The Ruby Magician

Wyn felt the now-familiar pull of the portal return him to Alistair’s base. Even in all of his time out at war with his company training, in battle, in trenches and sleeping by latrines, he had never been this ready to clean his gear and take a bath.

A Climber to Wyn’s side gagged, and the rest of their group instantly covered their mouths and noses while looking at Wyn.

Wyn sighed. Maybe one bath wouldn’t be enough.

The rest of his group emerged from the portal behind him and brought on far more looks of disgust than any of them wanted, but when they stepped into the fresher air in Alistair’s base they immediately smelled the residual stench all over each other.

A singular collective look shared between all of them was enough to communicate that they needed to freshen up before regrouping. No words needed to state the obvious.

They all made their way to collect their rewards as quickly as possible - not necessarily to fill their pockets, but because every Climber they passed gave them a wide berth. One particular group of Climbers only smirked as they passed, and Wyn figured they were aware of the second floor’s environment.

After Marcy returned they pushed through the rest of the floor relatively quickly. There was more backtracking than they wanted, especially with each step being another step in magical sewage, but overall they made decent time of only a couple more hours for their first and last trip through the floor. The final room had a boss of two large packs of Pestilent Dogs that looked intimidating but was more of pushover with Wyn’s strategy. They loaded up John with a few supporting spells as he heightened himself several times over with his own class skills, and he took the brunt of all attacks while Marcy and Cedric took down most of the enemies at range.

John did get a big head afterwards when he commented he felt like a god with several of his own skills layered with Tasha’s Arcane Aura and Wyn’s Regen spells, and it didn’t help that the others acknowledged he was glowing like a beacon with the many colors of magical auras layering him.

It humbled him when he was tasked with reaching into a pile of the Dog’s feces for treasure, and then all was balanced again.

Continuing their plan they briefly went into the third floor and saw that it reemerged back to the surface of the bombarded city, and looked to have similar enemies from the first floor coupled with more hazards around them. Their theory was that the first tier would likely finish out in the city above, and they agreed to continue with their plans of changing spells, trading items, and cleaning themselves several times over.

Wyn presented his parchment to the guild official behind the desk with an apologetic smile. The official crinkled his nose several times as their group approached the desks for their rewards, and he quickly left to fetch one of the orange aura chests after taking their parchments.

He didn’t look like he was going to rush to come back.

“So should we all get together in a few hours?” Wyn asked. “Get some food. Clean up. Then get ready for the next climb tomorrow?”

“Cleaning up is priority number one,” Marcy said. “And that might take awhile.”

“Then let’s meet at my apartment after dinner. That should be more than enough time.”

The guild attendant returned with the chest and a pale face. He laid out each of their parchments and one by one they withdrew their money.

“130 crowns, give or take,” Wyn said as he stored his coins into his backpack. “A bit less than normal for the first two floors, right?”

“Just over 155 for myself,” John said, as he carried his money in a large but simple brown pouch. “I guess you need to contribute more next time!”

Wyn scoffed. “We’ll see if you can keep up.”

“Oh-oh! Is that a challenge, Sir Thatcher?”

Wyn held up a hand in defeat. “I wouldn’t dream of betting these coins. Each one is too precious to me. But if you’re in a betting mood you can always talk to Marcy or Cedric.”

John turned to the two veteran Climbers as his smile fell off his face. “I… don’t quite think I’m at their level yet. But I’m close!”

“That you are,” Marcy said. “And you’ll be with us when we all advance to tier three. Unless you’re thinking of abandoning us and joining some guild?”

John laughed and swatted Marcy away. “I could never abandon you, you know that! The thought of joining a guild is definitely enticing. But I’d want us all there. Together.”

“Not everyone has that luxury. You’re skilled enough for one, I’ll admit. But don’t be surprised if the rest of us don’t get the same invite.”

“Unless you look at a smaller guild,” Cedric said. “New ones tend to pop up every couple of seasons. But they’re far worse than individual groups and rarely stick around.”

“What do you mean?” Tasha asked.

“Teams climbing the tower are already hard enough to create with Climbers that synergize well, both in personalities and classes. Good groups can go quite far and if they’re careful, come out being rich, but most groups aren’t good and it takes them several tries before they settle into a rhythm. And that’s just with six people. Now take that idea to a guild that has at least two groups in it and have everyone get along, follow orders and a command structure -”

“And it breaks down fast,” Wyn said. “That makes sense. Without some kind of order and guidelines people would just do whatever they wanted. No structure for them to follow.”

