The Crafter's Dominion: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 5) by Jonathan Brooks (e ink epub reader .txt) 📕

That shut the Dwarf up, and he watched as Gerold led them over to the box, where they immediately snatched up the Energy Orbs that called out to them.  “Now, this is going to hurt more than anything you’ve ever felt in your life; luckily, it only lasts a few seconds.  Are you ready?”  With only a slight hesitation, they all nodded, and Sandra knew it was her cue.

One at a time, she initiated the Bonding down the line, and the screams were constant as they reverberated through the workshop for the next 15 seconds.  The citizens shrank back in fear, but Parten just gazed at the Shieldmen with something that appeared like desperation or perhaps envy on his face.  When the process was complete, the newly Bonded Shieldmen looked at each other with awe, smiling as they felt their diminished energy start to replenish itself automatically.

Welcome to my dungeon, my friends.  I’m bringing in some rides for you, which will bring you to where your fellow Shieldmen are needing some help.  You can control them by giving them orders, but for now I’ll send them where they need to go.

As soon as she knew that she was getting some more help, she rerouted some extra Mechanical Wolves from where they were reinforcing the Shieldmen killing the Goblins.  In fact, they were just about to drop into the workshop from above.

The Shieldmen looked around as if to see what was talking to them, but they were interrupted when 7 Wolves dropped down 40 feet away from them, staring at them expectantly.  Go on, hop on – they’ll get you there in no time.  With only a moment’s hesitation, they raced for the Wolves, who obediently squatted down so they could climb on their backs, and they took off, leaving a single one behind.

“Parten, are you really going to let them help their fellow Shieldmen without you?  What purpose does this serve?”  The Master Blacksmith folded his arms across his chest and challenged the First-shield.

“My first duty is to protect the King—”

Master Jespin interrupted him, though he spoke softly.  “There’s nothing more you can do here, and you know it.  You’ve brought him to the one place in all our lands where we might be able to do something about it, so leave him in our hands and go do what you’re so good at doing.”

The conflict was warring across the First-shield’s face, but Sandra saw the moment when resignation finally won.  He put the King down gently on the floor, before walking over to the box of Energy Orbs.  Picking up 3 of them, he held a Fire and Earth one in his right hand, and an Air one in his left.  “How is this possible—”

His scream cut off his question.  Sandra was tired of waiting around.

Thank you for finally agreeing to the Bond, First-shield Parten.  We will take very good care of the King; go save your people.

If he was surprised at the voice in his head, he didn’t show it.  He also seemed relatively unaffected by the intense pain that had just shot through him with no warning.  “You had better, or I will come back here and destroy you myself.”

Based on his status as a First-shield, which was a step above the powerful Second-shield Bregan that led the Shieldmen in Nurboldar, Sandra had no doubt he would prove to be a formidable foe.  Probably as strong or stronger than the Warlord that had attacked her dungeon, and he had been very powerful.

Noted.  Good luck, and may the Creator guide you on your way. 

He nodded, before racing for the Mechanical Wolf.  The Shieldman leapt onto the back of the construct, grabbed ahold of its upper spine, and the metal-formed canine took off at a run, moving fast enough that it might even catch up to the others that had left a minute or so before him.

“Gerry?  I think I want those Energy Orbs in my palms, too,” the Master Blacksmith said as soon as the First-shield was out of sight.

“Are you sure?  It’s quite painful as you no doubt saw.”

“Pain means nothing to me; besides, being healed by that wonderful thing over there,” Jespin said, waving toward one of the Repair Drones, “fixed some of the aches that I didn’t even realize I was suffering from.”  Without asking any other permission, he walked over to the box of Energy Orbs and picked out a single Energy Orb: Earth.  Hmm, not what I was expecting.  He held it in his hand wonderingly, before looking up at Gerold and nodding.

His screams were painful to listen to, but they were thankfully over fast enough that they were soon forgotten.  “Ouch.  Worse than I was expecting, but worth it I’d say.”  He looked down at his palm and smiled.  “Alright, let’s get the others done and see what we can do for the King.”

It took some convincing, but the civilians picked out Elemental Orbs for their Bonding, which wasn’t painful in the least.  Within a few minutes, the Bondings were all complete (including an Energy Orb Bond with the unconscious King), and Sandra felt a loosening of the restrictions throughout the dungeon.  She mentally sighed in relief and had one of her nearby Apes lead the civilians down to where they would meet up with the villagers, and she was left alone with Gerold, the Master Blacksmith, and the unconscious King.  She had already tried to heal him with the Repair Drone, but other than some minor scrapes and external cuts that were fixed quickly, it didn’t seem to help.

“Parten was right about one thing, as much as his blind devotion to the King sometimes interferes with what needs to be done,” Master Jespin said, looking down at the relaxed countenance of the King.  The Energy Orbs – 3 of them in