The Wandering Spire

The final week before the arrival of the Wandering Spire was spent in preparation. All the merchants packed up their stalls. Some, like Hannah, would march with the adventurers toward Mount Dragon, while others returned home. The Legion filed into long lines of soldiers in preparation for the two-day trek. It was said that the bulk of the armies from the nations were already encamped outside of the expected Wandering Spire site. Jeze ignored Drake's order to report to him and spent these days with the Frostsworn.

"So, you won't be with us when the fighting starts?" Dunar asked.

"I will try," Jeze promised.

"Miss Heng said that the Safe Zone Squads were assigned to the rear guard with the Legion. To keep you protected from the fighting," Carl Jorgenson stated. His dark eyes were serious.

Jeze sighed and debated what to say next. She decided it wouldn't do any good to lie, and she replied, "There is no glory in hiding. I want to fight alongside the Proven."

This appeared to please the Carl and he nodded approvingly. Dunar and the others stepped forward to say their farewells to Jeze.

"May we see you soon," Rolfe said.

"Good luck, little one! If you want, I can take care of your Goblin, no?" Helga stated.

Ziplocke shrieked in fright and faded away into the shadows.

"So cute!" Helga exclaimed.

Mikal rolled his eyes and simply waved goodbye to Jeze. Dunar was the last to step forward.

"Good luck, and I hope you can find us. Be safe, and may you find glory," the team leader said.

The two shook in the way of the Frostsworn and clasped each other's forearms. The Proven gathered up their heavy packs filled with weapons and supplies and joined the march out of Angston. Jeze sighed as she was alone. Irvin had left the day before to help with the organization's efforts.

"Now is not the time to daydream, knucklehead. You need to stay focused and pay attention!" Ziplocke snapped as he clambered up to her shoulder.

Jeze scratched his head and fed him some paste. The Goblin's eyes went wide with pleasure. She realized she was not alone.

"I would hate for you to die," Ziplocke said as he slurped the delicious treat.

"Do you have any advice?" Jeze asked.

Ziplocke pondered as he licked the remaining paste from his fingers. "Stick to the shadows and remain unseen. Don't daydream! Avoid being alone with Drake and his men. Lastly, be unpredictable."

Jeze absorbed the advice like a sponge to water. She had planned to head over to the Runic Research Division as she was instructed. However, that would be predictable. They were expecting her. Jeze decided she would not show up on time. With a sigh, she ran up the stairs to the sixth floor. She would say farewell to Swordslayer and Rainbow.

Jeze found them in the Silver Chalice Inn as they were making their final preparations. Swordslayer wore blood-red armor, which consisted of overlapping hardened leather and steel scales connected by silk. The cuirass covered his shoulders, chest, and thighs, while his arms and legs were protected by thick padded black sleeves and pants. This afforded the sword fighter less protection but greater maneuverability. He wore a matching blood-red steel helmet that hung low to protect the back of his neck and a grinning demon face mask. Jeze found that fitting based on his wild and violent behavior from the other day.

Rainbow wore her usual heavy dark jacket with purple orchids and a silk gambeson underneath. She was strapping a rune-covered spear to her pack when Jeze arrived.

Rainbow smiled and said, "Good luck."

"You two as well," Jeze replied.

Swordslayer removed his helmet and mask. "Bah, you know we don't need it," he boasted.

"I could never picture you in armor," Jeze joked with an elbow. Their humor melted the awkwardness away like candle wax.

"Well, it comes in handy when we face the swarms of monsters," Swordslayer replied with a wink.

They haven't seen each other since the night of the duel, and they haven't discussed it.

"What will you do?" Rainbow asked.

"I will travel with the Legion for now," Jeze said and looked around.

"You can speak freely here," Rainbow stated with confidence.

Jeze continued, "And I will try to link up with the Frostsworn when I can."

"Be careful. It will be madness. Monsters and fighting everywhere. Blood, screams, and death. It is a fun time," Swordslayer explained.

"Sounds amazing!" Ziplocke snickered.

"You know we will be running through that," Jeze said.

Ziplocke sulked and whimpered, "Oh yeah, I forgot that part. It's only fun to watch from a distance."

Jeze remembered something and asked, "Where is your team?"

"Still sleeping," Rainbow replied.

"Don't they need to get ready?" Jeze asked, alarmed.

"It would be a good idea," Rainbow stated.

"I bet you two regret not keeping Jeze on the team," Ziplocke joked.

Swordslayer laughed and explained, "The armies and Initiate ranks will do the fighting in the beginning. We are Adventurer Ranked and get called in when the bigger baddies start to arrive. You know, we take on the real challenges while you noobs fight the small ones."

