The Ruby Magician

“First question’s an easy one,” Nigel said. He leaned forward in his chair beside Gregory as though he was going to whisper to the group. “Why did you want to be a Climber?”

Wyn looked down at the others. He was on the far right sitting beside Marcy, and John was on the far left beside Tasha. Cedric was in the middle. They each looked around, unsure of who was supposed to start.

Nigel pointed with his head to John. At least that made it easy.

John shrugged. “I’ve wanted to be a Climber for as long as I can remember. My parents and older sister climbed, and I used to hear stories of their adventures growing up. I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do.”

Nigel and Gregory nodded along though the other two men in the Twilight Blades, Prian and Caryn, remained still.

Tasha cleared her throat and sat up straighter. “My father wanted to send me to Keyworth’s to become an official Wizard like him. I didn’t want to be stuck in a school for years in something I didn’t want to do. Magic still intrigued me, though, as did choosing my own path. So I came to Alestead to climb.”

Prian perked up at the mention of Keyworth’s, but he offered no other response. Wyn silently noted that. And he noted that Tasha was pretty forthcoming with her actual reason of becoming a Climber, though she left out her nobility. They likely could figure out for themselves that she was high class from the way she carried herself and the fact that her father was a classically trained Wizard, but Wyn understood her intent.

Tell the truth. Mostly.

“I just wanted to see magic for myself,” Cedric said next. “I heard stories about tower magic. How grand and wonderful it was. I decided to find out personally. I was lucky to get a purely magic class, and I’ve never looked back.”

There was a pause before Marcy spoke. “Mine isn’t as glamorous, but I’ll be honest. I knew there was glory and riches becoming a Climber. So I came after months of training to prepare myself, ready to embrace whatever class I got. Lucky for me I was gifted a Hunter with ranged skills, just like I was used to. While I was still becoming accustomed to my class some more experienced Climbers were killed in the tower. One of them was a Hunter, and we had the same mentor. It sobered me up quick. I no longer wanted glory or riches. I just wanted to survive. Until whatever adventure in life comes next.”

Wyn looked at Marcy, confused. She never mentioned anything like that before. Was that why she took bad news so seriously?

“And last but not least,” Caryn said with a smile. “Our own Ruby Magician.”

Wyn looked at the man. He didn’t seem patronizing, just playful. At least he hoped. “I was a captain in the military for two years and served five. Right before I came home, I found out my father accrued a massive amount of debt. Especially for a poor farming family like mine. So I left right away to come here. I knew of Climbers and how they could earn a lot of coin at the expense of danger. But I was trained. Skilled. I didn’t care about the danger, I just wanted my sister safe. When I found out my class was a Ruby Magician, it didn’t bother me. Whatever it took to be able to climb was what I was going to do. I’ve been learning as I go, much to the annoyance of these four, I know. But I’d do it again if I had the choice.”

Nigel looked to the five Climbers and nodded his head in acceptance. “Thank you for sharing.”

“My turn,” Prian said. “Why did you decide on Wyn being your group leader?”

Wyn wanted to answer but it seemed like the question was directed to the others. Prian wasn’t even looking at him, he was eyeing the other four individually.

“After our first climb, it was pretty obvious the kind of climber he was,” John said. “The kind of person he was. I knew I wanted to climb with him since then and that hasn’t changed. Him being our leader felt natural. It was an easy decision for me.” He looked over at Wyn with an unusually serious expression. “And I’d want it to stay that way.”

Wyn studied John for a second. Was that him apologizing for saying he prioritized being in a guild over the party staying together? It sure felt like it. He gave a small nod to the Squire who returned the gesture.

“What happened on your first climb?” Nigel asked.

“Don’t become sidetracked,” Prian said. “I still want them to answer my question.”

“We can answer both,” Marcy said. “Cedric and I were helping lead a group of rookies for their introductory climb. These three here all joined up in the same group along with one other.” Marcy paused, clenching and unclenching her first. “That other one stabbed John in the back at the end of the floor and we tried to chase him down. He ran through the portal to the second floor.”

Gregory and Nigel shared a look. The other two were listening intently.

“We didn’t end up capturing him but we were forced to clear the second floor,” Cedric said. “Me, Marcy, and Wyn.”

“Only two veterans and a rookie to clear the entire second floor?” Caryn asked.

“Two unequipped veterans who had climbed all day and a rookie without any special equipment,” Cedric said. “We managed, up until the boss room.”

“It was harder than we remembered,” Marcy said.

“Any floor is harder with half a group,” Nigel said. “And without your equipment, at that.”

“True. But we made it.”

“Almost,” Cedric said, lifting up his armless shoulder. “I would have lost more than my arm if Wyn hadn’t intervened. He saved my life.”

“So the rumors were true,” Caryn said. “I thought it was a bunch of shit. Hear that, Gregory?”

“I do,” Gregory said. “At least it clears up why you went to the second floor. We thought if the rumor was true, the Climbers who went to the second floor on an introductory climb were foolishly seeking glory. But that provides some context.”

