Chapter 20

The Farmer’s guild was located near the gate that led to the Tower. According to the map, a few of the other guilds were in the same area, making it easy to travel to them. I took note of the blacksmith’s guild, knowing sooner or later I would be taking up a job for them. Sure, there had been plenty of stores we’d passed on our way through the city from Climber’s Rest, but I couldn’t help but feel having gear crafted for me would be better than just buying something that was premade.

We approached the Farmer’s Guild silently, taking in the structure as we neared it. It was made of stone, but that wasn’t strange. Everything in the city was crafted from stone, as it was the most easily available resource in the cavern that was our home. Wood, only accessible from the Tower, was a more valuable resource, and used generally for doors, exotic furniture, and accents.

The building itself was about three or four stories tall, nowhere near the height of Climber’s Rest. The smaller size made me wonder if the members of the Farmer’s Guild lived away from the guildhall. The size of the other Guilds as we passed them had equally seemed small. On our map of the City, there were massive expanses marked as housing, which further implied my theory may be correct.

If that was the case though, it brought another question to mind. Not that I was complaining, given how grand breakfast had been, and my room was nicer than anything I’d dreamed of in the past eight years. But why did Climbers live in a singular building, while everyone else got residences of their own?

“What do we have here?” A voice called out as we stepped through the small stone archway that led to the Farmer’s Guild proper. The stone itself had been carved to depict various animals and crops, and the center of it, in blocky script, had stated what it was.

“Looks like a couple pieces of coal.” Another said. My eyes found the speakers quite fast. There was a group of five Climbers hanging around the door to the Farmer’s Guild. They were easy to recognize, considering they were all wearing heavy armor, and were equipped with various weapons. The farmers were just as easy to recognize, as they wore simple pants and shirts, with gloves and heavy boots. The type of gear one would expect someone who worked on the land and dealt with animals would wear.

“You boys fresh from the Reaping huh?” A third of the party of five asked. He had a massive battle axe strapped across his back. “How far’d ya’ll get?”

I glanced at Nyle, and he motioned his head towards the doorway. Alexandra had told us to head into the guild and meet with the Overseer, who would assign us to the group we would be working with on our job. It was clear Nyle wanted to do just that. It was likely he’d picked up the same vibe I was from this group of Climbers. They seemed like trouble.

I said nothing at Nyle’s behest and the two of us continued heading towards the door, though each step brought us closer to the group of five.

“Hey kid,” the original man said. He had short black hair, teeth too large for his mouth, and narrow eyes that he narrowed, making it almost look like he had them closed. That being said, his arms were twice as thick as mine, and the weapons at his side, dual scimitars, were made of a material I didn’t recognize. There was no doubt he was much stronger than we were. “It’s rude to ignore your elders.”

“Perhaps the coal lost their nerve already in the Tower.” The second said with a laugh. “Turned yella from a single climb. Now he’s just looking for an easy job.”

I wasn’t sure why they were referring to us as coal, but it was clear they were using it as an insult.

We continued to ignore them, but they moved to block our path, encircling us as they did.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Look here you two,” the axe wielder said. “There’s a pecking order I don’t think anyone’s taught you’s just yet.” He spit on the ground, and it was dark. He was chewing tobacco.

“Coal,” he poked me in the chest, hard. “That’s you’s new kids wearing that crappy regalia, case you didn’t know. Do what us real Climber’s say. And, if you behave and do what we ask, well then,” he looked at his friends, “we’ll maybe consider leaving yous alone when the next batch finishes the Reaping next year.”

They all began to chuckle at that. I grabbed Nyle’s arm and tried to push through two of the five, but it was like trying to walk through stone. How strong were these guys?

“Just let us through,” I said through clenched teeth. “We’re all here to do our job as Climbers.” I looked at the five, searching. “We’re all supposed to work together.”

The axe wielder spit again, this time on my chest. It took all the discipline my from past eight years to hold my anger in check. “This is first floor duty.” He said with a laugh, “my boys an I can handle this in our sleep. An if you want any chance at the monsters and Tower Essence, yous gonna need to play by our rules. Else, you’re gonna find yourself unable to level till we decide to let you.”

The group chuckled even more, and I had a sinking feeling they were right. We needed to kill monsters to gain Tower Essence. And I had no doubt these five were extremely capable of killing everything on the first floor with a single blow. If Nyle and I couldn’t fight monsters, we could level. If we couldn’t level, we couldn’t take on harder jobs and higher floors. And if we couldn’t do that, my mind screamed, we couldn’t reach the fifth floor and the first boss. And if we couldn’t do that… my dreams, my thirst for the thrill of new gear and equipment, would be purely that, dreams.

I seethed as I looked at them. There was no doubt they were stronger than we were. More experienced too, though I wasn’t sure how long they’d been proper Climbers. Still, I couldn’t let this be how our start as Climber’s went. I spent the last eight years dreaming of my life as a Climber. And that dream didn’t involve taking orders and living under the thumb of others. We were all Climbers now. And like Commander Phyr had said, that made us equals. Right?

I growled and tried once again to push past the group. I was on the ground before I realized what had happened. My jaw hurt, my eyes watered. Nyle was at my side immediately, hands on my shoulder, concern in his eyes. The man with the twin swords and buck teeth was smirking. He’d hit me, I realized.

“Consider that little love tap a warning.” He said, trying to do what I assumed was grin, though his too-big teeth made the whole expression look crazed. “Next time I’ll be sending you limping to the Cathedral for a healin.”

He laughed, his friends laughed, and then, someone else laughed. The sound caused the five around us to stop laughing immediately. Their already pale white skin turned practically translucent, as the laughter drew even closer.

“Funny joke Hans.” I heard the voice say. “Pretty sure Alex would love to hear it. What do you think?” The man with the two swords flinched at the mention of Alex. The others looked around, and then looked behind us, in the direction of the voice. I was pretty sure I knew that voice. Didn’t I?

“Oh I get it.” The axe wielder said as he glanced down at us, “yous wanten to haze em yourself huh?” He laughed, “I always knew you’d come around to it.”

A single laugh answered. “Do you really think I’d stoop so low as to haze fellow climbers?

“Then what is it?” the axe wielder growled, “why can’t you just let us have a little fun? They’re just a couple Coals. What are you even doing here? You don’t do farmin jobs.”

“You’re right Lan,” the voice said. It scratched the back of my mind, like trying to recall the taste of a food I’d not had in a long while. “I don’t do farming jobs. But I do have a good reason to be here. You see, those two, happen to be more than just Coal to me.” And then it hit me, where I knew that voice from.

“Whatcha meaning?” The man with the twin blades asked. He glanced down at us, and then back towards the newcomer. Realization crossed his face, and it confirmed my suspicion. “Oh, shite.” The man, Hans, said.

“That’s right Hans,” the newcomer said with a chuckle. “Those two were my juniors, and Ash there, was my mentee.”

I stood then, turning excitedly to look past the Climbers who were hazing us, in the direction of the newcomer. He’d aged, more than I would have expected in a year. Additionally, he’d have to have put on at least forty pounds in pure muscle. But I recognized that smile, those eyes green as grass, and his straw-colored hair. He was clad in massive plate mail from the neck down, a black metal trimmed with gold. Across his back a massive shield rested, and at his side was a cruelly shaped morning star.

“Ryker,” I said breathlessly, my excitement washing away all of my anger and frustration from mere moments before.

“Hey buddy,” he said with a wave and a smile. “Long time no see.”