A few seconds later, Garath and Daisy held the final keys.
The fourth Necro-Shaman Key has been accepted.
One of you must use it to pass through the door in the next 30 seconds.
For each Key that reaches its expiration here, one member of your Party will be chosen at random to stay in Chuchusullay permanently.
When all five Keys have either been used to open a door or allowed to expire, some, if not all, are allowed to retire.
The fifth Necro-Shaman Key has been accepted.
One of you must use it to pass through the door in the next 30 seconds.
For each Key that reaches its expiration here, one member of your Party will be chosen at random to stay in Chuchusullay permanently.
When all five Keys have either been used to open a door or allowed to expire, some, if not all, are allowed to retire.
Like before, a pair of free-standing wooden doors appeared in the clearing. Holding a silver key in his mouth, Garath looked up helplessly at the door in front of him. There was no way he’d be able to get the key into its hole, unlock the door, and then twist the handle in House Cat form. Desperate, he turned to Daisy for help, but only caught a glimpse of blond curls disappearing into the blackness beyond before the door slammed shut behind her. He hated himself for doing it, but going back to his natural form was the only way to finish this gods forsaken dungeon. Bitterly, Garath shimmered into his human form. The second he did, a wave of relief swept over him. He’d forgotten how bloody tainted his House Cat form had become. It was almost like a completely different person. Garath made a mental note to be wary of using the form in the future, or at least to make sure his friends knew about the megalomaniac he became in the adorable body. With the clock ticking, he’d have to put more thought into it later. He unlocked the door before him, opened it, and walked in.
Garath wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting to see on the other side of the door, but he’d certainly been expecting to see something. Instead, everything was black. A heavy, oppressive darkness squeezed him as if he were deep underground in a place the light hadn’t touched in centuries. He couldn’t hear anything either. If it wasn’t for his +300% increased sense of smell, Garath may as well have been in a sensory deprivation chamber. As it was though, he could tell that he wasn’t alone in this place. A quick look inward also let Garath know that he wasn’t alone within his own mind either. Bill and Handsome were occupying the place in Garath’s mind that they always did when they were dismissed. Deep inside of himself he also felt the comforting presence of Tarzan, the new, white-light version of Tarzan. The comforting presence that had been completely absent while he was a cat.
The Necrologist took a few probing sniffs and was relieved when he recognized the scents of the other members of his Party. They were close, all four of them.
And then something brushed past his ankle. Remembering the poem’s warning about not making sound, he was barely able to suppress the shriek trying to escape his lips. Breathing as quietly as he could manage, Garath got to his knees and reached out blindly with both hands, feeling only open air until his right hand contacted something completely unexpected. A soft, fluffy puppy.
Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the room around him began to lighten and take shape as Garath continued petting the little fluff-bucket scampering around his ankles. The welcome sight of Sharon’s silhouette appeared ten feet in front of him, and Garath stood. The room continued to lighten, and the forms of Auto and Atlas became visible behind her. Not seeing Daisy, Garath began to panic. He turned around though, and there she was, sitting cross legged with a puppy in her lap. When the room’s light was enough to easily see by, Garath’s jaw dropped. There were puppies everywhere. There had to be a hundred wagging tails. If a dungeon boss appeared out of nowhere at that moment and started killing these adorable creatures, Garath would never forgive whatever ‘entity’ created the place.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Another look around revealed five wooden chests. Rewards for completing a dungeon. Garath wiped a joy-filled tear from his cheek and bent to scratch the ears of a puppy happily jumping up on his leg. After a happy reunion, the Party continued to play with the puppies for long, therapeutic minutes. Garath couldn’t wipe the ridiculous smile from his face if he’d wanted to. Filled to the brim with a light-hearted happiness, Garath wasn’t sure why the final room of this dungeon was filled with puppies. He guessed he’d probably never know, but he had some ideas.
