Armareth's Tower

Chicken soup dripped down the side of David’s lips. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the bowls were placed in front of them. He couldn’t stop himself. He picked a small piece of buttered bread, smeared a bit of the green sauce on it and tossed the mix in his mouth. The taste spread around his tongue, coating his senses. He closed his eyes, ignoring Hanna’s mocking grin as he ate. Zoey had mentioned his hesitation at taking money from Keian, but David was too busy eating.

Gaora looked nothing like a city ravaged by plague. Its street was full and its taverns, inns and whorehouses buzzed with activity. Even as they ate, more people joined them, sword in hand or dagger strapped to their waists.

Unlike Uthzar, it seemed everyone here was armed or bought guards with faces that would discourage pilfering. Yet, that didn’t seem to be the case. They’d almost been robbed immediately after they walked past the city’s front courtyard. Zoey’s Vjognir had caught the little thief before she could run away.

David tore off a chunk of meat, biting distractedly as he stared at the people seated around him. He’d judged the inn to be one of the poorest in the city, yet it called in fashionably astounding characters. Their robes edged in gold or silver–with embroidery of wild and fantastic beasts. Guards stood behind some of the merchants, their faces severe as they watched their masters eat.

David looked away, focusing instead on the food in front of him. He could tell it wouldn’t take much to lose an arm or an eye in a place like this.

“What do we do next?” Hana asked. David looked up at the woman. She’d wrapped her tower ring with torn fabric, taking the advice from Keian to stay anonymous. Apparently, many outworlders were hunting each other. Desperate measures to keep their jobs, or just to take whatever they thought they could from those who just started to ascend the tower.

“What?” Hanna asked when she saw David staring. David shook his head. He wasn't sure how to split from the woman. He didn’t know if that was the best decision yet. But he knew she was trouble, and being with her could be dangerous.

“I say we rest,” Elisha said. “I could use a good sleep and this Balek or whatever won’t run away.”

“Me too,” Chloe muttered, her mouth half filled.

Zoey didn’t say anything, but David had a fair idea what she would use her free time for. She had hardly slept since their battle with Ziel. David recalled how powerless he’d felt. The realization that the mother dragon could snuff his life with a sigh made him feel small, minuscule. He could empathize with his sister. Yet, he knew cuddling them would not help. They needed to get stronger. He couldn’t hear it, but he imagined Ignis’ mocking growl.

“Yes, I guess we can all use a rest.”

“Not me,” Hanna said. She’d dropped the round cake she was about to eat, her face wound tight in a frown. “I don’t know about you, but I have to get to the fifth floor as soon as possible. I have to me…” she blinked as if realizing what she’d almost done. Then she shook her head, smiling. “I think our time together might be close to its end. I don’t know your motivation for climbing and I won't ask, but I don’t have time to rest.”

David nodded.

“You don’t have time to die either,” Zoey said. “You rush into fights like a headless bull. You will burn out faster than you can think of. And the fifth floor is not the last of Amareth’s tower, even if no one else has gone past it. Rest, increase your hold on essence and continue. Steady hands make your sword sharper.”

Elisha snorted, and Chloe laughed. Zoey glared at them both.

“She is not wrong,” David said tentatively. “We’ll be fighting more than just cultists in this city. While Balek’s minions are the goal, there are others here you will need to watch out for. Still, your choice.”

He picked a cup of steaming tea, blew on it and sipped. Hanna had accepted the wine the innkeeper suggested instead. She stared at him, perhaps weighing what he’d said. David looked out to the others, noticing that eyes were on them.

He watched carefully, trying to discern if it was harmless curiosity or if something had given them away. It took a moment for him to realize what it was.

“We should go,” David said, hoping his voice wasn’t loud enough for the others to pick. A stout man with a broadsword smirked and turned back to his drink, but his friends didn’t look away. They were dressed in deep red, the mark weeping golden eyes sewn on the breasts of their dark cloaks.

“Something is about to happen and I would rather we avoid it,” David said, standing up. Hanna took a moment longer to join them, her gaze resting on the table just opposite theirs. Another group dressed like nobles. They smoked something sweet-smelling, staring strangely at Hanna. She nodded and dropped a few coins on the table.

