The remaining descent passed swiftly. It mainly involved weaving through crags. Scrambling down the boulders would save him a couple of minutes, but Diya spared himself the discomfort. If the traps failed, they’d need to face Akarai head-on. He didn’t want to risk facing a giant wolf with his shoulder in a worse state than it already was. Facing a monstrous wolf with a useless arm or shoulder would end poorly for not just him but the entire party.

Over the past three days, Diya had set up a series of tripwires and minor pitfalls between the valley’s mouths and the trap site. He trusted his party to look out for the painted signs of their presence and avoid them. He hoped the obstacles would sufficiently slow the mad wolf enough for Alexander and Victoria to stay well ahead of them.

Instead of descending into the trees, Diya took a moment to apply ointment to his palms and bandage them. It soothed the burning and would ensure he could comfortably grip weapons if necessary. Staying above the canopy, let Diya track Akarai as the wolf chased the party through the narrow valley.

The cliff faces on either side of it were flat and leaned inwards, ensuring large creatures couldn’t escape up them. The many boulders also limited what paths they could take beyond the valley’s mouth awaited-forest-covered hills. Akarai used it as his hunting ground. Most climbers avoided the area. Since there was little profit to be made on the ground floor, the other noble houses avoided it too.

In the distance, the tower’s central pillar grew out of the ground and disappeared into the cloudy sky above. All the literature and accounts suggested it passed through every floor’s centre—no one had ever found where the floors ended, so there was no way to confirm their exact position. Diya didn’t look forward to the trek back to it. He hoped Gaia would bless the entire party with soul cards. Then she’d probably open a portal to the next floor’s central hub, and they could use its gate to exit the tower.

The ground, the trees, and Diya’s bones vibrated as Akarai’s howl echoed through the valley. The giant wolf leapt over the trees and boulders, swiping at something below. Diya clenched his jaw, hoping neither Alexander nor Victoria had fallen victim to the savage attack and descended the rest of the way to the trap site.

Bright yellow paint marked the trees bordering the pitfall. Diya circled around it and scrambled up the tree, housing the log trap’s trigger. His pack and spear awaited. He didn’t see Akarai’s approach as clearly, but he could still see treetops shake and hear the dry wood crack.

Alexander and Victoria came into view first. The pair exuded nobility even when out of breath and soaked in sweat. They both featured dark-brown-almost-black hair and bright green eyes. Their noses and ears were the same too. Regular training under Baba had burned the fat out of their cheeks. Victoria’s angular features and tall, slender frame already had suitors knocking at Lord Boleyn’s doors. Meanwhile, Alexander’s square jaw attracted enough female attention to annoy everyone in the party but him.

Much to Diya’s relief, the pair appeared relatively uninjured. Only Alexander carried his spear. Meanwhile, Victoria had a short sword in hand as she leapt over fallen tree trunks and weaved through boulders. A shiver ran down Diya’s spine when a wolf's head, almost as big as her slender torso, snapped behind her, missing Victoria’s head by only a couple of inches.

Unlike the rest of his party, Diya lacked talent with ranged weapons. He put his hopes in the soul card, granting him abilities or spells which would cover the weakness. The best he could do was wait and ready the traps. Diya waited until Alexander entered the clearing and summoned his rope. Rare tower beasts had abilities which let them detect card activation. Doing it too early could possibly warn Akarai. He tied an end to the sturdiest branch and dropped it. Alexander scrambled up it. When Victoria reached the tree’s base, the two young men pulled the rope up together.

While the Boleyn twins struggled to catch their breath, Diya returned his attention to the pursuing beast. The tangle of vines just outside the clearing hadn’t caught the beast. Instead, it climbed a neighbouring boulder and leapt over them. Diya kept his hands on the log traps trigger, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it.

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The giant wolf burst into the clearing with Victoria’s spear planted in its haunches. Its wild eyes darted to their hiding place in the trees, and Akarai charged. He leapt from where he stood, flying over the pitfall straight at them. Akarai’s giant jaws snapped shut a hair’s width from Alexander before gravity pulled him back to the ground.

