The Ruby Magician

Wyn took a deep breath and rested the butt of his staff on the ground. The position felt familiar but also foreign - he was used to his weapon being a spear, and despite the hunk of wood still being a long stick, everything was different. The weight was wrong, the height was off, even the width of the staff was just uncomfortable.

Still, it was one of the standard tools a Mage used, and for these trials that was the part of his class he focused on. It felt slightly more natural than waving a wand around. But only slightly.

His first round mage trial just concluded, and Wyn was more than happy to be done. Despite his class technically being a Magician at its core, he felt more like a warrior who had the ability to use some spells. Not a true Mage. He wanted to get to the trials that involved fighting and showing his physicality instead.

As Sonya raised her hand and declared him the winner over his Wind Wizard opponent, Wyn was relieved. He had used almost all of his mana in that match between trying to block nearly invisible wind spells with his own Shield and recovering the damage that was done with Regen. It wasn’t an efficient way to win by any means, but he didn’t care. He overcame his opponent similar to winning a game at a pub - he read the other player and took a chance.

Tasha was actually the first one to exploit the strategy, though Wyn had theorized it to her before. Most of the offensive Mages in these trials were playing the long game and saving their mana for the final round, opting to use only two or three spells to keep their mana cost low and mana pool high. Sensing his opponent was doing the same thing, Wyn gambled.

Just like Tasha, he wasn’t planning to win the entire Mage trials. But he wanted to at least get past the first round. So instead of saving his mana he used what was necessary to bolster enough a defense to win.

He also knew that his mana regenerated far faster than most Climbers and could likely build back up enough to put up a good fight, but that was beside the point. Soon he’d be outclassed and then he’d for sure lose.

But, his goal succeeded - he proved that even a lowly Ruby Magician class could be victorious.

The crowd was slightly more cheerful than the first round of his combat trial showing, but it was still poor compared to others. He didn’t mind. His friends waited for him in their seats with smiles and offers of congratulations, and that was more than enough for him.

The next round started soon after, and Cedric was the first to participate. He took his place against a stout man who wore robes that covered his head like a clergyman, though his expression was nearly as serious as Cedric.

“Another Divine Wizard,” Marcy whispered. She sat beside Tasha behind Wyn and John, but leaned down so they could all hear. “Some people like him believe that climbing is a spiritual experience. It’s easy to tell from their hoods and clothes, like priests.”

“People believe all sorts of things,” Wyn said, whispering behind him to the Ranger. “Just look at Lionel.”

“They’re crazy,” John said. His face was serious and focused on the match at center stage. “All of them.”

Sonya announced Cedric and his opponent before explaining the rules one more time to the crowd. When she was finished, she counted down the start of the match.

As soon as the match began, both participants acted at the same time. The Divine Wizard, Patrick, cast what looked to be a multi-target Arcane Aura on all three of the dummies. The spell reminded Wyn of how Tasha was able to spread a support spell over several targets with her class upgrade. Cedric simultaneously cast one of his weaker lightning spells, but it was a wide area of effect spell that spread through monsters easily. Sparks and flashes of lightning shot out from Cedric’s outstretched staff, and a wave of magical energy flowed to the dummies at the same as they were coated in protective magic.

The hit of Cedric’s spell caused a soft clap to resound through the hall like several people clapping their hands at the same time. The crowd grew louder with applause and cheers as the dummies’ magical armor faltered and faded along with the remains of lightning.

Cedric immediately prepared another spell while Patrick just stood unmoving. This time, a distinct line of lightning magic boomed across the stage faster than Wyn could blink, and it struck the middle dummy with enough force to cause the remaining armor to dissipate and the dummy to blacken. Immediately after it hit a large magical barrier appeared in the air, though it was completely ineffective.

Wyn smiled. Cedric’s lightning was too fast for Patrick to try and block with Shell, and everyone immediately came to that same conclusion. Cedric let loose a rare and confident smirk, while Patrick’s stoic demeanor morphed into a scowl. The crowd clapped and cheered louder than before, impressed with the display of magic.

The rest of the match wasn’t as fast as Cedric’s first bout, but it was far flashier and impressive. Patrick held out better than Wyn thought with some strategic support spells placed on the dummies to counter Cedric’s destructive attacks, but in the end he still lost. Cedric’s lightning attacks were strong enough to overcome the man’s defenses, and he seemingly didn’t hold back his stronger spells.

“At least one of us will make it to the last round,” Tasha said. “Hopefully Cedric has enough mana for it.”

“He’ll be in the same boat as everyone else,” John said.

