Chương 14: Fishing and Gathering in a [Dungeon]

Ch. 14 - Fishing and Gathering in a [Dungeon] Complacency is rife in this world. I have touched upon it before, but it still manages to surprise me, even after all these years. It is insidious, an everyday assumption that the inhabitants of Anwyn aren't even aware that they are making. I blame [Levels]. They place an artificial limit on what people believe to be possible, relegating them to niches unnecessarily.

There are exceptions of course, but the vast majority are content to grind away in their own little groove, unable to see out of the rut they've made to what is possible. Everyone knows you can only be good at something if you have the right class; there's no point in trying something new because you no longer have enough time left to reach a high level. Everyone knows that Dungeons are only for Adventurers; the only value it contains lies in looted artefacts and monster parts.

- from the writings of Steadholder Eckhart The mood was surprisingly festive as the camp was set up. It struck Wyatt as odd, since he was so used to a more sombre and oppressive set up. Day after day of trudging through that endless twilight forest would have sapped anyone's good cheer. Here though, it was completely different. Raek and Marie called out to each other, arguing over the best places to set up their bedding.

Apparently they had rough tents if they needed it, but as the sky was clear tonight they planned to sleep in the open under the stars. Marie eventually kicked Raek out of the decision making, and so he and Losmer crossed the stream, leaping across the small waterway, heading to the copse of trees in search of firewood. Wyatt helped Marie in unpacking their bedding, still fascinated by the sight of so much gear appearing out of the small bags of holding.

When she saw the tattered and meagre state of Wyatt's bedding, Marie insisted on making up a bedroll for Wyatt as well out of their spare blankets. They were done fairly quickly, all things considered, and Wyatt found himself staring longingly at the neatly arranged sleeping pad, blanket, and pillow. It was so luxurious that he almost wanted to skip dinner and just go straight to sleep. Kit had other ideas though.

The little fox had been watching the stream intently, staring at the surface of the water turned silver by the moon, tracking every motion and ripple made by the fish as they fed. Every time one of them broke water in search of food, she would let out a hungry whine. They were some kind of trout if Wyatt was any judge, although far larger than what he was used to seeing. The next time a fish jumped out of the water, Kit turned to look at Wyatt expectantly. She yipped, then looked back at the stream.

Marie laughed, a low chuckle. The [Hedge Mage] had changed out of her tunic and into a long shirt, loosely laced together at the front. She folded her arms under her chest and casually leant herself against Wyatt, looking up at him with an impish smile from under dark curls.

"I guess your little friend is the one in charge?" Wyatt laughed self-consciously, trying in vain to avoid looking down the front of Marie's shirt from his angle above her. He couldn't help but note that the lacing on her shirt was only partly done up, as some of the ties were hanging loose. Marie was a soft and warm weight as she leant against his arm.

"I'm beginning to think thats true." Marie laughed again, shifting against him as her body shook. She deftly linked arms with Wyatt, hugging his arm against the side of her chest.

"If she's hungry, why don't I give her a bit of meat early — then we can talk while we wait for the others to get back. I'm sure you have more thrilling adventures you can tell me about?" Wyatt froze. It wasn't that he wasn't interested; because he was. Definitely. But he'd spent most of his life on his Grandparent's property, with no one his own age.

After they had passed, he'd gone straight to the capital, volunteered to cross through the portal, and had spent every moment since in a regimented lifestyle where free time was something that happened to other people. Coupled to that, he could see Raek and Losmer chopping wood in the distance, could hear them. With that, Wyatt decided that he was definitely reading too much into things, and that Marie was just being friendly. Additionally, Kit was staring at Wyatt and the [Hedge Mage] with narrowed eyes.

Her tail was swishing about in agitation. She yipped, loudly, and stamped both of her front paws on the ground. Wyatt reluctantly disengaged himself from Marie, giving the girl a sheepish smile. He hoped his face wasn't as red as he feared.

"I don't have much to tell, truly. But it'll have to be later, since it sounds like Kit wants fish for dinner." It was hard to tell under the moonlight, but Marie looked flushed. A little embarrassed. She unnecessarily brushed and straightened her pants, then coughed.

"Fish would be nice, but how are you going to catch one? We don't have any line with us. Unless you do?" Wyatt shook his head. He bent down to pick up the borrowed spear from where he'd placed it.

"It's been a while, and it's a bit heavier than what I'm used to, but I was pretty good when I was a kid at spearing fish. I'll give it a go." Marie blinked.

"Oh. Uh, well good luck then?"

"Thanks. I won't be far, just up stream a bit if you or the others need me. Won't be long!" Wyatt smiled at Marie and then headed upstream, Kit at his heels. She seemed happy, her jaw open as she looked up at him. Wyatt gave the possessive little fox a rueful look.