Jeze arched an eyebrow and stated, "Carl Jorgenson and the other Adventurer ranked Frostsworn had already marched out."

Swordslayer snorted, "That is because the Frostsworn love to fight for the sake of fighting. Gotta hand it to them. Me? I prefer real challenges."

"Or, you are lazy," Jeze teased.

Rainbow chuckled, and then her face became serious. "You be careful, Jeze. Pay attention to your surroundings, and don't be trapped into things. You can use your words to avoid being alone with your enemies," the multi-colored haired lady said.

Jeze nodded and put the advice into her memory.

"That's kind of what I said," Ziplocke added.

"Well, you are wise, little Demon!" Swordslayer exclaimed.

"Maybe I'll see you two in the Spire?" Jeze asked.

Swordslayer snorted, "Kid, you are not at our level." He couldn't ruffle her hair due to her helm, so he just bopped her on her head.

"Perhaps," Rainbow said.

The three stood in silence a moment before Jeze said farewell. They hugged and Jeze departed to the Runic Research Division where she faced potential danger. The stairwells and lifts were crowded with people as everyone was mobilizing. After some time she made it to the Portal chamber.

"You are late," Val snapped.

"I was making preparations," Jeze replied with a scowl.

Val rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever. Help with gathering all the Channeling tools and make sure all the Squads have clear instructions on how to activate the Runes."

The blonde Rune caster walked away before Jeze could retort. Actually, the teenager didn't mind taking on the assignment. That would keep her busy and among a crowd so she wouldn't be alone with Drake. Where was the agent? Jeze wondered as she looked around the crowded chamber. She got to work and connected with the Initiate ranked Rune casters that were assigned to the Safe Zone Squad. Jeze was relieved to discover that there were about two dozen members, which was plenty to hide among until she made her escape to join the Frostsworn. Her confidence melted away at the sight of Drake. The agent appeared in his full plate armor, armed with his sword at his hip and shield strapped to his back.

"Miss Heng has gone ahead to Mount Dragon. I am left in charge. Once we are packed up, we will link up with the Legion for further instructions. Get moving, everyone! We leave at noon!" Drake loudly said to the assembled crowd.

Jeze slinked into the crowd and avoided eye contact with the captain. She talked with the other Safe Zone Squad members and learned some things.

"This is unusual," a man in his thirties said and added, "the last Spire we were allowed to be with our teams to fight the hordes. After the monsters were cleared, we activated the portals to the Safe Zones."

"Where is your team now?" Jeze asked. She recalled that his name was Jonah.

"They are downstairs, annoyed to miss the fighting. But I am their Healer, so they don't have much choice," Jonah replied.

"They will travel with us?"

Jonah nodded. Jeze left him to finish his work and checked on another group to ensure that they had what they needed. She discovered that Jonah was not the only one whose team would be accompanying them. There were at least six others, which increased the crowd for Jeze to hide in.

"The bigger the crowd, the easier it is to hide and escape," Ziplocke whispered into Jeze's ear.

At noon, the entire group filed out of the Guild Tower and marshaled in the square outside. Drake barked orders like they were soldiers, but they weren't, and they marched in a haphazard formation. The dark-skinned captain tried to create some order and gave up after several attempts. Outside of Angston, they linked up with a Company of one hundred Legionnaires. Jeze's heart sank. Drake was the commander for all of them.

"This complicates things," Ziplocke stated.

Adventurers were different from the soldiers. Where the Legionnaires marched in perfect formation with stiff backs and well-measured steps, the adventurers walked in random groups and at faster speeds. The legionnaires wore the same uniformed gear and armed with the same weapons. The adventurers had a hodgepodge of equipment. Some wore expensive armor, and others wore scavenged gear. One thing was for sure, the adventurers had better stamina and were able to march tirelessly. The reason why they stopped at all was so that the soldiers could get rest. The two groups remained separate from each other with Drake being the glue between the two. Jeze remained among the adventurers, and she studied the Legionnaires, whom Drake talked with the most. She saw at least half a dozen that had the rough looks of those willing to do disreputable things. They never glanced at her, but she suspected they were scheming.

"Remember those faces," Jeze told Ziplocke.

"You got it boss," the Goblin replied and squinted his eyes with focused determination.

Jeze rolled her eyes. They continued to march on through the Ironfist kingdom, which was mountainous and dotted with thick forests filled with tall pine trees. Occasionally, the group would pass small towns where the people were hunters, trappers, and lumberjacks. The ground was churned from the armies that had marched ahead of them. Irvin had told Jeze that all the nations had signed a pact to ensure all the armies left after the monster phase of the Wandering Spire's arrival. If the Golden Empire decided to take advantage of the situation and use its forces to invade the Ironfist Kingdom, then the Empire would have to contend with the other nations as well as the Guild. So far, Jeze had only seen the Legion and no other armies. The next largest force she saw was the Guild. Until they came upon a ridge that overlooked a valley surrounded by the mountains and in the distance was the looming presence of Mount Dragon.

