The mountains looked closer than they were, and it took another day and a half of hiking to reach the valley that cut between the peaks. The 'mountain pass' turned out to be its own zone and, with it, came a new type of monster to harass them. Jade quickly grew annoyed by the constant encounters with what amounted to large bats. It wasn't that the monsters were strong, they fell easily to even simple attacks, but they were fast and annoying. She also had yet to acquire a talent or spell that gave her a reliable ranged attack, which made fighting flying enemies a frustrating experience.
Despite the frequent harassment, the party made good time through the mountains. The pass itself was a lightly wooded valley, long and narrow. Chill mist clung to the ground, stubbornly refusing to be burned away by the daytime sun, giving the area a somewhat mystical air. Without any major obstacles to slow them down, Jade was able to lead the party fully through to the other side of the mountain range in a little less than a day's travel. When she finally stepped out of the swirling mist and saw what lay beyond the mountains, she couldn't help but stare in wonder.
A beautiful vista was splayed out before them, their vantage point giving them a clear view all the way to the distant horizon. Rolling hills descended into flat plains that stretched to the left and right, but what caught Jade's eye was the vast ocean beyond them. The azure expanse stretched out into the distance, evening sunlight glinting off its gently rippling surface. It was different than any ocean Jade had seen on Earth, more still. No swells rolled in towards the coast, nor did waves break against the distant shore.
Not far from the rocky beach that formed the border between land and sea, a pillar of shimmering white light stretched skyward. Its origin was somewhat obscured by a patch of sparse woodland that sat nestled against the base of the mountain. She squinted, trying to get a better look at it.
"It's beautiful." Naomi said, taking in the view.
"It's the edge of the world." Siora said softly. "The end of this Ring."
"What happens if you try to sail across it?" Luis asked, holding a hand up to shade his eyes.
"I don't know." Siora replied simply. "Just endless water, I think."
"Is it the same on every floor?" Jade asked. "An ocean at the edges?"
"As far as I know." The elf nodded. "And that is the stairway." She pointed towards the woodland where the light was emanating from. "When we reach it, you can use your key to take us to the second floor."
"Is it just me, or is something moving down there?" Naomi asked.
Jade took a closer look. They were far, probably at least a few miles away, but their elevation gave them a good vantage point. She couldn't make out any movement in the area of the stairway but thought that she could see some smudges of white against the green leaves of the trees.
"Are those tents?" She asked.
"Maybe someone else got here first." Luis offered.
"Other wayfarers from Earth, maybe?" Naomi suggested. "They might not have a key."
"Let's go find out." Jade said, starting down the slope.
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They arrived at the stairway entrance to find that there were indeed people already there. However, it quickly became apparent that they were not from Earth. The doorway itself was quite similar in appearance to other Labyrinth portals, only this one had a white border surrounding it rather than the gold or silver of sanctuaries and shops. It stood in an open space amongst the sparse woodland that bordered the endless sea, cast in shifting shadows from the evening sunlight that filtered through the light foliage.
Four tents had been erected in the general vicinity of the stairway, one larger and more extravagant than the others. A handful of people moved about the campsite, preparing for the night. One of them was tending to a pot that simmered over a campfire, from which a pleasant smell was wafting. Those activities ceased as Jade and her companions drew near, and the strangers turned to greet them.
"Welcome, traveler." A handsome, well dressed young man said, stepping to the forefront of the small group. "What brings you to our humble camp?"
The speaker was human, although some of his companions were not. Two of them were a race that Jade was only familiar with from her very brief interaction with the 'race selection' menu. They were humanoid, and the system labelled them as 'Fellian'. Jade couldn't help but be distracted by their unfamiliar features, which were vaguely feline in nature.
While they looked mostly human, the Fellians' arms ended in a hybrid between paws and hands, and possessed sharp claws. Both had lithe and wiry builds, slender but not weak, and had a pair of cat-like ears poking up through their hair. Slender tails trailed behind them, but not leathery like Jade's when she was in her demon form. These appeared softer, more supple, and had a light coat of fur.
Jade belatedly realized that she was staring and shifted her attention back to the man who had addressed them.
"We are wayfarers." She said, unsure if that was the best way to introduce themselves. "We're journeying to the second floor to continue our Trial."
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She pulled up his information as she replied.
* Verres Ledkin
* Level: 21 (Mark of the Apprentice)
* Race: Human
* Class: Privateer
* Origin: Labyrinth-immigrant
As she'd suspected, these people were Labyrinth dwellers like Siora. Verres had a much higher level than any of them, as well. Did that mean he was from a higher floor?
"Wonderful. You must be new to the Labyrinth. It's always a pleasure to meet outsiders." The man said. He spoke with a self-confident tone that bordered on conceit, and Jade was already starting to dislike him. Verres's words were pleasant enough, but they held an undertone of condescension that was reinforced by his attire. While the rest of his group wore practical armor or, in the case of one woman, robes, Verres himself was dressed in an elegant doublet and fine pants.
"My name is Lord Verres Ledkin, and I am leading an expedition from the city of Illysport. Have you heard of it?"
Jade shook her head, but Siora spoke up.
"I have visited Illysport." The elf said, looking closely at Verres. Or 'Lord Ledkin', perhaps? "Are you related to Duke Amos Ledkin, the City Lord?"
