Octavius stood before the final stone block to be activated. The formation was ready to be completed, and he desperately hoped the secret room showed again. They still hadn’t found the fourth and final god beasts mask, and everyone was on edge. Especially Landon. He was so determined, so relentless in his pursuit to find the masks that he was walking a knife’s edge with every word and step he took, both in and out of the tower. Octavius was scared of what might happen if they didn’t find it.
This was the last day of the month, and it was nearly midnight. They had ran the third floor over and over endlessly for the past four days. Every waking moment was spent climbing and repeating the third floor, except the typical eating and sleeping. Even then it was sometimes limited, but Landon was so volatile no one else argued. This was their final chance to find the room, and Octavius had a legitimate fear for his life if it didn’t show up.
He took a deep breath and nodded to Corbyn. The Barbarian likely felt a similar level of worry, as he shared a concerned look with Octavius. Working together, the stone block rotated one time on its side before settling into place. The runes on the stone blocks in the middle of the room flashed then dimmed.
That was the final puzzle piece. It would all be over now, one way or another.
Landon paced in front of the throne at the far end of the room. He twirled his swords, anxious and ready. Jane stood by the other two men, unsure of what was about to happen. She held onto her brother’s arm for support.
Landon stopped pacing as a skeletal hand reached around the throne, followed by a giant skeleton showing itself.
Octavius felt a strange combination of fear and relief. It was over, now. The secret room didn’t show up. But that meant Landon didn’t get what he wanted. What was he about to do?
A flash of green light lit up the throne and Landon blurred. He carved through the skeletal giant with a scream, making the others flinch. With reckless abandon he took down the skeletal boss, not bothering to dodge or avoid any blow at all.
It didn’t matter, though. The skeleton didn’t have time to attack as it was reduced to a pile of bones in seconds. Landon stood over it and screamed, dropping his swords. The portal ahead of him turned clear, and he moved like he was going to attack it.
Another yell of anger made Octavius close his eyes. Hopefully it was done. If Landon turned on them, he was prepared to leave and find another group. It would likely delay him for weeks or months, but it was better than climbing with someone as dangerous as the Duelist.
Landon quieted then slowly walked over to pick up his swords. He sheathed them with care, then looked back at the others. His eyes weren’t angry. They looked sad. Disappointed.
“I truly thought we were meant to have all four,” Landon said. “I don’t know where we went wrong.”
“We didn’t do anything wrong,” Jane said. “It wasn’t meant to be. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing we can do to change that.”
“We pushed ourselves past our limit,” Corbyn said. He looked to Jane for comfort but her look told him to be gentle. That didn’t come naturally to him. “I didn’t think we could, but… well, we managed. Despite the ridiculous schedule you put us through.”
Jane smacked him on the arm. Corbyn silently raised his hands and shrugged in mock innocence.
Octavius swallowed hard. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing. “I think what Corbyn is trying to say, is that we survived just fine. But it’s a shame we didn’t find it. I know it meant a lot to you.”
Landon settled into the obnoxiously large throne, sitting on the edge. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair. “I know what you really mean. Don’t sugarcoat it. I’ve asked a lot of the three of you in my own pursuit of finding the masks. I knew it was a fool’s gamble but I wanted to roll the dice. Fucking hells I really thought it would turn up.”
“It was definitely a fool’s gamble,” Corbyn said. Jane tried to hit him again but he stepped away just out of her reach. “But isn’t that what climbing is about? We’re all fools to some degree. I don’t blame you for wanting to try to obtain power. The masks really did have some incredible effects. And some strange draw from them. But like Jane said, it just wasn’t meant to be.”
“Maybe not,” Landon said. He sighed and sat back into the throne, staring at the ceiling. “I really thought they would completely change everything. The power they held. The power we could use. We would be as strong as most of the guilds here, and there’s only four of us.”
