The Ruby Magician

“You know, I think the food here rivals the food back home,” Tasha said. Her curls gently laid across her shoulders, and she carried herself and her staff with a regal posture as she walked.

“That’s high praise,” John said. “Comparing the food to what nobles eat? Is that even allowed?”

“The quality of items here in Alestead are some of the best in the country,” Cedric said. “Climbers who bring out the wealth and rewards from Alistair help fuel the economy and make it a highly prized place to exchange goods. Knowing that, merchants are keen to conduct business here in any way possible, and that includes the quality of food and such.”

John turned to Cedric with a raised eyebrow. “Did you read that out of a textbook somewhere?”

Marcy laughed.

“No, it’s just a fact,” Cedric said, waving his arm. “Maybe if you did more preparation than just combat techniques, you’d know that. You come from a family of Climbers, after all.”

“They told me to find my own way,” John said. “That I needed to learn for myself the ins and outs of what it means to be a Climber. I focused on training so I could survive long enough to do that.”

Cedric stopped walking and smiled softly. “I stand corrected. You’re right - I didn’t mean to offend you.”

John patted the Wizard on the back. “It would take a lot more than that to offend me! I genuinely want to learn more about this place, though, and you’re a fountain of knowledge. It’s the only way to really stand out from the rest - any person can swing a sword or block an attack.”

“You’re right about that. I look forward to helping you learn, then.”

Wyn opened the door for everyone at the entrance of Alistair. The front hall wasn’t quite as busy in the afternoon, as most Climbers were either still inside climbing or out in the city. A few groups of Climbers were talking or readying themselves, but one man was a head above the rest, and immediately began to walk towards the group.

“Hey, Cal,” Wyn said. “You look… different.”

Cal wore a different backpack than before, as this one was smaller and more compact, though likely still magical in its carrying capacity. The biggest difference, however, was that he wore an entire set of metal armor, obviously well made and magical, over green clothes that poked through the few gaps of armor. A large shield covered his backpack on his back, and his usual hammer was lashed on his side.

“Yea, what gives?” John asked. “You look like your fit for war! Not that I’m complaining. I just mean you look incredible.”

“Fearsome, is what you mean,” Tasha said. “And powerful.”

John looked at the Mage, who was scanning Cal up and down.

“I’m here for a request,” Cal said. “I revoked my Mapper status and returned to be a Climber, only I don’t have a group. I was… going to ask if I could join yours. I looked for you this morning but couldn’t find you, then Wendy said you all were doing two-a-days and would come back this afternoon, so here I am.”

The group stood there for a moment, looking at each other. Wyn cleared his throat.

“You know, I think you’re exactly what we’re looking for,” Wyn said. “We’ve been needing someone who can help at the front line with John. And Tasha’s right - you do look strong.”

“Powerful,” Tasha corrected. “That’s what I said.”

“And she’s right,” Marcy said. “But we have to know some things first.”

“We do?” Wyn asked. “But he’s the perfect fit!”

“No, it’s fine,” Cal said. “I’m pretty sure she just wants to know about my class and abilities?”

“Exactly,” Marcy said. “Remember, our entire strategy is playing to each other’s strengths and minimizing our weaknesses. That was the exact phrase you said, Wyn.”

Wyn nodded. “You’re right. I think the excitement caught up to me, but yes, we need a quick rundown. We can work out the kinks later, but we’re on a bit of a timeline right now.”

“See Wyn’s shiny new coat?” John asked. “We have to pay it off, still. I don’t think it would be good for his mood if he had to give it back.”

“I did notice it,” Cal said. “And the armor underneath, too, as well as a few more pieces. It seems you all have been busy.”

“Staying busy keeps you on the right path,” Wyn said. “That’s what my superior used to say. I think it’s a bit generic, but to new soldiers it gets the point across.”

Cal smiled. “I can relate. I don’t like to sit around and do nothing. I’d rather my hands be moving than still.”

“Good. Then like Marcy said, how about you tell us a bit about your capabilities? The highlights should be enough for now.”

“Yea, like we know about your hammer,” John said, pointing to the weapon on Cal’s hip. “And that you’re a beast of a man who I hope can take some hits away from me.”

Cal laughed. “I can definitely do that. I've cleared the first two tiers, and my class is the Paladin. I was a Fighter then a Templar. I can't cast spells, but have skills related to protection that can be similar to the Divine Magician's class line. Their called Oaths, and are similar to the Knight’s auras."

Wyn blinked at Cal, unsure how to register the information given. He knew classes were enhanced when advancing a tier, like how Marcy said she became a Ranger. But the intricacies were lost on him. He hadn’t thought about needing to know yet since he was so focused on clearing his debt, but it was obvious that he needed to stop that line of thinking and learn.

"That's a strong feature," Cedric said. "Paladins and Knight are incredibly sought-after. Just on your features alone we could likely finish the first tier and enter the second in a matter of days!"

