Chương 28: Shelter from the Storm

Ch. 28 - Shelter from the Storm The third day in the dungeon wasn't quite so pleasant, and even Wyatt's new level was not enough to entirely keep up his good cheer. It had started to rain again, but this time it began not long after they had struck camp. They had waited until mid-morning again before setting off, with Wyatt wanting to give the tent a chance to dry. The sky had remained grey overhead as they left their campsite behind, but both he and Kit had thought it would blow over like it had the day before.

Instead, the wind had picked up and a sudden squall had caught them unprepared as they travelled along the path. Wyatt had pulled out his new oilskin cloak, but even if it kept the worst of the rain off him, he still quickly became damp and uncomfortable. Kit had the worst of it though, as she had quickly become sodden, her fur flattening to her body in an unbecoming fashion. Wyatt had asked if she wanted to jump into his shadow, but she grumpily said no.

She told him that she was already wet, and she'd be wet where ever she was. Despite this, they gamely continued on for the next few hours. The rain remained little more than a drizzle, if constant, and they were making good time. Even so, Wyatt was starting to doubt that they'd reach their destination. He had planned to reach the second of the two main rivers depicted on the map. From there they could explore a few more landmarks before heading towards the ruin that Lera had said to meet her at.

The problem was that even though the rain wasn't slowing them down, it really wasn't pleasant to travel in. Wyatt and Kit were both soaked through at this point, and he truly didn't feel like walking in the rain any further today. Wyatt cleared his throat, shaking the water off of his cloak. He looked down at the silver fox.

"Want to call it a day, Kit? I know it's only early afternoon, but I'm thinking we find somewhere to make camp. Try and get dry." Kit shook herself, water flying from her fur, and gave Wyatt a miserable look — one tinged with hope.' If you find us somewhere to dry off I will bless your lineage for ten generations.' Wyatt gave the silver fox a skeptical look.

"Can you actually do that?"' I never said it would do anything. I just said that I would. Hurry up, Wyatt. Please.' Kit sounded so despondent that Wyatt didn't have the heart to tease her. He looked around, hoping that his skill would lead them somewhere close by, and that it would have some kind of cover. They could make do with the tent if need be, but Wyatt wanted to feel dry ground beneath his feet.

"Let's see, [A Safe Place to Rest] … ah good. It's not too far, Kit. Just a short trek off the path I think." Kit shook herself again, sighing. Her tail was hanging low to the ground.

'Glad to hear it, lead the way.' Wyatt turned off the path and started to head across the open terrain. It wasn't exactly tough going, but it was far more difficult than the path they had been travelling on. The ground was slippery, and if Wyatt didn't pay attention his feet were liable to slip out from under him, particularly on any of the inclines. The already soft earth had been further loosened by the rain, and his shoes soon picked up a layer of mud.

Luckily though, it was mostly flat, and so he had avoided taking a spill so far. Going off the path was far harder for Kit however. With the rain, the long grass had become a more challenging obstacle for the fox, the stems and leaves catching and gripping at her fur. Kit had to stick close to Wyatt's heels, letting him forge a trail through the greenery. The silver fox looked up at Wyatt somewhat balefully, her usual good mood having long since deteriorated.

Her fur wasn't just wet; there were grass seeds covering her legs, tail, and parts of her face.

'Still enjoying the dungeon experience?' Wyatt thought about it as they walked. He glanced down; the soles of his shoes felt half an inch taller from the mud, and the legs of his pants were soaking wet from pushing through the long grass. He was cold and a little uncomfortable, getting hungry, and the oilskin cloak was clinging annoyingly to his skin. Wyatt smiled.

"Yeah. I am." Kit let out an incredulous snort, grumbling.' There's something wrong with you.' They kept walking. The going was still mostly flat, with only the occasional slight incline. The light was beginning to fade, the sky getting darker as the clouds gathered and formed into something more than just a grey blanket overhead. The wind was picking up as well, gaining a noticeably chilly component, and the rain was becoming heavier.

