The Ruby Magician

Tasha had one hand on her knee and the other held her staff. It was still lit from her spell but dimmer. She was breathing hard and sweating profusely, her robes damp and her hair matted to her head. She leaned against a tree for support but was reluctant to sit to rest, knowing her and the others would need to continue on soon and that stopping would make starting again that much harder.

The group of Climbers were taking a brief solace from following the trail deeper into the floor, trying to finish their goal of finding a little girl who was lost in the woods. They had been successfully following a trail led by various objects that a little girl would carry - a ribbon, a doll, and a little shoe. It was creepy, they thought, but it was their goal, nonetheless.

The woods were nearly pitch black this deep, Tasha’s spell being their sole light source. They couldn’t see too far around them so they protected her and kept her at their center. The sky above was almost completely covered by leaves and branches of trees, and it felt like night even though their sense of time was distorted and false.

“How are you guys not tired?” Tasha asked, stopping to breathe between every few words.

“Resolve is certainly helpful,” John said. He held his sword at the ready and was scanning the woods. He forced himself to slow his breathing to combat his own fatigue, but he hardly seemed tired at all. “Plus I’ve been training for awhile. You have to be prepared!”

“What is Resolve?” Wyn asked, leaning on his spear. He was also recovering from the trudge but felt good, his years of training having come in handy for the physical test of the tower. He was sweating but his muscles didn’t ache. He was thankful for that.

“It’s a passive Fighter skill,” Lionel said. “It improves our overall strength and endurance.” He was inspecting his axe and didn’t bother to look at Wyn. A dirty mixture of red and green blood covered his shirt. “Helpful for sure.”

Tasha huffed and put her head down. She wiped the sweat off her forehead.

“Well, Tasha, you’re doing great,” Wyn said. “Thanks for the healing and light, too. Those wolves were nasty. I’ll need to remember some better armor instead of this robe.” Wyn looked at his left sleeve - or rather, what was left of it. It was shredded and his mark was exposed, though his wounds had been healed by Tasha when able.

His mark was still glowing as the passive skill Lucidity worked to slowly restore his mana. He had used more of his stores firing two more Ice Shards at wolves.

Lionel and John both had wounds that Tasha also healed, but they were the only others. Cedric always seemed to be in a position where he wasn’t attacked, and the few times he came close Marcy took care of the beasts and spiders for him. For her credit, she picked the various enemies apart before they ever came close to her. She was obviously very skilled as each arrow was perfectly placed, which in the heat of battle was extraordinary. Wyn wouldn’t have believed it if he didn’t see it for himself.

John obviously felt the same way as he commented on her accuracy nearly every time.

“I thought you veterans were supposed to clear this place out?” John asked. “There are spiders and wolves everywhere!”

“We did,” Cedric said, as he wiped his forehead of sweat. He was tired, too, especially after climbing this floor at least once. “The tower will always bring in new monsters. But we did thin them out. It seems like it’s nearly back to the amount we started with, though. What do you think, Marcy?”

“I think you’re right,” Marcy said. “I wasn’t planning to go through so many arrows this time. I only have about a dozen left.”

“About a dozen arrows, she says, “ John said. “Even though you could kill twice as many monsters with those.”

“So we’ve heard,” Wyn said. He smirked at John and lightly slapped him on the back.

“Well, you should use them,” Tasha said, standing up from the tree, “because I’m running low on mana. I want to save the rest for my Light spell. Unless you all want to finish this in the dark?”

“Oh, no,” Wyn said. “It’s very helpful. I can help heal from here on out, too.”

“Not as good as her,” Lionel said. “So how about we just kill things before they kill us? I think you’re better at that than healing, anyway.”

Wyn stared at Lionel with an open mouth. Did he just compliment him?

“I never really recovered from my mana from before,” Cedric added. “But there’s enough to finish. We aren’t too far from the end. Let’s keep pushing.”

“What’s that over there?” Tasha said, and pointed with her staff to a tree stump.

It was shimmering in the dim light, a faint green aura surrounding it. It was radiating magic.

“You lucky ducks,” Marcy said. “That’s a treasure chest!”

“Treasure?!” John said, nearly yelling, and ran over to the stump.

It was more obvious close up, and John knew it. It was a wooden chest that appeared like a tree stump, round with a flat top instead of a square body with a rounded top. He flipped it open without hesitation.

