“Look!” Spike pointed, and clearly visible in the gloom was finally their destination: a light illuminating a set of stairs came into view around the corner of the intersection.

“Finally.” Smolder groaned. “I thought we’d never find the dang exit.”

Spike beamed. “I told you, all the armor monsters were guarding the exit, so we had to figure out where they were trying to shoo us away from.”

Sandra looked down the hallway they came from, the cold blue light continuing to approach. “Speaking of which…” The four of them hastened into the hallway crossing it, and the headless armor clanked past somewhat slowly, but paid them no mind as they weren’t directly in their way.

“Can we fight just one more?” Garble nearly whined. “I’m bored.”

“No, Garble,” Smolder admonished. “We have that elevator two floors up, right? So let’s get going. The big milestone is close.”

Despite his grunt, they all hurried down the darkened hallway. The stairs were there, unguarded if one discounted all the great monsters that had tried to dissuade them up to that point.

Spike hopped as he ran and came down on the first step, spinning on one toe back to the others. "Did it!"

Sandra imitated the move, leaping onto that first step with a little joyful laugh. "I… never even dared dream we'd get this high, on the first try even! Maybe we can do this."

Garble shoved her aside as he began storming up the stairs. "Of course we can do this. You got me, and Smolder." He hiked a thumb towards his sister. "Two bad-ass dragons that ain't letting anything stop them."

Spike caught the staggering Sandra and they shared a smile before he looked to Smolder. "Hopefully the next floor isn't quite as… you know, as this one."

"Hear hear to that." Smolder began ascending just after her brother, tail lashing softly behind her. "We're doing great, so far. Let's keep it up."

The four of them continued up the stairs, which managed to be actually rather short, doubling back once out to a spacious, well-lit floor. The walls were hewn of the grayish stone that the tower seemed to be built from, but instead of the very standard brick there were intricate carvings and some statues, very much like the entryway to the tower.

In front of them there was a bubbling fountain, with the calming sound of rushing water. To their side there was a door, with a sign labeled “Shoppe” on it, and the other side had several seats and a series of windows facing outward. Beyond the doors there was a staircase going upward, with intricate doors of wood and metal to the next floor up.

Spike peered around with a mixture of relief and suspicion in almost equal amounts. "Sandra, you hear about this?"

"I forgot!" She burst into light laughter, almost bouncing over to a seat and crashing down on one with a thunderous sigh. "We did it."

Garble raised a brow, turning to face the human. "Did what? You're awful relaxed all of a sudden."

"Just before the boss." She made a walking motion with her fingers across the air. "You get a chance to relax. This is it. No monsters, no traps. No tricks. Just you and a moment to breathe." She flopped to the side, leaning against the armrest. "There's a story someone was so tired when they got to one of these, they just kinda retired there."

Sandra looked out along the town, gasping lightly. “Oh wow.” At ten floors up they were nearly above the tallest buildings in town already, and the expanse of the town stretched out for her to see. The people bustled about their day, far far below.

Spike hopped up and looked through the nearby window. “Oh! That’s pretty cool!”

Garble came over and looked over Spike’s head. “... So what? I can get up this high when I’m flying.” He grunted as an elbow hit his side, "What? I'm not wrong. Whatever, you all enjoy the view. I want to see what this is." He hiked a thumb as he approached the door with the shoppe sign beside it. "Who's running a store in here?"

A quiet bell jingled as he pushed the door open, revealing about four little rows of assorted little goods that appeared to be mostly restorative items at a glance with a few bolstering chemicals in clearly marked bottles. Behind the far counter was a strange round monster with one big eye that peered at Garble. "Welcome," it greeted without a mouth. "Congratulations on making it this far."

Garble looked somewhat askance at it. “Thanks… What exactly are you?”

“Can’t you tell?” The eye tilted just a little. “I’m the shoppekeep.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Garble leaned in to the creature. “So what, are you just a monster? Like all the other stuff in this tower?”

The bottom of the eye came up, smiling in it’s own way, as a distinctive chuckle was heard. “I’m not just an anything, mister dragon.”

Garble’s demeanor changed, and he stood up taller, starting to smirk. “Oh, you can tell I’m a dragon, huh? It’s about time.” He looked away, coughing and composing himself. “I mean, that’s just how it should be. Dragons are kind of a big deal.”

“I can see that,” the shoppekeep said, raising it’s eye just a little, with another ethereal chuckle.

Spike leaned in from the door. "Woah, a gazer! I never thought I'd see one outside of a book."

The great eye's attention slid towards the smaller dragon. "You sound more eager to see me. Hello, little one. What can I help you find?"

"A gazer?" Smolder leaned in over the top of Spike's head, peering into the room. "Woah! Uh, we're cool, right?"