“What are you waiting for?” Victoria demanded, pulling her brother back. “Drop the log already!”

“I can’t,” Diya replied, eyes focused on the giant wolf as he stood on his hind legs, jumping and snapping his jaws at them. “He’s too close to the trunk. The log will miss him. We need a distraction.” Diya glanced past the clearing and down the valley. “Where are Lawrence and Edgar?”

“Probably lagging,” Victoria answered. “They had to fall back when Akarai almost went after another target.” Akarai jumped again. His paws caught the branches and held him in place as his jaws came closer. Victoria slashed her sword, forcing him back. “We can’t wait for them. He’s going to bring the tree down.”

She wasn’t wrong. Victoria and Alexander were too tired to help. It was up to Diya to put down the beast. A simple spear thrust wouldn’t do it. So, he called forth another card from his deck. It featured a worn rifle-like object with a thick tubular barrel.

“Where did you get that?” Alexander asked, eyebrows raised. “I’ve never seen a tier-zero launcher card before!”

“It was tucked in Neer’s journals,” Diya answered, pressing the two card’s faces together and willing them to manifest.

A tube of burnt wood and rusted metal formed in his hands. The rifle-like weapon felt awkward and unwieldy in his hands. A clear crystal containing crimson and sapphire wisps sat where the barrel met the stock. It flashed when Diya pointed the weapon at the wolf and fired. A giant tangle of ropes burst forth and wrapped itself around Akarai’s head and forelimbs. The monstrous canine’s deep growling turned into a high-pitched whine as it fell onto his side. Ropes stretched from the many knots into the launcher, giving the party the means to control the wild beast.

“By Gaia’s saggy tits!” Victoria swore. “He’s now too low, isn’t he?”

Diya nodded, throwing the launcher over a higher branch. He caught it as it fell, gripped the barrel tightly with both hands, and leapt from the tree. The crank on the launcher’s side reeled the rope in until it was taught. Akarai jumped to his feet straight away and came at Diya, but the rope kept his forelimbs off-balance and maw shut.

“Are you stupid?” Alexander yelled, descending the tree.

“Stay up there!” Diya exclaimed through clenched teeth.

“What? No!”

“Take the log trap’s rope, idiot! Victoria, draw attention with the spear.”

The Boleyn twins did as instructed. As Akarai struggled to get to Diya, he gave the rope some slack and retreated to a neighbouring tree, wrapping the yarn around its trunk. The additional leverage helped Diya pull the monstrous wolf off-balance once again. He locked the launcher’s crank in place, hoping it wouldn’t fail him. Diya pushed against the tree trunk with his left leg, using it to anchor him in place.

Victoria grabbed Akarai’s attention as he tried to regain his balance. She hung from the branches upside down and thrust the spear at his face. More whines escaped the horse-sized wolf, and he tried to retreat. Diya used the creature’s confusion to call on Burst of Strength. Unlike tool types, he didn’t need to summon the card to use its function.

The pain in Diya’s left shoulder dulled for a moment, and he felt a surge of power pulse outwards from his strength. He squared his jaw, steadied his footing and pulled the launcher. The attached ropes strained against the tree trunk. Akarai’s cries ceased as the ropes around his neck and forelimbs tightened, forcing him to move with them and stand on his hind legs.

“Now!” Diya yelled as his left arm threatened to rip from its shoulder socket. The dull ache had grown into a hot, stabbing sensation. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and he mentally cursed Edgar and Lawrence for failing to keep up with them.

Alexander triggered the log trap. It swung silently through the clearing and smashed into Akarai’s flanks. A loud yelp escaped him as the ropes went slack. The giant wolf fell on its back with half its rib cage caved in. He coughed, spraying blood from his mouth, and didn’t move again.

Diya released the launcher and fell to his bottom. More than his shoulder hurt now as Burst of Strength’s effects faded. It felt as if he’d wrestled Akarai for supremacy and lost. Nothing felt broken, but he was sure his left shoulder and back would be covered in bruises. Fortunately, the Boleyns employed climbers with healing soul cards. One always stayed in the compound to patch up parties once they returned from a delve.