"I am his nephew." Verres smiled. "I see you've found a local guide already, how… charming."
He barely glanced at Siora as he spoke, hardly acknowledging her presence. His attitude was starting to annoy Jade, but she held her temper in check. This man sounded like he belonged to an important family, and they really didn't have time for any complications.
"When word reached the third floor that a new world was being integrated, the duke appointed me as the head of an expedition to learn about this new land." Verres continued. "Perhaps you would do me the courtesy of relaying what manner of place it is that you hail from? By your appearance I assume it is a human world?"
"Yes, it is." Naomi replied. She glanced at her companions, and then shrugged. "I suppose we could spare some time to tell you about it."
"Why do you want to know?" Jade asked.
Verres raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Why, it is important to know what kind of people may soon be arriving on our doorstep." He explained. "Barbarians? People of culture? Warmongers? The cosmos is vast, and you may be surprised at how often those questions have disappointing answers. But a human world is a good start, perhaps there is some reason for optimism."
Verres's other companions seemed content to let him take the lead in the discussion, although that last comment sparked some shifting amongst the Fellians in the group. The woman next to him looked displeased about something as well. She was the one in the robe and looked to Jade like a mage or wizard. She took the opportunity to scan her, and was surprised to find out that, despite her appearance, she wasn't human. The system labeled her as a 'half-elf'. Moreover, her info box had an additional line Jade had never seen before.
* Aylin Cleska
* Level: 17 (27)*
* Race: Half-elf
* Class: Abjurer (Mark of the Apprentice)
* Origin: Labyrinth-immigrant
* Note: '*' indicates an estimation of the power and nature of this creature's capabilities. This creature possesses non-Labyrinth granted magic. The Labyrinth is not responsible for any errors in this assessment.
Jade wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but was interested in finding out.
"I'm sure our people will want to have good relations with yours." Naomi said diplomatically, picking up the conversation while Jade was distracted by the unexpected prompt. "But we aren't qualified to speak for them. Our entrance into this world was an… accident."
"The sanctuary attendants explained what's going on." Luis added. "We're travelling to the higher floors to destroy the cores."
"So it is another full integration?" The mage woman asked. "I told you, Lord Ledkin. We should be taking this more seriously."
"And I've told you, Aylin, this is the best place to find newcomers." Verres sniffed. He gestured at Naomi. "See? Here they are. What, do you want us to randomly wander the floor in search of them?" he sarcastically suggested.
"We'll find more of them, faster, if we travel to the outer edge of the ring." She argued. "Which you well know."
"Well, we have three of them here now." He replied smoothly. "I am not traipsing through the wilderness for weeks on end when a little patience will net us the same results."
"We can certainly answer some questions for you." Jade said, glancing between Aylin and Verres. She refused to think of him as a 'Lord'. "But we can't linger long. The longer we wait, the more time the Labyrinth Cores will be active. I assume you know what that means for our home."
"We do." One of the Fellians spoke up, nodding somberly. He was wearing what looked like half a suit of medieval plate armor and, judging by the scuffs and discoloration, it had seen no small amount of use. A helmet was tucked under one arm, revealing weathered features and a mess of shaggy brown hair that hung almost to his shoulders. "Of course, we will not keep you long."
"Yes." Verres confirmed. "So long as you can afford passage, we would be happy to open this stairway for you once we have gone over some basic questions."
"Afford?" Jade asked, exchanging confused looks with her friends. "No, we already have a floor key. We don't need to buy one from you."
"Ah… you see…" Verres adopted what he probably thought was a pained look, but to Jade came across as more smug than anything else. "We have already cleared the area of monsters. That took no small amount of effort, but we wanted to ensure that any new wayfarers could safely travel to the next floor. I can give you a discount for using your own key, but I'm afraid I can't allow free usage of this stairway after we've already put in so much work."
Verres nodded to the other Fellian, a woman, and the warrior moved over to stand in front of the stairway door. Jade just stared at him in disbelief, struggling to comprehend the audacity of his declaration. She wasn't alone, each of her companions were stunned, and Siora was positively glaring at him. Jade had rarely seen the calm and relaxed elf so out of sorts, but apparently the idea of charging for stairway access deeply offended her.
"Lord Ledkin." The armored Fellian man said with a frown. "I don't believe this is appropriate, nor do I think it is what your uncle had in mind when he sent us to gather information."
"I'm afraid I must agree with Captain Mar." Aylin added. "This was not included in our instructions."
"I was put in charge of this expedition." The nobleman snapped. "And it will proceed how I see fit. I come from a proud line of successful businessmen, and it is against my nature to provide free services. Doesn't that make sense, Nia?" He finished, looking at the Fellian woman now standing guard in front of the door.
"Makes perfect sense to me, Lord Ledkin." She replied with a tight smile.
"Besides." Verres continued, looking back at Jade's group. "We are only asking for four thousand crescent coins, barely a pittance. I'm sure you have that much to spare."
He smiled, spreading his arms in a helpless gesture. The expression didn't reach his eyes. Jade squeezed her hands into fists, a familiar anger boiling up from somewhere deep inside. Her destructive urges, which had mostly been quiet since she had drained the rogue wayfarer with her Kiss of Night spell, began flaring to life again.