(DD) Chapter 4 - Opening Moves - (Patreon)

Ryker spent the next day purchasing more humanoids that would fit his vision for a dungeon. This time he bought a number of Hobs to act as caretakers for the inn.

As well as a single farm animal of every type, which was quickly fed to the dungeon.

For the dungeon he picked up a Gnoll and a Kobold.

They were both prime examples of their species. That being something like a large humanoid hyena, and a short humanoid lizard.

The rest of his money he spent on gear, items, and other bits and bobs.

Mostly to give to his dungeon, then eventually sell out of his inn and the store.

His plan was to use them in the second phase of his dungeon build out.

Wynne had situated them rather quickly into the inn, their patterns appearing within an hour of having brought them home.

She’d also managed to magic up a guest book that required people to log in with their cards. It’d only record their name, date, and affiliation.

At least publicly.

Privately it also recorded their entire card, but that went to a separate book in a hidden chamber in his office.

She suggested charging a silver for entry for anyone who didn’t use the guest book, and a copper for anyone who did.

It made sense, and he didn’t see a reason to argue with her. She was trying her damn hardest for him, and seemed hell bent on their goals.

Sitting on the front porch of his inn, Ryker watched a curious dust cloud on the horizon. It had appeared several hours ago in the far distance. If he didn’t miss his guess, and it really was an easy guess, they were heading right for him.

People riding that hard and fast for him were either up to no good, or fearing no good.

Wynne swung her legs back and forth from the banister.

“Think it’s the Royal Guard?” she asked.

“Possible. Definitely someone who would be in a rush to get here. A dungeon almost always creates a boom in the economy. Then a swift change in the number of adventurers. Our offer, even without monetary value, would have perked up her interest,” Ryker said with a grin.

“I don’t want to hide anymore,” Wynne grumped. She folded her arms against her chest, her face clouding.

“Ok? Then don’t. It’s not like they’ll know what kind of Fairy you are without seeing your card. And it’s not like I’ll be telling them. Not to mention our bond would be pretty obvious to anyone who poked around at either of us with magic,” Ryker said.

He didn’t see an issue with her not hiding. He’d never bothered correcting her to begin with, as he figured it was something she wanted to do.

“What? Oh… ok. You’re right… I guess. Ok, yes! I’m your Fairy. You bought me just like the others,” Wynne said happily. Her legs began swinging back and forth again, her momentary anger gone.

Smarter than a normal Fairy, but still a Fairy.

Over a gentle rise came the recognizable shape of horses. Horses with riders.

“Either it’s the Royal Guard on a breakneck pace… or someone came for those criminals after all,” Ryker said dryly.

“They have banners,” Wynne said.

Must have better eyesight than me.

“Blue and gold banner,” she amended.

“Queen then. Apparently she took our letter seriously. Very seriously,” Ryker said. Blue and Gold were the queen’s colors.

He was impressed and gladdened to see half of his worries would end as soon as those soldiers arrived.

“What say we get them a nice lunch put together since they’ll probably arrive around that time.

“And get the washrooms ready. Glad we picked up those Hobs now. They do great work as help and can help out in a pinch with a brawl,” Ryker said.

“Okay. I can start on that. You play good host for them then,” Wynne said, darting off into the inn.

Ryker only nodded his head. At the distance they were at it’d probably be a few more hours.

That and it looked like they had slowed down a bit as soon as they saw the inn.

If they really do plan on being here for the long term, we’ll need to build a garrison. Should probably have a whole bunch of materials made before they get here. Act as if I’d had it prepared, but not built.

Sighing, Ryker gave up on his relaxing “sit” and got to work.

It really did take till just after noon for the horsemen to arrive. By then, Ryker had summoned up enough materials to build a garrison. That and probably half a town.

If a city is going to pop up around here, I need to make sure that I have amenities for people. Wish I had done some more pre-work. Built a bathhouse, and a restaurant.

Can still do it, but now I have to use actual manpower instead of summoned Hobs. It’d only take a wizard with a modicum of talent to detect the summoned creatures.

They aren’t real after all.

Berating himself, Ryker walked down off his porch and started down the lane to welcome his guests. There wasn’t much he could do about the town for now, but he could at least greet the queen’s guard.

They were all dressed in plate mail, belted swords, a lance in a stirrup, and a shield on the saddle.

Knights.

He counted about forty of them. Give or take two or three. He also did a quick take of their ranks.

One commander, three captains, six lieutenants, thirty sergeants. And a couple of… something.

“Greetings to you, would you be one Ryker?” said a helmeted knight.

Checking the ranking on the shoulder, he realized he was talking to one of the captains he’d noted at the start.

“That I am. I can only assume the Queen received my missive and has agreed?” Ryker asked, wishing he could see this person’s face.

“That depends entirely on if there really is a dungeon, and what it holds,” replied the man.

Ryker shrugged. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t expected.

“Great. Dungeon is inside my inn. The best advice I can give you is treat it respectfully, take the fights honestly, and you’ll be fine. From what I saw it’s more of a training dungeon.

