《Dungeon Born》


 Like a ghost.

    Earth,


    New York City.                                                                                                                         Dungeon Born


    1321hrs


    I looked around once more before resting my eyes again, I seen people, carts, luggage, planes and security an old habit kicked in, I was scanning the crowd for weapons.


    Again.


    I mentally kicked myself, I need to stop doing that, I focus on my breathing and close my eyes to concentrate but I can¡¯t block out the memories of faces of the dead, I open my eyes and began doing the same thing: Scanning the crowd for weapons, it is a never ending cycle. I was brought out of my trance by what looks like a female flight attendant standing in front of me.


    ¡°E-excuse me sir? Is everything okay?¡± She asks quite frightened by my appearance, it could be the scars on my face or the dark grey beanie hat, or even the part that I haven¡¯t been bothered to get changed out out my army fatigues.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I answered politely and gave her an analytical gaze, I wondered what her reason was for talking to me soon after confirming she isn¡¯t a threat to my safety.


    ¡°U-Uhm I don¡¯t suppose you could show me any i-identification?¡± She asked in an American accent, I don¡¯t know from where from because I don¡¯t live in the States.


    ¡°My passport?¡± I furrowed my brow and hand it to her, she takes a look at it and goes through the list of places I¡¯ve been, I glance around again and find that security is watching from afar.


    ¡°You¡¯re a British citizen?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Ex-army, I¡¯m tired from travelling so I¡¯m taking a short break here, is there a problem?¡± I ask seriously.


    ¡°Sherry it¡¯s okay let me handle this.¡± A voice stated from behind me from the other side of the bench, a deeper American voice, when I turn my head I see him wearing a security guard uniform and I curse in my head, she quickly hands me back my passport and flees before I can bore my eyes into her again.


    ¡°Can you come with me?¡± He asks politely.


    ¡°I would but I don¡¯t want to leave my luggage here.¡± I answered, at that he called the other security officers over and asked them to ¡®process¡¯ it.


    ¡°Everything okay now?¡± he asked politely, I rose from my sitting position and nodded at him, I then followed him into one of the private questioning booths.


    ______________________________


    ¡°Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea?¡± He once again asked.


    ¡°No thanks.¡± I reply curtly.


    ¡°Keith Mi...Mikolajewski?¡± He mispronounced my surname.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Sorry about this but we kept getting complaints and reports from a ¡®suspicious¡¯ person with heavy luggage.¡± He explained why I was dragged in here. ¡°So let me get straight to the point, why are you dressed like that?¡±


    ¡°I finished my service for the army.¡± I answer swiftly.


    ¡°So you just come here?¡± He quizzed.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I reply, he sighs and start flicking through my birth certificates and national insurance number, I didn¡¯t even question him if he is allowed to do that.


    ¡°Born in¡­ Nineteen ninety one?¡± He asked and I simply nodded my head, ¡°Do you-¡± He was cut off but his phone ringing loudly. ¡°Excuse me.¡± He stood up and left the room to answer it.


    I felt safer in this booth than I did out there in the crowd, I didn¡¯t fall into the habit of searching people because there was no people. I looked up to see a mirror reflect my face, I quickly looked away again. Even I cannot stand the look of my own eyes reflecting at me they just look sorrow filled with contempt and hatred filled in it even though I have no intention for them to be like that.


    Quickly hours passed before he came back, I was still in the same position I was in when he left the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re free to go, a friend should be waiting outside the airport for you and we¡¯ve already moved your bags there for you, sorry for the inconvenience.¡± He quickly stated and held the door open for me, his previous demeanor of lazy politeness vanished and he just wanted me out with as little trouble as possible.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I walk out remembering the way from when I entered, I quickly dodged and weaved the crowd but people oncoming quickly made way for me. When I made it outside it was not hard to find the ¡®friend¡¯ who was waiting for me. A digital fall forest camouflage covered the car that drew my attention also there were people dressed like me, I was met halfway by one of them when he noticed me.


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    ¡°Hunter! How¡¯s it going? You wouldn¡¯t believe the last two hours!¡± He laughed full of confidence, ¡°I got you something to eat just a McWaggles but I figured it was better than nothing and tonnes better than the MREs.¡± He laughed again, he quickly opened the door to the humvee and closed it behind me when I was sat, he then got in the drivers seat.