“Exactly. And that’s just one part of it. Guilds require fees, contracts, a guild house. And likely other things I don’t even know about.”

“It sounds like a lot of work,” Tasha said.

“But the rewards can be so good,” John said. “Climbing with not just your team but several teams you can call friends. And yea there’s fees but the bonuses of being in a guild are far better. They share floor information that the official guild doesn’t. They have sponsors that help cover some of those costs in exchange for items normally found climbing. And they even share loot!”

“Depending on the guild,” Marcy said. “The Alistair Junkies are famous for sharing information with other guilds but I’ve heard their membership fees are ridiculous. Like 1000 crowns in addition to a monthly cost. And they usually don’t trade items with other guilds because their prices are too high since they like to keep items within the guild.”

“What are the other top guilds?” Wyn asked. “Now I’m curious, too.”

John excitedly patted him on the shoulder. “Yea, you are! I knew you’d be interested!”

“The Defenders is a popular guild,” Tasha said. “I don’t know if they’re one of the top ones, but they’re large. I believe they have something like nine or ten groups.”

“The bulk of their guild tends to stay in the second tier,” Cedric said. “They’re the largest but not the best in terms of quality. Plenty of turnover.”

“Then you have the Jahnin Knights who are more focused on melee builds and not many magical classes outside of healers,” Marcy said. “Arcane Runners is the opposite with more Mages and very few melee combatants.”

“But The Order of the Scaled Dragons is the most famous and top guild of all,” John said. “They regularly stay in the third and fourth tiers. I’ve heard there’s only like two or three teams that make up the whole guild!”

“Do they not just climb to the 20th floor and finish?” Wyn asked. “If you’re already that strong they should just go for it.”

“The higher floors are far, far harder than you might think,” Marcy said. “It could take an entire day just to clear one out. And that’s after knowing enemies, the floor structure, everything, and one wrong move or unlucky encounter could be death. It’s why Climbers of that caliber go through keys just as much as potions.”

Wyn had a shiver run down his spine. That did not sound like something he wanted to be involved in. He was satisfied sticking with the more reasonable floors and making his money. The Defenders actually sounded reasonable despite Cedric’s claim of their lack of quality.

“Well, it’s not going to deter me,” John said. “I’m not just going to be in a guild, though. One day I’ll run one.”

*****

The soft woolen shirt felt heavenly as Wyn put it on, even more so than the soft but durable brown pants and fitted moccasins. A groan escaped his mouth as he slumped down onto his couch in his new wardrobe. Tasha was right - the tailor she found in the market district had clothes fit for nobles. Now that he had a mass influx of coins, Wyn could afford some smaller luxuries like a nicer set of summer clothes. The 60 gold crowns for several pairs of clothes and knee high moccasins to wear around his apartment and city were clothes he never thought would grace his body.

Unfortunately his mood soured when he saw the mess on the table in front of him. Books, papers from the tower, a quill and inkwell, and a few stones serving as paperweights littered the table and mocked him all at once. He needed to change his spells but found himself itching to get up and move, to train and fight rather than labor over books and notes. It was a necessary part of being a Mage and wielding magic, but it didn’t come natural to him.

On top of that, he had earned another spell slot from his class upgrade to Ruby Strategist, and his Tower’s Blessing skill allowed him to have it at the second tier. The only problem was that all of the spells he and Daniel reviewed were far too mana expensive for him to utilize well. The lack of a mana pool upgrade or enough of a mana cost reduction wasn’t enough for him to justify a good second tier spell. Plus, Tasha had enough of healing and support that she was easily outclassing him in both categories with her upgrades and Callings, and Cedric was so strong with his lightning spells that Wyn didn’t feel the need to pick a second tier damaging spell. Still, he settled on an Improved Cure as an emergency spell. Daniel recommended it and Wyn agreed it was better than the slot sitting empty.

Wyn then picked up one of the sheets he used for scribbled notes. He wanted to keep better track of his funds to pay The Assembly so he wouldn’t fall behind. Not to mention he had other expenses, too, like his new wardrobe and food. And the absurd sum that the guild charged per month to stay in an apartment, for example, was one such sum: 250 gold crowns. Anywhere else in the world would require at least a middle class merchant or on the lower end of nobility to comfortably afford that eight times a year, but at least a Climber could make that in a few days to a week just staying in the first tier.

