I headed back to the dungeon heart to learn some more. I was looking forward to seeing what I was told about the operations of the dungeon. I had gotten much of what I needed from Dave, or at least I thought I did. But it was one of those things of not knowing what I didn’t know.

When I triggered the Operations, I got dumped into another blast of information. As I thought about it, the way the info was coming in reminded me of all those shows where people’s eyes were propped open, and they were forced to watch a hundred TVs all at once. Yet, this wasn’t news or shows. This was how the dungeon worked.

I wasn’t sure how long it kept me in there, pumping my brain full of how the levels get built. There are general plans that adapt based off of the resources around. If the dungeon is around stone, then stone gets used more. If it is around just dirt, then more of it is hard clay. If the heart were to be put in a building, then the building would become part of the dungeon.

Preexisting structures stay in place, but the dungeon will create its own where and when it can. So if it took over a cave, the cave would remain in place. Same with a castle, but then the dungeon would grow around it. So the dungeon in a castle would grow down. The growth of a dungeon is always done in the way of a container, as it wants to trap the mana used in the dungeon for more development. So the castle dungeon wouldn’t spread out across the city because of going open air. It would only spread where the sewers or other tunnels would take it.

Now just because the dungeon took over the preexisting structure wouldn’t mean that it wouldn’t change the inside of it some. So the tunnel that I put my dungeon in got adjusted so that it wouldn’t just run right through. So that path is still there, but now there are walls that break it up.

The dungeon gains power through mana and mass. So if I were to flood the dungeon with water from the river. It would convert that water into power and level up. Mana usage from either active skills or spells would also feed the dungeon. The dungeon preferred already channeled mana for collection over the ambient mana.

Ambient mana had to be converted into the different types of mana that it would use to fill its stores and grow. It had hundreds of different types of mana that it wanted, and so when lots of spells got used, those spells, when broken down, would fill the storage. It would take the dungeon weeks on its own to convert the ambient mana into the mana it needed to fuel some of the growth. That same amount could get created by a single fireball or even a light orb.

As what I learned was an overview of operations ended, I was shown that there were subfolders options under operations.

Targets

Traps

Construction

Power management

Safe room

The last two were grayed out.

Communications

Travel

Once again, my head was pounding when I finished my time of learning. I wasn’t thrilled at all about how much it hurt, but I wanted the information. So I took a nap right next to the heart in my room.

I dreamed during my nap.

The city had been saved but just so. The gates had been burned, and most of the standing army had been killed when the orcs who had been invited turned and started killing. They had been an advance party of just over two hundred. The Governor had brought them in, trying to make them an ally, and then they let in the gremlins and goblins.

The orc shaman that had been at the arena came after us when we left. He wasn’t pleased that the Blessing that I put out would stop his corruption attacks. So he chased us to the Aururior compound, where we ended him. My Embers always fought with rage and pain of the dying fire. The personal guard of the Aururior family fought with professionalism and skill.

They formed up and opened the gates to the family compound when they saw us. Two rows of twenty men ran out and formed a wall around my charge and her husband. They brought the whole group of us in. As they did, they started to engage the dark ones around them. They would stab and fall back, always keeping with their rows until they folded back into the gate.

The Commander was in the middle of his courtyard when we came in. He had donned his armor and was giving commands to his personal men. His eyes passed over us and landed on his son first, who he waved over. Then he saw me and paused for a moment.

“Arn? Is that you?” He asked while looking at me.

Didius spoke before I could. “That’s where I know him! He’s your area slave! Yes, it is him one moment he was in the arena fighting then his collar broke and he killed the orc he was fighting. That is what caused all of this! He broke his collar and killed their chief’s son!”

The Commander backhanded his son, “Fool! This is an invasion which I warned the Governor about and he didn’t care! I told you not to go to the arena today because I thought this would happen!”

Didius rubbed his face, “But the Shaman said it was because of the death of the chief’s son. Perhaps if we give him to the Shaman he will call everything off.”

The Commander sighed, “I was at war for too long and you were under the care of the simple. This was planned they had an army on the outside waiting for today. Perhaps Arn set it off in the arena early. Perhaps not.”

The Commander grabbed an aide and said something to him. The aid took Didius away toward one of the buildings in the compound. As this was going on, I looked around. This was the first time I had been in the compound. At least this part of it.

I watched as he rested a hand on Maria’s shoulder and leaned in and whispered with her for a few moments. Then he turned to her attendant. “Take her to the secure room. I have guard posted there for her.”

