READER'S POV

After recruiting Gale, Astarion and Shadowheart, the four of us looked around the crash site some more to find some ingredients for alchemy and camp. After we did this, we came across an old temple. I recognised the place, it's an old crypt and it's also where we meet Withers. We walked along the path before we came across bandits. I peaked around the corner to see them arguing about the ship.

"...You're both twice as tall as me but have half of the bloody backbone!"

"But we don't know what that thing is! And what about the crypt?!"

"I'm telling you - it's a ship! And the crypt can wait! Mari and Barton have been trying to break in for days."

"Bandits..." Shadowheart whispered with a disgusted look.

"When there's bandits, there's loot," I commented.

"And it's ours for the taking. Let's kill them," Astarion smirked and he was about to approach them but, I grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him back.

"Ah! *cough!* what are you doing?"

"Easy does it there, elfy. It might not be a good idea to attack them. In case you haven't noticed, we're a little outnumbered," I told him with a frown.

"She's right. We'll need to be smart about this," Gale told him.

"Let me do the talking," I told the others before releasing Astarion's collar and then we walked towards the bandits.

"Now we - stop!" The halfling shouted after he spotted us approaching him and his friends.

"Got ourselves competition already! that's our ship!"

'I hope I pass this persuasion check,' I thought to myself before I told them. "That ship is full of monsters. I wouldn't go near it."

The bandits looked at me with nervousness before the dwarf spoke, "Well, uh, in that case...C'mon you lot, no point in gettin' killed. Second worm gets the cheese, and all."

"Uh, second mouse gets the cheese, no?"

"Nobody's getting any damn cheese! now move it!" He yelled before he and his friends left.

I chuckled and said, "And silver tongue (L/n) strikes again."

"You're more cunning than you look. I thought we had a fight on our hands," Shadowheart smiled with an impressed expression.

"Why thank you. I can be very persuasive. Now then, let's see what this crypt is hiding," I smirked before we approached the doors. I tried to open the doors but they were locked.

"Locked, of course," I mumbled before we heard someone speak to us.

"That you, Gimblebock? Everything all right out there?"

"Gimblebock ran. Your friends abandoned you."

"Yeah? that lot always were a bit soft. But I've got plenty of friends who ain't soft. Come in here and you can meet'em..."

I cracked my knuckles and said, "With pleasure."

I gave the door a good kick which took the bandit by surprise and then I drew my greatsword. The bandit charged at me and he tried to hit me but, I heard Gale conjuror a magic missile and then it sent the bandit flying. The bandit got back up and tried to attack but Astarion managed to get behind him and slit his throat while I stabbed the bandit in the chest to make sure he's dead for sure. I pulled out the sword and then the bandit collapsed onto the ground.

"Nicely done," Shadowheart commented.

"Thanks but keep your guards up. That guy's friends are still lurking around here somewhere," I told the others before I sheathed my sword. 

We searched around the room for a while and gathered some supplies and useful items that were seen in the game as you explored the crypt. We defeated the bandit's friends without any bother except they tried to pull a few dirty tricks but, we got there, eventually. I tried to open the door that led to Wither's crypt but it wouldn't budge.

"Locked. And there's no keyhole to pick the lock."

"Let's look around," Gale spoke up as we searched the area and I found a switch which triggered the door to unlock.

We went through the unlocked door and we came across some other tombs. It was a bit dark in here too. Normally, I wouldn't have this problem in the game but since this is real life, it was a lot harder to see. 

"Anyone got a torch?" Gale asked as he and Shadowheart looked around for a flame torch to use.

I opened my pouch and grabbed my torch and turned on the switch. The others looked surprised when I did this and then Gale asked, "What's that?"

"A modern version of a torch. Really handy to have," I smiled as I walked ahead of the others. We searched around and came across the area where we would meet Withers.

I turned off my torch since it's lighter in here before we looked at the skeletons on the ground.

"Armed scribes - but no sign of a struggle," I spoke Tav's dialouge.

"I wonder what was so subversive about their words that they commanded protection," Shadowheart spoke as we looked around.

We walked towards the room where Withers' coffin is located and I saw the button that's used to open it. I looked back at the scribes and said, "Guys, I think we might be walking into a trap."

"What makes you say that?" Gale asked.

"I've got a bad feeling about this. Trust me."

"Oh (y/n), what could possibly go wrong?" Astarion smirked before he pressed the button.

"Astarion! don't-!" I tried to stop him but it was too late. Right after he pressed the button, the doors slid open.

At first nothing happened but then we heard something. We turned around and watched as a green glow appeared on the skeleton scribes as they slowly rose from the dead, literally. I glared at Astarion and said, "See? I told you it was trap! That's what you get for not listening to me!"

"Don't get smart with me, darling!"

"Can you two argue about this later? we've got bigger things to worry about, "Shadowheart shouted before we fought off the scribes.

I frowned and I knew that she was right. I drew my sword and then we charged at the skeleton scribes. We struck them down one by one. Astarion had good ranged attacks, Gale was the same and he used his cantraps like Fire bolt against the skeletons. Once they were dealt with, I looked around to make sure that we've dealt with them all before I sheathed my sword. 

"Nice work," Astarion praised me before I glared at him and then I smacked him upside his head.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"Call it a warning and remember to use your brain next time!" I scolded him before Gale and Shadowheart chuckled at him.

