The Ruby Magician

Wyn anxiously looked around trying to find his team. He was standing in the base of Alistair, waiting to join them to finally enter the tower for the new season. They had decided at the festival two days ago to start the new season this morning to take their time on the first floor, leave after completing it, and analyze how it went. They wanted to take it a floor at a time for at least this week to get used to climbing while trying to minimize any problems.

It was slow, sure, but with their limited team of four and John literally getting stabbed in the back three days ago, they were understandably cautious.

Wyn took the time to focus and steady himself. They would show eventually, and they would be fine. He wasn’t concerned about that. But after seeing the many different Climbers and their groups enter, he was feeling underwhelmed by his own group. They needed to be more cautious due to their shortcomings. If they had six members they could afford to be more risky, but as it stood now they needed to take it slow.

Which was unfortunate. He needed funds, and he needed them badly. Climbing slower meant taking longer to get them. Hopefully he’d find a way around that, but for now he was at a loss.

Wyn saw some other people standing around the base as well. They didn’t appear to be involved in groups, though. One woman was wearing an explorer’s hat and clothes with multiple pouches on her belt that seemed a bit excessive and unwieldy. She was looking around the room trying to survey the climbing groups for some reason.

Another one was a taller man, heavy set but obviously strong. He was wearing a large backpack and a war hammer was on his hip. He looked anxious, but wasn’t studying the Climbers nearly as seriously as the woman.

“Are you looking for a group?” A man asked, startling Wyn. He had a shield on one forearm and a sword sheathed on his hip. His padded armor was green and black, and he carried a helmet under his shield arm. He looked like he led the climbing group behind him.

“Umm, no,” Wyn said, caught off guard. “I’m waiting for my group to come.”

“Oh,” the leader said, “I’m sorry, I thought you were a Mapper.”

“That’s alright. Honest mistake.”

“Are you a Fighter?” A man in their group asked. “I don’t see many Climbers with spears, let alone a robe to go with it.” He pointed to Wyn’s spear that was leaning against the wall behind him.

This Climber had thinner leather armor on that was darker in color. A cowl was draped around his neck from his cloak, and Wyn noticed he had two short swords sheathed on his hips.

Wyn hesitated but decided to be honest. “I’m a Ruby Magician.” He nervously fiddled with his backpack straps.

The Climber tried to suppress a laugh but failed. A woman in their group snickered.

“What’s your class?” Wyn asked. He clenched his jaw, cursing himself for asking. He wanted this conversation to end before it picked up but foolishly kept it going.

“I’m a Rogue,” the man replied. “It’s not everyday you see a Red Mage out here.”

“I guess not,” Wyn replied. He looked around again, hoping that his friends were close. He was more than ready to get into the tower. Monsters were easier to face than ridicule.

“A spear wielding mage,” a woman said. “You’re not the rookie that went to the second floor, are you?”

“No way,” the Rogue replied. “Those are just rumors. He’d be dead if he actually went to the second floor.”

Wyn declined to answer choosing silence instead. One thing he learned in the military was it was often better to not talk back unless absolutely necessary. And it was absolutely not necessary right now.

The leader smiled. “Regardless, we have no room for you. We are only looking for a Mapper.”

“Yea, good luck in there,” the Rogue said. “I’m sure you’ll need it.”

Wyn smiled back and grabbed his spear. He walked away, wanting to get as far away from them as possible. He hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with them again.

Before long John and Tasha tore through the crowd towards him and he thanked the gods they were finally here. He took a deep breath and donned his helmet. After discussing with Daniel, Wyn decided he wanted the protection rather than the appearance and comfort. The older Ruby Magician recommended finding a magical hat that protected him and was more comfortable, but until then, Wyn settled on the familiar helmet.

“Finally!” Wyn said when he was in earshot of the others. John smiled and Tasha rolled her eyes.

“Sorry, Wyn,” Tasha said. “But this lazy ass just had to take his time with breakfast after we were already late.”

"I can't help it," John said. "I need my beauty sleep and a full stomach to be of any use."

Tasha laughed. "You'd need a lot more for that."

John rolled his eyes. "Anyway. Have you seen Marcy?"

Wyn looked around, scanning the Climbers in the base. The crowd was new, most of them he'd seen earlier already entering the tower. He didn't spot her fur armor and bow and quiver.

"No, I haven't. I though she might be with you guys."

"It's alright," Tasha said. "We can wait a little while longer."

The three of them nervously shuffled around, feeling out of place. It was a strange sensation. They were more confident for their first trip with Cedric and Marcy leading them, and now they were two less people without Lionel or Cedric.

"Are you guys as nervous as I am?" Tasha asked. She was fidgeting, fingering her potion belt and triple checking the mana and health potions holstered in it. "It's a completely new layout. Who knows what it'll be?"

"That's the exciting part, though," John said. "Plus we have a plan. We'll be fine!"

"Exactly," Wyn said, agreeing. "There may only be four of us but we’re healthy, ready, and not in a rush. We complete the first floor then come back to assess. Marcy has a key, too, in case we need it."