David cursed once he sensed they were being followed out. He’d expected that but hoped they would leave them alone. It seemed the city didn’t just have its riches, but also its troubles. He urged the others to keep walking. He had hoped they could find lodgings, but it was beginning to feel like they’d walk a bit long to shake off whoever was behind them.

Hanna growled, frustrated by the situation. She stopped suddenly, once they were out of the busiest part of the city. David could see the dots of lights in the distance. He heard the crackling of something frying in the shop to his left. They were standing in an intersection and people were beginning to get curious. But David had caught a glimpse of their stalker.

“What do you want to do?” Hanna asked as they started walking again. Elisha was in front, carrying Chloe like a baby. David turned, looked at the large man with the broadsword and groaned.

“We don’t have a choice, we have to talk to them.”

“Talk,” Hanna muttered, grinning. David shrugged. He watched the road as they walked, ignoring the calls from drug peddlers and scantily dressed women lurking in dark alleys. He led the others into a quick right bend, entering a part of the city that had even fewer inhabitants. Here he could hear the low howl of wind flowing through the street, grazing windows. It wasn’t exactly silent, but compared to the other parts of Gaora, it might as well have been a ghost town.

Here, they waited. They didn’t have to wait for long. The man came moments after them. The larger one and three others–wry men, tight as a bowstring. They stood menacingly, with grins wide as annoying.

“What do you want?” Hanna asked. “And be fast with it, I need to sleep.”

“You are outworlders, aren’t you?” The man asked. He raised his cloak from his left side and then pulled up the sleeve of his robe. Then he whispered something and a small jagged light lit up the tip of his finger. David already knew what they’d see before the light illuminated the thin tower rings. The second ring was not even half yet, but this man was the first David had seen with two lines.

“Look I don’t want to kill you, but in Gaora the first to find fresh outworlders recruits them,” the man said, spreading his hand as if to say it was obvious.

“Recruit us for what?” David asked.

“Work, of course,” the man behind the thicker man said. His voice was rough and old, but his eyes were excited. “Noblemen prefer outworlders. We are strong, and we are useful. We work their fields and keep them safe. Forget your damn task. This floor is where all tower climbers come to die.”

Hanna snorted. “Spoken like a true weakling.”

David glared at her and then turned to the man. “I understand we all have our free will here. You have chosen to stay here, and we have decided to keep moving.”

The larger man sighed. “Josh, I told you they will say nonsense like that. Let us break a few of their limbs and watch them understand the situation.”

David groaned, suddenly annoyed. His sword flashed, fire erupting as he made a simple swing.

Spell Created: Minor Slash

Essence consumption: Minimal

Minor Slash projects a blade slash in any preferred elemental form.

Spell level: Low

Shock registered on the big man’s face. He brought his broadsword up to defend, but he was too late. He didn’t see Zoey leap at him. She crashed into his sword, slamming both man and steel. The lean man, the one called Josh made to move but Elisha’s dagger touched his throat before he could pull his sword. Shadow swelled around them like a roaring nightmare. Josh took his hand off the hilt of his sword slowly.

David’s flames faded, merging with the night. He hadn’t wanted to kill them, only warn them off.

“You will leave us alone,” David said, hoping they could see that he wasn’t asking. “The next time you confront us, we will crush you so bad you wish you hadn’t climbed the tower.”

Elisha vanished, his shadow swallowing him and spitting him out beside Zoey a moment later. David wished the men would leave. He was too tired to fight and he could sense something bubbling up his chest. Anger or prickling annoyance, he couldn’t tell. He was fighting to keep it within. Something was lurking in his mind, waiting.

And it wasn’t Ignis.

Josh pulled the bigger man up, gave David and the others a glance and scoffed. “You think you are hot shit? Wait until Han finds you. Wait until the others realize you are trying to move out the third floor. They will all come for you.”

David nodded and waved them off as if shooing away an annoying kid. He ignored the glare from one of the others, watching as Josh supported his friend. Once they were gone David sighed audibly, staggering a bit. His body trembled. Exhaustion and apprehension tore at him. He wanted to sleep; he wished for it.

“We have a huge problem,” Zoey said. David nodded.

“Yes. We’ll have to get out of this floor as fast as possible.” Hanna chuckled, but David wasn’t listening, something wasn’t right with this floor. He just didn’t know what it was yet.