.  Instead, they said their goodbyes and took off before Violet could convince any of them to stay; the Hauler worked beautifully, even when it was pulling three heavy wagons full of supplies.  Within a couple of minutes, they were outside of the Bearlings’ old lair entrance and the large complement of Ironclad Apes, Mechanical Wolves and Jaguars, and even a half-dozen Steel Pythons were accompanying them toward the Gnome lands.  It would take them a couple hours to get there, unfortunately, because extremely rough terrain required that they take quite a few detours, but they would get there eventually.

“So…just us, I guess?” Violet said to one of the Apes that were still inside the Assembly and Storage room.

* For now; I’m hoping Felbar will wake up soon, as well as Echo.  I’m worried about the Elven Elites coming here, but there’s nothing that I can think of to do that hasn’t been done already.  I guess only time will tell. *

“I guess so…  What should I do now?”

* If I were you, I’d get some rest before you fall down where you’re standing.  I don’t think your body has recovered quite yet from the trauma of the…accident…last night, and I don’t want you to overdo it. *

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.  But what will