Faye skewered a third potato with her fork and bit off the side. She wasn’t the most elegant eater, but she was far from the worst. Wyn thought she was similar to Marcy in that regard. And in others, too, if he was being honest.
The group of six and their handler in the Twilight Blades guild, Faye, were sitting at a table in the guild’s dining hall. It was Tulsday evening, and the group finished their third day of climbing before giving their report to Faye. The hall was empty except for them, but the hearth had a roaring fire that provided both warmth and comfort to them. Wyn appreciated it as the second tier in Alistair continued the winter environment theme, and despite his coat providing a magical comfort despite the weather, he was still grateful for the fire.
“I know you six are new, but it’s still impressive,” Faye said, finishing chewing her food. “Finishing out the first tier in one day, the sixth floor the next, and already working on the seventh floor where you were stumped before. That’s damn good climbing.”
“Last month doesn’t really compare, though,” Cedric said. “It was a bust, remember? This season is far more linear. In a good way.”
“Even so, it’s good work. I’m happy with your performance so far and I know Gregory will be pleased.”
John sat a little straighter as he grabbed a roll from the platter in the middle of the table. Wyn suppressed a smile.
“Just focus on working through the bottom of the second tier this week,” Faye said. “Get the items you need for your guild fee, save up some coin, find some gear, and work together. Next week John will be your leader as you repeat the fourth, sixth, and likely seventh floor if you’re able to complete that one this week.”
“Me?” John asked. He stopped eating mid bite, holding half of a roll.
“You! After your lesson with Gregory, I’m sure he’ll want to see how you do leading a group. Part of being a Knight is being able to command and give out abilities. Not that the expectation is that you have to lead a group, but you need to feel how it is to lead and take charge. Gregory will explain it better, though. He has this big speech and all. It’s pretty lame.”
“I’ll gladly do it. Thank you for letting me know ahead of time.”
Faye smiled. “For this month, some of you will try your hand at being a leader. Lucy already flat out refused and Marcy politely declined, so that leaves three of you. We already know Wyn can lead.”
“And what’s the purpose, exactly?” Cedric said. “We have a good dynamic with our group now. Why change it up?”
Faye took a long drink of her mug before answering. “We’ve learned that what some Climbers think is a good dynamic isn’t really that good. Granted you all are a bit different since Wyn actually had leadership experience, but Gregory made it a point when he first started the guild to do this practice for a group’s first season after joining. It wouldn’t look good if he stopped with all of you by showing favoritism. When we brought on Nigel and his group, they actually joined with another team and Nigel wasn’t their leader. We learned quickly he was a better fit for being the head of a group and even mixed some of the Climbers around to make two far better groups.”
“Was that Prian’s group?” Tasha asked.
“No, his group came together and stayed together. But the other group left at the beginning of last month. Which is part of why we were looking for some more members.”
“That makes sense,” Marcy said. She carefully took a drink from her glass.
“Plus, we’ll have more information about the first couple of tiers by next week,” Faye continued. “I know you all are becoming more familiar with the layout and challenges, but we’ll find out the drops that can be found, too.”
“How is that?” Wyn asked. If they knew which floors gave different rewards, that would definitely change how they should climb. Some floors would be far better to repeat than others if they wanted a specific item, like his own sword, shield, and helmet from last month.
“The Alistair Junkies always share the information they learn for a fee, and the guilds happily pay them. Knowing where we can find specific items is better than blindly searching, and we earn back the fee by the end of the month anyway. If there are item sets or valuable blue rarity items we need to farm them to use or sell.”
“We can do that,” John said. “I was looking to upgrade some of my equipment, anyway. As long as the items are helpful.”
“Even if they aren’t you can use them to trade for ones that are! And if you want to go into the third tier you’ll need better equipment. We’ll deliver the information to you next Solday that will explain more.”
The rest of the dinner went with more small talk. It was mostly Faye asking personal questions about the group, which everyone was happy to answer. Everyone except Marcy, who seemed more flustered and uncharacteristically awkward with each question. Wyn had an idea why, but he didn’t want to intrude and bring up that conversation.
Still, it was nice to open up to someone outside their group. Faye was a trusted friend, and showed that the others in the Twilight Blades could be reliable and trusted friends, too. She talked just as much about her group and the others in the guild as she did about herself. There were a good amount of members that Wyn needed to meet, and he knew he would in time. There wasn’t a rush, after all.
Once dinner finished, Wyn took a few extra minutes to himself by the fire. He thought about the past few days climbing and being a guild member. There was a mansion that was his new home, full of people he could consider more than allies. A place to eat and commune, a place to rest his head and store his equipment, and a place to talk.
It may not have been an official home, but it was his home.
Part of being in a guild, though, required certain responsibilities. The fee was nominal, and he made up the payment in just a few climbs on their first day of the month. The item requirement was a bit more of a burden, but Wyn understood the reasoning and wasn’t upset about it. He’d gladly pay his share and enjoy his contributions to the rest of the guild. Hells, the vault even held some items he wanted to use, and he was sure the other guild members would find items that he or someone in his group could use.
