The group felt the pull of the portal, the strange sensation of every fiber in their bodies twisting and turning over in a second. They appeared back at the base in Alestead one by one, Wyn and his group appearing much more intact than the other group of Climbers.
John inspected himself when he emerged, checking for any wounds or bruises. The adrenaline and skill both now worn off, he only felt the drag of fatigue and not any extraneous damage. He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful this time he emerged without needing to dash to the infirmary. Hopefully that was a one time occurrence.
The Fighter and Rogue who were both hurt were standing, at least, but decided to take themselves to the infirmary to make sure there wasn’t any additional damage they couldn’t see. Tasha healed them nearly on her own without the other healer’s help, and she wasn’t trying to seek any form of payment or thanks. Still, the frantic pair wanted to leave almost immediately when they entered into the base.
The woman, a Divine Mage, stammered over her words when she tried to thank Tasha. “You… you saved us. And… you saved… me. Just… thank you!” She bowed low towards the ground, nearly dropping her staff awkwardly.
Tasha snickered. “I did what I needed to do. But this isn’t a place to mess around! You have to be ready to help when you can.” Her cheeks were flushed, hot with nerves and a brief flash of disdain.
The mage recoiled. “I know. I… I’ll be better.”
“Good.” Tasha softened a bit and sighed. “Just… try, okay? It’ll get easier. But you’re their lifeline. We can heal injuries but only to a point. Don’t let it get out of your control.”
The mage nodded her head and sniffled. “Words to climb by. Thank you.”
“She’s right, it will get easier,” John said, putting his arm around the woman. Her face grew even redder than Tasha’s. “But don’t worry! Just heal first and throw up later.”
“Easy for you to say,” Tasha said. “You still throw up going through the portal.”
John blanched. “I really shouldn’t have eaten those eggs this morning.”
Tasha laughed, and the other mage nervously laughed along with her, John’s arm still resting on her shoulders.
“You idiots!” The Fighter yelled, stepping up to Wyn. He was shorter than Wyn but held his chest high with arrogance. His face was blood red. “You nearly got us killed!”
“We nearly got you killed?” Wyn said, standing firm. He held his spear at his side and felt his knuckles pop from his tightening grip. “We saved you and your group! If it wasn’t for us you would’ve had two dead Climbers, maybe more.”
The Fighter leaned more into Wyn, nearly at his face. “We had it under control. I had it under control!” He threw his hands to the side and yelled in frustration. He backed off, turning to face his group before they completely left the hallway of portals. “If you all would’ve just listened to me! I’m the leader, here, you take orders from ME!”
The Fighter and Rogue stopped before they completely left the room, turning around to face him.
“Are you serious, Frederick?” The Rogue said. His face was contorted between disgust and laughter. “We basically hobbled our way through that floor. We had a full group! And it was only the first floor!”
“And that speaks about the leader more than anything,” the Fighter added, “more than the group as a whole, at least. You made awful calls, rushed us, and nearly got us killed
“Yea, they saved us,” The Rogue said. “You should be thanking them!”
Frederick slowly walked towards them, putting a hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword. “You ungrateful fools,” he started, but was promptly cut off. He stopped moving immediately, an arm appearing under his chin in a flash.
Marcy held him in place, twisting his arm behind his back and choking him at the same time. She was calm, her hands steady and face neutral. His already red face grew redder, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets in rage.
Her mouth was right behind and above his ear, though she leaned in for more effect. “I would advise you to calm down, Climber. You won’t like the outcome if you draw that sword.”
Frederick struggled for a few seconds but relented. He either realized he was outmatched or out of place. She was strong and he didn’t expect it, but his emotions were also raging with intensity. He raised his hands slowly, taking deeper, slower breaths. “Alright, alright,” he struggled, his face now purple.
Marcy let go and stepped beside him, eyeing him suspiciously. He coughed a few times and rubbed his throat.
“At any rate, I’m done with you worthless, weak excuses of Climbers,” Frederick said, his voice now hoarse. “Find your own leader.” He walked off, pushing past the other Fighter and Rogue who stepped out of his way.
“What in the hells is his problem?” John said. He looked down and realized he had grabbed his own sword hilt in response, subconsciously readying himself if things went worse. His hand quickly jerked away.
“He thinks he’s a somebody because he’s rich,” the other Magician said. He shook his garnet staff mockingly.
“A noble, actually,” The Fighter said. He sighed. “From Caryn.”
“A nobody, actually,” the Rogue added, “is what you meant to say. He’s a piece of dirt and doesn’t deserve to lead a group.”
“Well, he won’t lead us,” the Divine Mage said. She walked over to the rest of her group. “We can manage without him. This time we find someone better and do it right.”
“That’s the spirit!” Tasha said. “I’m sure it will go much smoother next time.”
“Thank you,” the woman replied. “We owe you guys.”
“Yea, like our lives,” the Rogue said. He walked over to Tasha and extended a hand. “You saved my life. Thank you.”
Tasha waved his hand away. “You shouldn’t thank me! Wyn was the one who pulled you away and healed you first.”
“Who is that?” He looked over at John, who only smiled back, then waved sheepishly.
