Kat opened her eyes, taking in the sights and sounds of the twelfth floor starting hall. Somewhat surprisingly, the stone building was more heavily populated than she was used to. Aliens of a dozen shapes and sizes worked at stalls selling everything from raw ingredients to custom made weapons and armor. Here and there, she even spotted stallesp avatars, a sure sign that the number of available starting points had narrowed on the floor.
That was a peculiar feature of the Tower. On lower floors, there were millions if not billions of people playing. No one knew the exact number, only that it was truly absurd. Starting locations and hunting grounds were widespread meaning that players were only likely to encounter people from their own world as well as its immediate neighbors.
As they advanced, the number of players began to drop, and the number of spawn points seemed to drop with them. According to Dorrik, scholars speculated that the floors itself were smaller the higher you climbed, leading to Kat pithily calling the dreamscape the ‘Pyramid of Somnus,’ but regardless of the reason, the end result was the same.
Climbing meant encountering races from further and further away. Already she’d spotted at least two species that Kat had never seen before. Given that one of the Tower’s alleged goals was to introduce galactic neighbors to each other and promote harmony, Kat couldn’t help but wonder if the design was intentional.
The only people that would know the answer to that question were the Gardeners themselves, but beyond alerts that half taunted them every time Kat’s team advanced a level, no one seemed to know anything about the Tower’s creators. Even the races that venerated the creators as some sort of gods didn’t seem to have much information beyond a couple half illegible drawings and myths.
A polite cough from behind her prompted Kat to turn around. Jaalin stood some fifteen paces away next to a lokkel operated vendor that seemed to specialize in armor. Both of her arcane rods were tucked into sheathes at her side, and as soon as she saw that she had Kat’s attention, the female lokkel nodded in her direction, crest stiff and standing straight up.
“Katherine,” Jaalin said. “We got word that Dorrik had advanced to the twelfth floor so Clan Ahn sent me to greet him. I don’t suppose that you’ve seen him enter the dreamscape yet?”
“No,” Kat replied, shaking her head. “Things were a bit hectic before I went to bed. Dorrik and I were at a party when there was an assassination attempt on me using nerve gas. I’d be surprised if it had any effect on lokkel physiology, but the two of us were separated when my security all but dragged me to a safe house. From what I’ve heard, he’s doing just fine, but he ended up traveling back to my compound on his own.”
“That is alarming,” Jaalin replied woodenly, her crest unmoving. “I knew that your race was barbaric, but to think that they would try something so blatant as to murder one of their leaders, let alone with an indiscriminate weapon like nerve gas. Truly, it makes me worry about your future.”
“Thank you for your concern?” Kat’s response was half a question as she struggled to process the lokkel’s remark. “By the way, why are you in particular here? As I seem to recall, you’re an elite like Dorrik. Shouldn’t you have better things to do than hang around an adventurer’s hall?”
A bass thrumming noise came from deep within Jaalin’s throat. Kat cocked her head to the side, trying to mentally place the sound.
“There may have been others available, but they were more distant,” Jaalin replied. Kat couldn’t help but notice the faintest tremor of her crest. “Originally the elders asked that the others make the journey to this village to serve as witnesses, but it didn’t seem logical to me to make them go out of the way. Given that I had some history with Dorrik, it only made sense for me to be the one to make the trip here. Plus, his skill impressed me during his coming of age ceremony.”
The last sentence had a different, almost strangled tone to it.
“Wait,” Kat cut in, the faintest hint of a frown creasing her face as she tried to think through the situation. “I thought that Dorrik and you were rivals. Pretty much every minute of the time we were working together you managed to find some sort of fault with his actions and leadership. Now all of a sudden, you’re impressed by him?”
There wasn’t any doubt about it. An frantic tremor ran through the lokkel’s crest, so shallow as to be almost imperceptible but as obvious as each of Jaalin’s four arms to Kat’s enhanced senses.
“Dorrik and you respond to criticism well,” Jaalin said stiffly, looking past Kat at an empty stall. Kat checked out of the corner of her eye to make sure there wasn’t anything interesting about the other vendor’s stall. It was bare and boring, nothing but wood and canvas with a sign that advertised candy that could boost a player’s abilities.
“On the other hand, I am genuinely worried that Kaleek is suffering from some sort of head wound,” the lokkel continued, still avoiding eye contact. “Luckily that doesn’t seem to impede his ability to serve as your party’s frontline fighter. I can see why the three of you have progressed as quickly as you have.”
“Right,” Kat said suspiciously. “That’s why you went out of your way to serve as a witness. Out of curiosity, does serving as a witness actually require you to meet Dorrik in the adventurer’s hall? That sounds more like you will only be needed only when he does whatever it is that needs witnessing.”
