Will lingered around the core room waiting, for three days he was standing around not doing much. In an offshoot room nearby was a bed and anything he could need. Food, weapons, and most importantly skill books. He was not alone either as there was a year old kobold there reading a book. He knew this is the next generation of kobold for the farmer. What he did not know was that they spent almost a full year growing near the dungeon core, able to care for themselves till it was time for their inheritance to be passed on. Will just replaced a skill book related to tracking on the shelf when a deep voice greeted him.
“ Child, we have things to discuss.”
Will took a deep breath and released it.
“ I suppose.”
With that Will sat on a seat as Bastion took to the bed beside it.
“ First, me and the dungeon would like to say we are sorry for your loss. Because of our lack of defenders, your father was killed and your sister defiled.”
Will looked at the dungeon monster with sorrow in his eyes, the lack of preparation on the dungeon’s part is partly why this happened, but ultimately he knew it was the human invader’s fault.
“ You seek to step on the path of the warrior. I might be the first one the core has made to step on this path, but my actual ability is poor compared to the sheer power I possess. And it comes at a cost. After this I must slumber well past your lifetime.”
This surprised Will a little but he quickly thought through it, the dungeon has always maintained a C rank ability. Only it’s core area, it pulls out all the stops in protecting itself. The cost of producing a monster several tiers above it’s norm must have cost the dungeon much more than he could imagine.
“ So how do I step on the path then?”
Bastion smirked and put a hand on his shoulder.
“ That is simple, you train. Develop a code of honor to abide by. Then let the next generation carry on the duty.”
Will looked down to his hands and closed his eyes.
“ Is this why my parents did not leave me any legacy of note?”
Bastion shook his head.
“ One of your sisters inherited your parents’ business sense and intuition. One received your mother’s faith. The last was granted your father’s sense of adventure.”
Bastion stood and started heading toward the door. He stops halfway leaving and looks back.
“ Your father made the decision to leave the one with the greatest potential alone. To allow them to walk whatever path they wished. For your mother had nothing else to give and your father only had his sins left to pass on. Here was his fresh slate. And now it is to you to pass on the legacy you chose to take.”
With those words, Will started contemplating his life. He really never had any drive nor direction. Supporting his sister by helping her prepare for her adventures was all he really ever did. In a moment of clarity, he moved back to the bookshelf and picked out the skill book pertaining to swordsmanship.
———-
It was a full year before Will emerged from the mines. Outside a new wood wall surrounded the small village with only one opening, a gate on the road. This was built by the kobolds. In addition to the wall and gate a new barracks was made. Every day the kobolds could be seen performing training regimes with swords, shields, spears, bows and arrows, and even lower level magic.
‘Much has changed.’
This is what Will thought as he watched the newest caravan coming their way. Before, the trader would come twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. They would offer novelties, such as idols or games and they would take the abundance of crops, alcohol and metal they had. Naturally, the village got a lot of precious metals and gems, as well as many magical artifacts out of the deal as well. After all, the dungeon token was a magic copper, which was worth its weight in silver and a token weighed one hundred and fifty standard Laroot equivalent. Making a single copper dungeon token worth one and a half standard Laroot gold coins. Every year hundreds of these tokens get exported. The rare iron ones were worth the same in gold and the one a decade silver tokens were enough to buy a castle. That is how precious a magical catalyst they are for crafters.
As the caravan neared a rider from it broke off and came right for him. It was simply to find where they could set up shop and Will directed them to the clearing between the farms and the cliff that housed the mine. It was not more than an hour before a burly man approached him with two guards, one a dwarf shieldbreaker and a wolfkin warrior.
“ You there, tell me, is this that Deep Hollow I heard so much about?”
Will gives a nod.
“ Excellent, I am Barthaw. The leader of this caravan of trade and exotic entertainment.”
Will looked at the two guards uneasy.
“ Understand, you are strangers to our lands, so we can not permit you inside our walls, but we will trade. As you are new, we follow similar laws as Laroot. Such as those pretaining to theft or murder. We have to acknowledge slaves owned as property, but no act of enslaving, including changing of ownership is allowed. If any slave becomes free, we will recognize them as free individuals with the same rights.
This being said, criminals of other nations are recognized as criminals here. If a criminal breaks free of their punishment, we will review the slave contract and decide what course of action will be taken.”
This caused Barthaw to frown a little before laughing.
“ Of course, I have a few slaves, but they are entertainers and guards. Not for sale fortunately.”
