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

forces were destroyed with a simple bite, though plenty of damage was dealt back to the Wolves from spinning blades and the repositioned beams of their sonic attacks.  The other half were in danger of being destroyed, but the distraction was enough for the Warband to rally and counterattack, coming at the Wolves as they prepared to take down the rest of the Blademasters.

A fierce battle ensued as the dwindling numbers of Dire Wolves fought with all they could muster against the Orcs, and Sandra’s constructs were hindered from attacking because the two sides were so close together; she didn’t want to inadvertently blast an Orc with a sonic attack.  Eventually, the battered, injured, and exhausted Orcs were able to overcome the enemy Monsters through sheer determination without any additional casualties, though there were some serious injuries.  The worst of them, unfortunately, was sustained by Palzerk, who threw himself in front of another Orc who was too occupied to defend herself, and the Warband Leader got his entire right leg crunched as a result.  He ended up thrusting his sword through the Wolf’s eye and into its brain even as his leg was still inside the canine’s mouth, but by that time it was too late.

Everyone was wounded, though Palzerk was the only one with life-threatening injuries.  As the others stood looking around them in shock and wonder at the fact that they were still alive, Sandra was already working on trying to save the injured Leader.

 

* Kelerim?  Are you okay? *

 

She knew that none of the Wolves had even gotten close to the Blacksmith, as they had been preoccupied by the Warband.  However, he looked quite pale and ready to fall down, as if he had been horrendously injured.

“Uh…yes?  I don’t know, actually.  I’ve just never seen something like that before…what are those things in the air?”  The lost-sounding tone to his voice told Sandra more than anything that Kelerim was deeply affected by what he had just witnessed – and she couldn’t blame him.  That was a lot of carnage, after all, including the deaths of 2 Orcs that he had probably just seen alive only a few minutes ago.

 

* It’ll be okay, Kelerim.  My Sonic Blademasters are going to stay here for the moment to make sure nothing else gets close enough to attack them, but Palzerk is in a bad way.  I have another Roc coming to transport him to my dungeon so that I can heal him, but you’re going to have to help them put the harness on. *

When her previous Roc had died, the leather harness it had been wearing had dropped to the ground, trampled over as the Wolves raced for the Warband.  From what she could tell, it amazingly hadn’t been too greatly damaged during the fight, so they should be able to fit it on the new one coming to transport the injured Warband Leader.

Except…Sandra wasn’t sure if it would arrive in time.

“Palzerk!  Where’s Ghrooch?  We need to stop the bleeding!”

“Ghrooch was killed, along with Yevin.  We don’t have anyone else that can heal him.”

Their leader was now unconscious with the amount of blood he had lost, and with no one to at least stabilize the wound, he would be dead within minutes.

The High Peak Roc was just now emerging from the tunnel near her dungeon, and it wouldn’t be able to get to them in time, even flying at its fastest.  Sandra didn’t know what to do; all she could think of was if she could somehow get the Roc there faster, then she might be able to save the—

Before the Roc was more than 200 feet into the air, it suddenly formed a swirling vortex in front of it, flying through it moments later.  This time, however, it didn’t reappear a moment later right where it had been swallowed by the vortex; instead, a similar vortex suddenly appeared a few seconds later above the injured and exhausted Orcs with a loud *bang* – and the High Peak Roc appeared and flew right out of the swirling mass of air.  As soon as it was clear, the vortex collapsed with another *bang* and everyone stared in shock – including Sandra.

Ah, I guess that’s how it works.

One look at Palzerk as the other Orcs stared at the hovering Roc was all she needed to know that he wouldn’t survive long enough to put the harness on.  Not only that, but as Owchet was starting to walk over to the rest, he collapsed face-first on the ground, unconscious before he even hit the ground, the wounds he had sustained too much for him.

 

* Kelerim!  You need to tell the others that I’m bringing their leader somewhere to be healed! *

Her yell seemed to shock the Blacksmith out of his reverie at the appearance of the Roc, and he started to run towards the Warband in the distance.  “Step back from Palzerk!  The bird is going to take him somewhere to be healed!” he shouted in Orcish, which caused the Warriors to back up immediately.  They had no reason to deny access to their Leader, since he was essentially dead anyway if nothing was done.

Sandra instructed the Roc to pick him up gently with its talons, which was harder than she expected because she didn’t want to accidentally squish him – and did the same with Owchet.  In moments, the massive bird was back in the air, cradling both Orcs in its talons as it activated its Traveling Vortex again, this time with Sandra instructing it to appear above her workshop.

A little more than 15 minutes later, Owchet had been healed by her Repair Drone stationed in the workshop, and he was watching over Palzerk as he slowly struggled awake after his healing.

Well, that took longer than I thought to get him to my dungeon, but now