Fantasy Dungeon Builder's Harem

Morana died.

I sucked in a deep breath. I glanced at Kassie. The last of the halflings were about to leave the dungeon. Just a few more groups to go. This was almost over. I concentrated and sent with all the force I could muster. "Clear them from the dungeon now! Hurry!"

We could still do this. I waited for the alarm to die. For my dungeon to be free of intruders. Then I could make this safe. Figure out how to deal with Sulanga. I needed Level 3 magic. I had an idea of where to do it, I just couldn't do both.

I couldn't reach my dungeon to there and here.

My stomach clenched. We were so close. So damned close.

Halia Vobria, daughter of Anguin, screamed in pain as the lightning wolf stood on her chest. Lord Leo's command echoed through her ear. The lightning wolf's electricity burned Halia's arms. The paladin was sustained only by the blessing of Lady Sherida.

Terra slammed her hammering fists down on the back of the lightning wolf. Sparks flared and sizzled. Terra roared in fury. The lightning wolf turned and snapped at the golem, teeth lunging in to rip her apart.

"NO!" Terra roared and clobbered the lightning wolf in the face.

The head snapped around with a sharp blow. The sparks burst from the wolf as Terra slammed her next blown down on the bitch's back. The beast howled in pain then burst into motes, beaten to death by the ferocity of Terra.

Patches of her body had glassy looks of fired clay.

The werewolves howled. The three of them snapped. Terra turned, a patch of pottery burst on her. She screamed and slammed her fist down on the first one that lunged on her, crushing the monster girl's head and sending her flying back into another. The beast burst into motes.

Halia panted, "Terra! You can do this!"

Terra ignored the pain as she faced the last two werewolves.

"Get back to Lord Leo. You need to be healed, Halia!" Terra cried as she faced them. "I can handle two."

The werewolves snarled, their hackles raised, Terra held her arms up, ready to beat them. Halia staggered to her feet, groaning from the pain, and stumbled down the hallway. Then Halia collapsed, whimpering in pain.

"Too hurt," whimpered Halia.

"That's okay," Terra said and smiled. She could do this. Clear the dungeon, and this was over.

Baying echoed down the dungeon then two more werewolves appeared from the stairs and rushed to join their sisters. Terra's stomach lurched. The nearest pair tensed, ready to spring as the reinforcements hurtled towards them.

I'm dead, Terra thought. But she would make them pay. She would beat them. Kill as many as she could.

The scrabble of claws echoed down the tunnel. The two racing in hurtled down the sides of the tunnel, their sisters in the middle, ready to join the attack. All four would lunge at Terra at once. She readied her hammering fists to strike before they tore her to pieces.

The two newcomers reached their waiting sisters. They leaped.

Someone stepped up beside Terra. Fire exploded before the golem and engulfed the four leaping werewolves. They howled in pain as they bathed in a dragon's fury. Isatu had come to Terra's aid, standing tall, her wings fluttering.

Motes burst out of the flames, the enemy werewolves dying. Not a single one made it out of the dragon's fire. Terra almost whooped for joy. She lowered her fists and stared down the corridor. She could see no monster girls.

"That's it!" Terra sent to Leo, screaming her excitement. "The dungeon's clear!"

"We did it!" Isatu cheered, clapping her hands together.

"Get Halia back to Lord Leo," Terra said.

"Oh, right," gasped Isatu and darted for the injured Halia. She grabbed the wounded paladin beneath the armpits and dragged her down the hallway away from the fight.

Terra just leaned against the wall. It was over. They had done it. They had survived.

The next group of halflings stepped into the magic circle and vanished.

I stood there, so close to being done. There were only three more groups to go. A last few stragglers had appeared. My stomach twisted. I stood stock still, holding my hands behind me. We were so close to being done, but Sulanga was here.

If he found the entrance to the dungeon.

White light flared.

"Okay, next group!" Kassie shouted. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

They rushed into the circle, some limping. A mother carried an injured child. This was worth it. Saving these people, but now we had to end this. We had to get them clear. I had so many monster girls to bring back.

