DD2 -CH3-

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Ryker was on his way back to his throne room again.

In the end, Wynne had wanted more from him, but had been too tired to do anything. For which he was secretly grateful. He didn’t want to test out the stamina potion Meino had suggested, just to have it fail.

Wynne had practically chapped his lips though with how much she kissed him. Right up until he tucked her into her bed and she immediately passed out.

“That was sweet,” Meino sad, clomping along beside him.

“You know it’s a little weird that you can hear that well through doors, let alone apparently smell through them,” Ryker said.

“Tris can almost hear as well as I do. Her sense of smell is terrible though,” Meino said, not really responding.

“Speaking of Tris,” Ryker muttered.

Ryker opened himself to the dungeon sense that was the massive spiderweb of connections to and from the core. He could feel and sense everything and everyone throughout all of dungeon.

From Robyn in her temple where she prayed to deity that didn’t respond, to Arria processing new Dungeon Imps who were just captured.

Everything immediately stopped for several seconds as he arrived however. He’d one been told that everyone knew whenever he was present.

“Tris, Charlotte, Marybelle,” Ryker said gently into the dungeon sense. “Come see me in person. Bring your lieutenants with you, or those you would make so. You’ll need a total of six for each of you.”

He received three magical acknowledgments.

Entering his throne room, he went and sat down on his not very throne-like throne. Right before he disconnected his dungeon sense, he realized there was something he should do.

He could generally sense what Robyn was doing at this moment. She was sitting in the unbuilt temple of light, kneeling, praying.

“Robyn,” Ryker said, sending it directly through the direct connection she shared with him. “I greet you on this day. I wish you well and thank you for your assistance yesterday. Have you made any progress in your quest?”

Her head lifted up, and he could see the smile on her face.

“None as this time, my Dungeon Lord. I am… tranquil and unperturbed. I have slain many of the false-one’s religion. I could feel the taint of him in their souls,” Robyn said. He could feel the fiery vengeance burning inside her. If he were to give her a designation, it’d be a spirit of retribution. “-ot responding to me. But I shall continue to try. The faith and magic given to the priesthood remains powered and active. I must only catch their attention. Then I can begin to build.”

“I’m glad to hear that things are working out. Is there anything else you need, Robyn?” Ryker asked. At the same time that he’d been speaking with her, he’d been inspecting her core as gently as he could.

Everything appeared as it should. Energy was flowing freely from her core to her avatar, and back. Though there was one notable change he noticed. The link she had to the core had gone dark, though the one she shared directly to Ryker had doubled in size.

I’ll need to ask Wynne about that.

“No, my Dungeon Lord. I am well cared for. I appreciate the soldiers you’ve given me to rebuild with. They are dedicated and faithful to you, and therefore to me,” Robyn said.

Taking a second, Ryker checked those around Robyn.

They were Dungeon Imps. One and all. The magic coming from them to the core, then to Ryker, was also different. It felt like fanaticism. Towards Ryker himself.

“Of course, Robyn. You’re my Champion. My only Paladin. Only ask, and it shall be yours,” Ryker said. “Though, I must go for now. I’ll visit you in person later.”

“Yes, my Dungeon Lord,” Robyn said, lowering her head again in prayer.

Coming back to himself, Ryker opened his eyes just in time to find Meino leaning over him.

“Meino, please, not right now? I’m going to have the girls show up in a second,” Ryker said, reaching up to put both hands to the sides of her mouth. “You can groom me all you want later. I promise.”

Pale blue eyes watched him, weighing his words. “You don’t dislike it?”

“What, being groomed? It’s not so bad. Your tongue is a bit more muscular than a humans, certainly bigger, but it’s just as soft. You’ve never left any bits of anything on me afterward either. Your breath never smells either which is a plus,” Ryker said, pushing her head backward. “I just need to be ready for them is all. Promise.”

Nodding her head, Meino backed up, taking her place on his right as his guard.

“Breath doesn’t smell because I brush after I eat. Just in case I get a chance to groom you,” said the Minotaur.

Oh. Huh.

Looking to his table, Ryker began to make small corrections to Dungeon. Fixing buildings, adding patterns, and building paths for those who would dare to enter could take.