“When we came back, our group cast us out,” Marcy said. “Cedric nearly left climbing but Wyn convinced him to stay.”

“How about you?” Prian asked, looking at Tasha. “Where do you fit in all of this?”

Tasha swallowed then took a breath. “I healed John while they went to the second floor. Made sure he stayed alive. Seeing him like that with a knife in his back, all the blood…”

“Shit, he actually stabbed you in the back?” Caryn asked. “I thought you meant figuratively!”

John laughed. “No. Still have a scar, even after the healing.”

“But after I really trusted the others,” Tasha continued. “They were good people after that. And they are good people now. Wyn helped me focus on what kind of Climber I wanted to be since the beginning. He’s a natural leader, and it only makes sense for him to lead. He cares. And he’s good.”

“He was a captain, after all,” Cedric said. “He’s more qualified than most.”

“True,” Gregory said. “That does give him a distinct advantage. But being in the military and climbing a tower is not the same.”

“Leading people is similar,” Wyn said. “If anything, I know what I do well and what I don’t. I’ve seen poor leadership and I’ve seen excellent examples, too. I led an entire company of dozens of men and women, with responsibilities that included organization, delegation, and training.” Wyn looked at the four men sitting across from him, studying them. They were leaders in different ways. But leaders nonetheless.

It was time for him to sell himself.

“I’ve made hard decisions and had hard conversations. As you all know, not everyone can do that. That’s not to say I’m perfect, because I’m not. But I’m better as a person and a Climber because of this group. Because of my mentor. I know I’m not only fit to lead but I should lead, even with the class I am. And with this group, because they’re people I trust.”

Nigel gave a warm smile and nod of his head while Caryn relaxed in his chair. Prian sat stoically while Gregory seemed hesitant. Like an internal struggle was raging deep inside him.

“How about some lighter questions, now?” Caryn said. “It’s painfully obvious that Wyn is skilled, yada yada. Why did you all choose your class upgrades? That’s always a fun question to ask.”

The five looked at each other again, and Wyn cleared his throat. Caryn was throwing them a bone while Gregory mulled over their previous answers. At least this one was easy.

“I had a… unique situation,” Wyn said. “I had five class options when upgrading and chose one that fit our group the best.”

“Five?” Prian asked. “Impossible. No class has five options.”

“We all saw his parchment,” Marcy said. “It was possible, alright. Only two were really a solid upgrade, but yea. Five.”

“I wanted something that played to my strengths,” Wyn continued. “My benefit is that I recover mana fast and I’m a skilled combatant. I want abilities to help boost those and be a support role on my team. Some healing and defense here, some mobile attacking there. All while moving quickly and efficiently.”

“Fair enough,” Caryn said.

“I had ranged skills and growth traits that leaned more towards being a Ranger despite the class not being one of the better picks as a Hunter,” Marcy said. “It’s worked out well for me, though. I can’t complain.”

“I wanted to be a Knight,” John said. “So Squire was an easy choice.”

“We share that sentiment,” Nigel said.

John smiled in agreement.

“I wanted more power and damage as a Lightning Wizard,” Cedric said. “Simple.”

“And I wanted something different,” Tasha said.

“Something different?” Prian asked.

“Yes. Almost everyone chooses Diamond Wizard no matter what growth traits they have. I didn’t want to follow that same path.”

“It’s because Diamond Wizards keep people alive,” Prian said. “They have the most mana and strongest healing and support spells to ensure people won’t perish. How is that a path to turn away?”

“Did you not remember what she said about why she came here?” Caryn asked. “She was a rebel far before she became a Climber. Any mentor in their right mind would have been able to see that she was going to choose something else. I say good for you.”

Tasha forced a smile. “Thank you. But being a Herald affords me similar benefits as a Diamond Wizard while also being able to contribute to the group in other ways. Callings can help deal with other monsters with strength or magic, heal or defend us like Diamond Wizards. My contribution is still the same.”

“We’ll see,” Prian said.

“What will you do once you’re done here?” Gregory asked. He looked directly at Wyn, not bothering to meet the eyes of the other four.

“Tonight, you mean?”

“No, not tonight. As a Climber.”

Wyn didn’t have to think about his answer. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. The only thing I’ve been focusing on is making enough crowns to cover my family’s debt. And it’s a lot of crowns. Past that, I honestly don’t know. My sister is in the city now, and she’s the only family I have left. I have no intention of returning to the farm where my home was. Once the dust settles with my family affairs I’ll have some breathing room to think about it. But not yet.”

Gregory leaned forward and glanced at each of the other guild members. Wyn couldn’t tell what they communicated in those moments, but it was clearly something. Gregory finally sat up straight again to address them. “It appears our time has passed quicker than we hoped and there are still two things to address. One, we wanted to know what your climbing schedule has been this week.”