    ¡°Whammy and Twinky, this is Hunter the guy I keep going on about that saved my life.¡± He smiled again showing perfect pearly white teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m Charles Trent, Zach has called my Twinky ever since I ate a box of twinkies when we got back from our first tour.¡± I shook hands with Charles, he had short hair with brown eyes, well built and maybe a good head taller than me.


    ¡°My name is Keith Mikolajewski.¡± I reply.


    ¡°And mine is Eddie Patterson same as Charles as for why I got my nickname from him, but please just call me Ed.¡± Ed suggested. Like Charles, Ed is built similar but with blue eyes and black hair.


    ¡°Where were you stationed if you saved his sorry ass?¡± Charles asked.


    ¡°I was a medic serving in Iraq.¡± Keeping my sentences small.


    ¡°Wham and me are Delta while Twinky is a SEAL, you don¡¯t need to use the cover here.¡± Zach stated seriously keeping his eyes on the road while he drove.


    ¡°Jesus Zach! You can¡¯t just tell him that.¡± Twinky shouted.


    ¡°Sorry, there wasn¡¯t an official name for my unit, I was a marksman and sniper depending on the operation.¡± I stated.


    ¡°What do you mean there wasn¡¯t an official name?¡± Whammy asked but Zach just smiled.


    ¡°There is no name, I was in the Blackwatch originally however circumstance put me into a squad that.. Was below the table.¡± I answered truthfully.


    ¡°Damn man!¡± Twinky exclaimed.


    ¡°Damn! Did you start with a good nickname or was it¡­?¡± Whammy asked.


    ¡°Originally it was ¡®meat-shield¡¯.¡± I replied smiling softly, I could feel the muscles tense up on my face but it wasn¡¯t visible.


    ¡°How long were you in for?¡± Zach asked just asking something simple instead.


    ¡°Five years, I got permission from my family when I turned seventeen.¡± I explained a little bit more.


    ¡°So you¡¯re¡­ Twenty two? Twenty three?¡± Zach asked.


    ¡°Twenty two.¡± I answer.


    ¡°Damn you could be my son!¡± Twinky chuckled and whammy laughed out loud, Zach as well is older than me by maybe eight years at minimum.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve thought you had stayed in the army!¡± Zach exclaimed.


    ¡°I was wounded, honourably discharged.¡± I explain, I hear Zach curse under his breath for asking that kind of question Twinky and Whammy look like they¡¯re doing the same, ¡°It was about time I left, I promised someone that I would only do four anyway but I got roped into five.¡± I give an alternate excuse to keep them happy.


    ¡°Ooh! Was it a girl?¡± Zach bellowed with even more laughter.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I answer.


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you with her right now!¡± Whammy pats his hand on the shoulder while Zach blares the horn and screams happily.


    ¡°She moved to America and we¡¯re not like that.¡± I lie about the first part, I¡¯ve never met her but she does live here, over than that she is someone I treasure dearly and would never risk our current relationship, I curse myself mentally for being heavily reliant on her support.


    ¡°So you say!¡± Zach laughed again with Whammy and Twinky.


    ¡°Wait Zach wasn¡¯t your house the last intersection off?¡± Twinkie asks.


    ¡°Yeah but we¡¯re going drinking!¡± Zach grins, Whammy and Twinky give a ¡®HooAhh!¡¯ in support of his idea.


    Then I felt a familiar shiver go down my spine, one that''s always warned me when something bad was going to happen, I leaned around the driver''s seat to search for something, we were just now crossing an intersection before everything went black for me.


    _____________


    Don''t worry it''s a new story double release. Please comment and rate!

 Never again...?

    I AM SORRY, TLDR never release double as a new story because the story awaits approval and you cannot post another chapter while its in its state.... Anyway here''s chapter 2.


    ___________________


    Unknown.


    When I open my eyes again I realise I¡¯m leaned against a stone wall, a large cave ceiling with limestone stalactites, the faint sound of water dripping into small puddles around me and I feel the warmth of my body being embed out slowly by the cold damp rocks.