Jane laughed. “Don’t go comparing us to some of those guilds, now. We’re just a simple group. We are still a group, I presume? We had a deal, after all.”
Octavius opened his mouth but stopped. He wanted to smack Jane. Of all the times to bring that up, now seemed like the best one? What was she thinking?
“Gods, Jane,” Corbyn said. “Can’t we talk about that tomorrow?”
“Yea, the timing isn’t all that great,” Octavius added. He was grateful Corbyn at least had the gumption to question his sister.
“I want to make sure there actually is a tomorrow for us,” Jane said. “We climb well together. There’s no denying that! We finish floors in the second tier that normally take full groups. Our teamwork can’t be ignored, and I don’t want to throw it away over this. I don’t want anyone making any rash decisions.”
Landon reached into his pack and pulled out the wolf mask. He looked at it and felt the same call he heard before. The whispers that seemed to breeze across his mind, mysterious but enticing. He didn’t know if they were real or just his own desire in his mind wanting to put on the mask.
“I know these heavily influenced my judgment. Even now I swear I can hear it calling to me. Begging me to just put it on. I saw an opportunity for us that was far too good to overlook. But it came at the cost of potentially tearing us apart.” He took the mask and placed it back in his pack.
“I don’t regret trying so hard to find them,” Landon continued. “I knew we had the capability to push as hard as we did.” He stood up and joined the others. “But it was wrong of me to demand all of you to join my crusade so urgently. I’m sorry for that.”
Octavius expected Landon to respond, but he never guessed a response like that. He was stunned silent.
Jane wanted to reply but didn’t know what to say. Landon wasn’t one to be so forthcoming with his mistakes. Maybe he really was growing as a leader, after all.
“I’m sorry, too,” Corbyn said. “I wasn’t myself. I kept being an ass and arguing when we needed to be agreeable.”
Jane looked at her brother with confusion. “Did you suddenly find masks that made you express your feelings? What in the hells is happening?”
Octavius laughed. He couldn’t help it. The others were acting so out of character that he thought something similar to Jane. Watching it unfold felt absurd.
Seeing Octavius laugh made the others suddenly start laughing, too. Soon they were in tears as tension from weeks washed away and fatigue brought their guards down. It was nearly a full minute before they calmed down enough to coherently speak.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Landon wiped his eyes for the third time. “Gods I needed that. Thank you.”
“Can’t say I never gave you anything,” Jane said with a laugh, sitting on the ground against her brother. “It’s good to see you lighten up. This past month has been a real chore.”
“That’s one way to put it. You’re right, of course. We did have a deal. Let’s move on next month. Maybe in a few weeks we can look into some buyers for the masks. Vi, you can have half my share of rewards next season. As an apology.”
Octavius stopped laughing abruptly. “You’re serious?”
“I am. I shouldn’t have been so manipulating when you were trying to be the voice of reason. Which you normally are.”
“What about me?” Jane asked. “I presented an objective point of view, too! Where’s my share?”
“Talk to your brother about that,” Landon said with a smirk. “I’m sure his apology will cover it.”
“You ass,” Corbyn said. “Jane, I’m not giving you shit.”
Octavius started laughing again. It was good to see they were still themselves.
*****
Floor Six
Group: 4/4
Corbyn smashed another monster with a grimace. The creature gave off a foul stench when it shambled around, its body more dead than alive. But when it died, it let out a smell that nearly made him gag.
Raising a hand to his nose, Corbyn ignored the nearby monster as Landon was moving in to attack it. “What in the actual fuck are these things?”
“Rotters, apparently,” Octavius said, looking at his parchment. “Apt name, it seems.”
“You can say that again! They smell like shit that died then had another shit!”
“Gods, Corbyn, you’re so vulgar,” Jane said. She had a cloth around her face and quietly moved away from a nearby rotter that she killed. The stench was unlike anything she had smelled before, but she wasn’t about to let the men know that.