"Though we won't, since both of you can heal us," John said. "Not to mention Marcy could just obliterate anything on the first floor, anyway."

"I don't know about that," Marcy said, sneaking up behind the group, "but you're probably right." She put her arms around John and Tasha and smiled wide.

"About time," John said.

Tasha shot him an annoyed look.

Wyn smiled back at the Ranger. "Great. We're all here!" He started to turn to walk to the hallway of portals when he stopped and turned back around. "Wait a second. Are you wearing something different?"

He took a closer look at Marcy who had on the fur armor she wore before, though it was more elaborate now. She had a wide belt at her waist that was new, and several potions were set in it sideways along with a pouch that was strapped to the side. A cowl was draped around her neck and a matching cloak covered her back to her knees, both dark brown that matched her armor. Her quiver was full of arrows that had similar fletchings as before, though some were different colors.

She let go of John and Tasha and twirled a bit. "This is my normal climbing gear. I didn't wear it last time since we cleared the floor already, but let me tell you - I won't make that mistake again."

"Is it all magical?" John asked. He tried to touch her cape and Marcy slapped his hand away.

"My cape, armor, belt and boots are. Of course you know my bow and quiver are, too."

John whistled. "So basically everything you’re wearing. Man. I can't wait to have that many magical items."

"Be patient. You'll get more in no time - trust me. You’ll probably have at least two or three by the end of the month. Each of you."

"Can we go, already?" Tasha asked. "You can ask all the questions about her magic gear later. I'm tired of being anxious and want to just get it over with."

Marcy and John nodded, and they looked to Wyn. His heart raced when they did, knowing they were looking at him for guidance. He was their leader now. There wasn’t any more room for errors or a lack of focus.

He didn't completely consider himself their leader, but when they planned this all out yesterday they certainly acted like he was. He was hoping Marcy would take over but she seemed distracted, and Wyn didn’t blame her. She'd been checking on Cedric daily and probably would continue to do so. She had much more experience here in the tower but he understood that she didn’t want the pressure of being a leader right now.

Wyn took a deep breath and forged ahead. He led a company in the military, sure, but this was an entirely different beast. He wanted to make sure everyone would make it fine, and felt like he needed more experience before he felt like a true leader. Still, they trusted him, and Marcy did, too.

He didn't want to let them down or get hurt. Not like Cedric again. Or worse.

They arrived at the hallway of portals quickly. There were many other groups there, all steadily entering their own portal to climb the tower. Some of the Climbers were intimidating, reminding Wyn of Xander who led the rookies on his first climb, wearing scary looking armor and weapons. They moved silently, not paying attention to anyone else, only focused on the task at hand. Wyn realized other rookies noticed the veterans, too, as several groups cleared a path when more confident Climbers walked towards the portals.

Wyn's heart jumped when he saw the portals and wondered if it was anxiety, excitement, or a mixture of both. He stepped up to a portal and looked at it, waiting for his group. Tasha took a deep breath and John was giddy with excitement. Marcy smiled, much more confident than the others. Not an ounce of fear was on display from her, but the other three held enough to share.

"Are you all ready?" Wyn asked. He looked around the portal at the others. They each nodded, and Marcy was the first to step in. Wyn quickly jumped in after her, and he hoped he would be able to tolerate the portal better than the first time.

He didn't.

When he emerged into the tower his nerves got the better of him and he began dry heaving to the side of the portal. Tasha and John followed behind him and John threw up right away. Tasha kept it together much better than last time. She was taking deep breaths and small sips from her waterskin, though she stopped to laugh.

"Serves you right for eating a huge breakfast," she said, laughing at John.

John made a sour face at her, began to say something, then immediately threw up again. Tasha laughed harder.

Wyn took a deep breath and settled himself. It was better than the last time but he obviously needed some practice.

He looked around and tried to process his environment. It was incredibly disorienting. He half expected to see the forest again, ready to fight spiders and wolves in the dark woods, but instead they were right on the edge of a thicket by a jungle. It was humid, the air sticky with heat and moisture. It was early morning which was a nice change, but the large leaves on the trees and vines snaking around them made it nearly impossible to see too far into the nearby thicket.

Wyn decided to go ahead and put his overcoat and mushroom lantern into his backpack. The coat would be too hot to wear and there was plenty of light, so he didn’t need a magical light source.

He walked around a bit trying to take it in. The portal placed them in a small, open haven of a clear field. There was dense greenery all around them, every direction seemingly blocked by branches, bushes, or trees with leaves the size of people.

Worse, he was already starting to sweat and they had just arrived.

Marcy was scouting ahead, taking in their surroundings. She started to look for any signs of a trail or path to start their trek. She went over to John to make sure he was alright before taking out her parchment to look it over.

Wyn thought that was a good idea to look at his parchment right away. He was curious what was on it, still impressed that it changed itself so often.

PARTY: 4/4

Floor 1

Quest: There are rumors that a long forgotten temple resides deep in this jungle. Some locals claim that they see bright lights reaching to the stars at certain nights, others swear they see a temple deep in the brush. You’ve been tasked with finding if these rumors are true.