    ¡®Move!¡¯ I scream at myself internally certain that I would die here if I didn¡¯t get moving, my body feeling numb and completely useless stood up with much trouble, I could slowly feel all my blood circulating in my system taking the feeling of numbness away, I began assessing my situation.


    I don¡¯t know jackshit.


    I picked up a rock smaller than my fist and clutched it in my hand, a first weapon. I began then looking over my body for injuries. None, not even the scars they were all gone. I¡¯m thankful but still a little sad, they were proof that I had done something to help someone as disfiguring as they were.


    However not even a blemish was on my skin, no callouses from when I held guns for hours, or tattoos of my blood type not even a birthmark on the back of my hand.


    And I was naked.


    I swallowed my spit and felt my ears pop, I realise now that I¡¯m in perhaps a tall mountainous cave and the best hope for finding an exit would be going down. The cave floor however is mostly flat, there are some dips but it constantly tried to level out, water has formed a puddle in some areas. Whoever put me in here should have tied me up and stationed some guards this place is has been altered by people.


    I finally come across some stairs, stone slabs that seem to spiral down for hundred of meters, perhaps everyone fell to their deaths? Even evil villains have to have some sort of workplace health and safety. I slowly begin descending.


    ____________________________________


    After what seems like hours I finally make it to some kind of audience room, a single room with some sort of moss that I¡¯ve seen coming down the stairs giving off a luminescent glow however as soon as I step foot into the room to rush past without people spying me easily a quick tremor erupts and so does a hand from the floor.


    A large, red furred, muscular arm sprouts out with long nails scratching the floor finding a grip to pull the rest out.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that was why it took so long to get down one floor, they had a monster hidden in there. I couldn¡¯t help but watch in awe until the full monster stood in front of me, it was nothing I had ever seen before and I was mesmerized by the process and probably about to die because of that.


    A red furred Minotaur about the height of a two and a half story house with a wickedly spiked and curved broadsword that is almost twice my own height started eying me up as if I was its next meal.


    We both looked at the rock in my hand, I looked back at it and seen it do a sort of grunt/smirk as if it was mocking me, I toss aside the rock and put myself into a running stance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make damn sure I¡¯ll be the least enjoyable thing you eat.¡± I mutter, I try and size up it¡¯s weakest points but it¡¯s thick leathery skin look like it¡¯ll take anything I can give it, I really wish I could call in for some air support.


    I charge the monster first, it looks mildly surprised and somewhat a look of admiration as it begins to comprehend the size of my balls. It rests it¡¯s sword on its shoulder and begins swinging downwards from an overhead as soon as I am in range.


    I easily move to the left, I¡¯m on the outside of its right arm and I grab ahold of the broadsword, it seems only one edge was sharpened so it is some sort of elongated cleaver, or maybe it¡¯s the right size for it.


    It lifts its weapon to see me gone, it grunts to itself assuming I¡¯m dead and places the cleaver back on its shoulder, I let go and hid behind the weapon until I can rush it. It moves the cleaver back down to it¡¯s side and bends over to start searching the crater it made for my body.


    At that moment I rush it as soon as there is enough space for me to run under the cleaver I make a beeline for its face. I take a running long-jump off it¡¯s collarbone and grab onto its hairy beard, I start using them as handholds as I expertly climb my way up to it¡¯s eye.


    It has already made a reflex scratch with it¡¯s long nails so I don¡¯t have a lot of time to say something cool, I make myself visible at its eye level and it flinches, surprised I¡¯m there. I then punch my fist into its eye that is larger than a basketball. It screams with some inhumane deafening howl. I drops its cleaver and clutches its eye with both its hands shaking its head uncontrollably I¡¯m launched through the air, I knew I was about to die from this kind of fall and I closed my eyes finally accepting it.


    Nah am I hell going to die, I open my eyes again.


    I tried rotating in the air by spinning my body, I couldn''t move the trajectory but I can decide on what part of my body I land on, I brace myself for impact hoping I can get the timing right and I swing both my legs forward, pain strikes all the way up them like lightning.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± I gasp out loud as I tumble across the stone floors, I finally come to a stop and I don¡¯t want to open my eyes again to look at the damage, I look anyway.


