Chapter 36: 36. Dragon Goes Boom

As much as she wanted to freeze Gronk from the inside out, Liza has to admit the bugbear boss knows what he is doing. A stronghold has already been established, with forts being set up to aid in the scouting. Scouts have been sent deeper into the island, with reports of fertile hunting grounds. On top of that, construction on the portal is well underway. 

There were oversights on the commander's part, sure. Gronk was confident in the alliance's power and paid little to no attention to actual security matters. They were the threat here. So instead of runes protecting the keep, they were used for more extravagant matters or kept for some other purpose. 

To be fair, Liza wasn't confident she wouldn't do the same if she still had command. She still hadn't gotten around to warding her room with runes, though it was at the top of her list of things to do this week. If nothing else, she would be more confident, knowing no bugbear in a fit of lust would burst into her room in the middle of the night. 

However, as effective at command as Gronk has proven to be, she still doesn't trust him. Several of her concubines, her advanced assassins, have begun courting him and his commanders more closely, and stronger alliances have been established with the goblins. A few particular goblin tribes were eager for the partnership, even going so far as to request a raiding party clear out a spider's nest. At her command, the bugbears, including Gronk, could be wiped from this operation.

Still no signs of the soul gem or even the dragon. Liza thought they would have fought the dragon a few times by now. Maybe even slay it with the power she and Gronk are bringing to the battle. Not even the scouts have seen the dragon. Most peculiar. 

Without being in direct command, Liza found herself with much time. Unfortunately, that meant she had time to miss Dana and even more Jezra. Perhaps after all of this, she will introduce the two of them to each other. Though if things go according to plan, the two of them might be a thing of the past. Social class played a large part in who she could see and spend time with. 

It doesn't help anyone to breed below your potential. 

***

With Fury doing all the leg work, we make impressive time. We only stop at the entrance for a moment to open and close the cave. Out of the cave, Fury builds up momentum by running. Gracefully he extends his wings, and we are in the air with a leap. 

Flying is incredible. It is definitely going on my list of skills to learn. Or I will get a dragon of my own and fly everywhere. Fury is soaring down the mountain, building a tremendous amount of speed. My stomach lurches when he banks slightly to the left, pulling back from his dive. We are already at the mountain's peak with a few flaps of his wings. 

We sore at this height, passing peaks that took me days to climb in moments. Already given clear instructions on where to fly, Fury sets a straight course to my camp. Having nothing else to do, I enjoy being a passenger and soaking in the sights.

Sightseeing alone is worth the trip. Further west, past the mountains, is a breathtaking landscape. Emerald lakes surrounded by sprawling trees and hills fill the land interwoven by rivers. Towards the northwest is a golden coast that I find myself being pulled towards. The blue and green colors of the west put that lackluster tan sand of the east to shame.

As wonderful as the sights are upon a flying dragon's back, I have one minor complaint. There seems to be an abundance of bugbears, goblins, kobolds, and various beasts invading the island. The horde has arrived. Sensing the danger, Fury beats his wings faster, increasing our rapid pace. 

Crossing miles in seconds, it won't be long until we are at my camp. Doing the only thing I could while mid-flight, I let Bones know that guests are arriving. "Hey boss, just thought you should know and maybe let the Queen know, the horde is here."

"Thanks, Cap. Gene says that is old news and to not bother her time with outdated information."

"No way did she say that. Maybe you said that, and you got your thoughts confused with her words."

"Nah, that doesn't sound like me. I am a reputable messenger. You can ask Nette. She will vouch for me. Anyway, Gene says she will handle the horde on the mountain."

"Great." I leave it at that and get back to my sightseeing. Turns out my only contribution has already been contributed. That's what I get for trying to be productive in a nonproductive situation. Lesson learned. 

We arrive at my camp not long after leaving. Fury maintains his flying height, so we only get a vague idea of the situation. By the looks of it, there has been a lot of fighting going on. As we descend, the details become more apparent. Webs are slung everywhere. Spider corpses can be seen scattered along the ground. Among those corpses are a lot of goblins and kobolds. 

