The six of them crossed the warm, heavy darkness in hushed conversation.

Around them, other crystalights shone in the dark, marking the other Climbers.

Some very few traveled in groups. Even less walked with family.

The majority made the journey alone.

Few were those who understood a Climber’s decision. Fewer still those who accepted it.

Once you voiced your decision to Climb, no one could stop you. And no one could hurt you either, though many wanted to.

Those who disobeyed the Law of the Crystal soon found themselves in deadly accidents or sickness. They didn’t even need to be exiled. The Crystal knew. The Crystal punished.

“Looks like we'll have a good showing this year,” Bey said.

The two of them walked ahead of the other four. The Unclean had harsh quotas to meet, and they could only spare one person per Climber. The others, Mer and her adopted son Faj, Hab and his niece Der, walked behind them, lost in their own conversations, their three globes of light being far enough to grant privacy to each.

“Yeah,” Nar said, looking at the gathering of lights ahead of them.

“Nervous?”

“... yeah.”

His dad squeezed his shoulder.

“It’s going to be fine. You’ll find a good party.”

“I really can’t do it alone, can I?”

“Nar…”

“Yes, yes… I was just joking.”

Nar stared at the gathering lights in the distance, his stomach churning at the thought of what was to come.

“It’ll be fine,” his dad repeated. “A tank, a leader, some damage dealers… That’s all you need.”

“Easy-peasy…” Nar muttered.

It left out the whole part about him having to be accepted in the first place by such a good party.

How many of them would take a hybrid class? Only the desperate, looking to fill up. And he didn’t want to be one of the desperate. Even if he was.

Bey stopped him with a hand. “This is far enough.”

The others joined them.

Bey considered the two other youths. Faj was a tall, skinny human like Nar, and he carried a big two-handed hammer with him. Der was an even taller morsvar, her skin thick and scaly, her head dominated by spines that flowed down her back. She held a small shield, a buckler, and a scepter. She had gone for party leader.

“This is it,” Bey said, his voice taking on a solemn tone. “Your work is over and you are Unclean no longer. Climb. Stay safe. Live a happy life. Forget aura. Forget the cubeplant. Forget us. Go and find your freedom.”

Der sobbed and came in to hug him.

“Thanks for everything,” Faj said, his eyes shining in the dark. “We only made it thanks to you and everyone else.”

Faj lifted his arms and pulled his adoptive mother into a tight hug.

“I’ll miss you guys,” Bey said, patting Der’s soft back spines. “Now you be safe out there, okay? Everything’s going to be fine. There’ll be spots to rest, there’ll be food, and you’ll earn your magic soon enough. Just find a good party and find a way to trust each other and work together, okay? This is important!”

Der snorted. “Yes, yes. We’ve all heard it a thousand times, Bey! Don’t worry. We’ll behave.”

“Good!” Bey said, grinning. “Now go on. Make sure you get there early!”

Bey grabbed Nar for one last embrace, leaving the other four to their last goodbyes as well.

“Remember all I’ve told you,” his dad said. “And don’t do anything stupid.”

“I will. And I won’t. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll miss you,” Bey whispered.

“I’ll miss you too. And I’ll see you again.”

“I… Alright. I’ll see you again, son. Be careful, okay? Don’t go into the Waiting Dark before I do. Or ever.”

Nar smiled. “I’m half a tank now, remember? I’m not so easy to damage.”

“Still. Watch yourself out there.”

“‘I’ll be fine, dad.”

With one last pat on the back, Bei pulled them apart.

“Thank you,” Nar whispered, his eyes shining. “For…”

“Hush!” Bey said. “The past is the past. You just Climb and get out of here, ok?”

Nar nodded.

“Alright,” Bey said, sniffling and rubbing his eyes. “We won’t stay, in case someone spots us. You just weep walking and don’t look back.”

Nar’s throat tightened as his dad turned him around. “Go, son. And keep going until you’re out.”

“I will. I won’t let you down!”

“I know!”

Bey pushed him forward with a gentle, but unyielding force.

For a moment, Nar’s legs forgot how to walk, and he nearly stopped to look back at his dad. But the others joined him, and he kept on walking, leaving his dad in the darkness.

I won't let you down. No matter what happens! No matter what it takes! I swear to the Crystal!