    Both my legs are broken with the skin torn away and I think I can see the bone, my arms and my back are also bleeding heavily through gashes from tumbling along the floor trying to protect my head, I think I also broke some ribs.


    I¡¯ll probably bleed out like this, naked, covered in blood and filth waiting for the minotaur to finally getting around to finishing me. Damn I¡¯m starting to regret that choice, I should have just landed on my head and died there, much less painful.


    I feel bile rising in my throat from the amount of pain it¡¯s making me sick, the last think I need is to be covered in my own puke, I force it back down my throat. The minotaur is still wailing about, what a baby I¡¯m obviously in much more pain and you don¡¯t see me crying¡­


    It¡¯s just the water from limestone dripping onto my face, I¡¯m not crying, I¡¯m not crying¡­ I really wish I was a bit more friendly to Zach before I died or just people in general. I wish I could see my dad again, I wish I went out with that girl instead of saying ¡®no¡¯...


    I found the will to live again and I only had to die like this, my vision begins to go dark and seems to fall inwards into the back of my head as if I¡¯m viewing in third person. I close my eyes.


    ______________________________________________


    I woke up once again but in a more familiar place, a tent and I feel very alive. Was it all a dream? Have I yet to leave for New York and I¡¯m still in the barracks? Have I even completed my service yet? I sighed and sat up, still naked.


    ¡°Oh fuck.¡± I cursed realising that I¡¯m still alive after that encounter with the beast, I grab the closest thing to my right and it is some sort of lantern with a glowing rock producing a soft green light.


    Needless to say I put it back, I don¡¯t need radiation poisoning from smashing it upon someones head and now I check my bodies for injuries, weapon always comes first. All wounds were gone, not a scar or blemish I was mystified.


    ¡°Good you¡¯re awake, our god wants to see you put this on.¡± Someone enters the tent throws some clothes at me and just as quickly leaves.


    ¡°H-hey! wait!¡± I called out, I then pondered on what he meant by ¡®god¡¯, I don¡¯t really need some loony cult trying to brainwash me. I don the clothes, pretty standard trousers and shirt however no underwear, socks or shoes. Maybe I should call them pantaloons instead of trousers.


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    I do a quick survey before I leave, nothing worth taking that can be concealed in the clothes I¡¯m wearing. I open the flap of the tent and I¡¯m greeted by noise; shuffling, shouts, anvils and general chatter.


    ¡°Oi kid follow me.¡± The same man who gave me the clothes was waiting outside and drags me around the camp, if I ignore the tents it seems the entire cave was built to cater to people, walls for buildings, trench for smithing and even a small pond for water. It was reminding me of the room I faced the minotaur in but was distinctly different.


    All around I met armed people swords, spears, bows, staffs, heavy armour, leather and cloaks. I suppose it¡¯s time to ditch my old logic, giant minotaurs? A medieval army? Wounds disappearing? I¡¯m not stupid but neither am I unwary.


    We entered a much larger tent, perhaps feeling the atmosphere to where a general resides I almost saluted. It wasn¡¯t the large men, the regal looking lady or the man behind the table giving off the commander¡¯s atmosphere. It was a teenager around seventeen or eighteen wearing padded leather armour staring intently at parchment, I immediately lock my eyes on him.


    ¡°Ah so you don¡¯t judge books by their covers, everyone else out.¡± He ordered calmly and rolled up the parchment setting it on a sort of war table, nobody questioned him and quickly filed out until we were alone in the room.


    ¡°...¡± Neither of us said anything, perhaps we both knew whichever one of us asked first would lose the game of information and even if I knew nothing I had to pretend I knew everything.


    He sighed ¡°You are rather hard boiled aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve never seen a god with eyes like yours that said I¡¯ve never met you and I know all the gods, even the minor ones like yourself.¡± He talked down to me, I was rather used to this kind of speech from my commanding officers so it didn¡¯t phase me.


    ¡°I try not to be like the others.¡± I reply giving a cryptic answer, he gives a wry smile and nods.


    ¡°If you were human like them I would try and recruit you as my own adventurer, but you are a god so that goes against the rules. Oh wait you don¡¯t even know the rules!¡± He laughed, it reached it pitch where it resounded in my head.


