-[Act 2 * Part 3]-

Basil set a brisk pace as he led Elnora through the Mansion. Having navigated several hallways, passing hundreds of chambers along the way, they eventually reached the Grand Hall where the main entrance was. There a gilded gate to the outside world stood wide open, guarded by two dozen obsidian knights. A pair of well-dressed demi-human servants stood next to the magic portal, ready to receive visitors at a moment’s notice.

The manservant bowed deeply and the maid curtsied as the dungeon keeper walked by. Basil paid no mind to their presence. Elnora, however, took notice of how pleased the two seemed by the arrival of their Lord. She caught a glimpse of their brimming smiles in their master’s passing.

Just at the threshold of the gate they were greeted by a tall man in a black leather outfit. He was wrapped in chains and belts of many different shapes and sizes—all of it painted coal black to merge with the outline of his shadowy figure. There was no unified pattern or design to the items; rather the man’s apparel looked like it had been cobbled together from whatever he had gotten his hands on. But a closer inspection with an identification spell would—if successful—reveal them to be powerful artifacts that the minion had carefully chosen to supplement his abilities with.

“The Cabal Co. representatives have just arrived,” Schwartz told Lord Doom while executing an impeccable bow. “Security has been tightened in accordance with your orders. I have also taken the liberty of moving the guests into the throne room. The area has been cordoned off for your privacy. I am currently channeling divination spells and will notify you of any attempts at espionage.”

“Wonderful,” Basil said. He dismissed his servant with a nod. “I have been looking forward to this moment for some time now.”

“Cabal Co.?” Elnora asked. “I didn’t see any mention of them in our shipping manifests.”

“Ah, that is because I made a personal purchase,” Basil explained. “See, the Guild required so much paperwork to be filed before I could put in a request for a new dungeon core that I simply decided to go ahead and find one myself.”

They passed through the magical portal embedded in the gold trimmed doorway and immediately found themselves in the dark and battle scared chamber that served as the throne room of the dungeon. Not much had changed over the past few hours except that Basil had ordered the remains of the twins removed. In fact a couple of imps were still hard at work scrubbing the floor clean of what had once been Aidan—the human champion—who now resembled a splatter of extra chunky tomato sauce.

Schwartz made sure to close the door of the Mansion before following his master into the throne room. He was a tad pale, but otherwise lively looking man. His coal black outfit almost matched the pitch-black color of his hair, although the shadows of the dungeon probably cast him in a darker light than was common.

Inside the throne room they were met by a delegation of chaos dwarves. Half a dozen short, stout and gray skinned men surrounded a large wooden crate at the steps of the throne. Their bodies were laden with gold and silver chains which signaled their high standing in chaos dwarf society. Judging from their appearance they were all master craftsmen with the exception of the two soldiers in their party, though their armor was certainly at least as expensive as the fine silk clothes of their kinsmen.

As Basil and his minions approached the group a Cabal Co. representative stepped forward to greet the dungeon keeper.

“I’m happy to see you in one piece,” the muscled man said and bowed before Basil—an act that did little to shorten his stature. His golden chains almost reached down to the floor, but their immense weight did not seem to burden the burly creature in the slightest.

“It’s been too long, Drum,” Basil replied.

The Cabal Co. representative nodded in agreement. Drum then gestured at the naked, rage-stricken dwarf that was sealed within the ice formation at the foot of the throne. “I like what you have done with the place,” he said. “If you are going for a dungeon of lust vibe, then I can recommend some of my best masons. They can turn any old stone surface into a titillating scene of obscenity and lust.”

Basil smiled. “I will keep that in mind.

“How are you, old friend?” he asked.

“Malevolent and mad with power,” Drum replied. “At least that is what my wife would tell you.”

“And how are the children?” Basil asked.

“Malevolent and mad with power,” the dwarf reiterated, “My wife says that they get that from me.” He broke out into a bout of thunderous laugher that the other dwarves were quick to join in on.

Basil moved to introduce the dwarf to his young apprentice, “Elnora, meet Drum Devourer Harkon. He is the best damned engineer in all of the Nine Hells.”

“Any man who says otherwise has obviously not seen my work,” Drum added as he shook Elnora’s hand.