However, the battle is not over. At some point, the fighting came to a standstill. A few juggernaut spiders guard the entrance to my cave, and the horde force is preparing for another assault. My guess is that the horde is trying to minimize their casualties and are preparing for a more strategic attack. 

Fury's descent turns into a stomach-lurching drop. Those that do not see Fury approaching are snapped to attention by his mountain-splitting scream. Before the horde has time to react, Fury rapidly fires five flaming dark balls. One by one, they crash to the ground. Dark fire erupts on impact, trees shatter, craters form, and everything burns. Panic and pain erupt from the horde as Fury continues his flight. 

Rearing back sharply, Fury gains more height as he flaps his mighty wings. Gripping his scales tighter, my whole body warns me it will be thrown off as the dragon completes a tight circle. Dark fires and the horde are once again in front of us. Not relenting, Fury repeats his volley of fireballs. This time after the explosion, he lets out a monstrous roar, and the entire camp is shrouded in darkness.

Dark vision kicks in for me right as fury lands. Moving as fast on foot as he was in the air, the massive creature masterfully maneuvers through the darkness. Using his momentum, he powerfully tears through any horde unfortunate enough to have been left in his way. Bodies are sent flying, and corpses are left in his wake. 

Turning abruptly from his forward charge, Fury searches for more invaders on his right. Using the momentum from his quick turn, I take this moment to dismount. I am flung through the air to the left side of Fury. There is no way I am landing this. Shockingly, I do land it and casually slide to a stop on my feet. No tripping or stumbling. I look for some nods of approval. None are given. I'm sure they just didn't see it. 

The dragon continues to knock goblins aside with his head. If anyone approaches his side, his wings are there to blow them away; even a few are outright clipped by it. His tail is its own tool of destruction as it swats and trips anyone from behind. If ever he is given space, he fires a dark flame that spreads across the field. 

What was once an impressive attack force is now looking pathetic in numbers. Along with Fury's dark spell must be a form of silence spell. The remaining horde units can't cast any spells. I can't even summon my own swords. To rectify my swordless hands, I grab a couple of weapons strewn across the battle and join in the fight. 

No longer having their backs against the wall, the spiders join in, led by their queen. She is suited up in crimson and black chitinous armor and is firing a bow with incredible accuracy. Noticeably, she appears to be resembling more of a human than before. Arrows from her bow, that once was my bow, peirce the backs of a now retreating horde claiming many lives.

As the horde retreats, I take a moment to analyze the chaotic battlefield. Fury really just zoomed into camp and blew stuff up. I would not believe it if I didn't see it for myself. I think I am going to add that to my playbook.

We have a little breathing room with the camp cleared from the invaders. Fury reclaims his flames and smoke, allowing only the darkness to linger. Then he treats himself to the spoils of victory. Even if they are already dead, the sight is a little much, and I look towards the spider queen as the dragon feasts. 

"Hello, Annette," I say, giving my warmest welcome as if she was a friend and not some mind-controlling spider that almost killed me or that I hadn't killed many of her kind. I think I pulled it off. 

"Thank you. Thank you. Had you been any longer, I'm afraid we would have perished. As you can see, we are in great peril. Hence my offer for an alliance was sealed by oath. Do you accept it?" Annette responds back with shaky desperation. All this is being communicated through my mind. Perhaps Fury is no longer silencing our powers, or her communication isn't blocked by the spell's effect.

It is clear since we last met that times have gotten harder for her. She is clearly stressed and seems to be barely keeping it together. 

"Times have indeed been challenging. I understand why you and your minion would attack my sisters. I have been too careless in keeping ourselves balanced. It is never healthy when we overreach. These fiends are different in their destruction. They are hungry for power and will devour all to gain it. 

"I see you intend to accept my oath with your own conditions. Very interesting. This is much better than I ever thought. Perhaps there is hope after all. I accept as long as I can keep my title as Spider Queen. Consider it collateral for Bones changing my name. 