Slowly, he was beginning to section off the parts of the city where his citizens dwelled, and the parts that adventurers, soldiers, and treasure seekers would travel. It’d take time, but he planned on having a city for his people, and the dungeon city for those he wanted to kill or train.

The doors opened to admit Charlotte, Tris, and Marybelle. Swinging back on their own, the doors clicked shut.

Closing the mini-boss for the inn he was working on, Ryker stood up from his seat and walked over to stand in front of them.

Marybelle looked unchanged from when he last saw her, though she was wearing thick leather armor.

Standing between Tris and Marybelle was Charlotte.

Dark midnight-black hair and eyes the same color. With a skin-tone that one would call a step or two above pale at best.

Charlotte was also incredibly pretty, athletic, and proportioned in a fun way. She was no Marybelle, but she wasn’t lacking either. The light leather armor she wore hid a lot of that though.

She was Ryker’s assassin, rogue, and thief all in one. Somehow, she’d also become the center of this Trio of fairies.

To her right was Tris.

Standing tall in her Elven self, she was the picturesque alien beauty that Elf women tended to be. Light skinned, lovely green eyes, and short white hair, wrapped up in a personality as straightforward as the longsword always on her hip.

Adventurous, to the point, and loyal.

“Thank you for coming, but… where are your lieutenants?” Ryker asked, looking past them.

“They’re outside,” Charlotte said, her brow furrowing.

“We thought you’d want to tell us whatever it is privately first,” Tris said, jumping straight to whatever it was Charlotte was trying to work around. “You met with Adele and Diane this morning. We think they’re going to tell you to stop… to stop… being with us.”

Charlotte looked pained, and for the first time in his memory, Tris was wearing a neutral mask that she was clearly forcing on herself.

Marybelle had a small smirk and seemed undisturbed.

Considering I just gave her a solid tumble, she clearly knows better.

“I met with Diane and Adele. They’re well aware of all three of you now, and that I’m sleeping with you. Chances are, they’re going to start beating manners into you. Probably try to get you to behave as if you were in a royal marriage,” Ryker said. “This is your opportunity to get out if you want out. Otherwise they’re going to probably consider you as my wives.”

“Oh?” Marybelle said, her interest suddenly brought right back to the conversation. “Then I’ll be the first to say I’m going to happily keep welcoming you back into my bed.”

“Me too,” Tris said, looking annoyed that she hadn’t been the first to say it.

Charlotte was smiling while staring at Ryker, her head tilted to one side.

“Can I ask you a question, Ryker?” she asked. It was the first time in a long time she’d said his name directly like that.

“Of course.”

“Did you tell them about us, or did they find out on their own?” she asked.

“I told them. Told them that I’d been laying with you three before I’d even married them. That you were in my life before they were,” Ryker said.

Charlotte’s eyebrows went up at that, but she didn’t say anything to it.

“Then I accept my position as your wife. I look forward to speaking with Diane as an equal. I have many questions I’d like to ask her about you,” Charlotte said.

“Great. Anyways,” Ryker said. “I asked you here because I have plans. First, I need to change your bond spells.”

Each Fairy looked a bit nervous at that statement.

“I’m going to pull you out of going from the core, to Wynne, to me. And instead, to me directly,” Ryker said. “And through me, to the core.”

“You’re… making us equal to Wynne?” Marybelle asked.

“She’ll still be your queen, and you will defer to her wishes, but… yes, on a binding level. You’ll be her equal. She’s already aware of this. Concerns?” Ryker asked

All three women shook their head.

“Great,” Ryker said, then plucked their bonded spells from the core. All three women flinched, and Marybelle fell to her hands and knees. Tying their bonds to himself took only a single second, and only a second more after that to lash them into his connection to the main dungeon core.

“That wasn’t… fun,” Marybelle said, panting.

“Sorry. But it’s done. And it was needed,” Ryker said, turning to Meino. “Can you go get their lieutenants?”

“Yes,” said the Minotaur, heading for the doors.

Ryker went over to the Fairy women, offering Marybelle his hand. “Would you like seats? A drink?”

“Yes, dear,” Marybelle said, grabbing hold of his hand and pulling herself upright.

With a thought, four chairs, a table, and four glasses of water appeared in front of them. Marybelle immediate flopped into her seat. Charlotte and Tris only a second behind her. They looked in better condition than Marybelle did, but only marginally so.