Tears fell down his cheeks. At his side, the other two silently wept.

Despite their losses, it was still a large family that they left behind. Gone, in the dark. Never to be seen again.

None of the adults aspired to leave. They simply wanted an end to their long duty. They yearned for the peace of the Waiting Dark. Nar was the one selfishly forcing his dad to stay, and wait for him as their numbers dwindled and the last children left over the next four years. If they even survived to see nineteen. The kids younger than him were sickly. Frail…

But even if his dad had to endure years of dark solitude, it would be worth it. One day, they would both walk in the light. Or at least they would meet again in the Waiting Dark, without regrets…

The distance went by quickly, and soon, the sound of the crowd was nearly overwhelming.

When they reached the edge of the lights, they stopped, hesitating to break apart forever,

“If you can’t find a good party, come find me,” Der said. “I’ll take you both with me and screw what they might think. I’m the party leader.”

“Thanks, but I’ll find someone,” Faj said. “One, they might accept. Three, and they’ll think that the Crystal Itself has cursed their Climb.”

Nar nodded in agreement. From there on, they went their separate ways.

“Good luck out there,” Nar said. “And I hope we meet again. Outside.”

The temptation for one last, tight embrace was almost too much. They were cousins. They were brothers and sister. But if they hugged, and someone saw them, how would they explain the fact that they were Climbing separately? Especially with one of them being a party leader? No, it was better to appear alone, like the majority of them was.

People Climbed for many reasons, almost all of them unpleasant. Nobody would think twice of the three, lone Climbers looking for a party amongst the throng of others like them.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Goodbye!” Faj said, and stepped towards the light.

“See you, Nar,” Der said, giving him one last teary-eyed look before she, too, disappeared in the crowd. “Thank you for everything!”

Nar heaved a sigh and pressed his eyes. From there on, he was alone.

Right. Let’s get this done.

With his heart in his mouth, Nar walked into the light, and was immediately swallowed by people. The majority of them were Climbers, but there were a few family members as well. Those more open minded, and who loved their kids more than their atonement, tradition and forgotten ancestors.

Nar looked around, lost in the sudden noise and bustle as he scanned the parties nearby.

Leader, no tank. Tank, no leader. Oh…

He walked past a loud, boisterous party, filled with nothing but altei and morsvars. Each and every one of the eight tall, muscular men and women carried big two-handed weapons.

Crystal. All damage? Then again, maybe if the damage is high enough, they won’t need a tank? Or a leader?

After all, the path was supposed to be straightforward to follow. If not for his dad’s incessant sermons, he wouldn’t have worried about a leader at all.

Leader! And a tank!

Nar sped forward, heading straight for the party he had spotted, pushing past people and crystalights.

As he approached, an altei noticed him and raised his hand. A tank, given his shield and mace.

“Sorry, we’re full,” the tank said.

Nar almost stumbled to a halt.

“Oh… That-that’s fine.”

“Sorry, man. Good luck.”

“Yeah, no worries. You too.”

He fled from the pitiful looks the tank and his party cast at him, and disappeared into the crowd once more.

Everywhere he looked, the suitable parties already seemed to be full.

Two leaders? That can’t be good.

He walked past a split and arguing party, feeling increasingly desperate.

He was probably running out of time. He was going to have to settle for just a tank, if he managed even that.

Nar turned around, having spotted the end of the gathering a few feet away from him.

Damn… It’s okay! I’ll just look again! Maybe I missed someone…

And as he turned, his eyes landed on another party, right by the edge of the assembled hopefuls.

A tall morsvar woman held a shield and a spiked mace, and beside her, talking animatedly, was an altei with a buckler and scepter, and a mane of very pale-yellow hair.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…

They still had space in their ten-person party. Holy Crystal! He had found a party that still had space!

But… Why aren’t they full?

His face fell.

In the party, there were lengos, and they didn’t even reach the altei’s waist.

Lengos were always born as a male and female twin pair, and while the sister of this pair held a short staff, marking her as a caster, which was fine, the brother, which was a darker shade of gray than his sister, didn’t seem to be holding any weapons at all. It took Nar a good few moments of hard staring at the bald, small guy to notice the dull gleam of the metal knuckles shining through his fingers.

