Chapter 2: Nightmare Begins
Dolin woke with a gasp.
Air rushed into his lungs as if he had been drowning. For a moment, he laid there as if he had just been dragged from the depths of a frozen river.
A dim orange light flickered nearby, and his awareness returned.
His leg.
The pipe crashing into him.
And then the cold embrace of the Spell swallowed his consciousness.
Dolin blinked, letting out a smile.
"Ha… So I didn't die."
He looked at his leg, and then at his ribs.
The leg that should have been shattered to bits from the gunshot was fine and his caved in ribs were straight.
He was alive and whole.
"Nightmare…" he muttered quietly.
Then the realization set in. This body wasn't his real one. The Spell had placed him in some sort of construct, to survive the Trial. His real body was probably still lying in the slums bleeding to death.
Well… I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
A crude voice suddenly broke the silence.
"What are you muttering about, fool?"
Dolin's eyes finally shifted to take in his surroundings.
In front of him were iron bars.
Beyond the iron bars stretched a narrow stone corridor dimly lit by a flickering torch mounted on a decrepit stone wall.
Cells lined both sides of the hall, and most of them were occupied.
A scruffy man across the corridor was staring at him through his own set of bars, arms resting lazily against the iron.
"Finally awake, eh?"
Dolin rested his hands on the bars.
Before Dolin could respond, a boom rang out.
The entire corridor shook, dust raining from the ceiling.
Then came screaming, not from the prisoners, but from above.
Dolin slowly stood up.
He had just gotten into the nightmare, and mayhem was already taking place.
"What the hell was that?" a voice down the corridor shouted.
"The walls are shaking!"
"Shut up!" someone else snapped. "You want the guards coming down here?"
Another boom rolled like distant thunder.
Everyone went quiet.
This isn't good. I'm trapped here with these bumbling idiots.
Even the scruffy man across from him swallowed nervously.
More distant screams echoed, now louder than before.
Metal could be heard clanging.
Dolin sped closer to the bars, scanning the corridor.
"What is going on outside?"
"Boy you must've hit your damn head or somethin," the scruffy man responded.
"We're all going to die…," another muttered under his ragged breath, eyes darting around like a madman.
Dolin frowned slightly.
Those sounds. A battle, and those screams. Some are human, and some aren't.
Then Dolin remembered.
Runes.
Dolin concentrated and thought about words like "information", "status", and "runes".
As he focused on these words, shimmering runes appeared in front of him almost instantly.
***
Name: Dolin.
True Name:—
Rank: Aspirant.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Memories:—
Echoes:—
Attributes: [Mark of Divinity], [Puppeteer].
Aspect: [Whisper of Doubt]
Aspect Description: [You are a quiet and insidious influence, yet unrefined. Like a whisper carried by the wind, your presence stirs hesitation within the hearts of others. Though faint now, this influence may one day grow into something far more prominent.]
***
Dolin studied the words with both curiosity and interest.
Mark of Divinity and Puppeteer.
[Mark of Divinity] Attribute Description: "You bear a faint scent of divinity, as though someone briefly touched by it once, a long time ago."
[Puppeteer] Attribute Description: "There were once creatures who ruled with whispers. They wove doubt into hearts and pulled upon unseen strings, turning will into submission. Few could resist their control, and fewer could see them."
"Puppeteer…"
That one made him the most uneasy.
Then his gaze drifted to the aspect.
Whisper of Doubt.
He smiled. Although he wasn't sure of its meaning, the words that really caught him were "unrefined" and "grow".
It was a promise of opportunity.
"What was that?" the ragged prisoner asked.
"Nothing," Dolin said.
Another scream echoed from above.
This one ended abruptly, causing the dungeon to once again fall silent.
Then, everyone froze.
A faint dragging sound echoed from the far end of the corridor.
Scrape. Scrape.
Something was moving.
A man crawled around the corner.
A guard.
His armor was cracked and smeared with blood.
One leg was dragged uselessly behind him, leaving a thin stream of red blood across the stone floor.
"Help…" the guard rasped.
None of the prisoners moved, they just stared.
While most were focused on the guard's wounds, Dolin only focused on the opportunity that it presented.
A ring of keys attached to the man's belt.
Just as the guard passed in front of Dolin's cell, something else entered the corridor.
Claws scraped against stone.
A creature stepped into the torchlight, causing several prisoners to gasp.
It was wolflike, yet unnatural. Its body was long and skeletal, supported by far too many legs.
Its jaw split open, revealing needle-like teeth.
The dying guard let out a whimper, as if accepting his fate.
Dolin did not hesitate. He would not miss this opportunity.
His hands shot out through the gaps between the bars.
He grabbed the guard's collar, yanking him mercilessly against the bars.
The guard yelped, but could not resist.
"What are you doing?" someone shouted.
The keys clattered as Dolin reached out for them.
The creature lunged. Its jaws snapped shut inches from Dolin's wrist, barely having enough time to pull both the keys and his wrist back into the cell.
The guard screamed.
Bone cracked and blood sprayed across the stone.
Dolin was covered in a bright red mist as the creature tore into the man viciously.
Several prisoners began shouting in panic.
The creature finally lifted its head and turned toward him, claws striking the iron bars.
They began to bend slightly.
Shit… that's not good.
The creature slammed into the cell, causing the bars to warp inwards even more. Dolin lurched back, pressing himself to the back of his cell.
"Open the doors!"
"Let us out!"
The prisoners cried in fear.
Before Dolin could respond, footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Another guard appeared around the corner.
He took one look at the creature, his eyes widening.
"Oh shit!"
The guard bolted away, the monster following in turn.
Within seconds, they vanished into the darkness.
Dolin exhaled slowly.
Lucky.
He began sorting through the keys, testing them on his cell.
"Hey!"
"You got the keys!"
"You better open my door too!"
"Don't leave us here.. With that thing!'
Dolin ignored them and continued testing the keys.
After a few more attempts. Click.
The lock had opened.
Dolin stepped out into the corridor.
The nightmare had begun.