The Ruby Magician

Wyn twisted his spear, making the Lacert he was currently stabbing scream in pain. It’s eyes were bulging as it clawed at his spear, trying helplessly to free itself from the weapon as it dropped the daggers it was wielding. Wyn could feel his side and arm burning after being slashed by the monster's claws just moments before. In his anger he retaliated with full force, and the Lacert wasn't prepared to meet a similar ferocity.

Wyn promptly yanked the spear back, freeing it from the monster’s body in one sickening pull. The scream stopped abruptly, haunting echos carried off into the ruins as its body fell to the ground.

Wyn knew John and Marcy would take care of the other two. They had stumbled upon a group of four Lacerts as they rounded another turn in the ruins, and both sides were momentarily caught off guard. Wyn acted first, taking two out by himself, but suffered a few gashes in the process by claws and daggers.

He inspected his right arm and side and saw blood dripping from both. He cursed under his breath. The leather armor he wore left a small area at the bottom of his torso exposed, more so when he was moving and in combat. Unfortunately that was the exact area he was struck, and only one of the creature’s claws was stopped by the leather while the other three drew blood.

“Regen,” he whispered, and let out a relieved sigh as he felt the magical energy radiate from him. The wounds quickly stopped bleeding, and as he watched the cuts closely he saw them slowly began to reform and disappear. He was a better fighter than most, but he wasn't used to monsters and their tactics. Weapons, military strategy, even the brute brawls men forced on each other wasn't quite like the enemies he encountered in Alistair.

Not to mention he had to fight more than one enemy at a time. He thought of protecting himself with his Shield spell but had trouble processing using magic and fighting at the same time. It was hard enough on one enemy, but coupled with two creatures trying to kill you in manic chaos made for a harsh learning curve.

"Are you alright?" Tasha asked, holding Wyn's arm. He was still radiating magic as the spell had just been cast, but visibly there was now only dried blood and a faint impression of a healed gash.

"I will be, yea," Wyn said. He twisted his body to show his additional cuts on his side. "Frustrated that my armor didn't completely protect me, though."

Tasha tapped her fingers on Wyn's side carefully, checking to make sure he wasn't cut elsewhere. "It won't, unless you have heavier armor or an enchanted robe. Or something similar."

Wyn sighed. "I can't use heavier armor while casting magic. An enchanted robe sounds interesting, though. Wasn't that something you've been aiming to have?"

“It is. I don’t quite know the enchantment I want yet, though. There are several kinds I'd find useful."

"That's what I'm still trying to figure out. The weapon element enchantment makes sense. But what could be useful on armor or clothes?"

Tasha chuckled, shaking her head. "There's a near endless amount, Wyn. Most veterans change their gear based on the season, especially guilds that have access to more funds and equipment."

Wyn's jaw dropped. "They change every month? That's crazy!"

"Well, what do you expect when the season changes from one environment and types of enemies to a completely different kind every five weeks?"

"I mean, it makes sense. It's just hard to believe. That takes money, space to store it, the expertise to still have what you need and be proficient with different kinds of gear. It's impressive, really."

"It absolutely is," Tasha said, smiling. "Which is why veteran Climbers are so prestigious. It's a big deal, Wyn."

Wyn nodded. She was right, of course - veteran Climbers commanded respect. They were popular figures in the military as young soldiers idolized the thought of fantastical men and women who wielded magic swords and armor and possessed magic like those of myths and legends. Even though Climbers didn't carry their magic outside the area of Alestead, they still had their renown.

"But for now," Tasha said, "I'd take anything I could get. I'm waiting to see if anything comes from this first season before I really start finding more equipment and items. If it doesn't work for me, I'll trade it and have some items that work well together for next month."

"That's a good goal," Wyn said. "Hopefully we can find enough for each of us to have several pieces of gear."

Tasha giggled causing her curls to bounce. "It's only the first week, still. We have plenty of time!"

"Hey guys," John said. "Check it out!" He held up a pair of dark green boots. They looked stout and scaly.

"What is that?" Wyn asked. He walked over, seeing them better close up. They were large and covered in dark green scales that were almost black, the same color as the Lacert's hide. The footwear also gave off a faint blue magical aura.

"I couldn’t wait to identify them back in Alestead," John said. "Can you hold them? I want to see what magic they have!"