Finally, each member of the Party moved to stand in front of a chest and pressed their hands against them to reveal the rewards within. Garath received two items from his chest and drank in the system-provided details at a glance.
Gloves of the Forgotten
Raiment Slot: Hands
Armor: +16
Magic Resistance: +10%
Durability: 50/50
Item Score: 85
Defense Rating: 160
Type: Cloth Armor
Quality: Above Average
Rarity: Uncommon
+40 Wisdom
***The memory remains.
Item Requirements:
Level: 25
Boots of the Forgotten
Raiment Slot: Feet
Armor: +26
Magic Resistance: +5%
Durability: 50/50
Item Score: 85
Defense Rating: 130
Type: Cloth Armor
Quality: Above Average
Rarity: Uncommon
+40 Wisdom
***The memory remains.
Item Requirements:
Level: 25
Garath was psyched about the upgrade for his hands and feet. As a bonus, they were both a stylish black. It may be a silly thing to be happy about, but his black tiara, black robe, and black staff looked downright silly with his white gloves and boots. He now looked like a uniformed harbinger of death. Garath smiled to himself. A pretty harbinger of death.
When they’d finished inspecting their rewards, the Party met in the center of the room, where a portal had appeared to take them back to Earth. Daisy pouted for a time when Garath told her that he doubted the dungeon would let her bring one of the puppies home with her, but he didn’t discourage her from trying. The tiny golden retriever she’d chosen to make the attempt with was a solid choice in Garath’s opinion and, for his part, he truly hoped that when they appeared on the other side of the portal she’d still be cradling the creature in her arms. Unfortunately, his intuition had been correct. When the Party materialized on the foggy pier from which they’d entered Chuchusullay, Daisy was puppyless. After trying and failing to console her, the Party shifted into flight-capable forms and soared toward the Guild Hall with the setting sun at their backs.
Chapter Twenty-Five – Hello, My Name is ____
The plan had been to take a second group into Chuchusullay after the one-hour waiting period allowed for the instance to reset but, after doing a run of the place, Garath wasn’t very keen on that idea. Only Athios and Warrion were still below Level 30, but barely. Instead of flying back to Hat Island, Garath asked if they would be okay with Lair farming their way to Level 30. After hearing the Necrologist tell them about his experience in Chuchusulay, Athios and Warrion readily agreed. They shifted into a pair of crows and took off into the early evening sky, heading east toward the mountains.
Garath was tempted to accompany them, but he was sure they would be alright. Between the two of them they’d be able to handle any Lair they ran into. Still, he couldn’t help worrying. Unsure of what to do with himself while they were gone, Garath climbed to the roof of the Guild Hall.
He was disappointed to find that Aldrasyl was missing from his usual perch. He took a seat on the west-facing ledge and watched the setting sun as it slowly sunk into the ocean. Sitting there, admiring the scenery, Garath’s thoughts moved to the reason for all the work that he and the Dungeon team had put in.
The green tower to the south.
After toni
ght, his team would be ready. But something still bothered him. Though everyone had worked together well, they didn’t know that much about each other. Before heading south to The Tower of Vy’thishrak, he wanted to get everyone together, maybe hang out around a campfire. Get to know each other a little better. Garath took a second to send a private message to each member of the team, asking them to meet him back on the clifftop to do exactly that later that evening.
While he had the messaging partition of his MENU panels open, Garath glanced down at the last message he’d received from Alice. It had been a few days since they’d talked, so the Necrologist mentally typed up a message to the Lore Keeper to check in. He told her that his group had been assembled and that, by the end of the night, they’d meet her requirements. Garath went on to tell her that, unless she had other plans for tomorrow, he’d like to meet with her in the morning in person and that the rest of the group would make their way south to begin their run of The Tower a bit later.
Alice’s response was almost immediate. Impersonal as always, the Lore Keeper’s private message was simply an acknowledgement and agreement to his proposal, and instructions on how he might find her. Garath sent a simple ‘see you in the morning’ in response, then closed his MENU panels.