"I'm not making promises though. I'll try and catch you something, but it's been a while for me." Kit yipped contentedly, and bounded eagerly ahead of Wyatt, a silver streak gambolling about in the night. Wyatt stopped at a likely bend in the stream, a deeper pool that was rife with plant life along the banks.

"Quiet now, Kit." Wyatt moved as silently as he could, inching his way closer to the edge of the water, his spear held low and at the ready. Trying to avoid casting any shadow or reflection upon the water. Watching intently, letting his eyes adjust. Wyatt slowed his breathing, emptying his thoughts, not focusing on any one particular thing. He let the world around him in, taking note of everything. Just living it. Experiencing, becoming part of the environment as much as he could.

Life was everywhere, a strange sight after so long in a forest that seemed empty of it. Insects, some kind of long-legged wading critter, skittered across the surface of the stream in droves, their tiny legs sending cascading patterns of intersecting ripples all about. Larger, flying insects resembling dragonflies hovered in the air above the waterway, swooping down to delicately pluck a wading bug up, before carrying it off to be devoured.

The fish were ever present as shadows, behemoths that dwarfed the bugs in the world above, circling in the water below, picking their targets with care. The instant one of the fish broached the surface, a wading insect already half-way down its gullet, Wyatt extended his spear in a sharp thrust, the wooden haft sliding through his loose grip like he'd done it just yesterday instead of it being years. The spearhead met the leaping fish, and he tightened his fist to arrest the forward momentum of the spear.

Wyatt was almost surprised to see the fat fish wriggling on the end of it, the weight of it dragging his weapon down as the trout hung impaled. Kit yipped excitedly next to him, dancing about as Wyatt retracted his spear. He quickly pulled the fish off, dashing its head against a nearby rock to end its pain. Then he breathed out slowly, impressed at what he'd caught. The trout, for trout it seemed to be, was just short of two feet long, sleek, but rounded enough that it would make a fine meal.

The scales on its side glittered with a colourful pearlescent sheen, even under the muted light from the moon.

"Wow. This thing is huge. I've never caught anything bigger than half that." Wyatt confided in Kit who was cavorting about underneath the fish he held. He didn't have a way to measure it, but it would have to be near twenty inches long at least. The fish was a hefty weight as he held it, a monster that any angler would be proud to catch. But it wasn't a monster though; the stream was filled with the drifting shadows of fish as large, or even larger.

"This will be delicious when cooked, Kit. The others should be back with he firewood by now, so — oh? You want it now?" Kit nodded eagerly.

"Do you want me to gut or clean — ow! Okay, okay. Here." Kit had nipped Wyatt lightly on the ankle, not hard enough to break skin, just to signal her impatience. He placed the fish down on the grass next to her, and the fox instantly started devouring it with every sign of pleasure. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Wyatt affectionately watched her eat for a few moments, then turned his attention to their surroundings.

"It's beautiful here …" It really was. It was a bastion of serenity, a buffer from the world he'd been living in. Idyllic.

"And this is a dungeon?" Wyatt crouched down, running his hands across the grass. Then he dug his fingers into the earth, sinking in easily. The soil was dark loam, filled with dirt, sand, and clay; the perfect mix for growing. Indeed, the plant life as far as he could see was thriving, filled with a vitality that he swore he could feel.

"Why doesn't anyone live here? Marie made it sound like this floor extends a long way — at least until you get turned around. Although it's hard to see this as an enclosed space, right Kit?" The fox raised her head, bolting down a mouthful of fish, then shrugged. She went back to eating.

"I guess there are more people on the other floors. But they only come here to adventure, to find treasure …" Wyatt's musings were cut short as another fish jumped out of the stream. He glanced down; Kit was about halfway through her dinner, even though the fish was nearly as large as she was. Wyatt decided he may as well try and catch a few more trout for everyone else. He was sure they had supplies, but no-one would turn their nose up at fresh fish.

Wyatt caught two more trout in quick succession, both roughly the same size as the first. He got the distinct impression that they were not used to being hunted; they swam inquisitively around the spot he'd taken one of their number, as though confused as to where it had gone. These two he prepped properly, gutting and cleaning them. Then he used a trick from his childhood, cutting some likely reeds, splitting the fibrous stems lengthwise, and twisting them into rough cordage.

This he threaded through the gills of the trout, allowing him to carry them easily. Wyatt would have placed the fish on the ground until he headed back to camp, but he didn't like the way Kit was eyeing them, even though she hadn't finished her own meal. So, with a sigh, Wyatt tied the trout to his belt, and then continued to look around. A plant caught Wyatt's eye, a spindly shrub or bush, perhaps chest high.

