The Ruby Magician

“This place is a maze,” Marcy said. “Twists and turns everywhere. There are so many paths to keep straight!” She was leaning against the cave wall and smacked it with her fist.

“I know,” Wyn said. “And we haven’t faced anything. This spear is more of a walking stick than a weapon.”

“At least both of you have one,” Marcy replied. She stuck her lip out and huffed.

“You’re just pissed you can’t remember this floor’s challenge.”

Marcy didn’t respond.

“Which doesn’t make sense. How can either of you two not remember an entire floor?”

“Because we rushed through this floor almost a month ago,” Marcy said. “The first day of the season we finished the first, second, and third floors, then never looked back. Can you remember what you ate for a day a month ago?”

Wyn shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a fair comparison.”

Marcy kicked a rock into the cave wall, hitting a small mushroom. “I don’t care. After enough floors changing every day and the entire environment changing each month, hey start to blur a bit.”

Cedric was quiet. He had his own parchment in one hand, turning it around and looking at it from different directions periodically. There were scribbles from him mapping out the floor, but it was chaotic and incoherent.

“It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “We’ve been in these tunnels for half an hour! I keep drawing them out but it’s like it doesn’t end.”

“I know,” Wyn said. “I’m confused, too.”

The tunnels had been winding and varied greatly, branches of paths splitting the further they went. They had backtracked dozens of times, looking for anything that resembled the right path or changed scenery. The tunnels all looked the same with the same glowing plants and elevation, and they were easily disoriented.

Wyn just stared at a mushroom that was glowing purple. It still moved ever so slightly, like it was waking up from a deep sleep.

“Let’s just keep moving,” Cedric said. “At least there aren’t any monsters. If we come to another branch we’ll just keep mapping it out. You know it has to end at some point.”

“Yea, yea,” Marcy said. “This whole tower is a monster. One huge, cunning, damned monster.” She stormed off further down the path. Wyn and Cedric followed behind her.

“By the gods!” She yelled. “Another branch!” She stood between a fork in the tunnels not one minute after they stopped. She kicked the cave floor again, this time causing dirt to spray onto the wall.

“Which way should we go?” Wyn asked.

“Who cares,” Marcy replied. “We’ll be coming back here to try the other before too long anyway.” She started off to the left path.

Cedric sighed and followed her, trying to carefully draw a new tunnel on his map. Wyn waited behind. He knew if they didn't try something different, and soon, they'd be lost in the floor and never make it out.

Wyn began to follow them but quickly stopped. He raised his spear instinctually. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye though wasn’t sure from where. He scanned the other tunnel and the one they just entered for any signs of a threat.

Then he saw it. A mushroom on the wall shook itself, releasing a bit of the purple magic it used for light onto the ground. Then another, in the same tunnel Marcy and Cedric were walking down, shook itself and dropped its magical purple dust, too. More followed suit, silently releasing their spore magic behind them.

Wyn wondered how they didn't notice it before. It was nearly silent and behind them, and they never thought to turn around while exploring the tunnels.

He stared for a minute while Marcy and Cedric rounded the tunnel. The first mushroom’s dust was slowly disappearing. It didn’t take long for the others to disappear, too. That was how they missed seeing the dust on the ground when they backtracked. By the time they returned, the evidence was already gone, magically disappeared.

A thought entered his mind. Maybe the mushrooms gave off different colors, too? Could the color help determine their path?

Wyn rushed forward to follow the pair of veterans.

“Wait!” Wyn yelled. “I think I found something!”

Marcy and Cedric stopped abruptly.

“What is it?” Cedric asked.

“I believe the mushrooms are telling us which way to go!”

“Oh gods,” Marcy said. “You didn’t eat one of them, did you?”

“No, of course not,” Wyn said. “But hear me out. I think we need to start from the beginning.”

Both Cedric and Marcy let out an audible sigh.