"We cool," assured the great eye, its accent shifting for that moment. "I am here to sell things. If you are here to buy things, we are friends. Getting this far must have been hard. Your supplies may be running low. I could help with that." Its voice lilted in sweet offerings.

Garble crossed his arms with a huff. "Actually… You got something that heals people without needing to wait for food or little dragons to cast spells?"

Several vials began to glow softly. "Right there. Healing potions are quite popular. Of course, they are one use. Once you've drunk one, it's hard to drink them again.".

Garble still snatched up a green bottle. “Fine by me. I’ll take twenty.” He looked at the label, pursing his lips. “... Ten.”

The gazer chuckled once again. “They surely aren’t free, of course, but how valuable is one’s health? The price they are at is practically a steal.”

Garble snorted. It was his gold, though. How would he get a good pile if he had to spend it. But he still dumped a rather generous pile out onto the counter. It floated away and the potions from the shelves floated up to the counter. Garble scooped them up into his small bag, where they disappeared into it.

The gazer turned itself to the rest of the party. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

Spike looked around at the potions, a few of them being rather expensive indeed, bubbling and smoking even. “... Do you have something that works on getting back magic.”

“That I do!” There were potions, fewer in number, glowing on the walls. “These potions will be a bit more expensive than the health ones, be warned.”

“That’s fine,” Spike said. “A good idea to have some backups…”

Smolder gave a firm nod. "I'll try to have snack options ready for that, but having a backup when we need healing or protection now sounds like a great idea." She stuffed a hand into a pocket and produced a jingling handful of coins. "I'll put in towards that."

"What are you all--" Sandra came into view just to freeze, gaping at the gazer that looked back at her with a merry expression as far as eyes went. "Uh… hi?"

"Hello to you as well. I thought this party was all inhuman. What a surprise. A human with dragons? How rare is this. You are a lucky human. Most end up far worse when dragons get involved."

Spike blinked rapidly. "What? Oh… She's our friend. We wouldn't hurt her."

"Usually," spat Garble on the way out of the shoppe. "Tell me when you're ready to go. We got more to do besides shop."

Smolder frowned, pursuing her brother. “This is supposed to be a rest floor, Gar gar,” she said as she followed him out.

Sandra, however, was still rooted to the ground with the gazer, well, gazing at her, as it floated up toward her. “This is fascinating indeed. Not just that you’re with three dragons, but that the three dragons are with a human. They certainly don’t like nonhumans very much down there.”

That left only Spike with Sandra, but he was quick to slide between her and the peering gazer. "Yeah, they don't, but whatever. She got over it and I never hated humans in the first place."

The eye turned towards Spike, angling downward. "The way you say that is curious. Did you wander into their city? You sound like you're an outsider."

Sandra put a hand on Spike's shoulder from behind "As outside as they come." She smiled a little. "That was my fault, sorry again, but we're here to get him back where he belongs."

A great blink, the entire eye closing a moment before it opened just as wide as it began. "You are not here for yourself? You've come in the company of dragons for their benefit? What a curious human." Despite its apparent curiosity, it began floating back where it started. "How delightful. How noble. Does she speak the truth?"

"Are you asking me?" Spike's shield faded as his defensiveness faded, instead hiking a thumb at himself. "Yeah. When we get to the top, we're using the wish to get us dragons home. We're not from... anywhere near here."

"Marvelous! A selfless human putting a nonhuman ahead of his... her? Human are so tricky to identify... Their own interests. To climb this tower for nothing of their own. What madness! I am smitten. Go on." Things began to glow softly around the shop. "Take one. Take one just for the amusement you've brought me today."

Sandra rubbed her arm, looking awkward and embarrassed. "I do have a hope..."

The glow faded. "Ah ha! At least you are truthful. What is that kernel of greed that motivates you, human?"

"I... want my parents back... If I can do that and get them home, that would be best." She worried her fingers together, fidgeting in place. "T-them first. It's my fault they're here..."

A lone item began to glow. "A nobler reason than most; not as noble as some others. Go on."

Spike lifted from the ground to get a better view of what was glowing. "Huh."

They emerged from the shoppe, a large blue pendant dangling around Sandra's neck. "Let's go."

"You too? Fine." Smolder hopped up off the chair she had been lazing in. "Break's over, let's go punch a boss in the face a few times."

Garble gave a rough cheer of agreement with that sentiment, heading for the stairs leading upwards. "Let's do this."

The stairs were short, just barely long enough to reach the next floor of the interior of a house before it opened up into bright white marble walls and an equally dark black set of double doors. A glowing pillar of light rested to the right before the door, and a strange man to the left.

Only Spike seemed to pay full attention to the man, the others seeming to avoid looking that way for long. Sandra pointed to the light. "That's that check point. Put your hand against it." She hurried up to do just that, making it and herself flash brightly.