As the mage trials continued during the day, both Wyn and Tasha had the outcome they expected - they both lost their next match. Tasha simply didn’t have enough mana to properly support and heal the dummies, and Wyn didn’t have enough spell options to counter his opponent. He only had the ability to heal and try to block with Shield, which wasn’t enough against a strong Fire Wizard he was paired against. Similar to Cedric, the woman was simply too powerful to try and beat.

Both of their consultation prizes were increased support from the crowd. Wyn was surprised that anyone cheered for him, but as Sonya announced his opponent won instead of him, the Fire Wizard shook his hand out of respect and several in the crowd clapped and cheered when Sonya encouraged the crowd to congratulate his efforts. Tasha received more applause after her loss but that was okay with Wyn. He had a feeling he’d sway more people in the other trials.

When the third and final round was preparing to be setup, the group was relaxing and talking in their seats in the hall. John went to the markets and got them some food due to the delay before the final round. It had been over an hour, despite being announced prior that the trials would lead straight into the finals. The crowd was getting restless, and some had even left. According to Cedric, there was supposed to be a surprise element to the last round. Wyn didn’t fail to notice that the judges had all been gone during the delay since the previous round, and hadn’t yet returned.

Something was wrong. He didn’t know exactly what, but he just knew.

“It’s probably nothing,” John said while his mouth was full of food. He bit off another slice of meat out of their filled basket.

Tasha delicately grabbed a hunk of bread. “I don’t know. Sonya and the judges are still gone.”

“I noticed that, too,” Wyn said. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would they leave right in the middle of their own trials? Shouldn’t they have everything sorted out by now?”

Marcy and Cedric were strangely quiet while they picked at their own plate of food. Wyn didn’t want to bother asking them questions. Cedric was likely running through a hundred different scenarios in his mind about the delay and the final round, and Marcy was looking all around the training hall for any sign of what was going on out of paranoia.

Suddenly Sonya burst into the training hall in a rush, the judges at her back. They quickly made their way to the center stage.

Following behind the judges were about a dozen members of the primary guild in Alestead. They wore their familiar vests and uniforms with the stag emblem. Daniel had mentioned that they acted like both guards and city officials here, while the private guilds were collective groups that actually climbed the tower. It made sense to Wyn, but he didn’t understand why both parties were called guilds.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted from the man that loomed over all of them and walked to stand beside Sonya. He wasn’t exactly taller than everyone else, but his presence was immediate and pronounced. He was a stout, well-groomed man with fine clothes and a sense of importance. Everyone in the training hall instantly quieted as he approached, and Wyn understood why.

He was Tower Master Aureus.

John dropped the last bite of meat from his fingers and it plopped back into the basket while his mouth hung open. Wyn silently waited for an explanation. Whatever this was, it was not good.

Sonya cleared her throat and spoke clearly but quieter than Wyn had ever heard from her. No one in the hall dared make a sound, though, so her voice still easily carried. “Excuse me, Climbers and spectators alike. We have an announcement to make. But please let me introduce Tower Master Aureus.” She held a hand towards Aureus and then stepped off to the side.

Aureus looked around at everyone for an agonizing few seconds before speaking. “Thank you, Sonya. First I want to extend congratulations to the Climbers participating here, seeking to grow themselves and be better. Guilds are vital to the success of Climbers, citizens, and tourists here in Alestead, and to be participating in the trials to become a member is a noble feat.”

He paused, expecting the crowd to clap or react in someway. No one even so much as breathed too loud.

Aureus solemnly nodded and continued. “Secondly, I want to thank the guilds and guild leaders themselves. Their organization and willingness to grow and take on new Climbers is commendable and I am grateful for their continued support within both Alistair and Alestead.”

The man took a deep breath and looked throughout the room, his demeanor changing from positive to serious. It was a subtle shift, but noticeable. “Having said that, I’m afraid I must personally intervene on these trials. There will be a pause for the rest of today and tomorrow, and then will resume on Wursday. The guilds have agreed to assist with matters of upmost importance regarding Alistair, and they will be preoccupied with assisting me and the city officials.”

Talk quickly picked up through the crowd like wildfire. Wyn looked to his group who all seemed just as confused as he was. Did this have something to do with Lionel’s strange cult? Or was it a different matter entirely?

Gregory stepped up beside Aureus and the two of them along with Sonya began talking. Wyn couldn’t hear what they were saying, of course, but it seemed like they weren’t finished addressing the trial participants. If so, they would have left already. Soon the trio split, and Aureus cleared his throat. The crowd silenced quickly.

“As I was respectfully reminded, I need to be more forthcoming in sharing information.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “A group of Climbers were killed this morning climbing the 9th floor.”

Wyn’s heart dropped in his chest. He knew the second tier was harder but didn’t imagine it could wipe out an entire group. Just how more difficult were the higher floors?