Still, it wasn’t anywhere near the 12,000 crowns he needed this month for his family’s debt. Just thinking about that number made his head hurt.

A knock at his door relieved him from diving into the mess in front of him further. He sprang up and welcomed Marcy inside, helping her bring in her contribution to their little gathering. There was a cart in the hall outside with two platters of food, two jugs of water, and enough dinnerware for them to enjoy it all. As he helped bring in the food he didn’t miss that Marcy had a separate pitcher of what was likely ale, and he was immediately thankful. He’d need a drink or three to help get through the evening.

Marcy unslung her backpack and began to take out her own set of books and papers, neatly stacking them in a pile on the floor beside the table. “I don’t think Tasha will be here for at least another half hour. She was on her third scrubbing when I decided to take my leave in the bathhouse.”

Wyn chuckled. “I’m sure she’ll have a time focusing on getting her hair treated, too. I still feel like I can smell it on me.”

Marcy sniffed in the air excessively. “Nah, you’re good. You scrubbed well enough.”

“You know, the soaps they have in the men’s bathhouse are pretty impressive. But I guess it would have to be since they charge so damn much to stay here.”

“And that we all stink to the heavens even on a normal day, covered in sweat, blood, and grime doesn’t help, either.”

Wyn grabbed some food from the platter and made a small plate. It was a delicious combination of meat soaked in a well seasoned brine, soft and fluffy bread, and stout carrots and potato chunks. “True. And that’s fine with Tasha. I just had a few questions I was going to ask her about some spells I should trade around.”

“What are you thinking? Your spell list already seems pretty well-rounded. It’s definitely worked so far.” Marcy ripped off a hunk of meat with her teeth and plopped down on the ground beside her very small pile of books.

“Well, I wanted to know what Callings she was taking so I could work around it. But I also need to take advantage of my new Chaincast ability and need a good balance of spells. I can use seven now, so I need a good mix to be able to activate it as much as possible. I just feel limited with only seven slots, even if my one tier two option is too expensive for me to use.”

Marcy poured two mugs of beer, handing one to Wyn and immediately taking a long drink of the other. “That makes sense. But you probably should just change your one attacking spell. Your others are too useful to mess with. And I know the few tier two spells I have access two are absurdly mana hungry, so I have no doubt you’re in a similar boat.”

“Exactly. But my idea was to change some spells and have my gear cover some missing links. Depending on how well John and Cedric are able to find my one or two items and what else I get in the foreseeable future climbing. I’d still like to focus on mana recovery at the moment.”

“Don’t be too upset about figuring it out all right now. Getting some gear to make up for the fewer spell slots and having more options is a great idea. What was on the list you gave to John and Cedric?”

Wyn smiled and tapped one of the books in front of him with an ink-less quill. “A few things. First, I wanted a new spear. A blue rarity one.”

Marcy rolled her eyes. “Of course. The real question is what effects did you want with it?”

“That’s part of my plan. I don’t want a spear that can cast an attacking spell but I did give him two options to look for. One request was a water element spear and another was more of the effect boosts to my magic ability. Either one would work. I wrote down that I wanted mana recovery first and foremost, then the typical effects good for a Mage.”

“Like reduced mana use, increased magic power, mana pool, and duration?”

Wyn paused mid bite, then swallowed his mouthful of meat too quickly. “Yes. Exactly. Why am I surprised you know that?”

“Oh, Wyn. Those are things every Climber wants, not just Mages. Hopefully you’ll learn this stuff at some point.”

A knock at the door interrupted them, and Wyn opened the door for Tasha. She held a large stack of books in her arms that Wyn promptly took for her.

“Thank you,” Tasha said. “It was not fun climbing stairs with those weighing me down.”

“Well, you’re here now!” Marcy said. “Grab some food and drink and have a seat. You haven’t missed a thing.”

“Really? I’m sorry I’m late. That smell just… lingered on me.”

“I know what you mean,” Wyn said. “But you smell great! Like fresh strawberries in a garden. The soaps in the women’s bathhouse are much nicer, apparently.”

Tasha shook her head side to side, making her curls bounce. “That was a little something from home. The soaps here are a bit… generic?”

