The Ruby Magician

The group wordlessly took their positions while Cedric fired a lightning spell at the Ashen Warrior. The air crackled with energy as the yellow light arced towards the Champions. It blasted into an invisible wall that materialized out of thin air while visible streaks of static rippled over the barrier.

Wyn silently cursed. One of the mages used a protective spell. Fast, too. Much like he thought, this would not be an easy fight.

Everyone began to cast their own prepared abilities before the enemies attacked. Tasha began to summon Zoraquin while John activated his Squire aura. Wyn cast Speed Up before placing a Wellspring glyph directly under the enemies. If they wanted to stay put, they’d at least pay for it.

The enemy warrior moved forward with impressive speed but John reacted immediately. They met in the middle of the room in a clash of titans. John was outmuscled and had less reach, but was faster and more skilled. In seconds they exchanged several blows, with John opting to use his shield to parry the massive hammer swings instead of absorb them completely, while moving into position to counter with his sword at the same time. He had to stay close for his sword to reach, but he was holding his own.

Marcy and Cedric bombarded the mages with attack after attack. After Marcy’s water arrow soaked one of the enemies’ barriers and Cedric shattered it by electrifying the water, the enemy mages began to take them more seriously. They started returning attacks that Tasha and Wyn blocked by using their own protective spells. Unfortunately this interrupted Tasha’s calling as she had to abruptly change her plan. Wyn had no idea if the mages had a limit to the number of spells they could cast, but they seemed relatively restrained with their simple but powerful purely magical shots that resembled strong missiles. One of the blasts cracked a Shell spell and a second broke it completely. They thankfully cast them even slower than Cedric as they were alternating between defensive maneuvers and offensive attacks.

He didn’t know the monster’s magical limits in Alistair, but assumed they worked similarly to their own mana pools. Assuming was never a good strategy, though. It was best to be prepared. And he was prepared for their opponents to not run out of magic, which required their own group to be successful by skill and likely some luck.

Wyn knew they were going to win as the fight continued, but it was a painfully slow process. Their group was using mana faster than they ever had, and out of the four of them locked in a fight with the mages he was the only one who didn’t need to stop and take a mana potion the first minute. His Wellspring ability was one of the key factors in their fight, as the mages didn’t have anywhere to go on their side of the room that wasn’t inside the glyph’s area. Wyn was able to slowly drain them of life while recovering his own mana. He was still losing mana over time, but it was far slower than the rest of the group.

The other factor that swayed success their way was Tasha. She really was a strong Climber, and choosing the class of Herald effectively made her pull the weight of two Climbers. Taking a moment to step back and focus on her Calling again, instead of Zoraquin she now brought Baratheon. The Celestial was a mountain of a creature, almost blindingly white, taller and wider than any man, and unnaturally fast. It immdiately waded into combat to help John, but not before casting Arcane Aura on both Tasha and John. Baratheon’s presence quickly tipped the fight towards the Climbers as he and John began beating the opponent down.

When the first mage succumbed to one of Marcy’s magical arrows that flew past a broken barrier, the tide fully turned in the battle. Wyn stepped away to help deal with the huge Ashen Warrior, and when he joined John and Baratheon it took no time to slash and stab it to death. The lone mage was dealt with soon after, but not after Wyn took a shield bash that knocked him off his feet, followed by one of the magical projectiles from the last remaining mage. His coat took the brunt of the force, but the hit still felt like he was rammed by a horse.

His next breath was ragged and short, as Wyn felt several of his ribs pop and crack from the inhale. Pain reverberated all through his chest and upper back. Tears quickly came to his eyes as he realized he broke several ribs at his back. There was likely more internal damage that he didn’t want to think about, too. He tried to cast Regen on himself but felt no relief with his next breath.

Panic shot through him. Another short inhale put him into a coughing fit, and blood splattered all over the floor. If he didn't have the magical protections of his Sage's Overcoat and Cloud Lupus Chestpiece, he'd be sure as dead.