Taking his own seat between the women, Ryker continued.

“I’m going to have you three building walls. Walls to seal off the Queendom of Dale from the outside world. Two of you will be in charge of going north, and west. The third will be helping me construct a massive dungeon behind the city. Your lieutenants will be responsible for manning sections of your walls. You’ll each be receiving enough cores to bring your number of lieutenant count up to four.

“Each of you will receive an additional two cores beyond that for your captains. You will give those captains each two of your lieutenants.”

“I understand,” Tris said, trying to sit up straight in her chair, and only managing to get to a partial lean.

Charlotte was slouching low in her own chair, her eyes lidded.

Marybelle looked wasted, almost slumped over one arm, but sitting upright. Barely.

“You’re putting a lot of trust in us, my lord king,” Charlotte said.

“Considering I sleep next to you at times, I think we’re past that,” Ryker muttered.

Tris snorted. “My turn today,” she said, changing the subject.

Meino came back into the room, leading the candidates that had been brought along.

Surprisingly, there was even a few Dungeon Imps among their number. Though the only reason Ryker could tell them apart from the Fairies at all, was their sense in the dungeon felt different.

Stopping ten feet in front of Ryker, they all fell to one knee in unison.

Wynne, didn’t you say you had stopped them from doing this?

“Please rise and welcome, one and all. I recognize a few of you, though many I don’t think I’ve ever met before,” Ryker said. “You’ve been brought here because you’re part of my plan to take back Dale. I’m tired of being passive. Tired of letting our enemies do what they want.”

He could feel a charge coming from the women he was speaking to. It was a strange type of feeling that he got when a lightning storm was coming.

“We’re going to turn the entirety of Dale into a dungeon. Or as much of it as I can manage. First we have to seal in our territory. What is ours, and will be ours. Behind dungeon walls manned with dungeon creatures, overseen by Dungeon Fairies and Imps.”

Ryker turned to Charlotte and Tris on his left.

“Charlotte, name your two captains,” Ryker said. Those present seemed shocked at that statement. Not that he was surprised at their reaction. A captaincy had never been brought up before this point.

Looking to the crowd, Charlotte’s dark eyes went from person to person.

“Hana and Penny,” Charlotte said.

Ryker nodded and went to the back of the room and retrieved a large sack he’d set to one side.

“Step forward, Hana and Penny,” he said, standing in front of the group of women. Charlotte had levered herself up from her seat, and was standing to Ryker’s right.

Taking out two dungeon cores he handed them to Charlotte. With a single thought, he tied them to her directly.

Two women came up and received their cores directly from Charlotte, and Ryker bound them to those cores at the same time that it happened.

“Charlotte, name their lieutenants, two each,” Ryker said, looking to the Fairy. “Each lieutenant will be responsible for ten Fairies or Imps.”

Quickly as he could manage it, Ryker led the three Fairies through through their regime change. Once all the captains were named, their subordinates matched, Ryker went and sat back down in his chair.

“Congratulations to one and all. Captains, please remain, the rest of you, go prepare. You’ll likely be leaving Dungeon as your walls build further and further away. We’ll never be far from each other though, as you’ll all leave your true-bodies here with me. I shall guard them. And should you have a need, the dungeon sense is always open to all,” Ryker said. “Good day.”

The newly minted and existing lieutenants filed out the door, looking spooked and proud in equal measure.

Focusing a single thought, six chairs were summoned in front of the original four, facing them across the small table. Taking a moment, Ryker made the table fit the size of the seating arrangement, and six more glasses of water appeared.

Not needing to be told, the six captains sat themselves down quickly.

“Now, for more detailed work,” Ryker said. “Tris, I’m giving you the western wall, Charlotte, the north. The mana you’ll be given to work with will match the land you’ve already taken as you go, plus a stipend from me.

“I expect you’ll need to build small encampments on our side of the wall for response units as I do not doubt we’ll have people attacking it.”

Charlotte and Tris both nodded at that.

“I have no rules to limit you, other than follow the dungeon rules, and build. Lock us in,” Ryker said.

“Can we build mini dungeons? With entrances to let people try their luck?” Charlotte asked.