“Woah.”

Inside was a small collection of coins, jewels, and a small vial of liquid. The vial swirled with a light shade of blue.

“What’s in it?” Lionel asked, and ran beside John. He looked inside and visibly deflated. “That’s it? Money and a lousy potion? I want gear. Weapons and armor.”

“How much is it?” Wyn said. He wanted to patiently wait for John to count it but he was excited, too. It was strange to just find a small cache of items, but he wasn’t going to complain. Any opportunity to help him obtain more coins was a welcomed one.

“What is the potion for?” Tasha asked.

“Settle down, children, settle down,” John said, the most excited of all. “While I count the coins and jewels why don’t you figure out the potion?”

“I’ll do it,” Cedric said. “Save your mana, Tasha.” Cedric grabbed the vial from John and inspected it. He grabbed his staff and said, “Identify.”

A large, magical rune appeared over the vial. It glowed a brighter blue, beautiful in color. It was hard not to look at the magical display. Cedric then pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket and looked at it.

“It’s a mana potion,” he said, reading the results on his parchment. “That’s not a common find!”

“I’ll take that instead of my share of coins,” Tasha said. She eyed the potion and was entranced by it. To a mage a mana potion would be invaluable.

Wyn didn’t blame her for not wanting more of the cut. He felt envious for the potion.

“I’m fine with it,” John said.

“Sure, whatever,” Lionel added.

Tasha grabbed it and held it carefully, like a newborn kitten. She pulled her robes back to reveal a thick leather belt around her waist. There were loops and empty spots in them, and she placed the small vial in one of the loops.

Wyn couldn’t help but stare, his envy growing. “Where did you get that belt?”

“My mentor bought it for me,” Tasha said. “At a tailor’s shop in Alestead. The same one that made my robe, actually.”

“I’ll have to see which one when we get out. I need some better gear.” Wyn dangled his ripped left sleeve. He definitely needed some armor, let alone clothing. At this rate he’d spend all of his money just on clothes.

“Me, too. I don’t think standard robes cut it. I need a magic set.”

“Can you buy that?”

“Sure, but my mentor said it’s better to trade for items at the trading hall. She’s a bit biased towards the shops, but I’ve liked them so far.”

Wyn nodded, but was as lost as the new recruits he used to train. There was so much he needed to learn, and part of him wondered if it was a mistake coming in so quickly.

“Alright!” John said. “I’ve counted it up! There are 14 gold crowns, 21 silver cloaks, and 47 copper boots. Plus a small ruby, onyx, and jade.”

A strange wave of relief fell over Wyn. He was thankful the currency in the tower was their own, though it seemed odd to find it here.

“Wyn should get the ruby,” Lionel said. “You know, since that’s you and all.”

“Lionel, are you being nice to me?” Wyn asked.

“No, cause rubies are shit,” Lionel said.

Wyn sighed.

“But treasure is treasure,” Lionel added. “And you did spear that wolf that nearly bit a chunk out of my leg. So thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Aww, look at you two,” John said. He put his arms around both of the rookies. “Getting along and making up!”

“Bite me,” Lionel said, and shrugged John’s arm off his shoulders. “And give me my money.”

“Alright, alright!” John split the currency evenly and handed out the spoils. The three rookies went about to store it in their packs. John looked back at Marcy and Cedric, who were whispering to each other and watching the woods. “And you two don’t get any, right?”

“Right,” Cedric said. “We got our share when we cleared this floor out to begin with.”

“Mostly cleared,” Marcy said. She winked at Cedric. “Have to let them have a little fun.”

“You call this fun?” Tasha asked. “This place is horrifying. I had no idea this is what the tower would be like!”

“Surely you had some idea,” John said. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy but it’s exciting. I feel alive!”

“Well, yes, that’s true,” Tasha said. “But seeing it in person is completely different. I just need to get stronger, I guess.”

“You will,” Cedric said. “Everyone does if you stick with it and climb smart. When you get reckless and make stupid decisions is when you end up hurt or dead.”

“Same with life, honestly,” Wyn said. He slung his pack around his shoulders. “The war was the exact same way. People died when they didn’t think ahead or prepare. Though I’ll admit sometimes it’s just dumb luck, too.”

Cedric nodded in agreement.