“Wyn!” Tasha yelled. She crouched next to him and tapped him with her wand. A soft white glow enveloped him, but her eyebrows furrowed seeing the aura. “I… I don’t think I have enough mana for a stronger spell.” She started to uncork a blue vial but Wyn stopped her.

Wyn then reached down to his potion belt and pulled out a red vial. What felt like an eternity took only seconds as he drank the gross, thick liquid of a healing potion. His chest relaxed and pain left him in the next few breaths. Resting his head on the floor, he smiled.

“What’s so funny?” Marcy asked, standing over him. “That was a bad hit!”

Wyn nodded with his eyes closed. “It was. Thankfully we were finishing up. And thank the gods for potions.”

“You need to be better about using them quicker,” Marcy said. “They’re a small price to pay if it means staying alive. And healers can’t always heal, like now.”

Wyn sat up and beside Tasha and patted her on the shoulder. “Thanks for the Cure. Don’t worry about the rest. Marcy's right, it's why we have potions.”

She huffed a reluctant smile. “I guess. I need to be better about my own potion use, it seems. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

A bright light flashed in the room, making Wyn jerk his head in surprise. What he thought was initially another trap going off was instead the large chest being opened by John, Cedric, and Marcy. Apparently they couldn’t wait long enough to open it as a group.

Between John’s gasp and Marcy’s wide eyes, he knew that whatever inside was valuable. Marcy never had a reaction like that.

The three Climbers all reached in and started pulling out loot, and the chest was large enough to where they weren’t bumping into each other while emptying it. John pulled out several burlap sacks that jingled like coins, Marcy delicately held something in her hands, and Cedric whipped out a cloak radiating with magic.

“I guess our efforts weren’t in vain?” Wyn said, walking over to the chest with Tasha.

John scoffed with obvious exaggeration. “Weren’t in vain. Are you kidding? This is the best we’ve ever been rewarded on a climb, including running the sixth floor at the end of last month! Well, besides that secret room you found. Still, I can hardly believe it!”

Cedric turned around and held out a cloak to the group. It hummed with magic, and a dull purple glow came from it that drew everyone’s eyes. “A purple cloak. This is the first time I’ve found a purple item! This could be worth a fortune!”

Thoughts of paying off his debt instantly came to Wyn’s mind, but he suppressed them just as fast. If it was a useful item, they’d be better off using it, not selling it. Even if it was worth thousands, or tens of thousands of crowns.

“This ring is blue rarity,” Marcy said. “Also worth a ridiculous amount. And if the effect is good then I’ll fight you all for it.”

John huffed and leaned against the chest after pulling out the sacks of coins. “There’s nothing left inside, but good gods this was a haul. Seven sacks of treasure, mostly coins with some gemstones mixed in. And two great items. I feel like we just scored the treasure from a boss room.”

“We got lucky,” Cedric said. “But sometimes that’s all that matters!”

It didn’t take any coaxing from the group to identify the two items to see what they found. After checking their parchments they learned that the items were a Wizard’s Ring and Master Avian Cloak. The ring was silver and relatively plain though held runes along the entire inside of the band. It gave bonuses that any Mage would salivate at having: improved mana pool, mana regeneration, spell efficiency, and a quicker cast time. Cedric pointed out that the last two bonuses were especially useful, as spell efficiency lengthened the time that spells lasted and providing a quicker cast time was useful for higher tiered spells that took longer to cast. He added that his robes had a similar bonus which made his stronger lightning spells more effective since they could be cast faster, but the other bonuses on the ring made it a powerful item.

The cloak was exactly what Wyn expected a purple item, like Cedric’s robes, to have. Unlike the ring it was beautiful and elaborate, made up of large brown feathers interwoven into a fine piece of garment with silver threading. The hood resembled a hawk’s beak, but looked regal instead of ridiculous. It gave the Climber wearing it the power of flight for up to two hours a day, moderate resistance to magical attacks, improved endurance, and the ability to summon a Deathhawk twice a day for 10 minutes at a time. According to Marcy, a Deathhawk was a large bird the size of a big dog, with a wingspan taller than most people, talons as sharp as razors, and beaks that could punch through steel plates.