Wyn took them and nearly dropped them right away. They were much heavier than he expected. There was no way someone could realistically wear them - they'd weight them down too much, making them barely be able to move.

"Woah," John said. He had his parchment folded up awkwardly, and was only reading a small section of it. "They're called Earthen Scaled Boots. They don’t weigh as much when you wear them, and they’re still classified as heavy armor with the earth element! It also can cast a spell!”

Wyn’s heart skipped a beat when he heard the abilities. “That’s an incredible find! Are you planning on wearing them?”

“Absolutely I am,” John said, still grinning from ear to ear. “These cast Earthen Tremor. It’s a small pulse of energy like an earthquake that can cause enemies to fall back or to the ground in a wide area. And it can disrupt spells, too!”

Marcy whistled. “Now that is a useful perk. Disrupting spellcasters is a huge boon. That’s a great item for your first full month!”

John practically begged to have the boots back, hopping up and down and eyeing them in Wyn’s hands like a child wanting candy. Wyn laughed and handed him the boots.

“Don’t worry, John, I won’t fight you on them,” Wyn said. “Yes, they’re great - but I can’t wear armor heavier than leather. So don’t worry.”

John immediately threw his currently muddied and worn boots off and began donning the new, magically scaled boots. “I know you won’t. Cause you’d lose!”

Wyn smiled. It was good to see John so excited, especially after losing his sister’s sword. The new sword they worked to trade had helped, but it was a different matter entirely when you find a piece of gear to use. The excitement was palpable, and Wyn could feel it in the air. He knew the other’s felt it, too, as they were all happy for their teammate.

John stood up and kicked his feet around. The boots formed to his feet and lower legs, looking a bit sleeker and slimmer than before. The magic in them must conform to the user, too, another great perk of magical items.

“These are incredible,” John said. “I bet they’ll carry me for the rest of the season! Maybe even next month, too!”

“I hope so,” Wyn said. “But let’s keep going. Aren’t we almost to the end?”

Marcy nodded her head and looked over to Cal. “I believe so. We’ve been getting steadily closer to the temple, plus the section ahead is enclosed.”

“We haven’t backtracked in awhile,” Cal said, flipping through his small booklet. “Safe to say we’re almost there.”

“Excellent,” John said, striking a pose with his right foot forward, emphasizing his new boots. “Then we march on!”

A collective groan filled the noiseless path, cloaked in embarrassment. Wyn was immediately thankful there were no other Climbers around.

The section ahead was surprisingly a straightforward path, not branching like it had previously been. Where the last month’s web of caverns had many different choices, they had only encountered intersections that made them choose right or left. The winding ruins were longer than the mushroom caves, though, another point to the difference that the tower laid out each month.

Arches covered the entrance into the final section, or at least what the group had assumed was the final section. Wyn didn’t need Marcy to tell him they were in a new area - this new path ahead of them was completely enclosed, stone walls and ceilings intact with some cracks splintering here and there rather than complete destruction. The sconces that set in the corners now held torches, all lit with flickering embers that gave enough light to see.

It looked more like a dungeon than empty ruins, and the air suddenly became cool. The sun was no longer relentlessly beating on them and Wyn appreciated the relief.

“This is certainly different,” Tasha said, running a hand along a large stone in the archway.

“Stay on guard,” Marcy said. She drew an arrow from her quiver and nocked it. “We’re close, but that doesn’t mean we’re done.”

Wyn gripped his spear and cautiously studied his surroundings. The path forward wasn’t any larger than the hallways and rooms they’ve been navigating, though it felt tighter due to being more intact and closed. A similar archway blocked the path ahead of them, too, making him wonder if they took a wrong turn. The hallway they were currently in was a bit longer than the individual sections before, about 100 feet total give or take. A strange sense of claustrophobia and memories began to well inside him but he quickly suppressed it. This was definitely not the time to lose focus.

A loud thud made Wyn turn abruptly. Tasha jumped and yelped, pointing her staff to the archway they just walked under. Cal stood like a statue, standing just a few feet in front of the doorway being the last one through. An incredibly large stone wall closed them in, dropping from the ceiling and slamming into the ground. It was the cause of the noise.

Cal cautiously turned around to inspect it, and sighed. “No backtracking, now.”

Another loud thud came from ahead of them further into the ruins. They all turned together, weapons at the ready. Then a slow, drawn out noise like stone being dragged on stone began to fill the hall. The archway ahead of them began to open as two large blocks of stone moved apart to reveal a doorway.