"Here is my oath. I, Annette, Spider Queen, and all my loyal subjects swear to protect and serve you as you do your best to protect us. As you order, we will obey as long as it does not go completely against our nature. This oath we swear on our lives. 

"Do you accept, T'am?" While her question lingers, I can feel mana from her core reaching toward mine.

"I accept your oath and swear to do my best to protect you and your kin." Immediately her mana attaches to my core. I can feel that the oath is more than just words. Eventually, the connection dissipates, but I can still feel her and her sister's promise within my cores. It makes me wonder what will happen if one of us breaks it. If Nette is still reading my thoughts, she chooses to not answer my question. "Now, let's get going," I needlessly express to the mind reader. 

The whole process, by my estimate, took less than ten seconds. As violating as it can be to have a spider in your mind, it is efficient. 

When I stop focussing on our conversation, I see that it is only Fury and me. I thought we would all get on Fury to fly out of here. However, the juggernaut spiders are heading back to the deep woods, and Nette has disappeared somewhere. Presumably back in the cave.

Before I even call out, Annette is back out of the cave with numerous large sacks. "Grabbing supplies," she passes on to me. I help her with her packs and get her mounted on the dragon. Following the queen's example, I take a quick moment to pick up some weapons and supplies from the fallen for myself. Then I jump on the back of the dragon with my own haul. I give Fury two taps to signal that we are ready, and he takes flight.  

Not having any role in the flight home leaves some time for Nette and me to communicate. And by communication, I mean she sends me her memories from when she had me as a prisoner until she was rescued. The information floods my mind instantly. 

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Discovering that I was a lich, while tempted Annette with possible cultivation gains, greatly terrified her. There was a chance for power. Alternatively, there was a chance of death. Valuing her life over power, she took all her loyal sisters and left her den to start anew away from us. The spiders left behind were the ones not willing to follow their queen. 

Not all were happy with the queen's failure to cultivate the cluster pass enlightenment. Thinking they could use the lich as a resource to grow the power, thirsty spiders found this an excellent time to separate. With her loyal followers, the queen left to the north. She encountered the horde in the early stages of establishing a new nest. 

The first encounters were easy to deal with. The queen fought with her sisters to take down the intruders with few casualties. She would probe for information when she could. The more information she received, the more nervous she became. Soon the horde came after her with a much larger force than her own and much more prepared. The invaders were here for conquest, and the spider queen had become a bigger target. 

Fearing for her and her sister's lives and limited options, she decided to make a deal with a lich. Enemy of my enemy type of deal. She ordered half of her sisters to scatter all throughout the island. They would have a better chance of staying hidden with fewer numbers. 

Nette and the remaining cluster made their way toward my home. Following the spiders was the horde army. The queen and her sister left trap after trap for the horde slowing the army down significantly. Only after they thought that they were no longer being followed did the queen seek to make contact with me. 

Bones did leave out the bit where he was caught off guard by Nette. As quick as he was to draw his blades, the spider queen was quicker to surrender. With Bones at ease, a frustrating conversation between them took place. I like to think I am fortunate that I wasn't there. The thought is ruined as Nette somehow slows this memory down, and I witness the whole event.

37. Bloody Rituals

"Minion, where is your leader," Annette asked demandingly. She is tired and worn.

"I am the boss!" Bones says with his chest puffed out, arms on hips. His seemingly go-to boss stance. "Do you mean the human who summons me and obeys my commands?"

"Ugh!" Annette exhales her frustration. "I have no time for this. Yes, the human that summoned this useless pile of bones that I can't even properly communicate with. How do you even function without a mind of your own? That's rhetorical. I don't want an answer."

"Cap is currently on a quest that I sent him on. At this point in the quest, he's probably plunging into a trap. It's hard to tell at the moment." Bones shifts his stance. His arms slide behind his back, and his hands interlock. Fortunately, he hasn't started pacing.

