“We’ve got our instructions,” Rich declared. He held up a small, folded piece of paper and waved it around. “I got them from Cedric himself while he was in town today. With some luck, we will be on the second floor in less than 48 hours. Does everyone have their things and the extra bags?”
There were nods all around. “Good. Let’s get going then. Follow me.”
Rich led them toward the city center and then into the administrative building next to the city hall that held the Tower portals. He spoke briefly with an assistant before they were led into the office.
The office was a spacious chamber, filled with natural light streaming in from the large windows that looked out over the city. The walls were adorned with detailed murals depicting the Aarakocra people and their achievements throughout history. Bookshelves crammed with scrolls, maps, and books lined the room, hinting at the mayor's scholarly interests. The room was decorated with plants and ornaments, adding a touch of nature to the otherwise imposing space.
The centerpiece of the room was an elegant wooden desk, upon which perched Mayor Aerin, the Aarakocra leader. His plumage was a mix of vibrant colors, an indication of his high social status among his people. His sharp eyes scrutinized Rich and his companions as they entered the room, while his beak curved into a welcoming smile.
"Ah, you must be Rich, the brave adventurer seeking a quest to prove his worth. Thank you for sending communication ahead of time," the mayor said, extending a taloned hand towards Rich. "I am Mayor Aerin."
Rich shook the mayor's hand firmly, his eyes filled with determination. "Thank you for granting me this audience, Mayor Aerin. I along with my fellow teammates are prepared to ascend to the next floor. We would like to take on a quest to do so and I am here to offer my assistance in whatever might help the city grow."
Alex was watching the interaction between the two when a system message popped up and then quickly disappeared soon after
<<<>>>
Your party leader on behalf of your team has started the ascendancy quest. You must complete the quest in the time provided or further travel in the Tower may be prevented and death is likely to occur. Please be prepared.
<<<>>>
Mayor Aerin nodded gravely. "We have a dire situation that you might be able to solve. There is a creature that lurks in the depths of our mines and is a fearsome beast, unlike anything we have ever encountered. It has caused us great trouble, and our miners dare not venture too far below the surface for fear of their lives. Our city relies on the resources that the mines provide, and with every day that passes, our people grow more desperate."
He paused, eyeing Rich and his companions carefully. "I have sought the help of many brave souls, but none have been able to defeat the monster. I must warn you, that the challenge is great, and the danger is real. If you choose to accept this quest, you must be prepared to face the unknown but with its completion your reward is clear. As a specially summoned monster by the Tower, it will provide you access to the next floor upon its death. If you cannot defeat it however it will hunt you down instead."
Rich exchanged glances with his companions, who nodded in agreement. Their expressions were resolute, and they stood tall, ready to face whatever lay ahead. Turning back to the mayor, Rich replied, "We understand the risks, Mayor Aerin, and we are prepared to face them. Tell us more about this monster, so that we may better prepare ourselves for the task ahead."
Mayor Aerin sighed, his feathers ruffling with concern. "Little is known about the creature. It is said to be a grotesque amalgamation of various creatures, with long, slithering tentacles, sharp fangs, and the ability to move through solid rock. It has a ferocious appetite, devouring everything in its path, including our miners. Some claim it is an ancient being, awakened from a slumber deep within the earth, while others believe it is the result of dark magic. Whatever it may be, it is a formidable foe."
Rich clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the challenge before them. "How can we track this creature down within the mines?"
Mayor Aerin produced a detailed map of the mining tunnels from one of his many scrolls. He spread it across the desk, pointing out the areas where the monster had been sighted. "The creature seems to have a pattern in its movements, though it is elusive and difficult to predict. You must be vigilant and move quickly, for if you do not hunt the creature, it will surely hunt you instead."
He looked up at Rich, his expression solemn. "I must also ask that you keep the details of this mission confidential. The people of our city are already afraid, and we do not wish to incite further panic. You and your companions must act discreetly and with haste. Once it is dead show me the seal of the Tower that is embedded on the monster and I will provide you with additional Tower Points as a reward."
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Rich nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "We will do our best to protect your people and maintain discretion, Mayor Aerin. We won't let you down."
The mayor handed Rich the map and a set of enchanted torches that would provide light in the darkest corners of the mines. "These may aid you on your journey. I wish you the best of luck, brave adventurers. May the winds be ever in your favor."
With a final nod of gratitude, Rich and his companions left the mayor's office.
