Guardian core (Book 1 of: potentially many)

What...

Yorick

I woke up after a long night's sleep, feeling really, really good. I had more energy than I was actually used to. It felt... really, really good. I checked on my dungeon, hesitating as I felt a few new spaces that hadn't been there before. I went to check on on Trital, looking at his room. He wasn't there like I'd thought he would be. Instead, there was a hole in the ground that lead further underground. I expanded my territory, the action taking more mana and effort than before, though the territory had a much thicker layer of magic than my territory used too, matching the changes that had occurred after I'd condensed my mana. 

It was almost unsettling as I followed the staircase down, exploring what my brownies had done. It was  weird, exploring an area that someone else had made... Though, as I explored the it, I saw it formed a spiral staircase going down. I followed that slowly down, my mana giving the air a faint glow. Not enough for most to see by, but enough that- unless you were using a specialized spell, no-one could use true dark vision. I'd heard of that ability in some games- this would be enough to blind such people. 

It went down deep into the earth, maybe a full forty feet before opening into a room. It was simple, but the brownies were all arrayed on the floor of the room, looking up at Trital. The demon was smiling and nodding to them as he spoke in his native, demonic tongue, but... with such a slight effort of will that I realized I had probably done this subconsciously with the adventurers, I mentally translated his words and understood what he was saying. 

"Do you understand? The master made us our home, I wish to make that home larger for him, and I'll need you for that. I and my demons will help carry out the stone, as long as you create the rooms like I described. Okay?" He smiled, looking ecstatic. I felt... touched, and conflicted. I was no god, but he wasn't treating me like one in that speech as far as I knew. Worse, though... I wasn't a father. I couldn't be, not really. Did my creations see me as their father?

That idea made me feel heavy, suddenly, and a considered telling them flat out that they weren't my children, but... some instinctive, deep, emotional side of me screamed at me in my head. 'I created them', it said, 'they are my responsibility. If I don't see them as children, why do I care for their needs even when I don't need to? I'd learned how to create clothing for them- not just armor and gear, but actual clothing.' It made me wonder if maybe I myself saw them as my children. 

For now, I waited to expand my dungeon territory, letting the excess stay where it was while expanding it into the wall of the dungeon and planning to dig there later- those plans dying when I saw crystals and various plants trying to grow there. I quickly rushed all over, expanding my territory into the walls of the dungeon, and I was not disappointed. While the growth was slower, it was way more spread out, and controllable. Plants naturally grew on the walls of my dungeon, and crystals were sometimes hidden by those plants- though, once exposed, other than the glowing moss, the crystals were the main source of light. 

I began to wonder how I had been seeing in such a dark place, then put it out of my mind. With this kind of plant growth, I was curious to see what happened. I checked the ocean and realized that it too had become more plentiful in it's plant life since I'd moved my dungeon territory there, though the growth was a bit slower and more natural. 

This was interesting... I wondered why and how this could've started. Perhaps... Perhaps it was my fae title. Did titles give you different, secret abilities based on which ones you got? That would make sense... even if it was very unsettling... I continued to thicken and strengthen my territory, happily making it denser and feeling the increased mana suffuse me. I paused in the forest above my home, though, realizing something. This was part of my dungeon... why couldn't I add creatures here too?