Alex watched the various connected passageways on his trek with the caravan. A few runners were sent out to investigate each of these rooms. Little of interest was found. The most common item collected was pieces of metal scraps from bowls and silverware which could later be melted down for its steel.
The halls were empty of enemies and so was the main tunnel. They kept their guards up but sped up their pace. Things changed when the tunnel ruins started to slop upward. It started barely noticeable and then the change became visible and noticed by everyone.
“The tunnel is changing in elevation again. We are going up. Maybe to the exit soon,” said a fighter.
“Are you sure we are near the exit. We have been here for a while. Maybe we will just be meeting our next group of the undead,” said another.
“I’m confident. We will finally see daylight again. Maybe the next city as well.”
Other similar conversations passed through the teams within the caravan. The change brought excitement and a renewed energy. Among them was Alex who was also ready to see the end of the ruins.
“Finally, a change,” Alex thought to himself. “It isn’t surprising that some are on edge. Whether we step out to face undead or humans is totally up to chance. The likelihood that they are friendly is also another matter entirely. Another thing to consider is based on the entrance to the tunnels we may head higher in elevation than when we started. Depending on the length of the tunnel from here on out it may tire some people out myself including putting us at a disadvantage when leaving the tunnel.”
Alex’s worry was found to be unfounded. The tunnel turned and kept a slight slope for about three more hours of their journey. It was then that they saw the end of the tunnel. The doors were already ajar letting streams of light onto the path and into the connected rooms. No enemies were waiting for them at the doors. It was unoccupied. As they approached the doors they were able to get a better view of the exit they had been searching for.
As Alex stepped out of the tunnel, the harsh daylight made him momentarily squint, his eyes adjusting after the hours spent in the dimly lit interiors. He was met with a vast desert landscape, the dunes stretching far and wide, their golden peaks glistening in the sunlight. The barren vista sprawled out in front of him, an infinity of sand, interrupted only by the occasional tough, stubborn cactus standing as lonely sentinels amidst the desolation.
He could see the occasional skeletal remains of an abandoned structure, the remnants of a once-flourishing civilization now lost to time and the relentless desert sands. The gusts of wind blew tiny particles of sand that danced and twirled, weaving a transient tapestry across the deserted expanse. The air held a dry stillness, underlined with the muted hum of the wind passing through the empty dunes.
He turned around to take one last look at the tunnel entrance. It’s exterior had been worn down by the sun and sand beating against it. The only trace of their recent past was the marks of their journey imprinted on the sand, leading back into the heart of the ruins, soon to be erased by the ruthless desert winds.
The caravan moved steadily forward, dwarfed by the immensity of the desert. The atmosphere was a curious mix of exhaustion and relief, a collective sigh escaping the group as they emerged from the dark depths of the tunnels. A few shared glances, nods of acknowledgment, their spirits lifted by the change in the surroundings and the prospect of reaching the next destination.
Alex saw to his left as the caravan turned, one of the seemingly abandoned structures was larger ad more lively than the others. He and everyone else knew what that meant. Another group of climbers had found the city portal.
There was no undead in the immediate area, so Alex moved through the caravan leaving some of the mages behind. He approached the front of the caravan where he found the Archer, head crafter, and David discussing their next steps. He didn’t immediately but in and waited while listening to their points.
“It would be best if we head to the city as soon as possible. If I were in their position I would be watching the tunnel for people like us. If we don’t go to them now and wait here then they will come to us,” said the crafter. “I would rather show them our best side.”
“We must be careful to not show aggression or weariness from the journey,” said Archer. “We don’t want to appear as easy targets or as fighters ready for an impending battle.”
“Then should we send a scout forward such as me,” said David.
“Yes. That would be best,” said Archer. “Though I am not sure you are the one we should send. For now, send your bird out covertly. Let us know what you find. We won’t go at a slow pace, but we won’t rush to the city either. Once that is taken care of I want you to scout out the surrounding area. If we need to switch directions when the time comes then I want to already have a direction in mind.”
Stolen novel; please report.
“What if the new direction proves to have similar results?” asked David.
“Then we will have tried our best,” he answered.
“To start we will want to appear peaceful and nonconfrontational,” said the crafter. “We’ve got a large party of people with us which will help with the we are not ‘easy targets’ side of things.”
"Agreed," Alex finally chimed in, stepping forward into the circle of discussion. His voice was steady, a stark contrast to the harsh desert winds that whipped around them. "We should also consider sending a small delegation to the city first. A show of good faith, perhaps.”
The Archer was the first to respond to Alex’s intrusion. “That is of course a possibility depending on their forces and how nice they seem. It will be one of many options we can work toward. David. The time to scout is now.”