“He’s our leader, I guess,” Tasha said. “Though we haven’t exactly decided. He’s the Ruby Magician.”
The Rogue jerked his head towards Wyn, shock evident on his face before changing serious as he relaxed and set his jaw. Wyn smirked but quickly shook it off. There wasn’t any need to gloat. Not now.
“It’s no big deal,” Wyn said. “I’d hope anyone would do the same for me.”
The Rogue walked up to Wyn and held a hand out. “I’m sorry for earlier. That was… pretty shitty of me. Thank you.”
Wyn took his hand and shook it firmly. “It’s alright. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“I will be, I’m just… embarrassed. I’m sorry. I obviously need to be a better judge of character.”
“Both good and bad,” John said, pointing a thumb towards the exit where Frederick stomped off.
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The Rogue sighed. “Right. Well, we should be going. I might take a few days off but I hope to see you all again. Truly.”
“Yes!” The Fighter said. “Might be worth grouping together in the future. I know we could definitely learn a thing or two.”
John walked over and clapped the man on the shoulder. He introduced himself and made another joke, further lightening the mood. The Fighter introduced himself as Travis, and the others exchanged names and pleasantries as well. The Rogue - Devon - seemed to lighten up the most, and Wyn was grateful they were friendly. There were good people here, after all. After a few more minutes of talking, the others finally said their goodbyes.
“Maybe another time,” Maven, the Divine Mage, said. “Dinner would be nice, but we need some time to think. Thank you all again.” She herded the other Climbers like sheep.
The group hobbled away, reminding Wyn of himself, Marcy and Cedric after they left the second floor. He thought of the scene right before they left, where he saw Cedric’s arm lying on the ground and the witch standing in the distance. He knew the Lightning Wizard would be changed forever, but he didn’t know the extent. Hopefully he’d be able to see him soon - he’d been wanting to talk to him, to make sure he’s doing alright. Sure, physically he lost an arm, but he had no doubt he was alive and stable. He was wanting to make sure mentally he wasn’t falling apart. That was far too common in his background, and he had a strong feeling that it was common here, too.
“I think I’m ready, too,” John said. He stretched and took a deep breath. “That wasn’t that bad, but I lost my breakfast before we even got started.”
Tasha laughed. “I’m sure you’re starving. I can get some food with you before we meet at the training hall.” She walked over to him and playfully nudged him in the side. He yipped, more in surprise than pain. “If you don’t mind the company?”
“Escorting a noble to a meal?” He bowed to her in a large, grandiose way. “Not at all, m’lady. May we collect our rewards, first?”
Tasha laughed. “Stop it. If you act like that I’ll kick you out to the streets!”
John returned the laugh, and they walked out of the hallway of portals towards the base entrance. Marcy shook her head and followed them out, wondering how in the hells she ended up in this situation.
Wyn began to follow them out before he saw the Mapper awkwardly standing to the side, holding onto the straps of the large backpack he wore. He was trying not to be nosy, but he stood just far enough away to go unnoticed. He caught Wyn staring at him and jumped a bit, straightening up his posture.
Wyn walked over to him, having to look up at him to look him in the eyes. “Are you alright? I didn’t really see you in the fray back there.”
The Mapper cleared his throat and spoke. His voice was higher than Wyn expected for someone his size, though not comically so. “Yes, thank you,” he said sheepishly, avoiding eye contact with him.
Wyn waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. “Well… alright, then. Good.”
The two stood there for a moment, Wyn not knowing if he should speak further and the Mapper wanting to avoid conversation entirely. The man started to walk out of the hallway towards the tower entrance and Wyn walked with him.
“You know,” Wyn said, trying to fill the void of silence, “people like that don’t deserve to lead a group. I hope he wasn’t unkind to you in the tower.”
The Mapper didn’t reply, only readjusted his backpack straps and continued walking. They passed groups of Climbers here and there, some entering the tower late and others leaving, heading back to the front entrance. Wyn found he had to step slightly faster to keep pace as his legs were slightly shorter, though the Mapper didn’t seem to be in a hurry. He was just set on where he wanted to go.
“Regardless,” Wyn continued, “I’m glad you’re okay. It seems like most of their group suffered rather than improved under him. Hopefully they will find a better leader and you a better group.”
The Mapper looked at him for a second then turned away. His face was kind but serious, almost sad in a way. “I hope so, too. No one should have to deal with an attitude like his.”
Wyn smiled. “I agree. My name is Wyn. I’m a Ruby Magician.”
“I figured. About your class, I mean. No way I could’ve guessed your name.”
“How’s that?”
The taller man shrugged. “You used a healing spell and then rushed in to fight. No base class has the ability to heal along with being confident enough to fight directly except for Red Mages. I just put two and two together.”
Wyn looked at the man again. There wasn’t anything that stood out on his person except for the backpack that looked like it could hold Wyn. Everything else - his clothing, armor, and war hammer on his belt - looked perfectly normal here in the tower. He obviously knew much more than he let on, and Wyn liked those kinds of people.
“Well, you’re spot on,” Wyn said.
The man chuckled, laughing with his whole body. “My name is Caloman, but you can call me Cal.”
