The Ruby Magician

“So the left tunnel is the wrong one, then?” Wyn asked. The three Climbers all stood at the final fork, deciding on their next move.

“Maybe,” Cedric said. “We still don’t know for sure.”

“But this is the one where you saw the light?” Marcy asked. “You’re sure?”

“Yes,” Wyn answered. “It took me to a room, sort of like a cabin where I met an old woman. I don’t remember going into the tunnel at all.”

“A cabin with an old woman,” Marcy said. “What was it like? Describe it.”

Wyn paused for a moment to think. “It was simple but creepy. All of the furniture was wooden, and there wasn’t much of it. Plain and unassuming. There was an empty table in the middle of the room, a small kitchen on one side, and a bookshelf with strange jars on the other. I felt like I was in a hunting cabin instead of in a magical tower.”

Marcy and Cedric exchanged a quick glance. Wyn caught the look.

“What?” Wyn asked. “Does that sound like something you’ve heard of?”

“Did she attack you?” Cedric asked.

“Like I said, it wasn’t bad. She sat down at the table and just… talked. Though what she said was weird. And made hardly any sense.”

“That sounds like floor 9,” Marcy said. “Remember what that Cleric from the Alistair Junkies said during the floor planning a few weeks ago? That the 9th floor was just a field and a witch’s hut and they lost three members?”

“Yes,” Cedric said quickly. “I remember. They said it was one of the hardest final floors of a second tier they’ve had in many seasons. That the floor boss was a witch - cunning, devious, and cruel. They were recommending guilds to only take their best groups and for the others to skip it.”

“Wyn,” Marcy said. “Did the woman look like a witch?”

“What does a witch look like?” Wyn responded. “I can’t say I’ve ever met one.”

“You ass. You know - creepy, old, hermit-like?”

“Well, that does describe her. But that could be anything in this place. Or any village crazy lady.”

“Did she have grey, wispy hair?” Cedric asked. “Thin and fine? Grayish skin? Moved like a ghost? Cackle that sent shivers down your spine?”

Wyn’s face paled. Her sickening laugh rang out in his head and he felt a wave of goosebumps shimmer over his arms. “Yes. That description matches her exactly.”

Marcy whistled, long and drawn out. “You met the boss of a much higher floor. They were saying she likely should’ve been the next tier boss, too. The head of floor 14, not 9. What in the hells happened?”

“Now isn’t the time. Just know we talked and she gave me this magical jar. Shouldn’t we focus on getting out of here first?” Wyn wanted to share with them what he learned, but not yet. Though he wanted to keep his new Tower’s Blessing skill to himself. He didn’t want to give off the impression he was being given handouts immediately after becoming a Climber.

“Probably,” Cedric said. “There can be time to figure out how you managed that when we’re done, but we absolutely need to discuss it. For now, maybe we should try the other tunnel?”

“I say yes,” Marcy said. “Since you both want to avoid the more interesting topic of conversation. But we need to be smart at our approach. We didn’t recover as much mana as we needed.”

Wyn felt a pang of strike his stomach. “I’m sorry. How much did you recover before you looked for me?”

“Hardly any,” Cedric said. “And we spent some looking for you. Some of the tunnels weren’t searched and we tried them. We had to fight back.”

Wyn felt even more guilt stir within him. He didn’t blame them for searching for him as he would’ve done the same thing. A team member suddenly disappears - in this environment of all places - and you look for them. No question. He was sure they started right away, trying to make sure they didn’t potentially lose another rookie in this death trap. And then they spent even more precious resources to find him.

He clenched his jaw. He’d be damned if he wouldn’t make it up to them somehow. A gift, or loyalty, or something.

A renewed sense of purpose flushed out the guilt and took over his emotions. He wasn’t as tired as them, had plenty of mana, and knew he needed to take the lead. Marcy could hold her own, but Cedric seemed as though he was wearing thin. They needed to finish this floor, and fast.

“But we’ll be alright,” Marcy said. She patted Wyn on the back. “Nothing we can do about it now. Let’s move ahead and finish this damn thing. I’m tired and ready for a bath.”

Wyn chuckled. Cedric again laughed hard, high pitched and brief. Wyn laughed harder after hearing it, forgetting his strange laugh.

