Chương 19: Escaping the Dungeon

Ch. 19 - Escaping the Dungeon Eras of Growth. Some use them as an indication for the passing of an Age, a sign that the world is entering a period of change. They are noted in the histories of Anwyn as a time when Classes and Skills undergo a metamorphosis — where new variations of both appear. New concepts are given form, new language is 'invented' to describe and shape the world … an explosion of mysterious innovation, seemingly without origin.

Eras of Growth are notable in that they herald an upheaval that reverberates across every continent, across every kingdom. An Era of Growth began the moment a portal was opened between two worlds in an isolated valley, hidden by impassable mountains and an ancient, enchanted forest … - from the writings of Steadholder Eckhart It didn't take them long to make it back to the path they had left the day before. Wyatt had gazed at the graves he had dug for Raek, Losmer, and Marie in silence.

It was still a raw and bitter wound, one that he hoped he'd never forget. Before they'd left their overnight camp, Kit had insisted that they harvest as many of the fruits as they could. It wasn't just to satisfy her sweet tooth either — she wanted Wyatt to use the skill from his [Forager] class, [Nature's Bounty]. Wyatt hadn't been sure what would happen or what they were looking for, but in the end it turned out to be fairly straightforward — if rather impossible.

[Nature's Bounty] wasn't like any of his other skills which provided information or allowed him to perform a specific action. No, it somehow created something out of nothing. It was Kit who first worked out what was happening. She'd been sitting, watching as Wyatt collected the fruit, when she suddenly leapt to her feet in excitement. Kit had been counting as Wyatt worked, and noticed that the number of fruit in the pile next to her was more than the number that he'd actually taken from the shrubs.

Wyatt had thought she'd been mistaken at first, however once they'd tested it, he discovered that she was right. For every ten fruits that he harvested, he ended up with twelve. A twenty percent increase. It was the clearest example Wyatt had seen yet that a skill could bend and shape the reality of the world. It made him uneasy, for all that Kit took it in stride. When he'd asked her where the extra fruit had come from, she couldn't understand why he was having trouble accepting it.

It was a skill, that was the start and end of the explanation. By the time they'd left, Wyatt had picked forty-seven of the wizened looking fruits, giving him a total of fifty-six in actuality. Kit had stared avariciously at their haul. Wyatt had just been relieved to find that his skill didn't round up, or give him a half-portion of fruit to make up the difference.

The sun was shining high in the sky as Kit and Wyatt made their way along the path, going in the direction that Raek had been leading them before tragedy had struck. If the [Swordsman] had been right, it wouldn't be too long until they reached the exit. Wyatt looked around at the idyllic countryside.

"You know, I still find it hard to believe that this is a dungeon. Not the real world, I mean." Kit was trotting along next to him. She had sulked for a while when Wyatt refused to take his pack out of the bag of holding and put it on for her to ride atop. She was too big now for that to be comfortable for him, and he was also enjoying the novelty of walking along with nothing weighing him down except for the small bags attached to his belt. The silver fox glanced up at him.'

Yes, I suppose it is quite an impressive recreation. To the point that I wonder if it isn't just folded space, not a separate dimension.'

"What does that mean?" Kit seemed to only be half paying attention; she was scenting the breeze, her head turning as though looking for something. She sounded distracted.

'Oh, that's the sort of thing that used to be all over. Damn [Archmages]. Why go to the trouble of constructing a dimension when you could just take part of the world thats already there and just place it out of sync. Stitching them together in any way that you like. A twice-folded area, only accessible through designated — ah. There, that will do nicely.' Wyatt blinked. He'd been listening intently to Kit's explanation, thinking it sounded more like science fiction than magic.

But the fox seemed to have something else on her mind.

"What will do nicely?" Kit stopped moving, sitting down on her haunches.

'There, by that group of trees, a few hundred yards off to the right.' Wyatt raised a hand to shade his eyes, peering in the direction Kit pointed.

"Is that — what are those?"