“It’s a pleasure,” she said.

“Shall we get to the heart of the matter then?” Drum asked and pointed at the massive wooden box behind him. It was easily twice the size of the dwarf himself.

“By all means,” Basil replied.

At the clap of Drum’s hands the other chaos dwarves got to work unpacking the crate.

“Drum was the chief engineer for my father,” Basil explained to Elnora as they watched the dwarves carefully pry open the arcane seals on the crate. “When the old master of House Doom went missing some of his minions chose to pursue their own goals.”

“Mostly the skilled ones,” Drum interjected. “With Basil’s father gone there was little holding the old gang together anymore. I am sorry to say this, but most of us just couldn’t be bothered to stick around waiting for the new generation to mature.”

The dwarf gave Schwartz a cautious look before continuing. “Aside from some of the warriors, we just kind of all went out own separate ways.”

“But I have been keeping in touch with some of them over the years,” Basil added. “Drum was probably the easiest to find. He has occasionally done some work for me, mostly regarding the upkeep of the Mansion.”

“I did design it,” Drum said. “If it wasn’t for old man Chronos tending to its every need, the place would probably require a crew of a hundred mages and mechanics working around the clock to keep it going.”

By now the dwarves were done unboxing the cargo and stepped back to reveal it to the expectant dungeon keeper.

Drum stepped forward and presented his work to Basil. “Behold,” he said, “the hottest new item on the market—the sixth generation of dungeon cores.”

The crate turned out to contain a bulky crystalline cage in the shape of an octagon. At the heart of the shimmering cage was a head sized orb of pure Chaos energy. It was both at once protected and restrained by the semi-transparent crystalline frame with only a few small openings on either side to allow for interacting with the power source.

“A beauty, isn’t she?” Drum asked. “I call this model Sudden Death.”

“Marvelous!” Basil exclaimed. “To contain so much raw power within such a small thing…”

The dungeon keeper looked to Drum in slight bemusement. “But I can hardly sense its presence,” he said and glanced towards the base of his throne. “I don’t mean to sound unimpressed, but my old dungeon core feels much more powerful than this thing.”

“Oh, but that’s the best part about it!” Drum exclaimed. “This baby produces around 3% more power than the last generation. I know, it doesn’t sound like much of an improvement, but the important thing is that it doesn’t bleed off its spare output into the astral plane.”

“Meaning…” Basil led him on.

“Meaning,” Drum continued, “that the only way for your enemies to find the location of the core would be to come within very short distance to the dungeon itself. And I am talking danger close. Like, right on top of it.

“It’s all prototype technology, of course,” Drum added. “But don’t let that fool you. If the damned Guild didn’t drag their feet on certifying it, I would have already begun the production run.”

“Wait, you mean to say that this core is invisible to screening spells?” Elnora asked.

Drum nodded vigorously. The old dwarf brimmed with pride as he elaborated on his contraption. “Spells, divination machines, prophets—nothing can detect this core with any degree of credibility. That’s why I am calling this model Sudden Death.” He smashed his fists together for added drama. “A world won’t know that a dungeon has gone active until the master in charge decides to make his first move.”

“You did mention that it’s a prototype,” Basil noted. “Can it be relied upon to function as intended?”

Drum continued talking up his work with tears swelling in his eyes. “It is the best, most innovative and ergonomic dungeon core out there!” he declared. “I am offering you the most important development of the decade here! It is the pinnacle of my life’s work… and if you won’t accept it then you will have to take my head instead! Here and now! I swear it on my name! Do or die!”

A tense silence settled over the throne room as everyone waited on Basil to say something. He was the dungeon keeper that the crafty dwarf had hoped to impress and all the parties present were wishing him success.

Elnora noticed that even the imps that had been tasked with cleaning up Aidan’s blood were frozen with expectation. With little beady eyes the red demonlings closely followed the unfolding scene, though she strongly suspected that they were probably just hoping that the number of blood stains on the floor would not double, should the dungeon keeper reject the dwarf’s offer.

Basil raised his hand over the expectant dwarf. “I accept!” he said and slammed down hard on Drum’s shoulder. “Heck, how could I ever refuse you, old friend. It will be my honor to host your masterpiece as my dungeon core.”