“Something’s happening,” Wyn said. “Marcy, can you tell what it is?”

“Not from here,” Marcy said. She stepped forward gracefully and carefully, staying on the balls of her feet. The door was mere feet ahead of her, and she stepped through it to have a better vantage point.

Wyn saw Marcy’s eyes widen before she let an arrow loose to her right down another hallway. Without hesitation she came partially back into their long room, crouched to the ground, and placed a palm flat on the stony floor just outside their view.

Wyn felt a hitch in his breath. He knew what she was about to do. The look in her eyes, her sudden jolt of action, placing a trap spell on the ground. Whatever was coming was not something she thought would be a pushover. He hadn’t seen her this serious since the boss room in the caves.

“Boss formation,” Wyn said, though obviously not loud enough. The others just stood there, wondering what was happening past the walls. “Boss formation!” Wyn yelled.

John and Tasha both jumped, then hurried to their positions.

“Arcane Aura,” Tasha said, pointing her staff at John.

John began taking deep breaths. He squeezed his sword hilt hard and exhaled with force like a bull. “Focus!”

“Tasha, I need that, too,” Wyn said. He ran over beside her. “I replaced it with Shield and don’t have it anymore.”

Tasha cast the spell without another word, worry shrouding her face. Cal stood beside her, hammer in hand. They were both trembling.

A large glow flashed outside the chamber. Marcy’s trap spell engaged on the ground, taking up a large portion of the exit. She then sprang to the other side to quickly place another.

“Marcy, what is it?” Wyn asked. He felt more confident now that he was magically protected, but something about her demeanor worried him.

Marcy stepped back beside the rest of the group the moment the runes appeared on the ground, not taking her eyes off the narrow exit. Another arrow was already on her bowstring while she took careful steps backwards.

“Marcy?” Wyn asked. “What in the hells-”

Wyn was cutoff by a rush of noise ahead. He stopped, trying to listen. A flood of screeches, hisses, and battle cries washed over them from the space beyond. It was growing in volume fast. Too fast.

A group of Lacerts clawing over each other shot out from the archway. There were at least six of them, all barren without weapons or armor, only their green hides and claws at their disposal. One stepped too wide and activated one of Marcy’s traps as earthen chains immediately erupted from the ground and snared the closest four of them. While they didn’t die, they were caught in place, and they acted like a dam blocking additional Lacerts from rushing that side.

Two kept running, though that wasn’t the problem. More Lacerts emerged and ran behind them, as though a small army of the monsters were gathered and unleashed on them all at once. John quickly stepped forward and struck down one of the two Lacerts in two quick slashes with practiced ease, though it was hardly enough. At least a dozen more creatures were now in the chamber with them.

Wyn knew he and John would be the ones needing to take the Lacerts head on. Marcy could kill any number of them at range, but there were so many so quickly they needed to stop them from reaching Tasha or Cal. The large man could protect himself in a fight but Wyn wasn’t about to chance it.

“Speed Up!” Wyn yelled. He pushed forward while the skill took effect, embracing the newfound speed. With their boss formation strategy, John would be the distracting force and main defense, keeping the bulk of the enemies preoccupied. Wyn needed to be able to move about the room to keep the threat contained, and Marcy would be simply killing whatever she saw fit.

Wyn rushed to the side where Marcy’s spell had already activated. He twirled his spear and swung it in a wide arc, releasing the Wingbeat spell across several Lacerts. Three of them instantly fell, cut in half by the spell as the magical wind pushed past them and gashed several more that took their place.

The effectiveness took Wyn off guard but it also helped him realize something. These Lacerts weren’t durable, and likely weren’t strong, either. Lacking weapons or armor and having such a high number of them meant their focus was numbers, not strength. The only advantage they had were the sheer amount of their force. That would be possible to overcome with smart decisions.

John was busy hacking any Lacert that entered the area around him, becoming a whirlwind of death with his sword. He stood in the direct middle of the hall taking the brunt of the numbers. The magical suit of armor around him dulled quicker than expected, soaking damage from claws and teeth that would otherwise slow him down. Despite his ability to quickly kill them he was still being bombarded from all sides.

Another flash of magical light lit the room, and another of Marcy’s trap spells activated. It caught multiple Lacerts in its chains, stopping the flow on the other side of the room opposite of the first.

