The original corporeal shade that I believed had been the shadowy creature which spoke to us before, came rushing up on our rear to attack the distracted vulpine. However, he apparently was far from distracted. Turning back away from the now collapsed and acid burned form of the 2nd assaulting pale creature, he whipped his sword about at the leaping solid shade. His sword bit into the gangly limbs and came to a stop at where the spine would be on a human. There it appeared to be stuck.
I couldn't miss this opportunity. Throwing both of the slime bottles at the briefly still creature, my right-hand aim missed, but the left ran true as it shattered against the perfect target. *SKREEE!* "YoU, CuRsEs bE On yOu!" It screamed impotently from its position as acid burned its horrifying features.
Jax was finally able to free his sword, and with a rapid redirect, swung it in a quick strike lopping of the head of the cursing creature.
It was then that I heard the screaming of someone left behind. "Andrew! Save me Andrew!!!" The terrified voice of Steven rang out from the darkness. "Agggh! Aggggh!!" Escalated screaming as if he was being tortured rand out. *Sob!!*
"LOG OUT!!" I screamed into the darkness at him. I ignored the small numbered countdown in my own upper left vision as I only intended for him to hear me and follow my advice, not for myself to leave in this desperate situation.
Only silence, broken by the slightest of quiet whimpering was my answer. I did not know if he heard me or even was in a position to follow my advice. Now however, I was weaponless except for a single belt knife which would prove to be of little use in this situation. Would I even survive?
Staring into the deep darkness of the cave, beyond the range of Jax's faltering mage light, I could only hope to escape.
"We are here!" The voice of Bartholomew rang out along the cave.
Wait. . . We were already at the exit?! My eyes shifted to the sides and with surprise I saw the hard packed dirt and stone that I recalled when first entering. My vision had been so tunneled that I failed to realize how far we had come.
Excited voices and shuffling could be heard behind me. I dare to not look away from the depths of the cave despite how close to freedom we were.
Suddenly . . . , I was grabbed roughly from behind. In startled fear, I began thrashing about trying to shake myself loose. "Be Still!" A deep guttural voice roared into my ear. My body momentarily stilled as I recognized the voice of the bear-man. He had grasped me and was now passing me to the waiting hands of the patrolmen that had already exited the cave.
Together, a pair of them pulled me out with their hands. Bartholomew and Jax now were the only ones remaining in the cave. As one I saw a brief flaring of light as then first the vulpine, followed closely by the bear-man, they both exited the cave in a hurry.
Just as they exited, together they roared. "Get into the sunlight now!"
Leading by example, they charged past the now much reduced vegetation and into the bright light of day. Following close behind them, I was blinded by the sudden extreme rays of light that bore down on our weary group.
Relief poured through me as I just lay there on the grassy ground. We had escaped! Well mostly. I turned my sun blinded eyes back towards the direction of the cave and watched on with concern.
My thoughts were interrupted by the earnest voice of the vulpine leader. He was talking fervently into the crystal communication device that he held. "Attention Patrol Base, please confirm and respond that you are listening."
. . . "We are listening. Go ahead and report." The response rang out from the device.
"We just escaped from a newly discovered dungeon within the city premises. This is a code deep-orange, I repeat code deep-orange."
. . . "Copy that. Code deep-orange. Please provide details.
"We found an active inhabited dungeon with a singular sentient corporeal Shade with two other suspected, as well as several dozen incorporeal shades."
. . . ". . . Please confirm sentient corporeal shade?"
"Yes that is correct. Please send a four- or greater-star mage or adventurer team, experienced in dark themed dungeon subjugation. This must be done before sundown!" The vulpine added at the end.
. . . "Copy that, preparing to send four-star dark themed dungeon subjugation team. Over and out."
With that Jax slumped onto his back in relief. Looking over at me, he asked. "I noticed you got an acid burn while you were in there. How is it doing now?"
I had completely forgotten about it in the rushed last stand and subsequent chaotic exit. Looking down at my arm, I saw the place the acid had burned into my arm, was already healed over and seeming to slowly fill back in to even layered skin.
"Hah!" Jax exclaimed. "And that, apprentice Andrew, is part of why many so deeply respect your master Apothecary Victoria." Leaning his head toward me somewhat conspiratorially he added. "And because she scares the absolute living daylights out of us." Grinning at the last part he lay his head back down on the solid ground, taking in a deep breath of sunlit freedom.
The other patrolmen who had been injured to varying degrees were already receiving treatment by the four that had been left behind to search the surroundings.
After a few minutes of laying on my back, simply soaking in the sun's rays with relief, I finally sat up to look around me. Much of the team was lounging about like I was, enjoying the bright-lit freedom-providing solace to the darkness that they just redeemed their lives from.