    ¡°Then you know?¡± I asked beaten, he already knew I had nothing.


    ¡°You¡¯re late to the party, the rest of the gods arrived over a hundred years ago, or have you been stuck in here all this time?¡± He gave a coy smile, ¡°I imagine if you started on equal footing with us all you would have blown away the competition like me, thankfully for me you need me help.¡±


    ¡°Oh and why is that?¡± I took some more steps towards the war table.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need my help to get out the tower alive, we¡¯re on floor forty nine, above us is fifty where we found you and then I ordered my followers to heal you. We gods are not all immortal we¡¯ll die from blade and fire but time won¡¯t touch us.¡± He moved two statues around on the table trying to figure out where to put them, it looked like an archer and staff group maybe the staffs use ¡®magic¡¯.


    ¡°So there are more monsters like that?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Much more and much, much worse we¡¯re only on floor fifty out of hundreds.¡± He sighed took some steps back and fell into a chair, ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re like the warrior gods Honos or Belatucadros, but you¡¯re eyes are more like Deimos¡­ I suspect you would take the field?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I will fight, if there is a good enough reason.¡± I answer, needless violence is needless.


    ¡°Who are you, I don¡¯t think there is an adequate name for you¡­ None in any of the history of this world and the next.¡± He pondered.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be better to introduce yourself first before asking my name?¡± I replied flatly ignoring his thinking.


    ¡°Ah yes, I am Mars and you are?¡± He offered his hand forward, he looked much younger than me but, his gaze held far more intelligence of battle I had.


    ¡°Keith Mikolajewski.¡± I stated, his eyes went wide.


    ¡°You were human weren¡¯t you?¡± He took a step back.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I reply absolutely sure.


    ¡°Welcome to the plain of gods, normally we would meet in ¡®heaven¡¯ but we all got bored and decided to come down to this mortal plane. As you didn¡¯t climb the tower to get here I can only assume you are some sort of monster god then.¡± Mars gave a heavy sigh and sat in his chair.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, as I am the god of war when I came here, I arrived in a battlefield, as a flower god would arrive in a flower garden. You arrived in the Tower, only monsters, battle, demons and adventurers are here¡­ And a lot of death.¡± He held my gaze.


    ¡°So that means¡­?¡± I waved my hand around to get him to explain a bit more.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but as you are a god your guild will be known amongst everyone now.¡± Mars chewed his thumb.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked once again seriously confused.


    ¡°Every god has a guild, gods cannot join other gods guilds, only mortals can. In the city in front of the Tower there is a stone slab that has the gods magic in it to automatically record a guild''s progression. As you are a god, your guild is linked to your existence.¡± Mars continued.


    ¡°So? Can¡¯t I just remove myself from this competition?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you want to kill yourself then sure, Heaven got overcrowded so think of this as a kulling, the first god to conquer the Tower becomes king of the gods and the strongest mortals of their guild become gods.¡± He explained.


    ¡°So why don¡¯t you just kill me and take the position back?¡± I replied coldly.


    ¡°There is something I like about you, plus I think you might be useful to me later. I lose nothing from keeping you alive and indebted to me, you also seem like the person that pays people back.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Is this you gods knowledge of me or your own?¡± I replied bitterly.


    ¡°I am Mars, I know everything to do with war, I can recall every war as if I was there, and you waged your own¡­ Hunter.¡± Mars gave a sly smile knowing that I always hold my word. ¡°You also need a better name that Keith Mikolajewski, or ¡®Hunter¡¯ for that manner, lets just called you ¡®Mika¡¯.¡± He gave a sharp grin, on his young face I was not fooled by this fake innocence.


    ¡°No.¡± I scowled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a expression like that, you¡¯re ruining your face.¡± He laughed slapping his leg.


    ¡°...¡± I said nothing but continued to stare at him.


    ¡°Sheesh fine¡­ Tell me do you plan to leave for the town immediately or will you stay with my guild awhile longer?¡± Mars asked twirling a quill around his thumb.


    ¡°Neither, I plan to kill that Monster then keep going up.¡± I revealed a bloodthirsty smile and left the tent. As I left Mars¡¯s shocked face turned into a smile and by time I left the tent flap fluttering in the wind he had gone into full hysterics.