Backyard Dungeon 4 Chapter 2

We spent a couple days as a family, and I did a few chores around the house I’d put off, like pulling the weeds around the fenceline and taking measurements for the deck I wanted to build in the backyard. Even though I’d bought the Miller’s place next door, I planned on keeping the trailer. There was a brief moment when I wondered if I should tear it down and build a new place on the lot, but grandpa’s old place was special. I hadn’t known my grandpa very well, but he’d left me this place when I had nothing.

The trailer represented something to me. It was the start of my journey, and I wanted to keep the place as a reminder of where this all began. It was the cornerstone in my little kingdom, and I intended to keep it forever.

The day dawned with the incredible smell of baked goods and coffee that wafted through the double wide and let me know Ibseth had been up for a while already. My Elven wife liked to make Amrila and I a big breakfast before we headed into The Gloom. It could make the first few hours of crawling through tunnels a little rough, but it made her happy to feed and pamper us, so I never complained.

When I came down the hall and into the kitchen, I saw Ibseth at the counter as she set down a steaming batch of cookies on a baking sheet. The Elven woman wore a low cut sweater that clung to her supple curves, and I put my arms around her and kissed her neck.

“Not too tight, my king,” Ibseth said as she made a little face. “My stomach has been sour today.”

“You okay?” I asked with a little concern. “If you’re not feeling good, we can put off leaving for a couple of days.”

“No, no.” The blue-skinned woman shook her head. “It’s not that bad. And I feel better now than earlier. I do not want these cookies I made for your Dwarf friends to go to waste. You said they enjoyed them so much the last time, and I want to thank them for helping you.”

“I’m sure they’ll love that.” I grinned down at the tiny woman.

Amrila stumbled out of her room with a groggy yawn as she stretched, and the t-shirt she slept in came up around her waist to reveal the little, black panties underneath.

“I smell coffee,” the Zencarri woman said in a sleepy voice. “Is there coffee?”

“Of course, dear sister,” Ibseth replied in a sweet voice.

As the horned woman got herself a steaming cup of coffee, Ibseth put together plates for Amrila and me.

The Elven woman had gone all out today. There were scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and fresh made cinnamon rolls with the good cream cheese icing. We all sat down in the living room and ate together, and despite her upset stomach, I noticed my violet-eyed wife seemed to have a good appetite, so I wasn’t as worried.

Everything was delicious. Ibseth had really mastered scrambled eggs. They weren’t watery, but not so dry that it was like eating rubber. And they had just the right amount of seasoning. The bacon was also perfectly crispy, and the fresh cinnamon rolls were soft and warm. Ibseth best expressed her love through the things she did for others, and as I ate breakfast, I could sense how she felt about our little family in every tasty bite.

After breakfast, Amrila and I started to pack up what we needed as Ibseth cleaned up the breakfast mess. My Zencarri wife and I had gotten the process down to a science. First, we checked our weapons and made sure everything was in order. Next, we packed our backpacks with the essentials, like extra ammo, rations, and some gold and silver coins. Then I packed up a couple of small gifts I’d gotten for my friends in The Gloom.

I’d gotten Nileme a couple of extra magazines and a new harness for her AK. She’d really gotten into guns, and I figured she would like that. For Bhathok, the Dolrath captain, I got a little hand cranking flashlight. The Night Elves weren’t really fond of bright lights, but I figured it could come in handy if he ever found himself without a lantern. Flashlights also had a big tactical advantage in The Gloom because they could be used to blind an opponent. I’d figured that out when I got a headlamp and the flashlight attachment for my Galil.

Once we had everything together, Amrila changed into her leather armor, and then we were ready to go. Ibseth walked us to the back door and hugged Amrila, and then she turned to me, so I took the petite woman in my arms and gave her a long kiss goodbye. Even the simple, everyday interaction still made something deep inside my core stir, and the deep love I had for the white-haired Night Elf made that visceral reaction even more profound.

“I love you,” I said as if it were the first time.

“And I love you, my king,” Ibseth replied in a breathless tone.

The glow of love in her face struck something deep inside of me, and I couldn’t wait to make it safe for her to return to The Gloom, so I wouldn’t have to spend so much time away from her.

