{Journal entry day 2: I don’t know how long I have been unconscious. We were two rooms further into the dungeon without incident. The gatherers were gathering up some moss, fungus and mushrooms in the third room, while Mel and I scouted a short way into the next passageway. Then the ground suddenly started quaking violently. If I had to imagine Richter scale, I would put it at a seven or a nine what do I know. Then the passage under my feet cracks open dropping me into darkness. My head took a good smack putting me out. I had no chance to avoid the fall. It was an instantaneous thing, coupled with being off balance from the quake. Or at least with my limited experience in such matters, I couldn’t react in time. Maybe someone with more experience and better reflexes could have read the situation better and avoided the fall. Now I am sitting against a wall in the mostly dark, as I have summoned a small flame into the palm of my left hand. My head feels like someone was using it as a drum set, and I have a very angry lump to boot. I also remember Mel screaming out my name before I succumbed. I have no idea how far I have fallen, or even if it was a straight fall or if the path had angles. I could be anywhere. I held my hand up as high as I could hoping to see the ceiling. No such luck. I do not see any lights above, nor can I hear anyone calling out for me. Though they may have given me up for dead by now or have moved on to look for me. I’m not even sure if they could have come down the same way I did considering the quake could have sealed me off. I doubt Mel would just let them give me up for dead. She would at least do everything in her power to look for me. I know I would do the same for her. Heck for any of them.

So, what I do know. I have sketched out this room into the middle of my journal after walking its circuit. I am keeping the drawings small as I have limited paper but there is no way I am not going to start a map. The room is about the size of a school gymnasium. There are three exits. Southeast is a wide tunnel similar in size to the first we entered. Large enough for three people to easily walk side by side. The northeast in a low tunnel, waist high and shoulder width. The northwest tunnel is a one-person width and a meter taller than me. My pack is safe, I have three weeks of food rations if I pace myself. Water is a non-worry. I have my bedroll which gives me blankets. I have a compass that I brought with me from earth, a few changes of clothes, my leather armor, which I am wearing. And of course, a really nice magic ring with more survival gear. Ropes etc.

What I don’t know. How far I have fallen, how the group faired, for all I know there was a cave in up there, how long I have been here. I am not starving so it hasn’t been overly long. The darkness is still a bit unnatural. I have no idea what monsters this dungeon spawned, as each iteration is different. We had not met anything yet. If I’m lucky there are none. Though that seems unlikely as dungeons and spawned creatures there in are conduits for the loop. I will know more when I meet the neighbors.

One of the important rules of survival, if you get separated from your group, stay put. There is a greater chance of them finding you that way, than leading them on a merry chase. So, I have decided to stay put for an hour at least. If they cannot make contact with me by then it’ll be hopeless as Nith is up there. After said hour I will do my best to put everything uncle and the college have taught me to find my own escape. I did try using my magic to boost me to the ceiling, it is just too high. I might be in a natural well.

I have decided on using the me sized path. The larger path means bigger threats. The smaller hole means very tight combat quarters. With the single person sized tunnel, I can at least control the position of combat and not let myself be flanked. As I can use my force magic to easily cover the tunnel and there is room to dodge a bit if needed.}

Shae sat back against the wall. Her headache was starting to abate, the lump on her skull noticeably less angry at her and smaller.

She had learned her natural healing was actually and innate ability. Some people in this world were lucky that way. Some were stronger, faster, even beauty could become enhanced. So, it wasn’t everyone that could heal as fast as she could. At first, she had thought it was a native thing about this world.

Another thing, melee fighters did not use spells like mages. There was no chanting or hand movements. They used abilities that were brought forth by forced will. For instance, in Kip’s case, he could use a mighty strike with his sword, which caused a much stronger hit doing deeper cuts. He also has a taunt ability, pulling peoples attention to him. And not by just calling them names to piss them off. There were many more abilities used in hand combat. These abilities were near instantaneous but were never anywhere near as powerful as cast spells. They were burst magic. Where cast spells are created with much more concentration. Allowing for a lot more boom. But in a wild hand to hand battle, burst magic was all you could do. There were shield spells to protect a mage, but the right warrior could cut though that ending a mage before he could get one spell off. With a bit of separation however, a mage could just as easily end a melee type. Preparation was and knowing what you were in for was key.

Shae’s force magic was… well a cheat. It had the strength of cast magic with the fluidity of burst abilities. Which is why everyone at the college had such high hopes for her. Her magic was a controllable field of force that she used to surround herself. It was both offence and defense. It had the power output of any channeled spell, but usable at a moments notice. The only drawback currently was Shae’s inexperience in recognizing her needs and execute it properly in time. Like muscle memory, the more she flexed it the faster she could react without having to think. It would just take time and practice. Right now, she was a sledgehammer hitting a nail. With time she would become a true honed edge.

Pondering her training and studies, she pulled out a strip of cured meat and a few dried fruit bits.

The thing about being stuck in the dark, time had no meaning. Her watch was back at the college hidden away. She did not believe she would need it here, nor did she want it to be discovered. ‘Bright idea, that one.’

She passed some of the time counting, then gave that up, thinking about more useful things. Like running through her survival skill set. Keeping her head in the game so she didn’t miss the small details, like her uncle taught her. She had been in this world long enough now that few things distracted her anymore. Which was when her instincts started recovering. She was more acclimated to the world allowing her to apply her knowledge more easily without distraction. She absolutely did not want to prick her finger on the poisoned needle trap her uncle had played on her.

If only she had someone to tell her what she should be harvesting. She could field dress her own kills, and even had a magic ring to store things. But she didn’t know what to look out for. ‘Well, I’ll take that as it comes, I guess.’

By the time she was done slowly nibbling on her snack, her head was all healed up. That, she decided was her cue.

With her journal out for mapping, her path decided, all that was left was to put her game face on and kick this dungeons ass.

With determination to do her teachers proud she got up, extending her force magic out into soft cover mode for feeling movements around her. Creating a bit larger flame to push back more darkness, she set off onto her chosen path. It was her first solo dungeon, and her first quest: seeking out her friends.