"Asud Gu!" cried Kassie.

White light exploded and swallowed the halflings.

Two more groups to go.

Leo was down to nothing. He had almost no forces left to fight that were close enough to matter. He had plenty of Level One monster girls, but getting them here would take some time. Would have to use Kassie's teleportation circle.

"Asud Gu!"

The halflings vanished in light. One more to go.

The last of the halflings stepped into the circle. The final group of twenty. I stared at them. They had such hope in their eyes. Kassie stepped up to her people and cried the words one last time. They vanished in light.

I rushed to the circle that would take me to my Void Crystal. I stepped on it and Kassie rushed with me, her blue robes rustling about her. She stepped up beside me on the circle. She cried the word and the radiance bathed us.

When it was gone, I stared at an open door. My Void Crystal hummed just through it. I darted to it. Souleen glanced up at me, a look of hope in her eyes. I grabbed the gem. I held it in my hand and tried to interface with it.

I couldn't.

"Feya, are the halflings still in the dungeon?" I cried, unable to change anything. Someone was in my dungeon that wasn't mine.

"No!" Feya cried.

"Sulanga's in the dungeon!" screamed Terra.

Fear shot through me. I turned and rushed back for the magic circle. Kassie stood there, her eyes widening. She had heard the cry from Terra. I stepped into the circle and stared at my mage. She nodded and spoke.

A flaming Sulanga Stormfury marched down the tunnel at Terra. She readied herself. She had nowhere to run. Could not flee. So the barista did the only thing she could.

She charged.

She rushed down the tunnel at the dungeon builder, her coppery hair whipping behind her. She ignored the pain from her injuries as she closed the distance. The dungeon builder stopped. A smile spread on his burning lips.

"Hands burn, let the heat of Lady Lamashtu grow!"

Sulanga's hands burned even brighter. They blazed. Terra kept charging, confused at what he had just done. Why had he made his hands burn bright? She was almost on him, though. She raised her hammer fist to smite.

"Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!"

She swung her hand down at his head even as he vanished in a burst of electricity. She hit nothing then struck the floor. She gasped, her coppery hair spilling around her face. She gasped in shock at what had just happened.

"What?" she cried, straightening.

Then she felt the heat on her back. She whirled to find Sulanga standing behind her, his hands thrusting for her. Those burning hands struck Terra's stomach. The heat poured into her body. It hardened her clay in moments. She screamed as it spread up her body, turning her into pottery.

"No!" she cried as she raised her arms.

But the heat spread too fast. It was over her torso and hit her shoulders. They shattered from the torquing motion of her arms. They fell off her even as the heat swallowed her head. Terra fell back and burst into shards that vanished into motes.

Sulanga watched the monster girl vanish.

She would be an interesting one to keep, Sulanga thought. He could have fun hurting her body, watching her turn to clay as she screamed in agony for displeasing him.

But no monster girl companion of his vanquished foes ever wanted to serve him. Sulanga doubted this upstart Leo's would be any different.

He turned and marched down the dungeon. Leo's forces were decimated. He didn't have Level 3 monster girls or Expert Magic. The boy had a lot of forces. A lot of glyphs. All the ones that Sulanga was missing.

But now things were even. Leo must have nothing left. Sulanga had invaded the dungeon, a section that was safe. No traps because of the halflings the fool was rescuing. That made no sense to Sulanga. But it didn't matter.

Leo would die.

Sulanga would end this today.

The tunnel led to a larger room. Leo appeared in it, dressed in gray robes, his skin looking like stone. An interesting protective spell. The boy ducked back out of sight. Sulanga smiled. His foe was afraid.

Then a halfling in blue robes trimmed in red appeared in the entrance. "Seg Ki-Se!"

Before Sulanga could understand what she had just cried, ice exploded around him, bursting off his static aura. The defensive spell shorted out. It had defended Sulanga from the surprise attack. He was stunned by how fast she had gotten the spell off.

No sentence. Just two words.

