The Ruby Magician

“There’s no way in the great hells that I can jump that,” Tasha said. She was standing next to the rest of the group peering into the pits, though still a foot’s length behind them out of caution. “Are you all insane?”

“No, just realistic,” John said. “Do you see a plank or other means of crossing? Do you have a fancy spell that can levitate us across?”

"No, I do not," Tasha said, putting one hand on her hip. She met John's eyes with a piercing stare of her own. "Maybe the rest of you all could jump it, but how can I?"

John shook his head and sighed. "I don't know. You seem light enough, maybe we can throw you across?"

Tasha punched him in the shoulder.

Wyn smiled, taking a moment to enjoy their back and forth banter. Despite the situation, it was still funny to see.

"Tasha, let's think through this," Wyn said, still smiling. "Truthfully, it's only a small gap. Soldiers practice drills like this all the time. You'd be surprised how far you can jump with a running start."

“Exactly!” John said, walking backwards. “I’ll even be the first one to do it if it’ll make you feel better.”

Tasha snickered. “You falling into a pit full of spikes to your death? Sure, that’ll make me feel better.”

John crouched, readying himself for a running jump, before standing and putting his hands on his hips. “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not. Are you joking? Actually, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”

Sheathing his sword and putting his shield on his back, John readied himself to jump. He inhaled deeply followed by exhaling sharply once, then again, and then took off in a sprint straight towards the pit. He jumped at the last second, leaping up and forward. Tasha covered her eyes, unable to bring herself to watch the outcome. The others couldn't take their eyes away, eager to make sure John could make it without issue.

The Fighter cleared the pit by several feet, rolling to a stop on the other side. His shield clanged against the stone path when he rolled, taking most of the force. He stood and brushed the dust off his armor and pants, waving to the others in celebration while stepping backwards.

A stone plate under his left foot sunk a few inches, and he instinctively stepped forward towards the first pit. Another large section of the path crumbled away, and he was now standing between both holes with wide eyes. The intact, safe portion of stone was the same length of the pits - about ten feet long.

Wyn quickly gauged the total distance of their current section. It was about thirty feet long until a split hall veered both left and right. The two pits made the center section where John was standing nearly the exact center of their path, at least on a quick estimation. Likely, that was the only other pit present, but it made running and jumping that second hole far harder.

"Is it the same width?" Wyn asked. "That second hole?"

"Looks like it," John answered. "I don't know about running and jumping over this one. I don't think I'll have enough room."

"Great," Tasha said, covering her face with one hand, "exactly what we needed - another death pit!"

Marcy shot her a sideways glance that Tasha ignored.

"So it looks like enough room for us to make it to John, at least," Wyn said. "But I'm not sure about crossing that second hole. Marcy, you and John will likely make it. Cal, do you think you can jump that? No offense, but I'm not quite sure of your physical abilities."

Cal nodded. "Yea, I can make it. I'll be able to make the second jump, too."

The rest of the group turned their heads and looked at the Mapper, various looks of confusion or disbelief covering their faces.

"What?" Cal said. "I'm stronger and more athletic than I look!"

Marcy laughed. "That's good news more than anything. Just pleasantly surprised, is all. But the question here is how can we convince Tasha to jump it?"

“You don’t need to convince me,” Tasha said, snapping in response. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Of course I need to cross it. I won’t get a spell for something like this until I upgrade my class or find an item that lets me fly, and that would far too expensive. We do it the old fashioned way for now. I may need some help, though.”

“I have a plan,” Wyn said. “It’s easy and straightforward, but you’ll need to trust us. Okay?”

Tasha nodded her head with a stern look and gripped her staff with a firm grip. “What do we need to do?”

*****

Cal and John had their arms out ready to slow down Tasha’s momentum. Wyn was standing by the pit in a crouch, and Marcy was whispering additional words of encouragement into the Diamond Magician’s ear. The girls stood at least ten feet away from the first pit, enough for a head start but not enough to discourage Tasha about being able to perform the next jump with much less running distance.

Marcy turned and nodded to Wyn, while Tasha took another deep breath followed by a loud exhale like John.

“You can do it,” Wyn said. “Trust us. We got you!”

“Yea we do,” John said. He bounced back and forth on both of his feet, eagerly awaiting the Mage. His sword and shield were on the ground away from him to free up his space and focus. Cal stood beside him having already made the jump, anxiously waiting to play his role of catcher.

Tasha immediately began to run in a sprint, Marcy running alongside her, holding her left hand. The moment she stepped at the pit’s edge, Wyn put a hand on the small of her back and Marcy mimicked him on the left side, both supporting her by pushing her forward and up. Tasha pushed off with a groan, leaping to the best of her ability. She practically flew through the air, easily clearing the distance and landing in the arms of both Cal and John. The men easily caught her, stopping her progress and holding her in a comforting hug safely on the solid stone.

