Dakota Krout: Dungeon Born (The Divine Dungeon Book 1)

I had done all I was able for his body; his mind would need to heal on its own. Luckily everything I had created was small, therefore quick and easy to make. His organs were repaired, and drawing in Essence should be really easy for him now. The only question I had was: Would this work or kill him when everything became active? I was really excited to find out! I kick started the fractal pattern of the Essence and forcefully activated every Rune within him. Then I moved my mind back to enjoy the show.

Hans turned back to his fallen friend and began walking toward him. From the dead Cat they had gathered each tentacle, the last good eye, all of its teeth and claws, and a few other samples of strange organs. The Cat weighed nearly half a ton, they certainly couldn’t carry everything. Hans’ eyes were shining with the light of Essence, which he used to find the important bits of the Distortion Cat. He definitely wasn’t using it to hold back tears. He glanced over at his fallen friend and saw Essence streaming around Dale in an incredibly advanced, incomprehensible pattern. With a shout of rage, he started to run to Dale’s rescue, but pulled up short as his eyes followed the trail of Essence to its source.

It appeared to be coming from the… Silverwood tree? Hans knew that Silverwood trees were powerful and mysterious, but what was it doing? He stood away from Dale, motioning the others back when they tried to move to Dale in panic. Hans watched the barely breathing body as closely as he could, but the thick Essence dancing around Dale prevented him from seeing what the pattern was creating. Several minutes later, the light finally stopped flowing, though Dale’s form remained unmoving.

They walked over to his body, realizing that even the mysterious forces of the dungeon’s Silverwood tree could do nothing. They tried to inspect Dale for recovery, but could detect no Essence whatsoever in his Center. With a sob, Hans realized his comrade, his student... His friend... was truly dead.

Adam reached over to close Dale's eyes, but stopped as they shone a brilliant molten silver. With a gasp he tried to move back, falling awkwardly onto his butt. Dale started convulsing, his entire body shaking in the sudden onslaught of muscle spasms.

“Hold his head!” Adam immediately took control of the situation and shifted his thoughts back into a healing mindset, “We need to keep him from damaging himself! He’s alive!”

Hans was by Dale's side in a flash, keeping his head from bouncing around on the hard rock. “What is happening?!” Hans shouted at Adam, who was trying to recover from his position on the floor.

“Besides Dale having a seizure? No idea.” Adam stated grimly, lying perpendicular across Dale in an attempt to hold him against the floor. “All I know is his heart is beating and he is breathing again.”

The group piled onto Dale, holding him in different places. Adam, being so light, was nearly thrown as one spectacular shake tore through Dale's body tearing muscles and popping blood vessels. Hans was watching everything closely, and suddenly cried out.

“Look! Look at that! His Essence is… pouring through his body!” Hans was flabbergasted. “It’s going through his meridians… He hadn’t opened those ones yet!”

“What?!” Adam looked with Essence enhanced sight, worried that this was Dale's death throes, “Is the Essence escaping his body?”

“No. No!” Hans shouted, realizing what effect the Essence was about to have on Dale’s body. “Everyone, get off of him! Now ! Trust me!” Listening to his order, the others reluctantly let go while only Hans remained to hold Dale’s head. A rancid, waxy discharge started finding ways out of Dale. Through the pores in his skin, his eyes, ears, mouth, and less... pleasant... orifices came this loathsome fluid. It drained out of these exits as fast as liquid removed itself from the vicinity of a liquid repulsion Rune. Dale’s body seemed to deflate as the seemingly endless torrent continued. After what felt like hours it did eventually stop, and Dale finally stopped shaking. Now in what seemed to be a natural slumber brought on by exhaustion, the group tried to get close enough to help carry him away. Unfortunately, the smell made all but Hans retreat as far away as possible.

Dale opened his eyes, blinking in the bright light of the room.

“Buddy?” Hans cajoled in a broken voice, “You there? Are you… Can you tell me your name?”

“Hans?” Dale looked up into Hans’s beaming face. “Wha…?”

Hans looked at him with sad eyes, smile vanishing. “Oh, no. Dale... Hans is my name.”

“Oh. My. God . Be serious for once, you shit!” Rose shouted at him, braving the reeking odor to smack him on the head.

Hans’s smile returned as he looked down at Dale. “You all there buddy?”

Dale nodded as best he was able. “What happened? And who,” he grimaced and spat out some foul fluid, “Who let that Cat shit in my mouth?”

All but Dale started laughing as the tension of the past few hours caught up with them. Eventually Dale tired of scowling and joined in. A few moments later, wiping a tear from his eye, Dale sobered a bit, “So seriously though, what happened?”

“You died!” Hans replied cheekily. The others glared at him, making Hans mutter, “What? He got better.”

“Before that, please.” Dale released a strange chuckle/sigh at his incorrigible friend.

Tom took over, “When I fell and you charged the Cat in a suicide run, I was losing blood faster than I could regain my will to fight. I tried so hard to join you, but could not muster the strength to continue.” His face was downcast and ashamed, “Seemingly, my prayer to die in battle was rejected this day, and I was flooded with the berserker energy of my forefathers. This energy healed my wounds and allowed me the chance to finish our foe. I beg of you, forgive my weakness.” He bowed towards Dale’s prone form.

Rose pushed Tom aside, shaking her head. “Not what happened? Not even close. When you charged the Cat and held its attention, those golden rabbits snuck out of hidden tunnels and infused us with healing energy. There were dozens , Dale. All of our wounds righted themselves nearly instantly before they ran off, but I think we will carry these scars forever.” She nodded at the slashes across Tom’s chest and Adam’s legs which by rights should never have had the chance to heal.

“Wow.” Dale's head flopped back, and he looked enviously at the huge slashes of scar tissue on Tom’s chest. “The ladies are going to love those scars.”

Hans laughed deeply and evilly, “Finally! My teachings are starting to take root! No worries Dale, you have some very impressive scars yourself.” Dale glanced down at the raised circle of scar tissue directly over his heart.

“Well that can’t look good on the inside...” Dale muttered anxiously.

Hans shook his head, still somehow amused. “I don’t think it will be an issue, m’boy! I do think you need a long bath. Maybe... two. Or three.” He sniffed and shuddered.

“Yeah, what is this stuff? It seems to be coming from me and I can’t seem to stop… smelling it.” Dale's attention was now back on the clinging fluid, bringing the horrid smell to the forefront of his senses. “Seriously, normally you acclimate to horrible stenches, yeah?”

“Unless I am mistaken, it seems that all of your meridians were opened simultaneously . If you were awake for that process, it likely would have shattered your mind with the pain. Obviously, this must have taken a huge amount of Essence. While you had some in you, it wasn’t nearly enough to account for everything that happened.” Hans informed him. “It seems the Silverwood tree is what supplied the Essence and - I think - it revived you as well.”