Wyn folded the parchment back up and put it away. The task seemed odd, but what about the tower wasn’t odd. It seemed like his mission was to go deeper in the jungle and stay alive.

Easy.

The sound of John’s sword unsheathing broke the silence of the group. He had his shield readied on his left forearm, too, and seemed to have his stomach more under control. The four of them gathered together to start their plan.

“Are we ready, then?” John said, pointing his sword towards the jungle. “I guess we need to start exploring. Find the set path and follow it to the boss area.”

“I am,” Marcy said. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked around. “I can’t seem to find a path, though. Maybe it’s deeper in the brush but there’s nothing to suggest a clear way in.”

The four of them looked around and Wyn pointed to a tree that looked a bit taller than the rest. “Let’s start by that tall tree. We can use it as a starting marker.”

“I just hope we don’t get lost,” Tasha said. “Marcy, how easy is it for someone to get lost in the tower?”

“It definitely happens, but usually you’d run into another group and keep going." She reached into a pouch on her belt and pulled out a portal key. "Though I do have one of these if we need it. Granted, we should keep trying even if we do get lost and use this as a last resort. Getting lost typically just makes the trip a lot longer, not impossible.”

“And longer means spending more resources like mana and energy,” Wyn said. “So let’s stick together and take it a bit slower so that doesn’t happen. Maybe map out our route if we have to.”

“Plus, we have a veteran Ranger with us,” John said, pointing his thumb at Marcy. “We’re not going to get lost. So don’t worry, Tasha.”

Marcy laughed and shook her head. She started walking towards the tall tree and the others followed. She stopped after a few feet of walking and took out a strange looking dagger from her back that Wyn didn’t notice before. It had a large, wide blade and was slightly curved. She began to swing it, using it to hack away at the vines, leaves, and bushes. The blade was clearing it relatively easily and it appeared effortless, which Wyn considered was good so she wouldn’t wear herself out.

John stepped beside her to do the same, using his sword as a makeshift tool similar to Marcy. Both of them created a wide berth of clearance for Tasha and Wyn to walk through. John was exerting much more effort than Marcy and his sword wasn't as effective, but he was managing even if it was a bit slower.

Before long they all heard water running and rushed to see what it was. A river snaked its way through the jungle beside them with the water flowing steadily in the direction they were heading. It was murky and dirty, and the four of them weren't able to see what hid under the surface. It was a good sign, though, showing them that they were making some kind of progress.

They decided to traverse the jungle close to the river, hoping to find something else, anything, that would direct them further with their task. The river curved and wound often, and the group was thankful that Marcy was leading their way since it was disorienting. Wyn wasn't used to traversing terrain like deep brush, and even then he wasn't the best at determining direction, choosing to use his guide during military marches rather than his own poor sense of direction.

The four of them continued this process for nearly an hour, stopping once to hydrate and take a break. As they were pushing forwards, Marcy stopped mid-swing, looking around her.

Wyn had seen her do that before. He knew it meant her Extrasensory skill was activating. The others knew it, too, as they quickly alerted themselves to their surroundings.

Granted, their surroundings were dense foliage as high as them, and they couldn't see anything more than a few feet in all directions. That made for a terrible fighting environment and meant an ambush was all but guaranteed.

"Something's here," Marcy said, and shifted her knife around to hold it upside down. She left her bow slung around her chest, knowing it would be useless this close.

"Backs together," Wyn said, returning to his days as captain. He turned and took a few steps backwards to the middle of the group. "Keep your eyes out for anything."

The others quickly caught on, the four of them able to see any threat in all directions. It was the best strategy for their situation, but still not perfect. Their hearts beat quickly as they felt blinded to enemies and each of them hoped they wouldn't be taken by surprise.

"Marcy, can you sense anything?" John asked in a hushed voice.

"Yea, I think so," she replied. "There's two of them. Smaller, but moving quick." She perked up and turned her head around. "Wyn, in front of you!"

Wyn stepped forward and flipped his spear around, deciding to act fast. All he saw was the foliage rustle and shake, but that enough for him to know enemies were close at hand. He took the clawed end and swung it in a wide arc, casting the spell at the same time: "Wingbeat!"

The spear briefly lit up, the green aura around it faint but noticeable. A strong rush of visible wind flew away from the spear, managing to cut down the bushes and leaves that clouded their vision. The force continued for nearly twenty feet, and they heard loud, piercing squeals as the wind cleared away a small section of the jungle.

Two creatures of similar appearance both fell over onto the cleared brush. They landed with several thuds, still and unmoving. Wyn and John hesitantly walked over to them, ready to attack again if needed. The creatures looked like giant lizards though were bipedal, almost like a human-lizard hybrid. Their torsos were separated from their chest and abdomen in a fine cut, Wyn’s spell completely bisecting them.

Wyn and John looked at each other in shock. Wyn looked at his spear and had a newfound respect for the magical weapon.