"Whoa," Jeze said in awe.

"The last Spire event had more," Ziplocke stated.

Below them were thousands of soldiers and adventurers camped out across the entire valley. Jeze squinted and tried as hard as possible to see if she could spot the Frostsworn, but it was like trying to look for a single blade of grass in a wide field.

"We set up here, and this is where we will remain until after the beast hordes are cleared," Drake's voice boomed to the entire group.

As one, the Legionnaires began to make camp, with each following a set procedure. The adventurers each had their own methodology.

"The Wandering Spire will appear there?" Jeze asked Val.

The blonde rune caster scoffed, "How did you ever get to your rank?"

Jeze glared at the blonde lady.

Val rolled her eyes and explained, "Predicting where the Spire will appear is never accurate. The Seers can detect the build of energy and guess within a certain range. As the day of its arrival draws near, the energy increases, and we can get a more accurate prediction. The Spire is expected to arrive somewhere in this entire region. Miles in either direction."

"Do you know how to use the Seer aspect?" Jeze asked, playing dumb.

Val slapped her forehead. "There is no such thing. Seers use the Spirit aspect. They Summon and Control Spirits to ascertain the location."

"Thank you," Jeze said.

Val scowled and walked away, muttering.

"So clever! You pretended to know nothing and struck her with kindness! I never would have guessed that being polite could be more offensive than insults!" Ziplocke cheered.

"I was not trying to be mean. I genuinely wanted to thank her," Jeze replied.

Ziplocke snorted, "Whatever."

"Jeze!" Drake called out.

"What?" She called back.

"Come here," he replied.

"Why?" Jeze asked.

"That was an order," Drake stated.

"I'm not a soldier in your command," Jeze returned.

Their exchange drew looks from both adventurers and Legionnaires. Both sides tensed. Drake marched over.

"You forget that I am also the ranking Guild member here," Drake said. His voice was calm, but Jeze knew he was angry.

"Yes sir!" Jeze stood straight and performed a clumsy salute. This elicited chuckles from the other adventurers, and glares from the soldiers.

Drake sighed and said, "We need a scout."

"Why?"

"To secure the area. It is common for monsters to appear even before the Spire arrives," Drake answered.

Jeze looked around and replied, "Looks safe to me."

Drake rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "I am assigning you to a squad. It is standard protocol to survey the area before we set up camp."

"You don't have a scout in your Company?"

"No, that is why I'm asking you," Drake answered. His face looked calm, but his eyes were menacing.

"Be careful," Ziplocke whispered into her ear.

Jeze nodded and took two steps before collapsing to the ground and moaned loudly.

Drake took a deep breath in and asked, "What is the matter?"

"Cramps," Jeze groaned.

"Don't be ridiculous, stand up!" Drake commanded.

"I can't. It's a woman thing," Jeze replied.

Drake put his hands on his hips. The captain was getting agitated by the attention this was drawing. "Jeze, I am giving you a direct order to join the troops and scout the area."

"I am unable to. I don't feel well. Besides, it is not my job to scout for the Legion," Jeze replied.

Drake growled.

"She is correct. We are here as a part of the Safe Zone Squad," Jonah spoke up. His team approached. They were Initiate ranked adventurers that were able bodied and well armed.

Jeze looked around and saw that the other adventurers were preparing themselves. The Legionnaires outnumbered them, but there was a giant skill difference and fitness level. Jeze knew that a fight would not go well for the Legion. She grinned. The weeks of working with the Safe Zone Squad have made her well-known among the group.

Drake smiled and replied, "Of course. My apologies. I forgot myself. I will have my troops secure the area."

When the captain left, Ziplocke whispered in Jeze's ear, "That was not a subtle attempt at your life."

Jeze agreed. She didn't think Drake would take such a direct approach. I would need to make plans to leave as soon as possible, maybe this night? Jeze thought to herself.

A female adventurer knelt down beside the teenager and offered her a potion.

"This will ease your cramps," she said.

"Thank you," Jeze accepted the drink and recalled the adventurer's name as Rainia.

Rainia nodded. She was well built and the same age Daverius would be if he was still alive. Jeze perked up with a thought.

"You know how to make potions using a Yelith root?" She asked.

Rainia nodded with a smile. "Want me to show you some recipes?"

"Yes, please!" Jeze responded.