The three smiled, finding a moment of solace, camaraderie, and confidence in a desolate place. This was a familiar feeling to Wyn, though in his experience it was always the enjoyable times of companionship before hardship came to light.

“So this one, then,” Cedric said, pointing his staff to the right tunnel. “Let’s go down it together.”

“Together,” Wyn echoed. “I like that.”

Marcy pushed the men on, all three stepping together in a line. They just fit down the width of the cave tunnel walking arm in arm. They didn’t hesitate, stepping into and continuing down what could be either the correct or very wrong tunnel.

Nothing happened. The three kept walking, silently, anxiously, further down the mushroom-lit cave path.

Wyn stopped, which forced the veterans to stop, too. He nearly forgot how to confirm the tunnel they chose was right. The blue mushroom should be shaking itself to show the path the tower designated was theirs from beginning to end. He turned around and looked out for the sign.

Not ten feet away a blue mushroom gently shook its cap, scattering blue spores onto the cave floor. Several more followed suit, looking like a grim celebration that they’ve made it to the end but would still have to face the final test.

Wyn turned back, and Marcy and Cedric were smiling. They knew this was it, the final walk before whatever it was that held them from returning to Alestead and getting out of their situation. There were several things Wyn needed to do right away, and he felt as though he wouldn’t have the time to do it. He needed to make sure John was alright. And to check on Tasha, too, after dealing with the immediate aftermath of Lionel’s betrayal. Then there was resting, eating, and celebrating their victory beyond the first floor.

It might not feel quite like much of a celebration after what’s happened to them, but it was important to do nonetheless.

“Did the witch give you any advice for the last room?” Cedric asked.

Wyn stopped walking. He froze, her words coming back to him like a slap in the face. “Only one thing.”

“Well, don’t tease us,” Marcy said. She nudged him in the ribs playfully.

“She said to mind the colors.”

“Hmm,” Cedric said out loud. “That vaguely rings a bell. And the entire cave has been a color puzzle, too.”

“And,” Wyn continued, “that we wouldn’t make it out whole.”

Marcy and Cedric’s smiles were instantly wiped away. They looked at each other worriedly, then back to Wyn.

When the witch first told Wyn that last sentence he barely registered what she had said and truly didn’t know what to make of it. Maybe she was blowing smoke, or maybe she was just trying to scare him. But thinking back on their conversation, she was incredibly honest and forthcoming, not teasing at all. After Marcy and Cedric revealed her true nature, he was even more convinced.

He knew, without a doubt, she was right. The only problem was the extent of how right she would be.

The three walked to the end of the tunnel, silent and anxious once more.

*****

Based on the previous tunnels they knew it wouldn’t be long before they were at the final room. The last two paths only took a few minutes to walk, a brief stretch in the cave maze that the tower laid before them as a challenge. They walked at least twice the distance of the previous tunnels, and Wyn wondered if it was deliberately laid out longer.

Regardless, he didn’t have too much time to wonder as the tunnel started to open up into a large, square room. They stopped immediately before crossing into the room except for Wyn, who noticed the veterans waiting and awkwardly stepped back mid stride to stand with them.

“Okay,” Cedric said. “This is it. We have very limited information,” he noted, pointing to Wyn. “Though we can take what we’ve encountered so far as a sort of warmup to this.”

“Something with colors,” Marcy said. “Which is obvious, if you think about it, considering the different mushrooms and their colors so far. So that was a basically useless clue. You bet your ass it’ll be a harder puzzle of some kind.”

“I think you’re right,” Wyn agreed. “But still, we need to keep that in mind about colors. You two are the experts here but I want to do the heavy lifting. So to speak.”

“Wyn,” Cedric started, “that’s nice and all, but you’re right - we are the experts. We need to be the ones to lead.”

“But you both have much less mana than me.” He pulled up his left sleeve and looked at his mark. It was hardly glowing now, about one third of his mark showing his mana recovery. “I’m mostly full. I can do more if needed! Or at least hold off anything that tries to attack us while you two figure out what we need to do.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Marcy said. “I can back you up, and if we get into too much of a bind, Cedric can take out several at once as a last resort.” She looked at Cedric. “Just focus on the puzzle and try to figure it out to move forward. We can handle the enemies.”