“Hold your horses there,“ Wyn said. “We’ll get to the next tier when we get there. I know you’re wanting to get to the third tier, but that’s looking like it will be next season. Or the one after that.”

Cedric sighed. “I know, I know. You can’t rush it. But I really miss trying to crest that 9th floor.”

“We’ll get there,” Wyn said, patting Cedric on the back. “But the best way at the moment for us to learn about your abilities, Cal, is to have you show them to us. We’ve been managing the third floor fairly well so far. I have no doubt you’ll make it that much easier for us.”

Cal straightened his posture. “So how many more times are you needing to climb the third floor? To pay off your coat.”

“As many as it takes,” Wyn said. “The flower I need to pay it off is elusive, to say the least. I still need a few more, and today is the last day for Cara to accept it.”

Cal smiled. “We’ll get them. Care to lead the way?”

“Would I ever!” John said. “I thought you’d never ask!”

*****

The large stone door fell behind them as the group stood just inside the first chamber. They chose the fire puzzle again, as they were looking for speed rather than adventure at the moment. Their strategy to cover the wheels for the statues and fire had been paying off well, at this point allowing them to go through the motions without too much extraneous thought or worry.

Cal lumbered over to one of the wheels with Tasha, studying it. “I haven’t gone through this section before.”

“It’s easy,” Tasha said. “We just need to rotate this wheel to move the statues against the wall so they can receive the fire from the more prominent statue there.” She pointed to the stone characters as she explained the puzzle. “It’s easy now, but it’ll get bigger. And enemies will show up eventually.”

“They always do,” Cal said. He grabbed the wheel and began to rotate it. The wood creaked under his strength, and the statue whirled to the side quickly, facing the middle of the room.

Tasha stared blankly at Cal. “That was… fast.”

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought,” Cal said. “You all made it sound like it would be hard to move it.”

“It is hard to move it,” Tasha said. “You’re just strong, obviously.”

Cal’s cheeks flushed red.

The Lamiert statue that was required to receive the fire rotated slower than Cal's statue, the other Climbers not moving quite as fast as Cal. Once they had the necessary pieces lined up, it was fairly straightforward. One of the bars blocking the path forward disappeared into the stone ceiling, signaling their success.

The group made short work of the statues in the room, able to split up and rotate all of the statues and free each bar needed to advance at a pace a bit faster than earlier in the morning. No enemies entered the room, either.

"That went much better than I thought," John said.

"I knew it would be fine," Wyn said. "I think we could swap our arrangement to shave some time since Cal could likely rotate a wheel on his own, freeing up Tasha."

"Oh he definitely could rotate a wheel by himself," Tasha said, poking Cal in the side playfully. "I didn't help him at all, just stood there watching. It was pretty impressive!"

"Get a room," John said, waving them off. "Or have this one. I'm going to the next hall."

Marcy trotted up beside John, already at the path to the next room. "Jealous?" Marcy said, nearly in a whisper. Getting no response, she nudged his shoulder. "Oh, come on. I'm just playing around."

"I know," John said with a sigh. "The sad part is I think I am."

Marcy's smile quickly went away, and she cleared her throat into her fist. “Oh. Well… I’m sorry. I didn't know you had feelings for her. I wouldn't have teased you if I knew."

"I honestly didn't even think I did until I saw her flirting with Cal. Though I think it’s harmless. I knew I really did when my heart raced like I was in a fight. That's normal, right?"

Marcy barked a laugh. "Yea, that's normal. But it's likely just harmless flirting. You do it all the time."

John whipped his head to her with a shocked expression. "I do not! I'm perfectly pleasant and polite!"

Marcy laughed harder.

Before long the hallway opened into the second room where a similar layout of stone statues and wooden cogwheels were scattered about. It wasn't identical to the layout they've seen, but each day was just like that - slightly different to the point of familiarity but not an exact match, like a foggy memory instead of perfect recall.

"Okay, let's keep to the same groups as before," Wyn said, already moving to one of the wheels in the room. "We'll try to have Cal rotate a wheel on his own while Tasha directs all of us and calls out any signs of enemies."

Without a response, the others moved towards their respective areas. Tasha stayed towards the middle of the chamber with her staff already coating the room in additional light. Everyone moved with practiced ease, and Cal picked up on the necessary rotations and movements quickly.

“Portal opening!” Tasha yelled.

A black rift opened in the middle of the chamber, and everyone briefly looked over to see what would emerge. Two Lacerts and one Lamiert slowly stepped through the blackness, all holding weapons. Wyn stepped away from his wheel at the same time as Cal.

“Cal, we need you to rotate those wheels. I can handle them.”

Cal shook his head. “I insist. You focus on the statues.”

Wyn furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn’t known Cal very long or spent that much time with him, but he didn’t expect that response. He seemed to be a more passive person before, but the focus in his eyes and confident stance told a completely different story.

Something had changed within him since their last climb. Wyn spotted the difference and recognized the determination of a person with fresh resolve. He saw it several times after days on the battlefield, and experienced it several times himself.