“Also, I had lunch and baths prepared for you all. You’re welcome to test out the dungeon if you like or move straight to eating and bathing,” Ryker said.

Near the rear of the group he heard an excited shout.

“Thank the Queen’s mercy for that,” came a young woman’s voice. “Riding in the saddle that long, and sleeping in the fields, has done nothing for my sense of smell. I’ll take that bath immediately.”

“May I present, her Queen’s cousin, Adele. She’s been sent as one of two special envoy to insure that everything is taken care of in regards to the dungeon,” said the captain neutrally.

In other words… she’s a token family member sent to support whatever we need to do, to get this place up and running. High enough to outrank everyone nearby, not high enough to actually be important.

Great. I get to babysit.

An enchanting woman with dark black hair cut short into a man’s style rode up to him. She had bright blue eyes that caught his attention as she dropped out of her saddle in front of him. Her figure was athletic though she did have enough womanly assets to be attractive. She stood a paltry five foot four and seemed on the young side of twenty.

She was definitely pretty, but there was a self important aura to her that made Ryker’s jaw ache already.

She was wearing a riding skirt that had once been quite fine. Now it was tattered, torn, and dirty.

Dirt and streaks of road dust were splattered across her face and upper body.

“You’ll show me to the bath, and then you’ll have lunch brought for me. The sooner we can get everything taken care of, the sooner I can leave,” said Adele. Fretting at her clothes, she frowned and flicked at a piece of dirt on her sleeve.

I’m going to murder her and dump her corpse in the dungeon.

Not waiting for him to respond, the woman walked towards the inn.

Watching her go, Ryker wasn’t sure he wanted to follow her.

“We’ll keep her penned up as best as we can,” came a second woman’s voice.

Looking over, he found another young woman, perhaps a year older than Adele. Her looks ran similar to Adele in many ways. So much so that he’d bet she was a relative. As pretty as the royal cousin, but she had a bit more curve to her figure than Miss Stick.

Definitely far more mature as well.

She looked pale and wan.

Maybe riding at breakneck speeds is part of Adele’s upbringing, but not yours?

“I’d appreciate that. I’d hate for the first dungeon in the land to be turned over to the adventurer’s guild instead because of one petty Royal. The guild should be arriving in a number of days,” Ryker said honestly. 

Sighing, the woman bowed her head to him. “I appreciate your honesty. My name is Claire, another cousin to the queen, but much further removed.”

“Mm. Welcome to my inn,” Ryker said, holding his arm out to the building. “Stables are around the side. Hobs will take your mounts when you go over there.”

Not waiting for anything else to be said, he headed back to his seat on the porch.

They’d come talk to him when they were ready. He imagined they’d want to snoop around a bit. They’d find nothing of course.

It took an hour in the end for the Royal Guard to head down into the dungeon. He could only imagine they were on orders of the queen to ascertain if the dungeon was real, if it could function, and if it was worth protecting.

Not that he blamed them. He’d do the same.

Sitting on the porch, Ryker stared out at nothing. His eyes unfocused as he followed the guards progress in his mind.

They’d cleared the entry rooms with the singular Hobs in almost no gear instantly. The outskirts went next in a steady crushing pressure of trained precision.

Wynne plopped down on the rail in front of him, her eyes as unfocused as his.

She’s watching, too.

The group of Hobs at the exit were dispatched as if they were nothing more than scarecrows.

Royal guard really is something to be respectful of.

Adele sat down heavily next to him. The chair creaked under the sudden weight.

“I feel as if I were a civilized woman again. Riding through the ass end of nowhere with nothing but soldiers and dust for companions is not my ideal ride,” Adele complained.

Looking to her for a second, Ryker ignored her and went back to the guards.

They had broken into two groups of two, and one who remained as base camp at the entry point to the city. They were quickly and methodically mapping out the streets and buildings. They managed to keep to the shadows and corners, hiding their presence as they did so.

“So how long have you owned this pothole of an inn? Looks like you cleaned the place up. Were you expecting us?” Adele said.

Blinking Ryker turned his head incredulously at the woman.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked icily.

“Ah, I believe Adele was inquiring as to how long you’ve been the owner of this establishment. It seems recently renovated,” Claire said quickly.

Ryker wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to take offense or not. He was already considering pitching the whole dungeon at the adventurers’ guild and it was only day one with the spoilt little twat.

Claire gave him a tired smile, pressing her hands together in front of her chest.

Ahh… fine. Maybe I’m a sucker for that pained expression.

Before Ryker could let those thoughts go any further, he forced himself to nod his head at Claire.

He accepted her silent apology.

“I’ve owned the inn for a few weeks. I had it built specifically over the dungeon,” Ryker admitted.

“A wise move. And is the land around here yours?” Claire asked.

“As if anyone would want it? There isn’t much more than horse shit and prairie dogs,” Adele said.

Claire closed her eyes as her cheeks turned a faint red. She got control over herself and bowed her head fractionally to Ryker.

