I’m dead? Said Davren
How?
That was an F ranked dungeon, my sovereign shield should have protected me against any attack it could have thrown. Overwhelmed with unexpected emotion Davren folds into himself sobbing mournfully. Javen is dead, the kid he once held as a baby, climbed trees and got into mischief with.
Dead
It was all his fault, he didn’t need to push him into going to the treasury. He was supposed to protect his little brother,if I could do it again, he said, I would never let greed get the best of me. I’m sorry Javen, so, so sorry he says now in a full blown wail. After a time he gathers himself, straightens and floats?
Davren takes in his new reality… it’s emptiness, nothing and no one. He is floating in a gray void.. all alone. Is this the punishment for the life he’s lived? he thought. Is this the afterlife? HELLO anyone there? Please someone.. His words die unanswered as shifts from depression to rage to sadness. He stews in his emotions for what seems to be an eternity. Spinning and floating, floating and spinning, this seemed to go on for days. He had no access to equipment or skills, he wondered if he was either forgotten or was being punished for deeds in life. He would never see his parents again, his friends would move on and forget him. Suddenly a bright light drew him out of his revelry. The intensity nearly blinded him but at the same time it beckoned him to draw near to its embrace.
Sobbing Davren allowed himself to be drawn into the light as in the distance, behind him, he thought he heard faint laughter before a booming voice proclaimed:
1 OF 1 LIFE TOKEN DETECTED.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACTIVATE THE LIFE TOKEN RECEIVED FROM “F” RANKED RICKER DUNGEON?
The system seemed to place emphasis on F rank, Davren thought. He brushed it off as it must have been his imagination, he had just been overwhelmed with emotion a second ago.
YES he declared ACTIVATE!
Davren felt a strange sensation, a tingling that turned into an itch then to an unbearable peeling. He looked down and saw his legs were again disintegrating. This continued up to his neck. Unable to take it anymore he let out a pained scream as his lips disappeared. For a moment he heard nothing until his right ear was taken. He then heard a muffled mixture of conversation that sounded eerily like his brother.
Ok, I got it, Javen said.. I will let him know… No you’re the best Garter. If I’m ever in the area I’ll send them your message…. Oh right now? great thanks, I’ll head over.
If that is Javen he must have found a safe place to hide Davren thought through the pain. That must be the rogue, Garter, I have to remember that. Then the most intense pain he ever felt hit him as his eyes were eroded from the void.
Coming to focus in a slight haze he collapsed as the outline of Javen ran to catch him. The pain was slowly going away but the disorientation remained for a few moments longer. Javen slowly lifted him and placed a flask in his hand. Bringing it to his lips he took a deep gulp, he didn’t realize how thirsty he was before this. Feeling slightly better he realized only he and his brother were in the now brightly lit clearing outside of the entrance to the pathway to the treasury. He began to pull his brother away seeing the massive stone dragons turn in their direction. Panicked, he said we. need. to. get out of here NOW!!! You must have used the life token like I did. Our only hope now is the return key. Hands shaking he began to will the return key to appear from his storage ring.
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JAVEN HURRY UP YOU’RE MISSING ALL THE GOOD STUFF! Davren recognized that shrill voice, Jada was still alive and sounded .. joyful?.. He then began to notice the slight clinking sound from his brother’s pocket as he shifted to steady him. As his ears adjust, dampening the sound of his thumping heart he finally hears the joyful shouts of Garter and the healer. Looking at his brother he sees a huge grin plastered all over his face. You got in? He asks. Javen gives an affirmative nod leading Davren to jump for joy in excitement. We are able to take anything we can carry, Javen said. Almost dancing, Davren grabs his brother by the arm, immediately forgetting his recent ordeal. As he pulls Javen towards the walkway, Javen restrains him and directs Davren back to the spot he appeared. Wondering how much his brother actually invested in strength Davren responds, bonding can wait because we're safe now. I can hear Garter and uh, well the rest of them taking all the good items. Javen looks intently with a serious and at the same time puzzled expression. Garter is not taking anything, he hasn’t moved since we arrived, he said. Davren, now confused, wonders if he is hallucinating or really dead.
Javen seems to decide on something and points to the towering statue on the left of the walkway. That's Garter, he then points to the one on the right, that’s Philo, between you, me and Garter he’s a little weird don’t look at him too long. Unbelief strikes Davren and he instructs his brother to recap all that has been happening after his apparent death. Javen, giving a glance back to where the others were, agrees and begins;
When you were disintegrated I was more than ready to avenge you. Rallying the team and preparing doombringer, my sword, we meant to leap into action. The only issue was that we couldn’t move. Our feet were stuck to the ground and those piercing red eyes seemed to sweep over all of us. Something must have eventually satisfied them because about a minute later the lights came up and the pathway was clear. Garter spoke in my mind and introduced himself and we had an amazing chat. Turns out he has an amazing brother too and was glad we found this place since as soon as we leave he gets to take a break for the next two months while the treasury is closed. He said they are not physically here but constantly on watch through these constructs. Philo was being a jerk the whole time telling him to shut up. Man I doubt I could be on watch with someone like that. Davren interrupting what he considers a useless train of thought said while pinching his nose, Please. Focus. You. Id.. I mean Javen. Oh yeah, yeah Javen said where was I? Ok so it turns out you didn’t actually die, dead means dead, no power known anywhere can resurrect the dead. Your body was damaged to almost death, the system then removed you to the space between realms while your life coin restored your body, rank effects and other stuff I can’t remember. You were gone for about an hour before respawn. Was it cool? I can only imagine how cool it was. Davren looked at his excited brother blankly and said in a deadpan tone, yes so cool.
See that line? Javen continued they created it using their eye thingy after you “left”. Garter said if you cross it they will have no choice but to destroy you. I told him it would be no problem, you have your books so you will be fine. We are allowed into the treasury and can take all we can carry. Look at this he says as he removes platinum and gold coins from his pocket. Garter said because this is an F ranked dungeon they can’t provide much but these and what’s in there would make us the richest people in our city and maybe right up there with some in the capital. Man I wish we could take it all, too bad though. Instead i’m trying to see if there is, hold on he says as he walks a few steps and lays down his sword. Returning and now whispering he says i’m trying to see if there is an upgrade to replace doombringer. He presses his fingers to his lips and asks, can uncle Davren watch him while I go look? You should see the treasury bro. It's amazing, wall to wall items and wealth everywhere. The walls themselves are made from precious jewels and the ground has enough runes that an enchanter could spend a lifetime studying. I wish we could take it all, they have rank B armor I think also. Wait, what is that Garter? Turning back to Davren he says, sorry bro Garter says the only ones allowed to exit the dungeon with these items are those they allowed in. Whispering he says Philo REALLY doesn’t like you I would stay put until we are done. Back to a normal voice he proclaims, be back soon bro, man I really wish we could take it all.
Davren, trying to catch up from the thirty second information dump, grabs Javens arm one last time. Why do you keep saying you wish you could take it all? Didn’t mom give you a brand new adventurer bag of holding. I saw that they each have 200 slots each that should be more than enough, also why are you carrying coins in your pockets? Javen, who had wriggled out of Davrens grasp and made his way past the red line said, funny you ask that… Jada kinda didn’t think the bag looked good on me and said since we were only going for half a day and you, a B ranked adventurer, were coming with us we might not really need the bag. Huh, he said to nonexistent voices, coming, I'll be right there. Javen quickly sped off as before Davren could respond.