A Legacy of Blades - An Epic Tower Fantasy

The tunnel to the summit was cool and damp, reminding Anilith of shaded morning training sessions in the twilit hours, before the swamp's heat became oppressive. She found her mind wandering to older memories more freely, now that she'd overcome the unreasonable pain that had gripped her before, and the barrier that quarantined it. The way her suffering had grown, starting as no more than a discomfort but crescendoing into a torturous experience, struck her as odd. The sensation had faded somewhat, now no more than an ache, but it wasn't because she had stopped remembering.

She felt as if a dam had broken in her mind, that mysterious bastion that held back the agony, holding back the memories in turn, had burst. When she had pushed through the curious resistance, she was thrown into the depths of something that had been locked away, festering even as it lay hidden. It had crippled her in those opening moments, and even lessened by orders of magnitude, it lingered. She felt, on some level, that the pain would accompany her through the rest of her days in this place. It might have been a damning blow against her drive, if not for that final image.

The Tower had claimed her little sister, too. Somewhere, she might find a clue as to what happened, and that was all she needed to continue. Nothing would stand in her way of finding Olina, and if…she couldn't put the thought to words…her retribution would be terrible.

Olina may have been a pain in the ass, but she was her pain in the ass, and she was meant to be safe. Keeping her and Willett safe, more than anything else, was why she had trained so hard, why she had agreed to champion her people and strove to be Chosen in the first place. If her mission had endangered any of her family, she would tear the Tower down from its foundations, filling the pit with oil enough to burn until the day her retribution died.

For now, however, she needed to focus, and icy calm ran in her veins, a numbing companion to the constant affliction she suffered.

The nature of the pain baffled Anilith, though. It felt somehow separate from any meddling of this place. She hadn't known anything in the Tower to work like that, to be conditional on a person's choice, and she wondered if it was even the Tower's doing. To her knowledge, not even breaking oaths caused such a dramatic effect. Some were drastic enough to warrant death, but emotional suffering like this, so much more intense and unavoidable than any physical ailment. That was beyond the pale for the Tower.

Plus, the Tower had safeguards to keep its inhabitants from spreading information. It had no reason to stop someone from even remembering their life outside. The only conclusion Anilith could draw hurt her more to consider.That she had hidden her pain behind her mission; that she had made herself forget because she was unwilling to face such terrible pain.

Now, the sensation focused her purpose, reminded her of what she was fighting for. Before, she was driven, but she would become a force of nature if that was what it took to find that girl. She'd enjoyed her time here, enjoyed the time spent with Orion and Razhik, but she had become too complacent and lost her sense of urgency somewhere along the way.

"Hey, kid," Orion said, bringing her back to the moment. The slapping of their guide's feet served as a metronome, keeping time as they marched toward the next battle. The man tapped his temple. "What's goin' on, up there? You ain't been the same since…whatever that was. Got some time, just us and the spy. Razh ran off into the dark, spoutin' somethin' about how nice the air felt and tryin' out some new tricks. Never know what that might mean with that one." A laugh escaped him, causing their guide to jolt, glance back, and redouble his pace. "What's on your mind?"

She looked back at him, a hard look on her face. Her eyes softened at the concern on his face, remembering this was a man she could rely on. A twinge flared up at the unwitting comparison, but she couldn't blame him for being a stalwart friend to her. "Life, relentless as it is, has a way of reminding you what's important. I lost track somewhere along the way, got lost in the excitement in a new place, new skills to master. I'd forgotten, maybe made myself forget, my real motivations."

Orion's posture sagged, even as they walked, and his reply was low, muted. "Don't I know that all too well. This place is a dream, ain't it? Makes it easy to forget, get lost. Part of the charm of it, I've always found: no real sense of urgency. Most folks are happy enough to just while away their days, lost in time. Few enough actually see the lie for what it is, kid."

"And what's that? What's the big lie here?" Anilith asked, suppressing the urge to glare.

"Obvious, ain't it?" Orion rubbed the back of his head, looking down as they walked. "Most people don't do anythin' worth doin' here. Even the so-called adventurers, they're just goin' through the motions. Ain't nobody done nothin' new, let me tell you, not in ages. Most folks wouldn't know new if it bit them in the arse."

The man looked up, perking up as if from an internal fire. "But then you came along. Kid, I don't know if you can appreciate how special it is, bein' new yourself and all, someone doin' somethin' new in a place like this. People stopped even clearin' the Dungeons because it wasn't worth the hassle, content to walk down well-trod paths, but not you. You're a trailblazer, kid. I said we'd check out the Dungeon, spoutin' some blather about duty, and you never batted an eye at me. Most folks woulda laughed me off at that, but you listened."

