Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman

          Wrik swung his sword and beheaded the infector. Another one was just on his side and another two on the right. He moved to the sole one on the left, while a shadowy figure moved and dealt with the two. A dark blade rose from the shadowy figure and it beheaded the two deadmen in a single swing.

        The shadowy figure removed the shadowy aura, and the figure of Anton appeared in the murky, dark tunnel. On the other hand, Wrik returned to dealing with the other one. They had cleared the test on the third floor yesterday, and it turned out to be quite easy. The rules were almost the same. Climbers could move in alone or in a duo, and the place was the cave they found at the end of the test on the second floor.

        "We are moving downwards, right?" Anton asked. "I don't know why they call it climbing."

        Wrik said nothing. Not because he had nothing to say, but because he was already preoccupied with something else. it was yesterday that he had agreed with Ryat and heard his crazy plan to steal something from House Rudyard—one of the three powerful houses in Gala. they had been here for hundreds of years there was no doubt the amount of strength and wealth they had accumulated if things went wrong. .. Then he heard Anton beside him.

        "What is it?" Anton asked again and the two of them moved further into the tunnel. The test of the fourth floor will end soon enough. The third floor had been easy. All they had to do was get to the fourth floor and id did not matter if they kill infectors or not. The fourth floor was the same, though they could not avoid a battle with the dead things. To his knowledge, the fifth floor will be the one that would change things.

        Wrik sighed. "I don't know what I'm doing," he said.

        "Walking inside a dark cave, which may lead to a strangling darkness or light?"

        "Perhaps," he said, unsure if Anton mentioned it in a metaphorical way.

        "Is that why you did not use the light element awakener yet?" Anton asked again. Seeing him not answering, he asked, "Tell me, why did you agree with Ryat?"

        Wrik stopped. "To get something else from them," he said, unsure.

        "Is there all that is to it?" Anton continued. "You don't want to make this place better, as Ryat had said?"

        "Perhaps," Wrik answered. "Maybe, I don't know."

        "You always did this before some big change," Anton said. Just as he was about to say something, another pack or the infectors came at them, screeching their way in.

        "This should be the last batch," Wrik said and got into position for battle again. Anton did the same.

        There are about a dozen incoming infectors with a couple of hounds. The two of them start running at them the very moment they see the monster. Wrik pulled his sword and white mana oozed out of it, while Anton's was pitch dark. It was not mana, but a shadow. If mana was the fuel, he had already learned to turn it into the real weapon, his weapon, Shadow.

        An element was far stronger than non attributed mana. But here the result was the same for Anton or Wrik. They had killed the infectors within a couple of minutes. Even the two hounds could not stand against them, and fled away.

        "Now all we have to do is find the way," Wrik said and a corona of white light appeared in his eyes.

        "When you are uncertain, you always struggle a lot," Anton said, joining him. "But if you are certain about something. Certain about your decision, nobody can stand against you."

        Wrik faltered and looked at his brother. "Where did that come from?" he asked.

        "I'm speaking the truth," Anton said. "You are the strongest when you decide on something on your own."

        "And I'm not it, now," he said. "Why is that? I already decided about it." 

        "Perhaps because you are not certain yet," Anton added, unsure. "Perhaps, you had no other way, or perhaps it's something Lucas expects of you.

        "Hey, look, we have arrived."

[Congratulations! Mahasayer Wrik Everknight and Mahasayer Anton Blaciel. You have cleared the test of the Fourth floor.]

[You move to the test of the fifth floor now.] 

[May Maha be with you.]

        Anton ran and soon a notification came before them, announcing they had cleared the test on the fourth floor. They were not among the first ones to finish the test. There were four other presents there, waiting for them. Tanya and Davin went together today as well, while Byul went with Michelle—those two were clearly with the brightest expression. They greeted them the moment they saw the two of them.

        Wrik nodded and found Tanya to be a little pessimistic today. Well, he was not in a clear mood today. Maybe that's why he was noticing it. "We will clear the fifth floor today," he said, "After everyone arrives. So let's use the time to rest."

        No one complained and waited for others to arrive. The fifth floor should be the main room where a more powerful inspector was waiting, and it was where they were able to go together. They planned to finish the fifth floor today and then take a break for a couple of weeks and train them to move again.

        He was pondering his decisions when someone tucked his cloak. He looked back to find it was Tanya. She called her with her eyes and moved away from the others. He followed and moved where no one was present.

        "Is something wrong?" Wrik asked the obvious question. 

        Tanya bit her lips and managed to nod. Wrik raised his eyebrow, asking what. She was silent for a while and until Wrik touched her palm. He clasped their palms together when he heard her say.

        "I don't like it," she said. "I don't like it here. I don't like fighting. I don't like killing." She sighed. "I'm leaving."

        "What? Where?" Wrik was startled. To his knowledge, Tanya was far stronger than anyone in their group, yet she said those words.

        "I don't know," she said. "Before coming to the tower, my sister gave me two choices. One was the way I chose, and I chose the tower. She told me I can always go back, and that she would take care of everything. I called her last night and told her.

        "I'm giving up on the tower."

        Wrik sucked in a deep breath. Wasn't it too broad of a decision? He thought. Then again, Tanya probably had been thinking about it for the last month, and here was him, had not noticed a thing. Is this the reason she did not agree to bond with Byul when Byul pick her? 

        Suddenly, an undulation came inside of him. The wall that was inside him started shaking when he thought he might not see her again if she leaves. But he could not let the wall break. He breathed in and out a couple of times and controlled his emotions.

        "This is probably the last day, I'll fight together with you, with all of you," she said and tears came in her clear emerald eyes. Tears dripped down from her eyes to cheek, and he did nothing. "I really liked spending time with you and everyone else. I liked the time with you, but I can't . . ."

        She pulled herself into his chest and cried. Wrik's palm was made into fists and he could not even soothe her now. He could not be like her. He could not give up everything like her, nor could he chase after her, leaving the reason he came here for. He did not cry and stood there with a stony face.

        "When are you leaving?" he asked after a few silent minutes.

        "I don't know," Tanya whispered. "Sis said she would come within a month and take me to Knightshade. We will be able to see each other later"

        She turned silent again. To her knowledge, Knightshade was in Eden, the thirtieth floor who knew how long it would take someone to reach there. Some climb it in a couple of years, while most could not even succeed in their entire life.

        "I'll look for you when I get there," that was all Wrik could say to her.

        She did not ask him to leave everything for her and he could not ask her anything as well. Both did not know each other's reason entirely, but they knew they could not take it away for their selfishness.

        "Oh, there you. .. two," Anton stopped on the way, seeing the two of them embracing each other. a dungeon was not a place to be lovey-dovey, but he was not the person to judge that. "You two carried on, I'm just here to tell the others arrive, but you can take your time." 

__________ 

End of chapter: Stray clouds. 

Next chapter: The fifth floor.