“We’ll be back soon,” I said as I looked down into her deep, violet eyes. “Once we talk to the Crardu with Ekneme, we’ll be back. I’m sure it will take them some time to plan what happens next.”

“I will be here.” Ibseth nodded with a smile. “Do what is needed and return to me victorious. Just like you always do.”

I grinned back at my Elven wife and kissed her one last time, and then Amrila and I headed out the back door and quietly made our way through the yard.

Once we were down in the tunnels, the two of us made our way toward the southern tunnels where the Lost Dwarves lived. Thanks to the magical ring Saggor had gifted to me, we no longer had to worry about the various, deadly traps in the beautiful corridors of the ancient Dwarven stronghold, and when we reached the chamber where the last of the lost tribe of Dwarves lived, they were all busy at different worktables.

I was always impressed at how busy they kept themselves, but I was never sure what it was they did. There were only four of them left, but they still seemed to always have something to do.

“Hello, gentlemen.” I said as I came through the door.

The bearded men all looked up, and the only one who didn’t look happy to see us was Dorrem.

“Eddie Hill!” Saggor, the oldest Dwarf, said in a grend tone when he saw me. “And the fierce Amrila. How are you both?”

“Hey, Saggor.” I grinned as I pulled out the tupperware container of cookies. “Ibseth sends her best, and these cookies. She wanted me to tell you thank you from her for helping me.”

The four Dwarves all left what they were doing to come and get some of the baked goods.

“Please tell her I give my thanks for the cookies,” Beclin said as he took a large bite. “I would happily grow fat on these.”

The small red bearded man took two more cookies and put them in the pocket of his leather apron.

“You are already fat,” the sour-faced Dorrem grunted as he took a cookie from the container and shoved the whole thing in his mouth.

“You’re hardly as slender as a freshly born inck,” Amrila shot back with the hint of a smile.

“And you smell of sulfur,” the gray haired Dwarf retorted before he turned back to his table.

“You’ll have to excuse, Dorrem,” Beclin said to me in an apologetic tone. “He has been in a foul mood all morning.”

“Because you were meddling with my slate!” Dorrem snarled.

“Your formula was wrong,” the youngest Dwarf said in a mild tone. “Now you won’t blow yourself and the rest of us up. You are welcome.”

Dorrem mumbled something darkly under his breath that I couldn’t hear, but Beclin winked at me, and I smiled back.

“Have you had a chance to try those new bullets?” Tauric asked as he took several of Ibseth’s cookies.

“I wanted to talk to all of you about that,” I replied as I put the cookies down on a table and sat on the edge of it. “They did work, but we might have a bigger problem than we thought. I came across Ursenger as he was performing some weird ritual. He partially transformed two of his generals, and they became these weird, deformed monsters.”

“That is troubling,” Saggor said as he sat on one of the low stools at the table and stroked his long, white beard.

“The bullets worked against the fucked up generals, but it took a lot of bullets to take them down,” I explained. “WAnd wen I shot at Ursenger, it was like he just absorbed them,”

“By the gods,” Beclin gasped as he brushed some crumbs out of his beard.

“Ursenger did not look right either,” Amrila added. “His skin was as pale as a corpse, and there was a large amulet that had fused with his flash.”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “It looked all gross and inflamed, like he had a hell of an infection.”

“Did he speak in a voice that sounded like many were speaking at once?” Dorrem asked as he looked up from his work.

“No.” I shook my head as I thought back. “It was weirdly loud though, like he was speaking into a microphone.”

“A microphone?” the oldest Dwarf asked with a furrowed brow.

“Like he was using some kind of thaumaturgy,” the horned woman offered.

The four Dwarves all looked at each other with dark expressions.

“What?” I asked as I looked back and forth at the stout men. “What does that mean?”

“It is hard to know for certain,” Beclin answered in his piping tenor voice. “But I would guess Ursenger is slowly being possessed by this Demon you said he is in league with.”

The short man had voiced something I’d already suspected.

I didn’t know anything about magic, other than it took an exchange of materials or energy to do, from what I’d been told. The small feats of magic I’d seen Amrila and Scourge do seemed to physically exhaust them, but Ursenger had transformed two Night Elves into monsters and didn’t seem any the worse for it.