Ryker thought on that, then nodded.

“Yes, that’s fine. Just make sure the risk is extreme for any dungeon that lets them out on the other side of the wall, with a warning to that effect of course.

“Anything that takes them back to the same side of the wall they came in can be less,” Ryker said. Then he smiled. “Just make sure it’s an interesting dungeon. Nothing boring. Our goal is to murder them all, but we have to do it with a little bit of style if it’s a dungeon.”

“Can we field armies?” Tris asked.

“If you have the budget for it, I don’t care what you do. So long as you maintain the wall, and keep anyone from crossing,” Ryker said. “If you want to build an army, Tris, than do so.”

“Understood,” said the Elven warrior.

“Questions on the walls?” Ryker asked.

Tris and Charlotte shook their heads.

“Ok. Marybelle,” Ryker said, turning to the Hob.

“Yes, dearest?” asked the woman, leaning closer to him.

Chuckling, Ryker poked her in the forehead with a fingertip.

“You’re going to be my partner. We’re going to build the ugliest, meanest, most fatal dungeon their ever was behind Dungeon,” Ryker said. “If they want into the Queensland, they’re going to go through hell to do it.

“Your job is to help me do that, while minding the rules and laws of a dungeon.”

“Isn’t… that Wynne’s job?” Marybelle asked, suddenly sounding unsure.

“Wynne will be managing all the other Fairies, Imps, and the city of Dungeon. Eventually we’ll be turning over the one we’re building over to her as well,” Ryker said. “Again, she’s well aware of all this. I had a good talk with her about it.”

“Alright,” Marybelle said with a smile. “I have no questions then.”

Ryker smiled and then held his hands apart from one another with his palms up. “I have nothing else then. We’ll start building tomorrow. You’re all dismissed to go start your new jobs.”

His personal generals and their captains got up, and left his throne room, talking amongst themselves.

Dismissing all the chairs, table, and glasses, Ryker went back to his own chair in front of his table.

“Your voice doesn’t match you,” Meino said, moving to stand in front of him.

Ah… another grooming session is coming, isn’t it. I think I’m going to need to curb this behavior soon. It’s starting to get in the way.

“What do you mean?” Ryker asked, as Meino got down on her knees next to his chair.

“You’re a Dungeon Lord. A hero. You have multiple wives, a harem. Your voice should be… different,” Meino said, her large fingers coming up to try and the buttons of Ryker’s tunic.

“What, were you expecting something deeper? Manlier? Sorry to spoil it for you, but I’m a petty wizard with a mean streak,” Ryker said. Then he sighed and reached up to help Meino with the buttons. There didn’t seem to be a way out of this at this time.

“Yes, but you’re Ryker, the only Dungeon Lord, ever. Can’t you change your voice with a spell?” Meino said, grabbing hold of the top of his tunic and then pulling it down over his shoulders and off his body.

Thinking on it, it didn’t seem like a terrible idea.

She’s not wrong. I’m sure there’s a bunch of people that would expect me sounding different than I do.

Strange though. It isn’t as if my voice would dictate who I am.

Whatever.

Ryker started with a simple wind and earth spell built to the smallest degree he could manage.

Suddenly he was much more thankful for the anatomy classes he took. They’d originally been so he could correctly identify critical areas, but he’d taken it further. He actually knew what vocal chords were.

But not how they worked, exactly.

First he tried compressing them a bit, which produced a voice that sounded a lot like what he imagined a squirrel would use.

Flattening them out, lengthening them, and adding a bit of tissue with earth magic, he sounded deeper then Meino did.

Carefully, he edged it back until he found a range he felt like worked for him.

Looking to Meino, who was licking at his shoulder, he tested out his latest change.

“How about this?” he asked, his voice sounding deeper with a touch more breath to it. It felt commanding to him.

Meino’s eyes flicked up to him as her tongue slid up into his neck.

She paused for a second in her grooming.

“Again?” she asked.

“Meino, you really need to find a better outlet than grooming me,” Ryker said. “You can’t do it as often as you have been.”

Meino’s nose flexed, her ears swiveling toward him.

“I like it. It made me want to groom you more,” she said, then ducked her head back down to his shoulder.

Hm. Seems petty to me to change my voice but… whatever.