“Gods I wish I had my potions,” Cedric said. “It was so stupid not to bring them.”

“You’re the one who said it was only a rookie climb,” Marcy said. “Remember? ‘I don’t need potions, it’ll be easy! I don’t need my circlet, or robe, or boots - it’s a cake walk.’”

“Don’t remind me,” Cedric said. He put his hands on his forehead and shook his head. “I’ll know to never do that again. Always treat the tower like I’m facing the highest challenge.”

“Exactly like Faye used to say. She knew what she was talking about, after all.”

“Who’s Faye?” Wyn asked. He kicked some dirt nervously.

“She was our former leader,” Cedric said. “She was a veteran for two seasons before she led our current party for two more. Then she was recruited to one of the top guilds.”

“I think she made their lead party, too,” Marcy said. “Which isn’t surprising.”

“Really?” Cedric said. “I didn’t realize that. Good for her! She was a great Druid.”

“Is a great Druid,” Marcy corrected. “Just not one for us anymore.”

“Did she leave on bad terms?” Wyn asked. He was more interested now, curious about other classes and Climbers.

“No,” Marcy replied. “We knew she would go on to be in another guild. It was only a matter of time. She’s a great Climber - skilled, smart, and team-focused. But we lost some definite confidence and power when she left.”

“And we’ve been trying to climb back ever since,” Cedric finished. “But we’ll get there.”

“Exactly.” Marcy smiled at Cedric. He returned one to her.

Wyn couldn’t help but smile at their interaction. It was contagious and encouraging. In a sense they looked more like allies at war than Climbers in Alistair, and truthfully, they were.

“Alright you two,” Wyn said. “No time like the present.” He stomped the butt of his spear on the ground, readying himself.

“True,” Cedric said. “We have a plan. Let’s stick to it the best we can.”

“Ladies first,” Marcy said. She began to walk into the room, striding carefully. She drew an arrow and nocked it to her bowstring, readying herself to draw and fire at a moment's notice.

Cedric held his arm out for Wyn, inviting him to go next. Wyn started but then stopped. He pulled up his left robe sleeve and held his arm out to Cedric, touching his shoulder.

Cedric furrowed his brow, unsure of Wyn’s intention. Wyn smiled and patted his shoulder reassuringly.

“Dyadcast: Arcane Aura!” Wyn said. He felt the skill take effect on top of the spell, the magical energy surging from his mark. His class symbol appeared on the ground below him, and a second one appeared under Cedric. It started from the ground and moved up, enveloping both of them in the familiar magical aura. The symbol morphed into another one with a single circle, the runic makeup of the Arcane Aura spell. The skill and spell covered them in a magical haze, forming into a soft white suit of armor over their own clothing.

Even Marcy turned around and watched him cast it, curious at his skill.

“Thank you, Wyn,” Cedric said. “That skill is definitely something. I’ve never seen that spell used in a sort of double-cast.” The Wizard moved his body around, twisting and turning his torso and arms freely. He stood a bit straighter with the armor around him, confident and secure.

“I’m glad you’re impressed,” Wyn said. He felt useful for a change. “But let’s get this going while it’s still active. Based on the experiment at the start of the floor, the spell should last about ten minutes.”

Cedric nodded his agreement and followed behind Marcy. “I hope that's enough. And I’m ready to get out of this place, too.”

Wyn followed behind both of them. He quickly looked down to inspect his mark while they were still safe. Nearly the entire mark was glowing - the Ruby Magician hat, shield, sword and staff were gently pulsing magic, and the singular runic circle was dull. Lucidity was working, and by his mark, needed nearly the entirety of his mana before it would completely recover, or just under three hours. He figured he would have enough for an Ice Shard spell only, and not even right now. It would be some time for him to recover enough mana for a single cast.

This had to work. He still had years of combat experience and training to rely on.

The three Climbers cautiously walked further into the room. They each looked back at the entrance and noticed it wasn’t barring them off. At least the entrance was still a possible escape.

But it didn’t matter. They had only one possible way out, and that was forward.

The room was massive, as Wyn figured it would be. It was nearly as big as the training hall where Wyn first met John and then sparred with Daniel. What he didn’t expect, though, was the sheer amount and size of mushrooms that grew out from the cave walls and randomly through the cave floor and ceiling.