“So, what do we do about that?” I asked the Dwarves.

“I do not know if there is anything we can do,” Saggor sighed.

“That is not true.” Beclin defiantly shook his head. “The old ones had ways. We were once able to fight back the forces of the Deeper Dark, before we came to these tunnels.”

“We no longer have their resources,” Dorrem grumbled. “We no longer have access to black sulfur, cobalt, or even reasonably pure mercury. And even if we had the raw components, we do not have the skill to manufacture them. Only the theory of how it’s done.”

“No!” Beclin stood to his full height and aggressively shook his head. “We have a duty to do something as the last of the protectors of the Citadel. To merely throw up our hands and give up is cowardice.”

“I hate to agree with him,” Tauric rumbled, “but Dorrem is right. There is a difference between won’t and can’t. But, Eddie Hill, I will research the old text and see if there is anything there that would be of use. We all will.”

“Thank you, that’s all I can ask,” I replied. “You’re all the smartest people I know. I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“Ever the optimist.” Saggor smiled at me.

“I just see it like Beclin,” I replied. “We have to do something, before it gets any worse. Maybe the chief of the Crardu will have something that can help. Ekneme said they’re scholars. Maybe they know something.”

“You’re going to the Crardu territory?” Dorrem asked without his usual snarky tone as he stood and came over to where the rest of us were gathered.

“Yeah,” I said as I looked at the gray-haired Dwarf. “Why?”

“There might be something then.” The grouchy Dwarf stroked his beard in thought. “Long ago, the Crardu lands were rich in cobaltite and other alchemical materials. A substance like that could be used to bind with the elemental crystals and concentrate their power. I’ll give you no guarantees, but there could be something useful there.”

“Perfect,” I said with a grin. “Great! I’ll try to bring you back some of that. What was it you said? Cobalite?

“Cobaltite,” Dorrem carefully pronounced the word. “But there are other binding agents that could work as well. Speak with an artificer or an alchemist if they have one. A historian might due in a pinch, but be prepared for a lecture for an answer. They love to expound on the most menial subjects.”

“I’ll do that.” I nodded. “Thank you, Dorrem.”

The gray-bearded Dwarf grunt in reply and went back to his worktable.

“You should take these, too,” Tauric said as he walked over to another worktable and came back with a large, leather pouch. “I made you more of the all-purpose bullets, just in case.”

“You guys are fucking amazing.” I grinned. “Next time I come through, I’ll ask Ibseth to make you a double batch of cookies.”

“Bring more beer!” Dorrem called from his table without looking up.

“And beer,” I snorted. “Hopefully, I’ll see you all soon.”

Then Amrila and I said our goodbyes to the Dwarves and made our way out of their living space.

“Craigy faced old prude,” the red-skinned woman remarked as we passed Dorrem’s table.

“Horned menace,” the gray-haired Dwarf shot back, which caused my wife to smile.

As we walked out the door, I looked back and saw Dorrem chuckle to himself. I didn’t understand the friendship that had started to form between him and the Zencarri woman, but the trade of insults seemed to amuse them both.

Amrila and I continued on through the rest of the tunnels to the southern iron door that led to the lands of the Dolrath Night Elves. I’d only come this way a few times, but it already had a familiar feel to me. The dark alcove on the other side of the door wasn’t far from a road that went from the Crystal Growth north east of the alcove, and the Encampment resided to the far east.

The Zencarri woman and I took the road south west and found ourselves in the tent city within a few hours. The many colored tents of the Dolrath’s central city were a welcomed sight, and as we walked through the only permanent settlement of the warrior tribe, I noticed nods and smiles from the Gnomes and Night Elves who lived there. It was the first time I realized I was well known in the Encampment, and it felt strange.

I’d started to gain a weird sort of fame in The Gloom. In the Yennih lands, I was known as The Vampire of The Gloom, but that felt a little dramatic to me. Here in the Dolrath territory, I was known as a Goblin because of a joke that had gotten out of hand, but I guess it was better than the truth getting out. The last thing I needed was for it to become general knowledge that I was human. The people of The Gloom thought the surface was an unreachable land filled with monsters, and it was best to keep it that way.

