We are sitting in the corner room of our academy building. I'm the only fool eating, but I try not to care too much. I'm hungry, and I don't want to miss dinner. I guess the problem is that I missed dinner already. Lana pretends to eat; she shuffles food around and rips small nibbles that she slowly chews. I think she's already stuffed but is trying to help me feel more comfortable eating. I appreciate the gesture. We are all sitting in a circle on summoned chairs. Bones has created a giant canvas held up by bone planks and webbing. Nette could handle this mentally, but that might be too soon for our first meeting.
"Hello, everyone," Bones greets everyone with a smile and leads us through introductions. Gavin is stern but friendly. Scotty seems like he’s everyone's best friend. Becky is slightly more reserved, contrasting my impression of her during the dinner chat. Lana is cool and kind. Probably not the best descriptions, but it's not like I'm an adjective machine. Besides, last time I noticed her, I blurted it out. I'll avoid making that same mistake.
After introductions, we dive into more introductions. We might be aggressive with the information we share, but if we become friends first, our proposal won't sound so crazy. Everything necessary is included. The new crew takes it all, asking several questions about dungeons and their nature. The demons that invade the island, and the dangers of living here. Gavin is the most apprehensive of the group, asking most of his questions out of concern. Scotty also asks many questions, but most come from a place of wonder. Surprisingly, Lana is primarily silent, and she and Becky only ask for clarification on a few dungeon details.
"Let me make sure I got this all down," Gavin says after silence. His hand motions to Gene. "So your people were nearly wiped out. They were only saved by the sacrifice of the adults and a ritual that created a dungeon core. For a hundred years, you have been keeping the dungeon core safe, hoping to find a way to complete the ritual. At the same time, you were holding yourself back because you wouldn't let anyone reach this island.
"An island that you took out of another world called Shadow, based on an agreement that the inhabitants of Shadow would have access to our world through this island. Then you were stuck as a spirit until the islander mysteriously appeared in the desert."
"Gavin," Scotty says as Gavin's disbelief builds. “Is it really that much of a stretch? We know the horde is three dungeons, and many others spawn worldwide. So they spawned an island and created a dungeon. It is fantastical but is a blip in the world of power. Besides, we saw the Shadow demons firsthand.”
"And you are all part of the dungeon?" Becky's reservation from the beginning of the meeting starts to crack.
"For the most part, yeah. Cru is part of the goblin's dungeon, but we are trying to see what we can do about that," answers Bones. The skeleton gives the goblin, who's been as quiet as me, a small fist bump.
"And none of you can die?" Lana asks, her voice a mix of excitement and relief.
"We can die," I find myself speaking. "It's just not permanent. We are, in fact, waiting for our friendly dragon to respawn so we can make fun of him for dying so easily."
"We get it. Jim killed the dragon." Bones says sarcastically. "Don't forget it was a wounded dragon, and he was possessed then, so I don't think it counts as a full dragon kill." Gene and Nette both clear their throat, stopping the argument about to break out.
"So then," Gavin points in my direction, and naturally, Bones and I look behind me to see whom he is addressing. To my credit, I figured it out first.
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"First," I whisper to the defeated skeleton.
"You appear on the island, go on a rampage, dishing out revenge and justice in hopes of regaining your memories." Gavin continues recounting what we already discussed.
"That's sorta right. Jim never actually pursued his lost memories. I think he's afraid of them. He says he enjoys the freedom of being lost. But yeah, he was going nowhere until I was created."
"And you are his minion, whom he quickly promoted to boss." Bones enthusiastically nods along to Gavin's recounting- not just a head nod- his whole upper body seems to be backing the motion.
"Yeah, then we fought spiders. Met Gene. Learned about dungeons. Became friends with spiders. Fought goblins. Completed the ritual. Fought more goblins, kobolds, and bugbears. Stole some food. Became friends with goblins. And now we're here trying to make more friends with humans and eventually demons." Bones finishes the recounting on his own.
"Any more questions?" Gene asks. Upon hearing none, she dives into the meat of our meeting. "As you now know, my people have suffered tremendously. The kids you see playing in the academy have been given a crappy hand at life. We aim to keep them safe and give them the best life possible. They will not be hunting grounds for another's cultivation, and we will not relent on possession of this island or our power." Despite the passion building, Gene keeps her tone friendly.
"That being said, we are plagued with many threats." As Gene speaks, Bones begins listing the threats on his massive canvas paper. "We've already mentioned the demons. They will be a constant problem. We also have the horde who desperately want the core for themselves. They have already sent one army that we've repelled. We don't believe it will be long before the next one comes. Then there are opportunity seekers from everywhere else."
The weight of Gene's words is somewhat softened by the noisy scratching of Bones' quill. The list takes little time for him to write, and he has now moved on to sketching a crude map. I've seen this map a few times now, and even though it's far from Gene's level of accuracy, it’s a good representation. He finishes his sketch with a dramatic circle, which I assume represents our location.
"Perhaps you will allow us to discuss our history and what brings us here?" Lana asks. She looks at Gene with sincerity and compassion on her face. Bones isn't bothered that his map is not given immediate attention. Before he can speak up, he is cut off.
"Yes, please do," says Gene. Lana’slegs are crossed, and her hands are clasped together on her lap. Her posture is the most regal of everyone in the room. Nearly as royal-looking as Gene, Lana looks to Gavin; however, everyone else is looking at her. Before speaking, she drinks from her cup with no hint of worry or bother.
"I already told Jim this, but we fled from the wars ravaging our homeland, Anvil, to find a more peaceful life. Most of us are weary adventurers or retired soldiers. Some even have the fortune of families. We are not seeking opportunity or power. We are similar to you in that we want the best chance at life." Lana hesitates and speaks carefully for the next part. "We do intend to live here if permitted, and we had hoped that we could set up a portal to the adventures guild."
Sitting almost as slouched as Bones, which puts him tied at second for worst posture with me, Scotty agrees with what Lana is saying. His white hair blends in with the casual vest he wears with no undershirt, which reveals toned muscles on his wiry frame. His tan pants are cut off at his knees, and he wears slippers that he continually slips on and off. Where most meeting attendants look like they have just fought a war, Scotty looks like he spent the day at the beach. The scout waits for Lana to finish speaking before adding his words.
"Before you shut down a portal to the guild, please allow me to say a few words."
"Uhh.." This time, Bones is too quick to be silenced, and his guttural incantation creates enough room for him to speak. "Scott, my beach brother, I don't think we will object to the portal option. We might want to know more about your guild, but we intend to open portals to the outside. This island will become a hub for adventure, learning, and food, just not at the expense of the children. In fact, if you turn your attention to my map, let me show you our plans for Portal Town."