Wyn looked at Marcy who failed to suppress a smile.

“Go ahead and grab some food and let’s get to it,” Wyn said. “I’d love to finish this out and get a good night’s rest before we test these out tomorrow.”

“And our new gear,” Tasha said as she started delicately placing small portions of food on a plate. “I gave very specific instructions to John so I hope he doesn’t improvise too much.”

“Cedric will keep him straight,” Marcy said. She flipped open one of her books and laid it on the table, then unfolded her parchment and grabbed her quill. It was a dark leather book with decorative green runes along the cover’s edges. “But really, I’m just here to change two of my spells and then drink. You two figure out what you want.”

“What are you changing?” Wyn asked. “Just out of curiosity.”

Marcy took the quill and wiped it across her parchment with the feathered end. The words she wiped seemed to vanish as though they were never there. “I’m changing my trap spell to be of the water element and my fire elemental attack to a spell that boosts my defense temporarily called Toughen. Easy as could be.”

“Alright, then. Tasha, you said you were going to change your Callings. Is that all? And what are you going to choose?”

Tasha scooted forward on the couch beside Wyn and carefully opened one of her books on the table. It was a silver and white book, pristine, with a hard cover. “I’m changing out Thrindikle. Unfortunately I just don’t think he’s going to be as useful this season being an earth elemental summon. There are a few water Callings but I just can’t decide.”

“Are you keeping your little fluff ball?” Marcy asked. She didn’t bother looking up from her parchment.

Tasha scoffed. “His name is Mongano. And yes, I’m keeping him. Baratheon, too.”

Wyn didn’t want to tell Tasha what to pick for her Callings but he felt some relief hearing her keep them. Mongano was a small, yellowish creature that levitated in the air and was fluffy like a thick furred rabbit. He wasn’t about to complain about its appearance, though, since it laid down a large glyph on the ground to heal allies and boost their physical attributes. Tasha said it was her lowest cost Calling, and she could use it several times before needing to take a mana potion. It was an incredible ability.

Baratheon he only saw once last week when they were repeatedly running the sixth floor. That summoned being was nearly seven feet tall, stocky and fit like a wrestler, and had white skin with yellow glowing tattoos covering its body. It looked like some kind of battle angel but Tasha called it a Celestial, though Wyn didn’t see the difference. Its ability was to shroud one ally and Tasha in a protective aura that was denser and far stronger than her Arcane Aura spell. The being was also physically dominant and unafraid to wade into combat, basically rendering John useless. The Calling only lasted a couple of minutes, though it was quite powerful.

“I’m still trying to nail down my spells, too,” Wyn said. “I’m wondering about switching some of them up but I don’t think I can afford it, either. They’ve been too useful so far.”

“I’m still keeping all of my Diamond spells, so don’t worry too much about healing,” Tasha said. “Though I know you want a variety, right?”

Wyn nodded and opened the Magician spell book, flipping to the section for Aquamarine spells. Daniel told him about the spell called Aqua Blast, and when he found it he agreed it was worthy to replace his fire spell.

Aqua Blast: Fire a jet of highly pressurized water in a 15 foot stream in front of you. Initially consumes a small amount of mana, though will continue to consume mana if the caster keeps the spell active. The caster must willingly stop the spell or it may consume all available mana.

It was a fitting replacement. The benefit of spells that use small amounts of mana were nice, too, and he decided to wait on changing more until he could see his gear. He had a strong urge to run to the trading district and get his own weapons, but he had to trust John and Cedric. They’d do just fine getting what he, Tasha, and John needed.

When he finished copying the spell he closed the book and poured himself a drink. He wasn’t going to let Marcy drink alone, and he had a feeling even Tasha might be joining them soon.

“I think I found it!” Tasha said after half an hour. “It’s a being called Zoriquin. The description says it’s a humanoid figure that casts projectiles of water and can attack in direct combat if needed. It also has a large area of effect wave-like attack but it would use all of the Calling’s mana.”

“Hey, it sounds like a winner to me,” Marcy said, pouring herself another cup of ale. “I trust you to pick the one you’d use best.”

“I agree,” Wyn said. He grabbed an empty cup and took the pitcher of ale from Marcy. “Now are you ready to really join us?”

Tasha went to grab the cup but then stopped. “Let me copy the spell first. Then gods, yes.”