Dungeon Robotics 126

Evening everyone! I can't believe it is Wednesday already! I feel like it should be Monday haha. But enough of my lack of sense of time, I know what you all want and here it is!

Also. I have some delete chapters that never made it to the book do to some direction changes I made while first starting to upload. I wanted to know if you guys would be interested in reading them. They are from nearly a year ago so grammar will be spotty. 

Next week I will be uploading some trial chapters on two projects I have been making notes and ideas for. I don't plan on diverting a lot of time to them until next year, but since I had a bit written, I wanted to test the waters with them to see if I should rework them a bit. 

Anyway, feel free to leave me a comment below if you have any questions!


Louella

Unable able to go back to sleep after my strange dream, I took a walk around the village. The villagers weren’t as bothered by me as they were the Dark elves, so I found it easier to interact with them. The village only had a few hundred people but something told me they had enough mana amongst them to wipe out a surface town or city. 

Shaking my head of the thoughts, I focused more on the actual feel of the village. It looked like the people had good lives here. Everything felt lived in and there was certainly a lot of examples of love amongst the people. A young high human played in the street with a high elf, and they looked to be enjoying themselves.

Looking closer at the construction, I saw that it was a mixture of magical works and good old craftsmanship. The buildings were partially grown out of stone that made up the cavern. While much was built into the walls of the cavern, there was a large sections of houses and buildings built the way humans on the surface might construct their town. 

I found myself at the healer’s house as I wandered through the village. I wasn’t sure what led me there as I hadn’t been there myself earlier. His door was open but I knocked on the frame to announce myself. I’d hate to accidently interrupt a healing taking place.

“Come in!”

Walking in, I had to watch my step. The floor was littered with all sorts of books and documents. It looked like the healer was very enthusiastic about his profession. I spotted several that dealt with the different races. It looked like he was trying to learn about their guests.

“Healer?” I called since I didn’t see him in the main area.

“Back here child,” called the healer from another room. I traced the voice as best I could and made it to the room. He was sitting at a desk that was buried in mountains of paperwork. The sight brought on a sense of nostalgia. 

“Sorry to bother you, elder. I sort of found myself here before I realized what I was doing,” I said bowing my head in apology to the older man.

“You find that the world has a way of leading people where they need to be when they are more in touch with the elements. In your case, I wager they are trying very hard to help you through whatever troubles you.”

“Why would they be eager?”

“Because in their eyes you might appear to be a sort of mother. Greater Elementals bring life to lesser elementals. Thusly, making you very important to them.” The healer placed the book he was reading on the only clear space on the desk before he looked at me for the first time. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“I’m not sure. Ever since I woke up a few days ago, I feel like I’m being pulled in every direction and don’t have much say in the matter.”

“I see. I wish I could help you with your mana problem, but I have already explained the issue with that.” The healer bowed his head. I shook my head. 

“Do not apologize. I was more talking about my memory. Its been spotted since I woke up. Nero, one of the people in my party, claims it was caused by Glorious trying to change me. I feel he speaks the truth, but how can I be sure?”

“Memory issues. I didn’t think to ask if there was anything else wrong with your person. I suppose we all have room to grow.” He paused as he got up and moved over to me. He gestured to a step and I just stared at him as it was covered in books that went to my chest. “Sorry.” He started clearing the chair off. I was worried he was going to cause a chain reaction with the other stacks collapsing around the room.

I took the seat once it was cleared enough. “Mind if I have a look?”

I nodded and bent my head down. Placing his hands on either side of my temples, a white glow emitted from them. I felt some foreign mana enter that area of my head. I could tell I could fight it if I wanted to. I heard the healer as he murmured to himself, but nothing was really intelligible. 

After a few minutes, he pulled back his hands and had a look of consideration. “Well?”

“It is difficult to say. The mind is a tricky thing after all. Part of the issue is the elemental conflict happening in your body. As you can assume, your brain is not unaffected. I couldn’t find anything that was damaged, though I could tell you were under a tremendous amount of stress recently.”

I thought about that before I replied. “According to my companions, we recently were in the midst of a battle with a neighboring country. That might be what caused the stress.”