Shamelessly Bones dives into Annette's critique defending his honor like it was a herd of helpless kids. "I'm more than a pile of bones. I'm a nearly perfect construction of bones and mana. I love swords, music, and big hats." He pauses for dramatic flair. Annette isn't experienced in the words of Bones and fails to interject and cut him off.

Hands still clasped behind his back, Bones begins pacing. His steps bear the weight of the grief seeping from his eyes. "I lost my only friends when I had to sacrifice my summoner for his well-being. Chad, Chad 2, Chad 3, Dead Scorpion, Other Dead Scorpion, Other Dead Scorpion Jr, Stacy, Macy, and Gracy—all gone. We didn't even get to say good buy."

The pacing stops. Bones is now facing Annette, his head lighter from the release of grief. Once again, Annette misses her chance to evade further monologuing. "I'm more complex than just bones and would appreciate it if you wouldn't try to define my whole existence so simply." Bones' words exude pride. "And I'm not mindless, thank you very much. Maybe the problem with your communication lies solely with you. You might not be as good as you think you are. You ever considered that? Not rhetorical, by the way!"

Silence fills the cave. The only appropriate response. Annette, unfazed by Bones' snark, stands still. Her eyes dim, and her arms drop in the slightest. Despite her lowly manner, she still maintains her elegance. "Damn. We are damned," She whispers softly. 

Putting both hands up, Bones relaxes his posture as if he's trying to ease some tension. The tension he created. "Easy now. What do you mean by that? But also welcome to my life."

The response gets a curious look out of Annette. Taking the opening, she fills Bones in on all the recent happenings. She makes her offer, and Bones lets her know he will get the word to me. 

When Bones leaves, I see Nette taking a keen interest in my home. She studies everything she sees, even taking inventory of the type of food Bones has preserved. She commands most of her sisters to hunker down and wait for my return. The others she sends out into the deep woods. 

Later in the day, her sisters return with what looks like food similar to what I have in stock. Annette directs the spiders into the cave. While wrapping up all the food supply, her body suddenly tenses. The horde has found them once again. 

She brings all her sisters into the camp, directing them on spinning up defensible webbing. She then leads the defense in the ensuing attack. She is deadly with her bow. Each shot laced with poison brings a new target down. Nette uses all the webbing to her advantage. One moment she is on the ground firing. The next, she is slinging into a tree firing from above. Always moving from one advantage spot to the next. 

Despite her and her sister's best efforts, the horde is too much. Even without much mana being used on their end, the invader's superior numbers are enough that this was never much of a battle. Spiders fall by the dozens.

As a last-ditch effort to buy time, the Queen lets out a powerful mental probe that manages to drive the attackers back for the time being. Fearful of another mental blast, the horde regroups and plans for the next strike. The Queen retreats into my den with her soldiers. The mental probing drains her last bits of mana, making her incapable of escape. None of her sisters will flee despite all of her urgings. In her mind, her last gambit was a waste. 

In her final moment, her emotions and thoughts are raw and real. Annette loved life. All the trials and hardships. The wins and success. Learning was her passion. And now that she was so close to learning more about people, her life was ending. Despair and sorrow for her and her people racked her soul. 

Not done yet, Annette would fight to the bitter end with whatever strength she could recover. As she exits the cave, emotions rage again; this time, it is joy and renewal. The dragon has come.  

The last memory I see is of a rugged man in tattered clothing launching himself from a spinning dragon. His jump sends him twenty feet away from the beast. Landing, his right leg is at an angle, and his left leg is slightly bent and in line with the right. He picks up two swords as he slides another five feet to a stop. Snapping his head up flicks the hair away from his face. He looks around briefly and begins taking down the unlucky horde near him. 

The surge of information takes a brief moment to process. The last bit makes me smile, if only internally. It gets weird if I'm openly hyped about myself, especially given the greater context of Annette's situation. By the time I finish processing the memories, we have passed the double peaks and are now approaching Mount Tall. 