“Your Highness!” a familiar voice to my right shouted from the crowd of people in the street.

Yeah. People thought I was a Goblin king.

I turned and saw Bhathok as he strode over to Amrila and I and roughly embraced us both.

“Fiery Amrila,” the mohawked Elf said in a warm tone as he released the horned woman. “You look lovelier and more deadly every time I see you.”

“Flatterer,” my wife said with a friendly smile.

“Have you both come to take me up on dinner?” the Dolrath warrior asked.

“Maybe.” I grinned back. “If there’s time. I’m supposed to meet with Chief Ekneme about going to see the Crardu.”

“I understand,” the red-haired Night Elf replied. “But my wives are eager to meet you. Fieca wants to prepare a whole feast for you, to thank you for helping with my elevation.”

“Elevation?” Amrila asked as she raised an eyebrow.

“Indeed,” Bhathok replied with a proud smile on his face. “I have been promoted to general. I now command the army, and the only people who out rank me in the tribe are Lady Nileme and the chief herself.”

“Congratulations!” I shook the new general’s hand. “That’s awesome.”

“I have you to thank,” the warrior said as he inclined his head to me. “I thought when we snuck out of the Encampment with the princess that I would be demoted for certain. But here we are. Come. I believe the Chief is in the Meeting House with the captain making plans.”

Amrila and I followed Bhathok to the Meeting House as we talked and caught up.

“I’m sorry Scourge is not with you,” the red-haired man said in a light tone. “I went to a great deal of bother to have that blasted ox of his fetched from the Yennih capital, and I’m afraid if I keep him any longer, he and my son will become inseparable.”

“I didn’t know you had a son,” Amrila replied.

“And another on the way,” Bhathok said with a sly smile. “But Nemhok has become quite taken with that blasted ox. I caught him sneaking out to sleep next to it once because he was concerned the animal would get lonely.”

I smiled in response but felt a small twinge of jealousy. All of Ibseth’s talk about babies had woken up something inside of me. I was only twenty-one, and I would never have thought about having kids so soon if it weren’t for her.

But the thought of little blue babies with my wife’s eyes and my nose seemed like the best thing in the world to me now.

When we got to the Meeting House, the sound of raised voices carried through the closed doors, so I shot a curious look at Bhathok, and the Night Elf rolled his eyes.

“Vemmen is in there causing trouble,” the warrior explained. “I do not often question the chief, but I have no idea what she sees in her consort when nearly any man in the tribe would jump at the opportunity.”

The general shook his head, but then he opened the door and walked through with all the confidence of a fox in a henhouse.

“Great Chief! Eddie Hill, King of the Tectris Forest, has come to speak with your grace.”

The Meeting House went silent as all of the Dolrath warriors turned to look at us. I could see Vemmen, a sleek Night Elf in silken robes, sitting next to the dark-haired chief of the Dolrath, and he didn’t look happy to see me.

“Your Highness,” Ekneme said in a rich voice as she stood and came down the dais to greet me. “I greet you as a friend and shield brother of the Dolrath.”

The tall woman held out a hand, and I shook it, even though I was a little thrown by her formality.

“Thank you, Chief Ekneme,” I said as I tried to match her tone. “It’s good to see you, too.”

“You could not have come at a better time. We have been discussing our plans to travel to the lands of the Crardu. Come have a seat and tell us what you think.”

The chief led me up to the dais, and then she stared at Vemmen with a stern expression until he reluctantly gave up his seat next to her throne on the dais. I had a feeling that something significant had just happened and that somehow I’d just been put in the middle of it. As if this was her way of putting the man in his place.

I sat down and tried to keep a neutral expression. I’d never really spoken to Vemmen, but there was something about him I just didn’t like. But then, in the crowd of warriors, I caught sight of Nileme in her dark, iridescent, beetle shell armor. The princess smiled warmly at me and gave me a wink, and I blushed a little as I smiled back.

“The question before us is whether or not to travel through the Yennih territory,” Ekneme explained as my attention was drawn back to the matter at hand. “It is the quickest way, but comes with certain risks.”