'Our next test.' It was hard to make out at this distance, but there was an animal of some kind at the base of the trees, moving around while nosing at the ground. It sort of looked like a piglet, but larger. Dark brown fur, with visible white tufts that ran the length of its body. It was a pudgy creature, perhaps a little bigger than Kit.

"What are we supposed to do with that? Is it dangerous?" Kit opened her jaw in a silent laugh.

'Hardly. I don't know what it is, but everything about it screams that it is prey.' Wyatt shook his head at the fox. He wasn't hungry, and they were leaving the dungeon soon.

"I'm not killing something just on a whim, Kit." Kit's voice was patient, a little annoyed at being misunderstood.' I'm not asking you to. I meant that it looks like a skittish thing. Perfect to test out your other skill.' Realisation dawned on Wyatt.

"Oh, you mean [Mask Presence]?"

'Precisely.' Wyatt was more than okay with finding out more about his skills. Even though Kit didn't have them herself, she was a fount of knowledge about classes and what you could do with them. Having her to speculate with was so much easier than fumbling along in the dark like he had been doing.

"Okay. Here goes. [Mask Presence]." Wyatt's skill activated, and he looked expectantly at Kit. The silver fox cocked her head as she regarded him.

'Hmm. That's unexpected. You are still entirely visible. Unless it only affects … no, I'm sure it's working.' Wyatt was disappointed. He'd thought that it would perhaps be a skill similar to Royce's [Shadow Walk], where shadows enveloped him.

"You can still see me?"' Yes. Although, it is doing something. You just don't look … important.' Wyatt gave Kit a crooked grin.

"Gee, thanks." Kit's tail swished through the air, signifying her amusement.' I meant that you don't appear notable or particularly interesting.' Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"That's not better, Kit."' Oh, hush. This might work after all. It's very hard to keep looking at you. It's like my eyes keep wanting to slide right past you. How long does your skill last?'

"How do I tell that? I've always just … waited for my skills to stop working or come off cooldown." Kit cocked her head the other way as she looked at Wyatt. She was intent, like she was having trouble focusing on him.

'It's so strange having to explain common knowledge like this. Just focus on your skill, think about it. The information should be there.'

"What, like an announcement? So I just — woah." It wasn't words that appeared in Wyatt's mind, rather it was information. And it didn't appear like he was learning something new, rather it was like something that he'd always known. Details about his skill just became apparent to him.

"Okay, that's actually a little creepy."' It really isn't. So what does it tell you?' Wyatt frowned as he 'remembered' the aspects of his skill.

"It … doesn't have a cool-down. I can just turn it on and off." Kit drew herself up at hearing that.' That's impressive. And odd. Unless … Wyatt, walk down towards the creature. Don't speak, and try to be stealthy. But don't try and hide either.'

"Alright …" Wyatt walked down off the path, towards the creature that Kit had spotted. As he neared, he saw that it more closely resembled a cross between a rabbit and pig in body shape, with larger and more pronounced hind legs and shorter front legs. It moved with a hopping gait, its head staying down as it rooted about in the soil, with small tufted ears, and a rounded little body. It looked ridiculous, but cute in the way ugly things could sometimes be.

Wyatt slowed his steps as he approached, but the creature didn't appear to care about his presence. He was right out in the open, not hidden by anything, yet the rotund little thing was completely relaxed. As Wyatt watched, the creature looked up, stared right at him … and then went right back to digging. It was surreal. Wyatt turned to look back at Kit, but the silver fox wasn't on the path where he'd left her. He turned right round in a circle, searching, but didn't see any sign of her.

On his second rotation, Wyatt heard Kit's voice. She sounded peeved.' Stop moving around so much! No, don't speak, you might break the skill. I'm here, in your shadow.' At that, Wyatt looked down at his feet. It was still hours before midday, so he was casting a decent shadow back behind him, but he couldn't see any sign of Kit. She was completely hidden. Kit's voice appeared again. She sounded fascinated.