“What was that last bit about?” asked Eric. “The fate of the city is in our hands. Top secret mission and all that.”
“You can read the instruction letter now if you would like but the gist is that the event is largely scripted. Either solo or as a team we have to meet with the mayor of one of the cities to be assigned an ascension quest. We don’t get to pick the quest any more than the mayor does. As you have seen, and others have recorded as soon as you step into the office the quest is started. It was a bit unsettling. The mayor and I were in a sort of trance put upon us by the Tower. The monster was spawned as soon as we entered the room and not every quest will be the same. These items he gave us were also created by the Tower. We now have to finish the quest, or the creature will leave the mines and hunt us down. We will fail at that point and even if we kill it the new will need to be reissued a harder quest. Even though the talk of endangering citizens was mostly fluff if it leaves the mines or even enters the populated area of the mines it will certainly start eating, destroying, and killing everything it can until it is dead.”
"Now that we know what we have to do and have a time frame, should we gather anything else or do some more leveling?" asked Alex, his voice wavering with some uncertainty.
"I'm already level capped, and so is almost everyone else. And you will be too soon enough," said Rich, reassuring him. "We have to face the challenge now and complete it. The Tower wouldn't issue a quest for us that we couldn't complete."
"We'll have each other's backs, no matter what," said Taylor. “The quest is as simple as it gets. Follow the map. Find the trail. Kill the beast. We’ve been practicing, training, and leveling up for the past month. We can do this.”
“So boss are you gonna give some sort of heroic speech or something?” asked Eric.
Rich laughed it off for a moment before returning to seriousness. “Maybe if that is what you want.”
“I don’t know. I was just thinking that this is our last quest, activity, whatever you want to call it that we will do on this floor. Sure, we will probably come back here just like everyone else, but this is the last task we have to do before we leave this floor. Before we are on to the next floor and bigger and better things. I mean we have been together since day one as a team.”
“You know that was a pretty good speech. Maybe you should do the speech instead,” said Rich with a smile. “In all seriousness though I understand what you mean. I found each of you when we were all just circling around the Tower Beacon waiting for it to open. We’ve made it through our fair share of scuffles and have done quite well for ourselves in the tower. We’ve made money, joined our great guild, and fought almost every monster variety on this floor. Now we just need to complete this assignment. ‘Kill the beast’ as Taylor so aptly put it. Once that is finished the grind continues but our power will grow. I do have an announcement to make as well. I considered holding this off as a surprise but considering it is so close I’ll say it now. Though Eric you already know.”
Rich paused for dramatic effect before continuing. “I have spoken with Cedric, and we have spoken to the sub-guild leaders of the Seekers. He will be joining them tomorrow officially and is going to bring us along. Once we are on the second floor and have some paperwork we will be joining the largest guild in the Tower.”
Kai was the first to break the silence. “That. This was amazing. I am also amazed that you have been able to pull this off for us. The Seekers. They are. Well, they are the best at most things. Sure, there are probably more specialized guilds for stuff, but the Seekers are amazing.”
“Maybe I can tell you the story of how Cedric and I were recruited but that is a story for another time. When we are finished with the assignment perhaps.”
“I can’t wait to be out of here,” said Eric. “Don’t forget that we’ve been chosen because we are promising and have done well in the Tower. They want to invest in us because we’ve become a great asset for the Golden Doves but now our old guild would be holding us back otherwise. When we prove ourselves here things should continue to be on the upward trajectory for us on floor 2.”
“Eric is right,” said Rich. “I have given the Seekers some promise of my talent and dedication and in return, we will complete this quest no matter what might arise in the mines. We can’t fail. No. We can’t be average in completing this quest. Now that you know that we are joining them we are in a way representing the guild now. We can’t let them down with them watching and recording how we do in this true hurdle in the Tower.”
The conversation died down as they passed by the Golden Dove’s build tent next to the mines. They waved and briefly said hello before parting once more. It helped calm their nerves or at least Alex thought so. The entrance to the mines loomed before them, a dark, foreboding tunnel that seemed to swallow the light from their enchanted torches. Rich took a deep breath, gripping his weapon tightly as he led his team into the darkness. He ignited the amulet of illumination around his neck. It helped a little and added some additional light. It would also stave off the darkness even as the others would have to drop their torches on the ground to fight. He rested his shield at his side. The others also held their weapons at their sides. Even though monsters would not appear until deeper in the mine it gave them a bit of comfort and relaxed them in preparation for the upcoming fights.