Chapter 67
“If you don’t mind me asking,” I said as we began putting the traps back in place. Lyn and Alax had headed off in the direction of the gorilla troop, which was rather obvious thanks to the carnage wrought by the gorilla that we’d led back to the camp. “But why do you do this?”
Quill looked at me past the knot he was tying. We were in the process of securing the swinging spike back in place, and the first step involved tying new ropes around it, considering the previous ones had been ripped apart.
“What do you mean?” He asked as he deftly finished his knot. He moved closer to me, inspecting the knot I’d been working on. While I wasn’t as fast as he was, owing likely to the difference in how many times we’d tied this type of knot, I was still capable. We learned all sorts of knots in training, after all.
“This.” I said, as I motioned around the area with a hand. The ground was torn up and covered in blood, multiple trees had cracks running along their trunks, and one of the smaller ones had snapped in half. All thanks to the battle against the gorilla. “All of this. I know you said you’re not afraid of dying, that it’s your job, but” I paused, and looked at Nyle. He was in the process of carrying the steel wire across the span of the trapped area, so we could once again set up the tripwire. “Why go to such lengths? It’s not like this is a task you guys have to do. What’s the point of sending Hunters into the Tower?” I faltered, watching Quill’s face, as my hands trembled slightly. “Why are you guys risking your lives, when Climbers could just as easily kill these creatures and bring you everything you need?”
Quill looked at me and tilted his head to the side, his eyes seeming to bore into me, searching for something. He opened his mouth before he closed it, the look of realization taking place of the confusion a moment later. Then, he sighed, chuckled, and shook his head.
“You don’t know, do you?” He said in a simple tone. It wasn’t insulting, it didn’t hold any anger or sorrow or anything, it was just a question.
“Don’t know what?” I asked as I finally finished the knot. I stepped back as he gave it a once over, tugging it deftly to ensure it would hold. He motioned to one end of the log, and I dutifully walked over, hefting my end up as he lifted his. I didn’t fail to notice he strained less than I did as he lifted the heavy wooden spike up. Were his stats higher than mine? Did Hunters have stats like Climbers?
“About Tower Sickness.” Quill replied as we walked the trap back to its staging area. The next step was the tricky part. Working the rope in a way to loop over the tree branches above and lifting the massive spike into the canopy at an angle, so it could swing downwards like a pendulum. Quill had measured it all out, figuring out the perfect spot to ensure its downward and forward swing would be just right to impale a gorilla as it moved into the trapped zone.
“Tower Sickness?” I thought for a moment, and then shook my head. “I’ve never heard of it.”
The Hunter tossed one of the ropes high into the trees, managing to make it drape over the appropriate branch in a single go. Then moved to grab the other part of the rope, to do the same on the other side. It was like making a cradle, a swing. Honestly, as I watched Quill work, I couldn’t help but try to memorize all he was doing. Such traps surely could be powerful tools during a long climb. Not just for the animals of the Tower, but surely monsters, and maybe even bosses.
“Makes sense,” he said as he worked, “from what I know, Climber’s don’t have to worry about it. At least, not in the same way as the rest of us.”
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“What is it?” I pressed.
“Just like Climbers, everyone receives a mark from the Tower that denotes their role, their purpose. For Climbers, it sets you off on your journey, and you go away to train for eight years. For the rest of us, we go immediately to our apprenticeships, in order to begin learning our designated trade or line of work.”
“I know that much,” I said haughtily, “Echo,” I touched Claw at my side, “the blacksmith that made these, told me as much.”
“I know Echo,” Quill said with a grin, “and I’m a bit jealous you got him to make you something after just a day of Climbing. Do you have any idea how hard it is for non-climbers to get something made for them by a Master Blacksmith.” He shook his head and sighed, “but that’s for later. Back to Tower Sickness.”
“Right,” I said. He’d finished tossing the ropes about, so the next step involved Nyle and Shadow. The four of us grabbed hold of the different ends of the ropes, all strung across branches high in the trees, and pulled, hefting the log back into the air. Quill continued to speak, as we worked.
“For the masses, depending on our status within our Guild, we are expected to carry out different types of tasks. There are guidelines and procedures. They differ across the guilds and depending on the job, of course, but they dictate how we live. But the most important bit about them is they weren’t set down by the Guilds. They’re decrees, rules, given to us by the Tower itself.”
“The Tower set the expectations of the Guilds?” Nyle interjected. “How? Why?”
“I don’t know,” Quill shrugged. “All I know is each Guild has a glowing, literal stone in their Guildhall that has instructions for the Guild. Touching the stone fills the member with their expected tasks. If I remember correctly, the stones were brought forth from the Tower by Korl Shade, the First Tower Keeper.”
He shrugged, “whatever their origin, they set in stone our lives. And, from the first time we touch those stones, we are bound to them, and the Tower.” He held up his left hand, showing us the bow and wolf head that denoted a Hunter. “And if we do not perform the tasks set down for us, our Mark will begin to rot, and Tower Sickness will take hold.”
“That already sounds unpleasant.” Nyle muttered, and Quill offered him a small smirk as he continued.
“Oh it is. But the rotting flesh aside, Tower Sickness itself is not something you want. If you go too long without performing the tasks expected of your role, and Tower Sickness takes hold, you’ll get weaker every day. First it’s just a decrease to your stats, a fever, and a hunger. Every day though, you’ll wither more and more, and your senses will begin to leave you. If Tower Sickness prolongs for a month, if somehow you stubbornly refuse to return to your tasks and instead want to suffer for that long, well,” he shrugged, “you die.”
“You die?” I asked in disbelief.
“Yeah,” Quill shrugged, “it’s harsh, but it is what it is. That’s why we go on these hunts. It’s not like it’s a crazy expectation, mind you. Journeymen Hunters have to go on three hunts a week. Master Huntsman have to lead two Hunting Expeditions a week. The rest of the time, we get to do what we want.” He chuckled, “so, while hunting gorilla themselves aren’t all that profitable, it ensures I don’t get Tower Sickness, and helps the Guild provide materials and resources to the other guilds that need such things.” He pointed at us, “and as for the Climbers who take on the job, well,” he laughed, “part of your job as Climber’s is to keep the rest of us safe within the Tower anyways, right? So, the fact you get paid for it, as well as materials for a job well done. Well, that’s just icing on the cake, isn’t it?”
I was quiet as Quill finished securing the rope he’d been working on, temporarily tying off one end so he could free himself up to scale the trees. While the rest of us held our ropes taut, he masterfully began securing them higher up, ensuring the trap was set just right. It was inspiring, watching the skill with which he worked. Not a single wasted movement. Not a single step out of place. He was at home within the Tower, within the jungle. Even with death facing him at every turn, even with the very real threat of dying, he was completely comfortable.
Someday, I’d be just as comfortable. Someday, I’d make the Tower feel like home. For now, I wasn’t going to waste any chance, any opportunity, to learn even more about this world I lived in, and the Tower that seemed to hold more power than I ever imagined over the way our world worked. That realization, and the mystery that came with that understanding, made me even more excited, to grow strong enough to climb even higher.