Chapter Forty-Six

For well-prepared teams, that damn bird was less of an issue. Most guides spent more time bemoaning how long it took to grind through a tree lord. Here, good stealth, top-level speed, and the ability to taunt, charm, and stun meant you could hold the guardian in place and defeat it before it decided to fly the coop. Alone, and with none of those key skills, it might as well have had a sign before approaching that read -Beware of Chicken-.

So close. If only she had a little more speed. A little more oomph. Harmony mentally shoved away what she’d dubbed the chicken problem as the pair navigated the stairs. Hyacinth was nimble enough despite his size to manage the trip, but still griped and groaned through [Familiar Bond] the whole trip down. It was time to focus on the more daunting challenges. Being in Tyler’s presence. Facing Rose after she attempted to keep Adric caged.

Tess waited at the dungeon exit, not at attention, instead looking at the crowds passing by. The maid's mechanical spider, bow tie and all, tapped her on the shoulder to alert her that Harmony had arrived.

“Oh, Lady White, I wasn't expecting you so soon.”

It was hard not to wince at that greeting. Tess's clumsiness was on the list to be improved, but it also seemed her etiquette skills also seemed to be lacking. With Ambrosia on other duties, sometimes you have to make do.

“My climb ended sooner than I would have preferred. It’s good you’re trying different roles as a staff member and assisting me today as we visit the guild training grounds.”

“I know! It’ll be exciting to see what guild mistress Thorne is doing. I hear she can be a real nutcracker if you know what I mean.”

Etiquette! [Poise and Bearing] covered for Harmony. This girl was surely competent in other aspects, after all, she had been a top talent for the harvest event. One simply needed to find the right job for the right tool. “Yes, I’m interested in seeing what has Sir Maxwell so on edge.”

Her four bodyguards took point as they traveled, Hyacinth hopped along too, rather than bail for his usual nap. He was curious as well and appreciated the potential for a good laugh, even willing to give up sleep to get it.

A crowd surrounded the guild’s training grounds. Thorne’s training had attracted an audience. A makeshift tower stretched high past the crowd. While Harmony couldn’t see Len, Rose, or Tyler past the crowd, Max was very visible at the top of the tower. His tiny form was highlighted by his bright pink glowing beard, which seemed to be flickering in distress. “I don't want to do this!” he yelled.

“All your team’s skills working in tandem should be able to bring you down gently. You merely have to trust them. And if you don’t trust them, I have the best healers on standby to make sure you won’t die. Didn’t you tell me risky acts help boost your chaos?” Thorne yelled back.

That level of coordination would be a sight to see. While not on the same level as the counselor or dungeon spirit, [Keen Investigative Awareness] might glean enough from Thorne’s training to help Harmony with her current problem. Just a touch of chill to let the crowd know someone is behind them. Eyes widened as they glanced back to see what caused the cold, and the crowd parted for her. If they were watching this training, they surely knew who she was.

Stepping through, Len, Tyler, and Rose had positions around the tower. Rose furthest away, bow aimed towards the path of descent, nocked with some special arrow that had what looked like a ball at the end. Tyler stood under where Sir Maxwell was to land. Len had his hands over two glowing spells stitched into his robe.

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“Harmony!” Rose eeped in shock at the same time Sir Maxwell jumped. The princess tried to stabilize after her yelp, firing a little lower, but late.

The arrow hit him, yes, it slowed the fall some, but it hit his feet with enough force to spin max one hundred and eighty degrees midair, to go from a feet-first drop to a head-first diving position.

Len’s spells popped into place but looked malformed, glowing nets of magical energy one below and one off to the side in a miscast. Len’s face flushed in embarrassment. The one that did catch Max, but more tangled with him rather than slowing the knight.

Tyler simply moved out of place by a few steps while squinting and looking toward the necromancer’s entrance. From him, there was no skill activation.

Max hit the ground with a hard, awkward, and twisted crash.

“Ooooooch” the crowd watching groaned almost collectively. “Arms aren’t supposed to bend that way.” Someone else commented. “Ten silver, pay up.”

Not dead. Harmony still strode forward with some worry. His ulna was sticking out of one of his arms where it had snapped through. There was also his loud distressed groaning.

“Medic!” Thorne cried.

The healer swept in, their skills punching hard. Setting the bones back into place and sealing up the wounds. Max screamed in pain as he was put back into acceptable shape. He rolled over and climbed to his hands and knees.

“Stupid bleeding trust. Oh, my chaos, with that..” Max’s dirty, tangled, and blood-stained visage snapped to attention. He’d poked his oath. That brought him half-stumbling up to a kneeling bow. “Lady White, a pleasure you could make it.”

Guild mistress Thorne stomped out. “One slight distraction and you three mess up a perfectly planned exercise. If you think you won’t have to deal with surprises in the Ascendant Games, you’ll be mistaken. Well, now that the five of you are here, I might as well reveal to you the next bit of information Hemlock has chosen to grace us with. To quote, a spectacle that will take days, weeks, even months to complete."

Harmony let her disappointed groan join the ones her former teammate made. Revenge for the months he’d spent in Old Bones? What would a longer trial entail with twenty-five competitors?

Thorne let loose a snort of disgust. “With teamwork so slow to advance. Might as well focus on filling out your bonds for the games.” Shoving her fingers into her mouth she used them to help produce a high-pitched whistle.

A guild worker walked out carrying a small chest. Thorne motioned everyone to come closer. The five made a semi-circle around the guild mistress and assistant carrying the chest. She lifted the lid. A large black four-faceted gem sat on a red velvet pillow. “I commissioned this in the evolved kingdoms. Each facet will show if you’ve filled one of the bond spots, and it will let us know if you have an unapproved bond. Since skills can have bonded aspects, the goal will be to get you to three bonds and then have you focus on evolution before you fill the last one. Max, you’ll need to check in if you modify any more skills. Who's first?”

Tyler reached out and touched the gem. One face flashed a pale yellow, the others remained black. “[Invulnerability] has an aspect of fate to it.”

Len touched it, one color for him too, a sickly green. “Astral projection seemed useful at the time.” Farthington cawed in his ear. “Okay, is useful.” He hissed back at his familiar.

Max and Rose touched it next, the gem remained black.

With Night and Adric at least she’d start ahead of the others. Harmony placed her hand last on the gem. The facets all lit up, bright red, deep blue, purple, and a faint white that made one side gray.

“Well, that’s unexpected,” Thorne murmured. “When did you get tied up with gods, Lady White?”