Tasha immediately threw her arms around John, hugging him tight. He held his arms up and away from her, looking at the others for guidance. She wasn’t letting go, though, and he slowly patted her back reassuringly.

Tasha’s eyes flew open at the realization of her situation of still hugging John tight around the neck. She practically pushed herself off of him, again adjusting her robes and dusting herself off. “Thank you,” she said, nodding to the Fighter with as much etiquette as she could muster. “And thank you as well, Cal.”

Cal looked away at the ground and cleared his throat. “Umm… you’re welcome.”

Marcy quickly leapt over the gap, easily clearing it without so much as a head start. She landed gracefully on the balls of her feet, entering a crouch silently upon landing. She turned and smiled. “Last one, Red Mage.” She held her hands out like she was about to give him the biggest hug possible.

Wyn tossed his spear over, careful to throw it sideways so it wouldn’t cut or stab the Ranger. She easily caught it and set it down along with John’s equipment.

Wyn now backed up a few feet, estimating the distance he’d have for the next jump. He didn’t want to be overconfident, but he also wanted to make absolutely sure he could clear the next pit with the same strategy. If not, well - he’d need to come up with something quickly.

He took several hard steps, sprinting the short distance before leaping off the edge of the pit at the last second. The warm air cut across his face as he soared through the air, and he knew he’d make the distance easily. He landed as the others steadied him, ensuring he wouldn’t go too far.

“Alright!” John said, clapping his hands. “That worked out well! Only one more to go in the same way and we’ll be set!”

“As long as we can make it without the extra distance,” Tasha said. She paced along the patch of stone, cautious to not go too close to the pit’s edge.

John backed up to the side of the first pit before taking a few more deep breaths. He put as much power as he could in the few steps he had available before jumping at the edge. He flailed in the air with his arms and yelped, but landed on the other side with relative ease, clearing the pit with a couple of feet to spare. A sigh left his lips and he cautiously stepped around, not wanting to cause a potential third hole to emerge.

“We should be alright,” Marcy said. “There likely isn’t another one.”

“Good,” Wyn said, happy that his estimation before was affirmed by the veteran. “Let’s keep the same process, then. Cal, you’re -”

On Wyn’s right, he felt a small surge of wind cut him off mid sentence. Cal pounded with his feet in his strides and grunted with a leap. He jumped the pit with his pack and weapon like before, the added gear not slowing him down in the slightest. A loud thud shook the stones at his impact, and he landed with practiced ease beside John.

John looked up at him, his eyes wide. “Well alright, then. Show off.”

Cal smiled awkwardly, his lips curling and cheeks beat red. He turned to face the others and spread his arms like he was waiting for a hug. “Ready when you are.”

The others carefully tossed their gear over that they weren’t comfortable holding. Wyn’s spear and backpack, Tasha’s staff and pack, and John’s equipment all systematically were thrown over, the two men catching them and setting them in a pile.

Marcy stood beside Tasha again, holding her left hand. “You can do this. You saw how easily you went over the last one. It’s the same thing!”

“I know,” Tasha said. “I know I can. I’m just… scared is all.”

Marcy clapped her other hand over Tasha’s and took a deep breath. “Come on, St. Clair. We got you.”

Tasha hopped up and down on her feet several times. “Alright. You ready?”

The men all nodded.

Tasha leaned forward and pushed against the ground hard, mimicking John and Cal. Just like before, Tasha was pushed forward by Wyn and Marcy, and she jumped across the gap. The large stone underneath her foot shifted slightly, and she screamed in the air. Thankfully she had plenty of force behind her and she landed into the other men’s arms without difficulty. They all breathed a sigh of relief, and Tasha stepped off to the side breathing deep. She wiped her face with the sleeve of her robe.

Marcy deftly leapt to the other side without hesitation, having no issue with the block of stone. “Come on, Wyn. It should be fine.”

Wyn prepared himself, too, hopping up and down. He scooted to another stone block just in case, not wanting the edge to give way. He rushed the few feet he had and jumped.

The stone under his foot crumbled into the hole, and he fell more than he went forward. The lack of stability under his feet prevented him from having any sort of solid ground to push against. He flailed at the realization, and the others scrambled to their edge of the pit, not knowing what else to do. Marcy and John each reached out a hand, but it was in vain. They were just too far away.

Wyn quickly realized he wasn’t going to make it across. It felt as though time slowed down in those precious seconds. He guessed he likely wouldn’t even be able to get a hand on the other edge - he was falling too much and didn’t have enough push forward. He reached to his lower back and pulled out his dagger as fast as possible, slamming it into the earthen wall of the other side of the pit the instant he hit it. The dagger went into the earth up to the hilt, but he still fell, the weapon only cutting into the dirt. At least it slowed his descent. He dug his boots into the dirt wall and clawed it with his left hand, but his momentum was still too great.