“Wonderful!” Drum said and took Basil’s massive hand—well, two and a half fingers, really—in his own less than modestly sized hands. “I am so happy to hear it!

“When you father,” the old dwarf’s voice faintly cracked as he touched upon a topic close to his heart, “when he disappeared, I…” he sniffed, “I never thought that I would get to work for House Doom ever again. I thought we were done, that our adventures were over.”

Drum went in for a hug and Basil let him. “To see you all grown up,” the dwarf sobbed as he pressed his face into the dungeon keeper’s side, “to know that great deeds still lie ahead—it fills me with immense pride to know that I can be a part of your legacy too.”

Basil gently patted the gray head of the old dwarf. “You will always have a place in our household, Drum,” he said. “No matter what path you choose to walk, you will always be welcome here.”

Elnora was surprised to see Lord Basil act with such overt kindness. Granted, she had only been in his service for a short while, but in all those months she had never seen him so overwhelmed by emotion. Yet, there he was, the dark prince of the dungeon of Doom, patting the head of a senile old man. She could almost feel Basil’s breath as it grew louder in tandem with what she suspected was his swelling heart…

The succubus stirred form her daydreaming as she realized that the room was indeed shaking to the rhythm of Basil’s breathing. It almost seemed as though something was about to force its way out of the dungeon keeper…

But that flow of emotion was not to last. Basil took pause to collect himself. It didn’t look the least bit natural the way he suddenly distanced himself from the rest of the room. She also took notice of how both Drum and Schwartz seemed to ignore the sudden shift in Basil’s persona, almost as if they had expected it.

The dungeon keeper carefully pried Drum away from himself. He then approached his new dungeon core.

“How much time do you need to install it?” he asked.

“Should be able to do it overnight,” Drum answered with confidence. The old dwarf waddled up to Basil. “I am going to have to do a full system reboot once the new core is hooked up to the Mansion’s network. The entire dungeon’s power grid will be unreliable in the meanwhile, so no long range teleportation, unless you want to get lost in the astral plane on purpose. But I doubt that it will interfere with the routine operations of the Mansion itself.”

“Incoming or outgoing?” Basil asked.

“Oh, incoming teleportation will be fine,” Drum answered, “Why? Do you plan on leaving soon?”

“I must,” Basil answered. “We are assaulting the capital city tomorrow morning.”

“Well, then you better leave early,” Drum advised. “That way I can finish setting up the new core just in time of your victorious return.

“Oh, and if you don’t mind me sticking around a little longer, tomorrow I would like to survey the Mansion. I need to see how the place has held up in my absence.”

“You are welcome to stay for as long as you desire,” Basil replied. “I will send word to Chronos to make her ready for a checkup.”

Elnora noticed Drum’s gaze grown distant as he focused on Basil’s chest. The old dwarf approached the dungeon keeper and placed his hand over Basil’s heart.

“We need to make sure that it doesn’t skip a beat,” Drum said.

Basil nodded in solemn agreement.

Having made sure that the eyes of his fellow dwarves were not upon them, Drum pulled a white paper envelope from one of the folds in his garb and passed it onto Basil. “A message from the Sea Dragon,” he whispered. “For your eyes only. He said it was urgent that you should meet him. I suspect it is about...” he threw a cautious look to Elnora, “your father’s legacy.”

Basil slipped the envelope into his magic pouch. He then nodded and, having shaken the hand of the old dwarf in a parting gesture, turned around to head for the Mansion door. Elnora was quick to match her master’s pace while Schwartz stayed behind to converse with his old comrade for a while longer.

The succubus knew that Drum was indeed old by demi-human standards—he certainly looked the part, covered in wrinkles and warts. Schwartz, however, did not appear to have been touched by time even though they both had served House Doom through the long reign of their old master. Just like with Scarlet, the origins of the black clad warrior were a mystery to her, save for the fact that the two top commanders of Basil’s forces shared a long standing and viciously bitter rivalry.

There is still much that I don’t understand about this place, she realized. Elnora recalled her earlier conversation with Scarlet and it begun to take on a deeper meaning following the exchange she had just witnessed. There were indeed secrets to this place that even months down the line she had not even begun to unravel.