Turning to Jax who was sitting close by simply gazing up at the clear blue sky, I had to ask. "Sir, I heard mention of the words Incorporeal and Corporeal Shades. What are each of those?"
Looking away from the sky to focus on me, Jax spoke up. "Those are dungeon creatures. Two different creations made by a dungeon core in order to fulfill its will."
Seeing my still confused expression, he appeared to struggle to know what to start with. After a moment he then expounded. "Do you know how dungeons are created?" he asked.
"Not one bit." I replied.
*Sigh* "Okay this may take a while, but honestly, we've got nowhere else to go while we are waiting for the dungeon subjugation team to come." Taking a sip of water from a flask at his side to wet his throat, he then began to explain. "Dungeons are usually, but not limited to caves that have been formed or parasitized by a dungeon core. From what many mage scholars and adventurers have discovered through much research on the subject, a dungeon core is one of the results of a failed monster core assimilation. The great majority of sentient humanoid individuals know not to consume or seek to assimilate a monster core. However, through accident or intent, consumption on very rare occasions still happens."
This was very interesting! Up till now, I had only heard of assimilation of Elemental stones, not beast cores.
Continuing on Jax said, "The reason for which most sentient humanoid beings know not to mess with assimilation or consumption of beast cores, is that doing such is an almost guaranteed death sentence. Quite often a very painful one as well. Frequently cancerous growths and odd appendages try to form on you as the life code from the core seeks to merge with your own."
"Through many dark experiments, long since banned throughout most of the land, it has been established that attempting the merging of monster or beast cores with that of a sentient humanoid is pure folly. However, despite the knowledge and encouragement by our parents and teachers to avoid attempting such, there are still those that in desperation, feeling that they are unique, or simply by accident, will consume or assimilate a beast or monster core."
Casting his gaze in the direction of the shadowy cave he spoke on. "It is in extremely rare cases that something substantial of the will and intent of the original consumer lives on, within the core that they assimilated with. It is from those cases that a dungeon core is born. From what numerous mages and scholars have determined, a dungeon core most frequently has one primary desire. To rebuild its fleshy or material frame, and return to a semblance of its former life."
A look of disgust covered his face for a moment, and he took a deep breath before continuing on with his explanation. "The Dungeon core, in its attempt to rebuild its physical framework of life before its pseudo death, is much like a butcher, mad creationist, and necromancer all in one. Upon formation, or recognition of itself, it will first seek self-preservation. Sinking deep into the earth or within a nearby construct that proves compatible to its needs, it will begin the process of experimentation. It draws inspiration from the creature it was before, and those that made up the essence of the beast or monster core that it was born from."
"In this case." Jax said nodding in the direction of the cave. "I can almost guarantee that this dungeon core was born of the unholy combination of a sentient humanoid such as a demi-human, elf, dwarf, or other individual living in this very city, as well as a monster or beast core with an emphasis on the shadow element. As such, it sought out samples of humanoids in which to perform its immoral experiments on. That is why its failed creations and protectors were drawing in and stealing away the children and young adults within the general vicinity. The fact that at least one of its creations could speak our language was also a testament to its origins."
"Now back to your original question, about what incorporeal and corporeal shades are. They are the failed and sometimes intentional creations of the dungeon core, by which to both protect itself against those that would seek to destroy it, and to acquire new materials for its continued experiments. Incorporeal shades are the shadowy figures with no fleshy body. They can temporarily possess their intended victims, thus luring them away to the dungeon for further dissection and experimentation, as well as sustenance for the dungeon creatures themselves. They are born from the element of darkness or shade as it is frequently known. Weak to the element of light, they are easily repulsed by a prepared adventurer or mage, who has assimilated a high enough tier of light elemental stone."
Looking at me, giving me a once over, he said. "Seeing from that shade which had possessed trainee Steven before and its inability to possess you earlier, I take it that you have assimilated a light stone before already but have yet to learn any accompanying light spells?"
He was technically correct, if not completely accurate, so I just nodded.
As if satisfying his own curiosity, he continued. "For those that have assimilated a light stone, it is significantly more difficult for a shade to possess them. Not impossible, for their inner source of light can be worn down till it is barely existent. That would then leave them at risk and susceptible to possession. We have learned through many instances of rescued adventurers, that such reduction of their inner light energy and subsequent possession, is but temporary. A good safe night sleep, adequate nutrition, and other restorative measures, can quickly restore their reduced and expended energies."
I continued to listen on in rapt attention. This was all new to me as no one had discussed anything like this before.