He was just about to get up from his seat overlooking the water, when a massive white form caught his eye. The great white Dragon was flying over the calm waters of Puget Sound, his tail skimming its surface. A few minutes later, the winged reptile joined Garath on the roof. He smiled a greeting and waved awkwardly as he approached the Dragon.
*Hey Aldrasyl,* Garath said in the silent language of the Dragons. *Were you doing some fishing?*
Aldrasyl gave only a brief nod in response.
*Can you talk for a minute?* Garath asked.
The great white Dragon stretched his wings expansively before nodding again. Aldrasyl swung his long, serpentine neck around to face the Necrologist. *I am tired, but say what you are here to say.*
Garath nodded. *I’ll keep it brief then. My team is ready, and we’re heading to the Dungeon south of here tomorrow afternoon. I just wanted to let you know because, well, as you already know, there’s a chance I won’t make it out of there alive. I figured you deserve to know. My team is strong and capable though, and I have every confidence in them.*
Aldrasyl’s draconic features took on a look of surprise. *Well done, human. I did not expect you to go through with your claim to enter the Dungeon. I am impressed with your bravery, ambition, and resolve,* Aldrasyl said. He looked directly into Garath’s eyes with an intense expression. *And I am proud of the bond we share. I acknowledge and accept the risk that you are taking. May the Dragon blood in your veins grant you the strength to be victorious.*
Garath was touched. Aldrasyl had never said anything remotely nice to him before. The Necrologist smiled again. *Thank you. That means a lot to me.*
*May I ask you something, Garath?* Aldrasyl asked ponderously.
*Any time, friend,* Garath replied. After the nice things Aldrasyl had just said to him, Garath probably would have done anything the Ice Drake asked of him.
*I have been curious for some time, why is it that your species bares their teeth as a form of welcome greeting? In my experience, when a creature bares its teeth it is almost always a threat or a warning.*
Garath was dumbfounded. He thought about it for a second, and then another, but he was drawing a blank. *I… actually, I really don’t know. I think it’s a learned behavior, not instinctive though. I’m going to have to think about that one and get back to you.*
Aldrasyl’s huge scaled head bobbed up and down in understanding. *Go and conquer the Dungeon, Garath. I will expect an answer upon your safe return.*
*It’s a deal,* Garath replied. The Necrologist wished the Dragon a good evening before leaving the rooftop to meet up with the Dungeon team.
Garath walked to the cliff top, thinking about how far he and Aldrasyl had come since their admittedly, pretty rough start. He knew it would take a bigger man than himself to forgive someone for doing what Garath had done to the great white Dragon. He was pleased beyond words that Aldrasyl seemed to return the growing respect that Garath himself felt for the massive reptile.
He was happy to see that he wasn’t the first one on the cliff. Auto, Maimon and the twins already had a fire going. A message from Athios let him know that she and Warrion had both reached Level 30 and that they were on their way back. Sharon arrived with Daisy shortly after Garath and the unnaturally youthful Naturist began preparations for an evening meal. Atlas joined up with the group just before Athios and Warrion made it back from their hunting trip. Before long, the Dungeon team in its entirety was sitting around the fire, stuffing their faces from heaping plates of wonderfully prepared vegetables and chicken. If Garath hadn’t already known that everything on his plate had come from a can, he wouldn’t have believed it. When everyone finished eating, Garath put his plate on the ground beside the fire and got to his feet.
“After all the work we’ve all put in, we finally made it. Everyone is at or above Level 30 and we’re armed to the teeth. Tomorrow, we head south to The Tower!” Garath said. After a few seconds of raucous cheering from the group, Garath raised his hands in a plea for silence. “First things first. A few of you still need Guild invitations.”
With that, Garath issued invitations to the members of the Dungeon team not already in the Guild.