Wyn stopped and put his hand out in a formal greeting. Cal stopped, too, and shook it. His hands were huge and strong as Wyn was barely able to squeeze his hand for the handshake. “Good to meet you, Cal. If we need a Mapper, I hope you’re available for us. We’re a new group but we work well together.”
“I’ll make sure I’m available if you need someone, just put in a request at the desk at the entrance and I’ll be sure to see it. And I can tell you all have some experience, at least. Better than Frederick and his group.”
“Well, this is our first official season and only second time in the tower, but I’d like to think we’re preparing ourselves well.”
“Huh,” Cal said, and kept walking. “I would’ve thought this would’ve been your second or third season. Did you all know each other before you came to Alestead?”
“No, actually. We met just a few days ago, but we seem to get along well enough. I think we’ll go pretty far together.”
“I think you will, too. I know a good group when I see one.”
Wyn smiled. Whether he was looking for it or not, he was glad to have some validation about their group. Sure they were small, and most would likely judge them as not being capable with their smaller number, but he felt good about them working well together. Hearing it from someone else didn’t just feel good. It felt great.
The sound of conversation grew quickly around them as they entered the base of Alistair. Climbers were still readying themselves to enter the tower, people who left were collecting rewards at the desks, and some groups were catching up with others at the start of the new season.
Cal waved bye to Wyn as he walked back towards the wall where the other Mappers stood to be hired for a climb. Wyn waved back, glad to meet a new Climber and potential ally in the future.
He saw Marcy, John, and Tasha standing beside the desks, laughing at John’s antics. He was waving his arms in some big show, and Wyn was sure he was making some kind of joke. John saw him and waved him over.
“Hurry up and get your rewards,” John said as Wyn approached them. “We need to grab some food then head to the training hall already!”
“Oh now you’re in a rush?” Tasha asked, pocketing her parchment in her robes. “This morning you dragged your feet to come to the tower!”
“It’s all about the food, St. Clair! I basically missed lunch, so now I have to stack up enough for lunch and dinner.”
Tasha sighed audibly. “Of course it is. But that actually makes sense in a weird way.”
Marcy laughed and crossed her arms, leaning on the desk.
“You guys go ahead,” Wyn said. He pulled his parchment out of his pocket. “I’ll get my rewards and meet you at the training hall.”
“What? Why?” John asked.
“I want to talk to someone here about Frederick. Someone like that shouldn’t be allowed to lead a group. He could’ve gotten them killed.”
John looked at the women. “Yea, but is it our business?”
“He’s a Climber like we are, so yes, I think it is. If we won’t, who will?”
John sighed. “Alright, alright. You make a valid point. But I’m starving. Can you handle it without us?”
Wyn laughed. “I think I’ll be fine. Like I said, I’ll meet you guys after.”
“I’ll go with you,” Marcy said. “It would be good to have an eye witness with you.”
“And Tasha and I will grab some food,” John said. He visibly brightened. “Perfect!”
“Always food with you,” Tasha said. “Sorry guys. I’ll bring some food to the hall for both of you.”
“Thank you,” Marcy said. “It won’t be too long.”
John nearly dragged Tasha away, and Wyn could only shake his head.
“I’ll show you who we need to talk to,” Marcy said. “But I doubt it’ll amount to much.”
“Really? How so?”
“Climbers like that are everywhere. John knows it because he knows more about the tower than most rookies, and I’ve personally seen it many times before, sadly.”
“That’s… not fair,” Wyn said. “The guild should know when Climbers could jeopardize the lives of others! Can’t they take disciplinary action to punish them or expel them from climbing?”
Marcy barked a laugh. “Technically Frederick didn’t break any laws. Incompetence isn’t the same as a crime.”
“I don’t see it that way. If this were the service he’d be demoted and forced to clean boots for a week.”
“Wyn, this isn’t the war. The same rules don’t apply. If nothing else, you need to understand that simple difference.”
Wyn shook his head and sighed. “Maybe so.”
“The Guild is an organized entity to help regulate us, but they definitely don’t operate the same way. They’ll make sure no crimes happen but they tend to leave the dealings of group squabbles to the group to work out.”
“That was more than a squabble. But I see your point. Still, I want to tell someone.”
“Yea, it won’t hurt to have his name on record, just don’t be disappointed if nothing happens.”
Wyn thought about that. It wasn’t fair that Frederick wouldn’t at least be disciplined for his shitty leadership. Wyn had seen that too many times before for less offensive actions. He’d even felt the sting of shame and failure and paid terribly for it. His mind drifted back to the hill and his soldier’s deaths, the aftermath of the scolding and punishment he took for simply following orders. Being a lower officer, even if he led a company, still meant he took orders, and meant that he also took the fall for failures that shouldn’t have been his.
Being a Climber was being part of a new world. He couldn’t use his previous experiences to completely relate to this new position. There were still plenty of things for him to learn.
“Alright,” Wyn finally said. “I know I still have a lot to learn here. Thank you for talking it out with me.”
Marcy put her arm around him and smiled. “That’s what friends are for. Now come on. John might be the one who loves food, but I’m hungry, too.”