Leo grabbed the halfling and yanked her back out of sight.

"What are you doing?" I growled at Kassie.

"Fighting that bastard," Kassie hissed back.

"No," I growled. Halia was badly hurt. Isatu had dragged her onto the magic circle to Astovin. "Get them to Astovin. I'll fight him."

"By yourself?" gasped Kassie.

"Tell Feya to come with any monster girls that are around her," I hissed.

"Fine," Kassie huffed. She darted to the magic circle and activated it. They vanished in a burst of light. I was all alone with Sulanga Stormfury.

"That was an interesting trick," Sulanga called. "A halfling mage..."

I ignored him and whispered, "Light can bend, let the lie of Lady Sherida hide!"

I could not win this fight fairly.

I vanished, invisible. I had Static Aura and Granite Flesh cast as defensive spells plus I was wearing my breastplate. I held my spear in hand and stepped out into the corridor as quietly as I could. Sulanga advanced down it, his burning body impossible to hide.

He looked ready to counter another attack from Kassie.

When he got closer, I whispered, "Thunderclap deafens, let the roar of Lord Ishkur disorient!"

The spell burst around Sulanga. Great bursts of thunder that should have left him stumbling and concussed from the sonic attack, but instead his own Static Aura spell triggered, blocking him from suffering the off-balancing effects.

He responded instantly with, "Flames erupt, let the conflagration of Lord Gibil blaze!"

The air around me exploded into fire. I didn't know this spell. My Static Aura protected me. As the flames died, I saw scorch marks in a large area. My stomach lurched at how much damage that spell had done. How big it was.

"Flames erupt," Sulanga began to cast.

Instantly, I cried, "Incarnation of flames—"

"—let the conflagration of Lord Gibil blaze!" he finished.

"—let the passion of Lady Lamashtu embrace!"

As his fire erupted around me, my body became flames. I darted around the corner out of sight as the heat didn't affect me. I was immune to Fire magic now. I panted, struggling to think what to do next. These spells were so powerful.

I recast my static aura spell, hearing him do the same.

I thought about my next spell. I would have to short out his protection.

"Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!" roared Sulanga.

Lightning crackled in the middle of the room and he appeared in where the electricity sizzled. He stood there in the room and stared at me. I gaped at him. He had teleported with Lightning magic. I had no idea that was even possible.

"Wind gusts, let the strength of Lord Anu pierce!" Compressed air shot at me in the form of a javelin.

"Electricity surges and binds, let the chains of Lord Enlil's lightning bind!"

Chains of lightning flew out from me as the javelin burst across my static protection. Sparks danced around me and him. We had both fired each other's defensive protection. Now it was time to hit him hard.

And hope Granite Body could protect me. I might be made of fire, but there was also stone flesh beneath.

"Thunderclap deafens, let the roar of Lord Ishkur disorient!" I screamed and sent a concussive blast at him.

But he cast, "Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!"

Lightning engulfed him and he vanished. My stomach lurched. That spell was insane.

"Wind gusts, let the strength of Lord Anu pierce!" roared from behind me.

I turned around, the words to the spell on my lips, but the javelin of air slammed into my breastplate and punched through it. The attack hit my granite body beneath. Stone cracked from the impact as I stumbled back.

And snarled the words to Night Smother: "The thick night falls, let the enmity of Lord Zuen smother!"

Darkness fell on him as he cried, "Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!"

Lightning crackled in the middle of the smothering black. He was gone. I cursed and darted for cover, casting a static aura on myself.

White burst from the teleportation circle. Feya and Isatu appeared, my fairy twirling her wand and dragon looking strong.

"He likes to teleport behind his enemies," I sent telepathically. "I'll draw him out, when he does, you two hit that spot!"

They nodded.

I figured he had retreated down the tunnel. I glanced at the passageway that he had come from and spotted him. The moment I did, he cried out his spell while I shouted the one that I had ready on my lips.

"Lightning arcs and sizzles, let the fury of Lord Enlil spread!" roared from him, sending a bolt of lightning flashing at me.