“Can’t say I approve of war. Though, I understand the reason behind it. As a healer, I would rather see us all live-in peace,” he said with a shake of his head. “As for helping you get your memory back. I’m not sure I know of a way. If I’m not careful, I could wipe out your identity from before.”

“Is that so… Very well. Thank you for at least looking. I do feel better talking to someone about it.”

“Glad I could help child.” The healer patted my shoulders. 

I gave him a smile then carefully stood up. I had been out for a while after all. The others might start to worry soon. Yuno might be caring for his sister, but he was attentive and I really didn’t want Nero searching the streets shouting my name. “Thank you…” I started to say again when I felt a wave of mana crash through the room. 

“What in the gods’ names was that?” the healer said as he moved to the window. 

Something about the mana wave felt familiar. I knew that I knew this mana. “Sorry, healer. Hopefully, we’ll talk again in the future, but I have to go!” Without waiting for a reply, I rushed from the healer’s office and back out to the streets. I barely slowed down as I turned in the direction the mana wave came from. After running for less than a minute, I came to a gate sealing the exit to the cavern.

“Lady Louella. I should have known you’d have felt that.” I turned and found Nero and the others moving over to me.

“What was it? I felt like I knew that mana.”

“No doubt. That would be because it was Lord Regan’s mana. We’d dived the dungeon a few times before the war broke out and know that sensation,” Yuno said with a nod.

“I have to say I’m impressed. If what we learned is true, he’s less than a year-old right? This has got to be the fastest a dungeon has ever reached the Beneath,” Nero said with a shake of his head. “Judging from the sensation I got, he broke into the Beneath relatively close to here.”

“Then we should head that way! You said he could help me right?!” I demanded, having to do my best to control myself from rushing out the gate this minute.

“Yes.” Nero rubbed his chin as he thought for a moment. “Yes, I think we should change course. This will be faster.”

“We need to make sure we actually meet with this Lord Regan this time!” Yuno said grabbing Nero’s shoulder.

“I think you’d be better off talking to her than me,” he replied with a thumb in my direction.

“I’ll make sure you get a meeting and he helps you!”

~~~

We left a few hours later, when it technically would have been morning on the surface. The expedition decided to come along with us. They didn’t outright say it, but I could tell from the Lords that they were nervous about another player joining the power struggle down here in the Beneath.

While the Dark elves, and the high races of Fallen Rose had put aside their differences, the dwarves were marshalling their forces. Their scouts just couldn’t tell why. Nothing should have tipped the balance enough for them gain much strength over the other forces in the Beneath.

“I think it’s a show,” I said while we walked. The tunnels we were in were patrolled regularly and we had a small army around us so we could be a bit more casual about the noise we made.

“A show?” Yuno replied to which I nodded.

“All the Beneath cities were hit by this Terra wave correct?” Yuno and Nero both nodded to my statement. “Then who has the most to lose. All the forces down here were on equal footing. The dwarves however supplied many of the goods the others use. Mainly weapons. If any of the cities were hit just a bit less, they might use this as a chance to make some ground on this ongoing war.”

“Thus, a show.” Yuno said smacking his open hand with a fist. “A performance to the others that they weren’t that affect and to leave them alone.”

“Exactly! It’s what I would do.”

Nero bobbed his head. “It is as good an explanation as any. The High Dwarves have cut off all lines into their city. They have even pulled back their agents in the others.”

“They told you all this?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. He had managed to get quite chummy with the Lords during our stay.

“Well. I have a certain leverage.”

“I bet.” I turned to Yuno. “How long do you think until we reach the area the wave originated from?”

“Hard to say. Unlike physical beings, mana doesn’t exactly have a smell. The air currents are all shifting rapidly, affected by some massive change that occurred recently, likely associated with the mana wave. As a result, the smells are all over the place.”

I sighed but nodded. I would have to just hope it was soon. I wasn’t paying attention as I was deep in my thoughts when I heard shouting and we came to a stop. Looking around to see what was going on, I saw an explosion from the front of the line. It wasn’t long before the clashing of steel rang out as well. 

“What now?!” I groaned as I tightened my grip on my staff.