Landon carved his way through the rotter he intercepted before jumping away from the body. He cleared his throat and spit on the ground. “They’re definitely foul. At least they’re easy, though. Maybe we should stick to having Jane kill them from a distance?”
“Agreed,” Corbyn said. “I’ll even give you a mana potion if you promise to kill them before they get anywhere near me.”
Jane laughed. “Deal. But the wrap really does help keep the smell at bay. A little perfume in it helps, too. Just choose a scent you never want to use again, because I’ll be damned if I ever remember this climb.”
Octavius promptly pulled his cloak around his face and gave a thumbs up. He looked so ridiculous it made both Landon and Corbyn laugh.
The next season had shown itself to be promising. While the enemies were tricky to deal with at times, the environment and puzzles were straightforward. The first tier was a large area of plains outside a castle, and the second tier started directly outside the castle. It was massive, easily the largest structure any of them had ever seen, and completely eerie. The sky above was a copper, cloudless grey, coating the environment in a strange brown hue. The enemies were equally disturbing, being deformed versions of other creatures from the outside world.
They had reached the second tier after a week and a half, and were taking their time clearing the floors one by one. Everything was progressing well, and they were feeling like their old selves. No one in the group brought up the masks at all since the last day of the previous season, and slowly they began their return to normalcy.
The four patiently waited for the stench to ease from the rotters before collecting their loot. It wasn’t much, just some errant coins and a single health potion, but the group stored them before continuing. As Octavius placed his share of the coins in a small bag in his leather sack, he paused before taking a relieving sigh. There was no call from his bag, no whispers in his mind. The mask had no hold on him if it wasn’t even there. Safely stowed away in his room, he wondered why he ever carried it with him to begin with.
“Heads up,” Landon said. “I sense something strong.”
“Can’t be the rotters, then,” Corbyn said.
Landon shook his head. “No. Look.” He pointed ahead with one of his curved swords at a group of enemies emerging from a shadow formed from a nearby crook at an outlying room of the castle. Three figured emerged, and they were more ethereal than solid. Their bodies were completely black and misty, though they looked humanoid from their shapes and by walking on two legs. Unnaturally long arms extended into four dagger-like claws, and harsh red eyes made them look demonic. Each one stood at an average man’s height and immediately spotted the group.
“Champions,” Landon said.
Moving into formation without another word, the Climbers quickly acted. Octavius cast protective barriers around Landon and Corbyn, both of whom moved forward with purpose while activating their skills to improve their speed and strength respectively. Jane fired off a quick spell of magic to distract and stop the enemies, an arcane bola shot that entangled two of the monsters and held them still. It wouldn’t do much, but it could delay them for at least a few seconds.
Landon met the first enemy and immediately began slashing into it. To his surprise, the monster was nearly as quick as him, avoiding several hits by moving its lanky body and counterattacking with surprising reach of its lengthy arm. Each swipe of its claws glanced off an incredibly dense aura around Landon’s body, courtesy of Octavius’s strong defensive spell.
Corbyn didn’t bother with the other one but instead smashed into the side of the monster trying to hit Landon. They learned that by focusing on one enemy, they could kill it faster and move on to another. While the champion was getting simultaneously cut and pummeled, the second monster that tried to engage them was being hit with a bombardment of magical shots. They didn’t do much damage, and were more of an annoyance, but they were frequent enough to prevent the monster from blindsiding the two melee Climbers.
Jane held her hands in front of her with her wrists held together as a ball of swirling purple and white quickly fired projectiles the size of a small piece of fruit. She was able to fire three shots in a second, and by continually feeding the larger, swirling ball mana she could keep the spell going as long as there was mana to fuel it. The monster raised its arms to protect itself at first, but then started ducking and dodging the hits while ignoring Landon and Corbyn and instead rushing to her.
