Slowly waking to the sweet bitter taste sliding down the back of his throat Coal tried to sit up, only to feel something digging into his wrists. Strugling to get himself free he started to choke on the tube pushing liquid down his throat.
“You’re not even level one yet, so I highly doubt you will be able to break the bindings.”
Finally opening his eyes, he was assaulted by a bright light.
After taking a couple minutes to adjust he was eventually able to make out four individuals sitting on the ground around a glowing stone. They were eating what looked like two-foot-long grasshopper legs.
This only partially surprised him as he began to observe those around him.
Sitting in front of him was what he would call either a halfling, or a gnome female with short black hair, full leather armor, and a crossbow across her back.
After her was a broad-shouldered humanoid with a thick fir hooded-cloak obscuring his face. He appeared to have a Warhammer on his side and protrusions that looked to be other weapons at his waist.
Next was what had to be a dwarf. Standing at around four and a half feet tall with a large bushy beard, he had on a half plate chest piece and carried a grasshopper leg in one hand, and a pick in the other. He was still chewing away at the leg and had not even looked up yet.
The last one was the one who talked. He was a tall man, who looked to be in his late sixties. Salt and pepper hair with a military cut. He was wearing what looked like gambeson armor with a leather drover hanging open over it. On his belt you could see various pouches an arming sword, and a small dagger. In his hand he was holding plain looking staff of around six feet putting it equal to him in height.
“Level One?” Coal asked still in a daze from before.
“Yes, Level one. Once you get to level one things will start to become easier for you, but until then you are stuck with the abilities the gods, and your own perseverance have given you.”
“By the look on your face you probably came from some backwater without system access. Must be a new world.”
“By the items you have it appears industrially advanced, so I’ll put it at around seven millenneia give or take for inteligent races. Also given that there are no runes on this weapon of yours it is also either a world without mana, or one that doesn’t understand it yet.” Seeing the surprised look on Coals face Rendrake knew he was at least close in his assumptions. “Well, Welcome to the world of Sync. Sync is thus named because it is a world that naturally synchronizes itself to those around it.” Seeing the old man begin his speech Coal couldn’t help but see the smile, and energy begin to emanate off the individual signifying that he was in his element, and somehow making everything he said easier to understand. Listening in rapt attention Coal tried to absorb everything he could while this man spoke. He quickly learning that while his predicament was not common, it was also not unusual. He also learned that he would need to learn to read and write in the local Common tongue. Either that or save up an entire gold piece to obtain a universal translator like everybody here had. Upon asking about it he was informed that this was out-side of any of their price range, and they all owed theirs to the Adventurer’s Guild that gives them out to adventurers on a lease to own basis. He also was notified that an extra enchantment on them would teleport it to the nearest guild in case of the owner’s demise. These functioned as their guild badges and displayed their basic information. Their name, current preferred vocation, and guild rank.
Coal decided that he would prefer to learn the language for now, and work on obtaining a badge later. That way he could learn to read and write the language as well. If there was one thing Coal loved, it was books, and he was not about to let something as basic as language get in his way.
Caught up listening Coal was lost in thought until the scent of one of the still roasting legs brushed his nose.
“Ggrrrrrrr” At the sound of his stomach growling everybody seamed to stop and look at him for a second before they began to laugh.
“Here, we made a basic stew for you to eat until you can handle solid. By the state of your body you are at complete starvation and I’m afraid solid food will just make you sick until your body is back to normal.” Reaching behind Coal he quickly undid the bindings. “On the bright side though, since you came from a non-system world before the time it takes for your body to recoup itself is probably much faster than you are used to.”
“I’m sorry for binding you, we didn’t know what state of mind you would be in when you woke. You were not exactly making rash decisions when you knocked yourself out.”
“I think you will be eating solid foods again within a day or two at the latest.”
Looking at all the food they had available to them, Coal couldn’t help but wonder how they were able to carry all of it, and if they didn’t carry it, then they must have caught it while they were here. “How did you get all the food down here?”
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“That would be Tashia here. She studies the arts of forestry, and long-range combat in hopes to be recognized as a ranger one day. She has what is called a Lure Cantrip that draws game animals towards it, then all she has to do is wait for it, or in this case set a trap.”
“She sounds handy to have around” After receiving the bowl it took everything Coal had to not drink it all down at once, and he did what he could to pace himself, so he wouldn’t make himself sick. Tashia sat in the other corner with a grin on her face.
“I’m keeping him. He just got here, and he already knows who is important around here. Not to mention even starved he has better manners that Rocky here.”
“It’s Stonebro, Rocky was my cousin and he left for survivalist training thirty years ago.”
Interrupting their banter which was proving to be a constant thing between them Coal asked “By the way how did you know my name and level? Can you see my stats as well?” The idea that a person could tell so much about you just by looking was both frustrating and horrifying to him. With all his information available everyone could see all the important details about him and make him that much easier to take advantage of.