The succubus bit the corner of her lip as she realized that she really was an outsider to this place and its guardians. But worst of all, she still had no idea of who her master really was, or what would be required of her to become more than just a temporary apprentice.

Basil noticed Elnora’s searching gaze and moved to pick back up on their earlier conversation.

“The final battle in the war for this world begins at dawn,” he said. “Make sure to study the data well. Your performance will depend on it.”

“I will do my best!” Elnora replied. “I will make you proud.”

“Good,” Basil said. “But do make sure to set aside some time to rest. All of your preparations will be for naught if you won’t be able to focus in the heat of battle.”

Elnora saluted the dungeon keeper. “Understood, Master!”

“Come morning, you will find me in the main teleportarium,” Basil said and waved for his assistant to scurry along, “Make sure to bring your best gear.”

“Yes, Master!”

Elnora spun around and was about to head out when she realized that Schwartz had been shadowing her. The man had been walking so close behind her that she almost ran into him.

With little time to loose Elnora mumbled an apology before quickly disappearing into the endless hallways of the Mansion.

Basil was left alone in the company of Schwartz who took up position walking at his master’s side.

“Situation, Sir?” Schwartz asked. His posture had been relaxed in the presence of Elnora and the others, but now the tall man took up a more rigid stance.

“An assault on the imperial capital and the throne itself,” Basil answered.

“Both at once, Sir?”

“Yes,” Basil answered. “Elnora will handle the bulk of the defenders. I intend to go directly for the emperor. From what I have heard his throne will make for a fine addition to my collection.”

“My rangers have already infiltrated the imperial palace,” Schwartz said. “If you wish, I could order them to execute the emperor right now. That should shatter their will to resist before our attack begins.”

“We could kill their leader ahead of time, but we won’t,” Basil declared. “I need the emperor’s forces to put up as much resistance as possible. I have promised Elnora a proper challenge. I just hope that the foolish kith will be able to provide it.

“Keep your assassins on standby,” Basil ordered. “Let them known that I desire to meet with the emperor in person. If he seeks to escape the capital then they are authorized to capture him, but nothing more.”

Schwartz nodded. “Very well, Sir.

“Now, was there anything else you wished to discuss, or should I return to my post?” Schwartz asked.

“No, nothing else comes to mind, really,” Basil said. He then turned to look at Schwartz, “But can you believe how old Drum looks? I know that kith races age fast and all that, but I didn’t expect him to have withered so quickly…”

“Indeed,” Schwartz replied in his usual dry tone. “Anything else, Sir?”

“It’s just that I remember him being so full of life and vigor,” Basil mused. His contemplation was short lived, however, as he remembered to give his minion one last directive.

“Schwartz,” Basil addressed his servant in a stern tone, “your forces are to cooperate with Scarlet’s on this one.”

The cast iron expression of the grim man cracked at the mention of her name. “Must we, really?” Schwartz asked.

“Elnora can’t have her lieutenants bickering in the heat of battle,” Basil said. “She doesn’t have the experience to handle disobedient troops more powerful than her. Your personal quarrels are a distraction to me, but I suspect that for the young succubus they might prove fatal. In light of this, I demand that you cooperate with Scarlet until the city has fallen. Is that clear?”

Schwartz looked to be searching for an excuse. “Lady Elnora would be best served by relying on my forces alone,” he suggested.

“I have made up my mind on this issue,” Basil said. “You will put aside your differences and work together for one day. After that you can go back to bickering. Have I made myself clear?”

“Crystal clear, Sir,” Schwartz replied. The grim man bowed his head. “I apologize for my insolence.”

By now they had arrived at the door to Basil’s private quarters. Before stepping inside, the dungeon keeper offered his servant a parting gesture of good faith.

“I am not going to try force you into a truce with Scarlet, but I cannot have your animosity interfering with my plans.”

“Understood, Sir,” Schwartz replied.

Basil pulled up the letter that Drum had given him and examined the familiar wax seal on it. “I expect to hear no objections from Scarlet,” he said. “Use a neutral messenger if you must, but relay my orders to her word for word.”

The dungeon keeper turned his back on the dark ranger and entered his chamber. “If Elnora does her job right, by tomorrow evening we will be done with this world.”