-[Act 2 * Part 9]-

When Basil entered the room the scene fell silent. From his elevated platform at the front the dungeon keeper watched over the small crowd of his most trusted minions as they took their seats.

There was Scarlet and Schwartz, the two top combat specialists in his employ. They sat on the opposite sides of the auditorium and did their best to ignore the presence of the other. Surrounding them was a small entourage of minions. The red armor clad all-female paladins of Scarlet sat with their backs straight and their dutiful gazes fixed on the dungeon keeper, while the rangers of Schwartz, dressed in black leather, loomed in their seats like hunters in ambush—ready to spring forth at any moment.

Chronos and his wife Gaia were seated in-between the two hostile groups. At a glance the elderly couple seemed like a strange mix, as Chronos wore his black suit while Gaia—who looked very much like the stereotype of a wizened crone—was dressed in all the colors of autumn. Her clothes were vibrant, yet earthly in their tone. The expression of her husband was stern and patient, while she herself didn’t seem to have a care in the world.

Several other minor commanders and overseers were present, but they remained at the back. The only people of any importance that were missing were Drum and Elnora. The old dwarf no longer had any business remaining in the Mansion and had elected to take his leave, while the succubus was not a part of the Doom household, and as such was not allowed to participate in their gatherings.

Basil was satisfied with the attendance as it was. All who mattered were present. With the doors to the auditorium locked by spell and key, he could now reveal to them his plan and tell of the things that were to come. But first, the dungeon keeper had to put the finishing touched to the work he had done on this world.

“I assume that our forces are in the process of converging on the dungeon core?” he asked to the audience in general. “Have all the mission critical Guild assets been recalled? How long before we can depart this world?”

Both Scarlet and Schwartz stood up at the same time to give their reports.

Basil was quick to deescalate the situation. “We will go through the audience clockwise this time,” he said, “left to right. Scarlet, please begin.”

Schwartz complied with his master’s decision and settled back into his seat to await his turn.

Scarlet seemed to revel in her petty victory and delivered her report with a slight grin. “The command staff and Guild support elements have all been recalled. The local forces have all been left suitably disorganized. My lieutenants are already reporting incidents among the local leaders as they assert their dominance in an effort to fill the void left by our departure. I estimate a high possibility that, without you and your commanders present, the monsters of this world will scatter following a period of bloody infighting. Two weeks to a month later I predict a complete loss of cohesion and a collapse.”

“I am pleased with your efforts,” Basil said as he waved for Scarlet to sit back down. “We need to make sure that no one creature can rise to rally the armies that we leave behind.”

He then turned to Schwartz. “Have your rangers go down the list of priority targets and kill off any who seem like they could pose a threat. We cannot afford a second wave of carnage washing over this world. That would be unprofessional.”

Schwartz bowed his head in agreement. “It will be done, My Lord,” he said. “But I will require an extra day to carry out the assassinations.”

“Then you will have the day,” Basil said. “This world has suffered enough. We will leave it to heal, not to burn indefinitely.”

“As for the Guild assets,” Schwartz continued, “I have issued the warning order for our imminent departure. They will be provided access to our teleportarium facilities for the next 72 hours, as per the Guild contract, beginning at midnight. Anyone still on this world after the deadline will have to make for the Guild contingency site in the mountains to the south of the capital city. It will operate for a further 168 hours past the closure of the main facilities of this dungeon and the jump of the core.”

“So, it’s cleanup operations as usual,” Basil noted. “Anything else?”

“That would be all,” Schwartz said.

The dungeon keeper next turned his attention to Chronos and Gaia. The elderly couple had been patiently waiting for their chance to speak.

“Is the Mansion ready for the jump?” Basil asked.

Chronos stood up to deliver his report. “The Mansion is operating at peak performance,” he said. “Drum’s visit gave us an opportunity to work out some of the kinks down in the engine room. It will be some time before we can estimate the change in performance, but I have already observed a minor decrease in the frequency with which issues are being reported by our staff. Overall, we are ready for the jump.

“There is, however, the small issue with the integration of the new dungeon core,” he added.

“What’s wrong with it?” Basil asked.

Chronos scratched his head. “Well, it’s working as intended, powering the dungeon outside the Mansion, but when I tried to tap into it to shore up the Mansion’s power supply, I couldn’t quite get the connection established. It would seem that whatever crazy invention of Drum’s is at work disguising the core from outside observers has also rendered it hidden to the Mansion’s systems.”

“Do we need the extra energy of the core to power out facilities at this time?” Basil asked.

“No,” Chronos answered, “at present consumption rates we can keep the Mansion fully operational without sacrificing any additional resources. Our stockpiles of arcane ingredients will be more than enough to fuel the reactor core, should the need arise. The lifeblood will flow uninterrupted.”

At this moment Gaia stood up and chimed in on their conversation. “If I may,” she said and looked to Basil with her shriveled crone’s eyes, “the gardens are in full bloom at this time of the year. The fruits of our labor are coming in nicely. Hmm… yes. We will have our energy for now. But when winter comes…”

“We will make sure to have established a foothold on a different world by then,” Basil said. “You need not worry, Gaia, I will keep your cycle going uninterrupted.”