“Don’t worry the only way I knew was because I used a Scrying crystal on you while you were out. The most information identify will give is your name, and if there are any outstanding achievements you have done. The scrying crystal on the other hand needs to contact an individual to work, and it will tell you someone’s name, age, level, health in percentage, and if there are any unknown ailments.”
“As far as stats or Ability Points go, they are something to be kept to yourself and your loved-ones for personal safety.”
“Your Skills on the other hand will need to be shown to others from time to time. Especially if you ever become an adventurer. After all it does no one any good if you say you can track, and what you mean is you can walk down a pre-established trail.”
“Hey, I told you before all my tracking was done in caves and tunnels. It aint my fault them critters didn’t stay on the path”
“Ok then now that you’ve eaten let us do introductions. I go by Rendrake, the loud dwarf over there is Stonebro” the dwarf raises what is left of the leg and waves it at Coal flinging the juices across the room they are in. The small woman jumps back to avoid getting any on her.
“Watch it numb nuts.”
Continuing as though nothing has happened Rendrake continued his interdiction. “The high-strung lass here is Tashia, and finally the silent one is Bartram”
“Tashia as you know is going for the ranger vocation. Bartram is something like a druid he has same healing spells and can purify and control limited amounts of plant life. I am a swordsman who is also learning the vocation of body magics I am knew to the arcane end and am still unable to channel through metals such as my sword, so I have a staff to practice with. Finally, we have Stonebro. Stonebro is an Axehand. He is trained to fight with axes and picks to the exclusion of all other weapons.”
Noticing that each of the individuals had their own paths Coal was happy to see they were a fairly rounded out party. Coal stands up. “I am Coal Eldrake, as you guessed I am not from around here I was pulled into this cave from my world that we call earth, and the only thing I have left from there is my revolver. I don’t even have any bullets for it left, so it might as well be an extra piece of metal at this time. I don’t know how long ago I arrived here but all I’ve known so far in a world of darkness and violence. Within a couple days of arrival here I was thrust into combat with a cave troll and spent all my ammo on it to only knock it out. I watched as this creature began to heal itself from these wounds, so I took that large axe over there from a pile of refuse and like splitting wood I chopped.”
“I chopped, and I chopped, and I chopped. I don’t know how long it took but I was able to end that creature. Then after all that I looted all the corpses of its victims to obtain the rest of the possessions I have now.” Now in tears Coal began to let out the pent-up emotions and frustrations.
He never felt loneliness like he did in the cave. While struggling to survive he did not have time to think of what was going on. Now though it was different. Now he wasn’t alone. He was around individuals who knew how to survive in this area. He was safe again. But the safety only made him think of his loss.
He was in another world, something he could only dream about. When he was young he would fantasize about such an experience.
Now that it was here all he could think about was his loss. He remembered going on walks with his mom and the goats. A mother he may never see again. Never hug and kiss on the head.
He thought of his stepdad a man who helped raise him. A man who goes out of his was to do everything he can to keep his mother happy. One who shared the love of outdoors and was one to try to be as self-sufficient as he could. He thought of how he would never make any more home-made beer or wine with him or help him build his greenhouse.
Coal thought of his step-mom another woman he loved. He remembered her brutal honesty and her tough exterior. He also remembered how much she cared, and how she would go out of her way to help you. He remembered how she taught him to ride horses and drive a tractor.
He thought of his dad who taught him to drive. He thought of all his step siblings and his nieces and nephews that he would never see again.
And last, he thought of his sister, her husband, and that little fireball he had for a niece. The one that had an ear to ear grin with great big dimples and fire red hair. He thought of how he would no longer be able to see them again. Never tell them he loves them.
Coal remembered all this while telling these four people in-front of him about his travel through the cave, his manifestation of mana, and the spell he tried. How he was eating grubs to survive, and the point when he finally began to lose it.
Somewhere along the way Tashia ended up in his arms, and both Rendrake and Bertram had them in a hug. Leaning down he kissed the little woman in his arms on the forehead and shanked her for the comfort in his moment of weakness.
Looking across the room Coal could see Stonebro with red eyes glairing at everyone with his arms crossed in front of himself. Reaching out an arm he waved it towards himself. The little dwarf knocked them all to the ground as he joined the embrace.
All going from their crying to laughing the group quickly separated again. Stonebro adamant that no one was to ever speak of this moment again.
Seeing a moment to speak his mind Coal explained how even though he may never see his family again, they were not in the same situation, and the sooner they got out of the cave the sooner they could return to their other ones. Still worked up, but feeling better Coal got up and began to pack his belongings back up.
He was ready to leave the cave system and see what this world was all about.