He'd overlooked it at first as it appeared less lush than the vegetation around it, perhaps on the verge of dying. But now that he looked closer, it was clearly healthy; and there were more of them, a lot more. Dotted all along the waterway. On the plant were withered, wrinkled, brown fruits. They were roughly oval, and had a gnarled fuzz on the skin reminiscent of a kiwi. They were heavy though, their weight bowing the limbs of the shrub, and each one was about the size of Wyatt's palm.

Wyatt regarded the fruit curiously. It certainly didn't look edible; in fact it looked downright unappetising. If Wyatt hadn't spent almost two weeks wandering through the forest, scrounging and foraging anything he could, he wouldn't have looked twice at it.

"[I Can (probably) Eat That] … huh. Yeah I can. It's edible." Wyatt picked one of the fruit, being surprised at how dense and heavy it felt in his hand. He hefted it, examining it closely. The outer skin felt tough, leathery underneath the fuzz. Wyatt took his knife and cut it open, his eyes widening at what was revealed. The fruit was a deep gold in colour, visible even in the muted light. The flesh was soft, with a multitude of tiny dark seeds throughout.

The scent of it filled the air immediately, sweet but with an underlying tang to it. Wyatt hesitated for only a second, then took an experimental lick of the juices that were running down his hand.

"Oh, wow!" It was a taste explosion, the promise made by the scent many times over. Wyatt didn't give it any conscious thought, he just pulled the fruit further open with his hands and took a big bite. The juices ran down his chin, and in short order he had eaten and scraped out every piece of the fruit he could, leaving him holding just the tough outer skin. The seeds hadn't been noticeable at all, he'd barely registered that he'd been eating them.

Wyatt slowly looked down along the banks of the stream, seeing bush after bush of the strange fruit, every single plant hanging heavy with it. Wyatt picked another one, eating it just as fast as he had the first. It made the berries he'd been excited about the other night pale in comparison. It was when he'd picked the third fruit that he realised that Kit was watching him curiously. After a moment's thought, Wyatt cut a piece of fruit out and held it down to her.

"I'm fairly sure foxes are omnivores. Want to try a bit, Kit?" Kit sniffed the offering dubiously, although her tail did wag a bit at the scent. Her tongue came out and she gave it a tentative lick, mimicking Wyatt from earlier. Then she froze, quivering. Wyatt had to jerk his fingers back hurriedly as she snapped her jaws around the offered fruit, gobbling it down immediately.

"Okay, you liked that — lucky there's so much!" Wyatt cut up a whole fruit and handed it to Kit, and the little fox ate it just as quickly as the first one. He eyed her, gauging the size of her belly. It was hard to see underneath her fur, but he really didn't think she looked any different, even though she'd just eaten perhaps her weight in fish and fruit. Wyatt shrugged.

"I'd be concerned, except it's probably the same answer as everything else around here. Magic. Anyway, we better head back before anyone worries. Although before we go …" Wyatt set about picking as many of the wizened, brown fuzzy fruits as he could carry. It was awkward, but with the fish tied to his belt, he carefully balanced an armload of fruit as he walked back to the campsite. The fire was already going, a large affair that obviously hadn't been built with cooking in mind.

It cast a wide glow over the bend in the river, an inviting and welcoming sight. As soon as Wyatt appeared out of the night, Marie bounded over, smiling.

"You're back! What do you have there, more wood? You found — ew, Wyatt!" Marie backed up, screwing her nose up as she stared apprehensively at Wyatt's bounty. He couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, even though he understood it. From by the fire, where he was happily splitting wood into more manageable pieces, Raek called out to him.

"Wyatt! You're back! Ah … what exactly do you have there?" Wyatt grinned as he carefully placed the fruits down on the ground. He then untied the trout, already thinking about how best to cook them.

"Fruit. Don't worry about what they look like — they taste amazing. And my skill said they're safe." Raek rubbed at his chin dubiously, but he brightened up when he saw the fat trout.

"If you say so … but those fish are certainly impressive! I can see how well you can provide for yourself. We do have lots of food, but I won't say no." Losmer came over, looking at the fish admiringly.

"It's not quite enough to feed us all by itself, but I love fish. How do you want to cook them?" Wyatt had made up his mind about that. He eyed the collection of wood and sticks that the two other Adventurers had procured, spotting what he was looking for.

"Just simply. I'll splay them, put them on a stick near the fire. Although they could do with some salt." Marie held up a hand, looking cheerful.

"We have salt! I think so, anyway." Wyatt felt like hugging her — he'd been so long without seasonings, that he'd been dreaming of salt. He eagerly took some after Marie dug it out of her pouch, then set about preparing the trout. Wyatt carefully splayed them open flat, seasoned them, and put them aside. Then he took two long poles from the firewood pile, splitting them lengthways on one end. Next he cut six short sticks that he wedged into the splits horizontally, giving himself a frame to place the fish on.

