Chapter 6

Safe Room

“Eeee!” Jeremy backed away, reaching for his knife. He noticed something that made him stop. The humanoid had a dungeon backpack, much like his own. This humanoid was an adventurer.

He reached into his own pack, pulled out a dungeon ration bar, and offered it to the humanoid.

The humanoid stopped, put the club away, and looked him over. Apelike was the wrong term to describe this humanoid. Maybe a bigfoot or yeti? Obviously intelligent. The long brown hair on its head was braided with strings of small orange beads, and it wore armor made from the skin of an unknown animal that looked like a thicker, heavier version of Jeremy's.

The hairy being was his height but twice as wide and looked like it could tear him in half without breaking a sweat.

It solemnly took the dungeon ration from him. Then it reached into its own pack and gave him a flask large enough to fit neatly in his palm full of blue liquid.

What was it? Was he supposed to drink it? He'd been poisoned once today, already.

He made a questioning gesture.

The humanoid motioned for him to drink it. Then opened his own gift, the dungeon ration, and took a bite.

Not seeing much choice, the last thing he wanted to do was offend this being. He pulled off the stopper and poured the liquid into his mouth. It was tasteless, but warmth filled his body and his wounds started itching. He scratched as they healed in front of him. He took off his boots and watched his right foot and calf heal, flesh knitting together until there was nothing but faint scars.

“Wow. Thanks!” he said, embarrassed—all he'd given the humanoid was a crappy dungeon ration. Suddenly starving, he grabbed one of his own and crammed it into his mouth, ignoring the sawdust taste.

The humanoid sat down in front of him. Not sure what else to do, he did the same. Now that he wasn't afraid for his life, he could look around. The walls and ceiling gave the illusion of a sun in a peaceful forest setting. In addition, there was a fountain at the center of a pool large enough to swim in.

The humanoid spoke, “Clicking noise, UrgMiZinNeh Pos,” it smacked its hands together “clicking noises urk pinta.”

At least that's what he heard, but he somehow understood it as. “I am Urg Mi Zin Neh, hunter warrior of the forest people.”

“I can understand you?” Jeremy responded.

“In dungeons language same,” the humanoid said. “You didn't know that?”

“I'm Jeremy Wilkins of Earth. I didn't know dungeons existed before my brother pushed me into one.”

The humanoid grunted, “Hmmph.”

“What is this room?” Jeremy asked.

“Safe room. Adventurers can stay until sun makes full journey around world.”

So twenty-four hours. Maybe? Were days different in the different worlds?

“I'm not an adventurer,” Jeremy said. “I just want to get home. Can you help?”

For a time, there was silence. The humanoid stared straight ahead, eyes moist. “I gather food with Mother. Saw dungeon entrance, but elders couldn't see. They say I was chosen, must fight for Forest People, must be brave warrior. I not want to go. Too young. I want to go home too.”

For all his new companion's size and strength, Urg was as frightened as he was. It seemed they had more in common than he'd thought.

Jeremy jumped to his feet, smiling for the first time since he'd been pushed into the dungeon. “Let's be friends, Urg. We'll help each other get home.” He extended a hand. “My people show friendship by shaking hands.”

The humanoid stood up, grabbed his hand, and squeezed. “Friends.”

“Ow ow ow, too hard,” Jeremy, laughing, pried his hand from his new friend's iron grip. Something popped up on his stat sheet.

“You may join me if you want,” Urg said.

You have been invited to form an adventurer group with UrgMiZinNeh. Do you accept? Yes/No

Jeremy immediately picked yes.

Name: Jeremy Wilkins

Race: Human

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Sex: Boy

Age: 10

Character Class: Child-Rogue

Level: 1

Hit Points: 8

Attributes:

Strength: 5

Endurance: 5

Vitality: 6

Dexterity: 5

Agility: 6

Perception: 5

Intelligence: 6

Wisdom: 5

Will Power: 4

Charisma: 4

Extra point: 1 - Add to the Attribute of your choice.

Mana: 3

Active Skills: Skill must be activated by adventurer.

Identify (Level 1)

Sneak (Level 1)

Detect Traps (Level 1)

Passive Skills: Skill is involuntary.

Poison Resistance (Level 1)

Spells:

None.

Dungeon Account:

12 gp

76 cp

Part of the UrgMiZinNeh/Jeremy Wilkins adventurer group.

***

Excellent.

“Let's stay here for the night and go home tomorrow,” he said.

Urg grunted. Jeremy assumed this was a yes. Curious, he used Identify on his new friend.

UrgMiZinNeh. (Level 3) Child-Fighter.

He looked around the circular room that was maybe thirty paces across. The sun sky and forest of large alien trees covering the wall were an illusion, but still pleasant to look at, and the floor surrounding the fountain was covered with soft grass. The sound of the fountain was so peaceful it made him want to curl up on the grass and sleep for a year.

He pulled off his leather boots and armor, and walked through the grass, enjoying how it felt on his bare feet. He joined Urg, sitting by the fountain pool, dangling his bare feet in the water. The water felt amazing. The way things were going, who knew when he'd get to stay in a place like this again? He used Detect Traps, because you couldn't be too careful, but of course he found nothing.

Thinking to hell with it, he took off his clothes (except his underwear obviously) and dove into the fountain pool. Splashing Urg until his new friend joined him and paid him back. It turned out the Forest People could swim quite well. It was like swimming with a hyperactive St Bernard.

That's also when he found she was a girl. He hadn't meant to look, but her hair grew wet and matted and he got a view of her 'you know what' and she definitely wasn't a guy. He'd assumed Urg was a guy, because she was big and strong, and how many girls are there named Urg? At least one, apparently.

This was embarrassing because normally he wouldn't be caught dead swimming in his underwear in front of a girl. But since she didn't seem to care, he wasn't going to let it bother him. He got out of the water soon after that and his clothes back on, though.

The sun went down shortly after and they lay on the grass looking up at the fake stars. Jeremy was no expert, but no way could these stars be from his world. There was a large red star in the center of the sky, with two pale moons on the horizon.

“That hunter god with bow,” Urg pointed at the sky, “and that five-headed monster with one eye.” She pointed at a different set of stars. “If monster wins, will eat universe.”

“How old are you?” Jeremy asked, curious.

“I've seen six winters.”

So how old was that? For all he knew six years could be almost adult. How long were their planet's years? How long did they live?

“When do you become an adult in your world?” he asked.

“I will be old enough for a husband in ten more years.”

“So you're just a kid. Your parents must be huge,” he responded.

“Yes. Parents much bigger than me.”

Jeremy stared up at the alien sky. For a time they were silent. “All we need is a fire and marshmallows. And decent food would be nice.” The dungeon rations filled him up, but that was all that could be said for them.

“What is marshmallow?” she asked.

He explained how when he was younger, his father would take them on camping trips and they'd roast marshmallows over the fire, and then add chocolate and graham crackers to make S'mors.

He then had to explain chocolate and graham crackers.

He didn't mention how two years ago, Dad left Mom for a younger woman, and had then moved to another state with the woman and her three daughters. That was a far less pleasant subject.

Urg talked about some of the foods she liked to eat. Apparently, there was a fruit they would put dried fish inside and roast it all over coals. It sounded disgusting, but she seemed to like it.

Morning came far too soon. The artificial sun rose in the sky. Neither said as much, but they knew it was time. The two adventurers ate (dungeon rations again) and drank from the fountain. The water in the fountain was fresher and tasted better than water from their water bottles.

Then they put on their armor and left the safe room.