“Well,” I replied as I noticed all eyes were on me. “What would be the alternative?”

I resisted the urge to sift in my seat. The Dolrath were a warrior culture, and I didn’t have to be told that meant they would look for any sign of weakness or uncertainty in me. I had to at least look like I belonged on that dais, or they would sniff me out like my dad’s old beagle would a squirrel.

“There is a way through the Twilight Region,” Nileme said in a confident voice. “But this comes with perils of its own.”

“I’m assuming the Chief would have to travel with an honor guard, and we don’t want to take a small army through the Yennih territory and raise Ursenger’s suspicions. Is that right?” I tried to sit as straight as I could as I spoke.

The fact I was head and shoulders taller than everyone here was a small advantage.

“Yes,” Vemmen said in a deep baritone. “But it could also raise Chief Ursenger’s suspicion if he hears of your grace intentionally avoiding travel through his lands.”

There was a small rumble of agreement from some of the warriors present, and I started to get an idea of what was going on. Vemmen had a few followers and had sowed some doubt in the chief’s plans among them.

“The Twilight Region is full of danger.” I nodded as I pretended to agree with him for a moment. “But not more dangerous than a whole regiment of Dolrath soldiers.”

There was a louder murmur from the crowd, and I saw Nileme nod her head.

Since the Dolrath seemed to at least half believe I was some kind of king from the Twilight Region, I had to pretend I knew what it was like there. But honestly, what I didn’t know I could half guess. It was fucking chalked full of monsters, but if some of the Dolrath thought they could handle it, I believed them.

“General Bhathok,” I said as I looked at my friend. “What do you think? Could you lead your men safely through the Twilight Region to the Crardu lands?”

“Yes,” the mohawked man said flatly. “We do not often venture into the Twilight, but we do know ways of dealing with the creatures there. If we carry lanterns, then it will discourage most of the beasts to keep their distance. And if you and Lady Nileme are there with your magnificent, booming weapons, the rest will think twice before molesting us.”

“But why risk Dolrath lives without cause?” Vemmen shot back with spite in his voice. “The Yennih have no quarrel with the Dolrath and thus have no reason to interfere with Chief Ekneme’s affairs.”

I tried to pay attention to which warriors nodded this time. There weren’t as many as there were the first time.

“The Mad Chief is many things,” Amrila said in a loud voice as she stood. “But stupid isn’t one of them. By now he knows that the other tribes have caught wind of his deceit. He would question why now, of all times, would the Dolrath Chief be traveling to see the other tribe.”

“That’s a good point.” I nodded. “Besides, how would Ursenger catch wind of Chief Ekneme going through the Twilight, unless someone told him?”

I made sure to look right at the slick Elf in the silk robes as I said the last part, but Vemmen just stared daggers back at me.

“In the end, though,” I continued as I turned back to back to Ekneme. “It’s really your decision, ma’am.”

“That is true,” Ekneme said as she looked at me with an amused expression. “I agree with our Goblin friend here. We shall go through the Twilight Region. That is my decision. Let’s begin preparations to leave within the hour.”

The Meeting House was suddenly filled with the sound of the Dolrath warriors as they stomped their feet or pounded their fists on tables. Only Vemmen and a handful of others looked disappointed.

“Vemmen!” Ekneme raised her voice to be heard over the ruckus as the man in the silk robes turned to storm out of the hall. “Come. I would speak with you privately.”

I stood to go over and speak to Nileme, but I felt the chief touch my arm, and I turned toward her.

“Before we go, I would like to gift you with some Dolrath clothing to help you blend in,” she said. “I understand our armor might be too restrictive for your fighting style, but you have that fine Dwarven breastplate to protect you.”

“Thank you,” I said without further comment.

The chief had clocked my breastplate as being Dwarven, but I wasn’t sure if she’d hinted that she knew somehow it was from the Lost Dwarves. The handsome, older woman was hard to read, but I got the impression she liked it that way.

Finally, I went over to the princess as the crowd began to disperse.

“Eddie,” the dark-haired warrior woman greeted me. “You look well.”

“You do, too,” I said with a broad smile. “I actually brought some things for you.”