“The military is one thing, but the tower is pretty different,” Lionel said. He put his axe back on his belt loop. “A spear isn’t a popular choice but you’re not bad with it. Not many know how to wield it well.”

Wyn inspected his spear for a moment. It was basic and bland, just like he was used to using, though a large part of him was curious about the magical weapons he’d find.

“We trained in many weapons,” Wyn said. “It’s the one I’m most comfortable with. That and the sword and shield.”

“Now that is a truly great choice,” John said, as he patted his shield. The runes flickered. He then closed the tree stump chest and sat on it. “I chose this combination last year and began training with it. It’s the best combination of attack and defense, in my opinion.”

“Why did you choose to climb the tower?” Wyn asked. He leaned against a tree opposite John. “I know you said your family climbed it and were successful. But surely they told you how dangerous it was.”

“They did, yea.” John stretched before resting against a tree. “But it was basically expected of me. My dad was actually a shopkeeper and my mom’s main supplier. They took their earnings and moved out to Veritas. He opened a general store and she kept training. Then my sisters and me all came along!”

“Moving to one of the major cities with no previous land is impressive,” Tasha said. “So you went into the family business, so to speak?”

“Sort of. They never forced us. My sister climbed higher than my mom, finishing floor 16 and taking her spoils back home. My parents were so proud, but not nearly as proud as me and Quinn, my little sister. But now she’s rich and traveling all of Jahnin!”

“Wow,” Tasha said. “She sounds incredible.”

“She is. But why are you here, Tasha? No offense, but you don’t seem like the type to be excited about climbing the tower.”

Tasha paused, stiffening for just a moment before relaxing. “No offense taken. My father wanted to enroll me into Keyworth’s -”

“The Magic College?!” John interrupted. He threw himself forward away from the tree.

“Yes. He’s a Wizard and wanted me to follow his footsteps. I didn’t want that life.”

“So you came to the tower and still became a Wizard?” Lionel asked. “That’s the same thing. Only more dangerous.”

“It’s not the same thing,” Tasha said. “I would’ve had to study for years at Keyworth’s. Sitting in a classroom, reading textbooks, practicing magic on dummies and targets for years only to either join the Great War or teach back at the college. It sounds so… boring. At least here I can go at my own pace with something new every month.”

“But it’s not what you thought, is it?” Wyn asked.

Tasha sighed. “No. It definitely isn’t. But I’m here and I need to make the best of it! I just hope I made the right choice.”

“I think we all feel the same way,” Wyn said. “I know I do.”

“So what about you, Wyn?” Tasha asked. “If you were in the military you must’ve been paid well. You survived, obviously, and most survivors go home with some wealth according to my father. Able to start a new life with plenty of cloaks and crowns to their name.”

“I did, yes,” Wyn said. “Make money, I mean. And I survived. Which not everyone can say, especially those in my company.”

Wyn went quiet. His mind wandered back to the hill, but he forced himself to be present. No more mental wanderings.

“I lost some people. Allies. Friends. But my family back home are farmers. I didn’t want that life, and still didn’t when I came home. But my sister told me about some bad deals our parents made and that to keep our farm they went into some serious debt with people they shouldn’t.”

“I’ve heard of that before,” Lionel said. “Thieves’ Guilds all over Jahnin demanding high interest for loans they know will ruin those who actually need the money. Forces them to do whatever the guilds want.”

“Exactly,” Wyn said. “Then our mom left us. Still not sure if she left on her own or was taken, though my father says she bailed the moment they were caught. I might not ever know the truth. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter since they were shitty parents and people. But my sister isn’t fit to work the fields and my father is too stubborn and foolish to do anything else. So I decided to try to make money the quickest way I knew.”

“How much do you need?” John asked.

Wyn felt a hitch in his breath. “I’d rather not say.”

“I’m sorry you’re in this position,” Tasha said. “But I’m sure it’s not that bad in the grand scheme of things.”

“Bad enough to come to the tower as a last resort? I left the military for this life. I could’ve stayed and been promoted, but my only shot is here. No where else can get me the amount I need in the time demanded.”

“How much, Wyn,” Marcy said, more of a point than a question. She was standing by the tree line and keeping an eye out, but now she was invested in their stories. Wyn’s obviously caught her attention. “Not to be an asshole, but desperate people do desperate things. Just how desperate are you?”