'It really can't detect you at all — what a useful skill! See what happens if you touch it.' Wyatt looked at the digging creature dubiously. It was making happy little snuffling noises as it dug about, and looked the opposite of dangerous.' Go on — do it. Poke it.' Wyatt walked closer, gingerly reaching out, and poked his finger into coarse bristles that lined the creature's side. He felt his skill break the instant he made contact.

The chunky little rabbit-pig reacted immediately, jumping perhaps a foot into the air, twisting about in panic, and falling over. It scrabbled to its feet, looking at Wyatt in shock. Kit appeared, almost collapsing with mirth, as together they watched the creature pelt away, squealing all the while, its feet kicking up dirt as it ran.' Did you see the look on its face! It practically soiled itself!' Wyatt looked askance down at Kit. It had certainly been funny, but he also had felt sorry for the little thing.

And Kit looked to be enjoying its plight a bit too much. After a few more moments of silent laughter, Kit recovered enough to look up at Wyatt. Her eyes were still dancing, but she sounded serious enough.' That is a powerful skill you have, Wyatt, it should make hunting a breeze! But there is something else I wish to test. Let's find another one of those creatures and try again.' Wyatt shook his head at the silver fox.

"Kit, we don't need to hunt anything. If we were staying another night in the dungeon, sure, but we won't need any food if we are going to the city."' There's always a need for food, but if I'm right, it won't come to that. Come on.' Kit led Wyatt along, moving parallel to the path but some distance away from it. It didn't take the fox long to spot some more of the creatures, this time a small grouping of three — all digging happily about near the tree-line.' There. Use your skill again and approach.

But this time have your spear out — choose one, and do your best to slay it.'

"Kit …" The fox shook her head.' Trust me, Wyatt. I'm not being bloodthirsty. Just do your best.' This time Wyatt got to watch Kit as she vanished into his shadow. She jumped, leaping gracefully into it like she was diving into a pool of water. Small licks of darkness splashed up as she entered, and Wyatt's shadow went darker for a moment as it swallowed her up.

"That's a lot cooler than anything I can do. Alright, Kit, I'll trust you. [Mask Presence]." Wyatt's skill activated once more. He pulled his spear out of the bag of holding at his side, and started to stealthily approach the three rabbit-pigs. Wyatt focused, moving low to the ground, choosing his steps carefully. He knew he wasn't making a sound, and even though he was exposed on a sunny day, he relied upon his skill to conceal his approach.

Wyatt chose the largest creature off to the left, separated slightly from the other two. Once he got close enough, he would drive his spear forward, just behind its front leg. It would be quick, and then — The skill broke. The three creatures suddenly looked up, quivering in shock as they stared directly at Wyatt. They squealed, wheeling about, and vanished into the woods without a moments hesitation. Wyatt stared, lowering his spear.

"What happened?" Kit reappeared, nodding to herself.

'I thought that might be the case. It's not meant to be used as a hunting skill, Wyatt. It's concealment, tied into your class.'

"That matters?"' It does. There may be some uses that lie adjacent — perhaps if you wanted to reposition yourself. But trying to sneak up on a creature in order to kill it? Your intent must interrupt the skill.

'. Wyatt set the butt of his spear on the ground. Leaning on it.

"Huh. That's a lot more complex than I would have thought." Kit shrugged.

'It's just the way things are. You can be creative with skills, but there are usually hard limits built in.' After that revelation, Wyatt and Kit continued travelling along the path through the dungeon. It was galling, but when they finally reached the exit, Wyatt realised just how close they had been to getting out before being attacked by the Orcs. Just a few miles more and they would have been safe. The exit of the dungeon turned out to be something that Wyatt recognised.

It was set into the side of a large hill, an opening constructed out of slabs of weathered stone that formed a rough doorway. It was situated in a large depression, almost a small valley, and Kit and Wyatt paused before continuing down; instead taking a moment to study it. There were a number of people gathered in the front of the archway, four that appeared to be standing guard, and seven other Adventurers.

"Kit, doesn't that look like …" Kit nodded as she looked down the slope towards the exit.' Yes, it does resemble the structure that sent us here, if slightly larger. So it wasn't entirely by chance; that was a second entry point.'

