When Paul awoke from his sleep, he needed a moment to remember why the hell he had woken up in the darkness and stale air of a cave.
Ahhh, that fucking fall. I really should remember to test the ground in caves in the future. Good thing I can still have some private thought with that thing in my head. Or can I? She could have just lied to me. But would she do that if anything she told me yesterday, was true?
At the thought of yesterday’s conversations he suddenly recalled his rather questionable behaviour. Which resulted in his facial temperature skyrocketing.
Thank god nobody saw that. This was even worse than when I’m drunk.
‘Morning~. Are you embarrassed about something? Mhmm~?’
Well, of course nobody except for the ancient soul of some dragon who is responsible for the destruction of a whole pantheon. Who will probably tease me with it for all of eternity. Just where did I go wrong in my life? Mother was right, one time with the wrong people and all just goes down from there.
Not that he hated his friends, he actually couldn’t imagine how horrible it would be to be stuck alone in this strange world.
Paul started rummaging through his backpack for some food, as he hadn’t eaten anything for at least 24 hours now and after feeling somewhat rested, his belly really rumbled.
Good thing I packed some more dried meat. You never know what random shit might happen. Or more like has already happened.
As he started eating some thoughts came to him.
When I think about it I actually can’t blame Grimiora. I for sure wouldn’t want to be sealed forever in some cave. Don’t think I would have cared if had to do something similarly questionable. And at least she was honest about what she wanted to do. Well, if what she said is true, there wasn’t actually much of a choice in on the matter. That whole hormone thing made me act really stupid, but that was probably the right call to make. I would have absolutely lost my shit otherwise. Actually gave me some time to think about it. But I really don’t see any way to change anything. Go to some shaman with that ridiculous story? Not happening. Argh, frustrating when you want to blame someone, but really can’t. But do I want to trust her? If can’t get rid of her for the time being, I will have to at least arrange myself with her. I guess I can trust her for the moment and see if she delivers on her promises.
After finishing his business, Paul started moving down the bigger tunnel he had stumbled upon yesterday. In the soft light of his magical lantern an even and straight path stretched down into the dark unknown.
‘Hey, Grimiora. Do you have any idea what could live down here or dug these tunnels?’
‘Ahh, now you are talking to me after you ignored me all night? I see, so you are that kinda man!’, to which Paul retorted with a snort.
‘Where do get these kinda jokes? I thought you were a dragon?’
‘You're no fun. Well, I occasionally did mingle with some lesser beings without the ability to fly. Even a dragon has to have fun sometimes. Sitting on some mountain, waiting for the next knight in shining armor to try and slay you isn’t the most time-intensive hobby there is. Reading romantic comedies however is such a hobby.’
Okay, good news: I am most likely not insane and hearing voices in my head. I don’t think my subconsciousness could come up with something this ridiculous. Does explain the bad attempts at humor though.
‘Sooo, any idea about the tunnels?’
‘No. Not really. Doesn’t look like dwarven. Way too rough for that and also way too high ceilings. Otherwise...well, I actually don’t really know much about other below-ground races or monsters.'
‘I would have expected a bit more from a god-slaying dragon, I must say.’
‘You already said it. I am a dragon. And what do dragons have? Wings, obviously. Any use for wings in tunnels? So, why should I care about any races that are too cowardly to step upon the surface and face my might?’, she said with a smug grin and mischievous glint in her eyes. Or the telepathic equivalent.
‘I admit, there is some sense in that argument. But, oh boy, expressions via telepathy are definitely something I have to get used to. Really weird.’
‘Right, I can just sense your current expression on your face. But you can also try out. I think it’s fun...WHAT IS THAT!!!. Another mistake from me. I hope that trend doesn’t continue.’
After disturbing Grimiora sufficiently with his most imaginative telepathic grimace, Paul felt slightly refreshed after all the stuff she had already put him through.
The tunnel had stretched on for multiple hours, when he finally came upon a large cavern.
‘We are finally somewhere.’, Paul breathed.
‘Just the question what somewhere is? Wait, isn’t that a village over there?’
‘A village? I just see a bunch of stones. You sure that’s one?’
‘Definitely. Have you never seen a Stone Elemental village?’
‘Stone Elemental? Never seen any Elemental of any kind anywhere. Never heard of one any settlements of any either. You sure that isn’t the result of some cave-in?’
‘Seeing is believing. Well, most of the times. But if you already doubt everything when we encounter some puny village, you will be in for a tough ride. Considering everything I have planned, it seems I will have to make sure that your tiny human mind doesn’t get fried.’, Grimiora stated with an arrogant smirk. Realising that it was better to move on, instead of arguing about Stone Elemental architecture, he did exactly that.