Jaalin shifted her weight from one leg to another, and Kat’s hearing picked up the constant rapid ticking of the claws on her lower arms as she tapped them against her scales.
“I forgot,” the lokkel replied. “Dorrik passed on your request to purchase a large number of subscription stones. Clan Ahn can sell them to you at cost, but that is still roughly 200 marks per stone. Any cheaper than that and we could credibly be accused of interfering with the development of an embargoed world.”
“Oof.” Kat half-grunted the word. “That means I can probably only afford about twenty. That’s still twenty more than I had before, but it’s hardly the sort of numbers I’m going to need in order to equip an army.”
Jaalin turned around, finally looking Kat in the eye, a sly smile on her scaly muzzle.
“We can’t just give you subscription stones unless you pay for them,” the lokkel continued, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t help in other ways. The elders have agreed to set aside one elite hunting ground for your trainees. They will also provide mentors to help tutor your people on the tower and combat in general. The trainees will have to pay a portion of whatever they recover from working the hunting ground as a fee, otherwise it would count as impermissible aid, but it’s awfully hard to find an unoccupied elite hunting ground anywhere in this sector. The actual rental cost would probably run a conglomerate or clan multiple thousands of marks per day, but Clan Ahn would be happy to provide our services for only five hundred.”
“As for paying the fee.” Jaalin shrugged, a strange undulating motion as all four of her shoulders moved at once. “That shouldn’t be too much of an issue. They can simply sell the drops at two thirds of the market rate. I’m sure you can remember how often skill, class, and subscription stones dropped while you hunted elite monsters.”
Kat blinked, trying to wrap her head around the numbers that Jaalin had suddenly spit out. Part of her was wondering if the lokkel was suddenly burying her in data to distract her from their previous conversation, but at the same time, it didn’t really matter.
Jaalin was right. It was hard to find a hunting ground that wasn’t already clogged with other people. A team might be able to sneak in and hunt for a day or two without causing any problems, but sending in four or five teams and having them hunt for weeks at a time would quickly spark a fight with the other people in the area.
Still, that was the only cost effective way to get subscription stones and basic weapon proficiencies. Theoretically, Kat could purchase them, but that was a good way to run out of marks. A properly run hunting ground would earn much more than five hundred marks a day. Even with modest casualties eating into the number of subscription stones they could extract from an area, five teams of three would probably produce one or two extra stones a day on top of the rental fee.
“I’m assuming they’ll help the people I send into the Tower get class stones as well, right?” Kat asked. “I know it was a bit of an adjustment when I tried to get used to being an elementalist initiate.”
“Of course,” Jaalin replied. “You’ll only have a talon of low level lokkel, so obviously they won’t have experience with each and every class, but they’ll at least know the theory behind how the classes work and how to best synergize them with each other. Ultimately, your warriors will have to figure out the specific details on their own, but that is something they can figure out while they earn more subscription stones.”
“That’s a good deal,” Kat said slowly, “I’d be happy to-”
Before she could finish a swirling pillar of light flashed in front of the two of them signaling a new arrival. A half second later Kaleek appeared, his armor gleaming in the dim light.
“Kat!” He yelped happily, jogging a step or two toward them before stopping suddenly. “And Jaalin. Why is Jaalin here?”
“I’m here because Clan Ahn wants an observer for Dorrik’s class evolution,” Jaalin responded dryly. “Now that he is on a planet without frequent Consensus contact, the only way that our clan can keep in touch with him is through the dreamscape. Hence, my presence.”
Kaleek squinted at her for a second. When he spoke up, his voice was heavy with suspicion.
“Are you sure that’s the only reason? Maybe you’re here to criticize our teamwork again? I don’t need to hear you say ‘Kaleek, you can’t just smash that dungeon boss, you need a plan’ for the eighth time. Yes, I can just smash that dungeon boss. Plans are for people without enough motivation or a big enough sword.”
“Kaleek,” Kat cut in, trying and failing to stop herself from smiling at the sulking desoph. “I’m pretty sure she’s here for Dorrik and not you. Calm down.”
“I’m not going to reveal my evolved class to her,” Kaleek said sullenly. “It’s going to be a big secret and not go into the Clan Ahn information network. Just to spite her.”
“I’m right here,” Jaalin replied, crest fluttering with amusement. “Although it would be useful for us to have a record of your evolved class, it’s hardly necessary. The elders mostly wanted to have me on sight both because of who Dorrik’s grandfather is, and because of his role in the clan. Ever since his coming of age ceremony, a lot of eyes have been focusing on him. His level may be low, but big things are expected out of him.”