A brawler? A lengos brawler?

He almost laughed. Could he even reach the enemy with those arms?

Shame bloomed within him.

That hadn’t been a nice thought. Attributes would soon become everything as they gained levels anyways. Height, weight, gender and everything else would soon become meaningless.

And who am I to say anything? He’s probably useful at least, he thought, grimacing at his hybrid choice.

“What are you staring at?” the male lengos suddenly said.

Nar took a step back.

“Something you want to say?”

“Mul!” his sister chided him. “Stop it!”

Like his brother, she too was bald, though unlike him, when she stared at Nar, it was with open kindness.

“I didn’t do anything. He’s the one staring at me!” Mul protested.

“No-I-I… I’m sorry!” Nar stammered, years of life as an Unclean not as easily cast away as a piece of cloth.

He turned around to beat a hasty retreat, before it turned into a scene. The last thing he wanted was for the other Climbers to regard him as a troublemaker.

“Wait! Are you looking for a party?”

Nar stopped, and turned back around to stare at the party leader, who had stepped forward after him.

“I… Yeah. I am.”

“Do you want to join us?” the altei asked, smiling.

“We don’t even know his class yet!” Mul shouted.

“It doesn’t matter,” a tall, lanky guy said. “The more the merrier!”

He was a trugger, tall and skinny as truggers went, and with thick, coarse, dark hair. Like all truggers, his long, double elbowed arms reached almost to his knees.

“Yes, it does!” Mul retorted.

The party leader smiled at Nar, ignoring the brawler. “What class are you?”

Nar looked down at his sword and grimaced. Moment of truth.

“I’m actually a hybrid. Tank and damage.”

“No way!” the trugger said. “That’s so awesome!”

“No! It’s fucking retarded! You couldn’t even make up your mind between the two?” Mul asked.

“No! I-I chose this. This is my path!”

“You what?”

The trugger laughed. “I like him, can we keep him? Please?”

“No!” Mul shouted again.

“Mul, don’t be like that!” his sister hissed, glaring at him.

“I’m not being like anything. He doesn’t even have a shield!”

“I’ll work hard, I swear!” Nar said. “Please. You won’t regret it!”

The party leader glanced at his party.

“Let’s take him!” the trugger said, giving Nar the thumbs up. His fingers were also double jointed.

Next to him, a human spear woman with long dark hair and a very pale, ashen complexion, looked him up and down and shrugged.

“Do whatever you want,” she said, her uninterest clear on her beautiful features.

It went on to a quam next. She stared at him, with her big, green and blueish compound eyes. Nar stared back.

There hadn’t been any quam amongst the Unclean in a long time.

She had four arms, and her skin was a grayish, greenish sheen, half between skin and chitin. She looked as most sentient did, sharing all the characteristics that they all shared, but she had no ears, and above her head, two little antennae poked from her green, almost shoulder length hair.

She was small, and thin, almost like a starved Unclean, and refused to make eye contact with him. At her back, was a pack much like his, except bulkier.

Instantly, there was something about her that gave Nar a bad feeling. There were bruises across her arms and neck, and he had seen such avoidant behavior before… There was almost no denying what she was running from.

Unless she works the Pile, Nar thought. Workers there were always hurt.

Still, he couldn’t shake the bad feeling that he was right about her.

“Yes,” the quam said, her voice barely audible.

“Cen?” the party leader asked, looking down at the caster.

“Let’s do it!” Cen said, smiling warmly at Nar. Her eyes were completely black, with a neon like yellow for her iris.

Nar decided right there and then that he liked Cen.

The altei grimaced and looked at Mul next. Mul, on the other hand, had red irises.

Isn’t that meant to be a bad thing for lengos? Nar wondered.

“Ugh. Fine! Do whatever you want!” Mul said, crossing his arms. “You’re the boss, anyways.”

“Yes, I am. And lastly, Gad?”

Gad, the morsvar tank stared at him with such an intensity that Nar started to sweat harder. She was impressive, even for a morsvar. Her skin, dark gray with mottled specks of different hues of gray and faded browns, looked tough, and she stood a whole two heads taller than him. If he stood right before her, he would have to crane his neck all the way back to look up at her face.