Will nods.
“ If you need supplies or a good drink we have plenty for trade. My sister will come later to inform you of what we have in surplus.”
Will took out a scroll listing all of Deep Hollow’s laws and rules and handed it to the man then turned to look down the road once more. Out of the corner of his eye he could see signs of displeasure as the man read the rules and laws. Deep Hollow might be no more than a couple hundred square miles large, but it had no complications of knowing what it will and will not allow. The dungeon had god’s as friends; it could ask for help in this manner after all.
———-
As the sun set Will closed the gate after the last of the workers came into the village. In the barracks he began his routine of sharpening blades and seeing to the condition of arrows while his meal warmed over the fire. To his surprise Marleen came in with her two boys. One of the many surprises Will found when he finished his training.
“ Hey bro, got a minute?”
Will put down the short sword and started to stir the pot with his food in it.
“ Sure Marleen, how are Travis and Tarves?”
Marleen looked down to the bundles in her arms. The only good thing to happen to her from the incident with the noble were her newly born healthy twins.
“ A handful, I am expecting them to start walking around in a week or two.”
Will produced a gentle smile as he moved the cloth covering his nephew’s face slightly. Looking back at his sister, her face told him this was not a social visit.
“ You’re worried about the group that came in today?”
Marleen nods.
“ Julie and Lora agreed to watch the two as we keep an eye on our guests?”
Will raised an eyebrow curious but did not question it further.
“ Very well, I can use the help. Just dont do anything stupid Marleen. I know you are not over what happened last year.”
Marleen shook slightly as she began to recall that painful day. Before she could fall into despair too deeply Will tapped her arm.
“ I want you with a bow on overwatch. You are, at best a scout, so leave the direct fighting to me.”
Marleen nods and smiles to her brother. She had felt useless since that event, not even being able to adventure in the dungeon’s lands like she used to. All the while her brother turned from someone directionless and without drive to a proud warrior before her eyes.
“ I should get the ‘hunter’ kobold to help me teach the boys how to track when they grow old enough. When they get big enough I can have them start adventuring with me when I start going out again.”
Will nods.
“ Sounds like a sound plan, sis. Feel free to come by here or to any of the family if you need any help.”
———-
“ With Maleen watching over the gate from the watchtower beside it, Will was free to walk around the caravan setting up. The day before they merely set up tents for rest and recreation, but today, they set up booths and games. In one place that was the center displayed a stage. Seeing nothing outrageously out of place Will only spoke lightly to those he passed, if at all. That is till he came to the cages. Inside were humans, beastkin of many races, dwarves, elves, and even a lesser devilkin. It appalled him seeing other sentients like this, but he can do nothing. It was not his place to question the laws of the dungeon.
All the caravan needed was a single day before they were open for business. Naturally many of the humans visited and spent much of their collected wealth on simple pleasures. Will understood the value of a change of pace, but he was duty bound now. None of the dragonkin visited the carnival, but some of the beastkin from up the mountain came down and partook in the festivities. Unlike those in the town, who follow Loyee, the beastkin up the mountain are followers of Diana. Most of them are refugees or descendants of refugees. In fact there is a small city up there. With several thousand individuals, miles of farmland, three entire bronze and an iron mine, and the proper entrances to the three temples.
That first day that they were open, luckily, nothing beyond some drunkenness occurred from some of the younger humans. Only once did Will have to directly intervene to break up a fight. Because of it, he punished those involved by banning their access to the carnival for this visit. In case they try to argue the fact, Will had it sent as a dungeon notice. As it was his right to use such a function to enforce order.
The second day things started to turn bad. First there were the claims of theft. Namely of the booth prizes from the night before. Mind, many of the citizens of Deep Hollow use Laroot coin instead of the much larger valued dungeon tokens, but each citizen also has a small reserve of tokens given to them for contributing to the mines and fields and such. It made no logic to him why someone who has the wealth of gold coins steals something worth coppers. To expedite things Will just paid the coins out of his own pocket. His allowance being larger than the others, but he had not earned much of it yet.
After about ten silver Laroot coins, the thefts, as suddenly as they started, stopped. After the thefts came bouts of desires of lust from many of the humans. Some he knew were very loyal to their spouses. This is when he realized something was very wrong. Using his scan on those affected, he found light and moderate bewitchment spells of lust on them. Calling on the kobolds, he had them bring his sister, the sister, to him to get them cured, before finding out what exactly was going on.