“I know, I know,” Wyn continued,” but when you start walking down a path they release magic spores. These have been purple. There could be other colors, too!”

“It makes sense,” Cedric said. “Different paths for different groups to go through so they wouldn’t interact. That is something the tower likes to do.”

“Fine, fine,” Marcy said. “I can already tell he swayed you, Cedric. Let’s go. We’re wasting time.” Marcy immediately set back towards the tunnel they walked down. Then she stopped.

“But we’ll need your map. I can’t remember how to get back.”

Cedric laughed. He walked ahead of Marcy and led the group back to the entrance without another word.

*******

“Is it working?” Wyn asked. He decided to take the lead down a hall so Marcy and Cedric could see for themselves. He picked a random tunnel, one they had mapped out, and began walking down it.

He heard Cedric laugh and Marcy curse.

Wyn smiled. It must've worked.

“The mushroom is letting out a blue powder,” Marcy said, having caught up to Wyn. “We just need to find tunnels that are blue, right?”

“I believe so,” he replied. “Though both of you have way more experience in the tower than me. I’m just assuming, here.”

“Most of the tower is an assumption,” Cedric said. “At least until you rerun the floor a time or two. Though any other floor could be, and usually is, wildly different.”

The three of them continued down the tunnel, each turning back to watch the mushrooms. It was an odd sight - they would vibrate and shake to release their magical spores like a dog shook water off its coat. The blue substance coated the tunnel floor but would disappear before too long. They each marveled at it, especially the veterans who knew they had seen quite a bit but were also surprised each time something new came up. Such was Alistair - a new obstacle, enemy, or both, all under the guise of a magical tower releasing its power into the world.

"Didn't both of you say that certain things in the tower can be valuable?" Wyn walked over and picked up the blue dust on the ground. It felt like light, fine sand as it fell through his fingers. He was surprised how much the mushroom made and dropped to the ground.

Marcy walked beside him and inspected it. "Yes, but we aren't here to collect items, remember? We need to worry about finding a way out, not making money."

Wyn let the spores fall through his fingers. It vanished as it hit the ground, and the rest of the pile disappeared, too. "I know you're right. I just can't help but wonder."

Cedric put a hand on Wyn's shoulder. "Let's get through the floor, and you can wonder about making money and gathering items on another climb. Remember - priorities."

Wyn nodded. He knew they were right, of course. Time was of the essence, and he didn't want to be the reason for them to be too delayed. Still, the tower was enticing, and he could already feel the appeal of wanting more and more here, whether that be money, items, or clout. Like a moth to a flame, he needed to be careful and guarded, and know when to approach or stay away.

In minutes they were at a crossroads with multiple paths before them, branching tunnels of six possible paths to take. They all looked identical. Cedric pulled out his paper he had been using to map out the floor. He looked at it carefully, turning it over multiple times for different views.

“That’s odd,” he said. “These don’t match up with the ones we had before. We never had six possible options.”

“Do you think the tower changed the layout so quickly?” Wyn asked. “Can it do that?”

“If there’s anything I’ve learned,” Marcy said, “it’s that it can do anything - but it does tend to follow set rules. Maybe since we have a plan and figured out a path to the end it showed us the right options of tunnels.”

“That’s more likely,” Cedric said. “Before you learned about the mushrooms, Wyn, we would’ve just endlessly wandered around these caves. The tower is showing us the way. In a sense.”

“Then let’s go,” Wyn said. He stepped into the second path from the left. He walked about ten feet into it then stopped to look back to the mushrooms to see if he chose correctly. Cedric and Marcy waited, watching eagerly.

A mushroom shook itself and released yellow spores onto the ground.

“Okay, then,” Wyn said. “Let’s choose another path.” He began to walk back towards the others. Suddenly more mushrooms began to shake and loose spores, more yellow dust falling onto the tunnel. The amount was definitely more than before, and it was thicker than the blue spores, like sand pouring from an open hole.