The old crone smiled revealing all of her six teeth. “Good. Then I can retire to my winter quarters when the time comes. Oh, I do so dream of spring already. My joints are killing me...”

Gaia looked to her husband and Chronos kissed her on the forehead. “I will be waiting for you.”

“Are there any other outstanding issues?” Basil asked. “Anything that I should be made aware of concerning our operations on this world? No? Alright then.”

Basil rubbed his hands together in an uncharacteristic show of anxiety for the dungeon keeper. He allowed for the silence to settle in. Once he was sure that he had the full and undivided attention of all his subjects he continued.

“The core will depart this world in a little over three days, as planned,” he declared. “Our job here is done.”

The minions all nodded in agreement.

“But I have decided not to embark on the next purge right away,” Basil said. “I have… chosen a different path forward. Some of you might not agree with what I am about to tell you, but know that I have long pondered my decision on this. And it is final.”

The dungeon keeper pulled out an envelope from his magic pouch and raised it high for his minions to see. “This is a letter from Razazil,” he declared. Basil examined the item in his hand as he pondered its contents. “The old admiral has informed me that his search for my missing father has uncovered something.”

“Has he found you father?” Gaia asked.

Basil shook his head in denial. “Unfortunately, no. The circumstances of his disappearance elude us still. But Razazil has informed me that he is currently in the possession of a clue as to where we might begin our search… and that he would only deign to discuss it with me in person. So I take it that he has uncovered something substantial.”

The top four minions of House Doom all exchanged clandestine looks. There was a hint of guilt in their eyes, but they dared not turn them upon Basil, lest it be revealed.

“So, I have decided to go and pay him a visit,” Basil said. “Tomorrow morning I will depart for the Nine Hells. Officially it will be to deliver my mission reports and to turn in my quests with the Guild. But, in reality, the purpose of my visit is to hold an audience with the Admiral.”

Basil went on calling the roles for the mission. “Schwartz and Scarlet will provide security.”

The two fighters nodded in agreement.

“We will infiltrate the outer districts of the 9th level of Hell,” Basil explained. “Once there, we will make contact with one of Admiral’s ships and await pickup. If all goes well, we should be in an out of Port Malus within a few hours. After that we will travel to the Guild HQ in the 9th Hell where I will meet with the Lord Administrator.

“It is unlikely that we will encounter any significant danger along the way,” Basil said, “but since we are visiting Port Malus, I believe that a heavy escort is warranted. Also, we will be taking Elnora with us.”

That last declaration didn’t go down that well with the minions.

“With all due respect, My Lord,” Scarlet said. “We can’t guarantee the safety of a level 23 demon. She doesn’t have the endurance to withstand a serious attempt on our lives. High tier magic will tear her to shreds in seconds.”

For once Schwartz was nodding along in support of her complaint. “This mission would place her in unnecessary danger,” he said.

“I understand your concerns, but we can’t coddle our minions,” Basil said. “Of what use to me are guardians that cannot protect a single individual?” he asked. “Am I to presume that you two are incapable of preventing harm form coming to her? Do you refuse the mission?”

The two warriors kept silent. Their pride would not allow them to deny the dungeon keeper’s request, especially in the presence of the other.

Chronos took the opportunity to speak up. “The issue of her low power level notwithstanding, I can’t help but ask if it is wise to bring along an outsider. Whatever information Razazil wished to pass on to you cannot possibly be intended for the ears of a Guild operative. Remember, My Lord, Elnora serves the Guild first, you second.”

“You have a point there,” Basil admitted. “But the meeting with the Admiral is only the first step in my plan. I shall reveal it to you play by play as the situation develops further. I want you all to understand that I don’t intend to work with the Guild on my next project. It is something that I have been planning for a while now and it includes Elnora in a rather key role.

“You see, not only have I been training her to be my apprentice, but I have gone leaps and bounds beyond that. For the past seven months I have been grooming her into becoming my gray cardinal in the ranks of the Guild. She will be instrumental in the days to come. That is why I will bring her along to meet the admiral. I will need to be able to trust her going forward. Thus, she must trust me.”

“Oh, I have a feeling that she already does…” Scarlet mumbled.

Basil took one long look around the room. “Now, have I explained our next move in sufficient detail, or is there something that you wanted to ask of me before we depart for the Nine Hells?”

The auditorium kept silent for a while, but Chronos did come up with one last question.

“What about the twins?” he asked. “Where do they come into your plan?”

Basil shrugged. “We will find a use for them sooner or later,” he said. “Truth be told, I don’t need them right now. I place them under your guidance until such a time comes that I will call for their services. That is, if they survive the ritual of binding.

“Now go and make your preparations for the trip to the Nine Hells,” Basil ordered. “And Chronos, send a message to the Admiral telling him to await my arrival. Let him know to expect us by tomorrow morning. I am eager to learn of what he has discovered…”