Her attendant bowed, and the two of them left. Then the Commander walked over to me and looked me over. I was wearing their armor and orc armor mixed with bits from other places. He walked around me and grunted.

“I don’t know where you got your equipment since that isn’t what the arena has but I thank you for helping. Maria tells me that you saved her and my son and these that are with you all swore to protect her. Is that right?”

“I have always been sworn to protect her. My goddesses have placed me here to guard her for the past 15 years. If she dies before me I will kill those who caused it. If it is this city I will raze it to the ground, if it is the orcs I will hunt them till I die.”

“Who are you really? I thought that you were just a deserter we brought back. You did a good job pulling my cart.”

“I am the Ash of Chaos I am what is left when her fire burns bright.”

The Commander smiled and laughed. “That tells me nothing! Tell me then Ash of Chaos what do you know of the orcs. What I have heard is you led my son here and made is so he would live another day.”

“They serve the dark ones and bring the destruction of our world.”

A shout came from outside the compound. It was followed by the banging of shields. From on top of the wall, one of the family guards called down.

“Commander they’re here! They have one of the biggest damn orcs that I have ever seen!”

The Commander bolted for the steps, and I came up behind him. When we got to the top, I saw a group of thirty orcs with a horde of gremlins and goblins milling around. In the middle of the horde was the shaman from the arena. Beside the shaman was a giant of a warrior at least three feet taller than the others. The big guy was decked out in chain mail and carried a huge axe over his shoulder. The helmet he wore was the skull of a wyvern, and his gauntlets were covered in large bones. His fingers all ended in talon-like claws.

I chucked. “They brought an ogre so they had doubts about their plan.”

The Commander spun and looked at me. “What do you mean?”

“Ogre heal fast unless you can remove their heads, they aren’t that bright and they like to fight. That one looks trained so will be able to take out this wall unless we do something about him. Most arrows will bounce off his skin. So he needs something that will hit hard and cut deep.”

“You have fought them before?”

“Many times, it cost lives to kill them unless you have something that can pierce stone easily as that is what their skin is. But one of the best things to do is not to kill them.”

I smiled and looked out. I could see the magical leash the Shaman had on the ogre. The reason that he hadn’t attacked the orcs as of yet.

The Commander raised one eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“Ogres are monsters they aren’t dark ones but they can be controlled. The Shaman is controlling him now. Remove the Shaman and you remove the control. Then he goes for what is easy and or what hurt him. Let the orcs kill their monster.”

“How, do you think we should kill the Shaman?”

“Do you have anti-mage weapons in your compound?”

“Sadly not many and nothing that can reach. They are something that is regulated to active army.”

I grinned. “So that means I am going to kill him which is good. Because the Sisters want him dead. So I am going to bring that little gremlin next to him up here. When he gets up here don’t kill him because I am going to need him to get out of that mess.”

“What?”

“I have a skill that lets me trade places with an enemy so I plan on killing swapping with the gremlin next to him. Killing the Shaman and swapping back. So keep the little guy alive.”

As we had our quick chat, the orcs had been pounding on their shields, and then they stopped. The Shaman walked forward and shouted.

“Send out the Daughter of Light and the Ash! Our god will bless you and let you live. Refuse and Xazbus’ wrath will fall on you! Your walls will be broken in and your head will become my camber pot!”

Commander Aururior looked down at the Shaman and yelled. “Who is this Daughter of Light?”

“She went in with him! Yellow hair and a blue dress! She is the one Xazbus wants! Give her over and we will leave with only killing the Ash!”

Commander Aururior looked over at me. “Do you know who he is talking about?”

I nodded, “Maria.”

“Oh well that changes things doesn’t it. If it had been a slave I might have, but she is the one that will take over the family when I die. Unless that son of mine figures out life. You ready.”

“Yes sir.”

He gave me an easy smile. “Go when it seems like a good time.”

The Commander then yelled back down, “I can trade you the Ash as you call him. He is but a slave! The other one I am not sure about. Perhaps we can bargain?

The Shaman glared up at the Commander and yelled! “Send out the Ash and then we can bargain about the other!”

As he said that, I traded with a gremlin that was just a few feet behind the Shaman. It wasn’t very honorable, but honor only mattered in oaths. When I appeared, I took my blessed sword from Chaos and spun with one great cut. The sword had an ability that was activated to shatter the magical shield he had, and then I activated a holy ability. Judgment of Chaos.

