Chapter 84

We discussed it amongst ourselves for a moment, while Wyll stared on, before coming to a conclusion. While we had a plain goal in mind for the day, we all agreed we could spare at least a small bit of time to speak with Wyll. Today was as much about leveling as it was exploring and learning more about the Tower. And above all, his injuries, his signs of lingering harm and lasting wounds, was interesting. Given the magic of healing, as well as the miracle that was resurrecting, with no wounds or scars, following death in the Tower, the man’s obvious disfigurements were outside of the norm.

Granted, Commander Phyr had injuries of a similar manner, and no one had really ever questioned him on those. Perhaps this man had acquired them in a similar manner? Maybe his story would provide a glimpse into how or why a Climber would have permanent wounds? At the very least, we all agreed whatever it was Wyll had to tell, it would be intriguing.

“Before you assume I had any ill intent towards you as Coals,” Wyll said as we followed the man. After agreeing to hear his tale, he’d bid us follow him, and had begun guiding us into the forest, towards the mountain proper, as he called it, and his home. “I wait by the portal every day. Usually until someone accepts my offer of help for the day.” He shrugged as he walked, the heavy furs around him shifting, showing there was a bit of bulk, of muscle, underneath, “other days, I just catch up with friends and hear tales of what’s happening outside of the Tower.”

“You make it sound like you don’t leave the Tower.” Nyle interjected.

“That’s because I don’t, if I can help it.” The man said with a laugh. “Currently I’m on my best streak too. It’s been,” his eyes faded for a moment. Either he was reading through his information or was trying to do some quick mental counting. Maybe both. “About a hundred days.”

I nearly tripped at his words. A quick glance and shared look between Nyle and Lyn confirmed they were just as surprised by his statement. A hundred days? Within the Tower? Without leaving? Why?

“I’ll get to that when we reach my home,” he said after a quick glance back in our direction. He was perceptive, that much was certain. “After wards, I’m happy to offer my help too, if you need anything from the third floor.” He patted the fur he was wearing as armor. “Pretty familiar with it you know. Made this armor myself too.”

“That explains the quality.” Lyn quipped softly, just quiet enough for Nyle and I to hear. We grinned at her joke. While her boots and cloaks, both magical loot from the Den Mother, looked, well, magical, Wyll’s were rough. They were misshapen, with obvious signs of sewing, crooked stitching, and a few areas that just didn’t connect quite right. It was generous to call it armor, really, the more I looked it over.

“Third floor is probably the best of the first five,” Wyll said, the insult to his amor either unheard, or ignored. “Best temperature for sure, and the wildlife here is the best in my opinion. Good eating and a good variety.” We were beginning to ascend now, making our way past the trees as the ground sloped upward. As I looked ahead, I noticed after a certain point the trees just stopped, leaving barren mountain with sparse grass, lots of rocks, and the hints of caves.

“Have all hundred days been on the third floor?” I asked, trying to make some conversation as we walked. Trying to learn more about the man we were blindly following upwards in an unknown area. Part of me was screaming this was a bad idea. The part that was traumatized by Hans. But, if Wyll were up to no good, surely by now he’d have been punished. After all, Alexandra had put Ryker and his clan to task stopping Hans and his group from harassing and killing new Climbers. If Wyll were like that, he’d have been stopped. Right?

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“This time around, yup.” Wyll said cheerily. “It’s my favorite to spend time on. Less crowded than the first two, less… cold than the fourth, and well, the fifth isn’t very welcoming at all.”

“You don’t climb past that?” I pressed.

“Not since I was a Coal like you three. I did my climbing, sure enough. But after the tenth floor, well, I figured I didn’t like dying all that much.”

He laughed as he pointed a little further in the distance. “Come on now, almost to my home, then we can chat proper like.” There was a cave up ahead, with obvious signs of habitation. Outside, crude furniture crafted from the white wood of the trees on the floor. There was also a fire pit, a spit, and meat strung out to dry it appeared. Along with other things that I didn’t really understand. Mainly, the very obvious mountain of animal skulls piled outside of the cave mouth.

“Home sweet home,” he said with a cheer as he hastened forward. He moved easily, and it made me wonder what his dexterity and strength levels were. Additionally, I found myself questioning his constitution. The whole time we’d been climbing, I’d been finding it harder and harder to breathe. My head felt light, and my stomach, slightly nauseous, as I worked to keep up after the man. Beside me, Lyn and Nyle seemed to be equally struggling. Wast the air on this floor dangerous?

“You’ll feel better once you give yourself time to rest.” Wyll called towards us as we joined him in front of the cave mouth. Immediately after stopping I’d found myself bent over, wheezing slightly, as I sucked in air that just wasn’t there. My lungs stung as the slightly chilled air, which had gotten colder the higher we climbed, burned inward. “Air on the third floor is pretty thin, you see. If you’re not used to it, or your constitution is too low, well,” he shrugged and laughed, “it’ll make you sick as sure as a bite from one of the snakes.”

“Snakes?” Nyle asked, looking about with concern. “There are snakes on this floor as well?” Quill had warned us about the snakes on the second floor. And the thought of a creature being able to kill us with a single bite unless we had an antidote had made the creatures more than a little intimidating.

“Yeah snakes,” Wyll plopped down on one of the wooden chairs. It creaked and wobbled a bit, but he didn’t seem to care. “You three trekking around without even researching the animals and flora of a floor huh?” He motioned for us to take seats as well, though there was an obvious lack of chairs for all of us. “Here,” Wyll’s eyes went fuzzy for a moment, and then a few more chairs appeared, clattering to the ground as he called them forth from his inventory. They looked one wrong move away from breaking, but still, more comfortable than the rocks around us.

“We’re planning to reach the Climber’s notes at the Cathedral after our climb today,” I said, as I eased myself into the rickety chair, still fighting to breath properly. “But we were more eager to level, than research, today.”

“I remember those days,” Wyll laughed and leaned back, making the chair he was in crack and creak even more. “The days of innocence and youth.”

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, the three of us working on our breathing, while Wyll just stared happily outwards, looking past us, down the mountain, with a content, peaceful look on his face. After a few more minutes of very awkward silence, I cleared my throat.

“Uh, Wyll,” I started, my words causing the man to jump, as if I’d pulled him out of some sort of trance. “Weren’t you going to tell us your story?”

“Oh, right, sorry,” he laughed, the sound causing me to feel there wasn’t something quite right about him, as a handful of dark meat appeared in his lap. It was dark and dried, jerky of some sorts. He offered it to us, grinning all the while. “A little bit of Bear Jerky, perhaps, for my tale?”

I looked at the others, and we shrugged. “Why not.” I said, taking a piece of the dried meat, curious to see just how it tasted. Wyll watched me, with that same, eerie smile, as I bit into it. It was tough, almost like leather. There was a smoky flavor to it, along with some spice, that seemed to somehow not only fight off, but enrich, an almost sour taste to the meat. It was…surprisingly good. As I chewed, my features going from cautious, to pleasantly surprised, Wyll summoned more meat before us, and then began, finally, to tell us his tale.