Wyn sighed. No sense in keeping it a secret. “75,000 crowns.”

John spewed his mouthful of water all over the ground, and Tasha gasped. Even Cedric was shocked, fumbling his staff in his distraction.

“Yes. My father is a fool! First the banks turned him away, then the Merchant Guilds. He found the wrong person that put us all in this situation. Owed money and promised to pay it back, and the last two years have been awful for crops. He kept borrowing and kept borrowing. All of this happened while I was gone, and I came back to the news after he forced my sister to lie in her letters. I left for the tower right away.”

“How long does he have to pay it back?” Lionel asked.

“Until the end of the year.”

The group all looked at each other.

“That’s not too bad,” John said, finally breaking the silence. “That’s nearly the whole year and still six more months. You can make a lot in that time! Maybe not the whole amount, but at least half if you’re smart about it.”

Wyn laughed. “I have to make at least 12,500 gold a month. They threatened him, John. First it was a warning - according to my sister, he came home bruised and bloodied and couldn’t work for almost two months. Now it’s an arm if we don’t deliver. Honestly I couldn’t care less about him, but he still has to work for my sister’s sake and I don’t want them to turn their attention to her. Who knows what’s next, but I can’t let it go on.”

The others were quiet. The forest was strangely quiet, too. It had perfectly emulated a real forest with all the sounds of wildlife scurrying about, branches falling from trees, animal calls and sounds. But oddly, in this very moment, there was an eerie hush around their small lit circle of the first floor.

Marcy stood up quickly with her ears pricked. She spun around and pulled an arrow from her quiver in a flash, nocked it to her bow and drew halfway.

“Something bigger is here,” she said. “Not a spider or wolf - my Extrasensory kicked in.”

Wyn looked at John, who simply shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know what that meant, either.

Still, the group grabbed their gear and readied themselves.

“Is it the floor boss?” Lionel said. He twirled his axe in his hand and crouched.

“No,” Cedric answered. “We aren’t at the end yet. It must be a champion. That’s rare.” The topaz gem at the end of his staff lit up and began radiating magic.

“A champion?” Wyn and Tasha asked at the same time.

“It’s the floor adding in an extra challenge,” John said. He swung his sword and activated the runes, setting it ablaze. He raised his shield so he could just see over the top. “Monsters that are stronger than normal for the floor. My sister warned me about them.”

Wyn steadied himself. They couldn’t see too far into the woods due to the darkness, and Tasha’s staff was effective but limited to a fixed point. John’s sword helped to see with the magical flame but Wyn needed to be ready.

Wyn, Lionel, and John all surrounded Tasha in the middle. Cedric and Marcy stood towards the edge of Tasha’s Torchlight spell and Cedric had his back to Marcy. Tasha was holding her staff and shaking again.

“It’s alright, Tasha,” John said. “Just stay in the middle to give us light. We can handle this!”

At the edge of their light, where the trees were dim and shadows were more present, was movement. Wyn saw a small tree writhe and separate like it was splitting itself apart. Bark and branches cracked as it took a different shape.

Then he saw another tree beside it do the same thing. Then a third.

The new trees moved towards the group slowly. They weren’t wide or tall but changed their height to be the size of a person. Wooden arms and legs looked vaguely human, but something entirely different, too.

They were creatures born from the tower itself, not twisted beasts or insects. They crept closer, slowly, and came inside the group’s light together.

They were wooden warriors, all wielding weapons - one a large club, one a sword, and one two daggers. Their gait was slow and jerky, though purposeful in their direction. Thick bark covered vulnerable spots like natural armor, wooden reinforcements that seemed to be part of them rather than accessories. Where a face should be was a blank slab of wood except for red glowing eyes that darted between each Climber.

The monsters began to separate, slowly attempting to attack them on different sides. They mimicked Lionel’s crouched stance with their weapons raised.

Wyn didn’t want to assume anything in the tower, not if he wanted to be careful, prepared, and alive. These enemies appeared smart with some degree of intelligence, not unlike the wolves with their tactics. The difference was these enemies wielded weapons and seemed far more durable and dangerous.

No more flashing memories, only action. This was a threat too great to ignore. Wyn knew what he needed to do. It was like he taught his company - strike first, strike swift.