Jane smiled as the monster approached. Before it ever came close to her Corbyn was at its back smashing it to the ground with his hammer. The monster he and Landon dealt with was already dead, and the Duelist was moving to the first champion that started freeing itself from Jane’s magical restraint.
In less than two minutes the group stood over the final champion’s dissipating body, proud of their teamwork and efforts.
“That went about as smooth as it could have gone,” Octavius said. “It felt good.”
“No, it felt amazing,” Jane said. “I miss how well we work together. And these floors actually give us a challenge, now!”
“Good work, everyone,” Landon said. He bent over to inspect the pile of loot that formed from one of the champion’s body. “I agree with Jane. That went about as well as it could have gone. Let’s finish up and get home.”
“Look at that,” Jane said, nudging Corbyn in the ribs. “He actually agrees with me!”
“Someone on this team has to,” Corbyn said, smirking.
“I typically do,” Octavius said.
Jane smiled warmly at Octavius. “And I’m always grateful, Vi.”
Landon sifted through the loot while the others talked. There were coins and gemstones, though they were mostly silver cloaks and decently valuable stones. A single mana potion wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the best pile he’d seen. Not by a long shot.
Then his fingers stopped as he saw a purple aura reveal itself under some coins. Finding a purple item wasn’t just rare on the sixth floor. It was unheard of. It was small, too. Was it a ring? Or a necklace?
As his fingers moved more coins his heart nearly skipped a beat. He grabbed the item and stood, holding it in front of him. “Everyone, come here. Take a look.”
The others walked over and stared at the item in confusion. Jane reached out and grabbed it. “A magical key? That’s unusual. I’ve never heard of that before.”
“Neither have I,” Octavius said. “I don’t remember passing a locked magical doorway, either.”
Jane turned the key around before giving it back to Landon. Then she pulled out a portal key from her robes and compared them. Everyone looked at both keys for a few seconds, unsure of what they were seeing.
Both of the keys looked nearly identical except for the size. Every unidentified magical item took on a general appearance before it was identified, but the key was different. It was large, like it should open a gate instead of a door, but not ornate or fancy except for its purely silver hue. The only difference was the portal key had a more gold tint, and of course their size. The portal key was the size of their hand while this one was the size of their forearm. Otherwise their shape looked the same.
Landon shared a look with Jane, whose face went from confusion to disbelief.
“There’s no way,” Jane said, her voice nearly a whisper.
“No way what?” Corbyn asked.
Octavius grabbed the key and inspected it. “Are you assuming what I think you’re assuming?”
“What in the hells do you all think it is?” Corbyn asked.
“A portal key,” Jane said.
“Not just any portal key,” Landon added. “A portal key to a hidden room. A particular hidden room that may or may not have a certain mask inside it.”
“Gods,” Octavius said. “It can’t be!”
Landon gently took back the key. “Only one way to find out.” He turned and placed the key in the air, acting as though he was slotting it into a keyhole before turning it.
A magical shimmer formed in the air as a purple and black hole twice the size of a floor portal emerged directly in front of him. He backed up in awe before laughing.
“We don’t know what’s on the other side of that,” Octavius said, panic in his voice. “It might not be one of the mask rooms!”
“Not a mask room,” Landon said. “The mask room. The final one.”
Jane patted Octavius’s shoulder while drawing a mana potion from her potion belt. “Potion up. I have a feeling we’ll need it.”
Preparing themselves, the four stepped through the portal when ready. As they emerged, a familiar set of braziers sat in the room glowing white, purple, and green.
“Holy shit,” Octavius said.
“You can say that again,” Jane added.
The purple brazier bellowed and formed into a large bipedal creature as the brazier went dark. The creature was as tall as the previous mask bosses, but had arms that were more like wings with purple hued feathers underneath and hands that were more talon-like. The wooden mask it wore resembled a bird with a beak-like nose and a small plume of feathers at the top.
“It’s here,” Landon said in a whisper. “Prepare yourselves. Whatever it takes, we will have that mask.”