The mushrooms created an assortment of varying colors. They all pulsed and emitted a bit of light, blanketing the final room in a strange rainbow. The Climbers could see everything easily, but it was a bit disorienting, too.

Wyn noticed there were a few colors he hadn’t seen in the tunnels before. Pink, white, brown, even some multi colored mushrooms were scattered around the ones he recognized. He wondered what kind of mushroom monster would emerge from those.

“Here we go,” Marcy said. She was standing at the opposite end of the room. Wyn realized he was standing directly in the middle of the large cave, staring at the mushrooms coating the area. Marcy and Cedric had been busy in their time, having fanned out to search for the objective.

Wyn felt again like a true rookie. Despite his experience and training he still found himself caught in moments of wonder, difficulty focusing on the task before him. He hoped it would be easier as he gained experience as a Climber, but he couldn’t help but chastise himself for these moments.

“What is it?” Wyn asked. He had jogged up to them to see what they stopped to investigate.

Marcy was standing at a stone pedestal that held a large bowl. They were both dark grey. The bowl was also stone, and there was a small circular hole in the middle that appeared like it drained deeper into the pedestal. It looked like something that belonged in a temple, though Wyn hadn’t had much experience there.

He looked over to Cedric and noticed he was standing in front of an opening. There were a series of stone bars, similar to the ones that they had encountered on their winding journey here. Three were vertical and three were horizontal, all the size of a small tree.

Behind them, though, was their prize. The portal to the next floor floated there, bright red, beckoning them to touch it so they could exit. It was a tease, literally barred off from them until they could solve whatever puzzle the tower laid out.

“So this was probably open earlier today, after some groups cleared it, right?” Wyn asked, pointing with his spear at the portal.

“Yea,” Marcy replied. “But it closes quick, resetting itself for the next group. Otherwise you could get carried through the whole tower, which defeats the purpose.”

“That makes sense. There’s no spider bosses here, though, so that’s something.”

“Marcy,” Cedric said, inspecting the bowl and pedestal. “Do you remember the color puzzle on floor 6?”

“Gods, yes. I hate that floor.”

“Well, I have bad news. I think this might be similar.”

Marcy groaned and smacked her forehead with her palm.

“Why is that so bad?” Wyn asked.

“The puzzle,” Cedric started, “involved having to light colored flames in a specific order to continue on. If you made a mistake, enemies would appear and you’d have to start over.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“It took over two hours,” Marcy said. “And nearly drained us of our resources at full capacity. As other groups joined us more enemies joined, too. It was awful.”

Wyn nodded, trying to understand the difficulty. “Well, how do we start, then? There’s only a grey bowl and no other colors.”

“Based on our previous trials, the assorted mushroom enemies we faced, and the massive amounts of colored mushrooms here, it’s safe to say this will be similar. I feel like this floor might be coming back to me.”

Wyn still wasn’t convinced. It just seemed… boring. Granted, there wasn’t much information to make that conclusion, and he needed to trust their experience. If there were only a few mushrooms like what they faced, they stood a good chance while Cedric remembered what to do.

Marcy suddenly perked up and wheeled around, facing the entrance. She drew her bowstring, anchoring the arrow to her cheek. She steeled her gaze and straightened her torso, readying herself.

Wyn was slower than her Extrasensory, and he turned to see what alerted her. Three yellow mushrooms had vibrated and shaken on the wall beside the tunnel where they entered, and they released their spores onto the cave floor. Mushrooms began to sprout from the dust, all yellow like the ones they first fought on the floor.

Wyn smiled and readied himself beside Marcy. He remembered that they weren’t so bad, being slow and soft. They had weapons but were manageable. Plus, there was a fair distance between them, giving him plenty of time to counter with an attack.

Marcy cursed.

The mushrooms grew larger than the ones they had fought previously. They expanded at least three feet taller and wider, more like trees than mushrooms, looking much more intimidating than before. He could see their yellow eyes glaring at him from across the large room. One wielded a spear like him, another an axe, and the third had two swords, one in each hand.

Wyn immediately stopped smiling. This wouldn’t be nearly as easy as he thought.