The Dungeon Fairy: A Dungeon Core Escapade (The Hapless Dungeon Fairy Book 1) by Jonathan Brooks (read novel full .txt) 📕

They came in the entrance at a run, before what appeared to be some sort of variation of a Levitation spell lifted them all off the ground, smashed through the Dragonlings like they were annoying flies, and then did the same with the rest of the dungeon.  A few traps, cleverly activated by triggers in the open spaces of a few rooms, managed to go off and hit a few of the Raiders, but other than a miniscule scratch on the lead Warrior-type Raider, no one was hurt – unlike Jeff when he screamed about everything being unfair as he was shattered.  The Raiders were so powerful that Tacca was pretty sure that one of them – an older-looking Elf, which meant she was really old – saw the Dungeon Assistant in the corner of the Core Room, despite her Invisibility being activated.

Fortunately, she was left alone as she was incapacitated when the Dungeon Core Bond with Jeff was broken.

One after another, Core after Core, Tacca Bonded and then had that Bond involuntarily broken again and again by the destruction of so many Dungeon Cores.  Every single one of them – she lost an accurate count, but she estimated it was at least 50 more after Jeff was destroyed – had some sort of…issue…that prevented them from following the advice of her or their previous Assistants.

It didn’t take a genius to see the pattern evolving from her assignments: a Dungeon Core would get a “normal” Dungeon Assistant, they would do something contrary to the long-term survival of said Dungeon Core, the Dungeon Assistant would go back to the DPRC and have their Bond dissolved, and then Tacca would be sent in to take over for the rest of their existence.  On a fundamental level, she understood the importance of ensuring that a Core always had an Assistant available to help them, and it was entirely possible that some of them would suddenly change their minds and do what they needed to survive.  For some inexplicable reason, though, it almost seemed like Tacca’s presence hastened their demise.

Apparently, unbeknownst to her, she had acquired a nickname in the Dungeon Assistant community.  Tacca only heard about it when she happened to be in the waiting room of the DPRC and another Fairy arrived, supposedly to be placed with another assigned Dungeon Core.

“Well, if it isn’t The Deliverer! How many Cores have you ‘delivered’ to their fate this week?” said another Assistant as he walked in and sat down on the bench – as far away as he could, of course.

Tacca was still a bit unbalanced after her last failed Core and his destruction; Clive was some sort of emotionally bereft killer in his previous incarnation, and he sent his Scorpiders (a unique scorpion and spider hybrid) out of his dungeon to attack the nearby Raider town.  If there was one thing that would elicit a swift and permanent response to the actions of a Core, it was allowing – or deliberately sending – your creatures outside to roam free…or to attack the nearby populace.  He lasted all of four hours before another powerful Raider strike force came in and destroyed him, and the Dungeon Assistant was still trying to get over his death and Bond breaking – so the other Fairy’s comment didn’t make sense.  “What are you talking about?”

The other Assistant laughed shortly before looking at her strangely.  “You really don’t know?”

“Know…what?  I have no idea what you’re talking about; and what is this ‘Deliverer’ name you called me?”

He looked shocked, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  “How could you not—”

“Tacca, you can come with me now,” Lily’s now all-too-familiar voice interrupted the other Fairy, who immediately shut his mouth when he heard the Lead Placement Council Member speak.  When she turned around, the older Fairy was staring with a not-so-nice look at Tacca’s bench-mate.

What was that all about?

“Now, your performance over the last six months has been exemplary,” Lily started as soon as Tacca followed her to her office and sat down.  “Honestly, it has been a surprise to us all how well you have…performed…and we really do appreciate what you’ve done.  Now, I have a small surprise for you; in light of your recent work and dedication, we’re sending you to a newborn Dungeon Core…of sorts.  For once, I’ll tell you a little about this particular one.

“It was first created almost a year ago, and in all of that time we haven’t had a single Assistant manage to maintain a Bond for more than a few seconds; the Core almost immediately dissolves it after it’s established – for no reason given.  In fact, it hasn’t spoken to anyone; the only thing we can tell for sure is that it hasn’t done anything yet.  In essence, it’s brand-new – but we can’t seem to get through.  With all of your recent experience, we’re hoping you’ll be able to figure out how to get through to them.”

That sounds…pleasant for a change.  Tacca was actually looking forward to this assignment, because it meant that the Core likely wouldn’t be destroyed – because it wasn’t anywhere near the surface.  All of her other Placements had been with Cores that were either very near or already broken through to the outside world and having that open portal to Raiders meant that there was serious danger from them.  But if this Core hadn’t even started the process of being a Core (i.e. choosing creatures and other initial selections), let alone constructing tunnels and rooms, then danger from that direction was unlikely.  I might even be able to shape and mold this Core from the beginning!

Then again, she had such terrible luck lately with the other Dungeon Cores – she was slowly starting to believe that something was going on – that she doubted she’d have any