But all of that paled in comparison to the most important responsibility Wyn had - being a team leader. It wasn’t easy making hard decisions, but he was used to it. He went through a trial by fire by being promoted to Captain in the military. In hindsight he realized it was all politics, but he still lived through it. He was too young, too inexperienced, too indecisive. With each training exercise and real engagement he became more accustomed to doing what was needed to be done, though. It didn’t take long for him to be more understanding of what being a leader meant.
The others would get a taste of that as they practiced being a leader for a week. They might like it, they might not. That was between them and Gregory, and if it went that far, it would be between them and Wyn, too.
He took a deep breath, breathing in the smell of burning wood and comfort. It was time. And he didn’t want to be late.
He wasn’t nervous, exactly. More curious to see what would happen. Though he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit how out of place he felt. Here he was, a Climber with only two months of experience under his belt, and he was going to the team leader meeting in a respected guild with people who have many more weeks and months of training and knowledge as him.
It took only a few minutes to find the designated war room that Faye pointed out. He knocked three times on the wooden door and waited.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Come in,” a voice said right away.
Wyn opened the door and found four people sitting around a round table - Prian, the Divine Wizard, Nigel, the Squire, Caryn, the Commander, and Gregory, the Knight. On the table was a platter of simple foods, pitchers of ale and water with cups and mugs, and stacks of papers with ink wells and quills.
Just how long would this meeting take?
“Welcome, Wyn,” Gregory said. He stood and gave a small bow.
Nigel rose from his seat and extended a hand for Wyn to shake. Caryn just nodded with a wide grin and Prian sat stoically without any sort of recognition.
Wyn took the open seat and sat down. He wasn’t sure the protocol of these meetings but had an idea that he would quickly learn. There were small plates in front of the others, and the moment sat Caryn and Nigel began to pick at the platter of food and pour drinks.
“Now that we’re all here, we can get started,” Gregory said, straightening a small stack of papers in front of him. “Since you’re new, Wyn, I’ll explain a bit more as we go so you can catch up. The first meeting of the month is usually a bit more lax, anyway, since there isn’t much information to review.”
“It’s more of a preparatory meeting,” Nigel said, delicately holding a mug of frothy ale. “But still valuable information to have.”
Wyn relaxed a little. But only a little. He wanted to make a good impression, not come across as too nonchalant.
“First on the list is information from our groups,” Gregory said, holding the papers in front of him. “It seems as though this season is a linear progression with the environment and challenges that changes each tier. The first tier has a mixture of weaker elements while the second tier is more ice-focused. The third tier seems to be a rare shift to earth and fire elements but we’ve only made it to the 11th floor so far. We’ll keep you updated accordingly.”
Wyn was glad he wasn’t taking a drink or he might have spit it out. They already climbed to the third tier in three days? How were they that fast? And was it Caryn’s group or Gregory’s? Or both?
So many questions. But they could wait.
“For the first tier, nothing seems to be of major importance except for the new special items. These Reef Gliders. They are used all throughout the middle and upper floors, so be sure everyone in your group has one and stores them properly. Apparently they are locked to the individual who owns it, too, as some Climbers in the trading hall tried selling their and found they didn’t change ownership on their parchments.”
“That’s new,” Nigel said. “Shouldn’t be a problem, though. We’re good on our end.”
“As are we,” Prian said.
Caryn nodded.
Wyn stayed silent, but when the others looked at him he cleared his throat. “Yes, everyone in our group has one, too. We’ll keep them on our persons.”
“Good,” Gregory said. “The previously new secondary quests are back, and they hold similar rewards as before. Completing them rewards a tiered-rarity item and coin. The secondary quest in the second tier is on the seventh floor, as I’m sure you all don’t care much for the first tier one.”
Wyn waited for a response but no one asked. He was curious what the tiered-rarity meant, and decided it was best to ask. “You said tiered-rarity. What is that?”
Caryn snickered while Prian sighed. Nigel and Gregory both smiled before Nigel answered. “Item rarity based on recommended tier. Green is first tier, blue second, purple third, orange fourth.”
Wyn ignored the others. So the seventh floor had a secondary quest that offered a random blue-tier item as a reward. That was a great guarantee to get a good item, and he made a mental note to tell the others.
“The fourth floor has a wyvern that drops ice-element blue-rarity items mostly suited for Rogues or lightly armored Fighters. In the second tier, a stronger Wyvern is the boss on the sixth floor with similar item drops, and a young ice dragon is the ninth floor boss that drops purple rarity items as well as a set that seems to be for Mages, though we aren’t sure of the exact benefits yet.”
Wyn shared a similar look of surprise with Nigel and Prian. A dragon was the boss of one of the floors. An actual damn dragon. It was hard to think about realistically fighting a monster told in legends. But Wyn had magic. And a team to lead and fight alongside him. And the monster was part of the tier of an appropriate challenge, not in the third or fourth tier.
Excitement began to replace his initial fear. He knew Nigel felt the same because he saw a glint of urgency in his eyes. Prian returned to his usual gloomy self, though Wyn knew his mind was racing. What he was thinking about, though, was a mystery.