Now the occasional strong gust was blowing rain almost horizontally at them, adding another fun component for them to deal with. Off in the distance, the low rumblings of thunder could be heard. Wyatt pulled his cloak around him tighter, trying to use it to shield himself from the rain. It was futile though, as the water seemed to randomly come at him from all directions.

"I wonder if it's storming outside of the dungeon right now. Do you think the weather in here is linked, or if it has its own weather system?" Kit didn't reply at first. She was growling to herself as she trotted doggedly behind him, vocalising in a manner that sounded like she was cursing.

'… I don't know.' Wyatt kept thinking out loud, using it to distract himself. He was still enjoying the experience — it was far better than being stuck in the Gateway Woods for example — but if he was honest, he would still prefer being dry.

"If it's not linked, then that would mean this storm would have to be magical. Otherwise how would it form? This floor is big, but it's not large enough to have this much evaporation and precipitation. Or have enough of a difference in atmospheric pressure to form a storm this big." Kit made a small noise in the back of her throat. Her voice sounded dull. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.' I don't know what those words mean.'

Wyatt realised that he was doing most of the work in the conversation. He glanced back at the fox, noting how unhappy she looked while walking through the rain. Apparently Kit was different enough from a mere animal that she could properly appreciate miserable circumstances when she found herself in them.

"Nearly there, Kit, I promise." Wyatt's Skill was telling him that they were close. He was peering ahead now, shielding his eyes from the increasing rain, trying to see their destination. He hoped that it would at least be under the cover of some trees, or that there would be something to provide a windbreak. Laid out ahead of them was an expansive flat area, a little higher than its surroundings.

From Wyatt's memory of the map he'd purchased, there had been nothing noted in this direction; no woods, river, or ruins. Just blank space. Despite that, there was a decent sized stream running through the area, lined with reeds and other plant life along the banks. In the distance, the land started to rise again, sloping upwards until it met a wooded area. Even from where they stood, Wyatt could tell that the trees were tall. The dark silhouette of the tops of their boughs lost against the blackening sky.

For a moment Wyatt thought that the woods was where his Skill was leading him, and then he saw it. Close to the tree-line, almost backing onto it, was a building. It was a damaged structure, like everything else on this floor of the dungeon, but it seemed to have fared better than a lot of other buildings he'd seen. Even in the dimming light, Wyatt could still make out that the outer walls appeared to be made out of stone, looking to have mostly stayed intact.

The damage was restricted to the upper floor, that being constructed out of wood. The second storey had largely collapsed, with only a portion remaining standing on the far side of the building. Only a fraction of the roof remained, the rest having slid off to one side into a heap of broken shingles.

"Look, I think that's it, Kit." Kit craned her neck, trying to see their destination better. It was harder for her, as she was a lot lower to the ground. She sounded dubious.

'That?' Wyatt nodded.

"Skill says it's still alright. And look, can you see that side where the second floor is still standing? That means it's probably dry." Kit's ears perked up for the first time in a while. She nodded resolutely.

'You had me at dry. Let's go!' Kit gamely pushed ahead to take the lead, but she was struggling to forge her way through the sodden grass. The silver fox yipped in surprise when Wyatt instead scooped her up into his arms. She struggled for a few seconds, before relaxing against his chest. Kit turned her head, looking at Wyatt, sounding a little embarrassed.

'You don't have to carry me. I can make it by myself.' Wyatt shrugged, smiling as he adjusted her weight. Even if she was bigger now, she still didn't weigh all that much.

"I know you can, but it's not far to go so I don't mind. And we are going to have to cross that stream up ahead." Kit gave up quickly, putting her head down, and snuggling against Wyatt for what little warmth she could find as he held her.

'You make a good point, I don't feel like swimming. Although I'm almost wet enough for it not to matter.' Wyatt started walking forwards again, taking care with his steps. He wouldn't be able to catch himself as easily with Kit in his arms if he tripped.

"I have a lot of firewood in my bag of holding from our last camp, Kit. I'll start a fire as soon as we get there." Kit's voice was small, her breathing evening out.

