Erifis

Dying was painful, it was technically my fault that it happened though. I had gotten too used to people following the laws here that I figured I was safe. I didn't feel like myself much when I came back to life, like I had lost some piece of who I was. Most of the time I remember from the six months since my death I was a passenger in my own body. A prisoner in a cell, with something else guiding my actions.

I didn't realize what it was for a while, but once I did I was no longer a prisoner as much. I could think of things to do or places to go and Sym would take me there or do the things I wanted to. I just couldn't control my body. I know more about what Sym is now though, instead of some name that had no meaning I understand now.

For a while all I did was practice, swords, the fancy bow and arrows Thomas makes, daggers and staves too. When the Church assassins came back anew I was ready. I'm sure I could have won a fight with my original killer too. While I don't have levels anymore, my statistic distribution for base abilities would put me around level 100, which is insane to think of. The highest level I remember ever hearing about in the last 30 years or so was a level 45 adventurer.

The benefit isn't just the extra strength and energy. I lost 4 dress sizes. I also figured out how Tomas, and indirectly Thomas, both create things out of nothing. It's all about Will. The more one of the Dungeon Kin want something, the more Desire that is there, the easier it is to make it happen. It's how my teleport worked too. I'd still rather have control of my body instead of being trapped as a passenger along for a ride with the single tracked mind of Sym as the coachman. It's been a nice 6 months though where I've been able to learn a lot.

Mysty for example is able to talk mentally now. She's apparently a full grown Dragon as well, but Sym never spends much time in her caverns. I haven't seen her for a while, Jewel has stopped trying to talk to me, but changed from a yellow/orange name to a gray one a week ago. I don't know what the colours mean. I miss my friends, I want to talk to people but I can't. Thomas is worried about my well-being and while that is nice, I worry that he isn't mentally stable as much anymore.

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After he declared war on the other Dungeons alot of things changed. He'd still allow people as far as the spider arena, but going beyond that was only allowed if he was present. He couldn't move through walls anymore but he was still very fast. He took out at least one Core every twelve hours. Between the time he took to fly there, navigate the Dungeons and kill the monsters that isn't a bad amount of time. I died around the time he had destroyed 34 or 35 other Cores. I was revived when he destroyed the next one. I've been trapped since.

If I get free from my involuntary imprisonment I don't know what I'll do. I'll probably go and see all my friends. I'll go sit in the park under the church. I'll go get drunk and have fun. I might go get laid just to celebrate. I'll go pet the Dragon down under the ocean, and watch the fish go about their lives. I'll eat a gods damned meal for the first time since I revived, yeah that has to be a priority. Food. I miss food.

I have a list of things I want to bring to the attention of Thomas. If I get free of course.

I'll tell him my death wasn't his fault, he blames himself for it often, and has noticed the change in my behavior.

I'll tell him that I never blamed him for his actions.

I heard him when he was upset, felt his emotions when he found out that something was different. Sadness and then anger, not at anyone in particular, at himself.

I WON'T tell him that I know what Sym is, or that the creep has been controlling my body.

I won't tell him that I've been keeping my own version of his diaries in my head, or that I've read all of his.

Most importantly I won't tell him that he is in the wrong about the Cores. Because I actually believe his response is the right one. That said I will probably have to confront him about some of his behaviors. While he seems very balanced in the punishments he gives out to people I've noticed that he doesn't do so for everyone. Including himself.

Normally that would just be expected, the King of the Kingdom weighs down the peasants with laws to follow and disregard them. It's the truth everywhere. I don't think Thomas even realizes that he doesn't follow some of his own laws. I do think that he would if it was pointed out to him though. He doesn't think of himself as a King, he doesn't think of himself as anything other than a person. He isn't though. He is a Dungeon Core, and while he was a person before, he doesn't need to follow our laws. He isn't a human, elf, dwarf, orc, or any other sentient mortal race.

Looking back on my body I notice that I'm walking through the main street, carrying supplies from the outskirt farmland into the city. People wave as I pass by and get out of my way, but no one bothers to say anything. Most of them look scared but since I was not paying attention I don't know why they are. I don't even know what I'm currently carrying but from the shadow on the ground it's big. I try to focus on the windows to the side, in an attempt to catch my reflection. I'm kind of impressed, I'm carrying a whole cow, and it's alive, very stressed at being treated so roughly but alive nonetheless.

After my body dropped it off at the butcher shop and turned around to head back towards the outskirts again I return to my thoughts. What ifs and plans for the future my only way of not having to focus on being a passenger in my own body.

Something is changing though.

Something great.

I'm very excited.

I can wiggle my toes.

Very small change, but I have some control, and some is more than none.

I'm coming back. I can't wait.