My blade caught on fire and sped up. Where once the damage of the sword was based on its stats and the location of the hit along with my strength. Now the damage was based on my level of faith. Once a day, with a faith of 5000 or more, the weapon’s damage turns into holy damage and adds 50 to the strike. I felt myself burn through additional faith to bolster that number. For every 100 points used, after that, the damage would double. So for the use of 600 faith points, I put 3200 points of damage across the shaman’s neck.

As the sword made contact, I cried out, “For the Sisters!”

I turned and looked back up at the top of the wall for the gremlin that I was going to trade places with. I saw a guard officer get to the top of the stairs in a run and put his sword through the gremlin. I recognized the sword. It was Didius. He had gone and armored up and didn’t know what was going on. Which left me at the start of the battle down here.

“Well, let’s get this started.”

The dream skipped forward, and I was sitting in front of the gate to the Aururior compound. I was covered in blood, but the orcs and goblins were dead. The ogre had been a brute, but I ended up finishing him off. There were only a few city buildings that were leveled.

The gate opened, and a servant walked out. I could tell that he was one of the trusted men with how he was dressed. His clothing was almost as good as the Commander’s own, and the man had silver hair.

“Arn, or if you wish to be called Ash I can do that. Please come with me the Commander would like to meet with you. One freeman to another.”

I rolled my head back and laughed. It had been too long since my active skills had been open to me and even longer since I had gotten a chance to feel the spray of blood across my face.

“I have always been free but, yes lets go speak with him.”

“I can take you some place to wash and then bring you to him.”

I tapped a stone on my right gantlet. The filth lifted from me and moved a few feet away before falling. “No need.”

We entered the study; the Commander was sitting at his desk. In front were three chairs, Maria at one and next to her Didius still in his armor.

The old servant spoke, “Commander, he is here now.”

Commander Aururior looked up from his desk and gestured to the third chair. “You have been here in this city as a slave for 15 years just to protect Maria. The skill and power you showed today meant that you could have left whenever you wanted. Why is she so important to you?”

I sat down, “She is the Daughter of Light.”

“Once again you answer in a way that means nothing to me. What does it mean that she is the Daughter of Light?”

I smiled at him and shrugged. “I don’t know. That is the title that the Sisters gave”

Maria looked over at me, “You have protected me for as long as I knew. I never knew why you watched only that you were there. Your goddess commands much respect from you.”

My voice changed, and the airy musical voice that had spoken to me so many times came out of my mouth. “Daughter of Light it is goddesses we are the Sisters Order and Chaos.”

The voice changed to the sharp severe voice. “I Order would like to call you to be my priestess to the cities. Will you accept?”

“I do not know anything about you how can I accept.”

The voice in my mouth spoke, “You have seen my Sister’s Ash for 15 years. You know me through him as he serves me as well.”

She looked right at me, “How does he serve you?”

“He is my battle priest the first priest.”

The voice joined together again, “He is the High Priest of Order and Chaos, The War Priest of the Wild Humans. He is the Ash that covers where the fire has burned to settle down and blanket the world when our anger is kindled. He has held his hand in the city of his enemies because we asked. What of you will you share Order with the cities?”

Maria swallowed hard, “I will be the priestess of Order for you to the cities.”

There was a flash of light, and a slight glow of white fell down on Maria. Then she started to glow a soft pink. Her hair changed from blond to black, and then her dress changed from white to black. Maria blinked a few times and laughed.

“I have the class, Priestess of Order.”

The Commander looked at me and cleared his throat. “Arn, I am not sure what all just happened out there or how things are going to end up in the city. What I do know however, is our law says that you are to be killed. A slave that broke his collar is one that we can’t control. I don’t want our family to be on the wrong side of you or your goddesses. Its likely you don’t need this but I want to offer anyway because of what you did today. You can see I already had this drawn up before you came in. It is adoption papers. I would like to make you an Aururior and your descendants.”

I said. “Paper can be lost or stolen how does that keep them from trying to kill me?”

The Commander smiled. “So be it, I would like to offer you to be my son through a Familial Contract it would bind you to our family. You would offer your full mana pool and all duties of a Familial contract per custom. I would give you my family name of Aururior for you and those of your children. I would grant Protection as able from all who would wish you harm per custom.”

“Not access to my mana. I offer to Protect Maria and her descendants for as long as I live and my descendants will protect her’s binding us as family.”

He stood and reached his hand out. I stood and clasped his arm. “Welcome to the family son. We must get ready for the ritual.”

* * *