Coming near the structures, Grimiora’s assessment turned out to be right on point, as one could see strange beings shuffling about the piles of stones, doing mysterious things. Those piles of stones did indeed turn out to be housing of some kind, with the large openings in the front and the Elementals carrying stone in and out of them. They themselves looked a lot less magical than Paul had imagined. A lot looked like someone had tried to imitate a humanoid, but only had rocks for materials and some glue to attach them together. Except for the fact that the Stone Elementals were, indeed, moving. As for what they were doing, Paul hadn’t even the faintest clue. The piles of stones the magical beings were moving around with their vaguely arm-like appendages didn’t look like anything worthwhile to him in the sparse light of his lantern.
‘Hey, they are made out of rock, they live in houses out of rock and they are doing something with rock. Isn’t that weird?’
‘What are you on about? Aren’t you wearing leather boots right now?’
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‘But isn’t that different?’
‘Well, I think you are the weirder one, wearing something made from another living organism. I doubt that rock they’re using was ever alive.’
‘I guess you’re right.’, Paul grumbled. He didn't particularly fancy the dragon being right and him wrong, especially with the regular idiotic rom-com jokes. In fact, he didn’t like it when anyone was right and he not.
Carefully stepping closer Paul rose, to his surprise, exactly zero response from the stone people.
They are ignoring me? Are random adventurers so common around here? I doubt it.
“Hey! May some of thee show my humble self the way?”, Paul called out to them in Brasan Middle. Only to get ignored. Or somehow unnoticed.
‘Pfft..’, Grimiora giggled, ‘What was that? I would also ignore someone who sounds like a drunk with a lisp trying to imitate some ancient noble speaking Braizhian . You really that bad with the local language?’
'Braizhian ? That’s not how it’s called. Additionally, I also pronounced it flawlessly. Maybe a slight accent. I would know, with how tedious it was to learn. Also, that is how you respectfully talk to people. Apparently. I don't quite get it either.’, Paul objected.
‘Hmm. Seems like I was sealed away for longer than I thought, if the one of the most common languages already changed so much. I really have to investigate history a bit when we get out of here.’
‘Yeah, yeah we can to that.’ Paul waved her off.
‘So, what are we gonna do now? Doesn’t seem like we can easily communicate with them.’
‘Weird. From what I know about Stone Elementals they should at least be able to understand spoken language. Oh! I think we used the wrong language!’, Grimiora exclaimed.
‘But I only know one language. Also, why would they ignore us just because they can’t understand me?’
‘Give it up. I don’t think there is much to gain in trying to understand them. But I think I do have a solution to our problem. You remember how I said I couldn’t directly control your body?’
‘Yes. Quite an important fact for me personally.’
‘So little trust! I wouldn’t do anything weird~ you know? Regardless, that wasn’t one hundred percent true. I can, in fact, guide your body to do the right movements, if you concentrate on my influence.’
‘Guide?’
‘I don’t know for sure, but I estimate it should feel like some light mental resistance when you are moving the wrong way.’
‘Ah, so you can basically speak through me? But isn’t speech one of the more complex movements?’
‘Can’t know for sure until we try. Let’s go!’
When Paul now tried to speak, he could indeed basically feel the right way to move his tongue and mouth.
“Wre fat tof ond ay pa theert be tatle t me, t ththe tre quf blonanore!”
Now one of the Elementals who seemed to be doing nothing beforehand turned and walked towards him.
“Tonthour s ncakndr'sthaklelepas Grimiora ond thagr s, hinsug tharis ile aken! Th, a thansive, o t tithieaurn blis trthele, at dre this ofl?”
Paul had no idea what he had just said, but he could swear the the stone creature looked at him funnily. Which was astounding considering its face was just a piece of rock. Also, the haughty tone in which he had said his piece didn’t lead him to believe that he had been particularly friendly or respectful.
‘The hell did you just say?’, Paul snapped.
‘What are you so angry for? I just introduced myself and asked for an easily traversable way to the surface.’
The man could only guess how she had done that, but he calmed down when the Stone Elemental gestured to follow. Or what he interpreted as such.
Following it, the group traversed the village, crossed an underground river and finally came upon an unimpressive looking tunnel. Into which the three meter tall being pointed. Deciding that it was better to not rely on Grimiora for translation again, Paul just bowed, hoped the being got the message and went on his way.
A few minutes away from the entrance to the tunnel, he breathed a sigh of relief.