The whole process only took Wyatt a few minutes, but the three younger Adventurers looked incredibly impressed once he affixed the fish to his creations.

"You made that look easy!" Raek sounded admiring as he crouched next to Wyatt, watching him push the ends of the poles into the ground near the fire — close enough to slowly cook without burning. Wyatt shrugged, pleased by how well it turned out.

"Just practice." Raek turned to the pile of fruit that Wyatt had also brought. He prodded at one uncertaintly.

"I'm not sure about these though. They look like dried animal droppings." Hearing that made Wyatt grin in anticipation.

"Ah, but these are even better than the fish! Here, try one." Wyatt took out his knife, preparing to cut one up, but Raek backed away hurriedly, holding up his hands in denial.

"Uh, I'm good, Wyatt. Seriously." Losmer likewise shook his head when Wyatt offered, but Marie hesitated. She caught her bottom lip in her teeth, looking from Wyatt to the admittedly ugly fruit. Then her face firmed, and she nodded resolutely.

"I'll try it." For all that, Marie looked very unsure as Wyatt came over. Behind her Raek and Losmer were jeering good-naturedly at her. That stopped though when Wyatt cut into the fruit, revealing the interior. Marie took the piece of fruit from Wyatt, staring at the rich gold colour of it. She lifted it to her lips, popping it into her mouth. Her eyes went wide, and she let out what sounded like a moan, then turned beet red.

"Shut up!" Marie yelled at Losmer and Raek, who'd nearly fallen over laughing. Wyatt was a little red in the face himself, but he just smiled at Marie, giving her some more.

"It's good, right?" Marie ate the second piece, closing her eyes and shivering in pleasure.

"Good? It's amazing! Come here, you two idiots. Try this — that'll shut you up." Soon exclamations of just how tasty the fruit was filled the campsite, as Raek and Losmer quickly ate two each. They only reluctantly stopped when Marie pointed out that they should eat something more substantial first. The night turned into something akin to a party. Raek brought out two bottles of spirits he'd smuggled along, much to Marie's exasperation.

However, she eagerly held out a cup to be filled as quickly as any of them, flushing slightly as she was accused of hypocrisy. The spirit was rough, some kind of rum if Wyatt was any judge, but it had been so long for him that the alcohol tasted divine just through the sheer novelty of it. The fish was devoured down to the bones, much to Kit's displeasure, but even Wyatt couldn't bring himself to save any for the little fox. It was the most flavourful fish he'd ever eaten.

After the fish, they had some more of the packed sandwiches, rounding off the meal with as much of the fruit as they could fit in their stomachs. Raek got experimental, smashing up some of the fruit into a thick pulp in his cup, then topping it up with alcohol. Wyatt tasted it, and it was delicious but dangerous. It masked the taste of the alcohol so well that Raek quickly went through three cups of the impromptu cocktail, ending up having to stagger away from the fire to throw up.

He came back sheepishly, rubbing at his mouth, enduring the well-meaning jeers of the others with good grace. They were all getting tipsy, and it was the happiest Wyatt could remember being in a long, long time. When at last they decided to call it a night, Wyatt made his way to the waters edge on unsteady feet to wash up. He almost fell in, but made it back without incident. Getting into the bedroll by the fire was yet another luxury. It was so soft.

Wyatt had been wrapping himself up in just a blanket to sleep for so long that this felt like he was being enveloped by a warm and fluffy cloud. He lay on his back, head spinning a little as he stared up at the night sky, a smile on his face. Wyatt was dimly aware of movement, of Marie shifting her bedroll over closer to his, but there was also Kit. The little fox yipped and barked, sounding irate. Marie whispered something in exasperation, but Wyatt didn't catch it.

Then Kit was pawing at his blankets, burrowing her way under until she was laying next to his side. Sleep beckoned, and Wyatt didn't try to fight it off. He could hear Raek snoring softly on the other side of the fire, audible over the sound of the flowing stream and the chirping of insects and frogs. It had been a long, long day. So much had happened, it seemed surreal that he'd only arrived in the dungeon today. He'd escaped the forest, met Adventurers, fought and killed goblins. Then this night.

This near perfect night. Wyatt drifted off, half dozing, and the voice spoke. It interrupted his sleep, turning him restless. Wyatt tossed and turned, not quite waking up, but aware. [Conditions Met: Spearman Class Assigned!] [Spearman Level —] Still not quite awake, Wyatt frowned. He swore he could hear Kit, whining softly to him. Spearman … he liked the spear. Knew it. But a class? Wyatt remembered the goblin, the look on its face as it died, as he killed it. No.

[Class Cancelled] There was a pause, then the voice spoke again. [Survivalist Level 9!] [Skill — Mask Presence] [Forager Level 5!] [Skill — Nature's Bounty] Wyatt sighed, rolling over in his bedroll. That was better.