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” Caryn said. He slapped his knee and smiled broadly. “Finally a good challenge for the third tier!”
Gregory smirked. “Possibly. We’ll know more next meeting once we climb a couple more floors. Unless your group beats us to fourteen?”
Caryn winked. “Wanna make a bet?”
“Oh no. I’m done with those.”
Caryn looked back to Wyn. “How about you, Wyn? You and your team are second tier Climbers. Want to make a bet until our next meeting?”
Wyn looked at the man. He was friendly, if not a bit crazy. It didn’t mean he was malicious, though. Usually the others were the betting type, and he was completely turned off from anything that reminded him of gambling for obvious reasons.
But it wouldn’t hurt to try and make a good impression. Or more friends in high places.
“What’s the bet?”
Gregory sighed while Nigel snickered. Caryn rubbed his hands together as though he was forming a sinister plot. Prian ignored all of them.
“The bet,” Caryn started, “is how fast you’re able to get to the second tier compared to Nigel’s and Prian’s groups. Depending on where they are currently, I guess.”
“We’re at the sixth floor already,” Nigel said. He sat a little straighter in his chair. “We pushed hard, but we were able to make it this morning. Didn’t finish it, but we will tomorrow.”
Prian scoffed. “We just cleared the fourth floor. Taking our time, of course. As prudent Climbers do.”
Wyn felt a sense of pride rise in him. So his group was doing well, comparatively.
“Wyn?” Gregory asked. “How has your group done? We normally accept a little more formal report but this is fine, too. It would be good to know where you are all.”
Wyn poured himself a cup of water and held it. He wasn’t normally one for dramatic pauses but enjoyed seeing them wait for his answer. “We finished the sixth floor on Moonday. Started the seventh floor yesterday after repeating the sixth in the morning, but are taking it a bit easy. Like you said, Prian, we’re taking our time.”
Caryn busted out laughing while Prian looked angry and Nigel shocked. Gregory only smiled.
Wyn took a drink from his water. Even though he was a newer Climber and guild member, he had a feeling he was going to be just fine.
*****
Wyn walked out of the meeting room while the others waited.
“What do you think?” Gregory asked. “Now that we can speak freely.”
“I like him,” Caryn said. “Handled himself just fine, as expected. And he doesn’t have a big head like a bunch of shits out there. It’s obvious he wants to succeed, too.”
Gregory folded his fingers together on the table. “He certainly seems to be proper leader quality, yes.”
“No shit,” Caryn said. “The man led a company in the war effort! Even you can’t claim that.”
“He was far too young to likely be any sort of actual leader,” Prian said. “It’s not like he was a Colonel or High Marshal.”
“And yet, here he is, walking among us. The man not only lived but then decided to do the next craziest thing in this world which was climb a damn magical tower. At least he has magic to use, now.”
“I think he’s humble,” Nigel said. “It’s obvious he’s skilled. We all saw what he did in the trials, both in the individual and group sets. It’s no surprise he’s climbed as he has so far in only a few days.”
“That debt of his also adds to the equation,” Caryn said. “He’s making a literal fortune for this damned organization while climbing since his life depends on it. No normal person is going to push themselves that much.”
“You push yourself that much,” Gregory said.
Caryn smiled. “I said no normal person.”
“How do you think he’ll do when the others take turns leading their group?” Nigel asked.
“Better than you,” Caryn said.
Nigel’s smile faltered.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Gregory said. “I don’t imagine anyone else will want to lead their group but it’ll be good for them. And this is a good season for them to explore different climbing strategies. Maybe they’ll get some better items and try to advance in the next month or two.”
“And if they get the items needed to advance this month?” Caryn asked. “What if they want to advance now?”
Gregory opened his mouth to speak but paused. He took a few seconds to think before answering. “They only just advanced to the second tier. The newer Climbers with them have only climbed a few months. It’s too early. They need some more experience before climbing further, even if they meet the other qualifications.”
“Interesting. We both made it to the third tier in about the same time.”
Gregory smiled. “Yes, but it was also a bit foolish. Don’t you remember how much we struggled?”
“That’s part of it, Gregory. The struggle makes it worth it. I have a feeling they’ll surprise you.”
“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, they need to stay where they are.”
Caryn stood and stretched, grabbing another handful of food before slowly walking towards the door. “We’ll see. I have a feeling they’ll surprise you. There’ll be some exciting things with them here, I can tell. Gentlemen.” Caryn nodded then left.
Gregory sighed. He knew Caryn was right. Wyn shook up a lot of things with his trial performance, the least of which was the impression of his class. The other members were already talking about how a Ruby Magician could do what he did, and how they were excited to see how he climbed. When the leaders would tell them how well Wyn’s group was already doing he was sure they were going to be some mixed reactions. Most of which would likely be positive, but some would be jealous. Still, from the other leader’s reports and some talks from the other guilds, there was already discussions about how they looked forward to more Ruby Magicians climbing. They wanted to see how they contributed to their teams.
Times were changing. Which wasn’t a bad thing. But Gregory knew he needed to stay on top of his own guild. He could sense something in Wyn and his group’s talents, and a small part of him wondered if they would be able to eclipse even him some day.