The tall mountain itself is surrounded by thick dark shadows. I got lost in the same shadow-like fog when I tried to find my way to the coast. Presumably, this is the preparation Gene was making. The fog covering the mountain is thick. Even with dark vision, my sight is restricted. I can't actually see the mountain. Past experience is all that has me convinced that it is there.  

Thankfully Fury can navigate through the shadow. At the cave entrance, we find a party of bugbears searching for the opening. Had it not been for the fog, I'm sure they would have discovered it by now. Honestly, Fury is the only reason I know where the entrance is or that there were bugbears around. 

The dragon disposes of the intruders quickly with a fierce black flame. Only when he is confident there is no more threat around us, Fury takes us to the cave. Once the cave is sealed back up, we are greeted by Gene. It now occurs to me that she could have played a direct role in the dragon's uncanny navigation. For good measure, I add another layer of thickness to the cave door before we descend into the cavern. 

Annette walks to the center where I am standing in the cavern, having just completed the blood circles. She grabs my hand, looks me in the eye, and blinks several times. Memories and knowledge intrude into my mind. However, they don't unravel in my mind. They are currently in a holding state, waiting for me to engage them.

"These are memory packets. Open them when you have time to spare. They hold information that will benefit us both. Make good use of them." Annette tells me through thought. The scene is awkward, and I can't help but think that was part of her intentions. It is confirmed when she gives a sly grin when she walks away. Freaking spiders. 

We follow the same steps as before. Bones holds the dungeon core and mimics the rhythm of the mana inside with his cycling mana. Fury feeds his life into the core and tucks into a tight ball of dragon mass. Annette, apprehensively and eagerly, does the same, feeding her black ichor into the core. 

I bloody the grounds again with my own blood creating two neat circles that encircle the ritual participants. Then I join them in the middle and feed my mana into the core.

Apprehension on Annette's face gives way entirely to eagerness. Her desire for life overwhelms her uncertainty. Contrastingly, Fury, in his tucked-up state, breathes lazily. A wide scar can be seen on his exposed side, and many of his scales have been chipped. Before, I assumed Fury was tucking in tightly to make the symbol process easier. Now, I am unsure if the worn dragon wasn't just trying to catch some sleep.

I feed all of my dark mana into the core and begin feeding in my death mana. All the while, Bones is grinning maniacally. Not once has his enthusiasm wavered. Like Annette, his greatest desire is right before him in the palm of his hands.

Standing off to the side of the ritual, Gene is as stoic as I've ever seen her. She is as tired as Fury and eager as Annette and Bones. Hope is right in front of her, yet she has been betrayed by hope. Desperation fuels her to see this lifelong task through. So she watches closely as her life's purpose is carried out by her worn-out companion, a spider queen, and two strangers.

Full of mana, the dungeon core breaks. Energy, mana, and life force rush out of the core only to be swiftly caught up in Bones' familiar cycling pattern. Conforming to the familiarity, the essences of the dungeon core rage inside Bones. 

Bones holds strong as he cycles the energy, willing it to become one with him. Inside Bones is a war for dominance. Pale mana is aggressive and violent. Dark mana is subtle as it spreads its influence within. Vibrant sporadic yellow mana almost matches the aggressive death mana. A lighter shade of yellow mana, while not as bold as life or death energy, is equally oppressive in its desire for dominion. 

Elemental mana also fights for control within Bones while holding true to their nature. Water is calm and powerful, fire is consuming, earth is steadfast, while air wisps in and out of the fight. Dominating all mana and Bones is the overly abundant shadow mana. It stays within the background of the chaos cycling through Bones. Its soft presence ever so lightly becomes thicker and thicker. 

Aggressive, passive, and wild energies conform to shadow's enticing allure, which continues to clash with Bones over dominion. Bones maintains expert control over his cycling, wrangling the fantastic powers to his will. However, before the energies settle, they burst out of Bones coalescing, once again, into a dungeon core.

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