Those were the only two features of the cloak. But they were ridiculously great features.

Needless to say, both of the items were useful and impressive. Which brought on the next conversation.

What would they do with them?

“I think they would add some good value to our team,” Cedric eventually said. “They fit us well, which isn’t common for higher rarity items. It’d be better to use them instead of trading for something else.”

Marcy reached out for the cloak and brushed the feathered material with her fingers. “This cloak is absolutely perfect for me. Not just a good fit. Wyn, you know how badly I wanted these boots. Imagine how much better I’ll be if I wore this! I could rain down arrows from the sky and we’d have another summoned ally for our group.”

Wyn understood Marcy’s points. The cloak really was the right complement to round out her mobility in a way that seemed fitting for an archer. He could sell the item for a good chunk of his debt, too, but that would be even more selfish than Marcy wanting to use it. All in all, it was a fairly easy decision.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Wyn said without another moment’s hesitation.

The others agreed with head nods and smiles, while Marcy beamed with excitement that Wyn had never seen her express. It was even better than when she got her new boots. There was something special about finding an item rather than trading for one.

“Thank you,” Marcy said, holding the cloak close to her.

“What about the ring?” John asked. “We have three Mages. Choosing the owner isn't as easy.”

Wyn, Cedric, and Tasha looked at each other. Cedric shrugged, his face unreadable.

“I have better equipment than both of you,” Cedric said. “It would be a better boost if one of you two wore it.”

“The increased mana regeneration and capacity is definitely nice, but I don’t need the faster casting time,” Wyn said. “Plus, you really pulled your weight fighting those champions, Tasha. As much or more than any of us. And, you’ll be getting higher tier spells and will be more focused on magic than me. I think it would serve you best.”

Tasha’s cheeks blushed and she straightened before responding. “Thank you for the compliment, but I already have more items than you. And with that mana regeneration you might not need that many potions, and the improved mana pool could let you actually use a second tier spell.

Wyn tilted his head side to side. “Maybe, but I really don’t mind. Plus there’s a couple of other items I want first. This ring just fits you far better, like the cloak to Marcy. You could use all of the effects while I would benefit from only some of them.”

“What items do you want?” Marcy asked. “We were just at The Silver Step. Why didn’t you say anything?” She handed over the ring to Tasha who took it and delicately placed it on her left index finger.

“It was actually there talking to Benedict that I got the idea. I like my spear, but we haven’t been facing only fire-element enemies this season like I thought we would. The water enhancement seems a bit wasted most of the time. Instead, he made me realize I want something a bit stronger and more flexible that I could put my own element on with a spell. When we fought the Ashen Warriors on the last the floor, seeing their weapons solidified my choice. I want their shield and weapon.”

The others quietly thought on Wyn’s idea for a moment before John spoke up. “So you want to ditch the spear and use a sword and shield like me? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. Having another person beside me to tank some hits would take the pressure off. But I thought you liked the reach and mobility of using a spear?”

“I want the flexibility to use both. Remember how they changed their weapon from a sword to a hammer and to a spear? And the helmet we found said their metal was a flexible metal that could be shaped. I bet if their weapon dropped it would have the ability to change into whatever weapon I wanted, and I’d wager their shield could change, too. And if there was a set bonus, the helmet might end up being better than my new hat as well.”

“That’s an interesting thought,” Cedric said. “It makes sense, too. You’re basically owning your role as a flexible support Climber by going one step further to even be able to change your gear at a moment’s notice rather than using a Packer to carry equipment.”

“Exactly. So, all that to say, Tasha gets the ring if we could keep their sword and shield for me to use as we try and get those pieces. And potentially use the helmet and not sell it. I really think it would make a difference.”

“I’m for it,” John said. “Think you could keep up with an actual Fighter-turned-Squire?” He smirked and flexed his arms, which couldn’t even be seen under his armor.

Wyn laughed. “I won’t really need to. Fighting alongside you, your aura will do the work for me.”