Atlas has joined The Band of the Hawk.
Daisy has joined The Band of the Hawk.
Sharon has joined The Band of the Hawk.
Warrion has joined The Band of the Hawk.
“Tonight, I want everyone to get to know each other a little better. Take a good look at the people around you.” He paused to allow a moment for everyone to do just that before continuing. “Some of us have known each other for years and some of us have just met, yet tomorrow, when we enter the Dungeon, the people around you will be depending on you to do your job, and you’ll be depending on them to do theirs. I have all the confidence in the world that each and every one of you deserves that trust.” Another loud cheer drowned out the Necrologist for a moment and he smiled as he raised his hands again to quiet them.
“One at a time, we’re going to stand up and tell everyone something personal about ourselves. Something that you haven’t shared with anyone but your closest friends, even before the apocalypse. I know,” Garath said as jokes started spreading about the first day of school. “I know. It’s kinda silly. I get it. But tomorrow, when we go into The Tower, I want my best friends around me. I want to know more about each of you. So just humor me with this alright?”
“Alright,” Athios said, a smug little smile hiding behind her dark hair. “You go first.”
“Sure,” Garath agreed. “It’s a deal. Let’s see…”
“We already know you’re an asshole, G. Pick something else,” Auto joked.
“Dang it!” Garath replied, dramatically kicking the dirt. He took a deep breath, actually a little nervous now. He was expecting the same level of honesty from everyone though, so Garath didn’t hold back. “Before the apocalypse I used to do anything I could to dull the anxiety of life. I smoked a lot of weed, I drank a lot of beer, and I abused my ADHD medication, among some other, less safe things.”
“That’s not a secret,” Warrion pointed out.
“I wasn’t done,” Garath playfully admonished him for interrupting. “What I want to share is that the anxiety I’ve felt my whole life, that urgency to do something with my life is gone now. Since The Culling, my life has meaning. I haven’t had a single urge to get drunk or high. I’m literally one of those dorks that’s high on life now. That’s it, that’s what I wanted to share. Who’s up next?”
Nobody volunteered, so, grabbing the Dimensionalist from beneath her arms, Garath picked Athios up and nudged her forward. She turned back to give him a flirty glare, then nervously faced the Dungeon team around the fire.
“I’m n
ext I guess,” she said, her hand reaching to pull on a lock of hair below her ear. “I’ve never done well in a social setting, but that probably isn’t a secret.” Athios looked over her shoulder at Garath, who nodded encouragingly for her to continue. “Well, unlike Garath, I am still struggling every day with crippling anxiety. I overthink everything, and stress about everything, and I never think that everything will be alright. My parents were both therapists, go figure. They taught me breathing techniques and coping mechanisms, and sometimes it does help, but I’ve never been able to be free of it.” Athios paused, unsure of how to finish. “I don’t know what else to say…”
“That was great,” Garath told her sincerely. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. “Thank you for sharing.”
“I’ll go next!” Daisy said, getting to her feet as Garath and Athios sat down together on a moss-covered log beside the fire. “I’ve never told anyone this, but I was going to be the first female president of the United States before the stupid apocalypse.”
“I bet you were, Daisy.” Garath smiled. “Thank you for sharing that with us. Now you get to pick who goes next.”
Daisy looked from face to face, shadows from the flickering fire dancing in the night all around them. Finally, Daisy pointed at Jebawon and then took a seat beside Athios.
Jebawon stood up and looked at the group with his typical, serious demeanor. “Me and Obawon grew up on a dairy farm. Some of you have seen my Tamed beast, Bug Eyes. Bug Eyes is actually the best friend I’ve ever had. She may just be a cow, but she’s a better listener than any human I’ve ever met.” Jebawon stopped talking for a second, tears welling in his eyes. “She’s the only one I could save when The Culling started.”
The Tree of Ascension: A LitRPG Apocalypse (Peril's Prodigy Book 2) Page 30