'That would be nice.' The water of the stream was cold, but still warmer than the ambient temperature as Wyatt waded across it. Luckily it wasn't very deep, only coming up to his waist at its deepest point. Once across, Wyatt walked across the fields of grass, his Skill pulling him towards the dilapidated house. As they got closer, Wyatt realised it was even bigger than he'd thought. Back on Earth, he'd expect a house this size to have at least five bedrooms inside.

The walls the lower floor had fared even better than Wyatt had thought, with very little damage that he could see. They were constructed of large stones, mortared together, in a style that reminded him of the stone walls of a rural farm. That fact alone would have pleased Wyatt, as they would make an excellent windbreak for their camp. But most of his attention was on the far side of the building, where the remnants of the second storey still remained.

Even though it looked damaged enough that he would have thought twice about going up there, the portion that still stood had the majority of its floorboards intact. And any gaps in the floor was still being protected by the surviving parts of the roof. They could get out of the rain. It was dry. There were no doors to be seen as they approached the building, the windows also only remaining as gutted holes in the walls.

The main entry was wide enough that Wyatt suspected that it had been a double-door entryway originally. This was no time for further examination though; the rain was coming down stronger now, the thunder more frequent. Flashes of lightning off towards the horizon suggested that the storm was getting closer. Wyatt entered the building, his muscles relaxing instantly in relief. The difference from being out of the cold wind was marked, and Kit sighed happily.

She twisted in Wyatt's arms, and lithely jumped down on the ground. She shook herself, water splattering about everywhere, and started to explore. Wyatt looked around, peering into the dark corners of the house. There were few internal walls remaining, although he couldn't tell if that was because they had crumbled, or if it had been open plan from the beginning. There was rubble on the ground, the debris consisting of stone and wood.

To Wyatt's surprise, there was still a staircase remaining, a solid structure of stone that led up to the second floor on the far side of the building. Its existence perhaps explained why more of the house remained on that side, it having provided support that the rest of the building had lacked.

"You can't sense anything, can you, Kit?" The silver fox shook her head, her blue eyes seeming to glow in the dim light.' No, there's nothing here but us. There are some scents of people, but it's old.' Wyatt blinked.

"People? Like the ones who lived here? I thought the building was older than that." Kit laughed softly.

'No, I mean travellers. I think people have stayed here before. There is ash and soot from a fire over in the corner.' Wyatt walked over and saw that she was right. He kicked at the floor, moving debris, to see that there was the remnants of a fire, perhaps many fires, built against one of the stone walls. He wondered how many Adventurers had sheltered here over the years. Wyatt clapped his hands together, the sound echoing off the walls.

"Right, let's get a fire going. This is the best spot my Skill has led me to yet!" Wyatt swiftly constructed a campfire, using the same spot that the previous visitors had. It was on the edge of the aegis of the second floor, so any smoke wouldn't be trapped inside with them, but no rain would fall on it either. Once lit, the fire cast a merry glow inside the building, shadows dancing on the stone walls. The heat from the flames immediately did their work, warming up the interior until it was downright pleasant.

Wyatt took the tent out of the bag of holding, and pitched it against a far wall. He wasn't intending on sleeping inside of it tonight, he just wanted it to dry out a little more. Wyatt took any damp clothes out for the same reason, laying them on the side of the tent facing the fire. Kit had sat herself as close to the flames as was safe, and was in the midst of grooming herself. Wyatt started to take out his cooking setup.

"It's only what I picked up in the city for dinner tonight I'm afraid, Kit. But if you're okay with waiting, I could simmer everything into a stew?" The silver fox looked up at him, pausing her grooming. Her tail was swishing about in good humour, her mood visibly improving by the second.

'Give me some of the jerky, and I won't mind waiting. Hot food sounds heavenly. Actually, I'll take some of the fruit as well if there is any left. And could you take the blankets out before you start? Close to the fire, please. And could you put some more wood on the side closest to me? I'd like a little more heat so I can dry off quicker.' Wyatt grinned, obediently handing the little fox some of the dried meat, and their last remaining fruit.

It was so good to have her back to her old self, that he didn't mind the litany of orders she was throwing his way. As Wyatt set up his cooking station, he kept glancing around at the interior of the building in satisfaction. It felt safe, safer than any of the other places he'd found via his Skill. He had a good feeling about this place.