"So there's more than one way into the dungeon." Kit nodded.

'That was always evident. Remember, Raek said that Goblins were always getting into the dungeon somehow. It would make sense that they had their own way in.'

"That's right. I … had forgotten that." Kit waited for a few heartbeats before she nodded down towards their destination.' Well … shall we?'

"Yeah. Just give me a minute, okay?"

'What is the matter?' Wyatt shifted uneasily. He was looking down at the people in front of the exit, feeling unaccountably nervous. Being faced with so many people that he didn't know felt strange after so long. It had been weird enough running into Raek, Losmer, and Marie, but at least then he'd been somewhat distracted by suddenly being teleported into the dungeon. Wyatt opened his mouth, then hesitated. He looked down at Kit.

"… do you think I need to make up a story first?"' A story? Whatever for?'

"You know, just to have something prepared in case they ask me any questions. Like if they wonder what I'm doing in here?" Kit looked at him for a long moment, and he got the impression that she was choosing her words carefully.

'We aren't trying to get into a restricted or controlled area, Wyatt. We are just leaving the dungeon.'

"Yes, but —" Kit spoke over the top of him.' We are in the dungeon. Therefore we are supposed to be here. How would you otherwise explain our presence?'

"There are guards down there though. Isn't it their job to, well, guard?" Kit sighed.' Do they look alert or keen to you?' Wyatt glanced down at the four guards again. They were wearing leather armour, notable as it was uniform across all of them, with a grey surcoat over the top. Two were playing some kind of card game, sitting at a small table, and one was leaning on a pike, swaying slightly, appearing to be having difficulty in staying awake.

The fourth looked the most alert, and they were busy talking to one of the groups of Adventurers. Wyatt admitted to Kit that they didn't come across as all too professional. The silver fox nodded.' Exactly. They are stationed at the exit to the first floor of the dungeon. The floor that is supposedly cleared, safe for almost anyone. I'd be shocked if they even give you a second glance.' Wyatt nodded, steeling himself.

"That makes sense. Okay, let's do this." Wyatt started off with walking resolutely down towards the portal, but then he started to slow. He kept feeling like everyone there was staring at him. That there was something about him that didn't fit, an imposter. Wyatt locked eyes with the guard nearest to the exit, the one leaning on his pike. Wyatt found himself slowing further, then coming to a complete stop. He raised a hand, waving at the guard awkwardly.

"Uh … hey?" Kit didn't speak, but Wyatt heard her groan. The guard by the portal looked at him blankly, the two playing cards glancing over as well. Wyatt cleared his throat.

"I'm just heading out. Of the dungeon, I mean. Okay?" Kit sounded like she was choking on something, and she was pawing at one of her ears. The guard with the pike looked at Wyatt for a long moment, then nodded slowly.

"… right." Wyatt nodded as well.

"Right." It was a standoff between them, with Kit dying on the ground at Wyatt's feet. The back of his neck felt hot, and he could hear the whispers and muffled laughter of the Adventurers behind him. The guard seemed to realise that if this was going to end, he'd have to be the one to do it. The guard exaggeratedly moved to one side, gesturing behind him to the stone archway. He spoke slowly, enunciating like he suspected that Wyatt might be addled. Or slow.

"There's the exit. Feel free to use it. Watch your head." Wyatt smiled desperately, still nodding. He seemed unable to stop.

"Right. I see it. Thanks!" Wyatt walked stiffly past the guard, heading towards the portal. Kit was at his heels with her tail and ears pointed down out of sheer embarrassment. There seemed to be a shimmer in the air between the stone archway, and as they got closer, some glowing runes lit up, casting an eldritch light over the two of them. Just before they entered, Wyatt heard the guard behind him call out to the others.

"… what do you think was wrong with that one?" Thankfully the portal swallowed Wyatt before he could hear an answer, the world going momentarily dark, and then he was spat out. Ported outside of the dungeon.