The two spells holding Lacerts acted like barricades, forcing the remaining monsters into a funnel. Unfortunately for the creatures, that led directly to John, though he wasn’t able to kill them fast enough. Those he didn’t strike down clambered around him, pushing their way past to the other Climbers or striking at his back.

Wyn quickstepped behind John and began to cut down the ones that made it past the Fighter. He stabbed, slashed, and swept any enemy he could reach, and with his spear he was able to reach quite a wide berth.

Their stance lasted for minutes though it felt like hours in the moment. The bodies weren’t stacking, though, dissolving soon after dying to make room for more. It made it hard for the Climbers to know exactly how many they were slaying, but Wyn didn’t care. He just knew he had to keep going. Both his and John’s auras were barely perceptible and nearly gone, and Wyn had used several casts of Shield to help mitigate the immediate onslaught.

Out of his periphery Wyn noticed Marcy step directly in the middle of the chamber. She drew an arrow and a magical aura formed at the arrowhead.

“Duck!” Marcy yelled.

Out of instinct both Wyn and John fell to their knees, with John putting his shield above and in front of him. The Ranger immediately fired her arrow. The projectile whistled as it flew incredibly fast and pierced a Lacert right outside the doorway. There was a loud boom as the arrow exploded, causing multiple arcs of green wind to slice out similar to Wyn’s Wingbeat spell. Each cut was less intense but there were at least six different arcs, and all of them killed or nearly killed several monsters. The one attack cut their current numbers in half.

Then Marcy drew another arrow, nocked it, and released the same spell again.

Wyn could see the number of Lacerts slow down while he knelt. They must’ve killed at least three dozen so far, likely more, and fewer monsters were taking their place.

“We’re almost there!” Wyn yelled. “They’re slowing down!”

John stood and raised a boot before slamming it down onto the floor. An arc of greenish brown magic rippled across the stone like small, forceful waves of earth. Every Lacert standing in the funnel was thrown back or onto the stone floor, all knocked back by the spell from John’s boots. No other monsters was running from the path beyond, and John rushed forward to finish their fight.

Wyn took the opportunity to join him, knowing they had a brief moment where they could strike and end the Lacerts while they were attempting to recover. More than half a dozen remained, and Wyn wanted to end this fast.

He held out his palm and aimed it at the closest Lacert. “Fire Blast!”

A roaring jet of fire spewed from his palm. It took him by surprise, though he didn’t quite know what, exactly, to expect from the new spell. The stream was a couple of feet wide and blazing hot. He moved his palm from left to right, coating all of the Lacerts in magical fire. In a roar of yells and cries, the Lacerts quickly succumbed to the spell, Wyn burning nearly all of them in seconds. After he passed the last enemy, he mentally stopped the spell, and the heat left as soon as it came.

Wyn took a few deep breaths as small, leftover flames puttered out on the stone floor. The Lacert bodies disappeared quicker than before, as though the magical fire expedited their return to the unknown.

John looked around while taking ragged breaths. “That was terrifying.” The red aura that covered him was now gone, and he had various cuts and scrapes all over his armor, pants, and body. Despite Tasha’s spell protecting him, several attacks still reached him.

“I didn’t imagine the spell would be quite like that,” Wyn said. He looked at his hand, happy to see it wasn’t burned after commanding the fire. When he looked down he could see more cuts and gouges, one in particular on his thigh that was bleeding down his leg. He didn’t remember being hurt that bad, but in the heat of the moment it was easy to ignore pain.

John cracked a laugh. “No, that spell was great. I meant that flood of enemies. I did not expect that.”

“That was a horde,” Marcy said. “It’s another way enemies show up. The monsters are weak, but their numbers can get overwhelming.”

“I don’t remember my family telling me about them,” John said.

“That’s because they were new last season,” Marcy said, smirking. “We found out the hard way. This wasn’t so bad compared to one on the sixth floor.”

Wyn shuddered thinking about that. John simply shook his head, unsure what to say.

Tasha ran up to John and began to heal him, whispering something in his ear. Wyn couldn’t hear it but didn’t think it was important. He’d ask her for some healing too when she finished but decided to let them have some privacy if they wanted. As he looked around the room, though, his eyes widened. “Woah.”

Several piles of items shimmered green, rewards that dropped from the many, many Lacerts. It was by far the most treasure he’d seen while climbing, and here it was in one place.

He smiled. It was time to collect.