Dave sat on the porch of his small store watching as the others of the village went about their days. It’s been twenty years since he paid a visit to the dungeon core and much has changed since then. His sweet and innocent Charleen was no longer in this world. The moment she passed the dungeon core took another hit. There were no more returns of the fifth kobold. Dave raised their children the best he could in her absence. The oldest girl runs the store now. A B rank wingless dragonkin that inherited his and his mothers business sense. The middle daughter took over her mother’s role as a priestess. Now living in a new lesser temple beside the opening of the mines. Their youngest daughter took after him in his younger days. An explorer of the reaches of the dungeon terrain and beyond. The youngest of the four, his only son, was not exactly as special as the other three. He keeps a small place for him and his youngest daughter.
The days wore on for Dave, content with his life. Long gone is his B rank body he held when his wife was alive. Now he was old, and aged. A bit of a belly on him from the frequent ales at the tavern. But that did not mean his instincts have dulled. And that instinct was telling him something was very wrong.
It came sudden and by surprise. Twenty on horseback going down the trader’s road with an ornate carriage. Something they kept up on up to the bridge that divided where they were from the next province of the kingdom. They might not have much but low ranking food and materials, but it had the unique trait of being able to stay preserved through its own ingrained magic. It was their main export and the merchants that trade with them grow their purses heavily in the trade. This party was not like those traders. This had the smell of a noble behind it.
Dave took his cane and moved into the path of the road. There were only four real buildings for outsiders and the rest did not have paths for more than foot traffic. His and the tavern being the closest to the road. Dave quickly found not only he but several of the surviving humans that once came to this settlement joining him, but Dave took the lead position. He was the most respected by the Kobolds.
It took no more than a few minutes for the party to finish it’s trek down the road. When they arrived they moved to form a line from one building to the other in front of them. From the middle the carriage opened to a mid twenties man already in the A rankings of power. Dave held his ground to the noble. Compared to the king that comes once every twenty years or so, he was weak.
“ I am Dave, one of the village council, what can I do for you?”
The noble ignored Dave and began to look around.
“Yes, this will do nicely. This land is mana rich and isolated enough.”
Dave frownd from being ignored.
“ Excuse me sir, but you are on the land of the dungeon of Hollow. With the accord with the Laroot’s king, I ask you for what purpose you are here.”
This caught the noble’s attention.
“ My surveyors spotted his land on the edge of my territory, I am going to expand here to train my soldiers.”
The honesty of the noble stunned Dave. He sighs and turns to the others. “ Return to your drinks folks. We got nothing to do here.”
Dave then turned back to the noble.
“ Feel free to have a few drinks gentlemen…”
Dave was going to offer to keep the peace when he noticed the carriage driver pull something out of the carriage. A dragonkin woman tied up and in the bare being carried like a sack of grain on his shoulder. Several liquids streaming down her leg. One of blood and the other of a man’s seed. The noble saw his stare and smirked and turned toward them.
“ Oh, her, we picked her up along the road. An exotic one that one. I cristioned her into womanhood today.”
When he turned back he found Dave’s walking stick coming for his eye. If Dave was in better shape or if his opponent was not A rank, his blow would have succeeded. Instead the noble took the blow on the cheek instead and had part of his ear torn.
“ You bastard, how dare you attack your new lord!”
Dave dodged the incoming blow of rage and easily pushed the noble aside. The guards seeing this moved into attack. Dave’s only concern was getting to his daughter.
“Marleen!”
———
Rage, uncontrollable and unrestrainable, that is what I was feeling. Charleen’s daughter I considered my daughter. The kobold was me and I was her. I could forgive the noble’s attempt at a takeover. It would be easy enough to deal with, but to touch my daughter.
| (RED)Congratulations, persona split has leveled to thirteen. |
| Warning, severe instability detected. |
| DANGER!!! Core integrity decreased from 60.192% to 5.746% |
A large audible crack sound echoed throughout my dungeon which caused all to pause. The noble the least as he pulled the sword out of the old man’s back. What came next was my rage personified. A dragonkin standing eight feet tall in full plate armor and armed with a multitude of weapons on his body. In his right hand was the short sword I made as a gift to the god of war, whenever I get around to actually give it to him. In his left he carried a kite shield with a pentagon and three kobold claw marks on it. The symbol of my nation. One moment he was standing in my armory and the next he was standing in front of the noble and his party.
| (Blue)“ I did not even know I could do that!” |
My new persona did not acknowledge what I said in surprise as he cleared his throat. This got the attention of the noble and his guards.
“ This is the land of the dungeon Hollow. There is no reason for several A rank and an S rank to be here. We provide no challenge nor reward for your strength. As you have harmed my people I deem you not here for peaceful trade. As custom to the accords I give one chance to flee.”
To the casual eye, my new persona was impressive. Every piece of equipment he had on was at minimum of A ranking and his sword and shield were both SS. One of the younger and stronger guards smirked seeing my dragonoid. His equipment was impressive, but his ranking was not as much.
“ My lord, I shall clear this rabble for you.”
The noble merely nods as the guard steps forward.
“ So this is your answer.”
In an instant the air around my new persona changed. It became heavy. Dense as to suppress those in it. Something caught the dragonkin’s eye before he went to strike at the guard. The guard raised his sword to block but found the sword seemingly passed threw his own. With a shake of the sword, the dragonkin sheathed the now clean blade and began to walk forward. The guard that challenged the dragonkin watched as his sword split in two before his head doing the same at the neck. The others of the guards, the noble and the carriage driver remained similarly still till the dragonkin passed by them. That is when their heads began to roll as well. Then he knelt down to the foolish younglings aiding their traumatized sister and crying over their fallen father.
| (blue)“ So what shall we call you?” |
“ I am Bastion.”