Her eyes were completely black, and were perched above a nearly flat nose, with slits for nostrils. She had no hair, only rows of increasingly more flexible spikes that he knew descended down the back of her neck.

Is she… Going to say no? He thought, dread rising within him.

Instead, Gad nodded.

“It will be good for us. Give us flexibility.”

The party leader smiled and nodded. “That’s exactly what I thought! Someone that can double up as a tank or be an extra damage dealer when needed? It’s perfect! Of course we’ll take you!”

Nar gulped. “Are-Are you sure? I might be sort of… Bad. At-at least at the beginning.”

What in the pile are you saying? This isn’t the time for honesty! Not with these Clean anyways!

The party leader threw his head back and laughed. “I know! I fully expect it. There’s a reason why nobody takes a hybrid class. But I have some ideas and we’ll see, alright? I have a feeling we’ll make it work.”

“And… You won’t kick me out if you don’t…”

The laughter died from his face. “I will not be kicking anyone out, Nar. Not unless something incredibly bad forces me to. If you believe in your path…”

“I do. I really do!”

“And if you promise that you will work hard for and with the party, then that’s all we need.”

Mul scoffed behind the party leader.

“So?” the altei asked Nar. “You in?”

Nar couldn’t believe his luck. He had done it!

“Yes! Please! Thank you!”

The party leader laughed and came over to him.

“Welcome to the party!” he said, placing an arm over his shoulder. The party leader was a good head taller than him, and like Nar, his skin was a pale ashen sort of gray with a touch of purple. “My name is Kur. Manager brat and party leader. The tank is Gad. The caster is Cen, and her noisy brother is Mul.”

“Up yours, man.”

“He’s a good guy deep down, don’t worry. Next, we’ve got Jul. While she’s aiming for a non-combat scout class, her eyes and antennae will make sure nothing surprises us. Then, there’s Viy, spear DPS as you can see. And finally, the joker of the party, Tuk the ring tosser.”

Tuk grinned. “Look at me. I’m already a Named Few.”

Nar found himself returning the smile. He had a feeling he was going to like Tuk as well.

However…

“What’s a ring tosser?” Nar asked.

Tuk’s smile widened further and he raised a hand. In between his thumb and index, was a slim, hollow disc of metal, presumably the ring.

“I’ve got ten of these!” he said, proudly.

“Oh… Wow. How-how do you…”

“Use them? No idea yet! I’m hoping that once my class unlocks, I’ll know what to do!”

The trugger laughed, ignoring the looks that both Mul and Viy threw his way.

A lengos brawler. A… Non-combat class? Is that even a thing? And a… Ring tosser that doesn’t know how to toss his rings?

Had he made a bad choice?

Then again, what did he know about using a sword?

“I think this is it,” Kur said. “I think everyone has found their party. It should start soon.”

Nar looked around them and failed to spot any more lone, and lost looking Climbers amidst the assembled parties.

“Attention, Climbers!” a loud voice rang out.

Nar spun round, looking for its source.

A man and a woman, a quam and an altei, stood casually in the middle of the gathering. The easy air of authority that exuded from their relaxed postures told Nar everything he needed to know about them.

“Execs,” Mul breathed, just short of spitting the word.

“Shhh!” Cen hissed at him.

“The parties have formed, and the Admin is waiting for you,” the quam continued.

A hushed, excited murmur undulated through the crowd.

“Me and my colleague will direct one party at a time to her. She will speak with you and offer you one last chance to change your mind. If you do, you will hand in your weapon, or weapons, and return to life as normal. If you don’t, you will hand her your crystalight. Where you’re going, you’ll have no need for it.”

Nar already knew that he wouldn’t be allowed to keep his crystalight. However, the thought of leaving behind the little crystal, which had shone his way since his earliest memories, caused a lump to form in his throat. That, however, was swiftly surpassed by the quickening of his heartbeat as he thought of the darkness beyond.

Only the path of light would guide them. And he hoped that meant actual light.

“We’ll start right away. That party there, you go first.”

“Whoop-whoop!” Tuk said, in an excited hush. “It’s starting!”

Nar looked past the gathered Climbers, peering over their heads.

In the distance, he spotted three small crystalights, making their way back home.

His sight went blurry, and he quickly blinked the tears away.

I’ll be back, dad. I swear. Just hang on.