Did more than that, though. Went and helped me find somethin' I ain't ever heard of before, somethin' nobody's heard of, far as I know. This place," he gestured around dramatically, "do you have any idea what it might mean for the people in the Hub, folks who, by and large, lost hope of anythin' new so long ago, they just accepted the gift of keepin' on?"

You ain't seen what this place can do, and most of us are happy to forget." Orion shook his head slowly. "Don't matter what it is, but you gotta have somethin' to drive you, here, or you'll waste away. For most of us, that things just been livin', but there comes a point as that's not enough anymore. Few friends that I've had here, outside the odder company I keep, I've watched them fade away to nothin', other folks forgettin' they ever were in the first place.

"That ain't a fate I'd wish on anyone, losin' purpose like that. It ain't somethin' the Tower abides, neither. Gotta have a purpose to enjoy eternity here; never got that warnin'. Not sure I'm supposed to know even now."

"Well, shit," Anilith replied. "That explains some of what's been going through your head all this time. Figures it's steeped in depression, the looks you've worn."

"Hey now, kid, don't be turnin' disrespectful now. Respect your elders and all."

"Speaking of," Anilith said, cocking her head, "You've been here a long time, by your own admission. What's your purpose? What keeps you going, even after everything you've seen?"

"Kid, that's exactly what keeps me going. Gods, it's crazy but—" Orion chuckled as he shook his head. "Can't say anyone's ever asked before, but then again most folks don't care what's outside their own little world, content with their bubble.

"Everything I've seen, I'm a witness, see? Long as I'm here, it all still lives, all still exists. Long as I'm here, all those I knew as have passed, they ain't gone. I'll only say this once, but ain't nothin' in this world worth more than keepin' alive a memory. Memory's what grounds us, connects us to this place, and I don't mean just the Tower. There's a whole world of connections most folks don't see, never realizin' that that's where we really live. Memory's what keeps us alive, that's how I see it." A wry laugh burst through his lips. "May have taken that a bit literal myself, but still, it rings true."

Anilith hardly stared a moment before replying, "I'll keep your secret, then," she couldn't help but nod. "You honor me by sharing it, thank you."

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"As I've shown you mine, care to share your own?" Orion chuckled. "Might help shed some light on the dark and mysterious looks you've been sportin', just as you've discovered the secret behind my own."

Anilith held her tongue for a span before she spoke. "The trouble is, I'm trying to figure that out anew. I came to grow, become strong enough to protect my people. You know that already, no secret there. The problem is I've remembered more. I'd forgotten what I'd given up coming here. Well, that's not quite it. More like I made myself forget what it meant, hiding from the reality of it. I thought I was ready for all of this, coming to the Tower, but I didn't know how much it would change, being so cut off. Some things…I hadn't realized at the time, but losing that feeling of connection…"

"…feels like the world is endin', eh?"

"Yeah, that's not a bad way of putting it. Anyway, remembering put some things into perspective, and I'm not sure what that means for my goals here. One of the things I lost, it may have come with me." Her jaw clenched viciously before she continued. "I'll either find it, or tear this place apart looking. With or without your help."

"No need for the venom, kid, me and Razh are with you for the long haul. We're a stubborn sort, if you ain't figured that out already, and we ain't ones to take friendships lightly." He clapped a hand on Anilith's shoulder. "Besides, we ain't never been so lucky as since you joined up. Was a time I couldn't even get Razh out of bed to come along for an adventure like this, but he's been downright rarin' to go.

"Nah, we'll stand with you even if the rest of the fools here choose otherwise. I seen what happens to folks that cross you, and they're in for a surprise if they think you're just gonna roll over and give up. Odds like we've seen? Most folks would pack up and go home, not trudge endlessly into the unknown, and certainly not thinkin' about their purpose in all this. We're with you, kid, good or bad."

"…thanks, Ori. It means a lot to know someone's got my back in this upside-down world. I've got a lot to think about, figuring out my next steps, and you're right. Only the gods know how finishing this thing will change everything here. Something tells me it's going to cause a ruckus, but maybe that's for the best." Anilith sighed. "I'm going to need you to keep me straight, old man. I'm angry, angrier than I've been in a long time: maybe ever. I can't afford to give in to rage, though; I learned that lesson well enough already. Rage is a blunt instrument, and I need to stay sharp. I am a Blade, and I will carve my purpose into this world, climbing the mountain one hewn step at a time, if I must."

"Ain't that the truth. Sometimes, that's the only way forward. Don't worry, kid, we'll find whatever it is you lost. Figure you got the right man for the job. Been wanderin' in this place so long, if I can't help you find a trail, no one can. Might be I didn't know it, but I've been workin' all this time just to finally be of some use." A wicked smile crossed his face. "Might be I need to call on another old friend or two to see this thing through."

"Surprised anyone but Razhik can stand you well enough to call you a friend. Well, Razhik and me, I suppose."