"Death reaps and harvests, let the scythe of Lord Nergal kill!"

A deathly scythe appeared by him and slashed.

Our spells struck at the same moment. Static Aura's discharged, blocking both spells while I was already casting my next one, Flash to blind him.

"Radiance erupts, let the brilliance of Lord Shamash explode!"

"Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!"

As my light spell filled the corridor with a brilliant strobe of light, he vanished with a crack of lightning. But he didn't appear behind me. He appeared before me and slammed a dagger into my throat.

I gasped as he struck the stone skin beneath my flames. I stumbled back, stone cracking from the force of his blow. I wheezed out and grunted as I stumbled back into the room. Isatu and Feya were waiting to hit him from the side.

"Lightning crackle and hiss, gird me in the love of Lady Uttu!" I cried, refreshing the defensive spell.

"Flames erupt, let the conflagration of Lord Gibil blaze!" roared Sulanga as he stepped into the room after me.

A spell that couldn't hurt me with fire body, but my Static Aura spell didn't know that. As fire exploded, light flashed. Sulanga shouted in pain as they blazed with fire. It must have filled the entire room. Feya screamed in agony as the fires consumed her.

"Lightning flashes, let the passion of Lady Uttu fly!" shouted Sulanga. He sounded in pain. Lightning crackled and the fire died.

Feya vanished into a puff of motes. Isatu stood by her, looking furious. Her fire breath was useless on Sulanga. I was outmatched. That bastard was leaping about setting everything on fire. This was insane. How could I beat him?

I refreshed Static Aura then looked down the corridor. He didn't go back the same way. I cursed, looking around the room at the three other tunnels. He could be down any of them, waiting to strike. To leap into a new position with that damned lightning spell.

"You have quite the impressive setup here," he shouted. "These strange circles... Are they teleportation circles?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I whispered my invisibility spell. "Light can bend, let the lie of Lady Sherida hide."

Isatu moved out into the middle, looking around. From the right came, "Wind gusts, let the strength of Lord Anu pierce!"

Isatu tried to dodge it, but the airy javelin struck her in the chest and punched through her heart. I grunted as my ace in the hole died. She vanished into motes like a monster girl would. I couldn't turn her into a dragon until I revived her.

Fuck! shot through my mind.

"What an interesting monster girl she is," said Sulanga as he stepped burning in the room. "A fire monster girl? Someone's companion you stole? Did they serve you, Leo?"

I had to make my move at the right moment. I had the advantage. Invisibility.

"We're here, Lord Leo!" Cysgo roared in my ear.

My wildhounds. I had them outside the city. Marwo had died, but the other six were still alive. They burst out of the northern tunnel and rushed at Sulanga with snarling fury. They were gorgeous and deadly. Hope surged in me.

"Lightning arcs and sizzles, let the fury of Lord Enlil spread!" Sulanga cried, another Lightning spell I didn't recognize.

A bolt of electricity shot from him and struck Hela at the lead. She screamed and burst into motes. The spell arced to Ci, killing her. I gaped as the lightning jumped again, striking Du then Nos before the spell fizzled out.

Four of them killed in a flash.

But the last two, Gwyllt and Cysgo were almost on the bastard.

I had hope and screamed, "Radiance erupts, let the brilliance of Lord Shamash explode!"

Flash burst before Sulanga. He shouted, whatever spell he was casting disrupted as he staggered before the brilliance of the Light spell. The wildhounds reached him and jumped. Cysgo and Gwyllt landed on him and bit him.

Gwyllt was thrown back by Static Aura. It flung her down and she rolled on the ground before vanishing into motes. Cysgo latched on. She bit him. She savaged the bastard. A surge of hope shot through me before she screamed in agony.

She fell from him, burnt by the flames that wreathed his body.

"Drew blood, Lord Leo!" were Cysgo's final words.

But my next spell already tumbled from my lips. They had left him open.

"Blinding brilliance hardened, let the light of Lord Shamash cut!"
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