“This season,” Aureus continued, “the second tier has been notoriously difficult. Despite our warnings to provide extra caution in the middle floors, this group proceeded in the hopes of advancement. The sixth member just succumbed to their wounds in the infirmary. The guilds are assisting me with finding out exactly what happened and to see if there are ways to overcome this obstacle without further bloodshed, or to potentially stop climbing for the remainder of the month.”

Wyn couldn’t believe it. He knew Climbers died in the tower, and he was no stranger to death. But how serious was it if even the healers in the infirmary couldn’t heal them? If that was the case, well… there’d be no climbing further in the second tier until the next season, whether they placed a ban on climbing or not. Wyn didn’t want his group anywhere near that kind of danger.

The rest of the announcements happened in a blur. Wyn just couldn’t focus after the news, and he had a feeling not many else could either. From Sonya then announced, the rest of the mage trials were to be stopped, their final score calculated from their performance so far with leniency given under the circumstances. The next day would be a break, and like Aureus said, they’d resume on Wursday, two days from now. There was going to be a temporary ban on climbing the second tier and above, restricted only for the guilds until further notice.

Wyn met with his group after to discuss their own strategy. Despite the news, they were still Climbers. And they still had goals to accomplish. Tonight they’d rest both physically and mentally, and tomorrow they’d meet in the guild dining hall to figure out a plan for the day. They were all too emotional to discuss it now.

Walking back towards his apartment, Wyn knew he wasn’t going to be able to rest tonight. Not yet, at least.

*****

The tea cup felt warm and comforting in Wyn’s hand. It wasn’t bad, though he didn’t have the same longing for it like Daniel. Ever since the older man quit drinking, he’d picked up drinking tea like his life depended on it. Though, Wyn thought, in a way it likely did.

The two had just finished having dinner and were sitting by Daniel’s hearth, which was their usual routine. Wyn told Daniel the news about the climbing group at the end of dinner and the tone of the conversation shifted. He knew it was going to happen, but he didn’t want to keep the man in the dark. He had shared so much of his past with him that he felt comfortable telling him everything. Plus, he was going to hear it eventually. Wyn wanted to be the one to tell him.

His cup was almost gone, and they had been silently sitting by the fire since dinner. Wyn didn’t mind it. The company was enough.

“I’m sorry, Wyn,” Daniel said, his voice soft. “I haven’t been as forthcoming as you have recently.”

Wyn sat his cup on the saucer beside him. “What do you mean? You’ve been incredibly helpful ever since I came to Alestead.”

“No, not about being your mentor. About… well, myself. You’ve shared your time at war, your time at home. Your father. Your sister. But I’ve shared nothing. I’m sorry about that.”

Wyn paused for only a moment. “It’s okay, Daniel. I didn’t want to force you to share.”

Daniel huffed a laugh. “I know. Which was very kind of you. But I need to share some. I’ve been practicing with Wendy, and it’s time.”

Wyn sat back, then patted the man on the arm. Daniel smiled.

“When I first started climbing, Ruby Magicians weren’t considered bad. This was years ago, mind you, but we were actually considered by most to be incredibly valuable. There was a time when it wasn’t uncommon for a Climber to change their class to being a Ruby Magician instead of the other way around now. I found a group after a few seasons, and we worked well together. We climbed all the way to the third tier.”

“The third tier?” Wyn asked. “That’s incredible, Daniel!”

Daniel nodded. “It took nearly a year, but yes, eventually we made it. My class progression was Ruby Wizard in the second tier to Ruby Sage. I focused more on magic than combat, and while I wasn’t as good as other Mages I was able to fulfill several roles at once. It allowed me to be useful in a pinch. Until I wasn’t.”

Wyn sensed there was more but he wasn’t going to start prying. Daniel paused to stare at the smoldering fire, and Wyn thought about what he said. While he didn’t want to be rude, he did want to know his class progression. Granted, he was on a completely new path established by the Avatar of Alistair, and anything going forward was completely new territory. Still, something made him wonder. Asking might give Daniel a break from the heavier topic.

“If you were a Ruby Sage, then why do you call yourself a Ruby Magician? If you don’t mind me asking.” The moment he asked it Wyn cursed himself. It sounded like such a stupid question.

Daniel blinked rapidly several times before pulling his gaze towards Wyn. “Oh, yes, of course. It’s just easier. To be simple. There are so many options of upgraded classes that it’s far easier to say your class origin as a mentor. Unless you’re one of the more popular classes that are well known.”

That made sense. If Daniel would have said he was a Ruby Sage when they first met, then Wyn would have been even more confused than he already was. And might have thought he was crazier than he originally assumed.

“I understand, especially meeting so many Climbers in the second tier and beyond,” Wyn said.