We headed towards the room where Withers' coffin is located and then I walked towards the coffin. I placed my hands on the lid and then I was about to push it but then the torches started glowing green and then I saw fingertips underneath the lid before it flew open.

"Yikes!!" I shouted before I stumbled back and fell onto my backside.

We watched as a zombie floated out of the coffin and that's when I recognised him, it's Withers. He opened his eyes before he floated onto the floor and walked towards me.

"So he has spoken, and so thou standest before me. Right, as always. What a curious way to awaken."

"That's one way of putting it..." I mumbled before I stood up from the ground and wiped the dust off myself.

"Now I have a question for thee: what is the worth of a single mortal's life?"

"A little spooked by the crawling out of the tomb a bit, what are you?" I asked him.

"I am not the same as those thou hast slain, if that is what thou asket. Wilt thou answer my question?"

"Yes. Ask away.

"So I ask again: What is the worth of a single mortal's life?"

"That depends on a person's deeds."

"I am sure thou believest as such. Very well. I am satisfied. We have met and I know thy face. We will see each other again at the proper time and place. Farewell," Withers told us before he vanished from our sights.

"Anyone else feeling a little creeped out or is it just me?" I asked the others.

"I admit, he's a weird one but, we better keep our wits about."

We looked in the tomb to see what he had locked away while Withers was sleeping and grabbed whatever we could. We stepped out of the crypt to see the sun setting. I guess we were in the crypt a lot longer than we thought. Normally in the video game, it doesn't show when the sun is setting until one of the companions or your Tav says it's time to rest after using all of their spells during a fight. 

"Let's find a place to camp," Shadowheart told us and I nodded my head.

"I agree, I'm beat," I told her before we searched for a spot to rest for the night.

We found the spot where we would camp for the night and set up the tents after we found some things to set up our camp. I adjusted the ropes on my tent and stepped back to make sure it was set up properly. I nodded my head with a satisfied look. I guess all those camping trips with Derek finally came in handy. Although, I wished I had some proper camping clothes. I can't keep wearing the same outfit over and over again. I can already see dirt starting to appear on my hoodie. Tomorrow when we head for the Druid Grove, I'm going to use the gold we collected today to buy some proper armour and use my old clothes as the camping outfit.

After we had dinner, I sat on some cushions before I opened my thigh bag and got my phone. I turned it on and opened my gallery app to look at some photos. I looked at the photo of me, Derek and Owen together when we went camping together. I sighed sadly as I stared at the photo.

'I don't know how or why I got here. But I will make it my mission to go home and be with you again.'

Not ready to rest my head, I decided to check up on the others. I headed for Shadowheart's tent and she said to me, "You strike me as a reliable sort, but are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I wouldn't worry too much. This camp seems safe from threats."

"Outside threats perhaps. Each hour passes, the thing inside us grows. We need to find a healer. Let's wake up at first light."

"Agreed. Our top priority, as for as I'm concerned."

"Maybe we will get lucky. We're overdue some good fortune. Rest well. We'll need our strength."

"You too, Shadowheart," I told her with a smile.

I approached Astarion's tent and he looked a little clueless as he looked around camp. He looks like a lost puppy who has just experienced something new.

"Everything okay?" I asked him.

"Shadowheart seems jumpy. Must not relish the thought of sprouting tentacles. Understandable. Can't say I'm a fan either. It's hard to join in when all of this feels so new. The night normally means bustling streets, bursting taverns. Curling up in the dirt and resting is, um...a little novel."

"I admit it's no comfy bed but, it's not that bad. Give it a try. We'll need to be fresh tomorrow," I told him with a smile.

"I'm in no place to rest yet. Today has been a lot. I need some time to think things through. To process this. You sleep, I'll keep watch," Astarion told me which made my heart skip a beat for some reason.

"Thank you. I'll sleep better for that."

"The pleasure is all mine. Sweet dreams," Astarion smiled before I made my way over to Gale who was standing near the campfire. He seems a little down as well.

"Go to hell," Gale spoke before he threw something into the fire.

"And a good evening to you too," I spoke Tav's dialouge.

"Ha! you're a good sport," Gale chuckled before he loses that smile.

"Go to hell...an everyday expression. So trivial it's almost meaningless. But we've seen hell. It's real. It isn't trivial."

"What's on your mind, Gale?"

"Devils, dragons, mind flayers - they used to be abstracts. Pictures on a piece of paper. What difference a day makes. Now we have tadpoles slithering in our heads like carnivorous foeti."

Gale turned around to face me properly and said, "That's not abstract."

'Yeah. And I thought Dungeons and Dragons was just a video game and tabletop game until I got dragged into this world. That's not abstract either,' I thought to myself.  

"I'm not too worried. I'm confident that we'll find someone."

"That's the spirit. Let's be up with the lark - find a healer before the wee one gets hungry," Gale smiled.

"Of course. Good night," I told him before I headed back to my tent.

I closed the flap behind me before I took off my thigh back and sat it to the side before I got into my bedroll. I turned off my alarm on my phone because there wasn't any point getting up early for class since I'm not there anymore. I put my phone back into the thigh back before I laid down on the bedroll. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

Tomorrow, I'm going to find lazel, head for the druid grove, get some new gear and then we'll start searching for a healer. The sooner I get rid of this tadpole, the quicker I can get back home to my world.