Orion waggled a finger at her. "Oh, I've got all sorts of friends, I'll have you know. Don't live for so long without findin' some genuine connections."

"Well," Anilith said, raising an eyebrow, "if they're anything like our resident oddball, I'm sure they're just about the most normal bunch you could find."

"Can't say they ain't got personality, that's for sure. And, sure," he added, bobbing his head back and forth, "they ain't the most typical sort some might call friends, but that's just the hand I been dealt, and I ain't complainin'. Trouble is, they don't always get along, strong personalities and all. Cross that bridge when we get there, though. Can't help feelin' we'll need all the help we can muster."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. A whole lot of goblins stand between us and this future. Gotta stay focused or we'll never need any help."

"That's for certain. Hard to believe we might be fightin' alongside more of those," he said, gesturing to their guide, who had been steadily putting distance between them.

"That's for sure. Better hope they have more tricks up their sleeves than they showed us, or it would be a slaughter. We still have some reconnaissance to do before we know if we'll even accept their offer in the first place. I don't much like the idea of leaving them in charge, but we'll have to see what's waiting up top this mountain."

"Can't really do much until we know more, eh?"

"I'll say," a familiar voice said from the shadows. "Loving this place, by the way. Shadow walking has never felt so easy!"

"Gods, Razhik! Give a girl some warning before you sneak up like that!" Even when she focused her Earth-Sense on where she felt he should be, Anilith could feel no trace of Razhik's presence. He wasn't making any vibrations, and even his unique bone density was simply…absent. Looking more closely, the only indication anything was amiss was an unnatural depth to the shadows.

"How long have you been there, Razh?"

"Oh, not too long. Just about long enough to hear you speak for me, oh so comfortably, might I add. Bold of you, speaking for a King."

"My apologies, your eminence. I'll make sure not to make that mistake again."

"I said it was bold, I didn't say you were wrong. A proper ruler can appreciate when his subjects are bold, within reason."

"…I'm your subject now, am I?"

"Oh, you know what I mean." Razhik appeared to roll his eyes. "Anyway, something about this place just feels so right. Might just have to find somewhere like it to train back home. I'm really feeling myself, here."

"I couldn't even tell you were there, and that ain't no small feat. What are you doin' different, anyhow?"

"I don't really know. Normally, I walk in the shadows, but it just kinda occurred to me, why don't I walk in the shadows…you know? Felt right, here, like it would work. Now I'm just gonna have to see how it works elsewhere!"

"I really don't know," Anilith said, finally interrupting the duo. "See anything in your travels?"

"Not really, no. It's a boring old tunnel, wouldn't you know it, it just starts getting a bit brighter, drier, and cooler farther ahead. You're not gonna distract me, though. Gonna tell us what it is you lost, what we're gonna be looking for?"

Anilith's jaw clenched involuntarily at the question.

"I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to," Razhik corrected quickly, "that wasn't a royal mandate or anything."

Slowly, Anilith relaxed. "No, don't worry about it. I'm just still processing, that's all." She released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "It's my sister. My little sister. She…wasn't supposed to be anywhere near the Tower, but…"

She couldn't bring herself to finish her statement, a small, reaching hand consuming her mind's eye.

Orion put a hand on her shoulder as Razhik materialized awkwardly, becoming unnervingly visible to her Earth-Sense.

"Don't worry about it, kid. Take all the time you need." He took his hand back. "Why don't we go see what's up where the tunnel brightens up, make sure there are no traps."

"Aw, man, but I just got back here! I don't really see why you can't just—" Razhik quailed under the look Orion shot him. "Oh! Yeah, of course. Traps and whatnot. Why don't we just…" he trailed off as he faded into the shadows.

"See you in a bit, kid. Don't get lost."

Anilith hardly heard the man, consumed as she was with thoughts of Olina's fate. A thousand possibilities crossed her mind, but she was unwilling to follow any to a logical conclusion.

Logic didn't bode well for a child caught up in these twisted games.

Anilith marched onward down the tunnel, the guides slapping footfalls her only companion, aside from the cold, focused fury she couldn't quite quell.

Eventually, she became aware of two silhouettes against a light brighter than any she'd seen in what felt like days. Their guide had given them glow-stones, as Razhik had translated. They gave off a steady light, far less harsh than torches, but the light they gave off faded as they neared the tunnel's exit.

When she finally caught up with her friends, they stood together in a shallow cave entrance, the tunnel obscured in the back, eyes adjusting to the bright light of a cloudless night, blinding after spending so long in the Earth's embrace.

As one leg of their journey ended, Anilith couldn't help but feel that the next step was more meaningful than any they'd taken yet. Beneath the light of a waxing moon, she prepared for whatever they might find, accompanied by the old man and their serpentine friend. Her calculated fury was only tempered by her appreciation for the quality of the connections she'd found in this place.

It was a bad day to be in her way.