Any moment he’d fall into the spikes, and he knew it was inevitable. He changed tactics and pointed his free hand to the bottom. “Shield!” He yelled, and a large, circular barrier of magical force appeared below him. The spell activated just in time, popping into existence the moment before he would’ve been impaled. His feet slammed into the magical barrier. It acted more like a small platform to stand on, separating him from the spikes.

He looked up at the edge where the others were looking over. John let out a sigh of relief, and Marcy disappeared from his view.

“I don’t know how long my spell will last!” Wyn yelled. The spell was vague as all spells were, with its mana cost, defensive ability, and active timeframe. It’s description only said it would last ‘for a time’. Now was definitely not the time to test that time, either. He thought about quickly digging out hand and foot holds in the dirt to have a place to secure himself just in case.

Something suddenly hit Wyn in the head, causing him to flinch. He looked up and saw the end of a rope, knotted and dangling.

Cal stood at the top holding the other end. “Grab it!” He yelled down before disappearing.

Wyn’s heart raced. Knowing the spell could dissolve at any moment was terrifying, as it was the only saving grace separating him from dropping into the spikes. He quickly sheathed his dagger and tugged the rope, testing the strength. It was stout, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d think it was tied to something sturdy. The instant he pulled he was yanked up and off the spell where it suddenly disappeared. He put his feet onto the wall again, hoping he could climb up the wall as long as the other end of the rope was secure.

Even though it only took him half a minute to climb the wall, it was an agonizing amount of time. Adrenaline surged through his body, and he raced up the side to his freedom. When he approached the edge, he shifted from the rope to the stone, and felt Marcy and Tasha grab his arms and armor to lift him up.

Wyn floundered onto the safe ground, lying there while he caught his breath. He looked up to see Cal and John holding the other end of the rope, both serving as the anchor. They knelt over with their hands on their knees now, recovering from the strength necessary to hold Wyn and help pull him up as well as the frantic urgency of the situation.

Everyone took a few moments to collect themselves from the sudden turn of events.

“Thank you,” Wyn finally said in an exhale, looking at all of them.

“That was smart,” Marcy said. “Using that spell like that.”

Wyn shook his head and laughed. “It was purely a guess. I’m glad it paid off!”

Marcy snickered. “Me, too. I think that spell will serve you better than Arcane Aura anyway. Leave that to Tasha.”

Tasha stood over Wyn, holding his spear out. He stood up and grabbed it from her, nodding in thanks.

“Next time,” Tasha said, “I’ll a have spell to prevent that. I promise.” Tears fell down her cheeks, and she wiped them with the back of her now-free hand. Her gaze didn’t change, though, looking right at Wyn.

He knew that look. He’d seen it many times with his soldiers. It was the look of someone who was pushing past regret into change, deciding to leave their negative feelings behind and vow to both do better and be better.

“I believe you,” Wyn said. “Thank you for trusting us, too.” He looked behind her at Cal and John who were both readying themselves to continue. “Guys - thank you both.”

“Thank Cal,” John said, not taking his eyes off his sword and sheath that he was still fastening around his waist. “He was the one who pulled out the rope so fast.”

“I just wanted to do my part,” Cal said. He readjusted the straps on his backpack, fiddling with the buckles. “It was nothing.”

“Well, it was something to me,” Wyn said. “I’d be dead if you didn’t drop that down for me.”

Cal shrugged. “I’m sure you would’ve found a way to escape one way or another.”

“When it comes to magic,” Marcy said, “anything is possible. Eventually. But let’s keep going. I want to finish this floor sooner rather than later.”

“And we still have a break soon,” Tasha said. “It’ll be needed after that debacle.”

Marcy suddenly spun on her heels readying her bow, while John drew his sword with a slight delay. A guttural roar came from the left intersection followed by a loud hiss. Two of the large snake-men slithered out of the hall further ahead, both swinging swords wildly, their bodies creeping across the stone floor like giant snakes.

Marcy immediately fired at the closest snake monster, though it easily writhed out of the arrow’s trajectory, only suffering a glancing blow. The creature picked up speed as it came closer, seemingly heading straight for Tasha who stood by herself. She froze, clutching her staff with both hands, panic overtaking her.

“NO!” John yelled, though he was too far to make any relevant impact in the moment.

The monster towered over Tasha, raising its sword and hissing one more time before slashing down. Tasha closed her eyes and winced, anticipating the sword to strike at any time.

A loud clang in front of her roused her and her eyes shot open. Cal stood beside her and the monster, his war hammer intercepting the attack and dispersing the force. The Mapper pulled his hammer behind him in a flash with both hands and slammed it into the side of the creature with surprising speed and strength. The impact boomed with a small gust of wind, and the monster’s body cratered under the hammer before flying into the side half wall. It crumpled against the stone, slumping in an awkward bend into a monster mess.

Tasha’s robes whirled around her from the hammer’s contact, dust flying all around them. She blinked several times, unsure of what, exactly, just happened. Unfortunately she didn’t have time to ask as more of the snake like monsters slithered towards them from the same path ahead.