“You too Katherine,” Jaalin continued. “The lokkel have seen plenty of humans that have given us a poor opinion of your species. You on the other hand seem capable and driven. Your avatar’s build is interesting and you can use it very well. By my estimation, you are probably stronger than about ninety five percent of your peers at the same level. I know I speak for both myself and Clan Ahn when I say that we hope that you become Earth’s Ascendant. Your planet would certainly benefit from your rule.”
“What about me?” Kaleek asked. “Am I some sort of prodigy that is going to change the face of the Galactic Consensus as well?”
Jaalin just stared at him, both sets of arms crossed and lips pursed.
“It takes a great deal of talent to fight the way you do and survive as long as you have,” Jaalin said diplomatically.
Behind him, another pillar of flashing lights announced Dorrik’s arrival. Kaleek wheeled around to meet their teammate, a giant grin on his face.
“Dorrik!” He shouted, lunging toward the lokkel. Dorrik had both of his hands on the hilts of his swords before halting when he recognized Kaleek. “Guess what? Jaalin says that my fighting style shows ‘a great deal of talent.’ I guess that makes me pretty special, right?”
The lokkel froze, his crest stiffening as he locked eyes with Jaalin. Her crest went just as rigid. For a second, no one said anything, then Jaalin held a hand up to her mouth and coughed politely.
“Jaalin,” Dorrik said awkwardly. “It’s good to see you here. I haven’t had any contact with you for a couple of floors. I thought you had returned to your climb.”
“I did.” Jaalin was just as stilted in her response. “Our team slowed down a bit once we hit the twelfth floor and the elders wanted someone to serve as a witness for your class evolution. Given your diligence and skill, they wanted to see if you would manage to unlock a rare variant.”
Kat glanced over at Kaleek to see if he’d noticed the tension between the two of him, but the giant otter was busy staring at a distant food stand, clearly distracted.
“Thank you for responding to my letters,” Dorrik replied, his shoulders and back as stiff as his crest. “I found your insight into our tactics and training regimens to be very useful. It was a shame that we couldn’t have any deeper correspondence, but alas, Earth does not have a proper communication relay and there is only so much information I can pass on by relaying my words to an intermediary in the dreamscape.”
“We will be interacting a fair amount during your class evolution,” Jaalin blurted out. The distracting click clack of claw on scales assaulted Kat’s ears as the female lokkel shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I’m sure that we will have plenty of time to go over your technique and individual skills during the run up to your taking the trials.”
Kat took a second look at Kaleek. She wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but it was a far cry from the stifling criticism she had expected from Jaalin. Admittedly, Dorrik had always defended her critiques, and Kat couldn’t entirely say that they were wrong, just overly harsh, but still. Dorrik had never mentioned that he was communicating with their one time party member, and more than that the vibes of the situation were off.
Kaleek had his mouth half open and his eyes were glazed over. The food stall had some sort of food on a spit, rotating it over a bed of glowing embers as what looked like a human sized three-armed monkey added seasoning to it.
Useless. Unsurprising, but useless.
“I would like that,” Dorrik said, his crest fluttering slightly with excitement. “I appreciate your intellect and insights. Having your help as a witness to my evolution trials is a great honor.”
“Okay,” Kat butted in, crossing her arms. “Something is obviously going on here. No one has accused me of being the best at picking up subtext, but I’d have to be an absolute idiot not to realize that there’s something going on under the surface.”
She glanced at Kaleek before amending her statement.
“No offense Kaleek.” The desoph blinked before turning to look at the three of them.
“I’m missing something right?” He asked, eyes still half-glazed over as he snuck another longing glance at the cook.
“No,” Jaalin blurted out even as Dorrik contradicted her.
“Well I-” Dorrik froze, not finishing his sentence as Kat fixed her attention on him, a single eyebrow raised.
“Anyway,” Jaalin interjected. “Why don’t we go to the trial site for your class evolutions? Now that all three of you are here, there’s no real reason to wait. After all, the trials usually don’t let you bring in any equipment so prepping here is rather pointless.”
Kat looked from one lokkel to another. Somehow, despite being giant four armed lizards that, both of them looked like a child caught with all four of those hands in a different cookie jar. Both of them were avoiding her eyes.
“That sounds like fun!” Kaleek said cheerfully. “The sooner we finish our evolutions, the quicker we can get back here and get a snack. The Lemuryn barbeque stand across the way looks amazing.”
Dorrik nodded hurriedly, and Kat could only roll her eyes. If her friend wanted to keep some secrets, they were probably embarrassing or deeply personal. As much as Kat wanted to pry, she wouldn’t. At least until they met again in person.
“Alright,” she said grudgingly. “Don’t think that I’ve completely dropped whatever is going on right now, but for now, let’s go to the testing site.”