“Yes, I almost forgot to congratulate you on your guild trials! Only your second season and you’re already looking to join a guild. I knew you were rushing things when I first met you, but this is something else!”

Wyn chuckled. “Well, after we met a guild while climbing John couldn’t focus on anything else. When we noticed the flyers all around the city it only made his desire to be in a guild grow.”

Daniel furrowed his eyebrows. “You met a guild climbing?”

“I didn’t tell you? I’m sorry. Yes, we met the primary group that leads the Twilight Blades.”

Daniel shook with surprise and nearly dropped the teacup in his hand. “The Twilight Blades? And their primary group?”

“Yes. Apparently one of their members, a Druid, is friends with Marcy and Cedric. We climbed with them for part of the third floor and we were able to clear it together. But they were kind and understanding, and even invited us to participate in the trials. John was practically salivating at the thought.”

Daniel sat the cup down on the saucer beside him. “Wyn, if you all climbed together and they saw how you and your group performed, and invited you after seeing that, then there’s a strong chance they’ll invite you to join their guild. You know that, right?”

Wyn sat further back into his chair. Of course he knew that, deep down. But he didn’t want to admit it. He knew the dynamics of their group would completely change once they joined a guild. Twilight Blades or not.

“Of course you know,” Daniel said. “You’re just afraid of being split up.”

Wyn silently nodded.

“I understand. I truly do. The group I climbed with, we forged a bond over months and months of climbing. Two years total. I would have gone to the ends of the world for them. They were my family.”

Wyn saw pain in Daniel’s eyes. He knew that pain intimately. He’d felt it. Lived it. This man had listened to him for weeks and helped him grow past his personal experiences, and pushed him even when he didn’t want to. Wyn knew he wasn’t perfect, but he was better, and it was because Daniel cared enough to help him process.

Wyn cared, too. Maybe not asking the hard questions wasn’t right. Daniel needed guidance just like Wyn did.

“Family is everything,” Wyn said, his voice soft. “It’s what drives me. And I have a feeling it did for you too, didn’t it?”

Daniel stayed quiet for several seconds before responding. “It’s so important to have that support as a Climber. My group, they were perfect. Bickered like dogs at times, but family does that, don’t they? They were actually the ones that were cautious. I wanted to climb, to reach that next floor or repeat that hard floor that gave that one item that doesn’t even matter anymore.”

Daniel leaned forward towards the fire, his eyes misty. “One climb. Our last climb. It was a hard season, not unlike this one. The floors were tough - the monsters, traps, maze, all of it. We were climbing the 11th floor, and it was supposed to be fairly easy. We’d climbed four different 11th floors at that point, all manageable. We were pinned down by a brute of a monster, this minotaur that was floors harder. Our healer, Beatrice, was busy protecting our two front line warriors. I was providing support where I could, but it was difficult. The monster was so fast, and so strong. Six on one, and we were still struggling. I… I didn’t see the second one until it was too late.”

Wyn knew where this was going, but it didn’t make it any easier.

“The second one tore through us. I burned through my mana faster than I ever had, and potions were too slow. I tried to save them, but… I wasn’t strong enough. Not enough mana. Or high enough spells. Roger, our ranged attacker, used a portal key to escape after taking a terrible blow. I was the only one who followed him. And then I was the only one who made it to the infirmary.”

Daniel wiped at his eyes. “After, I was a shell of my former self. I chose to stay in the city and eventually became a mentor. I couldn’t climb anymore. At first it wasn’t so bad. But over the years climbing changed. Evolved. Our class and a few others became less and less desired. I gained fewer students in time. One in particular, my last one, was frustrated with the class. Wanted to prove himself by trying the climb the tower alone. He… he went in, but he never came out. I still don’t know what happened to him. Ever since I’ve either not had new Ruby Magicians or convinced them to do something else.”

Wyn leaned over and placed his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Trust me when I say I understand what you’ve been through. I know how hard it is. The guilt. The shame. Being here while they aren’t. It’s heavy.”

Daniel patted Wyn’s hand. “I know. Thank you.”

Wyn was grateful to finally know the truth. Despite it being a terrible experience and knowing how hard it was to talk about it, he could tell Daniel was already healing. His budding relationship with Wendy, being successful as a mentor with Wyn. In time, he’d be alright.

It didn’t make the times right now any easier. Wyn understood that, too. But he was more than happy sharing in all of the experiences and the memories, the laughs and the heartache. It created a bond like no other.

Daniel felt like a father, in a way. One Wyn never had. One Wyn wished he had. And as the night continued, both men enjoying another cup of tea and talking about much lighter topics of conversation, Wyn felt more at home. A home that was better. It was still missing his sister, but that would change soon. He couldn’t explain how, but he knew deep down that he would see her one way or another.