David nodded his face turning seriousness. He took a step back and his bird opened its wings. A moment later it was in the air speeding toward the city. David called on his magic and started the process of seeing through his companion.
“Alex. You can relay a message to the back of the caravan and the middle for that matter,” said Archer. “We march for the city at a slowed pace. Everyone should use this opportunity to eat their rations and hydrate. Our defensive mages should be on alert once the front of the caravan can see people who may be on the city walls. I should have more information for you then.”
Recognizing the signal for him to leave Alex turned. He relayed the message to a few of the team leaders and spoke to Angela along the way. When he reached the end of the caravan he stayed with them while he gathered his food as Archer had suggested. Many did the same and rummaged through bags to find their stored packages of food.
“I’m almost on the third floor,” Alex thought to himself while eating. “It has been a busy time. I don’t think I would have gotten through it without the help of Angela and Archer. I would most assuredly be stuck at a tiny level risking myself every time I fought. Maybe I would have found someone who could build the battery but nowhere near as good as Angela’s. I probably wouldn’t be on this caravan and as far as I could to the third floor if I hadn’t met Archer. Joining a caravan would be a pipe dream and an expensive one at that.
“The third floor should be better though. I will make it so. Grow stronger, continue to master my magic, and make Rich pay. He will be so surprised, and I can’t wait to see that surprise on his face. I hope he hasn’t grown complacent since joining the Seekers. I will face him head on and see what he has in him. Beyond him there is whatever else the third floor has in store. From how it has gone so far it will be a bit harder and different too. With new challenges and battles to fight.”
The caravan continued its approach toward the city. No drastic action had been taken for now. Alex considered returning to the front of the caravan in search of David but did not want to bother him. He eagerly awaited an update on the situation. He knew the time was close and neither side had yet to make a bit move.
Alex finally was informed when the caravan came to slowing stop. Word was passed slowly back though the caravan as its members understood its message.
“The caravan will be stopping. There are a few armed climbers out front, and a few were inside the walls. We will be sending a delegation out to meet with whoever is in charge of holding down this city. They have showed no hostile intent yet.”
Alex sighed in relief at the message. The group wasn’t outright hostile. It of course could be a trap but that was seeming less likely. If the other group did try anything then the caravan’s forces would greatly outnumber the city’s at least for a time. They did have access to a portal station but that was only useful if an enemy could escape through it and call for reinforcements.
He moved forward in the caravan in a plan to watch the meeting take place. The greeting party had already left when he reached a good enough viewing angle. Alex of course was not part of the group. The group of five included Archer and a few other notable team leaders that Alex had seen fighting the undead. They were accompanied by a mage as their fifth member. Alex recognized them as a talented barrier mage and shield bearer. If anything went wrong in these discussions then it would be the mages job to make sure that they could retreat effectively.
Alex waited while unable to hear their discussion. A group from the city left through the gate to meet with the caravan’s members. He tried to read their expressions and infer details, but it was hard to tell. Even when he extended his echolocation toward their group, Alex only saw pieces of the whole. After another minute of trying, he stopped his efforts and waited with the others for the results of the meeting.
Finally, the rogue stepped back from the greeting party and ran back to the caravan. When Alex heard the message he wasn’t very surprised.
“Paying per person for passage. That is ridiculous.”
“The price is ridiculous. 1000 per person. They will make a million Tower Points by the time three more similarly sized caravans try to pass through here.”
“We can always try and head toward another fallen city.”
“But what will that get us? We might get stopped again. We should try and get through. Maybe they will be willing to renegotiate a price.”
When the party returned from the city gates Alex was among the first to speak with them. “It is true then isn’t it,” said Alex. “They want us to pay them for the access we are looking for.”
“It is true,” said Archer. “They aren’t budging on the price either. I suspect some of the caravan members will take them up on the offer. It will be most of the crafters if I am being honest. They aren’t fighters and are eager to gain access to new resources. The price will annoy them now but with the items they can make on the next floor they will make back the cost quickly.”
“Can’t we make back the cost as well?” asked Alex.
“We could but I would rather not let the Seekers profit too much off of being the first to enter the third floor.”
“Can we fight them at all or are we leaving?”
“We can certainly try and will likely succeed but with the size of our group they probably have a runner stationed at the portal. That runner will have been instructed to gather reinforcements if anything goes wrong. If reinforcements arrive before we can activate the portal then we may lose too many people. Ultimately the goal of this caravan is to get us to the third floor and open up the way for more of my people to get to the third floor. This portal only allows us to accomplish the first goal. I would prefer to have a consistent portal open for my guild.”
“What are you going to do?”