“Truly?” the dark-haired woman asked with a slight blush to her cheeks. “You and Amrila should come with me to my tent then. I need to get ready for the journey ahead.”

The two of us found Amrila and then left the Meeting House for the princess’s private tent.

The tent itself was simple. Nileme had a form she kept her armor on, a rack for her sword, and her AK hung on a place of honor over the room divider between the seating area and where I assumed her bed was. The three of us sat at the low table in her seating area, and I brought out the harness and the spare magazines I’d gotten for her.

“Thank you!” the dark-haired woman gasped as I handed them to her. “These are wonderful gifts.”

“I picked out that harness because I thought it would fit nicely over your armor. You can adjust the straps to fit.”

“Eddie is always very generous,” Amrila added with a mysterious smile.

Suddenly, there was a knock on one of the wood supports that held up the semi-permanent structure.

“My lady,” a femine voice said from outside. “Your mother has sent over clothes for the Goblin king.”

I internally wonder how long the Goblin king thing was going to go on for. I’d actually started to kind of enjoy it, like an inside joke between Dolrath and me. I was pretty sure no one actually believed the king part at least, but they would keep it up as long as I didn’t correct them.

Nileme opened the ten flap, collected the clothes from the servant, and then handed them to me. They were more serviable than the ones I’d been given the first time I had come to the Encampment. The cloth was thick and durable, and thankfully the colors were more subdued. Rather than the bright blues and golds the tribe favored, the shirt was a dark green while the pants were a blue that bordered on black.

“You can go behind the partition and change,” Nileme offered. “I promise not to peek.”

“I don’t.” My red-skinned wife grinned. “And I don’t mind if you peek a little.”

Amrila winked at the princess, who blushed and giggled. I felt myself start to blush, too, so I quickly went behind the room divider to change.

After I’d gotten dressed and Nileme had gathered everything she wanted to bring, the three of us left the tent, and Amrila and I followed the dark-haired woman to where the soldiers were gathering.

There were about thirty warriors gathered at the outskirts of the tent city, and Bhathok was there in his new armor. The beetle shell seemed to shine with some kind of lacquer I assumed was a mark of rank at first.

“Your armor still glows, friend,” Nileme teased. “Maybe a few days of actual use will break it in.”

“I sort of like the shine.” The enigmatic man smiled. “I might have the armorer lacquer over the scratches once I’ve broken it in.”

“Vanity, vanity,” Amrila joked.

“One must look the part when they’re in authority,” the mohawked man replied in a lighthearted tone.

“I think this whole general thing has gone to your head,” I chuckled.

“It must certainly has.” Bhathok nodded with a broad grin.

Just then, Ekneme arrived, and the Dolrath soldiers all stood to attention in her presence.

I noticed Vemmen was right behind her and had a sour look on his face. The ridiculous man had also not bothered to change out of his silk robes, and I wondered if the chief’s consort realized his clothes would be ruined after a day or two of travel.

“Gather yourselves, warriors!” the chief said in a voice that carried through the gathering. “The Twilight Region is a dangerous place, and we will all have to keep careful guard of one another. If we should run into trouble, remember the mighty weapons my daughter and Eddie Hill keep create a sundering noise. You should think of them as you would the archers, and be mindful to not step in front of them if we should have to fight at any time.”

“Chief,” I said as I stepped forward. “I actually have something to help with the noise.”

Then I reached into my backpack and pulled out the economy sized bag of earplugs I’d bought.

“These go in your ears so the rifle blasts won’t hurt your hearing,” I said as I handed the bag to Ekneme.

The chief cocked her head to one side as she took the bag, pulled out one of the silicone plugs, and squished it between her fingers.

“How curious,” the chief snorted.

“You pinch them like this and then put it in your ear,” I said as I showed the older woman how it was done.

“Very clever,” Ekneme said in an impressed tone. “Distribute these to the soldiers.”

The chief handed the bag off to one of her attendants and then nodded her thanks to me, and once the chief was sure everything was in order, she stood at the head of the column and looked over her fighting force.

“Steel yourselves, my soldiers,” she intoned in her deep voice. “We are going into the Twilight!”