Wyn stopped. He wondered if it was a trap.

The spores began to grow from the tunnel floor, quickly rising and forming a mushroom shape then morphing into something vaguely humanoid. A large mushroom cap formed its head, with a stalk-like body and appendages that were thin like sticks. It grew a long spear in its right hand similar to Wyn’s. Where its face should’ve been was a mixture of various types of mushroom caps, with glowing yellow eyes staring right at Wyn.

He raised his own spear, ready to fight the obvious challenge. It was definitely a trap, though it appeared to be straightforward.

Wyn thought about his spell - Magic Weapon. He raised his spear and readied himself to attack the mushroom, hoping it wasn’t a waste to use his mana like this if his regular spear worked fine. He also didn’t want to waste time or energy, and wanted this dealt with quickly. If his spear had the same effect as the wooden champions without the spell, it’d be detrimental to getting through the floor. And that’s if he came out completely unscathed.

He didn’t want to chance it. At least his mana would recover.

Wyn first swept the mushroom’s leg, severing it and causing it to teeter over in a heap. From there he stabbed it in the face directly below the eyes, shoving his spear hard. The spear tip hit the rocky ground with a loud pang behind the mushroom’s head. It was odd - he thought it would be more durable, but it felt like he was stabbing into a firm lump of dough.

He pulled the spear out of the mushroom and left a gaping hole where its face used to be. It quickly dissolved back into a pile of yellow dust. The other piles of yellow dust around them disappeared, too.

“Not bad,” Marcy said. Her and Cedric were just standing there watching Wyn. Her arms were folded and she had a smirk on her face. “For killing a plant, at least.”

“The spell might’ve been too much,” Wyn said. “But I wanted to make sure.”

“At least your mana can recover without resting,” Cedric said. “We should be fine, but I definitely think it was unnecessary. Let’s just find the right path, already. I have a bad feeling about this floor. Something feels unfamiliar.”

“Always so negative,” Marcy said.

“Realistic, actually,” Cedric said, correcting her. “You know that.”

Wyn was a bit frustrated with himself, but it couldn’t be helped. Better to be safe than sorry, at least, and how could anyone predict the abilities or strength of a magical mushroom? Maybe next time warranted a test without the spell first.

The rookie trotted back towards them and went down the next path. He repeated what he did before - he walked in about ten feet, turned to watch for the mushrooms and waited. This time, however, he readied his spear right away. The spell was still active, and he wanted to take advantage of the time.

The mushrooms lighting the cave shook and released a green powder in a similar amount and density as before.

Wyn heard Cedric sigh. He chuckled thinking about the two veterans being impatient while he fought some weird mushroom monster.

The dust began to grow like before, except this time the monster looked different. Its mushroom cap head was smaller but its body was taller than the yellow mushroom. It was stockier and seemed stronger, too. Joints and muscles helped form its shape, and it looked much more humanoid. It didn’t grow a weapon but flexed its body, stepping towards Wyn right after forming.

He was shocked, but only for a moment. He knew to expect the unexpected, but it was amazing the amount of weird he had found here so far.

Rushing the enemy, he swiped diagonally at the monster, slashing down across its body. Surprisingly, the mushroom dodged it, quickly ducking under the attack. It was more nimble than the last colored mushroom. Not having a weapon was going to be its downfall, as Wyn’s reach with his spear gave him the obvious edge.

Wyn back-stepped as the monster tried to close the distance. He wanted to use the best strike to end it in one blow and needed to use his weapon’s advantage. Spears weren’t typically used to slash at enemies, and were most effective to stab and pierce armor. The magic coating on the weapon, however, at least gave it different means to cause damage.

Taking his spear in a wide horizontal arc, he opted to hit it whether the blade struck it or it bluntly knocked it away. To his pleasant surprise, a large gash formed across the monster’s torso, and its top half collapsed forward in its momentum.