What stupid luck they were friendly and showed us the way. Even though that stupid dragon probably almost ruined it with whatever she said. Well, not like I had much of a choice. There were countless ways going out from that cave, don’t want to think about how long it would have taken to find the right one. If this is indeed the right one. Again, no real choice here.
‘Look, no reason to snap at me: he showed us the way.’
‘Yeah, if this isn’t the way to some trap.’
‘Always so suspicious. At least it goes up. And why would they even build something like a trap? I doubt lost adventurers are so common around here.’
‘We will see.’
Again, the tunnel bore straight through the surrounding rock with a mild incline. The path was even, but the walls almost looked natural, so rough and untouched they seemed.
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“If my sense of direction is right, we will come to the surface somewhere in the forest west of town, 5 days of travel away. Hopefully near the road, otherwise this is gonna be really annoying getting out there.”, Paul mumbled to himself, as he was getting bored in the always same looking tunnel.
‘Oh right, where are we, like geographically? With your variation of Braizhian , I assume in the Braizhian plains?’, Grimiora inquired.
‘It’s called the Brasan region. There are some plains there, but it reaches over the mountains in the south. But we are indeed in the plains. In the northwest of them.’
‘And the town you mentioned? Anything special there?’
‘Well, I called it a town, but it’s actually a sizeable city. In my home world it would have only qualified as bigger village. Special? Not really. Just the standard stuff. A House of Prayer, a market district, an adventurer’s guild, some nature spirit shrine a bit outside of town, mansion of the local lord, the mayor’s office, a red-light district.’, he listed.
‘Adventurer have a guild now? And what’s a red-light district?’
‘Yeah, they have one. For a long time actually, as far as I know. It collects requests in its area of influence and hands them out to members. Also collects info on monsters and such. And I called it red-light district, because that was the term in my world. No red light here. Just a couple of brothels and inns. So, entertainment district would be a better term.’
Grimiora seemed to brood over the information given, so Paul just continued in silence until he got tired. In a protected corner of the tunnel he sat up camp and went to sleep.
----------------------------------------
The next day continued much the same as the last one, with Grimiora inquiring about the current state of the world and him walking up the tunnel. Many of the questions he couldn’t answer as he only had been in this world for a couple months and many other ones probably no one could answer. Some he could however:
‘So, you mentioned a House of Prayer yesterday. Is that a temple to a god?’
‘Something like that. But it’s a monotheistic religion as far a I know. Is constantly in conflict with the nature cult in town.’
‘What to they teach?’
‘No clue. Not really interested in religion. I think something about that you should always be nice to others and help them. No idea what’s up with that, they constantly try to outmaneuver the nature cult in one way or another. And most I know who go to their assemblies aren’t all that nice to people who refused to go to their events. Like me or my friends. Feels like they are all sneering at me.’, he elaborated.
‘And the nature cult?’
‘Pray to spirits and things like that. Mostly keep to themselves. But the leader’s I met don’t seem like total pricks. So there is that. But no idea if they do child sacrifices in secret or not. Don’t like outsiders in their meetings.’
‘How mysterious. And-’
Suddenly Paul heard a slight chittering noise. He immediately drew the sword on his hip and listened intently. Again. A chittering and scratching. Again. Now closer. Paul tried to calm his breathing and peered into the darkness. At the edge of the shine of his lantern, he could make out the silhouette of a furry creature the size of dog with six limbs, a tail and two sickly glowing yellow eyes. It jumped at him. Paul took a step forwards and thrust with his sword and got the mutant rat right in the throat. He sidestep the now dead monster flying towards him and swiped at the second one. That too he injured lethally at the head. Both died a couple seconds later with gurgling screeching. Again, Paul listened for any other approaching foe. After four minutes of silence he relaxed and took out rag from his backpack to wipe the black blood from his blade.
[Mutant Cave Rat] defeated
[Mutant Cave Rat] defeated
+1 Dexterity
Still super weird that this is a thing. Well, can’t complain since it makes it pretty easy to track your progress.
‘Judging from how you just got an extra point in dexterity for some really lousy fighting, I take it you are a beginner?’
‘Obviously, I just got here a couple months ago.’, Paul huffed.
‘No combat training on your old world?’
‘There wasn’t that much to fight. Except for other humans. Which I am not really a fan of.’
‘Great! Than I can teach you how to fight properly!’
‘I am thrilled.’
‘No, you’re not. I can notice so obvious feelings through our bond.’
‘What, I thought I got you!’
‘Well, definitely not with such a deadpan voice.'