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

was a risk lowering the Negation Sphere for a time, but it allowed us to see these unwelcome invaders for who they really are,” the Queen said with conviction, though it sounded a bit wooden to Echo.  Almost as if the Queen had rehearsed the conversation – or had been forced to say it.

“Guards!  Capture them so that we can get to the bottom of this!” the two Royals repeated again in unison, using the exact same words as before.  Ok…I’m now convinced that even if they aren’t being controlled, there is something seriously wrong with them.

“Retreat!” the Elder suddenly yelled, even as half of the Guards were running around the branch wall, while the other half were chopping at it with the weapons they had pulled from their side.  Echo turned around and ran with the rest, but she collided with the unmovable bulk of Winter as he abruptly stopped.  Wha—?

Oh.  The entrance of the Bowery was filled with Guards as well, ones that she recognized.  Not personally, of course, but the way some of their damp clothes and bloodshot eyes stared at them without any type of sympathy, she identified them as the Guards that The Rebels had frozen, trussed up with vines, and put to sleep on their way up the Tree.  How they woke up, escaped, and arrived shortly after they did wasn’t important; the fact that they were there and blocking their way was enough to stop Echo and the others from leaving.

But she could at least try to impart her information before they were captured – or killed, as she wasn’t sure where this would stop.

“Your Highnesses!  I must tell you about the danger that is threatening our people!” she yelled toward the two on the elevated thrones, hoping to be heard over the rush of Guards quickly surrounding The Rebels.  Her fellow “conspirators” had pulled out their weapons and were facing off against at least 3 or 4 times their number, but she was trying to get the attention of the 2 people that could make a difference.  Or at least, should be able to make a difference.

It seemed as though her words got through, but not quite as she intended.  “What is this?  I won’t hear any other slander towards the Chamberlain; we’ve already seen your traitorous—”

Echo couldn’t help but interrupt the King, and a startled look came over his perfectly symmetrical face, framed by his golden-colored long hair.  “No!  I don’t care about the Chamberlain; I came here to warn you that 4 dungeons have been destroyed near the wasteland—”

That got a reaction.  Both the King and Queen froze with their mouths open, as if they had just heard something so unexpected that they couldn’t believe it.  What was more likely, Echo figured, was that the knowledge of the danger she hinted at was so problematic that it was messing with the Chamberlain’s mind control spell.

“Lies!  These traitors would say anything to save their skin.  Ignore these untruths—”

“Wait.”  The Queen struggled to speak as she bent forward in an effort to hear better, and Echo could see the sweat on her pale-skinned forehead even from nearly 100 feet away.  Although she wasn’t necessarily talking to the Guards, the deadly and annoyed-looking Elves surrounding The Rebels paused in their encirclement and gradual encroachment.  At the moment, they were at a standstill.  “We…would like to…hear what this young one has to say.”

The effort that went into those words seemed monumental to Echo, and the Ranger felt pride in the Royal family in fighting the influence of the Chamberlain as much as they could.  Because, as much as she had doubted it before, there was too much evidence to her eyes and ears to discount the information provided by Churven and the Elder.  The King and Queen had been compromised, and The Rebels had been in the right to try to free them from the evil Chamberlain’s grasp.

“NO!  These are all lies meant to confuse you!”  The smug look was gone from the pompous Elf, replaced by desperation and intense concentration.  Echo glanced at the Queen and saw the worried and defiant glint in her eye suddenly disappear, and the Royal Elf collapsed back in the throne, all fight completely drained from her.  The King had also collapsed in the seat as well, different from his interested posture earlier, looking as if someone had just cut his legs out from under him.

How is he able to do that with the Negation Sphere?  She thought about what she had heard about it and figured it out quickly; the negation only affected new spells as they were cast, not existing ones like the ones embedded in the Royal couple’s mind.  As well as the ones that were likely infecting all of the Guards.  They were screwed, to put it lightly.

The smug look was back on the Chamberlain’s face, though he looked exhausted; reinforcing his spell must have required a lot of energy.  The King and Queen suddenly sat up straight, a blank look on their faces.  “Guards!  Capture them so that we can get to the bottom of this!”

There was the same phrase again, recited by rote from the instructions imparted by the Chamberlain.  Echo suddenly found her bow in her hand, as she unconsciously equipped it with the intent to defend herself.  She found one of the explosive bolts from her quiver and prepared to fire it at the nearest Guards…she hesitated, however, because she really didn’t want to kill anyone.  Anyone but the one that should be killed to end this, however….

She quickly whipped around and fired at the same moment, releasing her arrow towards the Chamberlain still looking smug and unconcerned next to the Royal couple.  She vaguely heard the Elder yell, “No!” as she released, but by that time it was too late.

The bolt flew true, aiming straight for the heart of the smiling Elf;