It was easy, oddly, and a bit unsettling the power that magic wielded. The mushroom disintegrated back into dust.

“Damnit,” Cedric said. “I should’ve known it wouldn’t be this easy.”

“What do you mean?” Wyn asked. “That wasn’t that bad.”

“Wait until there are more of them. And deadlier.”

Wyn wrinkled his eyebrows. “Fair point. But how about someone else pick the next path?”

“I’ll go,” Marcy said. She skipped a few tunnels and went for the far right path. She walked forward like Wyn and stopped to turn around. The mushroom shook and blue spores fell.

“How about that,” Marcy said. She chuckled to herself. “Let’s go, boys.”

Wyn held his arm up, confused. “How did she get it first try?”

“I’ve learned it’s a gift,” Cedric replied. “It can sometimes be an annoying one, but a gift nonetheless.”

Cedric and Wyn followed her, all walking through the tunnel deeper into the cave. None of them recognized the new path, especially Marcy, though she wasn’t exactly trying to remember them. Cedric was mapping out their paths on his parchment. Though whether it was truly to find their way back or keep his hands busy Wyn wasn’t entirely sure.

While they walked down the cave, Wyn still couldn’t believe his situation. The books, the rumors, all of his preparation didn’t do the tower justice. The magic was far beyond anything he’d seen or heard about. Portals, items, equipment, classes, skills, spells - it was nearly overwhelming.

Wyn remembered that Lionel mentioned the name Aliyar. He wondered if he was the creator of the tower or someone influential in its early days? Was he a mage, a god, or one of the first ascendents to complete it?

Daniel would know the answer. When he made it back - and he was determined to make it back - he knew he needed to take a breather and learn more about the tower. His mentor would have a good sense of direction about what to research for learning more.

The three came to another branching while Wyn was deep in thought. Now only four options were presented for the next tunnel.

“That’s a good sign,” Cedric said.

“What is? Only having four paths instead of six?” Wyn asked.

“Yes. Though be on guard - it’ll be harder and more challenging.” Cedric raised his staff and the tip began to glow softly.

“I’ll lead this time,” Marcy said. “Maybe we can skip one of those challenges.” She began to walk down the far right tunnel, walked ten feet in and turned around.

Wyn was quickly learning Marcy must’ve been the braver Climber in their group. That, or she was the reckless one. She didn’t seem to be bothered by difficult decisions or shy away from a challenge. It was impressive, really.

Immediately after Marcy stepped into the cave tunnel three large stalagmites erupted from the ground and attached to the ceiling, forming bars that separated her from Wyn and Cedric. The stalagmites had an orange color to them mixed in, appearing like a light clay.

Marcy cursed. “I wasn’t expecting that. Cedric, what do we do?” She felt the earthen bars with her hands then grabbed and shook one. It was solid and unmoving.

Cedric also ran his hands over the stone bar, then the wall and ground around the immediate area. “I don’t know. There doesn’t seem to be a release or similar.”

He and Wyn watched as mushrooms outside the tunnel began to shake, and orange dust dropped onto the ground. It had a similar consistency as before. A mushroom began to sprout from the ground, smaller than before but wide and round. Beady eyes glowed orange under its mushroom cap helmet, and there were additional caps on its torso and joints that looked like armor.

It was very close to looking ridiculous if it wasn’t trying to kill them.

“Damnit,” Cedric said.

Wyn readied his spear. Thankfully it was still glowing, but it wasn’t nearly as bright as before. A dull glow barely emitted any light, and he hoped it lasted at least through the fight. It hadn’t been but maybe ten minutes since he cast the spell to coat it in magic.

As Wyn lowered his spearhead to charge the mushroom, another sprouted behind it, identical in appearance. Then another.

“You just had to say something,” Wyn said.

Cedric raised his staff but Wyn put his arm out, blocking him.

“Save your mana. We’ll need it.” He steeled his nerves and charged the first mushroom.