Cal strode forward with his shield by his side and hammer swinging like an extension of his arm. He looked more relaxed than ready, but that suddenly changed when he was about ten feet away from the Lacerts that rushed him. The tall Paladin muttered something Wyn couldn’t hear, and an aura glowed around him in a dull yellow. The magic appeared to pulse and wave as though it was alive.

Wyn’s first thought was that the aura was dense - it was much more pronounced than his or John’s skill auras, even if it only extended from his body a few extra inches. His next thought was how powerful the man really was, because in less than a few blinks his hammer completely smashed the two monsters as though they were insects.

The Lamiert slithered towards Cal with a shriek, raising its sword to strike him. The clang from the impact on Cal’s shield reverberated throughout the room, and the force knocked the monster back while Cal stood resolute. He then took one step forward, leaning into his hammer with a hard swing. A grunt accentuated the strike, and the creature’s body contorted awkwardly as it folded into itself, blood spraying in all directions in a mist. The strength behind the strike caused a small plume of dust around Cal, and the bodies disintegrated quickly.

The Climbers all looked at each other, stopping their current task. The room fell strangely silent, causing Cal to look back in confusion.

“Is something wrong?” Cal asked.

Wyn blinked. “Not at all. I just absolutely was not expecting that.”

Cal smiled awkwardly. “That… might’ve been a bit much. I got a little excited.”

“That’s one way to put it,” John said. “Should we just sit back and let Cal, Marcy, and Cedric rush us forward? This is getting a bit ridiculous.”

Cedric sighed. “We aren’t doing that. You still need the experience, and we’re just trying to help, not do the work for you. If you want us to reevaluate our group arrangement, Marcy and I can certainly step back and look for a more experienced group.”

John balked. “Hold on, now, I didn’t say that! It’s much nicer having you around!”

Wyn finished rotating the final statue, exhaling in satisfaction. “Alright, John, last one. Let’s keep moving.”

After the final bar disappeared into stone with a loud grind, the group continued on. Another hallway was before them, Tasha’s spell providing the sole source of light for them to see. Wyn was hesitant to use his mushroom lantern again since he had no idea what could show on the walls or any other distraction. He looked up and saw a grouping of vines creeping along the edge where the wall met the ceiling. His eyes widened.

“A Vine Bud!” Wyn said excitedly. He stopped and pointed with his spear towards the ceiling, though the vine was just out of the spear head’s reach.

“Here,” Cal said, and put his hand out.

Wyn gave him his spear without hesitation. The man was over a head taller than him, and with his height and reach, was easily able to use the spear to cleave a portion of the vine down that contained the flower.

“Hey, here’s another!” Tasha said. She pointed with her staff to a corner of the room that held another vine. As the staff’s light brightly lit the area, the vine suddenly writhed. A side length of the plant squirmed and moved before lashing out at the staff. Tasha screamed as the staff was nearly pulled out of her hands, though she dug her heels into the ground and fought back to keep her weapon.

The others rushed beside her, and John quickly slashed the vine with his sword. The cut plant soon began to disintegrate and disappear. The rest of the vine, however, grew several offshoots of additional vine branches, then lashed out at the Climbers.

Wyn thought about burning the vines with his spell, but knew that the flames would burn up any Vine Buds remaining, too. He settled with using his spears advantage of reach, cutting any of the attacking whips before they got too close. Cal was nearly useless, as his hammer harmlessly bounced off the stone wall rather than crushing the squirming vines that easily avoided his attacks. Thankfully Marcy still had her kukris, and between her and John’s sword, were able to fend off the remaining plants.

Tasha kept screaming the whole time, using all of her strength to hold her staff as a few stray vines would wrap around it and try to pull it back towards the ceiling. The entire encounter took less than a minute, but due to it being unexpected and sudden, felt more draining than fighting monsters.

Finally the vine withered and disappeared after being cut into many smaller pieces.

Everyone stood there huffing for a few moments.

“That was new,” John said.

“Never let your guard down here,” Marcy said. “There’s always something.”

Wyn smiled. “There’s the luck I’ve been looking for.” He reached down to pick up three Vine Buds that have fallen from the defeated plant.

“I can’t believe it,” Cedric said. “That makes five, correct?”

Wyn nodded excitedly as he placed the plant materials into his bag.

“Good,” Tasha said. “The next time we meet these damned vines we can just burn them instead.”

“Now we just need to return to Cara and pay off this coat,” Wyn said.

Cal shifted uncomfortably in his armor, tugging at some errant straps. “The final room should be just ahead.”

Marcy tilted her head and squinted her eyes. She raised a hand towards her ear, cupping it.

Cedric sighed. “That’s not good. What do you hear?”

“Fighting.”

“Like monsters attacking each other?” Tasha asked.

Marcy shook her head. “No. I hear shouts. Clashes. Spells being cast. There’s a group up ahead.”