John furrowed his eyebrows then slowly nodded his head. “Oh, right. Well, that’s even better! I agree wholeheartedly!”

Finishing up their decision on the items, the group then separated the sacks of coins so they could carry it out. Wyn checked his parchment to see that there were nearly 400 gold crowns worth of coins. Most of it was in silver cloaks, but he didn’t mind. It was their largest single haul yet.

Gathering themselves to continue through the seventh floor, they resumed the same marching order as before, with Wyn and Marcy in the lead, Tasha in the middle, and John and Cedric at the back. Marcy rocked her shoulders side to side as they stepped back into the hallway, showing off her cloak. She moved her quiver to her hip so she could display the cloak properly. It took some awkward wrapping and buckling to secure the quiver since it was designed for her back, but it would work for now. She said it would be an easy fix moving some buckles and leather straps on her clothes and belt back in Alestead, it would just take some time.

It didn’t take two minutes before Marcy stopped strutting and paused. She drew an arrow from her quiver as the rest of the group readied themselves for a fight. Wyn hoped it wouldn’t be any stronger than the animated pieces of armor, as he wanted to help rather than just step out of the way for John. Whatever it was, though, it had the ability to hide extremely well, as Wyn couldn’t see or sense a thing.

Marcy looked all around them until she sighed and relaxed. “That doesn’t make sense. I had the same feeling as the traps at the start of the floor, but I don’t see anything.”

Wyn’s lantern was still glowing, and he couldn’t see anything in the hallway, either. “Then we proceed cautiously, then.”

Marcy sighed and looked up to the ceiling with exasperation. Her eyes widened and she instinctively stepped back. Wyn followed her gaze and saw a large glyph plastered on the ceiling just in front of them. It was slowly getting brighter with its magical aura as it became more apparent. The outline was faint but glowing brighter. If the effect was anything like the first magical traps, they were all in serious trouble being so close to it.

“Run!” Marcy yelled, and the others instantly turned around. Tasha and John quickly ran, while Cedric teleported away. Marcy was right behind him, teleporting beside him and leaving a small cloud behind.

The last one was Wyn. He was the closest beside Marcy, and didn’t have a teleporting spell. Instead, he cast Speed Up on himself and sprinted away, while casting a Shield behind him for good measure. He couldn’t see how bright the glyph was shining, but he didn’t dare look back.

The bright light then dimmed to nothing after a quick flash, and no explosion came. Pausing, Wyn turned around to see what had happened.

The glyph was now dark, its magical energy spent. Wyn realized with horror that it wasn’t the kind of trap that exploded from earlier, but something completely different. Something awful and more insidious.

A large, writhing tendril slithered out from the glyph and grasped the ceiling. It was black and slimy and way too long to be anything small. Then another tendril emerged. And then four more. Once they had a purchase on the stone ceiling, a mass followed them that was as large as a horse. There were no discernible features on it except for a mass of red eyes and a small beak that resembled a bird. The body was just as black as the tendrils, and it began slithering its way on the ceiling towards them.

“Oh, gods,” Tasha said.

“What in the hells is that?” John yelled. “It’s terrifying!”

Cedric fired a lightning spell at it but the creature moved with frightening speed as it morphed its body to condense into a smaller space to avoid the spell, then expanded back to its former shape. Marcy fired an arrow at it, but it whipped out a tentacle and smacked the arrow away harmlessly.

Behind the creature, another identical monster emerged from the glyph and began crawling along the ceiling. Then a third.

Wyn looked to the group who had shared expressions of horror and awe on their face. Whatever these monsters were, John was right - they were terrifying. Like the rest of the floor had been so far. And they barely started it.

The day had been fruitful and they learned quite a bit about the second tier. It seemed as good a time as any to call it a day.

“Does anyone else object to leaving?” Wyn asked.

John already had a portal key in his hand and quickly used it. As the rest of the group began going through to return to Alestead, Wyn had his answer.

Maybe they weren’t quite ready for the seventh floor.