Marcy shrugged. “Nothing unusual. We haven’t worked ourselves to the bone during the trials. Why does it matter?”

Caryn laughed. “Why does it matter, she says. Did you forget the last part of the trials? Even I remembered, and I was barely involved.”

“The climbing totals,” Cedric said. “From our parchments.”

“That’s right!” John said. “Wait. Were we not good enough?”

“The opposite, actually,” Gregory said. “You were far above the other climbing groups by a not insignificant margin. Some of the groups who ranked high climbing during the trials had worse showings in the other trials because they focused too much on climbing. Yet you all scored the highest but don’t seem exhausted or stressed about time constraints at all. Why is that?”

Wyn felt his stomach drop. He looked to the others who had differing expressions. Their reactions likely did not look good and made them look guilty.

It was the secret room they found and climbed repeatedly. That was the only explanation. No other floor would have given them so many benefits.

Since they all knew but didn’t want to tell, the four guild members likely knew something was off. Which meant if they wanted to keep their possible invitation he needed to tell the truth.

Most of it, at least.

“We got lucky, actually,” Wyn said. “My intent for the week was to focus on the trials but still climb, of course, but to balance it. I didn’t intend for us to try and be the best for the actual climbing rank. But we happened to find a secret room on the third floor that allowed us to repeat it without leaving the floor and clearing it again. So that’s what we did on the day when we had a forced hiatus.”

Caryn snapped his fingers. “I fucking knew it! I told you they found some hidden room. Brett is going to shit his pants when he finds out how much he owes me, now!”

“How?” Nigel asked.

“That’s not important right now,” Gregory said. “We only have a few minutes and we can ask them another time. We still need to discuss the second point.” He paused and stood up, folding his hands behind his back in a regal pose. “We would like to formally offer you all a position in the guild. Of course you knew this since your invitation letter had our guild name on it. But we want to specifically offer a team position. Together.”

Wyn felt hope rise within him but he needed to be sure. “You mean you want us to join as a group? Not split us up?”

“Correct. You all would still climb together with a few stipulations.”

Wyn felt all of his anxieties about joining a guild disappear in an instant. All of the arguments with John, the worries about if they would still be together... it was all for nothing.

“What are they?” Cedric asked.

“For the rest of the month Wyn will still be your leader. You’ll climb floors at our direction and we’ll review how you all do under more direct oversight. Then, next month we’ll rotate leaders in your group to see if there are any additional leaders among you who hadn’t had a chance to prove themselves yet.”

Wyn thought about that. It made sense, though it still felt a bit offensive. Either they didn’t trust his leading ability or they had ulterior motives. Were they wanting to see if someone else could lead another group, like shifting people around at a later time? Or did they genuinely believe someone else might be better at? Not that Wyn minded, after all. He wasn’t the best leader in the world. Tasha had been doing great at communicating, Cedric was a great analyzer, and John had a knack for positioning himself in the right place without really needing direction. Even Marcy had a pension to guide and help others though Wyn didn’t think she had a strong desire to lead a group. With some training any of them would be great group leaders.

What bothered Wyn was that that possibility meant their group could be split up one day, if not right away. Gregory seemed to be selling the idea that they would keep the group together for now. It was clever, of course. Unfortunately some of his worries came back.

But was Wyn being irrational wanting to keep them together for their entire climbing careers? Maybe John was right. If they joined a guild where they had plenty of people they trusted, changing their group might not be as bad as Wyn thought. The idea wasn’t ideal, but Wyn didn’t want to be the one to hold them back, either.

“As long as we can climb together and I can make the money my family needs,” Wyn said. “That sounds fair.”

Gregory smiled. “Of course. The invitation is for each of you though if one of you leaves for whatever reason that doesn’t mean the rest of you must leave, too. You’ll be full Twilight Blades members. So, you will climb together, but to be truly successful you’ll need a sixth member. I’m sure you all know that and just haven’t found someone that… fits. Does that sound about right?”

“Something like that,” Marcy said.

Caryn laughed. “This will be fun.”

“I’m guessing you’ll be the one to decide who our sixth member will be?” Wyn asked.

Gregory nodded. “We have someone in mind. But it will be our say, yes.”

“Do you accept the offer?” Prian said. “It’s a packaged deal.”

Wyn looked at his group. This was a pivotal moment. They needed to decide about joining or not. Though it felt like an easy decision, it was still an important one.

Setting an example would be a good show of faith, especially as their leader. Well, their leader for now.

“I accept,” Wyn said.

The others quickly followed, all agreeing to join.

Gregory and Nigel looked relieved while Caryn was aloof and Prian as stoic as he'd been the entire interview.

“Excellent!” Gregory said. “Now, please enjoy the rest of the evening and we’ll send letters as you leave for the next steps. We’ll invite you to our guild house tomorrow where you’ll meet the rest of the members, give you a tour, and explain what will happen next. Take time for yourselves for now. And thank you for deciding to join our guild. We believe good things will come.”