“That’s a good question, Adele. Maybe you should take your horse and go for a ride around the country. I imagine our cousin would like to know an answer to that herself?” Claire asked.

Adele shot out of her chair as if it were on fire. “A good plan! I’ll do it.”

And she was off towards the stables.

Ryker watched her go with a glower.

“She’s a spoiled monster. Why did the Queen send her at all?” Ryker asked allowed, intending for Claire to hear it.

“Because Adele will be honest with her when she’s recalled. For all her faults, she isn’t a liar, nor an incompetent. She’s a trained fighter. I am merely an expendable relation of questionable worth,” Claire said.

“Hmph. You can stay, she can leave. You can tell the queen that in your report, too.”

Ryker paused, his thoughts turning inward. The Royal Guard who was playing home-base had encountered a mother and child pair of Hobs who were fleeing the city.

The man hesitated, his sword halfway out of it’s sheath before he realized what he was drawing on.

Ryker couldn’t get the details, he wasn’t watching after all, but he got the impression the mother and child passed around the soldier, and fled off into the tunnels he’d come from.

The Guard only watched.

So… those personality quirks I was putting into some of the runes… worked? Interesting. Interesting.

“I… I can relay that to the Queen. If you’re serious, that is,” Claire said slowly, peering at him from hooded eyes.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. Prefer you in a heartbeat so far. Right now I want to put Adele in a sack and toss her into the dungeon for the Hobs to eat,” Ryker said, shaking his head.

“I don’t like her, “ Wynne said. “She called me a monster.”

“To be fair, Wynne. You are a monster, just a very cultured and intelligent one,” Ryker said, shrugging one shoulder.

Wynne sighed dramatically. “Yes, master.”

“Adele is third in line for the throne,” Clair said.

“And? She’s first in line for a boot in her ass hole. All she has to do is bend over for me and I’ll punt it right up there. This is my land. I bought it. I own it. I can have the city in on this deal. The adventurer’s guild. The church.

“I chose the crown. I think I have a right to choose who I work with,” Ryker grumbled.

“Yes. Yes you do. I’ll let Adele know on her return. Perhaps we can dismiss her quickly with our findings. I’ll remain here as her majesty’s envoy,” Clair said.

Ryker took a moment to reflect on that entire exchange.

She can play the game. She’s playing me right now, in fact. If she were to get a position like that, directly from me being cross with Adele, then she’d probably move up in the noble’s game.

Do I care though? Should I help her build that?

What can I get out of her?

He hesitated. He thought. And thought, and thought.

Never had a head for politics. Let’s be direct.

“You’re welcome to tell Adele which way I’m leaning right now. I’ll not be signing anything quite yet, so there’s always the possibility of change.

“When the time comes, I’d be more than willing to sign anything for the queen,” Ryker said. The implication was that he would want to sign whatever report was leaving.

“And when the ink is dry, we can discuss where you and I stand. I imagine a position like this would be important to anyone seeking to rise in court. Enough to forge an alliance, or make concessions,” Ryker said.

Claire’s face remained the pretty and polite mask that it was, but he caught just the barest flicker of surprise in her eyes.

Then she smiled genuinely at him.

“I’m yours to command until such a time as that comes to pass, master Ryker,” she said without a hint of subtlety to it.

Maybe she’s willing to take the minor partner role? So long as she gets that title?

Whatever. Another problem for another time.

“Have a seat, enjoy the silence with us. It won’t be like this for long,” Ryker said, indicating the chair Adele had left.

Slinking down in his chair, Ryker closed his eyes and focused on the dungeon.

The Royal Guard had completed a quick circuit of the city, and found the exit of the dungeon.

Rather than testing their mettle on the inhabitants, they met up again, then immediately made for the exit.

So much for that. Maybe they don’t want to risk losing what information they have?

“It is rather peaceful,” Claire murmured. “Maybe country life wouldn’t be so bad. It’s a shame a city is likely to spring up around this place.”

“To answer your earlier question, I own all the land around here. The entire hill, and for a number of acres on every side. I don’t plan on letting anything go up on my land that I don’t own, or don’t approve of. As for the country… I think my hill and farm will remain barren. I like my farm,” Ryker said with a smirk.

“I wouldn’t figure you for a farm, master Ryker,” Claire said.

“I wasn’t. Not originally. Trained at the academy. Full wizard. Talented even,” Ryker said bitterly.

“But?” prompted the Royal cousin.

“But… not enough magical stamina. Wasn’t something I had really worried about either.

“You train, practice, and live the life. Then you go down into the dungeons,” Ryker said pausing.

“Found out I could only cast about half as many spells as a normal wizard. Then I was spent. I always got light headed after a while, but everyone assured me that was normal. Right up until they told me it wasn’t normal.

“Though, this was a number of years ago. Maybe I’ve increased my ability since then, who knows. Doesn’t really matter anymore anyways. I own a dungeon, why would I need to worry about going inside.

“I just have to charge everyone else to go in,” Ryker said honestly .